Jose Bravo's Whole Body Fitness Transformation
When it comes to making healthy life choices, starting can be the hardest part. Sometimes all we need is a push in the right direction. When Jose Bravo’s doctor informed him that he either needed to start medication or change his diet to keep his blood pressure under control, the father of three received the wake-up call he needed.
Jose promptly joined Whole Body Fitness in Chico and refused to let excuses stand in his way. Working around a demanding job (with little physical activity), and countless household duties, Jose stayed committed to the training center’s program and has the numbers to prove it. After three months with the program, he has dropped 35 pounds and lowered his blood pressure significantly. “It’s eye-opening to start something and see how it really does change your life,” says Jose. And now that he’s started, he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“It’s eye-opening to start something and see how it really does change your life”
While the journey hasn’t always been easy, Jose notes that more than just physical progress keeps him going—healthy eating benefits his day-to-day life in many other ways he hadn’t anticipated. Not only does he look good, but he feels good. “I was always a coffee drinker,” he explains, “but once things started to change in my body…I didn’t need coffee in the morning.” Working out wasn’t new to him, but learning how to improve his diet with proper nutrition made a significant difference. Jose says that he now notices when he eats unhealthy because he feels the negative effect on his body and mind. Even splurging on chocolate birthday cake left him feeling the damage the next day. “At this point, any little change that I choose to make will impact my weight and my whole body,” he adds.
The main obstacle in healthy living is discipline. Luckily, Jose has Kalyn Burnell, his Whole Body nutritionist, to keep him on track. The two meet regularly to discuss Jose’s progress and to make any adjustments to his specialized diet strategy. When they’re not talking in person, they have the ability to communicate through Whole Body’s unique nutrition app. “The app gives clients something very specific to look at, but it gives people options at the same time,” says Kalyn. Jose agrees. He says the app is “phenomenal” and keeps him accountable throughout the day by providing hourly reminders and easy building blocks for each meal—all personalized to his needs. Meanwhile, Kalyn can see Jose’s meals as he tracks them and is available to answer any questions he may have in real time.
Kalyn praises Jose for staying focused on his health even when he’s busy. “His transformation has been really fun to watch,” she says, describing the excitement of watching his numbers drop steadily lower. While Jose attributes some of his success to his support system at home, he also notes the power of making small changes: instead of eating out during meetings, he eats beforehand and orders coffee; instead of beer, he drinks sparkling water. His advice is to “keep it simple.” With an already busy household, too much change isn’t always a good thing. Kalyn has similar advice for anyone interested in changing their lifestyle. If a complete diet overhaul sounds intimidating, she suggests to focus on taking baby steps; look at one meal a day and think about how you might make it more nutritious. “One of the things that people need to understand is that success doesn’t come from what we do occasionally but from what we do consistently,” says Jose. “It’s about our choices on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour basis.” With the support and knowledge from Whole Body Fitness as his guide, those choices become easier every day.