REAL LIFE

BETTER THAN SKINNY

By: Maria Kang

Rhonda Palmeri says anyone can be skinny, but having a fit and trim physique is well worth working towards.

What do you do when you want to win a MaxFormation challenge? If you are Rhonda Palmeri, 39, you call on a former winner. Susan Lora, Max Muscle’s 2001 overall MaxFormation winner, was ready to take on Rhonda’s case.

At 5-foot-7, Rhonda has always been the “big girl” growing up in Rockford, Illinois. While she was active in basketball, baseball and volleyball, she was an emotional binge eater and suffered from Bulimia during and after high school.

Food would serve as her crutch during trigger events in her life. If she was moving, working, dating, marrying and then divorcing, her weight would fluctuate 40 to 60 pounds depending on her emotional state. At her heaviest, she weighed a hefty 240 pounds. “I used to always put others before myself,” admits Rhonda. “I was very self-sacrificing, I’d make excuses and I had no motivation. In the end, I just felt crappy about myself.”

In her current position as an Event Coordinator and Bar Manager, Rhonda was exposed to several charity events, one of which changed her life forever. “I saw a picture of myself on stage and was shocked. I told myself that for next year’s event, I would be a different person.” Two weeks later, Rhonda met with Rob Casale of Max Muscle Mission Viejo, California and joined the MaxFormation contest. After taking her measurements and recommending supplements, Rob provided her with an entire diet plan.

Rhonda started the MaxFormation challenge on January 20, 2009 weighing 215 pounds with 38.8 percent body fat. She began performing 3 to 4 hours of cardio a day almost seven days a week. While she lost 30 pounds on her high-cardio routine, after three months with no weight training and stalled progress she decided she couldn’t do this alone. She observed trainers at her gym and noticed that most clients never made physical changes. That’s when Rob referred Rhonda to 2001 MaxFormation champ Susan Lora to be Rhonda’s new trainer. Not only did Susan go from 27.5 to 4 percent body fat in four months, she was older, experienced and an incredible role model.

Rhonda was immediately captivated by Susan’s charisma, honesty and straightforwardness. “One of the first things Susan said to me was, ‘Yeah, you’ve got a lot of fat,’” recalls Rhonda. Instead of feeling insulted, Rhonda began training with Susan the very next day and continued to train with her five days a week for the next three months. In that time period, Rhonda lost an additional 35 pounds. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Seeing my body change was the most awesome thing I have ever experienced in my entire life … Anybody can be skinny, but when you start to see muscle in your shoulders, back and triceps, it is the best feeling.”

By the end of June, exactly five months and 10 days after she joined, Rhonda dropped a total of 42 inches from her body, she weighed 155 pounds and measured at a svelte 18 percent body fat. She firmly believes she came out a winner and is enjoying a fabulous life right now. Her good friend and constant support, Susan Lora, knew Rhonda had what it took to transform herself, “I believe that if you are ready to do this, you can achieve your dream as long as you truly desire it,” Susan said. “Rhonda was ready to go. She worked hard, she was committed and she had the right package: working out, dieting and the right supplements.” MS&F