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Rye resident Patti Whalen is successful in many ways: She’s raised two kids, works at a job she loves, is active in the community, and has a happy marriage. But until recently, she’d forgotten one thing: Fitness. “I had not done any exercise since the birth of my daughter, who is now 19,” Patti says.

Patti had made some attempts to deal with the 30 pounds she’d put on over 20 years. “I tried Jenny Craig and lost weight but gained it all back,” she says. She went on Weight Watchers, joined the Y and started walking. “Nothing worked,” she says. Weight became more of a struggle when Patti was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer 10 years ago: She retained a lot of fluid due to the chemo.

Then in late 2009, Patti’s cousin, Dr. Howard Sichel, made a comment. “He told me, ‘Movement heals,’” she says, “and that rang the bell.” The statement made sense for Patti: It was motivating without being punitive, and it was about the process, not a pie-in-the-sky end result. Howard told her about APOGEE and suggested she start private Pilates sessions with Dorothy Polanowska.

In January, Patti walked into her first class. “I told myself, ‘I don’t know where I’ve been for 20 years, but now it’s time to take care of me,’” she recalls. She began Intro to Mat classes with Dorothy, then added Intro to Tower with Lisa Klasner and Beginner Mat with Deborah Slade. When Patti balked at trying a cardio class, Dorothy walked her to the Cardio Circuit class and rode on the bike next to her. Patti tried her first Pilates group class during the Open House in March. “It was helpful because I broke out of my safety zone and did a group class on the Tower and the Reformer. I had only done those privately. I now know that I am capable,” she says. “It was a whole new level for me!” Now Patti is taking three or four Pilates classes a week and fitting in at least one cardio session.

Pilates makes Patti feel “taller, stronger, thinner and more toned,” she says. “I’m more grounded on my feet; I feel more symmetrical.” In March, Patti slipped on some ice but didn’t fall—with her strong core, she was able to regain her balance quickly. “When I walk outside I feel lighter, I don’t have that exhausting feeling,” she says. Emotionally, she’s healthier, too. “I feel more relaxed,” she says. “Maybe it’s because I’m doing something for myself.”

By early May, Patti had lost 11 pounds—“without dieting!” she says. “I’m just making better choices.” Upon joining APOGEE, Patti met with APOGEE nutritionist Jennifer Vagios, who gave her a handout detailing high-energy snacks such as nuts and yogurt. Patti has also learned a lot from the APOGEE Café: she now drinks lemon water and green tea at home. “I take my cues from APOGEE,” she says. “It’s such a peaceful place, it even smells good. It’s like a spa!”

Patti feels as if she’s reclaimed her body and her life. She’s introduced her daughter to Pilates and they’re both “addicted,” she says. She hopes to be a model for others who have gotten in a rut. “I felt sad,” she says. “I hope I can inspire someone who felt sad like I did.” Her own inspirational phrase might just work: “No matter what you do, keep moving!”

We know that APOGEE members are making wellness a daily habit and improving their health. And while we’re busy planning festivities for APOGEE’s one-year anniversary in Westchester this month,  what we’re really celebrating is our members and what you have accomplished. White Plains member Carolyn Gomez is one shining example of how dedication to wellness for one year can transform you. Congratulations to Carolyn for making healthful changes that count! Here’s her story:

When a friend told Carolyn about a new place to work out that was just a few blocks from the courthouse where they work in White Plains, Carolyn didn’t think much of it. After all, she’d had a gym membership before and it hadn’t made a difference in her life. Still, she was intrigued. “It’s fun,” Meredith Byrne told her.

That conversation was a year ago and now, stronger, straighter and 40 pounds lighter, Carolyn knows that the right place can make a huge difference. “APOGEE isn’t just a gym,” Carolyn says. “It’s a whole wellness center. I was never successful with a straight-on gym.”

With Meredith, Carolyn became an APOGEE member—one of the first at the White Plains location, which opened in March 2009. She started taking a beginner’s Pilates mat class, added more mat classes, then expanded to the MVE Chair and Tower. “There are new classes on the schedule all the time and that makes it fun,” Carolyn says. She recently added a yoga class. 

With her membership, Carolyn received a free consultation with APOGEE dietitian Jennifer Vagios, who advised Carolyn on calorie counts and incorporating more fruits and vegetables. Carolyn often stops at the APOGEE Café for a healthy meal. “It’s easy because the food is there, already prepared,” Carolyn says. “I can grab it and take it back to work.”  Jennifer also recommended that Carolyn add more cardio to her schedule—now she does 30 minutes on the bicycle and treadmills after her evening Pilates or yoga classes.

Everyone at APOGEE contributed to Carolyn’s transformation, she says. “Even in a group class the instructors give individual attention,” she says. “They are very motivating and make the classes fun.”  When Carolyn mentioned to her Tower class instructor Dorothy that she wants to tone her arms for her July wedding, “Dorothy gave me five exercises that I can do right away,” Carolyn says. Just as important are the wellness concierges who know her name and check her in quickly. “That’s so important when I’m coming to class during my lunch hour and don’t have much time,” she says. “And they create a friendly environment.”

Carolyn experiences the change in her body every day, at work and at the wellness center during class. “My core in stronger and my posture is straighter,” Carolyn says.  Now she knows how to achieve true wellness. “I feel a lot stronger and healthier all the time,” Carolyn says, “even just walking down the street!”