See how we surprised Precision Nutrition Grand Prize Winners, Mark and Chrystalene. Read how they transformed their bodies (and lives) this year. And meet the rest of the January 2017 men’s and women’s winners.
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Every six months, in our Precision Nutrition Coaching progrgam, we give away $125,000 to the men and women who have the best body transformations.
(Yep, that’s $250,000 every year.)
And, today, you’ll meet our latest winners.
These folks started working with us in January 2016 and, over the course of the last year, completely transformed how they look and feel.
They lost weight, gained strength, boosted their health, and inspired their friends and families.
Even better, they did it without diets, fads, or crazy workout routines.
Each person simply committed to making a change, stayed consistent, and used the accountability and support of one of our dedicated coaches.
- Meet Chrystalene, our Women’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner
- Meet Mark, our Men’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner
- See photos of all January 2017 Women’s winners
- See photos of all January 2017 Men’s winners
$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Chrystalene
Lost 86 lbs and 55 total inches!
- Age: 34 years
- Weight Lost: 86 lbs (from 259 lbs to 173 lbs)
- Total Inches Lost: 55 inches (from 269 inches to 214 inches)
“It doesn’t have to be hard all the time.”
Chrystalene Buhler has grit. Give her a worthy challenge and she’ll show up for herself again and again. “It’s worth it to keep trying.”
Hearing her clarity and calm resolve, you’d never know that as recently as a year ago, she didn’t think she could trust herself at all.
At 34, chronic depression and undiagnosed health problems had robbed Chrystalene of agency and energy. She wasn’t happy with her weight. Movement was often painful. And sometimes, she could barely bring herself to finish the simplest tasks. Tasks like sweeping the floor or doing the dishes or flossing her teeth. Even going out for a coffee could seem like a big deal.
She called herself “lazy.” She called herself a “procrastinator.” She told herself she just needed to exercise and eat better and be more positive. She told herself she should do all this without a speck of help. And when she inevitably failed, she did what all depressed people do: she blamed herself. She crawled into her unmade bed and pulled the sheets up over her head and tried to hide. She even hid from potential sources of support.
Fortunately, life wasn’t always so dismal. Every now and again, Chrystalene managed to claw her way out of her cave, and when she did, she’d accomplish amazing things. A gifted writer and editor, she works mainly in marketing and design, but in her spare time she brings the magic of spoken word poetry to children and teens in Vancouver schools. She also enjoys clowning and dance.
Her many aptitudes and skills offer ample proof of Chrystalene’s inborn spunk, humor, and creative power. But try as she might, it was hard for her to believe in herself or to marshall these talents with any consistency.
She knew that to make meaningful changes in her life, she needed to focus on her mental and physical health. She even joined a previous cohort of Precision Nutrition Coaching in an effort to do just that.
But back then, the program wasn’t as individualized as it is now. And back then, Chrystalene was too afraid to “show herself.” Too afraid to ask for help. So when she ran into some exercises that she couldn’t perform, she simply “faded out,” chalking the experience up—yet again—to her own inadequacies.
Yet within her heart a tiny flicker of hope continued to burn. She never completely gave up on herself. Instead, she stayed on the Precision Nutrition mailing list. And when the bi-annual invitation to join the coaching program arrived in her in-box last January, something told Chrystalene that now was the time.
Trusting that inner voice turned out to be the best decision she’d made in years, because her intuitions were right. A newly flexible program, a skilled and empathetic coach, and a highly supportive cohort together created the conditions for a miracle.
Chrystalene began to show up for herself. She made herself a priority in her own life.
She took the medication she needed to deal with her chronic depression. She saw a physiotherapist about her injuries. She underwent surgery for the ongoing health problems.
She asked for help when she needed help. Not only that, but she allowed herself to open up, to share her struggles and her triumphs with others.
In the process, she lost a whopping 86 pounds.
What she gained was even more valuable. “Being on this team…has expanded my heart six times more than my muscles. And I have serious arm muscles now,” she laughs.
Her message to other women struggling with depression and chronic health concerns?
“It doesn’t have to be hard all the time. It’s not all your fault.”
And you don’t have to go it alone. It’s okay to seek support.
“There’s probably a way to make your heavy thing lighter, and finding out how to do that is worth it.”
“Be on your own side,” she adds. “Don’t give up.”
Want to get results like Chrystalene? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Women.
$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Mark
Lost 42 lbs and 32 total inches!
- Age: 51 years
- Weight Lost: 42 lbs (from 192 lbs to 150 lbs)
- Total Inches Lost: 32 inches (from 237 inches to 205 inches)
“Be patient. Just show up every day and focus on making small changes consistently”
Thoughtful and methodical, Mark Klausner believes in setting realistic, achievable goals. So when he joined Precision Nutrition’s coaching program for men, he hoped to lose about twenty or twenty-five pounds.
After all, once a person enters his fifties, the idea of becoming the fittest guy in the room starts to sound a little crazy. Instead, Mark aimed for a more modest kind of success. “Just getting below 170 pounds would have been awesome,” he says.
Even so, like most folks beginning a new fitness regime, he wanted to see those changes fast. That’s why he thought he should be doing everything at once. Long gym sessions, restrictive eating — the works. “I guess I was a little impatient.”
A busy consultant who travels frequently for his work, Mark had discovered that his bi-weekly national trips were taking a toll on his waistline and his cholesterol readings. He knew his fitness was suffering and he knew he needed to address the problem. He even knew what he needed to do to make improvements.
Yet a year of trying different exercise programs had left him fatter instead of fitter. And for the first time in his life, he was wondering if he needed a little help. What he lacked was a consistent plan.
That’s where Precision Nutrition came in. Mark was already familiar with the company through the cookbook, Gourmet Nutrition, which he’d used and enjoyed. Now, for the first time, he began to consider professional coaching. With a new year on the way and resolutions at the top of his mind, he decided to give it a try.
It was the best decision he’d made for his health in decades. The combination of short lessons about nutrition and lifestyle along with rotating exercise routines provided exactly the structure he needed to make the progress he wanted. “This program is incredibly well designed,” he says. “Every time I had a concern, within a week, that concern would be addressed in a lesson.”
The key to Mark’s success was the support of his four children and his wife, Mindy. “They probably tried more funky grains than they’d ever heard of before,” he laughs. But they were curious and tolerant, and over the course of the year, the entire family started eating more adventurously, and better.
Most of all, Mark learned the value of patience. Taking things day by day, making the little changes. Doing the task at hand and making the best choice possible in less-than-ideal circumstances.
This is the strategy that took him from a doughier-than-he’d like 193 pounds to a lean and muscular 150 pounds in less than a year, all while continuing his busy professional and family schedule. And while the dream of becoming the fittest guy in the room might have sounded crazy to Mark before he began, these days, he often is that guy. Despite his modest intentions.
Before heading off with his family to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime, Mark takes a moment to reflect. “The toughest part of the program wasn’t the exercise or the nutritional changes,” he says. “The toughest part was internalizing the daily lessons and being open to changing mentally as well as physically.”
But that’s also the part he values most. “Be patient. Just show up every day and focus on making small changes consistently,” he says. “That’s what leads to profound change.”
Want to get results like Mark? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Men.
Meet our other Women’s winners:
Deena
$10,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 38 years
Weight Lost: 39 lbs (194 lbs to 155 lbs)
Total inches lost: 58" (247" to 189")
PN provided me with the tools and support I needed to change my mindset. It's given me the courage to accomplish fitness goals I thought were beyond my reach, and has made the dream of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle a reality and a priority. I've become a better person, and by investing in myself, my entire life has changed. I feel like I can conquer anything now.
- Deena
Crystal-Rae
$10,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 27 years
Weight Lost: 32 lbs (180 lbs to 148 lbs)
Total inches lost: 28" (236" to 208")
I have completely changed and continue to evolve: mind, body, soul, inside and out! PN Coaching has given me the tools to learn to LIVE my life and opened my eyes to my own powers to do so. I found the resilience, strength, passion, compassion, dedication, and determination to transform into the beautiful person I always was, but was hidden.
- Crystal-Rae
Rita
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 70 years
Weight Lost: 28 lbs (160 lbs to 132 lbs)
Total inches lost: 21" (229" to 208")
I live on the other side of the world, and I wondered, 'Am I doing the right thing?' A resounding YES. This course answers questions you didn't even know you had! Uplifting, inspiring, thought-provoking, challenging — it has it all, plus, plus. Want to get in touch with you and how you can take charge? Do PN Coaching.
- Rita
Wendy
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 40 years
Weight Lost: 22 lbs (179 lbs to 157 lbs)
Total inches lost: 24" (237" to 213")
The best part of my year with PN Coaching has been my internal transformation. I have let go of so much baggage about food and body image. Having my own coach, who had my back the whole year, made all the difference.
- Wendy
Faye
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 55 years
Weight Lost: 43 lbs (243 lbs to 200 lbs)
Total inches lost: 31" (273" to 242")
After a lifetime of trying to achieve 'big'— big dreams, big accomplishments, big adventures, big goals, big weight loss...a 'big' life full of roller-coaster emotions, weight gain, and a sense of powerlessness — PN has taught me the power of 'small'. Small, consistent, powerful steps add up to true and lasting change, and a powerfully positive attitude and belief in myself, my body and my ability to live this new life one small but mighty step, second, bite, and movement at a time!
- Faye
Rachel
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 34 years
Weight Lost: 31 lbs (170 lbs to 139 lbs)
Total inches lost: 37" (225" to 188")
Precision Nutrition has taught me that rigidity and perfection are not obtainable or helpful, but being a little bit better at every opportunity is. I am now empowered to let go of what has happened in the past and create a new normal for myself and my family.
- Rachel
Jenny
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 28 years
Weight Lost: 38 lbs (184 lbs to 146 lbs)
Total inches lost: 21" (216" to 195")
My PN journey has been filled with tears, laughter, frustrations, victories, healing and joy. I was able to change myself not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. I’ve learned how to celebrate small victories and how to push through obstacles. However, most of all, this journey has helped me to discover who I truly am and to love her unconditionally.
- Jenny
Eleanor
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 33 years
Weight Lost: 56 lbs (198 lbs to 142 lbs)
Total inches lost: 49" (228" to 179")
It’s hard for me to really believe that just a year ago, I felt stuck between an unwillingness to accept myself as I was and a total loss of faith in my ability to change the things that limited my self-confidence. I am so grateful that PN Coaching became part of my life; its multi-faceted and empowering approach has given me the skills, knowledge and confidence to make so many positive internal and external changes.
- Eleanor
Krystal
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 35 years
Weight Lost: 35 lbs (194 lbs to 159 lbs)
Total inches lost: 22" (217" to 195")
PN Coaching has taught me how to live my life fully and healthily, which is a lesson I have never been taught in my life. It taught me that I need to not be afraid to ask for help, but more importantly, that with support and encouragement I can achieve something that felt so out of reach. I learned that I no longer have excuses and that I just needed a little more knowledge to get better, whether it was eating, working out, or finding time to make 'me' better.
- Krystal
Kellie
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 43 years
Weight Lost: 27 lbs (181 lbs to 154 lbs)
Total inches lost: 24" (233" to 209")
I had no secret pill or secret talent, I am no more special than anyone else. But I committed to working on the best version of myself every day. Was it hard? Yes. Worth it? ABSOLUTELY.
- Kellie
Lindsey
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 30 years
Weight Lost: 21 lbs (164 lbs to 143 lbs)
Total inches lost: 24" (227" to 203")
This year was more than just a physical transformation for me, it was a whole perspective change. Being healthy is not being perfect...being healthy is knowing that I have the power to make a better decision no matter the situation. This year has allowed me to show that strong and confident is beautiful!
- Lindsey
Grace
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 28 years
Weight Lost: 25 lbs (195 lbs to 170 lbs)
Total inches lost: 13" (238" to 225")
I've become content living the life I have today and I am learning to silence the compulsive eater inside myself by changing the stories I tell myself. These are huge changes that PN has helped activate in my life, and I'm excited to keep living out the transformation.
- Grace
Candace
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 48 years
Weight Lost: 24 lbs (155 lbs to 131 lbs)
Total inches lost: 23" (214" to 191")
The thing I love best about the PN Coaching program is the habit-based approach and the thought-provoking questions that provide the basis for truly enabling people to change. Being consistently asked to think about why I was doing something or feeling a certain way helped me understand and more clearly define my goals. I feel confident I'll be able to sustain my progress and use these tools on my own as life happens.
- Candace
Daniella
$1,250 Women's Winner:
Age: 42 years
Weight Lost: 51 lbs (246 lbs to 195 lbs)
Total inches lost: 47" (263" to 216")
PN has been a fantastic and rewarding experience! PN is a learning tool that teaches self-control, self-worth and commitment to ourselves to be our best self. I have turned my diet roller coaster into a smooth climb to my best self!
- Daniella
Meet our other Men’s winners:
Dave
$10,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 48 years
Weight Lost: 47 lbs (208 lbs to 161 lbs)
Total inches lost: 23" (238" to 215")
Over the past year, with the assistance of the PN Coaching program coupled with the unwavering support from coach Zach Moore, I have completely transformed both my body and my mind. I have completely broken through every physical and mental barrier put in front of me. I feel utterly amazing and feel extremely confident that I now have the tools to lead a lean lifestyle from this point forward.
- Dave
Matt
$10,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 37 years
Weight Lost: 22 lbs (162 lbs to 140 lbs)
Total inches lost: 1" (212" to 211")
Thanks to PN, I'm spending less time and energy thinking about the specifics of my diet, yet consistently looking and feeling great. The numerous meaningful habits I've been able to create, food-wise and otherwise, will stay with me for a lifetime.
- Matt
Elliot
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 31 years
Weight Lost: 43 lbs (227 lbs to 184 lbs)
Total inches lost: 29" (252" to 223")
I started PN Coaching because I was really unhappy with how I looked and felt. Nearly a year later I look and feel like a new man, but most importantly I've learned to prioritize what I value most, putting my family and health at the top where they should be.
- Elliot
Imran
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 26 years
Weight Lost: 74 lbs (275 lbs to 201 lbs)
Total inches lost: 78" (305" to 227")
I am in the best health and shape of my life. My mindset, confidence, energy levels, self-esteem and overall well-being have improved tremendously. I am now pain free for the first time in a really long time. PN has created an incredible system, and if you apply this system you will get results — period.
- Imran
Doug
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 54 years
Weight Lost: 28 lbs (211 lbs to 183 lbs)
Total inches lost: 16" (257" to 241")
The information you get in PN Coaching is unbiased and practical, and I have learned a great deal and have developed greater confidence. The PN Program has given me added motivation and accountability, which has helped me adopt and embrace a much healthier lifestyle. Finally, having a PN coach is a great resource to be able to tap into when needed. Thank you PN. You not only helped me transform my health and fitness this past year, you have helped me establish new habits that I am confident I will maintain for a lifetime.
- Doug
Revanta
$2,500 Men’s Winner:
Age: 32 years
Weight Gained: 23 lbs (158 lbs to 181 lbs)
Total inches gained: 12″ (209″ to 221″)
After almost 10 years of trying to go from ‘skinny-guy’ to ‘fit-guy’, I couldn’t have wished for a better transformation during my year with PN. I’ve not only gotten stronger and more muscular, I feel like I’ve learned skills and developed habits that will keep me healthy and fit for years to come.
– Revanta
Travis
$1,250 Men's Winner:
Age: 29 years
Weight Lost: 36 lbs (180 lbs to 144 lbs)
Total inches lost: 31" (226" to 195")
Simply said, this year of PN Coaching has put me back in control of my life. Besides the amazing exercise programming and nutrition guidance, the lessons and coaching really helped me to focus and gave me the tools I need to take on any challenge or accomplish any goal. I feel younger, stronger, more confident, less stressed, and much happier - all of which have improved every aspect of my daily life, and the lives of those around me.
- Travis
Vincent
$1,250 Men's Winner:
Age: 32 years
Weight Lost: 43 lbs (180 lbs to 137 lbs)
Total inches lost: 27" (228" to 201")
I signed up for PN Coaching as a depressed, overweight, confused, and generally lost individual. PN taught me eating habits, and I lost weight; PN taught me exercise habits, and I got stronger. But most importantly, PN taught me that compassion for, acceptance of, and love for myself are prerequisites to any self-improvement. I am a changed man.
- Vincent
Paul
$1,250 Men's Winner:
Age: 44 years
Weight Lost: 58 lbs (267 lbs to 209 lbs)
Total inches lost: 32" (262" to 230")
This year has been soul changing and has also happened to include a complete change in my eating, physical fitness and physical appearance. I surrendered, admitted that I obviously didn't know what I was doing, and now I find myself dreaming and doing things differently thanks to PN.
- Paul
Jeff
$1,250 Men's Winner:
Age: 43 years
Weight Lost: 72 lbs (330 lbs to 258 lbs)
Total inches lost: 38" (302" to 264")
PN Coaching has shown me that you don't have to be perfect to have a sustainably fit and healthy lifestyle: it's something that anybody can achieve, even me. I've discovered that if I'm open to change, and willing not only to learn from my failures, but — perhaps more importantly — to embrace my successes, I can do anything.
- Jeff
Meet a few hundred more Precision Nutrition clients
To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from the January 2016 Coaching Program, click one of the links below.
- January 2017 Precision Nutrition Coaching for WOMEN finalists
- January 2017 Precision Nutrition Coaching for MEN finalists
To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from all of our Precision Nutrition Coaching programs, click one of the links below.
- Precision Nutrition WOMEN’S Coaching: The Finalist Hall of Fame
- Precision Nutrition MEN’S Coaching: The Finalist Hall of Fame
Of course, if you’re interested in working toward a body or health transformation of your own, consider joining our next Precision Nutrition Coaching group. We’re opening up a few spots in the coming weeks.
Want help becoming the healthiest, fittest, strongest version of you?
Most people know that regular movement, eating well, sleep, and stress management are important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge in the context of their busy, sometimes stressful lives.
Over the past the past two decades, we’ve used the Precision Nutrition Coaching method to help over 150,000 clients lose fat, get stronger, and improve their physical and mental health… for the long-term… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.
It’s also why we work with health, fitness, and wellness professionals (through our Level 1 and Level 2 Certification programs) to teach them how to coach their own clients through the same challenges.
Interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching? Join the presale list now. You'll get a free gift today, save up to 54%, and have the chance to secure a spot 24 hours early.
We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Coaching on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025.
If you're interested in coaching and want to find out more, join the presale list below. Being on the list gives you three special advantages.
- You’ll pay less than everyone else. Join the presale list and you’ll save up to 54% off the general public price.
- You’re more likely to get a spot. To give clients the personal care and attention they deserve, we only open up the program twice a year. By joining the presale list you’ll get the opportunity to register 24 hours before everyone else, increasing your chances of getting in.
- You’ll get a free gift—plus an inside look at the program. When you join the presale list today, we’ll send you a free 35-page ebook: Your Best Nutrition Starts Here—a complete guide to building a health plan for your body, goals, and lifestyle (no calorie-counting or restrictive dieting required). Plus, you'll get our new Enrollment Packet, giving you an inside look at the PN Coaching program, complete with stories from past clients who’ve overcome huge obstacles and achieved the transformation of their dreams, and more.
If you’re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from the world’s best coaches, this is your chance.
[Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you’re interested in helping others, check out our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program].
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