Rachel and Daniel spent the past 12 months transforming their eating habits, health, bodies, and lives with personal help from a Precision Nutrition coach. Now? They’re our latest Grand Prize winners. See how we surprised them with $25,000 each, and meet the rest of our July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching winners.
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Every six months in our Precision Nutrition Coaching program we give away more than $125,000 to the men and women who have the most incredible, inspiring body transformations.
Yep, that’s more than a quarter million dollars a year.
And, today, you’ll meet our latest amazing winners.
These folks started working with us in July 2017 and, over the course of the past year, completely transformed how they eat, move, look, and feel.
They lost body fat, 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 Rachel, our Women’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner
- Meet Daniel, our Men’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner
- See photos of all July 2018 Women’s winners
- See photos of all July 2018 Men’s winners
$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Rachel
Lost 31 lbs and 26 total inches!
![](https://assets.precisionnutrition.com/2018/06/womens_finalists_july2018_119568.jpg)
- Age: 42 years
- Weight Lost: 31 lbs (from 148 lbs to 117 lbs)
- Total Inches Lost: 26 inches (from 211 inches to 185 inches)
Entering her 40s, Rachel used to wake up feeling puffy, creaky, and old.
She despaired, feeling that at this point, her life would never change.
This is all I can be, Rachel told herself. This is as good as it gets. It is what it is.
She had caring friends, a satisfying job in human resources, and a vocation for acting. But a difficult decade marked by a long and complicated professional project, several painful breakups, and the deaths of her two beloved dogs had left her tired, anxious, increasingly out of shape, and depressed.
It didn’t help that she’d spent almost 20 years in L.A. hearing from casting directors that she was a talented but “unmarketable” actress.
Attractive—but not attractive enough. Over time, the message took a serious toll on Rachel’s confidence.
All those challenges together felt like “death by a thousand cuts”.
In 2017, hoping to jumpstart a healing process, Rachel set out on a solo road trip. Her plan worked. By the time she returned, she felt ready to open her heart to a new rescue dog and begin the long wait for adoption.
Meanwhile, she paid a visit to her brother in Cleveland. He encouraged her to make another kind of commitment.
Matthew, a former attorney who had given up law in favor of a career as a personal trainer, suggested that if Rachel really wanted to get fit, she should check out Precision Nutrition. A client of his had been making excellent progress in the coaching program. He’d looked it up. He liked what he saw.
Rachel struggled with her doubts. Could she afford coaching? Why would this system work for her when others hadn’t? What was the point of trying?
Yet she trusted her brother and knew that he’d never recommend something that didn’t make sense.
Somewhere deep inside, Rachel retained a tiny sliver of hope that life could be more.
The day Rachel met her new dog, Snickers, was the same day she began her year of Precision Nutrition Coaching. It was as if she needed to risk her heart again to open the door to deep change.
For months, she did exactly what the program asked of her. Nothing more. And she barely registered that she was losing weight.
Then one day she pulled on a pair of pleather pants that had always been too small and found, to her amazement, they zipped.
The internal changes struck her sooner and more powerfully. Like the fact that she —a lifelong worrier— was worrying less. Instead of focusing on an unknown future, she was tackling one small task at a time, not only in the gym and in the kitchen, but also when it came to other life challenges.
Gradually, Rachel started to realize that it was OK to ask for help.
She didn’t need to suffer so much to improve. She didn’t need to be perfect. She just needed to show up.
“To be humble. To be honest.” To do the day’s task.
These days, Rachel is basking in her improved health and well-being, and she’s head over heels in love with Snickers. “I gained a corgi and I lost a corgi,” she jokes. (Meaning thirty pounds of body weight or so.)
Even her acting career is on an upswing. “Turns out there’s more work for older character actresses,” she explains. Or maybe it’s just that her newfound confidence allows her to take more risks.
With her winnings, Rachel plans to take care of some needed upgrades to her condo. But she’s also setting aside a portion for her brother, Matthew.
After all, as the person who encouraged her to sign up, he helped Rachel reclaim her life. Now, he’d like to help his own clients get the kind of results his sister has achieved, so he’s signing up to get his Precision Nutrition’s Certification.
By paying his tuition, Rachel is paying it forward.
Want to get results like Rachel’s? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Women.
$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Daniel
Lost 10 lbs and 11 total inches!
![](https://assets.precisionnutrition.com/2018/06/mens_finalists_july2018_119880.jpg)
- Age: 39 years
- Weight Lost: 10 lbs (from 178 lbs to 168 lbs)
- Total Inches Lost: 11 inches (from 229 inches to 218 inches)
Daniel seemed to have it all.
At age 39, Dan was blessed with a terrific job. He was also happily married and living in his dream home with his wife, Erin, their daughter, Sydney, and another baby on the way.
Life should have felt idyllic. Except it didn’t. Something was eroding Dan’s self-respect.
He’d always kept himself relatively trim and fit, most recently through his practice of Filipino martial arts.
But in 2016, he didn’t feel his best. Erratic training had injured his shoulders, and he’d lost a stick-fighting tournament to a rival. Later, he contracted a virus from his preschooler that laid him low for longer than he expected.
By the time June 2017 rolled around, he was actually feeling embarrassed at the thought of pulling on a swimsuit and taking Sydney to the neighborhood pool.
When he looked in a mirror, Dan wasn’t proud of what he saw.
It’s not as if he was vastly overweight. It’s just that he felt out of sync with his values and expectations.
I’m almost forty, he told himself. If I’m serious about making a change, now’s the time.
Turning to Precision Nutrition felt natural. Dan had been following the company since 2005. He’d read John Berardi’s articles. He’d used the cookbook. He knew he could put his trust in this program.
And that’s exactly what he did.
“If anything, I was coming in with too much information about nutrition.”
At the time Dan joined PN, he was lost in a nutrition labyrinth of his own making.
Trying Paleo one week and intermittent fasting the next; switching between workout routines, always restless to find the quick fix but missing the thread of consistency he needed.
PN Coaching worked differently. His progress was slow but steady.
The workouts were not especially challenging at first. Even the nutritional habits felt familiar. But knowing he’d be at this for a year gave Dan space to relax, to play, to experiment without so much pressure.
He emptied his cup of the things he thought he knew about fitness and nutrition, and let his coaches lead the way.
Over time, he felt the principles and habits “burn in” and become a part of him, instead of “showering over him” and then washing away.
The results were subtle, yet profound.
About nine months into the program, Dan once again caught a virus from his young daughter right before an important martial arts tournament. But the body transformation he’d attained by then made him so confident that he attended the tournament anyway. This time, he won.
When the new baby came along, he was worried that sleepless nights and limited time would destroy all the progress he’d made. But with the encouragement of his coach, he let go of his all-or-nothing thinking and kept up with his habits, lessons, and workouts.
He’d finally learned that it isn’t necessary to do it all. Something is often good enough. And when he compared his progress photos to his beginning photos, he was amazed at the change in his physique.
Evidently, it’s consistently showing up that matters most.
PN’s daily check-ins continue to keep Dan focused and grounded.
Ask Dan what he likes best about PN Coaching, and he’ll tell you “the programming, the lessons, the feedback from coaches, the group discussions, the online delivery format.” In other words, he likes everything.
So much so that he plans to sign up for another year.
“There are a lot of twelve week programs out there,” he says. “I’ve tried a few. And they might even give you results. Of a superficial kind.”
But if you’re looking for something deeper and more lasting, Dan says, Precision Nutrition Coaching is the way to go.
“What twelve week program will change your life? This program completely changed mine.”
Want to get results like Daniel’s? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Men.
Meet our other Women’s winners:
Lara
$10,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 44 years
Weight Lost: 44 lbs (176 lbs to 132 lbs)
Total inches lost: 35" (230" to 195")
The biggest offering that PN presented me with is empowering me to take control of my mind and my body. We all look for external validation to some degree. PN taught me that the best external validation is when you look at your body and it matches your soul and mind. When I felt empowered to take control, I started being more motivated to do the workouts and watch how I nourished my body. The better the nourishment, the more enjoyment, the better the visible result. Loving one self is the hardest adventure. PN was here to show me how to become my own best friend. And what a friend I am!
- Lara
Angela
$10,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 47 years
Weight Lost: 27 lbs (138 lbs to 111 lbs)
Total inches lost: 28" (215" to 187")
When I came to the PN coaching program, I was an overweight busy mom who wasn’t taking care of herself and wasn’t enjoying life. By changing my eating habits and lifestyle I learned how to let go of the mental clutter, and the physical clutter took care of itself. PN reminded me what joy was, taught me how to play again, brought me to a place of calmness, and helped me nourish myself. I feel fit and fabulous!
- Angela
Anne Marie
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 54 years
Weight Lost: 29 lbs (151 lbs to 122 lbs)
Total inches lost: 30" (216" to 186")
PN has taught me about doing the 'difficult-difficult' things — ending the going-nowhere relationship; finally making the appointment with the dermatologist to get that spot checked. I learned how to be my own hero... I learned I needed to make better choices, and to listen — REALLY listen — to my body and to my thinking.
- Anne Marie
Sarah
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 38 years
Weight Lost: 64 lbs (230 lbs to 166 lbs)
Total inches lost: 46" (255" to 209")
One word that I would use to sum up my PN experience is FREEDOM! Freedom to fuel my body appropriately without having to “follow a diet”; freedom to feel strong; freedom to once again enjoy the open road on my bike; freedom to fit in clothes I love; freedom to think positively; freedom to encourage and support others; freedom to love me for me!
- Sarah
Lynn
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 59 years
Weight Lost: 40 lbs (238 lbs to 198 lbs)
Total inches lost: 31" (258" to 227")
When I started PN Coaching that it would be this big of a transformation, inside and out. The lessons, the habits, the support of the coaches, the camaraderie with the other women... it was all so powerful. I loved that women of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels could work and support each other through the highs and lows of our individual journeys. I'm slimmer, stronger, healthier, more compassionate, and totally confident that my 60s will be my best decade yet!
- Lynn
Sarah
$2,500 Women's Winner:
Age: 39 years
Weight Lost: 24 lbs (138 lbs to 114 lbs)
Total inches lost: 25" (211" to 186")
PN Coaching taught me that consistent action, even if imperfect, yields much greater results than inconsistent, short sprints of perfectionism. The program helped transform my body and mind which led me to find a new, fit, and more confident identity.
- Sarah
Rowena
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 48 years
Weight Lost: 42 lbs (216 lbs to 174 lbs)
Total inches lost: 47" (268" to 221")
Comfortably achieving a healthy, sustainable weight after years of failed diets and steady gains is incredible. Learning how to consciously choose my life, manage discomfort constructively and conquer depression, anxiety and loneliness, so I feel amazing and am genuinely happy and loving life for the first time in forever? Beyond words!
- Rowena
Karen
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 70 years
Weight Lost: 58 lbs (220 lbs to 162 lbs)
Total inches lost: 35" (226" to 191")
A year ago, I was searching for a miracle to become the healthy person I dreamed of being. With Precision Nutrition's guidance of practicing healthy eating habits; maintaining a proactive fitness program; keeping my mind actively engaged in life; actively pursuing happiness; having faith and being continually kind to myself... I ended up finding the miracle within myself. I can now be there for myself and the ones I love in ways I never dreamed possible.
- Karen
Ellie
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 53 years
Weight Lost: 28 lbs (148 lbs to 120 lbs)
Total inches lost: 23" (213" to 190")
I've always denied that hitting 50 meant hitting a wall where everything that worked before just... stopped… working. So instead of adjusting my approach, I just ran through it like Braveheart — resulting in the injuries, surgeries, weight gain, and setbacks that come with not thinking this brilliant denial strategy all the way through. My experience with PN over the past year was like a bright, shining light that illuminated the best approach, pointed out the pitfalls to avoid, and walked me through the complex pathway of movement, nutrition, and habits. I can't imagine anything — a workout, a diet plan, a class — that could possibly be more effective than Precision Nutrition for tackling the weight and fitness challenges I've struggled with since turning 50.
- Ellie
Vanessa
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 44 years
Weight Lost: 28 lbs (149 lbs to 121 lbs)
Total inches lost: 32" (219" to 187")
From a childhood filled with good and bad memories of food — the good being meals with my mom, the bad being the food deprivation after her death — the biggest impact PN Coaching has had on me is the understanding and acceptance that food is not an emergency. I have truly begun to understand the strained and often confusing relationship I’ve had with food all these years, and I am beginning to mend it.
- Vanessa
Tina
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 45 years
Weight Lost: 59 lbs (254 lbs to 195 lbs)
Total inches lost: 48" (271" to 223")
PN has taught me that, no matter how busy I am, I can still find time for myself. I found ME again this last year, and I will never forget that I am worth it, and I will NEVER GO BACK!
- Tina
Erin
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 35 years
Weight Lost: 24 lbs (150 lbs to 126 lbs)
Total inches lost: 18" (218" to 200")
My greatest struggle coming into PN was finding time to work out and eat nutritiously, and not feel guilty for spending that time taking care of myself. With the guidance of my coaches, daily lessons, habits, and workshops, one important concept I have developed is that in order to care for my children, husband, and relationships, I need to permit time for self-care.
- Erin
Beth
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 43 years
Weight Lost: 71 lbs (268 lbs to 197 lbs)
Total inches lost: 44" (292" to 248")
This program has been such a blessing in helping me take control of my weight issues and overall health. I now have habits and tools that I can use on an everyday basis to help me make better choices and become the healthiest version of myself.
- Beth
Lucia
$1,000 Women's Winner:
Age: 26 years
Weight Lost: 28 lbs (129 lbs to 101 lbs)
Total inches lost: 21" (205" to 184")
The PN program helped me build a strong foundation of self-awareness and self-reliance, which has changed how I treat myself, in all ways, beyond nutrition and fitness. I feel like I've put a definite stop to my struggles with weight and dieting... and the results speak for themselves!
- Lucia
Meet our other Men’s winners:
Teofilo
$10,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 35 years
Weight Lost: 51 lbs (253 lbs to 202 lbs)
Total inches lost: 30" (273" to 243")
Biggest impact this year had on me was to remind me of coaching's true value. You can't be an expert on everything if you intend to make the best of your life.
- Teofilo
Steve
$10,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 55 years
Weight Lost: 51 lbs (224 lbs to 173 lbs)
Total inches lost: 40" (263" to 223")
This last year of Precision nutrition has given me the absolute best results of any plan I have ever tried, and allowed me to obtain a lower weight than stringent long-term dieting was able to produce. Moreover, the PN method has been the easiest of all the approaches I have ever tried. That simple!
- Steve
Jeremy
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 41 years
Weight Lost: 51 lbs (239 lbs to 188 lbs)
Total inches lost: 33" (257" to 224")
The biggest impact PN has had on me is to truly make a lifestyle change vs complete a 'fad' diet or program. The benefits I've gained mentally (knowledge, outlook and perspective, mind over matter) outweigh the physical outcome. PN helped me get over some pretty serious mental barriers around the stroke that I suffered a few years ago. I still have a lot of physical transformations that I'm going to continue to work on. For me, the program doesn't end here, it's just getting started!
- Jeremy
Gerardo
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 43 years
Weight Lost: 32 lbs (209 lbs to 177 lbs)
Total inches lost: 16" (238 " to 222")
I like a quote that I saw in a commercial: “Train your mind, your body will follow”. To me that was my experience. Change the 'little things' (habits) and you’ll see changes in your body. Always mindful and aware, and of course consistent.
- Gerardo
Alex
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 52 years
Weight Lost: 16 lbs (189 lbs to 173 lbs)
Total inches lost: 10" (236" to 226")
In the beginning of the year I was overweight, always tired, busy, cranky, and I thought I was stuck at my weight. With PN Coaching, I have changed my eating and lifestyle habits and as a result I feel free, more confident, less stressed, and full of energy. The coaching exceeded my expectations and when people ask me how I’ve changed, I can’t help but tell them about all the things that I’ve learned from PN.
- Alex
Cody
$2,500 Men's Winner:
Age: 28 years
Weight Lost: 20 lbs (195 lbs to 175 lbs)
Total inches lost: 9" (233" to 224")
I came into my year of PN Coaching with a fairly strong background in nutrition and exercise. Despite this, I was never able to take my own body to the place I wanted it. It's not that I couldn't do it on my own, but rather that I wouldn't do it on my own. My PN coach, Jonathan, helped hold me accountable and continually reminded me to focus on the 'big rocks' and not worry so much about the small stuff.
- Cody
Todd
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 45 years
Weight Lost: 36 lbs (183 lbs to 147 lbs)
Total inches lost: 27" (224" to 197")
I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up for PN coaching because I thought I had the knowledge to make the changes I needed to make on my own. I discovered that I might have the knowledge, but not the tools that I needed to really improve. PN Coaching gave me the tools, confidence, and support that I needed to really change my physical and mental health. The best part about PN Coaching is all you need to do is follow the program, trust in the program, and you will see significant results.
- Todd
Brandon
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 33 years
Weight Lost: 22 lbs (159 lbs to 137 lbs)
Total inches lost: 19" (220" to 201")
PN has been a great experience for me. In the past I’d always enjoyed an active lifestyle, but I had gotten to a point where my lack of fitness and poor nutritional choices were really hurting my ability to do the things I love. Generally speaking I just didn’t feel good about where I was at. Just days before the program started I separated my shoulder and underwent surgery, further limiting me. PN was the best thing for me during recovery. It taught me you don’t have to have some crazy “all or nothing” fitness program or diet. Small, consistent changes can bring about great results! It’s completely changed the way I think about food, fitness, and nutrition. Thanks!!
- Brandon
Luis
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 46 years
Weight Lost: 27 lbs (182 lbs to 155 lbs)
Total inches lost: 19" (241" to 222")
When I started PN Coaching, I knew it would be a customized nutrition and fitness program. Now I see that it's not just that — it's a complete lifestyle program. It’s not a diet at all. It’s a system based on habit change. You learn lifelong nutrition habits that will last and keep you healthy. And if you ever get stuck on your path, you always have someone you can ask for help.
- Luis
Domenic
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 32 years
Weight Lost: 31 lbs (284 lbs to 253 lbs)
Total inches lost: 22" (279" to 257")
This past year in PN has probably added 20-30 years to my life, and those years will be much better quality due to the increase in my health, my energy, and my ability to cope better with the stress and trials in life. I feel like the foundation that has been set by PN will help me to finish every race in life strong, get over life's biggest hurdles, stay focused on truly meaningful objectives in life, and most of all, I can now run and play with my children and watch them grow. Unlike the other men in my family who all died young due to poor health before seeing any of their grandchildren, I look forward to living long enough to see my grandchildren be born and grow up.
- Domenic
Bob
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 59 years
Weight Lost: 38 lbs (195 lbs to 157 lbs)
Total inches lost: 28" (241" to 213")
I hit a wall on my nutrition and fitness journey to lose over 100 lbs. PN gave the tools and support I needed to not just get past that wall but to crush it! Never looking back! I had been fat for so long, it was the only way I could see myself. In less than a year, the caring coaching, consistent structure, and solid information of PN has helped me transform my self-image to seeing myself as lean and fit.
- Bob
Kevin
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 38 years
Weight Lost: 52 lbs (224 lbs to 172 lbs)
Total inches lost: 31" (249" to 218")
The past year has been like many of the years before it: a roller-coaster of weight, distraction, disappointment, elation, advancement and setback. I knew that PN wasn't going to change the world around me and somehow create a magical petri dish of perfection for me to live in. What it did give me is what I was missing in all those previous years: control, understanding, acceptance, forgiveness and resiliency - that has made all the difference.
- Kevin
Jay-C
$1,000 Men’s Winner:
Age: 38 years
Weight Gained: 25 lbs (203 lbs to 228 lbs)
Total inches gained: 11″ (237″ to 248″)
During my journey with PN Coaching, I’ve learned that it is possible to gain a good amount of muscle mass without gaining too much fat along the way. ‘Dirty bulking’ is not necessary. Go clean. Go the PN Coaching way!
– Jay-C
Matt
$1,000 Men's Winner:
Age: 35 years
Weight Lost: 44 lbs (261 lbs to 217 lbs)
Total inches lost: 31" (270" to 239")
I began Precision Nutrition feeling overwhelmed and trapped in my body: overcome with the chronic pain in my disc herniations and subluxed ribs, fearful of reinjuring them, and doubtful that I could regain my old athleticism and physique in that condition. Little by little, Precision Nutrition nurtured a new lifestyle where I've found the resilience to heal my body and return to the martial arts I love. Best of all, armed with the tools and behaviors I've learned, I feel confident that I will prevail over any injuries or challenges that the future has in store.
- Matt
Meet a few hundred more Precision Nutrition clients.
To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from the July 2018 Coaching Program, click the links below.
- July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching for WOMEN finalists
- July 2018 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 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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