Vivafit, a women’s-only fitness franchise founded in 2002 in Portugal, recently hosted a six-week weight loss challenge that resulted in 420 participants losing an average of 12 pounds.
The five women who achieved the best results — based on the percentage of total body weight lost — received a plethora of prizes that included beauty treatments, cosmetics, clothes, shoes and a personal shopper, all of which amounted to around €20,000 ($30,600). The five women also attended a panel led by nutrition, fitness and fashion experts, which recognized the members for their successes.
During the challenge, members consulted with Vivafit’s nutritionists, were given a personalized eating plan, and participated in weekly workouts and weigh-ins. In addition, the club hosted weekly seminars on particular issues, such as emotional eating, to help participants overcome challenges and keep moving forward.
“We are very pleased and satisfied that we have finally discovered an approach to helping our customers achieve their weight loss goals that is effective, thanks to the combination of exercise and more importantly, to a system that allows them to have a personal nutritionist,” said Constance Ruiz, the president and co-founder of Vivafit. “We’re just like the rest of the world. About 50 percent of our population is overweight.”
This realization is what drove Constance and her husband, Pedro Ruiz, the CEO of Vivafit, to incorporate nutrition into Vivafit’s framework. In 2011, Vivafit hired personalized nutritionists to prescribe eating plans for all new members and offer continual lifestyle coaching and support.
According to Constance, this new emphasis on nutrition is part of what made the weight loss challenge successful. “We’re very pleased with the results of the challenge,” said Constance. “We knew 80 percent of our members wanted to lose weight, and that’s what accelerated our partnership with nutritionists.”
According to Constance, she and Pedro were inspired by the concept of women’s-only gyms in the U.S. Constance was born in the U.S., and moved to Portugal in 1993.
“When I saw the women’s-only gyms I was inspired,” explained Constance. “[I thought] many Portuguese women could also benefit from an environment that was not intimidating. However, I learned over the years that mixing circuit with group fitness still wasn’t enough for our members’ goals, because 80 percent of women want to lose weight. So, we had to get very serious about our nutrition approach.”
According to Constance, Vivafit’s new philosophy — one that incorporates fitness and nutrition — helps her members not only succeed, but also foster long-lasting, healthy habits.
By Rachel Zabonick
