Reprinted with the permission of
THE HERALD
Copyright (c) 1998, The Herald company
By LAURIE MAZZAMURRO
Herald Reporter

ROCKY HILL — Growing up overweight is not easy, and Pam Oliver knows that because she lived through the experience.

As she grew older, she learned how to control the things she ate and when she ate without depriving herself, and in the process lost a significant amount of weight.

Since then, she has been able to maintain that weight loss and has decided to offer her system to both adults and children through a program called "Body Transformers."

The Rocky Hill resident recently held the grand opening of Body Transformers on New Britain Avenue, with the support of her family and friends, as a means of sharing her success with young children, teen-agers and adults.

Ms. Oliver, who declines to disclose the identity of her customers, addresses every client’s need on an individual basis because every problem is different. Some need to lose 10 pounds and others need to lose over 200 in some cases.

"How can you tell someone what to eat when everyone’s metabolism is different," she noted.
She decided to gear the program towards young children and teenagers because of her own childhood experience, calling the weight "a shadow" that followed her into adulthood.
After going on "yo-yo" diets, she decided to start charting her own metabolism and studied the times of day she was hungry, the times of day she would eat and when she was not hungry. She lowered her fats and in-creased her exercise and her carbohydrate intake. She followed this regimen for years, she said.

While most people know that this is the way to lose weight, they rarely know how to apply the technique, she said.

She holds 30-minute, one-on-one consultations with her clients and charts their progress.
Once the initial goal has been met, she said, she places her clients on a maintenance program. In determining the rate of weight loss, Ms. Oliver wants her clients to see the decreases in their dress or pant sizes, rather than using a scale, which can be a traumatic experience.

"We don’t use scales and we don’t weigh in because it’s very intimidating," she said.
While exercise Is not mandatory at Transformers, it is encouraged, Ms. Oliver said, noting that a low-key, beginners’ style regimen is built into her program.

The physical fitness portion of the program was created by Kerry Robair, who leads classes for both boys and girls, along with instructor Dan Murphy.

According to Robair, the program is geared toward someone who is not used to high-level aerobics and consists mostly of stretching and toning.

Clients are asked to attend classes three times a week, said Robair, adding that he tries to make it fun and something the kids, or adults, want to do. The classes are small, he added, saying that he tries to gear the classes to a workout everyone can do without problems.

"We put more attention on the class as a whole group and encourage them to exercise outside of the program," said Murphy. "The class is a starting point, and we stress the fact that they should do things as individuals."

One of the mothers whose 10-year-old daughter has been working with Ms. Oliver’s program since September and has since gone down two dress sizes, said she has seen a difference in her daughter’s attitude and disposition.

"I’m proud of how hard she’s worked and the results she’s gotten," said the mother. "She enjoys her time here. She’s always been a happy child, but she’s always been sensitive about her weight. This program has given her more confidence."

What was initially appealing about the program was that it did not require that meals be individually prepared and allowed her daughter to continue eating her favorite treats.
"It’s a slow process, but it’s been working for her. It isn’t a quick-fix, but you don’t feel deprived," said the woman. "There is an emphasis on healthier kinds of lifestyles, and it helps them make choice about their bodies and what they put into their bodies."

Her daughter said she likes working with Ms. Oliver because she does not get frustrated if the girl eats something she should not have — and besides, the mother added, it’s fun.
"It’s not like gym class," the girl said. "The program’s more private and geared towards the person. Pam’s easy to talk to. I’m happier and more flexible and it’s helped me with my horseback riding.
"I was embarrassed to do things in front of people, but now I feel like I fit in more," she said.
Ms. Oliver said she has been overwhelmed by the response to her program, but determines the real success of the program when she sees children and adults who are happy with themselves.
"I knew it would be something once people really listened and knew what it was about," said Ms. Oliver. "When people have had personal successes, I know the program is working."