Pat Altvater has spent several years helping others improve their self-image. But until recently, she said she’s been able to meet her professional goals of being in business for herself and helpings others while doing it.

Altvater, who lives in Waterville, created a 12-month program that helps individuals achieve their weight-loss goals through the adaptation of a healthy lifestyle. Through her business, Transformations Institute, she said she hopes to help people transform themselves to “create a life for themselves and not just being tossed around and taking whatever life gives them.”

“This is about being healthy,” said Altvater, who uses the “Law of Attraction,” which teaches people how to manifest what they want, in her coaching. “It’s not about deprivation, it’s about balance.”

Altvater became involved in the fitness industry after she joined a Curves fitness club for women in 2001. She said the club’s philosophy impressed her so much that she and a business partner purchased eight franchises in Northwest Ohio and two in Michigan between 2002 and 2003.

The move, however, did not allow her to work with club members as much as Altvater wanted because she spent most of her time mentoring franchise managers, she said.

“It wasn’t satisfying my total needs,” she said.

So for the last 18 months, she has been selling off eight of her 10 franchises, she said. In that time she has launched her “Journey to Health” program, which she said allows her to work with clients on a more individual basis.

Unlike most health and fitness programs that put extreme emphasis on food and making several lifestyle changes at one time, Altvater’s plan implements alterations with an approach that focuses on long-term goals, not instant gratification.

“People can’t make a lot of changes at one time,” she said. “A lot of those things are too overwhelming, and they give up.”

“When you put all that emotion on food, it creates a negative experience for you,” she said.

Prior to starting the yearlong program, participants are placed in three- to five-person groups that have similar health goals, Altvater said. The groups meet for 60-minute sessions once a week for five weeks to share ideas of success and set commitments for the upcoming week, she said. During that time, they are give an e-course lesson that focuses on body, mind or spiritual topics.

The Journey to Health program began in June with four pilot groups, and Altvater has begun licensing other individuals to serve as coaches for new groups, she said.

Through the Toledo Women’s Entrepreneurial Network, Altvater said she has been able to make several of the initial contacts for her program.

“It’s structured exactly the way it needs to be to help women in business in this area,” she said.

For more information on the Transformations Institute and Journey to Health program, visit www.transformationsinstitute.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under TFP Version 1.
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