Fit 2 The Core NutritionWorks celebrates 3rd year making a difference in Cranston

Posted 9/10/14

When Camille Durante thinks back on the past two years as the owner and operator of Fit 2 The Core NutritionWorks on Oaklawn Avenue, and looks ahead to her third, she is proud of the difference she …

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Fit 2 The Core NutritionWorks celebrates 3rd year making a difference in Cranston

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When Camille Durante thinks back on the past two years as the owner and operator of Fit 2 The Core NutritionWorks on Oaklawn Avenue, and looks ahead to her third, she is proud of the difference she has helped to make in the lives and health of her clients.

She is proud of the successes that they have seen in the areas of weight and nutrition management as a result of their hard work over time and their better understanding of their own health and habits.

A quote is displayed on her “Wall of Fame,” which states, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” It is a philosophy that Durante tries to instill in her clients who are looking for lifelong results as they change their exercise and eating habits with the help of her expertise.

“What makes me different is that my services are very personalized,” said Durante, who purposely keeps her classes small in order to maintain that extra personalization. “Everyone who comes in gets an evaluation based on their age, gender and height. I use a Tanita scale, which measures their weight, body mass index and fat percentage. People can see if their pounds are fat, water or fat-free mass. Each person gets re-evaluated every week.”

Durante believes that these frequent check-ins and re-evaluations are just one means of helping to keep her clients motivated and helping them to better understand their weight loss.

“Many times, if the scale doesn’t move, people get discouraged. They don’t understand that the pounds may not change but they may have lost fat and gained muscle through exercise. With this scale, you can see if you’re losing fat,” she said.

An important part of Durante’s services includes helping her clients to set goals that will help to motivate them throughout their training and counseling sessions.

“You have to have a goal. It could be to eat more fruits and vegetables or not to eat out so much. It could be to add in an extra day of exercise, but you have to have goals,” Durante said.

Each new client is given a helpful packet full of nutrition and exercise information and safe, effective workout ideas, based on their specific needs. Evaluations and re-evaluations are followed up by maintenance sessions for additional support.

“I not only give information about home workouts, I also give information to my clients about working out when they’re on vacation and how to navigate eating out in restaurants or getting through the holidays. I even give suggestions for cheat meals because if you’re deprived, it won’t work for you. My services are not just about the scale, they’re about changing overall health and the way that people feel,” Durante said.

Durante’s clients, who range in age from young adults in their 20s through senior citizens in their 80s, wholeheartedly agree that it’s her personalized attention, thorough instruction and non-intimidating nature which keep them coming to Fit 2 TheCore.

“We get a lot of attention and we definitely see results,” Lynne Grant said. “She always does a whole body workout, and we really feel like we’re doing something.”

Durante’s future daughter-in-law Lauren Pagliarini, a client herself who is just 24 years old, agrees.

“We see change in pounds, inches and dress sizes, but it’s not just about weight. It’s how we look and feel. I look a lot smaller,” she said. “And she modifies everything for everyone so that we can all work at the levels we’re at and we’re all getting a good workout, but it’s modified specifically for each of us.”

As clients arrive at Fit 2 The Core, they find themselves becoming part of a special group, a family of sorts, working together for common goals.

“Coming here is empowering all the way around. There’s such camaraderie coming here, but yet we’re not here for the socializing and we push each other,” said client Kim Lemoi.

That feeling of family is just one element of Durante’s training that keeps Diane Parillo coming back.

“It’s like a second family here, but the workouts are always new and different, too,” Parillo said.

Durante makes it a goal to have her clients think positively about themselves as they work towards success together.

“A lot of people feel horrible about themselves when they first come here. I want them to feel good, and to feel empowered,” she said.

As any family would, Durante and her clients very often find themselves pulling together as a group to help others in need whenever they can.

“Camille does a lot of charity work,” Lemoi said.

Describing her business as more of a “warm community,” Durante said she tries as often as possible to give back to the Cranston community however she can.

“We’ve done 5K runs for charities, boot camps, we adopt a family and shop for them during the holidays, we have helped local flood victims, raising money and collecting donations of goods and services from our business partners here in the plaza,” she said. “On Sept. 6, [we worked] with a Women & Infants Swim Across America event, doing our boot camp there at 7 a.m. and then volunteering our time starting at 8 a.m. I like to be involved in women’s issues whenever I can. In the past, we’ve also worked with groups like the Providence Rescue Mission, Cranston Community Action Program, the PS3 Ronald A. Gill Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Crossroads, the Humane Society in New York City following Hurricane Sandy, and Sojourner House.”

Durante found herself giving back in a very personal way, helping out a cause near and dear to her heart and the hearts of those in her family when this past spring her nephew passed away unexpectedly.

“Derek was 18 and he was a special needs child. He received all of his care from the Complex Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital, and we decided to do an all-out charity event for the the Complex Care Unit there. We raised almost $4,000 this past June, and 100 percent of the proceeds went right to the hospital. My clients donated, local businesses donated, people were just amazing, so generous,” she said. “We raised $1,600 alone just from the raffles and money was still coming in. We had over 75 people here that day. Our charity events are open to everyone, not just women, so we saw a lot of husbands, boyfriends and family members participating. That day was overwhelming for all of us. There’s a lot of people out there in the world who don’t care, but this showed us just how many people are out there who do care. This was my way of doing something for him, for my sister, in his name.”

Durante, who holds a bachelor’s degree in management, is certified through the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America, TRX, and the American Association of Sports Dieticians and Nutritionists. She maintains a Facebook page (Fit2theCoreFitnessStudio) and a website, www.nutritionworksri.com, which give updates about events coming up and services offered.

As she begins her third year of business, she reflected again on the past two and the positive changes she’s been able to help her clients make in their lives.

“This is my passion, and I feel like I have so much to offer my clients,” she said. “Making healthy changes is a process made up of small changes. I can’t tell you how good it makes me feel to see them so happy and feel so good about themselves.”

For more information about Durante and her services at Fit 2 The Core NutritionWorks, visit the studio at 993 Oaklawn Ave. or call 401-490-2137.

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