A WALK IN THE WOODS - University at Buffalo

alumniprofileRachel Lynn Sunley, MPH ’10: Personal trainer’s prewedding drill blends positivityand scientific principles to help women prepare for the big dayBRIDALBOOTCAMPRACHEL LYNN SUNLEY, MPH ’10, upbeat, easygoing,ambitious, is an ideal personal fitness trainer.She’s lived it: As a preteen, she put on weight andfound her self-esteem suffering. Lessons from each ofher parents on exercise and eating right helped her todrop weight. And along the way, she realized a deepseatedpassion.These days, Sunley is happily helping otherslearn the same lessons—adding in science and savvy.During the process of earning her master’s in publichealth, her integrative project focusedon weight-loss maintenance amongAmerican adults. She learned thatabout 50 percent of those who successfullylose weight gain it back in fewerthan six months. She decided that shewanted to address this discouragingstatistic.“Immediately after earning mymaster’s, I got my personal-training certification andwas working part time at a fitness club. I developeda comprehensive fitness program. Then I thought,‘What would make this different?’ I love instructingboot camp-style workouts; weddings, fashion,nutrition/eating healthy and cooking are some of myfavorite things. I realized that bridal boot camps wereexactly what Buffalo was missing! Some of the mostmotivated clients are women who want to feel beautifuland confident on their wedding day.” Her Buffalobasedbusiness, Bridezilla Boot Camps, was born in2011.With her scientific knowledge and positive attitude(plus her undergrad degree in psychology),Sunley provides her clients with the tools to get andstay fit. It’s not a new idea—Google “bridal fitness”and you get about 48 million results—but her melded,science-based philosophy is innovative.Her two closest advisors at UB’s School of PublicHealth and Health Professions were Gary Giovino,chair of the community health and health behaviordepartment, and Marc Kiviniemi, assistant professorin the same department who focuses on health-relatedbehaviors. “Dr. Giovino and I frequently talkedabout eating the way our grandparents did,” Sunleysays. “Mostly ‘real’ food, prepared from scratch.”Sunley says consulting with Kiviniemi helped herto realize how much she wanted to apply her knowledgeto the needs of real people. Now she’s deeplyconnecting with real people and real food on a dailybasis—so much so that she recently gave up her jobas a corporate wellness specialist to focus on herbusiness full time. Her six- and 12-week bridal bootcamps encompass multiple sessions in groups of sixor fewer women—often a bride and her attendants,sister and/or mother. Sunley’s approach offers a50/50 split between physical training and nutritionaleducation. She rents space at a local gym, thoughsome training is conducted at area parks and trails.While she plans to experiment with couples bootcamp, right now, it’s a female thing, Sunley says.“Including men changes the dynamic. In a gym orother co-ed environment, women can be intimidatedor self-conscious. I want them to feel comfortable—ina private and intimate environment.”The biggest challenges in Sunley’s business are clientswith unrealistic expectations. “Everybody wantsquick weight loss,” she says. “We educate them onhealthy and realistic goals. Whether they want to loseweight, tighten and tone, or take their fitness to thenext level, I help them establish ‘S.M.A.R.T.’ goals—those that are specific, measurable, action-based,realistic and time-constrained.”As for the “b” word? “Most people find the‘bridezilla’ name fun, like I do,” Sunley says. “Actual‘bridezillas’ probably won’t come to me! Once theymeet me, and see my personality, and sense ofhumor, they get it.”Story by Jana Eisenberg, with photos byDouglas Levere, BA ’89Starting small canlead to big resultsTo keep weight off, people need to make lifestyle changes, Sunley says. Start small and these modest,incremental changes can add up to big results. Here are some of her tips:> Set realistic goals—and hold yourself accountable.> Eat properly. This means minimally processed foods along with vegetables, fruits, lean proteins,complex carbs and healthy fats.> Add more activity to your lifestyle. Take the stairs. Park farther away. Avoid sitting for long periods of time.> Exercise regularly. Find something you love. Change it if you get bored. Aside from gym workouts,Sunley practices power yoga.www.alumni.buffalo.edu UBTODAY Fall 2013 31