Lifestyle Change makes online training scalable with Virtuagym.
The origin of Lifestyle Change
Lifestyle Change was founded in 2015, evolving from XXL Overgewicht, driven by the vision of Olav Pranger—an entrepreneur with a deep passion for making a real difference. His dream? Not just helping people lose weight but guiding them toward a lasting lifestyle transformation.
Based on his book Nooit meer dik (Never Fat Again), he developed a comprehensive program that goes far beyond a simple diet—a complete journey toward a healthier and happier life.
From XXL Overweight to Lifestyle Change
Gerda Hilgenkamp started her career in the IT industry but found her true passion while working as a confidant at the Ministry of Defense: listening and helping people. When Olav asked her to support him with Lifestyle Change, she immediately knew it was where she belonged.
“Although Olav is no longer with us, I feel his spirit in everything we do. His vision and energy inspire me and Leviene Faber to carry on his dream and continue changing lives. His legacy lives on in Lifestyle Change and the people we help,” says Gerda.
Last year, Leviene Faber joined Lifestyle Change. This partnership was not entirely unexpected, as their husbands have been successful business partners for over 25 years.
“We thought: if they can do it, so can we,” Gerda says with a smile. But their vision goes beyond just working together.
“We have big ambitions,” says Leviene. “We don’t just want to make an impact; we want to grow Lifestyle Change into a nationally recognized brand.”
With this shared vision and ambition, Gerda and Leviene are now working together on the future of Lifestyle Change, determined to transform even more lives for the better.
The Lifestyle Change program
Lifestyle Change has developed a complete online coaching program that guides participants toward a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.
The program is built around three core pillars: nutrition, mindset, and exercise. What makes it unique is its focus on sustainable change rather than quick results.
Participants start in group settings, fostering a sense of community and motivation.
“Starting the journey together not only helps people physically but also gives them a mental boost,” explains Gerda Hilgenkamp.
The LC program offers:
- Live online exercise sessions to make movement accessible and easy for everyone.
- Online nutrition sessions and mindset training, focused on developing new habits and a positive mindset.
- Digital weigh-ins and personal feedback to keep participants on track and provide continuous guidance.
Everything is facilitated through a user-friendly app, where participants can track their progress and access all parts of the program. The addition of a community element fosters greater engagement and motivation.
The success of this program stems from its clear structure and personalized approach, with a focus on awareness and long-term results.
The concept not only provides support for participants but is also scalable and flexible, making it suitable for a wide audience while maintaining individualized coaching.
The great thing was that I could get started right away, from managing client data to automating payments and scheduling workouts – everything is in one streamlined system.
Most used features
Food App
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Membership Management
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Coaching App
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Not a traditional fitness business
Lifestyle Change is not a traditional fitness business. The program provides participants with a safe environment to take the first steps toward a healthier life.
Many people experience a high threshold to enter a gym, often due to overweight or poor fitness. Lifestyle Change removes these barriers.
Lifestyle Change is suitable for adults of all ages and goals: whether you want to lose a few kilos or have a larger transformation in mind. The program offers tailored guidance and is accessible to participants throughout the country.
Furthermore, Lifestyle Change collaborates with various gyms across the country, allowing participants to easily continue training and work on their fitness in their own hometown after the program ends.
The result? A balanced life, with a healthy foundation and the confidence to keep going.
Virtuagym: partner from day one
When Gerda took over Lifestyle Change, Virtuagym was already part of the program.
Her prior experience with the platform, gained at a local gym, gave her an immediate advantage.
“I already knew Virtuagym and how it works,” says Gerda. “This allowed me to fully focus on what really matters: the clients and the growth of Lifestyle Change.”
This head start ensured she didn’t waste time experimenting or figuring out new systems.
“I could get started right away,” she says. “From client management to automated payments and scheduling training sessions—everything works together in one easy-to-use platform.”
With Virtuagym, Gerda not only brought more peace and structure to her daily tasks but also created the space to give clients the attention they deserve.
We provide participants with all the tools to understand and improve their eating habits.
Gerda & Leviene’s favorite Virtuagym solutions
For over 9 years, Gerda has used Virtuagym as an essential partner in the daily operations of Lifestyle Change.
What makes the platform unique is how it seamlessly integrates with the online coaching program that Gerda and Leviene offer.
“Exercise is important, but it only accounts for 20% of success when losing weight,” explains Leviene. “Nutrition plays a role in 80%. That’s why we pay a lot of attention to nutrition and how people think about themselves.”
With Virtuagym, participants have everything they need in one place.
The Virtuagym app acts as a central hub where participants:
- Have direct access to live webinars and online exercise sessions, without the hassle of links or passwords. Through a tile in the app, they can directly join their Zoom training. “It’s so simple,” says Gerda. “It lowers the threshold and ensures everyone can easily join.”
- Track their measurements and progress, including weight and centimeters, to make their progress visible.
- Access a personal food diary ** ** that helps them make more mindful choices and stay consistent in their new lifestyle.
Behind the scenes, Virtuagym also offers great benefits. Gerda and Leviene use the integrated billing and administration features.
“It’s great that everything is in one place,” says Gerda. “This not only gives us peace of mind as coaches, but also provides calm for the participants. It ensures we can optimally guide them toward their goals.”
Virtuagym ensures that payments are processed automatically and memberships are easily managed.
The strength of Virtuagym lies in the versatility and simplicity with which both participants and the team are supported.
The core of the program: the Food App
A key component of the Lifestyle Change Program is its focus on nutrition.
“The Food App is really what binds us,” says Gerda. “It’s one of the most important tools in our program because participants can input everything here, and as coaches, we can directly support them by monitoring their entries.”
Participants don’t work with pre-made meal plans but gain insights into their own eating habits through the Food App.
“We give participants the tools to understand and improve their eating behavior,” explains Leviene. “The great thing is that we, as coaches, can view their food diaries, allowing us to give targeted advice every week.”
The app is designed to put progress and awareness at the forefront. Participants track their weight and measurements weekly to make their progress visible.
“Every week, they enter their weight and measurements,” Gerda explains. “It keeps them motivated and helps them stay focused on their goals. It’s nice that even though our program is online, we can still provide personalized support through the data we see in the app.”
Food App as a sustainable revenue model
What makes the Food App especially valuable is that participants can continue to use it after the program. Many choose to keep the app in its professional version because it provides long-term support.
“It gives structure and ensures they can maintain their healthy habits,” says Gerda.
The advantage of Virtuagym over platforms like MyFitnessPal is that, as a coach, you can personalize all the settings, make adjustments, and monitor the nutrition diaries.
From local to national ambitions
With the name Lifestyle Change, Gerda & Leviene make their vision clear right from the start. What once began in a local community is now growing into a national movement.
“We’re called Lifestyle Change for a reason,” says Gerda. “We have the ambition to help people live healthier and happier lives across all of the country.”
To realize this ambition, they plan to collaborate even more with gyms and personal trainers throughout the country.
“We can see that our method works, and that motivates us to take it to the next level,” say Gerda & Leviene.
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