Mary's Success Story

Mary and I have been working together for a year and a half now (these pictures are a year apart) and her story is the perfect example of how these programs work if you put in the work. She's also a great example of someone who took it one small step at a time instead of trying to do everything at once. She first started with Shakeology, then got into a nutrition program and workouts (if I recall, she RSVPed to a program I was offering not understanding what was involved, but then was willing to give it a try... I love that open-mindedness!)

Since January 2016, she has been following the 21 Day Fix eating plan as well as the Fix and Fix Extreme workouts. What impresses me the most about Mary is that she has such a busy life and yet she always finds the time for self-care in the form of exercise and healthy eating. She is such a great example of commitment, and I know that her consistency helps inspire her fellow challengers.

Mary works full-time, as well as being a wife, a mom to 8-year-old twin boys, and raising additional children from the foster care system. Things inevitably happen in life, but afterwards Mary always finds her way back to our groups and her routine. I really think that's the secret of healthy living—getting back to it time and time again after your routine gets disrupted. Many times taking a break leads to quitting completely, but Mary has never let that happen and that says a lot about her dedication to taking care of her own health.

In addition to losing 65 pounds, Mary says she has experienced muscle gain and toning benefits and better skin. Her back pain has resolved and the numbers on her most recent blood work were significantly better (good cholesterol up, bad cholesterol down, and triglycerides way down) - yay!! Mary says she also has more energy, more confidence, and better sleep quality.

When she first began her journey, she knew that she needed to do something for herself to balance out all the time she spends caring for others as a parent and in her job. "I have found that I take better care of others when I feel good," she says. "More energy and a positive mood is very much needed for a busy house of boys."

Mary says the brevity of the workouts for 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme has been the key to helping her fit exercise into her life, along with being able to do it at home. Her advice for someone wanting to lead a healthier life but not knowing where to start is that making time for oneself is essential—so don't keep putting it off.