I am dedicating this blog post to one of my favorite students, Lauren Riess. Her dedication, drive, and love for fitness helped her lose 100 lbs and finally get the flat stomach she dreamed of since she was a teenager. Her story and achievements are what makes my job so rewarding and so proud to have students like her.
For as long as Lauren can remember, she has always struggled with her weight. From 13 years of age through her college years, she fluctuated between 230 lbs to 270 lbs. Working out with a trainer, bouncing from one fad diet to another, controlling her urge to binge, and the emotional roller coaster that would take her from the high of losing weight to the low of accepting that she may be obsese forever. Her family encouraged her to eat healthy and stay active but as much as she tried, it was always an uphill battle. Lauren recalls, “I thought it was too late for me and for most of my life. I just accepted what I believed was my fate. Even when I was motivated and did lose weight through diets, I never to stuck to them. I would see success, lose 20 lbs and then quit.” The thought of having to continue on that track and commit to several more months of dieting and exercising only sent her back to depression and to inevitably give up again.
This yo-yo routine is common for those trying to lose substantial weight in a short time frame or for those that don’t have enough information or direction on how to. They jump on the bandwagon of fad diets (Hollywood Diet, Zone, Atkins, Cabbage Soup diet, Master Cleanse) that help you temporarily take off the weight but don’t help to keep it off or teach how to eat properly for the long run. It’s a typical set-up-to fail situation.
Lauren and I met at Crunch Gym almost 5 years ago. She was back from college for the summer and was determined to try again. She weighed 230 lbs when we first started and and lost 30 lbs in two months with me. But once she returned to college, she gained the weight right back. Her struggle then was with what she considered “diet foods.” Choosing to have diet coke, 10 calorie Jello, SmartOnes, sugar/fat free options was her idea of eating healthy. Her portions were large and eating patterns were uncontrollable and inconsistent. She had seen nutritionists who planned meals for her but she never stuck to them. She continued to “relapse into her old eating habits, not being conscious of portions, and lacking any desire to control herself around food”. Losing weight and being healthy was an insurmountable task that she felt she will never achieve.
Lauren 2011
After college, she got back on track and lost 45 lbs bringing her to 206 lbs in 2012. Lauren states “I realized I had to see Julia again when I had lost that weight but although I was skinnier, I wasn’t healthier and was going down a path that would cause me to revert into the same mindset and habits that contributed to my failures so many times.” She was seeing a doctor who put her on a 6 week low calorie diet that consisted of shakes, protein bars, and soups – an unrealistic diet that would put the pounds back on. “After 3 years apart, I still always talked about Julia and how she changed my summer. Now that I was really ready to commit, I knew she was the only person who could help and continue to keep me motivated on this journey towards health.”
So here we are today! Lauren, 200%, committed herself to living a natural and healthy lifestyle – to not only lose the weight but to become mentally and physically stronger so to never go back down that dark, scary, and overwhelming state that she experienced for over 10 years. She worked out 5-6 days a week (seeing me 2-3x), stuck to a “clean” diet without compromising her cravings. Lauren has lost a total of 100 lbs since the end of 2011 and 50 lbs of that with me since May 2012. Due to the substantial weight loss, excess skin was left around her midsection which became problematic during her workouts and a potential health risk. In May 2013, she received a tummy tuck that has now given her a flat stomach that she has always wanted.
Lauren 2013
Now weighing 150 lbs (her lowest weight), she still trains with me 3x a week, sticks to a clean diet and cleanses with me 2-3x a year. We can now work on sculpting, toning, and defining her muscles. Students like Lauren are hard to come by. So many come to me with a goal, reach it and then stop their workouts, go back to their old ways only to come back to me after 6 months. Lauren has fully embraced the fit and healthy lifestyle that I teach and now lives it to this day. She spreads the word of how exercising and eating right is what got her to her goal. But mostly expresses her deep gratitude for the love and support from her family and friends and how she could have never done it without them. Her mother and father are absolutlely adorable and I will never forget that day when they came to visit me after a run in the park with Lauren. They greeted me with a beautiful orchid, a card, and a hug with tears in their eyes thanking me for changing their daughter’s life.
So although this post may seem like an ode to me and my ability to whip someone into shape…this is a feat that is rarely achieved and should be recognized. So my hats to Lauren for being such an incredible human being and for being an exemplary student. Keep up the great work!
*Thank you, Lauren for allowing me to write about your journey to health. Love you, girl!