When I first joined FIT4MOM in 2018, Body Well, previously referred to as the Body Back Transformation, was a regular occurrence. An 8-week session bookended on both sides by a workout called “the mountain” (#memories), Body Well served as a gatekeeper of sorts for our mom-only classes. Anyone who joined our franchise during this timeframe who wanted to attend Body Boost classes had to first complete a session. Moment of truth—I never did a session.

To be clear, this was not for lack of want. Life was chaotic when I became a client—I was only 5 months postpartum so my hormones were raging, my husband had to leave super early for work (and I am not great with evening workouts), and I worked full time. That really left me with Saturday morning Boost as my only option, so I started with just one class per week, and our original owner, Tracy, let me in. Despite tacking on more classes per week as my husband’s work schedule changed, I more or less flew under the radar when new sessions started, making excuses about the timing not being right, finances being tight, etc. etc. etc.

Because of that, I’ve always felt like I missed out on the connections some of the Boost moms formed early on. In addition to the nutrition, workouts, and accountability components, going through a Body Well session together naturally lends itself to camaraderie and relationship-building. I don’t want to say these friendships are borne out of survival, but when you’re getting really honest with yourself and your own goals and sharing those with the group, you’re going to be invested in seeing your teammates flourish both during the session and beyond.

WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW?

Earlier this year, I started applying all of the principles we teach in Body Well to my everyday life. Although I’ve worked out regularly for 20+ years and generally eat pretty well, there’s always room for improvement. With that in mind, I made a conscious effort to prioritize myself and be more cognizant of my choices.

It started with a self challenge that I titled “reclaim the core”. At nearly two years postpartum, I felt like I was still lacking the core strength I needed to keep up with my boys, so I committed to putting in dedicated core work every day. From there, I took a good, hard look at my food choices. I started front-loading my morning with smoothies, which is something I’d done here and there but never as regularly as I do now. The chances of me stumbling upon an extra vegetable during the day are slim, so I make sure to pack my greens in early on so I’m not scrambling to get them in later. For me, the last key piece of the puzzle was portion control. I started reminding myself that the pizza leftovers would still be there tomorrow and that I didn’t need to finish the food left on my boys’ plates. Growing up, we had to have “happy plates” before leaving the dinner table, so this last transition may have been the biggest mindset change for me.

OK. SO WHAT?

At the time of writing this, I’m down nine and feeling fine. 💅 Hard stop to unpack that.

This is not a “look at me, look at me” post. This is me saying it is ok (and encouraged) to talk about progress, as well as setbacks.

I also feel like I need to qualify this, because despite being proud of this accomplishment, it’s important to note that the scale is not the end all, be all. I don’t want anyone to walk away from this blog feeling like it is.

I know we have complicated emotions about that little square box we pull out of the bathroom closet every few months, and as someone who grew up in the 90s, there’s a part of me that will never be able to shake the scale as a measurement of my progress. When your formative years are flooded with super models and Victoria’s Secret Angels with noticeable thigh gaps and big boobs, your body image vision gets a little skewed. I started running in middle school not to get in shape, but to lose weight. And then I was still wondering when my boobs would fill in. (Big sigh for my poor, naive pre-teen self.)

Getting back to the present…because of the efforts I’ve put in and choices I’ve made, I am more toned, and my clothes are fitting in a way I feel good about. Plus, I feel good mentally and better able to consistently make good choices when it comes to food.

THE NEW FACE OF BODY WELL

In its previous iteration, Body Well was a bit more rigid and focused almost exclusively on physical transformations. You were committing to two Boost classes/week, either joining the early risers at 5:15 AM or the evening party people at 8 PM. Fitness assessments were done pre and post-session, as well as measurements to track progress. Let me be clear, all of that is great. We still love a physical transformation that reflects all of the hard work and dedication you’re putting toward bettering yourself. However, we’re now viewing Body Well through a more holistic lens, focusing on overall wellness—think burnout prevention, stress management, and reducing overwhelm—versus just physical fitness. It’s about committing to healthy habits and doing what makes you feel good. Plus, we have more Boost options than ever before, and you are welcome to attend other class formats to hit the program’s suggested two classes per week.

Body Well will relaunch January 11, and I would love to invite you to join me, not as your coach but as your teammate. Our all star, Jen Kitchen, will be running the show, and I will be putting in the work alongside each of you to set and reach goals. I know I already told you I’ve been doing this on my own, but I’m feeling like this would be way more fun (and motivating and satisfying) to crush goals with a group.

It may be eight years overdue, but I’m finally ready to tackle Body Well (and the mountain!), and I hope that you’ll consider joining me.

Body Well will be on hella sale for Black Friday—stay tuned for all the details in November’s newsletter!