I am the mother of 3 girls 7, 5 and 20 months, I am a lawyer and I work fulltime. Despite having a very busy life I decided that I wanted to be in the best shape of my life for my 35th Birthday this summer. After my third pregnancy my body felt like it was falling apart. I was having knee, hip and back problems and I couldn’t seem to lose all of the weight I had gained with my pregnancy. I knew I couldn’t do this on my own. I had seen Lyris working out at the gym and admired her determination. It was clear to me from what she was able to accomplish with her body, she must know what she is doing. I wanted to be healthier and I kept saying I was going to do it, but my actions didn’t match my words, as I would skip workouts and indulge in desserts any chance I got. When I saw Lyris’ personal training pamphlet, I knew that hiring her was what I needed to do to get me motivated to make some changes. I was skeptical when I first saw Lyris’ program for me. With my body pain and busy life I did not know how I was going to workout 6 days a week. I also thought that the eating plan would be impossible for me to follow – give up pasta, bread, most dairy and sugary desserts. I have an unbelievable sweet tooth, but I really wanted to do this so I thought I would give it a shot, even if just for a month. I was very impressed with Lyris’ knowledge, particularly with my back problems and how to modify exercises to ensure I wouldn’t hurt myself. I started my program December 1. It was nice to have someone take the thinking out of it and tell me exactly what I should do, what exercises to perform and what to eat. Initially the biggest surprise for me was how easy the food program was to follow. I have started “diets” before where the first week I was so hungry I would feel like I could eat my own arm. Not with this, I was full and satisfied and had no desire to eat a chocolate bar or ice cream. I lost about 5 pounds the first week, which encouraged me even more to stick with it. Lyris would send me encouraging e-mails and check in with me. December is usually a difficult month with Christmas socials and treats at the office etc. but I was so determined to do this that I persevered. Each time I would go to an event and not eat things would be a little victory for me. I feel great. I no longer have any pain in my back or other areas. I truly think combining the help other health care professionals with Lyris’ program and a healthy life style made the difference. I feel better about myself and have more energy. Now I have people commenting that I don’t look like I am the mother of 3 kids. I didn’t think I could get to the gym 6 days a week and now some weeks I go 7 days a week. I use the gym as my “me” time, time away from the responsibilities of being a mother and time to focus on myself. I have really noticed a difference in the muscle definition of my upper body. Some weeks have been easier than others. If I have a couple days where I don’t stick to my eating plan I just get organized, and get back at it. One comment I would have about Lyris’ program is that it is mostly through e-mail as opposed to face-to-face meetings. Initially I had expectations about one on one meetings which aren’t possible with Lyris’ schedule so I want people to be aware of that so they don’t have the same expectations as me. I completely understand why she can’t, as she is also a busy working mom. In fact, I don’t know how she does it all! The more time I spend with her and get to know her, the more I truly appreciate her. I know I am going to reach my goals thanks to Lyris’ help. I can’t wait to see how I look for my 35th Birthday. If I can do this as a fulltime working mother of three with back problems, I feel anyone can do it. It is a matter of putting your mind to it and getting the right help.

(Lora followed Lyris' plan 100% and the changes were fast and dramatic)