Jeni’s Story

“One morning, I remember the exact morning, it was the day after my 32nd birthday, I woke up and said enough was enough, and just like that something finally clicked. My mind decided “okay, I’m ready to do this.” I stopped being afraid of change, I started to realize how much more I wanted out of my life and how I was the one holding myself back.

I started watching what I ate, drinking a little less and working out a little more. I did 5 months of various bootcamps, HIIT workouts, boxing classes, spin classes, you name it, I tried it - the problem with this was that eventually that new thing would lose its novelty. I would settle in, have a cheat meal that always turned into a cheat weekend, and eventually I’d find myself once again searching for a fresh start. It was an exhausting never-ending cycle.

After complaining to Shantelle about still feeling bloated, tired, and not seeing the results I thought I should be having she suggested I try FORM and document my progress.

Was I hooked after my first class? No. I struggled for the entire 45-minutes and it was completely out of my comfort zone, my immediate reaction was to write it off as not for me. I didn’t quit though, it was different this time, I wish there was an easy answer or reason I could tell someone struggling to get started why this time was different, but I believe the only secret is you have to be ready emotionally in order to change physically.

The holidays came around and I hit my first plateau. Oddly enough it was also around this time that I started getting compliments from my friends. I had dropped 22 pounds and if you looked closely my clothes were starting to fit a little differently, but it wasn’t anything drastic. The compliments, whilst appreciated, didn’t really make sense to me until one night someone said, “you look happy” and that’s when I realized they were seeing a new me, a happier, more engaged me, with a genuine smile. It gave me the motivation I needed to finish the year strong.

We started 2020 off with a challenge, 20 classes in 30 days. I love a challenge so without even thinking about it I was going to the studio 5 days a week; it became part of my daily routine. Unfortunately, routine being the key word here. I took the 5:30am class with the same 9 girls, I even used the same machine. I didn’t realize it, but I was just going through the motions until one morning when Keri pulled me aside before class and told me I should try to stand up when it was time for standing lunges (we were doing it at a heavier spring load and she was confident I wouldn’t fall, I was not as confident). I remember halfway through class we made eye contact and she kinda gave me a “you got this nod and smile” - that morning I successfully did standing lunges, bear, and plank to pike, all 3 moves I had never done before and all 3 moves I had no intention of trying that day. January 22nd, almost 6 months in, that’s the class where everything changed for me.

I was on a high, I was no longer the new girl trying to blend in and not be noticed. I was doing less modifications and was down 30 pounds, I was part of this new community and I loved it.

Then quarantine.

The studio was closed for 2 months (for those counting like I was, that’s 60 days or 1,460 hours or 87,600 minutes). The first few days I was a little lost and treated everything like I was on vacation, I slept in, ordered takeout and had zoom HH’s - Day 3 I got on the scale and realized how quickly my body could gain back all my hard work and I was determined not to fall into old habits and have to start over again. I made the decision I was going to come out of this better and stronger. I found my “new normal” and it kept me busy (as busy as a single gal living by herself during a stay at home pandemic can), my main focus was on my diet, I also rediscovered my love for running and tried a variety of different online workouts.

May 18th, the studio reopened, and I was ready to get back in. After the first class back I had the lagree shakes the whole way home and I started to realize how much I actually enjoyed working out (I even began to look forward to the second-day sore, it’s how I knew change was happening). I started going to afternoon classes, I no longer had the mindset of “if I don’t get this over with first thing in the morning I’ll come up with a reason I can’t go”, but instead I spend the day looking forward to class. There are still days when I struggle and where everyone is more advanced than me, but there has never been any judgement on where I am on my journey. I constantly leave FORM feeling more confident in myself than I have in years.

Today I took my 12 month progress pictures and measurements. I am proud to say I lost a total of 50 lbs and 33 inches. Today was also the first time I asked to see my before pictures (I cried, I’m a crier) – It’s weird to say this, but I don’t recognize the girl on the left. That girl is so far from who I am now, and yet at the same time she helped build me into who I am today. I knew last year I was bigger, but I think I was at a point that I didn’t let myself see just how unhealthy I had gotten and I knew the pictures would make everything too real too soon for me. Seeing that person makes me realize that this past year has been more than just working out, it has been a commitment to a new lifestyle - It’s been made up of everyday choices, both good and bad, but the good have always outweighed the bad and I never let myself quit.

If there’s one thing that FORM and their coaches have taught me, it’s that I’m stronger than I thought I was, mentally, physically and emotionally, I just needed their push to realize it.”

- Jeni