I am a mom of three: 19, 16, and 12.  I have also been married for 23 years and  live on a small farm with dogs, goats, chickens, (for fresh egg whites every day) and the occasional pig or horse. I  come from a large, close, food-lovin’ Italian family.

Being outside gardening and taking care of flowers and fresh vegetables is one of my favorite things to do. Spending time with family cooking in our pizza oven and hosting parties is also up there.
While I stayed home with my three children for the past fifteen years or so,  I am a trained middle school English and writing teacher and published writer. I have been teaching junior high English for the past five years but am taking a new path starting a food business with my youngest sister this summer.
I am also an American Council on Exercise group fitness instructor and have been into exercise and fitness since I was fourteen when I started  lifting weights. Since then, I never stopped and continue to learn more and more about strength and cardio individual and group exercise.

When I first received Julie’s food plan for me months ago, I looked at it and panicked. I thought, ” There is no way I can do this! Look at the number of times I have to eat and plan it out…with a full time job, three kids, animals, fitness classes, and a new workout! This is all chicken, vegetables, and egg whites! Where’s the pasta? Crunchy bread? NO sugar?! Seriously?

Well, that was 22 pounds, 9 pounds of body fat, and about 21 inches ago!
My biggest fear was trying this for a few weeks and disappointing myself and not following through, but I committed to myself and knew the stress I was under at work would get to me and I would continue to gain weight. I needed to focus on something positive and this was it. I absolutely could not wait to get to the gym after school and hit it hard; it kept me going every single day. The pounds came off one pound at time, about one pound a week and I kept at it. Julie kept telling me I would have to be in this for the long haul, to be patient, and just stay with it. The consistent results helped me along the way and kept me motivated.
I thought I was eating correctly, but I had a lot to learn and it paid off in results.

I did exactly what Julie said. If she said to do 6-8 reps, I did it. If she said to eat oatmeal every other day with breakfast, I did. If she changed my supplements around, I changed them.  If she told me to do 25 fast, deep squats, that’s what I did no matter how hard it hurt. I have never been so focused. The specific workouts and meal plans kept me going, too.

Fitness has never been a chore for me. I’ve always loved the gym and the challenge of a workout, the way it gives me energy, makes me feel healthy, sexy, and full of life.

At the beginning, my goal it was to just lose ten pounds.  I did not want to be “frumpy and forty”. Now I am at 18% bodyfat which is huge for me since I started around 29%.  I also have a goal to just keep going-maintain the frequent meals, keep changing up the training, and stay within the healthy/athletic range.  Keep working toward more muscle, less fat.

My husband is very fit and he motivates me.  My parents, now in their 70s, are also very motivating. They both exercise every day, are involved in the community, eat well, and take care of themselves. They are great models for me, even at age 44.  Julie motivated every step and always seems to find something positive to say to me.

One other thing, that photo you have to take of yourself at the start and then every two weeks is a big deal! I DID NOT want to do this. I don’t care for most pictures of myself, especially in my underwear or bathing suit  but am really glad I did this now seeing the difference.

Julie Lohre knows her stuff. Have you seen her credentials? She understands how women’s bodies work and what we need to hear. My workout was for me, my body type, and focused on what I needed. Julie knew I needed to work on my lower body and I cannot do plyometrics or running, so she found a way around that so I could see change.   She responds promptly and I was never made to feel like I was bothering her with all my questions or inquiries about supplements or why I was doing this exercise and not that one.

Julie also has a way of giving great individual attention; a hard task with so many clients. I never once felt put off.  She responds on Sunday mornings or whenever there is a question. She is a hard worker, humble, and meant to do this to help women change their lives.

Even though I  am only an hour away, I really wish I was in the same town as Julie. I am also a face-to-face person and respond well in person with others, so not being able to talk to Julie much was difficult but I learned to work with it and understand why she works through email with so many clients.

Three favorites:
-cottage cheese in a blender with a little Splenda and cinnamon so it’s nice and smooth…tastes like dessert. I put chopped apple with it.
-low carb wheat tortilla with chicken, grilled onions and peppers, Greek plain yogurt, salsa, and fresh lettuce
-one egg and a few egg whites on a whole wheat English muffin with avocado

Englewood, OH