Erin's story: 25 pounds in 8 weeks, over the summer

Erin had just turned 41, with two little girls aged 4 and 5 and a life she loved. She still knew she could feel better. She started with us in May, set a goal of 14 pounds, and lost 25 in 8 weeks. Over the summer. With a cottage, a road trip and every reason to wait.

Here's how she did it.

In her words.

A life she loved, and a feeling she could feel better

Erin will tell you she's always been a positive person. Her life was good. Her kids were thriving.

She was pouring everything into them, and her own needs kept sliding to the bottom of the list.

“I have a great life. I love my life, but I can feel better.”

So she picked a word for 2025: discipline.

And that's when she hit the real surprise.

“I thought I knew what I needed to do, but I really didn’t.”

Sound familiar? A lot of the women we coach say the same thing. What worked at 30 stopped working after 40, and nobody updated the rules.

“Busy” was the reason. Until it wasn't.

For years, Erin's reason was time. No time to work out. She'd rather sleep in.

“Busy is such a buzzword these days. You can make yourself busy doing anything.”

Turning 41, she saw two paths.

Prioritize herself once and for all. Or keep doing what she was doing, and stop complaining about it, because now it was a conscious choice.

She chose the first one.

Her biggest fear: failing again

Erin had tried a lot of programs. When she signed up and her coach Shari asked what worried her most, the answer was easy.

Failure.

She'd invested in plans before that didn't work. This time she decided she was going all in.

What she changed in 8 weeks

She ate more protein than she thought possible. “I was blown away with the amount of protein that I had to eat.” Palm-sized portions, no food scale.

She took a break from wine. Our plan pauses alcohol for the first two weeks, then opens it back up. Erin chose to stay off it for all 8. “If I'm doing this, I really want to do it.”

She became a morning workout person. This is the woman who used to say she hated working out. Now it's “let's get up, we've got to get our workout in.”

She got through the first few weeks. She'll admit the early sugar headaches were real. Then it got easy. “I never crave bread.”

Here's the thing. None of it felt like a diet to her. It just became how she eats.

Ice cream with her girls, no regrets

I'm a big believer that there's no such thing as bad food. The second you ban something, it's all you want.

When Erin's girls finished camp, they wanted their favourite ice cream shop. Erin went too.

She picked a smaller size than she used to. She enjoyed every bite. And she showed her girls you can work out, eat well and still have ice cream.

Summer, a cottage and a road trip to Quebec

People told her she was crazy to start in May. Summer is the hardest time to do this.

“There’s never a good time. If not now, then when?”

Erin's family hosts at their cottage all year. Then came a road trip to Quebec.

So Shari gave her a workout she could do on the road, no weights needed. Erin ate a few things she wouldn't at home, the 80/20 way, and kept going. When she worried, Shari had her back: you're not failing at anything, it's still part of the process.

A slower week is still a week in the right direction.

Why this time worked: the support

Ask Erin what made the difference and she doesn't hesitate.

The support.

She messaged Shari on WhatsApp all the time. At first it was “is this healthy?” By the end, she knew the answer before she asked.

“You have this trusted resource on call all the time.”

Add the one-on-ones and the team, and she never felt like a number.

“When you sign up for other programs, you’re one of millions. You get the program, but it’s really your job to navigate how it works with you.”

The halo effect at home

Erin's husband calls it the halo effect. He's eating healthier too.

And her girls? “Is that a protein shake? Can I have a protein shake?”

Erin's results

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

Erin's scale says 25 pounds. People who see her guess more, and that's the muscle she built changing her shape.

Results vary by individual, based on your starting point and commitment to the program. Erin's result is on the high end, and she chose to skip alcohol for the full 8 weeks.

Her reaction when she saw her photos side by side? “Joy, pride.” And she signed up for Metabolic Mastery, our ongoing program, because she doesn't want this to end.

Watch Erin's interview

Erin sat down with me right after her 8 weeks. Fifteen minutes, no script.

What she'd tell her before picture

Her advice if you're on the fence

Go for it. “Go ahead. You won't regret it one step.”

Put yourself first. “You will put your best foot forward in every other facet of your life.”

Ready to start yours?

1. Watch the short video on our homepage. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method Erin followed.
2. Apply for a call with Chris. The application takes a few minutes, and Chris reads every one himself.

Apply for a call with Chris ↗

Frequently asked questions

How much weight did Erin lose with Forty Forward?

Erin lost 25 pounds in 8 weeks. Her goal going in was 14. She also chose to skip wine for the full 8 weeks, and her result is on the high end. Results vary with your starting point and commitment.

Did Erin have to give up wine?

No. Our plan takes a short break from alcohol in the first two weeks, then opens it back up. Erin chose to stay off wine for all 8 weeks because she wanted to go all in. That was her call.

Can you do the program over the summer or on vacation?

Yes. Erin did hers from May through the summer, with cottage weekends and a family road trip to Quebec. Her coach gave her a no-equipment workout for the road, and she kept the week on track without being perfect.

Did Erin have to count calories?

No. She used palm-sized portions to build her meals, with a lot more protein than she expected. No food scale, no tracking app.

Does Erin still eat treats?

Yes. When her girls finished camp, she got ice cream with them, picked a smaller size, enjoyed it and didn't regret it. Nothing is off limits. You choose it on purpose.

More answers for you

• Can I drink wine and still lose fat?
• Will a vacation wreck my progress?
• How the 80/20 rule works for treats
• I always start strong and quit by week 3

More client stories: Sari, stronger at a year than she was at 30, Sarah, the marathoner who finally fuelled up, Ashley, who was starving all day without knowing it and Franny, who quit dieting and started eating more.