Sari's story: stronger than she was at 30
Sari is 44, a marketing director and a mom of two. When she called us, she wasn't sleeping, wasn't training and was running on panic. In her first 8 weeks she lost 16 lbs of fat. She kept going. A year later, she's stronger than she was at 30 and leaner than before she had her kids.
Here's how she did it.
In her words, and in her photos.
Sari at a glance
- Who: 44, marketing director, mom of two young kids
- Where she started: no sleep, no workouts, stress running the show
- First 8 weeks: 16 lbs of fat lost
- One year in: stronger than she was at 30, leaner than before kids
- How: at-home strength training, a nutrition plan built around her life, a coach in her corner
Where Sari was when she called
Sari reached out in July. By her own account, she was at a low.
“I literally lived in a panic mode. I’d come out of meetings and my stomach would be distended.”
She was commuting to a job that wasn't working for her. Her daughter's in competitive dance. Pickups, practices, deadlines, all of it.
Something had to give, and it was her.
No workouts. Not eating well. Reading until 2 am because it was the only time that felt like hers.
“I would look in the mirror and I didn’t recognize my body.”
She cried on her first call with Chris. And on her first call with me? I think we both cried.
Here's the thing. That low point is often the moment a woman is ready. Sari was.
The first fix wasn't a workout
Before Chris gave her a single exercise, he went after her sleep.
Bed by 10. Lights out. No more reading until 2 am.
As Sari remembers it, he told her none of the rest would matter on two hours of sleep a night. He was right. Sleep is when your body recovers and rebuilds. Skip it, and every other part of the plan works at half power.
Then came the part she swore she'd never do: morning workouts.
“I said to Chris, I work out at night, that’s my thing.”
She tried 5:30 am anyway.
- Days 1 to 3: “This is so brutal.”
- Week 2: asleep earlier, waking up easier
- Five months in: she craves it, and sleeping past 6 leaves her groggy
No goals, no five-year plan. Just a start.
Sari is the first to tell you she's not a goal setter.
“The minute that I try to make these very concrete goals, I will self-sabotage.”
So she didn't set any. She stopped saying “I can't” and started. The same thing she tells her kids: you can't do it yet.
“I think it’s just deciding to do something and doing it, instead of asking how am I going to do it.”
Busy job. Two kids. A daughter in competitive dance. Everyone has a reason to wait. She just got up and tried.
Why she stopped weighing herself
In her first two months, Sari stepped on the scale three times. Total.
By the time we sat down for her interview, she hadn't been on it in two and a half months.
“This isn’t what it’s about for me.”
Why that matters: when you're building muscle and losing fat at the same time, you can be noticeably smaller at the same weight, or even heavier. The scale can't tell the difference. Her photos can.
If you want a real number, a DEXA scan once a year shows your muscle and fat. That's the one we trust.
What changed beyond the mirror
This is the part Sari talks about most.
She set boundaries. At work, she decided when she's on and when she's off. The chaos still happens. It just doesn't run her life anymore.
She changed jobs. The last day of her 8-week Reset was also her last day at the job that wasn't working for her. She made decisions for herself, and the rest fell in line.
Her kids are watching. Her son is up at 5:45 every morning, so he watched her train every day. One night he asked her, “Why do you work out if it's so painful?” Her answer: “Because it makes me feel really good.” Her daughter joins in on her conditioning, and they talk about muscle as being strong enough to carry things, not looking a certain way.
She knows her why.
“I want to be that old grandma that’s doing the monkey bars at the park with my grandkids.”
Not stuck on the couch at 60. That's the goal she'll actually admit to.
Sari's results: before, 8 weeks, one year
Results vary by individual, based on your starting point and commitment to the program.
Watch Sari's interview
Sari sat down with me at the end of her fifth month. Seventeen minutes, no script.
Sari, training at home
Her gym is her basement. Low ceiling, a mat, some dumbbells.
“I’m just really freaking strong, and I love that.”
Her advice if you're where she was
Just start. “Worry about tomorrow, get through tomorrow, and then the next day worry about the next day.”
Find your why. “If your only goal is to lose weight, I just don't think it's the right way to approach it.”
Bet on yourself. Asked what she'd tell a woman on the fence: “It's the best investment they could ever do for themselves.”
Ready to start yours?
- Watch the short video on our homepage. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method Sari followed.
- Apply for a call with Chris. The application takes a few minutes, and Chris reads every one himself.
Prefer to listen? Sari's year is near the end of our 21-minute podcast 🎧
Frequently asked questions
How much weight did Sari lose with Forty Forward?
Sari lost 16 lbs of fat in her first 8 weeks. She kept training with us, and a year later she's stronger than she was at 30 and leaner than before she had kids. Results vary with your starting point and commitment.
Did Sari work out at a gym?
No. She trained at home in her basement with dumbbells, usually at 5:30 in the morning.
Did Sari have to weigh herself?
No. She stepped on the scale three times in her first two months and then stopped. Her photos and her strength told the story better than the number.
Can a busy mom with a demanding job do this?
Sari had two young kids, a commute and a daughter in competitive dance. The program takes about 4 hours a week, and her first change was simply going to bed earlier.
How long did it take Sari to see results?
She lost 16 lbs of fat in her first 8 weeks, in the 8-week Metabolic Reset. Her biggest changes, in strength and body composition, kept building over the year that followed.
More answers for you
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- What happens after the 8-week program?
More client stories: Erin, 25 pounds in 8 weeks over the summer, 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.