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I know FXB works, because I gained weight … when I stopped going.

I had never been an athlete–never did anything athletic.  The first mile I ever ran was at the age of 36 outside the Urbandale FXB.  The idea of something “extreme” scared me to death, but I wanted to get healthy and I liked the feel of FXB.  Our head coach, Laura Love, had a different sense about her than other trainers, gym operators, and diet group leaders I’ve met.  She was strong and supportive, encouraging without being pushy, and she used positive motivation instead of guilt.  And she was very serious about the  nutrition component of the 10-week challenge.

I enjoyed my 10-weeks very much – the team atmosphere, the sense of “we’re all in this together” even though there’s a winner at the end. When I ran up the hill for the last part of the mile at the end of my 10 weeks, I cried and thanked my coach because I had never pushed myself physically before, and it was a great feeling.

My time, measurements, and sit-ups/push-ups improved over the 10 weeks, and I felt a sense of accomplishment I had never felt before. I did this. No one could do it for me, and only I could take it away.

And then I did.

I did the FIT program for a while, and then life got in the way.  My husband joined FXB, and since it was his 10 weeks I wanted to make sure he got there when only one of us could go.  I started missing more and more classes, and then got to the point where I wasn’t going at all.

And – shock – I gained weight and lost muscle strength when I wasn’t involved in this program. That’s how I know it works.

Losing and gaining weight is an emotional and private thing, and it’s not as easy as some make it seem.  But when I finally got up the courage to email Laura at Urbandale to see how I could go about coming back, she was as warm and encouraging as ever.  She didn’t talk about how I had missed; she talked about how glad she was to have me back.  She didn’t focus on the past – she gave me ideas for the future.

I’m now in week 2 of the “Leaf Behind the Fat” fall challenge, and I’m energized and feeling great.  There aren’t pictures to share yet, because I need to get back to where I was.

But I can assure you – FXB works when you do.

–Jennifer Konfrst

Learn more about joining a Farrell’s 10 Week Challenge