Q: Describe your life before the Body-for-LIFE Challenge?
My life before Body-for-LIFE... well, I can sum this up by describing it as “in dire need of repair”. Just reading this question brought tears to my eyes. I never want to relive the feelings of Jayne BC “Before the Challenge,” and now that I fully understand and follow the BFL program, I never will. If it weren’t for my husband introducing me to his fitness program, I would still be living in despair. My husband and I were happily married, and we had a great life together with our two daughters. I was living a comfortable lifestyle, but I was not a happy woman inside and I did not know how to “fix me.”

I was introduced to the BFL program five years ago when my husband Doug brought the book home after passing it in the Waldenbooks store window. He read through it in the mall and decided to buy the book and go on the program. He asked me if I would like to do it with him, but I quickly explained to him that I was not interested. So, he began it by himself. After preparing better and more nutritious meals for Doug and watching how much he enjoyed his nightly workouts, I began to get envious. My low- to no-protein pasta meals were beginning to get old. After three weeks, I gave in and decided that our entire family needed to be eating the meals that I was preparing for Doug and that after reading the book, maybe it did make sense.

Before Body-for-LIFE, I was not grossly overweight. But, my self esteem and how I felt about myself was below zero on the “confidence” Richter scale. I am 5’5” tall. I was weighing in between 138-140 pounds. I was a tight size 12 pants and a size large in all my clothes. I had no muscle tone and was an unshapely pear-shaped woman. Over the years, I had tried many bizarre quick-fix diets, hoping to drop the 15 pounds that would fix all of my problems. I detested exercise of any kind. I would get so out-of-breath with any kind of aerobic activity that it discouraged me from pursuing it further. Weights just weren’t in my thought process because, as we all thought, “women don’t lift weights!”

I would not admit to it back then, but my lack of confidence and years of dealing with low self-esteem issues, were affecting every aspect of my life. I am a mother of two extremely lovely young ladies. I was afraid that, as their main role model in life, I would pass on my deep rooted insecurities. I knew I needed to do something. I read many self-help books, but for some reason, was not benefiting from them.

Q: What made you finally decide to take that first step and enter the Challenge?
One day, I just uncontrollably started to cry and could not stop. My husband was at work and the girls were at school. I called a neighbor over to my house because I thought I was having some kind of a breakdown. I didn’t know what was happening to me. All my issues were hitting me at one time. It was a day that I hit bottom, and I will never forget how helpless I felt during this breakdown of emotions. That was a very bad day, and as a result of that experience, I decided to read the BFL book. I also watched the Success Stories videos that Doug had ordered from EAS. Afterwards, I decided that this book may be the answer to my issues. It was worth the try. I believed that if these men and women in the photos could transform their bodies and lives so drastically, maybe this program would work for me too.

I had no energy throughout the day, and was tired all the time. I drank too much coffee trying to keep myself awake. I drank about one glass of water a day “so not to gain water weight.” I was eating the three big meals a day, plus snacking throughout the day. I was not fitting into my clothes from one day to the next. I was losing a lot of hair in the shower, and my body was out of shape and unattractive to me, which daily affected how I felt about myself.

As the food shopper and cook in the family, I was in total control of what food came into the house, and what my family ate. I thought I was providing healthy meals for my family, but compared to what I know now, I knew so very little about healthy eating. My body was not digesting food properly, and I didn’t realize that it was my food choices and bad habits that were wreaking havoc on my system. I looked three months pregnant every night before bedtime and often woke up with severe indigestion, which lasted for hours. I was not sleeping well, and the sleep deprivation affected my being tired, irritable, and unable to stay awake after 3:00 p.m. most days.

In order for me to change my life for the better, I had to wait for a man named Bill Phillips to write a book that would introduce the solution to all my ailments and to this day, I am eternally grateful, and always will be.

After Doug and I won Grand Champion in the Couples Division in 2003, many people said to me, “you were never really fat!” That may be true. I was never really fat, but I was out of shape and needed fixing inside as well as outside. Somehow the judges understood that my changes were not so much drastic on the outside as they were on the inside. When I started my first Challenge, I was 23 percent body fat and weighed between 138-140 pounds. After the third Challenge, I went down to 13 percent body fat and weighed 122 pounds with the added six pounds of muscle weight. For the past five years, I have been experiencing a whole new and happier “me.” I exhibit so much confidence and assuredness in all that I do. I feel I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I have taken on new projects, volunteer at heading a BFL Weight Training class in my daughter’s school for seven classes a week and I feel that there is nothing that I can’t do well. I feel like a changed woman, with the regret that I can not relive all the years BC, “Before the Challenge”, but am making a concerted effort to enjoy each day like a treasured gift.

Q: What were your very first impressions of the program? Did you struggle or was it liberating?
My first comment to Doug when he announced at the dinner table that he wanted to start the BFL program with me was, “Don’t expect me to do it with you. I am totally not interested.” My impression of the program was that it was just another diet and exercise program and someone was out to make a lot of money off of it at our expense (I was not a very positive woman, as you can tell!). It seemed like so much information, and at first, I struggled with the fact that I was being asked to make a 12-week commitment. Twelve weeks was three whole months and I knew that I would not be able to focus even one week. There was pressure to go “cold turkey” on stopping bad eating habits and not eat unauthorized foods. I was being asked to lift weights for the first time in my life and do dreaded aerobics. The thought alone of doing just 20 minutes of aerobics was torturous.

Eventually, I made the commitment to Doug and we did three Challenges together.

Q: Talk about the moment you first began to see changes in your body and/or outlook?
The first moment I noticed changes occurring in my body was when we were about eight weeks into the program. Now, eight weeks is a heck of a long time, and I was not a happy camper on that treadmill. But, one morning, I woke up with this flat stomach and there was no roll over my underwear line. This was the first time that I noticed that my hips were noticeably trimming down. I couldn’t stop looking in my full length mirror, and I was really smiling—so surprised at this attractive shape before me.

Now, when I talk to women and receive emails from them, the most common concerning comment is that they are not seeing any results and then the question follows, “When will I see results...?” After going through the entire program, I have experienced the “light at the end of the tunnel” and I assure them that there certainly is one. Everyone has these concerns, but knowing they can talk to someone who came from hardship to happiness, makes it easier for them to be patient and stay focused. This is a very well designed program and it is easy. It not only enables people from the ages of 18-70 to eat properly for a lifetime, but it gives them a sound nutrition and exercise program that they can live with their entire life with no long term side effects. I am so thrilled that we found it!

Q: How did you feel on the very last day of your Challenge?
I love this question because I remember exactly how I felt. I never felt more beautiful and this feeling far surpassed the feeling I had on my wedding day. I remember when Doug and I were driving to the photographer’s studio to take our “after photos.” I felt like a real model... young and beautiful. Even the photographer was impressed with our results.

Doug said to me just this morning, “You look so good! You even look beautiful when you first wake up!” (I think I’ll keep him!) I hear these sweet compliments more now than I ever did throughout our marriage. Doug notices a more positive woman with a happier disposition. My daughters are really proud of their mom, and they know, understand and follow the BFL program, simply because we all live it. Both my teenager girls, Amber 17 and Logan 15, lift weights and do cardio. They are excelling in their sports at school, soccer and basketball respectively. I have become the positive role model that I hoped I’d be for them and I can die happy knowing I accomplished that important goal. I look so much better in my clothes and have a better body than women half my age. I hope to continue to be a role model for women ages 18 and beyond by continuing to spread the BFL news through my classes.

At 48 years old, I honestly feel GREAT! I know I have a better looking body. I am leaner and have more muscle than ever in my life. I no longer get tired in the afternoon or need a cup of coffee to wake me up. I teach seven weight classes a week and work out during those classes with the same intensity in order to encourage the women. I sleep well, have enough energy for my busy life style, and I haven’t been in a depression since that low point five years ago. My digestive tract has been corrected because of my improved diet and exercise regime. I feel great knowing that my metabolism has increased, that my heart and lung capacity is healthier and I’ve rid my body of toxic fat. Can life get much better? Yes, there’s always room for improvement and I will not stop searching for better ways to improve and teach others who are anxious to learn.

Q: What was the reaction of your friends and family to the amazing changes you made?
The night Porter Freeman and the judges called me and Doug to notify us of our winning the Couples Division, I was working the concession stand at my daughter’s school. On the way home, I called everyone I had listed on my cell phone, barely missing hitting a deer on my road. Everyone was screaming with excitement along with me. During the 12 weeks, I had made it a point to tell people I knew that I was on the BFL program, which gave me the opportunity to talk about BFL. This also made me accountable to all these people, so whenever we saw each other or talked on the phone, they’d ask me how I was doing. I did this on purpose, because little did they know, I needed their help to stay focused. After church service, I’d tell friends and neighbors. During my weekly errands around town, I told the managers of stores that I knew. I talked about it at school, and to all my relatives over the course of the 12 weeks. Toward the last few weeks of the Challenge, many of these people were noticing big changes in how I looked in pants. They were all very encouraging and happy for me.

An eating establishment close to my grocery store was very supportive of me during my three Challenges—The Every Day Cafe. At least five times a week, I would go and ask for grilled chicken with either mandarin oranges, salsa, or tomatoes. All I wanted was a portion of a good carbohydrate and a protein. Because I was there so often, they named it “The Jayne Special” and it’s been on the menu for five years. The women in my classes know that they can go there and stay on the program for a special low price of $2.95. When I went in to tell them that Doug and I had won, all the staff were so shocked and happy for us. We took pictures and there was much excitement.

Q: After going through the 12 weeks, how was your mindset different than it was before? Were you able to face challenges in your life with more confidence?
After the BFL had become a lifestyle and daily routine, it was so much easier to go about my daily responsibilities. My disposition was much more positive. I was confident about what I was going to be eating that day, that my workout was already done in the morning and the day was mine to enjoy. Food was no longer needed for comforting stress. It was a way to nourish my body and treat it well for all the exercise I was doing.

After working out alone for so many months, I finally realized that it would be much more fun for me if I could find women who might like to learn about weights and work out with me. I chose my daughter’s school gym/weight room. After getting permission from the school and notifying the school families that I was starting a weight training class, I signed up my first class. I held a nutrition class and explained the program. The class started in the fall of 2004 and has grown to seven classes a week, with mothers and teachers participating. After the registration fees are collected, the ladies and I donate the money to the school’s Athletic Department. Since the fall of 2004 we have raised approximately $5000 for the school.

If it were not for doing the Challenges for so long, I would never, ever have had the confidence to even think that I could head a class of this nature. I do a lot of reading now and type out notes for the women so they too can understand and learn more about weight training benefits and sound nutritional information. I have been requested to write a book by a publisher friend of mine and I will be working on that this year.

Q: Do you still follow the BFL program?
My family and I still follow the BFL program. It has become a part of our lives. For breakfast, I will drink a Cafe Caramel ready-do-drink shake. On the way to my weight class, I drink a serving of Catapult. On my way home from weights class, I drink Betagen. At home, I will fix eggs with wheat toast. I shower and get ready to leave the house again. For lunch, I have a Jayne Special at the Every Day Café as I go back into town to do errands. Around 3:00 p.m. I’ll eat a Myoplex Lite bar that I keep in my vehicle. I take Thermodynamx around 4:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m. which is usually chicken or turkey, a vegetable, and another “good” carbohydrate choice. After dinner, I usually pick on sliced turkey and eat an orange. I keep water bottles in my vehicle for me and my girls. I lift free weights seven times a week during class. I don’t do aerobics as much as I should, but often wake up at 5:00 a.m. to use a small trampoline while I watch “Everybody Loves Raymond” DVDs. (That early in the morning, I need a good laugh! That starts my day off right! ) I give a nutrition class at the beginning of each school semester for my weight class by showing excerpts of EAS videos, handing out BFL literature and talking about the BFL program. Then I explain how all three components must work together: Nutrition, Exercise and Supplements.

Q: What is your favorite free day meal?
That will vary. This week it was apple pie a la mode at Applebee’s Restaurant. It could be a box of Good ’n Plenty, a large Peppermint Patty, a bag of Gummy Bears, or a bag of Chex Mix, nuts, or olives. Sometimes, I will eat one orange after another until I am satisfied. Also, on my free day, I don’t watch my portions. If Doug and I go out to eat, which is usually once a week, I’ll eat the bread and don’t worry about the sauces on my chicken. Free days, to me, allow me to eat the other foods I like that are not “authorized”. I call them the “best of the worst” unauthorized foods.

Q: If someone were to ask your advice about starting - and finishing - the Challenge, what would you tell them?
This happens often. I usually have BFL literature in my vehicle. I either hand them the BFL book, or the “What Are You Waiting For?” pamphlet. I tell them that thousands of people all over the world have entered the Challenge as a way of focusing on the program in order to make their best transformation in the least amount of time. I explain that the Challenge was actually developed as a way of motivating people to try the program, and how it was initially advertised in Muscle Media magazine, which also promoted his line of supplements. I talk about how EAS evolved and how “people-oriented” the company is. I usually invite them to visit one of my weight classes. I spend time explaining the program and ask them what it is they want to achieve. I tell them how Doug and I found the program and what results we achieved by doing it. I also explain that it is the safest program out there, and that anyone between the ages of 18 to 70 can safely do the program and make it a way of life. While I’m at it, I explain the benefits of weight lifting and how balancing protein and good-carbohydrate meals promotes fat loss and builds lean tissue. I tell them which bars and shakes I like best and where they can be purchased. When I am fortunate enough to have the time to hit most of these points, the person is usually anxious to read the book and eventually start the program. Then, I encourage them to e-mail me if they have any further questions.

Q: How has your life changed since doing the Challenge?
The first thing that comes to my mind is that before the Challenge, I would say to myself, “What is my purpose? What am I good at? What is my gift?” These are questions, I think a person asks themselves, but seldom wants to let others know. It is personal.

After the Challenge, I found that:

• I discovered a purpose in my life. I train moms and teachers, and they not only come regularly, but pay close attention to my guiding instructions. I seem to have gained their respect because they feel that I am truly watching out for them. I educate all my ladies so they understand what is happening inside their bodies and why. Weight training is a subject that many women know little about, and they are hungry for the knowledge. They, too, want to be good at it and learn it correctly so they can pass on the knowledge to their family, friends, and neighbors. Their self-esteem has grown as a result of attending class, and they all display happy dispositions. It is a pleasure and a gift to be able to work with them. At the end of each workout, they know they worked hard, and feel invigorated and proud of themselves. I love “my ladies”, encourage them often, and would do anything for them.
• I discovered that I was good at something that other women knew very little about. It’s only when I realized that I was knowledgeable about personal fitness that I noticed how other women that I looked up to and respected had no idea about the subject. When I visited a fitness center to workout, women would come up to me and ask me questions or comment on my program. I drew attention because I had confidence. All of this happened over the course of months; then the idea of training other women came to my mind. I then actively pursued training.
• As a result of the Challenge, I had the confidence to take out a literary work the I had been working on for some time. I am now actively looking for a publisher for this work. It is a children’s Christmas story that has a lot of potential, written many years ago. By working on this project with a local publisher, it was suggested that I write a book about life since the Challenge. My publisher friend thinks I have a great angle, and she is encouraging me to continue working on my writing. This is exciting to me, and I would never have dreamed that I would be involved in this realm.

Q: Where do you think you’d be if you had never done the Challenge?
I suppose that I would still be battling with fad diets. I would not be in a gym. I’d be worrying about what I was going to do with myself once we became “empty nesters” in four years. Unfortunately, I would be unhappy inside with a big smile showing on the outside. Fortunately, I don’t have to think about it.

Q: What have you been up to since first joining BFL?
Since first joining BFL, I have done much reading on health and nutrition, and have given health classes to groups of women as a pre-requisite to taking my weights class. Occasionally, I go to friends homes and set them up with weights charts after explaining the program and reviewing the exercises. Finally, I have been spending more time working on two book projects. These are pasttimes that I seriously doubt that I’d be involved in if it weren’t for the BFL program.

Q: What are your favorite EAS products?
My favorite products are the ones I continue to use. Doug uses Myoplex ready-to-drink shakes, Myoplex bars, and Betagen. I use Thermo Dynamx occasionally. The shakes I buy most frequently are the Coffee House Blend. My favorite bars are the Myoplex Lite variety.

Q: Current goals?

• To continue to motivate women to start the BFL program through my weight training classes
  
• To not gain more than 2 percent body fat from when I was at my lowest.
• To be more consistent with aerobic activity during the week
• To work on my two book projects
• To continue to be a positive role model for my daughters
• To continue to put my family first before any of the above goals
• For Doug and I to live a long, happy and healthy life
• o never forget that if it weren’t for God, my personal trainer, I would not even be writing to you...and to continue to give Him thanks.

Q: How have you spread the word of BFL to other folks?
As a result of EAS selecting Doug and I as the 2003 Couples Grand Champions, there was an article written in the local paper. Many people found out about our good fortune as a result of that article. We have put many close friends on the BFL program, as well as many patients of Doug’s and many of my school and church friends. Through word of mouth, men and women approach me and Doug, which gives us the opportunity to talk about BFL. We have given out countless number of books and literature, tapes and videos to a countless number of interested relatives and friends.

Doug and I will be involved with a Community Fair in April and we will have BFL material ready to give out. We have also set up a table at the local Wal-Mart for shoppers to sample bars and shakes. I have printed up business cards and whenever I talk to a woman interested in learning more about BFL, I invite her to visit one of my weights classes. I enjoy talking about BFL and if there is an opportunity to talk about it, I do. If there is not an opportunity, I make one.