Are you and your partner a fit couple? The best way to stay on track with health and wellness is to have someone by your side supporting you and holding you accountable!
Couple goals go far beyond merely spending a happy life together, and fit couple Chris and Steph have proved it!
Chris and Steph are busy parents leading hectic, chaotic lives.
The hustle and bustle of day-to-day life lead their fitness to fall by the wayside.
Chris found the Fit Father Project and dove right in.
Steph was skeptical at first, but once she saw how easy it really is, she jumped into the Fit Mother Project.
There was no looking back from there, and their transformation from an unfit couple to a fit couple, to a fit family, was underway!
Listen to Chris's Story on the Fit Father Project Podcast:
Getting On the Same Page
As we mentioned, Chris got the ball rolling when he joined the Fit Father Project.
Steph recalls how Chris discovered FFP.
“Chris comes to me one day, and says, this is what I want to do. When he decides he wants to do something, he’s doing it; nothing’s stopping him. I was like, oh my goodness, what have you found now? What is this going to do to us? What’s the cost? Where does this go? How long are you going to stick with it? Chris brought the program to me, and I said to him, OK, fine.”
Within a week of Chris joining, Steph began to get interested.
“I started snooping in and reading a little bit more about it. Hang on. This is just easy. Hey, what’s going on here? Why do I agree with him?”
That’s how she ended up joining the Fit Mother Project. She admitted that her husband had come up with a good idea.
According to Chris, the first month was all about nutrition.
“We were getting supplements. We were getting food. We were doing a lot of reading and had set a start date for ourselves. So the first thing we did was research and development to make sure that we knew what we were doing. Nutrition was a big, big change.”
Steph adds, “Everybody knows it’s 80% nutrition, 20% exercise, and being a young family with two young picky eaters, we had to figure out how to make it work so that all four of us are fed well. We literally spent two weeks preparing meals. We made all these freezer meals.”
The couple eliminated all the excuses (for example, we are running behind schedule, so let’s eat out today) that were obstacles and set themselves up for success.
According to Steph and Chris, there was a little bit of trial and error when they first started.
Steph says, “I started working out at night because it was the only time possible. However, we realized that working out in the morning was important. Therefore, we looked at our life schedule and said, how can we fit in this morning routine? I took the sacrifice and started waking up earlier because I wanted to be a better version of myself for my family. And Chris supported me. He handled the kids while I was working out.”
Now they both get up in the morning and work out. They’ve also taught their kids to serve themselves.
Per Steph, her experience with the Fit Mother Project program’s exercises and workouts was empowering.
She adds, “I have to admit that the exercises were absolutely intimidating to start with. But then I wrote my mission statement. I was like, OK, I have to do these workouts. There’s no other option. I have to do this because I am worth it. And my family is.”
She completed her first Apex 10 successfully and did not look back after that.
Chris was happy to watch his wife excel and power through the workouts.
“She was solid through it all. Every time the exercise switched, she’d go onto the next one and nail it.”
Hear Chris's story on how he went from ‘skinny fat' to buff!
Different Goals, But Similar Determinations and Motivations
While Steph and Chris were on two opposite journeys — weight loss for Steph and muscle gain for Chris — their determination and motivation were similar.
Chris says, “She understood what I was doing, and I understood what she was doing. In terms of food, we ended up making the same thing and just changing the portions. So I needed to be at a calorie surplus to build muscle, and she needed to be at a calorie deficit to lose weight.”
According to Steph, the process leading up to the mission statement, the material provided by the Fit Mother Project team, and the psychology behind it was an entire process in and of itself.
“I wrote that I need to do this so I can be here for my kids and they can have healthy choices. The entire thing made me realize that I was trying to be the perfect mom and do everything I could by sacrificing myself for my children. However, I was only doing myself and my family a disservice by not prioritizing myself to be the best version of myself and not empowering my children and husband to be the best versions of themselves.”
When asked if the family feels bored with their daily nutrition and workout routines, they said that they don’t feel deprived at all and workouts have become fun.
“We turned it into a game. Going back to the structure and schedule, we literally would print off a calendar every month and write our workouts and some activities for the kids. We also crafted meal schedules. What meals are we going to make today versus tomorrow? What variety do we need to add to the meal we’re preparing today? What’s our Friday fun meal? We got excited on days we had to have a freezer meal; we made it a treat. It was never boring because we made it a game every week.”
According to Steph, her journey with the Fit Mother Project program was all about self-love and commitment.
“Every month was a success. There was never a moment of failure because I knew that it was a continuing journey. Even after losing the first 10 pounds, it was like; we’re not going back. How can we do this more? How can we make ourselves better? That first month made me self-confident. I was like, oh my goodness, I did this. I’m still caring for my kids. I’m still handling my career. My job is doing better than ever because I have the mental space to care about my job and myself.”
Steph recalls the day when her younger son said, “Hey mom, I fit on your lap better. Where’d your tummy go? I can snuggle you.”
She was stunned to hear those words from him as he was only five at that time.
Her elder son also said, “You look amazing. You’re beating me in a race now. Why are you beating me in a race?”
After seeing their parents work out and get fit, the kids are on the right track to a lifetime of health and wellness.
Chris adds, “I actually had our oldest at the squat rack. So I got him doing some light barbell squats to get the form going and some deadlifts and stuff like that. He’s starting to get the hang of it and enjoys it. So I think there might be a future there.”
So what would Chris and Steph say to someone looking to join the Fit Father Project?
“All you new women or men who are trying this program, or don’t think you can do this, trust the process, trust in yourself, and believe it or not, you will do amazing things in your lives. I had a binge eating disorder and was a borderline alcoholic. Here I am today, incredibly healthy and empowered by life mentally. And, I know you think you can’t do it, but you absolutely can. As long as you believe in yourself and trust that it’s OK to put yourself first.”
3 Key Takeaways From Chris and Steph's Journey
To summarize, here are three key lessons you can learn from Chris and Steph’s successful health and fitness journey:
Lesson 1: Cleaning Up Your Nutrition Is the First Step Toward Getting Fit
The 80-20 rule talks about 80% nutrition and 20% exercise.
While most mistake this the other way round, it is essential to understand that 80% of nutrition can play a significant role in fitness.
Both nutrition and exercise complement each other.
When you clean up your nutrition, you desire healthy foods.
They taste phenomenal, your taste buds change, and you want to eat real food.
Also, you feel great overall!
Lesson 2: Commit to Yourself First
You have to commit to loving yourself enough to put in the effort in the beginning and then to continue loving yourself every day as the progress is slow and gradual.
Steph and Chris were accountable to each other; however, they were first accountable to themselves.
They were on entirely different journeys where self-accountability was highly critical.
Lesson 3: Team Effort Can Go a Long Way in Achieving Success
Training with someone who is working for the same thing can be powerful and even unstoppable.
In this case, Steph and Chris had different fitness goals.
Nevertheless, their determination and motivation to become better versions of themselves for their kids combined to benefit both of them.
What is FF30X?
FF30X is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program that is designed especially for busy men over 40.
With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team that is there for you at every step, FF30X can help you lose 30, 40, or even 50+ lbs — even if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life.
Click here to see what you get when you join the FF30X program today!
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*Please know that weight loss results and health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on becoming a fit couple.
