Congratulations on the winners of Hannah Dawson’s FitClub “She is Focused” Challenge!

Overall Winner: JULIE RICE 

Age:
37

Health and Fitness Goals:
My goal is to create lifelong health and fitness habits. I find breaking it down into smaller daily habits and finding things you love to do for fitness really keeps you motivated.

Why did you decide to register for Hannah’s program?
I joined Hannah’s program in June 2021 after seeing a friend posting about Hannah’s meal plans & nutrition coaching. I really felt that this program was the missing piece to my fitness journey and a way to gain a deeper understanding of nutrition-specific to my goals.

How has the experience been for you?
I have loved my experience with Hannah’s program and the FCB. Hannah is extremely supportive, encouraging, and loving. I love how real Hannah is in sharing her wins as well as her own personal struggles.

What does being strong (“She is STRONG”) mean to you?
“She is strong” is something that is very important to me! I want to show others that being strong is more than how you look.

It has meant being strong to show up on hard days, going out of your comfort zone with new goals and taking things one day at a time!

What did you do to focus on during this challenge?
I focused on being consistent with check-ins, getting enough sleep, tracking my training and being prepared with meals.

What did you learn about yourself this past month?
I’ve learned that things do not have to be perfect and that creating those small daily habits will lead to the progress I want to see over time.

I learned that on the hard days when you don’t feel like working out just doing something for your body can change your mindset.

I acknowledged that some days are harder than others and then didn’t give that any more of my thought or energy and just moved on the next day. I build momentum off the days that the workouts and meals are all in sync and I feel great!!

What challenges did you face this past month while focusing on “Becoming stronger”?
Remember to “trust the process” as Hannah always tells us. That the progress I would like to see in building muscle can take months or years and building those strong daily habits will eventually lead to achieving the personal goals I have set for myself.

Any words of advice you would give to others considering a “SHE IS STRONG’ program approach?
Do IT!!! Don’t wait to start. If you don’t know where to start, come up with a plan and start slowly so it is something you look forward to doing.

What does it mean to you to earn recognition in the “She Is Strong” award spotlight?
It has meant a lot to me because I’m trying to set an example for others that there are no quick fixes to health. It takes hard work and making those choices for yourself. Putting yourself first mentally & physically.

What has it been like working with Hannah and the Fitclub community?
Working with Hannah and the Fit Club community over the past year has been amazing. It is a very supportive community of women encouraging each other.

Hannah is available for all of your questions and is there to guide you on your fitness journey. I know that the effort and focus that I put into Hannah’s programs is what I will get out of it. It came to be the same for YOU too!

Spotlight Winner: CORRYNE BENNETT

Age:
32

Health and Fitness Goals:
My goals have been to become a better, stronger future me. I used to focus so much on the past. Now I look forward to the new me. I still would like to see what I can accomplish. I want to focus on muscle again.

Why did you decide to register for Hannah’s program?
I signed up with Hannah over 2 years ago. At first, it was just to see what the workouts were like. What my options were. It did take me a little to focus and be serious. Once I did, the magic happened.

How has the experience been for you?
The experience has been great for me. I really spent the last 2 years changing my mindset. I never worked with someone or a program before that made me focus on the inside as well as outside work.

What does being strong (“She is STRONG”) mean to you?
Being “strong ” to me is choosing your fight. It’s all up to you at the end of the day. Not giving up when it’s hard. Learning you are strong even on those days you don’t want to. Not giving up when it gets hard. Being strong is being consistent.

What did you do to focus on during this challenge?
I tried to keep more of a positive headspace in this challenge. Really listening to my body and resting when I needed it.

What did you learn about yourself this past month?
I learned to be patient and focus more on the water this time around. Trying to stay hydrated. I’ve been having a hard time getting water down!

What challenges did you face this past month while focusing on “Becoming stronger”?
I ran into a few setbacks. Some days, I had to double up workouts with working doubles at work. Some days, I’m too tired and it’s hard to get motivated. Dealt with my back being flared up. Had a nasty head cold for a few weeks. Which made me not lift as heavy as I would like. I tend to get kicked down but get back up!

Any words of advice you would give to others considering a “SHE IS STRONG’ program approach?
The advice I would give to anyone wanting to start a program. Take it day by day. Listen to your body. It’s not just a program. It’s a new way of life. Lifestyle change. You’ll feel supported, you are not alone on this team. Feel free to ask those questions. Just be consistent. Learn to love each milestone of success

What does it mean to you to earn recognition in the “She Is Strong” award spotlight?
I am tickled to be considered for the strong Spotlight. I had a lot of work to do on myself these last 2 years. A lot of roadblocks, and life changes. Lots of downs, lots of highs. I am just so glad I finally went all in and decided I was worth this time and transformation. I am truly grateful for the help and guidance this team and program have brought me.

What has it been like working with Hannah and the Fitclub community?
It’s been great to be a part of a team, of a community of support. It’s the kindness we all need while we heal.

Spotlight Winner: JESSE MARCH

Age:
35

Health & fitness goals:
When I started was to lose 20 pounds & get my body fat down to 22%. Now it’s to maintain my weight, work on my body fat% more & get more toned.

My main goal starting this journey was fat & weight loss, but it blossomed into much more! I was overweight & miserable. The heaviest I’ve ever been at 150 lbs and only 5’4. I knew it was time to make a change. I was tired of being so uncomfortable in my skin, tired of none of my clothes fitting & tired of the negative mindset that turned into very bad self-talk and in turn just turned me into a very sad shell of my former outgoing, positive person that I once was. Before nothing seemed to get me down, and I could ALWAYS find the positive in the most negative situations.

Why did you decide to register for Hannah’s program?
I decided to register for Hannah’s program after following her transformation for years on social media. Seeing her success gave me so much inspiration! Especially after she started having kids. First, it was with the beach body program, then as her confidence grew, so did her dream to help others! After her success with her own transformation, she built & started the FIT club. I watched on the sidelines for a long time but finally made the decision after watching one of the Fitclub members’ transformation. Shaylee! Seeing her weight loss and incredible transformation in such a short time, I thought, if she can do it, so can I! What do I have to lose? I thought if I don’t start now, then when? And that kept playing in my head over and over when my negative mindset & lack of confidence was trying to talk me out of joining Hannah’s program. Finally, I made the first step and started Hannah’s program full-time on May 1, 2021. There was a new challenge being held with a lot of the ladies in the Fitclub so I thought now is the time! Having the Fitclub page on Facebook & being held accountable there was a HUGE help! Posting our post-workout selfies on the daily thread, being encouraged to show our wins with meal prep, ladies showing awesome healthy finds at the grocery store… it all helped boost my confidence so much & for me personally having a routine & list of things to do every day to set me up for success really kept me on track.

What did you learn about yourself this past month?
I think I learned quickly with Hannah’s guidance and support, that the only thing holding me back, was ME! I kept telling myself, you can’t do this, you have too many injuries, etc. But Hannah was there every step of the way, and slowly I learned, with consistency & showing up, that I could! Slowly, my confidence blossomed as I started to find myself getting addicted to challenging myself with the workouts, the meal prep, and staying on track.

What did you do to focus on during this challenge?
After completing my first challenge as a Fitclub member, I was overjoyed & so proud of myself! It gave me so much motivation to keep going, and I did just that! I signed up for Hannahs’s macros to muscles course. This was another critical success key for me! I learned about macros & most importantly how to track my food with MyFitnessPal. I soon became hooked & now log my food every day. It’s become second nature to me. Building this habit was probably the second most important key to my success. About 4 months into my journey with the Fitclub, I started a new job that went from me sitting at a desk to moving all day. And not just walking all day, it was an extremely physical job. Some of my days are very long & physically exhausting but it was the thing I needed to hit my weight loss goal. With my job being so extremely physical and the shifts being 12-14 hours a day. I soon found I did not have the energy nor time to go to the gym, but I used all that I’d learned from Hannah and the macros course & her amazing recipe library, and I adapted to my new normal.

With Hannah’s advice from the start, what I did was keep it simple! I found a couple of recipes that I loved and could eat till I got sick of them, and I would meal plan & prep for my 6 day work week & track my food like clockwork every day. This paired with the physical job, and I soon found myself hitting my first weight loss goal of 20 pounds! I continued what I was doing & soon found myself dropping an additional 15 pounds! Some days the work was very intense, it’s pipelining and they work extremely fast-paced. A lot of days there wasn’t time for lunch breaks so I learned to eat when I could but some days it just didn’t happen. So the last 10 pounds were probably not lost intentionally as I just was overworked and not getting the calories in my body needed but that’s what I needed to realize now is the time to change my goals and used Hannah’s advice of learning when you need to pivot.

So I went back to my macros to muscles course and re calculated what my body would need to not lose weight anymore, but rather maintain & started the path to my new goal

What challenges did you face this past month while focusing on “Becoming stronger”?
I would say the challenge I faced with this new fitness goal was literally getting the calories in I needed to not lose weight. I found it difficult to get the amount of food I needed in, so I went back to my recipe library & found some higher calorie meals. I was so used to being restricted to lose weight that I was pleasantly happy to be able to indulge so to speak in things I hadn’t been before! Full portions of oatmeal, being able to add some brown sugar! Oh, the joys of the little things that make life just a little bit sweeter! Now, I’m getting my calories in and gained back 5 lbs that I needed to gain. I got down to 112 pounds and it wasn’t good! Now, I’m up to 117 pounds and feeling healthy & sexy in my skin… finally! What an amazing feeling it is. To top off the success of my year transformation, my boyfriend is taking me to Mexico for 10 amazing days! I bought some sexy new bikinis and dresses. I can’t wait to show them off with my new body!

Any words of advice you would give to others considering a “SHE IS STRONG’ program approach?
My advice to any new Fitclub members or ladies that may be struggling would be this… KEEP IT SIMPLE! I found it extremely overwhelming at the start with the meal plans so instead of following that, I picked recipes that I tried and loved and would eat that until I got sick of them. Meal prep on Sundays is critical to my success. I would prep breakfast, lunches & snacks for work on Sundays and dinner that would last 2-3 days. Then mid-week, I would make another dinner and more snacks if needed.

This to me, was how I kept it easy & for my job it worked best to meal prep in this way since I don’t have the luxury of time to try a different recipe every night and follow the monthly meal plans like some ladies do. You just have to find what works best for you and do it! Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, that was also hard in the beginning for me as some members are extremely active in the group and post a lot, so learning not to compare myself to them or compete was also hard.

Another piece of advice I have for the ladies is to be active in the group! I love posting pictures of meals I’ve made when I hit a goal weight or PR or simply an amazing deal on workout clothes. Can be anything! But the feedback & interactions with the other ladies really boosts your confidence & I think that is really needed. It’s like a big family & we are all here to support each other!

What does it mean to you to earn recognition in the “She Is Strong” award spotlight?
To me, winning the “She Is Strong” spotlight means I’ve taken all the advice and learned from Hannah & put in the hard work! I achieved my goal and then blasted it out of the park by losing an additional 15 pounds! I feel like if I can do it, anyone can! Don’t let yourself make excuses and do it! If not now, when?!

Thank you so much to Hannah & all the amazing things women of the Fitclub. I am honoured to win this award and be highlighted. My only wish is to inspire & motivate other women because, ladies, YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Spotlight Winner: CHRISTINE BAILEY

Age:
36

Health and Fitness Goals:
To push me to see where I can go. I’ve always wanted to be “skinny” however since joining the Fitclub my goals are now to become stronger and more fit. To be the best version of myself that I can be.

Why did you decide to register for Hannah’s program?
I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. A friend of mine was doing Hannah’s program and she suggested I try it for a month just to see. I did it and haven’t looked back since.

How has the experience been for you?
This experience has been truly eye-opening. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really think it was going to work but was I wrong? Hannah encouraged me to keep going even when I wasn’t seeing results. She told me it takes time and there was no such thing as a quick fix. She told me to take my pictures when that was the last thing I wanted to do and send them to her, she promised me it was going to change everything and she was 100% right. I appreciate her honesty and tough love. She explains the process and is there for you every step of the way. I’ve learnt that there is no such thing as bad or good food and food is what keeps the body going. This experience has shown me to love fitness and that it’s not a chore but fun and challenging. More importantly, it’s shown me to love myself again. To embrace all the wins even if they are small because it’s those wins that show you what you are capable of doing.

What does being strong “She is STRONG” mean to you?
It means to have a strong mindset because you will and can achieve anything. I wanted to push and lift more so I told myself that I could do it and I did. What that showed me was the power of the mind is stronger than any weights you lift and if you believe you can do it you will.

What did you do to focus on during this challenge?
I focused on my mindset. I told myself that if I put my mind to something anything is possible. I told myself that I am strong. That I can do the hard things. That I can push myself and I will see results. This in turn helped me to gain more strength and lift more weights. At the end of the day, it’s the power of what our minds tell us what we CAN or CAN’T do.

What did you learn about yourself this past month?
That I’m capable of being there for me. That I’m going to have hard days and that I’m nowhere near perfect but I’m showing up for myself and that’s the most important thing. I learnt that if I have a bad day to not beat myself up for it. I learned to push past yesterday and focus on today.

What challenges did you face this past month while focusing on “Becoming stronger”?
This month my mindset was a challenge for me. I can be hard on myself for sure and it’s not always easy being a parent. The balance between work, rising kids and working out is a lot. I had to remember to be kind to myself and to take deep breaths. I told myself this is just a phase and that I’m strong and that I can do this.

Any words of advice you would give to others considering a “SHE IS STRONG’ program approach?
I would say be patient with yourself. Be kind and love who you are. It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s going to take work and determination. To start small and just do 3 days a week and work your way up to more. To not focus on the scale because what I’ve learnt is that numbers don’t really mean anything as they are just numbers. To take the small wins as big wins. To show up for yourself. Remember you are worth it. You are important. You are loved. You can this is.

What does it mean to you to earth recognition of the “She Is Strong” award spotlight?
To be perfectly honest, when I got the email I thought it was a mistake. I was in shock (still am) that I almost cried. To receive recognition like this tells me that all the hard work I’m doing is paying off. I’ve come to a very long way since I started 2 years ago and I hope that I can encourage others to take this leap of faith like I did because I promise you it will change your life.

What has it been like working with Hannah and the Fitclub community?
It has truly been life-changing. I love how encouraging and supportive all the ladies are. This group helps and lifts each other up. Hannah cares about each and every one of us. She is there to help, train, motivate, teach and so much more. It’s not just about fitness it’s about learning to love yourself again. The mindset coaching for me has been hands down the greatest tool that I’ve taken away since joining the Fitclub. It’s real/ tough talk. Hannah has shown me that the sky’s the limit and there’s no telling where it will take you.

Thank you, Hannah and the Fitclub from the bottom of my heart. This is a moment I’ll never forget and it’s an absolute honour to be featured in Status Fitness Magazine. A goal I set out to achieve and I did it. I’m so proud..

Connect with Hannah: FitClub Babes | IG