FITBODY Success Story
How Amy Got Unstuck at 51
She was active and eating well, yet completely stuck, and she almost did not reach out at all. Here is what shifted when she stopped guessing and started working with an online nutrition and fitness coach for women who builds the plan around your real life.
“I stayed very true to the plan, but did not feel deprived.”
Start Your Own TransformationAge & Location
51, Hardwick, Massachusetts
Timeframe
8 weeks
What Changed
Down 11+ pounds on the scale, an estimated 13 to 14 pounds of fat, waist down 3 inches, hips down 2.5 inches
Biggest Win
Went from stuck and unsure to strong, and wanting to run again after years off
Amy came to me at 51, about two years past a breast cancer diagnosis, a mastectomy, and treatment that pushed her into early menopause. But this story is not really about cancer. It is about a woman who was doing everything right and still felt like her body was working against her.
She was taking sculpt classes, lifting at home, and walking almost every day. She ate mostly whole foods and had been a vegetarian for 27 years. On paper, she was doing more than most women. Yet the weight had crept back up 10 to 12 pounds over the winter, she was stress eating, exhausted, and out of direction. She had even started to wonder if weight loss medication was the only option left.
Instead, she gave it one more honest effort and emailed me. In 8 weeks with my FITBODY Recomposition System™, Amy lost more than 11 pounds on the scale. Because she added an estimated 2 to 3 pounds of muscle at the same time, her real fat loss was closer to 13 to 14 pounds. Her waist came down 3 inches, her hips 2.5 inches, and each thigh 1.75 inches. She did not get smaller at the cost of her strength. She got stronger.
The Doubts That Almost Kept Her From Starting
If you have ever hovered over the decision to start, know that Amy did too. She actually reached out to me a year and a half before she began. She was not ready then, and that was the right call, because her body was still recovering. When she finally committed, the same questions were running through her head that run through nearly every woman’s mind first.
“Fitting it all in with work and family and having a personal life. Could I do it? Could I stay consistent? Would it really work? Can I make it last?”Amy Stukuls, 51, Hardwick, MA
Those questions are not a sign you should wait. They are the exact questions good coaching is built to answer. Amy did not need more willpower or a burst of motivation. She needed a plan built for her, and someone paying attention as she went. That is what changed everything.
What Working With Me Actually Looked Like
One of the biggest hesitations women have is whether online coaching is real coaching. Amy wondered the same thing, and what she found was the opposite of impersonal. I called her right away, built her plans quickly, and stayed in her inbox whenever a question came up. As her online nutrition and fitness coach for women over 40, my whole job was to take the guesswork off her plate and adjust the plan to her real, busy spring.
“You were so clear and organized. You were positive but realistic and held me accountable. You were so responsive to my emails and questions.”Amy Stukuls, 51, Hardwick, MA
That is the difference between a plan and a coach. A plan sits on your phone and never changes. A coach looks at your photos every two weeks, sees what your body is actually doing, and adjusts the next step. Amy never had to wonder whether she was doing the right thing, because the plan kept meeting her where she was.
The Scale Was Never the Whole Story
Amy’s results went far past the scale, which is exactly what happens with real body recomposition. Her baseline mile took 12 minutes and 6 seconds and left her hips aching and out of breath. Eight weeks later she ran it in 9 minutes and 45 seconds, nearly two and a half minutes faster. Her pushups went from 4 to 10. Her resting heart rate dropped from 76 to 64. Her standing long jump improved by 8 inches.
Every performance marker moved in the right direction. She had also sworn off running years earlier after joint pain and surgery. By the end, she wanted to run again, and she said it was starting to feel fun.
“After 5 years, I feel motivated to run again and dare I say it is feeling fun again.”Amy Stukuls, 51, Hardwick, MA
She Did This Inside a Full Life, Not a Spare One
Amy did not have free time, because almost no one does. She has taught special education at the same school for 21 years, drives 45 minutes each way, and is mom to two sons, ages 16 and 13. She and her husband Eli have been together for almost 29 years. Her strength workouts happened in the basement after long, tired school days, not in some perfect open window.
She even got sick for a week in her first month and worried it would undo everything. It did not. She learned to plan her workouts on her calendar, keep her whole plan in one binder, and prep food on the weekends. If Amy could build this into a life that full, the real question is not whether you have enough time. It is whether you have the right structure.
If You Are the One on the Fence, Read This
I asked Amy what she would say to a woman who is not sure this is the right time, or who quietly doubts she is even capable. Here is her answer, in her own words.
“You have to do what is right for you, but I would say You Can Do It. Reach out for help and accept it, listen to the advice, stick to the plan, be kind and gentle to yourself. We are not perfect but better fitness is very very possible, believe in yourself. This really works.”
Amy Stukuls, 51, Hardwick, MAWhat She Is Building Now
Amy is not treating this as a program she finished. She is writing her own menus around her macros so her food stays fresh, holding herself accountable for her training, and continuing to build muscle, which matters more with every year. Having a plan that finally works has taken the stress out of the whole thing.
“I just want this all to just be a natural part of my life and a priority.”Amy Stukuls, 51, Hardwick, MA
The Questions Women Ask Before They Start
Does online fitness and nutrition coaching actually work?
Yes, when it is personalized and adjusted to your real response, it works. Amy is proof, she lost an estimated 13 to 14 pounds of fat and added muscle in 8 weeks while working with me entirely online. The reason it works is not a generic plan, it is the loop of real data and real adjustments, your photos, measurements, and feedback every two weeks, and a plan that changes based on what your body is actually doing. Working with an online nutrition and fitness coach for women means the plan is built around you, not around a template.
How is this different from a meal plan or a fitness app?
An app hands you the same plan it hands everyone, and it never looks back to see if it is working for you. My coaching is the opposite. I build your calories, macros, and training around your body, your history, and your schedule, then adjust every two weeks based on your actual results. You also have direct access to me, not a chatbot or a team. That combination of personalization, accountability, and real adjustment is what a plan alone can never give you.
Can I really do this with a full-time job and a family?
Yes, and Amy is a perfect example. She teaches full time, drives 45 minutes each way, and is a mom to two teenage sons. Her strength workouts happened in her basement after long, tired days, not in a perfect two-hour window. The plan is built to fit a real, full life, because consistency over time matters far more than any single perfect day.
What if I have started and stopped before?
That is one of the most common places women begin, and it is not a character flaw, it is usually a structure problem. Amy had actually reached out to me a year and a half before she started, and she was not ready then. When she came back and followed a plan built for her, with support and accountability, it finally stuck. The difference is not more willpower, it is the right structure and someone in your corner.
Do I need a gym or special equipment?
No. Amy got her results with basic equipment at home, dumbbells, a barbell, a bench, and some bands, along with daily walking. I build your training around whatever you have access to, at home or in a gym. Great results come from consistent, progressive strength work, not from a specific room or machine.
What makes working with you different?
I am an IFBB Fitness Pro, a Certified Personal Trainer, and a Certified Nutrition Specialist with more than 20 years of experience, and I have coached over 2,000 women. You work directly with me, not an assistant or a team. I also bring lived experience with menopause and breast cancer, so I understand how a woman’s body can change and how to rebuild it. My focus is body recomposition through my FITBODY Recomposition System™, building a stronger, leaner, more capable body that lasts.
Your Turn
You Do Not Have to Stay Stuck
Julie Lohre is an IFBB Fitness Pro, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Nutrition Specialist with 20+ years of experience coaching women over 40 to lose fat, build lean muscle, and transform their bodies through my FITBODY Recomposition System™. If you have been doing everything right and your body still is not changing, Amy’s start can be yours too.
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