02 Apr VIBE Takes a Lifestyle Approach to Julie’s Weight Loss
Four years ago, 48-year-old Julie Hoffmann lay in a hospital bed with two blood clots in her left lung. She had been working way too many hours traveling around the state, and she started to feel chest pains. Co-workers rushed her to the hospital.
Thankful for the immediate treatment and recovery, Julie made some lifestyle changes. She quit her occasional stress smoking and tried to work less. But exercise didn’t appeal to her.
“I’ve been spectacularly unathletic all my life, and I don’t think of myself as strong, physically,” Julie said.
It wasn’t until October 2019 that she even thought of doing something more for her health. Her friend Jen invited her to VIBE, Yoga, Health and Fitness.
Julie had seen VIBE on Instagram. The small class size and inclusive message appealed to her. She didn’t want to feel embarrassed or intimidated walking into a fitness center. VIBE was different. It felt warm and welcoming. The colorful, Bohemian-style decor added a level of comfort not found in other places. And the personalized approach was genuine and refreshing.
She agreed to sign up. After signing, Co-owner Samantha Drum said: “We have yoga tomorrow at 6 am. See you there.”
Julie said to herself, “Shit. I’m doing this.” Samantha immediately became her accountability coach. Julie got teary-eyed during her first class. Another client, Renee, invited Julie to try a Saturday class.
“I will always be grateful to her for saying that,” said Julie. “That invitation meant the world to me. At other places, you just do your thing and leave.”
The community feel at VIBE is strong. Clients care about each other’s well-being. The camaraderie makes tough workouts fun.
Julie started taking several classes per week. “Yoga isn’t just about the poses,” she said.
“The anatomy part is appealing. How do I do that? What muscles do I use? The instructor will say, ‘tighten your core.’ I’m not good at the breathing part either, but I’m learning.
“I’ve incorporated mindful breathing into other parts of my life, because it does work. There’s always room for infinite improvement. You just keep getting better. I noticed things I can do now that I couldn’t do a year ago.”
Julie talked to VIBE co-owner Carly Chertos about nutrition. She previously had used MyFitnessPal, so she set that up again. Carly adjusted her macros and suggested she focus on getting more protein and better carbs in her diet. She also suggested that she start eating breakfast and reduce the amount of dairy in her diet.
These nutrition adjustments, along with the many benefits of yoga, are working for Jule. To date, she has lost nearly 60 pounds, and has since added in-person personal training to her regime. She credits most of her weight loss in 2020 to being able to take VIBE’s virtual classes at home.
To continue to make progress, Julie has been more mindful about what she eats and watches calories.
“I’m someone who enjoys food, so if I go out to eat now, I either plan to take half home, or eat less during the day or the next day to compensate and balance things out,” she said. “I don’t ever want to be in the position where I can’t eat what’s readily available because it’s not a hard boiled egg or a chicken breast – that’s no way to live, for me anyway. Everything in moderation. I want to establish long lasting habits. Last time I gained the weight back because I stopped being mindful of what I was doing. Also at that time, I had only focused on diet and no exercise. In hindsight, I don’t think that was sustainable. I feel much better about the approach I’m taking now.”
Why does VIBE work for Julie? “I love the adventure and the journey. It used to be that I didn’t have time for yoga. Now yoga totally is a reset. Refresh. Reinvigorate. This isn’t some 21-day cheap magic pill.”
VIBE is a choice and a chance to improve your lifestyle. You’ll feel the difference.
