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Then and Now: Ann-Marie Parker
A former competitive gymnast, Bend client Ann-Marie Parker had always been in good shape. But during a particularly stressful period, she slipped into a funk and gained so much weight she barely recognized herself. Read about how a comment from her daughter opened her eyes, and how barre3 helped her transform not just her body but her entire lifestyle.
I fell in love with barre3 during my first class. In fact, I was so taken with it that I started working there, first in childcare and then helping out around the studio. But ironically, it was during this time that I slipped into a funk. I was dealing with a lot of family issues and my stress level was incredibly high. I started eating a lot—not because I was hungry, but because I was trying to fill an emotional void. And despite spending several hours a day at the barre3 studio, I stopped going to classes. I was neglecting my own well-being, and it was taking a huge toll on my health—both physically and mentally.
The worst part was that the farther I fell into my slump, the harder it seemed to get back to normal. I did ballet when I was younger, and I was a competitive gymnast for a while, so until this point, I’d always been in pretty good shape. I couldn’t believe how far I’d slipped, and I just remember thinking, I’ve gotten so bad, there’s no way I can get back to where I was. What’s interesting is that I had lots of people who tried to support me, between my studio contacts and my friends. But every time someone would say to me, “Hey, let’s go work out,” it was like a punch in the gut. I knew they were trying to help, but to me it was just evidence that they were noticing my weight—which was climbing every day. I reached at least 205 pounds, but to be honest, I know I was even higher than that, I just stopped weighing myself.
My Turning Point
Then one day last October, I was getting dressed and my 10-year-old daughter said, “Mom, why do you always wear the same thing? You never get dressed up.” She was right. I had fallen into a “uniform” of a big sweatshirt and baggy pants. And it wasn’t just my clothes. I was limiting my activities with my daughter out of shame or fear of being seen. She’d ask to go downtown and I wouldn’t want to go because I knew I’d run into people I grew up with, and I’d be ashamed of how I looked. Or we’d go to the pool and I wouldn’t get in the water with her because I didn’t want to be seen in a swimsuit. It hit me in that moment that getting healthy wasn’t just about me. It was about the example I was setting for my growing daughter.
That’s when I committed to barre3. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to go to classes—I knew so many people at the studio from working there, and I didn’t want them to see my body—so I did barre3 Online. I started with two classes a week, and then I’d throw in a 10-minute class in here and there. Before long I was breaking out barre3 moves when I was in the kitchen cooking.
I also changed my eating habits, starting with making barre3 recipes and following their nutrition philosophy (eat whole foods and include healthy fats, fiber and protein in every meal and snack). I’m the kind of person who will fill up whatever plate I’m using, so I switched from a dinner plate to a salad plate for all my meals. I still fill it up, but now I pack it with greens first and then add the rest of the stuff. The other huge change I made was cutting out late-night snacking. I realized my default was to start snacking any time I was restless. Now I keep my weights, Core Ball, resistance band and Sadie’s Love Your Lower Body book (my late-night bible!) on hand. When my mind starts going toward snacks, I just reach for my gear and do a little barre3.
Between October and December, I lost about 25 pounds. I was finally ready to go into the studio, so in January I did the barre3 Challenge. I wanted to make sure I stuck with it, so I told Darcy, the barre3 Bend studio owner, that I needed her support. She was amazing. She’d check in with me throughout the week, texting to see if I was coming to class, calling to ask how I was doing. She and her entire team held me accountable, and I knew if I felt myself slipping into a funk, I could reach out to them. The other clients supported me, too, telling me I looked great and to keep it up. Having that family and knowing they truly cared meant everything to me.
More Than Just a Number on the Scale
By the end of the Challenge, I had lost a huge number of inches on my arms, waist and thighs, and before long I was down 53 pounds from when I started in October. I’ve kept up my barre3 practice, going to three or four studio classes a week, filling in with online classes. I feel fantastic, but honestly, the thing that makes me the happiest is knowing that I’m setting a good example for my daughter. I had tried fad diets before, and she’d always ask me why I wasn’t eating—what a terrible thing for a young girl to see. Now she watches me eat well and exercise, and I know she’s absorbing all of it. I’m showing her that being healthy isn’t about how you look, it’s about how you take care of yourself. She’s so excited when I get into the pool and play with her. And now that I’m comfortable with myself again, I get dressed up and do my hair. When she tells me “Mom, you look so beautiful,” I know that she’s seeing how I feel inside as much as she’s seeing what I look like on the outside.
My journey made an impression beyond just my daughter. The team at the barre3 headquarters got wind of my story, and in June they brought me to Portland to meet with them. It was such an amazing few days! I took a class with Sadie, Kait and other team members. Afterwards we drank tea, and they sent me to Kanani Pearl Spa for a full-body scrub and a 90-minute massage. I never do that kind of stuff for myself, so I felt like a total VIP. I walked out of there with the biggest smile on my face. After the spa, they made my boyfriend and me dinner reservations at Natural Selection, and it was without a doubt one of the best meals we’ve ever had. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip:
What’s Next?
If all of this sounds like a happy ending, it’s not. Yes it’s a happy story, but it’s not the end. I’m on a continuing journey. Even though I lost the weight and I feel amazing, I still struggle. I was successful in transforming my body because I stuck with a regimen, and I didn’t deviate from it. Now that I’m healthy, my struggle is to learn how to let go. I want to take my daughter out for ice cream and order my own without feeling guilty. I don’t want to weigh myself regularly in order to feel “in control.”
Luckily, I have the barre3 community to help me work toward balance. Surrounding myself with healthy people motivates me to stay the course—and reminds me to be kind to myself when I indulge every now and then. And since barre3 is as much a part of my routine as going to work and eating dinner, I know I’ll have that support forever. So no, this isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of the rest of my life, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
Have you ever had a major turning point in your life like Ann-Marie? Tell us your story in the comments below.
A former competitive gymnast, Bend client Ann-Marie Parker had always been in good shape. But during a particularly stressful period, she slipped into a funk and gained so much weight she barely recognized herself. Read about how a comment from her daughter opened her eyes, and how barre3 helped her transform not just her body but her entire lifestyle.
I fell in love with barre3 during my first class. In fact, I was so taken with it that I started working there, first in childcare and then helping out around the studio. But ironically, it was during this time that I slipped into a funk. I was dealing with a lot of family issues and my stress level was incredibly high. I started eating a lot—not because I was hungry, but because I was trying to fill an emotional void. And despite spending several hours a day at the barre3 studio, I stopped going to classes. I was neglecting my own well-being, and it was taking a huge toll on my health—both physically and mentally.
The worst part was that the farther I fell into my slump, the harder it seemed to get back to normal. I did ballet when I was younger, and I was a competitive gymnast for a while, so until this point, I’d always been in pretty good shape. I couldn’t believe how far I’d slipped, and I just remember thinking, I’ve gotten so bad, there’s no way I can get back to where I was. What’s interesting is that I had lots of people who tried to support me, between my studio contacts and my friends. But every time someone would say to me, “Hey, let’s go work out,” it was like a punch in the gut. I knew they were trying to help, but to me it was just evidence that they were noticing my weight—which was climbing every day. I reached at least 205 pounds, but to be honest, I know I was even higher than that, I just stopped weighing myself.
My Turning Point
Then one day last October, I was getting dressed and my 10-year-old daughter said, “Mom, why do you always wear the same thing? You never get dressed up.” She was right. I had fallen into a “uniform” of a big sweatshirt and baggy pants. And it wasn’t just my clothes. I was limiting my activities with my daughter out of shame or fear of being seen. She’d ask to go downtown and I wouldn’t want to go because I knew I’d run into people I grew up with, and I’d be ashamed of how I looked. Or we’d go to the pool and I wouldn’t get in the water with her because I didn’t want to be seen in a swimsuit. It hit me in that moment that getting healthy wasn’t just about me. It was about the example I was setting for my growing daughter.
That’s when I committed to barre3. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to go to classes—I knew so many people at the studio from working there, and I didn’t want them to see my body—so I did barre3 Online. I started with two classes a week, and then I’d throw in a 10-minute class in here and there. Before long I was breaking out barre3 moves when I was in the kitchen cooking.
I also changed my eating habits, starting with making barre3 recipes and following their nutrition philosophy (eat whole foods and include healthy fats, fiber and protein in every meal and snack). I’m the kind of person who will fill up whatever plate I’m using, so I switched from a dinner plate to a salad plate for all my meals. I still fill it up, but now I pack it with greens first and then add the rest of the stuff. The other huge change I made was cutting out late-night snacking. I realized my default was to start snacking any time I was restless. Now I keep my weights, Core Ball, resistance band and Sadie’s Love Your Lower Body book (my late-night bible!) on hand. When my mind starts going toward snacks, I just reach for my gear and do a little barre3.
Between October and December, I lost about 25 pounds. I was finally ready to go into the studio, so in January I did the barre3 Challenge. I wanted to make sure I stuck with it, so I told Darcy, the barre3 Bend studio owner, that I needed her support. She was amazing. She’d check in with me throughout the week, texting to see if I was coming to class, calling to ask how I was doing. She and her entire team held me accountable, and I knew if I felt myself slipping into a funk, I could reach out to them. The other clients supported me, too, telling me I looked great and to keep it up. Having that family and knowing they truly cared meant everything to me.
More Than Just a Number on the Scale
By the end of the Challenge, I had lost a huge number of inches on my arms, waist and thighs, and before long I was down 53 pounds from when I started in October. I’ve kept up my barre3 practice, going to three or four studio classes a week, filling in with online classes. I feel fantastic, but honestly, the thing that makes me the happiest is knowing that I’m setting a good example for my daughter. I had tried fad diets before, and she’d always ask me why I wasn’t eating—what a terrible thing for a young girl to see. Now she watches me eat well and exercise, and I know she’s absorbing all of it. I’m showing her that being healthy isn’t about how you look, it’s about how you take care of yourself. She’s so excited when I get into the pool and play with her. And now that I’m comfortable with myself again, I get dressed up and do my hair. When she tells me “Mom, you look so beautiful,” I know that she’s seeing how I feel inside as much as she’s seeing what I look like on the outside.
My journey made an impression beyond just my daughter. The team at the barre3 headquarters got wind of my story, and in June they brought me to Portland to meet with them. It was such an amazing few days! I took a class with Sadie, Kait and other team members. Afterwards we drank tea, and they sent me to Kanani Pearl Spa for a full-body scrub and a 90-minute massage. I never do that kind of stuff for myself, so I felt like a total VIP. I walked out of there with the biggest smile on my face. After the spa, they made my boyfriend and me dinner reservations at Natural Selection, and it was without a doubt one of the best meals we’ve ever had. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip:
What’s Next?
If all of this sounds like a happy ending, it’s not. Yes it’s a happy story, but it’s not the end. I’m on a continuing journey. Even though I lost the weight and I feel amazing, I still struggle. I was successful in transforming my body because I stuck with a regimen, and I didn’t deviate from it. Now that I’m healthy, my struggle is to learn how to let go. I want to take my daughter out for ice cream and order my own without feeling guilty. I don’t want to weigh myself regularly in order to feel “in control.”
Luckily, I have the barre3 community to help me work toward balance. Surrounding myself with healthy people motivates me to stay the course—and reminds me to be kind to myself when I indulge every now and then. And since barre3 is as much a part of my routine as going to work and eating dinner, I know I’ll have that support forever. So no, this isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of the rest of my life, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
Have you ever had a major turning point in your life like Ann-Marie? Tell us your story in the comments below.
