July, 2017 | Body Conceptions

Photos by KMO Studio

I was thrilled to see that Lauren signed up for our express challenge this summer! Lauren has been coming to our classes for a while, and seeing her commit to the intensity of this experience made me so happy for her. I followed her progress from Colorado, and it was thrilling to see her numbers reflect her hard work.

Read about Lauren’s experience and background below. It’s wonderful to hear how she embraces balance in her life (the way that we do at BoCO!), and I’m so happy that she identifies with the family atmosphere in our classes that we have cultivated. I look forward to seeing her at future challenges. Congratulations, Lauren! We adore you!!

~Mahri

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Tell us about yourself! I am almost 32 years old (my birthday is August 1st!). I moved to NYC four years ago. I took a risk and took a job up here and have never looked back. I grew up in Baltimore, MD–and yes I love crabcakes and football!

Describe your career and how you originally got into the industry! I have worked in commercial real estate for 10 years. I moved to Manhattan four years ago to work at a brokerage firm after working for a real estate tech company. I work in our firm’s research department, I am basically a walking encyclopedia of every office property in Manhattan.

How did you find out about Body Conceptions’ challenge? I did my first challenge two summers ago, after my roommate at the time had won and had such huge success in the winter 2015 challenge. I was really proud with my results and the transformation. I had passed on a few challenges in between the first one I did and this one. I saw the email in May and decided I was going to do it and commit to it because I really needed regroup and center myself after a stressful winter.

What kept you motivated throughout the 4 weeks? The routine despite being out of town a couple of weekends. After seeing results between week one and two, it reminded me that change can happen in a short time with the right amount of dedication. I competed with myself to try to lose more than I did two years ago. Nicole was very motivating and always positive!! Most of my coworkers and friends were as well, there were a few that had doubts, but that pushed me to work even harder.

How did it feel when you found out you won? Rewarding and extremely excited – I know this sounds cliche. I was actually shocked and surprised and it was extremely rewarding after a lot of hard work.

What are you going to do now that the challenge is over? I just got back from vacation–so I probably could use another challenge :). Just trying to find balance every day without depriving myself of anything.

What do you do for fun when you’re not working or working out? Spending time with friends, catching a Broadway show, walking and exploring New York, binge watching Bravo, or watching a sporting event.

How does BoCo compare to other workouts you’ve tried? What makes it special? I was introduced to BoCo in 2014 and once I got over the initial soreness, I was hooked. I love it because it feels like a family. Every instructor is welcoming and kind–they really make you feel like you are part of something, which is really hard with many of the classes here in NYC. I love the full body workout that you get and even after three years the seat section doesn’t get easier (you just know what to expect).

What advice do you have for future challengers to succeed? Dedicate yourself to the challenge, I tried to workout or get some sort of activity every day. I cut back or eliminated many guilty pleasures (wine, bread, sweets) during the four weeks – and it really made a difference. The hardest part is saying “No” to happy hours, junk food, and to the snooze button.