How She Dropped 8% Body Fat and How You Can Do It Too!

Name: Darla Andrews | Hometown: San Diego | Age: 52

Height: 5’3” | Old body fat: 24% | New body fat: 16%

Occupation: Fitness studio owner | Favorite saying: “You are never too old to start your journey to a fit, healthy lifestyle!”

Being a mom is a full-time job, and by her late 20s, Darla Andrews was working triple time: She had three kids younger than 5, was running a day care out of her home and was teaching the occasional group fitness class to fit in some exercise when she had some time.

How This Unstoppable Mama Dropped 8% Body FatThen while pregnant with her fourth daughter, Andrews had to give up her already-limited exercise because of complications, and then came daughter No. 5. “With an infant and four other kids ages 5 to 16, I was trekking to four different schools and endless after-school activities and didn’t have any time for myself,” she says. Eating healthy was also a chore, and fast food, soda and processed items became staples in her life. It was easy, and — she admits — she didn’t know any better.

No More Frumpy Mom!

But when her youngest daughter was 3, Andrews realized she didn’t want to be “that frumpy mom”. So she joined a morning boot camp and got in her workout early — really early. “I went at 5 a.m. before the sun came up!” she says, laughing. “I loved the fact that it was outdoors and that the workouts incorporated challenging exercises. Plus, it got me going for the rest of the day and helped me drop 8% body fat.”

As she got stronger and fitter and all her kids transitioned into school, Andrews started teaching her own boot camps a few days a week. She also did away with her bad food habits and replaced the junk with clean, healthy fare. “I also bought Tosca Reno’s The Eat-Clean Diet,” she says. “That was a game changer for me. I learned that I didn’t have to get hung up on counting calories. That by eating clean, healthy foods, I would not only lose weight but also feel better and have more energy.”

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