Lise

Lise and I finally met after months of “online dating” 🙂 Her energy, drive and dedication is a force to be reckoned with!! Let this “farmer’s wife” and mother of 4 from Edmonton inspire you!!! 

“I contacted Rita a year ago; you could say we’ve been dating for a year. I was committed physically (made every workout), but I wasn’t invested with her or myself emotionally. I believe I started exactly a year ago to follow Rita’s road. I had this crazy notion that 15 weeks before I turned forty I could get in shape. My fortieth came and went.  I saw an ad for 4WTF starting September 15th.  September for every mom is a great “New Years Resolution day” The calendar turns, life becomes scheduled again after the summer holidays. My mind was set, two of my boys would be settled living at their billets. It was time to spend energy on myself.
Maybe I should give you some history. I was always active in school and for periods throughout the last 20 years, I’ve worked out, finished a couple 1/2 marathons, a half ironman, swam competitively with my kids. In those years, I also lost and gained the same 20 pounds over and over again.  I’ve done every diet out there, the zone, Jenny Craig, HGH injections, ideal protein, cabbage soup, cayenne pepper with lemons; you name it, I’ve tried it. I’ve bought more online workouts, trainers’ meal plans & diet books then I’d care to admit. Each time achieving “my goal weight” for an event or vacation, only to have regained the weight (and then some) quickly after.
Turning 40, I finally decided to make me a priority.

As a farmer’s wife, with four extremely active kids and volunteer commitments, I have a full plate! It was very difficult for me to schedule in my workouts and find meal prep time. As a mom, we naturally put everyone’s needs ahead of our own. But once it was written in my day timer it was an important meeting I couldn’t miss or postpone. Happy wife = Happy life. That was the biggest adjustment for me. There’s always going to be a load of laundry, dishes or other to do’s on the never-ending list. My husband was extremely supportive, with him on board it was like having my own personal cheerleader!

It’s ok to put me first. 

After completing the 4WTF, I didn’t stray off the program once, I wanted to see the results if I did it a second time. The second time around, I couldn’t complete it because of a surprise Vegas trip. No worries third times a charm! What helped me the most was the private Facebook group for the 4wtf. 24 hours a day you could put a question about food or a workout and get suggestions & tips from different woman or Rita.   It’s a source of motivation and sisterhood. These women have similar goals and truly encourage one another. Rita is always involved in each post… how she does it all is inspirational! If I needed an empowerment & a kick in the butt, I just had to check out the page for a picture of a meal prep day or a video of someone killing a squat exercise.  After all the hard work, came time to show the end results. The prep for the photo shoot was exciting!!

Sometimes people come into your life for a reason, and meeting Rita, Dina, Florencia & Paula was a definite highlight for me. Rita is so down to earth and so approachable… so real!! Her attitude is contagious. Dina’s euthisuam for my shoot and tracking down a special Oilers jersey with her daughter Tammy will make my husband forever grateful! Florencia worked her magic with my hair and makeup; her real magic was the conversation about tipping your feet in water compared to temptations. If we tethered close to the water eventually our ankles are wet and before you can stop yourself you are regretfully in neck deep. Paula’s creativeness is evident in all the shots she’s taken. I am not a confident poser or a big smile kind of girl. Somehow Paula got those shots. My experience in London has catapulted me, where it brings me I can’t wait to see. I am unstoppable! This experience is not the end result for me; it’s just a milestone I am proud to have achieved. Rita along with this program and these ladies from the ambassador group truly changed my way of thinking. Embracing each challenge, keep moving forward and if there’s a speed bump in Rita’s Road take a little detour and keep one foot in front of the other. “

Lise Cote