Photograph by Karen Pearson/Grace Huang"By the time I started my afternoon class, I was drained," says Figueroa. At night, restless legs syndrome and acid reflux would torment her until she started over again the next morning. No matter how healthy she ate, the scale stuck at 168 pounds and her total cholesterol rose to 220. "(Here are 10 foods that help lower cholesterol.) "My belly was huge, all my clothes were tight, my body was achy, and I had brain fog all the time. I felt so awful that I started praying for a solution," says Figueroa.
When she heard that Prevention was looking for women to test the Fit in 10: 30-Day Belly Fix—a new program designed to slim and strengthen stubborn middles with just 10 minutes of daily exercise—Figueroa was intrigued. "It sounded like something I could commit to, so I figured, why not?"
What Figueroa quickly discovered is that Fit in 10: 30-Day Belly Fix wasn't like programs she'd tried in the past. There were no grueling workouts she couldn't stick with or restrictive diets that made her miserable. It simply combined 10 minutes a day of metabolism-surging strength training and effective ab firming with a little clean eating. (Here are 11 ways to rev your metabolism all day.)
"At first, I really didn't think 10 minutes a day would do anything. I've walked a lot, but I never did weights because I was afraid of hurting my back. Once I started the Fit in 10 program, I realized that smart strength training was the part of the puzzle I'd been missing. The weight started to fall off as my energy and stamina increased."
By the end of the 30-day program, Figueroa had lost 8 pounds and trimmed her belly by 5 inches. The size 10 pants she used to squeeze herself into, leaving the top button unbuttoned, were now falling off of her. "It took away the struggle," says Figueroa. "It was so easy to fit into my day that I couldn't come up with any excuses."
Photograph by Mitch Mandel
In fact, Figueroa felt too good to stop after just 30 days. Two months later, her body and health continue to transform. Her belly and waist are shrinking, she's lost 4 more pounds (12 total), and her energy has rebounded. "Now I can teach all day and still cook dinner, play with the dog, or do housework when I get home. My cholesterol is down to 190, my acid reflux is gone, and I no longer have RLS at night when I work out that day," she says.
And she's not the only one who's noticed her healthy new body. "The other day my husband came up behind me while I was washing dishes and said, 'Wow, Miriam. You have a figure now!' " she laughs. "It makes me feel young again."
