Beachbody 21 Day Fix helps LI event planner drop 26 pounds

HER STORY

Vicino says menopause wasn’t easy for her. Until age 50, she didn’t have a weight problem. And after each of her three pregnancies, she was able to bounce back to her usual trim self. “Then I hit 50 and went into menopause and gained four pounds a year. By age 54, I was 142 pounds and weighed more than when I was pregnant,” Vicino said. She says she was miserable and depressed. “I didn’t feel like a woman anymore. It got to the point where I couldn’t even say the word ‘menopause.’”

Her son told her about Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix, a program of eating plans, exercise recommendations and protein shakes. “I said I wasn’t interested but he bought me the challenge pack for Christmas. It was the best present ever,” Vicino said. She later became a paid representative for the company. She gave it a try and lost six pounds the first month. She stuck with it and got down to 116 pounds, which she has maintained for 18 months. “I feel like I did when I was 30. It’s not true that when you hit a certain age muscles can’t form. You have to work on the inside and the outside. It’s a mental game.” Vicino said she crocheted a bikini for herself after losing weight. “When I put it on, there’s no better feeling. Clothes fit so much better now. You become a better worker, a better parent; your mind is clearer and you’re happier.”

HER DIET

Vicino has two eggs over easy, one slice of whole-grain bread and some fruit for breakfast. Lunch can be a green salad with protein — either tuna, chicken or a hard-boiled egg. Dinner possibilities include chicken, bluefish, tuna or salmon and a small potato or brown rice and a vegetable. She snacks on a 1⁄4 cup of fresh fruit with a drizzle of raw honey. Two other snack favorites are a flourless brownie and a mini blueberry and ricotta soufflé, both of which she makes at home.

HER EXERCISE

She exercises six days a week for 30 minutes, alternating between cardio, strength training, Pilates, upper body, lower body and yoga.

HER ADVICE

“Do not underestimate what your body can do or what you can accomplish. Age does not matter. Some people think that to get physically fit you have to belong to a gym. With 21 Day Fix, you start at home with just a mat.”