Pass this page along to your friends and family so they can vote too! You have from NOW until Sunday December 20, 2015 at midnight Eastern to vote. After that, the winner will be announced!

#1 Amy I have found it easy in my life, sometimes more than others, to put myself aside and forget about who I really am, what I want and what I am truly capable of. Often times the things put ahead of myself are great and worthy of my time and attention; putting me first seems selfish. As a busy wife and mother to 3 children, 7 and under, I am no stranger to putting myself aside for the sake of other people and priorities. Ultimately, by doing this, I just wasn’t feeling my best and offering my best to those around me. This prompted me to join the FFP program. The program showed me that not only is it possible to make myself a priority again but it’s actually necessary in order for me to be the best version of myself. Prioritizing my fitness and health versus other things in my life doesn’t have to be an either/or decision but rather and/both. There are many things to make time for in life, but not all of those choices benefit yourself AND others. Prioritizing my health and fitness through this program was not only a gift to me but also to those around me. I was reminded of many things. My body is strong. My body is capable. My body is beautiful. I have willpower. I am confident. I love myself. I love my body. Fitness and health are important. Goals are important. Community is important. I keep my commitments. I do my best. I am in control of my decisions. I have an amazing life. During the program, I found peace and balance that I hadn’t had in a long, long time. By adding the fitness/health piece back into my life it was as if the scales of my life tipped back into balance. Even though I had more constraints than before the challenge, I felt like I had more freedom because I was exercising self­control and balance in my decisions. I had more energy and was more present in my life. When the focus wasn’t all about food and unhealthy choices, it was where it should be…on the important people and things around me. I know the road ahead won’t be easy, continuing with all the things I learned and implementing them without the same accountability. There will be days when slipping back into old habits will be what I want to do. But just having completed such an awesome program with amazing, supportive people gives me the confidence to move ahead knowing I can do hard things. I am by far much better than I was before the program and that makes it totally worth it to me. I am happy with where I am and excited for the future, to continue striving for the best version of me. Most importantly, now when I scan my list of priorities, I will be on there.

#2 Tristan I think the week of positive affirmations was my ah ha moment on this FFP journey. When you give yourself permission to dream, believe in yourself and acknowledge the accomplishments you have already achieved, you can be so free of the self doubt and negative talk. I have believed for so long that I have a hard time finishing things and I have now completed 2 FFP challenges! My mom was calling me crazy for restricting what foods I eat. My mom called me crazy for doing 2 hour workouts! But I realized that I set this goal for myself and I said I was going to do it. It wasn’t always easy and I wasn’t 100% everyday. But I AM A WINNER!! I WAS able to walk each day, a gift we take for granted. I AM a warrior! I AM unstoppable and THIS IS MY TIME!!! I don’t have diseases in my family line or a close parent who is obese or ill as my ‘why’, thankfully. What I do have, is my family of boys. I LOVE that they see me strong, active and fit. I LOVE that they see me taking care of myself and are participating in taking care of themselves and that they see the value in it! They are my cheerleaders and my inspiration. What I didn’t expect….was the lengths to which this FFP journey would reach. I am making bigger goals with my business and professional career. I have been coasting for so long and I am being more organized and setting goals. I am visualizing and seeing those daily. I have a vision board for my personal and business life! No matter what, all that I want and desire is within me to achieve!

#3 Tracy When I started Fit For Photos, my initial intention was to shock myself out of a pattern ofbinge eating, kind of like when, in the movies, someone is hysterical, and another person slaps her across the face to jolt her back to reality. I had been mired in emotional eating for so long that it had turned into a habit, and I needed something to break that state of being. So, I turned to FFP to help me reset my habits and to rid myself of some ugly flab that had accumulated over time. The FFP workout schedule, eating guidelines, pending photo shoot and community on Facebook gave me structure, specific goals, and accountability right from the beginning. Not only was it a question of self pride, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of the other FFP members, but I did not want to let down my coaches. The daily contact with these other people helped me to maintain my focus at critical times. If self­ doubt crept in, the support I got from all directions lifted me up and reassured me that I needed to trust the process because it was working. Having that network was much more valuable that I had anticipated. I needed to know that I was not going through this alone and that there was a place I could turn to for uplifting and positive encouragement. Even if I faltered, no one was there to judge. Instead, what I got was understanding and words of wisdom. One of my biggest revelations was that this was not simply a means for me to make my body more beautiful, it was the vehicle by which I would come to discover many things about myself. In reality, this whole process had less to do with my physical appearance as it did with my sense of self­worth. Prior to the program, I was unclear about what I valued, if I had value myself, and how I wanted to live this life. By the time of the photoshoot, not only did I end up with a body I could not have envisioned on my own, I had established a preference for certain new behaviors and a better sense of self. I realized that many of the protocols that had seemed so difficult and unlike the “real” me actually had become elements of a new lifestyle that I was ready to embrace. For instance, I had come to enjoy more intense workouts, alternatives to dairy, and a healthy morning dose of Athletic Greens. 🙂 Above all, however, I now value myself more and trust that my wants and needs are important. I can see more clearly the life I want to live, and that is having a positive impact on all areas of my life, not just the aesthetic.

#4 Stephanie The most wonderful, amazing, beautiful, rewarding, difficult, challenging, andgruelling thing I have ever done in life is to have children. That is, until I attempted to lose the weight from having children. Everyone tells you about how amazing it is to carry a child, give birth to a child, and then raise a child. They may even warn you how extremely frustrating and demanding all of these things can be as well. But, I don’t think anyone truly warns you about how going through all of these stages can drastically change your body, weight, energy levels, metabolism, and your general outlook about yourself. As I look back on the first year with both of my children, it is a bit of a blur. There is just so much to learn, understand, and cherish about your new baby. Your time is no longer your own, your whole world revolves around someone who is completely dependent on you. AND, you no longer sleep! I remember being on autopilot the first couple of years. I was not really happy with how I looked or felt, but really focused on my two kids and getting through these tough years. I tended to avoid having my pictures taken during this time since I didn’t care for how I looked. Around the time my oldest was 3.5 and my youngest 1, I received a photo of me and my kids in the mail from a family event we had attended. I couldn’t believe what I saw…I was devastated. It wasn’t just because I didn’t like how I looked; it was because there was no longer a sparkle in my eye. It was so obvious by looking at this picture that I was not living the life I should be living, I was not taking care of myself, and that something had to be done. My kids deserved to have a mom that felt good about herself, my husband deserved a wife that felt good about herself, and I deserved to feel good about myself. After some self­reflection and goal setting, I decided that this program was going to help me make significant changes. Paying someone to take my pictures at the end of the program took me way out of my comfort zone, and that is WHERE change happens. I faced my bad habits at once…stopped the stress eating and quit the glass of wine to “cope” after a tough day with the kids. I started to think about what I was eating to fuel my body, tuned in to how these changes made me feel, and worked REALLY HARD at the gym. The program was unbelievably HARD but equally rewarding and significant changes have been made to my health, happiness, outlook, and body. Looking back at the nine­week program and my pictures, I get emotional. There truly are no words to describe the journey. Thank you to Scott Colby, his team, and all the FFP participants for the amazing and unparalleled support!

#5 Shannon How Fit for Photos Has Changed Me. . . . From the Inside Out Like many of the Warriors in Fit for Photos, I have a long backstory for how I became a new member of FFP. Boring you with the details will only take up too much time and space! In summary, I grew up always showing success in my life leveraging my hard work, looks, and personality. I wasn’t used to “failing.” As I got older, that all changed. I failed often and didn’t like it, so I avoided doing things that I wasn’t sure I could ACE and I focused on taking care of others to make me feel worthy. This took a toll on my body and it wasn’t until I finished FfP that I realized that because of my lack of confidence, I was FAILING myself. The program has shown me that I can do something that I never thought possible. I can be disciplined and achieve the things I want for ME. I was skeptical. Just another gimmick or something so impossible to follow that I would never see it through. Well – guess what?!!!? I did it! I am rediscovering that girl that put in the hard work to reach her goals. I am rediscovering my body and how good it feels to move and how much I don’t care when others see me move and shake. IT FEELS GOOD TO BE ME! I know this is a journey and I still have many miles, but I can no longer can make excuses and act like a victim. Now, if I am not happy with my body or my health, I know that it is because I made poor choices and I can change it! I fear I will always struggle with my body image and my self image, but I plan to lean into that fear rather than run from it. I am changed from the inside out. So what were the results? Visible and not so visible? I am more confident and have taken more responsibility and taken charge for my fitness. I no longer want to be skinny. . . I want to be toned, healthy, and strong. I lost 6 inches in my waist and inches from every part of my body. I lost 10 pounds, but more than that in fat because I gained muscle! All of that is great, but what is even better is that my health has dramatically improved! I have seen a chiropractor for my neck pain for several years and I don’t need to anymore. My cholesterol numbers dropped in half and my doctor took me off medication. My A1C dropped from 6.1 to 5.4 and I am no longer at risk for diabetes and my blood pressure was 100/60. I am healthier than I was in when I was in my 20s and weighed 100lbs. Thank you FFP!

#6 Tara My fitness journey…where to begin? At the end of 2015, I will be celebrating two big milestones…two years healthy and my 45th birthday. So it only makes sense to push every part of my mind, body and soul by voluntarily signing up for FFP. The journey made me count my blessings, improve myself at a doable pace, focus on healthy habits, and pushed me without sending me over the edge. I am a firm believer of keeping things simple and FFP reinforced this philosophy. Set a meal plan, set time to exercise, and take time for you. Due to this it was easy to stick to the program. Meals did not have much variety and I was good with that. This made it easy to plan ahead and have food ready. The diet was the easiest part of the program for me. Having a schedule for working out was a must. The first few weeks did not differ from my typical workout routine. But as the weeks went on it was critical to set a strict exercise time schedule or the workout just would not happen. Especially the final three weeks. On some days I would drop my daughter off at school, go to the gym to do cardio; then the office for a few hours, back to school for volunteering, back to the gym for heavy lifting; and finally back to the office, pick my daughter up and back to the gym for a boot camp or circuit. If one event took longer than planned the rest of the day was in question. Normally, the gym would have been the first thing to drop from the schedule. I found that the workouts really helped me make it through each day with a smile. I have never pushed myself to lift heavy but enjoyed the challenge and realize I was short changing my body in the past. I have always underestimated my ability or was simple content with where I was. No longer! This program has shown me a leaner, stronger body that is still girly. This was one of the most empowering perspectives of FFP. FFP reinforced how important it is to make time for you. In addition to managing my diet and exercise schedule, I realized how important it is to stay true to myself. I need to do things that keep my soul happy; it makes the day more rewarding. So I made sure there was time to volunteer or help someone in need. Spend time in the moment with my family and friends. In conclusion, I have enjoyed all the challenges built into Fit For Photos. Although, the most difficult task in this program by far was the essay. It almost kept me from completing the entire challenge. But after everything I have discovered about myself over the last nine weeks, I could not let this stop me from continuing to push through no matter how much it hurts. Thank you everyone at FFP!

#7 Melissa I was always thin and very active until my early teens. While I was thin, I participated in swimming, soccer, netball, surf life saving, I can’t imagine the costs that the sports involved but my mother was always supportive and encouraging. In my early teens I played less sport and I feel this was partly due to my parents marriage problems and I was no longer receiving this support and encouragement with sports. I then ballooned in weight. I remained overweight until my early 30’s where I came across tae bo and was interested in muscle magazines. I then lost 10kgs and started to change my diet due to adverse gastrointestinal effects, Since then I had difficulty in losing any more weight and I started trying various diets. Along with this I received minimal support from friends and family, stating that I would not looe my belly fat, this was my makeup. I still was intrigued with bodybuilding and how muscular the woman looked. I wanted what they had achieved. Deep down inside I know I give up too easily and that is why the diets/exercise may not had been successful. I knew I needed emotional support to be included into my exercise and diet. Then I received an email about Scott Colby and I was interested in his program. The program involved everything I was looking for. I could not always see the weight loss but obviously I did lose fat as I had a lot of compliments from my work mates and my clothing was loose! I definitely could see more muscle mass which was exhilarating for me. All those push ups were worth it. The HIT sessions I learnt I loved and it was amazing how much you would sweat in a short amount of time. I loved the approved foods and I still continue to eat these foods. The end goal ­ photo shoot was a great experience and thoroughly enjoyed my special day.

#8 Karen After numerous heartbreaking miscarriages, my husband and I began to believe that weweren’t meant to be parents. Having united in a common love for fitness and sports, we felt grateful to be surrounded by a community of support and understanding. My growing passion for helping others improve physical fitness and overall health became a larger focus in my life. Then at a time that many would consider too late to have children, we were overjoyed to have two bundles of joy. Having children late in life when the metabolism starts to slow and processed food seem to show up everywhere, reinforced the urgency of making good choices for me and my new family of four. In addition to helping struggling adults in my community, I now want to raise children to have a passion to pay it forward for others, too. Simply put, my intention in life is to help others live a quality life, to provide them a solid foundation in nutrition and fitness, to establish healthy relationships and show that it can be fun, too. My passion for health, nutrition and fitness started long ago with YMCA exercise classes. After some time, running became a primary focus. I began participating in races for the excitement and competition. As with many cardio oriented athletes, triathlons were the next step. Completing my first 1/2 Ironman required me to overcome my fear of water and some severe training injuries. It was in this training phase I learned sacrifice, discipline, and most importantly perseverance. As time passed, I learned and mastered a wider array of fitness disciplines and learned basic nutritional concepts. However, the challenges, obstacles, and learning never cease. Then came my next reality. You work out hard 6 to 7 days a week thinking you are winning the fight against Mother Nature’s aging process, and then one day a trusted friend looks at you and says, “it seems like you would have lost more weight with all of the workouts that you do”. I began looking for help and discovered Fit For Photos! This program would incorporate all aspects of fitness; nutrition, workout routines, and the mental component. And, the personal connections that I have developed are an amazing added bonus. They are truly one­of­a­kind. I love how I have evolved as a trainer with my clients, as a wife, a mother and as a person both mentally and physically. For me, Gratitude = Scott Colby and his support system. I am forever grateful that I found you. You have changed my life. I may be a late bloomer but I am here to prove it’s never too late to face your fears, take on new challenges, make life changes and realize the need to take care of yourself. As the flight attendant always says, “put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others”. Thanks to Fit For Photos, I have my oxygen mask on. Here’s to another 50 years!!!