Lean Legs 1 Program Review by Nicoletta

A word from Rachael:
”If you’ve been following me on Instagram, or reading my blog, you know that you girls are my main inspiration & motivation. This is why I recently reached out to some of you to ask about your progress and feedback. These are their stories. Hope you find them as motivating and uplifting as I have.”

In this interview, I chatted with one of my OG customers, Nicoletta! She’s been following my programs since 2018!

I really hope you enjoy reading about her experience and feel inspired by her :)

NICOLETTA’S REVIEW OF THE LEAN LEGS 1 PROGRAM

1. WERE YOU INTO FITNESS AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE BEFORE STARTING MY PROGRAM? DID YOU ALREADY HAVE AN ESTABLISHED FITNESS ROUTINE? IF SO, WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE IT?

NICOLETTA: Funnily enough, I was very into fitness! I was exercising every day and trying to follow a strictly low-carb diet (with cheat days on weekends 😋 ).

In the beginning, I had tried doing HIIT workouts paired with crazy calorie restrictions (900-1,200 cal a day) and got very skinny. But I wasn’t happy with it because the calorie consumption was unsustainable and I had lost all my curves in the process!

After that, I tried eating more and started lifting heavy weights in an attempt to increase the size of my glutes. However, instead of looking leaner, my legs were just getting bulkier by the day, especially around my tights. For some reason, the exercises I was doing were just making my tights look thicker without helping me lose fat and I was looking ‘chunkier’ overall.

I was really confused as I would see other girls on social media with amazing glutes and very thin legs performing the same exercises! But for some reason, I looked very different to them. It got to a point where I was finding it hard to fit in my trousers and was starting to get negative comments from family members who were concerned about me because they could see I was putting in a lot of work but I just seemed to be getting bigger by the day. This was when I decided to browse the web for a way to slim down my legs (as this was my problem area). All I wanted was to look slimmer but without losing my curvy shape.

2. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE LEAN LEGS PROGRAM? (BTW, WHEN DID YOU START MY PROGRAM? I KNOW IT MUST BE YEARS NOW! I BEEN THINKING 2018?)

NICOLETTA: It came up first on a Google search on “how to slim my legs”. I was desperate and it seemed to be the only program out there targeting exactly what I wanted (I still think it is!).

I bought it back in 2018 without really thinking it twice and I have never used any other fitness program since. If there is ever a time of the year when I am not on your program it just means I am not exercising altogether 😂.

RELATED POST: DO SQUATS MAKE YOUR LEGS BIGGER OR SMALLER?

3. WHAT IS YOUR BODY TYPE? DID YOU KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE BEFORE STARTING THE LEAN LEGS PROGRAM? 

NICOLETTA: I did know my body type, I am an endomorph. At times I was angry at being an endomorph because I felt I needed to work harder than other body types just to keep in good shape. A lot of people would comment on how “thick” I was for the amount of exercise I was doing and I would blame it on my genetics.

However, deep down I knew that I had the potential to have the best shape of my life if only I could make my constitution work in my favour for once!!!! I was on the hunt for the body of my dreams, and it was waiting for me (hiding under all my body fat 😉).  I already had the curves, I just needed to shape them!

RELATED POST: 2 Out Of 3 Female Body Types CAN Get Too Muscular

4. WHAT MADE YOU CONVINCED LEAN LEGS PROGRAM WAS THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU?

NICOLETTA: The truth is that I was so desperate that I didn’t really give myself time to deliberate whether it was going to work or not. I just bought it on the heat of the moment and got to work right away.

I had already been doing all the “hardcore” stuff for 4 years before getting my hands on your program and had tried pretty much everything there is out there and it hadn’t delivered the results I wanted. As far as I was concerned, walking was not something I had tried before, so I knew I would get a different result and that was good enough for me.

I believed it was going to work but my real concern was to manage my expectations because I wanted to achieve a smaller body frame overall but didn’t know how far my body would go. The progress pictures looked so different for everyone because no bodies are the same and at the time there weren’t any starting pictures that I could identify with, so it was hard to predict what my final look would be like.

Rachael, your legs were such an inspiration to me but they felt so intangible at the time because my starting point was so different and we have opposite constitutions! Let me tell you the results exceeded my expectations!! For all girls reading, none of us will look the same but you will definitely look like the best version of yourself if what you are looking to achieve is to slim down!

5. WAS THE LEAN LEGS PROGRAM EASY TO FOLLOW?

NICOLETTA: It was hard work (I was sore just from the walking!!!! Yes, I know, that was so unexpected)… and I wouldn’t say it was sustainable at first, mainly because of my work. I am an aid worker and my job requires me to travel a lot. In the beginning, I found it hard to keep up with the walks, the diet, and the workouts at all times, especially when not having access to a treadmill.

But a month after starting the programme I had to travel to Nepal for one of the most wonderful 6-month experiences of my life, working on a food security programme. I remember taking my ankle weights with me and doing the workout from my room and trying to get my steps in the villages I was visiting or by walking to the office (which was a 40-minute dusty walk as not all roads are paved in Kathmandu!). Let’s be honest, I was just living my best life in Asia but I still found time to do lots of walking (and doing the workout from my room)! 

6. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START SEEING RESULTS? HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU NOTICED THOSE FIRST RESULTS?

NICOLETTA: I started noticing results after round 1 (when I was in Nepal)! After I got back, I decided to start round 2 of your program, and this time I was following all of your advice even more closely. Before even finishing the second round (done properly), I had already the best shape I have ever had and that is when I sent you my progress photos.

RELATED POST: THE FEMALE GUIDE ON HOW TO GET LEAN AND NOT BULKY

NICOLETTA: It made me love the way I looked! My legs were so sexy and thin and my butt was so round and lifted, even more than I could achieve lifting heavy weights! I just couldn’t believe the results and wanted to see how far I could go! It seemed that the more I did the better my body got and the more feminine it looked. 

7. DO YOU STILL FOLLOW THE LEAN LEGS PROGRAM OR SOME ASPECTS OF IT?

NICOLETTA: I lost count of how many rounds I have done! But I would say I probably 3 rounds done properly and I just started my 4^th round now. By properly I mean fully following your 3 recommended steps: 1) diet plan, 2)workouts, and 3) walks + runs. My best body shape is when I follow your program with its 3 components, I can notice the difference in my abs, I have a much smaller waist and definition in my core.

I have been able to maintain thin legs over the years just by walking but as we all know, when I don’t do anything to stay toned, I start looking skinny fat (welcome to the endomorph life!). For me keeping my legs thin has been good enough because is what I find the most sustainable. I have incorporated walks into my daily routine and I am lucky to live in a walkable city so I always opt for walks instead of using public transport. I also have a standing desk with a walking pad at home which helps a lot!

8. YOU SAID IN ONE OF YOUR MESSAGES THAT THE LEAN LEGS PROGRAM “WAS A GAME CHANGER”? (THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS! ❤️) WHY DO YOU THINK SO? WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT COMPARED TO THE OTHER PROGRAMS OUT THERE?

NICOLETTA: It was a game changer for me because it allowed me to achieve the body shape of my dreams. It changed my life in the sense that I can now wear whatever I want and I am much more comfortable in summer (less chafing when wearing skirts and dresses)! Life is not about how you look but let’s be honest, IT HELPS!

RELATED POST: 20 FITNESS BLOG POSTS YOU SHOULD READ IN 2021

9. I KNOW YOU RECENTLY JOINED MY NEW FEMME NATIVA APP! WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?

NICOLETTA: IT’S AMAZING!!!! But you have to remember that I am a veteran!

I started when the format of the Program was different (and harder to stay motivated!) The workouts at first were a PDF page with individual video demos on how to perform each exercise one by one (one video per exercise!). There wasn’t really a video with a full workout that you could follow. I remember having to do all the workouts by myself and struggling to get motivated! I still managed to do a full round of your program though (woop woop hurray! 🥳).

It’s so much better with the app! I no longer have an excuse to skip my workouts, the app is extremely user-friendly! 

10. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND LEAN LEGS PROGRAM TO YOUR FRIENDS AND WHY? 

NICOLETTA: I have recommended it to ALL of my friends, and several of them have bought it and are currently doing it! The results are the main reason why I always recommend it.

Interestingly enough, not all my friends use it for the same reasons! I have an ectomorph friend who already naturally looks like a Victoria’s Secret model (so she doesn’t need to slim down anything in her body lol). But she still purchased your workout video program because it has helped her get toned and she finds it more efficient and ‘to the point’ than other programs. Your workout videos are indeed very effective and not too long compared to other stuff in the market!

I will say though that if you are ‘chunkier’, like me when I started, you will not see the results as fast as my ‘model body-like’ friend. Please be patient! Ultimately we are all queens and you just need to stay consistent! Please do not get demotivated, it may take longer at first to see the results but it is totally worth it!

11. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD MAYBE LIKE TO SHARE? ANY TIPS FOR WOMEN WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT STARTING LL1? :)

DON’T THINK TWICE! Once you are in it, there is no going back. Just buy it!

I know looking good is not all that counts in life, and we all must learn to get our self-esteem and confidence from within but again ladiesssss trust me, it HELPS! Walking has also a TON of health benefits including mental health and I see myself walking until I am 100 years old!

Unlike other fitness routines, I think walking and swimming are the only activities that can be sustained for a lifetime without causing harm to your joints, etc. But to swim you need a pool and to walk you don’t need anything other than your legs! SO GET MOVING! lol…You can even get your steps at home! I see this also in terms of a lifetime investment for your mental health, this is the avenue ladies!

For my endomorph ladies, if you are not in love with your body (just yet), this program will make you fall in love with it! Endomorphs get results like nobody else because we have this naturally curvy shape and with our soft looks, uff! GORGEOUS! 

I also want to highlight that we are all beautiful the way we are! Some of us will have different body shapes and might like fuller or more muscular figures, if that is the case, this may not be the right way to train for you. I am only recommending it for those of us who love our curves but just want to look slender and toned ❤️  

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the Lean Legs 1 program, Nicoletta! We feel so lucky to be a part of your fitness journey!

Love, Rachael Xx