Check out our very own Kelly Mreen’s story that was featured in Women’s Health!

Successful weight loss typically starts with a personal revelation, followed by a commitment to exercising and eating right. For some, motivation is sparked by a doctor or family member advising them toward healthier habits. For me, all it took were a few unflattering pictures.

I hit a breaking point when I saw photos of myself and didn’t like what was staring back at me. In fact, I didn’t even like being in pictures. I was so self-conscious that I noticed myself hiding behind other people to mask my body in photos. I felt my confidence, happiness, and well-being quickly slipping away so I decided to make a change – for both my physical and mental health.

Growing up, I was always busy and actively involved in sports. I danced, swam, and played competitive tennis through high school and college. After college, I continued to stay active and run daily – I even added a marathon and a few mini-triathlons under my belt.

Going into my 30s I lost my love for it all. Limited by hip injuries and joint pain, I took some time off to recuperate and eventually fell into a pattern of inactivity. I became so enveloped in being a mom and raising kids that I stopped taking care of myself and consequently gained 35 pounds. A few eye-opening photos later, I was determined and motivated to reignite my passion for fitness, so I signed up for my first indoor cycling class at StarCycle.

I still remember my first heart-pounding StarCycle class, because I hid myself in the last row and could barely finish. However, instead of feeling defeated, it awoke something deeper in my heart and mind, and I couldn’t wait to come back for my next class. The music pumping, the energetic instructors, the friendly riders cheering beside me and bopping in unison to latest beats; it’s an environment that evokes grit and leaves you feeling sweaty, exhausted and accomplished—and I was hungry for more.

Since that first class I’ve lost 40 pounds and have gone from the nervous rider in the backrow to being a full-time instructor leading the charge for others. I even became a co-owner of a StarCycle franchise studio because I’m a firm believer in the StarCycle community and want others to have the same life-changing experience I did.

If you’re trying to jumpstart your fitness routine and become the best version of yourself, below are a few additional tips that helped me along the way:

Find a workout that’s your jam!

One of my biggest pieces of advice to women is to find a workout that speaks to you. If it doesn’t excite you and keep you coming back for more, move on and try something new. A workout shouldn’t be torture, it should be sustainable and effective – and fun!

Give yourself a break.

A huge key to my success was learning to give myself a break. Because I was so active before, it was frustrating trying to start over without hitting the same level of intensity I had before. I started being really hard on myself and would feel like a failure all over again. If you give yourself a break and be kind to yourself, you will be empowered to follow through on your goals.

Set small, attainable goals.

Start out by setting realistic and specific goals. For example, make a commitment to exercise two times a week and increase from there. Big commitments tend to be overwhelming and unsustainable, so be patient and celebrate the small milestones that lead to the bigger picture.

And of course, if you’re seeking a healthy outlet for self-love and inner strength, come ride with me at our StarCycle studio in Happy Valley! As a franchise owner and instructor I love being on the other side of the operation, helping others clip in, check out, and rock their ride the same way my StarFam did for me.

When I shook Ruth’s hand it all came flooding back: The memories. Her memories. Her childhood… all 336 pages of her memoir become an almost unbearable weight, freezing me in the moment.

At first it seems intimidating meeting Ruth Wariner in person due to her inside stories she’s revealed to the world. But her kind, indomitable spirit and heart of gold envelope me as we sit down to chat about StarCycle and her newly-released book, The Sound of Gravel, now available in stores and online.

Ruth’s memoir details her haunting childhood growing up in a polygamist, Mormon colony in poverty. When she turned four, she was immediately needed for adult responsibilities. She helped care for her siblings while looking over her shoulder for the dreadful, lurking dangers children should never be exposed to. The Sound of Gravel is simple yet beautifully written and refreshingly lacks self-pity.

No spoilers here but Ruth nowadays lives an adjusted, happily married life in Lake Oswego and continues her healing journey despite her chilling memories.

Healing includes daily prayer, meditation, journaling and, you guessed it, riding at StarCycle.
I can imagine Ruth rides much like her embodied, inner character reveals in her book: confident and bold but within her own limits. “Sometimes I just let myself sit down or turn down the resistance on the bike so I’m able to work at my own pace,” Ruth says. “On days I’m feeling stronger, I push it up and get through it. But I make sure it’s enjoyable and I like to have fun. If I’m not having fun, I don’t want to do it.”

Ruth deserves some fun. She deserves the world although she’ll never ask for it. “I want people to know I’m someone who rose above my circumstances,” she says. “I’m somebody who is not a victim, who defined my own life separate from my childhood.”

After years of unsettling instances, Ruth fled her family’s colony at 15 years old. Her goal was simply to keep her siblings together. At 19 she moved out on her own and raised her three younger sisters alone, all while putting herself through school. After earning her GED she put herself through college and graduate school at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.

Ruth then received a job teaching Spanish at Gladstone High School and ended up meeting her husband, Alan, on the top floor of the U.S. Bancorp Tower building in downtown Portland, Oregon, at a fundraising event for Portland Monthly. Alan swiftly fell for Ruth, realizing after hearing her stories how similar their kindred spirits are in caring for others in their family – Alan raising two autistic twins of his own.

Most of all, Alan loves Ruth’s ability to forgive: not in the sense that she puts up with being hurt but that she can let go of the pain from her past for her own sake and for the sake of her relationships with loved ones. “It’s helped me be a happier person, and he’s always said that I’m one of the happiest people he knows,” says Ruth.

“I love her courage, generosity and kindness,” said Alan. “I respect her commitment to her family. That’s the thing he loved about her first because I knew if she could have a strong commitment to her siblings, she would have a strong commitment to me, and she does.”

And talking about commitment, Ruth now rides at StarCycle four to five times per week, often with Alan alongside her. “I love the way riding makes me feel; it makes me feel so much better,” she says. “I love how they turn lights down and you ride alone. And I love the kind environment.”

She said Alan is always trying to recruit others to ride at StarCycle, letting them know how it will challenge them in new ways. “It’s a spin class like you’ve never experienced before,” he says.

And Ruth loves rocking the challenges StarCycle offers, like the recent “I WILL NOW” challenge (20 rides in 30 days in December). “And I love the variety of instructors at StarCycle,” she says.

Aside from indoor cycling at StarCycle, just a two minute walk from her home, Ruth and Alan often take long, daily walks around the neighborhood, enjoy hiking, traveling all over the world and join their “Calories Be Damned” dinner club, regularly with local friends.

But most importantly, Ruth says, spending time with her family means the most to her. You can tell she continues to keep a watchful eye on her sisters even though they’re now all grown up, living in different cities with professional careers of their own. They were too young to know the reality of what happened to their family, their older sister shielding and literally saving their lives from it all until they were much older and they asked her what happened one afternoon over lunch, which led to Ruth writing her book over the next five years.

One memory Ruth happily shared with us was when her mom – a constant companion yet a well-intentioned adversary in Ruth’s book – taught her to ride a bike. “She bought it at a garage sale and I got it as a birthday present,” recalls Ruth. “I remember the first day they took off my training wheels and I fell right over. I was three or four and wanted to immediately take off my training wheels. I wanted to be a big girl.”

Over the years she got her wish facing love, loss, fear, anger, resentment and the unknown far younger than most. But she said she often remembers these words, spoken by Maya Angelou – an American activist, poet and civil rights advocate who passed away just last year and Ruth had an opportunity to hear her speak:

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Despite her upbringing, Ruth remains resilient and grateful. “I love the fact that I had the opportunity to have an education, it gave me perspective, confidence and a new community and culture to live in,” she says.

Now Ruth’s unending commitment, love and loyalty to her family has never wavered, just as she inspires us all by moving forward with her life and riding into a brighter future.

What does Ruth recommend about StarCycle? “Try it. You’ll love it.
And what do we at StarCycle say about The Sound of Gravel? “Read it. You’ll love it and never, ever forget it.”

Jen and Kaya, the mother-daughter duo, who ride often at StarCycle Cedar Mill, are two women whom anyone would be lucky to be friends with.
Jen gave birth to Kaya at 20 years old, leading both women to grow into best friends, Kaya heading to Kindergarten while her mother went back to school, the two used to work on homework together at their dining room table.

Now a 16-year-old enthusiastic yet humble teenager, Kaya serves as a reminder to many of us parents how level-headed and inspirational even our kids can become. Clare, her 6-year-old younger sister, enjoys accompanying both women to StarCycle as well.

Both Jen and Kaya started riding shortly after the Cedar Mill studio opened in 2015. A fitness enthusiast and massage therapist for over 10 years, Jen sees clients that “have that thing they love” and decided she too wanted that one physical activity she could love.

“I tried running,” she says. “I didn’t love it.”

“I tried pilates,” she says. “I didn’t love it.

Being a person who works with athletes every day, Jen says, “I’ve always worked out. I love hiking but you can’t hike trails every day with two kids, realistically. Naturally, being a massage therapist I do yoga too,” she says, “but that couldn’t be the only fitness thing I was doing, it wasn’t maintaining my strength enough.”

And then Jen went to help support her friend, Molly, as she was setting up shop at the new StarCycle studio in Cedar Mill.

“I didn’t think in a million years I’d like riding. But now, it’s that thing I love. I wake up and think ‘God, I hope I can find time to ride today!’”

“Lots of times it’s something inspirational the instructor says that keeps me going and helps me push myself on the bike,” says Jen. “They remind you to be fierce. To be primal. I love moments like that in life. I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie, jumping out of planes and stuff. You just don’t get that in your nine to five job.”

At StarCycle,” says Jen, “it’s like bringing out my adrenaline junkie again!”

Kaya says her inspiration stems from her mother. “She’s the mother of two really stubborn girls,” she laughs. “And she works so hard already and to hear her have time to get out and do something else that’s so challenging, yet fulfilling, is amazing.”

Kaya says she loves all the instructors she rides with but “Keelie just goes for it. She’s kinda hardcore and I like that.” Jen’s always raised her children to view health and wellness as a lifestyle. “I tell them, if you’re putting good things in your body, treating your body well, then you’ll be happy,” she says. “Wellness and happiness go together in every way and are engrained in everything.”

For Kaya, “it depends on who you hang out with. I just got back from Sunriver with a friend and we biked for an hour every day and we’d come back and eat a salad,” she says. “You depend on each other to keep you in the right space and remind you why you’re being healthy.”

With school coming up Kaya hopes she’s able to find time to continue to ride at StarCycle with her mom weekly.

And Jen’s not slowing down anytime soon. “I feel really darn lucky. I’m joining a team at a fitness studio in NW Portland to help assist the owner and bring my massage practice,” she says. “I’m kinda in that place where I’m just super thankful.”

Jen goes on to say she’d love to get property (and goats!) someday, and put the whole rat race aside.

Kaya shares her long list of dreams as well. But ultimately, “I just want to live happily,” she says. “I have this philosophy that I don’t need a lot to be happy. I mean I want success of course, but not at the expense of being humble,” she continues. “I’ve never needed a lot to be happy. I grew up being a really happy kid and I’ve seen so many other kids that just ask for so much and I don’t know, they’re never satisfied. School is a goal, to stay educated. And to take advantage of of everything at my fingertips.”

And to Kaya, that includes places like StarCycle.

“I go to StarCycle because I get to release all that pent up stress,” she says. “I just feel so good afterward.”

And let’s not forget 6-year-old Clare, Jen’s second daughter. What makes her happy? “My wonderful mother,” she says. “And StarCycle. I like to take care of the younger children when I go there.”

Hey Jen. You’re doing awesome. You’re a true Rockstar. Being a mother, massage therapist, rider and lover of life. You can’t do much better than that.

Jen sums up her feelings about how StarCycle helped complete that “love” of a puzzle piece she was looking for shape how she feels today: “I just want my family to stay healthy and keep enjoying abundance,” she says. “We don’t have much but our lives are super full.”