Joy E. Dyson is from Pleasant Valley, NY – find and follow her on Instagram here: @enjoytamily 

My Story 

When I started my journey into motherhood, I always wanted to stay in the same size of clothes. I liked my wardrobe and felt determined not to let motherhood take me down an unhealthy path (although being the same size does not always mean being healthy). It isn’t necessarily about a “goal”—my success and fitness are based on making each day an opportunity for personal wellness and understanding my body better.

I always worked out at home and was looking for something new. At this point I had two kids and felt like my current workouts were getting stale. I recognized Tracy Anderson’s name when I did a quick search, and on December 30, 2012, I started with her 30 Day Method and quickly went into Metamorphosis and Pregnancy Project. The results appeared right away, even though my weight didn’t change much. I wasn’t very consistent at first. I started streaming shortly after it launched—the online program has grown with such a wonderful choice of workouts for how you feel and where you are in your journey. I love evolving with Tracy and the other members of the #wearetamily. In 2017, after my fourth child and still maintaining my workout routine, I began posting regularly on my TAmily Instagram account. I’m a bit shy, and it’s awkward to put it all out there. Thankfully the community is so supportive! This support helps me to maintain my consistency, pushing my fitness every day.

People are quick to assume it’s all genetics, but once I tell them I have four kids, they always ask, “How do you do it?” I mention Tracy, and it’s hard to summarize everything she does that helped get me to this place. It’s more than just her workout—you have to look in yourself and figure out your own journey. What really enlightened my journey was her PER4MANCE Program, lectures, and guest speakers. Unfortunately most people want quick and easy results. I look at this method that Tracy has created as an overall recipe for wellness for body and soul. The best piece of advice she has taught me is this: If you’re not in the right space mentally, your body will not get there physically.