{"id":3097,"date":"2025-02-19T15:44:04","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T04:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/discover-how-bodi-trainer-lita-lewis-empowers-with-thick-thighs-save-lives.html"},"modified":"2025-02-19T15:44:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T04:44:05","slug":"discover-how-bodi-trainer-lita-lewis-empowers-with-thick-thighs-save-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/discover-how-bodi-trainer-lita-lewis-empowers-with-thick-thighs-save-lives.html","title":{"rendered":"Discover How BODi Trainer Lita Lewis Empowers with &#8216;Thick Thighs Save Lives&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Before she was an\u00a0Instagram\u00a0sensation, Lita Lewis moved from Australia to New York with enough money to survive for 21 days. She landed a job with two days to spare but soon realized her addiction to fitness surpassed her purpose at the office.<\/p>\n<p>Now living in Los Angeles, Lewis travels the world spreading her body-positive fitness philosophy, and her latest stop is a four-week BODi exclusive program.<\/p>\n<p>Members can burn through 10 workouts that combine resistance, cardio, and HIIT training to get strong, sculpted, and solid \u2014 regardless of size, shape, or fitness level.<\/p>\n<p>We caught up with Lewis to chat about her evolution as an influencer, her clothing line, and the surprising treats that find their way into her diet.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"&quot;Thick Thighs Save Lives&quot;: Meet BODi Trainer Lita Lewis\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_6ReCeJUp1U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>BODi: How did you start sharing fitness with others?<\/p>\n<p>I started by training a couple of my girlfriends in my local park in downtown Brooklyn. We would meet there, and everybody saw my personal physical transformation and were just like, \u201cI want to look like you. I want legs like you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My girlfriends told their girlfriends, they told their coworkers, and what started as a couple of friends soon turned into 50 people showing up for this boot camp. At that time, I was doing it for free.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How did you turn fitness into your business?<\/p>\n<p>I shared content from my workouts in the park and these big group selfies on my Instagram. People started calling from all over the country, saying, \u201cI want to work out with you.\u201d \u201cCome to Dallas.\u201d \u201cCome to San Fran.\u201d \u201cCome to Atlanta.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I would find a local park and do a pop-up session. I\u2019d charge a small fee, and people would show up. It blew my mind. I had built a business, and it all started with social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tell us about how your career as a trainer took off.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CNLgs9LhdOv\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"13\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I was at a point in life where things were crashing down around me. People were posting their lattes and art [to Instagram], and the only thing I had to post was my workouts.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what I was doing to try to pick myself up again and get in a better physical and mental state of health.<\/p>\n<p>A few months went by, and I\u2019m just sharing content that was reflective, positive, and talking about gratitude. I\u2019d work with someone with one arm or one leg, show them killing it, and talk about how blessed we are to have bodies that can move.<\/p>\n<p>I blinked my eyes, and I had 10,000 followers.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When did you realize you were an influencer?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>I received a message from a single mother of four. She explained that she had just gone through a divorce, fallen into a depression, and lost the motivation to cook.<\/p>\n<p>Her youngest daughter had gained 20 pounds and no longer felt comfortable in her soccer uniform. She decided she didn\u2019t want to play sports anymore, withdrew from her classes, and her grades dropped.<\/p>\n<p>She said the challenges in her life sparked negativity, and it was affecting her daughter. What I was sharing on social media helped her pick herself up again.<\/p>\n<p>She said she realized that if I can do it, she can do it not just for herself but also for her daughter. If I can touch a perfect stranger\u2019s life by sharing what I love on an app, I\u2019m literally one of the most blessed people on this planet.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Acceptance of one\u2019s body is easier said than achieved. How would you advise someone who struggles with body issues to even begin appreciating theirs?<\/p>\n<p>It takes courage to look at yourself in the mirror and find something that changes your thought process. You\u2019re only one decision away from being OK. You really are.<\/p>\n<p>One day you\u2019re feeling down and out, and that evening you can look yourself in the mirror and be like, \u201cYou know what, this is a beautiful night. I\u2019m going to have a wonderful dinner. I\u2019m worth it. I\u2019m gonna take up this space, and I\u2019m gonna be unapologetic about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It takes bravery to do that, and you just find momentum. Make good decisions and constantly tell yourself positive affirmations.<\/p>\n<p>I was writing post-its with positive affirmations and sticking them all over my apartment. Have the inner strength to be like, \u201cI\u2019m going to show up just as I am and if I\u2019m OK with this, the world is going to be OK with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How did the creation of your clothing line come about?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CMxlHWQBCIq\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"13\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>During my boot camps, I would always scream out things like, \u201cThick thighs save lives!\u201d and \u201cF thigh gaps!\u201d Women would say, \u201cCan you put that on a T-shirt? I want to wear that.\u201d I started putting these phrases on tanks, t-shirts, and hoodies.<\/p>\n<p>It was a lot more popular than I anticipated. It evolved into making certain pieces that women can wear that accentuate their curves \u2014 not hide them \u2014 to make them feel confident when they\u2019re moving.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how my apparel line,\u00a0Thick Athletics, came about. I\u2019m really proud of how a simple message brings out the best in a woman, especially while she\u2019s working out.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Your life looks pretty perfect on Instagram. What\u2019s something people would be surprised to hear about you?<\/p>\n<p>I have never been too scared to be vulnerable in the journey of fighting depression. I realize that I can\u2019t always be that strong girl. I built this strong body, these strong shoulders, and legs, but I would still go home and cry myself to sleep.<\/p>\n<p>I learned it\u2019s OK not to be strong. I realized that by sharing my vulnerability that I was strong. It takes courage to do that, and I think what people will find about me is that I\u2019m not afraid to show my true self.<\/p>\n<p>Balance is important in life. You won\u2019t always be up. There will be some down times, but those down times will make the good times feel like Heaven, and you\u2019ll appreciate it more when you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you could do only one exercise for the rest of your life, which would it be?<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-167391\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/07131950\/meet-lita-lewis-600-squat.png\" alt=\"Lita Lewis Does Dumbbell Squats | Meet Lita Lewis\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t get away from the classic squat. But it\u2019s super close with the deadlift, too. Anything that works the lower half is my favorite.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Now swap \u201cdo only one exercise\u201d with \u201ceat only one food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I haven\u2019t had it in a long time, but if I could eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I\u2019d go back to my grandpa\u2019s chop suey (sapa sui). It\u2019s a typical Samoan dish. I miss it daily.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Do you stick to a special diet?<\/p>\n<p>For me, it\u2019s about balance. I\u2019ll be completely honest: I\u2019m not eating a super-clean diet. It doesn\u2019t work that way when you have four boys that want pizza on Friday nights.<\/p>\n<p>I like to think of it as the 80-20 rule: 80% of the time, I\u2019m eating healthy, then 20% of the time, it\u2019s that pizza! Those fries and that brownie look pretty good, too.<\/p>\n<p>\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before she was an\u00a0Instagram\u00a0sensation, Lita Lewis moved from Australia to New York with enough money to survive for 21 days. She landed a job with two days to spare but soon realized her addiction to fitness surpassed her purpose at the office. Now living in Los Angeles, Lewis travels the world spreading her body-positive fitness [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-3097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness","tag-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3097"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3100,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3097\/revisions\/3100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}