So the time has come! As promised I will be posting pics of myself after a few months of a new way of living (posting my pictures is a little uncomfortable given that I am usually posting uh, pretty pictures- BUT if this helps you make the choice to get fit then it’s all worth the embarrassment, no really, I look horrible, no makeup and just rolling out of bed at 6:00 in the AM ha ha). As you read in my previous post; A Whole New Me, I made the decision to make some changes in my life. To stop just feeling bad, and to actually take the steps to change it. After 4 months, I feel different. I walk a taller, I embrace the new shape I have, I feel confident, lighter, swifter and like I can take on more in my life. I feel like I have something to offer the world. I know that may sound a little deep, but let me explain.
I am a firm believer that if you aren’t part of the solution, that you are part of the problem. With today’s alarming obesity problem, and childhood diabetes epidemic, I was not helping the situation by buying ice cream, cookies and other treats for my family. I remember days where I would laugh about how I ate like a college student. Nights of pizza followed up by a pan of brownies were normal. I got into a routine of eating a fattening dinner, and following it up with something sweet. I would also blame it on PMS. “I am craving chips, craving donuts” etc. I was laughing it off, but the pounds were adding on. Luckily it’s a much different story these days.
One day at my Sisters’ baby shower it hit me like a ton of bricks. After getting winded from hanging decorations and feeling like a stuffed sausage sitting in my dress. I was headed toward being over weight and I did not like it. For many of us, weight gain is something that we just thought was a part of life. But it doesn’t have to be. You can be that fit person who lives inside of you. The only thing you have to do to bring that person out, is to decide to commit. Once you do, you will be on your way.
Starting out I knew that I had to find something that worked for me. Going to the gym was definitely out of the question. I am a stay at home mom, and I have no car during the week to drive to the gym with or even someone near by to watch my son. Plus, when I used to go to the gym, I felt out of place, I would kind of wander around aimlessly not really knowing what to do and I would always feel like people were staring at me ( I know they weren’t but it was just minor insecurities with myself at the time.) I was never really a runner, I would kind of lose focus and interest. I would get bored and super tired. I tried to swim, but it’s never the right weather…So what was I to do?
A few years ago I was watching an infomercial for Beachbody, they were selling the Insanity program. You know, the one with all the fit people on it doing an “insane” amount of cardio exercises…So I bought it. I got it in the mail, ripped it open and started with the fit test. I gave it my all, huffed and puffed, felt like I was going to pass out and didn’t pick it up for three years.
That ended four months ago. I tried it a second time, but this time I went at the right pace for me. I did a little bit more research and found out that you aren’t expected to keep up with the people on the DVD, but you go at your own pace. Month after month, my rate increased, I was getting faster and building up an endurance. Over two months I lost 6 pounds. Then I started to eat a little better, take vitamins and other supplements that helped me. I lost a few more pounds. Then I started to drink Shakeology and lost even more weight and felt amazing! These DVD’s turned out to be more than just a workout for me. I enjoy them and they bring me a little bit of encouragement each day. Knowing that I am accomplishing something great and get to see amazing results day after day.
After Insanity, I decided that it was the right thing for me to stay home and exercise. It really is super convenient for me and the workouts keep me interested and focused because I saw results. I also could wake up early before my son woke up and get my workouts done for the day. So next, I decided to give P90X a try, and I loved it. I actually have lean muscles now (while still looking very soft and feminine) and can do push ups, lift 12-15 pounds like its nothing, and it just keeps getting better everyday. I feel POWERFUL, which I haven’t felt in a long time. I have lost another 10 or so pounds in the last 90 days and replaced a lot fo fat with lean muscle.
A few months ago, I was on the verge of becoming a size 12, but now fit in my size 6 jeans. Most importantly, I am happy and can say with 100% certainty that I will continue this lifestyle forever. I cannot go without exercise for more than 1 day. It is who I am now. I still have more goals, and want to keep increasing my strength. It has opened new doors for me and I want to try things that I never thought I would be able to do, like run a half marathon, learn to paddle board, and other activities. Best of all, I have inspired my parents to lose weight and get healthy and am happy to report they are well on their way! My husband has also lost 48 pounds by doing this same thing I have been doing!
You don’t have to do exactly what I did like I said earlier, we all need to find what works for us, but if you need encouragement, or motivation I hope I have helped to give you some. Whatever you form of exercise, anything is possible if you want it enough and believe that you can do it. If you have exercise and have fitness goals like me and have a success story I would love to hear about it! I hope to read many comments about your own journey to health, transformations, and comments about how to get started. I am here to help in anyway I can and hopefully I will hear from some of you. I welcome you to view my other blog that I have along with my Husband Jason at TeamLeanSupreme.com, and you can find some tips and other useful information on the site. We are going to be hosting a fit challenge in December called the “DECEMBER to REMEMBER FITNESS & HEALTH CHALLENGE”so keep your eyes glued to my blog for that information within the next week! I will be creating a private Facebook group page for this Challenge, so if it sounds like something you’d like to dedicate yourself to, then please contact me or comment below. Thank you all for taking the time to hear some of my story and for your support since my first blog post when I decided to get fit. Talk to you again soon! xoxo
I want to point out that being skinny isn’t the only way you can be beautiful. I believe we are all equal and equally beautiful inside and out. However, I am a strong believer in living the longest life possible that I can with my family. If living a healthy and fit lifestyle is what it’s going to take to help me achieve that, then this is the path for me.
