Three months ago a box showed up at my front door. Inside it were a few books about strength training exercises, nutrition, and some recipes. There was a packet of DVDs containing 18
different workouts. I also received a
thigh toner, resistance band, and a fat calibrator. There was a box of chocolate and green powders that I
would mix up in a blender and start drinking daily. Simple as these things seemed, I didn’t know
they were about to change me from the inside out.
I had just begun my journey with my first Beachbody
Challenge. My goal was to tone up and
gain strength throughout my body.
Therefore I choose ChaLEAN Extreme as my workout program. At the time I thought I was a pretty healthy
eater (but I really wasn’t). And I used
to be very athletic, but for the past six years (since having children) my only
consistent form of exercise had been walking.
This challenge blessed me in so many ways. It helped me feel alive again. It helped me start setting goals for myself
again. I love motherhood, don’t get me
wrong, but sometimes as a mom you can find yourself in a very lonely
place. My challenge group gave me a
sense of belonging. I couldn’t wait to
meet with the group each day and the friendships that formed inspired me.
This challenge changed my body. I set out to get stronger and through it I
gained three pounds of healthy muscle and lowered my body-fat percentage by two
percent. I was thin to begin with, but I
was NOT fit. I liked to say I was thin
and squishy. But, all joking aside, I
was weak and I was feeling it. The
weakness of my abs was affecting my back with pain. It was easier for me to injure myself because
my body was not equipped with muscle to handle the daily strains of life. I started to wonder if trips to the chiropractor
were just going to be a new way of life for me.
I could only see that getting worse with age. By the end of this challenge my arms and legs
were tone and strong. I lost an inch and
a half off my waist which had been somewhat of a problem area after two pregnancies
with two c-sections. Overall, I feel
stronger than I’ve felt in a very long time. Consequently, dumbells became my new home decor. :)
This challenge helped me become more conscious of how I was
feeding my body and through it was equipped to make better nutritional choices. After about a week of drinking Shakeology I
noticed that my daily craving for sodas had disappeared. I became more aware of how I would mindlessly
eat, and I started putting more thought into the quality of the foods I was
choosing. (No more snacking on Twizzlers while watching a movie with my husband.)
My family has also benefited. My children are being influenced by the daily
example I’m setting to make exercise and nutrition a priority. Now healthy living is part of our everyday
conversations and life. My husband, who
has never been a morning person, was inspired to start getting up early to
workout since he saw how it was working for me.
Putting it off till later in the day only increased the probability of
not doing it at all. By doing a simple
half hour exercise routine in the morning (Power 90) and drinking Shakeology
for breakfast he has already lost 8 pounds in 5 weeks (his goal is 15).
But the biggest thing of all has been that this challenge
helped to change my mind. I’ve learned
to speak to myself in a positive voice.
I’ve learned to love the skin I’m in and to be more confident. And the most important thing I learned is
that I’m not alone. Support is
surrounding me and I’m ready to take it.
I used to be afraid of accountability because I was afraid of what it
might require of me and I was afraid of failure. Not anymore!
Accountability is the silver lining and the relationships formed are
what make it sparkle.
In 90 days I’ve gained a new perspective and I’ve replaced
some bad habits with some very good ones.
In 90 days I’ve built muscle in my body that makes everyday tasks easier
and safer to perform. In 90 days I’ve
renewed my mind and I’m now on track to a healthier and happier life. 90 days….it’s a long time, but it’s a short
time…for me it was enough to set me on a different path.
Physical Results:
Before
After
It's hard to tell the difference in my arms and legs from these photos, but where they were soft, now they are firm :)
So what's next on the agenda...
