2012
Since it has been close to 2 years since I began my fitness journey, I decided to update my transformation story.
My serious transformation story didn't begin for any particular reason. I wanted to begin working out. I wanted to get into better shape. I didn't think there was anything wrong with the way I looked. I always felt loved, no matter how much I weighed. My husband never criticized my weight, nor did other family or friends. I was content.
Yes, my clothes were getting tighter, and I did notice the numbers on the scale going up, but I don't remember being bothered by that fact. I thought I was keeping active enough. After all, I had a 3-year-old boy that I was keeping up with. At least, that's what I thought. Looking back at the pictures, I wonder how "active" I really thought I was.
You know the saying "calories in, calories out"-well, my calories in were quite a bit more than calories out. Ever since our son, Isaac, was born, we were told he was small, and we needed to see a dietician. Heck, from the day he was born, the nurses were forcing formula on him, because they were concerned for his health! We continued to hear it up until only a few months ago, at the age of 6.
Well, my husband and I tried to remedy Isaac's weight gain predicament by feeding him donuts, and quite a few other fattening foods over the course of about a year. No wonder I had gained so much weight-I was eating as many donuts as Isaac. I wasn't the one who had a medical condition that prevented me from gaining weight-Isaac did. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2012. His body wasn't able to use all the sugar that we were feeding him. Looking back, we're saddened, because although the sugar wasn't the cause of his diabetes, it certainly wasn't doing his body any favors. If you want to read more about my son's story, you can find it in previous posts, including this one.
Since that summer, I've lost close to 40 pounds, and my husband has lost about 20. About 5 years ago, I began using Jillian Michael's at home fitness programs, but I wasn't very consistent. The habit formed, but fizzled out for various reasons. I just wasn't motivated. I moved on to other fitness programs, and then did some month-long challenges. I did a burpee challenge, and various other challenges that focused on different parts of my body, and I slowly trimmed down.
P90X & Focus T25
Sometimes I would be consistent at working out, but I still wasn't motivated. I found my motivational soul-mate workout in P90X a little over a year ago. In fact, I was so motivated by this workout and my Beachbody coach, that I signed up to coach. At first, I didn't really want to coach others, but then I thought about how many lives I could reach, and how many others I could help to live healthier lives.
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| Nervous about starting Focus T25 |
After P90X, I began Focus T25, and faithfully did the majority of the workouts at 5:30 in the morning-before my brain knew what I was doing. The workouts were good, but I missed Tony Horton (even though he is a little annoying). I also enjoyed how short the workouts were, and since I was back in school, 25 minutes was a better length of workout.
I like my short workouts
Clean Eating Support Groups
Around this time, I began hosting clean eating support groups. With these clean eating groups, I provide clean eating recipes, shopping lists formulated from the recipes, as well as providing support, tips, and advice about clean eating. These groups have helped multiple members lose an average of about 1.5 pounds per week just from eating healthier! It's exciting to see lives changed, and healthy habits established. You can learn more about these groups here. You can also check out some of my other clean eating blog posts, including this one, as well as get more healthy awesomeness at my 'like' page, Sarah's Drive, on Facebook.
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| P90X3 |
P90X3
I decided to try out P90X2, but didn't make it very far before P90X3 came out. My coach had invited me to join another challenge group with her doing either Focus T25 or P90X3, so I decided to snag P90X3 and go for it! Then, a month into the workout, our car decided to retire, and I hurt my back trying to push the car off a tow dolly. So, after a month of recovery, I jumped back into P90X3. And then, one month into Restart #2 of P90X3, my mom surprises me with the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. So, poor P90X3 was postponed for another month before I restarted it. And now, it's safe to say I will finish P90X3 this time...unless some other unforeseen event interrupts P90X3 for a third time.
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| Food for week 1 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset |
Beachbody Ultimate Reset
My journey through the Beachbody Ultimate Reset was a life-changing experience for me. I learned a lot about myself, and the unhealthy relationship I had with food at times. After my Reset, I feel more in control of my eating, and I think before I eat. Nowadays, weeks after finishing, I still don't drink water during most meals. Drinking water during meals dilutes stomach acid making it harder to digest.
Another tidbit I've learned, not from the Ultimate Reset, but from the research I do almost daily to become a better fitness and nutrition Beachbody coach, is that you should eat your meat first, and then your salad. This is because it's harder for your body to digest animal protein, and your stomach acids will need to work on that first, instead of being diluted with salad first. You can read about my Beachbody Ultimate Reset journey, beginning with my preparation here.
In the months leading up to my Reset, I had gained about 7 pounds, and I definitely wasn't happy about that! I didn't think I was doing anything differently, except that I was probably stressed, and sitting on my behind more than I should have been. I'd also started having some digestive issues. My mom has always had digestive issues, at least for as long as I can remember.
I mentioned the Ultimate Reset to my mom, since it's known for straightening out many of the digestive issues that can complicate our lives. I'd also told my mom about the digestive issues I was having, and how I hoped to, some day in the future, go through the Reset myself. Long story short (you can read about the long story in previous blogs), my mom bought a kit, along with one for me! My mom lost over 15 pounds, and I lost 9 (which was about 7% of my body weight).
Now
Since the completion of my Reset, I took up running again, and do that twice a week in addition to my P90X3 workouts. I recently began using the MyFitnessPal app on my phone to map my caloric intake, as well as output. My husband bought me a heart monitor for Mother's Day, so I've been mapping my calories using that. Unfortunately, that heart monitor was having a few issues, so we purchased another one, so I could continue mapping the calories burned from my workouts.
I've completed P90X3, & have since then completed the 3-Day Refresh, which is a 3-day cleanse (kinda like a mini Ultimate Reset), Chalene Johnson's PiYo (low-to-no impact, but amazing sweat with Pilates, yoga, body weight training, & flexibility), and P90X2.
Yes, I'm a free coach, and I take helping others seriously!
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| new heart monitor! |
