A little over a year ago…September 7, 2015, to be exact…I took a BIG leap of faith and began taking control of my health.
That was the first day of my first Beachbody program.
It was ugly, y’all. Although I didn’t look out of shape to most people, I felt so yucky. I knew that I wasn’t where I needed to be. I was getting very little exercise, except for a few weeks the summer prior, and my eating, although not terrible, was a bit random.
I followed the program pretty much to the letter, began using portion control as a nutritional help, and worked out five or six days a week (I can’t remember if I got one or two days off during that program).
The weight came off very quickly, as did the inches. By the end of eight weeks, I’d lost fourteen pounds, and my measurements around all of my body parts had decreased.
I was hooked. I was stronger physically and more confident emotionally. Shopping was fun when I saw myself fitting into clothes the way I knew my petite body was supposed to.
I did TurboFire next.
This program was all about the cardio…so different from Piyo, which had focused on core strength and flexibilty. I spent six months doing TurboFire and continued to chisel my body.
Next, I jumped into Hammer and Chisel. Oh boy. What a tough routine. This was all about building muscle, with a healthy dose of cardio mixed in. When the kids were younger, I had a gym membership and spent hours getting buff. I knew it would be painful.
The Mr. bought me a set of weights, along with a workout bench, and I went to town…in my home.
I saw the changes I’d been looking for. My abs finally decided to make an appearance.
Of course, I had to jump into a new routine when I finished, so I started 22 Minute Hard Corps.
The first day was no joke. There wasn’t a day that went by when I wasn’t sweating and sore.
I am so happy to say that I FINISHED this program on Saturday!!! I had gained a couple of pounds between the end of Hammer and Chisel and the middle of 22 Minute Hard Corps, so I did a gut check, literally, and reined myself back in, losing one of those pounds before Saturday.
As you can see, I lost some muscle definition in my abs and back. I understand why, though. This program didn’t use weights too often. It was more about functional fitness, as Tony likes to say in his videos.
It was about building stamina and agility and body strength in a different way. I definitely gained all of that. I can do gorilla crawls and mountain climbers like there’s no tomorrow. I’m pretty good at pumping out some push ups too.
During the time I did this program, I ran two or three virtual races and was able to do longer run intervals. I have yet to run an entire race, but I’m not training exclusively for running, so I get it.
I have my next program ready to go, but first, I’m dedicating a couple of weeks to running some virtual races I’ve fallen behind on.
I think it’s important to take time out, though, to travel down memory lane. It helps me remember what my goals were…to lose the flab and, originally, run a 5k…and to see what I’ve accomplished.
Although I still can’t run the entire 5k, I’ve done one in real life and will be doing another in a month. I’ve done quite a few virtual races since last fall. I’ve also accomplished every single other goal I set for myself. I reached my target weight a few short months after I started exercising and have maintained it, with the exception of a pound gained and lost here and there.
With all of that said, I don’t necessarily advocate Beachbody, per se. I don’t sell it. I don’t want you to think that this is just a big pitch for it. It just happens to be what fit into my life and personality (I love the calendars that come with the programs).
What I do challenge whoever I talk to about fitness…and I talk about it a lot…is to first decide what you want. Then, create a plan. Carve out time for it. I’m all about the early-morning workout. I know that I won’t have the energy in the afternoons to do it. I also know that I need to do school stuff…lesson planning and grading…when I get home. I make exercise a priority, which is a big reason why this has worked for me this past year.
Then, you have to watch what you eat. That’s tough. I keep up with my food log via the MyFitnessPal app. I keep up with the calories I burn with my fitness watch.
Staying in shape is sooooooo much harder than it was when I was in my 20’s. In a way, that’s not a bad thing, though. I am so appreciative of what I’ve accomplished. I know that blood (yes, there’s been blood…when I’ve fallen when out running), sweat, and tears have been a necessary part of the journey.
For so many years, I was that person who talked about doing something but didn’t stick with it. I’m not that person any longer.
Filed under: fitness | Tagged: 22 Minute Hard Corps, Beachbody, exercise, fitness, Hammer and Chisel, health, Piyo, TurboFire | Leave a comment »
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