Remember back in the day when I used to go to the gym 5-6 days a week, lift weights for 45 minutes to an hour, run on the treadmill for half an hour, meet with a trainer 1-2 times a month who designed custom programs for me, and then possibly do a little bonus yoga in the evenings? I was stronger and more fit than I had ever been in my life. And then we decided to have kids. Six years later I have gained two adorable amazing kids, but I have also lost all that fabulous muscle, that cardio capacity, and during the process I gained a decent amount of weight. I went from 115 lbs, 19% body fat (as measured by my trainer), to over 160 lbs at my peak, and who knows what % body fat!
I slowly lost my baby weight in the year and a half after baby #2 was born, but I still hadn't started working out again, and just didn't have the energy and strength I want to have.
So one day, as I do a few times a month, I checked out the "Kids Corner" facebook page for our area, and I happened upon an ad for a free 21-day get-fit challenge group by fithousewives (Tracy Sandifer). It sounded like just the thing to get me working out again - a group with daily check-ins and encouragement, and a bunch of moms like me all trying to start getting fit again, and it was free - so nothing to lose. (And I double-checked, being a housewife was not required.)
Sure enough, it totally worked! I worked out four days a week the entire challenge. I ate healthier. And I lost a few pounds and gained a little muscle tone. In just three weeks I was back to giving older toddler piggy back rides through the zoo and tossing younger toddler into the air. I had more energy and was stronger. And I just felt good!
I mostly did youtube workout videos at home, but also tried out a few beachbody workout videos, using their 1-month free trial. The beachbody videos were so good, that I decided to purchase one of the DVD sets for myself, and join Tracy's next challenge group too. Tracy is a beachbody coach, so she lets anyone try 1 challenge group for free, but for subsequent ones, she asks that you purchase something from beachbody - not a problem for me given how good the workouts were.
And that's how my beachbody adventure began. I'll do a separate post on that second challenge - I did the 21 Day Fix Extreme program, and it was truly amazing. I had loved the one workout I checked out in the free streaming trial, but the program was even better than I had expected from that. Challenge 2 wraps up in a few days, and I'm already planning for my third challenge!
you go girl!
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