So this will be my first blog post for the revamped Blog It Off and I figure I should tell you a little about myself. I am a mother of two beautiful little girls and married to my wonderful husband of four years. Now, I love my children dearly, but having a little one grow inside you takes a major tole on your body. I now tote around roughly forty extra pounds of fat and much less muscle. You see, before my kids I was a very fit martial artist and had been training for eleven years. I miss the confidence I had when I was in shape. I miss being able to look in the mirror and not hate what I was looking at. I feel like a stranger is looking back at me and I'm tired of it.
I've tried a couple things to get back in shape but I haven't stuck to anything for more than a few months because I wasn't seeing results. I tried running, I tried dieting, I tried to get back into martial arts, I even tried diet pills. Nothing stuck in the long run. I decided that dieting wasn't for me because I wanted a lifestyle change not a short-term fix. I was discouraged when I tried to pick up martial arts again because I couldn't do everything I had been able to (totally irrational thinking I know..) I actually kind of liked the diet pills more for the boost they gave me during the day, but also because I lost a few pounds rather quickly. But pills are not a fix to the problem. They will not change your lifestyle - the root of almost all weight problems. Pills can only mask the problem and offer temporary success if you do not use them with regular healthy eating and workouts.
In 2013, I also tried the workout program Insanity. I liked it, but wasn't pleased with the results (or lack of, actually). I lost roughly five pounds during the program where all over I see reports of people losing twenty or more in the first round. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. I allowed myself to give up on my fitness dreams and resigned myself to having "the mommy body" for a whole year.
But not any more! Late January, I picked up running again and found that I no longer care about what people think when they see me working out - life is to short to worry about other's opinions! I'm running (well, jogging actually), about 11 miles a week and following a Couch to 5K program.
I've also decided to start my second round of Insanity and did my first Fit Test today. Here are my results:
- Switch Kicks - 55 (these weren't too bad)
- Power Jacks - 25 (my thighs started burning FAST!)
- Power Knees - 55 (these are harder than you expect)
- Power Jumps - 15 (these are difficult)
- Globe Jumps - 5 (these don't seem hard, but after about two rounds, you're feeling it!)
- Suicide Jumps - 9 (call me crazy, but I actually really love doing these)
- Push-Up Jacks - 10 (I could have just done the "jack" part and been worn out!)
- Low Plank Obliques - 50 (my form started suffering about half way through and my feet kept slipping)
Now for my starting measurements:
- Arms - 12.5"
- Chest - 38"
- Waist - 42.5"
- Hips - 43.5"
- Thighs - 22.5"
- Weight - 171.6 lbs.
- BMI - 27.3
And my "Before" pictures:
I'll be using MusclePharm's Shred Matrix instead of coffee (with LOTS of creamer) for the energy boost I need in the morning. On days I'm really dragging, I may even use MusclePharm's pre-workout drink, Assault, in Raspberry Lemonade.
I'll be doing my Insanity workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and running my C25K program Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
I'm using Noom Coach to track my calories in and calories burned. I also have the Noom Pedometer to track my steps throughout the day, with a daily goal of 8000.
Thank you for reading and following along with me on my fitness journey! See you tomorrow!
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