Schaumburg, IL
Turning 30 was no big deal for me last year. It was fun to be turning a new decade and starting this next phase of my life-married, with a dog...thinking about kids. Now that 31 is looming, though, it has hit me that I am not getting any younger and need to be changing some lifestyle habits if I want to see 100--healthy and spry!
I am very excited to start my journey with Beach Body. I have
Turning 30 was no big deal for me last year. It was fun to be turning a new decade and starting this next phase of my life-married, with a dog...thinking about kids. Now that 31 is looming, though, it has hit me that I am not getting any younger and need to be changing some lifestyle habits if I want to see 100--healthy and spry!
I am very excited to start my journey with Beach Body. I have always been a little chubby, but in high school I was introduced to the joys of running and working out.
I have been consistently inconsistent with my working out for the past 10 years. I am an all-or-nothing type of gal, so when I am truly "into" working out, then I am all about it. The problem is that the "not into" sneaks in at times. I ramped up my running about 4 years ago and successfully trained for 2 half-marathons. In 2006 I trained for the Chicago Marathon, successfully ran the 18 miler, but got injured the next week (stress fracture? Tendonitis?--jury is still out). Since that day (September 20, 2006), I have been on a downward spiral into a fairly deep depression about my body and self. I had worked SO HARD with my running--I was in incredible mental and physical shape. When that was stripped away, I didn't know what to do...so I turned to food (is ice cream/chocolate a food group? I sure made it one!).
I have slowly been gaining weight since "the injury". I gained 30 pounds in the first year after the injury, 20 more in 2008...but I have been able to stay at my current weight for the past 6 months. I am not proud of how I look or feel, but NOT gaining weight in the past 6 months has been a minor success in this journey.
Food has always been a little bit of an issue for me throughout my whole life. I am a "Sneaker" and am ashamed to eat the bad stuff in front of other people...so I eat it when I am alone and/or in the car. I also have difficulty always knowing the right choices...OR...Sometimes the good choices don't sound good to me!!! I am slowly realizing that a box of cereal for dinner (no joke!) doesn't make me feel any better when I am done eating it...so perhaps I need to get over what "sounds good" and think about "what feels good".
I am really excited to be beginning this journey with Beach Body. I am so lucky to have people in my life who will support these efforts...especially my coaches! This past weekend, while visiting them, I enjoyed listening to their successes with Beach Body. Their enthusiasm for it was contagious. BUT-I liked how they made me really, really think about this decision. They gave me the tools, let me try some workouts, try the shakeology, look at WOWY...but it was the discussion about the difference between interest and commitment that was the deciding factor for me. Was I committed to wake up and work out once the "coolness factor" had worn off? Was I ready to commit to a lifestyle change? Did I want to live to see my grandchildren be born..without ailments like diabetes & cancer plaguing me? Was I ready to be healthy so that I could also pass those habits down to my children? Do I like how much time I feel depressed about my body and energy levels? Is keeping this unhealthy lifestyle REALLY making me happy and satisfied in life?!?! Is this how I want to be for the rest of my life?
It took sitting in a blind, watching for bears, seeing bucks pass me by, that I realized that I was READY for a change. I am ready to do this. It is time for me to do this. I thank God for presenting this opportunity to me...right when I needed the guidance and support!!
I feel as if I have found a complete program--I like that my meals are decided for me--WITH A SHOPPING LIST-WHOO HOO! (and yes, I am allowed to eat cereal at times!). I love that I can do my workouts at home, in the morning or after work, and I don't have the added drive to the gym/going to the locker room/finding a machine/waiting for my aerobics class to start...etc. I am also super excited about the Shakeology. I spent the last 5 days having one each day and I felt great each day! I do love a glass of chocolate milk..and shakeology not only makes me feel great, but it also satisfies the craving.
SO. That's the long and the short about the journey I have been on...and I am grateful to be back on the path to being Happy, Healthy and Terrific (in the words of my first grade teacher!). Bottoms up-and I will catch you on the other side... :)
