In April, I sent out an offer to help 3 people make positive changes in their health/fitness in an online competition. Thirteen people responded and we started the SUMMER SHAPE UP competition.
My blog entry of a few weeks ago summarized the progress of each member to date. Six people stuck with it to the end and everyone saw changes in some aspect. Some didn’t see the weight loss they had hoped for but everyone experienced inch loss and feeling better overall!
Having clothes fitting better and feeling more energy through the day is awesome! That is often all it takes to stay consistent with healthy changes and then the pounds start to come off.
The winner was Sandy, a mother of 4 from Florida. We stayed in touch through email and Facebook and Sandy was able to lose 20 pounds during this challenge, which went from April 18 to June 18! Sandy had been off and on with her exercise until the Summer Shape Up started and she became committed. She had tried P90X in the past but didn’t have the necessary equipment to really follow the program. Before this challenge started, Sandy began Insanity, an extreme workout from Beachbody. Now not everyone can do Insanity, it’s fast and furious and hard! But Sandy decided she was going to do this and she stuck with it. She also added some biking and/or a 6 mile walk at least once a week. Read on and you’ll see how determined she was and how she made such a total change in her lifestyle:
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO GET STARTED? My first reason was I wanted to be a happier, healthier, thinner mom for my kids! Then my hubby got a promotion at work and we were soon to be scheduled for dinners and meetings with “important” people. I wanted to make my hubby proud to introduce me as his wife! Not that he ever WASN’T proud! However, I realized those were all the wrong reasons to be doing this! I had to want it for ME. Getting into that mentality was very hard for me because I have never lived my life for me; it was always for my kids and my hubby. Every other time I lost weight it was for everyone else and I was worried what “others” thought of me. So until I changed my attitude and my WHY, I kept failing. I love a challenge and you challenging me to get healthy made me that much more focused!
WHAT SPECIFICALLY, DID YOU DO? “I committed to exercising 5-6 days a week. I watched food portions too. Before, I felt like, because it was a veggie/fruit, I could eat as much as I wanted….yes, even broccoli casserole, or salads drenched in blue cheese dressing! I increased FRESH fruits and veggies. I previously thought it was OK to have any fruit or vegetable from a can, even if it was soaked in sodium or heavy syrup. Now I can’t stand anything from a can! I’ve totally found a new outlook/respect on food. I also eliminated anything with enriched flour and stopped my caramel iced coffees. Adding LOTS of water was a big change as well. “I think my biggest realization was food is FUEL for my body! Before, when I was out and about, having to have one kid here and another there at the same time, I would grab something from a fast food joint, instead of planning ahead and packing something healthy. I soon realized that my workout just wasn’t up to par after eating junk!”
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU NOTICED DURING THIS TIME? “The biggest change was my energy level. Other changes were in my clothes (went from size 18 to 14). My overall attitude improved. I also realized that drinking enough water kept me from feeling hungry; it kept me from feeling fatigued and my skin and hair were shinier and softer (something my hair dresser noticed).”
WHAT IS YOUR “WHY”, YOUR MAIN FOCUS THAT KEEPS YOU CONSISTENT? “Again, I will be that “happier, healthier, thinner” mom and wife! But most of all, I will be a happier, healthier, thinner me! Being fat, unhappy and unhealthy was not me! I felt like the real me was trapped in a fat person’s body and I couldn’t be myself around others. I’m slowly becoming the real ME because I want to be happier, healthier and thinner.”
WHAT OBSTACLES GOT IN YOUR WAY AND HOW DID YOU REFOCUS: Everyday life as a mom and wife of a hubby that works a lot of hours makes it hard! I am left to run all appointments and be at all school and sporting events. When I felt like I had no energy left, I knew I could workout and get some energy pumping again. Knowing that I had you to hold me accountable made me “push play.”
Sandy plans to stay focused on her healthy changes and keep the weight coming off. It’s been a privilege to work with her! Her determination and focus is inspiring to me as I’m sure it is to you! Healthy living is contagious and Sandy will inspire many others to start making the changes they have been putting off. It reminds me of that saying, “Health is the thing that makes you feel that now is the best time of year.
Christie Ryan is a registered nurse and Independent Beachbody Coach. She has a passion for health and fitness and enjoys helping people change their lives. Her local business is Concepts in Weight Mangament and Team Beachbody. She can be contacted at 785-827-3131 or cryan@ruraltel.net