5 months later...my transformation story

March 2012
A week after starting the challenge

Who would have guessed the difference that a few months can make. It's been 5 months since I made the decision to change my life and get to healthier me. In March I decided to take on a 90-day Beachbody challenge and use all of "those tools" that I would read about in fitness and health magazines to find a healthier me.

I ordered the TurboFire Challenge Pack with Shakeology and made the commitment to try it out for 90 days. Instead of looking it as a 90 daunting days of working out, I made the decision to look at it as one day at a time. I made a food journal page and bought a small notebook to tape these pages into so that I could carry it with me in my purse. I scheduled my workouts for mornings, 5am!! And then it began. I took my starting measurements: Weight 164lbs, Chest 38", Right Arm 11.6", Left Arm 11.6", Waist 36.6", Hips 42.8", Right Leg 24.8", Left Leg 25". My pant size was a 14 approaching 16. I wrote these down and committed to never see numbers like this ever again.

The journey began with my friend Rachel coming over in the morning to do the workouts with me but then schedules got crazy and she couldn't anymore. This is a point when many would "fall off the wagon" but I made the conscious effort to keep on and so kept pressing play on my TurboFire workouts. I loved doing the workouts because they were fun and after a month of doing many of the routines, I found that I was able to focus on my form and make sure that I was doing every movement correctly. After 2 months of TurboFire I decided to start training for a half-marathon which then turned into a full marathon. I am up to running double digit numbers as my long runs and have crossed over to being one of those people that takes cold/ice baths after my long runs.

Working out is not the key to my success and transformation. Diet was a major part of it too. People who know me will tell you that I love tasty food and ABSOLUTELY refused to deprive myself of anything that I wanted to eat. I began following blogs that provided tasty food that was healthy. I was not afraid of google searching for healthy alternatives. Myfitnesspal became my best friend when out at restaurants because I could quickly look up food caloric contents so that I would be able to make informed decisions when eating out or traveling. As a part of the Beachbody Challenge I was also using Shakeology which i found curbed my desire for sweets as well as helped with recovery and keeping myself healthy while working out. While it is investment, it pales in comparison to where I was before in terms of my health. To this day, I have my Shakeology every day. My favorites are Chocolate Mocha or Strawberry Lime. Delicious!!

At the conclusion of the 90-day challenge which was in May, I was down around 15 pounds as well as noticed that I was gaining what has been deemed as "Turbo" arms and some tightening in my midsection. I was still wearing a size 12 pants but there was definitely some "saggy butt" going on in these pants. I submitted my results to Beachbody and received my TurboFire tank for completing the program.

I focused on my marathon training for a few weeks and then I was ready for a new challenge as well as was approached by a few people to help them on their fitness journey. I took a break from Beachbody programs to focus on helping others and it led to me helping out with a 5K training group at my church which is currently entering its 3 week of a 10 week program. I am so proud of all of the participants. With this program underway an opportunity to become a coach for Beachbody and help out others on their journey was given to me. I signed up and bought Brazil Butt Lift(BBL) which has produced some great results in people who have completed the program. I am using it on "no run" days so we shall see the changes that it produces after a month. My measurements when I started BBL, one week ago, were Weight 147lbs, Chest 35", Right Arm 10.5", Left Arm 10.5", Waist 31", Hips 38", Right Leg 21", Left Leg 21". I am currently wearing a size but I think that I will be going down a pant size in another month since these are starting to get a little loose.

Overall weight loss in 5 months is...

17 pounds and 23.4 inches 

and I'm still going.

There are not more bulges on my side and I feel confident in wearing a skin tight t-shirt dress. 5 months ago I would have worn Spanx underneath as well as covered it up with a sweater so that no one could see my stomach/hip bulge.

Faith, Commitment, and Fun have gotten me to this point in my life and I couldn't be happier. Thanks for reading my story. ~Lovebug

Motivation Monday

This was one of the first bible verses that I looked at when planning the 5K training and bible study group that I am helping with at church. Even though it has been 3 weeks, I am still holding tight to this passage for it truly keeps me focused on the path ahead.

Today is an 11 mile day for me in my marathon training and this morning I was only able to get 8 miles in before it was time for me to get ready for work. So I already have a date with myself to bust out the last 3 miles this evening. It would be so easy to fall into the... well I already did a run this morning so I don't need to do another 3 miles this evening... but that would only be cheating myself. Where did cheating myself ever get me... oh that's right, heavier and unhealthier. Never again will I cheat myself out of the plan set before me.

Motivation Monday

I started Brazil Butt Lift today and 'Oh my word' was I sweating up a storm. I am so excited to see what kind of changes happen around my mid-section with the program. Squats are my new best friend apparently.  I took my starting photos and measurements this morning and I am so excited to say that I have broken through the 150 lb barrier. I have 4 more pounds to lose and then I will be at my goal that I set on Team Beachbody when I started doing TurboFire in March.

Marathon training is going well and tonight I will be running 10 miles. I can't believe that I am at the 10 mile mark this week. I had to switch up my schedule to accommodate for my new weekend job at the dog kennel. This week I will post a story from this weekend and how thumbs truly separate the human and dog dynamic.

I can't even begin to express how excited I am about this new challenge in my fitness life and love that you all are her with me for the journey.

Interested in learning more about my Beachbody journey or trying it out for yourself? Visit my website or message me for details.

Motivation Monday

This weekend flew by in a hurry. It started on Saturday with my taking the police test for Charleston. They do all of their testing in one day so it starts with the written test which i passed without a problem (90something percent) which let me move on to the physical test. I completed the sit and reach as well as he bench press and sit ups which left the run as the last part of the physical test. As someone that has been training for a marathon, you would think that I would be able to run a mile and a half in under 16:40. It was hot and humid but I did it in 14 minutes. Wahoo!! So the last part of the test was the interview and it was done in a group. I think that I did ok but you never know in those kinds of things.

After this test, I still had to do my mileage for my marathon training so I waited until later in the evening and did my 8 miles. Not bad! It would have been so easy to say that I didn't need to run because of what I had done earlier but I did not want to shortchange myself so like the picture above says, "give it everything you got" and I did.

The rest of the weekend flew by with staff softball games as well as church where I spoke about a 5K training program that we are doing at the church. So excited about this!

Motivation Monday

Today's Motivational Image comes is inspired by my run yesterday. To date it was my longest run, 7 miles! If you had asked me a few months ago if I ever thought that I would be able to run 7 miles, I would have told you that you were crazy!! But sure enough I did it. The first 2 miles were the worst because I chose to run at the end of the day when the weather was cooler and so this let the voice inside of me argue with me about how tired I was, etc. After the first 2 miles, I was in the zone and on a roll. It was simply a matter of reaching the end.

So no matter whether you work out in the morning or evening the key is to simply do it and see it through. The hardest part is the beginning but it feels so good to finish. Keep it up!

Motivation Monday

This week I am in Tucson, AZ for my sorority's convention and there is nothing easier to do that fall into that "I'll take a week off" excuse and see this as a FREE week. Nope! Not my story. While I will be reconnecting with fellow alumna as well as making new friendships, I will still make time to run and do my TurboFire routines. I am going to be one of those annoying morning people that is up and moving at 5am (like I am here). The food at this thing is always tasty and packed with calories so moving around the resort will keep me out of trouble.

I have rarely had a problem traveling and working out. While visiting my best friend Melissa in California this spring, we would place her infant daughter in her Bumbo seat and she would watch me jump and kick and punch while laughing and thinking that it was a game. It's all about priorities and my priority is to stay the course and not slip back into old ways. This truly is a lifestyle change for the better.

Happy Monday!