When did you first set out on this adventure?
The year 2016 marked the beginning of my adventure.
Why did you decide to go in a different direction?
I was in my early 30s when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. My family also had a history of high blood pressure. Since my doctor was worried about me, she scheduled appointments for me every three months to check my blood pressure. She gave me a deadline of six months, which ran from June 2015 to January 2016, to bring my weight down and, ideally, bring down my blood pressure. I was a disgraceful failure.
From June through September, I was successful in shedding a few pounds, but by the time the holidays were over, I was heavier than I had been in June. In January 2016, she told me that she was giving me one more chance to recover during the next three months before she had to resort to medicating me. Medication to treat high blood pressure at my age?
This time, I believed her, and I was sick of seeing the number on the scale at every visit (I had no clue how high it had gone, and to this day, I’m really not sure what my highest weight was). I was sick of seeing the number on the scale at every appointment. After leaving the doctor’s office that day, I made the decision that I was going to lower my blood pressure and reduce the amount of weight that I was carrying.
What advice do you give to those who are just getting started?
Do what you like. I began with some cardio, some more cardio, and then some more cardio. I had a lot of people who disagreed with me telling me it wasn’t the best path to take, but I didn’t care since I liked doing out on the elliptical while watching television. I did it for fifty to sixty minutes five to six days a week for a very long period. My second piece of advice is to act in a manner with which you are most at ease.
The IdealShape 12-Week Lifting Program was the first lifting program that I ever did. I loved that it didn’t cost anything and that I could do it in the comfort of my own home. Going to the gym and working out on a machine is one thing; however, I found it incredibly scary to lift weights at a gym. Having said that, do not let this discourage you from trying out new things. Everyone in my life put pressure on me to lift weights and quit concentrating on cardio and performing my “silly little videos,” so I gave in to the pressure.
In the end, I made the decision to lift weights at a gym, in front of other people. After the completion of the 12-week program, I participated in a variety of 15-day challenges, followed by the 6-week FBC more times than I can count. While I enjoyed working out at home, I finally decided that I wanted to push myself by doing something that was outside of my normal routine. The publication of the 6-Week Fit Body Sculpt Challenge served as the impetus I needed to start lifting weights, and I have continued to do so ever since the challenge began.
Joining an online community with individuals who are participating in programs or utilizing goods that are comparable to your own, or who are in a life stage that is analogous to your own, is another piece of advice that I would provide to folks who are just getting started. Joining them is not enough; you must also participate. Read what other people have to say, share your own experiences, and engage in conversation.
In the beginning, I signed up for all of the different sites that were connected to the programs in that I was participating. On the other hand, I was not doing anything. Even though most of what was being discussed was written down, I did not even read it. As time went on, I got more engaged, and by the time I participated in the Sculpt Challenge, I was really participating in conversations. The women that I have “met” via the Sculpt forum are people whom I just cannot see living my life without.
I feel like I have a vast online network of support thanks to the different groups that branched out from that based on various interests, such as macro counting, reverse dieting, and other related topics. This internet system may or may not be big for you, depending on your own support network. Although though I have a lot of support from my immediate family and from the person I’m seeing, the women in the organizations I belong to are the ones that give it to me straight; they are informed, they are always there for me, and they are simply rock stars. We have all grown as a result of one another’s teachings and contributions. Assistance is essential.
Put the money to good use. Get rid of all the unhealthy stuff, make a strategy, and then acquire healthy food. Get some dumbbells if you plan on working out in the comfort of your own home. I came to the conclusion that it was not worth it to invest all of this money into it simply to give up the next day. If you’re going to do it for whatever reason, make it the money.
Planning. Ensure that you have a strategy in place. Whether you are going to monitor calories, go low-carb, track macros, or anything else, prepare for it and stick to it. Whatever it is, just do it. Personally, I began counting calories fact that I truly dislike cooking and I did not want to adhere to the meal plans that were given to me. I used the free version of MyFitnessPal, and I planned out each of my meals the night before. Now that I count macros and have been doing so for a somewhat longer period of time, my preparation is a bit less stringent than it used to be. I prepare one to two meals for each day of the week, and then the night before, I devise a schedule based on the meals that I have prepared. I enter everything into my phone, and that is going to be what I consume the next day. Also, I always make reservations at a restaurant. Before I go, I examine the nutrition information and make a plan for what I’m going to eat.
Make sure you give yourself permission to indulge since this is perhaps the single most essential thing you can do. I don’t mean to suggest that you go on an eating frenzy and consume everything in the cupboard, but feel free to indulge in frozen yogurt whenever you like—perhaps as a special treat on a Saturday night. This is not about deprivation; rather, it is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and the fact that you can do so while still enjoying the occasional treat is what will make that possible.
What do you consider to be some of the most significant challenges that you have had to surmount?
I started off completely out of shape and unable to move about at all. I always felt that I would never be slim (yes, in the beginning, my goal was skinny but that is most certainly not my goal now). My heaviest weight was over 225 pounds, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get my body to move like the folks in the movies. I became winded really easily, so I had to stop and rest often. I was unable to run farther than a quarter of a mile. It was difficult to push myself when I was aware that I could not complete all of the moves or execute them correctly. I simply continued attempting to execute some exercise or movement a little better than I did the previous week, and I tried to compare myself to myself rather than the others in the videos, and it helped me. I also tried to avoid comparing myself to other people in the videos.
For me, one of the most important aspects was the cuisine. It had become such a routine for me to stop at Wendy’s or Subway on the way home from work. It felt like I subsisted entirely on Lean Cuisines. The thought of preparing entire, nutritious meals for only one person seemed like an excessive amount of labor to me at the beginning of my journey because I was just eating for myself.
Wine and beer. Since I like wine so much, I used to drink one or two glasses every day, as well as often visiting breweries and socializing at happy hours with my friends. When I first started trying to lose weight, I would try to compensate for the calories by eating less food. I hate to admit it, but I did it on purpose in order to create a calorie deficit in my diet. After some time, the need was eventually replaced by the desire to give my body the nutrition it needed and to feel good. I started reducing down, and now I only have one or two drinks on the rare occasion that I partake in alcoholic beverage consumption. I have no desire to go back.
The most challenging aspect for me continues to be making new friends. For people my age and with my line of work, the ideal place to meet up with friends is in a bar or restaurant for happy hour after work, or even for dinner and drinks. I need to attend fewer but more meaningful events overall. There are instances when I have to decline an offer because I do not have enough macros left or because I just do not want to consume that food or drink. Not only have I lost friends as a result of saying “no” to an excessive number of invitations, but I’ve also lost friends as a result of having friends who are envious of me. What it is cannot be changed. Your real pals won’t complain if you bring the scale to dinner or if you’d rather play a game of mini golf instead of having drinks when you get together with them.
The question is, how has this changed your life?
How hasn’t it changed anything in my life? Now, I look forward to my workouts. I absolutely like doing weightlifting. When I exercise, I see an immediate improvement in my mood. I have a lot more energy, and overall, I feel better and lighter in spirit. I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I never worry about whether or not I can do anything or whether or not I would fail at something; I simply get things done, and I usually strive to do the most difficult thing. I have a level of self-confidence that I have never before had in my whole life.
I used to waste a lot of time in front of the mirror, searching for an outfit that would complement my figure, but I was never happy with the results. Don’t get me wrong—there are definitely times when I feel like I’m not presenting my best self, but I’ve gotten to the point where I care less about what other people think. I did this for me, not for the people who are staring at me. My interests have evolved throughout time. Mini golf or a nighttime run is now my go-to evening activity, although in the past I would have liked to watch a movie and have some cocktails.