Fitness Journey Update

Last month I embarked on a 30-day fitness challenge. I’ve always struggled with my weight and body image. I’ve gone through long periods of unhealthy eating habits. I’ve tried every diet you can think of-low carb, fat smash, smoothie detox, skinny teas, you name it. I put a lot of my self worth into the number I see on the scale. But recently how I felt about my body moved away from physical appearance alone…I was unhappy.

I was scrolling through Instagram one day and got an ad for the Fitwall challenge and decided to sign up. I started with the initial interview with a coach for their 30 day challenge and then shortly after had my first “trial” workout. Here I’d decide whether or not I’d do the challenge. I was about halfway through the workout when I thought, “well, thanks but never again.” And in that moment I felt so low. “You quitter,” I thought.

So I walked out and signed up for the challenge, finally deciding to kick my own ass. I had to skip my next workout two days later because I still couldn’t walk from my first. But then I eventually made it to my second. And my third. And then, miraculously, I completed 24 workouts. So here are my results and here’s what I learned:

Get the timing down: Figure our whether you are a morning or night workout person. I found I ate better when I worked out in the morning. It held me accountable. It just depends on your mentality.

I would typically drink an iced coffee with one scoop of this on my way to work out. It kept me full through my workout until I got home to eat a proper breakfast. I like eating breakfast around 10, lunch around 2 and dinner around 7 so I eat closer to bed so I’m not going to bed hungry. I have a snack in-between each meal too. Speaking of which…

You are what you eat: During the Fitwall challenge, I focused more on tracking calories than I did adhering to the Fitwall meal plan. I have gone through enough diets to know what is mentally and psychically sustainable for me. The Fitwall meal plan would not have worked for me for 30 days. I will not skimp on dessert, ever. So I found a bunch of desserts under 200 calories I loved to help keep me happy as well as healthy. I encourage you to track what you eat in some capacity-whether that be counting calories, counting food groups or simply keeping a food journal. It’s helpful to remember your favorite healthy meals, look at your eating patterns and understand your strengths/weaknesses.

Working out is f*cking hard: You WILL have bad workouts. You will not crush every workout. Accept that. Then move on.

You will never regret working out: No matter how much you don’t want to go to the gym, you will always thank yourself after. Just push through.

Find your motivation: After working out 7 days in a row, I rewarded myself with some new workout clothes, because I was washing clothes every other day. Motivate yourself with a reward-a new blender, a new water bottle, a new pair of leggings, a massage, just make it something that will help you stay continually excited about working out.

So what were my results? The goal was to loose either 3 inches between your waist, arms, legs and hips or 10 pounds. I lost just under 5 pounds and almost 5 inches. But honestly, I’d didn’t care. I went from 10lb. to 25lb. weights on certain workouts. I could complete most 40 minute workouts without stopping. I got some sweet callouses. I left my workouts happy.

I’ve signed up for a six-month membership now that the challenge is over and am so excited to continue improving. I found the mental transition of working from home harder than I anticipated and working out regularly helped immensely. I feel lucky that I found a workout class I love on the first try. I HIGHLY encourage you to take advantage of free trials. Find a workout that fits your personality and lifestyle. Don’t quit. Find a buddy. And message me if you want to chat.