So I’m trying this new thing.
Being healthy.
Okay… no that’s a lie. It’s more like being mostly healthy. A little over a month ago I started P90X. It’s a really intense workout and it absolutely destroys your body fat and restores your energy levels. I’m not gonna lie. It’s pretty hard to start this workout when you’re not already physically fit… But I will say that once you get past the torturous first two weeks it’s absolutely worth it.
For approximately one hour each day I would do one of three different workouts. [note: There are more workouts but I only wanted to do these three.] The first one was legs and back (squats and such), the second one was kenpo (kind of aerobics and kickboxing put together. Lots of kicks and jabs but you’re constantly moving. Major cardio.), the third one was the ab ripper (this one is only 15 minutes but it’s HARD).
I would rotate through the three workouts and then rest on the fourth day.
Once I got past the first two weeks of hell-on-earth-exhaustion, I already began to notice a huge difference in my energy levels. That alone made the workouts absolutely worth it because kids are HARD. I would get to the end of my day and still have some energy left over to go for a walk with the family or dog instead of immediately collapsing into a pile on the floor and refusing to move.
Along with the working out I began to change my food choices up a little bit. For snack cravings I ate an apple instead of chocolate. During meals I ate only enough until I felt full and then I stopped. Portion control is HARD. I like to eat so this really sucked. Bad. But seriously, no one should be eating two heaping piles of mashes potatoes with gravy! I cut out my post-dinner or midnight snacks and replaced them with a glass of ice water and/or popcorn. (I’ve been told ice water is a good drink because your body burns calories – not a huge amount, but it’s better than nothing – while warming the ice water in your body.) AND, most importantly, I cut out soda and fast food from my diet.
I think my diet changes made the biggest difference.
I still snacked once in a while and I still enjoy a slice of chocolate cake now and again. I didn’t always stay on a strict regimen with working out, and I’m not taking this new diet to the extremes. I’m just taking an active role in making myself less unhealthy.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering if this is working for me and if it’s worth trying for yourself.
At the beginning of all of this I started taking measurements of everything. Instead of typical measurements, I measured everything around my problem areas. My hips and butt. They’re what got the biggest after the pregnancies. So I measured my butt (over the biggest area), hips (at the top of my hip bones), stomach (over the biggest area) and waist (over the smallest area).
Week 1: Just working out
weight – 138 lbs
waist – 30″
stomach – 35″
hips – 36″
butt – 41″
Week 2: Week long vacation. No working out but LOTS of hiking and staying active!
Week 3: Working out and healthy eating
weight – 134
waist – 29.5″
stomach – 34″
hips – 35″
butt – 39″
Week 4: More healthy eating than exercising. Only took weight
weight – 134
waist –
stomach –
hips –
butt –
Week 5: exercising and healthy eating
weight – 131.5
waist – 29″
stomach – 34″
hips – 34.5″
butt – 37.5″
Week 6: barely exercised but lots of healthy eating
weight – 129
waist – 29″
stomach – 31″
hips -34″
butt – 37″
So, there you have it. The new and improved me!
I’ve lost 9 pounds, 1″ in my waist, 4″ in my stomach, 2″ in my hips and 4″ in my butt.
I’m really proud of myself for still sticking with this new lifestyle, and it’s gotten a lot easier as time has gone by. If you’re looking to lose weight or get more energy you should seriously consider your diet choices and think about what you can cut out. Fast food, soda and coffee (Starbucks and the like) especially. The amount of sodium, fat and sugar that you’re dumping into your body is INSANE. Not to mention the amount of money you’re dropping on it.
Just try it for a couple of weeks. I can guarantee you that you’ll be amazed with the way your body responds. I am.
And so is my husband. 😉
supermom in the making 
I took up cycling last summer, quit smoking recently, have adopted a vegetarian diet (although if I WANT steak I GET steak), and do everything I can to be active for at least an hour a day. At the beginning of this month I rode 100 miles on my bike. The increase in energy and the palpable feeling of health is astounding. It was Hippocrates who said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
BOB!! That’s so awesome!!!
And a diet change isn’t even that hard! That’s what makes me so sad that I didn’t start this sooner. And good for you for getting steak if you want steak. The important thing is that you’re living the lifestyle in general and staying dedicated to your goals.
Have you considered growing your own vegetables or buying from a farmer’s market? The difference between fresh-picked veggies and store bought ones is also astounding, both in taste and nutrition. 🙂
What do you mean nobody should be eating two heaping servings of mashed potatoes with gravy?? I know what you mean – I can kick my ass working out no problem, but cutting back on the portions and SNACKING especially is hard for me. Isn’t it funny how you get in a groove and things start clicking? The energy levels rising is the best! It makes you wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. I will say that any type of “break” (a couple days or more) makes it so much harder to get back on track. But after that first jump start, all is well again. Congrats on becoming even more badass! 🙂
Hahaha. YES! Husband usually laughs at me because around 8-9ish I get a snack craving still and I piss and moan about how hungry I am and I feel like I’m DYYYYYIIIIIING without my snack. It’s getting easier though, and I have been enjoying my ice water on these hot days. And I agree about how taking a break makes it harder to get back into it. I haven’t worked out much this week. Every day this week I feel too hot and I’m like, meh… I’ll do it tomorrow. But I’ve been at least trying to make up for it with my eating habits.
Another thing I thought of was my sleeping habits. If only I could get on a normal sleeping schedule I bet that would just throw me over the top with energy and overall health. I just can’t bring myself to get to bed at a decent time though. I’m too much of a night owl!