My heart says cold Guinness, but my jeans say: For the Love of God woman, drink water and eat better! The world according to Anna after football season.

I DID IT! Well… Phase 1 of my fitness goal that is. 

Woot woot!

Phase 1: Get to first weight goal, steady workout routine, healthy foods and learn portion control.

Phase 2: Meet final weight goal, focus on building muscle, continue to eat healthy foods and maintain portion control.

I started my fitness journey on January 13. It has been almost non-stop gym & boot camp since then (minus a week and half of severe almost-bronchitis state of being ughhh). My friend Tasha and I work out up to 6 days a week.  And this week…my weight was finally down by double digits! The second number on the scale is back to a 2 (it has been years my dear friend number 2)!

As previously mentioned in a past blog, I first joined an inexpensive gym and my friend and I used a Groupon to get started at Burn Bootcamp-Five Forks. This really got us off to an amazing start! I worked out hard and felt muscles I had not felt in many years. The first week, I felt like my body couldn’t take it. My legs were shaking during lunges and I  sweated as if it was 100 degrees in there! It was that bad awkward moment when I was wearing Nike’s and felt like I couldn’t do it! But they pushed me to a level I have never been before and I enjoyed every minute of it! I read that when you exercise in a way that pushes you physically, you get mentally tougher as well. This mental toughness helps in other aspects of your life. It makes you feel like you can handle more of anything. There is definitely some truth to this.

The trainers were absolutely amazing and the women working out were extremely encouraging of one another. I love the signs on the wall “You can always tell who the strong women are…they are the ones building you up and not tearing you down.”  In addition to feeling a great high from the workouts, the trainer’s words would be etched in my mind all day.

“Make yourself better and better each day.” Craig  repeated several times in one session

When I couldn’t make it to boot camp sessions, I would go to the gym. Each day, I would push myself even more. Our boot camp Groupon did run out and I can tell you that I absolutely miss the high I got from getting my butt kicked each day! I have never done so many squats and burpees in my life! Thanks Burn for the amazing workouts. I am keeping an eye on any specials so I can become a regular member in the near future! I would cancel my TV service subscription to pay for this if it wasn’t for my 7 year old and that thing called a Disney channel!

One of things on our first day at Burn was a FOCUS meeting in which they encouraged us to track our eating habits by using My Fitness Pal or something similar to it for two weeks. I can tell that this helped me significantly! I ended up tracking my food intake for well over a month until I could get used to the routine of smaller portions and choosing the right foods.  I typically go for healthier organic foods, but like many, I SIMPLY LOVE FOOD. Tracking my eating habits allowed me to be more conscious of my portions, which is what I needed.

But honestly, there is so much more to this journey than making this initial  weight goal or our funny “run in a sports bra” comment above. I am MUCH better at controlling my food portions, choosing healthier options, and getting myself away from my office to make time for me. In the end, skinny isn’t the goal, BEING FIT AND HEALTHY IS THE GOAL. 

This journey has been absolutely amazing. Here are some things I have LEARNED about MYSELF:

1. I can’t wait to SWEAT. I swear, the workouts can be addictive!
2. Not only am I eating healthier, my daughter sees my healthy lifestyle. #LittleLove is also eating healthier, helps me shop for healthier foods, and encourages me daily. She gets excited to go Saturday boot camp sessions.
3. After months of eating clean and seeing results, many bad foods (desserts, chips etc)

   

   no longer seem appealing.

4. My daughter and I are turning into chefs! Watching our food closely, we rarely go out and make most of our food from scratch.
5.  I feel so much better about myself. They say that exercise can boost your confidence. When you don’t feel good about your body or yourself, it is all too easy to have low self esteem. But when you start to exercise and see your body transform, that can quickly change. I am wearing jeans I have not worn in four years. Yes, this does give me a little extra boost of confidence!
6. My energy level is higher.
7. I sleep better.
8. I am more focused on a work-life balance.
9. Friends that sweat together stay together! Oh that sounds cheesy ha. Having a work out partner is FUN and it’s great to have someone with me as we encourage each other on our journey! Thanks Tasha! I won’t release any of our funny texts this time. But…but…there was the time I told the trainer on you for ditching me because your hair looked pretty that day and you didn’t want it mess up. This is my confession.  
10. I feel GOOD and I am HAPPIER (No, I will not quote Deion Sanders here, HA!).  

Slideshow of my other support crew below. #LittleLove and #LittleCharles stretching with me.  

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To all my Fuel the Soul friends, I challenge you to set your goals now and start your journey to a healthier lifestyle today. A goal without a plan is just a wish.

More to come on this series. 

Fuel The Soul

Anna