From Zero to 60...Day 60 {Part 2} Focus on Fitness

Okay, let's get to the fitness aspect of this 60-day Challenge.  This is definitely the element that I was LEAST excited about.  For many, many reasons...namely, I don't like to do it.  I knew I hated workout DVDs, and I didn't have a realistic space where I could complete these workouts.  Plus, I just knew I didn't have the time.  We had just come off the heels of the worst winter Chicagoland had ever seen, so I sure as hell was not going to go outside.

When I type that today, all I notice are the excuses...one after another, it is a list of reasons why I wouldn't let myself be successful.  Thankfully, I didn't allow myself to be talked into that pattern of excuse making this time around.

Excuse #1: I hate workout DVDs.
As I mentioned here, I have finally found a program that I not only LOVE, but that I look forward to doing every single day.  TurboFire is a cardio kick-boxing program with awesome music and a ton of variety.  After borrowing a few DVDs from my friend, Jen, I knew I had to buy the program because I needed to try all of the workouts, and I was bummed out when my workout schedule said that I needed a DVD that I didn't have.  That is a purchase that I know I will never regret, and Heaven knows that I have made my fair share of regrettable fitness related products...many of them at-home DVD programs.

TurboFire makes me happy, kicks my ass and leaves me confident that I have done something good for myself that day.  It had been a long time since I intentionally made my health a priority, and this workout program totally clicked with me.  One of my favorite lines from Chalene, the fitness instructor, occurs during the cool down of one of my favorite DVDs, and she says, "Realize just how luck you are to be able to workout this hard."  Well if that isn't awesome, I don't know what is.  This program is a blessing in my life.  I'm lucky to be able to do this...absolutely and undeniably.

Excuse #2: I don't have a realistic workout space.
True, I don't have space enough for equipment or lots of stuff, but in reality not a lot of space is needed.  Since I knew I didn't want to be punching, kicking and sweating in front of my family, I knew I had to take it to the basement...the freezing cold, dark, creepy, coal room-having basement.  I didn't want to, but I had to.  That was the difference.  I had to.  If I was going to make this work I had to find a reliable solution.  It is far from ideal...water seeps in, the windows are drafty and old, the lighting is bad, it's freezing in the winter and humid as hell in this early summer heat...but it's now one of my favorite places.  Crazy isn't it?

I swept the concrete floor, set up a card table for the TV, plugged it in, bought a yoga mat, and the rest is history.  The program really doesn't need much space, and my basement has just enough to make it perfect.

Excuse #3: I don't have the time.
Well, who does have the time?  Aren't we all over-burdened, over-worked, over-stressed, etc?  Yet we still find time to check Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest dozens of times a day?  Yes, like many mom's I run my kids to soccer and gymnastics, but I was starting to feel bad because I was doing the running after my afternoon commute, which is almost always an hour.  How on earth could I manage to drive home, take kids to activities, make dinner, make lunches for tomorrow, bathe children AND squeeze in a workout?  Not a chance, right? Wrong.

After, Angie, the co-leader of my Clean Eating Challenge, suggested that I join her Fitness Challenge group I really needed to think hard on those "no time" excuses.  How could other moms do it?  I had committed to eating better, why was it so hard to find the time to work out?  So, I decided that I had to make it happen, and since I knew the afternoons were out of the questions, morning became my only option.

Early, cold, dark mornings...in my aforementioned cold (now humid), dark, creepy basement.  But I did it.  I laid out my workout clothes (or sometimes slept in them), set my alarm for 4 a.m., got out of bed by 4:15 a.m. and that was it.  On day one I had completed my workout and posted my post-workout selfie by 5:20 a.m.  Yep...selfie...posted to the group Facebook page, all for the sake of accountability.  More on that later.  So, after day one, I knew that it was possible.  I woke up, worked out and made it to work on time without issue.

Fast forward to today, and I have completed a TurboFire workout 53 days since March 31st. Six of the 60 days were rest days and just one day was a skipped workout (but I did go for a walk on that day).  And that was because we had water enter the basement and destroy the laptop that I used for my workouts...so there I was in the 4 o'clock hour sad, not that the laptop was destroyed, but angry that I couldn't complete my workout.  Talk about a shift in perception?!  But seriously, 53 workouts?  I don't know that I can string together 53 leisurely walks to the park over the course of a summer.  That's how I know I've busted my "no time" excuse.  I made time.  Plain and simple.  It began to matter to me, so I made it work in my schedule.

In the midst of this early-morning craziness, my neighbor and friend, Marcy, and I have started spending about 45 minutes to an hour per day walking , when our schedules allow.  So, not only am I committing time to fitness in the morning, but I've also managed to find time in the evenings that I had previously thought was non-existent.  How awesome is that?

Why this Challenge Group has changed my life...
That sounds dramatic, doesn't it?  Really, Sarah, it's changed your life?  Yes.  This group of 17 mothers has been a wonderful source of accountability and support.  There was something in me that knew I needed to work out in the morning so I didn't let anyone down.  Going in, I had no idea what to expect; I just knew I wanted to do it right.  You want me to take a sweaty picture and post it...on the internet?  I've never taken a cell phone selfie in my life, and now I was going to do it post-workout?  But I did it...over and over again.  And I gained confidence from the posts of others.  I saw that other busy women took the time to care for themselves, so I continued to do so for myself.  We posted our daily meals, confessed when we had a bad day with some cookies from Jewel (I might speak from experience), took snapshots of our heart rate monitors (yep, I bought one) and we supported one another day in and day out.  I felt like I owed something to this group because they were sharing with me and inspiring me along the way.  So, yes.  It's changed my life.  I now know that it's much, much less about the scale and measuring tape than it is about loving who you are and who you are becoming, and that is why I believe in the challenge group concept in a very real way.

As I mentioned in my "Halfway There" post, I thought that the infomercial-based workout program was a gimmick that promised more than it can deliver, and I'm proud to say that it's delivering its promises, and I'm proof.  I'm not losing weight rapidly in an unhealthy fashion, and neither did the people you see in the advertisements.  They're losing because they've made a commitment to themselves and because they have made their health a priority in their lives.  That's what I know I'm doing here.  So, yes.  I'm all in.  I believe in this fitness concept of building up others with love, support and a quality fitness program.  I've already signed up for my next "Summer Slimdown" challenge because I can't wait to see what will continue to happen...I'm so amped to see where I'll be at the end of the summer!

Is it easy?  Not a chance?  Is it worth it?  You bet it is.

If you might be interested in joining a challenge group or have any questions about this whole doing-TurboFire-in-the-basement thing, let me know.  I would love to have my friends and family on this journey with me.

Results since March 17th Clean Eating Challenge:

Weight lost: -17 lbs.

Inches Lost
Waist: - 5.25
Hips: -2.5
Bust: -3.5
Left Arm: -1.5
Right Arm: -1
Thighs: -2 each
Left Calf: -1
Right Calf: - .75

Total Inches: 18.5

65 Consecutive days logging into My Fitness Pal

Until next time...

Click here to see what 60 days did to alter my focus on food.

From Zero to 60...Day 60 {Part 1} Focus on Food

31 days ago I told you that I had started changing my life, and as I wrote about my fitness journey to that point, I had a tiny self-doubting voice that kept wondering if I'd actually stick with it long enough to write about day 60.  Well, here I am, and I can confidently say that the voice is gone.  I am here, 60 days later, to tell you that I have made lasting and permanent changes in my diet and fitness routines, and yes, unlike 60 days ago, I actually do have a fitness routine.  And, not only do I have one, but I love it, I look forward to it, and I'm talking to people about it.

I am not the kind of person who publicly talks to people about what I'm eating or how and when I'm exercising.  In fact, I had been a fairly consistent Weight Watcher since college who was reluctant to even admit that I was a member...there was a sense of shame in it, rather than pride.  Looking back, that really sucks.  There was a huge part of me that was ashamed to admit that I was working towards making positive changes in my life.  How crazy is that?  Now, it's a different story.  I'm not exactly shouting from the roof tops or filling your newsfeeds with my workout updates (unless you're part of my FB challenge groups), but I am not shying away from discussing the legitimate fact that I am working hard to change my habits and my body.  There is also not an ounce of shame in what I am doing, instead I am proud, and that is one dramatic change from who I used to be.  To use Weight Watchers' old adage, "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change."  I finally get that now.

Let's talk food.  As I mentioned, this all started when I happened upon the 5-day Clean Eating Challenge after spending a day on Pinterest learning all the web has to teach about raised bed gardening, and from there the tides turned.  I have made a conscious effort to eat intentionally in an effort to fuel, and not just fill, my body.  What can I put into it that will help me get the most out of it?  So, I have been working hard to eliminate chemicals and additives by being extremely selective in the products I buy.  Before I would read the labels and go immediately to the nutrition facts...fat, fiber, carbs.  Now it's the ingredients.  As Michael Pollan taught me, if my 3rd grader can't pronounce it, I'm not going to eat it.  It has wiped out a LOT of old favorites and convenience foods.  Take tacos for example, that little seasoning packet?  The first ingredient? Maltodextrin.  And it also contains a bit of Silicon Dioxide and Ethoxyquin.  Sounds delicious, right?  Pollan also asserts that if you can't think of where you'd buy it in it's natural form, then it's probably not a good idea to eat it.  His rules are simple, so I've worked to adopt many of them.

I'm also working to avoid added sugars and with the exception of occasional meals, I've almost completely eliminated bread.  Don't worry, Jimmy John's we can still hang out, just much less frequently.  Oh, Wheat Thins, I still love you, but what's with the added sugar?  Sugar in my crackers?  Until that's gone it's Triscuits for me (wheat, oil, salt).  I've also made a real effort to start buying some organic and local produce.  There's this list called the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen which lists the most and least pesticide treated produce, and wouldn't you know it, most of what I eat comes from the 'dirty' side: apples, strawberries, grapes, spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and summer squash.  Since I'm doing most of my shopping at Jewel, several organic options available but are limited; however, I'm consistently picking up organic strawberries, cucumbers, peppers and grapes, but I'm not sure how long I'll stick with the because the last batch I grabbed were so expensive that I literally gasped in the checkout line.

Despite the dent the groceries are having on my bank account, I know it's worth it.  Every bit of it.  I'm excited that I'm now aware and conscious about the choices that I'm making.  Don't get me wrong, I still eat an Oreo here and there (and I don't need an ingredient list to know that they are made of a chemical concoction), and I am seriously craving a Vienna Beef hot dog right now.  I know that my life is going to include those things, but being consistent in my healthy choices leads me to having the option of occasional indulgences...I like that much better than random fruits and veggies with my french fries.

Speaking of veggies, here's a photo of the garden box that Kevin built for me.  We spent the majority of last week prepping the garden bed for plants, and I'm most excited to say that all but 3 of the plants in the garden were purchased at the local farmer's market.  Faithy was super-impressed at what we got for $20, and she loved that he threw in the purple basil for free, "Free, Mom.  Free?"  I'm excited to see what this little garden yields, and I am excited to show my kids that food doesn't just come from the store.

I know that there are many more food-based improvements to be made, but for now I am proud of having increased my real food intake while almost eliminating chemical-filled food from my diet.  Diet soda, light, low-fat, fat free items?  Gone.  I've also changed my lunches so that they are almost always meatless, and I try to skip meat with dinner 1-2 times per week.  With the exception of my daily Shakeology breakfast smoothie and occasional morning coffee with half and half, exactly zero of my calories are coming from my beverages.  I can safely say that my weekday meals are 100% clean for breakfast and lunch...a dramatic change from who I used to be!  Weekends obviously lead to more challenges, but I approach them with thoughtfulness that I haven't had in the past.  How's that for making changes. :)

From food to fitness...click here to learn about what 60 days did to my perspective on fitness.