In this post I will walk you through my day and show you just how I incorporated Denise's program and how it has given me hope, just as it does time and time again. I think seeing this program in action will really explain why this has touched my heart so deeply.
This day in particular was a slow day, with no outings except for sports in the evening. It was a nice respite.
On the outside, I'm a 40 year-old mom to a 4 and 6 year old, who partially homeschools, was a former public school teacher, attends church and church activities, has been married for almost 20 years, and has had 6 years of struggles as we continually work on getting my beautiful micropreemie daughter to eat enough to support herself after her feeding tube wean a year ago. On the inside, I'm kinda a mess. At least I feel like a mess a lot of the time. Maybe most of us do??
I woke up in the morning and we had to homeschool in my children's tiny room because my husband was meeting a client in our family room. (We run a small home business). It was certainly NOT easy accomplishing this and by the time we were done I knew that I had to do my daily Denise Austin workout or I would not make it through the day without yelling at my sweet kids. So I got them prepared to play while I worked out (They know that they cannot interrupt me unless there is blood) and I worked out in the family room as they played dolls and cars around me (but not closer than 3 feet because they must stay that far away and they know this :)
My workout today was a harder one which included cardio, kickboxing, and tabata. Everyone is just raving about tabata and it's benefits for weight loss, including Denise.
It was called "Super Charged Cardio Burn" and boy was it all of those things.
It was hard but her smiling face got me through. Her constant encouraging words are crucial to my staying in the game. Especially today as fatigue has got me by the throat.
This picture somewhat sums up my workout space...Weights and dog toys. And small children not pictured here who are waiting with baited breath for me to finish my workout so that I can get them lunch.
Throughout the day I had been texting my cousin with an ongoing conversation about how dieting/eating for health/working out is a constant battle. For us, it is not something that will magically take care of itself, I don't think. Unless God does a miracle, which I don't doubt can happen, but I just don't see that miracle happening for me. So for the rest of my life, I will have to be completely health-conscious. I want so badly to get to my goal weight so that that battle can end. I'd just like to start the battle of maintaining, please. Really, I've been losing weight for 8 years now, twice in that period with very large drops, and I'm fairly tired of it. The diet yo-yo'ing is not healthy for the soul or the body.
As I said earlier, it was a rough day physically for me. I'm really struggling with my schedule and how many social activities we are involved with. In previous months and during this week, I'd run to the store for some ice cream and pizza. They are my friends, right? They help make all things better, right? WRONG. It's only a temporary fix. Seriously like a one hour fix.
So I opened up one of Denise's motivational video's on her plan, and learned about "Rethinking Your Relationship With Food." My husband watched it with me, as he has lost 50 pounds and recently gained some back. (We are so close that we even gain weight together. Isn't that so sweet?? NO, IT'S NOT SWEET AT ALL). She talked about setting a curfew on the fridge and brushing her teeth to show that no more food is to be consumed after 8pm. But she also talked about allowing the occasional treat. She gets a scoop or two of ice cream every few weeks on a walk and she enjoys it. Food can be so enjoyable. I've never, ever been able to lose with restricting certain foods. Ever. When I lost my first 50 pounds and then I had to lose 65 after my pregnancies, I never banned foods, ever. And I fully intend to do this until goal and beyond. For me, it's about living a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy foods with the occasional treat. I need birthday cake on my birthday! I count calories and stay in the range that Denise recommended for me, and I make sure that I eat lean protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. And if I want that ice cream every few weeks, I eat it and I count it. This is wonderful behavior for a lifetime.
I love her smile and her non-judgmental nature. I do well with kindness and gentleness. She is passionate about health, fitness, and weight loss, but in a kind and empathetic way. And that's what I need, especially right now in the wake of me recovering from some difficult months with no exercise and poor food choices and a hurting soul.
So I went to the kitchen and got out a grilled chicken breast from the night before, measured 4 ounces, and put it in a whole wheat wrap with a small amount of cheese and BBQ sauce, which is similar to the foods on her plan. I counted the calories as I've been doing since I started her program. I stick to what she recommends.
***I wanted a cheeseburger. That would have made me happy for the moment only.
After lunch I came back to the computer and looked at my progress. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am with it. Again, there are so may reasons why I lived so many years significantly overweight (probably very similar to most people who struggle with this), but for now I'm just sharing with you that I'm not there anymore. I worked my way down 65 over approximately 2 years (See, I lose weight veeeeeerrrrrrryyyyy slow because I don't restrict types of foods and I don't have enough "willpower" do lose 2 pounds a week. So to lose 7 pounds in 6 weeks is amazing for me, especially as I build lots of muscle! Oh man, you should see the muscles that I've developed in these 6 weeks! Denise does not lie when she tells you that "this program is going to make a huge difference, you'll see!"
People who have known me from different walks of life have seen me as thin, chubby, very, very overweight, and "normal." I am quite sure that if people read this who have known me over my lifetime, will be surprised in one way or another. We all battle things, and weight is a battle for me.
My goal is 145. I got to 146 and held there for quite some time. I have no wish to be a bikini model. My husband thinks I'm amazing regardless of my size and I think the same of him. I just want to be healthy and have energy and be active. I've got 14 pounds to go.
I was able to complete some chores and eat dinner and feed my children dinner. I looked outside my window and saw the moon and know that 8pm is coming soon, and the kitchen will be on curfew. Teeth will be brushed, and I will watch a few shows and be thankful that another day's battle has been completed today.
**You can find my first blog post on this program here.
**You can find my third blog post on this program here.
**You can find my fourth blog post on this program here.
I was compensated for this post, but my writing is my utmost honest opinion. I promise.
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