Tiny Toes in SoCal Sand: Denise Austin Program--Lifefit!: Round 3! Blog Post 8

Lifefit by Denise Austin is out! I've waited for this program for the last two months, and I'm loving what I'm seeing.

Through my eyes, I see the new program as a way to love yourself through taking care of yourself physically as well as mentally. It's about loving ourselves as we age and being oh so thankful that we are blessed enough to be alive to age! Denise emphasizes healthy food and habits and making health a way of life...Not something you do for a few months and then stop.

And it's because of reading her recent blog post on aging that I am able to see the beauty of this selfie that I took. At first glance, I was horrified by my new facial and neck lines. At age 40, the lines and gray hairs are coming on fast. I purposely put this as my Facebook profile picture because I felt that it showed the true me...lines and all...even though I felt self-conscious. But after reading about her views on aging...I now smile when I see this picture.

Can I just be truthful here? I think I'm going to have to be.

The last two months have not been my fittest. I went from doing an amazing job on Round 2 of Denise Austin's program to not working out nearly as much and not watching my food intake. I wrote about it here about a month ago. But as I declared in that blog post, this is life and I know that for myself, it is impossible to workout every day and watch my intake every day for the rest of my life. My goal is to live a healthy lifestyle. We've all heard the beautiful saying that "It's progress, not perfection!"

I've learned a lot about myself in the last few months...One of the things I learned is that fitness programs that are incredibly difficult are not for me. While I was waiting for Denise's new Lifefit program to start, I thought I'd try a program that I already had and have done before, and it felt like a serious boot camp that I did not want to be a part of. I lasted a week and I dreaded turning on the DVD! Oh, how I missed Denise's smiling face and her telling me that we are "burning the butter" and that "if I don't squeeze my butt, then no one else will!" I love this woman.

So when I started her new Lifefit program last week, I felt like I was coming home. (Incidentally, I used the same words to describe how I felt when I met my husband 22 years ago). And that home is sweet and happy and makes me feel so darn good to be there and probably smells like fresh daisies.

Since I've lost some fitness I plan on taking it easy during the workouts just like I did in Round 1. I don't feel that I need to go back to Level 1, but I'm going to modify some of the moves for now.

The beautiful thing is that I haven't gained much weight and I still fit into the smaller clothes that I bought at the end of my last round. Phew.

Her Lifefit program begins by making goals for ourselves and reflecting on how we will meet these goals. I'm going to spend this week filling out the goal chart.

Denise started me off slowly by incorporating small amounts of movement into my daily activities. In this picture I'm doing a kickboxing preview. These short bursts of exercise are not nearly as intimidating as doing full videos right away.

This week, which is week 2, started my full length daily workouts. I did my normal Level 2 but only gave about 85% so that I'm able to complete every workout (as I almost did last round!). I will increase my effort as I feel more comfortable and fit.

At the end of "Fit, Firm, and Fabulous," it's as if Denise turned to me and said, "You did it! You are amaaaazing!"

Then it's as if she said to me, "I LOVE the lines on your face! They are a testament to raising your special needs daughter for nearly 7 years now. And your 4 year-old boy contributed to at least a third of those lines. Be proud!"

And then it's like she turned to me and said, "You accomplished the absolute hardest part, which is simply starting again. You have changed since you started Round 1 in September! You are not going to go back to 65 pounds ago. You are a new creation. Stretch, relax, and I'll see you tomorrow! And I'm so glad that you burned that butter. Now go and hold those kids who have given you your beautiful lines!"

P.S. Look at one of the new shirts that she has in her shop. LOVE.

Please follow my journey over the next 9 weeks. I will reveal my goals and I'll be honest. I'll continue to change my brain and my thoughts. That is where the real health happens.

Burn that Butter and then hop over to the past blog posts I've written on my first two rounds with Denise!

I have been compensated for writing these posts, but I absolutely promise that my feelings are completely honest.