Here's to a lifetime of Workout Completes! Thank you, folks :)
I never 'felt' fat. Never once did I look in the mirror and hate what I saw, I knew how to dress for my size and body type, never had trouble attracting men, was literally always on dates, no one would ever comment negatively on my eating habits or how sedentary I was (barring my mum and I'd lash back at her, accusing her of 'body shaming'...)
Until one blood test report later and my entire world (kinda) screeched to a halt. At 23, I had high blood cholestrol and sugar, pre-hypertension and a sluggish thyroid. At 5'2, 165 lbs/75 kg, I was borderline obese, had terrible eating habits, was perpetually stressed due to mounting assignments for my masters' degree and sleeping poorly as a result as well. The fact that my field work involved working at a domestic abuse shelter with battered women didn't help either.
At 118 lbs/53 kg now, I look back at that time fondly. I wasn't less of a person then but I'm definitely happier and more confident in who I am now because of the decisions I made.
I wish I could admit that the wakeup call was immediate and I instantly transformed my life then and there, but it would be many months until I did so, starting slow and steady, switching to sensible portion sizes, decreasing the frequency of takeout meals, incorporating some amount of physical activity every day...and most importantly, not weighing myself like a maniac every hour or depriving myself of my favorite processed foods every now and then either. I'd google workouts and try and make them a bit regular but my priority at first was developing healthy, sustainable eating habits.
Then one day, I stumbled onto Fitness Blender on Youtube and there was no looking back.
Y'all have changed my life! Its from your videos I was motivated to pick up my first pair of heavy weights, progressing from my tiny 7 lbs dumbbells to a hefty 15 lbs pair, then a 25 lbs pair to a 35 lbs pair now which I use regularly when working out with the two of you :) Never have I had so much fun huffing and puffing and sweating enough to fill up the freaking Hoover dam but on top of the world and feeling like a fit goddess by the end! I used to think Pilates were boring until I ran into yours, threw on a pair of resistance bands and had a *very* humbling experience as a result. I've successfully managed to convert at least three friends into fans of yours and am only going to keep spreading the good word :)
I'm especially fond of the moderate approach Fitness Blender has to holistic health, so much of which I'm finding out myself. So much of our perception of 'health' can be limited to only activities we're comfortable with or taken to the other extreme, with unsustainable behaviors like exercising like a maniac and depriving yourself in other ways.
A lot of my progress was possible, imho, because I didn't talk about it. I didn't post constantly on social media about my progress, never made before/after pics, focused only on consistency and walking the walk over talking about it. Only now am I seeing the value in talking about it a little - when times are tough and being able to pinch an inch upsets me, simply taking a pic and comparing reminds me how far along I've come :)
Here's to a lifetime of Workout Completes! Thank you, folks :)
I never 'felt' fat. Never once did I look in the mirror and hate what I saw, I knew how to dress for my size and body type, never had trouble attracting men, was literally always on dates, no one would ever comment negatively on my eating habits or how sedentary I was (barring my mum and I'd lash back at her, accusing her of 'body shaming'...)
Until one blood test report later and my entire world (kinda) screeched to a halt. At 23, I had high blood cholestrol and sugar, pre-hypertension and a sluggish thyroid. At 5'2, 165 lbs/75 kg, I was borderline obese, had terrible eating habits, was perpetually stressed due to mounting assignments for my masters' degree and sleeping poorly as a result as well. The fact that my field work involved working at a domestic abuse shelter with battered women didn't help either.
At 118 lbs/53 kg now, I look back at that time fondly. I wasn't less of a person then but I'm definitely happier and more confident in who I am now because of the decisions I made.
I wish I could admit that the wakeup call was immediate and I instantly transformed my life then and there, but it would be many months until I did so, starting slow and steady, switching to sensible portion sizes, decreasing the frequency of takeout meals, incorporating some amount of physical activity every day...and most importantly, not weighing myself like a maniac every hour or depriving myself of my favorite processed foods every now and then either. I'd google workouts and try and make them a bit regular but my priority at first was developing healthy, sustainable eating habits.
Then one day, I stumbled onto Fitness Blender on Youtube and there was no looking back.
Y'all have changed my life! Its from your videos I was motivated to pick up my first pair of heavy weights, progressing from my tiny 7 lbs dumbbells to a hefty 15 lbs pair, then a 25 lbs pair to a 35 lbs pair now which I use regularly when working out with the two of you :) Never have I had so much fun huffing and puffing and sweating enough to fill up the freaking Hoover dam but on top of the world and feeling like a fit goddess by the end! I used to think Pilates were boring until I ran into yours, threw on a pair of resistance bands and had a *very* humbling experience as a result. I've successfully managed to convert at least three friends into fans of yours and am only going to keep spreading the good word :)
I'm especially fond of the moderate approach Fitness Blender has to holistic health, so much of which I'm finding out myself. So much of our perception of 'health' can be limited to only activities we're comfortable with or taken to the other extreme, with unsustainable behaviors like exercising like a maniac and depriving yourself in other ways.
A lot of my progress was possible, imho, because I didn't talk about it. I didn't post constantly on social media about my progress, never made before/after pics, focused only on consistency and walking the walk over talking about it. Only now am I seeing the value in talking about it a little - when times are tough and being able to pinch an inch upsets me, simply taking a pic and comparing reminds me how far along I've come :)
Thank you, Kelli and Daniel, I'm off to get my ass kicked with https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/sweatfest-butt-and-thigh-cardio-workout-calorie-blasting-interval-cardio-for-lower-body now, earn my #workoutcomplete. Lots of love!