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From Fat to Fit

"You're looking husky. Have you gained a few pounds?"

That infamous phrase began my journey to weight loss. After the divorce, I had put on a mere 40 pounds. I was weighing in at a solid 180 pounds at my stout 5' 8". I didn't feel fat, I was just in denial of my thickness. I was down in Utah with my family. I took my shirt off at the swimming pool and my dad popped that nice phrase at me. Those simple 9 words created an intrinsic drive for change. It's funny how the little things can make the biggest difference. He didn't mean it in a malicious way, but I took it as a moment for change.

Upon arriving home in Idaho, I found a copy of Insanity with Shaun T on Craigslist. They say the best things can be found on CL. If you don't know to what I'm referring...check out my very first blog post. I had seen the stupid infomercials on late night TV for Beachbody products like Insanity, P90X, and the Brazilian Butt Lift. I had seen all of the before and after pictures. I loved the part that says, "your results may vary." Figuring, sure...I won't have any results. I still decided to give it a chance. Insanity came in a nice little paper packet with multiple CDs. I got it for a whopping $60. I was unwilling to spend the $120 on the website.

My very first day was the "Fit Test." After a mere 40 minutes, I didn't think I'd be able to walk the next day. Insanity is a no-nonsense, cardio-based, home exercise program. There are zero weights involved. Everything you do is resistance against your own body weight. How hard can it really be? Will it live up to its name? Apparently, I was far out of shape. They should have named Stupidity, not Insanity. But...I was determined to finish the 90-day program. I wouldn't miss a single day.

Over the course of 90 days, I not only changed my exercise, but also my diet. To this point, I had been eating out 2 meals a day if not all 3. McDonalds' workers knew me on a first name basis. I had to rotate my fast food joint because I didn't want to get sick of anything. I came up on Wendy's credit card report for multiple swipes in a single day. Seriously, that part about Wendy's is true...I know the owners.

After the first month...I was finally able to walk up the stairs to my classroom with minimal soreness and pain. Yes, a month of being sore. You would think the soreness would eventually go away. Ha...nope. Month 2 rolled by without incident. I didn't miss a single day. I made it a priority to workout. I would workout even if that meant working out at 11PM. After 2 months, I began seeing results. I was excited to see the weight beginning to drop off. I pushed even harder. As Shaun T would say, "dig deeper."

A Beachbody coach named Austin found me on Instagram after I had posted a progress picture. Since that day, he has continued to be a huge motivator. 

90 days later...

Insanity 90 Day Results
Race of the Cure - Helena, MT 5/16/2015
I finished the program. I had lost close to 25 pounds. I was feeling better, feeling leaner and fit. I could run without feeling my man boobs squishing around. I continued with other Beachbody programs such as T25, P90X3, Insanity Max 30, and more. Now, I enjoy running, but no more than 4 miles...it gets boring after 4 miles. I do not workout as religiously as I used to, but I am aware of what I eat and I do try to exercise on a regular basis. To this date, 2 years since the infamous words were spoke, I have lost 40 pounds. I am down to 140 pounds and feeling great. I just recently completed The Race for the Cure in Helena, MT with my family and look forward to some great hiking this summer.


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