I've been waiting/debating about making this post for awhile. I hint at it sometimes and allude to it others, but I think it's time to lay it all out there and show/tell you just what it's like to be missing part of your abdominal muscle.
I've been looking for a new stack so I'm trying FitMiss. James is trying out the Con-Crēt by Promera Sports. We're both doing Cellucor Alpha Amino and MusclePharm Re-Con. Day 1 and I like them all so far. The Con-Cret didn't upset his stomach so that's awesome! I'll keep you all updates on how the stacks fare!
![]() I've always been one who likes to push myself, but often I run into something at full force and forget that I'm not invincible. This is precisely why I love the silly challenges and beginner workouts--they ease you into the suck! One of my favorite is the couch-to-5k for those of you who want to get into running. Another issue is I just never finish these things (couch-to-5k will be the one after I finish this).
My lovely friend Tammy has been an inspiration to be lately. She's been pushing to start working out, using me partly as an inspiration. This, of course, in turn inspires me to push even more. Because of her, I went ahead and started a 30-day fitness challenge. The 30-day challenge I decided to do, I believe, is actually comprised of 4 different challenges. Looking back, now on day 10, I see why someone would break them apart. Man, this is hard. I'm actually making this post to remind myself that it is sucking now, but in 20 days I can look back and say I did it! I'm having to make minor adjustments--I have to do chick push ups because I still can't do one, I do leg lifts instead of crunches due to my stomach--but overall, man, this is a beast. Seriously. What human being does 105 squats on top of working out?! I'm starting to wonder if this thing is designed for people who don't work out already. Oh well, too late now. I'm lucky to have my swolemate, James, to do them with me. He's a trooper. Anyway, I thought I would share this with anyone who is as masochistic as I am. Overall, it's seriously a challenge. The plank jumps up utterly unfairly. Why jump 30s? Why not just 5s? The same with the squats. Seriously. 105 squats is killer on your knees. My poor knee. I break them into 20 or 25 rep sets with maybe a 30 second rest in between. Instead of just resting, I walk around to give my knee some mobility. Consider this a warning from Day 10 me. I'll post again as Day 20 me--someone who can do 25 push ups, a 2.5 minute plank, 160 squats, and 110 leg lifts. Oh dear god what have I gotten myself into?! ![]() We can go back in time and say everything that everyone says, and it will all be true. I've been heavy most of my life. I love food. I ate a lot. I hit a breaking point and here I am. I could go back and tell you about everything that lead to this (e.g., looking at pictures and hating what I saw or even refusing to take group pictures) or we can just look forward!
I started really taking this journey seriously May(ish) 2013. I started with a friend down in NC, logging all my food online and working out at home, at almost 300 lbs. We started so strong. Working out almost every day, going low carb and eventually joining a gym. I ended up losing the first 30 really fast. I was even biking to work and just working out like a beast. It was exhausting but I saw so many results so quickly! Queue the most amazing boyfriend (met through that friend) who is a martial arts instructor. I had someone to work out with and keep me additionally motivated. I started biking more, going to the gym with him, went kayaking for the first time, and just was so active! I lost the next 20! But of course this journey hasn't been easy. Just when I was hitting my stride, I was in a bike accident (you can't go through trees apparently). Then I had few bouts in the hospital (I have diverticulitis). I went backwards. I gained that 20 back and just felt so lost and stuck. Fast forward to today. I wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for the great support system. I've started seeing a lot of progress and change in my body and my attitude. I haven't lost as much weight as I expect, but things are really changing. I recently put on a shirt that used to fit incredibly snug. To my surprise it was big--so big that the boyfriend could get in it with me! I'm at a gym a lot now. I started posting incessantly on Instagram and I decided it was time to bring people on the journey with me via a blog too. I want to have a platform where I can share some of my favorite exercises, some of the twists I've made on things, recipes, product reviews, and everything I have learned on this journey. So now it's time to post this and get ready to continue to move forward! |