It really hit me that I needed to make changes in my wellness as I watched my parents' mobility decline.. I have been diagnosed with several of the conditions that both my parents have. I have a plate in my neck to fuse two of my vertebrae together. I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and arthritis in my knees. I decided that I was not going to let these conditions take over my life.
Even though I was afraid of the title, I decided to try your 6 week shred program. I thought there was no way at 58 I would be able to keep up with younger females in an exercise class. I was relieved when I found out it was online. I tried several of your month to six week programs and my weight would fluctuate and I was hit and miss on my workouts, after I completed a session. I knew what I needed to do; I just made excuses not to exercise or eat correctly. I needed to be held accountable.
I decided that I needed something longer than the short-term programs. My first four month nutrition turned my life upside down. I had to give up my nightly glass of red wine and the snack that went with it. Gone were my chocolate and ice cream rewards to myself for making it through a rough day. My friends would call and want to meet for happy hour, I had to learn how to do "happy hour" in an entirely different way.
In the beginning my cravings were horrible. I wasn't getting the same satisfaction from the "healthy substitutes" that I was putting in place. I started slowly, adding raw honey or berries to greek yogurt when I craved ice cream. I started eating less fried, high fat foods and more grilled turkey and chicken breast along with fresh fruits and vegetables. When I went out to eat I started to make better choices. This was hard as most of my favorite dishes are made with cheese and cream.
My "happy hours" turned into vodka with tonic water instead of red wine, dark craft beers, and old fashions. Forget the majority of happy hour appetizers that are fried and absolutely delicious.
Sure I treated myself to a bite of ice cream every now & then. Sure, I had that nice juicy sirloin steak. However, it was far between and only when I would save up the macros that these items would take.
My next step in my journey was to add the workout side. I workout with a trainer but sometimes our schedules don't sync. I am not confident in myself to go to the gym without being told what I need to do. I have never been athletic so the gym is a scary dark place for me. I am self-conscious of working out and feel like everyone is staring at each other. I am taking baby steps to get over my fears.
Since starting this journey I have noticed that I don't have the afternoon nood-offs, I am sleeping better at night, my skin and hair look and feel better. I feel stronger and don't have as many aches and pains as I did. I have become happier with myself and have more energy.
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