I’ve finally discovered the secret to making life easier
Some of you may have read my previous post here, where I vowed to start moving towards a healthier way of living. I am happy to report that I kept that promise to myself so far, and I feel great!
The bootcamp classes I have been taking have been amazing. I have never worked out harder in my life. I attend regular bootcamp sessions that last for 45 minutes and then one small group session a week that lasts for 1 hour. The small group session is especially intense because there are only 12 of us in the class so we really get individualized attention. The workouts are broken down into different circuits where we get both cardio and weight training at the same time.
I have found these type of workouts to work very well for me because I am the type of person that really benefits from someone standing there, telling me exactly what to do. And the group aspect of it is motivating because everyone is there working hard and pushing each other. The days after the first couple of classes, I was sore in my places on my body where I was unaware that muscles even existed. I feel stronger and know that I am because of the fact that each time I workout, I am able to lift more weight or do more pushups, which is very motivating.
The biggest and best result of my working out has been an overall improvement in my mood and the way I feel about myself. Even though I haven’t fully reached my goals, I find myself feeling much better about my body and being happier in general. Yesterday, I was exhausted after work and really did not feel like working out, but I made myself go and afterwards, I felt like a whole different person.
I haven’t yet started making changes in my diet because of the fact that we were on vacation last week, but this weekend will mark the beginning of my nutrition changes. In summary, I will be sticking to lean protein, veggies, and a small amount of good fats on non-training days. On training days, my post-workout meal will include some form of complex carbohydrates (brown rice, sweet potato, etc.) Three days per week, I will be intermittent fasting, where I will eat nothing for 16 hours. This will be followed by a 4-hour period of undereating and then a 4-hour period of overeating. (More details on intermittent fasting will be included in a separate post.) One meal per week I am allowed a cheat meal! I’m pretty excited to see how much better I will feel once I start cutting out all the junk food from my diet.
If you are like me and haven’t been able to motivate yourself to get in shape, I would really encourage you to check out bootcamp classes and/or some form of group or personal training. After only two and a half weeks, it has made a world of difference for me. As I begin making the nutritional changes, I am excited to start sharing some healthy recipes!
Congrats! Once you start exercising regularly it’s easy to get hooked. I have a really sedentary job and exercise has done wonders for relieving and preventing low back pain.
Thank you, Stephanie! I have a ways to go, but my goal is to workout consistently long enough for it to become a habit.
It’s amazing what getting that blood pumping can do for your body, mind, and all-around mood. Keep up the good work.
You’re so right. It’s amazing how I can feel so uplifted after only 45 minutes.
This is awesome. So glad you are enjoying your new system! Yay!
Thanks, Shireen. I just need to keep at it!