Why I Exercise

First off, I struggle everyday with trying to find the motivation to exercise. There are a million reasons not to, but some pretty important ones to do it for.

My exercise background wasn't simple, but I have always had a passion for exercising. Here's my whole story in a condensed version.

I started out as a teen on the swim team. We'd run drills for two hours swimming continuous laps. I hated it, but yet I loved it so much. Then I started lifting weights a few nights a week at the pool. I trained myself or asked body builders for tips. (I made some great workout buddies who are still friends to this day.) I'd get in a workout and then jump into the pool to swim laps. I also did gym classes in high school, plus filled my spares with TA-ing the gym classes for younger grades. I loved working out. I had all the time in the world and no one to think about except myself.

Then I went to university, and for 5 years I barely exercised at all. I drove everywhere and was generally too focused on classes, studying or projects to take care of me. I gained 45lbs. After university, I moved across the country to a new city, knew no one and work took the focus on my life. I gained approximately another 60lbs.

Then one day I had my ah-ha moment (a story for another time) where I realized I wasn't who I wanted to be. I started my weight loss battle and made changes in my life. It took me just over two years, a new diet plan and rounds of Bikini Bootcamp workouts, three personal trainers, plus attempting to learn to be a runner. I really wanted to run, even though I wasn't good at it. I lost 85lbs.

I got married and then eventually we were pregnant. I gained 70lbs with my twins and it was a mind trip to gain weight back after working for so long to shed it. After my babies were born, it took me 13 months to lose *most* of it all over again, before discovering we were expecting another baby.

I gained 60lbs this time around. It wasn't any easier to wrap my head around but I'd figured I'd done it before and I could do it again. I was determined. Though it never gets any easier. After my baby was born, I lost 20lbs and I started exercising right away. Nothing happened. I tried for three months and lost 1 pound. Disappointment. So I restarted my old diet plan and started seeing changes. That was in March 2014.

I started to teach myself how to run all over again. It was hard to be back at square one! I managed a 5K in the summer and started doing a workout called Piyo. I joined a local 60 day challenge group. I did the workouts 6 days per week for 8 weeks. I did them while we were visiting my parents and even while camping. (Let me tell you a camping trailer does not make a great workout space.) My kids watched me exercise every day and even joined in. They loved trying to do the poses. At 2 years old, it was adorable. They encouraged me to be better. I felt great and was down 25 more pounds. (I also won the local Piyo 60-day challenge! Though I didn't send in my before/after photos for the free Piyo t-shirt yet.)

I was a bit lazy in the fall but kept up my diet and kept losing weight. My husband had an older set of Insanity DVDs and I tried to do a few workouts with him, but the moves seemed ridiculously difficult and the workouts were nearly an hour long. I struggled to not eat tons of sweets over Halloween, my husbands birthday, my three kids' birthdays, and most especially Christmas. (I lose the willpower battle to Nanaimo bars every time! They're my kryptonite.)

Then, in January 2015, Beachbody came out with Insanity Max 30, a 30 minute version of Insanity. My husband ordered the DVDs right away. I didn't think I'd do them at all but once I tried the first day, I was hooked. It was a hard 30 minutes but I felt I'd accomplished something! I figured I could find the time to workout Monday-Friday and started following the schedule in the DVD pack. I would give it my best shot.

Some of the moves make me raise my eyebrows but I get through. (I'm not sure how the people on the video do the HIIT like that for 30mins straight. Huge respect for them.) I sometimes have to do the moves modified, especially the push up ones but I'm getting better. I am now down 80lbs since March 2014. My journey continues.

Back to my important reasons for exercising. I am finally working out again for me. It feels amazing to get through a workout and know you've accomplished some small step in the right direction to getting healthier, stronger, lighter. But most importantly I am working out for my three children. So they can hopefully have a mother who sets a good example for them, who they can be proud of, and who will be around for a long time to watch them grow up.

I wish many things for them. One wish is that they'll become happy adults, who hopefully will enjoy exercising themselves, because they'll have seen it from a young age and just think that is normal. I'm motivated by thinking that my children are watching me.

I'd hope to inspire one person to change a habit, get up and get moving, get fitter, or to try their best. I'll even workout with you. (I am always looking for new workout buddies and they're harder to find than you would think!) It's not about what you can do now, but where you want to go. In one of the Insanity Max workouts (I think it's "Friday Fight Round 1"), Shawn T talks about your muscles. How they are in there and no one can make them work except you, and only you can make them stronger. That resonated with me. No one can do this for me. I have to do it for myself.

It's also pretty cute that my now three year old twins and my baby (14 months) will try to do the exercises with me.

I am going to earn my Insanity t-shirt! Off to do Friday Fight Round 2! I already feel the owie.

Week 5 complete!

Today I finished week 5 of the Beachbody challenge for Insanity Max 30. I'm not signed up in anyone's challenge group this time around, instead I'm just doing it on my own.

Today was my first time through "Friday Fight Round 2" and holy wow was it a crazy one. Shawn T wasn't messing around when he created this workout. I've been trying my best to not do any modified moves if I don't have to and some of these are brutal.

My baby boy was with me for today's workout and he joined right in as soon as it started. I just had to record him in all his cuteness working out to Max 30.

I restarted the workout (for anyone who might think I was cheating in not doing it while this video was taken), and jumped right in for the pain.

My favourite move was this one that reminded me of a ninja. A side ways facing lunge then a tuck jump and rotating in midair to land in a lunge on the other side. I need to master this one just for pure ninja fun.

But the best part is I'm in week 5 and I am feeling great. I don't think I've lost any actual pounds really but I'm definitely getting smaller and I plan to keep on going after this challenge is finished. I'm interested to see how my starting measurements will compare to the end result. Only 3 weeks to go! I want that "I Maxed Out" t-shirt!

Insanity Max 30

This past summer I discovered Beachbody. My husband had previously bought a set of workout DVDs called Insanity. I'd tried them with him a couple of times but thought that the name truly fit the workout. It was insane. No way I was doing all of that jumping craziness for an hour.

I ordered a set of DVDs called Piyo and started a local 60 day challenge. It's a workout which combines Pilates and yoga. No jumping or harsh moves. More like a strength and endurance workout using your own body as weights.

I'm proud to say that I completed all 60 days, working out for 8 complete weeks, 6 days per week. And I never missed one day. I did it out in the yard at my parents house while we visited, in our trailer while we went camping and of course at home. I toned up a bit while doing it and lost about 15lbs. I also won the Piyo challenge in my area. Go me!

Well I finished the Piyo challenge back in September and until now I didn't really have a new plan.

Then the new year hit and Beachbody came out with Insanity Max 30. My husband wanted to buy it. I told him I'd do the workouts along with him. The DVDs arrived and we started the journey, week 1. It was hard but being only 30 minutes long I figured I could make it through.

I've now completed month one and all 4 weeks, 5 days per week, without missing one day. Month 2 is substantially harder workouts but in noticing that I am getting better at the moves which originally I thought I couldn't do. I'm also noticing toning happening and I'm liking it. I'm not losing any weight but I suspect that has more to do with my diet (and eating too little calories each day). So I'm now logging all of my food into my Fitness Pal app and I was very surprised to see that I've been running at a deficit of over 600 calories per day!! I'm excited to eat more!!

I'm down 80lbs since having my baby 14 months ago today, and I plan to keep working on it.