Rolling With the Punches

And rolling with the punches is exactly what I've had to do. As you all know I signed up as a Beachbody Coach and started working on getting into shape by starting with their 21 Day Fix program. I started out on fire and I was kicking butts & taking names. I was excited and each day I found myself feeling invigorated. I'm even taking a Zumba class twice a week and a Yoga class once a week at school. Aren't I a brave one? LOL. And the best part, my Fibromyalgia seemed to be taking a backseat. I was on top of the world.

Day 2 of 21 Day Fix Post Workout

Or at least I thought I was until my first weekend began with the first real migraine I'd had in weeks, perhaps even a month. I felt weak, exhausted, raging nausea, vertigo, really the works. I was downright miserable. Much to my disappointment, I found that I didn't feel up to working out nor did I feel that it was in the best interest of my poor body to try. One day wasn't a big deal, I would just pick up from where I left off the day before and keep busting my booty to lose weight.

But one day rolled into two, which raged and raced, and before I knew it a week had gone by. In that week, I hadn't done a single one of the 21 Day Fix workouts and while I had still attended my classes, I had to sit out after about 3 or 4 songs during Zumba on the Wednesday and wasn't able to join in the remainder of the class. Which really made me sad, because I am really finding that I love that class. I hurt afterward, but I know it means I've busted my but and that feels good. I even struggled with Yoga and left with an even worse migraine than I had when I started.

I was honestly feeling discouraged. I couldn't figure out what it was that was causing this sudden increase in my migraines. I even quick drinking my Shakeology shakes for about 4 days to make sure it wasn't anything in that (it is all natural and healthy superfoods), but I found no real change and so I resumed drinking a shake a day. I thought it could have been all the working out, but I'd seriously reduced the amount with not doing the workouts setup in program. I was at a loss and frustrated.

All of this began to make me question my ability to be an effective coach. I mean how could I advise and coach others about proper eating and working out, if I couldn't even complete the program myself. I was sick, stressed and very disappointed in this almost cruel twist in my plans. I had finally grown tired of being unable to lose the weight on my own, but I hadn't wanted to resort to taking medications to lose the weight. So, when I'd made my decision to take the plunge, I'd be excited, full of hope and not a small bit scared. It seemed that this whole thing was a major blow to all of that.

I honestly felt ready to throw in the towel. I wasn't cut out for this and I was just going to stay fat forever. (OK, I admit to being a bit melodramatic, but I felt frustrated and super disappointed) Then I got talking to this amazing and wonderful friend, who I'm glad to call family. She too suffers from Fibromyalgia and she pointed out that I shouldn't be too hard on myself. She pointed out that I'd made a huge step just by wanting to be more active and to lose weight, and by making the steps to do so. She got me to thinking and I realized I needed to reevaluate how I was looking at things.

Dealing with chronic pain on a daily basis, it's a huge step to take and I still need to listen to MY body. I need to take things at my pace and not be discouraged if I can't keep up with everything, its enough that I'm trying and not giving up. I may not have been completely successful in the workout portion, but I have changed how my husband and I both eat. I don't think I've eaten so healthy ever! As far as the workouts go, I need to push myself and try to workout even when I feel worn out or in pain, but that I need to listen to my body. (A measure of pain isn't necessarily a bad thing) I just need to make sure to listen and if I do that I can give myself the right amount of pushing without hurting myself.

That's when something clicked. I couldn't give up as a coach, not when I have a unique perspective to offer. I can help those who find themselves needing to roll with the punches, those who feel discouraged when they face a setback, because I've been there. I have had to make adjustments and find what works for me. I can help them find what works for them and help them become healthier & reach their goals. Not only can I help, but I truly want to help. I want others to know that they are NOT alone and that they are NOT failures.

If you are ready to make a change, feel free to contact me. I really am excited to help you make the changes you need and live a healthier life.

I did my weigh in and measurements on Friday, and I was delighted with my results. Here are my beginning measurements and the measurements on Friday.

Starting #s:
1/18/16
Left Thigh: 22.5
Right Thigh: 23.2
Left Calf: 14.2
Right Calf: 14.3
Hips: 46.3
Waist: 43.4
Chest: 43.8
Left Bicep: 12.5
Right Bicep: 12.1
Weight: 206

1/30/16
Left Thigh: 18.9
Right Thigh: 19.1
Left Calf: 14.3
Right Calf: 14.9
Hips: 44.3
Waist: 41.7
Chest: 41.0
Left Bicep: 12.5
Right Bicep: 12.1
Weight: 200.8

Even with the setback on my workouts, I still managed to drop some weight and see changes in most of my measurements. That excites me, that tells me that I can still do this even if I need to make adjustments on my bad days. I'm still making progress, while it might not be as quickly as those who can complete the program as its setup, but I can still achieve my goals. So can you!

As a side not, I still haven't been able to find a reprieve from my migraines, but I do have an appointment with my Dr later today and hopefully we'll be able to get a handle on this.

Thank you for joining me in my journey to a happier and healthier me!

Goals

*Drink a minimum of 80 oz to start, but I want to work up to a minimum of 100 oz each day.

*I want to do no less than 3 workout sessions a week, but I definitely want to work up to doing the full 21 Day Fix from start to finish.

*I want to continue to eat the healthy portions and the wide variety of healthy goodies.

*I want to find new recipes that I can easily merge my healthy portions into, so that we have a better selection of meals.

What are your goals?

"Breathe...It's only a bad day, not a bad life."

-Johnny Depp