#eightydays

It has been #eightydays and holy cow… What a journey these #eightydays have been!!!

First & most importantly, my initial goal was to see my ab muscles on my 34th birthday. Bottom line, no, I cannot see the six pack I was chasing. But, I have gained so much more and the six pack is right around the corner… Goal not reached just yet and certainly not abandoned. Just a tad further down the path

Eighty days ago I set forth on a journey. A journey in which my sole goal was to see my abs by my birthday. Well, today is my birthday and though I cannot see my pesky ab muscles just yet, I have gained so much more. In hind sight, it should have never been about the abs. But, hey, we all have a reason why we start. And then somewhere along the journey we find the reasons why we continue. So thank you abs for inspiring me, but more importantly all those reasons I kept going, that is what I am thankful for.

I know this much, this has turned into so much more than I could have ever imagined and I am so thrilled by this journey. I am finished with my initial goal – eighty days of consistent healthy habits. Yup, still no abs. But, here’s what the journey has taught me.

First, starting at #eightydays was a tinge ridiculous. For me, an eighty day deadline means too much time. It means I can put off focus and effort because “I’ve still got time”. It means that when I started this journey I only had my end goal in sight and I knew I had time to get there. I was in no rush and I made too many excuses as to why it was ok that I was not focused. It gave me an out everytime I wanted to indulge, relax and not get the ball rolling. In hind sight, having a deadline or an end goal defeats the purpose of a healthy lifestyle, it means at some point you will stop. I don’t want to stop being as healthy as I can be.

Then, #sixtydays arrived. I was suddenly 20 days into a goal and hadn’t even taken one step in the right direct. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew in that moment that accountability was going to be the key to my success. I had not set intentions, I had not mapped out a game plan. I had’t started anything. So on day sixty I started by taking a selfie. One picture in the bathroom mirror with the number 60 reflected at me. It was time to start.

And so the journey began. I started running more often. I was more aware of the food I was putting into my body, but there was still the simple problem of… I had time.

We took the Doodle to Disney for her fifth birthday and I indulged. Not the “I had a cheat meal” kind of indulgence. But, rather the “I had a cheat vacation” and when we arrived home with 35 days to spare I was no closer to my end goal than on day eighty.

Then, everything started to fall into place. My dear friend introduced me to Beachbody. We had been talking to one another for moths, if not longer, about health and wellness and different approaches. And she started posting quotes, images, videos, results. I was immediately hooked. What she was sharing made me feel like all of the guess work would be taken out of the journey. I would have fitness, a meal plan and nutrition at my finger tips. Previously I always had one or two, but not the entire package and I have learned, I cannot figure it out for myself.

So I jumped on the band wagon. Literally, signing up to be a coach the day I purchased my first challenge. It was about so much more than that day, my goals. It was about chasing a passion that I had carried within for a couple years. Thirty one days ago I became a Beachbody Coach!!! I started my first challenge and I intended to eat well, workout everyday and prove to myself that I can completely redefine my life in 21 days.

In all honesty I missed one workout. 20 days of consistent fitness and in those 20 days a noticeable change occurred. I was stronger, leaner, more capable. My endurance improved, my flexibility improved. My thighs were thinning out, my bum was lifting and my arms were getting toned. And because we are being honest… I did not follow the meal plan as I should have. I had two strong weeks, noticeable improvement and then bam. One week in which I plunged into a dark hole of comfort food, indulgence and losing track. Where I was disappointed in myself, I also understood that this is part of life and that my health is my journey.

Four days ago I started my second round of 21 Day Fix Extreme. Four days ago I stocked up on meal plan essentials. Fours days ago I started my very first challenge group with others thirsty for a healthy lifestyle. And in these fours days I have noticed amazing things. All the work and preparation leading up to these past four days has garnered incredible results. I feel trim, I feel lean, I feel strong and I am motivated.

No, I cannot see my abs just yet. But, I can see muscles all over my body that were never visible previously. No, I have not completely locked down my eating, but I am so much more focused and knowledgable on how to eat healthy (80/20 folks – someday I will get to 90/10 – baby steps). I am happy. I am healthy. I am a coach. I am a wife, mom, friend, employee, blogger… I am becoming everything I want to be and it all started because I wanted to see my abs!

Eighty days ago, I started a journey with an end goal in mind, with an end date on the calendar. Though it was my reason to start, I am thrilled that I have found my reason to stay. There is no longer an end date on the calendar. Now there are new goals set, dates to complete goals by, but a lifestyle has developed and I am beyond thrilled to have made this mental change.

Cheers to showing you my abs someday… Right now, I am off to celebrate my birthday. A sip of wine, a bite of cake and then back on track!