My Journey to Health.

It seems to be a common trend in America today to look good no matter what the cost. We impulsively resort to 'quick-fixes', completely disregarding the permanent damage they have on our bodies. Crash diets, diet pills, artificial/souped up protein powders, plastic surgery, eating disorders, and God knows what else...as long as it seems 'easy & quick', we're all over it. I'm sure every one of you has at one point in time been affected by this, so I thought I would share my story on the matter and how I came to realize that health should be prioritized before the way you look, not the other way around. Once you do this, I promise, it will pay off, in more ways than one. I hope that by sharing my experiences you can learn from my mistakes, and save yourself a LOT of wasted time, and more importantly, save your body from having to undergo the strain of unhealthy eating/exercise habits.

Not too long ago in high school - freshman year of college (actually come to think of it, that was a long time ago), I would do just about anything to be thin, in shape, and beautiful. In fact, I've tried just about every single one of the methods I listed above (minus plastic surgery).

Crash Dieting/Eating Disorders
I started experimenting with crash dieting in high school. I think we've all done it, or all of us women anyway. Before I had *any* understanding of nutrition and the metabolism, I skipped meals, expecting to lose loads of weight because of the restricted caloric intake. And I did, for about a month. What I didn't understand was that I was kicking my body into starvation mode, and that my metabolism would eventually adjust to the change and my weight loss would plateau. And that's exactly what happened. The metabolism is a beautiful, frustrating thing. It's designed to keep us alive and adapt to just about any situation you throw at it, which is why it is SO important to keep it happy...seriously, piss off your metabolism and you can pretty much kiss your weight loss goals goodbye. However, I didn't know this at the time. So I took things a step further, and stopped eating altogether. Biggest mistake of my life. I kid you not. If I could take back one decision in my entire life, it would be that one. The physical, mental, and emotional repercussions of engaging in an eating disorder are so incredibly massive, and they take years, sometimes a lifetime, to repair. Anyway, once I stopped eating it was just a huge downward spiral. Sure, I lost a lot of weight, pretty fast. But once you stop eating for that long, you will gain weight twice as fast because your metabolism has been in starvation mode for so long. You can't just say, "I'm going to be anorexic for a month or two just to get to the weight I want, and then I'll start eating normally," because by that time you've F-ed up your body so bad that it won't burn calories as efficiently as it was before. And this is why eating disorders kill people. Because once you get to that point, you either want to be healthy again and are ready to risk gaining all the weight back to repair your metabolism, or you feel trapped, like gaining weight is the most terrifying thing in the world, and that you have to keep on starving yourself. And by then that is the point you will have come to, starving yourself just to maintain weight. Sound fun? No. So please, spare yourself the pain and frustration, be happy that you have a functioning metabolism that burns the calories that you eat, and if you don't think it's burning them fast enough, then focus on increasing your metabolism through frequent exercise and eating small, healthy amounts often. Avoid putting your body into 'starvation mode' at all costs. Even after just 3 hours without eating your body is forced to store calories as fat instead of burning them, because it does not know when it will get it's next meal. Crash dieting and eating disorders are extremely counter-productive, and they pretty much screw over your metabolism. I struggled with my eating disorder off and on for about 6 years, and my metabolism is just now getting to the point where it can burning calories efficiently.

Diet Pills/Artificial/Souped Up Protein Powders
I think I've pretty well established that a happy metabolism=easier weight loss, right? Ok. Diet Pills=UNHAPPY METABOLISM. Throughout those unfortunate 6 years, I also experimented with these. Who could resist the outrageous claims they make, right? Most of these pills have the same affect on the body as eating disorders do. They may (I stress...*may*) work, but even if they do, it will only be for a short period of time. However, once the metabolism adjusts for to the crap you're putting into your body, your weight loss will plateau and you've just made natural weight loss 10x more difficult, and weight gain 10x easier. So once again, spare yourselves. They do not work, and after a period of time will become counter-productive and actually make you gain weight. 'Artificial/souped up protein powders' do the exact same thing. Products like No-Xplode that increase your heart rate/blood flow are not only extremely dangerous for your heart, but also have the same affect on the metabolism.

Alcohol
Ahh, this is a tough one for me. I'm not really a hardcore partier but I do love having a drink every now and then. And realistically, I probably will have a drink every now and then until the day I die. Moderation is definitely key here. Most people, myself included, drink without thinking of what it's doing to your body. Alcohol is not 'free calories', in fact, it is metabolized exactly the same way as sugar. Additionally, it clogs your liver. Big deal, right? Actually, when your liver is too busy filtering alcohol, it can't effectively filter other toxins/fats, and they will go straight to your gut/hips.

In summary - if something seems to be a 'quick & easy' fix, it's not. It is a long-term detriment to your body, and will only make your weight loss goals harder to reach. Be a purist to your body. Don't do anything that will unnaturally affect your metabolism. And don't be afraid of hard work, because when it comes down to it, that is the only thing that is going to get you long-term results. Your health is priceless, invaluable, and it will be with you for the rest of your life. It's up to you to decide what condition you want it to be in. Pursuing health will not only give you a great body now, but it will enable you to do the things you love to do later in life. Make health your priority, and the nice body will come as a result, permanently!

Day 30: Core Cardio & Balance

Yep, I'm still here : ). This recovery week has been incredibly nice. I hope my body still remembers how hard it has to work during 'regular' work outs, because month 2 is only three days away. Today when I was putting my hair back in front of the mirror I realized how toned my arms are getting...it's awesome! I haven't felt this good about myself in a really long time.

I went running today on top of my work out; I didn't realize how fatigued my muscles really are. They definitely feel stronger, but now I know that I really do need to take a break and let this be 'recovery' week, otherwise I have a feeling I'll have some strong regrets in month 2. I took some time to watch all of the MAX work outs yesterday, just so I could get the form down on the new exercises. Holy goodness!! It looks awesome. I'm excited.

Day 28: Core Cardio & Balance

RECOVERY WEEK IS HERE...yay! I'm pretty stoked about finishing month one. Today's work out was suuuch a nice break. It's strange to have been giving it 110% and then taking it down to 90%, definitely took some getting used to. Nevertheless, my body is thanking me : ). The only really difficult exercise was the hip flexor burners...or whatever you call them. Anyway, I probably won't post every day this week considering it's the same work out every day. If not, I'll definitely be posting my re-cap of the first day of month 2!

Breakfast: Shakeology + frozen banana & instant coffee blended (soooooo good)
Lunch: Baked Tofu, Flax Crackers & light swiss cheese
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Veggie burger (minus bun) and steamed broccoli & cauliflower

Day 27: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

This is probably one of my favorite work outs. I pushed myself much harder than usual because I didn't seem like I was on the brink of exhaustion like I usually do, so I sat deeper into the squat jacks and went much deeper into my push ups. My arms were literally trembling by the end! I've noticed much improvements in the squat type exercises. In the first week I could barely keep up and now it's almost easy (until I decided to sit deeper into them). In & Out Abs and Ski Abs are still EXTREMELY hard. However I was able to do Ski Abs the entire time w/o taking a break, but those damn In & Outs got me on the last circuit. My core could handle it, but my arms just aren't there yet. Anyway, it was my last day of month 1! Yay!! I'm terrified/excited for month 2, and am really curious as to what this 'recovery week' is all about. I have a feeling it's not easy haha.

Tip of the day: Shakeology + Instant Coffee = Best Hangover Cure EVER.

Day 26: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

I brought it today! I really focused on contracting my core during each exercise, and sitting even deeper into the squats. I'd say the Pedals exercise is the hardest, the one with the lunges in between. Once again I had to take a quick break during the frog jumps. The exercise itself isn't that hard, I think I lose steam during them because by that time in the circuit my quads are trembling. But I have improved immensely. Oh yeah, today was also my first day with official cross-trainers. DO NOT wait until day 26 to get them! Trust me, your ankles will thank you. Regular running shoes do not support side to side movement like cross-trainers do.

Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Grilled chicken w/steamed broccoli & cauliflower
Snack: Flax crackers & light swiss cheese
Dinner: Veggie burger (minus the bun)
Snack: Apple & flax crackers
After Workout: Recovery drink

Tip of the day: When you get to the 3d-4th week, you will feel yourself being able to complete the exercises 'easier'. When you get to this point, DIG DEEPER. Sit into the squats deeper, go faster to complete more reps, and really concentrate on contracting your core. The point isn't to get to a point where it is easy. The point is to constantly push yourself to a higher level.

Day 25: Cardio Recovery

Ahh, another day of "recovery". Haha. Although the break from intense cardio was nice, those squat and lunge pulses set my muscles on fire every time! I really have to concentrate to get through them. It definitely helps to remember that the pain is sculpting my legs. Well it's going to be a short one tonight, just got back from a night out with the girls and I'm ready for bed.

Tip of the day: If you have to, bite something to get through those pulses! Remember that the burn is good.

Days 23 & 24: Cardio Power & Resistance and Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Day 24: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Not gonna lie, this work out kicked my ass today...more than usual. I'm not really sure why...I think it's probably because I still haven't caught up on sleep since finals, and my body just hasn't recovered. Sleep is IMPORTANT!!! Anyway, I was ok until about the 2nd set of the drills, during the Ski Abs & In and Out Abs. Not too worried about it though, you'll always have on and off days, you just have to push through no matter what. Definitely looking forward to Cardio Recovery tomorrow, and a loooong night of sleep, finals-free!

Breakfast: Protein Bar
Lunch: Shakeology
Snack: Dried Mangos, Flax Crackers & light swiss cheese (Laughing Cow - 35cals)
Dinner: Baked Tofu
After Workout: Recovery drink

Tip of the day: Invest in Cross-Trainers. I heard Shaun T give the same advice on the 1st work out and ignored it, thinking my running shoes would suffice. They don't. Running shoes are only built for forward motion, not side to side motion, and unfortunately my ankles have started to pay the price. I'm going to pick up some cross-trainers tomorrow!

Day 23: Cardio Power & Resistance

Yesterday I was able to work out one more day with Robert before he had to go back to San Diego. I think Cardio Power & Resistance is the 2nd most difficult work out - and I pretty much crushed it last night! only had to stop and take a 5 second brake once. Otherwise I was able to keep up with everyone on the DVD.