There is more than one way to get fit and not every style fits everyone. Today I want to introduce you to a Wonder Woman named Vanessa. If you spend any time with Vanessa you can tell she is leader who leads with action and not words. Vanessa’s pretty quiet but when the workouts begin she attacks them with focus and intensity. She’s been working out for years on her own which takes dedication and commitment and has added Fitness Boot Camp to her regimen for a little socialization. This is Vanessa’s story!
How long have you been exercising consistently?
I have been exercising for about 13 years. I started out buying just about every workout video there is. I got all kinds of exercise equipment and worked out at home. I would get up at 4:30 every morning so I could work out before work.
What influenced your decision to get dedicated and be consistently active?
I wanted to get healthy and that was the way to do it.
How much weight/inches/jean sizes have you lost or/and how much stronger are you? What are the changes you’ve seen in yourself?
I have gained muscle and I can do things now that I couldn’t do before. I have so much more energy too.
What is your favorite thing about Boot Camp? What Exercise most scared you at first?
What I love about boot camp is being around a group of people with the same goals. It helps motivate me to continue to push forward. Battle ropes, boy, I hated battle ropes! Now, they are just a challenge that I was able to overcome.
Can you briefly tell me why You continue to do Boot Camp?
I continue boot camp because it allows me a set time of the day to recharge and not think about anything else. It allows me to focus on me and being fit.
What are some of your biggest barriers to staying active and how do you overcome those barriers?
I got married last year and we stay on the run constantly. It’s easy to let our busy schedule override staying active. Boot camp helps with that a lot because I can work out during my lunch break. If I miss boot camp at lunch because of my work schedule, it’s easy to make an excuse not to work out when I get home. I’ve recently started overcoming that barrier by working out in my office when I can’t make it to boot camp.
Since becoming consistent with your exercise, what’s the biggest change you see in yourself physically and mentally?
The biggest change physically is I’ve gotten more toned and gained more muscle. The change mentally would be that inner voice telling me to push. She can be pretty tough sometimes.
How would you classify your current eating habits?
I would say good. I manage to do okay at breakfast and lunch during the week. Its supper and meals on the weekends that is more difficult. My husband and I have different eating habits. It makes it difficult preparing meals for two people. I’m hoping I’ll win him over to the healthy eating side one of these days.
Do you have a specific diet/eating strategy that you follow?
When I’m doing better on my eating, I choose clean eating strategy. No processed foods.
Do you have a favorite go to healthy meal or food?
Spinach salad with goat cheese, berries and almonds.
Do you have advice for someone contemplating starting a fitness/weight loss journey or advice for someone struggling to stay motivated?
Do it. Don’t make excuses. Just do it. Once you get started and it becomes a habit it gets easier. You’ll have set backs, but don’t let that stop you. Get back up and start again.
If you workout consistently you have a fitness story whether you have 100 lbs to lose or 0. I want to thank Vanessa for sharing her story! In addition, a couple things we can all take away. Number one, whether you use workout videos, run or do boot camp the type of workout doesn’t matter. It’s all about being consistent with the style that best fits YOU! Number two, having fitness time allows you to focus on YOU. Too many people neglect themselves until they are in poor health both physically and mentally. Fitness time allows you to enhance both. Number three, when you are in a family that has different eating styles the best thing you can do is fix meals that both will eat. The easiest way to win someone over to healthy eating is preparing healthy choices mixed with the things they like to eat. It may take a little time, but they will eventually try the healthy choices and find they’re not as bad as they think. We’ve done this for years at my house and it allows everyone to eat what they like without straining relationships. Once again I want to thank Vanessa for sharing and I hope her story inspires you to find your way to fitness.