It's so hard to believe that 12 weeks have gone by! As I sit to write this
essay, I am in disbelief of the changes I have seen in myself over the past
84 days. This says a lot about the programs Craig Ballantyne creates; they
are well thought out, and while they are very challenging, I really enjoyed
every single workout I completed.
I came to TT being no stranger to working out. Before TT, I tried to go to
the gym and do workouts, but I ended up several times with overuse injuries
from long cardio sessions and weight overdoing my weight training.
I lacked direction and I was so frustrated; I felt like what I was doing
didn?t do any good because all I got out of it was tiredness and injury and
I never saw any changes in my weight or body shape.
Weight control had been easier when I was a few years younger (isn?t that
true for everyone?) because I was naturally more active. I used to ride
multiple horses every day, but that fell by the wayside as I went to college
and then got a full time job working an hour away from home.
Over the course of 5 years, I gained 35-40 pounds and lost all my energy. I
was struggling with depression and lacking the drive to even get out of bed
and face the day because I knew I would feel sluggish and worn down, no
matter how much sleep I had gotten.
I felt like such a hypocrite, being in the medical profession and telling
people that it?s important to eat right and be active every day when I
couldn?t even motivate myself to do it. What do healthcare workers do after
telling a patient that? We eat fried food from the hospital cafeteria
(seriously, I?m still amazed at the lack of healthy choices offered in a
hospital cafeteria!) or we stop at a fast food burger joint on the way back
from an EMS run, and justify it by saying ?oh, I?m too busy taking care of
others to really take care of me?.
I finally decided that it wasn?t acceptable for me to not practice what I
preach, so I set off looking for a better way to live and I found TT. I
can?t say enough about Craig Ballantyne?s wonderful system and his
dedication to his customers. He helped me greatly when I first started the
program by picking a suitable workout for me and working around my previous
injuries from a horseback riding accident and my overuse injuries from my
well-meaning but definitely wasted time at the gym, and he has helped me
pick workouts as I have progressed.
Those who know me on the forums know that I keep a very hectic schedule; as
a field Paramedic I often have trouble getting my planned meals at work and
I don?t always get to the gym as planned. I?m here to say that no matter
what your schedule is like, TT can work for you! I?m living proof that
despite a long commute, difficult hours and an odd schedule, following TT
and a reasonable diet (like The Diet Solution Program by Isabel De Los Rios)
90 percent of the time will yield amazing results.
Sure, I was a skeptic when I first found the program, thinking it may be an
internet scam, wondering what made it different from what I?d already tried
and wondering if it would work for ME and my unique needs; after all, I
don?t have much time to commit to exercising, right? Don?t let that deter
you- during the past 12 weeks, I have had a birthday (and the food that goes
along with it), Valentine?s day (Ditto), late nights at work with fast food
runs and missed gym time, and a 10 day trip out of the state and country to
a place where I literally had no control over the health value of my food.
Regardless of all this, I have had amazing results. After only 14 weeks
total of TT and 12 weeks in the contest, I can tell you that the 40 USD I
spent on the Turbulence Training package was by far the best investment in
my health and fitness I have ever made.
The support from Craig and the forums is amazing, and I know without
everyone on the forums I wouldn?t have been nearly as successful as I was.
I?m looking forward to continuing on my fitness journey with the help of
Craig and the support of those on the TT forums, but more importantly I am
looking forward to the rest of my life with all my new-found energy and
improved fitness. Here?s to practicing what we preach!
Programs used:
TT for Beginners
TT Intermediate
optional Abs 1000 Challenge
TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks
Diet Followed:
The Diet Solution Program by Isabel De Los Rios
Stats:
Height: 5?4??
Age: 21
Measurement area: Start/End/Change
Weight: 149.7/124.5/ -25.2 lbs
Bust: 40??/33??/ -7??
Ribcage: 33??/27.5??/-5.5?? (wow! This one is crazy impressive to me!! My
bras don?t have a roll anymore!)
Waist (navel): 34??/24??/-10??
Waist (widest): 36??/26??/-10??
Hips: 41??/36.5??/-4.5??
Right Thigh: 26??/22.5??/-3.5??
Left Thigh: 25.5??/22.5??/-3??
Right Arm: 12??/11??/-1??
Left Arm: 12??/11??/-1?
Rachel
