Turbulence Training, Social Support and a Plan – It’s that simple!
I remember the date as clearly as if it were yesterday – December 28, 2013. I had had enough! I was overweight, always tired, and downright unhappy with the way I looked and felt.
I knew a change needed to happen and it needed to happen right then and there. 2014 was going to be a big year for me – it was the year I was going to be 50 and I wanted to face my fifties in the best shape possible. It was time to craft a plan. I sat down and wrote three words on a piece of paper: Goal. Strategy. Tactics.
My goal was to have visible abs by 50. My strategy was to get my eating back on track, no more juice fasts and excessive diets followed by binges and to exercise regularly. My tactics were: Join TT competition, create strong social network, follow the nutrition plan, exercise with focus and vigor.
I took an extreme step right away and started out with the 2013 Extreme Fat Loss TT workout. I set up a gym in my garage and hung a printout of the TT workouts on the wall and it was “go” time!
It was tough to start. The first few days I was sore and out of breath, barely able to complete the first moves but I had a commitment and I was following through. No. Matter. What.
I also took Craig’s advice to heart and set up a strong social network. This was key! I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. I made it clear to everyone that my life was going to change for the better. I called family, I emailed friends, and I told co-workers: “I will have “visible abs” by my 50th birthday”. I committed it publicly and it was the best thing I could have ever done!
Social support is key in any transformational journey and it was a life-changer for me. I have always been a private person, sometimes called a lone wolf, so when I came out shouting and committing publicly to big changes it was the first step in my metamorphosis = the new me!
One other thing that was a life-changer for me was changing my diet. Believe it or not, I had to learn to eat more, not less, to lose weight. I joined a nutrition program and was taught how to eat 4 meals per day with specific units of carbs, proteins and healthy fats. I cut out all alcohol consumption and I followed that nutrition plan to a T. No cheats!
As the pounds came off the workouts improved and I felt stronger every day. I loved the TT Buff Dudes/Hot Chicks workout but my favorite was combining my MCT with MRT and getting it done Extreme Fat Loss style.
I look back with happiness at memories of tabatas in the rain in January and sweating and cursing my stability ball in February as I tried to complete pike presses. By March I was a lunging pro and queen of Bulgarian split squats. Completing TT workouts nightly gave me a chance to have a victory. My day was done, I had eaten right and I had conquered a grueling and fulfilling TT challenge. Victory!
I have finished the final phase of the TT Challenge and I did not falter. When I felt weak I called on my support group and always got help from folks in my corner. My neighbor came across the street to work out with me on days when I did not have the motivation to do it alone.
At conferences when everyone stood around the bar, cocktail in hand, my co-workers cheered me on while I sipped my soda water and lemon. My friends received blog/emails from me celebrating my mini-victories as the pounds came off and the clothes got looser, not tighter and their written words of encouragement buoyed me to the next level, the next challenge.
I am proud of what I accomplished and am taking a moment to reflect on all the inches lost, the 22 pounds lost, the fact I dropped my bmi from 33% to 23% but I am not done. Those abs are not visible yet!
I am ready to start the next phase of TT workouts as I push closer to my goal of feeling fabulous at 50. Only 3 months to go and lots of TT workouts to get me there! I have learned a lot on this journey – most importantly – you cannot go it alone.
It is so important to involve friends, family, an online network, your neighborhood network, network with folks at work. There is a saying “It takes a village” and I believe it now! You should too.
Remember to have a goal AND A PLAN. It is so simple! Set a goal and map out a plan to get there. If you follow that plan you will reach your goal. It is not easy. But it is simple. There are no diet tricks, no exercise tricks. Simple well-planned meals and TT exercise routines will pave your path to success.
TT workouts will keep your muscles growing and will never let you become bored. Every TT holds some new challenge and with that challenge comes the opportunity to celebrate a new victory when you complete it.
Enough said! I have to run – I’m off to do TT for Meatheads. Only 3 months to the big day. My abs and obliques are sore this morning and my face is smiling. Thank you Craig and TT team for showing me the path to success and for taking the guess work out of it. All I have to do is follow instructions and stay on course. My goal is in sight!
Sincerely,
Kathleen
