After competing in several triathlons, and never losing a pound, I was burned out and resigned to never having the body I wanted after having 4 children. I learned the hard way that long, steady-state cardio wasn't going to get me the results I wanted. I had maintained the same weight (with the exception of my pregnancies) for over 4 years! Being an ACE certified personal trainer made matters even worse for me. I spent my days telling other people how to transform their bodies, but I couldn't do it for myself.
I knew exactly what it would take to change my body, but I continually committed the cardinal sin of fat loss---inconsistency. I couldn't find a plan that worked with my schedule, kept my interest, was progressive, and completely spelled out for me; that is until I came across Turbulence Training.
Finding Turbulence Training was the best thing that ever happened to my physique and my self-esteem. It was perfect for me because, as a busy mom to four and a part-time personal trainer, finding the time to workout had become so difficult that I couldn't be consistent with my workouts. After working at the gym with my clients, I was too exhausted to stay for my own workout and I was always in a hurry to get home to my family. Knowing that I could do my workout at home in half the time, only three days a week, got rid of all my excuses.
Without excuses, I was finally able to be consistent with my workouts. I knew that such consistency was the only true secret to fat loss, but with TT workouts, I could finally follow through and stay committed to a plan. The work was all done for me, so I didn't have to “think” at the gym, it was all there for me.
Not only was having a no-excuses plan key to my success, the unique format of TT workouts are by far the most effective fat loss workouts I've found. I simply got MORE done in LESS time. I was able to get rid of “stubborn” fat with fewer workouts than when I was exercising 2 or more hours a day training for triathlons.
After some research, I decided to incorporate “Lean Gains” intermittent fasting approach to dieting to my transformation plan. It ended up being the easiest diet I have ever tried. Not to mention, I gained muscle while losing fat on the diet, which isn't an easy thing to accomplish.
I started my journey on Memorial Day. I was surprised by the immediate results, and how good of a workout it was. I still had a triathlon that I had signed up for coming up in the beginning of June, so on my off days, I did my long runs, rides and swims. For my HIIT, I did speed work to prepare for my triathlon. I was working out less, but was still able to beat my previous time in the triathlon I competed in which completely amazed me!
Halfway through the contest in July, I went on a week long vacation for a family reunion several states away. I was extremely worried that I would backslide during the trip, that I would give in to social pressure or not have the time to workout. TT made it easy to workout at the hotel we stayed at and intermittent fasting kept my diet in check. All I did was fast in the mornings, have a small, healthy lunch, and then I was able to enjoy a large, normal, dinner with our family without drawing attention to my dieting or worrying about being perfect on the plan.
Unfortunately, when I got home from our trip I started to have some health issues. I was dealing with kidney problems (I have had kidney surgery in the past and sometimes my right kidney will swell up and not drain.) I was also dealing with severe water retention, cramping and pain from my Endometriosis. I went in to see multiple doctors, trying to determine the cause of my problems and how they related to one another.
To spare you the details, it was determined that I would need to have a partial hysterectomy and remain on a medication to help my right kidney function better. Luckily for me, the surgery was scheduled for after the contest. Meanwhile though, I had to continue on despite all the problems I was having. At first, I thought that the contest was over for me. With the water retention issues, my weight was all over the place. I couldn't tell if what I was doing was working or not. I had to rely heavily on my body fat measurements since the scale was no help. I was frustrated and most importantly, not feeling well.
Then I made the decision that I had to finish strong. I only had a month left at that point and I had truly worked so hard up until then, that I simply could not give up. My husband was such a support and inspiration to me to keep going and I didn't want to let him, or myself down.
I couldn't control my health problems, but I could make the decision to go to the gym and not miss my workouts. I could make the decision to skip dessert and pass on seconds. I could work hard and continually see my body change for the better. That gave me the encouragement and the will to keep going.
Looking back, I learned that each day was a decision. True, I had to decide to keep going when my health issues arose at a time that I could have easily given up, but even at day 1, day 15 and day 42, I had a choice to make. I had to choose to workout, choose to make sacrifices, and choose to watch what I ate. Luckily, I had made that decision at the very beginning, but my resolve to stick to that decision would be tested every single day, every single meal. It was never losing sight that every single day counted that helped me to see the bigger picture and stay committed to my decision.
I am so happy, not only with my results, but also that I can now be a better example to my clients, family and friends! I lost several inches off my body, lost 12 lbs., busted through a plateau and now weigh what I haven't weighed since my sophomore year in high school! Having a plan, getting rid of excuses and making every day count were vital to my success. And all of those things were possible because of Craig's amazing TT programs and his coaching and encouragement!
Stats:
Start Date: May 29th, 2011
End Date: August 20th, 2011
- Weight: 116---104 -12 lbs
- Waist: 28”---24.5” -3.5”
- Hips: 36”---34” -2”
- Belly Button: 32”---28” -4”
- Thigh: 21”---20” -1”
Programs Used:
- TT Intermediate Level Workout
- Original TT Workout
- TT 23K Workout
Diet used:
Martin Berkhan's "Lean Gains" Guide to Intermittent Fasting
