Hello Y’all!  Today is the first post to introduce my Monday Motivation series.  Last year, when I ran my analytics, I noticed that my fitness posts were the most popular not only in the year 2018, but of all time!  I honestly didn’t think they would be that popular, but they were.  I’ve tested out many different diets and workout programs.  Some I’ve been successful with, others not so much.  The programs that are out there, are not for everyone.  Certain programs may be good and healthy for one person, but may be damaging to another person’s health.  Everyone’s body is completely different.  That’s why as I always say, before you try anything I post here on my blog, please consult your doctor.  I’m not licensed or an expert by any means, I just like to share my experiences.  I’m going to talk about my past experiences in order of success.  Also keep in mind that there are a lot of other health and fitness posts that I would like to post, however, since a lot of my before and after pictures are super popular here on the blog, I’ll keep it simple with different programs I’ve done, not including all of the other health and fitness posts I have here like recipes, self love, etc.

Beachbody/21 Day Fix

If you have been following me for several years, you should know that at one point I was a Beachbody Coach and I was extremely successful with the 21 Day Fix.  You’re probably sick and tired of hearing about this on my blog, but I will always stand by the workout programs, and the program in general.  I don’t agree with the coaching/MLM aspect, nor do I 100% agree with the Shakeology (that is honestly the only way you will make money as a coach, unless you are signing people up for programs left and right).  Other than those two things, their program did help me lose almost 50lbs and tone up.  The best part, is it was all done in the comfort of my own home.

Keto

I tested out this program after I had my first seizure in several years in November of 2017.  I had watched so many documentaries and done so much research about Keto and Epilepsy ever since I was diagnosed in 2005.  I did not stop taking my medication, because that is something I would only do under the supervision of my neurologist, but I did add the Keto diet into the mix.  I felt great!  The only reason why I couldn’t stick to it, was because it is a lot of work.  However, I did love the food, and would definitely do this again.  If you’re looking for a temporary weight loss program, this was really good, but I did this diet for other reasons other than weight loss.

30 Days of Yoga with Adriene

Loved, loved, loved!  It was so easy to follow this workout program, and it’s all on Youtube for free!  I could definitely see myself doing this on an every day basis.  I’m trying to actually do this in the morning when I wake up before work, but waking up even earlier than I already do is a struggle for me.  I felt sore, but it was a good sore during this 30 days of Yoga.  Adriene from Yoga with Adriene, actually started a second 30 days of Yoga challenge once we hit 2019 and I decided to try that as well.  I’ll be reviewing that program in a future post!  I will say that I didn’t expect myself to become a Yogi or anything like that because I always wanted to try to get into Yoga.  However, I’m in love with Yoga!

Keto and IF

I liked the Keto portion, but it definitely took some getting used to the IF portion.  I normally don’t like to eat breakfast because of the stomach issues I have, but waiting until lunch time was a bit much for me.  It was hard in the beginning, but I got used to it after a while.  I wrote about this whole process and compared it to other programs that I’ve done in the past.  I did this for my trip to Poland over the summer because I wanted to drop a few extra lbs so that I could eat whatever I wanted during my trip.  I succeeded and dropped 10lbs total!

CKO Kickboxing

Ok, so I never talked about this workout on the blog before because when I started doing it, is when I was at my heaviest and I only have one picture at CKO and it was when I was close to 200lbs, with no progress photos.  I did kickboxing when I was in high school for several years and LOVED it!  However, I will say, if you are looking to test out CKO Kickboxing, I loved that program too.  The reason why I had to stop was because a) I had gotten into a car accident which forced me to go through physical therapy and b) because of that accident, I wasn’t sure if/when I was going to be able to go back so I cancelled my membership since I was getting charged close to $80 a month.  I was in physical therapy for I believe 3 months, so good thing I cancelled it.  It is a great workout, and in an hour I would burn close to 2,000 calories, which is what they advertise.  However, because of my tracker, it did show that judging by my activity and heart rate I was burning close to 2,000 calories per workout.  Highly recommend this program for anyone who is looking for a fun cardio class that builds strength, and gets results.

BBG

I did this program religiously!  I was always sore on the days that I did legs, and I couldn’t walk for 3 days after, but it was a good sore.  However, it was hard to stick to for me to continue the program.  I don’t know why, but I wasn’t in love with it as much as some people.  It is definitely a good work out, don’t get me wrong and the results that you see are fantastic, but it just wasn’t something I could do for a really long period of time.  I tried it because I saw a bunch of bloggers speaking so highly of this program.  Personally it wasn’t for me.  I think if I was more dedicated to the diet portion it would have been better.

Orangetheory Fitness

You may have seen a mention of Orangetheory here on the blog in early 2018.  Yes, it was a sponsored post, however, I did think it was a great workout and a great program.  The only reason why I didn’t continue was because it was so far away from my home.  Even if I would have gone on my way from work (before I switched jobs), I wouldn’t make it in time for a class without somehow ending up getting home at 9pm.  I think they should open up more locations, because it is an amazing workout.  I was sore for a few days, but good sore, not painful sore.  I worked muscles I didn’t know I even had haha!

Whole30

Ugh, even typing Whole30 makes me cringe.  I hated this diet.  It was the absolute worst.  I know some people who have done it who were super successful with it, but I just can’t.  The food was really restrictive, and mentally it turned me into an ahole for lack of better words.  I also hated everything for that 30 days.  The worst part about this diet, is I actually gained back 6 of the 11lbs that I lost during this 30 days within almost 2 weeks.  I over indulged in the foods that I couldn’t eat, so this diet was definitely counter productive.  I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you are someone who can deal with a really restrictive diet, then this might just be the diet for you.

Eating whatever I want

The above picture was taken at my almost heaviest weight.  I gained a few more lbs after this picture was taken before I finally said no more.  Mentally it was a double edged sword.  I loved eating whatever I wanted, but I hated the consequences of feeling tired, bloated, and  just crappy in general.  Not to mention I lost so much of my confidence.  I’m not one of those people who is ok with my body at any size.  I wish that mentally I could be ok with being bigger than I currently am, but I just don’t feel comfortable.  My health was in jeopardy as well because when I had my bloodwork done, but doctor was extremely concerned with my results.  So, as much as I love food (I’m definitely a foodie) I will stick to having cheat days on my diet, and trying to eat healthy the rest of the time.

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At the end of the day, my goal with this series is to introduce new diets and programs to my readers, and I want to give an honest opinion on everything.  I also want to help people who are not able to take that first step of taking control of their health.  I know a lot of people who needed a little nudge and I was that nudge.  I want people to see that there is hope, no matter how hopeless you think you are!  Most importantly, I want y’all to listen to your body.  Your body is a temple, and you only have one, so you do with it what you want, but if you need help getting back on the health and fitness train, make sure to tune in every Monday.  I also want to start showing people that diets should be more about being healthy, rather than wanting to lose weight.  If you are just focused on losing weight and nothing else, it will become a revolving door.  Trust me, I know.  I was obsessed with losing weight for a very big portion of my life, you can read about that here.  It’s not about the number on the scale, or the size you wear, it should be for the health of your own body.

New Health/Fitness Related Things I want to try:

Mediterranean Diet

Tabata (currently practicing)

Qigong

Ballet Beautiful (I did this for a hot second back in 2016, but never continued it)

30 Days of Yoga Part 2 (currently practicing)

Self Love

xoxo Monica

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