So, my Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping 10 weeks finished last Saturday. I worked as hard as I could, was diligent in all aspects of the program and now my journey is complete. . .or is it? If there’s one thing that I want to take from this whole experience, it’s that being healthy is so much more than just hitting a destination point; it’s an ongoing commitment to making decisions that benefit the mind, body and soul.
Since being recognized as the Most Transformed Male from the last 10 weeks, I’ve had a number of people ask me how I did it. In short, I changed the way I approached my life and my health. I know that sounds a little vague and abstract, so let me explain a little better.
In order to describe the changes I’ve made, I need to back up a little. Growing up, I was always an athlete and played several sports. I really never struggled with my weight, and I honestly didn’t understand how or why others did. I guess you can just chalk it up to youthful ignorance. As I entered into college and the years that have followed, I approached my life similarly to my youth. I ate and drank what I wanted and I figured if I occasionally got a little exercise, I’d be just fine. After all, if you take in a lot of calories, you can just go for a run and burn them off – right? It’s taken me a while to even realize that I was doing anything wrong, but it started to all come to light shortly before I joined Farrell’s.
I’ve long believed that behind every great man is an even better woman. If I have any “great” attributes, I can attribute them in large part to my wife, Jessica. If you’ve been following her blog, you know that she’s been going through this transformation for longer than I have, and if you've ever been around her, you can’t help but be inspired. I’ve always felt like I’ve been encouraging and supportive of her, but I started to realize that I was at times sabotaging her efforts, and hurting myself at the same time. We’d stay up late hanging out, going to a movie, doing work around the house or any number of other activities. Then she’d get up really early to work out, and I’d sleep in. She’d prepare herself a healthy breakfast, and I’d eat fast food. I would tell her to keep up the good work, and then we’d eat two different dinners. What’s wrong with this picture?!
Now, on to the transformation. For me, it all became clear pretty quickly that I had been deceiving myself. Everyone saw me as “thin,” but being healthy is so much more than being thin. The first thing I did was change the way I ate. Cutting out all the unnecessary sweets and fat made a huge difference. In fact, I could feel a difference within two days. It was like my heart felt lighter. I also realized that I wasn’t doing near enough physically to be in the shape that I wanted to be. I made the decision work as hard as I possibly could at the workouts. I’m not going to lie, it was my secret desire to break one of the punching bags from hitting so hard – still hoping!
But during all these changes, the most significant change was my relationship with Jessica. Like I said, I’ve always encouraged her, but actions really do speak louder than words. We encouraged each other throughout the 10 weeks because we were going through the same process. Working out together helped us relate in a way that we never had before. We even ate the same meals at the dinner table. Imagine that. I can honestly say that our relationship has never been better.
Here are a few specific ways that you can make similarchanges to what I did.
1. Examine the way you eat
I realized that I was eating a lot of sugar and fat, but was often still hungry. I now eat 6 smaller, balanced meals a day.
2. Try something new
Before the past 10 weeks I thought I didn’t like eggs, veggies or seafood. I now eat eggs everyday. I snack on raw carrots and broccoli, and I love roasting asparagus and orange/red bell peppers. I also like sushi now. Not only is that seafood, but it’s often raw fish – what!?!
3. Set specific goals
Unless you set a goal, how do you know if you’re moving in the right direction? Once you reach your goals, make new ones and keep improving. My goals were to do 60 situps/min, 70 pushups/min and a 6 minute mile. At 10 weeks, I did 68 situps, 74 pushups and 5:51 in the mile.
4. Find someone who you can get healthy with.
A spouse or significant other is a great option!
5. Give all you can
If you work as hard as you can, you can never be disappointed in yourself. Test your limits and push harder. You’d be surprised how much you can do if you’re willing to be uncomfortable.
So, how did I do it? Like I said, I changed the way I approached life, and this journey is far from over!
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