For as long as I can remember I’ve had a dysfunctional relationship with my body. Perhaps the only thing more dysfunctional has been my relationship with food. I distinctly remember being 8 years old and sneaking extra pieces of pizza only to shame eat them in the garage so no one would count how many pieces I’d actually eaten.

So when it came time for the 60day Challenge, I knew exactly what my goals would be, but I almost couldn’t bring myself to sign up for the challenge. The idea of inviting another person into my health journey at such a close range seemed far too exposing and I couldn’t stomach the idea of letting someone see me that clearly, but I knew I needed to.

I chose Tyler as my coach, primarily because I had taken a couple of classes with him the month prior and he seemed to coach with a good blend of kindness, and encouragement, and pushed you just the right amount. We agreed upon two goals for myself: Nutrition and body composition.

I was most nervous about the nutrition element as that had been the thing that had tripped me up time & time again throughout my life, but Tyler quickly instructed me that we were going to be pairing nutrition and body composition together to create a plan, unlike anything I’d attempted before. Tyler introduced me to the idea of BMR and macronutrients and we developed a game plan that revolved around my protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake. This idea was revolutionary to me as I had only ever considered calories. To be honest, I was nervous about tracking my macros every day as calorie counting is something I had done previously and had always brought a great deal of stress and shame to me.

The first week shocked me. First of all, my grocery bill was huge compared to what it was the week before. However, once I did the math I realized I was spending way less on food now because I wasn’t eating out anymore. The one lump sum on the grocery bill was shocking, but not as shocking as it was to see how much I usually spent weekly from all the eating out I was doing. Secondly, I was amazed at how no matter how hard I tried, I seemingly couldn’t eat enough to hit all of my macro goals. Eating became a full time job! What was really amazing to me was how I was eating way more than I was before, but I was losing weight and I was always full! Even more amazing, I wasn’t even thinking about calories anymore! My cravings seemed to disappear almost instantly as my protein intake increased. That was definitely the hardest part, getting enough protein. I checked in with Tyler and he gave me some tips to help me with my protein intake and that’s when I really noticed my body composition begin to change. Between Tyler’s coaching and the Life Time meal plans, I was never short on options to eat and my energy was increasing tremendously!

I decided to sign up for a handful of regular Life Time classes throughout the 60day to help with my body composition goals because I quickly realized having a coach around was super helpful to me. Each week I ended up taking two GTX classes, two Alpha classes, a Root Yoga class, and in time gave Dance Jam a try. These classes have absolutely changed my life. Firstly, the coaching and the workouts themselves have been tremendous, but what has really blown me away is the sense of community and comradery I’ve found at the gym. As previously stated, my health journey has historically been a private affair. My own shame and insecurity kept me from engaging with others at the gym, but what I found throughout the 60 Days is that taking this journey with others is absolutely a secret ingredient to success. Not just success in terms of the long-term goal, but it makes the journey so much more enjoyable!

Another thing I discovered throughout this journey is how much I enjoy just being at the gym. In past seasons I have joined other gyms and my mindset was always the same; get in and get out as quickly as you can. The gym was a task to check off the to-do list rather than a place I looked forward to being. In all honesty, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten the same results as I have from this 60day Challenge at any other gym or facility.

Moving forward, I know I’m going to continue progressing. I’m not concerned in the slightest about backtracking simply because the 60day Challenge wasn’t a crash diet, it was a lifestyle overhaul, set to the wisdom of new habits, patterns, and relationships that have made me healthier, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I am so remarkably grateful for the 60day Challenge, and although it was a challenge, I now know a challenge is not something to run from, but something I can accomplish and that will strengthen me. Thank you Life Time for what you have given me through your staff, your facilities, and through the 60day Challenge.