Winners / Rebecca M
Rebecca M.
“The object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result” is the definition of goal. However, how we set our goals has a big impact of accomplishing our goals. “I am 110 lbs and 12% body fat. I am happy. I drink plenty of water and eat healthy. My family is financially set for life.” These were my goals for the 60-Day Challenge that were taped to my computer monitor. I recite my goals to myself every day. My goals are purposely written as statements not desires that I hoped to one day reach. Every time I read my goals, I repeat to myself who I am even though at the start of the challenge the statements were not true. Our minds are amazing machines that protect us from harm but can also keep us from challenges. In order to reach my goals, I needed to “re-wire” my subconscious so that what I wanted became a reality.
Every time I walked by the Life Café I eyed the D.TOX box. I was always curious about the D.TOX. After signing up for the 60-Day Challenge, I got an email from Anika who told us the scoop on the D.TOX. She compared our bodies to a car and explained how our bodies may need a cleaning. Cleansing my body to aid my metabolism was intriguing to me. I have to admit the first day was the hardest because I love drinking my cappuccino in the mornings. Giving up coffee was not easy. However, by mid-week, I was full of energy. During the D.TOX, we were instructed to rest our bodies. I switched my intense workouts to stress relieving workouts like yoga, Street Vib and sitting in the steam room. I did not see much transformation during the DTOX weeks, but for those that may question please listen when I say, “stick to the plan and take it easy!”
My husband also signed up for the 60-Day Challenge which meant that our entire household was committed to change. My niece was attracted to our new lifestyle and asked to come stay with us for the summer. I was just finishing my D.TOX when my niece arrived. She wanted to do the D.TOX so I committed myself to another 2 weeks and joined her. During my 4 weeks of D.TOX, I had the opportunity to try the chocolate and vanilla flavors. Chocolate is my favorite and I love the Chocolate Banana Crunch Smoothie recipe. The D.TOX requires a certain diet, but Life Time provides some really good recipes that we incorporated into our meal plans and enjoyed.
After the fourth week of the D.TOX I started ramping up my workouts. I attended a group fitness class every day of the week, including TCX, Barbell Strength, Gluteus Maxout, Upper Bod RX, Edge, Amp, Strike and Yoga. I made sure to do more strength training than cardio in a week and lifted as heavy as I could. The creator of Gluteus Maxout, and Upper Bod RX is at our Life Time, Ashlie Sustaita. The combination of both her classes during the week provide a great lower and upper body strength training workout in a group fitness setting. The group fitness classes at Life Time provide a team moral that keeps you motivated for an hour workout. I found that I lift more weights and rest less frequently in the group fitness classes than out on floor.
During the last month of my 60-Day Challenge, I paid close attention to my fat, carbs and protein ratio. Surprisingly I was eating more fats and carbs than protein. Even though I drank protein shakes, I found myself eating too many salads and lacked the protein for each day. I switched my diet and incorporated a lot of chicken, flounder and halibut into my diet. Instead of eating a big bowl of salad, I ate a 4oz side of fibrous carbs like asparagus or green beans and a side of protein. I allowed myself two cheat dinners during the 60-Day Challenge. Mother’s Day and Father’s day were the only days that I treated myself to wine. All other days I drank water and lots of it.
Life Time’s 60-Day Challenge was very eventful and admittedly a challenge. It was not easy, but I was never alone. Life Time constantly reached out to us throughout the 60 days with tips and reminders to keep us on track. I planned my agenda at the beginning of the day, including workouts and meals. Most importantly, I kept the negative thinking out of my mind and recited my goals. If a bad thought came, I quickly dismissed it. Challenges are good for the mind and body. We must get uncomfortable to produce change, and whatever we put in will come back full-fold. That is not a promise, it is a guarantee. I have already set my next 60-day goals.