When I finished grad school, I realized that my body had stealthily become a Grad School Bod and I needed to whip myself into shape. I had a gym membership, but I craved more guidance and structure. So, I did two main things that I attribute a lot of my fitness success to:
First, I joined Beachbody and got a coach. I had never heard of Beachbody, but some friends had success with and spoke very highly of it, so I figured I’d give it a shot. Beachbody is a multi-level marketing company, which might make you raise your eyebrows, but their products—particularly their workout programs—are excellent (P90X and Insanity come from Beachbody).
Through Beachbody, I picked out a couple workout programs (I need variety) and also joined an accountability group (run by my fabulous coach, Tawny Stephens) on Facebook that provided support, inspiration, and motivation.
On my one-year anniversary of joining, I got Beachbody On Demand, which allows me to stream workouts on my computer instead of messing with DVDs. It’s been great for travel, which used to be a serious exercise roadblock for me.
Second, I started tracking my macronutrients. My husband read Bigger Leaner Stronger by Mike Matthews and when I expressed interest, encouraged me to get the book tailored to ladies, Thinner Leaner Stronger. In it, I learned how many calories and grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats I should get everyday in order to “lean” and get stronger (which was my goal, but you can calculate your macros for any goal). Using the book and Matthews’s website (which is written in a very clickbait-y way but has some great stuff), I found a balance that makes me feel amazing while also seeing results. I also don’t feel locked into a rigid routine.
Beachbody and Mike Matthews taught me to love strength training and to stop doing so much cardio! Now, my weekly workouts are all about variety. I still have the my YMCA membership and I’ve found a couple classes that I try to get to every week. One thing that’s worked for me is combining my fitness classes and social time—I go to class with a friend and plan to grab dinner or drink and catch up afterward.
Looking for something free?
I love PopSugar Fitness videos (use their Fitfinder to find one that will work for you), and they have a structured 2-week plan that kicks off on January 1.
And SELF Magazine has a 4-week plan.
I should point out that I get nothing from Beachbody, Mike Matthews, the YMCA, PopSugar, or SELF by plugging their offerings (except the joy of potentially helping someone!).
Tomorrow, we’re tackling the resolution of getting organized. See you then.
Hey! This post is part of a series. Check out the rest of them here:
- New Year’s Resolutions for 2017: A Series
- New Year’s Resolutions for 2017: Get Fit (you are here!)
- New Year’s Resolutions for 2017: Get Organized
- New Year’s Resolutions for 2017: Get Woke
- New Year’s Resolutions for 2017: Break a Bad Habit
- New Year’s Resolutions for 2017: Habit How-To
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