Once upon a time, working out at home was reserved for the Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda, leotard, thong, leg warmers, aerobics, aerobics, and more aerobics era. But with the explosion of Beachbody and other late night infomercials (are there other infomercials?) most of us have grown to accept a visual of more muscular looking individuals using dumbbells on our home workout screens. This new era of workout videos provides instant access to some of the top trainers of the industry today: Jillian Michaels, Kelly Coffey-Meyer, Jackie Warner, Cathe Friedrich, Chalene Johnson and so many more. The convenience of working out at home can be an amazing thing for the motivated individual, or the person who enjoys the “feel” of being in a class setting (minus worrying that one might be judged by classmates – gasp!! “can you believe she’s wearing those pink pajama pants?!”).
With the (over)abundance of workout vids, we might easily assume that ripped, superfit types (as seen on the videos) are also in great supply. If you are one of the growing number of at-home exercisers (like me), you may be – in fact – wondering when your ripped-ness will arrive. Or, perhaps you’re glumly thinking that you’re the only person on the planet who works your butt off with these annoyingly-ripped-freaks-of-nature, yet still look like you gave birth last week. Grrrr…How is it possible to work your buns off, yet still not be able to fit said buns into those skinny jeans? To collect bucket-loads of sweat from doing 30-Day Shred (for 120 days!), yet have no semblance of becoming “shredded” any time soon?
Whenever you can safely do so, increase weight.
This is typically because, as consumers, we tend to equate sweating with results. Moving nonstop during your workout, doing endless reps, or cardio moves between every lift will surely provide the sweat. Unfortunately, the amount of sweat that you leave behind has little to do with the reshaping of your body. As great as it feels, your body will eventually adapt to ANY workout that you do repeatedly, and you’ll stop seeing results. So should you toss your hopes of getting fit at home and run to the nearest gym? Not necessarily. It’s always great to work with what you’ve got (and I, for one, am not willing to shew my pink PJs just yet).
Here are five ways to make any DVD worth while:
Lift heavier
Make any DVD work harder by simply picking up a heavier weight. Even if you only have one or two DVDs to work with, increasing the amount of weight that you’re lifting is a quick plateau prevention/fix. Just because the people on the screen are using five – eight pounds doesn’t mean that you need to. Pick a weight that challenges you (ie. you can’t do MORE than two reps beyond the amount you’re supposed to be doing) and will bring you the results you’re after. Even if you come up a few reps shorter than “the crew,” you’re all good. Most home workout DVDs have far too many reps for the desired results. For strength gains, lift as heavy as you can for up to seven reps, for muscle building and definition lift for eight to 12 reps, and for endurance (cardio) perform 12+ reps (or as directed by the DVD). For best results, alternate all three rep ranges using weight appropriate for each range.
Train like a pro. Jot down exercises, weights, sets, & reps.
Take Notes
In order to have greatest success with the previous tip, be certain to take a moment to bring a pen and pad with you to the workout area. Jot down the exercises done in the vid, and how much weight you used. Whenever you discover that you could’ve kept going, put an asterisk or other symbol (like an up arrow) to let you know to go up in weight next time. ALWAYS lift heavier if you can safely do so. You’re not doing yourself any favors by using the same weight amounts for months at a time, no matter how much sweating is going down. Also keep track of how many reps you did, so that you can adjust the next time around. If you were able to do 12 pounds for 15 reps, then you know that you’ll need to go heavier if aiming for eight to ten reps next time around. Keeping a journal of your workouts (exercises, reps, sets, and rests) is key to a successful workout, whether at home or the gym.
Press Pause
It’s perfectly acceptable to press pause if the DVD is moving too fast (this will become incredibly relevant when increasing poundage for lifts). When doing circuit type workout vids (a weight move followed by a cardio move – or weighted moves with no rest between sets), it becomes ridiculously hard to lift heavy enough weights. This may tempt us to believe that we can’t go heavier, but this is far from the truth. While I would typically recommend doing a workout via a professional as written the first few times around, this becomes much less relevant the 88th time the video is done. It’s OK to stray from the pro at this point, and pause the dang thing, so that you can get some serious muscle involvement happening. Base your “rest” periods on the amount of weight and reps that you’re doing — just as you would in the gym — using the rep ranges discussed above. The goal of endurance needs very little rest (30 seconds or less) between exercises, muscle building requires slightly longer (30-60 seconds), and strength requires the longest (60-90 seconds). If the crew is doing 15 reps and you’ve chosen to do only six, then consider the “extra” time that they are pumping out reps as part of your rest period.
Moving too fast for you to lift heavy? Pause the dang thing!
Re-purpose “strength” DVDs
As mentioned earlier, most DVDs suggest dumbbells that are far too light, have too many reps, and not enough rest to be considered a true “strength” workout. No problem. Why not change the way that you view your vids and accept the faster paced workouts for what they truly are…cardio! Most so-called strength videos on the market are really just a glorified HIIT workout. So why not treat them as such. Metabolic cardio and HIIT are all the rage these days anyway, so using your old circuit workouts for cardio helps you to cash in on this trend. This also works well as an alternative for the person who can only make it to the gym a couple times per week. Plan your lifting days for when you have access to heavier equipment at the gym, and your cardio (via video) on the days that you can’t make it.
Swap out moves (or equipment)
Could you use a ball for pushups? Sub jackknives for crunches? Allow your mind to wander..
Let’s face it. Doing the same moves day in and day out for three years isn’t gonna “shape and tone” anything no matter how many times your DVD coach has told you so. Just as we get comfortable when we know what move is coming next on the DVD (or what words for that matter!) so do our bodies. And let’s just say that changes don’t happen when you’re comfortable…well, not good changes anyway. Now that you’ve been taking notes on your workouts (ahem?) you can use that same notebook to plot out ways to shake things up. Again, I don’t typically recommend taking a program written by someone who creates them for a living, and adding your own perceived “improvements.” However, if you know at exactly which pitch of the background song that a particular exercise will start…you stopped seeing results from that move many moons ago. There are safe swaps that can be done to most moves so that you are keeping with the general theme of the program’s intent. For example, you can sub the move for a variation of that same move: plie’ squat for regular, step ups or rear/side lunges in lieu of front lunges, hammer curls instead of traditional, etc..
You could also swap out equipment used in the vid, for equipment that you own but rarely use. I can’t count the amount of messages I’ve received from women asking if it’s “OK” to use hubby’s Bowflex, Nautilus, Smith machine, etc down in the basement…umm, YES! Don’t be scared to put someone else’s dust-collecting equipment to use – I did and it changed my life! The Gold’s Gym setup that I currently use in “Kiki’s Cave” is also formerly-known-as “Father’s Day Gift/clothes dryer” lol. Work with what you have. Teen son have an iron gym? Hubby have an old bench and rack? Score! Have some crazy as-seen-on-TV gadget that you just couldn’t pass up? Use. it. Variety is the spice of life, and just may help you get excited about working out to your old DVDs again. Sub out the old-is-new-again equipment for similar body-part movements. Bench press during pushups. Use a rowing apparatus (lat pull-down, rowing machine?) for bent over rows…or better yet, do pull-ups! Grab a Frisbee or gliding disc and do sliding lunges in place of regular. Use your Kettlebell in place of dumbbells, or sub Kettlebell swings (or sandbag cleans – see vid below) for another cardio move for circuit vids.
Take inventory of items you’d love to use, but never do, and allow your mind to wander. The possibilities are endless.
Not everyone can afford the time or finances that a full time gym commitment requires. Workout videos provide a convenient alternative for busy moms, housewives, or students that simply can’t make it to the gym regularly (or at all). With new formats popping up daily — whether via DVDs, downloads, or free sources like YouTube and Fitness Blender — you can make this growing trend work in your favor (and keep getting results!) with a few simple tweaks.
Do you workout with videos? What are your tricks for keeping the results flowing?
My name is Leigh, I’m 29 years old and my journey is not over. I don’t want it to EVER be over.
I was raised in the country by a single mom and two incredible grandparents. They often showed love through food. Biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, dumplings, cake. Country foods that men who worked on the farm all day would have no problem consuming and not gaining weight.
Unfortunately, to a sedentary child who preferred watching cartoons all day Saturday instead of going outside, this lifestyle was all wrong.
I’ve been overweight for longer than I can remember.
I remember being on diets. Always. My mom was healthy and active; she would encourage me to be the same way. I remember her trying to get me to go running with her.
I hated running.
We’d go for weeks eating nothing but a salad for dinner.
I hated lettuce. Especially iceberg (still do!).
Then, we tried the cabbage soup diet. Don’t EVER try the cabbage soup diet.
I joined a gym on my own when I started college. Whenever I was actively trying to lose weight on my own and my family members discovered it, it was a constant focus of conversation. “She’s on a diet again.” Eye roll.
When I joined the gym, I remember only telling my grandpa. He was good at keeping secrets and encouraging me in a way that didn’t make me feel like I was a fatty fat fatterson that just needed to eat bird food and run.
I went through cycles of gym time combined with a low-calorie diet – for years. When I turned 21 and discovered alcohol, I drank most of my calories and the weight piled on. Being the fat chick at a party was okay as long as I was drunk. My weight would go up, then down, then up and up some more.
I graduated college in 2006 and made a career choice in 2008 when I began working for a local county government in Public Information. I had to park my car on a hill and I worked on the first floor of the building. That meant four flights of stairs each evening to get to my car. Four flights of stairs to my obese body was … torture. It hurt. I couldn’t breathe. I was embarrassed.
I knew I had to do something. I’d been through the gym/diet continuum and didn’t want to enter a vicious cycle of ups and downs again.
The government office had a small gym equipped with a few free weights, a cable weight machine, an exercise bike, an elliptical and a couple treadmills.
I spent time researching weight loss. One site that popped up was MyFitnessPal.com – a weight loss support community where I could track my intake and my exercise and it was FREE!
MyFitnessPal calculated the calories I’d need to lose two pounds per week. It was the “magical” 1200! I reduced my calories to meet that low. Instead of eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast, I had cereal. Instead of chili and a baked potato for lunch, I had a scant sandwich. Instead of a big meal from a nice restaurant for dinner, I had a 6-inch sub from Subway.
I was still eating “junk” – just not nearly as much of it.
I started to lose weight. I began walking on the treadmill for a few minutes each day, finally working my way up to half an hour. Then, I tested the elliptical. Two minutes and … DONE! I dabbled with some weights (I’ve always favored lifting heavier), but never really picked up a routine.
The first time I stepped on the scale, it stared at me with a hard 280 pounds. I’m unsure of what I weighed before starting to lose; I was too afraid to step on the scale in the beginning.
My weight went down quite a bit. But … I began to binge. A night alone at home would wreak havoc on my entire week. I craved … pancakes. Crackers. Cookies. Cheese. Chips. Research told me I had an “underlying emotional void that I was trying to fill with food.” Bull; I was just HANGRY.
After a few years, my weight stabilized. I tried eating less, working out more, new workouts, gym classes, fasting and other extreme measures. Nothing.happened. Then – I tried eating more. I eventually took my 1200-calories per day up to 1800 and … I lost weight! A few pounds, but still weight! The next week, nothing. That scared me enough to take my calories back down to around 1200.
Finally, after searching and reading, I discovered a group on MyFitnessPal called Eat More 2 Weigh Less (EM2WL). What is this? Eat more and weigh less?! Pfft. Yeah – right!
I checked out some threads in the group. These people were living it; they were lifting heavy weights, eating 2000+ calories per day and … losing fat. A new mindset for me; your scale may not move, but your pants WILL get looser!
After some reading, I decided that since I’d been on a low-calorie diet for SO.FREAKIN’.LONG, I needed to do what the EM2WL group called a “reset.” Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and eat there for six weeks to allow your body to adjust and realize – “Hey! You’re not starving me anymore! I don’t have to hold on to every single calorie as fat for later use because I will be fed well regularly!”
The reset brought about an over 25 pound gain. Yes; my body GAINED weight eating what it should’ve required to MAINTAIN.
From there, I went into what is called a “cut.” I began to consume my TDEE minus 15 percent, creating a calorie deficit.
Because of my low-calorie life, it took me quite a while to begin losing weight again. It has not been an easy journey, but with EM2WL, it has become a more enjoyable one. I have delved into education; I read everything I can get my hands on and I have become more in tune with my body. Over the past few years I have discovered I have hypothyroidism (working on dosing with Armour) and am being tested for low cortisol and hormone imbalance with the help of an amazing physician.
Currently, I am the smallest I’ve been (size 14 pants (down from a size 24!!) and size L/XL shirts (down from a 3X!!)). I’m eating around 2000 calories per day of whole, good-for-me foods … with the occasional cupcake for sanity’s sake! ;) I recently began a Facebook page called Living with LA (https://www.facebook.com/living.with.la) to share what I’ve learned over the past five years with anyone who is willing to listen (message me if you have any questions!). I am a heavy lifter, I enjoy being active and no longer binge! I got married on Dec. 14, 2013 and am looking forward to continuing my healthy journey and starting a family.
If you’re battling the 1200-calories-per-day monster and wondering what it would feel like to EAT and continue your journey to health, do your research on EM2WL. The support here is like nothing else.
God bless!
Have you defeated the 1200 calorie diet monster? Have an EM2WL transformation to share? Willing to let us tag along on your journey? Let us know! Be featured on our Transformation/Journey page by submitting your story to Success@EM2WL.com
You’ve made the plunge into a metabolic reset, and you’re determined to stick it out as long as it takes.
You are no longer restricting foods or food groups but learning how to include some new foods into your healthy eating plan. You love the freedom of some extra food. You can go out to eat or enjoy a piece of birthday cake, guilt free. You have more energy, you’re sleeping better at night, and are killing it in the gym. You are prepared to put in the time, so that you can attain your fitness goals without sacrificing your life
But sometimes, you may feel so out of control, and it scares you!
You may not understand why you are feeling this way. After all, while you were restricting your calories, you hardly ever felt hunger. You may feel tempted to go back to restricting calories.
What’s going on?
First of all, know that this has happened to just about anyone who has walked down this road. You are not alone, and experiencing these symptoms does not mean that you are undisciplined or lazy.
Experiencing hunger is a GOOD thing. Hunger and fullness are our body’s ways to control our dietary intake. Both undereating and overeating have a detrimental effect on our metabolisms.
Two hormones that help us understand what is going on here are leptin (a hormone which promotes a feeling of satiety and fullness) and ghrelin (a hormone which promotes a feeling of hunger). In those with healthy metabolisms, these hormones alert us to eat an appropriate number of calories. Leptin also alerts the thyroid that there is enough stored fat for survival, so it is safe to burn stored fat. In response to a restrictive diet, leptin levels decrease or the body becomes resistant to leptin. As a result, metabolic rate decreases, body fat is stored, and appetite increases. On the other hand, ghrelin alerts your body to eat and drink by causing a feeling of hunger. Ghrelin also signals the body to hold onto fats rather than burning tem off. Under stressful circumstances (i.e., lack of sleep, emotional stress, restrictive dieting, overexercise, etc.), ghrelin increases and leptin decreases. Under these circumstances, you may find it difficult to feel satisfied, no matter how much you eat.
One purpose of a metabolic reset is normalizing hormone levels so they do the jobs they were intended to do. A common symptom of those who are undereating is the loss of the hunger sensation. This is a natural response to a lowered metabolic rate as the body adapts to an insufficient amount of calories. The return of the sensation of hunger and fullness are good things. Learning to honor those feelings is a big step in having a healthy and balanced approach to fueling your body. A primary goal of your metabolism reset should be listening to and honoring what your body is trying to tell you! Eventually, learning to honor these hunger and fullness cues will be responsible for your long-term success.
(NOTE: It is important to stress that we do recommend accurate calorie counting during a metabolism reset, since dieting has likely made it difficult to recognize these physical cues. “Listening to your body” during a metabolism reset can be tricky, since many chronic dieters will intuitively eat 1200 or fewer calories. It is important to reacquaint the body with an appropriate number of calories first, paying attention to these cues in the process. )
(To print this poster, click the image for link to a downloadable PDF version)
Others will experience a loss of control as they start re-introducing some “forbidden foods” back into their diets. After declaring these items “off limits” or “cheats” for months, you may feel like you just cannot stop eating them. This is usually a psychological issue. We usually want what we tell ourselves we cannot have! By allowing all foods back into your diet, you will likely find that you no longer feel the need to overeat these foods. There is a learning curve there, however, so proceed with caution and give yourself time and lots of second chances.
Your metabolism reset should not be a stressful time. Relax and look at this as a time to set yourself up for future success, while allowing yourself to recover from the damage done by excessive dieting. Here’s a few tips to make the most of this time and stay sane:
1. Stress Less.
Stress causes a hormonal response in our bodies that causes an elevation in cortisol levels. A catabolic hormone, increased levels of cortisol will make it difficult to lose fat and gain muscle. It is definitely within your best interest to de-stress! If you are approaching this process with constant stressing about how much weight you are going to gain, how tight your jeans are, etc., you are probably sabotaging yourself from the very beginning. Find ways to manage the stress in your life, and do not allow your reset to become yet another stressor. Journal, pray, catch up with an old friend. Take a bubble bath or a long, relaxing walk.
2. Increase calories slowly.
By increasing intake slowly and steadily, you will likely experience less bloating and discomfort along the way and allow your body to slowly adjust to a higher caloric intake. This also reduces the likelihood of a sudden, shocking weight gain.
3. Honor your hunger.
If you find yourself extremely hungry, eat, even if it means you will end up over your calories for the day. Try to focus on whole foods that are nourishing. If this means that you go over your recommended calories a day or two, don’t stress over it. Making sure that you are full and satiated will prevent future binges.
4. Eat more fats.
Healthy fats have a number of health benefits. One gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories, versus 4 calories per gram of protein or carbohydrate. Eating a diet higher in fats will allow you to meet your calorie quota without feeling overly stuffed from a huge quantity of low-calorie foods. Fats also promote a feeling of satiety which usually prevent overeating. Good sources include coconut oil, whole eggs, dark chocolate (our favorite!), raw almonds, and avocado.
5. Introduce new foods slowly.
At EM2WL, we don’t generally recommend restricting foods (animal proteins, gluten, dairy, etc.) unless there is a medical reason. If you are new to this process, you may be excited about the possibilities of eating “forbidden foods” once again. As you introduce foods back into your diet that you may have been eliminating, you may want to monitor your body’s response very carefully. You may find that you feel out of control when you introduce ice cream back into your diet after months of pronouncing this an “off-limit” food, you can’t seem to stop eating it. Subconsciously, you may be approaching this food with a “feast or famine” attitude. You may be tempted to conclude that that you just can’t handle ice cream. Give yourself time to adjust to foods that feel uncomfortable. Chances are when you tell yourself you can have ice cream as often as possible, you will no longer feel the need to overeat it. We recommend adding such foods slowly to monitor your body’s reaction.
6. Eat small and frequent meals
Dividing up your calories over 5-6 small meals will allow you to never be waiting too long before your next meal of snack. That way, if you get hungry, you will can have a small something without feeling like you are blowing your whole plan. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Some of our favorite go-to’s are Greek yogurt, raw nuts, protein shakes or bars, beef jerky, or cheese and crackers. For best results, make sure to include a balanced combination of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates at each meal or snack. Making sure that you are satisfied throughout the day will go a long way in preventing binges.
7. Stay off the scale
During a metabolism reset, while you are increasing calories to a reasonable level, you should expect to see a temporary increase on the scale as your body adjusts to a higher volume of food. This weight is very rarely fat. Typically, the scale increase can be blamed on water retention. In some cases, the increase on the scale may be due to repairing of tissue damage resulting from very low calorie diets. Being overly focused on this number can be very discouraging. Understand that you may see a weight gain during this process, but that you are setting yourself up for future successes. If you mentally cannot handle seeing this number, it may be best to hide the scale for awhile.
8. Forgive yourself, and don’t try to “undo” the damage.
If you slip up and binge unintentionally, don’t stress about it. Acknowledge what has happened, and move on. Stressing over what cannot be undone is only going to compound the problem. Think about what might be done differently in the future and come up with your plan of attack, but understand that you are probably not bingeing because you are weak and undisciplined, just hungry. Be gentle with yourself during this process, and give yourself grace and compassion.
Trying to “earn back” calories you’ve overeaten by doing extra workouts or eating a bit less the next day may seem like a great idea. But it gets you into a vicious cycle of overeating, overexercising, and an obsession with trying to get the numbers just right. Remember, the cortisol response to excessive exercise often makes it more difficult, not easier, to control the weight gain and get back on the path to losing fat.
9. Have a strong support system.
Explain to those close to you what you are doing and why. Hopefully this will help them to be more understanding of what you are doing. Realize, however, that there will be those who don’t understand or agree with your plan of attack, and that is perfectly okay. Check out our forums to connect with those who are at all different stages in this process. You will be able to find someone to commiserate with, encourage you, or help you work through the many questions that seem to pop up along the way.
10. Be patient and trust the process!
Above all, enjoy this time of nourishing your body and being kind to yourself. If you stick with it, this will prepare you for a lifetime of success!
If you missed them, be sure to check out the other articles in this series:
Becca is a busy wife and homeschooling mother to five children ages 7 to 15. About five years ago, she embarked on a journey to health and fitness that resulted in the loss of approximately 100 pounds. Today, she is a competitive powerlifter and strongwoman who loves ice cream and deadlifts. As an ISSA certified personal trainer, she is passionate about helping women to get started on a lifestyle of strength and fitness.
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Grab our FREE quick start guide!
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Many people start their new year off strong, dedicated to the goals they set. In the beginning, when your willpower is strong, it’s easy to make those changes for a happier, healthier and more active version of yourself.
But let’s face it. Life is very rarely a smooth journey. If you live in the real world, there are plenty of road blocks and obstacles along the way. How you approach difficulty is going to make a huge difference in where you are in regards to your fitness goals a month, six months, or a year from now.
Some obstacles are foreseeable. For these, it’s important to have a plan of attack. What will your biggest obstacle be? Do you struggle to find time to get in a workout? Is it difficult for you to remain consistent with your eating? Are you challenged to get enough sleep? Think about your options and write down a concrete plan in your fitness journal. You may decide to wake up early to make it to the gym before the day’s obligations overwhelm you, or spend a Sunday afternoon prepping food for the week ahead. Decide to set yourself up for success by coming up with a concrete plan that will carry you through those times when willpower is fading fast.
1. Redefine healthy eating.
At EM2WL, we emphasize not viewing your life as being “on track” and “off track.” One of the greatest added benefits of fueling to lose is that you are taking in sufficient calories so you can plan for that piece of birthday cake or special date-night dinner. Special treats can and should be incorporated into any healthy eating plan. Rethink “healthy!” Your healthy eating plan should be the one that will help you to reach your goals, taking into account the challenges and obstacles that you face. Taking in sufficient calories to support your activity level and planning for consistency should be a major consideration.
We are inundated with messages and lists of foods that are “good” and “bad.” Let’s be realistic though, no one can exist forever on a diet of coconut oil, kale, and chicken breast. Your healthy eating plan should be such that it accommodates real life-birthdays, holidays, date nights. Food is a part of many of our celebrations and should be enjoyed (in moderation, of course)!
It requires a major shift in your mental paradigm to accept that things we’ve labeled “bad”-things like sugar, carbs, and gluten can be a part of eating for your goals. Instead of focusing on eating less (or eliminating) “off-limits” foods, focus on eating more wholesome, nutrient-dense foods and allow yourself a treat when you genuinely want it.
2. Forgive yourself!
Everyone who has been successful at making health and fitness a lifestyle knows that they can’t be perfect all the time. There will be times you overdo it on sweets, or miss one too many workouts. Do not beat yourself up! If you feel like you’ve veered off track, determine to just move on right from where you are. One or two days that are less-than-perfect are not going to spoil your long-term success, but don’t let a couple bad days turn into a week or a month. There is no reason to stress out over choices you’ve made that are in the past, or attempt to undo the damage. Instead, review your fitness goals and your motivation for making this change. Revisit your plan and stick to it. Is there something you could do differently in the future to prevent future slip-ups? Look at these slip-ups as learning experiences to prepare you for the obstacles and challenges you will run into in the future.
3. Strive for progress, not perfection.
Perfection can be the enemy of progress. Many people look at making healthy changes with an all-or-nothing approach. Too often, a minor slip-up can lead to an all-out binge as you figure, “Oh well, I’ve already blown it.” Perfect adherence to your plan is nearly impossible. Instead, strive to make progress each day. In the end, you will find that small changes are more sustainable over the long-term. Consistency is essential for success.
4. Look at slip-ups as learning experiences.
Slip-ups can be a great learning tool! Not every slip-up can be prevented, and sometimes you truly need to just put the past in the past and move on. But you may be able to look at a situation and come up with a future plan of attack. Are you more prone to binge on sweets when you are overtired? Make it a point to turn off the TV an hour earlier so you can get adequate rest. Lacking motivation after work to make it to the gym? Consider waking up early to get your workout in first thing in the morning. Struggling to make healthy choices on your lunch break? Spend a Sunday afternoon doing some food prep so you can have some easy grab-and-go choices.
5. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
In our fast-paced society, its tempting to want to see quick results. Remember that you are creating healthy habits that will change your lifestyle. Be patient with yourself and be committed to trusting the process! This doesn’t happen overnight. Just keep moving forward, and you will be amazed when you look back and discover the healthy habits you have established are about as second-nature as brushing your teeth!
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Becca is a busy wife and homeschooling mother to five children ages 5 to 13. About three years ago, she embarked on a journey to health and fitness that resulted in the loss of approximately 100 pounds. Today, she is a competitive powerlifter and strongwoman who loves ice cream and deadlifts. As an ISSA certified personal trainer, she is passionate about helping women to get started on a lifestyle of strength and fitness.
New to EM2WL?
Grab our FREE quick start guide!
Are you curious about how the process works, or wondering what's in our Starter Kit E-Book? START HERE. We'll send you a free breakdown of the basics, exclusive videos explaining why everything that you've learned about diets have only led you astray, and an action plan to take your life back immediately.
Thirteen years ago, my husband and I had a new home built in Phoenix, AZ. It was during the massive real estate boom on the West Coast and — as first time buyers — we were able to get in it for practically nothing. The home was triple the size, yet the mortgage was less than rent for the 800 sq ft apartment we’d previously lived in. By that time, the housing market for that area was a well oiled machine: every new home was built in a subdivision, fully equipped with it’s own school, park, community gathering area, the works. The homes took absolutely no time to put up, either. From the initial viewing of the model home to closing and having key in hand, took all of three months. The first day we put the key in the door and turned the knob, we felt that we’d “arrived.” The home was gorgeous, and we lived it up: entertaining and redecorating constantly. I lived in my enormous kitchen – going through every page in every cookbook – and even enrolled in an Interior Design course. We were young, in love, and finally living the American Dream.
Then things took a turn.
Through a series of unfortunate events, 10 years ago, we found ourselves moving back to my dear hubby’s (DH’s) hometown in VA. We’d sold our beautiful new home and barely broke even. We had pretty much sold (or had repossessed) every thing that we owned.
Our view on ALL sides of our “new” home in VA :-/
With what little was left, we packed up the kids and dog in a U-haul, and took the three day drive from the West to the East Coast. We arrived in VA without a dollar to our name, no vehicle, and no home. About 15 minutes out of the city, we received a call from my Father-in-Law, about a friend who had just moved his wife’s Grandmother into a retirement home, and was looking to put her home up for rent. The home was at best, a “fixer upper,” and at worst, un-liveable, but his wife cherished and wanted to keep it. Knowing how much work the home needed (and how little money we had) the friend worked out a deal with us for super cheap rent, plus labor. His plan was to fix the home up, and eventually get a “real” paying renter in, but at least give us time to find a leg to stand on. The home was an absolute wreck, but so was our life, and we recognized that the opportunity was a once in a lifetime chance for us to dig ourselves out of the hole that we’d created.
We met the guy at the house with our U-haul, and “moved in” that same day. Everything from the truck went into a garage area, except a mattress that we put down in the one, non-condemned room of the house, where we all slept for weeks. Eventually I pulled a card table out and put it in that same room. That table is where we ate all of our meals, the boys (6 and 16) did their school work (we homeschool), and family puzzles (the home was VERY old, and we were still broke, so no internet/cable connections, etc). I cooked everything in the microwave because there was no stove, all the food stayed in boxes, because the cabinets were uninhabitable. DH would work all day, then come home and we’d all work on the house.
Years & countless tree removals later
We worked on the basics first: bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen. Bit by bit we got rooms of the house to a point that we could actually use them, and the boys got to move into their bedrooms. We were able to stop sharing one bathroom. Every wall in the house got repainted. Flooring was replaced. Kitchen cabinets were replaced with ones that could actually be held responsible for holding food and dishes. An old stove was located and put into good use. It wasn’t Better Homes and Gardens, but we had a place to live that didn’t (completely) creep us out anymore, and was actually starting to grow on us.
As we continued to make improvements to the home (at the landlords expense), the value of the home began to rise…and so did the cost of our rent. DHs income had stabilized a bit, so we went with the flow, because we knew that the home really was worth more than we’d been paying. We’d come to love the home as our own, and found ourselves doing things to spruce it up even further, just because we began to take pride in seeing all of our blood sweat and tears take shape in the form of what was becoming a beautiful home. One day the landlord and his wife stopped by to take a look at the home, and the wife, seeing it for the first time in the two years that we’d been in it, burst into tears. She could not believe the transformation that had been done, and the care that had gone into the home, and asked if we would please buy the home. She had been dead set on not selling her precious memories of her Grandmother, but she felt that we loved it as much as she did, and she didn’t want to see anyone else live in it. One year later we purchased it.
Outdoor eating area – The new view :D
Eight years have since passed and DH now owns his own construction company, and we are doing rather well, financially. We’ve continued to make renovations to our home, mostly aesthetic and “fine-tuning” now, as the home is more than liveable. We’ve purchased all new appliances, gutted every bathroom, added a massive screened deck (more like a second family room), and that garage that once held every item that we owned, became my new gym (Kiki’s cave :D). Yay!
I.ADORE.MY.HOME. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine. It’s not brand new like the home I was in 10 years ago, but it’s more “home” to us than that one ever was. Because of all of the effort that we’ve put into it, it’s ours. Bit by bit, one step at a time, for hours, days, weeks, months, and eventually YEARS. It has become more than we ever dreamed it would be. There was no specific moment that it happened, not one stroke of paint, or plank of wood, or piece of crown molding that caused the transformation. But years, of consistent love and care for something that we felt blessed to be a caretaker of from day one of our “new beginning.”
True transformation MUST be mental, FIRST.
Garage/room that once held all of my belongings
Change is not always fun. In fact, depending on what brings you to the change, it can be down right humbling. Many of us come to EM2WL feeling completely broken. Unfortunate events (perpetual dieting/excessive exercising) have put us in a position that may seem bleak. We’ve hit a plateau (often literally), come to a fork in the road (“there’s gotta be a better way”), or possibly have completely crashed and are starting from scratch (regained all the weight back…again). Whatever the case, when we face the reality of choosing the EM2WL lifestyle, it can almost seem like that day my family arrived at our “new” home. Facing the truth of where our “methods” (albeit well-meaning) have led us, can be cruel. However, staring the results of our decisions in the eye, we have two choices: decide to step up to the challenge of making it right, or sit, pout, reminisce, and wish that we could turn back the hands of time…
Either way, the time will pass.
Step up to the challenge. Make things right. Love yourself enough to make the best use of the body that you have NOW. It may not be perfect…or the way that it used to be…now…or ever. But it can be better, and serve you and your family in more meaningful ways than the old version of you ever did. You can be stronger, more confident, and more amazing than you were before.
You will likely realize, just as I did with my home and my physique, that you love it even MORE.
Don’t allow yourself to linger too long on what “was” or how you “used” to look. You may be blocking something even better from emerging. Bit by bit. Day by day. Put in the work. Stay consistent. Live your life. You have the time (even if you think you don’t – you do). Weeks, months, and years will continue to go by, and one day you will look in that mirror. And the woman looking back at YOU will burst into tears at the TRUE transformation that has happened.
Kiki’s Cave! The final (for now) renovation. (Still the room that holds all of my belongings :P )
hich promotes a feeling of satiety and fullness) and ghrelin (a hormone which promotes a feeling of hunger). In those with healthy metabolisms, these hormones alert us to eat an appropriate number of calories. Leptin also alerts the thyroid that there is enough stored fat for survival, so it is safe to burn stored fat. In response to a restrictive diet, leptin levels decrease or the body becomes resistant to leptin. As a result, metabolic rate decreases, body fat is stored, and appetite increases. On the other hand, ghrelin alerts your body to eat and drink by causing a feeling of hunger. Ghrelin also signals the body to hold onto fats rather than burning tem off. Under stressful circumstances (i.e., lack of sleep, emotional stress, restrictive dieting, overexercise, etc.), ghrelin increases and leptin decreases. Under these circumstances, you may find it difficult to feel satisfied, no matter how much you eat.
uring a metabolism reset, while you are increasing calories to a reasonable level, you should expect to see a temporary increase on the scale as your body adjusts to a higher volume of food. This weight is very rarely fat. Typically, 
We are inundated with messages and lists of foods that are “good” and “bad.” Let’s be realistic though, no one can exist forever on a diet of coconut oil, kale, and chicken breast. Your healthy eating plan should be such that it accommodates real life-birthdays, holidays, date nights. Food is a part of many of our celebrations and should be enjoyed (in moderation, of course)!
4. Look at slip-ups as learning experiences.
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