Health & Fitness: A Weight loss story & how to workout on a budget! By Goodhealthdiva
It's summertime, most people want to have their beach body tight and be swimsuit ready. Are you swimsuit ready? Do you need some motivation? Do you know you can get swimsuit ready without a gym membership?
There's nothing like someones success to motivate and remind us that we too can succeed at a particular endeavor.
Today I wanted to share the story of a beautiful, focused and inspiring woman:Miss M or Missy,a high school math teacher from Lansing Michigan. She's a 35 years old mom of two gorgeous girls (ages 7 and 11) who is well determined to live a healthy lifestyle. One of her way to do that is to work out from home. If you are new here please read my recent article
Some basic facts about Missy, in her own words:
Started my fitness journey in 2009
Starting weight: 140 lbs
Current weight: 137 lbs
Height: 5’ 5”
My journey has never been about weight loss, just toning
and overall cardio-vascular fitness.
Since I wrote my article about the importance or benefits of working out from home,I asked Missy to kindly share her experience and motivate others to workout from home and stop making excuses for not taking control of their health.
Why was it important to you to have a home gym?
I am a busy, working, divorced mom of two.After losing family and friends to
preventable health related issues, I was convinced that it was important to
live a fit and healthy life.Going to
the gym can be an hour to two hour long ordeal and I just don’t have that type
of extra time.A home gym was the best
option for my lifestyle.
What would you recommend to anyone who wants to have one?
Any tips in shopping for equipments, any equipment more valuable than others?
Start small! Look for equipment at second hand stores and
look for bargains. You don’t have to
have everything at once.My first “home
gym” was in my living room with basic equipment.I had a yoga mat, some 2 lb, 3 lb, and 5 lb
weights, a water bottle, and some workout DVDs.As time progressed, I added other things like 8 lb and 10 lb weights,
resistance bands, and a pull-up bar.A
mirror is also important so that you can check your form.I had a decorative mirror on the living room
wall that I used, but eventually, I purchased four of those mirrors intended
for the back of a closet door and mounted them really close together to give
the effect of a larger mirror.They cost
about $5 each.
Because nutrition is
also a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, I also purchased a Ninja Master Prep
Pro system for about $40 for juicing and smoothies. Eventually, I saved enough for a nice, but
used treadmill to complete my
For people who have a very small space to spare what
equipment would you recommend as a “must have”?
Must Haves: yoga
mat, dumb bells or resistance bands, water bottle, and something to view videos
on. This could be a television with DVDs
or a computer with internet access to get workouts from YouTube.
For those with neither space nor money what small equipments
do you think are totally necessary?
When I initially began this journey, I was in this
situation. Again, I just moved furniture
aside and spread out my yoga mat in the living room.I had a few small weights and WILL
POWER!
What’s your fitness regimen? What activities do you do? How
often?
I currently use Jillian Michael's Body Revolution to guide
my workouts. I am on stage 3…WHOOHOO and
I love the length of the DVDs and the incremental increase in challenge. I have not lost much weight, but that wasn’t
my goal. I just wanted something that
would benefit my cardio-vascular system and help me to tone. I do think, however, that this system would
be wonderful for those trying to lose weight as well.
Following each DVD, I’ve added an additional Cardio
strength challenge that will last for 30 days.
Are there any video program or Youtube videos you would recommend?
I like Jillian Michael's Body Revolution, but have little to
compare it to.The other DVDs that I
purchased were hit or miss.
How long have you been working out? What made you decide to
take control of your health in that way?
I have been working out since 2009, which was initially
prompted by my divorce. During this
period of my life, I was emotionally, spiritually, and physically drained and
needed to turn things around.Couple
this with the lose of family and friends due to preventable health related
issues and I was doubly convinced that I needed to make a lifestyle change for
myself and as a role model for my two daughters.
What’s the most rewarding thing about exercising and
striving for a better and healthy lifestyle?
The most rewarding aspect of this journey was completely
unexpected.It has been in the
connections and friendships that I’ve made in fitness communities on the
Internet.I’ve met so many positive,
supportive women that help me when I’m less motivated and I’ve built some
wonderfully genuine relationships; true friends for life.Of course, I am loving the way that I look
and feel. I love to shop, but avoided it
for some time because I didn’t like the way that clothes fit on me.That’s a moot point now.
I love it when my daughters come and workout with me.It’s so much easier when you start young and
make it a habit/lifestyle.
I feel so much better, have more energy for work and
family, and just enjoy life much more than I had.It doesn’t hurt that swimsuit shopping is
much more fun now.
How do you stay motivated to live a healthier life and
exercise?
The online fitness communities that I’ve joined have been
key.They keep me motivated and give me
helpful tips.Also, the smartphone app,
My Fitness Pal,has helped keep me on track.
What advices would you offer to people interested in being
fit and healthy but are getting discouraged?
Start small.Use
YouTube or something else to help develop a short 10-minute a day workout
regimen and build from there.Go for
walks, park further away from the door when going to stores or shopping malls,walk during your lunch period,increase your water and fruits and vegetable
intake.All of these things will help
and put you well on your way to creating a healthier you.
What advices would you give to some who have absolutely no
clue where to start?
When I had no equipment and no clue, I did what I knew how
to do.I put on some shorts, a t-shirt,
some tennis shoes and went for a walk/run.No equipment necessary. Just you and the world.It was therapeutic and did wonders for my
stress level.I couldn’t cover much
distance at first, but I did what I could.As time progressed and I was able to get some equipment,I lessened the
amount of time that I walked/ran and now I do very little of it, but it was all
I knew to do in the beginning and it put me well on my way to where I am
today.
I appreciate Missy for sharing her story. She reveals that living healthy is not a solo thing, we have to create a support system to fuel us to keep going but as you see she had to want it for herself, and she did. She is proving many of the point made here!
Missy is the perfect example of how important it is to start small, use what you got, maximize your chances for success by having basic workout equipments and make no excuses for what you are going through or what you can't afford.
Please take the time to check this site for more inspiring articles on Health & Fitness and weight loss.
What about you? What are your health and fitness goals? What home equipment are you currently using?
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Until next time have a better and healthier life...
What advice would you give anyone who is considering going natural?
