Picture it: the local community pool in the summer. Kids splashing, adults lounging, sun shining. Life is GOOD on pool days.
Well, not for everyone. Although no one (including my kids) was thinking about what I looked like in my swimsuit, it was ALL I could think about. I was feeling my body filling my swimsuit in ways I wasn’t proud of. Not to mention the horrifying thought of taking my coverup off and actually getting in the pool!
You see, there are two things I have never had:
- A fit body – at any size
- Confidence to rock that body – at whatever size
I had been feeling worse about my health and my body for a little over a year. I even tried various “diets” which did absolutely nothing for my body…nothing. Not an inch down, not a pound missing.
Part of me thought, “Well this is just me after 4 kids. I can’t figure it out so this is just it.”
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A few days later, scrolling on Instagram down deep in one of my Insta-holes, I came across a hashtag and some before and after pictures. What I saw intrigued me because it seemed relatively simple. I mean, I would have to work and the word hard was in the name of the program, but somehow it just seemed simple. The “program” is called 75 Hard.
What is 75 Hard?
A couple of weeks later I decided to give it a go.
I got up on the first morning of August – super early – and went out for a walk.
Figuring out how to do the second workout of the day was hard, at first. For the most part, it wasn’t that hard. But I discovered a major problem rather quickly – I had no idea how to eat. The program only prescribes sticking to a diet. I decided on intermittent fasting – but I had no idea what to eat during the “window.”
For years I have heard about what NOT to eat. I was confused about how to feed my body, more specifically, what to feed my body. I kind of felt paralyzed and I quickly discovered that disconnection – that misunderstanding – was what was making my efforts at “dieting” fail.
P.S. I called this 75 [My] Hard because (a) I am not going to be slavish about anything, and (b) any focus on movement and nutrition was an improvement – I wasn’t going to push myself in an unhealthy way.
A Nutrition Solution – not a Diet
Then I remembered my sister-in-law had tried a program last year that told her how to eat with intermittent fasting. She hooked me up. This program, FASTer Way to Fat Loss, was just what I was looking for – someone to tell me:
- When to eat – As I mentioned I knew I wanted to try intermittent fasting.
- What to eat – They taught me about macronutrients and micronutrients (as well as foods to avoid for weight loss)
- How to eat – I also discovered carb cycling, feast days, and 24-hour fasting
Equipped with all these answers, I started walking in my new understanding of macronutrients and micronutrients. I felt confident in my eating choices. I put in 5 weeks of eating healthfully for my body, a walk plus a workout every single day.
Not a single pound budged,
I knew so much more about macro nutrition than I ever thought possible. But that scale? Hadn’t budged a bit.
What kept me going through the weeks and weeks of absolutely no scale progress?
Non-scale Victory and Progress
First of all, before this, I didn’t even know “non-scale progress” was a thing. Before, I just randomly got on the scale to see if I was maintaining the extra baby weight my four-year-old and my five-year-old had bestowed on me. Wouldn’t want any of that to go anywhere, would I?
My FASTer Way Coach helped me to open my eyes to the intangible things going on with my body. Instead of a weekly weigh-in, the focus was on the victories off the scale.
My non-scale progress was multi-faceted:
Non-Scale Victory #1: Energy
I have always, always, always struggled with low energy. Vitamins and naps never really helped. But eating differently and moving my body made massive noticeable changes. It took a little time for the exhaustion to wear off, but once it started going, I no longer NEEDED a nap in the afternoon.
Non-Scale Victory #2: Strength
I have muscles, friend! Real muscles! The bodybuilder-type muscles are not my goal, not by any stretch of the imagination. But I am just now starting to notice the slightest recognition of the existence of a full set of abdominal muscles underneath my belly skin. Oh, and I have shoulders and biceps with definition!
Non-Scale Victory #3: Slimness
Is that a word? About 5 weeks in, I woke up one day and felt, truly slim. Like, almost pre-baby slim! I didn’t know this was possible anymore. My pants seemed to fit looser and I felt slim! This may be due in part to the FASTer Way’s recommendation to abstain from dairy and gluten. Yes! I tried it and yes, I still miss cheese! But I “feel” slim!!
Non-Scale Victory #4: Satisfaction
I have never been one to wake up and kick-start my metabolism. Actually, when I did do that, I always struggled with the shakes by mid-morning. Apparently, it was because I wasn’t feeding my body the right things.
Now I am eating on a schedule that works for me and I eat A LOT of food – a lot. I don’t think I have been hungry, truly hungry in this time. Not even when I did my first 24-hour fast! That would have been impossible before.
What Happened at 6 Weeks
Let me just take a moment to say something about the FASTer Way program I joined to help me figure out this fitness and wellness thing. They provide a six-week training period for all new clients. In that 6 weeks, new clients get:
- a one-on-one professional trainer in a Facebook group
- daily workouts which match what you are eating – this is like having a personal trainer in your own home every single day
- full menu plans each week
- nutritional training and coaching – the coach helps you figure out what macros are and calculates them for you
They also highly encourage you to NOT step on the scale during that initial 6 weeks. I was mostly obedient to their call for scale abstinence. But as I said, I knew I hadn’t lost any weight five weeks in. So, you know I got on that scale a few times. {blush}
And just to make the timeline clear – I started with the 75 [My] Hard program on August 1st. I started the FASTer Way program as a supplement on August 15th.
Six weeks in on my fitness journey, encouraged by a sweet friend who noticed my slimming frame and said, “Girl, you HAVE lost weight!’ I got on the scale. Overnight – it seemed – my body released that extra weight and I dropped SIX POUNDS!!
Now SIX pounds may not seem to be that big of a loss to you. But I am telling you – it was MASSIVE for me!
I, who have never been fit at any size, who never felt confident in her body at any size, felt on top of the world! I wanted to tell anybody who would listen.
Although I am still super, duper hesitant to share pictures of my before and after at 6 weeks, I am just going to do it. Maybe it will encourage someone. Maybe it will show another homeschool (or any) mama, she can do it, too!
