This post is sponsored by Forward Fitness St Louis. All opinions and budget for new pants are my own.
Friends, I did it. I completed the Drop 2 Pants Sizes Challenge with Forward Fitness St Louis. It was a little touch and go near the end because honestly, I was tired, my body was tired and I was ready to see the results of my hard work over the past eight weeks. But, I pushed through, tackled the 32 classes and I’m so glad I did.
Working out has never been a must-do thing, but now I feel a sense of continuing my fitness journey. More on that in a bit. I’ve really enjoyed pushing myself and truly noticing a difference in my ability to do the exercises given to me. The first week I started, I was unstable, slow, a bit clunky. Now, I feel confident working out in group classes ( I still can’t skip quite right), not so concerned with having to do a modification here and there. I’ve given high fives and encouraged others in my class, and have had the same done for me. Forward Fitness St Louis truly is a Fitness Family where everyone wants to see everyone succeed.
The Journey
When I first started, I was so nervous. At the halfway point, I was feeling really good!
I went into the eight weeks nervous, anxious and worried I wouldn’t be able to complete the task at hand. More worried because I was being accountable to my readers. What would you think if I failed? What if you didn’t see a difference? But just like my Forward Fitness Family, you were cheering my on from your couches and carline and I felt the energy. Truly I did. I posted my swealfies and my good food choices and I got so many messages about how they were inspired to start their own journey. I’ve always said I started blogging to share my story and hope that I could inspire just one person in their lives. Well, I think I’ve done it.
First of all, I want to say THANK YOU for cheering me on. Thank you from all over the country! It was so encouraging to get a text message after a hard workout. Getting yourself out of your comfort zone and being insanely vulnerable to the whole world is terrifying, and I’m glad you helped me along.
What Was The Outcome?
Well, the great news is that 4 weeks in, my pants that didn’t fit, fit. I’ve focused on my eating, the workout was just scheduled into my week, so the eating is what I really had to focus on. Sure I had slip-ups, events and I think 2 milkshakes along the way, but for me, I know myself. I can eat healthily and still treat myself from time to time. No shame in that. I can bake, which I only did once in 8 weeks, (which that in itself is a miracle). I now make smarter choices when we eat out. We always eat at Chick-Fil-A once a week and I swapped my sandwich for grilled and fruit as aside. I can make good choices and still have fun the way I did before the challenge and I feel so much better.
At my 6 weeks and the final 8-week challenge I can say my pants are comfortable, dare I say a little loose, and I’d feel confident wearing them in public. I had to purchase new undergarments, and many of the extra-large clothing choices I have in my closet are now fit with ease or a little too big. Luckily for me, I mostly live in sweatshirts and leggings in the winter, and oversized is in right now. Even more exciting, that I feel like I have so much more balance now from the exercises that were built into my semi-private sessions. My coach even commented that he could notice the difference and I’d have to agree with him!
I wish I had taken exact measurements because I think I would have been blown away. I think the biggest comment I get from most people is that my face has slimmed down. I’d have to 100% agree with that!
What is next?
Well for me, I’m taking a one-week break to regain my sleep. I had been getting up at 4:55 to head into the gym every morning to make it work for our family. I can say, I never missed a class, and I’m so proud of that. We’re headed to Disney next week so walking a lot will be plenty of exercise for me. After Thanksgiving, I’ll be looking to get back into a more consistent fitness routine that will work with my schedule. I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve put in and I don’t want to lose the muscle I built up from the challenge.
If it were not for the Forward Fitness St Louis Team, I would not be where I am. A big big thank you to Mike, Suzanne, Nick, Cory, and Denise, this was truly a wonderful experience. I always felt like you were there to help me succeed and help me keep form.
Interested in Forward Fitness?
I could not recommend the team at Forward Fitness enough. If you are interested in having them help with your fitness goals, reach out to them to see how you can get started.
You can find them at
Website – http://forwardfitnessstl.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/forwardfitnessstl/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/fwdfitnessstl/
Phone – (314) 367-9273
Email – Suzanne@ForwardFitnessSTL.com
