4 Years Ago

4 years ago I was a....

newly minted mama with a happy healthy 16 month old boy.

wife of nearly 3 years to the man I loved.

newbie pediatric cardiology fellow feeling both exhilarated and completely overwhelmed.

4 years ago I felt...... 

like I wasn’t as happy as I should have been. 

negativity becoming the lens through which I viewed the world.

the meaningless marital tensions on the rise. 

more disconnected from people I loved and things I enjoyed.... because my life felt like it wasn’t in my control. 

4 years ago it started......

as a way to lose the 15 pounds of extra baby weight that wouldn't go away. 

so I would stop hiding from the camera.

to feel some semblance of the pre-baby me, who I was having a hard time finding. 

to end the cringing in the mirror at my reflection.

4 years ago I didn’t realize.... 

simply starting to exercise, routinely, could completely shift how I saw myself.

the ripple effect that would occur when things inside start to positively shift. 

that taking control of one small part of my life, would help me take control of the whole thing. 

In 4 years I....

finished the long road of medical training and started a career.

had my second miscarriage. 

have grown, carried and birthed my second baby. 

have a stronger connection and have fallen deeper in love with the man I married.

navigated the world of parenting 2 little people.

All the while staying committed to myself, my wellness and my health.

Learning, understanding, tweaking and adapting along the way. 

Today I know.... 

how to eat to fuel and train to shape a strong healthy body.

the daily routine I need to do to be the best version of me.

that success build upon success and anything is possible. 

It hasn’t happened overnight, over weeks or months. It’s taken years. Years. But I knew what happened when I quit, I was ready to see what happened when I didn’t. 

There is no quick fix. No magic pill. The decisions you make today are either leading you toward where you want to be or away from it. It’s really just that simple. 

4 years ago I decided to make a change and I’ve never looked back.

 May 19, 2014                         May 19, 2018

Halfway To 80 Days

Well..... you knew I couldn't wait THAT long before writing a fitness post. I am a person who likes (LOVES) to workout. It is something that truly brings out the best parts of me. There are about 1 million reasons why I love exercise, but to name a few....

• Watching my strength and stamina improve consistently makes me feel like a Micah style superhero.

• It is an INSTANT energy boosting happiness inducing magic pill.

• No question, it has been the key to me understanding how to live my best life. Every. Single. Day.

I know that not everyone views exercise in this way, trust me I used to be one of them (to see more about my path to fitness click here). It is also my secret suspicion that if you haven't, you just haven't found the type of exercise that is right for you. No matter what anyone tells you, fitness is not a "one size fits all" thing. There are literally THOUSANDS of ways to accomplish the goal of getting your heart rate up, your blood pumping and your body sweating. Obviously if you have specific goals to achieve a physical result, there are certain things that just don't work together (if you are a spin class 5 days a week person in peak cardio condition you probably shouldn't expect to be able to bench press double your own body weight). I am not someone who is ever going to tell you one thing is better than something else. I ain't going to hate on someone who has been able to incorporate fitness in their lives consistently. It may not be my thing - but who the hell cares?! If it works for you and keeps you on track, that is what matters. 

So why am I about to share about my specific exercise routine? Because maybe, just maybe, you are one of the many people out there who is still searching for a routine that will make exercise your thing too. Will my thing be your thing? I have no freaking idea - but it might be. And if I'm able to give someone the gift I was given almost 4 years ago - a fiery passion to take care yourself- I will have made the kind of difference in this world that I was meant to make.

My exercise of choice for the past several years has been home workouts. Why? Because I do them. Consistency is key to a fitness routine. In the past when I've relied on myself to actually get to the gym or to a class, consistently, it always resulted in excuses leading to less commitment leading to lack of this vital routine in my life. 

About 7 weeks ago I embarked on my latest fitness routine called "80 Day Obsession". You may have seen this name popping up on your social media feeds. It is the newest Beachbody workout released this past January to the public. I've completed several programs along my journey - P90X3, Focus T25, Insanity Max 30, Hammer and Chisel, 22 Minute Hard Corps, Piyo, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Shift Shop - to name a few. All have had parts about them I've loved and have suited my life at different stages (ie 21 day fix was my staple routine during pregnancy; T25 was short and sweet to get back in the groove postpartum). And true to form - this program is exactly what I knew I needed at this point of my life. 

I was able to be very active during my last pregnancy which helped me hit the ground running postpartum. Though I was able to be on point with my workouts - my nutrition was an entirely different story. And quite honestly - I had no interest in being meticulous about it. I breastfed (mostly pumped... guh... so exhausting) for a year.  Juliet was my last baby, so I gave myself the grace to enjoy myself (and the several pints of Halo ice cream, ha!) knowing that once the breastmilk was done - it was game on. 

When I started this program, I mentally prepared myself for it. I knew what I could get with consistent intense fitness routines. But all along I knew the missing piece to getting me to the physical results I desired was nutrition. Ladies and gents there is no getting around it.

You can't exercise away a bad diet. 

One more time for the cheap seats?

YOU CAN'T EXERCISE AWAY A BAD DIET!

Now my diet was not "bad" per se. I was generally eating pretty healthy - limiting my processed food intake, focusing on healthy complex carbohydrates, minding my portions, eating fruits and veggies. But my sugar intake needed work - I would routinely have the "I'm starving eat all the food" 2pm urges followed by the 5pm "yawn my face off" crashes. How many of us live life this way thinking that is just how it is? Well friends, starting this routine has proven that wrong. 

The details of the program I won't bore you with (if you really want to the nitty gritty reach out to me and I'll be happy to chat about it) but the timed nutrition where I'm told what food groups to eat at what time has been HUGE for me. We'll get to the physical results in a minute but I want to spend time on the non-scale, non-body fat, non-how you look in a bikini results. The reasons why I FEEL amazing.

• Stable energy levels throughout the day

• No afternoon crashes

• Decreased bloat/gassiness (maybe TMI but we all get it!)

• Better regularity (come on I'm a doctor, can't be a doctor and not talk about poop)

• Better sleep

Just to name a few.

The improvements I've described above set me up to be better at everything I do. I'm less snappy and impatient with the kids and my husband. I'm able to get more things done. I am functioning on an optimal level. These improvements my friends, they are huge and are the things I love most about this 80 day journey so far. 

When it comes to the physical results - I've lost weight. I've lost inches. I've lost body fat. I am starting to see abs. My booty is lifting. My arms are more defined. My clothes fit better. The numbers are not really all that important (and right now I don't actually know them... I will in 2 weeks!) mostly because you and I are different - no one can expect to have the same results as someone else. But I can tell you one thing - if you really stick to this program as written. Do the workouts; eat the right foods, in the right portions, at the right times; sleep as prescribed; use supplements as instructed (if that's your thing) for 80 days - your body will show you exactly what it can do. I'm not going to lie and say that I have no hopes. I would love to see my abs, like really see them, for the first time in my life. I'd love to spend the remainder of my 30s rocking the outfits I thought I'd never be able to pull off ;)

If you are interested in this program but don't know where to start - I'm always available to chat. I'll never put pressure on you (that's just not how I roll ;)) and I also won't chase after you. I've learned that the only people who will sincerely commit to something like this are those who've made up their minds to do it. If you are one of those people - let's do it. The next round will be starting late April but I'm ready to help you get ready for that round starting NOW. 

Each morning, when my workout is complete, I glance in the mirror and see a body in constant evolution. I'm proud of what it has done for me and what it continues to do every single day. My single biggest motivation is being better today than I was yesterday. I'm a girl on a mission to live her best life - and I can confidently say that these 40 days have helped me do just that. 

Sweaty selfie - Day 40