I feel proud that I completed the Challenge!

HAPPY FABULOUS FRIDAY!

It's Friday and that means another inspiring story from one of our ELM friends:)  Sometimes all we need is a little inspiration to help us launch upwards!  Enjoy!

During the ELM 10-Week Full on Fitness& Nutrition Challenge you lost 8 pounds, 3.25 inches and 3% body fat...moving from the edge of the 'Overfat' category to the 'Fitness' category for your body composition in the process!  WOW!

How were you feeling before you started the ELM Challenge?

I felt stuck in my routine. I enjoyed getting involved in fitness but couldn’t do more than “dabble” in it. I wanted to make real changes in my health/fitness routines and make it a consistent part of my life.

How do you feel now that you have successfully completed the ELM Challenge?

I feel stronger each week, mentally and physically. I feel proud that I completed the challenge and gave it my best effort despite a few setbacks.

How did the ELM Challenge help you achieve these changes?

Participating in the boot camp classes was a big step for me. It has helped me to feel a part of something that is positive and encouraging and also effective!

The weekly nutrition challenges were good for me to stay accountable to myself for the amount and quality of food I was consuming.

What specific changes did you make to your nutrition during the 10 weeks?

I paid attention to keeping my food “real” and watching portion sizes. I also never really thought much about the whole Carb/Fats/Protein ratio in my day before the challenge.

How difficult were these changes?

I didn’t find these changes too difficult. I always feel better knowing I’m putting healthy food into my body. Logging my food each day was a good way to keep on track and see where I might be lacking that day.

What specific changes did you make to your fitness during the 10 weeks?

I worked out 6 days a week. 2 boot camp days and 4 workouts at home. I would have loved to do more running but it wasn’t to be. Getting up early (5 AM) to do workouts has been a big change for me as well. I like the feeling of knowing it’s done for the day!

How difficult was it to make these?

It was only difficult for me when other area’s in my life got busy and I was struggling for time to do the workout. Again another good reason to complete the workout early.

What obstacles did you face during the ELM Challenge and how did you over come them?

The biggest obstacle for me during the challenge was dealing with the flare up of shin splints over and over again. I had to adjust my workouts at home to be low impact and try other cardio exercises to keep up cardio levels.  I also was modifying the boot camp workouts to compensate for the injury. I did feel very frustrated at times but Sarah was able to always remind me that there was still many things I could do! I will keep working on getting this injury fixed!

How did you stay motivated during the ELM Challenge?

My motivation came mostly from my positive state of mind I was experiencing most days after completing a workout. I could feel changes in my body quite soon after starting. I love feeling the muscle in my arms and seeing the definition get better all the time.

I also wanted to feel the pride in being able to tell other people that I stuck to it. I feel like I can inspire others in my life to try and be a little more active and possibly start to feel the positive in it as well.

What advice do you have for others who are looking to make changes to their fitness?  Any tips or tricks that helped you?

Planning your day around an early workout is an effective way to get the workout done without giving too much opportunity for something else to come up and take away your time. 

 

Nutrition wise, I think everyone should get on the Green Smoothie Train, LOL. Such a great way to incorporate some of the essential greens / fruits / vitamins etc. etc. into your diet. And so fun to experiment with!

Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience?

Thank you Sarah for the encouraging words during some of my frustration days. I do believe that I will beat these shin splints.  I feel confident that I can stick to my fitness plan and keep making improvements.

 

Glad I signed up!

-N