The Myth of Spot Reduction

Just this past weekend, I was with some friends and we were talking about how hard it can be to find a workout program or routine that does what you want it to. One of the girls I was with talked about how she was happy with every area of her body, except for her abdomen area. She has had 3 children. I have had 2, so I completely understand what she's talking about. The weight seems to shed from every other area of my body without much effort. But my midsection is STUBBORN! Ideally, yes, we would want to just work the "problem area" and let the rest of our bodies stay the same. Much less work, much less time, right? Wrong.

Let me tell you why even if spot reduction was a possibility, you wouldn't want to do it. Your body is capable of SO MUCH MORE than you know. Yes, you can be skinny. You can be trim. But to be FIT is a whole different ball game. You ever heard the term "skinny fat"? There are plenty of skinny people in this world that can't do a set of push ups. There are plenty of skinny people whose diets are terrible. There are skinny people who have serious health risks and problems due to not being physically fit.

Being physically fit is power. It is freedom. Freedom to be able to do whatever you want to do. Hiking, biking, swimming, running, rock climbing, skiing...you name it, you're capable. And if you aren't there yet, you are learning to push yourself. To challenge your body. Physical fitness isn't a destination. It's a lifestyle. One that I choose to have every day. Some days, I don't live it. And some days, I do. It's a journey. A marathon. No sprinting! And no spot reduction. I cannot do 100 crunches a day and have fab abs in 6 weeks. Nope. I have to challenge myself. Squats, burpees (man I HATE burpees!), leaps, planks, football shuffles.

Anything that is worth having, requires a serious amount of work and sacrifice. We always forget to include that second word. Sacrifice. You can't have it all. You can't be fit and healthy, and eat whatever you want. There's no magic pill or procedure or wrap that can make you trim AND fit. It just isn't possible.

Don't rob yourself of feeling confident AND healthy! Our world is so full of quick fixes and getting something for nothing. But I don't believe in that. I believe in work and bouncing back when you fail. Believe me, I am not perfect about it...at ALL! In fact, my second baby is now almost 19 months old, and I still have about 15-20 lbs of excess weight. Why? Because I LOVE junk food and my will power, sucks. But starting tomorrow morning, I am beginning a new journey.

Tomorrow morning, I start the 21 Day Fix diet, while doing the T25 workout program. Cleaning up my eating and doing T25 is what helped me lose 15 lbs in 2 months before I got pregnant with my second baby. So, I am going to be accountable to this blog. I commit to post here in some form (photo, video, post, etc) at least twice a week. I'll post my before and after pics (even though that thought terrifies me completely). And when it's over, I'll probably do it again and again until I reach my fitness goals and can switch to a maintenance program. So check out this blog over the next few weeks, and if you feel like joining me and starting your own fitness journey, please do!

Challenge #1

Hello to anyone out there who wants to lose weight or simply improve their health! My name is Christine. My friend Lacey and I have decided to help each other, and all of you to be more motivated to be healthy! We will provide healthy recipes, success stories, program recommendations, and motivational posts as well.

So today, we are sending out our first challenge. Weekend eating. I know how it goes. The weekend is FINALLY here (a holiday weekend nonetheless!) and you just want to sit back, relax, and eat some good food. Or if you're like me, binge on some good food. It's tough to be active and eat well on the weekends! So I have a rule for myself. Sometimes I break it, but I have had much more success with this rule than I have with cutting out sugar and my favorite guilty pleasure meals altogether.

So here it is. Give yourself a treat every day. You can have it whenever you want, as long as you have it before 7pm. Have one, I repeat (for myself more than anyone else) ONE serving. Ideally, it should be under 300 calories. But I don't usually count calories because it depresses me and frustrates me. You have to find what works well for you, because being healthy isn't a diet that ends the second you lose that last pound. Being healthy is for every meal, every day. It is a daily choice for the rest of your life. If you want to be skinny, yeah it is until that last pound and then it's lighter maintenance. But if you want to live a healthier, longer, better life, it is a life long change. And anything that lasts a lifetime, is going to have its ups and downs. But don't give up when you have a bad day with eating or exercise, or anything for that matter! Giving up after a bad day is like slashing the other three tires when one goes flat.

So this Labor Day weekend, and every other weekend from now on, choose your healthier life over your overly satisfied sweet tooth. I promise you that it will be worth it. It will be hard, but it will be so worth it, to gain control of your diet. So who is with me?? Challenge #1 extended!