Anyway...
That career path didn't last long (story of my life... more about that in another post). I really did like the company and the products and I absolutely loved the idea of helping people change their lives. I loved the fact that Beachbody didn't require you to already be fit in order to start coaching people, either.
But, what they did require was being a product of the products.
AND MY BODY JUST COULDN'T HACK IT!!!
Unfortunately, I just was unable to do the fitness programs that I was trying to be a "walking advertisement" for. I drank the Shakeology (still do! I LOVE the stuff!!). But my body couldn't handle the high intensity workouts. I ended up with tendinitis in my shoulder and various pulled muscles. I tried to take things more slowly and even tried acupuncture for my shoulder. But eventually, I just had to face the fact that it just wasn't going to work for me.
I finally found something called Cold Laser Therapy for my shoulder and after being laid up with broken ribs for about half a year (watch for more details in upcoming posts) and packing on an extra 50 lbs., I finally went back to Weight Watchers. It's never failed me. I have always been able to lose weight doing their program. It just works for me. I have lost 25 lbs. so far and it's continuing to go well. I like how easy it is and that there is no calorie counting. It's all done with points and you can eat anything you want as long as you count the points. No guilt! It's really just learning to budget your calories and watch your portions. Fruits and vegetables are completely free, so not only does it encourage me to eat more of them, I absolutely LOVE not having to track any points for them!
Nutrition is the key to weight loss. You just have to be mindful of what you eat if you want to lose the weight. For me, personally, to be successful at losing weight, I really need the flexibility of Weight Watchers. I don't do well with anything super restrictive where you have to give up any particular food. I can't stick with it for long and I end up sabotaging myself.
As important as the food part is, exercise is necessary for building muscle and toning up the flab. My exercise of choice is my elliptical. When my shoulder is bothering me (which it still does occasionally), I just do the lower body and skip the arms. As I continue to improve my fitness, I'm hoping to get back to some other types of exercise that I've done in the past. I used to run 5k's, do yoga and kickboxing, as well as hiking.
Back before my lengthy broken rib fiasco, my husband and I were consistently hiking every weekend. Portland, Oregon has a vast array of hiking trails, complete with beautiful views of rivers and waterfalls.We had a goal to hike to the top of Mt. St. Helens a couple years back, which we still have yet to complete. But, the important thing is we're working on it. We just recently got back to our (semi) weekly forays into the wilderness. It feels good to be back out on the trails. And it's great couple bonding time.
By the way... I DO have a point I'm trying to make with all of this!
And the point is... JUST DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!! As the title of this post so aptly puts it:
Not everything is going to work for every body. Aside from the fact that all of our bodies are different and won't respond to the same type of diet or exercise, we all have very different interests, abilities, and opinions. Good thing there are so many different weight loss programs, books, dvds, exercises, and equipment, as well as a plethora of information on the internet.
Don't worry about what worked for your sister. For your friend. For your neighbor. Don't believe everything you read or see on TV. Don't even worry about what I said in this blog post about what works for me. Do your own thing.
DO YOU!!!!
Only you can do you. So do it the best you can. Try some things out and then stick to what works for you. Whether you want to lose weight, improve your fitness, climb a mountain, or just learn a new skill. You can apply it to anything in life. You are a unique individual, so find out what it is that makes you tick and go for it!
And don't be afraid to try new things. How will you know whether it's your thing or not unless you try?
Happy exploring!
Laura
