Six Week Body Make-Over

CAN YOU CHANGE YOUR BODY IN 6 WEEKS?

A friend of mine {Christa Cox} is doing a six week challenge. She has already made great strides in improving her overall health and fitness. She made one goal, met it, and moved on to the next goal. I'm very impressed with how much she has accomplished in a relatively short amount of time. No tricks. No gimmicks. No magic pills. Hard work and dedication. ...and she's a working mom to boot!

Six weeks seems like a short commitment. I want to participate in this challenge to support her efforts and improve my own health at the same time. Win-Win.

Most women gain weight while pregnant and the lose that weight when they become nursing mothers. Inversely, I lost weight while pregnant and have only gained weight since my son's birth. I haven't gained a lot of weight, but you wouldn't know that by looking at me. All the weight I gained back went straight to my belly where the skin was already stretched and loose. Now I look pregnant again. 

For my challenge, I will focus on losing that belly fat! 

GOAL: Lose 10 lbs and 4" or more - one to two pounds a week is reasonable with as overweight as I am, right?
HOW: Running (gotta stay heart healthy) and cut down on sugar consumption (bye-bye soda & desserts).
CONCERN: I am mostly concerned about heart health because my dad had a major heart attack in his thirties. I do NOT want that to be me! Once or twice I year I get all revved up on the idea of getting fit. Keeping in line with heart health I start with cardio workouts. In no time at all I get burned out. I don't know why that is. Well, I know what it is, but I don't know how to fix it.

First, I don't particularly enjoy exercising. It is always a chore. Second, I don't like to work out alone but I am too embarrassed by my complete lack physical fitness to workout in front of anyone else. Third, taking time to exercise takes time away from my little family and my family time already feels precious and fleeting. Fourth, and finally, in all my excitement about the possibilities of getting fit, I research beginner workouts and get overwhelmed. Look at the workout tips and routines I found in less that 5 minutes of searching:

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/12-ways-spice-your-squats-better-results
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/pdfs/curvy-workout-eb.pdf
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/pdfs/pear-workout-eb.pdf
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/pdfs/straight-workout-eb.pdf
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/pdfs/athletic-workout-eb.pdf
http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/

I cannot do half of the suggested exercises and of the half that I can do, I cannot do as many reps as they recommend. I already feel hopeless and defeated. Stupid health and fitness! Who needs you?!?

Okay. Time to buck up. I told Christa I will do this challenge, and I will. Today. I am starting today! Wish me luck. I'll check back in on September 16th. If you're lucky, you may hear from me before then with a status update.