What's Easier than Getting Fit with Friends After Work?

 

"I absolutely love my after job job!"  

I have had the pleasure of working at the same place throughout my journey of getting fit, and when I started seeing results, my coworkers showed tremendous support.  I wanted to share the joy I found exercising, but was not qualified to do so.  A friend of mine told me that she saw that Christine Dwyer was offering a Turbo Kick Instructor training close to me.  I knew that if I took the class I would then be able to teach at my employers wellness program.  I decided to take the class along with two other Turbo Junkies and was certified in April 2010!  Nothing makes me smile more than to enjoy a great workout with my co-workers and my friends.  We are a support throughout the day to each other and I love the energy that is brought in to the classes.  It has made my daily work environment more stress-free and I can perform a rather physical job with much more ease with less chance of injury from heavy lifting!  I'm sure Team Turbo Kick for CFDS would agree that its a much better day when its a TURBO DAY :)

What Am I Doing Here?

I realized that my life was changing all around me, FAST!  I started working out and thought I didn’t have to do anything with my diet, since I didn’t eat much anyway The truth is I wasn’t eating enough, and what I was eating wasn’t the right fuel to feed my body for my daily activity.   I started to eat every 2 hours throughout the day.  In the beginning, I had to force myself to eat a breakfast (something I did not deem necessary in the past) and to take time out of my morning to pack little meals that would be easy enough to eat whatever I might be doing.  It worked for me and I then took the next step into examining what I am putting into my body.  I love supporting local farms and I decided to start eliminating what I am buying in the supermarkets and what I am buying fresh locally.  I feel like I get a better product from a person I recognize from my community.  In the summer I grow as many fruits and veggies that I use most often and I love creating new recipes to use as many different seasonal foods as possible.
At first I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to afford the nutritional choices I felt necessary to improve my diet, but I am finding that I can actually eat better on a budget!  I shop smarter and plan better and save on time and my bills are averaging out to be the same.

I took one step at a time and my life evolves with me, I am always open to new ideas and willing to try anything.  My plan here is to discuss our favorite foods, figure out how to make them better for us without compromising the integrity of the dish, create recipes for these favorites using a clean approach to cooking, to encourage each other to continue to workout and lead fit and healthy lives, and answer any questions

together.

Why Getting Fit Is Easier With Friends!!

I had no idea 3 years ago that my life would have changed so drastically.  Thanks to the encouragement of a neighbor/friend a new pathway opened up for exploration.  She needed an "accountability buddy" to work out with on a regular basis.  An accountability buddy is someone that pushes you to surpass your limits, encourage you when you feel a lack of motivation, and most importantly, a person you don't want to let down.  The thought of one of us bailing on a workout carried more weight since you were not only failing yourself but your "buddy" as well.  You would schedule a workout and you made sure you were present with positive energy ready for that workout.  Thanks to Caitlin, November 12th, 2007 was the first day I have ever actually applied myself in a physical manner with the goal in mind to lose some weight.  I previously hadn't owned a scale in my adult life and frowned upon buying one.  I knew in order to keep myself motivated (and what motivates me is data), I knew I had to purchase a scale.  I found out the consequences when you just do not concern yourself with such equipment for over a decade.  I was 30 years old and 235 lbs!  We would ride together to work and discuss what workout we were going to do when we got back from work and have no excuse to not exercise.  It really seemed to work and helped me "schedule" time to workout in my life that I couldn't blow off. 

When I started to lose weight I wanted to show others how much more motivating it is to "get fit with friends".   Our group grew and we were up to 3 people working out regularly together.  I wanted to reach more people.  In April 2010, the three of us went and got TurboKick Instructor Certified and Caitlin and I started to teach at our employer's Wellness program. 

 

At this point, I have a happy class, full of energetic coworkers that have known me throughout my weight loss and I hope I am as much of a motivation to them as they are to me.   I have lost 85 lbs and I have a confidence that I never knew was possible.

My suggestion at this point is to make sure you hold yourself accountable first, and make sure to find at least one buddy to share this experience with.  I'll always be available :)