Two and half years ago, I scanned through my daughter's prom photos and came upon several of a woman I didn't recognize. She had the same hair and eye color as me, and her smile was oddly familiar. But this slightly overweight woman had a sadness to her emerald green eyes that were not familiar to me, and yet, she was me.
I was looking at a photo of myself, 25 pounds overweight and unhealthy, and I didn't like who I had become. I immediately cropped myself out of the photos, deleted any that I could and cried. I decided that day I would be physically fit and healthy by the time my twins graduated the following year... and I was. Twenty pounds lighter and physically tone I was feeling fantastic as they accepted their diplomas. I had donated all my fat jeans and promised myself I'd never let myself get there again.
Then life happened. I merged my business with Macaroni Kid one month after the twins left for college, and I sat, and sat, and sat at my computer determined to make this site the best it could be. I'd wake up, grab my coffee and then sit down at the computer to pour everything I had into it. Somedays I'd look at the clock and it would be 4 p.m., and I'd realize I hadn't even eaten, and then I'd binge. And except for the occasional walk with friends and workout video, exercise was non-existent. In an attempt to grow my site and professionally I had forgotten about making me the best me I could be, as I had promised myself I would back in 2016.
So here I am again. Not quite as overweight, but feeling unhealthy, out of shape, and untoned.
Determined not to fall into a depressive funk, I contacted Aimee Marshall, owner of the year-old Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center on North Street in Pittsfield with a plea for help. Within a week, Aimee I met and came up with a plan for the next six weeks. I would take a 45- to 60-minute class three times a week, followed by a 30-minute training session with Aimee on Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, I would follow my Zumba class up with a 45-minute workout on the Pilates Reformer machine.
Aimee also provided me with her Transformation Challenge meal plan that will be made available to the public in January for a fee. The six-week eating program is just what I need. It's full of whole, unprocessed foods and tells me what to eat every day, provides me with a grocery list, AND a shopping list.🙌🏻
The first two-days are aimed at ridding your body of toxins by eliminating caffeine, flooding your body with nutritious vegetables, and limiting your protein intake. I'm not going to lie. The first two days were not easy. The food was delicious, but going cold turkey on my daily dose of coffee, and cutting out all the garbage I had been feeding my body gave me a headache that lasted a day and half and all I wanted to do is sleep (which I did on the second day in the afternoon, shortly after dinner, and finally surrendered to my bed at 8:30 that night). But, I woke up the next morning at 5:30 a.m. (earliest I've gotten up in ages), refreshed, energized, ready to tackle Zumba again at 9:30, and oh, I couldn't wait for a cup of coffee! Note: I would recommend starting the cleanse on a weekend so you can rest, sleep, and nurture your body while it detoxifies.
I've got almost one week behind me and I'm feeling motivated, accomplished and surprisingly strong already. My husband (and son) are loving the meals — favorites thus far include the Bruschetta Chicken and the Baked Salmon (with an orange/soy glaze).
Looking forward to next week and excited to tackle new recipes and new classes, I can't wait to see what happens next!
Join me on my journey back to ME these next six weeks here, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
