Our team completed our challenge! Here are the final results:
Place: 202nd out of 606 teams (top third - not too shabby!)
Total team activity minutes: 20,238
My total minutes: 3,643
I did not weigh myself, so I don't know if I lost weight. I did not take any measurements, so I don't know if I lost any inches. I also didn't take any before/after photos.
Here is what I did gain from the challenge:
I'm finally learning to accept my body for what it is and where it's at in this phase of my life.
I've given myself permission to stop calorie counting, macro tracking, and dieting.
I took a long, hard look at what my goals should be going forward and I believe that I found an active lifestyle that is sustainable and reasonable for my aging body.
Let's explore these three things in more detail.
I'm finally learning to accept my body for what it is and where it's at in this phase of my life.
Listen, you can search the internet, watch YouTube videos, and scroll social media all day and get completely different pieces of advice for what to eat and how to work out to get rid of belly fat that comes with menopause. Because this is what this is for me; this is what I've been dealing with for the past several years - gain in my midsection. No matter what I eat, or what workouts I do, it's just there. And I'm tired of worrying about it. My metabolism is probably so screwed up by this point from all of the different diets and workouts I've done. I'm just over it. The solution for me? I bought bigger jeans and moved on with my life.
I've given myself permission to stop calorie counting, macro tracking, and dieting.
When you find yourself not eating an apple because it's "not in your macros", it's time to reevaluate your life. I was not in a good head space when I tracked my calories and macros. The weighing, measuring, and constant tracking on my phone app was not healthy for me. I was extremely stressed out. I did not want to live like this. So now, I just focus on what is healthy, what is going to fuel my body, what is going to make me feel good. I'm back to eating more fruit and vegetables, beans, nuts, rice, oatmeal and pasta. I'm eating bread. I have a glass of wine during the week. I eat pizza on Fridays. There are certain foods that I try to avoid because I know they'll upset my stomach, like fried foods, and rich, creamy sauces. But for the most part, no foods are off limits. No more guilt trips or "cheat meals". I just don't overdo it.
I took a long, hard look at what my goals should be going forward and I believe that I found an active lifestyle that is sustainable and reasonable for my aging body.
While I was obsessed with building muscle and inspiring to be like the older women you see on social media lifting heavy weights and looking amazing in their bikinis and tank tops, I realized that this is not a sustainable goal for me. Perhaps one day I'll want to go to the gym to work with a trainer and lift heavier weights, but for now and the foreseeable future, I like working out at home. I like streaming my workouts. I have a really nice home gym that suits me just fine, and I'm no longer going to burn out my body with hard, strenuous workouts. I have found a really effective program that includes days of cardio, strength training, and spin cycling. I'm using smaller weights, but the exercises are still challenging. This plan is sustainable long-term. I'm enjoying it. I feel really good.
My goals are simple: to be strong and mobile enough to pick up my grandchild, carry groceries, walk up and down stairs, and work in the garden. I'll be turning 58 this year. I have to start thinking about what I want my life to look like in the next 20-30 years. Staying active, exercising and walking regularly, and eating healthy will help me to age more gracefully and to thrive in my later years.
My results from the 10-week challenge? A healthier mindset, along with realizing that what I'm doing is working and to just keep going.
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