Good morning everyone (apparently I do productive things in the morning now… what has gotten into me?)!
Here’s the deal. I didn’t think I’d end up posting anything about this program, that I was “just doing it for me, and only me!!” but I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like I’m doing a disservice by NOT sharing it with people I care about… So, here I am.
So, what have I been doing? As you might know, I “randomly” signed up for this online fitness program (Heart & Hustle virtual bootcamp)… in an attempt to prepare for the Oct. 13th half-marathon I mentioned last week (the one my camera made me sign up for…hehe).
What this program came with…
A year subscription to over 700 workout videos (including P90X, Insanity, PiYo, Morning Meltdown 100, 80 Day Obsession, to name a couple programs that you may have heard of)
An invite to the Heart & Hustle private Challenge group, which you access through this “MyChallenge” tracker/accountability app
30 days of nutrient-dense superfood shakes jam-packed with probiotics, digestive enzymes, phytonutrients and alllll the things that make my tummy/brain really happy (also I looove seeing where the ingredients come from!! ) PERU!
A workout calendar, based on the program chosen (mine is a dry-erase “calendar” for MM100 and let me tell you, it is SOOO satisfying to “x” another one off each day)
A nutritional e-course called Portion Fix, which includes 30+ educational videos, a workbook to take notes, FIXate cookbook, FIXate cooking show, and 75 healthy lunch ideas for kids if you’re a mama ❤
Color-coded “Portion Fix” containers that you learn to use with the above program, and a shaker cup for your superfood shakes
Nutritional tracker app – sooo easy to use and has changed everything for me
Weekly videos from the amazing coaches in our private group
Considering how much I’ve paid in the past to go to yoga studios, gyms, trainers etc… paying around $219 for EVERYTHING listed above, although I was still super skeptical, didn’t seem like that much of a risk. Plus, there was a money back guarantee for everything.
So I started it at the end of July, and here has been my experience…
I had 0 expectations going into it, and created a calendar reminder to cancel the $15/month “preferred customer” fee after a couple weeks, because I was SO skeptical that it would actually help me to prep for a half marathon. Then, to my surprise, my entire world started shifting…
As you may have gotten out of my “what’s included” list above, this isn’t just a fitness program. There is a whole component of personal development, accountability (showing up for yourself AND the others in your new crew!), and nutrition – so you really are improving your well-being from the inside out. Another thing to note is that this is not a quick fix, or a magic pill.
It took me hesitantly dipping my toes in to see what it was all about, starting to make time for the 20-30 minute workouts a day and starting to LOVE them, moving my “cancellation reminder” back on my calendar multiple times until I finally just deleted it (turns out the $15/month fee is sooo worth it if you end up loving the superfood shakes, it gets you 25% off everything)… and over time, starting to see the small changes adding up in BIG ways… to finally realize just how freaking EFFECTIVE this program is.
One of the PD (personal development) books that was recommended by my wonderful new friend/coach Lauren, was The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. I believe everyone on Earth needs to get a copy of this, especially in our society where people just want quick fixes. QUICK FIXES DON’T LAST!
If more people could understand the psychology, research and ideas in that book, then we would probably live in a healthier society not so focused on instant gratification.
As the author Darren Hardy says, your life comes down to this formula:
YOU –> CHOICE (decision) + BEHAVIOR (action) + HABIT (repeated action) + COMPOUNDED (time) = GOALS
So first you need to figure out, what ARE your goals? Mine started as “being able to finish my first ever half-marathon.” My fear of bailing on the first half-marathon I ever signed up for because I didn’t feel ready when the day came, was enough to scare me to the gym for 20 minutes a day.
Then, without consciously realizing I was doing this… After one small habit became established, I started making other small changes also. The positive changes started “compounding,” if you will.
For example: Once I started feeling like I was actually making it to the gym (or to my guest room since you can do the workouts from home too!) every day, then I decided to try and incorporate reading positive PD for at least 10 minutes every morning, BEFORE checking emails or going on social media. (First I went through The Compound Effect, now I’m going through You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero – another one EVERYONE needs to read!)
After probably 2 weeks of consistently reading positive PD in the mornings, I started slowly making healthier food choices. After about a month in, I finallyyy went through the Nutritional videos that came with the program, and started trying out the Nutrition+ tracker app. Learning how the nutritional system worked and using the app caused me to become SO much more aware of the things I was missing in my diet (apparently I suck at eating fruits and healthy fats, and do not drink enough water!) And whoever said 80% of your success comes from your nutrition, is 100% correct. It made SUCH a difference once I started focusing on that!!
Things just kept shifting. I’d decide to cook a healthy dinner instead of swinging by Sonic on the way home. I started drinking water instead of spending money on sugary, expensive iced mochas every morning. I’d get excited to cook dinner so I could get my proteins, healthy carbs and veggies added to my tracker app. I’d post sweaty selfies in the accountability group to show my new squad which workout I completed, and cheer them on for completing theirs too. I’d listen to positivity every time I was in my car instead of the news.
All of these small changes started to add up until I could do the “Badass” jump during cardio, like this… 😛
“Consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining momentum.” (Darren Hardy).
To me, the magic of this program is how it forces you to learn what it even means to be consistent with something. Your “small” successes start adding up, and empowering you like none other. You’re learning lessons, and making SMALL adjustments, that will help you for LIFE, as opposed to just getting hooked on products or some kind quick fix that isn’t sustainable.
I am a person that notoriously loves to try new things, but never sticks with anything… and here I am 2 months into this, and I do NOT see myself slowing down anytime soon, even after my half-marathon is over!
Besides losing about 8″ and 5lbs so far, and feeling amazing mentally and physically, there is another great example of why I know this program/system works.
Remember, the reason I decided to try this was to prepare for that half-marathon I signed up for in October. So, after starting this, about 30 days went by where I was doing nothing but the 20-30 minute workouts (& a couple hot yoga classes here and there). I started to get worried about the fact that I hadn’t been actually running at all, and decided to see if I could even run 5 miles… Keep in mind, I had never really run more than 2-3 miles at a time… Ever… In my life.
And guess what… I ran 7 miles (mostly uphill) that day!
And then 2 weeks later, I ran almost 10 miles (also, mostly uphill… oops)!
Update: The day I wrote this post, which was exactly 1 week after my last run… I ran 13.1 miles! AND I CAN STILL WALK THE NEXT DAY!! 😀
The half-marathon is now in just over 2 weeks and I am actually excited for it, which is something I never thought I’d say or feel. The amount of gratitude I have is through the roof right now that I decided to sign up for that half-marathon, which kicked my butt into gear… and even more thankful that I decided to listen to my new Insta-friend and try out the Heart & Hustle Bootcamp! (<– Click if you want more info on how to join our crew!)
Again… I never, in a million years, thought I would be posting about this after starting it… But as that one Gandhi dude said, YOUR ACTIONS EXPRESS YOUR PRIORITIES, and I am finally taking action to prioritize my health again!! And it feels GREAT! And hopefully, by sharing this journey, I can help others make lasting positive changes for themselves too. ❤
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