About 6 weeks ago, I reached what felt like an ultimate low in my self-esteem. I had been working out consistently for months, still trying to shake the holiday weight well into April, and I was getting nowhere. I felt like my body was actually broken and destined to be overweight forever.
A Facebook ad popped up for a *free* 6 week fitness challenge at a barre studio near me. Before I knew it, I was in the studio meeting with a "coach." They took a Fit3D scan of my whole body, walked me through their cleanse diet plan and set a goal of a 25 lbs loss in 6 weeks.
At this point, I should have known that it's not healthy to lose 4+ lbs a week. As if that wasn't enough of a red flag, they next explained that I would have to put down a $500 deposit and that I would earn it back by completing my goal. In retrospect, I don't know what I was thinking, besides feeling desperate to change something. When the coach assured me that 87% of participants earned their deposit back, I signed the contract. (Picture a very Ariel-Ursula transaction, except I'm the chubby one.)
I worked my butt off for weeks. I was determined to get that money back. I followed their 900-1100 calorie a day meal plan religiously. I attended three of the studios strength training classes a week. I weighed every piece of food that went in my body. Their plan was my bible.
The midpoint check-in at Week 3 was crushing. For all that work, I was so disappointed in the results. I was “only” down 5lbs and lost two inches around my waist. I still felt fat, especially in these barre classes full of tall, skinny ballerinas. I told my coach, “The only way I'm going to lose 20 lbs in the next three weeks is sawing off a limb.” She shrugged, and said I should cut the daily tablespoon of peanut butter out of my diet plan, as if those 95 calories were the singular culprit.
I went home absolutely crushed. I wanted to give up. I wasn't going to hit my goal. I wasn't going to get my money back. What was the point of continuing on this frustrating path? I whined all this and more at my boyfriend. Now, he’s an economics nerds and he hit me with some wisdom.
"Would you pay $500 to lose 25 lbs and reclaim your health?"
"Well, duh. I already did."
"Okay. So that's a sunk cost. F\ck their timeline. The diet and the progress don't have to end when their challenge does. You decide when it's over. You decide how far to take the $500 you invested."*
I couldn't whine my way around his logic. So, I faced down the last 3 weeks with a healthier mindset. I stopped worrying about minor weight fluctuations, and focused instead on fueling and hydrating with clean foods. In class, I celebrated myself for getting stronger rather than worrying that I looked stupid because my body was different than the other women. I forced myself to eat at least 1,000 calories a day and even allowed myself occasional cheats. I am determined to make this diet a lifestyle change, not a one-time 6 week exercise in total deprivation.
Since then, the results have continued, with some plateaus and whooshes along the way. I'm down another 5 lbs. My strength and endurance have continued to improve. In fact, I went back to my beloved spin class last night for the first time since I started the challenge and came in first freaking place in a class of 20 people. (I typically finish in the middle of the pack or lower.)
I'm planning to continue the clean eating during the week and allow myself rewards within reason on some weekends. I'm going to lose all 25 pounds and then some, however long it takes.
My biggest takeaways?
- There's a lot of people out to make money off your insecurities and they'll promise you the world. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- I finally got it through my head that it didn’t take 6 weeks to become overweight and it isn’t going to take 6 weeks to reverse it. If you fall for some fitness racket, or are frustrated that things aren't happening when you think they should, don't give up. Be patient and kind to yourself. The results will come. Trust the process.
- I will also say, despite my personal frustration towards this gym, 6 weeks of completely clean eating felt amazing. I have literally zero "digestive distress" these days. I used to keep a bottle of Tums in my desk, my car, and my apartment and I haven't needed them since week 1.
- This subreddit is such a gift. I'm so appreciative that I can share my wins and losses and even dumb questions with you all. I really feel like we're all in it together and I'm proud of us for making changes, even if they're really f*cking hard. Truly, thank you
Still a long way to go, but I’m determined to keep making progress. Let's get after it guys!
TL;DR - I'm a dummy who fell for a fitness challenge scam. The rapid results I was promised didn’t happen. Instead of using it as a reason to give up, I got miserable, and then (with help) I got logical, and then I turned the unsustainable “cleanse diet” into healthy habits I can keep for the long term.
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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2Jyb6vp
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