Stats:
Weight: Starting -152.6lbs – Final -141.5lbs
Measurements: Starting Waist: 33.5”, Hip: 39.5” – Final Waist: 27.5”, Hip: 38.5”
Total Weight – 11.1lbs
Total Hips – 1”
Total Waist – 6”
TESTIMONIAL:
“Where do I begin?
Rewind to about 7 years ago. I had the first of my Lovely Little Mini Me’s in 2010 – and I walked out of the hospital in my pre-pregnancy jeans, thought to myself “easy enough, I don’t need to go to the gym. I will just go for walks with my new-born in the wonderful warm Saskatchewan sun and I will be set”. Fast-forward another year/year-and-a-half and another adventure (and another 10-15 lb weight gain); this time pregnancy numero two and the beginning of my degree in nursing (and the addition of a few more pounds). I found out I was expecting with my second daughter my first month into school so needless to say my life turned out to be a little ahem…hectic. Although I knew I needed to do some physical activity after my second daughter was born, not only to feel better about myself but also to relieve stress and anxiety, I failed to do so. I should not say I completely failed… I was paying money for a monthly gym membership but really I did not use it to the best of my ability at all. Fast forward again – 2016 December – I finally finished school – no more stress right? Wrong. I think the life of a nurse may be one of the most intense and snack hungry fields of employment there is and ever was. Even though I ate “well” at home and when I meal prepped, I was a bit of a drive thru hustler (as I like to call it) and chronic grazer of whatever is in the staffroom kind of gal. So, as you can guess this eventually all caught up with me. I think my all time low and kick in the teeth was when I realize I could no longer keep up with my girls and I would rather stay inside instead of going out to play, swim, dance with them.
January 2017 – new years resolution time!!! However, this year would be unlike any other because I was about to do something legit. To Legit to Quit! I heard about Trench from co-workers and Vicky (a Trench success), and decided that maybe this is something I could do. I signed up with them with their 12-week challenge and became extremely excited followed by extremely anxious in a ten minute time span. I really did have second thoughts about what I had truly just signed up for, but I set up my first meeting with Erika and essentially the rest is history.
I think in the beginning of the program I had the most trouble grasping the concept of macros and how they were going to play a role in my life in the next 12 weeks and into the future. However, after my first meeting with Erika (and probably a boat load of emails) I figured it out and I was on my way. I found that I truly enjoyed planning and making my food fit my macros. It was challenging but I was not denied any foods that I wanted to eat I just needed to plan accordingly and that was that! I am very lucky in the sense that I do a lot of my cooking for me and my family at home and had already been making meal plans in order to make our lives more convenient with my schedule as a student and then a nurse working shift work.
When I first met with Erika we went through what the program would look like. Growing up I was always involved in sports and a very active as a kid. I was also competitive as well and I love a good challenge – which makes this challenge very suiting for me. We went through any of the exercises that I felt uncomfortable with in order to avoid any gym anxiety that I may have! Believe me I still feel a little out of place at the gym at times if I am doing something new but I always turn to either Erika or other gym goers for help and support which has definitely helped me be successful with the challenge. I feel that I fell in love with physical activity again and I really truly missed being active! I have made going to the gym or doing some type of physical activity a priority again in my life and my results and the way I feel have definitely been a reflection of the work I have put in – go figure!!
Overall, I feel that this program and this way of life are the cats’ pyjamas! A few things that I have attributed to my success and will use in the future:
- Trust in the process and don’t sweat the small stuff!! There were more than a few occasions that I had to email Erika because I felt I had flubbed up – however – she reassured me as to reasons why I may have faulted and how to adjust for these types of mishaps in the future, which was awesome. Instead of feeling bad for miscalculating or missing a work out she always reassured me that this plan was all very flexible and suited to fit my needs and crazy life! It always turned into a positive versus a negative, and in the past anything negative made me just want to quit – and I previously I would have!
- You get what you put in – I tried my absolute hardest to be successful with this program. I am not sure why I chose this one or this worked so well for me but I feel that I was committed to it and in turn it really didn’t let me down. I worked hard at the gym and in the kitchen. If you fail to plan you plan to fail – always came to mind during this program and that statement could not be more true. I always felt ready when I had my meals and gym times planned for the week and therefore I couldn’t give my excuses or ways out like I had done in the past. Although I know I am not at my “goal” I know I am very much on my way and I know how to get there!
- Don’t let them get you down – I have people asking me about my “diet” or asking when will I stop it. I don’t feel this is a diet at all for me because I eat like a lumberjack and if I plan right I am very rarely hungry. When I get questions about the way I eat or why – I try to take time to teach people what it is all about – even if I know they’re not listening I try! As to the second statement, when will I quit? I don’t think I will ever quit. I may adjust things here and there but these 12 weeks is a tiny little snap shot of what is to come and what can be for me.
- Tricks and tips…if you have a sweet tooth, salty tooth, sweet and salty teeth, whatever you have there are ways to make this work. I fell in love with fat free sugar free Jell-O pudding and sugar free regular Jell-O with coconut whipped cream!! Fat free Greek yogurt has ALL THE PROTEIN (not all of it but it’s a good source and you can change it up to how you like it)! Also PB2 for you peanut butter lovers is also a staple in my house now… and I don’t really like peanut butter that much! There are always little ways to adjust food to make it work for you and not feel deprived you just have to do some research and calculating and you’re set!
- Find a support system – During my twelve weeks I have used emails to reach Erika, texts to reach many friends and family (you know who you are) who are currently trying to better themselves and are in the challenge or involved in their own challenge to use for my own support/input/humour/cheering squad! Misery loves company and when I was having a rough gym day or eating day I would just rely on my support system to help me out! Thanks to all of you – couldn’t have done it without you!
I think that’s all I can really tell you about my experience with the 12-week challenge. It has surpassed my expectations and I am hooked! I look forward to being healthy and active in the future. I am most happy with the fact that I can run around outside with my kiddos and not feel short of breath or the need to go and sit inside! I hope they too can follow a healthy lifestyle and by doing the program for myself and leading by example I am sure it will rub off on them!
Lastly, I hope those who read this and have any questions feel free to reach me or get in touch with the Trench family! They know what they’re doing and they have fun doing it!”
