During the two years that I spent in
Korea, I lost somewhere around 10-15 pounds. I was eating smaller portions and exercising 3-5 times a week, in addition to walking everywhere I wanted to go. My abs were gaining definition, my thighs slimmed down and I felt very confident about my strength and my body. I did things like participate in a pickup basketball game because I could actually run around without getting out of breath in the first five minutes.
Fast forward a bit. I've been home 10 months and I've gained back all of the weight plus some. Running on the treadmill feels like a chore but I have mixed feelings about running outside, mostly its a mix of anxiety about safety and a lack of confidence. Some have said that I look like a praying mantis when I run. When I was in Korea, I didn't care what people thought, for the most part I was ignored. Now, I'm worried about catcalls or pointing and laughing. Thanks, America.
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| I hate this. |
Anyway, when I was in Korea and back when I lived in PA I participated in a challenge inspired by
Six Sisters Stuff and that worked well to inspire and motivate me. If you're looking for accountability I would definitely suggest starting a challenge with your friends and family.
The success I had with the challenge made me very excited to try one of
Six Sisters Strong fitness programs. I was lucky enough to be gifted with a complimentary copy of the 4 Week Home Workout Program and Menu Plan in exchange for a review.
I really enjoyed both the exercise and menu parts of the
plan. The exercise plan consists of different interval workouts combined with cardio. I think the combination is very important. I didn't lost much weight in Korea until I started running. The interval exercises keeps me focused on intensity and prevents my mind from wandering like it does when I go to the gym alone.
The plan offers two choices of meal plans. I followed the simpler plan simply because it was all my schedule allowed at the time. I'm getting ready to start the plan again and plan on trying the more in depth eating plan this go around. I found the simple eating plan to be varied and sufficient. I certainly didn't go hungry
During my first two weeks I lost 6 pounds!
And then I went on vacation!
Which is why I'm about to start the plan over. I highly recommend purchasing a
plan. This plan was perfect for me because the exercises were challenging but not difficult. I mean that I worked up a sweat and had sore muscles but that the moves don't require much skill to execute. Perfect for the clumsy. Now, this
program worked for me but it does take dedication to to do the full workout and to stick with it. But it is worth it! Also, I think (vacation days notwithstanding) the eating plan is fairly easy to adapt to your daily life once you have hit your weight loss goal. You can just fit your favorite recipes into the recommended rations and serving sizes once you get to the point where you are just trying to maintain.
If you need extra accountability, they also offer a
personalized plan with check ins from a coach.
What kind of workouts work best for you? Any weight loss tips?
