guest post: momma b. & a year of BFL!

hi guys!  janetha here.  i hope you are all having a nice, relaxing sunday.  i mentioned a few days ago that it was my one year mark from starting body for life. well, not only was it my one year mark, it was also my mom’s!  she has done a stellar job of not only keeping the weight off, but getting even more muscle tone and keeping her metabolism in check.

my mom more than just my mom.  she is my best friend.  she is my hero.  she is such a great example to me and is living proof that sticking to your goals can pay off in the long run.  i wanted her to share her story with everyone because she is so dedicated and inspirational!  i have asked her to write up a post about her experience this past year and how her life has changed for the better.

enjoy!

First let me say how excited I am to have been invited to do a guest post on my darling daughter’s awesome blog!  She is why I am the way I am today.  I would like to share my experience with you.

In 2007 my oldest daughter, Marisa, and her husband did Body For Life and both had total success!  They still eat clean and exercise on a regular basis.  Her husband, Eric, even participates in triathalons!  I gave BFL a go back then, I think I gave it a pretty good shot but I probably cheated too much!

Fast forward to 2008–

May 2008: My in-home gym was FINALLY complete.  I was excited!!  I went six days a week for a couple weeks… then I just got TOO busy and lazy.

June 2008: No exercise at all!!  Eating whatever I felt like eating, weighed way too much, I was always tired, did not sleep well, etc, etc.

August 2008: Janetha asked me to do a 12 week Body For Life challenge with her, as she puts it, “by the book!”  Whoa, you mean I might have to change my terribly easy eating habits for something actually healthy (but it might be HARD…..).  I don’t tell my children “no” very often and this was no exception.  I accepted the challenge, she promised to help me, and so our journey began!

August 25, 2008: We weighed, measured and took photos.  This was not a pretty sight for me!  I wasn’t too heavy, but definitely lacked muscle tone, I had plenty to work on.  I bought all the right foods, got out my Eating-for-Life cook book and started writing down menu plans.

Start of BFL: 8/26/08 122.2 lbs 26.3% body fat

We had goals.  At least 1 gallon of water daily, cardio every other day, weight training on the other days and eating clean.  Just check out Janetha’s blog to see what clean eating is all about!  I didn’t have a clue what clean eating meant.  I even had to ask her if a banana was a carb or a protein! (Yes I really am blonde AND over 55!!) I learned to eat 5 to 6 times a day, I learned to listen to my body and it really did tell me when to eat and even better, I started to crave “clean” food!  Wahoo!!

It was so much fun to be on the computer, the phone or together in person gabbing about what we had eaten, how we felt and what exercises were working.  Janetha did tons of research and was a terrific coach.  I nicknamed her “Olga”, she was a task master!  I was accountable to her and if I felt like having a “cheat” then boy she let me know that “nothing tastes better than thin feels!”

During this time I took a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico with some friends.  I was nervous about being strong with my exercise and eating.  I bought a jump rope and exercise bands and Janetha did research on exercises I could do with the bands, printed them out and came over to teach me how to do them.  I had NO EXCUSES just because I was going out of town!!  I took my blender, protein powder, made sure I stopped at the store for some fruit and managed just fine!!

HALFWAY THERE! From 26.3% BF to 22.1% and from 122.2 lbs to 117.7 lbs in 6 weeks!

About 5-7 weeks into the challenge something really neat started to happen—I had a totally different outlook on life, I had a better attitude about EVERYTHING (I am a pretty positive person anyway, but WOW what a difference!).  I was excited to share what I was learning with others, people I work with started to notice a difference in my face, weight and attitude.  There must be something to this whole B-F-L thing, huh?!?

Janetha and I had a good time sharing our different experiences with people on Body For Life Tracker, family members and with friends.  My other daughter, Suni, even joined in on the Body For Life fun with us!!  Having a great support group during this challenge really did make a difference!

We made it the WHOLE 12 weeks, we did NOT cheat, we loved our “free” day (day off from exercise and clean eating) once a week and realized that most free days we still had those yummy peach protein shakes, cottage cheese and vegetables.  Were we nuts or what?! We also had our body fat % checked 3 times during the challenge, beginning, middle and end.  We made great progress!

End of BFL: 114.3 lbs, 20.6% body fat

Now, I guess the reason for this guest post was for me to tell you how things are one year later.  I am excited to tell you that I have kept the weight I lost during that 12 week challenge off (I weigh today what I weighed when I was 22!) My body fat has decreased and my muscles are more toned.  I feel good, I sleep better, I feel healthier, I look pretty good and I still have a good attitude!

I love to exercise now and my new motto is “Something is better than nothing!” When I want to get a few more minutes of sleep in the morning and put off going to the gym, I think about what I can do in 20 or 30 minutes at the gym versus spending a few extra minutes in bed, then I get up and get going!!

Clean eating has become more of a habit.  Because of Janetha I have learned a lot about which foods to eat, which foods will fill me up.  I feel good knowing the food I just ate is feeding my muscle and not adding fat to my body!

I have tried every single lose weight fast diet plan out there, you name it and I have tried it.  And guess what?  THEY DON’T WORK!!  What does work is the combination of clean eating and diligent exercise!  I have learned so much about exercise and clean eating, but more importantly, I realized that i have the power and determination to make great changes in my life! It has been an incredible journey and the beauty of it all is that the journey continues, after all, this is Body For LIFE!!

I am so glad I accepted the challenge from Neef to get going, exercise and eat right.  It is fun!! Towanda!! Xoxoxo

janetha here.  thanks for posting mom!  i wanted to include some photos of her from the other night that i took after the events in this post~to show you how great this lady is at keeping the weight off (she is 110 lbs now) and maintaining!  i want to be just like her!!

like i said, my best friend, my hero :)

xo, janetha b.