Man, where do I begin? The last time I talked about getting fit on this blog was back in 2013 when I shared this post. Well, a lot has changed. To be completely transparent that attempt at a healthy lifestyle did not last very long. In fact, this was a hard time for me. After having the Little Man aka baby #2, I felt so loved and so lost at the same time.
Can you relate?
It wasn’t until 2015 around the time I wrote this post on my 34th birthday that I started getting really intentional about my whole well being. I was on a quest to find myself again, working with life coaches, going on retreats, constantly finding ways to get out of my comfort zone and finding the right challenges to get me closer to who I wanted to be; an overall healthy woman mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I wanted this for myself, and my family.
I feel like I can take this post in many directions, but today I want to tell you about my 60 Day Challenge with Hardcore Fitness Miramar that totally shook me. Here’s a post I shared in Instagram on the day before the challenge right after taking my before photos and getting measured and scanned.
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Challenges
So why challenges? They work for me. I personally love a good challenge and pushing myself to new limits. Challenges keep me accountable. It’s like taking a class, and my reward is personal growth.
I first heard about Hardcore Fitness from my fellow Dance Mom, and friend, Rebecca. I was a little terrified, but also very intrigued as I watched her transform into a more positive and healthier version of herself. As a result of her joining the 60 Day Challenge we started hiking more, we got into deeper life conversations, and became closer friends overall. After my brother and sister joined the same gym, I thought okay, maybe one day, someday. Here’s a photo of me, my sister, Rebecca, and my other hiking buddy/Dance Mom, Michelle. We’re trying to recruit her.
So, while I’m hardly thinking about someday going to the gym a Hardcore Fitness opens up right down the street from my house. I’m talking about less than a 5 minute drive down the street. There were no more excuses. And as a leader in my community, I was invited to become an Ambassador for the gym. It was like the stars aligned for me.
Can I tell you a secret? It felt weird calling myself an ambassador. I was not a fitness guru. I thought, who am I? Total impostor syndrome set in. I’m a regular mom who wants to get fit. And you know what, that actually made me the perfect candidate. I ended up falling in love with the community and the rest is working itself out.
You’re probably wondering,
- What is Hardcore Fitness anyway, and why do you love it so much
- What is this 60 Day Challenge, and why is it so important?
- Why should I even care?
- I’m curious, did it work?
I’m about to tell you, right now.
What is Hardcore Fitness? And why do I love them?
Hardcore Fitness is really more than just a gym. It’s part of their mission to be a welcoming and supportive community no matter where you are in your fitness journey. Aside from the gym being so close to home, there were two main reasons I fell in love with HCF.
Community. After being a part of the gym for almost 6 months and accepting two challenges I can speak to the integrity of the community first hand. And as someone who did not feel fit, or know how to use the gym equipment at first it was a little intimidating, but the welcoming culture and support of the gym from the top down really made me feel like I found a home, a fit fam if you will.
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The community has continued to provide a very important factor for success, accountability. Without accountability most people will fail at their many attempts to get fit. It’s so important to find the right group of people who will encourage, inspire, motivate and push you to keep on going, even when you don’t feel like you can.
Full Service. Health and fitness is not all about working out hard. What you put into your body is equally as important, if not more important than what you do with your body physically. I love that HCF has provided a meal planning app for members to track their meals, and get ideas for what to eat.
When you join you get a full body scan so you can also track your progress. This gave me a good idea of where I was and how to make realistic fitness goals to get to where I wanted to be.
Receiving my weekly fitness reports in my inbox was also a fun way to stay on top of my goals. If I wore my heart rate monitor, HCF would share the stats with me. It’s so helpful to get progress reports via email.
Finally, having trainers who are passionate, knowledgeable and motivating are the best. Everyone comes with their own unique background, personality and playlist.
Overall, I enjoy how diverse the community is and the fact that I can get a full workout and surround myself with like-minded people, people who are kind and want to make an impact in others lives, and believe in whole health.
What is this 60 Day Challenge, and why is it so important?
I joined the 60 Day Challenge because I liked the transformation my friend and sister experienced. They inspired me to take the leap. Was it easy? Heck, no. Was it worth it? Heck, yes!
I learned so much about myself and my body during this process. I had the opportunity to really take care of myself, learn how to eat for energy, become more aware of my body, developed good habits and became a party of a community that turned into my support system.
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The 60 Day Challenge is a total transformation for your mind and body. It includes,
- Full body scan with our new Inbody technology.
- Full diet program with revisions as needed over the course of the 60 days.
- Cardio program
- Supplement evaluation and program
- Reverse diet/reverse cardio meeting, which outlines a plan for 3 weeks after the 60 days is over.
- Email and phone support
- Unlimited program changes to ensure no plateaus impeding your progress
- Unlimited access to all Hardcore Fitness classes! Open 7 days a week with over 50 class options a week! Classes start as early as 4 am and as late as 8:30 pm!
- Challenge Members only Facebook group. Special page for challenge members designed to build community and friendships.
- Examples of some of the things on previous pages include; motivational quotes and videos, recipes, invites to group hikes, tips, and a whole lot more.
Hardcore Fitness offer a lot of support, and the best measure of success is going to be how dedicated you are to yourself. There has to be a total mindset shift, and it begins with just starting. When you get into the flow of things, it gets a little easier each day. After coming to the gym and getting your butt kicked with 20-30 strangers you eventually become each other’s cheerleaders!
Why am I even sharing this? Why should you care?
One of the reasons I do anything in life is to inspire others, my children, my husband, and my community. I’m sharing this, because if I can do it, so can you!
There are so many options available out there, and if we don’t try any of them to see if they’re a good fit for us we will never know. I’d love for you to try out Hardcore Fitness for FREE. If it’s not for you, then at least you tried, right? Whatever you do, I hope you keep moving, stay healthy and
There are several studies that show how everyday movement, including exercise is good for your brain. During my challenge I was reading Brendon Bruchard’s book, High Performance Habits. The second habit he associates with success is to generate energy. He says, “energy increases production of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF)…which causes neurons to grow in your hippocampus and other areas of the brain, crating increased plasticity and the ability to learn faster, remember more, and improve overall brain function.” There are so many benefits to moving your body.
Apparently, the top 5 percent of all high performers surveyed for his book are 40 percent more likely to exercise at least three days a week. I want to be a high performer.
I’m sharing this with you, because it keeps me accountable. I want to be healthy for my kids, and for me so I can see them grow and win in life. So I can be there when they fall, or need advice from their mama.
Do you want the same for your future? Why do you want to live a healthy lifestyle? What small thing can you do today towards your goal. It doesn’t have to be big, baby steps lead to big changes.
Did it work? Here are my results!
I bet you’re ready to see my transformation, right? Drum roll, please.
Below are my before and after photos from the challenge. I am so proud to say that even though Covid19 put a wrench in our plans to finish strong at the gym and celebrate together, many of my fellow challenge mates, including myself, completed our last 10 days working out online, and doing our final assessments on our own.
I’m grateful for my husband and kids who cheered me on until the end. They ate what I ate, exercised with me, and put up with my grumpiness during my cleansing stage.
Before and After
And here are my before and after photos. I still feel a little uneasy about sharing these, but life is all about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. If my journey inspires someone else to make a difference in their life, then I’m happy I put them out for all to see. I lost 12.1 pounds, 8.4 pounds of which I lost the very first week of the challenge! I was impressed. I also gained more muscle and lost body fat. Right now I’m maintaining my weight.
I have to say, I’m also very proud of myself for taking the challenge. I gained so much. These 60 days reminded me that I can do hard things. That I am capable of anything I put my mind to. Including waking up at 3:30 am to get to a 4:15 am class. This was one of the hardest things for me since I am a night owl. I had so many fears, blocks and reservations, and I chose to do it anyway. I took care of myself more, I slept better, I ate better, my gut felt better during this time. Yes, it was hard, and I did it.
What helped me was the support of the HCF community and all the services they offered to make sure we were successful. I will never forget this experience.
Your Turn
Are you looking for a supportive community that will push you to your full potential? Do you have a desire to live a healthy lifestyle? Grab your free week pass to Hardcore Fitness and let me know what you think. I know times are tough and motivation can be hard to find, and I believe in you. If you have any questions about my journey, please leave a comment below.
am impressed by your before and after workout photos, and I really appreciate how served as motivation for others who just starting to workout and take on the fitness challenge.
Hi Diane! Thanks for your comment. It definitely takes a village and a strong mindset to stay accountable.
Angela Quisumbing recently posted..My Fitness Journey with Hardcore Fitness: 60 Day Challenge