Insanity

I had my fourth baby, a beautiful boy named Danny, in May of 2012.  In just the couple years prior to his birth, I had gotten my first taste of meeting a goal with exercise. I stuck with a training program and ran a half-marathon in 2010.  It took me almost 2 1/2 hours, but I did it!  And it was very fulfilling to have finally stuck with something.  But, once again, I lapsed on the exercise front and gained a ton of weight during my fourth pregnancy- hitting my highest weight ever.

During the summer of 2012 I visited a friend and she told me about Insanity.  I had never heard of it before, but I was intrigued.  When I went home that day I watched an infomercial online and texted my friend something along the lines of …”that looks amazing.  But I don’t think I could ever do that.”  I watched those people doing the workout and really believed in my heart that was something I could/would never do…

By the end of the summer I was down to my pre-pregnancy weight, but that weight was still pretty high!  I felt heavy and bloated, weighed down by my own body.  I watched so many people around me exercising- going for runs or bike rides, playing basketball, just being active.  And I felt bad about myself- wondered why nothing ever stuck for me, ever worked for me.  Wondered what was wrong that I just couldn’t keep with it.  I had never found something I loved or thrived at on my own.  Nothing had ever “clicked” for me…

Running had been ok, but progress was slow and I didn’t really see any results.  When I was running I was proud of myself for sticking with it, happy that I found some pleasure in it, and fulfilled by meeting a goal.  But I didn’t really look or feel much more “in shape” than I had at the start and I was still pretty slow.  Plus, I wavered in my commitment.

That summer I knew I was probably not going to have another baby, that my body would really be my own again.  I wanted to finally take charge of it, get healthy and fit and feel good about myself.

My 37th birthday was that September and I ordered Insanity for myself. It was a splurge- money is a little tight around here with me being at home with the kids for so long. But I bought it as a present for myself, and I tracked it’s shipping each day. Maybe that’s part of the reason it became my click, the investment, and the anticipation.

Insanity came in the mail and I started right away.  The first week was definitely insane!  I almost threw up during one of the first workouts and I have never sweat like that in my life.  But I stuck with it…there were times I cried during and/or after.  It was really intense.  I didn’t miss a workout and I stuck with it as I had never stuck with anything before. After all four kids were in bed I worked out at…in the time before Danny would wake up to be nursed!

And the results were insane, too.  I lost 25 pounds doing Insanity and changed my body.  That Thanksgiving I saw friends I hadn’t seen since the summer and they couldn’t believe the change.  It felt good to get such amazing results so quickly- it was gratifying and motivating.  It also felt good to notice physical gains; the progress was evident one week to the next.  By the end of the whole program, I was not only lighter and thinner, but I was more flexible and stronger.  I could do things that I hadn’t been able to do at the start.  The first time I went for a run after completing Insanity, I ran my fastest three miles ever- easily!  I hadn’t run in months, but the conditioning I got from Insanity meant more than all those months I had put into running when it was all I did.

And I love Shaun T.  I loved him then, and I love him even more now. The boot camp style of Insanity really appealed to me; I don’t like dance-y kinds of workouts.  I liked the intense intervals and the breaks in between.  It was also inspiring to see the people in the video, to watch them struggle but get it done.  Something about the whole thing worked for me.

Insanity was the beginning.  I have not stopped exercising since.  I…love to exercise!  I eat so much better now and feel better and happier than ever.  Before Insanity I would make excuses about not exercising because it was unfair to my children, it took away from their time.  I could not have been more wrong- it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for them!  It’s made me a better mother.  And at this point in my life, everything comes back to my children.  So this part means a lot.