Our Last Class

This was the final class in our eight week journey together. :'( It was definitely bittersweet. It has been so fun to see these ladies twice a week, even though we moaned and sweated more that we would've liked. This was such a great bonding experience that encouraged us to grow and challenge ourselves and each other.

Our Body Back group. Pre-workout.

I had my final weigh-in tonight and I met my goal of 10 pounds! Exactly. That's just over a seven percent loss! Pretty wild in eight weeks. (Especially considering it took me a few weeks to kick some of my poor eating choices.) We also did my measurements before class, and I lost four inches in my chest (11.11%). : / It's kind of hard to be excited about that. Of course I'm excited to be losing, and I understand that that particular area is basically comprised of fat. But still. It'd be nice if you could pick and choose how you lost the weight... I also lost four inches in my waist (12.12%), an inch and a half in my hips (3.9%), and an inch and a half off my thigh (6.82%). I do have my before and after pictures. I've been procrastinating posting them. A lot. But before we go there...

Our final workout consisted of "1000 Reps." You can see in our 'after' picture what we completed. Exercise after exercise in the evening heat. We did have a nice shady spot, but it was still hot. What a great way to end it all and really feel like we accomplished something big!

You know it's hot when the camera is nice and steamy. It's also a little hard to tell if we were working out or just trying not to die...

1000 Reps

On to the dreaded pictures... I've had a lot of anxiety about posting these. Yes, I'm proud of my progress. But to put it all out there is so scary.

Without further complaints, here are the before and after pictures.
 

Ugh! Deep breaths... If I can get through this without having a major panic attack all will be well. I purposely wore as little clothing as possible so I wouldn't be hiding under my clothes. I wanted to see the changes! I've gotten pretty good at camouflaging my middle, which is undoubtedly, my trouble spot. My regret is my shorts in the 'after' pictures. I guess I wasn't aware how snug they were. I thought they were a good option, but I definitely think they are creating an extra roll or two. I'm also not sure why I felt I needed to stand with my legs and arms so far apart in the 'before' pictures. Wow, that really makes for an attractive photo. 

So if I can just block out my midsection (which I definitely see a change in the side picture), I'm pretty happy. I think that will always be my insecurity. No bikinis in my future. But I'm okay with that! 

Since I never see my backside (obviously), it's really neat to see the changes in my back, shoulders, and arms. In the 'before' picture, I can't see any definition. It's just blah. But in the 'after,' I was surprised to see things. What is that?! Muscles?! REALLY?? Or maybe it's just all this stress I've accumulated over posting this.

Another thing I noticed right away was my face. I was surprised at the changes in my face, more specifically my neck and jawline. And collar bones? I didn't even realize those were missing before!

I feel like I need to take after-after pictures now. I've lost another five pounds or so since Body Back ended, and I think the physical part is finally catching up with the numbers on the scale. I am so happy with this healthier lifestyle that I'm leading.

Here's to a whole new life of eating better, exercising, and being happy!!