Body Back: The Results

After 6 weeks of eating right and exercising more than I have in years I am happy to share the results of my Body Back experience.  If you remember my goals they were mostly related to the number on the scale but I am so please that the results were made up of so much more than that!  Today I am going to share not only my results but also the average results from the group of women.

 

 

 

Of course my original focus was to lose weight and inches.  From my first pregnancy I am still holding onto about 8 pounds that I have really been struggling to lose.  In the first four weeks of the program I lost four pounds and then all the sudden gained two back.  Two weeks after the program ended I all the sudden dropped the two pounds again.  After a lot of thought I realized that I had quit breastfeeding around the four week mark so my best guess is that my body went into starvation mode and held the weight for a bit until it regulated.  So based on that I am taking credit for my four pound weight loss. 

 

My Results:

My Weight Loss: 4 pounds

Chest Inches Lost: 0 inches

Waist Inches Lost: 2.5 inches

Hips Inches Lost: 1 inch

Thigh Inches Lost: 1 inch

Total Inches Lost: 4.5 inches

 

Group Results:

Average Weight Loss: 6.4 pounds

Average Inches Lost: 3.5 inches

 

Some moms lost over 10 pounds during the six weeks of classes!!  Of course individual experiences are going to heavily depend upon where you are post-partum and your individual body but everyone did amazing!

 

Some unexpected results are the fitness and strength results that I experienced.  I didn't think that in 6 weeks I would see as significant results as I did!!  I remember during a yoga class mid way through the body back experience that I felt like I was really strong during the poses.  I figured that it was just my imagination or maybe it was an easy class but looking back I realize that I really was that strong!  I find that during my stroller strides classes that I can now push myself harder because I am stronger and so I get an even better workout.  Overall I am thrilled with the strength and muscle tone that I have built from the body back classes, here are my results:

 

Number of reps in a minute -

Bicep Curls: From 27 to 34, 26% increase

Push-ups: From 13 to 27, 108% increase

Sit-ups: From 22 to 23, 5% increase

Squats: From 35 to 55, 57%

 

Number of minutes I can hold -

Plank: From 1 minutes to 2:05, 108%

Side-Bridge: From 28 seconds to 1:27, 201%

 

Looking at the numbers its hard not to be really pleased with my results.  I have noticed a big difference in how my cloths fit and I have even had to take in some pants.  I do not fully have my body back, but the program gave me the tools that I need to keep losing weight and getting back (or better) to where I use to be.

 

Body Back: The Workouts

So far in my Body Back journey I have covered here on the blog why I am doing the program, the food and my break up letter with my after lunch chocolate so it is finally time to start talking about the workouts.  For my session the fitness portion includes two group fitness classes a week (at 5:AM!) and then we are encouraged to do two additional workouts a week.  I love the group fitness classes because they keep me accountable and push me to do my best. 

 

 

Body Back Workouts

For the group fitness classes that we have twice a week the actual exercises are pretty consistent.  Classes have a circuit training type feel to them and include moves that cover cardio, strength building and core.  I have now become an expert at burpees, push ups, sit ups, planks, squats, jumping jacks, etc.  I love that these workouts give you a full body workout feel and they are amazingly challenging.  After the first workout I was so surprised that my whole body hurt for about 3 days!!!  I have noticed over the past 5 weeks that while the workouts continue to be challenging I have become much stronger.

Even though we do a lot of the same moves each class, our instructor has done an amazing job of keeping it interesting.  One of my favorite classes was when we did a poker themed workout (music and all) where we went through a full deck of cards and each card represented a different workout (e.g. push-ups).  We also did a really fun one where we moved from station to station and couldn't move until we won rock/paper/scissors.  These things keep it interesting, make it fun and you still get a great workout.

 

Extra Workouts

For extra workouts you can pretty much do whatever you want, so I like that you can add some other things into your routine.  I have done yoga, stroller strides and the Body Back DVDs.   I also like that the two additional workouts give you some flexibility to do other things and do them on your own time.

 

Body Back DVDs

The Body Back DVDs, while cheesy like most workout DVDs, are actually pretty good.  They use the same exercises that you do in the classes but are much shorter.  The DVD includes three 20 minute workouts and three 10 minute ab workouts.  I love that I can fit this into my girls nap time and that I don't have to get a babysitter to go workout.  I also like that the DVDs show your progress so that you know where things are at in the workout.

 

Overall the workouts have been great.  One of my biggest concerns was that I would have a hard time getting up at 5am twice a week and now that the program is winding down I am actually sad that I won't have those classes to go to anymore.  It's been great to be in a group fitness class where everyone has the same goals and can support each other.

 

Body Back: The Food

Last week I shared my first post about my experience with the Body Back program.  I am doing the 6 week Body Back program and sharing my thoughts over the course of the program with you here.  Last week I kicked it off with the reasons why I am doing the program and today I wanted to talk about the food.  For me changing my food habits is the hardest part because I love to cook and eat.  I also have been pregnant or breastfeeding for 3.5 years straight so I have been eating distorted  portions for a long time and developed bad habits.

 

The Program

The body back program encourages healthy and clean eating.  It doesn't involve any gimmicks but rather encourages lifestyle changes.  The Body Back booklets that I received as part of the program include healthy swaps as well as multiple breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes.  Last week we tried two of the recipes: Crockpot Chicken Verde and Caprese Chicken.  Both were very good and even my husband loved them but the Caprese Chicken was AMAZING.  When we at the leftovers from the Caprese Chicken, my husband agreed with me that he could even eat it another night!  I look forward to trying some of the other recipes.

 

 

My Food Goals

I had two food related goals (other than just general healthy eating) that I set for myself.  The first for me is that I love to have a little something sweet after lunch.  At work we have snack drawer full of candy and other snacks and I love to pick out a few tiny candy bars after lunch.  Now if I crave something sweet after lunch I am trying to eat a piece of fruit.  My second food goal was to take time for breakfast.  I normally just eat a quick bowl of cereal before leaving the house but I wanted to choose something with more protein to start my day.  To accomplish this goal I have started making mini omelets in a muffin pan.  I will make enough for the week so that I can just put 2 in the microwave and have a quick and healthy breakfast.  To make them yourself just fill the muffin tin with your desired veggies, pour scrambled eggs over the top and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

 

 

Homework

In addition to eating fruits, veggies, etc. we also learned about other food related health issues (e.g. GMOs, artificial sweeteners, etc) and were challenged this week to select three things from our pantry that contained one or more of the items and get rid of it (and not buy it again).  I took it a small step further and decided to identify replacement items for what I was throwing away.  The homework was actually a little hard for me as we eat pretty clean.  There are other items I could throw away but I wanted to focus on items that we use regularly instead of the hand full of items we have in the kitchen that are leftover from a random recipe.

 

I chose to get rid of: syrup (sodium benzoate), Pam cooking spray (soy) and bread crumbs (partially hydrogenated oils).  I replaced them with real maple syrup, olive oil and home made breadcrumbs. 

Overall I am really happy with the food aspect.  I thought I would be hungry all the time but making good food choices actually has me satisfied most of the time and everything tastes delicious.  Plus my husband is already asking for the Chicken Caprese again so I know the meals are sustainable.

 

In return for my honest review I have been provided complimentary membership in the Body Back program. All results and opinions are my own.

 

Trying to Get My Body Back

I am excited to have a little something different to share with you over the next 6 weeks, my adventure with the Body Back program.  It is a 6 week program and I will be blogging about it throughout the program but today I want to cover why I am doing the body back program.

 

Our Instructors results - stay tuned for mine!

I've been attending Stroller Strides classes for the past year and I love it because its the perfect way to fit in a workout and not have to worry about childcare (especially the scary gym kind).  As most of my readers will know, I have two little girls that are 2.5 years and 14 months (17 months apart).  I thankfully lost all of the weight I gained with my second child by the time she was 9 months old but I am still holding onto the 10 pounds I didn't lose from my pregnancy with my first daughter.  After losing the initial weight I have hit a plateau and I knew that something dramatic needed to happen to get over the hump.  Thankfully the Body Back program was starting up and I knew this was exactly what I needed to get to my goal so here are the main reasons that I will be doing Body Back.

My first class - you can do anything for one minute!

 

1. Like I briefly mentioned before, I had hit a weight loss plateau and it seemed like my own efforts were not enough.  People kept telling me that the last weight would drop off after I stopped nursing my baby, but even though we are down to just night nursing it's still holding on. 

 

2. The program encourages exercise and healthy eating.  My mom always says that these are the key to weight loss/management so I knew that this program could work for me.

 

3.  Other than eating healthy there aren't a lot of food restrictions which is perfect for me.  I LOVE food and I don't think I would survive 6 weeks let alone 6 days on too restrictive of a diet.  The program also provides some meal suggestions and a lot of info about healthy eating.  I have tried out some of the recipes on my family and we all agree that they taste great.

 

4.  I love that the program is in a group exercise setting.  I have a hard time exercising on my own so I love that we not only exercise in a group but also have each other for support through the program.

 

I am really hopeful about the results I will see in 6 weeks and I hope you will follow along with me for the journey.  I took before pictures and will take after pictures when it is all done and I will share them here when the program is done.

 

In return for my honest review I have been provided complimentary in the Body Back program.  All results and opinions are my own.