We're In It Together (introductions)

[mini-natty]

Hello ladies! Welcome to the thread! It's very nice to meet all of you. I am happy and grateful that you've all decided to join and look forward to sharing my health/fitness journey with you all

Here is our group of Cathletes:

Jennifer
Colleen
Nikki
Sarah
Ellie
Natasha (me)

(please correct me if I spelled your names wrong )

Please start off by introducing yourselves. Whatever you feel comfortable sharing.


My name is Natasha (but you can call me Tash, Nat or Natty. People rarely call me by my full name). I have a husband (yes only one), 1 daughter named Izabella who is almost 3 years old, and 2 cats. This is who I share my home with. My life is hectic with a toddler, but I try to keep it fun and laid back. I am currently a stay-at-home-mom until my daughter starts school in a few years. Before I had her, I was a full-time manager for Rexall Pharmaceutical here in Canada. I was with the company for 15 years.

My journey with Cathe started in May 2011. After having my daughter in 2009, I used strictly exercise video's to lose 50 lbs post-pregnancy. But I never really enjoyed working out or saw drastic results until I found Cathe. With my current situation, working out is a struggle. It's hard to find the time/energy with a small child. Before she quit naps (seems so long ago) I would use her nap times to fit in a good workout. Now I have to use the time when she goes to bed, or work around my husband's schedule to get my sweat on. It's tough, but I try my damn hardest to make it a priority and find the time. Health/fitness has always been a priority in my life along with happiness and trying to maintain a stress-free lifestyle. What won't kill you will just make you stronger right?

My eating habits, well if I could sum it up in one word, would be balanced. I love food. I mean LOVE. I enjoy cuisine from all over the world. Japanese, Thai and Caribbean being my favorite. I try to eat healthy, with lots of whole grains, veggies, fruits, beans, lean meats, fish, tofu, soy. BUT I have a major sweet tooth!! I could (and would) have an entire conversation about food. It's one of life's greatest pleasures and I don't deny myself. I just believe in portion control and moderation.

Well, I think I've gone on long enough. I am off to watch Weeds



Once again, welcome to the thread! Ok, you guys next.........

[cokonkel]

Hi! My name is Colleen and I'm an optometrist from Western Wisconsin (LaCrosse area). My husband is Mark and my kids Dylan (7) and Lydia (4).

My fitness journey started in college where I did pretty much all cardio...mostly step aerobics. Some at the gym but mostly Kathy Smith, Karen Voigt and the Firm videos. I never touched a dumbell back then! During my last year of optometry school when I was doing external rotations fitness fell by the way side and from about 2000-February 2010 I didn't work out very much. I would start up and last about 3 months then slowly stop again. Having kids, starting my career, buying our first house, etc. seemed to make fitness tough to fit in. My biggest problem was that I am such a night owl I could never get up early enough to get a workout in. I would try to do it later in the day but my schedule just made it too difficult to get it in consistently.

Then, when I turned 38, I realized that despite not eating any differently I was slowly gaining weight at about the rate of 1 pound a year. Doesn't sound like much but since I'm 5'2", this can add up over time! I got to a weight that, while still was considered within the "healthy BMI range", it was at the upper end and I had no muscle. I was the very definition of skinny fat and it wouldn't be long before I would be considered over weight at the rate I was going. I decided since I was getting older, my metabolism must be slowing down naturally. Of course, I knew I HAD to do something to reverse that trend!

I started back up again slowly. Just forcing myself to get up 20 minutes earlier to do a pilates dvd in my pajamas. Gradually, with extreme baby steps, I was eventually getting up earlier and earlier and trying out more advanced and aerobic dvds. After graduating to some more challenging things like Jillian and Bob's dvds I discovered Collage video! Oh lord, the obsession began in earnest! I started collecting various dvds and getting more and more fit as I went. I kept looking at the Cathe dvds and was totally intimidated at first. Finally, early in 2011 (I think maybe January?) I went ahead and bought Cardio Core Circuit. Then I got her HIIT dvd. Suddenly I was doing circuit workouts and loving dumbells! Then I discovered kettlebells and loved that I was actually building muscle! Then I got really brave and started buying some of Cathe's strength workouts. Now I'm doing STS! Whoo hoo!

I love the forums and am totally addicted to these too. I started with Videofitness.com and now I'm on this one all the time. It's so much fun connecting with fellow home fitness enthusiasts! It's tough to share my geeky joy with other folks who aren't so much into fitness, never mind working out to home videos. I did manage to convert my niece to some extent and I bought my sister a few yoga dvds that she enjoys as well! Just doing my part to spread the obsession!
Whoa, I just realized I've really rattled on! Sorry! Time to let someone else talk!
Colleen

[mini-natty]

I made a boo boo in the name. I think it should be We're In THIS Together. I have corrected it in the new check-in thread.


Colleen,

Great intro. We have several things in common already. My husband's name is Mark too. I am also a shorty coming it at 5'1. I completely agree it's hard to share your love for fitness video's when no one shares the same passion ( I honestly don't know of anyone who does). I can't really talk to family and friends, they look at me like I am some freak of nature. NO I don't go to the gym, but my home is my gym and Cathe is my trainer. Don't let that fool you cuz' I probably work harder than all those people at the gym who go on the treadmill and read a magazine or lift 3lbs weights scared to get bulky

[JT]

Hello "We're in this Together,"
My name is Jennifer, I live in western MI lower pennisula of Grand Rapids. The City is known for Art Prize and Gilda's Club LaughFest. I've been divorced since 1994 with no kids and two cats, Seville (Bombay-burmese) and Madrid (Maine Coon), whom are my babies and my protectors at times. Back in July, I was laid off from my employer of 22 years and still searching. In 2010, I earned my MBA and my greenbelt in Six Sigma. Attending MI Shifting Gears which is a workforce transitional program for seasonsed professionals. It involves resumes, interviewing, and internships with possible job opportunities.
My journey in fitness started after a random cholesteral check from my physician per my request in 1989. Immediately, I changed both my husbands and my diet where we both lost weight. Fitness back then was all about Gin Miller, Jane Fonda and Keli Roberts. I saw Cathe workouts prior yet I was caught up with other instructors although I would've purchased the Wedding Workout but it came out the year of my divorce. Fastforward, I purchase a TV/DVD player and decide finally its time to get to know Cathe. I got onto the forums when the Drill Max, Body Max 2 series was on pre-sale which I did near the last day 6 years ago. Now, I own and I use all of my Cathe workouts except when I feel burned out. Also, I lost 20 pounds doing STS Strength with no cardio and have kept it off. Now, I've been on a cardio craze and love circuits and intervals.
My eating habits are a roller coaster. My problems are diet soda and going out. In my home, there is very rarely cookies, cakes and chips although I delved into muffins recently. If there is ice cream in my house, I eat it till its gone. When I was working, I was almost off of diet soda and now its a cube a week or less. To get out of the house and way from job hunting and the computer, I go out for lunch where I try to eat locally.
When I was married and after living in apartments, I did lots of cooking most of it healthy. This past week, for the first time in a long time, I made ground turkey spaghetti with whole-grain noodles. Next week, I hope to make a low-fat chicken casserole.
With all this, my CHALLENGES will be started Shifting Gears one hour commute each way plus homework and job hunting THEN to workout. Add to that, eating habits.
Looking forward to this group. Thanks, Natty, for starting this out. Kudos to You!!!

[cokonkel]

Oh Natty, I forgot to add that my mom is actually Canadian originally. She was naturalized when she was 9 but she has always been a Canadian at heart! We have family still in Pembroke, Ontario (her brother and my cousins). Her sister was living in Toronto but she passed away several years ago. Another thing we have in common!

[mom2kttj]

Hi, I'm Sarah. It's nice to read about each one of you and feel a part of something. Exercise to me is personal because my family doesn't do it, for the most part. Occasionally my husband will go with me for a walk or do p90X Kenpo when he is about ready to go in for his health screening and has $500 worth of medical credits at stake (silly, I know). They all support me though because they know it makes me feel better. Cathe has been a household name for my family since about 2006, I think?. I found her on fittv then bought Butts and Guts and loved it for so long and still do.

I'm 38, married, 2 -10 yr old moody girls, and 1- 8 yr. old boy and a dog. My dog was who got me back into exercise after pregnancy. We got her; she had too much energy, and started chewing. I knew if I didn't walk her she would soon have the corners of every piece of furniture in the house ruined. So I would walk her every day or my furniture would pay for it.

I've never participated in a check-in group and am hoping I will get my mojo back. In the fall, I was at my peak of fitness after doing STS for the first time and LOVED it. But then, like a fool, I tried to start my own business. It has tarnished my spirit and affected everyday negatively since then. Not a fool for trying but foolish to think it would be easy.

Another shorty coming in at 5'2". I also love food. Ive always had a pooch (lower belly) to prove it. If I'm not exercising, I'm thinking about food. I never met a food I didn't like. I love to bake, cook, and eat. Although the cooking and baking part I've also lost my drive for. But not the eating, that I've been excelling in.

Natasha- 50# on your own with dvd's is awesome. I love Thai food, and it's the one thing I don't make.

Jennifer- Up and down food habits over here too. I have the same mentality just to eat it till its gone that way I'm not thinking about it.

Colleen- If I had get up early to exercise, it wouldn't get done. I feel for you.

Sorry for prattling on so long. have a great day. I'm off to hopefully do STS Disc 2.

Sarah

[EllieB]

So let me introduce myself, beautiful ladies!
My name is Eleonora. I'm Italian, so I do apologize for the mistakes I will make while writing but hope to make myself understood most of the times. I'm 34, married, have a son who's 20 months old. I'm a pharmacist and at present work part-time otherwise wouldn't be able to cope with family, job, the house and everything else
I think I'm the shortest of the group: just 5' so I don't have too much room for hiding my extra pounds!
I started my journey in fitness more than 10 years ago, and in this span of time I lost 20 Kilos (roughly 40 pounds? maybe a bit more) but at first I was very focused only on diet.Then, 5 years ago, I changed my job and decided to do something serious for my health and started to work-out with Kathy Smith.Then got pregnant....So after having the baby I decided I was ready for a challenge as I had stubborn fat that didn't come off and I had to fit back into my old clothes! I started to work-out with Cathe in November 2010 and never stopped since then. I feel like never before, I lost all my baby weight and a bit more, and my old clothes are becoming loose now, so I am really thrilled with the results! I am so enthusiast about that that I really understand you Colleen when you talk about spreading your obsession!
I work-out at home as it's the easiest way to do something good for me, otherwise my busy schedule wouldn't allow too much time for the gym. In Italy nobody works out at home, all the fit guys I know are all pretty much gym rats and it's impossible for me to share my passion with my friends,

so I can't tell you how happy I am of joining this group!!!!

And kudos for the name: this Cathe's line is really cute and makes me feel "part of the process"!
As for eating habits, I LOVE food, I love cooking and baking. Over time I turned to healthier food or healthier versions of my fav foods. I've become very portions wise, but I have my daily indulgencies (dark chocolate...) and of course one cheat meal per week

JT, I am impressed byyour results with STS!You're the living proof that weight training is crucial when it comes to lose weight seriously!

Sarah: also for me working out is something personal, my husband should lose 20 pounds but lacks motivation and , what's worst, is a firm believer in cardio and does not lift anything at all...
Oh my...I've written too much...Enough talk for today! Have you all a wonderful evening!
Ellie

[JT]

My height is 5'2 1/2" so I might be the tallest (and oldest) so far. Some doc on GMA/ABC stated that shorter people should eat more carbs than protein? Do you? I used to be a vegatarian back in the day so my proteins were limited back then and still are.

[mini-natty]

JT

I can totally relate to the food ups & downs. I believe everyone has them or has gone through them at some point in their lives (if they said no, then they are lying). Food is a very powerful force.

Congrats on losing the weight and doing STS! That is awesome! I loved the part about losing the husbands & the weight. So honest and candid of you to say that.

And although you might be the tallest and the oldest, you are the biggest at heart too


Sarah

I know exactly about the family not participating in exercise. I am the only one in my family who takes health & fitness seriously. My husband was a total Gym Junkie, but after the birth of my daughter, he quit.

Your house is pretty full! 2 girls and a boy! That alone is a workout! Congrats on doing STS. It takes true commitment and strength to participate in that program.

Eleonora

You are so sweet. I could have written your intro. We have so much in common. Next post I will try to write something in Italian and try to translate it for the other girls..........try.

Congrats on losing the baby weight and taking such good care of yourself. It`s worth it when you can fit into those `old` jeans and look like a hot mamma

[nikkigiovanni]

Hello ladies,

I'm so excited to be a part of this group. My name is Nikki. I'm a 39 yo, single (divorced) mother of 3 boys ages 15, 13, and 11. I work full-time as a Nutritionist with the W.I.C. program in Missouri.

I bought my first Cathe workouts in 2003 (Step Blast, then the Intensity Series). I worked out with Cathe on and off for a while, but I've been consistently working out 6 days/wk for almost 2 yrs now. I mainly do Cathe's workouts, but also enjoy others like Jeanette Jenkins, Michelle Dozois, and Chalean Johnson.

BTW, I'm 5'9" so I guess I'm the giraffe of the bunch.