I'm still on my journey, but ...

[Carol122201]

Hi everyone! I'm into my third month using Cathe's workouts, and I just wanted to post my own story, which is still in progress!! I've always thought I was fit, having run in college everyday, then worked out with tapes at home, and at various gyms, sporadically throughout my 20's and 30's. I'll be 46 in a few weeks, by the way. Nursing school, marriage, and having my daughter got in the way of my regular workouts, and after she was born (she'll be 13 in December), I worked out off and on, but didn't pay much attention to my diet. Denial is a powerful tool - LOL! Last summer, I was at my all-time highest weight of about 188. My BMI was 34. Pictures taken of me at a friend's wedding are what finally motivated me to do something. More importantly, I finally "saw" myself as the fat girl. When it's insidious like it was for me, it's easy to tell yourself it's age, or hormones, or you don't really look bad. I worked out sporadically the entire time, so I told myself I was in good shape. I have all the original Firm tapes, and started collecting FitPrime as well. They weren't very challenging, so I thought I was in pretty good shape. Hah! I was in size 18, and pushing out of them. I'm only 5'2", but still ... those pictures finally forced my mind into reality mode.

They were talking about Cathe's tapes on the FitPrime forum, where I hung out once in a while before it became a paid forum, but I thought there was no way I could do any of them. Last August, I did Atkins for 4 months, and worked out with Firm and FitPrime, and lost 22 pounds. I stopped near the holidays, and put back on most of it in a surprisingly short time. A friend of mind from college had great success with Weight Watchers, and encouraged me to try it. I started the end of April, at 171.5 pounds, and have now lost 34 pounds. About ten weeks ago, I bought my first Cathe tape. I bought Circuit Max, and was hooked!! I now own 22 of them, and can't wait for the newest set!! More importantly than the numbers on the scale, I am now in size 8, and VERY close to size 6!! The last time I was in these sizes was before my daughter was born. My BMI is now 25. I have lost 35 inches along with the 34 pounds!! All of this is like a miracle for me! I've never had results like this, and I credit Cathe's tapes!!!

Cathe's tapes are INCREDIBLE. I almost cried the first time I did Boot Camp. I thought there was no way I would ever keep up. Well ... I just finished it this morning, and not only did I actually get through to the end, but I kept up with 95% of it!! WOO HOO!! Last week, I did Rhythmic Step all the way to the end for the first time, AND, IMAX 2 all the way to the end!! These are major milestones for me. I had all but lost my aerobic endurance over the years, and thought I'd never have it back. Now, I can easily keep up with the cardio segments!! High impact is fun again!! Her step routines get easier for me each time I do them, and I know one day I'll figure out some of those more complicated moves. I'm a bit of a klutz when it comes to step routines, but I love doing them! Her tapes are the BEST. I will never go back. I'm giving away some of my Firm tapes and my FitPrime tapes to coworkers who are amazed at the change in me. I've been on WW for 21 weeks, and they are blown away by my progress. I'm blown away by it!! I get intimidated when I read some posts on here where you incredible ladies are in sizes 0, 2, and 4! I don't know if I can ever get that lean again, but I'm sure going to try! I'm not really focusing so much anymore on losing weight, but more on losing inches, because the weight will then follow. The scale can "lie", but the tape measure won't!! And, trying on clothing sizes and having them fit or not won't lie!

I'm just so grateful I found a series of tapes that challenge me, and keep me interested, and push me to heights I never thought I could achieve. I can easily see myself working out with Cathe for the rest of my life! I hope she's making these fantastic tapes when she's 70 and 80, because I'll be doing them!! LOL!!

Well, that's my story so far. Thanks for "listening"! Have a wonderful day, everyone!! :-)

Carol

[hippahips]

>I get intimidated when I read some posts on here
>where you incredible ladies are in sizes 0, 2, and 4!

Hey Carol, congratulations on your many fitness successes. I'm sure there will be more in the months to come. I just had to reply to your post. Here you are, you've come a long way, almost a size 6 from 18 (WOW!!!!), and you're intimidated by small, puny people like me?:7

Let me tell you something. I'm 5'1" and a size 2. I've been small all my life. This is simply how my maker created me. I'm 34 years old and yet when solicitors ring my bell, they ask to see my parents. At my orthodontist's office, another patient remarked about how great it was that I finished my treatment just before going off to college. I don't know, but as far as I can remember, grad school was 10 years ago, and under my light-reflecting, wrinkle-disguising makeup are lines that I had to start befriending at age 27, long before I got married. A few months after I gave birth to my son, I was at Target wearing jeans and a pajama top under my coat, shopping for diapers and formula. A woman gave me a curious look. She took in my outfit, the bags under my eyes, the stuff in my shopping cart, and ultimately my entire body. She said; "Oh honey, I wish I could go back to being as small as you." Then she patted my arm and huffed off before I could tell her that I was WAY below my pre-pregnancy weight from the stress of having a colic child with chronic ear infections, that I felt like crap all the time and that I was not happy inside my body.

My point is, there is this great misconception about bodies: that the smaller you are, the greater your opportunities for happiness. That the thinner you are, the more attractive you are and hence more deserving of love and admiration. That the smaller the numbers pertaining to your body, the "stronger" you are around food.

At the back of our minds we all know this is BS and yet we keep wanting to be smaller.

After having been on Cathe for four months, I've gone from a 4 to a 2 and God forbid I go down to 0. Zero meaning nothing, zilch, gone. I associate zero with not being there anymore, no longer real. I'm afraid of disappearing. I always hear people say that "real" women are size 10 and up. Hey, I'm HERE. Warm-fleshed, breathing, moving, battling demons, celebrating the seasons, loving my child and investing in his future, connecting with my community, daring to put on a brave face, struggling to make peace with my own life. JUST LIKE MOST PEOPLE. I'm as real as the next woman, whether she is bigger or smaller than I am.

Like you said, you're in progress. So am I. So are all the ladies on this wonderful board. No competition here. The only person you have to compete with, challenge, and ultimately please is yourself.

I wish you continued success.

Okay, gotta get off my soapbox now.:7


Pinky

[Carol122201]

Dear Pinky,

Sorry if my post offended you. Ouch. All I meant to say was, I admire the fitness goals of some of the wonderful people on here. I certainly didn't mean to spark a debate on society's perception of "beauty". I'm sorry people mistake you for someone younger than you are and that obviously upsets you, but I do think your reply to me was a bit harsh. Obviously I touched a nerve with my post, and there's no way I could have known that since you and I don't know each other, but I will apologize anyway. I meant no disrespect. On the contrary, I was trying to pay everyone a compliment, but obviously I missed the mark. I know it's not a competition. None of this is. It was only a compliment in it's offhand way. Have a great day.

Carol

[hippahips]

Oh my goodness Carol, do not take my reply as an offensive stance against the mainstream perception of beauty. I'm sorry if you found my reply harsh, that certainly was not my intention. All I wanted to say was that you've come a long way and need not compare yourself with others who are smaller because there is such a thing as being too small and contrary to what many people would like to believe, there ARE disadvantages that go with it. Simple as that. By no means was I making you feel inferior or stupid or disrespectful. I apologize. I'll keep myself from your thread.

Pinky

[run4fun]

Great job on your success! Keep it up!!

Congratulations!! :7

Beverly

[Carol122201]

Thank you, Beverly!! It's truly a rewarding journey, and it just keeps getting better and better! This morning I felt so strong, I did Step Works and S&H Chest and Back, back to back! I've never before been able to do two tapes in one day like that. These workouts are giving me strength and endurance I never thought possible!!

Carol
:-)

[Kay38]

Awesome job and inspiring story! Enjoy your fitness journey!:) :-)

[wendyloo]

Wow. I completely did not interperet Pinky's thread as harsh! Just interesting. Funny how we can all read things differently...

Congratulations on your success!

[Carol122201]

You know Wendy, I think I was just having a PMS moment. I really feel badly that I interpreted it that way. I think I'll email her and apologize. Sometimes it's hard to interpret the written word when we can't see or hear the speaker. Thanks for helping me put it in perspective. We all need that from time to time.

Carol
:-)

[Carol122201]

Thank you Kay38!!!

Carol
:-)