Where Did You Come From?

> I still look like a string bean. <

I look more like an eggplant. Heh.

Sparrow

ETA: an eggplant with giant breasts.

"The winds of grace are always blowing but it's you who must raise your sail." - Sri Ramakrishna
 
I've pretty much been into fitness my whole life -- I think it began when I was in ballet in kindergarten -- it was about the same time as the "20 Minute workout" was on TV -- remember the 80's? :) I remember they wore leotards and tights like I wore to ballet... It just grew from there. During the summer when there was no school, I'd exercise with Charlene Prickett and the "It Figures" show. I remember one Christmas I asked Santa for a new leotard and leg warmers and ankle weights -- and I got 'em! :)

In high school I got the opportunity to lead aerobics classes and I found a calling. I became certified as soon as I got out of high school and began teaching as I attended college (majoring in exercise science of course).

On the flip side... all this emphasis on fitness really messed up my psyche and I suffered from one eating disorder or another for many of these years. I pretty much burned out on everything by 1996... Got married and moved out of state and didn't do much of anything for awhile. I put on 20 pounds and got pretty depressed. But then I started to exercise again, slowly... just because I enjoyed it, not because it was my job. I found my love for it again. And it was then that I found Cathe in the Collage video catalog. And so that love affair began. Needless to say, the 20 pounds went away and I got in the best shape ever. I found my muscles! ;)

I've now come full circle, I think. I've had a baby (now 4 years old) and I'm now a SAHM. I went back to the first place I ever taught aerobics and got on their sub list. I still battle with body image and some days are better than others... But I know fitness will always be with me like a good friend!

Charlene
 
I played a cabbage in my second grade production of "Peter Rabbit." Can I join the sassy veggie patch?
 
I was never into sports or fitness when I was young. I once got an F in high school P.E. From the age of 15 to 33 I lived in a 6 floor walk up apartment and had no car. I walked pretty much everywhere. I also smoked. When I moved to AZ the drastic change in life stile began to show almost over night. I knew nothing about nutrition. I had always eaten whatever I wanted or whatever was in front of me. But, that walk up apartment was in Italy so the food in general was healthier and smaller quantities. In Italy I used to have a small (tiny by U.S. standards) pastry and small cappuccino for breakfast so here I got a muffin to go with my morning coffee. Somehow I didn't notice that the muffin was at least four times bigger that the Italian pastry. Anyway fast forward a few years and my size 16 clothes are getting tight, when I moved here I was a size 2, I know it's time to get serious. I had toyed with videos before, The Firm, Tae Bo, Cathe, etc. But I had to finally admit that I needed help with my eating. I joined WW, lost 40 lbs and made exercise a priority. Cathe used to be to hard for me but now she's my favorite.

Gabrielle
 
I was never super sportsy growing up either. I tried basketball one year then soccer then tennis but I never stuck to it for various reasons. (coach was never there in soccer and we moved in the middle of tennis). I was on the swim team a few years in highschool which I LOVED even though I was never a superstar swimmer. The coach and team mates were great and I got some excellent exercise.
After that I started getting a tad of chub so I did this 20 gram of fat diet except I felt that wasn't enough and some days would only eat 5 grams of fat! I ate a lot of fat free type stuff. well it worked but I'm not so sure how healthy that was! I got pretty thin but not buff or anything cause I wasn't lifting. Later on after much drama and I was a single mom at 18 I NEEDED to workout. I had pre-eclampsia when pregnant and swole up like a goodyear blimp and gained weight as well. I felt discusted with myself. (I can't remember my weight but it was bigger than I had ever been.) I did some denise austin and found the Firm. Then Tae Bo and then some misc. trainers like Rachel McLish's tape. I was hooked. I worked out religiously.
With my second pregnancy I exercised the whole time and ate super healthy. I looked fab for being preggo if I do say myself. ;) but after baby I fell out completely. I didn't have the energy and barely got any sleep. I co-slept by choice so.. and DH would NOT help at night cause "he had to work". argh! I could've started back sooner but I just fell out of the habit. I found a Cathe kickbox VHS at a used consignment shop and was totally excited. I pre-ordered all of the intensity series. I would watch and drool but I was just SO tired that I didn't get into it. :( (excuses excuses)I'd do a tape sporadically and it would kick my rear so I wouldn't do it again for a while. After several months I knew I could start regular but didn't. Then finally I started slowly gaining weight and loosing strength. I finally noticed I had gone up a few sizes and was so bummed. I knew I needed to kick myself in the rear to get going again. I'm an all or nothing type personality so if I start I have to do it regularly. But I finally did it and I feel SOOOOOOOOOOO much better since I've been working out. I look better also. I am on my way to being super fit again and I can't wait to fit into my old wardrobe of clothes that are still in style.
 
I have never had an *athletic* bone in my body. In fact, I was the girl that ran from the ball in gym class, who walked around the track while everyone else ran for a good time. I didn't think I could do it, so I really didn't try.

My first home workout was Tae Bo -- I want to say it was about 10 years ago or so. I would use a tape one or two days, then ignore them for several months, and so on.

I finally started exercising consistently after my son, now 3 1/2, was born. I was overweight when I got pregnant, quit smoking, and gained 65ish pounds with pregnancy. After my son was born, I realized that I was FAT and needed to lose the weight. I started by making small changes in my diet, and I would put my son in the stroller every morning and push him to the park and back. We walked for about 45 mins to an hour each day. Then I decided to join a gym, and I would get up at 5 am and workout for about an hour and a half before my *then* SO went to work (I was a SAHM).

However, when my son's father and I split (my son was about 9 months old), I was back at square one. I was a single sahm, and it was winter, so I really couldn't take the baby out. I knew if I was going to continue with fitness, it had to be at home so I could be available to my son if he needed me. I had always wanted to try step aerobics, and Target had the little beginner step set with Cathe's beginner dvds, so I bought that. The rest, as they say, is history!

I was instantly hooked on step aerobics and Cathe! When I mastered the beginner dvds, I ordered Body Max 2 and Kick Max, and found this forum. Within about 6 months I ordered the Gym Style series, and was hooked on lifting.

I owe it all to Cathe -- I firmly believe that if it wasn't for her, I would still be overweight, *soft*/no muscles, and sleeping in to a decent hour each day;)
 
I too was never atheltic. More of a clutz. I tried gymnastics and dance when I was little, ski club in High School and some volleyball as an adult but I was never that into sports. I ditched gym in HS more than I went.

As a teen I was a skinny fat. Graduated HS weighing about 118-120 but flabby. It went down hill from there. After graduation the weight started to pile on. I was the girl who kept saying its only 10lbs, I can get rid of that no problem. And now 50 pounds later I'm still trying to get rid of it.

I was an on and off gym goer for several years. But never consistent. If someone wanted to join I would but once they slacked so did I.

Then I discovered FitTV and would do the 20 minutes with Tami Lee Webb, Caribean Workout and Sharon Mann. Then one day I caught Cathe (IMAX2) I was in awe. I didn't own a step but it made me want one. I bought one and some light dumbbells. I started watching her on FitTV, and recording her. Then I discovered Cathe.com and really become hooked. I bought most of her old dvds from amazon and started getting in on preorders. From this site I learned of Amy Bento and Tracey Stahele.

I'm still far from where I want to be. My eating habits are my nemisis. But I have quit smoking and feel much healthier.I could never smoke and do a Cathe w/o. If I go a couple days without a workout I feel blah.

I honestly never thought I would find myself in place where I would enjoy exercising but I do. And I owe it all to Cathe, and the support of all the wonderful people on this sight.

Jenn
 
Wow, I'm really surprised at the lack of jocks here! I grew up a tom-boy, playing tag, softball, basketball etc with the neighborhood kids. Played intramurals all through high school. Back then there were no varsity girl sports besides basketball. I continued to play intramural sports all through college, where I discovered running. Mind you, as active as I was, I was always a fatty. I continued to run off and on for the first few years of marriage, but got out of the habit and gained weight with my pregnancies. I discovered aerobics when I took a Jane Fonda video out at the library. I started seeing changes in my body and was hooked. I got a Kathy Smith Step tape from an offer from Special K and loved it. I discoved Cathe when Fitness magazine did a review of Step Heat. I'm still overweight, but I'm fit and can still the outdoor things I love, like hiking and biking, because of Cathe.
 
OK, I should say that I was into sports also. I played softball, volleyball, and basketball in Junior high and my freshman year in high school. I was also in marching band, which really is a sport! I can pinpoint a lot of my weight gain to my sophomore year when I stopped being as active in sports.

Oh, and I remember going to aerobics classes w/ my Mom at the Y, and doing Gilad workouts early in the AM on tv. ;-)
 
I exercised on and off through high school and beyond but did not make it a part of my LIFE until about 6 years ago. I started working out with BB's Great Body Guarunteed series. I moved on to Leslie Sansone's WATP series and the Firm for the most part until I found Cathe in December of 2004 (at 3-4 months pregnant, I might add!). Thanks to Cathe and some great diet advice, I was able to lose all of my pregancy weight in the same 9 month period it took me to put it all on. FF to 2007 and I found myself in the best shape of my life even after having a child! :)
 
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