How Working Out Less Helped Me See More Results, and Why I Keep Returning to Body Back
This post is part of a partnership with FIT4MOM DuPage County. All opinions are my own.
I did, again. Jumped in to Body Back in January with my whole heart and mind because I needed to feel better. I finished on Saturday, and just like I knew I would … I feel better. Here’s the low-down on what the past 8 weeks has brought me:
My Results
I set some very specific goals 8 weeks ago: to limit my weekly workouts to 4-5 times per week instead of 6-7; to fit back into all my work pants (not just my stretchy one); and to lose 7 pounds — returning me to a weight number that is fit and healthy but maintainable for my body.
I don’t always hit every Body Back goal I set, but this session I worked really hard and I nailed all of these goals. I lost exactly 7.2 pounds — meaning that I’ve finally learned how to set a weight goal that is realistic and achievable. I also lost a total of 4 inches combined from my chest, waist, hips, and thigh — and now some pairs of my work pants sag in the rear end and the formerly too-snug ones button without effort.
I’m proud of these physical results to my body and I’m prouder of my Assessment Night numbers. I took 30 seconds off my mile time and increased my rep counts and plank time lengths for all the rest of the metrics. That’s tangible proof that I’m stronger than I was 8 weeks ago.
But what I’m most proud of from this session is how I achieved these results: I was kinder to myself and gentler to my body. I listened to it and took real, actual rest days: two of them every single week, even when my mind was telling me to get outside for a quick run. I worked out less this session than I have in a year — and I came away with more measurable results.
As moms, we learn how to go without sleep. I used to need nine hours nightly; now I get by with six. But just because we can survive and keep going without (much) sleep doesn’t mean that we should. Our bodies need rest. Our minds need rest too. In rest, we recharge and create change and figure out a better way to go forward.
I learned this session of Body Back that slowing down doesn’t equal giving up. Sometimes it’s harder to rest than it is to keep pushing. But Body Back is about doing the hard things instead of taking the easy way out, so I stuck with my goal and I ignored the anxious voice in my head that said “You HAVE to work out today or you won’t get the results you want.”
And — no surprise here — the voice in my head was wrong as usual: I didn’t have to work out every day to get the results I want. I had an a-ha moment a week ago: I’m happy where my body is at right now, and I don’t need to keep pushing relentlessly for more.
You already know that I believe 100 percent in this program because it has changed my life in so many ways. I’m not just a Body Back repeater; I think I’m a Body Back lifer. But if you wonder how I can keep signing up for sessions, again and again and again, here’s why.
What I Get From Body Back That Keeps Me Coming Back
1. Accountability
This is the top reason I repeat Body Back so frequently. If I don’t have an individual and a group to be accountable to, I’m just not. I start off strong and then slowly lose steam. But in Body Back, I have an instructor regularly reviewing my food log and I have a whole group of peers who are going through the same struggles — I don’t want to let them down either. Accountability is key to fitness journey success, and I don’t get the accountability of Body Back anywhere else.
2. Structure
I thrive on structure. The Body Back program follows prescribed tenets: creating and sharing a weekly meal plan, meal prepping, food logging, a workout schedule, and a recipe book with the exact breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks you should be eating. For me, all of these things come together and they work. I know exactly what I should be doing on a daily and weekly basis, and I don’t have to think too much about it. Yes, there is a lot of time and effort involved with Body Back, but there’s no reinvention of the wheel: I do what I’m supposed to do, and it works.
3. Focus
During this session, on my long runs, I listened to Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass for motivation. Something she says in the book resonated with me, especially during Body Back: She discussed the concept of “raising your frequency” for success. I literally feel this sensation every time I start a Body Back session and start to hit my stride. I’m focused on my goals and focused on the steps I need to take to reach my goals. You can dismiss this concept as New Age hippy-dippy (and maybe it is), but the determination and focus that I find during Body Back seems to help me vibrate at a higher frequency — and frankly, I get more shit done in 8 weeks than I sometimes do for months at a time.
4. Energy
I hear it a lot: How do you do all the things you do? First of all, I’m not super-mom; I’m just another mom juggling the million things in her life — some days better than others. But I do have a lot more energy than I used to, and I know that energy is a direct result of clean eating and consistent, regular exercise. As noted above, I get more done when I’m in a Body Back session than ever: work, blogging, chores, house projects, personal time. Increased energy leads to increased productivity, and as a perennially busy mom, this is my personal favorite “Body Back effect.”
5. Community
We started our first meeting with a one-arm plank circle, and we ended our last class with one. Moms literally leaning on other moms for strength and support — this is what Body Back is all about, and also why Body Back works. Earlier this session, I wrote about the power of community and every word holds true. I get chills thinking about what some of these moms have gone through this session, and they still showed up. If they can, I can too.
6. Personal coaching and support
One of my friends and session-mates said it best: Body Back gives you a personal trainer, nutritionist, life coach, therapist, cheerleader, and friend all in one super-supportive instructor. These moms put their heart and soul into helping you be a better version of you. That means conversations before and after class even if they have families to get home to; texts to check in (and perhaps remind you it’s time for a rest day 😉 ); emails offering tips and goals and homework to keep you on track; encouragement in the private Facebook group; and more. For 8 weeks, they give of themselves continually to make us more successful. The personal approach and dedication of the instructors sets this program apart and makes all the difference.
7. Motivation
If you think my results are impressive, you should hear the results of my fellow moms that blew me out of the water. One took three minutes off her mile time. Another nearly tripled the number of pounds I lost. All 18 of us ran our final mile run in under 10 minutes. Every single mama in class with me left this session noticeably stronger, tighter, leaner, and standing taller than when she started. Seeing all those positive changes happening around me pushes me to keep going too.
8. A total mind and body reset
No matter how old your kids are, what you’ve eaten or how much or how little you’ve worked out, you can always come back to Body Back. You get to start over, a fresh slate with no judgement and no expectations. You set new goals and take new metrics … because what you did 8 weeks ago or what you weighed pre-baby doesn’t matter. This 8-week program is my reset when I need it physically or mentally: It never fails to brings me back to a healthier place than I was at when I started. Some of my sessions have had dramatic results, and some sessions are more about maintenance, but I always feel like a better version of myself at the end.
This 8 weeks might be over, but a fitness journey is continuous — you never get to give up. I’ve made some really positive mental changes this session, and I want to use the safe space of Body Back to keep practicing them to make sure they stick. So this time, I’m going right into another full session.
Keep following my progress (and definitely not perfection) here and on Instagram for daily ideas and inspiration.
Interested in FIT4MOM fitness? Try a class – your first one is always free. Next Body Back session is starting and there are still spots open with FIT4MOM DuPage County if you’re ready to take the leap.
