Today’s BetterU Blog is from JAIME!!!
When I received the call from the American Heart Association saying I was accepted into the Better U program 13 weeks ago, I had no idea what this experience would truly mean or how it would affect my entire life the way that it has. For me, this experience has not only highlighted how important it is to my physical health that I make time for working out and being mindful of the foods I’m eating, but how important it is to my mental and emotional health. I am truly not the same person I was at the beginning of this challenge. I sleep better. I speak up when I feel I’m being unfairly treated or taken advantage of. I don’t feel bad or guilty about not spending every spare moment with my husband or children if I want to do something different. I refuse to settle and if I don’t like something, I research ways to do it differently that works for me. I tell people when I need something.
The physical changes that have happened to my body with the help and encouragement of the team at Gold’s Gym, the other ladies in this program and my competitive nature have truly amazed me. Everyone knows that eating healthy and putting in the gym time will have positive effects, but when you get a report saying that you have reduced your body by 14.4”, it blows your mind. I was truly speechless when I saw my progress. I can keep up with my kids and outlast them if need be. I started out leaving team training workouts feeling like I had been hit by a truck and then the next two days thinking I wouldn’t be able to move various parts of my body. Now, I recover so much faster and the pain or soreness I feel encourages me to keep pushing myself. If I can achieve these results thus far, what ELSE can I do? It’s my new challenge to just see how far I can go.
I can honestly say this program and being with these other outstanding women who you think you know has helped me get such a greater respect for what this program really does for people, what astonishing creatures women really are and how it totally alters your life. What you take away is such a greater understanding of what you really need in your life and what you don’t and the confidence to go after those things you need.
There is more work to be done in various areas of my journey, but I know now I’m ready and able to handle whatever comes next and I owe it to myself to take on these challenges so I keep growing into my Better Me.
Thank you to the American Heart Association for selecting me, to Gold’s Gym and DQ for showing me the way and Central Hudson Gas & Electric for your continued sponsorship of this life altering experience for women in our community. To my Better U sisters, I am so grateful that we have all met and I am so glad that we’ve already talked about keeping our sisterhood going as I know we’ll continue to do great things in the future.
Much love always,
Jaime
#HVBetterU #GoRedHV