Results Are In: 80 Day Obsession Review
WE DID IT! You guys, I seriously had my doubts going into this program, but we did it! The whole cast of 6 + Autumn. We showed up every day for 80 days and crushed our goals with my sister's new program - 80 Day Obsession! It was 93 days of total commitment (not counting our rehearsals) to showing up every day and giving our all in 80 different workouts that got progressively more challenging (and exciting), 93 days of focused, timed nutrition (you'll learn more about that soon) and all the lessons on the importance of self-care. The big question on Day 80 from everyone? What's next?
Obviously, I'm gonna do it again! Why? 1. Because I feel amazing! 2. Because I want to continue to feel amazing. 3. Because I want to help you feel amazing! Here's why.
THE JOURNEY
Overcoming Self Doubt
Even before day 1 there was self-doubt. I had just walked a very traumatic divorce. I left my barre studio, my new home that I just built, all my friends who have been my family in Nashville for 14 years and a marriage that had left me insecure and searching to find myself again. I had to sell everything I owned and move across the country with my two boys to start a new life. When the opportunity to audition for 80 Day Obsession was presented I was honestly terrified and really didn't want to do it. The idea of being in front of a camera every day, the reality portion of the program for the cast where we had to share our experiences, the fear of letting my sister down if I couldn't complete it or didn't get the results, basically all the self-doubt, all the fear, all the insecurity came rushing forward and I wanted to say no. But this was my new beginning, my chance to start over. I had been focused on everything but me for a long time as we transitioned from Nashville to Los Angeles so I got brave long enough to say yes and then I took it one day at a time with the knowledge and the hope that I had an amazing opportunity in front of me to find the strength and confidence that had been missing in my life.
I have nothing but immense gratitude for the experience because it challenged me and changed me in ways I never expected and the girl who walked out of that studio on Day 80 was completely transformed. My journey isn't over. I believe we are always growing, always evolving, always learning. But this program, this experience, it enhanced my life because I was willing to show up and be vulnerable. It helped me dig deep. It helped me change my habits. It helped me recommit to a healthy lifestyle and healthy habits. It taught me the importance of self-care. And maybe most important, it showed me that it's ok to ask for help sometimes. We all need a little help!
You won't be perfect at the end of these 80 Days...there's no such thing. But you will be a better version of yourself. A stronger, healthier, more confident version of you. And you will have the tools to keep going and keep growing. And you will want to do it all over again!
PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND REVIEW
THE WORKOUTS
First, let me start out by saying this is not a beginner program. You do need a base level of fitness. So if you don't feel you have that check out my other post on Preparing To Be Obsessed. The program isn't available until January so you have lots of time to build that baseline.
80 Day Obsession is broken up into 3 phases.
Phase 1 is kind of a getting to know you phase. It starts with basic movements that help you learn the structure of the program, focus on form and get familiar with the loops and strength slides, which are two amazing fitness tools that were totally new to me and will forever be part of my fitness accessories b/c they work and they're so convenient for my travel lifestyle. In this phase, I went from 23.2% body fat to 19.5%! I lost 4 lbs of fat tissue and gained 3 lbs of lean muscle. Not bad for 4 weeks!
Phase 2 builds on what you've learned and the confidence you're starting to gain and adds in more compound movements. This is the phase where the cast and I really started to push ourselves. There was a lot more weight work and we challenged ourselves every workout, every week, to see just how much we could grow. And grow we did! I gained another 3 bls of lean muscle. I also got a point where I could do pushups without modifying on my knees. I never even set this as a goal for myself because I honestly didn't think I could do it. But there I was...busting out 15 tricep pushups on my toes!
Phase 3 was where Autumn really stepped it up for us. She took all the exciting compound movements that kept our workouts so interesting, fun and challenging and kept our bodies always guessing and then she added plyo (otherwise known as jumping), which I'm not gonna lie....I HATE! But guess what? The strength we built in the first two phases showed up and suddenly plyo wasn't so bad. I couldn't believe how much stronger my heart and lungs had gotten in the process and I hadn't even realized it until Autumn made me jump! I think this is the phase where I saw my body change the most, but also my confidence. I started to notice that I wasn't afraid of any of the workouts anymore. I knew I could do it. I knew I would do it. I was so much more in tune with my body and I knew when I could really push and when to slow down and focus on self-care (like getting a massage or going to bed at 8:30 because my body was asking for rest). I ended the program with 5 less pounds of fat and 6 more pounds of lean muscle.
While 80 days sounds like a lot, the workouts flew by. No 2 days were the same. If the exercises didn't change the rep scheme and weights we used did. So your body was always guessing. You never got comfortable. You never knew exactly what to expect or exactly when you'd get tired. It was basically just like showing up to a personal training session and getting a new workout every day. I never got bored!
THE NUTRITION PLAN
OK, if I'm being totally honest, I thought I didn't need this piece. I'm a certified holistic health coach. I've studied 100s of nutritional theories. I've tried most of them, lol. I have a good (or thought I had) a good idea of what worked for my body. But there's always room to learn and turns out, this plan really simplified nutrition for me and took my health to a whole new level. You might feel overwhelmed the first time you look at the plan, especially if you aren't familiar with the container system from 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme. But trust me, these containers are going to simplify your life and make eating healthy so easy!
Here are a few things you should know
Trust the process. This is going to be different for most of you, but my friends, it works. You will be tempted to jump brackets. You might be tempted to eat less than what your plan tells you, don't! You need to fuel your body for these workouts. Don't second guess things. Do your calculations and follow the plan. The results are going to come and you are going to feel fabulous!
The first two weeks are the hardest while you find your groove in the kitchen, but Autumn tells you what foods to eat and how often/when to eat them which makes it so easy!
Plan, plan, plan. It doesn't have to be complicated, but you have to have a plan. I typed up my meals in my notes on my phone on Wednesdays and Sundays, grabbed my groceries and spent about an hour preparing my food so it was in the fridge ready to go when I needed it. I work, I have 2 kids in school who play baseball and flag football, I was on set every morning for 1/2 the day and I was starting the process of moving. I never missed a meal. A little bit of prep goes a long way!
Autumn will introduce you to timed nutrition and "the workout block" which are two concepts I can't go into detail about yet, but know that you won't be hungry on this program. If anything, I felt more energized, more fueled for my busy days and my workouts and I rarely felt hungry, hangry or like my blood sugar was dropping because I was consistently giving my body exactly what it needed. This way of eating also made a huge difference in the digestion of a lot of the cast members. People who had issues with slow digestion, constipation and stomach aches after meals found that the timed nutrition and clean meals turned this around for them!
The clean eating isn't just about getting flat abs. My skin looks healthier, my brain feels more focused, I've been more energized and I've slept better. It's become a way of life that I'm excited to continue!
Self-Care and The Mental Game
This is so much more than just a workout or nutrition program...it's a journey. A journey to find what motivates you, to learn just how strong you are not only physically, but mentally, and to discover that prioritizing your health and time for yourself isn't selfish at all. It actually makes you better at everything else you do in your life. You have to leave all of your fears, all of the old stories that have held you back and all of your excuses behind you. Every day, you wake up and make the choice to decide who you are and what you are capable of in that moment.
In the beginning, I underestimated myself. I walked away from workouts thinking "I probably could have done more." Why did I hold back? I was afraid of failing and not just on myself, but on camera in front of everyone. As I watched Autumn and the cast around me pushing, as I challenge myself to one more rep of push ups on my toes or maybe two, as Katrina challenged me to bump up weights with her, I realized two things: 1. Sometimes I'd fail, but in trying it helped me get stronger and prepared me to succeed the next time. 2. Most of the time, I could do so much more than I thought.
I came into this program feeling my weakest physically. I came into this program with a lot of fear and self-doubt. I walked away feeling strong, confident, and motivated. I found new focus, new purpose and a new level of determination. Spending 80 days being obsessed with my health reshaped my days and my attitude. Because of the focus I put on me, I also found more focus in other areas of my life. I became more organized, motivated and driven in my business. I transferred my meal prepping skills for myself into prepping for my kids as well and as a result they've been eating cleaner and healthier too. Even my ability to relax, unwind and make time for play improved. The laser focus required for 80 Day Obsession actually brought balance back into my life.
Know this....there will be ups and downs like anything. You'll have days where you feel puffy and swollen or where the scale goes up instead of down. You'll have days where your workout feels challenging or you have to go down in weights instead of up. It's all part of the process. Our bodies are going through a transformation and so many things impact how you look and feel each day from hormones and stress to sleep and food choices. But if you stick with it. If you trust the process. If you keep showing up and you never quit you will transform your body, you will transform your mind and you will get the results you want!
My Results And A Little Advice
If you want to stay out of your head during this process...consider throwing your scale away. Because in the end...that number means very little if your ultimate goal is to be the healthiest version of you. I didn't weigh myself once during phase 3. Fun fact. I started this program at 109 and ended it at 112. Does that freak you out? Are you thinking, oh my gosh, she GAINED weight! That might have been my mindset at one point. OK, it definitely was. But that weight gain reflects muscle gain. Remember, I lost 5lbs of fat and gained 6 lbs of lean muscle tissue over the course of 80 days! I lost inches in my waist, I lifted my glutes, I sculpted my legs and arms and I went from a size 26 jeans to a size 24. I'm actually excited about my weight gain. It reflects a gain in strength, a gain in confidence, and a gain in perspective. I came in with one goal. Become the strongest, healthiest version of me that I could be in 80 days. I accomplished that and the best part is...that was just the first 80 days. This journey has become a new lifestyle and I'm not stopping now.
Join My 80 Day Obsession Test Group
Are you excited about the program? Looking forward to getting your hands on it and creating the strongest, healthiest version of you? 80 Day Obsession launches in January, just in time for all of our new year goals and resolutions. If you want to join me in round 2 of 80 Day Obsession, fill out the form below! I'll be there with you every single day sharing my tips, what I learned in round 1, my meal plans and recipes and my support and encouragement.
If you live in the US, Canada or the UK and you are not already working with a Beachbody coach then this group is open to you!
80 days, 1 stunning transformation! Who's ready? Fill out the form below.