I drank the orange kool-aid

….The orange theory fitness kinda kool-aid that is. And it is beyond addicting…

I came to realize that my plan of “just eat healthy and exercise more” was not quite working for me. So drastic measures had to be taken.

In November, a cousin of mine (who I would like to note has always been beautiful and strong and wonderful regardless of her weight or size or any other physical attributes) started doing Orange Theory. In the past 6 months she has dropped close to 80 pounds. Amazed by her strength and commitment, I decided to take the plunge when a new OTF studio opened just up the road from my apartment.

So for those of you who don’t know, here is the breakdown on how the whole Orange Theory thing works…

You walk into the studio to see 3 distinct areas.

Treadmills, Rowers, and Weights.

When you work out at OTF, you will either start with cardio (treadmills) or start with strength (rowers and weights). You get to pick where you want to start, and half way through, the trainer will tell you to switch.

While you are working out, one trainer will give instructions over the headset while the other checks out your form and answers any questions or addresses any problems you may run into. Its great having two coaches available to make sure you are getting the best out of your workout.

Trainer with the headset calls out instructions.

For treadmill this looks like “60 seconds at a push pace. Walkers up to 6% incline, Joggers and runners increase speed by 2 mph over your base. In 3…2…1…Go!”

And in the weight section it is demonstrating each exercise (which is also displayed on a tv screen) and letting you know how long or how far to row between sets.

During the workout you wear a body monitor (either across your ribcage or on your wrist). The information from the monitor is displayed on a TV in the gym so you can see your progress. The premise behind Orange Theory is that you want to be in the Orange zone of your heart rate for 12 minutes of the class (and no, this does not have to be a straight 12 minutes, it can be broken up through out the class!).

Each time you spend a minute in the Orange Zone you earn a splat point (the symbol above). By reaching 12 splat points in a workout, your body achieves something called Excess Post-Exercises Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also known as the afterburn. EPOC/afterburn is basically the body using oxygen to restore and rebuild the muscle after this type of intense workout. When you get to the EPOC level, your body will continue to burn calories at an increased rate for up to 36 hours after the class!!! And that is why OTF gets such amazing results in such a short amount of time.

The workouts are intense to say the least. Each time, I feel like I am 2 seconds away from an asthma attack (even though I have my inhaler). And I am not gonna lie, getting up at 4am to get to the 5am class to be home before the baby wakes up absolutely sucks.

But starting my day with something healthy and hard makes me feel amazing. And even though I am tired and sore, I feel empowered and motivated. I feel like I am unstoppable. So I will continue to drink the Orange Kool-Aid.

 

 

 

 

Always ❤

Ashley Grace

My Healthy, Happy Lifestyle Change

Let’s be real, I’ve been living the lose weight/gain weight, binge/starve, over and over,  yo-yo diet, unhealthy lifestyle for a long time now. When do you finally say “enough is enough”? When do you finally realize that what you’re doing clearly isn’t working and it is time to change for good?

 

Well let me tell you when it happened for me…

 

For me, it was a photograph…

 

It was THIS photograph…

 

Looking at that picture, I don’t even recognize myself. I see my mother on the left. I see my cousin in the middle. But who is that chubby, bloated, fake-smile, double chin, arm blubber, overweight, puffy looking creature on the right?

Oh…            yeah…           that’s me.

Seeing that picture back in August made me realize just how bad I had let things get.

225.6 pounds bad to be exact.

And I knew it was time for a change…

 

I won’t lie and say it’s been easy. It’s been far from it. It’s been learning to do a lot of things differently. It meant cutting out most of the gluten in my diet, no more soda, less candy, less sports drinks and juices, less snacks. And it meant portion control. Soooo much easier said than done! I love junk food. I love sugar and carbs. I love all the things that are bad for me. So cutting a lot of them out has been a struggle. And I slip up. a lot. Especially because I am an emotional and boredom binge eater! But then I remind myself that I am only human and I try to get back on track.

 

And it meant more fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and even vitamins. It also meant thyroid medication. And allergy and asthma medication. This part comes fairly easy. I can just toss the fruits and veggies in the bullet blender and make a yummy shake (I will post some of my recipes soon!) and I’m good to go. It’s expensive but so worth it. When I take the medication I need, take vitamins, and eat right I feel so much better. It really is true. When you eat like crap, you feel like crap; but, when you eat healthy, you feel healthy.

 

And it meant exercising. This is the part I hate the most. I hate exercising. I get bored. And its cold outside. And I’m too tired. And I find a million and one excuses not to do it. But I recently broke out the wii fit and started using that, I try to do zumba on the wii or through this awesome youtube channel by Sydney Tatum, I’m getting into yoga again, and I’m even contemplating starting rock climbing and maybe getting a belay certification and an instructor certification over the summer (eek!). So now it’s just about getting myself into the habit of being healthy and active.

 

Just with the little lifestyle changes I have made so far I have seen so much change!

 

This morning I weighed in at 200.8 pounds! That means since August (when the picture was taken) I have lost a total of 24.8 pounds!!! Only .2 away from 25. And only .9 away from what The Biggest Loser refers to as “one-derland” (being at a weight with a 1 at the beginning of it).

 

Remember that girl in the photo before?

Well here’s her now…

 

 

A whole lot happier. A whole lot healthier. And on my way to the life and body I’ve always dreamed of (and deserved).

 

Follow my blog to stay updated about all the awesome things I try and learn as I get healthier and happier. I’ll be posting recipes, exercises, fitness tips and techniques, reviews, links to free resources, and all sorts of other stuff that has helped me on my journey and can help you, too!

 

And leave feedback! I love to hear from you, especially if you have dealt with or are currently dealing with the same issues. We need to support each other

 

Forever and For Always

Ashley Grace

❤