8 Week Challengers

Arielle Taylor:
Let’s face it, being a 19 year old girl, in college, encountering beautiful women at every turn, I feel like each day is just another round in an ongoing competition of “who can get the closest to perfection.” It is a sick complex wherein almost all girls suffer. Society tells us that we must be a certain weight, height, breed… but whatever happened to the idea of having a positive self image? Or that the reason we work out isn’t to lose weight but to sustain a healthy body? Somewhere along the line women have decided to stop enjoying life, and instead obsess over the fact that they didn’t have time for their ten mile run of the day and that they gave in to eating a slice of cheesecake (my personal fave). I’ll admit that I’m guilty of this same false conception of the healthy lifestyle. Sometimes I have to imagine my rockin bod in a bikini just so I can get to the end of a run. But that is not what it should be all about! Instead I should glory in the fact that I have a dang low resting heart rate and that I rival many guys in the weight room ;)
This current 8 week challenge has been a different kind of experience for me. If I want a cupcake I’ll eat one, but I’ll also eat my whole grains and an apple a day. I’m here to enjoy my life as well as learn to push myself and grow. Which brings me to my next topic. Something that I have lost after coming to college and not participating in sports is that push and drive while working out. So, I have begun to incorporate a go til you puke mentality. I haven’t actually puked…. But when I get to the last leg of my run, I sprint. When I feel like my core is about to split open during an ab workout, I do ten more reps. When you feel like you are about to die, keep going! That is how the body gets stronger. Pain in weakness leaving the body. Now I don’t actually believe that but you get the gist. These last 4 weeks have been a wake up call. I need to enjoy working out and eating. I need to feel like I am getting healthier and that I am pushing myself, not to lose ten pounds, but to be happy with ME. Hopefully in another 4 weeks I will find that I have done just that.

Amanda Coltrin:
This Challenge has been more than challenging. The most challenging part has been changing my habits, but i think i finally have gotten a grasp on my new habits. The main thing i am focusing on is eating healthy. As much as i would love to be a size 2 and look like a swimsuit model, i would much rather feel healthy. I am eating in a lot more and trying to make sure i am getting a balanced diet and trying to stay away from all the desserts i love, which is pretty much everything. The other habit i am trying to form is a regular work out time, whether it be going to the gym, jogging, taking a long walk or workouts at home, i am trying to do it at least 5 times a week. I haven't noticed a lot of change in my body but i feel better and i have noticed that each week i can do a little more than i could the week before. So with these last few weeks i am going to kick it into overdrive and try to not slip on my goals at all!