After months of not working out and taking care of my physical health, I decided to ease my way back in by consistently doing Growwithjo workouts during the month of February. It was definitely a challenge but also a great reminder of the positive emotions I receive when I work out.
Plus, I wanted to try all the new workouts she’s come out with since the last time I challenged myself with completing a month of her workouts.
Here are the results.
Diet:
In February, I had a goal of eating two meals a day. I didn’t quite reach that goal, but I’m eating more consistently than I have in a long while. With that being said, I’m still not eating balanced meals; I did track what I ate each day, which will be below the workouts on the schedule.
Reminder:
I am not someone who showcases instant results when it comes to losing weight and toning up.
Motive:
I wanted to get my body moving so I can feel better about myself again. Recently, I’ve been feeling good with my environment and where I physically am, but my physical being just hasn’t been where I want it to be. The goal is never to lose weight or match the body of a super model; the goal is to smile when I look at myself in the mirror.
Schedule (playlist with specific videos linked below):
| DAY ONE: Workout: REST DAY *Incredibly sore from first Orange Theory workout, which was intense and another attempt at getting my body back moving again. Food: Handfuls of tortilla chips, cheddar bacon burger w/ sweet potato fries from local burger place | DAY TWO: Workout: 45 Minute Apartment Friendly *Only did 11 minutes (did late at night after a busy day and got tired quick) Food: Nasty gas station stuffed nachos, 6 slices of a frozen pizza | DAY THREE: Workout: 15 Minute Standing Cardio for Weight Loss Food: 1/2 portion-size pimento mac & cheese and barbecue pulled pork, last 2 pieces of aforementioned pizza | DAY FOUR: Workout: REST DAY *Listened to my body & decided to rest instead of forcing myself to workout Food: 2 large slices of cheese pizza, big bowl of elbow macaroni w/ classic alfredo sauce | DAY FIVE: Workout: 10 Minute Beginner Express Tabata Food: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, large slice of grocery store pepperoni pizza, tall iced caramel macchiato, Big Mac w/ large fries | DAY SIX: Workout: Do This Every Morning *Liked nothing about this workout; very confusing and physically felt nothing Food: Popcorn, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Big Mac | DAY SEVEN: Workout: 30 Minute Mood Boost *Did the entire workout and felt it everywhere Food: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Shredded Beef Bowl from Guasaca with pico, corn, & sour cream; elbow macaroni w/ alfredo sauce (it was National Alfredo Day) |
| DAY EIGHT: Workout: 10 Minute Beginner Express Tabata Workout Food: One pack Wildberry Pop Tarts, Tortilla chips & queso, 2 Lunchables | DAY NINE: Workout: REST DAY Food: One pack Wildberry Pop Tarts, Tortilla chips & queso, one slice sausage pizza | DAY TEN: Workout: 7:30 am Orange Theory Fitness Class *Was completely wrecked at the end but Growwithjo definitely helped me keep up a little bit better; slowly building my endurance and strength Food: Pizza Melt from Pot Belly, 2 bags of Munchies | DAY ELEVEN: Workout: REST DAY *Every bit of my body was sore and sitting on my couch was incredibly painful Food: Tuna stuffed bell pepper, spaghetti with red sauce | DAY TWELVE: Workout: 30 Min. Cardio Workout at Home *This is what she called an intermediate/advanced workout, and my legs absolutely hated me Food: Lots of pasta (to the point where I had heart burn), 3 scoops of coffee ice cream | DAY THIRTEEN: Workout: REST DAY Food: 2 crappy McDonalds hamburgers | DAY FOURTEEN: Workout: 10 Minute Standing Abs (intense) *One of the best 10 minute workouts I’ve done *Was a sweating, exhausted mess afterwards Food: Lemoncello dessert from local restaurant, small & large mac & cheese from Panera Bread, lost of candy & cupcakes |
| DAY FIFTEEN: Workout: ACCIDENTAL REST DAY *Got a rib tattoo day before, and it hurt to lift my arm or do anything that stretched the area Food: Tuna sandwich from Panera Bread, tuna stuffed bell pepper | DAY SIXTEEN: Workout: 6:15 am Orange Theory Class & 10 Minute Beginner Express Tabata Workout Food: Tuna stuffed bell pepper, small side salad, 2 Wildberry Pop Tarts, one can of meatball Spaghetti O’s, lots of alfredo pasta | DAY SEVENTEEN: Workout: INTENTIONAL REST DAY // PERIOD BEGAN *cancelled my Orange Theory membership *accidentally ate too much before my period began Food: Sausage, egg, & cheese from Starbucks, The “CEO” burger with fries from BurgerFi | DAY EIGHTEEN: Workout: ACCIDENTAL REST DAY *Period absolutely kicked my butt Ate absolutely nothing, had a few sips of Sprite | DAY NINETEEN: Workout: ANOTHER ACCIDENTAL REST DAY *Was regaining my strength physically & mentally Food: Small bowl of pasta | DAY TWENTY: Workout: 15 Minute Standing Cardio *Only did about 5 minutes before my uterus started protesting Food: Sweet potato chili | DAY TWENTY-ONE: Workout: 15 Minute Standing Cardio *Did the whole thing *Great way to ease back in post-period Food: Sweet potato chili, elbow macaroni w/ alfredo sauce |
| DAY TWENTY-TWO: Workout: 30 Minute Knee-Friendly *Was also supposed to be apartment friendly but some of them simply weren’t apartment friendly Food: Sweet potato chili | DAY TWENTY-THREE: Workout: ACCIDENTAL REST DAY *Didn’t sleep well previous night & could not get my body to move more than going to the kitchen Food: Sweet potato chili, elbow macaroni w/ alfredo sauce | DAY TWENTY-FOUR: Workout: 15 Minute Standing Cardio & 10 Minute Standing Abs *Killer combo, so much sweat! Food: Big Mac & medium fry (meal of convenience b/c I was starving during a meeting), turkey breast sandwich w/ lemonade | DAY TWENTY-FIVE: Workout: REST DAY Food: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, scrambled eggs w/ green bell pepper | DAY TWENTY-SIX: Workout: 45 Minute Apartment Friendly *Did the entire thing & felt it all over my body, especially my glutes Food: Sausage, egg, & cheese sandwich from Starbucks, meatball marinara sub (which ripped my stomach apart) | DAY TWENTY- SEVEN: Workout: 30 Minute Mood Boost Food: Homemade sausage breakfast scramble bowl *Made enough for the entire week | DAY TWENTY-EIGHT: Workout: 10 Minute Beginner Express Tabata Food: Homemade sausage breakfast scramble, a pint of Oreo ice cream, half a triple decker sandwich |
The playlist with all of the aforementioned workouts:
Results:
Per usual, there is not much difference in my abdominal area, which is perfectly fine with me. I can feel and see my legs getting stronger; I feel my shoulders being toned a little bit more. Personally, I feel like this challenge went a lot better than the last one, and I think a large part of that is because of her new workouts.
If you’re struggling with getting back into working out and need some form of consistency in your day-to-day routine, Growwithjo is a great way to get back and to enjoy working out without feeling any pressure.
