Posts Tagged BuffMother, Michelle Berger
“All Star” Kathy K. of NE
Posted by buffmother in Success Stories on August 31st, 2010
Kathy of NE!
I was introduced to BuffMother by my friend and fellow chiropractor, Lisa Staudt. At that point in my fitness “career”, I had been doing Jazzercise 5-6 days a week for 6 years. I was frustrated due to the fact that I was working out hard, yet getting nowhere. I felt like I was losing muscle and shape and gaining weight. Talking with Lisa about BuffMother just made sense. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give up Jazzercise, but my true love had always been lifting weights. I liked the idea of being able to do whatever exercise program you wanted. I was also intrigued by the thought of my hormones directing how I worked out. I think everything in our body is connected in some way, shape or form. I am thrilled with my weight loss, inches lost/gained, the way I look and how my clothes fit. But I’m more excited to know that I am STRONG! It has given me the confidence that I had lost over the years. It’s very intimidating to step into a gym after 18+ years. Having the knowledge and “plan” from “Hormonal Timing” helped me ease back in.
“All Star” Liz of NJ
Posted by buffmother in Fitness on August 29th, 2010
“All Star” Liz of NJ
Have you ever been awe inspired by the site of very pregnant woman working out? Well this story reflects just that! Liz is a true success story in that she regained a great level of fitness during the third trimester of her pregnancy. Here is Liz’s final summary for a contest we had in the Team BuffMother Rally Room starting May 2007~
at 29 weeks At 39 weeks! NOW- 4 months later!
My Reflections on The 10-Week Quest for ConsistencyBy: Liz of NJBuffMother! Since 2005
At the conclusion of this Quest for Consistency Challenge, I am about to deliver a baby any day now and I am in the best shape of my pregnancy! At the beginning of the QFCC I was at the beginning of my third trimester, not weight training or eating particularly well and had just returned to the Rally Room a couple of months earlier from a hiatus due to remodeling my home. Having been uprooted from my usual diligent routine of weight training 4-5 days a week, I had become complacent about exercise and lacked the necessary enthusiasm for this challenge. I had never participated in a challenge in the RR before and was not sure I was prepared at 7 months pregnant to do so, yet I attempted to “psyche myself up for it [QFCC].” Then fellow BuffMother!, Debra Golding, also pregnant and further along then I, posted that she was doing it and that I should too. I thought to myself, “Well if she’s doing it… how could I not?” She planted a seed and that was all it took. I decided to join in the QFCC and I am so glad I did because I accomplished more that I thought I would in 10 weeks!
My opening thoughts were (as per my blog):
Day 1: “…I’m scared. Consistency is not a strong point of mine: …any break down in my “scheduling” can frazzle or de-rail me.”
Day 2: “I can do this!!! I feel GREAT! I wish I could bottle this [the excitement & energy]! Rather than worry too much about the outcome, I am just enjoying nourishing & energizing my body.”
What changed from one day to the next was that I walked into the gym with a plan and a mission. The QFCC was so well planned out with time frames, goals, mini-challenges and PMA (positive mental attitude) that it made it easy to “just do it!” I survived the first day back at the gym. My “test times” were not what they once were but I left the gym feeling GREAT!
And so as the QFCC progressed, I picked up steam. At first I was really tired and napped a lot! But as time went on I started feeling energized from my workouts. By week 4 I was hitting “pregnancy personal bests,” some of which exceeded numbers I hit BEFORE I was pregnant. Team BuffMother! encouraged me the entire way and by Week 8 I felt invincible even given “my biggest obstacle to overcome” over the 10 weeks: Almost constant lower back pain. Given this particular obstacle, the mini-challenge that I am most proud of, which I completed 100%, was the “100 lunges each day [for a] week.” I believe that was when I really picked up momentum.
Week 8 was a monumental one during the QFCC because at that point I was gaining in strength beyond what I thought was possible and realized my body’s capabilities were tremendous. I can only relate it to having attained a “runner’s high” because I was going into the gym and stacking on weights with such ease and determination that it was blowing my mind. Then at the beginning of Week 9, I found the balance that ultimately I am always striving for in my life. I was determined to finish out the QFCC while enjoying the last few weeks before I gave birth. I intuitively knew I had achieved a powerful lesson regarding my body, its capabilities and my attitude regarding CONSISTENCY: If I could be consistent, realizing that in doing so that my goals are attainable with such a natural flow that do it any other way was an injustice to myself, I could accomplish anything! And that my body is a powerful tool designed by nature to function optimally when nourished and strengthened properly and its driving force is determination and positive mental attitude!!!
Again, what changed my initial attitude regarding this challenge was a BuffMother!, who simply planted the seed of PMA that the QFCC could be done even in our third trimesters. If one simple statement could have such an impact on me that it changed the course of my pregnancy in such a POSITIVE direction, imagine the possibilities of encouraging other women. It is that simple! Michelle Berger has always said, “The Key to your Motivation is to Encourage Others.” Well the dynamic of what occurred in the Rally Room to encourage me to follow through with this challenge clearly proved that point! I sincerely hope that my involvement in the Rally Room has had even a small positive impact on others compared to the tremendous positive impact the women of the RR have had on my life! Thank you for the 10 most energized & empowered weeks of my pregnancy!
Weekly Consistency Report Final Summary
How many weight/strength training workouts did I complete: average 4 per week
How many cardio/interval training sessions did I complete: average 2 per week
How many days of the week in total did I workout: average 4 per week
What obstacle did I overcome in order to get it done? Lower back pain
Who did I encourage? BuffMother friends
“All Star” Lisa of TN
Posted by buffmother in Success Stories on August 28th, 2010
Lisa of TN
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I spent most of my 20′s yo yo dieting, trying the latest fads and gimmicks. In December 2004, I realized how out of control my weight had gotten, weighing in at 204lbs. I didn’t want to be fat anymore. I was depressed, had no self esteem, self conscious and hated the way I looked. So I embarked on a journey to change my life. I needed something long lasting this time. I began researching fitness and nutrition. I started changing my eating habits and exercising. I did very little weight training however, until I found Michelle and the Buffmother girls! I had always thought weight training was for guys and I didn’t want to get bulky. It changed my life. My goals and focus shifted and I ventured into a new journey, to be a BuffMother! I wouldn’t have made it this far without the inspiration and direction from Michelle and the Buffmother team. I lost a total of 76lbs and went from a size 18/20 to a 4/6. I am stronger, more confident and healthier than I have ever been. I am still a work in progress, but look forward to what the future holds! Thank you Michelle!
“All Star” Sister in law DAPHNE D.
Posted by buffmother in Success Stories on August 26th, 2010
Daphne D
Number of children and ages (it’s okay if you have 0): 7, 4
Age: 32
Today’s Date:____11/21___ height:____5’3”______ weight:__110 —106.4___ age:____32_
Today’s cycle day-1
Please list the following measurements:
Bust (around breasts the biggest part): 33—34
Chest- relaxed (just under armpits above breasts with arms down at your sides):34—33 ½
Chest- flexed back and chest (just under armpits with arms down at your sides):35–341/2
Waist- relaxed (the smallest part): 28—26.5
Waist-sucked in (the smallest part): 26—25
Hips (the largest part of your butt): 35—35
Shoulders (around the outside of your shoulders with your arms at sides): 37 ¾—38
Biceps (relaxed at midpoint of upper arm): 10—10
Biceps (flexed at midpoint of upper arm): 10 ¾—10 3/4
Thigh-mid (about 8” above knee cap): 19—19
Thigh- upper (about 12” above knee cap): 20—20 1/2
Calf (about 7” below knee joint): 11 ¾—11 3/4
Why did you enter the SSS contest by BuffMother?
I entered the SSS contest for 2 main reasons. First, I want to win. I’ve discovered through my time in the Rally Room that I am extremely motivated by contests. I find that I am challenged by seeing what others are doing to accomplish their goals. In addition, the desire to finish well and accomplish my own goals is an overwhelming motivator for me. Second, I entered the contest so that I could accomplish super-star success. I want to get better and be the best that I can be, whether I win or not. I feel like if I win, that’s super. However, if I don’t win, I have learned and improved from trying my best.
What tactics did you use to stay focused and engaged for the entire 70 days?
I made a habit of blogging and commenting as often as I could. I know I missed days here and there, but I aimed for being active daily in the Rally Room. I also tried to set attainable goals for myself as well as using the weekly mini-challenges to start new and better habits. Third, I made up a chart that I could use to easily record and track my food, workouts, supplements, cycle days, and hormones all in one place. The chart helps me see how I’m progressing and how food and hormones play into my progress.
How do you feel about your success?
One of my goals was to reduce my body fat. I used a hand held body fat calculator at my gym and was pleased to see that it said that my body fat was down to %17.3. A year ago, it was %22. It’s not a tremendous drop, but it did go down. My other goal was to get more definition in my arms and legs and stomach. While my legs don’t show too much change, my improvements are showing on my upper body. I’m excited to see my fat loss continue to progress to my lower body.
What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to attain your goals?
I’ve struggled with stress and sickness during this contest. Both me and my family have had multiple sicknesses continually repeating and recurring in our household. I’ve also had tremendous stress. I’ve had a huge ordeal with my dad that our family has been dealing with. He is a difficult person and seems to thrive on attacking and emotionally destroying his loved ones. In addition, homeschooling has been tough this year. The contest started at the beginning of the school year and the stress of getting into the routine has been difficult.
What would you like to tell the world about BuffMother ?
I tell my friends all the time about the wonders of hormonal timing. Women don’t realize how simple it really is to reach their goals when they understand how to work with their hormones instead of against them. The more in-tune I am with how my body responds to my hormones and to certain foods, the more I can succeed at reaching my goals. I will never go back to floundering in the physical and emotional defeat that comes from not understanding my female cycle.
“All Star” Janienne K.
Posted by buffmother in Success Stories on August 21st, 2010
First place goes to….
Name: Janienne K
Number of children and ages (it’s okay if you have 0): 3 boys. Ages 13, 4 and 2 (2 by c-section.
Age: 33
Before After
I entered the SSS contest to attempt to get into the best shape of my life. I have done that and more as far as I am concerned. For years, I had sabotaged my body with anorexia and bulimia. I have been healthy for 7 years now. I always thought that I had messed up my metabolism for good because I could not see any difference in the saddlebags below my butt. Since I have joined the SSSS contest, I kept up with the weekly mini challenges and actually carried them all the way through until the end. I am now squatting and lunging with 50 lbs of free-weights and have seen a major difference in the saddlebags. I don’t think I ever stuck anything out until the end like I did with this contest. I loved every minute of it!
What tactics did you use to stay focused and engaged for the entire 70 days?
I made sure I had all of my protein servings planned out each day and kept track of what I ate. I made sure I ate 5-6 times per day so I would not feel hungry. Any time I wanted to cheat I would think of how great I would feel and look at the end of this contest if I didn’t cheat. It was impossible not to cheat for the full 70 days. I do have to say, this contest kept me in check. In 70 days, I only missed 3 days of workouts and cheated a few of times. I have never done that before. I have amazed myself.
How do you feel about your success?
I feel great about the way I look now and I am going to keep striving to make more improvements. My goal is to be doing 200 lunges 4-5 times per week with 50 lbs of free weights within the next month.
Lack of sleep. I work nights and don’t get home until after 12:30 AM most nights and the kids are up by 6. I do have to say, fatigue was my biggest obstacle, but once I got my workout done, I felt great and felt like I accomplished something. Another obstacle was my two little guys always wanting to come and workout with me in the basement. It was tough at first, but I then decided to invite them to workout with me. They have fun doing it and it makes me laugh.
Like I have already told so many of my friends, just go to buffmother.com and check it out. You will be inspired by the stories and photos.
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