I’ve been a member of Beachbody on Demand (BOD) since August 2, 2017. At first I didn’t really use it and then somehow got into exercising at 3 am and did programs like 21-Day Fix and 80-Day Obsession. I actually stopped 80-Day Obsession in 2018 because of pregnancy but ruined my habit of regularly exercising by not doing the prenatal workouts.
After I had my daughter in 2019, it was really hard to get back into the habit of exercising again. Even after the newborn stage. I considered canceling my BOD membership because I was so inconsistent and “undedicated.”
Fast forward to May 2, 2021. Somehow I decided, right then and there, that I’d make a commitment to exercising. We went on vacation, and I still tried to exercise in the morning while the kids were asleep. I tried to exercise as much as I could in our new home that we moved into in late 2019. BOD dubs 21-Day Fix as a “beginner” program, but it’s actually quite difficult. (I’d label it as Intermediate, if you ask me.) It started out as 7 workouts to repeat over the course of 3 weeks, but now they’ve re-recorded it for “real time” as if you’re doing a different workout for each of the 21 days. (So 21 new episodes that provide variety instead of watching the same 7 workouts on repeat.)
But I started out with 21-Day Fix (not real time) and completed the program. What was next? I think I did T25 for a bit but didn’t really commit to that program. Then came Morning Meltdown 100. 100 different workouts. Could I commit?
I did it. For 50 workouts straight. Then fell off the wagon. I went 2-3 weeks—maybe even a month of not exercising. I figured if I could post each completed exercise day to Instagram, it would keep me accountable. Not so.
But then I picked up at workout 51 as if I’d never stopped. The exercises were hard again because I had lost some of that strength and endurance that I’d built up, but finally (and eventually) made it to workout 100. And felt like that was an amazing achievement for myself. 100 workouts completed. It’s probably not a big deal to someone who hits the gym all the time, but it was an accomplishment for me.
Now I’m doing LIIFT4, which I absolutely LOVE. It’s weight lifting, which I enjoy a bit more than just cardio, but it also incorporates high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The follow-up program, LIIFT More, drops on July 26, and I can’t wait. I bought my adjustable, foldable bench (which will be needed for that workout) and signed up to become a preferred customer so I can have access to the program.
From a nutrition perspective, I’m doing my best to follow the Portion Fix plan by Autumn Calabrese, also a BOD exclusive. BOD has 2 nutrition plans: Portion Fix and 2B Mindset. I initially did 2B Mindset because it’s actually easier to follow than Portion Fix. But I wasn’t eating as many greens as I should and wasn’t drinking the water first (the idea is to drink water before you eat, and then eat veggies the most). I took a quiz that told me 2B Mindset was better for me, but Portion Fix had worked for me in the past before I had my daughter. So I decided to invest in the containers and try again.
It’s working. Portion Fix is better suited to my personality even though 2B Mindset only has (mainly) 2 rules.
So am I encouraging you to sign up for BOD as a member? I totally am. Because it’s allowed me to work out from the comfort of my home. And before I had my second child, I was in a 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment with 1 kid that had toys strewn everywhere. It was a small little space, horizontal. I could stretch my body on a horizontal level but there was hardly any vertical space. I used vertical space for any exercises that didn’t require a lot of room like weight lifting and squats. Anything core? In my tiny little horizontal space that wasn’t big enough for me to spread my arms out fully. And then there was the added exercise of picking up all the toys on the floor BEFORE the exercise video. Argh.
I’m not a BOD coach so I don’t make any commission off of any of the links above. I toy with the idea of becoming one, but I’m not in good enough shape to show off how awesome my body is since restarting my BOD journey. BOD coaches are rather slim and in good shape, and I feel too insecure to show people how to live healthy lives when I’m still over 200 lb. Although, I could cater to thick women who want to change their lives. Just because I’m heavy doesn’t mean that I’m not healthier than I once was. My goal for exercise is to get healthier, fit back into my pre-pandemic clothes (lol), and model exercise habits for my kids. I’m not perfect, but I like to think that when my son and my daughter see me doing crunches or lifting weights, it’s something that inspires them.
But I’d still encourage you to join me on the journey for health and fitness. I prefer BOD (and their live, interactive stream, BODi) and pay for it based on the personalities that I’m now used to like Autumn Calabrese, Shaun T, and Joel Freeman. I don’t have a bike (which BOD now has—Myx) so while I’ve considered Peloton, I decided that it would be too much of an expense when biking is not one of my favorite exercises. Another exercise equipment that just sits around and collects dust. My husband and I bought an elliptical years ago, setting it up in our small apartment, hoping it would help us exercise more, but it was hardly ever used. I used it occasionally when we moved into our new house but finally decided to sell it when my husband and I agreed it would get better use with someone else.
This is just my exercise journey. It doesn’t have to be yours. If you’re a gym rat or find another streaming service or even YouTube that has free exercise videos, do yo thang. But it’s a journey that requires consistency. I may fall off the wagon here and there. But I’m committed to doing the best that I can.
This Journey Is My Own 