Diet and Exercise: I finally figured out the solution for me

By Jillian LeMaster

Find out how Jillian got into such great shape.

When I was young, my mom said I would eat anything. This still rings true today. My relationship with exercise started much later in life. In my early 20s, I decided I wanted to get fit and joined the YMCA. I started working out regularly and started to feel really good. But then...
...life happened, and I got pregnant and stopped working out.

In my mid 30s, I started to notice some unpleasant changes in my body. I got married and began the fat-and-happy years, gaining weight. Through these years, I was cooking for my family. I tried to be healthy, but when you are busy and on a budget, you can’t always cook the healthiest meals. This is where my food and exercise worlds collided.

I decided I wanted to become strong and joined the Bourbon Barrel CrossFit gym. I was way out of my element at first, but I enjoyed the challenge. I became much stronger, but I was still gaining weight. I was bigger after joining Crossfit than before I started. I made excuses that it was because my muscles were getting so big. Yeah, right!

Jillian was doing Crossfit, and she still does it but has added in some exercise from the tapes from the program. It is working for her and her family.

I needed to take a hard look at what was going wrong. I did some research and noticed a friend of mine had been posting on Facebook about her journey to a fit life. I discovered she was doing the 21 Day Fix and immediately decided it was something that could fit into my life. I enjoyed seeing all her success and how great she was doing.

The 21 Day Fix combines diet with portion control and exercise. You receive food boxes that your food must fit into to help you control how much you eat. I talked my husband into doing it with me so we could keep each other accountable. When our box arrived, I was unimpressed. The food boxes were very small. I thought we were going to starve. My sweet husband told me to relax and try it. He got out all the boxes and began making a salad following the rules. Like I said, he is sweet. To my surprise, I quickly realized that you get a lot of food. After being on the 21 Day Fix for a week, I realized I hadn’t been eating healthfully at all. I was now eating many more fruits and vegetables than I ever had, and I was feeling better for it.

Food boxes from 21 Day Fix. When she first saw them, Jillian thought she would starve!

The 21 Day Fix requires you to exercise seven days a week for 30 minutes. I was already doing Crossfit five days a week, so this just forced me to add two more days into my routine. Since the workouts are only 30 minutes, there really isn’t an excuse for not exercising. I changed the frequency of my Crossfit workout to three days and did the 21 Day Fix videos at home on the other days. I finally began to see results, and the former me started to come back. My clothes started to fit again. Hallelujah! I could see more muscle definition, which was great. I have worked to become stronger, and it feels good to see those strong muscles. This plan has really helped me combine two things I really enjoy: food and exercise. You can’t have one without the other. If you do, you are canceling out your hard work.

Now, I’m not saying I don’t have days when I allow myself a little treat. Without those treats every now and again, I think I would fail. But eating healthier and cleaner overall has made cooking enjoyable again. I have eliminated things in my diet that I thought were a necessity, such as sugar and butter. I also reduced my intake of carbs and actually feel so much better without them. I had no idea how much I was consuming before this change.

These healthier choices have become the new normal for my family. My husband has enjoyed most of our meals, and working out at home is something we can all do together. I love being able to work out with my husband. We really try to push each other. My 7-year-old son will even join in on a few exercises. I hope this helps him to be a healthier person as he grows up. I want to teach him healthy habits.

This change has really been good for me. I have lost weight and plan to keep it off. My main goal is to continue to be healthy and enjoy getting older. I didn’t want to continue to get older and be unhealthy. I want to live as long as I can and enjoy my life with my family.

Way to go Jillian! Have you found a diet/exercise solution that works for you? Share with us in the comments.