Youth Category Winner

Megan C.

I've made the conscious decision to make sure that I finish this essay before my final measurements are taken. I won't deny that yes, the numbers matter to me, but I've come to realize that what's much more important to me is the change that I've seen my body go through these past two months, regardless of the number on the scale or tape measure.
Two months ago I would have considered myself a moderately fit person, who could be rid of a few extra pounds. I wouldn't have considered myself weak or lazy; I spend my work days running around a coffee shop like a crazy person, serving lattes and hauling gallons of milk from the back room. Surely you need at least a touch of stamina to last in that environment. So when my sister asked if I was interested in joining an exercise challenge that she and my mom were going to try out, I figured why not? I'd been severely slacking off when it came to going to the gym on a regular basis and the worst that could happen would still be better than doing nothing. At least I could do it at home.

I won't even try to lie, I absolutely did not begin with a bang. Long work days, friends visiting from out of town, and just a general lack of motivation kept me from starting out like I should have. Before I knew it, the one month mark was quickly approaching and I had only done the MORE Workout a couple of times with my mom and sister and tried the Basic Workout Plus on my own once or twice. I was expecting absolutely nothing good to come out of the first measurements. Then, there it was. Six inches lost. I was totally shocked. If I could lose 6 inches that easily, I knew I had to step it up for the second month. I started doing the Basic Workout Plus on my own nearly every day. No matter how long a day I had at work, I found it was much easier to convince myself to workout when I knew it would only take about 20 minutes.

This workout has done more for me than the elliptical and weights at the gym ever did. I've found I have muscles I never knew I was missing before! For the first time in my life, I can feel that I actually have ab muscles. As for work, who knew it was possible to carry 5 gallons of milk at once without breaking a sweat??

So the thing is, I'm not someone who put herself through a boot camp during this challenge and I'm not someone who tried all of the different workouts. I'm completely aware that I may not be the most impressive when it comes to losing inches, but I'm okay with that. I will never be the person who finds the time to work out for 2 hours a day. This is a workout that I can easily fit into my daily life and I can see and feel the changes in my posture, stomach, legs, and arms just from these two months. This challenge may have started it for me, but I'm determined to keep going from here. It can only get better!