shapelygirl fitness: initial thoughts

If you've been reading this blog very long, you know I review a lot of products, mostly books. You also know I struggle with my weight. (Well, let's be honest: sometimes it's a struggle, and other times it's more like whatever, who cares, I give up!) I was recently offered the opportunity to combine my love of reviewing with my quest to lose weight by being a part of the ShapelyGirl Fitness review crew through Christian Women Affiliate.

ShapelyGirl Fitness founder Debra Mazda believes that every woman, no matter her size, can improve her life and health by getting off the couch and moving! Here's a little bit about Debra's philosophy (provided by ShapelyGirl Fitness):

Fitness Comes In Many Sizes. You’d never know this by looking at most fitness DVD’s or at the women in your average health club workout classes, because the majority of fitness products are targeted to thin women. As a result, larger women can be intimated by traditional health clubs and workout tapes. They are often encouraged to focus first on dieting … and we all know how well diets work. Enter Debra Mazda, the founder of ShapelyGirl Fitness™ – a still “shapely” 165-pound fitness trainer, who transformed her life through exercise. Mazda began her transformation 25 years ago, tipping the scale at 310 pounds and in the habit of enjoying a rack of ribs for breakfast. Mazda learned firsthand that getting moving is the first step to better health and self-esteem. Through her ShapelyGirl Fitness™ program, Mazda puts the focus directly on other ShapelyGirls, encouraging plus size women to “get off the couch.”

Debra's philosophy is what convinced me to apply for this review crew—well, that and the fact that she used to work with Richard Simmons! I loved his videos when I was in high school. (That makes me sound really uncool, doesn't it?) His videos and Debra's are the only workout videos I've seen that use actual plus size people in them.

This opportunity couldn't have come at a better time. My goals for 2012 included exercising four times per week and losing 30 pounds. At the time, I couldn't have foreseen my May gallbladder surgery, which made me feel better but totally knocked me off my exercise regimen. And once I stopped exercising, I never really started again. I don't weigh as much as I did at the beginning of the year, but I'm in much worse shape. So I am committing to getting off the couch and moving!

I can't believe I'm about to post this, but here's a picture of me now. I generally avoid full body shots, and I always, always do the suck in the gut, stick out the neck, turn slightly to the side photo slimming tricks. Hopefully my "after" shot won't be so cringe-worthy!

Currently, I weigh 196 pounds (did I really just say that?) and wear a size 14 pant and 18 top (one of my high school friends nicknamed me "Top Heavy" for a reason!). I'll also be tracking inches lost, as I'm fully aware that as my muscles tone up, my clothes will fit differently, but I may not see much of a change on the scale.

Each week, I'll post an update on my progress (including pounds and inches lost), as well as my thoughts on the dvd and any breakthroughs or challenges I'm experiencing.

I have agreed to use the ShapelyGirl Fitness dvd of my choice three times per week during the month of October. (I chose Walking Fit & Fabulous—you can see all the dvd options here.) I received the dvd earlier this week, and I couldn't wait until October 1 to use it! A full review of the dvd will come at the end of the month, but for now, I want you to know that the workouts are easy to follow and fun!

One of my favorite aspects of this review is that I have the support of 26 other women who are in the same boat as me—women who are committing to regular exercise and healthier living. Heather at Marine Corps Nomads is hosting a voluntary blog link-up for those of us on the Crew, and I've decided to participate. You can follow the other Crew members' journeys by clinking on the links below.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a free copy of this product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I am part of the CWA Review Crew.