Why I Decided to Lose Weight and Get In the Best Shape of My Life, and What I’ve Accomplished Since Then
My self-improvement journey began a long time ago, but it took a very big turn for the better almost seven years ago — that’s when I got the best work from home job I’ve ever had, and also when I discovered Beachbody’s workout programs. Since then I’ve accomplished several other goals in my life.
2011
In 2011, I started working as an interviewer for a company called Apptical. I still work for this company today. As an interviewer at Apptical, I ask people questions about their health to determine if they’re eligible for different life and health insurance products based on the underwriting guidelines for the different companies we work with. One thing that I noticed is that many of the other people I talked to were taking multiple medications for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other conditions that can be prevented simply by making lifestyle changes. I knew I didn’t want to end up like these people — I already take two epilepsy medications, and that’s enough for me. I had been exercising regularly at that time, and was at a decent weight, but I knew I could weigh a little less, and get in better shape. I also wanted to get a regular program where I was doing certain workouts on certain days. So I started researching different workout programs, and found P90x. Some of you reading this probably already know P90x alternates aerobic workouts with weight training workouts, and also throws some flexibility and stretching in there as well. The cost of the program was prohibitive for me at that time, but luckily I found out one of my family members had the P90x and Brazil Butt Lift workouts, so I got them from him and started using them. Since then I’ve done several other workouts in addition to P90x and Brazil Butt Lift:
- P90x Plus
- Les Mills Combat
- Focus T25
- P90x 3
Each workout program helped me in different ways — P90x and P90x Plus helped me improve my overall fitness — I could do things after I finished those workouts that I couldn’t do before, like push-ups and chin-ups, and my abdominal muscles were a lot stronger. Les Mills Combat also helped me improve my overall fitness. Brazil Butt Lift helped me tighten up my behind and get more shapely legs, and Focus T25 helped me improve my balance.
Ok, I got off track a bit here talking about the different workouts I tried, and this turned into a bit of a review. Anyway, getting back to what I’ve accomplished since I got into the best shape of my life — I now have more energy, and can fit into clothing sizes that I can’t remember the last time I was able to wear them — maybe when I was a teenager. I’m actually the same size as one of my relatives now, so I’m able to wear so of her clothes, which is great.
Note: As of December 2017, I’ve actually gained a bit of weight, though I’m still in pretty good shape. I do plan to get the weight back off after the holidays though!
Paid off Debt, Improved My Credit and Bought a House
Since I started working at Apptical, lost weight and got in better shape, I’ve been motivated to make other changes in my life. I’ve been able to pay off my back taxes and improve my credit. Because we were able to improve our finances, my husband and I bought our first house this year — we closed on it in June. We’ve been working hard to get it looking the way we want to, but it’s definitely been worth it.
Started Earning More Money from Writing
I’ve always enjoyed writing; I’ve earned some money writing for different websites over the years. Since 2011, I’ve worked on improving my writing skills and have earned even more as a writer in the process. I’m not earning anywhere near what I want to earn from writing yet, but I’m working on it. Now that I live in a house, I’m hoping to increase my writing earnings without having to pay as much in self-employment taxes as I did when I first started working from home as an independent contractor in 2003.
My Goals for 2018
I’ve been working for the past few years to try and start earning more writing from freelance writing, and have had some success with that. My ultimate goal is to be able to write full-time. For 2018 however, I’m going to start trying to earn a little money with my writing in other ways, like by entering writing contests. I’m working on a submission for a contest that Chicken Soup for the Soul is running — you can see my rough draft here:
I also may enter other writing contests as they come up, and try submitting my writing to some publications. I also want to continue working on building my savings and read more books in 2018 than I did in 2017. You can read more details about these goals in the story I published on Christmas Eve Day, “Setting Goals and Getting Back to Writing on Medium.”
This is an expanded and revised version of a post that was originally published at theericaupgradeproject.blogspot.com on August 5, 2016.
