One month ago I started a new exercise program called the Bikini Body Guide. I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw Kayla feed, and the transformations are WOW. I think I initially heard about it on Everyday Reading that is what prompted me to check it out. I checked it out, and I liked it so much that I signed up for a one-year subscription.
It has been one month, and I have done her beginner thingie, and I have to tell you it was TOUGH! I am overweight, so that made it even tougher. To be fair, I HAD been working out with a Planet Fitness trainer, and I had built up some resemblance of a core and other muscles. Still, BBG kicked my ass in a good way. I used the app instead of the guides, so that is what I am basing this review off of.
With the app, you can just follow along on your phone and do the exercises. That is what I did, and at first, I was soooo self-consciences I was even afraid to move the damn mat in case I would get in “trouble.” It wasn’t until I saw some other girls doing the same thing I was that I realized how dumb I was being. I mean I am a black gold member so I should be able to group everything right? I got over my self-conciseness when another regular gym member competed on my progress. I felt so posed that someone had noticed then she asked me if I was doing the BBG thingie and I was like yes and she congratulated me on all that I was able to do commenting that it was a killer workout. THAT gave me a huge boost of self-confidence.
There IS an eating program with it, but I am Paleo, so I follow the paleo diet and do the BBG exercise program. So far I have seen good progress. I gave up the scale except for lists to the dr, and there is a post coming up on that. Other than my self-convince becoming better I have noticed my strength has been getting better. I can carry stuff instead of feeling like a limp noodle. I live right next to a food store, and you think I would be able to carry a case of La Croix right? Well before BBG, you would be wrong. Now I can! I felt so proud of myself when I discovered this.
Big also includes cardio. I chose to run on the treadmill on cardio days. I am also doing the couch to 5K on cardio days. At first, it was soo hard. I was so fat that all I could do was to huffing puff along at 1.5 on the treadmill. BUT I DID GIVE UP slowly as the weight came off I became faster and better Now I can run at 4.5 still not very fast, but I tell myself I am not in a competition. This is the lifestyle for the rest of my life so just relax and go with the flow.
Here is a picture side by side so you can more easily see the comparison. The pink shirt is me a month ago the black shirt was me yesterday.
Like I said I have been following a paleo-ish-diet. I will be honest there have been a few days when I have completely effed up. But I always got back on the wagon. One thing I heard on the Better Than Before audiobook is to divide your day into quarters and if you mess up in one quarter to get back on the wagon in the next. This has helped me not spiral into the trap of well I messed up today may as well eat whatever I want for the rest of the day, and that spills into days and weeks, and we all know how that ends up. At the Dr sobbing cause, you tipped the scale at 320 pounds.
Anyway, I have found that following a paleo diet and doing the BBG program works well for me. I am going to do the beginner program again because I still feel I need to lose more weight and get stronger to do the actual BBG 1.0 program. I think that this is well worth buying for a year because there are several different programs if you get through the BBG 1.0 program. Or if you feel you need do it over before progressing you can! This is a flexible program.
I just want to add a note that even if you are severely overweight, you can still do this with modifications. Life for mountain climbers I defiantly cant do THAT yet with my still big belly so I googled modifications and I do that. And pluses don’t worry about what other people think about you in the gym. I had girls watch me ( i know they were doing BBG cause I recognized the exercises) then I was all like you got a problem (I wasn’t about to take no shit cause I have paid for both the gym and the BBG program just like they did) and they were like no they were just impressed and felt inspired by someone “like me” doing the program. I was all hmmm OOOKKKK. So really just focus on yourself and getting through the program without collapsing and having to drag your ass to the locker room and sit for 45 mins before making it to the next block to your apartment. cough