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I never was overweight when I was young. I used to model in my teens. I
never exercised. My battle of fat came when my first 2 children were born just 19 months apart
and then I had my 3rd child after that. The problem really started when I
was trying to lose the 50+ pounds I gained with my third pregnancy when I got
pregnant again with identical twins. It was a high risk pregnancy so I
wasn't allowed to do any exercise. I snacked on cheese nachos every night
at 2 AM. I got so big that I had no neck and felt like a giant pillow. My
highest weight was 229 lbs.
After my babies were born, I was miserable about
how I looked. I hated having my picture taken. I hated all my black stretch
pants that were worn in the inner thighs. I stayed home and didn't want to
go out. I was tired and my back hurt all the time. I wore dresses with no
waists. I didn't have any time for myself with 3 little children and then
2 newborn twins who needed my constant attention. I would cry at every
picture of me I saw. I knew that I needed to lose weight.
I had bought
some Kathy Smith exercise videos but never used them much. They didn't
keep my attention. Then I rented the Firm videos from Blockbuster and fell
in love with them! They were very tough and I could barely get through
them. I couldn't even do ab crunches since my abs were so weak. Then I
bought Tortoise and Hare and was hooked on them. The ballroom aerobics were perfect
for me because I was too overweight to do normal stepping. I used a 4 inch
step and it was perfect. When Strongbody and Strongheart came out, I got
those too and was hooked.
At first, I used a 12 inch tall box with no
weights. It was so hard to balance. But with consistency, I was able to do
it. Then I added 5 lb. dumbbells and then 8 lbs. Now I used 15 lbs with a 14
inch step. As I slowly lost the weight, I kept getting more videos. I
found Karen Voight and Cathe Friedrich and added their videos too. It was
easy to stay consistent with the workouts because they were fun. I didn't get
bored. I also think a BIG encouragement was writing after each workout in
my exercise diary. I would write what workout I did and how long. I would
write about how I felt. This really helped.
I loved the way I felt after each exercise session. I think it helped me with the
stress of new babies too. I would have my husband watch the twins in their
swings as I exercised, which was in the
late evening most of the time. Or I would exercise when the all the kids were napping. I was
determined to lose the weight. I didn't have a scale
so I would just monitor the way my clothes were fitting. They were getting
looser and I could finally wear jeans. It didn't happen overnight. It was a
very slow process. There were days when I had to miss a workout but I
wouldn't let it get me down. I would just get more motivated to pick up
the next day. I would look forward to my workouts all day long. I
couldn't wait to pick up my weights and work out.
My schedule consisted of a total body Firm video 5 days a week and a step tape by
Cathe Friedrich (Step Jam or Step Heat) or Karen Voight Energy Sprint the 6th
day. I tried to work out everyday so if I did miss a day, it was OK.
For my diet, I was nursing my twins for a year so I couldn't cut out too
many calories. I tried to pick the healthiest foods and not fatty ones. The Firm
20 Questions about fitness made me realize I wasn't eating enough protein so
I would add a scrambled eggwhites to my breakfast on a plain blueberry
bagel. I love fruit so I try and make fruit salads as often as possible.
I also love to juice in a juicer. My favorite lunch is a veggie taco. It
is a flour or wheat tortilla with steamed broccoli, cut up cabbage, lettuce
and shredded carrots and pickles and barbque onions. I add a little mayo.
For dinner, I love rice with vegetables and lean chicken stir fry or steamed
fish. Or we will have spaghetti with lean turkey for the meat. I love to
have a big salad and build around it. Another tip is use a small plate
for dinner. I lost weight just from that!
It took me 2 years to feel better about myself. Then I got pregnant
again with my sixth baby. This time, I exercised through the whole pregnancy and was
back to exercising six weeks after my baby was born. Exercising to videos works
and they were the only form of exercise I did and still do.
Now I have a new love for Tae Bo and I use Billy Blanks videos
in my workout schedule. I also use Cathe Friedrich's Pure Strength series
and have seen incredible changes in my body. Cathe's ab sections have
strengthened my abs so much that I wore a bikini for the first time this
summer of '99. The last time I wore a bikini was the summer of '88. This
was one of my highest goals.
If I have a sore knee, I work around it. I do slide if my knee is sore. If
my lower body is sore, I do upper body. I do some form of exercise everyday.
I also park my car far so I have to walk far. I take the stairs instead of
the escalator or elevator. I try to move all the time. It really does add
up. Fitness is a part of my lifestyle now as eating and breathing.
Mandy with her family
I just had my doctor check up and she said that my weight was normal for my
height. It is 20 lbs more than when I first got married.
But when I got married I didn't have any muscle tone and didn't exercise.
Plus I was 20 years old and I can't expect my body to be the exact same
weight when I was 20. I've had 6 kids!
Now when I look in the mirror, I smile. I love what I see. I think I look
better than when I was in my 20's! I'm 32 and getting better day by day
with exercise videos.
Mandy Lee
[email protected]
Editor's note: Mandy gave birth to her seventh child, Adam Scott Lee, in July, 2000.
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