That might seem a little dramatic but without Ellen Barrett’s smiling face, I might not have started exercising when I was 18. I was browsing Wal-Mart one day picking up cookies and candies for a movie night with siblings and I happened to see this bright green DVD with this gorgeous but relatable looking woman, the DVD was only $10.00 and something about it made me decide then and there to not only buy it but go over and grab some hand weights. I took it home and told my mom that I was going to try it out and see how it went. I fell in love with her version of pilates and I lost weight, I got to my lowest weight that I remember in adulthood which was 215. There have been a lot times in my life where I avoided the scale and for that reason, I have no idea what I weighed most of the time. But, with Ellen’s help I was feeling amazing!
I gained the 70 pounds and moved back to my mom’s house for a year and after a few months of moping over my ‘boyfriend’ I started longing to go back to working out. I pulled out ole Ellen Barrett and started again. This time adding in other fun (and super cheap) workouts like Buns of Steel and Abs of Steel and even Thighs of Steel. This eventually led to walking on top of the workouts and then I was walk/jogging. I lost about 60 pounds!
Then I moved back to South Carolina and started partying it up drinking and eating fast food a lot or going out to dinners and gained some back, probably at least 20 if not 30 pounds. And then, found out I was pregnant with my little sugar muffin and gained 50 pounds! That put me around (to my best guess because I was refusing scales) 300 pounds and then I lost 42 by my first checkup a few weeks after birth. Then, over the course of the two years, not working and being home all day with a baby and not doing much and eating whenever I could, whatever I could, it’s estimated I got up to 338-340.
Then one day, I went back to Ellen and started working out again. I’ve been adding other workouts and did p90x, 10 minute trainer and some other hard workouts but I also always do cardio pilates, pick your spot pilates, slim sculpt and weight loss pilates. Now I see she even has a momma workout! I know that she is just a person in a DVD but somehow she has always motivated and inspired me. And her fitness approach is different then others I had seen or have seen since. She makes you feel not only fit but good about you. Plus, if I can do them then anyone can do them! She seems so relatable and had I not seen her on that shelf almost 10 years ago, who knows how long it would have taken me to start exercising or if I would have. It sounds a little crazy but it’s the truth!
I have fallen off the wagon a few times but I have always gone back to Ellen Barrett. Now, I’m committed to working out and being healthy and I still love all of her workouts but my favorite is that first one, Cardio Pilates. I have lost almost 40 pounds and am now a little over three months pregnant, I have a lot to go but I continue to be inspired!
It’s so valuable to have the go-to… the one that motivate you to get started again. For me it’s my yoga tape…yes tape!
I’ve never even heard of her, but now I totally want to go check her out.
I have never heard of her but I have got to find something to motivate me. Along with a way to bring extra income into the house.. shoot me now..
Southern Angel recently posted..My name isn’t Helen Keller and I am not the miracle worker
Just finnished week 2. When I started I was 215 pound and at the end of week two I am at 209 pounds (I am 6’3″ tall). I also felt terrible after the first few workouts of week 1 (very sore and tierd). I am still really tierd after each workout but don’t have any of that crazy pain I had the first week. I also am having a much easier time now keeping up with the video. I also feel a lot more toned and can slightly see the difference in my body. Can’t wait to finnish the full program.
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