[By Carrie Nowak]

It’s my last Fresh Start Friday and I can’t believe how fast this journey went! I learned so much, met some great people and stepped out of my comfort zone and tried new things. I will share with you some of my results and takeaways.

Results
I did not lose a ton of weight like I intended, which I now realize was not an obtainable goal in such a short amount of time. I did, however, gain many tools and skills and the confidence that I need to continue to work on my goals and keep up a healthy lifestyle.  I’ve also learned to set more realistic goals for myself and I’ve come to terms with the fact that change doesn’t happen overnight. I was able to achieve some of my other goals. I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried classes at the Kroc that I never thought I would try (thanks to Marcie and Stephanie for the camaraderie). I’ve gone to parts of the gym I’ve always steered clear of to apply what I learned in Fresh Start–even if I think I look ridiculous while doing so. I’ve also taken exercise out of the gym! My husband and I rented fat tire bikes and peddled through the snow in Peninsula State Park, I went sledding with the kids (climbing up a hill pulling a sled full of kids is quite the workout), I’ve been hiking and just being active during the winter.

Takeaways
Workout smarter and not harder, well maybe just workout smarter. I’ve always been intimidated by weightlifting and strength training. I would always steer clear of the part part of the gym where the big muscled guys go to pick things up and put them down (you know what I’m talking about). So I would just go to a few different machines that I was comfortable with and repeat the same exercise routine until I would get bored and eventually stop all together. Thanks to Fresh Start I’ve learned many different workout routines and how to use different machines and different ways to do strength training and to pay attention to my heart rate while exercising.

I would like to say thank you to Let’s Go Mommy and the Green Bay Kroc Community Center for this opportunity. I have learned so much during this experience…I’m so grateful. My journey does not end here. I’m just getting started!