Sometimes weight gain can creep up on you. And for the moms out there, you can definitely relate to pregnancy weight gain. Thirty-year-old Micha Hibel (@mum_sweatlife on Instagram) is one of those moms, and in 2017, she was ready to make a change to get stronger and feel her best. Find out how she did it with Kayla Itsines's BBG program and a healthy diet.
Before starting her weight-loss journey, Micha told POPSUGAR that her diet was horrible. She didn't eat any veggies or drink anywhere near enough water and would feel sluggish and rundown every day. She had no idea about weight training and how amazing it is for your body, so when she did work out, she would just run on the treadmill and go home.
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Micha Begins BBG
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
Micha is a mom of three, and with those three pregnancies came weight gain. Although Micha said she didn't really weigh herself before her weight-loss journey, she guesses she was around 68 kg (about 150 pounds) in 2015. She said that she'd gone back to the gym before starting BBG but with zero knowledge about exercise, she didn't get very far and felt frustrated with her results.
Micha's sister introduced her to BBG. She tried it in 2106, but never completed a round. "We would stop and start and as I realize now, consistency is key," she said. On Christmas Day 2017, Micha said, "I was 28 and tired of feeling the way I did: tired, shy, no self-confidence whatsoever, and completely stuck." That's when she got serious about committing to the 12-week program.
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Micha's Goal Wasn't Weight Loss
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
Micha thinks she's about 55 kg (121 pounds) now, although she's not 100 percent sure since she doesn't own a scale. "Weight loss wasn't my number-one priority. I didn't measure my progress by numbers, but more by the progress I felt and saw in the mirror," Micha said. "My number one priority was absolutely to feel happier and healthier on a day-to-day basis."
Micha added, "I already liked working out but knew I wasn't giving it my all." She wanted to prove that she was capable of achieving the things she wanted. "I had started BBG in 2016 and given up. I restarted in 2017 with Kayla's 12-week challenge and made a promise to myself to complete those 12 weeks no matter what. Achieving that goal definitely lit a fire in me and pushed me to go even further," Micha explained.
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Micha's Diet
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
Micha doesn't count macros. "I find them too restricting and following a specific diet with three fussy kids can get hard," she said. Her main goals every day are to drink two liters of water, eat veggies and protein at dinner, and have fruit and nuts as her snacks. "I allow myself biscuit with tea at night because it's my favorite part of the day," she said.
Breakfast: coffee and a high-fiber cereal with vanilla soy milk and topped with flax and chia seeds Snack: banana cut up with one teaspoon of peanut butter Lunch: three rice crackers with avocado, salmon, and feta Snack: a handful of nut mix Dinner: baked pork chops, three veggies, and a handful of chips or pasta
The only other beverage besides coffee that Micha drinks is water.
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Micha's Workouts
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
Micha has been doing BBG and BBG Stronger for over a year and a half and said, "It's honestly been a life-changer for me. It's so easy to follow. You don't need to think about how to do an exercise or what exercises to do; it's all laid out for you."
Before BBG, Micha shared that she was obsessed with being skinny. She added, "BBG has completely changed my attitude towards health and food and made me realize skinny is not the goal — strong is."
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How Micha Stays Motivated
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
"I find relying on motivation very dangerous," Micha said. "It's a very fleeting feeling and we have to be aware that we're not always going to want to work out." Knowing that she's going to feel amazing after always gets her started. She shared on a recent Instagram post, "Don't wait until you FEEL like doing it. Do it and see how amazing you feel!
If you had a sh*t day and you're grumpy, do it grumpy.
If you're tired, do it tired.
If you're stressed, do it stressed.
If you're sad, do it sad.
Discipline over motivation always."
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Micha's Nonscale Victories
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
"My biggest nonscale would have to be running my first 10K race. I got a sub 60 [minutes] PB [personal best] and it felt amazing," Micha said. When she posted this on her Instagram page, she said she wanted to print out this photo since race photos "are your trophy of awesomeness."
She said, "I love them so much, I'm going to print mine out and put them somewhere I can see them every day. Honestly, even if it's just in my wallet to remind myself of what I can achieve. When I'm having a bad day or when I'm not feeling quite myself, I can look at it and say: 'Damn, you did that. Remember that feeling of pride you felt that day? Well today is just another chance to make yourself proud.'"
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Micha's Advice
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
Micha said that it's going to be hard at first, and may feel almost impossible. It takes time for your body to adjust to working out over three times a week. "Rest if you're feeling overwhelmed and know that it's not because you're weak, but because you're getting stronger!"
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Final Thoughts
Image Source: MIcha Hibel
"I just want to say how thankful I am to Kayla Itsines, Tobi [Kayla's husband], the whole sweat team, and the BBG community. They really make you feel like part of a family and I couldn't be prouder to call myself a BBG member."
