Tracey’s transformation is just one of many examples of what may seem (from the outside) like a person who doesn’t “need” an intense workout program because she’s already in pretty good shape. The truth is, even if you hit the gym on a regular basis, if you aren’t seeing the results you want, you are doing it wrong!
Tracey is someone who hit the gym regularly until she injured her back (possibly from incorrect form). Now she is finally getting the results she tried to achieve FOR YEARS with home workouts from Beachbody — DESPITE 3 herniated disks! She makes no excuses, listens to her body and has learned how to move her body correctly, giving her amazing results at home.
Disclosure: I am affiliated with Beachbody and this post contains product links I earn a small commission from. That said, I use Beachbody products myself every day and recommend them to my closest family and friends as a life changer!
Tracey’s Story:
Be stronger than your excuses. That phrase is such a cliché but you know what they say about cliche’s… they hold true… especially this one.
I joined a gym when I turned 16 years old because I “wanted to look like Britney Spears” – I mostly did cardio because I had no idea what I was really doing.. It was more of an after school hobby for me, but I loved the way I felt after I was done working out.
This trend followed me through college…I lived in an apartment where the gym was right under my nose (literally) so I made a point to go almost every day – it gave me energy and I just felt good. I never really ate unhealthy, but I didn’t eat that healthy either, if that makes sense. I indulged here and there and would always tell myself “well I worked out today so it’s okay if I eat this pizza”- once again, it wasn’t an everyday thing but I didn’t know much about nutrition so I just did what I wanted, when I wanted. I was never overweight but I wasn’t very healthy or as “toned” as I wanted.
In 2008, I quite literally bent down to tie my sneaker and I heard a loud SNAP. It was then that I couldn’t stand up; I was hunched over in a pain that I can’t even begin to describe. It was scary. It wasn’t like any “soreness” I ever felt… This was different. It was excruciating. I got an MRI and it came back showing I had 3 herniated discs in my back- L3, L4, and L5.
I’ve gone on and off to Physical Therapy but I never let that get in my way of achieving my fitness goals. Yes, there are days where the discs flare up and it’s beyond painful but I have learned to listen to my body and by doing the correct workouts, I have made my core stronger which has helped my back.
There is no “cure” to my herniated discs- the last resort is surgery which I am NOT doing. I started drinking Shakeology back in April 2015 and purchased PiYo along with it. PiYo is great for days where my back is acting up a bit but still gives me a great sweat. From there I got into TurboFire which I do when I am feeling great. I have spoken with doctors and asked for clearance on this and the majority have just told me to listen to my body—it knows best.
TurboFire has a lot of jumping so obviously I do what I can, when I can. 21 Day Fix came after and that really helped me with correct form using free weights. Since I have Beachbody on Demand I like to mix things up and throw in some Cize or T25.
I have most recently started Hammer & Chisel and it has been intense…in a good way. I have seen amazing results in terms of being toned.. they use a lot of heavy weights but that is all relative; I use what I can and am proud to say that every time I use it, I increase my weights. I have seen an amazing transformation drinking my Shake every day along with following my beachbody workout calendars. I make a hybrid calendar for programs I want to integrate together…it keeps me accountable and gives me something to look forward to.
Shakeology has been the biggest “game-changer”- it has helped with my cravings and I find myself only wanting to eat healthy foods. Greasy food just makes me FEEL bad, so even if I workout and want to “treat” myself, it just doesn’t do anything for me anymore.. I actually get sick to my stomach when I don’t eat clean.
My back injury is a mystery—not sure HOW it happened or WHY. It could have been from years of working out without knowing what I was really doing or just stress or genetics. But, it’s something I have to live with.. so I choose to live a life that makes ME happy. I can’t do everything I want to but I have learned to adjust my workouts to my power and strength and it has been a blessing in my life. I refuse to let my back be an “Excuse” but at the same time I embrace my issue and push through in order to reach and exceed my goals.
