Everybody and every body is different - this is the message I hope to promote as part of the Glow Getter team.
For many years I have felt uncomfortable about being petite. If someone offers me something to eat and I say no thanks, I’m accused of “having an eating disorder”. If I choose to workout or eat healthily, I’m told “oh, you don’t have to watch your figure, you can eat whatever you want to”. When I do eat junk food, those who struggle with their weight assume I’m somehow trying to make them feel bad about themselves.
But being active, strong and healthy is important to me and I no longer want to hold-off on doing this because of what other people may think.
RushTush has really inspired me over the past few years to look at exercise and healthy living as something positive & empowering.
Working out has always made me feel good, and I want to build muscle, gain healthy weight and get strong, while I share that journey to highlight the importance of taking care of your physical health, no matter the genes you have.
I know I’m not the typical candidate for something like this, and some may even think I’m ridiculous to want to take this opportunity from someone whose goal is the opposite.
Sure, my before-and-after pictures won’t be dramatic weight loss stuff, but I believe there is a space for my story to inspire others like me.
The message that living a healthy lifestyle IS for every body.
That you can be confident in pursuing health for yourself, regardless of society’s stereotypes.
I’ve been on my RushTush Glow Getter journey for 4 weeks now. Here’s how it started and how it’s been going…
WEEK 1:
There I was on a Monday, ready to kick-start my weight gaining journey, having spent days preparing with the RushTush guides and website blogs. I quickly realised, my planning in practice looks a little different. And I don’t wanna sound like I’m complaining, but loadshedding really affected my eating, and those RushTush workouts were kicking my butt.
I was definitely starting to feel sorry for myself by the end of the week, because I wasn’t working out as hard or meal prepping as well as I imagined I would. I thought I’d just rock at this, but life happens I guess…
I was reminded of times in the past where I also tried to focus on gaining weight, but failed and it made me feel down. Eventually (like 2 hours later), I told myself to look at this whole week as a learning curve. To use the challenges I faced to craft out a better routine to help me in my end goal, which is to become physically & mentally stronger.
So what? My RushTush Glow Getter experience was off to a challenging start, but I was motivated and quickly figured out what would help me succeed in the next week.
I needed to be hyper focused on re-structuring my days and simplifying my menu, especially when I am super busy. It’s not just about following the guide, but rather about using the guide and making it work with my lifestyle no matter what’s going on.
By the end of Week 1, I decided that going forward I would plan & prep everything even better, as well as doing a workout first thing in the morning before getting busy with work.
Lesson 1: Plan & prep!
WEEK 2:
The 2nd week got off to a great start. I was literally packing in my food and running around with shakes everywhere like a boss. NO MEALS MISSED, okurrrrr!
Using the RushTush Fit App, despite how hard the workouts seemed at first, was becoming my favourite thing and I could feel myself getting stronger with each session. Tough still, but better than the first week. I was feeling really motivated and happy with my progress.
Combining the RushTush Bodyweight Babe Challenge with my yoga practice was working out really well and using the right supplements proved to be exactly what I needed.
The thing that really stood out for me was how much harder I could push through workouts since using the RushTush L-glutamine – this is believed to be the result of assisted muscle recovery and increased endurance one gains from using this product as a supplement everyday.
Working out more also resulted in a bigger appetite, so I was doing really good.
I think the RushTush guides & blogs are a life-saver. I’m someone who loves doing a lot of research – so having access to information and different options that can suit my ever-changing needs is something that has made this gaining journey much easier to stick to.
Lesson 2: Lean on available resources and make things convenient!
WEEK 3:
I’m gaining so much from this experience, in more ways than one!
By week 3, I was seeing some changes to my physique and my weight went higher than it’s been in over 15 years.
Sure, it was only 2kg up, but it was so encouraging.
I’ve never been a big eater and at this point in my journey, I realised I HAD TO start counting macros… yup! Before this I wasn’t “counting” – I was just eating, but now with all my newly gained knowledge, I knew that for my muscles to grow, I needed to consume about 2g of protein per kg of my bodyweight. Protein counting was taking over my life actually! Or should I say, it was taking over Dr. Jay’s life (lol – story for another day).
I started making sure to increase my protein intake wherever I could. I wrote a whole instagram post about that here.
Because although I was happy, my weight-gain was slow.
I didn’t want to share progress that no-one else would even notice (I mean 2kg, come on!).
Yes – I was getting better at workouts and meal prep, but I want noticeably defined muscles and rock-hard abs as part of this journey too.
In addition to my increased protein, I felt that I should also add weight training to really help with my goal of muscle growth.
I’ve always been intimidated by gym equipment and lifting – but it’s something I want to and enjoy doing with the right help on what to do. Using the RushTush Fit App, I think my goal to get lifting in the gym will be really impactful in yielding the noticeable results I wish for as my next phase on this journey.
Lesson 3: Growth and strength comes from steadily increasing the challenge to build muscle memory!
WEEK 4:
Roadblock…
Okay so, life happened again. Work pressure plus flu happened, to be precise.
With that, my training stopped and in absolute horror I watched my weight get stuck at its new “all time high”.
I’m not letting it get me down though. I’ve learnt so much and I know now that this journey is actually about putting the work in consistently, everyday and learning more about my strength & my abilities along the way.
RushTush actually said it when our Glow Getter team had an intro meeting, “YOU HAVE TO PUT IN THE WORK”.
My journey will never be perfect, because life happens – so all I can do is listen to what my body wants and needs.
I love learning what the best way is to look after my body. I love working hard at reaching my body goals. And most of all, I love the support structures I have put in place to help me stay focused along the way.
Lesson 4: This takes hard work on your part, consistently. Getting your ‘glow on’ is an intentional act of self-love and there’s no quick fixes – just daily action.
To keep following my journey, go check out my Instagram
I’ll write another blog post with an update on my weight training and month 2 lessons!
Let me know if you have any questions about the RushTush Life products I’m using to support my journey, or anything else fitness related?
If you’re keen to get started like me, I definitely recommend checking out the WINTER GLOW-UP CHALLENGE which starts on 29 May 2023. Use this challenge as a way to craft out your own healthier lifestyle and to learn your own lessons about your own physical and mental wellbeing.
Last but not least, remember to;
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- respect your body,
- fuel your body,
- challenge your body,
- move your body,
- and most of all, love your body.
Colourful Kisses,
Sherri
