I launched a fitness initiative this summer, resulting in inches and pounds lost, but not without hard work and dedication. And so, to acknowledge and document that strife, I’m telling you, kind reader, about it in a blog post.

At the outset, my fitness goals were to:

• Reduce percentage body fat
• Lose 1.9lbs/week, totaling 20.2lbs (goal weight 150)
• Lose 2” from my waist & hips
• Improve general fitness/endurance/recovery

I tracked my nutrition as RolyPolyPanda on www.myfitnesspal.com and hired a personal trainer at the UW-Green Bay Kress Events Center, Lexie Weber, for 11 weeks this summer, meeting every three weeks (2 weeks between sessions 4 and 5).

I’m still working on the weight loss goal, but I achieved what I hoped in all other areas including:

• a decrease of 2.5  in percentage body fat
• 10.5lbs of weightloss
• BMI Decreased 1.8 (out of obesity range)
• Lost inches: hips -4″, waist -1″, arm -1.3″
• Improved flexibility, can now reach 5cm further

I’d like to thank my friends, especially Bridget Bishop, for providing support and inspiration. The encouragement from friends meant so much to my success, lending motivation and strength when belief in myself and what I was hoping to achieve wavered. Thank you!

Workout developed by UW-Green Bay Kress Events Center personal trainer, Alexandra ‘Lexie’ Rae Weber.

Warm Up Exercises (45 sec. each)

• Walking Lunges
• Squat Jacks — jumping jack but lower into squat position, touch hands to knees
• Plank Walks
• Mountain Climbers — hands on floor and in plank position, run

Ab Exercises (45 sec. each)

• Hip raises — lie on bench or on floor, legs straight and up in the air, lift hips off floor toward ceiling
• V-ups — bring knee into chest and arms straight out in front of you, extend legs straight out in front and extend arms straight out to sides, repeat
• Russian twist — can use dumbbell or medicine ball, knees bent, feet off floor makes it more difficult, touch ball or weight side to side
• Side bend — holding dumbbell in one hand, bend to side and stand straight

Circuit Strength Training (12 reps each, repeat circuit 3x)

• Chest press — lie on bench, pressing dumbbells straight up
• Single arm bent over row — place one hand on bench, holding dumbbell in other, knees bent and flat back pull dumbbell straight up keeping elbow tight to side
• Squats — hold dumbbells at sides or can rest on shoulders
• Bicep curl/shoulder press — start with bicep curl and go into shoulder press
• Decline pushups — feet on bench, hands on floor, do pushups
• Walking squats with dumbbell — hold dumbbells at shoulders, can stay low whole time or squat each step
• Single leg lunges — foot on bench, make sure knees stay behind toes
• Incline pushup — hands on bench, try to get chest to bench as you do pushup
• Dead lift — legs slightly bent, hold dumbbells at floor with back straight, keeping dumbbells close to legs stand up with weight, repeat
• Tricep dips — hands on bench directly under shoulders, walk feet out and dip