Get Fit contestant ready for a fresh start
Ten professionals and 10 teams are competing in the 2015 Get Fit Challenge. Who will earn the healthiest marks? Follow along on Facebook and then find out at the In Business Expo & Conference on Oct. 21. This week, IB checks in with Alexandra Radel, marketing communications specialist for WPS Health Insurance, who is competing in the individual challenge.
I was selected to be a participant in the Get Fit Challenge at a turning point in my life. I had just started a brand new job in a position I had always dreamed of, finally got the courage to leave an unhealthy long-term relationship, and was taking time to focus solely on myself. It was time for me to stand still for a minute and re-evaluate my life, health, and goals.
New job. New apartment. New healthy relationship. And a brand new me — inside and out. My fitness goal is to be happy and healthy in my own skin. Of course, I care about the size of the dress pants I put on in the morning, but I mostly want to be healthy with a positive attitude about my body. If I happen to lose 20 pounds in the process, then great!
I have struggled with my weight my whole life — some genetics, some not. Standing at a whopping 5’3” doesn’t help much either. My weight has always fluctuated, but it wasn’t until I got into an unhealthy relationship where my exercise and eating routine took a downward spiral. Over the course of almost three years, I gained roughly 20 pounds. Keep in mind, at only 5’3” those 20 pounds showed. I have been riding on a rollercoaster to hell and it’s officially time for me to get off!
(Continued)
The first month of the challenge I started training for my first 5K run. Two weeks into my training, I started experiencing pain in my right knee. I figured that I had pulled a muscle or something, so I pushed through the pain and kept training. No pain, no gain, right? When the pain gradually got worse, I made an appointment with my doctor. Three doctors visits, two x-rays, and one MRI later, I discovered that I had a stress fracture in my knee and a sprained ligament.
Prognosis: crutches and no weight-bearing activities for six weeks.
I was devastated. I had to drop out of the 5K because I would never be ready by race time. But now two months later, I’m fully back on track with my exercise routine and eating right. The first half of my challenge was difficult, but I have three months left and I am going to finish strong. And I’m down 10 pounds!
Check back mid-July for an update on my exercise and eating routine.
Meet all of the competitors here and see who wins at the In Business Expo & Conference.
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