Lifestyle
Update on my Tracy Anderson DVD Workout!
08 • 26 • 2015
Sorry for the gratuitous abs pic, but I’m super proud of myself! (Where’s that “pat self on back” emoji when I need it?!) I have officially completed Disc 1 of Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis DVD set that promises a “complete body transformation.” I’d be skeptical, except that I discovered this DVD set after fellow blogger Erin Busbee had an actual complete body transformation that I blogged about here. Since I’m a third of the way through the program I wanted to update you guys on my progress.
Oh, Tracy…it’s been a real journey. After reading about Erin Busbee’s amazing transformation last Summer, I immediately purchased the Metamorphosis DVD set. That was a year ago, and I did it a solid 10, maybe 12 days, and then never did it again. Even though I could see a difference in that short amount of time, I simply lost motivation and the expensive DVD set started gathering dust. I wondered about Ms. Busbee– is she the only person on earth who has ever stuck with a DVD workout for more than two weeks? How does she have so much damn motivation, and is she perhaps super-human?
This is a difficult post for me to write because I don’t want readers to think I’m complaining about my body, or I think I’m fat, etc. Save your “love your body” speeches, please. I don’t think I’m fat– in fact, since having children I’m actually thinner than I was during most of my twenties. That is mostly due to my healthier attitude towards food, but I’ll save that discussion for another post. My point is that I was not exercising, like AT ALL. Ever. And while my natural body type is small-boned and relatively slim, it is also soft and lacks muscle tone. A few too many bowls of queso and cocktails by the pool, and suddenly I was looking puffy, developing cellulite at a viral pace, and my pants were tight (cue blaming the dry cleaners). So that’s when I found my motivation.
I AM NOT READY TO HAVE A MIDDLE-AGED MOM BODY!!
Why spend so much time and effort applying fancy creams to preserve my face while I let my body go to sh*t? I became determined and pulled out that DVD set again on June 20th, 2015, and I have been consistently doing it ever since then!
Here are my impressions of the Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis DVD set and my tips for sticking with it:
–The Metamorphosis DVD set is no longer for sale at Target, where I purchased mine. That’s what I get for blogging about something a YEAR after I purchased it! Ha. You can still find it for cheaper on Amazon, or buy on Tracy’s own website here.
–There are four different Metamorphosis DVD sets. Take Tracy’s quick online quiz to find out your body type so you know which set to buy. I’m apparently Omnicentric, which means I gain weight all over. Awesome.
–All you need to buy is a pair of 3 lb. weights and a workout mat. I bought both of mine from Target.
–I aim to do the DVD 6 times a week, but sometimes it only happens 5 times. And I didn’t do it while traveling, so it took me longer than 30 days to complete the first DVD.
–I only do the 30 minute toning video, even though you are supposed to do the one hour Dance Cardio DVD everyday in addition to the toning. It’s just not happening for this busy entrepreneur momma. Sorry, Tracy.
–In no way, shape or form did I follow Tracy’s recommended food plan. Didn’t even open the booklet. That said, I have been trying to monitor my eating a bit more than before. For instance, I was eating lots of french fries off my kids’ plates just because they were there. French fries are good, but I can live without them, so I have been passing on those so I can indulge in dessert. Since I was doing both the fries AND the dessert before, this has been an easy change that will inevitably save calories over the long run. Some days when I am feeling particularly responsible, I track my foods and calories in the Lose It app. Very handy app and intuitive interface, and it makes me slightly more mindful of the food I am putting in my mouth.
–Choose “Tracy’s Voice Only” in the Audio options and play your own music. Her soundtrack sounds like an Eastern block nightclub circa 1995 (the first 10 day session is especially bad). Might I suggest some Gangsta Rap?
–You will look and feel silly while doing the standing ab exercises. There’s a reason you should do the video in the privacy of your own home.
–I read a magazine when I’m on the floor for the ridiculously long floor exercise part where you are on your hands and knees and thrust your leg in the air 746 times. Your butt will be screaming and you will be cursing Tracy. I’m sure Tracy would not approve of my lack of focus, but flipping through an US Weekly really helps the time pass more quickly.
–Set small goals. To reward myself for sticking to my routine and finishing the first DVD, I splurged on a new pair of Lululemon butterfly-print shorts.
OK, now the Before/After photos. I apologize that I don’t have a truly comparable “Before” photo of my queso-bloated self– who wants to take full body shot in a bathing suit? All I have is a photo my friend took on our vacation in mid-June. I definitely see a big difference myself, especially in my ab area. My waist is slightly more whittled, and I am starting to see a vertical division in between my abs that I have never seen on my body in my life, not even at my thinnest. I also see a difference in that the back of my legs (hamstrings?) stick out a little more and make my leg look more shapely. And I have lost 4 pounds on the scale.
My “Before” isn’t bad, just sort of “skinny fat.”
Now a closer comparison of the ab area, where I can tell the most difference:
No humble brag here, just brag. You will too once you do the video that many times!
[Update 1/29/17: I completed all the Metamorphosis set in 2016, and then did Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project DVD five times a week while I was pregnant. It made a huge difference! This sounds cheesy, but I felt like it kept me more connected to my body, and definitely made me feel less stiff at the end of pregnancy. I also think having to “check in” daily with Tracy made me eat a little better and make healthier food choices while pregnant. And a few months after giving birth, when I had lost most of my baby weight, I was shocked to discover that my butt/back of my upper thigh area was actually more toned and higher than when I got pregnant! Amazing that I made progress on my muscle tone while pregnant.]
xoxo,
@beautynowapp
Oh my gosh, you look insanely good… and ripped after such a short amount of time. Amazing!!! Good for you!!! What motivates me to stick with it, now on year 2, day 161… Results! And I’m stronger and feel healthier than ever before. Plus, I’m an older mom and have to keep up with my young kids. Tracy is the key. SO proud of YOU!! Awesome job!!!!!
Let me know if you have questions. I did… and never had anyone to ask.
Thank you for the shout out!!
Erin xo
Erin– thank you for being such an inspiration! I’m still sticking with the program– woo hoo! Wanted to ask you– What do you do after you finish all 3 DVDs? Is there a next level or maintenance Tracy DVD you do next?
Test
I am in the middle of week three so almost done with the first disk. I admittedly took too much time off in between level two and level three and do the workout every other day rather than every day (I will change that) and I have still seen results. I love seeing my strength increase. I love seeing how some exercises are much easier on day four than on day one of a certain level. I will push myself to do it every day now so that I can feel the accomplishment of finishing the first disk. Her ab and leg exercises are boring as shit but they get great results. Her cardio is nonsense so I skip it.
Uuuuuh … better get that belly bottom fixed!!!