As a medical professional, Binu knows more than anyone how important it is to eat well, get regular daily exercise and sleep a healthy amount of time. However, she is only human and of course, it is easier to be tempted by treats and give in to cravings than just to stick to what “one should do.”
After having her son, she found herself in the range of having a very unhealthy lifestyle. She had to deal with gestational diabetes during pregnancy which lead to a Type 2 diagnosis later. It led to weight gain and high blood pressure.
She is grateful for her mother stepping in and giving her a push in the right direction. Her mom said to her, “This is not how you were raised.” Binu didn’t enjoy her mom’s comments about her being overweight, but she knew her mom was right (her mom is a doctor too). She started at LA Fitness and got a personal trainer. She went three times a week and soon it became a habit. She wasn’t truly challenged by it, but at least exercise wasn’t foreign anymore. It wasn’t a scary thing to do.
Binu knew she had to make more of change and had a couple more exercise experiences before HERS. She did the bootcamp route. The early morning workouts worked and led to weight loss, but the times were tough to adhere to. She was able to spar with others without pads, but it wasn’t a feeling where she could completely let loose and wallop on her opponent. Sparring takes a lot more conscious effort with a human than on a BOB. It was hard to go 100% there when worrying if you would hurt the person on the other end. During the bootcamp portion, you have to be really in sync with your training partner. If they didn’t give 100% effort, you may not as well.
Bootcamp was highly beneficial though for Binu lost 20 pounds there. She was on a strict diet and learned to be accountable. She was on minimal carbs and included lots of veggies and protein in her meals. She attended classes five times a week. It was working, but like all athletes, after a while, you hit a plateau and your progress becomes stagnant.
Binu found HERS last summer and has enjoyed it ever since. She likes to mix up her classes for the variety. “I like to keep my body guessing. I mix with cardio with weight training,” she states. Her favourite class is Upper Body Burn, which does that exactly. It gives a good burn so you know it IS definitely working. Binu loves all the staff, but connects with Suzanne the most for her intensity. “She pushes me and I need that push. I’m a lazy person.” She also finds a great push from Caity and adores the whole HERS vibe.
Not sure how lazy Binu truly is for she has kicked butt and won several 800 Calorie Burn classes on Friday nights. She did it in 48 minuteswhich is just slightly after a regular class time of 45 minutes. Amazing! While most of us are out to dinner at the end of the week enjoying a Riesling, Binu is putting in her time and effort into her kickboxing routine. She is doing the work and it shows. Her triceps are doing things she never imagined. Not only is she physically stronger and healthier, her outlook has improved as well. Regular activity is a part of her lifestyle now.
Binu’s goal now is to challenge herself. She has booty bands at home for quick workouts. She runs three times a week and working hard to improve her running time. She has The Running Room to help with her technique and gets better as the weeks go by. “It’s mind over matter,” Binu says. “If your goal is to lose weight then do it. Don’t cheat yourself.”