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Meagan Rigney

Kayla Itsines’ BBG weeks 1-12 results!

November 5, 2016      Leave a Comment

I just officially finished week 12 of Kayla Itsines Beachbody Guide and I am so excited to talk a little bit about it here. I took all the requisite photos to show the results, but I also wanted to chat a bit about the internal shift that has occurred while working this program.
*just a little program overview. There are 3 days of targeted circuits (abs, legs, arms), where you  repeat 2 circuits as many times as you can for 7 minutes straight. The whole workout is 28 minutes long and kicks your butt. Seriously. Then there are recommend cardio days (2-3), where you either do steady cardio or HIIT workouts. I group those onto my circuit days, as I don’t do the gym more than 3 days, but it is recommended you don’t. I will say, there are some days I only do the circuits and they are a killer, so you CAN get away with just those!
First off, I purchased this program because I was getting bored at the gym and wasn’t really seeing any results despite working out consistently. I had heard a lot of people loved this program, so late this summer I decided to buy it. I started in mid August and began to see results pretty quickly. (Yay!) I didn’t start out needing to lose any weight, but I wanted to tone up and gain some muscle definition. I also wanted to get away from worrying about the scale and the numbers that tend to go up and down on occasion.
I weigh myself every four weeks as Kayla advises (the same day I take the progress photos) and that is it. I love how freeing that is! I DID end up losing about 2 pounds, but I don’t really care about that, to tell you the truth. I love that because I feel strong and have a purpose at the gym, the number on the scale means nothing to me. I have weighted less and I have weighed more, but I have never felt this good in my skin. That has been my biggest takeaway from this program.

 

Week 1, 4, 8 and 12 from left to right.
Week 1 and 12.
It’s funny, when you look at my progress photos there isn’t a HUGE difference from weeks 1-12, but I feel so much better in my skin as I’ve worked my way through these 12 weeks. (The ab photo below does show a more dramatic muscle definition difference. It was taken at the same time, just better lighting!) I saw the biggest difference in my stomach (I did no ab work before this), and my legs and arms have more muscle definition. I do a ton of pushups and burpees, so my back has finally gotten some definition as well! I’m going to try to do better photos for my 2nd round of this program to help capture the increased muscle definition a little better. Mirror selfies just don’t show what I want to show, you know? Ha.

 

Week 1,4,8 and 12 from left to right.
This side view is a little bit more dramatic, my stomach is obviously flatter (I am sucking it in in that first photo, too!), and I can tell by the way my bathing suit bottoms fit that my legs and butt are getting better. I feel like my legs are a lot stronger and I am hoping in weeks 13-24 that I see further improvement here (I’ve always hated my butt, ha.) All in all, I AM pleased with the changes I see and feel and it makes me so excited to start week 13 next week.

 

I have been loving the increased muscles I’ve been building and how strong I feel! I truly enjoy pushing myself and doing better each workout I do. I try my best to push it each time and to keep going even when I feel like I’m going to die. Lol.
If I’m not working I can go to the gym my regular days (typically M/W/F), and can do an hour or so of the circuits and cardio with some stretching at the end. If I am working (I sub at my kids’ school!), I wake up and go to the Y at 6 am and just do the circuits and stretching. I have tried going after work, but I do best when I workout right away, and despite the fact that getting up at 5:30 HURTS, I’d rather get my workout done early rather than later.
My favorite low impact cardio is walking on the treadmill at an incline (about 10-14%) for 15 minutes, and my favorite HIIT workout is running intervals for 15 minutes (run at a 7.5-8 mph pace for 1 minute, hop on the side for 30 seconds of rest, and repeat.) I am hoping to add one more cardio day to my routine for the next 12 weeks, just to see what the results can be.

 

Week 1 and 12 ab progress. (The week 12 photo above shows my muscle definition so much better than the frontal collage above… lighting DOES makes a difference;)
I think I have seen the most progress in my abs. I didn’t really do any ab work before this, and while I was pretty happy with my stomach before, I am really excited to see some definition here. There is something really empowering about feeling like you can have two kids and then get yourself back together after and be better than ever. I was thin before I got pregnant, but my stomach looks way better than it ever did before children, and I love how awesome that feels.
The whole point of this for me has been to do my personal best and see what my body can do. I want my kids to see their mama working hard to be as healthy as she can be, and that I care about myself enough to better myself. If I am happy, they are happy! Again, while I have really liked seeing physical results from these past 12 weeks, I feel like I have felt a more drastic inner change. I feel more confident and in charge of my body and what it can do. I feel really good in my own skin, for the first time in a long time, and I love that.
Bonus! Below is a FREE guide for you on the EXACT eating plan I followed to get the results I did with BBG! 

 

 

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Hi, friend! My name is Meagan and I like to overshare on Insta-stories, LOVE finding the best stuff for everyday life, and I truly believe that life is more fun when you feel good about yourself, both inside and out.

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Life lately! Last days of school, visiting the nei Life lately! Last days of school, visiting the neighborhood pool, library hauls, lunch dates, Amazon bathing suits, so many good things! I’m so ready for summer break with the kids since we aren’t moving or renovating a house. 🙃
What’s good for you right now?!
Give me a simple white dress for summer and I will Give me a simple white dress for summer and I will wear it as many days as I can. This one is light and airy and looks cute on its own or under a denim jacket for cooler temps. I’m in love 😍
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Shop this outfit via the link in my profile or the Shop My Instagram page on meaganrigney.com
A few pieces I have painted lately, and added to m A few pieces I have painted lately, and added to my shop! I love the shades of pink and adding all sorts of dots, dashes, and drips. I'm going to start a new series soon, maybe with some abstract flowers?! Sometimes I just grab a paintbrush and see what will happen. 🤷🏻‍♀️
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I am also sending out a series I did in blues for a friend, I will share those in another post (I'm obsessed with how they turned out!) If you have an idea for a custom size, series, or even a color palette, you can message me on Etsy and we can figure out how to make it happen (link to shop is in my bio, or visit MeaganRigneyCreates)😃
Okay so I’ve ordered and tried on approx. 1 mill Okay so I’ve ordered and tried on approx. 1 million bathing suits this month to find a few that make me feel amazing, and I’ve found some! 👏🏻👏🏻 I’ve shared some before in stories and posts, but I also wrote a blog post (live right now) with the hits and misses, details on sizing, and what I loved and hated about a few popular styles. You can find my blog via the link in my profile or head to meaganrigney.com 
P.S. I’ve been blogging for ten years now, which sounds crazy?! But cool? Since before Insta was invented if that ages me 🥴
Two years ago I said I would NEVER EVER EVER wear Two years ago I said I would NEVER EVER EVER wear bike shorts, and now here I am, eating my own words. 
I bought a "starter pack" of 3 black pairs off of Amazon and now I'm not taking them off. I am a sucker for comfort and ease and this just works for me. Add in a delicious, oversized tee and can I just sleep in this and wear all day lol. 

What piece of clothing did you say you'd never wear, and have?

*shop this look via my Shop My Instagram (link in profile)
I like to hibernate at home. Like a recharge, I ne I like to hibernate at home. Like a recharge, I need to be alone among my own things to fill my cup up. 
I felt bad about this forever. Why couldn't I be as busy as others without feeling like I would break down? Why do lots of plans leave me feeling anxious and overwhelmed? I'd try to push through, to be the person (friend/mother/wife) that I thought I had to be. To be the mom that did all the things with a smile. Then I realized, I needed boundaries. I wasn't helping anyone if I did too much or over scheduled myself. I'd end up being the worst version of myself, losing sleep and getting worked up over small things. I realized that I had to protect myself, even if others might think it was weird, or worse, think I was lazy. Part of it is being a stay at home mom and working from home. Technically I am almost always around, but I don't need to be always available. Just because I can be on the PTA doesn't mean I want to, or go to all the field trips, or sign up for all the activities. My strengths lie elsewhere.  I can serve in the way that suits me and not what I think I should be doing. 
A couple of years ago I hit a wall, and since then I have been learning to listen to my body and the signals it gives when I am ignoring my basic needs. I've learned that I can have about 2 busy days and then after that I fall apart. I have two kids in sports and school and a husband with a weird schedule. I am BUSY (I kinda hate that word!), but my boundaries lie in them, and in myself. I can juggle the important things and let the rest fall. And I am important, too! Which took me a long time to realize. I have to prioritize myself and my mental well being. This might look different than others and that is okay. I can't compare my life to another, especially on the internet, and neither should you. So I rest, and recharge. I hibernate and ignore calls and texts. I say no to a lot (A LOT.) And it makes me feel whole and like my true self when I do this.
I ordered a few swimsuits from Amazon last week af I ordered a few swimsuits from Amazon last week after trying on a few of my old ones and not loving the fit. I was pleasantly surprised by these and ended up ordering a few more (because I like options!) I’m wearing a size large in all of them, for reference. I’ll detail the fit and feel of all of them in stories today. 
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Which is your fave? 👙
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*shop these suits via my Shop My Instagram page via the link in my profile, or head to www.meaganrigney.com ✌🏻
Last week I ordered this 'one size' tee and then w Last week I ordered this 'one size' tee and then when it came it looked ridiculously big, so I was going to send it back. Then... I slipped it on...and it was still very oversized, but in the best way possible! I feel free, damn it! Nothing is touching my body! This is living, yes? 
Add in leggings (and maybe even some bike shorts, which I said I would NEVER wear but I love eating my own words lol.) 
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Also, these sandals are scented. Yes, I said scented. Why? I dunno. But they smell like a Cabbage Patch dolls head and I am weirdly here for it. I also love how they fit and feel as I am unwilling to wear complicated shoes right now and if you put an animal print on it I will buy it. 
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P.S. Did you have a Cabbage patch doll growing up? I kinda wish I still had one....
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*Shop this outfit via the Shop My Instagram link in my bio or head to www.meaganrigney.com
All of a sudden my babies are almost as tall as me All of a sudden my babies are almost as tall as me and are the ages I remember myself being vividly in my head. 🤯
Time is weird. When they were both under five it felt like each day was a lifetime. Babies and toddlers are time intensive and exhausting and it takes immense effort to do daily things. 
And then one day it gets easier. 
Everyone can put their own shoes on and buckle themselves in the car. You can go on vacations and not need a million things. The first time we went to Disney and just *walked in, with no massive stroller or diaper bag? My husband and I kept looking at each other like, "wait, this is easy now?" 
I'm not saying I didn't enjoy when they were smaller, I'd take a day back with them as squishy babies right now, but THIS, this is good. They are fun, and funny, and sarcastic, and life is just good at this age. I always want to freeze time, but I'd love to do it right now. It's a good balance of them needing me and not, of them home on weekends and thinking I'm still a little bit cool. 
Anyway! Here's a photo dump of a chilly afternoon spent together on Mother's Day, a good mix of skipping rocks, sipping Chai tea, and sitting in a winter coat in May watching flag football. 
How was your weekend?
I was waiting in the middle school parking lot pic I was waiting in the middle school parking lot picking up my daughter from track practice one afternoon, and it got me thinking. As I watched practice for a bit, I was instantly transported to myself at that age. 
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I remember being a teenager and looking at magazines and a lot of the friends I knew and I never felt good enough. I always felt my body was lacking, it didn't look like what I thought it should, and I didn't wear the clothes that I thought the "cool girl" wore. Back in the early 90's the desired shape was very, very thin, with no curves. Think Kate Moss in those Calvin Klein ads. Here I was, with breasts and hips, stretch marks and thick thighs. I couldn't wear the bikinis that were advertised or the tiny strap tops. My body felt foreign and wrong to me, until I was in college and learned a million ways to make myself smaller, so small that I could forget that awkward version of myself. I fell for diet culture again and again, all the way onto my late 30's. 
For years I punished myself, eating very little, and congratulating myself on my amazing willpower. Look at me, I can be skinny! And barely eat! I can do what I had always wanted to do as a young teen, become the tiny person in the magazine. 
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Except, there was always more to do. I could never relax, or my anxiety would kick in and I'd feel out of control. The second I was out of my routine, my sense of self felt at risk. I couldn't let myself go back to my former self, because she had felt sad and lonely and never enough. 
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It's funny how just being a mom of a kid that age really lets me go back. I see what I needed and I pour it into myself first, and then my kids. I want the girl I was to know that there was (and isn't) anything wrong with her. She was enough, and IS enough, and what her body looks like is the least interesting thing about her.
This week it hit 80 degrees, so I pulled out a kim This week it hit 80 degrees, so I pulled out a kimono I had just bought, dug my sandals out of the back of my closet, and instantly felt like myself. 
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If you've followed me for a second, you know I'm a sucker for kimonos. I've owned a ton over the years and I've rarely come across one I don't like. I think it's because I feel the most like myself in them? When the weather gets warm I love feeling like a boho goddess and flowing floral fabric does that for me. (Until the sleeve catches on a doorknob lol) 
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And also...this past year. Do I need to say it? It's been a YEAR. I've worn more sweatpants and leggings than I ever have, and now Spring is here and the world is beginning to bloom again + I feel like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. THIS is the happy version of me, dressed up  a bit more than I need to as I work from home, feeling the warm breeze on my face, and dreaming of months ahead with friends and family. 
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Shop this outfit via the link in my profile (click on Shop My Instagram) or head right to my blog at www.meaganrigney.com
A couple weeks ago I went to the doctor, and as al A couple weeks ago I went to the doctor, and as always, I step on the scale backwards and ask them not to tell me the number. I have done this a million times and it works. Weight and tracking anything food related is not good for me, and before this year I didn't know my weight for about 5-6 years. It was great! 
Anyway, as I'm leaving the doctor she hands me a bunch of papers with a prescription, explanation of TMJ, and as I looked through them my weight was listed on one paper in HUGE FREAKIN FONT. I couldn't NOT see it, basically. I saw that number and my first thought was, " How interesting." 
The number was more than I thought it would be, but other than that, it was just a number. Since I don't know my weight at any other time before that I don't have a context really of how much weight I have gained in the past year. Which is freeing, honestly. I know I have gained weight, my pants size has changed. I've also gained a lot of perspective about diet culture + size and what it really means to "let yourself go." I'm not saying I haven't been uncomfortable with the changes I have seen and felt in my physical self, I'm just learning to not let it define me. That number I saw is a number, that will fluctuate as it always has. It will go up, and down, it will never be static. It isn't meant to. We aren't meant to stay the same our whole lives, and if you have lived a bit you have already seen this. I searched my whole life to find true inner happiness  and forever thought it meant if I LOOKED a certain way I could FEEL a certain way on the inside. It never happened. It took a health crisis, therapy, inner work, and research to discover that what I was looking for was inside. It was already there. I was worthy at all weights and sizes, in all situations. I didn't have to be perfect to be loved, to please others to be loved, to be strong to be loved. I could give this to myself, just for being. For existing. 
Whatever you weigh, you are enough.
I was trying on a pair of bike shorts the other da I was trying on a pair of bike shorts the other day (which I said I'd NEVER do, but life is funny like that!) I pulled up those buttery soft wonders and the first thing I noticed was my wrinkly knees. I almost said, "I can't wear these, people will notice." They'll notice the wrinkles and extra weight and cellulite and all these things we all worry about. Mostly because we are inundated with airbrushed and edited people all day/everyday and it is hard sometimes to see ourselves without a filter and be okay with it. *Which is why I do filter free Friday in stories and work hard to show reality as I know it. 
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Then I remember how I wouldn't wear shorts in my early 20's (while living in Miami) because I was super self conscious of my legs. I wouldn't wear them at the gym in my 30's because the mirrors would stare back at me and show me all my insecurities. I never wanted other people to see I wasn't perfect, because that hit me where I was vulnerable. If I could pretend I was perfect, and hide the real stuff, my self worth was okay. If I exposed it, I would be "less than." 
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I'm making it my mission this Summer to wear the things I want to, and share how it often makes me uncomfortable. I want to share the things that society says are wrong (wrinkles, cellulite, skin that moves and folds,) I want to share this stuff for the women and girls who are watching and might feel a little bit better by watching. 
This is why I do this. Showing up here for free and sharing my insecurities + struggles. I show up for the person I was at 14, 24, 34.  If I share a real body moving and living and enjoying life, maybe she can, too. I'm going to wear the bike shorts and bathing suits and shorts. I am going to show up for myself in this life and I hope to inspire you to as well. I have a 13 year old daughter and my biggest wish for her is that she can wake up and wear what makes her happy. We deserve it.
Tell me your favorite way to pose for the camera w Tell me your favorite way to pose for the camera without telling me your favorite way to pose. 🙃🙃🙃✌🏻
The last gel manicure I got! I love creating a Pin The last gel manicure I got! I love creating a Pinterest board full of nail art ideas and then bringing them into my nail guy (Tony!) to recreate. This one was simple and fun and made me smile each time I looked down at my nails. 
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I'm @meagan_rigney on Pinterest!
This picture is NOT an accurate representation of This picture is NOT an accurate representation of my last week (swipe to see reality.)
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You guys, it's been a WEEK. Last Monday-ish I started getting some tooth and jaw pain, which had been going on for a few weeks and then really escalated. To the point where it became unbearable and the worst pain I've ever felt. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and this took me to my knees. 
I went to the doctor thinking I had an ear infection (?) and she diagnosed TMJ (turns out I can be an anxious and tense person lol.) Then I went to the dentist and was referred to an Endodontics doctor for a root canal (my first.) I got a laser treatment on my jaw that I thought sounded ridiculous, but ended up loosening up my jaw and relieving a lot of that pain, and then got a root canal on Friday. (I also had nitrous for that procedure and they gave me so much that I feel like I fell into a time/space continuum? I mean, I swear I left my body and EXPERIENCED THINGS.✌🏻)
AnYwAy....after that was done and my teeth calmed down a bit, I started to gradually feel relief from the pain. I still have to chew carefully and get a crown put on, but MAN, there is nothing like a health issue to make you grateful for being pain free. I am so grateful to not be tied down to a heating pad and unable to function, that was awful.
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Thank you to everyone that sent well wishes and good vibes via my DM's, you guys are the best and I am so grateful for this community here. It can feel so isolating sometimes creating content and writing and talking to my phone, and you all showed up for me and gave me strength. I heart you. ❤️
For Spring break last week we went to Chicago for For Spring break last week we went to Chicago for a few days! 
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It felt so good to DO something again, to experience new things and even do simple things we took for granted like go out to eat + stay in a hotel. (It felt very safe with masking and social distancing and all the things that are pretty normal in our world right now;)
We went to the Art Institute and I took about 5,578 pics of inspiring artwork (art museums are my happy place,) and ate some really delicious food. We also went back to the Museum of Science and Industry and found that most of its exhibits were closed (understandably,) which we were disappointed with. 
Seriously though, we were just grateful to BE SOMEWHERE! I felt invigorated and grateful and hopeful all at once. 
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I also forgot how much I love Chicago and how much I have missed Lake Michigan and I am just so happy to be living near it all again. 
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Have you travelled lately?
I bought these shorts yesterday from Target, one s I bought these shorts yesterday from Target, one size up from my normal size (how I typically order shorts.) As you can see, they don't even come close to fitting me. I couldn't button even 1 of the buttons, never mind all of them. So I stripped them off + added them back into the bag to be returned. 
I want to take this opportunity to share how sizing is really, really subjective. I currently fit into 3 different sizes for pants, some from the same brands. Depending on where I buy from and how I want things to fit I can either be a size down or two sizes up from what I normally wear. Here's the deal, you DESERVE to be comfortable in your clothes. You DESERVE to feel good in what you are wearing. For a long time I got hung up on size and weight, I felt it defined me and my worth. I used to be terrified to go up a size and did a lot of unhealthy things to avoid that. 
I just want you to know this: your weight and size is the LEAST interesting thing about you! You are worthy and enough no matter what the world and diet culture has taught you. It is okay to go up a size or a lot of sizes. It's okay to wear things that fit you right now, even if it isn't where you want to end up. I know I instantly feel better when I am wearing something that fits me versus something that is too tight (which most of my clothes from a year ago are.)
Also, the clothing industry basically makes up sizes. They are ridiculous and if you ever hold up clothes that are the same size yet vastly different you will see. Clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around. 
These shorts didn't fit me and that's okay. I have other ones that do, and if those don't fit me at some point I can buy more (which is a privilege.) 
Let's not let size, weight, or crappy indicators like the BMI index define how we should feel each day. I want to know, how do you want to FEEL? Me👉🏻Strong, capable, happy + a bunch of other words that aren't about my looks.
When I was in high school (back in the late 1900's When I was in high school (back in the late 1900's 🙃) we had to pick a 'major,' something to guide us towards picking a career someday. This major would work similar to a college one, you take a bunch of classes in the area you chose and spend 4 years expanding on that. I chose art as my major, and during my high school years I got to take a wide variety of art classes. I did ceramics, drawing, oil painting, and a ton of other fun and creative things. I learned how to stretch canvases to paint on and loved the smell of turpentine. I can still smell the unique scent of an art eraser and see my hand coated with charcoal after a class. Creating art was always truly fun for me, something I looked forward to daily. 
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Yet, when I went to college I chose Business as my major. It seemed more practical, right? Art was for fun and Business was more realistic. I took accounting and economics and dutifully got that degree. Life happened, I married a guy in the military and I decided to get a Masters in teaching so I could easily transfer a job from place to place. We had kids and I stayed home with them, started a fashion blog and funneled all my creativity into that (which I loved.) I'm always drawn to pretty things, whether its a gorgeous sweater, a painting in a museum, or the way the light comes in my window in the afternoon. 
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Not that long ago I picked up a paint brush for the first time in a  long time, and it all came rushing back. Creating things for fun, remembering my passion for drawing and painting and taking the time to create pretty things just because. I bought a canvas and decided to paint something for me, something I could hang in my office and enjoy. Layer by layer, I added color and texture, used brushes and wedges and often my own fingers to make something that brought me joy. It's messy and colorful, whimsical and abstract. It makes me happy to look at it and to know that I have reclaimed a piece of myself.
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