Murphy Myatt - Thinner in 30: small changes that add up to big weight loss in just 30 days

MOM: Hey, Gigi! [My nickname from a million years ago when my then little brother couldnt pronounce Jenna so he called me Gigi. Yes, it sounds nothing like Jenna, but nobody ever had the heart to tell him.]

ME: Hi, Mom. Whats going on?

MOM: Hey, how do I lose that extra flab under my arm when I wave? Its like I wave and then the under part of my arm waves too.

ME: Oh! Ive got some great triceps exercises you can do to tighten up that area! All it takes is a few minutes a day, maybe three days a week, and I could have you try four or five different routines so youre never bored. What do you say?

(Dead silence.)

MOM: I think Ill just stop waving.

Im going to be honest with you: When my agent first approached me with the idea of writing a lifestyle/fitness book, I was a little taken aback. I had written blogs, paragraphs, and various sentences in my writing past, but a book?

I mean, I had definitely read books before and Im pretty sure I had purchased books before, but did that qualify me to go out and actually write one? And what would I write about? A few of the possible book topics I remember considering during that initial conversation:

Embarrassing Things That Happen on First Dates

Sarcastic Superheroes

Do Vegetarians Eat Animal Crackers?

BurpeesNot a Digestive Issue (Its an actual exercise!)

I Know Every Episode of The Golden Girls (more of a fact, really, but could double as a possible book topic)

Based on that list, clearly I couldnt write a book (at least not one anyone would actually read). But then I thought about it. What do I talk about with my clients more than anything else? What is the one thing I get asked about over and over again?

How do I change from the person I am to the person I want to be?

The xs and os of change: why its so hard, why we generally fail before we succeed, how we approach itand, most important, how we stick to it. If the book focused on fitness in any capacity, the answer had to be yes. (If it focused on infrastructure and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, on the other hand, then not so much.) After all, I had dedicated my life to fitness and helping people build a path toward a healthier lifestyle:

I was a multisport varsity athlete in high school and college, so I understand why its important to be well conditioned all year round.

I was a sportscaster for twelve years covering professional athletes, so I had an opportunity to see close up what the human body is capable of with the right amount of training.

Im a certified personal trainer, so I understand how our muscles work and how to develop individualized programs.

Ive been working with clients of all different ages, body types, and fitness levels for years, so I know what works and what doesnt.

I lost all my baby weight twice so Ive been there and done that.

And I was most recently the NBC Lifestyle and Fitness correspondent, so I know how to connect with an audience of any size.

Watching my clients failures and successes, I definitely experience the impact of change on a daily basis, but I want to share a story with you, something Ive never really admitted to myself or anyone else, much less written down, so this will be a refreshing first.

Heres my truth, and part of my inspiration for writing this book:

After I had my first daughter, Harper, I remember counting down the days until I got the green light from my OB to go back to the gym. It was six weeks. Six weeks was the magic number in my head. I knew that if I got to Week Six and everyone was healthy, I could slowly start to refocus my attention (at least a tiny tiny tiny portion of it) on getting myself back in shape. I had been breastfeeding all along, so I was still burning calories (you can burn an extra 300500 calories a day breastfeeding), but I wanted my pre-baby body back.

So after getting my all clear from the doctor, I left her office and went straight to the gym. I was so pumped to start moving, jumping, squatting, lifting, pressing, biking, lunging to do anything. So I walked in, threw my stuff down, and headed over to my usual spot, where I was hoping to lose myself in sweat like old times.

But that didnt happen.

The old times were clearly no longer. I couldnt start. I just stood there. Staring in the mirror. Looking at this unrecognizable body of mine.

I wasnt fat. I was post-baby plump. But I guess I hadnt seen myself like this before under the gym lights, without the security of my maternity clothes. I felt overwhelmed.

For the last six weeks, people had been telling me how great I looked after having the baby, and maybe I bought into it without really earning the compliment, because looking at myself in that mirror I certainly didnt feel great.