SimplyFit30: Birch's 30 Day Weight Loss Journey
Fitness Challenge
Aug 16, 2023
Follow my 30-day fitness journey via the posts & updates below👇
———————
Day 0 of 30 (8/16/23)
Hey everyone! It's been a while since I last posted, but I wanted to share more about my journey. I'm sure there are others out there who can relate!
For the past three years, I've been running a startup; let me tell you, it's been a wild ride.
But there's one aspect of my life that I've consistently neglected – my physical health.
About four months ago, I reached my heaviest weight ever (around 225 lbs) – yep, quite a number! (insert DAAAMM gif here)
Running a startup can take a toll on various areas of your life, and family is a big one. Thankfully, I have an incredible wife @Baylee, who has been there every step of the way.
Over the past few months, I've shed significant weight (around 30 lbs). I'm getting closer to where I want to be physically.
For as long as I can remember, I've struggled with self-image issues and worrying about how I look without a shirt.
Between spending time with my family, working, and honestly hating most generic PDF workout plans, finding consistency and balance has been a challenge. Nevertheless, I've consistently made great progress in the past few months. And these last four weeks, I want to reach my desired destination finally. The reason is that Baylee and I are going to Italy for the first time!
So here's the breakdown of my plan:
Goal: Clean eating (no sweets) and workouts 7 days a week at the highest intensity level possible. Workouts will be about an hour long with 30 minutes of cardio.
How: I'll be hitting the gym every morning at 5 am (evenings are dedicated to the kids – non-negotiable). I'll track everything in the @SimplyFit app and closely monitor the scale.
And to keep myself accountable, I'll post my daily progress here. A little bit of public sharing can go a long way!
Consider this my way of building a healthier lifestyle in public.
And hey, if anyone else wants to join me, let's make it a community effort!
———————
Day 1 of 30 (8/17/23)
Getting to the gym earlier helped me have enough time to complete everything in the workout.
I know many people are like this, but I’m so in the zone when I’m working out that I forget what set I’m on.
Then I’m looking in the mirror, thinking I’m an idiot; “was that set three or four?”
So the SimplyFit app helps easily track that just with one swipe.
My goal every single day is maximum exhaustion on every muscle, to where I want to feel like I can’t even walk down the stairs or move anything.
Feel great. Solid first day!
———————
Day 2 of 30 (8/18/23)
This workout was probably one of the most challenging that I’ve had in a very long time.
Lots of reps, but I love the focus, specifically on shoulders.
And the climbing cardio at the end gave you that awesome euphoric feeling right after a good workout session.
Ready for the weekend!
———————
Day 3 of 30 (8/19/23)
I’m absolutely buzzing right now!
For the first time in a very long time, I received a random compliment at the gym.
And my confidence is on cloud 100.
Never skip leg day!
———————
Day 4 of 30 (8/20/23)
Recovery workout!
Been working my ass off, and I really felt it this morning.
So I asked SimplyFit for a recovery workout & it delivered exactly what I was looking for.
Nothing fancy. Just a couple of low-intensity cardio & stretch routines.
I’ll be picking the high-intensity workouts back up tomorrow morning at 5:00 am!
———————
Day 5 of 30 (8/21/23)
The recovery workout was a great idea! I felt a lot better and hit my chest hard.
Where I feel like I get a solid workout in is when I just lose myself in it.
Music makes a big difference!
———————
Day 6 of 30 (8/22/23)
I haven’t hit arms (triceps and biceps) this hard in a while.
I was a bit tired from a restless night, so I focused on super slow and controlled motions. Ensuring I was activating the entire muscle.
Cardio HIIT style always destroys me in the best of ways!
———————
Day 7 of 30 (8/23/23)
I haven’t slept well the last few nights, so I cheated and slept in until 7:30!
What can I say? I’m human…
I wanted to get home as fast as I could to help Baylee with the kids, so I powered through as much of this workout as I could in 20 minutes.
Being careful not to hurt myself and have controlled movements.
Shoulders and abs tomorrow!
———————
Day 8 of 30 (8/24/23)
I can feel I’m already getting significantly stronger in my shoulders, and my lats are showing a lot more.
Almost a 3rd of the way there!
I don’t think I’ve ever worked out every day for 30 days, so I’m excited to see where I am at the end!
———————
Day 9 of 30 (8/25/23)
I usually do legs once a week, so this is a new thing for me.
It was more of a mental battle than anything.
I think I’ll hit it hard tomorrow and do a solid recovery workout on Sunday!
———————
Day 10 of 30 (8/26/23)
I’m really looking forward to a recovery workout tomorrow!
Also going to try and get some focus on just abs.
———————
Day 11 of 30 (8/27/23)
Super laidback recovery day. I went about 50% or less on any of the ab workouts and just focused on range of motion.
The Stairmaster I kept low key, too. I'm using the time to plan out my diet for the next week!
Tomorrow, we’re going hard on arms!
———————
Day 12 of 30 (8/28/23)
Decided to hit it super heavy today.
Ensuring a full range of motion & hitting failure on each set.
It starts to become a mental battle towards the end, and I’m looking at my arms cramping while I fall asleep tonight.
———————
Day 13 of 30 (8/29/23)
Solid chest workout. I can tell that the intensity level over the last few weeks has been paying off!
Cardio I stayed between 140-160 BPM to focus on fat burning.
I will do an ice bath later today to help with recovery and stretch more throughout the day.
Tomorrow is leg day!
———————
Day 14 of 30 (8/30/23)
I completed this leg workout in about 35 minutes, I had to take my little boy to preschool so I had an afternoon workout!
Slow and controlled with lighter weight since I had so many reps.
We’re going to hit back tomorrow just as hard!
———————
Day 15 of 30 (8/31/23)
Waking up early and going to the gym has such a sense of bliss to it.
Everyone else that’s there at that time is in the same mindset, that is to just get lost in the moment and enjoy working out without having to worry about the stresses of life.
I had more than enough time to get everything done and push myself.
When I think about what weight to use I try to focus on full range of motion and working the muscle completely.
Next stop, shoulders!
———————
Day 16 of 30 (9/1/23)
Solid shoulder workout, focused on heavy but ensuring full range of motion!
I’ve started doing ice baths more consistently to help with recovery.
It’s cold…but it’s for sure helping!
———————
Day 17 of 30 (9/2/23)
Recovery workout as I was feeling a bit sick and didn’t want to miss a day.
Tomorrow is going to focus solely on abs and an intense cardio session!
———————
Day 18 of 30 (9/3/23)
I’m still feeling a bit under the weather but good enough to throw in some weight.
I kept it light as I didn’t want to stress out my body too much.
Tomorrow we’re bringing back the intensity!
———————
Day 19 of 30 (9/4/23)
Finally feeling a bit better from being sick, so we hit it hard with triceps and chest!
———————
Day 20 of 30 (9/5/23)
I’m going to use recovering from being sick as an excuse to sleep in a bit this morning which left me a short amount of time to get a workout in.
That being said I hit back and biceps with lighter weight (need to be careful when you’re in a bit of a rush) and then got a solid stairmaster workout in!
———————
Day 21 of 30 (9/6/23)
I felt like I had to rush too much yesterday so I instructed the SimplyFit AI to setup a workout to hit those same muscle groups and I loved it!
Tomorrow is going to be a big leg day!
———————
Day 22 of 30 (9/7/23)
Great leg day!
Wish I had time to hit one more exercise, but with the cardio on the stairmaster, my legs feel like jelly.
8 more days!!!
———————
Day 23 of 30 (9/8/23)
I took a super easy and light day of basic stretching and tomorrow will be a big cardio and chest day!
———————
Day 24 of 30 (9/9/23)
I focused on slow and controlled movements today.
I’ve been feeling a bit tight from the muscle growth and working them hard.
So I figured the best thing to do would be heavy and slow full range.
———————
Day 25 of 30 (9/11/23)
Crazy day so I had to rush with this one!
———————
Day 26 of 30 (9/13/23)
Last workout before traveling!
I plan on doing yoga and running in the city and all throughout Italy!
Follow my 30-day fitness journey via the posts & updates below👇
———————
Day 0 of 30 (8/16/23)
Hey everyone! It's been a while since I last posted, but I wanted to share more about my journey. I'm sure there are others out there who can relate!
For the past three years, I've been running a startup; let me tell you, it's been a wild ride.
But there's one aspect of my life that I've consistently neglected – my physical health.
About four months ago, I reached my heaviest weight ever (around 225 lbs) – yep, quite a number! (insert DAAAMM gif here)
Running a startup can take a toll on various areas of your life, and family is a big one. Thankfully, I have an incredible wife @Baylee, who has been there every step of the way.
Over the past few months, I've shed significant weight (around 30 lbs). I'm getting closer to where I want to be physically.
For as long as I can remember, I've struggled with self-image issues and worrying about how I look without a shirt.
Between spending time with my family, working, and honestly hating most generic PDF workout plans, finding consistency and balance has been a challenge. Nevertheless, I've consistently made great progress in the past few months. And these last four weeks, I want to reach my desired destination finally. The reason is that Baylee and I are going to Italy for the first time!
So here's the breakdown of my plan:
Goal: Clean eating (no sweets) and workouts 7 days a week at the highest intensity level possible. Workouts will be about an hour long with 30 minutes of cardio.
How: I'll be hitting the gym every morning at 5 am (evenings are dedicated to the kids – non-negotiable). I'll track everything in the @SimplyFit app and closely monitor the scale.
And to keep myself accountable, I'll post my daily progress here. A little bit of public sharing can go a long way!
Consider this my way of building a healthier lifestyle in public.
And hey, if anyone else wants to join me, let's make it a community effort!
———————
Day 1 of 30 (8/17/23)
Getting to the gym earlier helped me have enough time to complete everything in the workout.
I know many people are like this, but I’m so in the zone when I’m working out that I forget what set I’m on.
Then I’m looking in the mirror, thinking I’m an idiot; “was that set three or four?”
So the SimplyFit app helps easily track that just with one swipe.
My goal every single day is maximum exhaustion on every muscle, to where I want to feel like I can’t even walk down the stairs or move anything.
Feel great. Solid first day!
———————
Day 2 of 30 (8/18/23)
This workout was probably one of the most challenging that I’ve had in a very long time.
Lots of reps, but I love the focus, specifically on shoulders.
And the climbing cardio at the end gave you that awesome euphoric feeling right after a good workout session.
Ready for the weekend!
———————
Day 3 of 30 (8/19/23)
I’m absolutely buzzing right now!
For the first time in a very long time, I received a random compliment at the gym.
And my confidence is on cloud 100.
Never skip leg day!
———————
Day 4 of 30 (8/20/23)
Recovery workout!
Been working my ass off, and I really felt it this morning.
So I asked SimplyFit for a recovery workout & it delivered exactly what I was looking for.
Nothing fancy. Just a couple of low-intensity cardio & stretch routines.
I’ll be picking the high-intensity workouts back up tomorrow morning at 5:00 am!
———————
Day 5 of 30 (8/21/23)
The recovery workout was a great idea! I felt a lot better and hit my chest hard.
Where I feel like I get a solid workout in is when I just lose myself in it.
Music makes a big difference!
———————
Day 6 of 30 (8/22/23)
I haven’t hit arms (triceps and biceps) this hard in a while.
I was a bit tired from a restless night, so I focused on super slow and controlled motions. Ensuring I was activating the entire muscle.
Cardio HIIT style always destroys me in the best of ways!
———————
Day 7 of 30 (8/23/23)
I haven’t slept well the last few nights, so I cheated and slept in until 7:30!
What can I say? I’m human…
I wanted to get home as fast as I could to help Baylee with the kids, so I powered through as much of this workout as I could in 20 minutes.
Being careful not to hurt myself and have controlled movements.
Shoulders and abs tomorrow!
———————
Day 8 of 30 (8/24/23)
I can feel I’m already getting significantly stronger in my shoulders, and my lats are showing a lot more.
Almost a 3rd of the way there!
I don’t think I’ve ever worked out every day for 30 days, so I’m excited to see where I am at the end!
———————
Day 9 of 30 (8/25/23)
I usually do legs once a week, so this is a new thing for me.
It was more of a mental battle than anything.
I think I’ll hit it hard tomorrow and do a solid recovery workout on Sunday!
———————
Day 10 of 30 (8/26/23)
I’m really looking forward to a recovery workout tomorrow!
Also going to try and get some focus on just abs.
———————
Day 11 of 30 (8/27/23)
Super laidback recovery day. I went about 50% or less on any of the ab workouts and just focused on range of motion.
The Stairmaster I kept low key, too. I'm using the time to plan out my diet for the next week!
Tomorrow, we’re going hard on arms!
———————
Day 12 of 30 (8/28/23)
Decided to hit it super heavy today.
Ensuring a full range of motion & hitting failure on each set.
It starts to become a mental battle towards the end, and I’m looking at my arms cramping while I fall asleep tonight.
———————
Day 13 of 30 (8/29/23)
Solid chest workout. I can tell that the intensity level over the last few weeks has been paying off!
Cardio I stayed between 140-160 BPM to focus on fat burning.
I will do an ice bath later today to help with recovery and stretch more throughout the day.
Tomorrow is leg day!
———————
Day 14 of 30 (8/30/23)
I completed this leg workout in about 35 minutes, I had to take my little boy to preschool so I had an afternoon workout!
Slow and controlled with lighter weight since I had so many reps.
We’re going to hit back tomorrow just as hard!
———————
Day 15 of 30 (8/31/23)
Waking up early and going to the gym has such a sense of bliss to it.
Everyone else that’s there at that time is in the same mindset, that is to just get lost in the moment and enjoy working out without having to worry about the stresses of life.
I had more than enough time to get everything done and push myself.
When I think about what weight to use I try to focus on full range of motion and working the muscle completely.
Next stop, shoulders!
———————
Day 16 of 30 (9/1/23)
Solid shoulder workout, focused on heavy but ensuring full range of motion!
I’ve started doing ice baths more consistently to help with recovery.
It’s cold…but it’s for sure helping!
———————
Day 17 of 30 (9/2/23)
Recovery workout as I was feeling a bit sick and didn’t want to miss a day.
Tomorrow is going to focus solely on abs and an intense cardio session!
———————
Day 18 of 30 (9/3/23)
I’m still feeling a bit under the weather but good enough to throw in some weight.
I kept it light as I didn’t want to stress out my body too much.
Tomorrow we’re bringing back the intensity!
———————
Day 19 of 30 (9/4/23)
Finally feeling a bit better from being sick, so we hit it hard with triceps and chest!
———————
Day 20 of 30 (9/5/23)
I’m going to use recovering from being sick as an excuse to sleep in a bit this morning which left me a short amount of time to get a workout in.
That being said I hit back and biceps with lighter weight (need to be careful when you’re in a bit of a rush) and then got a solid stairmaster workout in!
———————
Day 21 of 30 (9/6/23)
I felt like I had to rush too much yesterday so I instructed the SimplyFit AI to setup a workout to hit those same muscle groups and I loved it!
Tomorrow is going to be a big leg day!
———————
Day 22 of 30 (9/7/23)
Great leg day!
Wish I had time to hit one more exercise, but with the cardio on the stairmaster, my legs feel like jelly.
8 more days!!!
———————
Day 23 of 30 (9/8/23)
I took a super easy and light day of basic stretching and tomorrow will be a big cardio and chest day!
———————
Day 24 of 30 (9/9/23)
I focused on slow and controlled movements today.
I’ve been feeling a bit tight from the muscle growth and working them hard.
So I figured the best thing to do would be heavy and slow full range.
———————
Day 25 of 30 (9/11/23)
Crazy day so I had to rush with this one!
———————
Day 26 of 30 (9/13/23)
Last workout before traveling!
I plan on doing yoga and running in the city and all throughout Italy!
Follow my 30-day fitness journey via the posts & updates below👇
———————
Day 0 of 30 (8/16/23)
Hey everyone! It's been a while since I last posted, but I wanted to share more about my journey. I'm sure there are others out there who can relate!
For the past three years, I've been running a startup; let me tell you, it's been a wild ride.
But there's one aspect of my life that I've consistently neglected – my physical health.
About four months ago, I reached my heaviest weight ever (around 225 lbs) – yep, quite a number! (insert DAAAMM gif here)
Running a startup can take a toll on various areas of your life, and family is a big one. Thankfully, I have an incredible wife @Baylee, who has been there every step of the way.
Over the past few months, I've shed significant weight (around 30 lbs). I'm getting closer to where I want to be physically.
For as long as I can remember, I've struggled with self-image issues and worrying about how I look without a shirt.
Between spending time with my family, working, and honestly hating most generic PDF workout plans, finding consistency and balance has been a challenge. Nevertheless, I've consistently made great progress in the past few months. And these last four weeks, I want to reach my desired destination finally. The reason is that Baylee and I are going to Italy for the first time!
So here's the breakdown of my plan:
Goal: Clean eating (no sweets) and workouts 7 days a week at the highest intensity level possible. Workouts will be about an hour long with 30 minutes of cardio.
How: I'll be hitting the gym every morning at 5 am (evenings are dedicated to the kids – non-negotiable). I'll track everything in the @SimplyFit app and closely monitor the scale.
And to keep myself accountable, I'll post my daily progress here. A little bit of public sharing can go a long way!
Consider this my way of building a healthier lifestyle in public.
And hey, if anyone else wants to join me, let's make it a community effort!
———————
Day 1 of 30 (8/17/23)
Getting to the gym earlier helped me have enough time to complete everything in the workout.
I know many people are like this, but I’m so in the zone when I’m working out that I forget what set I’m on.
Then I’m looking in the mirror, thinking I’m an idiot; “was that set three or four?”
So the SimplyFit app helps easily track that just with one swipe.
My goal every single day is maximum exhaustion on every muscle, to where I want to feel like I can’t even walk down the stairs or move anything.
Feel great. Solid first day!
———————
Day 2 of 30 (8/18/23)
This workout was probably one of the most challenging that I’ve had in a very long time.
Lots of reps, but I love the focus, specifically on shoulders.
And the climbing cardio at the end gave you that awesome euphoric feeling right after a good workout session.
Ready for the weekend!
———————
Day 3 of 30 (8/19/23)
I’m absolutely buzzing right now!
For the first time in a very long time, I received a random compliment at the gym.
And my confidence is on cloud 100.
Never skip leg day!
———————
Day 4 of 30 (8/20/23)
Recovery workout!
Been working my ass off, and I really felt it this morning.
So I asked SimplyFit for a recovery workout & it delivered exactly what I was looking for.
Nothing fancy. Just a couple of low-intensity cardio & stretch routines.
I’ll be picking the high-intensity workouts back up tomorrow morning at 5:00 am!
———————
Day 5 of 30 (8/21/23)
The recovery workout was a great idea! I felt a lot better and hit my chest hard.
Where I feel like I get a solid workout in is when I just lose myself in it.
Music makes a big difference!
———————
Day 6 of 30 (8/22/23)
I haven’t hit arms (triceps and biceps) this hard in a while.
I was a bit tired from a restless night, so I focused on super slow and controlled motions. Ensuring I was activating the entire muscle.
Cardio HIIT style always destroys me in the best of ways!
———————
Day 7 of 30 (8/23/23)
I haven’t slept well the last few nights, so I cheated and slept in until 7:30!
What can I say? I’m human…
I wanted to get home as fast as I could to help Baylee with the kids, so I powered through as much of this workout as I could in 20 minutes.
Being careful not to hurt myself and have controlled movements.
Shoulders and abs tomorrow!
———————
Day 8 of 30 (8/24/23)
I can feel I’m already getting significantly stronger in my shoulders, and my lats are showing a lot more.
Almost a 3rd of the way there!
I don’t think I’ve ever worked out every day for 30 days, so I’m excited to see where I am at the end!
———————
Day 9 of 30 (8/25/23)
I usually do legs once a week, so this is a new thing for me.
It was more of a mental battle than anything.
I think I’ll hit it hard tomorrow and do a solid recovery workout on Sunday!
———————
Day 10 of 30 (8/26/23)
I’m really looking forward to a recovery workout tomorrow!
Also going to try and get some focus on just abs.
———————
Day 11 of 30 (8/27/23)
Super laidback recovery day. I went about 50% or less on any of the ab workouts and just focused on range of motion.
The Stairmaster I kept low key, too. I'm using the time to plan out my diet for the next week!
Tomorrow, we’re going hard on arms!
———————
Day 12 of 30 (8/28/23)
Decided to hit it super heavy today.
Ensuring a full range of motion & hitting failure on each set.
It starts to become a mental battle towards the end, and I’m looking at my arms cramping while I fall asleep tonight.
———————
Day 13 of 30 (8/29/23)
Solid chest workout. I can tell that the intensity level over the last few weeks has been paying off!
Cardio I stayed between 140-160 BPM to focus on fat burning.
I will do an ice bath later today to help with recovery and stretch more throughout the day.
Tomorrow is leg day!
———————
Day 14 of 30 (8/30/23)
I completed this leg workout in about 35 minutes, I had to take my little boy to preschool so I had an afternoon workout!
Slow and controlled with lighter weight since I had so many reps.
We’re going to hit back tomorrow just as hard!
———————
Day 15 of 30 (8/31/23)
Waking up early and going to the gym has such a sense of bliss to it.
Everyone else that’s there at that time is in the same mindset, that is to just get lost in the moment and enjoy working out without having to worry about the stresses of life.
I had more than enough time to get everything done and push myself.
When I think about what weight to use I try to focus on full range of motion and working the muscle completely.
Next stop, shoulders!
———————
Day 16 of 30 (9/1/23)
Solid shoulder workout, focused on heavy but ensuring full range of motion!
I’ve started doing ice baths more consistently to help with recovery.
It’s cold…but it’s for sure helping!
———————
Day 17 of 30 (9/2/23)
Recovery workout as I was feeling a bit sick and didn’t want to miss a day.
Tomorrow is going to focus solely on abs and an intense cardio session!
———————
Day 18 of 30 (9/3/23)
I’m still feeling a bit under the weather but good enough to throw in some weight.
I kept it light as I didn’t want to stress out my body too much.
Tomorrow we’re bringing back the intensity!
———————
Day 19 of 30 (9/4/23)
Finally feeling a bit better from being sick, so we hit it hard with triceps and chest!
———————
Day 20 of 30 (9/5/23)
I’m going to use recovering from being sick as an excuse to sleep in a bit this morning which left me a short amount of time to get a workout in.
That being said I hit back and biceps with lighter weight (need to be careful when you’re in a bit of a rush) and then got a solid stairmaster workout in!
———————
Day 21 of 30 (9/6/23)
I felt like I had to rush too much yesterday so I instructed the SimplyFit AI to setup a workout to hit those same muscle groups and I loved it!
Tomorrow is going to be a big leg day!
———————
Day 22 of 30 (9/7/23)
Great leg day!
Wish I had time to hit one more exercise, but with the cardio on the stairmaster, my legs feel like jelly.
8 more days!!!
———————
Day 23 of 30 (9/8/23)
I took a super easy and light day of basic stretching and tomorrow will be a big cardio and chest day!
———————
Day 24 of 30 (9/9/23)
I focused on slow and controlled movements today.
I’ve been feeling a bit tight from the muscle growth and working them hard.
So I figured the best thing to do would be heavy and slow full range.
———————
Day 25 of 30 (9/11/23)
Crazy day so I had to rush with this one!
———————
Day 26 of 30 (9/13/23)
Last workout before traveling!
I plan on doing yoga and running in the city and all throughout Italy!
