Kermane is not only our All-Star of the day, but It’s her birthday Today!!! Happy birthday Kermane!!
Kermane has an amazing testimony; she is a true NO EXCUSES kind of a gal! You name the obstacle, she’s overcome it. Now with the support of the Rally Room and with Hormonal Timing she has built herself the best body of her life. She never ceases to amaze me with her progress and her determination to be a GREAT example for her son. She is on fire to build a legacy of health for him and is currently attacking a new goal to run a 5k race in the near future!!! Kermane just celebrated 6 years cancer free last Friday~ NOW !! that’s something to celebrate!! I am so, so happy for her and blessed that she’s have shared 5 of those past years with TEAM BUFFMOTHER !! ♥ I love you!
You can follow Kermane on her AWESOME blog: KERMANE THE FIGHTER
http://www.kermanethefighter.blogspot.com/
Kermane’s thoughts on Hormonal Timing– as a Mother and Cancer survivor:
This is a picture of me AFTER I came home from having my son. I was sleep deprived, fat, depressed and miserable, plus I had a little one who was depending on me for everything and I could barely take care of myself at the time. It was my worst picture, because during my last trimester I just ate whatever I wanted and didn’t work out at all. After fighting breast cancer, chemo and reconstruction surgeries I was ready to take care of me again so I decided to go for my goal.
The Hormonal Timing System helped fill in the missing pieces when it came to diet and exercise for me. For too long I was getting discouraged when I would fall off the wagon, not realizing my hormones had a lot to do with that. From tracking my cycle with Hormonal Timing I realized I am full of energy the first two weeks of it and start to feel less energetic the closer my period comes. I realized about two days before my period I was zonked and should not try to kill myself working out then. It helped me gear my exercises towards my hormonal cycle in a positive way. I think the key point of Hormonal timing is that we have to realize that our bodies are ruled by hormones, like it or not and that we should allow our bodies to follow our natural cycles and not try to push ourselves beyond that because that makes us more prone to failure.
Why Kermane LOVES the Rally Room!
I have always been interested in exercise. As a child I had excess babyfat to go with my glasses and long hair resulting in some self esteem issues. By the time I hit fifteen I was what you would call a cardio bunny. Also I was skinny fat, I had no muscle tone but growing up in a household where my Mother was obsessed with cardio I didn’t realize at the time there was other types of exercise. Cardio was great for sweating but I still wanted to eat like my friends and ended up battling bulimia for about three years in the closet.
About the time I married my husband I realized I should be lifting some weights and bought 6.6lb dumbbells thinking I was the bomb! Ten years into my marriage I had dumbbells up to 10lbs and did all kinds of Jane Fonda type weight lifting. My Mother passed from breast, liver, colon cancer 3 days prior to my son’s birth, depression hit hard but I lifted myself out of that for my son and husband. When my son was about two years old I started the Atkins diet and lost some weight only to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I was depressed. I was 34 years old and afraid my 35th birthday would be my last. I gained about 25lbs thru the long process of recovery and reconstruction. After my main battle was over I realized I felt sluggish and I wanted to lose the weight I gained.
While reading a website I found an article by Michelle about why muscle burns fat. Something clicked in my head. I went to her Buffmother website and read all the articles, I joined her Michelle Berger group. I was embarrassed to post my workouts because my weights seemed small compared to everyone else’s. Then Michelle started the Rally Room site for women only which I joined and my love of strength training began. I joined contests on the Rally Room site to motivate me and they did.
I’m addicted to it now, I like how everyone encourages everyone and if necessary tries to get someone to see it is necessary to eat, you got to feed those muscles. I have made so many friends here. If you’d asked me a year ago if I would be friends with people living in Canada, Texas, Florida, Tennessee and Michigan I would’ve said you were crazy. But I have. There are women on here that know more about me than my best friend, I am that close to them. If they needed me I would fly there in a heartbeat to help the out with any struggles they might be suffering.
When I joined the Rally Room I was depressed and my body image was low, I struggled with self-doubt and had to fight the urges of bulimia. Now I realize that though my body became sick it is a miraculous thing. It has recovered and rebounded. I can bend in some amazing yoga poses that normal people probably could not do. It gave life to my son and he is a beautiful creature. My body is strong, stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. My Mother was not the most positive role model and delighted in bringing my self image down and I am proud to say if she was alive, no matter what she could not bring me down right now.
Since joining my hips went from about 43 inches down to 37inches, I have lost 3.5inches off my waist. My strength has increased tenfold. I can leg press a 380 pound man if I wanted, and squat a 180lb person. My chest which was ravaged thru surgeries and reconstruction is becoming stronger everyday and it will be only a matter of time before I can bench press 100lbs. My arms used to look like chicken wings, they now look like my arm idol Jennifer Aniston.
I realize that cardio is not the only type of exercise. I strength train my body 4 to 5 times a week now and delight in my strength increasing. I realize its ok to have a day off from working out now, in fact it is good for your body. I love encouraging people to realize that no matter your age or current fitness level you can achieve your goals. If people can look at me and be encouraged from my struggles in life then I am willing to tell my story to any woman who wants to listen.
I’ve discovered that my body needs extra supplements that I am low on them and when I take them my mood swings improve tenfold. I’ve also discovered cardio doesn’t have to be hours but can be as little as 20 minutes if you do interval training.
The Rally Room has given me great support and all the wonderful ladies in in encourage me when I am depressed and lift my spirits to get back on the fitness wagon. More than anything it gives me the spirit to continue when the body is weak and I thank you for it Michelle!
