Last Updated on May 30, 2022.
Denise Tura, a first-place most improved female on the 90-Day Challenge, shares how enrolling in martial arts helped her lose baby weight while gaining a healthier lifestyle and an extended family
Ask every mother you know, and they’ll confirm: losing baby weight is a challenge.
Every woman deserves to be treated like an absolute goddess after bringing a new life to the Earth. But unfortunately, society pressures women to follow unrealistic beauty standards even after giving birth.
No wonder so many women feel overwhelmed when it comes to losing baby weight.
Our student Denise Tura chose a different path: the one where a healthier lifestyle is the ultimate goal and losing baby weight is just a bonus.
This is how she did it.
I had to make some changes
When I was pregnant, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to use insulin for half my pregnancy. Bed rest was mandatory, so I stayed at home, spending my days lying in bed watching television.
Between that and bed rest from preterm labor, the weight kept piling on, but my daughter’s health was my primary concern.
I always consider myself one of the lucky ones growing up because I never had to worry about what I ate.
But five years after I was blessed with our daughter, I still hadn’t lost all the baby weight. I knew I had to make some changes in my everyday life, but I wasn’t motivated enough to change anything.
Luckily, our daughter Cassie had a different plan.
Our first martial arts class
It all started when Cassie saw a commercial for Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts Manhasset, NY classes on TV.
She was extremely excited about that, so we thought OK, let her give it a try.
She was only four and a half at that time.
Can you imagine a little girl training martial arts?
Honestly, I was concerned at first, but she loved it! She was instantly hooked.
Every Mother’s Day, Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts Manhasset organizes a special class for mothers.
Cassie begged me to come. I couldn’t see myself doing martial arts, but I hate disappointing my daughter, so I went.
I was instantly hooked as well.
I couldn’t believe how much better I had felt after the class! I felt tired and energized at the same time.
Naturally, I had to share this experience with my husband, and soon enough, he was hooked too.
The 90-Day Challenge
Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts is different from any other school. They constantly have different challenges and special classes to motivate their students to grow faster, and the 90-Day Challenge was one of those challenges.
The whole idea behind the 90-Day Challenge is to make your health a priority.
It’s not a diet or a special training program but a lifestyle change that will help you lose weight and get stronger by learning about proper nutrition and training with a purpose.
Just what I wanted to accomplish.
Both husband and I signed up, and since then, we never missed a single one.
We love everything about it: the challenge of constant improvement, the energy, and the people working together and supporting each other.
Over the years, I’ve lost about 50 lbs, but I realized the real challenge was not the 90-Day Challenge itself but keeping the weight off in between challenges.
Modern life is hectic; our days are packed with work, family duties, and different chores…
It took me some time to find what works best for me, but I noticed last year after adding intermittent fasting and a low-carb nutrition plan to the mix, I’ve been better at keeping the weight off.
Gaining while losing
While losing weight was my primary goal to start training at Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts Manhasset, I gained something more important: an extended family in the process of creating a better and healthier lifestyle.
I love how we all work together and support each other during each 90-Day Challenge with tips and recipe sharing.
Sensei Heurtelou & Sempai Heurtelou, plus the rest of the staff at Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts Manhasset, are absolutely amazing and encourage us to always do better and work around our various injuries to ensure greater success.
We really are a family of different individuals sharing the same values and the same goals.
Leaving a comfort zone is never easy, but I’m so glad I took a chance to attend Mother’s Day class.
I’m grateful for everything my family has gained since our daughter’s first class.
We would have lived a completely different life today if she hadn’t seen that commercial all those years ago.
