Where to next...?

When I started my path to the current me..these are the goals I set on my MFP profile:

- I want to look hot!
- Be healthy and reduce risk of future problem
- I want to fit into sexy clothes
- Be fit

The ones about wanting to look hot and fit into sexy clothes cracks me up because that one really just comes down to lack of confidence and wanting to feel attractive (which I didn't).
I feel like all of these I can now check off!!!

20 things I learnt while dropping 30 kilos

I actually did it! I reached 30 kilos of weight lost!!!

When I set the goal back in May 2013 I honestly did not think I would make it, I thought it was way too ambitious, but there you go ..it can be done if you just work hard every single day. I am so proud of my achievement and the changes I've been able to make, most of which have been mental changes for me. I have a lot more goals ahead of me...this is definitely not the end. In the meantime, I thought I would share with you 20 lessons I learned on my journey so far. :)

1.    Take responsibility for where you're at and how you got there. I used to be in denial about how unhealthy I was, and justify my reasons for being lazy. Once I 'woke up' and came to terms with what I had been doing to my body all of those years, I realised the power to change had always been in my hands. Taking responsibility for where you've gone wrong makes it easier to come up with an action plan for the future, and actually make it happen.
As painful and shocking it can be to 'wake up', it is empowering, and sets you free.

2.    Dream big, set big goals, but be realistic about the time frames to achieve them.
Commit yourself to said goals, and take action to make it happen. It is important to have more short term, mid term and long term goals, and make these measurable so you can actually track progress.

3.    Be positive and appreciate everything. This is something that has been really important for me but I think it has also made my life happier and fuller, because I take the time to acknowledge and appreciate everything that is good in my life. I am a lot more open about my feelings in general. If I want something, I am going to do everything I can to make it happen.  If I appreciate something or am thankful for something, I will make it known. Even if it's just little compliments to my friends... Life is way too short to keep all that stuff locked up inside. By focusing on the good, it is a lot easier to move forward.

4.    Obstacles will happen, sometimes you will fail. It is ok to get frustrated and angry, and it's ok to cry sometimes, as long as you get back up and keep going, that is all that matters.

5.    Even if you are doing everything right by the book, your body is unique to you and will respond in a unique way to everything you do. Just let it do it's thing! There is no one thing that works for everyone. Find what works for you and stick with it.

6.    Everyone says this one..but it's true. There are no quick fixes or miracles to help you lose weight. In order to make your efforts sustainable for the long term, it has to be a lifestyle change. There's a lot of different solutions and information all over the internet, magazines etc... make sure you do your research. At the end of the day, nothing is going to be better for you than a healthy balanced diet and exercise.

7.    Take responsibility for what goes in your mouth and learn portion sizes. You don't have to deprive yourself of anything if you just stay accountable and pay attention to what goes in.

8.    Food is not the enemy...look at food as a way to nourish yourself, rather than as a reward. Once I let go of the attitude of eating because I wanted to for whatever reason, and made it about eating when I needed to, I gained a lot more control and I am no longer a prisoner to food.

9.    Make moving/exercising fun, choose something that you enjoy and build from there. Start small and figure out what you like. Anything at all is better than sitting on your butt.

10.    Try new things. Stuff I used to frown upon, I've actually ended up enjoying. Just give it a go!

11.    People will treat you differently. You will make new friends, and also lose some.

12.    Not everyone will understand your reasons or what's involved mentally and physically for you to get through your journey. Don't hold this against them.

13.    Surround yourself with people who will keep you inspired and motivated. Like-minded people, one's on a similar journey, at the gym, via forums, Facebook groups etc. These are the people that will help keep you on track the most.

14.    Be patient. So important. Nothing will happen overnight. All of the positive changes you make will add up eventually.

15.    Celebrate successes, no matter how big or small, it is a success. Use it as motivation.

16.    Don't compare yourself or your results to those around you or social media etc. Your only competition is you. You don't have to be perfect as long as you try your best every single time.

17.    You are strong and capable of so much more than you think, you will surprise yourself over and over at what you are able to achieve. Feed off this positivity.

18.    Just keep going and never give up.

19.    Don't forget who you were and where you came from. Being a former fat person is part of who I am and always will be. While it would be easier just to push out the bad memories of the old days and how awful I used to feel, it is important to remind myself every now and again of how it was being the big girl and it makes me appreciate even more that I found the strength and discipline to turn my life around.

20.    This journey never ends. You will reach goals and make new ones but having a healthy lifestyle for good means working at it for good. This is why it's key that you make it enjoyable and it will just become part of who you are.

Thanks for reading and for your support. It really means  a lot more than I can put into words. :)

Your questions answered

Hi guys!

Thank you so much for sending in so many great questions. I really had to think about some of them! Feel free to flick me a message or post over on my Facebook page if you ever have any questions, big or small or just want someone to share your own experiences with, I love to hear from you all!

Hope you enjoy :)

General

What's the biggest/most important lesson your journey has taught you that you would pass onto someone just beginning theirs?

There's not one single thing but I would say the key things are:

- Set goals, and take steps to achieve them. Be ambitious, don't be afraid to set big goals!

- Make a commitment to yourself and remain accountable for your actions through whatever means necessary.

- Be positive, surround yourself with positive things/people to stay positive and motivated

- Never give up!!

  

When in your journey did you realise that this time it was going to be different to other attempts?

Possibly a lame answer, but when I actually started noticing results! 

Prior to starting logging my calories, and keeping track of what I was putting in my mouth , every single diet I had tried was always a miserable failure and was never sustainable, and therefore I never saw results. This was the first thing I'd tried which actually resulted in weight loss, and I wasn't hungry, had loads of energy etc, so I just wanted to carry on.  

When my new lifestyle truly cemented itself though was the moment I started enjoying exercising. I literally used to sit at work for 8hrs, drive home and then sit on the couch until bed time, the thought of exercise was the worst thing I could imagine putting myself through. So to reach that point where I actually wanted to challenge myself..even if just to prove myself a point, prove that I COULD do it, turned into loving it.. and that's why I feel like I am in this for life now and why it is sustainable for me. I love the way I eat and the fitness side of it as well :)

Two of my favorite quotes which sum up this process for me: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you" and "Fall in love with the process...and the results will come."

What was the trigger that motivated you to start?

It was a combination of things which all just happened to mesh together well at the time.

1. Being told I had insulin resistance and had a high risk of developing diabetes

2. I was just about to embark on a trip to Europe and wanted to get a little fitter to be able to handle walking around all day

3. Sick and tired of feeling depressed, hating myself, not being able to do things

4. Someone suggested I give counting calories / myfitnesspal a go, so I thought...why not? 

How have you stuck with it for so long? How do you keep up the motivation? I have tried and failed so many times and its always stupid things (like not losing anything for a week etc) that set me back - then I give up and put the weight on again. Then I feel like I have let myself down and the whole cycle starts again.

This is a great question, and the cycle you mention is something that I have also personally experienced since my teenage years to when I started this whole thing. A big part for me was forming good habits. As with the triggers mentioned above, I knew I had to do something. It initially was just to log/keep track of everything I ate, then I found out just how bad all the stuff I had been eating for 10 years actually was... I had been in denial. It was a real eye opener when I discovered the calorie content and it put me off. This made it easier to switch to healthier eating because I felt sick at the thought of the old foods I used to love.

It snowballed from there and I liked the results I was seeing both in terms of weight loss, how I was feeling by eating better, seeing results in my fitness and being able to experience things I never used to due to being the size I was. 

The people that I have met and the friendships I have made along the way also help keep me motivated and accountable. Surrounding myself with like minded people helps a tonne!

I still have bad weeks myself, and have hit plateaus etc, but I just use it as an opportunity to work harder the next week. Knowing that I have already achieved so much, and all the things I still want to achieve, make me want to push harder and not give up! 

Fitness

How did you motivate yourself to go to the gym?

I didn't start going to the gym until 8 months into my journey, I had lost around 16kgs by that point. I joined because I had just got to the point where I was  actually enjoying exercising and challenging myself with each workout. I felt like joining the gym was the perfect way to step it up to the next level.

As for what keeps me motivated to keep going... I really enjoy the classes and Les Mills in general and the positive environment. The instructors there are amazing... when I first started, there was two of them especially who were so so kind to me and really pushed me in every class, gave me heaps of encouragement, made me feel accountable and also like I could achieve anything...they are a huge part of what really helped me turn up (and they still push me!)

I still enjoy every class I go to, and because I just love exercising, the feeling after a good workout etc as well as the fact that I've formed the habit, and its part of my normal weekly routine, it's easy to turn up! I look forward to the gym now :)

How do you have the stamina to workout so often? /  How do you get the balance of when to rest. I feel guilty if I don't get to the gym but wondering if I should be having rest days.

My workout week varies, I will do a minimum of 5 workouts (1hr) per week, sometimes 6 or 7 but it really just depends on my chosen activity. 

I try not to do two of the same sessions in a row to give certain areas a rest, and I also try to break up big cardio days with strength work, which I find restful compared to some of the high intensity cardio I do (and love haha).

I prefer to workout in the mornings before work to get it out of the way and so I can focus 100%. Afternoon sessions I find my energy lacking a lot, and having the days burdens on you makes it more difficult to get through mentally.

I find that I can generally handle 4 days in a row with no problems in terms of energy levels. I plan out my week with what the workouts I want to do and on what days which I find helps.

I used to feel guilty on rest days, sometimes I still do, but I've come to accept that it is OK , and the body needs it. I don't want to burn out, and then it wont be fun anymore. :) 

In saying that, I try not to do more than 2 rest days in a row unless there's extreme circumstances!

Also I make sure I fuel properly before and after my workouts. All of these things combined, and the fact that I love exercising, means I can keep it up!

Are your muscles permanently sore?

This is a cool question :) I do get sore quite often, but not permanently haha. I find I get sore when I've gone particularly hard out in something, or doing a new type of exercise/class, working muscles I don't usually and also when I'm silly and overdo it by say doing 2 x leg days in a row.. or when I seem to have endless amounts of energy and gym every day of the week lol.   

I love my foam rollers.

How did you start running?

Couch to 5K program/app on my phone (10 weeks, 3 times a week). I started doing the program right at the beginning when I was still over 100kg, and I got to week 3 and my legs just hurt so much (shin splints/calves) I couldn't go further. So I actually switched to other low impact exercise at that point, it was just too much stress on the legs to try and run with 100+kgs! I started the program again after I'd been at boot camp for a couple of months and my fitness levels increased and I started losing more weight and it just got more bearable. I also entered the Wellington Round the bays fun run (6.5km distance), which gave me a goal to work towards which really helped me keep it up. I was determined to run the whole distance! 

I went from being able to run max 1 lamp post distance to 6.5km in 4 months.  :) It can be done! I would highly recommend doing C25K. It starts slow and you just see improvements from week to week.

Food/diet

What do you eat during the day? I do a lot of exercise and I just can't seen to work out what I should be eating and when I should have protein shakes etc and everyone seems to tell me something different. 

I think everyone needs to find something that works for them. Personally I  eat everything, e.g. all food groups but control portions instead, otherwise I feel deprived and more likely to fail (as per past experiences). I just keep to my calories and make smart/healthy choices with my meals / snacks and opt for 'real' food, and not just eat empty calories. These choices help keep me full and satisfied and give me the energy I need. Before a workout I usually just have a banana, I can't stomach anything more than that! As for protein shakes, I may have one after a workout or build it into my night time sweet snack with a protein mug cake :)

I have a couple of previous blog posts about my 'diet' which you can check out for ideaas HERE and HERE.

Do you track your fruit sugars on MFP? The reason I ask is because I eat a lot of fruit, and already today I'm over my Sugar allowance for the day.

Nope! I've logged my food every day since May last year (apart from when I went to Europe for a holiday), and I've never really bothered myself with that.

By choosing the healthy/natural foods, I find I generally am within the recommend amounts anyway, but I've always just used it as a guide, rather than gospel! If I am over on certain categories, I don't really care because I know that what I am eating is good / nourishing. E.g. I'd rather be over on fruit sugars than pumped full of artificial sweetener :) 

What two things do you eat most/least of?

Most: Eggs (so versatile) and spinach.. I always have baby spinach in the house!

Least: Pastries/baking/pies & takeaways... these babies were my biggest weak spot and I have found it easier to just cut them out all together. Once I broke the dependance/addiction, it wasn't so hard any more and I don't even miss it!

I pretty much eat anything otherwise... :)  

Thanks for reading :)

I am a lucky lady...

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd give a little update on how July is going for me so far.
After losing my dear Cindy I felt really really down and it's been a bit of an uphill struggle trying to focus on the good things in life to at least distract me from the sadness I felt. In a lot of ways I have just blocked out the memory of losing her and have been trying to move forward, otherwise the feelings can all get a bit overwhelming.
I've been making sure to surround myself with people that absolutely motivate me and radiate positivity and have been trying to do things that I really enjoy...and as a result I am feeling a lot better than I was four weeks ago.

With all the crap stuff that's been happening around the world, it really makes you realise how precious life is. I have been focusing on appreciating just how lucky I am. I have a supportive and loving family, a great group of amazing friends, awesome fitness friends and lovely colleagues. I have a job, I am healthy, I am happy. I honestly could not ask for more in this life. Sure, we can strive to improve and I am working hard to make sure I do, but when I take a step back and focus on the basics, I realise that I am very lucky.

Staying strong

Wow, what a month June has been. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had so many negative and bad things happen in such a short space of of time. From injuries, insane work stress, days and days of sickness, home stresses and to top it all off, the loss of my beloved feline best friend whose been with me for 17 years... from start to finish, the month was crazy.

Cindy

I started the month off very positive but it was just one blow after another coming my way all month. It was hard, and really it still is. Mentally I haven't felt so "weak" since I started this journey 13 months ago. I have missed a few workouts, eaten a few bad foods, but on the whole, I've managed to stay on track.

Right now I am emotionally and mentally exhausted. Since finding out that my cat was very sick ten days ago..and then losing her four days later, I've just been numb. It's been hard this week to even do every day things but especially getting back to the gym. My focus has been off, and the training sessions I have done were even more exhausting than normal.

I know the pain and sadness will eventually get better, and in the mean time I am just trying to look ahead, and get through one day at a time. Obviously my goals are still very important to me, and I am doing my best to remember I just need to keep going.

My goal for the month is to stay strong and get back to feeling like myself again. I need some positivity in my life, so I will do what I can to surround myself with all of the people and things that inspire me the most.

In terms of the challenges I set for myself for June, I think I've probably succeeded with half of them...
- Complete the 30 day ab challenge: failed..but I have started doing more core classes at the gym
- Drink more water: passed, and feeling alot better for it
- Blog more: 50/50...I set up my facebook page so that's been great

- Not weigh myself for the whole month: win win win... I weighed myself for the first time today and it really wasn't that hard to stay away from the scales. I will probably stick with this for the last leg of my weight loss

- Hold back on exercise while my injured toe healed: I managed to do this for two whole weeks, and I am pleased to say that it has healed, and I am able to go about 90% again, but still have to be careful with a few things

Thank you for reading. I appreciate the support I get from everyone..it really means the world to me.

Next week I hope to have an update on the weight situation and some more progress photos.

:)

New challenges & June progress

You guys all know I absolutely love to challenge myself, push hard every single time and say 'YES' to whatever is thrown at me to achieve results. Well I have a new challenge for myself because I just got my very first injury, and I have to change up my routine until I recover.

Out of all the things that I could have injured, it's ended up being my toe. I guess I am lucky that it is only a toe, but at expert orders, I can't do anything high impact on my feet for around 10 days and then see how it goes. 

This means my beloved Body Attack classes are affected. When it was decided that I couldn't just go ahead and do what I normally do...and I had to focus on recovering, the range of emotions I felt was weird and really surprised me. Panic, fear, sadness, anger...yup that's me, dramatic and over thinking everything.
But it's because in the last few months, I've come to realise just how much I love Body Attack, it is my happy place. It's where I feel like I can achieve absolutely anything, and where I have achieved things I never thought were possible for me. I've only just built up to doing all the challenging and higher intensity moves, so having to hold back now, even if its just 10 days, really really annoys me. I'm used to being in control of what my body can and can't do, not the other way around, so for a stupid toe to control me is very frustrating.

Will strength training make me bulky?

Hi guys,

The short answer is...NO!
I wanted to talk about strength training..and the wonders it will do your body and your weight loss efforts.
When I first hit my 'plateau' back in March, I was told to start proper strength training. I'd been doing body weight type exercises for a few months by that stage, and it had already helped re-shape my body a lot...the time had come to start doing more!

I wasn't scared of it making me bulky funnily enough, but I know this is a huge worry for some girls and I really do not know why. I will show you my results below..so keep reading!
At this point all I wanted was something different to change up my routine.. So my PT started me on a basic strength workout using some of the weight machines at the gym like the leg press, lateral pull down, chest press and also basic exercises like squats but using a barbell and lunges with dumbbells.
Very basic but I stuck with it for about 6 weeks. Since then I've added in some new exercises, increased weights and have started doing kettlebells more frequently as well (which is sooo fun!) and I absolutely love it.

One step at a time (or 10,000)

Hi Guys

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for me since my last post. Work has gotten extremely busy and stressful and I've noticed signs of my old 'emotional eating' habits trying to break me. I always used to be an emotional eater, and its taken me many months of discipline to break that unhealthy relationship with food. Being sad, bored, happy etc doesn't make me want to pig out on food nowadays, but something about the stress I've been experiencing at work has really triggered something. For the first time since I started this journey, I don't feel 100% in control and I am having to make a conscious effort to say "No" I will not binge because I am stressed. The food will not actually make it better. I guess the important thing is that I've recognised the signs, and I am doing something about it. My willpower has really had to step up a notch though..

On a completely different note, and to get on with the actual point of this blog post, I wanted to share with you all what my experiences have been since I've acquired myself a Fitbit Zip..which is basically like a fancy pedometer. I started using it about three weeks ago and I have worn it every day, which has been an eye opening experience to say the least!

Things I learned this week!

I've gotten into the 'daily grind' over the last few months so I decided to really think about weekly achievements, anything I've learned, lessons I've picked up... or just things I've realised. This is what I have learned this week:


I am addicted to body attack classes
I kind of already knew this but it was well and truly confirmed when I woke up last night in a bit of a panic after just experiencing a 'nightmare' that I turned up to Friday mornings class, rearing to go, to be told it was cancelled and moved to a lunch time spot. I remember thinking how I was going to make it work in the future with work etc but I was determined to do it. So yup..fully addicted / obsessed / crazy. Find out about this class here ..I love Les Mills and if you have one in your town and thinking of joining a gym...can't get better than LM :)

Don't over do the exercise
Because of said obsession, I decided it would be a grand idea to do a 30min attack class after my 45min boot camp on Monday. I did this the previous week, and was..bearable. While I got through both sessions.. the result was that I could hardly move and walk for three days straight.
Final bootcamp session on Wednesday was interesting to say the least!
What I learned from this is - no matter how much you love something, how much of an accomplishment it feels like to do more and to feel it in your muscles later.. there is no point over stressing your body. Do what you enjoy but also listen to your body..and when it says no, listen. In saying that - there is a huge difference between actually feeling like you shouldn't do anymore because you could injure yourself vs just can't be bothered.

The closer you are, the harder you have to work

Hi guys :)

Hope everyone is well, and whatever it is you're aspiring towards, that you're keeping on track!

I've hit another plateau unfortunately, I'm stuck at just over 25kg lost. I'm not happy about it...but I'm not too worried. I have been doing a bit of research lately and it seems it's normal that the closer you get to goal, the slower it gets. Thankfully, my measurements are also still going down slowly .. in two months I've lost a total of 8.5cm in a variety of areas.

I'm realising now how quickly your body can get used to and adapt to the same exercises, or certain ways of eating, so I really have to make sure I change up my routine slightly every month or so, and also increase the intensity, and tweak my diet. I wish there was some easy formula! Instead, it's a lot of trial and error!