I had a false start to the day (Tuesday, 29 January) and missed the 5 a.m. wake-up for the short workout. I was tempted to skip it entirely after a long day at work but managed to get it together and fit it in after work and between the kids’ bathtime and dinner.
Day 3 Fitness App Screenshot
I’ve been a bit stumped when it comes to using my kettlebells…the regular kettlebell swings get a bit repetitive. A great YouTube video gave me some new ideas, and the 10-minute work-out was fun, challenging and taught me some great new moves to try out in the future.
Wins: The Nutritech Diet Meal order arrived. I’m going to try my hand at replacing 1 or 2 meals with a shake and see how things go.
Losses: Got hangry and had a minor tantrum about sports bras, and how difficult they are to take on and off.
The 5 a.m. wake up on a Monday was brutal. I’m not ashamed to admit that I hit the snooze button a few times, but I eventually overcame the inertia and got out of bed. The dogs were somewhat puzzled being let out that early.
I made it through the set short work out and 15 minutes of weights with some effort and much sweat. The co-ordination required to do the knee hop lunges was lacking, which made those surprisingly tricky.
Fitness App Screenshot Day 2
Boxing after work was definitely the highlight of a long day. It really is a fun way to unwind and let go the day’s stresses. I learnt an awesome new combo, which was quite intricate but very satisfying to complete.
Wins: Waking up at 5 a.m. A good food day…healthy breakfast (2 boiled eggs and a plain yoghurt), with a yum chicken soup for dinner.
Day 1 (Sunday, 27 January) was definitely a mixed bag. I completed my first workout on the 30 Day Fitness App, and was pleasantly surprised. It was a very doable medium intensity of 5 minutes followed by a 15-minute freestyle of weights (kettlebell swings, shadow boxing with 1kg weights, bicep curls, planks e.t.c.). I am going for repetition and intensity, 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off at the moment. At this stage, I just want to get into good habits at the start of every day and increase the difficulty slowly over time. Baby steps.
The fitness App taught me the new delight ‘The Superman‘. After the first alarming twang in my not-so-flexible back, I found myself getting into it. I can’t imagine I looked very graceful though. Nadia was looking slightly amused at all the moaning and groaning. It also might have been Sooty climbing all over me that caused the hilarity.
A picture of Sooty… because cute
Hit my water target which was great (why is it so hard to drink all that water?), but the food choices could have been better. I love baking, and the weekends are the best time for it so I made so homemade biscuits with huevos rancheros for breakfast. Dinner was slightly better, grilled chicken breast, and sweet potato mash.
Wins: Got off the couch and completed Day 1 of the Fitness App.
Losses: Tasty home-made biscuits…going to have to work on finding healthy baking alternatives that I’ll enjoy.
So, like a lot of people out there, I have struggled with my weight for pretty much forever. I’ve gone on countless diets, some gimmicks and some legit, lost the weight and put it back on again. The failures have been soul-crushing and demoralising, and I engage in what feels like an endless cycle of self-loathing and denial.
It’s about getting healthy, strong and fit. About climbing a flight of stairs without losing my breath, keeping up with the kids, taking the dogs for a walk and not being exhausted. About getting my BMI down from the very obese range. About making sure I don’t develop further health complications, like diabetes (I have struggled with high insulin levels).
Fast forward to 2018, when I made the commitment to start exercising on a regular basis and get more active. I have a desk job and a largely sedentary lifestyle (here’s looking at you Netflix). I began boxing and martial arts classes twice a week for an hour with personal trainer Mark. He’s great and for the first time fitness became fun. For someone who hadn’t worked out since high school, this was a major victory. As we progressed I felt more confident, capable and a lot more energetic. So along with my wife Nadia (Spoiler Alert: she’s amazing), I started getting more active on the weekends too…5km Park Runs and the odd 12km hike.
Mark (Left), Me (Middle), Nadia (Right)
I am so proud of myself for making these changes, but the weight hasn’t come off. I put it down to three main factors:
Diet: I do eat well…home cooked meals, few processed foods, little sugar, sodas and minimal carbs but I have bouts of binge eating. Pizza and other fast foods, and chocolate. Cravings are a bitch. Just over the 2018 Christmas period, I put on 4kgs with the constant snacking and feasting.
Alcohol: I really do love beer and have become quite keen on craft beer. My weekly Tuesday quiz night includes a few draughts, and I love a beer or two (three) on the weekend. It’s also been really hard for me to have social interaction without alcohol to grease the wheels.
Exercise: Even though it was a great step forward, twice a week with some light activity on the weekend wasn’t enough to see the desired gains.
So this leaves me at 2019, heavier than I’ve ever been and determined to see my fitness and health goals through. In the spirit of Stephen Duneier’s TEDx Talk on how to achieve your most ambitious goals, I am going to make small adjustments to my daily routine and build upon those changes to reach my desired results.
The 90 Day Game Plan
I’ve made it 90 days as this is a manageable time frame for me and makes it psychologically more achievable in my head.
Up my sessions with Mark to 4 times a week, with 2 x 1-hour boxing sessions and 2 x 1-hour high-intensity training sessions. This begins on 28 January for a 3-month trial.
Cut-down on alcohol. 1 beer a week…for reals [insert crying face].
I’ve downloaded the 30 Day Fitness Challenge App and have started with a medium workout. Going to add some weight training to this, and see it through for the first 30 Days and up the difficulty after that.
Make better and smarter food decisions, especially when it comes to fast food. No specific diet as I’ve found that a heavily restricted diet increases my cravings because my desire for certain foods goes off the charts when they are forbidden.
Avoid stepping on the scale other than at milestone points (30, 60 and 90 days) to avoid becoming demotivated.
Walk/hike 5-10kms once on a weekend.
Combine my love of writing, with this new challenge and keep this blog as a personal diary and motivational tool.
Lord knows it’s not as simple as 7 steps, and it’s going to seriously suck at points but I’m going to give it a go anyway. Let’s step it up.
This is Not a Drill: A Random Girl's Fitness Quest 