January is finally over …. Anyone else feel like the month was
endless!
So it’s over and now that everyone has been paid, the
holidays are being booked, plans for dinner & drinks are being made and
people are falling off the wagon and deciding to eat out for lunch once
again!!!
The month of everyone being “ broke and in the same boat” is
over, on the plus side it might mean that there will be spaces available in
exercise classes once again (Does anyone ever get off the waiting list? I know
I never have!) And there’ll be room to move / breath in the gym… Hurrah…
This month, I’ve had 4 weigh in’s, 12 x 30 minute PT’s, a
few walks and the scales are moving downwards…
I’ve also had withdrawals, headaches, dizzy spells, bad
moods, constipation, body ache, the shakes and I was walking around like John
Wayne… but no one said that this was all going to be sunshine and lollipops
What I ‘ve learned
this month
·I get better results when I food prep in advance
·I need to plan ahead and stay organised
·A positive attitude is key
·Once I believed in myself, I worked a little
harder and reaped the rewards
·I can do this, once I stay focused
WHAT THE SCALES SAID THIS MONTH
2017
KGS
UP/DOWN / LBS
WEEK 1
START
START
WEEK 2
-2
-4.4
WEEK 3
-1.5
-3
WEEK 4
0
0
I’m going mad that I didn’t take my measurements on 1st
January!! But I plan to take them today and go from there…
February is my “try on all the white dresses” month.. so if
standing in front of a stranger in my undies
isn’t motivation to keep going , then I don’t know what will be…
Week 4 weigh in I missed my goal of losing 3lbs (that’s my
aim for every week..) So instead of
being down 9lbs this month, I am down 7lbs
(still delighted with that..)
So I will work hard in the next few weeks, so make sure I hit my mini goal
every week
Anybody else out there in the Wedding Planning bubble / on the wedding dress hunt?
So I went back to the gym on Tuesday to face the scales and
chat about the coming year, my aims and goals etc...
Its scary that I was “careful & aware” with what I was eating
and still had a gain of 6lbs, that was over 2 weeks and to be honest I enjoyed
everything I ate and all the exercise I didn’t do, I was a lazy mare and took
the time to just chill out and relax..
So the scales didn’t upset me, its life,
I’ve had bigger gains in previous years which have rolled into the latter months,
this time its stopping because Christmas is OVER…
I have found this week tough in every way, my sleeping
pattern is all out of sync, work has been busy but the days endless, I had 2
personal training sessions and I found that I was tired after 5 minutes and I
have been hungry in the evenings! So I haven’t been too tough on myself this
week, I know what I have to do and I am prepared to work towards it, but this
week, I’ve just been taking it one day at a time and doing what I’ve had too to
get through the day. I will be stricter (and more organised) in the coming weeks
So my plan….. I’ve signed up for a new 10 week programme
I will be doing 3 x 30 minute personal training sessions per
week, weigh in will be Monday evenings
and I will be eating as clean as I possibly can ( this for me means cooking
from scratch and getting plenty of green veg into me) 3 liters of water and 3 cups of tea per day
So this isn’t a “new year, new me” type of a post.. nor is
it full of new year resolutions….
My goal remains the same… loose the weight, feel comfortable
in my skin and look AMAZING in my wedding dress
Which I need to buy soon!! Eeeeeeeeeeekkkkk
But in the next 10 weeks I will aim to loose 3lbs per week
I might even blog weekly updates, to keep me accountable.. but I do
post everything I eat daily on Instagram & snapchat (links below)
I can’t believe 2016 is almost over, I’m not sorry to see the
back of it to be honest, it hasn’t been a great year for me
As ye know I started the year back with Slimming World and feeling
very determined, but as the months went by, it was clear that it wasn’t working
for me!!
I know loads of people that have lost stones with slimming
world and I am by no means bad mouthing it, unfortunately it just wasn’t for
me..
It saw me through the bumpy years and made sure that I kept
an eye on the scales but it didn’t give me the success and losses that I’m
striving for.. (which is my own fault really)
So in July I decided to start going to Personal Training
sessions twice a week along with my usual Spinning class… This was a BIG shock
to my system and I’d forgotten how rewarding it was to make your body work for
you… yes I was achy but the difference it made to my mood, body shape and over
all confidence was fab…
So in September I upped my sessions to 3 x 30 mins personal
training sessions per week plus a class.. I had injured my calve in Sep, so
Spinning was no longer an option. I did find it tough to commit to 4 nights a
week in the gym (and I was doing a night course at the time also)
I found that I was constantly cranky, achy and tired and couldn’t
seem to get passed it, then the weather changed and it felt like I was getting
sick every other week; on top of everything else!! But I kept going and my days
became a blur of work, dinner, gym, shower, bed!!
Yes it a cop out and a hell of a lot of excuses thrown in,
but I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself for this!! I can’t change how I
felt or how I reacted to the constant tiredness throughout the last few months….
All I know is that it happened, and I had to do what was
right for me to get me though each day…. but I’m still here, I have my health
and plans for myself going forward and I’m feeling positive
2016
loss
gain
Jan
7
Feb
1
Mar
5
April
6
May
5
June
4
July
3.5
Aug
10
Sep
4
Oct
1
Nov
5
Dec
2
35.5
18
Total Loss
17.5 lbs
Its safe to say, the last couple of months have been a bit
of a roller coaster for me, I trained 4
times a week most weeks, but my food was very hit or miss.. so that has of
course affected inch loss and weight
loss!!
However I don’t regret the training and I am definitely stronger
and a little fitter with 6 months of personal training under my belt
My head space has been all over the place and to be honest I
find that when my heads not in the game every aspect of my life is affected!
I feel like the last few months have just kinda happened and
passed me by and I was a passenger rather than the driver, which doesn’t usually
sit well with the control freak in me!
But I’m not about to give up and with the new year looming
for me it also means wedding dress shopping…….. YUP…. It happening
So although I haven’t hit my target of losing 3 stone by Christmas,
I am ending the year a stone light than I was on Jan 1st and a hell
of a lot fitter
This can only be seen to be a positive / good thing… my bad
head space / coasting attitude didn’t see me gain another 2 stone….
My end goal remains the same…. To lose 5 stone before I say “I
do”
I won’t be making new year resolutions, I will be putting my
head down, working my ass off and keeping my mouth wired shut…..
To all of you that are still reading and have stuck with me, thank you so much for your continued support and kind messages.
Hope you all have a Safe, Happy & Peaceful Christmas
So those of you that read my blog regularly will know that I
have been doing personal training in Studio Fitness Cork.
I took it 4 weeks at a time to see how I would get on, so at
the end of September I had 12 weeks of training behind me.
My “training” as I like to call it involved 2 x 30-minute Personal
training sessions and 1 class per week (I choose Spinning as my class)
Now September wasn’t my best month by all accounts and the
only thing that was consistent was me turning up 3 nights a week to train and
drinking 2-3 litres of water a day (normal for me)
Other than that my month was filled with holidays, injuries
and a head cold! Not what you need when there’s weight to be lost!
So when I was told on my last week that I would be measured
and a photo taken. I was very reluctant to have it done; typical me I asked for
an extra week to “work harder”
Marie in studio fitness assure me that there would be a
difference and she was right. I was afraid to face the scales/ measuring tape
and the dreaded photos!!!
But I did and I was pleasantly surprised to say the least, if I hadn’t seen the photos
side by side I would have said that she was messing with me.. But seeing the
proof in the photos and in the inches I’d lost I was delighted and it was a
huge confidence boost and the nudge I needed to knuckle down and keep going
Here are my photos.. this is by no means an “after” photo, merely
a progress photo for now…
On the day of the photo I had lost 10lbs on the scales, 8 inches from my body... 4 of those from my waist.....
I had lost 16lbs at the start of Sep, but as I said a bad month saw the scales go back up. .so i was amazed to see any progress at all.. but seeing is believing
So with my motivation at an all-time high and a new month/
new goals to make I signed up for the gyms 10 weeks to FIT- MAS program.
This is a program that I’m very excited to get started
with… it involves 3 x 30 minutes PT’s and a class per week.. I’ve decided to
give Spinning a skip for a couple of week (my injury means I have to also) but it’s
the perfect opportunity to try out all the other amazing classes that are on
offer, Circuits, Bums & Tums and Zumba in particular....
So my weight loss journey continues and I plan to keep you
all updated on my progress
Christmas is only around the corner too.. (just saying) so
the fact that its 10 weeks to my Christmas party is a great incentive to work
hard to melt away more inches is that I’ll HAVE to buy yet another new dress
(any excuse eh)
I should also mention that this post is not sponsored, nor
was I asked to write this.
I paid for all my training programs myself with my own money.
I just think that the lads in Studio Fitness are fab and are helping me to hit
all my main goals to get me to my very fitness and fab self, so why not share "my secret" with ye all
I post all my meals and work out daily on the below
Mon PT was a legs session, it was dare I say ok.. yes I
worked hard and sweated like a dog BUT I left after my session on jelly legs
feeling like I had given 100%
Tues – Star week arrived and I was glad I was o na rest day
because my already aching body was in bits!!! Panadol, hot water bottle, small
bit of chocolate and early night for me!
Weds PT was upper body, I did mention to my trainer that the
dress I have to wear in 3 weeks doesn’t zip up passed my bra strap, so he
worked me well and kept telling me to push throw and “think of the dress” I’ve
a feeling that this will be my mantra for the next 12 months… haha
Thurs was a rest day and my food was 100%
Fri - I went out for
my lunch (salad sambo) and out for my dinner also… I made better choices than I
would have previously, but definitely not my best idea day before weigh in!!!!
Sat morning spinning & weigh in – If I’m being honest I
wasn’t expecting a loss this week, I tend to maintain and bloat when time of
the month arrives!!! So I was happy with my 1 pound loss.. my week wasn’t
perfect no…. BUT I didn’t use my monthlies as an excuse to eat shite everyday
(I wanted too, but I didn’t)
Week 6
Started this week feeling very motivated and positive, hit a
slump on Weds but over all I had a good week
Tues PT – First session of the week is always Legs, my left
calf was sore during this session, (it niggles in spinning during mountain
climbs, this is the first time I’ve felt it in a PT, but my weights are getting
heavier!) So using the machines was extra challenging, I hobbled out of there,
cold shower and feet up for an hour helped J
Weds – I can’t explain today! I was just off form / in a bad
mood and achy and everything felt like an effort! I fought the urge to eat my
feelings all day but gave in to a Boost Bar at 10pm and I don’t regret it!
Sometimes it just has to be done!! (*note to self* must work on will power)
Thurs PT was upper body with a trainer I had not met
before - he was excellent, he really put
us through our paces and we did a few new exercises which were good for the
body.. great session, a good sweat…
Fri – feeling the effects of last night’s training but in a
good way… Feeling good about the scales tomorrow
Sat morning spinning
was as energetic as ever…. weigh in was cancelled as there was no one to
weigh me (I had a sneaky weigh in at home and it said I’m down 3.5lbs, but not
sure if it counts)
Week 7
12 days til my cousins wedding – so this is the final push
for me to get the scales moving aswell as the inches melting away
Tues PT – a one on one leg session, I was a very sweaty
betty after this session, we finished with 3 minutes on the crosstrainer (going
hard for 20 seconds, 10 second breather and repeat!) I did it tho…. Woohoo
Thurs PT – tonight was the first time that I DID NOT want to
train!!! I slept badly and had a dodgey stomach! I was feeling bloated and exhausted!! But yes
I went, and yes I struggled through (nothing new there) I was never so happy to
get out tho, home, shower and early night!! Getting a full night’s sleep makes
an awful difference
Sat morning spinning & weigh in
Week 8
Busy week ahead for me, training 3 days in a row, then
wedding prep and then I’m on holidays from work for 10 whole days.. yipee
Mon evening Spinning – it’s been months since I went to
Monday spin class, the music and the energy was fab, left feeling good about
the week ahead
Tues PT – I know the first T of the week is usually leg, but
because I went spinning last night (And my fellow trainee turned up in crocs)
we did a heavy lifting upper body session, it was a slow burning sweat session
but my god am I feeing the affects 24 hours later (my bingo wings are BURNING)
Weds PT – last session of the week before a 8 day break from
training (and my week off work) I found tonight tough, the back of my bingo
wings were aching before I even began! I had to do a little bit of jogging in
my warm up (a first for me) and I survived it, so I was happy to feel that my
fitness is improving
The Results are in
Total lost in 8 weeks = 5.5kgs = 13lbs
I have decided that now that I have a base level of fitness
that I will carry on with PT’s for hopefully another 8 weeks, and then start
going to classes and finding my own routine in the gym..
I’m happy with my weight loss to date. Yes people lose it quicker
and I could have been down more BUT I feel that losing it slowly and toning up,
will benefit me more in the long run and help me to maintain my losses better..
I am on track for my goal of 3 stone by the end of 2016 and
that makes me very proud.. I’ve a long way to go, but I’m off to a great start
I’m on a week off work and the gym from tomorrow… I’m
looking forward to taking it easy and letting my body relax for a couple of
days, but I will be back training next week raring to go once again
Everything I eat is posted to my Instagram and Snapchat accounts and I update my Facebook with stats daily also
So some of ye might be aware from my posts on facebook,
snapchat & Instagram, I’ve decided to change things up for the summer
I was disappointed with my June results from Slimming World,
I felt like I gave it my all and the results didn’t show for me! (not the goals
I’d set myself anyway)
(and not I’m not blaming SW, I have friends that have lost a
fortune of weight on the plan, so I know IT WORKS, its just not for me at the
moment)
Anyhu...
A change is what is needed, Slimming World is like an old
friend at this stage and I think it’s time for me to kick my bum out of neutral
and get going again.
I go spinning twice a week as you may know
already and I was chatting to a few of the girls that take the class but also
train at the gym.. (you'd know they do, they look good)
So I booked a consult about joining the gym, getting a programme
and seeing about changing up my exercise regime.
They recommended that I start with some personal training sessions (PTs) before I join, so that when I join
I will be familiar with all the equipment and will feel more confident about
working out and also actually working/ sweating while I’m there and not just waste the hour
changing my music as I stroll on a treadmill(*we’re all guilty of this at some
stage*)
So I went home, had a think about it and a chat with some
friends and have decided to go for it…
a change can be good thing and maybe it’s just
what my body needs.. a total shake-up..
I have signed up for a 4 week programme… what does that mean I hear you ask (even if
you didn’t you know I’m gonna tell ye anyways…..)
·2 x 30 minute personal training sessions
·1 spin class per week
·Follow their food plan 100%
·Forget about Slimming world for the time being
I’m not sure if I will be weighed weekly or at the start and
end but I will definitely let ye know how I get on…
Wish me luck & watch
this space over the next few weeks
