Discover what you enjoy doing and make it convenient to your schedule...
This is exactly how I started my fitness/healthy lifestyle journey. I was brutally honest with myself with what I was willing to do at the start, as getting back into the gym, a fitness class or simply just changing your diet can be quite daunting. I would say my best advice is to set yourself some *realistic* goals - ask yourself; how many times can I do a workout? would I prefer going to the gym or doing a home workout? what foods shall I cut out first? etc. It is always SUPER important to make sure it is convenient for you, like myself, I cannot guarantee I can make the gym more than 3 times a week or being at the gym at a specific time each session, due to my work/travel schedule so if I do more, that's a bonus, but if I meet my personal goal - that's great. And you know what, if you don't that's OK too... life can get in the way sometimes. This quote is a perfect example: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" Benjamin Franklin.
Make sure you challenge yourself...
OK... so let me tell you how I did this. I started observing what I was eating back in April, and I quickly realised that was where I was going wrong (drinking lots of fizzy pop and having sugary snacks!) so I decided to start my programme of shake meal replacements and eating healthier meals, I also agreed for the whole month of May to cut out anything other than water! (Except, in this time I did have 3 gins - whoops!) I do try to eat well 80% of the time but I will still have one takeaway over the weekend. Life is for living and I do not believe in restrictions or deprivations (as I don't think I'd ever stick to a diet otherwise) It really is all about having everything in moderation. I started out by drinking 1-2 litres of water, and now reflecting on my journey in the last 2 weeks I've easily done 3-4 litres daily and if I don't drink that much, I really notice a difference in how I feel. I found cutting out my old snacks that I'd just pick at out of habit probably the hardest challenge, so I've made a list of the healthy snacks I decided to opt for instead which you may find useful! The next challenge once the eating side of things was sorted, was my fitness. I started by doing some gentle jogs/runs around my estate to ease me back into it, and then headed back into the gym. I have a gym buddy - Hayley who is a great support, as we both motivate each other to go to the gym and workout harder. I heard that "if it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you" and I really do stand by this, I was petrified of doing a whole session focused on one area of your body, because I used to just do lots of different exercises, but I have noticed more results focusing on a different area at each session. So moral of the story, don't be afraid to try something new and mix it up a little... it may just be the best thing you do!
Some healthy snack ideas for you; cucumber, 2x rice cakes, 2x oat cakes, cherry tomatoes, vegetable sticks, nuts, fruit, apple or banana and peanut butter, dark chocolate and almonds, celery sticks, hard-boiled eggs, frozen apples, small bowl of tuna.
It's not just working out that gets results, does your diet reflect your efforts?
100% this is the BIGGEST takeaway I've learned this time around. The phrase "abs aren't just made in the gym" is something I completely agree it is very important to work out and be active, but there is so much more that comes into it. You need to work on having a healthy body and mind, getting enough sleep and having the right nutrition is equally as important and having a good mindset, to enjoy what you're doing and working towards will keep you wanting to work on yourself, for you. Your body needs time to recover after all so look after it, and schedule in rest days! After my first leg day session, I literally couldn't walk properly for 2 days so have a rest day and NEVER, EVER, FORGET TO STRETCH!!!
Set & Share your goals...
I think it really is good to set goals at the start of your fitness regime - but again, remember to be sensible and realistic about the goal you set. And, something else I've learned is to not always go by the number on the scale, measure your body and also take before and after photo's to track your progress. I find if you share your goals with someone, whether that be your fitness partner, your partner, family member or friend once you've said it out loud, it's kind of like committing yourself to achieving it. I found this worked especially on the eating side of things, it really kept me on track with the goals that I set out as others knew what I wanted to achieve. I do think this is going to be a personal preference, so if you'd rather not tell someone the specifics, maybe write a list on your phone or tick the day off on your calendar as being 'on plan' so you can review how well you're doing and be accountable to yourself.
Make it part of your routine...
If you've gotten this far, you are probably quite interested in fitness and feeling better, so this part is part of the process once you've decided what you're going to do, what challenges and obstacles you face, what goals you have, is how am I going to make this part of my routine? It is key to make working out/eating well/sleeping part of your routine, so it can become part of the norm and you won't think of it as a 'chore' or something impossible to achieve. For example, I prep my snacks the night before, so I know that I'll be able to have a good day of eating regardless if I woke up slightly later or not in the right mindset. This may mean doing a workout early in the morning, or late in the evening once you've done your daily routine! You may try multiple ways and not everything will work, but eventually you will find what works and you'll be right on track!
Consistency is key...
This is your golden nugget to success, staying consistent. I read somewhere that it takes 12 weeks to see a change in the body which is why it's important to stay accountable, and consistent and not to give up because you don't see results straight away. We shouldn't compare our journey in fitness, because everyone will be at a different chapter and ultimately we all want different results, we have different genetics and schedules too - that's the beauty of us humans - we have so much in common, but we are all different. So, when setting your goals make sure they are something you can commit too and stay consistent with. I also wanted to mention that not every workout needs to be a high intensity work out, simply walking, or taking the stairs rather than the lift are all small steps you can implement straight away that'll make a difference. I also think you'll agree that after a workout the endorphins you get afterwards are so good at ensuring you persevere with it.
My results so far...
I guess this part will be the most interesting to my readers... and I'm sorry I can't say the difference in weight in these photo's or the measurement differences because I didn't put any pressure on myself to loose a certain amount of weight in my first month. I did this because I am not looking for a 'quick and easy' way to loose weight, I am making a healthy lifestyle change as this is something I will absolutely be able to maintain once I take the shakes out of my plan (I aim for 2 a day, with 2 healthy snacks and a meal, but some days I do only do 1 shake meal replacement a day - but this all depends on where I am!) I've personally noticed a good amount of difference in my legs, waist and face - which I am pleased with and comparing these two photo's (left photo was in December, right photo was taken in May) have helped me see that there is definitely a difference. I'm in no way where I want to be, but I am ready to embark on PART 2 of my Healthy Lifestyle Diaries in June. I think as the 'fitness' element posts across my social media platforms has got a lot of attention I'll do another blog post focusing on workouts, what I eat and my results with some figures to share with you - if you'd like to read that? Leave me a note in the comments below so I know.
If you're currently on a weight loss/weight gain journey right now I wish you all the best of luck and to see a bit more of what I eat, the shakes I make and my exercises on a daily basis be sure to follow me on Instagram. Remember, focus on how you feel after it's done. You cannot beat endorphins! and to have a bikini body all you need to do is PUT ONE ON. This Summer I made an agreement with myself that I wouldn't hide away in oversized baggy clothes, because every shape and body is beautiful and we all deserve to feel confident in our own bodies - so if you take anything from my post today, please give yourself some self-love.
Thank you for reading!
Love Em oxo
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