First trip to the gym and I manage a whole 3 minutes on the cross trainer. After trying out all the machines I am dying, really dying, but I chip away at it and I've slowly changed the way I eat, but after two gym buddies decide it’s not for them I struggle to keep it up. October rolls around and I’m getting to the gym all of once a week :( So my neighbour and new friend has said she want to get to the gym too. Woohoo, someone to shame me into getting off my fatty bum and challenge me! It helps that she has done running and swimming in the past so I need to work hard to catch up! I get back into it and we aim for 3 times a week. All is going well, we’re having fun, getting out of the house and getting fit.
Now were in to January 2011, after a large Christmas break (hehe) we’re back on it but now I’m taking it one step further once again, now I will weigh and measure myself to really get focused. I now weigh 11st 3lb, granted not a large weight loss but it’s coming off and staying off. Over the next 6 months I get my weight down to 10st 4lb. I’m feeling good and having fun, yes there are plenty of bumps in the road (I am human after all), lots of naughty meals and snacks, but slowly I’m learning to eat better and my cooking is improving(ish).
By the time January 2012 rolls around I am 10st 6lb. I know I’ve put two lb. on but I’ve lost another 3 inches. Progress is veeeery slow at this point I’m bored!!! I worked my arse off, even ran 5k for cancer research, so I know I’m a LOT fitter than when I started but blahhhhhhhhhhh, I want to lose more and have a sexy body like them b%*"#es in the mags, (yer yer I’m shallow aren’t we all a little?). Anywho, my wonderful gym buddy says “let’s do the classes this year, try them all and see what we like”! Well I’ll try anything once! The first few we try are good and get us sweating so we get brave and try a pump class, then in walks this instructor, all toned and muscles, boxing gloves tattooed on his arm. Yes, I am terrified. This man looks like he's about to make mincemeat of us! He did the hardest class I’ve ever done, every part of my body was screaming but wow did I feel great! So we continued with this guy’s classes and learnt his name was Mike. He was funny and so nice, not the evil military trainer I first thought he would be (hehe sorry Mike but it’s true :))
2012 is my year, I'm feeling great and so proud of myself I end up doing anything from 2 to 6 classes a week. The work outs are always hard but to have that push a trainer gives is invaluable. I can't just walk out when I’m tired, I have to stick it out or look like a right plum leaving half way through. Again, the weight loss is so slow but the inches are falling off me. I’m getting toned and people can't stop telling me how great I look, bonus! :) As we move into November I quite like how I look and want to just shift that last bit that’s clinging on. I now weigh 9st 12lb, yay! I’m in the 9's! I don't think I’ve been this weight for years, not since I was 17! I have a great friendship with our trainer, Mike, and have met some great people at the gym, so I feel confident enough to ask "How can I shift half a stone? My weight has stayed the same for a long time now. Will I get any slimmer or is this just how I’m meant to be, a healthy and (mostly) happy size 12?”
So Mike tells me about his Kickstart Fatloss club. Oh go on then let’s give it a try. DETOX?!! Are you having a laugh? I can't detox I need to eat! I think he wanted to kill me, that’s the only explanation for asking me to bloody detox!!!
Meeting one, oh thank god I’ve seen the list of food I can eat on the 14 day "detox" and it looks good. So detox isn't just lemon water and cabbage, its lean meat, fish veg, eggs and much more. I guess it’s time to learn to cook for real then! With lots of help and encouragement from Mike and my amazing gym buddy I get through week one. I lose 6lb; I’m at goal weight after one week and a size 10 to boot! Nice :)
Week two is much easier. My husband is keeping his snacking at work (good man) and he's loving the meals as much as I am. I feel very proud that there are not only spices in my kitchen but I use them. Get me, cooking like a grown up! I don't lose any weight in week two but my god the inches have again fallen off, I lost 9inches in two weeks! As a woman I don't know if I will ever be completely happy with my body but the changes are amazing, well see for yourself…
Now we’re here in January 2013. I put 3lb on over Christmas but that’s now gone. I’m back on the fitness and even thinking about training to be a trainer myself! Hmmmm, maybe I’m not sure really because as I write this I’m munching on Malteasers. Can you be a trainer and be naughty or do you have to be strict and perfect? As it stands I’m a busy mum, my youngest will start 4 mornings a week at playschool after Easter so I guess that’s the time for me to decide. Got lots of thinking to do, am I brave enough? Have I got what it takes? Do people want fitness advice from a 32 year old mum who eats far too much chocolate?
Good blog :) and yes woman (well me anyway) would prefer a trainer who was proof you can be fit and healthy bit still have a life ...a real person not some lettuce leaf munching fitness freak.
ReplyDeleteyour photos are incredible xxx well done u. no that u looked bad before!! lucky gal x
ReplyDeleteThank you ladys, With the feed back i'm getting here and on facebook i can't help but feel proud x your all to kind xx
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome woman! The only think your lacking is a dose of confidence.... you will make an amazing trainer.. you are real.. a mum who isnt afraid of a chocolate biscuit! Incredibly proud of you xxx
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely incredible! Well done! An inspiration to anyone who wants to lose weight! Quick question. Did you find any excess skin after such an amazing transformation? If so how did you get rid of it?
ReplyDeleteHi Ryan, i don't know if its luck or the fact that i did quite a lot of weight lifting "pump max classes" but the only loose skin thats stuck is on my tummy but it's only visible when i bend over or lay on my side! I did find bio oil very usefull, i used it twice a day when i was bigger it repared damaged skin witch got rid of strech marks and seemed to make me skin tighter. i hope that is helpfull, thank you for your very kind feedback x
ReplyDeleteHoly cow, that's some progress! I thought you must've mistyped at some points: 6lbs lost one week, 9 inches lost on another!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your excellent progress and good luck with your search for a career in the fitness industry.
Great first post - and wow, it's really having an effect! I started much further back than you at nearly 14 stone, but one day, I'll get there. I think my youngest is probably about a year younger than yours.
ReplyDeleteMy fitness instructor is a Mum of three who lost 5.5 stone on her journey to becoming a fitness instructor, post children. She told me just last week how she polished off a whole box of chocolates by herself in one sitting over christmas, and a lot else besides. She's now doing the KSFL detox and is keen to tell us that it's all about balance. She did the binge and is now cleaning up. As long as you're aware of what you're doing and don't let it get too far then it's OK. Her advice means more to me than someone who has only ever been a gym bunny because she's been where I am, knows what life as a Mum is like and, well, if she can do it, so can I.
Go for it Wolfy! You'll BE the proof your clients need that they can make the change too. :)