I decided to get started again I would share my recent 12 week transformation.
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| Untensed images are never the best but I am so happy with this change |
I have been into fitness for a few years as many will already know as I write about it regularly. The problem with being interest in working out is it can become obsessive and extremely frustrating when you feel you're working your ass off but still don't have the perfect ass (which we all want). A few months ago I was stuck in a rut. I was working full time at ELLE magazine on the week days and both weekend days at Virgin Active, I was desperately trying to fit in my workouts which led to me killing myself with cardio classes. I was getting up at 6am to work out for around 2 hours, rush across London to work before sometimes rushing BACK for another class in the evening all at the same time as barely eating a good nutritional meal. Sounds crazy doesn't it? All that exercise, very little food and very poor sleep it wasn't a surprise I actually started to gain weight.
My confidence was destroyed and I was permanently tired, grumpy and frustrated with myself. After qualifying as an instructor I knew what needed to be done but I just needed some extra support and ideas and luckily for me I found some great people. The cardio trap that so many of us fall into is tough to get out of. The idea that the only way to look great is to burn hundreds of calories by high intensity cardio and eating little carbs and erm... well little anything. Tiny salad and lots of fruit sounds like the recipe for abs? I knew it wasn't right but didn't know where to start in fixing it.
Working at Virgin Active in London went in my favour as the personal trainers there certainly know what they are talking about. One PT, Jo was so lovely and sat down and reviewed my nutrition and gave me amazing advice on how to change it up. Plenty of protein, good fats and certainly not to be scared of carbs. Cut down on the sugary rubbish which was a given and to stop relying on fruit as a snack to fill me up. After our chat I felt motivated and determined to put this into action. So I did, straight away.
I then decided to contact Hannah, you may know of the fitness blog, Instagram and Youtube channel Wedges & Weights, Hannah is the bundle of joy behind this and she is so great. After winning her summer sweat challenge last year we met and trained together so I knew she was well suited to me as a person as we get on well and I knew she would understand my troubles. She wrote me a programme focussing on weight training with some HIIT and intervals as my cardio which has been amazing. She also followed up on my nutrition, reiterating all that Jo had told me so once a week she would review my food diary. It was an extra push for my motivation and will power to be accountable to somebody else and when it came to my four week check in with transformation pictures and measurements I did not want to feel rubbish having to send over proof that I wasn't doing well. I started feeling better immediately, just 4 weeks in the difference was obvious.
12 weeks in I feel like a different person. I wanted to feel confident on my holiday a few weeks ago and I am unrecognisable to the unhealthy girl I was 3 months ago. Obviously you can see the physical differences however the mental and emotional progress is more important to me. I've stopped aiming to be able to see my abs, or make my stomach flatter and started to set more fulfilling goals like being able to do full pull-ups or adding an extra 5kg onto my deadlift weight. I have realised by setting goals like these make you feel a surge of excitement when you hit them and then you're ready to aim higher and by keeping up with these goals the definition and physical changes will come. Never in my life have I been able to do pull-ups or full un-assisted tricep dips but getting my head in the right game has led to passing many milestones, I have never seen some of the muscles and definition that I can now.
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| Don't be tempted to go on a crazy diet before your holiday. Give yourself time and then you can feel good all year round |
Never forget that health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being... looking good is only one part of that. You may fit in to a size 6 but are you truly content and more importantly can you sustain that? 12 weeks to transform may seem like too long to some people but I would rather take my time and know that I can keep this up all year round than crash dieting for 4 weeks and taking back all the work as soon as you stop. Its a lifestyle not a diet. Many people are convinced by 'detoxing' and 'cleansing' to lose weight but living off shakes and green tea for days is not going to help you reach your long term goals. Focus on eating a balanced diet and regular exercise and give you body time. That way you wont feel twice as bad when you have to binge by grabbing all the food in your sight when youre so hungry you cant last anymore, been there, done that! believe me!
Now im qualified to instruct others I am glad I took the time to understand my own body and be confident in making the right decisions by myself. I am looking forward to teaching properly since I passed my Spinning course and am set to attend a course in Kettlebells and Body Pump. Its all very exciting to turn a passion into a job. I just want people to realise that when you see somebody in great shape in the gym you should stop to appreciate the journey they have taken to get there.
Contact Hannah Mills at Wedges and Weights for her online training if you need support and help like I did. If anybody has any questions about my experience or what I'm up to now then feel free to message or email me.
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