Health & Fitness Roundup - March

You may remember my ‘Health & Fitness Roundup’ posts from the beginning of last year, well they are back! I found it super helpful to put out there how I’m getting on and it helped me to keep focused.

I have been over weight for a long time, I have an under active thyroid which doesn’t help matters but at the end of the day I have eaten way too much of the wrong things! It definitely affects my confidence and self esteem and I don’t want to live like that anymore. Over the past year I have massively got into my fitness but my nutrition lets me down and has meant the weight doesn’t budge much. I want to feel fitter and healthier, I want to feel confident in my own skin. So each month I am going to share with you all how I am getting on, so here goes...

Food...

I feel like I have finally seen the light with this one! I have started eating clean, meaning my diet mainly consists of single ingredient foods and no caffeine, sugar, wheat or alcohol. I stuck to his religiously before I went to Australia and lost a stone. I also found that I felt a thousand times better, I had more energy, my eczema disappeared and my thyroid levelled out. It was amazing! But then Australia, Christmas, my30^th and a mass of social occasions happened and I fell off the wagon big time. Nightmare! However I’m finally back on it and have been pretty good this month up until the last week as I’ve been on leave and do you know what, I don’t want to not be able to have a life, so I’ve been pretty naughty but I’m ready to go back to being good next week. I’ve also been doing a massive food prep session on a Sunday evening so I’m all ready for the week ahead. As I juggle 2 jobs I find that I’m sometimes in a rush or too tired to go so I eat crap on the go, so prepping for the week ahead I have no excuses any more! I think I’m also going to post some of my clean recipes on here to share with you all!

Exercise...

Boot camp x 8 sessions

Physiques x12 sessions

Runs x 12

I’m still doing my boot camp which is a circuits class, I do 2 sessions a week and I’ve been doing it for over a year! I think its the longest I’ve ever stuck at any form of exercise! The guys who run it also run a physiques class which is a ladies weight lifting class which I’ve joined and been doing 3 times a week. Before this I had never lifted weights in my life and I LOVE IT!!

I’m also still going at the running, I’m horrendously bad at it!  I really wish I could improve but I am so slow and regularly have to stop and walk 1whilst other runners lap me! Mortifying! Saying that though, I’ve signed to do another 10k this summer and I’ve signed up to do a half marathon in October, bonkers I know!!! I can barely run 5 k at the mo but I need to have aims to keep me motivated!

I’ve also signed up to do another tough mudder at the end of April, I loved it last year it was such an amazing experience! However everyone I’m doing it with are amazing runners and I’m terrified I’m going to be left behind!

Progress...

Chest:   -0”

Hips:  -2”

Thighs:   left -0.5” Right -0”

Bottom: -0”

Arms:  Left -0” Right -0”

Waist: -0.5”

Weight loss this month: 6lb

Total Weight loss: 6lb

I am pretty chuffed with this month’s progress! On average I’ve not lost many inches and I’m 6lbs down! Over all I need to lose 4 stone, I am hoping I can achieve this by the end of the year, fingers crossed!

March's Health and Fitness Roundup

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Welcome to my third instalment of my monthly health and fitness updates, you can check out last month’s here. The idea behind these posts is to keep me focused and on track, so here is how March went...

Food...

My diet is my big let down at the minute, I completely fell off the bandwagon in February and have been having a nightmare trying to get back on it. I have been so stressed with handing my notice in at work it’s all been a bit too much and I am a comfort eater. I’m also a convenience eater, I eat quick things I can grab on the go and spend very limited time in the kitchen. Well my friends, that is all going to change! As I mentioned in Aprils motivational Monday post, April is all about change and that includes my diet. My new job is based nowhere near any shops so I can’t just nip out for a naughty m&s sandwich, I will have to be prepared! I am going to make a healthy pack lunch each day which I think will make a big difference for me and get my more in control of what I put into my mouth. My other challenge is to start eating breakfast, at present the thought of eating when I wake up makes me feel sick. I don’t get those people who say they wake up hungry, it baffles me! But I know it’s the important meal of the day so I am going to try my best with it. I am heading back to weight watchers, I find getting weighed each week keeps me on the straight and narrow too.

Exercise done in March...

Boot camp x 6 sessions

Rowing x1 sessions (1.5 hours)

Runs x7

The last week in March was a massive write off as I was finishing work and I then had a stinking cold so all exercise was off. Prior to that thought I was managing 2 bootcamp sessions a week, I normally do 3 so was a little unhappy with myself on this one. However I have now thrown running in the mix. As I mentioned last month I have signed up to run a 10k in September so I have started working towards that. At present I can’t run 1k, this is no exaggeration, I run for a few minutes then walk but I am determined to improve and show myself that I can do it!

Progress this month...

	Loss in March in inches	Total Loss in inches
Chest	0.5	1.5
Hips	2.5	4
Left Thigh	2	3
Right Thigh	1.5	2.5
Bottom	2	4
Left Arm	0.5	2
Right Arm	0.5	2
Waist	2.5	5

Weight loss this month:   4lbs

Total weight loss:   9lbs

I also managed to wedge myself into a size 14 pair of jeans so I am pretty happy with this month’s progress! I still have a long way to go and I’m determined to stay on track this month and work really hard. Wish me luck! 

Februarys Health and Fitness Roundup

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This is the second instalment of my monthly Health and Fitness updates, check out the first one here which explains a bit more as to why these posts will be popping up regularly! I was hoping to post this last week but I’ve been a bit AWOL from blog land. However lots of good and exciting things are a foot which I shall explain about soon, so ear with me, I will be blogging regularly again soon! Promise!

 

I’ve been really hesitant about writing this post as I had a pretty bad month in February. I had bronchitis for the first 3 weeks of the month, which was awful, I was making it to work then just coming home and crashing. It completely wiped me out. It also meant I was massively craving comfort foods, so pretty much lived off toast for the month. Then I finally start to feel human again but the last week of the month became stress central at work, so my exercise improved but my diet was still pretty lethal. I am a massive comfort eater!

 

Unsurprisingly I ended up putting 2lbs on which has got me down as January was such a positive month. So although I was undecided about writing this post, the idea of this series is to document my fitness journey, the good, the bad and the ugly and most importantly keep myself motivated.

 

So the question now is what am I going to do to get back on track? Well I’ve took the bull by the horns and signed up for ‘Run to the Beat’ which is a 10k run in London in September. I currently can’t run to the end of my road without hyperventilating but it’s on my ’30 before 30’ list and I really want to achieve it. I also work so much better when I have something I’m aiming towards. I’ve enlisted the help of one of the coaches from boot camp who’s also a personal trainer. He is going to set up a training plan for which I’m excited to start. We’ve already set my 6 week goal as being able to run 2 miles!! It may not seem like much but it’s like a marathon in my world! Eeeek!

 

I am also back doing my fitness camp sessions 3 times a week and rowing on Saturdays. It feels really good to be exercising again!

 

Exercise done in February ...

Boot camp x 5 sessions

Rowing x2 sessions (3 hours)

 

Progress this month...

Chest:   -1”

Hips:  +0.5”

Thighs:   left +1” Right -0”

Bottom: -0”

Arms:  Left -0.5” Right -0.5”

Waist: -0”

Weight loss this month: +2lb

Total Weight loss: 5lb

 

Disappointing results for February but I think I need to accept that I am going to have times where I am ill and there’s nothing I can do about it. It just makes me more determined to achieve my goals and work hard!

January's Health and Fitness Roundup

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This is a completely new kind of post from me, a monthly health and fitness update! I don’t usually share this part of my life on here but I’m hoping that by recording it regularly it will keep me motivated and on the straight and narrow!

I have been over weight for a long time, I have an under active thyroid which doesn’t help matters but at the end of the day I have eaten way too much of the wrong things and don’t move nearly half as much as I should! I have finally reached a point over Christmas where I can’t bear to feel bloated and uncomfortable with myself. It definitely affects my confidence and self esteem and I don’t want to live like that anymore. So this isn’t a new years resolution, I think there a load of pants, this is all about a permanent life change. I want to feel fitter and healthier, I want to feel confident in my own skin. So each month I am going to share with you all how I am getting on, so here goes...

Food...

To sort out my diet I have signed up to weight watchers, I have followed their programme before and have really enjoyed it and always seen results. By going each week to get weighed and recording everything I eat on their phone app, it really helped to keep me on track. I don’t find weight watchers limiting, or feel that I am ‘dieting’, I can eat anything I just need to track and stay within my allocated points! I’m not going to lie though I have derailed a few times this month as it was my birthday near the beginning of the month and I’ve had numerous celebrations involving food and drink. I’ve also been a bit poorly for the last week or so have been a bit lazy with food prep but I’m determined to get back on the wagon!

Exercise...

Boot camp x10 sessions

Rowing x2 sessions (3 hours)

Yoga x 1 session

Step aerobics x 1 session

I’ve gone from very limited exercise to doing something every other day at the least over January. I signed up for boot camp, which is basically a circuit’s class 3 times a week. I decided to sign up for the morning sessions which start at 6am (yes it is ridiculously early!) but I have found it a great way to start the day and have to admit I really enjoy it! It’s different every session and is a great mix of cardio and weights. I definitely have seen my fitness improve and I have signed up to keep going in February!

I also go rowing (out at sea) once a week for 90 minutes which I have been doing since I was about 14. I love being out at sea and it’s a great exercise for your whole body. It’s been cancelled a couple of times this month due to the weather so I’ve not been out as much as I like.

I’ve also tried to throw in a couple of other classes but have found it pretty exhausting so this is something I might try again towards the end of February and I don’t want to overdo it.

Progress...

Chest:   -1”

Hips:  -2”

Thighs:   left -2” Right -1”

Bottom: -2”

Arms:  Left -1” Right -1”

Waist: -2.5”

Weight loss this month: 7lb

Total Weight loss: 7lb

I am pretty chuffed with this month’s progress! On average I’ve lost 2 inches all over and I’m 7lbs down! Over all I need to lose 4 stone, I am hoping I can achieve this by the end of the year. I am off to Australia in November and would love to be able to wear a bikini!