Sometimes to understand where someone is going you have to first understand where they have been. I am about to start blogging frequently about my fitness pursuits so I wanted you to know the struggles and victories I have faced previously.
Why is a lawyer and entrepreneur talking to me about fitness? What does she know and why am I not listening to a PT instead? The answer is simple, I have lived it! I have gone from that place of despair being disproportionality unhappy with my body, shed over two stone and achieved the near 'perfect body'. The only qualification I have is life.
Before anyone slams me for the prefect body statement a) I am not talking about my current body and b) it was perfect for me and that's what's important. Everyone's body goals should be different be because THEY ARE different.
I have always been an image conscious sort of a girl. From 15 years old I had a membership at the local gym but slowly the weight piled on. Fast forward to when I hit 27 and I was overweight. I wasn't a burden on the NHS overweight but I was unhappy with the way I looked and most importantly, I was unhealthy. I hadn't realised it at the time but although id been attending the gym for 3 time a weeks for 10 years, my efforts weren't far off sitting on the couch. Id drive to the gym, tootle around on the treadmill for 20, maybe swish the cross trainer about for 10 and spend another 15 lying on the floor occasionally doing sit ups. This will get you nowhere! My conscience was somehow salved by the idea that monthly sums of money went out of my bank account to the gym and that counted to something. In addition my diet was shocking, my favourite thing to eat was McDonalds and my food choices were tied in with a sense of self-indulgence I just couldn't see. "I have had a terrible day so I deserve this bar of chocolate" or "I ran for ten minutes so I earned this fast food".
My best friend and I, you can see where it was all going wrong with the diet.
One of my episodes travelling lead me to Australia, which lead me to surfing. Before I left I tipped the scales at 10 stone 4lbs. Actually writing that number makes me feel sick as I know all the unhealthiness that went into making it up.
Proof of the surfing and my biggest shape Proof of the surfing and my biggest shape!
Surfing actually helped kick start my weight loss. If you ever get a chance... DO IT! It's so much fun and striving against the waves to get out there is the best exercise ever!
On my return from travelling I was determined to do something about my fitness. A friend and I joined a boot camp in our local area. I'd previously gone for the fanciest gyms with the nice swimming pool. This one was reasonably priced and didn't boast all the trimmings of my usual gym but I actually achieved something. The basics were following HIIT (high intensity interval training) mostly bodyweight stuff, burpees, push-ups, squats, kettle bells and tyres. The nutrition was cutting down carbs and re-educating.
I learnt so many things on this journey I can't put them in one blog but I will try and share them all by the end of this fitness series.
Covered in mud but working hard at Spartan race!
Long story short in the months that followed I lost over two stone and at my lightest I weighed 8 stone 2lbs. I was happy full of energy and I felt so much better for so many reasons! Now to share a more flattering photos to demonstrate the shape I was in.
I wish this was where the story ended up it doesn't. Part two coming soon.