Les Mills Step

OK so training to be a fitness instructor has been awesome, and I have been going to more classes than usual to gain experience and see how other instructors conduct themselves.  It was all good fun until I participated in a step class.  OMGeeeeeee what the hell did I just do? If I was going to be truly honest I didn't really like it, it was hard and yep it was hard. 

To keep to the timing was hard, to learn the steps was hard, to laugh at myself well that was easy but ....... damn it was hard.  I walked away from that class thinking I'm never going back there again!

My knees hurt, my back hurts and this tells me that it worked, the workout did something for me, BUT I didn't like it. Why? Because I looked like a total fool.  This is exactly how you are meant to feel when trying something new.  Of course its hard , it's something you've never done before, your body is saying what the hell are you doing?

However your body is amazing, and it doesn't take long for it to adjust.  Just keep trying, don't give up and keep going.  Trust me you will be so proud of yourself in a weeks time looking back.  This is exactly the reason why I am going to keep going to step class, and look like a complete goof.

We are all different and enjoy doing different types of exercise, and for all different reasons.  Myself I started off exercising for weight loss, at first it was just something I had to do.  Now its something I love to do.  I love it so much I'm now instructing, learning Tang Soo Do the art of Karate, going to the gym and loving it. 

I have more energy, I'm happy, I've lost weight, I've changed my whole lifestyle.  I have several jobs I love, my family is healthier, happier, more active.  Its such an amazing impact.  It doesn't all happen overnight though, its been a tough road to get here and the road is still going rough, no smooth driving here.

Really I'm not going to sugar coat it for you, loosing weight is tough, starting to exercise when you never have before is tough!  Have you ever heard anyone say 'if it was easy everyone would be doing it' ? It's true, but I assure you the fittest of people find it hard to do something new or different  too. 

A great friend of mine told me something awesome the other day, mind you she always says awesome things.  Such a motivating and inspirational women she is, and I'm so thankful she's in my life. This friend of mine was talking about needing just a bit of TLC

Time

Love

Consistency




Now this was an awesome acronym, one that I just had to share with the world.  Give yourself time to adjust, love yourself in the process and be consistent.

Consistency is so important when it comes to health and fitness, be consistent and you will thrive.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

If you're reading this and you are trying to loose weight keep reading because I'm here to tell you that you're not alone and what you're feeling is very normal.  Just to say to yourself YES! I am going to start YES! I am going to change my lifestyle you're on the right track.  So lets start with this;

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Tell yourself everyday

I LOVE MYSELF
I AM BEAUTIFUL

DON'T LOOSE FAITH YOU'VE GOT THIS!

Having a healthy mind set can be challenging, especially when you may have been beating yourself up. Eating that tub of ice cream, or an extra piece of that cake, or maybe even the whole cake.  Drinking that bottle of wine whatever it may be.  This is a very damaging process and can be the root problem to your challenges and failures.  I see a failure or a setback as a learning curb, why do we start out so strong and something as little as food can bring it all down so quickly?  You know, and it might not even be food for you it might be something else that's your 'weakness'.  Weakness ....... see here is another word we use often, is emotional eating a weakness?  I don't believe it is.  There's so many ways to describe emotional eating, but its just that isn't it emotional eating.  Half the time I didn't even know that's what I was doing, in most cases it was out of boredom that I ate, other reasons were because I was upset.  Upset about what? Now this is the real question that needs to be answered. To be able to really succeed on any lifestyle change, we need to get to the root problem. 

WHAT IS THE ROOT PROBLEM?

You know you just don't sit around one day and decide "oh I'm going to get fat now". No there is a reason for that weight gain.  For me my weight problems started when I first started to have children.  Now this was 10 years ago, in this time my weight has gone from morbidly obese to underweight to obese to normal to morbidly obese again.  Why?  Why had my weight fluctuated so badly over 10 years why couldn't I stay in the healthy weight range.  I ate healthy didn't I? Yes I did eat healthy food, but I also ate a lot of crap foods too.  Too much alcohol, foods high in saturated fats, salts, sugars.  No! I wasn't too healthy after all.

When I first started to exercise the thought of getting on the scales was confronting.  Now how could you imagine I felt when the figure was not only triple digits but after my first month of sweat, hard work and determination, that figure went up.  Yep not down but UP!  This was embarrassing for me, even though my measurements went down that number on the scale was everything.  Now I have spoken about this before and if you have read any of my blog you will know how this was for me.  Now that I have been on this journey for over a year, I have come to realise that the number on the scale is just that ..... A NUMBER!

I started off worrying about the number on the scale, then the number on the measuring tape, after this was the size of my clothes, and the whole time being so hard on myself.  I still had a negative mindset, just know instead of telling myself I was fat, I was telling myself what I was doing was just not good enough. I didn't ask for help and I wasn't being honest with myself, I just did what I thought was working.  Be brutally honest with yourself, no one needs to know you're 'demons' after all we all have them.  I think what I'm trying to say is, identify and address the root problem, really look at your behaviours and self analyse why you think you do this.  If this is hard for you ask someone for help.  This is the hardest thing you will EVER do, as no one really wants to feel analysed and judged.  If you reach someone will surprise you, and want to help you.

Perusing the world wide web the other day I noticed a shirt, written on it was - 'I am never going to be my original weight again, after all 6lb 8oz is just unreasonable' This sort of light hearted humour at first would have made me upset, but now just reminds me to not take things so seriously.  YES loosing weight is a serious matter, just don't be so serious about everything all the time. The ideals that we have in our heads and what is perceived as healthy are so unrealistic.  This perpetuated image that is socially acceptable as healthy is all but accurate. 

Now I haven't disclosed to you yet that I am in training to be a personal trainer.  Going into the course I was nervous that I wouldn't fit the "mould".  My perception of what a personal trainer looks like was so unrealistic, but why did I have this way of thinking?  The media portrays such an idealistic view of what being healthy "looks" like, is this where my previous disposition was born?  Yes, I do say previous as I have come to realise that being a trainer has nothing to do with being a size 8 and ripped like Arnie.  Recently having a conversation with a very close friend who started a job at the gym, I came to realise other people have this same perception of what is expected walking in to gym.  She is healthy but not a size 8, and believed she wouldn't get the job because of this.  This is a sad notion to admit, and I wonder how many other people out there think the same way?

WHY IS THIS THE ACCEPTED LOOK?

So if any of this is making sense you're not alone, keep going talk to people about what it is your feeling.  Ask your friends, trainers, families questions, if you think its silly I assure you its not.  This will help you in the process of change.  You are worth it.


Now lets talk about nutrition, and fad diets. 

What is a fad diet? 

Yeah we all know these ones and I bet we can all say we've tried one, looked into one, know someone that's on one.  Learning to eat right is not a one package deal, it takes a long time to train yourself to eat correctly, and listen to what your body is trying to tell you.  Do you know when you are thirsty apposed to hungry? Do you know when your body is dehydrated or lacking a vitamin?  Did you say no?  If you are in this category don't worry you're not alone.  I have one rule I follow 'eat in moderation'.  Everything is 'healthy' in moderation you can eat chocolate just not the whole bar.  Yes you can eat pasta, just portioned controlled amounts.  To know this knowledge will truly help you, and the longevity of your healthy lifestyle.  Talk to a nutritionist, sign up to programs like 12WTB where qualified nutritionist give you meal plans.  Educate yourself and ask for guidance, you can do it - remember "you're worth it".

The Effects of Alcohol

All year I have been eating clean and drinking only water, with the odd coffee thrown in every now and then.  I do have 3 children and a partner who is only just beginning to understand why I do what I do, so I need something to calm the cravings. Normally I wouldn't have consumed soft drink if it didn't have some type of alcohol in it. So giving up soft drinks was easy, and the alcohol I haven't missed at all. During the past year I've had three occasions where I consumed an alcoholic beverage. Two of the occasions I stopped after the fourth or filth and one I didn't. Recently I consumed an excessive amount of different types of alcohol, and let me tell you it is not worth it. 

The changes I have noticed to my body and the way it reacts to certain foods and beverages is amazing. Away on holidays with my family we stopped at hungry jacks and I ate a chicken burger which my body violently rejected! I didn't even enjoy eating it there was no taste in it what so ever. I have become accustomed to the concept of the whole "cheat meal" and I wonder why sometimes. After eating something I think I want my body tells me otherwise. It's amazing where our hunger comes from because, the majority of the times it's in our head. 

Saturday night I went out on the "town" with girls from the gym. Started with a lovely dinner and ended in a drunkn sausage fest. I mean come on guys some of them couldn't hold a conversation and the pick up lines pathetic! Just so you know I am happily partnered with three children so I wasn't looking for anything. I really just wanted to have a conversation and that didn't happen. So why go out get absolutely plastered to have NO conversation with people I have NO interest in anyways?

Great question you say maybe wrong place and a little moderation goes a long way. I do deem myself as a lady these days and I should have gone home earlier because ladies don't stay out till 5am drinking shots and talking shit! 

I have spent the last 3 days detoxing my body of the alcohol it's so desperately trying to expel from my system. Not to mention the vial nasty red bull that has done nothing but give me heart palpitations and migraines. But aside from these symptoms I'm experiencing what else has it done to my body that I'm unaware of? 

It's called binge drinking and the effects are astonishing. We all know it's bad for us no good for our health, yet so many do it. It's been 3 years since I've done this to myself and I can only imagine the damage done back then. Especially when I was so over weight my body was already struggling to survive. Yes I use the word survive that's how extreme the health implications were of having so much weight. 

I continue to make informed choices to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We live we learn. Unfortunate I've been one of those people who only learn from their mistakes. Especially as a teenager! We all make mistakes and true this is how we learn but I knew the effects of my actions. Yet still continued on that path. Life is a series of choices and I've chosen my new lifestyle over the old one. 

Where's the Answers?

Lately I have been torn between working out with friends in gym classes and doing workouts that I know are going to benefit my body. Not that the classes don't benefit me they do I feel the need to step it up so to speak. Change my routine. 

 

So I've been doing both classes of the morning and other workouts in the afternoon.  I have been so active that this is what my usual day is like acording to by fitbit. A huge achievement for myself but am I doing more good than harm? 

I have recently read up on some info that I'm sure many of you would find interesting. I am learning about how my body reacts to certain exercises, what is mindless exercise and how to change damaging cycles. 

That right there is a statement to be proud of and the reason why I have got so far. I'm not about to tell you how to loose weight, what to do at the gym or what to eat, because I don't know all the answers. I am learning and progressing because I don't just want to loose weight. I want to learn how to become the best person I can be. To be a great role model for my children and to my friends. To not be hypocritical of the things I say compared with what I do. I want to know how my body is loosing fat stores and how it's gaining muscle. What type of muscle fibres I am building and loosing according to what exercise I am doing. All this and more I want to know. 

I push myself to the limits so often and still wonder why my belly fat is not moving. I'm loosing it everywhere else but the place I'm so longing to be rid of. It wasn't until I recently read an article by a man I've been following for quite some time now. His name is Alex and he has something that I want to share with you all because I believe it to be great information.  The answers I have been seeking where here and some things have been put into perspective for me.  You can download his booklet and workout for yourself. Check out the Facebook page by clicking on the link below to download his stuff it's free and some great motivation. 

https://www.facebook.com/alexbodyrevolution

I'm not going to tell you what the info is you'll have to find that one out yourself. What I can tell you is that it has helped me to answer a few of those hard to ask questions, and to direct me to where I need to go next. 

Just when I think I've got it I get lost agiain. This seems to be pattern that repeats often. I rejoined 12wbt because of this, go to more PT classes at the gym because of this and read through miles of information looking for the answers. 

Amazing Support Network

No one was more shocked than myself when I put together a picture from when I first started this journey till now.  WOW! A friend said "when you see a person every day you don't notice the little changes" this applies to myself too. I look at myself everyday in the mirror and do not realise how far I've come. It's amazing to see the physical change in a picture, and smile because of it. 

The support I've received from people at my gym, friends on Facebook and family has been incredible. To think I have been so hard on myself when I'm doing well. Actually more than just well I'm smashing it. (Just saying humbly) I doubted myself that I couldn't do it by myself. I sabotaged myself from the very start when I didn't sign up for round 3. However looking at my progress photo I did do it. I admit I didn't loose any weight on the scales but I have more muscle definition. Being so lost is a horrible feeling. I think not setting any goals and knowing where I was going was the whole problem. 

This round my sister has joined in too. Which is fantastic as I have someone to work through it with, and who better than my own sister.  Jade has been my main motivator from the start, I have the top on that we bought together back in December last year. It's way too big on me now but I continue to wear it, because it reminds me to keep going.  

Outback Adventures

After yesterday I have decided to concentrate on the positives in my life, because they are so much better than doom and gloom.  Recently my family and I have travelled through Australia or parts of for 6 weeks.  Three kids and my partner in a Land cruiser confined to the small space of our seats and camping in a tent, was magical.  Others may not agree but we really enjoyed ourselves.  The kids kept a journal over the weeks, below is a map from their book of the route we drove .

Over 10,000km together and we experienced life itself.  Now who wouldn't be a on a high after coming back from such a fantastic trip.  Coming from the most incredible places back to the chores of life, I can see why I would have plummeted into the abyss.  Highs and lows isn't that what it's all about, riding the highs and how we deal with the lows.  I was meant to travel.  This map will one day have many lines and colours on it, of the places we've been and the roads we've explored.



Devils Marbles "Karlu Karlu" 2013

Long that yellow line we had an adventure that my children will remember for a long time, that I will cherish for years to come.  We trekked gorges, climbed mountains, found interesting objects and bones, camped underground, met possums and bats, walked through caves, found aliens, watched whales, seen one of the wonders of the world, walked high above rainforests, found dinosaurs, marvelled at glow worms, went rock climbing, found secret waterfalls, canoed, rode horses and best of all spent time with our family.

We had a family reunion to attend along the way it was great to see everyone, but honestly these people I call family many of them are strangers.  Our family is spread far and wide and I am not really close to any that is not in my immediate family.  I don't know their children, their new wives or husbands, for most even where they live.  I met people for the first time, seen people I hadn't seen in many years, and sat back and watched from a distance while people mingled. I felt as though I didn't know anyone, and that was true in many ways I didn't.  Just as they didn't know me and who my children were. Yeah sure people knew our names and that we were family, but they didn't know who I was what makes me the person I am.  My life's story, and that's ok because its only the people closest to us that we let in, show the true person we are.  Its the people closest to us that accept us for all the good and bad, for the demons.  Its the people who give us unconditional love that really know the truth.  Which brings me to the one person in this world that fits the bill, my sister.

 

My whole fitness journey started from the moment I seen my beautiful sister back in December 2012. 



She inspired me back then and continues to inspire me now.  I love her dearly and wished that we lived closer to each other, I'm yet to find a friend like her.  I must say the high light of out trip was hiking through Lawn Hill Gorge with my sister.  We had been quite lazy while camping and hadn't done much in terms of exercise, I even allowed myself to consume the odd ice cream.  Which if any of you know is a real treat whilst on a weight loss journey.  We walked 7km through the gorge up to the lookout.  The boys and the kids canoed through the gorge.

This is us looking down on them from the lookout

 Here are some more pictures of our amazing adventure.