Thursday 9 January 2014

Week one


When you feel like quitting, remember why you started

Firstly, I just wanted to say a big thanks to everybody reading and for the lovely comments I've had from some people this week. I'm glad that I'm inspiring some of you to spring into action too.

So here we are a week into the longest month of the year... yet here I am like Tigger (I don't think I've ever been excited in January :). I'm excited because this week has been the first full week of training and eating clean... And guess what, I haven't fallen off the wagon half way through the week like normal (well, there was a cheeky quality street but that is it). I suppose baring your bod to the world really does provide motivation....But more exciting than that is that I am starting to see changes already. My body is quite responsive normally but I thought going over the ol (ahem) 30 hill and popping two kids out, may have slowed it down a bit (remind me of this later when I can't shake the final few pounds off). I'm not sure if you can see the progress that much and the scales don't say it (this is why I don't weigh myself), but I can see it and that just makes me think, if I feel like this after 1 week, how will I feel (and look) after 12 weeks.

Now, I'm not saying this is easy. Far from it. I am really having to dig deep and planning is definitely key as I have said before. Juggling the kids and workouts is hard, but if you want it bad enough you make it work (I also have a good support network around me). Below is a picture of the board in my kitchen. This is just a high level view of what I do but you can see I am a busy bee.



The workouts this week are listed below. I'm not going to list every thing within each workout as that would be boring (and quite a list) so I'll give you a little snapshot.

Friday - Elite - Bootcamp
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Elite - Get Ripped
Monday - Elite - Bootcamp
Tuesday - Esther - First Session
Wednesday - Elite - Boxing session
Thursday - Esther

PERSONAL TRAINING The sessions with Esther have been BRILLIANT! They are killer and have made me sweat, swear, laugh, nearly cry, but more importantly, feel amazing. She knows how to push me to my absolute limits (which is good as that is her job). This week we have been doing full body workouts. They have been weight workouts that have included squats, lunges, bicep curls, dumbbell flys, single leg deadlifts to name a few! It's been fun but hard work and I have come out of the workouts feeling super motivated, albeit unable to walk ;) 

BOOTCAMP bloody hell, I'll have a go at listing most of the exercises... Boxing, step ups, skipping, lunges (with weights), smashing the tyre with a hammer/barrell, tyre flip, pulling the sled, step up with kettle bells, burpees, press ups, TRX, stability ball squats.... need I go on... oh ok, throw in some abs too and you're done.

BOXING The boxing session nicely(!) sandwiched between Esther's session was also a killer. Boxing is great though! It has so many benefits, one that it is a cardio workout for the whole body. 

As I am typing this blog now, everything is hurting... no pain no gain though eh!

Photo: Who knows this feel?

As for food.... Now this may shock you but on the days that I am training (ahem, nearly all of them!) I need to be eating about 2300kcal. I know, pick your jaw up. I am not following a calorie count diet, but that just show you, YOU HAVE TO EAT!! Your body needs fuel. None of these juice diets, limited calorie diets, fad diets! 
I'm not a professional so I'm not going to try and explain the science behind food and eating, but all I know is that you need to eat and should try to eat around 6 small meals a day. To see what I am eating you can have a look here: Kirsty's Food Diary

You will see in my diary that protein shakes feature in my diet. As I've been chuntering on for a bit already in this post today, I'll do another over the weekend to tell you what I know about protein shakes and why I have them. I have been using them since I had Isabelle and love them. There are lots of myths, stories etc about them so next time I'll tell you what I know and my experiences and which ones I use and why. 



Right, enough chat, lets get on with the progress pics. Here you go.

  
Tomorrow I am doing the thing I hate, running, pah! It's a rest/run day. I don't have any running trainers (all my trainers are crossfit/weight trainers) so I am going to pop to Cheshire Oaks to visit Asics for a good (but cheap) pair. I didn't budget for trainers on maternity pay :) I have to have good supporting trainers as those who know me, know about my dodgy knees which cut my running career dead was I was a young un.

That's it for now, thanks for reading!




5 comments:

  1. This is fabulous Kirsty...and an inspiring read. Keep going you look great already .
    Julia x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great blog, Kirst. A brilliant way to spend your maternity leave! You'll look and feel amazing :) Kylie x

    ReplyDelete
  3. hi kirsty this is a great read. I will certainly be following your progress and hopefully taking a leaf out of your book. You're doing a great job, well done and keep up the good work love Angela xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks all for your lovely comments *blushes*. I just wanted to give a normal persons account of things and see how much work you have to do to actually change your body! You're all motivating me by the support, so thank you! :) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. A weight-loss program that overly restricts calories will set you up for failure, as will a skipped meal. There is a point at which cutting calories will work against weight loss because consuming too few calories (or too few meals) leads to increased appetite and low satiety as your body prevents starvation. You will find it hard to implement your healthy eating goals when you're feeling hungry and dissatisfied. And you will suffer from cravings, ultimately causing you to fall into under-eating and over-eating cycles.
    Your body will make a choice: lose body fat or lose muscle. An inadequately fuelled body will choose to drop calorie-burning muscle rather than fat. Excessive loss of lean muscle mass leads to weight loss without improvement of body composition or health. This leaves you frustrated and ever-battling your weight.
    Create an eating plan to control your calories and make sure you're eating balanced meals and snacks. A consistent eating pattern will control your energy level, appetite, cravings, blood glucose and insulin levels. Plus, eating regular meals and snacks help you practice portion control and fuel your resting metabolism.
    Your resting metabolic rate can be roughly estimated by multiplying your body weight (in pounds) by 10. This is the minimum number of calories that your body needs to lose weight. Consuming fewer calories than your resting metabolism is counteractive. Your total daily needs are your resting metabolic rate plus the calories burned in everyday living and in exercise.
    Breakfast Is Essential
    Start the day with a well-balanced breakfast that includes a lean protein-rich food along with whole grains and veggies or fruit. High-quality protein at breakfast will help control your appetite all day. Breakfast starts your metabolic engine and is associated with successful maintenance of weight loss. Without it, you are prone to overeating later in the day.
    Snacks
    A well-timed snack will prevent that late afternoon crash and overeating at meal time. Plan to snack. Keep healthy options accessible to avoid the candy dish. Healthy but high-calorie snacks such as nuts and dried fruit should be consumed in small amounts. Prepare these snacks ahead of time so that they are ready when you need them.
    Eat More to Consume Less
    Nourish your body with quality foods that you can eat more of such as foods that are high in volume, but low in calories. This will help to fill your plate and your stomach without overdoing the calories.

    ReplyDelete