Taking the reins of my life in
every way has been a constant battle - and especially so in the past five years.
When you're a mum, sure... your
life tends to take a back seat. It comes with the job title of 'Mummy': it's
all about selflessness.
Selflessness = letting your own
agenda fall by the wayside, and this has been a hallmark of my life for the
past several years. My agenda did include looking after myself, enjoying
my life, taking more time out for me, eating well, and fitting in some exercise
but... these basics suddenly become luxuries when you are caring for those more
vulnerable than you.
In my case, it was caring for my
young twins when I had no additional help on hand. No mum, in laws, nannies, or
family. Just my husband and I.
This made us into the formidable
team we are today. Unbreakable, resilient, steadfast in our goals.
However, even the strongest can
crumble... especially as my role as carer for my mother has increased greatly
in recent years.
The result?
An unhealthy attitude to life in
every way, including eating the wrong foods and not caring much for physical
activity. And even Elle Woods ('Legally Blonde') understands this is wrong-ville - she so wisely said:
"Exercise gives you endorphins; endorphins make you happy!"
And so... my way of living was a
recipe for depression, as well as weight gain, and enabling a destructive sense
of un-wellbeing in every
way.
It does not take a genius to
realise this leads to being the wrong size for your body shape, having an untoned body, and a cultivating a generally bad way of approaching
life.
So. When I found out about an
opportunity to road test a soon-to-be-released program run by the Fit n Fast gym network
called 'Project 90', I volunteered.
Now, I am very much a
say-yes-first, worry-about-what-it entails-later kinda gal, so while I knew the
basics of what was required of me, I just wanted to jump in head first. I knew
this was to be a catalyst for an entire life change.
And that's what I did.
And so, brand new trackies were
purchased, and the obligatory 'before' shots were taken (ugh! That's okay...
MORE motivation to succeed!) and I met with the Project 90 support team: the head of Personal Training and the Marketing Manager at Fit n
Fast (the brains behind Project 90) and... my
very own personal trainer Hayley.
I transitioned quickly: the
person spearheading the nutritional side of the campaign was Matt O'Neill
- one of Australia's top nutritionists, and
a regular on Channel 7's 'Sunrise' and 'Morning Show' and the creator of the 'MetabolicJumpstart' program. He was the man taking the reins of the eating side of
things, which is of course a huge part of weight loss and feeling and looking
better.
And in the past
few weeks... success!
Thanks to an easy to follow
eating plan which aims for 5000 kilojoules consumed each day, and filled with
lots of good stuff (proteins AND carbs, starches, fruits, and veg) and personal
training sessions at my local Fit n Fast with Hayley two days a week (the other
three required days of gym sessions are done solo, but Hayley is always on hand
to give me directions or a motivational boost), I have already lost two kilos.
It may not sound like much, but I
always think of it this way: that's, say, the equivalent of a two kilo bag of
potatoes now NOT hanging off my body.
As a consequence, I am already
striding up stairs quicker and without pausing for breath, my pants are looser,
my twinnie-baby-belly has diminished significantly, and I am feeling happier
and more confident.
I am on my way to 'something'...
and my body and mind know it, and are cheering me all the way.
My weekly phone calls with Matt
O'Neill each Monday are a HUGE source of inspiration, as he gives
me clear, easy to follow goals to follow (this week, i's all about rating my
effort during exercise, pushing through the exercise barrier and going that extra
step, and fine tuning my diet and exercise regime so I can maximise
results).
Here I am on the very first day
of my new life, which started on July 1:
The look on my face says it all -
happiness, anticipation, and excitement for what lays ahead. And a good dose
dose of nervous energy.
I hope you can be inspired as you
follow me on my journey, which is about so much more than centimetres and
weight loss (although, yes, these are the measurables by which I will be
defining my success). Within 90 days I will be unveiling a whole new me.
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