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Friday 9 August 2013

Project 90: My Fit n Fast Journey - Report Three

So, here we are... report three of my Fit n Fast 'Project 90' program. (Here is part one and part two which gives an intro and updates on my journey).

I am six weeks in and happy to report I am down to 4kg of actual weight loss.

While it's only another 400g of weight loss since my last report (the weight loss plateau is common, my nutritionist Matt O'Neill tells me, and can happen at any time during the weight loss journey), I KNOW I have lost some serious centremetres off every area of my body (sadly, also... my fabulous boobs. But that's okay! I can safely assume some of that was because I was not my goal weight. Plus, all women know it's the FIRST place you lose it).

I will give you a centremetre-whittling report in the next instalment: my trainer Hayley is due to assess me at the gym next week.

And so, what's been happening so far?

Well, the emotional toll of life events threaten to derail again, but I continue to firmly recognise that my daily Fit n Fast visits are a consistent respite for me. No matter that I spend half an hour (or more) sweating and huffing and puffing: it's my time to feel like I have acheived something for me, taken time out to work on my body shape, my health, and my mental stability. It is utterly 'selfish' in mummy-world, but seasoned, balanced mums know this kind of respite is essential. I am not kidding. I will continue this long after my official reporting is over, as the benefits are so huge, in every way.

Anyone I speak to - especially mums, and close friends who know how much I have on my plate - agrees that making that short trek to the gym is my little godsend right now. It's their's too.

My weekly nutritional catch up phone calls with Matt O'Neill from Metabolic Jumpstart continue to be inspirational and laden with 'fat-free' tips!

One of the cornerstones of Matt's program is the concept of 'exchanges'.

I thought it best that he explain exactly what that means:

On a Metabolic Jumpstart diet plan, the amounts of essential foods (vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein, healthy oils and starches) are matched for the metabolic profile and desired results of each individual. To ensure both the best match and flexibility, specific amounts called 'Exchanges' are used. For example, 1 Fruit Exchange equals 300kJ, which equates to 1 medium banana, 1.5 tablspoons sultanas or 22 grapes. As long as you eat the target number of 'Exchanges' prescribed for each food group, your diet plan is on target and you don’t have to work out any kilojoules," says Matt O'Neill.

It really is that easy, folks. I have a chart on my fridge and I follow it. I really like that I am guided by something specific. It cuts out the confusion.

With one week sans my trainer Hayley, I pushed myself super hard: she set some goals and challenges for me and I smashed them each time: beating my 'personal best' on the rowing machine every time, for example.

I went a harder on the treadmill, too... the incline function is now my new best friend. I find that popping in the headphones is a brill distraction. Hayley gave me a sneaky tip to try next week: cover the monitor with your hand towel so you don't see the calories burned, or time left, until the very end. I will try this on the ol' Stairmaster next week.

Now that Hayley is back she has trained me hard this week. I was introduced to boxing and have taken to it immediately. Hayley is pleased with how I can execute a mean upper cut and jab, and shows me the best way to have this kinda exercise work for me, to give a surprisingly good cardio workout. It's all about the core, people! (This is why I am loving having Hayley by my side... It would not be possible to maximise my workout time without her).

So, I'll see you back here in two weeks! Tell me about your journey so far... I am noticing more people at my Fit n Fast gym (it's never too crowded, though... have you seen how much equipment these guys have!), as they come to the realisation summer is around the corner.

As I said to Hayley this week... "Hayley, my 'after' photos need to look a-mazing! I want to work super hard. Boy, did she respond. Butt. Kicked. Again.

Let's do this!

And here I am working out with Hayley... gosh, I can see the changes from these shots - taken in my first week - already!


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