This post really has been a long time coming, I have mentioned in previous blog posts about how I have started going to the gym and how I am starting to focus on myself and take care of my body. So I thought I would actually sit down and take the time to show you how much I have changed throughout 2016, what I have been doing to lose weight and how my perspective on exercise has changed. So if you want to know how I went from being my heaviest in my final year of uni to being just half a stone off my weight when I began uni back in 2013 then please read on...
This was me in January 2016. This was my first ever live presenting gig that I was offered and as nervous as I was, I was still determined to enjoy myself and to do a good job with my co-presenter, and I was looking forward to seeing all the photos and clips after the event once they had been edited. How deflating. This was the first picture I saw from the event and I began to question who this person really was and how I had got so big? The person in this photo was certainly not the fun, fresh faced Fresher who would feel confident wearing tiny little shorts to go on a night out. I always knew that I would probably put a bit of weight on when I was at uni, but going from 8st 6lb in 2013 to 10st 7lb in January 2016 was something I didn't expect.
Did I do anything about it? No, because I was too lazy. Even when I was struggling through my final year of uni I still could have made time to do something about it, the only exercise I really got was performing as an ensemble member for Musical Theatre Society and even then I was always so tired. But before long, the stretch marks we becoming darker, larger and more noticeable. When I ran in the SU elections somebody told their friend as I was walking away 'I thought she was fit in her picture but she's f*cking ugly'- a big confidence knock. My back was constantly in pain and before I knew it I was in hospital with severe chest pains. That's when I knew something had to change.
Even though I was only in hospital for a few hours, it gave me a big reality check that one of the first things to sort out was my diet- I honestly couldn't remember the last time I ate a home cooked meal with proper vegetables, something which I should be doing all the time considering I am a vegetarian. My friend convinced me to try the Forever Living C9 cleanse just to get me back into feeling myself again. Although I did lose a few pounds and some inches off I was the most emotional, moody person you would have ever encountered and the cleanse was not sustainable for me to keep up with as I had such a busy lifestyle. But it did give me the kick start I needed to eat healthier, just not in moderation.
I then went to Florida and the pictures there only reaffirmed that I still had a long way to go before feeling happy and confident again. Summer 2016 I saw that my local gym as advertising a '6 Week Challange' programme on Facebook to encourage you to get 'that summer body'. Something in me that day clicked, I have tried many options but I have never really pushed myself to physically get off my arse and do some exercise. I immediately messaged them for more information and the next day I was all signed up to the gym on the 1st August! Who knew that that would be the day where I would change my life! The programme I was on meant that I had complete use off the gym equipment and a free induction (which I did need considering I had never stepped foot into a gym before) on the condition that I had to take part in a minimum of 3 group classes a week; the HIIT Training, a cardio class and a strength and conditioning class- all which I didn't understand, they even had to colour code the timetable to help me!
I will never forget my first HIIT session, I actually thought I was going to throw up and pass out. But I did it, I came back and I wanted to get my monies worth of classes and use of the gym equipment. I have to say that the gym I was at was very good, it was a ladies only gym so I immediately felt more comfortable and the staff would make the extra effort to get to know me as I was one of the younger members. But I completed the 6 Week Challenge and lost 6lb in total. Doesn't sound like much but half a stone throughout August where I also celebrated my 21st birthday, several other friends' birthdays pretty much every weekend and went on holiday to New York; I thought I did a pretty good job. And I knew I had caught the gym bug because I was sad when I left to go back to uni, but I made it my mission to find a good gym!
I found a gym which offered free classes and plenty of equipment for a great student price, but going straight from doing classes all the time to trying to get on the gym equipment, I did need abit of guidance. I decided to seek help from a personal trainer who would be able to push me further towards my weight loss goals and give me some advice on what to do in the gym when I am on my own, cause I still didn't even understand what reps and sets were! Getting a PT once a fortnight was probably one of the best investments I have made; the guy I am with has trained some of my friends, one of which who was a similar height and build to me is now able to dead lift 120kg (and I learnt what a dead lift was)! He taught me plenty of ways in which I can keep changing up my routines so I don't get bored but can still achieve my goals, and it works! He has also given me plenty of dietary advice to keep me going when I don't go to the gym.
But even when I am not at the gym I still want to be active, I would choose to go swimming or throw myself into more advanced dance routines for Musical Theatre, and I can feel myself getting fitter and more active as well as the scales going down. Leaving uni for Christmas I was 9st 2lb, a weight which I haven't seen in a long time. My success was reaffirmed when I tried on this playsuit; I remember trying this on in May because I wanted to wear it for a night out but I couldn't pull the zip up, even with help, but now I can get it up all on my own. A real milestone for me in seeing how far I have come, and finally comparing the January picture to the December picture to see a real difference.
Although this is a very brief overview of how I got into fitness and the gym, I would still consider myself as a bit of a novice and I still have plenty of progress to make. This is something I have done for myself, for my health and for my confidence, something that I am super proud of and willing to keep up and continue pushing myself towards. The hardest step for me was actually getting off my arse and walking through the gym doors, feeling so inadequate to every other person in the class with me. But group classes for me were the best way to get started and to educate myself about fitness. I was never going to be one of those people who would have the motivation to get up and go for a run, hell I hate running and I don't even go on the treadmills to run now, but my motivation came from the people that were around me, using their energy and being competitive. Before long I found myself being the only girl in the free weights section of my new gym doing my arms and chest workout.
The best thing about this process for me is that I actually want to go to the gym; I want to go there to let off some steam, get away from uni stresses, give myself some time to think, and to just enjoy myself and learn more about my new hobby every time I go. If you asked me in January 2016 if I would have ever called the gym my hobby by the end of the year I would have laughed so hard. But it's true, you do get a bug when you start because you feel good after your workouts and when you begin to see progress you crave it more and more! If you are reading this and are apprehensive about going to the gym or starting exercise, the best advice I can give you is just to go for it. Find a gym or a centre which offers classes and feel free to experiment doing different ones to find the classes you enjoy, like I discovered in my 6 Week Challenge that I really enjoyed doing barbell classes and lifting weights rather than legs, bums and tums. Find what suits you, and stop making excuses for yourself and find the time to do it, even if it is swimming for half an hour every other day- you're still doing more than what your previous self would be.
There is no magic pill or fast diet plan that will help you lose weight, and I can't stress enough that it does take time. When I realistically look at how much weight I have lost since August, it is roughly between 0.5lb-1lb a week which is healthy and realistic for my lifestyle. I know that some people may be looking at my before pictures and thinking that I have no weight to lose and that I look fine... But it is more to me than just losing weight; its about a newer and healthy lifestyle, a new found self-confidence, a conversation starter, something to keep me constantly motivated all the time to keep pushing myself. You will probably hate it at first, but keep pushing yourself and find the activity that you love and eat right and you will eventually get there.
This was me in January 2016. This was my first ever live presenting gig that I was offered and as nervous as I was, I was still determined to enjoy myself and to do a good job with my co-presenter, and I was looking forward to seeing all the photos and clips after the event once they had been edited. How deflating. This was the first picture I saw from the event and I began to question who this person really was and how I had got so big? The person in this photo was certainly not the fun, fresh faced Fresher who would feel confident wearing tiny little shorts to go on a night out. I always knew that I would probably put a bit of weight on when I was at uni, but going from 8st 6lb in 2013 to 10st 7lb in January 2016 was something I didn't expect.Did I do anything about it? No, because I was too lazy. Even when I was struggling through my final year of uni I still could have made time to do something about it, the only exercise I really got was performing as an ensemble member for Musical Theatre Society and even then I was always so tired. But before long, the stretch marks we becoming darker, larger and more noticeable. When I ran in the SU elections somebody told their friend as I was walking away 'I thought she was fit in her picture but she's f*cking ugly'- a big confidence knock. My back was constantly in pain and before I knew it I was in hospital with severe chest pains. That's when I knew something had to change.
Even though I was only in hospital for a few hours, it gave me a big reality check that one of the first things to sort out was my diet- I honestly couldn't remember the last time I ate a home cooked meal with proper vegetables, something which I should be doing all the time considering I am a vegetarian. My friend convinced me to try the Forever Living C9 cleanse just to get me back into feeling myself again. Although I did lose a few pounds and some inches off I was the most emotional, moody person you would have ever encountered and the cleanse was not sustainable for me to keep up with as I had such a busy lifestyle. But it did give me the kick start I needed to eat healthier, just not in moderation.
I then went to Florida and the pictures there only reaffirmed that I still had a long way to go before feeling happy and confident again. Summer 2016 I saw that my local gym as advertising a '6 Week Challange' programme on Facebook to encourage you to get 'that summer body'. Something in me that day clicked, I have tried many options but I have never really pushed myself to physically get off my arse and do some exercise. I immediately messaged them for more information and the next day I was all signed up to the gym on the 1st August! Who knew that that would be the day where I would change my life! The programme I was on meant that I had complete use off the gym equipment and a free induction (which I did need considering I had never stepped foot into a gym before) on the condition that I had to take part in a minimum of 3 group classes a week; the HIIT Training, a cardio class and a strength and conditioning class- all which I didn't understand, they even had to colour code the timetable to help me!I will never forget my first HIIT session, I actually thought I was going to throw up and pass out. But I did it, I came back and I wanted to get my monies worth of classes and use of the gym equipment. I have to say that the gym I was at was very good, it was a ladies only gym so I immediately felt more comfortable and the staff would make the extra effort to get to know me as I was one of the younger members. But I completed the 6 Week Challenge and lost 6lb in total. Doesn't sound like much but half a stone throughout August where I also celebrated my 21st birthday, several other friends' birthdays pretty much every weekend and went on holiday to New York; I thought I did a pretty good job. And I knew I had caught the gym bug because I was sad when I left to go back to uni, but I made it my mission to find a good gym!
I found a gym which offered free classes and plenty of equipment for a great student price, but going straight from doing classes all the time to trying to get on the gym equipment, I did need abit of guidance. I decided to seek help from a personal trainer who would be able to push me further towards my weight loss goals and give me some advice on what to do in the gym when I am on my own, cause I still didn't even understand what reps and sets were! Getting a PT once a fortnight was probably one of the best investments I have made; the guy I am with has trained some of my friends, one of which who was a similar height and build to me is now able to dead lift 120kg (and I learnt what a dead lift was)! He taught me plenty of ways in which I can keep changing up my routines so I don't get bored but can still achieve my goals, and it works! He has also given me plenty of dietary advice to keep me going when I don't go to the gym.
But even when I am not at the gym I still want to be active, I would choose to go swimming or throw myself into more advanced dance routines for Musical Theatre, and I can feel myself getting fitter and more active as well as the scales going down. Leaving uni for Christmas I was 9st 2lb, a weight which I haven't seen in a long time. My success was reaffirmed when I tried on this playsuit; I remember trying this on in May because I wanted to wear it for a night out but I couldn't pull the zip up, even with help, but now I can get it up all on my own. A real milestone for me in seeing how far I have come, and finally comparing the January picture to the December picture to see a real difference.Although this is a very brief overview of how I got into fitness and the gym, I would still consider myself as a bit of a novice and I still have plenty of progress to make. This is something I have done for myself, for my health and for my confidence, something that I am super proud of and willing to keep up and continue pushing myself towards. The hardest step for me was actually getting off my arse and walking through the gym doors, feeling so inadequate to every other person in the class with me. But group classes for me were the best way to get started and to educate myself about fitness. I was never going to be one of those people who would have the motivation to get up and go for a run, hell I hate running and I don't even go on the treadmills to run now, but my motivation came from the people that were around me, using their energy and being competitive. Before long I found myself being the only girl in the free weights section of my new gym doing my arms and chest workout.
The best thing about this process for me is that I actually want to go to the gym; I want to go there to let off some steam, get away from uni stresses, give myself some time to think, and to just enjoy myself and learn more about my new hobby every time I go. If you asked me in January 2016 if I would have ever called the gym my hobby by the end of the year I would have laughed so hard. But it's true, you do get a bug when you start because you feel good after your workouts and when you begin to see progress you crave it more and more! If you are reading this and are apprehensive about going to the gym or starting exercise, the best advice I can give you is just to go for it. Find a gym or a centre which offers classes and feel free to experiment doing different ones to find the classes you enjoy, like I discovered in my 6 Week Challenge that I really enjoyed doing barbell classes and lifting weights rather than legs, bums and tums. Find what suits you, and stop making excuses for yourself and find the time to do it, even if it is swimming for half an hour every other day- you're still doing more than what your previous self would be.
There is no magic pill or fast diet plan that will help you lose weight, and I can't stress enough that it does take time. When I realistically look at how much weight I have lost since August, it is roughly between 0.5lb-1lb a week which is healthy and realistic for my lifestyle. I know that some people may be looking at my before pictures and thinking that I have no weight to lose and that I look fine... But it is more to me than just losing weight; its about a newer and healthy lifestyle, a new found self-confidence, a conversation starter, something to keep me constantly motivated all the time to keep pushing myself. You will probably hate it at first, but keep pushing yourself and find the activity that you love and eat right and you will eventually get there.
Elisa :-) x
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