Today this happened…..
I got to write on my “Workouts to date” Tally board sitting in the kitchen that I have indeed worked out 100 times in 2015. One. Hundred. Times. Which works out as roughly every 2 or 3 days I did something at the gym OR ran OR took a fitness class.
To be honest, I would have loved to have hit that target a month earlier perhaps – as I have felt the past month or so I’ve really only worked out twice a week sometimes, but you know what! That is progress and dedication right there.
The biggest changes for me in those 100 workouts are that my eating patterns have changed as a result of working out harder than 2014. I drink water as my default choice, and the first and last thing every day that I consume – as I physically feel the difference in my body if I don’t drink enough water now. Lunch times tend to be processed food free for me now, as I find I don’t get as tired and sluggish each day as a result, plus we eat less carbs overall with meals. I still enjoy variety, so I can’t survive off a low carb or no sugar diet just yet, but progress indeed.
In the past year I’ve come to love weight training, and to be honest that is what I prefer to do 9 out of 10 times at the gym. I’ve also discovered my favourite gym classes are Body Pump (weight training to music) with Insanity/GRIT HIIT training.
I also record all my workouts for my heart rate and estimated calorie burn, current with my Apple Watch but in the past with my Polar watch. I would strongly recommend this as mainly noting your heart rate allows you to track you are working your body hard enough to do some good (tone up or work your heart). I went back to my Polar today just to mix things up as a one off from my Apple Watch and I was pleased to see my simple little 45 mins in the Gym had done me some good as hoped (fat burning and fitness stages). I look to burn about between 200-350 calories a workout, but I know that the after burn from a weight session will be much more (that is why it is strongly recommended to turn to weights rather than endless cardio at the gym).
This is only the start of a journey with looking after myself and making myself stronger with every day. Life in balance and one that I feel I’m doing well along the way, but room for improvement.
Love MFF xx