Hello everyone,
So I know I said I would come back to you with results of the 12 week Ashy Bines Bikini Body Challenge, the reason I haven't yet is because after about 3-4 weeks I adopted the "I've lost 2kg and have had great fitness test results so I can eat these chips, it wont make a difference" mentality. Little did I know that the more carbs and sugar you eat, the more you crave it/give in and end up feeling guilty because you have spent so much money on a fitness program and diet and you are not following it.
I do think it is important to treat yourself on a weekly basis, it is all about self control and portion size, which is something that has taken me a while to learn!
I was a little disappointed as I had tried so hard at the start, it was starting to get me a little down, but then I realsied I had so much to be proud of. My percentage body fat had come down, my muscle reading had gone up, my weight had come down and my fitness test results had improved dramatically.
It took me a while to realise that it is way more important to concentrate on how you feel and how your clothes fit as apposed to the number on the scales, as so many different factors affect this number, how much water your body is retaining, the time of the month, how much you have eaten the day before etc.
The bootcamp had really helped me work out what keeps me motivated, and keeping in mind how great you feel when you achieve results always helps too.
This post is all about motivation, working out what works for you and the importance of having a "me moment" every now and then.
A "me moment" can be whatever you want it to be, for me, it is sitting in bed watching some girlie TV like Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl with a bag of lightly salted, organic popcorn and painting my nails on a Friday night. Then getting up the next morning and doing something active so I don't feel too bad about the popcorn (which is actually considered a healthy afternoon snack if you have a small handful or two and it is high in fibre).
Doing exercise has never been something that I enjoy a whole lot, unless its going for a walk with a girl friend or a gym class with some buddies to motivate me - its pretty safe to say I will rarely go if I am alone. It was the bootcamp that made me realise there are so many different sports you can do, you just need to find one that you enjoy. I found I love boxing and jogging, I love doing different things at each session, I hate repetition (in food and exercise)- it bores me! I read somewhere that "anyone who says exercise is not fun, hasn't found the right kind"
I have made it my mission to try a few different sports this year, I want to take up cycling, I want to go Horse Ridding (I know this is not a high cardio sport, but it is still a sport and it is still something that I have not done since I was a child so counts as something different), I want to do more Reformer Pilates* and want to take up boxing classes (I purchased my own boxing gloves for bootcamp and want to make sure I continue to use them).
*Reformer Pilates is great for beginners, a great studio is KX Pilates - http://www.kxpilates.com.au/
Another great motivator is exercise gear, if you love exercising and are really keen to stay on track, I find it is a great motivator to go out and buy new gear. I recently had to replace my runners as they were way past their use by date and then purchased 2 new tops to exercise in. Bye bye old oversized t-shirt, hello new Lulu Lemon singlets! Obviously this motivator is reliant on what bills I need to pay this month, but its always great to have a goal in mind for the future if buying new clothes is not feasible this month. http://www.lululemon.com.au/
My amazing Naturopath said to me, if you're going to have a treat, make sure you enjoy it, it is not healthy to dwell/feel negative about something you have eaten.
Eat 80% for the body and 20% for the soul!
