My Fitness Journey (Part 3): Keep it Going

Gentle strokes on my face that trail down to my arm. Warm and soft whispers in my ear, and a light kiss on my cheek…….

No, this is not the start of the Fifty Shades of Grey novel. This is how my husband wakes me up every morning. God help him if he does it any other way. I roll out of bed, shuffle my way over to the scale, and weigh myself. Quietly sneak to the kitchen, make a cup of coffee, and get myself ready for my workout. As you can gather, I am NOT a morning person.

All that said, it is not for nothing. At the end of week three, I lost 3 kilograms. Oh, what a feeling. Finally seeing some results. There is not a better way of keeping your weight-loss determination and motivation going, than seeing those numbers on the scale drop. The initial work required is time-consuming and at times relatively repetitive. Counting those calories, breaking down the macronutrients, and making sure you drink enough water. Once I managed to do all of that, I realized that my weight fluctuates with certain types of food I eat the day before.

For example, if I eat more starchy food, my weight is higher the following day. Even though counting calories is key, it does not assist your progress if you just stick to one macronutrient. Well, that is the case for me. After a couple of weeks, I reduced my intake of the main culprits like rice, bread, pasta, and potatoes. As soon as I did that, the weight just melted off.

Not only did I see the numbers decline on the scale, but I also noticed that I can fit into clothing pre-baby number two (still a long way to go before I can say pre-baby number one). There are just so many things that changed for the better. If we have to look at my original list of issues and compare it with how I feel now:

• increased energy
• sleeping better
• less cravings
• skin is clearing up
• fitting into smaller dress size
• fitting into smaller undergarments
• smiling a lot more
• drinking less coffee & more water
• more flexible
• stronger
• aches and pains are almost to nothing
• I CAN KEEP UP WITH MY CHILDREN!

My workout routine in the morning has gone from 30 minute to 60 minute workouts. At first, I couldn’t reach my toes without bending my knees. Now I can keep my legs straight and place my hands flat on the floor in front of my toes. When I take my children out to play, I run races with them and don’t feel like dying on the spot.

I have found a killer combination of better eating habits, exercising, and sticking to both that gives me the best results. Seven weeks into my fitness journey and I am happy to say that I have dropped 8 kilograms. My life has changed for the better, and there is no way I can go back to what life was before. In fact, when I deviate I feel it immediately. It’s just not worth it.

The difficult part is to get started, taking that first step. Once I was in it and have a routine that works for me, it all falls into place. I am a happier person for it and hope that my story inspires you to take your first step towards a better lifestyle.

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