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…and then I saw that my jeans were sketching the map of England on my belly and thighs! There it was, the evidence of what the cold winter months had done, the manifestation of unwanted weight gain. Not that you would see me to see it, but the evidence is right here, staring me in the face.
So, what do you do when the warm nights in front of the fire/central heating/ under the duvet with the hot water bottle bring about the dreaded pre-spring weight gain? What do you do when you see that the days are getting brighter and even though you refuse to acknowledge it, you will need to shed your outer skin (the deceptive winter coat) very soon?! What did I do?
Well at first I embraced a ‘woman’s natural reaction to unwanted weight gain’; I screamed out in shock, horror, and then panic! Then, I tried on almost every type of outfit in my closet. I am a visual thinker, which means I needed to SEE the extent of this damage for it to be real. It turned out that the ‘perfect-fitting black dress’ was not so perfect any more (I cried out some more). Where did those bulges come from? And then the skinny jeans? Let’s just leave it at “bloated sausage”.
After this visual representation, I realised I had to develop a plan put it into action NOW; more so as I have a fitness test/exam coming up soon!
To start off with, I went through old fitness notes. A very good friend of mine taught me how to and why I must take notes whilst training. It helps to instill discipline and serves as a good knowledge base for times when you need some help. So my plan went as follows:
Accessible Gym Location: Due to a new job and other commitments, I couldn’t make proper use of my local gym because of its opening times, so I changed gym locations. My new gym is located right in the middle of my daily journeys. No excuse but to stop and drag my butt there! I made sure that the gym had a lot going on, various machines, fitness classes and activities. The atmosphere in this place is highly charged, full of energy, soon as you get in there, you WILL WANT to exercise and hard!
Training Pattern: I rekindled my love affair with early morning workouts. Over the years I have learnt that training in the morning is the best thing for me. I am more focused, and the results are much more rapid and profound. However, because I change my workout schedule every four weeks (to alleviate boredom and challenge my body), I do sometimes train in the evenings or break it down to twice a day (more on that to come soon). It is important to find out what time suits you. Some people are early risers and others are not.
Clean diet: This, my Fit Temple fellows is the hardest one of all, but working out like crazy and eating the wrong things is like “sitting in the middle of a volcano and hoping to get a cold shower” – counter-productive! I’ve had to do this gradually as immediate and total withdrawal of some foods could result in headaches, mood swings and much more. Personally, I do this about 70% initially and within four weeks, work up to a 100% clean diet. It’s the stuff of nightmares when you can’t have that particular yogurt anymore! Lord have mercy! Everyone is different, so finding out what works for you is very important.
Sleep: I am one of those people that functions perfectly on about four hours sleep. However, I know that to maximise the benefits of an intensive programme, I must rest and sleep. So I have programmed an extra hour of sleep into my day, along with 3 visits a week to the steam room in the gym; that helps to relax tension in the muscles from training.
Invite a friend: Doose did not know about my cunning plan when I asked her to join me on my early morning workouts. When I told her the time she had to get up in the morning, I was met with silence and a blank stare! However, she’s a trooper and agreed to it! Well, more like I back I bullied her into it. Having someone else to train with makes it fun and you can share your goals, experience with them and challenge each other too.
Document the process: Regardless of the fitness goal, whether weight loss or muscle building/toning, staying fit and healthy can be quite challenging. I tend to take pictures and keep a fitness diary. It encourages me when I see the results and helps me to (believe it or not), enjoy the process and journey.
So what did you do or are you doing to get rid of the unwanted weight gained over the holidays? I would be very interested and delighted to read your views on this.
On that note, keep it moving people. Remember your body is a Temple. Treat it well and it will last as long as God has declared it to.
Much Love, Remi
His Fit Temple
Be Uplifted and Inspired
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Remi Banjo, Remi Banjo. Remi Banjo said: …and my jeans was sketching the map of England on my belly! His Fit Temple in restore mode: http://adayingodswill.com/2011/02/restore-mode [...]