Pages

Tuesday 12 October 2021

How I have been getting fit & losing weight.

I want to say that over the lockdowns I have put on weight but it's not true. I have been putting on weight for years, probably since having Ellie. Clothes have been feeling tighter so I bought bigger sizes. I was happy at a size 18 before the pandemic hit. I probably wasn't as thin as I should be but I was comfortable. I was walking and riding my bike. 

I have put more weight on over the last year and am now in a size 20 clothing. A few of months ago I weighed myself in the first time in years. I was just over 15 stone. That is not a good weight to be. I wasn't happy with it and I certainly wasn't happy with weighing more than Stu.

My weight on the scales. 15st 1.

I haven't felt great about my weight and lacked motivation. I didn't like how I looked and knew I had to do something about it but didn't have the motivation until a cross trainer came up for sale in our local auction. I had gone to the auction to buy a couple of different things but didn't win them and had money burning a hole in my pocket. I bid on the cross trainer and got it for £15 which seemed such a bargain. It was 2nd hand but worked perfectly.

That was the kick up the bum I needed. I went on it every other day working my way up from huffing, puffing and sweating on the first day to easily doing more than 15 minutes. 15 minutes doesn't sound like long but going from doing no exercise to that was pretty good. Then I got my 2nd piece of fitness equipment, the treadmill, also from the local auction and also for £15.

Crosstrainer & treadmill

I started eating better. Porridge and fruit or banana and yoghurt for breakfast then for lunch I decided to go with a meal replacement drink, one of those that you add the powder to skimmed milk to then I would eat a normal tea but a smaller portion. I cut out snacks and pop and drank juice. I now eat like this Monday to Friday and I go easy on myself over the weekend. I did try calorie counting but it became a bit of an obsession. I know when things are good for me and when they are not and this wasn't good for me. Eating well is not easy, especially when the kids were on their summer holidays. I didn't do well throughout August with 3 birthdays but I am back on track now that the kids are back at school.

I had a good idea of downloading the Couch to 5K app and I stupidly thought that I would breeze at least through the first day, well that didn't happen even with the encouragement from Sarah Millican who is one of the voices you can pick to tell you when to walk and when to run. I made it halfway through the first day before I thought I was either going to throw up or pass out, on Monday. It didn't put me off though, it made me even more determined. I tried again on the Tuesday and on the Thursday I had to give up on the run before the final walk but that isn't bad considering I'd been out all morning, walking.

Couch to 5K

Since then I have learned to set the treadmill to a running pace and when it's my time to walk, I walk around the garden and when it's time to run I jump back on the treadmill. Going on the treadmill stopped for a while, my knee was sore. I don't know what I did to it, maybe over doing it on the cross trainer and treadmill but I have decided to just use it once a week for the time being.

I have been using the Wii a lot with my fitness and weight loss. I have a few Just Dance games and some of the songs are quite the work out when you put the effort in. I have also been following various work outs on YouTube. There is lots on there for all abilities and you can even get various one's with your favourite songs. I have found Dirty Dancing, The Greatest Showman, TikTok, and rock work outs.



It hasn't been easy going from doing barely any exercise at all to what I am doing now. I spent the first 2 or 3 weeks aching but I pushed through. I hated exercising and running more but now I am liking it or at least liking the feeling afterwards.

Oh and after all the exercising and eating better I am losing weight. I am now under 15 stone and I'm heading in the right direction despite all the meals out and birthday cake in August.

Do you like exercising? What are your tips for losing weight?

8 comments :

  1. That's the thing you are learning and not letting things stipvyou. Brush it off and keep going, dieting is hard and you have to work out. But keeping is the hardest by but knowing you can celebrate and continue x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations on looking after yourself. I really need to exercise more. I would like to exercise at home like you but my dog thinks I am playing a game and wants to join in. Unless I can go straight from work I always find some excuse not to go. I have recently signed up to do the Second Nature diet plan which is based on reducing carbs and sugar. I am enjoying the food but am struggling to stick to it as you need to be extremely organised. I have lost weight and will continue to follow the plan for a few more months at least

    ReplyDelete
  3. I used to love the wii fit! I haven't exercised for ages but I think I have a good excuse. I do try to watch what I eat though. I put on a lot of weight when I was on high dose steroids, but I still haven't lot much of it since. Well done Kim on getting a routine going and losing some weight. I hope you manage to keep it up xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's great you have got into a routine and losing weight. I hate exercising and I know that I need to as it would be good for my mental health. I have always fancied getting a running machine, just need to convince hubby seeing as we have a bit more space for one now in this house :) x

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really do not enjoying exercising at all but like you I do enjoy how I feel afterwards. I try to get in 30 minutes of exercise most days and hiking once or twice a week. I found that filling up on fruits and veggies and lean proteins worked best for me and keeping an eye on those sugars and snacks (which are always my downfall!).

    ReplyDelete
  6. I find a cross trainer good and You Tube videos are great for mixing it all up a bit.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Putting on weight is the story of my life at the minute. Just like Anne, having to take steroids on and off over the years has not helped my waistline (and I love crisps!).
    It sounds like you are doing so well with your fitness. It does feel good to see a few pounds drop off when you get on the scales. A massive well done to you, keep it up. xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well done. I was the same as you - weight crept on after I'd initially lost half of what I'd put on when pregnant. Before lockdown I'd managed to lose a couple of stone, but then it all (and more went on unti March this year when I got back to it, went on a diet and started exercising. I just doing walking/marching/dancing at home to music, but it's made me feel so much better. I've still got 2 stone at least to go, but really need to lose 3 to get to a healthy BMI. Roll on both of us getting fitter and losing the weight we want to.

    ReplyDelete