in the gym this week… whey hey! 1 day ago

friend at work commented on my weightloss today for the first time. she asked me how i lost weight. and was still talking to the other lady in the kitchen, saying look shes so slim :)

shes been struggling with her weight for a long time. she is a bit taller than me and overweight, and she wants to lose weight, and she will join weight watches but she never sticks with it. litterally the next day after joining she will be guzzling coke and ordering calzones for staff food or pasta etc. and i tell her thats nto gonna work, but by then shes given up. she knows i dont believe in weight watchers etc. and today she was asking me how i lost the weight so i told her… “you know this i go to the gym 5/6 days a week every week since the beginning of the year, and when was the last time you saw me eat pizza or pasta or calzones in this restaurant (we get free staff food and i work in an italian restaurant so its carb paradise) or when we go out to eat. thats how i lost it. and she knows its true. and then asked me if i take any weight loss tablets. so i told her i take some fitness supplements that help with my workouts, as well as i take green tea tablets and various multivitamins etc. but she kept going on about fat burning tablets and things to make you stop craving food. but i kept telling her, tablets alone arent gonna make you lose weight, stop eating calzones and pasta every day and do excerzize, but even if u dont want to do excerzize… just stop eating all the heavy bad carbs and that on its own will make all the difference.

i still dont think she got the point. all she wanted to know was what kind of tablets i take. cept i take various fitness supplements mainly that one should take if u work out alot and the rest is multivitamin , calcium tablets and omega fish oil, then green tea tablets. i told her to try the green tea tablets. but yeah… i dont think she sees the fact that changing her diet is the most important thing.

so my boss was asking me later what i wanted for staff food, and my friend was next to me and she rolled her eyes and looked at me, and said ana will be having salad. lol. i ended up ordering antipasto for 1 with a small rocket salad. no dough sticks lol. and it was enough, i had it for supper with some chicken. i try to have protein with every meal.

funny thing is… people sometimes make fun of the way i eat at work, how i prep my food, and still sometiems bring in things to eat, or if i eat order the same things to eat every day, but i actually enjoy my food, and i eat a hell of a lot! healthy food can be tasty and filling. i am not starving i eat all day long right through. i dont callorie count, but i know for the most part, a rough idea of the callories. and i eat clean and i know that i eat 95% healthy & clean. i dont really indulge in cheatmeals yet… save for a few bites of something naughty. but that doesnt happen often. i may introduce proper cheatmeals into my life at some point, but i dont really crave them. its no mean feat when i serve pizza and pasta and deserts and other fried foods all day long. my skin is glowing, no spots, ive lost fat, more energy, im happier, im not depressed anymore. ive lost my muffin top, im fitting into my smallest jeans i kept aside a while ago, that i didnt think i would ever fit into again.

and this journey is only beginning… i still have a long way to go…

having said that, i actually feel guilty that i took a whole week off fitness this week. im itching to get into the gym again. this is my first official weeks break from the gym in this whole year. it was not a easy choice to make. i did it purely for a silly cosmetic reason. but i justified it as giving my body a break which is a good thing. sometimes u need a total break and then u can jump back in. stronger and renewed.

well ive been on this journey since january 14 and its 17 may… its been 5 months so far… and im really happy with my progress… so i cant wait to see how things are when i hit the milestone for 1 year and beyond. if i stick with it, which i intend to, then i think it should be good.

all this came about when i saw some xmas pics of myself last year, and subsequently also some wedding pics where i was overweight as well as holiday pics from novemeber last year. but it was mainly the xmas pics… that upset me the most. i still remember writing an entry about it. about how upset i was at how overweight i had become agian, as i had been very overweight in the past. no one labled it, but i say i was obese a few years ago. and i was so upset that i was going back to that person, that i vowed that 2013 was the year i make fitness and my health a priority, i didnt want to be that depressed fat girl anymore. and im still going strong. cos i am strong ;)

Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things.” ~Vernor Vinge 4 days ago

sometime i put aside about 4 old pairs of jeans that i could no longer fit into as i was overweight. i could not zip them up, and if i did, it was a very tight squeeze with flesh spilling out. so i kept it aside, telling myself that i would wear it again some time in future when lost weight. i tried them again this week…. and they all fit except one which is a very tight slim pair…, planning to fit into those too at some point. so impressed… these 3 pairs are my smallest jeans that i own…

and its really cool cos i was contemplating buying new jeans cos mine are getting loose and baggy and now i dont have to. and they are really nice jeans too. fit is jsut right.

so very pleased. all my small clothes i been keeping aside… for over a year cos i put on so much weight, i can fit into now.

and you know what the best bit is… i lost so much weight mainly through lifting weights/strength training since january this year till present. i only ever did 15 mins hiit cardio at the end of each lift session. and ive only now in the last 2 weeks introduced alot more planned hiit cardio, because i really want to burn fat quickly now.

so this just goes to show and prove that lifting weights really does burn fat and build muscle and help to lose weight. and it helps to tone the body more than only cardio alone. i also have built and am continuing to build muscle, and want to blast fat so it can show more, how ever because ive been doing strength training alot, the scale doesnt always show that ive lost tons of weight. but i am not losing weight, im losing fat… and buildingg muscle. so maybe the scale hasnt dropped the weight not as dramatically as i want… but the mirror and clothes are showing me everything i need to know.

i am really pleased so far. i still have a long way to go. my goal and main problem area is to slim my thighs down considerably, but it is the hardest area and its impossible to focus only on that area, just have to do my best and hope it will happen.

still a long long way to go… but i will keep up with it, it is a lifestyle thing anyway. it keeps me happy and interests me. 1 week ago

working out!. stark contrast to the girl last year who was depressed and overweight… and unhappy… it took seeing some fat xmas pictures and other pics prior… to jolt me out of it… id had enough of that miserable person. i changed my eating habits, i went to the gym… i predominantly lifted with a tiny bit of cardio… since mid jan this year… and i have lost a lot of weight through that, not hours and hours of steady boring cardio. i have only now in the last 3 weeks re-introduced hIIT cardio into my workouts and im on a new workout trainer challenge and im loving it.

ive also re-discovered the joys of running! i am totally in love with it. its my favourite thing to do. i can run for longer distances and at higher intensity levels. and do sprints and run on inclines etc. i jsut love the treadmill. its my fave machine. ive also gone from never being able to doing pushups properly ( basically on my knees) to being able to do 30 pushups consecutively, im aiming for 50 pushups nonstop now. i do them everyday. i also want to master the pullup and i do them assisted everyday… but i will get there one day. i first need to be able to do one! jsut one!... and go from there.

im also lifting heavier weights gradually and its a great feeling to do that. but im not to bothered about going to heavy weights, its more bout reps and sets and form and building the muscle then the strengh. as a female there is only so much i can do in that regard. and im loving learning new workout techniques and things i never knew before. there is a science to working out. its not just a physical thing, to get the most out of it, you need to study the best methods to get the results and understand why u do what u do. whenever i go to gym, i go in fully aware of what i will be doing on that day, i have my notebook, i track everything i do, every weight, every rep and i refer back to see if i can increase them. i go in with a plan, and i like it that way. no just doing what i feel like at that moment. and its the same with the food. i love learning bout the nutrtion side of things, and i do alot of that. getting fit is about ur nutrition as well as fitness. in fact the nutrition is more important. i am very fussy bout what goes in my body. and im happy… ive never felt better, physically mentally etc. the minute i stopped eating junk… my health improved on so many levels. and i struggled with spots alot before… now… i very rarely get spots… i might get one small spot once every 3 months now. its so true… u are what u eat. i plan my meals every day… i know every day… the day before what i will be having all day right trhought the eve… till i go to bed. i prep my food, i bring my snacks and things with me to eat throught out the day… and its a habit. i do every day. im totally used to being like this.

am so happy i made this change. its the best thing i ever did :)

working out, has also kept me sane when everything else around me was going wrong. i just love it. and i cant give it up. its part of me. i never miss a workout to this day… come rain, snow or shine. unless it is a hurricane, earthquake or tsunami… or some other natural disaster… i’ll be at the gym! :) 1 week ago

compliments on my weightloss 2 days ago.

first a girl i used to work with ages ago, that i see now and again… came into the restaurant to book a table for friday… i waved hi… and the first thing she said to me… was you’ve lost weight… before anything else… so i smiled and said yeah im working on it… i noticed she was also wearing gym gear… and asked if she had been to the gym… but she said she actually started her own business as a personal trainer since having her son as the hours suit her lifestyle now. so we talked about that. and i thought it was cool that she a personal trainer… who knew me from when i was overweight noticed my weightloss. plus i see her all over the place and its usually when im in my gym gear working to and from the gym!

anyway the other compliment was really sweet. was from one of our regular customers who came in with his wife later that evening… and he said hello to me, and said “your looking well”, as he greeted me and the others… so i said thanks and same to you. then later that eve as they were about to leave and i was walking past… he said to me randomly loudly out of the blue… “you’ve lost weight! your looking stunning!” and i just laughed and said thanks, and was a bit embarressed. cos he just said it so loudly and randomly in the middle of restaurant, im sure all my tables around us heard him.

but anyway that made my day.

after 4 months of working out and eating clean consistently… people are starting to notice that im changing.

but i still have a long way to go. i am going to incorporate a bit more cardio to blast fat more quickly, tho i dont really care for lots of cardio. so this week i have been upping the cardio and going all out with more cardio and a little strength training. i basically do 100 situps, pullups, pressups and weighted squats each day and then i do an hour of 10×6 hiit/steady state cardio on various machines. i would prefer to be doing only strength training and 15 mins hiit cardio personally but this is the plan for this week. jsut changing it up a bit. making up my own routine. next week am starting a new 45 day plan which involved strength training as well as hiit cardio… so this week im just gearing up for that, buy getting in cardio mode. but i am so not a cardio bunny. give me free weights or a barbel or jsut let me do body weight workouts any day. but it is a necessary evil for now. im also wanting to cut back my workouts, as currently im spending 2 – 2 1/2 hours in the gym… and thats too much. i wanna try and bring it down to 1 hour, esp with the new programme, which says its possible.

looking forward to learning new strength training techniques on new programme as well as new workouts and CV workouts.

also might play around with my nutrition more… and eat more to build more muscle. (which scares me) and more complex carbs/carb cycling… and the odd cheat meal eventually.

eventually im also planning on doing out door jogging again in the morning and then go to the gym in the afternoon on the same day on some days.

so thats where i am at the moment. still long way to go… but i beleive i will get there with time. 3 weeks ago

fitness week at the gym. currently not following any trainer… as i jsut finished the james wilson 12 week trainer last week :) so i am still deciding what trainer to follow next week. so for this past week and this week comming from tommorow i have been doing the following workout routine that i put together for myself. and it takes me about 2 hours in the gym but i enjoy it. so its all good.

first i did the Angie WOD strength circuit involving 100 situps, 100 pullups, 100 pushups and 100 squats (love this little circuit!). then i did a barbell “cardio” strength routine for 5 mins involving, deadlifts, snatch, shoulder press, squats and lunges for 5 mins. love that too, tho its hardcore. i cant do more than 5 mins before i have to stop for a rest. im hoping to increase my time on this with time. then i did 4 sets of 15 reps each on the leg press, leg extentions, leg curls, reverse bench crunch, and medicne ball crunch and then i jump on the stair master for 15 mins and rock that out. i did up the level recently but i still find it easy now. i might attempt a higher level again. its funny i used to hate this machine and call it the monster but now i love it. after that i go for a chill cool down session for 15/20 mins on the stationary bike and mess about on my phone. burn some easy callories.

this has been my daily workout for this week. and i am planning on doing it for one more week. while i decide what trainer i want to start on the following week. i am umming and ahing over another james week 12 week trainer (the weeks 13-24 continuation) or doing an intense 45 day trainer that i have been hearing good things about…. :) 1 month ago

a great session today. was really cool cos i wore a small top that used to be really small and super tight, and today, it jsut fitted right and even slightly loose! loving seeing how my body is changing and getting toned. i make sure i do pullups/lat pulldowns as well as weighted squats every time i go to gym even tho its not part of my routine. and i think the squats are doing my booty good. everything is doing good. slow and steady wins the race.

i have a week and a day left of my james wilson trainer, and then i can say i officially finished the 12 week challenge. im feeling pretty good about it. this is the first time i finished a 12 week trainer. i have tried a different one before but gave up half way. i will probably re do that one one day in the future.

contemplating doing his week 13 – 24 week challenge next… but im contemplating interspersing the first 8 weeks of it with alternate weeks with some less resistance training and more intense cardio for the week. so its mixing it up, but its jsut a thought. i hate cardio and usually keep it to a bare minimum. but i wanna do everything i can to slim down my thigh area. its a thought. i love resistance/strength training. i love lifting, i love getting strong. i love being able to lift heavier than when i started. i jsut love the feeling of it, i love being one of the few girls in the weights room, and i love going all out. im not there to gossip and chat, im not there to look pretty, i sweat and i give it my all. and i enjoy every second. i feel so friggin good during it and when i leave the gym, nothing can replace my high. i love learning new moves and lifts and routines and excercises. and i like enjoying the male candy around me. and you know what i think i have earned some respect from certain of my regular male gym goers. they see i aint there to mess about. and im good with good gym ettiquete.

also i upped my level on stairmaster today, it was harder but i managed and i may have to up it agian.

seriously this is my happy place, and i cant imagine giving up on gym anymore. i hope i never do. 1 month ago

thinking that once i finish the james wilson 12 week trainer (im currently on week 11)... im gonna spend the rest of this year focussed on doing mostly cardio workouts each day. bit of HIIT and steady cardio. add to that i want to add in some sort of leg workout routine, and something for arms too. because basically i want to blast fat, but also i want to work on legs and thighs, for me, i can live with the rest of my body, but i jsut wanna get my legs to look thinner and better. for me, its my problem area. so i wanna try and focus on them in some way. so def the cardio for overall. and then some leg stuff. i know i cant spot reduce this area, but i can certainly work on getting it toned.

so whilst currently its all been strength training and a little cardio at the end, now its gonna be cardio and a little strength training. i need to blast fat, and its the only way to get it done quick. thinking will stick to this plan for the rest of the year till August holiday.

i jsut now have to formulate the routine for each day. the cardio stuff is easy… its the resistance stuff i wanna think about. i have some old faithful excercizes i wanna be doing. but i need to think about it all. 1 month ago

strong, and getting strong! this is my happy place, this is a priority to me. whatever else is going on in my life, i wont give up on this. i make sure i go to the gym 5 days a week. and i have stuck with it since the beginning of the year. and it shows.

so happy. 2 months ago

was a leg day… and man oh man… was it tough… one of my hardest leg days yet! but i got through it! 2 months ago

the stairmaster agian today, and i found it even easier than yesterday! same workout, same level, same time, even easier. not completely easy, i still find it tough and sweat it out, but its bearable, not unbearable like it used to be in the old days.

i will definately have to increase the level. am pleasantly suprised. 2 months ago

decided to change my 15mins of cardio at the end of my weight training from eliptical to stair master. it used to be hiit sprints. find that stair master is tougher and is good for firming the butt and legs which is what i want to work on, alot.

so gonna do that, instead, as well as afterwards i jsut do 15mins more of stationary bike, its just relaxed i tend to just play bejewelled blits on my phone or look at stuff on my phone, or write down what i ate for the day, or look at the next days workout, when i do that. its jsut easy extra callories to burn when i go on it, its nothing to stressfull. for me, its my me time, catch up time and i view it as a relaxing treat after a hard workout. so i chill and listen to my music and do that

anyway today was a massive leg day, throw in the stairmaster, and it was quite full on. i must say i have improved by leaps and bounds with stairmaster, before it was quite a struggle, even at 15mins, and back then i did 30mins, and i would be sweating buckets and hanging on to the rails for dear life, however i think becasue i am getting fitter now, whilst i did find it tough, and i did sweat, it was nothing like before, i could bear it, it wasnt as hard as i thought it would be. i wasnt hanging on for dear life. i may have move the level up or something. will see.

but anyway, wanna incorporate 15 minutes of stairmaster (which i affectionately call the monster) 5 days a week now. so i can work on these leggs and butt of mine. for me they are the hardest part to work on and to see changes. and boy would i like some changes there. 2 months ago

had 2 active rest days… and back in the gym later today (monday) for 5 days.

even tho i took sat and sunday off as rest days, i consider them as active rest days, as i spent all day and eve working. and i consider my job to be a good form of exercise! as i do not sit down all day or eve, save for my break which is usually only an hour sometimes 2 on the weekend… and i just spend like 10 – 12 hours on my feet, running around like a mad person. all day and all night.

anyway, back to the gym later 2 months ago

workout in a very empty gym…. maybe 4 people in the whole gym. what a way to spend a saturday night… but it was quality time, and i enjoyed it so what! 3 months ago

session in the gym today.. despite being ill… for most of this week and end of last week… felt better for workign out.

now just workout sat and sunday and i am done for week 5 of this trainer! 3 months ago

session in the gym today.. despite being ill… for most of this week and end of last week… felt better for workign out.

now just workout sat and sunday and i am done for week 5 of this trainer! 3 months ago

I actuaaly feel the worst I have felt since being sick this past week. Another sleepless night filled with coughing fits, ( I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m keeping my neighbours up at night at this rate!) and the cold is much worse today and been sneezing a lot, contemplated just staying in today but I wanted to get some errands and stuff done and most importantly I need to get my gym work outs in for the rest of this week. Just have to grin and bear it later. Will be fine I once am in gym and working out I guess. Seriously this is the longest I have been struggling with being ill and I have been fighting it out. Still going! But yeah regardless how awful I feel, gym is non negotiable later and tomoz and sunday. No pain, no gain. 3 months ago

been pretty under the weather since last week saturday so the whole of this week so far i have had rest days… and i finally got back in the gym today even tho i am still technically ill. but hoping im in the recovery phase been way too long now.

have a awful cold which has been bearable, sore throat on and off, but most annoying of all is a very nasty cough… which has been so so bad… and kept me up at night last few days.

anyway it was awesome to be back in the gym today… loved it! 3 months ago

is going so well. i had a upsetting day today. so i headed off to the gym to let off steam. and i felt a bit better for it. it helped.

i really love it there. i go there i do my weight training stuff first then at the end i do about 15 mins HIIT cardio… then after that i jsut sit on the stationary bike for 10-20mins and do light moderate cardio for easy afterburn callories, while listening to music, reading, updatign my fitness and food journal, checking ruddy facebook, emails, watching cute boys working out, or daydreaming whatever really. its that time last bike action i do in the gym, that i enjoy the most lately. its like my chillout me time, while im still technically working out. on rest days i do 45mins varios HIIT cardio and then back to the stationary bike for chillout me time.

anyway… a guy made me upset… and going to the gym made me feel better.

its my happy place.

right now the gym and fitness is the only thing that has my heart. 3 months ago

a long day. really feeling physically exhausted. was so busy today. only got home at 1am. only had a hour break today in the end… so no chance of fitting in a gym session, but its ok… my work is like a good work out… i walk miles and miles and miles all day long in my work all day and eve long. only time i sit down is on my break.

think tommorow i wont bother trying to fit a gym session. its another long busy day, and i am physically tired from work as well as gym sessions in the week. body is abit achy, feet is sore. sometimes you need to listen to your body. i am supposed to have these rest days anyway but i just wanted to try and do extra workouts but its just impossible with work today and tomoz. but as i said, i am not sitting on my butt, its a busy restaurant, am walking sometimes running (like a crazy person) all day long. so this is like a active rest. my work is my workout :). i know i have a lot of extra time off next so will try and get some more cardio sessions in then

will be back in the gym on monday. 3 months ago

fit gym in this morning before work as was so shattered from day and eve the night before and had stayed up late too. working all day from 1130 till midnightish with 1 hour break today, however am taking my gym stuff with me, in case it is a bit quiet today after all, and my boss decides i should have a 2 hour/3hour break instead. its been known to happen now and again. then i shall go to gym then. jsut wanna get a bit more cardio in. 3 months ago

been on here for a bit lately… but i am still on track with the fitness and going strong… :) 3 months ago

was my one and only rest day this week… but im so focussed on gym and nutrition lately :) that i felt guilty for not working out today. So… i did my go to workout that i do whenever i cant get to the gym and wanna work out. i did my jamie eason plyometric card workout. it lasts about 20 mins roughly and i built up a sweat, finished it… ate some greek yoghurt with cinamon and agave after and then went and had a nice hot bath.

a good quick home workout. better than nothing. tommorow will be back in the gym :) 4 months ago

Back in the gym today! did the same as yesterday and will do for the rest of this week. 30 mins on the monster aka stairmaster level 7… i hate the thing! was still a struggle and my head kept telling me to give in, stop and take a break… but i wouldnt tho its so harsh at times… but i killed the monster! :)

then again 30 mins on treadmill on incline… however i bumped it up to level 14 speed 5.5… which made it faster and harder and did that for 30 mins.

i leave that gym red faced, covered in sweat but very happy! :)

completed this in my 4 hour break from work, took a shower when i was done, and went back to work at 7pm :)

tommorow i will be off to london for college so have decided i will make tomoz a rest day. thursday i will be back in the gym, fighting the monster :) 4 months ago

today was a great day! why? cos i got my first workout for 2013 officially in today! and boy was it a killer. i felt like i was DYING in the first half of the hour i spent in the gym.

i spent an hour at the gym and i only did 2 things. i did 30 mins on the stairmaster at level 7. now in the past i would usually do 10 mins max at level 8 on the stairmaster then move on to 3 diff other cardio machines to get the rest of my cardio. but i have decided to take this monster on now as i belive the stairmaster is a great cardio machine for the legs glutes butt thighs etc… and its an area i am keen to focus on. but i can tell you that the 30 mins, level 7 nearly killed me today…. at the 15 min half way point… i was struggling with it… and thinking when is this gonna end… same with the 20 min point… by then in my head… i was thinking i could jsut end it here… but i pushed on… even tho my mind was telling me… just stop… push the stop button… but i wouldnt do it… and so it continued on and on… to the 25 min point… and then right through the final secs of the 30th minute. but i held out… and i did a full 30 mins on the monster. for me its the hardest baddest toughest cardio machine. but im proud of me for fighting the voice in my head. i was dripping in sweat. im hopping this will get easier each day this week and in the comming weeks as i get fitter… but im gonna keep fighting the monster each time :) i love a challenge. and i like winning and pushing myself.

anyway that was the hardest part… once i got that out of the way and had a 5-8min break… i jumped on the treadmill and did a fast walking/jog on it at incline 13 speed 4. i bumped it up from 9.5 and speed 2 as it wasnt fast enough or hard enough… incline 13 and 4… i would say is good and moderate… i could have bumped it up a little more… but i figured im doing this for half an hour and this will be enough for my first day back in the gym. it was still a great workout and i was sweating buckets… but still felt more in control in this one… its an easier but effective cardio workout where as the other one i was litterally fighting with myself over each step.

very pleased. tommorow i will be doing the same again and for the rest of the week. cept wed… having that as a break day and i have to go to college.

using this cardio only week to try and blast a bit of fat as well as its like a preparation for the james wilson trainer challenge i will be starting next week.

do u know how happy i feel to be back… the endorphins are flowing and im feeling good! :) had a few moments as i was on the treadmill today… stairing at the mirror at myself… as i was doing my thing, jsut smiling cos it felt good to be back and i felt good working out. 4 months ago

in the mornign (its after midnight now) i am planning to finally go back to gym :)

am bit nervous but also excited to be back, im going for it. i am going to be starting james wilsons trainer next week only… which will focus on strength training as well as some cardio… for 12 weeks. but i have so much free time this week from work… that i feel i msut finally get my butt in the gym this week.

my plan for this weeks gyming is purely cardio…. as i really want to blast fat as much as i can.

i will work out for an hour most days (going to try and go 6 times this week.)

the cardio that i will be doing is 30 mins stairmaster (scary!!) and 30 mins treadmill on a incline. incline will be at 9.5 at speed 2. havent tried this before, so its a first for me. i usually do hiit sprints on a treadmill. and then i am done.

also officially eating clean and healthy as from today.

i know its gonna be hard… but it will be worth it. 4 months ago

xmas pics being posted on fb by my mother no less… and i look so flabby… and half out of it… (tbf i was sick and grinning and bearing the day) but cant belive how fat i look. thats just made me want to get fit more than ever now. cant go back into the old habits. i know im on a steep curve here and its why i feel so down lately. gah. i dont even wanna look at em no more. i refuse. :( 4 months ago

on doing my turkey sailing trip in july 2013… so im viewing that as the incentive to bust my ass in the gym… so i can feel awesome in a bikini when i spend a week on a boat at sea…

already feeling excited at the prospect… 4 months ago

will start going back to the gym in the new year. 5 months ago

being on holiday. i havent even tried to be healthy let alone do any excersize. so gonna go back to health and fitness when back in UK 6 months ago