So for the past year one of my main goals has been to try and get back into shape. In 2013 I was in the best shape of my life, but then I was unfortunately tackled by exhaustion through work which rendered working out a futile attempt. As a result, my fitness level plummeted to the lowest of lows and I have been trying to regain it ever since. I was all set on getting back on track last school year, but having just started a new job again, I found that was a difficult combination to make. By the time I finally myself at a gym regularly enough, my life was turned upside down by personal circumstances and I found myself almost back at square one. It’s time for change!
Now it’s not that I wasn’t doing anything at all, it’s just that I did too little of it. The odd Bodybalance class combined with dance class is enough to keep up a basic fitness level, but it’s not enough for me to challenge my body and trigger it to lose weight and build strength. And that’s what I wanted. My goal was to loose 5 kg last year. I lost about 2.5 kg, and then put all of it back on (and I’m afraid even a little extra) once my carefully planned workout schedule wasn’t something I could maintain.
During summer break and especially while I was away on holiday, I came to a number of insights, some of them pertaining my health and fitness. I decided it was time to think of myself a little bit more again, now that the air has cleared and I am less needed at home. I want to spend time doing a number of different workouts and get back into shape. At the same time I want to change my eating habits. Let’s start with those.
My eating habits are quite healthy when it comes to my overall meals. What gets me every single time is snacking. I have said it many times before: I have a major sweet tooth. And when times get tough it’s very easy to let it take over. That’s how I put on weight. Not because I pig out on pizza every night, but because I start craving chocolate at the end of every single day. I had been trying to put up defenses so I couldn’t eat any of it, but by that time the tide had already turned for the worse. I decided to let it all hang out while I was away on vacation, but that I was going to get back into the swing of things when I got home.
For two weeks I put myself on a FODMAP diet, which I will write more about in a future blog post. Once work started back up there have been many social gatherings and I have a few to come this week as well, but for the next few weeks/ months I should be able to put myself into as few tempting situations as possible. I simply love food and I find it really hard to say no to anything people make or bring. The fact that my stomach has not been acting up much these past few months has also made it easier for me to grab anything that tickles my fancy. So these past 3 weeks or so I’ve changed my diet. I’m not sure yet whether it is really, truly working yet, but I think that once I get into a routine and keep having healthy things and only snack once a week, I should be okay.
Workout wise, I’ve decided to stop making excuses and literally get my butt into gear. I have been building up my workouts these past few weeks and was surprised to see that what little I had build up over spring was maintained. So I am not starting all the way from scratch. I am still being careful though as I don’t want to get hurt and then have to work through that again. I am currently at 4 work outs a week, which will be upped to 5 once dance class starts back up next week. I haven’t changed much about my workout routine. I am swapping out my spinning class for a different cardio class, but I haven’t decided yet which one. I tried one last week and I hope to try a different type this week so I can see which one I like best.
The plan is to keep this going for the next couple of months. Fall is always the easiest time of year for me to make changes as that is when the new school year starts and I have little social engagements going on. So I should be okay for the next few months to build up a fitness routine and to stick to a healthy meal plan. Here’s to success and let’s just hope that life isn’t about to throw me another curve ball that messes everything up.
How do you stay in shape?