Sunday, January 2, 2011

Body for Life - A new 2011


So another year, another resolution.

Somehow, like every year I managed to yo-yo in between losing the same 5 kilos - I'd start off the year at my heaviest weight - lose 5 kilos by the middle of the year and then like a miracle manage to pack it all in again by the end of the year. However, I could never get back to that elusive weight I was before I started to pack on the pounds like it was nobody's business.

So...I decided I was sick of it. I hate the feeling of being feeling heavy, sluggish and just.....fat. I look pregnant and keep scaring my mother lol (she really wants grandkids soon).

I needed to do something about it and if I was being totally honest with myself then I had to REALLY make the effort to stick with it. I like new things. I'm very enthusiastic about new things. So much that I pour my heart and soul into a new project, a new client or new THING...until I get bored and the next shiny, new thing comes along. So - you can say I am not a finisher.

BUT, a slight obsession with reading "Healthy Living" blogs (and I only put that in quotation marks because one person's idea of healthy coluld be vastly different to another, however, all of these blogs promote natural, healthy, active lifestyles which is what I keep coming back for. And the OMFG revelation that oatmeal is!!!) brought me to a blog where I saw the most amazing transformation.

She looked....amazing. Abs, toned arms, ABS (I have to mention them twice because Holy Mother, I don't think I can remember the last time I had a flat stomach - maybe when I was 12??) and a lean, toned physique.

Now, I have a predesposition to have anything go straight to my butt. That and my thighs. And I can't forget like many women before me and like my mother not-so-subtly says I have "childbearing hips". So what I am proposing is a complete restructure of my body.

I don't know if it can be done, but if there is anything that I have learnt is that I need to just stay active. I've done the research, I've read the magazines, the blogs and the articles and I think BFL will work for me.

For those who don't know what BFL is - here's a quick rundown (you can also go to the official link for more detailed info).

But basically - 6 small meals a day (a carb/protein combination) along with 6 days a week of exercise alternating between days of cardio (20 min HIIT work) and weights (alternate upper body and then lower body workouts).

And there's a FREE day once a week where all the rules are thrown out the window. :D

My challenges will be getting enough protein in my diet - I've bought some protein powder as a last resort kinda thing but I prefer to try and get my protein through whole foods. And as I am a vegetarian in my heart, I am going to try and limit my meat intake as much as I can (good luck with that though lol...mmmm chicken).

To help me, I joined the gym on a 3-month summer special they had and it allows me access to the gym, group classes (go Les Mills!!) and the pool/spa/sauna. Not a bad deal at all. I plan to do my cardio (HIIT) at home using the stationary bike we have and a TurboFire HIIT DVD that has already kicked my butt once or twice (seriously there is no way I am going to be able to be at the gym by 6am and I am ok with that). I am also going to try and do some of the extra classes at the gym - mainly things like Pilates and also try and run outside at least 2-3 times a week (I also have lofty ambitions of running a half-marathon later this year, but one step at a time).

I went today as well to get a bit of a feel of the place (since I had not been to this particular gym since I was at uni!) and get a health assessment. The gym looked ok, nothing fancy and full of hot, sweaty men hunched over the weights. Gross. But, I am just saying that because my last gym was a women's only one and we had a dedicated room for weights. For us WOMEN. Don't worry I'll learn to share :P

So...my health assessment. The fitness person (I really don't have any other name to call her because she was kinda useless) took my measurements and looked at me blankly when I joked that I had purged all my lunch just for her. Jeez. Seriously, just joking. And she then proceeded to still stare at me blankly when I tried to assure her that my open heart surgery would not affect me to doing cardio. And blankly again when I told her about BFL. She then told me she was leaving back for China in a month. Okkkk then....

Anyways, I thought since I will be baring my soul here hopefully only a daily basis, I'd scare most of you away with my starting measurements.

Weight: 60.4 kg (BUT, taken after lunch and with all my clothes on. No way was I getting nekkid there for her. I'm still in denial)

Height: 5'2.5" (155.5cm - I'm a shawty. Wait that's something different isn't it? Coz I always thought they were talking about me and other short people in hip hop songs - Go shawty, it's your birthday..)

BMI: 25.1 (Jeez...that kinda shocked me - one because I thought I was taller than I was and two...that's borderline overweight!!)

Body Fat %: 33.6% (Ok...scream in horror/laugh. I'm telling you half of that is my boobs and butt alone)


My aim is to lose 8-10 kilos in the 12 weeks and lose at least 8-10% of my body fat as well. I don't have massive expectations, because I honestly don't know what my body will do and is capable of. All I CAN do is try and follow the program as much as I can and hopefully the results will come....

So - I've started. January 3rd, 2011. Which means my 12 week challenge will finish at the end of March.

2 comments on "Body for Life - A new 2011"

janetha @ meals & moves on January 3, 2011 at 5:18 PM said...

hey! thanks for the sweet words :) congrats on deciding to do BFL. all i can say is HANG IN THERE, most women don't see results until week 6 or 8.. so give it the full 12 weeks. you will be a changed woman! i <3 it. have a great year and thanks again for the link love :)

Sig on January 4, 2011 at 11:23 AM said...

Heya Janetha!! Thanks for stopping by - you totally inspired me to take up this challenge! The hanging in there part will be the hardest but I figure - 12 weeks are going to go by regardless of what I do - so why not do something in that time!

Thanks again :D

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