Bikini Series - The Beginning - Measurements & Goal Setting!

Gah! It's already the 2015 Bikini Series and I am definitely not in Bikini Shape!!!!!! 

This morning I completed the Set the Bar workout on BB2 DVD. What an eye opener! I know it has been a long time since I worked out properly, but really, that was ridiculous!!! However, I'm not going to get down on myself. The point of the exercise (no pun intended) was to set the bar... find out where I am starting... so in the name of transparency and accountability, I'm going to post my beginning stats. Karena and Katrina have counseled us to repeat the workout every couple of weeks and to take our measurements every couple of weeks to see how far we have come. So, are you ready to be shocked? 

I had to modify the exercises in the Set the Bar workout in order to be able to complete them at all. That was really disappointing, but hey, I got it done - so I'm giving myself a pat on the back for that! 

Resting Heart Rate: 79bpm
Kneeling push-ups: 22
Abdominal Crunches (knees bent): 28
Standing Lunges: 33
Plank: 40 seconds
Get Ups: 6
Recovery Heart Rate 1: 180 bpm
Recovery Heart Rate 2: 120 bpm

Starting Weight & Measurements
283lbs.......................................enough said.

Neck: 42.5cm
Left Arm: 35.5 cm
Right Arm: 35.5cm
Waist: 131.5cm
Torso: 118.5cm
Hips: 160cm
Left Thigh: 74.5cm (seated)
Right Thigh: 70.5cm (seated)
Left Calf: 48cm
Right Calf: 46.5cm

What do I want to achieve this week?

• work out every day, except Sunday
• Choose healthier foods
• NO fast food. Period. No. 
• Drink 2-3l water each day
• Track my food every day
• Checkin with my #TIUTeam daily
• Get outside every day
• Smile and enjoy each day!

I also have these goals for the whole Bikini Series!

What are your goals? Where are you starting from?

Motivation Monday ~ Strive for Progress, Not Perfection!

It is already Tuesday! Monday has simply flown by!

I started my Monday with the Tone It Up Jump Your Heart Out workout - it is an HIIT workout that has you skipping / jumping rope and then keeping that heart rate up with lunges, squats and tricep dips. It was really hard! I managed to get through the three rounds and was definitely sweating by the end of it! I wish I had had my heart rate monitor, though because I'm sure I made a number of fat cells cry!!

I'm proud that I completed 3 planks. The first I managed to hold for 40 seconds, the second one for 30 seconds and the third and final one for another 40 seconds. I am really pleased with these results because I haven't done a plank since 2013 before my neck / disc issues started! By November, I really want to be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes.

Food was also bang en pointe today and I finished the day with a big green surplus! Any readers who are on MyFitnessPal will know what I am talking about! One of my friends on MFP showed concern that I wasn't eating enough to fuel the increased exercise and that I risked damaging my metabolism. I fully agree with the sentiment and was touched that this person cared enough to bring this to my attention. However, because I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), my Endocrinologist has told me that I need to drop my calories really pretty low (on average, 1000 calories per day, much lower than what is usually recommended) in order to combat the PCOS and to ensure that I am dropping weight. As you already know, I'm looking to have lost around 50lbs by the time November rolls around. The pressure is on!! It means that I need to lose about 10lbs a month. Next weigh-in day is Friday 1st August, so I will keep you posted on any changes! I'm pretty excited for August's weigh in because I really feel like I've been making progress through July. We will see if my efforts are rewarded by the scale... here's hoping!

There were so many opportunities yesterday when I could see an improvement in my fitness and my attitude towards this journey. I'm trying so hard to focus on enjoying the journey, rather than becoming hyper-focussed on the end goal.

My friend Amy and I went to the local leisure centre and did a 90 minute yoga class. It was hardcore! I was sweating so much!! It definitely made a few fat cells cry! Randomly, I had really sweaty knees... who knew that yoga could do that to a person?! 

Despite it being quite hard, I actually really enjoyed the class. It pushed me to my limits and then pushed me some more! The best moment was having a chance to do an inverted pose - downward dog into handstand against the wall. I only managed a couple of seconds because my arms were shaking like mad, but I did it. I didn't think I would have been able, but I ignored the negative self-talk and just did it. So proud of myself haha!

To recover from the yoga class, Amy and I took to the pool. We took turns using the pull buoy and I think we swam about 12 lengths each with the float and another 12 while the other person was using it. I'm really beginning to look forward to Monday night workouts with Amy! Consistency is key and now that we have been brave enough to sample one yoga class, I'm sure we will be looking for more!

What were your favourite moments from Motivation Monday? What Non-Scale Victories (NSVs) have you experienced lately?

My advice for this week is to take the proverbial bull by the horns, ignore the negative self-talk and get out there and do it. Challenge yourself physically and mentally. You might just surprise yourself - you can do so much more than you know!

Making Progress and Loving It!

Last night my husband kindly helped me to check my measurements. The last time I had checked my measurements was 2nd July 2014. I'm happy to report that my body is changing for the better!

Following the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan and working out regularly each day is really working. I'm so excited!!!!

 

My left calf has gone down by 0.5cm, my left thigh has gone down by 1cm, my hips have gone down by 0.5cm, the largest change has been my waist, which has gone down by 2.5cm, my abs have gone down by 2cm and my right arm has gone down by 1cm. 

I'm so pleased to be able to see that things are finally working! I will be checking my weight and my measurements again on 1st August, so hopefully I will have more good news to report!

I think that banning the scale was a very good idea. It means that I am more inclined to stay on track because I don't want to inadvertently undo my hard work! 

I have really been focussing on my nutrition and really trying to get a hold on the bingeing. So far, I am on day 6 binge-free! I think this is because I am taking part in the July BED Challenge on MyFitnessPal as well as doing a Shoot Your Food challenge that has been set up by Brooke (a.k.a. CrazyRunningMom). I'm posting the foods I eat each day on my Instagram page, so come and follow me on there if you don't already!

This journey I'm on is one of physical, emotional and spiritual change and I feel so blessed to finally be able to show myself enough love to make positive changes. If I can do this, you can definitely do it too.

A Good Day...!

Happy Monday lovely TiUers! 

Today's check-in: M1: oatmeal, cinnamon, apple = delicious (and I don't like oatmeal...), coffee with dairy-free milk, M2: Cinnabon Smoothie, decaff coffee with semi-skimmed milk, M3: 5 x Black pepper oatcakes, 100g wafer thin turkey, cucumber, tomato, carrots, pukka detox tea, M5: 2 x lamb loin chops, rocket salad, beetroot, carrot, spring onion, curly kale. Having my Meal 4 Nakd bar for dessert :)

Feeling really proud about today because food has been totally en pointe - no binge in sight! 

I have also worked out so hard, today! 

This morning I completed day 2 of week 1, couch to 5k. I did this on the treadmill at the gym and followed it with 30 mins on the elliptical and then walked home. This afternoon I did 40 mins of yoga (Yoga with Adriene on YouTube) then I did the Bikini Body Routine and the 4th July workout. I've racked up 9 miles towards my #250towedding (brother's wedding in November).

Good times. 

Today has been a good day.

Fitness Haul and Tone It Up Check-In

I wanted to catch up with you all and also show off the goodies that I bought this week at Cheshire Oaks - I thought a video with be a bit quicker than a long blog post - so here we are!

I will make a separate "What's in My Gym Bag" video with a review of the Nike gym bag I picked up as soon as possible. 

Have healthy days!

Clare x

Tone It Up Bikini Series 2014 #CreateYourSummer

As part of the Bikini Series, I have put together a list of goals that I would like to achieve over the course of the Tone It Up Bikini Series.

I am starting the Bikini Series late... The Tone It Up Girls launched this year's Bikini Series at the end of April, but I don't care... I'm doing 8 weeks of Bikini Series from 12th May 2014 until 6th July 2014. 

This is what I want to achieve during that time... I will update as achieve them :)

• Lose weight consistently
• Tone Up - reduce measurements as much as possible
• Go camping
• Attend a swing dance lesson
• Sing on Karaoke
• Go on a road trip
• Have a bonfire
• Go to the forest
• Take afternoon tea
• Go hiking
• Visit the beach
• Eat ice cream
• Go roller skating
• Visit a lake
• Have a picnic
• Do some yoga
• Bike rides!
• Go swimming
• Buy a new dress
• Buy some new sexy sandals
• Play tennis
• Have a girlie weekend
• Date nights with the hubs <3
• Eat sorbet and berries
• Go canoeing
• Visit the open air theatre

I am so excited for the Bikini Series to start tomorrow. I'll be good and post my stats... and maybe even a photo if I'm feeling very brave!

There is loads of support over on Twitter and Instagram. Check out the hashtag #CreateYourSummer and be inspired!

See you soon!

Clare xx
@TIUClare

 

Day 2 of the Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down

Today marks my second day on the Tone It Up Seven Day Slim down! 

The Seven Day Slim Down is a one-week weight loss plan which forms part of the wider Tone It Up nutrition plan, lifestyle and online community, developed by the Tone It Up Girls, Karena and Katrina from Tone It Up.com. The plan is available for a range of dietary requirements (currently, regular, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free) and can be downloaded from the Tone It Up site for a flat fee of $150, which entitles you to lifetime membership, along with back issues and updates. Karena and Katrina also work tirelessly to bring the community free workouts available on their YouTube Channel and a free weekly newsletter.

OK, so back to Day 2... pretty much a repetition of Day 1, except today I feel . I imagine that the headaches are coming from toxins which are being released from moving to eating lean, clean and green vs.the dreadful catastrophe that was previously my diet (not to mention, giving up smoking and learning how to workout twice a day whilst recovering from neck surgery). 

Today's Food:

• Meta D Original
• Meal 1: Slim Down Scramble
• Meal 2: Grapefruit
• Meal 3: Salmon with Mixed Veggies
• Meal 4: Hummus and Cucumber
• Meal 5: Chicken with Mixed Vegetables
• Meal 6: Tea, Yoghurt and Cinnamon

I have been overweight and unfit for such a very long time. Around half of my lifetime. That makes me terribly sad inside to realise how much time I have wasted, simply because I have been unable to control what food I put in my mouth. I am a very emotional eater and in my defense, a lot of things have happened in my life over the past fifteen years, which have possibly (probably) cemented my reliance on food as a way to control my emotions, yet it is time to break out of this cycle and that is why I find myself turning to the Tone It Up plan. 

The plan is very sensible, in that it asks you to eat regular, healthy meals throughout the day - focussing on alkalising your body and regulating your metabolism. For someone with insulin-resistant polycystic ovarian syndrome and thus a compromised metabolism, this is really important and I am enjoying learning about how the time that I eat food, as well as the quantity, play an important role in keeping my weight under control.

I'm surprised at how much motivation I have for the Tone It Up plan as I would usually be rather laissez-faire about trying out yet another diet plan. The thing is, I don't feel like this is 'yet another diet plan'. Tone It Up is a lifestyle and since joining the programme, I have been absolutely floored by the support from fellow Tone It Up Girls across different social media. We are encouraged to check in via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc., after every meal and workout and the support from the community is simply amazing. This is what I firmly believe is what is going to help me more than anyone else can know. I often lose self-belief and I am pretty sure that my family are sick and tired of me telling the same old same old, that this time it's going to be different. Yet I know in my heart that this is a lifestyle that I can stick to long-term. I didn't put this weight on overnight, I didn't swallow all of my sadness in one huge lump but I think that this is the plan that is going to help me to chip off the weight, bit by bit, and help my soul be lifted, too.

Thank you, Tone It Up Girls, in 2 short days, you've already made me a believer in the TIU philosophy.

Never Give Up

Clare x