August 30th Day 7 --> How to Make the Gym More Bearable

Weight: 14 stone 10 pounds (206 pounds) 2 pounds lost

Measurements:

Left Arm: 11.5 inches (down half an inch)

Right Arm: 12 inches (stayed the same)

Chest: 42 inches (stayed the same)

Waist: 37 inches (down 1.5 inches -- happy dance!!!!!!!!!)

Hips: 47 inches (stayed the same)

Left leg:  22 inches (down 1 inch) 

Right Leg: 22.5 inches (stayed the same)

Breakfast: oatmeal with strawberries and bananas with almond milk

Main meal: Lemon and honey chicken with cashews and broccoli 

Drinks: 2 litres of water

            Coffee with almond milk and honey (it's fab!!!)

            Peppermint tea

Exercise:

Arm workout

Arm Curls: 3 sets of 7 reps 15 kilos for all 3 sets

Arm Extension: 3 sets of 7 reps 35 kilos for all 3 sets

Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 7 reps 30 kilos for all sets

Shoulder Raises: 1 set of 20 5 kilos in each hand

Interval training on the treadmill 15 minutes

Gym Playlist:

3OH!3 - "Starstrukk (feat. Katy Perry)

Nero - "Me and You"

Alice in Chains - "Man in a Box"

Foster the People - "Coming of Age"

The Vaccines - "Melody Calling"

The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"

Nero - "Innocence"

The Veronicas - "Untouched"

Thoughts: 

There is no escaping it.  If you want to lose weight you must make time to exercise. It needs to be done.eating healthily will only take you so far. 

As someone who really doesn't like the gym, here are some tips on how to make it a bit easier.

Tip 1:  Get an anatomy book.  Look at the muscles on your body and understand where they are, what they are called.  Respect the human body.  It's a brilliant machine and capable of so much. A wise man once said the goal of weight loss/fat loss is a physique.  Work towards the physique you want and not just a number on a scale or measuring tape.

Tip 2:  Music helps out!!!! I have found that music helps you get through each workout. I know that there are certain songs that when I am hurting, tired and don't want to go on, I put certain songs on that push me to work harder. Music is everything. Honestly. I can't survive a workout without it. I have included my playlist above to show you the sort of music I listen to when I work out. 

Tip 3:  Dress comfortably. I always tend to rock a vest, sports bra, jogging bottoms, socks and my bright pink trainers. 

Tip 4:  Alter your workout. Don't be doing the same thing every day or you will get bored. If you are at a gym, try a class. Or ask one of the trainers at the gym to write you a few workouts. My workouts never take more than 45 minutes and they do have a pattern. 

Tip 5:  Write your workouts down and how you feel. It shows how far you've come and can pick up patterns if things aren't feeling right.

Tip 6:  Have a few attainable goals that you are working towards. I have a few goals. My first one is to fit into my beautiful red vintage winter coat and a certain fabulous body con dress in time for my birthday at the end of October. I would need to lose a dress size and I think that is an achievable goal in the time scale (8 weeks). The next goal is to drop another dress size by Christmas. That too, I think, is an achievable goal. The final goal is to have a bikini ready body by next summer. 

Tip 7:  When you hit each goal, give yourself, what my best friend would call, a non food treat. For me? I like booking myself in for beauty treatments. Getting pampered is a fabulous treat!  Put the money that you would spend on junk food in a jar and pay for your non food treat with it. The pennies will soon add up! 

Tip 8:  try to enjoy your workouts!!! This is so important. I have been trying to view my gym sessions not as an inconvenience, but as something that is good for my body. That by doing my sessions, I am getting the body I have always wanted. 

I hope those help out. If you have any tips, comments or questions please share! I want everyone to benefit from this blog! 

So until next time, stay focused, and take care of yourselves.