To get the maximum benefit from your fitness training you should be following a specific program.

You need to determine what you are trying to achieve with your fitness program and then design a course that will deliver the results you are after.

If you have program to follow you will be able to record your progress and make changes as your level of fitness increases.

This is particularly important if you are doing resistance training, as it is difficult to know what changes to make if you don’t know what your progress has been.

Recording your progress will also spur you on to better performances.

This helps your subconscious mind to drive you on as you realize the benefits of your training.

Record the number of repetitions that you achieve for each exercise and the weight that you use for each exercise and constantly challenge yourself to do better.

Even increasing weights or repetitions in small increments can add up to some substantial improves in your levels of strength and fitness over time.

Without a record of progress many people tend to continue with the same weights, or the same number of repetitions and wonder why they fail to achieve the levels that they hope for.

If you are training to reshape your body it is also a good idea to record your starting point on film. Taking that 1st before shot is the hardest part of getting started, but it is the one that you will be thankful for. When you look back you will see the changes that you have made, we look at ourselves everyday so we do not see the small changes, however over the course of a month you will see the difference.

Take a photo of yourself before you start your fitness program and at intervals along the way, I suggest taking photos every 4 weeks.

By recording this on film you can look back and the progress that you see visually and this will help to encourage and motivate you to continue with your program, there will be times that the scale is not changing and you may be feeling discouraged, however you will be loosing inches, by looking back at where you were you will see the wonderful changes that you are making.

There is nothing better than visual proof of accomplishment as a motivator.

Here are the before and afters side by side

Today was the last workout of KettleBelleBody challenge so i have taken the photos and measurements. I am totally amazed.

Did these 30 days ever go fast. I’m so happy to report that I only missed 1 workout and that was this weekend, but on those days I was working out on my course :0)

I participated in this challenge as this is a hard time of year to stay on track, I thought well even if I stay the same it will be much better than going backwards. I wanted to have accountability, and Mission slim Possible was exactly what I needed, not only to keep myself on track, but to also offer support to fellow participants.

I am totally amazed at the after pictures. Yesterday a few people came up to me at the gym and commented on how small I am looking. The thing is I could not see it in myself until I looked at the pictures. i am still having trouble believing it is me!

I have been working out with the Kettlebells at home and I do not have a mirror so I had no idea that I have ‘muscles’ !!! When I go into the gym I have only been doing intervals or a Crossfit themed workout so again no mirrors. I think that my brain still sees me as I was at the beginning of this year.

So what did I do? I followed Caroline’s workouts exactly, I did Kettlebells 4 times a week and then I ran my intervals 2 times a week, one day on the weekend was hard exercise free. Now I also walk my dogs twice a day and also walk my children to school, so I do get some extra steps in. However I do not add this as exercise into a journal as it is something that I have to do no matter what day, but I thought that I should add this on here now as it is extra compared to someone without kids or dogs :0)

Caroline’s workouts are amazing, you get such a workout, I still have a love hate relationship with TGUs. I have been able to really target my worst area, I am sure this is because the KBs are unstable so you are firing your core all the time. These workouts are not just for girls !!! I am going to still follow this programme as Caroline has so many different programme cards and at the end of this week I will have completed the first one, there are many different exercises that I have not even attempted yet.

I followed the warm up and cool down, I loved the cool down part as I find stretching relaxing, I also learnt some new stretches!

I also followed the Elimination diet. The hardest part was giving up coffee and tea, after the 1st few days the headaches were gone but the cravings were still there, but I stick with it Dax says 100% or nothing, so that is what i did. I found that I could eat many different foods, I was never hungry or feeling deprived of anything. I found that when the TOM came my chocolate cravings were not as bad, and I just had some fruit for the sweetness. When I got to day 21 i added bread back in and I’m ok with that, but when I eat wholewheat pasta i feel super bloated so from now on, I will just eat spaghetti squash in place of the pasta.

I believe that I had a light bulb go on in my head over the last month, I have followed other programmes before and I know that I did not give 100%, this time I did and it shows you what you can do when you are committed to it. Even if I didnt feel like working out I told myself it was only 30 days and I can do it. I had day 23 of the Elimination Diet in my head and it was my mission to at least get there and then I could add some bread and pasta in. Once there it really was not the big deal, then all that was left was the last 7 days.

At the beginning of these 30 days I never thought that I would change my body this much.

Stats :

Neck: 12 1/2 ” now: 12 1/2″ change : no change
Bicep 10 1/2 10 3/4″ increase 1/4″
Chest 36 1/4 35 decrease 1 1/4″
Waist (smallest part) 27 1/2 26.5″ decrease 1″
Waist Navel 31 29″ decrease 2″
Hips 37″ 36 1/2 ” decrease 1/2″
Thigh 22 1/2 21 1/2″ decrease 1″
Calf 14 1/2 14 1/2″ no change

Total inches down 6″

Weight at the start was 136lbs, my weight today is 132 lbs

Over the last 30 days I have met some amazing people I’m sure that the support will not stop now that the challenge is over. I have found that when you stick to something it works.

and no i’m not going out for coffee :0) the cravings are done !

This is not the end it is just the beginning.

Thought I would post this picture of me trying to flex !!! lol

excuse the crazy looking face, I am no beauty queen !

I know I know, I do not post for a few weeks and now I am posting like crazy.  I am on a total high, I did not realize how much my body has changed, and people had been telling me that I look great for a while now, but I could not see it in myself.  After taking the pictures last night I was amazed by my progress but also determined that I will not get slack with my progress.  

 Hey I want to be wearing the bikini on the beach and turn heads for the right reason!!! Ha-ha 

I weighed myself at the gym this morning, and I am down to 138 lbs, another WOW!  I was walking around the gym with a huge smile on my face, not something I normally do while in the middle of a Crossfit workout! I have not broken the 140lb mark since 2003; I have been stuck between 143-148 for a year now.  I’m pretty much convinced that this will be my stable weight; I have been eating for a week now so any weight I was down through the sickness will be back on. Even the snowfall warning that we have is not going to bother me today. I made up my own workout this morning; I ran and walked on the treadmill.  Sprint 400m and walk 400m 4 times. Then  Step ups, kettle bell swings and squats 15 of each for 4 sets. Then I tried my baby kipp, I’m still trying to get the swing in place, I did 5 sets of this, just swinging until I fell off.   Boy did I get some funny looks! 

I had to blog again tonight, i took some pictures and measurements.   What a boost …

 The dates im comparing are from when I 1st started my log book Nov 5th till May 7th.

Waist (smallest part)  29″   now 28″

Waist (taken at navel) 33″ now 30″ 

Hips  38.5″   now 36.5″

Thighs 18.5″ now 17.5″

Calves 15 now 15″

Biceps 10.5″ now 10.5″

Chest 37.25″ now 35″

WOW, im down 9.25″ in 6 months.  Dont know what i weigh as we do not have a scale in the house, ill check tomorrow at the gym.

Talk about a boost!   ;0)