Full disclosure: since I wasn't working out for a couple of weeks while I had COVID, this isn't really ten weeks of sticking to my plan. That being said, I'm really happy with my results so far. There are some real results showing in my measurements, which I will list below, my energy levels have increased, and I feel healthier all around. I am definitely getting stronger. Not only can I lift heavier weights from when I started, I can do more things in everyday life. I felt really empowered when I was able to move our washing machine over a few inches to straighten it.
My routine has evolved quite a bit. I have shaped it into what I feel I need to be successful in reaching my goals.
Keep in mind, exercise is only part of the equation. Eating right and maintaining an optimal daily caloric intake is another part. I try to keep my diet simple. Eat vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. I leave a few calories for a small sweet treat. (No diet is sustainable if you continuously deprive yourself.) I usually have a protein shake every day (or at least the days I work out) because protein can be hard to come in large amounts in food sources. To be able to get the amount of protein I want without the calories, I have to turn to supplements.
The results can be seen both in pictures and on paper. When I started out on my quest to lose weight and inches that I had packed on during this pandemic, my measurements looked like this:
Waist = 34" : 86cm
Hips = 45 1/2" : 115 1/2cm
Bust = 42" : 107cm
Under Bust = 35" : 89cm
Right + Left Thigh = 26 : 66cm
Left + Right Bicep = 13 1/2" : 34 1/2cm
And my physique looked like this:
Today my measurements look like this:
Waist: 31.5" / 80 cm
Under-bust: 34" / 87 cm
Bust: 41" / 104 cm
Hips: 44.5" / 114 cm
Thighs: 26" / 66 cm
Biceps: 13" / 33 cm
And two weeks ago, my physique looked like this (I decided to scale back taking pictures to once every month.):
The differences on paper are pretty obvious. I've lost 7.5 inches (19 cm) since I started this journey. It's encouraging to see that a lot of those inches seem to be coming off of my trouble areas, like my waist and hips. Some of the differences in my physique are subtle. The fat around my gut has clearly reduced. I should have been more aware of my position in both pictures...oh well. The bottom picture appears to have more skin/fat accumulation around my upper arm/arm pit, but that's not true at all. that has actually reduced. Even though the measurements don't seem to reflect it, my thighs seem to be thinning a bit. I'm confident that sticking with what I'm doing will lead to reaching my goals.
For those who are interested, my other blogs detail what specific weight exercises I employ. I concentrate on my upper body on Monday, lower body on Friday. On Wednesday I do the AbRipper X from P90X. On Tuesday and Thursday I do cardio in the form of Dance Central 2. I use the fitness section, and do the intervals compilation which lasts 35 minutes. (I use the medium difficulty right now.) When the weather allows, I try to take an evening walk. I do this for several reasons: the exercise is obviously good for me, evening walks can help the body relax and prepare for the night, it help your body get ready to release melatonin (the sleep hormone), and since I tend to have issues with insomnia, anything I can do to help me sleep, the better.
The longer I continue to do my own thing with fitness, the better I feel, the more progress I see, and the happier I am. I know that what I'm doing with exercise, diet, and lifestyle are all sustainable. This means that the results I'm seeing now aren't a fad. These results may be slow to come to fruition, but they aren't going anywhere, they're here to stay.
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