"A year from now you will wish you had started today"

"A year from now you will wish you had started today"

When it comes to challenges and change people often get motivated and say "ok, starting tomorrow I will..."  and guess what... mostly "tomorrow" never comes.

A good example is the unpublished post dated 20-08-2013 called "THE CHANGE chocoholic to gymaholic" I found under drafts of this very blog. Seeing as I only truly committed to making a real change in April of 2014, I think it's clear that getting into the right mindset is half the battle won.

If you're at all into motivational quotes you'll know these ones:

"Yesterday you said tomorrow"

"Tomorrow starts today"

"Do it now, sometimes "later" becomes NEVER"

and one of my favorites

"You don't have to be great to start but you have to start to be great!"

Well, I started (eventually) and when I saw that "a year from now" quote it felt good. The first time I read it I felt guilty because I'd started and stopped over and over again. But this time I found my balance. It's over 2 years later and besides a few bumps along the way I feel like I'm still on track. I want to get fitter, stronger, more toned and agile. There are skills I want to master, distances I want to cover and challenges I want to meet. My healthy lifestyle has become the norm and what I am doing is sustainable. Today (to my delight) I feel the same sort of urge to exercise and reach my goals as I did before I got injured, so I think that's amazing. Also note that is doesn't mean I'm 100% happy with the way I look, but my focus has shifted rather to what I can do and how I feel when I'm doing it. I'm healthier, I don't get sick as often as I use to, I can do so much more than I use to and I have the energy to do it. I'm happy.

Here's some free advise ;)

Take those dreaded before (progress) photos (often the motivation we need is seeing where we've come from).

Start today! and just keep swimming.

Keep at it. Results aren't immediate,  and it's important to realize that often quick results don't last.

Choose a realistic path. Set a goal and work to it at a pace that suits you.

Eating right is the answer to weight loss. Exercise speeds up the process, makes you happy and improves your health. (Food and Chocolate use to make me happy, it still does, but now the endorphins I get from exercise substitute those I use to get from what I eat and I'm healthier and happier in my own skin)

Cheat every now and then, this will stop you from falling off of the wagon all together (it makes what we do sustainable).

Embrace the haters (it's usually those who are envious that have something nasty to say, their comments mean you're doing something right).
Take your progress photos, my gran always said "the mirror doesn't lie".
More often than not, you look good when you feel good!
The number on the scale is bad measure of progress, especially if you're building muscle.
(Our unhealthy obsession with the number the scale gives us is silly, there are so many other facters to consider)

There will be days that you just don't want to anymore

There will be days that you get injured but 

ALWAYS COME BACK. (Consistency is key)

A healthy lifestyle, getting lean and fit is like eating an elephant, it seems impossible, but if you take "one bite at a time" you will eventually be able to eat the entire elephant.

Obviously I mean this figuratively.. this is a saying I grew up with. The lesson is that when you break down a seemingly impossible task, plan and deal with it bit by bit it will be possible. 

"It always seems impossible until it's done" Nelson Mandela

I have found my balance, a recipe to my happiness. I am a foodie, a chocoholic and love to do nothing at times. But I am also sporty, competitive, adventurous and body conscious. This way I get to be a version of myself that I'm happy with.

2014 Done list

• Bungy Jumping
• Diving - Open water one qualified Padi Diver
• Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, Three Sisters
• Long distance Relationship
• CrossFit
• Personal Training
• Changing my diet
• Lifestyle change
• Got a distinction for a college Subject
• Finish 4 more College subjects
• Taking Night Classes
• First ever African Touch Team Group and Performance
• My first Port festival
• Tear my Achilles tendon
• Loose 5kg
• See Foo Fighters live in concert
• Experience my first smash and grab
• Got a Boston Terrier Puppy!
• Qualify as a Skipper

Progress - regress?

03/09/2014

I started a new chapter end April 2014. New approach to health and fitness and a determined mindset.
If you've read some of my other posts you'll see what I've been up to more specifically. I have however not reported of late on my progress and now my new challenge and temporary regress.

I started at 65kg and got to 60kg in 103 days.

While some people would say "thats not so much" or "you don't look that different", to me it was the perfect rate of weight loss paired with muscle gain/toning.

How... Well I started exercising more regularly (from 0 days a week, working my way up to about 5/6 days a week, cardio and strength training, at gym; by myself, with a personal trainer and my mentor and I started crossfit) I also changed the way I ate. Cut out all animal fats and processed sugars, actually I cut out all things processed). I started calorie counting, which generally has a negative connectation, but I was eating alot, wasn't often hungry and loved my food (and I'm quite a foodie). Low carb, but not no carbs, calculated protein, LOTS of fresh vegetables and loads of salad.

And then the unthinkable happened.... I tore my achilles tendon and had to have surgery.

So I guess we're at that part of the movie, the part where the dreaded thing happens right before the happy ending. So the only thing to do now is work towards my "happy ending" getting to where i was before and beyond, doing it slowly, systematically, so that my efforts result in a stronger more durable me.

Oh what would life be without it's challenges, and surely I have to learn something through this one...
So fall down 7 times, stand up 8! Don't loose your motivation, regardless the challenge. Yes this is a setback, yes i'm frustrated, yes it's hard, yes i'm tired, BUT what does complaining about it help. A positive mindset makes a more positive you, this speeds up recovery and makes you and the people around you happy. Be grumpy and eventually you'll end up alone.

So I've been sentenced to 6 weeks post op cast wearing, of which I'm 3 weeks down.

I can't do cardio and have been told to chill (sit still), which is challenging. I'm loosing weight but I blame that to loosing muscle (which turns into fat btw). So what am I doing? Every second day I do upper body with free weights (seated) and abs. Abs have turned out to be a challenge. To disengage your calf and achilles you need to bend your legs, like sitting cross legged, but with a half leg cast this isn't comfortable and completely possible either. So I've settled for various crunches and twists in the attemp to battle the bulge...

Eat Clean, Train Dirty Post#4 < 40 days in >

07-06-2014
Today is my 40-days! I am 40 days into my challenge and still on track! (mostly)

When I started this journey I made peace with the fact that I was going to be stiff and sore EVERYDAY for at least 6 months. What I realize now… if keep going the way I am, and I want to keep improving and getting, slimmer and stronger, I'm probably going to keep getting stiff and sore, but it's ok, it's the good sore, not the injured sore.

My diet has taken a couple of hits this week, and what I realize is that, cheating is ok, as long as you do it and get it over with, BUT if you can avoid it and come up with a healthy alternative, which is still a cheat, thats even better.

I've been doing a lot of research on sugar, sugar being processed cane and/or corn-syrup, the way your body processes them and what their effects can be if you take in to much. Because my current diet excludes these sugars and I'm getting an instant headache when I eat them now after not having any for about 30 days. The research, reports, lectures and journals all say different things. Some people label sugar as toxic, as it's over consumption is said to cause insulin resistance, which leads to the obvious one obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, cardiovascular problems I have come across have one thing in common, to much of ANYTHING is bad for you.


Summer bodies are made in winter!

Keeping at it!