BBG Weeks 1-4

Four weeks ago I made the decision to restart BBG. At the time I still wasn’t feeling 100% and a global start date for Round 3 had been announced so it felt like the right choice to hit restart. During these past four weeks my health has improved and I felt like I was finally back in the game.

In my first part of my review on Kayla’s BBG I explained how it was a 12 week exercise plan incorporating a mix of resistance training sessions, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio, and stretching. The intensity and number of sessions increases every four weeks to use a technique called progressive overload. The first four weeks are broken down like this:

2–3 sessions of resistance training 2–3 sessions of LISS cardio training 1 rehabilitation (stretch) session

The 2-3 resistance training sessions are what the BBG is all about and they are the same in weeks 1 and 3 and the same in weeks 2 and 4. I think this is great because you can try to push yourself a little harder the second time around. And with each week that goes by your fitness does improve. I really felt this in week 3. I think it was a combination of my health finally being 100% again and also my fitness getting back to what it was. When I re-started BBG I was getting through each 7 min circuit once and just making it through one more exercise… if I was lucky! By week 3 I was proud to say I was making it through each circuit twice before my alarm went off. I’m not saying those 7 minutes weren’t hell. The hashtag #deathbykayla wasn’t made up for fun! But I was finally able to make it to two rounds in those 7minutes. I’m not saying that you should be doing the same. I’m just saying that I knew my body was capable of doing that so I was happy to get back to that level again. It’s important that you go at your own pace. Push yourself but don’t do go overboard and push your own limits. Work within your own level of fitness and each week it will improve – whether it be making it to the next exercise or doing full push-ups.

Game changer

If you’ve been following my blog then you’ll know that I was hit by a virus a month ago and haven’t exercised at all since then. I was still eating quite well aside from my chocolate habit that seemed to increase each week! This week I began Kayla Itsine’s BBG program (I will post a blog about this after week 4 but if you want to know what it’s all about, you can sign up for a free 7 day trial here) and it’s made me feel like I’m at the beginning of my health and fitness journey all over again!

First of all, I know I need to ease back into working out because this time I am listening to my body and I know that while I finally feel better I don’t think I am at 100%. So I’ve rested, I’ve almost recovered and now I’m hitting restart and getting back into the game. My workout schedule this week was:

Monday – BBG workout
Tuesday – ‘run’ (aka walk, jog)
Wednesday – BBG workout
Thursday – LISS (low intensity steady state)
Friday – BBG workout (optional)
Saturday – LISS and Stretch
Sunday – Rest day

Being a Virgo, I am all about being organized and I plan everything. So in the past (pre health and fitness journey) I would have scheduled in these workouts and if I missed a workout or two then I would just write off the week. I was all or nothing – classic perfectionist! This changed in the past year, and if I had missed a workout or two then I would make sure I fit it in during the week e.g. do a double workout (which can lead to burn out if you don’t have rest days). This week I have been very relaxed about my approach and I’m still undecided if I am making excuses or not. I just want to find that happy place where I am balanced between ‘all or nothing’ and ‘doing nothing’.

Challenge complete – Where to now?

The 12 week training and meal plans of the Maxine’s Challenge have finished but the challenge is not quite over yet. To complete it all Challengers have to upload their final picture. The requirements of this final photo is the same as the registration photo – you have to be holding the day’s newspaper, wear the same type of clothing in your ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, and standing facing forward with arms at your sides – no posing.

I remember stressing so much about this final photo when I completed the challenge last year. Should I get a tan? Get a professional photograher? When to take the photo, where to take it and what to wear. I had put a lot of hard work in so obviously I wanted that hard work to show. In hindsight I don’t think it was worth all the stress. Maybe if I had made top 50 I would think differently. But I never entered the challenge in competition mode. Of course it would be nice to win, who doesn’t want to win. But I was always just competing against myself. This year I almost didn’t even bother taking my final photo because I hadn’t achieved much progress but I wanted to make sure I crossed that finish line. Read about my final week of the challenge here. 

But the completion process of the challenge is about more than that final photo. I love that you have to answer a few questions about the challenge when you upload your final photo. It gives you a chance to reflect on your journey – the complete journey – by asking the following questions:

• What did you like most about the challenge?
• What was the hardest thing about your challenge?
• What impact has the challenge had on your life?
• What would you say to people who are thinking of doing the challenge?
• Anything else you would like to tell us about your challenge?

I wish I had included my answers from last year in my Maxine’s Challenge 2014 review but unfortunately I didn’t. It would have been interesting to compare the two responses because both rounds have been completely different for me. And in saying that I realise that I can’t compare them just like I had to stop comparing my progress photos during this round against last year’s photos. The funny thing is last year I had to learn not to compare myself to others and this year I had to stop comparing myself to well, my former self.  And that’s what I love so much about Maxine’s Challenge – the lessons you learn about your self.

Challenge – Week 3

My intention for this week was to build on the foundation I had laid down in week 2. I was pleased with how I had followed the exercise and meal plans but this week I wanted my focus to be sleep and meditation. The reason being the direct result of these actions will increase my success during this challenge.

I wanted to get to bed early and aim for 8 hours of sleep. The obvious reason being that I wouldn’t be too tired to work out or risk making poor food choices due to lack of sleep. Looking at my fitbit tracker my average sleep this week has been 7 hours. I’m glad this number is within 6-8 hours but I would prefer if it was at the higher end.

So each week I will just work a bit harder to improve on this. I have at least switched to reading for at least 10 minutes before bed rather than being on my phone scrolling through social media.

As for my focus on meditation, I feel I need balance. I have a plan to follow for my food and workouts but what about my inner self? I posted about my meditation journey and I think aiming for 3 days a week helped rather than pushing myself to form a new daily routine straight away. The way I saw it this week was like scheduling in workouts. I remember when I first started my fitness journey and struggled to workout 3 times a week. I came across this fitspiration quote on pinterest and it really helped my mindset so I’m going to use it again :)

Your workouts are important meetings you schedule with yourself. Bosses don’t cancel.

Challenge – Week 2

It’s amazing the difference a week can make. And it’s amazing what planning and preparing can do. After failing at week 1 I was so determined to do good in week 2 that I started a day early. The main reason I did this was knowing how busy I was going to be at the end of the week that I needed to plan for an extra rest day. And it worked! I haven’t weighed myself (because I am addicted to the scales so I’m not going to weigh myself until week 4 check-in) but I can feel a difference which is great!

Challenge – Week 1

Today is the last day of week 1 of Maxine’s Challenge. It’s also rest day according to my workout plan. But I haven’t really been following the plan this week. I had all the right intentions and after my Thermomix demos were postponed this week I even had the time. But then life threw a curve ball. And the only way to deal with this curve ball was to go with it and not put added pressure on myself by trying to give 110% to this challenge.

I may not have done all the workouts and I may not have followed the meal plan everyday but I did stay active and I did eat clean 80% of the time. I had to look after myself and my family so that meant I needed to keep my positive mindset. There was no point feeling guilty because that would only trigger a downward spiral of negative self talk which would lead to emotional eating and lethargy.

Challenge Prep

Day 1 of Maxine’s Challenge 2015 is just two sleeps away. I’m so excited because I know I need the structure of the challenge to get me back on track and hopefully this time make this lifestyle change stick! I am so far out of routine that I put my ‘super-organised Tash’ hat back on and got organised!

What does that mean? Well luckily a meal plan and weights workout plan is provided with the Challenge. But rather than just having these plans printed out I needed to make them work for me. So to do that I made my own meal and exercise planners.

I had already made my meal planner for my Thermomix business so that didn’t take any extra effort. And yes the Maxine’s meal planner already sets everything out. But this time around I don’t want to keep eating the same plain foods. I want to try new healthy recipes and cook as much as I can in my Thermomix. I know that by doing this I will be less likely to fall off the wagon on the weekends. So if you would like to use my planner click on the link below to download it: 
Meal Planner

Walk the walk

A friend has recently purchased the new Fitbit Charge HR and his excitement and eagerness to walk everywhere just to track steps has inspired me to finally write my Fitbit review.

What is a Fitbit? A Fitbit is an activity tracker. It tracks your step and your sleep. Using the app you can also track your daily water intake and if you link to your myfitnesspal account you can also track your calories in and out. The new models have a built in heart rate monitor and some can even display your incoming calls or emails!

I have the Fitbit One which is nice and small and clips onto my bra. The Fitbit One was the second Fitbit to be released. The next release was the first wristband – Fitbit Flex and the new ones are the Fitbit Charge. To compare all the models click here https://www.fitbit.com/au/compare

Fish outta water…in water

My 8 week training for the corporate triathlon starts on Monday. I haven’t done any swimming since I completed the corporate triathlon in 2014. Which is a real shame because I had worked really hard to ‘learn’ to swim. It wasn’t that I couldn’t swim, I was just a weak swimmer. I had been that kid that was too scared to put their face in the water. And after 10 weeks of swimming lessons last year I had made it to the point where I would be able to survive the 400m swim in the river. And survive it I did!

Even if it was the most traumatic experience of my life! I was hyperventilating and the water was gross and I had to swim most of it survival backstroke because I couldn’t get my breathing right! So this year, as much as I don’t want to swim in the river again, I am up for the challenge to do more than just survive the swim. This year I am challenging myself to swim the whole 400m, no more survival backstroke. And I want to swim freestyle and breathe on both sides.

It was 38 degrees yesterday (thats 100 Fahrenheit for any Americans reading) so it was the perfect day to head down to the pools and get started with my swimming.

The balancing act of life

So we are already 9 days into the new year. How are you all going with the intentions you set on New Year’s Eve? I hope you are getting into a new routine, trying new things and finding your path to a new lifestyle. I hope you haven’t been as unlucky as me and been hit with a summer cold since New Year’s Day! This cold has really thrown me for a loop! I was all geared up to re-start Kayla Itsine’s BBG Week 1 on Monday and I even had the grand plans of starting the Whole30 on Monday. Being sick threw all exercise out the window. As for the Whole30 well I didn’t realise how much work would go into it. I had a busy weekend (when I should have been resting) and hadn’t made the time to meal plan, to clean out the pantry and do a new grocery shop. One day I would like to do the Whole30 but I as I am only starting to look into whole foods I think I need to take baby steps. Knowing myself, I know this will increase my chances of successfully completing the Whole30. If you have done the Whole30 I would love to hear how you went and if you have any tips.

Now that I am recovering from my cold I am ready to hit next week head on. I will be back home (after 5 weeks of house-sitting) so I am eager to get back into routine. But I am starting so many new things that I don’t have a routine to get back into. This means I need to create a new routine and make it work around all my new endeavours. Being a Virgo I love being organised but if I’ve learnt anything in the last 5 weeks it is that life can get in the way and that’s ok. For me it’s all about creating a balance and being honest with myself – not letting ‘life’ be an excuse and not stretching myself too thin which would just set myself up for disaster.