The Outback Expat

Fitness Goals for 2019

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As we hit the end of January 2019 I have been reflecting on my fitness goals for 2019. I think it is really important to reassess your goals when you are on a “fitness journey” as it keeps you motivated and on track.

2018 was a big year for me health and fitness wise. I started working with Felicity Neale in April, initially focusing on diet but progressing to my exercise regime as well and I saw massive changes in my health and fitness.

Towards the end of 2018 our focus moved to building strength and saw the introduction of more regular weight lifting days which I have to admit I was surprised about, but I loved. Previously to that I had focused on cardio quite a lot and was a bit afraid to branch out into the weights section on my own.

This year I really want to keep focusing on strength and weight lifting because I really see the benefits of strength training and it has so much more of an impact on the development of my body and I love the way my muscles are developing.

I am also working towards having surgery to remove the excess skin I have on my stomach, back, arms and legs this year. I haven’t really talked about this much on the blog but it is a big focus. When I started working out I always insisted I would never have the surgery but I am now at the stage where I can see that the excess skin I have is not going to shrink much at all and I don’t want to live with it for the rest of my life when I can do something about it (I know plenty of people do happily).

I am sussing out the costs and timeframe for having the surgery but it is high on my agenda.

Before the surgery I want to get to my strongest so that this will help with my recovery after the surgery. Felicity and I feel like I need to get my arms and legs as strong as possible because frankly it is going to really hurt if I try using my core to move myself around post surgery.

I also want to keep participating in the various running and walking events which are being held around the Brisbane / Gold Coast / Sunshine Coast areas. I am still not really a runner and half heartedly give running a go from time to time, but the events I want to do are usually still welcoming to walkers and so definitely inclusive for me. I am lucky that Naomi and the Aussie indulge me on this aim and will come along for the ride!

I have been a bit hit and miss with Park Run the last few months. This is mainly because I am just not someone who can walk / run in the heat and its been pretty hot even at 7am in the morning. The Aussie and I did a Park Run in the UK (and I got a PB knocking 3 minutes off my time) and this takes me up to 23 Park Runs so far. When you have completed 50 Park Runs you receive a 50 shirt and I am quite focused on completing the 50 this year!

Finally I want to get braver! The Aussie and I did a couple of walks in the UK and I was terrified of falling over. Now after 30 odd years of tripping over I know what it feels like to fall over and I am lucky that this seems to have reduced considerably with my weight loss (touch wood). I am also always worried that if I injure myself I won’t be able to work out and I really don’t like the risk.

I will admit that on one of our walks I was like a baby deer taking tiny steps because it was muddy, hilly and there were lots of rocks to slip on. I want to get over this because I really enjoy hiking and walking.

I think I need to buy some walking poles because from talking to various people this has helped them enormously with building confidence on this kind of walk. Then when it cools down a bit in Autumn and Winter I hope that the Aussie and I can get out there and start building my confidence!

I have lost an Octopus!

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As you may recall, I am on a long term plan to loose weight and to get fit, healthy and strong. This started on 2 February 2016 and a few weeks ago I FINALLY FINALLY hit the 50kg weight loss mark. Hooray!!!

In the run up to loosing 50kg I did a google search of “how heavy is 50kg” and was not disappointed by the results on the Blue Bull Projects website.

Apparently 50kg is the equivalent of:

* An average Giant Pacific Octopus
* One-and-one-fifth times as heavy as a Toilet
* One-and-seven-tenths times as heavy as a Dalmatian
* 3/5 as heavy as a Kangaroo
* 1/3 as heavy as a Panda Bear
* 3/10 as heavy as a Reindeer
* 1/4 as heavy as The Heart of a Blue Whale

How cool is that!!!!

I also in the same week had a second body scan done using an InBody 570 scanner to see how I was doing and was very excited by the results as my percentage body fat had dropped 2% to 31% (although Felicity thinks it is likely to be lower than that) and normal according to the scan people is 18 to 28% for women.

Also my visceral fat level, which I understand is the fat around my internal organs has dropped from 12 to 9 and under 10 is considered a “normal” level so I was pretty thrilled by that and being healthy and within normal markers.

Overall, according to the scan anyway, my overall measurements have reduced. I don’t know if this is true and correct because helpfully I have not taken my measurements on my weight loss “journey”.

Weight loss plan wise I am currently investigating weight loss surgery (skin removal and liposuction) options and me and Felicity are figuring out what my goals can be / should be / are so we can go into the next few months with a plan of attack. These last few kilograms have not been easy to loose but the work has paid off and is more than worth it. I feel healthier and stronger than ever which is just brilliant.

Where was this guy hidden!?!

How do you do it?

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The title of this post actually refers to the question I now often get asked by people I know or see at the gym which is “how did/do you do it?” I also get asked “how much exercise do you do?” “what do you eat” and told “I couldn’t get up at that time” which refers to my 4.30am start!

I have now lost 48kg which along with the way I now look and feel I still sometimes cannot actually get my head around. My aim is to loose around another 10kg, fingers crossed. Some of that will, I hope, be achieved with cosmetic surgery and the rest via continued healthy eating and exercise. I am currently investigating this as an option.

These questions do sometimes stump me a bit. I have spoken to the Aussie, Naomi and also Felicity Neale who is my food and fitness advisor (she is a bloody god send!) about this and that my reply is as simple as “I have to” when that question is posed to me which seems a bit to simplistic.

The Aussie said to me something along the lines of well you have gone from someone who barely walked any distance to someone who decided you were going to get fit and healthy and you have been bloody minded about it (in a good way) and are doing exactly what you said you would.

The reality for me is that I had to do something about my weight and health. I couldn’t do the things I really wanted like being out walking, being active and doing things which the Aussie enjoys and I now do as well. I couldn’t walk very far without being in pain and I had actually had to cancel plans to visit one of my best friends when I was home in the UK last time because I had hurt my back whilst walking around some shops and that really was the final straw / incentive for me. I was worried about the potential for health complications like diabetes and high blood pressure which seemed to be a real risk.

I would say that I “do it” by working out six to seven days a week and through a healthy eating plan made up of whole and unprocessed foods. I eat regularly (five times a day) so I am never hungry and drink plenty of water. I have to say that I just feel great because I am not eating the high sugar and fatty foods that I used to.

I also get asked about what I actually eat in a day but this is something which I feel is unique to me because my meal plan is put together by Felicity based upon our aims and goals week to week and in the long term so it wouldn’t be helpful to say I eat x, y or z because what I eat may not help someone else achieve what they want.

As I was writing this post I saw this on Facebook and it kind of seemed perfect

Things I have Learned Recently

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On Mondays and Fridays I work out with my Personal Trainer and so don’t take my phone or headphones for something to listen to during my cardio. Sometimes I watch the tv shows which have the subtitles on but last week whilst there I got to thinking and came up with the following list of things I have learned or at least realised recently.

1. That I really like exercise! Who knew!?! At school I did everything I could to avoid PE because I hated it but now in an environment of getting fit, healthy and wellness I love the challenge of the weight lifting in the PT sessions, walking park run or with the Aussie and friends. It’s a shame really that I didn’t discover this passion for it at school but I have now and I am fitter and healthier than ever.

2. That nutrition really is key. Now I did always know that a healthy diet is essential but I didn’t fully realise how vital it is when you are trying to loose weight and get healthy. When I started going to the gym I lost weight but it was very hit and miss and so for several months I ended up loosing and gaining the same two kilos over and over. I am very lucky as about 6 or 7 weeks ago I started receiving nutritional advice which includes meal plans every one to two weeks and advice and guidance which has been invaluable. This has been a total game changer for me, I have broken my bad snacking habits, never feel hungry and I have had such great results.

3. That being able to fit into a “normal” clothes size (at the top end but they fit and don’t look to bad) can actually be overwhelming when shopping. Shopping used to be tough, I would have to see what I could find in my size and hope it fit and din’t look to terrible. I now walk through the shops and see so many things I like and that should fit that I don’t know where to begin (which may be helpful in stopping me spend!) so I walk away without anything!

4. That just because you are “thinner” doesn’t mean your brain gets it. At home and work etc we don’t have full length mirrors so I only see my head and shoulders properly. I can see in my face I have lost weight but don’t see my body much. When I do catch my reflection in a full length mirror or a photograph it frequently catches me by surprise now and I guess I am shocked! In a good way. I think this just means my brain needs to catch up with my body but it is a fantastic feeling seeing myself from time to time!

5. That it’s hard to take compliments sometimes. My family and friends are so amazingly supportive. Some are even lucky enough to get bombarded with my internal monologue about my diet, exercise and weight loss, sorry about that! When people tell me they think I’m doing great etc my initial reaction is oh but I still need to loose X kgs and I need to stop doing that and take the compliment and appreciate the hard work I have been putting in!

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