This is one of those things that everyone seems to always be 'trying' to do. Everyone wants to lose weight (or at least everyone I'm surrounded by). What I hate is when I look at myself, acknowledge the fat bits and make the decision to improve then someone comes along and lies to me. I hate being told I'm not fat when I clearly am. I mean ok, I know I'm not morbidly obese or anything, but if I'm strutting around in size 34 jeans I'm definitely not skinny - not when I used to don 28s.
Before university I was about 56kg and training at least 3 times a week, doing Taekwon Do. I was trying to get down to 54kg so I could be in the top end of the weight bracket if I wanted to compete instead of the bottom end. I was teaching and training and always working out. I miss TKD more than you know and think about going back all the time, but I'm a little embarrassed. I'm ashamed of myself for stopping and for getting fat. If I get back down to the size I was before, then I'll feel better about myself and maybe it'll be less embarrassing to go back. Maybe I'll just hang up my black belt for good and take up a new art, how about Jujitsu?
Then I started uni and it was just too much hassle to make it to the class. Then I got a job in a club and it was impossible to make it to the class. So I stopped. And I was a student so obviously drinking more and eating more - whilst not working out at all (apart from dancing like a loon in clubs).
So I put on loads of weight. My size 10 jeans were put away and haven't been looked at since I was 19. My face exploded with my waste and I just carried on pastaring it up with piles of cheese and lots of naps. This was clearing a stupid plan...
This year (academic year, so September 09) I moved back home so I wouldn't have to work in my final year. My parents live in London so I didn't need to live alone and paying rent was too much hassle. My best mate is big on the weight loss so just being around him is pretty encouraging. Since I've been back I have gone from 68kg to 59kg. The amount I'm losing has increased as time's gone on, so I wasn't losing much for the first few months. I think that might be about a stone and a half for people that don't do kg but at TKD that's always what we worked in.
I still don't do much exercise, but I do watch what I eat a bit more. I walk everywhere and whenever I take the underground I always walk up the escalators instead of just standing and wasting time waiting. Apart from the massive one at Holborn station... I can only make it half way before I feel like death... I'm clearly still massive unfit, but smaller.
I've got a picture of Keira Knightley working out as my background on the mac, which reminds me not to sit and pig out all day everyday. It reminds me what hard work and dedication can get you. Unfortunately, I don't have much of either most of the time. So she reminds me what it is I want, in case I forget.
I looked up what my bmi should be for my height and in the summer I was technically over weight. I am currently at the top end of normal, but I would very much prefer to be at the bottom end of that scale.
I would also very much like a nice stomach and nice back so sit ups are becoming a daily activity. It's the plan at least. Let's hope I stick to it. I'll share my progress with you once in a while and if any of you lot fall into the "I'm not happy with my body" box feel free to join my journey. It's all about building communities.
Part of me feels like admitting my self consciousness here may not be that sensible. It un-arms and leaves me defenceless. But heck, we've been together a while now and I'm just starting to open up... who know's how good an idea that is in the long run....
I'll post two pictures so you can compare my face in July and my face now =] Not really great comparative pictures, but I can't be bothered to sit and photoshop pictures together and make it work better.
Please don't use Keira Knightley as an epitome of aesthetic pleasing-ness. She's grossly underweight, and you will impress nobody but the gay male fashion designers that seem to be the ones that find that look 'sexy' the most (making tall women look like thin short-haired androgynous boys, *those* fashion designers).
ReplyDeleteSit ups will not help you lose subcutaneous fat. Only cardiovascular exercise that leaves you breathless cuts calories. Sit ups are also useless for toning the Abdominis Rectus as half way through the movement other muscles 'assist' and eventually take over the eccentric phase of the exercise. The military only use sit ups for one reason - to exhaust you as a form of punishment. But there are easier alternatives, and alternatives that will make you lose weight. Focus more on Crunches, also, try to tire out your oblique muscles first (the strips of musle underneath the ribcage on each side of the stomach, they help you bend side to side) if you tire them out first, they will not be able to assist effectively when you eventually work on your Rectus Abdominis (Your abs).
Cardio to trim off the fat, interval training is good for fast weight loss, but yes it can be dangerous if you're body is not used to a sustained high intensity work-out. But you will lose more weight than Endurance Exercises. The problem with Endurance, as opposed to strength or power based exercises, is the muscle fibres for endurance-actions’ rely more on oxygen than glucose. You want to stimulate the most fast twitch fibres as possible.
Stretching should also not be ruled out. If you increase your range of movement it will make you more inclined to move about more. Also, stretching the fascia (the sheath covering our bodies and our muscles) is best supple and malleable, which will give your muscles more liberty to contract, less risk for injuries. Also, when you do start exercising your body will do its best to keep you at that weight. But usually if you keep stimulating your body, not allowing it to adapt, you can effectively avoid that slump in reaching your goals. This is called Neuromuscular Adaptation, and with a carefully planned exercise routine can be overcame (on average) in four weeks to a month in a half before you’ll start seeing changes in muscle size and reduced puffiness in your face.
If I were you I would ask a friend or pay a personal trainer to design for you a weight free work out, with rather than rest periods, bouts of cardio in between, what I think (if I can remember) is called, "A Circuit". Where you essentially run to the next exercise, work out, then run to the next phase. The running replaces what would normally be a rest period between sets of ‘reps‘.
After exercise your body will be craving nutrients, don’t deny it, invest in a whey protein shake with glutamine. Glutamine will keep your energy levels up and assist in your recovery, the body also uses it to fuel the immune system. Try to consume more protein. Protein actually directly effects and reduces appetite, you can do this safely (as opposed to the Atkins Diet) by investing in protein shakes and bars.
Now GO! lol :)
Perhaps you could give me some of your fats. I think I am too skinny and no matter how much I eat, I just can't get bigger. I am dying to put on some weight.
ReplyDeleteW
thanks for the sharing your experience of losing your weight, have know any any diet plan chart, if yes, then send me for more benefit....
ReplyDeleteFat Burning Furnace
I hate to say, but I agree with you totally. I'd hate to face Nick after becoming so unfit and forgetting all my TKD skills. Wish you luck Pen. M
ReplyDeletehehe, check me out being the bessie big on the weight loss :P looool. Congrats and keep it up ;) xxx
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elly completely. Keira Knightly is definitely not a worthy inspiration for you to look up to, and as for your 'best mate', maybe you should get a new one. One that isn't encouraging you to lose the unnecessary weight that you speak of. 59 kg certainly is not overweight.
ReplyDeleteOf course, being overweight and helping yourself get fit is one thing, but aspiring to the 'ironing board' look, and obsessing about size is another. I suggest the first thing you do is change the way you look at yourself.
^ This anonymous person at 23:44 seems a little judgemental.
ReplyDeleteYeah, 59kg is in the healthy weight range. But for someone who is short, it's at the higher end, so they could healthily lose weight.
I know someone in their 40's who's in their healthy weight range, but had a heart attack partly because of the unhealthy distribution of fat on their body and lack of exercise. So, saying "you're at a healthy BMI" isn't always what is important, it's about the individuals fitness and health, which can't be judged by weight alone.
Anyone wanting to improve their fitness and lose weight shouldn't be judged and condemned.
And I don't think she should 'get a new' best mate. And nowhere did she state she wants to look like an 'ironing board'; toning up and being fitter are completely different from what you have asserted in your comment.
Maybe you need to stop being rude anonymously.
And to comment on what you actually wrote:
You said most of this to me earlier, and I spoke to you about it. But I think it's awesome that you're feeling positive about this sort of stuff, and hopefully we can do some running and have some fun.
And if Keira Knightly works for you, that's cool. It's not like you're advertising Keira Knightly to impressionable kids.
Man, there's so many haters on here :/
How do they even get on your blog man?
I think this insert of your blog is incredibly brave and honest of you to post and a true reflection of probably what MOST girls 9and maybe even boys) think about their bodies
ReplyDeleteAmazing that you have made the first steps in trying to lose weight and tone up and also seeing some brilliant results.
If a picture of Keira knightley motivates you to want to exercise then i think thats great, so long as you dont see her body as an aspirational figure - because it is a FACT she is underweight.
Good luck Super Pennie xxx