That’s right, 7 weeks I have been working out 5 – 6 times per week. Anywhere from 25 minutes to 60 minutes per time. My workouts include cardiovascular, strength training and stretches.
I’m not bragging. There is zero to brag about. I’m proud of myself but I could really do with seeing actual results. I started doing this to improve my resting heart rate and general fitness but now I want more. Watching these beautiful lean and toned individuals leap all over my screen, is making me want a body like that.
I am fitter, I can feel it but all my problem areas are still very much there. The undefined and wobbly arms. The mummy tummy. The jiggly hips and butt and the delightful coating of cellulite…it’s not budged.
In my 20s I would exercise like this and easily whip myself into shape. I would still smoke and drink too but I guess a youthful body is more forgiving. My 40 something tired ass needs more work. A friend reminded me of the general rule of losing weight;
80% Diet and 20% Exercise
Bugger. I had the exercise down but the diet was a huge swing and a miss. As I don’t consume alcohol and I only permit one rest day, I had given myself carte blanche to eat whatever I wanted. I was actually eating more, under the impression, I deserved it as I was being so good at exercise. I thought that I could cancel out my calorie input with my energy output. I was wrong.
Apparently just one pound of fat is 3500 calories! That’s a reduction of 500 calories a day to lose one pound in a week. So 2 pounds a week is a reduction of 1000 per day and so on. I have no idea how many calories I consume. I can have up to 2000 a day and anywhere between 1200 and 1500 for healthy weight loss. That’s where the 80/20 comes in. It’s far easier to reduce your calorie intake than burn off the excessive calorie consumption.
An hour on a rowing machine, or an hour Zumba session or 45 minutes running, will burn approximately 500 calories. It’s not difficult to see why it would appear easier to just not eat those 500 calories in the first place. You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet.
You can lose weight without exercise but you may struggle to lose weight with exercise alone. Bone strengthening, muscle toning and cardiovascular health, all need the exercise component though. Also, muscle burns more calories than fat tissues, therefore the fitter you are, the faster your metabolism works.
I am doing all the right things but eating all the wrong things and it’s blocking any results. Lockdown has made me laser focused on working out but staying out of the fridge? Not so much! As a mum, I am always in the kitchen prepping something and I am now baking more. Baking is such a cute activity to do with my daughter. We bake cakes, not salads. We make rocky road biscuits not carb free Kale Frittatas!
We end up with batches of goodies in Tupperware. We don’t see anyone else due to the current rules so guess who eats them? Mainly me, I’m like a public service. Cake clearance. No job too big! Speaking of big, have you met my butt??
Ok. I need to get a grip. I will keep up with the work outs and lower my calories. The last 10lbs is always so hard to shift! At 1lb a week, I have 10 weeks of dieting ahead. It’s not a thrilling prospect but I know it will be worth it.