What I've Learned About Myself
- I like planning what I am going to do but I'm not that enthusiastic about actually doing it.
- I have an 'inside' voice that tries to sabotage me by telling me things like; "Nobody would know if walked to a café and sat there for hour, just run for the last 5 mins to get home and arrive sweaty". Resisting this inner voice is really difficult.
- Finding an hour in the day for myself is nearly impossible.
- The biggest obstacle to my weight loss and fitness is my utter lack of endurance and consistency.
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| Just back from a walk together |
What I've Learned About Walking
- I like it. It's my favourite activity! I find that for an overweight person I am actually quite good at it and I'm reasonably fast paced.
- My favourite time of day for walking is either sunrise or sunset. I like to take photos on my walk and this is the best time of day for it.
- Blisters are awful and the type of socks you wear really make the difference. My feet eventually adjust to the trainers and the pain of blisters reduces.
- It's easier to do the hilly part of the walk first and get it over with. It's a great warm up then the rest seems like a breeze.
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| I just love walking/running when the sun is setting |
What I've Learned About Running
- I'm not awful at it but I am most definitely a beginner. I am amazed how quickly my body adapts though. I went from not being able to run for more than a minute to running for 15 mins by the end of the week.
- My pelvic floor muscles are not what the used to be. Running is like the equivalent of sneezing for me.
- Carrying the amount of weight that I do is not great on the joints when I'm running. I think running will be something that will be easier for me when I'm lighter.
- Blisters are worse when I run compared to walking. They appear in different places so my running feet technique must differ from my walking feet.
- Running downhill is easy, running on the straight is manageable, running up a hill is stupidity.
What I've Learned About Cycling
- Bum Sores - need I say more?
- Any women who have had a baby really need a bigger bike seat or it simply disappears.
- Cycling is much harder than walking or running but you can complete the challenge in much less time.
- Despite it being quicker, the pain last twice as long.
- If you find it too hard you can get off and walk but you look like a loser and you should really come up with an excuse like "My bike has lost it's pedals, that's why a walking, I'm not a lazy git".
- There is nothing quite like the exhilarating feeling of zooming down a hill on a bike. It releases the inner child.
What I've Learned About Weight Loss
- It's 70% diet and 30% exercise. On the weeks I only exercise I lose less or stay the same. It really takes both. Exercise is brilliant for tone, fitness and wellbeing but alone it won't shift the pounds.
- It shouldn't be a diet, it should be something that fits well with your life. If I exercise regularly and show some self restraint around food I'd be thinner.
- I don't feel better after I go on a food bender.
- My stomach is flatter when I eat more protein than carbs.
- I've lost a stone in the last 50 days but it's been really slow. I jump from one diet to another which totally confuses my body. I find it really difficult to be consistent with a food program.
Where Do I Go From Here?
- I am really excited about the next 50 days. I am going to focus more on walking faster and increasing the periods of running.
- As I like the mornings and the evenings for walking, I aim to walk at these times. I think if I walk before work I will have more energy but this means committing to going to bed earlier at night.
- I'm going to eat well and make positive choices towards food. I am going to think less about dieting and more about fuelling my body effectively. I am going to eat things I know make me feel good, cutting back but not eliminating carbs and increasing but not overdoing the protein.
