My fitness reboot wrap-up
I can’t believe we made it (sing like Beyonce in Apeshit).
It’s Day 18. This is the reboot wrap-up post guys. I made it, and I can actually write it knowing that I gave it a bloody good crack.
First of all, if you’re reading this:
- you are a family member/good friend and you read my posts because you’re a good sort (I seriously appreciate all of you for reading these);
- you stumbled across my post because I shamelessly promoted it so it’d appear in your feed or;
- you wanna know if the hard work paid off.
Whichever it is, thanks for being here. I feel vulnerable AF putting my numbers and stats out in the open for others to read, but I figure it may help others on a similar journey or who are contemplating starting a reboot of their own.
Below are the numbers at the beginning and end of my 18-day reboot, which consisted of me following a (very plain) macro-calculated meal plan for my body, and training consistently week in, week out.
For those of you who came for the before and after photos, you’re going to be extremely disappointed. Anxiety is my middle name and I’m not sure I’m ready for that sort of scrutiny just yet. Maybe give me another three weeks.
The results
On Wednesday and Thursday of this week I had my measurements taken, my after photos taken and my InBody scan done.
Measurements (4 July vs 25 July)
The following numbers are how many centimetres (cm) I lost off of each area:
- Chest: 2.5cm
- Waist: 2cm
- Hips: 5.5cm (I’m still sceptical on the accuracy of this one haha)
- Right arm: 1.5cm
- Right leg: 2.5cm
InBody scan (29 June vs 26 July)
*Please note: I didn’t start my three week reboot until one week after I had my first scan done.
- Weight: 4.2kg loss
- Skeletal muscle mass: 1.4kg loss (not ideal)
- Body fat mass: 1.8kg loss
Am I happy with the results?
I have mixed feelings about the results. While I’m happy that my body fat mass and weight has dropped, I’m disappointed that my muscle dropped and I lost centimetres off my chest (mainly because it’s probably boob fat and I have none as it is). Upon reflection today, I realised that I was doing more than the recommended cardio sessions for my goals and I should’ve known better. I love a solid cardio session at F45, but I know that if I wanna “get them gains”, I need to put down the skipping rope more and pick up the bloody weights.
There were also times I couldn’t finish my meals, and as a result, I wasn’t hitting my macros each day. I’ve always had an issue with eating after I’ve done a cardio session in the evening. I can get a protein shake down, but that’s about it for the rest of the night ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Was it worth it?
This time last week, when I was questioning why I was doing this, I would have said hell to the God damn no. I felt lethargic, I was sick of eating turkey mince and just wanted to eat any form of potato. Now I feel great. I feel better about my training, I feel more energised and I feel mentally better for having exhibited willpower I forgot I had. I feel better in my clothes, my work pants are a little loose and those things, while minor, have given me back some of the confidence I lost.
Would I do this forever?
I think macro counting and incorporating a meal plan that has variety would be a good change going forward, but as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t want to weigh every component of every one of my meals for the rest of my life. There are huge benefits to doing this sort of thing, but I honestly think I love food too much to deprive myself of all the goodness for too long a time.
I also worry about old demons rearing their ugly heads. It’s taken me years to have a relatively healthy relationship with food and my body, and I don’t want to go back down the path of being obsessed with what I eat or how I look. And I certainly don’t want to feel the bloody GUILT that comes into your life when you’re absolutely fixated on food. I want to be able to eat some pizza on a Friday night and not beat myself up for it.
What would I do differently?
- I’d get my scan done the day before starting so I could capture my stats more accurately.
- I’d have a meal plan that allowed for more variety so I could enjoy the process more. If you want to make changes that last beyond the time you’ve set out for yourself, it’s got to be realistic.
- I’d focus more on my weight training and go easy on excess cardio.
Overall, the experience was a hugely positive one and I’m proud of myself for actually sticking to something to the very end. I still can’t believe I said no to so many treats, that I turned up and trained when I didn’t want to and that I’ve gone 18 days without a beer (that will be changing tomorrow when I’m at the airport).
For now, I am going to enjoy my weekend getaway and eat cheese, drink some beer and enjoy the company of my family. But come Monday morning, I think I’m ready to kick this all up a notch.
Thank you all for your endless support,
Han x