It’s getting close to that time of year again where everyone is making resolutions for the new year. One of the most popular one is of course, fitness. The gyms must be overwhelmed and flooded with new customers, only to have most of them disappear by February.
Fitness is one of the hardest resolutions to keep it seems. Even I’ve tried many times to get myself into a routine only to fall out of it in a few months. This time it’s been different and I’ve seen a noticeable difference in my fitness levels, energy levels, and most importantly how I look and feel.
When I started my internship over the summer my goal was to get myself healthy again. Over my first year at LBS, I gained around 5-6 kg (11-13 lbs) and it was the heaviest I had ever been. Luckily the gym and the climbing gym I went to were very conveniently close. I couldn’t leave work without seeing it.
It started off just 1-2 classes a week and some climbing sessions, but as I found more classes I really enjoyed it quickly turned into double or even triple workout sessions in a day. Maybe a spin class at lunch, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class afterwork, and a climbing session after that.
At the end of my 12-week internship I hadn’t lost any weight, BUT I definitely noticed a difference in the definition of my legs and arms. It wasn’t until November that I suddenly started to shed weight and fat off my mid-section. I’ve toned up enough to have gone down a size in my workout bottoms and my clothes fitting a bit looser. You can see my progress in the pictures below!
Here are my 5 tips to how I’ve managed to stay on it:
- Be consistent and keep a schedule – I workout and attend the same classes every week and have a recurring calendar event. When it’s in my diary it forces me to make time for my work outs.
- Find activities you enjoy doing – Running and weights really just aren’t for me and yoga and pilates get boring for me. Instead I started martial arts and dance classes, which I really enjoy and it entices me to go to class every week. Activities are a great way to get a workout in without it feeling like a workout. Plus seeing others work hard around you makes you feel like you can do it too! If you don’t enjoy it, it only motivates you more quickly to give up on fitness…again.
- Go with a friend – I signed up for Gymbox with my flatmate and have since convinced some other friends. You can motivate each other to keep going. I’ve become friends with many of the people I see consistently in my classes and I look forward to seeing them every week.
- Don’t focus on the numbers – In general I try not to focus too much on numbers. I worked out pretty diligently all of summer and ate relatively healthy and weight wise I was exactly the same, BUT my clothes all fit better and so many of my friends complimented me on how I looked. It occurred to me I built a lot of muscle which offset any fat I lost. Now almost 6 months later, the weight is starting to shed slowly and it’s a great treat!
- Bring you workout gear out with you – Getting home and sitting down after a long day at work or in school is a trap! Once I get comfortable the idea of getting up and going out again is not attractive to me at all. I always bring my gym stuff with me so that I have 1 more reason to go.
Victoria Cheng 