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<\/a>Faulty relationship dealt with, it was time to continue with my life admin and take stock of my lifestyle. Having stopped smoking at the age of 40, I had been slowly taking baby steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Very slowly. Like, sloth speed. But then the comfort and familiarity of a long-term relationship, coupled with the creeping waistline of the classic middle-aged spread had kiboshed my (admittedly half-baked) attempts at reducing my addiction to baked goods.<\/p>\n
Now, aged 42 and 2 stones heavier than I\u2019d like, I was sat drinking sugary cocktails with a group of girlfriends. \u201cI\u2019ve really let myself go these last couple of…years\u201d, I wailed. The girls guffawed into their pornstar martinis. I knew what they were thinking: a few weeks or months, fair enough, you\u2019ve (barely) taken your eye off the (prawn) ball, but…years<\/em>?! That was just carelessness. I hadn\u2019t realised how long I\u2019d been battering the buffet and chugging hot chocs until I uttered those words. No, no, no, this would not do…<\/p>\n It took me another six months before I took any action, instead choosing to make half-hearted mumblings about joining the gym, or that this would be my last slab of carrot cake (ahhhh carrot cake, my delicious – but malicious – friend). Then, suddenly, my 43rd birthday loomed large…and I knew it was time.<\/p>\n And the change – when it finally came – was huge, instant, and overwhelming. Anyone that knows me knows that I don\u2019t do things by halves, hence the voracious appetite that got me in this pickle – mmmm…cheese and pickles<\/em> (said in a Homer Simpson-esque drawl) – in the first place.<\/p>\n Overnight, I changed. Since I\u2019ve lost the weight and got in shape I\u2019ve been inundated with requests for information: how did I do it, what support have I had, is there some magic potion I\u2019m touting?<\/p>\n So, Bird\u2019s Eye Viewers<\/em>, I\u2019ve decided to impart my pearls of wisdom with you. Are you ready? Here goes…<\/p>\n I ate less.<\/p>\n And then.<\/p>\n I moved more.<\/p>\n Sadly, it really is that simple. Or not, as the case may be. It turns out it\u2019s true: nothing tastes as good as fit feels. You have to make a choice. BUT – and it’s a big but, just like mine was – there is also one (surprising) secret ingredient in my body transformation recipe for success, which ladies of a certain age may well be interested in…but more about that later. (I know, I\u2019m such a tease). This is how I lost 2 stones in 2 months and feel incredible, and you can too…<\/p>\n 1\/. Buy some body fat scales<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing more likely to give you the boot you need up that big ol\u2019 blubbery backside of yours than stepping onto a set of body fat scales (mine were 12 quid from Aldi – bargain) and discovering you have the same basic body composition as a pork scratching. My initial reading showed I weighed 12 stone 1 (I know – ouch!), was made up of 37% water, 10.7% bone, 30.3% muscle…and a whopping 37% fat! Whaaaat?! Almost 40% lard? Now I\u2019ve been told that body fat scales can be slightly off-kilter, and you don\u2019t have to be Carol Vordermann to notice that those totals come to over 100% (like, how?)…but if there\u2019s ever a time the cold hard facts will slap you in the face after years of guzzling and gorging, it\u2019s when you step on them there body fat scales. You have been warned! I logged my progress every few days, and my most recent readings are: 9 stone 8, 53.5% water, 11.8% bone, 36.1% muscle and 22.2% fat. So I\u2019ve now lost 2.5 stones and 15% fat in 3 months…I\u2019ll take that! I\u2019d recommend monitoring your progress every few days at first, then weekly once you\u2019ve achieved your goal weight (oh yeah – set a goal. You need to know what you\u2019re aiming for and stay focused). Warning: it gets addictive. Sometimes I weigh myself twice a day. I just don\u2019t want to ever go back to having the same fat content as a deep-fried Mars bar.<\/p>\n 2\/. Take body measurements<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as stepping on the scales, you\u2019ll want to see the difference in your vital statistics. I\u2019ve dropped 2 dress sizes and lost at least 3 inches from each of the areas I measured – sadly as well as hips, thighs and waist, this also includes my chest…waaaaah! So I may now be the proud owner of a set of abs you could grate cheese on, but the same goes for my ribs. And my boobs resemble two peas on an ironing board. What can I say? You can\u2019t have it all. Well, unless you\u2019ve got a mate on Harley Street and a spare 5k knocking around…<\/p>\n 3\/. Cut out sugar<\/strong><\/p>\n Like, completely. If, like me, you\u2019re partial to gallons of liquid calories in the form of sugary tea and coffee shop hot chocolates (I had the front to request a \u2018skinny hot chocolate with extra chocolate sprinkles\u2019 with a straight face as my standard staple beverage, day-in, day-out, for years), then you\u2019ll probably have to go cold turkey and banish all hot drinks except for herbal teas. Drinks are empty calories. Brucie Bonus: green tea may taste like swamp water, but it is loaded with energy-giving caffeine and aids weight loss like a pro. Cane it like there\u2019s no tomorrow. Well, upto 3pm, that is. Switch to peppermint after that, and then chamomile before bed, otherwise you’ll be on ceiling duty all night (ie awake and buzzing your bits off).<\/p>\n Oh and note that I specifically singled out \u2018hot\u2019 drinks. We all know wine is the stuff of puffer-fish faces and bloated bellies, but I\u2019m not giving that up. Not yet. No siree. But strangely, despite still swigging Sauvy B like it\u2019s going out of fashion, it doesn\u2019t seem to hinder my weight loss. At all. Happy days! If you do everything else I did, I reckon there\u2019s still room for a few cheeky bevvies. Because all work and no play makes Jackie a dull girl. And anyway, when I\u2019m drunk I dance a lot, so it\u2019s all part of the exercise plan, amiright?<\/p>\n I cut out all the obviously sugary snacks completely though: chocolate, sweets, crisps, cakes – all gone. I\u2019ll still have the occasional dessert when I\u2019m out for dinner, but don\u2019t even think about buying those badboys for the house. Ever. Why put temptation in your way like that? It\u2019s like inviting a grizzly bear over for dinner and asking it nicely not to savage you.<\/p>\n 4\/. Walk, walk, walk (or better still: run)<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t drive. I know – shocker! Believe me, the world is a safer place without me behind the wheel. But what this also means is that I walk everywhere<\/em>. Especially now I\u2019m single without a Jeeves to ferry my ass around town. I walk at least an hour a day, quickly, on my (uphill) commute, which, combined with standing all day in my job as a beauty boutique manager, means I average around 15k steps a day. Every little helps! And if you can run somewhere instead, even better. I run home from work when I can. The lure of the fridge when I get there spurs me on. Oh, and dance at every opportunity. But coming from an old raver, that goes without saying, surely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5\/ Remove red meat<\/strong><\/p>\n I only eat red meat as a treat when I’m out these days. Actually, that goes for most meat in general. For me, dinner is all about the oily fish, salads, seafood and stir fries (minus the sugary sauces – just a splash of soy or hoisin).<\/p>\n 6\/ More fruit and veg<\/strong><\/p>\n Fruit is high in sugar, but at least it\u2019s natural sugars. Rather than snacking on chocolate and sweet treats, I\u2019ll now have Greek yoghurt with blueberries, or dried apricots, raisins or cranberries in portion-controlled snack packs. Nuts are great for snacking too, but high in calories (and oh-so-moreish) so beware! Vegetables may be the food equivalent of a geeky librarian – boring af – but just get them down you and move onto more interesting pastimes… (oh, and sex them up with a sprinkle of chilli flakes).<\/p>\n 7\/. Be prepared<\/strong><\/p>\n I always make sure I\u2019ve got my water bottle and a supply of healthy snacks with me to stop me reaching for the bad stuff when the hunger pangs kick in. I pack my bag military-style, like a mum, in the mornings: ready for every eventuality. There\u2019s nothing worse for your diet than being hangry and surrounded by nasties from the naughty list seductively calling your name. I also ensure I\u2019ve got my gym kit with me, for impromptu urges to work out (yes, I do actually get them these days – freak!).<\/p>\n 8\/. Reduce carbs<\/strong><\/p>\n Starchy carbs are not your friends. Bread, pasta, potatoes, white rice – get in the sea, the lot of ya! I eat only wholegrain seeded bread (one slice as toast per day, in the morning with two scrambled eggs and maybe a small avo, a few mushrooms or tomatoes), sweet potatoes instead of regular ones, brown rice. Portion control is key: little and often works best for me.<\/p>\n 9\/. Gym\/weights\/classes<\/strong><\/p>\n BodyPump is BRUTAL – but it works. Ditto Spin. I spend every minute of each class looking at the clock above the instructor\u2019s head, willing it to be over. But when it is – oh the buzz! The rush of endorphins coupled with the smug knowledge that you\u2019ve completed a super-tough workout and will be burning calories for the rest of the day is worth the pain. The gym is good too – I use my watch to see how many calories I\u2019ve burned which keeps me motivated – but for fast results, the high-intensity classes are where it\u2019s at. Plus those grim-faced gym receptionists levy a fine if you cancel one with less than 24hrs to go, so there\u2019s no dropping out after work when you just CBA and are fantasising about lying on the sofa scratching your arse and watching a boxset whilst eating Cheerios from the box (or is that just me?).<\/p>\n Oh, and get some Sweaty Betty workout gear (preferably half price in the sale because it ain’t cheap). It\u2019s the shit. If you look and feel good in your gear, you\u2019re more likely to get it on and get shredding.<\/p>\n 10\/ Be App-y!<\/strong><\/p>\n There are TONS of apps and YouTube videos you can work out to in the comfort of your own home, but for me the best one is\u00a0FIIT\u00a0(click here<\/a> <\/strong>to get from the App Store). It has a wide variety of free workouts for varying abilities and results, and they are a manageable 25 or 40 minutes long. I squeeze in a few a week in between the gym and classes.<\/p>\n 11\/. Power to the Playlists<\/strong><\/p>\n Soundcloud, Spotify, Mixcloud…whichever your cloud, crank it up LOUD! The faster the beat, the quicker you’ll move your fat feet, so make it techno or house music all the way, baby!<\/p>\n 10\/. Photograph your progress<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as weighing yourself and recording the results in a notebook trainspotter-stylee, plus taking regular body measurements for inch loss, snap a few pics to track your progress.\u00a0Refer back to how you looked at the start to keep you focused. I had more chins than a Chinese phonebook just a few short months ago! The comments from people will encourage you too (ignore the skinny-shamers: they\u2019re just jel!).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 11\/. Get some fitspo<\/strong><\/p>\n Have a picture of your ideal body goal saved on your phone to spur you on. These gorgeous girlies with their ripped abs are my current fitsporation. They are abs-olutely flab-less!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ok, so if you\u2019ve read thus far you may be thinking \u201cYeah, yeah…this is all obvious stuff…nothing new to see here…\u201d Well, now for my piece de la resistance. Ladies, if you\u2019re perimenopausal or have already gone through the change (I had a surgical menopause mid-thirties which you can read more about here<\/strong><\/a> ) I give you…drum roll…<\/p>\n 12\/ Tibolone<\/strong><\/p>\n This stuff is magic, masquerading as HRT. But not just any HRT. It\u2019s the souped-up, lowered suspension, pimped-up, boy-racer of the hormone replacement therapy world. Instead of regular HRT, which contains oestrogen and progesterone, Tibolone<\/strong><\/a> is converted by the body into three components: oestrogen, progesterone, and….testosterone. And therein lies the difference. It\u2019s a game-changer. Your energy levels, sex drive and general joie de vivre will soar, your body fat will plummet and your muscle mass will increase. Get to your GP and get some pronto*. Thank me later.<\/p>\n So if your fitness levels are in freefall, your weight is climbing, and your grip on your wobbly bits is as loose as Britain’s Brexit plan, it’s time to take back control of your borders. Surely if bumbling Boris can become our next prime minister, you can shift a few stone?! Of course you can. Good luck!<\/p>\n *DISCLAIMER:\u00a0I\u2019m not a doctor. I’m not a fitness guru, a nutritionist, nor a personal trainer. I sell make-up for a living. This advice – in <\/em>fact, ALL the tips here – are purely based on observations and learnings I\u2019ve made since I began my fitness journey a few short months ago. I repeat: I am not a doctor.\u00a0Everyone’s different and responds differently to different things, and Tibolone is a serious hormone-altering medication with side-effects, like any other. If you follow my plan and end up with Popeye-style biceps and a beard that would put Brian Blessed to shame, don\u2019t come knocking at my door. Got it? Good.<\/em><\/p>\n www.costaricachica1.blogspot.<\/a> Follow me:<\/strong><\/p>\n Twitter:\u00a0@SamanthaWalsh76<\/a>\u00a0(lifeabirdseyeview) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cYou look like one of those Hollywood celebs,\u201d my (now ex) boyfriend said pensively as he eyed me getting ready to go out one evening, peering over the top of his phone. \u201cThanks babe,\u201d I replied, beaming. \u201c….yeah you know, that chunky one whose book […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[536,533],"tags":[960,490,625,492,194,958,959,493,653,374,334,375,961,962],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lifeabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/9stone8.jpg?resize=401%2C640\")
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<\/a>Sam x<\/h3>\n
Fancy reading my back-story before you go any further? You can find my other blogs at:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\nwww.samgoessolo.blogspot.com<\/a><\/strong>
\nwww.mummymission.blogspot.com<\/a><\/strong>
\nwww.worldwidewalsh.blogspot.<\/a>
\nFacebook:\u00a0@lifeabirdseyeview<\/a><\/strong>
\nInstagram:\u00a0@lifeabirdseyeview<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n