Weight Loss Update Before & After

Good afternoon guys!

Today I’ve decided to share with you my before and after (obviously the left is AFTER and right pic is BEFORE).  I did share the front photo on my instagram about a week ago (@train2bfit_) but here on my blog I will be sharing the story to go along with it. The before pic was taken at the end of October 2014 when I had put on a fair bit of weight from falling off the band wagon (it happens), I got to 69.9kg. The after is taken 5th February 2015 at 65kgs on the dot. Its crazy the difference 5 kgs can make. Since then I have continued to lose more weight, and I can assure you there will be further progress pics to come!

When I posted this I received a few questions publicly and privately regarding my weight loss so far, so here are some answers for you guys.

Background Knowledge: I work Shift work (2 10hr days, 2 14hr nights & then 4 days off rotating)

Workout Routine:

• I had no EXACT routine I have stuck to, I have simply done what would fit in best with my commitments. But mostly I have done a minimum of 4 and maximum of 6 days in a row workouts with 1 to 3 days off as rest days. (I just listened to my body and had a rest when it was fatigued & based the amount of rest days on how fatigued I was).
• The common workouts I have used have been Weight lifting, Cardio Machines, Going up a hill (Castle hill, Townsville) alternating between road & goat track, Kayla Itsine’s circuit workouts & other general workouts here and there.

Food & Portion Control:

• Calorie Counting! This is a controversial subject, but personally calorie counting works for me, and I STRONGLY recommend it. It’s a great way to learn how much you should be eating in a day, and can teach you a little portion control. I’m not saying I eat whatever I want and just calorie count, I eat healthy but also calorie count. The app I use for this is ‘My Fitness Pal’ where you can adjust your goal calorie consumption etc. At the end of the day if your calorie output is larger than your calorie input you SHOULD lose weight.
• I have not removed any food groups. I still eat dairy, fats, sugars, carbs etc. I just eat the HEALTHY foods from these groups. I try to eat a lot of fruits & vegetables mostly, but I also drink milks (alternating between almond, soy & light dairy etc.), meats (but not a lot), fish, eggs, Rye bread, Black & Brown rice, peanut butter, nuts. These are just a few examples, my main point is you don’t need to cut out food groups to lose weight, just eat healthy alternatives and don’t over eat (calorie count)! (I can do another post on healthy alternatives if people want?)
• I still have naughty foods sometimes – there have been days when I have REALLY craved something like chocolate, ice-cream takeaway etc. and I have had them.. not all the time and certainly not every day. Also when you do it’s important not to go overboard and only have a smaller portion (if you re-eat all those calories you’ve burnt that week you won’t lose weight & yes you can re-eat that much in a single day!) I do not support cheat days, however having an unhealthy meal on the ODD occasion is doable. The way I saw it was I would rather have a slightly slower progress and still enjoy some naughty foods on the odd occasion. (It is also possible to squeeze a naughty snack in while calorie counting) Balance is the key!
• After time you do not feel like/crave unhealthy foods as often and find it a lot easier to say no/resist. Keeping busy also helps as sitting around always makes me have the munchies. There will be days when you have cravings, but not as much as before.

Motivation:

• When it comes to motivation, I have tried to be my own. I enjoy taking fun/nice photos and sharing health and fitness pictures and posts online (mostly instagram) and this is super motivational for me! You should try it!
• Following other’s health & fitness journeys also is super helpfull! Instagram is FULL of absolutely amazing health and fitness accounts. Each different in their own way! Whether the person be a person you’ve never heard of, an aspiring athlete or maybe a famous athlete or personal trainer, they all bring something different to the table. They are super easy to find just search hash tags such as #vegan or #motivation etc. The more you like and follow, the easier you will find more. These also often give a HEAP of healthy meal ideas.
• Reading blogs is the other motivational thing I do, the most common ones are Kayla Itsine’s blog, Move Nourish Believe, and Tone it Up! (Tone it up also have youtube videos including workouts!)

I know this post has been long and that is the reason I am stopping here. I could go into so much more detail when it comes to all of this, but that will need to be saved for another posts. If anyone has any questions feel free to comment on here, on my instagram or you can email me at train2bfit_@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a healthy and happy day! 🙂