I have written quite a bit on the Turbulence Training forums and in my blog in the last twelve weeks about the changes in all aspects of my life that I am currently experiencing. I hope nobody minds if I include some of what I have written here. It has been a period of much reflection and I have learned a lot about myself in the process.
I am 41 but have been unhappy with my weight for nearly 30 years now. During that time I’ve learned to loathe myself whilst getting progressively fatter and fatter.
At the beginning of this year I made a decision. There is a history of heart disease, obesity, diabetes etc in my family. I was 40 years old, my blood pressure had just jumped into the hypertension range for the first time after being ‘normal’ for years, I was carrying around at least 6 stone (84 pounds) above my ideal weight, and I was a statistic waiting to happen.
I decided to make some changes, but I also made a decision that I would not make myself miserable over a number. My husband loves me and finds me attractive. I would learn to be a little easier on myself. I would not do ANY programme that did not let me lead a normal life. I didn’t want my life, and my practically every waking thought to be about food – did i have enough calories/points left? was it over 3 hours since my last meal? did this food have [insert banned food of choice] in it – was it allowed? was there enough protein in my snack? Did I have my cool box with my 24 meals in it for the day before I left the house in the morning? Had I earned my carbs? Etc Etc.
Instead, I try to eat more nutritious foods on a weekly basis. Increase my portions of fruit and, especially, vegetables. Drink more water. Choose whole grains. Pick lean organic meats and dairy. Avoid processed foods and words I can’t pronounce. I knew that I would lose weight more quickly by following one of the other programmes, but I’ve been there before only to end up back where I started, or worse. I made some good steady progress for the first three months and then I stalled a bit. About that time I got the email about the TT 5th Transformation Contest so I signed up. I registered with Fit Day and began logging what I ate – still not counting calories but being more aware of what I was eating, and I started off doing the TT for Female Strength programme. After four weeks, my push ups had gone from (10, 11, 12) to (23, 22, 20) and I had lost 4.8 pounds and 1.9% body fat. After another four weeks and finishing phase 2 of TT for Female Strength I had lost another 5.2 pounds and inches all over. My favourite trousers are now not only too big on me but such a different shape that they couldn’t even be altered to fit me properly. For my final four weeks I have been doing the TT Fat Loss Fusion Intermediate programme. I have seen gains in both strength and cardiovascular fitness over the last twelve weeks. In particular, my improvement on the treadmill has been mind boggling – I now warm up at the speed I used to do my ‘hard’ intervals at, and am running (as opposed to walking!) harder and further with each workout but recovering faster, and I am doing tougher and tougher workouts but feeling better after them than before. But the true gains have been in my daily life. I see improvements on almost a daily basis: from walking up the stairs without a second thought rather than frantically searching around for the elevator, to dancing at a festival without getting winded, to spending time with my husband being active (for example, we’ve started playing badminton every week), something we couldn’t do before because I wasn’t up to it. What TT has done for me has opened up my world. This week I am trying out martial arts classes in my area with a view to taking that up. Things I would not even have considered for myself before are now a possibility.
I will always have to be ‘careful’ about what I eat, and continue to workout, if I don’t want to revert to the blob I was at the start. But thanks to Turbulence Training I now realise that I can do that without giving up the things that make life worth living. I no longer have good days or bad days as defined by what I put in my mouth. They’re just days. A bad day is when a school collapses in an earthquake and 200 children are killed. My garlic bread consumption is just another day in my ongoing journey to be a better me. I have lost 26 pounds of weight and 4.8% body fat since the beginning of the year. I have eaten out with friends. I have drunk wine. I’ve even had the odd plate of potato wedges with sour cream and sweet chili sauce. No doubt this has affected the rate at which I have lost weight – but I feel that doing it this way will be sustainable. By setting SMART goals and making it about my health rather than the number on the scale, I am seeing changes in my body, my energy levels, and most importantly, my self respect on practically a daily basis.
Having said that, during this contest I have crossed off three long-standing weight goals. I have dropped my first dress size in years, moved under 200 pounds, and lost over 10% of my starting weight. As a result I am now around 20% less likely to die, over 50% less likely to get diabetes, my blood pressure is back down and I have no doubt that my blood lipid profile is also significantly improved. And what is more, I am finally able to look forward to this likely extended life span with joy and anticipation.
For me, this contest was never about winning. I have used the time, and the amazing support on the forum to help change my life, rather than my body – to learn to become the person I want to be. In many ways, I have derived more strength from the support that I have been able to give others than from that I have received, and this has also had a life-changing impact on me: a new job in the weight management team of our local health service and a masters degree on the horizon. As a person who has struggled with weight and fitness for most of my life, I would not have had the confidence, or felt ‘worthy’ enough to stand up and help others in their own quest. I would like to thank Craig for providing the environment to make this possible, and all those of you who post on the forums for allowing me to share in your stories and your lives.
Start End (12 wks) Change Height 5′4 (1.64m) Weight 210.6 lbs 197.7lbs –12.9lbs Body Fat 45.4% 43.4% –2% Waist 110cm 106.5 –3.5cm Hips 129cm 125cm –4cm Left thigh 69.5cm 63.5cm –6cm Left knee 48cm 43cm –5cm Left calf 42cm 40cm –2cm Left bicep 41cm 38.5 –2.5cm
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