SharonT’s BodyBlog

Well, this is me…….I started my fatloss journey on 24th April 2008.   To date, I’ve lost 27.5kg with around 8kg of fat to go.  I’m sure my story is not unique.  After repeated attempts at fatloss and many failures, I’m finally getting it.  What changed for me?  Well, quite frankly it was the level of pain my obesity was causing me - mentally, socially and potentially physically.  I had not yet started to suffer the effects of obesity and I count myself as very fortunate to have turned myself around when I did. I was a heart attack waiting to happen.  My starting cholestrol was 5.8 and is now 4.1.
 

You know, the silly thing is,I used to train with weights in my early 20’s.  I knew the lifestyle and absolutely loved it.  Had I not strayed from the path, I could have saved myself years of pain and frustration……. I was lucky enough to know people who were competetive in bodybuilding to guide me.  I was in the best shape of my life!  ………What happened?  Well, I married someone who was not into the sport - a cyclist.  But he always ate like ‘Pizza the Hut”‘  and my environment became one of junk food and piles of fat.  Although he never really became severely overweight, the effects on me were devastating……And yes, we’re still married .  At this point, it sounds like I’m blaming him, but no, I am responsible for everything that I put into my mouth and every workout I do not do.  It is up to me to make the changes which will produce the results that I desire and that is nobody’s responsibility but my own.  Since I told everybody how it was going to be in regards to food (the woman makes all the decions you know); our family has become a much healthier one.  One day I just got ruthless and dragged the garbage bin into the kitchen (eww!) and dumped all the contents of my pantry, fridge/freezer into it.  I will absolutely not allow junk foods into my environment - people who think they can have these “foods”, and I use this term loosely, around (for their kids for example) are kidding themselves.  If the food is not good enough for you then why would you want to put that junk into your precious family? 
 

My husband although not into lifting weights, has completely changed his body for the better  and he looks healthy and doesn’t get tired anymore.  My son has only just this last couple of weeks finally come around to this way of eating.  He’s eleven and I’m so glad he’s made this decision for himself at such a young age.  He’s into Karate, though I think he’ll end up in the gym with me when he’s older.  He recently told me to never change and go back to my former self.  I asked him why and he said it’s because I am so much happier and he can do things with me now.  If that’s not motvation to keep going, then I don’t know what is.

So now I’m at what I consider to be the final stages of my fatloss journey.  I do have desires of competing and that will be a new journey on it’s own.  This last phase will probably be the most difficult.  Long term dieting is not easy - after almost 5 months of calorie restriction,(1200-1300 cals per day) you kinda just want it to be over.  But I have come to a point over this past week , after having a brief rest from dieting and exercise, that this is now my way of life.  I am increasing my calories now to 1500, I’m not sure what’s going to happen with the remaining fatloss, but you’ve got to try things. Right?  Some people say just eat clean and others say it’s calories in and calories out.  Well, I’m hoping it’s just eat clean…………..On the positive, my body compositions have shown that I have gained 300g of muscle for August and 600g gained in September.  I must be doing something right.  I’m putting it down to having 160-180g of protien per day, training & resting properly………… I keep my carbs around the 100-120g mark……….. the fats have been a bit low but I am increasing those now.
 

I’m still experimenting with my training but prefer a 3 day on one day off split.  I’m constantly changing things up and challenging my body.  I have been lurking around Bodybuilding.com for several months now and have learned alot.  I have seen how much has changed in regards to nutrition & training since I was re-introduced to the sport.  I also see alot of conflicting ideas, but I have taken from those the consistent messages and applied those to my plan. 

I am so happy to be in a community of like minded people to learn from.  I just don’t have that where I am.  I’m surrounded by women who scurry off to the womens workout area.  They seem to be scared of lifting heavy for fear of getting bulky.  I even spoke to one woman yesterday who said she wanted to lose muscle!  I just bit my tongue, nodded and smiled.  I don’t want to seem like a know it all………..
 

Nobody here seems to have training partners, so it’s quite difficult.  They all seem to want to rely on the PT’s.  Sorry, but I’m not paying $80 per hour when I know I can do this on my own or with a training partner (unpaid!)   I take a deep sense of pride knowing I’ve climbed this massive mountain on my own.

Ah well enough of my frustrations………..like I said, I am so happy to be around such motivated people.  I look forward to increaing my knowledge though our shared experiences.