Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that. Today is the last day in the F45 challenge! It's not over yet, but it will be soon- I'm booked in for the lunchtime class today, which is cardio hell. But I'm going to go and I'm going to do it and put my last star on the wall at the gym and my last red X on the digital chart when I tag the gym on Instagram.
I did:
- 55 minutes of walking and 40 minutes at F45 for a total of 95 active minutes. Today was the awful Triple Double cardio set of, do three sets at each of these crazy stations and then when you think you're done- go do it again!!!
- drank 3 litres of water
- did my dental care
- 15 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo.
Honestly... I can't believe I was actually able to finish this challenge. I didn't think that my fitness level would be able to handle it. And not only did I handle it, but I did it very well! I did the F45 classes 6 days a week with one day being my active recovery day where I did a 60 min walk. I am tired and feeling a bit burnt out, but I survived, and I believe my health and fitness have definitely improved. Over the last 45 days I have definitely built more visible muscle tone, the scale started moving again in a way that emphasized my body is enjoying these good choices, and while I didn't take measurements, yesterday I was able to put on an old pair of jeans in a size 12! They were tight, and because they're old they're the ultra low rise style which happens to hit me right where my loose skin is hanging, but I could zip them up and button them without bursting out! Not sure I want to wear that style of jeans anymore but it was awesome to be able to fit into them at least.
Not to mention how I've been able to increase the weight on the strength training I've been doing. I have to keep reminding myself that it's supposed to be hard. If I don't pick up a weight and feel like it's heavy, then maybe it's not heavy enough. Challenging myself is the best way to build strength and get to a point where they don't feel as heavy anymore, after all, and the trainers are there if I am trying to go up a level to help spot me so I'm doing it safely. I can't believe that I've been doing F45 classes for 6 months and I've increased my dumbbell weight (for things like presses and the like) from 3kg to 15kg! That's incredible improvement! I am hoping that if I continue to exercise like this, it will help a little with the loose skin and if nothing else, will fill it with some muscle.
I had no idea that you could have visible abs showing with this much body fat left to lose. The articles I've read online say you need to be about 20-25% body fat to have any abs showing but I think I'm still above that. Either way though- look at me go!!!
I just read an article in Women's Health the other day that said that building muscle now, before you go into menopause, has so many bonuses for health. It's commonly known that when reaching menopause that muscle tone starts to decline and so does metabolism, which is why it's normal to start gaining weight even if your diet and exercise remain the same. And at that point, once you start losing muscle tone, it becomes much harder due to hormonal changes for your body to rebuild it. There is some research saying if you build the muscle while in perimenopause or earlier and work to maintain it that menopause is less like being hit by a freight train and more of a gradual change- muscle tissue is even correlated with a reduction in hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. So I am hopeful if I keep up my new habits that maybe my midlife will be a little easier.
So I don't think I'm going to let my membership lapse now that the challenge is over, although honestly maybe not 6 days a week! But I plan on going tomorrow anyway even though the challenge is over because it's a weights day, and I want to keep working on my upper body. It feels really good to be pressing those big heavy dumbbells!
But WOW... go me. Seriously. I did it. And I'm really proud of myself for never giving up, even when I was (am) tired. Like I said at the beginning... I didn't have to hit any targets for anything. Didn't have to lose weight or gain a specific amount of muscle or lose inches. All I had to do was show up for myself, and I did. I'm worth it!
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