Almost a month later and I am still sticking with Be Better Fitness Training. Apart from my marriage to Mr C and The Good Wife box set, this is the longest I have stuck at anything for a long time. However, this year has seen me overhauling my fitness and health. I have now been exercising and trying to eat healthy for nearly 6 months. Whereas before I would go all out, stock the cupboards with the latest health fad (which is always eye wateringly expensive and normally involves being grown on some mountain top in the Himalayas), then I would exercise until I drop, only to stop a couple of months later full of self-loathing and also broke. This time I am being sensible. I say sensible but I still went and walked the Moonwalk marathon a couple of weeks ago and I still have the island walk (48.1 miles in a couple of weeks).
How Be Better Fitness Training works
Daily Challenges
Amina sets us a challenge everyday (apart from our rest day). This will involve a different workout, of varying lengths and intensity. This is why I like it and why I have managed to stick at it so far. Every day is different so there is no chance of getting bored. I used to love spinning but doing the same class 4 times a week soon gets boring. With Be Better Fitness Training there is so much variety that you don’t have an opportunity to get bored. Today I have just completed a 15 minute kettlebell workout. It was gruelling and effective. 15 minutes means that it was also done quickly and I was able to get on with my day. Perfect for busy mums. You can also share your progress with others that are following the Be Better Fitness Training and it is a really lovely supportive community.
Monthly Challenges
As well as a daily challenge last month there was also a monthly challenge. At the start of the month I had to share my vital stats and measurements and then we will have to check in a month later and see if there has been an improvement. There should be if you stick to the plan. Now the monthly challenge for this month was clean eating. I am someone who eats fairly clean so it wasn’t a complete shock to the system. However, I love bread and I have a weakness for fizzy cola bottles. At first I struggled with cutting out sweets. I don’t eat a lot but I was training hard for the Moonwalk marathon and every now and again I found myself craving a sugar hit for some energy. I also ate Jelly Babies during the Moonwalk marathon. Amina does provide you with recipes and I did use a lot of these or I tweaked my own.
Did I stick to clean eating?
This challenge might not have been one that I stuck to strictly but it did make me more aware of our eating and drinking habits and I am definitely eating more healthily as a result. I also cut out dairy due to this challenge and the effect it has had on me has been amazing! I have replaced normal milk with almond milk and I am not as bloated anymore and my digestive issues seem much better. Also, my stomach cramps during my period were more manageable. It could be coincidence but I won’t be reintroducing dairy back into my diet just yet.
Overall reflections on Be Better Fitness Training
In the past I started exercising to lose weight. This is not my mindset nowadays. I now exercise to be strong. I don’t weigh myself but I probably have lost weight. What I will say though is that I am stronger. I walked the Moonwalk marathon and I still had a niggling injury but I managed it. The day after the Moonwalk marathon and apart from feeling a bit tired and having a swollen foot I felt great. I didn’t ache like I thought I would. I felt strong and ready to work out again. I might some days struggle to do a Be Better Fitness Training workout but really that is no excuse because who can’t find the time for a 15 minute workout? The good thing about Be Better Fitness Training is that you can pick what works for you. If there is an exercise you can’t do then Amina is just at the end of an email and she will advise you on how to tweak it.
I might not be making a dramatic transformation as I wasn’t overweight to start with. For me this was about changing my mindset and getting healthier and Be Better Fitness Training has certainly helped with that. I now have a flatter stomach, I have educated myself on what I should be eating (admittedly I don’t always do that but I’m only human) and I feel like my exercising has more structure now. I really believe that all those weighted squats Amina had us doing meant that I recovered from the Moonwalk marathon quicker.
What next?
I now have the island walk, all 48.1 miles of it (sobs). I need to carry on with my Be Better Fitness Training. I’ve been thinking about how I need to start making more progress with my fitness and health and how I need to start pushing myself more. I need to see that I am making progress. So I might not be ready to share with the world what I look like in my pants but I will share what I look like in my workout gear at the start of the month and then I can see if I have made progress at the end of the month. I don’t really like putting myself in the front of the camera and it feels a little narcissistic but I think it’s important that I share the progress I am making. I am going to focus on
- working out 6 days out of 7. Including one long walk a week at the weekend.
- Cut out sugar completely - arrrgh.
Wish me luck and come back next week where I share the first photos and how I have got on in my training for the island walk - arghhhhh!
Be Better Fitness Training
If you are interested in joining Be Better Fitness Training then you can sign up for a free trial.
Disclaimer - please be aware that I was gifted my membership in return for my honest opinion.
This sounds fab and the changes in the type of exercise each sound like something I would stick to too. I’m off to take a look xx well done you for keeping at it !!
This sounds fantastic. I’ve always been a bit of a gym bunny - until I had kids and now I just struggle for time, plus of course don’t want to spend all my time at the gym. I do run a lot, but only make it to the gym twice a week, once for a swim and once for a weight class. Something like this that I could do at home would be great. I’d really like to just do some more toning. I feel fairly fit, but want to tone up my abs. I’ll look into this. Like the sound of the variety. xx
Thanks! If I can keep at it then anyone can 🙂
Yes, I found that I was making it to the gym so had to cancel it. This is so much more easier to fit it and so much more cheaper than gym membership!
Well done for sticking at it Emma, it really sounds like you’ve found the right type of thing for you, and that’s what it’s about really, isn’t it? Cutting out sugar is hard, we’ve just done a 12-week sugar smart challenge which wasn’t even cutting out sugar, just reducing and being more aware. Good luck with your continued efforts!
Thank you! I am determined to cut it out this month. Mr C tried to tempt me with a cookie but I have resisted. 🙂
This honestly sound amazing and great for anyone who needs that something extra to keep at fitness. I’m going to sign up.
This sounds as it is motivating you so well and how amazing that you have managed to stick with this when you don’t normally. Well done on setting those focus areas and good luck with the Island walk. Mich x
Thank you! I’m feeling nervous about the island walk but fingers crossed x
Well done! It really is down to having the right mind set and doing it for the right reasons. I really need to get back to exercise, there is just never enough hours. But I’m beginning to think there never will be and I have to prioritise. I love the idea of having a challenge everyday, this would be a great way to focus x
Well done you for sticking with it! It sounds like you’ve really noticed the difference. Good luck with your next challenges and the island walk!
This sounds brilliant I like the fact that the sessions vary and it would be difficult not to be able to fit fifteen minutes in. Well done you on the Moonwalk. Can’t wait to hear about the Iskand walk that’s amazing!!