Happy Wednesday!!
I am so looking forward to this long weekend (Friday and Monday are public holidays here in the UK as its Easter) and am planning on spending most of it working on my blog. It's a bit of a different post from me today but a subject I want to start addressing more in my future posts.
For as long as I can remember I have always 'battled' with my weight. I have always been on the bigger size, feeling self-conscious and embarrassed by the way I looked.
I have constantly been on and off diets since I was around 14 years old, I'd loose half a stone and then put it back on and couldn't seem to stick to anything long term.
Over the years I've tried everything from slimming clubs, meal replacement shakes, calorie counting and just eating chicken and broccoli - yuk! But none of these I could stick too long term, I either felt too deprived or wasn't happy with the results I was getting so would fall off the bandwagon.
After a very overindulgent Christmas, I joined a slimming class in January where in the six weeks of being there all I lost was 2lb. This slimming class encouraged me to eat 'free foods' such as pasta, sugary yogurts and cereal bars - none of this helped me loose weight and in fact made me feel worse than when I started. I was filling my body with processed rubbish instead of real food.
Finding Joe
So one day whilst scrolling through Instagram feeling at my wits end, worrying about the looming summer and the thought of getting in a bikini, I came across Joe Wicks aka 'The Body Coach'. Initially I thought it was going to be another fad diet like the ones I had tried in the past where you eat nothing and have to spend hours in the gym. But I was amazed by the transformation pictures he posted, I liked the fact that these were normal people making amazing changes to their bodies, it made me feel maybe I can finally make these changes to my body. Within a day of finding Joe on Instagram I had signed up to the 90 day plan.
Getting Started
Once you sign up and pay for your plan a detailed questionnaire is sent which asks detailed questions about your current diet, health and exercise routine. The 90 days is split up into three monthly cycles - Cycle 1 (Shift), Cycle 2 (Shape) and Cycle 3 (Sustain). I received my Cycle 1 plan within 3 days of submitting my questionnaire and on the day you start the plan you must submit your weight, measurements and start pictures.
Cycle 1
When I initially received C1 I found the information daunting but after reading through the whole plan twice it soon all made sense and I was raring to go. Without going into too much detail, the plan includes recipes for high-carb and low-carb meal options, snack ideas and detailed exercise plans.
I love most healthy foods so I loved almost all the recipe options. I couldn't believe how much food I could eat to be burning fat!! The meals were filling, tasty and didn't make me feel like I was on a 'diet' at all.
The exercise in C1 is HIIT training, short/intense bursts of exercise followed by the same amount of time rest (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off) for a total of 25 minutes. Joe recommends only doing HIIT for the first month but as I had already paid up for the month of boot camp classes I did boot camp 3x a week and at home HIIT 2x a week. Joe makes the HIIT really simple with how to videos which can be done at home. Exercising 5x a week was tough at first, but I persevered and managed to keep it up for the full four weeks.
The hardest part about this plan for me was giving up the scales as it is recommended to step away from the 'sad step' and only weigh once a month. I used to jump on the scales a couple times a week and it would determine my mood for the rest of the day. The first two weeks I struggled with the feeling of needing to weigh but I stayed strong and it is honestly the best habit I've ever broken.
As I was feeling so low about my weight I decided I wanted to go the whole month with absolutely no cheats and no alcohol. I stuck the the plan 100% for the month, to see the maximum results my body could achieve.
Throughout the plan Joe and his dedicated team are on hand to provide support and answer any questions you have. I always got super speedy responses to my questions along with motivating and encouraging messages.
My Results
On Sunday I completed C1 and had my first weigh in. I was over the moon when I got on the scales to see I had lost 7lb, 5cm off my waist, 5cm off my hips, 2cm off my chest, 1cm off each arm and 2cm off my legs. I have never obtained results like this from any other plan I've followed. I still have a very long way to go but my body has never felt so 'lean', my skin is clearer, my cellulites reduced and my mood has improved massively.
I am absolutely thrilled with the results I have got from C1 and cannot wait to begin C2. After submitting my results Joe asked if he could post my testimonial to Instagram. At first I didn't not want to as I am no where near having a lean body but I want to motivate all the normal girls out their and let them see the changes that can be made to our bodies. So below is my results picture and testimonial (can't believe I'm posting this eeek!)
Cycle 2
I just received my C2 plan this morning so tonight is going to be full of meal planning and prepping for the next few days! In this cycle I will start incorporating weights into my workouts, which I'm really excited about!!!
In a months time I will be following up with with a review of C2 and the results I have achieved.
If anyone is thinking of signing up with Joe I urge you too! This plan is life changing, it has educated me to get out of the calorie counting trap and step away from the scales. I cannot thank Joe and his team enough for the support and encouragement I have received in C1 - I am now ready to smash C2! Summers coming sign up before it's too late ;)!
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Have you signed up to Joe's 90 day plan? Let me know your thoughts!
XOXO Sophie
