Body & Fitness

The Real Girls’ Guide to Getting Fit: A high heart-rate workout

Plus, win a TomTom Touch Cardio + Body Composition fitness tracker.
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I’m now one month into my three-month programme with coach Rhys, and I’m seeing lots of positive changes to my overall health – but I’m not going to lie, it’s been really challenging!

I started off with a hiss and a roar; I stuck to my meal plan, worked hard in the training sessions, and lost about 3kg in the first two weeks. But then I hurt my shoulder (it wasn’t exercise-related), and I had about a week and a half of not working out very much. I feel like I plateaued for a while, and I was stressed about undoing all the work I had done.

Now I’m back on track, and finding a balance that works for me. While I might have slowed down a little bit, I’ve stopped weighing myself as I’m realising it’s not all about the number on the scales.

The workouts

I usually do two 45-minute sessions each week with Rhys, and I’m trying to up that to three sessions, but it’s been hard lately as things have been really busy at work.

A lot of what I’ve been doing so far is focusing on technique, and I’ll do resistance-based exercises like squats with a weighted bar, or planks to work my core. The other day I had to run up stairs! I was worried about having to lift really heavy weights, but it’s been okay so far as we’ve started slowly.

The exercise side of the programme has been really good, and doing a workout makes me feel great for the rest of the day. Once I’ve done some exercise, I don’t feel guilty if it’s a Saturday and I end up watching TV for a couple of hours afterwards, as I know I’ve achieved something that day.

During the sessions with Rhys, I used to have to take lots of breaks, but now I can go a lot longer without stopping. I also find working out with a personal trainer really motivating; when it’s one-on-one you feel more inclined to push further and not stop as fast. It’s good because Rhys is tough, but he doesn’t make me keep going if I’m really exhausted.

On the days I’m not working out with Rhys, I try to get to the gym. I’ve been gradually building up my cardio fitness, and now I can run for 15 minutes on the treadmill without stopping – it might not sound like much to some people but it’s a big achievement for me!

The eating plan

Rhys gave me a meal plan that included a lot of chicken, fish and veges, and sticking to this has been one of the toughest things for me. In order to kick-start my weight loss, I was told to avoid dairy and carbs, and the meal plan was also quite light on red meat. As I’ve suffered from low iron before, I’ve introduced some red meat back in, but it’s been hard to prepare healthy meals.

I often stay at my boyfriend’s house so I’m not always at home to cook dinner for myself. This can be tricky as he usually adds butter and mayonnaise to his meals, and sometimes when he’s making things in the kitchen I’ll be standing there saying “Don’t add that!”.

I’ve also found it hard when I go out socially. It’s difficult to stay on track when everyone else is having treats, and I don’t want to go to a friend’s birthday party and say, “I’ll just sit here and have my broccoli and fish!”

Having said all that, I do think I’m getting more used to it now, and I’m learning a lot about what foods suit me best. Right from the beginning, Rhys has told me to listen to my body, and to pay attention to how I feel after meals. With that in mind, I’ve noticed some high-carb foods, like bread, make me feel really tired and sluggish. By noticing the effect it has on my body, and wanting to avoid feeling that way, I’ve found it easier to not eat it.

It can be hard on the days when I think l need a treat; I feel so guilty about eating certain foods that it can affect my enjoyment of it. But it’s also about focusing on the positives – I do feel really good, and by being more aware of what I’m putting into my body, I’m more in control of my life.

The results

While I’m not weighing myself as much, I’m noticing a whole heap of changes that have been great for keeping me motivated. I’ve got these high-waisted jeans that used to cut into me when I sat at my computer at work, and now they feel fine. I’ve got pants I couldn’t wear before, and now they fit. In the first couple of weeks, I lost 7cm off my hips. I’ve also noticed I’m sleeping better, as these days I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow!

I’ve certainly slowed down a bit compared to when I first started, but I think it’s about trial and error and finding what works best for me. I try not to beat myself up too much if I slip up with food or have an off day; I’m just doing what I can. And for someone who’s never really exercised before, I think it’s going pretty well so far!

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