Feeling fitter than ever

I’m properly into my healthy routine now and feeling very positive towards myself. I’ve snapped out of the negative cycle around Christmas, of feeling bad about myself, eating to feel better and then feeling even worse.

I’ve broken the cycle and I feel proud. It definitely has a knock-on effect. Not only am I going to body combat classes twice a week, I’ve started doing some exercises that I read about in a magazine at home. And I haven’t even paid for them!

So most days at the moment I’m kicking, lunging and stretching in front of Coronation Street. At the time I barely notice it because my fitness levels are higher but I certainly feel the stretch afterwards!

I’m not sure if I’m just being optimistic but I think I can see the difference in my stomach and thighs already. Even if I am imagining it, it motivates me to keep going, which is great in itself. I’m getting into good habits and I don’t intend to let them drop easily!

And I’m keeping up with drinking two cups of Cho Yung Tea a day, which is always a great, instant tummy-flattener!

I’m feeling fitter and healthier than I have in years (possibly ever) and ready to push myself even further. Now, more than ever, is the right time to take on a challenge.

Wii fit is keeping me fit

I’ve discovered how amazing it is to be able to do exercise in your own home. I actually love Wii Fit! It tells you what you weigh, how many calories you have burned and is just so convenient.

OK, maybe I’m a little behind the times with this, but I am finding it a lot easier to fit exercise around my day-to-day life when I can do it in my own house.

However, I still like to mix it up with going to my combat class because it is so great for burning calories. I love the combination of going to classes and doing little bits of exercise here and there.

It’s the little things like this and drinking Cho Yung Tea that I think really make the difference. It’s easy to slip up on the big things, like going to the gym twice every week, but the small things are easier to keep up long term. So, I’m back drinking Cho Yung Tea two times a day just to give me that extra healthy boost.

So far so good with the new health kick. I certainly feel a lot better for it and am really going to try hard to keep it up from now on. With the help of dancing on the Wii and drinking Cho Yung Tea I’m feeling pretty positive about this resolution. 

New Year, New Start

I have begun a health kick to undo all the over-indulgence at Christmas.

I am feeling better already actually. The snow has stopped and I am so glad. The novelty had completely worn off for me! So, it’s back to the Combat classes again, two times a week.

Combat is kind of dance routine that uses a selection of marshal arts moves. It is a great cardio workout, and it really gets your blood pumping. It’s hard work, especially when you’ve not done it for a while but my instructor told me that it burns 800 calories per hour: that inspired me to get going!

I also really like combat because there is a 10 minute stretch down at the end. I’ve tried things like yoga and pilates but have never got on with them. I get a bit bored and don’t find it much of a work-out. This class is great because I like stretching after I’ve done some cardio.

Already I am feeling more toned and svelte. Not only do I feel better physically but I’m more motivated in other areas of my life. Going to the gym is a really great way to blow those Christmas cobwebs away!

‘Tis the season to eat, feast and be merry!

At the moment I’m having a bit of a relapse but I think it’s a deliberate choice. Sometimes I just get sick of being healthy and eating the right thing all the time.

At the moment I’m really pigging out and treating myself a lot more than once in a while. I think it’s a mixture of the wintertime blues and just feeling a bit rebellious against my usual eating plan.

The weather is really not helping the situation. Being snowed in means I can’t get to the gym to compensate for eating all this rich food.

We went out for an Indian meal for our staff Christmas party. Normally I would try and make small, healthy choices like a tomato rather than cream-based curry and rice or naan, not both. But this time I had such a spread: rice, naan, curry, loads of poppadoms, bhaji, samosa. I literally couldn’t stop myself!

The worst thing is I’m so busy preparing for Christmas that I’m getting quite good at justifying it to myself. I’m so tired at the moment that I almost feel like I deserve to eat and drink what I want.

If I’m being really honest though I’m not trying too hard to be healthier. It is Christmas after all! 

Losing weight can really affect your whole life.

Now I have lost the weight I needed to lose and I am a happy, healthy size 10. I’m finally confident about my body. I love being able to just forget about how I look and concentrate on enjoying my life. Aside from the physical change in my body shape, the main thing I’ve noticed is the huge increase in my energy levels.

When I was bigger, I felt so tired all the time and everything was an effort for me. I felt this especially because I have two young boys (Dylan, 7 and Jude, 4) who have boundless energy and are excited all the time!
 

Since I’ve lost the weight, I have so much more energy to play with them even though I’ve taken up work recently as well. I feel much less stressed about keeping the work-life balance and confident about facing the world.

I work three days a week now but seem to do even more stuff with the boys now. We went to Chessington World of Adventures in the summer and I organised a great party for Jude’s fourth birthday. I took Jude and all his friends to see Toy Story 3D which is his absolute favourite. I was busy with lots of excited 4-year-olds in tow but I actually really enjoyed it.

By far the biggest effect losing weight has had on my life is this energy boost. I have so much more energy than I had before and I now have a really positive outlook on life. 

Keeping the good habits up…

As I’ve said before, I really believe that my healthy lifestyle relies on balance. Not denying myself when my body is craving something stops me from bingeing on rubbish food later. It becomes a way of life after a while.

Now it is instinctive for me to not over-eat. Most of the time I hate the feeling of being too full. But obviously there is the odd lapse when I eat too much and then regret it. For these times I keep have a spare Cho Yung Tea in my handbag. It helps me compensate a bit by detoxifying my body.

The tea has become as much a part of my routine as going to the gym twice a week. Like exercise, it is the perfect way to counteract any little food binges I have along the way. It is my go-to when I’m feeling a bit low to perk me up. My husband calls these my ‘Face-pack days’ because I have a bath, put on a Facemask and put my feet up with a cup of Cho Yung Tea.

Cho Yung Tea has not only helped me to lose weight. It’s also great for my skin – I think it has the same effect as a good holiday but without the sunburn!

I ran out of the tea for a while and I noticed a huge drop in how healthy I felt. My skin was spottier and I was less motivated to eat healthily and exercise.

I’ve only told my closest friends about my weight loss secret but the ones I have told tried it straight away and loved it. I would find it difficult to maintain a consistent healthy lifestyle without Cho Yung Tea to perk me up on my off-days.

Getting a new job and my life back

After losing the weight I quickly got my confidence back but the change in me to really sink in. The real turning point for me was when I landed a new job. I’d stopped working after having my kids and just never really had the confidence to look for work again.

But after losing the excess weight I felt like a different person and I was so keen to get out there in the world again. Before stopping work a hairdresser and a guy that used to work for me offered me a job as a receptionist at his salon. So now he’s my boss!

It was so good for my self-esteem and gave me a great outlet for my new-found confidence. Everyday I am meeting new people and this has helped my confidence even more.

I’m one of the oldest at the salon and everyone jokes about it calling me ‘nan’. It’s a really young, funky environment but I don’t feel out of place at all. I’m so confident with my body now that I’ve regained my love of fashion. I’m always experimenting with my hair and wearing trendy new clothes.

From where I was a few years ago, it has been a complete transformation. I show the girls at the salon pictures of me before I lost the weight and they just can’t believe it. It wasn’t just about being bigger, it was the clothes I wore, my haircut and how I held myself. I love feeling like I fit in so I can just be myself without worrying. I’m back to my old, happy self again.