A look at the ups and downs of the past!!
Over the years, my weight has gone up and down. I don't have any photos at the moment from back in the beginning of June when I was probably the most defined I've been but these are some of the examples of the ups and downs. The aim was always to maintain when I reached my milestone target but as most of you know, when life throws a curve ball at you or in my case, my constant country to country move, it's hard to maintain a routine.
So here's my story!! In year 2 in South Korea (2006), I lost 6 kg in order to be as slim as I could be for my wedding. I did this purely by cutting calories and doing an hour or more of cardio. The result was a slimmer me, but a me that was not very toned. Note to everyone out there, cardio burns muscle so if you do a crap load of cardio, you're burning the muscle you worked so hard to build. It is much easier to burn muscle than it is to gain.
After the wedding in August 2006, I moved to Singapore. I worked with a trainer in the first year in Singapore and he whipped my body into great shape and I was extremely toned. Unfortunately, I have no photos to record this. Over the next 2 years of living in Singapore, I was depressed and proceeded to put on the weight again.
In the middle of 2009, I moved to the Philippines. I traveled a lot during my first year there and continued to put on more weight. I worked out a lot in 2010 but never really controlled my diet. I worked with a trainer but the continuous traveling that year hindered any real results. Finally, in the beginning of 2011, I decided to get serious. I watched what I ate for the most part, making sure I ate on a regular basis but cutting out sugar 90% of the time. I did a lot of cardio and weight training and then discovered Pole Dancing in March that year. That was a turning point for me as I was bored with weights and cardio. My target was to fit into my wedding dress again for my sister's wedding. I met my target and lost 6 kg again.
Where I am today!
My sister's wedding was in July of 2011. Since then I have pretty much maintained at the same weight and lost and gained about a kilo here and there. This is probably just water weight. From October 2011 to April 2012, I did the usual weights and cardio routine as I moved to London and Pole Dancing classes are ridiculously expensive. I managed to maintain but in April I joined the most amazing gym I've ever been a member of. It's called Gymbox. Gymbox lured me in with the fact that it offered not just your usual cardio and weight equipment and fitness classes but it offered boxing, Muay Thai and...you guess it...Pole Dancing!!! I started Gymbox for the Pole Dancing but then discovered Bartendaz and have been a fanatic ever since. Through Pole Dancing, Bartendaz (and with the knee rehab training with my trainer) and a strict low carb diet, by June of 2012 I managed to really shred my obiques and was in the best shape I've ever been. Again, I have no photo record of this. I went to Malta right after this but was incredibly bloated and feeling unwell during the trip so I didn't take any photos on the beach.
So, as I mentioned before, I had a string of vacations and guests and the healthy eating habit had suffered a little. I'm still pretty toned but not as cut as I was a few months back. This is where I'm at now.
My goals!
My goal is to get more toned within the next 12 weeks and get back to where I was before my vacations started. I want to shred my obliques and commit to working out 5 times a week.
However, unlike many I am not motivated by physical appearance. Yes I want that super toned body but thinking about that alone does not motivate me. I'm motivated by strength and my goal is to be able to do 20 strict pull ups/chin ups in a row and 100 push ups in a row. I'm currently at about 12 to 15 chin ups, about 8 to 10 pull ups and 60 push ups. I'm also aiming to perfect some of the pole tricks that I've been struggling with this whole year.
Follow me in the next 12 weeks, motivate me, and share your experience and knowledge with me. As of Monday 1st October 2012 and exactly one year since I've been in London, I'm committing to a body, style and makeup overhaul!!! Feel free to point your finger at me if I start to slack off!!!
Over the years, my weight has gone up and down. I don't have any photos at the moment from back in the beginning of June when I was probably the most defined I've been but these are some of the examples of the ups and downs. The aim was always to maintain when I reached my milestone target but as most of you know, when life throws a curve ball at you or in my case, my constant country to country move, it's hard to maintain a routine.
So here's my story!! In year 2 in South Korea (2006), I lost 6 kg in order to be as slim as I could be for my wedding. I did this purely by cutting calories and doing an hour or more of cardio. The result was a slimmer me, but a me that was not very toned. Note to everyone out there, cardio burns muscle so if you do a crap load of cardio, you're burning the muscle you worked so hard to build. It is much easier to burn muscle than it is to gain.
After the wedding in August 2006, I moved to Singapore. I worked with a trainer in the first year in Singapore and he whipped my body into great shape and I was extremely toned. Unfortunately, I have no photos to record this. Over the next 2 years of living in Singapore, I was depressed and proceeded to put on the weight again.
In the middle of 2009, I moved to the Philippines. I traveled a lot during my first year there and continued to put on more weight. I worked out a lot in 2010 but never really controlled my diet. I worked with a trainer but the continuous traveling that year hindered any real results. Finally, in the beginning of 2011, I decided to get serious. I watched what I ate for the most part, making sure I ate on a regular basis but cutting out sugar 90% of the time. I did a lot of cardio and weight training and then discovered Pole Dancing in March that year. That was a turning point for me as I was bored with weights and cardio. My target was to fit into my wedding dress again for my sister's wedding. I met my target and lost 6 kg again.
Where I am today!
My sister's wedding was in July of 2011. Since then I have pretty much maintained at the same weight and lost and gained about a kilo here and there. This is probably just water weight. From October 2011 to April 2012, I did the usual weights and cardio routine as I moved to London and Pole Dancing classes are ridiculously expensive. I managed to maintain but in April I joined the most amazing gym I've ever been a member of. It's called Gymbox. Gymbox lured me in with the fact that it offered not just your usual cardio and weight equipment and fitness classes but it offered boxing, Muay Thai and...you guess it...Pole Dancing!!! I started Gymbox for the Pole Dancing but then discovered Bartendaz and have been a fanatic ever since. Through Pole Dancing, Bartendaz (and with the knee rehab training with my trainer) and a strict low carb diet, by June of 2012 I managed to really shred my obiques and was in the best shape I've ever been. Again, I have no photo record of this. I went to Malta right after this but was incredibly bloated and feeling unwell during the trip so I didn't take any photos on the beach.
So, as I mentioned before, I had a string of vacations and guests and the healthy eating habit had suffered a little. I'm still pretty toned but not as cut as I was a few months back. This is where I'm at now.
My goals!
My goal is to get more toned within the next 12 weeks and get back to where I was before my vacations started. I want to shred my obliques and commit to working out 5 times a week.
However, unlike many I am not motivated by physical appearance. Yes I want that super toned body but thinking about that alone does not motivate me. I'm motivated by strength and my goal is to be able to do 20 strict pull ups/chin ups in a row and 100 push ups in a row. I'm currently at about 12 to 15 chin ups, about 8 to 10 pull ups and 60 push ups. I'm also aiming to perfect some of the pole tricks that I've been struggling with this whole year.
Follow me in the next 12 weeks, motivate me, and share your experience and knowledge with me. As of Monday 1st October 2012 and exactly one year since I've been in London, I'm committing to a body, style and makeup overhaul!!! Feel free to point your finger at me if I start to slack off!!!
Jasmine! Well done on chronicaling your shifts in weight over the past year. You have a great sense of awareness of when and why your weight fluxuated. Like you, overall appearance does not motivate me enough but I do like how you set goals for you to reach to maintain the motivation. Working out with a trainer, in a class or with a friend has always been more motivating than working out solo. It's great that you have adapted your workout regimes to your style. I look forward to reading about your progress and experiences. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think the thing that yoga has really taught me is that I want to be healthy. Like you I've had a string of ups and downs (more up lately than down unfortunately) but I'm getting back to where I used to be and I have more motivation to keep going. I am looking at joining a regular gym again - because I want to try to kickboxing and spinning and other classes as a complement to yoga - I don't feel like yoga is doing enough. Good for you (yes I clicked on the bikini photos but not to judge/gossip ;)) You look awesome and healthy, and I'm happy it's working out for you!
ReplyDeleteKickboxing is great!! I don't do it here in London coz I was spoilt by a one on one instructor in the Philippines. But I think your body gets used to workouts quite easiy so getting into something else is always a good thing. Even if you don't like it as much as yoga in the end and you go back to that, it would have given your body something different...a bit of a change. Bikram is great though!! My gym has everything I want except Bikram. lol. They have other types of yoga but not that!! Guess they'd have to make a special room for it if they did want to offer it.
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