Back at the beginning of August I decided to try tackle a 90 day challenge to try improve my fitness and help my weight loss journey. I set out with great intentions of really making a difference and continue the progress I had made since the start of the year however, I have to say I haven't seen as much progress as I would have hoped and I know exactly why. I really started to fall off track from more or less the beginning of the challenge as lockdown restrictions started to lift and I started to go out and about more often which involved a lot of eating out. I actually disappointed myself by doing this and just never really fully got back on track as my final stats show but I did make progress in some areas which I guess is better than nothing. 

The first few days involved a camping trip where I just ate and drank which did no good for me at all as it took me a long time to get back on track. By the time I did get back on track though it was my birthday and I certainly made the most of the celebrations then too. After that things were just going down hill and to be honest I was started to give up again. It wasn't until the final week of the challenge I really started to put that effort in again which shouldn't have been the case as I was more than capable of making more progress than I did. So here is what happened on the scales...

start weight : 15 st 9 & 1/2 lb

end weight 15st 11 & 1/2 lbs 

This disappointed me the most as I know if I had just tried harder to get back on track after falling off I know I could have made so much more of a difference, I could have really been pushing for that 1 stone loss in the 90 days but instead my weight was up and down throughout and by the end I gained weight. 

But here is how my measurements went...

Hips start :116 cm end : 113cm

Waist start :112 cm end : 106cm

Left leg start : 63cm end : 63cm

Right leg start : 63cm end : 63cm

Left arm start : 32cm end : 33cm

Right arm start : 32cm end : 33cm 

I am quite pleased with these results as I saw a different in the 2 main areas, my wast & hips. For me as long as they are going down I am heading in the right direction. It does make me wonder how much I could lose if I really put my mind to it and stayed on track for a full 90 days.

To be honest I really do feel like I started this challenge at the wrong time with a camping trip, a weeks holiday and my birthday all being in that time frame along with other events happening within the family & lockdown restrictions being eased. Heading back to the office also proved a test as I went from being able to cook any meal at any time to having a set lunch time with me having to take food with me or buying from the local supermarket. 

I am going to give this challenge a try again but try to stick to it more and if I do fall off track make sure I pick myself straight back up and make progress instead of moping around. I am going to do this by creating a chart with my plan for the 90 days on along with a chart for my weight loss, my main chart will focus on the plan for each day such as workouts, if it is weigh day etc and my other chart will literally just be one I can mark off per 1lb lost this way I can see big milestones approaching and hopefully it will motivate me a little bit more. On those big milestones I plan to put little incentives so for example when I lose 1 stone I can get a football shirt or game and so on, hopefully seeing that if I achieve the goals I can pick up something I really want will give me that extra push.  

MyFitnessPal is also going to be my best friend as I am going to track all my meals so I know just what I am putting in my body and keep an eye on those weeks that have worked and those that haven't. I also plan to eat a lot better by planning meals using my new meal planner and prepping meals for work so I aren't going out and buying junk. If I am out for the day elsewhere I will try take a meal with me instead of just eating whatever too, so say I am at my sisters I will take a meal instead of just having a sandwich or a load of snacking items. I also want to incorporate more fruit and veg into my diet too as I am really lacking in that area. 

I will also be using my Instagram to post my meals and the workouts I do to help me be accountable too as I know a few people on there will help me stay motivated and on track and also call me out if I am slipping into old habits. My workouts are also going to be increased and I will be adding a variety of workouts into my routine to keep me going and so I don't get bored of my routine and am putting my body through different challenges. One day I might be doing a hiit workout, a walk or weights but I will be mixing it up every now and again just to keep me on my toes.  

That mindset that I was in at the start of the year needs to come back as I really was making progress and going in the right direction whilst really improving both my physical and mental health. That is why I am going to jump straight back in and try this 90 day challenge again. I will be starting the challenge on Wednesday the 18th November and ending it on the 16th of February so lets hope it goes better the second time around and I see changes in both my measurement & on the scales. Lets end 2020 on a high note and start 2021 heading in the right direction.