I’ve kept it up, along with the Joe Wicks workouts, and I started the NHS’s Couch to 5k app last September, having never run before. I could only fit in one run per week, but when I finished it, I discovered a love of running. I bought a Garmin smart watch and I use the training plans on there, and I’m even in the ballot for the London Marathon next year. Sometimes I do think, “Who is this person?”
Overall, I have lost about four stone and gone from a size 16-18 to a size 10, but there are so many more benefits that I value, such as the mental health ones. I have struggled with anxiety in the past, but now I’m so much more confident to take on new challenges. And I love that I’m being a role model for my children about how exercise can make you feel; my daughter has seen how much I enjoy running and has started doing it herself. I think I could have easily fallen down a black hole last year, but my fitness journey has really turned that around and meant something positive has come out of it.
My workout week
I tend to do five workouts a week; I could do all Joe Wicks HIIT sessions on his app, or I might swap a few for some runs. I’m doing a 10k training plan on my Garmin watch, and I’m also training for a 100k ultra walk next June, with which I’m raising money for Cancer Research UK.
What I eat in a day
Breakfast: Granola with natural yoghurt
Snacks: Homemade trail mix bars
Lunch: Chicken burrito bowl
Dinner: Pasta bake on a workout day, or if it’s a lower carb day, chicken and chorizo hash with poached eggs
Evening: Fruit and rice cakes – occasionally a bit of chocolate.
Lifestyle asides
Carbs: Lower, but not no carbs
Caffeine: Two cups of tea a day
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate.
Alcohol: One wee drink socially or if we go out for dinner but I tend not to drink at home.
Sleep: My sleep is hugely improved now that I exercise; when I go to bed, my body is tired and I sleep for about 7-8 hours.
As told to Jessica Salter
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