Gym Update: My Third Month Of Personal Training

Hi guys!

Thanks so much to everyone for all of the comments about my article that was featured in The Irish Times on Tuesday. The response was amazing :) I've wanted to write a post about how the gym has been going and I finally have a break from assignments to do it! 

In August, I started personal training with Marcus Bertels at the Ben Dunne gym in Northwood and I can't believe how much my strength and stamina is after building up since then. If someone had said to me last year that I'd be doing 100-kilo leg presses, I would have laughed in their face. 

Over the past three months, I've lost nearly half a stone. I wasn't overweight but I wanted to lose fat, gain muscle and tone up, which is what I've done. I don't count calories but I try to keep my carb intake low and my protein intake high. I think giving up fizzy drinks has been one of the main factors in my weight loss. I used to drink something fizzy nearly every day and now it's a treat when I do. 

When I think about it, my whole diet has completely changed and I have so much more energy because of it. My skin has improved and it's definitely down to what I put into my body. Two of my friends that I hadn't seen in a couple of months saw me the other day and commented about my skin and weight loss and it really encourages you to keep going when people compliment you about the change.

I could talk about the benefits of going to the gym forever but getting out there and joining a gym is one of the best things you can do for yourself; physically and mentally. I can guarantee that once you find a workout routine or class that you enjoy it will become something that you can't live without! 

I wrote a post about a colonoscopy that I had last month. I'll be back soon to update you all about the results of it as the biopsy results are back next week! 

Have a great Halloween! 

Clara 

Why I Joined The Gym

Hi, everyone!

About a month ago, I went to have a look around a gym and I decided to join and start getting into fitness. I'd been thinking about joining for a long time as I wanted to get fit and change my lifestyle but I thought that I wouldn't like it. It can be intimidating going to the gym for the first time and not having a clue how anything works and worrying that everyone's watching you, just waiting for you to start using a leg machine with your arms!! I felt that it would be best for me to start personal training so that I had someone with me showing me the ropes, pushing me and giving me the best workout for what I want to do with my body. 

Last week, I had my first session with my personal trainer and I left the gym on a high that I hadn't felt in a long time! He made me enjoy every exercise that I was doing and I had fun in the gym! Yes, I was looking around for the first session thinking people were looking at me going "oh my god she can barely do push-ups" but you have to start somewhere! I had my fourth session today and my strength is after building up so much! I never thought that I'd have pushed 80 kilos the first time that I'd ever done a leg press! My confidence is growing each time that I go to the gym and I feel so good after every session. I've completely changed my diet and don't put anything into my body that I know isn't beneficial. The change that I can already see and feel is amazing! I look forward to having a treat or a cheat meal now rather than having something like a chocolate bar or fizzy drink every day. I now snack on things like fruit and veg which is something that I never thought I'd say (as I have such a sweet tooth!).

I suffer from anxiety too and the gym has been the best therapy that I've ever had! If anyone suffers from anxiety and you aren't already going to the gym, I highly recommend that you start. It has been the best thing that I've done for my body and mind! I was meant to take a before photo before I started training but I forgot to so I'm going to take one before my next session and document how things are going every week. Today, I was working a lot on my upper back and arms and I can see my back muscles starting to become more defined. It's crazy how fast the changes happen once you devote yourself.

If you're out there and you're contemplating starting the gym, push yourself and join, join with a friend if you don't want to go alone. It's the best thing that I've ever done!

You can follow my journey by joining me on Snapchat and Instagram. My username on both accounts is chatterboxclara. 

Clara