“The Only true wisdom is in knowing that you know Nothing.”

Fitness Friday Lately Fun.

The long-awaited response on my Frequently Asked Questions on My Fitness Journey is finally here. Probably the longest title on the blog to date from the looks of all the questions I compiled, with long titles, comes long posts. Get your popcorn, this is going to be a long juicy read because am about to spill the real tea on my Fitness Journey as promised on my 9 Tips for Getting Fit on a Budget. So if you are just finding my blog for the first time, you might not get what the heck am talking about, don’t worry, it will all tie-down soon enough. Allow me to do a quick recap while I answer the Frequently Asked Questions on My Fitness Journey so that this post has more drama and edge to it shall we?

Frequently Asked Questions on My Fitness Journey

What inspired your Fitness Journey?

A little over 6 months ago I would say, sometime in May/ June to be exact. I went through a hideous weight gain phase in my life. Guess I should say this was when I noticed the gains, but the whole time I was building up to it. I was never watching what I eat, junk became my go-to and exercise was never a thing I ever considered. I woke up went to work, ate junk for breakfast & Lunch headed back home to Netflix and chill while ate some greasy snacks for dinner and pass out. Okay, maybe not pass out but you get the point. My lifestyle quickly caught up with me and the weight gain went from a 51Kg – which was what I think I weighed in my normal stance and jumped to 57Kg. I was disappointed with myself and promised to cut down a little and work out, which I did for like 3 days and the circle went back to 1. Eat – Work – Snack junk and that went on rotation like clockwork.

So in June, my pants stopped fitting me, my bigger boyfriend pants begun looking like skinny jeans. That’s when  I knew I was out of control. I spoke more about this on my Dealing With Weight Gain but long story short, I gained extra 6Kgs. Meaning I was weighing 63Kgs. The look I gave the doctor when I stepped on the weighing scale is deadly, to say the least. It became my wake up call and I was determined to get read of the 12Kgs I had gained. This then became my benchmark for my Fitness journey.

1: How do you Stay Consistent with your workout?

Mmmh, Well I only just started being consistent this month. My biggest 3 weapons on staying consistent would be:

• Find what you Love

For you to be consistent, you have to find what you love first and foremost. Just because, Running works well for Kymmiee, it doesn’t mean it will be your go-to fitness thing. Some people enjoy hiking, biking or mountain climbing while others enjoy speed walking. So find a fitness routine that you connect with and work from there. Am not saying you will love it everyday, Ha! its meant to be brutal – Remember no pain no gain.

• Your pulling factors needs to be greater than your push factors.

Allow me to expand this. If you find yourself pushing yourself to do a workout, it will not last in long-term because you may end up burning out halfway through the process, that or you will end up resenting the workout. However, if you’re Pulling factors are greater, you will be excited to workout, and look forward to the next workout after and its downhill from there.

• Have a practical routine

More reason as to why I kept falling off the wagon was not having a PRACTICAL routine. I had a routine alright but not a practical one. Which I can totally understand, looking back – When you jump into fitness in the early times you are pumped and would think you can conquer the world, you decide to gym for 7 days and quit junk in a heartbeat. However, this will not offer you longevity because you will burn in the process.  So find a Practical routine, one that will incorporate rest in between. So take time and take care of yourself.

2: Do you know of workouts for them Lazy people like me?

First off, Hi Marianne, Ha! I had to Lazy shame you, I mean come on! I don’t think they have invented them already, at least in 2018. However, my take would be; start small. Eliminate junk, little by little. Incorporate 5-minute exercises in your routine and build from there. You will be amazed by what the simplest changes will do to you. That and drinking lots and lots of water.

3: I don’t have the time, I led a busy life.

The harsh truth, you have the time. If you are willing to put in the work then you find the time. If you work up at 6 for work, try to work up an hour or half earlier to exercise and compensate that by sleeping late. You could opt to work out in the evening. If all hell goes loose, try to get your workout between the day.

• From opting to walk instead of driving.
• Using the stairs instead of lifting.
• Drinking lots of water.
• Eating healthy instead of junk-ing up.

4: I CAN’T Junk out – Send help

Ha! you totally can, common now. Believe me, when I tell you,  I have been there. Junk food is a drug, so to speak. So you can’t just quit in a day. I mean unless you have superhuman willpower. Otherwise, start small, in order to avoid a junk withdraw. Try to do substitutes. Instead of 100% chocolates, opt for the dark chocolates, instead of sugar opt for honey. If  I am being honest, I haven’t junk out at 100% I still have a pizza or two ever so often, but I work my ass off so I don’t even feel bad.

5: What do you eat

This is a question that has been on me for so long. It starts with a compliment, ” I love your body what do you eat?” I would love to say EVERYTHING – well except fish. I tried various eating plans but I found myself staving myself and in the long run fall off the wagon and eat everything on sight. However, I am making better healthy choices every day and try to avoid junk as much as I can. I shared what I eat in a day post a little while ago, and I plan to include those kinds of post inspiration soon, so stay on the lookout. The easy route is to practice portion control, Keeping tabs on the micros and macros alike. I will expand this soon enough.

6: How do you maintain your body?

There was a point in time where I could easily blurt out, I have good genes, but reality humbled me, really good. After a 12Kg weight gain, I can now say it all comes down to hard work and determination. I put in the work and with consistency, you will clearly see results.

7: Do you diet? does it work?

Yes and no. I have tried diet in the past. Does it work? Absolutely! However, it takes a lot of willpower to stay on the course long-term. However, if you have the discipline and willpower go for it. No, would be in the sense that, I watch what I eat for health purposes and incorporate it from time to time. I could do a 7-day vegan challenge, sometimes I do a low carb diet, KETO diet and low-fat. But My constant since July has been intermittent fasting. I try to incorporate that at least 4 – 5 Times a week. I have shared my tips on How to stick on a diet if that’s your thing, you will love the post. – Pinky promise.

8: Your November Fitness Challenge – How is it going?

It couldn’t have gone better. I initially had decided to Run 10Kms every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the month of November and do 30 Mins HIIT every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The latter being an overreach on my part. Ha! I was dreaming for at least 100Kms come to the end of the Month and since today is the 30th of November, am happy to say I will be marking my 140Kms in the evening with 12 runs this Month. Goal achieved and surpassed. I am so excited and am taking this challenge with me for the month of December till it becomes a lifestyle. I will even give the HIIT a new trial, 10 Mins in the morning before work, see if it works out. Additionally, I have Lost 5Kgs with the run and built lean muscle. I now weigh 53Kgs.

9: Does Intermittent fasting Work.

Oh Yes! my darling. It does, it was one of the things that gave me a jumpstart in the weight loss journey. You just have to find and cheat your way through time slots that work on your favor. If you have no clue on what am talking about, check out my dedicated post on The Ultimate Guide to Intermittent Fasting. There are some useful tips on understanding intermittent fasting at a bigger picture.

10: I want to work out but don’t want toned Legs

This was one question that put me off-guard. Most people want to get toned legs and work so hard to get the body toned. However, if you want to maintain un-toned legs, my take would be to avoid doing a lot of leg workouts and you will be alright.

11: Am not a Huge Cook, how do I stay healthy.

I think this is one that hits homerun for most people. Cooking is an art and a passion. So if you don’t enjoy it, then cooking something healthy will be off the table. You can, however, substitute junk for healthy take-out options. Instead of a soda, opt for an avocado smoothie. Craving something sweet, go for a chocolate smoothie. We are at a point in time where a lot of food substitute that is healthy and tastes good is at our disposal. Healthy doesn’t have to be boring and tacky. Here is a plot twist. Healthy living is actually more expensive.

12: I want to work out but can’t afford the Gym 🙁

The gym is not what makes your body, on the contrary, it all comes down into hard work, patience, discipline, perseverance, and consistency that makes the world difference in working out. I previously shared my take on workout on a budget. How to get the work done without breaking the bank. I have incorporated at least 15 ways in which you can get the work done without going to the gym. I hope this solves your dilemma.

13: Do I need a Workout Buddy?

I would say Yes Absolutely and no not necessarily. If you have a buddy, it will be an added advantage on your end, someone to push you on the days when you don’t feel like lifting a finger. However, I workout alone and am still doing the very most. My workout buddy is a bombass playlist and I’m good to go.

14: What’s the best time to workout?

This is a very tricky question. I think the best answer would be when you have the time. If you have the time to workout first thing in the morning, then go for it.  Knock the workout out of the park. However, I am a lazy human to working out in the morning isn’t on the books for now. I workout in the evening with the sunset and then go home to pass out.

15: How Do I Get a Flat Stomach?

Mmmmh…Genetics plays a role in whether or not you can obtain a flat stomach or a “six-pack” look to their abdominal. Having said that, two types of exercise can help strength training and cardiovascular exercise. The abdominals are just like any other muscle group: For their definition to become visible, they must grow larger and the fat that lies over them must decrease. What makes the definition of the abdominal so difficult to see is that they are situated in the area of the body that contains the most fat.

Strength training the abdominal is only half the story. You will get a flat stomach only if they combine strength training with cardiovascular exercise to get rid of the fat. Most folks do not do nearly do enough cardiovascular exercise to decrease their body fat percentage to a point where they would see their abdominal. Even when the aerobic exercise stimulus is adequate, the role of diet must not be underestimated. All people with a flat stomach or six-pack have a very low percentage of body fat.

16: Do you take Supplements?

No, I don’t. Honestly, I think am just too broke to incorporate them. I took Apple cider Vinegar at some point but I think it was overhyped and I didn’t see the weight loss impact of it – I got impatient and quit. Might get back to that soon enough I have nothing against supplements, to all their own.

17: I am in so much pain after work out, is it normal

Soreness is good. It means something is working from the work done. Embrace the pain and the soreness, it is part of the process. It will go away in 2 to 3 days. Staying consistent is how you get rid of the pain because your body is reacting to the new changes happening in the body.

18: How Often should I work out

I would say, let it build up to a stage you are comfortable with. If you are a beginner twice a week is good enough. Then slowly build to 3-5 days a week and find a balance in between. I work with the latter. However, there some fitness stable people who work 365 days a year. I am green with envy.

19: Where do you buy your workout clothes.

To be perfectly honest I thrift my entire working out look. However, I do not mind spending a little extra on shoes. If you do not know, I don’t know how you wouldn’t because I share this on Instagram a looot. I am a runner. Running is my biggest form of exercise. So I need the best support for my legs. I just find thrift pieces that work with my color palette, which is not hard because black leggings are everywhere.

20. How long do I need to work out for?

This depends on your fitness levels, what type of training you’re doing and what intensity you’re training at. Just remember, something is always better than nothing. If you only have 30 minutes, try to fit in a quick HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workout or go for a run.

If you’re doing a strength workout, set aside more time for warming up and mobilizing to help avoid injury and make sure you’re getting enough rest between sets. Either way, you definitely don’t need to be slogging it out for hours!

21. How often do I need to rest?

Ensure you have at least one rest day per week to allow your body to regenerate and repair, so you can come back stronger. Personally, I take the weekend off.

22. When should I stretch and how often?

Start with some dynamic stretching (active muscular stretching such as walking lunges or jogging with high knees) before a workout. Then, do static stretches such as a standing thigh stretch or side lunge for post-workout recovery, focusing on the muscles you’ve worked. This will decrease your risk of injury, improve blood flow and circulation, increase your range of motion and improve muscle function. You can never stretch too much!

That’s it lately Fam. My take on everything you needed to know on my Frequently Asked Questions on My Fitness Journey. I tried to answer everything that I could think off and being as detailed as I could. If you still have questions, concerns, suggestions pertaining to any Fitness related question, drop them in the comment below, I would really love to hear from you. Till then, I bid you a lovely end of November and Hellow Blogmas 2018!