1066 All Stars

Readers of my Clean 9 blog will be familiar with the basic contents of the FIT1 box but let's take quick look inside.

As before, Aloe Gel forms the basis of the plan. I'll be chugging 120ml of this bad boy each morning to help with digestion, nutrient absoption and lots of other good stuff besides. There are 4 bottles included to see you through the 30 days.

Next up are the shakes. I have stuck with the vanilla but a chocolate alternative is available. There are two packets included and these are intended as a breakfast replacement but can be swapped out for lunch or dinner, depending on how you want to organise your calories. Pre-FIT1 I have been using them as lunch, perfect after a vigorous walk.

Also making a return from the C9 are the fibre packets, one for each day. I made the mistake last time round of trying to concentrate the dose into as small a drink of possible, which just made them vile to consume. This time around I'll be sure to just add them to a full glass of water.

And the final returnee are the supplements, garcinia and therm. The garcinia tablets are intended to aid weight management suppress hunger whilst the therm tablets contain nutrients and a matabolism boost to help with energy and weight loss.

Snacking is permitted and to this end the FIT1 includes 10 Pro X2 bars (5x cinnamon, 5x chocolate). The bars are high in protein so perfect for the more physical demands of this plan versus the C9. Now I'm no maths genius but 10 bars into 30 days doesn't go so I'll either need to replenish my stock or seek alternatives on the other days.

And finally, you get a towel! For wiping your sweaty brow after all that exercise.

Actually that's not quite all as of course you also get an information booklet, which is actually an essential part of the package. This sets out your daily exercise routine from day one to thirty whilst also laying down the ground rules for your daily eating. Unlike the C9, you get to eat proper food throughout but the onus is on the individual to cook healthy meals that fit the calorie guidelines and some recipe ideas are included to help you on your way.

Why FIT1

As excited as I am to embark on a new healthy living programme, there is a nagging doubt lurking at the back of my mind. It started as a whisper that I tried to ignore but the voice eventually grew louder. And it always asks the same question.

Why am I doing this?

Not because I don’t think it works. Quite the opposite in fact. Since finishing the Clean 9 I have been using the shakes as a meal replacement, which has helped me slim down to my current weight. But that is kinda the problem. Given that I have already hit my weight target (or as near as to make no difference), what is left to achieve from the plan?

But I look at it like this. As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression and having had the opportunity to undergo treatment at The Priory, I understand the importance of therapy and guidance. The treatment I received for my mental health issues led me to implement fundamental changes in my life that, whilst not ever curing me of the illnesses, at least allowed me to manage the symptoms and address some of the root causes.

This is much how I see the Clean 9 and FIT programmes. Clean 9 was a reboot, a chance to stop and draw breath and take stock of the nutritional decisions I was making. Having done so and made changes, I set off into the big wide world ready to live my life. But like all the best treatments, the FIT1 acts like an aftercare programme, there to check in, guide me along the path, to steady my bicycle on the journey of life until I am ready for the stabilisers to be removed permanently.

And the thing is, I was going to do this anyway! I already have the shakes on a daily basis, I already take the morning gel, although not at the quantity set out here. And I had been giving strong consideration to buying the supplements, given the boost they seemed to give me during the Clean 9. All I have done effectively is buy in bulk. Plus by following a designated plan I have the benefit of a structure, rules to follow to keep me on track.

Yet there is a part of my mind desperate to find a con, to tell me I have wasted money. I search the internet looking for negativity, a part of my mind refusing to accept my own first hand positive experience. I recognise this as another anxiety, an unhealthy weighting afforded to cost vs benefit. I have disposable income, I can afford this! And you can’t put a price on happiness.

After all, it’s about more than weight. I want to feel good and as much weight as I have lost I still suffer with tiredness, pains and lapses in concentration. It is perhaps no coincidence that my chronic neck pain and reliance on pain killers, notably absent during the C9, has returned in full force since, not to mention my subsequent return to anti-depressants. Where I thought I was being healthy because I lost weight, I have perhaps over looked areas of nutrition or general well being that have contributed to a lowering of my mood. Following a plan with specific, essential ingredients provided should help to ensure I embed a balanced, sustainable way of healthy living, rather than one geared purely around weight loss. 

Next Steps

Right, this is it then. Tomorrow is the big day so I'll post a day one blog to run through the outline of a basic FIT1 day including meal plan, exercise and any challenges that might arise.

Thanks for reading along with me and please feel free to comment and share.