1066 All Stars

So that's it. After 30 days, my FIT1 journey reaches its end.

Did I lose weight? Did I achieve my goals? Am I a new man? Let's find out.

Goals

It's worth a quick reminder of what I was hoping to achieve. Broadly my goals fell into 3 areas;

Weight - a long term weight target had always been 10st 6lbs. Beyond that, I simply wanted to feel comfortable enough with my overall weight and appearance that the number on the scales would become an irrelevance.

Mind - a clearing of the mental fog and a clarity of thought.

Skin - clearing up unsightly blotches.

Challenges

The Clean 9 had its tough moments but it was only for 9 days. At 30 days, the FIT1 is a much longer commitment and it brought its challenges.

As early as day 2 I began to struggle. The exercise regime is tough going for someone who has previously been fairly inactive. Right from the off you are expected to complete reps of sit ups, press ups, squats and other resistance and cardio exercises. Early on, I woke up with aching limbs, wondering how on earth I was going to get through 30 days of it.

But this soon passed. My body became used to the new routine and the aches and pains subsided. Any other lingering doubts were a result of my underlying, deep rooted anxiety issues and I gradually learned to face them and move on.

A very real life anxiety intruded mid-plan too as I found myself faced with a difficult work situation. It caused me to wobble, for the first time not wanting to exercise as I found myself staring down the barrel of depression. Symptoms noted, I took assertive action to change course and came out the other side.

Other anxieties surfaced. Was I eating right, was I exercising properly, was I maximising my chances of positive results? Ultimately I had to reach a point of acceptance that good enough was, well, good enough. I couldn't do a full sit up or a round of press ups and so I did modified versions with sit ups becoming crunches, press ups completed from the knees.

Using a calorie counter became second nature, even the tiniest of snacks noted, realising that otherwise I would only be cheating myself. I still allowed treats, including dessert on most days, these slightly more indulgent foods balanced out elsewhere in the day. I also discovered and learnt to embrace that my calories do not follow a traditional distribution. My snack count would often be as high if not higher than one of my meals as I opted for the steady grazing approach. Again, this initially created doubts as I was concerned that I was doing it 'wrong' but I came to understand that it was right for me.

Wrapping things up on day 30 we had a family trip to Chessington. Faced with a park full of ice creams, fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps and take away, I somehow conspired to have one of my healthiest days. One day on, the fried chicken treat I promised myself as a completion reward remains unpurchased, a handful of jellybeans the extent of my post-plan indulgence.

Mirror, Mirror

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, how did I do?

And here I am again from the side.

Let's go back a bit further though and remind ourselves of how far I've come. Here I am in three key stages.

And again from the side.

Measurements

The changes are clear to see but let's take a look at the numbers.

Weight

Pre C9 - 11st 3lbs

Pre FIT1 - 10st 8lbs

Post FIT1 - 10st 4lbs

Waist

Pre C9 - 35.5

Pre FIT1 - 33.5

Post FIT1 - 32.5

Chest

Pre C9 - 39

Pre FIT1 - 38

Post FIT1 - 36.5

Results and Conclusions

Weight - 10st 6lbs has not only been achieved but exceeded. For the first time, I truly feel that the number on the scales doesn't matter. A bag of crisps is not going to suddenly pitch me back above 11st. Calorie counting does not have to mean denial. I can live a happy, healthy life with a well balanced regime of diet and exercise.

Conclusion - target met, exceeded and smashed

Mind - After the very noticeable boost during the C9, I wad disappointed to find that my mental state showed no discernible change. There is a significant caveat of course, in that pre-plan I opted to go back onto anti-depressants. It is difficult to know what impact these have had.

Conclusion - undetermined

Skin - no noticeable change, sadly

Conclusion - target not met

Bottom Line

Is the FIT1 worth doing? Absolutely.

I am thrilled with the results. When I look in the mirror, I have a real sense of pride in who looks back at me. I look good and I feel great.

But more than that, it is the impact on mentality. I want to eat healthily, I want to calorie count and I want to exercise. These is not a 30 day and out plan to me. This is the start of a change of lifestyle. I'll have a little break now but after that I look forward to getting back into and maintaining a regular exercise routine.

FIT1 takes commitment and dedication but the results are worth it.

Next Steps

A short break from the shakes (as tasty as they are, they have been a fixture in my meal plan since January) and a break from the exercise routine. After that, I will establish my own regime, using the FIT1 booklet as a basic template.

Longer term, my goals are not set. Weight wise I am happy and have no further specific target in mind. I am still hoping for some improvement to my skin and to that end will continue with the gel. 

Mainly though I am looking to carry on what I have started by toning and building muscle. To that end, I will be buying some weights and an exercise mat and at some point later in the year will embark on the FIT2 programme.

For now, time to relx with a cup of tea. I think I've earned it!