45 Strong Challenge: Day 45

 Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that. Today is the last day in the F45 challenge! It's not over yet, but it will be soon- I'm booked in for the lunchtime class today, which is cardio hell. But I'm going to go and I'm going to do it and put my last star on the wall at the gym and my last red X on the digital chart when I tag the gym on Instagram.

I did:

• 55 minutes of walking and 40 minutes at F45 for a total of 95 active minutes. Today was the awful Triple Double cardio set of, do three sets at each of these crazy stations and then when you think you're done- go do it again!!!
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 15 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo.

Honestly... I can't believe I was actually able to finish this challenge. I didn't think that my fitness level would be able to handle it. And not only did I handle it, but I did it very well! I did the F45 classes 6 days a week with one day being my active recovery day where I did a 60 min walk. I am tired and feeling a bit burnt out, but I survived, and I believe my health and fitness have definitely improved. Over the last 45 days I have definitely built more visible muscle tone, the scale started moving again in a way that emphasized my body is enjoying these good choices, and while I didn't take measurements, yesterday I was able to put on an old pair of jeans in a size 12! They were tight, and because they're old they're the ultra low rise style which happens to hit me right where my loose skin is hanging, but I could zip them up and button them without bursting out! Not sure I want to wear that style of jeans anymore but it was awesome to be able to fit into them at least.

Not to mention how I've been able to increase the weight on the strength training I've been doing. I have to keep reminding myself that it's supposed to be hard. If I don't pick up a weight and feel like it's heavy, then maybe it's not heavy enough. Challenging myself is the best way to build strength and get to a point where they don't feel as heavy anymore, after all, and the trainers are there if I am trying to go up a level to help spot me so I'm doing it safely. I can't believe that I've been doing F45 classes for 6 months and I've increased my dumbbell weight (for things like presses and the like) from 3kg to 15kg! That's incredible improvement! I am hoping that if I continue to exercise like this, it will help a little with the loose skin and if nothing else, will fill it with some muscle.

I had no idea that you could have visible abs showing with this much body fat left to lose. The articles I've read online say you need to be about 20-25% body fat to have any abs showing but I think I'm still above that. Either way though- look at me go!!!

I just read an article in Women's Health the other day that said that building muscle now, before you go into menopause, has so many bonuses for health. It's commonly known that when reaching menopause that muscle tone starts to decline and so does metabolism, which is why it's normal to start gaining weight even if your diet and exercise remain the same. And at that point, once you start losing muscle tone, it becomes much harder due to hormonal changes for your body to rebuild it. There is some research saying if you build the muscle while in perimenopause or earlier and work to maintain it that menopause is less like being hit by a freight train and more of a gradual change- muscle tissue is even correlated with a reduction in hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. So I am hopeful if I keep up my new habits that maybe my midlife will be a little easier.

So I don't think I'm going to let my membership lapse now that the challenge is over, although honestly maybe not 6 days a week! But I plan on going tomorrow anyway even though the challenge is over because it's a weights day, and I want to keep working on my upper body. It feels really good to be pressing those big heavy dumbbells!

But WOW... go me. Seriously. I did it. And I'm really proud of myself for never giving up, even when I was (am) tired. Like I said at the beginning... I didn't have to hit any targets for anything. Didn't have to lose weight or gain a specific amount of muscle or lose inches. All I had to do was show up for myself, and I did. I'm worth it!

45 Strong Challenge: Day 44

 I'm so disappointed that my favourite trainer is off for the summer. I hope she chooses to come back in the fall- and I'll have to make some improvements over time so that I have progress to show her! I will miss her, though. She's the one who always pushes you that little bit farther and most of the time you think you can't do it but then again most of the time you do it because you're told to and then realize you can! The other trainers don't push quite the same way and I'll miss that. Elo, if you're reading this, you are awesome and I wish you all the best this summer... but I hope you come back!!!

The burnout is getting real though, especially with my broken sleep. Normally I love Tuesdays but today I'm dreading the energy expenditure a little bit. That being said, I planned to have a relatively easy day other than the gym so I will manage and I'll get through it. I think I'll be cutting down a bit from 6 days a week though once this is over!

I did:

• 51 minutes of walking and 40 minutes at F45 for a total of 91 active minutes. Today was the split workout of half cardio half resistance training.
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 16 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo.

Week 75 Weigh In & 45 Strong Challenge: Day 43

So, I'm a wee bit disappointed in the result this week because I saw quite a bit lower on Thursday when I happened to step on the scale, but hey, that's how bodies are! Fluctuation definitely is a thing. That being said, I can't really complain because I'm down over 8.6lbs in the last month! That's fantastic- it's back to the loss rate I was experiencing much earlier in my weight loss journey. So no complaints, even if I am a bit wistful.

It really seems that the muscle I've added has been giving my metabolism a boost, which is burning fat again! I wish I had done a body composition analysis when I first started F45 so I could compare it to the end of this challenge, but the visuals are pretty darn good so I'll chalk that up as a win.

My trainer keeps reminding me it's not all about the scale, and she's right. I've been moving up to heavier weights and that's definitely more exciting than the number on the scale. On Thursday I hit those new milestones and I'm so proud of myself and all my hard work.

I was really tired by the time the 5:30 class rolled around and honestly without the challenge I wouldn't have gone. But I'm not giving up so close to the finish line! I went and I survived! And I learned that I can tough through things when I need to... but I admit I am looking forward to a little rest soon.

I did:

• 59 minutes of walking and 39 minutes at F45 for a total of 98 active minutes. Today was the split workout of half cardio half resistance training.
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 15 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo.

OZ Year 1 loss: 68lbs (click here to see the week-by-week tracker!) 

OZ Week 53 gain: 1.4 lbs continuing dose at 0.75mg

OZ Week 55 gain: 1.6 lbs

OZ Week 56 loss: 0.6 lbs

OZ Week 57 loss: 2.0 lbs

OZ Week 58 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 61 gain: 5.4 lbs

OZ Week 62 loss: 1.4 lbs

OZ Week 63 loss: 3.0 lbs

OZ Week 64 loss: 1.0 lb

OZ Week 65 loss: 0.4 lbs

OZ Week 66 loss: 1.8 lbs

OZ Week 67 loss: 0 lbs

OZ Week 68 loss: 1.4 lbs

OZ Week 69 gain: 0.2 lbs

OZ Week 70 gain: 2.2 lbs

OZ Week 71 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 72 loss: 2.2 lbs

OZ Week 73 loss: 2.2 lbs

OZ Week 74 loss: 1.0 lb

OZ Week 75 loss: 0.8 lb

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 79.8 lbs

45 Strong Challenge: Day 42

 I did NOT like it when my alarm went off this morning! But if I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, then I'd have to go for a long walk today anyway so may as well get up and make breakfast and get ready to go to F45. I generally like the Sunday class because it's weights, although I didn't love the new format last week with cycling bodyweight exercises in between reps of the weights. At least last Sunday it was the same bodyweight exercise each time rather than being one that was similarly tied to the station you were doing. But it's something different and I guess they need to keep each phase fresh!

Man it was hard getting up in time though! Since it's weights day, that means high protein breakfast so I planned my usual "quick" one of eggs on toast with cheese. But then by the time I dished up my breakfast, it was 7 minutes before I'm supposed to leave! I didn't think I had dawdled that much but ugh. Hopefully the walk to the gym helps me digest before the class!

It was a tough one, too! We did the same bodyweight exercises again this week as we did last week but the regular workout changed. The big issue is also that it's 30 seconds with the weights and then 20 seconds of the bodyweight exercise but no break in between so you might lose time putting down your weight or getting off of or down to the floor. But it was busy, that's for sure!

I did:

• 70 minutes of walking and 42 minutes at F45 for a total of 102 active minutes. Today was not fun cardio!
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 17 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo.

45 Strong Challenge: Day 41

 Really feeling a bit worn out today! I'm glad it was active recovery because I need it.

I did:

• 64 minutes of walking.
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 15 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo. 

45 Strong Challenge: Day 40

 It's still somewhat amazing to me to see the numbers keep clicking over. And I'm still in it! Yesterday I got a pretty darn good dose of motivation, too. Although today I didn't get enough sleep so I'm already dreading the day- plus I have to go to the 5:30pm gym class so that really runs me out. But some days that's how my work schedule goes! 

I do think once the challenge is over I might cut back on the evening class days since I'm definitely not a fan, but we'll see how it goes. I mean, the way I am looking at it right now is that I'm paying $6 a day whether I go or not, so it encourages me to go at least. But maybe not six days a week once the challenge is over! Or maybe still six days a week but take the one day completely off and no hour walk? I'll see how I feel.

Today's workout was challenging- a good mix of cardio and strength training. Walking there in the rain wasn't a whole lot of fun but I went!

I did:

• 56 minutes of walking and 41 minutes at F45 for a total of 97 active minutes. Today was not fun cardio!
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 16 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo. 

45 Strong Challenge: Day 39

 Ok, wow, y'all- I hit two new milestones at the gym today and I am so excited! Today's workout was weights, and Thursday is the day when they tend to push for lifting fewer reps with heavier weights. Today I managed to do two sets of pushups on my feet instead of on my knees! They weren't great pushups and I didn't get all the way down, but I was trying my best and I managed at least a little bit.

And the big one is that I managed to go up to 15kg dumbbells for the chest presses today! I've been working hard to try and up weights on chest presses and I've been doing the 12.5kg for a while now. Last time I tried to see if I could do the 15kg I couldn't even lift them into place but today I could do it! I am riding a pretty good adrenaline high right now. Super proud of myself for my hard work and it's amazing to see results like this!

I'm really glad I gave the F45 a try even though it's expensive. It's been interesting watching my body change. I don't think I've ever had this much muscle tissue in my life. Not only is my body healthier but this much muscle is likely going to make it easier to maintain my weight when I stop trying to lose. I think the choices I'm making this time around are much healthier for myself.

I did:

• 53 minutes of walking and 44 minutes at F45 for a total of 97 active minutes. Today was not fun cardio!
• drank 3 litres of water
• did my dental care
• 15 minutes of Spanish on Duolingo.