Losing Half a Stone?!

Source: TipsTimesAdmin, Flickr.

When I went to university my lifestyle changed in many different ways, the most noticeable of which was that the amount alcohol I consumed in a week increased a lot.

As much as I enjoyed, and still do enjoy, drinking, I realised towards the end of my first year that drinking as much as I had done wasn't healthy, and the fact that I was no longer going to the gym due to being unable to afford a membership meant I could no longer get away with it.

When I got home from university, I decided to swap my lifestyle for a better one in the hope that I could kick my unhealthy habits before they got worse. I joined a gym and started eating far better than I have in a really long time. After around 6 weeks I found that I had lost half a stone, which is around what I put on while I was at uni in the first place, so I've decided to compile a list of what I did in order to lose the weight and become healthy again.

Exercise:

My regular gym session includes around 40 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes of toning and 15 minutes of strength-building. However I make sure to switch up my routine every time I go, because otherwise I've found it doesn't have an affect. I also force myself to work up a sweat and get properly out of breath, because I don't think there's much point in me paying for a gym membership if I'm going to slack off and not work my hardest.

I also do a class once a week called meta-fit, which is kind of like the Insanity workout as it's really short bursts of intense exercise for half an hour, and the class finishes off with half an hour of intense ab work afterwards. Although I feel like I want to die 10 minutes into the class, I love the feeling that I have properly worked out afterwards.

Diet:

This is the kind of stuff I snack on
  now, rather than chocolate

I didn't so much go on a diet in order to lose weight - I just changed my diet for a healthier one. Rather than snacking on crisps, biscuits and chocolate, I now snack on fruit, yoghurt or combine the two and make myself a smoothie. I no longer eat food that I know will leave me hungry in another hour or so, for example eating a proper breakfast that I know will keep my going til lunch.

I make sure to have 5 fruit and vegetables a day, and I attempt to drink 2 litres of water a day to keep myself hydrated (although I struggle to do this everyday as drinking is something I'm really terrible with; I often forget to do it). I also don't have 11pm/midnight snacks any more like I used to, choosing instead to have a cup of tea before getting in bed.

The benefits:

I didn't want to call this 'the results' as I think that results are something you achieve and can then keep forever, like exam results. But weight loss is different as you have to keep doing what you're doing to stay at the weight your at. Probably one of the hardest things about dieting/exercising, is knowing that it isn't quick fix and you can't just do it for a month and then never have to worry about it again. It's something you have to keep up constantly.

The things I have noticed about my body since I started is that I now tone up a lot easier and quicker, my skin has got clearer in time for summer, I feel more energised and less like I want to nap the day away, I'm more motivated to get things done, and also that I feel a lot happier - in general I'm just less stressed, and if I ever do get stressed I know I can go to the gym to work it out.

If you're considering attempting to change your lifestyle in a bid to get healthier, or even to lose weight, I would definitely recommend it. It's never too late to start. I'm not going to lie and say that it's the easiest and best thing I've ever done, and even thought there are times at the gym where I have no motivation at all and I just want to eat a massive chocolate bar, I do still think it was a good decision for me to make.