What Next?

Where do I go from here? How do I follow such an awesome 365 project?

cat hobo
I appreciate this is not the most obvious “what next” image…but I liked it…

What is the logical next step?

Year of pizza and cake?

that has a certain appeal but may be a little self defeating…

Before I could really decide what come next I had to consider whether I was where I wanted to be.

I have achieved my goals I set (and more) over this last year and I am immensely proud of what I have achieved.

But am I where I ultimately want to be?

The honest answer to this is no.

I am fit, so much fitter than this time last year, and so much healthier (physically and mentally) but I am not done yet.

I have still got a way to go before I can do all the things I want to do without my size/weight/fitness holding me back.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not feel held back in the same way as I did last year, I am not self conscious in the same way either, but I am also aware of certain facts.

I am still at the size that I have to prove my fitness to people.

I am still technically obese
OK I am aware that the height weight charts that tell me this are mostly made up and crazy. After all according to that chart I still have to lose 4.5 stone (63lbs) until I am at the correct weight for my height

No…shhh! Don’t worry!

I am not trying to lose that much weight!!

that would be pure craziness!

I am not actually trying to lose weight as such. I am still focused on health and fitness as much as I was last year, with added caveat that I would like to lose some fat.

Reducing my body fat% is definitely going to be beneficial, it will allow me to be fitter, healthier, and dance better 🙂

(yes…it is still all about the dancing!)

So with all that in mind, I am going to commit here and now to another year of  exercise and healthy choices!

Effectively turning this into a 730 day project!

I am still not on a quest to get “skinny”!

I am still not on “a diet” in the commonly accepted sense of the word!
(I am on a diet in the purely scientific sense of the word…because all diet means is the things you eat…and I do eat…obviously)

I am on a quest to become even fitter and healthier, to be able to dance longer and in multiple kits if necessary, and to feel comfortable with myself as a personal trainer 😀

avengers-gif_o_145258
I’d like to be an avenger…apart from the Hulk…I don’t want to be the Hulk…the muscles are ok..I just don’t want to be green!

Or to put it another way entirely…I am going to continue my quest to become a superhero!

Thor, maybe or Buffy…

😀

So to recap…it is business as usual around here and will remain so for the next year at least 😀

and by then, perhaps I will be confident enough that I won’t slip back into old habits that I can do without a 365 project 😀

This year is going to be slightly different, I am hoping to become more focused. I want to put more emphasis on lifting and more emphasis on setting short term goals which will build on my fitness and strength.

The first major step in my superhero quest (and my next scary new thing for June) is Insanity!

IMG_4051[1]
This is craziness…
The work out!

Not the mental state…

although some might say that they are one and the same!

This is a 60 day workout plan, and as such will form the first 2 months challenges for this new year!

In addition to that, I will still be dancing, and doing PT sessions and I would very much like to add more strength training sessions in the freeweights room.

I think I have waffled on enough now, to basically say everything will remain the same!

I hope you will carry on following me and I hope to go on to greater things this year 😀

Just as a heads up, I am toying with the idea of condensing my exercise posts into 2 / 3 per week and adding in other relevant health and fitness thoughts posts. Let me know what you think…

😀

33 thoughts on “What Next?”

  1. This is great, Sam! I totally get what you mean about not being done yet. I felt/feel the same way.

    I’m not fully committed to the 5×5 program. Having done the first few sessions, I now realize how absolute rubbish I was at doing actual heavy lifting before. At best I would do a dumbbell arm workout or some bodyweight exercises, but I never really embraced free weights in the ‘man gym’ area. It feels good to know that I’m FINALLY pushing myself way outside my comfort zone. Looking forward to seeing how this impacts my body fat % as this workout should be all about fat burning, theoretically. 🙂

    also, re your thought on moving your workout updates to 2-3x/week – I think that’s great. It can get tedious to have to try to write about each day’s workout and make it interesting (you’ve done a good job with this generally, but still, it can be a bit much for both writer and reader, I’m guessing). I’m actually thinking about going back to my weekly workout summary posts from last year – starting in July. That way I get to at least track what I’m doing – and also provide glimpses for readers who actually enjoyed that part of my writing last year as it gave them ideas on their own workouts. I’m thinking instead of all the monthly goal setting and then monthly recaps – if I just start reporting on what I’ve done each week via weekly summary, I kill two birds with one stone. Still undecided, but I’ll see.

    Anyway – great job!

    p.s. One more thing we’re in synch on… my daughter (24 yr old) asked me a week ago if I would do Insanity with her. I was noncommittal. 🙂 You may have motivated me to try. xoxo

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    1. I would say stick with the 5×5 program if you can, and maybe substitute some of the exercises for dumbbell ones 🙂 even if the heavy is not very heavy at first 🙂

      I think I will switch the work out posts, maybe a weekend round up and a week round up… I keep wanting to write about other things and not getting time (like the ridiculousness of the fact that I have to lose another 63lbs to be a healthy weight…which is blooming stupid)

      😀 Insanity seems to live up to its name!! I did the fit test yesterday and even that was harder than the 30day shred!! 1st workout proper tonight 😀

      xx

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      1. Definitely sticking with the 5×5 – in proper form – Olympic barbell and all. Total bad ass behavior. 🙂

        yeah, I totally understand on not getting to write about other stuff because you’re always in recap mode of daily workouts. Even if you had the time, it would be a LOT of content for readers to consume.

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      2. I see what you meant now about the 5×5 program…my brain is not working because it is hot and I forgot and put a hat on!
        yeay for bad ass mode!! I like the Olympic barbell it makes me happy…it makes me feel like a real lifter!

        talking of which, Matt took photos of me doing 80kg deadlifts today…I actually look like I know what I am doing!!

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      3. ooh…awesome! Hope you’ll share them in a blog post! I was actually going to ask Ed to take pictures of my doing squats with the Olympic bar – but then felt like a total dweeb for even thinking it, while other big men were grunting and groaning all around me. 🙂

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      4. I am defintiely going to put them in my next post…I might do a look at me and my 80kg deadlift post especially 🙂

        I felt weird as you say surrounded by the grunting men having matt take my picture…but it was his idea…he has mentioned it before but I have always been too worried that I would look stupid!

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      7. I’m still trying to sort my thoughts. The wheat from the chaff, so to speak. I’m trying to keep the post under 1,000 words so I don’t lose people…

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  2. Being green would be handy for St. Patrick’s Day – that’s about it 😉 Great to hear that you’ll still be blogging and keeping the motivation levels up!

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      2. she is probably a more sensible target, I don’t want to be green, I don’t want to be powered by something odd in my chest, I don’t want to be all american and I can’t be a boy god… so Buffy it is 😀

        also about 12 years ago…I first took up kickboxing so I could learn to be Buffy 😀

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  3. Congrats times a million on your accomplishment. The fact that you’re willing to give it another year proves that it changed your life beyond the whole “I want to lose weight” mentality. Fitness is such a magical and addicting thing. It positively impacts every facet of your life. You can see your pure joy in your posts. I look forward to what the future brings for you!

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    1. Thank you so much 😀 I couldn’t imagine stopping and doing nothing even for a day! It is so much more than a losing weight plan, I just want more people to realise it 😀

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  4. YESSSSSSSS I found it! Amazing job lady! Now I can comment there is no way of getting rid of me, bring on the next 365 days you can do it, your attitude is admirable and I need to take a leaf out of your book.

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    1. Woohoo 😀 I am glad you found the comments bit 🙂

      Bring on the next 365days indeed!

      although I think my decision to do insanity might lead to actual insanity!

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  5. Pingback: Winds of Change… | Midsummer 365 Projects

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