New Year, New Challenge!

Ok, so it's not quite the New Year yet, but this is definitely a new challenge... today I started the Jamie Eason 12 week Live Fit Trainer program. What is it you ask? Well, it's a 12 week (duh!) prescribed program of lifting weights and eating clean. You can find all the details by clicking here but here's a quick overview:

• Phase 1 - 4 weeks - introduces lifting weights, concentrating on 2 body parts per day in a split routine, for 4 then progressing to 5 days a week. Eating clean with suggested meal ideas and allowed foods list. This is the phase you're trying to build some muscle to work with.
• Phase 2 - 4 weeks - lifting 5-6 days a week and introducing some cardio back into the program but cut carbs slightly. This is the phase you're really getting the muscle packed in and sculpting your body, ready for the next phase.
• Phase 3 - 4 weeks - lifting 6 days a week plus cardio some days too, but the emphasis is on carb cycling (one week low, the next high), and although you may lose a little muscle on this phase you will also lose more fat to reveal those lovely muscles you built in the first 2 phases.

So that's it - simple! Follow the lifting routines, eat as required, total new bod! Gosh, sounds as easy as downing a bar of my favourite chocolate. Oh, except that's out for 12 weeks now.

As for the start of all these faddy (ha ha) programs (hopefully this is not just a fad!), I was required to take some 'before' pictures, so here is my slightly embarrassing set of front, side and beehind photos. I'm hoping that keeping myself accountable by looking at this picture regularly I will remind myself why I am doing this, and in moments of weakness I hope I can push through. So here I am...

Eek, I hate to even look at it myself but like I said, I hope for improvement. The tummy and love handles have to slim down as I know there are abs there just DYING to peek out, and overall I just want to get my body fat percentage down and muscle mass up slightly. I've been doing weights kind of randomly now for just under 2 months so I've already developed my arms & shoulders and the legs a little too. Just the rest has to follow now!

So that's me now, day 1 done - the lifting routine was actually tougher than I'd imagined, focussing on chest and triceps, but by the time I'd got to the triceps routine my muscles were already spent, so I found them really hard to complete! I think I'll probably have a little soreness tomorrow. As for the eating, I've done well, porridge with seeds, dried fruit and 2 egg whites for breakfast, a sweet potato protein bar then a turkey muffin, a protein shake with fruit after the workout and now I'm just about to grill some chicken and have some mashed swede with it. Lovely!

FYI starting weight this morning was 111 lbs dead. I have taken measurements but I won't bore you with them all now, I'll just (hopefully) wow you with the change in them over the next 12 weeks!

Janice. x