Saturday 28 July 2012

School is out... but not my workout!


School is out... but not my workout!


My daughters 5 & 9 have now 6-week-holiday, so we are spending a few weeks in France at my parents.
Tamzin (9) will miss out her regular swimming squad training sessions, so I am tasked to make sure she doesn’t lose her stamina & fitness levels during this trip. I asked advice from Belinda and I am able to use some of the Get Lean Program workouts using only her bodyweight. This is fantastic for me, because it means that I will have to do additional exercise with her and it will keep me motivated to not fall out of my own Get Lean training program!

For me, the Get Lean Program is now part of my lifestyle, so I ordered a few pieces of inexpensive equipment to be able to continue my resistance workout here like I usually do at home. For the rest, I just need to find creative way of using free alternative resources, like the bench of the picnic table, a window frame, a flower pot or else!

At the end, even the 5-year-old joined in with our daily workout routines, here are a few photos my mum took while she was watching us from the comfort of her lounge chair:



Never give up! I am struggling a bit with continuing my nutritious & balanced diet in France, but that’s all right: it’s not about being perfect! In the past, this would have meant giving up everything... not anymore!
So, if you have kids too... why don’t you follow us: there is nothing more inspiring than a family getting fit together! I now have my girls motivated... the next person to motivate is my husband: that will take much longer, but we will get there eventually!!

Until later, follow me on twitter @valeriemyburgh

Sunday 1 July 2012

Get Lean Program: 2nd round, Month 1


Second round of Get Lean 12-week-program: Month 1 completed!

When I started the Get Lean Program a few months ago, my weight loss goal was to get down to 60kg by the end of June 2012: today is 1st July 2012 and I am 60.5kg... so yes I have succeeded!

I am 43-year-old and probably fitter & healthier than at the same weight when I was 25! So, it is never too late and if you make the decision you also can do it! If I can do it...anyone can do it too!

I will shortly upload some pictures to demonstrate my progress, but for now I can share these figures with you:


15 Jan 2012: Waist 33”, chest 36”, hips 39”, Thighs 24” right & 23.5” left, bicep 13”
1st Jul 2012: Waist 31.5”, chest 34”, hips 36”, Thighs 22” right & 22.5” left, bicep 11”

10 Oct 2010: BMI (Body Mass Index) 26.3 overweight, body fat 30.4% marginally overfat
1st Jul 2012: BMI (Body Mass Index) 23 normal, body fat 26.2% normal

Thanks to specific exercises & good nutrition, my cellulite is practically gone. On the other hand, I have some loose skin that will need about 1 year for its elasticity of recover from the ‘rapid’ fat loss. This is only temporary and will improve by taking care of my skin with the following routine: body brushing, exfoliating and moisturizing. It will also resolve itself by continuing toning & building muscle mass.

Now it’s time to take it to the next level: further reduce body fat % and gaining a more toned & lean body shape!

Belinda has given me a new training workout schedule to achieve these new goals!

I am so glad I came across Belinda‘s Get LeanProgram!

Until my next update in a month’s time, look at these testimonials:




Tuesday 5 June 2012

2-week-break from Get Lean Program: Green Smoothie Detox


2-week-break from Get Lean: Raw Food Detox with Raw Chi Food




I started the detox at 63.5kg and finished at 61.1kg!!!

The 7-day detox was very easy to follow with good preparation and the help of Renee Maguire from Raw Chi Food. It was based on green smoothies. There was a large choice of recipes to choose from and I managed to have 3 different recipes each day, so no risk to get bored of them. 

This is what my kitchen & fridge was full off:

This was my nutrition plan for the week
My Blender & other goodies
Some of my fruits
Some more fruits
My Aloe Vera Leaf & other greens
 More greens
And some more veg...

I used my Vitamix extensively... I think this is the must-have gadget in every house:


I used Aloe Vera for the first time and kept the skin of the leaf for my daughters & I to use on our skin...it was lovely! I now plan to order more aloe vera leaves from Renee's shop every month:


Some smoothies were thicker than other, making it more interesting to eat or drink! The smoothies were so delicious than even my husband & my 4-year-old also had some on a daily basis!

The experience was so enjoyable that I did extend it to 2 weeks and I am not incorporating some of the smoothies as part of my Get Lean Nutrition Plan.

I did very little exercise, as although I had no negative side effects and had lots of energy...psychologically I felt that it was wise not to exhaust myself. I had great night sleeps and I did treat myself with a few lymphatic drainage massages...

I discovered body brushing before bath or shower and even now before my workouts...great to get rid of cellulite too!



If you have never done a detox before or would like to give this one a try, whether you live in the UK or not, I really recommend Raw Chi Food: you will get one-2-one coaching from Renee. I now place regular order of superfood through their website:


For all the ladies from the UK following the Get Lean Program, there are quite a few items from the nutrition plan that you can source at reasonable prices from Raw Chi Food... here are a few of my favorites:


Do follow me on Twitter @valeriemyburgh to see my progress and hopefully get inspiration from my journey!

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Get Lean Program 12-week program completed!

This last month of my Get Lean Program, I have lost another 1.4kg that gives me a total loss of 4.5kg over the 12-week period.

I have started more challenging workouts at Intermediate Level and added more weights for resistance exercises. I am becoming leaner & fitter.

I am now 63.5kg, but I still need to work harder to get smaller improvements & eventually get down to 60kg. I also have to train extra, because at the end of June 2012 I have this challenge where I want to be able to do more full push-ups than my husband!

I managed to overcome my ‘plateau’ and as recommended by Belinda, I now need to have a short break before starting the program again.

I am taking an ‘active break’ for 2 weeks:
 - Exercise: Yoga & Pilates, and leisure walking/cycling/swimming with my family
- Nutrition: Eating more raw food including a 7-day detox with Renee from Raw Chi Food

I can’t wait to start Get Lean Program again, there is still a lot more from it I can get out of and I want to move to the Advanced Level workout program before the end of the summer.

I get one-2-one coaching from Belinda electronically, she is fantastic: although she is in Panama & I am in the UK, she always responds promptly to my questions. The Get Lean Forum is also a great community of like-minded people supporting & communicating with each other!

I finally found a nutrition & exercise program that works: The Get Lean Program.

Check my next post where I will give you my raw food detox experience!

Do follow me on Twitter @valeriemyburgh to see my progress and hopefully get inspiration from my journey!

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Get Lean Program Acceleration Phase: 2nd Month completed!


Sorry it has taken me so long to write this update... you probably thought that like the majority of people I’d already gone off my ‘diet’ plan & gave everything up?!

But not at all! I really love the Get Lean Program and the impact it is having on my life, my health and the positive side effect it is having on the rest of my family’s diet!  

It has been a strange & busy month so it was tough to stay focussed, I had to prioritise and writing is not that easy for me... I had a few wobbly days there & then, I didn’t lose as much in weight as I would have hoped, but the shape of my body has clearly improved. I have lost 3.1 kg within the 2 months I have followed the Get Lean Program. You might not be impressed by this weight loss progress, so I am taking all the courage I have to show you the differences in these pictures:

         22 Aug 2010          15 Jan 2012                        22 April 2012


Now, I know I don't look like a top model & the pictures are not the best quality (some of them were even taken by my 4-year-old daughter!), but I just had the guts to show you my transformation so far & what I look like...it gives me even more motivation to work hard & have better pictures to show next time!


As I told you last month, Belinda Benn has re-launched her site & upgraded her program to workout video downloads & more personal coaching access... so I jumped over to the new improved program. The workout seemed more challenging to me, so I followed the Beginner level half-way through to familiarise myself and improve my technique.

Just started month 3 that is Peak Phase and I am moving to the Intermediate level workout. Because I am now at the weight where I usually ‘plateau’, Belinda suggested a specific weekly workout plan for me to follow & try overcome this ‘plateau’! I am doing well so far and bought some heavier weights to be able to work harder and with ‘proper tools’.


I am sure I will be proud to post so more improved pictures of myself at the end of the month (22 May 2012 will be 3 months worth of the Get Lean Program) to show you that the Get Lean Program does work and I hope that it will inspire you to give it a try too...
At the end of the program and as suggested by Belinda, I will take 1/2-week-break from the workout plan and re-do the 12-week-plan again. The nutrition plan is fantastic, my husband & children find the meals delicious...so for us it will be just continuing to eat a normally healthy & nutritious diet. My fitness will have dramatically improved, so I will eventually move from the Intermediate to Advanced workouts... exciting!!

Do follow me on Twitter @valeriemyburgh to see my progress and hopefully get inspiration from my journey!

Thursday 29 March 2012

I Need to Lose Weight by Eating Organic-How Can I Afford it

My DSP followers and blog readers keep me motivated. I want to pay it forward by answering your common nutrition questions. Here’s a great one: I need to lose weight by eating organic. How do I accomplish this without ending up in the poor house?
First, let me just reassure you that your ability to lose weight is not dependent on whether you eat organic foods or not. If you follow the right eating plan, you can achieve successful weight loss results without going organic. However, if you want to invest in your long-term health, an organic diet is definitely worth considering.
If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’m a huge advocate of organic foods. I know what kind of garbage farmers and manufacturers use in conventional foods, that’s why I don’t buy them. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that organic foods aren’t pricy, because they are. However, there are ways to add organic foods to your diet without going broke.

Get Rid of the Junk and Eat Sensibly

Processed junk like cereal bars, granola bars, protein shakes and low-fat cookies can put the squeeze on your wallet. Once you rid your grocery list of junk, you’ll be surprised how much moola it will free up. Put the leftover money to good use and buy a few organic food items.
How many of us eat way more than we should? Think about it. The more food you eat, the more you’ll have to buy, and the costlier your organic diet will be. If you learn to manage your portion sizes and stop eating once you’re full, you’ll not only lose weight, you’ll save money too.

Buy Selectively and Bargain Shop

I’m a pretty thrifty gal. If I get wind of a good sale, I’m there. When you find great sales on organic meat or poultry, rack up. You can pop the extras in the freezer and use them later on down the line. If you can never seem to catch natural poultry or meat on sale, buy whatever gets you the most mileage out of your dollar.
Pick and choose the kind of produce you buy organic. Produce with thick skins such as bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, lemons, asparagus and melons tend to resist pesticide penetration. So if push comes to shove, you can buy the conventional versions of these foods.
Thin-skinned and leafy produce like spinach, apples, nectarines, bell peppers, strawberries, lettuce and grapes absorb pesticides like sponges; so buy these types of fruits and veggies organic whenever possible.

Garden and Buy From Local Farmers

Have you seen the price of tomatoes lately? Whoa. You know organic tomatoes are super easy to grow and you don’t even need a yard to do it. You can get a decent size pot and grow enough tomatoes to last all summer long.
Tomatoes aren’t the only things you can put in your garden. Radishes, cucumbers, spinach, onions and herbs practically grow themselves. If you’re serious about going organic without going broke, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
If you want fresh, affordable produce, visit your local farmers’ market. The local farmers who sell at these markets usually limit or eliminate the use of pesticides on their fruits and vegetables. The produce goes straight from the farm to the market, so there are no added expenses for shipping or packaging.
There’s no need to dive into an organic lifestyle head first. It took me three years to completely transition. I started slow and inched my way up until I got where I wanted to be. You can do the same thing. Simply start by replacing a few of the foods you consume regularly and then take it from there.
Don’t spend another day confused about nutrition. Let The Diet Solution Program show you what it means to eat healthy, lose weight and feel great about yourself.

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Get Lean Program Momentum Phase: 1st Month completed!

This first month was the Momentum Phase and it has been amazing! My motivation did not fell me and I only had 3 days where I didn’t workout: 1 day was my birthday, 2nd day was Mother’s day & the 3rd day was during a crazy weekend!

I can see some definition on my arms & legs. I am starting to see a glimpse of my abs too! I made sure I regain good night sleep and have now more energy than before...

The nutrition plan has not only been good for me but also for the rest of my family: my husband & children love Belinda’s recipes and found them really tasty. Following the nutrition plan has helped me to be more organised in the kitchen and overall improved my time management!! 




Start
Now
Difference
Weight
68kg
65.8kg
-2.2kg
Full press-ups
3
7
+4
Knee press-ups
34
42
+ 8
Tricep bench dips
33
27
-6
Plank (seconds)
30s
51s
21s



I have exciting news about the Get Lean Program: Belinda has now re-launched her site and upgrade the E-book version of Get Lean Program into one that includes workout video downloads with Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced levels: this will help a lot, particularly for those who are not confident exercising by themselves. I bought the upgrade yesterday and I am so excited as I will be sure to improve my technique & challenge myself to higher level of fitness!

Month 2 is Acceleration Phase and I should see more weight loss thanks to a more efficient metabolism. I need to make sure sleep is a key priority, as I have now started to have my daily workout between 5 & 6 am!
Overall I am confident I am on track to achieve my end goals...
Do follow me on Twitter @valeriemyburgh to see my progress and hopefully get inspiration from my journey!