Meet Chez, this is her story about how she changed her life and how you can too...
This was so me about 6 years ago. I was working full-time in Sydney had a 3-year-old in childcare and a little one in school. I had never been into sport or stepped foot inside a gym. I was 37-years-old and I was still carrying the extra baby weight from both kids and I just couldn’t find my groove. I was feeling really flat!
We hadn’t long moved to Woonona so we didn’t really know very many people and spent our weekends at home cooking dinners, drinking wine and finishing the night off with some delicious deserts. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with this until your balance starts to be outweighed in the wrong direction. I was hardly moving at all. A busy week meant a lot of my time was spent sitting on my butt at work then hours of commuting, which meant more sitting on my butt. Then I would get home and yep sit on my butt again - it became a vicious cycle, which led to me snacking more, gaining weight, being tired, not wanting to socialise, losing confidence and pretty much thinking I was getting old and just had no time so my mindset just went to - it is what it is!!!
Don’t get me wrong I would see people on socials running, meeting up at bootcamps, going to the gym and just out and about being active in this beautiful backyard of ours in North Wollongong. The whole reason we moved down here for was a “better lifestyle” and I wanted all of that, I just had no idea where to start. I didn’t want to join a gym because I was afraid I couldn’t do it or I would be so slow and unfit that people would judge me. I started a few bootcamps here and there but I just couldn’t stick to anything or be consistent with my diet or training.
I then won a ticket to take part in a 10-week challenge and something clicked. I thought to myself this is my chance to make a change. It is only 10 weeks of my life to see if I can make things better. I knew it was all up to me – it was my time to look after myself. I realised if I’m not functioning at my best then how can I give everyone around me my best.
On day one of the challenge I arrived nervous as hell. I still remember the Sunday before it began I went out and bought scales to weigh my food, trying to understand food labels and calories and trying to work out ways I could prepare work lunches and snacks. I was determined to stick to the plan because I realised it was 100% up to me what I put in my mouth, whether I chose the lounge over a walk, to be organised and pack my gym clothes to go straight after work so I wouldn’t get caught up with kid’s routines and pre-dinner time chaos at home. My husband and I had a plan – I had 2 nights a week and a Saturday morning to train for this 10-week challenge no matter what came up.
During week one I had to take a test to see how fast I could run 800 metres. I was late due to Sydney traffic and arrived just as everyone started. I raced down in my worn-out slippery ass joggers and I kid you not slid down the concrete path then as I was in a hurry and was super anxious about the test. I jumped up and went to climb the fence not seeing that it was a gate and as I put my foot on the gate to jump it it swung open and, on my ass, I went again.
I wanted to run and hide but I couldn’t everyone was watching me. So, I got up and dusted off the gravel and got set to run. As you can imagine my anxiety levels were at an all-time high. I looked at the 800m and thought ‘I can do this’. I made it just over half way before I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even push myself – I had nothing in me.
Not only was I mortified of my failed start, but I couldn’t believe I couldn’t even run that track. It wasn’t even a kilometre but somewhere inside me I thought ‘I am not going to let this stop me and I can only get better from here’.
I stuck to my 3 days a week training and measured my food for the first few weeks until I got the swing of it. I soon realised I was probably eating 3 times the portions I should be having for every serve of everything. I decided not to take the mindset of ‘I can’t have anything for 10 weeks’ – it was all about balance. I ate well and moved my body – one day at a time and if I had a piece of cake celebrating a birthday, I didn’t beat myself up. I just made sure I enjoyed it and continued making healthy choices.
Around the 3-5 week mark everything changed for me. I realised that I was feeling better at training because I was fuelling my body better. I had reduced my alcohol intake massively and cut down my treats. I’d even started to run 3kms then that turned into 5kms, which then went on to become 10km.
I started to feel good, happier, healthier, more energy, organised, my body moved better, I slept better, I was way more productive, I was a better mum, wife, friend and overall person.
Months after I finished the challenge I went on to complete a half marathon (21kms) and a triathlon, which made me feel so proud of myself. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed the process of the training and having something to be accountable for.
Look, I am far from an athlete by any means and this is not what this is about, the message I am trying to get across is that it is up to US, ourselves, yep YOU. No one else is going to stop you from eating the extra serve of dinner, buying chocolate every time you fill the car, opening a bottle of wine on a Tuesday night just because you deserve it. I mean, all of those things are fine but if you want to make changes, you need to make a change and YOU need to take control.
And yes, I was super proud I achieved those little goals I set for myself but I am even more proud of the fact that I have changed the way I look at my life. I want to live a long, happy life and see my children grow into adults. I want to be going on adventures until I am grey and old and be the best, healthiest self I can be. And yes, I want to put clothes on and feel good about myself - I think that is human nature.
Sometimes when that balance gets out of whack it’s hard to get back on track so I really try not to let a bad day turn into a bad week, then a bad month and geez in the photo attached I’m definitely not the girl on the right any more BUT nor am I the girl on the left. When I hit my forties the kids were a bit older and we started socialising more and my balance got a bit skewed. Things crept back in and as we know it gets a little harder, but what I didn’t change is my consistency in moving my body. I still go to the gym at least 3 times a week, I still run 5-10kms here and there, I swim laps occasionally, go for bush walks, ride bikes with the kids and love living my life…
Not only did joining the gym changed my life, it connected me with lifelong friends, gave me a new-found confidence, changed my career and changed the way I look after myself and my family.
So, if you are on the fence and feel the way I did, just do it because you will never regret it. Join that gym, take on that challenge. We only get one shot at life so you may as well give it your best - there are no dress rehearsals. You will improve, things will get easier, you will recover faster and life will get better.
Remember, only YOU have control of your story - make it fit into your life and I guarantee it will make every other area of your life, whether it be work, family or stress, better!!
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