Gym Virgin Diaries: Our Workout Writer's BIG News

Our guest writer Simone has been sharing her adventures with us as she returns to the gym after a five year hiatus. And today she has a special announcement. Gather round, Simone is saying goodbye to the pounds….

Let's get straight to it -my good news is that my first stone is now GONE!

It most definitely feels like a big achievement as it’s a chunky number (pardon the pun) and it makes me realise that it is working. I still have a long way to go of course but this is a big step in the right direction.

On the gym front things are still going to plan however due to a significant life event getting in the way over the past five days I haven’t been and I am itching to get back.  I’ll be back training with Owen tomorrow and so that’ll get me back on track.  And in the meantime I haven’t slipped on the food front so at least no weight was gained.

Speaking of food we have made some changes there. Up until now I’ve been eating 1,400 to 1,500 calories per day.  The vast majority was healthy but some treats were in there too.  I was starting to get frustrated though as the weight wasn’t coming off fast enough for my liking in comparison to the amount of work I was putting in. So Owen felt that it was the right time to further improve my diet and so as of Monday I’ve been having 50g of carbs per day and no sugar.  That seems to have kick-started things again for me and I’ve noticed an immediate difference.

We are also mixing things up in the gym. I was introduced to another new activity - boxing. It’s something I’ve always wanted try and it turns out that while it is fun, it is bloody hard work. I have never sweated as much in my life and my heart rate is higher than on any other activity. I highly recommend it, especially after a tough day!  I have a whole new level of respect for Katie Taylor and other boxers - they must be insanely fit to do what they do.

So onwards and upwards, I’ll check back in with you soon when I’ll have reached the halfway point of this experience. I’ve a long way to go yet if I’m to achieve my admittedly high goal of losing three stone in 16 weeks. But your support and the encouragement I get from loved ones is what is keeping me going so thank you.

 Congratulations, Simone! We're very proud of you here at Beaut HQ. Keep up the good work!