Category: Lifestyle

In April 2020, I started the Body Coach’s (Joe Wicks) 90 Day Plan. He pitches his plan as a way to get fitter, healthier and happier. Now just to be clear, I already felt pretty happy in my body: I did not start this journey to look a certain way or to comply to any societal body standards. I did, however, really want to get fitter, healthier and stronger.

My activity levels have always been always quite low, but during lockdown it seriously slumped. I moved from bed, to dining-table-turned-desk, back to bed. Stopping off by the fridge along the way. I was worried about my fitness levels and about my body’s ability to fight infection, and decided I needed to make a change.

The 90 Day Plan is comprised of three cycles, each four weeks long. Every month, upon submitting your measurements and pictures, you receive more recipes and slightly harder workouts. The premise is to eat three meals a day, plus two snacks, consume at least 2.5ml of water and to workout five times a week. On workout days you eat either one or two ‘Carb-Refuel’ meals, and the rest of the time the meals are ‘Reduced-Carb’. Your portion sizes are determined by the information that you submit at the start, and all you have to do is follow the recipe instructions and weigh out your ingredients. There is no calorie counting and no macros tracking on your part, it is all done for you.

This plan is food and health based. It is not about restrictive eating or cutting out whole food groups. Instead, it is centred on finding a sustainable way to live healthily long term. This is more of a lifestyle change than a faddy weight loss scheme and it is so much more effective than any other crash diets.

Cycle One

Starting the plan takes determination and commitment. You need to be wholeheartedly on board and dedicated to making a change. I desperately wanted to prove to myself that having a healthy lifestyle was not only possible, but also manageable and enjoyable, so from the outset I was ready to win.

I quickly learnt that I didn’t have to eat less, just differently, and understanding this key element became a big motivator. I felt energised having only one ‘Carb-Refuel’ meal and exercising five times a week lead to better nights’s sleep and a consistently positive outlook, all while feeling full, content and happy.

Reduced Carb: Buffalo chicken and blue cheese slaw

Reduced Carb: Chicken Jalfrezi

Reduced Carb: Shakshuka

Reduced Carb: Courgette, Feta and Mint Salad

Don’t get me wrong, the workouts were tough. Mountain climbers will never be my friend. But moving through the same workouts each week, I could feel myself getting stronger, I was able to better control my breathing and at no point did I feel disheartened, inadequate or incompetent. I showed up, did my best, worked up a sweat and it felt really good.

I’d never really lost weight before, only gained it slowly over the years, so I had no idea what to expect. I found myself searching for change in the mirror – is my jaw more pronounced? Do my thighs have less dimples? Is my waist thinner? As this overanalysing entered the third week of the plan, I realised that a) in what world would I see healthy changes after only two weeks, and b) what I was searching for is what society is saying I should look like.

For someone who has always been quite body positive, this recognition surprised me: I had been caught out by the weight-loss obsession. I swiftly had to change my perspective. In my mind, I no longer associated weight-loss with visual appearance, and instead equated it to health and physical well-being. Instead of looking for visual changes, I began to focus on the changes I was feeling. Looking good comes from feeling good, not the other way around.

Zen workout space

Starting to look forward to workouts

Cycle Two

Having got to grips with the main concepts in Cycle One (food prep, carb-refuel, positive thinking, consistent exercise), Cycle Two posed some different challenges: two carb-refuel meals and resistance training.

While this Cycle is often berated by people who feel bloated and sluggish, I quite enjoyed the extra carbs. Who am I to deny both porridge and pasta in one day?! I did find that there were fewer recipes that suited me, although the ones I did make were delicious and are now firm favourites. Despite the initial joy of the increased carbs, I wasn’t as energised as Cycle One. Whether or not this is directly related to the carbs is debatable: it could have been the warmer weather, the everlasting lockdown or just a slight sense of boredom. Nevertheless, I persisted and succeeded in smashing the Cycle regardless.

Carb Refuel: Breakfast Pizza

Reduced Carb: Almond, Honey Pancakes

Reduced Carb: Coconut Granola

Carb Refuel: Spiced Apple Porridge

Resistance training was by far the best part development. The slower pace of the workouts, increasing my weights and generally feeling stronger made the whole Cycle worthwhile. Also, learning how to use dumbbells and the correct terms for the exercises debunked any remaining irrational fear of working out. Strong not skinny, folks. Always.

If you’re currently stuck on what feels like an uphill battle in Cycle Two – keep going. It gets better. You can do it.

Strong not skinny: baby muscles

End of Cycle 2

Cycle Three

Reaching Cycle Three felt like a big accomplishment. The end was in sight and everything was starting to feel more natural. Good habits were in the making, good food was being consumed and good workouts were being exercised almost daily. This Cycle was more about pushing on to the end than any other hurdle. Although that two minute burpee challenge played definitive mind games.

Carb Refuel: Tuna Nicoise

Reduced Carb: Croque Monsieur

Reduced Carb: Chimichurri Steak

Reduced Carb: Creamy Prawn Celariac Tagliatelle

With the 90 day benchmark drawing closer, I was able to think outside of the plan. What would be my next steps? How could I realistically continue this? I know I needed structure so opted for the Grad Plan, but also craved new and different challenges. Towards the end of this Cycle, I started setting my own workouts, began being more adventurous with my CYO (create your own) meal options and decided to embark on Couch to 5k.

I knew that over time a few treats might sneak their way back into my life (Gin and cake, I’m looking at you), but I also knew that I was insanely happy with my progress, that I’d learnt about moderation and that I’d always be willing to get out and exercise after any deviation.

Completing the plan

Creating my own workouts

So here we are: 90 Days Later, 8.5kg down, 18.5 inches smaller and a great deal fitter and stronger. So instead of focussing on the numeric losses, I like to focus more on the non-scale (and most important) victories. Namely: 40 seconds of mountain climbers, 1 minute plank, 2 minutes of chest-to-floor burpees, a whole lotta confidence and a much healthier lifestyle.

I’m excited to continue my journey, to maintain my weight and to be more adventurous. Knowing my body’s boundaries and being in tune with its capabilities has opened a whole world of opportunities I struggled to consider before. Skiing, hiking and water-sporting holidays are on the cards. Knowing my organs and immune system are healthy and supported by my lifestyle choices abates that fear of crippling infection. And exercising in just leggings and a crop top no longer feels ground-breaking. It’s wins all round my friends, and I’m not afraid to say I’m proud of myself for sticking with it to the end. What a bloody good thing to come out of lockdown.

TOP TIPS

1. Planning is key. Try your best to plan out your whole week of food and exercise. For many people, the freezer is their best friend. I have a very small freezer and only cook for myself so didn’t really need to batch cook – but for those with families or hectic schedules it could be a lifesaver.
2. Keeping up the water intake is tough, but necessary. Try taking little sips regularly, rather than big gulps ever hour. This will help reduce your need to go to the toilet so often.
3. Tidy up as you go. There will be a lot of washing up. If you’re eating healthily, you’ll be preparing a lot of meals from scratch morning, noon and night. I love cooking and really enjoyed being in the kitchen, but it is so important to take 10 mins to prepare your workspace first. Make sure there’s room in the dishwasher/ on the draining board, clear up and wipe surfaces while the food is cooking, and at the end of the day try to have a clear space to make breakfast in the morning.
4. Bloating is totally natural. In the early stages of the plan, your body will be adjusting to the different types of foods in different quantities. Don’t panic if you think the plan isn’t working – give your body time to settle.
5. Don’t forget about period bloating. For women, you can bloat for up to a week before, during and up to a week after your period. During our periods our bowel works slower due to the ‘contractions’ (period pains) oscillating between the upper end of the uterus, down to the cervix. Also, the reduction of the hormone progesterone before your period starts leads to water and salt retention. All these factors lead to that feeling of bloating and sluggishness. I learnt about this here, a more detailed explanation can be found here.
6. You do you. Your fitness journey is about you, your health and your happiness. It’s okay to make the odd judgement call or to deviate slightly. You can absolutely smash it, and you can absolutely do it your way.
7. Protein powder is not a necessity. Some people swear by it, some people don’t. I personally didn’t use it, and I don’t think it hindered my progress. This is an extension of my previous tip: you do you.
8. Stay off the sad step, seriously. What is your weight on the scales going to tell you? Is it going to indicate how much better you are at squat jumps? Or how much muscle you’ve gained? Is it going to show you how much more energised you are or how much more sleep your getting? The number on the scales is literally just a number – and it’s hard to step away after years of being conditioned that it defines you. But I can promise that it doesn’t and that your worth, success and happiness does not depend on it.
9. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t get hung up on small hurdles, try not to worry about how fast (or slow) your progress is. Be proud of yourself for making it this far and set small, achievable goals.
10. Looking good comes from feeling good. If you are feeling great, feeling positive and feeling confident, you will glow. Whether you’re curvy, petite, plus-size or thin, if you feel amazing, you will know you look amazing, and once you embrace this, you’ve already won.

To follow my journey further, and for a variety of positive, cozy vibes, follow me on Instagram: annarose345.

All pictures are my own unless otherwise credited. Permission must be obtained before any reproduction and credit must be issued in any reproduction.