FITNESS: 12 Week Transformation Week 1

I have had a LOT of interest in my 12 week transformation and am receiving questions about it on a daily basis so, although I have tried to answer each of you individually, I thought I would put together this post with all the details of my first week. I previously mentioned that I wasn't sure if I would blog about this as I go along, but since you all are so keen I will try my best to update you on a regular basis. 

Before I give you my daily meals and workouts I just want to let you know that to start this transformation all I had was a set of dumbbells and that's it, not even an exercise mat so instead I was using a towel! If I can encourage you to do anything, it is to just get started and use what you have. Don't think you can't do it because you think you need something which you don't own. You don't even need dumbbells, a bodyweight workout is as good as any!

As I have mentioned previously, I am not a professional in this field. I am simply using the little nutritional knowledge that I have and pairing it with some workouts to try my best to reach my goals. No doubt I will get it wrong at some stage, bear with me if I do. I will probably eat foods that aren't ideal and initially struggle to find the right balance between carbs, protein, fats, etc., but this is about making little changes to work towards a bigger goal, and with some trial and error I am positive I will get there. 

First up, my meals from week one. In relation to what I have just said, there will be foods I am eating that some people will not agree with, especially if you follow calorie-controlled diets. But I have my reasons for eating them and that is because I feel like my body requires them. I will maybe get it wrong and change it up, but it's a start! 

	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	SNACK	DINNER	SNACK
THURSDAY	Banana Water	3x scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil 2x wholemeal toast with butter Water	Apple slices with 1tsp almond butter Water	Lean in 15 Bad-boy burrito Water	Protein bar Cup of tea
FRIDAY	Banana Water	2x grilled turkey sausages 3x scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil Water	Apple slices with 1tsp almond butter Water	Lean in 15 My Mum’s special lasagne Water	Protein bar Cup of tea
SATURDAY	Lean in 15 Nut and mango smoothie		Apple Banana Water	*CHEAT NIGHT* Chinese Water	*CHEAT NIGHT* Squashies Marshmallow popcorn Caramel Rocky Cup of tea
SUNDAY	Lean in 15 Nut and pineapple smoothie	½ grilled turkey sausage 1x grilled bacon 2x scrambled eggs Apple and pear green tea		Chicken chasseur with rice Water	Mixed berry granola Greek yoghurt Raspberries Cup of tea
MONDAY		2x rice cakes with almond butter and sliced banana Water	Protein bar Water	Healthy chicken korma (recipe can be found on Facebook) with rice Water	Granola  Greek yoghurt Cup of tea
TUESDAY	Banana Water	3x scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil 2x wholemeal toast with butter 2x pineapple fingers Water		3 egg omelette with bacon and mushrooms Water	Bag of sea salt popcorn Handful of yoghurt covered cranberries Water
WEDNESDAY	Banana Water	3x scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil 3x grilled bacon 3x grilled cherry tomatoes Water	Apple slices with 1tsp almond butter Water	Lean in 15 Cheeky chicken fried rice Water

You will be able to see from the table that my eating is not perfect, I might as well not eat breakfast and there are days when I don't have time for every meal. But I did what I'm telling you to do - I started with what I had, and I am making little changes. By writing down my meals every day I can not only plan ahead, but I can recap on what I have eaten and see what I need to change. I cannot recommend Joe Wicks' Lean in 15 book enough, these meals are quick and easy to make, taste delicious and are super filling!

Now, for my workouts. These are mostly based around dumbbells, so you may wish to buy some, or you can change it up with resistance bands, or just your bodyweight. If you search for each exercise on Google you should be able to figure out how to do them. If I can give you one piece of advice with these though it is to go easy! I have previously had a personal trainer and know how to lift weights correctly so if you don't then I do suggest seeking professional help, we don't want any injuries, and I cannot stress how important it is to know how to compose yourself when weights are involved. 

THURSDAY - Leg/Abs Day

1. Squat tuck jump 3x15

2. Deep side lunges 15,12,10

3. Weighted lunges 3x15

4. Pulse lunges 30 seconds each side

5. Squat jumps 45 seconds

6. Sit-ups 1 minute

7. Leg raises 90 seconds

8. Weighted russian twists 1 minute

9. Weighted touches 1 minute

10. Windshield wipers 1 minute

11. Mountain climbers 1 minute

12. Plank for as long as possible

FRIDAY - Biceps/Triceps/Chest Day

1. Bicep curls 3x20

2. Hammers 20,15,10

3. Kickbacks 3x15

4. Overhead extensions 3x15

5. Wide press-ups 3x5

6. Tricep dips 3x15

7. Tricep dip pulses 1x30

8. Chest press 3x20

9. Flys 3x15

10. Diagonal press-ups 3x5

11. Plank for as long as possible

SATURDAY - REST DAY

SUNDAY - Ass and Abs

1. Squat jumps 60 seconds

2. Adductor squats 3x15           

3. Glute bridges 3x15

4. Deep side lunges 15,12,10

5. Weighted lunges 3x15

6. Pulse lunges 30 seconds each side

7. Sit-ups 1 minute

8. Leg raises 1 minute

9. Russian twists 1 minute

10. Ski abs 1 minute

11. Mountain climbers 1 minute

12. Plank for as long as possible

MONDAY - Back/Shoulders Day

1. Shoulder press 3x15

2. Lateral raises 3x15

3. Upright row 3x15

4. Arm circles 30 seconds each way

5. Front raises 3x15

6. Toe touches 1 minute

7. Plank rows 2x20

8. Quadrupeds 90 seconds

9. Alterntaing lying supermans 90 seconds

10. Bent over row 2x20

11. Plank for as long as possible

TUESDAY - REST DAY

WEDNESDAY - Biceps/Triceps/Chest Day

1. Bicep curls 3x20

2. Hammers 15,12,10

3. Zottmans 3x15

4. 21s

5. Tricep dips 3x15

6. Overhead extensions 3x15

7. Reverse curls 3x20

8. Flys 3x15

9. Chest press 3x20

10. Press-ups 3x15

11. Plank for as long as possible

I took approximately 30 seconds rest between each set and each exercise, and I also recorded the weight I used for each one so that I can hopefully improve. I would advise you to keep the weight low, it may seem okay for one or two reps, but it really will start to burn when you are into your second and third set. Not only that, but you will be less likely to sustain an injury if you keep the weight low and manageable. 

Having completed this eating and workout plan for a week I can tell you about my results. Before I do, I want you to know that I am not a fan of scales and I believe they do more harm than good. I did weigh myself prior to starting this and I wasn't unhappy with my weight, as long as I look and feel comfortable and healthy, the number on the scales does not bother me. I am about 8 or 9 pounds heavier now than I was when I was at my lightest, but I can tell you this, I am in MUCH better shape and definitely a LOT fitter! Out of sheer curiosity I weighed myself at the end of this week and I had lost 1 pound. To be honest I wasn't expecting to lose anything at all because my training was all based around weights, so if I was gaining muscle it would weigh more than fat. I also took my bodyfat percentage before starting and that is something I will monitor every so often but not as often as every week. 

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will have seen some progress photos and a video and I cannot urge you enough to take these, even if you just keep them on your phone for your own personal reference. Trust me when I say you will see changes and it will encourage you to keep going, I know I love to see that I've lost inches or I have more definition in my abs or shoulders!

Progress photo from day 5

I hope this plan is of some help to you all. Like I have already said, it is not perfect, and I will continuously tweak both my diet and my workouts. But what I'm aiming for is to create a sustainable lifestyle, one that will make me fitter and healthier in the long run, and not just a fad which will quickly help me drop 5 pounds before a big event. I think it's so much more important that we take good care of our bodies and maintain them for as long as we can.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me, I will leave my social media details below! Happy exercising and healthy eating!

Love,

Friday’s Giirl

x

Snapchat - lboyd5

Instagram - @fridaysgiirl

Facebook - Friday's Giirl