Week 6 Summary Operation Get Fit No Excuses

Week 6 has finished and Week 7 has come in with impossibly cold weather, freezing rain, and hints of snow! Yes, snow here in Tuscany! To say the least, this icky weather has put a damper on my outdoor walking excursions. But, it hasn’t made me stop or even pause in my pursuit to get fit and healthier!

The bad weather has made me look into other alternatives and forms of exercise that can be done at home because I don’t want to go to a gym. I have researched and found many great workout videos on YouTube that include cardio, all over body toning, as well as strength training - all without needing any special equipment. I’ve tried different combinations that work diverse parts of my body and ends up in a 25 or 30 minutes workout. I like to mix it up so that I don’t get bored, but also so that I make sure to try to work every part of my body. I highly recommend trying this to see if it’s something that would inspire you in your own fitness journey.

I’ve changed my diet over the past few weeks even more than I first mentioned in my previous blogs. I have returned to eating a mostly soy based diet. While these types of foods are not ‘low calorie’, they are on average higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. They have also helped me with my heartburn and reflux problems. I don’t eat bread, I’ve substituted wraps instead. I don’t use sugar or sweeteners because they can spike blood sugar levels. I use a natural sweetener called Stivia.

I have heard from a good friend of mine that Almond flour is a great low carb substitute to wheat based flour, so I have ordered some and will attempt to make a low carb bread and some low carb tortillas next week. I will let you know how that turns out!

As far as supplements, I have added 500 mgs of Tumeric Curcumin into my daily supplement intake. This spice is a natural anti-inflammatory as well as an antioxidant. It is hard for the body to absorb so needs to be combined with other ingredients to help it. If you decide to add this supplement to your own daily regimen, do your research into the brands before you buy the pills because every brand is not equal. Many manufacturers will add fillers in an effort to make the Tumeric go further. You want to get the purest form with the least ingredients possible.

I thought that more time had passed since my last measurements post, but it was only 2 weeks ago! So, since I took them, I’ll go ahead and post it so you can follow along with my progress. My weight before I started my journey to a healthier lifestyle was 91 kg / 200 lbs. Now it’s 84.5 kg / 186 lbs. That’s 6.5 kg / 14 lbs difference in 6 weeks!

Here are my measurements and pictures from January 7, 2018:

Hips - 124 cm (48.8 inches)
Waist - 98 cm (38.5 inches)
Bicep - 39.5 cm (15.5 inches)
Thigh - 81.5 cm (32 inches)

My measurements and pictures from February 7, 2018:

Hips - 121.5 cm (47.8 inches)
Waist - 94 cm (37 inches)
Bicep - 36.5 cm (14.37 inches)
Thigh - 73 cm (28.7 inches)

My current measurements and pictures as of February 22, 2018:

Hips - 120.5 cm (47.4 inches)
Waist - 90.5 cm (35.6 inches)
Bicep - 37 cm (14.56 inches)
Thigh - 66.5 cm (26.18 inches)

Thank you all for following me on this journey! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave them below!