Body Goals | Getting Back on Track

One of the reasons I started this blog was to document my fitness journey...and 'journey' is certainly the right word.

For me, getting more involved in fitness and wanting to become stronger, probably only started about four and a half years ago. Before that, I wasn't really active aside from going on brisk walks. Over the past two years, my fitness journey has revolved mostly around the gym and my aim has been to build lean muscle.

My goal is to have a well-rounded physique. I know a lot of girls seem to be focussing solely on their legs/butt (#bootygains lol) but I want to ensure that my arms, back/shoulders and stomach are also looking toned. 

You would think that after two years of hitting the gym pretty solid four days a week, I would be looking ripped as hell by now. But I gotta say, progress has been slow. This has, at times, become super frustrating and rather disheartening.

In saying that, I have certainly seen significant changes in my lower body. My legs and booty have come more toned and I have gained almost five kilos since starting lifting weights (I'm hoping that this gain is mostly in muscle haha).

But I've realised lately that I'm looking a little odd around the middle. Despite doing cardio and abs, my stomach is not looking toned and I often feel and look bloated (That's putting it nicely). So I realised that I've got to step it up. I had to take a moment to be honest with myself... Am I really eating what I should in order to be putting on muscle and aiding in hormonal balance? Am I really going to the gym to sweat, lift heavy and try my best?

The answer lately has been probably not...

Sure, I've been eating good and I've been putting in my time at the gym. But I've been doing things half-ass. Going in there, lifting easy weights, keeping an eye on the clock and checking out as soon as my forty-five minutes is done.

Now, for me it's not about going in there and doing an hour or two of weights, but it's about making the time count. And it's also about eating ENOUGH and drinking enough WATER.

So things are shifting.

I'm really starting to think about my goals and to be realistic as to what I have to do to achieve them. So, where to from here? I've decided that in order to get over this plateau, some things need to change. I need to:

- Drink at least 6 glasses or 2-3 bottles of water per day.

- Incorporate at least one or two more hormone balancing foods into my daily food consumption.

- Eat bigger or more frequent meals and ensure they are nutritionally dense.

- Incorporate HIIT cardio into my workout routine at least twice a week.

- Aim to lift a heavier weight every second time I focus on that particular muscle group.

- Complete a minimum of six exercises per gym session not including warm up or cool down.

I'm hoping that through completing these things that I will be more likely to achieve my fitness goals. I will give an updated physique update at the end of the year to showcase my progress.

What are your fitness goals and what steps are you taking to ensure they are being met? Leave a comment below.

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