2019
2021
In May 2019 I had my 2nd baby, a very big 4,2kg, and I was overjoyed but, also at my biggest and super uncomfortable. By November 2019, it took someone to take a photo of me and post it on social media for me to realize, Lauren, do something .And it's there and then I joined a fitness group called FitMom100. A group of moms that exercise together doing HIIT classes. I joined, and almost died! But I knew I need to be held accountable and committed, as it’s an 80/ 20 approach for this lifestyle I’m trying to achieve and 20 % of it is my exercise and 80 % is to practice what I preach. Here I am helping so many people lose weight and reach their goals but I wasn’t helping myself.
So I went into 2020 with the word SELFCARE in my head despite having 2 kids, 2 practices to run etc. THEN, lockdown and COVID happened. Who would ever have thought or imagined a pandemic would hit us and the whole world would come to a standstill ?I didn’t work for almost 2 months. But, I continued the commitment I made to myself of self care and I exercised 4 to 5 x a week with 2 kids at home. My Fitness group went online which was a saving grace. It was my sanity. BUT still 80 % was what I was fueling my body with daily. Everyone knows in lockdown people were baking and cooking and eating and not really focusing on losing weight. I had to keep focus and stay In my lane.
Fast forward 6 months I was feeling better in my clothes and life started returning to a new normal but I couldn’t exercise 5x a week as I did in hard lockdown. So my eating habits became my priority .and I aimed to exercise 2 to3 x a week max. We are HUMAN. We have busy lives, I am a MOM, a WIFE, A BUSINESS OWNER, A DAUGHTER , A SISTER and most of all A PERSON. I can only handle so much on the best of days. WE need to be kind to ourselves and pace ourselves.
There is no right or wrong timeline for weight loss, except to set a realistic goal for YOURSELF. I lost 20kg in a whole year. And it was not smooth sailing, it had its ups and downs, which is normal. And that I was happy with .The next challenge (yes it is a challenge, and was), was to MAINTAIN my weight throughout 2021, and I did just that. Yes the scale went up one or 2kg and then down again, that’s FINE! But not up 10kg and down 10kg.
Reaching a goal is 1 thing, maintaining it is another journey on its own. And that is what 2021 taught me. I may still be a young mom of 2 boys but I have learnt so much throughout my 2 pregnancies and running 2 practices through my own experiences and helping others by means of my own journey. I am not a verimark product 😊 I am ME. Lauren 😊 And I am here to help you be the best version of yourself and not what the scale wants you to be or what someone else wants you to be.
There are so many other ways of defining progress: clothes, sleep patterns, energy levels, centimeters, exercise fitness, breathing, just walking and moving around, body fat and muscle, NOT JUST WEIGHT.
I hope my journey can motivate you to start your own lifestyle change today, not tomorrow or next month! And I am here to help you every step of the way!
Yours in health 😊 Lauren