Blog post for Urban Energie

Here is a post I wrote for Jack over at Urban Energie for his new online fitness magazine.

My name is Lisa Thake and I am FatGirlFit.

I have been on my journey since the start of last year to get fit and lose weight and its been tough but I am still here and still going strong and if I can do it then I figure anyone can and I mean that I truly do.

Never been into fitness in any way.  I was the girl at school that would go to every PE lesson with a letter I had written on behalf of my mum to get me out of doing any of the exercises!  Hated all of it – always had, but food, well where do I start.  I love food and everything about it, which is probably why for as long as I can remember I have always been on some sort of diet, yo yo-ing up and down or trying the latest fad.  I would watch the tv advert with the latest exercise equipment that would promise me a body similar to a supermodel and within days it would be delivered…………..and was rubbish.

After illness my husband got into cycling and running and swimming and lost a huge amount of weight and I found him inspirational and loved going to the various events he was taking part in to cheer him, and other club members and friends, along.  I would wonder about getting involved but felt stupid.  I couldn’t imagine getting on a bike where the size of my backside would probably hide the saddle, running down the road or in the park and having other people see me jiggling and dripping with sweat.  Then one day I decided I was too miserable with my weight and had to begin somewhere so asked my husband to take me out for a run.  Now given that I did not do any exercise I imagined going for a run to be just that so as we set off I sprinted to the end of the road and almost collapsed feeling like I was having a heart attack, my husband asked me what on earth I was doing and I merely replied ‘going for a run’ and he suggested we jog and that going for a run didn’t mean sprinting – thank god I’d only got to the end of the road and was done!

Anyway long and short of it is that I kept it up and would tell friends and family different stories as they commented that I looked like I was losing a bit of weight and a few people suggested I start a blog and at first I was petrified and thought it was very public to make it so visible that I was on this journey and that people may judge me and think ah poor chubby love bless her, but from a selfish perspective I knew if I started a blog I would have to keep up with the fitness and weight loss and so it began.

I wanted a name that was a little funny as the blog is largely me making fun of myself, its not a serious account of events as that’s just not me.  I am also an official partner of the campaign This Girl Can.

So just got out there an started running and cycling.  Since last year I have joined both a cycling club and a running club and it’s scary as hell I won’t lie!  You join and you pretty much know you will be the least experienced and the slowest and you might not even enjoy it at the beginning. I didn’t as I was always so conscious I was detracting from someone else’s training if they were waiting for me.  But you know what?  Most people who are into the same thing are only more than happy to help and love to see others embrace it too!  I have even found that I can now help people too.

Every now and then I treat myself (you have to) but my eating is so much better and by using My Fitness Pal I quickly found that things I thought were ok were really not and so substitutions were quickly made and my knowledge of such things built up.  I will pass on the chocolate biscuits thanks (it still kills me a little but I want this too much).

I am not scared now to go to the gym because all the super fit people will judge me, instead I scrape my hair into a ponytail (then you know a girl at the gym means business) and get down to it and I don’t care what I look like I’m there to work out. I actually find I look at the guys who check out their hair and the girls with a full face of make up and who look exactly the same when they leave as when they entered whereas I look like a sweaty tomato and I think oh come on!

So you can now find me on WordPress, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too!  I love the people I have met through this too and so when one of them, Jack from Urban Energie, who I know from Instagram mentioned about doing a guest blog I jumped at the chance.  I love following Jack on Instagram and would recommend downloading his Free Lean Body Blueprint and also highly recommend his Get Lean Recipe E-book its a must especially if you follow him on Instagram and see all the tasty meals he has!

I am an ordinary girl on a journey and as I said earlier if I can do it then anyone can.  I am not done either I am only mid way through and still have two stone to lose but I am 55.5lbs down and determined – This Girl Can!