A short person who lifts – progress pics.

Progress Pics.
Looking back, I probably should have taken more photos, but I preferred to be the one behind the camera.

Keep in mind, I am 4’9 (145cm) tall – or short I guess,  so weight distributes differently, particularly with my very short legs.

The first pic, from June 2012 isn’t me at my heaviest. But it’s the only photo I’ve got. And that day I felt horrid.

I started 5:2 in March/April 2013. After trying multiple things. And them not working. Stopping and starting, feeling like a failure. Getting sicker each week – non-stop migraines, UTI’s, sicknesses, aches, pains, everything.

I started walking with friends for exercise, and learning about the food I ate and how much I actually needed. That led to learning to run again and Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred followed by Ripped in 30.

And that’s where I re-discovered my love of strength training.

The second picture is November 2013. I’d been maintaining for about a month. I had just started playing around with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I didn’t have all the equipment, but I was giving it a red-hot go.

Jan-March 2014. I’d bought a proper bar and weights with some Christmas vouchers and I knuckled down and got stuck in to some serious weight lifting. I kept learning about food and nutrition. Less isn’t always best. Food is fuel.

I had up days and down days and weeks where I didn’t know whether anything would ever change. But it did. Slowly, but surely. Even when there were some weeks were I didn’t even exercise at all, and my eating habits left a lot to be desired.

I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to be healthy. And it was happening.

September 2014. You better believe I can do handstands. I can even do handstand pushups (and have the video to prove it).

October 2014. I got my husband to take that photo yesterday. I finished the New Rules of Lifting for Women program last week, and today I started NROL Supercharged. I’m stronger, I’m fit, I’m fast and most importantly I’m HEALTHY.

I fast once or twice a week, depending on how I feel. Calories don’t bother me so much as what I am eating these days – and I eat for fuel and for health. My tastes have changed. Yes, I can still devour an entire brownie batch in one sitting, but that’s okay – I try not to put myself in that situation too often (I make freaking awesome brownies though ).

Do you want to know the best bit?

At my lowest ever adult weight, I was NEVER THIS SMALL.

I weigh at least 3kg heavier than that weight, and yet I am about 2-3 sizes smaller.

I’m still a work in progress. I will never, ever be ‘done’. This is me for life. And I kinda like that.