Thelma is seeing results and has lost four centimetres from her hips on only four weeks. Obviously, her confidence and motivation are at an all time high and – at last! – cheat meals are no longer the centre of her universe
I am still feeling the lingering effects of last week’s virus so I need to get back on track fast. But my body is getting stronger, as the same exercises that I started doing a month ago are now easier and the fatigue is easing up.
It’s quite strange that whilst I feel stronger, less sluggish and more energised, I am still always tired. I make sure that I get enough sleep or I feel it the following day. Sometimes when I get on the gym floor I feel like I have nothing to give because I am so tired but once I lift that metal and complete my sets the sense of satisfaction I feel is huge and I feel so proud of myself.
The free weights area can be a scary place for women but I now feel that I have regained the same confidence I had twenty years ago when I used lift weights. I also feel that my technique and strength, even at this early stage of the journey, is still much better than a lot of men I see training in the gym.
Even though I have some off days and feel-like-staying-in-bed-days, I do feel like I have a purpose and the strict training has given me a goal to strive for and a thirst to deliver. I want to prove that if I can do this in my forties so can other women, I also don’t want to let Clara down who has invested so much time in me.
I did my measurements. Remember ladies, this process is about fat loss, not weight loss, and getting as lean as possible whilst building muscle mass. The good news is that I have lost four centimetres off my hips which was a major problem area for me have a look at my stats at the start compared to now. I can now get into loads of clothes, like my skinny jeggings that I couldn’t get into before – things are looking up big time.
Start Four weeks
Waist – 87cm Waist – 85cm
Hips – 116 cm Hips – 112cm
Thigh – 26 ½ cm Thigh – 26cm
Bust – 93 ½ cm Bust – 92 cm
Clara has introduced me to her client fitness model Lenny who Clara is preparing to compete at Miami Pro, a fitness model and natural body building championship. I’ve seen her training in the gym and secretly admired her strength. Her body is incredible, she is 41, a mum like me and a true example of what you can achieve through lifting weights in your forties without looking ‘bulky’ which, I know is a concern for a lot of women who feel this will happen to them if they lift. I am always catching glances at Lenny and Clara because both of them have great bums and to be honest if after all this hard work all I walk away with is great ass I will gladly take that.
On the food front I am like Nigella of the fitness world, cooking and prepping my meals like a boss. I am even starting to get over my cheat meals because every time I fantasise all week about my meal and then have it it’s always a letdown – pudding always tastes good though!
I’ve decided to just focus on the job at hand and ‘trust the process’ which is what Clara always tell me to do. The tasty meals I can now make out of fish/meat and green veg are phenomenal, not better that cake, but given my circumstances I make damn sure that they are flavoured well. My speciality is chicken ala peppers stir fry – ingredients are virtually nothing.
After this highs of this week, it ended on a bit of a downer when I received a call from Clara to tell me that her father had passed away and she has to dash abroad. This is just awful news for her. She told me that we will speak when she lands to discuss the next phase of my training, I tell her not to worry and just focus on being with her family. It’s likely that she will be away for three weeks. Now I really have to bring it and maintain. Find out how I get on next week.
Contact Thelma’s trainer Clara Mosha: claram@fitnesschoices.co.uk, Facebook Twitter: @UPTByClaraMosha, You Tube
Thelma Mensah is a personal trainer and founder of the uber-cool blog kicksandkit.com. She is Healthista’s Kit Diva blogger
Read more from Thelma’s strength training challenge
What REALLY happens in a weight training programme- Week 1
Strength training challenge- Week 2
Strength training challenge- Week 3
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
