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Transformations

Strength training challenge Week 11

thelmah headshotIn the last weeks of the strength training challenge, Thelma is starting to feel athletic and toned. The military precision food prep has had the desired effects but she’s starting to crave an cheat meal when this thing is over

I cannot wait till this is finished because my celebratory cheat meal is going to be epic. I am thinking, and fantasising, about a smorgasbord of take away delights – a bit of gluten free fish and chips, gourmet burger, pizza (you can see where I am going with this) all finished off with dessert from my fave cake stall from Broadway Farmer’s Market. You know, the one which I have a loyalty card for.Thelmaweek111

Sometimes I think that this food fantasy is the only thing that is driving me to complete this journey all the way to the finish. I can’t even remember the last time that I ate some bread and butter and I love me some bread and butter. Don’t get me wrong I have no desire to return to my former life of heifferdom I just need a little taste of something other than chicken breast and fish and I will be good. Oh, some vegetables other than cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce leaves would be good too; I never thought there would come a time when I’d be wishing I could eat some peas and carrots. I miss my red meat too which I never even used to eat prior to starting this plan but when it was taken away for these last few weeks I really felt the difference – homemade burgers are amazing. photo (9)

I can so see that this last phase is working because the tone in my body is, dare I say it, incredible and four weeks ago I never even imagined that I would shift the flab on my body let alone get it to the stage where it actually looks athletic. My food prep is exceptional now, it’s only taken me to the week before the last one to get it so organised, but it has made a massive difference to my nutrition. Now I just cook up a massive batch of cauliflower and broccoli and bake my chicken or turkey breasts and fish, then put them into containers for the week so that all I have to do is reach in the fridge for my lunch and dinner. Not sure why it has taken my so long to get it down to military precision but it has made it harder to not cheat.

thelmastrong

The exercise is still challenging but I can cope with much more than I think I can and I actually enjoy it now because I see the results that it has brought me and the muscle soreness is nowhere near as bad as it was in the beginning. It’s almost as if, at the start of every phase, where I am getting used to the new exercises, my body is going through some kind of shock but by the time I get at least two weeks in, my body gets used to the trauma I am putting it through. I guess that’s why it’s always good to switch up your routine every so often so your body doesn’t get too used to the same exercises day in and day out.

We’ve tweaked the cardio slightly so that I can maximise calorie burn during my sessions and also at rest afterwards. I also foolishly confessed to Clara that I love spinning and that it didn’t really get my heart rate up so gone is the 40 minutes slow burn cardio that I do, on either the stepper or treadmill and that has been replaced by a 25 min max, 1 min sprint at 12 speed alternating with a 1 min jog at 7-8 speed which is really hard but I prefer a higher intensity cardio session over a long drawn out session that seems to be never ending. Also, remember that I do my cardio at the end of program so I am usually really tired and counting down the minutes until I can leave the gym.

It’s a bank holiday weekend this week so that will throw off my training big time. I’ll be seeing temptation left, right and centre but I have to hold on ‘till the end with resisting the urge to stop now because believe me I battle with myself every day over stopping but I’ve committed to do this until the end so I must see it through.

Contact Thelma’s trainer Clara Mosha: claram@fitnesschoices.co.uk

Clara on Facebook 

Twitter: @UPTByClaraMosha

Thelma Mensah is a personal trainer and founder of the uber-cool blog kicksandkit.com.

Read more from Thelma’s strength training challenge.

What REALLY happens in a weight training programme

Week 2 Strength training challenge

Week 3 Strength training challenge

Week 4 Strength training challenge

Week 5 Strength training challenge

Week 6 Strength training challenge

Week 7 Strength training challenge

Week 8 Strength training challenge

Week 9 Strength training challenge

Week 10 Strength training challenge

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