Nikki Pitman – Weight loss journey so far…
It’s really important to share journeys.
Maybe you are off track a little or need to restart.
Either way, this is inspiring so kudos to Nikki.
Right, over to Nikki.
In her own words…..
Before I start writing about my weight loss journey, it is important to note that I am only half way through the journey… I am still not where I want to be; the difference this time around is that I know I will get there!
I have been overweight since I was a teenager, and was always told by my family it is the way we are built and I guess I just accepted that (despite the fact that my brother was an international volleyball player and did not have a weight issue!). I am not going to lie, I fell into bad habits at university, having far too many take-aways and eating convenience food all the time. When I came home, this ‘lifestyle’ continued because I was always too busy to cook something properly and if I am honest, I think I became addicted to this type of food.
Throughout my twenties as I started my career as a teacher, I would often join a slimming group, never losing more than a stone, because I would then ‘treat’ myself to ‘nice’ food as a reward for losing the tiny amount of weight I had. I would then lie to myself that I could do it by myself, I didn’t need to pay a leader to tell me how to do it… but it never happened. I even tried a Very low calorie shake diet for a few months, and yes… I saw results, but not eating food made me miserable! And so I quit this one too and every time, I would put the weight back on and some more!
I think the turning point for me, was when I could see my daughter (now 7) growing up and me denying her things because of my insecurities. About a year and a half ago she asked if I would take her to Splashdown (the local waterpark); I had to say no to her. There was no way, I was putting a swimming costume on and hanging around on a load of stairs for everyone to see. This broke my heart, because I was stopping my daughter from doing an activity that she wanted because I was too fat. I was also asked by my best friend to be a bridesmaid at her wedding, and the thought of having everyone looking at me in a dress gave me real anxiety about saying yes. My weight was now officially holding us back.
I then saw the Tone fitness advert on Facebook and I just clicked the button. I saw a photo of a woman who had lost an impressive amount of weight in a short space of time, and I wanted that to be me. I turned up to my consultation with Will, and he was brutally honest with me… My body fat percentage was so high, I was going to die if I didn’t do something about it. He asked how active I was, and I was embarrassed when I had to say, I am not active at all. I am a busy, hardworking, single mum, I haven’t had time to go to the gym. What I now know is that this was just one of the many excuses I had used to make myself feel better about being the weight I was. I now know this just doesn’t cut it!
As soon as I signed up, I knew this was going to work. The money that I had paid, was a lot of money, and I didn’t want to lose it. I actually knew from that initial consultation that I was never going to take the money back at the end of the 6 weeks. I knew I was going to re-invest it and stay on because I knew my journey was going to take a lot longer than 6 weeks. I discovered that I have a competitive streak… I was going to lose the weight, and I was going to get my money back. Thiscompetitive streak is now what is helping me get through the next stage of my journey.
After session 1, I honestly thought I had made a mistake… I literally couldn’t move the day after, and wondered how on earth I was going to go to another session the following day. I cried in one of the early sessions with Sarah because I just couldn’t do a walking burpee, as I tried to haul myself off the floor, I was mortified at what I had done to my body. I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw…. but with the support and advice from all the trainers, I worked hard and by the end of the 6 weeks, I could do a proper jumping burpee!
All of my friends and family could see a difference in me throughout the 6 week challenge, they could see the determination. It wasn’t easy as I was on my summer holidays, yet I planned and prepped my meals, I used the nights that my daughter is at her dads to train and I even got my daughter doing the at home workouts with me. This was becoming a new lifestyle for me and for my family.
By the end of the 6 weeks, I had lost 16lb and 7.2% body fat, not as much as some who take on the challenge, but then I saw the image. The difference shocked me. The difference spurred me on to the next stage.
I joined as a member, continuing to train 3 times a week. The training side had definitely become a habit. The nutrition side was still a side I battled with. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what to do, but I still had that excuse making voice in my head telling me I deserved to have a treat!
I continued to lose for the next couple of months, but then Christmas came and I completely fell off the wagon. By the time January came, I had put on around 9lb. Thankfully for me, this coincided with the first members challenge. I was excited to read how we would be in partners to help support one another; and we would follow a different food plan with a fitness challenge to go alongside it. This excitement however turned to anxiety when I discovered I would miss two weeks of the four weeks challenge because I was having an operation on my hand. My excuse making head came on… my partner won’t want me, I won’t be able to lose as much as everyone else… so I emailed Leighton who told me I should still do the challenge. So I did. I got to know my new partner; we messaged every day, which was great because I didn’t want to let her down! I also re-found my competitive streak as the MEP challenge started! I knew I couldn’t go to tone, but I could still use my legs, so I could still get points if I started to run. So I did, I started off shuttle running in my house – 15 minutes, 4 times a day (I had to be careful of my hand!) and then I decided I would run to get weighed at tone (as I couldn’t drive), so I turned my excuse of not being able to train because of my hand in to a positive!
Over this challenge, I lost 14lb and my partner and I won the award for the most weight lost. The challenges were going to be the thing that got me through my weight loss journey.
The best thing about Tone is that they continually strive to change it up to make things better. When you have a lot of weight to lose like I have, it isn’t going to be a quick fix. My (old) habits are still somewhat ingrained and I need to keep fighting them. The next part of my journey started with Martin announcing the Tone social was going to be a Parkrun. I never like to miss a social, and so I knew I was going to do it. I had been doing a little bit of running because of my injured hand, but nothing prepared me for what 5K actually felt like! I thought I was going to die running it. I know I can get through a tough 1 hour HIIT session, but this was something else. It took me 41 minutes 13 seconds to run that first Parkrun, but my tone buddies were all waiting at the end clapping me in.
This is when Tone changed for me…. I had made friends.
Parkrun had now become another habit. Week after week my time improved until I got my PB of 36: 51… I’m still striving to hit that PB again! But these habits and changes are what is going to get me to that end goal.
As I continued my journey, more and more challenges came along. In a more recent one, I again managed to lose weight and saw my lowest weight to date, 37lb down and 13.6% body fat lost. I had gone from wearing a size 22 jeans to a size 18 (that were too big) and a size 20 top down to a 14. I sometimes get a bit disappointed in the numbers, as I know other people have lost more, and more quickly, but the images help me see the difference.
People don’t need to ask me how I have done it because I have been completely open with people from day 1. I constantly post images on my social media of me at Tone Fitness because it has become my life. I am still nowhere near the end of my journey. I battle with my mindset every day. The difference is, I am now confident I will get there. Every time a challenge comes along, I chip a few more pounds off… that is how I have made my journey work for me… I am definitely not perfect, but I have found a formula that is working for me.
I love my tone family. We meet now regularly for socials outside of tone, as well as taking on extra challenges. Pam and I took part in two 5 Ks in a day not so long ago (yes we were slow! But we did it). I never would have achieved this 12 months ago.
16 of us from Tone are taking part in a charity dragonboat race in September, and a number of us are running a 10K in October. I never thought I could run 5K let alone try for 10K but I am doing it… and it is the next challenge.
I have found my self-worth again. I have discovered there is a life outside of work, and I am not just a single mum. I am Nikki.
I am strong and powerful and at the moment I feel I can take on the world (with the help of Tone).
I want to leave you with a photograph from this week…. This is me with my daughter Lydia after a visit to Splashdown! I promised her a year ago when I started at Tone that when mummy had lost the weight, we would go. I kept my promise and she loved it!
The last 12 months have been the best in my life… and if you are thinking about starting this journey… just do it. It isn’t easy, but it is so worth it.
Nikki x