New Year, Same Me

January is the month we make resolutions and promises to ourselves. It's the start of a new year, and it's the opportunity to better ourselves and to grow. For many people health and fitness is the top of the priority list, whether it's just to clean up old eating habits and push aside the takeaways, or to make those tentative first steps to get into shape. 

January is the month that we make those resolutions and promises to ourselves.

As we step further away from 2015 and prepare for another year, I think it is important to set goals so that we can try to excel ourselves and grow. I have thought long and hard about my own goals that I would like to achieve this year and they look something like this:

- Sort my skin out, Christmas has brought out swarms of spots!

- Start #TheKaylaMovement on the 11th January 2016

- Not to miss a work out

- To be stronger and fitter than 2015

- To meet and work out with many more BBG ladies!

- To step further out of my comfort zone

- Start a new class

- Push myself

I have already taken on some new challenges in 2016, just last week I joined a Cross Fit taster session that spans over the next few weeks. This alone is something that a year ago I would never have done, going along to a session where I knew nobody would have scared the living daylights out of me. Not knowing about the exercises or what is expected from me, would have put me off even giving it a go. I wouldn't have even considered it, and I would have written it off before even saying 'Wait one minute Laura, give it a go!'.

I actually saw the advert on Facebook, and instead of just scrolling past it I clicked through. I read it, and didn't think twice about filling out my details. It was something that I really wanted to try, and I crossed my fingers hoping I got the opportunity. They were searching for 10 newbies to take part in the sessions throughout January and I didn't for a moment expect to hear back from them, but I was lucky enough to be chosen to go along and take part in a training session that is completely different to anything I have ever done before.

Cross Fit is high intensity workouts that are constantly varied to ensure that the body cannot and will not get used to the routine. After all routine is the enemy when it comes to fitness, your bodies get used to what you do, and routines can became boring and mundane. 

In all honesty though when I pulled up at the new gym, I sat there in my car for a little while. Would I fit in? Would I be able to keep up with everybody else? Should I just turn around and go home? As soon as those thoughts entered my mind, I got out of the car and walked towards the building. The gym is a boxed room, it looks like a real man's gym and not somewhere I ever envisioned myself feeling at home. I walked in and met some of the other newbies, some of who weren't regulars in the gym and were taking the initiative to try something new. 

The session was incredible. Bloody hard work but they had me doing things that I had longed to do, but didn't want to try in my usual gym through fear of having no clue what I was doing. I did my first ever box jumps on a 16" box, it might sound like nothing, but I was so proud of myself. As I looked around the room I noticed that no one else was jumping, they were standing up and standing down. I did bar bell squats and very quickly worked the weight up to 32.2kg (over 5 stone!) which beat my personal best.

The end of the session saw us working through a circuit with 8 minutes on the clock. The name of the game was to get as many rounds in as possible. When the clock called time, everyone collapsed on the floor, and I stood there catching my breath, but I wasn't ruined. I could have carried on, and it was then for the very first time, I realised how much my stamina has improved over this past year. Once upon a time I wouldn't have been able to do that, and it was while I was jumping on the box that one of the ladies called out to me 'HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT!?', but I hadn't thought twice. I guess it just goes to show that when your persistent with something, you do grow and develop.

The last session was on Thursday evening, and it focused mainly on arms. There were pull ups, reverse pull ups and Kettle Bell Snatches to name a few. This session officially kicked my bum and 4 days later my arms, chest, shoulders and back are still burning, the thought of going back and inflicting more pain tomorrow not only makes me shiver, but excites me. This after all is the only way that I am going to get stronger, and this burn means that it's working.

Towards the end of 2015 I slacked, I was still working out but my food routine was shaken up and I was just an eating machine. This meant that I lost definition and put on a few lbs. I am now ready to get this show on the road and surpass where I was in the Summer. Yes I blipped, but I am taking my fitness by the horns and really pushing myself. In turn Christmas didn't help, I only took 2 days off, but those 2 days have brought some beautiful spots to the surface. Spots that won't go away, spots that are leaving dry peely skin in their wake.

I am hoping that now my diet is back on track, that normality is resuming following the Christmas period that I can start to really push myself. 

I have already told myself that 2016 is going to be an incredible year, so I decided to spontaneously book a trip to New York with some of the BBG Girlies for November. You know meeting girls on Instagram and jetting off to New York is just totally normal in 2016!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and I hope 2016 is treating you guys well. What are your resolutions for the New Year?