Tuesday 12 August 2014

Weight Loss Part 2

Welcome to Weight Loss update, Week 2.

Last week was both easy and hard in different ways. It was easier from the work angle as most people were still on holiday, it was easier to stick to my own schedule and plan fitness around it. Getting into a routine of everyday fitness was much harder though.

This was followed by a cheat weekend when Friday I needed a break after a heavy week and Saturday just flew by visiting Ikea and the likes. Hopefully, all the walking, standing, even thinking must have contributed to some calorie burn ;)

This week has been hard and hard as my schedule at work had become more hectic and commitment is harder to keep in the second week. Nevertheless I am keeping up.

A short roundup of my fitness exercise/classes last week:

1. Sunday - Cardio and Leg exercises in the building gym

2. Monday - RPM class at Corefit, Dubai Marina (Read the review here)

3. Tuesday - Cardio and Abs exercise in the building gym

4. Wednesday - Zumba at Corefit, Club Mina (Read the review here)

5. Thursday- Cardio Aqua Biking at L'atelier Aqua Fitness (Read the review here)

6. Friday- Rest day

7. Saturday- Cheat day

One of the reasons I am blogging about my journey is so that I document my honest struggles and triumphs which I hope will help many of you out there with the same constraints and a busy lifestyle like me.
Also point 7 above is not something that I am proud to write online at the moment and will strive hard to change following week.

Until then: Stay Determined, Stay Fit!!



Core Fit Group Classes (Review)

If you are a committed professional who likes to give your best to your work (which inevitably leads to spending long hours at office) AND are also lucky enough to have a life outside work in terms of a significant half, close friends and family that you love to spend time with, then you must genuinely face problems with committing to a fitness schedule.

1. Either the timings of the classes won't suit.. (Side note- whats up with all the best fitness classes being scheduled between 9 am and 5 pm in most Dubai gyms?! I would love to meet these Dubai people who are here on a visa and still manage to make it to these classes, mind if you share your secret?! ;)

2. You do may not want to pay the hefty membership fees and get tied into one gym for what seems like eternity in the Dubai timespan.

*drumroll* ENTER - Core Fit. Conveniently located in Dubai Marina and recently having expanded to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi (Barasti for those of you who don't know), it is the perfect solution to your problem.

They have a user-friendly website: www.corefit.ae for further details about classes, timetables etc.

Without any commitment, you can attend classes for just AED 75 (recently bumped up from AED 50 earlier). I have tried a few of their Yoga, Scuplt, Cycle and Zumba classes at both the venues and really enjoyed them.

My only grouse is the possibility of more morning Cardio workout options, otherwise it is perfect!

If you have tried it already, then let me know your feedback below!


Wednesday 6 August 2014

Weight Loss Part 1

Confession: I have really struggled with weight issues since we moved to Dubai in Dec 2012. Last few months have definitely been the heaviest months in my short life. I think moving cities, settling into a new job meant placing myself at the end of the priority list. I anyway gain weight very easily and even though I eat home-cooked meals most of the time, it has still been a struggle to keep it under control.



Part of the struggle has been the disposal of leftovers. Being from India, I am used to having the option of giving clean leftovers to the needy who are always very grateful to receive this help. Since moving out to the UK and then Dubai, this gap is one thing I have had to get used to. I have found a few solutions to this problem though that I will write about soon.

In the process, I have been slowly upping my fitness game.
  • 18 months ago, I started with a 20 min run on the Cross trainer at the gym about four times a week. I struggled to concentrate and had to watch a film on my iPad to keep myself entertained. The maximum speed I could push myself to was only about 8km/hour
  • This routine was frequently interrupted by my travels and visiting guests - leading to eating and staying out till late in the night and having no time or energy for even this soft workout the next day
  • Early 2014, I discovered aqua-biking which is an expensive but a very enjoyable sport that I have written about here. I have been slowly settling into a more comfortable pace of life since then and have tried to keep on top of my fitness. But my limited tries and a long month of holiday in July have led to just that- limited results 
  • I have made big improvements though and can do much more than the first point above now!
From 1st Aug onwards, I have set myself a challenge of 2 months to stick to a weekly plan of gym workouts combined with group classes. I am recording my meals and exercise on Noom health coach app (Pro version), which keeps me focused. I am looking forward to them suggesting a group for me soon, which would give me more motivation. Having a dedicated workout buddy and a supportive husband also helps a lot.

There are really no short-cuts to this and I am determined to make the hard-transition to a healthier, happier ME. My chosen method of keeping fit is attending group classes and I will be doing a separate post on that next.

I will be documenting my journey here and look forward to your feedback :)