Lifestyle & Fitness Journey in 2020

One of the positives I got out of 2020 is focusing and taking care of my fitness and health.

Now just to highlight something, I’ve always followed an active lifestyle for years. I’ve been a gym member for over 8 years and has always been pro fitness. What changed this year? Time & Commitment.

The one thing that I knew I had during this whole pandemic is time. I was serious about getting fit/leaner from the beginning of 2020.

The usual (funny and unshared) check point for my strength believe it or not is my carry on bag! I pay attention to how easy it is for me to lift my carry on to the over head compartment to know if my strength is still good or not. This is not major, but it was at least something! That, along with an increase in my weight was very alarming for me in the beginning of the year so I promised myself to get leaner and better. Weight was not bothering me much but muscles and strength did bother me when it was not there.

After the whole crazy stuck in a ship in Antarctica story, I was also again stuck in Los Angeles for 30 days; and that’s when my personal goal fitness experience started.

‘Fatima, why are you telling us this story?’ I am sharing this to whoever think they can’t, to let them know you CAN. it’s all about priorities, planning and how bad you really want something.

How did it all start? Instagram IGTV free videos & mobile fitness applications that I paid for.

• Pilates Anywhere
• FitBody
• Fitplan

Those are the three apps that I used to use in January, February and March. In March and during my time in Los Angeles, I started heavily following workouts from IGTV and the Live Stories. With that I added my intermittent fasting which was basically fasting for 12 hours more or less and eating for the time frame in between. I felt light and liked it so I continued. I am not 100% strict with my intermittent fasting, but I like the follow the idea of having my meals stop at an early time rather than eating heavy before sleeping.

The instagram accounts that I followed religiously and continued following even when I returned to kuwait are:

• Pscyclelondon – I did their BARRE workouts ALOT, Yoga, Ride, METCON. Awesome workouts! I also enrolled in their Home Workouts after their lives stopped and they re-opened the gym, and I still workout with their home workouts.
• Hot Pilates – I followed their programs especially during my 28 day quarantine in my room in Kuwait. I stopped after my 28 days but LOVED their live classes.
• Barrys UK amazing intense and short-ish! I used to follow their IGTV and loved all their workouts. I continued with them until they stopped. They still post some workouts which I recently did in my latest trip to Dubai in their IGTV on their main account here

Other than the above:

• Ive always loved Les Mills workouts and classes. I downloaded their app and am paying for their subscription through LesMilss On Demand and doing their Body Combat, Pump, GRIT and others.

Was that all I did? No.. In my 28 day quarantine in Kuwait I introduced and focused on walking and getting 10 thousand steps per day as well. I would train in the morning, and walk at night. In the quarantine, I had an issue with space obviously, so I would search on YouTube steps workouts to add steps to my day.

• Morning workout (25-60 minutes max)
• Night walk (around 60 minutes or until I reach my 10 k steps)

Other programs I followed and also really liked:

• Chloe Ting Free Workouts! https://www.chloeting.com

I followed Chloe Tings 4 week Summer Shred workouts. She has many programs and they’re really awesome.

How do I know what to do?

Working out is basically training a muscle group separately every single day, and focusing on the group by being consistent every week.

Start simple:

• Train your upper body
• Tomorrow, train your lower body
• Abs
• Rest
• Upper Body
• Lower Body
• Abs
• Rest Day
• Repeat

There are so many programs online that are so much more accurate than what I wrote ofcourse, this is me trying to simplify the equation; I highly advise you to speak to a professional if you’d like to build yourself a solid program that fits your body type. I, for example, know what I wanted to focus on and what workouts will lead to what; this will only come with trial and error. Try, adjust and continue.

It’s October, and I successfully completed 7 months of working out and intermittent fasting and I reached my goal. Happy and proud of myself.

Many of you have shared with me the below photo privately on my DM expressing how proud they are of me for this change. Thank you every one of you, your encouragement brings me so much joy!!!!!!

Much love,

Fatima