Ash Pollard: How to survive getting fit

Ash Pollard is best known as one of Australia’s most gifted home cooks. But underneath those signature spiral blonde curls, the television personality and radio-host has a noggin full of knowledge that she’ll be sharing exclusively with Be.

Over the next 12 weeks she’ll be sharing her top tips on how to tackle life’s trickiest situations — from what to do during an awkward encounter with an ex, to surviving a dreaded social media slip-up.

This week: how to survive getting fit.

I can only tell you what I know from experience, and right now, I am only JUST about surviving my new fitness regime.

So put down your Tim Tam (I’ll put mine down too) and listen up! You CAN survive getting fit, you might not feel like it along the way but I know it’s possible… I’ve done it before and I’m doing it again right now.

I’m about a couple of seasons too late on the fitness bandwagon if I’m following all the ‘summer bodies are made in winter’ hype and to be frank I don’t care! I want ALLLLLL the pasta, ALLLL the wine, ALLLL the pudding and ALLLL the cheese, throughout winter and spring.

It’s a vicious cycle for me and now that I’m in my 30’s, I can see a drastic difference in the way my body copes with excess. I used to be able to eat ANYTHING and NOTHING about my body changed. That’s not so anymore.

I swear, it happened almost the day I turned 30. My hips expanded, my thighs held more stubborn fat and my knockers just keep on inflating… hello 10E cup! WTF?! Although, I’m not necessarily complaining about that particular change. Ha!

So, on my quest to regain my fitness and restore my little rig, I joined F45 and enlisted the help of a personal trainer too, Nick Katsidis. It’s the PT that does it for me…I
REALLY need my hand held during any kind of hard exercise.

I need someone to stick around and encourage me, cheer me on, give me a shoulder to cry on, their arm to punch (if need be) and most importantly - give me appropriate and informed direction. I need these things because I don’t really enjoying exercising but I now I have to do it.

I’m two weeks into our sessions and I already feel like Nick gives a sh*t about my goals. He’s here to help me, so I know I’m going to achieve what I want before Christmas.

Here's how you can get cracking on your fitgoals too.

Goals
What are they? Whatever you're trying to achieve, write it down.

Once you’ve put them on paper, your brain will subconsciously retain that information and whether you know it or not, will some how help you achieve them. From something a simple as, ‘I want to be able to do three push-ups by the end of week one’ or ‘I want to run 3kms without stopping’.

Mine are to fit into my Saba jeans I bought 3 years ago and do an unassisted pull-up in the next three months. Aside from those, my overall goal is to get fit, purely for the benefits of achieving ample health.

The moment
Stay as close to the moment as possible. Living in the present is crucial however when you’re training sometimes it can actually be quite helpful to look back or forward.

Looking back can remind you of why you are on your quest for fitness and looking forward to excite you about achieving your goals. Is it that you can see your fitter, happier self in the future? Are you crossing the finish line of a marathon?

Distract yourself
If you’re struggling during training, divert your attention elsewhere.

Think about what you’re going to have for dinner, what you’re going to do for the day, remember why you are training. Personally I think about The Biggest Loser contestants, ‘if they can do it, so can I’. No joke, it gets me through. Haha!

Be a realist
Don’t go setting crazy goals and lock yourself into a diet you know is only going to be punishment.

Be realistic, be kind and make this experience a reasonably enjoyable one. I believe it’s best to moderate all aspects of your ‘get fit’ adventure.

If you’re anything like me and think ‘diet’ is a dirty word then heed my advice, MODERATE BABY!

Whatever your quest, I wish you luck. Don’t give up… if you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up, just get straight back on.

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