{"id":20326,"title":"Hels Bells Accountability runner up!","description":"Here's what John had to say!","content":"

John is a newer member to Hels Bells and this was his first time participating in the Accountability Challenge. He was very focused throughout and worked hard to develop and engrain habits to support his lifestyle. His success came as a result of his hard work and determination and I have no doubt he will continue to make progress over the coming months.<\/p>

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\"deosvpzr0ibrszibz3r8n1pwz4fzz9f4vmbtc0auiktlnsq9.jpg\"<\/p>

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Describe the challenge in your own words<\/strong><\/p>

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Surprising! I\u2019d never done anything like this before and entered into it cautiously, particularly as my relationship with food hasn\u2019t been great for the last few years following surgery messing with my workings. I didn\u2019t go overboard on dieting, but found the structure and motivation of the challenge, and the peer support of others taking part, helped me start to be far more mindful of what I was eating. The challenge element did also tap into my competitive side, in terms of competing with myself and ensuring my better angels won out more often against my snacking devil. I was pleasantly amazed by the progress I made, as I had avoided weighing myself during the 6 weeks, and had missed some training sessions due to illness.<\/p>

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How did you find the challenge?<\/strong><\/p>

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Not going to lie, but I was convinced I spent the first few weeks hungry! Definitely all in the mind though. The defined time period, the structure alongside training and the support through the closed Facebook group made the challenge achievable.<\/p>

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What went well for you?<\/strong><\/p>

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More considered approach to eating. Thinking about what to eat and when, a bit of planning, and the nudge of having to log it all helping me avoid the biccy tin!<\/p>

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Were there any challenges that you faced and how did you overcome them?<\/strong><\/p>

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I will always have challenges with what I eat, and keeping protein intake up is something I need to continue to be aware of. The other challenge is around lunch when at work - speed and convenience I let override quality and enjoyment.<\/p>

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What was your biggest learning point from the challenge?<\/strong><\/p>

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That my relationship with food doesn\u2019t have to just be functional. I can eat healthier and enjoy it.<\/p>

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What habits have you developed that you will continue to practice in the coming months?<\/strong><\/p>

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\u25cf Awareness of what I\u2019m putting in the tank.<\/p>

\u25cf Drinking more water<\/p>

\u25cf Maintaining as regular a training routine as possible<\/p>

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What advice would you offer to others who would like to take part in a similar challenge?<\/strong><\/p>

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Give it a go! It wasn\u2019t about dieting or fat-loss for me. It was about a health improvement and taking back a bit of control. The shared experience with others and the support from Hels reinforced the realistic, accessible nature of the challenge massively.<\/p>

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Can you describe a typical day throughout the challenge?<\/strong><\/p>

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\u25cf Get up, glass of water, breakfast (stay away from the sugar!).<\/p>

\u25cf Walk the dog as alternative commute if at home, park and walk if in the office<\/p>

\u25cf Water and coffee.<\/p>

\u25cf Think about lunch.<\/p>

\u25cf Have lunch - salads can be fun <\/p>

\u25cf Avoid the sugary snacks (this was hard\u2026) Biltong was a good one, but too expensive for everyday; apple and peanut butter is a good one too<\/p>

\u25cf Kettlebells in the evening a couple of times a week at least, plus a couple of runs in there too. And walk the dog.<\/p>

\u25cf Eat after exercise - usually whatever the rest of the family had<\/p>

\u25cf And then realise I\u2019d forgotten to log it all in Myfitnesspal and have to remember what I\u2019d had throughout the day<\/p>

\u25cf Sleep - I\u2019m fortunate that I sleep well most of the time so hopefully the batteries were recharging overnight.<\/p>

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How did you plan your exercise\/steps throughout the challenge?<\/strong><\/p>

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The structure afforded by kettlebell class schedule helped massively. I\u2019d then fit a couple of runs around that and at the weekend. Walking the dog is a big help, and when I am in the office I move around quite a bit too (I make use of standing desks when I can as well)<\/p>

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How many \u2018green\u2019 days did you have?<\/strong><\/p>

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From memory, quite a few. More than I thought I would at the start.<\/p>

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If you had a perceived \u2018bad\u2019 day how did you get back on track?<\/strong><\/p>

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Start the next day anew. The perceived \u2018fail\u2019 would also prick my competitive side so I\u2019d be extra motivated to pull it back the next day!<\/p>

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What would be your three tops tips to share with others:<\/strong><\/p>

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1. Be reasonable with yourself and your expectations<\/p>

2. Be honest, with yourself first and foremost, on how you are doing (including in logging calories!)<\/p>

3. Don\u2019t sweat the occasional kit-kat just sweat in kettlebell class!<\/p>

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Any other thoughts that you would like to share\u2026<\/strong><\/p>

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I am so pleased I did this. I was really surprised at the progress I made as i didn\u2019t think I had made massive changes to my diet - but clearly the minor adjustments, the greater degree of thought and the improved awareness of what was going in, did have an impact.<\/p>

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