Vanessa Pringle: Setbacks and weight gain

Can you believe that next week is my second to last weigh in and boy is the reality starting to set in about standing in a bikini for the weekend paper.

Right about now I wish I could win Lotto, get liposuction and see my parents in Rarotonga for a tan - I need all the help I can get.

Week eight has been a bruiser after having so much time off with the flu and starting on morning shifts.

I had only just got used to the routine of late shifts and juggling my life around the hours and now my clinical starts at 6.55am.

I really love working mornings as it's not so rushed trying to get things organised at home. This means no more early starts at the gym. I'm going in the afternoons straight after work.

My emotions have been on a rollercoaster ride as I started feeling down, knowing I had put on weight around my torso area.

I really did have to dig my mojo out from what felt like the bottomless pit and get my butt back into the gym.

My first day back was like Garfield getting up on a Monday.

He use to say "I hate Mondays", well that's how I felt facing the sensational one hour and fifteen minutes of cardio.

Imagine a partially blocked, runny nose, feeling so tired and sweating, I'm sure it wasn't a pretty sight. Near the finish line I was a bit dizzy but finished the work-out and I honestly thought the cardio was never going to end.

So much so I was contemplating taking short cuts by skipping some exercises but the angel on my shoulder said I'd be cheating myself so I trudged on.

The rest of the week improved day by day, along with my strength, then on Thursday I started a new class called Pump. Faith runs the one hour class with awesome music where you use weights doing different exercises for different muscle groups like quads, triceps, biceps and abs.

If you want to tone up I seriously recommend this class as you will find muscles you never knew you had.

My eating has been good except for one night when I had forgotten my dinner so had to buy a cooked meal.

I only had a 30 minute break so the rush was on to find the healthiest option and the winner was a chicken stew.

I felt gross afterwards with a heavy stomach.

It definitely does not match up to my salad and chicken.

Even after all my moaning and groaning about food, I really do love my salad and will continue to eat this even after the challenge has finished, which is a huge change for me.

My mindset has gone from this 12 week weightloss programme to what's next and I will write about that in my last column.

So now I am wondering if my columns have inspired you to make a change?

Whether it was starting that exercise programme, eating healthier, losing weight or something else?

These last four weeks are going to be my hardest ones to date and I really do need some inspiration and support.

If you have started a change since reading this column then I want to hear from you.

So let's celebrate your success - be brave and write that email today.

Send it to news@bayofplentytimes.co.nz