Fabulous’ features writer took on the six week shred to see if it really works – and here’s how she got on
With summer just around the corner, it's not too late to make a big difference to your health and your body
DISCLAIMER: I love food.
When people ask me if I’m more of a savoury or sweet girl, I always say both.
I’m also a bit of a social butterfly – nearly every evening I’m out with friends at the pub and my weekends are filled with boozy brunches.
In short, life is great, but my weight is not. At 28, I am 5ft 6in and weigh just over 11st, plus with my best friend’s wedding on the horizon – at which I’m wearing a slinky bridesmaid’s dress – I’m desperate to lose a few pounds.
So armed with a healthy-eating plan and a personal trainer, here’s how I got on…
Week One
After assessing my pre-shape-up food diary, my PT Alistair Mackie says I need to eat more carbs – yay! But before I dial a pizza, he explains it’s
the complex type such as brown rice and sweet potato that I’ll be allowed.
He also tells me that although my meals are OK health-wise, I eat far too many sweet treats.
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Plus, I can easily polish off a bottle of wine each night from Thursday to Sunday.
When I struggle to run for 10 minutes on the treadmill and can’t do more than two push-ups at my fitness test, I feel so humiliated.
Plus, with a BMI of 26.4, I’m officially overweight. Urgh!
A few days later, I do my first official workout with Al in the park, which involves interval running – a combination of sprints and gentle jogging – and a series of lunges, squats and lifting 3kg weights to tone up my arms. After an hour, I’m exhausted but pumped. I can do this.
At a weekend brunch, I say no to prosecco and pancakes and order kale bread with grilled tomato and eggs.
When the bill comes, my meal is half the price of my friends’. It looks like I’m heading for a skinnier waist and a fatter wallet!
Week Two
I’ve gone a whole seven days without eating chocolate and I feel super-smug.
While I’ve yet to see any pounds fall off – which is disappointing – I know miracles don’t happen overnight. But then disaster strikes and I’m hit with a stomach bug.
For the next two days I can barely scrape myself off the bathroom floor and my shred goes on the back burner.
BEFORE
- Weight 11st 3lb
- BMI 26.4
- Chest 37in
- Waist 38in
- Hips 36in
- Size 12
- Breakfast Eggs on white toast
- Lunch Halloumi and falafel wrap or pasta salad
- Dinner Soup and cheese sandwich or veggie chilli
- Snacks Biscuits, sweets, and cake galore!
- Drinks Water, beer and wine
At least I’m not faced with the temptation of all the office treats.
By Saturday my strength has returned, so I hit the gym for a 20-minute run, 15 minutes on the bike and some arm exercises.
It feels good to get back into the swing of things.
Week Three
This week I’m 2lb lighter, and even though I know it’s probably from the stomach bug, I’ll take it.
Having been ill, my PT sessions are a slog, though.
I’m slow at interval runs and my arms shake when I do weights.
AFTER
- Weight 10st 6lb
- BMI 24.7
- Chest 36in
- Waist 361/2in
- Hips 35in
- Size 10-12
- Breakfast Eggs or avocado on wholewheat toast
- Lunch Sweet potato salad with brown rice or veggie chilli
- Dinner Prawn stir-fry or salmon and veg
- Snacks Carrots, cucumber, 2 squares of dark chocolate
- Drinks Water, vodka and soda
People keep asking if I feel good, but to be honest, I can’t see any change.
I’m secretly petrified it’s not working – especially when I step on the scales at the weekend and discover I haven’t lost any more weight.
I’m crestfallen, so to lift my spirits I meet some friends for brunch, though it’s tap water and avocado on toast for me.
They mention that my face looks slimmer – I’m buzzing again!
Week four
Despite my mates’ lovely comments, my rose-tinted view of the shred is slipping.
I’m sick of drinking lime and soda at the pub and not ordering dessert when I go out for dinner. I’ve never wanted a slice of cake so badly in my life.
The only salvation is when I weigh myself at the gym, I’ve lost another 2lb. It’s encouraging, but given how much I’m sacrificing, I feel like it should be a helluva lot more!
I also don’t think I’m getting any better at my workouts, but Al reassures me that I’m doing really well and he’s teaching me exercises I can carry on doing either in the park or the gym once the shred is over.
By Sunday, I desperately need cheering up, so I head to Zara for a little retail therapy.
I grab a couple of tops in my usual size 12 and for the first time I can see results.
While they aren’t hanging off me, they’re definitely sitting better. I excitedly buy three new outfits as a reward for my hard work.
Week Five
I’m down another 3lb! Because it’s my penultimate week, Al gets me to start boxing, which I love.
Then it’s on to five 75-metre sprints, 100 crunches and 15 sit-ups, where I do four punches at the end of every one.
It’s gruelling, and when Al asks me how I feel I can’t even get out a response.
On Saturday night I’ve got tickets to see the UFC – AKA cage fighting – at The O2. I can’t not drink at this, so I limit myself to three beers.
However, I visit friends beforehand and down two vodka and sodas, which means I wake up the next day with a nasty hangover.
Usually, my flatmate and I would order a calorific takeout to combat it, but I can’t – so I have to watch her eat fried chicken and cake, while I make do with a salad and nibble on 85% dark chocolate for dessert. I want to cry.
Week Six
It’s the home stretch! Being fitter and healthier, I’m also finally getting that “good” feeling that everyone keeps asking about.
I smash my workouts and Al tells me he can see definition in my biceps.
When the world’s best-looking carrot cake turns up at the office on Wednesday, I resist.
At my final workout, I give it my all and Al reveals I’ve lost 11/2in off my stomach and dropped almost a stone in weight, while my BMI is now officially healthy. Go me!
At the weekend, after a spin class, I head to brunch with the girls and finally enjoy pasta and a glass (or two) of bubbles, knowing I’ve really earned it – not just because I wanted it.
The Verdict
There’s no sugarcoating this (geddit?), six weeks without wine, simple carbs and cake isn’t easy.
Neither is working out until your non-existent muscles burn.
But – and it’s a big but – the sensation of pulling on your jeans after losing 11lb is worth it. As is going from being capable of running for just 10 minutes to half an hour.
While I know I’m not the kind of person who can go teetotal or quit sugar for good, I have a new outlook on exercise and have already signed myself up for a gym membership.
Plus, I’m going to look super-hot in my bridesmaid dress – bonus!
Thanks to personal trainer Alistair Mackie ([email protected]).