5 Things I've Learned On Sharny & Julius' FitMum Program

It's been eight days since I began my journey on the popular weight loss program by Sharny & Julius, called FitMum. I began seeing the ads on my social media's newsfeed, almost daily, for months. Every few days a new testimonial would pop up with a fantastic before and after image and I would swoon for my own story.

I'm an active person. I work out with a personal trainer once a week and have done so for years. I walk my dogs on hour-long trails most days of the week. I own an Echelon Reflect 50" and participate in the virtual classes several times a week. I enjoy being active with my kids on bike rides and dancing. However, I couldn't help noticing how soft my body looked in my pre-shower mirror glance. I longed for a before and after photo testimonial of my own. One that I could be proud of, and was prepared to work hard to earn.

A week ago, on a whim, I decided to stop oohing and ahhing over these stranger's testimonials, and to sign up. I was surprised the fee was so reasonable ($47 USD) and immediately felt supported with the other moms in the private Facebook group, the app included everything from meal plans, grocery lists, exercise videos and tutorials. I felt ready to finally go after my dream body, and my first impression of the FitMum program, was a positive one.

As I delved into the meal plan (my biggest weight loss issue) I felt comfortable, not turned away. As a pescatarian, it's sometimes difficult to find meal options on a regular basis, and now I was cutting out my fallback option - delicious carbs. I read my options, toggling between the Nourish meal plan (which included meat options, I stuck to fish), and the Vegan meal plan (which I chose on days I was fished out). I found my plan somewhere in the middle, and away I went.

A week in, here are some surprising truths that I did not expect to happen:

1. I look forward to meal times - I thought I always did this, however since starting the program I now realize that with an abundance of food options, stocked refrigerator and cupboards, I never truly looked forward to a meal because I was never allowing myself the space between eating to do so. I comfortably snacked my way between meals, and even whilst my dinner was in the oven, I often reached for a bag of chips while I waited. Now as I prepare my food my mouth begins to water, I am genuinely hungry and wanting the meal as I prepare it. I look forward to when it's set in front of me and take my time to enjoy it.
2. I clear my plate - Because I was never truly allowing my body to feel hungry, I often wouldn't finish my plate. And because we compost as a family, I never thought anything of it to scrape my leftovers into the bin after a meal. I didn't have any structure over my mealtimes, and so while my portions have remained the same at my meals, I've removed those in-between mindless nibbling snacks, allowing me to fully appreciate the meal I've created. And because I know this will be it until my next meal, I ensure I've finished every last tasty morsel.
3. I don't miss sugar - This is a big one for me. I have always had a sweet tooth; ice cream shoppe visits, surprised baked goods my husband brings home, chocolate anything, and sugar in my coffee. Aside from swapping the sugar for honey or maple syrup in my morning java (which now feels like such a luxurious little cheat), I do not crave or miss the other sweet treats. I thought I would have headaches from withdrawals and urges to sneak handfuls of chocolate chips from the pantry, but I don't. In between meals, if I am feeling hungry my instinct now is to reach for an apple which (surprisingly) tastes really sweet now. I add a tbsp of organic peanut butter to dip the slices in, and it satisfies my hunger and the protein from the peanut butter keeps me full until my next meal. Other times I allow myself to feel hungry. It's giving my body a rest between working to digest the previous meal and the next one. We are so accustomed to 'fixing that issue', often with foods that are not nourishing for us anyhow, and so I'm learning how my body feels when it's actually hungry (grabbing the apple) or when it's actually thirsty for water and can wait.
4. I'm not sick of the same old meals - Because I'm pescatarian, I'm limited in the meals I can prepare for myself without swapping in carbs. On this plan, if a meal has chicken or turkey, I swap it for salmon, prawns, tuna or white snapper. I'm only on day 8, but already after the first week, I have lost 5lbs and it hasn't felt like work. It's become routine now to reach for my little pot in the morning to boil my eggs, and come lunchtime my veggies for a big salad are already prepared and I add my tuna. I thought I would want more variety (and there are lots of options to choose from on the meal plan!) But humans are known to be creatures of habit, and so I find myself wanting to stick to what's been working.
5. I'm full! - I've always been terrible with eating protein, typically filling up on empty carbs like muffins or toast. I didn't realize how long protein sustains your body for. Since I've began the FitMum program, I genuinely walk away from each mealtime feeling full, and that feeling stretches on for hours. This includes during and after my workouts too. After eight days I can honestly say I have not felt 'ravenous' with hunger yet. I thought I would be heading to bed with a growling stomach and miserable until morning, but that hasn't been the case. Every day I continue to see the scale decreasing, and yet, I feel like I'm eating a lot in the day. It further shows me that I was fueling my body with all the wrong foods, and because I am active, I was expecting it to burn off, but in reality, my body was storing it.

I realize I have only just begun this journey, but with seven weeks to go, I feel eager to continue, and not overwhelmed the way other diet programs have made me feel in the past. I am finally nourishing my body with tons of vegetables and water, and the protein it needs to sustain me. And when I do reach for carbs, it's in the form of fruits and other healthy grains. I am still looking forward to my 8 week before and after testimonial photos, and with each passing day, and each pound shed, I am one step closer to that goal.