As most of you may know I’ve been more focused on my health and have loved sharing my journey over on Instagram over the last 10 of weeks. Thanks to the incredible support of the wonderful team over at Best10, I have been able to stick (well almost!) to a nutrition and workout plan for the first time in my life. It’s been such a liberating experience, seeing how much control I really do have over my body and knowing that with some discipline and commitment it’s totally possible to make drastic changes to your body. And your mind!

I think the thing we often forget is that the effect nutrition and exercise have on our mental health is far greater than we realise! And there’s no doubt, this has only been amplified during lockdown. I know that the weight I’ve lost so far is what I’ve longed for, but it really doesn’t end there my friends. I have a clarity and determination I’ve never quite known before. What was once such an overwhelming aspect of my life, that often seemed to make me so anxious (because 1, I was either beating myself up because I wasn’t seeing results or 2, was beating myself up because I couldn’t stick to something for long enough or 3, not eating the right foods to fuel my body!) has now become something I ENJOY. Something I take pride and pleasure in. It’s like my mind has done a complete 360 degree turn in the way I see the whole health industry. It’s quite simple : Feed your body good clean (and DELICIOUS) food from every food group (no matter if you eat meat, are vegetarian or vegan) and your body will thank you by responding in two ways – feeling good and looking good!

I have no more anaemia (thanks to all that leafy green veg I’m consuming on a daily basis!), more energy, I sleep better ( I actually need less sleep and spring out of bed most days!)

Having now completed the 10 week course I can proudly say I have reached my goal and lost 5 kgs in total, and more than that toned and developed muscles in a big way! Here are my before and after photos…. remember i’m still a work in progress and hoping to keep at it!

Now comes the honest truth: I let myself slip a bit at the 7 week mark. Lockdown hit and truth be told, as hard as I tried my focus shifted for a bit. Understandably so. We have been going through a very stress-induced time where for while I just wasn’t too bothered about what I put in my mouth. I ate okay for the most part but also snacked and ate some things I shouldn’t. I just had so much on my plate (excuse the pun!) that I lost the motivation to be as strict as I started off.

The other culprit for staggering my weigh-loss? BOOZE! I’m a wine, gin, beer, bubbles, cider girl! Basically, offer me a drink and I’m like “I’ll have two straight-up thanks” 🙂 So with all the cabin fever, stress, boredom and just general uneasiness it’s no wonder I turned to my two crutches – sugar and alcohol! (Not every day, but enough for it to slow down my weight-loss!)

Now for the record, I had done a pretty good job of giving these two things up for the first 7 weeks, so I knew all too well how they could compromise my results.

BUT , I want to make this part very clear. I came back! As much as I may have slipped off the wagon for a short while I had a team I just couldn’t let down. A team who believed in me and wanted to see me succeed. And who reminded me of my goals. Bear in mind too, I never compromised on my training, not for a moment. SO if anything I feel absolutely so proud of myself that I showed up for those 4-5 workouts a week. I pushed myself physically harder than I ever have.

Am I disappointed that I didn’t lose just a little bit more? Especially knowing my training would been more worthwhile? Maybe. But if I have learnt one thing in this whole journey is that I can’t return to my old ways of thinking when it comes to health. I can’t return to unhealthy habits and cycles where it’s all or nothing. I can’t go back to all the self-loathing and unrealistic expectations. I just can’t.

You see Best10 have equipped me with such powerful knowledge, and I can’t help but feel my heart break when I think of those who are still falling into the trap of fad diets and restrictive nutritional plans that just don’t work. Or maybe they do, but are they maintainable? More than that are they good for you?

I have tried every diet under the sun my friends. Let’s see – I tried the starvation diet in high school, the Atkins just after – which worked the first time but not the several times after that. I tried Keto (which I know has seen some INCREDIBLE results for some) as well as Intermittent-fasting. I’ve tried Low Carb, no sugar, average healthy eating – the kind of diet where you eat what you what for the most part but cheat every so often. I’ve tried the no meat diet, the no dairy diet, the blood type diet. More recently I tried the paleo diet. (AGAIN, great principles but something I couldn’t stick to for longer than 2 weeks – or really see any noticeable changes after that time either)

Nothing has ever really worked for me. Not to say that these diets don’t work for some or have their place in the health world. I will say that Paleo is probably the one that makes the most sense to me and one that is the most similar to the Best10 eating plan.

My mistake has always been that I simply give up just before I start seeing results. So part of it really comes down to motivation and accountability. It’s something that’s I’ve always lacked because I had tried and tied and tried again….. on my own, without anyone cheering me on. Without anyone telling me how I CAN DO IT BETTER! And finally for the first time in my life had a team of people behind me encouraging me every step of the way.

The thing that sets this fitness program apart though is that you have 24/7 around the clock support. There is a whole new level of accountability because you have to send a picture of everything you eat and every workout you complete to your team of experts via WhatsApp. They remind you and check in with you three times a day, more if you need it!

You see what Best10 teaches you is really what we already know. No sugar, limited carbs and fat, and a good dose of protein with every meal. Ask yourself how many of you are getting that right for breakfast, lunch and dinner? You see, with fast-paced lifestyles and too many voices saturating the diet world we very seldom get these ratios right. And if we do, we don’t stick to them for long enough to see any noticeable differences or make them part of our lifestyle. I can say with honestly I have not only learnt these principles, I have think I will be able to integrate them for life. I have been able to to stick to it in my own now for over a week and its CHANGED the way I think about food.

More than that, I have fallen in love with exercise! I simply cannot go more than two days without wanting to move my body and show up for that hour of me time. It has been my SAVING GRACE during lockdown and I’m more certain than ever that giving up that gym membership was the best decision for me! (Look if you love gym, this program can 100% be implemented into your routine, I just love that as a busy mom, I’m doing everything from home – I save time, money and I can pick up my bands and get going any time of the day, depending on what the kids are doing)

So if you are serious about feeling good, getting fit and strong and getting your body in tip-top health, I would highly recommend Best10. A nutritionist and trainer in your pocket 24/7, cheering you on and rooting for your success? What’s not to love?

Remember you can use my discount code MOM15 when booking. Call them for a phone consult where they will talk you through EVERYTHING.

The great news is you can pay over 3 months (The course is 10 weeks) and get going straight away. Ask yourself what a gym membership costs, then ask yourself what a personal trainer costs per session? Then ask yourself what a nutritionist and follow up call costs?

Now ask yourself, What’s stopping you from investing in yourself and feeling the best you ever have?

*DISCLAIMER: I received the Best10 program in exchange for review, but all thoughts, opinions and RESULTS are my own! 🙂

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!