Graduate Plan – Here we go again!

Last year I took on the challenge of The Bodycoach 90 day plan, with roughly 100 different recipes and 15 different workouts it was a chance for me to broaden my knowledge on healthy food, increase my body confidence, shape and strength and get more from my workouts. I graduated in October and have followed the principles of the plan ever since. But, it is not so easy without a goal to work towards so lucky for me Joe Wicks has just released his Graduate Plan. A continuation of the 90 day plan this has another 75 new recipes and 12 more workouts designed with less rest time to really push you further.

I started the Grad Plan Friday and am so excited to have a reason to push myself again. Its not always been easy motivating myself to get out of bed over the winter and many a morning I’ve had to give myself a stern talking to before finally dragging myself out of bed and working out. I never, ever regret it but its so much easier with an end goal in mind, a reason for doing what you are doing.

So far I’ve completed workouts one and two of the four we are given in the first cycle and they are tough!!! I know I can do this but am having the usual first week wobble, can I do this? Why am I even doing this?

For this reason I decided to share Five things I learned from the 90 Day Plan that I will take into the Graduate Plan.

1. It’s ok to miss something out of a recipe – If you suddenly realise you have run out of desiccated coconut at 4.30pm on a Sunday Joe Wicks will not appear at your front door annoyed that you aren’t using his recipes to their full potential! If you need to swap one seed for another, this is fine, or if you are a real rebel miss out the seeds altogether, it really doesn’t matter.
2. Relax when you want to – if a social situation arises and you want to eat “off plan” then do it. One unhealthy meal won’t kill you, nor will it undo all your hard work from the last 6 weeks. The same applies if you don’t want to eat “off plan” too, don’t feel pressured to eat what everyone else is eating, there is always a healthier option, or a designated driver needed, life doesn’t have to stop just because of the plan.
3. Don’t judge the whole plan by week one – week one of every cycle is tough. You will feel weak, overwhelmed by new recipes and probably by day 7 exhausted. This is not a sign of things to come but your body adapting to the changes you are putting it through. Week two will be better and by week 3 and 4 you will have got your head around which recipes you can eat when and will start to see progress in some of the exercises. No one said this would be easy but week one of every cycle will be the hardest.
4. Support will come from where you least expect it – overall this plan is for you. Do not rely on support from others and do not get upset when you don’t get the encouragement you thought you would get. Online communities will be your lifeline at times and build you up when you wobble, people in your daily life might be interested but most of them aren’t and that is ok because this is your thing not theirs!
5. Believe in yourself- remember you are stronger than you think and you can do this! Push yourself further than you have ever done before and you will not regret it! You started this journey and you will finish it, stronger, happier and more confident than you ever have been!

Now go and relax and enjoy the amazing food!

Thanks for reading

Lou x