This wasn't my original plan for my final pre-Christmas post.  But sometimes I don't want to plan or schedule, I just want to write and talk about how I feel and I want to ask you how you are feeling.  So today I am just chatting and taking a look back at 2020 for me, my life and my blog.  Do comment or email me if you too want to chat!

I am bitterly disappointed with the ongoing approach to Covid.  I am bitterly disappointed in our governments muddled and inconsistent approach.  No I don't think I could have done any better and yes I do appreciate they have a really really difficult job and a huge challenge in totally unprecedented circumstances.  

Onto the positives!!   Below is one of my favourite photos from 2020 - I did feel like I was having an extended holiday in my garden!  Frida swimsuit from Figleaves now has 25% off .

I did my first workout at home with Drew Gatherer PT last Friday with the second one scheduled for Sunday.  But on Saturday I was feeling really unwell after a rubbish sleep and I had a sore throat.  I got up on Sunday morning and thought, I am not really 100%, I do feel better but I think I will tell Drew that I will postpone workout two until Monday and just go for a walk on Sunday.  Now this is typical Michelle-excuse territory.  I genuinely believed I wasn't really up to exercising.  I messaged Drew ... and he replied ... basically (and very politely) telling me to get on with it!  If you saw my insta-stories you will see me explaining or you can find my facebook video here.

We talked and I realised Drew had a really good point.  I probably was just looking for an excuse, that I needed to try and do the workout and if I was really not well then I would need to stop - but actually if I did it, I would probably feel much better.  I am so used to not prioritising me and my exercise that as soon as there was a small hurdle I looked for an excuse.  But the reason I decided to start a fitness journey with Drew was for the accountability and motivation.  I had to listen to his advice!

Many of you who have followed me on my blog for a long time will have followed my ups and downs with exercise and with my diet/healthy eating as well.  I do like to keep it real!  But it frustrates me that I am often chopping and changing my plans and forever trying to find the right solution to achieve my weight loss and exercise goals.  And all too often I find an excuse not to do it!  I know I am not alone in this.

This blog post is going to be the first of a little series.  I mentioned my plans briefly in my 'being fifty and fab' blog post last week. 

I've worked with a personal trainer in the past, in the traditional way, paying for a weekly session and meeting him/her at a gym.  But I then have to rely on my own motivation to do another (minimum) two workout sessions a week - somehow!  In reality I'd do my PT session then life would take over and any further sessions would dwindle to none.  Exercising once a week isn't enough to see results and although better than nothing, I really wasn't getting value for me (my fault, not the PT's).

Having allowed my exercise to lapse during the uncertainty of 2020, it was time to take action again.