HOW I GET FIT DONE
For Kate Boekhorst, 28, an advertising executive in London, the love of a challenge helped her to prioritise her health, swapping the city lifestyle for early-morning sweat sessions
How one reader overhauled her city lifestyle in pursuit of gains
Living in Auckland in my early twenties, everything was about my career. I thought nothing of working 12-hour days and getting home at 11pm. I progressed quickly in advertising, but was developing bad habits. I rarely made it to the gym, and dinner was usually Uber Eats at the office – or I’d just skip it altogether. I knew how to eat well and I’d order salads or stir-fries, but, of course, takeaways were way less healthy than anything homemade.
I moved to London when I was 25, and embracing the London life saw my lifestyle worsen even further: eating out three or four times a week and partying hard – sometimes from Thursday through to Saturday night, with a Sunday session in the pub, too. I threw myself into meeting new people, and everything that came with that – restaurant dinners, regular drinks, weekend brunches… I was consuming way more energy than I was expending and I stacked on the weight.
Over Christmas 2017, I Skyped my family in New Zealand. I’d visibly put on more weight; my face was rounder and, at a size 14 and weighing 13st 4lb – heavy for my 5ft 4in frame – I was the largest I’d ever been. Three weeks later, my mum called, concerned, and encouraged me to make changes. It was the wake-up call I needed and, at the start of 2018, I joined my local F45 and signed up for an eight-week challenge. It involved six 45-minute sessions of intense exercise a week – three cardio classes, two weights workouts and one hybrid, and you completely smash yourself. I stopped drinking alcohol for the duration of the challenge, and got into the habit of spending Sundays meal-prepping, following the nutrition plan that comes with the challenge. Over those first eight weeks, I lost 1st 5lb, and I was hooked. The trainers are second to none – they’re so inspirational and constantly challenge themselves as well as their clients. You don’t get that sense of community at every gym – there’s a real feeling of belonging. I’ve done two more eight-week challenges since then, and in total I’ve lost 2st 12lb.
Back in Auckland, I put my job before my health, cancelling classes to work late – which made me resent colleagues who couldn’t organise their own time. Now the gym is a habit; one I fit my other priorities around. I’ve come to realise that you only have one body at the end of the day.
Since overhauling my lifestyle and resetting my priorities, I feel healthier, happier and more confident – my whole outlook on life is more positive. Last summer, I took part in the Turf Games, competing against professional athletes and trainers. It was hard but I loved the challenge – and I completed my second one in February. Now I’m looking forward to setting my next fitness goal.