Look, I’ll be the first to say it — this is technically my fourth week of The Fit Rebuild, but in true “me” fashion, I’m now officially declaring it… pre-season.

Why? Because these past few weeks have been all about laying foundations. Or as I like to call it: sweating, swearing, and surviving DOMS.

You’ve probably read many times already that we’re moving shortly: I’m moving back to my homeland – Ingerland! Yippee! 💪 That said, it’s a bit stressful! I’m honestly struggling not to stress about it, because we still have to find a property and on top of that, my inner self is drowning in tears at the prospect of moving ourselves – AGAIN! 😩😭

So, only focusing on the fitness side of things has been a relief – well, aside from the actual partaking of said fitness sessions!

🏋️‍♂️ The Fitness Load-Up: From Waddling to Workhorse

Let’s rewind a sec.

Week 1 & 2?
Purely 20-minute strength workouts. No HIIT. Just me, my dumbbells, and the occasional “what fresh hell is this move?” moment. And the DOMS? Brutal. I swear my hamstrings filed for divorce.

Week 3?
Added 3 HIIT workouts to the mix — alongside the strength stuff. That’s 5 strength + 3 HIIT. I was sweating buckets, wobbling like a new-born giraffe post-squat jumps, and doing my best not to scream “I HATE YOU, SHAUN T” at the TV… but also kind of loving it? (Oh yes, Shaun T is my go-to and motivation!)

Week 4 (now):
We’re not messing around anymore. It’s still 5x strength workouts, but I’ve dialled HIIT up to four sessions: 2×25 mins and 2×30 mins. These aren’t your “oh, this feels nice” kind of workouts — these are “who turned the shower on inside my T-shirt?” sessions.

And as I sit here writing this, preparing to get ready for strength workout no. 5 and then later, 30 min HIIT no. 2, I inadvertently, hustled myself from stretching my legs out: my calves are not happy! And yes, Shaun T, that is YOUR fault!

🍋 Feeling It — and Not Just in My Quads

Here’s the real win though: I feel better! Not “Instagram before-and-after” better — but clearer, lighter (I think, although still haven’t stepped on the scales), stronger, and less like a sentient loaf of Tiger bread.

Why?

• Less booze. I haven’t cut it out completely, but I’m definitely drinking way less. Turns out, you can enjoy Friday night without sinking a bottle of red and a half-pack of Jaffa Cakes. Who knew? No, seriously, I’ll be honest, this has been an issue that I needed to get on top with: at the end of last year I went to the doctors and he told me I needed to cut it out, because the blood work was not happy and my liver was livid! I’m trying – I really am! I haven’t spoken about my mental health, but you know where this is going…! It’s not been a good few years and I really want to change that!
• Morning ritual changes. Every morning now starts with lemon water, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. It sounds like a witch’s brew, and to be honest, it tastes like one too — but I swear it works. I feel energised before my first coffee. That’s not a typo. Like who knew?
• No caffeine until 90 minutes after waking. Another tweak I picked up from someone who lives and breathes this stuff. And weirdly…it’s helping. I’m no scientist, but I reckon it’s keeping the ol’ energy levels more stable. (And it gives me something to brag about, which is half the point.)

⚖️ But What About the Scales?

Haven’t touched ‘em.

Seriously, I’ve purposely not weighed myself since I started this. Why? Because I didn’t want to become obsessed with numbers, especially when I’m not yet nailing every single thing.

I also didn’t want to beat myself up for not being perfect. Instead, I focused on showing up — consistently — and moving my body more than I have in months. Call it mindset, call it damage control, call it sanity-saving. Whatever it is, it’s working.

✅ Accountability — Proof is in the puddin’

If you know, you know! Speed 2.0 from T25 by Shaun T, it’s a good’un! Put it this way, I LOVE it and use it whenever I haven’t worked out for a while in order to make my heart start functioning properly again. Those times (top right) are the minutes I stopped to pick myself off the floor and grab the hose! There are no breaks in T25: it’s just full on non-stop cardio!

FYI: DDNE stands for Dig Deeper No Excuses; these are the 20 minute muscle-popping workouts that my layer of fat keeps rejecting!

As for the other things I’m tracking: Steps (10,000), Diet (no crisps – well, there is a bit more to it than that), no alcohol and water (3 litres).

Max 30 – Cardio is Insanity Max 30 – Cardio Challenge. This is the first workout in the programme and it acts as the ‘fitness test’, which if you watched me, you’d see I’m keeling over when reaching 6 minutes in! I was able to just about get past the warm-up! 😅

🔥 The Next Phase: We Go Again (But Properly) 🙏

Now that I’ve survived the dreaded first few weeks, the plan from next week looks like this:

• 5x 20-minute strength workouts (DDNE)
• 5x hypertrophy finishers (hello, muscle-building pain!)
• 5x 30-minute HIIT sessions (Insanity – like really insane)
• 10,000 steps daily (mainly thanks to my dogs dragging me across the neighbourhood)

Yes, that’s a lot. Yes, I might not hit every single thing every day. But here’s the shift: I want to try. Because I finally feel like I’m building something here — momentum, muscle, and maybe even a habit or two.

📱 Also…Social Media, Hello?

I’ve been rubbish at posting on social about The Fit Rebuild, and I know it. But I’m back in that, “let’s give this everything” mindset — so expect more posts, more sweaty updates, more meals, and maybe the occasional pic of me trying not to die during a HIIT workout.

💬 Final Thoughts: Another Start? Yup. So What?

This might be my third or fourth “fresh start” already, but honestly — that’s just how I work. I need a build-up. A wind-up. A few false starts and eye-rolls before I actually hit go.

If you’re the same? No shame. Keep starting again as many times as it takes. Because trust me, it does get easier. The workouts feel doable, the body starts responding, and weirdly… you start looking forward to it.

Week 5? Week 1 AGAIN? I’m coming for you.

Let’s go rebuild this thing — properly.

Sweat the Small Stuff people – because the little things all add up!