Incentives

One would think that paying a PT to "encourage and motivate" you would be enough. One would think the threat that if you don't make a certain goal on the rower, you have to run the stairs to level 5, or do another set, or something along those lines, would be all the incentive you need to kick some arse. Oh, and the little one of losing weight and getting fitter!

But no. Here's what worked for me yesterday...

I share my PT sessions with a few different people. All are fabulous except for one guy, let's call him BGC, who never wants to be there - he just doesn't try, and it drives me nuts. Yesterday I was one the rower next to BGC for a 1 minute row. Steve (of previously mentioned sit up competition fame) whispers to me "I've got $20 on BGC winning this one". CHALLENGE!!! I should say that BGC is twice my size and alot stronger... if he tries. So I take him on... I beat my own PB by 11 metres and beat BGC by 25 metres. Go me!!!!

Now that is an incentive.

2009

As one year ends and another one starts, time to have a look at my goals for 2009. I'm not really one for resolutions, but a list of achievable goals is in order. So here it is...

• Lose 12kg by 6 April
• Complete my PT course, starting 19 May
• Maintain 3 x PT sessions a week, plus 3 other sessions
• Stop biting my nails
• Run City2Surf in under 100 minutes

Santa is nearly here

Another big weekend! I am almost looking forward to January 1 when I can return to my normal healthy eating/no drinking and early to bed routine!

Friday night I had xmas drinks with the girls, then dinner, and then I decided to call in to a BBQ for 1 drink on my way home. That didn't exactly go to plan, as I didn't leave til after 3am. Had training at 8am!!! So after 4 hours sleep I dragged my arse to the gym and was actually in much better condition than my trainer. I had left him at the BBQ still drinking at 3, and doing chin ups showing off to the bimbo cheerleader who we had met that night. I decided it was time to leave when cheerleader told me she goes to the gym to do ab work as she wants to have good abs, but doesn't do pump class anymore as she doesn't like doing lunges. She challenged Steve (also a PT) to a sit up competition. Funny funny funny.

My eating actually hasn't been that bad - it's the wine consumption that has been a little excessive! I say I'll have 1 glass, then don't stop. At least I'm keeping up with the training.

Mum and Dad arrive this afternoon and I can't wait. They're spending xmas in Sydney with me - super excited!!!

Time to look at goals again

I've been cruising along lately. Training hard and training heaps, but I don't think a day has gone past in the last month where I haven't had a treat - be it chocolate, icecream or something else. Last night I even had a cup cake for dinner! We were going to the movies at 6.45pm, but didn't have time to grab dinner first (disorganised), but one of my lovely friends brought along cupcakes - so that became dinner. We did walk the 6km home after though!

So time to think about what I really want again. I need to lose about 12kgs before I have my BR surgery and before I feel comfortable doing my PT course. That is all scheduled to happen April next year. 15 weeks - so if we take into consideration xmas festivities, that works out about 1kg a week. A pretty big ask, so I am going to have to seriously work on my diet. I just have to want it enough. And I do.

Slack

Yep I've been slack. Actually I have been really busy at work and concentrating on getting myself a good review in another 3 months. So no blogging during work hours has actually turned into no blogging at all.

So here's what's going on with me...
• Training is fabulous. I love it and have been training 6 days a week without too much internal dialogue at all (except for running days)
• Food is pretty good. On a bit of a roast vegie fix at the moment, so a little high in carbs but vegies are vegies I figure! Have been reading Katie P's notes on the anabolic diet and think it sounds like a grand plan for me a the moment
• I haven't been weighing myself lately, but my jeans are definite looser today. Need to get back into regular weighing.
• Had our PT xmas party on Friday night and got absolutely trashed! Oh so much fun til 3.30am, way too many vodkas, no food (until I was on my way home) and no water. Result: 1 very big hangover, no training, but no hangover food either :)

Here's some pics from early on in the night...

Still here

Sorry for lack of posting. So much going on at the moment. I had my 6 month review at work this week and it didn't go as well as I would have liked. Some things are definitely fair enough, but I didn't get any credit for the things I do well. My boss had 2 weeks off so I was looking after ALL our clients. I had one job that didn't get delivered on time - even though I checked with the printer in the morning and it was all fine. So anyway, I am still sulking over that.

I want some of this...

Love hate relationships

I am back on the running band wagon at the moment. Last night I went to see this with Rusty. It was so inspirational! For those who can't be bothered reading about it, it is a doco that follows marathon runners - from the first time runner, the 65 yr old and the elite as they train for the Boston marathon. Very very good.

I went to bed last night feeling motivated to get back into running. I completely identified with the people in the movie, but for me doing City2Surf was my marathon. It gave me the same overwhelming feel at the start of training, and the same feeling of accomplishment at the end.

Did some 500m runs at the gym this morning... on 10.5! I have been doing 400s on 10, so I am happy with this mornings effort. I nearly fell off the back of the tready on the last one and had to drop pace, but still better than I have ever done before.

I don't feel like eating

This is a foreign concept for me - I don't feel like eating anything. There has been chocolate in the fridge at work for a week - I had one yesterday but don't feel the need to go back. Breakfast is my fav meal of the day - this morning I had to force myself to eat my weetbix, and I didn't enjoy it at all.

I am eating my meals cause I have to... and because I am hungry. My tummy is rumblng... but there isn't anything I feel like eating. Yesterday I had half a toasted sandwich for lunch. Clearly not enough, and clearly why at 4pm I was starvin marvin and couldn't concentrate on anything.

Weird weird weird. But I am going to make the most of it and make healthy choices, eat what I need to and not overinduldge. Where has that sugar fairy gone? It is kind of lonely!!!

Making progress

I went to see my osteo last night. I decided to take his advice and see him every couple of months for a check up in the hope of avoiding injury. I am just making it a regular part of my training.

And the verdict was all good! I haven't had any hamstring pain for weeks, I'm back running and increasing my pace and fitness slowly. My hips have alot more movement than they did previously (my hips were the cause of my hamstring strain). He bent me and stretched me in all sorts of ways and gave me alot more movement in my lower back and neck - nothing seriously wrong, I am just a bit tight from all the training I do. His advice is to keep doing what I am doing. I like it.

My osteo is also a PT and a lecturer at the FIA - he has a list of qualifications as long as your arm. It is good to see someone who knows what you put your body through and doesn't look at you like you are strange when you say you train 6 days a week. We also had a good chat about running, how hard it is on your body, but that it is a means to an end (ie. fat loss) as part of my training. Nice to get some confirmation from someone other than my own PT (and I guess the scales).

I haven't been weighing myself much lately and it seems to be working. I am losing approx. 0.5kg a week and dropping the centimeters. I haven't measured either, but I have a pair of jeans that need to be retired as they are very baggy in the bum and legs - I feel skinny in them, but they don't look so hot! I feel like my head is in a good space right now... for the first time in ages.

What a weekend

Forgive me bloggers, for I have not trained in 2 days! A Saturday afternoon run with a girlfriend somehow turned into a cup of tea and gossip on the couch which led to dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant, then the pub, then a bar in Kings Cross til 2.30am with copious amounts of vodka & soda... not sure how that happened. To show for it I had a hangover and a purse full of Tim Tams. The Tim Tams are still in tact and will be disposed of to a flatmate or two this evening for safety reasons. I was the only person who did not devour a pie or hotdog at Wooloomolloo on our food stop. Not even tempted.

Was back at the gym this morning for a spin class. It was only a 40 min class so was very happy with 607 calories burned. Max HR 84%. Average HR 75%

Running

Have I mentioned how much I hate running? Probably a million times. I just can't seem to get to the point where I enjoy it - I keep thinking that I will, but it doesn't happen. I do love the sense of achievement and the old 'runners high' afterwards, but I loathe and detest every second that I am actually running.

This morning I thought I was doing 400m on level 10. Achievable. But when I got there, Rusty made me keep going to 800m... without dropping the pace. My head was at 400m, definitely not at 800m and all I wanted to do was get off the treadmill. I honestly thought I couldn't do it, and there was very nearly tears. He stood beside me and talked to me while I ran. All along the lines of 'you need to push through the pain... I know it hurts, but it is what you need to do to get faster and to get the results you want... you can do this, it is all in your head, your body is capable'. I think that is where the tears were (nearly) about to come from. He believes in me more than I believe in me.

On another note, I did a 30 min run outside last night. My HR got to 201... 107% of my max. WTF!!! Clearly the old 220-your age calculation is not very accurate.... or I am superwoman :) I am happy that I managed to push myself to that point though... Rusty wasn't even there!

What Moves You?

The fabulous Liz has me thinking again. Yes I pay a personal trainer to motivate me and make me turn up to the gym, but that kind of external motivation is not enough. That only counts for 3 hours of my week... what happens in the other 165 hours of my week is up to me.

My motivators for doing what I do:
• I want more than anything to have a breast reduction. I could do it now, but if I lose more weight after they won't look as good. I need to lose the weight first, as if I am paying $10K for boobs I am going to have good ones :P
• I start my PT course in April next year, and I am not going to be a fat personal trainer. I will be my own advertising - who is going to want to train with me if I can't talk the talk AND walk the walk.
• I feel better about myself when I eat well and exercise
• I live near the beach and love the water. If I felt comfortable with my body I would be at the beach alot - I need to improve my own body image before that will happen.

I am sure there are more... I may need to come back to this.

Day 2 with the HRM

Calories: 833
Max heart rate: 181 (96%)
Av heart rate: 134 (71%)

I felt really tired this morning, and had a good dose of DOMS in my quads and abs from yesterday - tomorrow is not going to be pretty. I am proud of myself just for going - I had 2 glasses of champas at work yesterday (for the Cup) and could have easily kicked on to the pub for more... but I thought about training and decided I wanted that more. Yay for me.

I have a bit of a penalty system going with Rusty - if I stand around doing nothing in between sets (usually I am just trying to breathe), or finish a set quicker than I should, I have to run the stairs - to the level of his choice. Usually level 5 or 6. This morning I finished my upright row a bit quick so he said "Level 5", and without even thinking I answered "no" and got on with what I had to do next. I didn't think about it at all - it just came out! I think he was too busy laughing at me to care. I was buggered.

I have noticed my fitness improving lately. My rowing is getting faster and so is my running. I had almost 2 months with no rowing and very little running when I did my hammy, and that affected my running fitness alot. I was finding 400m and 800m on level 9 pretty tough when I first started running again. Now I am back to doing them on level 10 - I even did the last minute on 11.5, and to be honest probably could have done 12. The improvement has come purely from doing intervals on the treadmill and spin classes, as I haven't done much running outside at all as hills still cause me a bit of pain.

And this is why I have a personal trainer

Results from this morning's PT session:

Calories burnt: 921
Max heart rate: 180 (95%)
Average heart rate: 141 (75%)

My other weekend purchase

I bought a new pair of running tights yesterday - they are "light" compression, and have zips with reflective markings on the back for running at night (not that I do that very often). Tested them out yesterday and they are very comfortable... except they are a bit shiny and remind me of this:


All I need is the heels!!! Oh yeah... and the legs LOL

I am ELITE

Well after about half a day of feeling like I had been hit by a truck after my massage, I began to feel a whole lot better. I had movement in my upper body, the headachey tired feeling was gone and I began to feel more normal. Of course the glass of red wine I had with my Thai takeaway (no spring rolls, yay me!) might have had something to do with it. Back to training on Friday, and although I didn't have alot of energy I pushed through.

Santa came on Friday. Santa doesn't know it yet, but he always gives me money... I just spent it ahead of time :) This is what I got... (the red one, cause red goes faster)



I have been thinking about getting a heart rate monitor for ages, but couldn't decide if it would keep me motivated for 5 minutes before the novelty wore off. I decided then, to get one of the running versions so that I can use it to track my progress long term, as well as ensure that I am training at the right intensity. I find it hard to maintain intensity outside when you don't have a treadmill that "makes" you train at a certain pace for a certain time.

I did the fitness test (which is really just your resting heart rate) and came out as "ELITE" Woohoooo!!!! I am elite!!!! Yesterday I took my HRM out for its first run and did some 400s and 100s at North Sydney oval. I was interested to see where my HR is when I start to get that "no I'm not having an asthma attack, I just sound like this when I run" sound to my breathing. Answer: about 80-85% of my max HR. It is about the 200m mark in my 400m sprints... and it gets higher from there. PT tomorrow so I'll be really interested to see how high it gets and how many calories I burn.

Feeling sorry for myself

Yesterday I ended up with REALLY a really sore right shoulder and lats. Actually, both sides were sore, but I had hardly any movement in the right side at all. Wasn't sure whether to put it down to DOMS, sleeping in an awkward position or just down to my boobs (it happens!). So I rang my trusty massage therapist at the gym, and managed to get an appointment with Jo, who has just started in the practice.

I know the other 3 girls who work there quite well, as I do design work for all of them in exchange for massage (got to love a barta system!). All 3 have very different styles and I would choose each one depending on what I am after - for example, if you want to totally relax and fall asleep then Sasha is your girl! Anyway, Jo was different again - she was SUPER tough and SUPER strong and OMG it hurt. It needed to be done - I had knots right through my upper back and shoulders. She dug her elbows in, her arms, her fingers and stretched me like you wouldn't believe. I had so much more movement by the time she had finished but there was no way I could have fallen asleep! I wished I had dosed up on some Panadine or something before I went in. She massaged my face and head at the end cause she wanted to do something nice for me in case I never wanted to go back!

Today I feel like crap. I am going to dose up on green tea and loads of water to try flush all the toxins out of my body. I am sore, headachey and just generally feel crap. No gym for me this morning - I had planned a rest day anyway, and definitely need it.

Training Partner

The lovely Katie P has posted about having a training partner and how much help that could be.

I can testify that having somebody else to make you turn up to the gym, even when you don't feel like it, makes all the difference in the world. The key though, is a reliable training partner - and they are hard to find.

As most people I know are not as consistent with their training as I am, or have different priorities, or don't like (or need to) train at 6am every morning, I have found myself a variety of training partners. Some a good, some not so good.

My all time number 1 training partner is K, who I met through Rusty. We share 1-2 PT sessions a week and usually do a spin class on our free days. The only time we don't train together is when K is travelling for work or something along those lines - she never cancels at the last minute, and always turns up when she says she will. We train with similar weights and at a similar run pace and have exactly the same amount of weight left to lose. K rocks!

Then there are my "sometimes" training partners. Until recently, that included H, but I'm not really encouraging that at the moment! Then there is A, who is now my flatmate. She wanted to train so I started doing Saturday mornings with Rusty so that she could do that with me. I think she has been 3 times in the past 4 months... I go by myself! Most nights during the week she says she wants to go to the gym with me in the morning, but never gets up. This is a case of different priorities - she often works late, and often goes out for dinner etc. during the week. She needs someone to "make" her go, but unless she asks me to do that, I'm not going to push it. I don't like to inflict my obsessions onto other people unless they are willing :P

There are also a heap of people I know at the gym - some of them will ask where I was if I don't show up to a particular class. Another form of accountability! I love walking into a spin class and knowing at least half the class. This is why I love my gym - it's friendly and smaller than most FF, so you get to know people.

Tired tired tired

Have been training my arse off lately - 6 days a week of really intense sessions. After Saturday's PT session all I could do was lie on the floor breathing. Couldn't even stretch! Food has been pretty good, (but too much chocolate) and I've been averaging 0.5kg a week. If I cut out the chocolate imagine what could happen!

I have managed to kick the after dinner cravings. I've always known I'm not hungry, it has just been the little voice in my head telling me I want something sweet. And as I don't keep sweet things in the house, I usually end up with weetbix or something. For the past 2 weeks I have had my healthy dinner and then had a cup of tea while watching some TV or reading my book. When I go to bed I am no longer feeling full, and by the time I get home from the gym at 7.15am I am STARVING! Now if I could kick the 3pm "I need carbs" feeling I really will be kicking goals.

Today feeling really really tired. I have had a good dose of DOMS since Saturday's session, and I topped that up with spin this morning. My legs don't want to play anymore.

Went to a picnic on Saturday to raise money for Breast Cancer. We went all out with pink cup cakes, large pink cakes in the shape of boobs, pink tim tams (which actually aren't that great, by the way), biscuits with pink icing and lollies, marshmallows, slice... you name it, it was there. Totally ODed on sugar - my stamina is certainly not what it used to be. I woke up with a food hangover on Sunday. I'll post some photos when they pop up on Facebook - I didn't take any with my camera.

H came to the picnic and sat at one end of the picnic blanket with a heap of girls we didn't know, and discussed her liposuction (yep she had lipo), how much weight she has lost, her exercise and what she eats. I sat there with B and N astounded! Later in the day she had the same discussion she had with me, with N... and didn't seem to realise how she dominated the conversation all afternoon with the same kind of talk she was criticising us for.

She has also cancelled our Tuesday morning PT sessions. We share a session with Dan each week as it makes it alot cheaper for both of us, plus I usually enjoy it. She is claiming financial reasons, but I don't think she'll start Tuesdays again when she gets her finances sorted. She mentioned 2 other things... she HATES getting up for a 6am session and sees no need for it, and she doesn't think she gets the best results from sharing a session. I think that is because all the attention is not on her. I share all my sessions with other people - it is the only way I can afford to do 3 sessions a week.

So I rang Dan last night to have a chat to him about it. I didn't say much about H, as I don't want him caught in the middle. But I did say that I couldn't afford to train on my own long term. A week or two here and there is OK, but I can't do it every week. I have a PT budget and want to stretch it as far as I can. So, I had to break up with Dan. We had a good laugh over it, and he is not offended at all. I am now going to train with Rusty 3 times a week.

I am disappointed I won't be training with Dan, cause I really do enjoy our sessions. I'm going to have to make more of an effort to catch up with him for coffee regularly as he is one of my favourite people. I am not however, missing H. Strange - I'm not even upset about it. I kind of roll my eyes and move on! OK bitching session is over!

Goals Update

While the thought of running 42km scares me to death, the training scares me even more, which is why I have decided not to do the marathon. My body doesn't cope well with running high km every week - training for City2Surf proved that, and that was only a 12 week program.

To train for the marathon, I would have to increase my base km each week before even starting the 18km program. My body is not made for that, and I need to be realistic about it. The thought of the pain and risk of injury puts me off.

If Rusty and Dunc are going, then I will still go as a 'non-runner' and check it all out, plus we'll turn it into a proper holiday.

And as for running, I am going to work on improving my 10km times and do a few shorter races - Minimos is 10km, City2Surf 14km and the Bridge Run 9km.

Goals

I am a little daunted by this idea, but I think I'll do it anyway. In exactly 12 months time... New York Marathon.





Yep that's right. It doesn't have time limits so I can walk some of it and run as slow as I like. How cool would it be? I've never been to America, and would love to do something as fabulous as the NYC Marathon. So far, 3 of us are planning on going - the other two are experienced runners. Initially I enthusiastically offered to be their cheer squad, then they talked me into doing it.

Stuff

Last night I had a conversation with one of my best friends that has me thinking, and has me a little annoyed. Firstly a little background...

I met H through PT Dan almost 2 years ago at gym drinks and we had heaps in common. We go through weeks where we see each other almost every day, and then others not so much. We train together every Tuesday morning, and often go walking on the weekends, or I drop in for a cup of tea during the week. She has done the whole weight loss thing (from obese to super trim), and is generally pretty happy with where she is at - she has been at her goal weight for a year or two.

H is someone who is quite loud and likes to be centre of attention. She says things purely for shock value and doesn't think about how offensive it may be to people around her. She is also loads of fun and very amusing, and someone you can always count on to help you out when you need it - she's great, just not all the time! She also earns more than me, and eats more than me so I can't afford to go out for Tapas or something along those lines with her on a regular basis - either financially (she always splits the bill even though I eat half what she does), or calorie wise.

The last couple of weeks I have had a bit of ' time out' from H. She can be really over powering sometimes, and there's been a few occasions where we've been out, she's been drunk and has been so loud and offensive it has been embarrassing. At first it is funny, then it is just not. She also said something to one of my friends that was COMPLETELY inappropriate and has bothered him ever since. I haven't said anything, I've just kept myself busy as I thinks she is a great person - I just need a bit of a break. We invited her out for dinner Friday night but she didn't come as she had plans with people from work.

So last night I dropped around for a cup of tea as she said she needed to talk. Seems we both needed time out from each other. Her reasons were that I, along with our other 2 girlfriends, N and B, are always talking about food, exercise, training, weight loss etc and she doesn't like it. She has moved on and doesn't want to go back to having those conversations. She said I should eat what I want to eat as I train all the time, and that we should be going out on Friday nights drinking without worrying about what time I have to be up to go to the gym in the morning - as she doesn't want to hear about it.

This annoys me for two reasons. Firstly, H is the first one to mention how much weight she has lost or gained that week and what she is going to eat next. It is also how we all became friends in the first place - we're all on the same journey.

Secondly, I train 6-7 days a week and watch what I eat all the time, and therefore it is going to come up in conversation. B has just joined a new gym, found a personal trainer, started a new eating plan and has lost 5kg in about 4 weeks and is very close to her goal. That warrants conversation in my book. We all talk about what we've done for the week and what results (or lack of) we are getting - kind of like we do here. It is all information gathering, and we support each other in trying to reach a common goal. Yes I want to go out Friday night, eat dessert and drink til 3am, but I want to lose weight more. Therefore I make the choice not to go out late or drink when I am training the next day. And if I am paying for a PT session I am not going to do it with a hangover.

I listened to H's reasons and feelings and then said something along the lines of 'I understand how you feel and that you don't want to talk about it all the time - I acknowledge that. But, B, N and I will continue to talk about it all, as that is who we are.' Basically I don't think H can chose (or not chose) the topic of conversation like that when we all catch up. I didn't raise any of my issues as I didn't think it would achieve anything. H is the sort of person you can see on a Monday morning and she won't ask you how your weekend was - she'll just tell you about hers.

I still need time out.

Update

Sorry have been REALLY slack with the posting! Work has been crazy busy, I've moved house and have been to the gym every day (except Sunday) - there is just not enough hours in the day.

Here's a summary of my week:
• My couch wouldn't fit through the door in the new place so I left it on the side of the road for hard rubbish collection Monday AM. Someone left a note on our door saying we would be fined by body corporate if we didn't remove it immediately. I put a note on the couch saying 'rubbish collection booked'. They collected early Monday AM. Wednesday the real estate agent had a complaint from the body corporate about it. Get a life people!

• My washing machine wasn't picked up on Monday as booked (from Mum and Dads in Melbourne) When I rang courier they told me they don't do white goods (I told them it was a washing machine when I got a quote) - 5 days after I booked and paid for it. They took $5.50 of my money for the trouble.

• Carpet man made a mess in the bathroom of my old place so I had to pay $180 for a cleaner on Monday. He was also 1.5 hours late - which is why I paid him and left him to it. Mistake.

• The real estate agency for new place was bought by someone else before the lease was changed over, so we still don't have a lease in our names

• The bond people lost our bond transfer forms (after acknowledging receipt) so it is all still in previous psycho tenants name even though we paid it

• The night before last Harvey the Wonder Cat kept us all awake running around the apartment and meowing (he was better last night and the girls were really nice about it)

• This morning the top shelf in the fridge broke and all our bottles & milk etc came crashing to the floor. Can you believe the only thing that broke was the chocolate sauce from the Hunter Valley? It was all over the floor - broken glass and all.

So the neighbours hate us, the flatmates should hate me, we don't have a lease and no proof of bond payments and by the end of the week we will all smell as we won't have clean clothes.

I did manage to go to a friend's place on Sunday arvo to do a load of washing. Hopefully we will have a washing machine organised by Wednesday - we've decided to rent one for now.

So amongst all of that, I have managed to train my arse off at the gym. My body shape is changing - my legs and waist are smaller, but my hip area is bigger. Note to try cut down on the sugary carbs and see if that makes a difference. I have indulged in a little too much chocolate lately.

Given my crappy week, wine was required on Friday. Started with champagne at work (one of the girls is getting married this week) and followed that up with a few more drinks in the city with some girlfriends. Saturday morning PT session was a little tougher than usual :) Saturday arvo I frocked up and went to the races - more champagne!!!

So now that I have that out of my system I am once again on a mission to lose 4kg in 4 weeks. Plan of attack is:
Monday: Spin
Tuesday: PT weights
Wednesday: Spin
Thursday: Running - speed work
Friday: PT weights & cardio
Saturday: PT weights & cardio
Sunday: balance and walking

I'm going to cut out my morning snack, but add some fruit to breakfast and see what happens. Lunch and dinner as I have been doing, with a protein shake or strawberries, yogurt & protein crunch for afternoon snack. One of my friends has just done that for 4 weeks (under instruction from her PT) and she's done really really well. 4 weeks of no treat meals and no alcohol. Then the idea is that you re-introduce the treat meals etc. I know it will be tough, but I need to say "it's only 4 weeks". Just want to give my body a bit of a kick start into a new eating plan.

On track!

Loving the training this week and feeling good. Well, except for the fact that I can't lift my arms above my head, or even straighten them properly without feeling like I am doing some kind of intense stretch! Chin ups, chin ups and more chin ups this week (assisted of course, don't go getting excited!).

Eating has been pretty good. I have beaten the after dinner cravings by keeping myself busy... moving house does have it's benefits. I'm nearly done packing and have just a couple of trips to the rubbish room to get rid of all the crap I haven't used since the last time I moved. Didn't get lunch tim 3pm yesterday as I was in meetings all day, but managed to make a choice I was happy with... grilled chicken from Oporto. I did have a few chips, but was really proud that I didn't scoff a whole heap. And the chicken was goooooood.

Off to Melbourne in the morning. I'll be armed with my gym gear and a program for training at home - all body weight stuff and running. Back next Wednesday...

I'm still here

Wow it has been a week since my last post... a little slack of me! I have had a week of concentrating really hard on my diet - all my meals have been really good, there have been a couple of treats but nothing extreme. I have dropped 1.5kg and only 0.5 to go to reach my mini goal by Thursday.

I've changed my training around a little bit. Instead of training twice a day some days, I am only training once a day - but pushing it harder. I need to up the intensity in my sessions to get results, but I don't have the energy to do that twice a day. I'm doing a few running intervals as part of my PT sessions but no other running. Instead I walked for 2.5 hours both Saturday and Sunday - for starters I really enjoy doing this. Saturday I went with a girlfriend, and Sunday by myself. I walked around Sydney Harbour in two different directions, did hills, stairs and worked really hard... and I loved it!

Semi-organised

When I am organised, I eat really well. When I'm not, I tend to go for convenient which is not necessarily the best option. So after a weekend of so-so eating, I organised myself last night. My fridge is now full of individual containers of salad, chicken, yogurt etc and I'm ready to go. Forgot to bring my protein powder to work today, but I remembered everything else (already have strawberries and yogurt in the fridge)!

Today's menu:
Vogel Soy & Linseed cereal with no fat milk
Strawberries, yogurt and protein crunch
Chicken with baby spinach/pumpkin/pine nuts salad
Strawberries, yogurt and protein crunch (given I forgot what I intended to have)
Fish with vegies stirfry

You have used 1236 out of your net daily budget of 1700 calories and have 464 calories remaining. 23% of the calories are from fat, 42% from protein, 35% from carbs and 0% from alcohol.

Tomorrow I'm not going to forget to organise my snacks.
Only 2 weeks til I go to Melbourne and I am still the same weight as last time... If I can drop 2kg I will be happy. Concentration is required.

Refocussing on my Goals

I've made a few big decisions this week (and it is only Wednesday!). I had a good think about my goals and how much I want them. Yes I really want less boobage, to be 15kg lighter and to change careers. Unfortunately for me that means that I have to give up my lovely studio apartment and live with other people as I am spending waaaaaaay too much money on rent. The good news is that a lovely girl I used to work with has a room available in what I will refer to as the "resort". The apartment complex feels like a holiday resort - complete with palm trees, an outdoor pool and views of the harbour. So in just under 4 weeks Harvey the wonder cat and I are moving in with Amy and Amanda to the resort in Neutral Bay. It is a little bit further to walk to work, but closer to the gym and my friends - location perfect! Savings = $600 per month, plus whatever I save on bills.

The other thing I need to do is take a good hard look at my diet and my carbs. I am going to implement a new plan of carb cycling and see how that goes for me. I can't do more than a couple of days low carbs or I become a cranky, sooky bitch who doesn't have the energy to train. But I need to do something to kick my body into fat loss mode again as I am training my arse off and seeing very little results. I'm going to keep my oats for breakfast and my fruit and yogurt (with protein crunch) for morning snack but then reduce carbs for the rest of the day and see how that works. Bring on the salads!!!

Number 3 change comes with my training. I went back to the osteo last night and he is really happy with my progress. My hips have more movement and the scar tissue on my hamstring is greatly reduced - I didn't realise he could actually feel it. I was most excited to hear that my flexibility is actually pretty good - seems there is a good side to stopping running for a while! So I can get back into running and I can row again. Still need to take it easy on hills and stairs though - and I need to concentrate on my stride length... keep it short and work on speed. I did some running with no incline this morning, plus a 300m, 200m and 100m row and felt pretty good. I've had 4 weeks of spin class obsession so will change it up a bit for the next 4 weeks.

This is me

Start with your name: Emma

If your ex REALLY needed you at 3 am, would you go to his/her house? Depends which one, but probably not.

When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face? Never.

What are the last three things you spent money on? diet coke, movie ticket, rent

What was the last thing you cried about? My rent going up (it was the straw the broke the camels back so to speak!)

Could you go a day without eating? Not a chance

Have you ever kissed anyone whose name started with a J? Yes

.Do you smoke weed regularly? Never.

Has anyone ever told you they're in love with you? Yes

When was the last time you were disappointed? When I looked at the scales yesterday.

Has a girl ever seriously punched you? No.

What was the last thing you put in your mouth? Oats

Have you kissed two different people in one night? Ummmm yes!

Is it easy for others to make you feel awkward? Yes

Are you taller than 5'4"? No - 5'2 and a half... the half is important when you are THAT short.

In the past week have you felt stupid? Yep

What's the age difference between you and the last person you kissed? About 4 months

Have you ever been outside completely naked? Yep

What would​ happe​n if you had a baby with the last person you kissed? I would freak out!

Who did you text the most yesterday? Rusty

What were you doing​ at 10pm Frida​y night​?​ Sleeping

What are your plans​ for today​?​ Gym (done!), work, osteo, visit Amy

Could​ you go the rest of your life witho​ut smoki​ng a cigar​ette?​ Yep

What was the last reaso​n you went to the docto​r for? Getting dizzy

What is the last thing​ you yelle​d aloud​?​ Harvey stop that (at the cat)

What do you think​ of when you think​ of Austr​alia?​ I'm so lucky I live here.

Do you have any gay/lesbian friends? Yes

Have you ever kissed the last person you texted? No

What's one action you do when you're really nervous? Bite my nails

Would you rather give up the computer or the TV? TV

Do you find yourself saying mean things to people over the internet that you wouldn't say to their face? No.

One word that explains perfectly how you feel at the moment? Tired

What did the last text message you received say? Yay! Sounds fun... I'll have to make double the recipe! Thanks Tart! :)

Do you care if people hate you for no reason? A little

How hard is your life right now? Depends who you compare it to!

Have you ever taken anyone for granted? Yep, guilty.

I'm going to be a Personal Trainer

Last night I went to see a career counsellor at the AIF about becoming a personal trainer. It is something I have been thinking about for a while. I came out super excited about making a career change and learning new things.

I've been bored in my current career for about 2 years. I've been in the same industry (design/print) for 12 years. I have changed jobs 3 times in that time in an effort to determine if it is what I do, the company I work for, or just me that is bored. I have come to the conclusion that it is me - or at least what I do. I've dabbled in web design, production management and account management as well as being a hands-on designer. I've worked in trade and agency, for small and large companies. Every time I've changed companies, I get the "well, you certainly won't be bored here"... but I am. I am pretty efficient at what I do and am used to multi-tasking and having a million things on the go at once - but when I don't have a million things happening I am bored. I can't just cruise through my day... I hate that! I am someone who has always been able to do something I love... I don't love it anymore.

Apart from the boredom, I also feel I need to do something more worthwhile on a moral or ethical level. I'm a bit over the commercialism of what I do without making some sort of contribution to society. In my industry there is a big shift to environmentally friendly/carbon neutral papers and printing methods. Definitely something of interest, and one of the reasons why I took my current job... but it is not enough.

While career changes are common and considered relatively easy in today's society, I've found it is not quite as easy as I first thought. A complete career change involves a time and financial investment - both of which are in short supply at the moment. My day at the moment is:
5.15am get up
6.00am at the gym and training
7.05am bus home from the gym & breakfast
8.10am leave for work
5.45pm home from work
6.00pm leave home - walk to the gym
7.30pm home from the gym
8.00pm shower, dinner
9.00-9.30pm bed

So you can see there is not alot of spare time there! I don't train twice a day every day - I sometimes swap the afternoon session for dinner with a friend or something - but that is to stop me going insane during the week and is not going to change.

So whatever I choose has to be something I am passionate about. It also needs to be something that can generate an income comparative to what I earn now. My two options are personal training and nutrition. It is what I live and breathe every day - I love it, I live it and spend any downtime at work reading about it.

After my meeting last night I was super excited, motivated and ready to go (the girl I saw did her job really well!). I was even considering postponing my BR surgery until after my course was complete. But, this morning reality hit. A) I can't afford to pay for both surgery and the course at the same time. B) My journey isn't complete until I have had my BR

This morning I caught a glimpse of me running in a mirror and I felt a wave of disappointment rush through my body. It was an actual physical feeling. My boobs are massive - uncomfortable and out of proportion. I can't possibly start this new phase of my life until I've finished my current journey. I need to get to my goal weight and have my BR before I start something else. I walked into the gym feeling fabulous and walked out feeling the lowest of low.

So I am going to be a personal trainer, but just not yet. I've got things to do first. So here's my goals for the next 12 months:
1) Get to goal weight by April 2009
2) Find a flatmate so I can start saving more money (by December 2008)
3) BR surgery April 2009
4) Start PT course end April 2009
5) Qualified master trainer by September 2009

1 week to go....

Hopefully this time next week I will be running and resuming "normal" exercise. I'm going back to the osteo on Tuesday night and I am hoping that A) my hamstring will be healed enough for running and B) I will have enough movement in my hip to avoid doing the same injury (or another one) again.

I definitely have more flexibility than I did 3 weeks ago when I first saw him. I've done everything he said - exercises, stretches, new shoes, no fast running/walking, no hills or stairs, no rowing. I'm never going to be a fast runner - but being able to do a little speed work on the treadmill certainly adds some variety to my training - even though I hate every minute of it when I am doing it! It is also near impossible to go for a nice walk or a jog around Sydney without encountering numerous hills and stairs. I miss my Sunday run.

New discovery

Grain Waves chips - you HAVE to try them. Actually, don't, cause they are addictive!!!

Doctor Visits and Birthday Celebrations

Thankyou to everyone for their advice about my dizziness at the gym. Unfortunately chocolate was not the answer this time (I thought it was ALWAYS the answer). Actually it was quite simple and not nearly as scary as all the possible diagnosis that were running through my medically uneducated head... Benign Positional Vertigo.

Basically the canals in my right ear that control balance were blocked... a few simple exercises and the whole thing was gone! It will probably re-occur, and there is no apparent cause for it (in my case), but at least I know how to fix it now. I was very impressed with my doctor - I walked out with no prescription at all. I like someone who looks at alternatives to drugs wherever possible.

So that was Saturday... gym (yep I still trained), doctor and then curled up with my book, the cat and a blanket on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Heaven!

Sunday was my birthday and I had a fabulous day! I was worried I would be really homesick all day, but I managed to keep busy for most of it and really enjoyed myself. It was even sunny! As you know, calories don't count on your birthday...

Started the day with my porridge and berries (at least I started well), then had a hot chocolate with Rusty and we took his little girl to the park for swings and slides. I think everyone should start their birthday at the playground! Rushed back home to get frocked up in time to meet the girls for lunch at the Manly Wharf Bar where the champagne and cocktails were served. Managed to order well - steak with baby spinach and new potatoes, but stole some chips off someone else's plate. As the bar didn't serve cake we felt the need to relocate mid afternoon. The choice was mine... Max Brenner or Cold Rock. I went with the Cold Rock option but let the side down when I couldn't finish my cookies & cream icecream mixed with brownie, Tim Tam and cookie dough. Should have tried harder!

My friends and I have developed a tradition of hideous gifts that must be on display when we visit each other's houses. Gifts can be recycled (and trust me, this one will be). Here's the lovely YELLOW cat money box I received....


Now that I have had a day of extreme indulgence I am ready to get back on the healthy eating plan. As much as I enjoyed not worrying about what I was eating for a day, I didn't feel fantastic at the end of it... it is nice to do it occasionally just to remind yourself why you don't eat like that all the time. Less than a month till I go home again and I want to be skinnier!

Today

Not feeling so crash hot today. Trained this morning and got so dizzy I had to sit down on the floor. Felt sick and was ghostly white - not a great look! Had some Powerade and felt a bit better, but oh so tired now. Not just normal tired, I am physically exhausted and struggling to keep my eyes open. My legs are also aching like CRAZY!

Not sure why I feel like this. I ate a good dinner last night (chicken fillet with a little pesto, mushrooms, egg and salad in a toasted multigrain muffin). Didn't eat before training this morning, but I never do as I train at 6am. Since training have had half a powerade, weetbix with skim milk, muesli bar and a toasted chicken & mushroom sandwich on multigrain... plenty of carbs there.

Thought about calling in sick to work but had things to do and thought I would feel better... but no. Supposed to be catching up with some friends for bday drinks tonight.... I don't even want to go, and I'm the bday girl :(
Will soldier on though, but no alcohol as I don't think that will help. Was planning 2 training sessions tomorrow - 1 x PT and one spin with a girlfriend - really hope I am feeling OK as I don't like cancelling sessions. I HATE it when people do that to me.

More Reading

I like this...

Kick in the butt!!!

I have just done my morning rounds of the blogs and feel I can give myself a much needed kick in the butt! Katie P is staying focused with her plan, and Kek is bringing it home with vegies galore. Time to plan my meals and stick to it.

Short term goal: October 4 I am going back to Melb to spend the long weekend with my parents. I want them to be able to 'see' that I have lost more weight. Doesn't matter how much, it just has to be noticeable. Exactly 1 month to do it.

Here's the exercise plan for the week:
Wednesday - 60 min spin class PM
Thursday - 45 min spin class PM, 60 min spin class PM
Friday - 1 hour PT weights & cardio
Saturday - 1 hour PT weights & cardio AM, 60 min spin class PM
Sunday - nothing cause it's my birthday!!!!
Monday - 45 min spin class
Tuesday - 1 hour PT weights

There's alot of spin in there, but given spin and cross trainer are the ONLY forms of cardio I can do at the moment, it is the way it is. I'll be back with the food when I've consulted old mate calorieking.

Food hangover

I think I have a food hangover. I woke up feeling like crap this morning, and credit it to all the processed crap food I ate yesterday. I did a massive weights session in the morning and was so, so hungry afterwards.

By 11.50am I had eaten my planned food for the day (except for dinner)... couldn't even wait til lunchtime to eat my lunch. So after lunch, throughout the afternoon I had some Vitaweat Grain Snacks, rice snacks, a Boost chocolate bar and a hot chocolate - nothing seemed to satisfy. Probably should have gone with a protein shake or something, but I didn't have any left in my drawer at work... must restock.

Shoes

I got my new shoes today! Turns out you can't get the 'D' width in my size in Australia. Didn't want to risk buying something I hadn't tried on from the US, so went with half a size bigger in the B width. Hopefully they will be OK.

I am really feeling the need to run today. 2 more weeks though...

Trying to decide what to do at the gym tonight. I did chest/back/arms/shoulders this morning so I think legs are the go - but I'm doing spin tomorrow morning so don' want to completely smash my legs. Maybe I could do a mini circuit in the gym in my building? Squats, lunges, hamstring curls, crunches and plank with some intervals on the bike in between. 3 sets of 12. Done!

New Shoes

For the past 2 weeks I have been on a mission to find the runners my osteo recommended. Brooks Arials. You wouldn't think this would be so hard - but I have a wide food so want to find the "D" width shoes, which apparently nobody stocks.

Initially I was going to order online from the US as it is soooooooooooo much cheaper that way. But I can't find my size in stock anywhere (even in the "B" width) - seems I am "common" LOL!!!

So then last weekend I did the rounds of Sydney - Athletes Foot, Rebel, local sports stores, but nothing. I even tried the usual Australian sites, but again nothing in stock. I even went through all the stores on the Brooks website. This weekend, amongst all the "house stuff" shopping I did with my parents (they've just moved into a new house) I managed to pop into Rebel and a few other sports stores, but nothing.

So my friendly local sports store has ordered them in for me. I can try them on and am under no obligation to buy them if they don't fit correctly. Waiting... waiting....

Not to plan

Well my plan of starting my week well rested and ready to go hasn't exactly happened. I had a 5.20pm flight from Melbourne and expected to be home by 7pm, cook a healthy dinner, shower, watch some TV and have an early night. Instead when we got to Sydney we had to turn back to Melbourne because of a storm and we didn't have enough fuel to keep circling. So, back to Melbourne we go, sit on the tarmac while they refuel and then back to Sydney. We then had to circle for 40 minutes as there were so many planes that had been delayed. Finally, after just over 4 hours on the plane we land.

I ended up eating my dinner at 10.30pm and then crawling into bed. Not exactly a good idea, but I didn't have a choice. I managed to get an apple juice and some cashews on the plane - but that was all that was left. Not sure why they didn't restock the food when we refueled, but I guess they didn't think of that!

So I am starting my week tired and unorganised. I didn't train this morning, but plan to do a spin class tonight. Hopefully I can do my fruit and vegie shopping at lunchtime and sort myself out for the week. I want another big training week, but need to have the energy to do that.

Two Days Rest

I have now officially completed 10 sessions in 8 days! Go me! 4 spin classes in one week.... I am addicted to spin at the moment. I ended up doing the second class yesterday and it rocked. I am having an 'I miss my Mum' week this week - going to Melbourne to see her tomorrow - so have made an effort to keep myself busy. Each night I have either been at the gym or had someone over for dinner. Tonight going to the movies, even though I am sooooooo tired and have a 7am flight. The idea is to get home at a point when I am ready to go to bed, then I won't sit at home, sulk and eat.

Bring on the weekend!

Sleeeeeeeep

Oh so tired today! Getting up at 5.15am every morning to go to the gym is just not quite right! I feel like I could go back to bed and snooze the whole day away... I wish I could. Did a spin class this morning and just didn't feel on form. Had no energy and kept yawning the whole way though (sorry to the instructor... it's not you, it's me!). Definitely in need of a rest day. All I need to do is get through tomorrow and then I have 2 days rest. Although I still have to get up at 5.30am on Saturday to catch a plane.

I was thinking of doing another spin class tonight... it's my favourite one. But maybe I should go home, eat my fish & vegies for tea and curl up in bed. I'll see how awake I am when I get home.

More training

I have had a massive training week this week... Friday will make it 8 days straight. I'm in Melbourne this weekend so Saturday and Sunday will be rest days, back into it on Monday. I have managed to keep my training varied and have really enjoyed it.

Here's what I've been doing:
Friday - 60 min cardio & weights PT session
Saturday - 60 min spin class
Sunday - 30 min cross trainer intervals & 60 min pump class
Monday - 45 min spin class
Tuesday - 60 min boxing and weights PT session
Wednesday - 60 min weights & cardio PT session
Thursday - 45 min spin class
Friday - 60 min weights & cardio PT session

Have pulled up pretty sore from boxing yesterday - my lats right down to my lower back are quite sore. Yesterday it was my legs from spin class so it is nice to have a different body part to whinge about! At least I can walk down the stairs today without having to go sideways.

Diet has been improved, but not fabulous. All my meals have been good clean food - all fresh and healthy. Planned snacks have been good but I can't kick the chocolate. I think I have had chocolate every day this week except Sunday. That has got to go!

Now a piece of random news for you... I seem to have come into work with my top on back to front. Off to the toilets now to sort myself out :)

Spin Spin Spin

Had my favourite instructor for spin last night - the class rocked! One thing I find strange though... at the end of the class we had to measure our heartrate. Mine was 190 (yep I worked hard!!), then after 1 min recovery do it again... mine was 100. Our instructor said if you have over 30 difference you are doing OK, 60-70 is excellent. So what is with 90???? I am certainly not in that elite bracket as my recovery rate might suggest.

Did boxing and weights this morning and now I am exhausted. I feel like crawling back into bed for a nap - I wish I could! Working is soooooooo over-rated.

Training with an Injury

It has only been a week since my SI joint problem was diagnosed and I am already finding it difficult. Mostly I have to force myself to run - I don't particularly enjoy it, at least not until I get half way through and start to see views of the harbour or something! I am now feeling the need to run... I want to get out there! I am bored with modifying my exercise plan already.

I did a spin class Saturday, cross trainer intervals and pump yesterday and today am doing spin. Usually I would do Basic Training on a Monday but there is alot of running and side stepping etc, in that class which I wouldn't be able to do. Even my PT sessions have to be modified - often we do intervals on the treadmill in between different things... cross trainer for me which I usally enjoy, but I've replaced one of my running sessions with cross trainer intervals... so I'm bored with that.

Lost 0.2 this week. Not a great loss, but given I dropped 1.3kg last week I guess it has just evened out. I am now wearing the smallest jeans I own - haven't been wearing them for months as they were too tight. Feeling good about that at least!

Off to try and come up with a fabulous exercise plan for the week... lets see what I can come up with that doesn't involve running, fast walking or rowing...

The verdict

I went to the osteopath last night and discovered that my pelvis is causing my hamstring pain. The left side of my pelvis isn't moving properly (sacroiliac joint), which is making my hamstring do all the work in lifting my leg when I run. As I have strained my hammy twice I have scar tissue across it which needs to be massaged out. So lots of stretching for me, no running (I can do a slow jog), no fast walking, no rowing - basically I can't do anything that fully extends my leg. The osteo works inside Fitness First so he is going to show Rusty & Dan some of the stretches I need to do so they can help me. I need to go back in 4 weeks to check it is all back moving the way it should be.

I have mixed feelings about it. I am glad to actually get a proper diagnosis. After the session I felt heaps better - I had heaps more movement in my whole body. A bit sore this morning though. The bridge run is only 4 weeks away so I don't think I'll be able to do it - the more I push myself, the longer it is going to take to heal. So I may as well behave myself and get it over and done with. 4 weeks of cross trainer and spin classes for me - lucky I love spin!

Still here

Went for my first run since C2S yesterday. Did 5km quite comfortably before the hammy started to feel a bit sore, so stopped and walked the rest. Seeing the osteo tomorrow night so will see what he says then.

Had a massive weekend - a big drinking day on Saturday followed by a hangover breakfast of poached eggs, toast & bacon. Not that I ate much of the bacon, but I forgot to ask for no butter on the bread. That was all I ate until my stirfry for dinner last night so my calories were still under for the day. Didn't calculate the calories from Saturday though - I wouldn't even know where to start with how many drinks I had!!! Managed to lose 1.3kg for the week so very happy with that. I like what happens when I concentrate on my diet :)

I was in there somewhere....

I am in recovery mode from City2Surf and have been sulking ever since. I had a really disappointing run - I didn't get close to my goal time as my hamstring packed it in about half way through and I had to walk heaps of it. I did it in 136 minutes when I was aiming for under 100.

Yesterday I had myself convinced that I am not built for running - never have been, never will be. Today I am not quite so negative - I am going to try seeing an osteo (3 months of physio didn't work), get my hammy completely better and train hard to do it easily next year. Bridge run is in 5 weeks - hoping to be up for that one.

Low GI

I have decided to try to include more low GI foods in my diet. It is something I 'kind of' do - eg I have Basmati rice instead of white rice, but I haven't really been concentrating that hard lately. I think my biggest downfall comes with my snacks. I am going to include more low fat dairy, nuts and soy & linseed breads in my snacks and see if that helps with the sugar cravings.

All I want is chocolate DAMMNNNNITTT!!!!

Food Amnesia

Here is what happens when you stop religiously tracking what you eat - you gain 1kg in a week. This is despite 6 or 7 intense training sessions - sometimes twice a day. This morning I was in total disbelief when I saw the scales at home that I weighed myself at the gym as well. Yep they were right the first time.

I spent the next hour wondering what was wrong with me - was I not eating enough, or was there actually something medically wrong with my metabolism and it's ability to process the healthy food I had eaten all week and burn fat? Should I go and see a nutritionist again - maybe someone different this time?

Then I saw the light - I have amnesia! I haven't been tracking my food and I have been allowing myself little treats here and there. Afterall, I've been doing so much training, right? WRONG!!! I can't remember exactly what I ate, but I can now tell you that the last week included and apple & custard scroll from Baker's Delight, a block of Lindt Intense Orange dark chocolate, 2 x caramello koalas, pizza for lunch on Friday, a packet of Pods, 1 small packet dinosaur lollies, 2 x skim hot chocolates, french toast cafe style (as in white bread and maple syrup)... I am going to stop now. You get the picture. I think every day last week must have been a treat day.

So the good news is that there is nothing wrong with me - I have just had a week of eating waaaaay to much crap. I now have some work to do.

Flying along

I am really happy with where my head is at at the moment. It has been a week since my last Diet Coke - yay!!! Even broke my Sunday routine of getting the paper and a DC by getting a paper and mineral water. With the exception of a packet of Pods on Friday night, eating was pretty good over the weekend. Yesterday I stocked up on vegies for the week - they are all chopped up in the fridge and ready to strifry. I cooked up some Basmati rice as well. I'm going to do a few more days of double training this week so need to be prepared with easy meals.

Trained with Rusty Saturday morning and then went for a run in the afternoon. Went around Cremorne Point which is my all time favourite place to run. Here's why...




Went out Saturday night for Dan's birthday. Heaps of people from the gym went - I met some new people as well. I love hanging out with people who have the same goals - and it always helps to have people to do classes with. Had a few vodkas (quite a few actually!) but took myself home just after midnight, drank some water and woke up Sunday feeling just a little average. The others got home at 4am so I did quite well! No training yesterday, but I went for a walk instead.
Here's Rusty, me and another friend...


Only 6 days to City2Surf.... arrrrggghhh

It's Friday!!!

Usually waking up on a Friday morning I think 'THGIF!!!'. Not today...I thought about the training to be done over the weekend. I've changed my bigger training days to the weekends as I have more time, and the thought of an early morning session stops me from going out drinking, which would then lead to crap eating. PT this morning, PT tomorrow morning, a long run in the afternoon and then Sunday is yet to be determined, but will be 2 sessions. Monday morning I'm going to do the Basic Training class again, cause that rocked! The bit I can really look forward to is spending a couple of hours Saturday afternoon reading my book on the couch, which could possibly lead to a nap.

We have a whole heap of new equipment at the gym. The cross trainers are great - all new ones, instead of 2 good ones and a whole heap of really bad ones! Didn't get to test out much of the new weight stuff this morning - it is a bit overwhelming and hard to find the things I wanted to use as everything is in a different place or missing.

Didn't over eat at all last night. Yay me!

Day 5 Diet Coke Free

This is easier than I thought! I haven't even thought about DC this week. Keeping up with my mineral water intake which works well to get me easily within the 2-3 litres a day.

Training is going really well. I had a rest day yesterday as I felt I needed it. Have been training twice a day sometimes. Only once today though as it was waaaay to cold to get out of bed at 5.30am! Spin class tonight - my favourite one.

I've been struggling with my night time eating again. If I train for the second time in a day, I get home at 7.45pm, shower, eat and go to bed - too exhausted to worry about anything else. But when I don't train, I eat dinner at 6pm and then by 7.30 I am looking for something sweet and yummy. As my house doesn't contain anything like that I usually end up having some weetbix or something equally high in carbs. That is my downfall - avoiding carbs at night makes the most difference to my weight loss yet I can't seem to kick it for more than a week. I think alot of it is boredom, yet all I want to do if I have a night off training is read a book or watch TV, cause if I am not tired I would be training! I can't wait for daylight savings - at least then I could go for a walk or something after work.

I tried on some clothes in my wardrobe last night. It has been ages since I have done this - seeing what still fits and what doesn't. My body shape has changed even though I can't see much difference on the scales.

The Correct Way to Weigh Yourself

TO ALL MY DEAREST FRIENDS
I'M SO GLAD I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS!

The correct way to weigh yourself



I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years.
WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD.

You can purchase motivation

Apparently motivation can be bought!

It comes in the form of a little black dress. I went shopping at lunchtime for my dad's bday present and came back with a new little black dress that has blown the month's play money! Yay me!! Will be wearing it Saturday night so will post photos after then. It looks good now, but will look even better minus a couple more kgs!!! There's motivation right there.

Sucked in!

I may just have to join the other girls in the 100 push up challenge. I've been following their progress and they've all been talking it up, so I'm in! One question... are you doing it on your toes or girly pushups on your knees? I can only do 7 on my toes before I fall in a heap, so maybe that is what I need to work on.

Day 3 Diet Coke Free

Today is my third day without Diet Coke! I haven't even really thought about it much. I came to work prepared with 1.25L bottles of mineral water so I can have a fizzy drink in the afternoon to replace my DC. So far so good!

I didn't end up doing pump or pilates last night - it was cold, wet and I was tired (need any more excuses?). Instead I was in bed at 8.30 and sound asleep by 8.35! My body was craving rest, not exercise. Did a big weights session this morning though, and planning to do some light weights and a light jog after work tonight.

Exercise, exercise and more exercise!

Have been kicking a*** with the training the past few days. Did an extra PT session on Saturday morning, went for a run on Sunday morning and did a Basic Training class this morning.

My run wasn't as good as I had hoped. I don't think I've done enough hill training, plus my hammy still hurts a bit on the hills. But I soldiered on, and just hope that I will get through it on the big day! All the hills I ran (or walked as the case may be) on Sunday were alot steeper than any in the C2S, so hopefully that will work for me.

Here's some pics of my run




This morning I tried a Basic Training class at the gym. I've never done it before and was pleasantly surprised at how tough it was - there are some very fit people in that class! There was lots of running, step ups, knee ups, crunches, leg raises, pushups, jump squats, walking lunges and all that "fun" stuff that makes you sweat and your legs burn. Loved it - will be making it a regular Monday morning thing.

Tonight, I can't decide between pump and pilates. I am leaning towards pilates as I REALLY need to work on my flexibility. After my run on Sunday my hammy was so tight I couldn't even touch my toes. I need some serious stretching! Maybe back to the physio this week as well.

New sports bra

Forgot to mention my little embarrassing story this morning. I wore my new black sports bra for the first time this morning. Problem is that the colour ran - when I took my t-shirt off after my session, I realised that not only was it wet from sweat (as it normally is) but it looks like someone has drawn a racer back bra on the back of it!!! Not a particularly good look.

What can't you give up?

Is there something you can't (or won't) give up in your quest for the ultimate body (whichever shape that may be)?

For me it is Diet Coke and Chocolate. I just can't seem to do it! I've tried many times to kick the DC but never last more than a few days. The chocolate doesn't bother me so much. Everything in moderation I say!

This morning Rusty mentioned something about me, in a bikini, this summer - all in the one sentence. I looked at him in disbelief - not going to happen!!! The old self doubt has set in again. It has actually never been one of my goals to wear a bikini - but then, I've never considered it an option. I'd love to be comfortable on the beach in my tankini though. Yet again, my PT believes in me more than I believe in myself.

So here comes OPERATION FERGI... the woman is hot. I want a body like this, and I'm going to get it!

Short term goal

Last year after City2Surf I dropped the ball. In the last 12 months I've picked it up and played with it a bit - but not consistently. This year I am going to plan ahead and have something else to work for.

In 6 weeks it is my birthday. I want to lose 5kg in that time - a tough ask, but I need to do it. I need to be extra good with my eating to get there - so that is what I am going to do.

Today's weight 88.0kg.

My new lazy meal

I have been known to whip out a bowl of weetbix for dinner when I can't be bothered cooking. Carb overload!!! I guess it beats takeaway though.

Tonight I decided to try something different - I've stocked the freezer with 'lazy' meals for the nights when I want to train after work, so don't get home til 7.45pm. My new discovery - Flame Grill Fish and Steam Fresh vegies. Out of the freezer, 4 min in the microwave (together) and I'm done! It is actually pretty good.

Snack Ideas

Anyone got any fabulous snack ideas? I am getting a bit bored with my diet again so need to make some changes. Here's my usual snacks:

Slim secrets protein bar
Corn things, ham, low fat cheese
Banana protein pancakes
Wholemeal crumpet & honey
Fruit N Nut bar
Strawberries, yogurt & protein crunch
9 grain English muffin with natural peanut butter

Comment away peoples... I need to shake things up a bit!

Progress Pics

I wish you could control where you lose weight from! I am feeling more and more out of proportion the more I lose.

Here's my arms. Starting to get a bit of tone - gradually losing the tuck shop arms!




And here's why I feel so far out of proportion....


The one place I haven't lost any weight from... well I have a bit - but same cup size :(
c
Admittedly a sports bra isn't the most flattering look, but it does the job.

The Weekend Run

It is time to test my legs in preparation for C2S in 2.5 weeks, so this Sunday I am going to do 15km of up and down. The route I have chosen is steeper and longer than C2S... so if I can do this, then I can do C2S!!! As I did last year, I am thinking of it as 2 separate runs - I know I can do 10km, and I know I can do 5km. All I have to do is join it together. It's a psychological thing!

Here's where I am going...

This week's plan

Monday - 1 hour spin class
Tuesday - 1 hour PT weights, 20 min cardio
Wednesday - 45 min spin class, 20 min cross trainer
Thursday - 2 x 400m, 15 x 30 second sprints, 1 hour spin class
Friday - 1 hour PT weights
Saturday - 1 hour PT weights/cardio
Sunday - 16km run (help!!!)

Now that I'm fit...

The wonderful Lisa has got me thinking about the impact losing weight has on your life - in ways you didn't expect. Actually it is good timing, because it is exactly 2 years ago this week that I first walked into Fitness First and met my personal trainer.

I am a different person to what I was 2 years ago. I am 30kg lighter, I am fit, I am strong, I am a runner, I lift weights and I love it. I have a new interest in clothes, shoes and looking my best - I take pride in my appearance. I am not afraid to try new things - I ride my bike to and from the gym, I go rock climbing, I walk or run with my friends. I eat in public without the fear that someone is looking at me thinking - no wonder she is fat if she eats that.

Some of my friends have seen me go through this transition. They might not think of the old me anymore, but they know where I have come from. Others I have only met in the last 6-12 months - and they have no idea! It is not something I talk about openly to people I don't know very well. What they know of me is someone who goes to the gym at 6am every morning, who runs on the weekends, who watches what she eats and who is usually in bed by 9pm because of the training. One of my "new" friends asked me on the weekend if I get results from personal training - the answer to that is yes! Her jaw dropped when I told her.

My new found fitness has had different effects on relationships though. Last year there was Irish boy. I don't really know what he was thinking as he never really said, but I get the impression that he was intimidated by my friends (from little things he said). He avoided meeting them at all costs - I met heaps of his friends but he didn't meet mine. My closest friends are either personal trainers or people who train with me, at the same intensity that I train. They are NORMAL people, but Irish boy didn't see it that way.

Then there is the girlfriends of my male friends. I have always had close male friends and always been able to get along really well with girlfriends/partners. Not so much anymore - I think I am more of a threat now. I certainly wasn't seen that way before.

Then there are the boys who I used to know, but haven't seen in ages (I moved from Melb to Syd 2 years ago). They are amazed at the transformation and are all of a sudden interested. I have mixed feelings about this - part of me hates the fact that they didn't see me for who I was underneath before, and part of me loves it! I still have my own issues here though. Alot of the people I meet are from the gym, or friends of people from the gym - they are fit! I still don't see myself as "good enough" - I think that I am aiming out of my league if I am interested in one of these guys. Something to work on.

New running gear = new motivation!

It is amazing what a bit of retail therapy can do for your motivation! Yesterday I decided to go for a bike ride around where I live. I got distracted on my way back through Mosman and stopped at a couple of new shops. First I found Brasilfit which is my all time favourite for gym pants. They are a bit expensive - about $120 for the capri pants, but I've had mine for over 12 months and they get worn and washed at least 3 times a week and they are still in perfect shape. Value for money I say! They are made of a fabric that seems to hold in the wobbly bits which is why I love them so much! I didn't purchase as they are having a 25% off sale next weekend... I'm going back.

So back on my bike for about 100 metres and I find ANOTHER shop that I just HAVE to go in. A new running shoe shop that does the video analysis of your feet. I have been wanting to do this for ages, but the only shops that do it in Sydney are a bit of a pain to get to from where I live (given I don't have a car). It turns out they only confirmed what I had been told at Athletes Foot - I roll in slightly. But only on my right side - my left is neutral. They recommended 3 types of shoes and did the video analysis again to see if the shoes correct my problem. It did, in all 3 kinds so then it just came down to personal choice. I was tossing up between the Mizunos (which I currently have) and Nikes (which I have never had before). The Nikes were $60 cheaper so that made my decision easy. Happy to spend money on shoes as I will only end up spending it on physio later if the shoes are wrong - but if they do the job and they are cheaper, they are all mine!!!

Back on the bike again and decided that I would go to the Nike shop in Neutral Bay just to check the price of my new shoes. It was the same (luckily!). While I was there I decided to try on a singlet I had tried on 2 weeks ago and couldn't decide on. It looked great! And even has pockets in the back where I can put my phone and keys (although they may bounce around a bit). I haven't weighed myself this week, but I am feeling good and have lost weight. Today I am wearing a dress I bought at Christmas time and haven't worn for ages cause it was too tight - that is all I need to know!

Photos of my new gear later! I'll have to take it all for a test run.

Kick A*** Spin Class!

Last night I did the best spin class EVER! I decided I would run the 1km to the gym - and given it was ONLY 1km I thought I would do it at a 'fast' pace. By the time I got to the gym I was in all sorts of pain - hammy, hips, shins and nearly in tears cause I thought if I couldn't do 1km comfortably then I couldn't do the 14km City2Surf. I was nearly in tears and ready to go home. But I pushed on, and got myself a bike in the class.

It was the best thing I could have done. Our instructor was Tani Ruckle - silver Commonwealth Games medallist, past winner of City2Surf and all round hard-core legend! The woman is amazing! We did our own 'Tour' through the French mountains. We each had to pick out a tag from a bag - hill climber, sprinter or star. When she said, the sprinters had to sprint and the hill climbers had to climb - the stars had to do both. She even put a map up on the wall showing the route for the day. It was probably the toughest class I have ever done - but the most fun. I got my mojo back!

After an hour's spin I certainly wasn't up to a fast run back home, so I did a nice little jog (could be seen as a shuffle), was reasonably comfortable. So what I learnt, was that I can run at my own slow pace and I'll make it. It won't even matter if I have to walk bits of the 14km - I can do it!

So after a rocky start to my training, I brought it home in the end. I even almost mooned the traffic as my pants were falling down! I had to keep hitching them up... the ONE pair I have without strings in them!!!

Eat to Save Your Life

Last night I was intrigued by Jamie Oliver's Eat to Save Your Life. I would consider myself to have a reasonable knowledge of nutrition - after all I've spent the last 2 years living and breathing it! But I have to admit I learnt quite alot, and had other things confirmed. I was surprised at where fat lives within the body. It is not just the outer layer -it actually surrounds your organs and can be inside your muscles. That can't be good!

It was interesting to see how the "good" fats work within the body - I knew they were good for you, but didn't really understand why. I also learnt that dark chocolate contains good fats - not just antioxidants! Yay for that!

What really surprised me was that alot of the obese people on the show seemed comfortable with their body shape/size. They had a wake-up call during the show when they saw the effect this had on their health and therefore life expectancy - but some of them didn't seem worried about their appearance. Or at least they didn't admit it. I have never been happy with my body, and I'm still not. I've come a long way but I am still not where I want to be - my body fat % is still way too high and I hate the way this makes me feel about myself.

Another surprise was that RDI of fat for women is 70g - doesn't this seem a little high? I aim for under 40g a day. Even if I was maintaining I don't think I would want to eat this much fat.

Unplanned rest day

Last night I lay in bed with sore shoulders, arms, hamstring and a sore hip. The shoulders and arms is just DOMS. The hamstring is a lingering injury from boxing a couple of months ago. Not sure where the sore hip came from - that's a new one for me. I cranked up the electric blanket and then put an icepack on my hip as heat didn't seem to help that one at all. I skipped my spin class this morning, which was disappointing cause it is my favourite class of the whole week. But my body was telling me to rest.

I am having one of those days where I feel sorry for myself. I am allergic to aspirin so I can't take any kind of anti-inflammatories at all, so heat and ice are my only friends. I wonder what will happen when I get older, or if I get a serious injury. So far I have been able to train through my injuries... sometimes I have to adjust my training, but there has always been something I can do. My hip feels like it needs to be stretched, but I can't quite figure out how to stretch it in the right way.