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.

Today

In the theme of blogging land where we are all looking at what thing we can do today to make a difference, today I had a look at where I have come front.... voila! New header!!! Now I will look at it every day.

I realised 2 things...
1) I have come a long way in the last 2 years
2) My weight hasn't changed much in the last year, but I am fitter and stronger

So time to kick butt and get that last 10-15kg of fat GONE!!!

They laughed at me!!!

They laughed at me at the gym this morning!!! By they, I mean my so called PT Dan and my so called besty Hannah!!! Just cause I couldn't sit/stand without wincing in pain or bend over to pick up my water bottle or some weights without going 'ah, ah, oh that hurts'.

Tomorrow my upper body is going to match my lower body tomorrow... I may have trouble brushing my hair. I love big weight sessions that leave you so fatigued you can't lift your arms... even when the weights have been taken away.

The ever changing plan

Have had to change my plan already - and I've hardly started! One of my friends was keen for a weights session on Saturday morning, so I skipped Pump and did a legs session with Hannah instead. Bad move! We smashed it up a bit too much and I have been unable to do more than a shuffle since!!!! Lucky I saw this coming and did a slow run for an hour on Saturday arvo.

So no balance and no cardio on Sunday. I did a quick half hour of upper body weights instead, but that was all I could do. Today is my official rest day - mainly cause I still can't do any cardio.

Note to self... stick to the plan.

Exercise Plan

I have decided I'm going to mix up my exercise plan with some classes this week. I'm also going to train twice a day on a couple of occasions just to give me an extra boost.

So here it is:
Saturday - Pump class AM, Spin class PM
Sunday - Balance class AM, 10km run PM
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - PT weights AM, 3x1200m PM
Wednesday - Spin class AM
Thursday - hill circuit AM, spin class PM
Friday - PT weights/running AM

My theory behind increasing my training is:
1) Extra calories burnt, so I can have an extra treat without feeling guilty
2) Increase in fitness will help with my City2Surf mission
3) I eat when I am bored. If I go to the gym after work then I am not sitting in front of the TV wondering what I can find to eat

Bring on the big training week! I'll make next week a little easier.

The Gym

Apparently you can lose weight just by turning up to the gym... or so it seems! There is a girl who I see most mornings on the cross trainer. I think that is all she does - at least that is all I have seen her doing. She goes sooooo slow. Kind of like when you have a few seconds recovery standing up in a spin class - you know that really slow pedal you do? Well she does that the whole time... and that's all.

This morning she was next to me. I was sprinting on Level 13 in an effort to beat whatever goal Rusty had given me (can't remember what it was) - so lets just say I was sweating my arse off and breathing like I was drowning or something - and here she was cruising along watching TV.

Now the rational side of me says to take no notice of what she is doing - if she is happy strolling along on the cross trainer then it shouldn't affect me... but it does! It really frustrates me. Stop taking up equipment at they gym if you are not going to use it properly!!!!

OK rant over.

Little victories

Last night was the first night in ages that I have felt satisfied after dinner and not had to argue with the sugar fairy in my head. I had a bit of licorice on the way home from work, which wasn't to plan - but apart from that all good. I LOVED my dinner, ate til satisfied, cleaned up, watched TV, called my mum and then snuggled up in bed with the electric blanket and the cat.

This morning I am another 300g down - I gained 500g over the weekend (there was tapas and profiteroles involved), and have now lost that and 300g.... 800g down in 4 days! Woohoooooo! I know that pace won't continue, but I will make the most of it while it does. I am aiming for 500g a week until April which will put me at goal weight in time to have my boobs realigned and reduced when the waiting period on my health insurance is up.

Feeling on top of the world right about now. Does anyone know how I stay here??!!!

In Control

I am feeling back in control this week. I've been trying really hard the last couple of weeks to get my head back where it should be, and finally I feel like I am making some progress.

I am back to obsessing about the scales (in a good way) and constantly planning ahead... as opposed to avoiding the scales completely and constantly thinking about chocolate/cake/chips or whatever the current fixation is. I spent alot of time yesterday looking for recipes to add some variety to my diet. I've got to say my number one fav resource at the moment is Kek's food blog - one inspirational lady who knows how to cook! Kek you rock!!! The rest came from books I have at home, and a couple of modified calorieking recipes. I also had a good chat to Dan Dan the Trainer Man yesterday, and emailed him my food plan for some tweaking.

The result is that I have a food plan for the next week. No alcohol. Minimal chocolate. No cake/pastry/muffin. Protein and 'plant food' with every meal - and of course carbs, but we all know I have no trouble getting my quota of carbs! A saturday morning treat of a skim hot chocolate which I intend to enjoy with the paper on my way home from the gym. No after dinner sugar fixes. I've tried to balance out my day a bit better so that I am not STARVING at 6pm as I have been - added some extra protein to my afternoon snack to get me to 6pm without wanting to chew my arm off. It worked yesterday - I had several cups of green tea whilst watching TV instead of raiding the pantry.

Instead of focussing on the fact that my jeans are a little tight at the moment, and all associated negative comments I am focussing on some positives. I am fitter and stronger than I have ever been. I love going to the gym. I am in control of what I eat - nobody else.

Food Plan for the week

TODAY
7.30am - 2 x weetbix with skim milk
10am - 1/2 punnet strawberries with 2 spoons low fat yogurt
12.30pm - chicken & vegies with basmati rice & soy sauce
3pm - 2 x corn thins, ham, 2 x slices super slim cheese
6pm - mini quiche (egg whites, low fat cottage cheese, vegies)
Treat - 3 squares chocolate
1274 Calories
37g fat, 98g protein, 135g carb, 12g fibre

TOMORROW
7.30am - 2 x weetbix with skim milk & peaches
10am - Slim Secrets protein bar
12.30pm - chicken & vegies with basmati rice & soy sauce
3pm - 2 x corn thins, ham, 2 x slices super slim cheese
6pm - tuna & sweet potato patties, salad
1341 calories
24g fat, 136g protein, 135g carb, 13g fibre

THURSDAY
7.30am - egg white french toast w soy/linseed bread
10am - banana protein pancakes
12.30pm - chicken & salad
3pm - fruit & nut bar
6pm - chicken burrito
1440 calories
33g fat, 145g protein, 140g carb, 20g fibre

Day 1 Glutamine Report

This could be a co-incidence, but I am so far chocolate free. Approaching afternoon snack time where I will have my usual strawberries, yogurt, crunch combo and I am not craving it - looking forward to it, but not obsessively so. Only 7 hours post training session so can't really comment on the effect on DOMS yet.

Time to start believing in myself again

Getting back on track with my training this week, but eating still not so good. I've been craving sugar (ie. chocolate) like you wouldn't believe, and always feel hungry. Although not really hungry - just like I want to eat. It is in my head.

So I need to go back to believing that I can do this. I can say no to chocolate. I can stick to my plan. And I will not go out and get blind drunk tonight!

When I started this journey I had a plan. Track my food all day, 1 treat meal a week, and one big night out once a month. Good for my budget as well as my waistline. I know that after a few days of doing this I will feel so much better that I will continue quite easily. I just need to get there.

After reading Kek's post yesterday about L Glutomine http://keksbflthing.blogspot.com/ I did some research. I am very skeptical of supplements for several reasons... 1) I am allergic to salycilates which is in heaps of stuff - including aspirin, herbs and alot of vegies and 2) There are so many out there with side effects or that don't work at all. But what I discovered was L Glutomine occurs naturally in the body anyway, so by taking it you are just increasing the amount and not introducing anything new. Secondly it may help me with alot of my current issues... it can help curb cravings and it helps with muscle recovery.

So this morning I have mixed in 1 teaspoon of Glutomine into my bottle of water and I can't even taste it! Very impressive. My hamstring has been sore again this week so going back to physio on Monday to see if I can get it sorted. In order to reach my goasl - 1) Fat loss and 2) run City2Surf without dying I need to be training at the intensity I have this week - but I can't do that with an injury.

Not a good start to the day

This morning I decided to go to Mosman FF cause it is heaps closer than my usual FF. First, 5.30am I lock myself out of my apartment. Spare keys are inside too. Nothing I can do, so in a very bad mood I tottle off to the gym. Can't get a bike in the spin class even though I am 10 minutes early. Even though there are at least 20 treadmills (Mosman gym is HUGE) there is not a spare one. So I spend 30 minutes on the cross trainer before deciding that I would ring a locksmith rather than wait til 9am for the real estate agent to open (given it is only week 2 in my new job). So $165 and half an hour later I am back inside my apartment to start my day over again. Why I thought to put my phone in my gym bag and not my keys, I don't know.