Fatty Boomba

Long time, no blog

2008-08-13T14:28:00.002+01:00

Well it has been a while! I'm still here and a week past the end date of my last "challenge" with Kerryn. As far as challenges go, it wasn't the greatest in terms of achievement but I did manage to lose a kilo and dropped my measurements by 2-3cm on chest, waist, hips and thighs so it's not all bad. And to look on the bright side I actually maintained my weight under 60kg for the duration - don't think I've done that for 10 years. And considering the state of my life that's not a bad achievement.

So what next? Well I still haven't reached my goal weight I have up on my sidebar (but only half a kilo over yesterday!) and it would be nice to actually do that. I would really like to get my weight under 9 stone which would be the lightest I've been in god knows how long (12 years??). But to be honest, my weight is not really bothering me a great deal at the moment so I don't want to get too hung up on it. What I do want to do is complete the 100 push-ups challenge which every man and his dog in blogland is doing. I am one session away from completing week 3 but I think it will take more than 3 more weeks to finish. I'd also like to work on increasing my running speed. After losing a bit of weight this year I am having much fewer injury issues so have worked up to running continuously for half an hour again. I don't want to push my luck by increasing this time but I would like to increase the distance I manage in that time. 5km would be brilliant! And another thing I want to keep up is the resistance training. I have noticed so many benefits from doing it and the feeling of being strong is amazing.

At the moment I am just recovering from my 3rd cold this year (bloody UK weather!) so not feeling the greatest but I do want to get back on board everything as soon as I can. Since I have been feeling so good about my shape I am paranoid it's all going to go to shit if I have a single second off. Food has not been the greatest but I now can manage to maintain without being a total nazi. Anyway, I think one more day of rest and then back to it tomorrow!

New Week

2008-07-07T10:00:00.002+01:00

Well, it's Monday again. Managed to offload those 3.5lbs from my trip to Oxford so that's good news. This week I would actually like to see some progress though. It's been ages since my weight has shifted significantly downwards. I have pretty much been bouncing around between 59 and 60kg for the last 6 weeks. So the first step is to be bouncing around betwen 58 and 59kg. I will aim for 58.5kg for weigh-in next Monday morning. That would be a 700g loss for the week which seems reasonable. The trick will be not having any major blow-outs this week. And I would also like to manage at least 5 workouts for the week (still haven't managed that recently). Off to a good start seeing as I have already done my workout for the day - half an hour of walk/jog intervals outside this morning. Bloody upstairs neighbours woke me up first at 2:30am and then 3:30am. Couldn't get back to sleep after the second time so decided to get up at 5:30am and do my exercise since I can be guaranteed to be tired tonight after the ridiculous hour of waking.

Whoops!

2008-07-03T11:40:00.002+01:00

Can't believe it's been a week since my last post. Unfortunately I haven't been as on track as I would've liked. No exercise last weekend and have just returned from 2 days down in Oxford where I gained 3.5lbs! Haven't seen such a high weight in ages and I definitely need to reign it in right now before it gets out of hand. Of course, some of that must just be bloat but still it was not a nice feeling stepping on the scales this morning.

On the plus side, I have at least managed 2 exercise sessions so far this week and will be at the gym tonight. If I can get back to 59kg by Monday I will be happy. Then I really want to push on and crack into the 57's. God knows how long it's been since I was last at that weight but it was a very long time ago, at least 10 years I would guess.

Better

2008-06-26T14:02:00.002+01:00

Well, I am feeling much better today. I think I was just extremely anxious about meeting with the in-laws last night. They are the first people from home I have seen since the split and I guess I was just having a freak-out about dealing with other people's reactions and possible judgements. My anxiety escalated throughout the day and I was in a bit of a state by the time I left work. However, I went to the gym, ran 3km and did my upper body workout and what do you know? I felt much calmer afterwards. And as it turned out, I had nothing to worry about anyway. The meeting went fine, good even. It was really nice to catch up with them and everything was exactly the same as it had always been. Such a relief.

Unfortunately, there was wine and indian food involved and so I was up another pound overnight (that's 2 from Tuesday). Not too panicked, I'm sure some of that is just bloat. Although, I am noticing some slight creepage in my weight over the last couple of weeks. We're literally talking about a pound but I know how that can snowball. So anyway, I'm off to the gym again tonight and I really really really want to go for a run outside tomorrow morning before work. Have another leaving do tomorrow night so won't have a chance for anything then. If I can manage that and one weekend workout then I will have exercised 5 times this week which will be a record for the last 2 months.

Honesty

2008-06-25T09:51:00.002+01:00

So instead of just slinking away and not reporting on my blog I am trying a novel approach and coming on here and admitting that I didn't do so well yesterday. Not sure what happened but I couldn't face the gym so left work, went and ate KFC and picked up some Thornton's toffee and peppermint creams which I proceeded to stuff into my face back home on the couch.

Not sure what triggered it and to be honest, I'm in a really bad mood today as well and can't even be bothered to try to work it out. Today the weather is appalling - more like winter than the middle of summer. I am totally over it. Also am starting to get a bit nervous about tonight's dinner with the in-laws. I really have no idea what I'm doing at the moment - am thinking so much about when I want to return home but haven't come up with anything yet. I feel a bit adrift at the moment. I am still OK with my decision to end my marriage but now that has opened up so many other questions about my life. When I was over here as part of a couple it felt like our life in Perth was just ready and waiting for us when we got back. Now I just feel like my entire life is on hold over here and I have no idea what's in store for me back home. I won't even have anywhere to live. And the longer I'm here the longer I am not getting closer to owning my own home. Somehow home ownership has taken on a colossal significance in my life since it feels like some sort of security now I am alone.

I am just so confused at the moment. I know I should be happy that I have options but they just seem overwhelming at the moment. I just can't concentrate today and wish I had've stayed in bed (which wasn't really an option anyway since I did that 2 weeks ago).

2 Days in a Row!

2008-06-24T09:18:00.002+01:00

It's a miracle! 2 posts in 2 days. Need to keep this going.

So anyway, made it to the gym last night which is the first Monday I've managed that in 3 weeks. Just did 45 minutes of cardio but, considering the extra walking I have to do to get to and from the gym, I think that's OK. Tonight I will be back there again for some more cardio and upper body. Not sure why I have been putting off going to the gym. Now that I'm flying solo it's not like I have anything better to do on most weeknights.

Haven't mentioned my new goal here yet. I am fairly happy with my weight now (58.6kg this morning) and while everything is a lot better than it was at the beginning of the year, there's still room for improvement. I have always struggled with maintenance so maybe eternally trying to lose weight even while I'm OK with my current weight is the way to go. So my new target is to get under 9 stone - which would put me at 57kg. This was my goal weight the first time I joined Weight Watchers, although I could somehow never get under 58kg so if I manage it it will be the lightest I've been since about the age of 21. Ideally I'd like to do it by the end of my current 12 week challenge with Kerryn. This challenge has been a total bust. There has not been a single week when I've managed all my workouts and I'm into week 7 now. I've also gone AWOL from my weekly progress emails to Kerryn because I was sick of saying the same thing over and over again. Oh well, if I manage a decent effort this week I'll email her next Monday.

So that's about it on the diet and exercise front. Am wearing a size 6 skirt at work today - never thought I'd see the day. Sure it is probably the biggest size 6 ever but I don't care - it has a 6 on the label and that's good enough for me.

I'm Still Alive

2008-06-23T13:54:00.002+01:00

So I've been neglecting my blog - again. Also neglecting my fitness but, on the plus side, not really neglecting my weight. Have pretty much just been bouncing up and down half a kilo which I guess it what maintenance looks like?

Have been really been struggling with motivation to get to the gym and week before last I didn't even make it once. Managed twice last week but that's not really going to cut it. I think my saving grace has been the fact that I walk everywhere.

Personal life - hmmm, G and I still on good terms. Had the weekend in Edinburgh which was good. We shared a room which gave us an opportunity to have a bit of a chat. Seems like we're on the same page - right decision but still hard to get used to. Weekend after that we had dinner and then the following week dinner and drinks with a couple of other friends (two friends, not a couple). His parents arrived in Scotland last week and he is off this week showing them the sights. I'm having dinner with the 3 of them Wednesday night. Will be the first time I've seen people from home since the split - and they're pretty close to it too. I am sure it will all be fine though - it's not like they're going to say anything to me about it. Just another down side of splitting up I guess - I really liked my in-laws so it is a bit of a shame that I probably won't see them anymore.

Single life is really not all it's cracked up to be. I am having a few issues dealing with men's responses to me being single. Feels like I have become fair game overnight. Can't be many left to come out of the woodwork though so that side should settle down. Meeting someone I am actually attracted to could prove tricky though. Would love to be a Samantha but I do have standards!

Am pretty much used to living alone now and I really quite enjoy it. Spent yesterday pottering around and sorting out all of my clothes now I have a bit more storage space. I have actually spent a fair whack of cash on clothes since the split so my existing system needed an overhaul. Also wanted to move my bigger clothes out of the main wardrobe - there were 5 pairs of jeans that are too big! Didn't turf all the bigger clothes though as I have made that mistake before - don't want to have to walk around naked if I put a bit of weight on and nobody likes buying clothes because they've stacked it on. The good thing about going through everything is I realised how many nice things I do have - and I can't wait to wear them! The weather is the only fly in that ointment as it is shaping up to be another crappy summer over here. God I miss the sun.

So anyway, really want to try to get in a reasonable number of workouts this week. Ideally I'd like it to be 6 but I will be happy with 4 or 5. Dinner on Wednesday is late so I can get something in beforehand. Friday night I have a farewell party to go to with work people - would like to keep it a bit under control and have nothing to feel bad about on Saturday morning (at least when I'm not pissed I can exert a bit more control over what others do too). And I'd like to keep updating here too - only 8 or so more entries until I make 100!

Regrouping

2008-05-30T09:20:00.002+01:00

Well I am still here but have been pretty slack on the food and exercise front. Somehow my weight is holding steady and I weighed in this morning at 58.9kg which is the same as my weight nearly 2 weeks ago (and my lowest recorded weight since about 2000). I really really really need to get back into the exercise, my arms have definitely lost definition and I'd really like it back!

Anyway, I am off to Edinburgh for the weekend - my first social event where both my husband and myself will be present since the split. Hopefully it won't be too weird. Since I'm away there will really be no opportunity for any structured exercise so I am trying to regroup for next week and finally get this challenge underway (next week is week 4).

It is my birthday next week and the only good thing I can say about that is that it will be my lightest birthday since my early 20's (the last time I was this light was 2000 but I didn't get to that weight until the end of the year). Bloody depressing being so old - especially since this is not the position I wanted to be in at this age. I am taking my inspiration from Samantha from Sex and the City (saw the movie Wednesday night - awesome!), she is 50 and looks absolutely fantastic. Also identified with her the most after seeing the film. I understood exactly what she meant about having to take a risk. Fingers crossed it pays off.

Same Old, Same Old

2008-05-22T09:20:00.002+01:00

Seems I just keep coming on here and saying I haven't done what I said I was going to do. At least I haven't left it so long between posts this time. Monday I didn't do upper body but I did manage a 3 mile jog. When I'm feeling the jogging I like to just go with it so I did. Anyway, did upper body last night and am already feeling a bit sore. Have established that my gym does have a Smith machine but there is always some meathead on it so I ended up doing assisted pull-ups instead. Man I am so crap at them! Oh well, can only get better I suppose.

I have just finished a project at work that I have been working on full-time for nearly 4 months. I think I have been using that to avoid dealing with the end of my marriage so now things are starting to sink in properly. My husband moved out a week ago so now it is just me. I kind of like it but it is weird being on my own for the first time ever. My boss is very understanding and has just asked if I would like to take some time off so I am going to take Monday and Tuesday off work. If I have to spend it crying then that is what I'll do. I have hardly cried at all since it all happened which is very strange and I feel like I need to get it out. It is very difficult over here as I don't have anyone to really talk to about it. My friends back home have all been so lovely and I really wish I was there right now with people who know me so well. Oh well, if I can cope with this over here without my support network then I can survive pretty much anything.

Week 2

2008-05-19T16:24:00.002+01:00

OK, week 1 was a bit of a washout. Didn't keep my tracking up to date on Calorie King and was a bit half-arsed with the workouts too. Anyway, moving on to week 2 and will hopefully be a bit better this week. I at least hope to get in all my workouts which will be the first time in a while.

So anyway, week one wasn't a total bust as I did actually lose weight (must be the break-up diet kicking in). My starting weight last week was 60.1kg and this morning I weighed in at 58.9kg. I reckon if I lose half a kilo it will be the lightest I've been since I was 25 (after my first attempt at Weight Watchers). My stomach was certainly pretty flat (for me) this morning.

So tonight's plan is cardio and upper body. Haven't seen a Smith machine at my gym to do my pull-ups so am on the lookout for somewhere I can do them anyway. Last week I was incredibly sore after this workout so will aim for the same this week!

Day 2

2008-05-13T10:14:00.003+01:00

OK, I lied in my last post. Never made it to the gym and was out drinking until 2am that night! I eventually managed a 3 mile jog on the treadmill on Thursday but that was as far as the exercise went for the week. Have emailed Kerryn and decided to start the challenge this week instead. So this is day 2. Yesterday I ate well and went to the gym for upper body and a little bit of cardio. Today's plan is pretty much the same but straight cardio tonight.

On the plus side, I have actually lost weight since the end of my last challenge - what are the chances?? I have not been comfort eating, in fact I don't really have any desire to. I am actually coping surprisingly well, I thought this would be a lot harder. It probably helps that this split has been coming for a while and I actually feel a strong sense of relief that I can stop asking myself over and over if I am in the right relationship. I have had no doubts about my decision and I really feel it is the right thing for both of us. We are still living together though but hopefully only for another couple of weeks. Relations are fine but it is a little awkward which I suppose is to be expected.

So anyway, now I need a hot body to go with my newly single status. I feel pretty happy that I don't have masses of weight to lose at this point. In fact, if I lost nothing in this next 12 weeks it wouldn't bother me but I am hoping to shape up particularly in the arms and legs. Oh, and the stomach so I can throw myself a fancy dress party and wear the belly dancing costume I bought in Turkey!

So Much for Being Back

2008-05-06T16:29:00.002+01:00

OK, so have been exceptionally slack on the blogging front. I haven't fallen into a vat of chocolate so all is not lost, however exercise has been very thin on the ground.

I went to Turkey for Anzac Day and got back a week ago. Since then I have had a work colleague die (she was only 37 - such a shame) and have split up with my husband. Today is supposed to be day 2 of my next 12 week challenge with Kerryn and so far it is an unmitigated disaster. Yesterday was my colleague's funeral and day one of being single again. No exercise at all as the funeral was out of town, I had been awake since 3am and I was drinking in the afternoon. Today is a bit better but I have a friend from Oz staying tonight and will have to take her out for a drink. She is not a really close friend and since she is staying in our flat my husband and I decided not to mention our split to avoid her feeling uncomfortable. We are on good terms anyway and have not yet moved to separate beds so it's not really a problem.

Anyway, tomorrow will be a better day. I WILL go to the gym after work and I will track my food on Calorie King. Actually, should probably get on there now and start planning what to have.

Back!

2008-04-08T08:32:00.003+01:00

Well I'm back. Have been since before the weekend but I really didn't get out of the holiday mode until yesterday. The holiday was AWESOME! I had forgotten just how fantastic the weather in Perth is - such a change from this never-ending winter we are getting in Scotland (seriously, is it supposed to snow in April??). I had so much fun catching up with everyone.

So onto the exercise and nutrition front. If alcohol was an antioxidant I would be cancer-proof right about now. I am ashamed to admit that there was not one alcohol-free day in the 3 weeks I was gone. It's not like I was getting hammered every day but there was always at least 2-3 drinks every day (probably more if you actually count them as standard drinks). Anyway, needless to say a bit of a detox is in order.

Food wasn't the worst I have ever eaten, but a long way from the best. I managed to rein it in a bit in my last week but that was more in terms of quantity rather than quality.

Exercise was probably the area I did the best in (surprise, surprise - it's the same old story). It started off well with a 6km jog along the Thames on my first morning before flying to Perth. I thought this was a sensational effort since I had been up drinking until 2am the night before. My first morning in Perth I also woke at 5am so I waited for it to get light and then ran the 2.5km or so each way to go and get some cash. I also made it to the gym for a few strength training sessions which I was pleased with (don't want those muscles disappearing). Apart from that I only managed 2 days on the bike but tried to get in plenty of walking. One day I actually walked 13km after doing 20km on the bike. I must admit I've obviously acclimatised to the weather in Scotland as exercising in the heat was killing me!

Anyway, it's all over now and I'm on my last week of my 12 week "challenge" with Kerryn. This morning's weight was 62.3kg so can't see myself getting back to my lowest weight of the 12 weeks but I can still see plenty of improvement from the beginning. I am hoping Kerryn will have the availability to take me on for another 12 weeks after my next holiday (Turkey for Anzac Day). Now that I don't have so much weight to lose I would like to focus more on sculpting in particular my arms and legs (although the gut could definitely use some work after the holiday). I am definitely planning on keeping up the weights as I just love having some muscles. Just need to strip the fat from them now.

So back to the gym it is. Went on Sunday for my first upper body session since I've been back. Haven't lost any strength and in fact the break might've done some good since I'm planning on upping weights on 4 of the exercises next time. Also went last night and did a 3 mile run on the treadmill. The legs were feeling it a bit last night but they seem OK today. Tonight is lower body. Don't know why I don't look forward to this as much as upper body but I suppose everything can't be your favourite.

Goal Achieved

2008-03-12T11:52:00.002Z

Well, it's my last day of work - leaving early to fly down to London before heading off tomorrow arvo for Perth. Woo hoo!

Weighed in at 59.9kg this morning and really couldn't be more pleased (except for the fact that I only have 2 pairs of jeans that fit and the ones I am wearing are not them). Not sure if I will be able to weigh myself all that often while I'm away but I will do so whenever I get the chance, just to make sure I'm not getting carried away! Also want to keep up the exercise.

Anyway, time for lunch. Roll on 4 o'clock!

Back Under 60kg

2008-03-11T09:52:00.002Z

As expected, weight dropped from yesterday and I'm now at 59.8kg. Pretty happy with that! It feels so good to have set some goals and actually achieved them in the timeframe I set (for once). I had 2 trips back to Oz last year and both times I set lofty targets, only to fall well short. This time I am really proud of myself.

Good workout last night. Did my new lower body weights program but missed leg press as it was broken and also the dumbbell step-ups as I couldn't find a step (there was a step class on at the time). Felt pretty good though and a change is as good as a holiday! Also did half an hour on the treadmill and managed to jog 3km without stopping (also did warmup and cooldown). It's good that the running is coming a little easier at the moment as I may need to rely on it a bit for cardio while I'm away.

Only one more workout before we fly down to London and probably won't get to the gym until next Monday so need to make it count! Just a cardio workout tonight though. Think I will do either Tabata intervals on the bike or intervals on the arc trainer. Roll on tomorrow!

3 Work Days to Go!

2008-03-10T11:00:00.002Z

Just need to make it through the next couple of days and then we'll be off! My calendar is absolutely packed so I will probably return absolutely knackered but I don't care. Checked the weather forecast and it looks like the weather in Perth is cooling right down from last week which is a bit of a bummer but then again, I probably can't handle the heat very well after getting used to maximums around 6 degrees. As long as I can get some colour I will be happy.

Weight back up to 9st 7lb this morning but no doubt a bit of water retention after the weekend so not worried (and anyway that was my goal weight for the trip). Kerryn has given me a revised resistance program which I will continue while I'm away. Have already organised which gym I'll be using while I'm back, now just need to make sure I actually get there! Cardio shouldn't be too much of a problem as I am keen to get out and about in the sunshine. Hoping to meet Pip while I'm there and hopefully we can get in a ride around the river. Will also be out on the bike a bit with my mum so it will be nice to have someone to chat to while I'm exercising - my exercise over here is all very solitary.

Exercise will be poor this week due to 3 days where I won't be able to do anything but I need to make up for it on the other days, at least today and tomorrow. So plan for tonight is my new lower body weights program and some cardio. Tomorrow will be more cardio. Will try to squeeze in a walk down in London on Thursday morning before we fly out that arvo. Not looking forward to the hugely long flight but can't wait to arrive!

Whoops!

2008-03-07T10:51:00.002Z

Didn't realise it was Tuesday I last posted, getting slack! Have had a busy week (again) but have actually got in all my workouts so am happy with that. On the food side I have been quite poor though - as usual, too much alcohol and my food is too low in quality. I have been keeping the quantity low though to offset that. As a result (and probably assisted by a bit of alcoholic dehydration) I weighed in this morning at 59.9kg. Yep, finally under 60kg. Now just need to maintain it!

Wine tasting tonight - should be good but I am looking forward to an alcohol free day tomorrow after drinking the last 2 nights already. I'm pretty tired too so I'm looking forward to some vegging out this weekend. And I need to start packing! 4 more work days to go!

7 More Work Days To Go!

2008-03-04T10:05:00.002Z

I am sooooo struggling with motivation for work - just want it to be next Wednesday already!

A pound off overnight so now just need to lose 300g to get under 60kg. Have a few challenges coming up this week - tomorrow night I am off to some corporate event at a hotel. Food and drink will be involved but I'm sure I can manage to keep it to a reasonable level. Thursday night have drinks for a friend's birthday and then Friday night I have a wine tasting evening. I will make Friday my free meal so no need to worry about that one but Thursday night I may struggle. Bloody alcohol is definitely my weakness - and it doesn't help that I have a reputation as a boozer either as everyone just expects me to get on it and there is a lot of attention (and arm twisting) if I don't. Oh well, will try to be a bit restrained on Thursday so I'm not hungover Friday and then I can relax Friday night.

I absolutely love internet shopping in the UK. The dress I ordered yesterday has already arrived! Looks really nice but definitely a clingy fabric. Should be OK though as the dress is sort of empire line so shouldn't cling around my guts. Hopefully it won't be a cold day for the wedding though as I don't think it will hide high beams! Speaking of high beams, my boobs have shrunk beyond belief and I am really not happy about it. I swear they are half the size they were at the beginning of the year. I don't know about anyone else but I have always got the girls out in an attempt to disguise excess flesh elsewhere. Quite frankly I think it's a winning tactic. Anyway, what I've got at the moment wouldn't disguise a pimple on an elephant's arse. I was loving my boobs at the beginning of the year but now I am disappointed when I look down. I know you have to expect some shrinkage but why does it have to be so out of proportion to everything else?? My thighs haven't shrunk that much! Oh well, unless I have a boob job I'm probably stuck with it.

Have to have a photo to go on my work CV today (company CV). Not happy Jan as we weren't given any notice and my hair is a shocker and I've got a zit on my chin. That will teach me to be slack and put no effort into my appearance for work.

Still Here

2008-03-03T11:24:00.002Z

OK, I didn't purposely go AWOL after achieving my goal weight and I haven't fallen off the wagon. I did go out on Thursday and Friday and drink too much but no real damage done. Am up 300g since last Thursday but no big deal. That leaves me with 800g to lose to get under 60kg. And I want to do it by next Wednesday which is 9 days. Totally possible.

Really want to put in a big effort on the workout front this week as this is my last full week before my holiday. Next week will be poor exercise-wise as I can't see myself being able to exercise in airports. If I can manage 3 workouts next week I will consider it a victory.

I have just ordered my reward for getting to goal (OK, so I would still like to lose more weight but the fact I made my holiday goal is enough for me at the moment). It's a dress to wear to the wedding I'm going to back in Perth. It was a bit expensive but a classic style and, provided I can stay at a reasonable weight, it's something I will be able to wear for years to come. The wedding's on the last weekend we're in Perth, 2 weeks after we arrive, so it's also motivation to keep my weight under control while I'm there. I ordered the size small which is apparently a size 8-10 so it should fit. It's a jersey fabric though so could be clingy. Have a girls night out the night before the wedding so will need to be careful to avoid bloating!

Have switched over to the new gym. It's got more posers in it than my last one - maybe I need some new workout clothes. Apart from that it seems OK. According to Google maps, it's about a 5km round trip to walk there from home so I'm getting plenty of incidental exercise in too. Cardio tonight - will be interesting to see how packed the gym is on a Monday night after work.

Last Day at the Gym

2008-02-28T08:24:00.002Z

Not the last day at A gym, just the last day at my old gym. Actually it is a bit of a shame as since we have moved my old gym is just so convenient. On the downside, walking to and from the old gym doesn't add any extra exercise to my day. That will certainly not be the case with the new gym as it will add at least 3km every day. So tonight I will do my final workout at the old and on the weekend I will have to work out where all the equipment I need is at the new gym. Kerryn is threatening to up my training soon so I am a bit worried about that but no doubt it will help me to keep getting the results I want.

A momentous day on the scales today. I stepped on and got 9 stone 7 lb, which was my goal weight for my trip back to Perth. So for once I actually achieved a goal in the timeframe I wanted. Today's weight is 60.3kg and since I still have a couple of weeks until I leave I may as well go for under 60kg which is only a pound away. The weight is just flying off at the moment and I guess I know why - I am not eating enough. The truth is that it kind of started with just being extra busy but now I don't actually like the feeling of having food in my stomach. I know this is not a good thing and I do need to try to get my nutrition back on track. It's very difficult though when I am enjoying the results so much (and to be honest I do have a history of slightly disordered eating so it's probably even more important I get a handle on it).

Anyway, tonight I have a meal out with friends so a good chance to attempt to eat a normal amount for dinner. I really need to get some vegies in too. And avoid too much alcohol - but surely a glass of wine is in order for achieving my goal??

Sick of Work

2008-02-27T09:58:00.002Z

I shouldn't have started my countdown so early - now I just want it to be 2 weeks in the future where I am heading off for my holiday and I don't have to worry about work. My motivation for work has been non-existent for a while and seeing my holiday fairly close means it is not coming back. Oh well, nothing for it but to wait and watch the days drag by.

Yesterday I had a good workout but food was a bit off-track (well, it was really the wine that went with it). Had a friend drop round and she is going through a break-up so we just sat around chatting and wine is essential in these situations! No real damage on the scales today but that is possibly due to slight dehydration. At any rate I wouldn't expect a huge gain and I'm sure it will be gone in a day or 2 anyway.

On to today then. Cardio tonight and I think I will do a treadmill workout. Haven't done any jogging for at least a week so I am actually looking forward to it. Roll on 5 o'clock.

12 more work days to go!

2008-02-26T09:10:00.002Z

Until my trip back to Perth. I am getting so excited! Have been trying to arrange catch-ups with various friends and my diary is starting to fill up so it actually feels like it is coming quite soon now. For once I am actually feeling pretty good about my weight loss achievements in light of the fact that I set this holiday as my goal. Last year I lost a fair bit of weight before a trip back to Perth but I was still a long way short of my goal (and half a stone heavier than I am now). I still felt pretty good about myself (and did get a lot of compliments) but this time I will feel even better.

Anyway, still need to keep plugging on with it. I'd like to be at 9 stone 7 lb for the start of my trip which means I'm only 1.5 lb away as of this morning. Really no excuse for not being able to get rid of a measly 1.5 lb in 2 weeks.

Did Tabata intervals on the exercise bike last night. They are absolutely killer - for a 35 minute workout it really packs a punch. Had an early night too after not getting enough sleep last week and am feeling much better for it. Lower body weights tonight - will probably take ages as the gym is still packed early in the week. This is my last week at my old gym - as of next week I will be adding an extra 3km of walking to my day by trekking over to the new gym.

So Busy

2008-02-25T10:59:00.002Z

I have been MIA due to an extremely busy week last week. I really can't be bothered to even think about it now but as far as food and exercise goes it wasn't too bad. There was less exercise and less food than I would've liked (and more alcohol) but I am proud to say I actually lost weight again this week. 3 lbs to be exact. That puts me at 61.6kg.

Also in the last week people have really been coming out of the woodwork with compliments about the weight loss. It's great motivation to have others notice but what's probably even better is that I can really tell now too. I am just absolutely loving myself at the moment, I'm surprised my head can fit through any doorways. I am constantly posing in front of the mirrors at home and if I'm in the lift by myself I can't help but take a cheeky peek at my side view. I'm sure I will get bored of it but at the moment it's a bit of a novelty to actually like what I look like on a consistent basis so I'm going with it.

On the downside, I am finding myself increasingly anxious about putting the weight back on. Logically, this isn't unreasonable since this is what has happened every time I've lost weight, however I am fairly certain than on none of these previous occasions have I managed to put it all back on overnight. I have an unrealistic fear of having one bad day and stepping on the scales to see I've put it all back on the very next day. As a result I am probably being even more strict with myself now than I was when I started. I am not enjoying my free meals as much because of the anxiety. Definitely something to work on.

So this week is week 6 and I am hoping to have a better week with less anxiety and more routine. No excuses this week with regards to exercise so this will probably help me to avoid being overly disciplined with my food. The last 2 weeks I have been very aware of the fact that I haven't had time to exercise as I would like so I've reacted by overly restricting my food. I know that that is not helping me in the long run as I will struggle to maintain by eating too little. I really want to make this time the time that sticks so I need to put some effort into fixing some of the disordered thinking I have around food and exercise. Sigh.

Tuesday

2008-02-19T09:23:00.002Z

Nothing much to report. Stuck to the plan yesterday even though I didn't get home until around 8:30pm. Have noticed that I am just less hungry than I used to be, must be getting used to reduced portions. This is great news as it means even when I'm not necessarily eating the right food I will be reducing the damage it does.

Plan for today is the same as yesterday, except I'll be doing cardio not weights.

Looking forward to Thursday night just for the fact that I am planning on wearing my skinny jeans. I haven't worn these for about 4 years. Have been trying them on for the last few weeks and I reckon the time has come when I can actually start wearing them out in public. Fingers crossed...

Longest Weekend Ever

2008-02-18T13:49:00.002Z

And not in a good way. Spent all of Saturday and Sunday moving flats and now we have a spotless old flat and a new flat with bozes and bags full of random stuff strewn everywhere. Unpacking feels like a mammoth task at the moment and I can't face it. Will need to do something though as we have friends staying next weekend. I hope they don't mind sleeping standing up!

The weekend was a bit of a disaster food and exercise wise too. It all started on Friday when I succumbed to peer group pressure (I thought this disappeared once you left high school??) and went out for "one" drink. I was still trying to convince myself (and everyone else) that I was going to the gym after 4 or 5 drinks and, to nobody's surprise but my own, I never made it. I did manage to resist the crappy pub food everyone else ate and I returned home with total recall so it could've been worse.

Saturday we spent transferring stuff from the old flat to the new. We probably slacked off a bit too much as we didn't do any cleaning of the old so decided to leave that until Sunday. Also went to the pub for a couple of drinks in the arvo - after all, we had to shout a mate a couple after he helped us lug the TV up the stairs. After the pub I made it to the gym and did a lower body weights workout before having pizza for dinner. The only good thing about that was that I only managed 1 and a half slices as I was too tired to chew.

Yesterday we spent 9 hours organising the old flat into a state we could hand it over in. Had McDonald's for lunch but I stuck to a cheeseburger - couldn't resist fries though. No gym as there was just no time and we went out for Thai for dinner (plus shared a bottle of wine).

Overall this last week sounds really bad - 4 gym visits instead of 6, about 6 free meals, alcohol, more fast food than I've eaten all year - but somehow I have actually lost 2 pounds this week (and managed to maintain Friday's weight). I think this is largely due to portion control - who would've thought it?? Not that I plan on continuing this way of eating and exercising but it's nice to know that one crazy week hasn't undone everything before.

This week is again going to be a challenge. I'm having laser eye surgery on Wednesday, I'm the quizmaster at the annual work quiz night on Thursday and then we have friends arriving for the weekend on Friday. Not to mention the fact that our new flat looks like a bomb's hit it. It's totally unrealistic for me to be totally on plan for food this week but I do have a plan of attack to minimise the damage. I am going to be strict on food for the next 3 days and plan to get in a full 6 days at the gym this week. In order to squeeze the gym visits in I will need to go in the morning both Wednesday and Thursday which is probably my biggest challenge. It just goes against the grain to get out of a nice warm bed in the Scottish winter to trudge to the gym and workout.

I did my 4 week progress photos yesterday and while there are definitely some changes, I still have a fair way to go until I will be happy. I am happy with the changes in measurements though:

Chest: 91cm (-5cm)
Waist: 72cm (-5cm)
Hips: 93cm (-4cm)
Thigh: R - 57cm (-2cm) L - 55cm (-3cm)
Calf: R - 33cm (-1.5cm) L - 35.5cm (-1.5cm)
Arm: R - 30cm (-1cm) L - 30cm (-1cm)

The photos just emphasise how out of proportion my legs are - I have huge thighs and tiny calves. A lot of this is down to my club feet (all my family have huge calves but I can't build much muscle there) but it would certainly help things if I could slim the thighs down significantly. Oh well, must be happy with the progress so far.

Triple Victory

2008-02-15T09:03:00.003Z

I absolutely killed myself at the gym last night. I started with elliptical intervals and by the end of the 30 minutes I seriously thought I might be having a heart attack. I managed to get my heart rate up to 207 bpm so I think it's fair to say I was working as hard as I possibly could. Despite the fact I felt like dying I then moved on to do some walk/jog intervals on the treadmill. By the end of another 30 minutes I was definitely ready to go home and collapse.

So I get on the scales this morning and see that I have achieved my next 3 goals all at once (sure there was only about half a kilo between them but that's not the point OK?). My weight this morning was 62.9kg which puts me under 10 stone, under 63 kg and my BMI under 25. Woo hoo!! I am no longer overweight! I am wearing a very figure hugging top today too just to show it off...

The good news with this weight is that I've already used my free meal this week so I could possibly see something even lower on Monday morning (usually Friday or Saturday is my lowest weight for the week). Just have to be vigilant over the weekend, especially since we are moving and I know we will not be hugely interested in cooking. There is a Thai restaurant only a few minutes walk from our new flat so that could be an option. Also need to get in my workouts around all the moving and cleaning. We sign the lease at lunch time today and hopefully we get the keys then, even though our lease doesn't officially start until tomorrow. I can't wait to see the new flat again - I hope it's as nice as I remember...

Good and Bad

2008-02-14T09:29:00.002Z

So last night's dinner out wasn't a total disaster but I wish it had've been better. The menu wasn't especially diet friendly although they did have a few salads. However, they didn't look especially appetising except for the tomato salad but that wouldn't have even touched the sides. I ended up going with pasta in a tomato based sauce but it did have a fair bit of sausage in it. I only ate about half of the serving though and stopped when I was satisfied. I skipped the starter and had one small piece of bread. My biggest downfall was drinking 2 or 3 glasses of wine. On the plus side, I did do a good workout beforehand.

Anyway, no point going on about it. There's nothing for it but to move on. So today I am aiming to reduce the calories slightly (but not so much I feel deprived) and will do a good cardio workout tonight.

We sign the lease on our new flat tomorrow and the moving commences on Saturday. Pretty excited about moving to the new place but not looking forward to cleaning the old. Need to squeeze in cardio workouts on both Saturday and Sunday too so it will be a busy and tiring weekend. Think I will sleep well Sunday night (which will make a change from this week).

Slight Change of Plans

2008-02-13T11:52:00.002Z

Definitely not under 10 stone for me this morning. Yesterday didn't exactly pan out how I intended. After lunch I was really starting to feel the pinch after 2 nights in a row where I didn't get to sleep until well after 1am. I think the problem is work stress - I am on some really shit projects at the moment and managing my first one which is not going according to schedule. Anyway, come yesterday afternoon I was talking myself out of going to the gym and desperately wanted to shovel in vast quantities of chocolate. The funny thing is that I actually felt fat just thinking about what I was going to eat and not going to the gym. Feeling fat just tipped me over the edge and I decided that yesterday would be my free meal and no gym day. I am allowed one day to do this so I shouldn't feel guilty but I definitely did (until the chocolate took effect). Anyway, I've moved on now and will have to remember that I've had my fun this week when I want to slack off on the weekend.

So on to the rest of the week and getting under 10 stone. Gym tonight - upper body weights and I'd better do some cardio too. Dinner with friends afterwards at an Italian restaurant. Hope I can find something OK to eat. Tried looking online for a menu but the restaurant doesn't have a website. After last week's Chinese success I am feeling OK about tonight's meal. After all, it's really about the company not the meal!

So Close...

2008-02-12T09:21:00.001Z

OK, this morning I was exactly 10 stone again which means any loss tomorrow will mean I am finally under 10 stone. Please please please let it happen tomorrow. After that my next goal is to get my BMI under 25 which means I need to weigh 63.2 kg (sure that's a BMI of 24.999 but who cares?). Should be able to achieve that this week too since it's only 0.3 kg less than I was this morning. Once I get into the 9 stone something range it's all fresh fat. This stuff has been hanging around for 4 years so it will feel great to get rid of it.

Lower body weights with half an hour of cardio last night. The gym was ridiculously busy last night. Not a single cardio machine available so I ended up skipping my warm-up. Couldn't get the leg press or a space to do abs so I did half an hour of treadmill before going back. Unbelievably there was a guy on the leg press machine when I got on the treadmill and he was still on it until just before I got off. Lucky for him he got off when he did because I was getting gym rage and was all set to go over and give him a serve. Once he got off these other 2 jokers just stood leaning on it but luckily they pissed off when I asked if they were using it. There's a fucking cafe downstairs people - if you're just there to fuck about stop cluttering up the gym floor. No doubt tonight will be just as bad.

Still Ticking Along

2008-02-11T14:52:00.000Z

Another weekend over, another Monday back at work. This week I had my free meal on Friday which has done wonders for my weigh-in this morning. Having it a day earlier means there's a bit more time to recover on the scales in time for Monday morning. As expected I consumed waaaaaaay too much alcohol on Friday night but I did manage to stick to my plan of 1 glass of wine with vodka only after that. As a result I wasn't too hungover on Saturday and managed my planned workout without vomiting. I also kept the food pretty well in check - well, the calories anyway. Yesterday I actually walked to my new gym which is about a 5.5 km round trip (could actually take a bit of a shortcut since it was daylight). Once there I did Tabata intervals for 30 minutes then 15 minutes on both the arc trainer and ski machine. I have never been on either of these machines before so it was good to try something new. Will definitely be giving both a go again. The ski machine in particular was fairly challenging and I could feel it working the muscles on the inner parts of my legs, just above my knees. This is an area that has always needed slimming (my legs are easily my worst feature) so hopefully the ski machine can help.

So after the weekend I was happy to get on the scales and see that I have lost 1.1 kg since last Monday, meaning that in the 3 weeks since I started this program I've lost 3.5 kg. Very happy with that although I expect the rate of weight loss to slow down over the next few weeks. I only need to lose 0.75 lb (0.3 kg) to get under 10 stone and be the lightest I've been in 4 years and I am expecting that to happen in the next few days. If it doesn't I will be VERY upset. I know it's only a number but seeing my weight start with 9 stone will be so motivating. I'll be giving my all at the gym tonight trying to speed up the process!

Success!

2008-02-08T09:03:00.001Z

If you think this title refers to my quest for a scale reading of under 10 stone this morning you'd be wrong. However, I went out for a chinese meal last night and I stuck to my plan with regard to food and alcohol and I am pretty pleased with myself. I did get a drop on the scales this morning but it was just shy of what I wanted - 10 stone even. Under 10 stone will be mine next week!

Tonight I am having my free meal. I know I'm supposed to only have alcohol in moderation but there's no point in me even saying that that's what's going to happen tonight. I will say though that I will have one glass of wine and then stick to vodka, lime and soda as I really want to minimise the hangover. Need to be fresh enough to get in a decent workout tomorrow as today is also my rest day.

Not much else to report - roll on 5 o'clock...

Eh

2008-02-07T09:21:00.000Z

I'm feeling a bit flat today. It more than likely has something to do with work - I am on some totally shit projects at the moment. Roll on holidays so I can get away.

I really wasn't feeling it last night at the gym. Had lower body weights and I was planning on doing 30 minutes of cardio after that but I only managed 15. The gym was ridiculously busy - even the stretching/ab area is packed these days. It totally sucks and I am getting sick of it. Cardio tonight so hopefully I can get an elliptical without waiting around for half an hour.

I've also got a Chinese New Year dinner with friends tonight so I really need to pound out some quality cardio beforehand. I am not planning on drinking and will be trying to stick to a small portion of rice and some sort of stir-fried dish. I am so close to getting under 10 stone I really want it to happen tomorrow but I will have to be extremely careful because of all the salt in chinese food. Tomorrow I am having my free meal, which will probably be more alcohol than actual food as I'm going out straight from work. This means that my weight will be up on Saturday so if I don't get under 10 stone tomorrow it probably won't happen until next week. If I'm reeeeeally good tonight hopefully I will be rewarded tomorrow.

The Long Road Home

2008-02-06T09:15:00.001Z

Well, I went to my new gym last night. It is SOOOO much further from home than my old one! It's a 3km walk home which seemed like ages after I did Tabata intervals on the bike. On the plus side, my weight this morning was the lowest I've seen since April last year (and I didn't last longer than a week or so before I went on holiday and started packing it back on again). I know I shouldn't pin everything on my daily weight but this new number has me feeling pretty good. I'm feeling really confident that I will be looking good by the time my trip to Perth comes around (5 weeks and counting). The only problem is that I will be wasting 3 weeks of my program with Kek by being on holiday. I probably shouldn't say wasting but I fully expect to put weight on while I'm at home and I am totally OK with that. I will have so many people to catch up with and it will involve eating and drinking. On the other hand, I don't want to let the exercise go. I may just have to find a gym where I can do casual visits so I can keep up the weights. As far as the cardio goes I will be sorted with my bike and walking. By the time I get back to Aberdeen there will be less than 2 weeks of my program left but that at least gives me a jumpstart on getting rid of the holiday bloat. I may even sign up for another 12 weeks after that. Anyway, I could've used the fact that I'm holiday for 3 weeks out of 12 to not start the program at all so I'm proud that I decided to just do it.

So, back to the old gym today. Given the distance to the new gym I'll be making the most of the remaining 23 days of membership at the old gym. I might venture to the new gym one weekend when it's a bit quieter so I can sort out where all the machines and weights are that I need for my program. The layout in this new gym is a bit of a mishmash with cardio and weight machines all mixed in together. I'm not really a fan of that setup but they do have better and more variety of cardio equipment. Will have to try out the ski machine! Oh, and they've got a couple fo those vibrating plate things too so I'll have to give that a go.

I'm Over Titles

2008-02-05T14:50:00.000Z

Can't be arsed coming up with a title. Nothing exciting happening here. A bit late posting because I've been busy at work - don't they realise I've got more important things to do??

Anyway, upper body last night went well, although again I couldn't manage the bicep superset. I swear I WILL manage a full 3 sets with 4 kg dumbbells at some stage - hopefully soon. My biceps are weird too. Instead of burning they just stop working and I just can't lift the weight. I feel like they are getting a bit of definition now though so that makes me happy.

Tonight I am going to head to my new gym for a cardio workout. By the time I get all signed up and everything I anticipate getting home quite late (especially since I have to walk nearly 4.5km from work to the gym and then home again). Luckily Glen is cooking so I don't have to worry about that.

Roll on Friday!

Monday Again

2008-02-04T13:22:00.000Z

Why do the weekends go so fast?? I had a pretty quiet one this weekend. Saturday night I visited a friend who just got back from a holiday in Oz last weekend. She had such a good time she has decided to move back for good. I get quite jealous when I think about people I know over here going back home. Oh well, only 5 and a bit weeks until our holiday in Perth and then we're moving back for good at the end of the year anyway.

Anyway, I made Saturday night my free meal. Had takeaway Thai and about a bottle of wine. Definitely didn't go as overboard as last week but the scales didn't care. I know it is physically impossible to put on a kilo from one night off but it is still disheartening to see it!

My new gym membership starts today but I think I will save heading down there for a cardio day. That way I don't have to spend my first session digging around for all the weights and machines I need. It will be good to have 2 options for February but will be sad when my old membership runs out since it is so close to our new flat (which we move into in 2 weeks). Oh well, think of the money.

Today is upper body weights. I am actually starting to notice some effects from doing weights. My arms seem more defined and everything is tightening up a bit. Of course these changes are probably not visible to the naked eye of anyone but me. Still, as long as I can see it!

Max Heartrate

2008-02-01T12:14:00.000Z

Well, I think after last night's workout it is safe to say that the old formula of 220 - age doesn't work for my maximum heartrate. I was doing intervals on the elliptical and I managed to get my heartrate up to 210! I did feel like dying so I reckon this is pretty close to my maximum. This is the highest I have ever recorded, my previous highest being 207. Those intervals on the elliptical were absolutely killer. I would estimate that my average heartrate over the 30 minutes was 190 bpm. So a pretty hard workout. After that I did 30 minutes of incline walk intervals on the treadmill. Did it at a marginally slower pace than I would normally due to being tired from the elliptical.

Now I know some people would say that obviously there is something wrong with my heartrate monitor for me to be getting readings so high. But I have always had a very high exercise heartrate (I have tried 4 different heartrate monitors, plus the old school method of taking your pulse, but obviously had to do that after the actual effort). I have asked my doctor about it before and she said it wasn't really a problem as long as it drops back down afterwards, which it does reasonably quickly.

I am really enjoying this new program. Having different stuff to do is motivating me no end and I really haven't had to force myself to go to the gym (and with the weather we've had this week that is quite an achievement!). Tonight I'm doing lower body weights again and looking forward to it because the gym will be fairly quiet as it always is on a Friday night. After that I'm having tandoori chicken for dinner. Got the recipe off Kek's food blog (need to work out how to do links but I am too lazy - a link to her other blog is in my sidebar) and had it last week. It was yum!

Again I am facing the weekend with some trepidation. I'm having my free meal tomorrow night and it will be Thai so I'm going to try to limit myself a bit, especially on the booze. I am disgraceful when pissed so I probably should reduce my alcohol for that reason alone, before all my friends get sick of me! Anyway, hopefully I won't gain 2lb over the weekend like last week. If I can be just a little bit lighter on Monday than I was this morning I will be very happy indeed.

Supersets Hurt!

2008-01-31T09:05:00.000Z

Last night was upper body weights. Kerryn has told me to superset my bicep and tricep exercises so that's what I did. Well almost. Triceps I managed but my biceps just wouldn't do it. I managed 2 supersets with the biceps but then had to drop my weight down and rest in between the 2 exercises for the third set. At any rate, my arms were totally dead by the end (and are starting to feel sore today) so I am assuming the workout still had the desired effect. I also did push-ups for one of my chest exercises, mainly because I couldn't get on the chest press machine (which is already a substitute for the bench press I am supposed to do but I can never seem to get a barbell because they're in one of the studios in which there is always a class when I'm at the gym). Some d!ck was on the chest press for at least 15 minutes (he was still on it when I left so god knows how long he ended up on it). What sort of program has you doing 25 sets of about 5 reps?? And the rest periods were long enough to fall asleep in. I really hate the gym at this time of year, it's just so busy. I am actually about to change gyms because mine is costing me £55/month but I can get a membership to another one for next to nothing through work. It's a bit further away but since I walk anyway that's just a bit of extra cardio. I hope it's not even more busy than my existing gym though or I will be pissed off.

The scales are not being especially nice to me this week. Only this morning was I finally down to what I was last Saturday. I know I was a bit out of control on Saturday with the booze but I certainly don't think it should've taken 4 full days of healthy eating and exercise to rectify. Hopefully I can drop a bit more before the weekend otherwise I will be very scared to attempt the free meal again. Which is not to say I won't do it, I will just be pissed off that I end up with no weight loss this week!

Spoke Too Soon

2008-01-30T09:43:00.000Z

OK, remember how I said I had no muscle soreness yesterday? Yeah, scratch that - by the afternoon I could feel it setting in and today it's worse. My hamstrings in particular are feeling it - good stuff!

It was cardio last night and I did the incline jog/walk intervals. The incline makes it so much harder so I guess it's working. Food was OK yesterday too.

Today is upper body weights again. Will have to work harder so I get the sore muscles again since I wasn't really sore after my last upper body workout.

After the gym it will hopefully be an early night.

I Love Weights

2008-01-29T09:19:00.000Z

I am really enjoying the weights program Kerryn has given me. Last night was lower body which actually includes shoulders and abs as well. I decided I wasn't pushing myself enough last week so bumped up most of the weights and I had jelly legs by the end! Don't feel sore today though so maybe I could go even higher? Having said that, I was really struggling to get the last few reps out on the shoulders and they aren't particularly sore today either. There's no point going higher if I can't keep form in the exercises. Did 2/3 of the treadmill incline walk workout for a bit of extra cardio last night too.

Anyway, food good yesterday although dinner was quite late. Would prefer to eat a bit earlier but there's only so early you can eat dinner when you don't get home from the gym until 7:30pm.

Cardio tonight. Think I will go with the treadmill again - incline walk/jog intervals. Food is easy during the week - it's the weekend where I come unstuck!

Week 2

2008-01-28T10:11:00.000Z

So one week down and onto the next. Week 1 was pretty good but I didn't manage to keep the booze under control on Saturday. We had a BBQ for Australia Day in the afternoon (which got rained out - it is Scotland after all). Food was OK, more than I would normally eat but not totally ridiculous. Wine, on the other hand, was way over the top. It probably wouldn't have been so bad but we started drinking around 3pm and got home around 1am. I think I probably drank 2 bottles in that time. Anyway, I was feeling a bit rough yesterday but I didn't resort to the usual hangover cure of copious amounts of carbs and fat so that's something to be proud of. On the downside, Saturday's efforts have resulted in my weight increasing by nearly 2lb since Saturday morning. Hopefully some of that is just bloat and it will disappear quite quickly. But the good news is that, even with that gain, I've lost 1.5 kg in my first week. Go me!

So on to week 2. I don't really want to do much different this week, except limit the damage my free meal does. Have planned out my meals for the weekdays so it should be relatively easy to stick to. Have no plans for the weekend yet but that is almost guaranteed to change so I'm saving my free meal for then.

Today is lower body weights. Might also try to do a bit of cardio to get rid of this booze bloat!

Danger Will Robinson

2008-01-25T10:15:00.000Z

TGIF! I am suffering after my cardio workout last night. I did Tabata intervals on the stationary bike. Kerryn's instructions called for a 5 minute warmup then 10 second intervals at full pelt followed by 10 seconds recovery, repeat 12 times, then 2 minutes recovery. Then repeat all this 12 times. According to my calculations this entire workout would take around 80 minutes including warmup and cooldown. I honestly just couldn't manage it. I did 9 repeats which took 60 minutes. When I got off the bike I got severe cramps in the muscles running from the bottom of my bum cheeks to the top of my legs (don't know what they're called). I could barely walk and had to go lie down on the stretching mats to recover. I then had to walk down to the changerooms and back up the stairs to go out. Walking up the stairs was an absolute killer with serious pain in the muscles (ligaments, tendons?) with every stair. I walked home extremely slowly and had trouble bending down all night. I still have residual pain today but it has improved from last night. Anyway, I think that I need to build up to spending so long on the bike. It's weird because I have spent 5 hours on a real bike before and never experienced this before. It must be those shocking seats they have on the stationary bikes, combined with the major exertion required, combined with a general lack of fitness at this point.

Anyway, despite the pain afterwards, it was a good workout and must've burned a few calories. Lucky I just have upper body weights tonight because I'm not sure how I'd go with any of the cardio equipment. Hopefully it will be OK by tomorrow for my next cardio workout.

Food was good again yesterday and I am quite impressed with how I've gone this week. It's amazing to find out that I don't really need all the crap I had been shovelling in before! The weekend will obviously be a bigger challenge (which is what the title of this post refers to) as this is where I usually come unstuck. Must remember that it is a free MEAL not a whole day! Oh, and try to keep alcohol to a reasonable amount (and no, 2 bottles of wine is not reasonable).

I Hate Lunges!

2008-01-24T09:31:00.000Z

My god, I forgot just how horrible they are. Last night was lower body weights which wasn't too bad apart from the lunges. The workout also includes abs and I have to do fitball crunches. I have never done these before and I'm not convinced I got them quite right but I could definitely feel the abs working, although they don't seem to be sore today. My arm soreness has also improved dramatically overnight so I can now straighten my arm without groaning in pain.

Food was again good yesterday. Amazing how much easier it gets once you get a few days together. I am allowed one free meal each week and this week I am saving it for Saturday night. Not sure what I am doing yet but we will be doing something for Australia Day and I'm sure alcohol will be involved. Will have to be more restrained than I normally am but I'm hoping the fear of undoing all my good work this week will help with that. I also have to submit a weekly report to Kerryn on Monday which will include my weight and measurements so that should be some extra incentive. Don't want her to think I'm not even trying on my first week!

Cardio tonight and I think I'm going to go with a workout on the stationary bike. Food all planned out too. Glen is cooking chilli con carne and the way we make it fits in with my plan but I will be going a lot easier than I normally do on the rice. Also bought the ingredients last night to make Kerryn's tandoori chicken and turkey meatballs so dinners are sorted for the rest of the week.

Day 3

2008-01-23T10:43:00.000Z

My biceps are sore. Every time I straighten my arm after having it bent for a few minutes I can feel it pulling. On the plus side, the triceps, chest and back are a lot better today. Last night's cardio workout was good. I did a treadmill workout with walking and jogging intervals on an incline. Certainly worked up a sweat! I am usually a bit lazy on the treadmill and never put it on an incline but it's amazing how much harder it makes it. When I reduced the incline to 0 for my cooldown I almost felt like I was walking downhill!

Food was good yesterday too. Not loving protein powder but what can you do? I think I need to plan my dinners a bit better. With only 2 serves of pork, beef or lamb allowed a week I need to come up with some interesting ways to eat chicken and turkey. Might have to try Kek's curry as well as the turkey meatballs. Tonight I'm having chicken breast with salsa which is yum!

Lower body weights today. Might also try to squeeze in some moderate cardio if I've got some time. I'm so used to doing heaps of cardio I feel like I'm not doing nearly enough but I'm following Kerryn's plan so trying not to stress. After all, hours upon hours of cardio obviously wasn't working or I wouldn't be here now!

Hurts So Good

2008-01-22T09:06:00.000Z

Yep, as expected I am feeling the effects of my first weights session last night. In particular the biceps and triceps are complaining but I can feel the chest and back too. It's a good kind of pain though, one that lets you know you've actually done something. Tonight it's cardio and I think I'm going to go with a treadmill workout. This new program rocks - just having something different to do is motivating me.

The food side was good yesterday too. I managed to track down some protein powder although I can see it will be a bit of an effort to get it down on a regular basis. That's probably the worst part of the nutrition program for me, I've never been a huge fan of protein powder. I had some on my porridge this morning thinking it might be better than just having it with water but maybe I used too much or maybe you need to mix it in? I just sprinkled it on top and it wasn't great. Not as bad as flaxseed oil I suppose so I should just suck it up. I'll try mixing it in tomorrow. Also want to try a smoothie using it too.

Anyway, I managed a whole day without chocolate and I am pretty pleased with that since it probably hasn't happened for the last 2 months (or more). There is plenty of food on my plan so there's no need to go hungry. Am hoping to get my husband on board as well to make it easier. Not that anything we normally eat couldn't be accommodated anyway - I just need to cut down my carb portions. A serve of rice is half a cup not the 1.5 cups I normally have!

MIA

2008-01-21T09:06:00.000Z

OK, it's been a little while since I blogged but only because I had the plague last week. Sure, it was possibly only the flu but it felt like the plague anyway. Feeling much better now and ready to crack on with some lardbusting.

Kerryn sent me my program over the weekend and it all looks really good. I'm excited about getting on to the weights again, it's been a long time since I did a proper program on a regular basis. The food side looks reasonable as well, although it's a lot more protein than I am used to eating. I need to source a decent protein powder over here. Aberdeen is not exactly awash with health food shops but there is one near my work so I'll check that out today. If I don't find anything decent I'll have to go the online route. In the meantime I have boiled some eggs and will bake some chicken breasts tonight but I may be one serve down on protein each day until I get some powder.

It certainly looks like enough food anyway but I will definitely be cutting down on carbs which I'm sure is no bad thing. The hardest thing for me will be alcohol. It's embarassing to admit how much of a feature alcohol is in my life at this point in time. Every weekend involves at least one binge drinking session, if not 2, and there are usually at least a few drinks midweek too. I have been thinking about cutting down so this is a good time to do it. But it will be hard!

Anyway, food all planned out today. Have yoghurt and eggs in the fridge and will pop out at lunch for some salad and maybe some bread. Have pork steaks for dinner. But before dinner I will be rocking on down to the gym for my first weights session. Am planning on doing upper body today so hopefully I can move tomorrow!

TGIF

2008-01-11T14:54:00.000Z

Feeling pretty blah today. It's only been 2 days and I'm already over flat-hunting. I forgot how indecisive my husband is and despite the fact we saw a pretty good place last night (and that seeing 2 more today just reinforced that) he doesn't want to make any snap decisions. Which would be fine if we were the only people in Aberdeen looking for flats but of course that's not the case. I phoned an agent today at 10am to confirm my viewing of a flat at 2pm and then at 11am they called to cancel because it had been taken. You have to move quick! It's bringing back all the bad memories of looking for a house to buy in Perth. We were looking for about 9 months (despite the fact I had seen quite a few places I would've been happy to take in that time). By the time we bought something we ended up spending $40K over our initial budget because the market was just going up so fast. It also annoys me because I am always the one to do all the legwork on this sort of stuff - I am the one organising all the viewings. Perhaps if Glen had to do all this he would be keen to get it sorted out quicker. Think I will try that approach otherwise divorce could be on the cards...

Anyway, didn't do my Dirty Dancing workout last night due to viewing a flat. And I won't be doing anything tonight either except for getting a few glasses of vino down my throat. I'm OK with that. I hope to not be too hungover tomorrow so I can head to the gym before Glen's work Xmas do tomorrow night. Yep, Xmas do on the 12th of January. There is really only one venue in Aberdeen they can use as they have so many staff and they couldn't get it in December so had to have it in the new year instead.

Kerryn is all set to start on my program so I hope to start that early next week. In the meantime I should be getting cracking anyway but I am kind of dragging my heels waiting for the "official" start. Not very good I know but to be honest I really can't be arsed today. Maybe some sleep over the weekend will revive me.

3 Days Running

2008-01-10T09:27:00.000Z

I have managed 3 days in a row at the gym. Last night it was again packed so I warmed up on the rower before snaffling a treadmill for an hour of walk/jog intervals. After being injured so many times I am taking it easy and walk as much as I jog. Was reading one of Kathryn's posts the other day and she was talking about the fear that comes after being injured. It's so true - I am so worried about injuring myself again that I can't even run naturally. I feel as though I am always hypersensitive to any twinges in my foot that I correct my stride constantly and it's a very unnatural way to run. Anyway, I was limping a little bit by the time I got home but it feels OK today.

Was really knackered body-wise last night when I went to bed but just couldn't get to sleep so was struggling this morning. No gym today as I have decided to try out the Dirty Dancing workout. Had a quick flick through it the other night and looks like fun. Whether it is a decent workout will be determined tonight. I'm sure my husband will get a good workout from laughing hysterically at me. He's no Patrick Swayze on the dancefloor, he could afford to join in.

In other news, I have just fired off payment for my online training program with Kek. Looking forward to having a bit of accountability. The only problem is that the program goes for 12 weeks - I will be on holiday in Australia for 3 weeks out of the last 4. Oh well, I'm sure I can make some progress in the first 8 weeks and there's nothing to stop me doing another 12 week program after I get back. And it's not like I can't do any exercise when I'm on holiday - last time I was home I was out on my bike quite a bit as well as walking a lot. The food and alcohol may be an issue but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

On a totally unrelated note, just found out last night that our landlord is selling the flat and we have 5 weeks to find somewhere else. Not happy Jan. We were hoping to be able to stay in our flat until we move back to Perth at the end of the year but obviously it's not to be. Oh well, hopefully we can find something better.

2 Posts in 2 Days

2008-01-09T09:56:00.000Z

A miracle! I'd like to keep it up, at least on weekdays.

Made it to the gym last night. As expected, it was pretty packed. When I first got there there was not a single piece of cardio equipment available. Luckily, as I was doing my second lap an elliptical became available so I jumped on that for 30 minutes, then followed up with 20 minutes on the bike. I must admit it hasn't been as bad as I thought getting back into the exercise. I was worried I would feel totally unfit but, while I definitely have lost some fitness, I don't feel like I'm back at total sloth level.

Food is a bit of another story. Not that it's totally out of control but there's definitely too much sweet stuff. Going to Brussels and Zurich over the holidays hasn't helped since I felt compelled to try out the Belgian and Swiss chocolate and brought quite a bit back, a lot of which is still sitting in the cupboard. Oh well, it will be gone soon enough.

Plan for today is another gym visit and I hope to do some jogging on the treadmill. My foot felt a bit dodgy last night but this morning it feels OK so fingers crossed it stays that way.

Blogging Take 4?

2008-01-08T13:23:00.000Z

OK, so new year but same old new years resolutions. I have been incredibly slack on the exercise front - up until Saturday I had not been to the gym since early November. On the plus side, I managed to finish 2007 about half a stone lighter than I started it. That's progress surely?

So anyway, onto the old goals for the new year. Today I weighed in at:

10st 7.25lb

The lightest I weighed last year was about 10st 1.75lb so a fair bit over that but still a fair bit under the 11st I was at the beginning of 2007. In the interests of aiming high, my goal weight is 9st 2lb and of course I'd like to do it today. Not really, tomorrow will be fine. Seriously though, I have yet another trip back to Oz in 9 weeks time. While I will probably struggle to make goal by then I will be hoping I'm a fair bit closer to it than I am now. The trusty old spreadsheet has been rejuvenated for 2008 and if nothing else will provide a record for years to come of what I weighed most days of this year.

So what's the plan? Same old, same old I'm afraid. Just sensible eating and exercise. I managed 45 minutes of cardio at the gym last night and also picked up the 'Official Dirty Dancing Workout' on DVD yesterday so I'm looking forward to giving that a bash. I also want to start up some resistance training again too.

Anyway, thought I'd fire up the old blog again to give me something to do, other than filling in my weight on the spreadsheet every day. Maybe I can manage to head off a few chocolate cravings while I'm at it.

So then, on to today. Porridge for brekkie then a foot long veggie sub. Yes, a foot long is being a bit piggy but I was bloody starving and it's still only 420 calories, OK? Am just chomping on some smarties now which is probably not great but better than a kingsize Twix. Glen is cooking chilli tonight so just need to watch my portion. Gym visit planned after work. I am expecting it to be packed, although last night wasn't too bad. Am slowly getting back into jogging after having some major issue with my achilles in the last 3 or 4 months of last year. I still have a lump on the back of my foot but it is much better so hopefully I can introduce jogging again without too many issues. So now just need to do it!

Damn You Scales

2007-07-25T09:49:00.000+01:00

So the scales are not playing ball this week - am up half a pound from Monday but really don't think it is justified. Food has been OK and have had 2 good workouts longer than an hour each. Also drinking plenty of water. According to The Spreadsheet I need to be down to 10st 5lb by Friday so I've got 2 days to knock 0.75lb off. That's 300g - really not a lot to ask for. The only fly in the ointment at this point is the dinner out tonight. Really do not want to get up tomorrow and see another gain.

Have checked out the restaurant's website and there does not seem to be anything in the way of diet food so I may just have to be a pain in the arse and ask for a totally different meal. The plan is to do a killer workout before as well to offset any damage. Should have a fair bit of time to workout so will try to do about 90 minutes of cardio.

If I get up tomorrow and see 10st 6lb I think I might cry.

Back!

2007-07-23T15:35:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been a while. As expected, the novelty of blogging wore off and my usual slackness crept in. It's been over 3 months since my last post so here's a quick update.

Had my trip back to Perth in May. Didn't reach my goal weight before then - in fact didn't really change from the last weight I recorded here (10st 1.75lb). All in all though I wasn't too disappointed as I did look quite toned and had a number of people tell me how trim I looked.

It was a great trip but far too much eating out. Upon my return I weighed in at 10st 7lb - ouch! You would think that would've given me a kick up the bum but sadly not. Continued eating on my return and stacked a few more pounds on before finally pulling my head in towards the end of June. Unfortunately (for my weight loss anyway) we then had a trip to Italy which of course involved a fair bit of eating. Gelati anyone? Weighed in last Monday at 10st 10.75lb.

Obviously seeing that weight meant I had reached crisis point so it was back on the wagon with a vengeance and today I weighed in at 10st 5.25lb. Much more respectable but still work to be done.

So what's next then? Not long after my last post I found out one of my best friends is getting married in Perth on 24th August. I am head bridesmaid. Of course I had grand plans of being at my goal weight by then but, needless to say, that won't be happening after fucking around since I got back from Perth last time. So I dusted off The Spreadsheet and readjusted my goals and now am aiming for 9st 13lb by the time I leave for the wedding (17th August). That gives me 25 days to lose 6.25lb. Totally do-able but only if I pull my finger out. Considering I felt pretty good about myself last time I was back home, an extra kilo or so less than that weight should feel even better. I do not have to worry about my dress until I get back either so that is a bonus.

On the exercise front I am feeling pretty good. Did the fitness test on my HRM again last night and I have a resting heart rate of 50 which still has me in the 'elite' category (ha ha). I was definitely feeling pretty elite last night after my gym session - I managed a personal best of 8km jogging without stopping, and then I followed it up with 10km on the bike. The jogging is coming along pretty well. When I was back in Oz I visited Sportsfever in Subi and met a guy who has changed my running life. It turns out I have one leg shorter than the other which is what was causing the hip pain when I ran. I got some nice new Brooks Dyad shoes and a heel raise to go in the left shoe and voila! No more pain! It's a miracle, and definitely makes running a lot easier. For anyone looking to buy new trainers I am definitely recommending Craig @ Sportsfever. Screw Athlete's Foot - they have no idea what they are talking about. Craig is the master. I'll be back there next month for more of the good stuff - in fact, I won't buy trainers from anyone else again (even if I do live in Scotland).

So that's the recap, now I just need to do the work for the next 4 weeks so I don't embarrass my friend (or myself) at her wedding. Today hasn't been too bad but I did have smarties after my lunch. I cut out all that sort of stuff last week so now I feel like I'm totally out of control today after having it. Should manage to keep calories to 1500 today but will be trying to go lower tomorrow. A few challenges this week. Have dinner with a friend of a friend on Wednesday. Have never met this guy - he's an Aussie visiting from the US and is friends with a girl I know who is living over there at the moment. Don't want to be a total Nazi about it but will try to be sensible with dinner. Will also get a good workout in beforehand - plenty of time as I have an eye appointment at 4:50pm and then dinner's not until 8pm. No point going home so may as well sweat it out in the gym. Also have a work night out on Friday. It would be totally unrealistic to say I'm not going to drink so I will work on choosing lower calorie options and also minimising the hangover so that I can at least work it off in the gym on Saturday. May also try for a hill walk this weekend if the weather is not absolutely crap (on a totally separate note - how do people live in the UK their whole lives?? The weather is total shit! There has been no summer at all and I have lost count of the number of outdoor plans we have had to cancel due to poor weather. IN SUMMER. Am seriously not impressed and will be extremely pissed off going back into winter after this 'summer').

Anyway, will try to keep updating this every day to keep track of how I'm progressing. Surely I can manage that for a measly 25 days? Now I know it's that close I am starting to panic!

No News Not Necessarily Bad News

2007-04-10T11:46:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm back. Not that I actually went anywhere, just stopped blogging. There were 2 main reasons for the hiatus:

* Lack of progress
* Lack of readership

Will get to the first reason in a minute but as for reason 2 I have decided to not worry about the fact that nobody's reading. When I started this I did want some accountability and I thought I could only get that if I had actual readers. But now I have resigned myself to being accountable to myself. I suppose I could actually go to the effort of pimping my blog a bit but to be honest I can't really be arsed. It's not like I really have anything that exciting to say, nor can I say it in such a witty fashion as some of the more popular bloggers out there. So from now on I'll be assuming it's just me. Which means I can swear as much as I like - fuck fuck fuck fuckity fuck. Also, it's good to have a record of my feelings as I continue my struggle. I have a record of my weight for about the last 4 years (from CalorieKing) so it might be nice to have some commentary to go with the numbers.

Anyway, onto the real issue - lack of progress. I was feeling like I was just bouncing around week to week - losing on the weekdays and gaining it back over the weekend. I am pleased to say that over the last couple of weeks I feel like I have actually made some progress. In fact, today I saw the lowest number on my scales I have seen since I've been here (and for over 2 years before that). Drumroll please...

Today's Weight: 10st 1.75lb

That's 64.3kg in metric. Pretty damn pleased actually. I have set myself a target this week of getting under 10st by next Monday. It would mean a 3lb loss for the week (but only 2 to go!) but if I go all out I think it's achievable. And it would put me only 200g over being in a healthy weight range for my height (based on BMI which I really think is a bit of bullshit but nice to reach it anyway).

So, what have I been doing? My alcohol ban started on April 2nd. The plan is for it to end spectacularly with a night out salsa dancing on the 26th. OK, so it's a bit short of the 4 weeks I was originally intending but still a lot better than my previous alcohol consumption (i.e. binge drinking every weekend). So far, I've only had one weekend sans booze and there were a couple of dodgy moments (Sunday lunch at the pub) but I survived and the scales rewarded me. I actually lost weight over the weekend! Unheard of.

I have not been tracking my food on paper but have just tried to be a bit sensible about it. Am enjoying not being a calorie Nazi and am still managing to lose weight. I pretty much, actually strike that - I do have chocolate every day and it's not affecting my progress.

Exercise has been going along quite well too. A couple of weekends ago we did a 10km hill walk to the top of a 900m hill which was quite steep for the last few km. It's times like these that I realise I am actually getting fitter. Also, I have managed 5km on the treadmill without stopping several times in the last couple of weeks and even managed 6km last Wednesday. That is the furthest I have run without stopping. Ever.

My trip back to Australia is in 3 and a half weeks. While I don't think I'll be at my goal weight (which was? 58kg? 60kg? can't even remember) I will definitely be feeling a lot better about my body than when I left. I really would love to get down to 60kg for it but in all honesty I can't see it happening. To get to around 62kg would be great though. And obviously I will put some weight back on while I'm there but I feel confident I can get back on the wagon when I return.

So, that's about enough catching up. Now onto this week's task - under 10 stone. Will just keep visualising the 9 at the beginning of my weight - it will become a reality by next Monday!

10st 7.25lb

2007-03-14T08:45:00.000Z

I have actually been to the gym twice since I last posted, which was only yesterday. Actually managed to drag my arse out of bed this morning before 6am to get a workout in for today since I will be at the pub watching the cricket this arvo. Feeling pretty knackered now to be honest. But that's OK, I don't have to workout again until tomorrow night.

Australia play Scotland this afternoon. I'm not going to bother saying that I'm not drinking but I will try to be a bit restrained and will stick to diet mixers. We are also having dinner at some stage so I expect the scales to be temporarily up tomorrow morning.

Carn the Aussies!!!!

10st 8.75lb

2007-03-13T08:39:00.000Z

And I didn't even cry.

OK, so obviously not what I was hoping for, but I didn't exactly stick to my plan for the weekend. I didn't use the hotel gym at all and the food wasn't exactly saint-like. While I don't think I ate a huge amount, my choices probably could've been better. I certainly don't think I ate an extra 14000 calories than I needed so I am hoping at least half of the extra 4 pounds is just bloat and will disappear quickly.

So onto the challenges for this week. Again, I have a couple of social engagements which will test my resolve. Sometimes I just wish I could have an extended period with no social occasions so I could actually make some progress (of course, I could just have better self-control also). I think the drinking hiatus will be good for me in that regard. Tomorrow Australia are playing Scotland in the cricket so we will be going to a pub to watch it, followed by dinner. Then on Friday we have a big night out with a large group where we are trying to drink a pub dry apparently. Looks like I am going to have to go to the gym in the mornings on Wednesday and Friday. So not looking forward to it, although at least the gym will hopefully be less busy. I just wish it opened at 6 instead of 6:30. Oh well, no point whingeing - I'm the one who packed on 4lbs on a weekend so I've only got myself to blame!

10st 4.75lb

2007-03-09T08:47:00.000Z

Woo hoo!! The 10st 4.x I was hoping for came a bit sooner than I was expecting. After seeing a good weight yesterday morning I really stayed on track hoping to see the same weight again this morning but to my delight I managed to go even lower. This is definitely now fresh fat - this is the lowest weight I have been in 2 years.

So now I really have to knuckle down and not go mental in Amsterdam. I think I would cry if I got on the scales on Tuesday morning and saw 10st 8lb. If I could manage to maintain over the weekend I will be happy.

10st 5.25lb

2007-03-08T08:14:00.000Z

Wow, I am having some wild fluctuations on the scales this week. Would be great if I could be this weight tomorrow though for my CalorieKing check-in. Also would give me some motivation to stay on track on the weekend. Really want to see a 10st 4.x at some stage in the very near future. That will be the first time I have seen a weight that low on the scales I bought when I moved over here.

Well, just concentrating on one day seemed to work. I managed to drag my lazy arse to the gym. Did 10 minutes of jogging and just couldn't force myself to do any more (mind you, I had already done 50 minutes of cardio before that). I kept to 1200 calories which is the first time in a long time I have kept the calories so low.

So after the success of yesterday I think I will just focus on today. Need to go to the gym again since there will be no chance for exercise tomorrow. If I have time I might try to squeeze in an extra 10-15 minutes cardio while I'm there (every little bit helps right?). Also need to pack for Amsterdam tonight but am still hoping I can have a reasonably early night.

Looking forward to the trip. We haven't been anywhere remotely exciting since Paris. Glen is trying to lose a bit of weight too (he is doing a kind of Biggest Loser challenge at his work) so hopefully between the pair of us we can manage to not stack on the weight.

In the last 2 nights I have watched 2 different TV programs on the size zero craze that seems to be in the media recently. Both programs basically involved women crash dieting to get down to size zero (Australia and UK size 4). It looked like absolute torture. Ridiculously low calories (one had 500/day and the other 800/day) and heaps of exercise. I was glad I don't punish myself like that anymore but, I have to admit, they didn't look THAT skinny to me at the end. The first woman started at a UK size 12 and didn't get down to a size 0 but the second woman started at an 8 and lost 11 pounds to fit into size 0. Obviously we are now conditioned to see such slim people as normal, despite the fact that both women were told by their doctors to stop doing what they were doing as it was seriously damaging their health. Will it ever change?

10st 7.75lb

2007-03-07T08:27:00.000Z

No gym last night. No good excuse. I feel like a broken record - constantly saying I need to pull my finger out and yet doing nothing. Is this going to be another of my grand weight loss plans that comes to nothing? Am I going to get back to Perth in 8 and a half weeks wishing that I'd followed through with the plan? God I hope not. I just can't give up every time I fall off the wagon (which seems to be every second day at the moment).

OK, so I'm just going to focus on one day for the moment - today. Off to a good start with a banana smoothie for breakfast. Gym bag is still packed and ready to go from yesterday. Also shaved a corn off my toe last night so no more bullshit excuses. My heel feels good so I will do a bit of jogging tonight as well as x-trainer and bike.

Will have to ignore the voice in my head that says I'm just going to blow it on the weekend anyway so why even try this week. Shut up stupid voice!

10st 6.75lb

2007-03-06T08:20:00.000Z

Well, I actually managed a good day yesterday. Thank god for minor miracles. Had a good workout last night - 10 minutes on the rower, 30 minutes on the x-trainer and then 20 minutes jogging - without stopping! Was pretty stoked with that effort since I haven't done that much since last year. Felt pretty good too. Makes me sad that I have had injuries for so long because I feel that I have the cardiovascular fitness to be achieving my goal of running 5km but the injuries have stopped me. My heel feels good today but the hip is slightly sore. Hopefully will be able to have another go tomorrow. Feel like I have to stick to 20 minutes at the moment though so as not to injure myself again. Slowly slowly.

So onto another day!

10st 8lb

2007-03-05T09:06:00.000Z

I really am just going nowhere. Every week it's the same story - lose a few pounds during the week then stack them back on at the weekend. If I want to get to my goal I need to make some sacrifices on the weekend. Exercise has also been poor over the last couple of weeks. OK, so I was sick for a large part of that, but still not good enough.

I have decided to have 4 weeks off alcohol just before I go back to Australia. I have a work function on the 30th of March so will start the next day. I will then have no alcohol until at least the 27th of April (OK, so it's actually a day short of 4 weeks). Just got an email saying I've got another work function on the 26th of April - if I can not drink it will be a massive achievement. Hmmm, maybe 26 days of not drinking?

Anyway, back to this week. We are heading to Amsterdam on Friday night for 3 days. The hotel I have booked has a gym so I really should use that, although we will probably do a fair bit of walking as well, but anything extra can't hurt. So this week before we go I need to be strict. Gym Monday to Thursday and no Indian or pizza for dinner.

Would be great if I could get into the 65's by this Friday (that's 2.75lbs I need to get rid of by then - sounds like a lot but hopefully some of today's weight is just retained water).

10st 6lb

2007-03-02T08:23:00.000Z

Actually made it to the gym last night and was rewarded on the scales this morning. Had my calorieking check-in today and even though I'm up 0.1kg from last week, my measurements are all down from 2 weeks ago, which is the last time I took them. Really hope to be in the 65's for next week's weigh-in.

We are hiring a car this weekend and are going out tomorrow night. Must be vigilant as I would really like to drop another half pound by Monday. Really getting sick of putting on weight over the weekend and then spending the rest of the week trying to take it back off.

Gym last night was much better than Tuesday. Heart rate still high but I felt better. Gym again tonight and think I will go with the same attitude as last night - if I'm struggling I'll just take the intensity down but must complete a full hour.

10st 7.5lb

2007-03-01T08:13:00.000Z

So much for pulling my finger out - no gym again yesterday and Indian for dinner! Really don't know what has happened to my motivation, just can't seem to get back into the swing of things.

Right, that's it, no more messing around. Will definitely go to the gym tonight and if I still feel rough will just tone down the intensity. Need to start somewhere.

10st 6.5lb

2007-02-28T08:31:00.000Z

Still not 100% over this cold. Went to the gym last night and my heart rate was through the roof. Only ended up doing half an hour on the x-trainer (didn't help that the gym was packed and I couldn't get on a bike after that). Will try again tonight.

Nothing exciting to report. Really need to pull my finger out - I'm starting to feel like I'm not really getting anywhere. There are 9 more weeks until I leave for Australia so plenty of time to make some serious progress. Just wish I felt a bit healthier!

So Much for Holiday Over...

2007-02-27T08:34:00.000Z

Well I have been MIA for a few days due to firstly a hangover on Friday and then a cold since. I had yesterday off work sick and have barely left the house since Friday. So obviously my not drinking at the quiz night didn't pan out - ended up staying out until 2am and was not a happy camper at work the next day. Mind you, I wasn't the only one so at least I had someone to do the sausage and egg roll run. Ate total crap all day Friday including the aforementioned sausage and egg roll, pizza and Indian. The last 3 days have been slightly better but still a lot of chocolate (for medicinal purposes only). Anyway, miraculously the damage has not been too bad:

Today's weight: 10st 6.75lb

Feeling a lot better today after a good night's sleep not interrupted by bouts of coughing. So it's back on the wagon. Was looking through some photos last night and, while I look massive in most of them, I can't believe how small I was when I got married. I weighed about 59kg then so really want to get back down to that weight in the not-too-distant future. Would be good to have some other photos where I don't look like an escapee from the fat farm.

Back to the gym tonight too. Last week I managed a pathetic 2 sessions for a total of 70 minutes. Not nearly good enough. This week I am aiming for 5 sessions. We are hiring a car this weekend so not sure if I will manage any weekend visits but hopefully we will get some exercise in anyway.

10st 5.75lb

2007-02-22T08:54:00.000Z

I have a cold so last night I just had a potato for dinner. I did make it to the gym but only lasted for 40 minutes. I find it very hard to listen to my body in these situations - is my body saying no or is it just my lazy mind?

Anyway, no gym today due to quiz night tonight. Don't feel like drinking so it shouldn't be too bad. I will just be happy if I can maintain this weight until Monday.

Holiday Over

2007-02-21T08:32:00.000Z

Today's Weight: 10st 7.75lb

Not sure how I have stayed the same as yesterday after a completely slack day yesterday. Never made it to the gym and had pizza for dinner.

Anyway, I've had a nice break from the routine so now it's time to get back into it. Today I WILL go to the gym for an hour's cardio (and no abandoning halfway through because I can't get on the machine I want). And of course, no pizza for dinner!

The only big challenge for the rest of the week is tomorrow night. Won't be able to make the gym so will have to be careful with food and booze (plus I really don't think I can face a full day at work on Friday with a hangover). Think I will have a quiet one this weekend. That should help to make me hit the gym and I also need to start cross-stitching a quilt for my brother's baby which is due at the end of April.

10st 7.75lb

2007-02-20T08:54:00.000Z

Nice 2lb loss overnight - only seems fair really after giving me a heart attack yesterday morning.

Food was OK yesterday but very slack on the exercise front. Wasn't feeling the best by the end of the day but still went to the gym. Couldn't get onto a x-trainer as it was so packed, so after doing the bike and treadmill I decided to call it a day. At the time I thought I had done 45 minutes but once I got down to the changerooms realised it was only 35 minutes! Oh well, will have to make it up somewhere else in the week.

Had a very early night last night trying to avoid the sore throat developing into anything else. Still not feeling great today though. Will just have to do the best I can - if I miss the gym, I miss the gym.

10st 9.75lb - yikes!!!

2007-02-19T08:36:00.000Z

Yes, so much for all my good intentions - a massive 4lb gain for a single weekend. Seriously hoping some of this is just bloat since there's no way I consumed an extra 14000 calories over the weekend. I did miss the gym Saturday and Sunday though which didn't help.

Anyway, a bit disappointed about my efforts (or lack of) on the weekend but nothing for it but to get back on the wagon (AGAIN). I also have a sore throat this morning which really doesn't help my mood. Hopefully I am not coming down with something as that will certainly not help.

Have a work quiz night on Thursday so that will be the biggest challenge this week. Might have to make that my day off the gym since it starts a bit too early for me to make the gym beforehand. Also will have to try to lay off the booze since work will be unbearable the next day if I am hungover. Apparently the quiz night is usually a massive night so will have to be strong to avoid getting sucked in.

Bloody starving right now - no milk this morning so couldn't have any breakfast. Not a great start. Hopefully I can be down to 10st 7lb by next Monday. Doesn't seem too unreasonable given my consistent weights lower than that last week (only stacked it on Saturday and Sunday). Why do I keep doing this to myself???

10st 5lb (alcoholic dehydration)

2007-02-16T10:16:00.000Z

Yes, nice looking weight but I'm not believing it for a second! Had my CalorieKing check-in today and I weighed again after having a drink and put that weight down instead. Alcoholic dehydration or not, this is the lightest I've been in 2 years! Won't be convinced about it until I see it on a morning when I haven't been drinking the night before (which is not going to happen until at least Monday).

Anyway, last night ended up a lot later than I thought. Didn't get to bed untl 3am. Drank a reasonable amount too, but nothing out of control. Once I had a drink this morning I felt fine. Just as well because I have to hit the gym, and soon. Suppose I'd better get to it then!

10st 6.25lb

2007-02-15T08:25:00.000Z

Good to see yesterday's weight wasn't some freak blip. I actually feel like I'm making some progress now. I only need to lose 1 more pound and I will be at my lowest weight for 2 years. Don't think that will happen this week though. My sister arrives tonight and I am expecting at least a 2lb gain by Monday morning - although I will do my best to avoid it if I can!

Felt a lot better at the gym last night than I did the night before (though wouldn't be hard). Did my usual hour's cardio - no running again. I wouldn't say my heel is sore but I have been a bit more aware of it since running on Monday. Might try a little bit more running on it tomorrow. Upper body weights tonight which I haven't done for a week.

Have to be careful with food today since we are supposed to be going for a drink tonight after my sister arrives. Need to save some calories for alcohol - not too much though!

10st 6.75lb

2007-02-14T08:16:00.000Z

This is great - now I don't need to think of titles!

Well, I was a bit shocked to see this morning's weight staring up at me but really it's about time I had a shock in a good way! Seems only fair that occasionally I should get an unjustified big loss instead of an unjustified big gain. At any rate, it's not ridiculously low considering at the end of last week I was around 10st 7lb for 3 consecutive days.

Had a good day food and exercise wise yesterday. Although, I couldn't believe the contrast between last night's workout and Monday's. I felt absolutely knackered last night and was just happy to finish. I would never have believed it was possible to feel so completely different during workouts within a 24 hour space of time (unless maybe you had had surgery in between). Hopefully things will improve tonight.

A girl at work has just come back from Australia and brought me some snack chocolate (you can't get it over here). Now I have to try to resist scoffing the lot!

10st 8.5lb

2007-02-13T08:14:00.000Z

Already a nice movement down on the scales!

Had the most awesome workout at the gym last night. Just had one of those days when everything seems to come so easy. Jumped on the x-trainer for my usual half hour and the level 10 that killed me last Wednesday was a breeze. Then onto the bike for 20 minutes and again I was flying. After those 50 minutes I had 10 minutes of cardio left to do so I decided to brave the treadmill for a bit of jogging. Now, I'm not the most natural runner. Up until late last year I thought I was just destined to not run at all, or at least not without nearly suffering a heart attack every time I tried. Then I read an article in Runner's World (I bought my husband a subscription for his birthday last year). It was aimed at beginners and one of the messages was to start out really slow. We're talking so slow you could almost be walking at that speed. At the time, I had been doing a bit of jogging around the park and the longest I had managed to jog without stopping was 10 minutes. The next time I went out I tried the slow technique and managed 25 minutes! I was pumped. This inspired me to continue and I was up to 30 minutes in no time. I then joined a gym and started jogging on the treadmill. I was so thrilled when I jogged for 5km without stopping (so what if it took over 35 minutes?). Unfortunately the next day when I got up my heel was absolutely killing me. I had no idea what it was but jogging was out of the question. Even the x-trainer was a struggle. Walking uphill nearly killed me. It was like this for weeks before I stumbled upon what it was - plantar fasciitis. I had just happened to read someone else's blog where they mentioned they had the condition so I decided to look up what it was. Bingo - exactly the same symptoms as my problem. And the bad news - it could take months to recover. So out went the jogging. Until last night. It has been about 4 months since I first hurt the heel and the pain has been almost gone (a few twinges every now and again) for a couple of weeks. I decided to trial it. I did 10 minutes without stopping and felt like I could've gone for another 20! I felt so light on my feet, which never happens to me when I run (especially not after 50 minutes of other cardio). I was disappointed to have to stop but I thought I shouldn't push the heel too hard.

Today the heel feels pretty good, perhaps not quite as good as yesterday but still OK. My idea is to try another 10 minutes jogging twice more this week and then, all going well, maybe I can add some extra in next week. It would be great if I could add in jogging again, it's so good for weight loss. And it shapes your legs nicely too (which is especially important when you have thunder thighs like me).

So, all in all, a great workout. I felt like I almost deserved that 'elite' classification my heart rate monitor gave me! Speaking of which, I have discovered another effect of the increase from 'fair' to 'elite'. Since the HRM now thinks I am heaps fitter, it thinks I am working much harder to get my heart rate up to the levels it reaches, therefore it estimates the calories burned as higher. Much higher. We're talking, a similar workout last week burned 600, whereas last night's was 840. I think that is far too high myself, 600 seems more like it. Anyway, it's not like I actually base my eating on these calories so it shouldn't have much effect, but I do prefer to see something a bit more realistic in terms of calories burned.

I really need to remember how great last night's workout was when I don't feel like going to the gym. OK, so not every workout is going to feel that good and there will always be days that I struggle, but if I keep up the effort my fitness is only going to get better and workouts like that will become more frequent. And I didn't really feel like going last night so just goes to show how your mind can trick you!

Today, I have another hour's cardio. No jogging so I think I will do 10 minutes on the rower instead, as well as x-trainer and bike. And sensible eating as well of course!

The End of the Official Weigh-in

2007-02-12T08:44:00.000Z

That's right, I have decided to abolish the official weigh-in on here, the reason being it is messing with my mind. What inspired this? A total meltdown when I jumped on the scales yesterday morning and saw an unjustified 1.25lb gain from the day before, making me realise that yet again my official weigh-in was not going to reflect the lowest weight I have been this week. So, the results for my final official weigh-in are:

Today's weight: 10st 9.25lb = maintain

So for my last 2 official weigh-ins I have registered a 0.5lb gain and a maintain. If I had've chosen Thursday as my official weigh-in day I would've registered 1lb and 0.75lb losses. Today's figure is probably somewhat inflated by the feeding frenzy I went on yesterday after spitting the dummy. I also missed my scheduled workout yesterday. Hopefully this morning's weight is partly bloat from the half a pizza I ate last night in rebellion.

So the new plan is to record my daily weigh-ins on here. I still need a day to check in on calorieking.com.au so I have changed that to Fridays. Also, there have been more adjustments to my spreadsheet and it now looks as though I won't make my original goal for my trip back to Perth but hopefully I will at least be under 60kg which I initially said I would be happy with anyway.

It's not all doom and gloom though. Even though my weight was the same as last Monday, most of my measurements were slightly down. My boobs were slightly up so maybe I am about to get my period which could account for the sudden jump in weight yesterday. I have an Implanon implant so I never know when I am about to get my period but it would be typical that I get it this week since I have an appointment for a pap smear on Thursday.

Also, my heart rate monitor has a fitness test option that it uses to create an exercise program for you. When I got the heart rate monitor I did the test (about 3 weeks ago) and my result was 'fair'. I did it again last night and I ended up with ... 'elite'!! I must admit I find that a bit hard to believe but I'll take it. The only real effect it has is that now the exercise program generated for me has me doing more intense workouts, so I have a higher calorie target to reach (a lot higher actually). I usually go much higher than the calorie target anyway so not really a problem.

So, after a total freakout this weekend, it's onwards to the next week. I am not giving up. I always seem to get stuck around this weight so it's time to just suck it up and push on. Definitely a few challenges ahead this week though, with my sister coming for the weekend. My goal for the week is to weigh 10st 8lb next Monday morning. If I can manage that I will be happy. To assist with what will definitely be a week where there will be excess food and drink consumed, I am aiming to go to the gym every day (a big ask really). As well as cardio, I will fit 2 weights sessions in somewhere, I'm thinking Thursday and Sunday.

Big plans, but must start with today. Plenty of water, sensible eating and an hour's cardio.

Yay! It's Friday!

2007-02-09T08:30:00.000Z

Finally we roll around to Friday again. Another good day yesterday, although I went slightly over calories (only by about 80). Gym last night was good, but I am glad today is my rest day! Did all my bicep curls with 5kg last night so my biceps are definitely getting stronger (so they should, considering they are also getting bigger).

Am going for a curry at lunch today with some workmates. Not going to stress too much about it and will definitely be having naan!

Will be trying to have an on-track weekend as I have quite a few challenges coming up next weekend. My sister is coming up from London on Thursday night and staying until Sunday. She will expect me to be drinking pretty much the whole time she is here. I have decided I will have one big night of drinking with her but no more. By that stage I will have been back on track for over 6 weeks and I really don't want to end up back within a kilo of my start weight by the time she leaves. I think that is quite reasonable but she is not always so reasonable so I could be in for her cracking the shits at me. We will also be having a few meals out so I will have to be careful. I think we are going to La Stella on the Saturday night so I will enjoy that meal but I will try to stay on track with any others. I have also decided that I will try not to have a rest day from exercise next week to make up for it. I am taking the Friday off work so should have plenty of time to fit it all in.

Speaking of exercise, I have made an executive decision to cut down my weights workouts to twice a week (instead of 3). I know building muscle is important but it doesn't really seem to be a problem for me and what I really need to do at the moment is strip fat. Once I get my body fat levels down I can revisit.

And I do have one final goal for this weekend. To drink at least 2 pints of water in addition to what I drink at the gym. My water intake at work is good but it is appalling on the weekends!

Success!

2007-02-08T08:19:00.000Z

A miracle has occurred - I resisted pizza and ordered a salad! I did have a couple of dough balls and a little bit of bruschetta, but my main was a salad while 7 other people tucked into pizza. And I didn't even have a taste. Also managed to resist the yummy sounding desserts on offer and stuck to 2 glasses of wine. All round I'd say that is a massive win.

Also went to the gym before dinner and upped the level on both the x-trainer and the bike. Man I was knackered by the end. Probably didn't help that I also walked about 8km yesterday. But the good news is I was rewarded on the scales this morning. If I manage to drop a bit more over the next few days I should have my best weigh-in since starting this caper (although I had a bit of help by having a dodgy weigh-in this week).

Usual plan for today. Have leftover chilli con carne for dinner so at least don't have to worry about cooking when I get home. Gym tonight - 45 minutes cardio (on the increased x-trainer and bike levels) and upper body & abs.

Really tired this morning - didn't want to get up. Can't wait for a sleep in on Saturday morning.

Pizza?

2007-02-07T09:01:00.000Z

In typical man style, my husband has arranged for us to go out to dinner with friends tonight - to Pizza Express. Pizza bloody Express! Which part of my healthy eating plan does he not understand?? It's hard enough dealing with the day-to-day temptations without adding pizza into the mix. The worst thing about it is that, if I manage to stay on the wagon by ordering a salad (exactly what everyone feels like on a day when it's snowing!), it's going to be really obvious to everyone that I'm "on a diet". I really hate drawing attention to the fact I'm trying to lose weight in front of people who aren't themselves doing the same thing (and the friends we are going out with definitely don't need to be worrying about their weight). In the past I have just fallen off the wagon to avoid people asking any questions. I know this is probably stupid but I just don't like everyone knowing I am on a diet. Does anyone else feel uncomfortable in these situations?

Anyway, I have planned ahead by looking at their menu online and it looks like I will have to try to go for a salad. Of course, there will be a couple of glasses of wine as well but shouldn't be too bad if I stick with the salad. Bloody salad - I struggle to enjoy salads even in summer so I am not real happy about being forced into eating one in winter - why are there never any healthy cooked dishes??

In better news, the 1.5lb I gained over the weekend is now gone so if I can stay on the wagon I might actually be able to get somewhere this week. Have realised that it is about this point that I gave up last year so really need to push through. It's only been 5 weeks after all, and I have already seen changes, so things can only get better!

Me Again

2007-02-06T10:53:00.000Z

Well, I managed to stay on the wagon yesterday - 1300 calories plus an hour's cardio at the gym. Was rewarded with a 0.75lb drop on the scales this morning but that is still 0.75lb more than I was on Saturday morning so hopefully the rest will be gone in a couple of days.

Nothing very exciting to report today unfortunately. Usual healthy eating and cardio and weights tonight at the gym. Definitely won't be a repeat of last Tuesday!

Official Weigh-in

2007-02-05T09:06:00.000Z

Well I may as well get the bad news over with:

Today's weight: 10st 9.25lb = 0.5lb gain

Not happy Jan. All I can say is this had better be water retention. Last week I was at 10st 7.75lb for 4 days in a row, then yesterday I was 10st 6.75lb due to alcoholic dehydration. I expected to be higher than yesterday but not by so much!

So, I have been MIA since Wednesday but only because I was off work. Diet and exercise was still going along OK until Saturday night. Friends went off to the pub to watch the rugby Saturday arvo and I deliberately avoided it but agreed to meet up with them later at around 8pm. I was hoping that would reduce the temptation to eat anything but apparently not. The guys were all starving so we ordered some Thai appetisers and I hoed into more than my fair share of prawn toast. I then washed it down with a couple of glasses of wine before changing to spirits once we went out. Got home about 3am a bit worse for wear but the hangover wasn't too bad the next day. I was tired though and had an afternoon nap, after which I couldn't be bothered going to the gym. So, yet again, I only managed 5 workouts this week (although, due to being off work I did manage 5.5 hours of cardio).

This week I WILL DO BETTER. No impromptu prawn toast and drinking sessions!

On a brighter note, I took my measurements this morning. I don't have a lot to compare them to, just some of my CalorieKing checkins from the last 4 years when I must've decided measurements were the way to go. The good news is that all my measurements are smaller than at a point in time where I weighed 65kg, so I guess my body composition has definitely changed. I think I will have to keep up with the measurements since the scales are really not doing what I want them to.

The other day I noticed my guns (biceps) are really starting to get more noticable so I decided to measure them (I have nothing to compare these measurements to since CalorieKing has nowhere to record arm measurements). I'm pretty sure that they are the biggest they've ever been - and they are now bigger than my husband's. I don't know who that says more about. He definitely has pretty weedy arms but mine are massive for a girl. I really need to lose some fat from there too so they at least have more definition. At the rate I'm going, I'll look like a bodybuilder in a few months. Sometimes, with the way I can build muscle, I really think I should've been a boy.

Anyway, onto the next week. I am NOT giving up just because the scales aren't being nice. Definitely 6 workouts this week and, of course, sensible eating. So far no plans for this week that should interfere but I need to be good during the week just in case something comes up later in the week. That's where I fell down last week. That half a pound will be gone soon!

Something to Talk About

2007-01-31T08:19:00.000Z

Well, I wanted to have more to say today and now I have. I can talk about how I fell spectacularly off the wagon yesterday. It all started with being forced to eat at a client's canteen for lunch. I suppose I didn't make the worst choices in the world - chicken breast, half a baked potato with a tablespoon of coleslaw, some broccoli and half a bread roll (with butter). But it set the wheels in motion for me feeling out of control. The day was also really boring with lots of waiting around. By the time 5pm rolled around I couldn't be bothered with the gym and I missed a scheduled workout for the first time in 4 weeks. It's not the end of the world - I can still make up my 6 workouts this week - but I found out how much exercising helps me with the eating side (not least because I just don't have the time to eat too much after I get home from the gym). I got home and polished off a couple of Tim Tams (damn Sainsburys for stocking these now) and a couple of 2 finger Kit Kats. I then had my planned dinner which wasn't bad at all, just steak and vegies. After dinner I had about another 4 Tim Tams.

Now that I see it all written down I can see it could've been much worse. Once upon a time falling off the wagon would've incorporated much more food - I would've had all those biscuits, but also made sure I only drank Coke and would've skipped my planned dinner and had takeaway instead. I got on the scales this morning expecting to see at least a pound up from yesterday but I was exactly the same.

So the lesson - don't let one meal dictate the rest of the day. And keep up the exercise! Tonight I have dinner at a friend's place and I know he is cooking a curry (his Sri Lankan mum's recipe - yum!). Will try not to go overboard with that and stick to a couple of glasses of wine only. Obviously I will need to hit the gym beforehand too.

On a more positive note, I am definitely starting to get guns. My arms have always been huge but there is definitely a lot more firmness to them now and I have pronounced bicep bumps when I flex. Not bad for only 4 weeks of weight training!

Same old, same old

2007-01-30T08:23:00.000Z

Nothing exciting to report today. Gym last night - still busy. Roasted vegies for dinner.

Have to go out to a client this morning and am hoping we will be out by lunchtime, otherwise I will be forced to eat at their canteen. I ate there last year and it wasn't very diet friendly but maybe I could make a sandwich or something. I hate it when you are forced to eat something bad for your diet when you don't even want it. I'd much prefer to blow my diet on something I want!

So hopefully food will be OK today. Have steak for dinner with some asparagus, broccoli and corn. Gym again tonight - cardio and upper body weights and abs.

Hopefully I will have more to say tomorrow.

Monday Again

2007-01-29T08:38:00.000Z

Well, another weekend over, another work week starting. The night out in Glasgow was great. We did a bit of a pub crawl before dinner, then hit a club afterwards. I danced so much I had to have a shower when I got back to the hotel at 3:30am. The next day I woke at 8:15 so had plenty of time to hit the shops before lunch and our treasure hunt in the afternoon. The treasure hunt was fun but there was a lot to do in a short space of time. We thought we would get a few pub stops in but we didn't have time for any.

Food was pretty good over the weekend but of course there was way too much alcohol! That always seems to be my downfall. Was also pretty active with the dancing, all the walking on Saturday and went to the gym yesterday and did 75 minutes cardio plus upper body weights.

So, to the important bit:

Today's weight: 10st 8.75lb = 1lb loss

Again, not a huge amount but I'm not too disappointed after having a fun weekend away. I'm also noticing changes in my shape so even if the scales aren't playing ball I know I'm heading in the right direction. While shopping on Saturday I found I am pretty much back to a size 10 so that is good (at least on the bottom - on top I am usually a 12, although my boobs are definitely getting smaller - doh!).

So the plan for this week... same old, same old. Just keep on doing what I have been doing. This week I should be able to manage 6 gym sessions. At this stage no plans for the weekend, but that could change. I do have dinner at a friend's place Wednesday night so no control over the food there. Will try to avoid any nibbles and just eat a small portion of whatever is served (unless of course it is ultra-healthy!). I really want to have a better loss next Monday!

Friday!

2007-01-26T08:31:00.000Z

Nearly made it to the end of another week - and only a half day today. Woo hoo!! Didn't weigh myself this morning because I had a sneaky peek last night and it was not looking good so didn't want to feel bad about myself all day. I did go over calories yesterday by about 400 because I forgot I had a lunch meeting. I had some crisps at that which may account for the sudden weight increase (at least I'm hoping that's what it was) because an extra 400 calories should really not add that much weight. Went to the gym last night and did an hour's cardio. Decided to skip the weights and do a full hour's cardio since I am a workout down this week. Quite happy to be having a couple of days rest from the gym as my legs had that empty feeling last night.

Not going to worry too much about the diet today. Am having pizza for lunch before we catch the train to Glasgow. No real choice with that so will try to stick to 2 slices (usually not a problem when there are so many people around - I don't like to stuff myself in public because I always feel like people are thinking I shouldn't be eating so much). Drinking tonight and I want to try to avoid a hangover so am sticking to vodka which is a lot cleaner than the Jack Daniels I often drink. And if I manage to feel OK tomorrow morning I can go shopping!

Happy Australia Day! Even though I am not there to celebrate I will be raising a glass to everything great about Australia tonight.

Tired

2007-01-25T08:18:00.000Z

I am tired today. Actually, I've been tired every time I've woken up this week. So I've decided to skip the gym tomorrow morning and have 2 rest days in a row this week. Logically I know that 5 workouts in a week is a good effort but I can't help feeling guilty for unscheduling a workout. This is probably just me being a bit obsessive so I am trying to ignore it. I know I will be happy when I get to sleep in longer tomorrow but I don't want to feel guilty about it all weekend. Need to get over it.

Due to the tiredness, and after all my talking it up about how I don't even think about not going to the gym anymore, I really didn't want to go last night. But I dragged myself anyway and I was glad I did. Had a good hour's cardio and felt good afterwards, even if a bit hungry. Nice chicken stir-fry for dinner and have leftovers for tonight.

Don't know what is going on this week but every night I have woken up at about 4am. Doesn't appear to be any reason for it and I go back to sleep pretty quickly but it is strange. Maybe it's being home alone? It actually hasn't bothered me as much as it did back in Perth. Probably because we're in a flat so I know there are people really close by.

Had a bit of a senior citizen moment last night. I stepped into the shower and my foot totally slipped right over to the wall, squashing my toes on that foot and cracking the shin of my other leg on the step into the shower. Bloody hurt. Have a nice lump on my shin which will no doubt come out in a massive bruise to match my black skirt tomorrow night.

Anyway, nothing much else to report. Business as usual today - sensible eating and gym tonight. Roll on tomorrow.

Found: Friday Night's Outfit

2007-01-24T08:16:00.000Z

Well, I went through my clothes last night and decided to try a black skirt I bought last year. It was a bit tight when I bought it and by the end of the year I had no chance of wearing it (it's UK size 10). So decided to try it last night and it fits perfectly. Luckily it's a heavy stretch satin-type fabric so it doesn't highlight all the lumps and bumps. Even have a top to wear with it so I'm all sorted. Now just have to pray for no bloating come Friday (although there will no doubt be plenty of that after a few drinks).

Gym again last night - 45 minutes cardio plus upper body weights and abs. Still packed in there - surely people's new year's resolutions will fall by the wayside soon? Had steak again for dinner last night and it was just as nice as Monday. Should really eat like this more often. The last 2 nights after having steak, potato and vegies for dinner have felt really full and satisfied. So much so that I have gone to bed worried that I would see a gain on the scales the next morning, but both times I haven't. Pretty happy with that.

An hour's cardio tonight, then I am making a chicken stir-fry for tonight and tomorrow's dinner. Will come in handy tomorrow since I need to get an early night so I can get up before the crack of dawn (crack of dawn here at the moment is about 7:45am) on Friday to hit the gym. The things we do.

Snow!

2007-01-23T08:46:00.000Z

Yes, we have finally had the first snow of winter here in Aberdeen. There was a tiny bit yesterday morning but not enough to even notice it on the ground. Then when I left the gym last night it was totally snowing. So exciting! I have never seen it actually snowing before - I have seen it on the ground (in the mountains in Victoria) but not actually while it was coming down. Walked halfway home before it stopped. And when I got up this morning there was a nice dry layer about 3 or 4 cm deep. Made walking to work interesting - will have to be careful to avoid any broken bones!

A good day diet-wise yesterday. I really feel like I'm getting into the swing of it now and I don't have to think about everything so much. Probably because I'm not trying to resist the reality - I need to exercise and watch what I eat or I'm going to put on weight. No guarantees that I won't have any more pouty periods where I feel sorry for myself because I'm not a person who eats what they want and never exercises but still stays skinny. But maybe I am finally starting to accept the way my body works.

Went to the gym after work for an hour's cardio. I don't even really think about going now, I just do it. I have had so many days in the past where I have debated over and over in my head about whether to go so it's good that now I am just going without all the procrastination. Maybe it's true about a habit taking 21 days to form? This is my 21st day of being back on track and everything definitely seems much more like just what I do, rather than a constant battle to do the right thing.

Dinner last night was delicious. I bought some organic fillet steak which was so nice and thick, just how I like it. Cooked it up with some potato and veggies and it was divine. Aberdeen is a carnivore's heaven - the steak is fantastic. Anyway, still have another steak left over for tonight. Gym again tonight - 45 minutes cardio plus upper body and abs (and hamstring stretches - I am the most inflexible person in the world so trying to rectify that situation).

Tomorrow: the eternal dilemma - what to wear on Friday night?

That Time of the Week

2007-01-22T09:04:00.000Z

Yes, it's that time of the week again - weigh-in day. This week's result:

Weight: 10st 9.75lb = 1lb loss

Not exactly setting the weight loss world on fire here. To be honest I am a bit disappointed with that result. Last week I did 6.5 hours of cardio and 3 weight training sessions. With the exception of Friday I stuck below 1500 calories every day (Friday night was a bit more food and drink that I planned for but it wasn't totally out of control either - certainly didn't deserve the extra kilo I saw on the scales the next morning!). Obviously age and yo-yo dieting is catching up with me. The weight is just not moving the way it used to.

I decided this morning to adjust my weight loss spreadsheet. I originally had a goal to lose 2lb per week but seeing myself getting further and further away from the target line is just too depressing so I have adjusted it to 1.5lb per week. This means I can still get to my goal (just) before I go back to Perth. At any rate, if I keep up with the exercise and particularly the weights, even if I don't get to goal, I will still look a lot better than I did when I left in July last year. The reason behind adjusting the spreadsheet is simple - while it's good to have goals, not meeting them can sometimes throw me totally off-track and I just give up. This time I am really feeling like giving up is not an option and I don't want to lose this feeling by seeing unachieved goals every day I open up that spreadsheet.

So it's a new week and time to move on. This week's challenge is the night away in Glasgow on Friday night. Alcohol seems to be hitting me pretty hard at the moment (where has my alcohol tolerance disappeared to since last year?) so for both the diet and pacing reasons I will try to stick to vodka, lime and soda. At least I will be rehydrating slightly with every drink so the hangover might not be so bad. Friday night dinner I will have what I want but not stuff myself silly. Saturday I will make the best choices possible and will not eat in 'holiday mode'. Getting my 6 gym sessions in this week will be slightly more difficult than usual because of the trip so I have to force myself to go Friday morning. I am so not a morning person. Hang on, back home I would often do my exercise in the morning, although that was always on the bike outside or on my cardio equipment in my house. The cold and dark mornings here make it much harder but it is worth it. The pants I am wearing today are definitely looser so, even if the scales are not moving as much as I would like, progress is being made. Must remember this!

TGIF

2007-01-19T08:43:00.000Z

Woo hoo! Only one more day to get through. Apparently we are supposed to get the first snow for winter this weekend. Hopefully it actually happens - snow would make the cold feel worthwhile!

The scales are being mean to me but I am just ignoring them as I know I am doing most things right. I struggled a bit through my workout last night. The funny thing is that the thought didn't actually cross my mind to not go to the gym. That's progress! Unfortunately, once I was actually there it all felt a bit harder than I would've liked. Had to really talk myself into doing the weights after my 45 minutes cardio. Didn't even really feel good once I finished like I normally do. It's probably just a sign that I'm a bit worn out (have worked out 5 days running). Luckily, today was my scheduled rest day anyway. Hopefully a day off will rejuvenate me sufficiently so that I can work out 7 days in a row from Saturday as planned.

Ordered a new heart rate monitor yesterday so hopefully I will get it today (love online shopping in the UK - none of this waiting for a week to get stuff). My old one is 3 years old and seems to be having a few problems picking up the signal from the chest strap when I am on the bike. Don't ask me why it's only on the bike. Hopefully it's not because of the huge TV screens in front of the bikes at the gym because that might not be solved with a new HRM. I got one with "Own Code" so that I at least won't get interference from other HRMs.

I love using a HRM for exercise. I originally got it because I was registering really high heart rates on the cardio machines at my gym and my nurse friends thought I was about to drop dead of a heart attack. As it turns out the readings were correct and it appears I just have a high maximum heart rate. The highest I have registered on my HRM is 208 (cycling up the end of St Georges Tce to Kings Park - that is one big hill!) but generally I average between 170 and 180 over 60 minutes of cardio. A lot of people my age would have to work pretty hard to even get up that high, let alone stay there for an hour. My resting heart rate is about 60bpm so that's not high, and once I stop exercising my heart rate drops reasonably quickly so I don't think it's a problem. I have spoken to a doctor about it and she seemed to think it could just be normal for me. I have been monitoring my heart rate during exercise for 3 years and it's always been high and I've never suffered any ill effects so I'm not too worried. The only problem with it is that I always score really low on the fitness tests on cardio machines since my heart rate jumps up really easily with even low intensity exercise. The supposed "fat burning zone" for my age would be between 113 and 132 bpm but all I could do within that range would be to casually stroll. According to the standard heart rate calculations my average heart rate over an hour is in the "red zone" and "training in this zone will only be possible for short periods of time". Ha - I wouldn't call an hour short. Also, apparently "only the very fit are able to train effectively within this zone" - double ha! Wouldn't call myself very fit either!

Dinner out tonight. I want to enjoy myself but not go too nuts. Drinks wise I think I will stick to dry white wine (although not as much as last Saturday night) or spirits with diet mixers. And no pigging out during the day because I know I'm going to be eating out tonight anyway. Have already had a smoothie for breakfast and will stick to my usual veggie sub for lunch. Have a cardio blitz (at least 90 minutes) planned for tomorrow to work off any excesses from tonight.

Roll on 5pm!

Ticking Along

2007-01-18T09:16:00.000Z

Another good day under my belt. I had forgotten how much easier it gets once you have a few good days. The first few days always seem so hard but now I have been relatively on track for 2 weeks it is coming easier.

Gym last night where I did 30 minutes on the x-trainer and then 20km on the exercise bike. 20km on the exercise bike seems so much longer than on a real bike - so much more boring! Only took me 43 minutes though so probably a bit quicker than cycling outside since you don't have to stop and start at all. That is one of the things I miss most about Perth - being able to exercise outdoors (without getting frostbite or drenched). I am going back for a couple of weeks in May and I can't wait! I will be able to get my bike but I think my cycling shoes are in storage so may have to change the pedals if I want to ride it at all (which would be great!). I can see it being very hard to get back on the plane to come back here.

Nothing much else to report, plodding along fine at the moment. Dinner out tomorrow night but will let myself relax a little. Looking forward to a lovely steak and dessert. Followed by getting right back on the horse on Saturday!

Who Ate All the Pies?

2007-01-17T09:38:00.000Z

Not me! There are pies at work for someone's birthday and I am resisting - it is hard though with the smell permeating through the whole office.

Was under the lardarse threshold this morning - YAY!!! This means I have shifted my Christmas weight, now onto the rest of December!

So much for not wasting all day reading blogs - spent at least 4 hours doing exactly that yesterday. Really need to pull my finger out! After I finish this entry I WILL FOCUS ON WORK.

Anyway, yesterday was another on track day. Cardio and weights last night. Gym is still packed and it's giving me the shits. Not enough to stop me going obviously but I really can't wait until February or March when everyone else's motivation has waned. I at least was at the gym the week before Christmas so I feel as though I should get preferential treatment! Cardio again tonight for at least an hour so hopefully I can get on the machines I want when I want.

Hubby is off to Copenhagen next week for work. Might try having very plain dinners while he's away (he is not a huge fan of grilled meat and steamed vegies in general). Works out quite well since I've got a night away in Glasgow next Friday - with work people but it's a social event. Am a bit worried about my exercise regime as we are leaving at lunchtime Friday and don't get back until Saturday night. Was originally thinking I would just have to have 2 days off exercise but have come up with an alternate plan now. Think I will go to the gym Friday morning before work but wear my old sneakers so that I still have my normal gear at my place on Sunday (my Friday gear I will have to leave at work since I won't have time to go back home after the gym). Sorted! Now I just have to do it.

The Lardarse Threshold

2007-01-16T09:05:00.000Z

My husband and I have identified a unique phenomenon with my body which we call the lardarse threshold. Basically there is a certain weight threshold which when passed over seems to add kilos to my appearance. When I'm under this threshold I look OK - sure, not skinny but not massive either. Once I pass this threshold weight, by however small a margin, it's like I have stacked on kilos instantly and I become decidedly lardy. Luckily, this threshold is 10kg above my goal weight. Unluckily, I am currently 10kg over my goal weight. Yes, I am currently right on the threshold which means any loss from now will take me under it - yay!! Hopefully I can get a quarter pound drop on the scales tomorrow morning to move me under the threshold.

Had a good diet and exercise day yesterday. The gym was packed again last night. When I first arrived the only cardio equipment I could get on was the stepper. Luckily a bike soon became available and I quickly switched while I had the chance. I did 30 minutes bike, 10 minutes stepper and 20 minutes elliptical. For as long as I've used ellipticals and steppers I have always used the manual setting, but recently on the bike I have been using the random program. This seems to make the workout a bit more intense as you are constantly changing resistance so it's a bit like interval training. Last night I decided to switch to the random program on the stepper and the elliptical. I've also bumped up my levels on both the bike and the elliptical to level 9. Sorry to sound crass but I was sweating my box off (yes, I am a classy individual). Obviously the random program works!

Bought the Body for Life for Women book online and had it delivered yesterday. Started reading last night. Looks pretty good, but I haven't read any of the food stuff yet. I like the focus on exercise and weight training - I really believe that any weight loss plan has to incorporate exercise for it to have any chance of long-term success. Also, I have finally given up on the idea of having a body like a model so I now embrace the athletic look. I much prefer to look at a body that looks fit, rather than just skinny, and I think part of that is admiring the fact that someone has worked at their body. That's the sort of body I want to have - one where people look at me and know that I work at it.

Well, that's it for today. Must stay off the blog reading and do some work! Gym tonight with 45 minutes cardio plus upper body and abs.

New Week, New Weight

2007-01-15T09:08:00.000Z

Well, my weekend was by no means perfect, but also could've been a lot worse. My diet wasn't too bad in terms of calories but in terms of nutritional value it was shocking! Saturday I ate nothing but Quality Streets until I had a ready meal for dinner (new Champneys one from Sainsburys - chicken in red wine sauce, highly recommended). Then I washed that down with a whole bottle of wine at the pub. My alcohol tolerance seems to have taken a dramatic dive in the last couple of weeks as I was totally smashed. Yesterday I was feeling a bit seedy so had oven chips for lunch, a chai latte at a cafe later and takeaway indian for dinner (hubby's choice). In my defence, it was the smallest serve of indian I have ever had in my life, although I did have half a naan bread.

Exercise was on track too, despite the hangover. Friday night I went for my hour of cardio and ended up doing a bit extra. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, then 20 minutes on the bike. By that time I had gone 9.2km on the bike so thought I may as well go for 20km. The full 20km took 44 minutes so not too bad. Saturday was my scheduled rest day. Yesterday after dragging my arse off the couch to meet a friend for coffee I made it to the gym for an hour's cardio plus upper body weights and abs. Was impressed I managed all that yesterday since I really wasn't in the mood but I was glad once I had finished.

Anyway, enough prattling on. I'd better get to the reason I am doing all this - the weigh-in:

Today's weight: 10st 10.75lb = 2lb loss

Happy with that, although not as good as yesterday morning when I jumped on and got 10st 9lb. The old alcoholic dehydration makes you feel so bad physically but there are some perks!

So, onto the next week. This week my rest day will be Friday since we are going out for dinner with some of my husband's work friends. Going to La Stella which I was introduced to by my sister - I've been there I think 4 times and every time the food has been fantastic. I always have an Aberdeen Angus steak which is so delicious that I can't bring myself to order any of the other yummy sounding food on the main course list. Good for the iron anyway!

Again I will be aiming for 6 days at the gym with 3 days of weight training included. Main goal for this week is to decrease the amount of calories coming from chocolate. Shouldn't be too hard as there are only the crap Quality Streets left now. Although I do have some chocolate I bought in Paris but they are small and individually wrapped squares so wouldn't feel right scoffing the lot in one sitting. Oh, and another goal I have for this week is to not spend so much time at work reading other people's blogs. I have been an absolute shocker this year and spent probably 60% of my work time reading the archives of other blogs. Naughty.

Tomorrow: the lardarse threshold...

The wagon rolls on

2007-01-12T13:08:00.000Z

Well, I managed to successfully get back on the wagon yesterday and finished within my calorie limit, even if a far too large proportion of those calories were made up of Quality Streets. Damn those shiny, scrunchie, yummy things. My husband has been getting stuck into them with a vengeance so I'm sure they won't be around for much longer! I am at least tracking every single one I eat which is an improvement on my usual "hoover them up and then forget" technique. Went to the gym again last night which makes 8 out of 9 days. Most impressed with that effort. I have bumped up my levels on the cardio machines and am starting to enjoy the weights - Linda Hamilton (chick out of Terminator 2) arms here I come!

The scale was back down to my Wednesday morning weight today so I suppose that's a plus. I have to admit to feeling a bit impatient at the moment though. I know I've barely been back on the wagon long enough to leave an imprint on the seat but I was hoping for some of those early, fast results on the scales. It's not to be apparently. I am just having one of those weeks where I wish I was a naturally slim person who can eat whatever they want. Don't even know why I go down down this pointless route - I am NOT a naturally thin person and I never will be. I just get so jacked off having to exercise virtually every day just to maintain my (over)weight. Well, actually it's not really the exercise that jacks me off, it's the fact that I exercise more than everyone else I know (except my brother who cycles 500-600km a week for fun!) but I still seem to have the most trouble with my weight. I know I can be a little piggy as well but it's not like I am eating much differently to anyone else when we are out. Actually, what has surprised me recently is how little weight I have put on when I have not been "on a diet". It used to be that I could stack on 2kg in just a weekend but I didn't even put that on over Christmas and New Years. Just seems like such a vast difference - I can eat what I want and exercise when I want and put on weight very slowly, but to lose weight I have to become the diet and exercise Nazi. It feels as though what I would do naturally now is fairly close to what I would need to do for maintenance so why do I need to do so much more to lose weight? I don't know if this would make sense to anyone else but it is something that is annoying the shit out of me right now.

Anyway, giving up is not an option. I worked out today that if I lose a pound a week (which is slower than I would like) until I go back to Perth in May I would be around 61kg. Not too shabby! And certainly better than being where I am now, or higher. So I guess it's just keep doing what I'm doing.

As penance for my pigginess on Wednesday I will not be going to drinks after work tonight - I will be annihilating as many calories as possible at the gym. Man, my life is exciting.

I get knocked down...

2007-01-11T09:31:00.000Z

But I get up again. So much for all my great plans yesterday. Firstly, the chocolate gods must've read my blog because there were M&S minibites in the kitchen not long after I posted. Of course I couldn't resist so had two before I went to a meeting at which there were....TIM TAMS!! So exciting in this neck of the woods so I had two of those as well. Dinner at my friend's was fajitas so not so bad but I didn't need the cheese and crackers before and the chocolates after, along with 3 glasses of wine. I have tracked it all and reckon my daily calories were 2370 - not pretty. On the plus side I did make it to the gym and according to my heart rate monitor burned 641 calories. Also, between walking to work, to the gym, to friend's and then home would've walked at least 5km. Scale up half a pound this morning which doesn't seem so bad except I have concerns that this is a false reading due to alcoholic dehydration. I so want that gone tomorrow!

Needless to say, today is back on the straight and narrow. Smoothie for breakfast, veggie sub for lunch and have some pineapple in the fridge. And the gym again tonight. Ugh - hate having to do the backtrack after just being a pig for no reason. So you'd think that would stop me doing it, right?

Bored

2007-01-10T14:01:00.000Z

I am sick of work already for the year. Not a good sign seeing as it's only my 6th day for the year. Also feel like a bit of a twat for moving to the other side of the world for this job. Not that there's anything wrong with it (probably), I just can't seem to get motivated. Oh well, I'm stuck here for another 18 months at least so I'd better just suck it up. Doesn't help that the weather in Aberdeen today is totally shite. Can't help thinking about what I would be doing in Perth right now. Nice long rides around the river in the early morning sunshine, drinks with friends in beer gardens, slacking off at my old job...aah, the memories. The grass is always greener hey?

Anyway, I just couldn't face my usual 6" veggie delite sub today (Subway seems to be the only place you can get a salad roll not drowned in mayo over here) so went for a chicken, cheese and tomato panini. Plus, I didn't have to walk as far to get it which is a bonus in this weather. A LOT more calories than my usual but I think I can work it into my calories. Of course, that depends on what I get served up for dinner tonight. No real control over anything there except my portion size so I will have to do my best. And no more than 2 glasses of wine.

Exercise is still going well. Really didn't feel like hitting the gym last night but forced myself and felt great afterwards. Why is it so hard to muster up those feelings BEFORE you go to the gym? Am already not looking forward to going again tonight but I know I will be happy I did afterwards. Have decided to crank up the cardio equipment by a level each to get me working a bit harder, I tend to get a bit slack and just leave it the same and cruise along. Not anymore!

Not feeling quite as motivated as I have been but hopefully I will snap out of it. Luckily I have no access to chocolate while I'm at work (unless someone brings some in - in which case I would take it as a sign from the gods that I must eat some) otherwise I think I would be shovelling it in right now. Thank God I am not at home where there is a 2.5kg tin of Quality Streets (well actually there is significantly less than that now). Eating yesterday was within my calorie limits but definitely a few too many chocolate calories - need to get my husband to eat more of the Quality Streets. Once they are not staring me in the face it will be easier.

Bit of a blah entry - hopefully I will be more motivated tomorrow!

Keep on keepin' on

2007-01-09T10:09:00.000Z

My first ever comment! How exciting!

Yesterday was a good day. Food on track and fought the crowds and got my hour's cardio in. Hopefully that is the busiest my gym will ever be. Even had my 2 serves of fruit for the day which hasn't happened for ages.

Banana smoothie again for breakfast. Man, I absolutely love it! Can't believe I didn't think of it earlier. Just like a milkshake and yesterday it filled me up right up to lunchtime. Today I have some fresh pineapple in the fridge for an afternoon snack too so 2 serves of fruit again - I am a paragon of healthy eating!

Upper body weights again tonight, plus 45 minutes cardio. May have to skip shoulders tonight though as they are a bit sore from Sunday's effort. Considering the size of them, my shoulders are surprisingly weak. I remember when I was a total gym junkie years ago and did heaps of weights I never increased my weight on the shoulders. Why is that?

Have a couple of social occasions this week that I am already worrying about. Tomorrow night I have dinner at a friend's place (finally have some in Aberdeen - thought the day would never come) and Friday night we have work drinks. Will have to tread very carefully as these have the potential to throw me totally off-track. I think tomorrow night I will just try to limit my portion of whatever is served and will go to the gym beforehand. Might try to get to work early so I can leave earlier and squeeze in some extra cardio. Friday I will have to go to the gym in the morning, not my favourite option but there is no way it will happen otherwise. I suppose I do need to have a rest day somewhere but I was saving that for Saturday because I've got a hair appointment which always takes forever. I will try not to go overboard on the drinking (famous last words!) because that just ruins all my resolve with healthy eating. It's rare that an evening drinking doesn't end in a visit to Burger King on the way home!

First Full Week

2007-01-08T08:32:00.000Z

Well it's the first work Monday of the year - yuk! Roll on Friday.

Weekend was not as good diet-wise as I would've liked after an accident with some Quality Streets last night. Exercise is on track though. I just couldn't face a full day at work on Friday so I took a half day and hit the gym early. My muscles were far too sore to do the scheduled weight training so I stuck to an hour's cardio. Saturday was my rest day but I went for a 9km walk with my husband so at least there was some activity (that was literally all I did as I spent most of the rest of the day on the couch!). Yesterday my muscles had finally recovered enough for me to get on with the weight training so I did an hour's cardio followed by weights.

Monday is my official weigh-in day so after a 5 day week the result is....

10st 12.75lb = loss of 1.5lb

Not too bad considering the amount of leftover Christmas chocolate that has been finding its way into my gob. Hoping to do a bit better this week though, especially since I have the full 7 days.

Bought a blender yesterday and had the most delicious banana smoothie for breakfast today. A banana, 200mL skimmed milk, 2 tsp Milo and some ice cubes all blended together. 220 calories and worth every single one. Plus, I actually got some fruit in which is an achievement for me. Also have brought in some melon to have as a snack later on.

Gym tonight will no doubt be packed with everyone atoning for their Christmas sins. I just hope I can manage my hour's cardio without too much mucking around waiting for machines. Oh well, probably only a few weeks before all the new years resolutions fall by the wayside (but hopefully not mine!).

Day 3

2007-01-05T08:28:00.000Z

As you can see, I'm not very imaginative when it comes to titles. Anyway, on to day 3 of no longer eating my own body weight in chocolate at every opportunity. Made it
to the gym last night and did 60 minutes of cardio. Was forced onto the rower by some guy hogging the stepper (he was on for an hour - how is that even humanly possible??) - the arms were feeling it but I survived. Still pretty sore today but I am scheduled to do upper body weights again today so will have to push through the pain!

Actually managed breakfast this morning since we finally have some milk and am just about to complete my grocery order for tomorrow. Man I LOVE online grocery shopping. It's not available yet in Perth so I was stoked to arrive here and find that it is. Definitely beats trawling through the aisles of a supermarket dodging toddlers and trolleys and listening to kids whine. And no packing stuff into a trolley, onto the conveyor belt, back into the trolley, into the car and out of the car and then finally into the pantry. Also, there's less temptation to load in lots of the bad stuff (which is not to say that plenty of bad stuff hasn't made its way to me anyway). Will definitely have to get some fruit since I hardly eat any. My husband is just as bad. We both agree that we actually like eating but for some reason, even when we have it in the house, it just never gets eaten. Am thinking of maybe trying a smoothie for breakfast.

Well, that's about it. Am sitting here at work in my too-tight jeans - scale down half a pound this morning, but judging by these jeans it's going to take a fair bit more than that! No point worrying about the scales though, it's a nasty piece of work. I just need to keep telling myself that consistency is the key. That and no pigging out on the weekend.

Day 2

2007-01-04T17:10:00.000Z

OK, just a quick one as I'm about to rush off to the gym.

Managed my first gym visit for the year yesterday and man are my arms and shoulders sore today. I haven't done any weights for over 3 years and I can certainly feel it today. Anyway, today will just be cardio (but no rowing machine!).

Also managed to keep the food under control reasonably well yesterday, finishing up on 1500 calories. Not the lowest ever but with 40 minutes cardio, 30 minutes weight training, plus walking to work, to the gym and then home, I think it's OK. No change on the scales today (yes, I must admit to being a compulsive weigher) but I won't let that get to me (at least not yet anyway).

Anyway, I must be off to exercise.

PS I have a bad feeling that this font is different to yesterday's post - will have to fix later if it is.

Ready, set.....

2007-01-03T14:50:00.000Z

Well, here I am with yet another 10kg to lose (at least). Yes, I am a yo-yo dieter. I must've lost at least 100kg over the years and yet I'm still overweight. I know, I know, it's a common story. So, after reading so many weight loss blogs I have decided to give it a crack myself. I love a new approach (let's not talk about what happens once the novelty wears off).

So I suppose I should start with a bit of a spiel about myself. I'm female, 31, 5'2", married and about 6 months ago I moved from Perth, Australia to Aberdeen, Scotland. Scotland is a dieter's nightmare. They seem to specialise in anything drowned in lard over here. A simple sandwich (always a safe item at home) seems to contain nearly 2 litres of mayo. And the weather is not especially conducive to outdoor exercise. On the plus side, I don't have a car so am forced to walk to work every day which is probably no more than 2km each way (looking forward to that in the snow).

Now onto the dieting history. When I was a kid I was definitely chubby. Not so I got teased or anything but definitely a bit on the plump side. This continued until I was about 14 when the "puppy fat" fell off one summer. I remember everyone telling me how good I looked and I also remember that I initially had done nothing to actually try to lose weight. Once the compliments started rolling in though I decided I liked it and so I pretty much stopped eating. I don't remember a lot from back then (it was 15 years ago after all - plus I was dazed with hunger) but I do know my weight dropped to 42kg. Once the summer holidays were over I returned to semi-normal eating, but the seed was planted. Thin = good, fat = bad.

By the time I finished high school I had put on weight and was probably on the heavier end of normal. Going to uni meant a huge change to my eating habits. I generally wouldn't eat until 4pm and weekdays I'd only have one meal, supplemented with weekend binge drinking and McDonalds on the way home. Somehow I still managed to maintain a reasonable weight despite doing no exercise. Weight was something that was always on my mind though. In my second year of uni I had a serious bout of tonsilitis and lost 6kg in 6 days, dropping my weight to 49kg. I was ecstatic! It took a while to put that weight back on but on it came eventually. After 2 and a half years of uni I took a leave of absence and started working as a croupier. Shift work eventually caught up with me and I remember being seriously depressed about my weight for the first time (mind you, I was less than 60kg which I would be thrilled with now). I joined a gym for the first time and hit it pretty hard. At one stage I was going 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. I had the time then so it didn't seem excessive and I was looking fantastic (if I do say so myself). Never thought to weigh myself because I was happy with my size but I guess I would've been around 54kg.

Eventually I decided to go back to uni and within the space of one semester I could not fit into my jeans. In fairness to myself I had actually developed some hips in that time (at 22 - I'm obviously a late bloomer) but it was still depressing. I didn't really do anything about it though and when I graduated uni I was around 65kg.

Six months later I was up over 70kg and I decided something had to be done. I joined Weight Watchers and became really obsessive about it. I stuck to it religiously - I think I had maybe one cheat meal in 5 months. I cut my points right down until I was eating between 12 and 15 and going to the gym 5 days a week. I lost weight. People noticed. I loved it. I set my goal at 57kg but could not seem to get lower than 58kg, which I decided was good enough since I could always fit into a size 8 (some were even too big). I bought heaps of new clothes because I was so happy with my new body. I didn't even have a chance to wear them all before the regain commenced.

I fluctuated over the next few years (although mostly in an upward direction) and was constantly trying to lose weight but come the new year 4 years ago I was heavier than when I started Weight Watchers the first time. I joined again with the added incentive that I was getting married that December. I lost about 6kg before losing interest and going on to try numerous diets for the rest of the year. I also started exercising again (which of course had fallen by the wayside). With hard work (and the help of CalorieKing.com.au, or DietClub as it was known then) I managed to get down to 59kg for my wedding day. By the time the honeymoon was over I had gained 3kg. And the upswing begins again.

Since then I have again fluctuated more up than down and have not been below 65kg for at least 2 years. I have tried Weight Watchers twice more but I think the novelty of that has well and truly worn off for me. I do think that it's a good program and I fundamentally agree with their principles but I can't seem to get motivated with it anymore. The one shining light in my weight struggle since I got married is that I have finally managed to adopt exercise as a part of my life, which is probably why I have managed to limit my gain. In the last 2 years I have had periods of excessive exercise (2-3 hours a day) and that has shown that diet is an integral part of losing and maintaining weight. Basically, no matter how much exercise I do, I can always shovel more food in my mouth than I burn off.

So I'm trying to be a bit more moderate about everything now - if you don't eat your body weight in chocolate you don't have to spend 3 hours on the cross-trainer. Now I realise I have never been hugely overweight - my highest ever weight was somewhere between 72 and 73kg and my largest dress size was (is) 12. But that doesn't mean I don't have just as big a problem as someone hoping to lose 50kg. And the problem with not being really really overweight is I have a tendency to think "I'm not that fat, I'll watch what I eat next week" (this usually happens when I want to eat a family block of chocolate all to myself).

So what's the current state of play? Well, in 2006 I fluctuated between 66 and 71kg. As I mentioned, I moved to Scotland in July and somehow, even with all the associated stress and going-away food and alcohol, managed to only put on about a kilo in the process. I made a concerted effort a few months after arriving and lost a few kilos, only to put them back on in the lead up to the festive season (pretty standard really). But all that is about to change. I am starting this blog to give me some accountability. So my weight as of this morning is 11 stone 0.25 lb (I am weighing in stones and pounds since I am in the UK and I like the way you can lose a whole pound when you’ve lost less than a kilo. It just sounds better). This is about as close as you can get to 70kg without actually being 70kg. My goal is 9 stone 2 lb (58kg) but really I’d be happy with anything under 60kg. And of course, there is a preferred timeline. I am returning to Australia for a visit in May (not exactly sure when yet) so I want to be at goal then. Of course, I have prepared my lovely spreadsheet with all my weekly weight loss goals which always makes it seem so easy. Unfortunately it never is as simple as it seems.

I have no magic formula. It will be basic calorie counting and exercise. I may as well be open from the start – I will eat chocolate. In fact, I usually allow myself a few hundred calories a day for a chocolatey treat. But as far as I’m concerned a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Obviously I still need to try to get as many nutrients in as well so I will endeavour to not use all my calorie allowance on chocolate.

So....today hasn’t been a great start after we had no milk due to only arriving from Paris at 9pm last night after a week away. Unfortunately there were some Viscount biscuits and Thorntons peppermint creams in the pantry so breakfast was one of each. About 120 calories all up so not the end of the world. Lunch was Subway – a footlong veggie delite. Usually only have a 6” but was particularly hungry (probably the stomach stretching effects of Paris pain au chocolat and baguette). I also had a snack size Bounty afterwards (also found in the pantry of the devil). I did, however, walk to work and am planning a gym visit after work. I have had a niggling heel injury preventing me from jogging for the last 2 months (not that it has always stopped me, which is probably why it’s not healed yet) so will be sticking to low impact cardio for the moment (not happy about that since I had finally managed to work my way up to running 5km without stopping). I am also planning on starting some upper body weights which I have not done for years. Not bothering with lower body since my legs are already muscular enough underneath all the lard.

So I’m all set. The plan is to check in here at least every weekday (when I should really be working). I will also be tracking my food in a notebook to keep me honest. After this essay I suppose I’d better leave it here – until tomorrow.