No proper post from me today. I don't have much to say. Everything is going well in diet & weight loss world. I sneaky peeked the scales and they started with an 8 :-) I hope that holds out for official weigh in day Monday.
I found this article and it gave me a giggle. So I thought I'd share it...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203471004577140900388728374.html
1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better
about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about
yourself, it would be a bar.
2. Give yourself a goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds.
Maybe you want to quarterback the New York Jets into the playoffs. But be
warned: Losing 10 pounds is hard.
3. Develop a gym routine. Try to go at least three times a
week. Do a mix of strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. After the
third week, stop carrying around that satchel of fresh-baked chocolate chip
cookies.
4. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while
reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.
5. Bring your iPod. Don't borrow the disgusting gym
headphones, or use the sad plastic radio attachment on the treadmill, which
always sounds like it's playing Kenny Loggins from a sewer.
6. Don't fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method
to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.
7. Yes, every gym has an overenthusiastic spinning
instructor who hasn't bought a record since "Walking on Sunshine."
8. There's also the Strange Guy Who is Always at the Gym.
Just when you think he isn't here today...there he is, lurking by the
barbells.
9. "Great job!" is trainer-speak for "It's not polite for me
to laugh at you."
10. Beware a hip gym with a Wilco step class.
11. Gyms have two types of members: Members who wipe down
the machines after using them, and the worst people in the universe.
12. Nope, that's not a "recovery energy bar with antioxidant
dark chocolate." That's a chocolate bar.
13. Avoid Unsolicited Advice Guy, who, for the small fee of
boring you to death, will explain the proper method for any exercise in 45
minutes or longer.
14. You can take 10 Minute Abs, 20 Minute Abs, and 30 Minute
Abs. There is also Stop Eating Pizza and Eating Sheet Cake Abs—but that's super
tough!
15. If you're motivated to buy an expensive home exercise
machine, consider a "wooden coat rack." It costs $40, uses no electricity and
does the exact same thing.
16. There's the yoga instructor everyone loves, and the yoga
instructor everyone hates. Memorize who they are.
17. If you see an indoor rock climbing wall, you're either
in a really cool gym or a romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson.
18. Be cautious about any class with the words "sunrise,"
"hell," or "Moby."
19. If a gym class is going to be effective, it's hard. If
you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, you're at brunch.
20. If you need to bring your children, just let them loose
in the silent meditation class. Nobody minds, and kids love candles.
21. Don't buy $150 sneakers, $100 yoga pants, and $4 water.
Muscle shirts are for people with muscles, and rhythm guitarists.
22. Fancy gyms can be seductive, but once you get past the
modern couches and fresh flowers and the water with lemon slices, you're
basically paying for a boutique hotel with B.O.
23. Everyone sees you secretly racing the old people in the
pool.
24. If you're at the point where you've bought biking shoes
for the spinning class, you may as well go ahead and buy an actual bike. It's
way more fun and it doesn't make you listen to C+C Music Factory.
25. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0
and 0 calories.
26. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it's
good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it's not good, you show
up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.
27. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The
end.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
So far so good
Here we are on day 4 of OFB, and it's all so far so good. Eating has been very controlled, not a single piece of chocolate has passed my lips. And I actually have some in the house. I also have chips and cookies. I'm not eating any of it. Excuse me while I go and have a pride moment.
OK, I'm back now. Thanks for waiting.
Exercise wise is all good too. Monday I went for a run and did some upper body weight work (ouch). Tuesday I did a walk up a hill and a jog back down in the morning (about 4km all up). On Tuesday night I needed some distraction, and I did something that even surprised me... I went to a Sh'bam class. It's dancey, very dancey. And I'm seriously devoid of coordination and rhythm. I'm sure the look of me trying to dance and gyrate along with the rest of the class would have been truly horrendous on the eye. But you know what, I don't care. I didn't know anyone in the class, and I'm not there for looks. It was a great workout - my heart rate was up in the 170's and I burnt 520 calories in 45 minutes, which is more than I do running - and it was actually kind of fun. There had to be something good that came out of me hitting my 30's, I am now very much less interested in what other people think about me and the way I look. This journey is about me, and if I look stupid along the way, so be it!
Wednesday became a rest day, because weeks (or perhaps months) of inactivity followed by a sudden burst of energy took it's toll on my poor legs. But I was back into it this morning, clocking up a 4.5km run, albeit quite slow and painful. Tonight I'll hit the gym for another weights workout I think.
I took some measurements this morning, as I sometimes find that a more useful measurement than weight, especially when I'm doing some strength training. I also downloaded the old CK data from my weight loss in 2007/08, which was interesting. I'm now 90-point-something kg. I have measurements from when I was 89.5kg in November 2007 - my measurements now are 1cm larger hips, 2cm larger chest, same on thighs, but 6cm larger waist. Damn it, I knew I was spongier than my previous 90kg self. I hope this means that the weight will leave my waist first... But I somehow doubt it! Ideally I would like to take 15cm off my chest, hips and waist, and 10cm off my thighs. That's a whole lot of fat. Ah well, we'll get there, one step at a time.
OK, I'm back now. Thanks for waiting.
Exercise wise is all good too. Monday I went for a run and did some upper body weight work (ouch). Tuesday I did a walk up a hill and a jog back down in the morning (about 4km all up). On Tuesday night I needed some distraction, and I did something that even surprised me... I went to a Sh'bam class. It's dancey, very dancey. And I'm seriously devoid of coordination and rhythm. I'm sure the look of me trying to dance and gyrate along with the rest of the class would have been truly horrendous on the eye. But you know what, I don't care. I didn't know anyone in the class, and I'm not there for looks. It was a great workout - my heart rate was up in the 170's and I burnt 520 calories in 45 minutes, which is more than I do running - and it was actually kind of fun. There had to be something good that came out of me hitting my 30's, I am now very much less interested in what other people think about me and the way I look. This journey is about me, and if I look stupid along the way, so be it!
Wednesday became a rest day, because weeks (or perhaps months) of inactivity followed by a sudden burst of energy took it's toll on my poor legs. But I was back into it this morning, clocking up a 4.5km run, albeit quite slow and painful. Tonight I'll hit the gym for another weights workout I think.
I took some measurements this morning, as I sometimes find that a more useful measurement than weight, especially when I'm doing some strength training. I also downloaded the old CK data from my weight loss in 2007/08, which was interesting. I'm now 90-point-something kg. I have measurements from when I was 89.5kg in November 2007 - my measurements now are 1cm larger hips, 2cm larger chest, same on thighs, but 6cm larger waist. Damn it, I knew I was spongier than my previous 90kg self. I hope this means that the weight will leave my waist first... But I somehow doubt it! Ideally I would like to take 15cm off my chest, hips and waist, and 10cm off my thighs. That's a whole lot of fat. Ah well, we'll get there, one step at a time.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Welcome to 2012
Greetings and salutations, and happy 2012! 2011 was a disastrous year for me in many respects, and I'm not sorry to see the back of it. Having said that, I learned an awful lot last year. I would certainly not want to live that 12 months again, but I think I am a better person for having lived it.
But now, here we are, in 2012. And it's time to take this blog back to what it was originally about - fitness and weight loss. The reason it hasn't been about that for a while, a long while, is pretty simple. I have been neither fit, nor losing weight. Today is the first day of turning that trend around. A good friend and I have decided that 2012 is the year of "Operation Fit Body", the year to get ourselves fit and healthy. We had to start on 2nd January though, we were too hung over on 1st January after all :-)
I have also joined a Facebook group started by one of my old online buddies from when I lost weight successfully 4 or so years ago. It's called 20SIZE12, and is focused around shrinking to a size 12 in 2012. Cool, huh? The group is in fact full of old Calorie King people from when I was a regular. None of us have been using that site for some time, and sadly there are a lot of us who have regained a lot of weight. But we are an enthusiastic group and I feel motivated and excited about taking on this challenge with this crowd again. It has been a very long time since I could say I felt motivated and excited about losing weight - it's a good feeling.
My plan for executing OFB (operation fit body) is as follows:
So here we go. Here's to a happier, healthier year in 2012. One in which OFB sees me drop 20kg, wear a size 12, and hit some big fitness goals. Watch this space!
But now, here we are, in 2012. And it's time to take this blog back to what it was originally about - fitness and weight loss. The reason it hasn't been about that for a while, a long while, is pretty simple. I have been neither fit, nor losing weight. Today is the first day of turning that trend around. A good friend and I have decided that 2012 is the year of "Operation Fit Body", the year to get ourselves fit and healthy. We had to start on 2nd January though, we were too hung over on 1st January after all :-)
I have also joined a Facebook group started by one of my old online buddies from when I lost weight successfully 4 or so years ago. It's called 20SIZE12, and is focused around shrinking to a size 12 in 2012. Cool, huh? The group is in fact full of old Calorie King people from when I was a regular. None of us have been using that site for some time, and sadly there are a lot of us who have regained a lot of weight. But we are an enthusiastic group and I feel motivated and excited about taking on this challenge with this crowd again. It has been a very long time since I could say I felt motivated and excited about losing weight - it's a good feeling.
My plan for executing OFB (operation fit body) is as follows:
- Track calories. It sucks, but it works. I'm not completely sold on whether I'm going to use Calorie King or My Fitness Pal. I'm kinda using both at the moment. I'll see which one suits best and go with that.
- Running. I haven't run consistently for a good while, and I'm finally at the point where I miss it. I need to finalise a schedule, but I'm looking at doing a few races in July, August and September - a 15km, half marathon and 12km race respectively. I'll ponder this a bit more and lock in a schedule when it's a bit closer.
- Gym. I want to get back into a regular weights/resistance programme, because I have a sneaking suspicion my muscle mass is going to hell. I actually really like weight training, so this should be the easiest part of the plan.
So here we go. Here's to a happier, healthier year in 2012. One in which OFB sees me drop 20kg, wear a size 12, and hit some big fitness goals. Watch this space!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Update time
Our work server is down. Maybe the universe is telling me it's time for a blog update? Well maybe not, seeing as I could actually work around it and use a different server login with the computer hook up I have here. But as no-one else can do that, and they don't know that I can do that... well I can just waste time like everyone else, no?
I am suffering from extreme motivational issues at the moment. As in, I have no motivation at all. Nada. My alarm goes off at 5:15 every day. And I usually set a few on my phone for 5:25, 5:30 and 5:40. Turn them all off and roll over. Then end up being late because I don't drag my butt out of bed til 7. I did manage to get up and get a weights session in yesterday morning. But Monday's run? Nope. This morning's run? Nope. Sigh. I have really got to stop staying up way past my bedtime texting people and playing words with friends. It's not productive. Fun though.
It is a hectic time of year though, so I'm just rolling with it at the moment. Once Christmas is done and dusted, life should settle a little and I should be able to get back into some sort of routine. Please.
On the Christmas front, I've finished all my Christmas shopping, and I'm so impressed with myself. The last thing I was waiting on was delivered this morning, so I'll wrap that and a few other little bits and pieces tonight, and then we're all done. The great Christmas baking expedition happens this weekend (16 dozen mince pies on Saturday morning before I head off to do present wrapping for the Salvos. And then puddings, slices, truffles, shortbread and various other assorted goodies all day Sunday.) I can't believe the following weekend is Christmas. Where did this year go, honestly?
What else is new? My family is a kind of war zone at the moment which is pretty draining. Warring siblings, very sick father, depressed mother. Anyone want to trade families for Christmas? I swear I'm the only one who turned out half way normal... but then I think there's plenty of people who would debate that too :) Work is a bit up and down too, still very busy and still pretty stressful. But then I thrive on work chaos - it's the only thing that keeps me sane with the rest of my crazy world.
Not much else to report really, despite the extended time between updates! My insular little world just keeps going around, rat on a wheel style. One day I'll make some progress I'm sure. Until then...
I am suffering from extreme motivational issues at the moment. As in, I have no motivation at all. Nada. My alarm goes off at 5:15 every day. And I usually set a few on my phone for 5:25, 5:30 and 5:40. Turn them all off and roll over. Then end up being late because I don't drag my butt out of bed til 7. I did manage to get up and get a weights session in yesterday morning. But Monday's run? Nope. This morning's run? Nope. Sigh. I have really got to stop staying up way past my bedtime texting people and playing words with friends. It's not productive. Fun though.
It is a hectic time of year though, so I'm just rolling with it at the moment. Once Christmas is done and dusted, life should settle a little and I should be able to get back into some sort of routine. Please.
On the Christmas front, I've finished all my Christmas shopping, and I'm so impressed with myself. The last thing I was waiting on was delivered this morning, so I'll wrap that and a few other little bits and pieces tonight, and then we're all done. The great Christmas baking expedition happens this weekend (16 dozen mince pies on Saturday morning before I head off to do present wrapping for the Salvos. And then puddings, slices, truffles, shortbread and various other assorted goodies all day Sunday.) I can't believe the following weekend is Christmas. Where did this year go, honestly?
What else is new? My family is a kind of war zone at the moment which is pretty draining. Warring siblings, very sick father, depressed mother. Anyone want to trade families for Christmas? I swear I'm the only one who turned out half way normal... but then I think there's plenty of people who would debate that too :) Work is a bit up and down too, still very busy and still pretty stressful. But then I thrive on work chaos - it's the only thing that keeps me sane with the rest of my crazy world.
Not much else to report really, despite the extended time between updates! My insular little world just keeps going around, rat on a wheel style. One day I'll make some progress I'm sure. Until then...
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Greetings
I'm still around the place, just not posting much at the moment.
There's been lots going on in my life of late, but not much that I can blog about. In fact, I have realised in recent times just how little of my life I share on my blog. All I really post about here is the day-to-day mundane of my existence, and my trials and tribulations in the weight loss and exercise world. And at the moment, that leaves me with not much to report. I'm on and off the diet wagon more often than I can count (I'm officially back on this morning, in case you're wondering)! Exercise is a little haphazard. I'm not training for anything particularly, and I've been completely slack the last couple of weeks. But I ran 6k this morning and felt really good. It's the first time I've enjoyed a run in a long time, so hopefully that's a sign of positive things to come.
As for everything else in life... well, yeah. Lots going on at work, but I can't talk about that. A bit happening in my love life, but I can't talk about that. A bit happening in the family life, but I just don't want to talk about that, because it's depressing and I can't change it, and talking about it won't help.
So that leaves me with nothing, eh? Hopefully I'll get my running mojo back (or at least my general exercise mojo), and I'll have something to report on that front. Otherwise, things are going to be a little quiet around these parts. The two of you good readers who are unfortunate enough to get emails and texts from me about the stuff I can't talk about on here... well you can expect plenty more crap to come :P
There's been lots going on in my life of late, but not much that I can blog about. In fact, I have realised in recent times just how little of my life I share on my blog. All I really post about here is the day-to-day mundane of my existence, and my trials and tribulations in the weight loss and exercise world. And at the moment, that leaves me with not much to report. I'm on and off the diet wagon more often than I can count (I'm officially back on this morning, in case you're wondering)! Exercise is a little haphazard. I'm not training for anything particularly, and I've been completely slack the last couple of weeks. But I ran 6k this morning and felt really good. It's the first time I've enjoyed a run in a long time, so hopefully that's a sign of positive things to come.
As for everything else in life... well, yeah. Lots going on at work, but I can't talk about that. A bit happening in my love life, but I can't talk about that. A bit happening in the family life, but I just don't want to talk about that, because it's depressing and I can't change it, and talking about it won't help.
So that leaves me with nothing, eh? Hopefully I'll get my running mojo back (or at least my general exercise mojo), and I'll have something to report on that front. Otherwise, things are going to be a little quiet around these parts. The two of you good readers who are unfortunate enough to get emails and texts from me about the stuff I can't talk about on here... well you can expect plenty more crap to come :P
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Life is ticking along
I have a church audit spread all over my desk. Church audits are really not my favourite thing in the world. In fact, they are a massive pain in the butt. Hence I am looking for ways to procrastinate away my available time, and what better way than to update in blog world.
Life is just ticking away at the moment. Nothing of any massive excitement to report on. Such is the life of an accountant eh? I've been going to the gym semi regularly, last week was a bit of a fail, but otherwise I've been pretty good. Eating has been OK for the most part. My weekends are pretty full, but mostly it's just boring stuff which is gaining good brownie points with the family, but boring me senseless.
A couple of exciting developments from the weekend just gone though:
Life is just ticking away at the moment. Nothing of any massive excitement to report on. Such is the life of an accountant eh? I've been going to the gym semi regularly, last week was a bit of a fail, but otherwise I've been pretty good. Eating has been OK for the most part. My weekends are pretty full, but mostly it's just boring stuff which is gaining good brownie points with the family, but boring me senseless.
A couple of exciting developments from the weekend just gone though:
- I got the new iPhone. It rocks. I love gadgets, and this is a big step up on the old 3GS I've been using until now. The Siri voice recognition software needs some work, and some of the features don't work in Australia yet, but it's good fun. Some friends and I had some great laughs on Saturday night playing with it, setting reminders to go off at all hours of the night on each other's phones. Juvenile yes, but funny.
- I got a new Polar. I have no clue where I have stashed my old one, but it was pretty beaten up anyway. The new one is pink and pretty, and I've taken it out for a couple of sessions - a walk up/run down Mt Lofty on Saturday, and an RPM class this morning. Works a treat.
- I got new hair. I was thoroughly bored with waiting for my hair to grow, so I've had some extensions put in. The reactions have been a bit mixed, some people like the look of it, others not so much. But I'm enjoying having super long hair again for the moment. The lovely Kylie said that it makes me look younger, she's such a star :)
Plans for the week ahead? Don't really have any. That's not good. Let's make some up -
- Get to the gym every day
- Try for a run (although the shins pulled up pretty sore from the Mt Lofty climb)
- Get some freaking work done. I've found all new levels of procrastination recently (she says as she blogs away)
- Leave some comments on some blogs. I still follow lots of people and read regularly, but I've become completely slack at commenting. Rude.
- Drink lots of water and eat well.
That'll do. Until next time, blog peeps...
Monday, October 3, 2011
Unexciting, but productive, weekend
I've come back to work after a long weekend to have a rest! The weekend was not at all exciting, but it was productive, so I'll settle for that.
On Saturday I put in a new watering system in my side garden and out the front. See, not exciting, but very necessary and definitely good to have it done. On Saturday night I did nada. I was buggered, don't know why really, but I was.
On Sunday I was up in the dark (daylight saving started) to go to the markets at 6. It's weird going there in the dark again, but it will slowly lighten up as the days get longer heading into summer. I did a bit of cooking and a very little bit of cleaning, a bit of shopping, and then I took my dad to the footy. It was the prelim final, and it was just a horrible game. My team had scored 1 goal 4 to half time... then didn't score in the third quarter. Excited much? So, we got smashed in the game, and the season is over. My dad goes for the opposition though, so they're through to the grand final. They'll get smashed next weekend, but we might go along anyway. Dad seemed to really enjoy the footy, and it's damned hard trying to find things to take him to these days. He's just not steady enough on his feet or coordinated enough to do a lot of stuff, and he doesn't have a lot of interests. What do you do with a 70 year old with Alzheimers and Parkinsons, really?
Yesterday was the big day... I had a tonne of river pebbles and 2 cubic yards of organic compost delivered in the morning, and spent the day shovelling and barrowing it. It took about 7 hours and I was completely buggered, but the garden looks sensational. There is very, very little left to be done in the garden now, for which I am quite grateful, because it's been a long haul. It's taken me 18 months or a little longer to get it all sorted. I need to put up some trellising for an orange tree I'm going to espalia on the shed, and some more wire on the back fence where I'm growing grape vines. I need to adjust the edging on the veggie patches alongside the new pebble path I put in yesterday. Big enough jobs to be a pain in the neck, but nothing like what I've done so far. So that's exciting.
And now here we are at Tuesday morning. I went to RPM this morning against my better judgement, and my hamstrings seem to have completely seized up, so I'll hobble around a little today. My back and shoulders are aching from yesterday's exertions, and I'm a little sunburnt. But altogether, I'm happy with the weekend that was.
I've also finally got my head together, and started losing weight again. I got on the scales for the first time in a long time, and the number was ugly. But I've dropped 3kg in the last couple of weeks, and I'm feeling strong and in control of myself. Win.
On Saturday I put in a new watering system in my side garden and out the front. See, not exciting, but very necessary and definitely good to have it done. On Saturday night I did nada. I was buggered, don't know why really, but I was.
On Sunday I was up in the dark (daylight saving started) to go to the markets at 6. It's weird going there in the dark again, but it will slowly lighten up as the days get longer heading into summer. I did a bit of cooking and a very little bit of cleaning, a bit of shopping, and then I took my dad to the footy. It was the prelim final, and it was just a horrible game. My team had scored 1 goal 4 to half time... then didn't score in the third quarter. Excited much? So, we got smashed in the game, and the season is over. My dad goes for the opposition though, so they're through to the grand final. They'll get smashed next weekend, but we might go along anyway. Dad seemed to really enjoy the footy, and it's damned hard trying to find things to take him to these days. He's just not steady enough on his feet or coordinated enough to do a lot of stuff, and he doesn't have a lot of interests. What do you do with a 70 year old with Alzheimers and Parkinsons, really?
Yesterday was the big day... I had a tonne of river pebbles and 2 cubic yards of organic compost delivered in the morning, and spent the day shovelling and barrowing it. It took about 7 hours and I was completely buggered, but the garden looks sensational. There is very, very little left to be done in the garden now, for which I am quite grateful, because it's been a long haul. It's taken me 18 months or a little longer to get it all sorted. I need to put up some trellising for an orange tree I'm going to espalia on the shed, and some more wire on the back fence where I'm growing grape vines. I need to adjust the edging on the veggie patches alongside the new pebble path I put in yesterday. Big enough jobs to be a pain in the neck, but nothing like what I've done so far. So that's exciting.
And now here we are at Tuesday morning. I went to RPM this morning against my better judgement, and my hamstrings seem to have completely seized up, so I'll hobble around a little today. My back and shoulders are aching from yesterday's exertions, and I'm a little sunburnt. But altogether, I'm happy with the weekend that was.
I've also finally got my head together, and started losing weight again. I got on the scales for the first time in a long time, and the number was ugly. But I've dropped 3kg in the last couple of weeks, and I'm feeling strong and in control of myself. Win.
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