Wednesday 29 February 2012

Addicted?

It's been a month since I wrote about and enjoying exercise. I can hardly believe I'm going to say this but I think I may becoming addicted to exercise.

Since joining the gym on Saturday I have been 3 times (sunday, monday & tuesday) and did around an hour each time. Today is not a gym day but I've walked 3.5 miles. My husband and I have a day without our son and went to cinema & out for dinner. But we walked to the cinema, then to harvester for dinner, then home. We just had chicken & salad for dinner which is within our calorie allowance for the day. So feel like I've not wasted a day with no gym.

You hear about people that get a high from doing exercise and become addicted. I always thought these people were crazy. But it seems as though I may be slowly turning into one of them.

It's been great to exercise for over an hour the last few nights, but in the day when I'm sitting down I start to feel a little bit guilty for sitting down. Normally when my son has his sleep. There's a voice in my head that is shouting louder each day about doing more exercise. I'm getting to like the sound of this voice.

Just after our son left this morning my husband said we should go and sleep. Typically my husband fell asleep really quickly, but I couldn't. I just kept thinking that I could be doing exercise. In the end I went and did some and felt really pleased after.

Tomorrow my husband and I are going to the gym. We plan on doing 60 - 75 mins exercise, followed by 20 - 30 mins swim, then a steam & sauna. It's going to be lovely.

I went to the gym with a friend this week which was such a great help. She helped give me the strength to keep going on that damn stepper, even when I thought I couldn't do anymore.

Who knows how long I will feel like this? It is quite a strange feeling. All my life I've looking at exercise as a chore and in a negative way, so it's taking some getting used to. But whilst I do feel like this i'm going to embrace it. At the end of the day it helping me get healthier & fitter, right?

Sunday 26 February 2012

My first gym session!

WOO HOO!! I did it!

I went to the gym - all by myself and stayed there for a full 40 minute workout.

As I walked down the path I was starting to worry, but once I got in there it was great.

Before I went I downloaded a workout album to my iPhone to listen to at the gym.

I started off on the treadmill for 13 minutes. I managed to jog .... Yes that's right jog..... for approx 2 of those mins. I just started and kept going until i was at my limit. I managed to walk on an incline too. I moved onto a sitting down bike for 8 mins. They are a lot more comfortable to use than the normal bikes. Then back to the treadmill where I jogged again, this time for approx 3 minutes. I managed 18 mins this time. I was all red & sweaty which was great. I just kept thinking about all those calories I was burning off.

When I was working out I was listening to my album which had great beats and kept me going. I'm a bit of a people watcher, so naturally I was looking round to see what other people were doing. There were a couple of girls who looked young and they didn't even look slightly pink. All their hair was perfect and their make hadn't moved at all. But on the whole it wasn't terribly busy. Which was perfect for me coz I could stay in the corner and focus.

There was only 1 moment towards to end when I felt a teeny bit of nausea creeping in. So I just slowed the pace down and concentrated on my breathing. Last time that happened I fainted.

When I finished I felt fantastic. Firstly because I went in and did it on my own. And secondly because I could feel how much good it was doing me.

On my drive home I was thinking about how much better I felt this time compared to when I went to the gym 3+ years ago. Then I realised its coz I don't smoke anymore. 3 years ago I'd have a cigarette on my way in, and again as soon as I left. I was always so wheezy throughout my workout. This time my heart was pumping, but I could breath (albeit faster than normal).

When at home I just kept thinking about when I could go next. I'm planning to go 4 or 5 times in the next week. Taking my son swimming tomorrow afternoon too which will be great fun.

If you are doing any kind of exercise regime at the moment - good luck. You have more strength & power than you know! Keep at it, it all helps :0)

Saturday 25 February 2012

A step in the right direction

I'm nearly at the 2 month mark. I'm really pleased with where I have got to on my journey but think its time to get some professional help. This morning I joined a gym! I'm so excited. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the classes and being able to go swimming, as well as using the gym. Going to also use it to take my son swimming. Its been about 3 years since I went to a gym. I was never excited about the gym, I always saw it as a chore. This time I'm thinking about my health, fitness and weight loss. I'm going to ask family to help babysit in the evenings if my husband is working which will be a massive help.

I've got a health MOT in a week. This is going to tell me about cholesterol, blood sugar, BMI etc. I think that it'll be a fantastic boost & motivation. I'll be going with 1 of my best friends too, which is a massive help.

The first time I go to the gym I know will be a bit difficult. I don't mean physically, but mentally. I worry too much about what other people think. I will be thinking that everyone is thinking 'there goes the fat girl....this should be funny.' I only ever feel like that for the first couple of times until I get used to what I'm doing and where everything is. I know that the same will happen this time, but I also know that I'm dedicated to this and I'm not about to throw in the towel just because my mind is playing games with me. Even if there are people that think that, I know that I'm stronger and that these people are not worth worrying about. I will just be proud of myself for doing something about it. It's better than sitting at home and sitting on the sofa, right?

Friday 24 February 2012

Feeling flat

Last night I was up for 2.5 hours as my son was awake, as a result I'm shattered today. Then decided to do a mid-week weigh in. I haven't lost anything so far this week. Although its no problem coz I've lost so much each week, I just feel a little flat. Don't get me wrong, I'm still as determined as ever to carry on. But I don't have a spring in my step. I think it's just one of the joys of being a woman & lack of sleep.

But in my bid to move more than I did before, I cycled to town & back this morning. I was about the same distance as cycling round the block. Only stopped once each way. What I also noticed is that my thighs didn't get that burning sensation. It must mean that i'm fitter than i was. I was really pleased with myself. And my son loved it. He laughed almost all the way there. As long as the weather is good I'm going to start cycling to 2 groups each week. Then hopefully I'll get more stamina and will be able to cycle to other places too.

Hopefully I'll get back to my normal self over the weekend.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Pancakes a bit of a flop

As you may be aware it's pancake day today. I decided to make sure that I had some, as this is real life and in the future as my son grows I'm sure pancakes will feature highly on shrove Tuesday. I decided that I couldn't have just 1 pancake, so I would have 4 or 5 and that would be my dinner. Anyway we bought a 'shake to make' mixture earlier today. Started making them just now and began adding them to my calorie counting app. By the time I'd logged everything I felt totally cheated. I wasted over 550 calories on 4 pancakes with fillings. WHAT!?!? I could have had such a lovely meal for less calories. I was so annoyed with myself. So lesson learnt, only 1 pancake next year.

Luckily today I've had an amazing day of exercise. This morning before we went out I did 20 mins on my biggest loser wii game. It was good and I was a little sweaty after so knew it was burning those calories. Then at lunchtime I did some step aerobics at an 8 inch height. I thought we'd sold our step before we had our son, but my husband told me it was in the garage. Anywho, I did 20 mins at lunchtime. I did it in 5 minute sections with water breaks in between. Well, let me tell you....I sweat so much I really felt like I'd done an amazing workout. I burned 293 calories in just 20 mins. For the first time since starting this new way of life I felt as though I was helping my health. My heart was pumping, but it felt great. I'm def doing this a few times a week. Then this afternoon I went for a walk round our local park which was a good 30 mins walking whilst pushing a buggy.

Last night I watched Obese: A year to save my life. It was an amazing episode. The guy losing weight was totally focused and really started enjoying it by the end of the year. He ended up losing 12st 5lb in 12 months and has started training to be a personal fitness trainer. It was so good to watch because it reinforced all my positive thoughts at the moment. This guy was going to do it without question, and that's exactly how I feel about my struggle. In the opening credits Jessie Pavelka says something that I love and has really hit home with me.

"You can either be the sickness in your world, or you can be the cure."

I'm going to be the cure in my world ...... I feel there's no question about that. This is my time. I went to my first slimming class when I was 16. I've been trying to lose weight for half of my life. This is where it ends! I am totally accountable for how i got to this size, and also for where I go from here.

A dream doesn't become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work!

Monday 20 February 2012

Smashed it!

Woo hoo!!!!
I am so so pleased today. I totally smashed my 1.5 stone milestone. I was hoping for a 1lb loss this week, so when I saw I'd lost 3lb I was delighted. Only 5lb to go until my 2 stone. Hoping to do this in the next 2 weeks.

Got another little target coming up at the end of March. Going out for my friends birthday in 6 weeks. Would be wonderful if I could lose another stone by then. That would be flippin amazing!

Got my Biggest Loser wii game in the post today. Only managed to have a little snoop about. Doesn't seem to be the easiest to navigate, but I think the workouts will be good. Have any of you tried it? What are your thoughts on it? All the reviews I've read on it are very positive.

I know I'm starting to sound like an old record, but I'm still totally focused on this new way of life. I'm so pleased because I'm looking at this as a long-term thing. I know that there will be times when I don't lose weight or have bad weeks, but I just need to get over it and move forward. It really is astounding what an impact a positive mental attitude has had on me.

Going to hopefully manage a lot of exercise over the next 2 weeks because my husband is off work. Over the last week I've done lots of wii fit routines. I've managed it for over 60 mins a couple of times. I also did free step on the wii fit whilst watching the biggest loser. I managed 30 mins and did it with 3 inch raisers under the balance board.

The last week was a busy one as my sister, niece & nephew came to visit. My niece & nephew stayed over one night and we'd got in biscuits and cookies for them. I was really pleased that I wasn't tempted to have any. I even gave them all the left overs to take home with them. That way they weren't in the house. We were going to try and go for lots of walks but firstly, it was too cold for my son to be out so long and secondly, my nephews reaction was something like 'i hate walking'.

Here's to the next week and getting closer to my short term goal of a 2 stone loss.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Being selfish

The last few days have been really good for me. I have discovered a bit on wii fit plus that I've never used before. It's exercise targeted on certain areas of the body/reasons to lose weight. Anyway, the idea is that you can combine different sections to do a whole body workout. I've done about an hour every day for the last 4 days. Each time you do it, it changes the exercises for the different areas so I've not been bored. You can also programme it to be as long or short as you need. It's the first time I've done any of the yoga and muscle strengthening exercises. I'm finding an hour is going so quickly, and I have got a real thirst for exercise at the moment. Never, ever felt like this in my whole life. I'm actually looking forward to doing more. So while I've got this thirst for exercise I've decided that I've got to be more selfish when it comes to exercising. In my life I'm a wife & mother first & foremost, which doesn't leave me much time for me. But my husband has been so supportive and looks after our son or takes him out so that I can exercise. It has been so helpful because I'm not worrying whether my son will wake up from his nap, or that I'm too tired to exercise because it's late in the evening. Ive made a commitment to change my life and work on losing this excess weight for at least a year, so in order to do that I must ask for people to help me. I'm thinking of asking some help from family to look after Harry for a few hours a week. This will mean that I can really concentrate on exercise, at least for a couple of times a week.

I'm also bidding on 'the biggest loser' wii game. I've read the reviews and they say that it's a great workout and not to be underestimated. So I'm looking forward to trying that out and sweating away those fat cells :0)

Thankfully it rain last night so the ice has melted a bit more. So at lunchtime I'm going to cycle round the block. Last time I stopped 3 times and really struggled getting back onto our drive, so we'll see if I've improved.

Tonight is the Chinese takeaway night. I've decided to have chicken noodles. I think it's about 500 calories, so that will fit in fine with my calories.

If you're losing weight .... Keep going, take one day at a time. If you've indulged today then just accept it and start again.....tomorrow is a brand new day!

Thanks for reading :0)

UPDATED:
Just done my bike ride round the block and I didn't stop once. Absolutely shattered when I got home. 6 mins in total :0)

Thursday 9 February 2012

Noticing it today :0)

I was so happy this morning because I put on a top I've not been able to wear for so long and it wasn't too tight! It was the first day I actually felt smaller round my tummy & thighs.

I also can see a little bit of collar bone. Now this may not seem like a great thing to notice, but if you've ever been very overweight you don't tend to have a visible collar bone.

I've just done 20 mins on my wii fit including super hula for 10 mins. Part way through doing this I realised that my hips are going to hurt tonight. For those that don't know, I suffer with hip & lower back ache at night ever since I had my son. Some nights are horrific. So I may have a painkiller before bed to make sure I get some sleep. I'm hoping that once I lose more weight my hips will be better. I would have done some more exercise but my son woke up from his lunchtime sleep. I'll aim to do a bit more tonight (hubby's on lates again).

Spoke to my parents today and we're going for dinner a few times next week whilst my sister is down. My dad told me one night is going to be Chinese takeaway. Now I want to see how I cope with having a much smaller portion. I love Chinese food and don't want to deny myself any. So have you got any suggestions about lower calorie options I could have?

Haven't actually planned what to eat tonight coz forgot to get the beef out of the freezer. So beef & root veg hotpot is tomorrow night. I'm only cooking for me tonight so I may just have a root around in the freezer to see what's lurking in there.

I hope that all those reading this who are also on their own weight loss journey, are doing well.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Positive Mental Attitude - Week 6 progress

Got bundles of Positive Mental Attitude at the moment and I think this is a big reason why I'm doing so well with my healthier lifestyle. I'm looking at things clearer than ever before. I just hope that this PMA hangs around for the long haul.

This week is going well. I did 30 mins wii fit on Monday and also today. I'm really pleased that I have put in the effort to do some exercise. I've actually surprised myself with this 'diet'. I've been so much more focused on the exercise and whether or not I've done any, that I'm not obsessed with food. That it what normally happens to me. As soon as I start a diet I can't think of anything but food. That's normally when I fail. But this time i've got my few basic rules and I'm sticking to them. I have to admit that I have started counting calories more in the last few days. Im using the app My Fitness Pal. It's so good and means that I can always keep focused. I'm so pleased coz a friend of mine has downloaded it too. This means that we will be able to support and motivate each other even more.

This morning I booked a treat for myself for when we go to Centre Parcs. My friends and I have booked a spa evening. I've been to a spa at CP before and it was wonderful. I'm hoping that this will also keep me focused for the next few months. It'll be lovely to have some time with my friends too without the children ..... Can't wait!

As you may know I've lost 18 lbs and I've started to feel the difference. I can't see the difference to be honest, but I think that's coz of the vast amount still to lose. I have noticed that my trousers are looser and that my engagement ring is looser too. There's more room in my cost when I zip it up and tops don't feel so tight. All very good signs :0)

This week my big bum gel seat for my bike turned up. The seat is so wide(27cm).....It's actually quite funny. So when the snow goes I'm going to start cycling round the block. My husband's on holiday in a couple of weeks and that's when I want to build up my cycling sessions.

When my husband is off we're also going to have a tv free week. We did this at the beginning of January and it was really good. Made us do more exercise and also talk more (and the house was so tidy).

Later I'm going to plan out meals for the next week, looking forward to trying out more new recipes and some old favourites. Just need to think up some new ideas for lunches. If anyone has any ideas they want to share that would be great. I normally have salad, sandwich or wrap but don't want to get bored.

Monday 6 February 2012

Shocked & delighted

Woke up today not looking forward to weighing in. I've not done any exercise in the last week and been a bit bloated.
To my shock & delight I weighed and have lost 3lb! I was so shocked that I weighed myself again. It was the same.

In this last week I have been really good with my food, as I said in my last post. But yesterday I had chocolate cake for the family birthday. I was only meant to have a bit, however my in-laws were generous with the portions. I'm the sort of person who can't leave food. It did think about only eating half of it, but I couldn't. So I ate it and didn't feel guilty. To compensate for a large calorie value for a snack we just had toast for tea. Seems to have worked for me.

I can't believe I'm in my 6th week and still focused on losing this weight. When I did WW last year I think I was good for about 2 weeks. Only another 3lb to go and I'll have lost 1.5 stones. At the moment I'm not far off what I was when I first got pregnant with my son. That will be a great milestone to reach.

Just had quiche & salad for lunch and looking forward to goulash & couscous for dinner.

My husbands working 5 lates in a row from Wednesday. So I'm going to take the opportunity to do some exercise in the evenings (hopefully).

Also looking forward to seeing my sister, niece & nephew at the end of the week.

Saturday 4 February 2012

Week 5

I'm in my fifth week of my new way of life. You may know that my focus is not only to eat less but also to move more than I did before. This week has not gone to plan on the moving side of things.

I don't know about any of you, but hormones can affect me quite a bit throughout the month. So I've just not been in the right place to exercise each night or lunchtime. I think that had it not been so cold I would have gone out for a couple of walks with my son & friends. I'm not beating myself up about not exercising though, like I did before coz I can't change the past. So I'm just looking forward and still focusing on losing weight. I'm in this for the long haul.

Food-wise this week has gone really well. We even had a family birthday and we all went to Harvester for dinner. I wanted to enjoy my food as well as keep it healthy. So I broke one of my rules and counted my calories for the day. Harvester is great coz they have the calorie values on the menus. So I had 1/2 spit-roasted chicken, without any carbs or veg, and a massive bowl of salad. I made sure that I had my favourite things like fried onions, croutons and honey & mustard sauce, so that I didn't feel like I was denying myself anything. Everyone had salad to start, but I waited for my main. I think that I managed this due to keeping myself busy looking at my lovely sister-in-law's wedding photos. No one wanted pudding either so that was good for me too! However tomorrow were going to my in-laws for birthday cake. I'm going to have a small piece because it's what normal people do, but I'm only going to have a sliver.

Tonight I couldn't be bothered to cook so we've just had a grilled chicken kebab with salad (minus the pitta...Yeah I know what you're thinking....that's just chicken salad. But chicken kebab sounds better) It was lovely & filling.

Still been watching weight loss programmes such as the biggest loser, I think that they are a bit unrealistic though. These people are pushed to exercise to the absolute extreme as well as diet. Then when they lose 5lb for the week they are disappointed!! I mean what planet are they on?!? If I lost 5lb in any week other than the first 2, I'd be overjoyed. I'm still going to watch them, but still sticking with my steady & realistic weight loss.

Not been back on my bike yet, but when the weather warms up I must start. My husband has 2 weeks holiday at the end of the month so that may be the time to really crack on with my cycling training for our holiday.

The continued support I've had from my husband, friends & family has been a massive help. I know that I can talk to, call or text any of them if I'm going off track for the wrong reasons, and that they'll keep me focused - thank you all.

Thursday 2 February 2012

Monthly Weigh-in

I've decided to do a running total of my weight loss each month. I'm hoping that seeing good/high numbers will keep me on track.

The 2nd of each month will mark the start of my new month.

1 month = 1st 2lbs (16lb)
2 months = 1st 11lbs (25lb)
3 months = 2st 7lbs (35lb)
4 months = 3st 3lbs (45lbs)
5 months = 3st 9lb (51lbs)
6 months = 4st (56lbs)
7 months = 4st 5lbs (61lbs)
8 months = 4st 13lbs (69lbs)
9 months = 5st 3lbs (73lbs)
10 months = 5st 10lb (80lbs)

Pounds lost each month
January = 16lb
February = 9lb
March = 10lb
April = 10lbs
May = 6lbs
June = 5lbs
July = 5lbs
August = 8lbs
September = 4lbs
October = 7lbs