12WBT Week 7 - the one where I forgot to post completely

There are not enough hours in the day are there?
Many a blogging hour is spent in the gym these days so I forgot to post this week. Whoopsy.

Suffice to say, I love it.
I am loving this change of lifestyle.
I love it that people are giving me compliments on my weight loss.
I love it that I can go to a ball this Friday night and wear a dress that only a few months ago was a dream.
I love it that I am lighter on my feet.
Love. Love. Love.

Weight loss November 2 - November 13 - 1.9kgs
Weight loss since April 2011 - 15.9kgs

Oh and I love the Eiffel Tower too, that's why that picture is there.


Image via We Heart It

12WBT Week 6 - the quick one

www.weheartit.com

I am running so far behind with blog posts these days so this one shall be short and sweet.

Weight loss from October 26th to November 2nd = 1.6kg
Weight loss from April 14, 2011 - 14kg

Woot. Woot.

12WBT Week 5 - the one where I get my run on

I'm excited this week. I have started to run. I have been able to run further and for longer than I ever have before. It's hurt a little bit along the way but largely it feels amazing to be moving like this. I have entered a fun run in December - my first ever. It's a 5km run along the water in Melbourne and I am excited and nervous about doing it. This week's training, in particular the Friday session where I completed the 5km on the treadmill has shown me that I can do it. I am beginning to see that running is a lot about the mind toughness and knowing in your heart you CAN do it. Sure you have to look after your body and at 42 years of age I am going to be prone to those niggly little injuries that come with "maturity" but I am starting to see what is possible by reducing my weight and increasing my fitness.

This week has also brought a much needed family holiday here. We are staying on a lovely farm on the most gorgeous country road. It sounds cliched but peace and serenity abound. I found the gym in Bright and I have been once but with scenery like we have here, it was time to take the training regime outside. There is nothing like making it up a huge hill and being rewarded with a view that stretches for miles of lush green farm land, cows grazing and kookaburras laughing at you. I haven't weighed in this week. There was just no room in the car for a set of scales. So I don't know whether I have lost weight. What I know is that I have stayed within my calorie limits, I have exercised and been active around the farm with the boys and I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time. And that can only be a great thing.

The week's workouts:

Thursday 20th - Gym (strength session)
Friday 21st - Gym (cardio session - 5km run/walk completed in 41 minutes)
Saturday 22nd - Gym (strength, cardio and core) = 800 calories burned
Sunday 23rd - Rest day and travelling to our holiday destination
Monday 24th - Gym (fitness session) - more running and feeling good
Tuesday 25th - Outdoor run - 3km and hill sprints (ouch)
Wednesday 26th- Walk - 4km (including hills)

Weight loss from October 19th to October 26th - ?
Weight loss from April 14, 2011 - 12.4kg

12WBT Week 4 - The one where the bullets hit the bin

I sabotaged myself this week. At least a little.

I still trained 6 days out of 7. I am beginning to run for longer stretches without stopping. I still ate well. I measured and I have lost 11cm off my hips and 7cm off my waist since 12WBT started. I still lost weight.

What undoubtedly kicked in this week was some complacency. I have, over many years, been very good at "mindless" eating. You know what I am talking about. Mindless eating is where I put food in my mouth without thinking, without measuring, without working out if I am really hungry or just bored/emotional/sugar addicted or whatever. The more I have thought about this the more I can see that it is almost like a reflex, it's automatic and this week, I told myself that I was doing so well and I let it creep in again. A piece of the kid's toast here, a swipe or two of the dip the kids are eating, a handful of chocolate bullets there. I have often used that kind of eating to "treat" myself to help me get through the crazy days we often have over here at "autism central". Does it make me happy? No. Does it help me stick to the program? No. Does it help me achieve the results I ultimately want? No.

So here I am, outing myself and my sneaky eating and declaring that it will stop.

And here are the chocolate bullets hitting the bin.

Oh and in the interests of my record keeping, here is what I did this week.

Thursday 13th - Gym (fitness session)
Friday 14th - Gym (aerobic circuit workout class. Trust me it hurt. Lots of running.)
Saturday 15th - Gym (strength, cardio and core) = 800 calories burned
Sunday 16th - Walked around Albert Park Lake for SIDS and Kids
Monday 17th - Gym (fitness session) at 6am and circuit class at 9am = 900 calories burned
Tuesday 18th - Gym (strength session)
Wednesday 19th- Gym circuit class and run (500 calories burned) and an evening pilates class.

Weight loss from October 12th to October 19th - 0.8kg
Weight loss from April 14, 2011 - 12.4kg


Go well this week one and all.

12WBT Week 3 - Keep calm and Zumba

I have loved the 12WBT program this week. Something shifted in my brain and I am finding that as each day passes I am becoming more addicted to exercise and being active than I previously thought possible. I even gave Zumba a crack, you know, just to see what it was like. It was fun but I found that even in doing all of the moves at a pretty intense pace I couldn't get my heart rate above 130 and subsequently I got nowhere near the bang for my buck that I had expected of Zumba. I think for now I am going to stick with my tried and tested gym workouts and circuit classes. My body shape is changing noticeably now which feels amazing. Oh yes, I really am starting to sound like one of those exercise junkies!


The other big thing I have decided this week is that I am going to enter my first fun run in December. I'm terrified about this but determined in equal measure so I reckon that might get me through it. That and a little bit of training.

And for my records, this is what I did this week:

Thursday 6th - Gym (strength session) & Zumba class
Friday 7th - Gym (fitness session)
Saturday 8th - Gym circuit class (strength, cardio and core) plus huge walk = 1000 calories burned
Sunday 9th - Rest day (had a massage which was much needed)
Monday 10th - Gym (fitness session) at 6am and circuit class at 9am = 900 calories burned
Tuesday 11th - Gym (strength)
Wednesday 12th- Gym circuit class and an evening pilates class.

Diet: I have begun using a calorie counting app and that has helped me so much with keeping track of what goes in my mouth. Every time I think of something I would like to eat, I look up the calories and think it through. No cheating!

Weight loss from October 5th to October 12th - 0.9kg
Weight loss from April 14, 2011 - 11.6kg


PS: When I can stay awake past 8pm I promise I will write a post about something else.

Image from We Heart It

12WBT Week 1

The 12WBT program began only two days ago but already I can say that I love it.
I love the additional motivation that comes from being "part of something".
I love the advice on diet and exercise.
I love knowing I am accountable to the program. Having to track my weight loss and never wanting to be the "bad girl" is highly motivating for me.

The biggest breakthrough for me has been the power that comes from treating my exercise like an appointment and scheduling a week's exercise in advance. That is making the biggest difference for me in not allowing me to talk myself out of it when the going is tough and busy here at home.

So here is what my week looked like:
Tuesday 20th - Gym cross trainer & stair runs (cardio)
Wednesday 21st - Gym circuit class (strength) and pilates (core)
Thursday 22nd - Rest day
Friday 23rd - Gym cross trainer & treadmill (cardio); power walk (on the way to the footy!)
Saturday 24th - Gym circuit class (strength)
Sunday 25th - Gym (12WBT fitness test)
Monday 26th - Gym cross trainer and treadmill (cardio)
Tuesday 27th - Gym cross trainer and treadmill (cardio and fitness)
Wednesday 28th - Gym 12WBT strength workout
Diet - My nutrition has been good, lots of fresh salads and protein. The sugar cravings are a little overwhelming and I have succumbed a few times. I have tried to make up for this by burning more calories in my workouts but I have to come up with a way to control my sugar habit! I am pretty sure sugar is going to be a common theme for me through this program.

Weight loss from September 19th - September 28th - 1.2 kilograms

Weight loss from April 14th, 2011 (beginning of weight loss road) to today - 10.7 kilograms.

Go me!

Image from We Heart It

My bum (Part II) and the Michelle Bridges 12WBT

I wrote a little while ago about my bum growing keen attitude to exercise. In the last few weeks as my dodgy ankle came to the fore I fell off the wagon a little bit. Three to four gym visits a week had become one to two and combined with overly enthusiastic tasting of the goodies I baked for the kinder fete....well you get where this is going and what it means for my bum.

It is time to take things up a notch and while my ankle won't allow me to do the boot camp I was planning, I have found a substitute which I think may be even better. The Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation (12WBT) is an online program where everything you need to get off your butt and achieve your goals is provided - eating plans, exercise programs, motivation tapes, forums to get support from others - all of it and run by Michelle Bridges of Biggest Loser kudos.

So I have signed up.

I'm a little bit scared.
I'm a lot excited, particularly about achieving my goals.

I plan to work hard.
I am committed to losing another 7 - 10 kilograms by the end of this year.
I am going to be tough on myself about following the program and the rules.

And I won't be on my own. Loads of other mums have signed up for a 12WBT being run by Michelle via the Huggies website - a mum specific program designed to support mums with all the distractions of kids to achieve their fitness and health goals. There is also at least one other person I know who is going on the ride too. The very gorgeous Sarah from Ah, the possibilities is doing it too. Good luck Sarah, and hey, at least we know we can kick each other's backsides via the blogosphere should it become motivationally necessary!

I am going to blog updates on my progress along the way and would love your support and if necessary, a virtual kick up the butt to keep me going.

Wish me luck! We start on September 26.

This is not my bum (Disclaimer)

Disclaimer: This is not my bum

I’m not quite sure how it has happened.


I have managed to get myself a little bit addicted to exercise.

For at least three times a week over the last few months I have trudged down to the gym to do a gym circuit class while the Batsman does a therapy session and the Bowler cools his happy heels in the leisure centre’s occasional child care. The circuit classes are a mix of cardio and strength work and that has been a happy combination for me that has not only seen me lose over nine kilograms but also achieve gains in strength, flexibility of my weary old bones and muscles and overall fitness. The others in the class are primarily women my age and older so it’s a comfortable place to be and I know that if I turn up, do what the instructor says and work hard that I have done well.

But the biggest gain in all of the exercise for me has been its impact on my mental health. The mornings I exercise are the days I cope the best with the demands of two small children, the running of the house and the Batsman’s hectic therapy schedule. The post exercise endorphins last all day. It is amazing. I am happier, more energetic, less anxious and am beginning to feel so much better about myself, my appearance and buying clothes that are a couple of sizes smaller.

It wasn’t easy at the start. Convincing myself to get to the gym on days when I just wanted to curl up on the couch with tea and chocolate biscuits was hard work but the perseverance has been worth it. Step by step by step. It’s all any of us can do.

And now I have enrolled to do a fitness challenge camp aka boot camp for six weeks. Six weeks of three mornings a week at 6am for 1 hour, most of it outdoors. Utterly terrifying. But I feel like, all things considered, I am ready to take the next step. I want to push my fitness to the next level and drop some more weight. I have about six or seven kilos still to lose to reach my goal weight. Go, me!

What do you do to push yourself to exercise? Have you ever become addicted to something that is good for you?


Postscript: Since I wrote this post, my ankle has decided to take on a distinct level of dodginess (technical term, you understand) and it is looking like I may have to postpone the boot camp for a few months. I am hereby promising, where you can all read it, to continue the fitness work, albeit in a slightly lower impact, less ankle injuring fashion.


Image via We Heart It

Is anyone else like me? Or how to be a bit clueless in your 99th blog post (reality)

This Saturday I will be going to Nuffnang Blogopolis.
Am I excited? I have no idea.
Am I prepared? Most definitely not.
There has been no time to think about it.
I have watched the blog posts and the status updates and the tweets float by me on the rapids and I still have not put much thought into gathering with a few hundred bloggers in my home town.
Lots of bloggers have been busily making lunch and dinner and drinks plans, shopping, chatting and drinking copious amounts of coffee. You name it they will be doing it. I have one little plan made to have a sandwich with a lovely one. And that's it.

I honestly have no idea how people fit in all the tweeting and blogging and arranging stuff. No idea. I feel utterly clueless and quite a bit out of the loop. I am too busy, most days, surviving.

Busy days filled with autism, therapy, anxiety, meetings, meltdowns, achievements and wins.

The Bowler whose favourite word right now is NO. Yes I mean "No, I don't want to", "No, it's mine", "No, don't touch it". Someone please send me some strength.

The never ending housework and piles of washing. So. Far. Behind.

Cooped up kids with winter cabin fever wrestling on the couch. I need strength for that too.

Being the kinder secretary. Enough said.

The punishing exercise schedule I have set for myself. 5 kilograms more off my bum by the first day of spring.

All of that. And when I read back over that list I know that I am doing way more than surviving. I am living a full and rich and busy and amazing life with my three boys. The sudden and devastating death of someone I knew well almost three weeks ago has been one of those perspective giving kicks up the bum about getting on with it, about being grateful and about giving it all you've got.

So, I will be literally flying by the seat of my pants all the way to Blogopolis. For the most part, clueless. Really. 


Is anyone else like me and completely unprepared for Blogopolis? Are you rocking up with your arrangements all done and dusted or are you crossing your fingers and hoping you find someone you know?

Weekend grateful - getting fit

It's not just the numbers on the scales.
I can feel it.
The flexibility increasing, the strength growing. I can do push ups and survive them.
My stamina is so much better than it was two months ago.
I do the gym circuit class three or four times a week and I work hard for an hour each time. I get to the end and even though I have sweated and puffed, I don't feel completely shattered like I did when I first started.
I can see it too. When the Captain took some photos of me and the boys yesterday to mark my birthday, it was the first time in a long time where I could look at them and feel ok. There's a way to go still, but the photos didn't repulse me. That's huge for me.

I have dispensed with 7.2 kilograms. I am so proud of myself and grateful that I am feeling fitter and healthier.

As always, singing a grateful tune along with Maxabella.
This is a bit drab 2 fab too so I am linking up with Lucy as well. xx

Vintage fitness equipment via We Heart It .

Weekend grateful - on the road

This week I am grateful for being on the road.
I am on the road to getting fit and fab after 3 weeks of healthier eating and much more exercise.
The scales have it - 3.3 kilograms gone. On the road.

Playing along with Lucy too. I really like the idea of drab 2 fab. It opens up all kinds of possibilities.


  
And this weekend our little cricket team is on the road too.
We are soaking up a lovely winter weekend at the beach. Warm house, rugged up kids, rosy cheeks, flannelette pyjamas, playing trains on the floor. I love my boys, so very much.

And as always grateful to Maxabella for the opportunity to pull some gratitude out of what is sometimes a bit of a quagmire!

Getting started again

I have a new friend. My new friend is helping me start again with blogging.

Last year I let everything overwhelm me and well....I just had way too much to deal with after the Batsman’s diagnosis with autism. Blogging seemed like a luxury amidst the daily chaos of early intervention programs, speech therapy and getting my heart and head around what it all meant for our beautiful little boy, his beautiful little brother and for us. I literally fell onto the couch or into bed every night for 6 months, physically and emotionally spent. With hindsight I can see that blogging was exactly what I should have been doing to process it all. But I didn’t.
And now I want to get started with it again. Enter my new friend.

The Captain bought this great little Samsung netbook for me for Christmas and now I can curl up on the couch and blog to my heart’s content. Or my little friend can come with me to a cafe or a waiting room or just about anywhere really. I just love it. Thank you to my Captain for such a thoughtful and lovely gift.

Let’s get blogging.

Suz xx