I've joined a gym

Yet in the last week that I've joined, I have not yet gone.

I shall go tonight. No matter how tired I may be.

But at least I have lost a bit of weight due to just partying lots and eating less.

Let's see what I do this week, shall we?

Oops

It's nearly summer... well, it would be if the weather decided to get warm and stay warm.

I hope it decides by the end of the month, where I head off to Canberra for a day of listening to very loud music and hanging out with a bunch of very cool people! I bought shorts today, and I'm keen on wearing them that weekend.

I'm within 3 kgs of my goal weight now. I've had quite a few ups and downs. Toward the end of September I injured my foot - which meant no running or cycling, little walking and careful boxing.

That wiped me out for three weeks... and since then I've been lazy. The weather hasn't been helping - cold and grey! I really should get back into running again, but it's been so hard to find the motivation.

It's off for this weekend anyway - I have a nasty infected blister on one of my heels thanks to some new shoes, and it's painful even when I'm barefoot, let alone with shoes on. No running possible at this stage.

I'm hoping that next week gets a little better and warmer, which will encourage me to get out there and get back into it!

Just keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

I was having a discussion with a colleague at work the other day. We were talking about boxing class, and how during the ab work at the end of the class the trainer called attention to the fact that the two boys were complaining, while I was dead silent.

The reason I was quiet? I knew if I so much as opened my mouth or pulled my concentration from the spot on the wall I was staring at, my legs would drop and I wouldn't be able to continue. I was that tired and worn out after a hellish class that it was all I could do to just get through the last few minutes.

I was lucky - the "stare at a single spot on the wall and concentrate on that" had worked for me in that class, but it often doesn't. he shared a secret with me - when doing tricky exercises such as a plank, he often starts counting the threads on his towel or the specks of colour on the floor, just to get himself through. I haven't tried that method yet, but it did intrigue me.

I really didn't think I ever did much of the sort apart from concentrating on a single spot somewhere, but today while cycling I surprised myself. The course I was doing has a lot of hills - some steep, some not. Some long, some short. It was on a long climb towards the end of the ride when I was tired that I caught myself singing "Just Keep Swimming" from Finding Nemo in my head.



I have to say, repeating the "just keep swimming" constantly did help, and gave me something else to concentrate on other than how shaky my legs were feeling and how I just didn't want to climb any more hills. As anyone who cycles knows - if you stop pedalling while going uphill, even for a second, you're stuffed. Getting going again is very, very hard. You'll pretty much do anything to keep yourself going... and if I have to think of a goofy Finding Nemo song, then so be it!

In other news, I'm now 1.8 kilos away from my goal weight. I had another loss this week and I am feeling pretty good about things. I'm also onto week 2 of the couch to 5k program and I think it's going to be fine.

Catch Up

Sorry about the silence, I took a break from exercise and good sense last week as I'd been feeling fatigued and had pain in my hand that was being made worse by boxing. A week off seemed like a sensible idea.

I am now feeling much better and today I bit the bullet and started the couch to 5k program. I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but I always managed to find an excuse to not start... and I also managed to put off loading the week one podcast on my shuffle.

No more - I did my first run today and I was pleased that while the week one session was not too easy. Depending on how many runs I do per week (as I also want to cycle, box, occasionally swim and then in a few months time dance as well), I'll run the sessions for either one week or two.

Weight-wise, I'm the closest to my goal weight that I have ever been. The week off led to a 200g gain, which is nothing really.

I just have to work on improving my food, which has been letting me down recently.

Being busy...

So I recently just finished a show, and somehow since the breakup my social life has sky-rocketed a bit, so that means more alocohol and late nights.

For a week I stayed out until 4am each evening... It was crazy.

I haven't gained weight, thankfully, as alcohol is very fattening. I was drinking every single night for at least a week and a half. But I think all that compensated for the fact that I was so busy that I would only eat two meals (sometimes just even one!) a day.

Last Sunday was the first day in ages where I ate Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner. I was so incredibly full by the end of that day I felt like regurgitating half of what I ate. But I didn't because the food I ate were all yum.

Therefore the loss I have had so far has been 3kg since the start of this blog, but it was only out of coincidence - being sick and not eating much, then being busy and not eating much. I'm starting to get back to my regular eating habits, but that would also mean I would have to start exercising again. Haven't exercised lately because a chest/sinus infection has returned to bless my mornings with heaps of phlegm and snot. Will check with Doctor tomorrow morning (in amongst other checkings) to see whether I need any medications besides "bed rest", and then once I'm better I shall pursue some level of physical exertion.

So let's see whether I'll finally get back into being "fit" and "healthy" sometime soon... :P

Spring has Sprung early

At least - I think it has. With the weather we have been having, it has definitely felt spring like.

Once again I had a tough week. A small, small gain (less that half a kilo! I'm holding out that it's muscle after the pain I went through in boxing) and more rest days than usual as I've felt quite blah.

I tried to run yesterday and managed a bit less than a k thanks to two stitches - the first I managed to walk out, but the second flared up if I so much as jogged to get across a street quickly. Instead of a run, I walked.

Today I've had pain in my Achilles tendon and a headache, so again it was nothing more than a walk. Maybe tomorrow will be third time lucky?

In brighter news, I was really happy with Boxing earlier in the week. In a silly move I'd eaten too late in the afternoon because I realised I'd forgotten to have my loading snack - normally I stop eating 2 hours before class, then stop drinking water one hour before class. This time I stopped eating one hour before class. While I spent a lot of the class feeling like my food was going to come back up, I got through everything relatively unscathed. My biggest achievement? Holding a full body plank position for a minute - right at the end of the class. It's amazing what the threat of fifty push ups (if anyone dropped) can do.

White Rabbit

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date! A late update from me this week.

Life has gone hectic - in between my car being in the shop (again), nights out, early starts at work and so on and so forth... it has left very little time for internet.

I had a loss last week, and I've gone back to boxing and I am feeling much stronger and fitter. I think taking care not to overtrain is really paying off. I've been listening to my body and if I do feel too fatigued to exercise I take a break. I'm also trying to ensure I get enough rest days.

Onward!

Another week... and LURGY!

I was sick last week - some virus attacked me, beat me about the head and chest then ran away giggling. Bed bound for three days, I was too lethargic to do anything.

Back at work on Thursday I tried a quick walk to the shopping centre at lunch and was wheezing... things did not look good!

Come Saturday I felt much better and tried to run... bad idea. I didn't get very far before I was too out of breath to deal with it. I ended up walking the rest of my route.

Sunday I managed to complete a 26.6km cycle - rocky start but once I got into it I was powering away.

Net result last week was a gain last week. It was definitely due to being sick - when I'm sick I carb load and I eat small morsels way too often. I also rarely lose my appetite when I am sick. Even if my stomach is churning I'll still want to scoff something down!

Back to normal this week, I hope.

MIA - Ness

So I've been slack. I've been ten busies and eating horribly. I have had more Maccas meals in the past 2-3 weeks than I ever had all year since I vowed not to have any more Maccas meals. Stopped that about a month ago (which was the same time as my break up), so yah.

During the last time I updated and now, which would be around about 4-5 weeks, I also got really really sick. Had a massive flu over the school holidays which sucked. That and rehearsals for a show that opens this week (City of Angels - come one come all!), and the change in my teaching schedule and all made me not really take care of myself properly. I managed to lose weight because I was sick, and then promptly gained it back when I got my apetite back, and then went back down again due to lack of sleep and just running around like a headless chook.

So my skin feels blergh, I have a warped sleep cycle, and I'm not exercising. :D

Next week, she says... Next week...

Update and thoughts on containers

A bit of a loss this week. I'm happy with that as I am sure I've built up some muscle. I've kicked up the training now and I am actually running - not just walking.

I also had a bit of a surprise this week - along the lines of eating food out of containers.

Most of us will have, at one point, read that as a general rule we shouldn't eat food directly out of a container - be it takeaway or the leftovers you packed for lunch. I have always been a little blase about this, but not so much any more.

During the week I found myself without a home made lunch one day, so I went to the local cafe and bought some takeaway noodles. I bought a small, which I always figured was a pretty modest serving. On this day, I decided to dump it on a plate instead of eating it out of the container... and I am glad I did.

The "modest serving" I thought was in the container was actually a mounded bowlful. it was more that I'd usually serve myself if I was making myself a meal. I had never really considered just how much portion distortion could apply to a takeaway container - especially if it's been crammed full to bursting point.

The same also applies to a container of packed lunch: in the container it can look small and insignificant, but once you put it on a plate or in a bowl you'll see how much is really there. It's not so much of an issue if you are pre-weighing what you pack (something that is pretty much required if you are counting your kilojoules), but if you're going by eye, you could be eating more than you think.

I can't wait to see just how big the salads from the local salad-bar place actually are...

Another week, another update

Last week was not so great - too much junk, not enough healthy food.

Although I did exercise, I still gained weight.

I've started attending boxing classes again (good), Monday is also going to be the start of lunch-time walks at work (good) and I'm in a walking/running distance challenge this month. I really have no excuse not to do the exercise I need, now I just have to get back into the habit of eating healthy and not eating out too much.

Back in the real (?) world

Back home, back to reality.

I am home a day late as my uncle needed to go into hospital as soon as he arrived home - and it's a good thing my aunt took him! He'd had horrible gastro and his inability to keep anything down had dehydrated him to the point where he had acute kidney failure. Luckily it was caught early enough to ensure no lasting damage and it was treated with lots of IV fluids. He's much better and back at home now.

I've had another small weight loss this week - not bad considering I haven't been counting my intake and I know I have eaten a little more than i should have! The walks that the dog demanded were definitely a help.

Now I'm back at home I need to ensure that I keep doing regular exercise - with no dog to demand a walk, motivation will be a little harder to come by.

On the plus side, being back at home means proper internet again - so I'll be able to post more rambling posts soon!

Update with a twist

Weekly update time!

I got back on track this week - while I have still been working some crazy hours and had an unusual amount of stress, I still ate (fairly) well and kept things going. Net result: A weight loss of 1.3 kg this week. This confirms my suspicion that the gain I had last week involved water retention, as that's a large loss for me, especially without my usual Wednesday boxing class.

Emotionally this week has been very up and down - there has been some very good things, and some bad. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping, so I have now purchased a few new bits and pieces to try and revamp myself a little more.

I am wondering exactly why I did buy a few of the things I ended up getting... but I am sure they will be used and worn.

I have another week and a half of house sitting, and then life is back to normal. If all goes well, I am going to have the week of the move back home off work, which will give me time to clean out my wardrobe and settle back in home without too much stress.

EOFY = evil

So, my last week was pretty crap too. (Hugs to Ness!)

EOFY meant that I was working 12-18 hour days, and on top of that, I got sick as well. I also received a couple of pieces of news that brought me down.

I gave up trying to track my food and eat well because the reduced sleep and extra stress meant that I was propping myself up with caffeine and sugar. I did try to maintain some semblance of control over what I was eating, but truth be told it was not great. There was a lot of take-away and a lot of lollies and junk.

The massive hours also left little time for exercise.

Net result: I gained 2kg. I'm hoping that most of that is retained water brought about by increased sodium intake, but I am not kidding myself: I probably did put some of that on under my own steam.

This week's focus is all about eating wholesome, healthy food. I've upped my fruit and vegie intake, and while I am still drinking some coffee I know that eating good food can only help my body get back to normal. This week I am also having a holiday from tracking food just while I get back on track.

A week of horrible...

So lots of shit hit lots of differing fans this week, but the biggest one of all is that I'm now currently single.

So therefore I have had lots of comfort food.

But it also means that from around about next week onwards, after I get over things and finish greiving and wallowing, that I can focus more on myself. Or use this as an opportunity to distract myself from things...

From my understanding, I haven't lost weight, but I haven't gained weight either.

As redambition is making such a better attempt than I am to losing weight, I'm going to try once more this week.

See you next update!

A quick update

I am writing this from my mobile as I am without internet! Quite vexing.

This week I hit a bit of a plateau. Not surprising seeing that work has gone insane due to EOFY. Whenever things get busy, it gets that much harder to maintain a healthy diet if you don't have a fridge and freezer full of meal base items ready to go. Spending longer hours st work also makes regular exercise more difficult.

That said, I haven't done that badly. The real test will come on Monday and Tuesday... We get really under the pump and the work-supplied meals and sweet treats come out!

See you on the other side of EOFY!

It's Sunday!

Time for another update...

I had another loss this week, which I think is a good thing. I seem to be staying pretty consistent. I'm actually really happy that I have managed to keep things rolling as the past week has been quite difficult and busy, and as such it's been harder to get out and exercise. Combine that with the amount of junk food that has been doing the rounds at work and well, I think I'm very lucky to have kept going with a weight loss this week.

I am now house-sitting (with giant dog), so exercise is going to be a lot easier to come by - the dog gets quite insistent that she gets her regular walks. Thinking of taking her out a little later today.

That's all from me for now - will be typing up some more ramblings later on!

Not so much an update...

Because I really haven't tried losing weight or changing anything for the past couple of weeks.

BUUUUUT

I haven't gained weight, and I shall be trying from Monday onwards. :D

And I have had maccas and some soft drinks. So from Monday onwards no more take away and diet coke! Sigh.

Can't vs Won't

Veruca Salt: But I don't want any old squirrel! I want a *trained* squirrel!
Mr. Salt: Very well. Mr. Wonka? How much do you want for one of these squirrels? Name your price.
Willy Wonka: Oh they're not for sale. She can't have one.
Veruca Salt: Daddy!
Willy Wonka: I'm sorry, darling. Mr. Wonka's being unreasonable.
- From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 version)

Spoilt movie children aside, the allure of something you cannot have is well documented. Children and teenagers in particular are well known for wanting to rebel and do those things they know they aren't allowed to do.

As we grow older, do we lose this urge? I don't think so. We may learn to control it better, we may learn to hide it more skillfully, but the draw of those things that are classed as "not allowed" is still there. There's a little Veruca Salt in everyone, waiting for the moment she is told "no"... and then she starts whispering about how it is actually what you want, how it is just fine to have what you want and hang the consequences.

Never is this more apparent than when one starts a health kick, lifestyle change or (quietly now, for this is a very dirty word) diet. All of a sudden, all of those foods that are just so delicious and were fine yesterday are taboo. The use of that one little word - can't - suddenly awakens the little Veruca Salt and gets her demanding. The cravings and feelings of deprivation can be huge! It is very common for someone to persevere, only to then cave-in at a desperate moment, and it's these moments that can cause guilt and negative feelings, making it harder to stay motivated to continue the change to a healthier lifestyle. Been there, done that.

Something I've found very interesting is that a small change in the language used and the attitude to the temptation of unhealthy food can make a huge difference to the way they are approached.

By changing the word can't into won't, it shifts the connotation of the phrase. If you think about it - what do you feel more comfortable with? "I can't have chocolate", or "I won't have chocolate". The word "can't" removes the choice from myself so the rebel kicks in. When I say "won't", I make the choice my own... which means there's no reason for Veruca to start convincing me that I should actually have it. Coupling the "won't" with the phrase "because I don't want to" then shifts the attitude. Rather than the offending food being desirable, all of a sudden it doesn't look so good any more.

Of course, if it was as simple as just saying "I won't have (insert food here)" all the time, then there'd be no issue. It doesn't always work that way... but while it won't prevent the cravings totally, I have found that it does seem to make them more controllable. I don't believe in deprivation, so I personally eat things in moderation. Nothing wrong with the odd piece of chocolate! It's just a matter of not overdoing it, and for me that's easier if I allow myself a little every now and then.

I'd be interested in hearing if this works for other people as well - the idea that just changing a little four letter word can cause such a change in the thought process is pretty cool, to me anyway.

Rainy Sunday update

This week's update - I have been doing pretty well!

I had another loss in the weight stakes (yay!) and eating well has just become easier and easier. Sweets, while still tempting, aren't causing me massive cravings like they used to... and I am getting better at just saying no.

Exercise is also becoming much easier. I'm much more motivated to go walking or running, and it felt really good to get back into boxing.

I've been happy with my progress - but the big challenge starts next week - I'll be house sitting for my aunt and taking care of her dog. The walks will be upped (for the dog), and I'll also be living alone so there won't be any support to fall back on for help in food prep and cooking. I have some plans already, many of which include pre-cooking and freezing things on the weekends, so we will see how it goes.

Problems of a major procrastinator...

So as I participate in a blog about getting fit and healthy, I gobble down the last of a cupcake - part of a batch I baked this morning for my knitting play date.

Just letting you know, I'm letting redambition have a head start, as I'm not fully concentrating on getting fit until I finish my uni assignments. Woot! They should be done by the end of this week.

The reason why I need to lose weight, though, is not because to stay healthy. No, that's just a by-product. It's because my parents want me looking good like I was when I was 5-6 years younger. And to help me, they said that they'll pay for all of my New York/San Fran trip if I lose sufficient amount of weight, but if not, I have to pay everything back when I get back home. So until October, I have another 13kgs to lose (my initial aim was 15kg).

But since the beginning of the year, I have vowed not to have:

a) Maccas
b) Fizzy drinks

And to eat a piece of fruit each day. Well - I have kinda substituted Maccas for either Hungry Jacks or Ogalos, and I have had a random fizzy drink here and there, but generally I have been good. I also try not to eat hot chips that often with "meal deals" and just get the burger.

But yah - I have made several attempts to start exercising regularly, but I haven't been able to keep it more than a week. And with winter approaching, it definitely doesn't help. I think a Gym membership awaits me, and I've found Camperdown Fitness to be the best one for me so far, as it's clean and neat and there are no contracts - just a one off $50 joining fee and something like $35 a fortnight, which works out to be something like $900 a year, but I thought if I know I'm busy one week, I can cancel it one week and then start again the following week if I want to, and would probably save more money than spending a whole $700 on a year membership and only going for like 2-3 weeks out of the available 52 (that's what I did last time... yikes).

Since the beginning of the year I have lost 2kg though. Just through less take away and trying to be a little more active, but I still indulge in the chocolate and the cheese, and the fine dining from time to time. And over-eating and snacking when stressed.

So the aim for this week? Finish my bloody uni assignments and stop procrastinating.

Then join a gym so that I can wake up early and watch TV whilst I'm at the tredmill and not running in the cold.

And stop having take-away. I've had one burger so far this week - better do some grocery shopping and make my wraps and sandwiches!

Until Saturday evening, try and be good, unlike me!

red's update #1

Ok...

So why am I here? I posted on my blog that I wanted to lose a bit of weight and get fit again. I'd done it before, but thanks to the rollercoaster of life I had let myself slip and I was pretty much back where I started. I'm not happy about that so I'm working to change my lifestyle for the better and keep it that way.

What are my goals?

1. Lose the weight I've put back on. I've already made some progress with this.
2. Fit into those black work pants that used to fit and the slightly too-tight skirts I just bought.
3. Work exercise into part of my daily routine - so that it's not a huge chore.
4. Change my eating habits.

All in all, I don't think the goals are too lofty. I also have a genuine interest in nutrition, exercise and the psychology of all this sort of stuff, so I like to read about it, think about it and see how it affects me. This blog should also give me a chance to post a bit on my thoughts without feeling like I'm spamming my normal blog on this topic.

That's all from me for now. More later on!

Welcome!

Welcome to Operation Awesomeness - the efforts of a couple of girls (redambition and knitness) who are trying to get fit and healthy.

It is here that we will both track our progress, share our thoughts on this whole malarkey and share any pearls of wisdom we may find along the way.

Regular weigh ins/check ins will be performed on Saturdays and posted whenever we have a moment. Any other updates will be provided as they come to us.


Ok... here goes nothing!