Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Wednesday weigh in

Always nerve wracking, even when you know you've been good. Or as good as you can be.

2.5 kilos gone. Admittedly, I've lost these 2.5 kilos before and they came back, but not this time. I am motivated. I've been sticking to 1200 - 1400 calories and drinking 3 litres of water a day. You spend a lot of time in the bathroom, but eventually hopefully my body will get used to it and I won't be waking up in the night to pee.

I updated my weight loss ticker to really reflect where I want to go and where I want to be. Before my goal used to be under 100 kilos - but that's just a landmark, its not my real goal. I can't lose sight of the BIG (heehe) picture.

Round 2 sign up is still open - in fact I signed up for my very first round right on the last day. And convinced a friend to do the same. It's worth it if you are struggling with eating/exercise. The people on the 12wbt programme are incredibly supportive. And if you're in Christchurch, we have our own fitness and coffee group :)

Monday, May 28, 2012

Motivational Monday

Food good, exercise done, about to make dinner, 3 litres of water drunk. It's on. I'm ready.


Sunday, May 27, 2012

One week to go!

Before round 2 kicks off. There's still time to sign up - www.12wbt.com - tell them reddevildog sent you :)

Seriously though, I've had such a good weekend, Friday night I planned out my meals for the next week, using my biggest loser and crunchtime cookbooks. Saturday morning I did my groceries and when I came home, I cleaned out the fridge. It was full of crap - old manky veges, random leftovers. It was pretty gross.

I put everything away, and chopped up some chicken and veges which I then threw in the freezer to marinade for one of the nights Andrew works. That way I don't have the excuse of being too tired to cook - all the hard work is done! I bought a load of snack foods, and this weekend I'll clear out the cupboard and make a space for things to go in with the calories written on them.

I'm feeling really good and motivated - I know that the reason I fail is that I don't plan - and planning doesn't take that long to do. From next week my meals will all be sorted thanks to the programme, so it feels good to know I did it by myself and can and will do it between rounds 2 & 3.

Today I made chicken soup, which I'll take for lunch tomorrow, along with carrots, hummus, low fat cheese, crackers, a muesli bar, some prepackaged dried fruit and nuts and some bread to eat with the soup. I know that seems like a lot - and I don't plan on eating it all, but if I get hungry, there's no excuse for me to head to the dairy to get something to nibble on. I'm in control.
 

I'm just adding this image because I think its hilarious. I do sometimes wish I could wake up and it would be gone and I would be an average sized person. But then I remember it took me a long time to get where I am - and, I need to remember how far I've come and not focus on how far I have to go, or compare myself to others on the same journey.


Friday, May 25, 2012

Lightbulb moments

Isn't it weird how sometimes, you can just be doing menial things and something in your brain goes 'click'.

That happened to me tonight. I figured out exactly how and when I fell off in Round One, and what I should of done to get back on. (Then I wouldn't be in the position of losing the five freakin kilos I've gained back).

I should of started the preseason tasks again. Reaffirmed what I wanted to achieve, why I was doing this, where I want to go, what I want to be able to do.

It came to me as I finally finally finally did what I said I would weeks ago and dragged out my meal planner and planned the next weeks menu. I went to typo and bought the most gorgeous meal planner, its very cute and retro, and its been sitting there, staring at me waiting for me to use it.


Then I dug out my biggest loser USA cookbook and my Michelle Bridges Crunchtime cookbook and picked some meals I liked the sound of to try next week. I think sometimes I get bored eating the same thing over and over again, so one of my new goals is to try a recipe I haven't used before. Then if I like it, it can get added to the rotation, and if not I can never eat it again.

I've made my shopping list, and I'll be hitting the supermarket tomorrow morning to get what I need for the next week.

I'm also debating making my own recipe journal - going through my many cookbooks and healthy food guides, culling them down and stripping out what I'll make from them then getting rid of them. Our house is full of clutter and I'm sick of it.

I'm starting to feel more positive and organised. I think I'm getting my enthusiasm back. I know I can achieve my goals, its just about planning - getting meals sorted, groceries done, prepackaged snacks and lunch stuff all split out into serves, so there are no excuses for not taking lunch, not eating right, not taking time to look after myself. I'm going to grab a notebook (from typo again!) tomorrow and track it. I need to make this a habit.


No excuses.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Penalty jar....

So I really enjoy New Girl, the sitcom. And the ad for the douchebag jar cracks me up every time. 'Have you seen my other timepiece?'

Anyway, I bought some mason jars last weekend to create my visual kilos lost/kilos to go - which I still haven't done as I couldn't find any marbles/stones that I liked to use; and then thought 'Why don't I create an exercise penalty jar'?

The deal is this:

The jar starts with $5 in it. Every time I do a workout I add $1. If I miss a day, then Andrew (the husband) gets to take $5 out of the jar (the penalty). But every time I hit a 5 kilo milestone, I get to take all the cash in the jar and buy myself something (not food). Then it starts all over again.

However, New Zealand decided to burn remove all $1 and $2 notes, and we now have tiny gold coins. (Which was hilarious in America because I kept seeing my wallet full of bills and thinking 'Wow!' but then counting it and realising it was only about $8). Anyway, the awesome inspiring Vicky suggested that I use monopoly money so I still get that visual of the jar filling up with money (while keeping the coins in it at the bottom)...

Here's how it all looks! (I love instagram and the effects are so cool so I used them for my photos)...



As you can see, my NZ coinage looks a little depressing in here.






Here's my play money! It comes in $1s, $5s and $10s.




There - doesn't that look far more impressive! Plus the actual money is in there for when
I can go spend spend spend!!

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

An idea...

I really struggle sometimes with doing exercise. My excuses revolve around 'I'll do it later' (hardly ever happens), I'll just do this first (and then not do the exercise at all), in fact right now I should be doing something except I'm writing this blog instead. Procrastination is my enemy and my weakness.

Last night I was surfing the web (again avoiding what I should of been doing), and I came across an article on lifehacker - about Seinfelds Productivity Secret. And it's a great idea. Don't break the chain.

So this morning, I googled to see if I could find anyone else talking about it, and came across this awesome calender design - which I've promptly printed out and will start using today.

Don't break the chain. Might need a copy at work and at home so I'm accountable all the time.

Ps, I passed my full driver's licence yesterday. Super exciting - given that I failed first time round. Now I can stay past 9.30 at things, or get up at 3am to go for a drive if I want to.

pps. No weight change this Wednesday.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Motivate Monday



So true. Although my top is a HECK of a lot longer than the one on the chick in the picture ;)

All signed up for Round 2 of the 12wbt. Today has been super good, under calories, got in a 45 minute walk, +180 squats. The challenge of the next two weeks is to keep my kms up and also to do 30 squats before each meal/snack, meaning I should get to 90-180 squats per day. Eek.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Oh, uh... hello...

So I know I've been absent for a while....

I need to be honest.

And its hard to write. But I've really struggled with coming home from my honeymoon.

Our city is still broken. Our friends are moving away. Our rent has gone up. Our insurance has gone up. We can't walk into a restaurant on spur of the moment and get a table. We still have holes, patched roads, missing buildings, demolition and gaps where our favourite places used to be. Our house still hasn't been assessed by EQC.

And its hard. For three glorious weeks we lived in a land where we could walk in and get immediately seated for dinner. (Apart from once at the cheesecake factory, we had to wait 20 minutes - don't go there for mains, go for DESSERT). Where roads were as shit as they are at home, but there were things to do, and things to see - (Disneyland was AMAZING).

So to come back - and see that our city is still broken, and will be for some time - it made me feel really down and depressed and sad. And I think I started the grieving process all over again. And I debated about moving, about chucking in my diet, and I lost it a bit on the exercise front. I skipped training with the awesome Will and the girls and supporters of the girls of the Christchurch 12wbt. I hid. I sort of stopped trying to live. And just focused on existing. I struggled with going to work. I hated leaving the house.

And then last Wednesday (ANZAC day, so a public holiday), I met up with the girls mentioned above and realised I'm not the only one who ever felt like this. That we're all doing the best we can - that we're all making the best of what has happened and we're not letting it stop us from living. And I started thinking. And realising, that I can't get down about this, I can't let it affect me like it has for the last month - I've just wasted an entire month where I did the bare minimum in terms of food and exercise. I lost my enthusiasm. But its coming back.

So month of May - I pledge to walk/run/waddle 100km.

I set a new weight loss goal - I know where I want to be my birthday. (August 4th, start saving, I like presents).

I will sign up for Round 2 of the 12wbt (like I promised myself at the start of the year).

I will sign up for Round 3 - and I will be at the finale party in December - with Jo, my inspirational friend who I met through the group.

I will make the best out of what Ma Nature has dealt us. I may get sad, but instead of eating my feelings, I'll pound them out, on the pavement, with workouts, with maybe just finding a field and screaming until I feel better.

So if you see me, please ask me what I've done today - and if I haven't done anything what I'm planning on doing. And maybe remind me, there will be light at the end of the tunnel - that as Ms Hunter says - 'It won't happen overnight, but it will happen'.