Thursday tHighlights & Singing

*Weigh-in*

97.5 kg (215 lbs)

+ 1.4 kg (3 lbs)

*Weekly Review*

There isn't much to report here as I really didn't do much this week.  Exercise was minimal and food was okay.  The scales didn't say what I wanted them to, but sometimes the scales lie to me.  I did however semi-conquer a huge fear of mine!!

One of my greatest fears is public speaking and so much so that I actually did the majority of my Education degree by correspondence just to avoid the oral presentations.  Last Saturday night, not only did I get up in front of a small crowd of about 20 - 25 people, but I actually sang a song, using an actual microphone in a singing competition.  I purposely chose the heat (4 heats) with the least amount of people in it cause it meant that I would be singing in front of the smallest crowd.

I love to sing, but have only ever done it in the school choir and would always refuse solos.  I was happy with the rest of the pack as it was easier to hide, to blend in.  Recently, just before Easter, I started singing lessons and as of 3 weeks ago, I moved into a group class.  When I say group class, I mean me, the singing teacher and 1 other lady and we have a huge amount of fun.  Sarah my teacher somehow convinced me to go in the competition.  I think the fact that the competition was beginners only helped me feel better, anyway, I ended up agreeing and last Saturday was the big event.

To my total and complete dismay (and horror), I made the top 10 which means I am in the final and have to do it again this Saturday!  I was pleased and happy that someone thought I was good enough to be in the final, but I am also scared and nervous about having to do it again.  I just keep telling myself that if I did it once, I can do it again.

I must

in myself more :)

The Good

• I was careful with what I ate, but obviously not careful enough.

The Bad

• I didn't exercise as much as I should have.

The Ugly

• I gained 1.4 kg

*This Weeks Challenges*

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Eat carbs after 5pm 
• I know this can sound silly and extreme, but limiting my carbs to breakfast and lunch really does have an effect on my weight loss
  
• Eat white bread
• Count calories
• I know this sounds weird, but I have had more success in the past when I have simply focused on eating healthy, nutritious foods instead of counting calories

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Pre-plan all of my meals
• Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water
  
• Exercise for a minimum of 30 mins a day

*Health Blitz*

My Healthy Blitz is making a come back cause I have decided to go back to doing what I know works for me and I know that I was really committed and focused when I started the health blitz.  This week I will be swapping boredom eating with a minimum of 5 mins on the stepper.  I figured 5 mins was long enough cause the stepper is manual and really old, meaning it's hard to use.

*358 days*

 

*In the Kitchen*

This week I made a new smoothie.  I called it the :

Bluenana Berry Smoothie

• 250 mls Coconut Water
• 1 frozen Banana
• 125g (1 punnet) frozen Blueberries
• 2 handfuls of Spinach
• 1 serve Chocolate Whey Protein Powder **I only used this cause I got a free sample sachet, but I am extremely glad I did.  It added a nice, subtle chocolate flavour to the smoothie.

 

This smoothie was thick and creamy!  Even though it has 2 handfuls of spinach in it, the blueberries totally dominated the usual green colour making it a pretty pinkish hue.  Can't be unhappy with pink :)

*Thursday Thoughts*

Please share with me......

• Do you count calories? 
• What is your favourite go-to / low on time exercise to do?
• Have you noticed any food events that really have an effect on your weight?
• Eating after a certain time?
• Is there a Particular type of food you need to avoid?
• Do you still allow yourself occasional treats? 

The Week in Review

*Weigh-in*

100 kg (220 lbs)

+ 900 grams

*Weekly Review*

B. A. D.  I think that sums it up quite nicely.  I have been in hibernation and not doing anything I should have been doing, including reading all the blogs I love that always encourage and spur me along.  I have been away visiting Wallowville.  It's a great place for self-sabotage, self-loathing and pity parties.  All my self-loathing friends were there too, there was Negative Nelly, Doubting Diana and Self-hating Susan who I am glad was there because she is hilarious.

After slapping myself in the face a few hundred times with my scales I am feeling much better and have decided to leave Wallowville and not associate with those ladies anymore.  I have to remember that I am worth it and that no matter how slow I am or how long this journey takes me, I will get there.

I must

in ME

The Good

• I didn't drink any soft drink even though I really, really, really just wanted to slam down a can of icy cold coke - my eyes were watering just thinking about it.

The Bad

• I have done absolutely nothing to help or better myself

The Ugly

• I gained 900 grams

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Go over my points
  
• Eat carbs at dinner time
• Feel sorry for myself
  

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Prepare all of my food the night before
• Drink water
  
• Exercise
• Stay within my Pro Points

*Health Blitz*

 I will SWAP boredom eating for a 10 min run on the treadmill

*100 days*

 

*In the Kitchen*

This week I made some Coconut Water Pancakes :

• 1 cup Semolina
• 1 egg
• 250mls Coconut Water

Makes 8 - 10 pancakes at 2 Pro Points each (you need to make at least 13 pancakes to lower the Pro Point value to 1 per pancake)

In a bowl mix (whisk) the 3 ingredients together

 Spoon (or ladle) mixture into pan and flip when you see some bubbles

Add favourite toppings and eat

*Thursday Thought*

I don't really like visiting Wallowville, but sometimes I just can't help it so I was wondering.......

If or when you go there, how do you get yourself out of the self-sabotaging rut??

The Week in Review

*Weigh-in*

98.6 kg (217 lbs)

- 200 grams

*Weekly Review*

I have been to the doctors more in the last few weeks than I have in my entire life.  There is always a minimum of a 40 min wait at the doctors cause he is busy, but I don't mind because it's like ME time.  I get away from the house and I just play on my iPhone, it's very relaxing.

Acupuncture

As well as my back looking like a pin cushion, he put one in my foot and I just wanted to rip it out.  It wasn't hurting, but it was really itchy.  I tried to scratch it, but I learned the hard way that it's best to stay still when you have needles in your back!

Chiropractor

The next morning my husband made an appointment for me at the Chiropractor.  I was in and out within 10 mins and that included the waiting time.  She felt my leg muscles and started to really pinch around my inner thigh area - it DID NOT tickle.  As the tears started to roll down my face she announced  "got it"  - my adductor muscle was twisted.  I am so thankful that my muscle wasn't twisted on my left side.  She also checked my back, which was fine because she had already sorted the problem out.  Apparently, the abductor muscle is connected to the adductor muscle and the twist was causing the back pain - I think. 

My back is so much better today, but one of the muscles is still inflamed and there is still some pain because of that.  I have some more pin cushion therapy next week and I am hoping it will be my last session.

The Good

• I lost 200 grams - wooooo

The Bad

• My food choices could have been a lot better

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Go over my points
  
• Eat carbs at dinner time
  

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Track before I eat
• Drink my water
  
• Exercise

*Health Blitz*

Week 13 :

 I will SWAP my bigger dinner meal for my smaller lunch meal

*86 days*

 

*Thursday Morning Thought*

Will women EVER be truly happy with their own bodies??

These picture tells me that although these women are strong and fit with bodies that almost any other woman on the planet would kill for, they still weren't happy in their own skin. I'm basing my conclusion on the very ample, very unnatural breasts.  It also makes me wonder if these women are still searching for more, for better?

What does it say to you??

The Week in Review

*Weigh-in*

98.8 kg (217 lbs)

+ 800 grams

*Weekly Review*

My back is still sore and I haven't done any exercise at all which is evident on the scales.  Food has been ok so I was a little surprised at such a big gain, but not to worry, I will get rid of it eventually and I am still under 99kg which is good.

The Good

• I have been really careful with my food and portion sizes

The Bad

• I hurt my back and haven't been able to exercise

The Ugly

• I gained 800 grams this week

The Best

• I did some bicep curls this morning - 2 sets of 12.  I used Christian for the first set and Holly for the second set - I didn't feel any pain until Ava wanted a turn, she is a year older than the twins and much heavier, but it has given me faith that I will be back on the treadmill later today ("fingers and toes luv").

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Go over my points
  
• Have a second serve
• Eat bread at dinner time
  

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Track before I eat
• Drink my water
  
• Exercise - walking only
• Cut down on the coffee

*Health Blitz*

Week 13 :

 I will SWAP 1 cup of coffee a day for 2 glasses of water

*79 days*

 

*Thursday Morning Thought*

Why can't my a$% shrink as quickly as the products we buy??

I bought these last week for snacks for the hubby and kids.  I haven't bought them in a while and I was shocked at how much smaller each serve was.  1 packet of popcorn used to easily share between 3 kids and still have some left over, but now, forget it.  The fruit bars are at least a quarter smaller than before and the worst part is that even though we are getting less product the prices haven't changed, if anything, the price has actually gone up!

Blog Awards, Backs and Jelly Beans

Oh my goodness!!  I am so excited to receive my very first blog award thanks to Sammy from Happy Family, Healthy Family.  It's called the Liebster Award.

The idea behind this award is to recognise and share blogs with less than 200 followers.  What you have to do is :

• Post the Award on your blog
• Choose 5 other blogs to pass on the award
• Leave each of those (5) blogs a comment
• Then as Sammy says "enjoy and share the love"

I come across so much inspiration, motivation, encouragement and laughs that I think choosing just 5 blogs will be a hard task, but here goes :

• The ME I want 2 B! - This blog is written by Erika and I absolutely love it.  Erika has recipes and so many inspiring ideas that I just can't get enough of her blog.

• Yumma Mumma To Be - Bec has made some fantastic progress with her weight loss which I find extremely inspiring, but another thing I really admire about Bec is that she isn't afraid of sharing her emotions.  Like the rest of us, Bec has ups and downs, but even when she is having a down day, she still manages to make me laugh by suggesting she "bring the dip" to her own "pity party".

• Bec's Adventure - Bec (another Bec) has been having a rough time of it lately, which almost anyone who has ever been on a weight loss adventure can relate to, but the thing about Bec is, that she never, never gives up.  She is a true inspiration with her desire to keep going.  Her desire helps to spur me along as well.  

• Ladybug Beauty ~ My Life after Sugar - Lorne has been doing an awesome job with her new life style.  She has not only given up sugar (something I don't even have the courage to attempt), but she has started a running program and has been doing a fantastic job with it.  

• My New Ending - Leah is a champion!  She has lost over 40 lbs and is looking fantastic.  I love reading her blog and following her journey.  I find her blog full of motivation because (like so many of us) whenever Leah may be having a hard time with her weight loss journey, she always seems to be able to put a positive spin on it.  Somehow, Leah always manages to turn things around and find herself a solution.

I would also like to give the award to Sammy, but she gave it to me.  Her blog is full of recipes that are so, so delicious and I think she is learning that she isn't allowed to post pictures without the recipe.  Sammy does her best to eat as healthily as she can and she teams it up with fitness.  I love her blog and always, always get a laugh out of it.  Thanks so much for my award Sammy! I can't tell you how excited and honoured I am to have received it.

*Back update*

I am a little upset about my back, it has been nearly 3 weeks now and isn't much better.  Twice now I have been on the mend and thinking "great I can get back on the treadmill" (I love and miss my treadmill so much) and then both times I have woken up in pain because of the way I have moved during my sleep and it has put me back to square one.  I have another doctors appointment Tuesday week (he is away this week) and hopefully he can shed some more light on my back.  I am beginning to think that it isn't just muscular????? 

I'm not a doctor or any sort of medical professional, but I do know what muscular pain feels like and I don't really feel it.  I can stand or sit down with little to no pain, but when I move or get up, that's when the pain hits. It just doesn't feel like sore muscle pain - stupid back, stupid hat.

*Jelly Beans*

When the kids have been really good and cleaned up all the mess they have made, picked up their toys, put them away, put any rubbish in the bin, pick up any bits of food off the floor etc, etc I give them a jelly bean as a reward.  The thing is that when I give them A jelly bean, that's right just 1, I eat about 6 of them without even thinking about it.  As part of my Health Blitz I have told myself that I need to be more aware of what and when I am eating (week 8) - no more mindless eating for me.  So today when I gave the kids their jelly bean I made a conscience effort not to have any.  It worked, I didn't have a single jelly bean - yaaaaaay, small victory for me :)

The Week in Review

*Weigh-in*

98 kg (216 lbs)

- 1.4kgs

*Weekly Review*

Pretty crappy couple of weeks regarding exercise.  I hurt my stupid back and haven't been able to do anything, but I was feeling so much better the last couple of days that I have decided to get back on the treadmill today.  I won't be doing any running, I will just be taking it easy and walking and if I feel any pain in my back I will be stopping.  I'm not going to push myself and put myself out of action for longer.  I have another doctor's appointment in 2 weeks so I will pretty much just be walking from now till then.

The Good

• I lost weight despite doing no exercise
• I have been really careful with my food and portion sizes

The Bad

• I hurt my back and haven't been able to exercise
• I didn't plan my food
  
• I didn't track

The Ugly

• I have been having some bad sugar cravings and have given in a couple of times, but only using the 25% principle.

The Best

• The 25% principle has been working really well for me and keeping any sugar attacks or treats to a sensible level :)

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Go over my points
  
• Have a second serve
  
• Eat for the sake of eating

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Track
  
• Plan
  
• Drink my water
  
• Exercise - walking only

*Health Blitz*

Week 12 :

 I will SWAP eating the kids leftovers for NOT eating them

*72 days*

 

The Week in Review

*Weigh-in*

100 kg (220 lbs)

- 2.5kgs

*Weekly Review*

Not a bad week overall.  I have been trying to get up early and move which isn't always a success, but it is getting easier and I am really starting to enjoy the early morning workouts.  I love the feeling of it (the workout) being over and done with before breakfast and I also love the lack of that nagging feeling that I usually get when I still haven't done any exercise.  I am wondering though - does the weather have an impact on early morning workouts?  I think that with summer on the way and the weather warming up, it may be easier to get out of that nice, cosy bed each morning.

The Good

• A good loss this week
• I exercised most days (still needs improvement)
• The 25% Principle seems to be working really well
• I completed The 'Not' Over the Hill Virtual 5K Fun Run (sort of)

The Bad

• I stuffed up the Virtual 5K Fun Run - I forgot the hill
• I didn't plan my food
  
• I didn't track- Why is tracking so hard for me?????

The Ugly

• I had a small sugar binge last night due to a very strong chocolate urge.  All I wanted to do was stuff my face with chocolate!

The Best

• Although I did have a sugar binge it could have been 1000 times worse than it was. I ended up having 3 After Dinner mints which is way better than 3 chocolate bars.  I also managed to avoid the temptation of running across the street to the milk bar and just buying anything covered in or made with chocolate.  I sat down with a hot cup of tea and watched the Masterchef Finale that I had saved on the IQ box thingy.  I can not believe that they split the show so they could put The Renovators on!  What is with that???

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Eat chocolate
  
• Go over my points
  
• Have a second serve
  
• Eat just for fun!

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Track
  
• Plan
  
• Watch my portion sizes
  
• Exercise

*Health Blitz*

Week 9 :

 I will SWAP 30 mins of TV each night for planning and pre-tracking of my food

*51 days*

 

Habits, Cupcakes & 25%

When it comes to habits, my husband has been a bad influence on me in regards to desserts.  I would occasionally have a sweet dessert after dinner, but when hubby and I moved in together, desserts became a lot more frequent which was not good for my waist line (or my pants, or tops). To make matters worse, the hubster also ate dessert after lunch as well, which eventually rubbed off on me and as it turned out, these were not good habits for me to form.

I hadn't really thought of having dessert as 'a habit', it was always something that accompanied dinner, it was part of the meal, not an extra.

"It's noice, it's norrrmal"

Yes, dessert is nice, very nice and it is the normal thing to do after a meal, well that's what I thought anyway.  It hasn't been until recently (with the start of my health blitz) that I discovered that it isn't necessary to have dessert after every meal, therefore, it is a habit and a habit I am glad to break.

In weeks 2 & 3 of my health blitz my focus was on desserts.  I decided to have dessert as often as I wanted, but it had to be fresh fruit with or without yoghurt, this way the dessert still stayed relatively healthy.  If I still feel the need to eat after dinner I have some fruit, but on other days when I want a little sweetness I just add some vanilla yoghurt.  I have found lately that many nights I am not even interested in dessert and completely go without.  Is my dessert habit breaking???

I think the dessert habit has broken at night, but what about lunch?  I often have a sweet craving after I have eaten my lunch so I go back to the fridge and just search for something sweet.  I don't really want fruit cause I know I will be having fruit later and we all know what a disaster it would be if I had more fruit - more fruit, how dare you! 

Anyway, I found a cupcake, yes, just one cupcake in the fridge the other day and decided to have that for my lunch dessert.  The second it came out of the fridge the seagulls kids swarmed me all wanting one.  

A lonely cupcake

Because there was only 1 cupcake it had to be shared.  I cut the cupcake into 4 and we each had a quarter.  As you can imagine, a quarter of a cupcake is not a very big piece, but it was enough for me, it had to be because there was none left.

My sweet craving was satisfied with a tiny piece of cake

This is very good news for me having the knowledge that I can be satisfied with a fraction of the amount that I usually eat when it comes to cravings and food in general really.  I have decided to implement another element to my health blitz called the 25% Principle.  If I can be happy with just a quarter of a cupcake then why can't I use this technique when it comes to other foods as well?  There is nothing stopping me from doing this except greed and the only results I can foresee are good ones.  The 25% Principle can only make me happier and healthier.

The Week in Review : Week 7

*Weekly Review*

An ok week, but it could have been sooooo much better.  My exercise was limited and I didn't do as much as I should have so there is plenty of room for improvement there.  Food, on the other hand, was a shocker.  I tracked once all week and even that wasn't a full day.  

The moment I eat something related to my feelings rather than fuel for my body I stop tracking.  I don't want to see that food written down, I don't want to count the points so I just stop tracking and pretend that it never happened - IT.DID.HAPPEN!  I did it to myself and I have to learn to deal with it in a much better way than using plain old ignorance.

"What defines us is how well we rise after we have fallen"

*Weigh-in*

99.9 kg (220 lbs)

+ 200 grams (again)

The Good

• I honestly can not think of anything this week - big improvement all around is needed
• Wait! I have one - I am not upset about this week. I was expecting the scales to be unkind to me, but that's because I was unkind to myself.  

The Bad

• I didn't drink my water
• I didn't exercise much
• I didn't plan food
  
• I didn't track

The Ugly

• I gained 200 grams
• I ate my feelings this week so my gain wasn't unexpected

The Best

• This week has been a huge learning curve for me :) I deserved the gain.  I am only getting out what I put in this week, it is totally my fault and I am taking full responsibility for my actions. Onwards and Downwards!

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Eat my feelings
  
• Go over my points
  
• Have a second serve (of anything)
  
• Give up

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Track
  
• Plan
  
• Drink water
  
• Exercise 6 out of 7 days

*Health Blitz*

Week 7 :

 I will SWAP a 2nd helping for a piece of fruit
I will SWAP sugar cravings for a glass of water + 50 step-ups on each leg

*37 days*

 

Getting up Early and Moving my Butt!!!

As part of my Health Blitz, this week I decided to swap 1 hour of sleep in the morning for 1 hour of working out.  So far, this hasn't been going so well.  It is much harder than I thought to drag myself out of bed in 5 degree 'heat' even though I know that within 10 mins I will be sweating up a storm and taking off my jacket. 

I would rather be doing this........

than this...........

But, if I want to look like this........(or something like it anyway)

Then I need to do this.................

Another thing that bugs me is that I know I feel so much better when I get up and move rather than lying in bed being kicked in the face by kids fighting over my iPhone.  So, today I went in search of some tips and I struck gold when I found exactly what I was looking for.......

A post called How to Workout in the Morning - thanks again Julie!!!

Here's a little snippet :

As I shifted my workouts to the morning, I found the transition easier by following these little tips:

• Commit to it: Your first morning workout will not be fun. You’ll be tired and cranky, but that’s okay! Don’t give up. General consensus says it takes around 21 days to make a habit. Commit to keeping up your morning workouts for 21 days and they will begin to feel like part of your routine.

• Schedule a Workout You Want to Do: For your first morning workout, schedule a workout you want to do. Don’t tackle sprints or a five-mile run on your first morning workout if this is the workout you dread the most!

• Revel in the Post-Workout Sense of Accomplishment: When your morning workout is over, make a mental note to remember how great it feels to have your workout done before the day really begins. Remember this feeling when the alarm goes off in the morning.

• Make it Easy on Yourself: Make getting to the gym in the morning as effortless as possible by laying out your workout clothes, filling up your water bottle and having your keys ready the night before.

• Enjoy that “I’d normally be at the gym right now” Feeling: When I switched my workout to the morning, I loved thinking “I’d normally be at the gym right now” around 5 p.m., when I would typically be working out. It made me appreciate the effort I put into getting my workout done earlier in the day.

It took Julie roughly 3 weeks to really love her early morning starts and continue it as part of her daily routine so I have decided to not give up trying and to just keep it going.  I imagine it will be a lot easier to get out of bed in the summer as well - not so warm and cosy.

The Week in Review : Week 6

*Restart Review - Week 6*

My exercise was a total wash out this week.  I had some sort of mental melt down, but I am now back and ready to fight my self-sabotaging beast.

*Weigh-in*

99.7 kg (219 lbs)

+ 200 grams

The Good

• I had a minimal gain
• I watched my food choices
  
• I watched my portion sizes
  
• I realised how important it is for my own self-belief to acknowledge and accept the good things I have been doing and not always put myself down
• I had my meringue and I didn't even really want it.  I was just eating it because I allow myself to have one each week - I don't need to have it
• I survived a birthday celebration with only 1 cup cake and 2 sweets
  

The Bad

• I didn't drink my water
• I didn't exercise
• I didn't plan food
  
• I didn't track

The Ugly

• I gained 200 grams which in the bigger picture is nothing
• Mental melt down - I don't know where it came from, but I am determined to find out.  I must be afraid of success no matter how good that success makes me feel

The Best

• Even though I had a rough week I have totally been able to turn my ugly into something positive!  I have learned some things about myself that will only help me on my adventures out of Self-sabotage Street and into the land of healthy living.  I will not return to Fatsville, I am sooo tired of living there!

*Challenges*

This Week :

I Won't . . . . . . . . . .

• Give up on myself
  
• Eat my weekly 49 pp's
  
• Put myself down
  
• Eat my feelings

I Will . . . . . . . . . .

• Track my food (good start so far)
  
• Plan my food for the week (also a good start)
  
• Work out the points for my favourite foods
  
• Drink water

*Health Blitz*

Week 6 :

 I will SWAP 1 hour of sleep in the morning for 1 hour of exercise

*30 days*