Day 35 - 5 Weeks!

5 Weeks today and another lazy Tuesday where I come home exhausted. I was due to do strength training but only ended up doing 2 sets of 12 bicep curls. That's it!

That was all the 'exercise' I did today, 24 bicep curls. Wow. Pathetic. A little bit of walking to and from uni too. I am always just stoned pretty much on Tuesdays. I wanted to go for a walk but was due to go to a friends house and I dunno...I'm obviously making excuses but today won't be added as an exercise day on my tally obviously. I ate fairly well though if that counts for anything.

Doing EVERYTHING around the house! @#$%!!

AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!

I just feel like @#$%#^% screaming! My dad is away on holidays and my 2 older brothers (23 and 25) don't do ANYTHING around the house. I have been doing bloody effing everything. Cleaning up their crap they leave around, wiping down the kitchen after they leave food and crap juices everywhere. I've organised out dinner every night and I get no effin thanks.
I put on chicken for everyone tonight and some vegetable for myself (they dont eat veges). Then 23yo comes in and asks if he can have the other brothers dinner because he is too lazy to put on any potato or junky-side-dish for himself. LAZY!!!!!!!!

You would not know they are 23 and 25. They act like little babies because 'daddy' is away. Honestly, one of them had fried eggs 2 days ago and the frying pan and spatula is still sitting there with egg on it, unwashed.

ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING AND I JUST WANT TO SCREAM!

Day 34 - Lightbulb moment

.

What was your 'light bulb' moment that spurred you to make a change in your
life? Mine was a photo. I'll upload the photo one day..


I had a moment of a different kind today, another break through moment where I ran past the shops in my area, and more importantly past all the people shopping and dining. I would never ever have done that 4 weeks ago.

I was meant to do strength today but I felt like going for a run instead so I ran my whole long route and tacked on a little extra at the end by going through the shops. I want those shorts to be looser by next weigh in!

Disheartened

Tried on some shorts that I bought about 8 weeks ago this morning. They were just tight when I bought them and I was expecting them to be loose or a perfect fit this morning. I was silly, because they were still tight. It's only been over 4 weeks I guess I'm expecting  too much too soon. It just annoyed me!!!

Day 33 - Running

Ran my long route successfully again! And pushed it at the end to finally make it up this steep hill that leads to my shorter route, after which I walked to stretch out and cool down.

Also had quite a bit of walking on a uni field trip today too.

Today I ate - Muesli with weetbix
6 rice thins - 150cal
2 mandarins
Muesli with yoghurt
2 pieces fish with veges 224cal

Day 32 - Confidence

Well today was the first day I noticed I could walk with a bit more confidence since I began this 32 days ago....more on that later..

I went for a longish walk today with my mum for about 50mins. Had a whole load of pistacchios while watching a movie with her (they're so addictive!) and I did strength training when I got home.

Okay so the confidence? I went out to the city with my boyfriend and wore heels for the first time in probably more than a year. And they were HUGE HUGE wedges, 14cm high in fact. So whilst he parked the car I went to buy our train tickets and two ladies started talking about me as they were about to pass me, staring STARING at my legs and heels. So I stared back and said "What?!". They didn't respond obviously. Anyway, I like to think they were just envious, since they were quite overweight and older than me. I felt I had a bit more confidence the whole night knowing my legs looked okay and I wasn't a shorty for once.

Day 31 - Breaking through the wall

Went for a run tonight on my long route - 3km (about 20min). Started off and thought that I probably wouldn't be able to run the whole way. My brain just wouldn't shut up! It kept talking about how far I had to go and when I should stop.

But I told it to SHUT UP! And I ran the whole way, non-stop :-D And I feel GREAT!

I have come so far it just amazes me. I added my short route on to the end of my run but I just walked that to stretch out and cool down and get a bit more exercise in.

I also bought some Natures Way Protein in vanilla today. I had it 1 hour before my run with water. It was pretty nice, would be much much better with milk but I only wanted a snack. Anyone else drink protein drinks?

Day 30 - Weigh in

Weighed in this morning. Expected that I would be the same since I have gained considerable muscle mass and still had all last nights food sittin in me.

I lost 7lbs! Or 3.5kg!

Can't believe it. I couldn't believe it when the dial (i have analogue scales) dropped below 70kg!!

So happy :-)
I did strength training today and went to a chinese restaurant for dinner (bad) and had two little chocolates when I got home (bad).

Day 29 - My Week 8 goal completed in Week 4!

I ran the whole of my long route! No breaks!  :-D Which was my week 8 goal, and its only week 4 now!

Felt so good, had moments of considering giving up but I kept going and did it! I can't believe that just 4 weeks ago I could only run a 100m or more before puffing my lungs out. I have come so far since then!
The goal now is to keep that up but not expect that the next time I run it I'll be able to do it non-stop, if I need a break I'll take one, and just let each run become easier and easier.

Day 28 - 4 Weeks!

4 Weeks today. Which means I'll weigh myself in the morning tomorrow argh!

Did a very good strength training session today on top of my walk to and from uni. Muscles aching, feeling good!

Day 27 - Ran and feeling good!

Well...besides all my uni work due this week which I am struggling with I'm feelin good :-)

Went for a run/walk tonight and it went great!!! I ran for so long, almost all of my long route which is 2.8km. I only had one break in the middle because I thought I shouldn't try and push it too much too soon. And then I did my short route straight after, just walked around that one. So about 45-50Min of exercise.
Was loving my music and feeling so happy to burn off all that pizza and crap.

One strange thing is...my digestive system has slowed down of late. I was averaging 1-2 a day and now I don't think it has happened for 1.5 days. Why the hell would that happen?

Day 26 - NEW NEW joggers

Started my day with a walk in my new brooks joggers. Terrible. Hurting knees, hurting ankles. Feet clomping the pavement loudly. Very very angry at my bad luck.
Scrubbed up the shoes and washed the dirt and crap off them and tried my luck back at the shoe store to take them back. They did! They didn't even inspect them.
Instantly went over to the Nike Pegasus 28's (pegasus were my old shoe before crappy brooks), tried em on, perfect!

Went for another walk/run tonight to try out my new new shoes and they felt soooo much better! When I ran there was some lingering leg pain but I think that is just some mild damage from wearing the Brooks around for a week, so hopefully everything will return to normal soon

I ate great today too. Lunch was beautiful - Egg with tomato, onion and garlic on 1 piece wholemeal bread.

Day 25 - More rain, laziness and potato bake

Bad things eaten today - too much lamb, too much potato bake and some jelly-evaporated milk dessert thing.

No exercise. Had another uni field trip till late and then went straight to a friends house as I haven't seen them for ages. I think part of me was also worried about my knees as well. But I will definately give running a go tomorrow as I have soooooooooooo much food to burn off. It really shuts you down when you havent exercised or eaten as healthy as possible. Voices in my head say 'just give up, eat more, who cares you are back to square one now anyway so why not?'
It is not easy.

Day 24 - Rain and laziness

Okay so not complete laziness. I did 10minutes on the exercise bike and some leg lifts on the floor and crunches. Better than nothin but definately not burning off last nights pizza. It was raining all day.

Coming home from the shops my knees were so so sore walking downhill and i tried jogging on the grass and they hurt too much. Its too late to take my new runners back so im just gonna see if breaking them in is the reason by keeping at it.

Sigh.

Day 23 - Pizza

Had 4 pieces of pizza for dinner. Australian size, not US sized. One piece was very small so maybe I'll say I had 3.5 pieces?

Pretty proud of my self-control...my mum tried forcing more upon me which really really annoyed me because I'd already told her I was trying to eat healthy. Her husband offered me soft-drink with dinner and I said yes if it is Pepsi max (no calories) and he said yep its pepsi max and he came back with a poured glass and I saw that the bottle said it was normal pepsi. But I couldn't just tip it down the sink secretly (although I did think about it), so I had to drink it.

I did a 30min run/walk before dinner and a quick weights session. Legs still feel funny when I run...

PIZZA tonight??!!

My mum is ordering pizza for a late bday dinner tonight.

What do I do? Have 2 pieces and veges??

I sent her a text asking her if she has frozen veggies at home because I am trying to eat healthier. I'm worried she and my brother will start being unsupportive. I don't think I'm being unreasonable tough, do you? I mean I am still going to have the pizza I'm just not going to have the 5-7 pieces I would normally have.

I need some support right now :-(

Day 22 - No exercise. I am terrible.

On the brighter side I did a lot of walking around uni, on top of my 10min walk to and from my car to uni.

I had an assignment that needed starting tonight (due tomorrow, oops!).

I'm not sure if I am eating  enough food. I saw on Livestrong.com that I should be getting around 1800calories a day?! But that seems like heaps. I may actually be getting that much perhaps because my dinners are usually the most calorie full meal.

I'll try and do extra exercise tomorrow to make up for today :-)
I think my knees might have needed the break anyway, they've been feeling funny...

Geez you'd think I was 80 not 20!

Day 21 - 3 Weeks!

Hit the 3 Week mark today!
Maybe I shouldn't be counting the days though? It's more of a measuring progress thing...

Wore shorts today, was so sick of wearing jeans...it still August but I've had enough! I'm just layering up top and hitting uni in shorts from now on. 

Bad  run again. My feet felt like the were clobbering along the path as soon as I started jogging. Even when I was walking actually. Could it be all down to my new running shoes?
My ankles and knees felt like they were just all over the place...

It was so annoying because I felt great in the lungs like I could have run forever! Just a bad day?

Let me know what you think of my food intake on my Food page!

Day 20 - Running breakthrough!

Made a breakthrough in my run today! Ran the whole first half of my long route with no walk breaks!!!

BUT when I stopped running all the muscles in my legs and feet tightened and filled with lactic acid. I could barely walk. I pretty much limped the whole way back home. So in the end it probably wasn't that effective of a workout. My joggers felt great but I don't know why my legs turned so stiff? I think it may have been because my shoelaces were too tight...I'm not sure.

I also did some strength training this morning. I'm so glad to be exercising again since my 3 days off!

First before photos are up!

My first before picture is up, check them out!

Day 19 - Sick. No exercise. New joggers. Before photos

Sick. Feel crappy as. Didn't exercise for 3rd day in a row...

Do you guys exercise with a cold?

Got new joggers this morning, studied to get the right ones for my foot. I underpronate. So ended up with neautral cushioning joggers. Got Brooks Glycerin 8.
They were editors choice on runners world and I CANNOT wait to use them, but am worried about making my cold worse?!?

Took my first before photos too...disgusting.

Day 17 and 18 - Cake, milkshakes, my birthday, sore throat :-(

So day 17, I did no exercise. Had a doctors appointment, an assignment due and dinner with friends and just didn't get time...
I had a milkshake, soooo yum! And a lean beef burger and chips for dinner but it was gross so I only ate half.

Day 18 I had to get up at 6am (on my birthday!) for a uni field-trip to some farms. Got back at about 6pm and then went out for Chinese for my birthday, and then had to do an online test before midnight.

So no exercise..

And some cake and wine, which were both amazing!!!!!


Today is day 19 (ill make the blog post later) but I had a really sore throat and feel run down! Probably from lack of sleep.

What is everyones view on exercising when sick with a cold?

Day 16 - Protein drinks?

Does anyone drink protein drinks after exercise, either cardio or strength training? Or just drink it casually as a meal replacement or snack during the day?

I tried one last night, yum! and very very filling!
Because I did a weights session and cardio. Not sure if i really do need it though but it is meant to help recovery and repair of muscles.

In my strength training I did - lunges, squats with weights, biceps, tricep dip, tricep dumbell thingos, and some ab exercises like crunches (with my cat on my stomach mind you).
Then just went for a 20-25min walk, no running this time.

Had garlic bread with dinner :-( 4 pieces.

A note to myself...and others - Running distances

My long route is 3km or 1.8miles

My short route is 2.6km or 1.6miles

Combined they are 5.6km or 3.47miles

Day 15 - Long exercise session day

One of my books I borrowed called 'Running and Fat Burning for Women', written by 2 marathon runners, reckons that you should include one long exercise session a week. They say 90 minutes but as a beginner too build up to that. So I am making Wednesday nights my long session night. Last night (was too tired to blog before sleep), I did a 45-50 Min Run/walk session by combining my long and short loops together. It felt really good!

I resisted a bunch of desserts my dad bought last night too! :-)

I'll give you an example of what I eat since I haven't logged that yet. Yesterday:

Breakfast - 3 Weetbix and Muesli with Light milk (2 Weetbix = 118cal)
Lunch - 2 corn thins with shaved ham and 2 corn thins with vegemite (2 corn thins = 46cal)
Afternoon tea - 1 Up and Go Vive drink - 178cal
Dinner - 3 pieces of frozen fish (114cal each) with lots of vegetables and sweet chilli sauce

Day 14 - Two weeks!

Hello 2 week mark!

The cheating (or less good things) of the past two weeks:
Nachos 2 nights in a row
Thai takeaway 2 nights in a row
2 bad desserts of icecream, icecream and apple pie
1 rest day of absolutely nothing
1 night of lots of alcohol
1 night of BBQ gorge buffet at friends house


The greats of the past two weeks:
Starting exercising again
Exercising 13/14 days
Starting a blog for motivation and to be held accountable for any cheating
Weight training; arms feeling better already
Feeling a tad more confident at uni
EATING VEGGIES!
Cutting out white bread
Getting to bed earlier (even if I'm not sleeping well though)

Today was my long break-less day at uni. And, like last Tuesday, I was tired off my head when I got home around 7pm. And starved! I had nachos again...sorry...it was leftovers night. I also treated myself to a dessert for the week, of ice cream. I wasn't going to do any exercise but I saw my new weight training book lying there so I did about 5 or 6 different exercises from that, only 1 set of each though. But a burn is a burn! Right?

Day 13 - Tight muscles, unsupportive brother, nachos

Muscles, mainly hamstring, is so tight still. But after my walk tonight (only a bit of jogging due to tightness and a desperate need for new running shoes), I stretched the hell out of my legs using one of my new health books with diagrams.

A couple of days ago my oldest brother (25yo) made some remark about how many vegetables I was having with dinner and I openly stated that I've put on weight since dating my bf and am trying to be healthier. Then tonight he makes another snide remark when we were having nachos for dinner ''isn't that a bit unheathy for you (in a stirring tone)" and I said "yes it is but I've got some vegetables in the microwave to have also" and he said "yeah I'm sure that will take away all the saturated fat". Gosh. I just said "yep thats the idea". I just don't get his attitude. Is he threatened by me being healthy or something? He himself does no deliberate exercise, only the exercise he gets a work stacking fruit at the grocery store. I think the roots of his nastiness lie in his own insecurities and I'm trying not to let it get to me it just makes me wonder how strange people are...

Also, the day goes too quickly! I just want to read my new health books but I have to sleep before uni, sigh.

P.S. My arms are so muscley and firmer already, they look nicer! :-)

Read health books for motivation

Since this is not the first time I've changed my diet and exercise in order to lose weight, I have noticed a common theme in each phase. I get obsessed with reading about diet and exercise - online and in books, other peoples blogs ;) and tv shows or news stories.

So, since this WILL be the final permanent change I've been obsessed with reading about the topic. I went to the library today and spent over an hour in the health section flicking through every book. I'm not on any diet, I'm just using common sense changes which I believe is the only diet change which will last in the long term. I just find reading about it to provide me motivation.

Needless to say I borrowed a stack of health books which I'm heaps excited to start reading. Stuff like different stretches, strength exercises and general healthy eating articles.

The book that got me started is What's Good For You - Weight Loss, which is based on the What's good for you tv show run in Australia. It is really really interesting and I highly recommend reading it! It's set out heaps well, nice coated pages, pictures, big headings and a wide array of interesting topics. Hey I should get paid for this!

Day 12 - Its raining, I can't exercise?

It rained. It hailed.

I hopped on the exercise bike.

But not after thinking "well I guess this will have to be my day off then".

And the exercise bike was not easy. I almost stopped at 10min because I was so tired, hot and bored. I pushed through though, almost stopping at the 15min mark for the same reasons, but I just managed to pump out another 5min to make a total 20min on the exercise bike. The last 5-10min were HIIT (8 second sprint, 12 second recovery).

That's my exercise bike --> Its pretty el-cheapo, only 70bucks but hey it gets the legs moving and the heart rate up.

The rain stopped. The sun came out. It dropped about 10 degrees Celsius when the rain came through so it was freezing now. (All the better to exercise in right?)

So I went for my short walk route - about 15-20minutes. I've been trying to time precisely but I always forget to look at the clock when I get back. Guess I'm just so happy to have finished exercising.

My muscles have been so so tight the past couple of days so I've been trying to stretch them out heaps, its not working too great but has helped a bit. I'll keep it up.

Dinner - lovely steak, LOVELY barbecued potatoes which took me a lot of will power to minimise how many of them I had, so I filled up the rest of my plate with mixed veggies.

As I type an apple pie is baking in the oven with my name on it. Will I be able to resist? Lets hope so...

Day 11 - First test of making healthy choices eating out

Failed.

Went to a friend's bbq telling myself to limit my portion sizes (her mum is an amazing cook and cooks a literal buffet of food). Still had a ridiculous amount of food, plus dessert!

I drank diet soft drink though?

Well, to try and defend myself I did do a fair bit of exercise today and am very sore at the moment. I initially only planned on doing a weight session but ended up doing a jog.

Day 10 - Cross train and HIIT, PUSH YOURSELF!

Sprint as fast as you possibly can!
We don't do it enough!
Push your body to the max, if only for 100m .
When was the last time you ran as fast as your legs could possibly push and stride with your lungs absolutely aching but you keep sprinting to that set point? I know personally that before last night I hadn't sprinted at my absolute fastest potential in...years?

HIIT?
High intensity interval training.

Periods of high intensity intervals (eg. flat out sprints) combined with low intensity intervals.

And the cross training? Kicking a soccer ball around the soccer oval. Just dribbling it up and back with a friend, kicking to each other, trying to score against each other and booting it up into the night sky.

I also did 3 flat out 100m or so sprints racing against my very fit boyfriend. And I did pretty damn well!

Had fish again for tea with veggies and a small amount of pasta. Also love that I have cut white bread out of my diet, having rice cakes with my chicken/lettuce/tomato tastes so good, fills me up and leaves me feeling great! And lots of delicious green tea!

Day 9 - Yum! Veggies! and Miranda Kerr

I don't know why I have never been a big vegetable eater. But, I've had large mixed servings (with the 'gross' stuff like beans and broccoli I wouldn't normally ever touch) 2 nights in a row now and they have tasted fine, nothing poisonous about them.
Perhaps though it is because I have been so damn hungry after my runs that I really will eat anything?
Either way I'm getting my veggie intake properly now.

So yes I went for a walk/run tonight - was feeling very tired and unmotivated when I started off though. So, I told myself I deserved to just power walk this one and listen to my music relaxingly.
Well that didn't last because before I knew it I found myself pounding the pavements - and for much much longer  distances than the previous times too.

Did you see Miranda Kerrs return the catwalk on the news tonight? She looked bloody amazing in the cossie. It's definately not the body I am aspiring to achieve but she did look really good since having a baby!

No tae bo. I thought this whole weight loss part of the journey was going to be centred around tae bo. But the only place I can do it is in the lounge room, when noone is home - which is rare because my brother does shiftwork, so the lounge room is usually occupied. I did try it in my bedroom but there just wasn't enough room (or air!).
Plus I do like listening to my own music and getting out the house rather than steaming up the lounge room with Billy Blanks yelling at me. That said, I do love tae bo; it just doesn't fit well with my schedule at the moment in that its hard to find the TV free and its much much easier to just step outside and run!

I'm still dwelling on how much I weigh. Can't believe I weigh 72. Disgusting.

Oh! Good news though, my boyfriend has been inspired by my sudden desire for a healthier me and has started his own training as well. He's always been a healthy eater and gone jogging regularly but thinks he has slacked on the strength training part lately so he is focusing on improving that area now. Its great!

Poo more!

When you're eating healthy foods and exercising regularly you will become much more regular. I read that people really underestimate how often they are meant to go; and some think it is perfectly normal to only go once every couple of days! But really we should be going every day - even a couple of times!

I've always known this since I never used to go everyday and certainly not a couple of times a day but the unhealthier me didn't listen to my body.

Day 7 and 8 - Get a good nights sleep

After some shocking sleeps Tuesday left me absolutely buggered beyond repair (and I think my muscles and body needed repairing) - so no exercise on day 7...but I ate well...except for two pieces of garlic bread...there was so much of it leftover it needed using up! Give me a break.

Went to bed at 830/9 on Tuesday night for a nice read and a well needed sleep and I felt excellent today because of it!

Did I weigh myself finally?
Yes.

I might tell you the results at the end of this blog..

So how was my day 8 you ask? Great!
I had wholemeal bread, 2 pieces of fruit, spaghetti for dinner but I cut the portion in half and stacked veggies in to fill me up. And, as someone who doesn't really eat much outside of potato corn and carrot, the beans actually went down quite well.

No tae bo but a walk/run before dinner. A longer one this time, and I made sure that I included some of the hills in the running portion and also tried not to let other people out exercising put me off my game (sometimes I get a  bit embarrassed about my puffing and running style etc).

Oh! And some weights too! After the run, not many but enough to add that extra burn to my burning body.

Alright alright...I'll tell you how much I weighed...only if you promise not to..well...I'm not sure but here goes..

72.

That's right.

72kg.

5 more...FIVE MORE than the last time I weighed myself.

I have never been in the 70s...I've skimmed it at times but a couple of years ago I weighed 63kg! About 18months ago I weighed 67kg and now, now I weigh a massive 72. Which is HUGE for my height which is around 165cm give or take.

It was a predicted shock I must say.

Day 6 - tired, sore...exercise?

Tired. Sore.

That's how I felt at 6pm tonight when I mustered up the motivation to go for another run.
But I did it! And I really pushed myself too - telling myself to just run to that lamp post and then the next one and then just that bit further. Felt bloody good.

No weights or anything else because I had to walk to and from uni which added the extra bit of exercise in the morning.

I had two pieces of garlic bread with dinner, but considering I've been cutting white bread out of my lunches lately I don't think the garlo mattered too much. No dessert either just a large green tea - mmmm I looove my green tea!

I had the most pathetic sleep last night also, when I thought the exercise would make me sleep well, especially  since I was so tired when I went to bed. Fingers crossed for tonight because I am sick to death of being exhausted at uni and falling asleep during lectures!

Over and out.

Okay okay I was trying to avoid the weighing question....tomorrow....I'll weigh myself tomorrow....