Over the Barrier

Oh please tell me you are all eating chocolate eggs too? I've not done too bad, sharing an egg last night...and then again this afternoon! However, I did mix in some exercise today to try and balance it all out.

So, I weighed in this morning and am *drumroll pwease* 14st 13lbs! I have once again cracked the 15st barrier. Whoop! This time I must push on to the next stone barrier as in previous visits to the under 15 mark I have ballsed it all up by putting a few pounds back on again. NOT THIS TIME!!

What am I going to do differently this time? I will:

• Start week 4 of C25K.
• Exercise in the mornings - I just can't get my head around doing it at any other time.
• Drink more water. Lots more water.
• Continue to try different protein packed breakfasts', as they keep me going till lunchtime.
• Keep reading motivational blogs. I have found lots on Tumblr that have great little motivational/healthy messages such as "If you aren't hungry enough to eat an apple, you aren't hungry at all." Very true!

Week Review + Hooping

A bit of a belated review of last week but it was a good week!

• Lost 2lbs. Now 15st on the nose.
• Completed week 3 of C25K.
• Did my pilates DVD on my 'day off'.
• Went back on the wii fit for the first time in over 170 day (oopsie!)

I'd talked about hula hooping before and after an unsuccessful experience with Davina's hoop that I bought from Argos (it was too small, but too wide and heavy...so I took it back) I decided to get some hooping action from the Wii fit. I unlocked the 10 min hula-hoop ages ago and had forgotten what it was like. I chose that first to get my heart pumping and MY GOD, I'd forgot how intense it was! About a minute in I was staring at the time ticking down in the corner thinking "4 mins left of this??" Then when I had finished one way you are right back in to swivelling the t'other way!

It's such a good workout and that plus some jogging, boxing and yoga moves managed to give my muscles a good challenge. Note to self - don't leave it another 170 days before you revisit the Wii Fit!

It is so ON this week!

The clocks have gone forward. Spring has sprung. It's the beginning of a new week and I am well and truly revved up for it. C'MOOOOON!

I weighed in this morning and have lost the 6lbs I put on over my holiday the week before last, so am now back to 15st 2lbs - where I was pre-holiday. I'm sure those 6lbs were just scared off by the sheer force of my positive attitude this week (on and maybe a few gym visits!)

My gym bag will be packed tonight ready for the beginning of a arse-kicking week! I am still following the C25K plan (and still loooving it!) but after a bit of fannying around of schedules I'm going to re-start the second week tomorrow so I can still schedule in the proper rest days.

I'm going to try and maintain my PMA (positive mental attitude) - particularly in work - as being negative about everything, and myself, is just too tiring.

Bring it on week because I'm ready for ya!

As well as the C25K I'm also going to be re-visiting my Thursday night Zumba class (as we now have a new instructor).

I've also been thinking about mixing things up and keeping things fun (another thing I'm trying to abide by - making exercise fun) possibly buying a hula hoop. Does anybody else hula? I love it on the Wii Fit so might treat myself to one this week.

I wish you all top week. Go get 'em my lovelies!!

C25K W1D1

In an uncharacteristic move I woke up early this Sunday morning (instead of lolling around in my PJs until Midday). I weighed myself (STS), made some porridge, got my gym kit on and hauled my arse down to the gym.

The reason for my excitable start to the day was the prospect of starting the first day of my C25K plan. Running has always been something that has scared me - honestly - at school, whenever the cross country was mentioned in P.E I'd often end up in tears just at the thought of it. After reading up on the C25K plan, which aims to get people off the couch and running a 5k, I decided I was going to try it and try and overcome my ridiculous fear.

So this morning I got to the gym before 10am and it was bloody well full! Did these people not know it was Sunday and the day for rest?! I could feel a sense of panic rising as I made my way up the stairs to the treadmills. I started to plot out in my mind alternative exercises I could do - but I was here to run, stick to the plan I kept telling myself. I picked out a treadmill that only had a few blokes nearby and as I looked at my reflection in the glass I said to myself "no one is looking. No one cares. Stick to the plan!"

The first day of the first week training starts with a 5 min brisk walk warm up. No problemo. I started striding along easily but as soon as the timer ticked over 4:30 seconds my heart rate shot up. Not from exertion but from pure fear that in 30 seconds time I would have to start the first of eight 60-second jogging intervals. I started to panic - what if I could only jog for 10 seconds and had to stop? I imagined those blokes next to me thinking to themselves "ha! She tried the C25K and could only do 10 seconds. The loser!"

5:00 flashed up on the timer and there was no going back, it was time to step it up. I sped the treadmill up and started to jog. It took a few fiddles with the speed to get it right but eventually I was into my first 60-second interval and it felt good. Before I knew it the 60-seconds was up and it was time for a 90-second walk before my next interval. Easy. I started to feel really confident and even though my jog wasn't particularly fast it still got my heart rate up and I concentrated on my running action - making sure my head was up and my heel was rolling through to the ball of my foot.

Half way through my calfs started to burn during the intervals and the 90-second walking breathers were becoming extremely good ideas. I praised the creators of C25K for the pure genius of the 90-second walk to get rid of the lactic acid building in my legs. All hail the 90 second walk! I started counting off the intervals and when I got down to my last jog I had a big smile on my face and put all my energy into the last run. Then it was all over and time for a 5 min cool down.

I checked my HRM and for the 30 minutes I had burnt 341 calories. Not bad!

I felt like I was walking on air when I'd finished - I practically floated out of the gym. It may not seem a great deal for most people but for me it was a real accomplishment to get over that fear of running and I really can't wait for my next session (which will be Tuesday as you are supposed to leave a rest day in between).

Is anyone else doing C25K? Let me know how you're getting on! : )

Sunday Strolling

My Sunday morning started off with a 80 min walk around our local woods (I am so lucky to live close to such a pretty area). Usually my Sunday morning consists of lounging around in bed until lunchtime, but not today. Me and my dad braced the cold - which is perfect weather for walking - and got strolling. Set me up nicely for the week.

I weighed in this morning and have lost 1lb which I'm happy with. I started tracking again last week and was doing well until the weekend where a few lunches/dinners out with friends racked up the points. So I want to really push this week to prevent a STS result.

This week I really want to have a couple of sessions down the gym, do my Zumba DVDs and also mix it up with a few of my other DVDs (shred, pilates). Basically this week I want to move more!

I mentioned in my last post that I was trying to change one habit a week - as found on this blog. I am continuing with the first week habit of drinking more water so am moving onto the next habit - moving more! My exercise habits have been a little sporadic of late (due to illness, dark mornings and general lazy arseness!) so am just trying to get into a regular habit.

Here's hoping for a successful week ahead.

Winning and Losing

Last week I won a Woman's Own competition, literally the first thing I've won since the Easter raffle in Primary School! My prize? Only £170 worth of weight loss goodies! I was such a giddy kipper when I found out.

The parcel was delivered on Monday and in it I had 20-odd sachets of Tony Ferguson meal replacement shakes, his recipe book, Cho Yung weight loss tea, Shape Me Beautiful positive thinking CD and a pair of SIZE 12 'tummy tuck' jeans.

Now i'm really not a fan of meal replacements as I think it is such an unhealthy way to lose weight and who wants to go through life with only a heavily processed powder to sustain you? But, as a quick breakfast for when i'm running late, I thought they would come in handy. So on Tuesday and Wednesday I had the Chocolate shake and Cafe Late shake for my brekkie. The first time I tried it I realised I wasn't going to be able to drink it all in one setting as it was so filling, so I popped it in my water bottle and drank the rest throughout the morning in work. It did keep me fuller for longer as cereal (no matter how big the portion) never seems to keep the hunger away for me.

By Thursday I was craving a 'proper' brekkie (i.e. one made of ACTUAL food) but it did make me think that once all the sachets have gone I am going to make my own healthy smoothies for breakfast - as they really seem to keep the hunger at bay.

I tried the Size 12 jeans on and as they are quite stretchy I managed to get them up to my bum - but no further! Definitley something to aim for his year. I listened to the CD and although it is a bit cheesey at times (like how you are supposed to tell your inner child you love them...puuuuukkkke!) it did relax me and whether it was a placebo effect or not I did feel more positive the next couple of days. Note to self, must listen to it again!

In a peruse for more inspiring weight loss blogs I found one by an American lady who has lost a huge amount of weight by herself and she had drawn up this one habit a week plan, which basically gets you to try and change one small thing a week. It isn't anything ground breaking but it seemed to really strike a chord in me as  I have previously said that with WW I don't feel like I've changed my bad habits - i'm just doing the same things within a point allowance. I can't see myself tracking forever so I need to programme in these healthy habits that are going to keep me in good stead for the future.

For week one the healthy habit was to drink more water. A simple thing but something I really don't do without reaaaaaally making the effort. So this week I have been making regular trips to the tap/water cooler to fill up my empty glass.

I weighed in this morning and have lost 3lbs and i'm sure the extra water intake has a great deal to do with that, so it is something I am really going to drill into myself. I also started doing my Zumba DVDs again this week so the little bit of exercise has given me that extra ooomph.

My body has failed me again though and have been up all night with a sore and swollen throat (it hurrrrrtsss!) and blocked ears- just when I was getting back into the swing of things, damnit!! Anyways I'm hoping it will shift soon and so I can bet back into my groove this week :)