Week 12 was always going to be huge - 2 trips to Melbourne, a public holiday and I had 5 group training sessions to catch up on and roughly 4 days to do it in. Plus on top of that, I was being woman of iron where my diet was concerned. A huge goal for me as part of the challenge was to be under 130kg by the end of it. I honestly don't know when this last was. I was at my lowest weight I'd been at while at the gym by the end of last week but I still had a couple of kilos to go to break that magic barrier. Was so scared, wanting it so much and not being sure if I could achieve it. I don't deal well with failure (somewhere my family and friends are screaming "understatement of the year" in very loud voices) and failing to meet this was going to hit really hard emotionally despite all the logic I was talking to myself.
I did it. I weighed in on Thursday at 129.7kg. This was simply huge for me. To see a 12.. where for so long there was a 13... Just amazing. I wanted to do cartwheels but think I'll hold off on those for a while.
I can't believe I managed to survive 5 group PT sessions. I talked to each of the trainers and deliberately didn't go 110% at any of them, have learnt my lesson, that way lies injury. All of them were really supportive. Ended up having to go to Belconnen for one of them, that was weird, very different environment. I really love the community that Wendy and her team have created here at Canberra City, I really know that they care about me and the rest of the members, we're just not numbers on a page to them. I'm sure the Belconnen members have a similar experience but it felt very strange not to be in my comfort zone. I think I'm a city girl, through and through.
It's been an amazing journey this 12 weeks. I've achieved things I never thought possible and made even more friends along the way. I have a greater understanding of what I can achieve if I put my mind to it and that my journey is achievable. Sure occasionally there will be roadblocks and I'll wander off the beaten track but I'll get back on the road again and when I reach my goal, I know the girls will have cheered me along the whole way. Can't wait for next year!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Week 11
Rising from the ashes is a good metaphor for the last week. Made group training! Was brilliant to see the girls and how well they were doing. Realised between life and public holidays I needed to start to make up my group PT sessions. One of the girls asked me why I bothered - I wasn't going to win the national challenge. It's not about that for me, it's about a sense of completion. I know what I need to do to complete the challenge and 12 group pt sessions is one of those things. It's the same way I've plugged away at my journal in draft form, even if I haven't managed to get them posted. This is something I've committed to and I want to see it through. Really enjoyed seeing the different dynamics of the other two groups I worked with.
Weigh in on Tuesday was just as scary as I thought it would be - gained nearly 2 kgs. Was a really good wake up call however. I didn't chicken out and just not go because the results would be bad, I went, faced the music and now I know what I needed to do to get back on track. I got strict with myself, no shortcuts, no excuses and no slip ups. It's not sustainable long term but it is manageable and I managed to undo the damage I'd done by the end of the week. I can see a goal I've had for the longest time being in sight and I sooooooooo want to achieve it by the end of the challenge.
Really impressed with how quickly my fitness came back after the flu, couldn't have done this at all 11 weeks ago. I survived a half hour cardio PT sessions. I did a full minute of high knees. Lu & I high fived each other afterwards we were so excited. Managed to usher 3 shows at the Street Theatre, do the Dawn Service for Anzac day and get to work and hit the gym. WOOT! The end is in sight. I'm going to do this and I'm going to be great!
Weigh in on Tuesday was just as scary as I thought it would be - gained nearly 2 kgs. Was a really good wake up call however. I didn't chicken out and just not go because the results would be bad, I went, faced the music and now I know what I needed to do to get back on track. I got strict with myself, no shortcuts, no excuses and no slip ups. It's not sustainable long term but it is manageable and I managed to undo the damage I'd done by the end of the week. I can see a goal I've had for the longest time being in sight and I sooooooooo want to achieve it by the end of the challenge.
Really impressed with how quickly my fitness came back after the flu, couldn't have done this at all 11 weeks ago. I survived a half hour cardio PT sessions. I did a full minute of high knees. Lu & I high fived each other afterwards we were so excited. Managed to usher 3 shows at the Street Theatre, do the Dawn Service for Anzac day and get to work and hit the gym. WOOT! The end is in sight. I'm going to do this and I'm going to be great!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Week 10 - Dying of the Lurgy
Must be hubris, mustn't it. There I was last week all pumped and motivated, healthy eating, lots of exercise, yeah! This week flu smacked with a big stick and alllllll my resolutions went out the window. No gym for the week (which is a good thing - see Lu, Kiah, I finally get that message :) ) as my body had nothing, brain of fog and massive, massive comfort eating. Cheese, white bread rolls, comfort food galore. Healthiest thing I ate all week was some miso and apples provided by a friend but they were a highlight in a morass of unhealthy portion sizes and choices.
*sigh*
Oh well, some weeks are like that, despite whatever the weigh in says next week, will get back on the horse. Let's see what I can do in 2 weeks.
*sigh*
Oh well, some weeks are like that, despite whatever the weigh in says next week, will get back on the horse. Let's see what I can do in 2 weeks.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Week 9
Heh. This is the major emotion I am feeling from the last week. Smugness. As silly as it sounds it all comes from a comment made by a friend of mine who in my head is really fit. She said she was having to work to keep up with me on our walk. Really reinforced to me the difference between size and fitness and the strides (heh, bad pun) I'd made in achieving my fitness levels. My joy in being active is such a reward from my involvement with Fernwood and my rediscovery of what my body can do. The girls manage to help me push through my fear and realise that I've strong than I think I am. Loved the jumping challenge. Lu was going to have to find a chair and measure where I'd ended up placing the blu tac on the wall. Very silly but lots of fun.
Motivation has been okay but I've been soooooo busy when I look back at the last couple of months. I want to make the last month of the challenge a great one. One of my goals has been to remain in the top 5 foxy girls at our gym for the entire challenge and I'm doing okay so far. Busyness has been a bit of an excuse for me this week - could have made some better food choices, I had planned things but the "too hard" excuse got pulled out of the bag. Unlike last year when I was yo-yo'ing up and down in the challenge with my weight, I'd actually been trending really well, losing a little or maintaining each week. Gained 100grams this week. It's not much but I got disappointed in myself. Discipline, I just need to maintain it. I need to be a priority for me, self sabotage is really stupid when you think about it. Have been really thinking about my motivation and it's interesting. I want to be healthy, I'd like that to involve a smaller dress size but I have a surprisingly good sense of self esteem. I'm very lucky in that I carry my weight proportionally so that I don't feel unnatractive, just big. I want to be in control of my choices - what ones I make, what ones I don't? The options to make those choices is really really important to me and I need to remember that before saying "it's too hard".
Motivation has been okay but I've been soooooo busy when I look back at the last couple of months. I want to make the last month of the challenge a great one. One of my goals has been to remain in the top 5 foxy girls at our gym for the entire challenge and I'm doing okay so far. Busyness has been a bit of an excuse for me this week - could have made some better food choices, I had planned things but the "too hard" excuse got pulled out of the bag. Unlike last year when I was yo-yo'ing up and down in the challenge with my weight, I'd actually been trending really well, losing a little or maintaining each week. Gained 100grams this week. It's not much but I got disappointed in myself. Discipline, I just need to maintain it. I need to be a priority for me, self sabotage is really stupid when you think about it. Have been really thinking about my motivation and it's interesting. I want to be healthy, I'd like that to involve a smaller dress size but I have a surprisingly good sense of self esteem. I'm very lucky in that I carry my weight proportionally so that I don't feel unnatractive, just big. I want to be in control of my choices - what ones I make, what ones I don't? The options to make those choices is really really important to me and I need to remember that before saying "it's too hard".
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Week 8
Really cruddy week. 6 months of anticipation pulled out from under me in one moment of someone not being able to plan. Work went to hell in a handbasket as I mentioned in my last update. Got to the gym when I could but Easter really threw a spanner in the works. On a lovely note, my parents were here visiting and I got to spend part of Mum's birthday with her. Made a really good dinner (curry with loads of veges and a low fat birthday cake) and it was just lovely. What has been interesting is the difference that both Mum & Dad have noticed in me - apparently my body is significantly smaller, my energy levels are really up and my reliance on my asthma medication down. They were very impressed with me heading off to the gym despite them being there. Easter itself was great, working as a coordinator at the National Folk Festival meant that I did a huge amount of running around and I doubt that I would have managed it without the additional fitness I've built through the challenge. Managed to make good food choices despite the temptations and defeat the evil ever encroaching chocolate monster.
In a high light for the week though I held a plank on my toes for over a minute!!!!! I've never ever done that before. Felt amazing to be able to accomplish it. Lu has been working with me for 6 -8 months but because we normally do them at the end of a session, it was incredible to see how strong my core had become. Was so excited! Measurements were pretty good, again with a 3-5cm loss generally except for my lower leg. Serves me right for doing the big weights and not balancing it out with cardio to streamline my muscles rather than build bulk. The girls assure me that this should be easily rectified. Fingers crossed for the final weigh in and measure.
In a high light for the week though I held a plank on my toes for over a minute!!!!! I've never ever done that before. Felt amazing to be able to accomplish it. Lu has been working with me for 6 -8 months but because we normally do them at the end of a session, it was incredible to see how strong my core had become. Was so excited! Measurements were pretty good, again with a 3-5cm loss generally except for my lower leg. Serves me right for doing the big weights and not balancing it out with cardio to streamline my muscles rather than build bulk. The girls assure me that this should be easily rectified. Fingers crossed for the final weigh in and measure.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Quick Update - Week 7
I'm not in the headspace to blog very much at present. Work has been crazy (got to love an 18 hour day) and things kind of went to hell in a handbasket in the personal space area due to my ex being... well never mind.
Despite all this I've managed to achieve a small loss each week and am now at my lowest weight since starting the gym over 12 months ago.
I'm going out and seeing a lot of music at present and part of the joy of that experience is that I'm going out and dancing. Not having to spend the gig sitting down as I'm not fit enough to dance or feel unsure of myself looking silly.
I also managed to leg press 215kg this week. Sounds okay but it was after I'd done reps with 120kg, 150kg, 180kg and 205kg first. Am still feeling it a little.
Heading to the gym tonight. Looking forward to it!
Despite all this I've managed to achieve a small loss each week and am now at my lowest weight since starting the gym over 12 months ago.
I'm going out and seeing a lot of music at present and part of the joy of that experience is that I'm going out and dancing. Not having to spend the gig sitting down as I'm not fit enough to dance or feel unsure of myself looking silly.
I also managed to leg press 215kg this week. Sounds okay but it was after I'd done reps with 120kg, 150kg, 180kg and 205kg first. Am still feeling it a little.
Heading to the gym tonight. Looking forward to it!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Week Six
Boxing, boxing, boxing. Let me tell you nothing is quite like thumping the living bejeezus out of someone's pads or a boxing stand to relieve stress and stress - there's been a lot of it. I'm in the process of wrapping up the legal end of a 9 year relationship and would love to say that it's been a constructive process with help on both sides. More games and hoops to jump through than a side show is what it feels like. I'm really proud of myself for not hitting the pantry but rather the gloves in response. My head has been all over the place and I'm surprised at the amount of exercise I've been able to do despite that. Yay for happy endorphins.
Another big thing for me last week was that I got back on a rowing machine. I hurt myself last year on a rower and didn't look after myself properly, as a result, I ended up with a bit of a shoulder issue which has taken a lot of work to rehab. Thankfully my trainers cared enough to keep pushing me to see someone when I came out with the line of "I've got this twinge in my arm" for *cough* four *cough* months. The challenge this week was to do a 200m row and the sheer pyschological factor of gettting on the machine and beating that fear was huge. Did I go all out and blow the time out of the water? No. However I did get on that machine, successfully complete the challenge and realise that I COULD do this again and it was time to start building it back into my routine. Plus I signed up for extra boxing lessons with a group of friends at lunch time. Before Fernwood I never would have had the confidence to undertake something like that and it was yet another comfort zone I pushed out of. Had a good chat with my trainer and she really encouraged me as well as thanking me for letting her know.
In between gigs this week (the amazing Emilie Autumn and Massive Attack) lodged the divorce this week but the universe rewarded me with being invited to the Massive Attack after party. Armed with the confidence of a good friend, a newly fabulous hair cut and great feedback from the girls in the gym, I felt confident enough to hang out with internation rock stars. What a change! Even six months ago I may have been looking for an out, embarassed and not wanting to be the fat friend. Yes I'm on journey but I'm happy and confident that the work I've been doing shows and I'm feeling great.
Another big thing for me last week was that I got back on a rowing machine. I hurt myself last year on a rower and didn't look after myself properly, as a result, I ended up with a bit of a shoulder issue which has taken a lot of work to rehab. Thankfully my trainers cared enough to keep pushing me to see someone when I came out with the line of "I've got this twinge in my arm" for *cough* four *cough* months. The challenge this week was to do a 200m row and the sheer pyschological factor of gettting on the machine and beating that fear was huge. Did I go all out and blow the time out of the water? No. However I did get on that machine, successfully complete the challenge and realise that I COULD do this again and it was time to start building it back into my routine. Plus I signed up for extra boxing lessons with a group of friends at lunch time. Before Fernwood I never would have had the confidence to undertake something like that and it was yet another comfort zone I pushed out of. Had a good chat with my trainer and she really encouraged me as well as thanking me for letting her know.
In between gigs this week (the amazing Emilie Autumn and Massive Attack) lodged the divorce this week but the universe rewarded me with being invited to the Massive Attack after party. Armed with the confidence of a good friend, a newly fabulous hair cut and great feedback from the girls in the gym, I felt confident enough to hang out with internation rock stars. What a change! Even six months ago I may have been looking for an out, embarassed and not wanting to be the fat friend. Yes I'm on journey but I'm happy and confident that the work I've been doing shows and I'm feeling great.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Week Five
This having a life thing does tend to mean that one can't obsess about the challenge 24/7 which is probably good. Fit in as many workouts during the week as I could around work before heading off to Sydney for a girlfriend's wedding. I talked through some strategies with the Slim girls before heading off and felt comfortable about how to manage things. This was slightly defeated by the small country town I was in not really having any acquaintance with vegetable matter that wasn't deep fried and heavily salted however I limited my portions, drank lots of water and limited my alchohol. Managed not to be the scary diet kill joy - I hate going out with that person and would hate to be that person for my friends even more. Felt really confident, had an amazing new dress and guess what? Since I bought it in the January sales, it was now a little big for me which was the first real indication of a change in my size. There was a moment of swearing when I put it on and it was a bit big (this was of course, the day before I had to leave for the wedding).
In a moment of bravery I'm going to actually upload a picture of me in the outfit I wore to the wedding.
In a moment of bravery I'm going to actually upload a picture of me in the outfit I wore to the wedding.
Monday, March 8, 2010
WEEK 4
What did I learn this week? I need to improve my balance if my results in the weekly challenge were anything to go by. It was actually really funny, Lu and I tried one leg - 10 secs and then I fell over and then the other, 5 secs follwed by falling over. I will argue in my defence that it was after a fairly intense PT session. We're going to incorporate more balance work into my program and I have resolved to go back to doing my old physio balance exercises (I have a looooooooonnnnnnnggggggggg history of ankle injuries which stuffs the nerves ability to understand how they are meant to be balancing, they need retraining). Am really loving PT - with Lu my primary trainer and working with Jen, Kiah and Michelle intermittently. 2 PT sessions a week are great for keeping me focussed, allowing me to get the best results from my training and really helps me manage stress.
All my hard work seems to be paying off - measurements this week and I've lost a consistent 3-5cm of each measurement. People are starting to comment on it which is nice, you can't see it yourself really and I wear a lot of stretch so am not really noticing it in my clothes yet. I have so much more energy, energy to go walking around the lake with my girl friends, to go out and then still hit the gym. I'm feeling confident about making my food choices - my friends are really supportive and we seem to have a nice dynamic occuring of all of us getting a little more focussed on our health. We've just swapped a regular schnitzel night for the much healthier option of burritos and the sight of us all discussing the nutritional panel to work out what was the best option for each of us from the menu was really quite amusing. It has to be a realistic change - what works with your life, what doesn't. Denial of everything will only lead to bingeing and then beating yourself up about bad choices so why start the circle in the first place. Think I'm getting a much better hang of this as an idea
All my hard work seems to be paying off - measurements this week and I've lost a consistent 3-5cm of each measurement. People are starting to comment on it which is nice, you can't see it yourself really and I wear a lot of stretch so am not really noticing it in my clothes yet. I have so much more energy, energy to go walking around the lake with my girl friends, to go out and then still hit the gym. I'm feeling confident about making my food choices - my friends are really supportive and we seem to have a nice dynamic occuring of all of us getting a little more focussed on our health. We've just swapped a regular schnitzel night for the much healthier option of burritos and the sight of us all discussing the nutritional panel to work out what was the best option for each of us from the menu was really quite amusing. It has to be a realistic change - what works with your life, what doesn't. Denial of everything will only lead to bingeing and then beating yourself up about bad choices so why start the circle in the first place. Think I'm getting a much better hang of this as an idea
Monday, March 1, 2010
WEEK 3
Well I had fabulous intentions of blogging everyday and then real life happened. This is both a blessing and a curse so I'm moving to weekly updates and given how busy I am, these may stay as draft notes until I finish the challenge.
Week 3 was a good week, feeling strong and really focussing on my goals but needing to find a balance. I think I'm approaching the challenge a lot more realistically this year. I had soundwave at the end of Week 2 and that just blew away my goals of daily blogging. However - I planned for it. I took snacks, drank water, danced myself silly, made good food choices when on the road trip with the girls and as a result - 600g loss this week. Very excited. The exercise is starting to flow, I'm feeling my body get stronger, more flexible. Bike ride challenge this week was good, I loved feeling my legs just push through and eat up the kilometres. Am a bit nervous but am starting to look forward to measurements. Corinbank this weekend was a decided challenge - a 3 day festival up in the Corin Forest. However, focussing on the postive - so much walking and so little use of the ventolin, coped with the stress effectively and didn't decide to blow my food choices just because I gave myself an out. I danced - so much dancing to one of my favourite artists - Dallas Frasca who sang her guts outs (I of course joined in) with the great song "Strong Man". Favourite line "it's takes a strong man to deal with a woman like me". Hell yeah it does. I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about the Fernwood environment, by being a celebration of women, it encourages us to celebrate ourselves, our lumps, our bumps, our strengths, our endurance, our joy in life. The girls at Canberra City are a brilliant support network and are always there for a little pick me up or quick chat.
Week 3 was a good week, feeling strong and really focussing on my goals but needing to find a balance. I think I'm approaching the challenge a lot more realistically this year. I had soundwave at the end of Week 2 and that just blew away my goals of daily blogging. However - I planned for it. I took snacks, drank water, danced myself silly, made good food choices when on the road trip with the girls and as a result - 600g loss this week. Very excited. The exercise is starting to flow, I'm feeling my body get stronger, more flexible. Bike ride challenge this week was good, I loved feeling my legs just push through and eat up the kilometres. Am a bit nervous but am starting to look forward to measurements. Corinbank this weekend was a decided challenge - a 3 day festival up in the Corin Forest. However, focussing on the postive - so much walking and so little use of the ventolin, coped with the stress effectively and didn't decide to blow my food choices just because I gave myself an out. I danced - so much dancing to one of my favourite artists - Dallas Frasca who sang her guts outs (I of course joined in) with the great song "Strong Man". Favourite line "it's takes a strong man to deal with a woman like me". Hell yeah it does. I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about the Fernwood environment, by being a celebration of women, it encourages us to celebrate ourselves, our lumps, our bumps, our strengths, our endurance, our joy in life. The girls at Canberra City are a brilliant support network and are always there for a little pick me up or quick chat.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Quick Update - Some Interesting Facts
I know I'm running behind on some of my daily journal entries and have plans to correct that once I start having time to breathe.
However, a quick update. Weighed in today and found that despite my Sydney Soundwave adventures I still managed a loss of 600 grams. Am really chuffed.
More interesting however is the other information I got today. We had a look at my records since I started with the gym. People keep telling me I must have lost a lot of weight (which is lovely) but I've not seen the results on the scales that backed that up. I've seen it in measurements but couldn't quite get my head around what was happening.
Since starting to exercise last year, I've lost 17.8kgs of fat and replaced 15.6 of those with muscle, which is why I can have lost a couple of dress sizes and only lost 1.8kg of total weight loss.
17.8kgs of fat. Wow. Okay, am feeling kind of chuffed now.
However, a quick update. Weighed in today and found that despite my Sydney Soundwave adventures I still managed a loss of 600 grams. Am really chuffed.
More interesting however is the other information I got today. We had a look at my records since I started with the gym. People keep telling me I must have lost a lot of weight (which is lovely) but I've not seen the results on the scales that backed that up. I've seen it in measurements but couldn't quite get my head around what was happening.
Since starting to exercise last year, I've lost 17.8kgs of fat and replaced 15.6 of those with muscle, which is why I can have lost a couple of dress sizes and only lost 1.8kg of total weight loss.
17.8kgs of fat. Wow. Okay, am feeling kind of chuffed now.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 11 Climbing that mountain
Today is a bit of a slog. I have a feeling that in the back of my head someone is singing some sort of spiritual to get myself through heavy labour. I'm seeing some positives (skin is clearer and brighter, jaw definition is there again, feeling generally less puffy, have lost underarm cleavage - possibly TMI) but I've definitely hit the hard going part of the first month. One of the changes I'm making this year is that I'll shift when I go to the gym. Not stop going but when becomes important. Can't do a morning? No problem. Hit the gym at lunch or in the afternoon. Feeling good, hit the gym in the morning. It's less about setting myself a rigid routine and more about making sure that the effort is sustainable.
Same thing with my food. Breakfast is sorted. I'm comfortable, making good choices at home and at the gym and knowing what are some good options are if I head out. I'm planning more effectively for eating during the week at the office. Planning really is key. If I've given myself options, I also haven't given myself an out for making a choice that is less than healthy. I don't want to make anything a forbidden food as creating a good food vs evil food is neither sustainable or a healthy way to approach it. Moderation in everything including moderation. If I'm in a situation where the best choice still isn't fabulous, so be it. I simply need to adjust the rest of my day or how much energy I'm expending.
Cycle at lunch is hard. My legs feel heavy and its an effort to keep turning them over. I manage some of the climbs but my knee is giving me a couple of warning twinges so I powerclimb (which is seated) rather than stand up in the saddle. Leanne is no less frightening than last week. I notice that I can cope with adding more resistance when she suggests it far more than I was able to last week, despite my tiredness. I'm noticing that my thighs are already starting to feel much firmer after only a week. I'd like to get to a point that I feel comfortable climbing whenever the track calls for it. Hmm, good goal over 3 months.
Catch up with a friend for lunch. Sushi. Mmmmmm. I love sushi. Hits both the protein and the carb buttons square in the middle. I also like the fact that it is really easy to judge how much you've consumed of it. Back to the office, having restocked the snack draw of awesome. Remembered to buy more of the yummy rice crackers so I don't run out half way through the fortnight this time. Grab a fruit snack tub and some nuts about 3/4 of an hour before I'm due at the gym.
I've got PT tonight but I want to get 10k in the bike in first so I head to the gym and set myself up. It's amazing how cruddy cable tv can distract my legs from their tiredness. Fiona (who also has PT with Lu tonight) and I plot to try and tire Lu out before my session. "No, no I don't understand how that works, could you show me again?", "I'm so much more motivated when you run on the treadmill beside me". Both of us know its a vain hope but we laugh a lot while planning it in the change room. It's a huge session with Lu tonight. Highlights of it are the 60 squats holding a weight plate and the 60 crunches on the fitball holding a weight plate. I'm just smashed by the end of it.
I get home and discover that for all my planning I seem to have completely forgotten about dinner. I refuse to give into temptation and order $40 of Thai food (min delivery order) and instead try the new biggest loser range from Dominos. I can advise that the bbq chicken, mushroom & pineapple pizza is really tasty although the garden salad was really wilted and ick. Thankfully I had some left over veges from dinner the night before. Another day done.
Same thing with my food. Breakfast is sorted. I'm comfortable, making good choices at home and at the gym and knowing what are some good options are if I head out. I'm planning more effectively for eating during the week at the office. Planning really is key. If I've given myself options, I also haven't given myself an out for making a choice that is less than healthy. I don't want to make anything a forbidden food as creating a good food vs evil food is neither sustainable or a healthy way to approach it. Moderation in everything including moderation. If I'm in a situation where the best choice still isn't fabulous, so be it. I simply need to adjust the rest of my day or how much energy I'm expending.
Cycle at lunch is hard. My legs feel heavy and its an effort to keep turning them over. I manage some of the climbs but my knee is giving me a couple of warning twinges so I powerclimb (which is seated) rather than stand up in the saddle. Leanne is no less frightening than last week. I notice that I can cope with adding more resistance when she suggests it far more than I was able to last week, despite my tiredness. I'm noticing that my thighs are already starting to feel much firmer after only a week. I'd like to get to a point that I feel comfortable climbing whenever the track calls for it. Hmm, good goal over 3 months.
Catch up with a friend for lunch. Sushi. Mmmmmm. I love sushi. Hits both the protein and the carb buttons square in the middle. I also like the fact that it is really easy to judge how much you've consumed of it. Back to the office, having restocked the snack draw of awesome. Remembered to buy more of the yummy rice crackers so I don't run out half way through the fortnight this time. Grab a fruit snack tub and some nuts about 3/4 of an hour before I'm due at the gym.
I've got PT tonight but I want to get 10k in the bike in first so I head to the gym and set myself up. It's amazing how cruddy cable tv can distract my legs from their tiredness. Fiona (who also has PT with Lu tonight) and I plot to try and tire Lu out before my session. "No, no I don't understand how that works, could you show me again?", "I'm so much more motivated when you run on the treadmill beside me". Both of us know its a vain hope but we laugh a lot while planning it in the change room. It's a huge session with Lu tonight. Highlights of it are the 60 squats holding a weight plate and the 60 crunches on the fitball holding a weight plate. I'm just smashed by the end of it.
I get home and discover that for all my planning I seem to have completely forgotten about dinner. I refuse to give into temptation and order $40 of Thai food (min delivery order) and instead try the new biggest loser range from Dominos. I can advise that the bbq chicken, mushroom & pineapple pizza is really tasty although the garden salad was really wilted and ick. Thankfully I had some left over veges from dinner the night before. Another day done.
Day 10 Oh that's right, this feeling
Day 10 is when it really starts to get hard. I'm tired from all the work, I'm eleven days off my body having recognised this as a habit and starting to pump me full of the happy endorphins. I'm noticing it in the mornings and the evenings. Possibly part of the day as well. Definitely in the mornings. The alarm went off at 5 and I didn't. No spin with Lisa for me this morning. Quick breakfast at home and then I'm off to work. I'm really enjoying my weetibx in the morning. Strange the tastes that adjust for you as you get older.
Having missed spin in the morning, I rearrange some of my day to hit the class at lunch. There are only 2 of us today for some reason. One fan for each of us. Which is lucky cos I feel like I'm in my own personal sub tropical zone. I find cycle very hard to get into musically. It doesn't seem to have the sync, music to track that RPM does. This means I do a lot of clock watching. How long have I survived, how much longer do I have to survive? Oh well, more motivaton to make the RPM classes I want to make. I'm finding that I'm able to climb more and that I'm starting to lift the resistance a little more each class. Back to work where I devour the tuna salad I have for lunch.
I've made a date with one of my red team members to meet her for boxing and group slim. It's nice to see the team starting to bond and make some friendships. I'm back at the gym by 5.30. This is a really different boxing workshop. It contains a lot more shadow boxing and conditioning exercises (abs, squats, pushups etc) as opposed to the glove based workshops I'm used to. My heart rate is definitely up and I'm puffing away. No need to grab my puffer which is great. It's nice to see at least 3 of the red team at the workshop today. I use it as example of why they should do body combat as well. Ah, body combat, it seems only yesterday I was enjoying your sweet, sweet torture.
The group slim class is looking at healthy snacking options and making informed fast food choices. It's a big group, over 20 of us, sitting around and sharing ideas. Apparently you can air pop popcorn using only a brown paper bag and plain corn kernels. I suggest trying this at home prior to having to accidentally evacuate your office over lunch. Nothing like being the dieting girl who set the microwave on fire. We then move on to looking at the healthier choices that fast food are offering. There's a lot of giggling and a general consensus that we're getting really hungry. There's something about sitting in a class situation talking about food that seems to return the general group dynamic to that of a year 9 girls school. Be afraid, be very afraid.
A quick swing past the greengrocer (for your information, you can buy a lot more vegetables for $3 than you imagine) and I'm home. Time to make dinner for the lovely M. I love to cook, not just for me but for others. It's a real joy so having dinner guests is always quite inspiring. Tonight it's a beef stirfry with capsicum, onion, snow peas, eggplant, zucchini, some soy, some coriander, ginger and garlic. M is a wonderful guest to cook for as well. She's part of my collection of fabulous women who come and have illicit non husband friendly dinners at my house. We're talking about starting a swimming program today which is exciting, particularly as I've just bought the bottom half of swimsuit required to start the program (top half previously acquired). We're also looking for an aqua aerobics class in the evenings. Bit nervous about the swimming but thinking it would be a great thing to do health wise. I'm very pro immersion in water, it's just the swimming rather than splashing about factor.
Think about some dessert and decide I'm not really in the mood. Head to bed after Dance. A good day.
Having missed spin in the morning, I rearrange some of my day to hit the class at lunch. There are only 2 of us today for some reason. One fan for each of us. Which is lucky cos I feel like I'm in my own personal sub tropical zone. I find cycle very hard to get into musically. It doesn't seem to have the sync, music to track that RPM does. This means I do a lot of clock watching. How long have I survived, how much longer do I have to survive? Oh well, more motivaton to make the RPM classes I want to make. I'm finding that I'm able to climb more and that I'm starting to lift the resistance a little more each class. Back to work where I devour the tuna salad I have for lunch.
I've made a date with one of my red team members to meet her for boxing and group slim. It's nice to see the team starting to bond and make some friendships. I'm back at the gym by 5.30. This is a really different boxing workshop. It contains a lot more shadow boxing and conditioning exercises (abs, squats, pushups etc) as opposed to the glove based workshops I'm used to. My heart rate is definitely up and I'm puffing away. No need to grab my puffer which is great. It's nice to see at least 3 of the red team at the workshop today. I use it as example of why they should do body combat as well. Ah, body combat, it seems only yesterday I was enjoying your sweet, sweet torture.
The group slim class is looking at healthy snacking options and making informed fast food choices. It's a big group, over 20 of us, sitting around and sharing ideas. Apparently you can air pop popcorn using only a brown paper bag and plain corn kernels. I suggest trying this at home prior to having to accidentally evacuate your office over lunch. Nothing like being the dieting girl who set the microwave on fire. We then move on to looking at the healthier choices that fast food are offering. There's a lot of giggling and a general consensus that we're getting really hungry. There's something about sitting in a class situation talking about food that seems to return the general group dynamic to that of a year 9 girls school. Be afraid, be very afraid.
A quick swing past the greengrocer (for your information, you can buy a lot more vegetables for $3 than you imagine) and I'm home. Time to make dinner for the lovely M. I love to cook, not just for me but for others. It's a real joy so having dinner guests is always quite inspiring. Tonight it's a beef stirfry with capsicum, onion, snow peas, eggplant, zucchini, some soy, some coriander, ginger and garlic. M is a wonderful guest to cook for as well. She's part of my collection of fabulous women who come and have illicit non husband friendly dinners at my house. We're talking about starting a swimming program today which is exciting, particularly as I've just bought the bottom half of swimsuit required to start the program (top half previously acquired). We're also looking for an aqua aerobics class in the evenings. Bit nervous about the swimming but thinking it would be a great thing to do health wise. I'm very pro immersion in water, it's just the swimming rather than splashing about factor.
Think about some dessert and decide I'm not really in the mood. Head to bed after Dance. A good day.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 9 - Gah
Wow, did anyone get the number of the mountain that fell on me? Woke up when the alarm went off, attempted to roll over and realised that while the spirit was willing the body was using very strong language to suggest more sleep. I'd been meaning to get to Group Slim at 7 and to do a quick bike ride but I think the thing I'm understanding better this challenge is that I need to respect what my body is telling me. I roll over and sleep for another hour and a half and still feel like a mountain fell on me but it's a slightly smaller mountain. Less Mt Everest, more Mount Snowdon. Have some breakfast and struggle to the office.
I'm using slim cheese slices as a snack. I love my cheese. It's probably my greatest food passion. I need to balance that love of it with eating sensibly and denial is not the strategy to use. So I'm using the slices as an everyday option and keeping the really good quality cheese for special occasions. If people can social smokers, why can't I be a social cheese eater?
I'm finding that prioritising my exercise is having benefits for my work day as well. By making sure I take my breaks, I'm being more productive in the time that I'm in the office. Take today for example, we have a CEO update scheduled over lunch (they cater but I'm not sure what they'll cater so I bring my own lunch). It's done by 1.30 so I head off to the gym for half hour bike ride.
Start to feel like I'm making some really good progress with the project I'm currently working on. Is a good sense of achievement and I celebrate with a fruit snack tub. Apricots today!.
Back to the gym, I'm feeling fairly good as I settle in for bike ride number 2 of the day. I'm knocking off about 20km a day on the bike at a min setting of 6 and feeling pretty good about it. I finish up and dash into Combat. I can't speak highly enough about how much I enjoy this class. Did I feel like a right idiot the first couple of times? Yes. Did this stop me from enjoying the class and getting better? Not at all. Combat is a combination of martial arts (karate, muy thai, kung fu), tai chi and boxing. Such a rush. I'm sweating like a sweating thing when I stagger home. The stairs on exit out of the gym seem particularly cruel tonight.
Collapse on the couch and thank heavens for leftovers, my curry tastes even better today than it did yesterday, the eggplant has gotten to the exact consistency I love. Mmmm. Am planning to make cycle in the morning. Will see how I go, am very weary. Looks like I'm going to make my plan for an early night primarily as I'm really struggling to keep my eyes open. Night all...
I'm using slim cheese slices as a snack. I love my cheese. It's probably my greatest food passion. I need to balance that love of it with eating sensibly and denial is not the strategy to use. So I'm using the slices as an everyday option and keeping the really good quality cheese for special occasions. If people can social smokers, why can't I be a social cheese eater?
I'm finding that prioritising my exercise is having benefits for my work day as well. By making sure I take my breaks, I'm being more productive in the time that I'm in the office. Take today for example, we have a CEO update scheduled over lunch (they cater but I'm not sure what they'll cater so I bring my own lunch). It's done by 1.30 so I head off to the gym for half hour bike ride.
Start to feel like I'm making some really good progress with the project I'm currently working on. Is a good sense of achievement and I celebrate with a fruit snack tub. Apricots today!.
Back to the gym, I'm feeling fairly good as I settle in for bike ride number 2 of the day. I'm knocking off about 20km a day on the bike at a min setting of 6 and feeling pretty good about it. I finish up and dash into Combat. I can't speak highly enough about how much I enjoy this class. Did I feel like a right idiot the first couple of times? Yes. Did this stop me from enjoying the class and getting better? Not at all. Combat is a combination of martial arts (karate, muy thai, kung fu), tai chi and boxing. Such a rush. I'm sweating like a sweating thing when I stagger home. The stairs on exit out of the gym seem particularly cruel tonight.
Collapse on the couch and thank heavens for leftovers, my curry tastes even better today than it did yesterday, the eggplant has gotten to the exact consistency I love. Mmmm. Am planning to make cycle in the morning. Will see how I go, am very weary. Looks like I'm going to make my plan for an early night primarily as I'm really struggling to keep my eyes open. Night all...
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 8 - Wow
The fact that it was pouring with rain this morning may have been a contributing factor to me staying in bed rather than getting up at 5 to head off to the gym by 6. The other factor may have been that Monday's I finish choir rehearsal at 9 in the evening having dashed there from the gym following a group PT session. I say dash, stagger may be more appropriate. I'm finding one of the changes I've noticed from my first week is that I'm not scrabbling about for solutions when I need to have a meal at home whether that is breakfast, lunch or dinner. Take breakfast for example, because I've planned I can just grab some weetbix, add a spoon of sultanas, a teaspoon of sugar and go from there. Makes me feel a lot more confident about making the right choice.
Today was D day or weigh day for week one. Even though it was in the evening, it did linger on my mind a bit. I knew how hard I'd worked and really wanted a good result to show for it. The old fears kept coming back and I could feel myself starting to find all the excuses for a poor result despite the work. Had those 3 drinks on Sunday night undone all my efforts? The home made pizza?
The draw of healthy choice awesome provided me a nice lunch and snacks for the day. I had to stop myself being stupid and not eating, this isn't about starving myself for a good result, its about making some healthy choices that benefit my lifestyle and get me to achieve my goals. My afternoon is filled with meetings which helps distract me from the scales that lie in my future.
Get to gym - hop on a bike until Leanne is able to see me. We jump right into the deep end and hop on the scales. Wow. Okay, that was far less painful than I've been making it all day. I lost SEVEN PERCENT body fat in one week. I'm gobsmacked. Plus the 1.5kg weight loss really didn't hurt at all either. I'm really really happy. I'm also pretty damn happy to hear that I've topped the challenge for our gym this week. Our team is in 5th place but I'm not sure that all our team members have been remembering to record their points each trip.
Back onto the bike. 45 minutes later I've done 15km and am a tad warm and sweaty. We're going to start our group PT session with the endurance challenge for the week which is holding a isolated wall squat for as long as possible while holding a min of a 2kg weight. We all aim for a minute and we manage to do it! Our group PT session tonight is boxing. Tam (Tamara) our team leader regularly runs the boxing workshops at Canberra city and is one of the toughest boxing coaches I've worked with. We work out guts out for 45 minutes. It's a mix of speed, conditioning, strength, all about keeping our heart rates up as we jab, cross, uppercut and high punch our way through the session. There's an evil set at the end that involves punching for 20 secs followed by a plank for 20 secs repeated for 2 minutes. It nearly kills us all and we lie like a bunch of stunned mullets at the end of the session.
Get to rehearsal a bit later than normal as we ran a little over time. I'm knacked. Absolutely knackered. The music is lovely and manages to give me the energy to go on. Miss C and I sing our way through the tenor parts (I'm having fun singing tenor, have previously sung alto and soprano) some beautiful harmony lines. I throw together a quick pork, zucchini and eggplant curry when we get back to mine just after 9. Yay for leftovers for lunch for tomorrow.
Really happy with my first week, now to keep it going!
Today was D day or weigh day for week one. Even though it was in the evening, it did linger on my mind a bit. I knew how hard I'd worked and really wanted a good result to show for it. The old fears kept coming back and I could feel myself starting to find all the excuses for a poor result despite the work. Had those 3 drinks on Sunday night undone all my efforts? The home made pizza?
The draw of healthy choice awesome provided me a nice lunch and snacks for the day. I had to stop myself being stupid and not eating, this isn't about starving myself for a good result, its about making some healthy choices that benefit my lifestyle and get me to achieve my goals. My afternoon is filled with meetings which helps distract me from the scales that lie in my future.
Get to gym - hop on a bike until Leanne is able to see me. We jump right into the deep end and hop on the scales. Wow. Okay, that was far less painful than I've been making it all day. I lost SEVEN PERCENT body fat in one week. I'm gobsmacked. Plus the 1.5kg weight loss really didn't hurt at all either. I'm really really happy. I'm also pretty damn happy to hear that I've topped the challenge for our gym this week. Our team is in 5th place but I'm not sure that all our team members have been remembering to record their points each trip.
Back onto the bike. 45 minutes later I've done 15km and am a tad warm and sweaty. We're going to start our group PT session with the endurance challenge for the week which is holding a isolated wall squat for as long as possible while holding a min of a 2kg weight. We all aim for a minute and we manage to do it! Our group PT session tonight is boxing. Tam (Tamara) our team leader regularly runs the boxing workshops at Canberra city and is one of the toughest boxing coaches I've worked with. We work out guts out for 45 minutes. It's a mix of speed, conditioning, strength, all about keeping our heart rates up as we jab, cross, uppercut and high punch our way through the session. There's an evil set at the end that involves punching for 20 secs followed by a plank for 20 secs repeated for 2 minutes. It nearly kills us all and we lie like a bunch of stunned mullets at the end of the session.
Get to rehearsal a bit later than normal as we ran a little over time. I'm knacked. Absolutely knackered. The music is lovely and manages to give me the energy to go on. Miss C and I sing our way through the tenor parts (I'm having fun singing tenor, have previously sung alto and soprano) some beautiful harmony lines. I throw together a quick pork, zucchini and eggplant curry when we get back to mine just after 9. Yay for leftovers for lunch for tomorrow.
Really happy with my first week, now to keep it going!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Day 7 - And on the 7th day, she rested
The universe was telling me to stop today. It was absolutely hammering down today at the time that shu_shu and I normally confirm our walk around the lake and we decided that for the first time in 12 months, we'd cancel our walk and just do breakfast at my place. I made some eggs with the herbs from my garden with a quick stirfry of zucchini and cherry tomatoes. MMMMM. I found out recently that apparently zucchini has a natural MSG or flavour enhancing quality so seem to be adding it to everything recently. shu_shu and I worked out that our plan last year for inclemency had been to walk later in the morning and window shop so we now have a back up strategy in case of future rain.
My body was tired today. Really bone deep weary. I was feeling ambivalent about hitting the gym (my plans had included a balance class and a ride) so I decided to listen to my body and rest. I pottered about the house, doing several loads of washing and more importantly folding the 4 loads of clean washing which were trying to eat the bathroom. I watched many many people die horribly in a variety of ways in Midsomer County (why would anyone live there?) and it was fabulous.
Knowing I was teaching friends how to make pizza dough at dinner, I had a couple of light snacks throughout the day but didn't have a big meal. They picked me up just before 5 and we wandered off to the supermarket for flour and yeast and pizza toppings. Back to their place (we discussed there was no way for me to hold my rolling pin of doom which did not appear threatening apart from in both hands over pastry or dough). The art of pizza dough 101 was held and we settled in to watch the Devil Wears Prada. Is it so wrong that I want to be Miranda Priestly when I grow up?
The benefit of making pizza at home is that you can control the toppings on it and not drown the pizza in cheese. Really really tasty pizzas. Oh my god, finding the tiny pieces of poacher's pantry smoked duck. Taste sensations! A couple of drinks but only a couple and home by 9.30. A really good day. Tomorrow is the weigh in from my first week. Would like to see some progress but am a little nervous. Fingers crossed.
My body was tired today. Really bone deep weary. I was feeling ambivalent about hitting the gym (my plans had included a balance class and a ride) so I decided to listen to my body and rest. I pottered about the house, doing several loads of washing and more importantly folding the 4 loads of clean washing which were trying to eat the bathroom. I watched many many people die horribly in a variety of ways in Midsomer County (why would anyone live there?) and it was fabulous.
Knowing I was teaching friends how to make pizza dough at dinner, I had a couple of light snacks throughout the day but didn't have a big meal. They picked me up just before 5 and we wandered off to the supermarket for flour and yeast and pizza toppings. Back to their place (we discussed there was no way for me to hold my rolling pin of doom which did not appear threatening apart from in both hands over pastry or dough). The art of pizza dough 101 was held and we settled in to watch the Devil Wears Prada. Is it so wrong that I want to be Miranda Priestly when I grow up?
The benefit of making pizza at home is that you can control the toppings on it and not drown the pizza in cheese. Really really tasty pizzas. Oh my god, finding the tiny pieces of poacher's pantry smoked duck. Taste sensations! A couple of drinks but only a couple and home by 9.30. A really good day. Tomorrow is the weigh in from my first week. Would like to see some progress but am a little nervous. Fingers crossed.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Day 6 - Ah the weekend
I've got a really busy weekend planned but I want to ensure that I make time for my exercise. I want to have a strong first weekend to use that for motivation for the following week so set my alarm for 6.40 (to allow for snooze time). I pull together my clothes for the day, grab a quick bite and a coffee and go. I'm finding that alternating between oats, weetbix and cornflakes is meaning that I'm not getting bored with one particular cereal.
Adele greets me with a smile and I throw my stuff in the locker. I've got a full morning, my own workout, a class and the PT session with Kiah that she reminded me of yesterday so I need to be organised. I set up my bench and weights for pump and then head off to the bike. I program a hill setting and get stuck in. It's an odd thing but I'm finding I'm sweating a lot more than I normally do when I exercise. Maybe its the humidity at present, it's been really muggy this week. Dash in to pump at the end of my ride and get going. Haven't done this particular release, really like the music. This is a full hour class so we hit all ten tracks. The change to my upper body weights is helping. Not getting the shoulder twinges. I finish the stretch and head out to meet Kiah via a quick dash to change room for deodorant. Its for the common good. We're not doing boxing. Woot! I love my boxing but I think I'm just too tired this week. The half hour with Kiah is tough, not surprisingly I'm fatiguing a bit more quickly than normal but I make it through to the end.
I'm at the Coordinators meeting for the National Folk Festival today so grab an apple on my way out of the gym (thanks Wendy, having the fruit is great!) and head for the bus. I've got a bit of time to kill so eat my apple and have a chat to mum. She mentions that she's noticed that when I'm exercising a lot I've a lot more energy for the rest of my life as well. It's great to have that external validation. I'm thinking about the food today. In hindsight I should have mentioned it to Jess from HR and asked what were my options? Get to EPIC and grab another coffee. We settle down to the meeting. Eventually we break for lunch. Okay now to see. Oh! Wraps. I grab half a turkey/salad wrap and half a vege wrap, a little bit of watermelon and some pineapple. My other choices are a chicken & mayo wrap (lots and lots of mayo), lots and lots of little sandwiches. I've gone with the wraps as I know how much I'm eating breadwise whereas lots of little sandwiches and I'll get carried away.
Back into the breakout sessions, really great to meet the other coordinators. At 4.20 I realise I'm starving so grab another wrap half. Eventually the meeting breaks up and we go to the Old Canberra Inn for the drinks and nibblies being put on by the Festival. I'm not in the mood for wine or beer so I get a soda water and lime. It may become my drink of choice. The nibbles come out and they are not the healthiest of foods - party snack type food, sausage rolls, cocktail franks, chicken nuggets, meatballs. I think about it and make a conscious choice. I'm going to have some but I'm going to pace myself and that will be dinner. They taste okay but are not fabulous. I think it's more the social aspect of eating and drinking that is making me want to participate rather than any major desire for the snack foods. They're not things I would normally choose but I'm tired, hungry and they are there. Better to control it and nibble than go home and binge. The lovely K gives me a lift home and I flop onto the couch. Big day.
Adele greets me with a smile and I throw my stuff in the locker. I've got a full morning, my own workout, a class and the PT session with Kiah that she reminded me of yesterday so I need to be organised. I set up my bench and weights for pump and then head off to the bike. I program a hill setting and get stuck in. It's an odd thing but I'm finding I'm sweating a lot more than I normally do when I exercise. Maybe its the humidity at present, it's been really muggy this week. Dash in to pump at the end of my ride and get going. Haven't done this particular release, really like the music. This is a full hour class so we hit all ten tracks. The change to my upper body weights is helping. Not getting the shoulder twinges. I finish the stretch and head out to meet Kiah via a quick dash to change room for deodorant. Its for the common good. We're not doing boxing. Woot! I love my boxing but I think I'm just too tired this week. The half hour with Kiah is tough, not surprisingly I'm fatiguing a bit more quickly than normal but I make it through to the end.
I'm at the Coordinators meeting for the National Folk Festival today so grab an apple on my way out of the gym (thanks Wendy, having the fruit is great!) and head for the bus. I've got a bit of time to kill so eat my apple and have a chat to mum. She mentions that she's noticed that when I'm exercising a lot I've a lot more energy for the rest of my life as well. It's great to have that external validation. I'm thinking about the food today. In hindsight I should have mentioned it to Jess from HR and asked what were my options? Get to EPIC and grab another coffee. We settle down to the meeting. Eventually we break for lunch. Okay now to see. Oh! Wraps. I grab half a turkey/salad wrap and half a vege wrap, a little bit of watermelon and some pineapple. My other choices are a chicken & mayo wrap (lots and lots of mayo), lots and lots of little sandwiches. I've gone with the wraps as I know how much I'm eating breadwise whereas lots of little sandwiches and I'll get carried away.
Back into the breakout sessions, really great to meet the other coordinators. At 4.20 I realise I'm starving so grab another wrap half. Eventually the meeting breaks up and we go to the Old Canberra Inn for the drinks and nibblies being put on by the Festival. I'm not in the mood for wine or beer so I get a soda water and lime. It may become my drink of choice. The nibbles come out and they are not the healthiest of foods - party snack type food, sausage rolls, cocktail franks, chicken nuggets, meatballs. I think about it and make a conscious choice. I'm going to have some but I'm going to pace myself and that will be dinner. They taste okay but are not fabulous. I think it's more the social aspect of eating and drinking that is making me want to participate rather than any major desire for the snack foods. They're not things I would normally choose but I'm tired, hungry and they are there. Better to control it and nibble than go home and binge. The lovely K gives me a lift home and I flop onto the couch. Big day.
Day 5 Hitting the Wall
Oh that wall. There it is. Friday morning the alarm went off at 5 and I ... didn't. I'd plan to hit the RPM glass at 6.05 but I just needed some sleep. I'm trying to listen to what my body needs and not burn myself out so I reset the alarm and got up at 7.30. Really struggled with getting going. Made sure I had some breakfast (having some choices at home makes things so much easy), walked out the door, realised I'd forgotten my dinner and headed back to collect it. Got stuck into taskmargeddon once I hit the office. I think I'm making progress but it's still a little over whelming.
Had a look at my gym timetable and spot a spin class at lunch. Have a quick snack about half an hour before I'm planning on leaving. This sleeping in thing has put my schedule out it feels foodwise. All feels a bit late. Head off to the gym only to find that the instructors can't make it. Bugger. Adele mentions that the pump class is on so decide to that. My it's been a while since I did pump. I watch my weights and pace myself. Still do it a bit tough. Realise that I need to drop my upper body weights to look after my shoulder so I do. Its still frurstrating but I know it's getting stronger, I just have to be patient.
My legs are screaming after pump so I jump on a bike for half an hour. I know from listening to my instructors that turning my legs over will help flush the lactic acid from my muscles and also help me get to my goal of 20km. I'm feeling so much better. The happy endorphins are obviously starting to kick in.
Back to work, focus, focus, focus. Focus made much easier by the consumption of lunch. Yay for lunch. I've got a big night planned but I've made a commitment to myself that I'm heading back to gym before the pub. Knowing I'm going out, I put in a much higher intensity half hour on the bike which leaves me huffing and puffing. Once I'm at the pub I think about having a drink but am not really in the mood so grab a diet coke. The girls head off and I tuck into my dinner. Mmmm stirfry with a hint of chilli. Knowing it was there meant that I didn't stress about it or pick a cruddy choice. I know I've got a day tomorrow which I can't really control the catering so making good choices today takes some of the pressure off. The show is fabulous and I slowly meander my way home. Tired but happy.
Had a look at my gym timetable and spot a spin class at lunch. Have a quick snack about half an hour before I'm planning on leaving. This sleeping in thing has put my schedule out it feels foodwise. All feels a bit late. Head off to the gym only to find that the instructors can't make it. Bugger. Adele mentions that the pump class is on so decide to that. My it's been a while since I did pump. I watch my weights and pace myself. Still do it a bit tough. Realise that I need to drop my upper body weights to look after my shoulder so I do. Its still frurstrating but I know it's getting stronger, I just have to be patient.
My legs are screaming after pump so I jump on a bike for half an hour. I know from listening to my instructors that turning my legs over will help flush the lactic acid from my muscles and also help me get to my goal of 20km. I'm feeling so much better. The happy endorphins are obviously starting to kick in.
Back to work, focus, focus, focus. Focus made much easier by the consumption of lunch. Yay for lunch. I've got a big night planned but I've made a commitment to myself that I'm heading back to gym before the pub. Knowing I'm going out, I put in a much higher intensity half hour on the bike which leaves me huffing and puffing. Once I'm at the pub I think about having a drink but am not really in the mood so grab a diet coke. The girls head off and I tuck into my dinner. Mmmm stirfry with a hint of chilli. Knowing it was there meant that I didn't stress about it or pick a cruddy choice. I know I've got a day tomorrow which I can't really control the catering so making good choices today takes some of the pressure off. The show is fabulous and I slowly meander my way home. Tired but happy.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Day 4 - The nice lady scares me
Thursday, sleep in day. Beloved, beloved sleep in day. It's amazing how much getting up at 6.30 didn't hurt in comparison to 5am. Not having the ready options of the gym to provide me breakfast meant I had to think a bit more about my choices for breakfast. Oats! Oats are good choice. For the first time in years I used my scales to measure something other than an ingredient for baking. Portion control is something I know I need to pay attention to. I add a chopped up peacherine (peach crossed with a nectarine) and a teaspoon of stevia. My family have always made their porridge with water and then added a little bit of milk to eat it so out came the low fat milk. Felt really full. Check of the gym bag and blackberry and then out the door with my girlfriend who was borrowing my parking space on a meander to work. Don't feel tempted to grab a coffee but don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything either. I can have it when I want it, I just don't need to grab one on auto pilot.
Hit the office and I'm pretty much immersing myself in what appears to be a task list the size of the kokoda trail. Start to stress out mid morning about getting it all done so I stop and take a step back. Today I need the headspace of a good workout at lunch so I have a snack from the amazing draw of good choices and put my head down. Head to the gym for what I think is an RPM class but turns out to be cycle run by Leanne. Leanne is my slim coach, my kind, understanding, gentle slim coach. That turns out to be slim. Cycle is another matter. The woman is a complete machine who could climb for what felt like 35 of the 45 mins of the class. Plus she just kept adding resistance. It was insane. The nice lady scared me.
Doing cycle at lunch after RPM yesterday morning was a real challenge. Definitely felt it in what the balance instructor politely referred to as my "sit bones". Tomorrow is going be a world of pain. Leanne does say that 3 spin classes a week and you won't feel it. I'm not entirely sure I believe her. Staggered out of the class and into body balance. This wasn't so much bravado as a cunning plan. I really needed to stretch properly and balance was the way to do it being a mix of yoga, tai chi, pilates and balance tracks. Plus you get a relaxation/meditation track at the end and I wanted that a lot. Finished up the class, got changed and headed back to the office, knowing I could cope with the day. A chat with my wonderful boss re taskmageddon further affirmed that.
Found out that there is a weekly challenge this year as part of foxy - this week it's endurance which means pushups. How many push ups can you do maintaining perfect form in 60 seconds? Currently it is 23 incline pushups (doing pushups using a bar rather than being flat on the floor). Not bad. Sarah (the member motivator) kept count for me, watching my form and keeping me motivated. A minute is a long time. My body weight is a lot of weight to push up using only my upper body. Thankfully I'd done a couple of ten minute stints on the bike to keep me warm before I did it.
Got home and threw together a beef and vege stirfry. Chilli from my garden plus eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, coriander, ginger, garlic, soy. Nyom plus I get lunch tomorrow. I love it when a plan comes together. Felt really happy about the proportions of my dinner, 20% meat, 80% veges. Also happy with my portion size. I'm feeling very in control of my diet despite the stress and this is a big thing. Emotion is a factor when I'm eating, boredom is a huge issue, negative emotions in general. I need to be aware of it and not to let it become an excuse for me to just give in and make unhealthy choices. I have other choices, other methods of dealing with these emotions, it's time to use them.
Actually, thinking about planning, my left overs will make a great dinner for Friday night rather than a lunch. I'm ushering at the Street Theatre so won't head home before the show. Will pack up the left overs and take them to work. Planning, I remember you well.
Hit the office and I'm pretty much immersing myself in what appears to be a task list the size of the kokoda trail. Start to stress out mid morning about getting it all done so I stop and take a step back. Today I need the headspace of a good workout at lunch so I have a snack from the amazing draw of good choices and put my head down. Head to the gym for what I think is an RPM class but turns out to be cycle run by Leanne. Leanne is my slim coach, my kind, understanding, gentle slim coach. That turns out to be slim. Cycle is another matter. The woman is a complete machine who could climb for what felt like 35 of the 45 mins of the class. Plus she just kept adding resistance. It was insane. The nice lady scared me.
Doing cycle at lunch after RPM yesterday morning was a real challenge. Definitely felt it in what the balance instructor politely referred to as my "sit bones". Tomorrow is going be a world of pain. Leanne does say that 3 spin classes a week and you won't feel it. I'm not entirely sure I believe her. Staggered out of the class and into body balance. This wasn't so much bravado as a cunning plan. I really needed to stretch properly and balance was the way to do it being a mix of yoga, tai chi, pilates and balance tracks. Plus you get a relaxation/meditation track at the end and I wanted that a lot. Finished up the class, got changed and headed back to the office, knowing I could cope with the day. A chat with my wonderful boss re taskmageddon further affirmed that.
Found out that there is a weekly challenge this year as part of foxy - this week it's endurance which means pushups. How many push ups can you do maintaining perfect form in 60 seconds? Currently it is 23 incline pushups (doing pushups using a bar rather than being flat on the floor). Not bad. Sarah (the member motivator) kept count for me, watching my form and keeping me motivated. A minute is a long time. My body weight is a lot of weight to push up using only my upper body. Thankfully I'd done a couple of ten minute stints on the bike to keep me warm before I did it.
Got home and threw together a beef and vege stirfry. Chilli from my garden plus eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, coriander, ginger, garlic, soy. Nyom plus I get lunch tomorrow. I love it when a plan comes together. Felt really happy about the proportions of my dinner, 20% meat, 80% veges. Also happy with my portion size. I'm feeling very in control of my diet despite the stress and this is a big thing. Emotion is a factor when I'm eating, boredom is a huge issue, negative emotions in general. I need to be aware of it and not to let it become an excuse for me to just give in and make unhealthy choices. I have other choices, other methods of dealing with these emotions, it's time to use them.
Actually, thinking about planning, my left overs will make a great dinner for Friday night rather than a lunch. I'm ushering at the Street Theatre so won't head home before the show. Will pack up the left overs and take them to work. Planning, I remember you well.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day 3 - Mind over matter
Mind over matter. That was definitely the theme as I rolled reluctantly out of bed at 5 in the morning. The impetus to stay in bed and sleep was strong but I'd made the deal with my amazing gym buddy C to meet her for cycle at 5.50 and I wasn't going to let her down. It was funny, I got in the car and both of us immediately confessed that we were considering not doing RPM as planned but doing "some light cardio" instead. This lasted until we actually hit the gym and heard the ever enthusiastic tones of Lisa, the worlds most kick ass spin instructor. We were doing RPM. Class was packed this morning, similar numbers to an evening class which was great to see. What was also fabulous to see what the amazing effort being put in by women of all shapes, sizes, ages who were just smacking it. This was my first spin class in months. God it hurt. I stayed in the saddle through the first climb track, not trusting myself that I could manage it. When the Prodigy kicked in the track 5 and Lisa hollered it was the hardest track 5 she'd taught in her 7 years of teaching, I thought "Stuff it!" and just went for it. The climb hurt. Oh boy did it hurt but I did it. Managed to survive the rest of the class, pacing myself on the climbs. Wandered out of class and that's when a slight fit of insanity kicked in. Hit the TTT (tummies, tails, thighs) workshop. Am fairly sure I survived it primarily through bravado. Michelle who was running it pushed me when I needed to. Apparently I have a much stronger core than I give myself credit for. Who knew? I explained my theory about some yoga moves being somewhat incompatible with a curvy framed woman having been developed by a skinny old man on a mountain. In the way the best trainers do, she laughed and ignored me.
Quick breakfast and chat with some of the other regulars and off to work. Head down, tail up, I've got work coming out of my ears at present so there really is no other mode of survival. Nearly worked through my morning snack but stopped myself and grabbed a fruit snack pack and some almonds. Looked at my schedule for the rest of the day, thought how I was feeling and decided to hit the swiss ball workshop at lunch to keep myself moving. My tendency to make slight groaning noises when getting up to refill my water bottle was freaking my team out.
Swiss ball was definitely a bit of an ask after the 2 classes this morning. Jen kept the workshop moving nicely, particularly given the mix of ladies. More squats. My quads are threatening to move to China. Hamstring curls, balance exercises, pushups, what I'm calling a reverse superman (lie on back, feet and arms in the air with ball supported by hands and toes, lift opposite hand and leg off the ball but keep it steady), crunches, twists, side taps... May have missed something but I'm sure I'll work it out from the twinges. Good stretch. Really good stretch. I may have been biased but I think I've earnt that right.
Back to the office, enjoy my lunch and get back into it. Change of plans - I'm going for burritos. Okay, time to hit the website and check out my options. Right, I've gone the nutritional info and know what a good choice will be for me. Have a look at how I'm going balance wise on my food types and double check. Check. Feeling confident about dinner now.
It's strange but I'm finding I'm full. I feel that I'm eating more than I normally do but am not bingeing because of that. I know I've got meals & snacks there so I'm not stressed that I have to come up with something on the fly and end up taking the easy choice which may not be a good one. I'm drowning myself in water and herbal tea (might be making sloshy noises in time with my groans when I move.) Nutrition was my weak point last year with GRR. I was so scared of the exercise that I focused almost entirely on that and gave myself permission to be lazy with my food. Not this year. This year I know I can do this. There's a rock solid certainty in my gut that this is conquerable. I also know what were the things I struggled with last year and have come up with some strategies to manage those things. This blog is one of them. I'm not comfortable in paper or hard copy and found that really hard. By shifting my planning & journaling to the format I'm comfortable with, I'm actually doing it. Not playing catch up or putting it off because I'm uncomfortable. I'm in control.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 2 - Motivation VS Weariness, the epic battle
Hmmm, day 2. Thank heavens for a later start this morning. I have group slim at 7 so I sleep in for an hour and get up at 6. I'm a little better organised today... well up until the point I hit the gym and realise I have no socks. Okay, so we'll just do the slim session and then breakfast and come back in the afternoon. It's great to see so many familiar faces for the Get Real Results challenge. Wendy is very open to moving the session to 7.15 to allow people to do pump before hand - another demonstration of the flexibility of the girls in helping us meet our needs. Some of my GRR old team are in the session this morning and its funny how easily we fall into the old patterns. O & I are definitely the bad girls of our table and get the giggles regularly throughout the session due to active senses of the ridiculous. Wendy keeps an eye on us.
The session is really good - looking at goal setting, using the SMART methodology. We look at a 6 week and a 12 week goal and what are the values that resonate with us regarding that goal. I want to drop a dress size in 6 weeks which is possible if I'm really focused as well as riding 20km on the bike in 45 minutes. My 12 week goal is to reduce my current body weight by 10% and to create a pattern of hitting the gym a minimum of 4 times a week. The trainers and slim consultants will work with us to reach these goals as well as giving advice if they think we are reaching a little too high in the timeframe.
A quick breakfast and I'm off to work. Feeling really in control today food wise, knowing I've got my snacks at work all planned. Work stress levels are high but I'm not interested in the junk food on the floor. Bought a really nice herbal tea and have swapped that for a couple of coffees so I get my hot beverage hit. This also means that I eat lunch which I have a really bad habit of skipping if I'm busy. Have found some great wasabi rice crackers that go really well with my tuna salad for lunch. Plus the wasabi kick helps with a little bit of sinus.
First slim session of the challenge - Leanne notices I've put on a couple of kilos since my last weigh in but recognises that this one was in November last year and it's not surprising given Christmas and lack of regular exercise. She's very positive and future looking, excited to see my motivation. We have a look at the food plan I've done for the week. It gets the thumbs up with a gentle reminder to watch my portion size. I walk out feeling I can get back on track successfully and really achieve some goals over the next 12 weeks.
Change into gym gear (socks acquired on a side trip on my way to the gym) and hit the stationary bike. With my goal in mind I start to push myself a bit more, hitting the intervals a bit harder and resting less. 12.5km in 35 minutes. Hmmm. Not bad but need to do some planning to meet my six week goal. Will use this week as a benchmark and see how I go. I know the girls will be on hand if I get stuck.
Lu's back! My fabulous personal trainer who has been on maternity leave is back. We're going to continue in the same theme as the wonderful Kiah (who looked after me while Lu was away) and continue to rehab and rebuild my shoulders and upper body strength. Oh and hammer the legs as well. Squats of doom commence, as well as fit ball chest press, rows, abs and planks. This also means the return of the 30 reps rather than the 20 reps - it's Lu's favourite. Really good session, feel quite smashed afterwards. My meander home is a little less brisk than normal... as I try to pursuade it that 60 squats really didn't make my legs feel the way they do.
Get home and flop. Know I need to eat dinner soon particularly after the work out. Cooking doesn't appeal. Have a look at my plan for the week and swap a lunch and a dinner around. Goats cheese on pumpkin sourdough with a big salad of rocket and tomato. mmmmm plus its is on the table in just over 5 minutes. Win!
Start craving something sweet so I do a quick check of how I'm tracking and make myself a cup of cocoa (water) with a splash of skim milk and a sugar. Hits the spot and I'm done for the day foodwise. Yet again I manage to avoid getting to bed before 11 due to a late phone call from a friend having job issues. Must work on this cos 5am tomorrow is going to hurt.
The session is really good - looking at goal setting, using the SMART methodology. We look at a 6 week and a 12 week goal and what are the values that resonate with us regarding that goal. I want to drop a dress size in 6 weeks which is possible if I'm really focused as well as riding 20km on the bike in 45 minutes. My 12 week goal is to reduce my current body weight by 10% and to create a pattern of hitting the gym a minimum of 4 times a week. The trainers and slim consultants will work with us to reach these goals as well as giving advice if they think we are reaching a little too high in the timeframe.
A quick breakfast and I'm off to work. Feeling really in control today food wise, knowing I've got my snacks at work all planned. Work stress levels are high but I'm not interested in the junk food on the floor. Bought a really nice herbal tea and have swapped that for a couple of coffees so I get my hot beverage hit. This also means that I eat lunch which I have a really bad habit of skipping if I'm busy. Have found some great wasabi rice crackers that go really well with my tuna salad for lunch. Plus the wasabi kick helps with a little bit of sinus.
First slim session of the challenge - Leanne notices I've put on a couple of kilos since my last weigh in but recognises that this one was in November last year and it's not surprising given Christmas and lack of regular exercise. She's very positive and future looking, excited to see my motivation. We have a look at the food plan I've done for the week. It gets the thumbs up with a gentle reminder to watch my portion size. I walk out feeling I can get back on track successfully and really achieve some goals over the next 12 weeks.
Change into gym gear (socks acquired on a side trip on my way to the gym) and hit the stationary bike. With my goal in mind I start to push myself a bit more, hitting the intervals a bit harder and resting less. 12.5km in 35 minutes. Hmmm. Not bad but need to do some planning to meet my six week goal. Will use this week as a benchmark and see how I go. I know the girls will be on hand if I get stuck.
Lu's back! My fabulous personal trainer who has been on maternity leave is back. We're going to continue in the same theme as the wonderful Kiah (who looked after me while Lu was away) and continue to rehab and rebuild my shoulders and upper body strength. Oh and hammer the legs as well. Squats of doom commence, as well as fit ball chest press, rows, abs and planks. This also means the return of the 30 reps rather than the 20 reps - it's Lu's favourite. Really good session, feel quite smashed afterwards. My meander home is a little less brisk than normal... as I try to pursuade it that 60 squats really didn't make my legs feel the way they do.
Get home and flop. Know I need to eat dinner soon particularly after the work out. Cooking doesn't appeal. Have a look at my plan for the week and swap a lunch and a dinner around. Goats cheese on pumpkin sourdough with a big salad of rocket and tomato. mmmmm plus its is on the table in just over 5 minutes. Win!
Start craving something sweet so I do a quick check of how I'm tracking and make myself a cup of cocoa (water) with a splash of skim milk and a sugar. Hits the spot and I'm done for the day foodwise. Yet again I manage to avoid getting to bed before 11 due to a late phone call from a friend having job issues. Must work on this cos 5am tomorrow is going to hurt.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Foxy Challenge - Day 1
I'm going to try and blog about the previous day for each day of the challenge for my own record to see how I went, what I felt, what happened.
Day 1
Out of bed at 5 in the morning to ensure I meet C at 5.50. Really should have planned a bit better and packed my bags etc the night before.
In the gym by 6 for some basic stretching prior to body combat. Is nice to see the class filling up a bit. M (the instructor) welcomes me back. Ok, first class in a month or so is tough! Some great low impact options are offered and I just keep going. Look like I've been hit by a case of tomatoes when I finish but I make it all the way through! Now for some breakfast.
I feel pretty good about my food choices throughout the day - I'm aware and thinking about it which is a start. Stop off to buy some lunch and snack options to keep at the office. Have a working lunch today - at the dumpling house so need to look at my options. Steamed vege dumplings seem the way to go. Turn down the softdrink and just have some green tea.
Back in the office, need to remember to get up from my desk and refill my water. Couple of 600 mil bottles drunk so far but want to aim for 4. Remember I have group pt tonight so move my afternoon snack to 4.30. Have a mandarin & some almonds for the sugar and protein.
Back in the gym by 5.10 and on a bike by 5.20 after a chat with T who will be my team leader. We talk injuries, pacing and general motivation. It's great to see how she cares. Think boxing may be a little ambitious with PT straight after so head to the bike. Do some light interval work and cycle 10km in 30mins. This gives me a couple of minutes before the group PT session to meet the rest of Team Red. We're all pretty excited about the team and its great to see C, one of the member motivators is also a member. Circuit training tonight. Start off with a warm and then a trial circuit (30 secs) each for the of the ten stations (lunges, push ups, medicine ball high knees, kicking, shoulder rows, shoulder press, chest flys, step ups, shadow boxing with weights, mountain climbers) before we move to minute length circuits. Really solid tough workout with the rest intervals keeping the heart rate up. I change some of the cardio options but keep moving. The girls are impressed with how hard I can kick the training pell. We finish with some serious planks and a stretch. Am tired but feeling good. My water tastes great.
Grab a slim bar on my way out the door as I realise I'm heading to rehearsal and won't eat until after 9. Rehearsal goes well and I think I've found a new choir to be part of. Make a light dinner of pumpkin sourdough bread, goats cheese, rocket and fresh tomato. Pour myself a diet lemon lime & bitters cordial. Big day. Now to see how I feel tomorrow...
Day 1
Out of bed at 5 in the morning to ensure I meet C at 5.50. Really should have planned a bit better and packed my bags etc the night before.
In the gym by 6 for some basic stretching prior to body combat. Is nice to see the class filling up a bit. M (the instructor) welcomes me back. Ok, first class in a month or so is tough! Some great low impact options are offered and I just keep going. Look like I've been hit by a case of tomatoes when I finish but I make it all the way through! Now for some breakfast.
I feel pretty good about my food choices throughout the day - I'm aware and thinking about it which is a start. Stop off to buy some lunch and snack options to keep at the office. Have a working lunch today - at the dumpling house so need to look at my options. Steamed vege dumplings seem the way to go. Turn down the softdrink and just have some green tea.
Back in the office, need to remember to get up from my desk and refill my water. Couple of 600 mil bottles drunk so far but want to aim for 4. Remember I have group pt tonight so move my afternoon snack to 4.30. Have a mandarin & some almonds for the sugar and protein.
Back in the gym by 5.10 and on a bike by 5.20 after a chat with T who will be my team leader. We talk injuries, pacing and general motivation. It's great to see how she cares. Think boxing may be a little ambitious with PT straight after so head to the bike. Do some light interval work and cycle 10km in 30mins. This gives me a couple of minutes before the group PT session to meet the rest of Team Red. We're all pretty excited about the team and its great to see C, one of the member motivators is also a member. Circuit training tonight. Start off with a warm and then a trial circuit (30 secs) each for the of the ten stations (lunges, push ups, medicine ball high knees, kicking, shoulder rows, shoulder press, chest flys, step ups, shadow boxing with weights, mountain climbers) before we move to minute length circuits. Really solid tough workout with the rest intervals keeping the heart rate up. I change some of the cardio options but keep moving. The girls are impressed with how hard I can kick the training pell. We finish with some serious planks and a stretch. Am tired but feeling good. My water tastes great.
Grab a slim bar on my way out the door as I realise I'm heading to rehearsal and won't eat until after 9. Rehearsal goes well and I think I've found a new choir to be part of. Make a light dinner of pumpkin sourdough bread, goats cheese, rocket and fresh tomato. Pour myself a diet lemon lime & bitters cordial. Big day. Now to see how I feel tomorrow...
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Me and Fernwood and the Foxy Challenge
I've got quite a history with Fernwood. I joined the Brisbane City Fernwood in its opening week and developed a love of gym based exercise with them. When I moved to Sydney, I briefly was with the Fernwood at Wynyard but 70 hour working weeks aren't conducive to a happy gym routine. After moving to Yass, I was able to join Canberra City while I worked in the city and was getting some great results. Fate intervened and my work location meant that I was no longer able to get to the gym. Following some life changing events in September 2008 and move to Braddon in Canberra, I rejoined the Fernwood in Civic and Wendy and her team have made me feel welcome, supported and challenged.
I've tried other gyms (at least 5) and Fernwood is the only one that seems to mesh with me and my lifestyle. I like the great feeling of community that they actively develop, it is clean and doesn't smell funny (trust me, its a thing) and boy is it convenient being right in the middle of my 20 min walk to the office.
Last year the girls persuaded me to try the Get Real Results challenge and I had a great time. It reallly focused me and got me exercising seriously. The second half of the year hit and I had some ... life going on and got out of my routine. When Wendy talked to me about the Foxy challenge kicking off in Feb 2010 I thought it was a great way to rebuild that routine.
I'm a girly swot. I know that about myself. I'm used to being good at things. The fact that this challenge is points based makes it tailor made for my competitive little soul. I can see a number directly correlating to effort plus I have all the girls at the gym making sure that I don't overdo things and hurt myself.
Bring it on, lets get foxy!
I've tried other gyms (at least 5) and Fernwood is the only one that seems to mesh with me and my lifestyle. I like the great feeling of community that they actively develop, it is clean and doesn't smell funny (trust me, its a thing) and boy is it convenient being right in the middle of my 20 min walk to the office.
Last year the girls persuaded me to try the Get Real Results challenge and I had a great time. It reallly focused me and got me exercising seriously. The second half of the year hit and I had some ... life going on and got out of my routine. When Wendy talked to me about the Foxy challenge kicking off in Feb 2010 I thought it was a great way to rebuild that routine.
I'm a girly swot. I know that about myself. I'm used to being good at things. The fact that this challenge is points based makes it tailor made for my competitive little soul. I can see a number directly correlating to effort plus I have all the girls at the gym making sure that I don't overdo things and hurt myself.
Bring it on, lets get foxy!
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Foxy Challenge - What's it all about
What’s it all about?
Each New Year, a time when everyone is motivated, full of enthusiasm and looking for the best way to channel all their positive energy, Fernwood provides a 12 week challenge for members to undertake. Most members say they want to lose weight or improve their health and fitness – and this is a fun way to do it! This is the best time for you to Get Foxy!
How do you I join The Get Foxy Challenge?
To join the challenge you need to include weekly Personal Training and Food coaching as part of your membership. This can be done easily, just ask the girls at reception to help you organise it. Costs will vary depending upon your current membership level.
What do I have to do during the challenge?
There are both individual and group elements to this challenge.
The idea behind the challenge is that over the course of 12 weeks, you accrue points for undertaking different activities in your club. These include Personal Training; Food Coaching, Group Fitness classes and special ‘Get Foxy’ group sessions which may be exercise based or nutritionally based sessions. There is a special Weekly Physical Challenge, which all participants are encouraged to tackle – these earn lots of points! The aim is to keep your activity consistent and the club member who accrues the most points and displays a healthy and sustainable attitude towards the challenge is then eligible to be considered for the state and national prizes.
There are great prizes for winners, however, from past challenges we know that the results members attain are the most valuable prize!
Each member is allocated to a group as part of the challenge too. This does not mean you have to train all the time with members in your group. However you will be encouraged to attend group sessions if you can as the extra support can make a significant difference to your motivation and provide some laughs along the way. All the points you earn individually also go towards the overall tally of points for your team.
It’s a real community!
As part of The Get Foxy Challenge all staff and members who participate will be allocated to the colour groups of either: Pink, Blue, Red, Yellow and Green. All over Australia, members will contribute to the national tally of their team!
Each team will have its own Facebook page ( where you are now) and members will have the opportunity to motivate, share and cheer the success of team members, not just in their club but Australia wide.
What do I get when I join the Get Foxy Challenge?
Weekly one on one support from your coach and trainer
Personal Training to increase your strength, fitness and wellbeing
Food Coaching to ensure your food choices are heading you in the right direction
A participation card to record your activities and points
A food and exercise journal to record your thoughts and overall progress
An exclusive Get Foxy Challenge t-shirt is available for purchase
Opportunities to attend fun group training sessions
Group support from your club, members and online
Great results – weight loss, cm loss and improved fitness
Heaps of fun
An opportunity to be your club winner, state winner or National winner (A Tiffany Key Pendant is a great incentive!)
Other little surprises provided by your club
When does it start?
The challenge commences on Monday 8th February 2010. When you start you will be provided with a letter that details all the relevant information about the challenge.
Your club will ensure you have lots of fun along the way – and many of your club staff will also be undertaking the challenge with you!
Join in and Get Foxy with us!
Each New Year, a time when everyone is motivated, full of enthusiasm and looking for the best way to channel all their positive energy, Fernwood provides a 12 week challenge for members to undertake. Most members say they want to lose weight or improve their health and fitness – and this is a fun way to do it! This is the best time for you to Get Foxy!
How do you I join The Get Foxy Challenge?
To join the challenge you need to include weekly Personal Training and Food coaching as part of your membership. This can be done easily, just ask the girls at reception to help you organise it. Costs will vary depending upon your current membership level.
What do I have to do during the challenge?
There are both individual and group elements to this challenge.
The idea behind the challenge is that over the course of 12 weeks, you accrue points for undertaking different activities in your club. These include Personal Training; Food Coaching, Group Fitness classes and special ‘Get Foxy’ group sessions which may be exercise based or nutritionally based sessions. There is a special Weekly Physical Challenge, which all participants are encouraged to tackle – these earn lots of points! The aim is to keep your activity consistent and the club member who accrues the most points and displays a healthy and sustainable attitude towards the challenge is then eligible to be considered for the state and national prizes.
There are great prizes for winners, however, from past challenges we know that the results members attain are the most valuable prize!
Each member is allocated to a group as part of the challenge too. This does not mean you have to train all the time with members in your group. However you will be encouraged to attend group sessions if you can as the extra support can make a significant difference to your motivation and provide some laughs along the way. All the points you earn individually also go towards the overall tally of points for your team.
It’s a real community!
As part of The Get Foxy Challenge all staff and members who participate will be allocated to the colour groups of either: Pink, Blue, Red, Yellow and Green. All over Australia, members will contribute to the national tally of their team!
Each team will have its own Facebook page ( where you are now) and members will have the opportunity to motivate, share and cheer the success of team members, not just in their club but Australia wide.
What do I get when I join the Get Foxy Challenge?
Weekly one on one support from your coach and trainer
Personal Training to increase your strength, fitness and wellbeing
Food Coaching to ensure your food choices are heading you in the right direction
A participation card to record your activities and points
A food and exercise journal to record your thoughts and overall progress
An exclusive Get Foxy Challenge t-shirt is available for purchase
Opportunities to attend fun group training sessions
Group support from your club, members and online
Great results – weight loss, cm loss and improved fitness
Heaps of fun
An opportunity to be your club winner, state winner or National winner (A Tiffany Key Pendant is a great incentive!)
Other little surprises provided by your club
When does it start?
The challenge commences on Monday 8th February 2010. When you start you will be provided with a letter that details all the relevant information about the challenge.
Your club will ensure you have lots of fun along the way – and many of your club staff will also be undertaking the challenge with you!
Join in and Get Foxy with us!
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