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! 

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.

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".

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.