Day 7, Week 2

I feel like a blimp and my guts is rock hard and hurting like heck but despite taking something to help ease the discomfort I have had no relief....arrrrhhhh!!

Today is my man's (Glenn) 45th Birthday!!  

I took him out to lunch at the Hogs Breath Cafe where he ordered Garlic Bread, a Steak Sandwich and a couple of Corona's and I went with a glass of H20 and Chicken Caesar Salad of which I am sad to say ended up being flushed (as is the case with most things again these days....another topic) along with the slice of garlic bread I couldn't resist.

We saw Avatar 3D which I really enjoyed.  Normally I find the movies hard with me being addicted to popcorn and all, but today I took along my own 50% Less Fat Lite Popcorn and although it wasn't completely guilt free it was still the better option and just as yummy.  I also had a diet coke (spewing they didn't have pepsi max) rather than my usual Fanta. 

Tonight's dinner was an assortment of finger food and so I had a party pie and 2 curry puff things.  Then topped it off with a piece of Sponge Cake (thanks to Foodworks).

So that brings us to now.  I am planning on having an early night so that means no exercise not even the WII!  I am not really confident about weighing and measuring tomorrow even though I know that I have been relatively good all week, I guess if I could get this gut of mine to feel less like a rock is inside of it then my mindset might be different.

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Day 6, Week 2

I can't believe the end of Week 2 is almost upon me it has flown by so quick, is it really any wonder that weight can creep up on us the way it does.  I wish it would dissappear just as quick!

Food wise today I did better, not by heaps but its a start.  Actually, I had an ice cream which bumped up the calories for me .  No I'm not 'officially' counting.  Let's just say that I wish I could remember where I put my keys half as good as how many calories something has.  

I didn't do a proper 'Gym' type workout today but I did do lots of pottering around the house which involved me being my usual OCD manic self.  Oh and also played the WII Fit - Whoo Hoo!

Random Thoughts:

Does muscle really weigh heavier than fat?  Or is it a bit like the 'tonne of bricks' and 'tonne of feathers' question...Which one weighs more?

Lets say that Muscle = Playdough and Fat = Slime.  If you took 2kg of each and tried to put them in a small container you would find that if the playdough was shaped the right way it would fit; but the slime bulges over the edge.  So, you could perhaps fit in another 1kg of muscle but would need to get rid of 1kg of slime. 

I was wondering if it would make a difference to how I felt about needing to reach my 'goal weight' of 69kg.  Would I be happy at 74kg if I was trim, toned and terrific and in a Size 10?  In all honesty Nope! and I have a feeling that I am going to need to get over it, especially if the muscle weighing heavier than fat this is true!

Read more "Day 6, Week 2"

Day 5, Week 2

Fridays are always so full on and today was no exception.  I seriously did not get to stop and have a proper break until about half an hour ago and it is now 10.30pm.  

It was also a 'Bugger the Exercise!' day for me which I am kind of feeling guilty about but also not as I know that I would of burnt off some calories just by running around like a head less chook.  I am considering playing the WII as I brought the WII Fit Plus and My Fitness Coach games today, so if I do that will mean I'll clock up at least 30 minutes to an hour - its addictive and so much fun!

Food wise today I did Crappy!!  Other than a Salt and Vinegar Rice Cake (eewww) and 2 cheese and crackers everything else has been a waste of time putting in my mouth as it all just came back up again.  Mind you by everything else I mean Quarter of a Chicken Kebab and 1 slice Magarita Pizza which are bad choices to begin with not only because of the fat and calories but also because I have trouble with them because of the band and yet I still bloody did it - and yes I am pissed off at myself because of it!

So anyway thats all I have to report today apart from saying that I have noticed a little bit of a difference in my clothes this week and I feel as though I am also carrying myself differently - almost taking pride in my stride so to speak.  Oh things are improving on an intimate level too, which all comes with feeling better about oneself. 

Read more "Day 5, Week 2"

Day 4, Week 2

I DID IT!!  I didn't think I had the motivation to do it but I did and now although I am sitting here with a face as red as a beetroot and my clothes sticking to me as if it was a stinking hot 40+ degree day, I am feeling really proud of myself for not giving in to my own excuses and for kicking my own butt into gear.  Oh, you have figured out I was talking about 'EXERCISE' yeah?

So after that big intro;  I only managed to do 20 minutes in total (better than nothing):  10 minutes on the Treadmill and 10 minutes on the Ellipitical Trainer.  I did however manage to push myself to do 9kph for 45seconds which I am rapt about.

Food wise today I feel as though I pigged out, actually let's just say that my Ice Cream, Chocolate and Lamington Cravings (even though I was ripped off because it didn't have any jam or cream in it - hehe) no longer exist.  Mind you, if I were to count the calories of every thing I put in my mouth today even including the 3 sins mentioned above, I know that I would still be under my daily intake and now that I've exercised that would be lower again so I'm not feeling overly guilty or anything which is a nice change.

Oh and I am so excited!  My home gym has now got a TV and a Fan so my Sunday Nights are going to be spent slogging it out in front of the tele watching The Biggest Loser.  You can thank Neen for that one and so she has a spot reserved just in case but there is room for 2 more if you would like to join me!

Well thats me done for the day I am exhausted!!  Mind you most of that is due to the fact that I was stupid enough to take my boys shopping with me - I always say never again but Im a sucker for punishment.

"hmmm, how many calories in this Rice Cracker?"

Photo taken by Anne van Alkemade

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Day 3, Week 2

FOOD

Todays food intake was pityful and if it wasn't for the 2 teaspoons of sugar and milk that I have in my tea/coffee then I would of been lucky to even reach the 300 calorie mark which is approx 900 calories less than what I should have each day.

On a positive though, once I realised how little I had eaten (thanks to being questioned by my best mate) I 'tried' to correct it.  This however was to no avail as the bands restriction has kicked in well and truly.  I plan on going back to liquidy mush for the next couple of days so that I can get some nutrients in.

What I ate today....

*Large Skinny Chai Latte (1 x Sugar)

*Half Cinnamon Donut

*I picked at: Grated Carrot, Wrap Bread, Fetta Cheese, Olive, Artichoke

*10 pieces of Spinach/Ricotta pasta in an Alfredo Sauce (Weight Watches)

*5 Coffees/Milk/2 sugar each

EXERCISE

I had considered doing a Boxing class at the Gym tonight but time got away from me and so I resigned myself to just having another 'no exercise' lazy night.

I am so glad that "Jhanine" kicked my butt into gear and got me moving because I am feeling so good about myself right now (despite the guilt from not eating).  Let me just say that sometimes a competitive nature can be a good thing.

We hit the home Gym and took turns using the Treadmill, Ellipitcal Trainer and Bike then after that each of us did our own thing weight wise.  In total we ended up doing an hour workout and I have to say that when I finished I felt the best that I have in a couple of days.  I love exercising!

Todays Exercise...

*15 minutes Treadmill (as per previous PLUS 3 min @ 6 / 2 mins jog @ 7)

*10 minutes Ellipitcal

*15 minutes Bike

*2 x 20 Swiss Ball Ab Crunches

*1 x 20 Swiss Ball Ab Twist Crunches

*2 x 20 Swiss Ball Tap Ups

*3 x 20 Tricep Extension

*5 x Pushups (slowly getting further down)

*1 minute Plank

Well thats all I have to report for today.  I am looking forward to a good nights rest, doing another workout tomorrow and to eating more tomorrow.

Read more "Day 3, Week 2"

Day 2, Week 2

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!! 

I may be a halfcast (Kiwi / Aussie) but I still feel very blessed to live in a country full of wonderful opportunities and I am proud to be able to call myself an Australian (well half of me anyway).

In good old Aussie tradition we headed over to Jhanines place for a BBQ Lunch/Dinner.  When we weren't eating we were lazing on the front deck with a drink in hand and it was absolutely wonderful!

Food wise I am feeling like I really over did it, although truth be told most of my lunch and dinner ended up being flushed (due to the tightness of the band and me eating too much too quick - not self induced).

For both lunch and dinner I 'served' myself half a sausage, a rissole, potatoe salad and green salad (no dressing).  At lunch I also had piece of bread with margarine (yum), and for dessert (after dinner) I had some fruit salad with low fat custard.  Oh and in between I snacked on Delites and Snakatas and had 2 glasses of wine mixed with unsweetened pineapple juice and diet lemonade - way too easy to drink!

When I look at it like that its not too bad so I think that my main reason for feeling like a blimp right now is that I didn't move today other than rushing around like a headless chook this morning.

Anyway as the saying goes tomorrow is a new day and I plan on making it a 'get back on track' one. 

Oh, I hopped on Neens scales today and they read different to the WII fit also, they actually read as .5kg more (so 1kg more than the previous week on my scales)....I 'dislike' scales lots - but Im still going to put new batteries in mine tomorrow and see if that fixes them - I know I'm a sucker for punishment!

Read more "Day 2, Week 2"

End Day 1, Week 2

OK So I have been feeling a little shitty today and for the most part it's because of not being able to get an accurate weigh in result due to my stupid f*&^%$ scales not working properly.  Mind you, after all the stuffing around with them I remembered that I had the WII Fit.  Since I was dressed and had had breakfast (a bowl of nutrigrain) I gave myself the -1kg allowance and the bloody thing still weighed me in at 86.2kg,  which is up .5kg from the initial weigh in.  Arrhhhhh!!! 

On top of the weigh in drama since lunch time I have had (and still have) heartburn.  I am guessing this is due to having something stuck in my lapband and considering that I went to the trouble of actually making myself a Chicken Salad rather than not having anything at all as I normally would, I am wishing that I hadn't bothered.

Despite feeling like 'poo' I managed to 'not pig out' on junk food and also to do 30 minutes of exercise (10 mins on the Treadmill, 5 minutes on the Bike and 15 minutes Boxing (with Glenn as my P/T), which I think is a huge accomplishment.

Oh I almost forgot my WII Fit age was only 33 today, which is 2 years off my actual age.  Gotta say I feel good about that whoo hoo.

Tomorrow we are heading over to Jhanines for an Australia Day BBQ so Im going to go and get some rest. 

Note to self:  Exercise in the morning because you wont feel like it later on!

Read more "End Day 1, Week 2"

Day 1, Week 2...Frustrated!!

WEIGHT

As per my normal Monday morning weigh in ritual, I stripped off, took my scales down to the kitchen setting them up in the same place as the previous week, placed the 2 x 3kg (total 6kg) hand weights on the scales in order to calibrate them and .......WTF??  0.00kg? 

So, I take them off give the scales a shake and put them on again this time they read as 4.50kg. Hmmmmm!!  Determined to be able to 'weigh in' I continue to take the weights on and off, giving the scales a bang here and there and even hopping on with and without the weights to see if I could get an accurate reading. 

Needless to say that despite doing this for 30 minutes (standing there naked the whole time - thank goddess no one came over), today's weigh in didn't happen - Arrhhhhh!!

MEASUREMENTS

I wasn't going to take my measurements until Feb 2010, but after all the hoohar with the scales (and with a gentle nudge from my mate) I figured that it would be a good idea to take them so that it would at least give me an indication as to whether or not I am on the right track.  With that being said, I am happy to report that whilst there isn't a massive change, there has been some progress.

Read more "Day 1, Week 2...Frustrated!!"

Day 5, 6 & 7 - Week 1

The weekend was HUGE (hence the 3 in 1 blog) and I well and truly fell off the wagon!

Day 5 - FRIDAY - KID FREE - Glenn and I hit the town!

*No Breakfast.

*Lunch:  'MICKY B'z' - Quiche and Salad with Balsamic Dressing.

*Dinner:  'PAD THAI' - Thai (Mild Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice - Delicious).

*NO EXERCISE

On our way home from dinner we noticed that there was live music on at one of the local pubs and so we decided to stop for coffee and dessert before heading home for a quiet night in (well that was the intention).

As it turned out we ran into some friends (one of which happened to be my bestie "Jhanine") and so my dessert ended up being a Bottle of Red Wine and we didn't end up having a coffee until 2am when we got back to Neens place.  The night was topped off nicely with a Red Skin Vodka Shot and a Small Glass of Bailey's.  Let's just say the drive home (which isn't very far at all) was one that involved many stops along the way and at 4am I crawled into bed with a trusty bucket at my side and that was it - lights out for Tash!

Day 6 - SATURDAY - KID FREE - Recovering!

*Brunch:  'BABY BLACK' - Bacon & Zucchini Fritatta with Salad.

*Afternoon tea: 'MOVIES' - Pop Corn, Soft Drink and (hanging my head in shame) a Choc Top.

* Dinner:  Cream of Chicken Soup (made with low fat milk)

*NO EXERCISE :  I was in bed by 6pm and not long after that I was out for the count.

Day 7 - SUNDAY!

I slept for 15 hours and woke up at 9am feeling fantastic and decided to just enjoy a lazy day at home!

*Breakfast:  1 poached egg, bacon and 1/2 and english muffin.

*Lunch:  250 UHT Bliss 'Vanilla'.

*Dinner:  BBQ Lamb, Haloumi and Olive Skewers with Salad and Minted Tzatiki Dip.

I only managed to eat half!

The best part of the day was our family (excluding Ace :o( but including Mapa :oD ) going for an evening walk around the block and then playing on the playground.  I also did 1 and a half laps of the footy oval (jog/walk) with the half being from racing Jazz across it - LOL!!  I amazed myself at that one.

And that's that!!  It's now 11pm and I am heading straight off to bed as soon as this is posted.  I must say that I am proud of myself for being able to jump back up on the wagon and; although I am nervous about tomorrow's weigh in and measure (if I do measure?) I am feeling fantastic on all levels!

Read more "Day 5, 6 & 7 - Week 1"

Day 4, Week 1...My Gym Program

LUNCH...

Today I had lunch at McDonalds and although I would of loved to have scoffed a Grand Angus burger into my mouth I went with one of the healthy choice options and had a Seared Chicken Caesar Salad with Bagel Chips and it was delicious.  Oh, I also had my Coffee(s) of course and I pinched '2' of the kids chips which were yummy but 'Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels' so I was happy with just those.

Now I know I said that I am not counting calories this time but its hard to break habbits and so I did check to see how many it had in it.  The Chicken Salad (262) + Dressing (128) = 390 calories which I figured wasn't too bad since it was also my breakfast (I know! I know!).  Another thing I noticed was that there is a 142 calorie difference between the 'Seared' and 'Crispy' Chicken.

GYM...

So my bestie "Jhanine" put her hand up to be my Spin Cycle Class buddy for the evening, however as it turned out the class was on half an hour later than we thought and so instead of waiting around we decided to hit the Gym instead.  Neen was happy enough to do whatever and so went through my Program together which was the most I have enjoyed doing it so far, having someone there to keep you motivated really makes a huge difference and before we knew it, we were up to cool down and the hour had flown.

**Program**

WARM UP

Row for 1000 meters on #8 resistance.

PART 1 - To be repeated x3

Dumbell Clean and Press Squats (4kg x 12)

Burpees (x12)

Static Lunges with Plate Raise (2.5kg x 10 each side)

Medicine Ball Throwdowns/Backward Lunge (x20)

Spin Bike (30sec down / 30sec up x2)

PART 2 - To be repeated x2

Swiss Ball Resistance Band Crunches
(x20 with Medium Band)

Resistance Band RB Superman’s
(x10 each Side with Medium Band)

Swiss Ball Tap Ups (x20)

Plank (hold for minimum of 60sec)

COOL DOWN

Bike for 5 to 10 minutes

Note:  This doesn't include the treadmill program which we decided to skip tonight.  That one is a whole blog on its own - intense interval training phew!

CONCLUSION...

There really isnt much else to discuss today and to be completely honest I am sitting here crying (and IM'ing with Neen who has just made me promise to try harder tomorrow) because I have realised that other than what I have listed already the only other thing I have had today is a Fruit Smoothie for afternoon tea.  I really really need to do this properly and so tomorrow I am going to endeavour to have ALL 3 meals and even the snacks in between so if you see me rolling down the street you will know why hehe!

Well, I am also going to start keeping the promise I made with myself to be in bed before midnight as I am 'Exhausted' so with that said I am signing off for another day but before I go I will leave you with this (mostly as a reminder to myself)...'It is never too late to start again - you can change your reality'.

OH, I forgot to mention something really really really exciting for me!  I can do half a push-up.  My aim is to be able to do a full one - Watch this space!

Read more "Day 4, Week 1...My Gym Program"

Day 3, Week 1.

My body pulled up really well this morning after yesterdays P/T session which I must say I am really suprised about. I am guessing that it must mean that I am getting fitter yeah? Either way it means that I need to push myself harder next time.

Today's plan was to do a Home Gym Cardio session, however this never eventuated as I decided that for my own well being a day of rest would be more beneficial as I was exhausted. This I know is my own stupid fault as I have been going to bed at stupid o'clock for the past week and still getting up for the kids. I plan on changing my body clock so that I can start getting some decent rest as I know I can only keep pushing myself to the limit for so long.

I hopped on the scales this afternoon and it read as .5kg heavier than on Monday which is totally frustrating. I should of known better as its my moontime and so the reading isn't going to be accurate anyway. Mind you, the amount of times I do get on the scales have reduced enourmously. This time last year I was weighing before and after going to the toilet (everytime) and also before and after purging, sometimes even spewing into a bag and weighing the contents - totally disgusting.

I have been a little bit naughty with regards to my food intake, basically I am not getting enough in and without 'actually' counting I would say that in the past couple of days I would be lucky if I have reached 800 calories which is about 400 calories off what I should be having and thats not taking the deduction from exercise into account. For this reason I am pissed off at myself!

Anyway in saying that, tonight we went out for Jeremy's (my future brother in-law) Birthday to the Victorian Tavern in Gisborne. I contemplated the Soup and a glass of Water but instead I ordered Roasted Capsicum stuffed with a Pinenut Risotto served with a Haloumi Salad with Balsamic Dressing and I had a Glass of Red Wine too. It took me ages to finish it but I got in every mouthful and most importantly (although my mind set struggled with it a little I will admitt) it all stayed down. Oh and on top of that I also had a piece of homemade Apple and Walnut Cake with some whipped cream and a Hot Chocolate. Now that is spoiling myself.

Well thats all I really have to say for tonight, I am really looking forward to getting back to the Gym tomorrow and am considering doing the cycling class. Hmmmm, I wonder if I can convince someone to come with me, any takers?

TODAYS LESSONS / GOALS:

Go to bed no later than midnight (11pm would be ideal)

Make sure I EAT regulary, all meals and snacks.

Weigh in day is only on a Monday (NO midweek weigh in's).

Read more "Day 3, Week 1."

Day 2, Week 1....TUESDAY!!

Ok so my plan of trying to get to bed at a decent hour didn't exactly work out but today I still managed to do a Boxing Personal Training Session at the Gym and even though a couple of times it felt as though the world was spinning a little too fast, I loved every minute of it.

I did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill to start with and pushed myself to run in 30second blocks first at 8km/hr and then at 9km/hr (which is my fastest yet) with a 1-2 minute rest walking at 5km/hr. The session was finished off by doing some Ab work and of course stretches.

When I left the Gym I felt so pumped and good about myself that I wanted to share the feeling with Jhanine (my bestie) and so I decided to put her through her paces too. Rather than me tell the story just click HERE to hear it from her point of view.

Food wise I manged to get in a small amount of solids which is a good start but for the most part it was smoothies and yogurt.

Well, right now physically I am feeling a bit like the tin man from the wizard of oz and needing to be oiled in few places in order to move (in other words 'ouch' hehe), but emotionally I feel great and as the saying goes 'No Pain - No Gain'.

XOXO Tash!

Read more "Day 2, Week 1....TUESDAY!!"

The Bigger Picture!

It occurred to me that in order for you to fully understand the bigger picture with regards to my weight loss journey, that I will need to share some background information with you. So here goes...

Read more "The Bigger Picture!"

Weight Goals!

I really want to fit into this top and jeans!

First and foremost I am aiming to be within the healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) range for my height (173cm / 5ft 8in) which is between 59kg - 76kg.

I currently weigh 85.7kg which means I need to lose between 9.7kg - 26.7kg.

Goal 1 - 74kg - I need to lose 11.7kg (Size 12-14)

Goal 2 - 69kg - I need to lose 16.7kg (Size 10-12)

I am aiming for a 1/2 - 1kg loss per week.

Goal 1 - June 2010

Goal 2 - Sept 2010

I believe that these are realistic goals for me to achieve however as I know how easy it is to become obsessive and to start compromising health and wellbeing for the loss on the scales I have decided not to count my calories. I am however keeping a food and exercise journal which I am happy to share upon request.

Read more "Weight Goals!"

Full Profile Picutres (Day 1 - Jan 2010)

January 2010 - Day 1

Read more "Full Profile Picutres (Day 1 - Jan 2010)"

And so it begins!!

DAY 1...

I didn't exactly spring out of bed this morning with an abundance of enthusiasm but I wasn't letting my lack of sleep deter me from being proactive and so I weighed, measured, quickly threw some clothes on myself and the boys and made a mad dash to the Gym for a morning Zumba Class which was just the kickstart I needed.

I even managed to jog for 2.5 minutes at 6.2km/hr on Jhanine's treadmill. I was actually hoping to make it to 5 minutes but after the hour of Zumba my legs felt a little bit on the shakey side so I figured it was best not to push too much on the first day.

Food wise today I re-introduced some solids and had a small bowl of Fettucine and Beef Strogganoff Sauce for dinner which I was very careful to chew until I couldn't chew anymore so that it would go through the lapband and so far so good - yay!!

Read more "And so it begins!!"

Taking Back Control!

Rather than sitting on my butt whinging about the fact that I am uncomfortable in my own skin I have decided that there is no better time than right now to take back control and change my life for the better. And so with that said, I am embarking on the next phase of my life towards a healthier and happier me.

I have choosen to document my journey in a public forum in the hopes that with you offering encouragement from the side lines or perhaps even walking along side me, that it will continue to motivate me to forge ahead even when the climb seems too much to bare and the potholes on my path look more like giant caverns that will swallow me whole.

I will be posting regular updates to share my emotions and also monthly weigh in results, measurements and photographs to show how I am progressing.

Well now that its out there, I had better get my butt into gear!

Much Love, Light and Peace.

Tash!

XOX

Read more "Taking Back Control!"