I DIDNT MAKE MY GOAL :-(

Despite a big effort with eating clean last weekend and keeping up my cardio and weights, my loss this week was miniscule at .1 kg and 3cms. So I didnt make my goal of 67kgs (would have been happy with 67.5 or 67.6) The Tanitas did say my body fat had dropped from 31.?% to 28.8% but I know they are not very accurate so I dont put a lot of trust in that reading. Am I disappointed? I'd be lying if I said I wasnt. A .5 kg loss at the minimum would have been excellent. Oh well such is life, or should I say, such is dieting.

This will be my last blog til the new year I think. We have a busy Saturday with my folks before flying to Brissie on Sunday for a week. I'm relaxing my diet over this period but will try to keep the dirty food in moderation. I plan to train tomorrow and Sunday before we leave but that will depend on how well organised I am today etc.

To all that have followed my blog this year, left comments of support and encouragement and helped me get on this positive track I say a big thank you. Knowing you are out there showing interest and providing help when I need it means a lot to me. Wishing all a happy holiday period and fantastic 2007.

Cheers from

Magda

CARDIO MADNESS

Last night I had that wonderful "in the zone" feeling when teaching my step class. I started off quite tired and flat as 45 mins earlier I had finished a hard back session. My arms felt like lead and I was counting the minutes. Then as my routine came together and a couple of really great songs came on, I had a surge of energy like a mighty second wind and I really powered through to the end. It was a great feeling.

This morning on my run I was feeling a bit better than usual so on the home stretch down my street I picked up my pace and ran the last bit harder than usual. I trimmed a minute off my time (doesnt sound like much I know) and was really puffing as I came into my front yard. All this in almost 30 degree heat before 6am too!!

I'm having another "hungry day" and I'm starting to see a pattern. It seems that if I've done a particularly hard session the night before (one focussing on large muscle groups!!) and run in the morning, then I'm getting really hungry the next day. This is good as it suggests I'm probably training hard enough.

Work is well and truly winding down now. I've been able to get out and buy myself a Xmas present and finish off a range of odds and ends. Chrissie shopping is done and there's just Central Market tomorrow for fresh turkey, cold meats and seafood. Oh and DESERT. I'm salivating at the thought of having a sweet on Saturday night. Its been so long!!

Cheers to all. I'm hoping to get in one more blog tomorrow before I sign off til the new year.

Magda

I COULD HAVE EATEN A HORSE YESTERDAY

Yesterday I spent the day in a constant state of hunger. Had my usual (very filling) breakfast and tummy was rumbling at 9am. Despite having my morning snack, it was rumbling again well before 12 and that was the pattern for the entire day. My colleague and I were dreaming and comparing notes about all the foods we felt like eating (she was suffering major hunger pangs too and is also trying to lose weight). None of them clean or even remotely healthy. It was quite comical really because I knew I wouldnt give in.

I also spent the day feeling nervous about my chest/shoulder session that night. You see on 1 of the chest exercises I had to increase my weight (considerably) to a level I have never managed before. I spent the day doubting myself and whether I would manage the lift or at worst, hurt myself. When it came time for the session, I mustered all the positive affirmations I could think of and then gave it my best shot. My weight was a little under what Josh had programmed (I train at home so have to load plates onto bars of different weights), but still higher than what I knew I could lift. I'm pleased to say I made the minimum of 8 reps for 2 sets so I was very pleased with that. Lesson learned: the mind is the most powerful training tool. This is a new way of thinking for me but I'm going to have to do a lot more of it over the next 40 or so weeks if I want to be good enough to get up on that "figure" stage and not embarass myself.

Today I have mild DOMS in my quads which confirms how much harder legs were this week from last. Its a good feeling. Funnily I dont feel abnormally hungry today. It must have been the drain of legs Monday night and the run on Tuesday morning kicking my metabolism into top gear (one can only hope). This afternoon I have back and ab training and then my 2 fave classes so its a big session which really takes it out of me but then all weights are done for the week and no more classes til next year. Yay!

I hope to keep blogging until the weekend when the Xmas festivities kick in and I get to enjoy some of the foods I've been dreaming about...oh and lets not forget about the bubbly and wine too :-))

Cheers to all

Magda

WELL INTO WEEK 3

I'm getting more and more excited and nervous as Xmas draws closer. Excited because its one of my fave times of year but nervous as I'm on such a positive role with my training and nutrition that I'm scared I'm going to lose it all and then struggle to get back on track. Chill out Magda and try to go with the flow!!!

My leg session tonight was notably harder than last week. They feel quite tired now so I hope I feel ok on tomorrow's run. Nothing worse than trying to run with "lead legs" when they feel really heavy and hard to move. Believe me I know what that feels like!!

I'm looking forward to having a break from work even though I've only been back there since late October. It'll be nice to go back to Brissie and feel like an ex local and not just a visitor that doesnt know the place at all. Plus seeing family is always a bonus.

Well I better say goodnight as I have things to organise before I hit the sack for some well-earned sleep. Bring on the weekend!!

Cheers all

Magda

A DRY WEEKEND

Well my determination to eat clean, stay off the alcohol and maintain my training this weekend has succeeded. I have survived my office Xmas lunch, Xmas drinks at a friends place Friday night and more friends over for a BBQ last night, without any alcohol. For me, this is a HUUUUUUGE achievement. I am surprising even myself.

I'm also sensing that WH is starting to appreciate that I'm taking this seriously. He even told our friends last night what I was planning to do. Sounds like he's slowly coming on board. This makes me happy. Mind you I'm starting to get nervous about Xmas itself as I have given myself permission to relax a bit and enjoy it. I'm just a bit nervous about how well I'll get back on track. Especially as we'll be away until the 30th of Dec and when we get back we'll have my sister-in-law and her partner here. More temptation to eat and drink off plan. I just hope I can muster this same amout of determination then too.

I'm expecting a busy week leading up to Xmas, but I'm determined to make my training a priority and as for the eats, well they're under control til I have a splurge on Saturday night. Oh and I mustnt forget to send Josh photos before the "Xmas bloat" :-)

Cheers all Magda

ANOTHER GREAT RESULT

I clocked up another 1.5kg loss (4.5kgs in total so far) and another 10cms off 6 sites. This is amazing as I fully expected to have only a tiny loss (if any) after last weeks excellent result. I have trained hard and been consistent so this is like the icing on the cake after a week of good effort on my part. This achievement gives me even more motivation to stay focussed and not blow out over the next few days where I'll have lots of social occassions to deal with.

My next mini goal of 67kgs may JUST be achievable before Christmas. I'm 68.1 now with fingers crossed, running shoes at the door and weight lifting gloves within reach.

Magda

A MORNING OF TREATS & INDULGENCES

I had the day off today to catch up on some pre-Christmas necessities. I did my weights session after breakfast. My program was to increase my back weights by 5lbs but the lat machine and seated cable row weight stacks only went up in 10lb lots and the plates are so small you cant even throw an extra plate or DB on. So I increased my weights by 10lbs. Holy moly. I made it but felt totally shagged afterwards.

Then it was off to get nails done (yes I'm an acrylic nail princess) and why not throw in a pedicure too. Footsies have to look nice too. A little shopping for some odds and ends Xmas pressies and a little something for me as I had yet to treat myself for reaching mini goal #1. I bought a pair of dress shorts for work. Now dont think I'm getting carried away with myself because they do reach my knees but they look quite smart and they were a size 10 so I'm grinning from ear to ear. (I dont care how big the sizing is in the store I bought them from!!)

Then home to get carpets cleaned, lunch and pressie wrapping and card writing. It was a busy and productive day. The one downer towards the end of the day was having to do 3 classes again. Not happy about it but couldnt let the gym down. As compensation I'm not running early tomorrow morning as I've done that cardio session tonight and will benefit more from a decent rest.

Over the next few days I face several challenges where I'll be faced with the likelihood of eating off plan or getting stuck into the alcohol so I will be trying to focus my energies into handling each situation with lots of restraint and determination to do the right thing. God give me strength to get through this tough time without slipping back into bad old habits.

Magda

FEELING VERY TIRED

This arvo at work I was just about falling asleep. It doesnt help that I'm not overly busy at the moment and I'm up at 5 am on 4 mornings so the afternoons are a very flat time for me. I'm eating well and having all my protein so its not a blood sugar thing. I suspect its half psychological too as there's nothing worse than trying to look busy when you're quite obviously not........ Just remind me of this post when things get rolling and I'm flat out like a lizard drinking :-)

Feeling this way made me realise why I've always chucked in the early morning cardio after a week or so and therefore never actually made the progress I was hoping for. So this time I'm working through it. Tomorrow is not a 5am start which I will relish. Then I have to do it for 2 more days before its the weekend. This is manageable. One step/day at a time.

Weight training at home is better this week. Great leg session last night. I luuuuurve when the glutes hurt afterwards. I think "tight tush" and thats enough to make me :-) Chest/shoulders tonight was another tough session and my arms are all weird as I sit here typing. Eats are on track. All's good.

Cheers til next time
Magda

ONLY IN ADELAIDE ...

... can it be 40 degrees + one day and the next it drops down to the low 20s. This morning it was darned cold and windy out (what a contrast to Saturday) so I rode the exercise bike for cardio. Sadly I never work as hard so I extended the workout to 43 minutes and worked up a sweat but I could tell my heartrate still wasnt very high. Probably a welcome break after a big cardio week.

Its leg night tonight and there have been a few (welcome) changes to my program. I'm still dreading doing the extensions and curls as my bench isnt very comfy and ends up hurting my legs a bit. I think I'll eventaully look into doing legs in a gym too but will try to defer this as long as possible. Really looking forward to chest and shoulders tomorrow!

Eats are going good. There are a lot of little temptations coming my way over the next week but I'm devising my plan to stay on track and will pick one event at which to have a small splurge (with Josh's ok of course). Today I put up my "Countdown to Comp" chart. Its right in front of my desk on my divider partition. 42 weeks and counting.

Well not much else to report so will sign off til next time.

Cheers

Magda

WEEK 2 UNDERWAY

What a busy weekend its been here since Saturday morning. Go, go go and scorching hot to boot. Note! thats a comment and not a complaint as I'm a summer girl at heart and it has to be very very hot for a long time before you hear complaints coming from this camp. Mind you running in temps in the HIGH 30s on Saturday morning was a bit tough but I kept thinking that its only for half an hour and then its over. It was very hard nevertheless.

Training is up to date and eats have been good, even with dinner out in a pub last night. I orfdered the "safest"choice (poached cocnut chicken salad with asian coleslaw) and got such a tiny serve I was hanging out for for my pre-bedtime snack BIG TIME!!

Today we took BS to the beach for a little while and decided to walk rather than camp and play. Well doesnt soft sand just kill your legs (especially after 2 classes that morning + 9 cardio sessions over the last week). I can feel my calves getting sore again even from the short time we were on the soft stuff instead of the hard and wet.

Looking forward to a week of slightly different weight training and more cardio. Phew I'll be buggered by the time Xmas rolls around.

Cheers to all

Magda

WEEK 1 DONE AND DUSTED

I have completed week 1 of my program and I'm writing this on Friday night with NO ALCOHOL IN MY SYSTEM. WH is amazed!! Here's how my week went:

Total kg loss = 3
Total cm loss = 12 measured over 6 sites. Some were big losses, some were tiny. A lot of this loss is just bloat but its good to have it gone.
Cardio sessions = 9 (5 early morn runs + 4 classes)
Weight sessions = 4 (as per my program)
Eats = about 95% on track. I missed a snack due to work commitments and not being prepared with other food options.

I have felt good this week knowing that I'm feeding my body well and asking it to give back through the cardio and weight training. Its cooperating at this stage. Mentally I have been focussed and determined. I have resisted the tasting plate at a fantastic looking donut shop in the city, taken my own morning tea to avoid eating all the junk we normally get put on every Friday and I havent had any alcohol. Small steps along a lengthy journey.

As we get closer to Xmas the challenges will increase but I think I'm prepared for them. I've set a standard that I want to follow until Xmas, then relax a little to enjoy the festivities and then hop right back on track again.

Week 2 starts with a very busy and hot day (forecast is for 41 degrees here folks!!). Just a few weight training issues to iron out at home and all should be good. Tomorrow night we are off to see Bond, James Bond and have dinner out after. I will enjoy a warm chook salad with low cal dressing and a couple of wines :-))

Enjoy the weekend all

Magda

MINI GOAL #1: ACHIEVED!! :-)

My first goal was to get back under 70kgs and I'm pleased to say that this morning I stepped on the scale and 69.6 flashed back at me. This is a 3kg loss from my 72.6kgg start but I know its not all fat. About 2 kgs is just bloat from living the good life. I'm really pleased though as some of my measurements have gone down quite a bit and I'm wearing pants today that I could not have squeezed into a week ago.

Oooooh I do love being sore too. Today the abs are just starting to remind me that they still exist. The hammies are just starting to hurt too. You know you've trained well when you get such "rewards". On that note, I've knocked off all my weight training for the week so tonight I'll be cruising around wondering what to do.....I wish!!!!

I think a little reward is in order so will choose a suitable (non-food) indulgence and treat myself. Now the trick is to keep focussed coming into the weekend and all through it til Monday. After a good week like this I've previously "relaxed" considerably and found that at least 1/2 of my loss came straight back. Aaaaargh I dont want that to happen again!

Next mini goal is 67kgs. Bring it on!

Cheers all

Magda

A BIG TRAINING DAY

Today I snuck out of work early and hit the gym before it got busy, to do my back training. Although I'm doing most of my weight training at home, Josh has asked me to do my back training in the gym so I can take advantage of more varied equipment. I'm cool with this. Today worked well.

So I did back and abs for a total of about 30 mins and then had a 45 min break (and snack time) before teaching a 45 min step class and a 45 min hi/lo aerobic class. Mega tired after but thats good. Today I have sore pecs, sore biceps and sore quads :-) Tomorrow I'll have sore hammies and sore abs too :-))

Eats are going well and I feel like I'm getting smaller (albeit slightly!!)

Cruising along happily.

Magda

WEEK 1 DAY 4: I"M ABOUT TO WEAKEN AND GIVE IN ......

to a Diet Coke :-) Did you think I was going to chuck it all in already??!!

Its been a busy time hence the lack of posts. I started my program on Saturday after a very decadent "last supper" on Friday night. Going for my first run for about 1 1/2 weeks on Saturday morning I felt like a baby elephant trying to be a cheetah. I thought I would register on the richter scale ... whoa whats that earth tremor??!! :-) Eating was good and did my arm training. The next day they were sore...happy, happy.

Sunday: good too. Just classes no weights but right on track with the eating. Going well.

Monday: up at 5am :-( out for another 30 min jog. Felt great after :-) Eating was good except I got stuck out at a site meeting in the arvo, no food and meeting ran over time. Missed my arvo snack and therefore didnt eat from 12.15 to 6.30 :-(( Need to be better prepared with snack options for these times which are part of my job. Trained legs last night. Not the best session, trying to get everything right with equipment at home.

How am I feeling? Mixed feelings!!
1. I have a really annoying headache that has been with me since Saturday afternoon. I worked out yesterday that its a lack of caffeine as I havent had a coffee or a Diet Coke. You see I'm a bit of a coffee snob. No instant for me BUT I only like weak cappucinos preferably with skim soy. GJs are my favourite and I havent indulged since I started my program. Hence the title today that I'm going to have a Diet Coke to get rid of this headache.
2. I started on Saturday with an extra 2kgs as a result of a week of eating whatever I wanted and drinking alcohol when I felt like it. Well that 2kgs is already gone and I'm feeling pretty good. Its amazing what a difference a good clean diet and regular training can make even over a few days.
3. I like my nutrition program and I will master my weights program. Cardio is great!!

So I'm signing off so I can get back to work...after I've had that Diet Coke :-))

Cheers to all

Magda

ITS NOT XMAS EVE, ITS COMP JOURNEY EVE FOR ME

Tomorrow I start my journey to the figure bodybuilding stage. ETA is late September 07 (the 30th I think). My itinerary looks like this now but it will certainly change along the way:

What: Competition prep for body building competition (figure division): introductory phase

When: Start 2 December 06. Competition likely to be 30th September 07.

How: With the expert guidance and support from Josh and the PE team. I will trust Josh to provide me with the programs I will need to achieve my goals. I'm relying on the PE team (and the wonderful ladies I've met in blogland) to help me through the ups and downs I know I will encounter. But most importantly, I'm training my mind to reprogram for success.

Who: Me of-course. At the end of the day, I'm the only person who can make this happen. I'm the one who has to train regularly, eat clean and put in the hard yards.

Why: The most important factor!! I've battled yoyo dieting all my life (and I've been around for 40+ years so I should know better) and I confess that I eat for all the wrong reasons so keeping my weight in check has been one long battle. I've listed my motivators for taking on this challenge. These are in no particular order:

1. When I teach my classes at the gym, I want to feel slim and toned and not fat, podgy and embarassed about my shape.
2. This February I want to wear my "Brissie dress" (bright fluro orange jersey that clings and shows every sin) and look good in it. I don't want to shop for a suitable "tent".
3. I want to wear my skinny black pants and the 2nd smaller pair of jeans I have. I'm sick of just looking at them in my wardrobe and only wearing the few larger sized clothes I have.
4. I want to enjoy shopping for extra (office) clothes. I don't want to be dreading having to buy larger sizes.
5. I just want to feel good about my body knowing I'm doing my best to improve it instead of treating it badly and then feeling like crap.
6. I want to eat well so that I have energy and not have the bloats from too much food or alcohol.
7. I want to exercise regularly to make it a habit once again. I don't want to turn into a couch potato.
8. I want to get back on the right track to prove to myself (and those close to me) that I can do it. I want to be winner, not a loser.
9. I dont want to procrastinate any longer. I'm ready to take action.
10. I want to start on the road to competing in a bodybuilding competition next year. I'm focussed on this goal even though I'm so far away from it now.

So how am I feeling at this time?
1. A bit bloated and boozy. I've been eating and drinking what I fancy, knowing that when I start I will give it my 100% effort.
2. A little tired (late night, early morning, a day spent Xmas shopping...its gotta be done)
3. Excited
4. Nervous (a little)
5. Determined and motivated.

Let the ride begin!!

Magda

PS I saw Kylie in concert last night. What an absolutely brilliant show that was. What a remarkable person she is and an outstanding entertainer. I had tears in my eyes when she first appeared on stage and stood their quietly for some moments, taking in the enormity of the whole event. I'm a tragically emotional cancerian for which I make no aplogies!!