WE'VE BEEN SHOPPING

My WH loves to scour the internet and often visits Grays on Line to see what goodies are on offer. Well look what he came across a couple of nights ago. He knows that I dont have everything I need to train at home and how difficult it is to juggle gym time along with full-time work a young child and a home to run. Things can and do get very hectic when you add comp prep (down the track) and everything it entails, to an already busy schedule. So we've chatted about what extra equipment I need and there has been lots of stuff that I've looked at and have discounted for whatever reason. But this is almost perfect.

With the lat pulldown and the low pulley I can now do some effective back training. Plus having the rack means I can load a barbell up heavier for squats and not have to haul it over my head (and hope for the best). I'm just about 100% set up now to NOT have to go to the gym and that will make life easier for me.

Mind you this situation brings other challenges like having to do all my training alone (unless I can rope WH in as my spotter which I've warned him he will have to do). So I have to be self focussed and committed to giving each and every training session my best effort. But I did it last year (with 1 gym session / week) and I'm sure I can apply myself again. If I dont, I'm sure Liz will have something to say and it wont be good LOL!!

On a final note, I've finished the week on a really good note. I went to my work Xmas party this evening and drank a Diet Coke and a bottle of water. I didnt nibble or snack on anything while I was there. My attendance was quite brief as I had a lot to do to get organised for tomorrow's dinner so I happily left early, made myself a lean and clean dinner at home and then got stuck into roasting pumpkin and making stuffing. I didnt feel deprived or that I was missing out on anything. It was totally my choice to do this.

Bring on the weekend!! And I hope you all have a good one too.

Cheers

Magda

MMMMM PUMPKIN PIE

Have you ever had pumpkin pie?? I work in a small, tight knit unit and one of my colleagues is American. Well, it being Thanksgiving today or tomorrow she brought a pumpkin pie to work for us to share. She is a genuinely lovely young lady and this was a very thoughtful gesture. I felt wrong saying no to it and so I indulged in a very thin slice (sans double cream!!). Our Director shouted us all a nice coffee so I had my usual skim cappuccino and really enjoyed this very special morning tea. But the best bit was that I wasnt tempted to eat off plan after that. I had my small piece of cake. I enjoyed it. Then the rest of my food was 100% on plan. This is how life should be (every now and then)!!

BTW on Saturday night we are having our friends over for a full Thanksgiving dinner and I'll make my own pumpkin pie but I wont hurt my feelings if I dont have any LOL.

As the end of the week draws near I get really tired from the early morning starts and I look forward to my Friday morning pseudo sleep-in. Well there wont be one tomorrow as I have training to do in order to earn my weekend treats. I'll need to be up before 5am to fit in both cardio and my "Postural Program" but when they're done I'll feel great knowing that no training was scrimped on and those potential indulgences have been earned.

I have some other stuff to blog but need to use the other computer with email on it and WH is busy preparing presentations for work tomorrow (poor bugger). So my other stuff will have to wait.

G'night folks

Magda

LOOK WHAT I HAVE NOW

thanks to the lovely Miss Kerry. We were talking recently about eating on plan and how much I hadnt been eating on plan and I mentioned that I've never had a cooler bag. Her comment "How did you ever survive without one?".

Well throughout comp prep last year it was mainly cold and there never seemed to be a problem with taking my food with me. I managed without one as best I could.

But on a recent trip to Melbourne Kerry bought this fabulous cooler bag for me and I got it in the post yesterday. I cant thank her enough for her kindness and generosity and now I have absolutely no excuse for eating off plan if I'm out and about ... do I?

All is good in my lets-work-to-get-this-body-fat-off world. The Metal Monster was very kind this morning dropping .4kgs below my lowest weight last week. I'm getting closer to the sub 70s and I'm excited and impatient to get there ...well not really ...I just have to keep doing what I'm doing and it'll happen.

Keeping it short and sweet tonight as WH has heaps of work and will kick me off the computer any minute.

Cheers all

Magda

LIFESAVING STRATEGIES

Last night I promised that I would post about stuff that Liz has recommended for me to help me survive the busy social weekend I have coming up. I just know its going to make all the difference between a happy time a stressful time trying hard to stay 100% on track.

Firstly my wine allowance has been relaxed. Yippee!! I'm going to play it by ear as to how much of it I need/want but if the fancy takes me then I know I have flexibility with it.

Secondly we have a strategy for managing the food. Just really good advice like: dont arrive hungry, have a little of the things on offer, taste rather than gorge and when I'm having something which may be a bit indulgent I'm to savour every mouthful.

Thirdly my cardio gets ramped up to twice each day on the weekend. This will be difficult to fit in but I will make the best effort possible to make it happen.

So through all of that we are aiming for me to feel "included and enjoying nice food and wine like all of the other people".

Liz and I also negotiated a plan to help me avoid the Binge Monster that took hold of me last Friday. As I have posted before there is this 3 week curse that seems to plague me every time I seriously try to get my body fat down. I do good in the first week. I do ok in the 2nd week but little signs of struggle start showing and then the 3rd week just feels like an endless struggle and my craving for sweets just gets stronger and stronger.

So we have agreed that every 3 weeks I will have an allowed indulgence of either cake (my absolute favourite indulgence) or a restaurant meal out where I choose what I want rather than what I feel I should have. I will probably choose cake as that is usually what I crave the most but I'll have it without guilt and without regret and know that its "legal" and hopefully will not ruin it by stuffing myself with sweets until I can fit no more in. (I believe I can do it!!)

So there are some strategies that we are putting into place to help me achieve a healthy and lean lifestyle without feeling deprived or obsessed with weighing and logging food or too restricted or just going crazy for whatever reason.

When you think of it, nothing there is rocket science but I believe it helps to be reminded of what is a good sensible approach. Even after a year off I find myself resorting to "comp-diet-mentality" every so often and its something I'm trying to move away from.

BTW I did have a Terrific Tuesday.

Cheers all

Magda

MY MAGNIFICENT MONDAY

Up at 5am to train. The Metal Monster is showing a 1.3kg spike. Man thats a lot of water stuck in there so looking forward to it "leaving the building".

I have a HR crisis at work today. I cant stop laughing about it - thats my shocked reaction and a cover for underlying nerves. I think to myself "what a comedy of errors this selection process has been".

My Director and I attend a high level meeting at our Big Brother Department. I've prepared for it but am nervous liaising with several other Directors. My Director throws over to me to do the talking and I nail it. I get my point across clearly and with enough conviction to drive the key issues home. If I could have, I would have jumped out of my seat, pulled my top over my head/face and done laps around the board room table waving my arms in the air in a sign of victory........ maybe not. I dont think the Directors could have handled that.

My point is that nothing got me down today. Not the Metal Monster. Not the HR crisis. And not the nervousness going into the meeting. My head space is where I want it to be.

Food has been great. Lunch today was Tandoori chicken breast done on the BBQ with salad. It was delicious. Dinner was left-over salmon (a bit over heated and dry but still tasty) with carrots and beans. For breakfast I had wholemeal toast with lean short-cut bacon, an egg and mushrooms. My snacks were also ones that I look forward to and not tuna that sits very low on my list of favourite foods.

OK I'm ready for a Terrific Tuesday.

Cheers all

Magda

PS I'll blog tomorrow about some great stuff that Liz and I have devised and agreed on. She is a legend and making sure I stay happy and sane while I tackle this excess fat.

ON FIRE AGAIN

Hi all,

I've had a fantastic day today and am now 100% back on track and ready to take on the world :-)

I did 2 fill-in classes at my old gym this morning and really enjoyed teaching again. It was nice to be made so welcome by many of my old clients and I had some newbies that gave me good feedback too. The fact that I burned 700+ cals was just the icing on the cake ... speaking of which I have a theory/idea that I've put to Liz and am hoping for a positive response before I post about it.

Food has been great today. I was out grocery shopping and stopped in at my local cafe for a skim cappuccino (I believe in supporting my local businesses LOL). On the counter was the usual jar of almond finger biscuits that I absolutely love. I looked at them but was not the least bit tempted to have one. I had my coffee and that in itself is progress for me again.

I'm now also better organised for food. Part of Friday's binge was a result of being bored with eating the same thing too many times in a row and also being a bit hungry from too small a serve. So now I have some variety in my food and my portion sizes are correct. It helps that the fridge is bursting at the seams with veges and we have a variety of protein sources to choose from. Oh and I'm vowing right here and now that I WILL NOT eat food that I dont enjoy just because its healthy/good for me/on hand. There is a brand and flavour of tuna that will not pass my lips again thanks to a yucky experience with it on Friday. Enough said.

I'm feeling a bit bloated through the middle as I've been chucking down gallons of water but there hasnt been the reciprical exiting at the other end. Oh well, it'll come when its ready and then hopefully the Metal Monster wont be too cruel LOL.

So mentally I'm in the right head space to have another awesome week. Next weekend will be tough with 3 major social events but I'll deal with those when they arrive. Right now its back to the task at hand and thats to make Monday magnificent.

Cheers all

Magda

AND DOWN I GO

I didnt make it through the week without a binge.

Now I could spend the next 3 -4 paragraphs analysing it all and bore you all to tears or I could just say "yep I slipped up and I ate some stuff that I shouldnt have (but I did REALLY enjoy it LOL)" Am I gonna kick myself over it and beat myself up over it? You know what? The answer is NO.

I have a long journey ahead of me and the road wont be smooth travelling all the way. There will be times when I make bad choices for whatever reason but when I do its important that I pick myself up and keep going. And thats what I'm focussing on now.

Yesterday was FAR from ideal and even today was not 100% back on track but I'm looking forward to a better day tomorrow and then another after that and then another etc. I might make it past my week 3 curse next time around and if not then it might be the time after that. I know I wont give up trying though.

Thanks to everybody who has offered their support and encouragement this week. It has helped me immensely (even with yesterday's events). You live and learn and if you apply what you learnt the next time around then you keep moving closer to your goals.

Sounds ok to me.

:-) Magda

HANGING BY MY NAILS

It was a really challenging day today and at times I felt like I was hanging on by my nails.

I was under pressure at work and was stressing a bit about how I’d handle something. Couple that with being at my desk for longer periods and I was really fighting the craving for comfort food (eg JUNK). I wasn’t hungry. I just wanted comfort. But I stuck to my planned meals.

Then I attended a function after work. They had free drinks and I almost talked myself into having a wine (which I know I could have had out of my 2 / week allowance but would prefer to keep my allowance for the weekend to really savour and enjoy). So I ordered a Diet Coke.

When the nibbles went around and I hadn’t eaten for almost 5 hours, I chose a king sized prawn (marinated and cooked – not crumbed) and 2 small bits of sushi. Pretty good choices I thought, seeing they included protein and carbs. Still pretty much on plan.

On the way home I remembered that I only had chicken cooked but no veges so my mind started to go wild with all the possibilities of what to get for dinner... Wok in a Box Noodles or BBQed chicken and salad or HJs (OMG did I just admit to that??!!). But I went straight home.


I arrived home quite late, tired, and NOT in the mood to cook. I didnt want salad as its quite cool tonight. After toing and froing about whether to go out or not (WH had gotten home late too) we didn’t go and I ended up throwing another batch of stir fried veges together and having exactly the same thing for dinner as I’d had for lunch. Not ideal but better than takeaway and it meant my food was good for the day.

Oh I almost forgot … I had one scorched almond today during a meeting with my boss. I can live with that indiscretion LOL.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record I know my blog has been really food and control focussed this week but it really is a challenge around this time and it helps me to write about it. Maybe next week I'll be feeling more confident and taking things in my stride more. Its worth working towards.

Cheers all

Magda

A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS KEEPING ME GOING

In posting on Lindy's forum (LindyOlsen.com) I realised that my chosen positive attitude is keeping me going this week. Why do I say "chosen"? Because I have a positive attitude plastered in place by choice. There are a million and one things that could drag me down this week (feeling the stress a bit at work) but I've decided that they wont. When I'm faced with a difficult situation or issue I try to handle it as best as possible rather than get upset because I'm not sure what to do and I might get it wrong. If something goes well I give msyelf a bit of quiet self praise and if I score some praise or positive comments from other people then thats a real bonus and I lap it up.

There have been times when my mind has wandered to junky food like when I'm walking to work and I pass the cafes with their cakes on display or even walking past Maccas (which I hate). For a moment I think "gee I'd love ????" but I dont give in to it as I easily talk myself out of having whatever took my fancy for that split second. This is progress for me as I've usually given in to those instant cravings all to easily.

Like today I had been to a meeting and was walking back to work feeling very hungry. I had a Slim Secrets bar in my bag but I really wanted a cappuccino although I knew that seeing all the cakes on display would really test me. But I braved it and went into GJs, druelled over the cake counter for about 10 seconds and then ordered the cappucinno and ate my Slim Secrets bar with it. Not a perfectly clean meal but 100% better than a coffee and a traditional cake to go with it. Which could then easily have turned into an all out "well I've blown it so I might as well have everything junky that I can possibly think of and stuff in" day. (You may be laughing now but in all seriousness I've had many days like this before.)

Oh and I just realised that we are now officially overthe hump. Yippee to moving forward and closer to the weekend.

:-) Magda

BRIEF CHECK-IN

Nutrition: tick

Training: tick

Head Space: tick

Another day closer to my goals both short and long term.

Not much to blog today but wanted to "check-in" as it helps keep me on track and accountable. I have a busy night with some work that must be done and then hoping to get to bed early like last night.

Cheers all

Magda

THIS IS A JOURNEY AND NOT A SPRINT

Wow thanks to everyone who left an encouraging comment on my last blog post. I know I'm doing well but I've been here many times before and the week 3 demise has gotten me every time so I'm very mindful of it this time around.

Anyway day 1 has gone well. I even managed 5 meals today which is a first for about 2 weeks. I'm sure a Slim Secrets bar counts as an ok meal especially if you're out and about and the alternative is raiding the platters of cakes and muffins at the seminar you're attending. Gee some of them looked so good too but I stayed well away.

Training: well I'm ticking the boxes and am really enjoying my walks. Normally I find walking too boring but I'm thankful that I'm not having to flog myself (yet) and I'm still seeing the scale numbers going down. My postural work is stepping up a little and thats exciting too.

Mentally I'm feeling really good and I think that its contributing significantly to my success. I'm not obsessive about my food because I dont have to log everything and for me logging = weighing/measuring everything which can get tedious. I have my weekly treats to look forward to and when I eat them I take the time to savour them rather than just stuffing down as much as I can as quickly as possible.

I'm really working on changing my mindset from "can I?" to "I will" and ditching the all or nothing mentality that got me in such a bad place before. There's still a long way to go but small steps in the right direction will get me there. After all, this is a journey and not a sprint.

Cheers all

Magda

SUNDAY FUNDAY

WH was out at a golf clinic all morning but I managed to get in a 50 minute walk before he left and then I added 10 minutes on my trusty old exercise bike. What a great start to the day.

After breakfast I got stuck into housework and some of my spring cleaning jobs. Neither is high on my list of things I like to do but when my house is tidy and clean I'm a happier person. I like to start the week with a clean and tidy kitchen, bathrooms and floors and then I can watch it all dirty up as the week goes by :-)

I'm really pleased that I got through another weekend by eating well (hitting the targets Liz set for me) and doing some effective training. I stayed within my wine limit and wasnt even phased by WH having beer/wine and nibbles before dinner while I just had a Diet Coke. Our Chinese BBQed pork was superb and healthy too. There are left-overs for during the week so we'll be enjoying it again in a couple of days time (might be a good time to take pics of it). What a far cry from previous weekends where I'd have 3-4 glasses of wine on Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday too. Oh and lets not forget all the nibbly foods that go with the wine before dinner. I shudder to think of the calories, fat and carbs that I was consuming. Is it any wonder my weight crept up so high??!!

So here I am about to start Week 3 which previously has been my "danger-zone". This is usually where I drop my bundle and find some excuse, justification or unavoidable situation where I just have to eat what I want and make sure I get way too much of it because I've been so deprived. Then the "oh I've blown my diet so I might as well have whatever I want from here on" mentality sets in and I take myself back to square one. I have been my own worst enemy over and over again in the past. Can I break that negative cycle now??

Magda

WAVING GOOD-BYE TO THE FIRST 5 ....

....kilos that is.

My interlude with the Metal Monster was very pleasant this morning. I took measurements first and some had gone down and others had stayed the same so I wasnt sure what the numbers would say. I was almsot dreading the reading but decided that it wouldnt matter anyway. Well to my surprise I had a drop of .5kgs since Tuesday and that made a total of 1.5kgs for this week. I HAVE LOST 5KGS IN MY FIRST 2 WEEKS TRAINING WITH LIZ!!!!

I have just under 1.5 to go before I hit the sub 70 and that will be my first major milestone achieved. I have decided that I'll treat myself to a salon pedicure rather than struggling to do my own. Unless I have a major melt-down in this next week (its been known to happen!!) I'm looking a dead cert to achieve my sub 70 goal well before Xmas and I'm feeling damn good about that.

My WH and BS were both up way too early today and normally that would piss me off but I was in such a good mood it didnt bother me. I headed out for my walk and had an extra spring in my step and when it came to my rower intervals I pushed - or rather pulled- as hard as I could. I have been on fire with a great attitude and just following Coach's program. Even my 2 wines / week limit is viewed as my "glass-half-full" rather than "half-empty".

Tonight's dinner was really yummy but I have no photos as we just wanted to hoe into it. I bought some lean lamb and cut it into cubes for skewering. Then I marinated it in:

mild chilli oil
lemon juice
garlic
freshly cracked black pepper
smoked paprika
cumin
parsley flakes (normally I'd use continental (flat leaf) parsley but didnt have any)

I skewered it with zucchini and spanish onion and WH bbqued it. It was really delicious. We had it with a salad made from: spinach leaves, roasted pumpkin, fat free sun dried tomato, low fat feta and toasted pine nuts (no dressing - it doesnt need any - trust me). I really should get myself organised to take some pics.

Well I'm signing off as I have a piece of lean pork that I'm marinating to make Chinese BBQued pork for tomorrow night's dinner. I'll be making Asian inspired stir fried veges with it and that too should be a lovely dinner.

Cheers all

Magda

YIPPEE ITS FRIDAY

I love Friday nights. Although tonight was far from ideal, its still been great. Tonight I'm goinjg to refelct back over my week and see how I went overall.

This week I have achieved a 90% success rate in eating lean, clean and to plan. Why 90%? Because I've had days where I havent eaten enough due to work being so busy. I havent gone off track but there have been 5-6 hour gaps between some meals and this has been totally out of my control.

Training wise my success rate is 100%. Today I made an executive decision to swap my allocated "day off from training" to Friday so that after a week of getting up at 5am I have some reprieve on the last day of the week. I will train on Sunday when I can do it at my leisure with more time available to me and not before the rest of the world comes to life.

My head space has been really good. Sure I've had a few moments where I felt inadequate and doubted my ability to do my new job but then I managed to put a few runs on the board and that helped to lift my spirits. Receiving a nice compliment from my Director yesterday also helped. For 2 days Wendy the Wino tried really hard to get me to seek stress relief from a glass or two of wine after work but I talked her down and today she was off hassling someone else (is she at your place Kek??)

I'm due to weigh and take measurements tomorrow and whilst a part of me is curious to know what the Metal Moster says, another part of me doesnt really care because I've ticked all the boxes and know that I'm moving in the right direction. Oh and one of the best things is ...we've actually got a fairly quiet weekend and after the week I've had, thats a real blessing.

Cheers all

Magda

SAYING NO TO WINE-RELIEF

Today I attended one of the ugliest and most difficult meetings in my several years of project management experience. This was a group of medium to high level professional people but the behaviour of a couple of individuals was appalling. I was not the subject of their attack (lord help me if it had been me) but I felt most uncomfortable being present to witness the goings-on. My Director (who was chairing this meeting) had her work cut out for her but she did a fabulous job of reigning in the situation and getting the meeting back on somewhat solid ground. I was shell-shocked afterwards.

I dont want my blog to be about work though so I will only say that another pressure day had me pining for that wine-relief which I so felt I deserved. But I didnt give in to Wendy the Wino and then I receieved a really encouraging email from Liz which helped to strengthen my resolve that little bit more. Tomorrow will test me even more as I have:

1. Unit lunch to farewell Miss R who's last day is tomorrow.
2. Farewell drinks after work for Miss R.
3. Friday night with WH where I like to have a wine while we chew the weekly fat.

So 3 occassions at which I'd like to drink. I think my pick will be a wine after work and then one with WH. The rest of the weekend will have to be dry.

Training is going well. Ticking off all my workouts.
Food is under control.
Sleep could be better but is not serious yet.
Emotionally I'm still in a good place despite the work challenges I'm facing.
Pretty happy with these things overall.

Cheers

Magda

FEELING THE PRESSURE

Hi all,

my date with blogger is very brief tonight. After a ridiculous day at work where I had several moments of "OMG what am I doing here?" or "OMG how am I ever going to get on top of ....insert any one of about 10 items.....?", I've just spent the last hour or so doing more work :-( And this is the bare minimum to keep me from going under tomorrow. EEEEEEGADS I'M FEELING THE PRESSURE NOW!!

So what has this meant for my get lean, toned and fit campaign?

1. I'm only managing 4 meals/snacks in a day. Either morning or afternoon tea just doesnt happen on these days.
2. I'm so busy I hardly ever think about food or even feel particularly hungry until its really time to eat and then I'm famished.
3. So far I havent craved junk food for comfort. AMAZING! Normally its the first thing I reach for. Maybe, just maybe there is hope for me yet.
4. In place of my junk food craving I'm really hanging out for wine as my "stess relief of choice". I havent given in but the voice of my "Wendy the Wino" is playing inside my head. Somebody turn that racket down!!

Oh and then send some reprieve so that I can stop for a breath and check wher I'm headed.

G'night all

Magda

MY PERFECT DAY

This morning as I was rushing around to drop BS at Before School Care, having gotten him upstairs to then walk back to the car to get his drink bottle, trek back upstairs to Before School Care with his drink bottle and then drive to the other side of the city to access my favouirite carpark before heading into a hugely busy day at work (phew I'm tired just writing all that)... I found a moment to dream about my perfect day. So because today was anything but my perfect day (just a few crappy things at work) I thought I'd blog "My Perfect Day".

Here goes .....

In my perfect day I would wake up around 7am and enjoy the morning hustle of getting my BS ready for school, having a nice healthy breakfast and time to shower and get organised for the day ahead. I would drop my son at school and have time to catch up and chat with the other mums and dads. I would volunteer to listen to the children read and to cut up fruit for their fruit time once or maybe twice a week. I would be a lot more involved with my son's schooling.

On the days that I wasnt volunteering at school I would be heading to the flashiest gym in lil ol Adelaide to meet my trainer who would work with me on my weight training sessions. Oh the luxury of just arriving and putting myself into their capable hands. I reckon I could find that extra ??% that meant I gave all my training sessions everything I had. Training would take up most of my morning as there is cardio to do and then showering and beauty routine before heading off for a healthy lunch with a friend or solo if my poor friends are stuck at work.

I would spend my afternoons either planning and preparing a nice dinner or having a massage or visiting my parents or pottering at home. Then it'd be time to pick my son up from school, head home and get that nice dinner happening. When my WH got home from work I'd be relaxed and happy and would even happily organise his beer or glass of wine (arent I accommodating!!). Imagine having a pleasant conversation instead of the exhausted exchange we struggle with now!! I love to catch up with blogs in the evening so I could do this and then also have time to read my favourite health and fitness magazines.

Oh .... you noticed there was no housework in there, no ironing, no gardening. Yep!! They have NO place in my perfect day. I dont mind doing washing. I enjoy cooking but you can keep the rest. After all this is my dream of a perfect day....and I dont even think its that lavish a lifestyle. Just stress free with time to do the things which are important to me.

Whats your idea of a perfect day?

Magda

KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE

Well despite it being Monday, I'm feeling pretty good emotionally. I mean how could I not after such a great result for my first week with Liz? Today I wore the same clothes as I did last Monday (for a reason) and they fitted better and I looked and felt better in them. It made me feel just that little bit better still.

My car went in for service today and I used the opportunity to walk from the service centre into work in the city and then back out again at the end of the day. It was about 1/2 hour each way and on the walk in I got a reasonable workout but on the way out I was held up by traffic lights and my heart rate didnt get high enough. Never mind. I was moving and thats a positive. I love killing 2 birds with one stone though.

Food continues to be good and why shouldnt it be? I'm not on any strict plan at this stage. My goal is to make good choices most of the time. To be consistent and to stay on an even keel emotionally. I even have the luxury of not having to log anything ... yet!!

There is only one small downer and that is I can feel a lurgy trying to take hold. I have a constant (mild) headache and have developed a bit of a chesty cough. Not feeling 100% but still far from "sick status". I think an earlier night with some Vitamin C before bed wont go astray.

Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to take on the new week.

Cheers

Magda

PROGRESS

Excuse me folks but I must have this brag.

Since last Saturday I have dropped 3.5kgs and 12cms over 5 sites measured. Yes there are no typos there. You read those numbers correctly.

Mind you I know that about 2 - 2.5kgs was just bloat and this reflected in a 5cm drop in my waist measurement but I'm sure there was some fat melting away there too. One cannot help but be extremely happy with this result after a relatively easy first week with Coach. Now I have to prepare myself for a miniscule drop - if any - in the 2nd week. Nevertheless my goal of being sub 70kgs by Xmas Day is looking very doable.

Today we braved the cold and rain to watch the Xmas Pageant with our son. The things you do to make your kids happy LOL. I thought I was dressed warm enough but there was a cold wind blowing and all I can say is thank God BS was happy to sit and snuggle in my lap which helped to keep me warm.

After the pageant we raced home and WH and I went into overdrive to tidy and clean up as BS was having friends from school come over for a play. This was the first time and we didnt want the parents to see our home in its usual state of Saturday disarray LOL. The playdate went well and only after it was over did I have time to train. But train I did and then I had the pleasure of emailing Coach my great weekly result. That felt really good :-)

Food has been good and on track. I havent had any treats other than my 2 glasses of wine / week which I spaced out over last night and tonight. Me happy!!

Training all ok. Still working on fixing some postural issues but I appreciate how important that is. You cant build a fabulous structure on a shaky foundation.

Feeling great. BTW TTOM arrived in the early hours of today (I thought it was looming) which explains some of the stuff I was feeling yesterday. Today all is good and I'm not struggling with anything.

:-) Magda

WHY .....

Why is it that on a Friday near the end of the workday my mind automatically switches into the "gee I'd love a few glasses of wine and some nice nibbles (like roasted almonds, cheese and crackers or maybe one of those yummy chunky dips) and a relaxed dinner (read that: dirty food!!)?"

Why is it that on this same day I feel hungrier than usual which just gets my appetite firing?

Why is it that when I do eat my (clean) dinner, I feel like I could eat 3 x as much as usual?

Is TTOM around the corner?

Is my Inner Fat Girl (who right now is not so inner) trying to take control of the I Want to be Lean, Toned and Fit Girl?

That may be an affirmative to all of the above.

So I deal with this by:

1. Eating a raw carrot while I prepare dinner, as opposed to stuffing down Coon cheese, pretzels, nuts by the handful or whatever other rubbish I can get my hands on and

2. Telling the Inner Fat Girl to get the %&$* out of my life.

At the end of the day I'm so happy that I stayed in control, on plan and kept moving towards my goal.

Me happy!! So on that note its time to hit the sack.

M

FACING CHALLENGES AND WINNING

Faced a challenge today and WON!!

I was at a workshop this morning and had been quite hungry for some time. At 11am a huge platter of muffins, biscuits and warm Danish pastries filled with fruit and custard arrived for morning tea ... excuse me while I wipe my salivating mouth ....OMG I love this stuff!! So I got up and went to the toilet and by the time I got back the platter was at the other end of the table (breathing a huge sigh of relief). I got out my Slim Secrets bar and ate that instead. Thats one for me. Mind you the platter ended up back near me and then I had about 30 minutes of smelling the muffins but I kept telling myself "we're nearly finished and I can go soon". I hung on and didnt give in to the muffins.

I also had to buy a part of my lunch today and that can also be a risky situation for me as I set out planning to get healthy food but by the time I get to the shops I've convinced myself that its ok to have what I REALLY want which is usually something crappy instead. Not today. I chose the best looking salad (roasted vegetables with a yummy dressing that had a bit of fat in it) and had that with low fat cottage cheese and corn thins.

So on Day 3 I can report:

Food on track: tick
Training completed: tick
Cardio completed: tick
Feeling: even keeled emotionally and in control.

One more step closer to my goal.

I was going to write a thoughtful post of stuff going on inside my head but its late and I need to sleep.

Til tomorrow folks.

M

TARGET DATE: 20 SEPTEMBER 2009

Woohoo WNBF are more organised than I thought they'd be and the 2009 comp season is on their website. Now I just have to work out how to add a countdown thingy and I'm in business.

Day 2 (sounds funny doesnt it) went well. Incredibly busy at work but had all my planned meals close to the planned times and no off-plan extras. So nutrition is another tick.

Cardio: tick. Walking done as instructed by Coach.
Training: tick. Working on fixing some postural faults so we're not into the killer workouts ... yet!!

Feeling good still and expect to be this way for about 2 weeks. Then around the 3rd week I usually get a bit wobbly for a whole range of reasons. Fingers crossed that I deal with it better than I have before.

Oh BTW I set myself a mini-goal to lose 5kgs by Christmas. This is my first chunk and I'm not thinking beyond that now. I just have to work those kilos off one at a time and when 5 are gone then its time for my reward. In the meantime I have to think of a suitable reward.

:-) Magda

PS Blogger just told me that the countdown thingy is broken and cant be used til its fixed. At least I know where it is and will try it again soon.

IS IT TOO FAR OUT TO START A COUNTDOWN?

LOL!! Just joking. I think it is but it'd be very motivating wouldnt it?

Well things are rolling in terms of my journey to get lean, to build muscle and to learn some important lessons along the way.

Cardio for today? tick
Training Program done? tick
Nutrition targets achieved? tick
Feeling good? tick ... well feeling much better than I did over the weekend and yesterday as the reality of my very ugly starting pics and stats sunk in. If that wasnt a wake-up call then what is??

Thank you to everyone who left a lovely comment on my last post. Your enthusiasm and belief in me is really humbling. I have reflected many times over this last year and sadly there have been regrets about some of the choices I made. But I now feel that I can put that behind me and go for what I want in the best possible way.

:-) Magda

ATTENTION ALL

Well I cant keep this to myself any longer. You are looking at my Trainer Extraordinaire for the 2009 comp season. I have acknowledged that I cant do this alone. I need direction. I need expertise. I need support. I need accountability but most importantly I need to do it. Its time to stop dreaming about what I want and start doing what it will take to achieve it....albeit again. The past is history and its time to look forward.

If you read "My Story" from a few weeks ago (around mid October) you will know what I have been through in the last 12 or so months. Its been a tough year in terms of letting my eating get out of control and putting on a lot of weight. Couple that with training sporadically and shifting my focus to a 12km fun-run and I'm well and truly back around Square One as I begin my prep for the 2009 comp season.

Yes folks I'm aiming to get back into good enough shape to compete again in September 2009. I need to put muscle back on and tighten up my legs BIG TIME. I have a LOT of body fat to lose but I have time (and Liz) on my side. The journey is about to begin and I'm excited and nervous about the next 11 months. I DO NOT WANT TO FAIL!!!!! or should I say I WANT TO SUCCEED!!!!!

So here I am now a member of Team Fitness Solution and ready to make Liz proud of me and not let her down ... and not let myself down. So between Liz and the lovely Adelaide Figure Girls (hello Kerry and Cheryl) I'm hoping the path I have to travel will be made that little bit easier. I'm so blessed to have such great support. When I'm deep in misery and battling the lowest self esteem I can count on being lifted up by one of those special friends. (Thanks Kerry!!)

Cheers all

Magda

CATCH UP TIME

What have I been up to since I last blogged?

On Wednesday night my WH and I had a night out to see/hear http://www.paul-young.com/ and http://www.tony-hadley.com/start.html perform at the The Gov here in Adelaide. If you're a Paul Young or Spandau Ballet fan from the 80s this would have been your ideal heaven. It certainly was mine. Tony Hadley's voice, which was good when he sang in Spandau Ballet, has improved out of this world. It is just incredible and even WH commented on how great it was. They did a fantastic show performing many of their old hits and some really good covers. And you know the best thing?? We werent the oldest people there LOL!! In fact it was more like "spot the person UNDER 35!".

So the late night on Wednesday really threw me out of whack with my training. I didnt get up at 5 on Thursday as I was just too tired. Training in the evening wasnt going to work as we'd been to mum and dad's for dinner and then had a heap of stuff to get done at home. I was still really tired on Friday morning and struggled getting up at 6.30 let alone 5.

Nutrition has been more "relaxed" than I've been aiming for in the last couple of weeks. Eating out on Wednesday night, toast for breakfast on Thursday, some small cakes at an official opening I was attending on Thursday morning, more bread at lunch time (didnt have a healthy meal packed) and then pizza at mum and dad's that night. Yesterday was still not back on track so the weight has spiked up again (it doesnt take much) and needs some serious commitment to get it down and keep it going down.

I would have liked a nice clean start to November today but its been hard to muster the strength to get 100% clean again (or at least 80% would be reasonable). Never mind I will not give up trying.

My next post will have an announcement that I have been keeping under my belt for a few weeks. But the time has come to reveal all.

Good night all

Magda