CRANKING THINGS UP A NOTCH

Josh has upped my leg training to include some quite gruelling exercises after my morning cardio. I nearly fell off my chair when I read it in my training journal last night. It scared me at first and then I just thought "bring it on". So this morning I did my oval sprint session and worked at around 8/10 which I'm happy with. Then it was straight into the new exercises. Yes it hurt at times but I just kept picturing my legs looking lean and toned on comp day and there was no question about pushing out the 10 sets.

Training was looking shaky last night. WH was having drinks out with his boss and I eventaully joined them (Diet Coke only for me though) and then provided the taxi service home. It was quite a late home-time and I had planned to train so was in a bit of a dilemma. Anyway I made the decision to train as plannned. Yes it meant that I missed my dinner (not good I know!!) but I made sure I had my PWO shake + a piece of fruit so I was nourished after the training. I had such a good head-set last night that I was increasing my reps all over the place. I tell you, I approached the session with a real fire in my belly, determined that I would not be beaten. If I planned to make a ceratin number of reps then I was going to make them. I havent always been this focussed and I liked feeling this powerful and in control.

Bring on the Anzac Day holiday. I need the extra sleep. I have set myself a goal to be in bed between 9.30 and 10pm so that I can handle the early starts. I'm planning to train at a different gym tomorrow as mine is closed. Should be interesting. Then I'm going to do some baking as its my turn to bring something for morning tea on Friday. The rest of the day will be spent pottering around and catching up on the never-ending list of domestic chores. Oh and I should do another set of update pics for Josh.

Cheers all

Magda

DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE PE TEAM

I'm just blown away by the fantastic results achieved by the other PE girls in Queensland this weekend. Irrespective of placings, the achievements of Tracey, Alicia and Deb are just awesome and impressive and make me want to work even harder to do well myself.

Although I had a few wobbles on Sunday I went to bed knowing that today's effort would be 100%. Good strong cardio, eating on plan and really focussing on my weight training tonight. If I'm going to be serious about this then DH (Desperate Housewives) has to take a back seat. I'm prepared to make the commitment.

Last night WH and I negotiated a new schedule which takes into account his new job and some new routines that we need to implement. Although my training times arent going to be EXACTLY when I want them, at least I'll have the peace of mind knowing that when I am training, its in my agreed time. I must stop feeling guilty about taking time to myself to train. After all, guilt is a wasted emotion.

WH and I also spoke about our long term goals - or rather, MY long term goals. I'm not ready to go public with them yet but I will say that he (WH) was very impressed by mine. I did say that I reserved my right to change my mind after doing the September comp, but I have been quietly dreaming about achieving certain things.

And on that note, I'm going to dream about logging off and heading home for dinner, chest/shoulders/tris training and an early night. Just what every body builder needs.

Cheers all

Magda

THE GOOD - THE BAD - AND THE ....BEAUTIFUL

So whats good?

Last night's dinner out. Yummo. I had some delicious sardines for entree and goat shanks for mains (I like to have stuff I wouldnt normally have at home when I go out somewhere special). I didnt fancy desert but had some petitfours which were just the right amount of "treat". We had a wonderful night.

Leg training today. Josh has bumped the reps up as Saturday is my "volume day". I so did not want to lunge 3 sets of 20 reps with 15kg dumbells today but then I so want my legs to look good in September so I just did it. It hurt but I was happy when the last rep was completed.

So whats bad?

Not eating on plan today. We were invited to a friend's place for a lunchitme BBQ with an 11.30 start :-( I trained bis and legs, did my cardio, had my shake and fruit and got ready to go out. Well we werent fed until 2.15!! I had no option but to have the "nibbles" as I was famished around 1pm and needed food. Needless to say that after the nibbles my motivation was down and I had some BBQ stuff I wouldnt normally have so eats today havent been on track.

Today I had no strength in my biceps. Dont know what happened or where it went, but it just wasnt there. My reps were way down and the increase Josh wanted me to make - well I managed 4 reps lol. How pathetic is that.

So whats beautiful?

My friend Ronnie. I caught up with her this evening and told her for the first time about my ambition to compete and what I'm doing to get there. She was just wonderful with so much encouragement and respect and admiration for me. It was quite humbling. I havent had such a positive reaction from some others so it was a very nice situation to be in.

To finish tonight I'll just say that even though I got off track with my food today, I havent continued to binge or eat badly since then. It would have been soooo easy to do but I dont want to fall back into that depressing and negative place again. So on that note I'm signing off, having my diet yogurt (I'm quite hungry) and hitting the sack.

G'night all

Magda

ITS TIME FOR THE FAT PANTS TO GO

I have a pair of size 10 black pants from Events, a very generous size 10 - you know the sort that makes you feel good because they are a size 10 but deep down you know the sizing isnt quite standard on them. Well they have reached the "hanging beyond acceptable" stage. I have folded them up and put them away not to be worn until .... ?? Who knows? I'm not yet confident that I'll never need them again. I'd like to be but my track record suggests otherwise.

Whether I do or dont need them again is not concerning me now. I'm feeling really good right now. My weight loss is noticable and its giving me extra motivation. Tonight WH and I are going out to celebrate his new job. We have chosen a new up-market Italian restaurant with drinks first at one of our favourite pubs. I'm really looking forward to it all. Josh has said "Enjoy the night. There's no point in looking like a hottie if you're not enjoying it". So I will but I know I wont go overboard. Also, when I know I'm going to have a "night off", I usually start to over-eat or choose some bad foods earlier that day too. I mean why not really blow it. But not today. Its all under control and thats making me even happier.

I realised this morning that I havent treated myself as a reward for staying alcohol free and mostly on track food wise last weekend. So I'm going to take myself over to GJs and have a large very vanilla chiller and a piece of German apple cheesecake ..... LOL!!! ....joke joke!!! No I'm hoping to get a bit of time today to pop out and buy a nice evening top for tonight.

We were invited to my parents' house for dinner last night as it was my MIL's last day with us before flying back to Brissie. I asked mum to bake my chicken breast in the oven and to make some steamed veges. The rest of the family was having chicken schnitzels (which my mum makes superbly!!). As it turned out, I worked a bit late so they had eaten by the time I got there and I could just devour my meal without pining for theirs. I thought that was a really good strategy for staying on track. Oh and the double bonus was that I could save 1/2 the chicken for lunch today and also have the left over veges. Perfect!!

I skipped my cardio today so I could sleep and hopefully not be dead tired today.. It was only going to be a powerwalk as my legs are sore and tired and I have another leg session tomorrow. So no training today but I know I have a big session tomorrow morning.

Well I better wrap it up there as work beckons. Have a great weekend all, especially all the ladies competing. I'll be hanging out for all your pics and results.

Cheers

Magda

A RECORD BREAKING NIGHT ...

...but for all the wrong reasons!

I couldnt believe how many things went wrong or bad last night.

• I didnt finish my leg training as I couldnt adjust the knob on the leg curl machine to re-position the pad that sits on the back of your leg. I was furious that my gym had such sub-standard equipment. I'll stop there before I say things I may regret later.
• Last night was the most tired and flattest I've felt for some time. My legs were tired and heavy and after the leg curl machine, my head was in a bad place. I'm ashamed to say that I taught my classes with little energy and enthusiasm and that really goes against my usual standard.
• WH set a world record for coughing in both volume and intensity. Any ideas about getting even an adequate (let alone good) night's sleep went out the window as he was unable to stop coughing just as I went to bed. Then there was an encore performance at 3am just to put the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

I'm smiling as I write all this now but it was a BAD night.

However things looked up this morning after I weighed again. What a difference a day can make if your system is not regular. I'm now closer to 60kgs than 70kgs and this is fantastic.

After I felt so tired last night, I emailed Josh to say that I would not do any cardio today so that I could recover. He suggested maybe just do something different like a power-walk so I set my alarm with the intention of walking 3.7kms. When I set off I actually felt better than expected so I started a slow jog. After the 1km mark I did feel like I just wanted to walk but I set myself little mini-targets like "jog to the shopping centre, then walk". When I got to the shopping centre it was "just go to the end of the shopping centre, then walk". Anyway this went on for about 4 or 5 mini targets and then I actually got into the zone and was enjoying the jog (still not fast though) and just kept going without any mini-targets. I started thinking that I may do 5kms and before I knew it I had, without thinking, jogged past my 3.7km turn off. As I came to the end of the 5kms I even considered going further but time had run out and I had to stop. I had jogged for 38 minutes at a moderate pace and it had felt really good. Legs are tired today though.

Well I'm in a good place right now. Eating well, training hard and counting down my 22 weeks. Sounds like ages but I know its not, for what I have to achieve to feel ok about getting on stage.

To all the ladies competing this or the next weekend I want to send my best wishes that you have great comps. I've followed your journeys with interest and each and every one of you is an inspiration and you're all winners in my eyes.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU CHAMPIONS - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE

Cheers from Magda

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

As I'm really interested to see what effect the change in diet has had, I weighed and measured this morning - even though I said I wouldnt. Well after all it is an addiction for me and giving it up is mighty hard.

So how does one measure succes? All of my upper body measurements were up ???!!! (I dont measure arms regularly) My hips and legs were down very slightly :-) Weight down .4kgs. Now I dont necessarily pay a lot of attention to the kgs but I do expect my measurements to be dropping ... and they're not. Very wierd!! I still have boobs (and plenty of them) and quite a bit of fat around my waist. I've always lost it quickly and easily there. Maybe this is the effect of being over 40? Who knows.

But I can honestly say that:

1. I'm not upset about it
2. I'm not worried about it
3. I just wish I understood it

Last night I did my 2nd weights session for the week (I do 3) and managed to catch most of DWTS. It was Chest/Shoulders/Tris and thats about the order of how much I enjoy training each muscle group. I managed some good weights/reps etc but not on all exercises. Overall I was really happy with the session though as I gave it everything so what more can one ask? I was so buggered when it was finally done.

I was up early again today for my fix of "red-brick-fever". This is my 5km ss run which again took 32 mins. I reckon I can better that time but I need to do it with fresh legs ... and great music.

Calories were up a bit yesterday due to PWO shake + fruit but thats to be expected. At least they werent up because I went out for lunch and had garlic bread, creamy pasta and 1/2 bottle of wine l0l Aaaaah, one can but dream!!

Cheers all

Magda

THE TURNING OF THE TIDE

Yesterday we received some really great news. WH has won a new job. Considering how unhappy he is in his current position and the benefits of the new job, this is almost equivalent to a lottery win for us. Words cannot describe how happy I am for him (and for us). For me, its one (big) thing less to worry about while I'm doing my comp prep. Today I feel better both physically and mentally and I'm sure this news has a lot to do with that.

I think the other thing making me feel better today is my increased calorie intake yesterday ... oops!! I had a very small glass of champagne to celebrate the good news and roast beef for dinner which really bumped the cals up even though my serve was quite small. Oh well, all the food I ate was clean so I'm not concerned.

With MIL still with us and the last of BS's birthday celebrations last night (it was his birthday yesterday after all) getting my weight training done is proving to be difficult. I'm hoping tonight is a quiet night at home as planned and I can get my 2nd session done. Then its only my gym session tomorrow and I'm done. Cardio has been good. Sprints yesterday and today + taking the stairs at work is giving my legs a good workout :-) God knows they need it. I wore a short skirt yesterday and in black stockings I thought my legs looked ok. My arse is definitely smaller too.

I'm intending to put in a big effort this week with my nutrition and training and then on Friday night WH and I are going out to dinner to celebrate his new job. I plan to enjoy a couple of drinks but will choose the healthiest meal I can so I dont feel as though I'm blowing all my previous hard work. Anyway after some days of quite low cals, I believe its not harmful (in fact its actually beneficial) to have a day where intake is a bit higher. The trick is to get right back on track the next day. That'll be the challenge.

Cheers all

Magda

I SURVIVED YESTERDAY - JUST!!

Well yesterday's family BBQ at SIL's was definitely the hardest to get through staying focussed and on track. I was focussed but I was really struggling with tiredness (not enough sleep and just go go go), feeling cold (despite it being quite a mild/warm day) and feeling hungry. My willpower and determination were really tested and whilst I wasnt perfect, I actually think I did really well under the circumstances.

I wish I could have enjoyed the day more though. It was our first meeting with my SIL's fiancee's family and I was pretty quiet and not my usually outgoing friendly self. I guess deep down I was feeling a bit miserable being surrounded by so much lovely food and drinks but not being able to enjoy any of it. But its my decision to compete and in order to do so there are things I must do.

When the food was (FINALLY) served I tried to make the best choices without looking too obsessive about what I was eating but really holding back on what I would normally have eaten. Deep down I couldnt wait for it all to be over so I could just go home, warm up and take care of my domestic things before having to return to work today.

I also missed my weights session yesterday which added another negative aspect to the day. The day didnt go as planned and I had no choice but to entertain my BS at the only time I had to do my weights. Never mind, the session can be rescheduled for another time in the week.

So I really feel as though things are getting harder. My new nutrition plan hasnt been stitched down but my calories have been cut and its proving to be a bit of a challenge. Both Josh and I need to work on it to get it right and to a level I can maintain for 23 weeks. Makes life interesting to say the least.

Well although I have heaps more to post I'm going to sign off there as other duties beckon.

Cheers all

Magda

A QUICK CHECK-IN

Yes the party is over. It was great. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, especially our BS and it was worth all the hard work. I'm very tired now and I'm also hungry and sober. Thats right, no alcohol, no junk food, just chicken and salad for dinner and gallons of soda water with fresh lime.

Its time to devour that diet yogurt and hit the sack. Will post more next time.

G'night all

Magda

TEMPTATIONS GALORE - BUT ALL RESISTED

Yesterday was day 1 of a few very challenging days. I'm really pleased to say that despite some feelings of "oh I should be in party mode", I stuck to my plan and ate about 95% clean. Now considering how much I ate out, thats excellent for me. It wasnt easy at times, especially when the garlic bread got passed around at dinner, the wine was offered, and I had 3 encounters with a platter full of cakes/sweets (my biggest weakness) but I stuck to my resolve.

This weekend is an important turning point for me. I feel that if I dont make it through on track then I'll seriously doubt my ability to be strong enough to make it through to the comp in September. Plus I got my jeans on but I cant do them up yet :-)

Cardio yesterday was a very moderate intensity as I feel my head cold has worsened a little and I cant afford to get sick this weekend. So it was a power walk for me (what a cruise after some of my other sessions).

I have a big day ahead today with a family party for BS's birthday and I'll be drawing on all my strength to get through on track.

Wish me luck

Magda

HAIL THE DOMESTIC GODDESS

With BS's birthday happening this weekend he and I had a hugely busy day today. I spent the afternoon cooking which I absolutely love. I made WH a lamb korma and curried veges for dinner, chocolate crackles with BS for Saturday's party and a big dish of lasagne. Man that beef sauce looked and smelt good but I had one lick of a spoon for a taste test and then no more. I have 2 freezers which are groaning with frozen meals made over the last couple of weeks for WH. This is a huge help for me as I wont have to cook separate meals now for us on weeknights.

Although I had lunch in a cafe today I ordered the warm chook salad and asked for no dressing. Was careful with how much I ate and took the rest of the chook home for dinner. It was a good eating day but I was hungrier than usual. I guess thats my metabolism firing and working in over-drive....I WISH!!!! :-) Just one lot of cardio today but I worked hard and thats the main thing.

Well tomorrow the socialising starts so I'm going to take time to refocus regularly and remind myself of my goals and of how detrimental another "who cares I'll eat what I want" session will be. I have some personal mini goals this weekend and if I achieve them I'm going to give myself a small treat next week.

Well my tummy is rumbling so its time to down my diet yogurt and hit the sack for what I think may be another night of quite poor sleep. There's so much happening this weekend that I find it very hard to switch off.

G'night all

Magda

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Yes I chalked up another good day. No real challenges today though. Ate well, did 2 lots of cardio both at good intensities and a good solid weights session - although first legs session in the gym (I normally train at home) was not as heavy as it will be soon.

My new diet needs quite some fine tuning as it'll only work if I'm not working (yes I would love that but its not about to be). So not ready to make changes just yet but I'm sure they're not far off.

Today BS and I went to the pool and had a wonderful time with lots of water activity (he doesnt really swim) and a healthy packed lunch. I didnt go near the kiosk - why tempy fate - and stayed well on track. Not much else to write about except that the real challenge will present itself on Friday to Sunday when the in-laws are here for BS's birthday. But I'm working on keeping this strong and positive mindset and all will be right.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, thanks to all the lovely, experienced and helpful ladies who regularly send words of support and encouragement. They really do help me immensely.

G'night all

Magda

ANOTHER CHANCE TO BREAK OUT OF GROUNDHOG DAY

When I think back over the last 2-3 months I see a definite pattern of training hard/eating well/being focussed followed by bouts of "party time"/"bugger the training"/"I deserve this break". Yes in simple terms its INCONSISTENCY.

Well I now have another chance to break this cycle. I've clocked up another good day (2 lots of cardio and a big weights session) and the motivation is high. Now I just need to add one more, then one more again and so on and so on. This is my goal for tomorrow: just put in another day of clean eating, good solid weight training and some intense cardio. Simple really :-)

My BS is on holidays already and I have this week off. My I could really get used to this lifestyle! Up at 6.40 (what a luxury from my usual 5.10) and out for a run (sprints today) before WH went to work. Then went and got my nails done and then took my mum and BS for a little shopping expedition and lunch out. I ordered the warm chook salad (actually craved it instead of pasta or something else I shouldnt be having) and ate about the right amount of chicken with salad and scraped off dressing wherever possible so all up it was a pretty clean meal. Oh and I had Diet Coke instead of the usual couple of glasses of wine. Over lunch I told mum of my goal to compete this year. I dont think she has any idea what it involves other than "exercise and watching what I eat". Never mind, its a world she knows nothing about...yet!!

In the afternoon BS had a sleep (he's been a bit off colour lately) and I did my weights session and followed it up with round 2 of cardio on my exercise bike (inspired by Di!!!!) Then BS and I hung out playing and cooking dinner for daddy (while mummy had tuna and salad).

What a fantastic day all up. Oh and the weather is absolutely glorious, 33 today and tomorrow. I'm planning a day at the pool tomorrow. Lovin' this lifestyle :-)

Cheers all

Magda

PREPARING FOR A CHANGE

After some interesting exchanges with Josh via my on-line training journal, its been decided that my diet will get stricter this week. I think it'll be very much a comp prep diet and I have just under 24 weeks to go. This is both exciting and scary and I'm feeling lots of different emotions around this.

I worry about sticking to a strict diet for that long. How will I handle social occassions, missing some of the foods I love and other's reactions/expectations? I dont even think my WH realises what the next 24 weeks will be like. I suspect he wont handle it well.

But I'm also excited by the prospect of finally seeing some noticeable improvements. Yes I know I have to put the effort in and put it in consistently day after day, week after week to achieve this but I'm working on my mindset being in totally the right place to enable me to stop stuffing around and ACHIEVE.

The time has really come to say good-bye to the "Sin Now - Pray Later" party girl and just get on with it.

Magda

THE "SIN NOW - PRAY LATER" MENTALITY HAS TO END

For as long as I can remember I have lived by this motto: "SIN NOW - PRAY LATER". Some years ago my WH even bought me a birthday card that had a badge with this saying on it. I rememeber thinking "how apt" as I poured myself another glass of bubbly and had another mouthful of cheese and crackers. The diet can start on Monday.

In December 2006 I started training with Josh so that I would reach my goal of competing in figure in 2007. I knew it would be a long and hard journey with its fair share of ups and downs, highs and lows. I wasnt wrong and I'm only about 1/2 way there.

My progress has been sporadic. Sometimes two steps forward, one step back, sometimes one step forward, one back. The last few weeks especially have been all over the place. I dont feel as though I've moved forward much at all.

And I know what my problem is. Consistency!! Most of my setbacks have been a result of my lack of consistency. If I'm to get my body in the best shape ever (and not embarass myself on stage in September) then its time to buckle down and "just do it ... AND DO IT EVERY DAY".

Stay tuned for the next instalment (which is scaring me a little and I dont even know all the details).

Magda

EASTER TEMPTATIONS

• Waking up with a sore throat (yet again) and seeking comfort food for breakfast

• Hot cross buns straight from the griller with melted butter swimming on them

• Mum's home made scones sitting on the bench top when I'm hungry for my morning snack

• Lunch out at a cafe: pizza, pasta, garlic bread ... the bad options are endless and tempting

• Housewarming at a friend's new place: party food/junk food, alcohol everywhere

Oh and lets not forget the chocolate

Was I actually looking forward to Easter??!!

Magda

NO BETTER BUT NO WORSE

Well by the time BS was settled and asleep, I didnt have such an early night after all. I woke during the night a couple of times and my throat was raging. This morning it was still dry and sore but no worse than last night.

So today is a big rest day and I'm trying hard to not get down and depressed over this. No cardio :-( no weights :-( and trying really really hard to not go too far off track with my food. Thank Lisa, Shar and Hilary for your comments and advice on dealing with this minor set-back.

We have a family dinner at my parents' place tonight and I know that crumbed fish and prawns will be on the menu. I'm planning to keep my portions well under control and I hope mum has made a nice salad as she usually does. As of tomorrow I have 24 weeks to my comp. Aaaahh so close and yet so far.

Enjoy Easter everyone!

Magda

HOW UNLUCKY CAN YOU BE

Early this afternoon I felt my throat getting sore and its now very dry and sore and I have a headache to match.

I'm dosing up on Vit C + zinc, have had extra garlic in my soup for dinner, will be gargling to kill the throat germs and have shelved the training so I can have an early night. Please please please dont let me get sick over Easter. WH has had it and even though I've kept right away from him, it looks like I'm getting it too.

And to make matters even worse, I'm now craving comfort foods BIG TIME!! Toast, soups and anything carby. God give me strength to stay on track, or to only veer slightly.

:-( Magda

EASTER ON OUR DOORSTEP

Bring on Easter I say. Time off to spend with family, catch up with friends, get ahead with domestic chores (grrrr!!) and time to train. I'm actually planning to get a little ahead with my training instead of being behind like I am right now. Now for the extra bonus and that is that I'm having the week after Easter off. YIPPEEEEEEE

I had an embarassing thing happen yesterday. I forgot to set my alarm for my morning cardio (insert blush!!) I had so much on my mind the night before that it totally slipped my mind. Funny thing was that I lay in bed planning what my cardio would be for the rest of the week and then I totally missed that session. Up to now, my training and meal planning have been so foremost in my mind that I'm really surprised that this happened. So to make up for this, I really belted it out in my classes last night. Also did back and abs at the gym before my classes and now only have shoulders/tris to do tonight. A little behind but things looking ok for the weights session tonight.

Eating has been good. Not totally as prescribed but no junk, just a bit of fruit I wouldnt normally have and coffee with milk that I dont know if its skim/low/full fat. If thats the worse of it then I'm cool with that :-)

Still debating whether to "indulge" in a hot X bun over Easter. I can take or leave the chocolate (and I usually leave it unless its got something delectable inside it) but a warm toasted hot X bun with butter ....hmmm mmmm...yummo!! Thats to die for :-)

Cheers all. Have a great Easter.

Magda

CHILDREN

To all the mums who have successfully prepared for competition and made it to the stage, I admire and salute you.

Although I am motivated to eat well and train hard and have my heart set on my goal to compete this year, I am facing some personal struggles that are making this journey even more challenging and difficult.

Our children are undoubtedly one of, if not THE most important thing in our lives. We all try to to be the best parents we can be and we hope we influence them in positive ways. If they need extra attention or help with their development then its our responsibility to make sure we give it to them.

This is my struggle and I face it daily. When life is full of work (both full-time and casual), home duties and the demands of comp prep the hours left in a day are few and far between. Many of my training sessions have been shrouded in guilt as I spend the time on myself instead of my BS.

Magda

EVERYTHING IS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AGAIN

Firstly thanks to the lovely ladies who left comments of well wishes for me yesterday. The gastro lasted about 24 hours and after dinner I had no more problems which is a big relief. On the up side of all this is the feeling of losing the bloat of last week's bad eating. That is to be celebrated!

This morning I did my first run since falling over 2 weeks ago. My knee is still a little sore but I can work with this level of discomfort. I just did 3.7kms to ease back into it and it took me 24 mins. I cant remember how this compares to the last time I ran that distance. I felt good running again.

Despite having the gastro, yesterday I did another ride on my exercise bike which was a good cardio session and I was close to a toilet so that was double bonus :-) Luckily I didnt have weights scheduled and although I thought of slipping a session in, I decided against it as I knew my strength would not have been good.

So all is good again. I'm eating well, back into the cardio and am on track with my weight training this week. Lets bottle this moment for those future challenging times :-)

Cheers all

Magda

SUFFERING A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION

I'm home today with a bout of gastro that has me on the toilet at very frequent intervals. It started yesterday arvo and hasnt eased up. I was up during the night with it and 10 minutes after having my protein shake and hot lemon drink prior to my early morning run, I was back on the toilet again. So no early run today. Will see how the day pans out as to whether I can still slip some training in.

On Saturday I had a blinder of a headache which didnt respond to pain-killers. At first I thought I might have been a little hung-over from the wine we had on Friday night but it got worse as the day went on. We were home watching a DVD on Saturday night (yes we are the last of the real ragers...NOT!!) and it was BAD. I popped a couple of panadols and they made no difference whatsoever. Then I realised that I must have been going through a bit of a detox. Last week I really did eat badly and when I got back on track on Saturday my body was detoxing, hence the killer headache. Well I guess you pay the price in some way or other if you teat your body badly.

Having said all that I am well into the swing of things again with real determination to eat well and train hard. Saturday was legs and moderate cardio. My lower back was restricting me a bit with my leg session but I modified it and still gave it the best I could. Yesterday was chest and bis and I reached some new PBs with reps on what are very heavy weights for me. I was rapt with that session. Then I hopped on the ex bike and pushed out 15mins at 8-8.5/10 after which I was totally stuffed. That was the 2nd lot of cardio for the day.

Well fingers crossed that this gastro disappears quickly and I can get stuck into some more training and not fall behind again.

Cheers all

Magda

GIVE ME A DECENT CHALLENGE....

... and watch me shine!!

I have been floundering around as a Miss CBB Sloth since getting back from Sydney. I know what I have to do but I just cant flick the switch back to doing it.

I posted my next mini-goal to Josh and it was to fit into a pair of size 11 skinny jeans that I bought a few years ago. I was about 62kgs when I bought them (I think) and they dont fit over the tops of my legs now, let alone my bum :-( So that was my goal to fit into them by the end of April.

Then Josh upped the ante on me and suggested I go for sub 60!! After I had a mini nervous breakdown, heart attack and fit of terror I picked myself up from the floor, pulled myself back together and decided to take it on. In all fairness the timeframe was extended by 2 weeks which keeps it challenging but makes it achievable (otherwise I'd be aiming for 5+ kgs in less than 5 weeks).

So today is my last "day off" and I've told WH that we will share a bottle of wine tonight so he's a very happy chappy. But look out tomorrow as I'll be training, eating and living like a woman with a purpose and a goal.

Thanks Josh, This is just the boost I needed to kick my butt back into gear.

Cheers all

Magda

OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM

Miss Health and Fitness Queen:

• Eats good, clean, healthy food in moderate quantities at regular intervals throughout the day.
• Drinks approx 3 litres of water/green tea daily
• Completes 7-8 cardio sessions a week. Cardio activities vary in type, intensity and duration.
• Completes 4 weight training sessions a week using heavy challenging weights and always trying to improve on the previous session.
• Feels really happy and positive and enjoys this lifestyle.

Miss Cant Be Bothered Sloth:

• Eats cr*p, eats too much of it.
• Drinks not nearly enough water to compensate for the cr*p food.
• Cardio: does what she HAS to.
• Weights: Hmmm if I feel like it.
• Feels cr*ppy both physically and mentally.

Right now I'm sitting a bit closer to Miss CBB Sloth than I am to Miss HF Queen. I will get to where I need to go, I'm just taking the long way around. Stay tuned for progress reports on this journey.

Magda

WHEN PLANS AND REALITY DONT ALIGN

It doesnt get more orange than this :-) I grabbed Tony's carrot juice and got WH to eternalise the "orange moment".

Anniversary dinner with WH at Oyster Bar in Circular Quay. This is before it got cold and the drizzle set in and we all huddled under an umbrella eating our seafood dinner.

The lovely lady in the blue/brown shirt is my best friend Eva with her WH. Before I started to grow my hair back (it was short like hers not too long ago) we were often mistaken for sisters.

Friday night out for drinks at the Cargo Bar. The place was absolutely jumping and our WHs were admiring the scenery....20something waitresses in tiny white shorts...insert eye roll!! I may not be 20something anymore but by September I'll be able to wear shorts like that if I wanted :-)

I chose the title for today's blog as yesterday was nothing like I had planned.

Nutrition: missed my morning snack as I wasnt at all hungry. Tuna and veges for lunch were replaced by lunch out with my SIL. Although I chose well, I ate way too much and then stayed in "eating way too much mode" for the rest of the day. This is a common problem after "time off" and I should remember how hard it actually is to switch back into "comp prep" mode.

Training: when I set my training goals for the day I completely overlooked the fact that I was way behind with domestic duties. With no food pre-prepared, dinner had to be cooked. The laundry basket was overflowing with clothes washed before the holiday, not to mention the ironing basket. The list of chores seemed never ending and the leg training didnt happen.

Mind-set: yes its confession time here too in that I am not yet back into the positive, focussed, moving-forwards-in-comp-prep mode. I know I'll get there but silly me thought I'd just flick that switch and **poof** be right back there.

I caught up with lots of blogs yesterday and found Rae's story of her birthday celebrations very interesting. She talked about people's perceptions of "treating themselves" and what this means to people. I envy her position on this as she has reached the point where she realises that eating crap food is not a treat. She is soooooo right yet its such a difficult mindset to change. I know I dont feel physically nearly as good now as I do when I'm eating good, clean, healthy food yet I viewed that time off as a treat. If a treat is supposed to make you feel good and happy and not just for 5 or 10 minutes, then working on changing that negative mindset should be a priority.

Finally, just a big thank you to all the lovely ladies who left messages of congrats and greetings (Hi Cherie!!) a couple of posts ago. Your interest and support is really appreciated.

Cheers all

Magda

I LOVE HOLIDAYS...BUT I ALSO LOVE TO BE HOME...

...and getting back to my usual routine.

I had a fantastic time in Sydney. I enjoyed eating out and having what I wanted, going out for drinks, shopping, spending time with 2 really great friends and WH. I gave myself permission to enjoy this trip and not feel guilty about eating off plan, having alcohol and not training. You see my attitude has changed from previous trips where I was filled with regret about doing all those things and worrying about whether I would get back on track afterwards. This time I just knew it would all be ok and there was no need to be strict with myself at 26 weeks out.

So the highlights for me were:

• Wearing my "Brissie dress" out to dinner on Saturday night. Picture this: bright orange, above the knee, clingy jersey (I think) style fabric, size 8!!. I was extatic when I put it on and it fitted and looked ok. When we were trying to hail a taxi on Saturday night, my girlfriend said "stick Magda out there and watch the traffic come to a screeching halt" lol. Comments like that (however untrue they may be) will always make me feel good.
• Shopping for clothes and fitting comfortably into a size 10. I didnt buy very much at all as I was aware that buying stuff to fit me now would be pointless as I get closer to the comp. So just 3 pairs of shoes, 4 tops, trackie pants and an evening wrap...oh and some sexy undies :-)
• Sleeping in :-) I didnt train while I was away as we were on the go all day and I wasnt going to be unsociable so I could go to the gym. I enjoyed some nice lazy mornings and leisurely breakfasts which were a real treat.
• Spending time with my best friend. Eva and I have been friends since we were 16 and 15 years old respectively. We have been through so much together including 5 marriages and 6 kids between us. We've both lived in other cities, she in the Alice and Perth and me in Brissie. We share secrets that we would both take to our graves and we would do absolutely anything to help each other out. I'm so lucky to have her as my friend and every year I look forward to our annual girls' weekend.

So now its back to reality and normality. Cardio this morning was 45 mins ss ride on the ex bike. Ex bike sprints are scheduled for tomorrow morning. Training tonight will be legs and if I feel up to it I might do shoulders/tris as well. If not then they are scheduled for Thursday. I will NOT miss a weights session this week. Stair program is twice a day between now and Friday. Gotta get those steel buns happening :-)

I will post some photos soon so stay tuned.

Cheers all

Magda

FROM MISERY BACK TO HAPPINESS

Well yesterday was one of my worst days. The early start and no effective cardio left me feeling cold and tired all day. Couple that with the after-effects of my fall and I was a miserable wreck as I hobbled around all day. Small mercy in that I didnt have to teach but even with the night off at home I was wandering around like a lost soul unsure of what to do with myself.

Things are better today. My knee is still very sore but at least now its only the knee and not the thigh as well. My palm is bruised but my wrist, elbow and shoulder are all ok :-) I'm not limping or hobbling.

I didnt do any training last night nor any cardio this morning or stairs at work. I am planning to do back tonight but it'll be a modified program as I have to do it at home instead of the gym. Then I plan 20 mins high intensity on the ex bike and I'll be happy with that.

Tomorrow is my deadline for Operation 65/74. Circumstances were such that I weighed and measured this morning. I am a hair's breadth within my goal so I'm counting it as a victory and a success. At the end of the day a 1/2 cm or 1/4 of a kilo is just irrelevant when I feel so good about my progress and that is what I want to focus on. So that's another mini-goal achieved and another success to build on. I will be setting myself another mini-goal after Sydney.

Its likely that I wont get a chance to blog again before I fly out as the list of "Things to do before Sydney" is getting longer rather than shorter. I look forward to having a wonderful time away and will blog again early next week. Take care all.

Cheers

Magda

FEELING SORE AND SORRY FOR MYSELF

I fell over on my run this morning :-( Like a ton (or probably 67kgs) of bricks down I went as I tripped on some paving. I had only just left home and was about 1 or 2 mins into a jog. After I composed myself, I continued on at a walk/jog for 1 lap of my block but my right leg was very sore so I went home and tried to ride the ex bike instead. 10 mins later I gave up and did some ironing instead.

My right knee has a decent graze. My palms are visually ok but the heel of my right hand is very sore and so is my wrist and shoulder. My right leg is aching like mad and I have a very obvious limp and am not getting around too well.

Hopefully this will all settle down quickly and I'll be right back into training again but I think today will have to be a rest and recover day. I hope the gym finds someone to fill in my classes but there is a good chance I will have to teach tonight - even if I'm hobbling around.

What a bugger this is. It really stuffs up my plans to keep up all my training leading up to Sydney. Fingers crossed that the pain goes quickly and I'm back firing on all cylinders quickly.

Magda

COUNTING DOWN TO SYDNEY

OMG just 3 sleeps to go and soooo much to do before then. Work is busy, busy right now and even more so when I take time off to help BS. I've planned a training schedule which sees me doing all my weight training either early before I go or after I get back. If I manage all sessions I'll consider it a big win. Cardio will suffer a bit but its only for a short time. I plan to enjoy my food and drink while I'm away but deep down I know I'm not going to go crazy this time. Stay tuned for my report back early next week.

I figured out why my measurements were up last Friday even though I was feeling slimmer. 2 days later it was TTOM so I must have been a bit bloated. Funny! I didnt feel it. I dont suffer from PMT at all (I have moods but they're not related to my cycle at all) and I didnt think that I did the bloat/fluid retention thing but obviously I do. Even after all this time I'm still learning things about my body and especially since my training has been so different (eg consistent LOL)!!

Now I better not forget about my little training brag today. 5km ss run in 31 mins - shaved another 2 mins off my last time!! Conditions far from ideal this morning as it was still warm and I was in 3/4 pants (expecting it to have been cooler), battling a strong northerly headwind and light rain at the 2.5-3km mark. However what peeved me the most was that I was sweating so hard that I kept losing my earpieces. I felt so good when it was done. Yesterday was sprints and I've been taking the stairs at work quite a bit too. Legs are improving but still have such a long way to go. I'll be doing weights every night now til I leave on Friday so there is no resting for the wicked.

Better get back to work and talk more tomorrow. Cheers

Magda

I'M HAVING SUCH FUN....

....admiring the changes in my physique that I have to consciously restrain my outright admiration lol. The changes arent huge but they are happening and this is so encouraging.

Here's a quick recap of the last few days. On Friday I measured as I promised I wouldnt weigh. I was feeling slimmer/smaller yet in all areas my measurements were up. What the!!?? Being stuck for something casual to wear to a conference that day, I dragged out an older pair of size 10 cargo pants (these were definitely "skinny pants") and they fit. Ok they were a bit tight on the bum but they still looked ok so on they went for the day. On Friday night we are going out and its a bit cooler than I expected so I drag out my good skinny black evening pants to see how far off I am from being to able to wear them and ...THEY FIT TOO. Well I am just over the moon and literally strutting my stuff all night. Not to mention that I have a gorgeous evening top which has straps coming in close to the neck so it really shows off my shoulders. I was really feeling like I'm on my way to that stage :-) :-)

We had a massive social weekend with drinks out, a stand-up comedy show, dinner out, desert at SIL's, drinks + dinner at SIL's, family day at the Fringe and no plans for Sunday night dinner. Whilst I didnt eat on time always and I had a few drinks and food off plan, I still thought I handled it all really well. I want to be sociable but not go crazy and I achieved this. When I think of how bad I could have done I give myself a big pat on the back. One of the hardest times was Sunday evening after being out all afternoon and not having anything planned for dinner. It was so tempting to just say "oh bugger it, lets have take-away" but we were strong and I made meals at home including an omelette for myself. I think I was in such a positive headset after Friday's wins that I just didnt want to blow it by eating crap again.

Training wise I did well even though I chose not to do cardio on Friday morning as I'd slept really badly and was concerned about driving through winding hills roads to/from the conference. So I turned my alarm off at 4.30 and got a couple hours of sleep after being awake for over 2 hours during the night. Saturday was leg day and my lower back let me down a bit :-( Could not do some of the hamstring exercises and my squats werent as deep as I like them to be. Just did short intense cardio at the end of legs. Last night I had an awesome chest/bis and abs session. I was so in the zone and increasing reps and weights all over the place.

Well I better wrap it up there. Looking forward to another week of hard training, good eating and getting closer to my goal.

Cheers

Magda

ON FIRE AND GOING GREAT GUNS

Training has been going really well!! Did shoulders on Tuesday night and am now on a higher weight for the overhead presses. Next week we will increase on the lat raises too. I dont normally do cardio on Wednesday morning as I teach 2 cardio classes in the evening and I also like to give myself 1 morning off from getting up around 5am. But as we had the public holiday on Monday and cause I've just been feeling so good, I did an extra session yesterday morning. Oval sprints of 15 sec sprint/ 45 sec recovery jog x 20. Then finish the lap and jog home for a total of 30 mins. Felt great when it was done.

I had a maintenance visit to the chiro yesterday as my lower back has been quite sore again and there is always neck soreness too since lifting heavier weights. He knows I'm training for comp in September and always asks how I'm going. I was telling him how I get a bit frustrated by my slow weight loss to which he replied " Well what do you expect? You're slim already. You dont have a lot of weight to lose so its going to be harder than it is for someone who has lots of fat". So I pointed out the areas where I had lots of fat to lose and he poked my ribs and hips and said "Look!! Bones!!" I left it at that but I did feel a little happier after that nice compliment.

Later that morning I hit the gym for back and tris and knocked off another great session. I also bumped into my friend who took my before pics and I havent seen her since November last year. She said I was looking good too which lifted my spirits a little higher still.

Classes went well although by the 2nd one my tank was starting to run quite low. Some clever teaching to allow some short rest breaks enabled me to really power it through the higher intensity stuff for a strong finish. I couldnt wait to wolf my dinner down last night :-)

So I havent finished there!! This morning I was up early again and did a 5km ss run and cut 1 minute of Monday's time thanks to some great music on the IPod. I really couldnt have asked for a better couple of days.

Cheers all

Magda

LOOK OUT - HERE COMES A BIG CURVE BALL

With SIL and her fiance now living in Adelaide and only a stone's throw from us, our social lives are about to kick up several notches. This means regular and frequent meals together and lots of alcohol at those occassions (they have very healthy appetites for a drink or several!!). So I have the added challenge of managing my eating plan under these new circumstances. Its going to take some discipline and self control to eat right and keep the alcohol to a minimum. They know I'm training for the September comp and they wont put unnecessary pressure on me which I really appreciate. But having said that, I dont want to be too strict and seem like a stick in the mud at 28 weeks out. There will be plenty of time for that at 16, 12 or 6 weeks out when the going will get tougher.

My motivation was really good over the weekend. I did enjoy a few wines or bubblies and a taste of some (not too bad) nibbles but meals were on track and I was in control. So after 3 days of good eating and solid training the post-binge-bloat is well and truly gone. The tummy is flat again (well as flat as it gets at this weight) and there is an ever so slight improvement in my legs. I havent gone near the scales as I want to enjoy this good, positive feeling.

So I was reflecting on how good I was feeling as I bounced into work this morning. It almost seems like the meltdown has catapulted me to a new high of being really driven to do my best. Its also given me a new lease of strength which I just didnt have last week. This feels so much better and I want to bottle this feeling so it can stay with me forever :-) OK enough rambling now as I'm starting to sound like a mad woman!!

As it was a public holiday yesterday, I did a 5km run (expecting it would take me quite some time to complete - say 40 or so minutes). Well I surprised myself by doing it in 34 minutes and working at a level 7 - 8 for the duration. Oh and I had really sore glutes after Saturday's leg session so the first part of the run was really hard and I (almost) considered not doing it. OK thats not true. I would have run it in some form no matter what. I was pretty focussed and sore glutes were not going to beat me. I also did chest/bis and abs and did a PB on the incline bench press which I was really pleased with.

This morning was sprint time. 20 x 50m sprints/50m recoveries. Then 1 x 200m sprint/100m recovery. I was going to do 2 more but there was a man out walking who was looking very intently at me (he wasnt close by but close enough to make a difference). I was wondering if he was just impressed by my athletic prowess (cough, splutter) or if he had other interests so I hotfooted it home and did 2 more sprints of about 200m in front of my house. As its still dark when I'm doing my morning cardio, I'm very safety conscious and my motto is "take no risks".

Well enough rambling from me today. Have a great day all and cheers for now.

Magda

I HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL DAY YESTERDAY

After my big "insightful" post last night I didnt write about the great day I had yesterday. It was a hot one (37 C) so BS and I spent a good part of the day at one of our nearby pools. I was a bit hesitant to bare my body in my bikini (I have no appropraite swimwear whatsoever) but wasnt going to let my boy down. In the end I realised that I was far from the worst looking person there so I just enjoyed the day. I even went in for a swim and had lots of fun watching BS have so much fun.

When we got home I trained legs and lived through week 2 of plyos, albeit just a few at this stage. Man do they kill. I wasnt sure whether to scream or cry at the end of each plyo set. I'm now doing some cardio as part of my leg session, although it is of a moderate intensity. Yesterday it was a 30 min ss ride on my ex bike. Food was all good yesterday as I took a salad + a pouch of salmon in spring water for my lunch and we didnt even go near the junk food kiosk.

My classes went well this morning and I was firing on all cylinders with good energy levels. In the arvo my SIL and her fiance arrived as they have now moved back to Adelaide to live. As part of their welcome I had some wine and a few nibbles but all was under control and dinner was clean and good. This was a small win for me, especially after last week.

So things are going well and I'm looking forward to running 5kms tomorrow and training chest/bis/abs. Bring it on!!

Cheers

Magda

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

Ok the mini-meltdown is over. Yes I lost the plot and just ate like crazy and missed some workouts. I felt really down and couldnt find my way back up. Or so I thought. But a chat with Josh and some time thinking about this journey and realising how much I want to succeed has put me back on the right path.

Last night was the finale to the bad week. On getting home and talking about what we would have for dinner, WH jokingly suggested a pizza from our simply devine local pizza place. Well he just about fainted when I agreed. He asked me at least 3 times if I was sure I wanted it and I said yes (my week had been so bad that a pizza dinner was neither here nor there by then). So we had pizza and red wine and sat and had a really relaxing chat. WH kept telling me what a great night it was with the "old Magda" back. He was loving it. I just told him to enjoy it now as this wouldnt happen again before Sep 29th :-)

So today the negativity is gone and all is back on track. Luckily I hit rock bottom and have bounced back with more determination to keep going and not give up on my dream. I have thought things through and am changing my focus from here on. Up to now I have been really frustrated by my seemingly slow progress in getting weight off (and there is plenty to get off, trust me!!). I weigh/measure weekly but if the number on the scales isnt good enough well...I just lose it and thats what just happened. So despite being totaly addicted to the sacles, I'm vowing to stay away from them. I will check to see if I reach my "Operation 65/74" target but after this week I think its unlikely that I will. So from here on my focus will be:

• Am I eating to plan? On weekends I can relax a little and this should be done without guilt as I still have 28 weeks to go and my diet doesnt have to be 110% strict yet.
• Is my cardio training effective with the right balance of high/moderate intensity work?
• 
  Am I working hard enough when training with weights?
• (and most importantly) Do I feel good about myself because I'm taking positive steps towards my long term goal?

If I can honestly answer yes to these questions then I AM SUCCEEDING!! Bugger the number on the scales.

Looking forward to dealing with things differently (and better) from now on.

Cheers

Magda

FALLEN IN A HEAP - STRUGGLING TO GET BACK UP AGAIN

I'm no longer just wobbling along. The wheels have fallen off. How low do I have to go before I bounce back up again?

I need to regroup and refocus. I need to sign off before I make myself feel even worse.

Magda

WOBBLING ALONG

Firstly thanks to Deb and Liz for leaving words of encouragement after my last post. I'm finding this week particularly hard both physically and mentally, hence this feeling of "wobbling along".

I didnt realise how important my routine has become to me. I rely on it to get everything done in my busy week, with the least amount of pressure and stress. Well this week that routine has gone right out the window. Too much socialising on the weekend, a day off yesterday as WH was having a minor surgery and just falling right behind with training and running our house.

The other thing that is vital to my success is getting enough rest. Strike 2!! After feeling like absolute cr*p on Monday I skipped my early morning cardio yesterday in order to get some much needed sleep. Yes I did feel better yesterday but am still not firing at 100% as I usually do.

Which brings me to strike 3. My digestive system is giving me trouble and I'm starting to fret about it. So I've decided to see my naturopath again as I havent been for some time. Even before the weekend indulgence I was noticing things not working properly so its time for some professional help, I believe.

So how's comp prep going?? I feel like I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth.
Nutrition: 5/10 - should be much better, has previously been much worse
Cardio: 9/10 - still powering along
Weights: 8/10 - juggling like mad to get it all done
Mental state: 5/10 - plenty of room for improvement here - battling thoughts of self-doubt, lack of motivation to eat right, frustrated by slow progress...oh I better stop there.

On the bright side, I have 29 weeks to go so I'm not in the critical phase of prep. I guess I just have to ride out this trough, knowing a peak is on the other side.

Magda

SUFFERING THE EFFECTS OF THE SOCIAL WHIRL

Hoowee what a weekend!! It was all a bit too much really and I'm suffering for it this morning.

I didnt sleep well on Friday night so put the time to good use. Got up at 4.30am, had my protein and started leg training at 4.55am. By 6.30 I had legs + cardio done and was ready to tackle the day. WH and BS went to the Clipsal 500 and I got the dinner preparations well under way. Even managed a nana nap after lunch. We had a great evening on Saturday and I indulged in a wine and a little more carbs than usual but stayed well under control. However, it was a very late night which really shattered me for the next day.

However I still did my classes and then took BS out for the day with my friend and her BS. What a disaster that was. Her boy was over-tired so he chucked a massive tanty and was cranky for the rest of the time. Whilst I really felt for my friend (it wasnt that long ago that my boy was 2 1/2 as well), I just wanted to get out of there as I was too tired to enjoy what was a very difficult time.

So we eventually made our escape and I'm stressed, tired, hungry and fed up when we get home. We have visitors (which I knew about) and the chips, cheese, crackers, cashews etc are all out and I just weakened and enjoyed a nice little feast of this junk + some left-over wine.

So this morning I'm suffering the effects of this self-inflicted attack on my body. I still got up to do my cardio but have felt quite ill since. Well I guess this is just a classic case of "you commit the crime, you do the time".

Cant wait for my system to get back to its normal happy, clean state!

Cheers to all

Magda

SAVED BY MY NEW TOY

After weeks of training with no music, yesterday I treated myself to a new iPOD and WH spent hours last night loading some of my fave tracks onto it. So this morning I was out there with Billy (Its a Nice Day For a White Wedding) Idol, Robbie/Kylie belting out Kids and Bon Jovi's Living On a Prayer...which is what I'm doing right now...praying that my weight loss kicks into gear or me and my rolls of fat will be waddling onto that stage, come September lol!!

My instincts were right and my loss this week was .1 of a kg. I did lose some centimetres and yes I do know about muscle weighing more than fat blah, blah, blah but unless this fat starts shifting I'm gonna be fretting big time as September 29 draws nearer.

And thats all I'll say about that coz I dont want this whole post to be doom and gloom, woe is me.

I had a fun evening with BS last night making choc chip biscuits for morning tea at work today. You see I love baking but rarely bake for us at home. WH doesnt need the extra calories or fat and BS can/will only eat so much and as for me well why torture myself. I'm told that they are delicious.

Cardio today was the 3.7 km run route but I did it in intervals of running fast/jogging slow. No set distances or times for the intervals, I just went with what felt hard. It took 24 mins (cut 2 mins off my ss time) and so I added a jog lap around 2 blocks for an extra 8 mins to take my total time juts over 30 mins. Having music to run with was a huge motivator today as my mood was down and depressed after the weigh in.

I have a big social weekend ahead with friends coming for dinner on Saturday night. I'm planning to do a baked fish with BBQ "roasted" veges. Quite healthy really and WH will be doing most of the cooking (double bonus!!). Then on Sunday BS and I are meeting up with a friend and her BS for a day out with our boys. A ride on Popeye on the Torrens is planned. I'm still hoping to fit in my usual weekend training sessions around the social ones.

Have a good one everyone. Cheers

Magda

MARCH BEGINS

I have 22 days to achieve Operation 65/74. The pressure is on. I'm finding myself getting really anxious about the rate at which my weight is coming down. Here are my concerns:

• Tomorrow is weigh/measure day (as long as my system is on track too) and I just feel like nothing has happened these 8 days - or dare I say that my weight has crept back up a bit.

• My diet has been very good with only a bit of wine Saturday night and a slightly larger steak than my usual serve of 100g.

• Although I didnt teach on Sunday, I added an extra sprint session on Tuesday morning and have now done my 4 planned stair climbs at work. So training wise, there has been no slacking off either.

• I'm taking a fat-burner now and have been for about 2 weeks. Whilst I dont expect the weight loss to be rapid from these, I do expect it to be constant. I dont think thats asking too much.

So if I can honestly say that I've been doing all the right things then I have a right to expect a decent result. Tomorrow morning will tell but I'm bracing myself for disappointment.

I was a bit flat last night and was therefore mentally dragging myself through my step class. Fortunately this is quite rare. I didnt register that wonderful cardio high you get when you belt into "the zone". The aerobic class was better though and this is a nice change as its usually my less energetic class. I did a ss run this morning with tired, heavy legs. The distance is just 3.7kms and it took me 26mins. I'd love to do 5kms but need to work out a route that keeps me close to home. I also need to set out a bit earlier as it'll take longer than 30mins which is usually my max time in the mornings.

Well I'm going to sign off this (depressing) post right there and pray for the best tomorrow. Stay tuned for my result - good or bad.

Cheers all

Magda

ANOTHER MONTH GONE - TIME IS FLYING

Its hard to believe that its already the end of February. Time is going so fast. Some time ago I had set myself a mini-goal of being a certain weight by the end of Feb which I havent achieved but I'm totally ok with that as I did have a very (sinful) week off for my Sydney trip. I have since reviewed that mini-goal and am doing my best to achieve it - Operation 65/74 by March 23rd. One thing Sydney did for me is to give my weight loss a bit of a jolt and break through a barrier thats always been hard to achieve. So no regrets about indulging that week.

So what will March bring?

• Another trip to Sydney with friends this time, to celebrate our anniversaries. Thats happening on the 23rd.
• My SIL and her fiancee are moving to Adelaide and will be living quite close to us. In one way this is great as we'll be able to see them quite often but it does mean that there will be so much more temptataion to slip off my nutrition plan when we socialise with them. That'll really test me.
• A big effort to achieve my Operation 65/74. This means taking the stairs at work, adding more sprints to my cardio and making sure that my nutrition is 95% on track. When my mindset is positive (like it is now) this is all quite easy but should the tide turn (as it always does), I will be tested yet again.

With all my weights sessions done for this week, I was slothing it on the couch last night watching DWTS, guilt free. What an indulgent evening. Today's cardio is my evening classes so it was just one lot of stairs on the way in to work this morning. How cruisy!! But I'm planning to give my all tonight and really belt out 2 great classes for a fantastic cardio workout.

Cheers all

Magda

A GREAT START TO THE WEEK

Feeling all revved and raring to go this week. Yesterday I chucked in a second stair climb in the afternoon as I find that I get quite sluggish sitting at my desk for most of the day. Thats 2 out of the planned 4 already done. Eats have been good.

I havent worked today as I had to take BS for a speech session and it ran very late. So I put the day to very fruitful use by hitting the gym for a double weights session (back/abs and shoulders / tris). For some reason today, my strength on the curl grip pulldowns just wasnt there. I still managed 10 reps for 3 sets but that was the hardest its ever been and I've been on this weight for a few weeks now. Then to totally blow me away, the seated cable rows were easier than usual which is the opposite to every other back session I've done. Go figure!! I have some new tri exercises which is always interesting as we get used to a new routine and work our way up with the weights.

With all this training and other commitments today I found that I missed eating my lunch. Woops!! Not intentional but just how things panned out with the timing of training and PWO shake + fruit etc. Otherwise nutrition has been good.

Today's cardio was intervals of 15 secs each: walk/jog/run for about 20 mins (or 4 laps of my sprinting oval) then another 10 or so mins of ss run so that I'm at it for 30 mins. I must say I enjoy my cardio despite that its at 5.30 in the morning AND out in the dark and despite now doing sprints of some sort for a few sessions each week. When I first started sprinting it terrified me and my legs were soooo sore but now its just another cardio session that I look forward to.

Today WH asked me how I can run in the dark and expressed some concern about the safety aspect (thats why he's a WH :-) ) Well I can only say that I'm as careful as one can be. I only run where its well lit (or just very briefly in short dark spots) and habitated. If its a bit desserted or isolated I give it a big miss. Plus I always take my phone with me just in case and I dont go too far from home. My 50 and 100m sprints are done just at the end of my street so I always feel quite safe. Plus what other option do I have?? Not many with my schedule and circumstances.

So thats me in a nutshell. Chugging along ticking all the boxes (well just about all), taking 1 day at a time. Is there any other way??

Cheers all

Magda

NO MORE CBB MOMENTS

I'm an honest and open person so last Friday I reported in to the Boss (Josh) that I'd had a CBB (cant be bothered) moment and didnt do the stairs at work even though I had planned to. Needless to say that Josh was not very impressed with this attitude and I concede that HE IS RIGHT. So from now on I vow to have no more CBB moments. Even though the stairs arent actually part of my training program (YET!!), if I decide to do them then I should do them and not have this slack CBB attitude.

So I have told Josh that I will do the stairs 4 times this week and I will. Number 1 was this morning. For cardio today I set out to do 20 x 50m sprints/50m recovery nana jogs + 6 x 100m sprints/recovery walks. Then I decided to up the 100m sprints to 8. No more CBB attitude. I was so buggered that the last 3 100m laps were a bit slower but I did it and then ran home. I felt great when it was done.

The weekend was good. Apart from a bit of wine on Saturday night (more to keep the peace with WH than for really wanting to drink wine) the diet was good. I didnt do my classes on Sunday as I took BS to a birthday party but I did fit in a short sharp 18 minute run despite the schedule being quite tight.

My Countdown to Comp chart now tells me I have 30 weeks to go to Sep 29th. On one hand it seems like ages but on the other I know it'll go so quickly. Plus I'd really like to be much leaner when I officially start prep. Never having done it before and not knowing exactly what to expect I'm just mindful of not making it harder than it has to be.

Ok enough waffling now. Time to sign off and do what I'm here to do.

Cheers all

Magda

I CANT HOLD BACK TODAY

...yes I've just got to get this BMW off my chest. I am sick of being surrounded by tempting, crappy (but delicious!) food all day. Every Friday my floor has a big morning tea for everyone. There is always a range of the usual junky things and some fruit of which I have a few mouthfuls. But yesterday the table was groaning under cakes, biscuits, sausage rolls, corn chips, crackers, dips and more and not a piece of fruit in sight. Thats M1 off my chest.

Now for M2: Usually the stuff goes pretty quickly and the fruit lingers around for the day. So why was it that yesterday this huge plate of what looked like anzac biscuits lasted ALL DAY. Along with an assortment of the other junk it was there teasing me ALL DAY.

Ready for M3??!! I dont know how many catered meetings were held in the conference room on our floor but there was also a steady stream of even more cakes and pastries coming out as left-overs from the meetings. It just seemed never ending. Cakes, more cakes and even more cakes.

Oh and to put the icing on the cake I had to go to the Central Market (the greatest food place ever in Adelaide) and with a bit of time on my hands wanted to have a look around before I bought something for WH's dinner. Yep you guessed it cakes, breads, pastries and every delectable morsel you can imagine.

It took all my strength to resist this never ending stream of temptations but I did it.

To end on a happy note, I had a wonderful night out with the girls (quite impromptu) going to a concert and then out for coffee (or peppermint tea for me) afterwards. Oh and there wasnt a cake in sight at our table :-)..

Cheers all

Magda

NEARING THE FINISH LINE IN A STRESSFUL WEEK

Yes I too could have a BMW session today (thanks for this gem Liz) but will refrain. There has been so much going on, all of it putting pressures on my time, my sense of calm and my ability to stay focussed on my goals. On many occassions this week I could easily have slipped back into some very bad, but very comfortable old habits. It really has felt like a long hard slog at times.

But I'm pleased to say that I have stayed on track with both nutrition and training. I can now take comfort in the fact that I wasnt beaten, I was strong enough to stick to my plan, even when things got tough. Having said that, it wasnt all bad but I'm looking forward to a more "normal" time next week, whatever that may be.

I did a SS run this morning, increasing my distance but did it in my usual time. Thats 1 for me! Aerobically I felt great but my legs were quite tired and heavy (must be from yesterday's sprints which were harder than before). I pushed on nevertheless. I was planning to do the 200+ stairs as well but had a CBB (cant be bothered) moment at the last minute and took the lift instead. Justification: My legs are tired and I want them to be fresh for tomorrow's weights session. Thats 1 for the sloth. Some you win, some you dont.

After a pretty ordinary weekend last weekend, WH is itching to go out so we're heading out to a new local family bistro as BS will be with us too. Lets hope they have food suitable for me to eat and its not all something-or-other with chips. I'm looking forward to having a little wine too :-)

Cheers

Magda

THE SKINNY SKIRT LESSON

What started as a high for being able to get my skinny skirt on, zipped up and buttoned up ended in a major stranglement by the end of my work day.

Note to self: A skirt that is snug (polite term) at the start of the day will, without doubt, get snugger as the day progresses. All that food and water takes up space which is forced to squeeze into the snug skirt. If one doesnt want to be strangled by one's skirt, one should only wear skirts that have a little more room than zero.

Needless to say, today I have a very stylish black dress on that has no waistband. It has a DKNY label and looks fantastic, making me feel that way too.

I had another night of bad sleep, despite being very tired from having slept badly every night since last Sunday. I woke up somewhere between 1 and 1.30 despite trying so hard to not wake up. I had a little bite on my left arm and ended up scratching it which then really had me awake and imagining spiders crawling around in my bedroom and biting me in my sleep. I know I was awake for at least 2 hours so am struggling a bit this morning.

Last night's classes were just awesome again. I had incredible energy and really put it out there. Trained back and abs too which was another good session. Although I have no posing ability whatsoever (yet!) I'm trying to check my progress with my muscle development but I swear I have no lats and this is of some concern. Must bring it up with Josh at next set of photos. And even though I was dead tired this morning, I got up and did another sprint session and then took the 200+ stairs at work.

Have a good one guys, til tomorrow

Magda

COPING WITH STRESS

Hoowee, what a day it was yesterday. Issues at work had my stress levels climbing, some private stuff was pushing them up even further and I was exchanging "venting emails" with WH (who was NOT the cause of any of the stress, by the way). Previously, days like that would have me virtually cleaning out the charity junk food box before heading to the local snack bars for further "comfort". But I'm so pleased to say that yesterday was different and although I had a few extra sugar free lollies, there was no other slip in my resolve. Thats one for me!

Later in the afternoon WH and I had an appointment that ran soooo late that we got home much later than usual. Then its time to prepare dinner and I have 3 different dinners to make. Thats not a complaint, just a statement of how I choose to manage my and my family's nutrition. Its all under control. The "evening schedule" seems to take for ever its almost 8.30 before I have "me time". Now its crunch time! Do I flop in front of the TV to watch the rest of DWTS justifying it with "well its been a long, hard day so I deserve this" or do I bite the bullet and train?

Yes I chose to train. Moved my weights to the family room, put the TV on in the exercise room, didnt miss a step on DWTS (well not many anyway) and did shoulders and tris. Blitzed shoulders too with weight increases, rep increases and improvements in form. Was sooooo proud that I did it. I did get to bed a bit later than what I would have liked but I also knew that even if I had gone earlier, I wouldnt have gotten to sleep quickly. Sleeping is not the greatest at the moment but it'll pass.

Today I have one of my "skinny skirts" on. Its still a little tight but because its lined, it looks ok. I'm just so glad that I'm in it. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and it wouldnt do up so I now have cold hard evidence of progress :-)

Bring on the next weigh and measure!

Magda

A RELAXING NIGHT OFF FOLLOWED BY A RUN IN THE RAIN

With no weight training scheduled for last night I was wandering around the house like a bit of a lost soul. BS was tucked safely into bed, WH was watering the crispy plants outside (its been very hot and dry here) and me...well I was waiting for Desperate Housewives to begin. That was the highlight of my evening. Sad hey??!!

I was up at my usual time this morning and 2 minutes before setting out for my run, it started raining. WTF!!! I just couldnt face the exercise bike in the hot and stuffy exercise room so I braved the rain. Plus I was convinced it wouldnt last. Well I didnt get too far before I woosed out and made my way home to finish the cardio session on the dreaded bike. I cant say that today's cardio inspired me or left me feeling great, but I guess I wont always have those awesome sessions. The main thing is that I did cardio despite adverse conditions, whereas in the past the rain would have been reason enough to chuck it in for that day. Oh and let me not forget that I took the 206 stairs up to my floor at work to compensate for the earlier session. Just a little bit of extra cardio to boost the day's total.

Well its finally back!! The new series of Dancing With The Stars starts tonight and I cant wait. Luckily tonight is shoulders and tris which is my shortest session so it'll fit nicely around the show. You might question where my priorities lie, but I just call it multi-tasking :-)

Cheers

Magda

THE MORNING AFTER PRISCILLA

That's me on the left and my beautiful SIL on the right. Yes we have matching "I love the night life" T-shirts lol.

NO NO NO NO AND NO AGAIN!!

On Saturday we had a family BBQ at my parents' place. I said no to the wine, the nibbles - including mum's to-die-for-cheese-scones, sausages, potato salad, garlic bread and even desert - mum's to-die-for-caramel-slice. I drank gallons of soda water with lime and had about the right portion of the best available proteins and tons of tossed salad. I talked my way through desert. I went there really determined to not pig out and I was really pleased that I didnt. Cant say the same about my poor mum. She looked quite disappointed that I wasnt tucking in (like I usually do!!)

I also had an excellent weekend training wise. Just moderate intensity cardio on Saturday as I did legs later that morning. Great session, every rep felt effective :-). Then on Sunday I taught my classes and was so in the zone through step that I got to the stage where I just wasnt getting enough O2. Had to get off the step, walk around to recover and then hop back on. Woops!! I tell you, I was on fire!! I even managed to do chest and bis later on Sunday even though I was quite tired after after the morning's classes. On my push-ups (from feet/hands on low bench) I managed 20 reps in my 2nd set. Was very pleased with that!! What an awesome weekend that was.

So cause I'm firing on all cylinders I pushed out a tough cardio session this morning. I jogged to my sprint tracks (just down the road) then did 6 x 180m sprints with 100m recover walks; 6 x 100m sprints with short recovery walks; 2 x 50m sprints; run home. The 180m sprints really take it out of me so by the time I was up to the 50m ones I hardly had anything left in the tank. The run home finished me off nicely :-)

I weighed and measured on the weekend too. I cant believe that after a few days home and eating clean and training again I weigh less than what I did before I went to Sydney. WTF!! I expected at least 2 kilos back on. So I'm sitting just over 67 kgs but I know I need to work my butt off to break under this weight. So my "Operation 65/74" still wont be a walk in the park.

Well bring it on. This time I'm doing it!!

Cheers

Magda

I'VE JOINED THE "OPERATION....." CLUB

After reading Lia's and Katie's blogs I've decided to hop on the "Opertation..." bandwagon. Mine is Operation 65/74": 65 kilos OR 74cms waist measurement by 23rd March. Its a pretty ambitious goal but I'm determined to give it my best shot. On that weekend, WH and I are going to Sydney with my best friend and her husband. We'll all be celebrating our anniversaries there (ours is on the 26th so its perfect timing) and I want to look good for that trip. As for my reward, I just want to be able to wear some of my beautiful thin clothes that have sat in my wardrobe since I've been heavy again. That will be a huge treat for me :-)

So I'm focussing on my positive mindset and drawing strength from my desire to succeed (thanks for this insight Liz). I have yet to weigh and measure to check where I'm starting from but will do this shortly. So its clean eats, minimal alcohol and training with passion and determination for the next 5 weeks. I know the going will get tough at times but this is a good chance to show what I'm made of.

We have a bbq at my parents' place tomorrow with some of my family. No alcohol for me and I'm going to sit as far away from the nibbles as possible. Mum usually does some nice chicken and a tossed salad so eats should be ok. Saying no to desert will test me though. I'm planning to train legs on Saturday and I have a new program which I'm looking forward to trying. If all goes well, I'll even do chest/bis on Sunday which gives me a great headstart on my weight training for the week. Its going to be a scorching weekend so I'll decide which cardio is best at the time on Saturday. Sunday will be my classes. I need to clock up a few really good days to get me on a strong start.

So thats it for me. Have a great weekend all.

Magda

SYDNEY'S OVER AND I'M BAAAAACK

Wow, what a fantastic trip. There's something about being in holiday mode that just lifts your spirits and lets you leave your cares behind. And I certainly did just that. I've had just under a week of being totally off program. I dont dare weigh or measure for at least a week as I can feel every extra gram and added centimetre. I guess there's always a price to pay for such an indulgence.

Whilst in Sydney we went to see Priscilla (the stage show) and made a big night of it with drinks first, then dinner, the show and then more drinks after the show. The show was absolutely magnificent. Excellent music (yes I'm an 80s tragic!!), fantastic costumes and Nick Hardcastle who played Felicia (played by Guy Pearce in the original movie) was hot, hot, hot!!! God, did he have great legs. I was so jealous :-) I cant recommend it highly enough if you have 1/2 a chance to see it, make sure you do. You wont be sorry.

SIL had a wonderful time too. We also mozied around Darling Harbour quite a bit and she took us to the Lindt Cafe. OMG!! Even though I'm not a great chocolate lover I had the world's best hot chocolate ever. Picture this: a pot of melted lindt chocolate and a small pitcher of hot, frothed milk and an empty cup and saucer. You mix it together yourself and its absolutely divine. Most of the cakes/biscuits were way too chocolatey for my liking but I did manage a little morsel that was essentially a vanilla cake with a bit of white chocolate in it and rasberry chips on the top. Nice!

So I could rave on and on about the whole Sydney thing but I wont bore you all with the details. I have spent the morning catching up on everyone's blogs which is a daily "must do task". Lia, thanks so much for posting your "Honesty is the Best Policy" blog entry. I really needed to read about your struggles with this whole dieting thing. Its comforting to know that I dont struggle alone. I swear I have this Jeckyl andf Hyde thing happening. I can rack up several days or even weeks of being right on track and doing all the right things and then out of the blue I transform into a sloth and I eat crap and dont train at all. Years ago my WH bought me a birthday card with a little badge on it that reads "sin now, pray later" and it so sums me up.

OK now thatI've got all that off my chest I will just have to Jeckyl back into "Magda, Figure Competitor" and get back on with the task of dieting, cardioing, weight training and positively reinforcing that I can do this, I will do this and I will succeed.

I'm on my way already. I did my classes last night, did a 30 minute steady state jog this morning AND took the stairs up to my office which is on LEVEL 11. Needless to say, my legs are screaming after the break from training and then to be hit like this in 12 or so hours.

Have a great day all

Magda

FEELING DOWN

I dont know if its because I'm so tired, or if my system is out of whack after last weekend, or a myriad of other possibilities but I'm feeling down. I was really down in the dumps last night with no motivation to train. I forced myself to do chest/bis but my strength was down too and I dragged myself through the session. I couldnt wait to go to bed.

I slept ok but had another period of being awake after 3am. My alarm went off at 5.10 and I seriously didnt want to get up but I did. After having my shake, my hot lemon drink and dressing in my running gear, I lay on the sofa praying that I would fall back asleep and miss the cardio session. But that wasnt to be and I did the 20 x 20sec sprints/40sec recovery session. Cant say I felt much better when it was over.

I need to get out of this rut as tomorrow we leave for Sydney for 5 days. Its my wonderful sister-in-laws 40th birthday and its celebration time. I dont want to be moping around dragging down everyone's mood. And I dont want to feel depressed either. I want to be enjoying it all with her. Needless to say there will be a fair bit of eating off plan and enjoying a glass or several...and I dont mean water ..wink wink!!

Will be back to blog again middle of next week.

Magda

A BREAK IN ROUTINE

I had no classes last night as WH and I attended a Parent Information night at BS's kindy/school. What an enlightening evening but as I lay in bed trying to get to sleep much later than usual my mind could only focus on my performance as a parent. Was I doing enough? Was I doing the right things? Was I doing things right? Was I making sure my son would develop into the well rounded person that we hope for. The questions were endless and they kept me awake for some time. Not sure that I had all the answers but I know this will spark some great discussion with WH.

As a result of this huge "think session" I got to sleep much later than my preferred 10pmish time :-( and am very tired today. This morning's cardio was a 30 min steady state run, which I now only do about once a week. After we get back from Sydney, my aim is to introduce 1 new cardio format every week. Whether its variety in the type of exercise or just playing around with different sprint combos, whatever, I just want to keep it varied and interesting.

Dinner was out last night at a nice Italian Cafe close to BS's school. I'm pleased to say that I resisted the huge urge to have pasta, garlic bread and a glass of red wine and chose the warm chook salad and had Diet Coke. Big achievement considering where I was at with food just a few days ago. I felt great afterwards, even though it was a very ordinary chook salad.

I have chest and bis to train tonight and then my weights are done and dusted for the week. Oh and lucky me, Josh has given me next week off training as I'll be holidaying in Sydney for 5 days with not much opportunity for any decent weight training. So its just cardio and trying to keep the eating under control...oh and lets not forget the biggest temptation...ALCOHOL. SIL is having her 40th so a drink or two is surely to be consumed.

Cheers all

Magda

A REFLECTIVE DAY

Firstly let me say that all is going well. I didnt need to train last night as I did a double weights session in the morning but I did some moderate intensity cardio in the afternoon. Eating was right on track too.

So why am I refelctive today? I try hard to not dwell on the past and all the mistakes that I have made but I think there is benefit in looking back on events and learning from them so you dont repeat the same mistakes over and over. Having said that I've been thinking about last weekend and how I totally lost the plot and lost control of my eating. I have planned some strategies to try if/when I feel like that again. Just little things to do to prevent such a negative blowout again. I have a big jar of pickled vegetables in my pantry, just perfect if I'm craving something salty, sour, crunchy etc. I also have some dried dates which are so sweet that just a few should satisfy a craving for sweets. Then there is always the option of just getting out of the kitchen/house and doing something right away from food. I know it may take all my strength to choose these options in future, but being able to do so will only help me get to the figure bb stage. Thats incentive enough....I hope.

I've been quite hungry today too. Its just meant that some of meals/snacks were a bit earlier than usual and luckily I had a busy afternoon so that took my mind off my rumbling tummy for a while. The thing I love most about eating clean is that there is some food on the menu every 3 or so hours. I mean how hard is it to stick to your plan when you're eating so often? And nice yuumy stuff too. I make a point of not having anything that I downright hate and luckily my nutrition plan is still flexible enough to allow me to do that :-)

Glutes are sore today which is a real bonus. Legs are getting stronger and capable of lifting heavier weights but there is only so much I can hold in DBs so I've been concerned about how effective my leg training is. Anyway the Master (aka Josh) has warned that I will really hate him after next week's legs session which he has changed. What makes him think that it'll take til next week for me to hate him :-)
.
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. Just kidding! Love ya Josh :-))

Magda

I'VE PICKED UP THE PIECES AND AM MOVING ON

Reflecting on yesterday I can proudly say that it was a good day. I ate clean, I cardioed hard and my shoulder/tricpes session was great. All that aside, its the mental state that makes the biggest difference. When I'm feeling positive and empowered life breezes along. Challenges are faced and conquered and the result is that I feel even more positive. But if the tide turns, as it did last weekend I need to find strategies to deal with those negative times. I guess its all apart of the journey. Sometimes the road will be long but smooth and sometimes it'll be so bumpy that progress seems to slow right down.

I'm not at work today as I need to take care of some important personal maintenance. A visit to the chiro this morning has sorted out my very sore neck and I'm feeling much better. I used my free time before the chiro to hit the gym and did 2 sessions back to back: legs first and then straight into back/abs. Awesome! My strength on the curl grip pulldowns just gets better and better and today's back program was a really good one. Heavier on the curl grips and a bit lighter on the wide grip pulldowns so all my reps had good form :-).

I've also treated myself to the new gym gear I had planned when I reached my next mini goal. After checking out what all the fancy sports stores had and not being overly impressed with it, I ended up looking in Target and found some excellent pieces at a fraction of the price + got another 15% off. But thats not even the best bit! The 3/4 black pants I chose were a size 8 and they look fantastic. Now I know Target has quite generous sizing but I dont care. The number on the tag is an "8" and I'm happier than happy :-))

So thats my shallow little brag for the day. Now its time to go and clean out my pantry before a visit to the doctors for more personal maintenance.

Have a great day all

Magda

FALLING OFF THE WAGON AND GETTING BACK ON AGAIN

Well I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I had a "less than ideal" weekend in terms of my nutrition. In fact it was downright BAD!! It was like something clicked and I just wanted to eat everything in sight, and I dont mean lean protein and salad. It made me realise that old habits die hard and had me momentarily doubting whether I could do this. The mind is such a powerful thing and I cant afford to have it working against me.

So this morning I hit my cardio session hard. 6 x 180m sprints with 100m recovery walk in between, then 6 x 100m sprints with 15-20 sec recovery in between and 4 min jog warm-up and return home. All up 29 minutes and I felt sick when I got home :-) Hope it burned off a few of the extra calories.

Had a wonderful day off on Friday. Got heaps done and enjoyed the time spent with BS. On Saturday I did some fill in classes - 3 to be exact - including a BodyPump class to finish. On Josh's advice I worked it hard and in many tracks my muscles were screaming by the end. Later that afternoon I experienced major tiredness and knew that there would be no more weight training on the weekend for me. I did my usual cardio classes on Sunday in extreme heat - again. Although we have ac at the gym, I dont always feel the benefit of it if I'm doing full on cardio.

And as for Sunday, well I spent the day eating. Need I say more. Actually I prepared food for this week and took care of domestic chores so I did manage something productive. Today has gone well and even though I've been dreaming of foods I shouldnt be eating, I've stayed strong and kept the nutrition clean and on track.

Wish me luck to get over these backward steps and to find the strength to keep moving forward.

Magda

DEALING WITH DUD SCALES

Today's meeting with Tanita was a bit of a let down but I havent let it get me down. My measurements had dropped a little and I'm feeling better as each day goes by so its a big pfff to the scales which were telling me I'd gained .6. What would they know anyway!

Josh prescribed a different cardio sprint session for me today and it was great. I jogged to my local oval and did 20 sec sprint/40 sec recovery splits for 20 minutes, then jogged home. The whole session took 30 minutes and the time goes so much quicker than on a steady state run.

Last night I did back and abs at the gym and saw a little bit more improvement on some of the exercises. Curl grip pulldowns are my absolute favourites as I just feel so strong in that position. Shame I cant say the same about wide grips as well. Still struggling a bit with those. Then followed up with my classes but had lower than normal energy. My bet is that its just my legs being tired from the previous night's weights and the day before's sprints. The things we do to get into shape. If you'd have told me that I'd be doing sprint runs, heavy leg weights, 90 minute cardio sessions when I'm teaching and some "lighter cardio" (eg steady state runs) to fill in the other days, I'd have said "NO WAY! I CANT DO ALL THAT" But look at me! I'm doing it all and dare I say I'm even enjoying it...well some of the time :-)

I'm having the day off work tomorrow as its the last day before BS goes back to kindy. Cant wait to hang out with my gorgeous boy. Life is good :-)

Magda