I Have New Shoes!!!

I now actually own runners. Not cross trainers, but actual running sneakers. This may not sound like such a huge deal but let me explain...

From the time I was about 3 or 4 (when I was old enough to hold a tennis raquet) I have worn plain old, ordinary, everyday sneakers or cross trainers. I always played some sort of sport, or participated in some sort of group fitness class while also running. I may have mentioned this before but I have played tennis, field hockey, netball, soccer, touch football, and numerous other field sports over the past 20 odd years. Plus I have done just about every Les Mills group fitness class. When I was at university I practically lived in my sneakers (particularly in the winter). So, as you can see, it was more practical for me to have cross trainers. I also have shoddy ankles (thank you netball and gymnastics) so the extra protection was worth it. Now, I only run/go to the gym. No sports. No group fitness classes. Although I do miss both. But, no need to have cross trainers. Hence the acquisition of new runners.

They're so much lighter than my other sneakers. It's amazing. I'll be able to run so much better without the weight of my shoes holding me back now :D... maybe.

Anyway... I bought these yesterday on my shopping trip. You can't really see too well in the picture, but they're a silver colour with pink highlights (if that's the right word). I don't like white shoes. At all. No matter what they are. I don't like them. Anytime I buy shoes that have white parts I scuff them up almost immediately. But I don't have to do that with these ones. They can stay nice and clean and new looking for longer because I'm not stepping all over them, or scuffing them in the dirt so they don't look so blindingly white. Yay!

Today I was sort of lazy. My food has been good. Pretty much no processed foods. I made a cheesy pasta bake with chicken today before I went to work. I had some for lunch fresh out of the oven fully planning to go to the gym when I had somewhat digested it, but somewhere time ran away and before I knew it it was time for me to get ready for work.

I don't feel too guilty for it though. I did instruct an hour long spin class tonight too. I may have had a serve of the pasta bake for dinner too though. I was starving! I really haven't had alot to eat today. I really should go tomorrow though but between a pt session in the morning, a photo thingy for the local paper at lunchtime and working tomorrow night, I'm not sure I'll get there. I'll see.

If you have never done a spin class I beg you to go and try a few out. Notice I said a few. Unfortunately, spin does take a few classes to get into, not to mention the bike seats are uncomfortable, so you really can't just do 1 and say "I don't like it". You need to give it a few goes, and even try a few instructors out, to see what you like. Every instructor is different, and if you do freestyle classes, every class is different. I know my classes are always different. I only have basic instructions written down for each song, so I play it by ear a little and each class is different, if for no other reason than I can't remember what I said the last class.

It's also a great cardio burn. You really shouldn't ache too much the next day either. I remember my first spin class, and I came out thinking that I wouldn't be able to walk the next day, but it was my bum that hurt, and that was from the seat. You're legs may ache a little but nothing major. I find that I would ache more from a bodycombat class than spin.

That's it from me tonight. I'm off for a hot shower, and bed. Night

Shopping, shopping, shopping...

Ok, so no formal workout in today... just like I said there probably wouldn't be.

BUT... I did do alot of walking, and trying clothes and shoes etc on so I think I got a decent cardio workout in. I really should invest in a pedometer to see how many steps I take everyday. It would make me feel less guilty when I don't get a formal workout in. Does anyone else get like that? Guilty when they don't do something on their 'to do' list? I do. Maybe it's just me.

I, stupidly, skipped breakfast this morning because I was running late. I had to pick M up at 8.30am, and I was at the pertol station at that time filling up my car. Petrol's getting so expensive. I'm glad I don't do alot of travelling long distances. I wish that it wasn't so cold or dark when I leave work at the moment because I'd walk to work instead of driving. Maybe as it gets warmer. Except the odd days when I have to open or close. It's creepy when I have to open or close the gym. It's quiet, and dark, and super creepy. I keep expecting someone to be hiding in the shadows between the buildings or hiding in the toilets when I lock up. Especially when we park out the back and there's only one spotlight off the building.

Anyway... back on topic. So I missed breakfast and I ended up pulling into McDonalds and getting a bacon and egg mcmuffin (which I felt a little bad about) and a hot chocolate (because I don't really like or drink coffee). M wanted a hot chocolate too so I probably wouldn't have stopped if I was on my own.

When we finally made it to our shopping destination (a little under 2 hours later. Sometimes I hate living in small towns) the first place we hit was The Body Shop. I love this place. Everything is so luxurious and good for the world. So much free trade, and it's so good for you too. It's a little expensive, but I've come to the conclusion that sometimes you're better to pay a little more for some things. I bought a day lipstick... something I've been wanting to buy for a while. I needed a colour I could wear during the day that wouldn't look overdone. I don't work in an office or the like, so I needed something that wouldn't look out of place, something that was natural but just a little more colour. I found my colour. And it's such a nice lipstick to put on too. It just feels nice, not sticky or heavy or anything like that.

After that we hit an underwear shop. And I spent a small fortune. I needed it, and I bought lots of pretty stuff. Who cares that I'm the only one going to see it (except for my neighbours when I hang it on the line. The joys of being single), I deserve something pretty, so I decided that I was going to buy something pretty. I bought lots of pretty. And I tried on so many types and brands and styles. It's amazing how your sizing can change depending on the style and materials. I will have to do alot of throwing out of stuff from my underwear drawers later. But it was worth it. I tend to keep stuff until it's falling apart of the like before I buy new stuff. I'm going to have to get over that and just buy new stuff and throw the old stuff out.

I got a start on the throwing stuff out over the weekend actually. I went through my drawers and closet and now have a garbage bag of clothes and shoes I no longer wear to go to charity. It makes me feel better that they're going to charity, and there's a little more room in my closet.

After my hour+ I spent underwear shopping (and spending enough to make M laught at me because when I couldn't decide between 2 I bought both) we headed to the food caught for lunch. I am in love with Sangas and Spuds. It's sooooo good. I had a Ranch Salad. Not quite as healthy as it sounds but still alot healthier than alot of stuff in food courts, and healthier than M's McDonalds. Basically a ranch salad is lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cheese, croutons, shredded bacon, onion, chicken (either grilled or crumbed) with ranch dressing. This time it had a little more dressing than I usually like but it was still sooooo delicious. I wish I knew exactly which Ranch dressing they use though because I've never tasted one like this one. There's just something different about it.

After lunch, and a nice long girly discussion (you have to have those) we headed to the shoe store. Unfortunately it wasn't for heels or the like, but for a new pair of runners. And an actual pair of runners rather than cross trainers. They're so cool... I will post pics later. Possibly tomorrow.

After a look through JB for movies and music (and neither of us bought anything) and a me buying a dress that I got for half price because of all the discounts I had lying in the bottom of my handba,g it was time to go home.

It was so nice on the way home with the sun streaming in through the front windshield. I wanted to be like a cat and curl up in the sun somewhere and nap for a while. It would have been such a nice thing to do. I remember the cat I had as a kid (we had to put her down when I was 19. We'd had her for 15 years) would curl up on the window sill in the sun. I want to be able to do that. Curl up in a sunny spot not fit on the window sill.

It was so nice to have a day off and not have to stress about work or what I need to do or what I wil be doing tomorrow. Things like that. It's nice to have a day of fun and relaxation. I will have to do this more often, although with a lower price tag. ALOT lower haha.

All in all food wasn't that bad today. Dinner was simple: chicken schnitzel and oven fries. I should have had something green in there, I haven't really had alot today, but I just wasn't feeling it. Cleaning and work tomorrow so I'm going to go and have a nice, hot shower, and curl up in bed with a good book.

Night

Hellooooo August

Can you feel the sun starting to peek through the clouds? Can you feel the winds starting to pick up? Can you feel the heat starting o arrive and the coldness starting to leave? Well, if you're in the southern hemisphere you possibly can. For those of you in the northern hemisphere enjoy what you have left of the warm weather. I can't wait for it to appear on a more permanent basis here. After a horribly windy, and cold week, I'm loving the re-emergence of the sun.

In honour of the emerging sun, and the warmer weather starting to make an appearance I have decided to embark on my own health and fitness/weight loss challenge. Spring is just a little over 4 weeks away, summer a little over 4 months away. The weather is starting to get warmer, meaning less clothing, less coverage, and more skin. Less clothes, and more skin = slot more self consciousness. I'm not someone who is overly concerned about how I look, but there looks like there's going to be a Contiki reunion on the Gold Coast in November, so that means bikini's and shorts. So... yeah...

I'm going to limit the crap in my diet, notice I said limit not eliminate, and exercise like crazy. Or... more than I have been lately. And I'm going to post it all for you here. Everyday. For at least a week. What I eat and what exercise I do. For the next month. At least once a week, hopefully more than once a week, I will post what I do exercise and food wise. Just to show you what personal trainers do. To prove to you that we're not perfect. There are days that we struggle to eat properly. Days we struggle to get out of a warm bed and into the gym, or pool, or out for a run. I am going to share my struggles and successions with you.

And... I am going to be a little brave. Although you guys can't actually see me, and I'm safely hidden behind my laptop screen and my blog name, it's still a big deal...

Deep breath and here I go...

I am going to post my stats here for the whole world to see. My weight and my measurements. I won't update that every week. I like once a month, probably on the 1st. There's more to see that way. It takes more than a week to see good, decent results.

So, here are my stats for Monday, the 1st of August.

Weight: 81.9kg or 180.558 lb
Calf: 38.5cm or 15.1574 inches
Thigh: 67cm or 26.3779 inches
Hips: 112cm or 44.0944 inches
Abs (belly button): 86cm or 33.8582 inches
Waist: 84cm or 33.0708 inches
Chest: 97cm or 38.1889 inches
Bicep: 35cm or 13.7795 inches

There, that's out in the open. It wasn't quite as scary as I thought. But still... seeing those numbers there in black and white definitely put a fire in my belly. Both my weight and my measurements are higher than I would like.

In the next 3 months (by the end of October) I would like to be down to 70kg. That gives me 12kg or 26 pounds to loose over 12+ weeks. It's deinitely do-able.

So, here's what happened today:

My food was pretty good. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all pretty healthy. However, I did eat some lolly banana's so that was my bad thing for the day. I'm not too stressed about it. It's only day 1.

I managed to do day 1 of week 1 of the c25k program. I've done this program before, and I really like it. I probably don't need to start right at the begining, but it's been about 3 months, give or take, so starting from scratch allows me to ease back into it.

After a run, I also managed about 30+ minutes of weights. I was in a little bit of a rush because I had to run off to work, but I hit every major muscle group: hams, quads, calves, abs, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. However, I didn't manage a long stretching session. I love my stretching sessions. My background is in gymnastics, so I like to take a really, really, really long time to stretch everything out. I love the feel of really stretching everything out. It wakes me up and calms me down at the same time. I usually spend 30 minutes at the end of a session. However, today I only had 10 minutes before I had to rush out the door, shower and head out for work.

Tomorrow I'm doing some shopping. And the fun sort of shopping, the one that involves clothes and shoes (sneakers not heels unfortunately) and maybe some makeup. Fun. There will be no formal workout tomorrow. I think shopping, driving and walking will be enough after today.

Have fun. Will update tomorrow.

Food, Food, Food, Food...

Well, maybe not quite just food, but that is the idea behind this post. As I said in the last post, I get asked regularly about what I eat, so I thought I'd give you an example of what I ate over the weekend. As I said, I chose the weekend just gone because, not only did I work both days, but I also went to the movies with a gf of mine.

Kung Fu Panda 2 is awesome! I may have a slight attachment to kids movies at the moment. Oh well...

So, here's what I ate on Saturday:

B: 2 weet bix with skim milk, boiling water, 1 tsp sugar
    1 cup of tea with a little skim milk and 2 tsp sugar.

S: fruit and nut mix. Sometimes I make this at home with almonds, peanuts, wallnuts, cashews etc, and some dried fruit. I was lazy on Saturday, so a bought fruit and nut mix was what I had. Still really good though.

L: 1/2 chicken breast, and diced bacon, cooked in some garlic, with some salad. Usually I just throw whatever I have around the house into it. Today it was tomatos, cucumber, lettuce, fetta cheese, carrot, and some bok choy with some balsalmic vinegar.
   2 whole boiled eggs.

S: 1 apple. Sometimes I find that apples on their own make me hungry, but it got me through the afternoon.

D: 1/2 a pub size serving of pasta with chicken and bacon tossed in a creamy sauce.

S: 1/2 small popcorn, 1/2 small coke, some maltesers. You have to have some junk at the movies, it's just the way it is.

As you can see, my day was pretty light during the day so I could have my pasta and junk food at the movies. I don't really think about it too much, it just becomes habit after a while.

So, this is what I ate on sunday:

B: same as Saturday. This is a fairly standard breakfast for me during the winter. It's warm and it fills me up.

S: 1 apple and sml box of mixed nuts.

L: Ham, cheese and salald sandwich. I managed to get lunch in before I started work at 11.30.

S: Strawberry yoghurt. I'm on a yoghurt kick at the moment. I'm trying so many different brand and variety's.

D: Baked vegetables and roast lamb. We have one of those convection overn thingy's where you plug it in to the wall and you don't need any oil or anything to cook it. It makes boiled veggies so nice and crispy on the outside without all that fat and grease.

So again a fairly light day food wise again.

I'm not strict with what I eat. I firmly believe int he 80/20 rule. If you eat well 80% of the time, you can afford to have a bag of popcorn at the movies, or a beer at the pub, or a piece of birthday cake. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not picked to pieces.

I do, however, need to be a little more organised with making food to take with me to work at the gym. At the moment we don't have any hot water or microwave to heat things up. I'm considering buying a kettle that we can hide in the cupboard so we can at least have tea/coffee etc of a morning when it's so cold. Inly having a refrigerator limits my meal options alot so I do have to be more organised.

Have to go get ready for work. Have a great week guys.

I'm Back!!!

I apologise once again for how long this blog has sat not being updated. As I have said in previous posts, I have been on a wonderful holiday in the USA, and have been back only 2 weeks. A very hectic 2 weeks at that.

I have started a new job as a pt/gym instructor at the new gym in the town I live in, and I'm still trying to work my head around all the new precedures etc that I have to learn. I've been there a little over a week and I'm really enjoying it. I'm still technically employed at the supermarket too, so I'm also trying to work that one around the gym schedule. Very trying on my brain at the moment. I also spent some time with my grandmother which was nice. I don't do it nearly enough. Other than that, I spent alot of my first few days at home catching up with family and friends, adjusting back to the time change (always harder coming back to Aus, than going anywhere for some reason) and reaclimatizing to the winter weather. Ouch.

Unfortunately, all this 'newness' has left me with little motivation to exercise. But, yesterday I did it. I made myself have some lunch, get ready, and I put in a little ove 1.5 hours at the gym. My chest and shoulders are feeling it today, but I kinda like it. It's always a nice feeling being sore from a good workout.

However, with the change in location has come another change in diet and my body has decided to revolt against it with headaches, nausea, bloating and some horrible stomach cramos. At first I thought it might have been ttom, but that has been and gone, so clearly not that.

So... what do I do to try and fix the problem..?

Firstly... I'm going to up my water intake. I haven't been drinking nearly enough water, and I'm hoping that by drinking more, I'll flush whatever is playing havoc with me, out of my system. It's a pretty easy fix too. I just have to remember to take a litre water bottle with me. If I forget, the drinks fridge is right next to the desk at the gym.

Being a PT in a new gym I get asked alot of questions about what I do myself. What do I eat? How much do I exercise? What exercises do I do? How much reading and research do I do? So I've decided, in the coming weeks, to share with you what I do, eat and read. I hope this shows you that most pt's aren't perfect (I know of only one that is close to perfect and that's for her own health reasons) and we all struggle with the same things everyone else struggles with: time, energy, work, family commitments etc, that derails your good intentions when it comes to food and exercise.

On sunday I'll post my food diary for saturday. I'm choosing saturday because, not only is a weekend day, but it's a saturday where I'm at work for 8 hours, them I'm heading to see Kung Fu Panda 2 at the movies with a girlfriend after dinner. So it's a really good example of a weekend day for me, because weekends are when most people go a little off the rails for various reasons. Then on monday I'll show you what I did on sunday to make up for saturday. I would have posted about today's food except that I can't actually remember what I ate. As I said in a previous post, I'm not very observent about what exactly I eat.

Over the next week I'll also post some of my workouts plus recipes and photos of what I eat and some of my personal nutritional and workout tips.

Enjoy your weekend. I will.