Still feeling under the weather

Well!
This week hasn't seen me travel to the gym, because I've still been a little under the weather.  Sore throat and runny nose.  Still coughing the smallest amount, but that's getting better. 

So instead of going to the gym, I've been taking the opportunity to at least go for a walk.  The weather has been warming up this week, with a possible storm tonight or tomorrow.  Given that I've been working a little later this week, stepping in to consult or work with other areas because so many of our staff are off sick, I've been walking in the evening, which hasn't been all too unpleasent. 

On Tuesday, I walked 7.3 km and tonight was 6.8km.  I probably am not going to make it to my 100km mark by the end of the month.  In only seven days, I'm not going to be able to walk 45 km!  But I still want to keep going and walk as much as I can.  In fact, if the weather's fair tomorrow morning, I want to walk to work. 

I actually thought of this on my Tuesday walk.  Last year, I didn't have a car and I was walking or riding my bike to work as my only form of transport.  This year since my car has been fixed, I've been driving everyday and I know that hasn't helped my activity levels.  So I decided that I would walk on Friday.  I'm also going to try to make it a regular thing.  Monday to Thursday is inconvenient to walk, especially if I plan on going to the gym as soon as I'm well.  Carrying my gym bag as well as my work bag would just be really awkward. 

So, that's it for today.  Hope to update again soon!

-SunnyDuckling

One Busy Week

Hello!  Haven't meant to not update for so long, it's just been a long busy week.

First off, I did finally make it to the gym.  Both on Monday and Tuesday.  As predicted, I couldn't keep up with all the exercises, but I modified where I had to and kept trying no matter what.  What surprised me though was it wasn't all as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I was expecting to have returned to my initial levels of fitness from before I kicked off this weight-loss thing the first time.  I found out not so.  Well, okay, small fib.  There were one or two points on both nights I wasn't pushing myself all the way I could have, but I felt by doing so, I was restoring my energy stores to do the next activity.

 
Monday was circuit class.  Warm-up: push-ups, crunches (with legs straight up in air), hip flexor thingys.  Then an exercise that made me feel like I was a recruit from an army movie.  Or maybe a football team! Lying on our mats, we had to wait til Jeremy made the call and we had to jump up and run on the spot as quick as we could until he told us go down again.  Repeat.  Definitely got me warm!  About halfway through, felt like my legs were moving super slo mo. 

Circuit included:

1. Jump-step crossovers on the high step
2. Passing a swiss ball from our hands to our legs and back, making sure our hands/feet returned to the floor each time;
3. clean and press with a barbell;
4. leg curls using the swiss ball;
5. lifting a medicine ball above our heads and placing it against the wall, then back to squat;
6. butterfly press on a swiss ball (seeing a theme here yet?);
7. small medicine ball above our heads, slammed to the ground, squat to pick it up, lay back on the bench, reach above our heads, stand up, repeat (I have no idea how to explain that simpler)
8. upside-down rowing using a horizontal bar;
9. and push-ups. 

And the timing we were using to go between exercises was some one was running back and forth up the middle of the room carrying weighted sandbags, one at a time.  I am bad at running, my biggest weak spot in fitness I think.  But at the same time, when I am fit, running is actually enjoyable for me.  Anyhow, in this activity I usually find it hard.  Luckily I volunteered fairly early on to run it, because I would have felt I was keeping everyone waiting, or on their station for way too long as I am slow.

Tuesday was the Tummy Butts and Thighs class.  I don't like I like it as much.  At least, this week I didn't enjoy it.  I may have still been tired from the previous night's class, or it may have been because Kelly wasn't there (she's been sick all week).  Whatever it was, I didn't have fun like I did in Monday's class.  I still worked hard where I could though.

I didn't blog after either of these two days because I was wiped out!  It was tough enough to get home, shower, eat and make lunch for the next day.   I did start to write a blog entry on Wednesday, but I ran out of time. 

Didn't make it to the gym again in the week; Thursday saw a late event (til 11pm).  Friday I had intended to leave work early to go for a walk, but then I got distracted.  I did walk later that evening, however, it was to get an icecream after dinner.  :( Not the best move. 

I've been trying the tactic of reminding myself whenever I want some junk food how much walking/exercise I'd need to do to burn it off.  I discovered it takes 118 min of walking to burn off two pieces of pizza.  Given I usually down 5 slices in one go, that's a lot of walking.  Even if I was doing weights training, I would still need to work for 50min for the two slices.  Ice-cream is 31 minutes of walking.  I only walked ten minutes to get my ice-cream.  Bummer.

However, today I walked some more!! I've been slacking a bit on my walk 100km challenge, but I still feel I can do it, I just have to walk some everyday.   I was in bed with flu and ache yesterday, so I didn't go walking, but I went for a great walk today.  I actually didn't want to stop.  I got to about 50m from home though when my knee started to feel a bit of pain.  I guess 2 hours is my limit.  Yes, I did say 2 hours!  I couldn't believe I went so far and walked for so long!  Admittedly, I did stop for about 5 minutes along the way because there was an echidna in my path.  I thought it was absolutely fascinating!  I've only once before seen one in the wild, so it was beautiful to see it waddle its way right up to my toes. 

Not my little guy, but a good example of the colouring

But, minusing that 8 minutes break, I did walk for nearly 2 hours and I think I kept up a decent pace all the way along and didn't slow down and dawdle.  And that two hours did lead me to add another 10.62km to my total! Hooray!  I am of course feeling a bit tired for it now, but I'm still glad that I went on the walk.  My legs felt like they had been used and exercised.  That's what I was missing the other day when I went for the short walk with Imogen.  It's what I often feel I'm missing where I live because the ground is so flat.  When I lived in another city, when I was studying at uni, I was living in a hilly area.   Anywhich direction (or even suburb) I walked in, after an hour, my legs felt exercised, because of the hills.  I really miss that feeling here where it is so flat. 

And that about wraps up the week!  Measurement Monday tomorrow morning, and I bought a digital scale on Wednesday afternoon so I can't weight (hur hur) to try it out.  I really wanted to open it straight away, but I was determined to make Monday mornings my routine.  Breakfast is prepped, I've brushed my teeth, I'm going to bed!

-SunnyDuckling

Another week done

So, here are my numbers for this week. 
 

WEEK 3 - (New) 13th August

Summary:

Weight	97 kg
Waist	85 cm
Hips	116 cm
Bust	104 cm
Thighs	114 cm
Thigh (R)	74 cm
Belly	116 cm
Upper Arm (L)	37 cm
Neck	36 cm

To be honest, I know they are still large, but at least, I was kind of expecting them to be.  Last week, when I didn't go to the gym on Thursday, it threw me off balance.  Where I had been treading so well, I slid down pretty quickly.

You may know that when the you are tired, your body craves junk food.  Fat, salt, sugar, all the stuff that is a quick boost of energy.  I am definitely one of those people who it noticeable happens too.  On Thursday, I did miss the gym, but I didn't go for a walk like on Tuesday.  I had to do grocery shopping.  By the time  I got home, it was after 8 and I did not feel like cooking any good food.  Instead, I succumbed to not one, but TWO microwaveable pasta packs.  To which I added cheese.  That was all the trigger I needed to continue eating foods that were highly processed or high in salt or sugar.  As a result, I think my measurements are a true reflection of the amount of salt and sugar I ate on Thursday night, Friday and Saturday.  By Saturday night, I realised I hadn't eaten anything good in two days, and I was able to turn myself back on track. 

I think I need to keep up the exercise.  When I exercise regularly, I eat well.  I don't know if it's a conscious thing, where I because I'm exercising, I don't want to undo all my hard work, or a subconscious reaction where my body is craving good, clean, healthy food to keep up the energy stores.  It's something I've noticed in the past.  I just need to make sure I keep moving and keep exercising. 

I have a late night at work today and tomorrow, meetings running until 5.30pm, but I'm keeping my gym bag ready and packed and in the car so that I can go after work.  Tonight, Kelly and I are going to go to Circuit for Life.  I hate it, but it's good at the same time.  A mix of strength exercises (medicine ball lifts, kettlebell swings, tricep dips, chin-ups, etc) and cardio (rower machine, burpees, shuttle run, starjumps, and so on).  When I was going in April-May, I really enjoyed seeing how much I improved, just over three to four weeks - to the point where I could actually start to do burpees!  I'm by all means, the slowest, unfittest person there, but most everyone is encouraging.  And there's always something that I find easy and can do multiple of, like squats, or something that I challenge myself to do the most of.

Well, I'd better eat breakfast and dash off to work, or else I won't get everything done in time by this afternoon.

-SunnyDuckling

Still no Gym

Hi all, quick update. 

For starters, thank-you to the people who've jumped on board with me and have chosen to follow my blog.  It makes me feel a whole lot more motivated to know that there are people watching me and offering advice and support.  

I still haven't made it to the gym yet!  Thursday, I was so caught up finishing a report before I went, that when I emailed it, I realised it was ten past six - I missed the gym!  However, didn't go for a walk like on Tuesday, because I had to go grocery shopping.  Again, I analysed my spending and I spent $33 on food that I could have done without.  However, I spent more money on stocking up on good food, so maybe this is a good idea to keep analysing and watching my spending. 

No exercise, Friday or Saturday, although I could have gone for a long walk Sat, but I didn't.  I also didn't eat very well from Thursday onwards, mainly from coming back late enough from grocery shopping that I didn't feel like cooking.  So I ate 'convenient' foods, but not healthy ones.  I didn't start eating properly until Saturday night.  Outlines for me that I need to start planning my food and writing it up somewhere I see it.  And reminding myself that I have perfectly good food already sitting in my fridge.

Today, I got back to the swing of things with eating healthily (a salad for lunch - go me!), drinking plenty of water, and go for a walk.  A medium distance walk of 4.63 km.  Added onto my tally and I'm going to need to get my butt into gear if I'm going to meet this 100km challenge!  Nearly halfway through the month, and still not halfway.  Better get cracking!  But not now, as it's late and I am getting up early in the morning for my Monday Measurements.

-SunnyDuckling

All geared up and nowhere to go

So, if you read my previous post, you know I had planned to go to the gym today.  I was packed; I was ready:  locked up at work, hopped in the car and was ready to roll.  Turned up at the gym, pulled into the carpark… very few cars.  Was it the time of day?  Was it because it's winter?  Hmm…

Walked in, desk girl greets me with a big smile.  "Haven't seen you in a while".  "No, no... got lazy".  "Are you here for the class?  It's not on tonight!" 

Damn.

I have mentioned (more than once I think) that it’s winter right now.  And that means illness.  So Jeremy, who runs all the classes, had to cancel.

Bummer. 

I was so ready to go!  Kelly was going to meet me and ….. No class.  I even joked to Danielle (the reception girl) that it's not allowed to work like that.  I finally got myself all geared up to go for the first time in months and the class wasn't on.

Even though it was past dusk, I decided I really wanted to exercise.  So I quickly drove on home, threw on some trackpants and a jumper and headed out for a walk.  It was much too dark to go the route where I ran on Sunday, but I still decided to go for a long walk.  I was making good pace too, under the streetlights.  There was one section of the footpath that went behind houses and was unlit, so I slowed down there.  Overall, I added another 4.18km to my 100km challenge.  Hooray!

So, I'm going to keep everything packed and ready, sitting in the car, and will go for Thursday to the gym.  It's Fitbox.   Some cardio, some boxing techniques.  I've only ever gone twice before.  Once earlier this year, and once two years ago.  It's a tough class, but I'm going to do it!

-SunnyDuckling