Small Victories

This is something so small, I don't even know if it is worth mentioning.  It could all be psychological too, rather than physical. 

But so far, every time this week, I have found it easier getting up out of the car. 

Normally I have to swing my legs around, out of the car. I prop one hand up on the steering wheel, the other on the frame of the door and give myself a good heave - including a 'hnnnhhh' sound effect at my exertion.

This week, for the first time in a long time, that hasn't happened.  I've swung my legs out, and used my arms, but now it's more of a graceful sliding up and out. 

And I'm confident this is one sign of things to come.

-SunnyDuckling

Week 7 round-up

Whoops!  I've had helluva busy week this week.  Not keen on next week's results based on this and other excuses. 

RESULTS!

Well at the end of this week, this how the results look. 

Another kilogram down! Wahoo!  Also, some numbers have gone down, namely the waist.  Not 100% sure if this is accurate though.

Summary:

Weight	94 kg
Waist	83.5 cm
Hips	111.5 cm
Bust	101.5 cm
Thighs	113 cm
Thigh (R)	71.5 cm
Belly	113 cm
Upper Arm (L)	37 cm
Neck	35 cm

Oh! I should also point out I actually had to weigh myself at 4.30 in the morning for this.  Wednesday I had a meeting in the city - which is 2 1/2 hours away.  So I had to get up early to drive myself there.  What fun….. :(  This is after I had to drive 2.5 hours to another city in the other direction on Tuesday for a convention.  Two mornings in a row I had to get up early for work purposes.  Crazy times. 

I also had to leave detailed instructions on how to deal with my clients on both these days, so I missed Monday's gym class.  I missed Tuesday's because I needed to go to bed early to sleep.  I got back home too late to go to Wednesday's gym and by Thursday I was absolutely pooped so I skipped the gym on Thursday (and slept for almost 12 hours - lovely and refreshing, glad I did!)

I think I also slacked this week with good food choices because of this.  I packed my lunch for both trips into the city which I was pleased about.  However, I do admit going to Hungry Jacks to get a (vegetarian) burger for dinner Wednesday night before driving home.  I debated about Subway, but we have Subway at home, and Hungry Jacks is a treat I only afford myself when in the city.  I felt good though about my choice because I didn't get any fries or soft drink to go with it. 

Another excuse, and I do admit quite freely to using the word excuse, because that's what it is, is "I was sick".  I was pretty unwell Monday & Tuesday.  Snotty nose, sneezing, chills and every now and then a wave of nausea.  I think on Monday all I had during the day was a number of cups of lemon tea.  I didn't even eat the tomato soup I brought - loaded up with garlic and leek and other vegetables.  I just didn't feel I could keep it down. 

So I need to work better on recognising when I'm getting run-down and counter-act that.  I know that with a head cold like I had, exercising is still fine.  In fact, I managed to go for a bike ride with Imogen on Saturday.  9 km.  I had to stop often because I couldn't breathe, but Imogen is also new to getting fit.  She admits her self she doesn't ride very fast. 

No excuses next week.  Have already packed my gym bag for Monday.

-SunnyDuckling

Another Week down

Week 6 results - I can't believe I've been at this for six weeks already!  I can believe it on one way, because we're already half-way through May and I started at the beginning of April.

What I feel I can't believe is how little progress I've made.  I honestly thought that I could lose around 1.5 kg/fortnight.  So in the six weeks, I could (should?) be already below 90 kg.  Instead, not so.  Weight loss progress has been very slow.  Given that is my main goal - to lose weight - it's been disappointing.  I don't know whether I should look more into what I'm eating, how much exercise I'm  doing, how much sleep I'm getting…  I think I'll give it another 2 weeks and if I'm still not making much in the way of progress I'll get a doctor's appointment and look into getting blood tests and what not.

In anycase, here are this week's results!

RESULTS!

Summary:

Weight	95 kg
Waist	85.5 cm
Hips	114 cm
Bust	99.5 cm
Thighs	114 cm
Thigh (R)	74 cm
Belly	112.5 cm
Upper Arm (L)	37 cm
Neck	36 cm

Well, okay, so the results aren't all bad. I did go back down to 95kg.  In fact, I think the needle was actually sitting just below the 95kg mark.  But, because I can't confirm, I'll stick to saying 95 kg. 

And it looks like my bust has gone down!  I thought I had noticed my sports bra wasn't sitting as well as it had been, but didn't pay much attention to it.  So if it really has become smaller, then woo-hoo!  An negative number, any number, shows that something must be happening, right?

-SunnyDuckling

Some progress in fitness...?

Whoops!  I've been slacking with my posting… I guess I don't have anything new to report in terms of my wellness progress…  That, and life has got in the way. 

I have gone to the gym Monday, Tuesday and today.  I am getting better at some things.  I think my fitness is improving, slowly, but improving. 

It's such a hard thing to measure I guess.  Maybe I need to make an afternoon this weekend to set-up a bench mark of things - how ling it takes me to run 100m & 500m, how many sit-ups, push-ups, star jumps and burpees (!)* I can do.  Time how long I can maintain the plank position for.   Those bench dip things that are good for your triceps.  Maybe with the star jumps and burpees I should see how many I can do in a minute or something?  Ooh! Thought of another one… see how long I can last skipping with a skipping rope.  In the past whenever I've used a skipping rope I've had to give up after 20 seconds because I'm just too out of breath!

Wow, I only just thought of this idea and I like it more and more already!  Maybe I can check myself on this once a month?  That way I'm doing more than just trying to lose weight…?  I've read a little bit into goals and goal setting when getting fit/losing weight - maybe I need to read into this more.

*I worked out I can do burpees now!  I hate burpees - I think they're evil!!!!  But, this week on Monday's circuit class, when we had to do burpees at one of the stations, I could do some!  Not very quick mind you.  In the thirty seconds we had, I think I only did four… but I made the effort and I did them, instead of just stepping out from the crouch-down position.  Hooray!! Even though I'm still a bit blasé about it, I really should be more excited.  Burpees are one of those things I find really really hard to do.  Squats - they're easy.  Give me ten variations to do and I will happily do them for the hour.  But burpees - yuck!

Right - something to research and look into for fitness 'base testing'.  Off I go!

-SunnyDuckling

Week 5, Week 5!

RESULTS!

Well at the end of this week, this how the results look. 

Woo!  Second week in a row that I remembered to get up and measure myself before breakfast.  No easy feat as we're heading into winter and my bed is more and more inviting.

Because of the public holiday Monday, I only went to the gym yesterday.  As I also have documented, I had lousy food choices over the weekend too. 

Summary:

Weight	96 kg
Waist	86.5 cm
Hips	116.5 cm
Bust	102 cm
Thighs	114 cm
Thigh (R)	72 cm
Belly	118 cm
Upper Arm (L)	36 cm
Neck	35.5 cm

Went back up in weight which is not so good.  I'm also going to take this time to point out that I don't have electronic bathroom scales, but just the old fashioned dial one, which means I have to estimate the reading.  I think most of my other measurements have gone up too, and I hope it's only because Aunty Flo is meant to be visiting soon. 

Overall though, even though there is little  change here, I do think that I'm already starting to get fitter.  That the three weeks I've been going to the gym is starting to pay off.  I can keep up with the classes a little better now.  I am quite happy to admit that in the exercise classes I am taking, I am by far the least fit.  But I do think I'm improving.  I'm starting to be able to push myself more.  I can (sometimes) convince myself that the only person telling me I can't do it is me.  I hate it at the time and get close to tears from the exertion, but then the exercise is finished and I'm not as stuffed as I was the last week. 

I can now put my arms over my head without getting pins and needles.  The reason I am interested in measuring my neck is because before I started going to the gym, I couldn't straighten my arms up above my head.  I discovered that every time I stretched my hands upwards, I got pins and needles from the fat on my shoulders and neck bulking up and cutting the circulation.  This isn't happening anymore.

I have one new class to go to tomorrow that I haven't made it to yet in the last two weeks for varied reasons.  But my bag is packed, and I think I'll be ready to go.  The class is called Fitbox, which is meant to be a lot of cardio (groan!) and upper body work.  I think I can handle the upper body work, as much of a weakling that I am.  It's the cardio that I'm not looking forward to. 

Let you know how it goes!

-SunnyDuckling