Grocery shopping flight plan

If you are like me, you have to shop for groceries and that's where sneaky temptation comes in.  All those chocolates, icecreams, cheeses, soft drinks, biscuits and cakes just sitting there enticingly, waving long sugary fingers under your nose, blowing greasy kisses in your face.

All those colours and lights and deals, how can you pass up 2 packs of Tim Tams for $2, that's under half price!  You can't POSSIBLY leave THAT on the shelf!

YES YOU CAN!  Don't look at it!  Have a look at this instead.

All the good stuff is on the edges of the shops, all along the side.  Now that's not to say there's no temptation there either but far less.  The freshest items are situated on the outside of the aisles.

Most of the other stuff, the processed, pre prepared, sugar and fat laden, nutritionally deficient stuff, is on the inside.

The way I approach shopping is like this:

1. GO AFTER BREAKFAST  You'll feel full after your delicious brekky and less likely to want a donut with extra sprinkles when you see it. Plus you'll be home in time to make yourself a relaxing hot cup of tea, less calories and a 'feet up' reward.

2. HAVE A LIST    Do not deviate! Have a meal plan and check everything at home to find out what you need before you go. It's the wandering up and down aisles that plops you right in the lap of the Land of Temptation.  Michelle Bridges 12WBT gives you a weekly meal plan and a shopping list, so no thinking required there!

3. START AROUND THE EDGES    This is where you'll find your fresh fruit and veges, dairy and meat items, as well as breads usually.   Most of your shopping list would probably be all the fresh items so starting with these makes the whole process a lot faster.

4. SAY NO TO A BAD FOOD CHOICE SPECIAL   You don't NEED 2 packs of Tim Tams, even if it's only $2. Let's put it another way.....you don't NEED those extra calories that may have only cost you $2 to eat but will cost $20 or more for a gym membership for the week to work it off.  You don't NEED the extra fats and sugars that will accumulate and put you on medication that even subsidised will cost more than $2.

5. BLACK BAN  AISLES   There is NO need for you to walk down the confectionary, chip or drinks aisle. Those are WHOLE aisles dedicated to junk.  By totally avoiding these aisles if you have tired children, you also make the shopping experience less stressful for you and more pleasant for everyone.  Need a reminder?  This is a condom commercial (clean, don't worry!) but mothers, tell me this doesn't touch a memory nerve somewhere...

6. USE THE CONFECTIONARY FREE CHECKOUT  Don't stand there staring at the Cherry Ripes singing to you luciously while you wiat for the person in front of you to go through.  Why torture yourself?

7. USE YOUR SPECIALTY STORES  We don't NEED to buy everything at a big supermarket.  Quite often the smaller fruit and vege shops are cheaper with better quality produce.  The butcher or fishmonger will offer good specials too, especially if you visit them frequently and build a 'relationship'.   Support the local people, and do your digestion and health a favour at the same time!

These tips let me get in and out in no time.  I shop for 5 and can be done in 20-30 minutes, if I don't stop to talk to anyone!

What's YOUR theme song?

Good question hey?  I don't think I could set just one song.....I have a few I would use, lyric wise that seem to speak about what I perceive my life to be.

So let's start with what sums up my life in a nutshell......I don't do things always the easy way, and experience is a GREAT teacher.  I might have regrets but I also have a lot of proud moments and wouldn't change anything.  I think if I had to reflect on my life right at the very end, this song would be the words I have to say.

1.  My Way by JACQUES REVAUX, CLAUDE FRANCOIS, GILLES THIBAUT, PAUL ANKA sung by Frank Sinatra.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQRSIUNeZTI

And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way


Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

Yes, it was my way!

2. Feelin' Good - Michael Buble

This is how I feel now.  I feel GOOD!  When I'm out running, the words to this song often run through my head....whether I feel happy or sad or worried, a run clears my head and leaves me feeling good.  It's a reminder that no matter how bad it seems, things always improve so focus onf eeling GOOD!

 Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Reeds driftin' on by
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River running free
You know how I feel
Blossom in the tree
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when the day is done, that's what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me
Fooor me

Stars when you shine
You know how I feel
Scent of the pine
You know how I feel
Yeah freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
hu
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
It's a new life
For me

And I'm feeling good.....

Finally....I couldn't go without this one!

 3. Wonder Woman theme song  by Norman Gimble and Charles Fox

Self explanatory right?

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
All the world's waiting for you,
and the power you possess.

In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.

Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.

Wonder Woman,
Get us out from under, Wonder Woman.
All our hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic that you do.

Stop a bullet cold,
Make the Axis fall,
Change their minds, and change the world.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
You're a wonder, Wonder Woman.

  So what's your theme song?!

To Burpee or Not to Burpee

That is the question.  One I pondered as I saw for another week the neverending rounds of burpees in this week's exercise program........

The world is divided on this basic question.  More important than the Kevin Rudd or Julia Guillard debate, dare I say it, more important than deciding on having a Tim Tam or not....burpees have an effect of dividing groups into the cheer squad and the groaning brigade.


Burpees, upon a minor amount of research, are thought to be  named after a Lieutenant Thomas Burpee who developed the move for his soldiers as a way to keep warm and to develop fitness.

So lets look at the pros and cons.....

PROS or "I LOVE BURPEES, GIVE ME MORE"

Burpees will burn calories like an exploding sun.  This exercise will get your heart rate up high, and is an all body workout for strength AND agility.  Plus it gets you warm on a cold day in a record amount of time and makes you look good at gym.  It's a TAKE ANYWHERE exercise, no equipment needed, do anywhere, although I suspect if you started popping out burpees in Bourke St Mall, you'd get some funny looks. It's a good sculpting tool for shoulders and back, abs, thighs and butt!

 

 

CONS or " PLEASE PLEASE I'LL DO ANYTHING JUST NOT BURPEES"

 

I literally couldn't find any valid reason to not do burpees, apart from injuries like shoulders etc.  But if you have clearance from a doctor to exercise, no valid reason.  Dammit.  So I compiled my own.

1.  It's hard work!.

2. You sweat like you've been trekking through the jungle on a 50 degree day and it rained on you. Torrentially.

3.It's REALLY hard work!

4 They hurt after a while.

5. It's really REALLY hard work!

Ok see?  No valid reason. Unless you are Chuck Norris. Dammit.

Where do I stand?  Well after the first round of 4 sets of 25, I sat in the THIS IS TOTALLY GUT WRENCHING brigade.  But now after completing a total of 300 burpees in a week, I've come to not mind them much at all, at least I don't dread them and feel I have achieved something when I get through them! So I'm leaning towards the....liking them camp.

So even after the poorly formed arguments here, if you still want to do a burpee, here is a quick tutorial.....

 Finally, I'd like to show you with the Queen of the Burpee, someone I admire immensely and find inspirational....Julie Hoffman.  This AMAZING woman chose burpees to raise money for Heartkids and to make a world record attempt.

Week 3 reflection

Week 3, the week of weary motivation, a health check up and a new excitement....and a killer SSS!

Menu Plans

Another week of yumminess, the favourite this week being a toss up between Alison's Penang Chicken and the Kangaroo with grilled veges...mmmmmmmmm. The kids loved both, especially the kangaroo and had no idea who Skippy was....a bonus in my book. :)

Found the lunches to be a little more fiddly, as in having to cook some of them the night before, when I'm tired and really don't give 2 hoots about tomorrow.  But I'm organised, I'm prepared and it really didn't take long to cook for the next day's lunch.

I learned something new this week...quinoa.  Never cooked it, nor have I ever tasted it but it is now my favourite breakfast for the mornings I haven't had an early morning workout session.

Exercise plans

Planning our exercise sessions had a little something extra this week.  Our bathroom is being renovated and we are currently without any washing facilities.  So workouts were planned around when we needed to shower the most!

A great program although I must admit, after doing the shoulder and bicep program on Thursday and seeing a 1500 m row at the end, just for final blast fun, a little piece of me sat down and cried inside.  As it turns out, my shoulders were fine but my butt!  OOOO my poor butt cramped and ached on that hard little seat...added motivation to get it over and done with!  

Tip for me:  DON'T do a late night session then an early morning one the next morning.  Didn't have the strength I usually had, struggled with the 25 kg chest press when I've done it before fine and wanted to sit down and not play anymore half way through.  But we pushed on and got through it....let's just not do that again.

I've decided, even though I am paranoid and scared I'll miss the bar and land flat on my face, that I like jumping chinups.  Even if there's lots of them, and with each one my Clumsy quotient rises higher.

A big thank you once again to my husband Troy who comes to every workout (except the SSS...he was busy so fair enough) and counts for me when my eyes start bugging out of my head, and for showing me how to not compress myself into a pancake with the squat machine.

Challenge

This week's challenge is to write a blog....TICK!  I'm loving writing it, hope you like reading it :P I love seeing people's comments and find it supportive...I'm not alone!  I particularly like doing the reflection posts, it gets me thinking about what worked, what didn't, what I liked and what I have to drag out the JFDI card for.  It's also given me an opportunity to check out some other blogs too.  Loving your work people!

SSS today took me nearly 2 hours to complete and when I was telling one of the trainers at gym what I was doing, she thought it was a pretty tough workout!  Loved the runs the best, had my Ipod in and was grooving along...only realised what I sounded like breathing in a gap between songs!  Steam train anyone?  I DID get some funny looks doing 10 minutes on the tready, then off to do the other exercises and back to the tready again so many times but pfft. Tell you what, that shower was good at the end, even if I did have to sit down a little while until the jelly legs solidified a bit.  Plyometric lunges will do that to you, especially when kettlebells are involved.....

So news this week:   had a health check done and all is GOOD!  Sugars, cholesterol, heart, everything is AOK, signed and sealed.  Doctor impressed with the nutrition plan and exercise plan which helps put me in the low risk category for the nasties....wouldn't be surprised if he joined up next round ;)

Second big news: As you may have noticed, I have a new page on my blog, a Pay It Forward page.  I am almost all organised to do a 50km trek to Williamstown and back (25 km each way) raising money to pay for someone else to do the Michelle Bridges 12 WBT who may struggle paying the enrolment fee.  To date, I have 2 gorgeous superstars joining me for the walk and I have a donation!!! I'm very pleased and really hope this will help someone and maybe become something a group of us will do, the more the merrier!

So my friends, have an AWESOME week.  If anyone tries to take that from you, here are the magic words:

GO FORTH AND BE AWESOME!!!!!!!

It's raining, it's pouring....

The kids are all snoring....LOL  No, seriously, what do you do when you are stuck at home with sick kids, or it's pouring rain and the thought of setting one little pinkie outside to go to gym or for a run has you screaming for the closest doona and hot chocolate?

You work out at home!

But I don't have any equipment I hear you (whine) say ;-) and my favourite show is on television!

Let's rethink that...you have a houseful! And how many ad breaks during the show?  Try some of these exercises and see how many you can do during the break!

Chairs

Chairs are good for tricep dips, mountain climbers,  pushups either hands on chair or feet on chair if you're tough enough!

Sturdy coffee table

Great for step ups!  Also for Hamstring curls and one legged squats.

Floor

A HUGE range of floor exercises!  Pushups, situps, crunches, planking ( come on and join the Y generation LOL) Or try squats, sumo squats, high knee running, stretches and the like.

Wall 

Ah, my favourite...the wall sit.  FEEL THOSE QUADS!

Minimal equipment

Got a skipping rope?  Skip away!  Got canned food?  Hammer curls and bicep curls, French presses...if you can plan ahead you can make weights by filling plastic litre milk bottles with plaster, or seeds and grains, even water!   Got a staircase?  Do some run intervals! Got a hula hoop for the kids?  Thats a GREAT ab workout and a cardio...I love hula hooping, try and aim to keep it up all ad break and you'll feel it!!! Everyone loves hula hooping....

There's so much you can do!  Even a good hard session of housework...put on some GREAT music, move those couches and lunge while you vacuum...good for you AND your house!

Need some more ideas?  Check out these links from Michelle Bridges 10 minute workouts...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-9XBj5NnXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lMcFbiZaL8&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr5SeU0NcLE&feature=relmfu

Saying NO Action Plan

I'm sitting in front of a plate filled with the most delectable cupcakes I have ever seen....

Can you SMELL it?  My mouth is watering...mmmmmmmm

But, this doesn't match up with what I want to achieve, or to the clean eating plan I am following.  Can I have just one?

ABSOLUTELY!  But wait!

Could I stop at one or justify why I should have another and another....I've worked so hard, I deserve it, it's a special occasion, I don't want to be rude, it won't matter, I'm STARVING because I skipped brekky or lunch?
Have I planned ahead so that I could do a little extra workout or I've adjusted my snacks for the day so I can incorporate the calorie count in these little sugar bombs or have I just 'worried about that later?"

Resisting temptation is GOOD for the self esteem.  You feel good that you were strong enough to say no.  But the other part of you, the inner labrador, or my temper tanty 2 yr old is going off their HEAD, weakening my resolve until i cave in or am in a grumpy mood.  So I have come up with an action plan to saying No.

VIVE LE RESISTANCE!!!

1. BE INFORMED  What exactly am I eating?  What is the calorie content roughly? Where's the nutritional panel? Why am I so seduced to the yummies? To have knowledge is to be armed.  If I know ahead of time what I will be indulging in, then I can plan ahead. CalorieKing http://www.calorieking.com.au/ is an easy resource to be able to calculate if I need to. Checking the nutritional panel can identify the hidden sugars in the low/no fat foods you think are good for you.  And knowing WHY I'm eating is important...am I sad?  Angry?  Or am I celebrating? What could I do otherwise to get out the emotion that doesn't involve food?

2. PLAN AHEAD This week I have 2 dinners out.  I adjust my meal plans accordingly to not snack so I can enjoy the dinners and I check out the menu online before I go to the restaurant so I know what I will order and not get dazzled by the beautiful menus.  I plan my workouts around these occasions too, whether it be afternoon tea with the girls, dinner with my husband or a work function.

3. DISCIPLINED THOUGHTS AND WORDS I watch my language! when I listen to myself talking to others, am I positive?  Or am I using over exaggerations?  I am SOOOO hungry (no you're not, you're bored or just saying something for something to say) Am I thinking about food all the time? Am I using negative thoughts and words against myself, making me feel bad and more likely to eat my body weight in chocolate maltesers?

4. IF ALL ELSE FAILS....RUN! If nothing is helping, a good run clears my head and within a couple of minutes, I'm thinking better and reminding myself of what I want to be doing and how I don't want to go back to what I was.

And if you need a mental picture...just think....the cat is the cupcake.......

AND you are the dogs!!!!!

NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!

Playtime with your inner kid

My daughter took part in her first gymnastics competition today.  There were lots of little girls all tippy toe running and kicking just like Tinkerbell all over the place, and a few hardy boys who seemed to be tapping into an inner Ninja Turtle rather than Tinkerbell!  I thought to myself, I remember when I could do 'bridges', when I could cartwheel non stop the length of the yard and handstand?  Why not?

So what happened?  Why can we swing off, up and over monkey bars for an entire playtime at lunch and not bat an eyelid but now, try to get across and be barely able to hold our own body weight?

I think we forgot how to play, being so in a rush to 'grow up'.

Now I'm all for not growing up ( thank God I work in a kindergarten, growing up isn't in the job description) but for some reason we've equated growing up with not moving.  Growing up means we don't hang around at one of the greatest free gyms of all, the playground.

Let's look at a playground.

Swings (not pictured): ooo...do an ab class then get on the swings, those suckers work the abs too! Not to mention the push/pull motion of the legs as you try and get the swing to go ALLLL the way over.....remember doing the jump off at the peak?  Good squat jump landing there. ;)

Monkey bars: What a no brainer!  Good for chinups, pull ups, my daughter does a 'Mr Whippy' which is holding on to the bar and swinging your bottom half around as fast as it can go...oooo there's those abs again.  Pull yourself up and hang upside down then get up again....still can't do it myself....

Climbing net: gets your quads, calves, biceps, triceps, abs...it's a full body workout climbing these things!  And kids race each other up them!

Slides: What goes up must come down.  For that 5 second thrill ride of flying down the slide, kids will run around and climb the ladder 5000 times.  So there you have cardio, all the climbing net muscle groups and a mini rest on the way down!

Let's not forget running, impromptu gymnastics, balancing,  bicycling/scootering, rolling down the hill, rock and tree climbing, kicking the footy or playing beach cricket....

Next time my kids go to the park, I'm taking my heart rate monitor....I reckon an hour at the playground with the kids would be at least 300-500 calorie burn!!!!

Week 2 Reflection

At the end of another week, and still going strong.  A little wobbly today after pushing just a smidge too hard, but now I know where that limit lies.  But I jump ahead of myself...

Menu plans

Still loving the meals, especially the breakfasts!  The personal favourite this week is a dinner though.... the chicken and broccolini laksa, although the kids LOVED the lasagne. I have noticed though I am not drinking enough water so I am paying more attention to that.

 I had a work social night and a meeting this week so that threw the plans awry a little but with forward planning, and knowing they were coming up I was able to incorporate a little extra cardio and to gauge what meal to have.  I did let loose last night but hey it was my son's Confirmation and I'd done a run that morning in preparation. In the meantime, here's the handsome devil himself....

Exercise plans

These were very similar to last weeks and it was good to see how I've improved in the different muscle groups.  I still struggle with the shoulder presses but managed to raise my leg squat barbell weights to 30 kg, 3 sets of 12 reps. I think I could probably go a little higher....maybe next week.

I went for a good long walk on Wednesday with another 12WBTer and showed her my favourite running/walking track along the river. A good 9 km walk done and a lot of chatting!  I also managed to incorporate some running this week, a couple of goes at hill intervals on the treadmill and an easy 4 k run along the river.  So glad we finally had good weather!

Really looking forward to next weeks Lean and Strong workouts, I can see the definition coming particularly in my biceps and triceps. :)  :)  :)

Challenge

SSS challenge and the inspiration board.

Firstly the SSS.  It was the same circuit as last week, timed.  However, I also had my gym's SuperHero open day.  So I went to the new Body Attack class with Troy. I dressed as Wonder Woman and he dressed as G.I Joe.

And lucky me, not only burned a total of 870 calories (my heart was pumping, I was so stuffed afterwards!) but I won a Wonder Woman action figure.... WOOHOO WAY COOL!  The energy in the gym was fantastic, it was just the best workout session I've had there.  So much fun :)

But that still left me with my SSS to do, the 600.  After watching my daughter play hockey and doing the groceries I attacked it. And now I know my limits.  I did manage to drop my time from 21 minutes down to 19 but the result was me feeling extremely ill for a while afterwards. After taking my daughter to a birthday party, I collapsed on the couch and just lay there, feeling miserable.  I completed the challenge and learned when to pull back in future, so a success all in all.

I shared my Inspiration wall in a previous blog post.  It's effective...every time I go to the fridge to see if a block of chocolate magically appeared on the shelves, I see it and the urge to snack goes away, unless I am truly hungry.  It's become an unofficial test. 

Overall, the highlight this week would have to be the fact I accomplished my goal of 3 unassisted chinups.  See my strength goals page for the video! I am so blown away that I did it....2 weeks ago..nada, now 3 chin ups!  I LOVE THIS PROGRAM!!!  Can't wait for the next week!!!

And remember.......

Expectations and Perfectionism

I asked a friend for some advice today on body fat percentage, since mine went up as opposed to where I wanted it to go.  She gave very good advice and also posted this....thank you Tanya Carter for this.

Drop the expectations. I have to admit, nothing will ruin a good thing like not living up to expectations, especially your own. We are typically our own worst critics and are exceptionally unforgiving when we don't meet our goals in the manner we set out to. It doesn't seem to matter that we eventually met those goals.

This is why I say drop the expectations. Forget limits..., on ...both ends of the spectrum. Do your best, work hard, lose the excuses, and you make progress. It doesn't matter the rate at which things progress, and they will not always go forward, sometimes we get knocked back, but we get up and start moving forward again. So we could have been faster, lost more weight this week, ran a few more kms, pushed a little harder, so what. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a free pass, that's the no excuses part. The only expectation you should put on yourself is not giving up.

Other than that, drop the expectations.

This spoke volumes.  I DO expect a lot from myself, and beat myself up when I don't get there.  This ties in with my problem with perfectionism.  So many times I haven't started something or finished something because it wouldn't be perfect.  After all a job worth doing is a job well done, right?  But sometimes a job worth doing is a job just done.

The pressure from these expectations, and this perfectionism, robs us of the joy we feel when we accomplish something.  We are too busy fretting over how it wasn't done properly or where you could improve.  If you can improve fine...make it a goal but enjoy the fact you have taken the first steps!

I held off running for so long because I thought I couldn't do it 'right'.  I held off doing lots of things I would've loved to do because I wouldn't have done it 'right'.  But then, whammo, I realised you only get one shot at this life.  What am I waiting for? Learn how to do it right, practise, just DO it!

That led me to my first triathlon.  Could I swim?  Nup but eventually I learned how to breaststroke with my head above the water and took part in my first 'fun' triathlon January 2012 where I came 4th.  4th!  Me who wouldn't have dared to try with the old mindset because I couldn't do it 'right'.

Doing it 'right' is not the be all and end all.  Meeting your expectations is not the meaning of life. Failing doesn't stop the world from turning.  But how you react to it, does.  Do you soldier on and try again, learning on the way or do you give up?

Real failure is giving up.

Real failure is not trying. 

Inspiration on the wall

I thought I'd share my 'inspiration wall' with you all....a work in progress and conveniently located on the way to the fridge to stop the chocolate hunting.....

Now to explain.....
From the Top....Awesome Meter...the needle is generally set to AWESOME because that is what we are...AWESOME!  Even when I feel really ordinary, ugly, having the worst day in the world and just BLAH, I can remember inside I'm still AWESOME. Never lower than cool at any rate  LOL

Flat belly...I WISH!  that would be ideal but after 4 children?  We'll see. If hard work can do it then I'll get there!

Wonder Woman....enough said.  Do I need any other reason for inspiration?

The white cards in the middle are my fitness goals which you can read on my strength goals page.  As each is reached I tick it off.  I love seeing all those ticks!!!

The rock climber is symbolic of achieving the impossible..YOU CAN DO IT, just be determined.  I can do more than what I think I can but I'll never know unless I try. here's a saying on it..." You only get one shot, one life"  and " Be the Best Me"

There's a day spa pic, a reminder that my favourite reward is a long warm relaxing massage.  That after the hard work comes the joy.

The career pic, apart from showing Michelle Bridges, is an indication to what I'd like to do...get my PT qualification and my teachers degree and run fitness games/session for 4-8 year olds, in a fun setting where hopefully they'll continue the habit, or remember how good it made them feel.

On the opposite side is a chinup  " Positive energy"  really embodies my goals...be STRONG, THINK POSITIVE and get those chinups out!  Same with the pic of the runner, the determination and focus on the face is what I need to tap into and often do when I run.

The bottom two pics now.... first the runner with the saying " The voice in your head that says you can't do this is a LIAR"  So so true.  When I run, in the first kilometre I'm thinking " what are you doing?  You can't run!  This will hurt, why don't you stop, there's no way you can make the distance"  And time and time again I've proved that voice wrong.  Now when I hear it, I think back " Liar liar pants on fire" and visualise running with my bum on fire!!! LOL Good for a chuckle.

Lastly Cascade Waterfalls at Port Vila, a beautiful beautiful place that I want to return to one day and just sit.  Warm clear water, beautiful trees and forest, a cliff to climb and abseil down should I feel the need to...I keep this picture for calm and for wishing myself back there....in a kicking bikini body!

So there you have it, my inspiration board at the moment as it stands.  What's yours like? What inspires you?

Week 1 reflection

So we are at the end of the first week of Michelle Bridges Body Transformation program.
 www.12wbt.com
It's the end of the first week of menu plans, exercise plans and a challenge.  So how did it go?

Menu plans

The 1200 calorie menu plans have been easy to follow, easy to adjust to suit how many people are eating and DELICIOUS! The recipes are simple and most take only 10-15 minutes to prepare, which is a godsend when I am rushing home from work and rushing out again to take children to sports or myself to gym.  They are SO simple to follow in fact my 7 and 11 yr old children can make some of them. :-) Yay!!!

I don't often find myself hungry although at 'habit' times I do...I'm looking for something sweet after lunch and dinner and if I stay up late just watching television or on the computer I just want to constantly graze on something.  I fixed that to a degree by having a cup of tea after meals, or snacking on nuts/seeds/carrots that was factored into my calorie count. Having to take healthy snack to work in Kindergarten is easy, and it's usually carrot and celery sticks and hummous dip...YUM!  Makes me chew a lot so I feel like I've had a big amount of food, PLUS veges take up way more room in my stomach that a biscuit! But definitely, my downfall is habit munchies....and once I have a little sugary yumminess like a cupcake or chocolate, I become a raging sugar beast and find it difficult...make that impossible to stop at one. One of the kinder kids had a birthday and brought in mini mudcakes.....one is polite, three indicates an impulse control problem.  Besides which three made me feel sick afterwards! So why did I then torment myself by continually thinking about eating more?!!

Exercise plans

Loved the exercise plans on Lean and Strong.  I even FEEL stronger and firmer especially around my back arms and abs.  Most of the plans take about an hour to do with Troy and we timetable at the start of each week to factor in after work meetings and functions.  If there's something on after work, then it's 5.30am at the gym!  If the evening is free, then after the kids are tucked up into bed and in the care of their loving big sister (Thanks Em!) then we hit the gym then.  I do get intimidated by the blokes at gym at nighttime so prefer the early morning sessions myself, but with Troy there it's not so bad.   I'm looking forward to next week's program.

One thing I miss is my running.  So next week I am planning to incorporate some more running outside along the river path (my favourite place!) I have missed the aloneness, the time to think and how everything seems all sorted by the end.  Hopefully the weather stays fine for a while!

Challenge

The SSS challenge and the nutritional pop quiz....well one was a success!

The pop quiz...oops.  Knowing there was 10 pushups riding on every question wrong, I think when I read the questions I really overthought them....and there was one I had no idea at all.  Ultimately a 7/10 result and 30 pushups.  I was so disappointed in myself and angry at myself until I saw on the forums that heaps of others ended up in the same boat! Still would have been nice to be in the running for a new polar HRM watch.......

The SSS 600 rep challenge....fantastic.  It was a hard, hard workout done to a timer and I completed it in 21 mins5 secs.  So that is the goal to beat next Saturday.  This was a huge success for me because I honestly thought I'd never make it through.  The time allowed for it was 1.5 hours and just reading through the list I was overwhelmed.  But amazingly, when I started and just got in and did it ( JFDI!!!) it flowed well. I learned my body is SO much more capable than I think it is.

Overall, the first week has been GREAT!  It started wobbly with the pop quiz and ended on a high with the SSS challenge. I'm learning more about what I can do and how to get my goals.  I'm proud to say I've achieved a few goals already and on my way to getting through more!!! Thank you Troy for getting up early in the morning and enduring me during the workouts ;)

It's my workout and I'll cry if I want to....

Today a strange thing happened to me...it has happened before after my first 10 k run and after my first half marathon and to be honest, after some of the Fatburner Classes run by Kath at Inbalance Fitness!  It only happens after intense exercise and has me flummoxed ( what a cool word...flummoxed.  An Awesome medal for the person who created it)

What is this strange thing?

I cry.

Now it's not a sad cry, or a grieving cry....it's more like.... relief I am guessing.  I've felt like this before when my children have been in hospital and I'm worried out of my mind. But when it's all over and there's nothing to worry about, I want to sit down and BAWL!

Today was a Super Saturday Session or an SSS.  It was SSS 600 day today...60 reps of 10 different body weight exercises...timed.  I managed to complete all 600 reps in  21mins 5 secs. It was hard, I hurt, I wanted to be sick partway through the double crunches, I started cursing 10 reps into tricep dips, I wanted to give up when the push ups started. But I pushed through and completed it.  I DID IT!  And I was PROUD!

But then , the tears wanted to come to the party too.  What is wrong with me?  I'd just done something I didn't think I could do and I was HAPPY! So why rush into the shower to crack the sooks?

An article helped explain possible reasons why....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21073097/ns/health-fitness/t/moved-tears-workouts-waterworks/#.T9KtzFJ5en9

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who cries after a workout LOL.

The writer suggests that intense exercise can release pent up emotions.  I know I feel better after a little cry AND after exercise. I know I spend a lot of time thinking I'll never be able to do what I want to achieve, worry about meeting my goals or making a fool of myself.....and the Miss Competitive inside me likes to be able to be among the best in things so squeezes the pressure on the Miss Proud me to push me harder.  

I constantly surprise myself with what I can do.  Each time I achieve something new, it's incredible, even my own Self cannot believe I have done it.  That in itself is amazing...our own conscious minds are being surprised by what our bodies are capable of. Makes me wonder who is in fact running the whole show!  Certainly not the bit I think is me! LOL

So perhaps it's a combination of relief I have not let myself down, relief the pressure has eased and I don't have to be so strong for a little bit, happiness I am worthy or better than I think I am and that I CAN do it after all.

Or maybe it's just relief it's over.... :)

To whom it may concern....

 To whom it may concern,

Just a few words to get a weight off my chest so to speak, in regards to observed behaviour at gym. 

Could you please refrain from the following:

1.       Dropping weights like King Kong.  Yes, they’re heavy.  You are soooo tough to have held them up for so long and I’m sorry I wasn’t watching your every move, necessitating you to drop the weights like they were on fire.  Better yet, the slight throw and drop.  Nice. Should I just tell you now that when you create such drama, I’m thinking “ Over compensation”

2.       Grunting.  Ok, it’s a big effort. I understand ….truly I do. The occasional grunt may be warranted.  But you don’t NEED to out-grunt the guy working out beside you, just as he doesn’t.  All in all, it just sounds like you two really need a room together…….and maybe some candlelight or music?

3.       Sweat.  Sweat’s great, I sweat, we all sweat especially if we are working out like we should.  I even have a saying….Sweat is Liquid Awesome.  But I have enough awesomeness of my own without finding yours all over the gym equipment.

4.       Bad odours.  I don’t fancy running on the treadmill to be accidentally running into your noxious cloud.  I like to stay conscious whenever you raise those arms of yours near me. Gym clothes can dry very quickly once they’re washed. Morning breath and puffing out close to others…need I say more?

5.       Hogging equipment.  I can appreciate you have a large workout to complete, waiting is a right pain in the patootie but seriously, I am yet to meet ANYONE who can work all the muscle groups of their body all at the same time across the gym. If you’re away for more than 2 minutes, it’s mine.

6.       Phones/loud chats/ interrupting a PT session.  I don’t need to know your husband/boyfriend/boss is an arsehole who doesn’t understand you/your needs/your family/your job. I don’t really care if Anita told Kirsten about Brenda’s sister’s neighbour’s cousin’s little problem. I am curious about the problem though……oh, and pay your own $40 to talk to my PT trainer and stop getting freebies off me.

7.       Mirror hogging.  Oh God yes you are beautiful.  Look at those muscles.  From every angle, do.  Now go the hell home and admire yourself there. Besides the lighting makes your bum look fat…or should I say lacking in the package department???

Thanking you in advance.....

Regards

Me.