835 WW & 383 FF & C25K 1.1 - first day C25K challenge

Week from Hell

Ok be prepared for something like a whine. I am not eating well, not drinking well, not sleeping well. I miss talking to my special one and I am working way to hard. BUT having said that I am not doing half bad.

1. Not drinking well: I am struggling to make my two liters. Why? Because I do not fill my bottle every morning when I am at work. BAD Willow!
2. Not eating well: I skip breakfasts, and thus start the day really really wrong. Why? Have had no real time for groceries. BAD Willow!
3. Not sleeping well: Take work home, finding there are not enough hours in a work day, and then end up sleeping less hours Why? Have my priorities all screwed up. Health comes first, Sanity too, work fifth............sixth even! BAD Willow.
4. Don't talk to my special one: I just cannot find a time that hea stime to spend with me. Why? Timezone problems! ~makes puppey dog eyes~just one of them there things I cannot change.
5. Working way to hard: take work home, feeling things should be finished, feeling deadlines breathing down my neck. Why? Because things have not been organised well, and frankly, the team I work in is not a team! BAD Willow...........erm.....no.

So summarising the solution:

1. Fill my bottle of water in the morning
2. Go grocery shopping, and lay of the easy, nearly pointless sweet cookies!
3. Find time to spend with Mr. wonderful, priority........four, after food, drink and sleep
4. sleep at least 6 hours, preferably 7.
5. Take no more work home!

Ok, problems detected, and solutions found. Now........live up to them!!!

C25K week one, day one

I did 5 minutes at 5.5 km/hr, then the remaining 15 minutes alternately at 5.5 km/hr jog, and 4.5 km/hr power walk. I was alittle scared actually running on the treadmill,, so first try I held on to the handles, second try I tried without, sort of half half the remaining 4 I did without any support. And I did it. Odd thing, though I sweated like an otter, It did not challenge me to the max.

I know now I will have to do this first one again as I did 15 minutes alternating. It should have been 20 minutes. Silly Willow!

Though I was very hot after, and my legs were like lead. I managed only 5 mins on the cross trainer. And as it was nearly 09:15 PM before I was finished and my body desperately needed some sauna and steamroom TLC, I just relaxed for about 45 mins, and went home.

Oh and another thing I noticed. I have been taking these hot and cold (really cold) alternating power showers, each lasts 20 seconds, and I can feel myself loving the cold one. I don't know why, but I actually enjoy the cold more than the hot ones.

All in all it is late again, and I should be in bed, because at this rate I will manage just under 5 hours of sleep!! BAD Willow. Oh yes and tomorrow is weigh in day again. I am aiming for 2.2 lbs/1 kg, but I have grave doubts!

Subtitles to my post titles

What does uit all means? 835 WW & 383 FF & C25K 1.1

835 WW = 835 days of WeightWatchers
383 FF = 383 days if Fitness First (the gym) - 150 odd vistis by now
C25K 1.1 = Couch to 5 KM jogging challenge week one day one

-grins- the girl behind the front desk just matter of factly said. See you tomorrow. And I thought "WOW, they have noticed. I am an every day gym girl!"

YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!

Want to understand hat C25K is all about? Read THIS
Have a great week. hope it is not too warm! will be checking up on all those familiar blogs again soon!

831 WW & 379 FF - Following FLG's blog

A Jogging Challenge. - Saints preserve us!

I read up on many blogs, and one of the in FLG's blog. he kept on talking about a C25K challenge, and dilligently I kept reading about it. And frankly I had no idea what it was. So, I decided to look it up, and it the Couch to 5 Kilometres running plan. As I was reading through a page explaining it, I noticed myself getting more and more exited.

You know what, I think I can do this. For 8 weeks in a row you follow a sort of training programme. If you fail to finish a week, no problem. You just repeat the week untill you can do it. The end result is being able to jog 5 km/3 mls!

Week one
On three seperate days, preferably allowing one day of recuperation the following jogging/walking schedule: Brisk five-minute warm up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

There is even a lady who has made podcasts to make it easier. The music will guide you on. It will be interesting to see if all my working at the gym has resulted in some stamina. Will let you know!

830 WW & 378 FF - Weigh in

Personal training and weigh in

I believe in before and afters. I have become brave enough to show me, the old me, the new me, the ME me.

The left photograph was taken two days ago 12 august 2009, the other was taken about 5 years ago, may be 6 years ago. No idea what I weighed but it was...........massive.

This is what I work for so hard, so dilligently. It is not just losing weight. It really ia not. It is also about gaining confidence, gaining serenity, peace of mind and soul.

Hard work, but worth every minute I spend to achieve it.

Yesterday my personal trainer Nanda was having a ball. She drove me hard. sweat was pouring down my face, my back, even my lower arms. It still amazes me to see beads of persperation on me, "Miss lazy extra ordinaire", "Miss couch potato", "Miss I am not going to budge from my bed", "Miss sports? Please get away from me".

As for Nanda driving me hard? I noticed she especially focussed on stamina and upper legs, tri and biceps. In the process she also demanded much of sense my balance. She had me do an exercise I could not do well when I tried it about 12 weeks ago. With a weight of 11 lbs in each hand make big steps, making sure to bring the weights close to the floor, the knee of the front leg above the foot, the back leg supported just on your toes, so in essence a squat, then take a step, without support step in the middle, doing the same with the other leg. Each time keep the weights down for 2 seconds before taking the new step. About 15 steps one way, 15 steps back. I hope you people understand what I mean, describing these things somewhat intelligently is hard.

Other exrcises involved arms and again upper legs, quads, abdominals. In short I felt good but dead tired when I stopped. I had done 50 laps (about 1 km/0.6 ml) in the morning, so when it came to the cross trainer I was really beat. I made it for about 7 mins, then caved in and just went to the locker room. I enjoyed jusT sitting and relaxing before I set off to the weight watchers.

AND The grand total for this week is............tadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........................
2.2 kg/4.9 lbs

Which means I am ahead of target by 1.2 kg/2.7 lbs! Week ONE is done!!

This morning when I came to the office one of my colleagues had left an envelop on my desk, in it was a very nice incentive, a token of her support; a gift certificate to buy something nice for myself at a perfume shop! And for a moment she brought me to tears. I did not know what to say. How special it is to have people who are willing to support me, cheer me on. It humbles me to know that what I am doing, a very egocentric thing, which at times meakes me choose for me above the people around me, still makes people wish to be as ssupportive as they are.

free translation:

"Willowisheslessline present....going strong, keep it up!"

Because believe, I know loosing weight, getting healthier is in a way a very ego centric process. Unafraid to put myself at the centre of my universe very often. To choose for me-time, me-food, me-activities. And you know what, I think it is/was actually the heart of many of the problems I have faced, not just weight ones. To look out for number one, ME, was never my strong suit. But I can tell you that has changed.

So, without further ado, all my friends, family, neighbours, colleagues

THANK YOU ALL! 

828 WW & 376 FF - Compliments, and hard work

Going strong, on target - weigh in wednesday

I weigh myself quite frequently. Something I vowed I would not a two years ago. And yet I find I need it. In the morning after fitness I weigh myself. Why? Well if I am doing well, it will help me to stay focused. If I am slipping it will help me to get focussed and slide any further. Both have the same result, to know where I am going, and why I am doing all this. Any views on this, post them in a coment I would love to know your views on this.

I was talking to one of my colleagues who has been dieting most of her life. Why? Well reasons for following a diet are usually highly personal. I mean that not every one may agree with your reasons. My colleague could be argued to not need to loose the lbs. She always looks wonderful, well dressed, hair done to perfection, lovely make up, accessoiries to match. However it is not about what we think, it is what she thinks and feels!

But that was not what I wished to discuss. We got to talking about loosing weight, and how the loss of the same amount of lbs was acclaimed and praised by every one around me, but that same weightloss was not even noticed when she lost it. Which means that the effort, dedication and perseverence were noticed in my case but not in hers. In which case I feel it is so much more commendable for her to achieve it than it was for me, for despite voices telling her she need not loose the weight, despite very few people cheering her on, she DID DO IT.

My olleague has chosen a different way of loosing weight. She follows a programme of powders which can be transformed into muesli, omelets, dough for a small bun, potato mash. These items of course also contain minerals, vitains and various other nutrients. With it she is allowed to eat lots and lots of vegetables, but no fruit, sugar or fat. Granted it would not do me, I would go nuts. Her daily intake is not more than 500 kcal. I am amazed that she can actually make it work, I would faint after 2 day!!

But the core of the discussion was this: losing weight is hard, dedicated and seemingly endless task . It is not a process where you can take time out, relax. Praise, smiles cheering and interest in the process DOES help. I should know because all the comments I get sure keep me motivated!

Anyways, today is personal training day again. This morning I swam 50 laps , and will try to do another 50 after my training. Weigh in is today as well. I will let you all know. Justifiably so I should be punished because I sort of binged on ice cream yesterday! It was sooooooooooo good, but having said that I feel bad now and wonder why it is I could not stick to just one or two scoops.

Photograph for August will follow soon, but when Fred tried to take one last night I looked horrible. I looked tired, fat and well.........not me. I will also post a "just after working"out photograph soon. I saw it in FLG's blog and was determined to do so myself. I know I look like...........bleagh, but it is an honest recount of the hard, dedicated and seemingly endless task I have taken on!

My Charms

I don't know ho many of you remember my Pandora charm bracelet. It helped me along the first year and a half. Every 3.5 kg/7.7 lbs weightloss I was allowed to buy a charm. I have by now 22 charms (and 10 more for birthdays and the like occasions) and 17 spacers. At the moment I am on hold with the charms as I gained weight of course. When I reach 288.4 lbs/130.8 kg, I am back on schedule. I will award myself one golden charm at 127.3 kg/280.6, as it will have been ONE hard struggle to regain my stride again.

Planning ahead

I am already planning for a challenge ahead; 24th-27th august I will be part of a huge seminar circus, which emans I will not be able to go to the gym for 4 days, and will have to practice restraint food wise. You know how it is in these 4 star conference places, there is food in abundance, and not all of it healthy.

I must admit the thing which bugs me most is not being able to work out. I am looking into an alternative close by, ill keep all of yous posted!

825 WW & 373 FF - My personal tormentor, errr trainer, is back!

Muscles, I still have them!

Nanda is back! My personal trainer had 4 weeks of holiday, and now she is back. Wednesday last was the first time, the one training which is really personal, one on one. Yesterday was a training which was one on two, me and my fitness buddy Margreet.

I am not sure, but I think she was easy on me. We did train every possible muscle you can think of, with emphasis on stomach, biceps and triceps, chest muscles. I was OK afterwards, just some burn in the day to follow to make clear I had been working out.

Yesterday we did the 1 on 2 routine, and it was........challenging. I notice I have come to the point where it has become easier for me to do coordinated exercises which combine, balance, stamina, and muscles. I don't fall all the time, or have to stop because I am so out of breath I cannot think straight. I try to do them as focussed as possible and do not allow myself to slack. Every time Nanda says "another 8", I push myself to do the extra 8, to not just stop and give up. I am actually starting to enjoy them, and am challenging myself to go slower, drive the muscles harder, go deeper, add an extra two when Nanda says we are done.

Yesterday I put the weights on a resistance wall exercise up because I felt it was too easy. But instead of 2 lbs, I made a mistake and upped it 4 lbs. Nanda noticed half way through the exercise, as did I. I really had to put my all in it. But I refused to stop, and just completed the set, muscles trembling and all. Come to think of it that might be the reason why my arm muscles, chest and shoulder suffer most today.

This week I plan to make a very good one weight wise just to get my challenge on the right track. The goal is 2.2 lbs/1 kg a week. A friend of mine is worried that it is just too much. It is not; 2 lbs a week is something my body can do, without any adverse effect. I wish to build more muscle, that way up the calorieburn during "rest" periods. I am trying to bring my fat percentage down to below 40%, and it is already working, I am sort of struggling around that marker now.

So all in all. All is well. Food wise I am being creative, healthy and at times a little indulgent. weather wise we are warm, hot, warm, windy, hot. In short a typical dutch summer. Oh, and after fitness thhis morning I am going to the movies. Something with ghosts and girlfriends, and Matthew M.

823 WW & 372 FF - Christmas challenge

Setting myself up for a fall?

No flippin' way!

Christmas Challenge 2009

And I quote from my on blog:

"I am aiming to be 264 lbs/120 kg by christmas. A BIG challenge, it means I want to loose 45 lbs/20 kg in 18 weeks, may be a bit too presumptious. Will give it some more thought. I might set myself up to fall!"

I am setting myself this target, and will document on it in my blog. I have lost 28.2 lbs/12.8 kg in last 10 weeks, making up for 3.3 lbs/1.5 kg weightgain in those 10 weeks. So a total effort of 31.5 lbs/14.3 kg. If I take that up to 20 weeks, it would mean a possible weightloss of 63.0 lbs/28.6 kg. That would leave room for some error. Because 20 weeks is a loooooooong time not to slip up, veeeeeeeeeeery .long!

In numbers it looks like this, 1.0 kg/2.2 lbs a week. That should be possible.

WEEK KG LBS TARGET MADE

wk 0 5-8 140,2 309,0

wk 1 12-8 139,2 306,8

wk 3 19-8 138,2 304,6

wk 4 26-8 137,2 302,4

wk 5 2-9 136,2 300,2

wk 6 9-9 135,2 298,0

wk 7 16-9 134,2 295,8

wk 8 23-9 133,2 293,6

wk 9 30-9 132,2 291,4

wk 10 7-10 131,2 289,2

wk 11 14-10 130,2 287,0

wk 12 21-10 129,2 284,8

wk 13 28-10 128,2 282,6

wk 14 4-11 127,2 280,4

wk 15 11-11 126,2 278,2

wk 16 18-11 125,2 276,0

wk 17 25-11 124,2 273,8

wk 18 2-12 123,2 271,6

wk 19 9-12 122,2 269,4

wk 20 16-12 121,2 267,2

wk 21 23-12 120,0 264,9

I need all the support I can get, so keep following me, comment, and keep sending the good vibes. I am on my way, ready to rock and roll! Any one care to join me in their own christmas challenge? With 20 weeks to go, now is the time to set that target!!

Come on, be bold, challenge yourself to the max!

.......................as my weightwatchers coach says,
we'll be in sexy slinky black by Christmas!

822 WW & 371 FF (both corrected as of this date) - Bounce, bounce, bounce!

Bouncing back after a hard week

It has been a full 10 days since I blogged last. The week before this one was a confusing one. I gained 3.7 lbs/1.7 kg. In part this was due to a nasty jaw infection. One of my molars, actually one my dentist is trying to save was giving me grief, painful grief! And she is/was on a holiday! No way was any one going to touch that molar. So the one solution was pain killers in massive doses. It helped but gave me a numb feeling, and eating was no joy. So I did not pay too much attention to food. Hence weight gain.

I promised myself I would not slide more than I did, and this week I lost 2 lbs/0.9 kg again. Still a week of hard struggling, and would you not know it I started my period. -grins- those of you who are male, and don't want to read about these female things, just skip it! When I started to loose serious weight, I also started to have serious pain issues when it was that time of the month. Never had much trouble before! The cramps were much more severe. But well, I just take the good, losing weight, feeling great, with the bad, temporary discomfort.

Also I get eating cravings. Never really noticed I had them before, but now I do. Choccolate is one of my favorites, but basically anything will do. Had some disappointing news, which almost made me go into an emotional binge. But I resisted both, the period and emotion eating, and in the end lost 2 lbs! Hurray for me. See I am learning, or have learned. By now the tricks, advices, rules and regulations have morphed into healthy living and a different me. Does not always work, but in many many more cases than none, it does work!

The hunt is on for the illustrious 299 lbs/136 kg is on. FLG has already made it and I so long to get there as well. I won't make any predictions as to when I will have made it, but I will get there and finally break through the 140 mark, once and for all! Today my personal trainer is back and I will see how much I have retained conditionwise. I can tell her that I lost about 11 lbs/5kg in the mean time!

I am aiming to be 264 lbs/120 kg by christmas. A BIG challenge, it emans I want to loose 45 lbs/20 kg in 18 weeks, may be a bot too presumptious. Will give it some more thought. I might set myself up to fall!

More to tell soon! Gotta get ready! Will make my comments round tonight if I can squeeze it in.