Monday mumbles

Just a few random thoughts for this dreadfully depressing Monday ... (I'm in Sydney where we are having miserable weather).

• Bad news: weighed myself today (although not a 'weigh in' day), and have gained 500g.
• Good news: despite this, I managed to fit into my skinny jeans - still a bit tight, but better than a few months ago when I couldn't do them up!

• Bad news: still sick
• Good news: managed to go into work for a bit, which is better than yesterday when I spent most of the day in bed!

• Good news: been increasing the protein I've been having from my snacks.
• Bad news: Isowhey High Protein Double Choc Crunch Snack bars do not taste like chocolate.  Won't be trying them again!

The A B C's of Me.

I saw this on Missy's blog: "Missy's World; Lashings of Pink" and figured it would be a fun post to do while I'm still sick, and not really in the mood to post about my lack of exercise!


A. Age: I'm in my 20s. 
B. Bed size: A single - it's just me, and I have so much furniture in my room (as it is basically my bedroom and my study) that any larger would be a waste of space.  Even when I'm on holidays and have a much bigger bed, I tend to sleep on one side. 
C. Chore you hate: Without a doubt - ironing.  It
D. Day: Friday - it's almost the weekend (although lately I've been working weekends) and it was also the day I was born. 
E. Essential start to your day: Bathroom!
F. Favourite colour: Blue
G. Gold or Silver: Silver (or white gold).
H. Height: 150cm (although last year I was measured at the gym and told I was only 149cm!)
I. Instruments: Piano when I was a child, but the only time I play now is when I go back home to visit my Mum as she still  has our piano.
J. Job title: Since I have about 3 jobs at the moment - I will leave this as "too many".
K. Kids: None. Love kids but live vicariously through friend's children.
L. Live: Sydney, Australia
M. Mum’s name: Marilyn
N. Nicknames: Kathy, Kath, KB, Kakaboo (my childhood nickname from my brother, which I always hated!).
O. Overnight hospital stays: 3 - once with suspected appendicitis; 2 sleep studies.
P. Pet peeve: Lack of consideration for others - e.g. people not giving up their seat on the bus for elderly passengers. 
Q. Quote from a movie: "The line must be drawn here!" - Picard, Star Trek: First Contact.
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: 1 older.
T. Time you wake up: Usually about 8; or 6 on mornings I have personal training. I'm not a morning person! Today - 9, but I'm sick!
U. Underwear: Whatever is comfortable!
V. Vegetables you dislike: Olives. 

W. What makes you run late: Thinking I have more time than I do.  E.g. I'm more likely to be running late if I get up earlier than normal, because then I think "oh, I have plenty of time".
X.  X-Rays you’ve had: Wrist, back, mouth, and a CT scan of my nose which looked like an X-ray!
Y. Yummy food you make: I love to bake - but trying to resist while I'm on the 12WBT.
Z. Zoo: Loved Singapore Zoo as it is more "open" than a lot of other zoos (check out my videos of it: Orangutan Breakfast; White Tiger; Splashing Elephants 

Still alive - just! :)

Just a very quick post to say I'm still alive - but went to the doctor's yesterday and yes, as I suspected, I do have tonsillitis.  I left with a prescription and also a referral to an ENT to see about getting the pesky tonsils removed - but my appointment with the ENT isn't until late August.

Woke up this morning feeling worse than ever, starting to feel a bit better now, but having a quiet night in cooking some of the soup recipes. 

I haven't exercised since Wednesday which is frustrating, but figure it is better to take it easy and get over this.  Hopefully will be able to do some light exercise tomorrow and get back into the swing of things on Monday.

Hope everyone is doing well!

My Youtube Channel

I hadn't mentioned it on here, but I recently started a Youtube channel - partly to record by 12WBT journey, but also to upload videos for family/friends/anyone to see when I am overseas, as I will be travelling a bit this year. 

I've just uploaded some footage I took last year when I was in Singapore from my trip to the Singapore Zoo (which I highly recommend if ever you go to Singapore).  I have made a few 12WBT updates which I need to upload, and hopefully I will be feeling better enough over the weekend to make some more videos. 

My username on Youtube is kathb73 - (same as my 12WBT username) - www.youtube.com/user/kathb73

Thursday Blues

This basically sums up how I'm feeling today.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, which for me, 99.9% of the time - means tonsillitis.  I should probably talk to my doctor about having them removed, because almost anytime I'm sick it is tonsillitis, and I seem to get it about 4 times a year.  However, I don't think I ever have it severely enough to have them taken out.  But honestly - do we really need our tonsils?  According to wikipedia (which I usually take with a grain of salt - it isn't exactly the most reliable source), "the tonsils are designed to keep bacteria out of the stomach to prevent sickness" - well, I guess that means in my case they are working - the tonsils are catching all the bacteria! 

Apart from sickness, I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything - work, study, life in general. 

I exercised yesterday but only my Irish Dancing class.  Today was going to be my day off from exercise (as I work until 9 - and yes, I'm at work today even though I would prefer to be in bed!) which has worked out well, but hoping I'm better tomorrow and can step it up for the rest of the week.

Anyway, I guess the main thing is to make sure I stick to the nutritional side of things while I'm sick - unfortunately having a sore throat hasn't made me any less hungry, even though I don't particularly want to eat because it hurts to swallow! 

12WBT - Day 2 recap

Ok, I'll start my being honest - I'm still drinking diet coke.  But apart from that, my nutrition is going fairly well, although I still need to bump up the protein. 

In terms of exercise, I had a personal training session, didn't burn as many calories as I normally do, but we increased a lot of my weights.  Through one of the 12WBT Sydney facebook groups, met a girl who goes to the same gym as me, so went and tried cycle with her last night.  Not as bad as I thought it would be!  I had always been scared of cycle - as with body attack, considering it one of the "super fit people" classes.  But you adjust your own tension on your bike, and although you should try to keep up with the instructor, it's not the end of the world if you fall behind.  It was a 45 minute class and I  burnt just over 400 calories - thought I would burn more, so will need to work harder in it next week.  Being my first class and not knowing exactly what to expect, I think I took it a bit easy.  My main problem is my tight quad muscles (which both my personal trainer and irish dancing instructor comment on regularly!)  So in cycle/spin class, my legs are killing before my heart rate gets as high as I would like. 

• Nutrition: 57% calories from carbs; 25.7% from protein; 17.3% from fat
• Exercise: Burnt 820 calories
• Calorie deficit: 1428

1.4kg gone - I'm in the 40s! :)

Today was the Week 1 weigh-in, although the program only officially started Monday.  We weigh in each Wednesday.  I had weighed myself last Wednesday, and had tried to be reasonably healthy Wednesday through to Sunday, although didn't exercise as much as I will be during the program.

Weight 18/05/2011: 50.35kg
Weight 25/05/2011: 48.95kg

I'm super happy with that weight loss, but keep in mind with my current weight I am EXTREMELY short so still have a fair bit to go. 

Movie Review - Thor

I've been posting so much about the 12WBT lately, that I thought it was time for a non-12WBT post. 

I went and saw Thor on Friday night (and did walk to the cinema which is about 5.5km away).

I loved it.  I didn't go in with high expectations, and to be honest, partly saw it because it was on at a good time, and the only thing else that interested me as "Something Borrowed", which had gotten terrible reviews.  I'm so glad I picked Thor.

Obviously, it's not going to be an Oscar winning deep thinking movie.  But it is a very enjoyable 2 and a bit hours.  

Thor is played by Chris Hemsworth, who got his start in the Aussie soap Home & Away.  He also played Kirk's father in the 2009 Star Trek movie (I'm a trekkie so he gets some bonus points for this!)  He has piled on the muscle for the role.  At the start I didn't like his character at all - far too cocky, which obviously was the point.  But that changed as the movie went on.  (And it doesn't hurt that in my mind, he is gorgeous).  Essentially I thought all the actors were good, I preferred the actors who were characters in Asgard (e.g. the other warriors, Loki, and Thor's father), I think because they were able to have a bit more fun with the roles. 

There was a lot of CGI - and obviously so - but Asgard was so beautiful that I didn't care it was computer generated - I was almost disappointed when the scenes switched to present day Earth!

Overall, if you like either action or fantasy movies I would recommend this.  There is a bit of a love story, but not overdone.  I enjoyed the ending, as not everything ended "perfectly" - and left room for a sequel!   (No word of that on IMDB, but Chris Hemsworth is playing Thor again in The Avengers).

12WBT - Day 1 Recap

The 12WBT officially started yesterday, and went well.

In terms of food, I'll be honest and admit I'm not following the 12WBT nutritional plan exactly.  I'm making sure to keep my calories in check, but due to my work schedule it can sometimes be hard to have a set breakfast/lunch/dinner - so for example yesterday (which is my worst day), I could only really snack between 10am - 4pm.  Finally had a late lunch at 4pm!  I will be trying a lot of the recipes as I go along though. (Which is a big deal for me as I don't consider myself much of a cook - I love to bake cakes, but they aren't exactly suitable for the program!)

In terms of exercise, I did my time trial, completed a step basic class (first one and I loved it), and completed a body balance class (which I hope will eventually help with my back pain).

• Nutrition: 52% calories from carbs; 34.5% from protein; 13.5% from fat.
• Exercise: Burnt just over 900 calories. 
• Calorie deficit: 1,472. 

Fitness test results

I did my fitness test, and surprisingly I was in intermediate for most things (I thought I would be beginner).

Push-ups in 1 minute: 26 (knees)
Wall-sit: 1:05
Ab stage: 2 (just!): basically that means if I cross my arms across my body, I can sit up and reach my knees.
Sit and reach: 0cm (means I can reach my toes but not past them)

Time-trial (1KM): 4:54

The time trial is what shocked me, because it would put me in the advanced group.  I consider that I can't run (I still haven't made it past Week 2 of the Couch 2 5KM program).  I think the difference is that I can push  myself for shorter distances - I know it will be over soon.  Longer distances - not so much. 

So later this week or on the weekend I'm going to do a 5KM time trial, so when I complete the C25K program I cam see how much I've improved on a longer distance.

12WBT - Pre-Season Task 8 - Measure Up

Well - it's reality check time.
Behold in all their glory my before photos.

Measurements (23/5/2011)

Chest: 86.5cm

Waist: 69cm

Widest: 91cm (around my butt!)

Right thigh: 50.5cm

Left thigh: 50.5cm

12WBT - Week 1 workout plan

Week 1

Monday:
(Morning): Time trial as part of my 12WBT fitness test
(Evening): Step basic class; body balance class

Tuesday:
(Morning): C25K Week 1 Day 1; Weight training
(Evening): Boxing

Wednesday:
(Morning): Cycle (my first time!)
(Evening): Irish dancing class

Thursday:
Day off

Friday:
(Morning): C25K Week 1, Day 2; Weight training

Saturday:
(Evening): C25K Week 1, Day 3; Body Comat

Sunday:
(Evening) Body Attack

12WBT - Pre-Season Task 7 - Organise and Diarise

There are never enough hours in the day, so getting organised is key.  If you have training in your diary as appointments, you are much more likely to stick to them.

I know generally how my next three months will look (in terms of big events/trips etc), in terms of precise training times though, I'll be planning out a few weeks at a time, as the amount of work I have on at any one time can change.  I will be going overseas at the end of Week 6, so will be training harder the first half of the 12WBT.

My major red flags:
End of Week 3: Road trip from Gold Coast to Sydney.  I'm flying up then driving back with my car which has been in Queensland at my Mum's ever since I moved to Sydney.  Staying overnight in Port Macquarie.
Week 7 + 8: Trip overeas to Finland + Vienna
End of week 8 - just as I get back: Friend's 30th + Mum and Aunt's birthday
Week 11 + 12 (and 13): Trip overseas to U.S.

My milestone events / goals:

Week 4:
Jog 1km without stopping
Have taken a learn to rollerskate class (something I have wanted to do for a while)

Week 8:
Jog 5km without stopping

Week 12: (I'll be in the US)
Go rollerskating on Santa Monica Boulevard
Hike up Runyon Canyon in LA (it's not that big a hike, but I have to pick somewhere easily accessible in LA without a car!)
Jog 7km without stopping

12WBT - Pre-Season Task 6 - Kitchen Makeover

When trying to lose weight, diet is more important than exercise.  I've heard between 70 to 80 percent of losing weight is exercise, with the other 20 to 30 percent being exercise.

Therefore, pre-season task 6 is about cleaning out your kitchen and getting rid of temptation. 

I didn't think I would have much to get rid of, not because I don't eat junk, but because I tend to eat junk food as soon as I buy it and it is never around long enough to get into the cupboard! 

I did get rid of a few things, including:

• Jar of strawberry jam
• Juice (better to eat the fruit rather than getting the calories from juice)
• Icing sugar mix
• Magarine (when I cook I use cooking oil spray, so the only thing the margarine is used for is to add extra calories to bread)

I love to bake, but that will have to be put on hold for a while - when I bake I take things into work, but once I do that I always end up having some myself.  (It's a bit hard to get other people to eat your food if you won't!)

I will say there are still some temptatoins in the house.  I have a flatmate, and obviously I can't get rid of her food!  But it means to eat junk I would have to essentially be stealing her food, so I would have to be desperate!

12WBT - Pre-Season Task 5 - Say It Out Loud

This is similar to Pre-Season Task 3, Goal Setting, but this is all about saying it out loud and making a committment to yourself.

My commitment is:

I will not eat more than 1,000 calories per day and to train 6 days a week in order to lose at least 8 kilograms. 

I am committed to do the work to get me there.

Choosing a gym

I said in my last post that I mainly plan on training at a gym.

Over the years, I have been a member at a number of different gyms, and there are a number of things you should consider before signing up.

1. WILL YOU USE IT?

This is the first, and I think one of the most important points.  There is no point joining a gym if you aren't going to go.  The amount wasted each year on gym memberships is staggering.  (An article in 2005 had the cost of wasted memberships in America as $12 billion dollars - and I don't think it would have gone down since then!) 

2. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Where is the gym located?  The further away it is from you, the less likely you will be to go.  Ideally, it would be close to your home or work.  What is transport like?  When I joined my gym I didn’t have a car.  I won’t have one until June, so I always need to consider how easy the gym is to get to.  The gym I have just joined is accessible by multiple buses, or is a half hour walk away if I want to add to my workout a bit.

3. OPENING HOURS

Like location, how suitable are the gym's opening hours for you?  Most gyms are open long hours during the week, but times on weekends can be quite limited.  If the weekend is going to be big workout days for you, you want to make sure your gym is open! 

4. PRICE

How much is it costing?  A lot of times it may be cheaper to pay for a membership up front rather than on a fortnightly or monthly basis.  But for a lot of people, this may not be realistic.  Look around for deals, most gyms generally have a "sign-up" fee, but in my experience they will always be willing to waive this.  There is a lot of competition for your membership, so don't be afraid to negotiate with the gym.  This also links back to point 1 - how much will you use it?  What will the cost per use be? 

5. TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP

When considering price, think about different types of membership.  If you aren't 100% sure the gym is right for you, maybe you can get a casual pass.  I know some gyms offer 10-visit passes.  The gym I used to belong to had a fitness studio for classes; a cardio/weights area; and a pool.  You could sign up for just one of these if you wanted, rather than having a membership to all three that you may not use.

6. CLASSES

I like doing group exercise classes.  I find they are more fun than normal cardio, and I'm unlikely to leave half way through!  Most gyms offer lots of classes for varying levels of fitness.  Like with opening hours, the times these are offered need to suit you. 

7. FACILITIES AND SERVICES

What is offered in terms of personal training?  (If this is something you are interested in).  What facilities are available in terms of showers / changing areas etc. etc.  I don't think this is as important, but certainly something to consider, particularly if you are going straight from the gym to work.  Do you want the gym to have a swimming pool / sauna etc. etc?

8. READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Last, but certainly not least, read the terms of and conditions before you sign up.  Make sure you understand how much it is costing, how long you are signed up for, how easy it is to leave.  (Ideally, you won't want to leave, but still make sure you know you can!)

And on that note, this is a clip I love from Friends which shows the trouble Chandler had in trying to quit a gym membership: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh8PFs0LTKc

12WBT - Pre-Season Task 4 - Gear Up

Where are you going to train?  What equipment do you need?

Equipment wise I am all good - I have a decent pair of running shoes and a heart rate monitor.  These are certainly worth the investment.  A few years ago I was finding I was getting terrible leg pains when walking on the treadmill - even if it was only for 5 minutes at not a particular fast speed.  I was wearing very cheap sneakers with no real support.  As soon as I went and bought decent shoes, the pain went away.  And, they have lasted incredibly well (I only tend to wear them to the gym).  I am thinking of buying some cross-trainers soon as I have been doing a lot of classes lately.  I think this will be a treat to myself if I'm going well about halfway through the program.

A heart rate monitor - these range in price, I bought a Polar one (can't remember the specs at the moment) - it was at the lower end of the Polar range, but does what I want it to do - heart rate and calories.  It really gives you a boost to see how many calorie you are burning each time you exercise.

As for where I am training, I will mainly be using a gym.  However, I do plan to start doing some outdoor running, so equipment wise I am on the lookout for a decent backpack for running. 

12WBT - Pre-season Task 3 - Take Control - Set Your Goal

Pre-season Task 3, we need to set goals, and rather than the general "I want to lose weight, I want to get fitter", but making them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Based).

MY GOALS

During the 12 weeks:

1. Lose 8 kg by the end of the 12WBT

How:

• Don't exceed 1000 calories per day (Note: Mish usually suggests 1200, but because I am so short, my basal metabolism is only around 1250).
• Exercise at least 6 times a week.

2. Reduce my waist by 7 cm by the end of the 12WBT.

How:

• As for goal 1.
• Be diligent in completing ab exercises given to us in the 12WBT.

3. Jog/run 5km without stopping by the end of the 12WBT (average minimum speed of 9km per hour)

How:

• Use the Couch to 5k program (http://www.c25k.com/)
• Build the C25K program into my weekly workouts.

4. Attend at least 4 Pain in the Domain sessions.

This is a training session that a lot of 12WBTers in Sydney do, held each Sunday at 11am at the Domain in Sydney (near the Art Gallery).  Realistically, I know I can't attend every week, as I have at least 1 week when I am interstate, 4 weeks overseas, and sometimes have to work. 

How:

• Check public transport timetables.
• Book it into my diary.

5. Cut down my diet soft drink consumption to the point that I only drink them on a "special occasion". 

(By this I mean not drinking them on a day to day basis, but I don't generally drink alcohol so allowing myself one when I meet friends for drinks - and limit it to 1).

How:

• Keep water and ice in fridge at home.
• Take a bottle of water everywhere I go.
• Start by cutting back - the 'one for one rule' (i.e. one glass water for each glass soft drink).  This may not seem like much but at the moment I'm drinking almost 1.5 litres of diet coke a day. 

Post 12 weeks:

Complete the Blackmores Bridge run – 18 September 2011

This is a 9km run. My goal is to run it in approximately 1 hour.  I wanted to compete in the City 2 Surf (14km), but I will be overseas, but the Blackmores running festival is happening about a month later. 

How:

• Complete the C25K program during the 12 weeks.
• Continue running post the 12WBT, increasing my distance each week, then focusing on improving my times.

Longer-term running goals:

• Complete the City 2 Surf in 2012
• 
  

  Complete the Gold Coast half marathon in 2012
• Participate in the Blackmores running festival in 2012 – either the bridge run with an improved time; or the half marathon.
• Complete the Disney half marathon in either 2013 or 2014 - this is a much longer term goal, but involves travelling to Florida! 

12WBT - Pre-season Task 2 - Get Real - No More Excuses

The 2nd 12WBT Pre-Season Task is to list all the excuses you use to avoid exercise/not stick to your diet/plan etc. etc.

Michelle did a really useful video and explained the different types of excuses we use. 

So for this task, I'm listing all my excuses, why they aren't a "real" excuse, and what I can do to overcome them.

INTERNAL EXCUSES

The Excuse: I'm too tired

Why I use it: At the end of last year, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, (which ironically enough, is not related to my weight).  Suddenly, it was like I had my perfect excuse.  "It's not my fault I"m always tired".  "I can't be expected to get up early".  Yes, I do have sleep apnea, but I have started using a special retainer which hopefully will stop my apnea episodes.  (I went for another sleep test about two weeks ago, which I get for the results for in two weeks time).  If it hasn’t helped, then I will need to consider getting a CPAP machine.  (I'll do another post on sleep apnea and different treatments soon).  My sleep specialist has suggested there could be another sleep disorder in play.  I’m on the borderline between mild and moderate sleep apnea, so apparently I shouldn’t be feeling as tired as I do because of it.  I think it may be a combination of sleep apnea, lack of vitamins, low iron levels etc.  But apart from sleep apnea and any other medical issues, I also stay up far too late, doing nothing productive.

How to "get over it": Keep in touch with my doctors about my sleep apnea.  Stick the diet plan so I’m eating a balanced diet, take iron tablets and vitamins.  Go to bed earlier.  Set my alarm and GET UP when it goes off.  Realise how much time I waste in the day and how that could be put to better use.

The Excuse: I'm don't have THAT much weight to lose / I look okay etc. 

Why I use it: I have already lost a lot of weight, and now I am in my healthy weight range.  I wear fairly small clothes (I'm very short so even at my heaviest when I was obese, I was only a size 12-14).  People I work with say that I don't need to lose more weight. 

How to "get over it": Remember that it's how I see myself, not how others see me.  Acknowledge that I have come a long way but I'm not at my end goal, and in the past that has what has caused me to start putting weight on again, feeling like I have never achieved the final hurdle.  Pull out the clothes I want to fit into, and also my "fat pants" to remember I never want to go back to my heaviest weight.  Also keep in mind I'm not doing this just to lose weight, but also to increase my fitness and improve my health.

The Excuse: I'll start tomorrow.

Why I use it: Because I don't want to face the challenge ahead.

How to "get over it": Repeat to myself "Tomorrow never comes"!

EXTERNAL EXCUSES WITHIN MY CONTROL

The Excuse: I'm busy at work.

Why I use it: I have a full-time job as well as doing some consulting work, and am working on my PhD. 

How to "get over it": See the "I'm Tired" excuse - I will get home and waste a lot of time. Yes, occasionally there will be days where I work 12+ hours, but these are few and far between.  If I don't feel I have time to go to the gym, put on my sneakers and go for a jog outside - some exercise is better than none! 

EXTERNAL EXCUSES OUTSIDE MY CONTROL

The Excuse: Family drama/illness

Why I use it: Last year and continuing this year, there was a lot of drama/illness in my family, and this is one of the main reasons I didn't successfully complete Round 1. This did mean at times I couldn't exercise (e.g. because I was at a hospital / interstate / court (yes it was quite messy). But in reality, that time was limited, and it was more I used the stress of it all to avoid exercising and not worry about my diet.

How to "get over it": Accept there are things I cannot change and stressing about things will not help. There are times when you have to put yourself fist.  Remember that exercise helps stress!  Don't fall into the trap of "I had to miss a training session/exercise class, I may as well give up".  If I do have to miss a class, make sure it is just that - one class!   

12WBT - Pre-season Task 1 - Introduce Yourself

Round 2 of the 12WBT starts tomorrow, so I'm a bit behind in blogging about the pre-season tasks, although I have completed most of them.  They are meant to prepare you for the 12WBT - more mentally then physically. 

So, time for my introduction:

Your name: Kathy. My username for the 12WBT is kathb73. 

Where are you from: Sydney, NSW.  I grew up in Sydney, spent my teenage years on the Gold Coast, and moved back to Sydney 3 years ago for a job and study. 

What do you do: I work at a university, and have just started my PhD in tax law. (Fun few years ahead!)

Why are you doing the 12WBT: As I mentioned in my last post, I lost a lot of weight in 2009, but I haven't been able to shed the last few kilos.  I think ideally I would like to lose about 8kg, but more importantly, I want to reduce my body fat percentage and increase my fitness.  I'll be overseas for about a third of this round, and want some extra motivation to stay on track.

Other interesting facts: I have a Youtube channel, also under the name kathb73 - so I will be posting a "5 random facts" video there shortly.

My weight loss so far....

I mentioned in my last post that I had already lost a fair bit of weight.

At the end of 2008, I was 69kg (152lbs).  That may not sound like much, but I'm a tiny 149cm tall (maybe 150cm on a good day)! This put my BMI (Body Mass Index) at 31 - i.e. OBESE.  This was a shock, as although I had often struggled with my weight, and had been in the "overweight" BMI range before, I had never been "obese".  I will write another post explaining my "weight gain" journey, but needless to say, I realised it was time to do something.

A few changes occurred at the end of 2008 / start of 2009 - I changed jobs and moved interstate.  I didn't bring my car with me when I moved, so I started walking a lot more.  With my new job came more time for myself, so I started cooking more (rather than relying on fast food), and going to the gym.  The end result was that in 2009 I lost 21kg (46lbs).

2010 rolled around and it was a difficult year (as has been the start of 2011).  A lot of family drama, a lot of personal health issues, and some trips overseas, sometimes for extended periods (which, although wonderful, are not good on the waist!  Hence why I am concerned this time about going overseas)  My weight was no longer my focus, and as a result I gained back around  5kgs (11lbs).  I've lost about 3 of those kilos I put back on, and as of yesterday (18 May), I was 50.35kg.

BEFORE PICTURES - Approx 69kg

END OF 2009 - Approx 48kg

 

END OF 2010 - Approx 50kg (my current weight)



I'm ready to be transformed!!

I have signed up for Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation.  If you aren't Australian, or aren't a Biggest Loser fan, you may not know her, but she is one of the trainers from the Australian version of The Biggest Loser.  You can check out her website here.

Essentially, it's a 12 week program to get fitter, lose weight, and, as the name would suggest, transform yourself. 

I am currently in my healthy weight range, after losing a lot of weight in 2009, but could still do to lose some weight, and I DEFINITELY need to improve my fitness. 

The 12WBT starts on Monday, and since I joined fairly late, I still have a lot of "pre-season" tasks to do - (i.e. things to get you readily for the program).

Now, I have a confession to make - I signed up for Round 1 earlier this year, did the pre-season tasks, and that was about it.  My only "excuse" is that there were other things happening in my life which meant weight loss was the last thing on my mind.  THIS TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT! 

I will be overseas for 4 weeks of the 12WBT, so I may not be able to stick to the program those weeks.  But that is partly why I am joining, so even if I don't lose weight those weeks I don't put any on!

Movie Reviews - Jake Gyllenhaal weekend

This weekend I watched "Love and Other Drugs" on DVD and went to the movies and saw "Source Code".

I had wanted to see Love and Other Drugs for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it when it was showing at the movies.  Source Code interested me because I like Science Fiction, but I saw it partly because there was nothing else showing at a similar time I was interested in when I was at the movies.  (It was a spur of the moment - oh, I'm in the city, cinema is nearby, I'll go see a movie - rather than a planned trip).

Overall, I enjoyed Source Code more than Love and Other Drugs, but overall, I would describe them both as just "ok". 

Love and Other Drugs also starred Anne Hathaway, whom I love.  Maybe it's because I had wanted to see it for a while I built up high expectations, but honestly, I really didn't enjoy this movie.  I found it dragged on, so on the one hand when it finished I was pleased, on the other hand I was thinking "that's it?"  I wouldn't say there was anything particularly wrong with the movie. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway was good, but it really just felt like not much happened.  There were some interesting "sub-plots" - having to go to Canada because you can't afford medication in the US; a homeless man who starts taking Prozac because he lives near a dumpster where Gyllenhaal's character is throwing it out (because he is trying to sell Zoloft, a competitor drug), and it seems to be improving his life; but these weren't explored in any depth.  I think it's a relevant point that drug companies (particularly in the US) will sell anything to anyone - if you can afford it.  If you can't - well, too bad. 

Source Code - as I mentioned, it's a science fiction film.  It was fairly short when compared to films these days, only an hour and 33 minutes.  Basically Gyllenhaal plays a soldier who is "somehow" able to inhabit a man's last 8 minutes alive.  The man in question is on a train which blows up. Gyllenhaal is meant to figure out who blows it up so they can stop another attack, but it's not time travel - that is, to Gyllenhaal's dismay, he can't actually "save" the train or passengers - what has happened has happened.  It was an interesting movie, and I know it's not reality, but it would have been nice if they had tried to explain some logical reason that this could occur.  The focus on the movie becomes more on what has happened to Gyllenhaal's character in the past rather than the people in the train.  Overall it was enjoyable, but not something I would see more than once.

What would alien's think?? - my Body Attack experience

In 2009 I lost around 20 kilos (almost 30% of my body weight). I put a few of those back on in 2010, lost them earlier this year, and am now trying to lose those last few pesky kilos and improve my fitness.

I have certain gym classes I like doing (primarily Body Combat and Zumba), but had always been scared to try Body Attack. It is described as "high-energy" and "not for the faint hearted" (http://www.lesmills.com/global/bodyattack/bodyattack-group-fitness-class.aspx). But on Sunday I decided to give it a go - all I can say if you are thinking about going - DO IT!! Yes, your heart will be pumping, but your instructor should give you low-impact options with a lot of the moves.

I started to wonder what aliens would think if they were watching us. In an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry made the comment in one of his stand-up routines that if aliens saw us walking our dogs and picking up their poop, would they think dogs were our leaders? We have a room full of people insanely jumping around, hands waving in the air a lot of the time, and a VERY enthusiastic instructor. (In all seriousness he was great, but I was jokingly thinking what drugs is he on and where can I get some?) Would aliens think we were praying? Doing some strange mating ritual? Trying to kill ourselves through heart failure? :) (I kid - it wasn't that bad!)

I will definitely going back to body attack, and as time goes on I know I will get more co-ordinated and be able to do the more challenging moves. I used to be scared of exercise classes - the "what will people think of me" scenario, but honestly, what I have learnt is that everyone is focusing on their own movements (and if they aren't, they should be!) As long as you don't run into anyone else, who cares if you are uncoordinated to start of with or occasionally need to take it down a notch.

Do vitamins make you hungry?

I'm the first to admit I don't have the healthiest diet. This doesn't mean I eat fast food everyday or anything like that, but I've always been a bit of a weird eater and go through phases - for example, eating cereal for dinner each night.

As a result, I found out earlier this year I was low in iron and vitamin B, and have been making an effort lately to take iron tablets and mult-vitamins. (In the past I would buy them and they would sit around until they expired).

But I have noticed when I take them I tend to get extremely hungry about an hour afterwards. I take them with lunch (the vitamins I take say take directly before or with a meal, and I'm not a big breakfast eater) and I find soon after lunch (when I should be full) I'm starving.

I did a Google search (what did we do before Google?) but all I found was a lot of people asking if they make you hungry, and an article on ehow saying that doctors refute this claim. Personally I would think they should have the opposite effect. I often thought you experienced food cravings if you are lacking in something - so if you are lacking in vitamins you would crave a food that has those vitamins. So theoretically, if you are taking vitamins, you shouldn't be craving foods as you are getting the vitamins through supplements. I wouldn't say I'm craving anything right now, I'm just hungry!

Happy Mother's Day!

Unforunately I won't see my Mum today as we live in different states (she's in Queensland, I'm in NSW) and I have to work. We did see each other last week though as we both went to Tasmania.

I don't have children and certainly no plans in the foreseeable future, so I'm not going to pretend to know what it is like to be a Mum... but one thing I do know is that it is hard work that doesn't end once your children hit 18!

I found a cute quote online: A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Even though it's just talking about pie - it is a demonstration that a Mum puts her children's wants and needs before her own.

Death of Osama Bin Laden

I found out Monday afternoon (Australian time) that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by US troops.

I was going to post earlier but had mixed thoughts about how to respond. 

I think my inital reaction was a bit of shock - after 10 years I honestly didn't expect him to be captured/killed, and part of me wondered whether we would ever know if he was dead or not.  Rather than feeling relief at him being killed, I worried after what backlash would occur.  I guess I was taking the attitude that 9/11 was a tragedy (as were the other terrorist attacks that followed), but nothing will bring back the victims.  Will Osama's death lead to more bloodshed?  On the other hand, the US (and their allies such as Australia) can't stand idly by and not do anything - that certainly won't stop terrorism.

Overall I just feel a bit empty - by that I mean I'm not celebrating his death, but I'm not mourning it either.  He was an evil person who didn't repsect human life, so I feel no need to respect his.  But it felt weird to see people celebrating his death - death isn't something that is usually celebrated.  But as someone who didn't lose any friends or family in terrorists attacks, I am certainly not one to judge.  I'm sure if I had lost someone, I would feel some sense of satisfaction and joy knowing Osama had finally been killed.

There was a quote that had been attributed to Martin Luther King Jr which resonated with me: "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.  Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that".  In fact, the first sentence was not ever said by Martin Luther King Jr.  Rather, a woman living in Japan wrote this as her Facebook status - the first sentence being her own, the remainder being a Martin Luther King Jr quote - along the cyber highway people started attributing the whole statement to Martin Luther King Jr.
See: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/05/the-shy-woman-whose-words-accidentally-became-martin-luther-kings/238309.  Regardless of who said it, I argee with the sentiment. 
 

Mount Wellington

I'm in Hobart for the weekend and booked in on an "adventure walk" up Mount Wellington this morning - Mount Wellington is on the edge of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, and rises to 1271m over the city.  (More information is available at: http://www.wellingtonpark.org.au/)

I booked through http://www.mtwellingtonwalks.com.au/, and although my heart was definitely pumping at times and my legs felt the climb, it was a wonderful morning (even though it was very chilly at the top!)

O'Gradys Falls


A nice place for a quick stop and a refreshing drink from the water fall.

Getting closer to the top


A view from quite high up the mountain.

At the top....


A view from the very top of the Mountain looking down at the lookout building.

A photo of my brother and me at one of the original shelters built at the top of the mountain.

Royal Wedding - best picture

The "wedding that stopped the world" as some newspapers called it happened on Friday - of course, I'm talking about Prince William and Kate Middleton, the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

By far my favourite picture of the day was this one.

It's a lovely picture of Will and Kate kissing, but the highlight is the flower girl (Grace Van Cutsem) covering her ears.  Royal wedding or not - kids are kids and don't appreciate loud noises! (In this case the planes going overhead).