Summer - Autumn 2010/2011 challenge #4

How weird that you guys have all started running! - DP just got me a book last week about how to train for a half marathon and I'm going for my first run today!! I used to run a lot (only doing 5 or 10k fun run type things) but have stopped about 6 months ago-ish. So DP decided that aiming higher would get me all motivated again - and he was so right - I've read the book as fast as I could and now I'm ready to start :dance:

My assignment went well - my whole course ended up getting a weekend extension because the campus computers were down on Friday so I had all weekend to get it perfect - I always run out of time last minute to fiddle and fix ;)

Great work on the running girls!!! It must be fate that we've all decided to start at the same time lol I'm itching to get out there already!!!


**Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ;)

RAUPE _ I find that when I have finished a run, I feel all empowered? Maybe it's all the endorphins that are released or something but I just find that I feel really good, like I have accomplished a milestone & also worked my body at the same time. It's a whole mind & body thing? I have always had a phobia of running, always told myself I couldn't do it, I didn't have the stamina, I was too fat to run, all the excuses. But here I am! Running 5km at a time with no real training or leadup to it. I am going to try change things up, sometimes I might do 3 x 2km runs, but at a faster pace, sometimes just the straight 5km, sometimes a faster run every couple of hundred metres or something - but it's something I'm looking forward to doing. Although, in saying all that, I haven't been able to get to the gym this morning. The cleaner comes at 9 which is usually when I'm at the gym & I have to be here to let her in, plus I have some last minute shopping to do today as we fly to Aus on Thursday night, but I'm hoping to get for a run after lunch today & then I can burn off lunch & breakfast! lol.

ASH _ I'm failing to see 'fun' in running 10km??? bahahah. I just think of it as plain torture?? Just kidding. Wow, you are one fit mumma! I am seriously impressed. WTG with the new book too! Can't wait to hear how you go with it.

AFM _ Off to get some shoes for my Scarlett Johannsen dress today & 2 birthday gifts for kids who have had birthdays in Aus since we have been away. Also thinking I might need a pair of smoking hot black skinny leg pants. My black jeans are not fitting in all the right places anymore & I need a belt to keep them up, plus they are pretty faded, but a nice pair of going out black pants - sounds a plan to me! xx

Jayne, you sound like you're having so much fun with your clothes!!! I can't wait to get to that stage!!! I know it's annoying, but how great is it when you're pants don't fit because they're too LOOSE!!! You've done such a good job, it must have been such an effort, and you should be so proud of yourself!

How did you girls go with your weigh ins? I haven't lost ANY weight this week, but my trousers are fitting a bit loser, I can ctually sit down comfortably in them!! :lol: I had a nie compliment from a friend in my mothers group when we took our bubs swimming the other day, she said I looked 'amazing', I didn't know what to say, as I still don't feel anywhere near where I'd like to be, but still, it was so nice to hear it.

Raupe, how's the C25K going? I did that program a couple of years ago and now starting to run again, it's soooo much easier this time! Stick with it, I know it seems like a long way to the goal, but you'll make it there- slow and steady, and before you know it, you'll be running 12km and across that finish line!!!

Ash, great news on your assignment! Don't you love it when you get a 'free' extension! Let me know how your training goes, we can keep each other accountable! Are you training for a specific half-marathon?

Well, I have roped a friend into training with me. Funny how my focus has changed from losing weight as quickly as possible to actually *training* for an event! I like it better this way as I can't question my motives :) Healthy eating has followed like it's second nature- I don't want to feel sluggish when i'm training, so I'm not eating junk. How simple is that?!!!?! I could be drinking a lot more water though. We ran 2km today and we'll do another 2km tomorrow. The training guide I'm following has shorter as well as longer runs each week. I tell you, last week 2 kms was a stretch for me, but after running 5kms a couple of times on the weekend, today it was heaps easier!! It's so nice to be enjoying the running.

I just realised how much I wrote. I must be passionate or something! It feels so great to be motivated!!! Join in!!!

ooo, and I have a new ticker!!!

Hey Krystals - I openly admit that i am having a freaking BALL shopping for clothes. I have always liked clothes, but disliked shopping for them. Everybody likes to feel desirable in their clothes & I always wanted to wear nice fitting clothes, but could never find anything to hide all the necessary parts. Does this make sense? I would always take a beautiful item into the changeroom & then be blinking back tears because I couldn't get my arms in it, get it up my thighs, couldn't do it up, etc... But now, I can fit into clothes & I can try more 'things' & wear brighter colours. I mean I'm not an oil painting & I never will be, but it's sure nice to be able to wear some really nice pieces. Today I got a really nice pair of black pants, sorta halfway between jeans & trousers. Something I can dress up & down according to where I'm wearing it. I also got a plain pink top that has a little bit of gathering down the sleeves to go with the smoking hot pink wedges I got the other day, plus a bright yellow (I KNOW sounds awful, but I LURVED it) cardy. & then I decided I needed to buy the shoes!! Damn it, the shoes after I had already spent so much cash! lol. So I got a beautiful pair of gold shoes, they are wedges again (big here in China right now) & they are sooooooooo comfy - they have a cork inner part I think cos they are a bit spongey when you walk, KWIM? But they are the right height & I just love them. So I'm feeling confident about my return to Aus. lol. I'm all set for the wedding, I have Easter sorted & I feel a bit more relaxed about it.

Now, lets talk about you - yes, the running sure is contagious! It's so rewarding to be able to see the difference in stamina so quickly. So awesome that you have your eye on a specific prize - the marathon & that now you have a friend in tow with you. It's always more fun & a bit of friendly competition to have a friend on board. I have a friend in Aus who is my bestest friend in the entire world & even though she was heaps smaller than me, we started this journey together & now we are within 1kg of each other, but there is NO envy, jealousness or animosity there, just plain old good vibes. Even though we don't train together, we always check in with each other & record our weights together, etc... So glad you have the same kinda thing on the go! The big plus with running too is that it's the fastest & cheapest way to build fitness, build muscle & trim fat. It's something I never thought I would be 'good' at, but I am proud of my efforts. Although tomrorow I'm giving it a miss & heading to the pool to do some laps instead. My legs are agony today! 15km in 3 consecutive days has been a fantastic achievement for me, but my goodness, my legs are feeling it!

Okey pokey, I'm off to shower my kidlets & I think I'm going to take a nice soak in the tub myself afterwards. I put 1 sugar sachet into my coffee this afternoon because I wanted a bit of 'zing' to get me through my run & I have noticed the past month whenever I eat sugar it gives me the most awful headaches. I have been in a blur all afternoon I just feel so foggy & blergh. It HAS to be the sugar, it's the only common denominator between the headaches - but it's so bizarre??

Now I'm rambling!!! Blame the headache. lol

xxx

Am away and loving it, we had salad with tea and bought less crap than normal, going to make a few normal meals and no bacon every morning :)


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

Oh ok then, if everyone else is running I will too... Promise to start on Thursday.

Had such a big day of eating and drinking, but enjoyed every single minute! Wondering how I am going to cope with work tomorrow as I am sure to be incredibly hung over... Only just heading home now, making up for my sad sat night with some Tuesday night drinks!

APPLETREE _ Sometimes you have to load your body up on food & give yourself a night off - ie - couple of drinks. The difference is from doing it 'occassionally' from doing it 'regularly'. If it's only the occassional splurge, then it's just perfect! Oh & if you're a hung over person like me, food won't be on your wish list anyway. bahahaha.

ZF - Have been thinking of you & wondered where you had got to. Have so much fun being away!!! Is DH out of plaster now?

AFM _ Off to hit the pool...........

aaah catching up, catching up! Am back from Tassie... was great/bad/good/exhausting/busy/fun/stressful lol. Saw fam, yay. Both kids vomiting/sick/awake and of course DH was back here working... so just me. Arrrgh. And my mum's kitchen is seriously a health hazard nightmare, so my plans to eat awesomely got challenged. Did ok the first half week but fell off the wagon the second half. BUT, came back & weighed in... 0.1kg down 9 days after my last weigh-in. phew! I'll take that. Still coughing. Still haven't done much exercise, but really hoping to get started soon.

Raupe - AWESOME effort, love the ticker

Jayne - oooh you had me drooling with your clothes lurve. I am so picturing that and I can't wait! I saw some gorgeous clothes in Tassie that I so want to go back & buy when I'm slimmer. I told myself I wouldn't buy anything now and I didn't. But I keep just daydreaming about what I want... and how it will look. It's sad but true that it's soooo much easier to dress when you're slimmer. I'm a really top-heavy shape at present (plus I'm short) and I find it impossible to get stuff that fits me, it's a major incentive of mine for weightloss, especially given my biggest measurement is currently my boobs, followed by my tummy and hips/bum smallest of all! Eeek! Talk about a battleship, that's me :rolleyes:. I had one moment of weakness and tried on this tunic/top thing. It didn't fit my boobs. The girl came to the change room and offered to get me a bigger size... I had to say.. erm... i think the biggest (XL). Sure enough I did. That was an unpleasant moment, and needless to say it prevented me from trying on anything else which was a good thing at least.

While in tassie we took a heap of family photos. I have 3 sisters. One is tiny (my height but oooh you know, 17kg less!). The other two are just nice/average/normal - lighter than me, but taller also. The two are both pear-shaped with beautiful waists and petite upper bodies. Traditionally I've always been the most interested in clothes. This time I was in trackie dacks & hoodies the entire time. In the pics, I'm in a t-shirt, cargos & runners :(. I look like a tank. My weight is so much in my torso, so of course lots of family photos are upper body only... the most unflattering shot of all for me. I was so glad i'd already lost 3kg, cos I don't know how I would have got through it being even heavier than I am. I hate those photos. I tried to use my toddler & baby to hide me lol.

So I have just one other question. My DH had his first weigh-in while I was away, after a week of calorie counting. He reckoned he'd eaten pretty ok... but he put on .7kg!!! He hadn't exercised much at all (he now has my cough), but ate a lot better. Why do you think he gained? I really thought he should have just stayed the same at least! He said he thought he could have eaten a bit healthier, and we both know he needs to exercise... but still!?!? :dunno:.

Anyways... that's me for tonight. Walk tomorrow.... promise! And hi to everyone I missed, I've been reading .... but need to go wash the hairdye off my head right now!!!

Edit: oh crap hair nearly black. oops didn't mean to go that dark. I'm a bit past the goth stage now!

Feast your eyes on my ticker ladies!!!! I'm taking it that I'm at goal weight! I'm within the last 500g & I'm in the number I want to be in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooooooo proud of myself!

Sorry for the selfish post - I'm busily packing & meeting a friend in less than a hour for a pedi.

WTG Jayne!!!!!!!

I'm keeping up with everyone's news but the boys are on holidays and DH is away so I'm only able to go to the gym when its creche is open which is for an hour and a half twice a week. I have the sads. It's kind of depressing not being able to work out.
I'm going to have to figure out something with the stairs and some weights at home.

On the positive side SIL was kind enough to tell me that I've lost weight.

JAYNE - That's so fantastic!!!!!! Well done, I hope you are very proud! We're proud of you in here!

Woooooooooooohhhoooooooo!!!!

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Feast your eyes on my ticker ladies!!!! I'm taking it that I'm at goal weight! I'm within the last 500g & I'm in the number I want to be in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooooooo proud of myself!

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Woo hoo :leap::leap::leap: that's absolutely wonderful! You are an absolute inspiration :clap:

Sorry girls, such a flying post. Our driver will be here in 90 minutes & I only got home an hour ago & I hadn't packed a thing - I'm 'almost' done. But just had to check my lappy before I packed it away. So I'm off to Aus tonight, I have my Scarlett Johanssen dress packed, the most awesome shoes in history & praying like mad my mum got me a decent strapless bra to wear with it. hahahah.

I just wanted to say to you Belfie - you are describing how I felt nearly 2 years ago. Hiding behind my kids in pics, or avoiding them at all costs, noticing the big differences between my own body shape & those around me. Being overall depressed about the whole thing. Trying on clothes only to be bitterly disappointed when they don't fit. Feeling like the elephant in the room. I could have said those exact same words myself, this is EXACTLY how I felt. You need to pin those pics of the weekend inside your closet, bathroom cabinet or wherever, somewhere where only you & DH can see it & use it as inspiration. Keep telling yourself the next time a family pic is taken like that, you don't be so disappointed with the image, that you are working on correcting your body to a shape/size that YOU feel most comfortable with. Massive hugs to you my love, it's like being hit by a bus seeing yourself in a pic like that. I had a cousin of mine recently post some 'heffer' pics of me on FB & I was not only gutted that she didn't ask my permission (she knows I was on a weight loss mission), but moreso to see myself like that. It's crushing. We all know when we need to lose some kg's, but seeing it on paper is a massive slap in the face. I'm still not overly rapt with my reflection in the mirror, I honestly am not. I would like to lose another 3kg, but for now, I have to focus on the transformation that I have already achieved.

So sorry, I feel so selfish lately! I'm just not posting in her as much as I would like - but I'm on holidays from tonight, I land tomorrow in Perth, so hopefully I can check you all over the Easter weekend. Dont' deny yourself any Easter chocolate, but be sensible with it!!!! I'd much rather eat less chocolate than have to work double-time at the gym! lol

xxxxx

Great stuff Jayne :D

Crappy mood here. Weighed in after 18 days and I am up 600gms. I know not much, but only a few days ago I thought I was feeling thinner. I have been watching portions and thinking twice before I eat, but I must be letting more through than what I think. No formal exercise, but I have been places where I have had to go up and down hills a lot chasing kids.

DH is finally on board a bit more. He went to a nutrition talk at his work and it has him a bit more inspired. He is now asking for less on his plate, which helps me have less on mine (silly I know, but reality). Now if only he would put away the wine ;)

Astrid - :hug: that's so annoying when that happens. If it helps any, try to look at it as a learning... it means you're making a good start and you still need to tweak it some more. It sounds like you're eating well, so maybe just a smidge more exercise will do the trick? And just another thought... could that just be fluid? I find I fluctuate heaps depending on my cycle. Maybe try weighing in again sooner, you might get a pleasant surprise?

AFM, well I weighed the other day at .5kg down... then this morning at 1.1kg down (from 2 weeks ago). So now I'm madly hoping it'll still be like that tomorrow for my formal weigh-in! If I'm down 1.1kg, my BMI will be 25.96. If i'm down 1kg, my BMI will be 26. Can you guess I'm sooooo hoping to be under 26 - wow that would be just amazing. I'm not quite sure how i'm losing, i'm eating carefully but still doing no exercise at all (apart from standard kiddie wrangling). But I have also just been tested for whooping cough and on the 4th lot of AB's :wall: so maybe i'm coughing it off? Lol. I've also decided to re-do my rewards. I'm toying with getting Zumba for Wii as one reward, but need to wait until I can exercise again for that one.

Hope everyone else is having a good easter. I'm doing bookkeeping... bah how fun, not. But I am SO motivated to eat well!

Happy Easter guys!! Hope you are all having a lovely day :)