Email problems

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm having problems with my email. Last night it decided it didn't know me anymore and I have been unable to log in. Waiting for the cyberspace people to hopefully fix it.

In the meantime we're off on our annual pilgrimage to West Beach, Adelaide for some sand and surf. I will have internet access (the caravan park has wireless coverage), but have to buy access by the hour, so I will have to careful with how much sandless surfing I do!

A sense of calm

Over Christmas and New Year, I really pigged out. I ate badly. I ate everything I felt like, chips, chocolate, icecreams, whatever. And I guess I gained weight. I don't actually know because I didn't weigh myself, but the clothes felt a little tighter. But when the silly season was over and I went back to work ( I only really had the public holidays off, but it all felt like holiday), I surprised myself with how I just automatically slipped back into the routine of clean eating, and preparing my foods in advance.
We ate takeaway Thursday night, and last night (celebration of starting real holidays) and it didnt faze me. I didn't overeat, and I didn't worry about eating it. Because I knew that I'd eaten really well all week, and it shouldn't matter. Because I'm not trying to lose weight. Because I just want to be fit and healthy. Because I'm not the same person I was two years ago. I feel a sense of peace/calm about my eating. I think being healthy is now just a part of my normal makeup. My quirky eating habits (according to my work colleagues) are not because I'm dieting, they're just because I'm me.
This morning, day 1 of holidays, I allowed myself to "sleep in" until 6.30am, then cycled to the pool, swam my laps, and went for a leisurely 17 km bike ride. Came back hungry, went food shopping, filled my trolley with healthy stuff, and came back for a nutritious breakfast. None of which I did because I had to. All of which I did because I want to.

What keeps you going?

I've had a couple of thoughts recently around this theme today.

The first one was when I saw someone at work who lost weight when I did (the first time in about 2002 - I lost 17 kgs and regained about 5 before losing the rest in 2006) but has regained it all. There are a few people around who are in this boat - have lost weight and regained most of it, if not more. I have now basically managed to keep my weight off for 12 months, and I wondered "why the difference". And thoughts are this. One thing that I did differently from others is the development of a passionate exercise regime. Some people walked, but not much else. And as I have struggled to maintain my weight all year, the one thing that helps me stay on track, is the way I feel after exercise. It makes you feel fit and healthy, and want to be fit and healthy, and reinvigorates your desire to eat well. I've found lately that this is one of the real benefits of morning exercise. If I exercise first thing, I am far more likely to have a healthy "clean" breakfast and prepare similar foods for the day, than if I don't. I guess I'm saying I think being in the habit of exercising keeps your mind focussed on being healthy as important. And I wonder if this is what has kept me persistently challenging my eating habits, rather than letting them slide.....

Secondly, I thought I would share the constant battles that are fought in my head in the mornings about getting up to exercise. This morning went like this:
Head: Alarms gone off - time to get up
Body: I am way too tired
Head: But that's why we went to bed early last night - so that we've had plenty of sleep
Body: But I'm still so tired, I've been doing all this new cycling and swimming every morning, and I need my rest
Head: But you've been doing it for a reason haven't you
Body: How about I just get up for the loo and then just hop back into bed for a few more minutes - maybe that will be enough
Head: Ok
Body: Back in bed - It wouldnt be unreasonable to skip the swimming today - after all, its a lot of effort to learn a new sport, and we've done it three days in a row - we need to be sensible about rest for the body
Head: Ok - but .....then all day we're going to be regretting that we haven't followed through with the plan and given the swimming training the best chance of success
Body: B** H*** - damn you for being right.
And up we get.

It took me 10 minutes to convince myself to get out of bed, and I reckon this happens most days (different excuses). But the final decisive straw is usually the same - think how good you'll feel afterwards, and how bad you'll feel if you haven't. (And sometimes - particularly with running - I tell myself "you don't have to run or work hard, just get out there "- and I know once I'm there I'll work hard - I'm just tricking the body)

So if anyone thinks that people who exercise regularly, and love it, like me, find it easy to make it happen - think again. We all go through these regular battles, but have to come up with good "lines" to beat the inner demons of laziness!

PS - day 4 of swimming - despite not wanting to be there - saw more small improvements - managed to have negligible rests between every second lap - basically letting myself rest for as long as I like after every two laps, as long as I turn straight around after the first and keep going.

Well, I've swam three days in a row now (6 am morning swims - Yuk - even with a heated pool I'm still cold!)

But I'm pleased to say that today I noticed some improvement. I wasn't quite so out of breath at the end of each lap and felt with some that I could have swam further if I didn't run out of pool (LOL) and some I managed to turn around and swim again with only a few seconds break.

I've been concentrated on breathing technique and rotation, and I've also been thinking that I'm not sure that I need to stop because I"m short of breath, as much as the fact that I take in water sometimes when I breathe - and this makes life difficult. From what I've read - it would seem that this is because I'm lifting my head (and hence sinking) rather than rotating my whole body, so I'm focusing on this. As well as trying to relax when I swim and not panic about the breathing! I think this is working.

Today I rode 8 kms after the swim, as this is the triathlon (short course) length. It was fine, but I took it easy as I'm feeling a little tired from my new sports. No need to push myself at this stage, just focus on covering the distances on a regular basis. I also have to focus on developing some confidence and balance on the bike so I can turn my head and reach my drink bottle (which I don't have yet, but may need if I do the tri). So I've been practicing some of the really mundane things like riding one handed, and mounting by swinging my leg over the back of the bike, in readiness for learning one of those running mounts!

The first day I swam, I cycled to and from the pool, and then did my 45 HITT session on the elliptical. But even with leaving at 6 am in the morning, there isn't enough time to fit this all in before work, not to mention the 15 mins of yoga stretches I have to do at the end for my hamstrings. So I have decided I might do my HITT cardio in the evenings, and alternate with my weight training. The only problem with this will be when its really hot....

I've also been looking around at bikes, trying to work out what I will need for the tri, but I really have no idea. Its obviously much better to buy your equipment once you are experienced in the sport, which I am not. For example, when I bought my first treadmill, I had no idea that I would quickly outgrow the 10 km/hr max speed, and that electronic incline would be really important to me. Hence 9 months later I was buying a new one..... So if anyone has any tips on what to look for - eg what's really essential - what people have been told is essential but you've never used, what's nice to have - I would appreciate any tips. I also want to buy a tri suit (there is no way I am running in my bathers!)- but I can't find any online - and there aren't any available up here - if anyone knows good online or other retail stores in Adelaide - happy to hear about it.

Cheers for now - I have a HIIT session to do and sleep to have before my next swimming session!

Mini Brick!

Today - I did a mini brick!

The thoughts of a triathlon have been creeping back into my mind - how does one control their thoughts and stop ones such as this?

Now don't forget that I don't cycle or swim - so that you can see how ridiculous this is.

Anyway - last night I decided to go for a ride as it was a little cooler. Hubby came too, and we only rode a few kms - saw that some friends were home, and dropped in. But the key thing here, was that it was easy peasy. I regained some confidence and even practiced riding one handed (last ride was 12 months ago - terrifying in the traffic, and before that - about 20 yrs!). The friends have a lap pool, and reiterated the offer for me to swim in it any time......

Got to thinking about the Asics Triathlon coming up in March. Looked it up on the internet - and the short course is only 160m swim/8km bike ride/1.5 km run. To me, these distances seem all out of kilter. What's with a 1.5 km run - hardly seems worth putting the sandshoes on, and even for a non-cyclist like me, 8km seems an easy bike ride, BUT - 160 m swim -isn't that a marathon!!!!! LOL.

Anyway - I've got about 8 weeks until its on. So I decided that each morning I will cycle to the friends house, swim 10 laps (180m), cycle home, and do my normal cardio workout - which at the moment is on the elliptical because of my hamstring problems.

AND I DID

Ok - to be honest here - I swam 10 laps, but I can barely manage one, which is 18m, and I had to stop and rest/recover for about a minute in between each one. But it all comes down to the breathing - I'm sure I have the fitness and muscle endurance to do it - I just have to nail the technique. And good form comes with persistant practice. I have a good book on drills to improve technique - and I incorporated these into the first three laps, and I'm going to just keep persevering and see if I can nail it. Oh and I think I will increase the length of the ride so that it is 4kms each way - ie 8kms in total. This way I am easily covering all of the distances for the tri each morning - although split up. I'll decide in Feb if I think the tri is achievable.

Now all that's left in the planning is to find a great tri suit and a new bike.... Why is it that shopping is always on my mind!

CUT

This is my goal for 2008. Not a resolution, just a one word goal:

******C U T ******

It really sums it all up for me, and I'm going to just keep this word in the forefront of my mind


By cut, I mean that by the end of 2008, I wish to have transformed my appearance to looking very ripped or cut. I am reasonably happy with the muscle definition in my upper body/chest/lower legs/back, so the focus will be on the abs and thighs.

I've been having a good look at my current shape and can actually see that my thighs are already quite muscly, there is just another layer of fat covering them. In fact, if I place a finger on the back of my thigh, I can "pull up" the fatty layer towards my butt, and reveal a very nicely toned hamstring area.

I know my abs are quite tight, from two years of regular workouts, but I have a lot of excess skin here (mainly skin here I think as the skin fold measurements are quite small) which covers the muscles.


So the plan is this:


1. Drop my body fat by another 5% bringing it to 12%. I don't think I want to go any lower than this, from what I've read it wouldn't be healthy. But I plan on spending the first 6 months prioritising my training around dropping fat through cardio, whilst maintaining muscle bulk through weight training. This means I wont use protein supplements to reduce the extra calories, but will still focus on a relatively high protein diet.



2. The second 6 months (or when I've achieved my desired body fat level) will be a swing towards cardio for fitness and fat maintenance, and a ramping up of the muscle building to target specific areas.



3. I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon for Feb 19, and I hope to book in surgery as soon as I can for a tummy tuck. I have accepted that I cannot improve my stomach any further without surgery. So "cut" has a second and more secret meeting for me - as I'm not sharing my plans with anyone other than my hb and children, and blogger world. My wider family have already expressed that they would not agree with this decision (and plastic surgery in general), so I have decided I just wont tell them. This is one thing that is made a bit easier living some distance from them!



So these are my plans. I have bought a couple of new books to help me with my weight training, since I do it all on my own at home.


Training @ home, by David and Melinda Obern

This has good photos of exercises including form issues to watch for, exercises for advanced lifters, and sample 12 week programs/program cards. I'm not going to use their programs, as I am finding everywhere that I look that I usually do more than what is put into programs already - and I'm not planning on going backwards! (Im mainly referring to the cardio component, as I am very strict on ensuring my rest between weight training sessions)



Muscle Mechanics by Everett Aaberg

Whilst my health training has made me very familiar with muscle mechanics, this book has a great variety of advanced exercises, with photo overlays showing the exact muscles that are being worked. As I plan on my training being far more targetted this year, I'm really looking forward to using this.


Sculpting Her Body Perfect

Of course I am still using my favorite . This book contains everything you need to develop your own program, and I'm thrilled to realise that now starting in my 3rd year of weight training, I am ready to progress to the third/most advanced stage.



Lastly - I had to pick up something at Harvey Norman the other day in exchange for something I returned and I picked up this:



Now you, like everyone else, are probably saying - why on earth would you buy an egg cooker. Well, for all my clean eating friends, I think this is going to be fantastic. With egg white being one of the purist and leanest forms of protein, I have been struggling with finding the time to hard boil the eggs - because you need to be around, watching for the pot to boil, watching the time to make sure they are hard boiled, taking them out when they are done to cool, making sure they don't crack etc. This boils up to 7 at time - no fuss - just a buzz when they are ready. And then.... you can poach and do omelettes in the little dishes - egg white omelettes made in a flash, with no watching, no frypans to wash Yum!

Sigh - I am such a gadget queen!