good news Vs bad news

So, the good news is that I tried on my birthday dress (not suit... mind ;-) ) and I could zip it up - hurrah! It's a size 10 so very pleased (although I realise that it's just because of the style and that I am slender of waist... if it was tight fitting around my hips and thighs I'd stand no chance!)

the bad news is that the ability to sit down, and/or breathe is going to be difficult to the point of impermissible!

hmm

breathing's overrated... surely?!

anyway, it looks fab, it's dark blue and gold stitched brocade, I haven't a picture of it with me so thought I'd improvise...


what do you reckon?

I bought it *ages* ago in a sale, so it's probably like soooo last season daaaahling, but it looks vintage and I found an awesome mask to go with it:





I was very excited to see that my pack of famous masks had arrived... ultra speedy ebay delivery, very pleased indeed! what do you think of these? ;-) I already have a taker for the Ziggy and also Marylyn!





I reckon the other half will jump at the thought of being Indie for a night... even though I have got him this mask already:

anyway, must get on now, very excited about tomorrow!

Mmmmilkshake!

This is very very tasty

FACT

try to remember it's meant to serve two - boyf was very pleased to be able to 'help me out' with drinking it ;-)

Back to normality!

Well, I was rubbish at updating while away, but I was busy/hungover most of the time so can be forgiven (I hope!).

We flew out to Dublin on Wednesday and I managed to squeeze 45 mins of cycling (work round trip) and 20 mins running (one loop of our local lovely lush park) before the other half put his foot down and I had to get serious and help with packing and leaving of country...

we arrived in Kilmessan for our friend's wedding on Wednesday night, had a few bevvies that evening and then the next day was the wedding itself. It was mercifully rain-free - hurrah! the whole event was superb, a really lovely day which I'm afraid to say went on until 5am! much alcohol and food consumed (in addition to the wedding supper we had fish and chips served later that night - I had the discipline to remove the batter from the fish but not to remove the chips from my mouth!). Friday was a bit of a write-off - well, the morning didn't exist as far as I was concerned, OH and I spent most the day in bed feeling decidedly sorry for ourselves, we made it into Trim later and just about forced down half a Guinness... pathetic!

I stayed up til past midnight on Friday as Saturday was my 30th birthday! I have been feeling quite perturbed at the thought of hitting my third decade and I guess it still hasn't sunk in. I got the prezzies that I wanted though, the Garmin 405cx and tickets to see Waiting for Godot which I am disproportionately excited about seeing! Patrick Stewart (he with the beautiful shaped head) and (sir) Ian McKellen are two of my fave actors, they have such a rapport...

I also got a gorgeous silver and onyx necklace and earring set, really chunky, absolutely beautiful... guess the hints finally paid off heh ;-)


so, Saturday we got back to Dublin and the hotel I'd booked us into... the criteria being that it had to have a gym (for me) and a pool (for son)... fortunately the Regency ticked all the boxes. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to do everything, baaahhh.

I'm pleased to report that on my 30th Birthday I did over an hour's strength training (the weights area was round the corner to the left) and also 45 mins on the treadie... what a good start to my 30's :-) The gym was actually not badly equipped, the machines were all TechnoGym like the ones at my gym... although not entirely the same as the ones at mine, for example, instead of the low row, they had some 'upper back' machine which I couldn't use as my arms weren't long enough - poor design >:-( also, the smith machine was completely static... you could only go up and down, and the bar was on hydrolic arms with a cables... hard to explain but it kinda felt like it was helping you, but then it was just annoying - the one at my gym sort of floats backwards and forwards, as well as up and down so you can move about for squats etc - basically, ours has a 3D movement to it - I'll take a picture one day!

that was it, mind, as fitness training went! Although boyf and I did actually have good intentions as bought our running gear with us thinking we'd be able to run in Kilmessan... hmmm, no chance! Not only were the roads teeny and windy with scary blind corners, they were devoid of pavements and the people in cars drove like lunatics! We abandoned a 'let's walk to the hill of my namesake' trip, favouring survival instead. Most disappointing, but Saturday's session made up for it :-)

As for overeating, well, I didn't think I did too badly... Promax Diet Bars are fabulously portable and I also took my Appesat with me which I found invaluable during breakfast - complimentary cooked - as, although I was loading up my plate (tsk) to the brim, I couldn't physically finish what was there and had to abandon the task... hurrah!

of course I drank too much, but I'll forgive myself for that I think, especially given the fact that I often made more diet-friendly (although not liver-friendly) choices like JD & diet coke over pints of beer and glasses of wine.

Anyway, I'm back now. I had the day off yesterday but was due in for play rehearsals so ran in from home... just under 4 miles at just over 35 mins, it felt 'challenging' but not too taxing. I plugged it into Fetcheveryone and discovered to my joy that I'd been running 9 minute miles! Now, I *know* that's not particularly anything much above snail's pace to 'normal' runners, but to me that's excellent! I've been running at 10 1/2 minute miles... just about getting down to 9 1/2 minute miles, but only over 5k distance. I'm totally stoked! Just think how fast I could run if I could shift a couple of stone, I'd fly along! Plus I was wearing a backpack as had jeans and top to change into once I got in

SMUG MODE :-D

I can only attribute it to the strength training I've been doing on my legs... it's been

double leg presse - 80kg - 3 x 10 reps
single leg press - 40kg - 3 x 10 reps (each leg)
leg extension 35kg - 3 x 10 reps
leg curl - 35kg - 3 x 10 reps
adductor - 45kg - 3 x 10 reps
abductor - 45kg - 3 x 10 reps (have been using these two for a while, struggling to think why I continue though!)
squat with bar - 35kg - 3 x 10 reps (could probably do a lot heavier but worried about taking so much weight on my traps!

I've noticed that my cycle to work is quicker than it used to be and I'm on a higher gear.

speaking of strength training... I've found that I'm doing so many different exercises that I'm having to split them up as I don't have time! I used to just use the machines, now I use free weights, I'm running out of room on my workout wallet to write them all down!!

speaking of workout wallets, have used one up now so must go order some more :-)

more updates soon, and I promise to document my two yummy protein-rich lunches (one with mince, the other with quorn and maximuscle promax natural) and my yummy peanut butter, banana, strawberry and promax diet milkshake... Joe's off to cycle up Mont Ventoux in preparation for his Etape so I'll have the house, and computer, to myself for a few days ;-)

anyway, must get on!

Good Grief!!!

I'm in shock

Look at this device... see how innocuous it appears, how helpful and... some might even suggest... 'friendly' looking.

But NO!

it is a cruel crusher of pride :-(

It is a destroyer of ego and confidence too

I was *so* excited when I got this home yesterday, couldn't wait to leap on it and try it out. It's really easy to set up and use

my excitement was short-lived

Just look at this!



The weight is fine, just over 11st 1lb... but 37.2% body fat?!!!!! More than a third of my body is fat?! According to the instruction manual, this means that I fall into the 'High' category for my body fat percentage!



I'm not happy... how can I have a reasonably healthy BMI but have such a high percentage of fat?!

Thing is, I know these scales are used by professionals so I'm just going to have to suck it up I guess! I mean... did I really think I'd gained 2 stone of muscle during the last year through eating and drinking too much? No... I think this has been a wake-up call, I have very narrow wrists, ankles, waist etc... but humongous thighs and an ample rump... go figure!

Ahh well, the good news is that Joe's birthday present *finally* arrived:

Sexy huh? They're by Rudy Project and they're called Rydon II and have impactx lenses (which are unbreakable) that not only are polarised... but also photochromic - i.e. they change colour with the light! They'll be perfect for his L'etape Du Tour race later this year as no doubt he'll be going from light to dark conditions quite a lot - see here for more info :-)

oh and I'm loving my new cycle gear :-) The rack bag is a little on the small side... but I guess that means it'll encourage me to take less shit out with me when I go... I have contingency for just about any eventuality!!

This top is awesome, it is nice and bright yellow... and comfortably covers my bum, great fit, looks good too! :-) I'm going to just have to buy the pink one now!

Anyway, must get on as I'm leaving work soon, going to do 45 mins on treadmill, nice and steady, then hop on bike home, shower and then leave for airport... going to Ireland until Monday, can't wait! I'll be spending my 30th Birthday in Dublin, should be good... will have to try and visit lots of my namesakes while I'm out... it's a popular Irish (place) name it would seem!

I'll try and update blog while I'm away but it'll be via blackberry if I do... or might just do the Twitter thing...

Anyway, later! x

Which way's the beach duuuude?!! ;-)

Yes... I am

THAT Sad

;-)

oh dear...

hurrah!

don't have much time to post as busy at work and out to the theatre tonight, play rehearsals tomorrow (which I've only just realised... b/f's gonna kill me!) packing tomorrow night afterwards and then off to Ireland for 6 days on Wednesday!

Also got Tuesday off as I've got yet *another* assignment to hand in... will be glad when this is all over, so far my assignment scores have been 94%, 99%, 91% (boo) and 95%. This'll be my last tutor-marked assessment and then I've got a computer based on... then over - woo hoo!

But, anyway, briefly, I've lost more weight, hurrah! I'm down to 11st 1.5lbs which means I've lost basically half a stone, albeit slowly, over these last few months

I'm the lightest I've been ALL year, I'm so chuffed, seriously, such a good feeling. I need to post new pics and measurements, but to give you some idea... I've gone from 31" on my waist to 28.25"! Nice to have a dinky tummy again :-)

I've been eating so well lately, I feel full of energy from my diet as well as the exercise... although I do feel like I've been beaten round the hamstrings with a baseball bat having got a bit carried away during my strength training session on Saturday... I pushed 80kg on the leg press (3 x 10 reps) and then decided to top off my bench press pyramid with some squats on the smith machine... ouchie!

went for a tempo run this lunchtime, slowly increasing from 11 minutes per mile to just under 8 m/m pace. Felt great actually... until I got up to use the loo earlier and found I couldn't walk very well - ha!

I'm meant to be doing spin tomorrow but that depends on a) how my legs are feeling in the morning and b) whether I get the bulk of my packing complete tonight after the show, we're going for dinner first... a nice restaurant called Tamarai have the most awesome deal on - 50% off the entire bill, not just the food, and you get a complimentary cocktail to boot! Ahh, I love toptable, it's such a great idea... you book restaurants for free, take advantage of the great deals online, review the restaurant and get points for doing so that you can redeem against meals at lovely restaurants! Everyone's a winner baby :-)

I'm also very excited at my recent orders... I'm hoping to get the new Garmin 405cx for my 30th (on Saturday by the way - take note!!) from my lovely fella, but have also bought a cheapie HRM from Wiggle (which I love, especially as they give me extra discounts for being a 'gold' customer :-) ) I've ordered an X-Train V3 20 Function Heart Rate Monitor . It got a super rating from Cycling Plus, it's got a lovely chest strap like my Polar Triathlon watch and it's only £35.99!

As I'm engaging in some sort of exercise most lunch times it makes sense to see how hard I'm working, I can't wait to try it out :-) I've also ordered a rack bag for my bike as I only seem to use one side pannier.. which I overfill.. and then worry about one leg working harder than the other!

I've also ordered some SportJock sports bras, take note women, these are superb at preventing bounce! This t-shirt in yellow as it's too warm to wear my bright cycle jacket and I like being seen EASILY by the maniac drivers that I encounter in this lovely city.

Thought I'd try out these X-Sock Skyrunner running socks to see what they're like. I've been faithful to Thorlo for many years but no harm trying out something new eh? ;-)

Okay... so on to my most exciting purchase... da da daaaaa

Our body fat scale monitor thingy is just simply quite shit. The readings differ by quite a few pounds if you leave it a few minutes between weighing... it's just not reliable! Don't get me wrong, it *looks* good, which is usually enough to sway me... and my other half which is why he bought it in the first place! But in terms of efficacy, it just falls far of the mark, pretty pooh really.

So... did some research, which is all I seem to do nowadays, have turned into the biggest diet and nutrition geek going - it's paying off though (more about my findings another day) and I found this, the OMRON BF510 Body Composition Monitor. Isn't it sexy? No... seriously! I love the pull out T-bar doodar, it looks amazing and has been certified as a medical product which ticks all my happy boxes. Best still.. if you ignore the massively overinflated price on the BUPA site (how much?!) A fab site called GetYourselfFitter is selling it for a paltry £39.99 with free delivery!

I'm so excited, I want it... I want it now!!

oh well, will have to placate myself with wiggle goodies and be a patient bunny

Quick update and question on egg whites...

Hello!

Well, been very busy busy busy, all good though and have managed to fit training in around it so pleased to report that I've lost the 4lbs that bizzarely attached themselves to me last week (it might have just been TOTM wimmin stuff though...)

I'm loving how my body is starting to look, my shoulders especially, they were looking quite rounded and flabby before but now look strong and square(ish). I benched 30kg yesterday which is more than I've done before so quite chuffed with that :-) All my weights have gone up by at least 2.5kg and I've started incorporating more free weights in, e.g. shoulder press is 16kg (2 x 8kg barbells) as opposed to 15kg on the shoulder press machine. The free weights version is *much* more challenging as I'm having to use my core to stabilise me and I can't just take most the weight on my right arm like I've probably be doing in the past!

I'm also loving waking up with such a flatter stomach :-)

I just wish my thighs would hop on board and start decreasing, grr!!

I did some interval training on the treadmill at work on Monday, was hard work, basically I did 30mins alternating between 10 minutes per mile pace (m/m), 8 m/m and 7 m/m like this:

5 x mins @ 10 m/m pace
2 x mins @ 8 m/m pace
5 x mins @ 10 m/m pace
2 x mins @ 8 m/m pace
5 x mins @ 10 m/m pace
2 x mins @ 7 m/m pace
5 x mins @ 10 m/m pace
2 x mins @ 7 m/m pace
2 x mins @ 10 m/m pace

all in all 5.2km (and 420 cals burnt apparently!)

the 8 m/m pace was tough but the 7 m/m pace was really really hard work!! I thought I'd fall off the treadmill!

after my tough weights session yesterday I thought I'd hop on the elliptical to do some cardio work but was aching too much and that trainer really does replicate running a bit too well!

So did 30 mins on the stepping machine, haven't used one of those since I used to do boxing training over a year ago - bloody hard work!

oh yeah, so have to get on but I'm going to post soon with some yummy recipes I've devised lately, the first being minced beef, tomatoes, spinach and quinoa... and a version substituting quorn and maximuscle promax natural (which you can use in recipes to provide quality protein) for beef mince... more protein, less fat and Kcals - superb!

I was wondering if anyone had experience using liquid egg whites? I made some scrambled eggs yesterday with 3 egg whites and an egg yolk... the result was messy and meant that my other half had 3 yolks in his bacon sarnie (not that he was moaning!) so I was going to buy some from MyProtein but I just can't stand the thought of eating something produced by poor pecked to pieces barn hens, I wouldn't use anything other than free range eggs at home for normal consumption so not going to use them to up my protein levels!

I found a place called eggnation that do free range whites, but £49 is a bit steep, although you do get 12 cartons! I don't think my b/f would be too chuffed at carrying it all home for me either haha (can't get stuff delivered to my work, boo) and then there's TwoChicks which you can apparently buy in supermarkets! I'll have to keep an eye out for them.

Anybody else use any other brands?

Cleaning out my Diet - Top 25 Superfoods

An evening to myself... ahh, doesn't happen too often, my boyfriend's a poker nut and is out gracing the tables as I type this :-)

So, I'm sat here watching/listening to MTV2... so far I have been treated to guns 'n' roses, pearl jam, vintage blur , rage against the machine and now some awesome smashing pumpkins :-) All with a cheeky glass of red wine (a very small one, mind) as my Carlsberg 0.5% lager has run out, boo :-( it has truly become one of the staples of my diet as I'm trying to lay off the 'real' stuff!

I really should try and cut out alcohol, at least during the week, but I don't really drink much to be honest and baby steps eh? I'm not sure I can commit to eating an entirely clean diet! 8-O not just yet anyway ;-)

So, enough of the waffling... I've decided to trial some muscle and fitness mags to see what I think of them. In the past I've only ever tended to buy Men's Fitness magazine as Men's Health is a bit too all-encompassing, fashioning itself more as a counterpart, or complement to the 'healthy' mags us girls get, with more of a focus on style and male emotions, with actual fitness and strength training seemingly appearing as an incidental aside. That saying, the men on the front covers are pretty hot

Yes, I am that shallow ;-)

hehe, no seriously, my 'point', if I actually had one, was that I could definitely take Men's Fitness more seriously as there is/was more training tips and less moaning about erectile dysfunction

god, that sounds like my spam folder!

Anyway! Right, I bought Muscle & Fitness magazine the other day, as well as Ultra Fit. Less impressed by the latter as the 'women's fitness' section just seems to have some woman prancing about doing star jumps and skipping rope... hmmm.. That said, they do have a lot of info about cycling, triathlon, and a bit of strength training thrown in to boot - fancy! Will have to read it in full and get back to you on that

Muscle & Fitness I am very impressed with, however... despite the really scary looking body builders featured in the ads! I like the fact that their homepage title goes "...the Bodybuilding Magazine for fitter, stro..." and then stops... it's almost like my blog title... c'mon!

So, they've got some great articles, including one on the legend that was Bruce Lee.

But the article that really caught my attention was one on nutrition... a subject that I've always had a huge interest in - I wanted to become a dietitian after thinking what a fabulous job the one at King's College Hospital did after I gave birth (13 years ago next Tuesday!), I was in for 2 weeks as my son was quite premature and was ravenously hungry, she was just fantastic, I was so impressed.

I ended up in IT, for my sins, oh well! Still always been (probably a little too) interested in the food I consume, hence why I've used Weight Loss Resources for the past few years... okay I have strayed to other sites but have always come back to WLR, it satisfies the huge food geek in me!!

So anyway, the article starts:

THE USUAL SUSPECTS
We've listed the top 25 foods that should be a regular part of your training table.

EATING CLEAN GETS A BAD RAP.
When people see you have a decent-size pair of arms and a six-pack, they typically assume you live on a diet of dry chicken breasts, unseasoned sweet potatoes and the occasional side of broccoli. The perception is that the foods necessary for building and maintaining muscle are bland and repetitive. But a strange thing happened when we started to compile a list of the best foods for the body-conscious: we realised we were spoiled for choice – it's hard to cap the list at a mere 25. That's a testament to how varied a muscle-building diet can be. Or, more accurately, it's a testament to how accepting this lifestyle is. Yes, there's a lot of hard work involved, both in and out of the gym, but your reward for training hard is eating almost anything you want – as long as you time it right. Jelly beans (after workouts), onion rings (on cheat days) and a juicy rib eye (on low-carb days) can all fit into an eating programme designed to get you big and ripped. The 25 foods presented here, listed alphabetically, aren't the only foods you're allowed to eat; they're merely those that should most often line your shelves and feed your muscles. Bon appétit...

I'll list the top 25 foods featured, grouped into categories (because I'm nice like that)

So, in no particular order:

Meat
Chicken Breast
Rump Steak

Fish
Salmon
Tuna

Dairy
Eggs
Cottage Cheese

Grains
Porridge Oats
Quinoa
Wholemeal Bread
Brown Rice

Vegetables
Spinach
Sweet Potato
Broccoli

Fruit
Grapefruit
Apple
Banana
Watermelon
Blueberries

Nuts and Legumes
Walnuts
Peanut Butter
Black Beans

Drinks
Green Tea
Coffee
Gatorade

Healthy Fats
Olive Oil

It's worth buying the magazine yourself to see the individual articles on the different foods. Each one is given points out of five for its fat burning properties, muscle building capabilities and convenience (grab and go) factor

Aside from Gatorade... which I cannot understand, and am a bit dubious of, everything listed makes sense... and I'm super excited to see that peanut butter has a place there (apparently, being high in mono-unsaturated fats it is not only heart, but also waistline, friendly - rock on!)

So, what I plan to do is embrace and incorporate these 'superfoods' into my life and diet... welcome, oh superfoods, to the bosom of my fridge (and cupboard(s)!)

the (rather) good news (for me) is that 99% of the foods listed are already firmly ensconced in my diet, although not given the priority and due attention/exposure that they obviously so fully deserve!

In brief (yeah right, I hear you say), yesterday I had brown rice, salmon and broccoli (remember that!), today we had quorn escalopes with sweet potato and carrot mash as well as mixed spicy beans and broccoli, jolly nice it was too - even my son loved the mash, commenting on how filling it was as well as tasty!



OMG Radiohead - Creep - has just come on... swooon
Saw them last year in Victoria Park, heavenly

Sorry, I should really wrap this up as my glass of wine is nearly empty and it really really shouldn't be refilled...

So yes, plan is to
1) cook with these foods
2) devise/plagiarise (kidding!) recipes
3) and then write/bore you to tears about them.

Care to read? (actually, if you've made it this far down the page I'm really impressed!)

I shall start with Quinoa... which represents the only food on the list that I've not ever eaten

watch this space x

Worn out!

about to go to bed as pretty cream crackered after a great weight session with the boyf... aside from the usual suspects (shoulder press, lat pull down, low row, vertical traction, triceps extension and bicep curl and lift - as well as the adductor, abductor and single and double leg presses)we did a bit of pyramiding on the bench which was fun... I'm feeling great now but think I might ache like hell tomorrow... top of chest is very firm to the touch (ooer!)!!

So, I ran for 30 mins on the treadmill afterwards, was surprised at how challenging it was, nearly fell off the thing afterwards!

I'm due at spin class at 06:45 tomorrow but not sure if my legs will take it, annoying when things don't go your way!

we'll see...

b/f left me running and came home to prepare dinner, we had salmon, brown rice, steamed veg and some left over rump steak from yesterday, delish!



I'll be posting tomorrow about the food I've decided that I'm going to be making a big part of my diet as have decided to re jig my nutrition, really give it some decent thought, care and attention... after all, this strength and fitness training is all well and good, but what's the use in having lovely muscles if you're hiding them under a few inches of fat!

In the meantime I've put in a couple of orders from Maximuscle for me and the other half

For me I have ordered some more Promax Diet powder, in banana flavour, the nicest! Some Promax Diet Bars, this time in choc and orange flavour and a couple of boxes of Promax Crisp Bars, which are just damn tasty really and great just sling into your gym bag to take if you're feeling low on fuel! One of the boxes of crisp bars was free, which is just as well as, although fabulously tasty, Maximuscle is definitely not a cheap option!

For OH he's got a tub of Viper to help with his rehydration and muscle recovery after and during his long hellish hilly cycle training, and a tub of Cyclone which is full of good stuff but not packed with calories as he's not interested in gaining any weight in the run up to his exhausting cycle race in July, indeed, his lean frame will definitely prove advantages on a route which is basically just one big bloody mountain climb! Actually, that's not true... it's several mountain climbs leading to the foot of one bloody huge mountain climb! I'm scared for him, but I know he'll do well :-)

oh and I bought a kettlebell today! only 10lbs (just under 5kg), but it's a start I reckon!

night everyone :-)

Target Nutrition percentage....

...has pretty much been met today, jolly good!

actually pleased at the reduced fat too!

I love Weight Loss Resources! :-)

(ignore the calorie values for the 'target profile' as it's a little overstated due to the fact that they've taken into account the 900 + calories from exercise today when setting the target, i.e. 2195Kcals instead of the usual 1251Kcals!)

What's wrong with this pic...?

look at my elbows... they're inside out, it's just not right!

yes, I'm hypermobile, my joints are bendy... but my muscles and ligaments are tight... which is not a great combination! I constantly have problems with my rotator cuff and my lower legs/ankles/feet etc

I score 8 on the chart below!



I only dropped a point because I can't actually even touch my fingertips on the ground right now, which is pretty poor actually!

ahh well

I'm going to do some research into stability exercises, if anybody suffers similarly, or has any advice they could share please feel free to offer it! :-)

Stats... Look at these bad boys! :-D

Date: 28/02/2009
Weight: 11st 6.5lbs
Upper arm: 13"
Chest: 30"
Stomach: 30.5"
Hips: 38.5"
Butt: 44"
Upper thigh: 25.5"
Lower thigh: 17.5"
Upper calf: 15"
--------------------
Date: 07/03/2009
Weight: 11st 5.75lbs
Upper arm: 13"
Chest: 30.5"
Stomach: 29.5"
Hips: 38.5"
Butt: 43.5"
Upper thigh: 25"
Lower thigh: 17.5"
Upper calf: 14.75"
--------------------
Date: 05/04/2009
Weight: 11st 5.25lbs
Upper arm: 12.5"
Chest: 30."
Stomach: 30.5"
Hips: 38"
Butt: 43.5"
Upper thigh: 25.5"
Lower thigh: 18"
Upper calf: 15"
--------------------
Date: 27/04/2009
Weight: 11st 3.75lbs
Upper arm: 12.5"
Chest: 30."
Stomach: 29.5"
Hips: 37"
Butt: 43.5"
Upper thigh: 25.5"
Lower thigh: 17.5"
Upper calf: 15"
--------------------
Date: 03/05/2009
Weight: 11st 3.5lbs
Upper arm: 12"
Chest: 29.5"
Stomach: 28.5"
Hips: 36"
Butt: 43"
Upper thigh: 25"
Lower thigh: 17.25"
Upper calf: 15"
--------------------


not the greatest weight loss in the world, but sure as hell lost a few inches! Very pleased, will have to post new pics as my shape has changed dramatically from last week's picture update!

hurrah!

woo hoo!

etc! :-D

I'm back baby, yeah!

after that emphatic greeting... I may just tone it down a little... ;-)

I have recently re-discovered my waist-line, I'm loving having an almost flat stomach again, it's a great feeling

it's been a bit mixed, progress wise... while I've lost pounds, and inches from my waist, chest, back and hips, my thighs have remained stubbornly... well... huge! It's upsetting to say the least, but I guess just one of the things I have to accept being pear shaped!



one thing's for certain, whatever I'm doing is definitely having a positive effect, I just need to do it better, and more importantly, keep doing it!

OU assignment submitted tuesday night (albeit with 2 mins to go to deadline... who wants to live life comfortably eh?! ;-) ) and play No. 1 out the way... I can dedicate my time to some actual training - hurrah!

I would have posted yesterday but thought it best to spend some time with my son... we went to see Wolverine, excellent film! not least because it had both Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in it! droool

ahem, sorry, enough of that

so yes, I can tell you that I've not been lazy thus far...

Sunday
pretty damn good weights session in the gym including awesome sit-ups with medicine ball... more to follow at some point when I decide an actual format for these random postings of mine!

Monday
30 mins running on treadmill
15 mins rowing (I *love* rowing)

Tuesday
06:30 45 minute spin class which nearly destroyed me... the pain of which was ameliorated somewhat by getting to cuddle a baby lamb later in the day... god I love my job

Wednesday
meant to do a long walk but ran out of lunch break so 30 mins on eliptical trainer (was still late for meeting... ho hum!)

Thursday(today)
4 miles brisk walk in under an hour, taking in one of the city's finest parks... plus some perty gardens and the Thames - perfect!

so there you go, not bad!

I've also been eating more healthily, and in smaller quantities, definitely thanks to the Appesat! It's very odd to be ruled by one's stomach for a change, but in a good way! I've never been one to suffer from having 'eyes bigger than belly'... quite the opposite, my stomach has been capable of some rather remarkable feats of stretching! However, lately, I just can't fit any more in when my head's saying "come on, you've still got food left on your plate, it's yummy, you'd usually be able to polish it off!"

bizarre, but fabulous too!