Stole the title from the Skinny Train thread because I love it.

Going great guns at the moment. Tracking has been going well — a few points over 18 most days but always under 22 (which is about where I should be) so I won’t worry about it. Refuse to, in fact. I know that I’m eating well and also enjoying myself, and that’s the important thing.

Today I hit up the Body Balance class again, which I absolutely love. It gives me such a mid-week burst, and the tracks are short enough that just as I think my legs will collapse — it changes. My favourite part is the sun-salutation…maybe I just love the idea of worshipping the sun? I’m always just a little disappointed when we follow a different yoga warm up, sort of a like a friend has decided to skip the class.

Then I did the 100 Push Up Challenge Day 2 and managed to do it. I couldn’t believe how sore my arms and abs have been in the past few days just from the 13 push ups I did last time. I’ve been aching for days.

So now I’m dancing around my room non-stop full of energy and wondering what I should do after this post. Normally I’d head for green tea but I’m not sure I need the energy boost — might start pinging off the walls, hehe.

Posted at 5:17 am | No Comments »

Am at home and have swapped to core, because I’m tired of trying to work out points each day. It’s going well so far — I didn’t realise there’d be so much freedom on this program. As long as I address the way I cook it, I can eat almost everything I like without having to worry about it. It just comes down to moderation now, which is kind of cool. And because I’ve got this approach, my family have joined in. My brother not quite so willingly, but since Mum and I cook it, he’s stuck with it. Mum’s completely on board and it’s kind of wonderful. She tried Tony Ferguson a while back and while it definately worked for her — she looks great — the last 5kg or so have just not been coming off, and the 1 shake a day, very strict diet just wasn’t working for her in the long-term sense. Once you get to maintenance they apparently give you a new plan, but she wasn’t there yet and she was floundering a little. So we’re on core, which is wonderful because for me it satisfies this desire to eat well — even better because I am craving vegetables after college.

And I’m back on the 100 Push Up Challenge. Currently on week 4, and today I got to 75 push ups, which kind of feels awesome. I’m really enjoying pushing myself with a goal. I think these programs work best for me because they have an end-goal, and a way to map your progress. I mean, when I started the 100PU Challenge, I could only do 3 girlie push ups in a row. Just three. Now I can do 75 (although not in a row.) My goal after doing 100 Girlie Push Ups is to learn to do the ‘real’ ones.

I’ve also started the Couch to 5 kilometres running program, and I’m really enjoying it. I walk every time I go to the gym, but this time I have my goals, etc. And I discovered Running Ahead, a website where you can track how far you’ve walked, and your walking routes. You can even list your shoes and it’ll tell you how cost-effective you’re being (currently 78cents for each kilometre). It’s perfect for people who love to know everything like me — and the graphs it spits out are just so pretty. So consider this the first real, enthusiastic plug for this website: if you’re into running, go and check it out, because it is awesome.

Posted at 8:17 pm | No Comments »

This is a mind game. Everything to do with weight loss is, ultimately, in the mind. It took us a long time to get to the overweight point we’re at. It stands to reason that it will take a while to come off. And while it can get tiring, I have to ask myself, constantly, is this working towards my goal? Is it worth it? Sometimes it is; sometimes going over my total by a point to have a chocolate is exactly what I need to stay on track. (Isn’t it funny that I can stay on track by going off track?)

But what I’m finding hard now is not to be annoyed at people who say “I lost five kilos a couple of months ago but then I went off the rails and now I’m finding it really hard to get back into the program/focus/stay on track, and I just want to give up.” Granted, I’m generalising here, but it does frustrate me. I just want to say to them: we’ve all been there. We’ve all wanted to give up, we’ve all thought it’s too hard. But what’s the alternative? What’s the other option? The other option is to give up and accept being this heavy — or heavier — for the rest of your life. Because there’s no quick fix for me here. I don’t have a magic wand, or an amazing diet…I just have me, and my mind.

Which leads me onto the other thing that’s getting me down. There seems to be this intake (possible because of summer) of people who either a) have unrealistic expectations generally or b) watch too much ‘biggest loser’. I’ve never had a really large loss, partly because of my circumstances when I started. I’ve seen complaints about losing 1.5kg in a week — I would kill for 1.5 kg. But I can see that they’re losing faster than me, and sometimes I wonder if I’m doing something wrong or if they’re just doing something too right to sustain?

Which brings me to my final idle thought for this post: in putting together the blogroll (here), there were huge, huge numbers of blogs of people who just stopped posting. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to give up. I guess, for me, it’s about staying power. As long as those numbers go down — who cares how much they go down by, right?

100 Push Up Challenge
Level: Week Three, Day Two.
Push Ups Day 2: 51

Posted at 4:33 am | No Comments »

Am wonderful today. Finally got the motivation I need in the form of some information regarding points and group exercise: 10 points for a class like BodyJam or Boxercise. 10 points. Here I was the entire time, thinking that these classes would be a nice sort of break if I got tired but they wouldn’t really be on the same level as solitary workouts…but that’s basically double what I can do on my own in an hour. And it’s more fun!

So I hit up the Body Jam class and loved it. Loved the instructor, loved the work out, loved everything. I left feeling exhausted but not in a bad way. And then I came back to my room and got back on my ‘100 Push Up Challenge’ horse. The poor thing got neglected for a while, but luckily, I was able to complete Week 3, Day 1. Hurrah!

Now all I have to do is finish my damnable University work before I leave for home on Thursday morning, bright and very early.

100 Push Up Challenge
Level: Week Three, Day One.
Push Ups Day 2: 50!

Posted at 4:59 am | No Comments »

Wanted to post yesterday but I think the servers were down. Am still (almost) on track for the 10 in 10 challenge…had an unfortunate incident with some white chocolate cheesecake (though did manage to convince friends that no, I didn’t want a second/third/fourth piece and yes, I had had enough with just one), but am tracking it and all should be fine. Hopefully.

Went to the gym yesterday and did 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 on the stair climber, and 6 on the rowing machine. (Ran out of time.) Also had day push up challenge — was quite proud. Today I’ve had to work on an assignment and an exam and catch up with homework, so nothing done. Hope to go tomorrow around four…we’ll see.

100 Push Up Challenge
Level: Week Two, Day Two.
Push Ups Day 1: 42

Posted at 4:38 am | No Comments »

Just had my weigh in for the first week of the 10 in 10 challenge, and I lost .9! It’s 100 grams short, fair enough, but I’m really happy with it, and it really motivates me to do more: more exercise, more tracking, more planning…just more.

Got my blood taken today, whic puts me off exercise for a little while at least, and then I’ll go back to it. Am feeling a little bit drained right now, so may have a small nap until lunch (about 12:30), and then get back into it.

But first, current stats:

Current Stats
Current Weight: 93.1
Loss/Gain This Week: -0.9
Total Loss: 7.2

Christmas Challenge
Weeks To Christmas: 16
Amount To Lose: 13.2

10 in 10 Challenge
Starting Weight: 94.0
Goal Weight: 84.0
Amount To Lose: 9.1

100 Push Up Challenge
Level: Week Two, Day One.
Push Ups Day 1: 21

Posted at 9:13 pm | No Comments »

So it’s 11:28 and all I’ve done thus far is eat breakfast, go to the gym and do my 100 push up challenge, but I do feel great. Breakfast this morning was cornflakes, since college for some reason seems to have stopped serving weetbix…why I’ve no idea.Then I hit the gym with Bridget, one of my charming neighbours. We decided on a half hour but general competitiveness and the need to push ourselves made it about 40 minutes. Once we got home, we completed our daily push up challenge. Bridget is on her first day and did 56 push ups in total, which would be humbling if I weren’t enjoying the challenge so much. I’m up to Day 3 of week one, which means week two is going to take place in about 2 days, hurrah!

Plan for today includes: go buy textbook, then go to local shopping centre and make necessary purchases (i.e. white out), and finally come home in order to do all the readings I haven’t done yet. And french. And accounting.

It just feels so good to feel so…good.

100 Push Up Challenge
Level: Week One, Day Three.
Push Ups Day 3: 28

Posted at 9:34 pm | No Comments »

Work work work work work. Why is university so time consuming? Just a short post today to update.

Have been very good since Thursday. Completely on track. I went out and bought the things I need, i.e. Yoghurt, fruit, etc, in order to keep my snacks on track. I also revised my points and I’m on 23, rather than 25 like I thought. (I suspect it’s the more sedentary lifestyle, now that I’m not on my feet 12 hours a day at work). I’m strictly keeping under it and recording everything I eat. Granted, I did eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut last night, but I’m not going to apologise for it, because a) I stopped at one when there was a whole box, and b) I’ve factored it into my points for the next two days to make up for it.

I’m also managing to make 5 veges a day for the past two days, as well as my recommended 3 serves of calcium and at least 6 glasses of water. I’m feeling very holistic and totally back on track.

Also, today is day 2 of the 100 Push Up Challenge. I’m still sore from Day 1 (which tells a lot about my shameful upper body strength or-lack-thereof.), so I only managed to make the required amount. Still, I’m proud. I never thought I’d be able to do more than…actually any push ups. Hurrah me!

Now, I’m just waiting for this damnable cold to clear up before I go back to the gym and I become the Perfect Weight Loss Story. 1 kilo this week, remember?

100 Push Up Challenge
Level: Week One, Day Two.
Push Ups Day 2: 15

Posted at 10:32 pm | No Comments »