Monday's Exercise Journal (25 May 2009)

* Zumba 06:00 - 07:00

* Personal Training with April 16:30 - 17:30

* Pilates Level 1   18:30 - 19:30

Reflections

Looking back on this week, I'll tell you this much -  I'll be quite happy if I don't have to repeat it.  It started on Wednesday when the City Power decided to cut our power/electricity!!  I was fuming and there was nothing I could - our Landlord had not sorted out an issue with the prior tenant and we were now going to pay for that - not pay as in cash but in the effects of not having power for 4 days and 3 nights.  The Landlord sorted out the account pretty promptly but it then took City Power forever to reconnect us.  We only got our electricity back yesterday morning.

I also did not achieve the goal had set for myself in weight loss.  I picked up 0.2kg's instead of losing the 1.8kg's I had set for myself.  To say I was crushed is an understatement.  The battle with scale continues to rage on and some days can be very trying.  With the trauma over the weigh-in hanging over me I decided to go and hunt for some warmer pants for the cooler days.  I was either going to end up more frustrated or end up pleasantly surprised.  Thankfully I ended up presently surprised when I realised that not only could I fit into a size 18 at Woolies (my fave store, although on the more pricey side) but I could fit into a size 18 house brand at one of our retailers.  I was literally jumping for joy!!  I think my boys thought I was nutz....LOL  At Pick n' Pay, I managed to get pants and matching top for less than what a pair of pants at Woolies would have cost me.    

Yesterday we took ourselves off to the local Spur to watch my rugby team who were in the semi-finals.  I support the Blue Bulls , hubby supports the Stormers (W. Cape) and majority of my family support The Sharks (Natal team).  I am the odd man out but that is okay.  We had fun - and I ended up giving half my burger to hubby as my tummy said 'no more'.  LOL  

I am trying to get myself to sit in front of the torch!!  It was one of those things which I guess I'll just have to do.  LOL

Have a super week everyone.  Keep strong.

Hugs

Michelle

It's going to be addictive.....

I think April's ability to keep sneaking spinning into our conversations might have been what sparked the interest, hence the crazy decision sometime late last week to give spinning a try.

At 05:30 this morning the alarm goes off.  Hubby gives me a nudge to make sure I'm awake.  I'm awake and thinking.....eeeeek, what have I gotten myself into.  This morning I'm lucky as April doesn't have a client and is going to join me.  That is how I ended up in the front row and not the back.  I had booked myself into the back row but April changed that......so front row it was.  LOL  Now, our winters aren't to bad - if anything we're spoilt cause up here in Joey's they're pretty mild but I'm still a wimp and at 05:30 it is rather nippy.  Cycling shorts with sweat resistant top......and sweats over that.  Get to gym and I'm thinking that I'm not brave to strip down in the change rooms, I'll just take off my sweat pants and top off in the spinning class.  Not sure that was a wise idea....but hey, I didn't have to run from the change rooms to the class freezing my a$$ off.   Luckily, the instructor for the spinning class this morning was Lynne, my Yoga instructor.  Between her and April they made sure that the bike was adjusted correctly and gave me the what to do's and what not to do.  Ultimately, the idea was to have fun!!  With both spurring me on, I couldn't have anything but FUN!!  My legs felt great but oh my 'toosh' - I swear if it wasn't for that I'd be able to do much more.  April is now on a mission to find me a gel seat.....this is one Angel of a Personal Trainer.  I am blessed to have had my path cross with hers.   For now I am going to do 1 Spinning class a week until I get into the swing of things, then I'll pick it up.  All I know is that I'd rather be cycling than having my legs pound the tarmac.  

So, I survived the front row.  I have a gorgous and supportive Personal Trainer - If I end up with a figure anywhere near hers I'll be estactically happy!!  I managed to 45 minutes and although sore - my toosh might just forgive me.

Now, as for my sweaty cylcing shorts and that - this brain spark left them hanging over the shower at gym.   I need to graciously figure out how to rescue them from Lost Property.  LOL  I think I was clearly on a high from surviving my first Spinning class........

Did I tell you that I tested out a Mountain Bike this weekend.  It was so cool - the bugger costs a wee fortune but I'm saving up for it.  :))  At the time of trying it out I got on and rode around the shop - this brought a smile to my face as I remembered Elaine who had a story to tell about her trying out bicycles ......  LOL  (Waves hi to Elaine)  

And yeah, the first MTB race I want to try out is in Novemember.  It's a short one - 10km but that is fine for now and Brad can join me...........

Keep strong.......have a good week and let's show those scales whose in charge.!!!

Hugs

Michelle

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* Family (especially that man of mine who had me up at 05:30 so that I could be on time for my spinning class)

* Spinning (this could become addictive)

* April, my PT who joined me in Spinning today :)

Tuesday's Exercise Journal

* Spinning (45 minutes)

Monday's Exercise Journal

* Personal Training session (1 hour)

* Pilates (1 hour)

Weight Watchers - Week 16 : Another .6kg's down

For my international friends, .6kg's equates to 1.32 lbs.  

I guess I cannot complain the scale is down again.  I have now also lost a total of 8.2 kilograms since I started on this journey.  (8.2kg's = 18.04 Lbs)

I have set myself a huge goal for next week.  I want to reach that 10 kg mark (22 Lbs).  I have had huge losses in one week in the past, so I know that I can do it if I set my mind to it.  

I am still trying to decide if today is a rest day or not.  A day of not going to the gym at all.  Thursday's are my aqua classes and I do enjoy them but I'll see how I feel later on.  I have had a few hectic days of training at the gym.  My abs are begging for some rest time.  LOL

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* Family

* Friends

* My Personal Trainer - April

* Scales

* Healthy food

* Veggie Soup

Believe that you can!!

I was catching up on one of the blogs I follow http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/ and it resonated with me this morning.  I know one of my biggest obstacles is believing that I can.  I have told myself for so long that I can't and I have to work hard everyday to change that.

Tara on The Biggest Loser said this "Going through this challenge I just kept on saying 'You can do this, you have it within you, you need to be uncomfortable to grow.'; and I forged ahead and every single week, it started getting easier."

Yesterday while training with April, we were working on my core.  I needed to hold a certain position for as long as I could.  The first time, I managed 12 seconds (bad), I then gritted my teeth and managed 30 seconds (still not great) - after declaring that my abdominals were clearly feeling unloved...LOL.  I beared down and did it again and survived another 42 seconds.  Not sure if that had more to do with the cute guy stretching next to me, who smiled at me when I made my abs comment and not wanting to look like a complete idiot.  (grin)  Now I'm worried about April running around the gym looking for a cute guy as motivation......LOL  What I did find during this is that you need to keep feeding yourself positive thoughts, the more I could tell myself that 'yes, I can do this', the longer I could hold on.

Breathing, focus and positive thinking are all needed.  Breathing properly helps with the pain...seriousley it does.  I'm learning to really push my breath out and control my abs....it is so important and really does help with those painful/uncomfortable moments.

I know I need to push myself more, to not give-up and to embrace the pain.  No pain, no gain - right!!

'You can do this, you have it within you, you need to be uncomfortable to grow.'

When I am training and it hurts - I will remember this!!!

Keep strong..........

Hugs

Michelle

Reflections

Wow!!  It is most certainley going one step at a time and sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back.

Hubby keeps asking me what the scale has to say.  I have to keep telling him that I have no idea as I have not bothered to correspond with it.  LOL  

Zumba was loads of fun.  A very sweaty workout and challenging as I seem to have NO rythm whatsoever.  I think if you have some dancing experience then you definitely have an advantage.  I will go back and persevere.  I came out of the first class going "This girl (being me) cannot dance....LOL"  I'm not sure it was everyones cup of tea though.    

You can get a DVD set for Zumba (to do it at home) - check out www.zumba.com

If anyone is feeling kind and generous.....(sweet grin here) and comes a cross a Zumba top - can you get me a nice sexy one.  LOL  A girl can dream, right!!!

On Saturday and this morning I have had my personal training sessions early in the morning.  This mornings was at 06:30 and I feel really energised and ready to go.  I am going to see what I can do about switching my sessions to first thing in the morning.  My trainer, April is away for a few days....(how will I survive)....so for the rest of week I have to go it alone.   I'm going to miss her.  I am really enjoying boxing and kicking....my left leg is slowly catching up with my left one.  LOL  At least I am not connecting underneath the punch bag but on the sides.  My legs are definitely getting higher when I kick.  Another trainer commented on how good my kicks are and was surprised that I had only being doing them for about 2 - 3 weeks.

April managed to squeeze in my measurements, so I'm praying next week will show better results than the 'scale'.  LOL

Keep at it...and most importantly have fun doing it!!!

Hugs

Michelle

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* My boys even the big one.  LOL

* Early morning training sessions.  I love these!!

* Kicks

* Fresh winter mornings

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* All of my boys, even the big one.  LOL

* Fresh winter days

* New jammies (pj's)

* Snuggly warm slippers

* Pilates

* My gym where I work out

* My personal trainer

Zumba Fitness

I'm so excited, our first class is tonight at the gym.  I have a sneaky suspicioun the class is going to be packed!!

http://medical.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/395/35254.html

Taken from www.zumba.com

• Zumba® is fun...it's the type of exercise you'll want to do everyday and feel good about doing it!

• It's different. You probably never thought you'd be exercising to this type of music.

• It's effective. It is an aerobic workout, which we all know works. But it's more fun, which will make you stick with the program until you get results.

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* Family

* Sun

* Warm days

* Fun cricket evenings

* Zumba

* Personal trainers

When you think you can't anymore....remember YOU CAN!!!

Weight Watchers - Week 15 :  Down .6kg's **sigh**

I need to figure out how to embrace the scale as my friend or never stand on one again.  Easier said than done.  At gym we have 2 scales, one linked to the Life Care machine and the one in the change room, there is my bathroom scale and the Weight Watchers scale.   Do any of them agree - NO!!  Can it mess with your brain??  Hell, right it can.

I should have been one of those woman jumping for joy.  I dropped .6kg's and got the gold star but what did I do, I fell apart and by the time I got to the car I was in tears.  

There I am going I can't anymore but thankfully a stronger voice was going YOU CAN!!  My sister the hero has been a pillar of strength through this.  My personal trainer is a huge pillar of support too - and on Friday (I've sneaked in an extra session), we'll take advantage of the extra time and get those measurements done!!  

Now to figure out tonights picnic!!  We're off to watch an IPL cricket game (Indian Premier League).  

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* My sessions with April, my Personal Trainer

* My family

* Sunny warm winter days

* Jeans thought are in the 'teens'

* Gyms

New vs. Old.

Even though I am nowhere near my goal weight yet, nothing feels better than going into a change room and wondering if you're being way to ambitious walking in with that size 18.  Yes, size 18 - well in SA terms.  Then trying on those jeans and they just keep going, I held my breath and wondered if the zip would follow through, I closed my eyes, and pulled that zipper up and to my utter amazement up it went - all the way up without much grief or thoughts of trying to lie on the floor to help it up.  Yeah!!!  

In the photo above, my new jeans are over my old jeans!!  Wow!!  

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* Family

* Friends

* My Personal Trainer

* Loving myself even if I skipped yoga at 6am.  LOL

* Routine

Today's Attitude of Gratitude

* Family

* Vitamin C and loads of it

* Personal Trainers

* Pilates

* Fresh winter mornings