Must Try Harder

Well, the last two weeks haven’t been the most dazzling in terms of weight loss. Last week I stayed the same weight, and this week I put on half a pound.


While I can make excuses around Christmas Curry and whatnot, I know I just need to get back on plan and go for it. I have lost a total of 10lbs so far though, which I think is pretty darned good!
I’m still using those white trousers as my aim; I want to be able to wear those on my honeymoon. They’re a size 12, so it’s not an unrealistic aim – drop one dress size in 4 months. I have no real idea what that will mean in weight terms, especially because I have a new toy.

For Christmas my dear fiancé got me an Olympic bar and some weights. We need to have a bit of a tidy up in the garage to make enough room to use them sensibly, but it means I can get some weight training in even though we’ve had to give up the gym membership.

At Slimming World this week we were asked to talk briefly about what we were proud of, and what our aims were for the coming year. I thought I’d include mine here.

What am I proud of from 2010?
Well, in terms of my diet and health, I’m proud of myself for admitting that I can’t do this on my own and joining Slimming World, it’s made such a difference. It’s especially good when I feel like giving up but the other ladies in the group are so supportive. They know it’s hard, and the tough weeks (like this week when I gained weight) are tempered by the fact that other people are also having a tough week and we’re all going to try harder next week!

What do I aim to do in 2011?
Well, obviously I have an easy way of making my goal S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely)

Specific: Get into those size 12 white trousers
Measurable: either they fit or they don’t!
Attainable: it’s only one dress size
Relevant: Duh
Timely: I’ve 4 months to do it

But, to try to help me achieve this, and since I think it will need at least another stone loss, my interim targets are:
By 19th Jan (3rd session in Jan) have my 1 stone award (that’s only 3 more pounds in three weeks, should be easy)
By 23rd Feb (last session in Feb) have my 1.5 stone award (that’s another 7lbs in four weeks – more of a challenge as it took me 7 weeks to make it to my first half stone, but I’ll allow some slippage room!)

I’ll revisit these when we get past those deadlines.

Half Stone!

So, I managed it! I lost another 1.5lbs so I have my half stone award!

To treat myself I went out and bought a new pair of jeans. They are a New Look 14, and that look great! I'm quite proud of myself. Now for the next half stone!

Having a reward, like buying something nice to wear, is a great incentive for me. I have pledged not to buy any more new clothes now until I reach my next target of 1 stone lost. (unless my current clothes are obscene, as in falling off or to bits!)

Not Dead!

Gosh, I've fallen off the diet-blogging wagon somewhat, haven't I?

Since I last posted I’ve been at the gym, and not, and I’ve moved house.




Moving house has not been helpful with the gym attendance. We now live out in the countryside, miles from the gym. Since we moved I think we’ve been a couple of times. It’s tough, and to be honest I don’t like going enough to make it easy!



Well, I haven’t forgotten my desire to be less fat (who could?) and as a result I have joined Slimming World instead.

I’m finding the plan easy enough to follow, and I love the free foods (which don’t need weighing!) – and a lot of the free food is stuff I really like eating anyway (like couscous or cottage cheese; the extra low fat variety anyway) so that’s pretty good.



I started going on 25th October, and between then and the 22nd November I had lost 6lbs. Rock on! Then I missed a week (theatre) and last week we were snowed off. Tonight is another weigh in (I’ll try to remember to update, especially if I make it to my half stone tonight!)



I think I’ll need to up my activity level, but I’m currently not sure in what way. Either we can try to get back to the gym (which, as I mentioned, is now a long way away), we join a different gym (which is feasible, but might be a bit crap), I go running again (not really feasible in the ice), I Wii fit some more (I don’t think that does much sadly, but hey) or something else.

The something else could be Zumba. My sister thinks it is amazing (and she got me into Slimming World too!) but I would need to find a class I can get to at a sensible time. And then it depends on what fiancé is doing – he already has to wait around in the city on knit-night, though I take myself to SW usually.

In any case I doubt I’ll do much until after Christmas, though the £80pcm we’re spending on the gym could come in handy. Even with a notice period!

No Weigh In

There’s been no weigh in for a while. I’ve not been well for the past week or so (almost 14 days, actually) and so I’ve not really been sticking to the diet or going to the gym at all. This, actually, isn’t making me feel any better about myself.

What to do?
I’m still not 100% well, so I don’t want to go to the gym and not do anything useful (work hard, or go home) but on the other hand I know I will not lose weight (or rather girth) without going to the gym.

So, other than perhaps going to see the doctor to see if there’s anything she can recommend, I’m not sure what I’m doing.

I’ll post again when I either get back on track, or get some answers as to why I’ve had a cold for so long!

Weigh In (~)

I’ll summarise my weigh in from yesterday simply: no change since last weigh in.

While in itself that’s not a bad thing (better than an increase!) it’s not the progress I’m interested in.

I’ve been keeping track of whether I’m eating “clean” and I’m hitting about 75-80% clean, which isn’t enough! I had some success last year with the “Slim Fast” plan. Before you groan and list the reasons it’s bad, I know.
Restricting the calories that I consume by making a shake is a simple way to keep the calories down without having to count calories as such. But the Slim Fast shakes have a large amount of sugar in them. I don’t want to get my carbs from sugar, so I’m going to create my own meal replacement shake. At the moment it’s going to look a lot like my self-designed post-workout shake.
Post Workout I have a shake consisting of: 500ml semi-skimmed milk, ~55g protein powder, cocoa powder, green tea extract and guarana. The main difference that I plan to have with the meal replacement is to make them high fibre. To this end I intend to include some oats, and reduce the protein. I hope that it will be palatable!

I’m still going to have my 90% target, so I’ll keep recording what I’ve eaten (or in the case of MRS drunk) and allow myself 10% off plan. That should make it easier too. The other key thing I need to do is watch my snacks. I’m hoping to stick to fruit; I think snacks are one area that I fail in.

I’ll let you know how it works out for me. I really just need to kick start the weight loss, I don’t intend for the shakes to be a lifestyle.

Late Weigh In

I meant to post this when I got weighed and measured, but didn't.
Frankly, I'm a bit demoralised, nothing seems to be going in the right direction.

Weight: 12st 6lb (up 2lb)
Body Fat: 26.2% (up 0.3%)
Bust: 38” (~)
Chest: 32” (~)
Waist: 29.5” / 34” (down 0.5" / up 0.5”)
Hips: 44” (~)
Thighs (L/R): 26” / 26” (down 1” each leg!)
Biceps (L/R): 11.5” / 11.5” (~)

Though I don't really think that my thigh measurements are changing that much, I confess I suspect that there's some wonky measuring going on in places! I'm getting my fiancé to measure me, because I know I'll pull the tape tight, or cheat somehow (silly I know) so I'm hoping to average out the measurements over a couple of weeks.

Still, I think I'm not following the diet as strictly as I could be, and also we're not going to the gym anywhere near often enough. We went once last week.
We plan to go three times this week, but things don't always go to plan.

I'm sticking with it, but due to the slowdown last week I may give this phase an extra week before I move on.

Program Update

After a shaky start, I’m enjoying my new program.
The things I was most worried about were T-push-ups and pull-ups. After getting some advice, and also a little thought, I’ve managed to sort out a compromise with the program.
For push-ups, I’ve been working my way down to the floor. I was using a bench (the sort with the removable levels that they use in step aerobics) which I was dropping down slowly. So, when I started the new program I decided to really push myself and go all the way to the floor. (I was two blocks and the step itself away – about one-and-a-half feet) and the first time I did that it was brutal! I really struggled to do the second set. However, in the second attempt at this workout (It is workout B) I managed to do two sets of six proper push-ups! I’m really pleased with myself.
For pull-ups I’m taking a similar approach. One of the biggest problems is my grip strength. I just can’t hold my own weight at the moment. We’ve ordered some resistance bands, which can be used to reduce the amount of weight you’re lifting, but the ones we have don’t reduce it enough. A larger band would leave me with a risk of getting pinged* so I’m using the assisted pull-up for now. The plan is to reduce the weight down to an amount equivalent to the amount the bands can do, and then switch to the bands. That way I improve my core strength. I gather this doesn’t happen, or happens less well, with the assisted machine.
Next Sunday is meant to be a weigh in day, although we’re doing some house-move things. I’ll make the time first thing to get that out of the way. I’ll be doing the “jeans test” again at the end of this part of the program. Once every four weeks should be plenty often enough.

Weigh in Day

Stats
Weight: 12st 4lb (~)
Body Fat: 25.9% (up 0.1%)
Bust: 38” (~)
Chest: 32” (Up 1”)
Waist: 30” / 33.5” (~ / down 0.5”)
Hips: 44” (up 0.5”)
Thighs (L/R): 27” / 27” (up 1” each leg!)
Biceps (L/R): 11.5” / 11.5” (~)

(~) = no change

That’s quite a lot of no change there. Partly it’s because I’ve not been sticking to the diet as well as I could, having more than 10% of my meals off plan.

My chest has increased by 1” (as measured by Fiancé, directly under my bust where my bra band would go)
I think this is probably because of the back exercises I’ve been doing, notably the fly and row types. While my back is not strong enough to allow me to do a chin-up (yet) it’s stronger than ever. To be honest, 32” chest is a pretty reasonable measurement anyway! So, I’m feeling okay about that one.
My waist (as decreed by clothiers, as opposed to my natural waist which is quite high on me) has also decreased a little. As this is where I store much of my fat, this can only be a good thing. I’d like to get this number down to somewhere in the same range as my natural waist is now.
My hips are up, and I think this is probably for the same reason as my thighs being up by an inch each! (wonky measuring notwithstanding!) I’ve been doing some pretty serious squats, dead lifts and such. I hope that the fat I store in my legs and ass can be reduced over the course of the next four weeks, but we’ll see.

Can I Be a Fit Female?

I want to talk briefly about the programme that I'm doing, Rachel Cosgrove's Body Breakthrough.
I've done the first four weeks of the programme, and I'm pretty pleased with my progress.
I've lowered the height of the bench that I'm doing my push-ups on, I've raised my weight on every exercise which uses weights, I do two sets of 45 seconds of prone cobra (I started at two sets of half a minute, and that was hard!), in short; I'm stronger than I was when I began, in many ways.

So, tomorrow is my first day of section 2 of the programme. It's meant to be challenging, it's meant to be harder than the first section. I'm fine with that, I enjoy challenging myself in the gym. However, there are some things which I'm finding sort of demoralising.
One of the exercises I'm due to move on to is called a T-Push-Up. This is the same as a standard push-up, except when you get to the top of the movement, you extend one arm upwards and cross your feet, making a T shape with your body. That's all well and good, but I haven't progressed far enough to do a normal push up yet, so how can I move on to the T?

The other thing that I'm worried about is the chin-up. I've bought some exercise bands to assist with my chin-up, but honestly I can't do even one chin-up (we have a bar at home, so I've had a go already)

I've had some great advice from Ravelry (amazing huh, knitters who lift (Rav Link) are a new group, but they're supportive!) regarding the push-up situation, and they're suggesting what I was thinking of anyway.

So, that leaves the chin-up. I've had a look at some videos on YouTube, I've got advice from my fiancé, I think what I'll have to do is a combination of things to try to get into a place where I can do a chin up. So, that's going to include:
Hanging from the bar, to get used to holding myself up (with bands to begin with)
Assisted Chin Ups at the gym, to get used to lifting using those muscles
Hopefully the inverted row in the other half of this section of the program will also help.

Who knows, by the end of the four weeks, I might be able to do a chin-up!

Last day of workout stage 1

Today was the end of the beginning. I mean that I did my last workout in phase 1, and I’m moving on to phase two shortly. (All being well, on Saturday)
To do the next stage I need something called a resistance band, something which seems to be expensive and also difficult to get hold of. And I haven’t yet got one. I’ll let you know how that goes!

So, until my next weigh in (Should be Sunday this week) here’s my final weights from my last A (on Tuesday) and B (today):

Step-up 2 sets of 12e/s 6kg each hand
3 point dumbell row 2 sets 12e/s 8kg
Bent over reverse fly 2 sets 4kg each hand
Body weight excercises now include pushups, which I managed 2 sets of 10 for (not full though, I’m doing them with my hands raised off the floor by a couple of feet). I’ll not give away the rest of the program, though it’s more than just the exercises, I think it’s copyright too!

Russian twist 2 sets of 10e/s 4kg
Overhead squat 2 sets of 10 3kg each hand
Lateral raise with external rotation 2 sets of 10 with 5kg each hand
SLSA Romanian deadlift 9kg
Single arm pullover 2 sets of 12 reps 3.25kg / 6.25kg
Cable row 2 sets of 10 reps 11.25kg
Again, not the whole program.

My favourite exercise has been the reverse fly and the cable spilt stance row, I feel really strong doing those, though they are challenging.

The main thing I’m finding hard is maintaining a positive attitude. Even though the numbers at the previous weigh in were good, I feel like I need to do more, make it go faster! However, the next stage of the workouts is meant to be more weight, less reps, to really build the muscle tone and shed the fat. The hardest thing is the diet though. I feel like I’m always eating! Okay, so that’s not so bad, but it is really odd!
I’ve found some cottage cheese snack pots which I like, it’s basically the size of a normal yoghurt, but it’s cottage cheese in there. High protein, low fat, and yummy! I have it with some grapes for my mid-morning snack.

Anyway, I’ll check in again on Sunday with my stats, see how things have gone in the second half of the first phase.
Wish me luck with the next phase!

Weigh in Day

So, last Sunday I was out of town, which means that this Sunday is two weeks after the previous measurements.

Weight: 12st 4lb (up 1lb)
Body Fat: 25.8% (up 0.3%)
Bust: 38 inches (no change)
Chest: 31 inches (down 3 inches!)
Waist: 30inches / 34inches (down 1 inch / down 2 inches)
Hips: 43.5 inches (down 0.5 inches)
Thighs (L/R): 26 inches / 26 inches (Left thigh up 0.5 inches)
Biceps (L/R): 11.5 inches / 11.5 inches (down 0.5 inches both arms)

I've recorded both my natural waist (the first number) and my waist around my bellybutton, which is where most clothes manufacturers think my waist should be!

The workouts are going pretty well, although I had an awful week last week. I wasn't well on Thursday, so my Thursday workout wasn't as good as I would have liked, and then I spent the day in bed! Then we were away at the weekend, so the diet took a bit of a hammering. Only 72% on plan.
This week has been a bit better, though I substituted one of my workouts for a swim, as my Fiancé was unwell, and I go to the gym with him. Food's not been bad, though I had a craving for a snickers which I caved in to, and we've had pizza this week. However, looking at the numbers above, I'm not doing too badly.

For those who are interested in that sort of thing, here are the weights I'm doing. I'm working through Rachel Cosgrove's book "The Female Body Breakthrough" and so far I'm finding it tough but good. At the moment I do two sets of everything, and I'm only listing those which require weights to help me remember!

Step-up 10e/s 5kg each hand
3 point dumbell row 8kg
Bent over reverse fly 3kg each hand
Russian twist 3kg
Prone cobra 45secs
Overhead squat 2kg each hand
Lateral raise with rotation 4kg each hand
SLSA Romanian deadlift 4kg
Single arm pullover 3.25 / 6.25
Cable row 8.75

There's one more challenge in the book which I think is great. It's the jeans challenge. Everyone has a pair of jeans that they look great in, right? Perhaps they're stashed away. Mine were in my holiday drawer, and I didn't take them on my more recent holiday because I couldn't fit into them. I wore them in Florida a few years ago, but haven't got into them since. I know they look good on, but they just don't fasten (well, I can get the hooks done, but that ain't pretty!)
So, here's where I am on my jeans challenge:

I'm going to be wearing these this summer. I don't really need to lose that much girth to get into them either.

I think the important thing for me, today, is that I have lost inches in the past three weeks, yet I'm heavier! It's odd really, not something I'm used to.

Good luck in your diets, your workouts and your general health.

Same time, different year...

Okay, this seems to be a pattern.


But in an effort to keep it up, Sundays (which are measuring days when I'm at home) I will try to blog my measurements, and a quick update of how the week has gone.


I want to start with a quick compare of my "stats" from this time last year, and now, as I've been doing a more weights based program since about last July


Jan 2009 - Jan 2010
Weight: 11 st 11 - 12st 3
Fat %: 34.8 - 25.5
Bust: 38.5 - 38
Chest: 32 - 34
Waist: 33.5 - 31
Hips: 43 - 44
Thigh L: 25 - 25.5
Thigh R: 25 - 26
Bicep L: 12 - 12
Bicep R: 12 - 12

I don't know how accurate the 2009 numbers are because I measured myself, and I have a tendency to pull the tape tight, so I dare say that the waist (around skinniest bit) mightn't be. I've put my natural waist rather than the bit around my belly-button (which is 36 now, for the {unhappy} record) but I plan to have abs you can see by this time next year!


I had one and a half "X" on the plan - I'm counting Thai at a restaurant as a half an X because I had more than I should have, though no wine, no wheat, nothing I'm not allowed. I love Thai food!


So 94% on plan this week, including post workout shakes. And lots of eggs. I like eggs :)