Hiatus; back in business

Updates from last time:
I didn’t make it to the 1.5stone loss.
I didn’t stick to that plan of activity.
I did get into those size 12 trousers, and felt good in them too!

And so…

It has been a while since I posted anything on this part of my blog. I should have posted a while back though, because I did lose some weight for the wedding!
Ok, I didn’t lose as much as I had initially intended, but I think that’s okay. In almost all of the photos I am happy with how I look, and also in most of our holiday photos from the honeymoon.

Here’s a before and after for you.

BEFORE – 19th September 2010 – weight = 12st 06lbs – BMI = 28.1 (Overweight)



AFTER – 30th April 2011 – weight = 11st 02lbs – BMI = 25.2 (Just Overweight, by 0.2!) – Loss = 1st 04lbs



I know I still want to lose some more weight, but since I came back from my honeymoon (though not while I was there!) I have gained two pounds.
I think that this is partly to do with no longer having a goal.

So, I’m setting myself a new goal.
At Slimming World we have something where you can pay, in advance, for 12 weeks’ membership. You get benefits too, as you get two weeks free when you do that. There’s also a nice recipe book on offer this week I think! In my first 12 weeks at Slimming World I lost 11lbs. I’d like to do the same again; in fact I want to do better. My aim is to get to 10st in 12 weeks. That’s a loss of 1st 04lbs. That also means losing an average of 1.5lbs per week.

AIM – 19th September 2011 – weight = 10st – BMI = 22.6 (Healthy)

I realise that diet alone is not going to be enough to meet this aim. As a result, I’m going to need to do some working out too. My general plan is to work out in our in-the-garage-gym three times a week. I plan to do the three-step-superset that I was enjoying before. I need some extra exercises to balance this out. Perhaps something like:

Ex 1. Deadlift, Squat, Push press (with Olympic bar)
Ex 2. Bent-over row, Pull-up (maybe using the bands to begin with)
Ex 3. Crunches (30 per set), Press-ups (10 per set)

I may have to elevate the press-ups to begin with; I was able to do a set in the past but it’s been a while.

I’ll be getting weighed once a week at Slimming World. I’m pretty sure I haven’t lost any weight since the last weigh in as I’ve had a cold and we’ve been on holiday.

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 :)

Gym going well, weight loss not so much

Another successful gym trip last night.

I squat 45kg (that’s the Olympic bar plus 12.5 each side) (That’s also only 5kg less than my goal weight of 50kg

I did two sets of 15 push-ups (ladies ones)

The only thing I’m still struggling with is the side plank.



No weight loss or girth loss of note.

According to my scales I need to eat 2000 calories to maintain this weight, so I must be eating too much! My size 12 trousers are definitely tight at the moment. Boo.



I don’t feel like I eat that much though. I’ll have to consider keeping some kind of diary of what I eat, to see.

Workout B, and the perils of hunger

Yes, we did workout B on Saturday, the first day I could move all of my limbs without them aching badly. (how in need of a workout was I?)

Either I didn't work out as hard as I could have, or my body was more ready for it, but today I don't ache so much.



Workout on Saturday was mostly bodyweight exercises. I did step-ups with two 10kg dumbbells and superset that with chest presses. I used 6kg each hand for that. I could probably have done more.

Then we did hip extensions, one-arm-raised push-ups, plank and something which I've been calling superman. Follow all this with a 22 minute intervals session, and you're done.



I felt pretty good afterwards, though the changing rooms were packed. I hate that. I don't mind having to share a changing area, but when you're pushed for space to stand, never mind put your bag, it just ends the session on a low.



Then I had steak for lunch. Yummy, but probably not aiding in the weight-loss. Hmm. And we bought cake.

Had the usual roast chicken and veg today though, and leftovers in home-baked bread for lunch tomorrow. Then we have Venison Stew for dinner tomorrow (I cooked it tonight while the oven was on for the roast) which should last two days I think.



Hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep tonight, which will leave me all raring to go for another session at the gym tomorrow night.

I have found that doing the same workout as OH (though with different weights) is really quite motivating, it makes it almost fun. Actually, the weights part is fun anyway.



My boss commented that he doesn't think that muscular women are very attractive. Now, while I don't want to look like the lady on this page I don't think that muscular women are not attractive. You can go too far.

Too far, that would require an obsessive personality, right?