I've just done my monthly measurements - while I haven't lost that much weight this month because it's slowed down now, I have lost 1.5" from my waist, and an inch from my chest and hips!!!
I saw a friend last night who was always very slender and fit, but who stopped being so a while ago when she got an Italian boyfriend, and then had a baby ... she's done little exercise since, and said (in slightly shocked tones) that she'd always been a size 8 (UK), but is now a 12.
For her that is pretty shocking, and actually it really doesn't suit her as she has a tiny frame. I said that if it helped her feel better, as she'd said there was "nothing of you up top!" (thanks buddy - not quite the compliment I'd hoped for ), I had been a size 20 and was now a 12 too!
Boy am I happy about that though - I don't think I've ever been this small (if so, only once when I lost weight before and then piled it back on) ... and I think I stand a real chance of getting into size 10s shortly, if I keep up with the exercising!
I know weigh in isn't until tomorrow, but I took a sneaky peek at the scales this morning ... and yep, 9st 7lb dead on, no wavering, no 1/4lbs here or there - just GOAL!!
How pleased am I? You can see the cheesy grin for miles!
Now I just have to remember that all this effort has made me feel so much better about myself:
I can try clothes on that fit me, and actually think "yeah, that looks pretty good on me"
I can look in the mirror and not be repelled by the sight in front of me
I'm still a bit saggy in places, but if that's the price I pay for having been so fat, then it'll serve as a reminder to me ... but the rest of me is getting toned up nicely
Hubby tells me I'm sexy! Haven't heard that in a while
Swimming has got rid of my 'bingo wings'
The post-swim steam room seems to be sorting my skin problems out , which is a massive bonus
My running is better and faster now I'm lighter - when I went out with the running group I was actually overtaking most of the ladies
I don't feel like I'm 'on a diet' any more, and haven't done for months - the gradual loss and plateau now is due to eating sensibly, which should be easier to maintain
I'm more able to make healthy choices because I feel good about myself (mentally, physically and emotionally)
The exercise I'm doing has more or less got rid of the terrible PMT I used to inflict on everyone before TOTM (didn't notice it at all this month - effing miracle!)
I'm loving the cycling!
So - my challenges now will be as follows:
Keep up the exercise levels - three runs, two swims and one bike ride a week (although not beating myself up if I miss one or two every now and then!)
Keeping that up while trying to find time to study ... not so easy
Not slipping back into my old foodie ways - a Chinese takeaway is fine, but don't pick one of everything on the menu!
Keep the exercise interesting - either through challenges, or just switching things about a bit
Swimming lessons - I want to learn to do something other than just breaststroke!
Half marathon - I've decided that this would be a really good goal for me to aim for, but it'll have to be Spring next year I think, or Summer depending on study plans
Triathlon - somehow I'd like to do this, but I need to work out how to get around the open water bit that I a) am terrified of, b) need the above mentioned swimming lessons to learn crawl, and c) have no open water anywhere near me!
Oh yes ... and I have no triathlon or winter sports kit, and no money to buy any with ... I've come this far though, I'll think of something!
So - all good, all positive stuff!
Right. Now I've said all that, I'd better head out into the pouring rain and howling gale for my Sunday run!!
Yep, cycling. It's horrendous weather outside, but I really had my heart set on going out for a ride this weekend as I haven't had a chance to get out on my bike since August. So, I bit the bullet and went out in my scary yellow waterproof (no-one would miss me, put it that way!). Hubby says I'm a "sad little woman" - he may be right!
I've just come back from a very testing but enjoyable 2hr ride - 25 miles in the wind and rain! I swear if I'd stopped pedalling on the downhill parts I would have stopped moving it was that strong! I feel great for it though, and my odometer tells me I burned off 673 cals - so that has to be a good thing!
I believe it's due to be even more miserable weather tomorrow, so I think I'll stick to a short run and a swim ... followed by a long session in the steam room. LUSH .....
I can't believe how dark it is now, both when I leave the house in the morning and when I get home at night - much too dark to go running on my own now. I ran on the treadmill on Tuesday night, and it felt really difficult - definitely used to running outside now! I never thought I'd say that ... So, on Thursday night I thought I'd join the local running club. They're actually based in the next village (that I can't get to), and start earlier than I'm usually home (7pm - I'm not usually home from work till 7.30pm). I left work early for it, and joined their 'social' run of the week - a run/walk/chat session, but still running about 5 miles in total. I think they do another run on Tuesday nights where they just run, so I might try that - I find the whole stop/start thing a bit difficult to handle!
I hope everyone's doing well - I'm going to try to catch up a bit more on friends' blogs over the next day or two as I finally have a bit of time! Should be studying really, but never mind
I don't know about anyone else, but ever since the new upgrade my page (and others) has been unbelievably slow to load. I therefore haven't been able (ok, haven't had the patience) to flick through the other blogs of my cyber-friends.
Sooo ... I've changed the template in the hope that any quirky settings I may have had that disagreed with the new system have been removed. The smilies and pics are still troublesome, but I guess if I keep posting they'll all fall off the page eventually!!
I seem to have kick-started my metabolism ... either that or my scales are showing a freak leap - 9st 8lb!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!
I having been logging anything I've been eating this week, or counting steps as my Fitbug ran out of battery while I was away and I haven't got around to replacing it yet.
It just goes to show that exercising, eating healthily and not concentrating on what I'm eating can work for me!
Once again, I've run out of time to catch up on my EP friends ... I really will do so this week! It's been a bit crazy around here though.
In weighty news, I put on a couple of lbs last week but didn't update EP as I didn't trust it not to add another stone on for good measure. It seems to have fixed itself now, but it's still taking my blog an absolute age to load. Good news though is that I think the binging last weekend woke up my metabolism - I have since weighed in (this morning) at 9st 8.5lb!!!!!
In the meantime, I raced today - 10k at Hampton Court Palace in aid of Cancer Research - just under 63 minutes! Very, very happy with that time, particularly as I was in the '60+' wave of runners, and a lot of them were very slow ... mix that in with a narrow path, and you'll find a lot of dodging going on! It was also on grass a lot, and rather uneven. So - next time I'll aim for under 60 mins and join the faster group with rather more confidence that I would have had first thing this morning!
A pic for you ... at last, I don't mind posing in my running gear!!
I can't believe I've been so remiss in posting ... and this one's going to be really short too! I have so much catching up to do on your blogs!
I had a fabulous time in Switzerland - hugely relaxing, so much so that I've failed to go swimming so far this week, and I'm really going to struggle with my challenge as a result. Definitely have some catching up to do.
I did go for a run today though - back to the treadmill now that it's dark both before and after work. 10k run at Hampton Court Palace on Sunday, really looking forward to that.
I'll make sure I spend some time on here on Saturday between swimming and pretending to study!
I'm not at all happy about this - EP seems to be stuck on 10st, while I'm 9st! I've worked hard for that extra stone!!
In other news - I'm so hugely excited about going to see my buddy in Verbier on Thursday!! Eeeek!!!
Small problem though - my hubby's starting work at ridiculous hours at the moment, and he's going straight to bed when I get in (or beforehand) ... so I can't pack! I'm catching a train at 9am on Thursday, and the only way I can get my stuff together is to get up early on the day and pack. Oh well - I guess I'll just have to get a list together tomorrow so my head's not clouded up in a morning fog on Thursday!
I'm not at all convinced by this upgrade ... everything seems to be terribly slow, and I can't even access my own page properly!
So ... good day today anyway. I failed to get up for an early morning run, but when I get to the train station this morning, the trains were up the spout after a weekend of engineering works. So, I headed home and got my running gear on! Had a good hour's run. I then ate crap for most of the day (mostly biscuits), but I also swam tonight.
Started the Aspire Channel swim challenge tonight - 22 miles in 12 weeks, which equates to 70 lengths of a 25m pool, twice a week. It isn't going to be easy, but it'll give me the motivation to get out of the door!
I had a pretty good weekend too, although nothing much seems to be resolved with my sister-in-law. She's still bonkers, and taking her madness out on my poor mum - who hasn't done anything to deserve any of it, and is hugely upset by the whole thing. I just feel frustrated because I can't really stick my nose it! Ah families, can't live with 'em.
Well, the theatre was really, really good - very different, but excellent with lots of really well known people too. I suspect it'll go to London after its run at Chichester, they often do. We were really good too - didn't take any sweeties or anything, and we reckoned there probably wasn't time for wine and sandwiches in the interval (what we normally do when we go with my parents), so we just had a very small tub of ice cream each instead. Lovely!
I managed my run yesterday as well - 7.5 miles. I wore one of my new pairs of running shoes (Asics Gel Kayano), and I think the heel must be slightly lower than my last pair as my legs were really tired the whole way round, really having to work hard - and my calves were really sore afterwards! Good though. I need to get a few runs under my belt that are longer than a 10k before my race in a couple of weeks' time, that way I'll know that I can do it, even if I start to get tired because I started to quickly. I always start too quickly when I race!
I'm going to have to work hard today to avoid going overboard - my brother's home to see my parents, with his three boys, and I know my ma has baked homemade muffins with icing and sugar animals on top (OK, OK - for the boys really, but I know my Dad, hubby and brother will all look crestfallen if they're not allowed one so there will be enough for all). She's also got a leg of pork (home made pig too) out for dinner tonight and will have done a 'fatted calf' supper for my bro's return.
He doesn't come down all that often even though he and his wife live only 4 hours away. There's been some bad blood lately - his wife fell out with my ma last year (for no reason that I can fathom - something to do with the colour of a carpet), and has said now that she never wants to speak to my mother again. Charming .... she then also tried to throw my brother out of the house, but they seem to be working on that one. Frankly we all think she's as mad as a box of frogs, but I'm doing my best to stay out of it!
The upshot of all this is that I can see I'm going to be biting my tongue quite a lot today (really don't want to upset my bro as he still loves her), so I may have to shove muffins and pork dinner in to fill it instead!!!
I'm not running today after yesterday's run, but I think I'd better hop on the treadmill for a walk programme while I watch Desperate Housewives, rather than sitting on the sofa ...
), I had been a size 20 and was now a 12 too!
