Saturday 24 January 2009

Please note Poll on right for Blogger Meet

Please let me know a good date for you!

I [heart] Boxing....

Boxing was the exercise of choice at training this morning. When I found this out via a text from the trainer last night I did a little excited jump because I am very GOOD at boxing! It is something I have always liked. Especially kick boxing! There is something about smashing your fists, feet, elbows and kneed into a soft, but not too soft bag that just feels so good!!

I did martial arts for seven years in my childhood/early teens and have missed having an avenue for my agression and skill. I made no mention of this at training this morning and enjoyed the slightly scared, but mostly impressed look on my (very athletic, top of the class runner) partner's face. I even had the cheek to say "..this is why I love cross training, it can bring the fastest runner to their knees" to which my partner replied ".. ahh now I have a new face to put on my dart board"... I reassured him that there would be many an opportunity to give me grief (ie. when he laps me three times during the next run).

Fun times!

I have had a much more relaxing week. Not much on except the usual things- women's group, community dinner, coffee dates with people from our community... nice... I am so happy life is awakening from the blur of the new year's cross-over. I love the holiday period but it like returning home after a long trip away to a foreign place.

John and I spent a lot of time cleaning our room last night and I was able to get out of bed this morning and place my foot on the floor without stepping on a pile of clothes (there have been a few lying around after being turfed out of a suitcase to be replaced with another lot which inevitably ends up on the floor too)... ahhh... I am feeling balanced today.

I relish the feeling as TTOM is expected (and very welcome- I have learned to embrace and enjoy it... making it a time to become a little recluse and read books where I am able) and I usually feel a little scattered around that time.

Tonight I am meeting a gorgeous weight-loss blogger friend (Miss Milo- see my sidebar) for Vietnamese and a Movie- My shout... to celebrate her 20kg loss milestone... I can't wait!

On that lovely note, I leave you!

Saturday 17 January 2009

Crazy times!!!

This week I have been on a camp with 600 kids!! I am utterly worn out!

After last week's disappointment on the scales I decided to really knuckle down with my food this week and focus on really healthy, sensible sized portions. This week has been one of the most full-on weeks I have had in a long time (there were 20 incidences over the course of 5 days including a sexual assault, a fight, an admission to the psych ward at the Royal Melbourne, people pissing on other people's belongings and a promiscuous girl wanking-off any guy that would let her) so, as a leader, this week was challenging to say the least!

The food there was also a challenge... Each lunch time was a fat, salt, sugar and carb fest mostly comprising mini pastries, spring rolls, dim sims, pizzas, and a few sandwiches (the healthy option!! Boring!). So Mayra and I decided to boycot the menu and BYO! Each day we feasted on grainy rolls, tuna, vita wheats, delicious salad, fresh fruit and raw nuts. Our "eating out" options for the dinners of the week were subway salads with byo crackers and tuna, Okonomiaki (Japanese veggie pancake) and felafel and salad. The other options were chips, fried chicken and more chips. While everyone was complaining of constipation, we were feeling fantastic. Not to mention the exercise we managed to get in! 3 runs and a swim- not a bad effort for such a full-on week.

I haven't weighed in yet- but I feel i will be pleased. Cross your fingers for me! I am going to weigh on Monday morning to give myself a couple more days of healthy eating.

I start step into life properly next week! Hooray!

Sunday 11 January 2009

A lot of exercise- not much to show for it!

Over the last week this is the exercise I have done...

Sat: 50 min brisk walk
Sun: 40 min brisk walk
Mon: 40 min brisk walk
Tues: 1km swim and 1 game fast netball
Wed: Group personal training
Thurs: Cliff walk and fun beach running, kicking footy etc
Fri: Rest
Sat: 1.5 hour fitness assessment (including 4km run, weights, sprints etc)- burned 833 cals in that session

I have eaten very well aside from a few treats on our short trip to Airies Inlet. So you can imagine my disappointment and frustration this morning when I hopped on the scales to see the number 87.3 flash up. I really hope I have gained some muscle because it's not fair! I know I sound like a sooky little kid but it's just so demoralising.

I am going to take my measurements tonight to see if there are any changes. Fingers crossed!

So yeah.... that's where we're at and It's all feeling a bit blahhhhh

I've been watching my friend losing weight recently and she just seems to be cruising along and the kilos are dropping off her. 7.3 in the last 8 weeks. I am so pleased for her but can't help being a little bit jealous as it seems we are doing pretty much the same level of exercise and we eat a similar amount/type of food and I'm still here in the high 80s. We started off at about the same weight and wanted to do it together but she's well and truely left me behind. Any way... got that off my chest- moving on- I don't wanna rain on her parade.

I tried to buy a new bike today but the bike shop was closed. Maybe tomorrow.

I have started doing some group personal training which is fantastic! It's with Step into life. I love it. Will elaborate more once I have been to a few more sessions!

I'm at work and really should be finishing my lunch break now.


Here's today's food FYI:
Breakfast: (lateish) 1 slice Burgen soy lin toast with a scrape of olive spread and vegemite (made by Molly! Cute!) and a skim latte on the way to work
Lunch: 1 cape seed roll, 1 small tin tuna and a handfull of baby spinach (my fave lunch at the moment) and a large nectarine
Afternoon tea: Gelato- I have been craving it all week and said that if I got to sunday and still want one I can have a small serving.
Dinner: Not sure yet but it will be a combo of lean protein, veggies and rice or pasta and for afters, some fruit salad and low fat frozen yoghurt (note to self, buy frozen yoghurt!)

Monday 5 January 2009

Tracker... because a little accountability goes a long way!

B. jalna low fat yoghurt with blueberries (2.5), 1 slice burgen toast (1) with scrape of butter (.5) and honey (.5)
L. small chickpea salad (3.5) and 1 rice paper roll (2.5)
S. 3/4 drumstick ice cream (4?) 2 lindt balls (2)
D. Teriaki chicken (3) bento box with 1 cup rice (3??), 1 small piece sushi (1) and miso soup (1)

Total - approx 24.5
2 litres water
Exercise (8km brisk walk pushing pram)

Tomorrow- less treats.. more fruit and veg

She's BAAACK!!

Phil is back... Go visit her new Blog Skinny Latte Strikes back!

Thursday 1 January 2009

Blogger meet

I would like to organise a blogger meet. I feel we could all use a bit of support and a good old chat.

Let me know if you're interested and I will pull something together!
xo

More photos...


Lounging in her birthday beanbag from Nana


Molly and her big cousin (and housemate) Felix

Photos...


Molly on the morning of her 2nd birthday 29.12.08- setting up for her tea party


Molly blowing out her 2 candles!

Positive things.... thanks darling Philippa

My wonderful friend Phil has just shared a giant post containing only positive things about 2008. I have been feeling a little blue recently so I have decided to do the same.

2008 was a fantastic year because;

  • We moved to Footscray and have become members of a fantastic, supportive, loving, externally focussed community who live cooperatively and have a heart for the poor and marginalised people who live on the fringes.
  • I have an amazingly loving husband who is frustratingly forgetful and disorganised but who knows exactly how to love me and who is following his dreams and wants me to do the same.
  • I am blessed to have a lovely little person called Molly as my daughter. I am so proud of her as she really is growing up to be a good person. She knows how to love and be loved, her language skills blow me out of the water every day, she expresses how she feels without being mean or rude, she is toilet trained nearly and just turned two. She is an amazing person- truely quirky and knows the words to many many many Beatles songs which makes her Daddy proud.
  • I now get to hang out with her from monday to friday!
  • I have a great job doing what I love- A Social Worker in a mental health rehab for young people. The residents are so good to us. They really appreciate the help and although there are tough times, and they are dealing with some full-on shit- they try their best to be good to us as staff.
  • I learned to run again in the past year and although I have had a few weeks off recently have found an activity that I really enjoy. I participated in 10 events last year, a stat I am very proud of.
  • I maintained my weight more-or-less over 2008. This is not what I aimed for however I need to pat myself on the back for not gaining weight working in a sit-down office job for the past 11 months.
  • I did my tax return on time. Something I have never done before!
  • I have started singing again- with John and with Mezz and have written and recorded two decent songs.

There is so much more I could write but I must be off... I will try and upload some photos soon as there have been a few good ones taken recently.

Much love to all and happy new year!

Ash

xo