Diet Girl really is Amazing!

I am so addicted to Dietgirl's book!!

Go read it!

I am signing up at Vic Uni's gym tonight. It only costs $497 for 12 months!! I am so keen to get back into classes- particularly spin and pump! I feel those are the two that pack the most punch for the time you spend exercising. Woohoo!!

I am loving my new job but really not liking sitting down all day! Maybe that's what's causing the recent urge to get back to the gym. Or it could be the big binges I have been having every afternoon. I don't know where it's coming from as I haven't felt out of control for quite a while. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated!

My blogs are so quick and boring recently. Maybe it's coz I'm so busy!! Which is a good thing!!

Happy Hump day!

Ash

Sunday

A quiet day in the office today. Well, it is for me anyway! The girl whose job I will be doing shortly is run off her feet so she’s not able to train me much today. So here I am with time on my hands and nothing much to do. What better way to fill in my time than to blog it away!?

I had a lovely weekend. John and I took Molly to the Collingwood Children’s farm yesterday and we had a beautiful time looking at the moo-cows and the chooks (which Molly was a little scared of- funny, as she’s not scared of mum’s bear-like Labrador!). We stopped off for a bite to eat at Lentil as Anything and indulged in a banquet style vegetarian feast. I LOVE eating good vego food- it feels good for the soul or something. They must put LSD in the chickpea curry! Thay also make a damn good chai latte.

We then wandered around the gardens at the Abbotsford Convent and felt truly relaxed.

Very nice!

Well first of all....

Congratulations to Kate, Stef and Felix! I am so excited to welcome baby Caspar into the bloggasphere (although he has been welcomed on many other blogs already!).

I just want to say how excited and how proud I am of you Kate! You carried yourself so beautifully through your pregnancy and will continue to be a fantastic mummy to two beautiful boys!

Also, congrats to Becky, Scott and Bradman on the exciting news that they will shortly be welcoming a little bundle of BOY into their already fab family!

Hoorah!

So, the new job!! I am still very excited as I have been offered and have accepted a position in the head office management team for Traffic Footwear. We have stores in Port melb, Sth melb, Hampton, Hawthorn, Richmond and Sorrento and my job will be to ensure the right stock goes to the right stores, that deliveries are made on time, that the point of sale computer system is operating well and is up to date and I will most likely be doing payroll and other bits and pieces too! The best part is I will be working in a very fun and funky office (where my mum also works- but in a different department) with amazing, talented and creative people. I will be sitting right next to the design team. It is a very flexible position which will allow me to work the equivalent of 3 days a week over however many days I like (does that make sense??).

I want to say a belated congrats to Shauna (Dietgirl) on the release of her new book "The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl" which I  happened to notice while meandering through Borders the other day. I will have to save up some moolah and buy this one soon!! You know you've made it when you are on the front table at Borders! Go girl!

On the weightloss front I am doing okay. Slow and steady wins the race (or so they say) and at this rate I'll be coming in 1st!! I did a fitness test this morning and I did much better than I thought I would. 21 pushups (knees) in a minute and 37 crunches! I also had +20 cms for the sit and reach test (where you sit on the floor and do a forward bend reaching your hands towards or past your toes.) which is an excellent score! I used not to do well in those as my tummy got in the way!

Better go- Molly has just woken up and I can hear a faint "mumma" in the distance.

YAY!

I JUST GOT A NEW JOB!!!

Weekend off!

This weekend (just gone) I decided I would have a little break from my strict plan and have a few things I have been wanting. While doing this I still wanted to be careful not to overdo it but just wanted a bit of freedom so I don’t end up feeling really deprived and bingeing.

So I cooked up some apple and cinnamon muffins and a tray of cannelloni (my fave!) and ate a sensible but delicious portion of each. So that’s out of my system and I am back on track today! Feeling good but it is amazing how quick your body gets used to something as I am really hungry again today. I know I don’t need more food than I am having right now but once you have a day or two off the plan it’s like you think you NEED more food… But it’s just not true!!

So I have made a delicious salad today with crunchy snow peas and alfalfa sprouts and mushies and I am looking forward to eating it soon! YUM!

I did my fitness circuit on Saturday and I’m still sore! Which is great as you need to slightly damage muscles before they can get bigger and stronger. This evening I am going for a nice walk along the Maribirnong River. NOICE!

My routine...

I know that when I was in the early days of my weightloss journey I loved reading about other people's routine- how did they lose weight? What did they do?! So here's a day in the life of me!

6:30-7am Wake up, breastfeed Molly
8am Protein shake for breakfast (working for me right now as I don't feel like eating)
10:30am peach or apple and a small handful of raw nuts and seeds
12:30-1pm Salad with olive oil and balsamic or veggies with either some lean meat/tuna or another protein shake (if I want something sweet)
3-4pm another piece of fruit and some nuts and seeds or 1/2 a protein bar
6-7pm Lean meat and veggies or an eggwhite omelette or a healthy fritatta with 1/2 cup of grains (eg wholemeal pasta or brown rice)

If I am hungry after this I will have a diet jelly or another piece of fruit.This is working for me and one meal a week I have whatever I like (in moderation) which helps me not to eat those things during the week.

My exercise routine goes like this:
Mon: morning yoga strength dvd
Tues: evening walk/jog around the neighborhood
Wed: evening yoga strength dvd
Thur: eveningwalk/jog around neighborhood
Fri: rest
Sat: footscray saturday morning fitness program (only costs a dollar!!) which is usually based around resistance activities.
Sun: rest

Hope this is helpful!

Just gotta brag!

I weighed in this morning at 84.1!!

That means I have lost 4.4kgs in 3 weeks!!!

Whoop!

Hoi Hoi!

I have just registered for the 14.14km Run for the Kids on March 30!

Yay! Another challenge!! So there is about 2 months to prepare and by the race I hope to be at 79 kilos. I am currently 85 so thats six kilos in 2 months. Totally doable! The way I am going at the moment I will definitely be there by then!! I am so in the zone right now and having this run to look forward to will keep me on track.

Time to crack open a can of whoop-ass!

Yesterday marked the first inaugural "Footscray Fitness" Saturday morning circuit training session! It is run by my friend (and fitness instructor) at the community house in Droop Street and only costs a gold coin donation! 

I'm sore today which is FAB!

Bring it AWWWWN!!!

:)

Tomorrow!

Molly and I are meeting up with Beckie, Linda, Jade, Kate (?), and me thinks many other girlies and bubs tomorrow at a play centre to be confirmed!

Yay!

Haven't seen anyone for aaaaages!!!

So excited!

:)

Molly and this morning's weigh in

Here's Molly!!!

She's a scetti lover!

Weigh in 4 days into my new healthy regime: - 1.4kgs! Yay!

SPOOOOOOKY!!!

It has been a whole month since my last post... exactly!! What a strange coincidence!

I apologise for my lack of bloggature recently. I now share an internet connection and I don't feel I can sit around click click clicking away on the keys for hours at a time. However I have been slacker than slack and there is no reason why I couldn't post two lines every couple of days to report on how I am going.

Maybe it is because I haven't been going! I have stayed exactly the same weight for months now. So it's all very boring really! Living where I do means that a few nights a week dinner is out of my control (unless I REALLY wanna rock the boat) and I am yet to put my foot down about what is served up... It's a bit difficult really because my housemates don't have heaps of money so cooking anything with nice lean cuts of meat is out of the question. Although we could easily have veggies, rice and beans pretty cheaply. Anyway- I feel I'd really like to get back in the game and move some of these excess kilos. I know I feel so much better in myself when I am lighter than I am right now.

I have considered going on another program, a shake diet, weight watchers, soup diet etc. However I feel I have poured enough of my money and energy into these things in the past and have simply decided to eliminate most junk, eat lots of fruit and veggies and a moderate amount of complex carbs and protein, plus lots of water and I should be on the road to a smaller buttski in no time.

So here we go again!

xo

It's a mad mad mad mad life!

Hi folks!

Still here!

Have been crazy moving and don't have broadband or the time to post right now. I think I am going to have to post when I visit my mum or nan!

Right now though- I gotta go!!

Have not been eating very well recently (too many pre-christmas goodies) but I have been doing a LOT of walking pushing Molly in the pram and have NOT put on any weight. I am very pleased about this! Gotta love not driving and being clost to shops, train, tram parks etc! I LOVE Footscray!!

My plan is to NOT put on weight over Christmas so I'm trying to burn at least as many extra calories as I am consuming!

Ho Ho Ho Everyone!! Merry Christmas to all!!!

xox

Triathlon Pink

I can't believe I did it!

I slept in 2 hours past my alarm and despite my near nervous breakdown and numerous near death experiences on the drive to the venue- I did it!!

What a great feeling!! What a great day!!

Quick wrap up- Swim was easy peasy and over in 2 mins 30 secs.. Transition was quick and easy both times. The ride was hard and took me 15 mins to do 3 kms... so that's something I'd like to improve and my run took me about 10 mins I think.. I had bricks for legs!!

Oh my gosh! What an amazing lady Penny from HBC is!!! (pictured below) She came 11th overall and 1st in her age group... After she finished (she was crying from excitement and exhaustion etc) she ran back about 20 metres to sprint to the end with me so I could finish like a champion!! PENNY I LOVE YOU!!!

I came 22nd out of 57.

I can't wait till next years pink triathlon... who knows... just might have to go in a gatorade one!!

Ash

xox

Scared but doing it anyway!

Just a super quick one tonight!

Packing my bag for the triathlon tomorrow...

Shit scared!!

I am becoming a better me by doing it so I'm tackling the fear head on!

Girl power!!

Hoorah!

Just a quick post to voice my excitement about our move that is happening in 2 Saturdays time.

We are Salvationist and are moving from the very leafy and well-off Waverley church to the community based house church in Footscray (moving house- sharing with Hubbie's sis, hubby and baby). This church is so involved in the community- being with people and in peoples lives for the long haul and not expecting everyone to flock to a big building to be "saved".

I am soooo terriffically excited and I'm going to be getting involved in their community garden and starting a new mums group for community mums. Hooray! Finally we've found a way of living as christians that sits right with us.

Like Jesus used to live- simply and in relationships!
Hoorah!

I heart cocoa butter...

I'd just like to mention that I have just got out of the shower and lathered my warm skin in luxurious cocoa butter, put on my soft pjs and painted my nails. I am now about to slip into bed to cuddle my gorgeous hubby...

Feels nice to treat me nice!

Night night all!

;)

Good day!

I did what I said I would and went right out this morning and bought myself a lovely aqua leather bound journal and have written in it my days food intake.

I didn't get my bike ride in tonight. I am loading the bike onto the back of the car tomorrow and heading to Mezz's where I'm leaving Molly for a while so I can have a ride long the Maribirnong River.

Here's what I ate today with some variation to yesterdays plan:
B. 2 eggs on 2 slices helgas rye (6)
S. 1 small apple and a skim latte (1.5)
L. Egg and lettuce sandwich on wholemeal bread (4)
S. low fat yoghurt and a banana (3)
D. A small portion of delicious home made lasagne with low fat mince and low fat cheese with a big green salad (6.5)
S. Small ice cream (4?)

Total: 25 pts

I could definately have given the ice cream a miss and saved myself some points however I thoroughly enjoyed it and wont be doing it very often. I am still breastfeeding Molly about 5 times a day so 25 pts isn't too bad for me although I would like to try to keep it to about 22 per day.

I had a minor victory tonight. The lasagne (which happens to be one of my favourite foods) I made was totally delicious and I made an extra large tray as I was cooking for 2 visitors as well as Mezz, Byron, Felix and Molly. After we had all had a serve the others ALL went back for seconds but I took myself away from the table as I had eaten enough and there was no question in my mind that I was finished! I was pleasantly full- not over full and I enjoyed every mouthful. Go me! It would have been easy to have just a sliver more and forget it ever happened only to wonder why the scales arent moving.

I bought some Christmas wrapping paper today and am beginning to get excited about the festive season!! It got me thinking about how I was going to manage the weeks leading up to Chrissy food-wise. It's such a minefield for someone trying to shift some kilos as there are mince pies and shortbread being hurled at you from every direction!! So here's what I am going to do. On Christmas day I will eat, drink and be merry but I don't want to spend Chrissy arvo lolling around waiting for the coronary to kick in on the couch. I will not eat party food until Christmas day and I will stop eating party food on Christmas night- no more garbage guts Ash for weeks and weeks post Chrissy! (As has been the tradition)

I am also going to make my fat free sugar free fruit cake.

1kg whatever dried fruit you like
2 cups orange juice
2 tbs rum
2 cups self raising flour

Soak the fruit in liquids overnight and whack (read: stir) in the flour in the morning. Pop in a greazed and lined tin and bake in a mod oven for about 1 hour.

As long as you don't lather the slices in butter or eat it with mountains of icecream you should be safe to have a few slices of this cake over the christmas period. It feels Christmassy without all the extra fat!

I am also going to do low fat banana bread to bring to cany Chrissy functions and ginger bread christmas trees, angels and stars to give as pressies. I did shortbread last year and ate waaaaay to much of it in the process so this year I know in advance that I am likely to "test" some of the finish products before celloing them and giving the away.... hey, you can't expect me to send things out that I haven't tried! What if I accidently poison people!? We can't have that now can we!?


Anywhoo- I'm busting to do a wee so I'd better be off! TMI??

Plan for tomorrow...

Food:
B. 2 eggs on 2 slices helgas rye toast (7 pts)
S. 1 apple (.5)
L. Big chicken and avo salad (4.5) a bread roll (2) and a bottle of water (0)
S. 1 low fat yoghurt and a small banana (3)
D. Fish and veggies (4)

Total pts: 21 (1 pt saved)

Exercise:
Bike ride when John gets home from work... Yay!!

Other goals for the day: Go shopping for food so there's lots of good stuff in the house! Get enough sleep!!

ZZZzzzzZZZzzzzZZZ

Bysies!

Still here!

I'm back after a longer than expected absence from the blog. Thanks to everyone for the words of wisdom and advice about whether or not I should get back into B4L even though the whole 12 week challenge thing has fallen in a heap somewhat.

I have decided that consistancy is what matters for me as far as my health goes and that has been my downfall over the last few weeks. Yes, I have had some shit to deal with (the death of a friend) and am trying to cope with the return of ttom (yep that just happened again too!) but I have about four more weeks where I can knuckle down and try to get my focus back. So I am treating the end of this "challenge" as a habit breaker and habit maker. I have fallen into some bad habits and need to focus to get back on track.

Maybe "challenges" are not what I need right now. Sure, it's a great way to get to where I want to go quickly (when I focus) but is it sustainable?? So what am I going to do for the next four weeks and beyond?? I am going to go back to what I know works for me and track points/calories and exercise 3-4 times a week. Planning, perseverance, and consistancy. I am not going to focus on achieving a certain weight loss goal by a certain time. I just know that I would like to have an ultimate goal of reaching 75kgs in the not too distant future and challenge myself along the way by competing in fun runs and triathlons.

I still firmly believe that if you live like the person you want to become you will get there faster.

Sunday is my triathlon- for which I have not trainied enough... the old me would take that as an excuse not to compete but THIS me, the HEALTHY me says that it is a fantastic opportunity to get some exercise and do something I thought I would never be able to do. I am competing to finish- not to win. This is not a competition between me and other people. This is a contest of my own mind. Sunday is going to get me out of my slump. I can tell!!

I bought a new bike for the occasion and I am so keen to get out there and have a go.

My holiday was so lovely- just what I needed. I spent a lot of time soaking up the sun at the beach and even got in a training swim and a personal training session at the gym! Yay!

I am changing the name of this blog to "12 weeks is only the beginning" to mark my commitment to the long term journey that is going to get me to goal.

Tomorrow I am going out to buy a special super gorgeous journal to use as a tracker..

Thanks for hanging in there with me. Sorry if I have disappointed any of you by my lousy attempt at body for life!!

MWA

xox

Not so good...

I just can't get it together...

The evening I found out about mum (she's ok by the way) I got a call from my sis in law saying that a friend of ours was hit by a train and killed.

I have not been able to focus on anything but that until the funeral yesterday and I have subsequently put on some weight- I just have not been thinking about my food at all and weighed in at 87kgs this morning :(...

My head is in a bad place. I have spent some time thinking about whether I should continue with this challenge considering I probably wont do as well as I would have hoped and then be disappointed. I am going on holidays for a week and we are then moving house- then it's my birthday and I just can't see myself training enough. The food- I know I can do... it will take hard work. But I just don't know about the 6 days a week training.

What do you think? Should I focus on eating well and training for the triathlon and ditch Body 4 Life for now?? I think it's a great program but just don't think I have it together enough right now...

I'm interested to hear your feedback...

Death is so hard...