I made it to the end of this journey and, not only did I survive, but I am more ready than ever to make my life a healthy and happy one.
It was a roller coaster ride for the entire 6 weeks but I am so lucky to have had one constant and the single soul on this planet that totally gets me and understands the emotions that some would think were silly and totally unwarranted and trivial.
Natasha has been both my rock and sounding board through this entire thing. I am so very lucky to have someone that is possibly as deranged as I am to support me no matter what choices, good or bad, that I make. I love you with all of my heart and I thank you so much for being a huge part of my life.
All of the final results are in from "Curing The Cupcake Hangover" and although I am disappointed in some ways, I am feeling accomplished in others.
I fell almost entirely off the wagon in the final week due to stress and illness ( probably caused through stress!) plus extreme dental issues but managed to pull myself together and jumped back on it.
I proved that to myself tonight when I went out for dinner and, despite the delicious array of menu choices on offer, ordered 6 oysters and a bowl of vegetables for dinner which, may I add, was delicious!
I only lost 0.4kg in 6 whole weeks which was a total bummer but I also lost of 17.1cm off my body which is great!
I now enter a new phase, and a new blog, which is my road to the mothers day classic 4km run to be held on May 9th. I intend to do some rearranging of plans and methods of attack but my main focus will be on health, strength and endurance rather than weight loss.
Thank you all for sharing this phase of my journey with me and I invite you to continue on through my new blog posts. Your support and kind words have been an invaluable source of inspiration to me and I cannot thank you enough.
Below I am posting all of the photos side by side from week 1 through to week 6 including all of the statistics that go along with it.
I don't see much of a change physically however I am feeling better emotionally about the way that I look and the way that I treat myself.
Thank you all again and I will see you all on day 1 of the new chapter.
OMG! I can't believe it has nearly been 6 weeks already!
Another super busy day today. More cake decorating and I babysat my nephew which meant alot of stopping and starting. As a result, it is now 12.15 am and I have just finished up for the day.
I managed to get out for some lunch with my little Tyler and opted fora Subway turkey salad which are always delicious and under 200 calories even with my fave 'naughty' dressing! Tyler thought Subway was a crappy idea and wanted McDonalds instead! I realised how much cheaper it is having only one child too. I managed to feed us both for 10 bucks! AMAZING!!!! LOL.
I also did alot of walking with my nephew and running around at home which is good considering I of course didn't manage to get any structured exercise in.
Adrian was home late and because I didn't have to cook for my kiddies ( they are away with their grandparents) I had a big bowl of cereal for dinner.
My calories are pretty low for the day but I have a birthday party tomorrow and I am sure that I will be making up for it then!
Well, hitting the hay now because I still have some last minute decorating to do and plenty of organizing in the morning before picking Tyler up and heading off to Ballarat for Nan's 90th birthday celebration.
NOT FINISHED (AND NOT A GREAT PHOTO) BUT THIS IS THE CAKE I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WEEKEND
I was up early to do the usual school run and then I headed to the hardware store for some final cake supplies along with running a few more errands. Back home to begin decorating and I honestly didn't stop until 7.30pm!
Adrian got some Pizza for the kids ( of which I pinched a slice ) and had a bowl of pea and ham soup.
It was only when I was eating dinner that I realised that I hadn't eaten anything else all day! I had forgotten what it is like to be full on caking again! I used to regularly forget to eat when I was on a roll and I fell back into that trap today!
I did 15 minutes jogging @ 8kph and 20 minutes walking uphill @ 6kph in an interval style.
I am now about to bunk down as I am up early again to get the kids ready for their big birthday weekend and I will be back in the kitchen finishing the cake as well as rehearsing for my song that I am singing to my Nan for her 90th on Sunday plus I am babysitting my precious nephew for a few hours amongst it all. Thank God for pain killers!!!!!
OK. Today existed and I am on the mend. I had to get up and take a trip to Melton to pick up some supplies for the million cake orders that I have coming up over the next few weeks and popped in to buy myself a pedometer which turned into a Jonas Brothers T-Shirt for my little girl instead. I came home and baked 4 cakes in total and got into some decorating. I had a So Good Berry Vive Lite for breakfast and then hung out some washing. I did some business book work that had to be done ( close orders, new orders, balance updates, receipts and quotes etc...) and made kids lunches plus got out some clothes for tomorrow's casual clothes day at school. I did a small grocery shop and picked up the boys from school. Paige made dinner tonight out of a magazine that I bought today. It was a mexican chicken dish and I had a very minimal serving after yesterdays madness. My tooth is killing me and I keep forgetting to take my anti biotics but have learned that, in order to actually get anything done whilst I am going through this crap, I have to lower my pain killer threshold to crappy ibuprofen so it hurts alot more but I have commitments that need to be fulfilled. It has also meant that I could stand up a little longer tonight and decided to do a mini workout. The 1st for this week mind you! I managed 20 minutes at an incline of 6 at 6kph. That was plenty as my body told me that if I didn't stop that it would stop for me! So, slowly catching up again and, with any luck, this time next week I will be back in full force.
Ive been a huge deal of pain due to my wisdom tooth needing to be removed but the dentist required me to have an X-Ray and go on antibiotics for 5 days before they can take it out. I have been on pain meds all day and have been very woozy and lethargic. I didn't eat for the 1st half of the day.Partly through fear of pain and partly because I really didn't feel up to it.I never expected it but Tasha came with me to the dentist after calling in to see how I was this morning and then taxied me to the radiologists to have my X-Ray and then to the doctors surgery to make an appointment and back to the dentiist to drop my films off and finally back home.
Im so lucky!
Because of the pain medication and the associated pain of course, I have been advised by both my best mate and my hubby not to work out and, to be honest, I think if I had tried tonight, my husband would have found me dead on the end of the treadmill! I had a super depressed night.You see, I have had dental problems from the age of 9 when I had my tooth knocked out with a metal bar and lost my front tooth. Ever since ( the past 25 years) I have been in and out of dental surgeries with more and more problems. After that long , that much pain and that much money, enough is enough! I stayed off the smokes through most of it but tonight I caved in.
Laying here, by myself, I felt so fat, depressed, frumpy and like a total loser. I was about to pig out on chocolate and reached for a cigarette instead.
Now I feel awful!
It was a lose, lose situation . No matter which way I went, I was going to feel like crap. I can't stand being negative anymore. It is the one trait ( besides dishonesty) that I loathe in others and yet, here I am being possibly the most negative person I know! ( well,perhaps 2nd)
So now, I sit here thinking that tomorrow is a new day and come what may. I will embrace it and all that it brings ( besides tooth ache that is! LOL)
Oh, I ended up eating a cup-a-soup and a bowl of cereal with skim milk. I had to eat to take my tablets. I alo had about 20g of cheese and a slice of ham but alas, no bloody exercise! AARRGGHHHH!!!!
Keeping this brief. My day was average. Paige and Tasha being with me made it that bit easier to bare.
I got into a bit of house work which was refreshing and forgot to have breakfast in amongst it all. I had a bowl of rice bubbles with skim milk and splenda for lunch.
I snacked on about 4 stalks of celery with some light french onion dip. I also had a couple of sugar free coffee lollies and a cinnamon mint, a couple of sakata crackers and my usual coffee's! ( I suppose that made up for breakfast!)
Dinner was tough because, by that time,my back tooth felt so sore I felt my face was going to explode. I picked at a little of the kids dinners ( which, note to self, made me feel like crap because I never do that any more) and ended up shooting down to the supermarket for 2 sushi hand rolls so I could eat something both quick and nutritious.
By 6.30, I was in complete agony and was so close to lighting up it wasn't funny.
I went to see Tasha who had offered me some stronger pain meds that she still had as mine weren't even touching the sides.(Thank God for Tasha!!!! She is always there and I love her sooooo much.I know I talk about her a lot but too bad!There is a good reason for that!)
So now I sit here without having worked out ( besides a short walk to kinder and back to pick up little Jazza) and I feel fat and sore yet the cravings for a smoke have lessened considerably.
The tablet I had has taken some of the edge off and relaxed me a lot more so I think that it has actually helped in more ways than one.
Will try to get in to see the Dentist tomorrow and see what the no doubt shitty verdict is. They will WANT to rip all of my teeth out when they get an eye full!
Thought that I would do and early post again just to do my check in. I am down to 56.4 kg's this week which is 0.6kg's down from last week, 0.3kg's down from my start weight but 0.3 kg's heavier than I have been over the past 6 weeks. Most of my measurements are down besides my calfs which is to be expected. I get big calfs with lots of leg work!
As a matter of fact, it has been the most difficult yet.
As you may have read yesterday, I quit smoking on day 4 of this week and today was just shocking!
For the 1st half of the day, all I wanted to do was light up. I was nervous and stressed out but most of all I was anxious and I hate that feeling. I was in tears on my bed and next thing I know, I was waking up after a 2 and a half hour snooze. It was exactly what the doctor ordered!
The rest of the day still wasn't great but it was a lot more easy to cope with than the 1st half.
Of course, I have had the fear all along about gaining weight which is one of the reasons that I hadn't even considered quitting before.
I have been extremely mindful of this issue but I could eat and eat and eat every time I crave a ciggie!
I cut up some celery sticks and have them stored in the fridge for a quick fix with some yummy light dip when I need it which is exactly what I reached for this afternoon.
I did have breakfast but because my appetite has changed so much and I am craving sweets more than ever, I was a little naughty and ate a diet chocolate dessert for breaky instead of anything nutritious!
Come dinner time, I was really feeling like red meat which is another thing that I rarely want to eat.
I made steak and grilled mushrooms, tomato, onion and spinach. It was delicious.
As hard as it has been working out due to serious chest congestion, I jumped on the treadmill and figured that I would do what I could manage as it was better than nothing.
I ended up doing a 5 minute uphill @ 5kph warm up then a 30 minute jog @7.5kph and a 5 minute cool down @5kph uphill also! I was pretty happy with myself.
This time of night is always a bit difficult as, once the kids have gone to bed, I will generally treat myself ( TREAT! PFFT!!!) to an indoors cigarette with my bedroom door closed so I stock up with my inhaler, lollipop, coffee and bottle of water plus I keep the bedroom door open.
The other big step I took today was giving Adrian the rest of my smokes that had been sitting in my wardrobe since Thursday so now, when Adrian is at work, there are no cigarettes in my house!
Well, I am hoping with everything crossed that tomorrow is better than today because I have a big caking week ahead. I am also very interested to see what my tape measure has to say because i don't think that the scales are going to be nice. I'm bloody constipated AGAIN and haven't done an 'evacuation' which always wreaks havoc with my true weight reading.
1st day of the final week of the cupcake hangover tomorrow! WOW!
Wow! The past couple of days have been awfully difficult mentally on me and I am now not so sure if I have made the right choice or chosen the right time.
You see, on Thursday afternoon, on a whim, I quit smoking.
I am currently 54 hours and 45 minutes smoke free.
I have faced the old social occasion, smoking association ( with coffee, in the morning and after a meal etc) and have even spent the past 2 days with people smoking in my presence.
The most difficult thing thus far has been the lack of concentration and anxiety! Which is why I am saying that I am unsure of my timing.
I have 2 cake orders next week and one the week after ( all big ones). That along with my training and healthy eating plan is making this very very very difficult indeed.
I awoke this morning feeling much better than the day before and not freaking out about missing my morning cigarette which was really promising.
The other thing I did was, instead of sit outside and smoke, I got on the treadmill and ran at 7.5kmh for half an hour which was quite invigorating.
My Mum and Grandpa then dropped in and smoked their lungs out in front of me. I went down the street for some more coffee, which I am drinking a considerable amount of, some nicotine patches ( as 2 fell off today. 1 in the shower and 1 on the tready!) and a nicotine inhaler for my worst time. After dinner.
It was only when I got home that I started going downhill.
I felt nauseous, anxious and lethargic all in one
I rested for a lot more of the afternoon,watching a DVD and snacking on rice crackers with dip. Dinner was takeaway for the family and prawn wonton soup for me.
I then went to Werribee to pick my daughter up from a party and, the whole drive home, I kept thinking of how mad the week to come is going to be. I just hope that, come Monday, I am feeling a little more at ease.
Well, so far I have managed to not totally pig out savouring one chuppa chupp lollipop for the day although there are times I feel as though I could eat a horse and chase the jockey!
Tonight my brain is fried and for good reason which I may share at a later date.
I had as lovely a day as possible and I am so thankful to my bestie for being here. I didn't end up getting even a walk in today but I am surprisingly cool with that.
Breakfast was a protein shake, lunch was turkey and salad and dinner was some sushi, rice paper rolls a garden salad and an amazing couscous salad ( the amazing part comes from the fact that I usually can't stand couscous and this stuff was to die for!)
I didn't have a glass of wine and, once again, resisted testing even one of the mini cupcakes I had made stacks of through the day ( choc mint with crushed peanuts and vanilla with caramel filling and banana frosting)
I am going to sign off and hope that strength is my friend tomorrow.
Today was a little slow going but pretty relaxed .I did find myself getting a little bored though which was crap After a breakfast of my protein shake ( YES! I HAD BREAKFAST!) I went for a walk to the shops and, upon my return home did a little reading and cake decoration preparation. I made some nice healthy lunches for the kids and spent the rest of the day doing a whole lot of nothing. I had some yummy prawns for lunch followed by a banana for an afternoon snack.
I picked the boys up from school and got them all organised for tomorrow when we got back.
I decided to jump on the treadmill and try to run an entire 4km straight to see what time I would get and give me an indication of what I want to aim for come the Mothers Day Classic.
I did a warm up for 5 minutes at 5kph and ran at 7.5kph for a further 4 km ( 33 minutes!)
I am happy to have a number that I can improve on now. It was exhausting but elating at the same time and my strained ankle held up pretty well ( I get regular tendon strain in my feet and ankles)
At the end of the day (after having a much needed chat, coffee and laugh with my Tasha who was lovely enough to take my little girl to her Zumba fitness class!), I realised that, after a chuppa chupps lollypop, I had only 57 calories on my chart!
I wasn't hungry at all but knew I had to eat so had a bowl of rice bubbles with spleanda and skim milk. Not the greatest choice but better than nothing.
Well thats about it for now.Hope I didn't bore you as much as I bored myself today! LOL
It took me nearly 2 hours to finally drag my very sore gluteus maximus out of bed.
I immediately put on my walking shoes and headed on down to the shopping center. This time I remembered to time myself instead of having to do more guess work at the end of the day. ( 50 minutes but I excluded 20 minutes as that was probably the time I did at browsing pace)
I had to buy some supplies for dinner, milk, cereal, you know...the usual! Walking the aisles, I ended up with big fat hunger pangs yelling at me to eat. I needed something and I needed it then.I decided to be brave and head back to the protein/health bar section and see what was on offer. A friend had told me that the Atkins nut bars were really good and, seeing as I am a sucker for peanuts, I decided to give it a go. OMG!!!! It's like Snickers minus the chocolate! Absolutely delicious and I will be going back for another one of those!
I still however felt pretty crappy and, unfortunately that feeling was set to continue well in to the day.
I headed back home and via the net,caught up on an episode of Gray's Anatomy that I missed last night as well as a couple of episodes of The Biggest Loser which I had also missed.
Afterwards,I made myself a Musashi SLM protein shake with water and ice in my new shaker. It was surprisingly quite good!
Made lunches, made dinner, hung clothes, folded clothes and put clothes away then the kiddies got home from school.
Afternoon snacks were had including one for Mum! A Le Rice white chocolate and raspberry!
I got the kids sorted with showers and homework etc... and had a little chill before tea.
We sat down for dinner. Finn's favorite 'Taco's'. I made them with veal mince and had mine without the tortilla. It was OK but not the most satisfying.
After the dinner clean up and pet feeding duties, I did a 30 minute pilates session using my new pilates DVD and yoga mat. It was a nice, lower key change as I feel that, as well as under eating, I have also overtrained.
All the while I felt very drained and sluggish but after the pilates, I did feel a little boosted.
My stomach is really crampy, gassy and bloated tonight and I have been doing some research into caffeine enemas that you can do at home. They are widely used in asian health retreats and are supposed to be great clean out and de- tox. I f you knew my body, you would completely understand why I am seriously contemplating this option.
Anyway, I will let you know what I decide if and when I do.
Well I almost didn't make it here tonight. I am so tired, and, checking my calorie intake for the day, I am not overly surprised. I missed breakfast, which is quite normal for me, but I had lunch and dinner and snacks and still fell well below my recommended intake. Like over 900 calories short!!!!!
I had a wonderful day though.
Tasha popped in with Jazz and I thought that it would be a nice idea to head for a walk down to the main street as I wanted to start searching for some running shoes in preparation for the annual "Mothers Day Classic" which I will be participating in on Sunday May 9th.
After finding a great pair of shoes at an even greater price, we headed to a local bakery ( DANGER WIL ROBINSON!) for a coffee and a chat. We were joined by Tash's Mum and our gorgeous friend Sarah. It was so lovely just having a girlie morning/afternoon!
Sarah, Tash, Jazz and i then walked to the Op Shop ( Yes...AGAIN!) where we grabbed a bargain or two and then headed to the supermarket for a few supplies.
We said goodbye to Sarah and Tash, Jazz and I walked back to my place for some lunch ( Last nights chicken and a salad) and a cold drink.
Before we knew it, it was time for Tash to pick her big boy up from school so I decided to join her for the walk even though I didn't have to collect my children.
It was then a walk back to mine for a cuppa and more chatting before Tash decided that it was time she got home and prepared dinner for her family.
After she left, I headed around to my brothers house for a play with my nephew on the Playstation ( which he quickly realised his Auntie Neen is hopeless at!) and to drop some clothes off to my baby brother ( by baby I mean that he is actually 31 but he is still my baby brother!).
I headed back home, picked up my beautiful hubby, and headed to my in laws for our traditional Tuesday night family dinner.
Apricot chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoe ( that I didn't eat), asparagus and mashed potato was on the menu. I didn't quite get through it all but it was very nice.
After dinner, I played the Wii with Paige for a little while, had a cuppa and chat and then headed home.
When I got home I did another half an hour of walking uphill on the treadmill and felt sweaty and slightly weak afterwards. At this rate there will be no running for me without me passing out!
So, I will try harder tomorrow and hope that I can get as satisfying a result food wise as the company and good times result was today!
SHIT!!!! I really tried to get the old calories up today. I mean REALLY tried to the point of having a crazy and very awful tasting 319 calorie protein bar AND half a Mars Red bar and yet, after all that effort, I have only 941 calories to show for it! Not to mention, after my exercise I only hit 584! SHIT SHIT SHIT!
Well,I suppose that is a good start considering my calories have been lucky to hit the 600 mark of late before exercise.
I had the awful protein bar at lunch and snacked on some Sakata rice crackers and capsicum dip in the afternoon and dinner was a delicious chicken breast filled with garlic cream cheese, ham, tomato and jarlsberg cheese served with spinach, beans and peas. After gym,as I was feeling adventurous, I had my 1/2 a Mars Red bar.
I walked to school and back this afternoon with Tasha and then we hit the gym together for a boxing circuit class.
OMG! It hurts! LOL. I really liked it however, Toni, our instructor, mentioned that there was a class that she takes in a bigger room that involves more running around which I think that I would really like to give a go. Tash and I both worked our bums off and it was so nice to do a class together.
Anyways, i'mgoing tobe a bigsookand go now because i'm sore and tired but feel great all the same. Better luck with the calories tomorrow I suppose!
OK. So it isn't quite as grim as last week yet I still have to make some big changes this week. Looking at all of my progress pictures, which I am posting here today, I find that my body shape has changed considerably over the past few years. I am officially a pear shape and, I gotta say, it sucks! I can tell this as my waist seems to have shrunk but my thighs and love handles are having a very hard time catching up. I will endeavour to eat more good food this week and do a bit more fat burning exercise rather than my extreme cardio and see what difference this makes as I am still up 0.8kg on my start weight, however, I can now see some more tone and definition especially around my shoulders, back and arms. My legs, although not smaller, are definitely firmer than what they were. The only measurement that has me baffled this week is my hips. That is probably where I am storing any fat that my body can grab I am assuming. Anyway, here are the pictures and I will blog again this evening.
I remember on day one of this journey thinking, this is going to feel like forever. How wrong was I? Where has the time even gone? I am about to embark on week 5 already!
It has been a week of ups and downs and I can't say that I am sad about saying goodbye to week 4.
I did have a really lovely day today though. I have been promising my little man that I would take him to see a movie, just him and I, for a while now and today was the day.
We had a rather lazy morning and then got ready to go,getting petrol, dropping the older kiddies off with their Gran and Pa and then we hit the road.
We grabbed our tickets 1st and then headed into the shopping centre as I had been sucked in to buying him a new Bionicle.
I was a little bit hungry so I went to a juice bar and got an egg nog smoothie. It was delicious but really cold and me and cold food and drinks don't get along all that well so it was slow going but yummo!
Into Kmart for the promised toy. I thought we may just pop into the sports section of the store before we left. It was there that I found by brand new heart rate monitor watch and chest belt! YAY! It's so cool and accurate...HOORAY!
THE WATCH ABOVE AND THE CHEST BELT RIGHT
It was then in to the movie's but not before hitting the scary cinema candy bar. Now,anyone that knows my youngest son,knows that he is a severe sugar addict and, with free choice at the counter,I already knew this wasn't going to be good!
He ordered a large buttered popcorn, a large Pepsi Max and a Large packet of Maltesers. I LOVE MALTESERS!!!!
FINN ENJOYING HIS POPCORN
Anyway, in we went and watched 'Percy and The Lightning Thief'. Although I was extremely impressed with my Son's knowledge of mythical Gods, Goddesses and creatures, I can't say the same about the content of the film. Anybody that has seen any of the Harry Potter films will probably spend the entire hour and a half chortling at the obvious similarities between the character ans story structure! It was light hearted entertainment all the same and, most importantly, my son loved it! I managed to eat a few hands full of popcorn an 10 Maltesers washed down with some Pepsi Max.Great effort of control I must say!
Home to roost and it was go, go, go getting lunches, uniforms and dinner ready whilst I threw all of the kids through the shower. Dinner for me was a bowl of tomato soup and an egg white omelet with ham cheese and tomato which was delicious.
Biggest Loser time and then I did a 20 minute weights workout before it was relax time.
All in all,I had a lovely day and,although I fell under my calorie intake again, it was more so because I indulged in some high calorie foods and was perhaps a little over cautious with the amount that I had. Not such a bad habit I would think.
Anyway, tomorrow is weigh and measure day and the start of what I am hoping will be a more sensible and upbeat week!
A reasonably easy going Saturday. I did some tidying up and the kids went to play with the next door neighbors kids so that was a nice little breather.
I took the opportunity to do some cake decorations for my up and coming orders and,I have to say that it was nice to get some of them out of the way.
I only had a little bit of rice cereal for lunch which is crap and I have to get myself back in check.Im being a stupid idiot!
One of our great mates came over this afternoon which was a treat. I couldn't be bothered cooking so it was take away for dinner. Fish and Chips. I had a grilled piece of flake, 2 scallops with no batter and 2 pickled onions. I picked on about 5 chips as well.
I did my calorie calculations and only came up at around 344 calories for the day! I went and ate a Le Rice snack to try to get the amount up a bit but I couldn't have fit anymore in if I had tried!
I did a 30 minute interval training session on the treadmill and found it really difficult which just tells me that I haven't had enough food and possibly not enough rest.
Im not going to beat myself up right now because i'm just too bloody tired to give a rats arse quite frankly.
My sis popped in for a coffee after I got the kids off to school and, after needing a little breathing room from my family lately, it was nice to catch up and hear all of her news especially that my nephew is loving kinder this year after a nightmare of a false start last year. I can't express how happy I am that he is doing well and enjoying it. It was most likely that news that set the pace for the entire day.
After my sister left, I had to head down the street for some ingredients. Yes, it was cupcake time. My Mum had asked me to make some for our family that are visiting from the New York. Do you have any idea how scary it is making cupcakes for people from the cupcake capital of the world? AARRGGHHH!!!!
Well,this was going to be a real test. Have you ever smelled a batch of cupcakes straight out of the oven? OMG!!!! So hard to resist.
Anyway, down to the shops I went and, while I was there I popped in to the Op shop (AGAIN!) where I met up with Tash and Glenn which was a lovely surprise. I got myself a few bargains,2California hand rolls for lunch (YUMMY) and headed home to bake. 36 chocolate cupcakes and 36 strawberry cupcakes later the oven was turned off.I made a vanilla butter cream for the chocolate cuppies and put chocolate flakes and tiny teddies on them and made a strawberry yogurt butter cream for the strawberry ones and topped them with mini marshmallows and edible glitter. They were gorgeous.
In between all of this I stripped beds, swept floors and scrubbed my bathroom.
The kids got home and played for a while before it was time to head out for dinner.
We arrived at Mum and Dad's to find yummy food and wine on offer. I opted for a cup of coffee but did partake in a few pieces of cheese with hommus and a piece of kabana.
Ashley, Maisie and Merridee ( our U.S family) arrived and with her, Ash brought an amazing warm brie and artichoke dip. I couldn't resist! It was so yummy. I have to say though that I didn't go overboard and kept the dipping biscuits (CARBS!) to a minimum. Dinner was served.Mum had made a gorgeous casserole with mashed potato, peas and sweet potato with which I had a white wine spritzer ( half white wine half soda water)
I would say that I ate about 2 mouthsful and I was done! I kept my actual hunger in check rather than my emotional hunger and, I was full! YAY! I was so proud of myself. The old me would have just eaten it because it was in front of me but I didn't and it feels amazing to have the control.
After dinner, my cupcakes and a cheese and fruit platter were served with coffee.I was offered another wine but politely declined.
I had a little of the cheese with some nectarine but, once again, didn't go mad.
So, did I have a cupcake you ask? NOT ONE!!!!!!! I think it is the first time I have ever baked without eating at least one of my cakes. GO ME!!!!
Ash then gave all of us ( All 13 of us) I love NY T-Shirts as gifts ( Paige was ecstatic as she has a gross obsession with anything American) The whole family stripped off the tops they had on and put their new tops on. Ash had more so she put one on herself, one on Maisie and even Nanna Bern had one on. The only one missing was little Meridie who, at only 5 months old and still jet lagged, was having a much needed snooze.
We took photos of all of us ( which I hope to post at a later date) in our very colorful outfits and it was so much fun. It looked hilarious 16 people running around wearing multi colored matching T-shirts! If someone had come to the door at that point we would have looked like loonies! LOL.
Time to head home and, after putting the kids to be, it was time to settle down for the night. I felt OK. I had eaten well, took my vitamins and done a bit of running around but the day was still missing a conscious workout.
Everyone was asleep so I didn't want to turn the treadmill on. I know! Weights!
Out came the dumbell's and I put together a quick programme. It went as follows:
15 x Bicep Curls @ 5kg's - 2 Sets
15 x Single Arm Rows @ 1.5kg's then 3kg's - 2 Sets
15 x Seated Shoulder Press @ 3kg's - 2 Sets
15 x French Press @ 3kg's - 2 Sets
15 x Flat Chest Flies @ 3kg's - 2 Sets
20 x Crunches - 2 Sets
20 x Donkey Kicks ( each leg ) - 2 Sets
30 secons Ultra Low Plank - 2 Sets
After doing that, I felt so much better and it inspired me to o more free weight work which I have been meaning to get into but, as yet, haven't.
Anyway, thats the epic tale that was day 5 of week 4.
I did a little bit of housework which was wasted once the kids traipsed through the house after our 2nd afternoon of torrential rain! I also did some grocery shopping and that was really all!
Lunch was lame. 11 sakata rice crackers with a little cream cheese.Snack was some leg ham and dinner was fish and salad. After a 30 minute (TOUGH) interval training session tonight, I am officially in negative calories for the first time in a long time!
I am aiming to practice what I preach tomorrow and up the food anti considerably or I will end up feeling like crap!
I must also remember to take my multi vitamins which I have skipped for 2 days. Anyway, thats all until tomorrow.
I didn't actually do a great deal but I think that is exactly what I needed after my huge weekend and a busy social day yesterday.
Tasha and her little man, Ace-Riley popped in for a cuppa and a chat this morning which is always lovely and I was treated to a private performance of some of Tash's music accompanied, at times, by Ace-Riley on the ukulele! It was gorgeous and made me realise how much I have missed sitting down with my bestie for a whole day of music. Must do something about that soon.
After they headed off, I went to the shops for a few supplies and ducked in to the op shop, a regular occurrence for me, to see if they had anything good on offer. I am now the proud owner of 2 pairs of bathers! WOOHOO! Looks like swimming is definately on the cards as a workout option now. I enjoyed it so much yesterday that I think I will have to grab some goggles and ear plugs so that I can make it a more regular thing! ( I can hear Tash jumping for joy from here! LOL!)
I was just about to leave with my new purchases when the heavens opened up and dumped 6 months worth of rain on our dry little town! It was amazing!
I rushed home and turned into a regular Noah, piling the animals, two by two, into the comfort and safety of the house. Dogs in the lounge room, cats on the couch and rabbits in the bath! HAHA.
I got in a quick lunch, banana, no sugar ice cream, low joule chocolate topping and a sprinkling of crushed peanuts! Healthy banana split. It was delicious!
The job of collecting the children from school was a dangerous mission. The lighting stormwas directly above the school when I arrived so my darling Mum, a teacher at the school, loaded me and the boys into the staff room whilst we waited for Paige's delayed bus.
Home safe and, after the usual mad hor,it was dinner time. I had a chicken breast with salad which was OK. I am not the biggest chicken fan.
I decided to give interval training a go tonight on the treadmill as I had written up and laminated a few interval programmes earlier in the day.I must say that it went so quickly as I was concentrating on how much time at what speed and incline the entire workout ( Natasha had told me that that was the case with interval training and she was spot on!)
I did 40 minutes and, dripping with sweat, headed to the shower to freshen up. I felt, and still feel great!
Well what started off as a crappy day ended up being wonderful.
I had a few moments when I let the reality of this crazy weight gain slip up on me and make me angry but I managed to push it aside and enjoy my day with my mate and her Mum.
I was basically ordered by Tash's Mum to go out for lunch with them which turned out to be just what I needed to get me out of my little slump.
I enjoyed a piece of grilled fish with salad and a few chips followed by a small skim milk cappuccino.
After lunch we returned to my place for a cuppa and a chat. It was at this point that the suggestion of swimming was raised by Mapa ( Tash's Mum). Tash, being the water baby she is, jumped at the chance and they got to organising times for their swimming date. Well, I think you could have knocked them both over with a feather when I piped up and asked to go along!
Tash has been trying to get me to go swimming with her for the past couple of years and, as I am not a water baby anymore ( I used to live in the water as a kid), I was never overly keen. The temptation to swim was brought about by the fact that I wanted desperately to work out but it was so excrusiatingly hot and humid that the thought of running was so daunting that I wasn't sure I was going to find the spark to get it done. Swimming was the perfect solution.
Tash and Mapa picked me up and we headed on down to the local pool only to find that the pool had been closed due to the risk of lightning storms! AAARRRGGHHHH!!!
Well, only one thing to do. We headed to the next towns local pool, which is indoors, and did our exercise there.
I estimate that we did around 40 minutes of swimming ( all strokes) and some water aerobics under Tash's instruction. Besides feeling a little giddy when I finally got out of the pool, it was an amazing and invigorating workout and I am so glad that I did it!
Tuesday night dinner was, as usual, at Mum and Dads where I had a small serve of steak with some asparagus, brocolli, mashed poptatoe and sweet potatoe. Yum.
Amazing how things can change in such a short space of time. A day that started as disappointing, disheartening and low, ended up being invigorating, energetic and joyful!
Well, I'm a little lost for words! Yes I had a lax weekend but,after a few food calculations, I certainly made up for lack of exercise with sensible food choices. Last week, from memory, I exercised 3 days and all those days were good, tough workout sessions. All of this taken into account, how does one end up with a higher weight 4 weeks in than when one began? Today I weigh in a 58kg! That is 1.9kg up from last week and 2kg up from my starting weight. I also added an entire 4cm to my frame.
I don't even know how to fathom the reasoning behind it all and I don't think I will try.
It is times like these that you really wonder why the hell you slog your arse off day after friggin' day to make a change.
I may take a different approach this week. Sit on my fat, love handled arse and do nothing!
I didn't want to share this initially however I feel that it needs to be shared as it is my reality and documenting it will bring to light how tough and disheartening this journey can be at times.
PAIGE,BOHDEN,FINN,JULIE AND A MEMBER OF THE KINGLAKE CFA AT THE KINGLAKE "BLACK SATURDAY"MEMORIAL SERVICE YESTERDAY
As you can see, I didn't end up blogging yesterday for my final day of week 3. Yesterday marked the 1st anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria and I was in Kinglake for the memorial services for those who were lost and those who were involved and affected by these dreadful events.
JULIE, PAIGE, BOHDEN, FINN AND I ARE ALL IN THIS PHOTO TAKEN AT THE KINGLAKE MEMORIAL SERVICE YESTERDAY
It was very hot and extremely emotional so the last thing on my mind last night was blogging. All I can say is how lucky I am to have my family with me today. My Auntie and Uncle came so close to being killed on February 7th 2009 and, after hearing the most heartbreaking stories of loss yesterday, I truly realise how blessed they were.
Even today I feel a little blah. It is probably a combination of the weekends events and not exercising for 3 whole days!
I didn't get the chance to weigh in and measure this morning as I was still in Kinglake so I may measure and photograph tomorrow morning and, depending on how I feel,I may weigh in then.
Well, I am really not in a mood to go into everything right now but I will say that, health wise, I feel like absolute shit today. Heres hoping tomorrow starts a more positive ball rolling.
Well, I am writing this a lot earlier that normal because I can see myself falling in a heap shortly if Uncle Peter and his Scotch, Lime and Soda have anything to do with it!
The stay started well. We all got organized and were on the road to Kinglake by 10.15 am. We arrived in Whittlesea at around 11.30 and met up with Pete and Jules for a lovely coffee and chat. ( Julie was so embarrassed because the festival that she thought was on today is actually next weekend! The Whittlesea Country Music Festival!)
So, after a cuppa and a catch up, we headed up the mountain to Pheasant creek and had another quick coffee before we decided to head towards Flowerdale with the kids for a play in the creek. They had an absolute ball trying to build a dam out of fallen bark and sipping on jelly fruits.
We the headed into Flowerdale for lunch and, by this stage, I must say, I was starving!
The only pre prepared foods on offered were deep fried rubbish and some heavily filled white bread sandwiches. I ended up buying a mini Vaalia yogurt, a pack of rice thins, some dip and a Coke Zero instead.
We sat by the creek and had a beautiful lunch.
It was getting quite warm so we decided to head back to Julie's where the kids changed and rested whilst the adults sat on the back veranda having, yes, you guessed it, another coffee. Pete wasn't going to let his "Drinking Partner" get away with that for too long so, before long there was a cold scotch, lime and lemonade in front of me. It was soooo good.
The closest I got to exercise was going to check out the Pheasant Creek fitness club ( very impressed BTW!) but I knew that by the time we got back from our outing with the kids that they would be closed due to limited weekend hours. Well, I guess we all gotta live a little. So today all I can report is food wise, not too bad, exercise, nil and fun wise...EXCELLENT!!!!!
Mostly due to being up until 1am after last nights little soiree! LOL.
There were, however, 2 upsides to getting to bed so late.
Number one, I went straight to sleep and number 2,well, it was totally worth it as it made all of us feel great. Especially Natasha and Glen who were both in need of a boost.
After getting the kids off to school, I went a grabbed a few bits and pieces down at the shops and came home. My next door neighbor popped in for a cuppa and a chat and, not long after that, my Mum and Grandfather popped in also.
After they all left, about an hour later, I basically slothed on the couch, worked on my music website and indulged in the B grade midday movie whilst I ate a highly nutritious lunch (NOT) of Honey Wheats. It was actually a really nice relaxing day.
Paige was home first and we did a bit of homework and then the boys arrived home from tennis followed closely by Adrian who busted me indulging in my new secret little YouTube fetish of UFC ( Ultimate Fighting Championship )! Totally disturbing yet I can't stop watching it! Crazy people!
I couldn't be bothered cooking and the kids hadn't had take away for a while so I asked Adrian what he thought about junk for dinner. That was like asking Aussie farmers if they would like more rain!
KFC it was for the family ( of which I had a few spoons of potatoe and gravy, coleslaw and a few chips ) and I finally fulfilled my craving and had a yummy banana and strawberry smoothie for tea.
I could have layed down after that and slept however, I knew that I would feel super shitty if I didn't work out seeing as I missed out yesterday and this weekend isnt looking too promising.
The thought of monotonous running, feeling as drained as I was, was totally disheartening so I asked Tash how she felt about doing a Wii training session to which she agreed.
It was over to my besties place for a 45 minute high/low cardio workout that neither of us were jumping out of our skin to do.
15 minutes into it, both of us were completely unenthused and struggliing with the thought of another half an hour at that pace however, after the 15 minute mark, things just seemed to get that bit easier and we both pushed through to complete the entire 45 minutes ( minus a few lunges at the end for me when my knees decided that they no longer wanted to cooperate)
Im bloody exhausted but wrapped that I got the workout in and that Tasha was by my side to encourage me to push through the pain barrier and get the job done.
Well, I should head off for some rest now as I have a BIG weekend ahead. Whittlesea tomorrow and the Black Saturday Memorial Service in Kinglake on Sunday. Please spare a thought for all that was lost and all of those affected by the fires of February 7th in 2009.
Hoping to get to the computer for an update tomorrow.
The best day of the week thus far I would have to say.
The day started off with the usual domestic and mothering duties and, after that, I did a little work on my web site and my new song.
At 12.30 I headed to the pub for a lunch date with a close friend. It was amazing just sitting out on the patio, sipping wine spritzers, eating a beautifuly cooked piece of grilled barramundi, laughing whilst watching the much needed rain cleanse this parched little town
MY BARRAMUNDI WHEN IT ARRIVED
AND FINISHED! IT WAS SUCH A MASSIVE SERVE AND I ONLY ATE 4 CHIPS!!!!
I have to say, considering the huge menu choices, I am very proud of my food and drink choices.
Following our lovely lunch,we headed back home for one more wine spritzer and then a dinner of Mexican chicken salad. YUMMO!
Adrian and I were settled in the back garage with Adrian's mate Glen, when he suggested that I bring the guitars outside for a bit of a play around. We began mucking around with lead sections for my new baby when Tasha arrived after her Thursday evening 'Zumba' workout! YAY!!! Within 20 minutes, it had pretty much turned into a mini concert come jam session!
I had the best night filled with good friends, great music and interesting conversation ( along with the usual laughs). It was fantastic to see my mate doing what she loves to do and in the best frame of mind that I have seen her in for some time.
GLEN & TASH PLAYING "KNOCKIN' ON HEAVENS DOOR" AWESOME!!!!
Time ran away and, by the time we wound up, there was no time for exercise however, that is a very small price to pay for the reward of such a fantastic evening. Im still very happy with how today went nutrition and, more importantly, spirit wise!
I did feel quite energetic after my 1st good nights sleep in weeks which was nice and, after I had done a general tidy, made dinner and lunches, took out bins etc etc... I spent a lot of the day playing and studying music which was simply wonderful.
I had gotten so carried away with my creative process that, by the time I felt ready to eat something, it was already 2.30pm!
The old me would have probably gotten by on coffee and water to fill me up as it was too late for lunch and close enough to dinner not to worry but instead I had a soy and berry smoothie with my LSA meal and it was cold and delicious!
For dinner, I had a small serve of pasta ( for which I will pay tomorrow) with about 3 Tbsp of bolognese sauce and a small sprinkle of parmesan.
I ran 20 minutes @7.5kph and walked 25 minutes @6.2 uphill with hand weights.
I am off to lunch with a good friend at the pub tomorrow so I am hoping to hold strong with my resolve and do well. "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them. " Dalai Lama
Somehow, after last night,blogging isn't feeling quite the same as it did. I feel almost bad doing this because should it really matter?
I mean, to me,personally, this means something but I feel that I am now, finally, in the right frame of mind to be embarking on this change of lifestyle but, let me tell you it took years of yo-yo dieting and depression and self destruction to get the message but I know so many people, including someone I am extremely close to and love dearly, are not in the same space but, rather, a dangerous and self destructive black hole.
Today I am well, I ate sensibly and balanced and did 45 minutes on Wii fitness coach.
I didn't even know if I was going to blog tonight but decided that I needed to.More for myself than anything.
God I am angry and hurt and pissed off and too many emotions to put down in writing.
Seeing someone that you love in pain is one of the worst feelings in the entire world and feeling almost completely helpless in your attempts to help them is almost as bad!
On the upside, I am so very proud of the progress that my beautiful friend made tonight. Through all of the fear and the heartache and adversity that lays ahead of her, she made a promise to me ( and hopefully to herself ) that change is possible and is going to happen...starting right now.
All of this may seem cryptic but, as it is not truly my story to tell, I will have to respect her personal choice as to whether she wishes to share this hurdle in her journey with you here.
To anyone out there who reads and follows this blog, please know that there is no substitute for your health. No number on a scale or a tape measure, measures your worth as a person. No weight loss goal is worth reaching if it is at the sake of your health and well being. When you put yourself in danger through unhealthy habits and extreme measures to achieve a goal, you are not the only person that you hurt.
I know all of this only too well.
My name is Jhanine Love and I am a RECOVERING ( and always will be ) anorexic!
OK. Now I could be disheartened considering I slogged my backside off several times this week and lost a grand total of.....DRUM ROLL...... 0.1kg's!!!!! CRAP! But, alas, I am not! I lost some centimeters off my hips and waist this week, and, as I went through the photo's of the past few weeks, I can actually see a difference! Bring on the old lean muscle mass!!! If it means looking more toned and fitter, then the meager weight loss isn't going to stop me or worry me at all.
I am a little bloated as I am sure that George ( my pet name for period OK?) will be knocking on my front door at some point tomorrow so I am also well aware that I am retaining extra fluid right now which never helps.
I will look at the loss this way... 4.1cm down this week! YAY!!!
I must admit, this week has been a tough slog, especially the past couple of days what with the heat and feeling a little less than 100%.Motivation has been wavering and it is a little bit of a worry.
As I said in yesterdays post, I am certainly not eating enough food considering my general lifestyle, which is about to go up a gear with the kids returning to school tomorrow, and the exercise that I am doing. On top of that and the sudden heat,I think that my period is due and I haven't had an anti-depressant tablet in around 4 days...NAUGHTY ME!!!!!
I will endeavor to sort myself out next week, remembering that eating too little is always a temporary solution. You'd think that after going on this same trip over and over again, I'd have learned the right directions by now! Old habits ( bad ones at that ) obviously die hard!
Food wise today was a bit of a mish mash and I felt really unorganized which was annoying.
Lunch was a tuna curry salad with chilli's. I snacked on a few rice crackers and had a chicken and spinach 'Lean Cuisine' risotto for dinner. I picked at a few small pieces of steak and cheese from Adrian's steak sandwich too.
Exercise. Well, I certainly made up for yesterdays minimal effort tonight. All motivated afterwatching the first episode of 'The Biggest Loser' for the year, I managed, for the first time since beginning training again, a 20 minute straight run! YAY!!!!
So the programme was 5 minutes @ 6kph holding 3kg weights. 20 minutes @ 7.5kph. 10 minutes @ 6kph holding 3kg weights. 5 minutes @ 7.5kph then a 5 minute cool down @ 5kph with 3kg weights whilst doing 3 sets of 15 reps bicep curls and 2 sets 15 reps of shoulder presses. Exhausting but rewarding.
I don't have a food or exercise photo to share today but I do have one that my little girl took for me in a make shift photo shoot that we had a play with today. A bit of Mummy,Daughter bonding which was lovely. Well, I'm off to watch my fave TV show that has finally returned to the screen, hopefully get a good sleep and hope and pray that tomorrows results are kind!
Neen xo
