We are back! Using workouts I've 'pinned'

Attention Ladies and... okay I know it's likely more ladies instead of Gentlemen

I am back! And I am going to blog. Perhaps you couldn't tell I got out of my blogging routine. Once I got sick and fell off the 100 Day challenge, I avoided my blog. Perhaps I felt like a bit of a failure at the time, but the truth is I am far from it!

My goal was to lose my excess flab (it still is my goal!) but I had the incentive of heading to Thailand in July. Well that trip has come and gone. It was absolutely fabulous.

About 6 weeks or so prior to leaving, I got my measurements done at the gym. The trainer gave me some diet advice, and I was working on doing P90X, although that programme is another one for the 'Started and I lasted a Month' file. My eyes were opened to the Paleolithic or Caveman diet, where you eliminate all grains and dairy from your diet for at least 30 days.

It was TOUGH, but I did it. When I'd cook for myself, I wouldn't cook anything grains or dairy. Certainly made for some interesting meals! Once we got to Thailand though, I didn't limit myself. I didn't want to avoid rice!

I've been back to real life for 2 months now, and I haven't sussed out my routine. I want to eat less carbs, but I've bought them, and they've been in the house, so that makes for tricky self control. I want a balance between a strict paleo diet, just a more mindful of less carbs, more protein kind of diet.

That being said, since I started  my MISSION in January, I have seen my body completely change. At my heaviest I was sitting on 86kg (190 lbs!!), something that I was none too proud of. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. NOW, I sit at about 75kg (165 lbs) and while I still would like to lose another 5kg (to put me at 155lbs or so) I'm not fixated on the specific number, as much as still improving my fitness levels, and toning up the flabby bits.

I've enjoyed a few non-scale victories over the past couple months, but most importantly was fitting into ALL my old jeans comfortably again (!!!). It has also been nice to have various people noticing and commenting on the changes.

I've been doing a bit of running, intermitantly rather than regularly. 2 weeks ago I did the Tough Guy and Gal 6km Mud Run in Rotorua, which was great fun frolic through cow shit and tiptoeing through ice cold water- but the paddock hills KILLLED me, as hills always do. Last weekend, I got off my ass Sunday morning, and did a 10km beach run around the reef in 1:42. This weekend just passed, I went into town nice and early on Saturday morning, and ran a 5km loop - without giving into that litle voice in my head that says "I'm tired, let's just walk" for a 2.5 KILOMETERS - new personal best for me!

Like lots of others, I've joined Pinterest where you can find HEAPS of excellent workouts all on board. I've created my own SWEAT board. I also see all those SomeEcards that say "it's great you've pinned another workout that's going to make you fit isn't it" and decided I didn't want that to be me. If I've got all these great resources, by golly I ought to use them. When I got home from school at 5, I faffed around getting into my workout gears, but I did it. And I'm not exactly sure what it was about today, but I've decided I'm going to keep doing it.

And I'm going to hold myself accountable again. I can't promise you my posts will be entertaining or informative - hell they'll like be ramble-y exactly  like this one. But I need to remember how far I've come, and not just focus on how far I've yet to go. I've learned that I don't do well sticking to those programmes and routines like Insanity and P90X - and that's okay. I've still got them, and they're still awesome as workouts, and I can still use them as I like even if I don't follow it to a tee.

I am back, and I'm gonna bring a better me, baby!

3 months till summer, and THIS year, I'm going to be READY.

The good, the bad and no excuses

Ok, I took a slight hiatus from the fitness blogosphere since school started. I challenged myself to 100 days of 30 minutes of activity a day, and as real life carried on, I didn't always make the time. Some might be quick to say I failed the challenges and I'm okay with that.
For me, the 100 day challenge was about creating new habits. Taking my bike to work instead of driving my car. Taking time out for me and my health. Improving my running endurance. I can't be 100% all the time. I have my slip ups. I get lazy. But I refuse to beat myself up about being human. I make bad choices and mistakes in all areas of my life... And I learn from that. It's how I grow and know I'm getting better.
So I didn't complete every day - I did make an effort MOST days - far more than I had been.

I also realized that it wasn't fitting in the exercise that I really struggled with; I kind of got put off blogging when it came down to crunch time. I could get out for my run when I got home from work, but I just couldn't be assed writing about it afterwards. I felt like I was writing kind of the same thing over and over and boring myself. I put pressure on me to make itteresting, and add photos and eventually I just didn't have the time or energy to put into that. So it took the back burner.

My accomplishments
-I ran the Whangarei Beach2Basin 9.4km run on 4 March in 1h 13m, while I was sick (lungs were on fire!) and still took 7 minutes off my previous time in September
-I've been improving my short run stamina and time, running more and walking less.
-I discovered I'm way better at maintaining a steady pace if I run on the beach
-I ran 3.3km on the beach without stopping
-I ran 5km on the beach without stopping!
-I got up on Good Friday morning and went went for a 9.5km run by myself and made it
-I finally broke out of my 84kg plateau, and am down to fluxating between 80 and 81 ( next goal= get into the 70s!!!)
-I gave up eating chips and hot chips (fries) for 40 day - however long Lent actually is

What's next?
P90X!!!
I have done the first t days already. I'm not going to kid myself and say I'll blog about everyday because there's no need to set myself up to fail again, right. My priority is the physical activity!
So far it's not as scary as I'd hyped up in my mind. I started doing the LEAN version, which is more cardio based DVDs rather than muscle building, but there's a good chance I may switch to the classic programme. I just wanted to ease myself into this, especially since I was so intimidated. I'm not following the nutrition guide to a t, which is naughty I know. But I'm making clean, healthier choices. I know nutrition is the key part of the equation. I'm working on it. I am a work in progress.

Real life happens - the 10+ day catch up

Well, when you last heard from me, on day 27, which would have been the 27th of January, I  was still on my summer holidays, I had yet to go back to my full time job of teaching at a new school. Since then, we've had TWO LONG WEEKENDS and lots going on. 

For me, this challenge has been about 'making the time' a habit. Always a learning curve, bound to slip up here and there, and I refuse to let that stop me or get me down! I'm starting to see/feel success, as the scale is FINALLY (after not moving, since about MAY!?) go down and stay down... and the real tell-tale indicator, I tried on a pair of jean shorts I'd bought second hand online  at Christmas time, and they didn't actually do up because my massive midsection... but feeling brave for some reason today, I decided to see where I was in comparision... and they did up! Still had quite the muffin top popping out the top, but nothing a loose fitting tshirt couldnt hide. I decided to bask in my success and wear those damn $5 shorts. Now that's motivation to keep at this, and eliminate that flab!

Here's the scoop on what I've been up to: 

Day 28:  This was a Saturday morning... I got out on the bike early and did a 10km ride :) I was stoked to have gotten it out of the way, as we were heading up north for the rest of the long weekend, to go camping. 


Day 29: Sunday and we were camping... kind of an iffy grey day all day. Sandy and I attempted body boarding, only to be sent crushed into the beach, so we gave that a miss quite promptly. Us girls set out the surf caster, as Sophie is a legend with the line, while the boys, went spear-fishing. A good feed for lunch was caught!  

The 'fruits' of our labour,
in shellfish form

Low tide was at about 7 that night, and so the remaining four of us wet-suited up, and went for a walk around the rocks to a sheltered inlet, where the I had intended to dive, but instead received the pauas that the boys got. I counted the trek around the rocks as my exercise for that day. 




This effort could possibly have been negated by the cream in our dinner, of pauas and cream. (with a hint of sweet chili sauce)

This is best photo I had on my computer,
of the wee hill we climbed at Spirit's Bay

Day 30: Northland Anniversary day, a public holiday! Before heading back to face the demands of reality, Soph, Phil, Thom and I decided to conqueror the beast that is Spirit's Bay. This little trek is not so much for the faint of heart, or weak of calves, as going up the back has quite an incline. I'd been having trouble recently with my calves, and they played up again on the ascent up the hill.  Soph took her camera with, as mine had died by then, so I have some photos from the top to get from her that I may add later. I believe this might have taken us about 2 hours return to hike up and back. 


Day 31: Tuesday night Yoga for an hour and a half! I'd had Teacher Only Day at school all day, and was looking forward to yoga, although was slightly disappointed by the fact that the lady took the class, and she did lots more meditative breathing activities rather than physical stretching... regardless, it does the body good!


Day 32: Hello February! I'd gone 31 days straight and done so well, I was feeling so proud of myself... but the realities of school starting tomorrow also set in and led me to feel quite overwhelmed, unfortunately. After spending all day at a Restorative Justice Professional Development course in town, I did ride my bike to and from school, but ended up staying quite late and had more to do, so couldn't do any more exercise than that. Not beating myself up, at least I rode my bike. I didn't do 'nothing' it just wasn't as much as I'd have liked.

Day 33: This was the day the 'water jog' was created by Sandy, Mel and I. Resistance running, with the fun and support of the water!  It was amazing. Up and down the length of the beach, twice. We reckoned it would've been about 500m each length, I was out for 45 minutes before I went to a Pizza Oven Party with the staff from my school, to celebrate surviving the first day back to school.

Day 34: Friday morning, 6:30 am,  Sandy and I were in love with our new discovery of the water jog, so we got up early, wetsuits on, and braved the cold sea for an up and down the beach (including Sandy's brilliant idea of throwing in '50 Strokes' for good measure).  Felt so good to get exercise out of the way for the day! After work, we went out the back with the 4x4 trucks, and explored the rugged west coast, and then ended up a bit boozy at the pub!


Day 35: There seems to be an error on my count calendar. I have omitted what I did this day, and I just can't remember.  I woke up early, and took Thom's mate back to town, went to the market, and met up with friends at the cafe for lunch... and that night we went to a 21st BBQ at Thom's family friends.... I think I may have done something water related, as it was a scorcher of a day!


Day 36: Thom and I got up early-ish for a Sunday morning, and he came with me on a run to Shipwreck Bay (5km return) ... It was quite cool to run with him, as normally I don't like being around someone that I know is fitter/faster than me, but he was sweet and supportive and encouraging, in his own crude, rude, Thom way.  We walked up the massive hills, and then ran to the bottoms. Was a sweet morning :) 

The Classic Hits Winery Tour

When we got back, it was off to Tutukaka for a Girls Mission to the Winery Tour concert


Day 37: Literally ate crap all the way home from the concert. Big Brekkie, chicken and chips.... ugh! Hit the spot at the time,  but not worth it in the long run. But so difficult to say no to on a precious hangover tummy!

Once safely home, we were surprised with the arrival of my former DeFacto flatmate who moved to Aussie in July!!  Hadn't seen Amy since she left, and it was amazing for her to just rock up! After a yum as pumpkin risotto cooked by Mel for tea,  the four of us did a classic "after dinner walk" along the beach up to the creek and back.

Open fire BBQ!

Day 38: Another less successful day in my journey... as I had a mates bags to return to her at school, it was quite difficult to carry them on my bike, so Thom dropped me and my bike off at school, and the bags on his way to work. I did bike home, but only to then go to a BBQ at a mates place, as Amy's visit was a surprise for others as well. In the grand scheme of things, can't get upset by what you can't control, and 10 minutes on the bike is better than nothing in my mind ;) At least that's what I tell myself. Everyone has off days, and then you move on.








 Day 39: Sandy and I got back into the water jogging. Both exhausted after working, we thru together a deliciously random lasagna of whatever we found in the fridge (some mince, kidney beans, spinach, beans, onions, etc etc) and for the hour that that was baking, we went out to the beach to do a few laps. Perfect timing, came back in to dinner being ready at 7! 


Day 40: This makes for 2/5 of the way thru this challenge already!?!  Thursday night saw another and the final Pizza night, around in the village. Man I love food, I have to say. These pizzas are to DIE for! I didn't quite stuff myself to the same point that I did the week before, so that was progress. We jumped in and caught a ride with Thom's sister over, as there are 5 cars in our driveway when everyone's home, so it was just easier... and then Thom and I walked home. Only about a 2ish km walk , but we enjoyed a lovely stroll by the beach under a beautiful full moon :) Bliss!


Day 41: a Friday... no excuse for only biking to/from school, besides that I was buggered after working all week :( Other than that we went out and gathered tuatuas at low tide.... that wasn't so much "intentional" activity as "accidental" but still good for the legs, as you twist in the sand?  Moving on with life... 

Day 42: Good morning Saturday! This is today! I am getting caught up! I had a lovely wee sleep in (as in, I woke up with out an alarm around 8, and felt sooo refreshed, rather than dragging my ass, as I have been in the mornings) and I ran to the shop - to buy some postage and then back home, to do THIS ------------------------------->>
ab workout, which I got from Fitness Junkie on Facebook. She posts heaps of great motivational pictures, if that's what you're looking for. Always something inspiring. So I did 2 rounds of this, and one of the leg pilates I used to do with my mate at the gym.

Feeling guilty for  yesterdays off day, I also did some treading water, which was quite good for the old arms, as I floated (benefits of salt water?) on my belly, layed on my back and tucked my knees up to my chest (working my core as well?) who knows!


Back on the bandwagon! Ready to get more Fab and less Flab


 You have successfully reached the end of this massive catchup  (if you're still reading!?).
How do you deal with days that are less successful than you'd hope?