Monday, October 31, 2011

Week 6 Day 1 and im still here!!

Its day one of week 6 and day one of the week where the towel usually gets thrown in till next round. This time I am taking a different approach! I will not give up!

SO.........

Alarm went off at 4.30am and I promised myself I would JFDI this week no matter what! 4.67km and 49 minutes later I was done! 517 calories gone and workout is done for the day :) I hate early mornings BUT I do love knowing that now I dont have to worry about my exercise!

The first pic shows how dark it was looking down my street, the second is looking down my street when I had finished! Its a tad on the chilly side here this morning too.



I wont say this mornings walk/run was easy as it was quite the opposite. I am glad I decided to head away from the house since had I of been at home, I would have quite easily gone back to bed.....even after the 10 minute rule! I yawned the whole time I was out but I knew that without doing this first thing in the morning, it wouldnt happen. I would just stay in bed.

I think there comes a time when you do need to work out what it is you really want. Do you want to look in the mirror and smile? Do you want to be happy and healthy? These are just a couple of questions that we need to ask ourselves. Losing weight and being healthy doesnt have to be hard work. It also doesnt mean giving up those occasional weekends with friends, or weddings or birthdays or even race days. Everything in moderation and as long as it doesnt become habit again and the wagon is got straight back onto.

On a different note, I think I burnt more calories cussing at my computer over the last almost 12 hours! Itunes decided to not work anymore and after much fiddling and several reinstalls, I have finally fixed it.....*touch wood!*

Enjoy your day people! It is going to be amazing :)

Cath xoxo

Friday, October 28, 2011

Why is healthy so expensive?

Well Even though I only blogged yesterday, I felt I had to come back again today and blog about my line of thought.

When I finished my bowl of muesli this morning, I got thinking about why people eat things like pancakes and those sugar filled cereals and enjoy them. We all know they taste good but that's not the reason in my opinion. After doing some reading and thinking back on the many many Michelle videos I have watched during the course of my 5 rounds and I have come to realise that we eat this food cause we think its ok. Its just what we do. We dont look at the calorie count or the proper serving sizes, we just pour it in, fill the bowl with milk, stack on some more sugar and away we go. Some morning we will even refill that bowl and have another full serving cause our brain isnt telling us that we are full.

So then why can I be happy with a 50g bowl of muesli, yet I know there are others out there that one 50g bowl of muesli is no where near enough? Why can one person be happy eating an apple when the next person wont settle for anything less than a krispy creme donut? and why settle for water when you can have a sugar packed can of coke? Why? because its just what we have got our bodies accustomed to and like all things in this world to initiate change, we need to start thinking the opposite to the unhealthy thought we have now.

So my challenge for this week is to turn that thought process around for me. Again as I always say, only I can lose weight and only I can become fit and healthy. No-one can do it for me.

How many of you will join me for what I am going to call health week of opposites. If you think chocolate, reach for an apple, if you think coke, reach for the water, if you think donut well you get the picture. Its going to be tough and some days will be harder than others but as parents we need to get the next generation onto the road of healthy eating sooner rather than later.

Actually, have you ever thought about why people who constantly eat fast food, gain weight? Well after chatting with a uni friend just last week about how much weight we had gained through the year, I suggested that we keep each other honest and only eat healthy whilst on campus. Her reply, "$3 for a bucket of chips, $5+ for anything healthy....you do the math". How true is this! If the healthy options were the cheaper deal, then many people would choose the salad wrap over the chips any day! Even a bottle of water is more expensive in some places over a can of coke and lets not forget the buy a burger and get a soft drink free option! Argh! how does one win other than constantly packing lunch at home OR having to spend more at the checkout just so that we arent blowing our calorie budget in one sitting.

Its tough out there in the real world and honestly, these takeaway owners need to get on board the health food train cause whether they like it or not, eventually people will by pass the junk food and move to where the cheaper but healthy options are.

Well thats me for today! hope you enjoy your reading :)

Cath xoxo

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I am important! I am worth it and I am loved!

Well what a week! After my major breakdown, I sit here smiling like a Cheshire cat. It was weigh in day yesterday and you know what. Even after my bad week, I still registered a loss of almost 1kg! How amazing is that. I am so proud that I was actually able to hold it together, not over eat and still lose weight. WOOHOO!! I have even gone out walking a couple of times this week too :)

So how am I feeling today? Happy, relaxed and calm. Compared to last weeks roller-coaster, this week has been bliss. I have to keep remembering that its tough being mummy at the best of times. It is a thankless job but in the same token it is so rewarding. Quite possibly the most rewarding job on the earth actually.

I have been thinking a lot the last few days and have come to the conclusion that.......

I am important! I am worth it and I am loved!

I need to remember that always. I need to remember that even when times seem like they are at there darkest, no matter what, I am still important, I am still worth it and I am still loved. It just may not seem like it at the time but its always there. Those ideologies never change. I should be proud of my efforts this year. I mean heck, I am 1 year through a 4 year degree as well as still being full time mum. This is why I need to remind myself that I am important, worth it and loved. Its these reasons that got me through this year.

I have even bit the bullet so to speak and spent a whole $26.50 on a new JFDI hat courtesy of the lovely Sally who I think is doing the 12WBT main round. I figure that not only is it a hat just for me but it will also remind me daily that I need to get out there and JFDI! No-one can lose this weight for me. Only I can do that. Michelle gives us the tools but its what we choose to do with those tools that makes the difference.

Anyhow, enough babble from me for today. The older children are at school and I have a toddler to get off to daycare.

As Michelle would say "EAT CLEAN, TRAIN HARD AND MAKE EACH DAY COUNT!"

Thought I  would add in my montage for this weeks challenge. I know that the pic with Michelle isnt recent but its what keeps me honest somedays :)



Cath xoxo

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Its been a while between blogs.....but its been for good reason :)

Wow! Its been 2 weeks since my last blog and so much has been going on in my life during that time.

First of all.....I HAVE COMPLETED MY FIRST YEAR OF UNI!! It was this program that gave me the confidence to even go to the UAC site and apply and now here I sit 12 months later and already 1 year into my degree.....as one of my peers said to me the other day....we are quarter teachers now ;)

Secondly, I have been working madly in this house since the owners have put it up for sale and we had the first open house on the weekend....mind you I spent so much time and put in so much effort for this yet I was kinda disappointed when not one person turned up. I spent my weekend after that being hardly able to move as I was just aching from the constant moving and working.

Finally, I have to admit that during this last two weeks my lifestyle has been far from the perfect one I wanted. My eating habits have gone to crap again since I spent over a week sitting up till 4am then starting the day at 7am. Its what needed to be done to get through all the assessments that were due. Why they make them all due at the same time I just don't know but I have realised that I need to be more organised next year since first semester back its 5 units!! 3 of those are distance. Will need to ensure that I am on the ball and disciplined enough to get through sufficiently.

On a brighter note, my exercise and eating may have gone out the window but that little inner voice has gone quiet. I gained 100g last week which was to be expected and I really dont want to weigh in tomorrow but the truth hurts and its what makes us stronger! This is my journey and I am still learning so much even 12 months on. This is the time that I would normally just be like "pft, who cares, 2 weeks wasted so may as well just give up now and start next round". That is not who I am now though. I promised myself that I would only have 2 weeks to get through the struggling time with university and that time is up. There are now no more excuses to hold me back!

Its my time to shine, and shine I will. I promised myself, my family and Michelle I would do this and stop letting people down. I am now back and ready to give this my 100% commitment without the perils of study to hold me back!

Good luck everyone and I hope you are travelling well.

Cath xoxo

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A Sunday in October to Remember.....or is it?

What a weekend!! Its always a good thing when you can stand up proudly and say your team are the premiers as they won the grand final. Yes....I am a Manly fan and I said it many times over the last 72 hours.....

GO MANLY!! WOOHOO!! 2011 PREMIERS!!


Ok now that is done, its time to get down to business. So what have I been doing this long weekend? Its quite simple really, I kept it clean on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday but I did splurge on Sunday evening.

Sunday was grand final day and I think I need to find a balance so that I can make this work. Its not every year nor every day that your team make a grand final let alone win one! So on Sunday, I drank some (a lot) empty calorie alcohol, I ate some bbq sausages and I absolutely gorged on garden salad. I had an amazing day and I have no regrets. The scales tomorrow may tell a different story, but it was one day, that is now well and truely over. The bad habits did not continue and they haven't snuck back in so that has to be something I am learning along the way.

I remember watching an episode of Biggest Loser US not long ago and it was about balance and how one of the contestants was very upset and refusing to go out to diner with her family since she couldnt find any healthy options on the menu. Jillian spoke to her about having a balance in her life and that she should not give up that dinner. (I must say that I do like the biggest loser US format of how the contestants go home for 30 days before the final one is chosen). I thought about how its true, we do all this working out and healthy eating that surely one day is not going to derail a lifetime AS LONG AS YOU ARE STRONG TO KNOW WHEN TO STOP!!

I had an amazing day on Sunday mingling with friends and enjoying some time with hubby away from the busy lifestyle of parenthood. For one afternoon I was just Cath....I dont get that very often at all as I am always the mum. I splurged and I enjoyed. I did however ensure that I set my days following up healthy. I have however lapsed on my early morning walks. Between exhaustion of dealing with ill children and now I have a raspy throat (it was only a matter of time before I got sick), not to mention trying to get through my last two weeks of uni.....its just all building up. I have told my walking partner that I need to finish these final weeks then I have nothing left to use as an excuse! I have 4 assessments and what seems like nowhere near enough time but that is another story......at least I am staying away from the late night chocolate and instead indulging in a late night green tea with a dash of lemon.

So there you have it. My confession. Forgive me Michelle for I have sinned but I will say that it feels amazing knowing that I can have that one day and know that the next day, everything returns to normal. The scales may not be kind to me tomorrow, but that just means I have a lot of extra work to do this week to ensure the damage is repaired. I am finding myself putting everything into perspective of calories.....if I have that then I have to walk for 'x' amount of time. That kind of thought for me helps to know that whatever it is needs to be burnt off so is it REALLY needed.

Good luck to everyone with weigh in tomorrow. It will be a big step for me since I usually dont even bother and slowly but surely I withdraw from the program.

NOT THIS TIME!

I am the strong one and I will overcome every hurdle there is during this time. I have not failed if I keep trying, its only when I give up totally do I then become a failure.

Take Care

Cath xoxo

Saturday, October 1, 2011

A lightbulb moment or is that two?

Well its almost the end of week one and I have tried a few new things as well as some old just to see where they matched up.

Well I have had my first light-bulb moment! I just wish I had of realised this earlier!

On Monday, Tuesday, Friday & today, I was up and out of bed by 5.10am. Today it was 6am and it was raining! I couldn't believe I was outside, in the rain, just to get my workout done. 5km later and feeling amazing I was done. Today though, I decided that since I spent Thursday procrastinating, I would come home and spend some time on the cross trainer. I first went for a goal of 5km but then thought nope, 10km is where I should be heading.....26 mins later and that too was done! 7.45am this morning and close too 900 calories later and I was done! As with all the mornings, workout is over BEFORE that little inner voice has even woken up. Its fantastic!

Now Wednesday was a rest day but at uni I managed to work up a sweat whilst practising for our drama performance! So I will take it that I did some extra exercise. As for Thursday, well what a day....it is this day that I had my light-bulb moment!.....I woke up at 4.45am as normal but since the lady I was walking with was having a day off, what did I do......I got up, turned the alarm off and went back to bed /sigh. The old Cath won over and I went back to bed. I reset the alarm & got out of bed at 7.30 to get ready for uni.

So here is my first of two light-bulb moments!

I realised that having someone supportive to walk with is a good thing as they motivate you without even talking. Just knowing they are going to be there is motivation in itself since no-one wants to let anyone down by not turning up. When I had to meet my friend down the road at her house, I made the effort to get up and head out. On Wednesday evening we decided that we would not walk Thursday morning. I said yep that's fine I can do something on the cross trainer when I finish uni.......*insert evil inner voice laugh here*

Thursday morning, the alarm goes off and as I said, I went back to bed. All good I thought, ill get this done after uni. I wasn't letting anyone down after all.....WRONG! I was letting me down. This brings me to my second light-bulb moment.....

I have done something different this week to what I normally have done and that is get out of bed and JFDI! I am talking 5am get out of bed too. I have found during this last week that if I get up in robot mode then I have no time to procrastinate and therefore will finish what I set out to do. Thursday though, I gave time for that little voice to start with the excuses and reasons to put off the workout for later in the day which we all know never happens as something else always comes along.

So there are my 2 light-bulb moments! Having an exercise partner really does help. We also made a pact to each other that we would not bail out unless it was extremely important and wanting a sleep in didn't count! I mean heck, she has set the bar high as her hubby is in hospital atm with heart problems and she was still there waiting for me this morning to go walking! That is motivational inspiration right there. Getting your workout done first up before that voice wakes up is definitely a must! Besides, nothing better than being out when that sunrise happens....it really is gorgeous smile

So this weeks stats are:

Time Spent Exercising: 4:01hh:mm
Distance Walked: 29.3 km
Calories Burnt: 2376 cals

I am happy with that and with what I have achieved this week. Here's hoping I can make next week a little better wink

In the words of the amazing Michelle.....EAT CLEAN AND TRAIN HARD.

Cath xoxo