Sunday, August 18, 2013

Im back and loving life!

18 August 2013, 8:52am

Hi gang!
Well it was the meltdown I needed to have. What seemed like an eternity of wollowing has turned into a force to be reckoned with! I mean this time last week I was sitting there thinking about everyone else and my lack of results, today I sit here thinking OMG my abs are on fire!! At least I know they are there today.....they are just hidden under a few layers of flubber that I am working on losing ;)
So what have I been doing? Well I have found that getting in and doing my workouts earlier is a good thing. It also means I get them done too! I have so much that I need to get done but I also know that the fitter and healthier I am, the longer I will be around so that is taking priority for my 1 hour every day (although I think I might rest today as I am in a little bit of pain. Good pain though!)
I keep forgetting that I need to put my story up here. I will have to get to that as well as all my measurements and weight I have tracked along the way. It will show that even though the progress is slow, it is there and they say slow and steady wins the race!
Oh almost forgot!! Yesterday I managed to up all my weights on the last set!! I was so excited! I dont think though that I could do the heavier weight for all 3 sets but one is a start! I might give it a go when hubby is doing my session with me (he is also a PT) but until then, ill work on getting more out of the heavier weights :)
Have an amazing Sunday challengers! Remember you are all amazing and you are all worth it and so much more.


Cath xx

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Some days its just plain hard!!

15 August 2013, 9:15am

What started as a simple status on my facebook fitness page, ended up becoming a story and something I thought need to be shared here on my blog! 
So facebook asks me "what have you been up to?" and I think, yes, what have I been up to? Well, its been a week of mind games, highs and lows. I took a dreaded progress pic and really never should have gone there. Looking at it, I cant see any change but I feel the changes. Nope not good enough!! I am working my butt off in the home gym 4 days a week but where is my progress? Where is my definition that is starting to show? Nope, not happening!!
So it comes back to the question, what have you been up to? Well to answer honestly, I have done nothing! Yep thats right...NOTHING!! and why have I done nothing, cause my stupid mind has won this week. Things like, you are working as hard as everyone else, but where is your results? you are super clean with your diet but where are you lost kilos? Sound familiar to anyone?
Yep, I am lost somewhere on the highway of who cares and why bother. Trying so hard to get back onto hard'n up street though but its tough when you feel like you are getting left behind.
So what now? I sit here after not working out for over a week (other than a stint here and there on the treadie), feeling frumpy and lazy but kind of proud that food is at least not the major problem. Need to get the headspace back that I had in the first couple of weeks but it can be hard. I need to find a 'me' hour in my day. That one hour where I can just workout freely and not have the stress of 'but this hour could have been used on an assessment' or 'this hour could have been used to spend extra time with the kids'.
So today, I will find my 'me' time and if I have to, write it up on the whiteboard of things to do so that everyone knows when my me hour/time is!! The challenge is about to head into a new phase after next week and I am already a week behind :( I cant change what has happened in the past, but I can change what is going to happen in the future. I cant help but worry though, this week away will be detrimental to my success and I cant help but feel like its almost not worth it since I am now behind where before I was in front.
Have a great day everyone! For me, its assignment work first, then some me time and finally, its time to remember why we are worth it. We are important and most of all, we are loved. Keep on, keeping on and we will get there.



Cath xx

Monday, August 12, 2013

Just not into it today :(

12 August 2013, 5:58pm

Hey gang!
Not feeling it today. Got some bad news that our house is going on the market so means we might have to move the family AGAIN!! Seems we have to move every 12 months lately! (we have moved 5 times in the last 4 years. Not an easy task when you have 3 kids as well). To top that off my throat still isnt the best and all my muscles are aching yet. I could just curl up and sleep the day away.
Hope you are all fairing better than I am. Food however.....PERFECT!! Spot On and couldnt be better. Along with water of over 2.5L so far for the day. So thats a good thing.
I have decided though that hubby and I should do our strength on alternate days. This means that instead of finishing the evening in the pain chamber at around 7 (when it is totally freezing out there), we will finish around 5.30 each night. Much better option for us both! I am thinking though, would I need to change my diet to suit that change in workout though? Might have to do some research on that!
Take care!

Cath

Friday, August 9, 2013

Its nice to have time alone with hubby :)

9 August 2013, 8:13pm

Hi Gang!!
Went on a cute date with hubby at one of the nice Chinese places. Ate way too much, feeling way too full but it was nice to have some us time as we never do anything without the children. I think I gained 3kg tonight so it looks like ill be working hard this weekend to burn it off. It was for a good cause though.
Just to add, it has been years since we actually were able to get out WITHOUT children so tonight was nice. It felt even better to fill up on fruit and salad rather than all things greasy. 
You can go out and enjoy yourself without the worry of falling off the wagon too hard. BIG WEEKEND coming up although have to get through tomorrows footy trip with dear son to Albury (2 hours away). Already pre-prepared though so no detouring.
Have a great weekend
Cath xx

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Need to beat the mind games!!

7 August 2013, 8:50pm

Reading through the posts on the forum and cant help but feel a little disappointed in my very small weight loss of 200g this week. I know people say, "but a loss is a loss". Sometimes a small loss is a hard pill to swallow when you know you have done the work but the body jsut wont catch up to show you!
So, reading the forums and I see that there seems to be minimal people in my position (small losses) but so many who have achieved outstanding results. They are outstanding too and should be congratulated!! Then there is me, I feel I have done all I could last week before getting on those scales. I even flexed my will power muscle whilst out at the school boys carnival and stuck to my guns to eat healthy......the scales though, they barely budged. The same thing happend last week too. The week before that I was happy dancing with a 1.5kg loss!! WOOHOO! Yay. But is this the way it is going to happen? Big loss, no loss, small loss? I havent changed anything? Perhaps I should? 
So many questions!!
You know what though......I am trusting the process. I am going to stick to what is on the nutrition and training schedule and I am hoping.....no scratch that, I know that the results are going to come. This is just another test in the mind games of getting to a healthier version of me. I am moving from the I cant to the I CAN!! I am also trying to get my head around the fact that what is happening to someone else, doesnt necessarily mean I am suppose to get the exact same results! 
So to all those that are just like me out there and wondering why you are losing just little numbers, stick with it!
HERES TO THE SCALES CATCHING UP!! 
My new mantra.....I am 65kg, the scales just arent showing it yet :)
Have a great Wednesday
Cath xx

Week 2 Post Catch up!!

6 August 2013, 7:21am

Week 2 day 2 and after a bit of a slip up yesterday we are all good and set to go for the next 11 weeks (I am afterall only human)! I am happy to say it took 3 weeks to have a slip up so not to bad at all :) Had a rest day yesterday after feeling totally exhausted and a good night sleep proved beneficial as well. Sometimes we just need to listen to our bodies and let them recover ;)
So today its back to uni and then some time in the pain chamber! I think ill get some cardio in today just to make up for some guilty pleasures of yesterday.
Have a great Tuesday and remember to eat clean and train hard. The hard work is paying off :)
Cath xx

6 August 2013, 6:32pm

The bounce is back in the step and I am in queue to head out to the pain chamber ;) Hubby is first off the rank and then its my turn to do some lifting. Yes its cardio day but I took yesterday off and listened to my body to have a break!! Failure is when you give up and never look back, this is more a small speed hump that has been overcome and I am pumped!! Uni assessments can wait today as I have some business to attend to
Bring on the weights! I love that I can say, I am female and yes, I do lift!!
Cath xx
ETA UPDATE!! Arms like jello, legs feel like heavy weights. I think its safe to say that I smashed todays workout including upping my weights on the lat pulldowns!! WooHoo!! Now time for a feast of grilled chicken and steamed veg then its onto the elusive uni work that is still hanging over my head
Have a great night people!!


NEWS!!!

So I have been casually blogging as part of the Maxines 12 Weeks Challenge and figured that I should share with you all here what my new adventure is over there :)

So from now on, everytime I update my blog over there (Maxines 12 Week Challenge), ill copy the blog to here so that my readers can read and I can share with you all my experience.

Just to catch you up, here is Week 1 entries (last week!)

29 July 2013, 12:45pm

Day 1, week 1 and we are off!! I am actually looking forward to what will be after 12 weeks. Being a full time mum, full time uni student and full time wife can prove difficult at times but with some preplanning hopefully this wont be too much of an issue. It is even more exciting that my husband Michael is also doing the challenge. He is a freshly qualified personal trainer so I can see that qualification coming in handy for us both as the weeks progress. 
I have been following the menu loosely for the last 2 weeks and still cant get rid of the evening popcorn. Everything else from softdrink to chocolate was easily gone but mmmm popcorn! Something to work on. Have changed the menu a little as I just cannot stomach tuna. EWWWW! So having some grilled chicken instead for lunch today. 
So exciting!! I hope you enjoy following me on my journey. Through the ups and downs, highs and the lows, its going to be a challenge but we will survive :)
Cath 

30 July 2013, 7:31am

Breakfast of champions consisting of Body Effects and some L-Carnitine to start the day followed up with a Maxines BURN Protein shake and topped off with yoghurt! Yummo Thought I would be a little sore after yesterdays workout as I pushed myself beyond limits but feeling pretty good actually! 
Have an amazing day everyone. I am out at uni all day today and am all prepared with precooked food and snacks. No excuses!
Eat Clean. Train Hard!
Cath

30 July 2013, 8:17pm

It's time for a change!!
That is my motto for the next 12 weeks. Spent the day at uni and pre-preparing lunch meant no slip ups on the way! Now the matter I do need to control is POPCORN!!! OMG I love the stuff and finding it hard not to have my nightly fill of popcorn. I guess it could be worse but no where on the plan does it mention POPCORN! Maybe the nutrition crew forgot to add it on ;)
Original start pics are up and im planning to take new ones next week since that will hopefully show some nice changes that I know I can see/feel happening.
Cath

1 August 2013, 10:31am

Morning of day 4 and its going to be a tough one! I have a few assessments that have slowly piled up and are all due next week. Difference this time however is I dont have my old friend chocolate beside me. Instead, its all clean eating and when things get too tense, I have a boxing bag I can let off some steam with :)
When these are done, I will be able to sit down and write my story to share with you all. It is a battle I have been fighting for years now and this time im playing to win :) Havent had this determination in any of my other ventures so I think I might finally have it right now.
Anyhow, I hear assessments calling my name (they are a bit noisy actually), so whilst the house is empty, I should probably focus on those. I can see why they call this a challenge cause for me, it is going to be just that since the whole 12 weeks are my uni session. Preparation is really key for me. So glad I have hubby on board (he is doing Maxs).
Better add a blurb in about my pics. Pic one is of my yongest daughter who is 4 and loves to sit out in our home gym counting out our reps. A real little PT in the making she is :)
Second is of breakkie this morning! Mmmmm love my porridge with BURN shake. Not to mention it really fixes those hunger pangs you sometimes get first thing in the morning!
Report back later! 
Eat clean, train hard
Cath

1 August 2013, 7:49pm

Week 1 Day 4 Update - managed to get through the day really well! Diet is SPOT ON! Can't do any better (although having myself a boiled egg to fill the gap that is giving me hunger pangs this evening!). Thinking of taking another pic on the weekend as that will be the end of 3 weeks of healthy eating and working out so something should be changing ;)! Early one to tonight as starting to get a decent sleep pattern happening finally. Eat clean and train hard everyone. Until tomorrow, goodnight, sweet dreams.
Cath

4 August 2013, 11:17am

Hi gang!!
Here we are at the end of week 1 and what a week it has been!! Diet has been spot on, weights training (other than last night) has been over and above whats needed cardio is still a bit of a worry but knowing that I am not sitting all day is a good thing!
Yesterday was the biggest challenge so far though. My son was playing rugby league at the schoolboys carnival all day. This meant some time away from the safety of my home. I packed a couple of BURN bars not even thinking about lunch! Around 11am we wandered over to the Liqurice Factory for a hot cuppa. Mmmmm hot chocolate.....WAIT!! Thats not on the menu EVER!! So I asked for a cup of green tea with lemon. They were lovely and cut me some fresh lemon slices to put in my cup. YES! I had flexed my will power muscle in a shop filled with hot chocolate and cheesecake.....not to mention chocolate covered liquorice!
Step two was working out what to have for lunch. As many would know, a footy carnival isnt really the place to find the healthiest of foods. Then it clicked! Steak sandwich! Yes! I could have a steak sandwich with no onion and no sauce. Even better, I used the bread as a plate and easily threw those carbs away when I had finished! Thats right my friends! Steak sanwich with no bread ;) SCORE!! 
To finish the afternoon, I had another BURN bar and it was time to head home. Didnt feel much like cooking so swayed a little from the menu and had steak cookd on the BBQ and an egg. 
Exhausted and tired, both hubby and I agreed to put off our weights workout. I think both of us would have been too tired to get through a session after today. Standing on our feet from 9am till 4.30pm would have been a workout in itself.
So there you have it folks! You can go out for the day, even whilst on this challenge, and still get through without the need to sway from the plan too much. With our busy schedules, there will come times when you have to really think about what to do BUT there is always a light. We just have to not be blinded by the carbs and sugars that are in our way.
Have a great Sunday and bring on week 2!!
Oh forgot to add!! I am weighing in at 75.1kg today!! So excited!! I am getting lighter and lighter. I havent been this weight for almost 4 years now. 
Cath