The saga of the weight loss. Again.

Yesterday, the last day of January, I began my diet and exercise regime in earnest. Having slipped over the 70 kg mark again I thought it time to curtail my exuberant eating and drinking and visit the gym. I hate being forty-something if only for the difficulty of keeping my weight down. Otherwise I like being forty-something! Besides. All my clothes are getting very tight. I don’t have a set of scales so I can only go by what fits. Not much fits at the moment.

February Is a perfect time for me to go hard, plus do Feb Fast, because my teaching isn’t at full strength and I have good swathes of free time. Plus I’ve finished my PhD. So for those who care about such pettinesses, here is my regime to lose 10 kg (again).

I joined my gym’s fitness boot camp. 8 weeks long, it gives me 8 personal training sessions, a dedicated exercise class, food diary and measurement tracker. They measured my weight, height, arm, leg and torso sizes, bmi, skeletal weight, fat percentage and body age. This is always the hardest part. They took a photo (ugh) and did a fitness test. I’m fit but a bit fat. At 26.4% bmi I’m considered a bit overweight and my proportion of body fat is 39.6%. Too high! That’s drinking and crap eating and no exercise for you! Walking the dog does not cut it for my health regime.

I have entered all possible classes into my diary so for February I can attend a class every day. My gym also has a 50m outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool, which in hot, humid weather like this is a perfect finish to my daily exercise: I breaststroke swim about 400-500 metres (8-10 laps) and it washes out the pain and heat from the class, and allows me to stretch.

One pt session a week plus a 1/boxing class; 2/ yoga; 3/ hiit circuit; 4/ body pump or Zumba. That plus a swim should do it! I’m terrible in the morning and prefer mid-morning classes, hence the odd mix of classes. There’s also a Thursday evening boot camp class which may kill me, but I’ll have a go!

I already belong to MyFitnessPal, which is a near-perfect app in which I can measure my diet, exercise, track my activity and weight loss, and record a range of health and fitness activities. Plus it has the added benefit of a community of like-minded souls all seeking health and svelte bodies. For those who care, my blood pressure is ridiculously low: last night it registered 93/57 (we have a portable home blood pressure monitor). I won’t die of fatness, but I may die through falling over.

I’ve cut out alcohol for February. But I’ve already given myself a head start by not drinking over the last 3 nights. Not too bad so far.

I record all my eating habits. I’m used to doing this from last time, and even though it’s hard at first, sticking to 1500 calories is pretty easy. I’ve no desire to eat less than this as I get too faint, and 1500 calories allows me 400 calories per meal plus snacks. A 400 cal meal size is a good portion and there’s wiggle room for sweet treats and a drink. Both of which I’ve cut out for the time being.

The above regime is similar to the successful one I did in 2013. The only problem I have with it is that I hate exercise. I feel sore for days and I hate getting sweaty. But it’s the only way. My body loves to move. Without a serious amount of exercise I can’t maintain a lower weight. So it’s yo-yo for me. At least I know and understand this though.

So if I do everything like I did in 2013 I should lose 4 kgs a month, dropping back to 2 kgs per month after 8 weeks. I’ll let you know how I get on. In the meantime, I have a gym class to attend. Adios, amigos!

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Weight loss, maintenance and the pursuit of perfection

So, in 2007 I turn 37, get married, move to sunny, hot QLD and over 4 years the weight just stacks on. I join gyms, get a PT for a short while, but the willpower is not there and the PT is frankly not very good. Besides, I am happy, slightly overheated and disinclined to get sweatier than I already am. After 4 years, a  mostly finished PhD and no exercise, 40-something me is eyeing off size 14 clothes and lamenting the loss of my figure, thinking sadly that I’m probably destined for frumpy middle-agedom after years of being mostly slim and basically healthy.

Then in 2012 I have an epiphany, take time off from the PhD and decide to lose weight and get healthy. I join a private gym, get a PT, exercise 4 times a week, eat well for the first time in years, count calories and food intake and voila, underneath frumpy lady is not-frumpy lady. Weight falls off, muscle builds and tones, and I am back into a size 8 and lamenting that off-the-rack clothes don’t really work for smaller waists and larger thighs. (When one says larger thighs, they aren’t really all that large at all – just sayin’.)

Now, I am in maintenance mode. I struggle to get to the gym more than 2 times a week and that includes my PT session, I drink 2 glasses of wine a day, eat ice-creams and the occasional biscuit and have stopped counting calories and food intake. But the weight has stayed off, as far as I can tell. You see, I don’t weigh myself except when I’m at the gym, and even then, not very much. I don’t panic when I feel I am having a “fat” day – it’s just my hormonal cycle fluctuating as it should.

Even my PT can’t understand it – he asks what I am eating, what other exercise I am doing to keep so fit, and all I can say is “my body likes being like this”. And so it does. Last century, American psychologist William Sheldon came up with the notion of somatotyping, that suggests humans come in three basic body patterns or sizes (somatotypes): ectomorph (long and thin); mesomorphs (muscular, fit); and endomorphs (large, broad). It’s basically accepted to be quackery (you should read how he got his data! Research fraud!) now but hey, it works for this black duck. According to this pop psychology theory I am a mesomorph. I gain and lose weight easily, I develop muscle easily, and my body is compact and designed for powerful movement. I do mainly strength training because I HATE cardio, but I DO do a circuit class, mainly on the weekend, and sometimes I do boxing as well. Must get back into that on Thursday nights.

Thing is, I can feel my motivation slipping away every so slightly. Yesterday I was in a bit of a heap and took a doona day – I’ve been battling a throat infection for weeks and I just needed to lie down for a long time. I went to the gym in the morning, but I didn’t take the dog for a walk as I should have, and then I spent the day grazing, basically because my body is fighting off this thing. And I was hungry. Today I feel a heap better, but it’s raining and I’m not sure the dog will get her walk today, and I’m still tired and a bit achy. And I have work to do.

I was reading a long-lost blog by a fellow MyFitnessPal user who has been a great inspiration to me – essentially same age and weight, she has reported on her weight loss journey and taken progress pictures, and she looks amazing! Her actual weight has fluctuated a lot (about 15 lbs), and depending on what she has been doing – either strength training or cardio and calorie-controlled eating, she looks almost the same in all her shots. Actually, she looks hot in her strength training shots, heavier in weight but slimmer in size. I wasn’t aware that strength training can have such an awesome effect on one’s appearance, but it really does. But even this amazing, sensible woman has had her low months. She recently reported on her battles with depression and illness that have demotivated her. Old habits crept back in, exercise went down hill and she gained weight. And she stopped writing in her blog, which is why I couldn’t find it for months. But she’s back now. And I’m so glad – because one needs motivations like someone else’s blog to re-energise and refocus.

So, to perfection? Well, we all know that’s not possible. And I don’t want to be perfect. But I do want to be fitter, now. Healthier, and even stronger. Because all this helps me as I age. Here are some before and after shots for those who think that sort of thing’s important: (notice how I’m hiding my fat bits from the camera in the first shot!)

Writing, walking adventures and food for thought.

After yesterday’s writing jaunt, I am once again in front of the computer screen, and now the writing appears to be flowing somewhat. I lack scholarship as yet, in that I am have few references on paper. Having to look up yet more references is the bane of my existence. I recently had to do an annotated bibliography for a study in which I am the RA, and it was the best thing I have ever done. By far my best, quickest and easiest AB to date, and I realised that over the four years I have been struggling with my PhD studies, that I could have been doing a few more of these, particularly now that all the stuff in my head needs to be put on paper.

Yes, I know there are books on how to take notes, and how to reference. I didn’t read them. Bad Jessie.

Anyhoo, at least I have an inkling of how this Methods chapter is going. 10000 words to write, and I appear to have written 7000 of them. I’m only 6 weeks late for submission of this chapter to my supervisor. It’s definitely my own fault. Can’t blame anyone else here but me.

So, that’s the writing explained. The walking adventure was that yesterday, when I thought about going for a walk with hubby, we did. We walked the equivalent of about 10kms over about 3.5 hours. It was great. At least, I thought it was great. Hubby didn’t. Hubby threw a tantrum on top of a mountain. Ok, the problem is this. I love walking, getting out into the great outdoors. I quite like camping, and fishing, and washing up in streams, and camp fires and cooking tea in billycans etc. Apparently when I was 9 I wanted to join Girl Guides (cubs), so I did, and I stayed until I was 14. We went camping and learned how to put up tents and light fires and tie knots (well, that’s a lie – I never really learned how to tie knots). I now have a new, mustard coloured waterproof pair of boots with which to go walking, at the very least.

Hubby hates all of the above outdoor activities. I really don’t know why. Hubby thought that buying a cute pair of suede Converse high-top sneakers would suffice for walking about in the Yorkshire wilderness. Noooo. Not really. We’re in Yorkshire at a time when the snow is melting, it’s freezing cold, folks are tramping, and there is lots of muddy boggy stuff about. One needs waterproof shoes with good soles and probably one of those ugly windbreaker jackets instead of the very stylish woollen overcoat hubby bought in The Hague. So, as we’re trying to walk round the Semerwater lake but it’s too muddy in the direction of the lake, I’m seeing one of those teensy tiny “public footpath” signs to Bainbridge – 2 miles, and I’m thinking, hey, let’s go on an adventure. We’re dressed for it, we can go to the pub for a refreshing ale before walking home, and it will be fun.

Over hill and dale, through bog and marsh, over stile and turn, and tramping through stinky, muddy farmlets is not hubby’s idea of a fun time. Nope. Not at all. At one point I couldn’t see the next stile/ drywall fence and we were on the side of a steep hill, following sheep tracks because the “walking path” had got hidden under snow, and hubby was slipping and sliding about because his shoes just weren’t cutting the mustard and he finally exploded, yelling he “didn’t sign up for this!”. At which point I apologised a lot and walked a long way away from him, concerned that I couldn’t see the next walking marker and getting quietly panicky.

Finally saw the stile – we had walked downhill rather than up and had to retrace somewhat – and waited for him to make his way to me. At which point I then said, rather quietly, “this is exactly what I came for”. It was beautiful up there.

This is where we nearly “got lost”, or “lost it”, whichever way you look at it: not a great place to lose sight of one’s self.

Apologies were meted out all round, and of course, not too far away was the ROAD. Which we followed to Bainbridge and the pub. Somewhat of a disappointment, the rather chilly pub didn’t even serve hot chips as a side dish, so after I drank a pint of Black Sheep Bitter (VERY good beer), we marched home again, all 3 miles. A great walk, and which I felt justified the very large serving of sausages and mash I afterwards prepared with a glass or two of not-very-good Tempranillo.

Which brings me to FOOD. Urgh. It’s hard when it’s cold not to eat lashings of potato, and bread, and lovely mild Wensleydale cheese and wine. So I’m eating them anyway. I feel guilty as sin, and I can almost SEE the kilos marching right back onto my butt, but we’re walking A LOT. In very COLD WEATHER. Surely that counts?! I’m well over my calorie count for the day, even with exercise, and my only excuse is that it’s hard to work out how to eat well when one is on holiday and the only things on offer at the local eating places are very carb-dense foods or soup.

Which reminds me, time to get cracking on some body-weight exercises, as if tramping about clambering over stiles and through bog isn’t enough. While I think I can forgo the lunges and squats, I am reminded that my upper body still needs a workout. Time for some pushups, planks, crunches and maybe even some yoga poses. I have to hide to do all these because I’m not sure what hubby thinks of all this exercising nonsense, but I can certainly report I wasn’t flagging at the end of 3.5 hours walking. Felt great.

And slept like one of the dead. Which reminds me, we were told to turn on the de-humidifier they’ve thoughtfully provided for the cottage to ensure that the windows don’t mist up. I did so, but we’ve been slowly dying through dehydration and I’ve had a terrible headache. Well. I turned the blasted machine off and placed bowls of water about to try and humidify the place. It’s finally working – I feel better, although still very dry. Crazy lack of moisture in the air, enough to make a singer gasp her last breath, drily. I hate under floor heating. Can’t get it cool enough.

 

 

 

 

Losing weight the SLOW way

A coffee shop owner recently confided in me that she and her daughter are undergoing something called “Hipoxy” weight loss. As she put it, you are placed in some sort of machine which massages you for 30 minutes while you do some “light” exercise. Afterwards you are measured. You do this once a week for several months. Apparently her daughter has lost inches! However, neither the cafe owner or the daughter has lost any weight. Just inches.

OMG. How can I tell this lovely, well meaning woman that what she is doing is BOGUS? That someone is taking her money for her to lose water? The website selling this bullshit weightloss regime purports to show scientific evidence for “targeted” weight loss from thighs and buttocks, etc, but all I’ve seen from her is nothing. No evidence that she is losing weight, gaining muscle, or achieving anything other than a lighter wallet.

SIGH. On the plus side, the trainers at my gym are REALLY noticing my weight loss and muscle definition. It’s great. Went there yesterday, tired and grumpy as always, felt better as soon as I walked in the door, when Chelsea-the-trainer noticed my new and improved frame. I had a good, targeted workout that for once felt totally doable (reduced my reps to 12 from 15 but upped the weight) then gossiped terribly with Bailey-the-trainer, and afterwards weighed myself. Despite having a horror few weeks with poor diet and low exercise, I’ve still lost another 300 grams. So I’m down to 63 kgs (138 lb). I don’t weigh myself every week any more. It’s not healthy and I don’t need it. My clothes are testimony to my weight loss, and the comments from people who never knew me as a slim person are really great to hear.

I’m just 4 kgs off my goal weight of 59 kgs. It’s losing these last few kgs that becomes really hard, and they march back on really easily, too. Is it worth the angst to drop these last few kgs when any lack of work at all will reverse the weight loss? 4 kgs equates to 10 lbs. The old 10 lbs problem. I need to think on this (maybe while going to that third gym class).

I’m turning 43 next week and to have the body of a 30 something woman is a real thrill. Slow and steady has done it for me, like I thought it would.

Keeping up appearances

It’s been a while since I wrote in my blog so I thought I should do some catch up reporting of events.

Firstly: I’ve been busy. Very busy. I’m teaching 37 hours a week at the moment. For those peeps who think that that just sounds like an ordinary week of work, sure, go right ahead. Think that. But teaching and knowledge transmission is a really specialised thing to do. Most classroom teachers teach up to 24 hours a week. Full time uni staff teaching one-to-one teaching have a maximum of 24 contact hours per week. I’ve chosen 37 hours. Why? Hmm. Need the money. But I also love my jobs. Singing teaching, like any music teaching, requires deep engagement with the learner. It requires great diagnostic skills of the human voice and body, both from a visual and aural sense. It requires one to think clearly about text, character and musically expressive communication, and it requires a whole lot of piano playing. It also requires one to be incredibly empathetic and understanding of the foibles that students bring into the lesson, and all that takes energy. Skills transmission? Meh. I’m also training students in the art of learning, being, and becoming singers.

So, I’m REALLY tired. All the time. But I’ve slowly got into match fitness mode, so to speak.

Secondly, 37 hours doesn’t seem like an overly onerous week. Sure! I can fit in 16 hours of PhD study on top of that. Said no PhD student EVER. Because from Monday to Wednesdays I teach from 8.30am – 8.30pm. The biggest break I have is 90 minutes. It’s also called lunch and staff meetings. So, what about Thursday? Sure. Thursday I finish at 4.30pm. Enough time to get home, walk the puppy, go to gym, then enjoy date night with DH. What about Friday? I finish before 1pm. Yay. Ok, so I have 4 hours there in which I can legitimately study. Have I? No. I’m buggered. I need to do the groceries, pay bills, do the business accounts, pr and try to clean the house a little bit before the weekend.

So, what about mornings and weekends? Well, here’s the thing. I’m not a morning person, and I force myself to go to the gym on Tuesdays at 6.30. Maybe as the year progresses I’ll be jamming 2 hours study into my mornings.

Ok, so what about the weekend? Yep, I have blocked 5 hours per day for study. Did I do any yesterday? No. I went to the gym, then I rested, cleaned the house a bit and shopped for groceries. Spent some time with the family. I did about 1 hour of work while watching tv. Sunday? Yep, you guessed it. The week’s study rolled into one frantic day.

Thirdly, exercise has become 2 days per week plus dog walking. Food has become something to eat to fuel my day, don’t care about the flavour, but I’m maintaining a reasonably low calorie count. Easy when one cuts out sweet food, pasta and potatoes. Still slim and trim, but I am aware that my work output is diminishing and that 2 days dedicated exercise is not quite enough to maintain a weight loss regime. Must…get…to…the…gym…

Fourthly, keeping the house clean is a diabolical task at the moment. So we’ve some plans to try and make it better. All cost a lot of money. The first is to spray paint the unbearable bathroom floor tiles, bath and shower recess. Cost: about $2500. The second is to hire a weekly cleaner. Cost: about $75 per week. Worth it? With a small, grotty puppy, yes it is. It means that at least the house will be dusted and the floors and bathroom cleaned to a high standard. The third is to hire a regular gardener. Cost? Unknown. But kind of on the “not this month” pile.

Keeping up appearances of being capable of doing everything is killing me. But in a good way. I like being this busy, and I hope that my study will become more targeted over the next few weeks. If not, I can say goodbye to my PhD. Because it will never get done without a supreme effort. Bring on my Yorkshire study retreat!

On the plus side, we’re just about ready to send through the final draft of our book. Then I can REALLY focus on the PhD. Promise.

 

Hang on, I lost weight after all.

After a super PT session this morning using only dumbbells and free weights, we weighed me and found I’ve lost yet another kilo (2lbs). Woohoo! I thought I was just treading water. No. My body is clearly saying to me: run, jump, exercise, lift things, lose weight.

So, from last week’s weigh-in where I had lost no weight at all (64.6 kgs the week before), I am down again! I seem to move in 2 week cycles. Nothing one week, then a good amount the following week. Nice. I am now 63.7 kilos (140lbs). My waist is the most impressive part, as I’ve lost most of the excess fat around my tummy and I have a lovely taut waist and hips again. But Bailey-the-trainer is totally thrilled with the results from my diet and exercise plan. He sees definition in my upper body and arms and is really happy with my approach. I love my gym.

Eating: yes. Eating sensibly? Well, mostly. No chips or fries or anything, but the occasional sandwich wrap if I can’t get a frittata or salad for lunch, and I even had cake on the weekend. Drink? Yes, thanks. Red wine is fine and sometimes I even have two glasses. Pizza? No, thanks. But I DID eat a Grill’d burger the other week and it was GOOD.

Result? I’ve moved into the long-term phase of my eating and drinking plan. The one that says I can have wine, and cake, and chocolate and even potatoes. Just not too much of any one thing, and not too frequently, either.

Happy? Yes. Thrilled, actually. NOTHING fits me any more. But I’ve complained about that before. I’ve bought interim clothes and I have nice shoes. On the down side, my meal sizes have dropped AGAIN, to 1260 calories per day, which will be very hard to stick to without going over. Darn it. For example, I’ve already met nearly all my day’s requirements and I’ve not even had dinner yet. My main meals are about 300 calories each and I’ve taken to eating a protein and berry smoothie half way through teaching at night to keep the energy up, so it means I only get about 200 cals for my evening meal. No wine for me this week!

Tired? Of course. Exhausted. It could be worse. I could be shlumpy, chubby and exhausted. Now I’m exhausted and fit. Heeheehee!

Getting to my goal weight!

Another kilo bites the dust! Actually, 2 lbs bites the dust, and not quite 1 kilo, so 2lbs sounds much better. I’m now 64.6 kilos (142.5 lbs) and 10.4 kilos (23lbs) lighter than when I started. Hooray! I do my training on Tuesday mornings with Bailey-the-trainer and the Achieve Team, and I do my weigh-in then, which is why a few of these happy posts are published now. Time to thank Bailey-the-trainer and the team at Achieve Personal Training in Bulimba, Brisbane for their support and friendship and encouragement throughout this time. It helps to have a team on your side. And apparently Bailey-the-trainer is trumpeting my success to anyone who will listen!

We’re doing measurements next week but when I checked my waist it was 74cm (29″). In my extreme youth I had a 67cm (26″) waist but I’m not sure I can lose much more fat from my waist.

My goal weight was originally 59 kilos (130lbs) by March – luckily there are 31 days in March. Last year I projected how much weight I wanted to lose by March, which was 15 kilos. I should nearly achieve this if I keep working at this pace. I’ve calculated half a kilo, or 1 lb a week until my goal weight is achieved, which takes me to April, but given that muscle is rather heavier than fat, my actual physique is already tauter than when I last did this, in my 30s. At any rate, my happiness is not predicated on a number: rather, it’s dependent on how I feel when I look in the mirror. I’m glad I took a sensible and realistic approach to my weight loss – it means I have been able to hit those goals and not lose hope when I didn’t lose as much weight as I had planned.

I’m getting stronger, anyway: I can leg press 180kgs (396lbs) with ease now and push ups are a breeze, and burpees really aren’t that hard any more. Planking? Meh. No biggie. Crunches? Meh, can’t even feel them.

Last post I reported buying new clothes – pretty much a necessity given that none of my regular clothes fit any more. They probably won’t last too long, either, if I keep this up. Of course, now that I’m so close to my goal I’m backing off the very heavy diet regime but still sticking to around 1500 calories per day. Given my exercise regime, this still means I’m losing weight, but I’m allowing myself the occasional mini-Magnum icecream or glass of wine and I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself.

Getting off the “white” carbs has been a great decision – removing potato, rice and wheat from my diet has seen a slow and steady weight loss, but I’m maintaining plenty of other carbs such as leafy green vegetables and salad. I eat enormous amounts of veggies – but then, I always have. I love my veggies.

I feel great. Thanks you guys for supporting me and my weight loss – I feel fitter, healthier and happier than I have in a long time.

I bought new clothes!

I did it. A month earlier than planned, but I did it. I bought new clothes. One of the reasons for this is that I currently have 1 pair of jeans that fit me, 2 Bettina Liano jackets, jocks, socks and shoes. And that’s it. None of my other clothes fit. Not a jot.

I need new clothes. I really really do. When I moved to the bright, hot and sunny climes of Queensland 5 years ago, I bought lots of medium sized cotton shorts and t-shirts, all size 11 or 12. I was  about 6 kgs or 12 lbs heavier than I am now, and on my frame that makes a big difference to my waist size. I didn’t feel particularly large, but I wasn’t the slim me anymore.

Over the last 5 years I added another 5 kgs or 10lbs to my 5’5″ frame, and my dress size slowly crept up from an easy size 10 to an uncomfortable size 12. So when I went shopping for a summer dress at Christmas, I was thrilled to find I was back in a size 10. And none of the clothes I have bought since moving to Qld fit me. They are all cinched in at the waist, saggy round the bum, and frankly they just look too big.

Buying a few new clothes today made me feel really really good. I went in the department store, and I picked out size 10 and 8 clothes (size 8 and 6 in the US) and when I checked myself out in the mirrors, I looked hot. I really did. Normally those appalling lights in the dressing rooms pick out all the sags, folds, creases, lumps and bumps, but today I realised I don’t have too many of those any more! I have a waist, I have boobs, I have a round bum and curvy legs, and I have an hourglass figure again!

I’m looking forward to getting rid of even more fat but I’m so thrilled with where I’m at right now. I’m not super skinny but I’m no longer bulgy. I don’t have much of a muffin top, or back fat anymore. It’s a great feeling to feel so fit and strong, and know that I did this without taking diet pills or medication or starving myself on a really dumb diet.

Today, prior to shopping, I went to a yoga class, and I went swimming, and then I wandered round the mall for 3.5 hours with no makeup, wet hair and in my sad old gym clothes, AND I STILL LOOKED AND FELT GOOD. Funny how making my body a better house for my soul has made me feel happier, huh?!

Kapow! Bam! Zook!

Despite crappy diet and relatively poor exercise, I managed to lose another half kilo (1 lb) this last few weeks. It’s not as if I haven’t been agonising over every little potato entering my mouth: I have. With the house painting and the entertaining children and the holiday season, eating out and all, I’m rather grateful I’ve managed to stave off the worst of the chocolate, wine and icecream binges, and I’m slowly reducing the alcohol consumption again. Result: tight buns and weight now a very respectable 65.3 kilos, and my BMI a healthy 23.7. If I stay on the straight and narrow for the next few weeks, this should reduce further. The scale nearly – nearly! stopped on 64.8. But then it didn’t. But I’m pretty sure it will drop down next week. The main challenge, like any long term goal, is to stay focussed and committed to staying fit and healthy, and reaching my goal of 59 kilos. Time to up the cardio again, go swimming and running, and walk the puppy.

Oh, and I am comfortably leg-pressing 180 kilos. When I say comfortable, I mean, that’s really quite easy. Bailey-the-trainer upped all my weights today after the first round. It was good. For the most part. He’s pretty impressed with my appearance at the moment – I’m finally getting some definition in my body, under all that fat! I’m losing my ferdubbedders (nana arms) and I can now see some of the muscles working.

All my friends have been super supportive and hubby has been best of all. Hubby’s enjoying Quinoa salads and we’ve not eaten pasta or rice in months (I haven’t, at least), and I think, secretly, he loves the new physical, high energy me. 🙂

It’s also great to have friends and family commenting on my weight loss, telling me how good I’m looking! I hated being 75kgs, and I realised, when I could barely bend over to put my shoes on, that I need to stay healthy for the future, not just look good for today. Bring on old age, I say!

So, health and fitness goals for the next two months: lose another 4 kilos, get down to 61.5 kilos (135 lbs), get to 3 PT, circuit and boxing classes per week, do yoga and a swim on Sundays. Drop the sneaky glasses of wine except maybe twice a week (date night; going out); maintain 1330 kcal intake per day, with one day off per week for naughty metabolism boost. There. That should do it.

And to all those people who think “slimming creams” and “diet pills” work: no, no they don’t. Regular exercise, good diet. The only things that work. I’m living proof! Someone asked me how I did it. I said, sagely, because I’m now super wise about these things (hah! not), diet and exercise and a weekly personal trainer to keep you on the straight and narrow. Calorie counting, using a website to track your changes, however small, and developing an awareness of how your physical health affects your mental health and quality of life. And finding supportive, caring people (even if you have to pay them!) to help you in your weight loss quest. And, finally, caring about it, and doing something about it. I cared, I’ve done something about it.