Wednesday 19 June 2013

Where's the sunshine?

Urgh, don't you just hate it when things are going well and then something comes along and throws a spanner in the works? How about being a Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferer and living in Britain where the 'summer' weather is crap?

I am usually on anti-depressants from September to April and the effects lessen as April goes on. This year however, I have stopped taking them as per usual (in April) but am still really struggling. Waking up in the morning is nigh on impossible and I have to really force myself out of bed and exercising. Exercise has been proven to help alleviate the symptoms due to causing the release of endorphins and serotonin. But how do you get down to exercising when you really don't feel like it?

This is what has worked for me:

1. Set goals. This can be anything from dropping a dress size, losing half a stone or finishing a phase of your workout. I have several goals: The first was to finish the first week of P90X, then to finish the second, then to finish the whole of phase 1. Then I have set the same goals but for the second phase. My other goal is to be at my target-weight by May of next year in time for my cousin's wedding. I also have a workout tips jar. Every time that I do a workout, I put a £ into the jar and everytime that I lose a lb in weight, a £ goes into the jar. The money will be saved so that I can treat myself to a dress for aforementioned wedding.

2. Get visual motivation. Take a look on google and find fitness websites. Take a look at pictures of people at the peak of fitness that you want to achieve. Read their stories. Go on forums and post for tips and support. Print out the photos that you find most inspiring and create a motivation board. Is there a sport that you have always wanted to try? A yoga position that you want to be able to do? Stick that on the board as well.

3. Get wised up on the benefits of exercise and good diet. It is scary when you read the truth about food, such as carbs being portrayed as the basis of a balanced diet even though they are chock-full of refined, white flour, hormones, sugar and gluten. Food companies are only interested in producing food that can be preserved so that it can sit on your shelf for weeks, even years. Once you learn exactly what you are eating, you will gradually find that you will gravitate towards natural, wholesome foods anyway. That's not to say that you can't treat yourself but you may find that certain foods are not as palatable as they once were. This is exactly what has happened to me and I am all the better for it. Nutrition and exercise also go hand in hand. Want rock-hard abs? Do all the sit-ups you want but if you're not eating right, you will never get those abs. 80% of muscle is built in the kitchen. Eat right and those muscles will come.

4. Get a mantra. This can be something short and sweet: 'Be strong, be fierce', 'Who Dares Wins' (a golden oldie) or something longer 'Pain is weakness leaving the body'. Ideally it will be something that can fall into rhythm with your movements but isn't lengthy. Studies have proven that when athletes are tired, a mantra can help them to re-focus and carry on going. The science is that, when you're tired, all you can think is "Jesus, I'm tired". "My arms are so heavy and tired". or what I regularly think "Urgh, I'm dead". A mantra moves your attention away from how tired you're feeling and makes you more focused through repetitive affirmation. It's essentially the same thing that pro-athletes do when visualising game-play.

5. Get a routine. Set a time for when you will exercise and stick to it. Draw up a calender and write in your workout schedule. As you tick the days off, you will become more determined to exercise and after three weeks it will be forming as a habit.

As hard as it is to exercise - especially after an illness or coming back from holiday - it is important to get back in to it. It can be the last thing that you feel like doing but you have to take that first step, which is often the hardest one to take.






Friday 7 June 2013

Zaggora Flares Day 2

So I've worn the Zaggora flares for two days now whilst working out. I did Core Synergistics X the other day and it was more a stretch program so I didn't sweat all that much. I did feel instantly warmer (not uncomfortably so) and found that I warmed up better.

The only problem with them is trying to get them on. They're a right bugger. I couldn't quite grip them so that I could pull them up a bit further so had to keep yanking them up over my bum a little bit. There is also a little inside pocket for if you wear them out running and this kept sticking out. Still, no biggie.

The annoying thing though is that, after working out, I had a shower and then tidied the living room. This actually got me more sweaty than the workout I had just done. I wish that I had worn my Zaggoras whilst tidying but they were drip drying on the line.

My workout today was Kenpo X which I *love*. It's a martial arts based workout and I got further through the workout than ever before. I felt more secure in my flares and I think that it works on the same principle of compression clothes - that the less 'useless' movement (i.e. your flesh wobbling about), the more energy for your workout and better form is maintained. After Kenpo X I really needed the toilet and almost slipped off the toilet bowl, I was so sweaty and my knickers were soaked through (TMI I know but this just illustrates how effective they are at making you sweat). In all, I feel that I have had a good workout and can't wait to see what my results will be like at the end of the Zaggora challenge.

P.S. I am not affiliated with Zaggora in any way. This is my unbiased, honest review.

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Zaggora flares

2nd June 2013

Have just treated myself to some Zaggora flares. I was tempted to just go with the capris as they're cheaper but decided that as my calves are fat, I didn't want fat lower legs that are out of proportion to the rest of me. I am hoping that this will help the pounds to shift as I have a year to lose weight. The countdown has begun!
Once they arrive, I shall record my weight and measurements on here and then at the end of Phase 2 of P90X (which I am due to start end of this week), I shall record my new numbers here. Fingers crossed! x

Hoarders

28th May 2013

I don't know if you've ever seen the programme on Bio called 'Hoarders'. Even if you haven't, it is what it says. It's a programme that records hoarders receiving counselling and help to clear their house of a colossal amount of junk that they have built up in their house. Our house isn't quite that bad but was bad enough.
One of the last things that I expected when starting to exercise was that the changes would spill out into other aspects of my life. When you feel good, you want to look good. I used to hate shaving my legs and saw it as a necessary evil. Now I feel gross if I have missed a day. I'm also constantly doing my nails. Anyway. It seems to be an extension of this and the program 'Hoarders' that made me want to tackle the junk that is slowly building up in our house.

My parents have a habit of keeping boxes or things 'just in case'. I used to be the same way until a few years ago whilst sorting my room.  I decided to be ruthless and get rid of everything that I didn't need/want and learn to say goodbye to material possessions. I'm by no means a minimalist but I have a grip on junk.
To give you an idea as to what I was up against - Dad keeps boxes as we may need them when we move out or "they may come in useful". They are stored in the loft where no-one can get to them and where they add to the mountain of crap already up there. Also in the loft is a crossbow that Dad made when he was 14 and a rocket, also a remnant from his teens. None have been used since his teens and yet still we keep them. Why? Mum is just as bad and thinks that cleaning is all about putting stuff in boxes and then forgetting about it. I have tried to sort the house out before and done an okay job but haven't been able to get them to sort out their junk so that we could make real head-way.

I did sort out the bathroom a couple of months ago because my Nanny was coming to stay. She is frail and has a twisted spine. If she were to catch her foot on something and fell, she wouldn't be able to get back up. I did a major clean-up and pulled everything out so that I could get behind it and you wouldn't believe the dust bunnies! The bathroom looked great although the bath was not touched. We don't have baths in this family and so it is used as a dumping ground for blankets and pillows. There's nowhere to put them and it is on my list of things to be sorted.

Recently, Mum has been talking about down-sizing and moving to Whitby. Dad has then said that in order to do that we need to sort out our junk but I think that the colossal task that lies ahead has been very off-putting for them. After watching 'Hoarders' I am always wanting to clean and have used the influence of the programme on my mum.

I started off clearing the central worktop and most of it was actually stuff to go in the bin. As bad as it looked, it actually only took half an hour. Mum came home and I told her that I had sorted it out and want to do the rest of the kitchen. I stated very firmly that in order to put stuff away, I need to have space in the cupboards in order to do so. If she wasn't prepared to help me then I would make the decision as to what could go and what couldn't and there was nothing that she could do about it. She didn't like this idea and so reluctantly helped. We did have a bit of a row to start with. I'm not sure how it started but she was shouting at me and I had to firmly tell her "Do *not* shout at me". I then told her that if she wants to move to Whitby within five years then she has to de-clutter the house now. She said that Whitby is just a pipe dream and after I told her that it always would be if she wasn't prepared to make changes, she quietened down and got to it. Other than a bit of tension over a cafetiere, it went smoothly and we have been able to collate 7 big boxes of stuff to go to the YMCA. There was even stuff in the cupboards that were wedding presents and have never been opened!

That was basically Mum's role in the big clean-up. I then sorted out the food cupboards and threw out everything that is expired and wiped down the shelves. The cupboards were so full before that stuff kept falling out and we could never find anything. Again, there were duplicates of everything! After cleaning them out, we have 9 black bags full of stuff to go to landfill all with stuff from the cupboards! Unbelievable!
The really gross thing is that we have had mice in the crockery cupboard and there was so much mouse poo! We knew that they had been in there and had laid the traps but they had clearly been around for a while before we saw signs that they were there and the clean that we had done at the time clearly wasn't adequate. I had to use the mini-hoover to get rid of it all and because the cupboards are so deep, practically had to climb in so that I could bleach the bloody thing. All the crockery had to be washed and put back in and there is now some semblance of order that is manageable - the cupboards being deep is a big problem as stuff gets hidden and so the parents (Mum especially) can't find it and so buy a replacement and round and round it goes.

The last thing to do was to sweep the floor and get down on the ol' hands and knees and bleach the floor. Now the kitchen looks great and is presentable to guests whereas before it was an embarrassment. I have the second half to clear which shouldn't take too long. Just laundry that needs doing and putting away, carrier bags that need throwing away and that half of the floor swept and cleaned. Once the kitchen is done, I have got to start on my room again.

Dad and I also have plans to clear the garage so that then we can clear the loft and sort everything out in the garage. Then we can do the rest of the house and store the things that we do need in the loft. I have also found a company that collects everything you are getting rid of and sorts it out. That means that we don't have to sort out stuff for charity and landfill which will save us alot of time. Unfortunately (sort of) Dad is starting work again and this means that we have less time in which to work on it. Still, little and often is the key and at least we're actually bloody doing it.

I had no idea when I started P90X that it would have such a big impact on my personal appearance and well-being to such an extent. I think that it's great that is has also led to me finally facing the house and sorting everything out. I do genuinely believe that the state of a house has a psychological impact on people. I'm also glad that Mum has seen that getting rid of material possessions doesn't mean that you are throwing away your identity and can actually be very therapeutic. Hopefully it will be easier from now on.


Just an update

2nd May 2013




 Well, it's been a while so figured that I'd give an update and keep this diary going.

I've been going out for runs with my Mum and it's not going so well. I was prepared to give it a chance (re running with a partner) but I prefer to run on my own. First off, Mum doesn't understand that when you run 1:1 intervals (1 minute running, 1 minute brisk walking), that it is more important to finish the minute run than to run as fast as you can and get knackered with 20 seconds left. Explaining this to her is like trying to communicate with Martians using only some baked bean cans and a piece of string. Mum is adamant that she can't run that slow and so never finishes the minutes and in short, we are not making progress. I didn't want to enter Race for Life this year anyway as I hated the last one so I don't care if I have to walk the bloody thing.

On the plus side, I have been doing Beach Body's P90X. It's a 90-day challenge which consists of three phases. I don't want to go into too much detail about them but the first phase constitutes:
  1. Chest and Back and Ab Ripper X
  2. Plyometrics
  3. Shoulders and Arms and Ab Ripper X
  4. Yoga X
  5. Legs and Back and Ab Ripper X
  6. Kenpo X
  7. X Stretch/Rest
This is repeated for four weeks until you begin the next phase. This is also in conjunction with a healthy diet plan in which you are guided into eating more protein, less carbs and basically just making better choices. I thought that I would miss my carbs (mainly potatoes) but since learning that potatoes are just starch and don't actually count as one of your five a day, I honestly don't miss them. I also don't miss fizzy drinks although I am getting bored of tap water because it tastes so bloody vile. Still. These changes are for the better and you have to fight for the body you want.

This is actually my third go at P90X having suffered two false starts. Still perseverance and consistency are key.

I do enjoy P90X and since the workouts are about an hour each, it's only 4% of my day. When I don't feel like it, I'll remember this and I'm sure that I'll get the workout done. It's amazing how quickly I improve as well. I feel stronger and fitter and I was actually able to hold myself in a decline push-up position (and managed 1/2 a push-up. Woo!), a plank and my press-ups and chair-dips are improving all the time. In short, I have lost 2lbs since Monday. Go me!

I am due to finish the first phase at the end of May and I shall probably give another update then. I am feeling really good about this and have a wedding to slim down for for 2014. I *will* be wearing a dress and I *will* be able to wear a bikini for the first time.

Ah, bliss

25th February 2013

“You focus your mind to train your body and the changes that begin to take place impact your mind as well. Dream it, believe it, and you will achieve it.”
 - Unknown

Well, I wasn't sure if I was going to go for a run today as I have been feeling a bit weird (TOTM. Girls will know what that means) and usually, it means that I feel all wobbly and exercising really tires me out and makes my heart pound. I figured that exercise will make me feel better in the long run and that I should give it a go anyway. Mum has been having some trouble with her knee and so she did brisk walking today whereas I did the running.

I was going to run and then wait for Mum to catch up and then do the next run and so on but then I figured that I should take this time for myself and push myself to cover a greater distance. So I basically left Mum behind. It worked and also, my pace has picked up. I turned around and started to run back but on the last three runs, I stopped at 30 seconds, saw how much time I had left and started running again. I then came to a bit of a steep hill and decided that I was going to run to the top of it and carry on running until time was up - even if it killed me. I managed it! And it did nearly kill me. My thigh muscles were really burning and it signaled the end of my running for the day as, by that point, I really was exhausted. Cue a brisk walk back to the car.

The weird thing though is that I have a Garmin which I use to tell me when to run and when to walk. It said that I had only done five runs by the time that I turned around which can't be right. If it is, I am covering one hell of a distance in 60 seconds. Mum and I are both pretty bloody sure that I actually ran 15 times. I'm going to have to upload the data and see what it says. I'm also planning on getting the time that we start the warm-up and then finding out when we finish and we can work it out from that. Still, it was a run, it felt good and I have had one hell of a good scrub down in the shower which I absolutely love.

*edit* Have just checked the data saved on my Garmin and I did 14 runs. Not sure what's going on with the actual device but at least I know that I'm not going mad.

My cross-training on the 'rest' days is going to be P90X as I am a little bored with P90. I'm a little nervous as it's a bit more intense but I am ready for the challenge. Pictures and measurements tomorrow so that I have something for comparison and to aim for. I have a wedding next year and I have to be ready. I want to be able to wear a killer dress.




Have lost 3lbs

21st February 2013

"Any experience can be transformed into something of value. Everything depends on the way you look at things. You cannot have the success without the failures".
 - Unknown

I don't know what I've done differently this week as I feel as though I have been eating like a pig (thanks to the new wholemeal crisps by Walkers) but I have lost 3lbs! I weighed myself on Monday to see if the walking had made a difference to my weight and nothing showed on the scales. My jeans however, which had been feeling a little tight on the waistband, are now more comfortable and I know that my abs are getting stronger. This morning however, I jumped on the scales out of curiosity and voila!

I think that it helps that I make all of our meals from scratch - last night was Herby Chicken Kievs (not a success but I will attempt them again), Lancashire Hotpot on Tuesday and tonight will be Spaghetti Carbonara. I believe that you can eat anything as long as you know what is going into it, use healthy alternatives and control your portions. I feel as though I am not on a diet as I'm not eating anything weird and can still enjoy my meals.

The run yesterday was also different. Mum's knee is still tender and I wasn't feeling great so I suggested that we do one minute of running and three of walking. This actually wasn't a bad idea. I could do the workout despite feeling crappy and was able to focus on keeping my speed up and lengthening my stride in order to engage the muscles at the back of the upper leg (something that misses out when running with a short stride). I can really feel those muscles today so it was obviously of benefit.

I'm about to do the sculpt workout of P90 in order to get some strength training in and get a more rounded workout. I have my cousin's wedding in May of next year as my target and I will get there!

Bye for now x