Week 2 Weigh In - Race to half way!

Phew.  It has been a massive week in this house.  Some really big personal devastation that threatened to de-rail me over the weekend, but aside from one weak moment of comfort eating, I managed to stay on track with my cals (not so much with training :( ) and still lost 900g.  Which brings me under 80kg for the first time in four years!  So, that's a massive mini milestone for me.  Now it is ON like donkey kong to get to 15kg down and the half way point for my 30 by 30 goal.  So, how quick do you think I can lose 2.9kg guys? :D

Doing my step class this morning had me mulling the many benefits of classwork over solo gym sessions or home DVDs (which can all be awesome too, of course).  For me, it's several things:

• I push myself that little bit harder in a class, because of the implied peer pressure; I don't want others to think I am slacking off.  Of course, today, this lead me to pushing myself so enthusiastically that at one point I missed the step during a jump and landed square on the ass!
• I can quite literally see my goal in front of me, in all the fit, toned and terrific people in the class.  Of course there is a mixture of age and abilities in every class - I like to find someone with the same body type as me, but in much better shape, and use her as my motivation (I am doing this so I can look like that)
• I don't have to "do" anything other than stay for the class and do what I'm told, for as long as I'm told.  There's someone right up there showing me what to do when - it's like packet mix cake; all you do is follow the directions and you know you'll get the result!

That said, tomorrow I can't make it to the pump class, so it'll be a solo weights work out for me!

First Weigh In - Yee Haw!

And if I may toot my own horn just a little - YEE HAW 1KG DOWN!  I was quite surprised, because I fell off the wagon a bit over the weekend - yes Mish, you can stick your boot in my bum, I did have a little bit of a "last hurruh".  I was expecting maybe 500g if I was lucky!

I discovered the most delicious yoghurt yesterday - if you love yoghurt and coffee, The Yoghurt Shop make an absolutely stunning cappucino yoghurt!  Sadly, it's over 200 calories per tub :(.  But, fear not...I'm going to have a crack at reproducing a low fat, lower calorie version with the EasiYo tonight - so far looks like it would work out around 165 cals.  Mmmmmmmmm, coffee yoghurt...

In other news, I made the miraculous discovery that not only do I have triceps, they hurt like hell when I push it at pump the night before.  I've woken up this morning accompanying all my movements with a lilting "owwwww".  Which, I suppose, is good...right?  Good pain, good pain!

Kick off!

Ok guys...this is IT!  Day 1 of the rest of my life and all that.

Breakfast wasn't vastly different to my usual, but that freaky tabouli wrap stole half an hour of my morning getting it all ready - note to self: PRE PREPARE!  I'll have to make sure I go through tomorrow's menu tonight before bed, so I'm more organised.  That said, once I did get down to making it, it was actually super easy and something I think we'll do again.

The wrap was awesomely yummy, but sadly I'm still hungry :(.  I'm still feeling really disorganised and like I haven't really "caught up" with it all, but so far, it's feeling like a good start to the program.  My heart rate monitor arrived this morning, just in time for Body Attack tonight.  I'm a bit daunted by having to hit the gym every night - more because of how much time that's taking out of my evening than anything else!

My first 5km race!

Just before the race

This weekend just gone I achieved my first running goal - completing a 5km course with no walking!  To say I was stoked with myself is a complete understatement.  It was a major milestone for me not just physically, but mentally.

I realised while watching Chanel 10's The Biggest Loser that a big part of my problem has been in my head, not in my legs, lungs or heart!  My body CAN do more than I've been asking of it, if I am prepared to push it.  So, I went into the race with a "no excuses, no buts" attitude.  Not "I am going to try to make it the whole way", but "I will run 5km".  No try.  Just do.

Was it hard?  You bet.  It was the hardest run I've done to date - I've never pushed myself that hard in training before.  In fact, I spent the final 200 meters just visualising myself collapsing on the grass just past the finish line and how awesome that would feel.  For the km prior to that, I was picturing the contestants in the most recent The Biggest Loser episode pulling those City  Rail trains and screaming to myself mentally I am a warrior!

My official time was 40:33.  I'm now training to run a 10km in about 3 months time, but hoping to do at least one more 5km race before then, with a time of 35minutes or less. 

Perspective...

Perspective.  It's a funny thing.  I had a really down day a week or so again - I'd lost over 8kg, and it felt like nobody had noticed.  In fact, to be brutal, most people probably hadn't, other than my constant harping on about it.  And you know why?  From their perspective, I still fit fairly and squarely into the "fat chick" box.

Have you ever noticed how we tend to categorise people?  Men and women, blonde and brunette, child and adult, fat and thin.  It's an essential instinct built in to our brains, to stop them from becoming overwhelmed.  So when you're waiting to meet your 170cm, slender girlfriend for a coffee, it's much easier to keep an eye out for her if your brain is shutting out anything not in the "female, tall, slender" categories.

And let's face it, even at 8kg down, with over 22kg to go...I'd still be firmly in the "fat chick" filter of most people's brains.  And that felt extremely depressing.

BUT!  From MY perspective...

• Being puffed now means I'm working hard at training, not getting out of breath just living my life
• I've bought three new pairs of pants in the last month, and dropped a size
• I eat better food that doesn't leave my body feeling sluggish and lethargic

So.  This is MY weight loss journey for ME and I need to start looking at my progress from MY perspective.  Not anyone else's and whatever filters their brain might need to apply.  I'm going to keep reminding myself that weight loss is about what changing my body means to me, my life and my family.