Oh oh tomorrow is weigh day!

Well I have been avoiding updating my "journey" for the past two weeks as am now only just feeling better and have not been following my "everything in moderation" mantra over the Christmas period.

I have not been terrible, but I have not been great either. On the upside I did not stuff myself so full that I had to roll out of my chair. On the downside we had two Christmas' this year, at my in-laws on the day and at my Dad's with step family on Boxing day. One Christmas is MORE than enough. Next year will be great when Miss knows what is going on instead of getting upset at the constant stream of toys opened in front of her then taken away for the next one, never getting to actually play with them.

Then there was my sister in-laws 21st birthday party that we all spent two days in the kitchen for. I made a two tier chocolate and banana cake with pink and white fondant icing. More food.

Last night I went for the first run in about two weeks, not terrible but not great either. Better than when I started. Am a little nervous about tomorrow as it is the first of the month and my declared weigh day. I will be pleased to have not gained, a loss would be a bonus.

Urgghhh! TMI?

Ok so this may be a little more than anyone wants to know but I shall be vague. These last two weeks I have been on medication for digestive issues. Have had them for over 12 years now but finally had enough and went back to the doctor to demand something be done.

I have felt great this last week but oh oh! Yesterday evening not even two days after finishing the meds my tummy is bloated swollen and painful. Worse than it has been in months. So Back to the doctor tomorrow.

Worse is that I tried to go for a run today and just felt heavy, slow and blah! Totally different from last the last week or so.

Stepping it up!

Party over here! because I just tried out my first 6.5km run that's 3 more than I have been running and although it was tougher it felt good. Next time I should remember to wear sunscreen because my shoulders are looking a little pink now.

Okay so step 1 was to start running again as part of my improved fitness goal, check, step 2 was to step it up a notch and go a little further, check. Next up will be the 9.5km route I have already planned out, then the 12.5km route, lastly step 5 is the race dum dum dum. I know I can do it the question is will I do it?

Fake Food

With the idea that I am aiming for a healthier lifestyle rather than a short term diet or eating plan (no offence to others, whatever works for you I say) I have taken a closer look at my food. Especially processed and refined foods and the treatments and additives these foods under go.

I have concerns over the widespread use of additives and preservatives used in convenience foods. Now I am not just meaning ready made meals of the heat and eat variety. But almost every pre-packaged foodstuff that comes home from the supermarket. Jars of pasta sauce, loaves of bread, sweetened boxes of cereal, condiments and the list goes on.

Back in high school a friend heard a rumour about cheeseburgers from a leading fast food chain. The rumour was that a cheeseburger untouched for a year would result in the burger being the same as the day it was purchased. He decided to conduct his own experiment. He purchased a cheeseburger and left it untouched on top of a cupboard for a year. When it was time to unwrap, the burger was indeed as purchased... almost. It had shrunken slightly and was hard. But otherwise the same. No mould, no rotting, no nothing. I saw this with my own eyes. This can't be healthy for us.

I am setting myself another goal, to use only products with few ( I am realistic in this modern age) or preferably no ingredients that sound like they came out of a laboratory rather than a farm or orchard. This may mean a little more of my time is spent reading labels and making my own convenience foods and stocking up the freezer.

First weigh in pics

I know that it is hard to tell how you look just by looking in a mirror. How often have I thought that I looked fine only to later see pictures taken and be shocked or horrified. These I thought were actually better than my mental image for once. Shocking I know but in a good way!

Weigh In #1

Ok so its the first of the month which means that this is the day I decided to do my first weigh in. Alright I admit that I peeked a couple of times, I couldn't wait, and it felt good to see the number on the scale. Who knew that I would ever say or feel that! So here goes, the number on the dial read 81kg tah dah! That is about 4kg less than when I started this slightly less than a month ago.

Great right! I know that my weight loss will probably slow down a little but what great motivation. Also when I went for my run last night I felt like it was getting a little easier. I could still breathe when I turned around at the end of the road so... I pushed a little harder and it felt good. Good to go a little faster, good to feel my legs moving, good to watch the trees pass by.

Family matters

A worrying trend in my family has been that weight gain has been normal. All my life my family has struggled with their weight. My Grandma was an amazing woman who died too early from a heart attack after being over weight for too many years. Several of my relatives have type 2 diabetes from excessive weight and an unhealthy lifestyle. Another has had gastric bypass surgery with fantastic results but now needs more surgery to remove all the excess skin.

One of my biggest worries for my daughter is that she will see what we do and copy us. I do not want to continue the cycle with her. I do not want her to think that it is normal for two people to eat a family sized block of chocolate in an hour. Or continue eating until it is not possible to fit any more in. Or to eat when you are bored, stressed or lonely.

The best thing I can do for her to set a good example, but will it be enough?

Oh what a week!

It was a memorable week just gone but not for the best reasons. Our dog ate something stupid last Sunday and was rushed off to the vet with suspected poisoning. Come Monday she was still having seizures but was much better and it was expected they would disappear during the day. As the day progressed they did not and it was back to the vet for a stay on Monday night too. What was a nervous experience for a much loved family pet cost us almost $600 but it was worth it.

My husband works in the media and with the Pike River mine explosion on Friday afternoon a team had been sent to cover events. Saturday morning he got a call asking for the equipment they needed and had left behind. So a 250ish km trip to Greymouth ensued and an unexpected stay at my in-laws place on the West Coast. My best wishes to all the miners that are still underground and their families.

While on the coast I went for a run.... in the rain... with hills urghhh. My butt is still sore. While I am still a long  way from being able to claim that I am fit and healthy, I didn't feel like dying which has to be a good thing. We even went for a walk around the waterfront in the afternoon too.

Before I became pregnant I confess that I had just lost about 15kg mostly through going to the gym three times a week. It was hard work. Then I found out I was pregnant and spent about two months lying on the couch with morning sickness, indigestion and heartburn. Meaning that I didn't want to eat but knew I would feel better if I did. But I had to be careful because if I ate the wrong foods I would feel worse. So I lived for a while mostly on peanut butter on toast and milk. Not the most nutritious fare long term and not surprisingly I was huge by 40 weeks.

I wonder if my activity levels prior to baby have affected my weight loss now. I know that it feels easier to run now than it did when I started losing weight before I had the baby.

Of course I am also still breastfeeding (thanks Hannah for your comments) so I am aware that is the equivalent to around two hours of exercise per day. I have done a fair amount of net surfing to gather info and research on breastfeeding and weight loss. Which means that know I have to careful with my nutrition so that I can support the both of us and hopefully continue to slim down.

Zumba class, oh my!

First Zumba class was last night in our local community hall. So my MIL and SIL and I decided to go along to see what all the fuss was about. What looks like a really easy dance class is super fun and has left my butt aching from all the squats in disguise.

I did not realise how much cardio is involved in latin/salsa dancing, I must remember to bring a towel and a drink along next time. My heart was definitely pumping along to the beat. More surprisingly I did not have two left feet or co-ordination issues. Usually only half my body does what I want it to, either my legs or my arms. I usually choose legs so I don't crash into the poor people next to me.

I love to dance, my husband not so much. This may be my new outlet for all those dancing urges I sometimes experience that cause me to start shaking it in the living room.

Eating stress for breakfast, lunch and dinner

There is an interesting concept that I have been thinking about for a while, and I admit to having been introduced to it through watching Oprah on daytime television. So sue me I am a stay at home mum at the moment. I digress, the idea is that any person can simply look at me to find out how my life is going. The fatter I am the more stressed or unhappy my life is at that point. Conversely the thinner I am the better everything seems to go and has gone.

In a nutshell, eating not for hunger or even boredom ( of which I am also *cough* guilty) but to suppress feelings, relieve stress or ease tension. I always thought I didn't get stressed but now am wondering how much of my stress I have eaten over the years. How many of the stressful situations in my life have resulted in weight gain? From my recollections pretty much all of them.

Two down a gazillion to go

Ok so have been running twice thus far. Both have been successes from my point of view. My naturally stubborn nature has not allowed me to quit. So by continuing  to put one foot in front of the other, even though it sometimes really hurts ( I got blisters), I am proud of my achievement.

By achieving this small milestone I already feel a little better about myself. BIG smiles.

Distance wise it was 3.5km long during which I briefly paused mid way before turning back to catch my breath. My face may have beetroot red but I did it and it can only get easier. That is until I extend the distance several more times to reach my 12km goal.

I have a goal!

Crazy you may think, and yes I probably am, but I used to love running in my late teens. That was before the extra 30 kilo's and now a baby. I was a pudgy overweight child that turned into a pudgy overweight teen. But at 17 I got fed up and started running. Well actually it was more of a stumbling wheezing jog/walk at first but that soon changed. Suddenly I was proud of my body and dare I say it hot. I managed to maintain this more or less for a few years before a slow decline back to pudgy-ville.

My baby girl is 5 months old next week and it's time to do something about the state of my body. I can live with a bit of a belly, wobbly thighs and jiggly arms. I do not love them, but I can live with them. I however hate back fat with a passion, I will do almost anything to hide the offending rolls of flesh under my bra. Not surprisingly nothing really works. I have tried the super tight sucky in under pants that stop inconveniently  under the bust. Great for the tummy and bum, terrible for back fat. The only solution is diet and exercise (wop wop).

My goal is this: we have a yearly fun run in our city called the City to Surf it is a 12km run/walk from the city centre to the seaside.  I have no illusions of crossing the finish line first. I just want to cross the finish line! The date is the 27th march 2011 which is about four and a half  months away.

So I will track both my weight loss and fitness here for a little extra motivation. I also plan to attempt adaptation of some of my favourite recipes, and more importantly portion control for a more figure friendly me.