VTG Week 1

Yesterday marked the end of the first week of my Virtual Training Group with PT Mollie and 13 other willing victims friendly participants (including a London-based fitness blogger I love, mainly because her life is wonderful, stylish escapism).

Thoughts so far?

Good for hitting the goals I've set.
Some really friendly, diverse and interesting people taking part.
I like the weekly recipe idea/inspirational thoughts so far.

One problem though is that my goals did not include me calorie counting AKA not eating too much, which I'm really struggling with. Although I lost 1.6lbs this week, I really think that was lucky fluctuation. Although I'm not going to change my weight loss goal to calorie based yet (24/7 calorie counting wears me out!) I think I just need to stay mindful that excess calories = not fulfilling goal no.1 = feeling embarrassed when I weigh in on Mondays.

One goal I am going to change is getting to sleep before 11pm, because jumping in bed at 10:50 and thinking "I am in bed! This totally counts!!" does not, in reality, count. So 11 is changing to 10:30pm.

Yesterday's stats (last week's in brackets 'cause I didn't blog them):

Weight - 192.4lbs (194lbs)

% Body Fat - 29.5 (29.3)

% muscle mass - 35.4 (35.5)

BMI - 26.1 (26.3)

Waist - 33in (no change)

Hips - 44in (no change)

Hoping the small rise in body fat and loss in muscle mass are just ein kleiner blip (yep my adjectives come out German sometimes).

In other news: WHEN WILL IT BE SUMMER? I NEED HEAT AND SUN!!

Anyone else struggling with darkness + rain + wanting to eat like it's time to hibernate?

I can't dance

dance with you baby no more.

But more importantly I can't dance in my dance lessons. Most of the time I ignore this but today it just got to me.

Overall lesson here? Don't go to dance class when you're getting over a head cold that has made you feel constantly dizzy, coz spins plus zero balance equals fail.

When usually dancing I look at the chilled out professional dancer instructor lady and genuinely feel like when we grin at each other she gets that I'm saying "I know I'm bad, you know I'm bad, but this is FUN!". Today I got it into my head that it was just her saying "you are such an awkward giant, you seriously make my day with your laughable attempts at dance".

Truths: I am coldly, tired and just feel sorry for myself, and it is entirely me hating on myself not the instructor.

How I actually feel: I am a awkward giant loser.

Focus on the truths!!

Virtually training

So after mulling over Paleo this week I have come to the conclusion I LOVE BREADY CARBS (omg I luuurve them). And I definitely have a problem with sugar. Though I think this mostly revolves around my inability to sleep.

So I've planned my meals this week to be Paleo and I'm just going to see how the sugar cravings go. I realised one of my favourite healthy snack bars - Nakd Cocoa Loco bar -  is  paleo (I think, it's gluten free but has oats) so that will be my go to when I get desperate!

0% wheat 100% om nom nom

 Last week I was especially bad on the sugar because I got to three gym classes (includig bodypump and spinning, the pain) but consistently failed on the bed before 11pm plan so woke feeling like "GIVE ME CAFFEINE AND SUGAAAAAAR!" No surprise I lost zero weight thanks to this but my gym trips still get a mega-yay, especially because I discovered the Thursday Bodypump instructor is really friendly and pushes everyone in a non-intimidating/terrifying way, so I will be making an effort to gt to her class again.

I'm hoping to curbing the bad sleeping this week as to help with my accountability I'm starting a free Virtual Training Group (VTG) with PTMollie. Not something I've done before but I'm really hoping this will help bring focus to my weightloss and exercise goals that will continue on in to the rest of the year.

Mollie asked us to set 3 to 5 goals to work on weekly during the VTG (which ends 18th March) and reflecting on my 2013 goals I've set mine up as:

1. Lose 1.5lbs a week (aka 14lbs by 18th March)

2. Attend one strength-based gym class a week

3. Get to sleep before 11pm three nights a week

4. Run three times a week

5. Walk to work 3 times a week

The walking to work thing isn't in my previous goals but something I really need to start doing as my work is an easy 40 minute walk from home (which is pretty good for a London commute) and I do feel like a lazy bum when I tell people I get the bus in the morning. 

My stats for starting the VTG (using my body analyser scales and confirmed with online calculators) are:

Height 6ft 0in (obvs)

Weight - 192.4lbs

% Body Fat - 29.3

BMI - 26.1 (so near to healthy range!!!!!)

Waist - 33in

Hips - 44in (0.75 waist to hips ratio = low heart disease risk = #winning...if we ignore how large my hips are...all my junk is in my trunk, yay for pear shapes)
 

Not sure how this week is going to pan out as I'm currently sat on my bum at home, with an awful cold (my sinuses hate me!!) but I'll keep you updated...

Ever tried any form of online training before? I'm really excited for the accountability aspect and cheering others on!

Paleo

Can I do it?

Should I do it?

Will I do it?

I just don't know!!

Erm what iz zis paleo buziness anyway my friend?

So basically you eats like a caveman, no grains, no refined sugars, no dairy, no alcohols.  Basically you eats all the meat and all the veg.

I am now singing Paleo over the song to an old Cheerios advert. Because I am cool.

Pale-oats! Pale-corn!

Pale-rice and wheat!

It's nutritious and delicious

Pale-o-so-good to eat!

Things that are allowed in the Paleo diet = not Cheerios. FAIL.

Drink, booze, sauce, alcohol

[source]

I'm abstaining from it this month.

Two main reasons why - monies and calories.

Also my mum wants to cut down for the calorie reason so we are showing each other some solidarity, AKA moaning at each other when we want a drink and coming up with nice non-drink alternatives (I had an absolutely fabulous apple juice the other night darlings).

P.s. I dreamt about drinking beer the other night...weird

P.p.s The whole trying to sleep at sensible times thing isn't going great, it's gone 5am and I have work tomorrow. Damn.

Hello 2013

So many delicious and delightful hopes and dreams for 2013, and only 12 months until the next year is upon us!

I will admit I may be having a "quarter life crisis". I blame my sister for threatening to travel overland to Australia this year, thus bringing a whole lot of thoughts to the surface....
"I haven't travelled enough! I can't wear a bikini yet! I can't travel without wearing a bikini! I like my job/London life do I really want to travel?! I just don't know blargh! scary! gah!"

So to alleviate myself of this fear and confusion, I've decided to pick out all the things I want to do/areas I want to work on this year and for each make three tiered goals, that I will return to monthly and tick off/revise where appropriate. The levels I have aimed these at are :
1. easyish (I just need to get off my bum and do it)
2. tricky (this will take some effort/organisation/it scares me a little)
3. hard and scary sh*t (self explanatory)

WARNING, LONG LIST AHEAD

Let's do this! *gulp*

Weight loss
1. Get to sub-180lbs.
2. Lose a stone by my birthday (20 March).
3. Reach goal weight of 168lbs this year (12 stone).

Running
1. Attend local parkrun once a month (ties in well with my sleeping goals as this is early Saturday mornings!)
2. Run a sub-60min 10k race.
3. Run another (hopefully sub-2.5hour) half marathon.

Non-running exercise
1. Find somewhere to replace my current gym - whether another gym or regular classes somewhere
2. Attend one strength class  OR a new sport (or one I haven't done in ages) a month
3. Book a triathlon race (race can be next year but training must start this year).

Creativity - This definitely fell by the wayside in 2012!
1. Buy a sketching and writing book and finish it
2. Attend at least one sketching (scary) and sewing class (not scary but expensive)
3. Make a dress (that looks nice!) using my sewing machine

Languages - another passion that died in 2012
1. Start a German class/find a German speaking group
2. Start a new language (and decide which one!)
3. Go on holidays that involve me speaking German and the new language

Travelling
1. Go to at least 3 cities in Europe I haven't been to before (including Paris, can include UK cities) 
2. Arrange California trip with J OR (if J chickens out) organise first ever skiing trip with friends
3. During October sit down and have an honest conversation with myself about how work and life is going and if I want to start seriously organising a world trip/year in Australia

Sleep
1. Be in bed and go to sleep at 11pm at least two week nights a week
2. Go to sleep at 11pm at least one night a weekend
3. Go to a pre-work exercise class

Room
1. Paint side table
2. Buy a wardrobe
3. Move piano from parents' to flat

Now just to hit the Publish button...

Goodbye 2012

You were certainly a mixed year.

On the running and weight loss front I would say you were 80% awesome. I lost around a stone and ran (most of) 13 whole miles, boom tings!

And I did that in a year with two incidents of a hospitalised family member (both fine now thankfully), two crazy boy situations (crazy boys are a new experience for me) and the first year of my favourite job to date.

So what do I want from 2013?

Short answer: LOTS.

Long answer? I probably need another post to cover all of this... *breaks into a (less bratty) rendition of  Veruca Salt's "I want it all" from Willy Wonka*


Anyhoo, for now 2013 so far equals sparklers!

Drunkenly waving fire sticks around - the best way to bring in a new year