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Monday, October 31, 2011

Not much to report

Not much of a change in weight this week, I wasn't expecting much because of the big lose last week, just a couple of hundred grams.

On a different note I've been making a fitness/healthy eating/inspiration board on Pinterest. You can look at it here.

Some of the best things I've found are:

A Couch to 5k treadmill program (which I started this week)
This motivating quote "I never regret it when I do, but I always regret it when I don't". It what I think of when I'm thinking about whether I should work out or not.
This smart snacking list.
This girls weight loss website.

Hopefully when I report in next week I'll have something more exciting to post about.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Back on Track

Well, I did it. I met my first new short term goal. I lost 1 kg this week and now weigh... 89.3 kgs!! ^_^
I'm SO happy with myself! It is so good to feel like I'm making progress again!

So, here I am. I've decided to take a photograph every time I reach on of these goals, so I have a visual record of my progress.

When you're losing weight gradually, it can be difficult to notice the changes in your appearance. So I thought a photo diary of my progress would be another way of keeping motivated.

I've been working out pretty hard with this new burst of motivation. And I am beginning to notice an improvement in my level of fitness, which is pretty pleasing, and also makes me want to push myself further, to get even better.

With my new routine, I get up and do a cardio workout on the treadmill in ther morning four days a week.

I've been doing some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Which is workout method which improves your results in short sessions by increasing your resting metabolic rate to burn more fat.

I'm no scientist, so I don't really know how it works, all I know is that it speeds up your metabolism, which can only be a good thing, right?

What you do is combine intervals of pushing yourself to the extreme of your capability and periods of recovery. It should be done at a ratio of 2:1, I do 2 minutes of fast walking and one minute of running. So my work out plan looks like:

  1. 5 minute warm up.
  2. HIIT for 20 minutes (running then walking at the above ratio, repeated).
  3. 5 minute cool down. 
As a part of my goal to get back on the weight loss track I combine the morning work out with a visit to the gym in the afternoon five days a week.

Now that I have reached this goal, it is time to set a new one. One that I can achieve. It's better to set something that you can do, and possibly exceed, than something unattainable that will only leave you feeling disappointed.

So, I would like to lose 5 kgs and I think I should be able to do this at a rate of half a kilo a week.
I should reach this goal, of weighing less than 85 kgs, by 25/12/11 (Christmas Day!).
This may seem like a long way away, but I know I'm no always going to have big losses like I did this week, and some weeks I may slip up and gain instead of lose.


85 kgs is what I weighed when I was in high school. And here is a photo of me in a last year of high school, (I'm hoping that the beautiful velour coat will distract you from the fact that I am about to eat that packet of chips...)

I would be great to be that size again (and eventually smaller). Lets hope I meet this goal!!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

It's been a while...

Well, I haven't been here is a while, 4 months to be exact.
My motivation has been pretty low, and the diet has been slipping.

But I am determined to get back on track! To lose more weight, to feel healthier and get rid of the back pain!

My weight has been fluctuating in my absence, but at the moment sits at 90.3kg, just over a kilo lower than when I last checked in.

I've started keeping a record of my food intake again, watching my calories, but also making sure I have a healthy balance of protein, carbs and fat. I'm making sure I drink plenty of water and watching the salt intake.

I have also boosted my work out routine, I've started doing cardio when I get up in the morning and going to the gym of an afternoon.

I am also going to start using this blog again, keeping a diary to keep me motivated, and setting small, realistic goals to meet every month. Things I can achieve.

When I started this weight loss journey a year ago, I weighed 105kgs. I've lost 14.7kgs, my goal weight is 70kgs, so I have just over 20kgs to go.

My first new short term goal is to break the 90kg barrier. To lose 0.4kgs. I want to do that by this time next week. I want to jump on the scales next weekend and see that I weigh something in 89kgs area.
And that is what I am going to visualise every time I feel tempted to sleep in instead of exercising, or eat cake instead of a healthier snack.

So, expect to see more of me, and hopefully the weight will start moving (off my body) again!