The gym go-er who can’t do a sit up.

Well I’m back! After many weeks of being quiet on the blogging front then i’m back to annoy you all! The joys of doing shift work/night shifts means that ‘normal routines’ such as eating, sleeping and living are a thing of the past. The weight loss progression has come to a bit of a standstill, probably something to do with too much wine, pizza and making bad choices. As of last week, I’m back on track. Back to the gym and back to eating tofu. And we all know how much I love eating tofu! Not. You’d think that after a dose of illness/gastroentertis I would be a size 10 already! It would apear not….

I’ve been trying to get to the gym as often as possible between working and sleeping, it’s difficult when my only desire to stay home and watch scrubs whilst lounging aroung in my pj’s. To sayI enjoy the gym when i’m there would be a very loose term to use, however I’m not disliking it as much as when I first joined. The skinny women clad in lycra don’t phase me as much as when I first joined. I found blocking them out with my music too loud definitely helps!

When I first joined the gym I could barely do 5 minutes on the cross trainer, stationary bikes or rowing machines. Still not much better however slowly improving. Last week I booked a personal trainer session to see one of the trainers this morning. After much psyching myself up, wanting to chicken out and cancel, I finally made it to the gym. Only for my trainer to cancel half an hour late! He had probably heard how unfit I was, There was me thinking he looked up for a challenge!

I managed to grab a last minute personal trainer session with one of the trainers who was available. I stupidly didn’t even catch her name, for now I shall call her sadistic-she-who-inflicts-pain-and-takes-my-money-for-the-right-to-do-so. Alarm bells should have been ringing when the simple question of ‘what did you want to work on?’ sounded ominous. An hour later and walking like John Wayne I have learnt 2 main things. 1) My core strength is aweful! I really need to work on this before heading back to see her next week. And 2) She may be female but she put me through my paces! (I have since learnt her name is Rebecca, and in all seriousness she is lovely. I’m just weak!)

Being weak seems to be a theme at the gym. It’s embarassing when I can’t even do a proper sit up. I wish I had some genuine reason as to why I needed the trainer to help get me off the mat, but being realistic and honest it’s because i’m fat. And unfit. It’s embarassing when you think people are staring and judging. How do other people manage to do core strength exercises and still have a conversation at the same time?!

So before she takes my money next week for the liberty of inflicting pain once again, I really must practice my sit ups. Get off the sofa, out of mypj’s and turn scrubs off. Time to get the gym ball out!

 

 

Searching for the elusive sweat free exercise….

Beetroot red and looking like I’ve run a marathon in the tropics is never a good look, so is there such thing as the sweat free exercises?

As my calf is still painful the gym is a no go at the moment so I reacquainted myself with the swimming pool. A win win situation, although as previously mentioned I was more moby the beached whale than Tom Daley! Surprisingly though I expected a lot more water to leave the pool when I got in!

All was going well until my lane was taken over by a bunch of preschool munchkins…. Out of 3 pools, the lanes were taken over by swimming lessons. Cue grumpy me…. Needless to say next time I Will be heading to swim much earlier!

Back to the gym tomorrow prior to my nightshifts. Wish me luck!

5lb march challenge completed!

5lbs to lose in 4 weeks seems doable I thought to myself, but then I forgot about my friends birthday, st Patricks day and a multitude of other calorific temptations! Well, I did it anyway. 5lb lost in not a month, but THREE weeks!

Starting weight 178lbs.
Week 1 – 2lb. 176lbs.
Week 2 – 2lb. 174lbs.
Week 3 – 1lb. 173lbs.

So even with our patron saint of Guinness trying to tempt me away I still hit my target. I have noticed that the more I lose the harder the weight is to come off. So my next target Will be more realistic and a smaller amount. Perhaps 4lb during April? Who knows! I’ve added a little progress photo from last night. No laughing, i was squinting and tipsy!

Excuse the fact that the other half has half a head!

After injuring myself running across the road the other day I’ve come to the conclusion that the gym might not be the brightest idea, apparently I have either pulled or torn a muscle in my calf which has resulted in me walking around like the hunchback of notre Dames slightly more attractive relative, so instead I shall dig out the lycra suit of embarrassment and head down the swimming pool. Why are swimming costumes so unflattering?! Lets see how much water leaves the pool when I get in….

5lb march challenge. 4lb down, 1lb to go….

I have an owie! And I can’t blame it on the gym! Yesterday I ran across the road and as I did I felt as if someone had twanged an elastic band in my calf. This morning I can just put my foot on the floor. Oww!

This month I wanted to lose 5lb as a mini challenge. So far running up to week 3 I have lost 4lb…. 1lb to go!

Tomorrow is judgement day! Trying to be hopeful as I’ve been saintly!

The 5lb march challenge.

During march I have set myself the challenge to lose 5lb. Well a third of the month has passed and so far I am 4lb down! Dare I say it but I think I have this in the bag! After a weightloss plateau over the last few weeks im over the moon that a change in exercise routine and calorie intake has made such a difference.

To say I have eaten clean would be a lie, last weekend I ate takeout pizza (it was delicious!) and this weekend I went out for a friends birthday where far too many calories were consumed (and thoroughly enjoyed) with alcohol. I make such bad choices when drinking. It is NEVER acceptable to eat a greasy kebab with the same nutritional value as cardboard so why do I find myself transforming into a woman possessed with the thought of grease-laden meat products post wine?!

Although Perhaps I haven’t eaten as clean as I should have I have found myself at the gym and pushing myself harder than before. I have never claimed to be someone who eats clean and drinks kale and beetroot smoothies, I work hard but I also make mistakes. I love pizza, I drink too much and most of the time I exercise too little, at times I slip up but eventually you Will see me on Britain and Irelands next top model…. Only joking!

2 weeks to go and only 1lb left, maybe I should eat pizza more often?!

The worlds worst vegetarian…

Can you be vegetarian but still eat meat? No? Oh, that’s me failed then!

I set myself a mini challenge this week of going vegetarian to help with the weight loss. I failed. Turns out chorizio is meat, as is beef, and chicken. Oops! So it appears that having a fridge stocked full of meat is not the best time to go meat free.

Although I am using the meat as the supporting actor in the dish rather the the leading man, I feel this mini challenge would be more suitable to start once I have gotten rid of all carnivorous temptations. For example, seared beef with my sushi today and 40g chicken with my vegetable stew.

The gym seems to be going well. Well as well as can be when encountering the perspiration machines of torture and pain. How can anyone actually enjoy this?! My levels of fitness are still really poor, today I managed 15 minutes on the cross trainer/elliptical trainer, 15 minutes on the stationary rowing machines as well as bicep curls, tricep extensions, calf stretches and abdomen crunches. It doesn’t seem much however today I built up a sweat. Yes that’s right, a real proper sweat, and not just one of those girly perspiration ones. Guess I must have done something right!

The accidental vegetarian conquers the meat eater.

As an avid and hearty meat eater I find myself contemplating becoming a vegetarian for the next week or so to see what impact it would have on my weight loss. Excluding a few years during my teens where I was repulsed by the thought of red meat, I have always been partial to anything that eats grass or was lower than me in the food chain, of course not forgetting our fishy friends! A veggie big mac or meat free steak and chips doesn’t quite have the same appeal! So why go vegetarian? Well, when I spent a week going meat free previously I saw the weight dropping off. I almost doubled my previous weight loss in just 1 week! Whilst I Will be giving up meat completely this week, I shall continue to eat fish. The thoughts of surviving on salad and lentils is enough to make me cave in and put dominos pizza on speed dial. It looks like this week will be full of yet more tofu and quorn.

This gym thing is kicking my butt!

Yesterday I completed my gym induction. Harmless enough I thought to myself as the trainer was showing me how to control the machines of perspiration and pain. (cross trainer, rowing machine, treadmill etc for those mad enough to enjoy fitness.) All was well in good until the trainer wanted to show me how the treadmill could increase in inclined speed,now do I look like a bloody runner to you?! Last night Worked another night shift, great in theory until 6am this morning when I seemed to have perfected my impression of robo cop…. after 5 years or more of not attending the gym, my body is now punishing me. Must be mad though, as back to do it all again tomorrow!

Gym 1 – Kerry 0

2 1/2 stone down and i’ve realised that although I have managed this so far with diet alone, I have finally come to the realisation that salad by itself will not give me the toned tummy and less than flabby thighs that I aspire for. It’s time to admit defeat and re-aquaint myself with the dreaded cross trainer and exercise bike.

So this morning I joined a gym. It’s going to end in tears.

First problem encountered. I don’t own trainers. Hmmm. I wonder if I’d get funny looks if I was to attempt the treadmill in heels? Lets be honest, throw me in a shoe shop and the likelyhood of picking up a pair of running shoes over something that has a 5 inch heel and glitters is as likely as me fancying salad instead of a dominos meat feast with stuffed crust. Crazy!

Next thing I find myself in a sports shop of all places. Do you know how many different types of trainers there are? After much deliberation I am now the ‘proud’ owner of a pair of Reebok easytone trainers Apparantly the moving air technology in the base of the shoe helps with stability and strenghtening muscles. Unfortunately for me they will NOT lengthen my legs so I no longer look like i’ve been squashed!

As well as this I am also the owner of gym clothes and a sports bra. I have never felt so supported in all my life, why did noone tell me about this before?! For the first time in 15 years I can jump up and down without the fear of giving myself a black eye! Would a sports bra upon a sports bra be a little excessive? Perhaps a little bit of a passion killer but it’s taken me years to work out how to strap these bad boys down….

Gym induction is at 9am tomorrow. As I have previously said, this WILL end in tears.

still around, starting to submit to the calorie monsters…

so Im still around and haven’t completely fallen off the wagon. work has been manic recently and in the times where I finish late and don’t grab a proper break I have found myself reaching for the vending machine to grab a bar of chocolate. It’s only happened a couple of times but that’s a couple of times too many.

This week, I WILL buy a new battery for my scales as I have no idea what’s going on with my weight at the moment. I WILL go food shopping and stock my cupboards back up, and WILL get more organised in my meal planning. no more slacking.