Frustration

Well, I say frustration. I've put on a pound in the last month. Although I'm really frustrated, I have had 2 weekends away in that month. I've exercised like a demon to counteract it but obviously it just wasn't quite enough. So, frustration more that I'm not 20 any more and can party at a weekend and still lose weight!

So, do I give up? Well no, that's not really going to help get into a fab dress for my 40th. A bit of regrouping is needed I think.  Looking at the numbers, there's 11 weeks left and 14 1/2 pounds to go. It is doable though admittedly tricky. But at least if I try I might not quite get the 14 1/2 but may get 10.

My downfall lately has been my social life. I have so much on socially at the moment; every weekend is taken up with seeing friends. What I need to do is approach these a little differently; if I give up seeing the friends I'll have no one left to see me in the fab dress!

So, it's not a failure, it's a rethink. Social life stays but watch the alcohol and no desserts. Keep on with the exercise. Think I'll go back to weekly weigh ins too to keep an eye on things.

Hopefully this time next week it'll be better news.

Week 4 Weigh In - The Wall

So, end of month 1. This morning's weigh in wasn't too bad: 1lb off equaling 6 in total. I also did my monthly waist measurement and have lost 1 1/2 inches. I'm now going to fortnightly weigh ins. Just find that as the weight loss slows,  it's more motivating to see a 2 week loss than a 1 week.

This week's been fine. Must admit I've found myself hungry a few times but I've managed to curb cravings.

Exercise wise I've found I have a wall I keep hitting. Find it hits either halfway through my cardio at the gym or halfway through a dog walk. I just get the feeling that my legs don't work anymore and want to give up. It's hard work pushing through that wall but I've kept pushing and eventually got there.

I'm not too well today so all planned exercise has been postponed for a day's resting (well, apart from an impending college deadline!). One thing as a heart patient you learn to do is listen to your body and mine is telling me to slow down a bit. However hopefully be up and back in the gym tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who's donated so far. Now at 75% of my target which is brilliant. I'm hoping to get a few more sponsors and actually smash that target!

1 stone to go... ;-)

Week 3 Weigh In - Definitely A Tortoise

Weigh in this morning and I've lost 1 1/2lbs this week. TBH I was a bit disappointed as I've started to actually see results this week. Clothes are starting to be a bit baggier around my middle which is great, but this didn't show on the scales as much as I'd hoped.

This is why I need to set a challenge. I have never lost weight easily so the progress is always slow. I'm definitely more the tortoise than the hare when it comes to weight loss; but we all know who won that race don't we? ;-)

Food wise has been really good this week. Cooked some lovely meals (Hairy Bikers still not letting me down!) and cut back the fruit so my sugar intake has gone down. Still struggling with the water but have had more than usual and quite a few herbal teas.

And must remember that, at 5lbs in 3 weeks I'm ahead of target so shouldn't be too disappointed. Oh and Xander has got another 2 days at sports club funded by Scope so there's a reason to keep going in itself!

Thanks for all you support. X

Swan Dive (ish!)

Now, as I've mentioned before, I ♥♥♥♥♥ pilates.

I've done pilates on and off for years at home, but last September my friend Susan asked if I fancied goung to a taster session at one of the leisure centres. I thought why not (owt for free!) and I really enjoyed it. 4 months later and I've been going regularly twice a week and can't believe how much it's changed my body.

I do have a bit of a wonky body, what with broken verterbrae, twisted pelvises and achey knees and I always will. But pilates has made them all so much more manageable.  I even have a curve in my lower back for the first time in years!

Pilates is also good for the soul. You stretch, breath and spend an hour just taking everything at a slightly slower pace.

Last night, our instructor gave us an advanced move to do called the swan dive. The idea is that you look elegant whilst performing said maneuver.  Here's how it SHOULD be done:

Now the first part of the exercise I could do and made quite a nice diving action...but then I couldn't rock back again and ended up looking more like this:

Plus I was facing Susan's feet and, no matter how elegant she was, looking at someone from that angle is never flattering. So of course I started laughing so I was more of a flailing hysterical swan than an elegant diving one!

But hey, all that laughing gave my stomach muscles a good workout! ;-)

First Stumbling Block

So  weigh in number 2 today and it wasn't great news - no change. Could have been worse,  could have been a gain, but still a little disappointing for week 2.

Now, I know I've been doing all the right things: been tracking my food, been to the gym 3 times, pilates twice, lots of dog walks and the school run on foot. So, I've had a look at my plan and have tweaked a few things.

Firstly, like I say I'm exercising a lot so am giving myself a bit of a break that I might have gained muscle.

Secondly,  I don't seem to be losing anything from my middle and I'm wondering if that's my fruit consumption. I'm eating between 5 and 7 portions of fruit a day which is great but all that fructose is a sugar after all. And excess sugar converts into fat that tends to be stored round your middle (especially for us apple shapes!). So today I went and bought some veg to snack on instead of fruit and have cut it down to 3 pieces of fruit a day.

Lastly - I need to drink more water! I'm terrible at that and I know it. To ease the pain I've had a couple of herbal teas today as well as buying a litre bottle of water. Step away from Costa Coffee Mrs Gillard.

So, disappointing, but working on a better result next week.

Blood, Sweat & T-Shirts

Scope got in touch with me to ask if I needed anything to help fundraising.  As I'm doing it online I didn't need any paraphernalia but they did send me this t-shirt so I can wear it to the gym and raise awareness. Now maybe I should have taken this picture pre-workout rather than post-workout but at least it's evidence that I'm sweating to reach my target.  ;-)

Week 1 Progress Report

Soooo...

Week 1 over so that meant weigh in this mornng...

3 1/2lbs off!

Not too bad. I've never been one of those people that lose half a stone the first week on a diet so I'll take that 3 1/2 thank you very much.

Must admit these last few days haven't been easy. One of the side effects of my migraine medication is increased appetite and I've really been feeling that since the weekend. Not much I can do but make sure that when I do eat it's healthy and not chocolate and cake!

The exercise has gone well this week: 2 gym sessions, 2 pilates sessions and 3 pretty decent dog walks. I've also done quite a lot of walking on the school run. Must admit I'm feeling much better for it. Need to make more of an effort this week as the dog walks are off as little Miss Rosie has been in for speying so is not allowed out at the moment; so an extra gym session may be needed.

Now, I'm certainly not expecting 3 1/2lbs every week, things will definitely slow down, but it's good to have got started and have a few pounds in the charity bank. :)

Northern Girl Food

Now, up 'ere, up North, we don't go much for your fancy fuddy duddy kind of food. We're a meat and two veg breed which makes any talk of protein shakes or seaweed kelp see us running for t'Pennines (for my non UK readers, that's a big old range of hills that runs up a lot of northern counties)!
 

So joy of joy, did I not do a little skip, hop and jump when my good friend and fellow Northern bird, Marie, recommended this book:
 

 

 

Well if our Si and Dave hadn't only gone and lost weight the Northern way by finding ways to cook kebabs, pies and curries but without the calories (and without replacing the calories with chemicals). It's like a bit of a health kick bible this one (I know Marie worships at its greatness too!).
 

So, what did they go and do? Only brought out another one!
 

  

 

This is now my go to book for family meals. It's healthy stuff that tastes good and none of the fake crap. Last night, Moroccan chicken with cous cous:

Ok, not really northern but bloody good food and that is what pleases us Northern lasses! ;-)

Now For The Serious Bit

So, no gym or pilates today, but did take little Miss Rosie on a 2 mile very muddy and windy walk this morning. Believe it or not I find walking around here more difficult than going to the gym. Which brings me to the serious side of this whole challenge...

I live on a hill and am surrounded by hills. Every time I step out of my door to walk anywhere it involves walking up at least 2 hills. At the gym things are flat and I can exercise on a pretty even surface. Hills are not easy for people with heart conditions...and not when, like me, you have 5 of them (and counting!). It's always the legs that go on hills.

So, a health kick when your health is somewhat compromised. Not easy. Here's what's going against me:

● 5 said cardiac conditions (would list them but can only spell 2 of them!)
● 1 scarred lung
● Scar tissue which minimises circulation and movement to one arm
● A fractured vertebrae that's never healed properly so causes daily back pain
● A wonky pelvis
● Lots of medication that have the side effects of tiredness, dizziness and an increased appetite
● And not forgetting the partridge in a pear tree!

Hmmm. Not easy at all. However, you see too often people like myself with illness and disabilities who just give up. The easy thing to do would be to say 'I can't do it therefore I shall just sit here and rot'. But where does that get you? When the RSPCA find a sick animal in the street what do they do? They do their best to get that animal as fit and well as possible, they dont just leave it. It's the same with disabilities - you have to work with what you've got.

So, all that aside, here's what I do have going for me:

● I CAN actually get out of the house and do something. I'll never run a marathon but I can walk a muddy dog!
● I have found a great pilates teacher who is helping that wonky pelvis and vertebrae.  I can't touch my toes and never will but I can aim for the shins!
● I have medication side effects, but that same medication means I can get out of bed on a morning
● I might have limitations in my arm, but I can still use my arm for most things, especially things I love like crafting
● It's now January so don't have to worry about the partridge or pear tree for another 11 months! :-P

Seriously, the last few years have shown me just how debilitating living with a 'life limiting' condition can be. The older I've got the more tiring life becomes. That's why it's so important I shift this weight: heart conditions don't really improve with age and I need to get my body fit to cope the best it can. I've noticed how much I've struggled lately and how breathless I've become just by carrying an extra 20lbs or so.

I think reading this blog has really inspired me lately. She has really embraced her recovery and does everything she can to look after the body she's been given. Read some of her posts if you get chance, very inspiring woman.

So, if I start whining about how life's unfair without cake, you can not only give me a charity kick up the bum but a health one too! ;-)

Days Off

What? 4 days in and she's talking about days off?!

Well, I had a 'day off' today and I do believe it helps no end to keeping on track. Let me explain...

I think the one way to fail at any health kick/diet is to come to resent it. And in the past the way I have come to resent losing weight is when it means missing out on something because of it. My social life is very important to me (ask any mother and she'll tell you she'd chew her own arm off for a social event that involved actual adult conversation!) and I've found that, in the past, this has suffered just because I'm trying to shed a few pounds. One of 3 things usually happens:

1) I actually don't socialise to avoid the food and tur n down invitations.
2) I go but sit there being miserable because I'm on salad and water.
3) I go, pig out, feel guilty the next day and so spend the next week comfort eating.

So, decided to cut myself a bit of slack. If you don't count calories for 1 day out of 7, how much impact does it really have? Now I'm not talking going out and eating a kebab, chips and washing it down with several pints then coming home and swallowing a whole box of Dairy Milk; but just giving yourself a break for one day a week.

Take today. I had a brunch date with some friends so decided to have today as a day off. I went to brunch but picked sensibly: the vegetarian breakfast. The (wholegrain) toast came with butter so I just had a quarter of it. Then I decided that I would have the half bottle of wine left over from new year with my tea (homemade shepherds pie and 3 veg) and then for dessert I had a larger portion of greek yoghurt than normal. No kebabs in sight but still feel like I've had a day off.

Have I put on half a stone with that lot? Well, no! Probably just ate a normal day's food. But do I feel like I had a great time with friends without worrying about calories? Oh yes!

Oh, and I went to the gym this afternoon...because I wanted to! ;-)

Reality Fitness

This morning I've been to my first pilates class in over 2 weeks - blimey that hurt! It's amazing how quickly you lose that flexibility in such a short space of time. I do love pilates and have a great teacher and it helps with so many of my ailments it's untrue.

So, no health kick is complete without a bit of a fitness plan. Over the years my ideas of fitness have changed. When I was a kid I remember my mum working out to a Jane Fonda-esque lp (for the kids out there, it was like a really big black cd!). My first venture into exercise was walking across our living room on my bum cheeks!

In my late teens/early twenties I was a complete gym addict, spending 5 or 6 days a week there and not letting a chocolate past my lips. I was skinny (though I didn't think so at the time), extremely fit but not exactly happy.

Then came along heart surgery, then kids, then more heart surgery and the pounding it at the gym days (and being a size 10) were over. In between I've worked out at home through dvds and the wii, but never found that balance.

I think what I've realised recently is that fitness doesn't have to be about this:

I didn't look like that when I was 20, a size 10 and working out 6 days a week! It ain't gonna happen now I'm nearly 40. I'm also not allowed to do anything high impact or weights so sculpting muscles like that would be a bit of a struggle!

Doing a bit of a google search this morning I came across these 'plus sized' (ahem, I think most of us would say 'normal sized' but we'll go with it for now) fitness models. How fabulous do they look? I reckon with a bit of work I could look like one of them and I wouldn't need to be living at the gym to do it.

So, my fitness plan consists of pilates twice a week (so therapeutic,  can't recommend it enough) and the gym doing low impact cardio 2 or 3 times a week.

Oh, and lots of muddy walks with this little madam:

Who could refuse that face begging for a walk eh?!

Plan for a six pack? No. But a realistic goal? I think maybe it is yes! :-)

Balance

Now here's the tricky thing about trying to lose weight in this household: my family is not condusive to any kind of health kick!

Let's start with Rob. He is one of those really annoying people who can't put on weight to save their life! Rob ate just as much as me over Christmas and yet didn't put on an ounce. The thing is though he'd love to put on a few pounds and just can't. Couple this with the fact that medically he is supposed to have a high salt diet and I have to have a low salt one and you've got a bit of a challenge when it comes to meal planning!

Then there's the girl - the hormonal moody girl - who doesn't eat until teatime then empties the food cupboard. Plus any suggestion that she has fruit can lead to a full on 'I didn't ask to be born' strop!

And finally we have the boy who can be ridiculously rigid about what he eats and has such a fear of trying new food it's untrue. He will eat some veg (carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and corn on the cob (not sweetcorn, has to be on a cob!)) but try and get fruit near him and it can lead to a full blown meltdown.

So, a dilemma did ensue when I decided on this challenge. How to keep the kids happy but healthy, Rob healthy but fatter and me healthy but thinner. So, Ive decided on a full family clean living plan. Clean living is something I've  tried to incorporate for a while now but with the hormones, tears and tiredness flowing through this house lately, the processed crap has to go!

However, the whole point of this is finding a balance. I can't realistically put everyone on a 100% process food free diet and keep everyone happy. But what I can do is make as many changes as I can: making sure everyone has as much home cooked food as possible, lots of veg (even if it is limited to those on a cob!) and limiting the refined sugar intake. I can also give Rob larger portions than me, add salt after cooking etc. Yesterday seemedi to work ok. Kids ate veg, Rob had twice as much chicken as me with the skin left on. I'm even sat here watching Emily eat a banana before shes allowed anywhere near the lemonade! We'll see how it goes but hopefully I'll soon have a few less hormones and tantrums around here!

Day 1

Blimey, feels strange being back in the blogging world again. It's been a long time!

Anyway, if you're here it means you'll have a vague notion of what I'm doing. I've put on well over a stone in the last few months and for various reasons (which I'll go into later this week) it has to go. I know that I don't always stick to the 'doing it for myself' theory so this time I'm doing it for someone else, my son. It's very easy to ignore the reasons for doing it when you only have yourself to answer to, but when you have to look your child in the eye...whole different story.

When I say I'm doing it for Xander I'm actually raising money for a charity that has funded him over the last 6 months to enable him to join in regular out of school sports clubs, Scope. Here's Xan on his first day at football camp:

Scope rely on charitable donations so if I can pay them back a little by raising money then that'd be great.

So, today is day 1. After the mince pie-athon that was Christmas it seems like a good place to start. I've been weighed this morning (not pretty!) and have taken a time stamped photo of the scales. Not quite ready to share that picture yet but I am going to be brave and share the before pictures that Emily took today:

These jeans were my favourite when I was at my target weight a couple of years ago. They really hurt when I took this pic! As you can see, the problem areas are ones that aren't very good for people like me with cardiac issues so this needs sorting!

So, if you would like to sponsor me there should be a link on the right to my Just Giving page. Whether you do it per lb or for hitting the target is up to you, I'm just grateful for any help you can give.

I'm going to update the blog daily this week with different aspects of this whole challenge then will be posting my progress weekly.

Thanks in advance if you can help. X