Excuses: P-S Task 1

So here I am again!  Yes!  Once again! 

My last two rounds have been complete flops.  Why?  What are my excuses for not doing the program even though I signed up and paid?

It was pretty simple really.  I didn’t think I had to… I am special after all.  I can still get results even if I don’t do it 100%, and if 80% is okay, then 60% is okay, and if that is okay, well.. let’s just say it is a slippery slope!

The fact is, I am back at my pre-round 2, 2011 weight.  Yup, back up to 58kg as I have tried to ‘maintain’ and just failed miserably.  I hit rock bottom this week when I started smoking again.  Today is Quit Day and I am already finding it difficult even though I’ve only had about 6 smokes in the last couple of days.  The habit is so strong and ingrained, I spent a good 15years of my life smoking so it feels so normal.

I also knew that I wasn’t going to the finale party.  It made such a huge difference going the the party in Brisbane.  Knowing I was going.. and knowing that I would be held accountable I guess.  I was no longer invisible. This time I have extra motivation.. my wedding!  That is right, I am getting married in early November and I want to have some glamour photos done for D as a wedding gift (some nude pictures as well!).  I am booking these in.  They need to be confirmed so I have the motivation to go.  If the party is in Brisbane this round.. I am going to that as well!

So here I am, yet again, nutting out my excuses.. internal or external, controllable or uncontrollable.  But it all comes down to one simple thing.. choice.  I need to choose for me, each and every day, to take the action that will lead me to my goal!

 

Jeni

PB&Co Muffins

Trying out a new recipe today.. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oat Muffins!  a.k.a. PB&Co Muffins.  Before  you go and cook these though.. they need sugar!  Next time I will be adding some honey and banana to the mix!  For now, I am taking a teaspoon of honey to go with these!

• 1 cup of Oats whizzed through the blender (or Oatmeal)
• 1 scoop Choc Protein Powder
• 1 tablespoon baking cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs (or 6 egg whites)
• 2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter (crunchy)

Mix dry ingredients followed by wet, makes 6 muffins and bake at 180C for 10-15mins (check regularly).

As they are, these are about 200cals once you add a teaspoon of honey (which is seriously needed!).

Full body Workout 1

What I did tonight!

To warm up.. 3 rounds of

400m on rower

2mins at 10k on the tready

followed by (3 x 8-10) supersets of

Squat (15kg of squat rack) + Bent over Row (12.5kg)

Dumbbell incline Chest press (6kg) + Crunches

Then a low weight, high rep (12) superset of

Shoulder Press (7.5kg) + Static Lunges (each side)

Back to (3x 8-10) supersets of

Seated Hamstring Curl (30kg) + single arm French Press (4kg)

then a low weight, high rep (12) set of

bicep curls (4kg)

Then a 3 x 8-10 superset on the pulley machine (/4)

Overhead Tricep Extensions + trunk rotation (each side) at 30kg

Finishing off with a quick cardio

2mins at 10k on the tready

And my food Totals..

Would have been fine aside from finishing off the chocolate!

Goals.

Yes, we are back to these again.  I need to reassess.

Immediate Goals

• Drink more water
• Track my calories and get to net of 1200cals each day
• Exercise for a minimum of 30mins each day (Saturday is rest Day)
• Enter the 5k race on Sunday

1 Month Goals

• Enter in June 3 Rock River Run 10km
• Lose 2-3kg
• Re-do my VLA test in the week ending 8th of June
• Be doing meal plans and shopping

3 Month Goals

• Lose 10kg total reaching 49kg
• Photo shoot for Dave’s wedding present (1st week of Sept)
• Wedding Dress Shopping!

Motivation takes on Excuses!

1.   A lack of workout clothes. The cold weather means my shorter workout pants are out, but I only have one longer pair that fit.  Why?  Because the XS pants I bought when I had lost some of this fat no longer fit me.

Answer: My goal this week is to plan out my workout clothes for the week so that excuse doesn’t wash (pardon the pun!).  I’ve pulled out my old $10 Big W pants and they will be spares for when the others are in the wash.  Washing Day will be Sunday, Wednesday and Friday night where my workout pants will be tossed in with the kids school clothes for the afternoon wash and with my work blacks on Sunday.

2.   It’s getting dark!  My normal run time is 6-7pm in the summer time. It means I can have a light dinner before I head out but now, it is dark by 5.30pm. 

Answer: Time to change that run time back to 4-4:30pm and be back in time for dinner.  It will mean making sure I have afternoon tea when I get home from picking up the kids at 3pm.  On Friday night however, I will have to eat a bit later given it starts at 5.45pm so I want to have a good feed at around 4:30pm to sustain me.  A late dinner won’t matter as much as I will probably stay up a bit later on the Friday night given Saturday is my rest day.

3.   But I’m tired. Yes, I am still having sleep issues. Well, it isn’t really a sleep issue.. more of a “but I wanna stay up late because I’m controlled by my inner child” type issue.

Answer:  Time to suck it up Princess!  Bedtime is 9:30pm, wake up at 6:30am.  I might even try using my sleep app for the week and see how that goes!

4. Water!  We need it and I don’t get enough!

Answer:  I will be washing out my water bottles and pick up a new box of water this week.  I know it is bad for the environment but I do get quite a few uses of the bottles.  I just haven’t found a re-usable water bottle I like.  I don’t want an aluminium one, or a plastic one, I need a small one I can take running with me, and a big thermos style one for everyday (so it doesn’t get condensation on it and wet everything).  So that is my other mission.. to get a thermos for my cold water!

Creamy Tuna Pasta for Lunch?

Do you think “Creamy” and weight-loss don’t mix?  Think again my friend!  This yummy recipe is a great mix of carbs of protein, in a delicious creamy sauce which can be easily adapted for any taste!

• 1/2 cup of uncooked wholemeal spiral pasta (35g) 120cals
• 1 95g tin of tuna light (John West) (drained) 55cals
• 2 tablespoons (50g) of Easi-yo natural unsweetened yogurt 35cals
• spices eg. dijon mustard, chilli flakes or lemon and dill

Cook your pasta (add in double the volume of water and microwave for 8mins), drain, and simply stir in the tuna and yogurt. 

205 cals

18.2g protein; 24.4g carbohydrates; 3g Fat (40:54:6)

You can easily make this even more nutritious by added some frozen veg into the pasta as it is cooking (100g of a peas, corn and carrot mix is an extra 80cals for example). It is also very low fat so if you like you can add in some higher fat options to add flavour in place of some of the pasta!

Another option is to use salmon in place of tuna or to use either in one of the many flavoured single serve portions now available!

Adventures in… Cross-fit!

I’ve heard so much about Cross-fit in recent years, particularly since the appearance of Commando Steve on The Biggest Loser.  He has been a great ambassador for the program in that he epitomises the philosophies behind it.  Functional fitness and strength, a strong mental attitude, and well-rounded physique.
For anyone who has no idea of what Cross-fit is.. check out this u-tube video!

A new cross-fit group has started up in the Rockhampton Fitness Centre so I took the opportunity to go check it out and see what it is all about.
Costs:  First class is free, and after that it depends on if you are a member of the gym or not.  For each class, $7.50 for members, $20 for non-members, or for a 10 session pass it is $150.  There are also fortnightly and monthly unlimited passes for $75 and $170 respectively.  Remember to contact them directly for updated costs, discounts for emergency services personnel, or any specials that might be running!
When:  Classes run for an hour which include a walkthrough of the WOD and what progressions are available so you can work at your own level.  There are morning classes, Monday to Friday at 6am, and evenings at 5.45pm.  Also a Saturday class runs at 9.30am. 
Contact: I contacted them through their face-book page and they were prompt at returning my message.  You can also contact the Rockhampton Fitness Centre (aka Norm’s Gym) directly by phone.
I went along on a Friday night to be blessed with only one other person in the class.  Friday night generally has a low attendance due to it being.. well, Friday night!  I would recommend going along on a Friday for your first class if you want a more personal introduction! 
I was also assured that there is generally a good representation of women in the class.  The skill level is generally at a beginner to intermediate level as the program has only started recently in the area, so if you want to start, now is a great time to do it!
On a personal note, I am very impressed with my first workout. It was a 20min AMRAP of what looked like a fairly easy workout, once my progression modifications were made anyway!).
Warm-up: 3x (200m + 10 long jumps) then stretching

• 2 Muscle-ups (1 = 3 jumping chins, 3 tri-cep dips)
• 4 Headstand Push-ups (1 = 1 Pike Push-up with Feet Elevated)
• 8 Kettlebell swings (12kg)

And of course we ended with some stretching.
I managed 7 and a bit rounds.. my goal was 10 so I will be repeating this again to beat myself! 
And therein lies the attraction of Cross-fit.  You not only get to challenge yourself every single workout, but you also get to really see your progress by recording your personal bests for any workout that you do!
Even though I am not a member I am seriously considering buying that 10 session pass so I can do a couple of more classes and see how that fits in with my training.  I really enjoyed the session itself, I enjoyed the feeling of motivation that comes from trying to beat the clock and the encouragement from the instructor and other participants.