And Relax ......

Last night was the last run of my 3 Weeks to a 30 Minute Running Habit.  The programme called for:

Day 21: Run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute x 5

So the longest run yet and the half hour that the training planned promised.  I mapped out a 4 mile route and set off.  I know I am not the first person to come to this strartling revelation, but running is also very much a mental sport as well as being physical.  I can tell that my mindset on these longer timed intervals is so different to the shorter ones ...... I can't describe it very well but it's like time is immaterial and I just run .... I'm always surprised when the timer goes off.  On the shorter intervals, the time is all I think about and I can't wait for the timer to go off.  This does not bode well for the interval training I plan to do in the future to help increase my speed!

Anyway, I set off strongly and was going really well for the first three 5 minute intervals.  However, at the end of the third one I started to develop a pain in my side (not as painful as a stitch, but I was aware that something wasn't quite right) so interval four was pretty hard and quite a bit slower.  I wish I had my Garmin Forerunner as I think I started my programme running that bit faster than I have before which may explain the pain in my side.  However, I am very proud that I managed to keep on running (even though I was desperate to come back to a walk) but I was glad of the minute walking interlude when it came.  Interval five was much better, I seemed to get my mojo back and was able to get my speed back up to what I had been doing.  At the end of interval five I was a bit further from home than I had planned to be (and I had dinner to get back to) so after a minute break I decided to do another five minute interval (I know, crazy or what?).  Again, I started off pretty strongly but by about minute four I was ready to stop but I managed to persuade my mind / body to one last burst of effort and made it to the full five minutes.  So I actually managed:

Run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute x 6

Felt really proud of myself (through all the huffing and puffing) and couldn't wait to get home to map it out ...... the total running mileage (not including warm up / cool down) was 3.5 miles so I am well chuffed.  I can't believe how quickly I have improved in three short weeks ... so glad I have kept this blog as it's really motivating being able to look back and realise that not so long ago I was struggling to do 2 minute / 1 minute intervals and I can now run for half an hour albeit with a few short breaks.

So the plan is to now start a beginner 10k training programme in prepartion for the race on 1st April.  I have decided to go with the one on the Running Bug website as it seems to be the one that follows on the best from my starting point:

		Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
W/C 6 Feb	Week 1	Rest Day	Run 15 mins, walk 1 to 2 mins, run 15 mins	Rest Day	Run 15 mins, walk 1 to 2 mins, run 15 mins	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 2 miles continuously. Record your time here:
W/C 13 Feb	Week 2	Rest Day	Run 18 mins, walk 1 to 3 mins, run 18 mins	Rest Day	Run 18 mins, walk 1 to 3 mins, run 18 mins	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 5k continuously. Record your time here:
W/C 20 Feb	Week 3	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 5k continuously. Record your time here:
W/C 27 Feb	Week 4	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 40 to 45 mins continuously.
W/C 5 Mar	Week 5	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Run 40 mins continuously	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 4 miles continuously. Record your time here:
W/C 12 Mar	Week 6	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Run 40 mins continuously	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 50 mins continuously
W/C 19 Mar	Week 7	Rest Day	Run 45 mins continuously	Rest Day	Run 45 mins continuously	Rest Day	Rest Day	Run 10k continuously. Record your time here:
W/C 26 Mar	Week 8	Rest Day	Run 45 mins continuously	Rest Day	Run 30 mins continuously	Rest Day	Rest Day	10k RACE

It looks pretty tough but doable I reckon.  My only concern is that the very first run calls for running at a longer interval than I am used to ..... I have managed to run for thirty minutes but obviously with a few more breaks.  However, I don't actually start the plan until week commencing 6th February which gives me this week to sort out my intervals so that they align closer with the new plan.  My intention is to have a day off today (Saturday) and then run Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  Tomorrow I am going to attempt to do a 10 minute / 1 minute / 10 minute interval and then progress from there.  

Wish me luck x  

The End Is Nigh

Well today is the penultimate day of my Three Weeks to a 30 Minute Running Habit.  Today's session was as follows:

Day 20: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute x 5

So a really short easy run tonight except that it wasn't actually that easy.  I think a couple of things contributed to the lethargy that I felt 1) last night's run 2) eating dinner only 60 minutes before the run and 3) the shorter running time.  I do really struggle when I know I only have a couple of minutes to run, I seem to spend my time willing the clock to 0:00.  I can't find my running stride and it all goes horribly wrong.  I have also discovered that it is a definite no-no for me to eat before the run so I am going to have to plan my weekday runs accordingly.

However, I am not disheartened, as I say I think a few things conspired against me tonight and tomorrow is another day. 

On a more positive note my new running leggings arrived today so I was able to give them a test tonight and they are pretty fab considering they were quite cheap (well, compared to others on the site).  They compress the legs slightly and feel much more supportive than my fashion leggings but most importantly they don't have downward creep so the people of Calne can rest easy in the knowledge that I will not be displaying my wears to all and sundry!

Big Happy Smiles All Round

Hurrah, Monday night's run was not a fluke!  Today's session was as follows:

Day 19: Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute x 6

My trouble at the moment is I don't really know how much ground I cover during my runs (hence why on Monday night I had to do a detour in order to get the intervals in) which makes it hard to plan a route.  So, tonight's plan was to do 3 runs on the outward leg and then turn around and come back again - this worked surprisingly well.  Once again the run went so much better than I had hoped, I got into the lovely rhythm and just kept on going (even though on the return route there was a pretty strong headwind).  Decided to do exactly as the other night and put the timer in my pocket so I was not tempted to look at it but the time just seemed to fly by. 

I really wanted to see how far I ran so tried using Mapometer to map my route but this reckoned I had covered 4 miles in 30 minutes which I was very sceptical about.  Thankfully I ran the route that I drive for Slimming World so I used the car's odometer to check the distance and this made it exactly 3 miles which I reckon is far more accurate.  However, 3 miles is not to be sniffed at when I think back to Day 1 and doing the run / walk minute intervals and how interminable that felt.  I have already asked my better half for a Garmin Forerunner for my birthday in April as I am a real stats freak and I just know that will help me push myself.

Slimming World was also a roaring success - this week I lost 3 pounds for a total of 2 stone 1.5 pounds in just under two months.

All in all, I have one big smile on my face.

Footnote: On another subject completely, I am going to restart my 100 pushup plan on Monday as my other half has decided to join me .... he did his initial test tonight and managed 8 pushups so we will be starting from very similar points which is great.

100 Push Up Challenge

You may remember that several posts ago I mentioned I was going to undertake the 100-Push Up Challenge (http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html), well today was Day One of the challenge.  I have made a bit of a boo boo to be honest, I thought my new 10k training plan involved a Monday run hence why I didn't start the challenge yesterday but I was wrong, Monday is actually a rest day.  Anyhooo, I thought for this week I would do the pushups on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and then revert to Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  So, having undertaken the initial test a week or so ago and discovered that I could only manage a paltry 6 pushups in one go, this was the plan for today:

Set 1: 6
Set 2: 6
Set 3: 4
Set 4: 4
Set 5: Max (at least 5)

The plan is to do each set with a 60 minute rest interval inbetween.  Having got myself psyched up I went for it ..... and managed it (although I did only manage 6 pushups as my max).  I'm quite chuffed that I got through it and so far I don't ache - bring on day two.

Today I ordered myself some running tights and a Shock Absorber bra from Amazon ... I have been running in leggings or trackie bottoms and neither of them are ideal as they both ride down and I end up with wrinkles around my knees and a distinct chance that I will show the world my nether regions.  Once I start training for my 10k I shall feel happy describing myself as a 'runner' so I feel justified in spending a bit of money on my running habit.

I also discovered park runs today .... I have seen these mentioned several times in the various running forums I inhabit but didn't realise what it was until somebody mentioned they had a website.  So, being a curious sort of person, I took a look and blow me down with a feather if I didn't discover that there's a park run less than half an hour from me every Saturday and, as an added bonus, it's where my Race for Life is in June.  I have registered myself on their website and aim to do one of the runs in a few weeks as part of my 10k training.  The runs are 5k, take place every week (with fully published results) and, even better, are completely free to enter.  I am well chuffed I discovered about them and would advise any new runner to take a gander:  http://www.parkrun.com/home.

It was nice to have a rest day from running today although I am itching to get out there again to prove that yesterday's run was not a fluke!  Wonder what tomorrow's run will be?

I Can't Get The Smile Off My Face

As the title of the post says, I really can't take the smile off my face following last night's run.  The running plan was as follows:

Day 17: Run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute x 4

I have to admit to being a bit apprehensive about the run all day, especially following on from the previous run where I struggled running two minutes at a time towards the end.  Plus, this was the longest running interval so far.

Anyway, I set off as positive as I could ...... I went to look at a possible new running area (around a large recreational field) however there was no lighting and with no moon last night, the field was pitch black.  So, I decided to do a road run instead .... this was my first road run since probably Day 2 or so.  I set the five minute timer, put the thing in my pocket so I could not be tempted to look at it, and set off ... and kept on going!  I settled into a lovely rhythm virtually from the first step whereas it usually takes me a few minutes to find my mojo.  I managed to keep the rhythm up / down the kerbs, round corners etc and was so surprised when the timer went off.  The following running interval involved a bit of an uphill section (which I had forgotten about when I planned the run in my head) and my heart sank a bit when I realised, however I managed to power up it without any significant change to stride / speed.  The third interval again had several small hills both up and down and I really tried hard to concentrate on my stride.  By this point I was nearly home I'd covered so much distance so another quick detour gave me time to get interval four in - this was pretty much flat but once again I was so surprised when the five minute timer sounded.  This is the first run where I haven't been willing the time to end!  I really felt I could've carried on going and I was tempted to, but decided I really need to stick to the plan as I don't know what the next few days has to offer (apart from today which I know is a rest day)

So what made such a difference last night?  Well, I really wish I knew as I've been struggling lately and on previous runs if I had to do so much as a slight slope my stride and breathing went all over the place.  Something just seem to 'click' last night - perhaps it was because I was on the road, perhaps because the timer was in my pocket, perhaps it was the greater running intervals (I do actually struggle more when the run / walk intervals are shorter) or maybe just because I tried hard to focus on my stride and breathing, but whatever it was I hope it doesn't leave me for my next run. 

When I got home I mapped my run and I covered 2.5 miles so I'm well chuffed .... I was beginning to get quite worried about starting my 10k training as Day 1 is two 15 minute running intervals with a one minute walk interval inbetween and I didn't think I would be ready for this length of run in time (I start my training the first week in February) but I am now much more positive that I can do it. 

Isn't it amazing how fantastic you feel after a good run? 

Back A Step ....

Well todays run was a bit easier on the old legs:

Day 16: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute x 8

The only trouble I find with these shorter times is that it takes me two or three runs to actually get into the swing of things.  From run three to run seven I managed to get nicely into my stride and all felt well but, once again, the last run was a bit of an effort.  In mitigation it was going up hill and I did push myself a bit more so not suprising I was glad when it was all over.

On a personal note, I have decided it's now time to look for another job.  I was made redundant in March 2011 and, through choice, I decided to stay home and look after the kids while my partner returned to work.  However, I really feel that the time has come where the boys need a more stimulating environment than I can provide on a day-to-day basis so it's a case of having to go back to work to pay for a nursery!  Therefore, I spent a couple of productive hours this morning updating my CV and five applications have been sent ... wonder if I'll hear back on any of them with the job market being as it is?

Four Minutes and Counting

Well today's run was another step up in terms of running time:

Day 15: Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute x 4

The first three runs went surprisingly well, again I managed to get into a nice rhythm and maintain my speed. I did notice the extra minute on top of yesterday's splits but didn't struggle to get through it. Unfortunately there was a very strong and gusty wind today, luckily most of the time it was a crosswind so it didn't affect me too badly .... I could've wished for a tail wind though! The fourth run was not quite so easy and I struggled for the last minute or so (why does a minute seem to last an hour when you are doing something not that enjoyable?) however I managed to plod on and gained a huge sense of satisfaction from having completed the session. I combined the run with some power walking as well so all in all I'm happy with today's effort.

One Step, Two Step, Three Step, Four ...

Well today's run was a repeat of Day 11 - to recap:

Day 14: Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute x 5

I can honestly say today was the best run of the training so far .... I managed to get into a really nice rhythm from the word go and at no point did my legs feel heavy and lead like. I ran a new track today, a disused railway line which is very popular with walkers, runners and cyclists alike (although being a Friday afternoon I hardly saw anyone else) so it's hard to judge whether I was covering more ground in my 3 minutes than on Day 11, but I would like to think that I was as my rhythm was so much better and I could feel myself speeding up gradually as the time ticked by. However, having said that, I still have all the speed of an arthritic snail but at least I can keep going for a bit longer than before.

I've been thinking a lot about my training (I use it as a distraction when running) and I know the 10k training plan in 10 weeks is not going to be easy so I need to focus all my energy on it therefore I have decided to drop Zumba for the time being. Although it is fun, I don't feel it is contributing to my overall fitness and in all honesty I don't give it my all after having hurt my hip badly on my first lesson. I have also been thinking about my rest days and what would be best for cross training to help me get my fitness levels up as quickly as possible ..... recommended is swimming (no good as I can't swim), cycling (happy to do this outside when the weather warms up but I detest exercise bikes with a passion), walking (do lots of this already with the dog), yoga (errr, no) and rowing. Having discounted most of the recommendations I am going to go with the rowing option .... it was always my favourite cardiovascular machine when I used to go to the gym and second-hand machines are not too expensive .... watch out eBay, here I come.

What the ....?

Oh my God, what have I done?! Came back from Zumba last night (didn't go so well this week, felt very tired and lethargic, probably need to look at my Wednesday training plan) and tried looking for some 5k races to enter prior to the Race for Life in June. Well, it's surprisingly difficult to find 5k races, I think the distance must be regarded more as a 'fun run' (although what's fun about it I have yet to discover) and it seems as though if you want to be a more serious runner that the minimum distance is 10k. Anyway, having come to this startling realisation, I found a 10k race organised by the Rotary Club in the town I live in. Well, in what I can only describe as an exercise induced psychosis, I've only gone and entered the bloody thing haven't I?! It's on the 1st April and having checked the 10k training plans out there, it's an achievable target (apparently). I am currently on Day 13 of my 3-week training plan (today is a rest day - hurrah) and I was then going to follow the 5k training plan but have now decided to go straight to the 10k plan instead. The 10k training course is 8-weeks which gives me a few week's leeway as I have about 12 weeks in hand before the race. I'm actually quite excited about it if I'm honest, but I have never run for longer than half an hour and that is several years ago when I was at my fittest, so it's going to be a challenge to say the least. I certainly don't expect to be anywhere near the leaders, but it would be great to finish without too much walking involved. It's an off-road course around the grounds of a local stately home, I think it's also fairly undulating ... oh well, what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.

The run last night was also surprisingly hard .... my legs were still tired from the night before I think but I managed it and I did push it again for the last two repetitions. I run around the outside of a football pitch and when I started running for two minutes I could barely manage a short and long side .... last night my average was two long sides and a short side so there is definitely a noticeable improvement. For my last attempt I tried to get the whole way round but fell short by about 10 yards which I was upset about but it gives me something to aim for.

Slimming World last night produced a 1.5 pound loss ..... bit disappointed, but then I've not been that brilliant with my eating last week. Aiming to do a bit better than that this week as I'd like to get the two stone target under my belt (another 1.5 pounds to go).

Last Night's Run

Well slap my thighs and call me Leslie, last night's run went suprisingly well. It's the first run where I have felt that it wasn't just all a hard slog and I even upped my speed on the last two runs just to start pushing myself that bit harder - I am very pleased, perhaps I am starting to make progress?! It did help that I set the timer to count down 3 minutes at a time and then quickly reset it for the minute walking session and then back up to the 3 minutes ... this meant that the running section was not interrupted and I think it helped me to get into a better rhythm. Today's run is the following:

Day 12: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute x 8

So the time has come back down to two minutes but with eight repetitions .... this will be the most amount of repetitions that I have done for longer than one minute at a time. It doesn't sound too bad (famous last words) so I will try and push it a bit more again.

Wednesday is my uber exercise day ... I have already done half hour's stepping on the Wii, I will do the run when Marc gets home and then there's the Zumba class at 7.45pm (just after Slimming World). According to the Wii I have lost weight this week but I shan't be confident on how much (if any) until I stand on the official scales.

I am also going to give this a go - http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html - I know that push ups are meant to be great for the upper body and core strength and they should help with the dreaded bingo wings. I have done the initial test and managed a pathetic 6 with good form (proper push ups mind, not the cheating versions) so I have a long way to go. The training recommends Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so I am going to start next Monday so I get the correct rest days in.


Back later!!

Race for Life

Well today's run will be the following:

Day 11: Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute x 5

Doesn't seem too bad but then they never do when written down like that ..... I just know though that my legs are going to protest later!

But, on a more positive note, I have today entered the Race for Life. I am so excited, it's not until the 10th June but it really is going to give me a focus to work towards and, more importantly, keep me motivated to carry on. I would love to find a 5k race around the end of April as a 'warm up' and to check on my fitness. I definitely intend running the Race for Life and not just amble around like the majority do ..... I ran a different course a few years ago and finished in 32 minutes which I was pretty chuffed about as it put me up there with the leaders (the winner completed in 28 minutes).

Have also had advice from my running forum that I need to invest in a Gymboss Max for my interval training but at nearly £30 that's going to have to wait a few more weeks yet. Still it's good to know there is a device out there that is going to do the job I want it to.

Latest Training Session

Got an email yesterday from the running site I belong to and from which I get my training plans for the day and it said something along the lines of 'today is an easy day'. My heart leapt as I assumed that meant it was a rest day but no joy ..... it just meant that it was an easier run! So yesterday's run was as follows:

Day 9: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute x 6

Yes, it was meant to be an easy run but I still struggled with it. It's never my breathing, it's always that my legs start to feel like lead and towards the end I am very sluggish. Unfortunately I am not what you would call a natural runner, I don't particularly enjoy it but I know that it is doing me good and I am a very competitive person so I am determined to get better at it. My interim goal is to be able to run a 5k at a reasonable speed - around 30 minutes or so. Now I know I can do this as this is what I worked up to last time I went on a fitness drive ..... admittedly this was 6 years ago (and about 2 stones lighter) but it's not like it was in ancient times!

Another issue I am having is that I am currently doing a lot of timed running / walking interval training and I am having a problem with the best way of timing these intervals. I am currently using a kitchen timer counting down in one-minute segments but this is far from ideal as I have to reset it after every minute (although this is only a case of pushing two buttons admittedly) but it does mean having to keep a mental count of what minute I am running (for example when running for 3 minutes at a time) but more importantly I seem to be focusing more on the counting rather than getting into the flow of the run.

I have asked for some advice from the jogging forum I belong to so I am waiting to hear from them as to what device would be best for me to get - once I have completed this training course I will be going onto the 5k training programme which I assume will involve a lot more interval training so it's something I do need to get sorted.

Cravings

In a cupboard in the kitchen I currently have two packs of Peanut Butter M&Ms, two bars of Cadbury's Wholenut and a packet of marzipan fruits .... all remain unopened and have since before Christmas. There is also another cupboard stacked with crips and chocolate that my other half takes to work. Well, so far so good in that I have managed to ignore all temptation infact, I think I actually get some perverse satisfaction from testing my will power against stuffing my face with them. However, just lately I have been having intense cravings for ...... bread! We have long since stopped buying Lurpak and now buy some ghastly olive spread but this hasn't diminished my cravings any and at the beginning of the week I managed to eat five slices of bread on the one day. It obviously didn't count against me as I managed to lose four pounds this week but I know that it cannot continue as I won't carry on being so fortunate. My cravings do seem to have calmed down a bit, infact today I managed to 'cure' them by eating two cream crackers instead (at a fraction of the calories of a slice of seeded batch loaf) but I cannot understand why I have this urge. I always thought people on 'diets' were supposed to fantasize about chocolate not wheat products!

Anyway tonight's run was another step up. The session consisted of:

Day 8: Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute x 4 then run 1 minute, walk 1 minute x 4

I did find it suprisingly hard, especially the last three minutes of the run however I guess I could not have done this on Day 1 so I must be gaining some sort of stamina however slowly. I also seem to be running that bit faster as I am covering more ground per minute.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

Friday Catch Up

Updating this blog everyday is not going well already - ho hum. Anyway, not much to report for Friday, but just wanted to note my running routine for today:

Day 7 - Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute x 6

I must say I found it surprisingly hard tonight, it didn't help that halfway through the run a couple came into the field with their dog so I had to put Rommel on the lead. Rommel runs really well next to me, but it was more that I was concentrating on timing trying to put him on the lead when I came back to walk and therefore was concentrating more on that than on my rythym. But, I did the run so that's another day under my belt.

Oh My, What Slimmer Thighs You Have

Okay, a bit of a two-day catch up this one as I didn't get a chance to post my results yesterday. Well last night's Slimming World went really well and that's another FOUR pounds off - I also did a bit of a measure up and new results as below:

Weight: 12st 1.5lbs
Bust: 43 inches (.5 inch loss)
Waist: 37 inches (1 inch loss)
Hips: 40 inches (2 inch loss)

The loss in brackets is from the last time I measured myself. I am now only 3 pounds off a two stone loss. I am quite chuffed with that and the weight loss is really starting to be noticeable now. However, looking at the stats above, my biggest loss is definitely around my hip area ..... this is obviously a result of all the exercise that I am doing but maybe it's too focused on legs and not enough on waist. My exercise regime for yesterday alone was:

AM: Half hour fast stepping on the Wii
Early PM: Half hour running training
Later PM: Hour of Zumba

My running training yesterday was the same as the day before ..... today is a rest day. I'm still umming and ahhing as to whether to have a complete rest or still do my half hour on the Wii ... will wait to see how I feel later.

Have invested in another pair of trainers for the running ... got myself an absolute bargain on Amazon, a pair of Asics Women's Gel Kayano trainers reduced to £6 from well over £100! I just hope I like them when they arrive and that they are a good fit.

I have also identified a local 5k race in June which I am going to enter as this will help to keep me focused and give me a goal to work towards .... really quite excited.

3 Weeks to a 30-Minute Running Habit

As previously mentioned, I have signed up to an on-line running club with a view to being able to run 5k. As I haven't done any running for several years, I have started off as a total beginner and am completing their "3 Weeks to a 30-minute Running Habit' before starting the 5k training proper. Today was Day 4 of the course. So far I have done:

Day 1 - Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute x 10
Day 2 - Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute x 10
Day 3 - Rest day
Day 4 - Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute x 5 then run 1 minute, walk 1 minute x 5

Except that I did a bit more than that today as I forgot the instructions halfway through the run and couldn't remember during the second half whether I was meant to run / walk 5 times or 10 times so I ended up doing 7 times - my reasoning being that if it was meant to be 5 times then I did a bit more than necessary, if it was meant to be 10 times then a bit less than I was supposed to. Anyway, double checking when I got home I was pleased to find I did a bit more rather than a bit less.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Starting all over again ...

Well needless to say without any proper structure or support to the weight loss I gained and lost the same few pounds over and over again to the point where I gave up. However, having moved house in November 2011 I resolved to finally do something positive and lose the weight so I joined Slimming World. An added impetuous for losing the extra pounds is a family holiday (6 adults, 7 children) to France in August 2012 - I would dearly love to be able to wear a bikini and feel confident. So, I joined SW in November and have so far lost 1.5 stones and I'm very happy about that. Unfortunately I did not take any starting measurements when I started the new weightloss programme but I do know the following:

First Meeting Date: 16 November 2011
Starting Weight: 13st 12.5 lbs

I would love to say I was shocked at the weight but unfortunately not, however I am now definitely in the zone and have consistently lost weight every week (my biggest loss was 6.5 pounds, smallest 1.5 pounds). I even managed to lose 2 pounds during the Christmas week this is despite attending 4 parties on the trot.

My whole attitude to food has changed, I don't see this as a diet as to me a diet is a short-term thing and losing weight and keeping it off has to involve a change of lifestyle. I am not following any Slimming World recipes, the few that I have tried have been very disappointing taste wise but I am following their overall philosophy. This means that I only need to slightly adapt family meals to be suitable for me and therefore I can see that this will work long-term.

I have also really focused on the exercise front - I do a minimum of half hour of stepping on my Wii every day and last week I joined a Zumba class which was great fun so I will be doing that again. As before at this stage I will not be joining a gym as I cannot see it fitting into my current lifestyle and the money would just be wasted. However, I would like to do some running as I did used to enjoy this on the treadmill so I have signed up to a 5k training programme. This is via an on-line 'club' and every day they send me the training session for that day. Today is Day 4, I am currently doing their '3-Week to a 30-Minute a Day Running Habit' training programme and will then progress to the 5k training programme - think that takes 8 weeks.

Tomorrow is Slimming World (and Zumba) day so I will update my stats post weigh-in. My Wii reckons I have lost weight again this week ...... fingers crossed it's another good result.

It's one down . . . .

At last night's 'official' weigh in (well, I say official, it's a set of scales placed in the same strategic spot by the front door) I have lost my first stone - hurrah for me. Vital stats are now:

Weight: 13st 2lbs
Bust: 43.5 (2.5 inch loss)
Waist: 38 (2 inch loss)
Thighs: 42 (2 inch loss)

I am very pleased with how many inches smaller I am even though it's not reflected by the camera. I am doing the ubiquitous before & after shots, I took my first one on day one of the project and took one last night - the plan is to take them after every stone lost. I have to say I cannot see any discernible difference in the two photos but at least the tape measure is telling me that all this denial is worth it!

I have increased my exercise level - I have been cycling the same route three times a week for six weeks now and I can finally say, with some confidence, that it's getting easier and therefore more enjoyable. It's about a 6-mile round trip, several small hills and on the ride along the sea front, the wind is generally in my face which makes the pedal that much harder.

This week I am starting 'Slim Dance' - this has been marketed as the new 'fun' way to get fit, using Latin dance steps to tone and improve. We shall see, we shall see.