Exercise galore!!

It’s funny when you think that you are not getting anywhere with your weight loss and then something comes along to make you realize that you have changed significantly. This can come in many forms, a friend who you haven’t seen for a while, a comment from someone at work, a look back in your journal or blog or a gym assessment. For me, I had felt like I had been toiling away for the past few months without very much reward. I definitely have felt that my clothes were looser – I am pretty much in a size 12 (pants, much smaller up top) now which is very encouraging but the scales felt like they had not been moving for months and months.

I had a gym assessment last week and I am not sure how long it had been since the previous one but I think it was around 4-5 months. I had lost 16kg’s and mega inches everywhere – 8cm’s off my waist was a memorable one. It was a great wake up call – it made me feel rewarded for the months of training that I have been putting in.

Still, the weight loss is coming pretty slowly now. I still have 8 kg’s (17lbs) to get to my healthy weight range and whilst I would love to get there quickly and start to maintain, for the most part I am quite happy for a slow weight loss as long as it keeps on going down. I still have days when I’m frustrated about it but for the most part, I go along pretty well.

Jen and I had our second tap class this week which was so much fun again. I am seriously unco and have trouble even getting the most basic steps but honestly, we laugh and have a good time and I tell you, that’s how I like my exercise!!

I am having a good exercise week this week – I feel like I am finally over the cold that has plagued me for the last month, so I am really getting in to it again – yay!! I went to the gym on Tuesday, did the tap class on Tuesday, did a boxing class with my husband last night (holy cow, that was tough!!) and went to the gym today. All in all, I am feeling really good.

We are going to Perth for a long weekend in November – I am looking forward to getting some sun and swimming in the beach and then we are off to Thailand in November and I will be having almost a month off work – am SO excited, I can’t WAIT!!

Tap on, my friends, tap on!!

Jen and I went tap dancing last night – gosh it was the most fun that I’ve had exercising in a long, long time!! It was an hour and a half and a pretty damn good workout, I can tell you!! There was a lot of looking at myself in the mirror which I have to say was easier than when I started Bikram yoga – at that point I was more than 20kg’s heavier than I am now but I still sometimes have to make sure that I am not being overly critical of how I look.

Most of the time there was no time for that as I had to concentrate to make sure that I got the steps. If you are looking for a fun form of exercise, this is it!! The instructor also let us know that tap dancing does wonders for cellulite – I can tell you that Jen and I will be there with bells on!!

I am back on the exercising band wagon again and feel like I need to add in some toning so I am adding a couple of Pump classes a week to my routine – especially in the lead up to my two upcoming trip to the beach (Perth in November and Thailand in December – whoo hoo!!).

I am going to try to give it a good push to get really toned and healthy by the time I go there – it should be a good challenge!!Jen and I went tap dancing last night – gosh it was the most fun that I’ve had exercising in a long, long time!! It was an hour and a half and a pretty damn good workout, I can tell you!! There was a lot of looking at myself in the mirror which I have to say was easier than when I started Bikram yoga – at that point I was more than 20kg’s heavier than I am now but I still sometimes have to make sure that I am not being overly critical of how I look.

Most of the time there was no time for that as I had to concentrate to make sure that I got the steps. If you are looking for a fun form of exercise, this is it!! The instructor also let us know that tap dancing does wonders for cellulite – I can tell you that Jen and I will be there with bells on!!

The only time previously that I had ever done any tap dancing was on a trip to New York when I was 22. I was staying at a backpacker place when me and a few international travellers discovered a tap-a-thon that was going to happen in front of Macy's in New York - they were hoping to get more than 5,000 people doing a tap dancing routine in the street - which they did. It is one of my most memorable travelling experiences - doing a tap routine in the middle of the street in front of Macy's with a straw top hat and a cane. They even had tickertape - it was one of the most fun days of my life!!!

I am back on the exercising band wagon again and feel like I need to add in some toning so I am adding a couple of Pump classes a week to my routine – especially in the lead up to my two upcoming trip to the beach (Perth in November and Thailand in December – whoo hoo!!).

I am going to try to give it a good push to get really toned and healthy by the time I go there – it should be a good challenge!!

10km Run done and dusted!!

Good news, people!! I am feeling way, way better, I have less than 10kg’s to go to my healthy weight range and I did the 10km run last Sunday!! I didn’t run the whole way, probably about 8km of the course which I was very happy with!! I lay in bed at 6am on Sunday morning for about 15mins debating with myself whether I would do the run or not because my preparation was terrible – basically no running in the 2 weeks up to the run – not good! It was a gorgeous morning though and I thought even if I walked it will be a good experience and it certainly was.

The Melbourne Marathon Run is pretty popular with thousands and thousands of participants in the four races. It is on a really scenic route through Melbourne and ends up with a lap of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) which is quite fabulous. I was up on the big screen for ages as I ran my lap and boy did I feel good when I crossed the line!

I think I am going to do another 10km run in December to hopefully keep up the fitness, help the weight loss further and feel good about myself – there is a good one coming up – it is an all women one which is nice!

The band is still quite tight at the moment though it has eased off a little bit. I have still been eating good, low fat food so that is the mostly probable cause of the good weight loss that I have been having recently! The husband and I are off to Thailand in 54 days so I am hoping to lose a few more kilo’s by then!!

How funny is this – Jen and I start tap dancing next week! We thought we would do a bit of exercise that was a bit fun and this is what we came up with – I am so looking forward to it though I am sure I am going to be pretty uncoordinated!!

Work has been seriously, seriously busy so time is at a premium right now plus my home computer is broken – I am devastated!!

I am going to have to update my pics soon (hopefully once the computer is fixed!).

Catch you soon!

Jodie

So sick of being sick!

Gosh, it’s been awhile since I posted. Sorry gang, I have been sick with the flu and boy has it been a bad dose. I have been absolutely exhausted – barely able to get off the couch. The band has been a bit changeable during this period, some days quite loose and some days quite tight and today is one of the days that it is tight. I haven’t weighed myself in a good while either, I really should to see where things are at with me!

I have been making a lot bigger effort to eat much, much lower in fat and have been pretty successful – after all, I used to always eat that way, it was just that I had started to justify to myself ‘oh, I am eating so little, it’s okay to eat full fat items’. The high cholesterol has given me quite a scare so I have been eating everything low in fat and high in veggies and fruit. I have been doing a bit more cooking lately (when not sick) and I felt a lot better last night so I cooked low fat chicken quesadilla’s – I just love Mexican food so this was pretty delicious.

I feel a lot better in myself now that I am eating more low fat and my clothes are becoming more and more loose, which is fabulous!! I have to admit something that has never happened to me before – I feel great about how I look. I know I am not a super model or anything but I am not hell bent on changing anything which is really great. This is a real surprise because as I say, I have never really been this way before. I think that this is a lot because I have focused on this journey being about my health and not my looks. It is just so nice to look in the mirror and not cringe.

Anyway, need another lie down – am still struggling. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to go with my 10km run on Sunday, I think it is going to end up being a run / walk. That’s okay, I haven’t had ideal preparation being so sick. I will do the best I can!