I hate that the gym I go to is closed on the weekends.  I know my pass allows me to use any of their other gyms, but I guess I like the one I go to and won’t feel comfortable in another gym…or is that just an excuse?  I don’t think it is an excuse, as I have no issue going to the gym 5 days a week.  Anyway, I enjoy the weekends as I do more walking – today I walked a total of 70 minutes and included a couple of stair climbs in that.  Weekly weigh in is on Monday, so hopefully I can maintain the weight loss, I know I have worked harder this week than any other week previous.

As for my diet – food on Saturday was a bit under what I should have had because I went out on Saturday after I had afternoon tea and came home far too late for dinner, so I skipped dinner *GASP*  Hope that doesn’t upset my metabolism, which seems to be humming along at a great rate of knots!

Saturday’s food:

• Breakfast = Porridge
• Morning Tea = skipped
• Lunch = Tuna + salad – 2 x sandwiches (4 x wholegrain bread)
• Afternoon Tea = Apple
• Dinner = OH DEAR….
• Supper = Protein Shake

Isn’t Friday night meant to be junk food night?  What a stupid rule that is.  I have come to understand that food really does have a massive impact on our lives.  It isn’t just the weight you put on when eating bad.  Nor is it the guilt after a quick short term pleasure binge where the negative emotion afterward far outweigh the brief ‘pleasure’ gained.  It is more fundamental than that.  We are indeed what we eat.  And eating poorly affects your mood, your skin, your state of mind, your level of happiness, your outlook on life, your motivation.  I feel so good right now.

Something inside me has changed.  The idea of ‘treating’ myself to bad food seems crazy to me.  Why would I want to pollute my body and go back to feeling the way I did?  Overall, I feel much better now than the fake pleasure (comfort?) from eating bad.  I guess before I was stressed, worked very long hours, and eating was a pleasant distraction.  Now, I am relaxed, happy, and see food for what it is – life.  And the quality of that life depends entirely on the quality of that food.  So no more bad food!

no more bad food!

Food today:

• Breakfast = porridge
• Morning Tea = banana + protein shake (after gym workout, need protein!)
• Lunch = Tuna (canned) + 2 x wholegrain toast + lite cottage cheese
• Afternoon Tea = Apple + low fat plain unsweetened yoghurt mixed with protein powder
• Dinner = Baked Snapper + brown rice + salad
• Supper = Protein Shake

Today I had a one hour session with my personal trainer.  Before that of course, I had my usual morning walk, although with the torrential rain, had to time it well and dodge a few raindrops!  Easy to let the weather be an excuse but I enjoy my morning walk and am not letting excuses dictate to me!

you get better results with a trainer!

The workout with Steve went very well – for starters, I didn’t throw up all over the gym.  In fact, this time I found the going pretty good in that I did not feel ‘puffed’ or nauseous at all.  However, I certainly felt it in my muscles.  The great thing about today’s workout was the variety.  I actually enjoyed it.  If someone told me three weeks ago that I would ‘enjoy’ an hour long workout with a personal trainer, I would have laughed.  Progress!  Steve is good in that he doesn’t just stick you on a machine and make you do boring reps.  He mixes it up, and keeps it interactive and fun.  I can categorically say there is no way I could push myself as far or as hard in a workout on my own.  Having a trainer with you really helps push past limits you didn’t know you could.  If you are reading this and wondering why your gym isn’t working for you, I recommend you look into getting a personal trainer.

So my workout today included (it was all new exercises, so I describe them as best I can)

2 min warm up on rowing machine

Power set = 12 x vertical push + 16 x steps (including kicking medicine ball on up step) + sitting pull thingees x 14.  Repeat 3 times with some little variations in the angles etc.

Press ups x 10 (reach up and hit his hand after each one)

Press ups x 10 (balance one hand on medicine ball, do press up, change hands, do press up)

Press ups x 10 (one hand on box, press up, move hands over eachother so other hand on box, press up)

Sitting Shoulder Press (free weights) x 12 – repeat 3 times

Super Set – Bicep curls x 14 + front pulls x 14 – repeat 3 times

Squeezeball hammies (lie on back, heels on squeezeball, raise hips off ground, pull squeezeball in and back out) x 10 – repeat 3 times

Ab Superset – situp and punch trainer hands x 14 + lie on front raise arm and opposite leg x 14 – repeat 3 times

I think that covers it all, I know it was a great workout.  I considered a run afterward but my knee is a little sore so I decided to rest it.  Not an excuse, genuinely being careful as my right knee has been a bit sore.

Food was:

Breakfast = porridge

Morning Tea = SKIP

Lunch = Salad + 2 x wholegrain bread + Baked Salmon

Afternoon Tea = Apple

Dinner = Baked Salmon + Brown rice + brussel sprouts + broccoli + salad

Supper = was going to be protein shake but I forgot!  GASP.

As usual, I went for my morning walk around Victoria Park.  Homeless people were there in force, looked like a liquid breakfast for them!  I also finished the walk off with the jaunt up the 7 flights of stairs.  It doesn’t seem to be too much easier on my legs walking up those stairs, but my recovery time is significantly better.  Being week three, my weight loss has not been huge so far, so I am still hauling a fair weight up those stairs.  My legs must be getting so strong!

Today was cardio day, and I had signed up for another ‘intermediate’ SPIN class.  Only my third time but this one was by far the best.  I pushed as hard as I could and sweated in places I never knew I could sweat!  45 minutes flys by when on the bike with the music and lighting.  I recommend SPIN to anyone.  Even my socks were soaked in sweat.  Should be good for the weight loss!

As mentioned in my previous post, I really felt like I hit a wall today (and blasted through it!).  I wonder if it was because I went to bed so late the night (morning!) before – 3am, so I got up late which blew my usual routine/timing out of the water.  So I had breakfast just before 11am.  However, despite that pushing all my meals back a little, I finished the day not too far behind schedule and still managed 5 meals.

Maybe I should get one of these...

• Breakfast = Porridge
• Morning Tea = what morning?
• Lunch = brown rice + stirfry vege + egg x 2
• Afternoon Tea = Apple + banana
• Dinner = Salmon (baked + stirfry + brown rice (yes, left over from lunch!)
• Supper = Protein Shake

I have SPIN class at 1.15pm tomorrow so better eat at normal times so I don’t die on the bike!

I have to admit I felt like I had hit a wall today.  I did my 35 minute walk and stair climb no problem.  I felt fine, and went to the gym as usual, and started my workout, but found it difficult to push myself.  It was like my brain just did not want to do it!  I am glad I have a stubborn streak, as I forced myself through it.  It is hard to describe what hitting the wall felt like.  Maybe this is where self discipline has to assert itself.  However, it will not be a problem, I finally let my persistent personal trainer talk me into weekly sessions (Fridays) with him over and above the half an hour I get with the 12 week transformation challenge.  So that means I spend one hour on Fridays for the remainder of the program, and I am sure I will not be allowed to hit any walls!

As I have been in the gym every week day since I started the program, I have been able to observe Steve in action.  Although his sales attempts could do with some work (maybe I should offer him half price sales coaching), he really knows what he is doing on the gym floor.  I see him pushing people hard, and they keep coming back for more!  But from those I have spoken to, they are happy with his methods and results.  He genuinely seems to care about the people he works with, so what do I have to lose, apart from weight?  So now fatbird will spend an extra hour per week with him and we will see what happens!

Today’s workout

• Squeezeball squats x 14 + press ups x 14 – super set, repeat three times
• Push ups x 10 – wanted to see if I could do more after my super set above
• Sitting Rows x 15 – repeat 3 times
• Lunges x 16 – repeat three times (definately still my most hated exercise)
• Squeezeball Ab crunch x 15 – repeat 3 times
• Lateral Pulldowns (shoulder press) x 15 – repeat 3 times
• Flying Dumbells x 12 – repeat 3 times (this one is hard!)
• CARDIO – 17 minutes on the treadmill at a good pace!

So despite it being hard, I managed to push on through the training and felt damned good at the end.  After a workout, I usually take the lift up to my apartment, but today I must have been daydreaming and found myself on the stairs before I realised it!  So two stair climbs so far today.

So I have made it to day 16 without any slip ups in terms of eating bad food!  I have to say, before I started this challenge, I thought it would be such a struggle to eat the right food.  My previous diet was pretty terrible, and it is safe to say I have a chronic sweet tooth!  However, the journey so far has not been as hard as I thought it would be.  Day four or five I had headaches and felt ill, but since then, my body feels like someone plugged it in and turned on the switch.  I am only now starting to realise that we are what we eat, and my diet directly related to my state of mind, and my state of wellbeing (or lack thereof).  It amazes me how sharper my mind is, and more energetic my body is.  My skin is in the best condition it has been in for years.

Feeling great!

My food today:

• Breakfast = Porridge (yes, whole oats, not that powdery rubbish that is prolific on supermarket shelves)
• Morning Tea = skipped
• Lunch = left over dinner (again!) – Salmon + half corn on cob + kumara + green beans
• Afternoon Tea = 2 x wholegrain bread with canned red salmon + lite cottage cheese + banana
• Dinner = Snapper (baked) + mixed vege (frozens, boiled) + brown rice + baby carrots (mmm)
• Supper = Protein Shake

Wow, day 16 on my weight loss journey already!  Today being Tuesday was a cardio day.  Knowing I need to increase my cardio, I pushed myself hard.  Basically, I did 15 minutes on the cross trainer, 15 minutes on the bike, and 15 minutes on the treadmill.  And I was not taking it easy!  I want to burn fat faster than I have been, or at least faster than I am putting on muscle.  So I pushed myself hard and worked up a real sweat.

I also managed to make the morning walk for 35 minutes followed by the stair climb (7 floors 144+ stairs), and walked 20 minutes to and from the gym.  All in all, I am happy with the cardio workout today.

70% of weight loss is in the diet.  I remind myself of this every day and have stuck like glue to eating the right foods.  After the first week, it has become easy, I have no cravings, and I feel better now than I have in a very long time!  I only drink water (or protein shakes with water).  I thought I would struggle badly, but blogging about it has helped keep me on the straight and narrow.  Only 10 weeks to go until the end of the challenge and I seriously intend to win! Not just because I am competitive, but because I want to live a long, healthy life, and became sick and tired of feeling sluggish and fat!

Food yesterday:

• Breakfast = Porridge
• Morning Tea = Plum
• Lunch = Tuna Steak  + baby carrots + broccoli + brown rice
• Afternoon Tea = Plain unsweetened low fat Yoghurt + blueberries + 1 scoop protein powder
• Dinner = Salmon (baled) + half corn on cob + green beans + kumara
• Supper = protein shake

After my weigh in, I discussed increasing my cardio with my personal trainer to help me lose more body weight quickly.  He recommended that I do more cardio, but not necessarily less working out.  So yesterday, I did a workout and then some treadmill!  Fatbird runs again!

Workout:

• Squeezeball squats x 14 + press ups x 14 (super set) – repeat 3 times
• Sitting Rows x 15 – repeat 3 times (I increased the weight today and felt it!)
• Squeezeball Abs x 20 – repeat 3 times
• Flying Dumbells x 10 – repeat 3 times
• Shoulder Press (Lat pulldowns) x 15 – repeat 3 times
• Treadmill – running for 25 minutes

And of course, lets not forget the 20 minutes of walking to the gym and back!

It is that time of the week again! My weekly weigh in and measurements. I lost 3.3 pounds (1.5kgs) this week. Initially, I was very disappointed with this result. I wanted more! However, weight is not the best measurement and Steve, my trainer assures me that body fat percentage is a far more significant measurement.

Now if only all weigh-ins were like this!

It seems I have been piling on muscle, so will change my workout a little bit and increase the amount of cardio.  Currently, I only do real cardio on Tuesday and Thursday’s.  I will now include cardio on my three workout days.  Although building muscle is great, I am not wanting to body build!  I want to trim down, so by increasing my cardio, I should drop the fat faster.

My measurements today (with starting measurements in brackets):

• Blood Pressure 125/100 (130/100)
• Chest  45″ or 114cm (46.6″ or 118.5cm)
• Stomach  45″ or 114cm  (45.6″ or 116cm)
• Upper Arm  13.7″ or 35cm  (14.3″ or 36.5cm) – getting much more muscle now!
• Thigh  22.6″ or 57.5cm – minimal change, guess walking and stairs + workouts is good for my thighs!

AND THE BEST MEASUREMENT – BODY FAT PERCENTAGE

• Start      35.3%
• Week 1  25.7%
• Week 2  21.7%

Yes, my body fat percentage has dropped 13.6% in just two weeks!  This translates to FAT LOSS of 11 pounds (5kgs)!!!!!  This is why I am increasing my cardio, although muscles are growing and eating fat, I need to burn fat faster than I build muscle, so I actually lose some weight!  All in all, I am getting smaller, and people are starting to notice!  So I am happy with this weeks result and will push hard on cardio for the coming week!

With the gym closed for the weekends, it leaves me a little unsure of what to do, so I walk.  Eventually (soon) I will start running.  Today I walked for 45 minutes in the morning (followed by the stairs) and 35 minutes in the evening (again, stairs!)  Although by the top of the staircase I am puffing like dragon, by the time I am inside, my heart rate has returned to normal.  So my recovery time has definitely improved.    Tomorrow is week two weigh in – I feel nervous about it and am not sure if it will be a number I want to rave about!  However, weight loss is a long term lifestyle change, not a two week quick fix, so I will keep on this journey and see where it leads.  Healthy diet + regular exercise and workouts MUST equal weight loss in the long term!

Food Today:

• Breakfast = Porridge (yes, every morning now!)
• Morning tea = SKIP
• Lunch = Salad + canned salmon (oops forgot the carbs)
• Afternoon Tea = orange + watermelon
• Dinner = Tuna Steaks + mushrooms + brown rice + baby carrots + broccoli + brussel sprouts
• Supper = Protein Shake

I simply cannot eat six meals a day, so have settled on five.

Click on the cookbook below for some great information about how to eat healthy!

No, I have not done as the title suggests and had a rest day.  The reason I mention it is because a friend told me today that I could ‘have a day off my weight loss and have some fun…’  By fun, they meant eat some terrible takeaways!  The thing is, this is not something I can take a day off from, this is is not just a weight loss program.  This is a lifestyle change.  Although people might think it is good to have a day off, the point is, I need to enjoy the journey I am on.   This is a total lifestyle change.  My diet is changing, my nutrition is changing.  I am no longer going to be the fatbird!

No day off for me

Exercise today consisted of walking.  Although there was a terrible storm which could have given me great excuses, I pushed myself out the door.  As my gym is closed on the weekends, I walked and did the stairs twice today, so 70 minutes walking and about 260 stairs.

Food, pretty relaxed today as well:

• Breakfast = porridge
• Lunch = Tuna + lite cottage cheese + wholegrain toast (2) + salad
• Afternoon Tea = Watermelon mmm
• Dinner = Brown rice + salmon + salad
• Supper = protein shake

No, I do not consider myself on a diet.  To me, a diet is where you cut your food intake (there are some crazy schemes out there) in a way which you know is not sustainable.  Usually with diets, the weight quickly piles back on (usually worse) as soon as the diet is over.  I heard an interesting fact – fat cells do not disappear or melt away, they only shrink!  So they stay with you forever!  This is why people put weight back on so quickly when diets go out the window.

For me, it is about healthy eating in a sensible manner I can sustain for the rest of my life.  So in essence, this is a lifestyle change.  And the great thing is, I feel SO much better eating healthy food.  I am more alert, I have more energy, and I have a sparkle in my eye!  So forget the diets, and just start eating properly and exercising.  I think this is the only real way to lose weight.  Sorry, no shortcuts!

My Food Today

• Breakfast = Porridge (I make this with wholegrain oats, as I believe there are more nutrients if the oat is still whole)
• Morning Tea – Yeah right!  Actually, I had a plum.
• Lunch = Dinner leftovers!  Salmon, corn on the cob (half), broad beans, brown rice
• Afternoon Tea = Apple + yoghurt + protein powder + blueberries
• Dinner = Salmon (baked) + kumara + stirfry vege (onion, green pepper, cabbage, zucchini, 1 egg, 1 tsp oyster sauce)
• Supper = protein shake

I am really wanting to hit a big weight loss number this week, but am starting to think maybe I will be on par with last week.  I know any weight loss is good weight loss, but I am impatient!  However, regardless of the result, I will not throw the towel in, as I am committed to losing this weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for a very long time!

My workout today:

• Morning Walk (35 minutes + 144 stairs)
• Walk to and from Gym = 20 minutes (10 each way)
• Squeezeball squats holding medicine ball – 14, then straight into press ups 14,  repeat 3 times
• Vertical Row x 15, repeat 3 times
• Lunges x 16 (8 each way), repeat 3 times
• Flying Dumbbells (stand and flap arms like a bird!) x 10, repeat 3 times
• Steps x 20 (10 per leg) repeat 3 times
• Squeezeball Ab crunches x 15, repeat 4 times
• Lat pulldowns (shoulder press) x 14, repeat 3 times

I must admit I am feeling much better during my workouts, although I am still working up a sweat, and know I am pushing my muscles hard, the rest of my body is not screaming so loudly at me!  The weight loss journey continues to improve…

Diet is a huge part of weight loss.  The biggest change I have made is around portion size.  By following the recommendations made for the 12 week transformation challenge (see portion sizes here), I find I am no longer bloated, nor do I get ‘full’.  However, although I am not bursting at the seams, I am not hungry after I have eaten.  And if I do get a bit hungry between meals, I drink water and voila, the hunger is gone.  Losing weight is a by product of eating properly.  So I expect to see great results at my next weigh in!  I will not be below the yellow line!  Oh wait, wrong program!

Today’s Food

• Breakfast = Porridge
• Morning Tea = skipped
• Lunch = Same as dinner last night (salmon, salad, pineapple rings x 2, broad beans)
• Afternoon Tea = Watermelon mmm + 1 piece of wholegrain toast with avocado (salt, pepper, yum)
• Dinner = Grilled Salmon (yes, I love salmon!) + brown rice (1 cup) + broad beans + half a corn on the cob
• Supper = protein shake

TIP – I always cook enough for 2 meals.  This is why my lunch often matches the dinner from the night before.  I do not require too much variety every day in terms of the food I eat.  I do not need a 7 day menu.  What I do is mix up the afternoon teas, and change up the salads/ veges to add a little variety.  I could eat salmon every day for the rest of my life and not get sick of it.  Lucky I am not too fussy!

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