Archive for the Category » Getting Started «

Feb
14

Rude Awakening

The Bloke had to leave last night to head back to Melbourne for a few days before he actually starts his new job. A day and some of training down there, and then he gets going up here on Wednesday.

I promised myself that, while I had started to take care of myself in general ways, Valentine’s Day would be the day I got back on the scale and started a more structured health plan.

Strangely enough, I wasn’t scared getting on the scale (the Wii Fit scale, that is). I knew what I felt like at my top weight and I wasn’t feeling that way. Sure, a few more items of clothing wouldn’t fit and I looked a little heavier in the mirror, but I didn’t feel the bloated yuck I always felt in the past when my weight shot up.

So much for knowing.

I’ve reached a new top weight. Sigh. And while it isn’t heaps above the old top weight, it’s still a new top that I never thought I would see.

Usually this would have me crying and telling myself how disgusting/lazy/etc I am for letting myself get this far, but I’m not. I’m not happy I’m here, but I’m not letting it influence my mood, either.

I’m reminded of the borrowed post and thinking, “Today I can cry about reaching a new top weight or I can think about how it will be even more amazing when I reach a healthy weight.”

Who would have thought I would get to this point?

I’m already prepared for healthier eating with plenty of green things – love spinach leaf salads! – and there’s a new reason I’m getting more exercise than usual…

Eleven week old Brin is a big handful already and has been adding to my activity levels! I’m looking forward to when we can go on walks together. (At the moment, he hates the lead with a passion.)

So things are on the up and up again. Bendigo is such a better environment than Ringwood, we actually have a house to live in instead of a flat or unit, we have a new puppy… I’m ready for the next stage of life.

Category: General, Getting Started, Weighing In  2 Comments
Nov
22

Walk It Off

Today I got up about two hours earlier than I am used to – which, in and of itself is pretty huge because I am not a morning person – so my husband could drop me off on his way to work. With my sunnies on, my hair pulled back and my audiobook of The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry in my mp3 player, I set off.

I didn’t miss the irony of the universe when – completely unknown to me – Fry started his biography talking about his addiction to sugar and what it did to him. He swiftly went from an intelligent man I like to listen to, to a comrade in arms who has struggled as I do with this sweet-laden society.

Unlike music, which – after years of marching band – forces me to walk the tempo of whatever song is on, having an audiobook on engages my mind in a way that let’s me walk at a truly beginner’s pace while engaging my mind to the point I can mostly ignore breathlessness, soreness and sweat.

In one hour and two minutes I walked somewhere between 3.5 and 4 kilometres (somewhere between just over 2 and 2.5 miles) nonstop. I’m feeling quite chuffed about both the distance and the amount of time it took. An hour seems to perfectly… perfect and the distance challenges me without leaving me feeling like a worn out bicycle tire.

I know this is the first day of many, but taking that first step is so incredibly important that it is worth celebrating.

I already have my first goal, too. The Bloke has promised me that if I keep up with my walking routine with no exceptions for a month, I get to go in and have shoes fitted to me (something we’ve seen advertised on tele for athletes).

Overall, this is a very happy start. I hope to have my replacement camera with me soon so I can take pictures of the walk.

Category: Body, Exercise, Getting Started  2 Comments
Nov
01

Something Different

So, I’m back to the very beginning, so I decided to try a different kind of post…

Listen!

Category: Audio Posts, Body, Getting Started, Meal Replacement  Comments off
Aug
12

What Works?

When I told The Bloke that I’d hit the “I refuse to let myself gain anymore weight back” point, he told me that I needed to sit down for some reflection. I needed to figure out what worked in the past and what didn’t. He wasn’t just talking about diets, either; he meant which bits and pieces worked for me.

After much thought, I know these things work for me:

*Cutting out 99% of bread, potatoes and rice (I am a former carbaholic)
*Going raw (calms down my mind)
*Meal replacements (helps me create a sense of control that helps me to not binge)

With those things in mind, I have created a balance that, I think, will work well for the rest of my life. The meal replacements won’t be a part of my life forever, but they’ll help me maintain control while I take the steps in creating the framework for a healthy life. Right now I use meal replacements for breakfast (to get me used to eating then in the first place) and to help me have a sensible lunch. When I’ve been at this for a while, I’ll be switching to lunch salads and healthy breakfasts (smoothies! oatmeal!). Otherwise, I’ll be going mostly raw with my eating.

But, after all that thought, I also realize that the big ol’ elephant in the room has a “Hi, my name is EXERCISE” on his chest and is looking at me with little patience in his expression.

I work from home. I’m a bit shy, so I don’t get out socially a lot. The gym is too expensive. I have Wii Fit, which has been working, but I have a hard time sticking to an exercise program. I have yet to figure out what works for me for exercise.

I’m open to ideas.

What works for you for exercise – especially when you just start? Is walking your thing? How about rewards? Are you a morning exerciser or night? Spread it out in doable chunks through the day? Do you do anything creative to get yourself to do it or do you not need to?

Category: Diets, Exercise, Food, General, Getting Started  One Comment
Jul
11

Exposing My Privates: My Secret World of Eating

I’m an emotional eater if there ever was one, and a binge eater as well. The last thing I ever want to do is let people in to every little thing I’m eating.

But then I read Foodie’s blog.

First Foodie asked if you (general public ‘you’) would ever be willing to put what you eat on display. Keep a photo diary of your eats and show them to the world. Not feeling so great about everything I had been eating lately, I found the idea intriguing. Could I really let people in?

One of Foodie’s friends remarked that what you eat is private, and Foodie wondered if exposing what you eat is like exposing your privates (hence the title of this post).

Personally, I think what you eat is as private as you make it. Hanlie mentioned in the comments on the blog that she has been a sneaky eater in the past – so have I. I’ve felt the need to hide much of my eating, thus my eating has always been private. And usually unhealthy.

Foodie has stuck by her word and created What Foodie Eats, full of lovely fotos of food. (Was that clever letter stuff or just silly?)

I’ve decided to follow the lead and expose myself to the world for a while. I think it will help me, though in what ways I don’t yet know. Will it stop me from making bad choices? Will it help me with portion control? Will I get some oysters and disgust some people who don’t appreciate oysters’ deliciousness?

Who knows. No matter what, I knew this wouldn’t feel real to me unless I made a promise right here on the blog to myself and to you, the readers. Here goes…

I solemnly swear to you and myself that, from 12.01am Monday July 12th (+10 Time Zone) to 11.59pm Friday July 16th, I will take photographs of everything I put in my mouth. (The pictures will be taken before I put the stuff in my mouth, I promise.) Every food I consume will be captured on my digital camera.

I promise to try to put up the pictures of the day’s food intake every night before I go to bed. If I am unable to do so, I will put up the pictures as soon as I am able.

There will be no sneaking, cheating or otherwise tricking the camera. I acknowledge that to do so would be lying and would take away any benefits I hope to achieve from this project.

The challenge is a short one because not only will it be easier for me to stick to, it encompasses the times when I have the most problems (when I’m alone during the day). While I realize that just taking the photos will be enough to show some benefit, I want to put them up here as well. It’s an added layer of accountability that will give me more benefit, I think.

You’ll have to excuse all the photos that go up this week. If they start slowing down the loading time for the site, let me know and I’ll put them after the ‘read more’ tags. I’ll still have my usual posts up, so there will be more content than usual this week.

Here goes nothing…

Category: Announcements, Challenges, Food, Getting Started  4 Comments
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