DAY 24/29.......HOME STRAIGHT and WEIGH IN

Hello all!

Still haven't caved!  Am fully on track!

Friday was a nice day off training, - I watched the Olympics and footy in evening and read a bit more on my e-book, ('Toughen Up'), written by Michael Hill Jeweller!

Saturday I had planned a ride, - rode push bike to Scarborough beach and back via Hillary's Marina.  I was hoping to get away by 9am, but didn't wake up, (no alarm) till a bit after 8am!  Then had brekkie, mucked around, did housework, watched Olympics and didn't get away till 10.45am.

I stopped off for lunch, (16k enroute) at Hillary's Marina.  I was concious of going for a relatively healthy option, (of course not sugar, pastry or deep fried food)  not too huge quantity wise or not too expensive!

I settled for a Mexican burrito which was advertised as fresh and healthy and the accompaning nutritional info didn't look too shocking.  I skipped the rice which is normally served on the burrito but enjoyed it with blackbeans, beef, lettuce, fresh tomato/basil/cucumber, corn kernels, medium spicy sauce, red onion, and asked for a half serve of the grated cheese and only a 'tiny' blob of sour cream, (I made sure it was small) so I even chopped the calories slightly further.  Was delicious and a new eatery I hadn't tried before.  Yes, the tortillas were made of white flour as that was all they had but I'm not at the point of being extremely anal about one meal a week on average :-)

I did notice, I walked past the pubs and eateries on the Marina with people hoeing into battered fish and chips, garlic bread, meals with really fatty looking pork chops and chips, creamy sauce based pastas served with white bread, - none of it looked at all appealing at all!  The colourful salads, steamed veg, steamed looking fish/seafood, small quantities of lean meat and OK, dark rye bread type foods look much more appealing.  Although the glasses of beer and wine on other people's table did look good :-)  After the burrito I stopped into Gloria Jeans for a small skinny flat white, (I drink coffee at work but only when out in the weekend!)

Next stop was Scarborough Beach.  I parked up, actually went for another coffee, (arvo snack) and read the paper and took a few photos, then it was time for the 25k ride home going as fast as poss, the weather was coming in, (which I beat) and there were less people on the cycle paths which meant a nice fast ride!  50.5km all up according to my Garmin when I got home!  Nice light healthy tea and more watching of the Olympics!

Sunday ended up a little lazy, housework, reading, (finished my e-book), watched Olympics, was 'planning' a run all day but it kept on raining, (still could of gone out I guess).  Then 'planned' an aerobic/resistance session on the tiles to music, too lazy but and my book, the internet, TV etc were too enticing, then it was after 9.30pm, - I deemed it too late!

I made up for yesterday at the gym today!  5.9km run on treadmill at 0.5 incline, mega full body weights workout, then the killer rower for 12 mins, then abs. 

WEIGH-IN:  It fluctuated backwards and forth between 77.9 and 78.0.  Will go with 78, - that means down 0.8 since last Monday and brings the total loss to 3.0kg since my first weigh in on this 29 day mission.  I must look odd, I am the only one I notice to remove my sneakers before weigh in.  The scales are right beside the water fountain, many around are either waiting for the scales or to fill up their bottles so they can easily look over their shoulders to see what I weigh, as I could do for other people.  Can start to notice a small difference, - some emergency 'fat pants' I bought on special which fit 4 weeks ago, now hang off my bum, and are bagging around my slightly more toned thighs, that was fresh after a wash.  Can also tell stomach has gone down slightly but it still needs LOTS of work.  Upper body and arms are infact getting maybe just a tad more muscly than before, :-)!

I despise Mondays, - a little urge for a binge was there today, - blaming Monday and the fact I felt slightly disappointed that I didn't train yesterday but no bingeing eventuated, - urge gone.  Am now confident I will complete this 29 days as I set out to do :-)

More soon on 'general life'!  Pics below are from Sat just been.  Sorry, no time to edit or crop pics.  The marina is at Hillarys, the beach pic with me in blue top is at Scarborough, quick self portrait and took my hair out from under the helmet!

Pip :-)

DAY 21/29...INTERESTING THOUGHTS/ALMOST HOME STRAIGHT!!!

Hello,

Well, have made it to day 21, the end of another training week, onto 'week 4' tomorrow!  Still on track, still going strong, and am still impressed with my efforts in training.

Firstly I will list training efforts of the past week:

Saturday: - 10.1km run, quite a few hills to go up and down en-route!  Quite a slow time today of 1 hour 7 mins, lots of hills but and getting the mental inclination to get outside between rain showers was tough!  Evening I did a 20 min or so circuit of Bootcamp type training repeated twice, (some of it 3 times) on the tiles, - including ski jumps, pushups, knee ups, crunches, plank, lunges, sit against wall thing with thighs and calves at a 90 degree angle, tricep dips.

Sunday: - ended up being a naughty unplanned day off intense exercise although I got quite a bit of walking in.

Monday: 11 mins rower, (hit over 2.5k), 30 mins running on treadmill fast as poss, (just over 5.7k), 4 sets of 12 on the assisted chin up machine, - holding it in slightly different places over the sets.  Also targeted back pulley machine, and about 3 other weights machines, (can't remember exactly) plus ab work.  I did rower first up, then weights, then treadmill, then abs.

Tuesday: Started off with 30 mins treadmill as fast as poss, (think I did 5.78k) before cooldown.  Then 1/2 hour training session with mate including circuit of stair runs, push ups, squatting then throwing medicine ball against wall on way up, lunges.  Then headed off to work shoulders and triceps.  Then visited the leg press for a few weeks, then abs.

Wednesday: 'Bridges' outdoor run.  The route has changed slightly as alterations are being made to footpath.  My Garmin measured my run at 9.37km, I completed it in 55 mins, 12 sec.  There are a couple of lots of stairs to go up and down enroute to make it interesting but otherwise it's rather flat!  That's my quickest time for that run in a couple of months, was pleased to get first 5k done in 28:47.  Not fantastic by any means but not bad for just under 80kg.  I'm still working an outdoor sub 25 min 5k as something to cross off the 'to do' list, think I have come close when at my fitness peaks but haven't quite crossed it off!

Thursday: Tired, big day at work, REALLY couldn't be bothered with visiting the gym LOL!  But started off with 12 mins on rower, lvl 10, about 2.75k I think.  I did get 'into' the session.  Then tricep dip machine, leg extension, leg curl, stretching, abs, then another 30 min blast on treadmill.  Hit 5.68km, was struggling a bit and as I made it to the gym I didn't increase speed for last 2 mins to point of almost puking lol!  So prob hit a 9/10 effort instead of a 10/10.  Happy with that though!

Wow: about 36.5km running clocked up for the week :-)  5.2k on rower, all at pretty intense speeds!  Busy active work week too, on go, always take stairs instead of lifts/escalators and there are lots of stairs in my day!

I will give up blogging my training soon, - just finding it interesting during this challenge.

As for all else:
No bingeing = tick!  Relatively easy, most challenging part described in last post after lunch with my mate and also the first couple of days of this challenge.
No diet or normal softdrinks = tick!  Sometimes I feel a bit like a coke zero, nothing too major and haven't relented!
Sugarfree = tick!  Am not really missing or craving sugar at all.  If they do their 'coffee' muffin at work, resisting that is a bit of a challenge but nothing overly major.
Alcohol Free = tick!  By FAR the toughest challenge, will explain next paragraph!
Deep Fried Food/Pastry Free = tick! There was the bit of pie I had last Sunday as I was invited to a friends for lunch and she served pie with pastry.  I am fine with that though so this gets a tick, the above were more of a priority to abstain from than pastry.

Awww yeah alcohol/wine in particular!  I haven't relented!  But I do miss it!  In reality ideally I would prefer not to give it up for good, (as I love it) but I was unhappy about how much I was drinking.  If I'm 'aceing' it in training somewhat and eating 'cleaner', the thing that gave was 'wine' and it's consumption went up.  It's a beaut sunny Friday arvo here in Perth today, I have completed what I feel was a productive tough week. I am lucky to be able to train, I have lots to be grateful for, although tired from early mornings, being busy, training hard, I am in a relatively good mood.  For some reason I am hankering to cap it off with a few relaxing wines, (pleasure/enjoyment).  I can't decide if I want sauvignon blanc, or dry sparkling so the temptation is to get a bottle of both, (good specials are on including bottles of my fav wines) have a glass of each, (maybe just slightly more), and drink it over dinner, while watching the footy and the Olympics on TV tonight!  What is left over from tonight would be there for tomorrow!  I can do without it, but just would really enjoy it.  In all honesty I feel like wine every evening, (am embarrassed to admit I could easily drink it 24/7 haha).  But I feel like it most on a Friday and Saturday, maybe followed up by a Sunday.

'Thoughts', (perhaps somewhat 'lower brain' thoughts) have circulated such as 'I wish I announced this as a 20 day instead of 29 day challenge'!, (it would be completed now).  'You have been so focussed/you don't want to give wine up for good/ just decrease intake so.....have some and don't tell anyone'. 

BUT, - I am still reading Michael Hill's book, 'Toughen Up', he and all inspirational people talk about 'not being a quitter'.  'Follow through on what you say you are going to do' la-de-da'!  So if I caved into a drink before the 29 days were up, particularly for no other reason other than me wanting one I would feel some disappointment, then would feel re-affirmed that I don't follow through on what I say I will etc.

WHY DID I CHOOSE 29 DAYS AGAIN?
I did Febfast this year, (a month off the booze, joined by a big fundraising group worldwide).  It was a leap year this year so Feb was 29 days.  I completed it successfully, - but substituted alcohol enjoyment for coke zero/sugar/cheese/binge urges.  I could string a few 'on track' days together with no other baddies except perhaps coke zero, but then had an unfocussed bingey week or two, repeat!  Think I weighed very similar at the start of Feb to what I was at the end.  The idea of this challenge was to practice ideal habits all round for 29 days, not substitute one less desirable for another and do it for the whole 29 days. 

After the 29 days I plan to stay binge free, committed to training.  I intend to keep up similar sugarfree standards I currently have in place, (so indulgence is only very occasionally in small/moderate portions).  I intend to stick to an alcohol 'budget' of sorts.

So there has it! Another note was I jumped on scales at gym yesterday when I should not have.  No change since Monday.  Just down 2.2kg in 20 days.  Not terribly bad or anything, but when younger, and with the amount of effort I'm putting in I would have smashed off a significant amount more.  I'm looking forward to leaning down now  ;-)

Sorry this dragged on a bit, - will talk soon!

Pip :-)

DAY 18/29..........

G'day!

Well, I am now well over the half-way mark with this which is encouraging. 

My only self perceived 'glitch' (which I'm not at all worried about) so far is the bit of pastry I ate at Sunday lunch with a friend I caught up with.  I had notified her in advance I was booze-free and sugar-free for this 29 days, (so she didn't buy wine or make cake/dessert for us)!  She then sent me a text asking if there was anything else I didn't eat, I sent one back saying everything else if fine.........then a thought hit me which was I'm not supposed to be eating deep fried food or pastry either!  But I thought it was too fussy to send her a text stating that, as it isn't often I catch up with her and it's not like I'm in a figure comp in a few short weeks or allergic to stuff or fussy by nature.  She made a big meal for us for lunch, - nice homemade tomato soup with a freshly baked bread roll, then a chicken pie with a pastry case/a creamy sauce, potato salad, pasta salad and some garden salad.  I had a smaller spoon of the pasta and potato one and more of the garden salad.  Of course that is more lunch/some different type of food than I am used to now, I didn't train that day, the thought passed me by that I 'shouldn't eat tea' to compensate for the bigger lunch but I also had an urge for a binge, - the first urge for binge food this challenge!  I didn't binge, (although I tried to ignore it, the urge hung around a few hours).  I just told myself the urge would eventually leave, which it did and I settled for a normal but light tea by my standards, good to see my mate but, she is lovely.

I had Friday off training, flogged myself with a 10.1k hilly run Sat arvo, then a army styled half hour workout on the tiles in the evening haha while watching the Olympics.  Sunday morning I had a crazy idea I'd get a 50k ride in before 11.30am, - that being ride to Scarborough, treat self with a skinny flat white, then bike home!  But I got to bed too late on Sat, weather looked dodgy and I found myself busy with other stuff!  It's on the agenda for this coming weekend though!  Yesterday I FLOGGED it at the gym.  I started on the rower, pushed myself as hard as poss for 11 mins, at the 10 min mark I see I had done 2.340km, - new PB at level 10.  Next it was the assisted pullup machine, a few others, where I really gave it my all, then I headed to the treadmill for the fastest run I could do in 30 mins, - 5.68k yesterday before cooldown.  Then it was time to torture my abs.

I had my weigh in before my workout yesterday.  78.8 it was.  1.4 down on last week and 2.2 in 2 weeks.  Happy with that, - but a few years ago with my efforts of late I would prob have shed 4-5kg in that same timeframe lol!  When I say happy, I mean I really should not have gained this flab in the first place!  Am noticing I am progressing a bit with the weights, I have been more disciplined with resistance work than in the past, - maybe I'm imagining things but think I can see a lil more definition around the shoulder area and maybe can feel it.  I would be interested to know what my lean mass is, - last time I got it checked on a DEXA scan maybe 3 - 4 years ago it was only 46.3kg,.  I would like to think I am increasing it a bit instead of letting it decrease with age.  However I have been told earlier this year I appeared somewhat toned and muscular., - hmmmm. 

Still finding it a bit of a fight not to indulge in a wine, - particularly Friday and Saturdays, - but am pleased to have made it this far, - so I have to until the end!

Loving watching the Olympics, what dedicated talented people!

Gym time now, - so will talk again soon!

Pip :-)

DAY 13/29.........beyond.......

Howdy,

Just a quickkie, still here, still on track with everything perfectly so far this challenge.

My training week starts on a Saturday, and so far this training week, (since last Sat) I have clocked up:
* 31km of running over 4 runs.
* 40km bike riding, (last Sat)
* Rower just over 10 mins, 30 secs, (2.4km) L10
* Lots of resistance work including many pushups, (starting on toes till I can do no more, then lowering to knees),  plank, lunges, walking lunges, weighted lunges, assisted chin ups, leg press, leg curl with different moves on it, tricep dips, shoulder press, ab things, back pulley machine, flexibility work and stretching.  Also jogging on spot, ski jumps and similar have been added to my floor circuit I sometimes do when wanting to warm up instead of turning on the heater lol!

Still enjoying  sugarfree.  Still missing the wine/beer lol but haven't relented.  Day off training tomorrow, (did 9.3km new outdoor run today).  Will get some reading done, it's been a busy week.  As for reading, I started 50 Shades of Grey, am up to Chapter 6, but can never really stay interested in fiction although I mean to carry on with it.  I also downloaded 'Toughen Up', a book written by Micheal Hill Jeweller about the makings of his business, - and I'm finding that MUCH more interesting than 50 Shades of Grey!  Am liking my Kindle e-reader for that!

Am looking forward to watching more Olympics this weekend!  Bring on the Athletics, marathon and triathlon!  May be catching up with a friend on Sunday, she suggested meeting at my favourite bar for a 'drink' on Sunday arvo!  I look forward to catching up with her, the idea of a 'drink' is very appealing.  I keep telling myself, - 'I'm not meaning to give up drinking for good, I can bike there, have one or two socially with her, then bike home', and that is how I intend to want it to be like in future.  However often, a drink or two when out, make me more in the mood to feel like carrying on when home.  Of course I could have a soda water or a water, (not soft drink or diet soft drink or any juice with added sugar).  Or I could suggest we go for a coffee somewhere, she will be driving I think, and I don't think she is a big drinker, she just has one occasionally.  I will let you know the outcome, not giving into a wine is still a daily challenge!  Initially I DID tell myself 29 days, - have nearly done 13.

Really look forward to seeing more fitness, strength , speed gains and fatloss!  This new fat roll around my midsection is annoying me lol!  Daily incidental activity is still lots!  Can't believe my time in Aussie is coming to a close, I do want to go on holiday leaner and fitter plus arrive in NZ the same way!

Talk soon!

DAY 11 of MISSION.....

G'day!

I will give an update, can say I am up to day 11......binge free, sugar free, alcohol free, pastry/deep fried food free and diet soft drink free very successfully at the moment.  Yippee, haven't swapped one less than desirable habit for another.

To make that even better, - I have exceeded my training objectives.  Have been getting in a decent amount of running, - both outdoors and on the treadmill covering well over 20k a wee over a few runs.  Am also getting in a good ride of at least 30km each weekend, (40k last Saturday).  Am also doing a good bit of resistance training too.  An objective is to work toward doing pull ups, (or at least see myself able to go up levels on the resistance pull up machine over time).  I am still working on the shoulder press, tricep dip machine, leg press, leg extension, amongst many others.  Then there are always the good ol' push ups of various styles, plank, crunches, lunges etc, - I even make myself do a circuit of them with ski jumps, run knee ups etc inbetween while watching the Olympics to get warm instead of turning on a heater at least a couple of times a week!

I find the hardest bit, - is having no alcohol, - that is no wine, beer etc :-( lol!  And I can't even chug down on a coke zero or two to feel 'good' about not indulging in my wine urge!  The first 3 days or so, - the food bit was harder but that is feeling pretty routine and simple now.

Now one may ask, 'WHY am I doing this'?

Answer:  Last year I reached my main objective which was to get and stay under 68kg, (I did for a few months anyway).  62kg for some reason had always been my 'ultimate' target but I didn't know if it was still a realistic target or not.  However I was excited to get under 68kg, - kept up what I was doing and about 8 weeks later I hit 62kg, I was super excited, size 10 etc!  I was eating healthy food, fresh etc, doing a reasonable amount of running, plus a bit of swimming and bike riding and the odd few resistance exercises on the floor.  However some weeks I seemed busy and only got 2 good sessions in, others maybe 4 or more. 

For whatever reasons, (mainly enjoyable habit built over a LONG time, (many years actually) I was drinking what I considered too much wine, - that (embarrassed to admit), being a maybe a bottle a night for a good few nights in a row.  A bottle is 3 large glasses, I may have had the first while cooking tea and then sipped the other 2 over the evening while on the internet/cleaning etc.  Of course sometimes I cracked down and had an alcohol free 3-4 days or so in a row, - occasionally longer (or made myself wait till Thurs or Fri where a good indulgence then took place, or had a beer or sometimes 3-4 instead of wine).  Occasionally even a second bottle of wine the same evening was opened.  Reality: - I just loved/love wine, - mainly sauvignon blanc, dry sparkling etc.  Sometimes I stuck to my goal of only either one or two glasses, - then couldn't wait to finish the bottle the next day/it was on my mind like open chocolate would be if I was 'outta the zone', (but more often I had the bottle).  I kidded myself, (although I knew) that a bottle was just 3 large glasses, (however generally 7-8.5 standard drinks) where as my ex-partners maybe 3 midstrength beers were 3 standard drinks.

I kept 'meaning' to reign in the wine habit, or started/but went back to square one.  However I still got to my goal weight, kept up a reasonable amount of running and fitness and went about life as normal.  I finished my last blog as I had got to a goal weight and wanted to quit blogging about that and move to a more fitness/hobbies/travel/lifestyle focus.  But I still felt guilty about my wine consumption, - particularly if I want to work in the fitness/health.wellness industry.

Unfortunately overeating/dare say bingeing took place, lifestyle changes etc and I put on quite a bit of weight, (15kg over 3 months) but up until a couple of months ago kept going up and down by a few kilos depending whether I felt I was 'in the zone' or 'out'.  So from October till early June I fluctuated between about 72.5-78kg but went backwards and forwards a few times.

However up until 11 days ago, the previous few weeks had been a bit dangerous.  My last previous weigh in was the day after 'Run for a Reason', - about 24 May and I remembered being 72.5.  Since then I lost focus and allowed 'sugar addiction' to take place, - and on day 4, (last Tuesday arvo so after almost 4 days on track) I decided to brave the scales for the first time since.  I knew it wouldn't be good, I am limited to my elastic waisted trackies, I was HOPING under 80, (as I hadn't seen 80 since 2009) but thought it was a 50/50 chance.  I had tried on a couple of bras in a shop and looked ghastly around torso, (worse than ages) and also took a few 14DD's they were all much too tight around the back, and also in the cup, need more like a 16E.  Anyhow last Tuesday the number 81.0 flashed up when I got on the gym scales, no shoes on either.  Yesterday after being totally on track for 6 days I got on them again, - saw 80.2.  I don't seem to get the 3-4kg losses in a few days like I could a few years back when over 80 and work hard!

I have taken this blog link off facebook, hopefully no-one has written down the link to go/check on me other than regular bloggers.  So yes, - I want to improve on all aspects of fitness, - strength, cardio etc, maybe even be fitter than ever.  I would love to get my resting heart rate down.  I want to shed this fat, reduce body fat, fit size 12/ideally 10's again.  I want to study Exercise Science but feel like a fraud somewhat unless I live to my core values.

I actually like having a sugarfree diet, (confectionary sugar free) and aim and want to keep it this way except for the rare and special social occasions where total avoidance is a lil attention seeking feeling and hard.  As for alcohol, - the hope is not to quit it totally, but to keep it to social occasions, (mostly keeping it to 2 drinks max which is 3-4 standard drinks anyway at least 80% of times socially.)  I am sure there still will be the odd special social occasion where a little more is consumed but it'e to be a matter of every few weeks/months instead of almost daily.  And the biggest culprit is drinking without company!  I didn't choose to do it cause I was depressed or anything, - more so it was a relaxing indulging habit I had formed for all it's reasons and I've been doing it for years, (over 10 years) sometimes off/on. I feel the need to place a total ban on drinking alone, (or replacing drinking  with coke zero or bingeing or another undesirable habit either).  Drinking seems to also postpone other important things that need doing like house maintenance, training and study next year.  I am a people pleaser by nature, - sometimes try to be a 'goddess' for others. 

And when 'in the zone eating/training wise' I tend to drink and want to drink more so wine also became an indulgent way to relax after pushing myself in each aspect all day so I kept telling myself!  If 'out of the zone', with more food, sugar, overeating, cheese, diet soft drink, etc in my diet the urge for wine wasn't quite as strong.

So there we have it.  One small thing I have noticed regarding hitting 80kg this time is that my fitness hasn't dropped off too dramatically.  I was pushing the weights quite hard a few months back and don't seem to need to drop back at all toward the level I was in January when I joined the gym so am working on further increasing my strength without it having had taken a dip.  Cardio, run speed has dropped  off a bit. But still am much fitter than in January at 77kg.  Rower effort hasn't dropped off at all, can still push self to do over 2.3k on level 10 in 10 mins!

That is long enough for a night, gotta go!

Pip :-)

Recent Doings plus the Up and Comings!!!

G'day readers!

Just a quick update today.  I am typing from an internet cafe as I thought I had my laptop sorted, however, - it's bummed out again with the internet not working.  We don't have a home phone and the coverage out where I live for my mobile isn't the best which means that when I start the process of ringing regarding my internet connection, I get placed on hold for ages and if the phone doesn't cut out then, it does when someone answers the call.  The time I did get my laptop working last time was when I took laptop into city where phone coverage is better, then called, was on hold a good while and transferred to about 3-4 people before it got fixed, looks like I need to do this again!

Righty:  It was my birthday last week and over the last few weeks I have spoilt myself a bit.  I need to stop spending money, - but it's fun.

Purchases include: - * a Fossil light camel leather handbag, * an Amazon Kindle e-reader, * a Garmin 910 Forerunner also with a heart rate monitor, - (it's a GPS multisport watch),  It can tell one our current pace, how many km's we have done, our average kmph on the 'cycle' function and our run pace such as 5:45 min average kmph while running.  I haven't used it swimming yet.  I also bought a red soft Kathmandu jacket and some black polar fleece Kathmandu trackies in a recent sale.  Due to my own doings I am not in a shape or at a fitness level where I would have fun buying high fashion pieces, - infact with too much slackness/putting stuff off and overeating I have allowed self to gain a few kg and it feels uncomfy at the moment.  While the jacket and trackies fit now, they will also be fine if I lose 10 odd/plus kg!, - can just pull the trackies in and wear them baggy instead of firm fitting and can wear the jacket over jumpers, (necessary in NZ and if I go hiking one day),  not just a singlet or fitted T!

Since I have succeeded in completing Febfast this year, (regarding having NO booze for the month) I set myself another challenge which I started on Saturday.  The new challenge is to go 29 days until my housemate is back with a): - no booze  b): - sugarfree, (to the point of no sugary confectionary c): no emotional overeating  Diet softdrinks aren't allowed either! d): get my planned workouts in however if there is what I consider a valid reason not to, that is fine, just not disorganisation or slackness or hangovers or the like! e): -remember that pastries and deep fried products aren't helpful  f): - keep away from pastry and deep fried stuff, (cheese is fine as long as I'm happy I am practising moderation).   I am up to day 3/29, successful so far.

Basically really I need to keep living similar to this if I am to keep to my core values.  However for social occasions I don't like to be overly strict and like to feel able to choose to enjoy whatevers going as long as I keep it in control to my satisfaction and just keep it to one meal or party.  But in the next 4 weeks I don't know of any major parties/gatherings so this should not be too hard to string together.  When again at maintenance level, I may loosen things up just slightly but can't lose the main principles.  Infact I made a nutritious sugarfree carrot cake, had a bit for a mini meal yesterday, again today, it's delicious!  I also made a chicken mine/veg loaf and a salmon/veg loaf.  All items I portion up and freeze.  After a couple of days of feeling a lil deprived with the option to gorge on chocolate, caramel sauce, cake, icecream, cheese etc dismissed, better choices and control are something I find relatively easy.  However when eating in a more nutritious way, I find the real urge/desire for wine, in particular but alcohol is strong for me, (sometimes a chilled crisp beer too)!  If I didn't allow alcohol, it used to be coke zero or the like.  If I overeat on more 'junky' types of food the desire to drink alcohol is a bit less!

So as you see, not substituting one less than ideal behaviour for another less than ideal behaviour to me is the key as I hope to study exercise science and work in the health/fitness industry somewhere. I am working on being slightly more inventive with healthy sugarfree recipes, some including lots of veg as well!

Kumuka has gone under, I need to organise a tour with another company for Thailand in October.  Gear is now on ship heading for NZ.  At the moment, my intent is to study up on basic anatomy of the body to try and get a headstart for next year haha!

Till next time!

Pip

LONG TIME........NO BLOG.........

G'day!

It sure has been a while since I have blogged here!  So lets see.......

In all honesty, - I'd rather keep some of my doings of the last couple of months private!  This blog is public and linked to facebook where I am friends with lots of great people I have met from all walks of life so I prefer to keep things general!

So.........in regard to where I am at now:
* 3.5 months till my holiday in Thailand!
* I haven't booked the date yet but in about 4.5 months I will be living back in my new home in NZ!
* Have e-mailed the Institute where I plan to study next year in NZ, - am strongly considering the diploma in Exercise Science which takes a year!  If successful with that I have option of doing another year for a higher level diploma and another year on top of that for the degree.
* Oh yeah!  In my online Introduction to Nutrition Course I Achieved a High Distinction!  I could have got either a fail, a pass, a credit, a distinction or high distinction!  Got 93%, pass mark being 60%.
* I've been to the MCG!, - saw a game at random! - and saw the Freo Dockers beat Richmond to the disgust of lots of disgruntled passionate Victorian supporters!
* My discipline to keep fit has been a little on/off/on/off.  However I definitely prefer when on form/in zone and staying there consistently now needs to be priority!  I made some nice progress for a bit, but then had a few slack weeks so lost some form.  Am revamping that one yet again, - it just HAS to stay stuck!
* Am looking into shipping stuff over to NZ.  Or even selling a couple of items and posting over the important stuff, - hmmmmmm, got only a couple of days max to decide that one.

Basically that's it for now!  Look forward to exploring some more photography soon, Thailand will be interesting!

Talk soon,

Pip :-)