Day 18 - Come On!

Beef Stroganoff with beans - yum!

Been pretty damn useless.  Haven't been eating well. Tired. Grumpy. Feel sick.

Had a yummy dinner last night - beef stroganoff. Wonderful greg made it. Then lovely start tp the day with a golf lesson.  Was a gorgeous morning. Been such great weather recently. Did ok at golf and we are going to play some holes on Sunday.

Been a good but hard couple days at work with foundry / hack day. Been fun though. But long days. Been good with my exercise.  Just crap with eating. There's been pizza and chips and soft drinks galore. Put on lots of the weight again and feel really bad.

Just finished playing bball. Shower then bed I think. Early night. Early morning. Good hard work out. Eat well and get back on track and stop being useless! I can get back into it!

Beautiful morning for a golf lesson!

Week 3 Weigh In

Starting: 90.4kgs (pre-season: 93kgs)
Current: 86.6kgs

Since last weigh in: +0.4kgs
Since start: -3.8kgs (including pre-season: -6.4kgs)

Some bad decisions lead to the small gain.  Disappointed as at one stage last week I was 85.2.  Still, I know the reason why, and I know how to fix it.  And really, it's only a 0.4 gain, and it's during that time of the month.  Could have been a lot worse!  Just have to ensure next week's is far better!

Day 17 - Disappointed in Me

Weekly weight in this morning and I am disappointed.  Not that I was expecting any different, but I am disappointed in myself.  Made some bad decisions the last few days and it's showing on the scales.  Time to "Chin Up Butter Cup" and get back into it again!  I've been pretty close to perfect on the exercise front, it's just on the eating (and drinking) side of things where I have been letting myself down.  Just dug out the inspiration board we did in week 1 to try get inspired again.  I really do like it - just need to remember to look at it, and repeat those sayings in my head.  I've made it my desktop background, so now I will see it all the time. The most pertinent ones for this week:

• Do not reward yourself with food, you are not a dog
• When I eat like crap, I feel like crap 
• You are not hungry you are bored - learn the difference!
• Think about why you started

We went to a whisky and sherry tasting last night.  I knew we probably shouldn't go, but we've been talking about going to one of the Oak Barrel events for ages, and I knew it would be good and that Greg would really enjoy it, so with those excuses made in my head off we went.  And it was great!  Tasted some amazing whiskys and matched sherries - all pretty hard to get hold off, and all so good!  One whisky in particular you can't even buy - it came from a guys cellar as a donation!  And one of the sherries was so incredibly good!  We spent a bit of money too as of course had to buy some...

The sherry tasting in itself, though not great wasn't too bad.  But then we were both a little boozy and it was getting late and we didn't want to cook (so lazy!).  So... we went out for dinner.  We did choose Japanese over Mexican (good decision!) though we still ordered and ate WAY too much.  So dumb!  Especially when we have all this lovely fresh healthy food at home just waiting to be cooked into perfect Michelle Bridges meals.  Need to make better decisions!

I've just gone through and revised my plan for the rest of the week to replace a couple of the meals we'd planned for later in the week with the ones we haven't yet cooked.  The funny thing is I'm really looking forward to trying them.  So silly to not cook them cos feeling lazy.

I do need to remember and start recognising better when it's that time of the month (now!).  I'm always a bit more pathetic.  The problem is I never seem to recognise it until it's too late, and realise that might be why I'm making these bad decisions.  Hopefully that is the reason, and I'll be over it in a couple of days and feeling much more like being "good" and the weight will drop too, and it will get easy again.  If not, well too bad!  I'm doing this for me!

To inspire me to just keep at it!  

Day 16 - Exhausted!

Ginger Salmon Sir-fry with Chinese Greens
And yes, that is on a pillow on my lap
in front of the TV!

Struggling this week.  So tired!  Got up and went to Shockwave this morning, which was awesome as usual.  I so enjoy that class, and it helps being really good at the rowing.

Went home early from work yesterday with a head ache.  Sat on the couch all afternoon with Greg watching The Walking Dead.  Just felt exhausted, and feeling the same a bit today.

He dragged me out to the driving range last night which was lots of fun.  Smashed some balls, and feel like I'm back where I was again which is good.  Just booked us in for a golf lesson on Thursday morning too.  Hopefully we'll be ok enough to at least play a game of golf in Queenstown!

Had yummy salmon stir fry for dinner last night, and just had the leftovers for lunch today.  So good!  Definitely one we will make again.  We were actually supposed to have it on Sunday night, but were too useless over the weekend.  Never mind - at least we made it before the salmon had to be thrown out!

Week Three Challenge - Give Up A Vice

The challenge for this week is to give up one thing.  It was hard for me to choose what to give up.  I don't drink a lot of coffee, and when I do it's decaf.  I've pretty much stopped eating all sweet stuff already.  I don't bite my nails.  I don't smoke (any more).  I do drink, but it feels like a cop out to just say I'm not drinking mid week, when that's something I do quite regularly anyway.  Also we have a girls night on Sat, and I'm not going to set myself up for failure.  I'm not perfect by any means, but I struggled to work out what I should give up.

This morning I watched Michelle's Habit video, and it gave me a couple ideas.  She talked about if you want to remove a habit, you need to find a solution or something to replace it with.  It got me thinking about the times recently I've picked up a scrambled egg wrap on my way into work.  I've been justifying it in my head as being healthier than lots of other options, and that I deserve it, even though I've already had breakfast.  What a load of crap!  And also about the evening glasses of wine I have to keep Greg company.  Another load of crap!  I don't need to drink with him.

So... with that in mind, I'm going to give myself two challenges for this week:

1. Don't buy ANY food or drinks during the work week unless it's in my food plan
   This means bringing lunch in every day (which I've been good at doing anyway), and no sneaky second breakfasts.  If I need to I can replace the on my way in scrambled eggs purchase with my coffee.  It will be about an hour earlier than normal, but I should still be able to hold out until lunch time, and having the (already planned) coffee earlier instead of more food is a way better option.
2. 6 alcohol fee days this week
   This means only drinking for my girls night on Saturday.  The rest of the week is alcohol free.  If Greg is drinking, or I want something a bit special, I will get a wine glass and add sparkling water and lemon.  For the girls night I will also attempt to take it easy and switch to vodka soda as early as possible in the night to keep the calories down.

I can do this!!!  Can't wait to feel like a rockstar at the end of the week when this has been achieved!

Day 15 - Excellence is a habit

Was feeling really down this morning.  Made some bad food choices over the weekend.  Out for dinner on Friday, Fish n Chips on Saturday then Burgers for lunch and Chinese takeaways for dinner on Sunday.  Each on it's own would have been fine, but all of them together in one weekend?  What was I thinking?  Let's just say the number on the scales didn't make me very happy this morning.

Woke up at 3 to go to the bathroom, and then felt like I'd been back in bed about 5mins when the alarm went off.  I so nearly didn't get up, but glad I dragged myself out of bed.  Did the Burning Bridges video.  Was pretty good.  I think I work harder in the classes at the gym though.  Was pretty sluggish to begin with but got going eventually and worked hard for the last half.

Had the normal breakfast of oats and grated pear with Greg then to work.  However I then made anotehr bad decision - scrambled eggs wrap on the way in to work.  When I first started this job I thought it was great there is a cafe downstairs in the same building.  Now I hate it!  So hard to walk past every morning.  Was just sitting at my desk feeling super sorry for myself.  I have a bit of a headache, and don't want to be here.  I'm really bored and unmotivated - that's what I was thinking.  Then I put on the latest MB video- Replacing Old Habits.  As I was listening I started feeling a little better.  Sure, I stuffed up.  But that doesn't mean I need to keep in this mindset and continue being useless today.  I can start again right here right now.  I can celebrate my achievements.  She said when you walk out of the petrol store with just water and petrol celebrate it - feel like a rockstar!  So, I may have made some bad choices, but I made some good ones to, so time to celebrate those, forget about the bad ones, and continue to just make good ones that make me feel like a rockstar!

So, here's what makes me feel like a rockstar this weekend:

• I did my SSS on Saturday morning and followed it with a run - smashed both and felt great!
• I made Greg and I wraps to take to Centennial Park for our picnic - they were really yummy and was so nice to spend time chilling in the sun and not feeling guilty
• I took vege sticks and hummus to the beach for snacks - more guilt-free time relaxing 
• I didn't have a shake when we got burgers - really wanted one, but really didn't need it!
• I completed the 30 mins wall sit challenge - and managed 4 whole mins in one sitting!
• I made myself get out of bed and do my workout this morning - felt so good once it was done

She also gave Aristotle's quote about excellence being a habit:

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle

The challenge this week is all about habits and giving up a vice - check out my plan: Week Three Challenge - Give Up A Vice

Week 3 Exercise & Meal Plan

Week Two Challenge Smashed!

Made it!  30.5 mins wall sit in a week.  With the longest at any one go 4min.  Pretty proud of myself!  Check it out: Week Two Challenge - Wall Sit

Day 14 - End of Week Two

Sunday Big Breakfast

Had a lovely day today, though been a bit irritable for most of it.  Awesome breakfast of mushrooms, eggs, tomato and avo, followed by a little work.

We spent the middle part of the day in the glorious winter sunshine at the beach, and even went for a swim!  Was cold, but warmed up pretty quick in the sunshine after.  Was so lovely and relaxing just sitting on the beach in the sun.  Spotted a new burger plan in Mosman on our way so stopped in for a burger on our way home.  Was ok, but not worth wasting the calories on!  The truffle Parmesan fries however... they were good!

Home via the supermarket and now am all set for the week.  One Skype call for work in about 30mins then can relax for the evening.

Beautiful Balmoral Beach

Day 12 & 13 - Feeling Good

Breakfast with Greg before he went to work:
Scrambled Eggs with Garlic Mushrooms

Completely forgot to post yesterday!  Had a "working from home" day which I really enjoyed.  Started with a lovely breakfast with Greg before he went to work - scrambled eggs with garlic mushrooms.  It was lovely to sit and eat with Greg, but the breakfast was a little tasteless.  It needed some more salt and pepper, and the mushrooms were not the best and had too much garlic.  Still nice to have time to make breakfast and sit with Greg on a week day morning!

I got some stuff done in the morning then went to an awesome yoga class - 1.5 hours of holding poses - ouch!  Was really hard!  But so good.  It was all hips and hip flexors which is perfect as that is exactly where I get sore with the running and walking.  Feeling much looser today, except for a sore butt!

After I had a delicious wrap for lunch.  Had to make a note of it as was so yummy!  Then more work, then Tuss and Rache came over and we went for a walk.  So nice to see them both and their bubbas and have lovely chats.

Tuss ended up staying for a glass of wine after.  Bit naughty but very enjoyable.  Then Greg convinced me to go out for dinner.  We went to a new bar called the hunter in Mosman.  It's pretty cool.  Lots older crowd, and fabulous cocktails and food.  Could do with a slightly better wine list.  I ate and drank a bit much, but not as bad as I normally would be.  The pork hock was amazing though and I just couldn't stop...  Luckily this morning though the number on the scales hadn't gone up.  It hadn't gone down either, but at least it didn't go up!

Came home and had another drink and watched skate boarding videos with Greg before collapsing in bed.  One thing I have noticed is that I have been getting pretty tired in the evenings, which is understandable given I'm getting up so much earlier to exercise.  It's a good tired though - feels like I've done something and have earned it tired, rather than a lethargic tired.  I've also been sleeping lots better, and waking up a lot less in the night.

Ricotta & Basil Toast w Roast Tomatoes

Had a lovely day today.  Started with a delicious breakfast - ricotta mixed with basil, spread on toast with roast tomatoes.  Yum!  Then did my SSS.  Was hard but good.  Actually did it really quickly, so followed with a 20min run.  Feeling pretty tired tonight!

We went for a walk through Centennial Park.  It's beautiful.  Can't believe we've lived in Sydney for so long and only just went to explore it!  Had our wraps sitting by a lake.  So peaceful!  Then headed to the driving range to hit some balls.  Been ages since we went.  Was a bit rubbish but had fun.  Need to practise some more between now and Queenstown so can play with them and not be absolutely useless!

It was such a nice day we didn't want to come home after so stopped at Wavo and picked up a bottle of wine and a little cheese and went to Brennan Park for the last of the sunshine.  Two picnis in one day - so enjoyable!

Were a bit naughty for dinner - got takeaway fish and chips.  Ate too much, but not as bad as usual thank goodness!  Then two movies - Argo and GI Joe.  Both were really good and made for a great ending to a great day!  So glad it's only Saturday - still get to do whatever we want tomorrow too!

One of the lakes in Centennial Park with a cool island