Inspiration Goes a Long Way….

A friend of mine recently sent me the following YouTube video clip & I’m not ashamed to say that I actually cried the first time I watched it….

After watching the journey Arthur’s gone through, it just puts a lot of things in perspective.

Here are a couple of things I’ve taken from his story:

• You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
• Believe in yourself.
• Accept help from those who are offering it.
• Don’t give up.
• You can overcome any barrier.
• Don’t limit yourself, anything is possible!

Well, I just wanted to share this inspirational story with all of you today and I hope you can also take something from it like I have. When I’m having a bad day and my will power is fading, I’ll remember this story and remember anything can be achieved if you just put your mind to it!

xxx

**video courtesy of YouTube

The Difference a Little Snip Makes!

My friend Debbie & I made plans to go out last week Friday, and very wisely, she said “Well, we can’t go out without getting our hair done!”. It turns out they were very wise words indeed!

Well, thanks to Debbie’s fantastic negotiation skills, we got our hair done together on the Friday afternoon. I always feel so embarrassed going to the hairdressers because getting my hair done is a bit of a luxury for me. I don’t always have the money to splash out £45 every couple of months. So by the time I sat down in the salon last week, it had probably been about 9 months since my last cut. My hair was in a state! Then the inevitable questions follow…..“When did you last cut your hair?”; “Did you colour it yourself then?”; or “I see you’ve got a few split ends here.”….A few would be an understatement! Well, this “salon interrogation” always leaves me a bit embarrassed, so the quicker it’s done with the better. The grey hairs don’t help either……

When confronted with the question “How would you like it cut?”, I had one answer……just cut it! I explained to the stylist lady that I had lost a bit of weight recently and really wanted a different look, at which point she got quite excited. In a way I really wanted  her to cut a big chunk of my hair off, but she explained that by cutting off a little (which turned out to be almost 2 inches in the end anyway!) would still make it look great and just by styling it differently, I could achieve a totally different look. So I gave her the green light……

I’m going to let you all make up your own minds. Here’s the before….

THE BEFORE PICTURE OF THE TWO OF US…….

And the after…..

THE AFTER PICTURE!

I left the salon feeling absolutely fantastic! It’s amazing what a massive difference a great haircut makes. It gave me such confidence…..I felt like a million bucks I tell you! Before getting my haircut, I felt so drab and boring. I really want to start making more of an effort to improve “my look” so to speak. Even just making a small effort every day makes a difference.

Debbie & I went on to have an amazing night out. I possibly even got hit on (I think)….something that hasn’t happened in years! Honestly.

Now, the only problem stemming from a new haircut, is when you eventually get to the point where you have to wash it……how to get it looking the same as when you left the damn salon. That’s the real challenge!

OMG!!

If you read my last post about really working hard for the next few weeks (especially now that boyfriend is away), I have super duper good news!

It’s the end of the month and I decided to weigh myself after my gym sesh this evening….I’ve lost 3.5kg in the last month! YAY!!!

It seems all my hard work and conscientious eating has really paid off. In all honesty, I haven’t deprived myself of anything and I haven’t been starving myself. I’ve just tried to eat a little less and cut down a little on the amount of wine I’ve been drinking…..it’s not been easy as I’m a bit of a wine fiend and all, but sometimes you’ve just got to suck it up and do something that you know is for the best.

Well, I just wanted to share my good news with you all. This has really given me incentive to keep at it.

As a good friend reminded me today….nothing comes easy & hard work pays off! 

Yay Me!!!

A Golden Opportunity

I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend, Greg, for over 10 years now and I’ll go as far as to say that things are going well. The only problem (if I can even call it that!) is we sometimes get into bad habits. If you’ve been in a long-term relationship, I’m sure you can appreciate where I’m coming from here…..Things like, you get home and slob around in your PJ’s, I’ve long since stopped shaving my legs every day to impress the man, and God knows, if I own 3 pairs of matching underwear, it’s a lot…no biggies, but these are bad habits that could be avoided. We all do it, and they’re sometimes hard to break!

Us.

My & Greg’s main problem is that we’re both as weak as one another when it comes to food. I’ve actually mastered the art of “Nandos Inception” as I like to call it. This is where I know I shouldn’t really have it because there are healthier options for dinner, but I love my Nandinos and will do whatever it takes to get my grubby hands on a plateful. I begin by planting a seed into Greg’s brain and developing the idea throughout the day so that come dinner time, he’s the one that suggests Nandos and I conveniently “give in” to this for his sake, when in actual fact it was all me. I can then enjoy my Nandos guilt free! Sneaky, I know…..

What Greg does in return is to sneak desserts into the house. I cheeky cheesecake here, or a block of chocolate there……and I don’t have the will power to say no. It usually starts because I’ll have a bad day and he just wants to cheer me up and it’s done out of love, but in the long run, it won’t get either of us anywhere. If it’s in my house, I will eat it.

Another problem is that when I finish work, the last thing I want to do is go to gym. I’d much rather head straight home to spend some time with Greg. I then trick my brain into thinking that I’ve made the right decision while sitting on the couch, watching a 30 Rock and stuffing my face with a mini Key Lime Pie….all in the name of love!

Looking smart!

Well, this is where the next two weeks are so important. Greg is flying home to South Africa for 2 weeks tonight, leaving me at home with a golden opportunity. If he’s not at home, I won’t feel the need to skip gym to go home and spend time with him. If he’s not around I can’t indoctrinate him with my Nandos ideas and he can’t provide me with an endless supply of desserts….Do you see where I’m going with this?

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss him when he’s away, and I’ve already had my little cry when I had to say goodbye this morning, but if I can use the next 2 weeks to really work hard at the gym and try to get into a few better habits….hopefully I’ll be able to hold on to them by the time he gets back from his holiday. Hopefully…….

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and hopefully the waistline slimmer!

xxx

British 10K….Again!

I’ve recently signed up to do the British 10K again this year. It’s on the 8th of July, so I have just under 3 months to train for it. Eeeeek!! I’m determined to be more prepared for it this year, so I’ve really got to get myself in gear…..

I’ve sort of got an exercise plan for the next 8 weeks. Here it is:

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
Week 1	Rest Day	2 miles easy	30 minstempo	Rest Day	30 mins easy	Rest Day	3 miles
Week 2	Rest Day	2 miles easy	30 mins tempo	Rest Day	30 mins easy	Rest Day	5 miles
Week 3	Rest Day	3 miles easy	30 mins tempo	Rest Day	30 mins easy	Rest Day	6 miles
Week 4	Rest Day	3 miles easy	40 mins tempo	Rest Day	30 mins speed	Rest Day	7 miles
Week 5	Rest Day	2 miles easy	40 mins tempo	Rest Day	30 mins speed	Rest Day	8 miles
Week 6	Rest Day	2 miles easy	50 mins tempo	Rest Day	30 mins speed	Rest Day	8 miles
Week 7	Rest Day	3 miles easy	50 mins tempo	Rest Day	30 mins speed	Rest Day	6 miles
Week 8	Rest Day	3 miles easy	5k race or pace run	Rest Day	3 miles easy	Rest Day	10k RACE

** Tempo Running is a fast, continuous run in the middle of a long/mid distance run. It helps to prepare your body for faster, longer runs as well as adapting your body to deal with lactate levels.

I really want to stick to this routine. It seems simple enough and I can plan it around my work schedule. Perhaps you guys have further advice or training tips to add? I’d love to hear from you all!

The other thing I’ll have to prepare for, is that I’ll be running the 10K in a fox suit. I’m raising money for The Wildlife Aid Foundation, so really wanted to make an impression. I won’t be wearing a mascot suit or anything like that, but it will definitely be some kind of suit. I also want to be prepared for running with some extra weight. Have any of you tried this before?

Well, here’s a look at my Just Giving page if you want some more info on my run….

https://www.justgiving.com/see-foxy-run

Well, now the training starts! Here’s a picture of me after I finished the race last year….

At the end of my first ever 10K in 2011......

I really want to do you all & myself proud, so I’m going to give it my all!

xxx

** Exercise plan courtesy of therunningbug.co.uk

Liar, liar pants on fire!

I came across an interesting article on the Yahoo website recently which rang true……It was titled Food Fibs that will make you Fat and you can read it here.

No matter who you are, you know you’ve done at least one of these things. I know I’m pretty much guilty of all of them, so let me share a few now……

I exercised today so I can have it: I do this all the time! I justify the bigger plate of food because I went to gym that day. I need to get it in my brain that by doing that, I’m just stalling in the same place. I have positive reinforcement for the exercise I’m doing, but undo all of it by not lowering my calorie intake. A vicious circle I tell you!

I deserve it: I believe that everyone deserves a reward for achieving weight loss goals, but these rewards shouldn’t be food. I do that sometimes, but am trying re-programme myself to instead buy myself something nice that I can use or hold on to. Perhaps a new top, or a new haircut….whatever doesn’t go in my belly to undo all my hard work!

I’ll never eat that again: Yes you will. Simple as that. Don’t ever deny yourself a type of food because you’ll just be making it that much more appealing. Inevitably the temptation will become too much and you’ll break down. I once tried cutting out all bread, and I lasted for a month. Then I had a total mental breakdown….my boyfriend and I refer to it as the “Bread Roll Incident of 2008″. It was not pretty. So my advice….never cut something out. It’ll all go downhill pretty fast!

It’s a salad, so it’s fine: I try to keep my salads pretty healthy, but I can fall into this trap sometimes. I love a good salad, but occasionally it’ll include way too many carbs or oily dressings. As long as 9 times out of 10, I try to keep it really healthy, it’s all good in my book. Just be careful of being tricked by the assumption or appearance of low calories and pay attention to what’s really in there!

It’s a waste to throw food away: This is something I’ve always struggled with. Growing up, my brother and I were always told to finish all our meals and you’re taught to appreciate the food on your plate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good upbringing, but sometimes you’ve got to be more sensible about how much you’re eating. You shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about not finishing everything on your plate, at the risk of your own health. You can say no sometimes. The simple truth is….when you’re full, stop eating.

Well, there are a few more points in the article, so please have a read here if you want. It’s not easy programming your brain to think differently about various aspects of your nutrition.  In all honesty, I used to be absolutely stick thin and I never had to worry about my attitude to food. I could eat what I want, when I wanted to. 8 years on, I’m still struggling with merging my reality with years of not having to worry about what I eat. It’s not easy, but perhaps I can try to tell myself fewer of these little white lies, perhaps it’ll be a start.

Are there any other fibs you tell yourself? I’d love to hear from you all…..

xxx

Stop Moaning. Just Do It.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve received loads of advice from various friends about losing weight. All different. All good. So, this is where it gets tough….whose/what advice do I take? It’s all relative I’m afraid….

Well, as I’ve said before, I consider weight loss to mostly be a psychological problem. I say this in terms of overcoming psychological barriers and ingrained habits that prevent you from achieving what you want to. We all have the tools to lose weight and we all know how to, but it’s putting that knowledge into practice that’s the difficult part. It’s here where our mental resolve fails us most often.

I recently read the following article, and I found it to really ring true….It’s titled “If You Want To Be Fit, Don’t Buy New Running Shoes”! In as nutshell, it deals with feel-good tasks and how they can in fact hinder actual positive productivity.

For example, if I spend ages working out a training schedule or weekly menu, I will feel good, because I’m positively contributing to losing weight. The problem here is that I’ve spent a large amount of time on these schedules and menus instead of actually just going out and exercising or choosing healthy food as I go through the day. These feel-good tasks might not be directly aiding your goals, but you trick yourself into believing that you’ve done something positive, so stop there instead of actually just doing it.

I hope this is all making sense so far….Have a read of the article here if you’d like….or here:

http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/08/05/if-you-want-to-be-fit-don%E2%80%99t-buy-new-running-shoes/

Now, I know different things work for different people, but I just wanted to share this article with you all today. I just don’t want people to lose sight of what they really want to achieve. Instead of spending so much time planning things, just do it. Don’t even think about it. Just get it done. I’m not trying to tell people not to plan anything at all – some structure and goal setting is always good – I just don’t want people to over think things. That’s where the trouble lies.

So, how am I going to incorporate this into my life? Well, I do like planning, so I’m not going to give that up all together. For example, I’m running a 10K in July, so want to stick to a training schedule for that, but I’m going to keep it flexible. I’m going back to roughly working out menus for the week, but only for dinners (I want to cut out carbs for dinner!). BUT (and it’s a big but), I’m going to take every day as it comes. Not plan too much ahead and not think of my goals in big terms, rather tackle each day at a time.

Well, I hope I’ve made some sense in this post. I’d love to know what you all thought about this!

picture courtesy of www.someecards.com