Still here!

I'm still here, lurking in the background of my little blog space. Life has once again been busy and blogging is the first thing that gets neglected.

Fitness wise I am still on the quest for my ultimate goal. I am weighing in at 11stone 7lbs now (161lbs) It's going down slowly but surely. I have been following slimming world for the last 3 months and really enjoy it. There is a definite freedom in the plan with very little weighing and measuring, just good healthy foods with a few treats thrown in.

On the exercise front I am on my 6th week of stronglifts 5x5 which is a heavy weight lifting programme. My body is changing a lot and I am seeing huge strength gains so it's all good.

I am still not 100% on plan 100% of the time and I really do want to lose these last 21lbs or so this year so I'm going to need to knuckle down and focus to achieve it.

So here is a little progress update from where I was when I started this journey and where I am now.

I may not be finished yet but I'm a lot closer than I was!

That Friday Feeling

Yay, workouts 1 & 2 of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution complete. I can notice a big difference in my ability today from my ability on day 1 a fortnight ago. I am no longer gripping the wall coming down the stairs and I can get out of bed easily in the mornings! I can also squat and lunge lower and find myself really pushing my body rather than just trying to keep up.

I am feeling that motivation that seems to only come along when it wants to, no matter how much you are wishing for it. The kind that has me logging my food, sticking to my calories, not drinking alcohol and working out daily. I hope it sticks around for a while or at least long enough for this to seem a natural lifestyle.

I am itching to weigh myself tomorrow as Saturdays have always been my weigh in day, but I am determined to wait until March 1st. I am finally using MyFitnessPal as it was designed and realising I can still have treats but I can portion them and log them. Before, if it was an unhealthy food (or drink) I kind of gave up for that day and had as much as I wanted. It was like you are only supposed to track the "good" foods. In fact the opposite is probably true, it's the bad days that need accurately recording as they are the ones that will affect your losses. Why am I only just realising this now? and why have I only just realised that my goals ARE within reach and all I have to do to get there is follow a plan that has already been designed for me. It's all been done, the research, the numbers, the website, I just have to follow it and trust the process.

Anyway its Friday here which means movie night with the boys and a weekend of family time. We are off to Wetherspoons for lunch with family tomorrow and I am going to have what I fancy AND log it. If I go over my calories at least I will have an honest record of it for the future.

Enjoy the weekend

Vicki xoxo

Back to Body Revolution & on the wagon!

Ok so on 3rd November I posted that I am back, I'm going to get back on this, lose 7lbs blah blah blah! Sorry for the false promises. Truth is I wasn't ready. Simple. No huge excuses apart from my mind didn't want what my body needed. So I didn't try.

We had our kitchen remodelled which involved knocking down walls and living out of a dusty derelict house for nearly 3 months. No running machine, no privacy (I HATE having workmen in my home) most of all no cooker! It was an extremely hard period and finished about 3 days before Christmas! That being said, I adore my new kitchen.

I went from this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

 



Like I said I love it. It opens up the house and we spend so much family time in there now.

So on the fitness front, I have decided to start Jillian Michaels Body Revolution - Again. In fact I started last Monday so I am now on week 2 of 13. The difference this time around is I plan to complete it, not stop at workout 8. I am also going to give up alcohol for the entire 90 days. I am sticking to 1550 calories which is what MyFitnessPal recommends (Vickiaf if anyone wants to add me) to lose 1 lb a week. I have set lifestyle to lightly active and wont be eating back my exercise calories during the week. This way I have a little treat room at the weekends if needed. I am going to give it time, not see no loss one week and change everything about. I need to stick to one range to see what works.

My starting weight this time around is 168 lb. I am not going to weigh in now until Saturday 3rd March. I get obsessed and I know this is a programme that helps you drop insane inches but not always pounds. I also walk to school and nursery and back 3 times a day so I may skip the Saturday cardio depending on plans and time. If I have spare time I will fit it in but spending weekends with my family is also important and this needs to fit my lifestyle. That way I won't burn out and give up completely.

I'm looking forward to blogging more to keep me accountable, having it written down with people reading really pushes me to try and makes me think twice about quitting or going off track. So I'm leaning on you people and feel free to lean on me too. With a good support system, anything is possible.

Me & my beautiful boys - my main inspiration

 

 

Vicki xoxo

Hello stranger!

Slacker. That's what I have become over the last few months. Well, on the blog front anyway. A lot has been going on personally and I just haven't had my head in the right space to blog about it all. But I am coming back with a vengeance! I have set myself a new calorie goal on MyFitnessPal and I am going back to working out - hard. Over the summer holidays I injured my hand and cannot close my right index and middle fingers. Makes it impossible to grip weights so running it will have to be. I am now weighing in at 173lb after getting down to 166lbs so my goal for November is to get back there. Blogging helped keep me accountable before and I miss having somewhere to record my triumphs and struggles. So if anyone is still out there you will be hearing a lot more from me from now on.

I have to leave this post with a few catch up photos because my boys are just the cutest in the world (obviously)

The first day of Nursery school for Oscar

A walk in the woods

 

 

 Me & Bailey

xx

 



Summer fun & workout plans

Ah the joys of the summer break. I'm spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying the sunshine with my family and a lot less time inside in front of the laptop. Which is fine and exactly as it should be! I did however think I should do a little update post, after all this blog is our family journal, albeit out there for everyone to read.

So on Oscars 3rd birthday we went for a picnic at Kearsney abbey and arrived to bright sunshine.



The birthday boy
 

Luckily we had our picnic and played some games before the heavens opened



The boy's R/C boat built by their Uncle Rodney

So the boys couldn't sail their R/C boat on the lake

 

 

Still he had a lovely day and enjoyed all the attention.

 

Just 4 days later was Bailey's 8th birthday and we decided to go on our first ever camping trip! It was great fun and we all loved it.

 

My baby is growing up with his own wash bag and aftershave

 

Our new tent - christened Elvis (just so I could say Elvis has left the building!)

They were so snug all in together - that is where memories are made

I love this father - son shot

 

Ruby enjoyed it - I didn't enjoy her snoring!

Camping complete with birthday cake

 

It all got too much for someone

That has to be the warmest sleeping bag ever

 

We are off again in 2 weeks for 4 nights in the New Forest. So for the next 2 weeks I will be hitting it hard with the diet and exercise. I am doing JMBR kick start week which is a cardio DVD AND a workout DVD in the same day - every day. Instead of doing cardio 1 & workouts 1&2 I am going to rotate so I may do cardio 2 with workout 4, cardio 3 with workout 7 etc. as long as I do 2 a day. I am also sticking around 1200 calories.

 

I have been very lax with my food lately, eating things I don't normally for no good reason. Full fat cheddar, butter, biscuits, cooking with oil - I have found substitutes for all of these things that satisfy me so why when I stop focusing on my diet do I have to go back to the "fat" way of eating. These things should be a life change, there is no need to abandon it all just because I'm not paying attention.

 

I am off to do a cardio workout while the boys are occupied and I will do another workout when Oscar naps.

 

So long for now x x 

Back to Jillian

Body Revolution Round 2 - Day 1 - Workout 3

 

So today I decided to get back to my old pal Jill, for Body Revolution workout 3. I was going to re-start the entire programme but workouts 1 & 2 just feel too easy the 2nd time around.

 

I am a creature of routine and habit and I like order and planning so going back to a structured workout programme will help ensure I stay on track. If I have to workout 6 days a week without fail I find it easier to accomplish than just deciding to run when I can (because everyone knows you never get round to it really) I am looking forward to dropping some inches with this programme again, since stopping I am feeling very blobby and weak. I used to scowl and curse every time the scale didn't budge but now I can tell I was really changing my body shape, although with muscle it is a case of use it or lose it - and fast!

 

We still have just over 5 weeks until the boys return to school and trying to keep them entertained whilst simultaneously potty training Oscar may just push me over the edge. We have just bought a folding camper and have a few camping trips coming up so that should keep them happy for a while. Today I am going to wear them out by getting them to dig me a new hedge border in the garden. What? they'll love getting stuck in and getting plastered in mud!

 

 

Re-fuelling the flame

I haven't been very fitness focused lately and it shows on this blog and the scale. I have gained 4lbs since the middle of June. I am not surprised, I have let my eating get off track and have not got my exercise in either BUT it stops here. I will not let my weight slowly creep up while the kids are off school for the next 6 weeks like I have done before. I am trying desperately to re kindle that flame of motivation that we all have in the beginning, but which dwindles and eventually dies out when we become comfortable.

 

I know I can lose weight and get into a routine with exercise if I put my mind to it and writing here helps keep me accountable.

 

I am returning to counting old style weight watcher points, it works for me so why change it?  I am also going to get running again. A lot. I am planning to join the realms of the ever increasing group of early morning exercisers. If I get up at 5am and have a cup of tea and watch a bit of news to wake me up, I can then get my run and shower done before Mr F leaves for work, leaving my whole day free to spend doing more fun things than working out!

 

I know I have to get back on track now. I was so pleased with my progress before and I don't want to be another statistic that gains back everything I have lost time and time again.

That being said, I have had a wonderful few weeks. We have finally had some hot summer weather here and we have been making the most of it.

Miniature train rides with Granddad 

Body boarding at pebbly beaches

Outdoor picnic at a remote control air show

Quiet mornings at the seaside while the big boys were at school

 

 

Who says paddling pools are just for kids?

 

 

Sandy beach fun

 

 

 

 

 

And I finally got my ride on a Harley Davidson.

Was it scary? yes, I was pretty sure I was coming off the back more than once!

Was it noisy? yes, even with a helmet on it was deafening!

Should I have been wearing a jacket? 100% yes but my bro assured me we were just going down the seafront at 10 mph. Of course once he got little sis out on the open road he couldn't resist whipping up to 70 mph and I had visions of losing inches of skin for the entire time on that road. Next time full body armour at least!

Would I go again? Hell yes, it was fantastic and definitely one to cross off my bucket list.

Oh and just to get completely caught up, remember my last post about wanting to workout and ache the next day? well I did level 1 of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. Having got to workout 8 on her body revolution programme I figured piece of cake right? wrong. I grabbed my 5lb weights and pretty much kept up with advanced Natalie the entire way through. The next day? I could barely walk let alone come down stairs without crying out. The following 3 days I was in so much pain I felt like I had been hit by a bus (not that I know what that feels like but I'm pretty sure this was close) A little advice, start slowly when you haven't done anything for a while otherwise you will be very sorry.