Tuesday, November 30, 2010

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT

This was done by another 12WBTer. Am printing it out to pin up to remind me.

wordle

 

Wordle: 12wbt

Thursday, November 25, 2010

UPDATE – WEEK 10

This morning my dear old incremental scales flickered a 69.5 at me, before settling for 70. Dammit! Well, actually I wasn’t disappointed because only yesterday for Wednesday weigh in, I was happy as Larry to have stayed on the 70.5 that I registered on the weekend (with my stealth Sunday rendezvous with the scales.)

I am getting there… slowly but surely.. and I have a few intermediate goals that should serve to keep me focused.

As 12WBT is coming into its final weeks, I know that many have moved into top gear (in line with Mish’s program).. but I confess I’m not quite doing that.  I decided early on that what would work better for me was to go for more for long term, sustainable lifestyle change than in the figures at the end of this arbitrary 12 week mark.  Given my various injuries, niggles, and random attacks of the lurgy, I think I’m doing pretty damn well.   With my history – lower back issues, joint issues – I’m paddling my own canoe down this river.  I am upping the ante with the exercise – p’raps not quite at ideal 12WBT pace, but definitely ‘upping’ it.

I’ve started riding my bike to swim squad on Mondays.  (It might not be a tri – but it’s a bi-!)

I tried Zumba last week, and fell for it big time. Loved it , loved it, loved it! So that’s an extra cardio for Wednesdays!

Last two Saturdays we’ve ridden our road tandem – over 60km. (So that’s double what I’ve been doing on my single!)

I’ve been gradually building up abs and arms – with the Tight Toned Terrific DVD but I’m not risking stuffing myself. Been there, done that, not going there again.  Lately I’ve only managed that once a week – I do want to double that.  I know the gym might give me quicker results.

I’ve already upped my swim squad from twice to three times a week. Before 12WBT I felt guilty about doing that extra class. Now I don’t!

Anyway – where was I? Intermediate goals.  So, breaking through that glass ‘floor’ (as I call it) into the 60s is the next thing. Depending on which BMI scale I use, a 69 (at my height) should put me in my healthy weight range.

And then – if I can crack the 68, then I am light enough to ride on the middle seat of our triple tandem!

triple

Obviously that’s not me in the photo.   (Gah, you don’t want to see the one of me taken at the same time. Stomach flab ahoy!) The only time I’ve had a ride on our triple was the day Himself put it together. He was concerned about the flexing with my weight.  :(  So he and the girls have ridden many kilometres on it – while I have ridden the front of another tandem with whichever of the older two girls drew the short straw. The last time it was ridden was nearly 2 years ago (when this photo was taken) on our 9 day ride down the east coast of Tassie.  This year we discussed selling it – but before we made such a difficult (and disappointing) decision, I wanted to know exactly what the load limit for the middle seat was. Because even as the older two move on,/move out/lose interest in doing tandem rides with their parents, it would be ‘hell cool’ for Him, me and the youngest (now 12) to ride together.

So! 150lbs – we finally got an answer from Co-motion (yay for Facebook pages). That’s 68kg. And that’s … within sight!! (And then I’m heading below that!)

I am SO going to ride on the triple!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

Well that’s a bit how it feels.

I was really getting into it by the weekend.

Friday night swimming, the stars were all finally in alignment. The stars that govern the status of my body parts at any rate. Nothing in particular playing up.  Left knee? ok.  Right knee? ok as well. Arms.. ok. Little toe a bit weird, but ok to kick.  Let’s go girl.  So I took it up another notch from what I’d been doing for weeks and week - and bloody smashed it out. I kept up with the guys, and finally got my heart rate right up there. Felt great. (And a girl who hadn’t been there for several weeks noticed, commented – even estimated I’d lost about 10kg. She was a bit over, but great for the confidence that it is that noticeable.)

Saturday morning we got up at stupid o’clock, drove 10km down the road (past the worst of the roadworks), then rode the tandem 10km into the community ride start (6.30am.)  By the time we got back again (with a break at the end of the community ride for coffee) we’d clocked up 67km – 2 hours 22 riding time. And Himself did notice the weight difference.  Well – carrying 6-7kg less weight is a pretty big difference on a bike. (When you think about it, it has to help with being able to swim a bit faster too!)

In the afternoon we walked up and down the stairs numerous times, carrying up verandah posts, and tools, and we finished putting the posts on the deck.

I wasn’t doing the “tri” this weekend. I can’t run yet – the toe still isn’t that keen on walking in shoes. But I was planning to ‘bi’ it with another ride up to swimming on Monday, and then to possibly ride to swimming again on Wednesday. 

Even if I can’t follow the exercise plan to the letter because of my various injuries and ailments, I’m still upping the ante. I’m even figuring that I can even ride to my mowing job on a Tuesday in future too, now that I’ve got petrol stored there with the mower.

Saturday night we had Ms 17’s Year 12 formal. I felt pretty ok in the dress.  One hell of a lot better than I felt going out 8 weeks ago. It’s actually the first time in a long, long time I’ve actually felt comfortable dressed up. (And I got a couple of unsolicited comments too – and then more once I put that photo on facebook. And they all help!)

caitsformal

 

It was an alcohol free event – being a school function. Hah – at least I didn’t find it as hard as some to be drinking water. (There were jugs of soft drink on the tables as well – which ended up diluted with ice and yuck. I did have a couple of sips – because just water does get a bit boring after a while.)  The food was pretty ordinary. I didn’t have any dessert.  And I was bloody hungry by the time we got home.

All progress, right?

Problem was on Saturday my throat did feel a bit scratchy.

Then Sunday I woke up with a very definite sore throat – which developed into a full-on head cold by Sunday afternoon. My nose was running like a tap – I had to walk around with a tissue or hanky plugging it. I gave up, left the family to bicker over the cleaning up of dinner, and went to bed. Had a crappy night’s sleep, but then slept through (only vaguely aware of people getting ready for school and work) till 11am.

Needless to say I didn’t do any exercise on Monday then.

Today I feel better than I was- I went and did my mowing job. (Thankfully it was quicker than normal because they’d finally marked the lines). But I’m coughing a bit. I’m definitely not “better”.

I swear, every time I get my mojo really happening, either I injure myself or get sick.

(And to top it all off, I’ve got a dose of thrush. TMI, I know.. but sheesh…)

Sunday morning AND  yesterday morning my weight (on my scales) was 71. This morning it was 71.5.  I’m guessing weigh-in Wednesday is going to be a disappointment yet again.  I’ve been at this weight before (years ago) and really struggled to break through that 70 barrier, and I’ve been teetering around this 71/71.5 for a couple of weeks now.

I can only pick myself up AGAIN (once I’m good to go), and keep chipping away at it. At least I’m getting lots of lovely comments from friends who are noticing that I’ve definitely lost weight.  And I can remind myself that, due to my various niggles, lower back issues, etc, I was quite prepared to lose weight gradually.  And I’m still a month ahead of goal.

Plus of course there’s all the 12WBT twitterati mutual support, which helps keeps me going each day.

Friday, November 12, 2010

CHIPPING AWAY AT IT

It’s been a bit of an up and down week. I was on top of the world just before last weekend.  When was it – the Thursday or Friday last week? – the scales gave me a 71.  That new ‘low’ put me on a high – which then pitched me into this stupid rollercoaster ride up and down all week. 71.5 on Tuesday. 72 on weigh in day, Wednesday. Then 71.5 again on Thursday. (So, stuff it, I went with the 71.5 for my stats…) 

Oh, I know I should get better scales – this half kilo increment thing is doing my head in a bit.  But apart from finishing the ‘journey’ with these - imagine if I bought a new set, and they didn’t match these ones? In the wrong direction?!  Never mind that Himself doesn’t see a need to buy new scales when these ones work just fine! (It’s a finely tuned thing, the purchasing decisions in this house – probably making no sense to the outsider looking in. Let’s just say I feel quite keenly the fact that I don’t bring a regular income into the house, so I tend to ‘weigh up’ (no pun intended there) what I can buy without consultation or ‘approval’ – which is actually a lot of things. And what will cause more than raised eyebrows because he thinks it’s not necessary…)

ANYWAY!

Clothes are starting to be too big for me – to the point where I don’t have as much choice of what to wear! Bit of a dilemma – I intend to lose another 7 kilos, so it’s crazy to buy too much. But I do need clothes!

And after trying on the wretched outfit I bought (under duress) the weekend before Week 1, there was no way I was going to feel happy in it. So I went shopping today with Ms 17 for something different to wear to her Yr 12 formal -  and I found something in Target. AND a size 12 even…  (I actually brought home two of them, but will take one back.)

Just to illustrate the difference 8 weeks has made -

week8

Not exactly fashion week photoshoot material  – with the bedroom floor mess, and a dagging around candid pose - but it gives an idea of how far I’ve come, and what a difference 5-6 kg makes.

I’ll get a proper one on Saturday night.  Though I tend to dorkiness (as you can see) when I try to pose for a photo.

The miracle is I can wear the sandals with my still-sore toe.  I was a bit worried about that, but they don’t affect it.

My stars, for the first time in a looooong time, I’m almost looking forward to getting dressed up and going out. 

Saturday, November 6, 2010

And on the 18th day she Rested.

NOT a Super Saturday here, thanks to the weather this morning. Rain and strong winds – not the kind of weather to get up early to go riding. And we had planned to go on the tandem, and do extra k’s as well. Oh well – next week.  (Or not – Himself is going away for work all week and won’t get back till Friday night – he might not feel like getting up at 5am on the Saturday!)

So I ended up having a rest day, as it rained on and off all day. (In the afternoon we tried to get going on verandah posts, but  the rain came in again and kyboshed that.)

I guess a rest day is allowed. I realised that I’d done something every day since I smashed my toe on the 19th October!  OK, so the next day I just swam laps for half an hour. And the day after was just a pretty slow hobbly walk up the beach. But as I listed in my last post- otherwise something EVERY day.  Since then:

Wednesday – swim squad.
Thursday – Tight Toned Terrific DVD + mowed the yard
Friday – swim squad

I *have* been rewarded on the scales.  I’m very chuffed. Fitting back into blue jeans that I’d busted out of. Another friend commenting. Feeling oh so effing good about myself! I mean, I’ve managed to lose kilos despite my toe.  I’m on a roll here!

To the point where I feel paranoid that not having burnt off any extra calories today will result in a spike back up again.

I shouldn’t get so hung up about it – particularly as I'm already not following the program to the letter. I’m doing what exercise I’m capable of, and what fits into my daily life. I’m not counting calories super closely either, but, geez,  I must be getting pretty close to the mark. [Why am I not being more careful with the calories? Because I feel that I need to do this in a way that I’ll be able to continue doing for the rest of my life. And I know that there is no chance that I’d be able to keep up counting calories forever… so what I’m doing is re-educating myself with regard to nutrition and general calorie intake per day, and basically trying to set myself up with a sustainable (by Tracey) lifestyle.]

I guess it’s a good thing that I’m feeling a bit blah about missing the exercise today, because I shouldn’t have any problem getting back into it with passion tomorrow.

(Was bloody good to have a long sleep in this morning though!)

So anyway, I did submit a recipe to this weeks Surprise challenge. I would SO love to win something!

Tracey’s Lemon Chicken Stir Fry  (Dinner)
Serves 2
(299 cal per serve)

I created this recipe as a substitute for your typical Chinese takeaway Lemon Chicken. For the few extra cals tossing in the wholemeal flour, and using a tablespoon of olive oil, helps to give it that ‘battered’ look but without the batter! Plus it helps to slightly thicken and caramelise the lemon juice. It’s an simple recipe but all my kids and my husband love it.

210g chicken breast or tenderloins, chopped into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon wholemeal flour
1 tblsp olive oil
1 green shallot, diced
150g green beans (topped/tailed and chopped into 2-3cm lengths)
small carrot - julienned/shredded
90g broccoli chopped into bite size pieces
12g Fava nuts (Roasted broadbeans - 1/2 of 25g snack pack)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

Toss chicken pieces in flour to coat. (put both in a clean plastic bag and shake till chicken evenly coated)
Heat oil in non-stick pan or wok – stir fry chicken pieces till golden, remove from pan.
Add shallots, beans and broccoli stir fry a minute or two, add carrots strips and fava nuts. Stir fry a minute.
Return chicken to pan, mix – then add lemon juice. Stir well till coated. Serve.

Serving options:
Add ½ cup steamed basmati rice (111 cal)

lemonchicken

Tips:
I always like to add a bit of colour to my stir fries, and a nutritionist once told me to try to add some ‘orange’ to every meal, so I’ve added the carrot here - but you can obviously substitute any veggies you want and play around with quantities and calories.  (It’s yum with broccolini.) 
I have this great ‘julienning’ gadget for carrots that shreds them into really thin but longish strips which are more appealing than just grated carrot, but way thinner than julienning with a knife. (Carrot is great added to salads that way.)  You possibly don’t need as much as a whole small carrot even - add just what looks right artistically!!)

julienner

I added the fava nuts to replace calorie laden cashews or almonds which you often find in chinese dishes. They are roasted broadbeans – the same brand as those chic nuts Mish recommended in the ‘snacks’ video – just be careful, as they have more cals than the chic nuts.  Half a 25g snack pack is still worth 60 calories, so you might like to substitute a ¼ cup of pre-cooked brown rice instead (30 cals) – I think brown rice has a slightly nutty flavour.

[I forgot to add the fava nuts when I made it up last night as a ‘Serves 2’ test run and for the photo - but when I used them the other night they got the thumbs up from the household food critics!  NB. I had actually come up with this recipe before 12WBT, but 12WBT has taught me how to adapt it to meet the calorie criteria! A few weeks ago I had never heard of chic nuts or fava nuts!]

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

PROGRESS

I’ve not had the mojo to blog much lately, have I? I wish I could say that has meant I’ve not spent much time on my backside at the computer, but the truth is I’ve just not had the attention span to do much more than twitter. I guess I’ve settled into a routine where the 12WBT twitter network support is what gets me by each day… and I love the regular ‘chats’ I have with a few fellow ‘travellers’ – supporting each other through our ups and downs.

When I look back on the past – what 10 days or so? .. since I last blogged – I think I’ve managed to do something exercise-wise every day.  (No wonder I was so flipping tired this afternoon!) At the risk of being boring as hell, I’m going to go back through my Twitter profile, just to indulge myself. (One of my goals was to get into the habit of exercising every day.  I’ve not completely managed to follow the exercise plan to the letter, but I’m here to tell you that exercise + better eating = weight loss! [More on that later though…]

A week ago I could jog 1km. Today I just managed to walk carefully + cautiously up beach and back. 1.7km total. Doubt the speed burnt cals.  Thurs 21st Oct

Off to swim squad, hopefully I can kick a bit today. Had a test ride on my bike, didn't hurt toe too much, so will give riding a whirl in am
Bed time - up early to go riding. Hoping the toe holds up. It's a bit weird tonight after swimming. Am an idiot, didn't strap it in the pool  Fri 22nd Oct

Rode this morning - 31km. Toe held up ok (bless my bike shoes), slight twinge if I stood on hills, but all up ok. Improving on av speed too.  Sat 23 Oct

Stealth Sunday weigh in - down a kg! In fact, down 1.5kg from Wednesday's aberrant weigh in! Woop, woop, woop! @12WBT Recharges me!!!!
About to hire canoes for Ms 12 + 3 friends for her little birthday 'do'. So I'm going to get a kayak for the hour! Sun 24 Oct
(Then I spent the afternoon going up and down the stairs in our three storey house carrying tools and verandah posts!)

We then had a day of no internet – but the Monday I did my usual 1 hour swim squad.

Nearly 2 hours shoving a lawnmower around touch field - some parts thru lush grass. Toe is sore, and I'm stuffed. #willhavetodoforexercise 
When I say touch field, I mean SEVEN touch fields. Tues 26 Oct

Thank you Oh Scales for staying true to Sunday's reading, and reversing last Wednesday's aberration! Officially down 1.5kg then! @12WBT 
Swim squad done. Now to decide what to do tomorrow. Not sure the toe can take a workout dvd... @12WBT Wed 27 Oct

Lost mojo, need a jfdi kick up bum.
Go for a ride, go for a ride, go for a ride... JFDI Tracey...!
Rell12wbt: @trace12WBT go for it!!! You will feel so good when u get back...that was me last night after my JFDI run :)
@Rell12wbt - mind you, i think it's about to rain! that'd be typical... oh well, it's only water
Rell12wbt @trace12WBT I'm cheering you on from here!! The rain will not stop you GO FOR IT!! :)
@Rell12wbt - rain starting already... + heavier stuff on way. gah, maybe I should just try and do dvd instead.
No, I'm GOING.
Rell12wbt @trace12WBT GO GO GO!!! See you when you get back :) 10min rule remember...
@Rell12wbt - 45min ride, 16.8km - then did 3 x 5mins of TTT dvd (chest, triceps/biceps, + abs) + stretch.  Thurs 28 Oct

(special shout out to Rell for keeping me honest that day!)

Just done my hour swim squad, yeeha... #endorphinhit @12WBT Fri 29 Oct

39km total bike ride. (1 hr 42mins) That takes care of Saturday exercise. ..  Sat 30 Oct

Sneaky sunday weigh in - down another kilo #omg #halfkiloincrementscales
Just did 2 hour, 30km MTB ride. Adrenalin must surely burn off extra cals, eh?! Sun 31 Oct

Now to do Ms 12's paper run, ..[1 hour].. and then swim squad this arvo.
We did 2.3km in our swim squad just now.
#buggered Mon 1 Nov

90mins of pushing a mower. Got to have burned some cals and done something for my butt! 8 hours ago


So I’ve not managed to do much in the way of toning, but I’ve nailed the ‘exercise every day’ bit.  I’m not following each week’s nutrition plan to the letter – it just doesn’t work for me catering to the whole family – but I’m definitely keeping to the spirit of it, and I’ve changed so much about what I do and don’t eat.

I haven’t had a wine, beer or soft drink since the program began.  I’ve had the occasional bite of a cake or slice or something – but that’s where I’ve stopped. Instead of stuffing my face! I have had chocolate – one or two little squares of dark chocolate which I’ve hidden in the freezer. (If my older two girls find it, I’ll have none left when I’m desperate!)  This approach has appeased the choc monster within and stopped me from pigging out on a whole bar.  I guess we have to pick what we can and can’t do without, and factor it in to a calorie count.

In the past I wasn’t a big fan of vegetables – now I’m lapping them up, and I’m happy to have them instead of rice, pasta or potatoes with a serving of some sort of meat.  So there’s the occasional dish I’ll have spaghetti or pasta with – like a 12WBT-ifed spaghetti bol that I made, and so I just reduced my portion size. 

I have so much veg and salad in the fridge, I’m struggling for space!

I’m fitting back into clothes I’d busted out of – so I’m pretty happy right now. My little toe might still be preventing me from jogging (and it was throbbing after my mowing stint this morning), but I’m working around it. And it is, slowly, getting better.

I’m feeling good about my body, and it’s helping my .. confidence.. in other areas – if you get my gist….  *ahem*.

I’ve got the top end of my BMI healthy weight range in my sights now… and I’m confident that I can get there.

I’m feeling fitter and healthier than I’ve felt in a long long while- but I also know that (especially once this toe heals properly) I can up the ante with the exercise.

So anyway … I’m steeling myself for weigh-in vagaries in the morning… After that post-mini milestone letdown on the Wednesday afterwards, I’m expecting anything. The important thing is that I know that even if it does, I’m still on a very definite downward trend.

For the 12WBT stats page I’m sticking to Wednesday figures. But I’m reserving the right to boost my confidence by recording other new ‘lows’ on my ticker thingy.  My starting weight for that was the week that I actually signed up to 12WBT (rather than just before Week 1, Day 1) – and so that means that – as of Sunday at least – I’ve lost 6.5kg! Just about half-way to where I’d like to be, but already smashed my (admittedly conservative) 3 month goal.

Got to be happy with that.