Sunday Jan 16
Wow! What a night!! I made every effort to be in bed at a reasonable time and it was probably a good thing too! It was so hot and humid that poor little S came in about 12.50am because she was too hot in her room. She climbed over me to her spot in the middle. I got up and turned on the fan. It made a difference, but with 3 of us (and a long-haired cat) on the bed, there was too much body heat for any of us to sleep comfortably.
I suggested that S take off her singlet and tucked her back into her own bed. That didn’t last long. 30mins later, she was standing beside me again. I rolled off the bed, turned on the fan so that S & G would be comfortable, and went into the lounge room. I figured the only way any of us would get a decent sleep, would be to take the black fan into S’s room. I get it all up and then picked her up off my bed and settled her into her own.
The fan did the trick and all of us managed to sleep the rest of the night through. Nights like last night make me think longingly of air-conditioning!
Breakfast, whilst watching the rest of Pocahontas and then it was time to play some computer games. We started with Barbie Island Princess, and ended with Leo’s Cool School. S practiced drawing all of the letters of the alphabet. Only 2 weeks to go until she’s officially in kindergarten.
Our plan today is to take S to see Disney Live at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. We promised her lunch at McDonald’s. I was not prepared to have McDonald’s appear again on my food journal, so I made myself a healthy pizza and ate it before we left.
By the time we parked the car, walked to the Entertainment Centre and found a table, we were running out of time for lunch. G went in to brave the crowds at McD’s and S and I sat and waited anxiously. I still needed to collect the tickets from the ticket office. Finally, I turned to S, asked if she could wait until after the show for lunch (she’d already had a snack of grapes before we left) and when she nodded, we jumped up from our seats and headed into McD’s to get G. She was the next person in line. I tapped her on the shoulder, explained the change of plans and we went off in search of the ticket office.
Collecting them was easier than I expected. With the tickets in our hot little hands, it was time to execute a ‘quick change’. We slipped her Disney Princess Tiana dress on over her head and then, quickly took off her light pink trousers. Change complete!
There were heaps of little princesses strolling around! We saw lots of Snow Whites, a few Sleeping Beauties, some beautiful Belles, a few Cinderellas and even an Ariel or 2. As far as we could see, S was the only Tiana.
The show was fantastic! They enacted 3 Fairy Tales: Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella & Beauty & the Beast. Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck & Goofy introduced each Fairy Tale and they engaged the audience as well. It was like being transported back to Disneyland for just a couple of hours! Magic!
S had a wonderful time and so did we.
Saturday Jan 15
Today we’ve been invited out for brunch! To insure I wouldn’t over-indulge, I thought it best to have breakfast at 8 when we all woke up. We watched a bit of TV and then got ready to go.
Our friends put on a brilliant spread: poached eggs, bacon, English spinach, pancakes, and croissants. Divine! We had a lovely visit. S watched a couple of Disney movies while we chatted.
It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. G dropped us off at home and went out to face the crowds at the shopping centre. It’s amazing how quickly we go through fresh fruits & veggies! We seem to be at the shops twice a week to restock!
S and I played some computer games and then we popped her into the bath so that she would be ready for bed after dinner.
For dinner, we had broiled salmon with lemon juice and a healthy salad. S had 3 fish fingers with some veggies. Then we settled in to watch part of Pocahontas.
Then bed.
Friday Jan 14
And there it is. I thought it was too good to be true!! Some time during the night, the rest of my muscles jumped on the bandwagon- particularly those connected to any part of my arms, shoulders, back, neck and legs! I thought I was sore yesterday, but today, my arms are very unhappy with me! My left arm and shoulder seem to be worse than my right side. That’s ok! Now that I can see some definition in them, I’m willing to put up with a bit of soreness!
Typical day at work. I’m a grateful that it’s Friday for 2 reasons: the obvious and the fact that it’s an S weekend!! I watch the arms travel slowly around the face of the clock until it’s finally time to tidy up my desk and hit the road! Traffic is not as bad as I expected and I arrive at our drop off point 15 minutes early. No problem.
I rolled down my window, turned off the engine, grabbed my snack from my bag and settled in to get through as much of my novel as I could! I’m reading the Millennium series and I’m only part way through the first book. It’s got me hooked!
S isn’t as talkative today. Perhaps it’s because C and I chatted about her latest adventures. Strict rules for this visit. S had to have a molar pulled out due to an abscess and the Dentist is concerned that 2 others are at risk. That means: no lollies, no juice and extra teeth brushing!
Homemade pizza on our brand new pizza maker, an episode of Handy Manny and then time for bed. I have a surprise planned for tonight! Earlier in the week, I downloaded the Velveteen Rabbit on my iPhone. I remember loving the story as a child but both S & G have never heard it.
S cuddled up in my lap and G sat beside me on the bed. S held the iPhone and the 3 of us settled in for the story. There’s one part in the story where the little boy becomes very ill and once he’s recovered, the doctor orders all of his clothes, his bed linen and his stuffed velveteen rabbit to be burned. At this point, S burst into tears. G’s eyes were watering and my eyes had been leaking for ages! It took us a while to convince S that the rabbit was going to be ok. Both of them were very relieved that the story had a happy ending!
As I tucked S into her bed, we chatted about her stuffed animals and which ones we thought were loved enough to be ‘real’. It’s wonderful to have her here to tuck into bed. I miss her so much when she’s not with me.
Thursday Jan 13: ‘The new group circuit”
It’s just me and A today. J has designed a whole new program for us starting with the warm up.
warm up: medicine ball squat and raise to the sky x 10; lunge across the centre and back, run 4 times back and forth
new stretches:
cobra: lying on your stomach raise your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades close together
lower back rotation with medicine ball between my knees
The new circuits look very challenging. Some of the new things have already been incorporated in my ‘B’ day one-on-one sessions with J, so I know what to expect. As she walks us through each exercise and demonstrates the proper technique, I’m convinced there’s no way we’ll be able to make it through the each circuit twice in 15 mins!
New triceps:
20 x hip ext (back & chest on ball so that it forms a bridge, lowering bum and raising it. Essentially it’s the reverse of the previous hip extensions that we were doing)
20 x triceps dips on weight bench: supporting my weight with my arms, I lower my bum below the bench, then raise myself back up. I can’t make it to 20 and J lets me stop after 15.
20 x leg extensions: lying on my stomach on the weight bench, I have to lift my legs until they are level with my body
20 x chest press on the ball keeping hips up: forming another bridge with my upper back on the ball and my knees bent at 90 degree angle, I have to keep my hips up, and chest press 6kg in each arm.
10 x running across centre
20 x squat & hold for 3 secs- not as bad as my new ‘A’ day Tuesday routine where I have to hold each squat for 10 secs, but by the time I get close to the end of the set of 20, my legs are definitely burning.
J takes pity on us and gives us a 3-minute break before we have to swap over to the other circuit. I think this one will be easier to get through.
New bicep:
10 x bicep curl with the same leg lifted off ball (balancing) as the arm holding the dumb bell.
20 x sword pulls per arm
20 x hamstring curls: I can manage 12 on a good day…so I’m not sure how I’ll get through 20 twice!!
20 x push-ups
20 x jumping jacks
20 x squats with 3kg bar on shoulder: the bar bell isn’t heavy, but 3 kg’s on my shoulders definitely make a difference
By the end of today’s session, I’m stuffed. The 3 minutes of BLISS are much needed and I flop gratefully onto the floor where I stood. No time or energy to make it to a mat.
A and I stagger down the stairs and out into the early morning sunshine. My arms are heavy and I’m hoping a warm shower at work will be enough to loosen them up.
No such luck. They feel like they’re made of lead. Lifting them shoulder height takes effort and even just typing and using the mouse is uncomfortable. Foolishly, I tell the girls that my plan is to go home and spend another 30 mins on the treadmill tonight. I know my arms are sore, but I figure I can still get a bit more out of my legs. Turns out I can’t. I’m happy to just relax when I get home.
Wednesday Jan 12
Remarkably, my legs still bend and getting out of bed is not the nightmare I was expecting. I’m pleased. This definitely means that my fitness is improving. My legs are tougher than I thought!
There’s a surprise waiting in my inbox when I get to work. J has obviously passed on my progress photos to V and she’s posted them on the Sacred Centre website.
At first, it takes me a minute to register what I’m looking at. Then it sinks in that the shot on the left of each pose is the ‘before’ and the shot on the right side is the ‘progress’. The voice in my head tells me that the difference is due to the way J took the shots. After much inner dialogue, I convince that voice to ‘rack off’ and I am finally able to see and accept the changes.
I’ve lost 8kgs and I can fit into clothes that I haven’t worn for more than 3 yrs. That is definitely progress! My session with V on Monday really helped to cement that for me. Up until now, I’ve been very attached to the numbers-to the kgs—needing to get to 25kgs less before I see any of my success. Now, I’m thinking that maybe I can measure success in a few ways. If I can’t make 25kgs by my birthday, perhaps I can assess my goal by the size of the clothes that I’m wearing then.
Spurred on by my photos, I decide to work out when I get home. I know I worked out yesterday with J and I have a group session tomorrow, but a little more can’t hurt, right?
I walk 2.5kms on the treadmill and gently do the following weights. I know I shouldn’t over due it today: 2 x 10 bicep curls with 9.5kg,2 x 10 chest press with 9.5kg, 2 x 10 curl ups, lower back rotation 2 x 10. A quick shower, some TV and then definitely bed!
Tuesday Jan 11
J decides to add a twist to today’s work out, starting with the warm up. I’m expecting to run across the Centre, but it’s not that simple. We start with running 4 times across. Then it’s 30 seconds of ski jumps followed by 30 seconds of star jumps. Thank goodness I forgot my work out shirt and NOT my sports bra!! I’d have been in big trouble!
It’s the normal Tuesday day ‘A’ but instead of holding each squat for 5 seconds, she’s increased the time to 10! OMG. That would be hard enough, but she’s also increased the reps from 12 to 15. My legs are jelly but somehow, I manage to hold all 15 for 10 secs in the first set, 12 in the second and 11 in the third. The remaining squats in each set, I hold for 5.
She’s also changed one of my arm exercises. Rather than lift the barbell from a kneeling position, I now sit on the Swiss ball, a 3kg dumb bell in each hand, and leading with my elbows, I raise both weights until they are level with my nose. I feel a bit like a bird flapping its wings. 15 of those followed by the normal shoulder weights and my arms are shaking. I know I’m going to feel this tomorrow.
J put me through the paces today. I felt like crying at times-especially during the squats- but I survived. J always tells me that she never gives me anything that she thinks I can’t do. I’m here for the ‘tough love’ and that’s what she gives me. I’m always amazed and impressed with what she’s able to bring out in me.
I’ve got the best team ever.
Monday Jan 10
I’m looking forward to my session tonight with V. It’s been a month since my last appointment, and I can feel that I’m due for it.
True to form, she hones in on the difficulties that I’ve been having. I’m going through the motions, but it feels like something is holding me back. I need to get my head sorted out.
We talk a lot about my inability to see how far I’ve come. I’m feeling the pressure of my birthday being less than 2 months away because I’ve lost less than half of what I wanted to lose. I can feel that iPad slipping through my fingers.
V is persistent; she doesn’t let me off easily and I’m persuaded to see things from her perspective – a healthy perspective. It feels much better than the thoughts that have taken root in my mind over the past couple of weeks.
I walk out of the Centre, feeling like the garden of my mind has been thoroughly weeded; the unhealthy thoughts plucked from it and tossed aside. Much like a real garden, I know I’ll have to continue this process regularly.
Sunday Jan 9:
So tired. Not cut out for late nights anymore. And, 1am isn’t really late by most people’s standards. I feel hung over- but I think that has more to do with all of the cigarette smokers last night. It’s been ages since I’ve been around smoke for any length of time. Besides, water wouldn’t give me a headache like this.
Coffee, breakfast and a shower later, I’m feeling much more like myself. We have a friend coming over at 11 for a visit and lunch out. I’ve already decided what I’m having: 300g of rib eye steak, with pepper sauce, mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. If I can convince G, we’ll be sharing another order of mixed berry crepes. Ahhhh. YUM!
I do not add sugar to my cappuccino when it comes. I know that won’t make up for the ice cream, but at least it won’t compound the situation.
By the time we finish lunch, I’m stuffed! We strolled through the shopping centre to see if Target has a pizza maker. Ours finally bit the dust a couple of weeks back, and I’m missing it. As luck would have it, they did. It’s a beautiful black model and I can’t wait to use it. Won’t be tonight though. In fact, I’m so full after lunch I don’t eat another thing before bed. Not the greatest thing for my metabolism.
Saturday Jan 8:
The plan for today was to get up early, head off to Marrickville for a haircut, come home and work out, then head off to have a BBQ with my workmates. Well, we managed to get up early and get our haircut, but by the time we got home, I really wasn't feeling very well. The intention to work out was definitely there. While we were out, we picked up a barbell to add to our collection of workout gear and a couple of pairs of running shorts and a top for G. Rather than put myself through the paces, I drank some water, had a second cup of coffee and watched a bit of . It didn’t help that I was still recovering from Thursday’s session with J.
About 2.30pm, it was time to jump in the car and head out Campbelltown way to meet up with out friends for a BBQ. I packed 2 litres of water so that I wouldn't be tempted to drink anything else. When we got there, A had put out the standard cabanossi, Jatz crackers and cubes of tasty cheese, along with a bowl of salt & vinegar chips. I tried very hard to ignore the jar of my favourite lollies that were perched at the other end of the table. I finally succumbed to the cabanossi, cracker & cheese combo -eating more than should have, but much less than I wanted and was capable of eating! Salt & vinegar chips are a weakness as well and 3 small handfuls later, I had eaten enough to satisfy that itch as well.
There was much laughter and teasing! We exchanged work stories and chatted over the cheerful sounds of kids splashing in the pool behind us. About 7.40pm, the guys made a move and got the BBQ lit. A brought out lamb chops, sausages, onions, mushrooms, 2 different salads, rolls and condiments. Unfortunately, the bugs liked the smell of the BBQ as much as we did, and it wasn't long before flying ants of all shapes and sizes made their presence known. By 9.30, we'd made short work of the food. However, it wasn't until 11 when we finally got up to say our good byes.
Needless to say, it was well past my 10pm bedtime by the time my head hit the pillow. Sleep, glorious sleep!
