Goodbye May, Hello June

For the month of May I set 3 goals.

They were:

• Run a cumulative total of 100 km

• Stay up to date with and complete the Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day Challenge

• Nag less

I'm very happy to say that successfully I met my running goal. In the process of completing this goal I was able to set some personal records: I ran 8km for the first time. I bought my average pace per kilometer down by 2 minutes. I ran 5km in just in 39 minutes. I highly recommend using an app like RunKeeper. The app allows you to set goals, tracks your run times and distances, and it sends you encouraging emails telling you you're awesome...Who doesn't want to hear that?! I'm aiming for another 100km in June, and to bring my average pace down from 8:10 to 7:30/km, bring it on!

I had not completed a whole month of Photo a Day in quite a while and I didn't even start it in April. However I really enjoy having a creative outlet in the midst of my everyday Mum duties, so for May I really committed to it. I missed one day (21: I Care About This. I think I over thought it and then was completely uninspired!) but other than that, A whole month done. I was considering doing a whole post about this but the time factor that would have to go into that was prohibitive. The pictures are here for you to enjoy. I had a lot of fun taking them. I'm keen for June too, it feels good to have my creative juices flowing again!

Nag less... Hmm, I don't think I succeeded in this at all! However, today is another day and another opportunity to grow more patient, more accepting, more loving. Here's to June!

Also for June I am paying more attention to what I eat. I'm not going to get crazy and start counting calories of only eating carrot and celery, but I have been maintaining for the last couple of months, and while that is not necessarily a bad thing, I am not where I want to be yet. I'm hoping to reduce my muffin top to cupcake and have my snug pants being more comfortable.

Poor Neglected Blog

I have been trying to update this blog for months, but have been unable to log in to the dashboard. I don't know how many times I requested a new password and and went went through my junk mail folder trying to find the reset link. I came on here today to give it one last try and I was going to start a new blog, but whaddaya know...it works, though I still don't know the password and have no idea why it's working... I've got skillz!

Now, it would seem I have not updated this poor neglected blog since 2011. My savvy maths skills tell me that is almost 2 years ago. 2 years?! Seriously woman! What have I been doing all that time? Let me 'splain...No, there is too much, let me sum up.

• I got pregnant and gave birth to our 3rd son. That is probably the entire reason I have not been keeping a blog up to date...3 boys 5 and under? 'Nuff said! Anyway, he is presently 14 months old and...well... I like to call him Spider-Toddler. He can and will climb anything and everything, including but not limited to the dining room table, out of his cot and out of his highchair. A couple of weeks ago he was at the top of a 6' ladder, yeah I think those are grey hairs.

Spider-Toddler, outside, on my little table, with spoons?!




• I was foolish enough to take on the role of president at the Playgroup. Well at least it's not kindergarten committee president...no thanks!

Mr 3 with Tallulah

Butternut Pumpkin...was delicious!

• We got some chooks and I started a veggie garden. My beloved made me a garden. Well, he built me a fence so I could make me a garden anyway. To date I have successfully grown 1 single melon, several capsicums, lettuce, a lot of green tomatoes (don't know what happened there), a nice selection of herbs, butternut pumpkins, broccoli (which bolted way before it finished growing!) and a truckload of weeds...It's coming along ok. I wish I could devote a lot more time to it and the rest of my yard.

Capsicums

• I've become a kinder mum. Mr 3 has become Mr 5 and he is LOVING kinder. He's made some lovely friends and aside from some of the attitude he has bought home, and the seemingly constant in and out of the car 3 days a week, I love it too.

Early morning run on a lovely autumn morning

• I've started running and ran my first 5km earlier this year. I have wanted to run for a long time. I look at people who run and I think "Wow, so athletic, so graceful, I want to have that freedom". I don't think I fall into the athletic/graceful category, to be honest most days when I go out I feel like an elephant, but I do have freedom and it sure does feel great getting out there, beating my own times and seeing that Yes! I am getting fitter and improving. I've set a goal for May to run 100km. I'm determined to make it and have my sights set on completing a 10km run in August. Watch this space!

85kgs. Yahoo!

• I'm down to 85kgs at my last weigh in on the worlds dodgiest scales. When I started this blog it was mostly to document what I hoped would be my weight loss story. I think I failed in that respect, it did turn out to be a lot of me rambling on about everything, but all the while I have stuck at it and it's paying of. I am able to fit into 2 different pairs of size 14 pants (Thank goodness for 2% elastin, and nevermind that I have some size 16s I can't fit into!) I am feeling fantastic, but still have a way to go yet!

I hope you have enjoyed this brief update. almost 2 years seems to be condensed into not much! Be back soon hopefully!

That's right I have a blog!

The last time I updated this blog was at the start of March, How slack am I?! I have missed all of Autumn and we are now at the beginning of winter.

Woo! Crunchy, scrunchy autumn leaves

So, What has been happening since I last posted? Well...

• My big 2 year old turned into a big 3 year old.

  

  I'm 3 now, I can do my helmet by myself!

• My little 1 year old moved into a big boy bed!
• I turned 28!
• My bother-in-law got married, so I have a new sister in law and am soon to be an aunty! Wow!
• I agreed to be the secretary at playgroup
• I've met some new friends, which is always fun
• I had my picture in the local paper not once but twice! Once because we happened to be at the library in time for story time and once because I sang some songs at the kids club.
• I've been given a regular gig at the nursing home playing guitar and singing old songs during their Friday arvo happy hour. I'm really enjoying it. I nearly cried the last time I played there. One of the ladies came down from her room and started dancing around the room with some of the carers. It was very precious. It is a real privilege to bring them a bit of joy. I'm also enjoying being taught some 'new' songs by the old folks. 
• I've been maintaining my weight loss. I have lost a cm off my waist and my hips but my weight has been about the same for 3mths. Including over Easter!
  

  

  Pic of me that Mr 3 took, I'm impressed!

• I have enlisted a friend of mine to help me with the exercise part of my weight loss and fitness goals. I had tried to do it myself, but I found that with no one to report to, I would either find excuses NOT to exercise, or I would do the bare minimum. My fabulous friend gives me a strength training and a cardio routine for 3 days a week. I LOVE it! It is so good for me. I don't want to tell her that I didn't do this or I didn't do that, and I can't lie, so I have to do it. I don't have to think about what I'm going to do, I just follow the list. I have definitely improved in my cardio fitness and I am definitely stronger in my legs and core. 
• I was desperate to try a beep test/shuttle run. Never having tried it before, I was hopeful that I would be able to get to level 3 by the end of a new 6 week challenge I have started with Fat Chick Slim(you start at level 1.1 and there are 8 (I think!) levels between). Very excitingly, the first time I tried it I made it to level 3.1.Woo. So now I am aiming for level 4 by the end of the 6 week challenge. Bring it on!
• My back has been great. I have been continuing with my stretching program. I can't recommend stretching enough. If you have back pain issues and are in Melbourne check out Stu at Core Life Concepts  it's worth every cent. Seriously!
• I have made some changes to my thinking regarding the dogs which we still have. I had tried to walk them and push the kids in the pram and get some decent cardio exercise at the same time. It just didn't work. The dogs stop and sniff at stuff all the time and stop to poo or wee on things all the time. Or they walk in front of the wheels of the pram and lots of annoying stuff like that. So because of the freezingness in the morning and the freezingness late at night, they were hardly ever getting out for a walk. However, I had a revelation one day. I don't have to try and do everything at once. I don't have to only leave the house once and get everything done in the one trip. Duh! Anyway. I have been taking the boys AND the dogs for a walk minus the pram and minus my 'got to walk for fitness' mentality. Some days it works better than others but generally it is quite fun for all involved! I had been having a little bit of trouble with Mr almost 2 lagging behind while we were walking, but today I had him hold on to my resistance band with Mr 3. It worked very well and we did our walk in record time!

  

  It's my BJ

  
  

If nothing else from today's post I want to encourage others to think outside the square. I'm the queen of making excuses, but where there is a will there is a way. You just might have to think of another way to make it happen. I spent 45min running up and down my 8m long verandah the other day. Yes it was a bit boring, but I needed the exercise and there was not other way for me to get it on a rainy day. Just because you have always done something one way, doesn't mean there isn't another (better) way to get a similar result! That's enough of a pep talk from me...now get going and reach your goals!

My life certainly isn't dull that's for sure!

Well February is over already, and with it summer. I can say that I have actually enjoyed this summer. Mainly because I think we have had about one week of hot summer weather. I'm not complaining...oh my no, I'm just surprised I suppose. Here's hoping that we don't make up for the lack in March!

A lot of things happened this month.

• We got our power on! Woo Hoo, I'm still pretty darn excited about that. I love being able to use the washing machine whenever I want, I love not needing to buy ice to make my food all cold (and wet...yuck!)
• My youngest brother got married (I'll talk about that a bit later).
• My brother in law moved down from QLD so we inherited some dogs. 2 big German Shepard x bull mastif, escape artist, poo machine dogs. I am slightly more fond of them now than I was when they first arrived. I was most unimpressed when I came home one day to find one of them missing and I had to go and collect him from the vet (who had thankfully seen him wandering past her window and taken him inside!)
• I've experienced my first major meltdown from my almost 3 year old in a shop. (I refused to get him a very large, and very expensive, Thomas the Tank Engine train set which was on sale in BigW. I was getting a very large play workbench with lots of tools etc and he didn't want that. He was screaming and throwing himself on the floor and pulling on the trolley to stop me from going to the checkout. I'll give him 10 out of 10 for the performance – it was a doozy! I ended up carrying him out of the shop under my arm while he was still screaming and carrying on. Thankfully I had many compassionate looks from other mums and none that suggested I was a bad mum!)
• We got our driveway redone after many months of putting up with mud and potholes after it was destroyed by contractors working on our neighbours houses.

  

  The boys watching our new driveway being put down.
  

Wheels make great seats, at the swap meet.

Awesome! a bowl of noodles at the swap meet

Ok, I told you that there was a bit of a story about my brothers wedding. For a start it was on the same weekend as the Ballarat Swap Meet. For any one who has no idea what that is, it is a very, very large, mainly car and motorbike related 'market' where a lot of people bring a lot of stuff (or junk!) to sell to a lot of other people, hopefully for a lot of money! It goes for 3 days and most of the siteholders camp out in tents, buses, caravans etc. It is a HUGE event on my husbands calendar. I have been at least 3 times. I go mainly as the cook! It is not the worst thing in the world, it is nice to get away for a quasi holiday and spend time with my husband (which I don't get to do a lot of). Anyway, it was on the same weekend as the wedding and around 2 hrs away from where the wedding was being held. Allowing that we have not had a shower for the last 2 days and have been camping, we need to get pretty for the wedding and have 2 children to get clean and pretty too, I wanted to make sure we had 3 hrs to get there. We were pretty well ready to go at 2 pm. The trailer was packed and the camper was packed. The children were in the cars, everyone had been to the toilet, but it was still 2:15 before we got out of there. Then we had to stop in the car park and unload some stuff that another guy who was with us had bought. Ok that shouldn't take too long...15 minutes later... ok we are ready to go now. Oh but wait my wonderful husband has to drop off a set of tires that he sold to some guy who lives about 5 minutes away...ok...that should only take...HALF AN HOUR! I'm getting pretty peeved by now because I know that it is going to take longer than 2hrs for us to get there and be ready for a 5pm wedding. Ok...I'm trying to stay calm and just take it as it comes but, I'm pretty worried that I'm going to miss my brother's wedding, which I am pretty blooming excited about. Anyway, we are on the freeway at 3pm and I'm in my car and my hubby is in his car. But my car is making bad noises. I am getting a butt massage from all the vibrations and the rear view mirror keeps tipping down from all the shaking. I'm a bit worried that a wheel is going to fall off or something, but if I stay under 100kmph is is not so bad. But I don't want to stay under 100 is a 110 zone, I want to get there ASAP. So I'm going as fast as I can and the skylight on the camper which I am towing pops up, got to stop and rope that down. Back on the road, still loads of really bad vibrations, I am furious. Flaming Murphy. We stop AGAIN and check that the wheels are all on properly and that there is oil where it needs to be and everything looks in order. It is safe enough to drive. We'll just have to fix whatever the problem in when we finally get home (at that stage we were assuming that it was the spare tire that DH had put on earlier in the week which must have been unbalanced). Anyway, we are driving along and we get to the Ring road in Melb. They are doing roadworks so the speed limit is 80, not too bad, it was still moving, but it is 4:30 and we are still at least an hour away from Lilydale. There is a back way, but it is hilly and we are both towing so we decide to take the big roads. We get onto the Eastern Freeway and they are doing roadworks there too, what the...don't you know I'm in a hurry! Anyway, it's already 5 pm (the start time) and I'm in my car on a road at least 15-20 min away, so I am bawling my eyes out that I am missing this important event. I decide that we have to go straight there and see whatever we can of the rest of the ceremony and we can get tidied up after it, before the reception. So we rocked up there, dirty and stinky and looking like hobo gatecrashers just in time to see the kiss and the signing of the registry :( Pretty bummed that I missed the walk down the aisle and the exchange of vows and rings and well...everything. But I got to see my brother and new sister in law beaming and looking gorgeous, at least for a bit!. We did race off and get pretty and have a really fun time at their reception though, so it wasn't a complete loss!

We did have one more adventure on the way home the day after the wedding. My car had been assessed to have a worn out tie rod (part of the steering/wheel system). It is fine but we will have to replace the part when we get home. I am towing the camper trailer and DH is in his fully packed ute, towing a car trailer that has 14 (yes 14) wheels with tires, 4 doors from XW's, 3 bicycles and my freaking awesome pram/bike trailer thing on it. We decide to take the slightly longer less hilly and windy way home. It is just getting dark and we are on the road between Yea and Seymour when I see lots of sparks coming from behind DH's car. We pull over and see that the WHOLE TOW BAR has fallen off the back of his ute...SIGH! DH has enough supplies and tools in his car to temporarily reattach the tow bar, but we can't tow anything with that car now. So we take everything off the trailer (it looks a bit like we are engaging in some illegal dumping with no less than 14 tires on the side of the road!), then we reverse the camper up onto the trailer and pack everything back around it. DH then tows that with my car and I drive his ute home. We made it all in one piece and with all our stuff, just a little later than we thought it would be! I sure can't complain that my life is boring!

The trailer after everything was loaded back onto it

 

 So how have I done weight and exercise wise in Feb? Well I weighed in at exactly the same on the first of March, but my measurements were 2cm less on my waist! I cheated and had a look today and I am on 98.5! Woo! What is great though, is that for pretty well the whole month of Feb I have been eating nothing but junk and doing hardly any exercise. Well not completely I have still been having some fresh food, but not nearly as much as would be better for me. I have been continuing to eat according to my hunger and have not gained any weight at all. Normally, if I had a 'break' I would gain at least 2 kilos, so I am wrapt that there has been no change. This month however I have decided to keep a success diary, I think that while I understand the principals behind the Don't Go Hungry Diet I am not getting the best results I could because I am cheating myself a bit. Anyway I am keeping the diary, and I am committing to do more serious exercise, like I had been doing in Dec and Jan and strength training too. But I'm feeling great and very happy with the results I am seeing!

98.5kgs...down, down, down!

 

If I were a twit

I make it a habit to never post more than one status update per 12 hrs. I wanted to share what I have been thinking about today. I don't tweet, but here is a sample of what it might be like if I were a twit!

• Has 2 escape artist dogs in her care. If there is a way out they will find it, if there isn't a way out they will make one...it's getting on her nerves

• Wouldn't mind if the children were in bed and asleep before 9pm. Is that too much to ask? Man I hate daylight savings.

• Has been living without a permanent source of electricity for so long that I forget that I can turn the lights on and don't have to struggle to see the keyboard by the light of the laptop screen.

• Wonders why clothes don't wash and fold themselves like they did when I lived at home. Note to self, check what mum's secret is.

• Hates how she can have a totally tidy and almost clean house one minute and have it look like a bomb site the next.

• Doesn't like cooking for one.

• Pooper scoopered the backyard. I just don't think I'm ready for 2 big poo machine dogs.

• We are getting our driveway done again. I will be very glad not to slip in puddles or lose my thongs in mud anymore.

• Wishes she had some new Dr Who to watch. Bow ties are cool.

• Wouldn't mind a cryptic crossword or the even a regular crossword right about now.

• There is nothing quite like the sound of your kids laughing amongst themselves. Innocent delight, can't beat it.

• Is loving getting to know new friends.

• Houdt Nederlandse Koek. Eet lekker.

• Why does the internet always run slow when you are in a hurry?! That dratted Murphy!

• Is sad that her wonderful husband won't be coming home tonight, but is glad that he is safe and sound and will get a good sleep.

I've got the power!

I am pleased to be writing this with a full battery (and the oppotunity to plug it in if it runs out!) and the lights on (and without the roar of a generator rattling the windows!). That's right folks - we have finally got the power on at our place. It has only been 4 and a bit months living without it! I will be very pleased to hopefully be the owner of a fridge soon which I will be able to plug into said power, now that will make me very happy!

I'm pleased to announce a weight loss of 1kg for the month of January, taking my current weight to 99.3kgs. 10.7kgs down from where I first started 10months ago. I am very pleased with how I am going. AND I am finding it EASY! Yes that's right it is easy. I cannot recommend enough the "Don't Go Hungry Diet". I first read about this lady and her book a couple of years ago. I noticed it again as I was flicking through an old copy of slimming and health. I had a vague undersatanding of what it was all about but when I got a copy at the start of the year, it all just clicked for me. I knew that what it was talking about was true. I think what I love most about it, is that though it has absolutely no grounding in any kind of spirituality, I am able to reconcile it fully with my faith. In the past I have struggled when dieting, feeling that my focus was too much on myself and not enough on my Creator. What I love about this is that we have seemingly been created (for me that means that God has made us this way, ie hardwired it into our make-up) to stay at our ideal weight with no (well minimal, you still have to think about it but you don't have to suffer) effort! I love this! I am seeing results, and I'm not trying hard to resist anything 'bad'. I am just eating. It is so liberating!


Exercise wise I am doing well. I have just had a week or so off the January Jelly Busters FCS challenge because I got a bit too excited about how fit I thought I was and overdid it a bit. I think I tried a few too many new things all at once and my back did not like it. What is great though is it was no where near as bad pain as I have had in the past AND I was able to fix it with stretching and walking. Yay! I have not been running much as a result of the back issues, but I gave it a little go the other day and found that my cardio fitness has not suffered too much.

I am very glad that school is back on which means playgroup is back on. I do enjoy having a bit of a routine happening to my weeks.

Here's to another kg gone for good in Feb :)

Happy New Year!

Well. I can't quite believe that 2010 is gone and the new year is upon us. Time seems to go quicker and quicker every year...sigh!

Anyway I thought I would post some of the things that I am excited about for 2011.

1. We should be getting the power on at our house sometime in January. I am soooooooo looking forward to this. I think the thing that I miss most at the moment is a fridge/freezer. Especially with all the public holidays on at the moment, trying to plan ahead with the thought of how am I going to keep this fresh is a pain. And not having a meal that i can pull out of the freezer is an even bigger pain! All in good time tho.

2. I am looking forward to shrinking. I am setting myself another -10kg by the end of the year goal. I will be thrilled if I manage to do more than that, but I am going to take it as it goes! I read a book recently called the 'Don't go hungry diet'. Basically the the author says that by eating what you want (within the bounds of mostly whole foods) when you are hungry, until you are satisfied (not over satisfied), and some daily exercise, you will lose weight and once you are at your ideal weight you will maintain it just by doing what you did to lose it. What she says makes complete sense to me. I am so excited about actually listening to my body and working with it rather than against it. It is generally a slower way of losing weight than your conventional diets promise, but I don't care. It has taken a long time for me to get into this shape and no desire to get back into it once I lose it. So slow and steady is the road for me. Check it out, it has been a complete breath of fresh air to me!

3. Fitness. I have joined another FCS challenge. It is a 6 week long challenge and I am expecting it to be very similar to the challenge I have just finished. That is set tasks 3 days a week that involv e resistance training and some cardio work. I love having something that I must do. My fitness goal for this year is to jog at least 2.5kms. I drove past a sign for a triathlon in my area which has already passed (last year)but I will look into it for this year (maybe!).

4. Home. I am really looking forward to starting a garden at out new house. I am really excited to put in a veggie garden and fruit trees so that I don't have to pay the exceedingly expensive ($7 a kilo for all types of apples and I haven't seen strawberries for under $4.50 a punnet all season) prices in town for fresh produce. I also want some chooks. And build a shaded play area for the boys.

That is just some of the things that I am looking forward to in 2011. I will only be weighing and measuring myself monthly (another recommendation from the book). So I will definitely be back at the start of Feb to let you know how listening to and trusting my body is going for me :)

For now this is what I am looking like at the moment. You will notice that my jeans are getting baggy (woo!) AND I was wearing boardshorts (I NEVER wear shorts!)



Not the best angle, but I'm proud of my relatively flat stomach!
Not the best look or angle but a relatively streamlined figure that I am proud of (well kind of!)