Life update
So back in January I set myself some targets regarding my health. I’m not doing too badly.
I am trying not to obsess about weight; but it’s really difficult not to. It hasn’t helped that some of the most interesting programmes I’ve been watching recently have been about obesity; and also about exercise. However my first resolutions were:
· I will look after my health better - so for example if I hurt my ankle again I won’t wait for three months before I go to my GP. For reference my x-rays and blood tests are back and I have an appointment on Friday to see my doctor about them; plus have the world’s least dignified test for females.
· I will continue taking Cod Liver Oil because it does seem to be making a difference to my joints. I will try Evening Primrose Oil to see if it helps with my PMS.
I’ve been to the GP about my ankle after my MRI results have come back. Basically it’s a case that I seem to have damaged it; no clue how long it could take to heal; continue to be sensible about using it. I’ve also had my smear which came back all clear. I also didn’t punch the doctor or lecture her about how exercise shouldn’t be painful when she trotted out “no pain no gain” in response to my comment that I wouldn’t have hurt it if I hadn’t taken up exercise; and that the pain was preventing me do what I wanted to do exercise wise. I instead diplomatically said that I wasn’t concentrating on weight loss but on exercise for the other health benefits; and what could I do about my ankle that doesn’t involve chugging painkillers? She was less than helpful. I therefore talked to my gym instructors who have been a lot more help.
Newsflash to all smug people who trot out phrases such as “no pain no gain” or indeed “it’s not rocket science.” Dieting doesn’t work. 95% of people will put the weight *back on* within five years - if not put on more weight. The only thing that works is a lifestyle change; which includes addressing issues that may lead you to comfort eat; your relationship with food and indeed give you skills to fight the fact that everything you get bombarded with about food says “eat; eat now” and then castigates you for putting on weight. Look at the adverts we’re surrounded by. Food is a treat; food is a way of showing you love someone; food is fast; food is cheap; food is a luxury (that you deserve to give yourself). There are very few adverts that aren’t for processed foods or restaurants; and those that I’ve seen are “preaching to the converted” in the main - like adverts for English Lamb in the Good Food magazine. The only exception I’ve seen is an advert for milk on the side of a bus. And it’s not just telly - the billboards on my way to work are full of adverts for MacD’s 99p menu; sweets and fizzy drinks. The ironic adverts are for things like Powerade where it’s a focus on the energy as needed by athletes; or Coca-cola where the sponsorship of the Olympics is a key feature. But if you’re not an athlete in training or similar all Powerade is is a drink loaded with sugar in various forms - and one 500ml bottle is 225 calories.
(And no it’s not rocket science. Rocket science is the science behind putting a cylinder that’s closed at one end into the air by putting an explosion at the other end. Take five identical cylinders and launch them in five identical conditions and you’ll get the same result. Take five people who are the same gender; height and weight; feed them identically and you will not get an identical result. Biology is not physics.)
Evening primrose oil etc. may be helping; but I did have a massive black dog plunge a few weekends ago. I also have run out of capsules so I need to get some more.
· I will continue to embrace my version of healthy eating. This involves:
· Making sure I get my five a day
· Trying to reduce my intake of highly processed food and continue to cook from scratch food that my grandmother would recognise
· Minimise my salt intake as much as possible
· Increase my repertoire including an aim to cook more vegetarian meals and fish
· Be better with portion control
· I will not beat myself up mentally if I want to have a biscuit. I will however stop that one biscuit turning into three as a matter of course (Why three? I have no idea.)
· I will remember to have breakfast.
· The above may mean I lost more weight. If I do great. If I don’t I will not stress about it.
All of the above check. Breakfast I’m slipping again however I have solved this by buying a bunch of porridge pots; low fat yoghurt and some Belvita breakfast biscuits and putting them in my desk at work. (Ok the yoghurt’s in the fridge.) Along with a satsuma brought from home I’m managing to grab breakfast when I get to work.
I bought a copy of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Veg Book and have tried several recipes from it which have in the main proved successful; although it turns out Mark doesn’t like polenta. I continue to cook mainly from scratch; even though my grandmother wouldn’t recognise a lot of it (grins) although I’m sure she’d recognise the steak and kidney pudding I made a couple of weekends ago.
I’ve had a few hiccups involving cream cheese and crackers. I bought the cream cheese intending to make a carrot cake; but I made lemon drizzle instead. So my conclusion from this is that if I have cream cheese in the house I will eat it. However as a rare treat I’m not going to worry too much. I made a banana loaf cake which seemed to tick the boxes of “treat and involves fruit!” which I liked even if the boys ignored it. I’ve got a banana currently in the fruit bowl that’s being saved specifically to make a banana and chocolate chip loaf cake this week.
· We will finish the Christmas cake
I am pleased to report that we have no Christmas cake left.
· I will cook more puddings when we’re home for the weekend; especially fruit ones. They are simple; they are nice and home cooked ones are healthier - plus a treat’s not a bad thing
I’ve done a lot of steamed puddings; but I’ve also ventured into stewed fruits with custard and crumble.
· I will try to bake more often this year; especially bread
I’ve only made bread once since January; but I’ve made three cakes plus puddings so I count that as a win.
· I will look into the feasibility of a vegetable box
Financial hiccups mean this is going to have to wait a bit. But I am making sure that the bulk of our fruit and veg comes from the UK (in fact I think the only things that don’t normally are bananas and citrus fruit.) It means we’re eating winter veg rather than buying imported salad and strawberries but we’re none the worse off for that.
· I will waste less food
This has resulted in better menu planning. And has a knock on effect because I’m going to the gym more nights it’s much easier to know what I’m planning on cooking when I get home rather than having to hit a supermarket and be inspired. Menu planning also means I’ve had some weeks where I’ve spent the night before sorting out something that can just be put in the oven when I get home - like pie or lasagne.
· I will make more soup - I have a liquidiser that needs to earn its space in the kitchen
My liquidiser is naff at liquidising I have discovered. However I have made more soup; and done thrifty things like use stale homemade bread to make huge cheesy croutons for said soup.
· I will make jams and pickles this year
Not the season for it yet; but I am stock piling jars.
· I will recycle more (as the council makes it so very easy here there is no excuse other than laziness.)
Being done; with Mark and Sam’s help as I keep asking them to put things to be recycled. I have a system for the kitchen now involving a Tesco carrier.
· Each month I will buy myself a treat. It may be small; it can be a book, or a DVD or something *just for me* - and I will not feel guilty about it.
Ok I bought a recipe book; but still it’s mine and it gives me pleasure.
· Each month I will buy something I need*** for the kitchen
So far I have bought a set of drawers on wheels which has made a huge difference to the kitchen space. I’ve also bought new clip-boxes
· I will continue the good work Steph started in the garden.
Need to sweep up the leaves but that needs a weekend without rain
· I will get more plants for inside the house.
Not done yet but I’ve been promised a cutting from my mum’s Christmas Cactus.
· I will buy more cut flowers and look after them
I’ve had some lovely daffodils and bought so many (as they were cheap) that I put some in the kitchen where they brightened up the windowsill and made washing up a pleasure. Now I have yellow chrysanthemums in the lounge. It’s a frivolous thing but they don’t need to be hugely expensive to brighten things up.
· I will be better at contacting my parents on a regular basis
Ok I’ve mainly done so by e-mail but it was with pictures of my shiny painted kitchen.
· We will continue to tidy the house (for example, tomorrow I’m taking down the Christmas tree; packing it up and putting it away immediately; not leaving it drifting.) Hopefully this will unearth the e-reader; if it does then I may well buy more books for it
Ok I was going to write - “not started.” However I did take two weeks off work and one of the things I did was paint the kitchen a lovely bright yellow. To do this I had to empty the kitchen pretty much; and clean all the surfaces. So when I’d painted it I ended up having an ideal opportunity to go through everything. I checked all the use by dates and chucked stuff. I emptied every single thing in a bag that I could into a Tupperware container and labelled it. I made a list of every single item of food in the kitchen and how much I have of it. I made everything in the kitchen earn its keep and if I don’t use it it’s in a bag going to the charity shop. It took several days of hard work but the result has been so worth it.
I now want some more shelves for the wall but right now I can find things; I know what I have in stock and it has made things so much easier.
And I did put away the Christmas tree and decorations nice and safely ready for December.
· I will look into the feasibility of getting a freezer and putting it in the cupboard under the stairs
Not done this so far as this will need pennies we don’t have. But it’s a “by the end of the year if I can plan” so I’m not worrying about it.
· I will paint the kitchen - I have the paint and the equipment. I will do this before I buy more shelves.
This is now all done including gloss on the woodwork and enamel on the radiator.
· I will get some frames for my photos and posters
I’ve only managed to get one but it was for my exploding Tardis poster which is now hanging in the kitchen. Where it looks awesome; and makes me happy.
So new additional plans:
· Continue with the healthy eating
· Make more cakes - especially ones that involve fruits or vegetables
· Find the compost caddy, clean it out and use it
· Keep on meal planning and using shopping lists to keep duplicates to a minimum
· Have a fortnightly “treat for the boys” - things like sausages; chips and beans. Sounds silly but I rarely cook them and the boys enjoy them.
· Mid-week sweet treat - something like jelly and tinned fruit probably
· Eat more oily fish - it’s cheap and good for us
Keep Fit Gym and NEAT
There was recently a Horizon programme about exercise and its associated myths. There was something about HIT (high impact training) which basically says that it’s possible to get major health benefits from madly cycling for 20 seconds; in three bursts; three times a week. So three minutes of exercise a week. The research also proved that the way in which your body responds to such exercise is purely down to genetics; and they can predict your response to this as a result. In fact the scientist said that this showed that exercise needs to be tailored in order to work. Interesting but not really for me; as cycling actually makes my ankle hurt in the same way as running. (I’d be interested to see if there are similar genetic markers with regards to losing weight.)
There was also a section showing that exercise impacts the amount of fat running around your blood stream; and a very enthusiastic expert saying how it’s important to stay active during the day and try not to spend all day every day sat down. (This is the NEAT bit - Non Exercise Something Something - basically everything you do in your normal life which isn’t straight “exercise.”) As he said; 80% of people don’t go to the gym; so for most people the idea of Exercise is irrelevant; and what most people need to do is figure out ways to increase their movement as part of their everyday routine.
Which is something that was in the last programme the same presenter was involved in said; and something I’ve been trying to do; but I draw the line at doing star jumps whilst on the phone at work.
So my new exercise / gym plans are:
· Do my best to get up and walk about every hour at work; as well as stretching. This is currently aided by the fact that the printer is bust so I have to go to the one in the corridor. I have also been known to do sneaky Pilates moves in the loos as a way to stretch out my spine. I am however crap at remembering to do this. I’m considering setting an alarm on my outlook to remind me.
· Walk along the Stratford Road on the way to and from work when feasible (i.e. if it’s not chucking it down with rain; and if I can’t see the bus in the near distance and so would end up waiting for the next one - which in the evening means I’ll be late to the gym and could miss the class I want to get to.)
· Go window shopping any weekend I’m at home (sounds silly, but it means I spend an afternoon walking around either the Bull Ring or Touchwood. The key bit here is the walking - I’m unlikely to spend any money unless it’s on my monthly treat. I may start taking a packed lunch to eat in a park.)
I’ve continued with Pilates and Body Balance but I feel I need to add in something more active. I have found that classes are my way forward; I don’t end up going “I don’t feel like doing 30 lengths so I’ll stop at 20” plus the company is good. I therefore recently added Body Pump as an experiment; which is barbell and free style weights to music. The trainer is absolutely lovely if somewhat nuts; enthusiastically cheering everyone on and singing along to the tracks (Living on a Prayer will never be the same; I keep on hearing “take your barbell and give me a bicep curl”). I even managed push ups last week (normally a no go area as my elbow can’t cope with the movement); The first week I I discovered that increasing my weights made me far too dizzy but it was terrific fun; and I managed to increase my weights the second week. It even includes the Eye of the Tiger and Push It in the music tracks.
The first week killed my thigh muscles for two days; but Pilates on Saturday, a spell in the Jacuzzi and Body Balance on Sunday helped ease it and last week I didn’t end up not being able to walk up the stairs. So my current plan for the rest of this month is:
Monday - Body Balance
Tuesday - Pilates
Wednesday - Body Pump; Swimming & Spa
Thursday - Swimming & Spa
Friday - Day of Rest
Saturday - Body Pump; Pilates (Possibly Swimming & Spa)
Sunday - Body Balance (Possibly Swimming & Spa)
There is more Body Pump on Thursdays but everything I’ve read says that you should leave a day of “not weight lifting” after a day of “weight lifting” so I think the most I’ll get to is two sessions a week - which isn’t a bad thing. I’m fairly sure that doing Pilates straight after wouldn’t be impossible. The addition of Spa is to see if that helps my muscles recover better following Body Pump.
I don’t intend to become a body builder; but I do intend to get to the point that I can lift over 5 kg in the main sets without going giddy.
I’m also pondering Body Combat on a Sunday morning before Body Balance and Step on Thursdays so I have something more cardiovascular.
In the last two weeks though my main achievements have been:
· Press ups! Ok I’m crap at them and can’t do the full set but I can actually do them
· Full Plank on my toes - it may only have been for a count of ten but it was an achievement
· Managing to sit cross legged comfortably for the first time in decades
· Really bad tricep dips - I’ll get better next time I’m sure
· Rolling backwards to almost a backwards roll - again, something not managed for far too many years
· Increased the weights in Body Pump
· Ran on the treadmill for a minute (and then I stopped as my ankle was shouting at me.)
I’ve discovered that the grounds of the leisure centre have a lovely walk around a large pond. So next time it’s sunny I may well pack some stale bread and go for a walk with the ducks. I’m going to do the Global Corporate Challenge at work again this year if we’re doing it and see if I can beat last year’s score (you record your steps over a three month period.)
I am trying not to obsess about weight; but it’s really difficult not to. It hasn’t helped that some of the most interesting programmes I’ve been watching recently have been about obesity; and also about exercise. However my first resolutions were:
· I will look after my health better - so for example if I hurt my ankle again I won’t wait for three months before I go to my GP. For reference my x-rays and blood tests are back and I have an appointment on Friday to see my doctor about them; plus have the world’s least dignified test for females.
· I will continue taking Cod Liver Oil because it does seem to be making a difference to my joints. I will try Evening Primrose Oil to see if it helps with my PMS.
I’ve been to the GP about my ankle after my MRI results have come back. Basically it’s a case that I seem to have damaged it; no clue how long it could take to heal; continue to be sensible about using it. I’ve also had my smear which came back all clear. I also didn’t punch the doctor or lecture her about how exercise shouldn’t be painful when she trotted out “no pain no gain” in response to my comment that I wouldn’t have hurt it if I hadn’t taken up exercise; and that the pain was preventing me do what I wanted to do exercise wise. I instead diplomatically said that I wasn’t concentrating on weight loss but on exercise for the other health benefits; and what could I do about my ankle that doesn’t involve chugging painkillers? She was less than helpful. I therefore talked to my gym instructors who have been a lot more help.
Newsflash to all smug people who trot out phrases such as “no pain no gain” or indeed “it’s not rocket science.” Dieting doesn’t work. 95% of people will put the weight *back on* within five years - if not put on more weight. The only thing that works is a lifestyle change; which includes addressing issues that may lead you to comfort eat; your relationship with food and indeed give you skills to fight the fact that everything you get bombarded with about food says “eat; eat now” and then castigates you for putting on weight. Look at the adverts we’re surrounded by. Food is a treat; food is a way of showing you love someone; food is fast; food is cheap; food is a luxury (that you deserve to give yourself). There are very few adverts that aren’t for processed foods or restaurants; and those that I’ve seen are “preaching to the converted” in the main - like adverts for English Lamb in the Good Food magazine. The only exception I’ve seen is an advert for milk on the side of a bus. And it’s not just telly - the billboards on my way to work are full of adverts for MacD’s 99p menu; sweets and fizzy drinks. The ironic adverts are for things like Powerade where it’s a focus on the energy as needed by athletes; or Coca-cola where the sponsorship of the Olympics is a key feature. But if you’re not an athlete in training or similar all Powerade is is a drink loaded with sugar in various forms - and one 500ml bottle is 225 calories.
(And no it’s not rocket science. Rocket science is the science behind putting a cylinder that’s closed at one end into the air by putting an explosion at the other end. Take five identical cylinders and launch them in five identical conditions and you’ll get the same result. Take five people who are the same gender; height and weight; feed them identically and you will not get an identical result. Biology is not physics.)
Evening primrose oil etc. may be helping; but I did have a massive black dog plunge a few weekends ago. I also have run out of capsules so I need to get some more.
· I will continue to embrace my version of healthy eating. This involves:
· Making sure I get my five a day
· Trying to reduce my intake of highly processed food and continue to cook from scratch food that my grandmother would recognise
· Minimise my salt intake as much as possible
· Increase my repertoire including an aim to cook more vegetarian meals and fish
· Be better with portion control
· I will not beat myself up mentally if I want to have a biscuit. I will however stop that one biscuit turning into three as a matter of course (Why three? I have no idea.)
· I will remember to have breakfast.
· The above may mean I lost more weight. If I do great. If I don’t I will not stress about it.
All of the above check. Breakfast I’m slipping again however I have solved this by buying a bunch of porridge pots; low fat yoghurt and some Belvita breakfast biscuits and putting them in my desk at work. (Ok the yoghurt’s in the fridge.) Along with a satsuma brought from home I’m managing to grab breakfast when I get to work.
I bought a copy of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Veg Book and have tried several recipes from it which have in the main proved successful; although it turns out Mark doesn’t like polenta. I continue to cook mainly from scratch; even though my grandmother wouldn’t recognise a lot of it (grins) although I’m sure she’d recognise the steak and kidney pudding I made a couple of weekends ago.
I’ve had a few hiccups involving cream cheese and crackers. I bought the cream cheese intending to make a carrot cake; but I made lemon drizzle instead. So my conclusion from this is that if I have cream cheese in the house I will eat it. However as a rare treat I’m not going to worry too much. I made a banana loaf cake which seemed to tick the boxes of “treat and involves fruit!” which I liked even if the boys ignored it. I’ve got a banana currently in the fruit bowl that’s being saved specifically to make a banana and chocolate chip loaf cake this week.
· We will finish the Christmas cake
I am pleased to report that we have no Christmas cake left.
· I will cook more puddings when we’re home for the weekend; especially fruit ones. They are simple; they are nice and home cooked ones are healthier - plus a treat’s not a bad thing
I’ve done a lot of steamed puddings; but I’ve also ventured into stewed fruits with custard and crumble.
· I will try to bake more often this year; especially bread
I’ve only made bread once since January; but I’ve made three cakes plus puddings so I count that as a win.
· I will look into the feasibility of a vegetable box
Financial hiccups mean this is going to have to wait a bit. But I am making sure that the bulk of our fruit and veg comes from the UK (in fact I think the only things that don’t normally are bananas and citrus fruit.) It means we’re eating winter veg rather than buying imported salad and strawberries but we’re none the worse off for that.
· I will waste less food
This has resulted in better menu planning. And has a knock on effect because I’m going to the gym more nights it’s much easier to know what I’m planning on cooking when I get home rather than having to hit a supermarket and be inspired. Menu planning also means I’ve had some weeks where I’ve spent the night before sorting out something that can just be put in the oven when I get home - like pie or lasagne.
· I will make more soup - I have a liquidiser that needs to earn its space in the kitchen
My liquidiser is naff at liquidising I have discovered. However I have made more soup; and done thrifty things like use stale homemade bread to make huge cheesy croutons for said soup.
· I will make jams and pickles this year
Not the season for it yet; but I am stock piling jars.
· I will recycle more (as the council makes it so very easy here there is no excuse other than laziness.)
Being done; with Mark and Sam’s help as I keep asking them to put things to be recycled. I have a system for the kitchen now involving a Tesco carrier.
· Each month I will buy myself a treat. It may be small; it can be a book, or a DVD or something *just for me* - and I will not feel guilty about it.
Ok I bought a recipe book; but still it’s mine and it gives me pleasure.
· Each month I will buy something I need*** for the kitchen
So far I have bought a set of drawers on wheels which has made a huge difference to the kitchen space. I’ve also bought new clip-boxes
· I will continue the good work Steph started in the garden.
Need to sweep up the leaves but that needs a weekend without rain
· I will get more plants for inside the house.
Not done yet but I’ve been promised a cutting from my mum’s Christmas Cactus.
· I will buy more cut flowers and look after them
I’ve had some lovely daffodils and bought so many (as they were cheap) that I put some in the kitchen where they brightened up the windowsill and made washing up a pleasure. Now I have yellow chrysanthemums in the lounge. It’s a frivolous thing but they don’t need to be hugely expensive to brighten things up.
· I will be better at contacting my parents on a regular basis
Ok I’ve mainly done so by e-mail but it was with pictures of my shiny painted kitchen.
· We will continue to tidy the house (for example, tomorrow I’m taking down the Christmas tree; packing it up and putting it away immediately; not leaving it drifting.) Hopefully this will unearth the e-reader; if it does then I may well buy more books for it
Ok I was going to write - “not started.” However I did take two weeks off work and one of the things I did was paint the kitchen a lovely bright yellow. To do this I had to empty the kitchen pretty much; and clean all the surfaces. So when I’d painted it I ended up having an ideal opportunity to go through everything. I checked all the use by dates and chucked stuff. I emptied every single thing in a bag that I could into a Tupperware container and labelled it. I made a list of every single item of food in the kitchen and how much I have of it. I made everything in the kitchen earn its keep and if I don’t use it it’s in a bag going to the charity shop. It took several days of hard work but the result has been so worth it.
I now want some more shelves for the wall but right now I can find things; I know what I have in stock and it has made things so much easier.
And I did put away the Christmas tree and decorations nice and safely ready for December.
· I will look into the feasibility of getting a freezer and putting it in the cupboard under the stairs
Not done this so far as this will need pennies we don’t have. But it’s a “by the end of the year if I can plan” so I’m not worrying about it.
· I will paint the kitchen - I have the paint and the equipment. I will do this before I buy more shelves.
This is now all done including gloss on the woodwork and enamel on the radiator.
· I will get some frames for my photos and posters
I’ve only managed to get one but it was for my exploding Tardis poster which is now hanging in the kitchen. Where it looks awesome; and makes me happy.
So new additional plans:
· Continue with the healthy eating
· Make more cakes - especially ones that involve fruits or vegetables
· Find the compost caddy, clean it out and use it
· Keep on meal planning and using shopping lists to keep duplicates to a minimum
· Have a fortnightly “treat for the boys” - things like sausages; chips and beans. Sounds silly but I rarely cook them and the boys enjoy them.
· Mid-week sweet treat - something like jelly and tinned fruit probably
· Eat more oily fish - it’s cheap and good for us
Keep Fit Gym and NEAT
There was recently a Horizon programme about exercise and its associated myths. There was something about HIT (high impact training) which basically says that it’s possible to get major health benefits from madly cycling for 20 seconds; in three bursts; three times a week. So three minutes of exercise a week. The research also proved that the way in which your body responds to such exercise is purely down to genetics; and they can predict your response to this as a result. In fact the scientist said that this showed that exercise needs to be tailored in order to work. Interesting but not really for me; as cycling actually makes my ankle hurt in the same way as running. (I’d be interested to see if there are similar genetic markers with regards to losing weight.)
There was also a section showing that exercise impacts the amount of fat running around your blood stream; and a very enthusiastic expert saying how it’s important to stay active during the day and try not to spend all day every day sat down. (This is the NEAT bit - Non Exercise Something Something - basically everything you do in your normal life which isn’t straight “exercise.”) As he said; 80% of people don’t go to the gym; so for most people the idea of Exercise is irrelevant; and what most people need to do is figure out ways to increase their movement as part of their everyday routine.
Which is something that was in the last programme the same presenter was involved in said; and something I’ve been trying to do; but I draw the line at doing star jumps whilst on the phone at work.
So my new exercise / gym plans are:
· Do my best to get up and walk about every hour at work; as well as stretching. This is currently aided by the fact that the printer is bust so I have to go to the one in the corridor. I have also been known to do sneaky Pilates moves in the loos as a way to stretch out my spine. I am however crap at remembering to do this. I’m considering setting an alarm on my outlook to remind me.
· Walk along the Stratford Road on the way to and from work when feasible (i.e. if it’s not chucking it down with rain; and if I can’t see the bus in the near distance and so would end up waiting for the next one - which in the evening means I’ll be late to the gym and could miss the class I want to get to.)
· Go window shopping any weekend I’m at home (sounds silly, but it means I spend an afternoon walking around either the Bull Ring or Touchwood. The key bit here is the walking - I’m unlikely to spend any money unless it’s on my monthly treat. I may start taking a packed lunch to eat in a park.)
I’ve continued with Pilates and Body Balance but I feel I need to add in something more active. I have found that classes are my way forward; I don’t end up going “I don’t feel like doing 30 lengths so I’ll stop at 20” plus the company is good. I therefore recently added Body Pump as an experiment; which is barbell and free style weights to music. The trainer is absolutely lovely if somewhat nuts; enthusiastically cheering everyone on and singing along to the tracks (Living on a Prayer will never be the same; I keep on hearing “take your barbell and give me a bicep curl”). I even managed push ups last week (normally a no go area as my elbow can’t cope with the movement); The first week I I discovered that increasing my weights made me far too dizzy but it was terrific fun; and I managed to increase my weights the second week. It even includes the Eye of the Tiger and Push It in the music tracks.
The first week killed my thigh muscles for two days; but Pilates on Saturday, a spell in the Jacuzzi and Body Balance on Sunday helped ease it and last week I didn’t end up not being able to walk up the stairs. So my current plan for the rest of this month is:
Monday - Body Balance
Tuesday - Pilates
Wednesday - Body Pump; Swimming & Spa
Thursday - Swimming & Spa
Friday - Day of Rest
Saturday - Body Pump; Pilates (Possibly Swimming & Spa)
Sunday - Body Balance (Possibly Swimming & Spa)
There is more Body Pump on Thursdays but everything I’ve read says that you should leave a day of “not weight lifting” after a day of “weight lifting” so I think the most I’ll get to is two sessions a week - which isn’t a bad thing. I’m fairly sure that doing Pilates straight after wouldn’t be impossible. The addition of Spa is to see if that helps my muscles recover better following Body Pump.
I don’t intend to become a body builder; but I do intend to get to the point that I can lift over 5 kg in the main sets without going giddy.
I’m also pondering Body Combat on a Sunday morning before Body Balance and Step on Thursdays so I have something more cardiovascular.
In the last two weeks though my main achievements have been:
· Press ups! Ok I’m crap at them and can’t do the full set but I can actually do them
· Full Plank on my toes - it may only have been for a count of ten but it was an achievement
· Managing to sit cross legged comfortably for the first time in decades
· Really bad tricep dips - I’ll get better next time I’m sure
· Rolling backwards to almost a backwards roll - again, something not managed for far too many years
· Increased the weights in Body Pump
· Ran on the treadmill for a minute (and then I stopped as my ankle was shouting at me.)
I’ve discovered that the grounds of the leisure centre have a lovely walk around a large pond. So next time it’s sunny I may well pack some stale bread and go for a walk with the ducks. I’m going to do the Global Corporate Challenge at work again this year if we’re doing it and see if I can beat last year’s score (you record your steps over a three month period.)