Personal update
So November is High Intensity Month. Why it's still only October, I hear you say. Yes well, I've been "in November" since last Friday - I figure no point gearing up to high intensity and not doing things, just to wait for the starting trigger on Saturday. I got stuff to do. And I added an extra week's worth of things to the goals list to compensate.
So the to do list is mainly TPP things. I also have some craft goals that need to get moving. And some house and lifestyle stuff that need attention. But I also intend to lose 5kgs. So far, I've lost 1kg. Which is not really bad, I spose. (You know me, always interested in running and not bothering with mere walking ...)
I had a good chat with catsparx at Conflux and a couple of emails with flinthart and decided to make a few big changes in my daily eating. (I'm still working on halspacejock's sugar in the coffee thing.) Basically, they both convinced me that I need to keep my metabolism "up" by eating more and smaller servings throughout the day. This was actually really hard for me to get my head around - what, exactly, would these smaller meals be? And would that really work? Wouldn't I be constantly hungry? Etc etc.
It turns out, that like anything, planning and preparation are the keys. I have switched from a muffin in the morning for breakfast to two hard boiled eggs. I never ever believed that would be enough to keep me satisfied but actually, I notice if I don't eat them or if I don't eat them soon enough in the morning. I have also noticed that my brain switches on earlier in the morning and I am functioning far better at that hour of the day (ie before 11am). Woot! GO protein! I am then having a piece of fruit at about 11am and then a much smaller serving of lunch at about 12.30. Then another piece of fruit and a low fat yoghurt spaced throughout the afternoon before dinner at 6/6.30.
I feel like I am constantly eating but I am also eating far better choices than before (cake, muffins, chocolate ...). I am also feeling much better physically - I have more energy and enthusiasm and I don't feel tired or lethargic. And it occurred to me in pilates today that I can't remember the last time I had a blood sugar drop or felt hypoglacemic. And that actually my energy levels have evened out a lot. I haven't felt the need to stuff food down my throat or to eat cause I am bored. AND I discovered that I LOVE Fuji apples. OMG! that changes EVERYTHING! Apples are now a snack that I actually work towards as a lovely reward. 32 years and that has NEVER EVER been the case before. It's possible I have eaten more apples in the last fortnight than in my whole life.
And this week, I feel MUCH better for it all. I feel my insides cleaning out and my blood thinning down and my head fuzz dissipating. Last week was a challenge. I had a bit of Crohns and I think that led to some lower energy levels. I was also suffering burnout and maybe a bit of processed sugar withdrawal. I did one gym session with A_ and it was only 20mins on the treadmill and I did another 30 minute session with my trainer. So not much exercise and feeling quite lethargic, and some hormone-related eating and I kept the 1kg I had lost the week before off. This week I have done yoga, two sessions in the gym with A_ with upping the cardio to 35mins (from 20) and adding some weights and one session of pilates. And I aim to do two more cardio sessions over the weekend since I have found my ipod and the weather is lovely. So ... in theory, there should be good news next week at weigh in.
The only thing I am finding tough is cooking dinner. I am wanting to make the effort to cook something decent each night with enough so that the serve gets split into dinner and lunch the next day (although with the servings reducing, I managed to make three meals out of my normal ravioli). And that's getting tough as I am feeling more and more done by the time I get home at night (still not dealing well with daylight savings ... dunno why). I am thinking that I need to set aside a day (when?! Ha!) and do a really serious cook up of several different things and freeze into serving sizes. The variety and ease of this will definitely help and reduce some of the strain of the food prep side. It's the finding the time that's the struggle.
And that's my personal appearance update. Except to say that the next step in the putting me back together thing happened on the weekend when ... I bought an IRON! Why yes! Soon, I shall appear in public wrinkle-free on a regular basis. Interesting times ... very interesting times.
The only thing I do want to note is that one very bad habit has resurfaced - I am going to bed very early each night with my laptop (7.30pm) and the knitting has come back to the bedroom. I'm a little uneasy about it cause that kind of behaviour screams "depressed" to me. But I am quite exhausted by the end of the day (also could be "depressed") and I am doing a few hours on the computer before bed ... and it's easier to do that, especially when it's reading, in bed. Not sure. It's hard to pinpoint my slides into depression because I always remain high functioning. And the thing is, when you live by yourself, how much does it matter whether you watch TV in your clothes in the TV room or in bed in your pyjamas?
So the to do list is mainly TPP things. I also have some craft goals that need to get moving. And some house and lifestyle stuff that need attention. But I also intend to lose 5kgs. So far, I've lost 1kg. Which is not really bad, I spose. (You know me, always interested in running and not bothering with mere walking ...)
I had a good chat with catsparx at Conflux and a couple of emails with flinthart and decided to make a few big changes in my daily eating. (I'm still working on halspacejock's sugar in the coffee thing.) Basically, they both convinced me that I need to keep my metabolism "up" by eating more and smaller servings throughout the day. This was actually really hard for me to get my head around - what, exactly, would these smaller meals be? And would that really work? Wouldn't I be constantly hungry? Etc etc.
It turns out, that like anything, planning and preparation are the keys. I have switched from a muffin in the morning for breakfast to two hard boiled eggs. I never ever believed that would be enough to keep me satisfied but actually, I notice if I don't eat them or if I don't eat them soon enough in the morning. I have also noticed that my brain switches on earlier in the morning and I am functioning far better at that hour of the day (ie before 11am). Woot! GO protein! I am then having a piece of fruit at about 11am and then a much smaller serving of lunch at about 12.30. Then another piece of fruit and a low fat yoghurt spaced throughout the afternoon before dinner at 6/6.30.
I feel like I am constantly eating but I am also eating far better choices than before (cake, muffins, chocolate ...). I am also feeling much better physically - I have more energy and enthusiasm and I don't feel tired or lethargic. And it occurred to me in pilates today that I can't remember the last time I had a blood sugar drop or felt hypoglacemic. And that actually my energy levels have evened out a lot. I haven't felt the need to stuff food down my throat or to eat cause I am bored. AND I discovered that I LOVE Fuji apples. OMG! that changes EVERYTHING! Apples are now a snack that I actually work towards as a lovely reward. 32 years and that has NEVER EVER been the case before. It's possible I have eaten more apples in the last fortnight than in my whole life.
And this week, I feel MUCH better for it all. I feel my insides cleaning out and my blood thinning down and my head fuzz dissipating. Last week was a challenge. I had a bit of Crohns and I think that led to some lower energy levels. I was also suffering burnout and maybe a bit of processed sugar withdrawal. I did one gym session with A_ and it was only 20mins on the treadmill and I did another 30 minute session with my trainer. So not much exercise and feeling quite lethargic, and some hormone-related eating and I kept the 1kg I had lost the week before off. This week I have done yoga, two sessions in the gym with A_ with upping the cardio to 35mins (from 20) and adding some weights and one session of pilates. And I aim to do two more cardio sessions over the weekend since I have found my ipod and the weather is lovely. So ... in theory, there should be good news next week at weigh in.
The only thing I am finding tough is cooking dinner. I am wanting to make the effort to cook something decent each night with enough so that the serve gets split into dinner and lunch the next day (although with the servings reducing, I managed to make three meals out of my normal ravioli). And that's getting tough as I am feeling more and more done by the time I get home at night (still not dealing well with daylight savings ... dunno why). I am thinking that I need to set aside a day (when?! Ha!) and do a really serious cook up of several different things and freeze into serving sizes. The variety and ease of this will definitely help and reduce some of the strain of the food prep side. It's the finding the time that's the struggle.
And that's my personal appearance update. Except to say that the next step in the putting me back together thing happened on the weekend when ... I bought an IRON! Why yes! Soon, I shall appear in public wrinkle-free on a regular basis. Interesting times ... very interesting times.
The only thing I do want to note is that one very bad habit has resurfaced - I am going to bed very early each night with my laptop (7.30pm) and the knitting has come back to the bedroom. I'm a little uneasy about it cause that kind of behaviour screams "depressed" to me. But I am quite exhausted by the end of the day (also could be "depressed") and I am doing a few hours on the computer before bed ... and it's easier to do that, especially when it's reading, in bed. Not sure. It's hard to pinpoint my slides into depression because I always remain high functioning. And the thing is, when you live by yourself, how much does it matter whether you watch TV in your clothes in the TV room or in bed in your pyjamas?