Cucumber addict

I have decided thats what I am... a cucumber addict. Last year it was American Mustard - but I think its time has come for it to be replaced. I am going through two per week, which is quite restrained I think. I could easily eat more. My other half absolutely detests them, which is fine with me cos it means I get to eat it ALL!!!!!

I had a 'nothing' weekend. You know, one of those weekends where if people ask me what I got up to on the weekend, my reply is "nothing". Well, nothing interesting, that is. I trained (half-heartedly) cleaned, washed clothes, did the groceries, I cooked for most of the day yesterday in preparation for the week ahead... boring boring boring!

I did buy a couple of CD's on Saturday - that was about the most exciting thing. One of the CD's is System of a Down; Hypnotise. I LOVE System of a Down and this album is pretty cool - I was headbanging in the kitchen on Saturday afternoon, and had it playing so loud in my car this morning!

I am a bit flat today so this is not much of a post. There is so much going on in my head at the moment that I dont really know where I'm at.

Where did my post go??

I posted this on Tuesday by email, but blogger mustn't have liked it. Oh well, here it is again....

Had a bit of a yuk day yesterday, Sunday night kept waking up with a sore stomach. It was like an ache, but not in the traditional 'stomach ache' way. Felt like a brick was lying on my upper abdomen. So I didn't train, in fact, I could barely keep my eyes open all day - sooo lethargic. Lots of people at work have been down with a virus in the last week, upset tummies and everything, so I was assuming I was coming down with it.

Anyway, still had an achey stomach last night but this morning decided to get up and train anyway... and I am so glad I did! Had a SMASHING weights session! I powered through my weights, felt strong, beat all my weight/reps from last week, and then kicked butt through an amazing interval cardio session on the cross trainer. Followed up with 10 mins on the bike, and then stretching............ felt so good!!!! See, training is good for you!

Stomach feels ok at the moment, but as a precaution I'm avoiding the sugar-free stuff, and not training abs for a few days.

Last night we went to visit friends who have just recently a baby. He was sooo tiny! I got to hear all the horror stories of the birth too - she had a bit of a rough time, poor thing. Is it just me, or is everyone having babies at the moment? I feel like everywhere I turn, everyone is either pregnant or has just had one. Em has just recently had her little boy, and we have these friends who've just recently had theirs. Then I have another 4 friends who are all at various stages of pregnancy, and two other friends who's little ones have just had a first birthday (cant believe how fast they grow!). Must just be our age-group.

But I think I might finally be getting a bit clucky..... (eeeeeek! - insert scary music here!)

Is it just me?

... or does everybody else feel like a wet rag at the end of the week?  By Thursday morning I am usually absolutely shattered, super tired and very little energy, and Friday is just a struggle to get out of bed!  A lot of it is to do with lack of sleep during the week - the last two nights I've only gotten about 5 hours sleep each night.  Unfortunately that's pretty normal.  That's why I need the weekends to catch up on rest.  How perfect would it be to work Monday to Wednesday, then have 4 days off???  For the same money???  Dream on.... :)

So our ring shopping was successful!  Not a bad Valentines present huh?  But because my fingers are so skinny we have to have it made (ring finger is a size H - yeah I have 'skeleton-fingers'!!!).  Anyway, its white gold with a princess cut diamond and little stones dotted down each side - and I have to wait 2-3 weeks!  I sooooo wanted to take it home with me right then and there!  Dont worry, as soon as its firmly on my finger I will post a photo.  Cant wait!

Yesterday morning I did Body Attack - happily my stamina is improving fairly quickly and while I still left with a beetroot face, I wasnt about to collapse on the floor either!  This morning I dragged my sorry arse out of bed and did a step class too - every little bit helps!

Freaked out a little bit this week as I found out that I have to have a little pre-eye-op laser surgery - in two weeks.  I had forgotten about this (conveniently) so it was a bit of a shock this week to realise that I'm going to have two "iridotomies" holes lasered into both iris' on the 1st of March.  These are kind of 'drainage' holes to relieve any pressure build up I might get in my eyes after the REAL operation.   I have even started to think about backing out of the surgery, but I'm sure this is a normal nervous reaction!  I just have to keep reminding myself how amazing its going to be to throw away my glasses and contact lenses after its all over!

Happy Friday everyone!

Pumped

Its that great time of the week where I'm feeling all pumped and strong.  I'm loving it!

Eats have been spot on this week, no deviations from plan and 3 litres of water each day.  On Monday afternoon I took the dogs for a walk, but with one small difference.  I took them both together.  It may not sound like a big deal, but it was.  I have always thought they would be too much to handle to take together, but they proved me wrong.  OMG I am so proud of them!!  I felt like I was walking with a pair of sled dogs - they even walked in formation!!  The only problem was that a couple of times Shavez stopped to pee on a tree, and poor Elke got tangled in the "reigns"!  I was grinning from ear to ear when I got home, and because I was walking both of them we stepped up the pace, so I had my heart rate around 150-160 the whole time! 

Had an amazing back/bicep session on Tuesday morning, I left with a jelly-upper-body - which is a strange feeling!  This morning I did legs again - I was really lacking in energy.  Probably because I didn't sleep very well last night.  So no records broken today I'm afraid.

This morning was a scheduled measurements day... In a week and a half I have lost 0.9kg and a centimetre each from my chest, waist and hips!  Also did my skinfolds and am quite pleased to have lost a few mm already - mostly from my hip and abs.  Next measurements day is in two weeks, so I'm shooting for an equally good result.

Tonight we are going ring shopping!  Hope we find something we like!

Its all good

My eyes, that is.  Had my eye appointment on Friday morning - it was quite horrible!  First I had anaesthetic drops in my eyes and the girl got this pressure tester gauge, which she then tapped on my eyeballs (like, I could SEE this thing hitting my eye repeatedly) but it didn't hurt, it was just weird.  Then she put the dilating drops in my eyes, and warned me that these drops were EXTRA strong.  She said that my pupils could stay dilated for up to 3 days afterwards (she wasn't joking)!!

So after my pupils dilated to the size of saucers, I saw the doc.  He actually started the examination by saying "This will be a bit unpleasant"... hmmmm ...  Picture this, the room is dark, the only light is the one the doctor is holding, and its searing into the back of my eye.  Because your pupils dont work anymore, he has to hold my eyelids open (the natural reaction is to close your eyes).  Then he gets this "poking stick" (thats the official name) and presses it into your eyeball, still blinding you with the light, while all the time you have to 'look left, look up and left, look up, look up and right...' etc.  By now my eyes were streaming - and all that poking around my eyes really hurt!  And just when you think its over, then you have the other eye to do!

Finally he suctions this glass lens thing onto your eyeball, and had another look at my retina.  When he removed the lens, there was this gross "sucking noise" and then it felt like about half a glass of water splashed down onto my cheeks - just a little bit of water from the eyes!  The things we have to suffer!  Anyway, looks like its all good for the eye op, in just over a months time.

So on Saturday I got up to find that my pupils were STILL dilated, which meant I couldn't really take the pooches for a walk.  Even with sunglasses, the sun was so bright that everything outside was literally brilliant white.  I still did my chest and tricep workout at home though, and took the dogs for a big walk on Sunday to make up for it. 

Had a few slip ups on the weekend food-wise, so I'm not very happy with myself.  Why oh why do I struggle on weekends?  Not enough water, and bad food choices.  I always find it easy to focus during the week, but come Saturday I lose that determination.  I think I need to throw myself into this house renovation - then I will be so busy on weekends that I wont have time to think about anything else!

This morning I did the cycle class again - and yay! found it a bit easier this week... hopefully my fitness is starting to come back!

Sore

I'm sooooo sore!! My lats are screaming, I'm having trouble straightening my arms because my biceps and forearms have locked up, and my legs... well I'm moving very slowly at the moment - I think Selina called it "tin man" legs? I reckon it feels like I've got glass in my legs, and it shatters with every step.

Obviously it was a good leg workout then! Actually, from the very first squat I knew that I was going to be in trouble for the rest of the week. I think I actually felt the muscles swearing at me. I'm now at the stage of lowering and raising myself on chairs with my arms - although with sore biceps and forearms I'm kinda moving in slow motion at the moment, with a constant grimmace on my face hehehe

Yesterday I staggered to the gym and attempted my first body attack class - oh how humbling - every time the music stopped I was gasping for breath, stumbling for my towel and water, wondering how could 6 weeks off do this to a person??? I was giving the instructor death stares as we did the last track - lunges and squats - the day after my first leg workout??!! I must have been a bad girl in my last life, and being punished for it now!

This morning I'm going into the city to have my final check up before my eye operation, I'm going to a Retina Specialist, he'll dilate my pupils to have a good look at my eyes and make sure everything is ok. He has the final say on whether this op can go ahead or not. Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Where did my strength go?

Back into full-on training this week, and it feels great!  Yesterday morning I did a cycle class.  OMG it hurt!  I kept saying that I must have got the "hard" bike (you know how some bikes seem harder than others) and my legs were burning, but soooo good to sweat so hard!  Then yesterday afternoon I got home and walked the dogs.

This morning I did weights for the first time in 6 weeks - where did my strength go????  I deliberately scaled back the weights I was using cos I knew I would have lost some strength, but I did not realise just how much strength I'd lost.  Felt like I was using baby weights!  Today was back and biceps - and I think I'm gonna be sore tomorrow!!  (cant wait actually!).  After weights I did 20 minutes interval cardio on the Cross Trainer.

Food is spot on - and I'm feeling good.  I've switched to using Calorie King instead of Fitday, and I'm finding it heaps easier because all the Aussie brands are there.  Anyway today I thought I'd give Cottage Cheese another go... I keep trying to like it, but I'm afraid its just not working.  Today I had cottage cheese mixed with a packet of Splenda, cinnamon and chopped up pieces of apple.  It was ok to start with, but the more I ate the more I wanted to gag.  YUK!   Cottage Cheese and I are never going to see eye to eye, so I think I'll just stop now.

Yesterday I took my measurements and skinfolds.  I was absolutely horrified by my bodyfat %, its gone up 5% in 6 weeks - ouch!  Never fear, it wont be there for long!  Funny thing is that I seem to have put the weight on in places that I dont normally... like my boobs.  :)~   My other half is quite chuffed!

Thought for the day:  Dont eat lunch at your desk if you are a messy eater - I speak from experience and have ended up with mustard all over my mouse "roller"...

I'm going to Phat Camp

I have finally bitten the bullet, and have pre-registered for Phat Camp on the Gold Coast. How exciting, now I really have a goal to work towards... to have regained my fitness and lost those pesky 4kgs by April 27 (and also put on a bit more muscle).

This weekend has not really gone as planned. I had planned on getting up early each day and taking the poor pooches for a much needed walk. Normally I'm awake by 6 or 7am on a weekend, plenty early enough to do this before the day gets hot. But this weekend I have not woken up until 8.30-ish - and even then I've felt sluggish and super tired. I'm still sick of course, still coughing up a lung every half hour and blowing my nose - so no "walkies" yet. Sadly the drugs dont work as well as I thought they would, I just cant seem to shift this chest infection. Looks like I might even have to fill the repeat prescription for the antibiotics the doctor gave me. Yesterday I was nearly crying with frustration at this stupid cough... you know when you cough and cough and cough, so much that you end up dry-reaching? Thats me. What a lovely image for you all.

Well anyway, tomorrow is day one of my next challenge. The next 6 weeks takes me up to my first eye operation on the 15th of March, after which there will be some enforced rest for a week or two. Stage 2 of this challenge will begin after both eyes are done.

Some more photos... ah... a trip down memory lane...

Beaumaris Castle, North Wales

Hadrians Wall, England (those bloody Romans were amazing!)

A BIG cannon at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. Note the gorgeous hot pink beanie in these photos - it was my best friend during the trip!

Well thats me for the weekend - a big week awaits me. Better chuff off and get my meals organised for the week. Bye-eeee!

I have one tastebud back

... but only one.  Yesterday afternoon was the first time I was actually able to taste something.  That was very exciting, and if I concentrated hard, I could sort-of taste my stir-fry last night - woohoo!.   I'm coming good s-l-o-w-l-y, but its still all settled on my chest, and I'm still snotty - GERMS BE-GONE!

The great news is that we took Shavez to the vet yesterday afternoon, and his lump has turned out to be a Lipoma, which is a non-cancerous "fatty" tumour.  Apparently they are quite common in older dogs, and not anything to worry about.  There is no need to remove it either - so that is a huge relief!!

This morning my alarm went off at its "old" usual time of 4.50am - and I was like "Oh no - its not time already, is it?"  Ha!  Doesn't take long to get used to sleeping in!  Anyway, I dragged myself out of bed, got ready in record time, and off to the gym - for the first time in about 6 weeks!  The first 10 minutes were spent saying hello to everyone, and telling the ladies my engagement news.  Its amazing the changes that happen in the gym in just a few weeks - lots of new posters on the wall, and lots of new faces in the gym too!

And man-oh-man, did I feel out of shape!!!!   I got on the treadmill and set the incline on 10, and powerwalked for 30 minutes... and wow did my legs feel it!  I even jogged for 5 minutes at the end, until I had to stop to blow my nose.  Then I finished up with a good 10 minutes on a bike, followed by abs and stretching.  Ouch that stretching hurt! 

Anyway, it felt great to be finally doing something.... even though I certainly broke no records today.  And the best thing is that I am HUNGRY today for the first time in ages... I cant wait to have lunch!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Antibiotics

Well, the drugs DO work.

Yesterday I woke up feeling no better, in fact, feeling a burning sensation in my chest every time I coughed. So as promised I went to the doctor, who prescribed me some drugs. I absolutely HATE taking antibiotics... I only ever do so as a last resort. I think they do nasty things to your system. But anyway, happy to report that I woke up this morning feeling much better.

Had the day off work yesterday too - hence the new blog template. Finally figured out how to do it!

And I'm going back to gym tomorrow!!! Cant wait! Going to do some much needed cardio, and continue through the weekend. I have prepared my training diary, designed my weights programme, written up my goals - so I'm ready!

And with any luck my sense of taste and smell will come back very soon. It has been almost a week since I lost it. You dont realise how strange it is, not being able to taste things, until you cant. Its weird. I keep asking my other half - "does it taste ok?" "What does it taste like?". And when you're cooking things, you cant taste test anything to see if it needs seasoning or anything, you just have to hope for the best. Takes all the enjoyment out of eating!

This afternoon we have to take Shavez (our 10 year old Alaskan Malamute) to the vet - I found a large-ish lump just forward of his hip - if you were a human it would be on your oblique abdominal muscles. I am very worried, but trying to stay calm - it could be anything. Our animals are children... cross your fingers for us.