Work that ass off!

What a week! The weather has blasted us as we have suddenly gone from warm pleasant days to the height of summer. 35-40 degree heat is becoming normal and exercise and cooking is becoming oh so hard.

Determination. One word we all need to believe 110% in. Without determination, this weather would have many of us (myself included) sitting on our ass, by the pool, drinking a nice icy drink (and usually alcoholic at that) or sitting under the air con or fan begging for relief.

Determination has driven me to take advantage of this weather and push myself. I don't think about how hot and sweaty bootcamp sessions are before we even start, instead I am getting the mindset that the sooner I get there, the sooner I start. If I push myself harder, the session flies by and is over before I know it, then I get an awesome reward - (not ice cream!) A swim! The awesome feeling of my heart hammering, my body dripping with sweat, knowing I am working towards my goal, then jumping in the water (at the beach or home in the pool)  and cooling down is just amazing. It is so good infact that I have gone from bootcamp 2-3 times a week to 4 times this week and 5 the following!

Find the positive in every situation and determination will push you through! I am looking at my goals with a smile on my face knowing that I am getting there.

Kettlenetics; what a creation!!!

I have always loved using the kettlebells at bootcamp and I always feel like I have had the best workout but when I try to do it at home and make my own routine, I quickly run out of ideas. Then, along came "Kettlenetics; Slim and Tone".

Lead by Michelle Khai,  a fitness fanatic, former professional dancer and celebrity trainer, you are pushed through dance based workouts with a light weight kbell (4lbs, just under 2kgs). There are several DVD's which lead you through stretches, warm up and down and teach you the moves before leading you through a routine.

The moves are fun yet give you a good workout and Michelle is a great trainer. You are taught the correct posture, movements and eventually turn it into a proper workout. After a 20 minute hit, I am wiped! It involves a lot of leg work as most moves are based around squats or lunges but you can feel the full body workout you are getting.

This is a great little add on to a fitness routine you may have and it's something you can do in your own home. I am not usually one to promote items but if you are struggling at home, jump on amazon or eBay and track this down! (The kettlebell usually comes in the pack but be sure to check before if you don't have your own).

Anyway, that is my contribution for tonight, now I better go cook my dinner!

Kicking ass!

Today was an epic day so I felt the need to share.
I was up at 6:30 for a 1 hr bootcamp which I actually looked forwards to from the moment I woke which is rather unusual for me. Although I couldn't do the running because of my bad knee, I did more reps with higher weights than i usually do, in every activity that we did. A quick stretch at the end and we were on our way home.

The day was awesome, blue skies, sunshine and nice and warm so I pulled my shoes off and jumped straight in the pool. The water was fantastic and after a short swim I jumped in the shower, had mince, egg and toast for breakfast and started my day.

And here I am at 9pm, still sore from bootcamp but full of energy, in a good mood and looking forwards to tomorrow.

What did you do today and how are you feeling?

The end of week 1

All week I have been good. Weetbix for breakfast, salads, sandwiches and wraps for lunch and meat and veg for dinner.

On the one day I didn't have home made lunch (courtesy of someone *cough* dad *cough* thinking it was leftovers and throwing it out) I still chose healthy. Subway with a chicken fillet and salad on wholegrain with no dressing was actually quite nice.

Today I am going crazy, I am having potato bake for dinner LOL!

It's been a good week, I have attended bootcamp, eaten healthy and am full of energy. Week one down, the rest of my life to go. This is the beginning of the new me!

The first weekend

It's the weekend! Wanting to stick to my goals of healthy eating, I have decided that I am going to make my meals in advance so I have no excuse to run up the road and grab fast food.... Ok, that was a joke, we all know I would drive, not run.

This morning I made up 500g of mince, with eggplant, onion, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms. Half was frozen for breakfasts (thrown on toast, yummo!) and the other half was eaten this morning and saved for dinner tonight. 

Lunch is going to be a chicken soup casserole thing that I made last night. A bit of cream of mushroom soup, some fresh veggies and cooked & diced mushrooms, thrown in a bowl with a sprinkle of cheese and breadcrumbs ontop. Cooked in the oven until golden, it tasted amazing. Today, *looks at the time* soon, i am going to cut a hole in the top of some bread rolls (multi-grain) and tear the guts out of it, fill with the left over casserole & chuck in the oven until toasty & crisp. Simple.

I have already found that when I plan ahead, and make extra so I have left overs, the next day is so much easier to eat properly. With the lovely storm we have here atm I just want to lounge around and do nothing. It is hot, humid and sticky. Washing is done, house is clean and frankly, I am feeling lazy. The last thing I need is to eat junk food on a day like today, so score to me for planning ahead!

What are some quick, easy recipes that you make in advance?

It begins!!!!

Ok I have to update already to prove that I have started straight away. No putting it off until the new week or until after my night out, it begins right now.

Today's food is simple courtesy of having to drive my family to the airport early in the morning. The panic of packing and getting ready last night meant it that if I value my life, I avoid the kitchen.

Breakfast was simple, two Weet-Bix in skim milk.

Snack in the morning was 3 Arnotts milk arrowroot biscuits (not the best, I know, but better than other options I had!) which managed to tide me over until.... now!

A salad for lunch is about to be demolished, but it is really my fruit salad for my afternoon snack that I am hanging out for.

A quick shop on my way home from work will top up the pantry and let me make something wicked for dinner.... stay tuned!

Fruit salad time! Yummo!  Been looking out for this all day (largely because of the natural sugars giving me a substitute for my normal afternoon chocolate!)

Dinner tonight was stuffed eggplant (mince, onion, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, cheese) with baked veggies (pepper & paprika coated). Delicious and much healthier than what I usually have!

The Beginning

Today, looking in the mirror and noticing that dreaded visible undie line under my jeans, where it had never been before, I realised I needed to do something.


I feel the need to explain a little something about me. You see, 3 years ago I ended a 5 year relationship. Since I was about 16 until 3 years ago, I had sat at a healthy, fit 72kgs, right through to the end of the relationship.

If you asked anyone that knew us as a couple, it was the real thing, everyone saw we were happy, told us we were an inspiration to them, said they knew we would be the first of our group of friends to get married, buy a house, have children.

Then things changed. I started getting questioned on where I was going, who I was with, how long I was gone for, why I was going out. Soon, he was finding reasons to go with me, so I never got time alone with my friends. Over time, my friends disappeared. They didn't want to spend time with him, they wanted a girly night with me! Movies, alcohol, chocolate and gossip; things no group of ladies wants to share with a guy!

It took me over 6 months to realise that my friends circle had gotten smaller and smaller until it was practically non-existent. I didn't look forwards to coming home to him anymore, I didn't enjoy the time we spent together and I just felt smothered. Things turned south and it didn't take long for us to mutually decide to end things.

The next natural step was comfort. The few friends that I still had comforted me, offered me chocolate, alcohol, girls nights out at nice restaurants, you get the idea... After a 2 week holiday with a group of friends a few months after the break up, I realised my weight had ballooned by over 12kgs! I thought then and there that things had to change, I had to have better self control, better willpower. However, 3 years after our break up, nothing has changed except that I now go to boot camp twice a week. I haven't shifted any weight (except the brief time I was using Lite 'n Easy, which I put back on as soon as I stopped) as I thought "Hey, I did good, I have been exercising, time for a celebration" and out comes the block of chocolate or bowl of ice-cream.

Today, getting ready for work and looking at the only two pairs of pants that still fit me, then spotting that damn undie line, I knew I had to change. The only way for me to do that is to be held accountable. That means everything goes public. What I do in my week, how I exercise and what I eat. Please hold me accountable. Please question my decisions and please feel free to ask me "Why did you have the chocolate today!".

Boredom or stress is no excuse for me to do this to myself. I need to improve my lifestyle, to eat right and to exercise. Please help me on my journey!