Made it through

It was a longgg day but i made it. Everything reminded me of hot fudge sundaes for some reason though. Anyway, I ate pretty well. Tomorrow I am going to have an insane day, mostly out of the house and having lunch at a party, so I will have to really try to find good food options.

Breakfast

2 eggs scrambled in .5 tblsp butter

Lunch

2 italian sausage with peppers/onions (no bread)

Snack

handful of Snow Peas

Dinner

big salad: romaine, baby spinach, shredded red cabbage & carrots, cucumber, mushrooms, scallions, sliced almonds and a bit of shredded cheddar cheese w/ 2 tblsp olive oil & 4 tblsp red wine vinegar

Take Shape For Life

Wednesday May 27, 2009

It was like Christmas this morning in my office… UPS arrived with my Take Shape For Life box of food. So many packages in one big box! I have enough food for 5 small daily meals for the next 35 days. From scrambled eggs to puddings! One meal a day I cook or eat out which is a lean protein and 2 servings of something green. (No – not M&M’s silly)!

I love to read the Nutritional Facts on the packages and interestingly enough most of the product calories range from 90 to 100 per serving. The sodium is in the 180mg to 250mg range so it should have some flavor – which is appreciated. There are about 12g of carbohydrates, a tiny amount of total fat from 0.5g to 3 grams, and +/- 2 grams of sugars in the products. I understand from the materials they have a plan for diabetics. The best part is there is from 4 to 5 grams of fiber per serving! Fiber is our friend.

For the fun of it I will figure out the WW points per serving and report that back in the next post. So follow my daily progress starting now.

If it were easy.....

….. then everyone would do it.  That’s what I have to keep telling myself.  There are days when I hop out of the bed, ready to go…can’t wait to get to the gym.  Then there are days like today, when I have to drag myself there.  I’m always glad that I do though.  Got through my workout, even though I don’t feel like I put enough into it.  I gave about 85%, I’d say.  I usually try to give it all I have. 

I’m afraid I’m getting bored with it.  Since I went and worked out with the free weights, I just dread doing those circuits on the machines.  I have to make myself do a lot of the exercises.  But I do make myself.

I’m also having trouble getting all of my calories in.  It’s hard to find high calorie, low fat foods.  I ate and ate and ate yesterday until I literally felt bad, trying to get in those cals, but still didn’t hit my goal.  I feel like I’m stuffing myself!  So, somehow I have to find a way to work in some different foods.  I’ve heard people say that they just can’t get enough calories in for the day and I really never believed them.  But now I see why!  When you eat healthier, it’s just hard to eat that much. Plus, when I’m on a 12 hour shift, it’s really hard to stop and eat.  I literally did not sit down today except for a short lunch break.

Tomorrow is another day, though and hopefully I’ll have a better drive.  It’s strictly a cardio day, which isn’t too hard at all.  I mean, I sweat like a pig and feel like I’m going to vomit when I get through with the HIIT on the elliptical, but it’s certainly doable. 

If there are any suggestions on some high calorie, low fat foods, I’d be happy to hear some!

Ending note — Congratulations to my friend Coley on her >5 lb weight loss!  WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!   I’m proud of ya girl!

No Loss This Week

I actually was just glad to maintain this week.  The scale fluctuated on me quite a bit during the middle of the week.  I weighed in at 255 this week. 

I did manage to go and get 35 minutes of cardio in tonight, even though I felt like crap.  My motivation was at an all time low, but not because I want to quit or anything.  I just hate being sick!  I’m even taking a round of antibiotics, which, if anyone knows me at all, knows that I never ever take medicine unless I have to.  I just like to let things run their course so that my immune system will get stronger.  But this is week three of this sinus infection or whatever and it’s NOT going away.  The dizziness got me this morning.  So I started taking medicine.  I do feel somewhat better this afternoon, especially after working out, but I’m sleeping almost sitting up because I cannot breathe.  The weather and pollens in this area are horrible.  My allergies suck this time of year.  I love spring because of the warm weather….and it’s not too hot like summer (I hate it when it’s over 100)… but I hate spring allergies.  Oh well…hopefully I’ll feel better soon.

I didn’t do my HIIT routine tonight.  I knew I couldn’t make it through that.  I did 30 minutes on the stairclimber, progressively increasing the resistance until I got to 15, then started backing down.  I finished up with a 5 minute cooldown.  Max heart rate was 168.  Calories burned – 430.  Miles traveled – 2.3. Go me…ha

Eat Breakfast to Lose Weight

One of the most popular and successful tips for losing weight and maintaining weight is to eat a healthy breakfast.  I always eat breakfat.  The primary reason I get out of bed is to eat.  I eat eggs, toast, fruit and sometimes even oatmeal.  And surprising this big breakfast does not take a lot of time.  Boil water, toast the bread and microwave the eggs while you shower!  Yes, microwave eggs.  I scramble 2 eggs in a bowl with pepper and zap for 2 minutes, put on toast and top with salsa.  Quick oats set in the time it takes for me to make my instant espresso.  I pre-cut all my fruits and veggies after the weekly grocery trip so that is done.  Check out Eggs website (http://eggs.ca/default.aspx)  for more recipes, including microwave recipes.

References:

http://eggs.ca/

Diet and Exercise Slow Cancer Survivors' Functional Decline

A study has suggested that practicing healthy lifestyle behaviours can reduce the rate of functional decline among older, overweight long-term survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer.

Impressively, a home-based diet and exercise program slowed the decline of physical function in older, overweight cancer survivors, the new research found.

The study participants included 641 people in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, aged 65 to 91, who were overweight and were long-term (five years or more) survivors of breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.

Some were assigned to a control group, while others were assigned to a 12-month intervention program that included telephone counseling, mailed materials promoting exercise, improved diet, and modest weight loss.

The study found that duration of strength-training exercise and endurance exercise minutes increased in the intervention group but stayed the same in the control group.

The researchers also found that the average intake of fruits and vegetables increased by 1.24 daily servings in the intervention group and by 0.13 daily servings in the control group.

At the start of the study, the average functional score for all the participants was 75.7 out of 100, which is comparable with the midpoint score for men and women aged 65 or older. By the end of the study, functional scores had declined an average of 2.15 points in the intervention group, compared to a decline of 4.84 points in the control group.

Back on Track

I didn’t post yesterday.  I came home and passed out.  I did go to the gym though.  I went right after work at 8, was home by 9, got the kids asleep and fell asleep myself at 10.  I feel so much better since I finally got some sleep. 

I’ve been sticking to the diet portion of the plan too, but I’m up 2 pounds as of today.  I’m not going to get discouraged about it though.  There’s absolutely no reason to let it throw me off track.  By the time I weigh in on Monday, I hope to be down again, but if I’m not, that’s ok.  I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to, so it will come in time.

I meet with another personal trainer tomorrow.  He’s going to show me how to do some more on the free weights.  That’s the part I’m most excited about.  I’m kinda scared though!  He’s an ex-body builder.  I’ve heard he’s really tough.  The woman I went to before was good, but she wasn’t really interested in pushing me, so hopefully this will be a better route.

Funny thing happened at the gym tonight.  There’s this girl that my husband works with.  She’s about 5′2″ and weighs probably 100 pounds soaking wet… anyway… she came up to the gym while I was there tonight and ended up asking me for some things to do.  So, here I am…. and you see me … showing her how to do weights and cardio effectively.  I’m sure it was pretty funny to see.

I almost have my diet plan perfected.  I plan to fully put it into effect on Monday.  Then I expect to see the best results.

Until then, I’m just gonna keep on working hard and waiting for the payoff.

Killer Abs Protect Woman in Accident

Being fit and improving your overall health can come in handy at times. Here is a report I must share with you.

Last month, a 47-year-old British woman, with killer abs, was about to take off on a paraglider in Andalusia, Spain, when a gust of wind lifted her up and flipped her over. She was dragged across the rough ground, with her stomach getting pummeled by rocks, according to ABC News.

“I got a smack in my abdomen, right across it with a big rock,” the British woman said.

But thanks to her well-toned abs, the injuries she suffered — a torn liver and pancreas, some scratches and numerous bruises — could’ve been much worse.

The doctors said someone with those injuries would be sent straight into surgery, but she was told that because of her fitness level, she would be spared surgery. Her muscles had helped and saved her from anything worse.’”

Dr. Lisa Callahan, medical director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said the stronger your “musculoskeletal system” is, the more your internal organs will be protected.

But in general, healthy people are better able to recover from serious injuries because their heart rates tend to be lower, which reduces the risk of internal bleeding. They can heal faster too because their bodies are better at processing oxygen.

Setbacks

Went to the gym tonight.  Leg night.  My most difficult night.  I had always thought that I had pretty strong legs.  Apparently I don’t.

All the lunges I did last week made my hamstrings pretty sore.  I was feeling a lot better tonight, but when I started doing lunges, I had a horrible pain at the back of my thigh.  I couldn’t even finish them.  It’s still hurting, even when lying down.

I’m pretty sure that it’s a biceps femoris strain.  It hurts right at the insertion point at the ischial tuberosity (at the base of my butt).  I’m pretty discouraged about it too.  It’s supposed to be a difficult strain to get over and re-injury is pretty high. 

I’m hoping that it’s more of just a minor strain than anything.  I think I’m going to try to go in for some physical therapy tomorrow.  The sooner I can get over it and get back to training, the better.  I’m worried about muscle atrophy and some major setbacks in my strength training.

Does Acai Berry Help You Lose Weight?

Acai Berry is a small grape sized berry found in the rain forest of Amazon. It is very nutritious and also is a very strong antioxidant. It has been rising in popularity for several years now and is a key ingredient in many weight loss products. The question everyone wants to know the answer to is of course: Does Acai berry help you lose weight? The answer to it is yes, But…

But it somewhat depends on how you define it. It is a good product, but it has its limits. Can you lose 20 pounds in a month without exercise or eating healthy with just weight loss capsules? Most likely no. You might be able to lose 5 or perhaps even 10 pounds though. However, only with a good diet and exercise program will you be able to reap the full benefits of acai weight loss products.

Acai berry capsules improve weight loss results in several ways. Because it is such a strong antioxidant it helps you detox – eliminate toxins from your body. Eliminating toxins will make you feel better and just healthier in general, it will also boost your energy. That last part is actually a key element here. The boost in energy helps you avoid the annoying situation where you have less energy than normally because you are eating less then you usually do (diet) yet you need more energy than normally because you are working out more. Speaking of diet, many of te capsules contain appetite suppressants, which make it much easier to follow a diet and not feel hungry all the time.

So yes, acai berry helps you lose weight. But keep your expectations realistic. It is a good product but it’s not a magic pill that would give you a dream body in no time and without any effort. If you are serious about losing weight though, but had problems with either following a diet or feeling tired and not exercising as much as you should’ve, acai can provide some very useful benefits to help with your weight loss.

Ready to give weight loss another chance but not sure which product to go with? Check out this article on how to choose the best acai berry product. And don’t forget to take a look at top acai berry capsules section as well.

 

Original Article: Does Acai Berry Help You Lose Weight

It Helps to be Water Smart

Some days you’re set on working on that jelly-belly, giving it everything you’ve got, but you feel fatigued after 15 minutes of working out and your muscles keep cramping. Before giving up, consider that you may just be dehydrated.

It has been proven that when a person is hydrated, they will have a much more productive workout and much better energy level. So, ensuring that you are well-hydrated is an important component of a healthy workout. Many gulp down a 32 oz Gatorade after a heavy workout, but it’s much better to drink continually while exercising, and often water is a better choice.

We often think that we need the ever present sports drinks, while the reality is water is what we need the most. There are no calories or sugar and since most of us are trying to lose weight, we don’t need extra calories or sugar.

For those who tend to sweat a lot during exercise, a sports drink may help replace electrolytes. But the average person doesn’t sweat profusely unless working outside in the heat or playing an intense sport.

Generally, the normal 64 oz bottle is good for most people. The recommendation is that you drink before your workout and at 20-minute intervals throughout. Your diet should also be taken into account: If you eat a lot of fruits and soups, you may not require as much water. If you have a high protein diet you should drink more. If you drink a lot of caffeine and alcohol, it will pull water out of your system, so you need to drink more to replenish.

How to make time stand still....

The absolute best way to make 10 minutes seem like an eternity is to hop on a stairclimber and bump the level up to 7 and go as hard and fast as you can.  I thought I was gonna fall off the thing.

I had a realization tonight.  I’m kinda at a standstill with the weight this week.  I haven’t lost anything so far.  I don’t feel like I’m doing much either.  So, I was sitting there thinking today….  I just don’t understand why I’m not getting the same results.  I’m doing the same thing….

Then it hit me…. I’m doing the same thing!  The reason I had such good results in the beginning was that I was out of my comfort zone.  I was working harder than I have ever worked before.  I’ve started getting comfortable at the gym, not pushing myself as hard, even though I’m doing more now than I was when I first started.  But I don’t leave feeling nauseated.  I don’t get to the point in my workouts where my feet go numb and I can’t breathe and my chest hurts.  So I’m thinking that I need to bump up the intensity a little bit.  Hence my all out rage on the stair climber. 

I started with 30 minutes on the elliptical.  I stayed steady at a moderate intensity for the first 15 minutes, then did HIIT for 10 and cooled for 5.  It was pretty tough.  My legs were all rubbery and I was tired, but I didn’t have that feeling like I had pushed myself to the limit.  So I went to the stairclimber.  I hopped on it and promptly bumped the level up to a 7.  I have always done it on a 1 in the past, up to 3 on a couple of occasions. 

About 2 minutes into it, my heart rate was 167.  My legs fatigued and my chest started hurting.  Then the nausea came.  So I pushed a little harder.  Heart rate 173.  Managed to keep it like this for another 7 minutes, then slowed down a bit and had a 5 minute cool down.  It was, I swear, the longest 10 minutes of my life. 

So, I feel better.  I feel like I accomplished something tonight.  I’ve read about how bodybuilders have the progressive overload.  I’m doing this somewhat by increasing my weights and/or reps in each strength training session.  So I thought that I should apply it to cardio. 

If you do something for a while, your body gets used to it.  Losing weight is forcing your body to do something that it’s not built to do.  In order to do it successfully, you have to push yourself to the limit every single time you work out.  Energy conversion is a powerful thing.  To force your body to dip into its fat stores and burn it for energy, you have to supply a greater amount of energy.  By progression, hopefully I’ll be able to see the same results.  If a few weeks go by and still nothing is happening, I’ll re-work the plan.

Another problem is that I’ve dropped back down on my calories.  It’s so hard to eat that much in a single day!  Well, it’s hard to eat that much when I’m eating the right kinds of foods.  It was easy when I ate a bunch of junk and fast food all day.  I really have to work on the nutrition part of it a little more.  I’m still getting way too much fat in daily.  I do ok most days, but if I ever have almonds or something for a snack, it’s over.  The plan now is to find some more meals/snacks that have a lower fat content.

…. and back to the drawing board I go.

My feet hurt

Long…long….long day today.  I was so busy at work.  I only sat down about 20 minutes for lunch in the whole 12 hrs.  Those bones I broke in my feet…man…they ached like crazy all day.  Still do.  I had what’s called a Jones fracture, which is a bad fracture to have in that it usually doesn’t heal well.  Unfortunately, I was in school and I absolutely couldn’t miss, so I walked on it anyway, even though I wasn’t supposed to.  So I ended up with what’s called a non-union.  The bones didn’t heal together.  So, the doc wanted to do a bone graft.  Wanted to take bone from somewhere else and put it in the area that didn’t heal to try to stimulate new bone growth.  3 months rehabilitation.  3 months off work and out of school.  I refused.  I couldn’t do it.  So, I hurt.  Especially days like this.  It’s hard walking on those concrete floors all day.  It’s worse when you’re busy like we were today.  And all complicated stuff.  Whew…just glad it’s over.

Went to the gym already.  I much prefer going earlier sometimes.  I hate getting to bed so late!

Did my circuit tonight.  Basically the same as before.  Weights increased slightly.  I’m still wanting to move to the free weights.  That would be so much better.  But it’s SCARY over there.  I’ll figure it out when no one’s there!

Just wanted to give props to my friend Coley.  She’s awesome….never once thinking of giving up no matter what.  It takes a lot of courage and determination to walk this road and win this battle.  She’ll make it.  I know she will.

How to set goals and Achieve them Fast!

What I want to do over the next few blogs is show you how simple it is to set and achieve your goals.

But the key to remember is the plan is simple.

It may not be easy, but it’s simple.

I’m going to be a real life example as well as show you that you’re goals can be reached in a quickly and timely manner.

For the sake of this, I’ll be setting 3-4 immediate short term goals.

The time frame I’ll set to achieve them is 21 days!

So by May 31st I’ll look to have these goals achieved.

What are the goals you ask?

I want to do 100 straight push ups with no rest.

Run a 400m sprint in less than 1min

Do 20 straight pull ups

(optional) Bear Crawl 100 yds without rest

Yesterday I video taped my attempt to 100 straight push ups (came up short, did 84) Yes I am lil out of shape and it’s been yrs since I did this.

I also did 400m sprint in 1min 14sec. And you’ll be able to see in the video it’s been a long time too. As a matter of fact, I struggled to finish. My legs were tremendously heavy. I didn’t even warm up and on top of that, I dang near felt as if my lungs were about to collapse.

Today I did the pull ups.

The videos are uploaded so you can see for yourself, then you’ll see in my 21 days and we’ll determine the difference. Now I may have been able to do a few more with each section, but my main goal is to maintain proper form (sorry couldn’t help my poor habits in the 400m).

Here’s a couple things I want you take away.

1.) Set goals in both long term and short term

2.) Give yourself a date to accomplish it by

3.) Hold yourself accountable (I just told all of you about my goals, and I’ll share it with my newsletter too)

4.) Put in the work and get it done!

5.) Take Massive Action!

Lastly, I don’t want you to make excuses like “you’re a trainer” “you’re young” etc. In fact, many of these goals I’d know 10 yrs ago I’d accomplish them with very little effort. In fact, I haven’t even tried any them for in at least 10 or so years.

And my long term goals are much greater than what’s posted during these 3 weeks.

Stay tuned to this blog post as I’ll be uploading my exact workouts and I used to achieve these goals.

Fat Breakdown is affect by nutrition

Scientists have shown that when either lean or obese individuals exercise after eating a high fat meal, their fats are broken down and oxidized in skeletal muscle, making them healthier. These results show for the first time how a high fat diet and exercise stimulate the breakdown of fats and may help design ways to reduce excessive fat in the body.

Fat is broken down inside fat cells to generate energy by a process called lipolysis. The resulting fatty acids are released into the bloodstream and carried to tissues that require energy. In obese individuals, too much fat accumulates, compromising lipolysis, but the details of how this happens are not well understood. Also, obese individuals can show altered responsiveness to the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine in their subcutaneous fat.

Max Lafontan and colleagues investigated how fat is broken down in both lean and obese subjects who exercised after either fasting or eating a high-fat diet. They noticed that after eating a high-fat diet, fats were broken down in both lean and obese individuals. Under fasting conditions, the breakdown of fats was more pronounced in the lean subjects, but the high fat meal enhanced lipolysis in the obese subjects.

The scientists also studied the effects of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) – which are found in high fat diet – on cultured fat cells. They noticed that LCFAs increase lipolysis when it is induced by epinephrine, one of the hormones known to stimulate lipolysis.

By showing for the first time how a high fat diet and LCFAs affect hormone-induced lipolysis in fat cells, this study paves the way for further research on the role of various fatty acids on the metabolism of muscle and blood vessel cells, the researchers conclude.

———————————–

Article adapted by MD Only from original press release.

———————————–

Article: “Acute exposure to long-chain fatty acids impairs alpha2-adrenergic receptor-mediated antilipolysis in human adipose tissue,” by Jan Polak, Cedric Moro, David Bessiere, Jindra Hejnova, Marie A. Marques, Magda Bajzova, Max Lafontan, Francois Crampes, Michel Berlan, and Vladimir Stich

MEDIA CONTACT: Max Lafontan, Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), Toulouse, France; e-mail: Max.Lafontan@toulouse.inserm.fr

Encourage Mom to Exercise Too

Our mothers play an important role in our lives, and Mother’s Day gives an opportunity to demonstrate how we feel. So let’s all show our caring in a heart-healthy way.

Most of us would do what we can to ensure our mothers lead full, healthy and long lives. So, instead of splurging on calorie, fat and cholesterol-laden chocolates, consider gifts with a heart-healthy difference.

1. Begin a walking program with mom. Make this a regular part of your routine and spend some quality time together trekking through the neighborhood or local trails. If you and mom are already in shape, go jogging or bicycling instead.

2. Encourage her to enroll in an exercise class at the local community center or gym.

3. If you are a daughter, you could sign up with mom for that exercise class. Showing her that you are also interested in taking care of your own health will please her.

4. Instead of going out to a restaurant for a Mother’s Day brunch, check on the Internet for some delicious, heart-healthy recipes, and make them yourself.

5. Remind mom to contact her physician and arrange her annual health checkup.

6. If mom has a problem with her weight, advise her to discuss a weight loss program with her physician. Make sure that exercise is part of her new quality-of-life regimen.

7. Package up in freezer containers healthy meals you are making for your own family and give them to moms who live by themselves and don’t enjoy cooking.

8. If mom has trouble sleeping, encourage her to go to bed an hour earlier. Relaxing in bed with a good book, instead of doing more housework, can help relax her.

9. If you want to give her chocolates for Mother’s Day, buy her the dark variety. A study discussed at an American Heart Association‘s Annual Scientific Meeting suggested that eating a small amount of dark chocolate each day for two weeks could improve circulation to the heart.

Have a fantastic Mothers Day.

Three Mother's Day Weight Loss Tips from Richard Hackworth

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, so we thought we’d share with you some really simple tips that do a great job of fighting fat. But before we even get to them we want to let you know that while moms have a real tough job, it’s not nearly as hard to burn off the belly fat.

In fact, just a few simple changes in lifestyle can make a dramatic difference in your belly, butt, hips and thighs. So be sure to put these tips to good use:

Mother’s Day Fat Fighting Tip #1 – Avoid soft drinks, juices and any other liquids loaded with sugar. All these drinks are very high in useless calories. A 12 oz. can of cola typically packs 150 calories worth of sugar! Drink a couple of those a day and you’re packing on the belly fat!

Mother’s Day Fat Figthing Tip #2 – Record what you eat and drink. Most moms – and people in general – are shocked at the amount of food and calories that they are REALLY consuming when they track it. And be honest, many times when people do this exercise they “forget” to write down the foods they nibble on here and there. It ALL adds up.

Mother’s Day Fat Fighting Tip #3 – Eat 5 to 10 servings of fruits and veggies each day. This will help you meet your micronutrient needs for the day. And that is critical to your body’s ability to burn fat off your belly, butt, hips and thighs.

For more weight loss info visit www.richardhackworth.com

www.actionradio.net   www.nutrition2success.com

I feel the need, the need for

structure?

I need schedules and structure in my life, in general.  I don’t do as well just “going with the flow”.  Which is weird since I am choosing to go into a profession which is going to require me to be flexible at times.  However having said that I am getting better at being flexible and adapting to small changes, so it’ll come.  It’s also not like I can not add structure in when I become an officer either, it just won’t be able to be set in stone.

I was not as prepared this week for my diet, I did not make a schedule and a plan.  My week was unstructured, and I have to say it has been a very hard week.  My lack of structure and planning led to uncontrolled eating, and too much feeling hungry.  So it will probably result in a gain at the scale this week.  I won’t be making that mistake again anytime soon.

I have also been thinking about structuring the old blog.  Being more intentional in what I post and do here.  We’ll see though, every time I say that on a blog I give up as soon as I start.

Well I better get going and make my schedule for next week, so that I can rest easy.

Day 4 and Day 5

Sorry for not updating yesterday with my progress.

Yes, I am still on the diet, I haven’t died or gave up…yet.

It is still hard but I am sucking it up cause why?!

I lost 5, FIVE, FIVE FRIGGIN pounds in three days, I measured it on Day 4 morning. I was II ß that close to giving up, so I weighed myself thinking “if I am not losing weight, there is no point in sticking to this.” And what do I see minus five baby!! Woo hoo!!! And I also lost an inch of my waist!! Boo yah!!!

So yeah, I dragged in another friend to do this diet with me, so hopefully she and I will make it through.

My goal right now is to last a week, just a week so technically I got two days left to go?

Let’s do it!!!

Today’s Inspiration:

Gisele Bundchen, i do wish that she would have more curves in her waist, it’s so straight…-_-;;

Time to tone up the bod!

My uni friends and I have planned to go away to southeast Asia for a group adventure at the end of the year. To say we’re excited is an understatement! There’s about ten or eleven of us going and in a way it’ll be our last big bang as we finish uni and head into the real world. There’s no better way than celebrating the end of student life than travelling for a month or two in a foreign country.

The plan so far is to start in Thailand and go to the Full Moon party for New Years, spend a couple of weeks venturing around Thailand and then head to the next country (or two, or three). Other countries that have been tabled by the group are Vietnam (yes! vote from me), Cambodia (another yes!) and Laos. At the moment it’s a bit tricky as everyone has slightly different plans for the length of their trip and where they’d like to go. But really it doesn’t matter if we split up after a bit. Would just be nice for everyone to meet in Thailand for New Years and then go from there.

At the moment my plan is to leave for Thailand after Christmas and be there for New Years, spend a couple of weeks around Thailand and then head to Vietnam and/or Cambodia for another two or so weeks. I’m basically going to go with the flow, as long as I get to see at least two countries I’ll be a happy camper. My friend Chris in the UK is also planning to meet (first time I will have met him - story behind this… will fill you in at some stage… let’s just say nine years!!) us there and join us on the adventure, so I really hope he can make it!

So anyway… what’s this got to do with the bod?! Well, because it’s a hot, beachy type of country, I’m guessing we will be in our togs and small amounts of clothing most of the time. So it’s time to tone up! I’m at just over 73kg and I’d like to get to 65kg. Of course I’m going more on how my body looks, rather than the number… so we’ll see. I’ve been slack the last few weeks; although I have stayed the same weight. So now it’s serious body mode. Back into the exercise and less alcohol and rubbish food. I started off very well today, seeing as it was May 1st I thought it was perfect. Off for a run tomorrow morning!