Friday 7th March 2003

Tomorrow is my 7th day having started on Saturday 1st March.

NUTRITION
My nutrition has been excellent as demonstarted by my weekly record.

EXERCISE - HOME
I have been doing a lot of 'hard' walking, including a set of steps near the beach which seem to never end!
Plus the gym-ball exercises, upper body weights, and 60 x crunches!

EXERCISE - GYM
As I write this Thursday night I am starting to feel the effects of my Fitness assessment which was done by Sonya on Wednesday.
I think tomorrow it will be sorer still!
It was really, really hard!!
Sonya started us off and told us what she expected.
When we think we can't do one more of whatever it is we are doing she is going to ask us to do just a lilltle bit more.
It was all those "little bit more " that made me think I was going to die!
Some of the activity was
------bike test
------bench press - 20kg x 20
------chin ups - 60kg x 20
------leg press - 80kg x 20
------plus sit ups (30), push ups (20), and bracing (20secs)

MY COMMENTS
There is no doubt that you feel fantastic after you have done a heap of exercise - I feeeel good da da da da da da da !!!
Anne, one of the group we are exercising with, wrote in her reasons why we are doing this - "Because I am vain and want to look good!"
I think she might be right!!

Friday 14th March 2003

NUTRITION
I haven't fallen of the wagon once and what's more I haven't wanted to.
Sonya wrote all over my Nutrition plan homework with a red pen!!
My routine in the mornings is very specific including my breakfast!!
Sonya say you have to make changes in your routine to make your body work differently - ( I think that's it!)
Other options for my breakfast are baked beans, eggs on toast or muffins or raisin toast and a fruit and yoghurt smoothie - that is all going to take some getting used to!

EXERCISE - HOME
Because I am on holidays I have been doing some long walks from 45mins to an hour - up all the Closes and Cul-de-Sacs off Moresby Street, Trinity Beach - and some of them are very steep!!
Definately raises a bit of a glow remembering that ladies don't sweat!
Did fit ball exercises too,
and 130 crunches (not all at once) but did 37 in 30 secs which was an improvement on last week when I could only just manage 30.

EXERCISE - GYM
Our session at the gym on Wednesday was another big one.
Lots of cardio and weights.
Did sets of stations without stopping and we were completely knackered! - huffing and puffing like old women ( which we are not!!)
Those medicine balls are murder especially while you are trying to balance on a fit ball.
At our first assessment we did a set of exercises which tests our cardio vascular response, flexibility and strength.
When we have our next assessment we aim to have improved our previous results.

MY COMMENTS
Even after two weeks I feel good.
Geoff wants to know when he will start to see a difference!!
Not sure about the answer to that one!
But I definately needed a kick start to get off my butt and get moving - it's too easy to put off exercise
and having a couple of friends to compare notes with is a big motivator.
Can't have them doing better than you!!
See ya

Friday 21st March 2003

NUTRITION
Been good - still need to vary the breakfast more than I have been.
Even went out to lunch and 'behaved'!
Didn't eat as much fruit this week - I think it was because I had finished all the mangos!

EXERCISE - HOME
I really like planning what I am going to do each day - and then doing it.
It will be a test to see how I go when I am back at work but I am determined to keep at it even though Sonya is happy for us to do some activity only a few times a week.
I like doing something every day even it is only those 'damn crunches'.
Nothing is going to put me off!
Did a huge walk from Kewarra Beach to Palm Cove Thursday.
I did entertain the idea of walking back again but by the time I got there my legs were about to seize up.
Fortunately I took 40cents to ring Geoff to come and pick me up!

EXERCISE - GYM
Not quite so full on this week cardio wise but we did a heap of different exercises with the fit ball which were quite hard.
You wouldn't have wanted to be a fly on the wall - not elegant at all!
We have been invited to a free aqua aerobics session on Saturday morning - the other 3 girls have never done aqua so it should be fun

MY COMMENTS
Although we are all aiming for overall fitness we all want flat stomachs (again!) and abs!
I am conciously using my stomach muscles more often than not.
I remember my Mother saying if you carry yourself properly and hold you tummy in you will never have to wear a corset! Should have listened to her!
I have to tell you - my butt is so sore!!
Every time I sit down and then get up it hurts!
I feel my tummy muscles all the time so hopefully deep down inside its working!!
I think the "credit card" will have to come out!! (Are you wondering what that means?)
I feel different since I have started exercising - more in control sort of - it's a bit hard to explain - it's so easy to get into bad habits such as
------walk another day
------yes, I'll have some Tim Tams
------eat more than you need, and
------eat food because it's there!
When you commit to a plan or decide to change your habits forever you don't even feel like doing stuff wrong!!
I could also be rambling!!

Friday 28th March 2003

NUTRITION
I think, because I am so familiar with the Weight Watchers points plan, I am having no trouble at all with the nutrition side of my programme.
I know I am eating well and I know I am not eating too much.
I am not actually that hungry.
I have been eating lots of apples. (royal gala are the best)
These last couple of days at work, when I have been so tired at about 3.00pm, I don't know how good I would have been if someone had offered me a chocolate bar!! - but an apple did the trick.

EXERCISE - HOME
Before Aqua Aerobics on Saturday I did the Red Arrow Walk - it's a bit creepy doing it on your own but there was no 'flasher' there til later in the morning!
On Sunday I walked down to the beach - then did the 55 steps from the Esplanade up to the hotel - twice!! - without stopping!!
I had a little rest at the top after the second trip, but as Brett says - small steps!!
On Tuesday morning before work I walked up the hill to Trinity Circle - that Close is almost perpendicular to Moresby Street!! (some of the streets around Trinity Beach are murder!!)
Well - my achievment was instead of stopping about three quarters of the way up to catch my breath, I went all the way without stopping!!

EXERCISE - GYM
At gym tonight we elected not to waste a session on having an assessment.
We all decided that at the end of the eight weeks we will have a half hour session with Sonya.
Our gym work out tonight was similar to previous one but with heavier weights!!
We all do a set number of the required exercises and then two or three extra.
We do:-
------bench press,
------leg press, and
------that machine where you pull the bar down to strengthen your shoulders and back.
and also:-
------lunges with weights,
------squats with weights, and
------use the fit ball with weights or a medicine ball.
We also do a variety of "bracing" exercises that are excellent for tummy muscles - we all want to be good at that!
We all lasted a minute tonight except Ann who went longer and was able to balance on one leg!!
I am going to have to practice that one!!
Definately jelly legs and arms tonight!!
Here is a rundown of our gym sessions:-
"If you can imagine four of us grunting and groaning as we go from one station to the other!!
No rest between exercises!!
With Sonya giving us lots of encouragement and telling us how good we are,
bit with an occasional lapse as we start laughing when some one has difficulty or falls over!!
Flat out for an hour!!
Then that's our session".

MY COMMENTS
It was very hard tonight.
But using the heavier weights and still being able to do the exercises is very satisfying.
I feel really strong.
I am also sure I am going to be quite sore for a day or two but I am very happy with my progress.

Friday 4th April 2003

"WEIGHTS and PRESSES"
"Olympic" bench press - 25kg
Leg press - 120kg
Pull downs - 25kg
Squats with weights - 10kg in each hand
Medicine ball is 5kg.
We don't do repetitions - we do as many as we can in a certain amount of time - usually 1 or 2 mins.

NUTRITION
I am so boring being so good!!
As well as not feeling hungry I feel very virtuous being so good
I have lost about half a kilo which is not much,
but I am developing muscle which weighs more than fat so I have been told not to worry about the actual kilos!

EXERCISE - HOME
Did mostly walking - did the Red Arrow Walk before aqua on Saturday morning.
I might wait a week or two before I attempt the Blue Arrow Walk - I still get a bit puffed but we are going to do it one Sunday morning.
Do at least a few crunches or 'ab' exercises every day.
On Sunday I did the two steep closes off Moresby Street, Trinity Beach.
One after the other without stopping and that felt great - really felt it in my calves and had jelly legs walking down!
Missed out on Monday and Tuesday because I was slack - no excuse!

EXERCISE - GYM
We chose to do an aqua workout this week and it was very good and we worked very hard.
We did mostly 'ab' stuff which focuses on us doing our exercises while keeping our bodies as straight and tall as possible.
Mostly in deep water without drowning!

MY COMMENTS
Although I have enjoyed the aqua lessons we have been able to take, I really like the gym work.
I love doing the weights and love the strong feeling you have both during and after our sessions.
I think I will have better results from the gym work.
I guess time will tell!

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