Friday 11th April 2003

NUTRITION
This week I have not been as good.
Not that I have eaten anything bad for me - I just got a bit lazy and didn't eat enough salad, fruit or vegies.
Stuck with cheese and vegemite for lunch instead of making a salad.
Musn't beat myself up - start again tomorrow.
Have decided to stick to points strictly for the next couple of weeks and see how I go.

EXERCISE - HOME
Did a walk 4 times since last Wednesday - always feel good afterward.
Did the hills and steps at Trinity Beach - do not power walk but walk fairly quickly.
Did an hour gym and fit ball at home on Saturday - that was good too.

EXERCISE - GYM
Gym on Wednesday was the toughest yet.
The warm up on the bikes was almost the end of us - ride fast for a while and then our instructor turns up the knob and we ar up off the seat climbing a hill for 30 seconds that feels like 30 mins!
Did this 3 times!!
I did two sets of 15 leg press with 100 kg - had not done the two sets before - extremly hard !
The other exercise we did were the same as our previous gym session with the same weights but the extra set is very hard especially the last 5 repetitions.
We did a couple of new exercises - one for "nana arms" I did two sets of 15 of them and when I went to show one of the girls at work I could hardly do it I was so sore!
The other exercise involved sitting on the floor balancing on your butt with legs apart and in the air facing your partner and throwing a 3 kg medicine ball back and forth - the first pair to twenty without dropping the ball or losing balance wins.
Ann and I did not win but we didn't do too bad!

MY COMMENTS
I certainly feel 100 percent better.
I think I look better and carry myself better.
Geoff is the one who looks closely at me and he does not see any difference at all.
I wonder if I am expecting miracles?
I think I need to work harder and longer if I want to be more toned and find those abs that are under my tummy!
In my original form I filled out I said I expected to reach my goal in 6 months - a few more to go!
I plan to keep moving - that is the key to keeping fit as we get older.
I want to be healthy on the inside.
There is a strong history of heart disease in my family - my brother has already had two heart attacks.
I am enjoying doing this programme - I like the company of the other girls - I think it makes us work better.

Friday 18th April 2003

NUTRITION
Have been very good.
I am actually having much smaller evening meals and a more filling lunch.
No Easter eggs in this house either!
Have eaten more fruit this week too.

EXERCISE - HOME
Two big walks on the weekend - one hour each - up 'hills and dales' around Trinity Beach.
Made up for the couple of days off.
I also pinched something in my leg at work - hurt like the devil so did nothing except crunches on Monday and Tuesday.
Walked along the beach from Kewarra to Clifton on Friday - very brisk walk - it was very windy but still a "great outside feeling".

EXERCISE - GYM
We had Marilyn on Wenesday night and although she is very good and knowledgable, it was not a high energy workout because it took too long to get us all moving along.
We aren't changing stations quickly enough and working in unison.
A bit of a waste of a session I think.
We like to feel "pumped" when we finish the session as we do with Sonya and Karen.

MY COMMENTS
Well - only two more sessions to go - one more gym session and our assessment.
I will reserve final judgement til I study the "after photos"!
I don't really see as much difference as I hoped,
but I do know I feel 100 times fitter and stronger,
and that is just as important although there are some who would not agree - Geoff!!
As I continue maybe the changes I anticipated will eventuate.

Friday 25th April 2003

NUTRITION
Pretty good this week - don't seem to think about nutrition as much as I used to.
Maybe because I know, from following the Weight Watchers programme, the sorts of food I can eat and the quantities I can have.
Still probably should have more fruit but with the cooler wintery weather we have been having I don't feel like it and would rather have something hot.

EXERCISE - HOME
Planned to do some big walks over the Easter break but it was too wet and only got one in on the Friday.
Did two sessions with the weights and fit ball.
Rhona and Ann do their programmes upper body one day and lower the next - I have started to do that and as I recall Brett does that too.
If you try to do everything on the same day it takes too long, especially if I want to do them in the morning before work.

EXERCISE - GYM
Good workout this week.
We did a mixture of weights, aerobic exercise and fit ball exercises - got through everything fairly quickly and worked hard.
We tackled an exercise where you lay on your back with your legs together in the air and you have to make the letters of the alphabet with your legs - it is very hard and is designed to make you use your stomach muscles.
I had great difficulty completeing them - in fact I had to stop because it hurt my back so much.
I can do all other ab exercises fairly easily and am getting much stronger but I couldn't do these.
Damm!
I will have to work harder on the ones I can do and then maybe I will be able to do eventually do these!

MY COMMENTS
With one more week to go I feel this programme has given me the motivation and knowledge to continue.
I would like to continue with some form of group something - whether it be another 8 week course of something or a sport or dancing.
I will continue with what I am doing anyway and I hope to see more results soon.
I know I can see results in the clothes I have and I know I am 100% stronger in my back, shoulders and arms.
How you ask??
Some of the stuff we have been moving at work - volume and weight is a piece of cake!
Everything I have read and been told indicates I should continue with weight bearing exercise because of the loss of bone density at my age!!

Friday 2nd May 2003

NUTRITION
Still doing ok in this area
but because I haven't lost much weight I am going to try something different by changing what I eat and when I eat it.
Sonya said at the beginning you have to not keep to the same eating patterns every day.
Even though we finish up next Wednesday I plan to continue my eating and exercise programme.

EXERCISE - HOME
When we first started Sonya said we had to plan at least 3 to 4 types of exercise each week.
This is the first week I have not done that - I did a fit ball and weights work out on the Friday and a 35 min walk on the Saturday.
Lost a bit of motivation which is pretty slack but you can't give up because of one bad week and as I write this I am feeling motivated all over again!!

EXERCISE - GYM
Had a really good work out on Wednesday - we did upper body with weights and and lower body with lots of ab and leg work.
Did some different lunges which are really good - could feel it the next day.
I am looking forward to seeing the results of next weeks assesment.
I am sure there will be an improvement in cardio vascular, flexibility and strength.

MY COMMENTS
Well to be honest I am not as "svelte" as I thought I would be.
My tummy is still not flat!!
I still need to see the 'after' photos to see if there are any noticable changes!
I don't think I am ready for the world to see 'after' photos - I might have to convince Geoff to give me another month!
I really felt as though as I did all the right things during this eight week course and I have enjoyed it very much.
I learned the proper way to do the exercises I need to do and feel confident that I will keep them up.
I like the feeling of wellbeing you have after exercising.
I know that I am stronger and carry myself better - I just don't feel that I look any different.
I will continue to make diary notes of the work I do and asses myself and have more pics on the 30th June - that's another eight weeks.
In the original form we completed we were asked how long we thought it would take to achieve what we wanted - I said six months!!
Thats August - my birthday.
If by then I am not happy with my efforts I will buy a big block of chocolate and investigate lipo suction!!

x

x