Mt Ainslie and my #12WBT #SSS

Oops where has April disappeared to?  Following Easter I held strong with my 12WBT exercise, especially the Super Saturday Sessions (SSS).  This past weekend however, life got in the way, and I actually missed it!  Now, I don’t think I really missed the ‘during’, but the ‘after’ and the sense of accomplishment!

A couple of weeks ago I did a 13.6km SSS, kinda by accident.  I wasn’t really feeling it, but I thought I would head out with Mr. J and aim for 5km.  Well, when I finally decided to turn back, we had passed the 6.5km mark!  I actually got a little sun burnt, because I did not expect to be out for so long.  Yes, by the end and almost 2 and a half hours later, I was totally over it, but hey it was awesome!  And of course, I wasn’t complaining with the calorie burn:

The following weekend, unfortunately I was feeling the same – just a bit off, and a bit over it.  But what does MB say?  JFDI.  So off we went to Hackett walking tracks, and decided to see where the road took us.

Well,… it took us up Mt Ainslie – a first for me

A pretty easy walk, other than the elevation!

Isn’t it pretty?   Haha…
According to Runkeeper, it was a personal best for elevation -

Teehee!

 

Mt Ainslie – definitely recommended.  Get out there and feel the burn and check out the lovely views

Read Full Post »

The Weekender – Easter 2013

I was so excited for a low-key long weekend, staying at home, no need to rush with the Easter traffic, and no need to over-indulge on Easter treats   So I set out for relaxation, and that’s exactly what I got.

Sleep ins – tick
Exercise – tick
Quality time with my husband – tick
Some indulgence – tick

Friday, I slept in, made a lovely brunch for myself and Mr. J – can’t go wrong with bacon and eggs.

Look at that perfectly cooked egg!    Anyway(!)  Chillaxed, made some hot cross buns, went for a walk in the sunshine with husband and later I went to Zumba.  I *love that my classes were still held over the long weekend.  Great chance to get out there and do more to make up for the extra treats.

My hot cross buns were babies – the 12WBT recipe called for 15, I made 20.  So they look a little knobbly, but were even more snack friendly!  I didn’t get a good ‘after’ pic, cause we were too busy eating them

Saturday was another sleep in, and I met a gf for chats before Samba Fitness.  Another yummy brunch, before heading out to the shops – Funny how it gets so busy over a long weekend when people can’t go the day before/after (Good Fri/Easter Sun). We scored a
couple of bargains though, and I enjoyed having a leisurely tea and sharing a junior spoil at Koko Black.

Saturday night I made pizza, even the dough(!) and we had a movie night at home.  Talk about domestic goddess; well I try

Sunday the weather was not looking to good, but I dragged Mr. J out to the Lake and we took it fairly easy, but tried to maintain a good pace for 10km.  We were a little slow while checking out the new developments on the Kingston Foreshore – pretty crazy.  Although it
was a little chilly, and threatened to rain; the temp was better for a good pace, and it stayed clear.

Not overly speedy, but good amount for calories burned.

Monday was more relaxation, interspersed with washing and the threat of going back to reality (work) the next day.  Some cleaning and then Samba that night.

Farewell long weekend, see you again in June 

Read Full Post »

12WBT Review – 8 weeks down, 4 weeks to go

I have been pretty quiet on the 12WBT front, particulay on the forums. Perhaps it just isn’t my style – I have been sharing on twitter and Instagram, but I find the forums pretty overwhelming; so many posts! It is fantastic though, to see how well people are doing; showing how successful the program really is.

The weight is coming off super slowly, and so I am trying to divert my attention away from the numbers. I can easily become too concerned with the numbers, and then quickly disheartened when I don’t see big losses on the scale (like others do).

20cm lost is no small feat, and I should be happy with my results this far. Of course, everyone is different, and I need to remember that this is for me, and for my health. Slow, doesn’t mean that I won’t get there.

But the next question is, what does “there” actually mean? At this stage, I am not sure what my goal should be. And indeed, what my goal for next round should be (Yep, I will be signing up for Round 2, 2013!). I am in the healthy weight range (but it is a large range!), I exercise regularly, I am learning how to consistently eat well (minus a few hiccups), so what now?

Enter, the DEXA Scan. Apparently the dexa scan is the most accurate measure of body fat. It also gives information about bone density, abdominal fat, resting metabolic rate, ideal weight, and calorie intake.

I have booked into Measure Up as they are coming to Canberra at the end of April. I am excited(!) With the above results and recommendations there should be little guesswork about what I should be aiming for.

So this post is less of a review, more of a – What now? And hopefully this will be clearer to me at the end of the 12weeks. For now, or for the next month, I am going to focus on consistency with both nutrition and exercise, hopefully lose a little more weight, and just keep keeping on

Read Full Post »

The Weekender – Googong

Looking for something to do this Easter long weekend?  While everyone else is over-indulging on chocolate and baked treats, perhaps a fun adventure is more your style… or is that just me?! 

After knocking over almost 12km around Campbell and Mt Ainslie, last weekend I was eager to push a bit further.  And looking to see somewhere new.  About a 15 minute drive out of Canberra, over the border, into NSW(!) we decided to do a longer hike/walk out at Googong.  After checking the web, the walks around the dam looked to easy (Ha!), and too short, so Mr. J and I decided to try the 14km, which was classified as a moderate difficulty.

Yep, I would say you could call it ‘moderate’ difficulty, if you are reasonably fit.  I am not sure what fitness level I would consider myself, but hey I finished it, it was tough at times, but the amazing thing >> I wasn’t that sore!  I was expecting major pain over the following couple of days.   But nope!

Some parts were beautiful, some parts were a serious slog – check out that elevation change in the middle!  I guess I am not really selling it really am I? 

But hey, if I managed to jog in the last km, I am pretty sure the moderately fit can handle it.

If not maybe the 4km around the dam might be more your style… I think that is next on our list, I think it would be really pretty.

Now, on to the numbers.  It is official.  For the first time doing 12WBT I reached and then surpassed the 1000 calorie burn!  So all it takes is 3hrs and 14km, and 1100 calories gone.  Ha!

Now the question is… what to do this long weekend?  I think another 10km is in my near future   Plus some home made hot cross buns… thanks for 12WBT recipe Mish!

Oh, and,

Happy Easter!  

And… keep a look out for a giveaway competition happening here on the blog very, very soon!

Read Full Post »

The Weekender

I took a long weekend this past weekend.  I wish that I could do that all the time(!)  I felt I was owed one since I missed out on the Canberra Day long weekend

I drove to visit my family for mum Mum’s birthday on Thursday afternoon.  It was so lovely to get there a bit earlier, even though I was feeling under the weather.  I stopped off on the way to buy my an Ella Bache gift voucher to add to my mum’s gift(s)!

On Friday I started the day with a sleep in – I had planned to get up early to smash out an early SSS (Super Saturday Session), but decided that I needed the extra sleep and set my alarm (at midnight) for 7:30am   Mum and I spent some time chilling together and chatting before going to the movies.  We saw Goddess - yes, it is a tad cheesy at times, but overall a fun movie.  And nice to see some Aussie actors and landmarks… Hello Guillaume, how I missed you   The wedding seems so long ago already!

After the movies we did some shopping, and stopped for a coffee – it was such a lovely day!

Friday evening I decided I better knock over my SSS, otherwise I would find more excuses on Sunday.  So I hit the treadmill with the goal of beating my time the fortnight before in Sydney (10km in 90min).  So I decided to run for as long as I could, and “get it over with”.  So I ran for 4km, which is a long time for me, probably longest ever, in fact.  Then I switched between walking and running for the last 6km.  I think I got to 8km in the first hour, and the last 2km seemed to stretch on for ages.  At that point I really wanted to reach the 10km in under 75mins, but just managed it in 76minutes! Knocking a massive 14 minutes off my previous time!!

This of course has made me desperately want a treadmill at home.  I am less self-conscious in private, not worried about becoming a beetroot/tomato head (Ha!), or if I can make it home(!)  Something to talk to Mr. J about   I was a little naughty and didn’t stretch properly afterward, and I was pretty stiff for the next couple of days.  Plus there was some chafing and blisters too.  Time for some new shoes I think.

And then on Saturday morning I was up early for a mini-roadtrip to Mudgee!

Read Full Post »

The Weekender

This lovely Canberra weekend began with the goal of walking 10km.  Mr. J and I started in Campbell, and just decided to see where the ‘path’ would take us.  Which, in the end, was over some mega hills and all the way around Mt. Ainslie!

It was such a lovely morning with the sun out, but a cool breeze.  So many kangaroos around, and some joeys too.

Eventually we reached the back of Hackett, and we were surprised that we were that far over, then we followed the Ainslie link, before taking the Campbell Link Trail, hoping it would bring us back to, or at least close to where we started.  Luckily we guessed right, and we were only 1.8km over our initial goal of 10km.  When we stopped to look at the map, I was amazed at our achievement.  And, even better, I felt so awesome afterwards!

I even managed a couple of jogs in there… attempting to boost my calorie burn and reach the ever elusive 1000 SSS 12WBT calorie target.  Not quite, but pretty close.  And just really happy that I felt so great, a year ago I would have been suffering through, let alone jogging!

I am now looking forward to trying out other walks around the Canberra region.  I am thinking Googong Dam might be next on my list.  Who’d have thought I would enjoy this so much!?

Read Full Post »

The Weekender

So I am pleased to share that two weekends in a row I have given the 12WBT SSS, or Super Saturday Session a good go.

But I have been finding it hard to eat out on the 12WBT program.  Last week I had a dinner date with my sister on Thursday night, then off to Sydney on Friday for Ed Sheeran, then Saturday night visiting family.

On Thursday night we went to Mecca Bah, it’s been a while since we went in 2011!  I was really impressed last time; this time, not so much.  I had a gluten free seafood tagine, which was great.  They swapped the couscous for rice.  Mr. J had a pizza, and my sister had a tagine too.  My complaints are in regard to the service – I felt as though I had to hurry to finish my meal because my sister and Mr. J finished theirs before me and the waiters cleared their plates.  So there I was as if I was eating on my own… maybe I am being too fussy   Plus it was freezing.

On Friday night in Sydney we didn’t have much time before Ed, so it was boring old Subway for dinner.  Not exactly the exciting weekend away that I was expecting, but hey, it was nice to be able to make a good healthy choice.  We stayed at the Mercure, so it was an easy walk to the Entertainment Centre.  Ed Sheeran, I love you even more now – such a nice guy!

Saturday morning I smashed out 10km on the hotel treadmill – 90 minutes later and I was past the point of ready for breakfast!  Due to the buffet options at the hotel, I managed to make sensible choices again — toast, boiled egg, and as a treat some bircher muesli and rhubarb.  No juice, lots of water, and some tea.

Due to the miserable weather, Mr. J and I passed on the Sydney sight seeing, and decided on a lazy trip to the Blue Mountains to my parents and Mr. Alan.  Miss the lil guy – he seemed to miss me too   As much as a cat can!   It was nice to chill out, before coming back to Canberra on Sunday.

We left early enough to leave me time for some 12WBT preparation – a trip to Costco and Woolies, and I was ready for the week – determined to make a better go at the nutrition side of things.

Read Full Post »

12WBT: Keeping on keeping on

So it is week three of 12WBT, and I have a few confessions to make.

1. I do really well typically Monday through Thursday and then the weekend hits.
2. ‘Life gets in the way’ and I either eat too much, or exercise too little over said weekends.
= Which results in me hoping and doing too much exercise and eating too little Monday and Tuesday in an attempt to compensate for the next weigh in on Wednesday.

I am off to Sydney *again* this weekend and I’m going to stop this trend! I have booked a hotel with a gym so no excuses for the upcoming SSS. And I am determined to make better food choices.

I am scared of looking back at these 12 weeks and wishing that I had done more. 9 weeks to go, gotta keep pushing on!

Read Full Post »

12WBT Week One

Officially three days in to the program and … 1.5kg down.  First weigh in today, and I sucked it up and took the ‘before’ photos.

As I was a little late to the party and missed out on the pre-program, I have been working on my pre-season tasks.  Glad to say that I am done, and ready to dedicate all my focus to the nutrition and exercise plans.  First weigh in today, and I sucked it up and took the ‘before’ photos.  Yesterday I did the fitness test and measurements – I have to say I was surprised at my results, I thought I would do better.  I was pretty sore from Samba the night before, so the wall sit was agony, but I pushed through the 2 min mark.  The run was the hardest; if it wasn’t for the run I would have made it into the advanced, but hey, better to be honest.

Other thoughts >>- I love that the program works around the exercise I already have locked in. e.g. Zumba and Samba are my two cardio days, bikram is my core day – So I just need to do the two toning days and figure out my super Saturday sessions.  I have no access to the gym, so I love that she offers at home vids, and outdoor sessions.

- I have not made many recipes yet, but looking at them – YUM.  I will be altering them to gluten-free, and I have still been fitting in my green monster smoothies, which kinda works as a snack under the program.

- Today was a hard day craving-wise, I think I probably was over my calories, but, I said no to sugar… opting for healthier options.

- Surprisingly I am only burning 380 calories at Samba and 440 calories at Zumba.  There is a fair amount of core work at Samba, which I guess explains for the lower burn.  I am not sure what to do to hit the 500 calorie burn for those days though.  Maybe a walk would suffice?

Noting that it is Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I have yet to figure out how to eat out on the program.  Obviously I will make sensible choices where I can, but I think I will have to work extra hard to compensate.

 

On that note for tomorrow – Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy National Condom Day!!

Read Full Post »

January 2013 Fitness in Review

This month just flew by.  I held really strong on the fitness front, slacking a little toward the end of the month.   Same with healthy eats, really good for a couple of weeks, but then almost to the point of giving up.

Fitness-wise, the initial goal was c25k.  This dropped off as the month progressed, and I started becoming more interested in Bikram (hot) yoga.  I also started a new dance class – Samba Fitness.  This was a great new challenge – amazing the difference between the difficulty in Zumba and Samba – I’m pretty used to Zumba now, and feels like a breeze (well, sorta!).  Just goes to show that you have do different activities, to keep challenging the body.

Nutrition-wise I felt like I was doing pretty much 99% clean, e.g. paleo, no sugar, but seeing no real result on the scale.  And when you look at my activity, seems pretty unrealistic that I would not see a change in weight/body fat.  I think this is why I started to fall off the wagon toward the end of the month, both with healthy eats and exercise.  After seeing a dietician, I have been told to just keep recording my daily eats, focus on consistency and keeping active, while not going too hard (this is where the giving up usually happens).

The good news is that I am loving green monster smoothies, and packing more and more spinach in each one(!)  Sounds crazy, but I am starting to like the taste without needing bananas, berries, or any fruit.

So… on to February then(!)  After a few days off exercise and taking it a bit easy on the diet, I am looking forward to getting back to it.

 

Read Full Post »