Carrying a Spare Tyre!

Wednesday's session was hard. We warmed up by playing mini netball and then did a little circuit of weights & lunges. We did more agility courses such as crab walking to a marker, running to the next, weaving in and out of markers, running to the next marker and then side stepping again and running back home to do it all again.

Bianca and Sasha had to be somewhere after the class so I couldn't be measured, but Bianca said me plus two others would be measured today, Friday, after the workout.

Today I found really hard. There were 4 of us, Bec, Amanda, Christie and me. When I saw the tyres on the ground, I really didn't know what to expect. I went with Bec and we had to pick up the tyre between us and run to a corner of the three netball courts. We then had to do step touches up onto the tyre for 30 seconds, then pick up the tyre and run to the next corner and do press ups. Then, you got it... run to the next corner and I think we did the steps again, before the final corner and the press ups again. We then did some stretches and I thought "Thank god that's over" but it wasn't. Those tyres featured heavily (pardon the pun!) in today's session.

We lifted them, used them as hurdles, picked them up again and ran round the cricket field, stopping every now and then, not for a rest, but to do push ups again. We came to a hill and had to squat down and lift up the tyre and turn it over and gradually it worked it's way up the hill. We called on our partners to help us carry it back down, then it was their turn. While we were waiting we assumed the plank position then brought each leg up in succession tapping on the ground before going back and carrying on until our partner had made the top of the hill and we were needed to help carry the tyre down.

I was exhausted but we still had to run and carry the tyre all the way back to the starting point, where our drink bottles and shade were waiting for us to recover.

A minute or so later, we had another circuit of hurdles, lunges, weights and more hurdles until we were absolutely pooped and collapsed on our towels in the shade to do our stretches, sit ups and core muscle toning.

So who would have thought that using a spare tyre could get rid of your 'spare tyre'. I hope this is not a recurring theme here as next week we could be using Muffin Tops, Saddlebags and an overweight donkey... work that one out!

After the session, Bianca measured me again. I was measured 4 weeks ago and so this was the bit I knew would give me the boost I needed after being worried about my weight.

Four weeks ago, Bianca measured my bust, arm, waist, belly button, hips, then thighs and legs in 5 places, twice with legs together and 3 measurements on one leg. So a total of 10 measurements.

By working hard over the last four weeks and eating healthily, I have lost a total of 36.5cm over these 10 measurements including:

Bust 3cm
Arm 1.5cm
Waist 10cm
Hips 6 cm
Upper thighs 10cm (measured round both)
and I have gained a cm just above my knees, where I have gained muscle

I am going to celebrate tonight, not sure how. A glass or two of wine perhaps and my free choice meal of the week? Funny, but I think I would be happier not rewarding myself with food and drink. Perhaps I will go to the shops and treat myself to something else, like a dvd or a pair of earrings or window shop for smaller clothes. If I can achieve that in 4 weeks, I am looking forward to seeing what shape and size will I be after 12!!

Fighting the Scales

On Friday we did a fitness test just to gain an idea of what levels we were at and to set goals for the forthcoming weeks. Christie and Bec were the other two being put through our paces by Bianca. We did as many sit ups and push ups in a minute as we could so that when we are tested again in 4 weeks, we can measure our improvement. I only managed 45 seconds of sit ups before I had to stop, so my immediate aim is to make sure I complete the minute next time!!

We also did a agility test and the 'beep test' where a CD is played with timed beeps and you have to run continuously between two markers 20 metres apart reaching the line of each marker on the beep and turning and running back again. The beeps get gradually faster so not only do you have to keep running, but be able to pick up the pace. Bec and I only made it to level 3.2 I think, so in another 4 weeks I hope to be able to reach 5 or 6. Christie did really well and got to level 7.

When I came home and told my son we did the beep test, he laughed at my 3.2 as he made it up to 11 when he did it at school. Nothing like a bit of moral support eh?

We also worked on our 'core' and did a lot of muscle work to strengthen (or in my case, just find!) the muscles across our abdomen, which are rather weak after having kids.

The weekend was good. On Friday night me, my husband and kids walked down to the fish and chip shop and bought our tea. I had grilled fish and a garden salad and we took our takeaway and a bottle of wine down to a patch of grass over looking the coast. We live in Mapleton so the view down to Maroochydore is spectacular at night with all the lights on. At 6.30 precisely, sitting on our picnic rug and sipping a glass, we watched a huge orange moon come up out of the ocean and it was beautiful.

Saturday I made chocolate brownies with my daughter. She licked the bowl, wooden spoon and cleared up the crumbs in the baking tin and I didn't want to eat anything. On Sunday we went to Caloundra and went rock pooling. I found a handful of cowries and after lunch (chicken salad!) at a lovely café we explored a little more then headed home having caught some sun and chilled a bit! I even fed brownie crumbs to some ants and delighted in watching them struggle to carry huge bits back to their nests rather than eating it myself.

Monday was back to class and this time it was only me who turned up. Sasha, Bianca's sister put me through my hour of training, ending up with her helping me to stretch my calves and thigh muscles and realising they are not very supple. So I am to work on them this week, doing stretches for example, while watching tv or in the mornings. Although I have felt a lot more energised most of the times, but still have fat and blobby depressed moments. After training on Monday, even though I had a really good session, I felt bloated and saw myself in a mirror and was surprised by my shape. My 6 year old daughter then told me I looked like I was going to have a baby. Thanks a bunch. I am also disheartened when I stand on the scales. After three weeks of working hard and eating healthily, cutting out carbs and upping the protein, I thought I would have lost more weight.

So this morning I found on a website, this encouraging text

"The number one reason most people exercise is to lose weight. People think that exercise will automatically make them lose pounds on the scale as well as inches on the measuring tape. However, as fat cells get smaller from all the calories being burned in exercise, muscle cells respond by getting stronger and heavier. That's how a flabby body turns into a firm one. If you don't realize that this change in body composition is taking place, it can be very discouraging to see the scale hardly budge or even climb a few pounds. There are people who are so obsessed with the scales because this is the only way they know how to evaluate their weight loss progress that losing inches or even a clothes size or two is not enough to convince them that they are successful. This is too bad because no one walks around with a sign on their forehead announcing to the entire world what they weigh. If you are one of these people, please try and change this attitude because you will only get depressed over nothing. In fact, you should celebrate your new body composition!"

So after reading that, I will try to get out of the habit of standing on the scales each morning, then again after I have done a wee, and again after a poo and embrace the fact that I am doing something to change my body shape and fitness levels and it isn't solely about what the scales say. I was 82 kgs when I started and I will weigh myself at the end. Perhaps I should put my scales away until then......

I am being measured tomorrow too so these measurements should be different to my first day after 4 weeks. This I am sure will give me the encouragement and results which I am looking for. I will post my results when I know! Wish me luck!!