The Elusive 82

In the couple of weeks since the end of the kick start diet I have been maintaining my new lower weight.
This is great since I fully expected to regain a kilo or two with the reintroduction of sugar/fat/processed foods to my diet. Though my intake of all these things is considerably reduced from what it was pre-kick start, I'd be lying if I said I had given them all up entirely.
No matter what my weight, maintainance is what I aim for at this time of year. Things usually start slipping with the birthday-a-thon beginning of December and continue to slide through Xmas and New Year, often not stopping again until holidays end when school goes back. This year has been no different.
So when I weighed myself this morning I didn't have particularly high expectations. But then-there it was: I'd broken through the 82kg glass ceiling.
I've reached this point several times over the past decade and a half. In the past it has always been the lowest I go before the boomarang turns and the kilos start to pile back on.
I am determined this time will be different.
I am determined to enter the new year under 80 kilos. I know attempting to actually lose weight is a huge undertaking at this time of year. Possibly more of a challenge than at any other time, with the possible exception of Easter.
But I'm going to give it a go.
Wish me luck.

Kicked It

Here I am at the end of the 28 day kick start diet. I followed the diet almost to the letter. I didn't eat the desserts when I wasn't hungry and I swapped the dinners to different nights occasionally.
I can report a 6.2kg loss for the 28 days. That equates to an inch off my hips and two inches from both my waist and bust. Though that doesn't take me down a dress size, it does mean that my clothes are fitting more comfortably and in a couple of instances are getting a bit on the loose side.
A couple of friends that I hadn't seen in a while have commented. One asked if I'd lost weight, the other stated that I was glowing. Since my family who see me every day haven't noticed any change in my appearance it was nice to have confirmation that there is some outward sign of my efforts.
For myself, I feel more energetic (my runs seem a tiny bit easier) and I'm sleeping better.
So was it a success? By my arbitrary weight measure-yes. I did lose more than the 4kg I decided would indicate success. (I chose 4kg because any sensible diet should result in at least a 1kg per week reduction).
Was it worth the effort and monotony? No, I didn't reach the 7kg loss that would have made that worthwhile. (I chose 7kg because it would mean a 1.5-2kg loss on average per week).
Though I am happy with the result I don't think I would do the full 28 days again. Most of the weight was lost in the first week, during the extremely low calorie phase. I would repeat that week as a kind of detox if I'd been over indulging or perhaps if I hit a plateau for more than a month. But the other 21 days didn't really pay off the effort.
Overall a positive experience but I'm not entirely sold on fad diets yet.

Still Kicking

Week 3 of the kick start diet has been more interesting as far as food goes. The variety has been good and the recipes not too hard to follow. No obscure ingredients or unusual preparation methods to complicate life.
I didn't follow the week to the letter, skipping most of the suggested desserts. Not because I'm trying to keep calories down but simply because I wasn't hungry. Also, my water intake remains low. I'm completely out of the habit of drinking during the day-something I'll have to get back into.
Things have stalled on the weight loss front. Though I haven't gained, which I thought I might, neither have I lost anything this week. While that's no surprise it is a little disappointing.
So I'm on the final stretch now.

Kick Start: Phase 1 Complete

I've finally finished phase one of the kick start program and I can't tell you how glad I am to see the end of my soup days. While the soup is really quite nice (kind of like a minestrone without the pasta and beans) eating it almost every meal, every day for two weeks wasn't easy. By day ten even adding different herbs couldn't make it more appetising.
So has it paid off? Yes, I've lost another 1.5kg. As anticipated the loss has slowed down considerably but the other expected side effects failed to appear. I've had a small break-out on my forehead but my skin has stayed otherwise clear, I've not been particularly lethargic or headachey and I haven't developed any illness.
I'm still a little sceptical that the six kilos lost so far will stay off. I'm sure much of it has to be water weight because while I've been eating so much soup my fluid intake has tapered right off. I usually carry around a water bottle but I haven't been for the past couple of weeks. I just wasn't interested in drinking much. I suppose the fluid content of the soup was putting me off a bit.
Now I'm in phase two of the program I get to eat a lot more normally. And by normally I mean I can serve the rest of the family the same food that I'm eating, which should make life a little easier on the home front.
With the increased food intake I expect weight loss to slow down even more and I wouldn't be too surprised if I experienced a little gain this week (disappointed but not surprised).

Getting My Groove Back

I've been a little dissappointed in my last couple of runs so it was nice to finally get back to form yesterday. It was overcast and humid but I took it slowly and managed to get through the full half hour without any problem.
On the diet front, today is day 14, my last soup day. Thank God. I'm so bored with the soup.

Diet Update

Conditions for my run today was much better. The sky was blue, there was a light breeze keeping the temperature reasonable and I was dressed appropriately. Yet somehow the idea of running for half an hour made me nervous. So I set out on a shorter 2km route and jogged along at my accustomed slow pace and made the distance without any problems. But still the idea of running for thirty minutes fills me with dread. It's nonsense because I know I can do it, I've been doing it for months. It's a mental hurdle I have to get over not a physical one.
On a dietary note, I'm about halfway through week 2 of the kick start diet and I think I know how this diet works. Not only is the soup very low calorie leading to an extreme calorie restriction but the monotony turns you off eating altogether. Late last night I was feeling hungry. This diet discourages hunger-it's one of the things about it that I think is good. According to the rules of the diet if I feel hungry I should eat-soup. As much as I want as often as I like. But I simply couldn't face another bowl of kick start soup, so I didn't eat at all. And there's the secret. If I was truly hungry I wouldn't have hesitated to eat the soup.

Running On Empty

Since I completed the C25K I've maintained the habit of running three days per week. While my speed remains the same slow jog it was back at the end of week nine, I still manage to complete the full half hour. So I was very surprised when I barely made the fifteen minute mark today.
Even though I had set out at my accustomed leisurely pace I started to feel tired at around the ten minute mark. Believing the fatigue to be mental rather than physical, I plowed on thinking I'd work through it, until just past the fifteen minute mark where I well and truly hit the wall. I literally couldn't run another step. I stuttered to a walk and scanned myself searching for the problem.
I was mildly out of breath but certainly not gasping or panting. I'd worked up a light hairline sweat but didn't feel overheated. The usual suspects (feet and left knee) were all in good order-no pain or stiffness. Even my left hip didn't hurt any more than usual (it often aches while I run but the exercise seems to loosen it up and it won't bother me again all day).
Finding nothing overtly wrong I picked up the pace, but only to a very slow jog, and a couple of minutes later was back to walking. I'd be surprised if I actually ran more than six or seven of the following fifteen minutes. The entire experience was quite disheartening.
Any number of factors could have contributed to the exhaustion. I didn't sleep particularly well last night. I was inappropriately dressed for the weather (it was overcast and threatening rain when I left so I wore long warm pants but once under way I discovered it was warmer than it looked). Conditions were warm and humid, not typical of this time of year. All of these factors may have contributed to my lethargy.
But I strongly suspect that the kick start diet played a large part. I've been following this very low calorie diet for over a week now and though I have ample fat stores I think the exercise was just a bit too much for me at my current intake level.
Maybe this was just my first 'bad' run. I've heard they happen to everyone occasionally. But the timing seems a bit too coincidental.
It'll be interesting to see how my next run goes. I'll report back later in the week.

Kick Start Diet

Things have been holding steady for me on the weight loss front for quite some time now. I'm half way to my goal weight and I've hit a plateau. This wasn't entirely unexpected and I kept up with the regular exercise and sensible eating whenever hungry in the belief that eventually I'd start to lose again.
That hasn't happened. In fact, after the October birthday marathon week I gained two kilos. With the ten kilos I'd regained back in March, and spent most of this year relosing, fresh in my mind I decided the time had come for drastic measures.
I remembered Alex talking about the kick start diet and thought something like that might be worth a try. Later, at the supermarket checkout, I saw New Idea magazine had a 28 day kick start diet booklet attatched. I've always been wary of fad diets. Why spend a lot of time and effort losing weight that I'll only put back on the minute I deviate from some ridiculously strict plan? But I decided the universe was trying to tell me something. I bought the magazine and read through the diet.
It did seem to be very similiar to the diet Alex tried. At least the soup recipe and first week eating plan looked the same.
When I stepped on the scales after a week of sensible eating and exercise and saw that the two kilos I'd gained hadn't budged by even a gram my mind was made up. I decided that I would follow the first seven days of the kick start diet as a detox then return to sensible eating at the end of the week.
I began my first fad diet with the idea that a one kilo loss would be a success and a two to two and a half kilo loss would make the monotony of it all worth while.
By day four the soup was getting a bit dull but I perservered and it paid off. Here I am on day seven and I can report a loss of four and a half kilos. I am both surprised and delighted. I suspect that much of that number is fluid loss but even so the psychological benefit of seeing the scales finally move is huge.
I have now decided that I will continue to follow the diet for the rest of the 28 days. Even though that means repeating week one's soup fest for another seven days. I expect the weight loss to slow down considerably now I'm past the initial fluid loss and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I put a little back on as I continue.
I've decided that for me to consider the 28 day kick start diet a success, I must have lost four kilos in total by the end of the month. And if I am to consider it worth the monotony, I must lose at least seven kilos by the diet's end.
I will report my progress over the next three weeks. For now I'm off to chop vegetables. I've got to make some soup.

November 1st

I blogged a few weeks ago about having pneumonia but persisting with the 17 day program, then fell out of the blogosphere (insomuch as I'm in it to begin with) because apparently this is a bug with a nasty legacy. I've been off work for the past four weeks, and though I have high hopes of going in this Friday, the odds of me successfully seeing out my six rostered nights is slender, given I needed a nap this afternoon after babysitting for a friend for two hours. I'm also a little compromised by the fact that I finish work Thursday morning, then head out to the UK Friday lunch time, so if I push too hard I'll relapse while I'm overseas.
More relevantly, for the purpose of this blog, is the effects this has had on my intake and exercise. In the latter camp that'd be a full month of nothing - until a week ago I had to lie down to recover from the arduous labour of taking a shower - certainly the first time warm running water has made a chest infection feel worse. I start breathing heavily with really modest amounts of exercise, and though I'm making myself walk for half an hour a couple of times a day I think pushing it would be a bad idea at this point.
I have no real appetite and intermittent low level nausea, and after a week of eating less than 500 calories a day I decided to eat whatever I felt like. This has mostly been convenience-type stuff, mostly because the idea of preparing anything makes me feel tired. So though I haven't stepped on the scales for a while, I suspect there won't be a pleasant surprise awaiting me when I do.
I also think that isn't the best time to be too stressed about my mass - as I improve my focus will be on regaining cardiovascular fitness, with diet a secondary tier. According to my doctors people who've have mycoplasma pneumonia can be affected for up to six months, especially if they try to get back to normal too quickly. So for the next wee while it'll be slow, gentle steps. - Alex

Binge triggers

I went to bed with plans for the day - I'd get out of bed before midday, vacuum the carpet like I've been wanting to do for over a week, go to the doctor and walk home, and manage to eat all the 17 Day Diet meals.
Yeah, nor so much. I woke up just before midday, but getting up proved a little harder, in no small part because I took my laptop to be last night and there's always distraction online. And I needed a little recover time after my shower; instead of seeing the doctor I made an appointment for tomorrow, which is something, and I've rung work to let them know I won't be in - I'm certainly feeling better but from a pretty low base line and there's just no way I'd be useful at work - on an average shift I walk 13,000 steps and I doubt I could manage that, let alone the actual work, and I'm still having episodes of uncontrollable coughing.
So what did I manage to do? I finished yesterday's turkey for breakfast and steamed cauliflower and asparagus with over baked cherry tomatoes and salmon for lunch. And then I read an email from my sister in London, asking me to delay my trip until next year, which my mother's been prepared to do at short notice in the past. Apparently my recent presence disrupted my niblings (niece and nephew), made her life more stressful and hectic, and didn't ask her if the last trip was convenient, let alone this one.
As it happens, though I'd be less inclined to going to Europe as often as I do if I didn't have family there, the last trip was because of a biannual conference in the Netherlands that I presented at. I did also go to a conference in England that, while interesting, was predominantly so I ha a tax-deductible reason for visiting London as going so close and not popping in felt rude.
My next trip encompasses three conferences, two in London and one in Manchester. The conferences fees aren't refundable, just like my flights, train tickets and hotel, all of which I got at a reduced rate for booking early. I can quite easily not see my sister, or at least not often while I'm there, but I did ask if I could spend a night there and leave my suitcase for a couple of days, as I've got a day seminar near them and then leave that night for Manchester. I can book another night at the hotel but they won't hold my luggage overnight, let alone for three days, so I'll have to take that with me, which is doable but annoying. I'm feeling quite grudging about the presents I bought my sister and her family, and pleased I didn't buy her the new phone and tablet I was thinking about getting her.
I'm more sanguine than I was initially, but getting from pissed to less pissed and a little amused was aided by the ingestion of a packet of Lite'n'Easy crunchy noodle snack and several sweet things; to whit: a Choo-choo bar, a mini Bounty, and an entire box of Toffifee, which I don't even like that much. The good news is that I'm still under my notional daily calorie aim (per Calorie King),and even factoring that in I've only averaged 850 or so calories a day, but I'm pissed that even knowing what I was doing I still swallowed my emotions instead of finding a more productive response.
I'm old enough to have moved past from this kind of stimulus-response behaviour. I like to think I can manage these kinds of ingrained reactions but I'm starting to think I need a professional to help give me the tools to manage better. I've had several annoying family incidents in the past week - my sister calling twice after midnight because she hadn't printed out vouchers for the holiday to Rome I arranged for her on behalf of my mother until the day before her flight; my father calling twice early in the morning because my mother couldn't work out how to use her CashCards even though I set the PIN she wanted, wrote it down where she asked, and went through it with her before she left; got three texts late last night from my mother's friend asking me to contact my brother in the US to make sure he was ready for her arrival today (that would be three texts back, two emails and a phone call to my brother); and a text and phone message from my aunt this morning, worried because she couldn't get on to him, followed by a message from him reassuring me he was fine, which I wasn't particularly concerned about as we spoke last night, when he called because he couldn't contact my mother in Rome and wondered if she was okay. It's really no wonder I've decoded not to add news of my pneumonia the angst that is my family dynamic.
They're not going to change any time soon, so I have to. Otherwise this cycle, which has repeated for as long as I can remember, will continue and I'll be fat and swallowing my emotions for the rest of my life. - Alex

I left the house!

I had to go in to work for a meeting today, which is my biggest exertion and expedition in over a week. It did pretty much wipe me out, but it's progress. I'm pretty sure, though, that going back to work this week won't be a viable option even if this irritating cough abates. Still, at least I no longer feel as though I've been doing crunches.
I also broke the 17 day plan by eating a banana - I'd bought several for day 4 of the Kick Start program (for smoothies) and not finished them, and the ridiculous price of bananas in Australia make throwing them out a notion of financial moronity.
I was going to buy some turkey mince from Coles or Safeway for the taco salad, but even though they're only a fifteen minute walk away usually a) I'm walking at a far slower pace than my usual 6+k/hr and b) I was too tired, so I bought shaved turkey from IGA instead. It's quite nice, low in fat and sodium, and dead easy to prepare - just peel open the pack! Even with that I only managed 505 calories for the day, including steamed vegies and lemon-poached chicken, but I'm working on it. - Alex

A meal a day

And that's pushing it a little at present - salad (as for day 2), salmon, a Yakult light and a few strawberries and that was it. I'm so looking forward to doing something more interesting with my life than sleeping, haivng a shower, lying down to recover from the shower, then make myself eat despite disinterest in food, rest again, and force myself to drink a glass of water. O! the terrible first worldness of my problems. - Alex

I've lost the ability to tolerate fat

I did lapse a little today - I managed the eggs from Saturday, a repeat of yesterday's chicken and steamed vegies, and a few strawberries, but was also swayed by a miniature Snickers bar. It was very nice, but about an hour later I was wracked with abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, which may be coincidence but I suspect now. Incidentally, an 18g Snickers has a whopping 4.5g of fat - not nearly as much as I got from the wodge of salmon I had, but a lot more saturated.
My preoccupation is still the crappiness of recovery rather than my diet, but I've only got another day of roxithromycin and I'm feeling quietly confident that my improvement to date will continue. - Alex

I'm ready for my appetite now

So it's day 2 on the 17 Day Diet and I couldn't face anything until half way through the day, so my breakfast comprised a bottle of Yakult, which is a little light on. But I had a dish of steamed asparagus and caluiflower accompanied by a piece of chicken breast poached in lemon juice, which is my preferred no-fat method.
It's no doubt because of my recent loss of appetite but it was quite pleasant, and less bland than I'd usually find it. I followed it with homemade frozen yoghurt - frozen berries and no fat yoghurt in the blender with a little sweetner, which was soothing and quite pleasant. Which I see was my description of the meal, so my vocabulary's becoming as bland as my palate and my plate. - Alex

17 Day Diet

My Kick Start week fell apart a little thanks, for a change, not to my falling off the wagon but a moderate dose of pneumonia. So I've lost 5.5k in a week through an unsustainable combination of fatigue, nausea and anorexia instead of the ideal combination of healthy eating and physical exertion.
I'm now two days into a five day antibiotic course and starting to feel better but I think it's going to be a while before I'm able to do anything more exciting than z light walk without having to stop for a breath, and today's the first day I've even felt up to that.
I can, however, watch what I eat. I'm flying back to the UK in just over a month, and I want to get there thinner and fitter than when I left a fortnight ago, and maintain a healthier lifestyle while I'm there, despite a disrupted routine, new (and tempting) food and no kitchen. I decided while away that I'd spend this time between the Kick Start week and my flight doing the first two stages of the 17 Day Diet. See my review for details on the program, but essentially it's a low fat, low carb program that's high in animal protein, low GI fruit and vegetables, with an emphasis on probiotics.
The Kick Start diet's actually been quite a good introduction to a low carb program as, with the exception of yesterday's bowl of cereal, I've had nothing significant in the way of grains in the past week.
I'm not anticipating following this long term, but I think I need something to re-initiate the progress I was making until I got to the magical scary weight that triggered a frightened reversal. I've lost 18 kilos in twelve months, which is certainly a start, and sustainable, but I want to lose another twenty plus in the next year.
So, back to the Moreno program! I started with scrambled eggs mixed with a smidgen of mustard, followed by an orange, which slipped quite nicely down my sore throat. Lunch was a huge bowl of salad with iceberg and mixed leaves, celery, capsicum, raw cauliflower and tomato, topped with a can of drained tuna and drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil with 2 of vinegar. It was crunchy, fresh, quite filling and surprisingly tasty.
I should have finished the day with steamed vegies and chicken, another piece of fruit and some yoghurt, but all I could manage was a Yakult, but it's a start and I feel quite content. - Alex

We Have a Diagnosis...

and the reason I've been feeling more crappy (that'd be a technical term) than the expected with average cold is because I've got atypical pneumonia. Good news - time off work. Bad news - all I want to do is lie down for hours at a time.
Instead of vegetable soup I celebrated the return of a (half-hearted) interest in food by making vaguely Chinese-influenced chicken soup for lunch, and totally ruined the whole carb abandonment by having a bowl of WeetBix with muesli and rice milk. It hardly burst the calorie count - today I clocked up 965calories for the day and just couldn't manage anything else.
Tomorrow I'll start the 17 Day program, though if the past couple of days have been anything to go by I won't be able to manage the entire intake, nor the otherwise reasonable 17 minutes/day light exercise recommendation. - Alex

Killer cough

O! the horrible coughing-to-the-point-of-gagging.At least I no longer have a fever, but I have post-febrile patheticness and have done little for the past two day but lie in bed. And cough.
Yesterday's orgy of beef and tomatoes didn't happen, and my total intake amounted to 43 calories of Raspberry Zinger tea with honey.
While I was in the UK I bought a vast array of lollies from the awesome A Quarter Of, ostensibly for the licorice care package I'm putting together for a brother-in-law; though I certainly bought a beautiful array of licorice and aniseed treats, half or more of my purchases were for me - pips (tiny little lollies with fantastically intense flavours), Irn Bru-flavoured humbugs, lime hard-boiled lollies, rhubarb and custard lollies, pineapple chunks, raspberry millions, mini Parma violets, Chelsea Whoppers, monkey bars, Krakatoa foaming fizz... and I didn't even know what those last half dozen are! I do, clearly, have impulse control issues, which is how my expedition to buy a pair of shoes netted me two pairs, plus two pairs of ankle boots and a glorious (but unneeded) red leather suitcase. But I digress.
I've been very disciplined since my delivery arrived some three weeks ago, but today I managed to choke down two Cadbury fudge bars (25g and 115 calories each) and two Nestle Caramac bars (30g and 173 calories per bar - they're basically caramel-flavoured white chocolate). They were quite soothing to my irritated throat but sat less well in my still nauseated gut, so I may stick to tea and honey for now. I also had four pips, in banana, cola, strawberry and cream. I can't find any nutrition information on them, but they're tiny boiled lollies, weighing about 2g each so 30 calories.
I just can't do anything physical, thanks to quite unpleasant and persistent shortness of breath with essentially no exertion. So somewhat less the rest of the Kick Start program and rather more of the This Bug is Kicking My Arse... - Alex

The magic of fad diets

So after the two fruit days when any fruit except highly-calorific bananas were allowed, on day four my (by now quite boring) soup can be supplemented by up to three banana smoothies. I'm not quite sure how they're high potassium levels (like the vast quantities of tomatoes in the soup and in the two days ahead) now outweigh their calorie count, but that's why I'm not a fad diet creator.
Yesterday was a bit of a catastrophe, though in the reverse way one might expect. I did, I must confess, break the Kick Start diet a smidge, by eating about 10g of crisps, but my total daily intake was very low. As, in fact it has been since Friday: Friday 546, Saturday 747, Sunday 544, Monday 709, and today a comparatively whopping 1168 - must be the potassium!
I had my soup overnight, plus the alluring crisps (or, to be precise, Smith's Aussie Fries), and before leaving work (at around 8:45AM) I had a multigrain muffin with extra light ricotta and half a tomato, followed by half a packed of delicious Soyco Malaysian Satay tofu (and I'm surprised by LiveStrong's nutrition break down of 47.3% fat when the label says 9.6...) I then went to help my mother pack for a trip to Rome, and got home around 3PM, so exhausted I showered and went to bed, sleeping until 1AM and then again from 3AM til 7:45, so no Day Three update, and not much eating or, sadly, exercising.
That's probably a good thing, as the cold I've been incubating's picked up a touch - last night I had some slightly alarming creaky on inspiration, and as I type I'm shivering with a low-grade fever. So perhaps working out is something to put - or, more accurately, stay - on hold. Just getting the washing off the line made me both short of breath and a little nauseated.
I did cheat a little this morning, weighing in before the week's over: 4.4k off since Saturday's weigh in (or 3.3 since the Friday weight). I think it's way too soon to be triumphant, and no doubt a chunk of that's water weight, but it's still a move in the right direction. - Alex

Running Music

Somehow I neglected to record the momentus occasion of completing the couch to 5k running program. Well I complete it I did and since have been getting out for about 30 minutes of running three times most weeks. (I have learnt to modify my activity depending upon how the left leg holds up. So some runs are considerably shorter and some weeks don't see me out three times.)
In celebration of my new running routine I decided to make my very own running playlist. I carefully went through my mp3 collection and chose half an hour worth of music with varying beats (slower at the start and finish, faster at the ten and twenty minute mark where I tend to sag) and loaded it up onto my mp3 player. The player most helpfully rearanged the music into alphabetical order by artist, thereby stuffing up the running order.
Thinking "there is probably a way to fix this but buggered if I can work it out" I went online searching for tips and came across jog.fm
I love this site. I can give it my ideal pace and it will make song selections in any genre I choose to match that pace, with handy links to where the song can be purchased. Even better I can give it the name of a band and nine times out of ten it can give a list of their songs and their best for running time.
I now have an extensive running playlist at around the right pace for my current ability and it doesn't matter what order it's played in.
The site also has music for walking and cycling-go check it out.-Lynn

Heavier already?

So I weighed myself when I got up, and I've managed to gain 1.1k after my first two kick start meals - proof, if any was needed, that day-to-day weighing doesn't accurate reflect anything much.
I started day 2 feeling fine but tired, but when I got up I felt quite dreadful - dull headache, really tired, and just not right. An apple made no difference, so I had - in lieu of a cheese and ham sandwich - a toasted multigrain muffin with reduced fat ricotta and tomato on one half and Vegemite on the other. That and an apple picked things right up. Sadly I didn't do anything much on the exercise front, a problem lately with my night shifts - staying up too late in the morning, then scrambling to get to work in the evening, and probably the next bad habit I need to work on.
I had a small bowl of soup overnight, having neither time nor inclination then for more. Breakfast was a bowl of fruit salad (black grapes, kiwi, rock melon, honeydew and strawberries, accompanied by a diuretic glass of carrot, apple and celery with ginger.
I feel as though I could eat a meal now (some three hours after breakfast, as I'm not working on the early-to-bed thing yet), or just as easily head to bed. I don't, however, feel at all like any more soup, which probably doesn't bode well for the next five and a half days. I'm choosing option B, and will keep you posted. - Alex

Kick starting things

I suspect the reason why people lose weight on this diet is because of the vast amount of time spent chopping and peeling the ingredients. A kilo of carrots, a bunch of spring onions, a couple of capsicum... and already I've gone off program because the recipe specified green and I went for the (tastier, less expensive) red ones instead, and threw in a couple of cloves of garlic. Oh dear, it's all over!
So I had my first bowl of kick start soup at 2AM - it was surprisingly nice, but I suspect I'll be reconsidering that in a couple of days. For now, though, it's all good and I'm feeling quite virtuous.
I've flipped days one and two, starting with soup and vegetables; tomorrow's soup and fruit (because I'm going out for breakfast after work and fruit salad will be on the menu at 8AM, unlike steamed vegies). Monday is soup plus fruit plus vegies (be still my heart), Tuesday is non-chews day, with soup and banana smoothies. On Wednesday I get to add "six luscious tomatoes" (why six? No idea) and beef, plus soup, with beef (or chicken, or tofu) and vegies on Thursday. And on Friday I get brown rice, vegies, fruit juice and the note "you might need more soup today."
So my vegies when I got home where a bunch of steamed asparagus and a handful of snow peas with a little butter and olive oil. Of course, had I been a little more careful with the reading I'd have realised I could reward myself (their words) with a jacket potato topped with butter or yoghurt. Silly me, I was paying attention to day three, when I can eat all I want but no potatoes. Why? No idea - it must be magic.
Fruit day (the official day one and my day two) allows as much fruit as I like, except bananas. This is a little perplexing, because day three (soup, fruit and vegies) says nothing about bananas, and day four I can have up to three large bananas in my smoothies as they're a great source of potassium. But not on day one?
If I have hypoglycemic symptoms (headache, anxiety, drowsiness) I can have up to one sandwich of wholegrain with cheese and ham, but no butter or margarine. Butter's okay with a jacket potato but evil with a wholegrain apparently. Why? No idea - diety magic again.
All of this is, of course, key - mystery and a thin veneer of science, and ignore the discrepancies. And yet here I am, doing it anyway. So I'm off for a little more soup before bed. My cunning plan is weighing in when I get up, a return to the working out for the first time in quite a bit, and a yummy breakfast of soup and maybe a jacket potato (if I'm up to a supermarket trip before work).
Watch this spot. - Alex

Day 365...

Tomorrow will be twelve months since I first started Lite'n'Easy and embarked anew on changing my lifestyle to the healthier. I've lost 14k so far, which isn't a bad thing but I've definitely lost ground from an initially strong start, and had several falls from grace with corresponding restarts. I lost ten kilos in the first four months, and by mid-April got under 100k for the first time in over a decade. Unfortunately this seems to have been a strong emotional trigger, because I rapidly returned to the safety of triple figures, virtually stopped blogging, abandoned CalorieKing and, three months later, even stopped my monthly measurements.
I haven't been sleeping enough, I've had enormous difficulty getting in enough water (and though I know eight glasses a day is a myth, when I don't drink enough, especially if I haven't slept, my feet swell), I've done no real exercise in entirely too long (the odd walk here and there may be good but it's hardly aerobic), and my diet's veered way off track.
On less-relevant but allied topics, I'm well behind on the thesis front (not entirely my fault but that makes it no less problematic), I've got three years worth of tax returns to finalise and submit, the financial records I've maintained for the past four years have been neglected for months, and my house deposit has been badly eroded.
I've just returned to Melbourne after three weeks in Europe, and I'm ready to get my life back on track on the multiple fronts of academic, financial and lifestyle.
I bought a new diet book a couple of months ago, The 17 Day Diet by Dr Mike Moreno, and am thinking I might give it a go, though I haven't finished (or even done much more than start) it. From what I've gleaned so far, it's composed of four sections - the first three are 17 days each, followed by a maintenance phase. Why 17 days? I have no idea - thus far there's been no indication why two and a half weeks is magically better than two or three, but the first three phases take fifty one days, and that brings us almost to summer.
I'm going to start, though, with a kick start. The Kick Start soup diet, to be precise. Yes, in the long-term this is ridiculous, and come December I'll be switching to a diet high in complex carbs, minimal animal protein, and lots of fruit and vegies. But a week of high-fibre, ultra-low carb, low fat eating won't hurt me, a concept I'm much more comfortable with after reading this article - I'm not 450 pounds, but I also have no intention of fasting for over a year!
So my plan is to start the Kick Start program tomorrow (October 1st, my dieting anniversary), stage 1 of the Moreno program the following week (October 8), stage 2 a magical 17 days later (October 25), stage 3 17 days after that (November 11), and look at the maintenance program 17 days after that, which brings us to the beginning of December.
There is a titchy hiccup to be negotiated - day 1 of stage 3 is also day 1 of a three-weeks-and-change trip back to the UK. However, though this may put a little crimp in the exercise component, I can pick diet-appropriate meals (I'll be flying business with an option to upgrade, and thus many menu options) for the meals en route, and just need to apply a bit more discipline than usual, and can weigh in on December 1st at my sister's - though not first thing in the morning and naked it'll still give me an idea of how I'm going.
It's not been all sedentary since I last wrote - in June I hiked in Olympic National Park, Washington with my US-based sister and brother-in-law, managing to scale a 5,000 foot mountain without expiring, and actual enjoyed both the exertion and the view, as well as the three other hikes over the short time I was there. In fact, I plan to join her in Colorado next year for a few hikes at altitude, God help me!
And my recent trip included a couple of exertional activities - on the day arrived my other sister, brother-in-law and 'niblings' took me for an hour on a paddle boat, and I managed to paddle for most of the time; much to my surprise I was able to walk afterward, and would have enjoyed it even more if I'd had a shower first! On my last day in London, four days ago, my sister and I hired Boris's Bikes for an hour or so and rode through Hyde Park - I was quite apprehensive, as I haven't been on a bike that actually moves (as opposed to the odd short spin on an exercise bike) in easily twenty-five years, but the adage is true and, with the exception of the occasional wobble, I was fine, albeit a little puffed. So perhaps, despite the sedentary nature of my past few months, I may not have lost all my fitness achievements.
I know that my backsliding went hand in hand with my abandonment of blogging, so I'm also going to post something every day, even if all I'm documenting is that I'm maintaining my momentum. - Alex

DOMS

It's been a while since I've tried out a dvd and so yesterday I thought the time had come to give one a go. I meant to do the third in the Aussie Fit series I've been reviewing, Great Buns, and so complete the set. Instead I accidently put in Dynamite Legs (previously reviewed). I didn't realise my mistake until after the warm up, by which time I decided I may as well just keep going. I find this particular dvd challenging. Instead of struggling to keep up I just did as much as I could but still managed to do about 75% of the exercises without too much trouble.
That is until today.
O M G!!!
Delayed onset muscle soreness.
Hands up who knows where their glutes and quads are.

Still Plugging Away

It's taken me just about a month but I finally made it through C25K week 5.
The slow progress was due in part to bad weather and house guests severely limiting my time and in part to my refusing to move from a day until I could manage to do it at a respectable jog, at least. The week 5, day 3 twenty minute session was a push but I made it through on my first try, so I'm quite pleased with my physical and mental progress.
Having a contingency plan to maintain my fitness when running isn't an option has really helped me stick with the program. And the consistant stretching has made a huge difference to the calf tightness that was plaguing me. Knowing that most people give up at week 5 also increased my determination to keep at it.
Having completed the program in the past hasn't made it any easier this time around. Knowing what's coming up after week 6 doesn't help at all. In fact, it just might hinder my efforts. I'll have to be careful that repeated days are physically necessary not mentally.

Aussie Fit-Super Stomachs

From the back of the box-

Super stomachs is a super concentrated toning routine that will deliver super firm abs, a strong lower back and a trim waist! Tone up those flagging abdominals and important lower back muscles. The perfect post natal tummy toner!

This is another program from the Body Sculpt series. Again it is only runs for about 30 minutes, so is a good one to fit in when time is tight.
The bulk of the program consists of variations on the sit-up, so some people might find it to be a bit monotonous. Surprisingly, I found it to be quite achievable, in fact, almost easy compared to some of the other abdominal workouts I have done. And as somebody whose abs gave up after 4 babies in 4 years I don't have a lot of strength through the mid section. Throughout the day I got the occasional reminder that I'd worked out, with a slight tightness but otherwise I pulled up very well.
I liked that they include a few exercises for the lower back in the program too.
Fast and easy this one is probably best for the beginner.

Aussie Fit- Dynamite Legs

From the back of the box-

We have put together 3 quick and simple BODYSCULPT routines to firm and strengthen those problem hip and thigh areas: GREAT BUNS, DYNAMITE LEGS and SUPER STOMACHS. Combine these with FAT BURNER to burn calories and complete the BODYSCULPT PROGRAM. Mix and match the workout to your own schedule.
Dynamite Legs, is an intensive target workout that will firm up those
flagging muscles of the thigh area. A solution to every woman's figure
problems.

Including the warm up and stretches this program runs for around half an hour so is a good one if time is running short.
Entirely focussed on the legs I really did know which muscles I'd used by the end of the program. I would rate this as challenging at my current fitness level, mostly because I have no balance and so found lunging difficult. Something I don't remember being a problem when I initially purchased the program some years ago but definitely something I need to work on now.
As is obvious from the blurb this tape is part of a set. I will be reporting on the rest of the series as I work my way through them.-Lynn

Made It!

I finally managed to complete week 4 of the C25K program.
It took longer than I had anticipated but on Friday I managed to do my third repeat of the entire week 4 session. I'm still jogging rather than running but I'm getting there.
Next week I will be moving on to week 5, day 1.-Lynn

Aussie Fit Yoga/Stretch and Flex

From the back of the box-

In this simple guide, suitable for all activity levels of fitness, you
will learn basic postures correctly and safely improve your flexibility while tong muscle and discover a wide range of health benefits.
A perfect way to relieve tension at any time of the day and in the
comfort of your own home.
Join the millions of people enjoying the many benefits of this age-old
technique in a modern and balanced programme.

Back before life got in the way (aka children) I used to practice yoga regularly. I used this tape to keep up between classes. As time became more precious I began to do the shorter Aussie Fit Stretch and Flex tape instead. Both programmes are now available together on the one dvd.
The yoga section runs for around an hour and covers a few basic postures. It's not as good as a class but it is a great home practice guide. I was surprised by how difficult I found it. I knew my upper body strength wasn't what it used to be but my lack of balance that was completely unexpected.
The two stretch segments run for half an hour each, one is dance focussed, the other sports focussed. Both offer less advanced versions for the beginner. I would set these in the challenging section of my dvd collection simply because there is always room to improve flexibility.
I intend to start doing these programmes regularly and I'm hoping muscle memory will kick in and I'll be back in form soon.-Lynn

15-Minute Workouts for Dummies

Pertinent words from the back of the box-

15-Minute Workouts for Dummies offers step-by-step instruction of 26 toning and shaping exercises, combined in an active sequence that makes the most of your time. The exercises are divided into four express workouts that target your arms, abs, thighs, and buns. You can combine the workouts in any number of ways.
Just one per day if you're crunched for time, or up to all four in a row if your schedule allows. This program incorporates both standing and floor moves to help you firm and define hard-to-train areas and get the most from your workout time.

Being pressed for time I did this dvd over the course of two days. One day I did arms and thighs, the next I did abs and buns. Where weights were required I used a pair of one kg dumbells because they were to hand; at no time did this become too much. In fact, I found all the workouts to be very easy. Having not done any strength work in quite some time I thought I might feel sore the next day but I didn't. And that was a little dissappointing. I simply didn't feel like I got a workout either during or after the dvd. The same format found in the '-For Dummies' series of books is to be found on the dvd. The program is dotted with tips, alternate versions of moves and definitions. This is great for the absolute beginner but could become annoying for the more confident. My assessment, highly reccommended for the beginner or as a simple rest day session for the experienced. Also works as a nice collection of quick maintainance sessions.-Lynn

Stalled Again

I had another go at the C25K week 4 run last Wednesday and almost managed the entire run. Again I found the last walking interval wasn't quite long enough and again I walked until I felt able to get back up to a jog. In the end my final run went for four minutes instead of five. Next time I get out I'm going to go for it. Though I can't say for sure when next time might be. Life is conspiring to reduce my, already incredibly small, quota of free time. I am being forced to come up with a contingency plan to stop losing any fitness gains I might have made so far. To that end I continue to work my way through my exercise dvd collection (reviews to come) and am on the hunt for a c25k-esque cycling program. As for my 'eat when hungry' diet plan, I am trying to navigate a difficult period without comfort eating. It has been a real challenge but I'm managing to circumvent the urges for junk food about half the time.-Lynn

Pushing Myself

Last week I was finding the C25K week 3 three minute runs a bit of a challenge and almost talked myself into repeating week 3 of the program. At the last minute I decided that before committing to repeating the week I should test myself to make sure the limits were physical and not mental. After all, I don't remember the runs being quite so hard last time (but then I was ten kilo lighter last time I did this). So I had a go at a week 4 run. I wish I could say I finished it but the final five minute run was just a bit too much. Or more acurately the 90 second gap between the final two runs simply wasn't enough. When the cue came to start the final run I was nowhere near ready. I was still very out of breath and my calves were killing me (a situation I'm hoping increased stretching will put paid to). So I continued walking for another minute or so then did the final three to four minutes of the run. It was both a lot harder and a lot easier than I'd thought it would be. I've now decided against repeating week 3. Instead I'm going to continue working towards completing week 4. Turning this into week 3 and a half if you will.

C25K redux

I really, really, really don't like running. I tried the C25K a few weeks ago and when I couldn't move on from week one I quit. I put it down, at least in part, to MP3 problems, particularly the frequency with which the toggle would reset itself midrun despite being securely nestled between my (thank you M&S sportsbra) well-supported 42G breasts. But the truth is that was a welcome excuse, because I don't enjoy running. I don't enjoy being hot and red and sweaty. I don't enjoy being short of breath while a soundtrack tells me I should be able to talk comfortably. I don't enjoy shin splints and calf tightness and trickles of sweaty running down the small of my back, and I don't enjoy not being able to see any gains. But I'm where I am because, when given a choice between doing what I like and what's easy, or what's challenging, I plump for the first option almost every time. My home is filled with unsorted stuff because tackling it is too overwhelming; I didn't file a tax return for seven years because just starting seemed too hard; and I'm fat and unfit because sitting down and eating is easier than getting up and moving. And there are some things I don't hate about running - I'm spending time outside paying attention to the world around me, for a start. I've discovered the advantages of having an MP3 player, particularly when exercising: I can't hear my breathing, which makes me less self-conscious about it, which allows me to keep going instead of stopping because someone might give a damn about a fat, middle-aged woman (though I'm still thirty inside) puffing as she jogs at a walking pace. And that's reminded me that most people are paying way more attention to themselves than to me, something I knew but which had slipped my mind. And I quite like making progress toward my 10,000 minimum steps target - today I hit 4,945 by the time I got home. Most of all, I like that running burns more calories than walking, and brings me to my weight and fitness goals faster, including the goal of being smaller than I've been in over twenty years by the time I next see my sisters, later this year. I'm writing this still in my running outfit, fresh from run two of week one. I've learned a couple of things I must remember for my next run. The first is that waiting until 11AM to start is a bad idea, because even in autumn the Melbourne sun is warm and glaring. The second is that there's no such thing as being too short of time to pre-stretch. I start the podcast as I leave home, because between the "My name is Robert" intro and the five minute warm up I'm at the park and past the hill in time for the first run. The first two runs went fine, but between a natural inclination for calf tightness, all the walking I've been doing lately, and my decision that a stretch class two days ago was enough, by the time I got to the walk between jogs two and three my calves were too tight to keep going. I spent the next twenty minutes in the shade of a tree doing a variety of psoas, piriformus, hamstring and calf stretches, and started the audio over again. Even that wasn't enough - between every other jog I had to do a couple of stretches, and spent about half of each walking section ambulating backward, which uses different muscles and doesn't increase calf pain. I suppose the up side is that I really did ten running sections, and I'm better equipped for my walk to work tomorrow, particularly if I do more stretching tonight. I've also got a new MP3 player coming from Catch, in the same delivery as my juicer, and I hope to have a couple of weeks of my own music ready to download for the runs ahead. However little I enjoy running, I hope to have some sense of accomplishment if I persist with the program. And the creator of the C25K did it so more people would be converted to the endeavour instead of being put off by going too hard too quickly - who knows, I may even end up a convert. At the very least I hope to be able to be able to run for half an hour without needing resuscitation at the end point. And even if I never enjoy it, running may be an exercise my body likes; though not part of her review, Lynn tells me that Harper's Your Perfect Body includes the sage advice that the exercise we enjoy isn't always what works best for our bodies. My next run will be on Saturday; by the time Lynn's ready to return to the C25K (post school holidays) I may even have caught up to her and be able to join her in tackling week four. - Alex

Aussie Fit Power Walk

Pertinent words from the back of the box-

This invaluable video guide will get you started and show you how to build up a programme of walk-fitness... Plus a simple homebound walk aerobic routine for those rainy days! Aimed at beginners and intermediates this workout also includes a great abdominals exercise routine, to look after your midriff and keep you toned... We take you through all the stretches you will need to complement your walking.

This exercise video was a favourite of mine back when I was housebound with multiple infants. Unfortunately I never found it on dvd and resorted to converting the homebound routine, abs exercise and stretch section to dvd myself. Since my memory of the rest of the tape is vague I will restrict my review to those sections I still have access to. This routine runs for approximately half an hour so is a great one to fit in when time is short. The walking based routine is easy to follow (essential with my lack of coordination) and can be done on the spot if space is tight. The abdominal section is made up entirely of crunches but only goes for 3 minutes. The stretching is focused on those muscled used when walking. I loved the fact that, apart from the pair presenting, the demonstrating group were all amateurs of varied age, sex, weight and probably fitness. On the downside the male presenter's banter got old very quickly. Though I'd forgotten some of the (very simple) choreography, I picked it up in no time and completed the entire program with ease. This dvd falls well within my current capabilities. So much so, that I didn't really get a work out at all and probably won't be doing it again any time soon. On the plus side I have found a stretching routine that will nicely suffice post C25K runs.-Lynn

Feeling the Burn

This morning I did C25K week 3, day 1 and I strongly suspect that week 3 is one I'll be repeating. By the end of the first 3 minute run (or in my case slowish jog) my calves were on fire and they still are. Obviously my self devised stretching regime isn't enough. I do have a couple of stretching dvds but the programs run for half an hour each, which is just a bit more time than I usually have for a post run stretch. So I'm on the hunt for a short but thorough on the legs, stretching regime. I must have something amongst the twenty odd exercise dvds laying about the place. And that reminds me, I've decided to work my way through that dvd collection. I've divided them into three categories: capable of now, challenging and aspirational. My aim is that by the beginning of July I'll be fit enough to eliminate the aspirational category altogether.-Lynn

Six month review - day 181

It's 26 weeks today since I started a sustained effort at reducing my weight, improving my health and increasing my fitness. I've had half-hearted (though they didn't feel like it at the time) attempts previously, which I now chose to see as practice attempts.
So far I've lost 14.5cm each from my bust and hips, and about 6cm from each limb, and 18.2 kilos (an average of 700 grams/week), making me the lightest I've been since an ill-fated run of NutriSystem in 1991. My BMI has dropped from a morbidly obese 43.4 to a just obese 36.9, and in the last two weeks I've bought extra-small t-shirts from (vanity sizing) My Size, and a pair of size L workout pants by Bonds. I also have to wear a belt with my work pants, and am comfortably fitting in to jeans I could pull past mid-thigh last year.
There's definitely still room for improvement - I keep falling off the exercise wagon, for a start, have the odd insane binge for another - but I'm heading in the right direction. I've got a couple of short term goals, including being fit enough to keep up with my sister and her husband for three one-day hikes in Washington about fifteen weeks from now. I also aim to lose at least about ten kilos by then; the last time I weighed that was when I was eighteen, when I put on thirty kilos in about six months. so, clearly there's still a way to go, but even though the initial weight went on virtually overnight, the mind set, self-image and residual weight have been with me a long time, and my goal is sustained, sustainable change rather than rapid oscillation.
After six months I've also decided to start weaning myself off Lite'n'Easy. As of next Thursday I'm only ordering dinners for a month, substituting menu planning and cooking for plastic bags. I hope the transition is successful, more environmentally sustainable, and cheaper than Lite'n'Easy, but will have no problem returning to deliveries if I find my diet falling in a heap. My aims are at least two serves of fruit and five of vegetables a day, 1500 calories a day, under 40 grams of fat a day, and a variety of food instead of the same things over and over.
Undaunted by the juice debacle I'm also going to create my own three day (or perhaps one, I'll see how it goes) transition program, and am only waiting on a juicer to arrive before launching into it. I'm quite happy with the ability of my body to effectively remove toxins unaided, so the aim of the exercise isn't to detox, it's to reset my relationship with food.
I'm also restarting the C25K next week, after a disappointing start. I doubt I'll ever love running, and suspect I'll have to repeat several weeks, particularly at the beginning, but I really like the idea of being able to run with ease, and as I've got fifteen weeks in which to work through an optimally nine week program I hope to get there before my trip. The other advantage to running is that it requires minimal equipment, which is a definite plus while travelling - this will be my first trip away since beginning this process and I really don't want it to derail just because I'm going away. In some ways the ten day or so trip to the US is training for a four week trip to Europe later in the year, from which I'll return about a month shy of my one year transforming anniversary. - Alex

Knee Issues

Today was meant to be C25K week 2 day 3 but I woke up this morning and found I've done "something" to my knee. There's an unfamiliar lateral tightness on my right knee. So I thought I'd postpone my run until tomorrow and do something a bit less vigorous today. To that end I pulled out a Tai Chi DVD I thought might offer some gentle streching. From the back of the box-

Tai Chi Gong Exercise DVD-27 Tai Chi Gong exercises for beginners and advanced, designed to enhance the mind and body. These selected exercises of internal energy cultivate inner peace and tranquility, balance the body and mind, and improve health, wellbeing, lifestyle and longevity.

I must be upfront and admit that this particular DVD came free with a magazine. I pretty much expected to get what I paid for and to a certain extent I did. First for the good: The exercises are gentle but at the end of the 45 minutes I knew I'd worked, lightly though it may have been. The DVD was recorded at some truly lovely settings. There is a comprehensive health warning prior to the session commencement. Now to the bad: The exercises are poorly explained and inadequately demonstrated. Often the spoken explanation of an exercise is not given until after it has commenced and the moves are demonstrated at speed, they are not slowed down or broken into individual components for the novice. Fortunately I've done some Tai Chi in the past and so was familiar with some of the stance names, without this I would have been entirely lost. This DVD has served to remind me that there is benefit to exercise even if it is not of a calorie burning, red faced and sweaty nature. Tai Chi has a lot to offer but I can't see myself repeating this particular program. There has got to be better out there on the market. I'm certainly glad I didn't pay the $39.95 recommended retail price.-Lynn

Keeping Up

Made it through C25K week 1, day 3.
Kept it low and slow, probably jogging at a gentle 6km/hr pace, and the last couple of runs were still a bit of a challenge.
I smile as the cues tell me to push myself and mentally reply that just keeping up is pushing myself.
I'll have a try at moving on to week 2 at this slower pace and see how I go.

Back with the Program

The cold that will not quit, is finally passing on. About a week ago, just as I was starting to feel better, I suddenly got worse again. I can't believe it was round two of the same cold. I suspect that while I was recovering from one, I caught another.
I'm still not quite 100%, being tired all the time and feeling a little warm (though no temperature), but I feel that I'm well enough to get back into the C25K.
So yesterday, after a three week break, I finally did week 1, day 2. It was a push, no denying it. My runs were jogs, and the walks were not as brisk as they might be. But I'm out there doing it.
My original plan was to alternate the C25K days with weight training days but I don't think I'm quite ready yet. At this point I still need a rest day to recuperate between runs. I may even need to repeat week 1 a couple of times before I move on. I'll see how I go and report back.

C25K - run one, week one

About a week ago I downloaded a C25k podcast into the hot pink MP3 player Lynn kindly passed down to me, partnered with headphones from Catch of the Day. I already had sneakers, track pants, and a great sport bra from Marks & Spencer - why is it so hard to get a proper sports bra if you're anything bigger than a D cup? Although I had everything I needed, it took me an hour after getting dressed to acually set out. I didn’t realise until I set foot outside the house that on some level I was quite apprehensive about running.
I spent the walk to my local park listening to the intro which, in a beautiful case of coincidence, was precisely how long it took. The park has a big loop around a grassy oval, with several paths criss-crossing around a little like a race track, complete with a couple of hills and a sandy stretch.
Tucking my MP3 into my sports bra, I started the official brisk walk that opens the program. Not long after Robert Ullrey's note that the warm up was at the halfway mark, I realised I'd been walking quite a bit longer than 5 minutes - somehow the earphone jack had slipped out enough for me to hear the (techno) soundtrack but not the vocal prompts. I fished the MP3 from between my breasts and re-started the audio, tucking it in the back strap. Another five minutes and I started to feel scratching behind me - pulling it out I discovered I'd lost the cap, and retraced my footsteps, hunting for a flash of hot pink, only to find it in my waistband.
Once I managed to get the technical aspects out of the way (slide the player in sideways, so the reset toggle's facing front and not reset by my breasts), I began the first run on my route toward 5k.
Good lord, 60 seconds takes a while! I made it, though the couple of legs that coincided with uphill sections of the path were tough going. I had to smile wanly when Ulley said I "should be breathing comfortably" when I had a respiratory rate around 44/minute! There was, sadly, no point when I was both (slowly) jogging and able to talk at a conversational rate. But I made it around, and felt a sense of accomplishment, as well as keenness to advance to the point where I can look back at this and look on it as a warm up.
I used a couple of techniques to keep going - I have a tendency to count steps anyway, and for the running sections I counted every time I set my left foot down, averaging 75 to 80 left steps per 60 second burst. I spent the walking intervals focusing on slowing and smoothing out my breathing. Throughout, as I felt discomfort, I'd take inventory of how I was feeling - noting where I felt fine, and cataloguing exactly where and how significant the feeling was. For the most part everything was fine, except for rapid breathing. I also paid attention to my form, hampered only a little by knowing next to nothing about how to run efficiently except that the hands should be open, arms loose and waist height.
I'm not a huge fan of techno, and though the beat works well for running, when I get the chance I'll look into alternatives. But I'll definitely be running again in two days! - Alex

Week 23, day 164

I'm much better and have even spent a couple of days at work, which means I have no excuse for not exercising, so today I walked home - around an hour and a half at 4k/hr, which is a bit of clip considering I also had some groceries (a couple of boxed of breakfast cereal, salad vegies, and fruit from Aldi).
I spent a lot of the walk being deliberately mindful - focusing on my environment, the sounds and smells, the feel of the breeze contrasting with the warmth of the day, and the sound of cyclists tinging their bells before whirring past. Whenever I started to feel achey I assessed my self from crown to toe, minimising discomfort by quantifying the sensation. My problem areas were my right hip, the front of my right thigh near the knee, my left knee and a couple of toes on my left foot, all of which cropped up a couple of times during the walk, and none of which were severe. I think I need to work on these at stretch tomorrow, though.
It was quite warm in Melbourne today, so I worked up a bit of a sweat, and am very disappointed in myself that despite my plan to come home, shower, change and head straight out for week one, run one in the C25K, instead I showered, changed, had a snack, lay down for a moment, took a phone call from a friend, and suddenly discovered it was getting too late to run. So tomorrow, without fail.
On the plus side, I'm still doing well with the calorie intake, which I've dropped down to around 1,500 for the time being. Lately, for some reason, late in the evening has been a problem - I'm not exactly hungry, but I roam around the kitchen a little, looking for an indefinable something. Tonight I had a couple of Lindor balls, and still made it under, though I ate 55.9g of fat instead of the 53 I aim for. On the other hand, the last three days I've had well under this, so it evens out. And now for an early night, before run one - Alex

Week 23, day 161

I'm starting to climb out of my fog of blah, which is quite nice. I'm feeling a little less blah, and even managed to walk down to the supermarket today, which is my first real venture into the world since Monday (today's Friday, and my second day sick off work). Of course I was a little damp and short of breath on the return journey, particularly as I was laden down with care package contents to be shipped to overseas siblings shortly, but quite pleased to be up and moving around again.
In the day or so since my last post I've been spending a chunk of time online - there being little else I can do when too crappy to even write book reviews (the pile waiting grows ever higher and is currently at 77). In that surfing way one has, I started out looking for reviews of Lite'n'Easy, which lead me to other meal delivery programs (plenty if I lived in America, a few if I lived in Sydney, not so many in Melbourne, at least from a calorie counting perspective). I was, however, lead to the Schkinny Mannini website - I'm not a fan at all of fasting, but they provide something in the vicinity of 1900 calories a day, in the form of six 600ml juices, at least one of which can be gently heated and eaten like a vegetable soup. They offer one-, three-, four- and five-day options, and even though they're vastly more expensive than Lite'n'Easy (somewhere in the vicinity of $75/day), I'm thinking about trying it for a few days in a couple of weeks. I need to do something different - I'm twenty-three weeks in to improved eating, and though I've lost some weight, fairly steadily, I'm not more motivated, exercising regularly or, as has been abundantly clear in the last few days, healthier. Perhaps a break from food, particularly if it coincides with days off work, will help.
The program recommends transitioning back to food with a day of just fruit and vegetables. That, in combination with an attempt to work out the calorie content of achacha fruit, lead me first to a site discussing the 80/10/10 low-fat raw vegan program, and though I have no intention of following it, that then lead me to explore weekly deliveries of fruit and vegies, which I think I'll start doing as I transition off Lite'n'Easy.
And what is the achacha that lead to this virtual journey? It's a South American fruit a little like a lychee in texture and composition, protected by a tough skin you can incise with a fingernail, popping it apart to access the lime-like, sorbet-textured flesh. I've counted it as a lychee for calorie recording purposes, as I couldn't find any nutritional information online. They're very refreshing. - Alex

Week 22, day 158

I weighed myself, even though I feel like crap – can’t miss check in Tuesday – and was reminded that excessive weighing is counter-productive. My initial weight was a modest 500g loss since last week but when I decided, after several toilet visits and no oral intake, to see what I weighed a couple of hours later I was surprised to discover I’d somehow gained 1.5k. And all this time I thought fattening air was a myth.
On the plus side, I also did a little tape measuring, and the news there is a little more rewarding. I've lost 3.1k since February 1st, 2cm off my bust and after doing a load of washing one off each thigh and my waist. Since starting this program 157 days ago I've lost 12.7k and a combined 47cm from my bust, hips and thighs.
On the minus side, climbing a flight of stairs from the laundry to my apartment, and had to lie down for a bit. So I've delayed both the RealAge aims for a week, and am stalling my foray into running until I'm most of the way back to normal. - Alex

Program Paused

Today is C25K week 1 day 2 and I can honestly report that I have broken into a sweat. Sadly it was while sitting on the couch.
Yes, I'm still sick.
To be honest when I started this program on Monday I really thought that this cold would have cleared up by today. Just goes to show how much I know. If anything I'm worse. I've now lost my voice and have a bona fide fever. Since there's little point in killing myself in order to get fit I've decided to temporarily throw in the towel and pause the program until I'm better.
I've heroically dragged myself around the supermarket and now I'm going to spend the rest of the day dozing on the couch watching dust settle.
Regular programming will hopefully resume shortly. - Lynn

Week 22, day 157

Beset by the dwarfs of illness (Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Achey, Coughy, Cloggy, Runny, Feverish and Acopic), my start to the C25K has been delayed. I started feeling sore and icky at work, and despite some vitamin C, zinc and a gram of paracetamol I was febrile and sore throated by the time my shift was over. I thought a little exercise might do me some good, and I hadn’t done any sustained walking, so I bridged the gap between the end of tram trip one and my place on foot. This may have been a mistake – my respiratory capacity is always the first thing to go when I get a cold, so I was huffing like a steam train up the hill, damp with a combination of exertion and fever by the time I got home, and suspect tomorrow will be a bed-bound write-off. – Alex

C25K

Over the weekend I developed a head cold. I've a headache, my nose is blocked, I feel as if I've been gargling glue and I'm so very tired.
In deference to my illness I didn't get up until 6:30 but with a family to get up, dressed, fed, watered, packed up and delivered I couldn't have the long sleep in I so richly desired. By the time I got back from the final drop off it was already hot and windy out, perfect drying weather. I stripped the beds and threw on a load of washing with the knowledge that I was procrastinating. I did consider using my cold as an excuse to put off starting the C25K until next week but if a head cold doesn't stop me from doing housework then it's not a real reason to pike out of exercise.
So I dragged my tired arse out and did week one day one. My runs were more like casual jogs but by the sixth interval I was barely catching my breath during the walk phase, which had become less of a brisk walk and more of a panting stagger. I really had to push myself to finish the final run but I did it. Then, because my usual running circuit is still partly flooded, I had to take a different route so I had a longer walk home than I would normally have. I'm hoping the extra walk time makes up a bit for the lesser effort. - Lynn

Getting back on the horse

For the past five months my motivation has been at an all time low. I've had zero enthusiasm for healthy eating and exercise. In fact, I've had little interest in anything this last while. Things I'd usually enjoy have become a chore and chores seem simply overwhelming. Not surprising then that I've let things slide. I can't remember the last time I exercised, even incidentally. And my diet, while not completely gone to the dogs, has been far from ideal.
I knew I was regaining weight (my clothes were feeling tighter) but I just couldn't bring myself to care. When I finally worked up the courage to step on the scales and assess the damage I discovered I'd put on just under ten kilos. Ten hard lost kilos. But even this didn't give me the impetus to change. I'm still unmotivated and the very idea of exercise is exhausting.
I can remember a time when it wasn't like this. When I maintained healthy habits without much thought. Motivation never entered the equation. In the words of the the Nike advertising campaign I just did it.
And that's what I've got to do again. I've got to re-establish a healthy routine in lieu of motivation that just isn't there.
To that end I've decided to redo C25K starting this Monday. In an heroic effort to help me out of my funk Alex has decided to go above and beyond the call of friendship and give it a go as well.
I know I can do this. I've done it before.
Forget motivation, I'm opting for routine. - Lynn

Week 21, day 144

Real Age aims:
1. don't get too hungry- not an issue with Lite'n'Easy: there's always something in the fridge, and I even find it a struggle sometimes to get through everything. I suspect this will change when I drop down to the 1,500 calorie program full time (instead of dropping down to it for weeks when I want to keep some calories in reserve for special occasions). And when I'm finally down to the 1,200 calorie program things will be harder still, but by then I'll be at my goal weight, so hopefully I'll have adjusted to a lower intake by then!
2. keep walking, count steps instead of minutes - I'm not quite there, but I've certainly noticed that I'm doing the same distance in less time, and adding distance to make up the time, which I suspect is much the same as the RealAge aim.
3. stock up on 'fire extinguisher' foods - I've got a stash of nuts, which put out the 'fire' of hunger in a healthier way, but am rarely hungry, even though I've dropped Lite'n'Easy to five days a week; on the other days I'm making good choices, and eating regularly.
4. satisfy all your senses - the walking's helping me reconnect with the outside world: I usually read while I walk, and while I'm waiting for and on public transport. THough I'm still reading while we're in transit, I now pace while waiting for the tram or bus, which adds incidental exercise and keeps me in the moment, and I can't maintain a four-k+ pace while reading so instead I focus on the weather, my surrounding, the sounds and smells around me and the sensations under my feet and on my skin. I've also started regularly exfoliating with gloves and yummy-smelling scrub in the shower, and rub cream into my skin before bed reminding myself of my actual dimensions. I think I have visible collar bones!
5. have a day off - like last week's stress management aim, this is advice I really have to take on board. There's never going to be a time when I have fewer things to do - this has to be something I decide to do for myself. Sadly, not this week.

One of the things I'm finding most useful about these weekly aims is that they let me reflect on how I'm going, and I think I'll return to it once I transition into a maintenance program. And that day is going to come, even if it's a long way off. - Alex

Week 20, day 137

Real Age aims:
1. eat the same breakfasts and lunches every day - as I said last week, I already have the same breakfast between six and seven mornings a week. Lunch is a little harder, at least while I'm on Lite'n'Easy, but I'm spending a lot less time thinking about food, which I think has to help - the only thought I really gave it is when I select the meals for the week ahead. And though I might not be doing it yet, at least I know they're balanced, high in fibre, low in fat, varied ingredients and balanced.
2. have a walking buddy - Once we get ourselves organised, Lynn and I will be virtual walking buddies. We live too far away from each other to catch up in person more often than every few months, let alone every day for walking, but we'll do the telephonic encouragement equivalent.
3. perfect your portions - once again, Lite'n'Easy's been very helpful. For now I don't have to worry about portion control, and am learning more about what a portion constitutes, which will serve me well for when I transition off the meals. Entering my intake into CalorieKing is also becoming a habit, and will help me stay honest once I start prepping my own meals.
3. don't text and drive - not an issue for me, as I don't drive.
4. review stress - this is something I need to do a better job of monitoring and managing. I'm pretty good at keeping my stress a secret. even from myself, until everything all starts falling to pieces - I get sick, snappish or both. I know incorporating regular exercise will help with this, and I'm looking forward to seeing the effects of this once I manage to get myself sorted.

Unfortunately, though my intake's under control, I'm still not doing so well making exercise a daily priority. I can't even blame the weather, only myself.
On the plus side, I've discovered a couple of things about how I move - I take more care sitting down and standing up like a not fat person (controlled lowering, using my legs to rise instead of my hands), and I realised I can get on and off a tram the same way, using my legs and moving with confidence. It might not sound like much, but each time I do it I'm reminded of my journey. - Alex

Week 19, day 130

Despite a few hiccups this week, I'm feeling back on track, and as of today have lost a total of 14.2k since October 1st, which is 0.76k per week. One of the hiccups was that work was very short-staffed on Friday, so I ended up working nineteen hours, from 1PM to 8:30AM. That would have been potentially bad enough because of the difficulty squeezing in time to walk, but it also coincided with the departure of several staff, which meant a party - baked berry cheesecake (which I don't even like), two kinds of chocolate chip biscuits, and a tray of very delicious profiteroles replaced much of my regularly scheduled intake, in part to help keep me awake. I've certainly realised how much a role being well rested plays in resisting temptation, too.

I've also had a night out - last night I had dinner with friends, only one of whom knows I'm losing weight. From a menu filled with delicious options I chose a very nice lemon and garlic marinated chicken breast (from which I removed the skin) on a bed of roasted parsnips and carrots, drizzled with pomegranate syrup. It was very delicious and though undoubtedly higher in calories and fat than if I'd prepared it myself, it was delicious. My Weight Watchers-graduating friend told me later that it was the best dish on the menu in terms of weight loss, which was good. I passed on dessert, wine and a hot drink, and we even skipped out usual appetiser of eggplant chips, so all in all a good night out nutritionally.

Today, sadly, was less good - I had lunch with friends, where the grazing menu included home-made sausage roll slices, mini blintzes with sour cream and smoked salmon, and chocolate ripple cake, And tonight I went to Taco Bill with another friend. I'm quite pleased with my order - I went for a salad topped with grilled beef, foregoing not only cheese and sour cream but also the salsa and corn chips served as a free appetiser. However, I did also have a frozen strawberry margarita - it was delicious!
And not only did I walk there (about 25 minutes at a fair pace) but on the way back I alternated walking with a few (very brief) spurts of (very slow) jogging. Perhaps it's time to think about doing the Couch to 5K program, which Lynn did last year... Alex

Real Age aims for the week:
1. detox your cabinets - not really a problem, especially while I'm with Lite'n'Easy
2. keep walking 30 minutes a day - an ongoing work in progress I've done well this week
3. go shopping - see aim 1!
4. better your breakfast - I have breakfast every day, almost always the same thing, which is low in fat, high in fibre and an automatic part of my day, so done :)
5. check your balance - I do a stretch class every week, which incorporates yoga poses and though my balance has a way to go, I'm certainly improving

Week 18, day 123

It’s been three weeks since I last updated my progress, and sadly that’s time that’s mostly stood still. I decided to drop the weigh-ins to monthly, so today has come as a little bit of a shock – although I’ve lost 5½ combined centimetres (bust, waist, hips and arms but nothing from my thighs), which I know is a better indicator, my weight has gone up by 600g. On its own 600g isn’t that significant, except that in a month I’d hope to lose at least 2k.
I modified my Lite’n’Easy program a little, dropping down to 5 days from 7, and occasionally picking the 1500-calorie menu, to allow for meals out. I have, for the most part, followed an 1800-calorie/day diet, which I’m tracking on Calorie King. I’m finding that useful in a couple of ways – I actually know how much I’m eating, and it ensures I don’t have little lapses in memory. I’ve also found that I generally make better choices when I go out, because I have to guess what the composition of everything is if it isn’t in the (extensive) CK database.
I certainly haven’t been a model of restraint, though – earlier this week I decided to have one chocolate royal and before I knew it I’d eaten a whole packet. I don’t even like chocolate royals that much. With no small amount of trepidation I entered the biscuits into CK and discovered I’d eaten 852 calories, including 32.2 grams of fat. So I modified my intake for the rest of the day and still came in just under 1800.
That 1800 count (or, to be precise, 1820, which is Calorie King’s estimate) is based on regular physical activity. Since November I’ve fallen right out of the habit of regular exercise, and so far this year, with sporadic exceptions, I’ve done nothing much more energetic that a brisk ten minute walk. I don’t even know why – it’s been hot, but only the past few days. It’s certainly a lot easier to drop out of the exercise habit than it is to restart it. I’m not sure if it’s the decrease in exercise or because I also stopped taking iron supplements, but I’m also feeling a little breathless on relatively minimal exertion.
So I’ve made a long overdue medical appointment for a general check up. I haven’t had one in five years, and I’ve just discovered it’s been far longer than I thought since my last gynae exam. This is for a couple of reasons – apart from the occasional cold, and migraines a couple of times a year, my health is pretty good and I’ve only gone to a nearby clinic for acute issues and medical certificates. More significantly, my wonderful former GP (Frank Demaio) moved to way the other site of the city, and the idea of finding a new, non-judgmental doctor is confronting.
Unlike many fat women, I haven’t even had an really horrible medical experiences, though my pre-Frank GP was a horrible woman who insisted on weighing me on every visit, regardless of what I saw her for – migraines, for example, are not a weight-related condition. Even though I’m better informed than the average consumer, I don’t want to hear that my health issues, few though they are, would be better if I’d just lose weight, like that’s such an easy thing and like I’d never thought of that before. There’s also the potential to attribute everything to weight, and while I agree that there are certainly causal connections between being fat and some conditions, some doctors have a tendency to attribute to weight any and all ailments a fat person experiences.
I realise, writing this, that I’m already filling with anticipatory anger, and that’s not helpful. So I’ve made an appointment first thing Monday morning – I want a Pap smear, breast exam and a general check up, including blood work, so I’ll fast before I go and have it done at the same time.
My last fasting glucose was 4.3mmol/L, total cholesterol 4.9, HDL 1.79, LDL 2.8, ratio 1.6, and cholesterol/HDLC 2.7. In other words, everything was fine, but that was a long time ago and things change. My normal blood pressure is a respectable 110/70, my resting pulse is 74, and because I’m somewhat hypochondriacal, I check my urine and blood glucose once a month, with no issues so far.
I also re-assessed my Real Age, being honest about my exercise instead of putting in my aspirational exercise, and my body is a year and a month older than my chronological age – 42.7 vs 41.6. The test has been revised in light of new long-term research findings and is apparently more accurate. Real Age have an eight week program designed to drop up to ten years from my age, and it looks achievable, though some of the diet elements are going to be difficult because I’m not planning on dropping Lite’n’Easy any time soon.
Each week has a couple of general directions and a few extras for over achievers – week one is to walk for thirty minutes every day, eat nine handfuls of fruit and vegetables each day, and sign up for tips from the website - I'm already doing the last two, so it's just the walking for now. The additional recommendations are to drink water and tea, use walking to reduce cravings, and to check your vital statistics (particularly waist circumference). I’ve started today, beginning with a walk to the further away supermarket (fifteen minutes each way and that’s my walking done). I’m back on days from this week, and I think that will also help on the exercise front. - Alex