2014 Wrap Up

So 2014 is almost over and we are heading off tomorrow for 3 relaxing weeks at the beach!!! I can't wait it is my favourite time of the year. I LOVE Christmas and relaxing at the beach. We are camping at a caravan park with my parents and my brother, his partner and daughter will join us for some of the time too.

I thought now was as good a time as any to do a bit of reflecting. Whilst I haven't achieve all I set out to in 2014 I am still pretty happy with where I am at.

Weight Loss
First and foremost let me get this chapter done.................as you know I haven't had the loss that I had last year and I have struggled all year. Well actually not really I started the year around 87kg I got down to 84kg but majority of the year I have sat around the 88/87kg mark. Whilst my goal was to hit the magical 70kg mark. I am super happy with being able to maintain my weight for 12 months!!!! I know that by doing this slowly and healthily I have made life changes and not been on a diet.

Fitness/Running
I completed my second half marathon knocking about 30min off my time from last year. It was much more enjoyable this year as I ran with a great friend of mine and we stayed together the whole way. I also got to watch another great friend cross the finish line and give her the biggest hug. (even if she was cursing me at the time) During hockey season I worked hard on my fitness and speed. This year I was defnitely the fastest and fitness I have been since I was about 14!! I joined a wonderful community of Facebook called Running Mums Australia. It has grown into a huge community of mums who run. From people starting out to marathons and ultra marathon runners. I have learnt so much from these wonderful supportive ladies. I also finally went to my first Parkrun event. Oh how I wish I was in Perth at 8am every Saturday morning. The last 10 weeks we have been doing group fitness. I have worked on my strength and core muscles. I went from not being able to do 1 push up on my toes to doing 20!!!!! I can hold a plank for over 90 seconds and I can do sit ups!!!! (& burpees)

Me
Towards the end of the year we started our little fitness group in town. We would meet twice a week to do some circuit work. It was so much fun and on average there was between 6-8 of us most sessions. What this did was make me realise how much I was to pursue and career as a personal trainer. However to study you need money as nothing is free. So I have just last week started working as a casual Bank Teller which is what I did before I had kids. I love that it is casual so I can fit it in with my kids life.

So what are the plans for 2015?????
Well it will be a year of changes.............Bugalugs starts kindy :( which means my baby will be out of the house 2 days a week! I'm not too sure that I am ready for that. Actually I know that I am not ready for that!!! I will be working which will be a great distraction. I plan to start my study. I will be taking part in Ride for a Cure in October. Which is a 200km bike ride over 2 days raising money for the Harry Perkins Institute of Cancer Research.  I was inspired by friend who participated this year. I am excited for us to raise lots of money to help fight this horrific disease.

I will send some of the holidays making a plan of attack for 2015. I love having holidays at this time of the year so you have lots of time to work out a plan for the new year ahead. When I get back I will let you know what the plan is. I am really hoping to get back into the mind set I had at the start of 2013.

Thank You for putting up with me this year. My not so regular blog posts and my abundance of sweaty selfies.

Wishing everyone a very Safe, Happy & Merry Christmas and an Awesome 2015!!!!

The Ups and Downs of the week that was.

I know it's only Thursday but I feel like it has been a busy week already and tomorrow is going to be another busy one.

I looked into getting my Certificate III and Certificate IV on Fitness which would enable me to do what I love and hopefully make a bit of extra $$$. I spoke to a great company that are VERY VERY  understanding of the fact that I live in the middle of nowhere. They are really flexible in their learning structure. I can do it by correspondence and go to Perth when I can fit it in to do practical assessments, I can call tutors whenever I need to, I can do it all at my own pace over a 12 months time frame. PERFECT?!?!?! Well it was until I asked how much this perfect plan would cost. Let's just say it aint cheap. But I was still thinking it was doable as long as I could raise the money myself. (not take it out of the family budget)

So remember I said I had applied for a job? Well..............I was hoping more then ever I would get it as I could use that money to fund my study. Cos let's face it who just has $6000 laying around. Yep that's right 6000 big ones. I got an e mail yesterday to say that I had been unsuccessful. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I think I was more disappointed that I didn't get an interview. And I could see my dreams of studying and getting qualified going down the drain. :(

I have not had the greatest week food/weight wise either. I have had very little energy and seem to be eating us out of house and home. I went to group fitness on Tuesday and again today. I was so thankful for these girls as had it not been for the commitment we have all made I would not have gone. Especially today. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch, watch trashing TV & eat trashy food!!!!

BUT I had a fantastic morning. We decided to record our results for Push Ups, Sit Ups & Plank. We do each exercise for 1 minute. Except today for the plank we all kept going to see how long we could hold it for. We are going to do it again in 4 weeks so we can see how much we have progressed. I got a HUGE surprise. Here is what I did today

Push Ups
15 toes 6 knees
TOES!!! Did you see that???   15 PUSH UPS ON MY TOES!!!!!!!

Sit Ups
22

Plank 
1:30
Yep 1 MINUTE 30 SECONDS!!!!!

It totally made my day and week. Love seeing these Non Scale Victories and it helps put things into perspective. It's a great incentive to keep on keeping on.

Also harvest is ALMOST over which means hubby will be home more. I really want to get out running again and I am planning to switch from evening runs to morning runs. Also get my puppy trained to run with me.

So thanks for listening to my ramblings again. I said I would blog more and I am going to keep that promise.

Finally!!!!!!

OK so before I start put the kettle on and settle down with a cuppa..........it's been a while and there is lots to catch up on. Go on I'll wait......maybe go to the toilet while you wait for the kettle to boil. ;)

Waiting

Waiting

Waiting

Welcome back I told you I would wait :)

So I have just realised that my last blog post was on 30th July. Well what has happened since then........
Firstly we lost the hockey grand final this year :( We were beaten by a better team on the day. I think we partied harder then we did last year when we won.

Anyway moving on from that. We held our half marathon again this year and it was another great turn out and we had a terrible head wind but were lucky to finish before the rain came in. We raised almost $1000 and it was a great community event.

I have started meeting some local ladies at the oval to do a bit of a circuit work out twice a week. It is great to do it with other people as it help keen you on track and it goes quickly when you are talking/laughing together.

I didn't really do the last round of 12WBT. I am not sure what is happening with my weight. Well actually I do. I got down to 84kg but then 1 or 2 weekends away and it was back up. So at the moment here is how it goes. Monday 88.1kg (that's the last 2 mondays) but normally around 88kg by Friday I get it back down to 87.1kg or 86.8kg somewhere around there. but hen the weekend happens and up we go again. This has been happening the last few months. I am not exercising anywhere near as much as I was during hockey or training for the run. I am focusing a bit more on strength training and all round fitness.

I also did something I promised myself I wouldn't do. I bought some shorts in a bigger size. All but one pair of my shorts are size 14 and while they fit they also produce a muffin top!! They are comfortable but I am not comfortable with how they look. Jeanswest had 40% off  so I ordered 2 pairs of size 16 shorts. I have realised that I was caught up in sizes just as much as I was caught up in the number on the scales. After a friend told me she has clothes in her cupboard ranging from size 16 to size 8 I had a bit of a light bulb moment when I realised it's about the fit and being comfortable rather then the number on the tag.

During the last month or so I have been thinking about what I am going to do once my little Bugalugs heads off to school next year. I have applied for a casual job to keep my mind ticking over and earn some of my own money. I have plans for that money..............I am going to get qualified to be a Personal Trainer. It is not a cheap course but I feel better using 'my' money to pay for it.  Doing fitness with the girls has made me realise how much I want to do this for a living. I really enjoy it. I finally know what I want to be when I grow up.

I am at a bit of a loss with the whole weight loss thing. On one hand I am thinking this is the size I am meant to be and I am pretty happy with the fact that whilst I have yoyo'd a little bit this year for the most part I have kept 20kg off for almost 18months. But I also know that I can reach my goals I set so long ago and losing another 20kg it totally achievable. It will be harder but it is totally doable. I am not going to make any GRAND statements about cutting out this or that or setting massive goals. I am just going to keep an eye on what I put in my mouth and do my work outs. Maybe try and get in a few more runs once harvest is finished and hubby is back to working normal hours.

Oh and if you remember when this whole 'Becoming Nikki' project started I had a little deal with my brother. Last Christmas I fit into a pair of size 12 shorts and a size 10 top. By fit I mean I could get them on and done up. I don't know that I could have sat down without popping a button but a deal is a deal. As part of the deal Rob was going to pay for me to get a maple leaf tattoo. Something I have wanted since 1998 when I spent a year in Canada as an exchange student. Well pay day finally came and I couldn't be happier.

And here it is!!!!

I added in the kids initials and it is on my lower back 'tramp stamp' but I LOVE it!!! Another reason to lose weight and be comfortable in a bikini. I want to show this baby off. 

Right so now we are all caught up and you have had a cuppa and a bit of timeout whilst reading my ramblings. I plan to get back into my blogging so look out for some more 'me' time and a cuppa catching up with a friend. Although I promise they won't all be this long. 

Looking Forward/ Looking Back

Hey There...............remember me.............I know it's been a while.............a month to be exact!! What have you been upto??  I could spend this post telling you about my last month which included an AMAZING holiday with great friends, talking about the hockey games we have won & lost, telling you about the running I have been doing or the wonderful new recipes I have found.

But that is in the past and I am moving onwards and upwards as I start another round of 12WBT on Monday. So time to set some goals!!!!

36hrs Later..................

This post has been sitting here open for a day and a half as I was procrastinating putting my goals up here. I have done it a lot in the past and never really met them in the time frame I have set out. So I was feeling a little deflated.

Then I went on a run last night. Always a good way to clear the head. I felt crappy all day so was just going to do a little 3km run so that I could feel a little better. I decided to do my 1km time trial for this round of 12WBT. It was hard but I pushed myself and I SMASHED it. 4min 53sec!! I was shattered afterwards but decided to do a little detour on the way home and ran an extra km.

I was thinking of how far I am have come in the last 18months. Here are a few stats.

January 2013                                                  NOW
1km time trial 8min 25sec                                4min 53                 3min 32sec faster

Total body measurements 448.5cm                   398cm                   50.5cm lost (although don't think I was                                                                                                             measuring properly in the beginning)

Weight    106.6kg                                             85.6kg                  21kg REMOVED

Size 18/20                                                        14/16                   I was 18/20 in fat section now I'm 14/16                                                                                                     in normal section


Sometimes you have to look at how far you have come to see where to go to now!!!

So as far as goals for this round go..............
Of course I am still determined to hit the 80kg!!! I am also planning to run our local half marathon again at the end of September. So I will be training for that. I was just going to do the 10km run but I have decided why not. So I will be training for that. Along with the pointy end of the hockey season. I will try and blog more to keep me accountable and on track.

I am excited by the new recipes and option with this round and I am determined to make the last half of 2014 as great as the first half of 2013 was!!! Bring on summer and being comfortable in bathers!!!!

Bit of a catch up

Hey, it's been a while so I thought we should catch up. Put the kettle on, make yourself a cuppa grab a biscuit and I will fill you in on what has been happening. (it actually won't take that long my life is not that exciting)

So the last few weeks have been busy with the usual normal family 'stuff'. You know school, homework, 3yr old tantrums at the supermarket. All the usual Mum things. We get very busy in winter with sports. We have footy training Tuesday, hockey Wednesday & my hockey training Thursday night. Then hockey pretty much all day Saturday and footy Sunday morning.

I also organised and went to country week hockey. For those who don't know this is a competition in Perth were each association send teams to compete over 3 days. Usually all the girls from our area stay at a hotel together and it's a great weekend away. This year however was a little different and I stayed at my sisters house and had my 3yr old tag along for the ride. I was very fortunate to have a lovely family friend look after her on the Friday for the day and then my sister and brother shared the rest of the babysitting duties while I was playing 6 games of hockey over 3 days. It was a great weekend as always but I must say next time I will be staying with the girls!!

I have also been to visit a physio recently. I have been having pain in my lower back. Mostly when I stand for a long time and after hockey. I have been twice now as it is hard to make regular visits when you live 2.5hrs away. He has given me stretches to do everyday and I am definitely feeling the difference. Now I need to strengthen my non existent tummy muscles. Basically my muscles at the top of my back, butt & hamstrings were so tight that my lower back was doing all the work. Also my core is not strong enough. I HATE sit ups always have. But they might just have to become my new best friend. This getting older & healthier thing is not all it's cracked up to be!! ;)

12wbt.....................................................Well.........................I have not been the greatest with my nutrition. Sound familiar??? I think I say that every couple of weeks. There are 3 weeks to go so I am determined to make the most of it. Today is Tighten Up Tuesday which means sticking to the plan!!!!!

The exercise is going well. I am on day 9 of 30 for 30. This is 30 min of exercise for 30 days. So far so good. Sunday I didn't get out and exercise but I did a LOT of housework and sometimes that is more of a work out then any run or training session. It is great thought because it is making me find the time. Like yesterday for example I got home from a day trip to Perth at 4:45pm. Usually by the time I unpack the car I am ready to drop on the couch and not move. But yesterday I unpacked the essentials, got changed and headed out to run around the sheds.

We are off on holidays on Friday and I can't wait!!!!! We are heading north to camp on the beach with great friends. We will be 'bush' camping which means no toilets, camp showers & generator power. It also means fresh air, beach, freedom, fishing, fun & camp fires. I went to Perth yesterday to shop for the trip and we will stop on the way up to buy fresh fruit & veggies. I am determined to keep up my healthy eating and fitness while on holidays. Nothing like a bit of beach running. Might even try and come up with some games to get the kids involved.

So that's about it really............I am looking forward to heading to some warmer weather for a week and spending some family time together.

Farm v Town v City Running.

On Sunday afternoon I went for a run in the town where my parents live. It's a small county town and they just happen to live at the top of a pretty big hill. Anyway it was about 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon and whilst I have been running here before it was always earlier in the day so you come across the occasional runner or walker. I have to say I got some strange looks as people where coming home from the local footy game or out in their front lawns with their families.

Anyway it got me thinking about how different it is to run on the farm, in a country town & in the city. So here is how it compares.....

Farm Running

Well pretty boring as there is no one around except some sheep and the occasional Kangaroo. But you can wear what ever you like as no one sees you. You don't have to worry about being on the right side of the road. You don't have to cross the road. You do have to climb over the occasional gate and dodge the sheep pooh. It's quiet which is great!!! I don't have to drive to a park or running track. I can run around the sheds if I need to because the kids are home & hubby is at work. The air is fresh (except for the sheep pooh) and I love the freedom of living and running out here.

Town (my parents town) Running

There are footpaths most of the time. There is a massive hill at the end of the run. People................people who aren't running who look at you like you are an alien. People who are walking into the local shop trying to work out who this person is running and why don't they know you because they know everyone in this town. You have to cross lots of roads but luckily there isn't much traffic so mostly not a big issue. Running past people sitting on their front verandah drinking, eating nibbles & generally having a good time while I am a sweating, puffing mess. I do get to look at some beautiful gardens and houses.

City Running

Most of my city runs have been around the bridges and the beautiful Swan river. I have done a few runs around the streets near my sisters house. I love running around the river. There are a lot of other runners & walkers. You can run on the grass or the path. It's flat (other then going up to the bridges) and mostly smooth. I do put more effort into what I wear. The shirt that rides up exposing my muffin top is definitely a farm only top. I love when you make eye contact with another runner. I love being surrounded by other people doing the same thing. I do hate that there always seems to be that one old man walking along smoking and I always run past just as they breathe out a big cloud of smoke. (that never happens on the farm) It has taken a while I actually feel comfortable and confident running with other runners around. I even overtake people now which is something I never thought would happen. Although most of then are finishing their runs and I am at the start of mine. ;)

So which is my favourite........................

All of them! Any run is better then no run!!!

Week 4 Wrap up

Wow 4 weeks has gone by very fast!!!

Week 4 on 12WBT is when you re-measure & redo the fitness test to see what non scale related progress you have made.

Perhaps my biggest excitement this week was taking 11 seconds off my 1km time trial!!!! When I did it I thought I had only knocked 4 seconds off. But once I looked at it I realised I had knocked 11 seconds off. Very stoked with that!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

So how did week 4 go well.............it was very much like week 3 in that I was unorganised and unprepared on the food front. I didn't follow the plan but I did use the recipes. I used the excuse that I worked most of the week but that's just an excuse as if anything that should have made me more organised. And to be honest when I work it is only a couple of hours a day. And that is no excuse for what I ate on the weekend!!!

 So here is the true confession of what I ate over the weekend.
Saturday - Breaky - Toast
                   Lunch - A couple of party pies, little red sausages & lollies (picking while the kids had party                                     food. Then we had Chicken pieces & salad. (chicken was coated in a yummy flavour)
                   Tea - KFC 2 pieces of original & some chips, A very yummy piece of chocolate caramel slice                              thingy

Sunday - Breaky - Toast
               Lunch - Squid rings (very yummy) & a couple of chips pinched off Lochie's plate & an onion ring
               Tea - Hot Chicken Roll & some chips at the footy followed by a caramel sundae from Maccas on                         the way home.

My only saving grace was that I didn't eat at all between meals. But with all those calories why would I need to????

My exercise goal for last week was to run a total of 20km. I just missed out as I did 17.3km. I was very proud of the way my exercise went last week. I made the effort to get out there when I really didn't want to and when hubby didn't want me to. I am really enjoying running again and finding it easier and easier.

I am making a good start to this week. As I type this I have pumpkin roasting in the oven ready to make Garlic Pumpkin Soup, I have chicken marinating in the fridge to make a few batches of Chicken Tikka Masala, I am making Cauliflower Soup &  Woolworths even had containers for half price yesterday so I can freeze it all in portion sizes so I can just whip it out and eat it when I need to. On those footy & hockey training nights.

So there is week 4 done & dusted!!! Weigh in tomorrow..............very nervous after my weekend blow out.