Time flies...when you get a new job!

It's been a while since I have last posted - I have lots to report!

I have a new job!

I've been in my new role for 4 months now and although it is very time intensive, I absolutely love it! I never thought I would find a job (that I actually get paid to do!) that I would love. It wasn't easy to find this job, and it really happened very quickly, but it has made me realise just how important it is to love what you do.

Completed Couch to 5k!

I can't believe I've done it! But I did! My fitness levels are significantly better than they were!

Ditched "Diets"

I love loosing weight quickly, but I have learnt something about myself - if I deprive myself of something, eventually I crack and do much worse than I would have done if I had just had it in the first place. I am no longer open to going on diets. I am looking to change to something that will last forever. As a result I am eating more veg and even a tiny bit of fruit. I still have chocolate and I still eat carbs, I have just reduced the quantity.

Weightloss 

My weightloss has been really slow - my heaviest weight to date has been 72kg - thankfully I didn't stay there long. 

At the beginning of my new "change" I weighed 70kg. Since ditching diets & increasing my exercise I have lost about 1.5kg in a month - very slow to say the least. I don't think my body likes me very much. It must be very confused after nearly 3 years of yoyo dieting.

Fitness

Since completing the Couch to 5k programme, I have kept up my running. I can now jog for 7km - admitedly still very slowly - but without stopping! 

The last 3 weeks I have been doing 1-2 workouts a day with one rest day. I vary between 60 minute hot yoga classes and jogging. I have done a few kettle bell workouts at home - but I can now tell that I really need to ramp up my effort with weights - after all the dieting and lack of exercise, my lean muscle mass is incredibly low - probably making my metabolic burn rate low - hence the lack of weight loss.

What now?

- 1-2 workouts a day - 1 rest day per week

- Eat less processed food

- Eat more veg

- Eat less processed carbs

- Drink 2 litres of water a day

- Need to find a good way to get a strength workout that will really hurt the next day...

Book/Reading - The Happiness Project

I thought it was about time for me to provide an update on what I am reading (it is after all one of the elements of this project!). Currently it's Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project", which was, as previously mentioned, recommended to me by my friend, Emma. 

Emma first talked about the book to me when she was reading it, then kindly sent it to me once she finished - its the kind of thing her and I are constantly discussing and we both find very interesting. Obviously the book is of great interest to me now that I'm writing the blog - I just wish I had picked it up sooner! 

I'll be honest, I found it a little difficult to pick up and start reading, but that may have been because I was trying to do a very similar thing myself. One of my first reactions to the book were "I wish I could run my project and write about it without working a 50 hour+ week on the side". That aside, I am loving some of the tips, the de-cluttering is something Alex and I really need to do, but it just seems to stay on the to-do list, which is actually another aspect of her project. One of my favourite things about the book is that Gretchen Rubin refers back to "being Gretchen", which put simply means being true to who she is, not some ideal version of herself. 

I could do with doing a lot more of that. "Being Sophia" is by no means an easy task (all my own fault of course!), I do set myself up to fail a lot, then really beat myself up about it - I can be my own worst enemy! (Aren't we all?!). In part doing "The Challenges" has really helped me with that. Simple, targeted goals that are achievable. 

Reading the "Happiness Project" has also confirmed a lot of things for me in my own "Self Improvement Project". I have a full time job so my project needs to run differently. Research has to be done on the weekends. I very often write my blog posts at work during my lunch break, then send them to myself via LinkedIn (we can't access our personal email accounts from work), then actually publish the post in the evening (and I do try to proof read before doing so!) 

I frequently publish posts within minutes of each other - I have contemplated fining a way of timing it, but I'm mainly writing this blog for myself. 

I've just thought of something else I really like through reading the "Happiness Project" - being in an environment of growth will always make us happy, even if the emotion on a daily basis is not (e.g. I am currently always pushed for time since committing so much time to my Self Improvement Project and blogging about it, so I often feel stressed, however over all doing this project and writing this blog is making me feel happier - much happier actually!) 

This post has got a little long - I'll leave it there for now and report back on more findings from the Happiness Project at a later point!

A little grammar lesson: Affect vs Effect

The difference between affect and effect seems really important for The Self Improvement Project! 

I've come across a website called Grammar Girl, which seemed very appropriate, this is what she says: 

"The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verb and effect with an e as a noun."

When Should You Use Affect? 
Affect with an a means "to influence," as in, "The arrows affected Aardvark," or "The rain affected Amy's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," as in, "She affected an air of superiority." 

When Should You Use Effect? 
Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, "The effect was eye-popping," or "The sound effects were amazing," or "The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo." 

"But why Aardvark?" you ask. Because there's also an example to help you remember. It's "The arrows affected Aardvark. The effect was eye-popping." It should be easy to remember that affect with an a goes with the a-words, arrow and aardvark, and that effect with an e goes with the e-word, eye-popping. If you can visualize the sentences, "The arrows affected the aardvark. The effect was eye-popping," it's pretty easy to see that affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun. 

I thought that was useful!

Check out the full post here:http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/affect-versus-effect.aspx

The Self Improvement Project - Day 40

Stats update

Weight: 68.5kg 
Loss: 2.0 kg in 1 month and 9 days - or 40 days...

So my diet isn't going great - I've been cheating on the dukan diet and binge eating as a result. I am soo frustrated of being a "yo-yo dieter". I really wish I could be more sensible and look after myself better. I've just seen some pictures of myself, taken at the weekend - disgusting! The worst part is, it always takes me by surprise... 

I always forget just how big I look, so I'm going to print out some of those pictures and put them around the flat - any visitors I have will think I'm a freak...and maybe I am! 

I know the challenges have been going really well. Little, small goals are really working for me. The logical thing for me to do would be to create mini, very realistic goals...which I guess my "11 pound (5kg)" weight loss pledge is...I just keep wanting it to happen sooner and get really furstrated with myself that it isn't happening! 

I just want it soo bad, I can't submit to this weight loss taking longer...this probably seems crazy to anyone else but myself...a freak and crazy! 

I'm hoping the focus on exercise will help me get to where I want to be...maybe I should incorporate that into my next challenge? I really need to give myself a reality check - I am very much on route to achieving my goal of loosing 11 pounds (5kg) by Christmas - I just need to focus!! Focus, eyes on the price and BE PATIENT!

The Day I cheated with Cheese...

The problem with cheating is...well once you've cheated, why not cheat again? I mean, what's the harm right? Well that's my problem...once I've cheated I just feel like doing it again! 

Being on a diet is hard. Being on the Dukan Diet seems impossible at times.

Yesterday evening I cheated on my Dukan Diet, I cheated with cheese. In fact, you could say I had the most undukan meal I could have had - cheese fondue! Lots of molten cheese with yummy, crunchy and fluffy bread...I may even of had a glass ob bubbly with it...and a tiny chocolate to finish - it was my food heaven!
It wasn't accidental cheating, it was planned - which it a lot of ways may perceived to be worse - it certainly would be if it were a relationship. Although this is a relationship of a different sort (relationships with food must be some of the most complex?!) Bu not surely when it comes to diets, deciding to have one meal "off" in advance is better than letting little temptations get the better of us? Hmm..



So today, I had a nibble of cheese and a slice of bread - its a slipper slope! So for the next three days I will be doing pure protein! That will teach me not to cheat! 

Challenge #2

As per usual I haven't been updating my blog in time with what I am doing - but at least I am doing something! 

I really liked my sister's challenge for the past two weeks, so I have decided to give myself one for the next two weeks (I already started on Monday!). 

The challenge: Walk to work rather than being driven in/back. 

My walk to work really isn't that far and takes around 15-20 minutes. Tantalizingly though by car it is a mere 4-6 minutes by car, depending on traffic. So I have been lazy over the last couple of months, allowing myself to be driven to and from work since getting our new car. It was so new and exciting, plus I got to chat to Alex in the morning for 5 minutes we didn't usually have. But that is over now, just as its getting darker and colder I have decided to reclaim my feet and walk! It is also very Dukan of me - extra little bonus! 

Talking about Dukan - it's going well, I have lost 2.4kg (5 pounds) not bad for a week + 1 day! That's also how long I haven't had chocolate - I still miss it! Apparently that will stop...doubtful, very doubtful, but I am loving my Dr Pepper Zero - totally allowed and a life savior at this point!

Day 1

Health + Fitness

Today, I have just realised how unfit and unhealthy I am. I went to the gym this morning with a friend and suffered so much. 10 minutes on the cross trainer left me panting as if I had ran a marathon. Having only succeeded with a very short cardio work out I though maybe a nice relaxing yoga class would do the trick...it was awful, I now feel old and inflexible as well as unfit. I mean I couldn't even touch my toes! Then when we went to do something balancing on one knee, it kind of hurt, I mean that little thin thing they call a yoga mat really isn't enough cushioning - is it? I looked around but everyone else seem to be getting on just fine...I will not let this put me off! I will do more exercise tomorrow! 

Food wise...well I've had a Marmite and cheese toastie, and chicken with pasta and homemade salted popcorn...not great but then I have done much worse before.

Oh I forgot to mention that I stood on one of those scales that tell you how much body fat you have when I was at the gym in the morning - big mistake! I'm more than a third percent fat - disgusting I know. I would tell you the exact number, but I can't find that piece of paper. I should probably staple it to the cheese!



List update:

• need to get more flexible - must touch toes!
• slim into 'average' body fat range - my health depends on it!

Books

I haven't done much reading yet, the little reading I have done has been "Still Alice" which I know isn't the book I said I would read next, but I really fancied a story! I'll put it down and pick up "The Happiness Project", it just seems too relevant to not read next.

Fashion +Beauty

Complete fail...I went to the gym this morning, so wore my gross, old trainers. I didn't wear make-up or do my hair. I haven't put on make up all day...I need to do better, even for the gym!

'Mini' Projects

I haven't even attempted...ah I'm blogging, so I guess this does count! go me! Few - I was honestly starting to think all of yesterdays intentions had already flown out of the window. Tomorrow I want to sew some cushions, I will let you know how it goes!

Films

I watched Mama Mia for the second time in a row, I watched it whilst blogging yesterday too! OK so that doesn't exactly count as I've already seen it far too many times, in my defense I haven't actually written the film list yet, so I couldn't have started on this one yet.

Today I've updated every categories which makes up the larger project, I wont be doing that for every post. Just the things I think are worth mentioning, or things I have actually done. Let's just see how this goes...I'm off for a night time stroll...need to walk of the popcorn.

The beginning...ish

My "Self Improvement Project" unofficially started ever since I can remember - probably even when I was a child. There was always something I wanted to do better, or was sure I would be able to do some day like play the cello or be an amazing singer - don't we all?! It just seems that everything I started ended up being more of a phase - which I always assume is normal for a child.

Well I am not a child anymore - far from it, and I am still always torturing myself about something I really must do, or very often not do...it just seems inevitable that I will always have great intentions, but not much follow through. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I do badly, there are just so many things I would like to do, in fact I do believe that is my problem; there are so many things I want to do/achieve/improve that I simply cannot choose a single goal - I have more than I can remember! I've tried focusing on just one thing, but I am not a patient person, if I think of something I want to do NOW. So I guess its pretty obvious why I never finish anything...it is so clear what I should do and yet I can't make myself stick to just one thing, mainly because I don't want to. 

Instead, I am now going to blog about it, which will help me record what I have done, hopefully encourage and keep me on track. It also means I'm doing something else I have always wanted to try and not quite had the courage to do - blog! So here I am blogging about all the things I want to do and achieve, ultimately trying to be the best version of myself. Wish me luck!