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...

A New Year = A New Me?

Happy  New Year!

The New Year is full of new resolutions; things we want to start doing, stop doing or both! It's nearly the end of January and I think I am finally happy with my resolutions...but rather than resolutions I've decided to have a list of 5, sort of like a 2013 "To Do List", some of which are very easy to achieve, others more difficult!


Sophia's 2013 To Do List:

1. Find a four leaf clover 
2. Run/jog 5k 
3. Go for a picnic
4. Find my dream job
5. Reach 58kg

My 2013 list explained

I fondly remember trying to find four leaf clovers as a child, the frustration of not being able to see any, to finally finding one!

I've been reading Gretchen Rubbin's The Happiness Project, I really like some of the things she comes up with, for example taking pleasure in simple tasks, remembering things we enjoyed doing as a child etc. Hence the finding a four leaf clover (I want to frame it and hang it in our small kitchen) and going for a picnic. I've told Alex about these two and he is game! He loves the idea!

Running/jogging 5k - well as you know I had started the NHS Couch to 5k program, but then broke my toe! I'm not going to let that stop me. I am simply going to start again. The real aim of this one is to complete the program and regularly (at least once a month) run 5k to keep fit! (Well in my case get fit, then to keep fit!)

Finding my dream job is ambitious and a dream, not to say it isn't realistic, but I am aware that its more of a journey, sometimes we have to take the right steps to reach our dreams - which is exactly what I plan on doing. This may mean that I try a couple of new jobs and just see if I can discover what will be best...this item on my to do list scares me most...well that and the weight loss...

Reach 58kg - yep, I've done it! I've added it to the list and I'm worried about it. I want to succeed, yet I know it's very ambitious. I'm breaking it down into smaller targets and I will be happy with every target I hit! Current weight 70kg+ (I'll update the exact figure later...did I mention I got scales that measure fat percentage for Christmas?!) Weight targets: 65kg, 60kg, 58kg.

As always, I'm looking for good things to stick!

Couch to 5k - Week 2 - Run 1

Ok, ok, calling it a run is probably a tad ambitious, but it's much easier to say and write!

I've just comeback from my first session of the Week 2 podcast for the NHS Choices, Couch to 5k scheme.  I woke up this morning, couldn't find my usual running trousers (which weirdly are actual winter running trousers I bought from Aldi nearly 4 months ago and then never wore! I knew they would be usual, must remember to tell Alex I was right!) 

Anyway, after getting dressed I then saw Alex still in bed, all warm and snuggled, so decided to get back into bed - should never do that - and nearly didn't go for the run! 

Thankfully I hate waking up earlier than I need to, so I HAD to go, otherwise waking up would have been a waste of effort!

The session consisted of (or at least I think it did!):

• 5 minute warm up walk
• 90 seconds of jogging (that's a 30 second increase from last week) followed by a 2 minute walk (also a 30 second increase from last week) x 5 (I think, I mean I did count, but I can't be sure that I didn't lose count whilst trying to distract myself - that should be a new fine art form - stay focused whilst trying to distract yourself!)
• 5 minute cool down walk

I must look really funny when I go for this session. I mean I usually wear the running trousers from Aldi, as I couldn't find them today I had to wear my baggy yoga pants, my Aldi waterproof jacket with a fleece thing in it (which I think does the job perfectly!), in fact I even have actual running shoes, nice black sketchers, probably the most expensive trainers I ever bought and I actually hadn't intended to use them for jogging, I just thought they looked nice!

The bits that might have looked for interesting are the white faux furry, Russian style hat (sadly I don't resemble the model in the image I have used!) and if people can see them at that time of morning, my delicate, chocolate brown, leather gloves! Oh well I will treat myself to new stuff once I'm up and running 5k on a weekly basis, that and when Christmas is over!

Couch to 5k!

I have seriously neglected the exercise part of my Self Improvement Project. I had been going to the gym a little, I did a couple of classes, but then the trial membership I had ran out. Truth be told by the time I've finished work in the evening I am usually too tired to exercise, or at least very happy to use that as my excuse. 

My new mini mission: Complete the NHS Choices Couch to 5k (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx)

It's a 9 week program designed for people looking to start jogging. Each weeks podcast needs to be completed 3 times, with a day between each session. Strictly speaking you could complete each week after 6 days. 

I have completed 2 sessions of week 1, which is a very gentle introduction. If I do find it getting more difficult I may choose to increase the number of session I do for a particular podcast, but I will just see how I go! I will do every podcast at least 3 times, with at least 1 day in between! 

As always I will let you know how I get on - wish me luck!