Where I am before I REALLY start to reshape my 40s?
4th June 2009
Age 41 and 8 months
Height 5ft 4in
Weight 9st 5lb
UK Size 10 (top) and 10/12 (bottom - depending on shop!)
Books, books, more books and websites
On January 5th 2009 I gave up smoking after reading Alan Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I can't recommend this book enough. I was recommended it by a lady I met at a exhibition - Kit (thank you Kit) and I read it through, had my last cigarette and that was it - I am now officially a non smoker - and don't I feel great. Available from Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0141026898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244113407&sr=8-1
After badly spraining my ankle whilst 'gently' playing badminton I thought - MY goodness, I am SO unfit (I sit all day!) and even the smallest amount of exercise has managed to knock me off my feet. How will I be in 5 years, 10 years........ So, whilst giving up smoking I thought 'in for a penny in for a pound' and decided to radically change my life by seriously looking at my diet and fitness.
I started running using the beginners system in the Zest book 'Running Made Easy' (note the 'easy' reference again :-)) and I have now reached, through much trial and error, the last week of the program and only yesterday managed to run the following :
5 minute warm up walk
3 minute run
1 minute walk
4 minute run
1 minute walk
4 minute run
1 minute walk
10 minute run
2 minute walk
15 minute run
(Total 46 minutes)
Again the book is available from Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zest-Running-Made-Easy-Magazine/dp/1843404346/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244113661&sr=1-2
From the beginning of January I listened to the podcast 'Inside Out Weightloss'. I listened to it every day, sometimes more than once and it really hit home that the only way to become slim for ever was to think and eat like a naturally slim person. I also watched the repeats of Paul McKenna's 'I can make you thin' and followed his advice to the letter. I completely changed the way I ate and improved on what I ate. You can find the podcast at - http://renee.personallifemedia.com/. Not suprisingly I read another book called 'Shrink Yourself' as I thought an element to my eating was emotional - no deep dark secrets just boredom and occasionally frustration - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shrink-Yourself-Emotional-Eating-Forever/dp/0470275375/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244119988&sr=1-1. This was also a useful and inspiring book and I would recommend it for anyone who emotionally eats for any reason.
I came across the website www.weightlossresources.co.uk and signed up to a monthly subscription for £9.95 - very useful for tracking your nutrition and using their calculators. The forums are a bit of fun too and I have even received some answers to perplexing problems I have encountered from other members.
The weight started going down (I started at just over 12 stone) and the fitness going up and I signed up to David Lloyd Gym at the end of May spurred on by my renewed confidence. I had my 'session' with a coach who put together the following programme;
10 minutes warm up on cross trainer (5 minutes forwards, 5 minutes backwards)
Core strengthening : 20 crunches (x2) 20 side crunches (x 2 each side) 20 marches (x 2) and the 'bench' x 2 working up to 30 seconds.
10 minutes on the stairmaster
10 minutes walking on treadmill at 15% include
10 minutes on exercise bike
3 x 15 bicep curls
3 x 15 tricep lifts
2 x 10 chest press on stability ball
2 x 10 lateral raise on stability ball
3 x 15 chest press machine
3 x 15 should pull down machine
5 minutes cool down on cross trainer.
I have since added to this programme and also swim, step and do pilates and of course I am back playing badminton on a Sunday jut for fun!
I love cooking and get a lot of my recepies from Good Food website and I have recently purchased 'Food for Fitness' - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Fitness-Anita-Bean/dp/0713681284/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244116361&sr=1-1. And where would I be without Tesco online shopping - ok so they are not perfect but they save me so much time and I've been using them for so long now I'm a whizz at it (ok so the 6 packs of bananas that came last week was my fault :-))
My next step - and, this is why I want to blog my progress, is to get from a normal middle aged women who has successfully lost weight, got fit and given up smoking in 5 months to someone who is SERIOUSLY fit and healthy and educated in nutrition and exercise.
I have big plans (but will keep them to myself for now).
I know nothing about weights, real nutrition, physiology, sport etc. I plan to educate myself through trial and error and reading lots of my favourite things - BOOKS. I will also use websites and the advice of others.
I want to inspire others to get fit by being a normal, honest women with 2 kids a dog a mortgage a job, a restriction on what I can spend and a very ordinary life. I do however possess a great deal of will power, determination and dedication. I am quite organised and I LOVE to get up early in the morning (which really helps with time management). I couldn't do without my ipod on to which I download audible books from http://www.audible.co.uk/ I get through several a month, and my very supportive partner who encourages me all the way and puts up with me going on and on and on about it.
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