Survival vs Diet and Exercise.

Well today is Wednesday, weigh day and I will be glad to see what has been achieved in the past week.

The last few days have been very difficult because I have been on night duty Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. For all of us who do shift work with nights, there are a few extra challenges that's for sure. My way of coping with it is usually not to sleep on the first day, or just have a late Nana nap, then I have a good chance of sleeping well the next day and I usually only do 2 at a time, mixed with days. This time I had 3, so I knew getting the exercise in was going to be an issue. Survival vs a healthy lifestyle/diet and exercise, has been the focus of my thoughts this week.

When it came to the exercise I decided to go to the gym straight from work on Monday morning, which worked well. I got there just after 0730 and left at 0910, went home and really enjoyed my breakfast then went to bed. The sleep was really disturbed by the neighbour's dog upset by the people next door moving and I had to get up at least 3 times to pee. All that water and I just can't keep it in. So I didn't get the sleep I needed and was back at work at 2100.

I took all my gear for the gym to work again and planned to do the same, but when it came to knock off time, I just had to go home. I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open and I was starving. One thing about nights, there are only 3 meals a day and because I had a short sleep the day before, I had a late breakfast, late lunch and dinner just before leaving for work. I kept the snacks to keep me going through the night, but still had the shakes from hunger at the end of the night. Ten hours is a long time to go when one is working not to have something substantial to eat. I used to always have something around 0400. I really had to think what was most important, exercise or sleep and sustinance. I decided the safest, healthiest thing to do was to go home. I realised I was feeling guilty and thinking I was just making excuses again, but driving when so tired is dangerous and the effort put into the exercise would have been pittyful being so drained of energy. There is a place for practicle thinking in this and I know I'm not falling off the wagon, just surviving.

It is now 0430 on my third night and I don't feel so tired. I did manage to get a good sleep yesterday, between the toilet visits and I didn't have lunch during the day, so have had that for my late morning feast. I just might get to the gym today........ After this I have days off, so maybe I can do an extra session to make up for the one missed.......

I also haven't kept up with week 2's menu. I really wanted a day off on Sunday so didn't make the effort and go shopping for all the new stuff. I had so many left overs in the fridge from week one, I have been repeating the meals. I have decide to do that because it saves time and money. In my house, I am the only one eating this diet, so when I make things for 2, there are extra serves for later, which is great.

Jenny

Feels like a day off.

MAP OF MY PROGRESS

Well It is Sunday and I am starting night duty tonight, but today has been so peaceful it has felt like a real day off. I had a sleep in, then spent time cooking and planning next week's menu, had several lovely phone calls with family members in other states and have had a very relaxing time on the computer catching up on emails, work and the 12WBT. I finally watched Michell's first live video, that's what shift work does. I am glad I can still get it even though its a little late. Very motivating and some good questions answered.

I am so happy with my progress so far that the motivation is still there. I almost went a bit mad on Saturday night with the free dinner, but in the end just had grilled fish and salad and a fruit and yogurt desert. It was great, I added some favorite flavors to the fruit, like honey and cinnamon, so felt I was in heaven. I had dinner with my grand daughter and she loved it too. We both sat there licking our lips and making yummy sounds and laughed at each other..............

I was a bit worried that I had too many calories, but when I added it up, it was fine. I will really look forward to Saturday nights from now on. I have found the preparing and cooking a little time consuming, so will be really glad when enough time and practice has passed that I will have my favorite recipes in the memory banks and can shop without taking so much time. The shopping thing is a little hard in Bunbury, we don't have Sunday trade or extended trade during the week. The closest shopping centre I can get to out of the normal shopping hours is 20min away, which is more expensive and always very crowded. I don't want to spend the extra time travelling on top of cooking and exercising, it all adds up and every minute counts when one works shift work...

I love just pottering around the house, letting my thoughts just roll on and catching up with what I'm doing. It seems to settle the dust and make the next day easier. This week with nights, I have to be even more on top of things, because I get so tired and during winter with the shorter days I get a little loopy. Its just the nature of the upside down light and dark and very mixed up hormones. Not good really for a menopausal phase, but that's life, I live with it. Tomorrow morning, (Monday) I will be going to the gym straight after work, then hopefully have a really great sleep when I get home. I have never done this before, but I have to make the effort or it won't happen.

OH and by the way, at my last RPM class on Friday I stood up through the last phase and survived!!!!!!!! Amazing....... I am proud of me for trying.........

I am hoping it will be quiet (er) at work tonight because I plan to do some of the strength exercises while filling in the time.....

Jenny

Jenny on Change

Hi All,

I plan to post a new picture of places I've seen in the past few years, each week. Travel didn't start for me until I was a very big girl and I haven't done a lot, but what I have done I have loved and plan to do more while I can. The most amazing trip for me was around Australia in 2007. I took a year off, leave without pay and worked for about 5 months in different states on the way. The purpose of the trip was for me to reconnect with family, as we are all split up all over Australia, so we don't get together often. I miss my sisters the most with one in Cairns and one in Melbourne, (its all about the girl talk because I miss my Dad too) and my children are also all over Australia, with one here in WA, one in France and now two in Sydney. I am glad there are two in Sydney now because it will give me good motivation to go over there more often to see them. With me being mainly single and independent if I want to see people it will be up to me to do the moving about, which I don't mind at all. Hence, last week's picture of Etratat France. I went over last year to see my son and his girlfriend (who is born and bred French). Hopefully they will be in Sydney in November, can't wait.

Anyway, that was a little detour. My reason for explaining this is because when I did my trip in 2007 I did a lot of walking and climbing up and down rocks, stairs, cannons, gorges, sandy tracks and so on to see what I could of this beautiful country. There were times I would be making my way up a steep climb and would pass an elderly couple, (20 or so years older than me) and they would be pacing themselves for the next leg or deciding this would be as far as they could go. I remember thinking I want to be able to keep going when I am there age and how good are they being there, doing that. The number of take my breath away moments I had when I climbed over the next rise or went to the end of the trail or came through the rough to see what lay ahead were numerous and magical and gave me a taste for more. If my mind is willing I want the body to keep up, so staying strong and health is a priority for me.

This is why getting my head in the right space now about the food I put into by body and the exercise I do to keep it functioning is so important to me. This cycle of life is different from those I have lived and although I could have been having more life experiences if I had been fitter then, I didn't value it like I do now. In a way youth kids us into thinking we don't really have to do much to keep ourselves fit, because things just work better.

As I said in a previous entry, I have linked loosing things I value with change, so I have been a bit hesitant to change and this new healthier lifestyle is not something I have ever practiced full time. So now I am placing a different value to it and going through my photos to post each week will be a constant reminder of the things I still want to do. I have posted my before photo in the underwear, as another reminder, because looking like this means aches and pains which stop me from getting involved. I have sent in the entry form for the fun run and some of the girls at work have to. I am really looking forward to sharing that day with them.

I bought some swimmers yesterday, so no more swimming in the gym gear!!!!!!!!!

Jenny

Jenny on Commitment.

The word today is COMMITMENT.

This entry has come a little later than it was supposed to. When I read Michelle's Pre-Season Task 5, "Saying it Out Loud", I thought OH! SH........! this is it, I have to commit to me and do the work. The 21st is right around the corner. This is what I have always battled with, so what did I do?

The task said, commit to me and others and voice my goals by saying them out loud to family, friends and colleagues and asked, am I a woman of my word? I have always believed I am, so why was I feeling a little anxious and why did I not do what was asked of me immediately? After a few days of thinking about it, I realised the self talk, full of doubt and disbelief set in, so I procrastinated.... Last week just seemed to become even busier than usual and I felt more tired and the weather turned bad... Funny that!

As the days went by, I realised I was doing a lot of preparation to make the necessary changes and I haven't stopped thinking about it day and night, so how was I going to make that commitment so I could keep me honest. I decided to take my before photos and post them on this site so I can compare my shape now with what it will be in 12 weeks time. I have shared this address with family and friends, so its out there now and I know someone other than me will be watching. I first thought I would do the underwear thing, but that just didn't fit at my age, so I wore my favorite genes that don't fit. I can't wear them out without wearing a very loose shirt so the rolls don't show and sitting down is just scary. I do have friends who say I don't need to loose weight and I shouldn't worry, but there is heart disease in my family with my Mum and Grandmother dying relatively young and I have become complacent and lazy. I am not fit and can't do things I should be able to do and this is my concern.

So my commitment over the next 12 weeks is

• Lose 7kg in 12 weeks, which is 600gms per week.


• Only eat what is on the 12WBT menu plan.


• If I have a treat, I will do the exercise to earn it.


• I will exercise 6 days per week and work toward fulfilling the exercise plan.


• Enter and walk jog the 5km fun run on the 1st August and do it in public, in under 50min.


• Enter and join the mini work marathon in November and do a personal best for me.


• Walk all night with my mates, in the relay for life in November, supporting the cancer community.

This is a good start and it is my commitment.

Jenny

Jenny on Routines

This is my wonderful family, dad and sisters.

Hello all,

It's been a week since I have put my thoughts in print, not that I haven't wanted to. I have had conversations going round in my head all week, but trying to find the time to get it down has alluded me.

Now I am starting to wonder how I am going to fit all the important things into my day. With shift work, extra curricular work activities such as presentations or education, relationships, social life which is not demanding, learning how to use new computers and programs, putting the time into planning and doing the exercise, putting the time into planning and preparing a new menu, reading all the wonderful information from other people's Blogs, which I love, and now keeping up with the new types of communication such as face book or twitter....... ( A generation challenged for me)......It's a little overwhelming.

This past week I have attempted to use my time wisely by getting out and trying some new exercise routines. I know I will become board with the gym, so I have been measuring distances within a 10km radius from my home and breaking areas down to 100mts, 200mts, 300mts and so on, so I can map out walking and jogging routes. I have also done this from home to the gym as well, so I can attempt riding my bike there in daylight hours. I found the route of the 5km run which will be held on the 1st August that I want to enter and walked/jogged it. It took 70min the first time and 50 the second.

I was elated by this, but I found I experienced pain in the muscles along my shins which took over 30 min to fade and my lower back has been difficult to live with ever since the last one. So now I am wondering, have I done the right thing? Have I done too much too soon? Am I just making excuses not to do it, even though I want to do it. Am I trying to do it too fast and is this a normal side effect to not having done exercise for a long time? When I go back and look at what the members of the biggest looser had to do right from the start, I do wonder how they coped with aches and pains. All these things go through my mind and I worry that it will take too long for me to see a result if I have to go slower to protect body parts, which I depend on and I might give up. After this weeks task of making that commitment, I don't want to give up once that gun has fired, I want a result that I can measure and see.

So the dance of the routine is one of my biggest concerns. I can see big changes ahead, like learning how not to get distracted from planned things by going to the movies with a friend spontaneously, or taking a surprise trip to Perth to look at Puppies I might want to take home ...... because my mate went to doggy heaven on the 29th April and things like that. They all take time which is the way it's been, so what will life be like with a new routine?

Jenny