My Journey - Warts and All

I'm going to chalk this week off as a bad one. My diet has been terrible and I had a night out on Friday so there were a couple of small glasses of wine involved lol.  I've also been working nightshift over the last 2 weeks and I never eat properly :-(  The weather was horrendous on Tuesday when I was at Commando training, I mean the rain was dripping off me. It was cold, wet and generally quite miserable. On the Wednesday I wasn't feeling 100% but I just put it down to not sleeping very well over the last few days. Thursday I was feeling terrible so I spent the whole day on Beechams Cold and Flu tablets and missed training on Thursday night. I felt much better on Friday am so went out for dinner/drinks as I had planned. But this morning, yuck! My throat is sore, I'm coughing, sneezing etc etc. That'll teach me to go out. It was an amazing night though! :-)  I go back to uni on Monday so I need to get myself organised again so that I'm on top of my cours...

I'm not really sure what happened yesterday. Well I am, I ran a 5k for the first time ever! But I mean in my head. My friend, Janet, sent me a link to a some free of charge 5k runs that are timed and I'm now having a discussion in my head about which of my fitness things I should do on a Saturday morning! When did that happen???  I've also signed up for a website called the Running Bug community. On every other health kick I've done, I've always said that I don't run and never will run. Ooops!  I've found over the last few weeks, I've been a bit more 'zen' as well. I'm a red head and a Leo so am naturally hot headed. I've probably only got really wound up once and that was to do with my job and that's really important to me. My uni course has cost me a few friendships but I've stopped stressing out about it. My real friends understand that I turn into a hermit around the time of exams and essays or that I can't always meet ...

It was the Race for Life today and I ran it!!!!  I did it in 37 mins 30 secs. I know its not quick but I'm so chuffed at myself. I'm not going to pretend that I ran it all but I did run the majority of it. I got to 1k and my body seemed not to want to run anymore. Between 1 and 2k was definitely the hardest for me. I got so focussed though that I missed the signs for 3k and 4k. So when I saw the 500 metres to go, it was a really nice surprise. I wanted to beat my walking time and I can walk it in 60-70 mins so I crushed my time.  When I got the end of the Race there was a small hill but looking at it, it seemed like Mount Everest lol. When I got to the bottom of the hill all I could think about was one of the Commando Instructors, Jim, saying 'engage your core, attack the hill'. So I did. When I came across the finish line, the girls from Commando training were there, cheering me on as was my hubby. I was so pleased to see them all. So we got a wee team photo to c...

I keep harping on about how I can't see the weight that I've lost and how I can't see my fitness improving. Then I found this photo the other day. Oh my goodness!! What a size! I think this picture was taken in October of last year. The picture underneath is one that that taken in March of this year. I've lost another stone since this one as well. The gorgeous blonde is my friend Julie. I can see it more now but I don't have a recent picture and am not in any state for a photo today. I must have crossed a line or go over something, I'm watching that Man vs Food programme and apart from feeling physically sick, all I can think about it how many Commando sessions I'd need to do to get rid of the calories!! A burger in a Krispy Kreme doughnut!!!! What on earth is that all about!!!

Well it's another week and last week went ok. I had a 'bad' eating day on Saturday after my Commando training but I wanted it so I had it. If I deny myself I'll want it even more. I had a good weight loss last week and am about to go down another stone bracket if I can lose the same again. So fingers crossed, I feel like I'm a bit stuck at this weight. I've yoyo'ed back and forward in the 17st bracket and I can't wait to see the back of it. I'm only able to get to 3 Commando sessions this week and I have the Race for Life on Sunday. I know I've been talking about it for ages now but I'm starting to get nervous about it. During my Commando sessions, I do struggle with the running element and I'm about to run 5k without the Commando guys to keep me going. I think I'm going to have to hear them in my head to keep me going. Aim is to do it under an hour 'cause that's how long it takes me to walk it. I've also discovered ...

Starting Weight - 18st 2.5 lbs Week 1 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 18st 2lbs Week 2 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 18st 1.5lbs Week 3 - Loss 2.5lbs. Weight - 17st 13lbs Week 4 - Loss 3lbs. Weight - 17st 10lbs Week 5 - Gain 3lbs. Weight - 17st 13lbs Week 6 - Loss 2.5lbs. Weight - 17st 10.5lbs Week 7 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 17st 10lbs Week 7 - Loss 4lbs. Weight - 17st 6lbs Week 8 - Loss 3lbs. Weight - 17st 3lbs It's starting to get better now!! Also this week I have some tips from the Commando trainers about my diet so hopefully will be even better next week. I'm at commando's tomorrow so will have managed 4 times this week. Go me!!!

In 13 days I have the Race for Life 5k. I'm not a runner at all, I'm not built for running. However it was always my goal to run a 5k before I turn 30. So I'm running this one. Lately I've been wondering what was I thinking! I've walked it for the last 4 years and every year I improve on my time so I suppose running it was the next logical step. I day running but it'll be a gentle jog with the odd sprint when I get a wee wave of energy. According to the Commando's that I do the park training with it's all about the breathing so for the 7 commando sessions that I have left with them, that's what I'll need to concentrate on. I will manage to get round the course, I've done it before. I feel a bit stupid getting so worked up about it as well. People run marathons and here I am getting up to high doe about 3 and a bit miles lol Anyway, if anyone is at a loose end on race day, feel free to come down to Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy. Race start...

Starting Weight - 18st 2.5 lbs Week 1 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 18st 2lbs Week 2 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 18st 1.5lbs Week 3 - Loss 2.5lbs. Weight - 17st 13lbs Week 4 - Loss 3lbs. Weight - 17st 10lbs Week 5 - Gain 3lbs. Weight - 17st 13lbs Week 6 - Loss 2.5lbs. Weight - 17st 10.5lbs Week 7 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 17st 10lbs Week 7 - Loss 4lbs. Weight - 17st 6lbs Go me!!! Am so chuffed. The numbers are coming up again. Thank goodness. I really think that eating breakfast and drinking the water have helped.  Heaviest weight: 22 st (308lbs) Current weight: 17st 6lbs (244lbs) Weight Lost since I was at my heaviest: 4st 8lbs (64 lbs) Weight Left to Lose (if I go all the way down to my goal): 6st 13lb (97lbs) I put all the info about because I just need to remind myself how far I've actually come. I've got under 100lbs to go and I'm almost halfway there. A wee bit of Commando training tomorrow and I'll hopefully be another pound closer to the target :-)

Seems like a weird post to do but I'm definitely of the view that what has happened in the past affects who you are today. I don't let it define me as a person but it's a part of me.  Anyway, Monday 7 June 1999 was the day I started my very first job! 13 years ago today. I sometimes forget that I've been working for so long. It makes me feel old so I tend to block it out lol. My first job was a brilliant one, I got paid too much money for a 16 year old and the work was pretty much filing. I used to moan about being bored but later on in my admin career I would have done anything just for a day of filing and not answering the phone. From a career point of view, there are some decisions that I made that I wish I'd thought differently about but the way I see it now is that I wouldn't be doing my Nursing Degree if I had. I had jobs where I met amazing people and am still in contact with them. One of my favourite jobs was a job I had for a hotel chain. I did one ...

Starting Weight - 18st 2.5 lbs Week 1 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 18st 2lbs Week 2 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 18st 1.5lbs Week 3 - Loss 2.5lbs. Weight - 17st 13lbs Week 4 - Loss 3lbs. Weight - 17st 10lbs Week 5 - Gain 3lbs. Weight - 17st 13lbs Week 6 - Loss 2.5lbs. Weight - 17st 10.5lbs Week 7 - Loss 0.5lbs. Weight - 17st 10lbs I can't pretend that I'm not gutted 'cause I really am. I've done more than half a pound this week. This week I won't get to Commando training as much as would like because I have a lot of late shift this week and I'm working on Saturday. So this week will be about diet, I'm going to try every trick in the book to speed up my metabolism. The first actions will be: 1. Drink one litre of ice cold water a day (you have to use energy to heat up the water therefore burning more calories) 2. Drink green tea (I remember reading it somewhere, I have no idea why it does it) 3. Eat breakfast!! (I read that it helps your metabolism to get...