Exercise and a new blog.....

Image: Looking Glass

So the sugar crazies seem to have left me..... ahhhh. Now that normalcy has returned and I'm not stalking the streets in search of my next fix, my mind drifts to that other healthy living thing. You know the one, that thing that makes all the difference, that thing that has you zinging from head to toe, the wonderful, the amazing, EXERCISE!

I seem to have lost my mojo when it comes to exercise at the moment. The personal training group has disbanded and I'm left feeling pretty unmotivated. It's too easy to slip into my procrastination outfit and just trundle along convincing myself that walking to the train station is enough. Hmmmm.

It's really interesting to stop and see what's going on, the patterns the changes, what works, what doesn't. I hoped, maybe foolishly, that exercise would just happen but it hasn't. I still very much need structure and planning, and this is a needed step towards being someone who exercises regularly and perhaps even effortlessly.

Instead of beating myself up and moaning about not wanting to exercise, I figure I just need to do what I need to do and that's ok. This is where I am, I have direction and I'm heading there, at my own pace, in my own style and I will get there.

In other news, the blogging bug has well an truly bitten and I'm starting another. Ninja Eats is an exploration of all things food, authored by little ol me, Kenji (AKA The Boy/The Boyf) and the elusive, anonymous, Ninja. It's all very new and finding it's feet, but that's the great thing about blogs they just grow and find their own way. Hope to see you there sometime soon!

Constant Cravings

Image: jelene

Arggghhhhk. Today was a disaster day...... apple crumble with ice cream, hot chocolate, salt and vinegar chips, chocolate after dinner and another ice cream just to cement the worst day in a long time.

I'm bloated and gassy, is that classed as over sharing I wonder?? I feel like I'm sliding down the greasy slippery slope desperately trying to grasp onto something, only to find myself gaining no traction, floundering as I slide on down into to a refined carbs mess.

It started last week with bread. Bread that I proudly made myself, but bread nonetheless. White bread, that golden crisp warm straight out of the oven kind of temptation. Generous dollops of butter melting into the white warmness. I could feel something inside kick over, some kind of insanity, something other taking control. I couldn't stop at one slice, two, three, four, half the loaf gone, the horse was out of the gate, bolted.

From that day on I've had these insatiable cravings...... for what? Anything junky, as today's menu attests. Thinking back on the last few weeks, I've slipped into a predictable pattern of mine.... feeling good, feeling like I'm getting there, subconsciously freaking out and then mindlessly pigging out so that the status quo ante is well and truly returned to. Yo-yoing!

Eeeek...... refined carbs will always do it to me, it's like the more I have the more I want and on and on and on. So to cold turkey it is for me.

I guess it's good timing really, I've had the whole cholesterol matter knocking around in my head recently. Ignoring it, as you may well know, really isn't the answer. So here we go people...... 6 weeks from now I will rock up to my darling doc and get the test. In the meantime I'm going to get this jonesing under control and regain myself.

What happened to cooking?

Image: NeilsPhotography

Cooking is one of those things that we, as a society, seem to be doing less and less of these days, and I can't help but wonder what impact this has on our quality of life, health and relationships.

At a time in history where we have more time saving technology around us than ever before, our work hours are steadily increasing. This has a huge impact on cooking and what we eat. We're tired, stressed and hungry. We want to eat, we want to eat now. So we do, reaching for the microwavable, the packaged, the take-away, the convenience.

A woman's place is no longer in the home, she's out and about, carving out a career, picking up the kids and keeping up with the boys in order to prove her so called equality. The kitchen is empty, the cupboard bare, the local take-away is on speed dial and the knowledge, skills and awareness of food and cooking are being lost faster than a Greenpeace boat in pursuit of an illegal whaling ship.

So should the girls drop the ball, get back to the kitchen sink and lace up their apron ties? I think not. But there has to be a solution, a way for all of us to sit at the table and share a meal that was cooked with love and care. Maybe it's about priorities, encouragement, experimentation. What do you think?

Progress, it's all in the outfit.

Image: Bill Brown

Now that I have said my farewells to the Scale, I've been thinking more and more about how to measure my progress. I really need achievements to be proud of to keep me going in this whole thing and while I don't need to be a number on the scale anymore I do want to see myself moving forward.

I've been taking tape measurements since the start of this adventure back in November and I have found this to be a good way to see how things are changing.

By far the best way for me really is in the clothes. Having gone from a baggy sized 18 pants being tight, to falling off when I run is surely a triumph worth celebrating. Being able to once again button up my favorite red winter coat really does put a smile on my dial, and watching my all time fattest pair of shorts get so baggy in the arse you could call me MC Hammer, is pure bliss.

I really wanted to post a progress pic today but after running around the house trying a gazillion self portraits, I've conceded defeat. I'll await the return of The Boy for a less arty shot.

So there you have it, progress measured in a way other than the scale. Here are some numbers for those of you that get into that kinda thing, the first number being the starting point and the second number where I'm at today.

Bust: 115/114cm
Waist at belly button: 114/105cm
Waist at narrowest point: 95/89cm
Hips: 127/121cm
Upper Thigh: 76/72cm
Knee: 49/47cm
Upper Arm: 36/34cm

Total centimeters lost so far: 31cm. That's more centimeters than on the 30cm ruler I used in primary school!

Dear Scale

Image: Playingwithbrushes

Dear Scale,

Our time has come to an end. For years we have have kept our thing going, you looming around each corner, me obsessively seeking you out. This recent time spent apart has had me thinking about you a lot. How you have ruled my life for so long, how you've tormented me with your numbers, teased me with your smooth neutral appearance.

For some you are just that, neutral, benign. But for me, and I know you know this, you are a malignancy that knows no bounds.

So dear scale, I will not miss you, or even think of you. We both know it's better this way, we can get on with our lives and enjoy our days in peace.

Good luck
Berni x