First stone lost..

Weigh in so far was:
Week 1: 6lb loss
Week 2: 2 1/2lb loss
Week 3: 4 3/4lb loss
Week 4: 1 1/4lb loss

So first stone is lost, I've been eating healthy but not depriving myself, so plenty of Hellmans light and poached eggs *Drool*, also my new Saucony omni progrid 9's came through. I've started back at Spin class, it was my fourth yesterday morning (Saturday). I thought I'd be on the floor but was OK *shock*, plus running again *happy dance*

So last week I've upped the exercise, Monday 30 mins X trainer & 45 min spin class, Tuesday was a 5.11 mile run in the lovely cold, Wednesday was the gym (50 mins hill X trainer number 10) and a 10 minute run on the treadmill, Thursday was 30 mins X trainer number 10 & a 45 min Spin class, Friday was a 6.16 mile run in -5 and I loved it, Saturday was 25 mins on the X trainer and a 45min Spin class.. Today (Sunday) is a rest day.

This week is Toby's half term so this week will be a military operation to fit in my runs and spin classes.. Roll on next week X

Starting again (not proud of myself)

Here we are again, on the 7th of January I weighed 14.4 3/4. Last year I was around 9st 7lbs, fit healthy and a size 8-10, running, going to Spin, to the gym.. Then everything seemed to fall apart, I got sloppy, tired, depressed and bogged down, my back was constantly playing up. I felt washed out and putting one foot in front of the other exhausted me, I stopped going to the gym, spin, did run but my legs felt like lead..

I went to the doctors and had some blood tests, I was low in iron but nothing major. Toby's behaviour was suffocating, I wallowed and even stopped talking to my running and gym friends. The only thing which chilled me out was wine in the night and some fat ladden food and Ben and Jerrys (I opt for the frozen yogurt type now ;-)). Inevitably I piled on the weight, wore baggier t shirts, leggings, pinched Toby's hoodies and drank a big cup of denial!! Things at home didn't help, Toby being assaulted, my friend dying, Toby's endless meltdowns and wet beds.

Christmas was was crunchtime, I'd been on anti depressants for over two months. I thought get Christmas over and start again. I could either wallow, get bigger, feel like crap or start living again. So four days after my birthday I hit the gym. Saying it was hard work was an underestimation, I was knackered and thought I'd never get back to pounding the pavement, I'd never get back running long distances and getting a huge buzz.

Two weeks on I've been to the gym (50 minutes X trainer, hills level 9 / 10 minutes run/walk on the treadmill), I've managed to lose 8lbs altogether. I've cut out alcohol and junk, eating more steamed veg and salads, soups and fruit, plenty of egg and soldiers and poached eggs too *yum*.

So onwards and upwards, I'm going to hit the pavements in February as I miss it so much. It'll be a run / Walk first until I get my mojo and fitness back.

A well over due update (Slack alert)

Well I'm still plodding away, going further and further.. Did a 13 miler last month to Penarth and back and still meet up every other Thursday with my pal Sophie for a 9 mile bay run. I've added a few more classes as well as the running as I don't want to get injuries, too much road running day after day and I'll soon have shin splints *gulp*

Spin, boxercise, step circuits and circuits and my new close friends and they are great. With spin I can still use my legs but without the shock of the pavements, I do about 2-3 a week and I'm hooked, especially with some good pumping music playing. Circuits is helping me challenge myself more and working the upper body with all the running as I had NO upper body strength whatsoever six months ago! That's when I started using the weights as well as the running, also boxercise with lots of upper body work and sprints. On average I do six days a week now.

An average week is:

Monday: A hill run to the Leisure centre (around a mileish), then 20 minutes cross trainer, 15 minutes weights, and 500 sit ups (that includes sides). Then a circuits class(1 hour) which can be very heavy going but a great crowd, then a long or short run home (1-2 miles).

Tuesday: Sometimes a rest day, but yesterday it was 30 minutes no11 on the treamill, 20 minutes on the crosstrainer (hill resistance 11), 15 minutes weights, 150 sit ups, then a spin class (45 minutes)

Wednesday: A 10k run or 10 mile run (all according how I feel), then a boxercise class in the night (1 hour).

Thursday: 20-30 minute run on treadmill (11)or Cross trainer, weights, sit ups, then a Spin class (45 mins), then drive to the bay for a 9 mile run with my friend. (the run is sometimes fortnightly).

Friday: Either a 10 mile run, or 20-30 min run treadmill/cross trainer, weights, sit ups and Spin (45 mins).

Saturday: A long run 10-12 miler, sometimes a rest day.

Sunday: A 60 minute run on treadmill, weights, sit ups, spin (45 mins), then if I can make it a Step circuit class in the night (60 mins weights, sprints, step)

I'll try and make my next blog a bit more exciting, need to find some races and things to enter and to aim for. I won't leave it so long next time, I promise ;-)

A 2011 update... Beyond target reached!

I know I haven't posted for a long time, been so busy leading up to Christmas, then the snow, then Toby's birthday etc etc

Now I'm back blogging with good news.. I've reached my goal and lost a few more pounds on the way. At Christmas I was 9 stone 7 lbs (mainly as I was ill with a flu bug), but now have settled at 9 stone 9 lbs. I'm very happy with this, I'd not like to get below 9 stones as I look so drawn and haggard as I've got down to 8 stone 10 and was asked if I was ill!!

I've been doing loads of running and loving it, even in below zero temperatures with my "blue lips" (I hate the cold and go blue. I've done plenty of Roath Park runs, Rumney runs and Newport runs. I even wrote into my favourite mag "Women's running" and got a letter published (I'll upload a piccie), feeling very positive and happy right now. I've even included a before and after photo (found on Hope's DSi)

So my next mission is to run a marathon, and go in for plenty of half marathons as the longer the better. My name is Tracie and a long distance runner and loving it ;-)

An bit of an update.. 5 lbs until goal!!!

I've been a terrible slacker posting on here lately, so much to do and been training hard for the half marathon coming up, plus keep everyone happy etc.

I'm now down to 10 stone 5 1/4lbs, it's been a pound here and there then a big loss etc. You just can't control what you lose and when etc. I've been doing the weights a lot so that's probably a factor in it as I'm bulking up a bit.

My week goes a bit like this:

Monday: Gym 60 minute run up to 10 mph and 5 incline at 1 min every 5 mins/ 12mph 1 min every 5 mins.. Then weights on arms and dips for 20 mins and 20 mins of sit ups and stretch. Then Zumba in the night.

Tuesday: A 10 K run outside usually or a 9 mile run to Roath park and back.

Wednesday: The gym same as Monday, then Zumba in the night.

Thursday: Up to 11 miler run with friend training for the half marathon.

Friday: Gym or a rest day.

Saturday: 1 hour kickboxing then maybe a run in the evening (10K).

Sunday: 30 min run on treadmill and 1 hour Step Circuit.

I will put up before during and after photos soon, just so busy at the moment. I have a lovely before one stored on my daughters DSi *shudder* so will work out how to upload that here. For now I've uploaded one profile piccy of me today. I finally don't have a round face lol!

Almost at goal weight! (6 1/4 lb loss this week)

I thought I'd catch up as I've been so busy and not had a chance to do so. Last week I did a lot of running, went to London and was on my feet for 9 hours.. When I went to weigh I was the same which was disappointing. I put it down to the "Time of the month" as I was bloated to hell and felt rough..

So today I weighed and found I had lost 6 1/4 lbs taking me to 10 stone 13 1/2 pounds, so now I've lost over 5 stones. It just goes to show your body doesn't lose weight on a particular day and it can cross over to the following week. I'm VERY pleased as over the past few weeks the weight loss has been slow and it's been a juggling game to get the runs in.

It's also my Half Marathon next month, I'm up to over 11 miles on the running now. I just need to squeeze a 13.6 miler out and I've done it. I've become quite a bore about running and now want to do a marathon next year as it gives me such a buzz..

Will update soon with an up to date picture of myself and find a dreaded fatty one from last year..

OMG! 2 weeks since update *Blush*

Well it's been like the Y.M.C.A. here these past two weeks having the three of them off, plus sleepovers galore. I've not been able to get on the laptop as it's had various children on it so have been using my iphone or ipod to browse the web etc.

Well my back recovered and I got back into it, More running, more circuits, More Step Circuits, more gym. I did slip up and had a bottle of wine, so August 17th was a loss of just 1 3/4 lbs .. then went shopping with eldest and had such a bad day I had ANOTHER bottle of wine plus other junk.. not good.

My weigh in today (August 24th) was much much better, (even though I eat donuts and drank wine on that very stressed shopping day) was a loss of 4 1/4 lbs which I'm shocked at but very pleased. So 8lbs plus in 3 weeks is good, just to shift 5 more lbs and it'll be a 5 stone loss. Just have over a stone to go until goal and will see if I'm comfortable at that weight.