So far not so good

I  have been away for a while now because life has been really giving me a hard time. 

It is always good to start with the good news so here goes, I got my steroid injection.  The picture below is of my hand a few hours afterwards.

I did not know what to expect but all that I can say is that it was painful and my hand got swollen for a number of days.  It is now healing perfectly so hopefully I will be able to start exercising soon Yay!!!  I have another appointment with the specialist on the 19th of this month, hopefully I will be given the green light to exercise.

Ok now to the bad news, my mum has had flu for the last couple of days and I have been really worried that she was gonna infect me.  So I have been taking all the necessary medication but to no avail as  I developed a severe sore throat that got worse as the days went by.  On Thursday evening I had this horrible throbbing sensation in my right ear which was not getting any better and by midnight I was in A&E.  Don't you just hate going to the emergency room?  It took 3.5hrs to see a doctor and the pain was just out of this world!  I now have  an ear infection and have been given very strong antibiotics and pain killers.  The pain killers make me quite drowsy so im spending most of my time in bed. 

I listened to one of Joel Osteen's latest preaching which said to either be positive or be quiet therefore though it's hard I'm trying to follow this principle and not complain or moan about my situation.

I just know that I will get well soon!!!!

As we all start preparing for Christmas, wishing you and your families the best  for this holiday season.

Happy Shopping.

Elle

Week 2- Making Choices

This week has been really good, I didn't count calories, I exercised and didn't actually feel like I am on a diet. I did not deny my self treats, which is what normally frustrates me about diets, the restrictiveness....
Elle is right, this is a lifestyle change.

So I haven't weighed myself because am trying to curb my attachment to my scales, I will weigh myself once a month so I should have some results about my weight in 2 weeks.

There isn't really much to report to be honest, just that, I feel good about my food choices and actually feel great after my workouts at the gym this week.

Found this really cool picture on pinterest.  Life is all about choices we make, "choices are the hinges of destiny"-Edward Markham

Week 1- Weigh-In

It's already been a week! Time really does fly. Well last week was ok, I managed to go to the gym 3 times and tried to eat healthy. I reduced my carb intake too, my meals were never really balanced. I always had twice my daily portion of carbs. Not good

So results are in!

Week 0 weight = 80kg
Week 1 weight= 80kg
Weight loss = 0!!!!

I am beyond disappointed. Instead of giving up like I normally do I looked back over the week. I actually thought I did well. I was having stir fries for dinner and salads for lunch, I replaced sugar for sweetener, I even gave up rice! So what was the problem????

Well, after much self analysis, the conclusion is, although I replaced my food with healthier options I was still eating the same portions. Result is a net effect, I didn't gain weight but did not lose any either..

So this week, am tracking my meals. I already have an account with myfitnesspal (www.myfitnesspal.com) which helps track daily exercise,food and weight loss.

Hopefully week 2 will be much more successful. No treats either...have to focus.

Jay xx

What is this myth called a Healthy Lifestyle?

Ok, so I had a chat with a very disappointed  Miss Jay who has worked out diligently 3x this week and there is no weight loss, as in zero zilch!

I found it amusing to see how quickly we want to see results, but since I am not the most patient person on the planet I can relate with what she was saying.  Therefore I thought I will share a few tips on some of the Do's and Don'ts of this game based on experience.

First and foremost  if one thinks they are losing weight they get obsessed with the figures on the scale, instead why don't you see it as maintaining a healthy lifestyle?  In so doing you will not be obsessed with the figures on the scales!  Instead of weighing yourself ever too often, why don't you limit it to once a month?  I know this is hard to do but lets resist!  
Coming to think of it, after a month when you jump on the scale and see that the figures have dropped you will be sooooo excited.  I am sure that after a month of working out diligently and eaten healthily you will see a difference, so why don't you give it a go?  A word of caution at this point is to note that when one builds muscles it  manifests on our scales as  if we have put on some weight so do bear that in mind.

Another thing to note is portion control! 
This is easier said than done as most of us see weight loss as being on some crazy diet we detest.  No wonder a few weeks later we put on twice as much weight!  This is mainly due to the fact that we have starved ourselves by eating rabbit food!  Our body also understands this starvation mode so when one starts eating normally it will decide to store the food  just in case you decide to stave yourself again.  I refuse to starve myself as I love my food a but too much :-).  Instead why don't you try to reduce  your portion size and eat 4-5 times a day.  Try to eat every 4hrs if possible and ensure that after 7pm next to no carbohydrates  are eaten as your body may not get enough time to break it down before you go to sleep.  Another good tip is to drink a glass of water before eating, this also helps in you achieving the 1.5litres  one is supposed to drink per day.  I saw this interesting plate  that one can use as a guide below:



Another good tip is to take your multivatimains as well as Omega 3,6 and 9.

Finally be consistent!!

As the saying goes Rome was not built in a day and so with time you will eventually get there.

Good Luck peeps xoxox

Elle

ps: the diagram above was taken from the following website:
http://www.goldsgym.com/healthy/newsletter/2010-04/controlling-portion-sizes

Week 1- Day one

Its official, the journey has officially started. My gym bag is packed, after work am off to the gym to get the sweat on. Actually, I planned to go to the gym in the morning but who am I kidding? I am not a morning person, never will be either lol! 

I feel mentally ready, now just to tackle the physical side. To help me I’ve downloaded the Couch to 5K app on my IPhone and will workout to that. The plan is designed to get just about anyone off the couch and running 5km in nine weeks. Considering running for the bus is a feat on its own, I cannot wait to be able to sexily jog 5km all by my wholesome :)

My starting weight is 80kg. Next weigh in for me will be Sunday 18th November. 

Here we go..........

Jay x

The prognosis is out!

I did go and see the specialist on Saturday and to be honest he did not tell me much that I didn't already know.   First  I was told a string of Latin terms which I think means that I have inflamed  the tendons joining my thumb to my hand duh!  In addition to this, I was told that  at times this condition affects the wrist as well ( I know that already cause I feel the pain in my wrist).

The specialist gave me 2 options ie to either take a steroid injection which is a quick fix ( my GP had already told me this)  or to do some exercise until the pain goes away.  Since I am not a very patient person, I chose the easy option!  I have a graduation to go to in January and I need to look fly ;-)

I was then  told that if I chose option A, I will need to re-book to get the injection as the practice I was in did not have any steroid injections :(.   Don't we all just love the NHS?  So my appointment is on the 29th of November and until then I can't do any exercise (deep sigh).   Well lets look on the bright side, I have a legal/genuine reason to take steroids hehehehe.

Until then I guess I'm just going to have to read up on the diet plan for p90X and ensure that I have all the necessary kit I need to start.  Talking of which, my friend the facilitator who I will refer to as the Guru ( he is aware of this) advised that for the yoga bit if one has p90X2 it is better to do it instead of p90X version.  So that is a good tip from the Guru :-)

If you have any other tips on exercise, diet or a healthy lifestyle do feel free to share :-)

HI..Am Jay

Checking in...I am Jay, welcome to our journey to a healthy lifestyle. It won't be easy but am thrilled to have a partner in crime in the shape of Elle :)

I have never been a skinny girl, in fact I was that chubby girl at school, big rosy cheeks and all to seal the deal. This carried on till my mid 20's when I lost a whole load of weight, as in I was a size 10! I'd never felt so good and comfortable in my own skin!

But it didn't last, all my hard work unravelled over the last 2 years. My weight has plummeted up and up. It didn't happen overnight, the darn thing crept upon me like a thief in the night. Am now am a 14!! All 1 can tell you is that it doesn't feel good and am glad I have started this journey with Elle. 

So,  I will weigh in tomorrow and will take it week by wee. Here is to a healthier us! 

ps--insanity is too hard! LOL....will start with the gym for now :)

Why am I going on this crazy venture?

My name is Elle and one day whilst chatting with my friend Jay we thought it will be nice to do a blog about our bid to lose weight and be healthy.  I had totally forgotten about this crazy idea as the thought of stating how big you are or the fact that you look like you are pregnant when you are not, publicly is not my cup of tea.  But hey lets think about it, maybe if I do something as crazy as this I may be more accountable.  Hmmm time will tell!

I consider myself to be quite an active person, trying crazy sports like free running (which is pretty cool), karate and doing some boot camp training as well.  But not too long ago I got hit by a bicycle ( embarrassing but true)  on my way to work and from then things have gone downhill weight wise :-(.  I had to do some physio sessions for a while and even learnt to swim so as to strengthen my muscles in a bid to get stronger.

I have just finished uni and was hoping to start P90X thanx to the facilitation of a  friend of mine :-) who has been there and is living proof that it works!  Sadly after uni I strained my left hand as a result of spending hours in the library writing my dissertation and so I have not been able to start my new weight loss program.  One can say that the mind was willing but the hand was way too weak and so I have had to put this goal of mine on hold for now.  I am now healing nicely and finally have an appointment at the hospital to check my hand Yay!!!  Hopefully I will soon be able to start this program.

I was chatting with Jay about my plan to start this program and she reminded me that we were gonna start this blog and since at the moment I am at home looking for a job she thought it will be a wise idea.  Its interesting to note that Jay has Insanity and is supposed to be doing it but has already come up with interesting excuses like her flat is on the top floor and the floor boards in her flat are squeaky!! Lame excuses if you ask me :-p.  But I must say that according to Jay she is now going to the gym regularly so this new venture  is on!

Join us as we start this new journey.  Tell us about your journey and we can  all partake on this new path together   The first step will be to state our weight and measurements Yikes!!!

That is all for today folks xoxoxo

Elle :)