The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl

The Amazing Adventures of Svava - Part II

Ahoy there! Here is Part II of my chat with the Amazing Svava. You can read Part I here.

7. Your number came up on the random number generator and you won a place on the UAR Summer 5K course. Had you been thinking about running before you entered? Did you have any concerns/fears about running before you started?

Thanks again for that one! I had tried Couch to 5K but got stuck on a certain point and just never managed beyond that. I did participate in a 5K event in Race for Life and managed to run most of that and that was one of my proudest moments yet. But I never managed to get running to be a part of my routine.

I have wanted to be able to run since I started changing my lifestyle. It is such an accessible sport and I have serious logistic issues with getting to a gym. But most of all the allure for me lies in the image I have of runners, they are everything I am not – long, lean, lithe, naturally sporty. Whereas weight lifting is my natural sport running feels like a real challenge; and I can't resist a challenge.  

8. It’s no exaggeration to say you have become a running MACHINE during the Course. I knew you were one seriously determined woman when your wrote in your Running Diary that you went out for your first run at 4.55AM! What are your impressions of running so far?

When I first started all this lifestyle changing I needed to coax myself to go and do every session. Now I've managed to make it a natural part of my day to the point where I feel uncomfortable if I don´t exercise. It was the realisation that it just didn't matter how I felt before hand, that the rewards would always be worth the work that changed my attitude.

Running is pure joy now. Julia (the coach) has created a course that is going at a pace that I can manage and I can feel my progress every time I go out. I marvel at myself every time I run. I can't believe that I'm actually doing it. And not dying. That this body that used to just be a mountain of flab is now strong enough to propel me at a speed that is nothing to be ashamed of. Or that my lungs are strong enough to give my muscles enough oxygen to continue for extended periods of time. I just let my body take over.

My thoughts vary from day to day. Sometimes the run is difficult and I need to make up stories about winning the lottery, sometimes it feels just perfect and I use the time to just turn off my brain and think of nothing whatsoever. Bliss.

The feeling afterwards is what I exercise for. It has become my drug of choice and I am addicted to it. The feeling of achievement, of elation and happiness is just awesome. And to think that this is how I start most my days! No wonder I'm happy all the time!

Svava after finishing her 5K at the end of the U&R Course. Dig that grin!

9. You mentioned on the Forum that you recently finished your Masters degree. You’ve been juggling full time study with full time work, parenthood and “full time lifestyle changing” as you so nicely put it. Are you a natural born multi-tasker or is this another skill you have taught yourself? How do you stay organised and fit in the things you love/need to do without going bonkers?

I haven't quite finished it yet; I'm finished with all the exams and assignments. I've still got to hand in my thesis. I am insanely organised. I make lists for pretty much everything and tick things off. And then just let the things that don't matter slide. I wake up early and I organise things into priorities. I take time on a Sunday to write a menu for the week and cook as much as I can ready for it. I make ready baked porridge and egg muffins for my breakfast and cook lots of chicken breast and make sure that grabbing lunch and snacks is a quick and easy thing to do.

10. What strikes me from reading your posts is your positive attitude and ability to keep things in perspective when a training session don't go quite as planned. You don't dwell on things too long or give up, you learn a lesson and move on. Now how the heck do you manage to do that? Are you generally a positive person or again is this something that you have learned over time?

Many years ago I mentioned to my friend in a conversation that my "strip light of positivity" wasn't as bright today as normally. She looked at me funny and asked me to explain. "Well," I said, "the light that we've got inside us that makes us feel positive and happy, mine isn't shining today.” She explained to me that this was not a common thing; that not everyone had a strip light of positivity inside them. I was flabbergasted!

But I have held on to my shining light and I use it. I probably sound as mad now as I did to my friend all those years ago but I can't help but thinking that perhaps life would be easier for a lot of people if they could have my light installed and turn it on when things get tough. It makes it easier for me to just move on from things that would maybe stop other people.

11. How long have you lived in the UK? If you could create a SuperCountry with the best bits of the UK and Iceland in one place, what things would you take from each country?

I've lived here since 2003. I would have to say that apart from friends and family I do miss the Icelandic attitude that says that things will work out somehow and I really miss the just going out and getting things done. However it could sometimes be mixed in with the British cautiousness. Icelanders sometimes act without thinking of the consequences. And I would keep the British sense of humour.

12. Finally, could you sum up your Healthy Living “Formula” in ten words or less?
Organisation, planning, consistency, moderation and make it fun!

Thank you Svava!

The Amazing Adventures of Svava - Part I

Everyone, meet Svava. She hails from Iceland, lives in Wales and is one kick arse woman. I started reading her Icelandic blog via Google Translate after her number came up in the Summer Up & Running giveaway. Despite the mangled English I was instantly intrigued. It was clear from her Before and During photos she had made some massive changes in her life.

During the Summer 5K Course Svava hooked me even more (in English!) with her determination, radiant positivity and never-give-up attitude.I'm so chuffed that she was up for this interview so I can share her story with you all...

1. First of all I have to ask about your blog title Salvelinus Alpinus... what does that mean?

I'd like to say something intelligent but really it's a joke whose origins are now lost in time. Salvelinus Alpinus is the latin name for a type of fish called murta in Icelandic. Which is a sometimes joke name for me.

2. To set the scene for the statistics lovers out there, can you tell us your before and current weight and/or clothing sizes?

When I first weighed myself just over two years ago as I started my lard busting escapades I owned scales that stopped at 130 kilos (287lb). And I could not get any numbers from that scale. So I know that I was over 130 kilos at that stage. I then first logged my weight in march 2009 at 126 kilos (278lb) and I was wearing trousers UK 24, tops in UK 26 (I'm top heavy).

I now weigh 86 kilos (189lb) and am a size 16. I set myself the goal weight of 71 kilos although I must admit that as I progress in the mental side of "fixing" myself that goal has become less and less important.

 Svava in January 2008 before her adventures began

3. What prompted you to decide to lose weight? Had there been previous attempts?

I don't remember myself as anything but fat. And I don't remember a time when I've not been on a diet. I have always been confident and happy and I have never let my weight hold me back. However as my weight crept higher up the scales I started losing my natural confidence until I just didn't feel like me anymore. I was no longer in control of my addiction, it controlled me. I remember having panic attacks if there weren't any sweets in the house. Or if I foresaw that I wouldn't have private time to stuff my face.

It got to the stage where I was waiting for an appointment to see my GP about weight loss surgery but then lost my nerve. It felt such a big operation and with such massive possible complications. I thought to myself that I needed to give myself one last try, one last go at losing the weight. But I also knew that I needed to approach it somehow differently than normally.

So I sat down and reviewed every attempt I'd had at losing weight in the past, found the common denominator and then did away with that. It turned out that I had always set myself far too lofty goals in a far too small a timeframe. This time I set a much smaller goal. Instead of saying "I am going to lose 50 kilos (110lb) in a year", I said "Im going to lose 10% of myself in 4 months." 13 kilos (29lb) was so much easier to think about than 50. And then in the same way as you would climb a mountain, I set off, one bleeding step at a time.

4. What tools/methods are you using for your weight loss? How did you decide on this particular method(s)?

I have tried every diet under the sun. If it's been invented I've tried it. And diets work - it's humans that don't work. I am no exception to that; I have never been able to stick to a diet. So armed with that knowledge I sat down and thought about what would work for me. I understood that I would have to eat less and that I should choose my calories more carefully. I also knew that I would have to make some serious changes.

At first I just counted calories but then started being more mindful of what I ate. I am now aiming at eating clean for the most part. I believe passionately in moderation and would like to be able to live according to that. I do stumble all the time and I know that sugar is a massive trigger for overeating for me. I have managed to imprint in myself now that the occasional overindulgence does not have to lead to extended periods of overeating, I can always stop myself before it spirals out of control.

This has lead me to being hopeful that I will be able to live in mindful moderation sooner than later. I don't allow myself to feel guilty when I stumble. I choose to analyse those occasions to better understand myself and how I can then either avoid the situation or better control it next time. I aim for consistency rather than perfection.

The Svava and Big Pants Photo - it has to be done!

5. How did you get started with exercise? Have you always been into fitness or has this developed during your weight loss journey?

I have never been athletic or exercised. And I do not believe that exercise is necessary for weight loss. I am however convinced that exercise can be the difference between simply being on a diet and making a permanent change in your lifestyle. For me it is the thing that I use to set myself goals to achieve when the scales aren't moving.

I was too heavy to do much when I first started, but instead of doing what I'd normally do; go to an aerobics class, feel fat and incompetent, get breathless and wish for death and then never go again, I decided that exercise would now be on my terms the same as my diet. So I got a Pilates DVD and just did that at home until I felt ready to try more energetic moves on Wii EA Active. I then got a book on weightlifting, joined the gym attached to my workplace and started dabbling with running as well.

As I get fitter exercising cements my new lifestyle. I feel that goals such as being able to run 5k or deadlift 80kg are much more sustainable goals than wanting to reach a certain weight. It all holds hands; I am now a healthy person, not just because I mostly eat clean but because I am fit and strong.

And I think that the most important changes I have made to my mindset come from exercising.  In all honesty it has been a fun and relatively easy adventure in the kitchen, I love cooking and I have made it a fun assignment to create healthy, appetising recipes that I enjoy eating. But exercising did not come naturally to me. That was the aspect of my life that is new and changed for me. It is the aspect where I continue to amaze and astound myself with my achievements.

6. I’ve read on your blog you can lift some seriously heavy weights! Has weight training played a role in your weight loss? What’s your favourite move?

I love all the old school "proper" weight lifting. I firmly believe that you should lift as heavy weights as possible with few reps. Squats are by far my favourite move. When I rack up 70 kilos of iron, put it on my shoulders and then squat down and stand up again... the feeling of strength, invincibility and achievement is indescribable.

Discovering weight training was a pivotal point in my weight loss. And I would recommend it for anyone who is overweight. Most of us fat people are already strong from carrying a lot of extra weight. It doesn't involve hopping about and doesn't leave you breathless and uncomfortable. You can wear much looser fitting clothing that in most other sports and you don’t have to be in a class full of nimble beings.

All this adds to building up confidence. This feeling of being strong gives such a positive body image and when you are used to thinking of your body as a useless lump this feeling is invaluable. Starting lifting was the point where I became serious about exercising and made it a real part of my life.

Check out Part II of the interview when Svava talks about her running adventures, her "striplight of positivity" and her formula for healthy living.

Svava at the gym

Right where I am

"I have come to believe that there really is no such thing as a backslide. It's all part of moving forward, even when it doesn't feel like it.

There are many clichés in the dieting world: Get back on the wagon, Get back on track, Start again tomorrow (or on Monday,) and so on. I like to think that it's more a matter of continuing from right where I am."

A nice wee quote for the weekend, from an interview with the smokin' Karen Anderson.

Mindful, intuitive eating and/or just plain helpful books

Holy slackarse, Batman. I was digging around in the archives looking for an old post when I noticed I'd said last September that I would write a post "later in the week" about the books that had helped me with my mindful eating/living experiments.

Rather than faffing around for another eleven months I thought I'd jot down a few of them RIGHT NOW. Action woman! Kapow!

	When You Eat At The Refrigerator, Pull Up A Chair by Geneen Roth A good Gateway to Geneen book. I read her mega famous Oprah-blessed Women, Food And God but the writing style didn't gel with me as much as this one. Refrigerator consists of short essays written with humour and straight-to-the-guts-ness. There's a nice mix of insight and practical ideas. I was chuckling throughout, "Geneen you crazy cat! I do that shit too!". I went a little crazy with my yellow highlighter pen. Memorable quotes: "There is no right way. What works for one person may not work for another. What works at one time in your life may not work five years later. It's important to honor all the paths you've taken, the cures you've tried, the efforts you've made, and to let go of them when they stop assisting your growth." "If you start eating when you are not physically hungry, it is very difficult to stop when you've had enough. It is like pouring water into an already full glass. There's no space for the food to fill."
	Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful: How to End Your Struggle with Mindless Eating and Start Savoring Food with Intention and Joy by Susan Albers This book is a follow-up to another Albers book with an equally unwieldy subtitle, Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food. I skipped straight to this one as it's a workbook full of quizzes and practical exercises and I really love writing inside books. With pen! Naughty naughty. Seriously, I enjoyed Eating Mindfully. It's practical and the exercises ask some very insightful questions. And just when you're feeling rather raw and vulnerable having learned a lot about why you go crazy with the chocolate, there are practical steps to help you move forward, from setting up your environment, mindful shopping and how to let go of old habits.
	Beyond Chocolate: How to stop yo-yo dieting and lose weight for good by Sophie Boss & Audrey Boss I mentioned Beyond Chocolate during the 10th Birthday Sell Out earlier this year. Here's what I said: "... I like that Beyond Chocolate is not written by doctors or scientists. It's about two ordinary women who got fed up with dieting, worked to find a new way of eating without going bonkers, then shared their learnings with others. The book has a good balance of "the deep stuff" and practical tools and information, to make the book both useful and enlightening. What I like most is that Beyond Chocolate stresses the importance of "being your own guru" - that you can have all the information in the world but only you know what is best for you and your body. They don't pretend to have all the answers for you, just tools and ideas to get your started on your own path. At first that can be a scary concept - especially if you've been following other people's diet rules all your life. But it's so empowering when to realise (re-realise, in my case) that you know yourself better than anyone else, and treating yourself with kindness and respect gets far better results than punishment and deprivation."
	Feed Me!: Writers Dish About Food, Eating, Weight, and Body Image edited by Harriet Brown This collection of essays offers a great variety of perspectives - women of diverse sizes, cultures, backgrounds and ages. There's some fantastic raw and honest writing; I particularly liked the essays by Wendy McClure, Kate Harding and Joyce Maynard - you can read her essay Pie online. The book left me thinking, Dang, we all got issues. That might sound a depressing thought but it was kinda reassuring and I felt more peace and perspective on my own body image niggles. Thanks again Nikki for kindly sending this book!
	The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown Brené Brown is a research professor who has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. I'd watched her TED talk (a great place to start to see what Brené is all about) but I didn't order the book until Jen of Perfect in Our Imperfections wrote about it. Jen is my personal barometer of good things, you see :) It took me three months to finish the book. At first I thought, "I'm cool with me these days, I don't feel unworthy and I'm no perfectionist!". But one phrase in the book kept singing out: hustling for worthiness. To quote from her DVD of the same title: "If we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don’t fit with who we think we’re supposed to be, we stand outside of our story and have to hustle for our worthiness by constantly performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving." The Four P's of the human doormat! Anyway... I think I'm still digesting this book, but parts of it really resonated. I've since noticed since that so many times when I reach for food it's triggered from uncomfortable feelings of shame or unworthiness. It's been very helpful to recognise that. Interesting stuff!

So there's a wee sample of books that have got my rusty brain cogs working! Note: As always the book links are Amazon.com affiliate links. I make a small commission from any sales made via the links. As a non-US resident I am rewarded in Amazon.com gift vouchers, and have use them to support my workout DVD and almond butter habits. A huge thanks to everyone who has purchased via these links over the years :)

The Amazing Adventures of Philippa

Philippa, from Hampshire England, is a longtime Dietgirl reader. She's just finished the Up & Running 5K Course and inspired my socks off with the amazing changes she made over the eight weeks, inside and out.

I asked if she'd write about her running experience for you guys and she kindly obliged!

...

Running was for fit people. Cool, confident people with bouncy ponytails who never broke a sweat. Not people who once ate a whole takeout pizza, plus side dish, plus dessert for dinner, nor people who got breathless walking up stairs. Running was for other people.

So how did I end up in the park on my day off, wearing trainers and a sports watch!?

A year ago I'd been in much the same position. I'd downloaded the Couch to 5K programme and gave it a go... for a whole 10 days. I turned purple, almost hacked up a lung and proved all the things I thought I knew about running, including the fact that I couldn't do it. I went back to the couch and the calorie counting. This had worked for the last few years, taking me from 220lb to 162lb. There was never much exercise involved; I didn't stick with anything for long.

So why would running be different this year? I was still a bit overweight, I still hated public exercise and I had already established that I just couldn't do it. I wrote to Shauna about Up & Running and she assured me that being a bit overweight and unfit wasn't a problem. My negative little brain insisted, C'mon, she doesn't mean you, you're a whole new level of couch potato! But Shauna gave me a firm nudge, saying that if I really wanted to do it, it was possible.

I really really wanted to. I signed up for Up & Running and for the next eight weeks I walked, skipped and stretched. I did arm swings, side-stepped and skipped some more.

And I started to run. Slowly.

It was so slow that I could probably have walked faster! But the first time I ran I laughed out loud, right there in the park. I was like a kid in the playground going down a slide, that feeling that makes you want to shout, Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, look at what I can do! That first 10 seconds of running was amazing. That was what got me out there for the next session - I wanted more of that feeling.

Occasionally the training messed with my head. I had to push Little Miss Grumpy out the door when she didn’t want to go. I'd doubt my abilities as I read the training plan, “They want me to do what?". If I had a 'bad' workout I'd be convinced the magic was gone and everything was about to come crashing down. Years of negativity about my abilities weren't going to disappear in a few weeks. But it wasn't magic that had got me running - that wasn't going to disappear either! It was simply an off-day and with the support and advice from Coach Julia and the other ladies, I got back out there and kept going.

Along the way I've learned so much more than just how to run. The person who started the Course didn’t know what she was capable of. She was scared of so many things, with failure being top of the list. She hated what she looked like and she sure as hell didn’t want to draw attention to herself either.

But now? Looking in the mirror I can still see the stretch marks and a belly roll and thighs, but when I run it doesn't matter. My thighs aren't monsters any more, they're strong and powerful. And they work! I've never treated my body very kindly, damaging it and filling it with substandard fuel, but it's mine and despite what I've put it through it still works. Whenever I run it does what I ask it to do, rewarding me for treating it more kindly.

The Course finished with us completing a 5K race. Each training session had covered a maximum distance of 4km, so I wondered if I had it in me.  As I started my stopwatch I was terrified. The old feelings of self-doubt were there until I ran past a little old lady. She asked me how many miles I was running.

"Three miles!" I said.

And just like that the fear was gone. She saw a chick in running clothes, running. She saw a runner. So of course a runner would be running a few miles on a lovely sunny morning! God bless that lady.

I finished my run in 37 minutes 8 seconds feeling good. Not anything amazing, just good. I came home and it all felt like a bit of an anti-climax.

But then the tears came.  Wonderful tears, as another Up and Runner called it, "talking with water". Thirty years of fearing failure poured out out with the realisation I’d accomplished something I'd never thought possible.

I'm planning my running future now. I did a 5k local parkrun this past weekend, then in mid June I'm going to Scotland to run with some of the other Up & Running ladies. I'll meet Shauna and thank her in person for being a huge part of my journey (and to apologise for using that cheesy word!).

I still have some weight to lose but it's not the only goal now. I want to run well and I know that being a little lighter will help, but I want to achieve things with this body of mine. I want to run 5km FAST! I want to do the Up & Running 10K course in September and I want to run a marathon some day!

I don't know how yet or what else will happen along the way, but I do know my body can do amazing things now. And I won’t let fear stop me any more.

The Movie of Your Life

One of the Spring Up & Runners, the astoundingly clever Sara Lando, said the most wonderful thing on the forums recently when one of her comrades was having an off day with their running:

"... Struggling looks best in the future biography of your life.

Can you imagine how boring would be if you told your story like "yeah, I started running and it was ok. Then I was awesome. The end".

Sometimes as I run I try to imagine an epic voice narrating what I'm doing. You know the guy that does movie trailer voiceovers? He goes like "And through adversities... never giving up... with sheer willpower..." and so on.

So I feel like I'm fighting for something great with spectators rooting for me and since I just avoid movies without an happy ending I KNOW I will eventually win. If I suck it just means I'm about halfway through the movie and that I need a good training montage."

(Quoted here with Sara's blessing)

P.S. It's been a little crazy around here since I got home, more soon!

Wow

From Jen @ Perfect in our Imperfections today:

"I think when we get to the point where we really believe something is at the top of our priority list, nothing can stop us. We can find a way around any excuse. We don't need advice, we just need to realize our own power and make our own goals a priority, and then rearrange our lives accordingly. Simple, right?"

I love Jen.

Who are your self esteem heroes?

Recently I linked to Already Pretty, a fantastic blog by Sally McGraw about personal style and body image. Last Monday she wrote yet another brilliant post about her self esteem heroes.

It's easy to focus on and amplify the memories of those who have given your self-esteem and/or body image a kicking. Family members remarking on sturdy thighs, teachers pointing out chubbiness (so professional), or girls who called you a "red-headed slut" in high school. Despite having red hair themselves.

(Actually that last one made me chortle at the time and still does two decades later!)

Sally wrote:

But let’s talk instead about the quiet heroes of your self-esteem. Who in your life makes you feel gorgeous, powerful, perfect? Which friends and family members are quick with a compliment, or eager to re-route the conversation when you start tearing yourself down?

Such a cool idea. Here's my list - incomplete for sure, but it's been awhile since posts. No time for dilly-dallying!

• Colin the Kickboxing Coach - I wrote previously that he deserves a knighthood for services to self esteem. He makes everyone in the team feel welcome, from prize fighter to prize wussbag. Whenever I'm about to punch myself in the noggin with frustration he'll pop up and say, "nice kick" or "good work, keep going!" and that you suck! voice is sent back in its box.

• Kellie the Zumba Lass - I'm an anonymous number in an insanely crowded classes - she wouldn't know me if she tripped over my beet-faced sweat-basted semi-conscious body. But her classes make me feel so freakin' alive - I'm always there, fully present with shaking booty. Afterward I'm giddy and can't shut up about it all day.
• Sister Rhi - We dissect our lives in a weekly phone debrief, lifting each other up and laughing at ourselves and our misadventures.
• Carla - Our podcast calls leave me buzzing and determined to make the most out of my days. Carla makes me see how important it is to be passionate about what you do and not let other's opinions stop you.
• Dr G - He is very economical with his words - a man of action to my slug with verbal diarrhea.
  
  "Your eyes look especially blue today" I'll say.
  
  "Yeah," comes the reply, "Blue EYE BAGS!".
  
  Or: "You're looking very tan lately, Doc!"
  
  "It's just dirt!"
  
  But he makes me feel loved and happy to be alive by making me laugh - half the time he doesn't even realise he's said something funny, which makes it even better. He also knows when to give a hug and can tell the difference between carefree joke and joke-to-disguise-inner turmoil.
  
  He also always remembers when it's Haircut Day so he can say, "I like your 'do!" when I arrive home even though he can't really see a difference.

How about you?

Sermon on the Blog

Last week I got emails from three different people saying they'd dug up an entry from four years ago called Things I Have Learned.

I re-read it myself and found it very reassuring, like the Ghost of Shauna's Past telling me DUDE we've been here before so don't you worry bout a thing!

In light of the aforementioned mushy brain I thought I would re-post it today for the new-school readers.

2006 Disclaimer:  This is not smug lecturing or advice or a dietary Sermon on the Mount. It's just a wee list of lessons learned over the last five years. And so many of em took almost all that time to learn. I'm a bit slow.

Disclaimer Update 2010:  Yep. Still learnin'!

• Laugh at yourself. Especially when you screw things up!
• Don't compare your progress to other bloggers, instead be inspired by them (ie. steal their ideas!)
• Try to reduce the self-loathing. I'm not saying you have to look in the mirror and chant, "YOU ARE A WINNER!", but it really doesn't help to stand around yelling at your thighs.
• Remember that the weight loss industry exists to make money, whether it's Weight Watchers or Slimming Magazine or the CSIRO or Dr Gillian McKeith. Even though they all help in their own ways, they don't have all the answers and they really want you to buy the Choco Crisp Bars or send away for the Pilates DVD. Take bits and pieces from what they tell you and clobber it together to make your own way of doing things. Don't let anything be a substitute for thinking for yourself.
• Don't put things off until you Get Skinny. Try something crazy and new. If you fail, just don't blog about it!
• Deal with The Past.
• Look at the Big Picture or look at the Little Picture. Whichever is easiest to stomach at the time!
• Don't disappear up your own arse. Losing weight seems to bring a lot of introspection and lightbulb moments, but don't let this journey take over your life.
• Accept that you are moody, inconsistent and full of contradictions. What worked for you yesterday may shit you to tears tomorrow, and for no reasonable reason!
• Never eat lentils before you do squats or lunges.
• Just because you think everything is about your weight, don't assume everyone else sees it that way. Often other people are much better at seeing past your fat than you are.
• Just because you lose weight doesn't mean your old fears and problems will disappear. Example: If you were scared of rollercoasters when you were 350lb you may still shit your pants at the thought of them 160 pounds later!
• Total Greek Yogurt is the best thing to come out of Greece since Plato.
• Things won't change overnight. It takes time, trial and error to forge a healthy lifestyle and figure out what works for you. The difficulty of this task increases by tenfold increments depending on how many times per week you used to visit McDonalds Drive Thru.
• Don't let the fear of loose skin, belly rolls or flabby arms stop you. Do you think Oprah worried about her bingo wings? No. She just flap-flap-flapped and flew away to world domination!
• If you're still worried about your flabby arms, move to Scotland. You can get away with long sleeves for about 364 days a year.
• Even when you royally screw up – over and over and over again – you can pick yourself up again. As long you never stop believing you will get there in the end.

One Fit Bloke

A mighty cheer goes out to Kepa, the lovely young lad who christened our podcast Two Fit Chicks And A Microphone. He hit his goal weight this week. How do you like these stats?

Then: 229 kgs (504.8 lbs)
Now: 99.5 kgs (219.4 lbs)
Weight lost: 129.5 kgs (285.4 lbs)

Check out his video:

Comments are closed here to encourage you to scoot over to his blog and say WELL DONE! For the lad is a deadset legend! And maybe wish him and his sweetheart Merry a happy Valentine's day while you're there :)

(New entry tomorrow! Woohoo!)

Get Out Of Your Own Way

Recently our kickboxing coach went crazy with Microsoft Word and a laminator and made some Motivational Posters. I used to see bare studio walls as I huffed through the jack jumps and high knee jogging, but now there's a bounty of cheesy inspiration:

• Pain Is Just Failure Leaving The Body
• Over Prepare So You Don't Under Perform
• It's Always Too Soon To Quit
• Pressure Is A Challenge To Meet Rather Than A Threat of Defeat
• In Case Of Fire Our Evacuation Meeting Point Is Adjacent To The Bus Station.

This is the one that's plonked in my direct line of vision:

I get in my own way all the bloody time. I should have feet full of holes from all the times I've shot myself there. Some days it doesn't matter how much confidence someone has in my abilities, it's nigh impossible to believe it for myself. If you gave me one reason why I could do something I'd give you nine why I'd be rubbish.

Our coach deserves a knighthood for services to self esteem. The lassies on our team are a rich variety of ages, shapes, abilities and backgrounds. Whether you're a prize fighter or a galumphing amateur, he has utter faith in our ability to achieve. He quietly pushes us out of our comfort zones and sees no reason why we can't kick arse, literally and figuratively. I love observing the determined flush a well-time compliment can bring. You can see the posture straighten and the punches sharpen.

Personally there's been occasions when I've said "I can't do that move" and Mr Coach will say "Yeah you can!" so I do it, albeit clumsily. Then I see that the only real obstacle is my own mind - the insecurities and doubts and self-imposed limitations.

I talked about this stuff with a fellow foot-shooter and we reckoned that an important step towards getting out of your own way is to figure out why the hell you keep doing it in the first place. But it's still exhilarating to recognise when it happens, push the fears aside and go forth regardless. Even if it results in getting punched in the nose!

Friday Link Feast #4 - Active Recovery Edition

Mornings are brilliant, if you can get past that having to wake up and get out of your scratcher thing. Mornings mean you get a fresh start every twenty-four hours.

This is painfully bloody obvious now that I think about it, but nevertheless an opportunity I'd been ignoring. Recently I gawked up the ceiling the morning after a particularly rubbish day and thought, I could do something differently today. Doesn't have to be important or perfect or loud or dazzling, but it could be different. It could be better than yesterday. Why the hell why not?

Anyway. Here are some links to things that have lit up my world lately.

• Keri Smith's Wreck This Journal
  The title is self-explanatory. It's a journal that you systematically dismantle. Every page has a simple instruction - punch holes in this page, set fire to this page, rub dirt on this page, sew this page, scribble on this page, chop out this page and mail it to a friend, etc etc etc. I bought it back in 2007 but was too scared to mark it; I couldn't decide which pen to use, for goodness' sake! But now the time for mindless destruction. It's great.
• Jazz Apples.
  Not to be confused with jazz mags. I bought a bagful just for the amusing name but they are sweet and crunchy. Normally I fall asleep halfway through eating an apple because they are so bloody boring, but not so the Jazz Apple.
• The Black Dog Books
  Kylie May, are you out there? I've been trying to hunt you down to say a huge thanks for sending two wonderful books - I Had A Black Dog and Living With A Black Dog.
  
  They are both picture books, the first about depression and the latter designed for someone who knows a depressed person. If you struggle with depression and can't put the fuzzy bleakness into words, these are the books to shove into a loved ones arms. They take all of ten minutes to read but are funny, insightful, helpful and full of hope.
• 8 Steps To Conquer The Beast Within
  This Martha Beck article about tackling your demons was in an Oprah magazine I'd bought for purely the cupcake recipes. But months later I felt compelled to read the non-cupcake pages, as I feel the same guilt for an unread magazine that I do for a shriveled carrot in the bottom of the fridge - the object has not fulfilled its destiny because of my laziness and neglect. Turns out every article resonated, and this Beck one mega useful, particularly the Lifeline Graph exercise.
• My Tiny Plot
  It's been eight whole days and my brand new herb garden is not yet dead! I'm devouring all things gardening and Gillian's blog about her Bath garden is the dogs' bollocks. That's Bath as in the City Of, by the way; not a garden full of bath tubs. Although that could look very cool.

Note: I didn't end up finishing this until Monday, but let's not spoil the alliteration!

Scared is a feeling, not a mandate

Here's a most excellent quote to ponder while I finish off the next entry and paddle in this bottomless pit of corporate ToDo and overwhelmedness while trying to remember that panicking gets you nowhere, tra la la la!

"Everyone gets scared before they try something new. By everyone I mean me, and I’m certain you are all exactly like me. But I do hear this from other people: They are scared to come to a class, scared to try a new activity, scared of me and my crazy talk, but odds are only one of those is really going to do lasting damage. Scared is a feeling, not a mandate. Be scared, try it anyway, yeah yeah. No one wants to look like a fool or take a risk, but odds are, most people are so absorbed in what they are doing, they won’t even see you, and besides, they probably feel the same way, so let’s all get huggy and be done with it."

Five things I learned as a trainer - the always brilliant Kelly, FitnessFixation.com [via Marla]

DG by Request: Why blog?

How boring would lard-busting be without blogging? Pretty bloody dull, I tells ya. I've had emails from new folks who saw my Early Show appearance and asked how they can start blogging, and also why one would want to pick up such a nerdy habit in the first place. I thought I would answer that here!

The how is easy - you can create a blog in minutes at Blogger or Typepad or Wordpress or BlogToLose or SparkPeople. They're very user-friendly so don't worry if you're not geekily inclined!

There are many reasons why - such as accountability to yourself and others, putting your hopes and fears and goals in writing, and having a place to celebrate and/or whine about the process. A blog can be whatever you want it to be - anonymous or exhibitionist; soul-searching essays or just jotting down your lunch. You don't even have to write one at all - reading blogs can be equally rewarding.

Personally I reckon without all the friendships, ideas, recommendations, advice, recipes, comments, challenges, support, insight and inspiration I've found from this blogging caper, I might still be plodding along on the treadmill yelling, "BORRRRRING!" at quarter-mile intervals. It's the spice, it's the flavour! There are so many things that are now fundamental parts of my life I might never have otherwise discovered. I've listed just a few at the end of this entry.

I think you need to have many different tools in your Toolshed o' Healthy Living, but blogging is one that won't just collect dust on the shelf. Ho ho ho.

• Wendy linked to Krista's Stumptuous site in 2001 and I discovered the concept of chicks lifting heavy objects.
• Nessajane blogged about Body Pump classes and got me thoroughly addicted.
• Robyn blogged about the mighty Enell sports bra in 2004 and I could finally do cardio without clutching The Girls in agony. It's the ugliest garment known to mankind, but so effective.
• Marla mentioned Cathe Friedrich fitness DVDs and turned me into a slobbering fangirl.
• Wilma emailed out of the blue with knee-healing advice just when I was ready to stab my faulty joint with a pen.
• Mistress Julia kicked my arse with her running expertise.
• Kathryn wrote about her boxing classes and intrigued with the idea of punching real people.
• I'm pretty sure it was Smaller Sue who blogged about low fat cream cheese and fruit spread on toast circa 2005, just when my breakfasts were getting batshit boring.
• Jen got me hooked on the Jillian Michaels podcast.
• Argyro introduced me to the wonders of Fage Total Greek Yogurt. I wish Argy would start blogging again!
• In 2006 Elise of Simply Recipes blogged this recipe for a sauce with cilantro, lime and chili that we have made almost every week since (with less oil)
• Mary got me onto Om Yoga DVDs and the brilliant The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook
• Sophie mentioned in passing that she puts porridge/oatmeal in a thermos jar for her commute. I promptly copied and can now have piping hot porridge at my desk at 10AM!
• I wish I could remember where I first read about a spoonful of peanut butter in porridge. So good!
• Bex blogged about the 30 Day Shred DVD which is great when you want your arse kicked in just 20 minutes.
• Her royal buffness Kek gave endless weight training and healthy eating advice
• Maggie at Caustic Musings mentioned Cardio Coach MP3 workouts which made gym cardio far more bearable
• Kim reviewed the rockin' Element Pilates which is now one of my most beloved workout DVDs.

There are so many things. This is a work in progress, but will add more when as I think of 'em. It's nice to remember.

My New Guru

Forget your Doctor Phils and Paul McKennas, I've found a new guru for healthy living. Shaquille O'Neal started Twittering towards the end of last year (he's the Real Shaq), joining the growing ranks of celebrities sending out their thoughts in 140 characters or less.

Shaq has a great turn of phrase and is full of inspirational quotes. Most of all I love hearing about his yoga classes, getting a haircut and trying to resist the siren call of McDonalds. See, he's just like us... except really tall and wealthy!

Return to Fancy Gym

Excitement! Sweat! Nostalgia! The lovely Lainey gave me a guest pass for Fancy Gym, the temple of fitness that used to be my second home before I moved across the Forth for love. We went along to Body Pump, hosted by Kiwi Vanessa, a.k.a the best instructor in the universe.

Last time I was in her buff and bossy presence was January 2005, during Operation Wedding Dress. She was as fit and strong as ever; I think I counted 50 kilos on her bar for the squats. She corrected my form during that track - my wonky knee wasn't tracking properly. I can't believe she noticed me. Woohoo!

I've missed Body Pump so much. The plastic clickity-clack of the weights, the ridiculous sense of anticipation during the Warm-up, the mutual nods of agony with your neighbour when the evil Chest track is over. Without thinking I set up my step at my old spot up the back on the left-hand side, right next to the mirror. During 2003 and 2004, most Mondays and Thursdays, I'd keep one eye glued to my reflection, searching for signs of shrinkage.

But most of all I'd missed the motivational banter, and Vanessa did not disappoint.

"PAIN IS TEMPORARY!" she bellowed as we grunted through the Shoulder track, "BUT FAILURE IS FOREVER!"

The Amazing Adventures of Mistress Julia

2 kilometre swim. 75 kilometre cycle. 20 kilometre run.

The incredible Julia, running guru extraordinaire, recently completed the Mergozzo Half Ironman in Italy. Holy crap, is all I can say. What an achievement. She is one bloody amazing, determined woman! Be sure to read all her posts as it is a wonderfully epic tale.

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III
• Part IV
• Part V