Day 22 - Duck! It's a new personal best.

Or muscles your body doesn't even agree exist anywhere on you... Today Gareth brought the ViPR to the park again. Oh joy. (If you don't know what the ViPR is, see here).

He asked me ordered me to run through all sorts of exercises with it in the middle of the park. Much like this photo above. When it got tough to lift, after the 10,000th lift, he clapped really loudly to spur me on having the added effect of drawing everyone's attention to us.. Thanks Gareth!

So much so that a little boy cycling down the path nearby with his little sister on her bike stopped to watch. After I completed a circuit they applauded! I got me some applause, people!

Still waiting on the gold stars though. (Thanks Sarah for my facebook star). I'm holding out for an actual sticker.

I explain these sessions to my colleagues and friends and they look horrified! Maybe because when I go back to the office, my face is bright purple. I'm hoping that's just the sunshine! These sessions might sound tough but they're fun really and we laugh a lot. 

 

 

At the end of the session, an old biddy sped across the common on a mobility scooter, going faster (I just typed 'fatster' haha!)  than I can run. She went right by us like we didn't exist. She didn't care about the designated pathways, she was on a mission and going off piste. I turned to start back to the car park as Gareth suggested "ask for a lift" nodding towards our intruder!

New experiences = 9 -   Applause while working out in the park. Whoop! Whoop!

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Dinner this Saturday night was at a friends and each couple brought a course. To my absolute delight, my wonderful friends had taken into account this project and had planned a really healthy starter and main course. Isn't that thoughtful! I was so touched, I almost cried into my salad.

So starter was an amazing salad prepared by the Swedish Goddess, Hilda. She's called a goddess because she looks like Jennifer Aniston. But we still like her. (Hawkeye Hilda, her blog).

Main course by Rob was a Jamie O recipe of duck breast with salad, ciabatta bread with rosemary and garlic.  It was DELICIOUS. I'll get the recipe and post it here. 

And pudding was suggested by Gareth and made by me. (He cooks too!) Meringue with lots of fresh fruit, greek yoghurt with a mango and lime coulis. Yum!

My halo almost blinded everyone. It was an excellent dinner. Apart from the wine..hmm.. that might have gone a bit wrong.  I need to work on cutting down the wine.

So please wish me luck as my next weigh in is tomorrow. It's less than a week since the last one. Eek! Getting worried now. Where are those laxatives....

Sunday, I went swimming. As I've said before, I normally do 64 lengths (1 mile) in an hour and last week, I managed to finish the mile in 56 minutes! New personal best.

Drum roll..... I have a new new personal best..... 52 mins, 39 seconds. Whoop! Whoop! I really pushed myself and wanted to stop a couple of times but I heard Gareth's orders inspirational motivation in my head and carried on. I was so pleased to beat my latest time! I find it hard to believe that in just 3 weeks, almost 4, my fitness has changed so much.

Thanks Gareth! I don't really hate you when you make me wrestle with the ViPR, honest!

Day 18 - Eat loads of food and lose weight...

I was a WIMP. Pure and simple. Gareth decided we were doing lots of cardio today. His exact words. We did A LOT OF CARDIO. He made me run (with a little walking, on and off) for 25 minutes... I am so tired now. Followed by a ton of boxing (ish). I can barely type.

I think that he was in such a good mood today because it's his birthday (Happy Birthday Gareth! 25 years OLD) and that it was such a gorgeous day he decided that we were going to really push to my limits. I found it. At about minute 10.  But he wasn't having any of it.  He's definitely getting bossier as he's gotten older.

At work, five people in very quick succession asked me if I'd been out in the sunshine all lunchtime... No, no, this is the post workout glow (my face was purple). 

On the bright side, I weighed in again today and have lost another 4lbs - whoop! whoop! that's 10lbs in just 18 days.  Round of applause? Muchas Gracias. 

[Some of you may be wondering why I haven't posted since Saturday (yeah right, like there's anyone reading this). I was ill with a man-cold so couldn't type. Really. But all better now!]

AND I resisted eating even one cake from a huge platter of gorgeous cakes at work this afternoon. I sent a photo of it to Gareth, 'Should I eat it?' His reply 'umm.. you tell me?' Dammit. No permission granted even after turning purple.  I bet he's eating cake today.  Y'know, being birthday boy 'n'all.

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Last Saturday, I swam my usual mile. Normally it takes me an hour (sometimes a few minutes more). However, last Saturday it took me 56 minutes!!! Can you believe it? I've knocked four minutes off my time (my maths is amazing).

Yesterday I went swimming again in my lunchbreak, determined to do it in 56 minutes or less. Half way through (I was making good time), the fire alarm went off. Due to my immense dedication, I requested that I carry on swimming. I mean, I was in the safest place right? But alas no, I had to get out and stand by the side of the pool.

What? I said. THAT side of the pool. Nearest the street. With the big windows. You've gotta be kiddin' me!

For me, each swim starts with a sprint from the ladies changing rooms to the pool, head down, hoping not to see anyone, and ends likewise. If I can't see them then they can't see me. Perfect. But now, this pool attendant wants me to stand next to floor-to-ceiling windows with the general public standing right outside? At a bus stop. Looking in because the fire alarm was sounding.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. YOU WIN THIS TIME.

Thankfully, the pool attendant dished out tin foil foil blankets to everyone. I tried to get back into the pretend burning building to get my iPhone to take a picture for you all in my tin foil finery but, funnily enough, they wouldn't let me back to the changing rooms. I tried people, I tried.

I've kept my blanky for the fast approaching day when Husband refuses to turn the heating on anymore because it's TOO WARM. From the man who wears t-shirts all through winter.

New experiences = 8. Wrapped in tin foil in front of a crowd.



Day 12 - Four men and their ViPR...

 

Being challenged when training with Gareth is inevitable....  Challenged in the sense that no training session has been the same yet which is actually great. (I do love surprises, love 'em, want 'em, lock it down!)

As each work out has been so completely different, I never know what to expect.  But yesterday's session was......... I can't actually think of an appropriate word. 

Gareth brought his viper to the park, no, sorry, his ViPR. Example below. Not the man. His name might well be ViPR or Buck or Randy Bumgardner but he wasn't there yesterday. It's the big black tubey thing.



How did they find four brothers who all work out the same amount and look incredibly like each other? weird huh? That fourth brother can't have been pleased when his face was blocked out by his third brother. Bet they argued about that afterwards.

Anyhoo, Gareth has invested in this new piece of equipment called a ViPR.  Yep, they called it a ViPR. So many jokes, so little time. Oh well, you go ahead and snigger for a while. I'll wait here.

Ya' done?

I was tasked to carry it (it weighs 10 kg) around the park until we came to our (un)secluded spot for the exercises.  I was not 'allowed' to let it touch the ground while walking to our spot. I can't report to you what the punishment would've been for letting it drop to the ground. I didn't dare do it to find out.

All the exercises involved using the ViPR too.  There was side stepping with it (I was grateful for all those years of country dancing at that moment - dosey D'OH!), push ups with it lying on my back, pushing it above my head while standing as demonstrated here by Gareth..

And squatting with it while holding it at chest height. Again as demonstrated here by Gareth..

 

Gareth said I was trying to waste time by taking photos of him... I said the ladies who read the blog need something for the weekend. YA WELCOME, Y'ALL!

It was certainly a challenge and very enjoyable. Something different for a Friday.

I was not defeated however! WOOHOO! I carried that bl**dy thing around the park for the whole time. Bonus points to me! Merci Beaucoup.

(Gareth said I could take his ViPR home for the weekend. To carry on working out with it. I humbly declined. I'm going to London to use my newly acquired arm muscles for lifting glasses of Sauvignon Blanc).

And now, for your viewing pleasure, is the first video of me at the training session, carrying out one of the many exercises with the ViPR. This was about the third set of 20 of this particular exercise. Before this, I'd done LOADS of others honest... excuses, excuses!

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Today I might have to become reacquainted with my new best friend - DeepHeat. Gareth has decided on his training plan for me 'Monday Pleasure, Friday Pain'. Sounds interesting doesn't it?!

Funnily enough, I love the sound of Mondays but right now, my back and legs despise the sound of Fridays.

I have a theory on his new plan... he pushes me on Friday so that I'm aching so much over the weekend that I can't really do anything or go anywhere. Therefore, I'm less likely to go shopping and therefore less likely to walk past Krispy Kreme or Thorntons or go out anywhere and enjoy myself!

Instead, I spend the weekend hobbling around the house, applying DeepHeat and whimpering into my 2 litre bottle of water.

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On a sad note, still no gold star stickers... what does a girl have to do to get a sticker around here?

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P.S. Physio2fit now has a female Personal Trainer on their team so if your excuse was 'It all sounds great but I don't want to work out with a bloke'... NO EXCUSES NOW...

P.P.S. So many friends have spoken to me about various items on my post which is amazing that, 1) anyone is reading and 2) I'm learning so many wonderful and funny things about my friends!

So take Terhi whose family have kept a wooden rocking chair (child size) in the family despite all the children being in their 20's or older. They entertain each other by sitting in it and getting their behinds stuck in it. Then, seeing who can stand up with it still attached. See, in Finland, it's a game! I was playing for points in Andorra and I didn't even know it. (Terhi has promised photos of herself stuck in aforementioned chair soon).

Or take Zoë, who on reading my last post, messaged me to say that she has kept a size 12 jacket hanging on the outside of her wardrobe to visualise her goal. We're all at it!

Or take Tracey, who sent me photos of herself a few years ago four stone heavier. She's lost it all and kept it off. She looks amazing. I've only ever known her as slim so had no idea that she was once heavier. She's an inspiration to me AND she got a promotion this week - WOOHOO! Let's all holler, CONGRATULATIONS to Tracey! 1, 2, 3...


Day 11 - Pull is better than push..

The Push/Pull of Motivation

To paraphase Gareth, (though I'll probably do it very badly here), motivation to do anything appears in two ways: the push and the pull.

The push is the 'getting away from' part of the equation. You want to get away from the bad place you are in now, today. The 'pain' of where you are is so exhausting every day that you are pushed into action. Whether that's weight loss, work place, relationships etc. It has to be so bad that you can't stand being there any longer.  Sometimes we don't feel that push because it's only 6lbs or 1 stone to lose so we're kind of happy, not in a place of pain so much that we feel the force to change our lifestyle. The push isn't strong enough to force action.

But the push isn't enough to keep you going all the time and once you're slightly or quite a bit away from the bad place, the push isn't as strong. So onto the pull.

The pull is about tapping into the desire to be somewhere else in your life or achieve something. You want to take yourself closer to a deeply desired goal. The pull is about meaningful activities that you want to achieve and with those in sight, they pull you closer to your goal.

WOW, that got deep for a minute there didn't it? I hope that's right Gareth? Please don't punish me tomorrow at the Common if I got it wrong. (smiley face).

Anyhoooo, Krispy Kremes. Hands up who lurrrrves a Krispy Kreme? You do? Me too! Love 'em. Which is why I was bitterly disappointed to find that today at work, someone had donated TWO of the biggest boxes you've ever seen in your life.

First email in my inbox...'Come my precious, buy a Krispy Kreme.. it's for Charideee... (UNICEF).. do it for the children (no, I can't, must stay strong)... Don't you like the poor, hungry children?... don't you want them to eat? have clothes?.. THINK OF THE CHILDREN'.

Okay so maybe the email wasn't quite worded like that but THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.  I deleted it sharpish and moved on. The willpower is shocking even me. I hope Gareth has stickers for me tomorrow... a gold star wouldn't go amiss.

So backing away from the Krispy Kremes...Motivation. There are many many things that are motivating me to do this (one of the many being plastic chairs) and the first thing Gareth asked me to do on Day One was to answer these questions.

What do I want to achieve with this project? Why do I want do it? How do I feel right now?

With your amazing powers of deduction, you will have noticed that those questions are directly linked to the push and pull of motivation. (See, he's not just a pretty face!).

What do I want to achieve with this project?

1. Lose 140 pounds
2. Get fit  - what does that look like? See below for fitness goals.
3. Learn to eat heathily and learn to cook really tasty healthy meals.

Why do I want do it?

1. Just recently diagnosed as borderline diabetic (something has to be done now to reverse it)
2. Fit into a size 12 dress
3. Shop in any shop
4. Run the Great South Run/Race for Life for Charideee
5. Feel happier, more confident, attractive
6. Be able to sit in a plastic chair and be able to leave it behind when I stand up... ahem
7. Ski pain-free, enjoy the holiday, not worrying if I can cope with the exertion
8. Wear a bikini (don't worry, that will be on holiday abroad - you won't have to bear witness to that one)

How do I feel right now?

1. Worried about my health
2. Unfit
3. Unattractive
4. Frustrated with the lack of fashionable clothes in my shop (see below).

I'm sure there are more and I might add to these lists as we go along. Any suggestions for goals?

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This weekend I stepped into 'The Rainy Season' shop (think about it....... think of a high street shop that is called another word for the rainy season..... got it? great).

I mostly go in there to buy birthday presents for other people. But this time I was in there for me. What? I hear you cry. They don't sell your clothes. No, unfortunately not. My shop, 'Good 'Evans it fits'.. is the only one for me at the moment. But Gareth added another task for me. Buy a size 12 dress NOW. For motivation.

So as the Boss ordered, off I scampered (okay, I trudged) to town to buy a size 12 dress.

Me: (browsing idly through the racks).

Salesgirl: (head tilt on side - engaged, false smile - engaged, high pitched voice - engaged) Can I help you with anything?

Me: Yes, does this dress come in a size 12? (holding up a size 16)

Salesgirl: (speechless, wide-eyed, weighing up (no pun intended) whether to point out my obvious shortcomings)......uhh.....

Me: Never mind! (YES, I KNOW I CAN'T FIT INTO YOUR PRECIOUS CLOTHES. I considered whether to make something up...I'm buying it for a friend/daughter/niece/goddaughter, delete as appropriate but I just moved on to the next rack instead).


Arggghh! I WILL BE BACK AND I WILL BUY ALL YOUR SIZE 12 CLOTHES MISSY!
Me, you, back here in 12 months. Bring it on!

It was my 'Pretty Woman' moment!
Just, you know, without the diamonds, Richard Gere or glamorisation of prostitution.... but otherwise yeah.. it was totally Pretty Woman in action.

BIG MISTAKE, LADY, BIG.... HUGE....

(okay, so this is a slight exaggeration, but the feelings of not belonging were geniune and I may have been a tad paranoid of the patronising salesgirl...)

Update to new experiences so far = 7. Buying size 12 dress.

Day Eight - Doing planks over bird poo..

 

And you will LOVE Deep Heat. Deep heat and I are best friends now. I love it so much after this weekend that I want to buy my spray-can dinner and smooch with it on the sofa. Hubby is getting jealous. I'm whispering sweet nothings to it and carrying it around like a security blanket.

Friday's workout went really well AND I thoroughly enjoyed it AND I could do it all AND I wasn't sick on the common. Woohoo!

But man, did I pay for it on Saturday!  No fault of Gareth's - all mine for never working out (other than swimming) in the last 10, probably more, years. I had trouble walking, sitting, getting up from the sofa, pretty much everything for 24 hours.. Then I sprayed on my beloved DeePeet, angels sang.... aaaahhhhhhhhh!

Gareth says that athletes get this. Something called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) so by my reckoning, I'm practically an athlete already. Ahem.

By lunchtime today though, I was fully recovered and ready for another workout in the park.  We met again at the common and first up was the weigh-in. Gareth had arrived on his bike.. he had cycled 5 miles with a pair of scales in his back-pack. The man's a machine! He does seem strangely robust for a human now I think about it.... can cycle with scales on his back...does a huge amount of sport everyday of the week.. never sweats.. and claims never to have used deep heat or take ANY pain medication.. he just pushes through the pain... hmmm...I don't think Sarah Connor is safe just yet! (if you're not into your movies, look here).

I weighed in, in the middle of a park. New experiences so far in this project = 6 . Boxing, running, deep heat, planks, push-ups, weighing-in outdoors (strangely liberating).  I'm not allowed to tell you how much I've lost this week (Gareth will soon) but I will tell you this - I GOT ME A HIGH-FIVE!

I achieved last weeks goals. All done! Gold star for me, please. Thank you.  

Goals for this week:

1. Swim at least once between today and Friday
2. Practice the exercises at least once between today and Friday
3. Follow the food plan we've created for this week

And I found a shower at work, that has a shower head AND a shelf to put my stuff on (so it doesn't get drowned) AND has hot water. This is all coming together people!

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Tonights dinner is one of my favourites. Not sure how Paleolithic this is but it's so delicious.

Pork Fillet marinaded in Toasted Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Chilli flakes, White Wine Vinegar and one big clove of Garlic. Marinade it for ten minutes (or a couple of hours if you're organised) and then pop in the oven, 200° for 30 mins, after sealing it in a frying pan.

We serve it with pak choi, roasted peppers and a very small amount of cous-cous. (Honest, Gareth, very small amount).

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The title is fairly obvious but I'll explain for the oldies anyway! I chose a bit of grass to do 'the plank' and came face to face with a GINORMOUS bird poo. I couldn't move it for 20 seconds. 20 loooooong seconds.  That bird poo and I became quite intimate. I knew it well. That bird needs to chew more.  

Do you mind getting dirty?

Obviously this isn't me. Look at that flat stomach. Just for starters... But I did feel like doing this after running. Yes he made me run. Again. TWICE.

Whilst running, Gareth asked 'Do you mind getting dirty?'

I would like to say I didn't burst out laughing but I'm me. Brought up on a solid diet of 'Benny Hill' and 'Allo, Allo' so innuendo just makes me laugh. Not that he was insinuating anything! He meant getting muddy doing the exercises. I was FILTHY by the end of it.

Words from todays workout: Dirty, Filthy, Bottom.

In Gareth's work, he found that he was saying 'bottom' a lot. I said he probably had the best job in the world if he says bottom all day... he agreed. But he has decided to change his ways. Instead of telling people to 'start by sitting down pushing your bottom out', he's trying.. 'push your hips out', 'push your hips back'. So if you work out with Gareth, now you know the secret code. He actually means your bottom.

Anyway, apart from getting covered in mud - IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!! (extra exclamation marks for husband - you're welcome).

I was nervous to start with as I really didn't know what to expect having never done anything like this before and terrified that I wouldn't manage it or that I would be exhausted too quickly but it was actually great fun (wow that was a long sentence).

Everyone should have a personal trainer. Provided by the government.  Like the Germans who get a two week spa break every year provided on their health insurance, we should all get a Gareth. Think about it, it makes perfect sense. It would actually save them money on the NHS and sick days. We'd do amazingly well at the Olympics and the country would be known for having the most incredibly fit and good looking people.

[The current title holder of that particular award is Sweden in my opinion. Purely because Alex Skarsgaard is Swedish. (husband - not everyone likes Alex. Claire- Then everyone else has no taste)].

I'll let you go and see the pic of Alex...... Have you recovered?   Back with me?  Right, we walked fast to warm up and then ran for a bit. I'm going to say we ran for at least 20 minutes.. and that's what will stand as the truth until Gareth posts here.

After running, we found a secluded part of the common to get filthy dirty, do the exercises. It was fairly secluded apart from a white van load of workmen... great. I think they really enjoyed watching me do a plank (bum, sorry, bottom in the air). If they're there next week, I'm going to start charging.

By the time we'd finished doing planks, side planks and push-ups, I was very muddy. My forearms, hands, knees and bottom were covered in mud. But I didn't care! I genuinely enjoyed it. It is much more exhilerating to get out in the fresh air to do this rather than a gym. Will I still say that when it is pooring with rain? hmmm.

And then onto the best bit.. BOXING. I imagined someone who's really annoyed me recently and went for it. Photographic evidence below. (just out of shot = white van men. boo).

Hopefully I did all of it right. I'm sure I didn't look pretty afterwards.  I didn't make beetroot jealous at least (the colour of my face..).  About an hour later, a friend even said 'You're glowing'.  So there you have it, exercise makes you glow and you'll get down and dirty on the common in the process - bargain.

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I returned to work and went to have a very quick shower. I found the unisex shower room and got undressed. Only once fully undressed, did I notice this:

NO SHOWERHEAD....!! There are hot and cold taps, the slidy thingy, there's even a shower curtain but no bloody SHOWERHEAD.  I was standing there stinky and sweaty with no time to go anywhere else. It didn't occur to me to check there was a shower head before getting undressed. Argh.

Shortly after that delightful realisation, a pipe in the bathroom started to leak...(I had barely touched it) so then it was a race against the water to get dressed again, pick up all my stuff from the bathroom floor before the water reached me and my belongings.

I WON! just. That water was fast. But I need to apologise to colleagues for the stinky person in the office this afternoon. Yeah, that was me. Soz.

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Food-wise, everything is still going very well. I said no to this at 11am today (11:08 to be precise, not that I was gutted or anything).



and yes to this after my workout:

Sweet Chilli Chicken salad - yum!

The tricky time starts now though - the weekend. It's always the worst time of the week for me. Friday through to Sunday is HOLIDAY TIME in my mind. Alcohol, meals out, popcorn at the cinema etc etc. Huh, maybe I should have mentioned that to Gareth today....

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A few friends have told me that they are already looking at their diet and fitness after reading this (very young) blog and I am pleased but astounded that I could be an inspiration to anyone! At the end of our session today, I mentioned this to Gareth and in a very non cheesy, genuine way, he said "You can be anything you want to be"... I bagsy being Jennifer Aniston.

I guess the question is 'What do I want and why am I doing this?' The main answer is 'to lose 140 pounds' but there's more to it than that. A demain, mes amis.

Wise words from the Dr.

You have arms but if you do push-ups for the first time ever, your arms will hurt A LOT the next day.

I haven't raised my arms above shoulder height all day. Brushing my hair was a trial! But my legs are feeling fine so maybe I didn't push myself hard enough at the fitness test? I'll see what Gareth has to say about my fitness test soon...

This Friday will be the FIRST REAL WORK OUT SESSION with Gareth. If you want a laugh, come watch me on Southampton Common. Just look for the purple faced woman impersonating Ursula* from Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' film, lagging behind a young guy.
Today's diet has been positively angelic! Same breakfast as yesterday - it's really tasty followed by same salad as yesterday. At work, I was offered a birthday cupcake and didn't eat it......eh?... I'm waiting for the round of applause people.  Jeez, tough audience.

And dinner is about to be omelette with mozzarella and ham, small bowl of salad, followed by fruit and yogurt. 

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In other news, I've found this free tool that shows your body as it is now and your body at your goal weight...a great weight loss motivator.

My Virtual Model is free and can be used for seeing haircuts and clothes on you. Have a go - it's fun!
© (2012) My Virtual Model, Inc.

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*Ursula, a.k.a. me.

Day Two - The naked crunchie helped..

But the treadmill almost killed me.

At one point, I wasn't sure I could catch a breath.... those 3 minutes were hell.

Okay, not quite after 3 minutes... 9, maybe 10 minutes and I'd broken into a run. Yes, me, running I know! It's been known to happen. Anyway, Gareth had to dangle a naked crunchie (no, that's NOT a euphemism) a few inches from my face but I did it!   And the best bit? The machine didn't break. Bonus.

So today was the fitness test and I was (again) dreading it and (again) nervous. I've been swimming in my lunch breaks for over a year now building up from 30 minutes at a leisurely pace to making sure I do 64 laps (1 mile - woohoo!) in an hour.  But this obviously hasn't been enough.

Gareth started the treadmill and I happily walked fast (almost out of breath) for 4 minutes and then he stopped it. Great I thought - passed with no problems. Nope that was just the warm up. Dammit. 12 minutes of 'run if you can' followed.. yeah, run if I can. Does this body look like it runs at any time?!!*

I ran for about 2 minutes out of the 12 - Pathetic. Next up, some exercises:  a 'plank' where you have to hold yourself up from the floor by your forearms and tiptoes, some push-ups and some squats. Gareth is going to write a post about how I did and where I fit into the national average soon over on the 'Fitness Tests and Results' page (coming soon). Today's exercises were to see where my fitness lies (rock bottom) and to record my starting point.

Overall, the experience was fine and Gareth was very encouraging all the time. Luckily I didn't do anything embarrassing (I think). Unlike the time on a skiing holiday in Andorra....

We'd just finished our beers, sitting in the sun outside a bar up the mountain after a long mornings skiing. We decided to set off again. Everyone stood up to leave.. I stood up to leave. The plastic garden chair that I was sitting in, stood up with me. Attached by the plastic arms to my hips.  Oh how we laughed. (Honestly, I don't need therapy, I'm fine about it).

So the conclusion of today is although my fitness is pathetic, at least I didn't embarrass myself in any other ways. 

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On the diet side of things, today has been a good day! :-)

Breakfast was oats with FULL FAT greek yoghurt and raisins (Gareth says Full Fat is allowed, I'm not asking twice).

Snack was a banana - no, I'm not showing you a picture of a banana.

Lunch was this salad. Three different leaves, tomato, cucumber, orange pepper, red pepper, spring onion, feta cheese  and lastly some 'sprinkle' which is a nut mix of pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, pine nuts. I added a bit of french vinaigrette. Followed by greek yoghurt with raisins.

Dinner was Tuna with veggies and sweet potato (Maybe doesn't look too appetising but it tasted great) followed by strawberries and grapes.

My tasks for this week are:

1. Find out about the Paleo diet (this is what I will be following for the next 12 months)

2. Have a Paleo breakfast every day

3. Do the exercises I learnt today (plank, push-ups, squat)

So if you know any good Paleo recipes or tips, please let me know either by email or in the comments below.

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Did I get to eat the crunchie? Your guesses in comments below! 

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*Husband says there's never a need for multiple exclamation marks. I love multiple exclamation marks so there's going to be a lot of those on this blog. Get used to it. Husband thinks I should be sent to the place where punctuation goes to die. WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!

Let's start at the very beginning... A very good place to start...

Friend: Are you still swimming most lunchtimes?
Me: Yup
Friend: That's great. How are you getting on?
Me: Okay I guess
Friend: My personal trainer's really good.... he mentioned a project he'd like to start..
Me: uh-huh...
Friend: He wants to work with a very overweight person for one year to help them lose weight and get fit....
Me: Riiiiiiiight...?
Friend: For free
Me:...........!
Friend: Yup. He wants to show that his methods work...
Me:...........!!
Friend: He's putting the word out about it and wants to interview people who are ready to make a big change..
Me: (speechless)
Friend: You want his number?!


Now, when I heard about this, I could have been a "good person" and told several people about this amazing opportunity. I could have - but I didn't - that place was MINE, dammit. I was not about to create more competition!!

The only people I told were people who didn't need the help.

So I guess I need to apologise for the teeny bit of guilt I feel - I WON! (She said graciously and with humility).

And maybe to Gareth... you could have had a bigger pool of people to choose from and you wouldn't be stuck with me for a year.

Onto Day One...

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Brownie points to anyone who can name the musical from this post title.

Disclaimer: Brownie points cannot be redeemed for anything. Certainly not brownies. There are no brownies in this house now (I ate them all before Day One..ssshhhh don't tell Gareth).

Day One

I was really nervous approaching the Physio 2 Fit office. I don't know why. It's really exciting and an amazing opportunity - a personal trainer for a year who's going to help me lose weight (140 pounds to be exact) and get fit. I can't believe my luck!

It's just like one of those TV programmes... and now it's real with a blog, twitter and facebook page. There's no turning back now. The pressure is on. Huh, maybe that's why I was nervous?!

Today was our first proper meeting since the interview. Gareth wanted to cover several things today -the (dreaded) weigh in, measurements and photos. Yes, PHOTOS.

Thankfully Gareth did not make me do them in some awful grey underwear. Not that I possess any grey underwear, obviously. I was just thinking of the TV programmes again.. I'm sure he wanted to spare his eyes. Yes that's probably why. The photos and measurements will appear in June when there's a difference to show.

He was/is very friendly and made me feel at ease. The photos and measuring weren't half as bad as I thought they would be.

Gareth asked me to write several lists:

1. What do I want to achieve?
2. Why do I want to do this?
3. Where am I now? How am I feeling now?

(I will post more on these tomorrow. They need more thought before posting).

We talked about the healthy eating programme I will be following. Just before I left, he asked me 'So, what are you planning for lunch now?'

Dammit, I'd planned one last journey to Waitrose for a naughty sandwich, some tasty crisps and probably a cake... Busted!

He showed me the lunch he had prepared for himself. There was a distinct lack of pork pies and cream cakes... ah well! But I admit, it looked better. A gorgeous-looking salad with lots of tasty ingredients. So I went to Waitrose inspired and this is what I chose instead of a sandwich:

And then I fancied some of these:

followed by one of these:

not bad eh? I'm awaiting the verdict. Gareth?

After work, I went back to Waitrose (yes I live in Waitrose and am keeping it afloat) and bought tons of fruit, veg, natural yoghurt and yummy alternatives for breakfast. For dinner we had piri piri chicken with vegetables..

The only bad thing today was a few jelly worms after tea (no photo evidence provided!) But that's it now, there are no more tempting treats in the house!

So tomorrow is the FITNESS TEST - ahhhhhhh! I'm nervous all over again...