Cravings!

Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramels, if you must know ;)

On Christmas Day, I decided to allow myself some biscuits and chocolate, after three and a half months without.  I quite enjoyed it, didn't eat a ridiculous amount, and overall felt good about the whole thing.  That is, until the cravings set in the next day!

Three days of sugar cravings!  I listened to the 'Craving Buster' meditation I have every day, which definitely helped.  Still, it was a real eye-opener to the addictive nature of sugar.  Probably, at the outset I had the power of enthusiasm and novelty on my side.  Certainly, I was surprised how hard it was to stay off sugar after just one day back on, and how long the cravings lasted.  In the meditation there's a line about 'the cravings will pass, and you can handle a little discomfort, can't you?'  Yes, I could, but three days is not my idea of fleeting!

By the fourth day, though, the cravings had abated, and it became easy again.  Before that, I'd even stopped using the hypnotherapy app on a daily basis, as I no longer felt the need.  And I think I may be able to do that again, now the cravings have been tamed.  Scary, though, how powerful sugar is!  And I shan't be dipping my toe back in the sugar pool so lightly again, that's for sure...

Perception

Yesterday, my MIL was over for a visit.  She's been pretty stressed out, and has put on some weight, so I told her about my weight loss through hypnotherapy.  I said I'm down to a size 10 (that's an American size 6) for the first time in over a decade.  She said something about hoping I wasn't planning to lose any more weight and looked concerned when I said I wouldn't mind losing a little more. 

Perception is a funny thing.  Looking at my belly while sat on the toilet this morning, I thought 'I really need to lose some more weight'.  I don't think I look slim, let alone skinny.  Then, I did a weigh in and I have dropped a bit more:

58.1k (128lbs)

When my MIL asked why I would want to lose more weight, I found it hard to put into words.  I think for the amount of exercise I do I still look rather flabby rather than defined.  And yet, I know I'm now just under my 'ideal weight' according to my general doctor, who I'm sure is happy to have someone within two kilos either side of that.  I'm going for a health check on Wednesday, in any case, so it'll be interesting to see what they say then.  I'm hoping to pass with flying colours :D

Second Weigh-In

Mythical Goddess Tarot

So, I normally try to separate out my weigh-ins a bit more.  Still, I felt a bit down after the last one, and given that I've eaten well the last few days, and that there may have been a hormonal component, I decided to give it another go today.  And I'm glad I did, as I'm back to the previous number.

Weight - 58.5k (approx.128.5 lbs)

I'm really glad my new plan seems to be working, I was feeling worried I'd start heading in the wrong direction, a sometimes slippery slope.  And especially disappointing as I've been working hard both physically and emotionally to get where I am.  In some ways, I'd be happy to stay at this weight, and in other ways I'd still like to lose another 3.5k (7.7lbs).  We'll see...

A New Plan (and New Jeans)

Yesterday, I did a weigh-in.  Once again, I wasn't feeling great about it, but I did it anyway.  And the results were... a little disappointing.  I'm up about half a kilo (one pound).

Weight - 59.2k (130lbs)

What I put this down to is the fact that I've been eating a lot of dried fruit and nuts after dinner.  I'd go so far as to call these binges.  Now, as I'm doing everything else fine (working out daily, with a range of different workouts: weights, step, static bike, pilates, yoga), it's not too dreadful.  Still, a pound every couple of weeks could quickly add up.

And I'm having no luck stopping these binges with the hypnotherapy apps that I've got.  I don't know if this is because there isn't an app specifically for bingeing, or if this is based on stuff that is too primal for hypnotherapy to reach (an idea another psychotherapist friend raised).  Either way, I realise I need a new plan to take this into account.

I don't want to stop eating and enjoying fruit and nuts (which I could probably manage with some of the craving buster apps).  So, what I'm going to try is to make up a plate with treats after dinner, and have just that plate.  That way, I have my treat, but have it in a controlled manner.  I tried this last night, and it worked, so fingers crossed.

On a more cheerful note, I went shopping for new jeans yesterday, a size down from the last ones I bought.  It feels good to be wearing jeans that fit me again, and knowing that they are a smaller size than I've worn for several years :)

How Deep Can I Go?

Crystal Visions Tarot

Did a weigh-in yesterday, and was pleased to see that I've dropped again, if only slightly:

58.5 k (128 lbs)

Overall, I've been incredibly happy with the positive changes I've achieved listening to these hypnotherapy apps.  The only thing I notice is that I still eat more than I'd like just before bed, even if now it's nuts and dried fruit rather than chocolate and biscuits.

Talking with a psychotherapist friend this morning, she said her ex had looked into hypnotherapy, but felt it couldn't deal with complex issues rooted in early childhood.  That may well be what's happening here.  My mother used to breastfeed me to get me to sleep as an infant, and perhaps it's that memory of something sweet and soothing as I drifted off to sleep that keeps this habit so tightly hooked in... Makes me worry about breastfeeding my baby to sleep :(

Nervous Weigh-In

I've been feeling a bit worried the last week or so.  For one thing, I've fallen asleep during my hypnotherapy sessions a few times, as the baby hasn't been letting me sleep all that well.  And my elder son's health problems probably haven't helped, either.  I thought it might not have been as effective, because of that, as well as not getting enough sleep being bad for weight loss.

Still, I have stayed away from chocolate, biscuits and cakes, though I've eaten rather more nuts and dried fruit than I'd like.  And I have exercised every day, alternating between static bike, step, weights, pilates and yoga.  Altogether, though, I was worried that my weight loss would have stalled, or that I might even be gaining weight again.

So, it was with some trepidation that I stepped on the scales this morning, and was very pleasantly surprised to see: 
58.9k (129.9 lbs)

Morale Booster

Courtesy of Onelifewell.com

Last week, I weighed myself but was only down 0.3k, which I figure is within the margin of error of a bathroom scale and the natural fluctuations of a body over the course of a day.  It felt a bit disappointing, which made me think about why I'm making the changes I am. 

A big part of it is for the health benefits, as I saw fat laying down around my belly - very unhealthy!  Another part is wanting to be a good role model for my children, as they say eating sugar is particularly bad for the developing brain.  And then there's the part where I'd like to look good naked, especially given how trim my partner is.

To help when chocolate cravings hit, as well as still listening to hypnotherapy meditations daily, I've been reminding myself that even if I don't loose a pound, it's still a great thing to not have eaten chocolate, biscuits or cake for nearly six weeks.  Still, it has been a bit tougher this week, perhaps because sweets are more omni-present in the run up to Halloween/Christmas.

It helped my morale when today's weigh in had me under 60k for the first time in years!

59.8k (131.8lbs)
BMI 21.7

I'm still not sure whether to try to avoid chocolate entirely over Christmas.  There's one part of me that enjoys this healthier eating, and another bit that thinks "But it's Christmas!"  We'll see...

Slow And Steady

Another week or so has gone by, and I decided to do another weigh-in.  I've still been using the hypnotherapy for weight loss apps every day.  And while I didn't feel I'd done as well with my eating, having eaten an awful lot of nuts a couple of evenings in a row when stressed and tired, I have at least stayed away from sugary stuff.  I also did yoga once, on top of my regular rotation of weights, cardio, static bike, step and cardiopilates.  So, I was hopeful when I got on the scales:

60.8k (130 lbs) 
BMI: 22.3

Mindifi + Weigh-In

Well, I've been listening to hypnotherapy apps every day, mostly the Mindifi one for Weight Loss (available for iPhone and Android), for about three weeks.  And for over two weeks of that, I've eaten no junk food!  When I've wanted a treat, I've eaten a couple of dates, and some nuts.  I've also been exercising daily still (well, that hardly ever changes).  So, today seemed a good time to do a weigh-in:

61.6k (135.8 lbs)

I feel really good about this.  Not only because I've lost weight, but more to the point because I'm eating healthily.  Already, three people have commented on me looking slimmer, and I notice that the fat around my stomach is starting to come off.  That was one of my main motivators to start eating better again.  My weight wasn't actually too bad, but I could see that a lot of it was round my middle, which they say is the least healthy kind of fat.

I have been tempted a few times, but I hope I can keep this up as a general way of life.  Will definitely keep listening to the hypnosis apps!

Hurray For Hypnosis Apps!

Been listening to hypnotherapy apps on my iPhone for about the last 10 days, and it's been really helpful.  I think it's like they say with exercise or meditation more generally: better to do 20 minutes a day than an hour once a week.  So, with that impetus, for the last 7 days I haven't eaten any chocolate or biscuits, for the first time in at least a year.  And the last time was just because I couldn't eat that stuff due to morning sickness.  The last time I truly quit sugar of my own accord was at least two years ago.

This morning, my DH said he thought he could see I'd lost weight, so I decided to jump on the scales.  And yes, I'm down to 62.1k (just under 137 lbs)!  I believe this will be maintainable long term, I sure hope so!

Yay for Tapping

I'm not sure whether tapping has actually had an effect on my weight.  However, as I wrote yesterday, I've been doing it more regularly this week, and it gave me the confidence to step on the scales for the first time in months.  Since before my son was born, in fact!  Not that I thought the number there would make me happy, but rather that I felt I'd be able to deal with it, whatever it was.

Imagine my surprise, then, when the scales showed 64.6k (142.4lbs)!  That's lower than my weight when I first started writing this blog, by just over two kilos (2.2lbs).

It's true I've been working out - generally at least three times a week, and most often daily.  Not as much as I used to, sometimes just 20 minutes rather than an hour, but at least I've been keeping moving.  And I've been mixing it up a lot.   For instance, this week I've been on my static bike, done weights, stepping, and this morning I did 16 minutes of yoga (before baby woke up).  Hope to do another short workout later.

It's also true that I'd still like to lose a couple of kilos, and that I notice a lot of that extra weight is on my stomach, which they say is the least healthy place to put on weight.  So, I'll keep tapping, and hope that it comes off...

Stepping Up

Friday - 62 minutes of stepping with Cathe Friedrich's Low Max.  After seeing an old friend on Thursday who pointed out that I've put on weight in the last year, I wanted to workout a bit harder.  After all, til that point I'd only done 74 minutes of exercise all week.  Admittedly, it was a particularly slack week mainly because I was travelling on business, but still...

However, I also know that the second part of the equation, what I eat, is probably even more important.  Have a few plans to help improve that, too.

Saturday - 41 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Alison Davis-McLean's Ultimate Fat Burning Workout. Rather interrupted, though, by the baby :(  Ate badly, but not dreadfully - couldn't put my plans into effect, as the baby wouldn't sleep at all from dinner time onward.

Back to Basics

Tuesday - didn't exercise at all, as I had a really full, busy day.  However, I didn't eat as badly on Monday or Tuesday, being away from home and my "comfort" zone, so that's one plus.

Wednesday - 36 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Allie del Rio's Hardcore Fusion.  Would have liked to do more, but between travelling, catching up on regular work, and taking the baby for his first immunisations, there just isn't time.

Blast, No Better Body

Saturday - 22 minutes of Jessica Smith's Better Body Blast - the arms section.  I had hoped to do both arms and legs for about 45 minutes of exercise, but the baby had other ideas :(  So, I stuck on a couple of minutes stretching at the end of the arms section, and that was that!

Sunday - 45 minutes of low impact step with Cathe - yay!

Monday - 18 minutes of yoga self-practice.  Didn't think I'd get to workout at all, so it was a bonus.  Plus, I was inspired by Carla to at least do a little :)  I also silently chanted to Yemaya while I practised.

Feeling fat and disappointed in myself, eating way too much chocolate.  Do have a plan, though, to start doing something to keep my hands occupied after dinner...

What Shall I Fuse?

Friday - 45 minutes of cardio-pilates with Ellen Barrett's Floor Fusion Workout.

I bought this shortly after it came out, earlier this year, but hadn't managed to do it yet because I suspected it would have too much stuff on the tummy for a pregnant body to handle.  Actually, there wasn't all that many exercises prone on the floor, and it was a better workout than I expected.  Didn't really raise my heart rate much, but it certainly challenged my muscles :)

I'm still not eating well, simply not tracking it.  I feel like I should be able to find the magic formula that will help me eat better.  A few years ago, going back onto meat helped me not eat chocolate or sugar for the better part of a year, first time in my life I'd managed that.  Now, it's been weeks since I even managed to avoid sugars until mid-afternoon.  I know that I'm tired and physically challenged by breast feeding, but bingeing on junk isn't the solution.  Just wish I knew what it is...

Too Blissed Out?

Wednesday - 53 minutes of Eoin Finn's Blissology Friday.  On the box, it said the full programme was 45 minutes, but actually it was 58 minutes.  However, that was a bit too long for the baby, and 53 minutes in, during Savasana, he kicked off.  So, I finished my relaxation feeding him in bed :)

The bad news is, today my knee has been hurting.  Despite what the GP said about it being better to do Pilates or Yoga, rather than aerobics, I think there's still too much relaxin flowing through my body for me to be as aware as I should be of what's happening when I stretch.

Thursday - 36 minutes of cardio-sculpting.  I started with Alison Davis-McLean's Calorie Explosion, but found it a bit too high intensity.  Instead, I swapped to Rebekah Sturkie's Total Body Time Crunch Express - just weights :)

Yoga, Day Off, and other Exercise

Catching up...

Friday - just 25 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Rebekah Sturkie's Total Body Time Crunch.

Saturday - 28 minutes of yoga self-practice.  I love that all I need is a yoga mat, wherever I am.

Sunday - day off!  We were travelling, and I just didn't manage it.  Instead, we watched "The Fox and the Hound", which none of us had seen before.  I'm still hormonal - almost cried at the bit where the old lady has to set the fox free.

Monday - 58 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Alison Davis-McLean's Dangerous Curves.  I have to admit, I find it a bit annoying the way she tries to get the workout title into her "patter".

Tuesday - 41 minutes of Allie del Rio's Time Crunch Cardio.  I had the baby, and wasn't sure how much I'd get to do.  With a couple of pauses to feed, I felt I'd had a fairly good workout.

Exercise Catch-Up

I've felt quite good about my exercise, even though I haven't always done very much in any one session.  I am happy about my consistency, and I've also enjoyed the variety.  I saw my doctor this week, and she suggested I should just stick to Pilates and yoga while I still have breast-feeding hormones flowing around my body.  Personally, I think that shows a lack of knowledge of exercise, as a low impact step workout is less stressful on the joints than an all-out astanga workout (unless you are super strong).  So, I'll carry on my way...

Saturday

I exercised:  51 minutes of step with Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Circuit.

Sunday

I exercised:  43 minutes of yoga self-practice.  It was lovely to just listen to my breath and chant silently, and move.

Monday

I exercised:  31 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Alison Davis McLean's Calorie Explosion.  Didn't have time for more, as my MIL was coming over.

Tuesday

I exercised:  Kari Anderson's Hot Steps - just a quickie, 36 minutes.  Fun, but I do prefer when I don't have to modify down high impact moves, as the temptation is always there to just go for it...

Wednesday

I exercised:  45 minutes of cardio-pilates with Ellen Barrett's Firm and Burn Pilates, a Crunch video.  It was pretty fun, and I did work up a bit of a sweat :)

Thursday

I exercised:  41 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Alison Davis-McLean's Ultimate Fat-Burning Workout.

Every Little Counts

Wednesday

I exercised:  30 minutes with Ellen Barrett's Sleek Sculpt Express.  I really like her positive talk during the programme, emphasising the importance of breath, and talking about movement being a treat.  She also says that for her, being functionally fit is the same as being aesthetically beautiful.  While I don't totally agree, I like the reminder that my body allows me to do lots of wonderful things.

Thursday

I exercised:  20 minutes of Allie del Rio's Time Crunch cardio.  Busy day, but it was nice to at least work up a slight sweat, feel I'd done something for me.

Friday

I exercised:   41 minutes with Kelsie Daniel's Pump, Jump n Jab.  Had to interrupt once to breast feed, but I still enjoyed the kicks and punches.  Kickboxing workouts make me feel strong in a "don't mess with me" way :D

Reassessing My Priorities

Did premixes of this 3 times in 10 days :)

Friday

I exercised:  33 minutes of cardio with The Firm's Cardio Party.

I ate: 110g biscuits and not sure how much chocolate after dinner.  Probably just under 200g total :)

Saturday

I exercised:  46 minutes of step with Cathe's Low Max.  This time I did the all combos premix - fun!

I thought:  About a comment by Magic Mentha about how looking at my bad eating is reinforcing it.  I also did a draw on it, from Les Vampires.  Will try to post about it at some point.

Sunday - I exercised:  40 minutes of yoga self-practice.

Monday - I exercised:  52 minutes of cardio sculpting with Alison Davis McLean's Bootcamp workout.

Tuesday

I exercised:  44 minutes of stepping with Cathe Friedrich's Low Max.  This time, I did the combos and blasts 4-7 premix.

I thought:  I'd like to eat less junk, and I'd like to sleep more, and I'd like to tap more for better eating.  However, it's not happening right now, and I think the main reason is how tired I am.  Baby's been a bit grizzly and difficult the last couple of days and nights, and the house has been noisy and busy all day.  So, maybe I need to give myself a break.  When I get more sleep and feel less exhausted, I'm more likely to eat better.  In the meantime, I'll keep exercising and try to be loving towards myself.

Hard Core Thursday

Thursday

I exercised:  35 minutes of cardio sculpting with Allie del Rio's Hardcore Fusion.  It's nice to have workouts of all different lengths.  This workout was a bit disrupted, though, first by a phone call, then breast feeding, and then during the last bit I had an ocular migraine.  This has happened before, and I just exercise through it.  Still, I'm grateful that a) they don't tend to last long and b) they aren't painful.

I ate:  44g biscuits after lunch.  175g biscuits and 55g cake after dinner.  Total - 274g :((

Ballet Wednesday

Wednesday

I exercised: 56 minutes of ballet with Kari Anderson's Centre Floor.  It's interesting, I founded it harder than I remember, yet I have been working out consistently, and with weights…

I ate: 28g biscuits after lunch, and 170g biscuits, 49g choc after dinner.  Total 247g :(

I thought:  About my altar, after finally unpacking most of my "elements", altar cloths and trays...

Losing Count Again

Monday and Tuesday

I ate:  Monday I tracked what I ate, but have forgotten it now Tuesday is ending.  Today, I didn't even manage to track my eating.  A big chocolate macaroon at lunchtime, and lots of chocolate chip biscuits and some minstrels after dinner… :(

I exercised:  Monday I finally managed all 41 minutes of Allie del Rio's Total Body Toner, having only done 11 minutes of it last week.  Tuesday I did 26 minutes of Cathe Friedrich's Rhythmic Step, and 21 minutes of Allie del Rio's Time Crunch Cardio - nice :)

I felt:  Tired and annoyed with myself.  No self-control.  Didn't help that I got very little done with a visit from my MIL.  Nice, though, that a tarot client came back, repeats are a morale boost :)

Rainy Sunday

I exercised:  47 minutes of stepping with Cathe's Low Max - and I even put the step back up to 8 inches for the first time since I was in the middle of my pregnancy :)

I ate:  60g biscuits and 15g choc after lunch, then 101g choc and 70g biscuits after dinner.  Total: 246g :(

I thought:  Overeating may have been to do with doing a much stronger workout, but I don't think so.  I put it down to not having had a nap for a week - I'm tired!  Tried to nap on Saturday, but baby boy was having none of it :/

Another So-So Saturday

The Good:  Did 47 minutes of cardio sculpting with Alison Davis McLean's Cardio Overdrive.

The Bad: 15g choc and 30g biscuits after lunch, 125g biscuits and 32g choc after dinner.  Total 202g.

The So-So:  Only did tapping about twice.  Didn't eat any brassicas with dinner, which seems to have improved the baby's temperament.  Still had some whinging after dinner, though.  I think maybe he was tired and needed help sleeping, after DH had been playing with him when I would have tried to send him off...

Flop Friday

Friday

I ate:  16g biscuits after lunch.  40g chocolate and 150g biscuits after dinner.  Total - 206g :/

I exercised:  Not sure whether to even count it as I just did 11 minutes, and even that wasn't straight through.  Allie del Rio's Total Body Toner (at least the first little bit).

I tapped:  At least 4 times, it's a start.

Stepping Up?

Thursday

I ate: 118g biscuits and 49g chocolate, mostly after dinner.  Total: 167g, a bit better.

I exercised: 47 minutes of step with Kari Anderson's Go.  It felt a bit easy, so I think it's time to put my step up another notch again :)

I felt:  Annoyed with myself that I have hardly done any tapping, despite my resolution yesterday.  Part of it is that I don't often have hands free for it.  When I was tapping before the baby was born, I would do it on the toilet, or just any time I had a moment free.  Now, I don't really seem to have those free moments, as I carry my son a lot, and if I'm not carrying him I'm hurrying to do something else.  Still, this is important, too...

New Intention

Wednesday

I decided:  To start tapping on eating more healthily.  Using it for my son's birth worked really well, and I could do with some help eating less junk!

I felt:  Fairly happy to have found 2 pairs of trousers that are only half a size up on what I'd normally wear.  I needed something to replace my maternity trousers which, having been stretched by the bump, are now falling off whenever I walk around.

I exercised:  34 minutes of cardio sculpting with Ellen Barrett's Bikini Ready Fast.

I ate:  Gah, lost track again :(

Toned Tuesday

Tuesday

I felt:

I ate:  33g biscuits and 14g choc at lunchtime.  Kinda lost track after dinner - about 100g cake, 36g biscuits and maybe 50g chocolate.  Total round about 235g.

I exercised:  46 minutes of cardio sculpting with Rebekah Sturkie's Total Body Time Crunch.  The cardio segments don't really get my heart rate up, but I like the sculpting sections, and used 4, 3 and 2k weights, and 1/2k's in the cardio bits.

I am grateful for:  My DH encouraging me to be clearer about what I want.

Graceful Monday

Monday

I felt:  Not very graceful.  We've still got builders in our house, which has put my DH off working out.  I work out anyway, but do wonder what they think of me :(

I ate:  About 100g biscuits after lunch (I'd bought really nice cookies from a local store as my mum came to visit).  Then about 80g biscuits and about 60g chocolate after dinner.  Total 240g

I exercised:  45 minutes of cardio sculpting with Ellen Barrett's Grace and Gusto.  Had to skip the last three minutes as baby wanted feeding and I had to go to the shops afterwards.

Sugary Sunday

Sunday

I ate: 70g biscuits after lunch, and 100g cake, 24g chocolate, and 18g biscuits after dinner.  Total - 212g.

I worked out: 47 minutes of light cardio sculpting with Emily Walsh's Total Body Light/Cardio Fusion.

I felt:  A bit upset - finally tried on a pair of pre-pregnancy trousers, and I can't do them up.  So, will have to stay in my pregnancy trousers til I can go shopping :(

Saturday's Sins

Saturday

After my reading in the morning, I decided I'd better get back to charting what I eat, so here goes:

Food: 54g choc and 18g biscuits after lunch, then about 70g choc and 70g biscuits after dinner.  Total about - 212g - not all that bad, but not good.  Especially as I also had a 50g "protein" flapjack, which I didn't count as it was a "healthy" snack.

Exercise: 50 minutes of step with Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Circuit - Timesaver Cardio Blast.  It was a bit hard to keep my heart rate up as I had to stop to tend the baby about 4 times.  However, after the last time, when I fed him, I got about 20 minutes straight, and did end up sweaty :)

Ballet Burn and Broccoli

I've been working out most days, though quite often just a short one - 20-30 minutes -  and often interrupted by walking the baby to burp him, or breastfeeding.  Still, I'm chuffed that I'm managing any exercise, and definitely feel I need it.  Firstly, because as someone pointed out on Thursday, my posture when carrying the baby hasn't been great, and I need to stay strong if I'm going to carry him around.  Secondly, because it is a great mood enhancer and tension release, which I certainly feel in need of.  Yesterday, I had a bit of the baby blues, probably reinforced by not enough sleep/too much time walking round in the middle of the night.

I think Little One is quite windy, and it's probably at least as much due to diet as to not burping enough.    I feel in a quandary, though, because I don't want to cut out beans and lentils and broccoli and all that good stuff from my diet!  How come healthy stuff is so often wind-inducing?

Anyhow, enough toilet talk, I actually ached most after the Jazzercise Ballet Body workout!  Didn't really enjoy the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred - a bit boring (it was the level one workout), and too high impact.  Nice to do some self-practice yoga, too, as my back has been a bit achey.  I love exercise!

Playing By My Own Rules

After my first son was born, I didn't work out for over six weeks.  But then, I didn't do much of anything but go to the hospital, doctor and therapist appointments, and try desperately to cope with the sudden shock of having a severely disabled child.

This time around, I remembered that people said you shouldn't exercise until after your six week check-up.  Yet in the hospital, a physiotherapist came around and gave me a sheet of recommended exercises (all Pilates-based).  That and the fact that I felt pretty good overall meant that I decided to workout my way.  So, in the ten days I've been home I've worked out at least a little on 8 days.  Mostly ballet, yoga and pilates, but I've done a few Firm workouts, too :)  

And I feel strong and good (other than a cough I picked up in hospital - typical!)  I did most of the Firm workouts with lighter weights than I would have while pregnant, though yesterday I did Rebekah Sturkie's Total Body Time Crunch with 4, 3 and 2k weights for heavy, light and medium.

Unfortunately, my eating hasn't been so great.  I feel like I shouldn't be eating sweets (well, I never think I should), because my son and I both had antibiotics, and there's a possibility he will get/has a yeast infection.  Adding more sugar to that isn't a good idea, but I just can't seem not to eat chocolate.  Partly it's probably for the energy, partly for the comfort as, though he's a lovely, calm child, it's still tiring and hard work.  Either way, I haven't even been tracking my consumption, just know that I've been having chocolate and biscuits every day, often after both lunch and dinner :(

What's Up Wednesday?

I felt: Nervous - when is this baby going to come? I did moxa on my right side today, as yesterday I did it on the left and the baby moved from left to right. So, hopefully that'll get him back in a better position...

I slept: 7 1/2 in 5 chunks - yeesh!

I worked out:  42 minutes of Walking for Weight Loss, Power Walk, with added 1ks.

I ate:  18g biscuits, 30g chocolate and 21g halva after lunch. 45g chocolate, 37g biscuits and 73g brownie after dinner. Total 224g.

I am grateful for:  My mother, a kind and loving woman.

Better Tuesday

I felt: A fair bit better than Monday - much less tired. Also got quite a bit done: some shopping I'd been putting off (new tumble dryer and some bedding), an angel reading someone requested, seeing a friend I hadn't seen since before Christmas (where does the time go?)

I thought: "Darn, all that reflexology, acupressure and moxa, and I've only managed to get the baby to turn from the 'perfect' position to being head down to the right!" Okay, so it's not like he's breach, but it's still less good than before I tried to get him moving :(

I slept: 8 hours in 5 chunks.

I worked out:  52 minutes of Bootcamp with Alison.

I ate:  20g biscuits and 25g chocolate after lunch, then about 100g brownie after dinner. Total 145g - yay!

I am grateful for:  A reflexology session from a friend.

Moochy Monday

I felt: Tired, and annoyed there's no sign of baby boy coming out. How dare he spoil my well-laid plans ;b

I slept: 7 1/2 hours in 4 chunks. Tried to go back to bed for a nap, but couldn't quiet my mind :(

I worked out:  Nope!

I ate:  50g biscuits after lunch, then 70g brownie, 30g biscuits and 50g chocolate. Total 200g, but at least I'm tracking it again.

I am grateful for:  The promise of acupressure and reflexology.

Super Sunny Sunday

I felt: Better than I have most of the rest of the week.

I thought: About how to change our eating habits to respect my son's allergies. There's no way I want to stop eating nuts altogether, nor gluten. Seeing as he doesn't eat most meals with us, perhaps just avoid those things when we eat with him...

I slept: 8 1/4 hours in 4 chunks - best night's sleep I've had all week.

I worked out:  47 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Alison Davis-McLean's Cardio Overdrive. It's weird, I thought having a workout space with a mirror would be cool - check my form. However, I just thought "Yeesh, fat and flailing!" Maybe I'll work out looking the other way from now on...

I ate:  156g biscuits and 44g chocolate - 200g total. Not awful.

I am grateful for:  My wonderful DH.

Second Moving Week Catch-Up

I felt: Funnily, overall I've felt reasonably calm the last few days. I had a minor meltdown on Friday morning getting my son off to school, but other than that I've felt like I've been coping, despite hardly working out and not sleeping enough.

I slept: Pretty badly, most nights. Part of it is not having a dark room. Another part is that I've been going to bed rather later than normal because there feels like there's so much to do - I hate having boxes everywhere. Plus last night I had some strong contractions, and got excited thinking that I might be going into labour, and worrying about things like the grocery delivery scheduled today (I know, daft!)

I worked out:   21 minutes of Time Crunch Cardio on Thursday. 22 minutes of yoga self-practice on Friday. 40 minutes of cardio sculpting with Total Body Toner and Allie del Rio Pointer on Saturday - yay! Did it with 2ks, 3ks, and 4ks.

I ate:   Badly! I've been suffering with hay fever, as we've been having some nice, warm days. I know that eating less chocolate and biscuits would help with that, but it's one of my "comforts", and this has been a quite challenging week. I'd guess between 200 and 300g every day, sometimes a bit more.

I am grateful for:  Even a little time to workout.

Moving Week Catch-Up

I felt:

Monday: Stressed and excited - first part of the move.
Tuesday:  Ridiculously tired.
Wednesday:  Doing better, rested and worked out, that's a good day - excited and happy with the new house.  Chuffed that I always managed to unpack any boxes in my son's room before he went to bed - I wanted him to have as little disruption as possible.

I slept: 

Sunday night: 8 1/2 hours in 4 chunks - yay! Must have been tired, as the sun has often woken me a good 45mins earlier than it did. And amazingly, I didn't even worry about the move the times I did wake. 

Monday night: About 5 hours - new room, no black-out blinds (grrr - long story).

Tuesday night: 7 1/2 hours - felt much better.

Wednesday night: 6 1/2 hours - worried about giving birth, so I did some tapping on some "affirmations for a natural birth" that I have from one of my hypnobirthing things. It seemed to help, but then I still couldn't sleep, so I got up and unpacked two boxes of clothes/bags/belts etc, and did some purging - yay me!

I worked out:  

Monday: Emily Walsh's Total Body Light (Cardio Fusion Sculpt) - 47 minutes.

Tuesday: Nothing!  Just unpacking all day…

Wednesday:  Alison Davis-McLean's Ultimate Fat Burning Workout - 41 minutes with 2ks and 1/2ks for cardio. 

I ate:  Can't remember accurately by now. Not great any day, and Wednesday was the worst, but even then it wasn't screamingly awful.

I am grateful for:  A beautiful, new home.

Wide-Awake Sunday

I felt: Strange to be saying goodbye to my home.

I slept: 7 1/4 hours in 3 chunks. I would definitely have liked more, but between the sun coming up earlier and thinking about all the things that still need doing before we move, that was what there was.

I worked out:  52 minutes of Alison Davis-McLean's Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn. I went light on the weights, given all the comments I've been receiving about not doing too much lifting. So, I used 3k for heavy, 2k for medium, 1.5k for light, and 1k for the cardio/plyo sections. Still worked up a good sweat :)

I ate:  152g biscuits and 25g chocolate - total 177g.

I am grateful for:  A beautiful new home to move to.

Sunny Saturday

I felt: Excited about moving - it comes and goes ;)

I slept: 6 3/4 hours in 4 chunks - the danger of going to bed late, even though it was for a "nice" reason - staying up chatting with a friend.

I worked out:  41 minutes of cardio-sculpting with Alison Davis-McLean's Ultimate Fat Burning Workout. I used 2ks and 1/2ks.

I ate:  18g biscuits mid-morning, about 60g brownie after lunch, then 97g biscuits and 24g chocolate after dinner. I would have eaten more chocolate if it had been in the house :/ Total 199g.

I am grateful for:  A bit of sunlight between the clouds.