Wednesday 8 June 2011

Blogging not sulking.

I am at risk of another week of sulking, so I have come here to get it off my chest!  Weigh in at Weightwatchers this morning and only 1lb loss.  Yes, yes, I know all you glasshalffull people will tell me that it's a loss and it's all in the right direction and so on, but I'm still pretty pissed off because what with all the not eating yummy sweets and all the hard hard work on the running, it doesn't feel like ENOUGH.  It would literally take me years to get to target at 1lb a week.  To me, 1lb is RUBBISH.  Bloody hell.

Anyway, some better news from today.  I won a pedometer in the WW raffle - woot!  I wanted one, but couldn't really justify the expense, they're about fifteen quid, and now I have one for the outlay of £1.  Thanks bosslady Natalie and Bev!

I finally had an appointment with the diabetes consultant at the hospital, after only five months of waiting and hassling and phoning to remind them that I was actually unmedicated and pretty ill and probably a candidate for hospitalisation and could they please just let me have fifteen minutes of a doctor's time instead.  This was finally achieved by phoning the office of the CEO of the Health Board and complaining.  Twenty minutes later, my appointment was sorted for the next day.  Magical, the power of bitching at the right folk!  The very pleasant Dr O agreed that I could try a relatively new drug called Byetta which might actually help my weight loss efforts instead of hindering them like insulin does.  I should be getting my supply of it tomorrow from the diabetes nurses, is it sad that I am excited?

Another woot for today - I found alcoholic ROOT BEER in Tesco.  How amazing is that?  I'm saving it to take on my hols!

Biggest woot saved for last - today I ran the first run of Week 4.  A five minute warm up, a 'short' three minute run, 1.5 minute walk, a FIVE MINUTE RUN, 2.5 minute walk, run 3, walk, run FIVE, cool down.  Yes, I ran for five minutes without stopping. Twice. Without wanting to saturate you in the sheer smugness, I'm so proud.  I honestly never thought I would acheieve that, I remember back at the outset, scrolling through the weeks and thinking, run for five minutes?  Fuck no!  And here, I did it.  It feels so so good.  I'm also amused that what was my 'long run' on Monday is my 'short run' today.  Progress of the very coolest kind.

I think I need to blog soon about the positive changes that I AM noticing - the changes in my shape and msucles and fitness, to gee myself over the fact that the scales just don't want to shift for me.  I will do that soon, I promise, but now I am off to hit the sofa with a Curly Wurly!  (3PP...!)

Sunday 5 June 2011

Progress!

Week 3 - warm up walk, 5 minutes.  Run 1.5 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes; run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes.  Repeat. Cool down walk 5 minutes.

I've been sulking again.  I'm terrible.  Wednesday's loss was a mere 1/2lb, which was a bit frustrating, because I've been working SO hard.  I can feel the inches coming off, am noticing the difference in my clothes, I just want the scales to shift!

It's been a busy week, and a sad one, as we had to have our two pet rats put to sleep on Friday.  I'm very proud of myself for not caving in and comfort eating.  I did have chocolate -but it was a Curly Wurly!  3 Propoints - I can live with that.

Because it's been busy I'd not had time to run after Monday's efforts on Week 2, so when I headed out last night I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to start Week 3 with that big jump from 1.5 to 3 minutes continuous running.  I appreciate that this might not seem 'big' to fit people but a few weeks ago just running for 60 seconds was a challenge so try to see it from my perspective, three minutes is scary long time!

With my husband's encouragement, I decided to go for it - and I'm glad I did because I DID IT!  I ran for three whole minutes without stopping - TWICE!  In fact, after my second 3 minute run I even tacked on a little victory sprint.  Get me and my victory sprinting, watch the fat girl GO!

My pride in myself, and my small but enormous accomplishment, has lifted my mood like nothing else could.

Saturday 28 May 2011

Bah, rubbish.

I haven't blogged for a few days.  I've been sulking.  Weighed in on Wednesday to find that I had 'Stayed The Same'.  Gutted is not the word!  My lovely Weighwatchers bosslady Natalie (*hi Natalie!*) is confident that this is a result of flinging myself into a strenuous exercise regime and that it will all catch up in the end.  I'm sure she is right.  I'm still sulking though.

I have, however, stuck at it, both WW and running.  My helpful sister took the kids off my hands for half an hour on Thursday, taking them to feed/chase/terrorise squirrels at Cosmeston Lakes whilst I hobbled around the wooded paths.  Just wasn't feeling much love on Thursday, couldn't get into my stride at all.  Don't think the fact that the path is quite hilly helped. I always seemed to hit an uphill stretch whenever I needed to run!

Have had pasta for dinner tonight in anticipation of a run when the husbeast gets home, carb loading and the what.  I could certainly use the energy!

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Observances

I should probably apologise at this point for the stream-of-consciousness approach.  It helps me just to spew ideas at the keyboard, rather than give too much thought to what might make easy entertaining reading for you good people.  I'm the one doing all the hard bloody work though, so I'm sure you can live with it.  Also, the spacebar on my keyboard sticks.  I tried to get a new one but husband didn't feel it had the appropriate amount of 'multimedia features' (insert eye roll emoticon) so I am stuck with a rubbish sticky one.

Week 2 run 1 tonight.  I feel GOOD!  It was hard, as per, but not as hard as I expected.  I think I might actually be able to do this, you know.  I actually hit the gym after my run (helpfully, it's 5 minutes from my house, no real excuse for being such a lardy, hmmm?) and did some resistance work, concentrating on my upper body.

Some observances from tonight's run:

*  I have been running too fast.  Muppet!  No wonder I wanted to die.  I have slowed my run pace down to what is probably considered geriatric in experienced running circles, but it is sustainable and has not only eliminated the wish to die, it has significantly reduced my shin pain.  Good good good.  I figure I can work on speed once I've got the whole running for more than 90 seconds thang licked.

*  Running with a drink to hand. SO much better!  I took a 500ml sports bottle full of Nuun (a sugar free sports drink in tablet form, you just throw one into a half litre of water) and it made the whole thing so much more bearable.  I can't believe I'm dull enough not to have worked that out before now.

*  All my pants are getting too big and I'm too miserly to buy loads more till I'm significantly smaller.  Annoying southbound-knickers-when-running eliminated by going commando.  Yes, that was way too much information!

* New run route trialled tonight, I really liked it.  Riverside, very picturesque, less midges than Parc Taf Bargoed.  Less populated too, good for my sensitive disposition - I really don't like people seeing me runbecause I look like a fool -  but maybe less safe.  Whilst it's light it's not too intimidating but probably not one for the winter months.  Must make sure I start telling hubby where I'm going!

Weigh in tomorrow morning at Weightwatchers, I am praying for another decent loss to keep me motivated.  Hubby says I am getting "actually quite thin". I'm not thin by any stretch of the imagination but hopefully thinner than last week!

Sunday 22 May 2011

high

Sitting in the car having just finished a run-a great run! Still hard going but really felt today that I've made progress in just a week. First time I've finished a run and not felt I wanted to die! May have glimpsed that elusive runner's high-certainly ran with a smile on my face for a few fleeting moments. Feeling on top of the world, off home to celebrate with a glass of Weightwatchers wine and a bowl of raspberries. I know how to live a rock and roll life.

Current stats!

Weight loss to date - 9lb C25k progress - week one, three runs done. Weigh in day - Wednesday Next run - tonight (week 1 run 4)

Fat chick running.

That would be me.

Oh good, another fat chick moaning about her weight loss and fitness efforts!

I hope that in the coming months I can look back over this blog and see how far I've come.  I hope that the accountability of recording my journey will spur me on to do more, to do better, or just to do at all.  I hope that I can be mildly entertaining and that y'all will come back and read my musings.

I am learning to run.  I've wanted to run for a good while, wanted to be a runner. Running wasn't for me.  Running was for slim, fit, sporty folk who could get Saucony running tights in their actual size, and who don't have to use bra back extenders to get the biggest high-impact sports bra they could find to fit them.  Runners were sleek, effortless, somewhat glam.  I am not a runner.  I am, however, coming around to the notion that I could be, one day.  So I am running.  I'm not yet a runner, I will puffing my way through the Couch to 5k programme in the hope that I will emerge as a runner on the other side.

So, how's that working out?  Honestly, right now, it is hell.  It is hard work.  I run through a stitch and aching complaining shins that frankly do not want to be propelling my excessively fat body anywhere at any kind of a pace.  I run until it feels like someone is squeezing my lungs.  Embarrasingly, this is week one of the plan and I'm only required to run for a minute at a time, and it's about 45 seconds too much.

This time, though, I don't want to give up because it's hard.  Losing this weight, getting fit - this is something I need to do.  I started this journey approximately nine stone overweight, and I have type II diabetes.  I want to be around for my kids for a long long time, I want to enjoy a happy life with my husband.  So, I am a fat chick running.  I hope you will stick around and see how I get on!