tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36983643919468890352024-02-09T21:58:49.085+00:00Watching and WeightingA tale of the daily battle with food....from a perennial weightwatcher...Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-9726768123100925462013-09-29T18:04:00.002+01:002013-09-29T18:04:28.662+01:00Frustrating WOD - 29.9.13Urgh! WHY DOES THAT HAPPEN!??<br />
<br />
Went to bed far too late (3am) and still expected to be amazing at training this morning. Gah. Still struggling with this shoulder which is incredibly annoying. Easing off this week after competition wod last weds. Still covered in bruises. I dunno, maybe I just wasn't feeling it today. <br />
<br />
Double Unders to warm up...I can now string about six together.....good grief! <br />
Glute activation, and then deadlifts. <br />
<br />
Previous deadlift 1RM, 90kg. Last week I managed 85kg on my own and then wussed out. So, today we started at 10 for 50kg. Working up to 1 rep at 80kg. Ridiculous. What's wrong with me! <br />
<br />
Everywhere hurts! Back still sore (muscularly) after the competition wod Weds, and shoulder feels weak AS. No fight in me. PPPFT. <br />
<br />
I totally out-psyched myself off the deadlift, and thus the workout<br />
<br />
Fight Gone Bad - 3 rounds for reps. A minute of :Wall ball @6kg<br />
sumo deadlift high pull @ 25kg, box jumps, push press at 25kg, rowing for calories. <br />
<br />
With 1 minute rest at the end of each round.<br />
<br />
HORRENDOUS! Box jumps killed my shoulder, and after round 1 had to drop the weight off the bar and stick to strict shoulder press. <br />
<br />
Little bit soul destroying if i'm honest. <br />
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Then I did yoga which I also sucked at. Set the day up to suck. It's all in my head, I know it is!<br />
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So - here's the next week's plan! <br />
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I am gonna eat soooooo clean. All this training and eating utter shit is getting me nowhere. Time to get serious. <br />
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I am also gonna get to bed for 10pm each night this week. And get up at the same time irrespective of schedule. I am gonna stick to the MEBB training sessions with my coach weds/fri/sunday and in between times I am gonna mobilise my ass off, work on individual skills and get a sports massage!<br />
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Feel better having blogged it out. This too shall be a tool!<br />
<br />
Laters! Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-69438432615886348102013-07-18T09:06:00.001+01:002013-07-18T09:07:54.945+01:00Testing....testing....Trying out a post from my phone....in a bid to ensure i actually do blog!
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Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-9741113939322523162013-04-10T21:06:00.001+01:002013-04-10T21:06:11.651+01:00On why the scales are bollocks...This morning I weighed myself.<br />
<br />
Then I went to CrossFit.<br />
<br />
When I got back I weighed myself.....I was SIX POUNDS HEAVIER.<br />
<br />
I had done a series of heavy squats cleans and jerks and a particularly evil met con involving travelling burpees....<br />
<br />
Thoughts of chocolate and wine and 'Oh sod it' flew through my head. <br />
<br />
I went for a wee.<br />
<br />
I weighed myself. Again....<br />
<br />
I was 7lbs LIGHTER......<br />
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Scales are bollocks (as is weighing yourself 3 x a day....but it was just to illustrate a point!)<br />
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Let's not give them any undue power, eh? <br />
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L xLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-37915148833477009292012-05-18T21:27:00.002+01:002012-05-18T21:27:27.637+01:00Er.......Remember me ?!Holy crap it's been a while ! I'm BACK BABY!! Hello blog heads ! So. Whats been going on with you?! We last spoke May 2011 so, in fact, a year ago...good grief !! In fairness, I have been extremely busy qualifying as a Personal Trainer and setting up my business! I am VERY pleased to report that I am now fully qualified and fully operational ! My website is <a href="http://www.lixwallpt.co.uk/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.creationpt.com/">this</a> is where I train my one to one pt clients - remember the Trainer I've trained with since waaaaaaay back in 2009? It's his studio! How cool is that! Who would have thought it! My <a href="http://www.bodyfitbootcamp.co.uk/">Bootcamps</a> are still going SOOOO WELL with six sessions a week and loads of clients, as well as a LOT of laughs. Suffice it to say, I am massively busy!<br />
<br />
So all in all, dearest blogland, I could NOT be happier. I did it! I BLOODY DID IT!!!! My journey from fat to fit is complete!<br />
<br />
<strong><em><u>Or is it.....?</u></em></strong><br />
<br />
Oh guys, here's the thing.....I got fat again !!<br />
<br />
Well, ok, maybe not fat, but I am DEFINITELY heavier than I was this time last year at the height of my training and working towards qualifying. It's the oldest, crappiest reason in the world...<br />
<br />
I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME !<br />
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I have gone from loving training and being so immersed in it and working towards goals and events and aesthetic body change and adaptation, to spending every waking minute trying to support my clients to do just that, that it leaves little time for my own training. <br />
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I have had a very low week this week, and in an effort to pull myself out of the self-flagellating black hole that threatens to engulf me, I have been trying to establish when exactly I last felt in control of my body and eating and training and I realised, amongst many other things, that one of the things that helped encourage me and spur me on was you lovely lot ! Sooooo....here I am !<br />
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In some ways I am back to the drawing board....in other ways I feel quite positive, I am still human, I make mistakes. But you can bet your ass I will do my darnedest to rectify it. So, here we go. A stone (14lbs) to go.....<br />
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It's GREAT to be back <br />
<br />
Lizzie xxxLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-49914805698748184852011-05-02T19:14:00.005+01:002011-05-02T20:20:44.646+01:00Eating humble pie....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyc84I-NEw0K-XktvYFSzCFTBkYFmkxMez-1kOkutEQjQQKl0i6vqYOuFO57TVc9Q32GHDt19WNs9audGfE0-TFhwCzK9EbFVHulSTyN5Yf4zGhPkbmXL4UG2i2eUI3YGpwm4zBO__Qdo/s1600/Humble+Pie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyc84I-NEw0K-XktvYFSzCFTBkYFmkxMez-1kOkutEQjQQKl0i6vqYOuFO57TVc9Q32GHDt19WNs9audGfE0-TFhwCzK9EbFVHulSTyN5Yf4zGhPkbmXL4UG2i2eUI3YGpwm4zBO__Qdo/s320/Humble+Pie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602185213384414674" border="0" /></a><br />There comes a time in life where, on occasion, you have to man up and admit you were wrong. I HATE such occasions, but this past few days I have to admit I have been utterly slapped down ! :-)<br /><br />Yesterday, a few of my ww buddies were on twitter, bemoaning the fact that they had only lost 0.5lbs at weight in etc etc.....there ensued a debate which kinda went as follows....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*Top UK PT* Ditch the scales!<br />*Me* They're fine as PART of your arsenal to measure progress<br />*Top UK PT* They're inaccurate and many factors affect reading! Go to the loo and then weigh in!<br />*Me* As long as they're used sensibly and as a controlled experiement then surely they're ok!<br />*Top UK PT* As you well know they can encourage an unhealthy dependency. Use clothes to measure your progress<br /><br /><br />This made me think. About how clothes can be JUST as fickle as the scales. You know those old reliable jeans that are your 'go to' ?? Well, on a 'fat' day, they're just as likely to indicate a 'gain' as the the scales are! I then planned a whole chuffing blog post exposing this fact and feeling VERY smug about myself.<br /><br />And then...........<br /><br />today is a Bank Holiday here in the UK, so Rich and I decided to go out to play in the beautiful sunshine we've been having. Getting ready, I grabbed a pair of shorts which I was triumphant to 'get bakc into' this time last year, just to see if they fit .......bearing in mind all the b*tching I have been doing of late at myself because I feel like I've gained weight. Tried them on. And below is the result.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_jPHB5TeTIKa9q0b7khQivrKMbIFJ18KZ78wfUEe7WkSbuAGCg2XX_zZnjEeACbDe83f3oeJ5xr-h4trAYdUWz3BoLwXet15X36U9p6uMU3g6n-O026_sIEzRxknhzSRmn8Yl3XacNU/s1600/humble+pie+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 166px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_jPHB5TeTIKa9q0b7khQivrKMbIFJ18KZ78wfUEe7WkSbuAGCg2XX_zZnjEeACbDe83f3oeJ5xr-h4trAYdUWz3BoLwXet15X36U9p6uMU3g6n-O026_sIEzRxknhzSRmn8Yl3XacNU/s320/humble+pie+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602192156358649954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Massively too big. As in can't-wear-them-without-indecent-exposure-too-big.....Error.<br /><br /><br />See, I've been consistently(unfavourably) comparing my physique to 'this time last May' when, looking back, I felt much more lean and honed and toned, and I WAS LIGHTER ON THE SCALES ! This year, I am heavier.....however, a quick check back through facebook shows me quite clearly WEARING these same shorts on holiday with my girlfriends, cartwheeling along the beach in them, in fact, so they absolutely fitted me and - more to the point - stayed up this tie last year. SO. Moral of the sory is, YES I may be heavier BUT once again the CLOTHEs have proven to be the best gauge of progress, because I am quite clearly smaller tham I was this time last year.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFOE7yqUSiq3moyW_OKtNVzlyJ4jk2I2DXGH7Ki5k9fD871rHVzUblRO323jaFvKroFjfkLpCK6NIczr_aAw9YHxdXDsTOb1B5KLu88IuOla2sXKtKEh076aB9RBNwd_6_IGKaiN7qmI/s1600/pants.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFOE7yqUSiq3moyW_OKtNVzlyJ4jk2I2DXGH7Ki5k9fD871rHVzUblRO323jaFvKroFjfkLpCK6NIczr_aAw9YHxdXDsTOb1B5KLu88IuOla2sXKtKEh076aB9RBNwd_6_IGKaiN7qmI/s320/pants.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602200392034863842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And whilst, in the grand scheme of things, none of this matters one iota, the moral of the story is that I could either be really down about the fact I am heavier (according to scales) than last year and feel sh*t about myself and take a train straight to self pity city and moan about undoing all my hard work and giving in and slacking off and being a crap example etc etc OR I can go with the indisputable evidence of that pair of shorts and feeel all of a sudden on top of the world like I can do ANYTHING and rejoice in the fact that my body HAS changed....seemingly for the better.<br /><br />SO, in conclusion, I must eat humble pie. The scales are categorically NOT the best measure of progress. In fact they mess with my mind. I knew this....I of all people knew this...but I reeeeeally and truly thought I had a handle on it. Turns out - not so much.<br /><br />So yet again,Mark, you were right. I will TRY and ignore the scales (again!!!) and continue trying to measure what I deem to be 'progress' in this way. I am totes glad you're in my life ! (annoying though it is to be once again proven wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!)<br /><br />Ditch the scales people (she admits, begrudgingly !!!!!!!!)<br /><br />Love Lizzie xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-23621795714289999092011-04-25T14:23:00.003+01:002011-04-25T14:37:57.276+01:00BodyFitBootCamp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxW_lI6ORCmP68WngiVjZll6RmlgaZ9OiDAwvruy4sSrSdW4BD8K3Z5URkoKB6jOyrTm3SDlYxSZVfxbVEey3SsS09_804AXfeuyKk5g0vkvduaxVeNgD9UDo9VSDj-uzNXZpxU1aL-8/s1600/bootcamp+sun+10+april+2011.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxW_lI6ORCmP68WngiVjZll6RmlgaZ9OiDAwvruy4sSrSdW4BD8K3Z5URkoKB6jOyrTm3SDlYxSZVfxbVEey3SsS09_804AXfeuyKk5g0vkvduaxVeNgD9UDo9VSDj-uzNXZpxU1aL-8/s320/bootcamp+sun+10+april+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599512475555219026" border="0" /></a><br />Hey peeps,<br /><br />Soooo....guess what I've been up to?! Getting my very first, bona fide, fitness business venture off the ground THAT'S WHAT!!!!<br /><br />How good is that?! Check it out <a href="http://www.bodyfitbootcamp.co.uk/">here</a>! My friend and mentor, Mr Mark Raynsford is the Director of BodyFitBootCamp in Surrey. I don't know if I ever told you about my little running club that's been operating since January this year, with the aim of helping women who might otherwise be intimidated by gyms and the like, to learn to run in a fun environment, with likeminded people. Well, it's been going great guns but was starting to need something else to develop it. Through various chats on twitter and with Mark, an idea began to take shape of actually turning my running club into a boot camp !<br /><br />Fast forward a few weeks and here we are !!!!!!!! It's all happened so fast and I am so buzzing! it's GREAT to be doing something I love, motivating people who want to make fat loss and fitness changes in their lives, and getting paid for it!<br /><br />Our sessions last for about 45 minutes and we work HARD! No equipment, all bodyweight exercises and a bloody good laugh while we're doing it !<br /><br />I am so grateful to Mark for this opportunity - it's well exciting! I am loving seeing the enthusiasm in the members as they see results and get all passionate about training and eating right. IT IS GREAT !<br /><br />So that's where I've been ! How we doin, blogland?!<br /><br />Love Lizzie xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-60872840274714748532011-04-10T13:17:00.003+01:002011-04-10T13:46:36.625+01:00#FoodFail<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh_xj0SWTKgMby0P56FKNQiML36nYlRnnyJYim8PPdesCGZrL21Pbsj0fKkYUv8gPkbB6TQbVS7zfO3bbs8VQCVqJ2za-xGgAexYgt4VwSaFqiP0w-Iy8JP5bISLg1llOetNAoTRy2HI/s1600/dont+fit.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh_xj0SWTKgMby0P56FKNQiML36nYlRnnyJYim8PPdesCGZrL21Pbsj0fKkYUv8gPkbB6TQbVS7zfO3bbs8VQCVqJ2za-xGgAexYgt4VwSaFqiP0w-Iy8JP5bISLg1llOetNAoTRy2HI/s320/dont+fit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593929424673133762" border="0" /></a><br />Bonjour mesdames et messieurs...<br /><br /><br /><br />Sunday again eh? How DOES that happen?! Quick update.<br /><br />There's a part of me that is loathe to 'fess up the following to you....but I need to! Just because I am a CBT and future PT doesn't preclude me from slipping.....so here goes.....<br /><br />I had a <span style="font-weight: bold;">truly terrible</span> week last week - food wise. Did not workout one single iota (oh, apart from a mega guilt induced far too long cortisol through the roof run on Monday) and ate utter sh*te all week. Yesterday I went out to Liverpool for a friend's birthday and for the first time since Feb 2010 or thereabouts, I felt reeeeeeallllly uncomfortable in my clothes. Getting ready & picking an outfit was a total nightmare, nothing fitted, or hung right, or looked good. Just like the old days. Cue self-loathing. A week of stress meant troffing pretty much what I liked (so, bread...also cake...also not really cooking properly) and having wine on school nights, and having reeeeally pants sleep and not working out has all taken its toll on my poor little bod.<br /><br />That feeling of 'uncomfortable' was an odd one. Once so familiar and yet now so alien, it was weird to be back there. A timely reminder though. I hated it. I'm not perfect. I still struggle from time to time. Ok so it's not major binge-eating or the dreaded binge-purge subtype but for me, it's a struggle. And almost certainly stress-related. But I was reminded (again) of what I've changed in my life, where I want to be, and yes the body I still want - as in that whichI am yet to have - and mostly, of how much I <span style="font-weight: bold;">DO NOT</span> want <span style="font-weight: bold;">ever</span> to go back 'there.'<br /><br />So, how do you pull yourself out of the hole?<br /><br />1<span style="font-weight: bold;">. TELL SOMEONE</span> - accountability is everything. Choose someone to tell who will not let you get away with it, won't collude with you, will hold you accountable and ask the tough questions, all without judging! Tall order, but we all have those people in our lives. Be honest with them!<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">SET A TIME LIMIT</span> - For me, it was a week. I was knackered. Defences were low. Did not AT ALL feel like working out. So I didn't. Every time I made a less than perfect or out of the norm food choice, I reminded myself that on Saturday this would stop. This helped me to cope in the short term with the damage I was doing and the ensuing guilt. It also mentally prepared me for getting back 'on it' when my time limit ran out.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">TAKE NOTE -</span> Journal it, tweet it, blog it, - whatever works for you, however you keep track of your thoughts and progress. Record <span style="font-weight: bold;">HOW</span> you feel in the midst of an 'off' period, record <span style="font-weight: bold;">WHY</span> you're experiencing it (if reasons are known). For me it helped to stop and jot down precisely how I felt when I woke up at 3am with heart burn because I'd eaten pizza at ten o' clock at night! What a div ! When I was fat I used to get that all the time - haven't had it for 2 years...it was a shock to be woken up by it...and then not to be able to sleep for ages, thus waking up knackered and cross, less able to 'cope' with life and less motivated to yank myself out of the hole, more likely to make stupid food choices and steer clear of working out....and then being ensnared in a vicious cycle of the same.....groundhog day anyone?<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">TAKE ACTION</span> - Rather than dwelling on the negative - the above - use it to turn to a positive advantage. As well as noting the <span style="font-weight: bold;">HOW</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">WHY </span>make sure you <span style="font-weight: bold;">ACTION PLAN</span> - the <span style="font-weight: bold;">WHAT</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">WHEN</span> ! What will you do to stop? Plan in your next workout - make yourself accountable for that, tell someone your plan. Do a healthy food shop. Get rid of the crap. Don't carry cash when you go past the tempting food places. Make it harder for yourself to give in. Change your route home. Do all of the above! And the 'when' is the time limit spoken about above.<br /><br />So, for me, this week. I have complied with my time limit. I did a gym free kettlebell workshop in the garden yesterday along with bodyweight workout. I ate healthily and limited my alcohol intake despite a night in town AND a dinner out. A healthy food shop has been done, meals are thought through for the week and workouts factored in.<br /><br />All in all I'm setting myself up to succeed. Keep me accountable, won't you?<br /><br />Love Lizzie xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-39379857840688889202011-04-06T12:38:00.002+01:002011-04-06T13:15:27.416+01:00Tiredness SUCKS!I am currently knackered. A combo of crappy sleep, not enough sleep, doing too much, training too hard and all the stress of the past couple of weeks has taken its toll a bit! It also means I am making reeeeally crappy food choices because I'm tired and therefore less inclined to care, or worry about consequances, so it's hard to be motivated which then perpetuates into a deeeeelightful vicious cycle of eating nonsense. Not a good advert ! SO. From today, I am pulling it back. I took action last night: a self-imposed social media blackout, stopped working and 'doing' at 9pm, ate a properly cooked, sensible dinner, had a bath, slapped on the old trans-dermal magnesium spray, read last Sunday's Times and was fast asleep by 10pm. Awoke before my alarm at 6:40am feeling refreshed and ready to rock! As a result, have been far more productive today AND have clawed it back food wise. <strong>Breakfast</strong> - half a lemon in hot water, 2 boiled eggs and 2 slices rye toast <strong>Mid-morning</strong> - grapes, pineapple and almonds <strong>Lunch </strong>- falafel, hummus, and a big ol' salad with chilli and coriander 2L water by midday and 3 cups peppermint tea. No idea what dinner will be yet but this afternoon I have a banana and a home-made protein bounceball so I can go workout after work. I can't wait ! Energy levels are soaring!!!! Have a great day people! Lizzie xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-17831264144478345552011-04-04T10:05:00.005+01:002011-04-04T20:40:45.363+01:00So.......food !<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsN76p8tnECxwedsKgxkoIrOHD9_5Vl4X3YYA6z_WvPRxk3sZYi5Z8V9fZrQRpCHF3zRcTnIB_TXDXiX6shhuouUhppDVfdnnSO5Xytr-PW1LVXY46x5YO4yhR8HIm2DRYOkFSFXI54I/s1600/hummus.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsN76p8tnECxwedsKgxkoIrOHD9_5Vl4X3YYA6z_WvPRxk3sZYi5Z8V9fZrQRpCHF3zRcTnIB_TXDXiX6shhuouUhppDVfdnnSO5Xytr-PW1LVXY46x5YO4yhR8HIm2DRYOkFSFXI54I/s320/hummus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591814349341620914" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Let's face it, kinda the raison d'etre for this here blog. You've seen my journey with food...from the <a href="http://http//whatamiweightingfor.blogspot.com/2008/04/and-so-it-begins.html">not so good early stages </a>to <a href="http://http//whatamiweightingfor.blogspot.com/2009/06/day-on-plan.html">rockin' the ww plan </a>through the weight loss to finally getting to <a href="http://http//whatamiweightingfor.blogspot.com/2010/02/ggggggoooooaaaaaaalllllll.html">goal </a>and the central theme to all this madness has been <strong>food</strong>. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Food. Simultaneously my archemeny and BFF. I have always had a nutty relationship with it. Enter WW stage left! For the first time in my life I had something that worked. It encouraged and enabled me to eat healthily, sensibly and without crazy 'weightloss' techniques....and I may as well be honest, the fact that there were rules was one of its biggest appeals...I like control and parameters to work with ! I adapted quickly to the ww way of eating and it suited me down to the ground. The weight started to come off and eventually I got to goal. Remember this was the 2nd time I had done ww. Remember the ill-fated 23lbs lost in 20 weeks attempt of 2006?! Yeh well. Less said about that the better BUT the main difference between my 2009 attempt compared with 2006 was the change in <strong>what</strong> I ate. 2006 Liz was all about the 100 calorie snack packs, low fat, reduced fat, light, lite, diet coke drinking 18 points a day. The 2009 version saw me trying to eat 'cleaner' - favouring the 'Filling Foods' and even when ww scrapped the Points system and brought out PROpoints in Nov 2010, I was still able to rock it because of their fabulous 'Simply Filling' version of the PROpoints plan.(Like 'Core Plan' for the old school amongst you!) This helped me to begin to move away from counting points every day - I'll admit that going from 18 to 29 each day freaked me out a tad - and I began to ponder on life after ww. The therapist in me wanted to challenge my reliance upon counting and tracking. A perfectly good technique to have and practice and use on a daily basis. BUT does it teach us to change our behaviours and attitudes towards food? Or is it a means of applying a modicum of control to said behaviours and attitudes? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I began thinking about what I wanted after goal. I'd got to a point where I was tracking ever so carefully and eating ever so perfectly during the week and then would go mental each weekend eatign and drinking pretty much what I liked. (Ah, remember the days when a bottle of wine was 7.5 points !! ;-) ). This became a pattern and although I had hit goal and then some, I think that my health was not the driving concern. Weight loss was. I was weighing in every week and riding a wave of 2lbs on, 2lbs off - week in, week out - all within my goal range so for all ww intents and purposes it didnt matter but how I felt was becoming an issue. I was also training like a demon (circa summer 2010) and as such, this was the control mechanism for the crazy weekends. Eat sensibly in the week, track, no bread, no wine etc etc....go bonkers at weekends but "it's ok because I can train like a loon in the week to claw it back, and ensure a weightloss on the scales on Saturday" Damage Limitation diet. In the and my weight hit a plateau and I was knackered because of all the training I was doing with sooooo the wrong fuel in the machine! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Something had to change! </div><br /><div>At the beginning of this year I left ww - essentially because of the pt course I'm doing and time factor. This coincided with getting involved with the <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lixwall">twitter community</a> I've mentioned previously. As often happens in life, a timely intervention has sent me down a whole new path in life, in many ways, too numerous to mention, but specifically for the purposes of this blog, in terms of food.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>January 2011. Operation #ditchthescale. Those 2 PT types (again, aforementioned) whom I have got to know and greatly respect, began a campaign of merciless yet good natured ribbing to get me to ditch the scales. The idea being that I needed to look to body shape and health as a means of gauging progress rather than being fixated with figure on the scale. Not one to back away from a challenge, I embraced it wholeheartedly and went without weighing myself for February. At this time I also discovered <a href="http://www.markraynsford.ning.com/">this forum </a>which has proven to be a great resource for the 'new direction' I've taken food wise. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So what is it? Well. Let me tell you. Basic premise? <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Eat Natural to Look Natural"</span> Well, duh! I hear you, I hear you. But let's think about this for a sec! Even when I first began reading about 'clean eating', I was still very much on the 'sugar free/low fat' vibe, under the impression that because it's lower in fat and/or sugar, it must therefore be healthier. WRONG-O! So what does that mean?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Embrace the good fats. </span><br /><br />*Cue mind meltdown*<br /><br /><a href="http://http//theweightlosstips.co.uk/309/dont-fear-the-fat-eat-it/">Here's the lowdown</a>, no point me regurgitating it here, but suffice it to say this has been one hell of a learning curve. The very fact of 'unlearning' all those 'healthy eating' habits has been a huge challenge...never mind the *actual* doing of it!<br /><br />Some of the highlights include:-<br /><br />* Ditching low fat hummus, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, etc in favour of <span style="font-weight: bold;">full fat</span> - You know what? tastes about a million times better AND is better for me. I still have a massively hard time reprogramming my mind to reach for the full fat rather than the low, but it does stand to reason that 200g of full fat hummus and 200g of low fat hummus is still 200g....so, what do they ADD to the lower fat version to make it weigh the same? Answer: Sugar, fillers, artificial sweeteners, in short, all kindsa crap. Frankly, I'd rather go full fat.....*gulp* I can't believe I just said that !<br /><br />*Ditching the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> diet coke</span> - I didn't drink this a lot at all...in fact I think Christmas was probs the last time, but I do recall the ww journey first time round I used this a lot to surpress my appetite, under the impression that it was a healthy choice because it was sugar free.<br /><br />*And related to the above - <span style="font-weight: bold;">caffeine</span> - DAMN this was hard ! You know me - I looooove my lattes.....and even though I am a 'grandesingleshotskinnylatte' kinda gal, it's still caffeine and still milk....so I went cold turkey on caffeine's ass for a month. Dear GOD the withdrawal headaches! Remind me never to do any Class A's - I wouldn't be able to cope with the come down ! (JOKE!!). The thing I found hardest was not starting each day with that all important cuppa (English Breakfast Tea just FYI American pals!!) but I have slowly weaned myself off it and now look forward to green tea. I know! MAD! More importantly, I am at the stage of the plan where I can reintroduce certain things, like the odd latte. What I have found is that my taste for it has changed. I don't want it so much anymore and it's taken its rightful place in the 'once in a while' treat drawer!<br /><br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bread</span> - This was a biggie!! I only ever ate bread at weekends, as a treat, but it was always something I soooo looked forward to, would then go crazy with and then be left feeling, well, pregnant with air and. Fact is, wheat and gluten pretty much sucks & it's really hard for our bods to get to grips with it and use it for anything massively worthwhile. So, rye bread it is. I have battled with this....soooooooooooooo an acquired taste!But you know what? It's ok. And it doesn't leave me bloated to high heaven! Same also goes for spelt products like spelt pasta....working on this one, I don't 'do' a lotta carbs, so this is a new challenge!<br /><br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Water</span> - Since I bought that Sigg bottle a year or so ago I have been reeeeeally good with hydration levels - knocking back 3 or so litres a day of filtered (not tap) water - so I've just carried this on - but I wanted to mention it here because it's fundamental to what I am trying to achieve. Some have even described it as 'lifeblood'....<br /><br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">"If it lived or has been grown - eat it!"</span> - The 'catch-all'...suddenly a whole lot more is on the menu than before. All natural, all good for us.<br /><br />There's loooooads more I could say but I think I'll leave it there for tonight!<br /><br />Love, Lizzie xoxo<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span></div>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-81756205115604401782011-04-01T09:36:00.002+01:002011-04-01T10:34:35.781+01:00A little perspective.....This morning on the way to work I was confronted head on with an entirely unpleasant blast from the past. I'll spare you the details of what/when/who/why but suffice it to say the typical reaction for me when faced with this particular occurrence on the mercifully rare occasions it happens, would be one of blind panic, definitely 'flight' rather than 'fight' and more often than not crazy puking and the triggering of major restrictive eating for a while after. Today, however, as I sat on that train, panicking, it suddenly occurred to me that I'm not the same person anymore. "The old has gone...the new has come"...I can choose for myself now, how I react in any given situation. I am not controlled by negative thoughts or behaviours, and certainly not by another individual. I was faced with a choice. In the end, I did get off the train a stop too early. But in a calm, controlled way. Not rushing, or panicking or - I am pleased to report - throwing up ! Squared shoulders, standing tall. A few calming yoga breaths on the short walk to the office and a quick 'mind game' and all was once more right with the world. Furthermore, I sat down at my desk and ate my planned breakfast of strawberries, grapes, banana and apple with porridge oats, almonds and greek yoghurt....no crazy eating patterns for me thank you very much ! POSITIVE CHANGES ! With clients I ask them all the time to practice the technique of being able to recall at a moment's notice 5 things that have changed for the better, or that they are proud of, pleased with, know to be different about themselves - progress points, if you will. Today, confronted with that situation, this little exercise served to strengthen me. It helped me realise what I have achieved: personally, professionally, in life and where I am going, who I am and who I am not any longer! In no particular order... 1) I am <strong>confident</strong> in who I am 2) I am <strong>content</strong> with my life in the here and now 3) I am <strong>no longer trapped</strong> by my own body or mind, by restriction or by being overweight 4) I have done things I <strong>never</strong> thought myself <strong>capable of</strong> 5) I am <strong>happy</strong> So there you go. Give it a try. It really does help! Shift your perspective onto the positives and you can't go far wrong. I tweeted this this morning, hence the blog post.... " @lixwall Sometimes you're faced with an experience you'd rather forget...use it as a marker for how far you've come, how changed you are #positivity " So go on, tell me ! What are <strong>your </strong>5 things ! Comment or tweet !Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-53177972035556245012011-03-29T11:25:00.002+01:002011-03-29T15:07:16.877+01:00Guess who ????!!!!!!Hello dear blogland!! It's ME! I am still alive ! Sincere and heartfelt apologies for abandoning you...I didn't mean to take a hiatus! Suffice it to say I have undergone something of a transformation these past few months. In a GOOD way! All part of the plan to be less focused on self and more looking outward. All about the next challenge. The next phase of life. It all began with Twitter, funnily enough! One extremely hungover Sunday morning in January I was idly scrolling through Twitter when I happened upon @inkilterfitness aka <a href="http://www.inkilterfitness.co.uk/">Stuart Amory </a>who had set his followers a challenge for January which was not to drink alcohol. I figured it was probs a good idea to get involved and so I did! Over the next few weeks I noticed little motivational tweets from Stu here and there, spurring us all on, encouraging us to stick with the challenge and publish results. This was when the penny dropped as to what twitter is all about! Also during aforementioned hungover Sunday, I was also 'tweeted' by @markpt aka <a href="http://www.markspt.co.uk/">Mark Raynsford</a> who recommended a vile concoction to restore my poor dehydrated body after poisoning it with wine. It worked a treat! So I started following him as well. Cue the beginnings of endless banter, merciless teasing, great friendship and a whole lotta learning! Long story short, there is a pretty amazing pt community firmly establishing itself in twitter land, and with all my aspirations in that direction I am loving all that I am learning from these people. Sometimes in life, connections with people just grab you and impact your life in a myriad of ways. It's weird. But also cool ! So, over the past 2 months I have..... 1. Maintained my weight (and lost a little bit more) and been at my ww goal for a year! yep - 14th Feb was the day! How cool is that ! 2. Made MANY adaptations to the way I eat (more on this later) 3. Changed the way I workout - or at least, I am on the way to changing it! 4. Qualified at the first level of my pt course ! 5. Got myself a mentor for all things pt 6. Made some very exciting connections in the fitness industry and 7. Hatched some very exciting plans for the not too distant future!! So, I'm back and ready to blog ! Thanks for not abandoning me !! Love, Liz xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-72259561659184349622011-01-14T10:10:00.001+00:002011-01-14T10:12:02.876+00:00Twitter..........I've been on it for a while but have only just begun to use it properly! I think I love it even more than facebook!!<br /><br />Feel free to follow me<br /><br /><strong>@lixwall</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/lixwall">www.twitter.com/lixwall</a></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>HAPPY FRIDAY!!!</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>love Lizzie xoxox</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-74248361345754875232011-01-13T12:27:00.003+00:002011-01-17T16:54:45.668+00:00A year ago today.......<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp638v9vut917E5ApCVC8H5A5yvXE2jKGRlJ0t67frpsCZwRlF4joAfkb8ZkrTOZrUrBuwpr-MD19Z0Rb_piv-YNyikU26EsMILL62kvkh8IAmM6-fzuQBUUzml61-UvzuH06QBQPbONI/s1600/10k.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561646384878630690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 147px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp638v9vut917E5ApCVC8H5A5yvXE2jKGRlJ0t67frpsCZwRlF4joAfkb8ZkrTOZrUrBuwpr-MD19Z0Rb_piv-YNyikU26EsMILL62kvkh8IAmM6-fzuQBUUzml61-UvzuH06QBQPbONI/s400/10k.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p>....I ran my first ever 10k distance! It was on the treadmill at my gym and took me 72 minutes. I was SO PLEASED with myself and absolutely BUZZING that my body could DO THAT!! Guess what? It didn't kill me, I didn't hurt too much afterwards, it was truly amazing! All it did was give me a greater passion for running - shortly after I made the transition to running outside and now I cannot imagine my life without being able to just head out for a run! It was a few weeks before I hit my ww goal too and I am certain the extra push activity-wise contributed to actually getting to goal. AWESOME. </p><p>I now run 10k in 50 minutes...and sometimes under! Who knew THAT would happen in a year?!!</p><p>When it feels tough and you can't be arsed, have a think back to what you have achieved. We do some pretty amazing things on our individual and combined health and fitness journeys y'know!!</p><p>Have a great day!</p><p></p><p>Love Lizzie xoxoxox</p>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-28873267155607662532011-01-12T10:16:00.000+00:002011-01-12T10:17:06.825+00:00Happy New Year!Happy 2011 peeps! I realise I am a tad late to the party but it has taken me till now to get back in the swing of things! I am very excited about this new year + as such am not gonna do a massive retrospective on 2010. Suffice it to say that I had a great year of getting to goal, changing my body, dramatically increasing my fitness + above all else getting HEALTHY. I had a massive NSV of appearing on stage half naked and in short I further revolutionised my life and my outlook thereon.
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<br>This year is all about being outward looking. I took a year to focus on myself in 2010. Now it's all about putting it out there. For this is the year I will qualify as a pt! Me. A bona fide health + fitness professional! And health is my aim and overriding objective. Not weight loss this year, but continued health and fitness + my own personal aim to be the best me I can be.
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<br>I'm really excited! It means lots of changes but rather than freak out it's much easier just to embrace it. More on all that later but I just wanted to check in + say hello!
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<br>How you all doing? What's your aim for the year?
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<br>Heaps of love
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<br>Lizzie xoxoxo
<br>------------------Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-71598103166510340822010-12-23T11:48:00.003+00:002010-12-23T11:53:35.910+00:00MeRrY ChRiStMaS!!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9J0kbktWdMvdL4258i5RbrJdu06YH7NMcER45Nq_XJYz_mVoSQfT4L4-RlM9ibAlAbQERXKDObTkgEyvEH2i3giBfoQG-VqB2bjd56goWnuBDOGSsND7iF6D-vU_GmDS_vSqZOYWqrs/s1600/me+and+rich.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553843558188415378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9J0kbktWdMvdL4258i5RbrJdu06YH7NMcER45Nq_XJYz_mVoSQfT4L4-RlM9ibAlAbQERXKDObTkgEyvEH2i3giBfoQG-VqB2bjd56goWnuBDOGSsND7iF6D-vU_GmDS_vSqZOYWqrs/s320/me+and+rich.JPG" border="0" /></a> Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas indeed, and a truly happy, healthy & prosperous 2011!<br /><br />Thank you for all your love, support, comments, emails, tweets and facebooking this year. You really are wonderful and this blog is so much a part of my continued success with the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle....Couldn't do it without you!!!! Lots of love to you all, Lizzie xoxo<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpqns-0iUtQZY_gxU0NYGIb0nB_YwKlyUIC3jN-ehXHoBZig9n8BdEGQ3b5ZBVssyUCPfZwtOxVK1aRHXhgxoQswgdYmMvBW9qvY3pIqS5TFhICubw0WO2SvyBtwmm-ogMWBuOqcwLjc/s1600/cindy+lou.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553843548626891746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpqns-0iUtQZY_gxU0NYGIb0nB_YwKlyUIC3jN-ehXHoBZig9n8BdEGQ3b5ZBVssyUCPfZwtOxVK1aRHXhgxoQswgdYmMvBW9qvY3pIqS5TFhICubw0WO2SvyBtwmm-ogMWBuOqcwLjc/s320/cindy+lou.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvB3VNZp5uW4VJF5s5L1ptbbinM_2a1qXYNluQvVDVqWxn0fGFV07QhWy9hk7P6EV1FBvSNYTXDXSr9V0Ua-QlSgfEyEMuO1IizBPGKcm-gV8-IR0NC-78UGhRdlsV9B51oNihvL-v0Y/s1600/elves.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553843553649441922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvB3VNZp5uW4VJF5s5L1ptbbinM_2a1qXYNluQvVDVqWxn0fGFV07QhWy9hk7P6EV1FBvSNYTXDXSr9V0Ua-QlSgfEyEMuO1IizBPGKcm-gV8-IR0NC-78UGhRdlsV9B51oNihvL-v0Y/s320/elves.JPG" border="0" /></a>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-86866451960178392882010-12-15T14:14:00.002+00:002010-12-15T14:20:36.196+00:00The ballet world is a-buzz!Oooh! Go read <a href="http://thegreatfitnessexperiment.blogspot.com/2010/12/actresses-get-oscar-buzz-for-eating.html">this! From the lovely Charlotte.</a> I won't recreate the post here (she + her readers I am sure will say it all!)but I am most definitely formulating some thoughts about this! Most probably ones that will be contrary to popular belief! I cannot wait to see the<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/"> film in and of itself,</a> never mind all the hoopla that is sure to surround it!<br /><br />Too bad it's not out here till January.....<br /><br />Lizzie xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-10359053638432719432010-12-13T16:24:00.002+00:002010-12-13T17:03:20.404+00:00Pain in the neck...Quite literally!<br /><br />Please bear with me folks! What is it with me, December and flipping injuries!? Just when the season of eating is upon us and I aim to rely on my carefully honed gym attendance and running skillz, I am afflicted with a horrid injury. Last year was the <a href="http://whatamiweightingfor.blogspot.com/2009/12/dark-days.html">debacle of ITB </a>and this year is all about the neck! I have had a niggling neck pain for a little over a week now and despite using copious amounts of ibuprofen & Deep Heat it is showing no signs of abating. I cannot get comfortable when I sleep - so much so that I have been relegated to the spare room because the husband cannot function on so little sleep! It's fine when I am moving but all of a sudden when I sit still a wave of pain coems over me. Apparently, this is a muscle spasm.<br /><br />I went to the GP this morning who firstly suggested I fashion a neck brace out of several sheets of newspaper and 'one of your mother's silk scarves'. Yes, apparently, I went to the Doctor's in the 1950's today, so that was nice. What a quack. He did, however, give me some super duper pain killers and some super strength deep heat and recommend physiotherapy, which is paid for by the nhs HURRAH, so the referral has gone in. I am booked in for a sports massage on Weds should the muscle relax enough to actually be manipulated. At present, my right shoulder is higher than the left. Delightful. So we shall see. Hopefully the painkillers will do the trick. I couldn't work out all weekend so I anticipate the twitchy legs and crippling paranoia about weight gain will kick in soon.<br /><br />BLOODY BUGGERY BUMS. (sorry)<br /><br />Madly, in my head I actually considered going to the gym this evening. I don't think I'll get away with BodyPump.....but I am NOT becoming enslaved to the stupid recumbent bike again....think I might wait till Weds, see what Mr PT has to say and then go from there.<br /><br />I am in a foul mood. I reeeeeeeeally suck as a patient.<br /><br />I'd better go..... there's a tennis ball with my name on it that I need to do some self mfr with. Oh the glamour!<br /><br />Hope you're all well!!!<br /><br />Love Lizzie xoxoLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-26665542222395574792010-11-23T10:44:00.003+00:002010-11-23T12:08:10.981+00:00I am having an affair.....there, I said it!...with this..... ;-)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9zxnueyGzE4Tlk-U6tPzVriZw1QKQXXz5XAm1BPnRfiMzZrhRped3izXrxdRyg0E83vCrP4sEHCdWeYSZEl0vbId_ZWBTR7346aWQrfzM85_94mAc0sn8eouO05be57aDIu6lqYzLmI/s1600/foam+roller.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542694451497291010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9zxnueyGzE4Tlk-U6tPzVriZw1QKQXXz5XAm1BPnRfiMzZrhRped3izXrxdRyg0E83vCrP4sEHCdWeYSZEl0vbId_ZWBTR7346aWQrfzM85_94mAc0sn8eouO05be57aDIu6lqYzLmI/s320/foam+roller.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Yes peeps, <strong>I am in love with a foam roller.</strong> </div><div></div><div>Nobody panic, I have not taken leave of my senses. I am merely trying to communicate to you my new-found adoration for this weird piece of equipment. They say that there's a fine line between pleasure and pain. It's my belief that whoever coined that phrase was, at the time, foam rollering his or her iliotibial band. </div><div></div><div>At the gym t'other day, I was having a post interval sprint gasp, er..chat, with one of the gym bods who is a lovely chap, all of 20 years old, with a real passion for running and helping people to train correctly. We often have chats - he's taught me to do a proper pull up. He asked if I'd seen the new piece of equipment. I cast my eyes around the room expecting a new treadmill or (<strong>God forbid</strong>) another bloody PowerPlate (<strong>Yes, I do think they're for lazy people. What of it?!)</strong> but nooooo....couldn't see anything. We walked over to the stretching area. And lo and behold, there it was. Martin presented the roller to me as proudly as a new dad showing off his offspring. I was deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelighted!</div><div></div><div>I have heard about these foam rollery things and used one on occasion when I could get my hands on one (believe it or not, relatively new phenomenon in the UK - usually only available from verrrrrry expensivo physio shops....PTL for amazon.co.uk!) - especially this time last year when I had that sucky injury to my hip flexors caused by a too tight ITB. So needless to say, I was eager to get involved! I have had a few really disappointing training sessions lately and a lot of leg fatigue so I was quite excited to rejuvenate the old pins! (Taken longer to recover from the Hell Runner than I thought, and longer to get the miles back in my legs *sad face*)</div><div></div><div>You know that (other) old saying: 'Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen'?? Well this is how I reckon the foam roller feels about me. (Just go with me on this...)...because it <strong>REALLY BLOODY</strong> <strong>HURTS</strong> when you use it but afterwards, you're left with such release that you can't help but go back for more the next time.....</div><div></div><div>And therein lies my problem. I am hopelessly addicted to it. I've hogged it after every run or sprint session I've done since and my legs definitely feel 'looser' and more quickly recovered after training, particularly as I begin to get back into the swing of things after slacking a bit. Most def feeling the benefits. Nowt wrong with that. No one else seems to want to use it. Job's a good'un!</div><div></div><div><strong>However. </strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div>I have a *slight* issue I need to bring to your atttention. </div><div></div><div>How on earth does one accurately and effectively use the foam roller without (a) yelling loud expletives, (b) groaning and moaning (c) looking/sounding like you're auditioning to be in a porn film??</div><div></div><div>(Personally, I think the answer is buy one and use it at home....preferably when no one else is around...and believe you me, it's at the top of my Christmas list!) BUT at the gym, what is the correct etiquette? Do you grin and bear it or just let the pain out?! </div><div></div><div>I was literally having fits of giggles as I worked on my legs imagining (a) what I must look like to everyone else, and (b) what I must have sounded like! Imagine surpressing a scream akin to the scream you emit when you get a sports massage and have an elbow unceremoniously jabbed in your glutes.....I am not a quiet subject when I get massaged so I can only imagine what I sounded like! HAHAHA! I drew some funny looks, let me tell you! Nor am I particularly given to ever using the f word. Apparently this is not true where foam rollers (or massage, as it happens) are concerned. Oopsie.</div><div></div><div>Remember the secen in 'Friends' when Phoebe accuses Monica of making sex noises when she gets massaged? That's how I imagine I sounded to people...which only made me laugh even more. </div><div></div><div>So, I don't know what the answer is but boy am I glad my gym invested in one. </div><div></div><div>( - As a brief aside, yes there is just one. That means other people have used it. Which makes me feel slightly ill. I am trying to get over it.)</div><div></div><div>Here's to 'loose legs' and better running!</div><div></div><div>lovelove</div><div></div><div>Lizzie xoxo</div><div> </div><div><strong><em>*EDIT*</em></strong></div><div> </div><div>Here's a link for <a href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQJLxruO3su0&v=QJLxruO3su0&gl=GB">youtube demo of foam rollering</a> - not of me doing it, I hasten to add!!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-37281206107446710232010-11-10T14:48:00.004+00:002011-01-17T17:00:10.437+00:00Hell Runner Up North 2010 *edited*Hello! I SURVIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />Hell Runner was absolutely FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC! I LOVED it! Don't get me wrong, it was hard work but wow what a feeling! I am so very glad I ran those ten miles last Thursday night in torrential rain and howling gales! The course was like nothing we'd expected. 10 miles, sure, but the HILLS - ohhh the hills! Craziest inclines, up and down, repeat ad nauseaum. 2 bogs in total, so as soon as you'd dried off from one you were plunged into the next. There were points where you couldn't actually run because the terrain was so steep it involved literally hand over hand climbing up roots and then sliding down the other side. There were points when I felt as if I was in the Army!! Thank the Lord the weather was beautiful!<br /><br />Anyhoo, with all the bottle necks and waiting for dithering people to get in the bog, Chris + I finished it in 2:08, which is a bit longer than we'd have liked BUT it's very tricky to actually run at speed in ankle deep mud - not an altogether suitable terrain for my poor old knee! Kept feeling it twinge as if it were going to pop out again! *retches*<br /><br />I've added a few pics from the event photographer so you can get an idea.<br /><br />I am so proud of myself for doing this!<br /><br />I must still be jacked up on endorphins because I just signed up for the Liverpool Half Marathon. GAH! So I guess running is going to be a big focus for my training for the next little while! YIKES!!!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIolUxp_BuufVrLV9f5jBtWSUDsvDb6jxzrU9HpVXQLBl_5C3BPZj_k37B39B9wAhq7jbTIqWS2uQVyPItjAzwWukHOP2TV1unvrCmxJ5T9MxAnpvMMhY6LHRTC2a_D592vfDEtVC0hnU/s1600/me%20and%20wiz%20hell.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537933439904332354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIolUxp_BuufVrLV9f5jBtWSUDsvDb6jxzrU9HpVXQLBl_5C3BPZj_k37B39B9wAhq7jbTIqWS2uQVyPItjAzwWukHOP2TV1unvrCmxJ5T9MxAnpvMMhY6LHRTC2a_D592vfDEtVC0hnU/s320/me%252520and%252520wiz%252520hell.jpg" border="0" /></a> Chris + I at the end of the race covered in bog.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSA9yLYYYwUtINuaNtxKfojL0QmhiAvVI11dkeJ-ZDw7qg43SDawKpp8AkNPx7E5AMdDDffwo0IlgvDSBkLVrCjjyjwA5DMJ7UU47IqR0DWZy4XkeQibWofrD0GtJEcp3PMmUdNZ5PFg/s1600/hellrunner_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537933437587785586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSA9yLYYYwUtINuaNtxKfojL0QmhiAvVI11dkeJ-ZDw7qg43SDawKpp8AkNPx7E5AMdDDffwo0IlgvDSBkLVrCjjyjwA5DMJ7UU47IqR0DWZy4XkeQibWofrD0GtJEcp3PMmUdNZ5PFg/s320/hellrunner_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>My sprint finish! I beat my pt by 1 second hahaha! (he so totally would have finished quicker if it weren't for my slow ass running - what a gent!)</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZINtYaBvdk7DjI89wkRW5frjpxTuW3GX9L1SjaHCKIc3XC4gDKfei66bCxTWolfJBwXav9YuaoxraFN2YlPSKT-r-qIjRiDViEZSCxrhk3F32v7GzaBI22ifzkB_lmEzVNkauvqc1ZE/s1600/101107212026_P.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537933432222755058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZINtYaBvdk7DjI89wkRW5frjpxTuW3GX9L1SjaHCKIc3XC4gDKfei66bCxTWolfJBwXav9YuaoxraFN2YlPSKT-r-qIjRiDViEZSCxrhk3F32v7GzaBI22ifzkB_lmEzVNkauvqc1ZE/s320/101107212026_P.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div>Not too sure about the Bog of Doom</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br />Go PT goooooo!!!</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpukAXnJaGDhOJVas5S2qLNuQZBzayptEPSjmLW456xnMb6_ZVMpybhjtbFB0fuS6T_gzAWupFFnrsONEfXK223k8NOHEylOpoSFoWp2LfgeqNGAb8oWDTNzMn1GAHhVGF8VfqNYjYy_0/s1600/101107211455_P.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537933426170037026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpukAXnJaGDhOJVas5S2qLNuQZBzayptEPSjmLW456xnMb6_ZVMpybhjtbFB0fuS6T_gzAWupFFnrsONEfXK223k8NOHEylOpoSFoWp2LfgeqNGAb8oWDTNzMn1GAHhVGF8VfqNYjYy_0/s320/101107211455_P.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmKyQWa2C08v-ZcZZ96hGIiGLe5sYfL4aqg8U9Gx6IXnTTTNqSWVSUbMn4wK1DQf5LW41Z7pMIvw28lnLJllDzwhyNRC87zklD9Pm76oHW4fV2ePU9bXenq5YyqZxNiCWnbRnNOs6avI/s1600/101107211616_P.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537933425019379058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmKyQWa2C08v-ZcZZ96hGIiGLe5sYfL4aqg8U9Gx6IXnTTTNqSWVSUbMn4wK1DQf5LW41Z7pMIvw28lnLJllDzwhyNRC87zklD9Pm76oHW4fV2ePU9bXenq5YyqZxNiCWnbRnNOs6avI/s320/101107211616_P.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Absolutely LOVING it!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>So, whaddaya think??!! <strong>Isn't it great that by having lost weight and living healthily we can tame our bodies so that they perform for us in this way? Life is good!</strong></div><div></div><div>LOVELOVE</div><div></div><div>Lizzie xoxox</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>************************************************************************************</div><div></div><div>Due to popular demand, (well Charlotte asked) , this is how the race went. </div><div></div><div>Context</div><div></div><div>The longest I have ever run up to this race was 11k. Having lost 50lbs and trained with a professional, I now run a pretty decent (for me) 20 minute 5k and a 49 minute 10k, so I am fit-ish BUT have never pushed myself with distance. Add to this the fact that I have been in the show and thus have not had tremendous amounts of time or mind space to devote to this. So it was kind of a leap of faith. Plus I am extremely competitive. And easily goaded into things and whilst, generally speaking, my pt Chris is an all-round nice fellow, he does know how to push my buttons. He called me chicken. So I entered. Stupid - yes I know. We agreed to run it together, he promised not to bomb off like a mad thing, and we'd support (read 'drag') each other round. </div><div></div><div>Our schedules are sooooooooo different that despite living in the same neighbourhood we did not manage to do ONE SINGLE SOLITARY training run together. </div><div></div><div>I began to panic.</div><div></div><div>Last week I ran 4 miles and simply could not go on, I had a sore throat and was a human snot machine. Nice. Plus, I slept funny on my neck so my head was at a permanent angle for 3 days. </div><div></div><div>I began to have doubts. </div><div></div><div>I called him on Tuesday to make the decision. He talked me into it. He suggested I get a long run in before Sunday. Wednesday I was at audition workshops for Guys + Dolls so Thursday it had to be and then 2 days of absolute rest! Not a smart way to train for the longest, most demanding race you've ever yet done...note to self. </div><div></div><div>Thursday evening I was determined I would get out there. So obviously it was the coldest, wettest, most torrential rain + howling gales night of the year so far. I donned that glow in the dark running jacket and trusty Primarni head band and off I went. And I ran, And ran. And ran. Ten miles. I just got out and pushed myself. It took me an hour and a half but I bloody well did it. </div><div></div><div>(and then I had a 'proper whitey' as my sister would say, threw up and had the maaaajor squits, but that's another story)</div><div></div><div>I was ready. </div><div></div><div><strong>Race Day</strong></div><div></div><div>I was up at 6am. I ate 40g of steel cut porridge oats with skim milk + drank tea whilst repeating 'Just another day. Just another normal day' and 'I am going to Delamere Forest to look at Christmas trees'.</div><div></div><div>It didn't seem to work.</div><div></div><div>Chris and Mark picked me up at 8am sharp. (Mark is another guy from the studio who is, like, a proper athlete (and ran Hellrunner in 1 hour 14 minutes!).</div><div></div><div>You kinda drive through the forest to get to the carpark - it's like a mahoosive country park in Cheshire near Frodsham and so we could catch glimpses of course markers - y'know, those ominous dayglo background, black arrows that show you the way to go. We glimpsed some hills and some bogs......and all of a sudden it dawned on us. We were actually doing it!</div><div></div><div>(insert expletive here)</div><div></div><div>Fast forward to the start. 10am - the elite athlete's (Mark amongst them) dashed off. We set off at 10:20am. 'Resist the temptation to sprint' were Chris' wise-words. HAH! Couldn't have sprinted if I'd tried. The first section of the run was up a bloody hill! Imagine setting your treadmill on the highest incline and trying to run on it and then you have some idea of what I was faced with. After 2.5 miles of hills...yes....down and up, down and up and finally, mercifully down, we hit the proper trails, under tree cover, through the actual forest. I was feeling good, my breathing was good, energy levels good, wasn't knackered and the ground was firm so I could keep a steady pace - ie do 'real' running instead of the stop/start hills section. Familiar territory so we picked up our pace and overtook some people, the crowd thinned out which was helpful.</div><div></div><div>Then it got muddier. </div><div></div><div>In 2003 I suffered a pretty catastrophic (for anyone, let alone a ballet dancer) lateral dislocation fo the left patella. Whilst on a trampoline in a PE class. Error. My poor old knee has (obv!) never been the same since. (K)Needless to say it does not do well on unstable ground. Hello running in ankle deep thick, slimy, slippy, squelchy mud. Not ideal. I literally had to 'trot' for these bits, without any kind of pace because, well, I could feel my knee 'shifting' which is ususally a pretty good indicator of impending dislocation, and I did not want to have to pop it back in and hobble round the next 8 miles.....so this slowed me (us!) down. Chris dutifully hung out with me. </div><div></div><div>Then came the bog.</div><div></div><div>All I remember thinking is "OMG it's soooo not that BAD!!!!' - then I jumped in. Up to my waist. The bog bit kinda did my head in, I was most excited about this. I wanted to prove my mettle. Bu there were crowds of bloody dithering (sorry!) women on the bank having major stresses about getting their fricking trainers dirty. GAH! Click on ladies! You KNEW what you were entering. So female ditherers also slowed us down! </div><div></div><div>The other side of the bog I had no idea how far we'd gone - because there's so much mud we didnt take our Garmins, and there are NO MILE MARKERS for the whole race. I know. Stress! </div><div></div><div>So anyway. There was a bit of a trail run more, a quick water stop (I hope they recycled!) and then a sharp right turn back into the forest. The weather, though chilly, was beautifully sunny - great running conditions, and the scenery was gorgeous. The overall ambience of this race is F-U-N! I recall at this point feeling overwhelmed with gratitude that I CAN DO THIS and enjoy it and it's fun for me and I know my life is better because of it. (Hello drunk on endorphins!)</div><div></div><div>Then it was time for 'The Hills of Hell'</div><div></div><div>Great.</div><div></div><div>They weren't kidding. Here the running stopped and the climbing began. Literally hand-over-hand, reach out and grab a root and try to find a steady foothold in the mud oozing down the embankment. Chris, who is evidently part mountain goat, bounded up them like nobody's business, so of course I followed suit....competitive? moi? nooooooooooo!</div><div></div><div>Once up the steep bank, you had to get down.Cue running so fast your legs might come off whilst being propelled by (pulled by?) gravity towards the bottom of the incline at a rather rapid rate of knots. Scary. </div><div></div><div>And repeat.</div><div></div><div>Numerous times.</div><div></div><div>By this time I was starting to flag. A cheery 'How're your energy levels?!' from Mr PT himself nearly caused me to drown him in a bog. I was lagging. This was when I began to understand the appeal of...TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAA....gels! </div><div></div><div>Rewind back to the beginning of the race. Chris hands me two 'gels' - I didn't know what they were! Sure, I had heard about them but i ran 10 miles the other night without even a water bottle so why would I need gels now?! Plus, HOW MANY CALORIES must there be in them???!!*cue hyperventilation*</div><div></div><div>Also (rant alert) NIKE pleeeeeeeeeeeease make women's running shorts with zip pockets in to accommodate such things instead of that ridiculous little ipod pouch ! </div><div></div><div>So anyways, Chris suggested I have a gel at this point. On account of having no pockets I had had to keep them between my boobs in my sports bra which having no boobs nowadays, is pretty easily done. SO by the time I came to eat it (drink it? consume it?) it was warm. Bleuch. Warm, runny, vaguely orange falvoured gunk, the consistency of phlegm. *vomits*. </div><div></div><div>I kept it down and patiently jogged waiting for it to kick in, not really knowing what to expect (sceptical? moi?!). And then....all of a sudden....WHOOSH!!!!!!!!!! I felt like I was on drugs (not that i know what that is like but how i imagine!) GORDON BENNETT!</div><div></div><div>I was racing up those hills like nobody's business, doing my best impression of a mountain goat without a care in the world! AMAAAAAAAAZING! </div><div></div><div>And then we reached the bog of Doooooooooooooooooooom.....</div><div></div><div>It was not fun. I may have started a mud fight. freezing cold, thigh high (and, as it happened, waist high) thick, gloopy, wet, foul smelling MUD. To wade through. For about ten minutes. Clambering over roots, trees, people, you get the idea. I LOVED IT!</div><div></div><div>And THEN getting out, covered in it and shoes filled with water and having to run the remaining whatever-it-was (i'd lost count) back up over the hill to the start. About 2 minutes before the end i almost lost the will to live and chris uttered the immortal line ' do i ahve to get all pt on your ass?' and that kicked me into a sprint finish, completely buggering up his plans of us crossing the line together! Hahaha! (see pic above)</div><div></div><div>We collected our excellent goody bags and headed home. </div><div></div><div>(About an hour after I got home I had THE WORST diarrhoea imaginable. Bloody carb gels.)</div><div>And that, my friends, was the race!</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-29017262866801271082010-11-07T07:36:00.001+00:002010-11-07T07:36:30.449+00:00Hell RunnerIt's Sunday morning. 6:30am. I am just about to set off for Delamere Forest in Cheshire, along with my pt, some other guys from our studio + 1500 other nutters to take part in the annual Hell Run. Might be 10 miles, might be 12. Definitely off road, definitely hilly, definitely wet, definitely muddy. Oh, and there's something called the "Bog of Doom".........<p><br>.....I'll keep you posted! Wish me luck! Eeeeek!!!! <p><a href="http://www.hellrunner.co.uk">www.hellrunner.co.uk</a><p><br>Lizzie xoxo <br>------------------Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-32193192240313889272010-11-03T10:22:00.005+00:002011-01-17T17:10:46.789+00:00UpdateHello chums! What an age it's taken me to update this blog! Shocking behaviour. Memo to me - must do better! Now then. What's new in my world? Allow me to update...<br /><br />#1 See below - some pictures from the show I was in - I braved the costume and (in my humble opinion) actually rocked it in the end! No, my body was not perfect, or as toned or thin as I would have liked it to be on stage BUT I was HEALTHY and HAPPY with my performance and that, surely, is what counts most! It feels like a triumph anyway. Especially when you consider that this time last year I would NEVER even have considered such an outfit. On a stage. In public. In front of people who know me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICGB7deksduuO52t_J1FifWPYxo2VnlS7cVDvCdTlf3te11cuWdZLsQR_1gUH1Zmu6ndJ4ZUhCH7hSWw54HzrJO7Ym3yzANp71bRMhyQCpw8pid-XB50kavNrcCpBBHl9Hia2wU-g6s0/s1600/P1010804.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535270258669266994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICGB7deksduuO52t_J1FifWPYxo2VnlS7cVDvCdTlf3te11cuWdZLsQR_1gUH1Zmu6ndJ4ZUhCH7hSWw54HzrJO7Ym3yzANp71bRMhyQCpw8pid-XB50kavNrcCpBBHl9Hia2wU-g6s0/s320/P1010804.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakcbqHmNtGWV2qt64CwXJk0Z6A_xeS3tqJES6K99drr1H77GJ3vsmlynZ_BMgWp2yCTJtVAUad5LmakOIEjetfDxJHAMsZu5RFrwJ_s26obSYU0s8YxsPzLCrjZCzME2xfAlI-k41-RE/s1600/P1010858.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535270256351348626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 356px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakcbqHmNtGWV2qt64CwXJk0Z6A_xeS3tqJES6K99drr1H77GJ3vsmlynZ_BMgWp2yCTJtVAUad5LmakOIEjetfDxJHAMsZu5RFrwJ_s26obSYU0s8YxsPzLCrjZCzME2xfAlI-k41-RE/s320/P1010858.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6NBsA2gs5PEy0ialVL-bik-ctvHUoh2GaTnlCgDj61vRosnXM1ZCCdalmBLn4AKlgVXFYhgx_kRCHrs0Js2YeI9moK3fcWJXmP6beg0ApRCvH4nBjxqR3cNTa2wVoJ20JSC52_bQ-s4/s1600/P1010905.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535270253650489506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6NBsA2gs5PEy0ialVL-bik-ctvHUoh2GaTnlCgDj61vRosnXM1ZCCdalmBLn4AKlgVXFYhgx_kRCHrs0Js2YeI9moK3fcWJXmP6beg0ApRCvH4nBjxqR3cNTa2wVoJ20JSC52_bQ-s4/s320/P1010905.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfefk6sIBCHNpEnYOooOwQB_kiCu7n6k4cndiMeD1MzjJW3NOJAm7FiILAQgvyrsQEV_qB9cwMK9dSOrTMsuhlKiY01S_b1FN6GULtkz575pJkTL_UKuZ-Q0nwKBdRhrTvgbPJG-XR0yk/s1600/P1010892.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535270249249493698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfefk6sIBCHNpEnYOooOwQB_kiCu7n6k4cndiMeD1MzjJW3NOJAm7FiILAQgvyrsQEV_qB9cwMK9dSOrTMsuhlKiY01S_b1FN6GULtkz575pJkTL_UKuZ-Q0nwKBdRhrTvgbPJG-XR0yk/s320/P1010892.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pPErRsyb7uKgcV_VhT41atBsrWFfPM55bWDbRA3697spF08Zf1c8_EACxKr6wzk-0_1kKxD3BrN6JxJ7n_zqURAcZYStHp0Byw9F_WYdTH-992gdADMWZdzKprAXnfwtLil-Dcwq3hk/s1600/P1010828.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535267721849954466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pPErRsyb7uKgcV_VhT41atBsrWFfPM55bWDbRA3697spF08Zf1c8_EACxKr6wzk-0_1kKxD3BrN6JxJ7n_zqURAcZYStHp0Byw9F_WYdTH-992gdADMWZdzKprAXnfwtLil-Dcwq3hk/s320/P1010828.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>#2 Weightwatchers - Here in the UK we're all set next week for the brand new programme to be launched! New diet! New breakthrough! New you! My friends and I that clerk our local meeting have been trialling it in secret for a couple of weeks (me just for one week) and suffice it to say I am REALLY excited about it! Weight loss hhas been great and I think it affords me the opportunity to eat even healthier on plan. I onbviously can't say too much about it but I definitely think it's a good thing. It's high time WW UK got themselves in line with the rest of the world! Change is always a bit tricky and it's a faff to have to constantly look things up + check out stuff BUT I remind myself that it was this discipline that helped me succeed in the first place, not least because I have consciously thinking about each and every single thing I consume rather than knowing the plan and points values by heart. It's good to refocus. </div><div></div><div>#3 Becoming a pt - Rather mercifully the start of my practical course has been put back to January 2011. I was annoyed at first because I wanted to dive straight in BUT that would have meant that I'd gone from show week straight into the course and, well, I'm only human! Plus I have an absolute shed load of reading and learning to do before anything else so I am thankful for extra time!</div><div></div><div>#4 New project! - on the back of the success of 'forum' I have decided to audition to be in Guys and Dolls!!! It opens next April and it quite one of my favourite shows EVER! Sooo, auditions and workshops begin this evening! Wish me luck!! The reason I mention it here is because really it is another offshoot of my new healthy lifestyle. Because I am more confident about my body I can once again indulge my love of performing without detesting being looked at! It's crazy just how far reaching this weight loss malarkey is!</div><div></div><div>#5 This weekend - *GULP* I will be doing <a href="http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/index.htm">this </a>Seriously. Watch the video. Am I insane? I blame my <a href="http://www.creationpt.com/">pt</a>. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>And as for me, well....it's November. The first day of the month fell on a Monday + this always make me happy. It feel like a new season, new beginning for me. According to weigh in on Saturday I have gained 7lbs over the past 3 weeks - I refute this entirely. I did have a relaxed week from 24th oct to 31st because I was so knackered after the show AND ill too, but there's no way that amount of fat has attached itself to my bod!. This week, however, I feel better - motivated, committed, driven. So I am counting, tracking, exercising and generally getting back into the swing of things. As I begin my training the focus of this blog may swing away from weightloss/maintenance to a more fitness focus....so I hope you'll still read + follow laong with me!!!</div><div></div><div>I'm got an unexpected day off (waiting in for a plumber) so I'm off for a foray into blogland to comment on all your blogs as I catch up on my reading! </div><div></div><div>Masses of love.</div><div></div><div>Lizzie xoxo</div><div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div>Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-11519273812447052342010-10-27T10:23:00.002+01:002010-10-27T10:33:16.708+01:00I'm back!Hello!<br /><br />I'm back! Bear with me! Full post-show report pending but for now I am having a crazy week of being back at work and trying to get back to some semblance of normality after a week of lunacy and in many ways the unhealthiest week EVER!<br /><br />The show went really well, pics to follow and I am definitely auditioning for the next one! Physically I am absolutely shattered so haven't jumped straight back into my workout routine, as I had intended, but that's ok for one week, it won't kill me to chill out for a bit. Likewise with food, I am on day 4 of not counting or weighing myself and whilst it's weird, it's ok (mostly because I am too tired to be bothered!).<br /><br />But this weekend I will have to drag myself back on track....because of <a href="http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/">this </a>YIKES!!! How on EARTH do I get roped into these things??!!<br /><br />So, that's it for now - I'm alive!<br /><br />Catch ya soon with a proper post - promise!!<br /><br />Love Lizzie xoxoxLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-1417455899324624372010-10-11T18:22:00.001+01:002010-10-11T18:22:24.747+01:00Busyness...and other excuses!Apologies for my lack of blogging lately my doves! We are a week away from the show, so I am in full steam ahead mode + the world of work is something of an uncertain place to be currently.....we all received letters this weekend asking us to consider early redundancy.......(as IF!!??!!) + I've been seconded to a different dept to work on a big deal project, the mundane details of which I will not bore you with! Plus I am trying to sell our apartment to help with cash flow and maintain some level of marital bliss with my dear hubster that involves actually seeing one another in person, as opposed to existing solely in the world of BlackBerry + facebook!! <p>So, suffice it to say my head is in a whirl as I try + negotiate my life right now! <p>Funnily enough, in the old days, this level of busyness in my life would have meant that all things diet and exercise related went out the window. Fortunately though, I'm keeping up with my training + managing to eat healthily + on plan (apart from this weekend but R + I managed to have a date night soooo I ate what I wanted! French bistro......mmmmmmm!!!!) <p>I've got a week now to really be health driven so that I'll feel confident on stage. For the first time in ages I have no idea what I weigh, not having been to fat club for a few weeks! It's a weird feeling, not knowing, but frankly I don't have the head space right now even to consider it! <p>I've cut back on my pt sessions too, once every 3 weeks now. I'd love love love to go every week but time I'd ever a factor and the financial implication of £30 per week is just not sustainable. <p>So what is it that's keepin me busy?! Well.....let me tell you!!!! <p>Visit <a href="http://www.creationpt.com">www.creationpt.com</a>. Click on the tab entitled "therapy"......see any familiar faces?! <p>Yup! 'Tis me! Chris, my pt, suggested a while back that I take on some private clients of my own at his new studio. CBT fits really well with diet/weight loss + motivation to change stuff so it enhances the pt work going on by being a complementary therapy. I jumped at the chance to do some of my own work + because pt has made such a wonderful difference in my life, it seemed kind of right that I work out of creation. And how sound of chris to offer me this opportunity!! <p>So, I had my business cards + publicity produced, the new website went live this week AND I have had my first client!!! It is GREAT finally to be doing something I love but under really positive + life affirming circumstances! I am buzzing!! <p>Secondly, after the show is over, the weekend of 30-31 October, to be precise, I will be embarking upon my next step to eventually becoming wholly self employed.....yes peeps, I begin my training at <p><a href="http://www.premierglobal.co.uk">www.premierglobal.co.uk</a><p>Hahaha! That's right, I'm gonna be a pt!!!!! Who'd have thunk it??!! It's something that's been suggested to me several times, and you know what? I reeeeealllllly wanna do it! It's cost crazy ££££ but I'm sure it'll be worth it. I am so passionate about this aspect of my life, why shouldn't I make it part of my career?! <p>When I think about getting up every morning to go + train someone or see them for counselling, I am excited! When I think of my current job......er......not so much. So, on the basis that life is short + you only live once, I'm manifesting some major change in my life! How fabulous to be able to help others achieve what I have - a lifestyle of health-filled happiness! <p>So Oct 30th sees me embark upon my "Gym Instructor's" part of the course. By March 2011 I'll be qualified + ready to rock + roll!!! <p><br>Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!! <p><br>Lovelove xxx
<br>------------------Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-46042280632686756982010-09-28T21:49:00.000+01:002010-09-28T21:57:54.831+01:00***Service interrupted***No blog post today folks. I am very busy having a horrendous migraine from the very pits of Hades. :-( <p>Normal service will resume soon......hopefully with a *very* exciting announcement! (No, I'm not bloody pregnant!) <p>Laterz xoxo<br>------------------Lizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698364391946889035.post-89029072905733611052010-09-27T12:23:00.004+01:002010-09-27T14:05:34.418+01:00All synced up!My life is imitating the blogosphere! What a coinkydink!!<br /><br />This morning, as I do most Mondays, I got to the office early & got caught up on all the blog action from the weekend. One blog I read each & every day (unless she's on a blogging hiatus - lol ) is <a href="http://thegreatfitnessexperiment.blogspot.com/2010/09/trick-to-tabata-workouts-bring-barf-bag.html">Charlotte</a>.<br /><br />A word in the title of today's post caught my eye.<br /><br /><strong>TABATA</strong><br /><br />Where have I heard that recently? I thought to myself. No sooner had I thought that very sentence than was I assaulted right between the eyes with a vivid flashback of Friday evening - dizziness, flashing lights, tunnel vision, incredible sweating, elevated heart rate, puce coloured face. Traumatised I recalled the unholy terror that was Friday night's pt session.<br /><br /><strong>TABATA.</strong><br /><br />Japanese for cruel + unusual punishment. Not really. I made that up. But it should be.<br /><br />Yes, pals, on Friday I was introduced to the mad, mad world of Tabata intervals. Simply put, 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Save me retyping a definition, go read Charlotte's post all about it <a href="http://thegreatfitnessexperiment.blogspot.com/2010/09/trick-to-tabata-workouts-bring-barf-bag.html">here</a> and then read on!<br /><br />I am always suspicious when I arrive at the studio and see Chris with a stop watch. It never turns out good. And always means hard work.<br /><br />"Are you ready? Tabata!" - he said, all smiles and cheery disposition.<br /><br />Having never heard the word before, I assumed he'd said "Are you ready to batter?"<br /><br />Had I realised it was a 'thing', I'd have immediately demanded a full explanation. What can I say? I like to know what I am getting myself into, particularly when paying for the privilege.<br /><br />As it was, I hopped unsuspectingly onto the treadmill to warm up with a quick 1k. What followed is something of a blur, but roughly included this:-<br /><br />1. Lateral jumping side steps over the bosu. 20 seconds. 10 seconds rest. repeat. 8 times. With the added bonus of the last interval being 30 seconds.<br /><br />2. Hammer curl to shoulder press. With 3kg dumbells. 20 seconds. 10 seconds rest. repeat 8 times. With the added bonus of the last rep being 30 seconds. (Getting the picture?)<br /><br />3. MB sledgehammer. With 8kg kettlebell. 20 seconds....yadda yadda yadda.....<br /><br />4. Fast step ups on a step.<br /><br />5. Jumping over a cone. Fast.<br /><br />6. On treadmill. 14kph run at a 2.5% incline for 20 secs, 10 secs rest walking at 6kph. 8 times.<br /><br />7. MB pullover to crunch with medicine ball using rebounder to throw + catch MB.<br /><br />Each exercise might sound pretty tame and do-able but try doing all that in the space of an hour whilst trying not to throw up. Or faint. Or both. De-light-ful.<br /><br />Oh, did I mention that I was only allowed 1 lousy minutes' rest inbetween each exercise.<br /><br />Nice.<br /><br />That my friends, was my induction into the world of Tabata (my 'to batter' doesn't seem so stupid now, does it!!!!)<br /><br />I swear my face has never been so red following exercise. Ever.<br /><br />It was bloody good though! I worked flipping hard. I would never push myself that hard alone. I guess you should only try it though at a level that's reasonable for you and your level of fitness, or under instruction of a qualified professional because it is <strong>reeeeeallllly hard....</strong><br /><br />(I remain convinced that the 1.5lb loss this week happened entirely on Friday night - hahaha!)<br /><br />Happy Monday dudes!<br /><br />Love Lizzie xoxoxoxLizziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18338207796116130389noreply@blogger.com3