Mental Meanderings

Working That Ass Off

Today, it began. *melts into a puddle in her chair* That's right, the return of my daughter to school also heralded day one of the twelve week exercise regime my mother and I are embarking on together. We can't afford to pay for gym membership but about a week ago we decided we should both work together to get ourselves back on track.

A year ago I was 10kgs lighter than I am today. The September before I weighted what I do now and began Weight Watchers which over the 25 weeks we both went, prior to my mother changing jobs, helped me knock out 15kg's from what is again my current weight. So, I can get them off in six months, somehow it felt easier to stack them back on again.

The good news is I know how bad I've been these past six months. I know how much chocolate and junk food and how many meals I've been having. I know how little I've been moving. I know all the things I've done that's stacked the kilograms back on which makes it easier to get them back off again.

Today we began with the first action step. We've been in preaction for a good few weeks now. Knowing that we need to get back on track but not quite reaching the doing so part. Today we started doing it.

I began the day getting up on time for a change. 7AM in time to shower and dress ready to get my daughter to school on time. I was suprised how easy it was after two months of sleeping in till anywhere between 9 and noon. I was stirring even before the alarm went off and it wasn't agony to drag myself out of bed. I was rareing to go.

Twenty minutes walk to school. I pushed the pram but baby boy was running ahead of us instead of using it. I knew he wouldn't manage the whole distance I had to go that day however so I took the pram anyway. He can usually make the school trip in one direction but doesn't have the energy to get all the way home again.

After dropping the oldest to school I continued walking another half hour to my mothers house. We progressed to about thirty minutes of Yoga. Yoga I might add is pretty intense a workout. Day one hurts. I'm using muscles I had forgotten all about. Stretching and straining in ways my body isn't used to doing. But it was invigorating and we took it easy, doing only as much as was comfortable, or in my case just a little more than comfortable.

We followed the Yoga up with a fifteen minute walk around the park (me carrying a two year old half way) as a further cool down. At that stage Mother headed to bed (having worked night shift) and I had another fifteen minutes to walk home again, pushing the pram. Then a further half hour back to school in the afternoon and a further hour into town.

I was prepared to go through the agony of walking yet another hour home again but ran into my mother-in-law so we snuck a ride in her car. I have to say I was very thankful because my legs were about ready to give up. lol I'm already feeling it in my hips and lower back today and I expect to be sore tomorrow.

But the regime is on. Tomorrow I have the hour walk there, 30 minutes of something (Yoga, dance, pilates, circuit, arobics, etc.), 15 minute walk, 30 minute walk and another hour in the afternoon. With all this extra activity these excess kilograms better fall off. lol

Of course I know it's not all about the workout. The food matters too. Quantity as well as quality. That means no more chocolate *cries* I could say restrict my chocolate but I know if I have a little I'll want a lot and keep craving it. Where as if I give it up completely once I get past the withdrawl it won't have a hold over me any more. I'm also off soft drinks and onto water only. That will be harder and not as strict, I'll have a diet lemonade if I'm out and about or a cup of tea from time to time instead.

The good news is that hopefully it'll help me keep my budget in order as well. If I'm not having chocolate, soft drinks, or takeaway it's a lot of money being saved every week. It'll make a big difference to ensuring I don't have those mortgage woes and start putting money aside again so that I can save up for my fencing.

Other than the aches of a decent workout I feel pretty good. I'm positive (mostly), uplifted (kinda), and looking forward to more tomorrow.