Comp Day 1

Rob entered four divisions in the comp. He is through to the finals for two of the divisions (held tomorrow afternoon), and will fight in the other two divisions tomorrow morning. So potentially a long day tomorrow. He has to weigh in again tomorrow, so is still having to be careful about what and how much he eats, while still having enough energy to grapple.

Rob in action today:


Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pomegranate, kiwi and strawberry smoothie
train, day 1 (BCAAs)
M2: oats with choc berry sauce
M3: tuna salad, ryvita crackers, pear
M4: mexican lentils and veges topped with a poached egg

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Thursday

I have been enjoying watching the Shogun mini series on Fox Classics the last few days. I learnt Japanese at high school, and spent three weeks in Japan when I was 15. It's amazing how much of the language I can remember after 20 years!

It was hot and it took me ages to get to sleep last night, then I woke up about 2am, had to go to the bathroom, then couldn't get back to sleep so went into the lounge and read for about an hour. Had a sleep-in this morning and walked at lunchtime instead.

Today's food
M1: orange, kiwi and strawberry smoothie

M2: frittata, half an apple

walk with TJ

M3: open tempeh sandwhich, cabbage


M4: chicken breast, homemade falafels, hummus, veges

M5: choc PB pudding, pear

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Weight Update

This morning Rob was down to 78.9kg. So he is just under his comp weight, but still needs to be careful as he is just resting for the next couple of days (the comp is on Friday). His mate is also right on his target weight. What a relief!

Oh, and I couldn't find any of the three medicine balls at the gym today. Methinks they have been confiscated. Hmmm.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: orange, peach and strawberry smoothie
train, day 2 (BCAAs)
M2: oats with choc berry sauce
M3: tofu and veggie stir-fry; sprouted grain bread with nut butter
M4: chicken breast, homemade falafels, hummus, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Breakfast

My favourite meal of the day is breakfast. I'm currently reading The Breakfast Book by Sue Radd. As well as lots of interesting breakfast facts, it contains lots of yummy breakfast recipes (all with a full nutritional breakdown). Here are a few that have taken my fancy (and that I'm looking forward to trying out):
-Breakfast berry and pear crumble
-Warm barley and cherry pudding
-Cinnamon spiced quinoa with dried fruits
-Bircher muesli with berries
-Fig and almond couscous porridge
-Fragrant wheat with figs, prunes and peaches
-Passion and mango breakfast drink

What's your favourite breakfast?

Today's Food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: peach protein shake
foam rolling
M2: chocolate covered strawberry oats, egg whites
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli, olive oil
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Monday

When I asked Mike if there were any cues I should bear in mind when doing medicine ball slams, he said 'I always tell clients to envision they’re slamming the ball on my face. It helps them deal with the pain' . I used his advice today.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: peach protein shake
train, day 1 (BCAAs)
M2: chocolate covered strawberry oatmeal, egg whites
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli, olive oil
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Sunday

I've been hungry and eating my dinner (M5) at about 5pm the last few days. Need to tweak something somewhere!

Today's food
M1: protein shake, peach
walk with Rob and TJ
M2: chocolate covered strawberry quinoa, egg whites
M3: tuna salad on ryvita crackers
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding
*edited to add the following*
M7: 2 peaches, sunflower seed butter on toast, sunflower seed butter and craisins

Measurement Day

My girth measurements are the same as last week. Weight is down 100g. Rob wants to go back to our regular walks next week so I'm sure that will get things moving again for me.

Rob weighed in at 79.4 this morning. The upper limit of his weight class is 79kg, so he wants to be a bit under that on the day, as he is weighed with his fighting gear on.

Rob's mate is doing well too. He wanted to drop from 71kg to 67kg and is close to that already. He is stoked and I'm happy I've been able to help him out.

Today's food
M1: choc protein shake, strawberries
walk with Rob and TJ
M2 (treat meal): OJ, coffee (first one in three months!), hot cross buns
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding
M7: peach protein shake, hot cross bun

The pressure is on!

Turns out Rob's comp is next weekend, not the weekend after, so he has one week less than what he thought. I think he should still make his weight category though. He had a nice drop this morning.

I am feeling great today. Good energy levels, good mood.

Today's food
M1: banana berry protein shake
train, day 2 (BCAAs)
M2: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
lovely glass of wine in the late-afternoon sun with my flatmate
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Bits and Pieces

*Rob is planning to compete in the Victorian Jiu Jitsu Championships in two weeks. He needs to drop approx 2kg to make weight. He should manage it pretty easily just by taking out alcohol and his weekend chocolate-biscuit fix. But just in case, we've also upped his protein slightly and dropped his carbs back a bit. We're eating different food at the moment, so I'm doing double duty in the kitchen. Thank god it's just for two weeks!

*I'm also helping one of his mates who is doing the same comp. He wants advice on how to drop 4kg in that time. His diet is currently low in protein and high in junk food, so I think that by increasing his protein he will feel fuller and be less likely to eat junk. I've given him some suggestions so will see how he is going in a week.

*My size 8 jeans fit again. OK, I have a bit of a 'muffin top' happening, but I can get them on and done up.

*My next batch of work arrived today. I am proofreading a book for kids on how to draw fantasy art (fairies, vampires, dragons etc). I'm looking forward to starting on it!

Today's food
M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter
M2: banana berry shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Wednesday

Haven't been doing a lot of walking with Rob and TJ lately as Rob has a cold. So Rob has been walking me to the gym with the dog, then walking home again - it's a quick, flat walk for him. My food has been pretty good lately so I'm not too worried about the fact I'm doing a little less exercise. Plus my workouts are getting harder, so I'm expending a bit more energy that way.

Today's Food
M1: banana berry protein shake
train, day 1 (BCAAs)
M2: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Tuesday

I have tried not to buy any recipe books lately as I have so many, but I picked up Michelle Bridges' Crunch Time Cookbook yesterday as I've heard some good things about it and some of the recipes look pretty nice. So may work some of those into my menu next week.

Today's food
M1: pumpkin oats with sunflower seed butter
M2: banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Oops!

The cardio area in our gym sits above a medical clinic. On Friday at the end of my workout I did my bike intervals and medicine ball slams in the cardio area. When I got to the gym today there was a message for me to speak to the gym manager. Turns out the doctors had complained to the gym manager about the noise, and when he didn't do anything about it, they called the police!. So now I have to do my 'slam' cardio downstairs in the ladies' gym. Oops!

Today's food
M1: banana berry protein shake
train, day 2 (BCAAs)
M2: pumpkin oats with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
M3: prawn sushi
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Sunday

I haven't had a treat meal this week. Have really been enjoying what I've been eating and haven't 'craved' anything. Am going out to lunch with my friend Vanessa tomorrow so may have something 'off plan' then.

M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
walk TJ
M2: banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M5: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Measurement Day

Didn't bother doing my measurements last Saturday as I was retaining a heap of water from my period. So compared to two weeks ago, I've lost 500g on the scale. Most girth measurements were the same or slightly lower, the two exceptions being thigh (up 2cm - think my hammies are growing!) and waist (down 4cm - woot!).

Today's food
walk with TJ
M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
M2: banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M5: kangaroo chilli
M6: choc peanut butter pudding (x2), apple

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Program 1.1, Day 1

Day 1 of new program...

Today's workout started out with soft-tissue mobilization, dynamic warm-up and activation exercises as for Program 1, followed by

4. Strength Training
-RDLs
-chest supported rows
-offset split squats
-standing split stance cable press
-shoulder I, T, Y
-ball rollouts
-external rotation

5. Energy Systems Training
-bike intervals + MB slams (these got my heart rate up!)

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
train, day 1 (BCAAs)
M2:banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Thursday

An update on my nephew...

Generous help sees James beat diabetes

By SCOTT MORGAN - Central Leader



Photo: JASON OXENHAM

HAPPY LAD: James Taylor-Keown, pictured with mum Natasha, has a new insulin pump.

The generosity of the local community has made life much easier for Natasha Taylor-Keown and her son James.

Support from Central Leader readers has helped the Onehunga family, who featured in the paper last year, purchase an insulin pump worth $7000 for James to help control his type-1 diabetes.

Previously James, who is nearly two, needed up to 12 injections of insulin a day, making it difficult for his parents to keep it at the correct level.

"There’s no way to describe the difference.

"It gives him a constant flow of insulin," she says.

Pharmaceutical company Roche contacted Natasha after the story ran offering them the pump for a discounted price of $6000.

The Onehunga Centre Pharmacy also donated $1000 towards the purchase of the pump, after Variety Club previously granted them $4000 and Onehunga Plunket gave $1000.

The mum-of-three says the family has been overwhelmed by the response they received from the public.

"I had people ringing me up offering help with fundraising through sausage sizzles and cake stalls.

"It reinforces what a great community we have."

Natasha says having James on the pump has made life much simpler for the whole family.

"We can go out and not have to worry about getting back at certain times. We can get an icecream without having to give James an injection."

She says using the pump means it’s much easier and quicker to adjust James’ insulin flow.

"It gives those tiny amounts you could never give in a syringe," she says.

But she’s adamant there should be public funding for the devices.

Currently individual district health boards decide whether or not to fund the pumps.

Canterbury’s health board provides some funding for the purchase of pumps.

But the Auckland health board only provides money for training and consumables, such as the lines that get the insulin into the bloodstream.

Roche diabetes care product manager Nisha Taylor says the company is pleased they could help provide more flexibility to the family by offering a discount.

---

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pumpkin oats with sunflower seed butter
M2: choc protein shake, fruit salad
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Program 1.1, Day 2

New program, higher reps, harder exercises... Still working on getting my core stronger and my hips loosened up. And yes, I'm starting on day 2. Will do day 1 on Friday.

Today involved soft-tissue mobilization, dynamic warm-up and activation exercises as for Program 1, followed by

4. Strength Training
-front squats
-push ups
-hip dominant back extensions
-standing split stance cable row
-face pulls
-tall kneeling Pallof ISO

5. Energy Systems Training
-KB swings on the minute

---

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
train, day 2 (BCAAs)
M2: banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Happy Birthday!

To my sister Tash. Sorry I couldn't be there to share it with you. Hope you had a lovely day.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
M2: banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken and walnut salad
M6: choc peanut butter pudding

Monday

I usually find that I get tired a few hours after training. One good thing about training in the evenings was that I could crash in bed a few hours later. Today I trained in the morning and ended up tottering off to bed for a nana nap about 2pm. Felt good but meant I didn't get much work done this afternoon. Tomorrow is a day off training, so will try and make up the work then - am proofreading a book of fairytales at the moment.

To get where I want to be by the end of this month, I am going to try dropping my cals a bit by taking out my workout drink and replacing it with BCAAs.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pumpkin oatmeal with sunflower seed butter, egg whites
preworkout: Combust
during workout: BCAAs
M2: banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: chicken, apple and walnut salad
M6: chocolate peanut butter pudding

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Sunday

This morning I went to a (free) 10.30am movie preview with my friend Amanda.

ABC Radio National/Alliance Française French Film Festival Listener Preview – Welcome

Be amongst the first Australian filmgoers to see the much-anticipated Welcome (rated M), starring Vincent Lindon, Firat Ayverdi & Audrey Dana and directed by Philippe Lioret.

Seventeen-year-old Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) has spent the last three months travelling illegally across Europe in an attempt to reunite with his girlfriend in England. The difficult journey is almost over when he finally reaches the far northern coast of France, and can literally see his destination from across the Channel. But it's here that his journey comes to an abrupt halt.

Spurred by his dream, with all legal options exhausted, Bilal decides he'll swim across the Channel. He meets Simon (Vincent Lindon), a man privately reeling from impending divorce from his wife (Audrey Dana). Simon impulsively risks everything by taking Bilal under his wing.

Driven by powerful performances, this absorbing and emotional masterwork speaks not only of one of the most important social issues facing modern societies, but also of the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

I enjoyed the movie - a great example of determination, although the ending was a bit sad. Afterwards we went out for lunch, then a bit of window shopping. A lovely way to spend a Sunday.

Today's food
M1: banana flax oatmeal with walnuts, egg whites
M2: lamb salad
M3: choc protein shake
M4: kangaroo chilli, broccoli
M5: choc peanut butter pudding

Saturday

Rob had a BJJ seminar at his club this morning. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, one of the fighters from last weekend's UFC tournament in Sydney, was taking it. Check out the size difference!



This afternoon we went to a barbecue. Lots of yummy food to be had.

Today's food
Walk with Rob and TJ
M1: banana flax oatmeal with walnuts, egg whites
M2: choc banana berry protein shake
M3: tuna salad pita
M4: choc peanut butter pudding
M5: half a small homemade greek burger, roasted vege salad with lamb, pasta salad, chicken skewer, lemon meringue pie, pavlova, rum balls
M6: cheese sandwich

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Friday

Busy day today: walk, gym, catch train into the city to go to the dentist, walk to the other side of the CBD to go to the optometrist, then back across the CBD to the supplement store. Was hot and had sore feet by the time I got home. Made a refreshing drink with choc protein powder, lots of ice cubes and a couple of plums, then sat in the lazyboy with my feet up.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: protein shake, oats, apple, cinnamon, yoghurt, flax oil
train, day 2 (workout drinks)
M2: chicken, wholemeal pasta, fennel, red onion
M3: roast turkey breast, Morrocan vegetable salad
M4: choc plum protein shake
M5: venison sausage, salad, walnuts
M6: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

New Hairstyle

Before:

This photo was taken a couple of years ago, but I've had the same hairstyle for about eight years.


After:



Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: oats, apple, cinnamon, protein powder, yoghurt, flax oil
M2: choc plum protein shake
M3: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
M4: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M5: venison sausage, salad, walnuts
M6: prawn and chicken stir-fry

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Wednesday

Rob's eye is a bit better today. We walked down the bike track this morning instead of going to the park, as there is more shade along the bike track and it's not so hard on his eye.

Think I should be getting a new program later this week to start next week - am looking forward to seeing what it contains.

Today's Food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: blueberry protein pancakes, yoghurt, flax oil
train, day 1 (workout drinks)
M2: prawn stir-fry, brown rice
M3: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
M4: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M5: venison sausage, salad, walnuts
M6: chocolate plum protein shake

Tuesday - not a day to remember

Had a bit of a shitty start to my day - discovered my Facebook account had been hacked into overnight and the 'fake me' had been chatting to several people via Facebook, trying to get money off them. I have deactivated my Facebook account. I am also back on sole dog-walking duty as Rob can't see well enough to make his own breakfast, let alone walk the dog.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. Am looking forward to training in the morning, and will try and pick up my new glasses in the afternoon.

Today's food
M1: oats, egg whites, blackberries, yoghurt, flax oil
M2: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
walk TJ
M4: protein shake, apple
M5: venison sausage, salad, walnuts
M6: prawn stir-fry, walnuts

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Monday

I took advantage of all that extra food I ate over the weekend and pumped out an an awesome workout this morning. Am also thinking about switching back to morning training as the gym is lovely and quiet then. Note to self: don't wear shorts to the gym - foam rolling rucks them up indecently high!

Rob has re-injured his cornea (think the old injury wasn't properly healed) so looks like I will be his seeing-eye dog again for the next few days.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, red berry bircher muesli, flax oil
train, day 2 (workout drinks)
M2: venison sausage, sweet potato, steamed veges
M3: chicken, sweet potato, salad
M4: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M5: protein bar, walnuts

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Sunday

Another extra-hungry day today. Almost as soon as I finished eating a meal I felt hungry again.

Today's food
walk
M1: choc-walnut pancakes (based on Kek's recipe), topped with yoghurt and raspberries

M2: omelette with mushrooms, tomato, zucchini and low-fat cheese
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: protein shake, apple, pistachios
M5: sweet chilli tuna, mashed sweet potato, orange
M6: chicken, wholemeal pasta, veges, low-fat cheese
M7: figs, passionfruit, yoghurt, banana, oats, apple, cinnamon, walnuts (this finally got my hunger to stop!)

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Saturday

I think TTOM is approaching. I had a craving for bacon the other day (most unlike me) and have been quite hungry today. Lots of extra activity today didn't help - I seem to have this urge to clean before TTOM. Does this happen to anyone else? Is it a form of nesting???

Today's food
M1: protein pancake with yoghurt, flax oil, banana and raspberries
M2: venison sausage, salad, walnuts
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: kangaroo patty, salad, pistachios
M5: chilli tuna, mashed sweet potato, zucchini
M6 (treat meal): bacon, cheese and pineapple toasties (on gluten-free bread), chocolate fudge protein bar mixed with almond butter
M7: protein shake, 1 passionfruit, small plum
M8: protein shake, banana and pistachio bircher muesli

way too much 'fake food' today

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Friday

My new preworkout drink seems to be working really well for me - I've easily been able to lift more for longer this week.

Today's food
M1a: protein shake
walk with Rob and TJ
M1b: apple cinnamon muesli
M2: smoked salmon, cucumber, capers
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato mash, salad
training, day 1 (workout drinks)
M5: venison sausage, sweet potato mash, salad
M6: protein ice cream, fresh figs

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Thursday

Tuesday = interview for in-house editing job.
Today = editing test for same job.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: peach and cinnamon protein pancake, yoghurt, flax oil
M2: venison sausage, vege sticks, walnuts
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: kangaroo patty, salad, pistachios
M5: prawn stir-fry, sweet potato
M6: protein ice cream, raspberries

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Wednesday

After having a whey protein blend yesterday then complaining about my sore stomach, Kek asked 'Does it help if you have less? Maybe half a serve and mix it with something else for extra protein?' I thought that was a great idea, so went to her Good Food blog to see if there was anything there I could use. I spotted her protein ice cream and decided to have a go at that. Verdict? Tastes good and not as much bloating, yay!

Today's food
M1: nectarine and cinnamon protein pancake, yoghurt, flax oil
M2: venison sausage, vege sticks, walnuts
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
train, day 2 (workout drinks)
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
M5: prawns, wholemeal pasta, eggplant, capsicum, tomato
M6: choc protein ice cream, raspberries

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Ugh!

Picked up some chocolate Dymatize Natural protein powder today. It's a combo of whey isolate and concentrate, sweetened with stevia. All I've had in the way of protein powder for the last couple of months has been whey isolate and I can tolerate that, but it seems that whey concentrate still doesn't agree with me - it makes my stomach bloat and gives me wind. One scoop down, 67 scoops to go, groan.

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: pear and cinnamon protein pancake, yoghurt, flax oil
M2: kangaroo patty, vege sticks, walnuts
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: kangaroo patty, vege sticks, pistachios
M5: chicken stir-fry, sweet potato
M6: choc protein, strawberries

Monday

This week I'm making a couple of changes to my exercise and nutrition. I'm going to
- increase the pace of my walks
- keep my calorie intake the same but make my first five meals slightly smaller so I can add an extra meal at night

Today's food
walk with Rob and TJ
M1: apple and cinnamon protein pancakes, yoghurt, flax oil
M2: kangaroo patty, vege sticks, walnuts
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: venison sausage, sweet potato, cucumber
train, day 1 (workout drinks)
M5: fish, sweet potato, eggplant, tomato, onion, garlic
M6: strawberries dipped in choc protein 'sauce'

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Sunday

Today's food
M1: muesli
walk TJ to cafe (drink breakfast protein shake while Rob has coffee)
M2: kangaroo patty, vege sticks, walnuts
M3: spicy almond chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: chicken, vege sticks, pistachios
walk TJ to supermarket
M5: venison sausages, sweet potato, broccoli
M6 (treat meal): fruit platter (incl choc-dipped strawberries), protein shake

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

8 reasons why you fall off the wagon

I received an interesting email newsletter from Tom Venuto the other day. It was titled, 'Why sticking with your diet is so hard', and in it he listed 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon. Thought I would share them with you here.

Here are the 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon

1. No focus: you didn't set goals, you didn't put your goals in writing, and or you didn't keep your goals in mind daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

4. No Accountability: you didn't keep score for your own accountability - with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results to someone else)

5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy")

7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now" route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

So there you have it - 8 mistakes that cause most people to fall off the wagon. Are you guilty of any of these transgressions? If so, the solutions are clear and simple:

Focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: chicken, green beans, flax oil pesto
M3: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, celery, capsicum, cucumber, carrot
M5: fish, sweet potato and green bean curry

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Going Places

When I did my first competition in 2006, one of my trainer's other clients, Karen Montague, was competing at the same show. She was from out of town and stayed at our house the night before. She had competed before and was great at helping me feel at ease about the whole thing.


Here we are enjoying some treats after the show.

Karen has continued to train and compete, and yesterday it was confirmed that she is going to be competing in the Arnold Amateur Classic in Columbus, Ohio in three weeks! If you are interested, you can check out her journey here.

Today's food
walk with TJ and Rob
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: chicken, green beans, flax oil salsa
M3: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, capsicum, carrots, cucumber
train, day 2 (workout drinks)
M5: fish, sweet potato, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Changes

Today I had a consultation with Ian Collins, the director of Evelyn Faye Nutrition. He was easy to talk to and we discussed a lot of things, including the results of my gene test, how I'm eating at the moment and what exercise I do. This is what I came away with:
- my current weight training program is well suited to my genetic profile
- increasing the pace of my walking will help with my cardiovascular health and weight loss
- my diet and water intake are good, but he'd like to see me eat more at dinner and before bed (that is, avoid going hungry), and include more fruit in my diet. He also suggested taking Glisodin, to help stimulate my body's defence against free radicals.
- the protein powders and B-vitamins I use are good, so to continue with those
- he suggested switching my preworkout drink to Combust as it is better suited to my genetic profile and goals (and it's cheaper than what I have been having - bonus!)
- he suggested including calcium and magnesium, because I'm not eating much dairy (it doesn't agree with me) and I sometimes get cramps in my calves

So I will do measures over the weekend, then implement the changes and see how I go.

In other exciting news, I have a job interview on Tuesday morning.

Today's food
walk with TJ and Rob
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M3: chicken, green beans, flax oil salsa
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
M5: kangaroo mince, brown rice, salsa, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Chilli Pistachio Chicken

For Sam



Chilli Pistachio Chicken
Makes 5 serves

Ingredients
spray oil
500g minced chicken
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons chilli sauce
6 spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
125g pistachio nuts (you can adjust this to suit your macros)

Method
Heat spray oil in wok or pan, add mince, cook, stirring, until mince is changed in colour. Remove wok from heat, add juice and sauces; cool.

Combine mince mixture, spring onions, ginger and coriander; mix well.

Divide into five servings (these can be frozen at this stage and defrosted as needed). When you are ready to eat, fill bowl with salad*, top with one serve of mince mixture and sprinkle with 25g pistachios.

*My salad contained iceberg lettuce, spinach, bean sprouts, tomato, cucumber, celery, red pepper, red onion and carrot.

Recipe adapted from The Minced Meat Cookbook, 1997 reprint, produced by the Australian Women's Weekly Home Library

---

Yesterday I picked some ripe figs off a tree near our house. I really enjoyed having a couple of these in my muesli this morning.

Today's food
M1a: protein shake
walk with Rob and TJ
M1b: eggs, muesli (with figs!)

M2: chicken, green beans, flax oil salsa
M3: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauli
train, day 1 (workout drinks)
M5: prawn salad, sweet potato

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Today's food in pictures

Meal 1a
protein shake


walk with Rob and TJ

Meal 1b
muesli


curried eggs


Meal 2
chicken, green beans, flax oil salsa


Meal 3
chilli pistachio chicken, salad


Meal 4
kangaroo patty, sweet potato, mashed cauliflower
(started eating the sweet potato before I remembered to take a photo!)


Meal 5
dory, sweet potato, salad


I will lose 10kg by 31 December

I QUIT!

Walking TJ on my own that is. He's too big and strong for me to handle (hence the reason I think I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago), and I no longer want to get into situations like this morning (he got into a fight with a doberman and I had to pull them apart). I've walked him since he was a puppy, mostly because I get up earlier, and I've often worked the walking into my comp prep. But no more! Rob is going to have to get up earlier and walk him. I will come along for a walk, but I will not be the one holding the lead.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: chicken breast, green beans, flax oil salsa
M3: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
train, day 2 (workout drinks)
M5: dory, sweet potato, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Sunday

Today's food
M1a: protein shake
walk TJ
M1b: muesli, eggs
M2: chicken, green beans, flax oil salsa
M3: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
M5: turkey mince, sweet potato, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Shopping Day

This morning I did the rest of our grocery shopping, plus went to the butcher and fishmonger.

When I got home I continued our food prep for the next seven days (I cook for both Rob and I).
- I made up some flax oil salsa to toss with chicken and beans for morning teas
- I cooked 2kg chicken mince with some lime juice, fish sauce, chilli sauce, spring onions, ginger and coriander, allowed it to cool, then portioned it into sandwich bags. I put half in the fridge and half in the freezer. These will be used for lunches, tossed with salad and pistachio nuts.
- I'd normally make some kangaroo patties for afternoon teas, but I made up and froze a whole lot last weekend so that's already covered.

Tonight we had a nice night at a friend's place for a birthday barbecue. One of our friends made a great-looking birthday cake (and his cakes usually taste pretty good), so I decided to have that for my treat, since I hadn't really settled on what to have for a treat meal this weekend.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: chicken, green beans, flax oil dressing
M3: chilli pistachio chicken, salad
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
M5 (treat meal): chocolate cake

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Vege Prep Day

Lately Fridays have been my vege prep day. My veges are delivered on Fridays and I like to prep everything straight out of the box, so I don't have to double handle stuff later in the week. Today's vege prep involved
- baking 2.5kg sweet potato
- topping and tailing 3kg green beans, then blanching them, refreshing them in ice water, draining them, and portioning them into sandwich bags (I'm considering skipping the first step next time - surely it's fine to eat the whole bean?)
- washing salad veges and making up a big salad to last the next few days - lettuce, baby spinach, bean sprouts, tomato, cucumber, celery, red pepper, red onion and carrot
- breaking up 6 cauliflowers and washing the florets (amazing how many little bugs there are hiding in organic cauliflower), then steaming and mashing them.

So that's all our veges prepped for the next seven days, apart from making up more salad as it's needed, and baking some more sweet potatoes.

It might look like I don't get a lot of variety but I swap veges around from week to week, depending on what's cheap/in season and what I feel like eating. I just prefer to buy a couple of items in bulk and eat them for the whole week so I don't have to think too much about what to buy and what to eat each day.

Tomorrow I'll do the groceries and meat.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: chicken, green beans, pesto
M3: chicken salad, walnuts
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
training, Day 1 (workout drinks)
M5: turkey mince with Morrocan seasoning, sweet potato, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Thursday

Had a few walks today: one to the park with TJ, one to my accountant (overdue accounts finally all sorted) and one to the supermarket. Not having a car certainly keeps me active!

Today's food
M1: eggs, muesli, protein shake
walk TJ
M2 chicken, green beans, pesto
M3: chicken salad, walnuts
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
M5: prawn salad, sweet potato
M6: protein shake, yoghurt, walnuts, apple

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Program 1, Day 2

Hot day today. I walked to the gym this afternoon and was almost there when I realised I'd left my workout notes at home. So I turned around, walked home, got my notes and walked back again. So about 45 minutes of walking in the heat before I even got to start my workout. Felt a bit dehydrated not long after starting but slowly felt better as I consumed my workout drinks.

Today's workout consisted of soft-tissue mobilization, dynamic warm-up and activation exercises as for Day 1, followed by

4. Strength training
-Plate squats
-Push-ups
-RDLs
-Split stance cable pulldown
-Prone row to external rotation
-Side plank
-Band internal rotation

5. Energy system training
- KB swings on the minute

6. Post workout stretching
- quad stretch
- calf stretch

Today's food
M1 protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2 chicken, green beans, pesto
M3 chicken salad, nuts
M4 kangaroo patty, sweet potato, cauliflower
M5 tuna salad with wasabi dressing, sweet potato

Tuesday

Last week I broke my glasses. It had been five years since my last eye check so today I went in and had my eyes tested and looked at some new frames. In the past I haven't enjoyed choosing new frames because A) the frames don't have prescription lenses so when you try them on you can't actually 'see' what you look like unless you get really close to the mirror, and B) there are so many frames to choose from it can take forever to find a pair you like (especially when you're like me and turn to mush when there are too many choices). Today was no different in that I still had to get really close to the mirror, but the frames I ended up with were the second pair I was shown - yay!

No training today so Rob kindly did some dry needling on my erector spinae, which were very tight after my sore lower back episode. Feeling better already.

Today's food
M1 protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2 spicy peanut chicken, zucchini, bok choy
M3 chicken salad, nuts
M4 kangaroo patty, sweet potato, mashed cauliflower
M5 fish, sweet potato, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Program 1, Day 1

As per my previous post on my program goals, I'm doing lots of exercises to work on my glutes and shoulders at the moment.

Today's workout consisted of
1. soft-tissue mobilization of the following muscles with foam roller and tennis ball
- spine
- TFL
- hips
- quads
- feet/calves
- posterior shoulder

2. Dynamic warm-up using exercises from Assess and Correct
- quadruped rotation
- push-up plus
- dynamic blackburns
- split stance rotation
- scapular wall slides
- supine straight leg raise
- side lying hip abduction
- walking spiderman
- wall ankle mobs
- goblet squats

3. Activation/acute corrective exercises, also from Assess and Correct
- quad stretch
- supine bridge
- clam shells
- seated psoas holds

4. Strength training
- Pull throughs
- DB rows
- Split squats
- Split stance cable push
- Shoulder I, T, Y
- Front plank
- External rotation on knee

4. Energy system training
- bike intervals

5. Post workout stretching
- quad stretch
- calf stretch

This workout contained lots of new exercises for me so I found it quite tiring mentally, as well as tiring for those muscles I obviously don't use enough (glutes!). All good though. Looking forward to trying out 'Day 2' on Wednesday.

---

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: spicy peanut chicken, bok choy, zucchini
M3: chicken salad, nuts
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, beans
train: day 1 (workout drinks)
M5: fish, sweet potato, salad

Month One Down

Last day of the month and time to do measurements. Was going to get Rob to do my skinfolds today but he's been catching up with a friend from Newcastle for most of the weekend so will just post weight today.

Weight at start of year = 65.8, today's weight = 64.1 (down 1.7kg). 8.3kg to go!
I'm happy with that given that this month I had a week off training due to being sick and two days off with a sore lower back. These 'spanners in the works' are one of the reasons why I've given myself a deadline of 12 months to get this weight off. That way there's no stress about trying to get it off in a short time frame.

All going well with my back I'll be starting my new program tomorrow. I'll probably be training three times a week (as opposed to my current four times a week) but each workout includes a touch of energy systems training at the end (between 6 and 12 minutes of intervals), so hopefully that will keep things moving along. Food will stay the same for now.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: spicy peanut chicken, bok choy, zucchini
M3: chicken salad, nuts
walk TJ
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, mashed cauliflower
M5 (treat meal): homemade beef and bean nachos, mango and passionfruit frozen yoghurt

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Program Goals

Lower back is feeling better today. Still not 100% but I'm more mobile than I have been the last couple of days.

---

Along with the photos and video clips I sent off to Mike Robertson the other day, I also included my short-term and long-term goals. For my short-term goals I put the following:
-get rid of the ache in my left rhomboid/levator scap that appears after weight training and swimming. Strengthen and stabilise my left shoulder (it tires more quickly than my right shoulder and subluxes occasionally)
-hypertrophy of all muscle groups (especially shoulders and glutes)

I received my first program from Mike today. He said 'I think it’s going to address some of the major issues I see with your posture/alignment. The big things I’d like to address are getting your hips stronger and doing more of the work. Right now your TFL is pretty strong, so I really want to focus on getting glute max/medius stronger. That coupled with some core work is going to go a long way.'

So it looks like I'll be getting plenty of the glute work I asked for!

He's also included lots of trapezius and rotator cuff exercises so hopefully my shoulder will get nice and strong!

The program includes quite a few things I haven't done before so I've spent some time today looking up all the various exercises I'll be doing (I'll discuss these in more detail next week).

Today's food:
M1 protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2 spicy peanut chicken, bok choy, zucchini
M3 chicken salad, nuts
M4 kangaroo patty, sweet potato, mashed cauliflower
M5 prawn salad, sweet potato

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Friday

I slept in the spare room last night with the electric blanket on 'low' all night. Back felt much better when I woke up this morning, but still a little bit tender.

Today's food
M1 protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2 spicy peanut chicken, bok choy, zucchini
M3 chicken salad, nuts
M4 kangaroo patty, mashed cauliflower, apple
M5 tuna, caper and salad sandwich on sprouted grain bread
M6 spicy peanut chicken, carrot

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Thursday

Did something to my lower back while walking TJ this morning and spent most of the rest of the day in bed with a hot water bottle. Not happy.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: chicken salad, nuts
M3: spicy peanut chicken, cabbage, zucchini
M4: kangaroo patty, salad, sweet potato
M5: tuna and sweet potato patty, bok choy, zucchini

I will lose 10kg by 31 December.

Wednesday

Last Wednesday I got Rob to take my posture pics for Mike Robertson but I realised after emailing them off that I wasn't positioned correctly in some of them. So today we redid them and I sent them off along with my video clips and goals. I think I'll be receiving a program back some time this week - exciting!

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: chicken salad, nuts
M3: spicy peanut chicken, cabbage, beans
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
M5: calamari and bok choy with chilli garlic sauce, sweet potato

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Australia Day

Spent a relaxing afternoon with our friends, having a barbecue and listening to music. Was happy eating my own food and wasn't tempted by the sponge cake, muffins or pavlova. I'm in 'the zone'!

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
train upper body (workout drinks)
M3: tuna and sweet potato patty, broccoli
M4: chicken salad, nuts
M5: spicy peanut chicken, cabbage and beans

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

Thought I'd share the recipe for the mousse I had yesterday as part of my treat meal.

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse
by Teresa Cutter
serves 2

In a food processor, combine 1 avocado with 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup organic maple syrup* and 1 banana. Blend until smooth and creamy and enjoy.

*I used 1/4 cup of water and added stevia to taste. You could also use sugar-free maple syrup or agave syrup.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: chicken salad with nuts
M3: spicy peanut chicken, cabbage, beans
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato, salad
train lower body (workout drinks)
M5: tuna and sweet potato patties, cabbage, beans

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

10 things that make me happy

Following on from Steph's post, here are 10 things that make me happy

1. Spending quality time with my husband. Having a good chat and laugh.
2. Having a sleep-in on a Sunday morning then having coffee (for him) and breakfast (for me) in bed.
3. Weight training. Love it.
4. My morning walk
5. Cooking and eating - not so keen on doing dishes though!
6. Reading - one of the reasons I became an editor. Rob always says if I've got a book he can take me anywhere and I'll be happy.
7. Working for myself from home and not having to deal with traffic, office politics etc
8. Blogland - love reading what other like-minded people are up to.
9. Watching movies. Like reading, it's a great escape into another world.
10. Spending time with friends and family.

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: kangaroo patty, salad, nuts
M3: chicken stir-fry
M4: chicken, sweet potato, salad
M5 (treat meal): homemade gluten-free chilli con carne pizza, ultimate chocolate mousse

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Saturday

Today's food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
M2: chicken salad, nuts
M3: chicken stir-fry
M4: kangaroo patty, roasted sweet potato, salad
M5: steak, roasted sweet potato, red onion and garlic, corn, broccoli

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Friday

Rob and I both woke up hungry at 3.30am this morning. We ended up getting up at about 4am to have breakfast and walk the dog. Got my veges about 9am, then sliced and diced them all in preparation for my big cook-up on Sunday. I crashed about midday for a two-hour snooze, then got up, ate, and hit the gym before dinner and a movie with girlfriends.

All workouts done for the week. Looking forward to stepping up the intensity a bit more next week.

Today's Food
M1: protein shake, muesli, eggs
walk TJ
M2: chicken stir-fry
M3: kangaroo patty, roasted sweet potato, salad
train upper body (workout drinks)
M4: kangaroo patty, roasted sweet potato, broccoli
M5: chicken and avocado salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Thursday

I woke up with a smile this morning - no sore throat and no sore shoulder. Yay! But while I'm feeling better physically, mentally I'm feeling a bit down. Taking photos always does that to me. They never represent the image of myself I have in my head. Must be positive and patient!

Today's food
M1: muesli, eggs, 3/4 kangaroo patty (ran out of pea protein)
walk TJ
M2: chicken stir-fry
M3: chicken salad, nuts
M4: kangaroo patty, mashed sweet potato, roasted broccoli with garam masala
train lower body (workout drinks)
M5: monkfish, sweet potato, salad

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Wednesday

Wednesdays are a day off weight training for me, but I use that time to have a myotherapy treatment. I thought I'd show you what today's treatment consisted of. I had two areas of concern. First was tightness around my left shoulder blade after training upper body yesterday. Rob did some tests and told me that my rhomboids and levator scapulae were tight, causing downward rotation of my scapula. To treat this he cupped the area.

'Cupping is an ancient Chinese therapy in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by suction) in order to draw and hold skin and superficial muscles inside the cup' (source)

Rob did this to place a constant stretch on the rhomboids and levator scap to release those muscles and reduce the tightness, allowing the scapula to move back into a more ideal position.

I was also tight around my kidney area from (improperly) twisting during a dynamic stretch I did on Monday. Rob often uses dry needling but was reluctant to needle that area directly due to the proximity to the kidney, so he placed needles nearby, in my quadratus lumborum and erector spinae, and while he was at it decided to needle my rhomboids, infraspinatus, supraspinatus and levator scap.

Rob took this pic while the needles were in. The needles are superfine and you can hardly feel them going in. The red circular marks are from the cupping.



I expect I will be a bit sore tonight, but should be a lot looser tomorrow.

Also had full length posture photos taken today to send to Mike Robertson. (Not willing to post those just yet!)

Today's food
M1: 'muesli', eggs
M2: chicken stir-fry
M3: larb gai, nuts
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato chips, roasted spiced cauliflower
M5: Asian-style sweet potato and tuna patties, dry coleslaw

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Tuesday

Took TJ out after breakfast this morning, which meant more big dogs around, and my relaxing walk became somewhat of an interval training session:
warm-up: walk down our street and the next one to get to the main road (TJ off lead)
medium intensity: clip TJ on the lead just before we get to the main road, then get dragged down to the lights
recovery: stand at the lights until we get the 'green man' to cross
medium intensity: get dragged the rest of the way to the park
recovery: walk through the middle of the car park (not much for TJ to sniff at here)
high intensity: get to the point where I normally let TJ off and see two other dogs nearby. Keep TJ on the lead and try to walk him slowly, hoping he doesn't spot the other dogs beforehand and pull me down the steep slope and steps. Reach the bottom safely then have to negotiate my way past the other dogs, which are stopped with their owners on a narrow path. They make way for me but TJ and one of the other dogs (a young collie) are straining on their leads to 'talk' to each other. I know TJ and the other dog don't get on, so am not keen to stay and 'chat' in case any growling starts. As we get past them, TJ tries to drag me into the nearby bushes so he can pee all over the place. By this stage my heart is racing and I'm feeling slightly nauseous.
(brief) recovery: we round the bend away from the other dogs and my heart rate starts to drop a little
high intensity: as we get round the corner a large unfamiliar dog (looks like a tall boxer) is approaching from the other direction. It is on a lead, but TJ could easily pull me over to it if he wants to, so I take a wide berth, dragging him onto the grass, so the dog and its owner can get past.
(brief) recovery: head across the bridge and towards the bush that TJ usually goes to the toilet near, so he doesn't drag me there of his own accord. See more dogs being walked ahead of us in the distance, and turn around to see the collie and its mate coming up behind us, and realise that I am going to be stuck between two groups of dogs for most of the rest of the walk. Feel like a mouse on a revolving wheel.
medium intensity: head up the hill, dogs in front and dogs behind, trying to keep TJ from straying off the path so the other dogs don't catch up to us, but not letting him go too fast, so we don't catch up to the dogs ahead.
high intensity: spot another unfamiliar dog coming in the opposite direction. TJ drops down onto his belly, into his 'launch' position (if it's a small dog he will launch up with a waggy tail and want to play; if it's a big dog he will launch up with a waggy tail and an uncertain growl, which can sometimes make the other dog nervous and growly). I hold onto TJ tightly so he can't 'launch' too far. The collie and his mate overtake us as the other dog approaches. TJ doesn't know where to look but decides to concentrate on the new dog. As they get closer, the other owner asks 'is your dog friendly?'. I say, 'Yes, but he can be a bit growly.' She decides to take a wide berth, and as she does so, TJ jumps up, growling, hackles raised slightly, but tail wagging. 'He's just excited,' I say. (The truth is that he was mauled by a big male dog about a year ago and suffered a bite to the throat, and ever since then he has been a bit wary of other big dogs).
recovery: the collie and his mate have gotten a bit further ahead and we head off down the hill after them, TJ still on the lead. We round the bend and see them take a different route and disappear. I finally let TJ off the lead, halfway into the walk.
medium intensity: About 30 seconds after letting TJ off the lead, the tall boxer from earlier in the walk comes towards us. It is on its lead but TJ isn't and goes racing towards it. I yell at him to 'sit', so I can get his lead on, but he ignores me and continues towards the other dog.
high intensity: I go running towards TJ and manage to clip his lead on just as he reaches the other dog. Freak out that something is going to happen but try to calm myself down so the dogs don't pick up on it. Turns out it is a 'she' but she is a bit 'snappy' to begin with.
recovery: We give our dogs lots of praise and they are friendly towards each other. I suggest letting them off their leads to play with each other, but the other owner is reluctant because his dog won't come back when called. We are both heading in the same direction so I go first, but TJ stops to sniff something and the other owner decides to run his dog on ahead.
medium intensity: TJ wants to follow, and it's a bit of a strain as we head back up the hill behind them.
low intensity: The other dog disappears into the distance and there are no other dogs around, so I let TJ off and he runs around happily sniffing and peeing on stuff as we head back to the start of the walk.
cool down: I put TJ back on the lead, we leave the park and head home. TJ is less energetic by this stage and happily trots along beside me like a good boy instead of straining at the end of his lead like he does on the way down to the park.
THE END.

Today's food
M1: 'muesli', eggs
walk TJ
M2: chicken stir-fry
M3: larb gai, nuts
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato chips, roasted spiced cauliflower
train (workout drinks)
M5: Kek's Asian-style tuna and sweet potato patties, dry coleslaw

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

New Coach

Rob and I did each other's skinfolds today, three weeks since the last lot. Although my scale weight has only decreased slightly, my fat mass is down and my lean mass is up, so am happy with that. Will keep food the same for another two weeks then measure again.

I hit the gym this evening for the first time in a week. I'm still not feeling 100% but wanted to do SOMETHING. I was due to do a deload week this week, so went with that and took it easy with two sets of each exercise (lower body).

For the last couple of months I have been using a couple of programs by Mike Robertson: this one and this one. His style of programming seems to really suit me: it's challenging but enjoyable, and I'm seeing some gains out of it.

I had looked into doing online training with him (so I could have something tailored specifically for me), but I was hesitant due to the cost. However, over the weekend I had the opportunity to sign up with him for half price, with the understanding that all of my fees would be donated to the Haiti relief fund. So not only do I have the opportunity to work with a great trainer, I am able to donate to a good cause as well.

Over the next week or so I will be submitting pics, video clips and a list of goals to him, so will keep you up to date with that. Exciting!!!

Today's food
M1: 'muesli', eggs
walk TJ*
M2: chicken stir-fry
M3: larb gai, nuts
M4: kangaroo patty, sweet potato chips, cabbage
train (workout drinks)
M5: monkfish, sweet potato chips, roasted spiced cauliflower (sprinkled with turmeric, garlic powder, chilli powder, salt)

*Am going to try walking TJ after breakfast for the next two weeks as I think that going before breakfast is contributing to the length of my cold.

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Sunday

Today's quote is from Sheila Viers:

'if you spend a large amount of time worrying about and analyzing what you eat, weighing yourself daily and then getting upset with any fluctuation, focusing on all the things you don’t like about yourself and the way you currently look, etc, you are causing more problems than you are helping your situation. Lay off.

Just like pushing too hard, being overly critical causes stress in the body, and stress causes your body to stop cooperating. My philosophy is of the “set it and forget it” mentality. Learn what you need to learn, apply it so that it fits your situation/life/body, and then let it go. Live by the principles, but don’t stress over them.'

Today's food
M1: 'muesli', eggs
M2: larb gai, walnuts
M3: chicken stir-fry
M4: kangaroo patty and salad sandwich on sprouted grain bread
M5: grilled dory, sweet potato chips, green beans; choculence biscuits

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Saturday

Had a great day today. Attended two birthday parties, one at a cool garden bar and another at a bowls club. Didn't drink any alcohol but enjoyed lots of soda water with lime wedges. Still have a bit of a croaky voice but feeling much better

Today's food
walk TJ
M1: 'muesli', eggs
M2: tuna in evoo, salad
M3: chicken stir-fry
M4: antipasto, Morrocan chickpea salad
M5: Thai takeaway

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

Friday

My annoying cold is still hanging around. I was feeling so yuck I went to bed at 8.30 last night. This morning I made myself a really spicy larb gai (Thai chicken salad) for meal 2 and that seemed to help a bit. Appetite is slowly decreasing as the only exercise I've done this week is slow walking. Am feeling really frustrated about not being able to train, but I know if I do it will just take me longer to get over this cold. Hopefully I'll be back into it on Monday.

Today Lauren asked, WHO'S ON YOUR SIDE......in life. Tell us who supports you and keeps you sane from day-to-day.

First of all I would have to say my husband, Rob. We met at a gym, and so we have always had training and eating well in common. He is supportive of everything I do, and always has positive things to say about me, whether I'm in competition shape or 15kg heavier. He is a great listener, and I often feel like he knows me better than I know myself.


Then there is TJ, my walking partner. The moment I open my eyes in the morning he gets excited. He makes noises until I get out of bed, and leaps about when I pick up my hat, jacket, shoes... It's easy to walk in the morning when I get to put this smile on his dial:


We have two couples who we regularly spend time with. They aren't into exercise as much as us, but they are really supportive of what we do (my competitions and Rob's grappling). They want to come along and watch when we compete, they always ask what we can and can't eat, and don't blink an eye when we bring our own food. The first year I competed we got this photo together with all of us 'posing':


The blogging community are also a fantastic source of support. I've met some lovely people who share the same goals and make me feel like I'm part of a bigger community.

Lia, Rae and me

My family in New Zealand are also great. My parents bought me my first gym membership when I was about 15 or 16, and I often get a 'good luck' message from them before my comps. When I competed in New Zealand my sister, her husband and their boys came along to watch. It was hilarious to hear my nephew talking about me while I was up on stage. And the boys are always interested in trying my food when I go to stay with them.

Today's food
walk TJ
M1: 'muesli', eggs
M2: larb gai, walnuts
M3: chicken stir-fry
M4: chicken and salad sandwich on sprouted grain bread
M5: fish curry with brown rice

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

A day in the life of

Me!

Like Kristin, I work from home, which means my hours are pretty flexible. My preferred option is to sleep in, but the best time for me to walk TJ is around 6am, when there are mostly just small friendly dogs in the park. So I'll run with that option below.

6am Get up and drink a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon while getting dressed.

6.15-6.45am Walk TJ to the park

6.45am Arrive home, prepare breakfast

7.00am Eat breakfast. Lately it's been pea protein, stevia, vanilla, cinnamon, yoghurt, grated apple and raw oats all mixed together:

Followed up by a couple of boiled eggs

After breakfast I clean my teeth and head into my office. I usually start the day's blog post about this time.

7.30-10am Work

10-10.30am Meal break. Lately I've been having salad with some sort of lean mince and some nuts:


10.30am-1pm Work

1-1.30pm Meal break. At the moment I have a portion of the big chicken stir-fry I cook up on the weekends:


1.30-4pm Work

4pm Preworkout meal. This is usually kangaroo, some sort of starch (lately either sprouted grain bread, sweet potato or potato) and salad

4.30-5pm Get ready to go to the gym, walk to gym (15 minutes)

5-7pm Train, walk home from gym, prepare dinner

7pm Eat dinner. Usually fish, some sort of starch and steamed veg:


7.30-8.00pm Do dishes (no dishwasher - boo!), get stuff out of the freezer for next day's meals

8.00-8.30pm Shower, clean teeth etc

8.30-9pm Finish blog post, read other blogs

9-9.30pm Read in bed

9.30pm Lights out

Wednesday

Not a lot to report today. I'm still not feeling 100%. Rob's eye is slowly improving. He can actually open it now, so we did a slow walk together with TJ this morning.

Food
M1: pea protein, stevia, cinnamon, vanilla, grated apple, yoghurt and raw oats made into 'muesli'; boiled eggs
M2: mint and coriander pork (based on Rae's recipe), salad, nuts
M3: chicken stir-fry with almond butter
M4: roast kangaroo, sweet potato, salad
M5: hoki, sweet potato, steamed veg

I will lose 10kg by 31 December

HOW TO ACHIEVE WEIGHT LOSS IN 2010

I received an email newsletter from Mr Supplement today, and it contained some useful information on weight loss, so thought I'd reproduce it here (I've altered the text in blue).

HOW TO ACHIEVE WEIGHT LOSS IN 2010

Without doubt, the number one New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight. Whether you are looking to lose fat, or get a little leaner, you probably want to show more of the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build after they’ve become hidden by the holiday overindulgence. For many the problem is not a small recent increase in bodyweight, but the continued accumulation of body fat over an extended period. Now that you’ve made the decision to lose this weight, don’t let excuses creep in. Now is the time to act.

Define Your Goal: Instead of saying “I want to lose weight,” set a Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and Time-based (SMART) goal. An example would be “By December 31st, I will lose 10kgs.” Without a time constraint, you will not be accountable for your goal.

Write Down Your Goal Daily: Try doing it at the same time & place daily to develop the habit. This will continually reinforce & remind you of your goals plus help you act daily to see this through to completion. The fact that there is a deadline will mean that you have to work daily to achieve your goal.

Keep A Food & Training Diary: There’s no better way to track your progress with respect to your diet & training. This can be a simple record, there’s no need to complicate it. Just note the food, size of portion, and the calories plus record your training. This may discourage you from having the extra servings of desert or push your exercise to new records if it’s all documented. This is a proven method of helping people lose weight.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegies not only give you nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, but they help fill you up more than many other foods. As a bonus, they are less dense with respect to energy, so they give you a good proportion of volume for the relatively lesser calories.

Consume More Protein & Less Starchy Carbs: Protein is a great macronutrient which has not only been shown to assist in repairing or building lean muscle in trained athletes but also has fantastic fat loss benefits. Staying away from starchy carbs like white rice, potatoes, pasta & breads particularly in the evening shall be most beneficial in reaching your goals.

Train Hard and Train Regularly: Map out your days and allocate time to exercise. This way you can’t let it get crowded out by other activities. Make regular training a priority lifestyle choice.

Lifting: Whether you are male or female, lift weights with a purpose to fatigue your muscles. This increases (or maintains) your "lean body mass" which will mean that you burn more energy & calories at rest. Ladies don't be afraid that weight training shall bulk you up. The goal & result for most of you here shall be to increase strength, tone up & reduce body fat levels.

Cardio: Include some steady state cardio into your programme. If you are pressed for time, break this up throughout the day. Interval training (i.e. higher intensity training mixed with lower intensity training) on a bike, treadmill, outdoors, on a rowing machine, etc are effective for fat loss and cardiovascular health. Use this technique with caution, however, especially if you have not exercised for a while or have a medical condition.

Supplementation: Fat loss supplements shall assist even a sedentary person, however best results are achieved when they are combined with training for enhanced fat loss. Options include a Fat Loss Protein Powder, Thermogenic Supplements, Acetyl l-Carnatine, Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Fat Metabolisers to help you achieve your fat loss goals.

To reiterate, once you’ve decided on your goal, write it down using a constrained approach such as “I will lose 10kgs by December 31.” This way, you will be accountable for your efforts to achieve this. Write down this every day to remind yourself of your goal. Keep a food journal to discourage unwelcome foods. Improve your consumption of fruit and vegies, as they offer relatively better satience compared to their more energy dense counterparts. Increase protein consumption whilst reducing starchy carbohydrates. Train regularly with weights and cardio and you’re almost there. Supplementation with fat loss supplements can help you achieve better results, faster. Keep re-evaluating your results and be consistent, before you know it you’ll be on your way to a leaner and a healthier body.

Monday

Yesterday I read an interesting article on overeating in the Sunday Herald Sun. I particularly liked this bit:

If you look at junk food and think, "That's my friend... I'm going to have it because it makes me feel good," you're going to want it, Dr Kessler [author of The End of Overeating] says. A better thought pattern is "It's not real food, it won't satiate me and will make me feel disgusting." The first few times you try this it might feel a little strange, but eventually these thought patterns become second nature.

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I took TJ out for a walk about 6am this morning before it got too hot, but that's all I managed today in the way of exercise. I've got a bit of a scratchy throat, and it's 42 degrees, so I had a nap instead of training this afternoon.

Sunday

Have just finished a massive food prep session. Think I need to get a food processor to help speed things up a bit. Anyone have any recommendations?

Rob was going to do my skinfolds today but he's not really up to it, so will just report on scale progress: down 1.2kg in two weeks. Am happy with that, so calories and amount of exercise will stay as is for now. 8.8kg to go!