A Good Ending to a Bad Week

So I'm going to have to face it. It was not the ideal start to the year.

I think the main problem is that I feel as if I'm in a rut. I basically do the same thing every week and eat the same foods. It's an ongoing circle that never seems to end but I don't know how to change it. People keep saying change it up but its not as simple as that. I can't just change my life that easily, I also most likely can't afford it. I don't mean to sound so pessimistic but I'm finding it really tough to change.

I have decided to go swimming on a Sunday night now, so that I can get better use of the Gym at work on a Monday. (My gym is only available Mon-Fri). I'm hoping it will help me exercise at the weekend more. I particularly love swimming, except all the other pesky people in the pool :p

I got a cookbook for Christmas, River Cottage Veg Every Day. So I'm going to try and cook something from that every week. Again my biggest problem with that at the moment is the lack of funds to buy the ingredients. So hopefully will start that officially at the beginning of Feb.

My week in terms of exercise was very good actually. I exercised 5 out of the 7 days with plenty of walking on one of the other days. However on the negative side I didn't really have a very good week with food. To start with I couldn't figure out why I was eating so much, but at the end of the week I came on. So I now realise that probably had a lot to do with my food issues and why I have been feeling so down. I still think I'm a rut but now I'm not so upset about it. It's funny every month I forget I feel like this when I'm due on but still I get all emotional and the diet goes funny. Must remember.

I found out something awesome the other day. I'm a vegetarian you see and I discovered 1/4 of a packet of 300g of Quorn is only 27 calories (think my calculations are right). How awesome is that :D Made me feel very happy! I love that stuff!

I meant to ask you all: How much exercise do you think is too much? As I was considering going to the gym at lunchtime and then going Swimming after work. I don't want to overdo it but I think I may be erring too much onto the side of caution with my exercise schedules. You see I only get so long at Lunch to spend in the Gym, so my typical Gym session at the moment is as follows:

10 mins warm up x-trainers
Leg Press 3x 15 set
lap pull down 3 x 15 set
fit ball roll under my (lying on back, can't remember name) 3 x 8
Press up 3 x 8
Dumb bell swing 6kb 3 x 12
Lunges 3 x 12
Run 1-1.5km

I've booked into see my trainer on the 25th, so hopefully I can start changing it up a bit more soon but I want to know after doing that is it ok to do more exercise in the evening? Am I not doing enough exercise?

It's weigh day tomorrow and I'm absolutely petrified of it. I ate cake this week, friends birthday but cake non the less. I know I shouldn't feel so guilty but I do.

Well weigh in and measurements tomorrow my friends.......

Emily xx

p.s Goal for the week is to try and run 2km..... wish me luck :D

Weekends

I'm not sure how it's happened but I seem to be getting incredibly incapable of exercising at the weekend.

I think I excuse myself by saying stuff like, 'Oh, I walked into town and back. I walked there..etc' but in reality, I'm simply not doing my usual exercise at the weekend. Before I was making sure I exercised at the weekend, either a run on Saturday or just popping on my Exercise bike on Sunday but every weekend it seems that it's over before I've even considered exercising :(

So bad weekend for Emily.

I had my *final* physio session on Friday (trying to sort out my tight calf muscle in my left leg) and my leg was really painful after the session. He had stuck needles in my leg and given them a right good old bashing. So I was bruising. I almost didn't exercise but thankfully I actually went to the Gym. AFTER work on a FRIDAY, I know go me :D

The Gym was really quiet, which was nice. Still only running 1km max at the moment. So I'm hoping to attempt a 1.25km or even a 1.5km this week... wish me luck.

In total I have been invited to/organised 3 Christmas dinners. The first one was at the weekend and man it is hard not to overeat. I managed to snack only a wee bit and I didn't have any meat (as I'm a vegetarian and they killed my fake meat). My plate consisted of Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips, Carrots and Brussels sprouts with some Stuffing. So I think I ate far less calories than everyone else but I still feel like I ate bad food. I skipped Christmas pudding but I couldn't turn down the cheese board. I definitely had less than I would've had last year, so that's a postivie point. The alcohol consumption probably didn't help either though but in preparation I had only eaten a salad.

I'm very scared to weigh myself at the moment as I feel as if I haven't lost any weight in a while. I think, as I've said before, the main goal around Christmas is to not put on weight or as little as possible. I'm hoping to at least stuck to that. Unfortunately the next two Christmas dinners are both on the same day :o So I'm going to have a fat day :(

My plan is to come into work early that day to go to the Gym and get a good workout done before I even begin eating. Then I will just make sure that I exercise every day this week, even Christmas day!

Are other people exercising on Christmas day?

Does anyone have any tips on how to avoid eating mince pies etc? Feeling very tempted and failing more often than usual, which is depressing me.

Why in the back of mind do I keep saying, 'I can get back on the horse in January'... I don't want to even fall off :(

Emily x

Christmas Dinners

Christmas time is such a fatty time of the year. You can't see anyone or do anything without the mention of food. I'm getting worried that I will put on weight or get obsessed with exercising!!

My housemate and I made homemade mince pies yesterday and they tasted great :D Did about 6m on the bike beforehand though so I wouldn't feel as guilty. It didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped :( Guilt just seeps in through your pores I think!!!

Well will keep trying to eat the healthy option!

Em x