The reunion weekend

So.....I had my 25 year school reunion!

Firstly, can I just say how blissful it is to stay in a hotel room by yourself? No husband. No kids. No extra baggage (literally and figuratively). Your time is your own and how you want to spend it is up to you. I. Just. Loved. It.

I also had lots of time to make myself beautiful. Probably just as well. I bought the dress, and a cheap pair of spangly earrings. And some new lippy. Did the nails, hair and make-up. And am totally unable to take a decent selfie:

When I first rocked up, everyone was in pants and tops, and I was a little freaked that I was over-dressed. But, sure enough, there were some other girls (err, umm, women? ladies?) arrived who had frocked up too and then I relaxed a bit more.

I think I made the best of a bad situation and that underneath that extra 20kg is a pretty nice looking girl/woman/lady. But there were a few photos that make me even more bloody determined to show up to the next one looking badass! And it was reassuring to know that others were definitely feeling the same way as me.

Check out that double chin - it's gotta go!

We're belting out the school song...well, some of us are!

And the weekend was a bit of a bust diet/exercise-wise. Although I definitely drank less than last reunion and  made better choices (vodka, lime and soda rather than champagne; had salad instead of fries at Maccas on the car trip), I haven't exercised in 5 days.

Post-reunion footsies!

So that was fun and all, but back to the hard work! I'm so determined to look at myself in a photo in the near future and not think "who the hell is the fat chick?"

Big night out

It's not quite how I imagined it - this weekend I'm attending my 25th yr School Reunion. Eeek! 25 years since I left school. I never really thought I'd be going weighing nearly 80kg.

I thought I might use the upcoming event as "motivation" to lose some weight this year. Apparently external motivation doesn't work, because I didn't!

And so, the question begs - what to wear when you are not looking your best, but need to make a good impression (because Toni will be there again, looking oh-so-gorgeous and glam and slim).

I was going to opt for my Little Black Dress that I had in the cupboard - a Jacqui E dress from a couple of years ago, that is very comfy and shows off my boobs and has little capped sleeves, but I'm looking a little preggers, if I'm being honest with myself...

We don't have a full-length mirror (probably with good reason)

It's a nice dress and it's comfy (did I mention that), but I was a little unsure of whether it would be too dressy for a reunion and whether looking 4 months pregnant is a good look at 43.

My friend said she was wearing a top and pants. I considered this, until I looked at the top of choice in a photo and decided I looked too much like a green whale...

That would be me in green...with grey hair....

Mmmm....so. Not going there. But maybe I should head off the hairdressers which is long overdue:

I wanted to go lighter, but apparently there were all these technical reasons why that is impossible

OK. So hair is order, but the issue of "what to wear" is hanging around, so with my lovely new hair I took myself off to the shops (which is not much of a choice in our tiny town), on a budget because I just spend $154 on my new hair...

I managed to find this baby (still black) which was marked down from $69 to $48:

So. What do you think? Add black high heels, lippy and some spangly earrings and I should be good to go?

Do you attend your high school reunions?

If you do, you stress about your appearance?

Should I buy the dress?

Wednesday Weigh-In

So, this week I've been entering all my food into My Fitness Pal app, running 3 times, walking 3 times with only Sunday a day of rest.

Even took hubby on one walk!

I've also been trying Celebrity Slim Rapid shakes because this weekend I have my 25th school reunion (eek!) and I would love to be couple of kilos lighter.

Which I am!! This morning was 77.8kg! Wow. It's amazing what a bit of exercise and watching what you eat can do....

Ahh - Push It!

Ah, push it - push it good 
Ah, push it - push it real good 

So...our last "Warm Up" week! Monday starts "PreSeason" and some non-compulsory challenges - I wonder what on earth they could be?

This week, I've run 3 times and walked twice. I've cut back on alcohol - changing to gin and diet tonics, low-alcohol wine and trying (not always succeeding!) to have only 2 a night. Last night I drank only mineral water! It's baby steps.

This morning got out for my run. I thought I was doing Week 2, Day 1 of Ease into 10K. But I didn't check my phone properly and it defaulted to Week 3, Day 2 - the next day after where I finished up last year! I thought those 4 minutes seemed awfully long! They were! They were 5 minutes long! No wonder I was a bit hot and sweaty after that:

The app I use is the Ease Into 10K app from Bluefin software. If you've never run before, I wouldn't start with this one - go for the Couch to 5K one. But this suits me after a little break from running - the run/walk intervals are just right (provided I do the right week!). I also like the progress charts:

Got out yesterday for a walk with Maxie - don't let me tell you that I have nowhere to walk...

But to get there we have to trek down a bit of a dirt road, which is a bit of a puddle-fest after the recent rains:

Anyway, so excited to be doing something positive about this weight. I just needed a program or something to hang off - looking forward to next week - bring it on!

Oooh, baby, baby 
Baby, baby 

Wednesday Weigh-In!

Got up, checked Facebook (as you do) and there was a reminder:

My scales are not that pretty and neither is the number that is going to show up.  OK - let's get it over and done with:

79.3 kg - 174.8 lbs

Small loss. I'll take it.

Up early and I finished "Week 1" of the Ease Into 10K program this morning:

It felt hard, but I pushed on and my pace was a bit faster, so I'm happy with myself.

Further motivation - Michelle Bridges encouraging everyone who can to get out running:

I encourage all my team who can, to RUN! If you are time poor, running is great value for money when it comes to getting that heart rate up and burning truck loads of calories!! Xx

I'll be happy when I look like her! 

And it's the little choices - last night after a long day at work, my hubby suggested it was Tuesday and that maybe we should just call Dominos....but I was strong (and if I'm honest, cranky with him for leading me astray), and went to the shops, bought steak and salad and cooked it. I wouldn't have done that last week!

I ran past my daughter's piano teacher this morning, just as the voice in my earphones said "run". I sighed and she said "it's just got to be done, doesn't it?!" And she's right - just gotta do it (mmm, might be something in that).

I'm so ashamed...

Today I was rifling through my large assemblage of running magazines, Million Kilo Challenge recipes, physio exercises etc and came across my old Fit For the Job Challenge folder (mmm, now defunct - no link available). I did this a few years ago now when I was working at the local high school. A bunch of us teachers got together for a 12 week challenge to lose weight, reduce stress etc (sounding familiar?). We got a 12 week exercise program and DVD, healthy eating plan and weigh-in's at the local gym. I do remember that I managed to get down to 66kg and feeling very proud of myself.

But at the start, I remember feeling like I did yesterday - it's time to make a change before this weight gain gets out of hand, my clothes are fitting anymore etc etc.

I found the slip of paper for my first weigh-in.

Weight: 69.8kgs (153.6 lbs). OMG. That's 10kg lighter than my current starting point.

I'm so ashamed that I thought that I was heavy and I've let myself (after bootcamping, and two lots of C25K and a 9km fun run and multiple "programs") get to 79.8kg. No wonder my size 14 clothes are tight. It's not that the sizing is getting smaller. It really is because I've stacked on the kilos. I'm going to my 25 year school reunion in a couple of weeks the heaviest I've ever been. Hello! Reality check! 

So I went out for my run/walk this morning feeling very large, very ashamed of myself. I felt like saying "I can do this running thing, you know, I'm just starting again and these clothes used to fit me 12 months ago". 

And that's the thing, isn't it? You just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start bloody again. And keep going. And going. It's not easy (well, I obviously don't find it easy).

On the bright side? There were a lot of overweight people out there this morning, walking the walk, putting one foot in front of the other. They were beetroot faced and sweaty too. They looked admiringly (or was that sympathetically?) at me running. I did get out of bed this morning and do it, unlike last week. I keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Here it goes again!

Oh, just when you think you're in control

Just when you think you've got a hold

Just when you get on a roll

Oh, here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again

You know how I said that if the blog suddenly stopped and no more posts appeared it meant I had gone off the rails, off the weight-loss wagon? Well. Yep. Kinda did there for a while.

The results were amazingly fast. I must have broke our old scales, because we had to buy new ones. And the bad news - as of last week, I was:

EEEKKKK!!

My size 14 clothes are getting tight. I actually tried on "larger ladies" sized clothing in Target last week. I nearly cried when I saw myself in the changeroom mirror.

It's time to "do something". I thought I could do it by myself. I thought wrong. I need a goal, or a program or something to help me along.

I think a combination of this ongoing hip/hamstring issue plus no program to follow has me unmotivated. I'll do a run, or a even a couple for that week, but then I'll stop. The same with diet - I'll do well for a few days, then hit the wine, cheese and bikkies and even takeaway again if I have a busy day.

Well time for a BIG change before that first number hits 8. Before I actually purchase larger ladies clothing.

I met with a friend who I hadn't seen for a while. I had actually inspired her to start running with C25K. She looked TOTALLY AMAZING. Not just thinner than I had ever seen her, but glowing with good health. Muscle definition in her arms. No double chin. Pouchy tummy gonskies. Planning to run a freaking HALF MARATHON!

She had started with Weight Watchers, but she said the turning point for her was Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program. She went so far as to say it was the best $200 she had ever spent.

I had looked at the webpage before. They give you exercises and diet and the biggy - mindset changes each week. I wasn't sure about spending the money. But looking at my friend yesterday I signed up. $19.99 per week. I reckon I'll save that in wine! 

So here we go again. Hopefully with big results and lasting changes. And maybe, just maybe I can half marathon in 2013. 

So stay tuned kiddies - and get ready to watch those numbers on the side go down!