Challenge 2 - Day 17 - Dara

Good evening, well today has been a relaxing recovery day after yesterdays 10km walk/run. Legs/feet a little tender. But keen now to get running again, great sense of achievement. 10km run coming up again in 3 weeks which I think I'll enter for. So will need to step up the training for that.

Diet: good except fir burger at lunch!!
Excercise: rested today
Mind: positive after yesterday, raring to go!
Weight: 14st 10lbs 22% bodyfat.

Challenge 2 - Day 16 - Dara

Good evening.

Well I missed a blog day yesterday...but sure, I've my weekly weigh in details today.

I found my camera charger, so I have better quality photos.

So, in terms of a review of the week. Excercise wise high point was Tuesday's 1km run.

Felt good to kick start running. Weights were non-existent to any extent worth talking about.

finiding it hard to get a good cardio session and good weights session in during the week. It was easier at the start as I used to and could get away with a small amount of cardio. But as my fitness levels improve, I need to do more I find. Maybe need to look at HIIT training to do more speedy cardio. I did 2 sessions of 40mins on treadmill this week, where I used dumbells also to add extra weight. I think this was good for trying to add extra weight / resistence into the treadmill workout, however still not sure thats enough.. I tell you why...

Today was a super success day for me.. I completed a 10km Walk/Run. It was my first time entering such a competition, and it really showed me how much I've improved fitness wise. I think I haven't been pushing myself nearly as much as I can. And probably explains my plateau.

I finished in 1hr 25mins. Which I think is pretty respectable, and 5mins under the time I wanted to complete it in. Plus I ran about 2 -2.5km of the course. The static weight has been driving me a bit bonkers. However I know its not permanent.

I have 2 weeks off work this week so I know I can get some good workouts done this fortnight. So hopefully I will make significant progress. And I will head out for more runs and built up my running stamina.

Target for July 25th
Target weight: 13st 7lbs (189lbs)
Target bodyfat: 16%
Target Fat loss: -15.5lbs

Current weight: 14st 11lbs (208lbs)

Current Bodyfat %: 22%

Week variance : +1lbs

Left to go: 16.5lbs

So weight is showing up, but I believe this is water retention... or something.. well not to worried, going to give it socks this week!

Dara

Challenge 2 - Day 14 - Dara

Hi
Well quick check in as I'm tired. Busy day at work but good. Have just finnished up for 2 week holiday.

Diet: good today, good frequency, low carb

Excercise: 30min on treadmill with dumbells again. Good but was tired/sleepy so I didn't do more than that. 10km walk on Sunday!! Looking forward to it.

Mind: good but need to figure out way to get weight training and cardio in to busy schedule. Finding that tricky

Weight: 14st 10lbs 21% bodyfat

Challenge 2 - Day 13 - Dara

Hi there,
Well back in the saddle today. Here is the low down.

Diet: low carb day, did quite well today, but some frequency mid morning was off due to meetings.

Excercise: treadmill 40min with dumbells in hands adding 6kg to effort. Essentialy 12lbs weight I've lost added back in to the mix to help shake things up. Found it helped. Have 10km walk on Sunday so this is a bit of training for that.

Mind: good but very concious I've let weights slip this week and I think it shows. Off for 2 weeks from tomorrow so hope to get a good 2 weeks excercise in at full pace.

Weight: 14st 11lbs. Up a good bit but yesterday was high carb and bday wine had so combined both give a temporary lift. See how we are tomorrow.

Adiós

Dara

Challenge 2 -day 12 - dara

Woo hoo. Super quick post. My birthday, taken it easy but 1lb down 14st 9lb weigh in!!!!!!!!

Challenge 2 - Day 11 - Dara

Day 11 of Challenge 2 already.. well, I know what I have to do to break this plateau. Simply, need to step up my game. Having said that I didn't get working out today. Slept in and I think that was needed as I feel much less tired today. I had a meeting this evening so I didn't get to work out this evening (not long in). So, I'll take advantage of better sleep, head to bed now, and get up early tomorrow and get a good workout in.

So...

Diet: Good, but volume/frequency wasn't great. Could have had better breakfast and snacks were v. light.

Excercise: non existent

Mind: Mind is actually pretty good. I know what I need to do, I just need to get it done and getting it done is causing a little frustration. So, nights sleep tonight and go kick some ass in workout tomorrow. Need to get weight loss going again.

Weight: 14st 10lbs (stilll) 22% bodyfat. - thinking I might need my own bodyfat calipars or something to properly measure myself.

So, until the am - wish me best to get this plateau broken

Challenge 2 - Day10 - Dara

Good evening fellow flab blasters!
Well, form has picked up a bit today... after a rough start. Another crappy nights sleep with Alex and Christian both not sleeping great.. however I listened to some Tony Robbins to and fro from work and while mowing the lawn this evening. I think it has helped a bit. Also hearing from Andy today gave me a boost too. So, anyway.. here is how we're doing...

Diet: Good, low carb, trying to taper my calories to begining of the day, had big brekkie again.

Excercise: Well, no weights, however I did run 1km . Woo hoo. You see, I would never have considered myself a runner but I ran a whole 1km without stopping. I took a road nearby which Carla had measured herself as being 1km for her running training. So I set out to test my stamina and fitness. So I managed to run the entire 1km to end of this road, and jogged a bit on the way back, but mostly walked the whole way back.. so 2km in total. Not a massive workout but great achievement in my mind. Want to build it up.. note though, I'm wheezing like a 70-a day smoker after that run (still a good hour after). Which reminded me of when I was a kid starting to cycle home from school and cycling up Trees road in Mount Merrion (v. steep hill). I ponder if this is just unfitness or if it is anything related to my son Christian's asthma. I honestly think it is most likely unfitness related and loose mucus (charming I know) but something to keep an eye on. Anyway, I want to try running more and build up my endurance /distance.

Mind: well, as I mentioned at the start of this entry I listened to Anthony Robbins. I did an excercise of his which he calls the Dicken's method.. Which essentially is based on 'Scrooge' and a Christmas Carol. Scrooge is visited by 3 ghosts, of past, present and future, and after experiencing all three aspects of his life and how it could turn out, he changes his actions and becomes a better person.. Well in this shortened method Tony Robbins does on Personal Power 2, he gets you to look at an aspect of your life you wan to change, e.g. in my case my weight loss. He then gets you to look forward 5 years from now, and asks you questions about your life if you don't take the action you should to change (e.g. excercise/diet). Questions like, how would you feel, do you feel the burden of it on your shoulders?, how would look? how would you behave? Then he takes it forward another 5years, so 1o years on, and you haven't made the change.. and ask the same questions and really visualise what you would go through... then he takes it to 20years on, and look at your life as it could be if you don't change... and he then brings you back to current reality...
from there he then takes you forward again, same method, 5, 10, 20 years from now, same questions, but now, visualising clearly how you would be if you did make the change, how great it would be, the feelings you'd have etc. And seeing what a difference it will make years from now.

So I found this this process v. good. Really saw myself in the first instance, getting fat and old and the boys getting fat and unfit, and visiting me in hospital with weight/heart issues. I then also saw the oppposite, I saw myself and the boys going for runs together, Christian and Alex as a good looking young men, obviously fit and active men. That again giving me great pleasure to continue. Still need to keep that momentum up and I'm chatting to Andy later, so hopefully we can get our heads knocked together and step things up. I think we need some short term goals to hit, not just July25th.


Weight: well, this was up again 14st 11lbs (23% bodyfat)... Probaby up after bad nights sleep.

'till tomorrow

Dara

Dara