Monthly Archives: January 2016

Body Pump update..

Last night I blogged about Body Pump and bricking it.

Well I came close to not going, I was tired after a day at work and all I wanted to do was sleep.. Towards the end of the day at work my back and knees were aching and I was on the cusp of the mother of all migraines.

So what did I do…. I work with people all over central England, I have a pal I chat to on messenger so I sent him what I call a virtual distress flair.

My Pal John saved me from myself,  when I said I was thinking about skiving he reminded me that missing tonight I would be moving away from my goals, he said that if I go I will feel better for making the effort and if I didn’t go I would be letting myself down.

Now John has no investment in me he lives hundreds of miles away and we only talk via email or occasionally on the phone, and yet I send up a flare and he gives me the virtual bum kick I need.

So I dragged my sorry ass to class… here is a list of the hurdles I had to jump

  1. It was freezing outside and peeing with freezing rain.
  2. There was no parking space at the gym so I had to park in the overflow.
  3. The door to the studio where that class is held was shut.
  4. The room was packed.
  5. I didn’t know a single person in the room.
  6. I was cramped at the back with the spin bikes and the punch bag
What stopped me from turning tail and running.
  1. The lady who was holding the class put a step and a mat out for me.
  2. The chap in front of me seemed like he was a little nervous too.
  3. The room was darkened with disco lights.
  4. There was a mixed bag of people in the class.
  5. I was there and there was no turning back.

The class was good, I could actually do more than I thought, there were a few things I would change my bench was to low and I kinda needed to set up my area better.  I had no idea what kit I needed so I was bumbling around a bit but I was next to two ladies who seemed to know what was coming next so I just copied them.

I didn’t really engage with anybody though 🙁 and at one point I felt a bit emotional (I know daft)

But I didn’t swear I wasn’t arrested I didn’t die, and nobody was behind me to see my massive ADSA pants.

So ups and downs, and well as pump…

I wont give up just yet but I am more a half hour class girl than a hour class 🙂

Body pump and bricking it

As part of my ongoing growth, Guru, friend, leader and coach Pom Tutt has suggested that I attend some classes at the gym so that my Gym experience is not so insular.  I think he wants me to socialise more with the other gym members.  Now apart from my inappropriate humour ( I should seriously wear a T shirt with a disclaimer on it) I have no problem with socialising. Class clown me and often described as bubbly (although if I’m honest I always take that as a nice way of saying pleasantly fat but that’s just me).

That  is until you put me in leggings that go see through when I bend over (thank the Lord God and ASDA for big pants) and  in a situation where I am likely to swear like a turrets suffer and sweat actual whilst turning the purple side of red.  Problem with me is that despite everything I get a bit competitive and always end up overdoing it.  My instruction from the man himself is to work at 80%, difficult to do in a room full of people giving 110%.

However even with all that turmoil swimming around my head I have booked myself into Body Pump not one but two sessions this week, so this may be my last entry as tomorrow I may expire , or melt or be arrested for making sailors blush with my blue language.

I will let you know how I get on, I have deliberately told you so that I cant skive the class and pretend I never booked it because I am seriously bricking it.

So if you never hear from me again… it’s been a blast 🙂

The Resolutionists

January always sees the local Gyms packed full of the new year resolutionists, people hell bent of creating their summer bodies and sweating away the seasonal over indulgence.

For me this makes attending the gym even more difficult, the sudden crowd of new faces brings on one of my wobbly moments, I am not talking about my jellyesque figure I talk about what is the fine line between happy me and full mental break down me.

I was training with my coach Pom Tutt and he asked me to do a conditioning exercise  which involved doing a box burpee which is leaving the ground, the ground and I have an understanding I never leave it and in return it does not rise up and smack me in the face.

Immediately my subconscious rooted my feet to the floor  the power of the mind you know, that and I knew there were people behind me 🙁

Straight away the words “I Can’t” left my lips Pom just looked at me ….  “Why?” he asked…. hmmm,  I thought open question that!!.

I had two choices, cry and hope he took pity … or suck it up and forget what other people might be thinking. (I need to qualify that at my Gym Anytime Fitness nobody has ever said anything nasty to me its all in my head).

I chose the latter ( I was after all wearing my Don’t Give Up T shirt)  and surprised myself for the first time in a long time I found my bounce 🙂 Yaaay.

So for all the people who have joined the Gym and headed straight for the treadmill or the cross trainer, might I suggest booking a block of sessions with a trainer and give your workout some focus and try some of the other kit available in gyms now a days. 

This will help you achieve and grow, and in turn improve your chances of succeeding rather than getting bored and giving up a couple of months in, we all know how it starts… First you go at it like a demon, then you miss a session then you go again miss two sessions and before you know it you are working out the minimum amount of times each month you need to attend the gym in order to still be getting your monies worth, or ringing the Gym to check on their cancelation policy.

I thought I knew it all but with my coach ( and I call him a coach rather than a trainer because he is more than just a PT) nearly every session is a learning experience.

 

Vanilla Almond Milk

"Vanilla Almond Milk 1 cup almonds (soaked overnight) 3-4 cups purified water 6 dates (soaked 4 hours) 1/2 tsp. ground vanilla bean Blend almonds, water, dates and vanilla at high speed until creamy. Strain using a nut milk bag or fine sieve. For a delicious egg-nog alternative, simply add nutmeg, ground cloves, a banana & pinch of salt!"

Vanilla Almond Milk

1 cup almonds (soaked overnight)
3-4 cups purified water
6 dates (soaked 4 hours)
1/2 tsp. ground vanilla bean

Blend almonds, water, dates and vanilla at high speed until creamy. Strain using a nut milk bag or fine sieve. For a delicious egg-nog alternative, simply add nutmeg, ground cloves, a banana & pinch of salt!

Fun in the kitchen

IMAG4720Thought today I’d have a go at something a little bit different rather than ranting on about my thoughts and feelings I got myself in the kitchen to do a spot of cooking, something I kind of have to be in the mood for, but as long as I am going to that job.   What people may or may not know about me is that very often I do talk to myself if I’m not talking to myself I’m talking to my dogs.  Single-handedly through talking to myself and to the dogs I think I may have inadvertently taught two Rottweilers how to cook .  Attached is actually an uncut video of me cooking in clips …. if you look carefully I think you can actually see Indy ( my dog)  lying on the floor looking at me like She’s listening. 

The inspiration  for tonight’s menu was the fact that I knew I had some king prawns in the freezer so on the way home I dropped into Lidl picked up a nice fresh courgette, peppers some garlic, some ginger some chillies  and some other bits and bobs.

So here it is….please click the link below… Enjoy X 

Red Thai King prawn curry a la Lou

New Day 2016

Happy 2016 all, I am back again like a YoYo.

Sometimes life just takes over and finding the time to write a blog or even try to think of something witting and enlightening to say when on the whole my life is hum drum but ticking over your work time drags and time at home just flies by.

But I have a dream (wait isn’t that a famous speech?).

It was pointed out to me today that despite me thinking my blog is just the inane rantings of a fit girl in a jiggerly fat suit, some of my words have actually hit home with people.

I suppose our pack mentality says there is safety in numbers and its comforting to know that you are not the only one who feels a particular way.  So in the hope that in some way I am helping I have opened my blogs up so that you can comment on them directly.  This for me is a massively brave move. I lay myself bare here being as honest about my thoughts and feelings as I can and so when I started I blocked comments so I didn’t get attacked by keyboard antagonists.

But I am interested to see what you really think and want to give you the opportunity to enhance this blog with your own thoughts.

So here is my thought of the day. To truly want to improve yourself you have to learn to love yourself , as frankly I wouldn’t want to help someone I really didn’t like.

What I am saying is that you need to learn to work with what you have got I am not promoting an unhealthy lifestyle I am saying if you are overweight its ok to still like yourself, you don’t have to hate who you are because society has got a downer on obesity at the moment. If you are happy and healthy weight is just a number so don’t focus on numbers, focus on how you feel and then because you like yourself you are going to want to help yourself to a better life.

So from a YoYo I go to YOLO (you only live once).

Take each day as a new day be it a step up , a step side ways or even a step backwards.

Try to laugh at, at least one thing a day no matter how silly..(fart noises always get me :)…)