Blogging challenge week six: Adjustments

Weigh in day

Previous weight: 102.0kg.
Today’s weight: 100.2kg.
1.8kg loss! Sooooo close to double figures.

Time for the 12WBT blogger challenge for this week. I will be answering a few questions this week:

1. What adjustments have you had to make to your exercise regime over the last 6 weeks?

   i.e. Have you upped your training? (Added more weights or can run faster/harder, etc) Or have you gone up to a new fitness level in the 12WBT?
   My exercise regime has been a bit wishy washy and a bit up and down over the last six weeks. I started out strong, earlier this year in pre-season, but when 12WBT officially started I kind of fell by the wayside a little and lost the plot. The one thing I have been very consistent with is my swimming. I set myself a goal to take swimming lessons to just learn how to do freestyle properly, but not only have I learnt how to do that, but I have also learnt how to do backstroke and breaststroke properly, and I have also learnt how to do the butterfly – which I admit I am still struggling with, but I persist, because I really want to master it. Other than that I have tried new things that I have never really tried before – such as running. I also got a stand for my mountain bike to turn it into an exercise bike. The good intentions are there, now if I could get my body into it too, I’d be alright.

2. What have you changed in regards to your food intake?

   i.e. Do you follow Mish’s plan to the letter? Have you had to alter it due to dietary/family needs?
   I never follow the plan to the letter. I always alter it. I am very much a creature of habits and tend to have the same thing for breakfast every day, and most days I will have the same thing for lunch every day. So for me, having all these different breakfasts and lunches just does my head in and I’m just not interested in having so many different things to make first thing in the morning. I stick to my tried and true breakfasts. I’ll give most things a go on the menu’s, I did try the mushroom and lentil loaf – but it seriously nearly made me throw up, I just couldn’t eat it. So now I figure if it doesn’t sound good, and if I think I’m going to dislike it I’m not going to waste my time or money making it. So ocassionally I will change the dinners around as well. I like to have something I can make ahead for Tuesday and Thursday nights because that is when I do my swimming and get home quite late. Apart from that I haven’t really changed my eating habits at all, just continuing on with what I’ve been doing all year. Oh and I do let myself have “bad” food when we go to the pub for dinner. This is a lifetime change I’m making here, and I will admit that I’m not going to deny myself chicken schnitzel for the rest of my life when I go to the pub for dinner, so why deny myself now. I try to be a bit more sensible when we eat out, but more often than not, I just order something I know I will enjoy.

3. What is the difference in your mindset?

   i.e. Are you more confident? Are you happier within yourself? Do you still struggle to get out that door for your workout?
   I feel happier in myself when I look in the mirror every day now. I’m not completely happy with myself – with 35kg still to lose, I shouldn’t be completely happy either, but I’m a lot happier now. I can almost see my collarbones and that makes me smile. The day that they really are pronounced I will be super happy.
   In regards to exercise, well I still struggle with that. I never feel motivated for that, I don’t think I ever will. I have never enjoyed exercising, I think it’s just the way I am. I can pretend that I do, and hope that it’s going to change, but let’s be honest, after 36 years, I doubt that I’m suddenly going to start loving exercise. I do however love to swim. So I find I am doing more and more of that lately. It’s exercise, that’s the main thing right?