My personal trainer experience #1

If you are keeping up with the Joneses, well, just EVERYONE has a personal trainer these days.

But in my mind, those people with personal trainers in parks or at the beach or (heaven forbid) at the gym, are already super fit and toned and tanned and beautiful and... NOT like me - obese, inflexible, and just a tad un-coordinated. 

Why follow the crowd and get a personal trainer?
By mid 2010, I was in dire straights -  95 kilos. BMI 34.  I wanted to start a family, and being this heavy would not help me or any baby I may have.

Since dieting and self motivation at a gym had done nothing for the last four years, I decided I needed the motivation and accountability of a personal trainer. 

Choosing a PT
During some searches online for "becoming a mother", I stumbled across a link to AJ Fitness in Carina, Brisbane.  They had a "mother's club" providing babysitting while you worked out.  I thought that sounded grand, they were only a few kilometres away, so I called up Andy Jeffrey. 

Their program
The AJ Fitness recommendations were straight-foward: regular high-intensity activity coupled with drastic changes to eating habits.  It seems my eating habits - eat whatever I want whenever I felt like it - were not appropriate.

Oh, and he wanted me to start "tomorrow", so I booked in the session, feeling a little bit dazed, and a whole lot nervous.

The paleo problem #3: saying no to sugar

Paleo eating means saying no to sugar. This is EXTREMELY difficult.  Why?

1. Sugar is an addictive substance and we suffer chemical withdrawal symptoms when we stop eating products containing sugar
2. We all eat around one (1) kilo of sugar each week - even if you don't sweeten your tea - as sugar is added to every conceivable food product that is mass produced (reference - Sweet Poison).  

Even soy sauce can have sugar in its ingredients list.  

I am finding it difficult this week. My first week of paleo eating was fine. This weekend - a lot harder.  I am emotional and moody, so I expect hormones are getting me going at the moment. And my normal reaction to being emotional and moody? Sweet sweet baked goods (or chocolate of course). 

I did a marathon baking session before going on this challenge to get rid of sugar in my pantry. The result? A lot of sweet treats like cake, biscuits and cupcakes, portioned in little packets in the freezer for my husband to take to work as treats.

At 3pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday, I ate a slice of cake from the freezer.  It is done.  But my feelings?

1. Disappointed.  I ate cake when I said I wouldn't.
2. Resigned - so I at least tried to taste each bite rather than eat it mindlessly.  
3. Happy - I didn't turn it into a binge fest as I stuck to one piece of cake each day.

Sugar and the long term
Eating paleo actually makes getting rid of sugar in my diet easier, because the only "allowed" food that has significant sugar levels in it is fruit.

Despite my cake setbacks on the weekend, I could be convinced to remove sugar from my diet forever more.  Why?

I am currently reading Sweet Poison, so I am pretty convinced that sugar is evil and I want it out of my life completely.  Stay tuned for further information to this monumental change in my life.

Breakfast without eggs

I have given up grains for eight weeks and am struggling with eating eggs at every breakfast meal.

Researching breakfast in my extensive recipe book collection did not come up with any gems, apart from versions of fruit salad.

What I have been doing is having left-overs. That's right. I am ignoring the stereotype of breakfast and just treating it like lunch or dinner.  So, this morning I reheated home-made rissoles with leftover roast pumpkin.  It was quick and tasty.


Quick rissole recipe - mix together 500g mince, 2 eggs, 1 grated carrot, 4-6 tablespoons of hazelnut meal, roll portions of mince mixture into patties and shallow fry or BBQ until cooked.

Oh, and after writing out the recipe, I realise the meal DID have egg in it, but I couldn't taste it or see it, so I am happy.

Next time I go shopping, I am going to buy very thin steaks to eat for breakfast, too.  And for quick options, I have smoked salmon in the fridge and I'll eat a few slices of those on the run with an apple (protein and carbohydrate), or wrap some ham (or proscuito) around slices of rockmelon for an unusual but super tasty meal.

Three PT sessions done for the week

As usual, I am feeling sore and stiff in all sorts of places I didn't even know I had muscles.

After a heavy session of squats, two days later I can barely step down the stairs in my townhouse, let alone lever myself out of bed.

Hmmm.  Is this exercise lark worth it? Remember the goal - from obese to overweight.  I can do this.

And how do I ease my muscles?

Last year, I tried "Deep Heat" with disastrous results - I put too much on!!! And the cold-hot heat burned so badly on my poor squat-sore thighs that it made me cry. I had to get into the shower to try and rub any possible residue off.  And briefly, that stung even more.  I haven't touched the stuff since.

And I am slightly scared of getting a massage. I am used to getting a massage to ease tension built up from work - both physical where I sit (poorly) in front of a computer - and mental, where I am stressing about deadlines and project plans.

I can't imagine how massage will help repair my torn muscle tissue.

Because that is what exercise is - activity designed to tear the muscle tissue so that the body has to heal it and make the tissue stronger (or something along those lines). Ouch.

Let me know if massage helps ease your sore muscles after high intensity training...

Ouch - 4km benchmark run

This morning's personal training session was... a 4km benchmark run. What does this mean? It means that once every six months or so, the boys at AJ Fitness record what time it takes their clients to run 4km. It is a way of measuring improvements in fitness.

I jogged and walked those 4kms in 29 minutes 30 seconds.  I jogged the first kilometre in 5 minutes, which I am pretty chuffed about. But the rest... well, let's just say I was puffing like a steam train just walking the up-hill bits let alone jogging the down hill bits.

Eating out

Last night I went with friends to see the musical Wicked.  It was great. And truly, I loved hearing Australian TV icon Bert Newton sing and dance - to a song that could have been written for him - I am wonderful!

But, I was also eating out for the first time since starting my 8 week challenge.

I was in South Bank, Brisbane, home to a multitude of cafes and restaurants specialising in all the cuisines of the world.

Thai was out - almost all of their meals are smothered in a sauce and most of those sauces have sugar in them - brown sugar, palm sugar, that sort of thing.

Turkish cuisine would have been fine - lots of grilled meat to choose from the menu. But the place was already busy and I was on a timeline - I couldn't afford to have long or delayed service.

So, I settled for Japanese as I am quite a fan of sashimi, and ordered a side of tempura vegetables. Now the purists will know that tempura is a batter, and as such non-paleo.  Also, I can't resist dunking my sashimi in wasabi-flooded soya sauce - the soy is not paleo either.

But, I am still pretty happy with my omega three protein hit last night - as a good choice, and a lovely meal.  But in hindsight, should not have bothered with the tempura.

The paleo problem # 2 saying no to breakfast staples

I have eaten eggs for breakfast since starting out on this journey.  9 mornings.  And can I just say... I AM SICK OF EGGS!

If grains are out, what else is there to eat at breakfast?

Saying no to standard breakfast products will be a challenge for eight weeks.Why? What else is quicker or more convenient than pouring from the cereal packet, or popping the toast?  Oh, and can I just repeat that I am REALLY sick of eggs? 

Bread in Australia
While some mass produced breads are getting better in the supermarket ailses, most are just bleh. So, giving up grains should be simple, yes?

Not when Leavain and other artisan bakers come onto the scene.

Leavain... their bread is just SO good. From wholesome to wicked, their yeasty products are superb. My husband only buys bread from Leavain or from bakers at the Saturday Village Markets in Kelvin Grove- where a baker bring along their massive portable oven and bake the breads right there.

Where bread is whole grained, sour doughed, and fresh, where wheat is an option rather than a standard flour, then yes, saying no to grains is a whole lot harder.

Giving up bread will require some serious researching for breakfast alternatives.

My husband will continue to bring that Leavain goodness into the home, but I still have hope of not touching bread for eight weeks. My secret? Without butter, what is the point of eating bread?

The paleo problem #1: saying no to dairy

Am I convinced of the paleo diet?  Not entirely.  Although I have only been on it for a week, so perhaps I should reserve judgement.

No to dairy?
How can anyone say no to cheese, and butter, and cream, and yoghurt, and ... well, lots of good stuff?

I am a dairy farmer's daughter, so giving up dairy is a difficult one for me.  I love nothing better than to have a wonderful soft goats cheese spread across some freshly baked leavain bread drizzled with a little olive oil and a scattering of herbs... or, as my confession suggested - I love nothing better than a dash of cream in my hot chocolate.

But, I am committed. For the eight week goal, dairy food is no longer part of my life.

A sweet treat after dinner

I did not realise how strong my need for a sweet after dinner was. I don't recall eating puddings or desserts, but perhaps it had become so customary for me to have a hot chocolate, or eat a home-baked or store bought treat after dinner that I stopped thinking about it a long time ago.

Did I even taste the sweet? Did I think twice about what was in my mouth? Did I even registered that I was looking for something sweet to eat? I suspect the answer is no.

Week 1 success

Week one of the eight week challenge is over. And I am pretty pleased.

1. I have completed three personal training sessions, which included a personal best for 500m rowing (2.01 minutes). 
2. I walked the dog 12 times (missed two sessions).
3. I completed one session of hill sprints.
4. I have been sugar free for 7 days
5. I completed my food diary each day.
6. I have eaten strictly paleo, with the exception of the hot chocolate debacle. 

And the results of this spartan discipline (sans the hot cocoa)?


1.6 kilos down!!!

• Tuesday 17 January I was 91.7 kilos (home scales)
• Tuesday 25 January I am 90.1 kilos (home scales

Now I am off to training where I should be weighed in too.

The scales at home and at training don't match up, but not too badly from what I can tell.  The first weigh in showed the home scales at 91.7; the PT scales at 91.9.

Hill sprints and a confession

Well today incorporates both sweet success and bitter failure.

I walked Dusty this morning for a good long striding walk and then... wait for it... I did 10 repetitions of hill sprints.  I am pretty chuffed with myself.

I am tired now - bone weary in fact after my first day back at work from time off, and getting our dinner ready (baked lemon and oregano chicken with roast pumpkin and steamed greens).  But the kitchen is cleared now, leftovers for lunches packed, and with a little time left over to write this post.

My failure?  Hot chocolate.  Now it is both very bad and not so bad. I made it on a teaspoon of bitter cocoa powder and a teaspoon of barley malt syrup (a natural fructose-free sweetener) with hot water and a brief pour of (this is the very bad bit)... cream.  I have had this four times during the week.

This is the only anti-paleo food I have eaten.  Is that an excuse? A plea for forgiveness?  Nope.  I did it. I acknolwedge it. I move on. Today ends the hot chocolates. 

Scheduling dog walking and hill sprints into my week

After my chat with Will-the-personal-trainer, I have to add in dog walking AND hill sprints to help me get over the line and achieve 12 kilos in 8 weeks.

Dog walking.

Now dog walking WAS fine.  In the first months I had Dusty, I was walking her up to 2 hours a day, striding around the neighbourhood.  In the last month, I have barely made it to 20 minutes each walking session, and make that an amble rather than a walk. 

So, I have to get my act together and walk at least 30 minutes each session - for Dusty's sake as well as mine.

• 2 x 20-30 minute walking sessions each day

Hill sprints.

The hill sprints? Groan.  I will have to enlist the help of my husband on this one.  He much prefers hill sprints to a jog.  Crazy man.

So, I got his grudging agreement yesterday that he would commit to one session of hill sprints with me a week - and maybe two sessions. I am not going to enjoy that, but together we should at least get them done.

I am having trouble scheduling in a time with my husband for this.  He is in flux with his own training schedule at the moment, so this may have to be ad hoc in the first few weeks.

I will update when a schedule is confirmed for the hill sprints.

What I need to do to achieve goal number one? Addendum

At my training session today I asked Will - a lovely trainer who works with Andy - for further advice on my first goal and how to get there.

He confirmed that my goal was achievable, to go from obese to overweight in eight weeks.  However, he knows I have to lose 12 kilos rather than 10, so he suggested a few other things as well.

To help me get there, Will said I should make sure I keep up walking the dog twice a day, and include a session (or two?) of hill sprints through the week.

So the tactics to achieve my goal are

1. A committed change to my diet
2. Keep a food diary
3. 3 x 45 minute high intensity personal training sessions a week 
4. A fourth high intensity group session by week 3(ish)
5. 1 or 2 hill sprint sessions a week
6. Daily dog walks (I walk Dusty twice a day)
   

More sensible people would say things like, "there are way too many new habits that I have to include in my regular routine", or "you've got to be kidding, no way can I include that much exercise into my already busy week", or perhaps what I said..."OMG, hill sprints?"

Will my lifestyle have to adjust? Yes.  But I already committed to that when I stopped ingesting sugar dairy and grains...

The bottom line is my goal - to maintain a healthy weight for life.  I don't want to be obese any longer. I want to reach my goal. And the first step is to watch what I put in my mouth. The second is to get more active.

So, I say, yes, I can do this.  With help.

Going paleo for 8 weeks

The Diet.
Andy-the-personal-trainer is a Paleo Diet enthusiast.  You can find more on the diet here.

He wants me to commit to four weeks of strict paleo at least.  Considering I am trying to lose an average of 1.5 kilos a week, I believe I'll have to be strict paleo for the full eight weeks.

What does this "paleo diet" mean for me?

It means simply eating meals made up from meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit (limited), nuts, and oils.

What is missing? Well, I am to eliminate dairy, sugar, grains, legumes, pulses and alcohol from my diet.  Ouch.

Is paleo forever, for me?
For some people, eating paleo is their lifestyle - or so it seems from blogs and websites I've read.  I am not so convinced.  How can a chick pea be evil?

However, for eight weeks I am going to be super strict on the types of food I am going to eat.  But afterwards?

Learning what moderation means, and what I can and cannot eat (and drink) to maintain a healthy BMI... That is a problem I will leave for later.

Exercise scheduled in

Some sources say only exercise will help you lose weight. Others say only diet will help you lose weight. Most say, try both to lose weight.

Goals to do with losing kilos are not Andy-the-personal-trainer's preference. But, as he said, "While it is the easiest way to measure success, it is not the best.  But, you do have a bit of weight to lose, so let's use that for your first goal." Thanks Andy.  Appreciated.

The training.
I have scheduled three high intensity training sessions.

• Tuesday 6.30am 
• Thursday 6.30am 
• Saturday 7.00am  

I am a morning person, so that suits me really well.

I haven't sorted out a group session time yet. I'll do that next week.

Good, exercise scheduled in. Tick.

What I need to do to achieve goal number one?

I need to change my lifestyle to be able to achieve my goal of getting to 80 kilos by 7 March.

I contacted Andy from AJ Fitness last week to help me. 

He has said my goal to lose 10 kilos in 8 weeks was achievable.  I was 90 kilos when I called him. However, when I started with him on Tuesday 17 January, I was 92 kilos.  So, I am not sure if 12 kilos lost in 8 weeks is achievable.  I'll keep you posted.

Andy demands

1. A change in my diet.
2. Keep a food diary
3. 3 x 45 minute training sessions a week 
4. A fourth group session by week 3(ish)

I'll be scheduling in sessions and working through the changes to eating issues in the coming posts.

It begins today!

I begin my 8 week challenge this morning, with my first session with Andy-the-personal-trainer. Wish me luck.

So, what has changed to make me motivated to lose 12 kilos by 7 March?

What has really changed?  Nothing that I can see but a feeling of determination that I cannot explain.

Is it being the new year perhaps?  Or is it driven from my personal tragedy? I fell pregnant but my baby was stillborn - is this to help me concentrate on looking after myself to avoid falling into sever depression?

I know in my gut that I am the only one who can change the way I eat, look, and feel.  I have also just read the Sweet Poison quit plan, so maybe I am laying all my hopes that I will not overeat once I remove sugar from my life?  I am not sure.  Yet.

Why try and try and try again?

I have never been a yo yo dieter. That is what I have alway said to myself.  But honestly, that is a lie.

Here are my remembered dieting attempts

• 2006 - a blog to post up my daily food and exercise diary - three posts, fail.
• 2007 - Lite n'Easy 
• 2008 - Tony Ferguson liquid diet - I can't believe I thought that would work
• 2009 - Cohen's Lifestyle program - hard core, and I found it impossible to stay on the wagon
• 2010 - Curves - quite good actually, but adopting a troubled dog put a stop to the gym visits

So, am I a yo yo dieter? Yes, I think I am.

Has it worked? No, it hasn't.

Will this time be different?
A very good question, and one that scares me deeply.

Goal number one

Because 3 - 0 - is way too big a number in terms of the losing kilos, I have decided on an immediate short term goal to help me on the way to my ULTIMATE GOAL- maintaining a healthy BMI for the rest of my life.

Remembering what makes an achievable goal - specific, measurable, time-targetted, realistic - I am going to concentrate on going from inhabiting the "obese" category and slip into the "overweight" category.


My goal is to go from obese to overweight within eight weeks.

On Friday 14 January, my scales said I was 91.9 kilos.

For me to become "overweight" I need to lose 11.9 kilos and get to 80 kilos or lower.

To reach my goal I must lose 11.9 kilos and weigh 80 kilos or less by Tuesday 7 March, 2011.

I think that is specific, measurable and time-targeted.  Is it realistic?  It is going to be extremely tough to lose an average of 1.5 kilos over eight weeks.  But I think the goal has to be challenging, and I will get advice to see if it is realistic!

My Ultimate Goal

Ultimate Goal: To maintain a healthy BMI  (22-24) for the rest of my life.

Let me unpack what my ultimate goal actually means for me right now, today.

Wikipedia tells me that a good goal needs to be "specific, measurable, and time-targetted"... and that if it is "realistic" it is more likely to be achieved.

Specific
I am 92 kilos (202 pounds). To reach a BMI of 22.5 - exactly halfway between the "healthy" numbers 20-25 -  I need to be 62 kilos.


I need to lose 30 kilos (66 pounds). hmm...

I am already feeling too much pressure just writing that number.  Way too big a number, way too big a goal to start off with. No way can I lose 30 kilos.  I am already feeling scared and wanting to grab a chocolate bar.

That completely FAILS the "realistic" side of a good goal.

I am going to have to break down my ultimate goal - to maintain a healthy BMI - into smaller achievable parts if I am even going to TRY to do this.

Four years obese

This blog started in 2006 when I weighed in at 85 kilos - officially obese according to the body mass index (BMI) classifications.  It was my attempt to keep me accountable to lose weight.  It failed.  I wrote three posts.

Fast foward to January 2011.  I am 92 kilos, with a BMI of 33. Well and truly obese.

I will use this blog to track my journey from obesity to a healthy me.  There will be challenges and pit falls - but I am ready to help myself.

My ultimate goal?  To maintain a healthy BMI for the rest of my life.