Love Your Body - It's The Only One You've Got!

I'm on the final stretch of pre-wedding weight loss (sis-in-law's wedding, not mine) and I'm really pushing myself. I feel completely back to normal post-op, so I've been out pounding the pavement almost every day. I'm back to running and kickboxing. I smiled sweetly at hubby and got myself a bicycle and I've been walking everywhere, regardless of distance, regardless of having to sling one of my infants on my back when their legs get tired, regardless of weather - my car now lives on the driveway unless there is no safe pedestrian pathway.

And the more I exercise, the more I realize that I don't actually hate my body as it is. In fact, I feel like I'm falling in love with it!

I realise that, far from hating my body like I used to, I now respect and adore it, for it is my body as it is - not skinny, not especially fit, not toned, but - as it is, that powers me through runs, bike rides, long walks and work-outs. It is my current body, as it is, that is transforming me into my future, fit self. Nobody else can do this for me.

Last night I went for a long bike ride. I was overtaken by a 'proper' cyclist and I secretly decided to try to race him... and failed as, within seconds, he disappeared off of the edge of the horizon. It occurred to me then that, to serious runners and cyclists, I must look a bit silly and laughable. (That's not to say that I don't take my own exercise seriously - I do.) I don't mind being an obvious newb. I don't mind making mistakes and plodding along at a fraction of the speed of others who are out on the road: I enjoy riding my classic-looking, squeaky ladies bicycle (think, 'Call The Midwife') and I LOVE running. I might seem slow to others or have poor technique, and I huff and puff a lot due to my anemia, but I am beating my own records and to me it feels like I am racing the wind. I feel powerful and fierce, I feel like I am soaring! The whole world could be watching me, laughing and honking their car horns, and it wouldn't stop me. I've found something I really love in outdoor exercise, and I truly look forward to getting better and better!

Targets and LFCC.

One of the dates I was aiming to have lost a lot of weight by, the London Film and Comic Con, came and went yesterday. I am still over 3stone away from my goal weight. I really wanted to be happy with the photos of myself that I got out of the day but of a total of 20, I've put just 4 on Facebook.

Last year at this event I was 11st 7 and a size 12-14, now I am 13st and a size 16 - but I think the biggest difference is in my face:

Last year:



Now:



I had really wanted to get back to 11st 7 by this year, and back to looking like me again. But I have to look on the positive side - when I started trying to lose weight I was 14st 5, and I'm now 13st. I need to keep going!

I'm no longer doing the VLCD for mental health reasons. I'm eating healthily and exercising and I now have a month to the second target date (SILs wedding), and I'm hoping to have lost at least half a stone by then.

JuneathOops!

I totally fell of the wagon for a few days (diet AND exercise!) but the important thing is that I am back on it. Today is day 2. Yesterday I was 100% on my diet, and walked about 6 miles up hill. Today I am doing well so far on my diet, and just as soon as the delivery arrives that I am waiting for, I will be out of the door and off to the zoo with my three little sproglets.

The zoo is a great place to get exercise without even really realizing it - You spend all day walking up and down hills, but you hardly notice, as you get to see all the cutie animals on the way around. The kids all really enjoy this as a day out so it's perfect for me when I can't get hubby to watch the girls at all. He's away at conference until Friday so I won't get the chance to go on any evening walks this week. I'll have to be more active than usual with the girls in the day to make up for it.

Juneathon update #004

Hurrah! I am finally feeling a little more normal, although I still get swelling and pain if I overdo things. So I'm still listening to my body and playing it by ear. (To bring new readers up to speed, I had an operation on 26th May, which I am still recovering from. While I am unable to join in with Juneathon by running every day, I am using it as an opportunity to monitor my activity, to ensure that I don't become a total couch potato while I recover.)

Today I have done the warm up from Kirsty Gallacher's Body Sculpt DVD and 10 minutes of Step Basics on Wii Fit. It's not a great deal and, to be honest, I could have done more.

I am hoping for good weather tomorrow as I'm planning on walking the 2 miles to church (and 2 miles back afterward). The weather would simply make this walk more pleasant - I still intend to walk if it's windy or raining. If you wait for the right conditions here, you will never get anything done...

Juneathon update #003

Yesterday I went for a long walk in the countryside. It was a beautiful day and the children loved it. It took me over an hour, but I only covered 2 miles so it was a nice gentle pace. Today I feel quite sore but I'm determined to get some activity into my day. Even if it is just a few goes on the Wii Step basics. I refuse to let a single day go by where I am sat on my ass from dawn to dusk.

Juneathon update #002

So, I think I may have overdone things slightly. I've started to feel a lot of swelling and pain at the incision site of my operation. I said that I would listen to my body, and as such I haven't been as  active today or yesterday as I was on day 1.

I've managed 5 sets of 20laps very gently walking around the garden, and 5 sets of 10 minutes punching the air, just to keep a little bit active. I'm disapointed that I haven't managed to keep up the level of activity that I managed on day 1 of Juneathon but I must listen to my body. My hubby would be so unimpressed if I injured myself or jeopardized my healing. Really, I must listen to both my husband and my body. I want to get up and be active, but I will only do myself more harm than good if I am not sensible with it. Good things come to those who wait, I guess...

Juneathon update #01

I am joining in with the Juneathon to help me keep track of my activity while I recover from medical surgery. I am not allowed to run for 8 - 10 weeks, and I really don't want my fitness to decline massively while I wait to be able to. Heavy lifting is also banned. I've decided to listen most to my body, and go from  there. Total inactivity is an absolute NON-option.

Yesterday I did 5 sets of 'step aerobics' on the Wii Fit spread out through the day, I used the warm up from Kirsty Gallacher's body sculpt DVD and completed 4 sets of 5 laps gently walking around my back garden and 3 sets of 20 minutes punching the air. I realize this sounds like hardly anything, but my operation was 6 days ago and pushing myself now won't achieve anything for my health in the long run.

I'm feeling a little more normal today so I've increased by sets of laps around to garden to sets of 10, though I'm still quite sore. I'm just going to keep on listening to my body and playing it by ear. As long as I'm not doing nothing, I'm doing something.