Some unwelcome progress

Some good news this morning.  When I stepped on the scales they said 72.0kgs.  What's not so good is exactly how I lost 1.6kgs in just six days.  Last night I was hit with gastro, and spent all night in the bathroom.  Didn't get a wink of sleep.  Today I'm dehydrated and weak and not game to eat anything.

So in terms of progress, I think I might have dropped half a kilo, maybe a touch more.  Will be interesting to see next week.

Mr Perfect loves to chart everything, and he suggested I add a chart to show my progress each week.  So here it is:



Stop back next week to see the little pink line go back up a bit.

Shopping for jeans

I went for a run again today, but this time I took it outdoors and hit the pavement.  It was tough, but I clocked 3kms in just over 19 minutes.  I must admit a stopped at the traffic lights and again at the halfway mark for a few moments.  It was lovely though to be out in the sunshine.  Must do this more often!

When I got home Mr Perfect and Miss M had lunch waiting for me.  A fresh bread roll full of salad.  It was delicious.

But I digress. What I really wanted to talk about was jeans.  I bought a pair of in-between jeans after Miss M was born and wore them literally to death.  Last weekend they finally gave up and split and I had to throw them away.  So, I'm in the market for a new pair.  I've been buying my jeans from shopbop for a few years now.  A huge range, great prices and free international shipping is hard to beat.  So what do you think of these options:

Citizens of Humanity Slim Boot Cut Jeans.  Dark rinse (slimming) 7.5 inch rise (maybe too low for me and my muffin top).  Bit pricey too at $242.

Via shopbop.com

MiH Sugarland Boot Cut Jeans.  9 inch rise (much better), also with a dark (but not as dark rinse).  Also at $242 maybe a bit exy for me.  Nice jeans though.

Via shopbop.com

James Jeans Skinny Boot Cut.  Only $145.  8.5 inch rise.

Via shopbop.com

7 For All Mankind Skinny Boot Cut.  8 inch rise, $155.  I like the plain pockets, not the typical sevens pocket detail.  Not 100% about the contrast stitching.

Via shopbop.com

I'm loving the new skinny boot cut style, I haven't seen that before, but I think it's a great alternative to skinny jeans.  I'm so glad I'm old enough to know better than to try to follow that trend.  A younger me might not have been so clever.  

So what do you think?  Which ones should I go for?

Running nowhere

I went for a run today.  I ran just over 3km on the treadmill at the gym.  Mr Perfect, Miss M and I had a busy day so the only time I could fit in the run was after lunch.  Ugh.  Never feels good to run on a full tummy.  After about a minute I got a stitch, but I kept going and managed to make it through okay.  And by the time I finished I was feeling pretty good about myself.  Amazing the affect that exercise can have.  Need to remember that next time I'm struggling to get moving.

I couldn't always run, in fact I used to say that I can't run.  Something about having big boobs was my excuse.  Anyway, about 8 years ago now I joined a gym and one of the trainers there convinced me that I could run for 10 mins.  Well, she was right and since then I haven't stopped.  Sure, I've slowed down here and there when life got busy, and I took a bit of time off running once my pregnant belly got too big and while breastfeeding, but now I'm back.

Last year Mr Perfect bought me a Nike+ sport band for Christmas.  It pairs up with a doovalacky that you put in your shoe and when you run it keeps track of the distance covered, calories burnt, and time.  Then when you get home you plug it into your USB port and it all uploads to your Nike account so you can track your progress.  Since I started using it last Christmas I have run 55 times, clocked 215km and burnt 15,744 calories.  I'm a bit disappointed by the distance I have run to be honest, I was hoping to hit at least 365km for the year (an average of 1km each day).  But look at those calories!  Imagine how much heavier I'd be if I hadn't done all those runs.

My Nike sportband

I'm mainly a treadmill runner.  And running is a solitary pastime for me.  I like to set my own pace and I absolutely cannot talk while I run.  I do run outside from time to time, but it's something that I'd love to get better at.  I ran outside last weekend and it's so much tougher than on a treadmill.  I think it's all in the mind though.  On a treadmill you can zone out and you don't notice the distance.  Outside it's painfully obvious how far you haven't travelled.  Yes, I need to get over that and get outside for some fresh air.

I'd love to hear from other mummies out there.  Do you run?  What keeps you motivated?

Numbers don't lie

Image via here

Most women would never tell you their weight, and I'm no exception.  But given that I'm anonymous here on this blog I'm happy to share.  On Monday I weighed in at 73.6kg (162 pounds).  At 1m 68cm, that puts my BMI at 26.1.  And that means that technically I'm overweight.  But I didn't need to do the maths to tell you that.  My pants tell me every morning.  The suits that used to fit perfectly before Miss M are now extremely snug or too small.

Some more vital stats: waist 85cm, bust 103cm, hips 103cm.

Just in case you're interested, my pre-pregnancy weight was 70kg, and the lightest I have been in the last 10 years is 67kg.  At that weight I looked and felt great, so that's my short-term goal.

Anyway, this week I've stayed pretty much on track.  No frappuccinos, only one short soy latte in the morning and no bought lunches at work.  

It's been a busy week though so no exercise, unless you count running around after Miss M every afternoon.  Tomorrow night I have conference calls so no exercise tomorrow either, but Friday is clear so I'll be hitting the treadmill or the pool.

Here we go!

Image via here

Sixteen months ago my little sunshine was born and everything changed. I love my little girl to pieces and she just gets more and more fun every day but I'm not gonna lie - it's been tough at times. I went back to work just before Miss M turned 1 and between work and Miss M I haven't had a minute to myself. Although I'm close to my pre-pregnancy weight my body just isn't the same as it used to be and neither is my fitness. Enough excuses, I'm pulling myself out of my rut, starting today.

Here's what I'm setting out to achieve:

1. Be a good role model for my girl. I want Miss M to grow into a fit and active girl, and to eat well too. How can I expect that from her if I don't set the right example?
2. Increase my energy levels. Some days I feel like a zombie just waiting for the next coffee. I want to be full of beans just like Miss M.
3. Drop a few kilos. I probably have about 6 kilos to lose to get down to my ideal weight. I know, it's not a lot, but those last few kilos are always the hardest right? I feel so much better about myself when I'm lighter, and it's so much easier to shop for clothes too.
4. Conquer my vices: Starbucks and sugary foods. 

Wish me luck!