Week Three

This Week's Weight Loss: 0lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4.5lbs
This Week's Training Activities: Exercise Bike, Walking, Jogging & walking up 18 flights of stairs!

Another week done & although I haven't lost any weight this time, I'm feeling okay about it. I've worked really hard on exercising and i've found it's made me feel constantly hungry.  I completed my three runs this week using the Couch to 5k podcast. It's amazing having a personal trainer in your ear the whole time and it's really motivated me. I've found a lovely park just around the corner from where I live so I've been doing circuits around there. Its really helped with chilling me out especially on Thursday when I came home to my other half getting angry over DIY. I'm already looking forward to starting Week 2 of the podcast tomorrow where I'll be running for 90 seconds at a time. Not a lot, I know but when you've never run before jogging for just 1 minute is a massive breakthrough.

As I mentioned previously I've felt really hungry this week and I've been mainly craving sugar. I've felt really naughty! If anyone has any tips on how I can avoid this, I'd really appreciate it. I'm thinking about eating a little healthy snack everytime I start feeling peckish, hopefully then I won't be constantly craving chocolate & cakes all the time. It doesn't help that everyone at work seems to have a birthday at the moment which means there's always cakes sitting in the office waiting to be eaten. Today is definitely the start of a good healthy week. First test is a takeaway with the girls tonight, most definitely need to choose the healthiest!

Yesterday, me & the blokey had a very rare day off together. We decided to be healthy & go for a lovely walk at Carsington Water & try out some geocaching. Half an hour in, we had a very epic fail. I fell in the mud nearly face first. The blokey said he was laughing in the toilet as a little child had done exactly the same & was being told off by his dad. Its not something you expect a 20 something woman to do. Maybe it was a sign that Friday should've been a rest day...

 

After that we decided to stick to something a little less messy & do some retail therapy at an Designer Outlet nearby. I treated myself to a new running jacket and trainer socks to keep me motivated and to reward myself for completing my first week of jogging. The blokey said he knew something had changed as we spent more time in the sports shops than Gap, M&S & Bench.

Just a reminder why i'm putting myself through all this. For my Nan & Grandad & the Stroke Association. I've nearly been training for a month now which is a miracle for me. If you can spare any money at all I'd really appreciate it. You can sponsor me online here! I got a lovely text from my cousin, Nat a few days ago to say it was a brilliant thing I was doing & the family were behind me. It really meant a lot and definitely spurred me on. :)

So, here's to week 4 & if you can spare any money, please visit www.justgiving.com/madbecki & sponsor me! x

Week Two

This Week's Weight Loss: 2lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4.5lbs
This Week's Training Activities: Exercise Bike, Walking & walking up 18 flights of stairs!

This week has passed by quite uneventful compared to last week. I've kept to my exercise regime which I'm very proud of myself for, it's currently at the point where if I have a rest day and haven't done any form of exercise I feel a little guilty about it. But I'm feeling a lot fitter already, a few weeks ago after sitting on the exercise bike for a minute I was getting out of breath, I can now cycle for about 10 minutes without struggling at all. I even managed to get my best time on the stairs this morning, 2 minutes & 14 seconds!

On Monday I went a bit OTT on the exercise front. I walked about 5 miles in all as well as doing 20 minutes on the exercise bike. I ended up in bed by 9.30pm but it hasn't seemed to stop me and after a rest day on Tuesday, I've felt better than ever. 

Food temptation has been a pain, I treated myself to a bag of maltesers on Monday seeing as I wasn't expecting anything off the boyfriend on Valentine's Day (I was correct to expect that!) and I've been baking for special occasions. I made Banana Muffins for my other half's lunch box on Valentine's Day (luckily I hate bananas so I was able to ignore those sitting in our house). I also made some amazing smarties cookies for a work colleague's birthday. I have to admit I did help myself to one of those but I'm very pleased that it was only one, usually when I bake I end up eating a pile. Everyone enjoyed my cookies so much I'm baking some more for my friends and family for the weekend. Hopefully I can ignore that batch too so everyone else can eat them!

Now the evenings are getting lighter and I'm feeling a bit fitter, I'm hoping to start running after work. My exercise plan will hopefully ensure I'm doing a little bit of exercise nearly everyday. I'm also joining Badminton Club tonight, I'm not particularly good at it but at least it gets me running around and burning a few more calories.

Week 3's Exercise Plan:

Saturday - NHS Couch to 5k Podcast

Sunday - Rest Day

Monday - Walking up stairs,  25 mins on Exercise Bike

Tuesday - NHS Couch to 5k Podcast

Wednesday - Walking up stairs, 25 mins of Exercise Bike

Thursday - NHS Couch to 5k Podcast

Friday - (Visiting somewhere nice) Walking

I still need to stress that I am doing all of this for the Stroke Association as my family have a history of strokes. This training & Mad Monk is all in memory of my Nan & Grandad who passed away a few years ago, both due to strokes. I want to ensure that if anyone else in my family suffers a stroke that they will get the best treatment possible with help from the money I've raised. This link should tell you a little more about where your money will go if you would like to sponsor me. I would also really appreciate you passing on the link to my blog to your friends and family. I would love to get as much support as possible doing this as I am completely petrified about it.


Thanks :) x

Week One

This Week's Weight Loss: 2.5lbs
Total Weight Loss: 2.5lbs
This Week's Training Activities: Exercise Bike, Walking, Jogging, Jumping & walking up 18 flights of stairs!

Since registering to do Mad Monk, things have already become very real.

I recieved a package through the post on Wednesday from the lovely team at the Stroke Association. Inside was my fundraising pack & running vest (which I will be very proud to be wearing on D-Day). As soon as I tried on the running vest, I freaked out a little. This is the sort of thing sports people wear, not a self confessed couch potato. I have to say though, it looks fab!

My work colleague, Debbie who is also taking part in Mad Monk managed to bag me a brilliant Adidas training shirt which I'm really chuffed with. Its already been worn when I've done my exercise, its fab!

Work colleagues have given us both running tips and advice & hopefully in Week 2 I will be following the 'From couch to 5k' podcast that is available on the NHS choices site.
One of my managers also told me that when he was training for the 3 peaks challenge he used to run up the stairs at work (18 flights) twice a day to build his stamina so I thought I'd have a go. I managed it in 2 mins, 21 secs. Not bad at all, I thought! I imagined it was going to take me at least 5 minutes. I was absolutely shattered afterwards but its something I'm going to try & do at least 2-3 times a week. David (colleague) & I are having a competition on who can do the stairs the fastest. If I can manage it in 2 minutes eventually, I will be pretty pleased with myself.

I popped into Decathalon near my parents today to get a cheap pair of running shoes & shorts (I didn't want to spend too much if they're going to be taking a plunge into the River Derwent). Although I look like I'm ready to take part in a 10k assault course I really don't feel ready at all! Exercising this week has been a very painful and tiring experience and i'm finding myself with less free time on my hands than ever before. The main thing that will keep me going with the training is the thought of raising the money for the Stroke Association. Strokes are something that run in my dad's side of my family and I really do worry about that. My dad already suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure so if I can make just a little bit of a difference and help fund the Stroke Association's research, I will be happy.

Feeling positive from my purchases today I decided to try out the skipping rope. I think I lasted 1 minute before getting a very painful stitch. After recovering from that I decided to go for a jog. 30 seconds jogging and then walking until I recover. I managed to do jog 8 times with not much recovery time which I was chuffed with & I really enjoyed it. I'm already looking forward to my next run.

Wish me luck for week 2 & don't forget to sponsor me! www.justgiving.com/madbecki 

Fatty Confession!

My name is Becki and I am a severe couch potato.
Interests include reading, watching tv, eating (mainly chocolate & takeaways), using my netbook and sleeping. Basically anything that doesn't involve too much energy, I'll happily enjoy doing it! I am a BMI of 27.29. I am officially overweight.

So, time to make a change. My work colleague announced on Facebook a few weeks ago that she'd signed up to something called 'Mad Monk'. A 10k assault course in a local park. This should give you an idea of what it's all about:




Am I stupid? Probably. But there are a few reasons why i'd like to do it.
1. Motivation to get fit.
2. I promised myself that by next summer I will be brave enough to wear a bikini abroad.
3. The most important reason. On my list of 'Things to do before I die', I want to raise money for the Stroke Association in memory of my Nan & Grandad who both passed away a few years ago.

So here I am, signed up to Mad Monk and the Stroke Association have agreed for me to take part on their behalf. How am I feeling? Stupid, scared and most of all unfit! Training started at the beginning of the week with lots of walking and using my exercise bike (formally my clothes hanger). Make sure you keep checking back for regular updates on my progress and if you'd like to sponsor me visit www.justgiving.com/madbecki
Thank you :)