I am back on with the program

Corbet Lough

If I am one thing, I am persistent. Can't tell how many times I have thought of deleting this blog because I don't seem to be succeeding.
Its become a symbol of something I will overcome - at the moment it reminds me that I need to develop healthy habits and when I have achieved this I can look back at my struggle and proudly say I didn't give up and I will persevere.

So what am I up to?

I have started a one year long swap on Swap-bot called Weight-loss penpal.
I have bought two more exercise DVD's to add variety to my exercise program.
We have started Geocaching as a family, a fun way to get walking done and keep my daughter motivated.
I have gotten the Newry Canal Way map to plan a walking project for this summer.

for the next four days I want to:
1. Exercise for 20min
2. Drink 4 glasses of water
3. keep a food diary
4. Sleep for 7 hrs

REWARD: Self-pedicure - the full treatment.

Project 36 - 4 Days at a time

Tomorrow I begin to implement my wellness vision.

I have decided to call it Project 36 (which means it will last for 5 weeks and a bit - 9 increments of 4 days).

My goal for the next 4 days:

- Get up at 6am
- Spend 20min doing visualization and relaxation exercise
- 5-10 min reading something spiritually engaging
- 10min Journaling
- 10min planning the rest of the day
-10-30min exercising
- Drink 4 glasses of water

REWARD: Buy a hair mask - treat myself to face and hair mask treatment.

NEXT WEEKS REWARD:claim the free pedicure my beautician friend promised

My weight has slipped back up to 110.4 kg according to the new scale that I have bought.

Update

Hi

I have lost 2cm YAY - this measuring thing is not so bad.

Struggling to get my water drinking done but I will persevere.#

Happy with the fact that I have exercised everyday since last Tuesday.

By the end of today I would have walked over 5km (over 3miles I think).

really happy that my daughter is enjoying making healthy choices and the fact that some of her clothes are getting to big for her!

Goals for the next 4 Days:

1. Watch Water intake
2. increase exercise

reward: hair mask ( I have bought it already!!)

Check-in

Down another 0.5kg YAY

To celebrate I have spent sometime making a list of songs I enjoy listening to and ones I have enjoyed in the past but never had the actual music.

It was a great going down memory lane, dancing to some and sing at the top of my voice.

My daughter and husband also got caught up with the project - needed to put a 100 songs together for a swap. They helped me.

Quite a number of love songs, some I like more for the music than the words.

Goal for the next week to start recording what I eat and do so I can improve and modify my habits.

Homemade face masks

Looking for a way to reward yourself without breaking the bank or eating?

Rewarding yourself after you have reached your goals is positive reinforcement.

A few simple homemade masks

Oily Skin

egg white
1 tsp. cornstarch
Beat ingredients. Apply to face, let dry 10-15 min. Rinse.

Corn flour is an excellent ingredient if you're dealing with oily skin. Corn flour picks up oil from the skin and traps it, leaving the skin moisturized but with diminished oiliness and shine free.

Normal, combination skin, oily and blemished skin

Mix one egg white,
1/2 cup cooked instant oatmeal
a teaspoon olive oil
a few drops of lemon juice until smooth.

Spread on your face and neck, leave on for 15 – 30 min then rinse with lukewarm water. Few drops lemon juice will help to reduce blackheads while egg white will leave your skin feel “tight” after this mask application.

Dry skin

Mix one egg yolk,
a teaspoon honey
a teaspoon olive oil
some vitamin E oil.

Spread over your face and neck, leave on for 15 – 30 min then rinse in lukewarm water. You can add more olive oil if you still feel dry on your skin.

For more recipes and some videos got to: Natural Skin Care Info

Day 4

Exercise today was running after children and picking up shells on the beach.

B: Shake with fruit
S: Herbal Tea
L: One low fat burger with egg and cheese and salad
S: Coffee
SP: 1 pita bread with tuna salad and a glass of orange juice

Water in take 5 glasses plus the tea make 6!

YAY that is a 4 Day WIN for me.

Reward:

Get myself something nice for the bath either radox bath salts or oil.

Next 4 Days
Up my water and herbal intake by 2 to 8 glasses a day
Continue exercising - 2 aerobic days, one weight focus day and yoga/stretching day.
Ensure that I have 2 fruits and 2 veg servings everyday (Dietician recommended 3)
3-5 Protein servings
Going to see if I can keep the carb servings at 2-3.
Cut Dairy and coffee out
Continue to record what I am eating

REWARD: A Healthy You NSV badge next Tuesday.

If I get hungry I am going to try looking a the list of free food on Somersize plan or increase the protein.

Day 3 Breakfast Report

Glass of water & I have made a shake to take to school with me.

I seem to have lost my appetite a bit in the morning.

I sat in my exercise clothes yesterday but got up doing other projects in stead.

Tomorrow is a guest post on my Simone's Butterfly Blog from one of the Authors of the Virtual Tour I co-hosting with other bloggers. Be nice if stop by and say hi.

OOPs almost forgot that today is weigh in day - let me get on the scale.
YAY - 105.5 kg (232.6 pounds)

Last Weeks Stats: This weeks stats:
Starting:109kg (240.30 pounds)
Current:106.4kg (234.57 pounds) TODAY: 105.5 kg - a 0.9kg loss almost a 1 pound loss
Total loss: 2.6kg (5.73 pounds) Total loss: 3.5kg

TODAY - I am rewarding myself with a Reflexology session

To be honest I would be doing it anyway - a friend needed volunteers for 5 weeks 2 1hr sessions a week for her studies. Its a WIN-WIN in my books.

Later

Tuesday Check-in

Starting:109kg (240.30 pounds)
Current:106.4kg (234.57 pounds)
Total loss: 2.6kg (5.73 pounds)

YAY - its through water drinking, exercise, taking time to relax (meditate) and being conscious of what I am eating. I am trying to eat healthy Low GI food.

I am celebrating by having a professional facial done by Chameleon Beauty Salon.

You can still celebrate with me by just adding your name below.

Exercise in 4 parts and 4 day cycles

Today i needed a bit of breather so I decided that I would do some stretches and fidget.
I am glad to report that I have now exercised and 8 glasses of drank water for 8 days and I have cut out 100 calories from my diet for 4 days.

My next four day goal is to maintain the the exercise and water drinking habit and to cut a further 100 calories. To ensure I actually do cut out another 100 calories I plan to keep a food diary. I plan to use cronometer - CRON-O-Meter is free, open source, and cross-platform dieting software. Let's see how that goes.

Reward tonight: is a radox bubble bath by candlelight !

In Martha's book 4 Day Win she grades exercise into 4 parts.

A
B
C
D
(Oops - I have misplaced my book - will add in this info later in the meantime read the links below)

You can read an excerpt from the book - Edging your way into exercise: Here

I just discovered this today http://www.thefourdaywin.com

True Weighloss

Weighed in this morning - 107.8kg - loss 1,2kg (2.6 pounds)

Now thats more like it. I am totally stoked!! The only two habits I had started again was 30min exercise and 8 glasses of water/herbal tea.

When tried reducing calories I had a 2 day setback and then got back track.

Tomorrow will be the end of 4 day re-enforcement of my two habits and a reduction of 100 calories.

Reward:I think of plan to have a nice candle-lit 1 hour aromatherapy soak in the bath and a mini-facial.

Starting Point

Each four days is a new starting point. Today I would like to record the big picture and then get back to just focusing on accomplishing taking small winning steps.

I have scale the measure fat % and hydration and a tape measure. My current weight is 105.7kg and my fat% too high that I get an error reading on the scale. When I changed it to the male function it reads 49.1% at hydration level 36.9%. My waist measurement is 115cm.

I cannot remember Martha's advise about scales and measurements. I am sure I will find it again.

The goal for the next 4 Days:

1. Maintain a water intake of 8 glasses.
2. Increase activity levels.
3. Reduce my food intake by 100 calories.

I was tempted to go for more and then I remember the famine brain. While I have thinking about food and contemplating plans. It kicked in and I having eating ice-cream and chips etc.... The thoughts running in my brain was , tomorrow I will start again. I will just have this now because then I am going on a diet. This is the last time........ Last night I ate chips and I did not even enjoy it but I finished the packed anyway.

Typically I eat??
Breakfast cereal and milk (1-2 carbs and 1/2 diary portion)
sometimes a banana
Snack sometimes - cheese and provitas or nothing
Lunch sandwich (2 carbs , 1 protein, some fat)
Snack chips/ice-cream or both
Supper Pizza/burgher/pasta (4-6carbs, 2 protein, lots of fat)
Sometimes salad and 1 veggie serving
Snack 200ml low fat yoghurt (sometimes more)

Recommendation from the dietician is
5 carbs
5 protein (I think)
2 diary
3 fruit
3 veg
fat - I can't remember 1-2 ( lost the booklet)
comes to about 1500 calories

So my Plan
7 carbs
5 protein
3 diary
2 fruit
1 veg ( if I eat more great)
fat - keeps as low as possible - have two desserts a week (one full fat and one low fat)

Cutting 3 carbs and junk food should and increasing my protein.

Rewards:
Today - a home facial
2 - reflexology

3 - ??
4 - Feet pampering session (home foot spa)

Decision time

I have studied various menu options and final set up a menu for this week. The calories vary from 1500-1800. According to various programs I tried I am probably consuming between 2500-3000 calories a day.

Will post the menu tomorrow.

I have succeed in drinking 4 or more glasses of water the the last for days.
Mildly active.
Spent time looking at diet plans.

REWARD

Watching Surfs Up movie with my family.