10 more sleeps!

I leave for London in 10 days. I am so excited! I’ve started fantasising about all the things I’ll do when I arrive.

I also have only 10 more days to achieve my 3kg goal. When I checked on Tuesday I had 1.4kg to go. I’m not entirely sure I’ll make it, but I’m giving it my best shot.

Last night I went out to Banana Jam for a friend’s birthday and while they make great cocktails I opted for a Coke Lite. And while everyone was eating huge plates of delicious food, I opted to eat before I left home. So I think I’m making progress. Quite chuffed with myself actually.

See, I want to get to London and have that Krispy Kreme doughnut and know that I’ve worked hard to deserve it. I’ll be avoiding Burger King and Mc Donalds and places like that, so that when I do decide to spoil myself it counts as a treat and not just one more bad decision.

I’ve managed to get into the habit of eating cereal every morning which I find is helping immensely. I’ve also been bringing in a tasty sarmie everyday for lunch. No more visiting the canteen or vending machine. and when I pop down to Clicks it’s to get airtime and maybe a fruit juice. This is a big thing for me.

I’ve still got a long way to get to my long term goal, but I’ve decided that if I keep focussing on that I’ll be miserable and give up. That’s why I’ll do this 3kgs at a time I think. I’ll admit I’m feeling healthier already.

T

It’s a start

In the past week I have managed to lose 1kg.
Which means I have just over two weeks to lose the other 2. I decided that 3kgs was a reasonable goal and that I could manage to achieve it before I left for London.

That goal also means that while my boss is away I have no choice other than to keep going to gym every morning (almost). I missed Tuesday this week, but have been there every other day.

I’m feeling good about my excercising and eating. Oh and I had a bigger breakfast today so that I can pop out and donate blood this afternoon. The vampires have been ringing me to ask that I stop by and quench their thirst.

T

The biggest bully of all

I’ve become a bully.
I had no other option. When I wake up in the morning I have to force myself to get up and go to gym. I threaten myself with the idea of weak ankles, ever-expanding hips, colds and flu and general misery.

Harsh, yes. But it works. Last week I took a long walk on Sunday evening. And then I went to gym Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And I was back at gym this morning after a crazy weekend.

Apart from the concerted effort to hit the gym and up my fitness I’ve also made a change in my eating habits. I had some chips yesterday evening a friend’s house, but besides that I’ve been really good with making the healthier choices.

Bianca’s wonderful Christmas pressie of a delcious gourmet sarmie everyday while she’s based in the newsroom is helping. I feel so terribly spoilt. Not only are they healthy and filling (eliminating the need for senseless snacking) but they’re also helping me save a little extra cash for my holiday.

I leave for London in 3 weeks. Yay! Can’t wait.

T

Yes, I’ve made resolutions

Happy new year and all that.

Last year I fervently believed that I hadn’t made any resolutions. But we always do make them, don’t we? We deny it outright, but deep down inside we have that ominous list.  So this year I have relented and actually made some. Well, two really.

First: To take better care of myself.
Second: To be even less wasteful.

Lemme explain…

1. Taking better care of myself.

I figured that every year, after gorging ourselves stupid on mince pies, roast lamb and potatoes, we vow to go on diet and lose 20kgs. And it almost always ends in tears. This year I’ve decided that there’s a lot more to me than just needing to lose weight. So yes, this resolution does involve losing weight, but it also involves stuff like doing my nails, my hair, wearing nice clothes, getting more sleep and actually taking time to just spoil myself when I need it. I spend so much time running around for work and stuff that when I do have spare time I end up doing house hold stuff. This year I want to use that space to do things I enjoy. I want to have more fun. I think it’ll lead to a happier me.

2. Being less wasteful.

I already recycle and I even bury all my organic waste in the garden. As a result the amount of rubbish I send to the landfill is considerably paltry. But I figure I can do even better. I’m going to really start paying attention to the packaging my shopping is in. Yes, I can recycle all that plastic, but wouldn’t it be great if I didn’t buy the stuff in plastic to begin with? This “being less wasteful” idea applies to things like water, electricity, petrol and money as well.

So, those are my two resolutions. They cover a lot of ground, but they’re also fairly open ended so I should be able to achieve them even if it’s only by driving a few less kilometres or filing and painting my nails every other day.

I think it’s going to be a great year.

Have you made any resolutions?

T

Gourmet sarmie?

I’ve been hopeless when it comes to gym and eating well for the past three weeks. Well, maybe not hopeless, but I’ve been ignoring that little voice which tells me to get up in time for gym and stop being so lazy and for God’s sake put the chocolate back on the shelf and back away slowly.

 

Yes, it’s been a rough few weeks. Thing is I come up with some fabulous excuses, which I’ll spare you – but they’re the sort we’ve all dreamt up millions of times before.

 

This may sound nuts, but I’ve decided that now is as good a time as any to make a concerted effort. Nuts, because Christmas is lurking just around the corner with all its puddings, roast potatoes, sweets, chocolates, mince pies and and and. But maybe that’s what I need, a real challenge.

 

Thing is, the past few weeks I’ve been merrily telling myself, ahh it’s just a week, that’s  all, next week you can go back to gym. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t remember me when I arrive tomorrow morning.

 

I’ve also decided that I need to stay away from the office canteen. Seriously. The food may well be cheap, but they use loads of oil, the starchy things are the nicest and the portion sizes are just silly. I end up not having the right balanced amounts of things.

 

A friend brought me gourmet sandwiches from the home two days last week and it opened my eyes to what lunch at work could be. So on Friday I popped into the grocery store and bought all the ingredients to make tasty lunches that weren’t all that unhealthy and would leave me satisfied.

 

I’d tried bringing lunch to work, but then it was usually just a cheese sandwich with a bit of ground pepper. Meh. And then, less than and hour later, I’d be standing in front of the vending machine with all my coins eyeing a packet of Nik Naks.

 

But Bianca’s sarmies were delicious and left me feeling as though I’d actually eaten something substantial.

 

Today I brought a low GI seed loaf sandwich with salami, camembert, rocket and a dash of sweet chilli sauce. It was gorgeous and I am sated. No need to pop up to the canteen for anything else. And in the long run it’ll work out cheaper.

 

Gym tomorrow is going to be hard. I know it is. But I also know that I MUST go.

 

T

TerriFirma – Little by little

Some fantastic news.

 

Okay, some “marginally good” news.

 

I went to gym yesterday morning and it would appear I have lost 1kg since last Monday. So, despite KFC and sleeping in I’ve managed to keep roughly on track. I was a very happy person, despite the prospect of having a workout looming ahead of me.

 

Did 20 minutes brisk incline walk on the treadmill – which went fine. Then moved over to the bicycle for 20 minutes. I swear time actually slows down when I’m on the bike. It crawls by. After 5 minutes I felt like I’d been going for half an hour. I’m sure that the seconds only tick past while I’m watching them. When I look away they freeze, or possibly go backwards.

 

After that I moved over to the rowing machine for a while. I enjoy the rowing machine – I like the feeling of resistance and then the hushed whirrrrrr of the wheel. Listen, you’ve got to let me have these small moments of happiness if I’m going to have to keep at the gym thing. They may be really silly in retrospect, but at least they stop me from taking one look at the stairs up to the gym and going to Wimpy for a sunrise breakfast instead.

 

Another of my little pleasures when it comes to gym is the shower afterwards. I don’t have a shower at my house – just a bath. So the prospect of a nice hot shower after a workout is a great one. And, while I’m not completely ridiculous about it, I don’t freak out trying to take a 6 second shower. When I’m there I have usually have the change room all to myself. Yes, yes, there’s always the environment to consider, but besides my showers I usually use water sparingly.

 

Back to my “marginally good” news… Over the past few weeks I’ve had a few people telling me that I’ve been looking good and asking if I’m losing weight. My standard reaction is “Oh, I wish. I’m feeling like such a blob at the moment!”

 

My mother tells me that I should just learn to say “thank you”. So I’ve been trying – it’s not all that simple. After this morning’s small victory maybe it’ll be easier.

 

T

 

PS On Sunday night I was bored and so I made cupcakes. But don’t worry, I didn’t eat them all myself. I gave most of them to my friends. Most of the joy behind baking (for me) is actually doing it and having other people enjoy it.

TerriFirma – Finger-lickin’ busted

 

Don’t you just love how the Universe conspires against us?

 

The other night I was wandering around the Waterfront in search of dinner after having watched the press screening of Hansie. I walked past all of the fast food joints and eventually decided that I wanted KFC. I haven’t had a Zinger Tower rounder for ages, and it appealed more than Steers at the time.

 

So I’m sitting there, at the tables outside, nibbling on the not-so-nice chips, when I hear this voice heading my way saying: “I caught you, I caught you!”

 

I looked up with what must have been a “What the hell?” expression, to see one of the trainers from my gym standing there with his friend. Cringe! Of all the people to spot me munching such terribly unhealthy dinner it would be him. And he’s been really keen to get actively involved in my fitness campaign too. I’ve done one or two sessions with him and he’s really a no-nonsense sort of guy. In fact, his workouts are so intense one of them rendered me unable to walk for four days afterwards.

 

I have no doubt that my protestations about being sick for two weeks and about not eating KFC all the time seemed pitiful. Turns out he was hanging around at the Waterfront to meet up with some other guys – none other than the other trainers and the owner of my gym.

 

Needless to say, the appeal of eating my KFC at the Waterfront had vanished as quickly as the seagulls scatter before a hyper-active four year old. So we chatted for a while and then I vanished before the others arrived. Oh I have no doubt they know all about it, and I’m half expecting the trainer to give me a wicked knowing smile as I head for the cross-trainer tomorrow morning, but hey, at least I’m still going to gym.

 

Now I just need to force myself back into a routine. I’ve been oversleeping the past little while. Waking up with a fright after 7am and then having to get dressed and out the house in a matter of minutes just so that I can find a parking space in town.

 

Anyone have any tips on how to really get motivated?

 

T

No, I’ve not been abducted

Aaaack, it’s been ages since I last wrote. But I’m here now, no need to send out a search party.

 

Firstly, my organ donor stuff arrived in the post and all the important things are covered in little red stickers. Erm, by important things I mean driver’s licence and ID book – NOT the actual organs! Although maybe that’s a good idea. It will avoid any confusion later. I can picture an argument erupting in the hospital…

 

“Doctor! Wait, what are you doing?”

 

“I’m taking her spleen Nurse, what does it look like I’m doing? Now shut up and pass me the crow bar.”

 

“I think you’ll find that she didn’t agree to give her spleen… see, there’s nothing here on the form…”

 

They pour over the forms, frowning. A few useful stickers would make everything so much simpler.

 

“Oh, wait Doctor, never mind. See here – there’s a little red sticker… this one’s good to go!”

 

Okay, clearly I need a holiday.

 

I’ve been sick – again. But now that I seem to have beaten it I’ll be back at gym again on Monday. A friend and I were chatting recently about gym and diet and fitness. He’s also slogging it out on the treadmill. It’s good to know there’s someone else out there suffering along with me. Even though we don’t go to the same gym, it’s still slightly comforting to know that he has to get up even earlier than me.

 

Oh, I’ve a TerriFirma column to write, but I’ll add it as a new post.

 

T

Doing it Igor thstyle!

 

It’s done. I’ve signed up as an organ donor. Well, actually I have to wait for the pack to arrive in the post, but essentially it’s done.

 

And it was laughably easy as well. Here’s what you have to do…

 

Call the Organ Donor Foundation of SA on 0800 22 66 11.

 

Then the nice person on the other end of the phone will ask for your details. Name, address, contact numbers. Then they’ll post you the info pack. In it will be all the information you need about being an organ donor, a sticker for your ID book and one for your driver’s licence, a card which you’ll need to fill in and keep with you, and a letter with your ODF reference number.

 

If you’ve run out of free minutes or have already abused your office phone beyond what is humanly decent, then you can visit www.odf.org.za and register that way.

 

It’s probably a good idea to chat to your family before hand and let them know what you’ve decided to do. I’ve already told mine and they’re fine with it. That way, if anything should happen and I prematurely shuffle off this mortal coil, my family knows what I would have wanted and can sign the consent forms without any fuss or deliberation.

 

T

TerriFirma – Back to school, hold the Marmite

 

Isn’t it terrible, when at the end of the month (or even five days after payday) you look at your bank balance and all of your money has vanished? That’s been happening to me a lot lately – like for three years. And it’s been really freaking me out.

 

I’m making a concerted effort to save money and seeing it just vanish is not very nice.

 

Then I realized where it was going. Or at least, I have a theory about where it’s going. All those times I buy breakfast and lunch in town. I can easily spend between R30 and R50 on food in town a day. That has got to stop. Say we go with the least possible amount R30 – I’m essentially spending R150 a week and roughly R600 a month. Grief.

 

So today I brought a sandwich with me. I have effectively spent no money today (unless you count the petrol it took to get me here). And a cheese and Goldew* sandwich on low GI bread is actually a yummy lunch. Washed down with a cup of coffee and two green teas with mint, oh and water. Not only am I doing the financial safer thing but I’m not spending money on food that’s only going to make me put on more weight.

 

Granted, it’s only the first day, but I’m feeling pretty happy with myself.

 

Tonight I’ll make my sandwich for tomorrow, or even pack in some stuff to make a baked potato for lunch – now that’s a good idea. Yum.

 

It’s time to teach my body that I don’t need R30 butternut soup, lasagna, pie, wrap, pasta for lunch. A simple sandwich will suffice – like back in the good old days of school. But you won’t catch me making marmite or peanut butter sarmies.

 

T

* They’re the new yellow fruit from the people who brought us Peppadews. Yum. A more sweet and sour taste, with less of a bite.