Chillicat's journal

[bigdogbob]

Yes fat is your friend.!!!!!!. there's every chance your increased consumption is why your BF has come down.

You must be stoked those are awesome figures..even if you don't believe the scales the 6% drop on skinfolds is a major acheivement..WELL DONE :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Chillicat]

Well, I hope fat is my friend, as I certainly ate a lot of it last night...got box tickets to the league, and there were only 5 of us in the box (fits 24). The box owners had planned on being there but for some reason weren't but they'd overcatered - ordered about 6 pizzas which turned up around half time! I was starving and so helped myself to a bunch of pizza toppings. Didn't bother with the cardboard-tasting bases - just picked off the cheesy meaty goodness on top! Also treated myself to 3 glasses of wine, which is one glass more than my normal, so I'm a bit slow getting started this morning!

Not going near the scales today, don't want to know :naughty:

[Chillicat]

Tried an upper body workout this morning with my thermastrap to help with the bloody tennis elbow. Did bench press, bent over rows, skullcrushers, bicep curls and incline DB presses.

Used very low weights (and felt super stink using such tiny weights with Big Kiwi working out in the man cave at the same time with giant sized weights :oops: ), and had some trouble with DB press and skullcrushers - not so much with doing the reps, but with picking up the weights and getting into starting position, and then also once I'd finished, the movement of putting the weight on the floor. Same with bent over rows - used a rack since someone had the pre-made weight I wanted, and had trouble with getting the oly bar down from the squat height it was set at - my arm screamed at me doing that. Bicep curls were pretty hard too, that's the muscle I'm having the most trouble working right now - so it wasn't a super great workout, but I was pleased to get 3 sets of everything done.

Lower body tomorrow, then cardio on Tuesday, so that'll give the arm a rest for a couple of days.

[Chillicat]

Bit of a light workout today. Meant to be 'Upper body - 2', with exercises I had intended to do - but after realising that my stupid elbow is limiting my arm movement, it was more a session to see what I can and can't do.

Trouble with skullcrushers on Monday, so today tried close grip bench press instead. That was pretty much fine. Bit sore on the first set of 12, but better once I got into it.

Trouble with bent over rows on Monday, so tried cable rows, and they were fine and dandy.

I'd had trouble with lifting bars into position, so tried some overhead presses with oly bar since it's on a rack, but to be honest it's a bit heavy for me - at least for sets of 12. Did 8/5/5 though, so that's fine.

I'd also had trouble with incline DB presses, basically the picking up and putting down part, so instead tried som lat raises - but that was a definite no go. So went back to incline DB presses but dropped the weight to 10kg and increased the reps.

Not an ideal workout, but any workout is better than none, so happy.

Might possibly stop by J'ville for a spot of cardio on the way home today. Letting myself go a bit after some good weight losses. I have a habit of self-sabotage, so it's cardio for me as punishment!

[bar-belle]

Tried an upper body workout this morning with my thermastrap to help with the bloody tennis elbow.

I had really bad tendonitis in my elbows and benching, skull crushers, biceps curls even hammer curls aggrevated it so much that I had to change my training programme. I too had the thermastrap, supports, physio, voltaren etc but the thing that cured it is band pressdowns... super fast 150 reps at a time and waiters tip stretches. You will get pain to begin with but if you do it a couple of times a week it really pays off and pain goes away. I can now bench with no probs at all. Basically the way I understand it to work is that the tendons of the elbow have a limited blood flow and the attachment point is small/weak but by doing high rep band pressdowns you flood the area with blood bringing 02 and nutrients to the site to promote healing. Just my 2c worth. If you want to know more I can pm you the details??

[Chillicat]

Tried an upper body workout this morning with my thermastrap to help with the bloody tennis elbow.

I had really bad tendonitis in my elbows and benching, skull crushers, biceps curls even hammer curls aggrevated it so much that I had to change my training programme. I too had the thermastrap, supports, physio, voltaren etc but the thing that cured it is band pressdowns... super fast 150 reps at a time and waiters tip stretches. You will get pain to begin with but if you do it a couple of times a week it really pays off and pain goes away. I can now bench with no probs at all. Basically the way I understand it to work is that the tendons of the elbow have a limited blood flow and the attachment point is small/weak but by doing high rep band pressdowns you flood the area with blood bringing 02 and nutrients to the site to promote healing. Just my 2c worth. If you want to know more I can pm you the details??

Cheers BB - but I seem to be having problems with different exercises than you, so I guess tendonitis and tennis elbow effect different exercises! I'm fine with bench press and skullcrushers (provided I can pick up the bar in the first place - but if I do them on the bench I'd be fine since I can easily pick the bar off the rack). But bicep and hammer curls are definitely killer.

I'd be interested in knowing more about what the band pressdowns are though - and waiters tip stretches - never heard of either of those, and if they might help I'm definitely willing to give them a go. One of the older guys in my ukulele class mentioned that he also had it in both elbows and that I must do whatever I can to fix it asap, as he left his too late and both his elbows are now completely wrecked.

[Chillicat]

Legs and deads today. Fun stuff. No news.

Interesting article on Stuff http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashi ... ies-tirade

I've decided that when I see amusing articles like this I might just stick them here in my journal - I don't dare dis the overweight on my FB page, as last time I did so I was accused of being judgemental (even though I was talking about specific people, so yes I was being judgemental, but not in a one size fits all kind of way). But I don't have to explain myself in here - my journal, so if you don't like it, don't read it! :pfft:

I do have some overweight friends, and one of them does have genuine health issues that mean it's difficult for her to lose weight (short of not eating, but hell, with so many health problems, you need some pleasures in life). But most of the ones who are overweight are in that state due to lifestyle choice, calories in vs calories out, nothing more than that. So I'll post it in here where I can enjoy it without fear of overweight friends taking unintended offence and defriending me!

Here's another I saw yesterday:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/mp ... ht-refund/

[Chillicat]

Legs today. Still on light weights this week, so nothing exciting to report in the way of PBs. More likely PWorsts these days :pfft: Will be upping the weights a bit and decreasing reps from 12 to 8 next week for a few weeks, then another increase in weight/decrease in reps to 5 in the last three weeks before my goal date.

Weight/BF loss has stagnated yet again. Halloween is this week's excuse

Seriously, I have no idea how people diet down for competition and get all buff - I get to a fairly sensible weight for my body and then the weight/BF loss just seems to completely stagnate. Interestingly, the weight I'm at now (around the 61 mark) is more or less the weight I started my mini-cut at last year, and got down to 59. I can't see any possible way that I could lose 2kg right now, short of starving myself, and I'm not really into that.

I'm not really looking for advice or anything - just commenting more than anything else, as I'm pretty fine where I am anyway - but was just hoping to be able to see more muscle by now. Reality is that losing too much more than what is normal for me would be kind of silly anyway - can't go clothes shopping in London if I'm skin and bone (and muscle!) and won't fit into all the new stuff a month later anyway :nod:

[teamfatboy]

Heya CC

(although you already know this) You are gonna LUV London - this place is full of chunky monkeys that'll dwarf regular gym-going folks!

Seriously, even I feel like a lean mean racing machine over here! I was last here 18 months ago, and I think it's even worse now than it was then.

Well, perhaps not entirely, there's enough stylish folk around, but jeepers, this must be where the world's missing stocks of lard are hiding! :pfft:

I can understand how they're all so big, tho, it's damn hard to to eat clean.... not easy

Plus, GBP 3.60 ($NZ 7.00) for one protein bar ? :shock:

[Chillicat]

Heya CC

(although you already know this) You are gonna LUV London - this place is full of chunky monkeys that'll dwarf regular gym-going folks!

Seriously, even I feel like a lean mean racing machine over here! I was last here 18 months ago, and I think it's even worse now than it was then.

Well, perhaps not entirely, there's enough stylish folk around, but jeepers, this must be where the world's missing stocks of lard are hiding! :pfft:

I can understand how they're all so big, tho, it's damn hard to to eat clean.... not easy

Plus, GBP 3.60 ($NZ 7.00) for one protein bar ? :shock:

Huh? Are you in London right now? I thought you only just got back from somewhere else - States again I thought? I can't keep up with your jetsetting lifestyle!!

Shit a brick that's a lot of money for a protein bar. I know I'm going to be relatively relaxed about eating while over there (especially when in Morocco - mmmm Moroccan food!), but I don't want every single meal to be a lardfest, so I was planning on bringing over a bit of protein powder with me - might also grab a box of protein bars too so I've always got a couple in my handbag. I manage my hypoglycemia extremely well at home by eating often and relatively low carb, but it's really hard to do that when travelling - sludge and fluff and sludge aren't so easy to make up batches of when you're staying in someone else's house, or in hotels! So a box of protein bars might be a good idea, especially if they cost twice as much over there.

Wow, it's 5 years since I was last there so I guess there will be a lot of changes. Can't bloody wait - one month tomorrow!!

'Cut' has completely stalled. Training a bit iffy too with my sore elbow, but doing the best I can. Got the day off work tomorrow, so going to do a big fat morning session to see me through a long weekend away in Chch, then I'll go back after getting my hair done in the afternoon and do a bifg fat cardio session. All very 'Biggest Loser' last chance workout for me tomorrow before visiting the family!

[teamfatboy]

That was a single-bar price in central London, so there might be a bit of a mark-up. Even there, you can save a bit if you buy a box, and some brands are cheaper than others.... I found this place - but a box of a dozen will run you about GBP 30/ NZ 60... and that's IF you can get to a shop.

I found the dirty little secret of the skinny English chicks - they all smoke like chimneys... wandering down the street with a cigarette going.

Still, I suppose maybe it goes with the current fashion trend for tall boots and leggings/tights/whatever :think:

[Chillicat]

I'll bring a box over with me - I'll have plenty of room in the bag going over, in anticipation of spending up large in London/Morocco!

[Chillicat]

Thought I should do a quick update since it's been so long.

Re mini cut: Well, I started this with 23 weeks to go before my big trip, and the aim was not to be super competition cut, but to look a realistic 'best' when I go away. Did well to start with but kind of got sick of it all by about week 15 or so. I'm still eating pretty clean for the most part, but have stopped taking note what I eat etc. I wouldn't say I'm as cut as I'd hoped to be - but I can almost see some hint of shoulder definition when I wear a singlet, so it's not all bad

Am amping up the cardio for the last 2 weeks before I go, a la Biggest Loser and their last chance workouts - and have taken to walking a bit more. Welly people will know the Ngauranga Gorge, and since I live in Churton Park a walk home involves heading up there. So I tried it out for the first time on Wednesday, just from the bottom as I'd been out at Petone, so got off the bus and walked up. Not as bad as I thought it would be, took about 30 mins from end of Hutt Rd (bus stop) to coming out at J'ville.

Yesterday I walked all the way home from work on the Terrace to home. 2 hours flat. Might do it again today since the weather is so nice. It's kinda scary crossing from the sea-side of the road to the gorge side, as they've disabled the green man lights so there is nowhere safe to cross at all (it's like playing frogger getting across, with 3 lanes of traffic on one side and 2 on the other).

But other than the slight safety issue, and the noise of the traffic, it's way more pleasant than going to the gym after work and dealing with the 5pm smell of people doing cardio - gross! I did that the other week and it was hellish. I was on a treadmill and could smell the vile breath of the guy next to me, even with my head turned to the other side. So I moved to a bike, but found myself sandwiched between to smelly BO guys. So traffic and frogger-like crossings are a definite improvement!

Workouts going fairly well. Consistent. Same old same old really, so don't feel the need to bore you with the details.

Looking forward to more strength work in the new year though. Reckon a repeat of the work I did earlier this year will lead me to something more like the body I'm looking for for next summer.

[teamfatboy]

She's alive :shock: \:D/

Boy, am I glad I wasn't doing cardio yesterday, tho... I don't think the building work is helping with the ventilation.

Nice to see you sticking with it tho - and major thumbs-up for walking all that way. I've cycled that route and it's true, the gradient is an easier issue than the cross-traffic, so I can only imagine what it's like on foot.

The break from programmed strength work will probably do you good - off to Merrie Olde (snow-covered) England, come back to the warmth and sun and tackle 2011 with renewed vigor and that same determination we've seen all thu 2010. :nod:

[drizzt]

Welly people will know the Ngauranga Gorge, and since I live in Churton Park a walk home involves heading up there. So I tried it out for the first time on Wednesday, just from the bottom as I'd been out at Petone, so got off the bus and walked up. Not as bad as I thought it would be, took about 30 mins from end of Hutt Rd (bus stop) to coming out at J'ville.

Yeah it's not bad at all huh. The hardest part is dodging cyclists who come up behind you noiselessly - worse on the Hutt Rd section, where they ride 2-3 abreast at times and expect you to move for 'em, or ride past close enough to brush your shirt - and/or wind gusts that threaten to blow you into traffic on bad days :pfft:

[Chillicat]

Welly people will know the Ngauranga Gorge, and since I live in Churton Park a walk home involves heading up there. So I tried it out for the first time on Wednesday, just from the bottom as I'd been out at Petone, so got off the bus and walked up. Not as bad as I thought it would be, took about 30 mins from end of Hutt Rd (bus stop) to coming out at J'ville.

Yeah it's not bad at all huh. The hardest part is dodging cyclists who come up behind you noiselessly - worse on the Hutt Rd section, where they ride 2-3 abreast at times and expect you to move for 'em, or ride past close enough to brush your shirt - and/or wind gusts that threaten to blow you into traffic on bad days :pfft:

Yeah, mostly it's ok, and when it gets to a narrow bit I have a look around first to see if there's a cyclist coming up behind me. The worst bit is when it gets all narrow coming into J'ville - nowhere for a cyclist to pass there.

[Chillicat]

She's alive :shock: \:D/

Boy, am I glad I wasn't doing cardio yesterday, tho... I don't think the building work is helping with the ventilation.

Nice to see you sticking with it tho - and major thumbs-up for walking all that way. I've cycled that route and it's true, the gradient is an easier issue than the cross-traffic, so I can only imagine what it's like on foot.

The break from programmed strength work will probably do you good - off to Merrie Olde (snow-covered) England, come back to the warmth and sun and tackle 2011 with renewed vigor and that same determination we've seen all thu 2010. :nod:

Yep, I'm alive and well and still coming in here every day and keeping up with things. But I'm not overly creative in finding interesting ways of saying 'went to gym, picked stuff up and put it down again, it was heavy' - others on here seem to be much better at that, so I just read all your journals instead of updating mine!

Am hoping that the break will do me good, especially in regards to my sore arm. I think it's tennis elbow, but the 'tennis elbow' part of it seems to have eased off a bit now, but the main pain is still there, right on the bone - as though I've bashed it really bad, but since I haven't I'm not sure what it is. I've decided to just leave it til after the holiday, then reassess once it's been rested for a month and then go see someone. But I'm not really up with the play on who the hell one sees when you have a sore arm and don't exactly know what it is. If it's the bone that's the problem, would I see a regular doctor to start off with, or just go to a physio - never been to a physio before so not entirely sure what they even do!

[drizzt]

But I'm not really up with the play on who the hell one sees when you have a sore arm and don't exactly know what it is. If it's the bone that's the problem, would I see a regular doctor to start off with, or just go to a physio - never been to a physio before so not entirely sure what they even do!

Head to the physio :nod: If they suspect a bone injury, they can refer you for an x-ray.

Try Michelle McElvaney, she was really good when I had injured my back earlier in the year, used her services for a good couple of months. I remember she was only there on Tuesdays and Thursdays though, so might want to check if she's still around and/or on what days.

TFB might know, as I think he was a client of hers too But I definitely recommend her :nod:

[teamfatboy]

Yep, D's right, Michelle was good, but I've not seen her around since she went to Ireland for the northern summer.

The last time I used KCP (the in-house physio), Abhi (guy) was really good. He's there Tues/Thurs, like Michelle was, and got my back freed up nicely with a combination of massage and stretching. He also got good feedback from a friend of mine who saw him.

Rest is good, I'd consider hitting it with ibuprofen gel as well, even tho it sounds like it's deep, possibly inflammation of the attachment of the tendon ?

[Chillicat]

Last week of work this week, before a month off on holiday. Workouts have been steady but nothing exciting. Attempts to lose last bit of fat have been countered by general end of year indulgences. But nice weather (well, mostly) has meant a lot more walking, so a wee bit of extra cardio that doesn't involve gym equipment, which is much more pleasant.

I've been walking to J'ville in the morning (20 mins) then jumping on the bus down the gorge and getting off at Placemakers and walking the rest of the way to work (about 40mins) - so a nice hour of easy walking in the mornings (except days like today when it's rainy). Walking home a lot too. Either the whole way (2 hours) when it's nice weather and when I'm not in a hurry, or walking at least as far as Placemakers otherwise. Saves money, and increases exercise, so win win really.

Overeating has crept in with one thing and another over the last week. But I watched a programme the other week which will hopefully keep my eating in check - it was one of those Tuesday night 'docos' (I use the term loosely!), and involved a UK tv presenter (or actor or something) called Claire Sweeney. She is a lot like me in terms of height/weight ratio, body fat, and general level of exercise and how she looked in a bikini at the beginning of her experiment. The experiment involved her taking 6 weeks off her normal eating and exercise regime, and instead of being thoughtful about what she ate, she pretty much ate anything she wanted.

It wasn't one of those supersize me all you can eat things, rather, if she fancied an icecream she'd have one, rather than thinking 'oooh no that's not something I should eat'. So for 6 weeks she ate everything she fancied and put on something insane like 2-3 stone (not sure what that is in kilos without googling, but the 'after' bikini shot was enough to know it's not something I want to have happen to me!), and her BF went from around 21 to 30+. And she just looked like shit, in such a short time.

So for the next month I'm NOT going to take an entire break, but instead I'll say to myself 'remember Claire Sweeney' whenever yet more incredibly unhealthy food is placed before me! I'll do as much bodyweight exercise as I can, but with my elbow being pretty sore the dips and pressups I'd planned might not eventuate.

But I have a new bikini (due to going to Bath next week, and also Moroccan winter temperatures being warmer than Wellington summer temperatures!), so planks will feature heavily in my at home exercises!

Super duper long lunchtime upper body session today - last chance upper body, so will work hard, the same for lower body tomorrow.

[MILF]

So for the next month I'm NOT going to take an entire break, but instead I'll say to myself 'remember Claire Sweeney' whenever yet more incredibly unhealthy food is placed before me!

Brilliant. :grin:

[Chillicat]

So for the next month I'm NOT going to take an entire break, but instead I'll say to myself 'remember Claire Sweeney' whenever yet more incredibly unhealthy food is placed before me!

Brilliant. :grin:

Yeah, hopefully it'll work!

[teamfatboy]

Now I really am glad I pay attention to the pedestrian crossings on Thorndon Quay in the mornings... I can imagine that on some of those mornings last week it'd have been a really pleasant walk. Stop off at IRide - the Havana coffee they sell smells great!

I saw that Claire Sweeney documentary... who has an order of pasta with a side of chips, really ? She did blow-out big time, but the documentary had some good points, highlighting the ridiculous "Hollywood Size Zero" thing.

[Chillicat]

I didn't notice the pasta and chips bit!! She did go to town a bit with all the ice creams and things, but even so the huge amount of weight gain in just 6 weeks did surprise me. I typically come back from holiday a few kilos heavier - I remember coming back from India 5kg heavier after 8 weeks there, and I ate insanely because the food was so amazing. But my last big holiday (4 weeks in south east Asia) was amazing food wise too and I didn't turn into a giant heifer, so I reckon I should be OK this time. Mind you, there's the winter factor that might make a difference - muchos comfort food!

DOMS from hell today after a nice big upper body workout yesterday. Going to kill my lower body today, last chance workout stylee!

[Chillicat]

Hello from Morocco :wave:

Well, I haven't done a single bit of exercise (well, other than walk) in the last 2 weeks, am as fat as a pig from all the Xmas food in England, and now all the lovely couscous and things in Morocco.

I thought I'd try to completely rest my arm for a couple of weeks, and not even do a single push up or anything in the hope that it would sort itself out. But no luck so far :cry:

Ah well. Will get it looked at when I get back :nod:

Happy new year to everyone and enjoy the rest of your holidays!