Louisa's Weight Loss Blog

As I’ve said before, 2011 is the year for exercise for me! If you sit in front of a computer all day in an office then you are very likely to have what is called a sedentary lifestyle, so in simple terms you aren’t moving around enough!

When you work at a desk all day it is really hard not to want to eat. I personally feel as though my mind is active but my body is bored… so I want to eat, regardless of whether I actually need to or not! In most jobs, it can be very hard to follow a calorie controlled diet as your brain needs proteins and fat (not saturated, good fats!) to fire on all cylinders. If you don’t consume enough calories then you may find it incredibly hard to concentrate and focus properly on your work. Nobody wants their pursuit for health to impact upon their ability to do their job, I am sure!

This is why it is so important to exercise, whether you choose to do it in the morning or in the evening.

The DVD I am reviewing today is Tracy Anderson’s Mat Workout DVD.

This DVD can be done alongside a cardio routine as it focuses on the typical feminine problem areas: arms, legs, bums and tummies.

The DVD aims to help give you a toned body and Tracy is adamant throughout that we don’t want to bulk up, we want to be tight and toned – like a ballerina. With that in mind, I was pretty keen to get started as one of the reasons I have been cautious with targeted workouts in the past is because I absolutely do not want to get big muscles and end up looking scrawny and veiny like Madonna. I have long arms and legs so if I were to bulk up I believe I would look strange and distinctly unfeminine. After watching this DVD for the first time I felt really optimistic about developing slim and toned limbs and felt keen to continue using the DVD.

Using the DVD you will be working smaller muscle groups which Tracy calls “strategic muscle exhaustion”, you’re telling me! The muscle workouts are really hard but they are completely do-able. The arms section is pretty incredible and hurts like crazy but you will get used to it as you use the DVD more often so don’t be disheartened if you can’t hold your arms as for as long as Tracy does in the DVD because you will get there.

You need to wear loose-fitting clothes or leggings as the leg workouts require a certain degree of flexibility. During the legs workout you will need a dining room chair with a high back to help you balance so bear this in mind before you start working out in your spare room. I found my hips clicked and cracked a lot at the start which was uncomfortable so it is a good idea to do a short cardio workout before starting this DVD.

The pros of using Tracy Anderson’s DVD

I thought this DVD was really great, there are loads of sets of movements that you don’t really see anywhere else and I really feel as though I may have made a bit of an exercise DVD breakthrough.

The cons of using Tracy Anderson’s DVD

Tracy doesn’t talk you through the moves enough so when you’re new to the DVD you really have to watch her and this is hard if you’re craning your neck to see the tv screen or if you haven’t tied your hair back. To see the best results, Tracy says you need to use the DVD 6 times a week. It’s really hard to throw yourself into an exercise routine as it is and I really feel that as soon as it becomes a chore you will tire of it and ultimately fail. In my opinion, I think that fitness newbies should build up to the magic six times a week otherwise the DVD will be making its way to the nearest charity shop.

Conclusion

I really like this DVD, it’s hard work but easy enough to follow. I’m not sure doing the DVD 6 times a week to start with is a great idea if you have a short attention span, but over time, it would be easy to incorporate into a daily routine. I feel really positive about the results I might be able to achieve with prolonged use and recommend this DVD to anyone looking to tone their body and look more Natalie Portman in Black Swan rather than Madonna.

This week has been really hard going as I have found that it is very hard to attempt to do such an intense workout on a daily basis.

I usually find exercise extremely difficult as in my experience, far from any endorphins being released, I actually found myself experiencing terrible mood swings after running. During this challenge, I haven’t experienced mood swings and instead of feeling exhausted and irritable, after exercising on the Versaclimber I’ve felt able to carry on with my day without throwing any china mugs at the wall. I don’t think I can credit the Versaclimber with banishing my post-exercise grumps though!

I’ve tried to do much shorter sessions on the days I’m not attempting to register a time for my challenge. This keeps me motivated as exercising doesn’t feel like a chore anymore.  Like with most things, if you don’t feel like you want to do them then you’ll do a rubbish job or eventually quit.

This week, I managed to do the full 1/4 mile (1320 feet by my calculations) twice. This is a noticeable improvement on last week when I had to attempt to complete the challenge in sections which was a little embarrassing to admit. I’m much more proud of this week’s results!

Thursday: 20 minutes 55 seconds

Sunday: 19 minutes 36 seconds

As I have weak knees, I do try to take shorter steps (about 6inches) as it eases the pressure on them. Swollen and red knees at the age of 24 are just not sexy! I’ve also found that listening to music makes a massive difference to my stamina otherwise after 5 minutes I’m bored and focusing on the ‘burn’ and how I dislike feeling out of breath and sweaty.

What I will say now is that if you’re new to using a Versaclimber, don’t attempt to go for 20 minutes at a time because when you try and walk normally, your legs will feel like jelly and the chances are, you’ll fall over like I almost did!

I wonder what next week will bring!

I’ve been a bit lax with the Versaclimber lately. I could make excuses about how much I’ve been working lately and how tired I’ve been. I’ve not felt this exhausted since I had chronic fatigue in late 2007 and most of 2008 but with a bit more effort, I could probably manage it. Nope, I have an hour between when I get home and when Jonny comes home.  Instead of putting some time in exercising then, I lie on the sofa watching repeats of Friends on E4 and cuddling with our new pet rabbit, Stewie. Before anyone asks, we do not have any intention of putting him in a stew.

I could easily pop the radio on and forget about how hard my body is working before putting dinner on. Having a goal and people relying on you can certainly help with the motivation so the people at Versaclimber have given me a new challenge – how much can I improve my time climbing 1/4 mile over one month. Bearing in mind that after 100 feet my quads are feeling the burn, 1320 feet is certainly going to be a challenge.

Week one: Stewie has chewed through the wii sensor bar wire so I can’t use the wii fit to weigh myself. I deliberately don’t keep bathroom scales as I’d torture myself over daily and monthly fluctuations. I will have to judge my weight loss by how my clothes feel. At the moment, the verdict is tight and uncomfortable. My size 14 jeans are comfortable and I can’t even get my Kate Moss jeans up to my bum. Yuck.

Like I said, as I’ve been so tired this week I’ve only been using the Versaclimber for two minute bursts during the adverts on the days I’ve had time to watch tv. I thought that eight 2 minute burst on ‘step harder’ settings would prepare me for trying to register my first 1/4 time. Boy, was I wrong!

Saturday: The Versaclimber was staring at me and I knew I had to give it a go eventually. So I procrastinated and cleaned the house. At 6pm I knew it was time to attempt my challenge so I shut Jonny and Stewie out of the bedroom and climbed up on to the Versaclimber and realised that trying to use it for more than 4 minutes is bloody difficult!

The Versaclimber is designed to make you work hard  as you are essentially working against your own weight. Because you’re working so many muscle groups so hard, you’re burning off loads more calories than you would doing 30 mins on a treadmill. I know which I’d rather do!

I lasted 4 mins 30 seconds (covering 320 feet) before my quads were burning and I had to take a break. After a short recovery time, I got back on and managed another 150 feet but felt like a complete failure for not doing 1320 feet. I felt like I’d worked harder than I’ve ever worked in a gym and when I walked my leg muscles felt a very good kind of strange.

Sunday: Determined to try and register a time for the 1/4 mile I put some music on this time and I am pleased to announce that I managed to use the Versaclimber for the whole 1320 feet in three sections. I did the first 500 feet in 7 minutes 18 seconds, the next 500 feet in 7 mins 9 seconds and the final 320 feet in 4 mins and 59 seconds. That is a total of 19 minutes and 26 seconds. I’m hoping that over the next week I can manage to do the whole 1320 feet in one go rather than in chunks and a bit quicker. Wish me luck!

So I’ve been using the Versaclimber most days for the last month. I’ve lost 5lbs this month just from exercising  more.

If you have sedentary lifestyles due to your career, it  may be best to address your exercise routine before you reduce your daily calorie intake. Not eating enough can slow your brain down and leave you struggling to concentrate, which is why I am suggesting dieters look at exercising before cutting calories intake, especially if you feel your diet is already fairly healthy.

I went to a gig with my sister a couple of weeks ago and as we danced, clapped and cheered one thing I noticed was that the tops of my arms or ‘bingo wings’ weren’t wobbling anywhere near as much as they used to. Now, I am technically only just overweight rather than fat and certainly have never been obese so my arms have never been a part of my body that I’ve paid much attention to but boy, have I noticed the difference.

Anyway, as I’ve seen some promising results, I thought I would share the technique I have been using on the Versaclimber.

My arms feel firmer and I spend roughly 10 minutes a day on the Versaclimber, broken up into 2 minute bursts. I have been alternating my work outs by adjusting the machine so I work slower but the result is that I feel like I’m stepping through treacle or I can work faster and get my heart racing but make the stepping easier.

Using the Versaclimber with the backs of your hands facing you (as demonstrated in the image to the left) you will work your biceps.

If you turn your arms around so that your palms are facing you as you use the climbing machine, you’ll work your triceps. Nice change from having to do ‘dips’ to lose bingo wings!

Versaclimber - an intensive bit of kit

So I said 2011 was the year of exercise, well here is the device that is giving me a fabulous kick start – the Versaclimber.

Because of the involvement I have with looking into the best weight loss methods, I have been loaned a Versaclimber to use and review.

As I work from home at the moment, it’s been really handy to have an exercise machine kicking around. I’m too busy to trek down to the gym, work out for 30 mins to an hour, shower and trek back.  Realistically, that is going to take two hours out of my day and cost me £50  ($80) a month plus the cost of parking three times a week. Like a lot of people who work hard for a living, that is a lot of time and money to invest in your health and fitness when all you want to do after work is rest of the sofa with a glass of wine (red of course for the antioxidants!) There really has to be other options.

Having a Versaclimber at home means I can take 5 minute breaks throughout the day and have intensive bursts on the machine. I find it re-vitalises my mind and helps me to re-focus on my work. It also doesn’t take up too much room which is handy as we live in a modestly sized house with very little space to spare.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be blogging about my training programme and the effects working out on the machine has on my body. I won’t be using any other bit of gym equipment as I’d hate to skew the results.

How did time go so fast? It doesn’t feel like that long ago I was blogging for Total Chunk every day!

In the last six month I have started a new job, had some b****** crash into my car and Jonny and I bought our first house! It’s been a stressful time and in October/November 2010 I went on a popular low calorie diet with disastrous results. It’s all very well reducing your calorie intake but you need to eat enough of the right foods to allow your brain to function. I could barely concentrate, I was dizzy and felt nauseous most of the day. I was grumpy and struggling to sleep. This was no way to live – I’d be a crap anorexic!

So I lost half a stone in a month which was great… except I couldn’t keep my diet up and keep my job. It’s generally accepted that you need to be of use or ornament for someone to pay you to turn up to the office everyday and unfortunately, I was neither.

I was also stressed about purchasing our house and to keep our home running, my job ticking along and get everything in place for the mortgage company and the solicitors then adding on diet and exercise was too much and I admit that myself.

We finally moved in to the house just before Christmas and in January I started yoga classes (new post coming soon!)

For me, 2011 is about exercise.

Every woman wants to feel like she is special and beautiful. When I started to put on weight, to be perfectly honest, I know that I wanted to become invisible. My nice clothes didn’t fit any more and I didn’t want to buy larger clothes as I was convinced that I’d be back in my sexy jeans in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, life gets a bit ahead of you sometimes with long hours at work or social commitments offering themselves up as the perfect excuse to say ‘diet starts tomorrow’.

I’ve been having a look around at the plus size clothing market and I’ve found a website that I want to share with fashion-loving Total Chunk readers.

Simply Be has a really great range of dresses from sizes 8-34 (US) or 12-38 (UK).

The great thing about dresses is that they fit where it matters and still look good whilst your weight is fluctuating. Skirts and trousers can have unforgiving waist bands that dig in when you’ve had a bad week or fall down when you’ve had a good week. One of the problems with being a girl is that our weight naturally goes up and down depending on what time of the month it is. This is why as an adult I’ve become a fan of dresses.

Purple dress $67 from Simplybe

I’ve found a cracking dress that is perfect to wear to the office and won’t break the bank.

I really like this dress as the purple is lovely and rich hue which not only say ‘don’t mess with me’, it is a welcome move from black clothing that a lot of women feel helps them become invisible.

The dress is well structured with a band around the waist to help emphasise your waist.

As the dress cuts just below the knee, it shows off the shape of calves. Worn with heels, this is the kind of outfit that will make you forget about your weight battle and realise that you can still be fashionable and sexy when carrying a few extra lbs.

A few weeks ago I had a stroke of good luck and came in to a bit of money at a casino. I gave myself a small shopping budget as I’ve not had much time to shop and not really had the spare money to revamp my wardrobe as I’d like. The first thing I bought was a pair of Fit Flops. I was going to opt for the cheaper Walkstar range at £36 but I figured I might as well shell out a bit more for the pair I actually like!

Fit Flops - £50 from John Lewis

I bought the silver sequinned Fit Flops from the Electra range from John Lewis for £50. I did consider the studded ‘Rebel’ Fit Flops but at £60 for a pair, I had to draw the line somewhere!

What do Fit Flops look like?

Looks-wise, the fit flops are rather chunky but the more expensive designs are worth picking if you want to wear your Fit Flops to work and want to look a bit smarter. I’ve got scary-looking skinny feet and ankles so on me I look like I’m wearing someone else’s shoes!

The Electra range come in black sequins, white/iridescent, gold and bronze so you can always colour-coordinate your Fit Flops with the outfits you would normally wear. The makers of Fit Flops also do shoes for men and children. Fortunately for those who want to try Fit Flops but can’t get along with toe-posts, there are other designs that have the same microwobbleboard technology so deliver the same results. The clogs are discrete but not exactly to my taste but there are open-toe sandal versions for men which are particularly good looking for summer. In women’s there is the ‘Rockstar Walkstar’ shoe which is a flip flop style encrusted in Swarovsky crystals. These are only available from Harrods though.

What do Fit Flops feel like?

My Fit Flops are incredibly comfortable. This is because the sole of the shoe is thick so when your heel strikes the ground it is well padded. You’d think that flip flops that are meant to give you a ‘workout as you walk’ would hurt but to begin with I wasn’t really sure they were working as I walked. I only noticed the difference between Fit Flops and normal shoes when I took them off. They are certainly very comfortable to wear and even if they didn’t do what they claimed, I would be happy to wear them but rather resent the price.

Do Fit Flops really work?

According to the Fit Flop website, their shoes do the following:

• Ease back strain
• Ease pressure on the knees and ankles
• Improve your posture
• Improve muscle tone

Fit Flops incorporate microwobbleboard technology – this basically de-stablises the body as you walk working your calves and bottom more than you would if you were walking bare foot or in normal shoes. The pressure on heels, ankles and knees are relieved as the wearer walks. After wearing the Fit Flops regularly, you should notice your calves are slimmer and bottom firmer. No studies have been officially conducted on people who are overweight but those who do have weight problems and purchased a pair of Fit Flops have reported that pressure on their knees and ankles has been a relief and as a result overweight Fit Flop wearers have been more mobile and able to start their weight loss journey in earnest.

Conclusion:If you don’t mind spending £36-£80 on a pair of Fit Flops then they really are comfortable enough to warrant the price. Like most women, I have cellulite and the appearance of it makes me feel rather sick if I catch sight of my bottom or thighs in the mirror. After two weeks of almost constant wearing of my Electra Fit Flops, my bottom looks slightly less dimpled but I would imagine you would have to wear them for that much longer to see a real improvement without energetic gym visits.

I bought my Fit Flops from John Lewis as they sell a great range of styles and colours of Fit Flops. They also do free standard delivery on orders over £30 which is pretty handy.

I am so sorry that Louisa and I have not been updating recently, but thank you to everyone who has still commented on previous posts. Glad to know you’re still reading us.

Activities to raise money for charity are a great motivator to get your fitness up to scratch. Having found myself in a bit of a fitness rut and eating more junk and going to the gym less, I knew I needed a longer term kick up the bum than the vague fear of ‘bikini season’

So I’ve signed up to do Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK. It’s a women only race of 10k or 6 miles if you’d prefer. It focuses more on finishing the race rather than a huge competition, but I am determined to run it in under 1hr and 15 mins even though people can finish it in under and hour, I saw it happen when Louisa ran the same race a couple of years ago.

This is a huge deal, as I’ve decided to run it in memory of my Grandfather who died of cancer last year and I want to raise £250 for him and during the last of his life, I was not happy in my work and my life and I know that this hurt him and I want to show him now that I am by achieving this. I can’t let him down.

Signing up to an activity as such for charity means you are not going to want to back out and on those days that you really don’t feel like training, you’ll remember why exactly and get your bum out of bed. I know that with every bite of junk food I eat or every day I put off going for a run, is more unnecessary pain that I am going to feel on the day of the race.

Right now, I have devised an 8 week plan that will see me add more and more distance until I hit 10k the week of the race.  Running 2.5k to start with as I am used to running 1.5k in my usual gym sessions. I do interval training which is a minute on and a minute off on intervals of 6mph and 8mph although I am trying to extend the amount of time that I run 8mph and that I am always moving and don’t stop.

The most important thing when you are running is to stretch properly so that you don’t get that offputting muscle pain the day after. Stretch each muscle for a count of 30. Warm up for a good few minutes. I warm up for 5 minutes on the cross trainer, upping the difficulty level every minute and then stretch my leg and arm muscles, front and back and sides. Don’t be put off by the fact that you see people in the gym rarely stretch, they’re the ones who are going to hurt the next day.

Another thing is to keep your resistance training up. Running is an excellent fat burner, but doesn’t exactly do wonders for the shape and tone of your bum or arms. Trust me, get a resistance program in twice a week, I am now squatting and doing arm weights like never before. This is how you achieve that lovely lean shape that runners have.

Hopefully, you’ll stay with me throughout my training and I’ll update regularly on my progress. I’ve got another run planned for later so will look forward to that.

If you want to have a look at my sponsorship page in the meantime here it is: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/ameliahastings

I would never be so forward as to ask for sponsorship, but if you want to donate, I would be hugely flattered by your support. Your support by joining me in this race or joining your own activity for charity would mean so much to hear about your own journeys.

Aloe Vera Plant

If you’re a bit squeamish about bathroom visits, probably best to give this post a miss! I won’t be graphic but I know not everybody is comfortable discussing it!

I don’t mind admitting I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). It must be a family thing as we all seem to have it! Anyway, about 2-3 weeks ago, somebody suggested I start taking aloe vera tablets to help ease my symptoms e.g. bloating, cramps, constipation etc. The results have actually been fantastic and I was benefiting soon after taking my first tablet.

I have been taking the high strength tablets (one a day) and at first, I’ll admit I was skeptical – you put aloe vera on your boo boos, not in your mouth! I’m going to the toilet daily instead of twice a week, my stomach is flatter because I’m not bloated and uncomfortable after lunch and I don’t appear to be retaining water like I used to. This is a common complaint for women, particularly at ‘that time of the month’.

I can’t make any promises that this is for everyone and if you are already on medication for other ailments then do speak with your doctor before you take any supplements.

All I can say is that Aloe Vera tablets have made a massive difference to me. I didn’t change my diet and I’ve not done any exercise in the last 2 months as life has been rather busy! If only I had considered earlier that my final few lbs to lose were down to IBS and it could be counteracted with a simple table, I would have tried this yonks ago!

Funnily enough, I was able to wear my ‘target weight’ jeans last Friday with no gross hip and belly over hang. This I consider to be a small victory and I fully intend to continue taking the aloe vera tablets for as long as I see the benefit.