Gingerjo’s Blog

I’ve passed my latest OU course - SK183. I ‘m a bit disappointed that they don’t give you a grade though - you just get a pass. Then there’s some notes that say how you did in each question - I got three ‘achieveds’ and three ‘well achieveds’ whatever that means. Give me a percentage damn it!

Anyway, I’m not allowed to do any more OU courses until I’ve finished this bloody awful CIM Diploma. So maybe never then. I’ve been really lazy with it again - I’m so stupid. It’s rather faded into the background now I’m on this health kick. I find it difficult to undertake more than two major activities at once (ie working and not eating). But when I get back from holiday I’ll have most of a week to try and catch up some. Time will tell though - I’m sure I’ll find more pressing things to do that will help me avoid studying towards it. It’s amazing how interesting housework becomes when there’s studying to do.

I wondered what all the fuss was about omega-3. It’s always on adverts and stuff, but none of them ever really say why you need it. Well I discovered today - apparently it’s really important for your brain to function normally. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors got about 50:50 omega-3 and omega-6 fats, but these days we have a massive imbalance, consuming vastly more omega-6. There is some evidence to suggest this is one of the reasons for the increase in ‘brain’ diseases (both physical and mental) these days.

Eating lots of oily fish provides lots of omega-3 and might help combat stress and improve memory and concentration. There are only two drawbacks: a) oily fish is oily and therefore high in calories ie it’s fattening; b) you can’t have more than three portions a week if you are pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant (which I’m not at the moment, but I might be in the next few years) - I think there’s something (a heavy metal?) that accumulates in the fish due to pollution which is bad for the foetus.

I like tinned mackerel and herring (especially in tomato sauce) which a big juicy salad so that’s good. I can eat lots of oily fish. I like smoked mackerel too. And salmon. Not keen on sardines though.

But then you see I feel guilty about over-fishing… You just can’t win!

Well, I’m a bit disappointed this week - I’ve only lost 0.5lbs. Still that’s still better than a kick in the teeth. Next week though I’m on holiday and it’s just pointless trying to work out points when you’re eating out all the time. I guess I’ll just have to try and minimise the damage.

I’m still tired out from all the exercise. It feels good at the time, although I’m struggling to do more than 30 mins cardio after the weights. I’m trying to vary the cardio machines - using two different ones each visit for 15/20 mins each. I’m not at the point where I can run yet though.

It’s my legs that seem to be suffering most - it’s not that they ache - they just feel stiff and a bit leaden. I’m hoping this will stop once my muscles have had time to grow a bit. Perhaps a week off from the gym will give them the chance the need to develop and when I get back they’ll be raring to go?

Hurray (hopefully) we’re off to bonny Scotland on our hols next week. We’ve booked hotels in Glasgow, Oban, near Loch Ness and in Northumberland (yes, I know the last one’s in England!). I dare say the weather will be horrible, and we’ll get soaked to the skin, multiple times, but at least we’ll be doing it somewhere that isn’t here. I really need to get away from, well, not Manchester, it’s Bolton that I’m sick of.

I am really worried about the diet though. I don’t see how I can do it while I’m away, not properly anyway. Scotland isn’t well known for salads, especially not in the winter. In Britain, salads are generally poor quality and overpriced in pubs/restaurants, and I can’t really take a few tomatoes and a bag of spinach with me. And I certainly won’t be able to go to the gym either so I’ll lose momentum there too. I’m really quite concerned that if I stop I’ll never get going again. Hopefully Mark will force me.

Well I’m doing it, but I can’t say I’m digging it. My personalised plan tells me to do about 40 minutes of weights followed by 30 to 45 minutes of cadio-vascular exercise. I’m finding the weights quite enjoyable and have found that I can lift more than I originally thought, but I’m struggling with the CV workout afterwards. I’m managing 30 minutes only most nights on nearly the lowest settings - there’s nothing left in the tank after that and I’m all wobbly. Still it’s early days yet and in a few weeks I’m sure it will be much less tiring.

I’m not hurting afterwards really though. I’m a bit stiff the next day sometimes and I feel tired all the time, but I’m not in any pain. I know it will get easier, I just wish it would hurry up!

This week I’ve shed 2.5lbs making an official total of half a stone. Take that tummy!

I’m so tired though, and I’m cold all the time. My body is definitely trying to hang on to those calories. I guess the time of year doesn’t help.

I’m not generally hungry though, which is great. I seem to have adjusted quite well to the new diet. Basically I’ve cut down on pasta, bread, rice and noodles (I’m having much smaller portions) and instead I’m eating vast quantities of salad, lots of fish, fruit and veg. I’ve had to cut out crisps completely though which is the hardest thing. I do love crisps. But I can still have beef jerky so it’s not all bad. I feel better for it I think.

Mark’s still being very supportive, although he’s not sure what I can eat and what I can’t or how to cook it. We’d normally share all our evening meals, but I can’t really have a lot of the meals we’d normally eat (or at least not enough of what I’d normally eat to fill my tummy) so we’re having to make a lot of adjustments. It’s taking a lot of organisation and planning but it’s worth it.

This week I’ve lost 1.5lbs. I was a bit disappointed with this until I took the margerine out of the fridge and weighed it. Actually 1.5lbs is a helluva lot.

I’ve also started going to the gym and I’m not too stiff after my exertions. I remember it hurting a lot more last time. I had my ‘one-to-one’ last night so I’ve got a personalised plan for all the bits of equipment I have to use each visit and what settings to use. I really hope I remember how to use all them all - there’s about 12 different ones I need to use and at the moment they all look the same.

I’m disturbingly feeble though. Pretty much I’ve got to use them all on the lowest setting, indeed one of them I can’t use because I’m not strong enough - I have to use the smallest dumb bells they have until I’m strong enough to use the machine. I feel so pathetic. But not for long …

I’ve officially been dieting for 1 week (although it’s 2 unofficially). I lost 3lb this week. I’m very pleased with that. Only another 51lb to go.

I seem to have got the hang of it this time. Although I’m keeping the world’s salad growers in business, I’m also eating stuff I really enjoy - potato wedges, fish pies, stir frys, pasta. I think last time when I did WW I was too heavily influenced by my time at Slimming World which was the first diet I ever really did. I’d got too used to the idea of cutting certain foods out completely that I wasn’t making the most of my points. Now I’ve discovered I can have almost anything so long as I know how much of it I can have. Obviously some things are best left untouched eg Smoked Salmon Taramasolata (which I love but it’s really high in points), but if I really wanted half a tub of it that much I could have it, so long as I was very strict the rest of the day.

Mark’s also enjoying the diet. Largely he’s eating the same as me, but with whatever extras he fancies. He can sit and munch on toast or sweeties as much as he likes, although he doesn’t do it in front of me, which is nice. He seems happy to support me, and I have a nasty feeling he’ll be packing me off to the gym regularly if he thinks I’m not going often enough. Still, I do need a good kick up the bum sometimes so perhaps it’s for the best.

Well, I’ve joined the gym at £36 per month. I was meant to have my orientation (induction) as well, but I got massively stuck in traffic (I was only going 2 miles, but it seems everyone else was as well). I’m doing it tomorrow morning instead. So I’ll have to psych myself up for it all over again…

It would be nice if fitness centres only charged you for the facilities you use - I only want to use the gym - I don’t care about the classes or the swimming pool, I’m never going to use them. But, at least I didn’t have to pay the joining fee (which would have been £100) - at last, I’ve gained some benefit from working in education.