On to the next

Quick Operation Abs update: Two weeks in. No bread, no pasta, no rice, no chips, no Desk of Filth [edit - I wrote this post before I ate a packet of peanut M&Ms yesterday. I fell off the wagon, but I've been punished with a gigantic spot]. And it's surprisingly easy! I did have to extend PT's list after about 5 days to include prawns, avacado, beetroot and, um, lobster (I took Ma for a lobster birthday lunch, but kindly donated the accompanying fries to Al), but I've managed to stay away from all things flour and sugar with minimal pain/tears/tantrums. I see no abs as yet, but it's been said that I'm feeling noticeably less squishy in areas (said by Al, I hasten to add. Not a lot of other people comment on my squishiness). I just need to step up the exercise and I'll be there in no time.

But Operation Abs isn't what I'm here to tell you about today. I want to introduce you to my new fitness challenge. A marathon.

Now, before you get all 'WTF are you doing that for?!' in the comments box, let me clarify. I will be walking this marathon.

On 14 May, Team Freeney Sweenstone (that's myself, Charlotte and Gemma) will be taking part in the Moonwalk London - a 26.2 mile walk around London, starting at night and finishing (hopefully) in the early morning. Oh, and we're doing it in bras. Why? Because we want to raise money for, and awareness of Walk the Walk - grant making charity not only dedicated to raising money for vital breast cancer causes but is also passionate about encouraging women and men to become fitter and healthier and take control of their own wellbeing.

I'm going to be honest with you here - I've done no specific walking training for this yet. I'm not entirely sure how to slot 5/10/20 mile walks into my current life/work/fitness schedule. But fear not, I will come up with an answer, and when I do, I'll let you know. Also, if any of you have walked the Moonwalk or similar before, and have any training advice for us, I'd love to hear from you!

In the meantime, if you'd like to sponsor our little team as we walk a combined 78.6 miles in 7 hours or less, the magic of the internet allows you to do so here.

Inspiration

The Nike Woman. She may not be a pro athlete (although they are among them), but she pushes her body to the limit. She is strong, she is fit, she is fast. She doesn't care what the scales tell her. She doesn't care about looking a hot mess when she works out. She will not stop until she's sweat-soaked.

She is my inspiration.

She is fearless.

She is my hero.

She is who I want to be.

She is who I will become.

Dear diary: The results

Oh, that PT is a crafty one. Just when I'd forgotten about my food diary woe, he pounced. There's nothing like an email about the state of your diet to wake you up first thing on a Monday morning.

As predicted, he wasn't happy:

"Ok so from what i can see the current diet is not looking too good. Its fairly low calorie but not too high in quality nutrients missy!" (that's me told)

So, here's the plan:

"These are some basic food and liquid sources I would like you to follow for now... they are definitely not the most exciting but definitely are the most effective and HEALTHY!" (I took the caps to mean that my current diet is far from healthy)

The basis of my Operation Abs diet:

• Oats (gah!)
• Broccoli 
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Mushroom
• Celery
• Cabbage
• *Confession* I've eliminated cauliflower from this list as it's vile
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Chicken breast
• Water
• Peppermint tea
• Soya milk (only with breakfast - so long coffee, sweet nectar of life)

So far, so good (the coffee habit is getting a little out of hand, it needs to be stopped). But where's the bread? The pasta? The quinoa? The couscous? Where are the god damn carbs?! Obviously they'd be limited and brown, but they need to be there, right? He must have forgotten. How else am I supposed to construct a meal? I mean, when I think up an outfit, I start at the shoes and work my way up. When I think up a meal, the carbs are the shoes.

A gentle reminder about the missing carbs elicited this reply from PT:

"Nope, stay off those lovely carby items totally please."

*Right now, I'd like you to imagine a montage of pretty things while I edit out my bitter, sweary diatribe about how unnecessarily mean he's being*

I've never tried to cut carbs from my diet before, mainly because I didn't think I'd be able to do it. But for the purpose of Operation Abs, I need to look at this differently. It's a new way of eating, a new challenge, a chance to see my body change again. And if I do it all properly, it won't take forever.

I can totally do this, but I need your help to make it enjoyable. Can you think of any yummy things I can make out of the things in that list up there? If so, please let me know! Also, if any of you lovely readers want to do join in with Operation Abs, please do, I'll need the company to keep me going*.

Operation Abs is go!

*Duties may include removing me from the bread and baked goods aisles of supermarkets at 3am. 

Scales aren't our friends

 Flickr image from ILoveVerdi's photostream

Alright, I'm going to confess something. I get really confused when people talk about 'losing weight'.

How many times have we heard friends/mothers/sisters/celebrities saying "I just need to lose five more pounds..."? Why does that woman in the gym jump straight on the scales after a spin class and moan about not having lost any weight? I have to work really hard to stop myself from yelling "Ignore the damn scales!" across the changing room. Why does weight rule all?

I haven't weighed myself in over a year, but not because I'm super-comfortable with my body and I don't care about how I look - believe me, I do.  I just don't care about that number on the scales. Because who the hell cares? What does it matter? People looking at me are taking in my size, not my weight. I'm pretty sure that if I weighed myself now, I'd be looking at a figure not too far off the last one I saw on there. But I know my body's changed - my waist is smaller, my legs are firmer, my arms are more toned and my stomach is flatter (the ab challenge is by no means complete, but there's less squidge that there was). If I let weight be my only measurement of progress, I wouldn't be half as happy with how far I've come.

That doesn't mean I don't know when things are getting a little out of hand. The telltale signs: my jeans are a little tighter, the evil muffin-top shows signs of returning and my boyfriend is overjoyed that my boobs have returned. When those things happen, it's time to cut back on the pulled pork sandwiches and treats from the Desk of Filth and step up the running. No need to consult the evil numbers - I know what needs to be done.

The thing that really upsets me is seeing women who work really hard (and drop dress sizes in the process) left disappointed in their efforts because the scales aren't telling them what they want to see. Everyone tells them how fantastic they look, but they can't see past the needle on the scales.

So, ladies - and gents - I'm begging you. Please ignore the scales, they are not our friends. Listen to - and look at - your body, it'll tell you all you need to know.

Dear diary: Day 3

Rejoice blog readers! The last day of the food diary is upon us! I didn't post this last night because I fell into a meat coma after dinner... oops. But look at it:

Anyway, here's how day 3 went:

07:00 - 2x slices toast with peanut butter
07:30 - 1x white coffee, 2 sweeteners
10:30 - Plum
12:30 - Last night's spaghetti leftovers
         - 1x bunch red grapes (I did NOT eat these all in one sitting)
         - 1.5 litres water
19:30 - Pulled pork sandwich on focaccia bun, mixed salad, potato wedges
         - 1x glass lemonade


My 3-day diary is now in the hands of PT, and I expect something along the following lines:

• Do not, under any circumstances, touch the Desk of Filth
• Eat something else for breakfast (he has, however, been told that I'm not too keen on milk, so porridge is out, and I'm not making it with water)
• Stop drinking coffee (this will be met with tears and violence)
• Snack on something that isn't an entire bunch of grapes
• Drink more water
• Stop eating pulled pork sandwiches (no can do)

I'll keep you posted!