Saturday, May 14, 2011

Wearing Body-shapers.

Today I'm going to share a few photo's taken during one of my visits to Holland and how I felt in my skin on that day.....

Hubby and I went to Holland for the 2nd time to see the famous Tulip show, which happens around this time of year, each year.....while there I wanted to meet up once again with my Dutch blogger friend, Marcelle....we share the same name, thats how we found each other in blogland.

At the time I had been on and off a few diets....being very strict and then eating everything in sight for a few days....I did manage to lose a little weight....Remember I married at 84kg's ( 185 lbs ) and during this visit 3 years later, my weight was 76kg's. ( 167 lbs ). I really felt a lot thinner at this stage, 20 lbs down...yet still far from happy as I was still overweight compared to the weight I was while teaching...
I remember on this day I was wearing a full *pull me in* body shaper underneath my top and capri pants. I didn't want any lumps or bumps to show around my middle area ~ this body suit keeps all in very nicely and gives one's middle a smooth appearance.
It was a hot day....and I was hot....I had all these extra layers on ~ what we do for vanity.....
I wanted to look * slim * that day....

I no longer wear body shapers.....I love being able to go without, so have given all mine away.


Thursday, May 12, 2011

Looking Back


One of the things I hated when I was overweight, was having my photo taken.
I liked my photo being taken, but only if I could * hide *
Take a look at all the photo's with this entry...
This was me hiding.
Always making sure I had someone, a pillow or something in front of me, hiding my big boobs and stomach!!

There are very few photo's of me where I can see my full body while carrying the extra weight.
I have either cropped the photo just above my breasts or have someone or something in front of me...Even having half of me covered like the photo below, I felt was better than showing all of me.
I know many overweight people do the same ~I know for me being a normal size all my life and then gaining so much weight over a short period, I just never ever felt comfortable in my body, and could not accept that this was going to be the new me....I remember crying many times when I took a hard look at myself in the mirror, wondered how I had allowed myself to get to this point weight wise....
Just over two years ago, I knew I had to lose the weight....I was reaching menopause, years where most women gain weight around their belly area and the older one gets the harder it is to lose the weight.
I tried to lose weight a few time, kept falling off the diet wagon...but one day I woke up and something clicked in my head.....once that click happened.....NOTHING could stop me....and still to today, two years later and while maintaining the weight lost, nothing can keep me off this journey.....I refuse to gain weight again....
Today I'm happy to stand next to someone without feeling the need to hide
Now thats such a good feeling....
A feeling I want to continue having...

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Then and Now

I was sitting having a look at the photo of myself taken at the race last Saturday and what I really loved seeing was the changes in two area's on my body.....My breasts and my arms....these where two area's I really hated when overweight. I could cover up the legs and hide the tummy, but never the breasts and arms...especially on those very hot days.
Looking at my journey I can honestly say I am so proud of myself....
where I started to where I am now
When my adorable hubby and I got married I weighed 82kg's ( 180.8 lbs ) I got even bigger after this....84kg's ( 185.2 lbs )
Look at my big arms and HUGE breasts.
Look at the photo's of me holding the flowers, I hold them in front of my breasts...I did that on purpose and remember saying to my sister, * make sure I have my boobs covered before you take a photo...my arm got so sore of holding my hand at that height for so long.
The photo below my sister took the flowers away from me...so could not hide....
Here you can see how big I was...my arms, my breasts ( which my hubby misses now )
My poor hubby looks so small compared to me in this photo ~ thank goodness its not like this anymore.

With my son.....
With my skinny sister....who is still skinny today!!!
She also eats clean and runs....
Here I am with my best friends from Cape Town....all skinny girls...
But...what shocked me was that in this photo and on my wedding day I was the fat friend...
I was not only their friend and their gym instructor for years, they only knew me to be thin.....what a shock it must have been so see me like this...
We were all thin together.....and in a month and a half I became the fat one.
I gained 10kg's in one month!!!!!!!!!!!! ( 22 lbs )
Honest truth.....When I stopped teaching something happened to my body....
I remember feeling as if my skin was going to tear as I got fat so quickly the skin didn't have time to adjust ~ was horrible...
I'm back to the me I remember...and to me personally, even better than before...
although 8 years older :)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

New Running Shoes

Last Sunday my hubby washed my running shoes and decided it was time for me to get a new pair as these are over a year and a half old.
He also knows that this brand of shoes are my favorite for the Forest and road runs.
When I ran in my road shoes on Saturday my feet burned the last 4km as road shoes didn't work on the trail sections of the route....whereas the Salomon's I can run on Trail and Road and have very comfortable feet.
So Sunday night my hubby sat on my new iPad and ordered me a new pair of shoes...
The only choice he gave me was the color!!!
He first went in and looked around, then showed me which colors he knew I would like.
As I've got Black and Blue Salomon's, I decided on the Grey and Pink this time round.
Before heading out for our run last night, hubby checked his Blackberry and said that the shoes should be here this morning as he had received a message from Amazon.de saying they had been sent...
As I had a run planned for 9.30am this morning I was worried I would miss the postman, so called my running partner and said ~ * Waiting for new shoes, can we go once they arrive *
Guess what....the shoes got delivered at exactly 9.30am this morning!!!
My hubby has many Salomon casual shoes, when he first introduced me to them I was very negative as a brand I didn't know in running shoes....Nike, Brooks, Adidas, Reebok, Asic Gel's...those were the brands I knew. The first time he wanted to buy me a pair, I said ~ NO ~ then months later he suggested again and I said ~ OK let me * TRY * ~ to a 112 Euro's a pair of shoes!!!!! ~ * TRY*
First run....I fell in love...wow....2nd run....loved them even more...now am totally hooked and will not buy anything else.
I have to say thanks to my hubby for introducing me to this brand....



Monday, May 9, 2011

First Organized Run Review


My first organized run...what a wonderful experience in many ways, I experienced lots of nerves, negative and positive thoughts all in one moment...

I entered the 12.4km and not the 5km as I knew I would be able to run this without any problems ~ so funny how the mind plays tricks on one....I started doubting that I could run this distance the night before....my lack of confidence started showing its ugly head....

We had to register an hour before the run was planned..
Getting there I really felt so out of depth as I had no idea where to go, I left it all up to my German friend and hubby...I just followed...and did what they told me to do!
I really felt like a newbie and that everyone around me noticed...which they didn't but its how one feels with anything the first time....you stick out like a sore thumb.

I went to the toilet so often before the run started ~ also made sure I kept drinking to keep hydrated...the temp was 27 degrees Celsius ~ hot after a cold week weather wise....
Before the run I noticed many of the runners were running around the track....I took it to warm up, but later heard it was to add km to their run....* crazy * but hey they are professional runners and know what they are doing and why!! Christine and I decided to walk around the track...once and then said...* Shade * as so hot....Christine started the 5km run 15 mins before my run started....with her run ahead of mine, it gave me time to focus on myself ...so another trip to the loo, another sip of water and into the group I walked. When I noticed all the men were standing in the front of the group I walked to the middle, where I saw women standing....I put my music on, put my finger on my Garmin to push start and waited....soon the gun went off and everyone started running...I heard myself thinking...
* Here I go *
The pace was so fast....I thought I would keep the fast pace till out of the stadium, but even there many started running past me, as I got out of the stadium and about to turn onto the road a father pushing a special running pram run past me...at such a fast pace....I heard he came in 4th with that pram ~ so that will tell you how fast he went...imagine without the pram his pace! Anyway....I decided to slow down as saw my HR was so high and already I was starting to feel as if I wanted to walk...( never walked once ) Before the 2km mark I started asking myself what on earth had made me decide to do this.....was I crazy....would anyone be disappointed if I stopped and admitted this was not for me...THEN...remembered my son's challenge to me and while running I could hear him saying to me * Go Mom, you can do this * ~ I heard my little granddaughter shouting * Goooooooooooo Nana * ~ I kept on repeating those words in my mind, their voices, their smiles ~ it got me over that bump....after that I never once had a feeling that I wanted to stop or give up...
There were 3 water points, the first one I missed, the last had a drop of water in the mug......most of the way I struggled with thirst...my mouth was dry, I kept licking my lips and when I finished I felt as if my lips were all white from all the licking.... I was hoping to see my hubby along the way with my water bottle...but of course with him not knowing my route he stayed in the stadium. The sun was not bothering me....there were sections of the route, the Trail sections where there was no shade and all open, those sections many of the other runners slowed down or walked a little, this gave me a chance to pass them. My feet were killing me after the 7km mark....the balls of both my feet were on fire. When getting dressed for the run I had to decided on my road running shoes or my Trailer Salomon's ~ thinking it would be all road I chose the road shoes...Mistake...road shoes don't protect your feet on Trail routes....
When I reached the 6km mark, I noticed that many were slowing down, I then changed the music on my ipod to a much faster beat and started going a little faster...knowing now I was half way ~ I knew I now had to repeat what I had just completed....
But also knowing that I become a better runner after 5km.....~ my confidence came back to me at that point....knowing I could do this....When I reached 5km and noticed my time was 29 mins, I got motivation to push knowing I was running at a good pace.
At the 8km mark I was comfortable in my faster pace....passing many along the way, each time I past someone I wanted to say.....* come on, you can do it * but told myself I was not a teacher on this race, I was a beginner runner....lol....I did think to myself * will you be able to keep this pace up....4.4km left to go?* When I got to 10km and saw my time was 1 hour....I was overcome with joy as my 10km runs are always Trail runs with lots of hills and time a lot more...this route was all flat, with a slight inclines over two little foot bridge...
I ran most of the run on my own....with people way in front or way behind me.....the last 2km I saw this man I had chatted to at the start, he was going at a fast pace, decided to push to catch him.....was difficult ~ no matter how I tried he stayed a head of me...he noticed me behind him at one point and turned around to give me words of encouragement....
I told him I was struggling as my feet were so sore...
He told me that I only had a km to go.....so to keep going...
He was still ahead of me...
I was pushing...and pushing...I wanted to get next to him or pass him.
As we entered the stadium he started speaking to me so slowed down his own pace
I got to catch up!!!!
When I entered the stadium we ran in together...he allowed me to go a little in front of him...at the end he told us he allowed me to go ahead cause I'm from Cape Town...and he loves Cape Town....had been there for a holiday 2 years ago for 3 weeks.

So thats my first run behind me.....
YES I will run a organized run again...20 June is our next planned run....and then my goal is do run a half marathon in September.....


Sunday, May 8, 2011

Review on my week.....in May 2011


I will do the review in my blog tomorrow on my first ever organised race...
Today the sun is shining and I want to be outdoors...
So a quick update on how my week went with my training....
The photo's with this entry was taken of me yesterday afternoon, just before Hubby and I went off to the sports club where the Run was taking place.

Last week....

I ran 41km's
Burned 4721 calories
Did 9 workouts
Friday was my one off day
Did 4 Kettlebell workouts
Taught 2 classes
Ran 4x