Hi
guys.................... I know that it has been a while and I am sorry.
My life has been pretty chaotic over the last few months and this blog
was low on my list of priorities. I know that sounds quite selfish,
but that's the way my life has been!!
I have still been seeing Kenny once a week, and working out hard, however
the rest of my life has been affecting my success. It seems that every
time I get back in the saddle, something comes along and knocks me off.
To start with, my sciatica problem has never quite gone away and is
constantly niggling. Because of this, kenny has been restricted in what
I am able (or willing) to do. It has knocked out the treadmill, bike,
and rowing machine. I am risking being back in excruciating pain if
I attempt any impact exercise. This has made Kenny's job harder than
it should have been. However, Kenny can always find a way to make me
work up a sweat!!!
Usually in the form of my new favourite piece of equipment - yup - the
cross trainer!! Who would have believed it? The one machine that I used
to avoid like the plague and whinge about every time he made me get
on it for more than a few minutes has become my best friend. I don't
know why I hated it so much.................
Anyway as I said - every time I get back on the saddle, something comes
along to knock me off.
My husband and two children were spending three weeks in Australia at
the beginning of July - BLISS! or so i thought. I booked a week off
work in the middle of that time so that I could concentrate on myself
and my training. I decided that this would be my new start! HA HA HA
HA!!!!
No sooner had Mike flown away, than his dad (who is widowed) was taken
into hospital. I spent the next three weeks racing up and down to the
hospital. I often had to be there three times a day! It was exhausting.
Not only that, but while he was in the hospital, I spent days cleaning
his little flat from top to bottom. I wont go into details here,but
it was hard labour!! I also had to wash, dry and iron his clothes every
day! He only had one pair of PJ's so I bought him another two pairs,
but I ended up still having to collect them every morning and bring
them back in every afternoon!! It was so exhausting, the only time I
managed to get to the gym was for my weekly session with Kenny! And
my nutrition was apalling. I was eating all of the wrong things at all
of the wrong times. I knew this but still could not stop...........
I was feeling sorry for myself...........
Once Mike came home, he took some of the weight off my shoulders, and
I fell ill with a terrible upset stomach. This lasted for a few days
and put paid to any gym sessions that I had planned. But that was July
taken care of - and no progress for me. You know what they say - The
best laid plans.....etc etc!!
Come August, I decided to start again. However, as soon as that plan
was put in place -along came illness to knock it out again. I contracted
a kidney infection and had serious pains in my lower abdomen and back.
Not to worry - a course of antibiotics soon took care of that - but
it meant that I was unable to enjoy my gym for a few days and I had
to miss a session with Kenny.
I made a fresh start a week later - and guess what!! I only managed
one session and my infection was back . I had to get another stronger
course of antibiotics - but again, my gym sessions were not as effective
as they could have been due to the pain.
Are you feeling sorry for me yet?? Dont worry if you are not, I was
feeling sorry enough for myself. When I went back to the doctor to get
the results of some tests, he told me that i had been diagnosed - with
e-coli!!! Can you believe it? No wonder I had been miserable and in
pain!! This diagnosis explained the upset tummy and the two kidney infections!!
At this point, Kenny advised me that I would soon be having my 100th
session. Not sure about you, but it feels like i have been working out
for so long that my 100th session must have passed already. I remember
when I first started this getting fit thing. If anyone had told me I
would still be here after 100 sessions, i would have laughed. I dont
remember ever sticking anything out for so long before. Maybe the reason
for sticking with it this time is because of Kenny and his belief that
I can do it. As I have said many times - he has believed in me more
than I have ever believed in myself - and i will never be able to thank
him for that.
Now we are in September................................
My 100th session was today - and it should have been a time of great
celebration, but it did not work out like that. I know that over the
last couple of months when my attention to my nutrition has been appalling,
I have put on weight. I have not stepped on the scales, but I dont need
to do that to know that my clothes are not fitting as well as they have
been. I estimate that I have put on maybe 4 or 5 kg!! I know that is
disappointing, but it is not enough to make m give up. I will not put
on any more. My head is now in the right place again - I have a defined
medical reason for my illnesses and I am recovering nicely from that.
My sciatica is never going to go away so I am also learning to live
with that - and work my exercise around it - with help from kenny of
course!
Kenny gave me a beautiful card and a lovely gift to remind me of my
100th session as he is proud of me. I want to make him even more proud
of me and I can do this by being good to myself and my body by paying
attention to what I eat.
So here I am. Ready and willing. However September will hold a few challenges........................
first of all, I am going on holiday for a fortnight. I am hoping for
14 days of sun and relaxation - although Mike has told me that i will
be in gym at the hotel on a regular basis as he wont be going by himself.
And he plans to throw me in the pool for a few lengths every day - maybe
even twice a day....But you all know what holidays are like.................
good food....lazy-itis etc.
When I come back from my holiday, Kenny is away for a week.........
So after my session this Saturday, my next session with Kenny will be
on Sunday 5th October.....
YUP - October..... can you believe it??
Hopefully, my holiday will be good for me and I will be able to relax
while also working out and eating good food.
I am reluctant to say this, but my plans are to make a huge effort between
now and the New Year and to have another New Year photo to be proud
of. (If this works out it will be the only plan all year that has worked
out)
I am sorry if this blog has been a little bit self indulgent, but people
have been asking me what i have been doing and I felt it was time you
all had an update!! It is probably not what you were hoping to hear,
but it is the truth. The good thing is that i am still here and I am
still trying (some would say very trying) I am only human after all
and I am not as perfect as I might have thought I was.
The important thing for me is that I am back in the right frame of mind
and determined to succeed again. I know this is a lifelong battle,but
with good friends, a supportive family and a personal trainer who is
always forgiving and encouraging, I can't fail.................can I???
Speak to you all again in October when I plan to have some better news
to report.
Monday
7th July
Hi guys - hope you
are all well and enjoying the summer holidays. This update should really
have been written on Saturday however I was out on Friday night until
the wee small hours of Saturday morning and had to change the time and
day of my session with Kenny. I am off work this whole week and plan
to have a few sessions in the gym though............... ( the best laid
plans etc...)
I have had almost
two weeks off the gym as i was suffering from a terrible bug that floored
me. I had the shakes; a fever; stomach pains and aching bones - EVERY
bone. I thought I was in for a bout of the flu........... Thankfully,
that was not the case, but I slept most of the following few days and
could not drag my bug ar*e to the gym for love nor money.
Because I am out
of routine, I went to the gym yesterday to break myslf in gently before
Kenny got his hands on me today.
I managed to survive
2 x 20 minute sessions on the cross trainer with some stretches in between.
This was all I could manage and I was quite proud of myself.
This morning, Kenny
was too happy for my liking - I had no idea what he had in store for
me but I was looking forward to it. He did not disappoint....... we
started off on the cross trainer (surprised? - I wasn't) Only 5 minutes
to warm me up and then i was led over to the free weights. We worked
on my arms and upper body - as Kenny pointed out my bingo wings! That
made me feel good - lets face it, what else do women like to be reminded
of on a Monday morning???
Once we were finished
on the weights we did some press ups and some stretches on the mat before
we did it all again - starting with the cross trainer. I am not quite
back to the weights that I had been doing a couple of months ago, but
I am getting there.
After a third round,
Kenny felt it was appropriate to finish off with a 5 minute session
on the cross trainer to cool down..............I guess I wasn't quite
the right shade of purple for him at that point so another torture session
on the cross trainer was essential!!It felt great to be back in the
gym and I am looking forward to having a few extra sessions this week.
I am back with Kenny
on Saturday morning and will report back to you then..
D