I've combined both my existing blogs into a more all-purpose one and imported all my old posts:
https://worklifefamilyfitness.wordpress.com/
Come and join me!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Why the new SKINS ad campaign is sexist
What's wrong with this picture? Not a whole lot, you might answer. Think on it for a second, and now look at this one:
(photos are screencaps from the Skins website)
Still confused? I don't have a picture, but apparently the new print ad that accompanies the new women's line, running in magazines like Women's Health and Grazia, highlights our need to "hide our wobbly bits".
Whoa, hold up a minute. Am I buying shapewear - you know, those 'suck it in' undies and slips to smooth all those horrible wobbly bits and make us look more like a "perfect woman" without actually being any healthier - or am I buying performance compression sportswear? (Confession: I own shapewear. Part foolish vanity, partly my propensity to bloat due to food intolerances. However, that's beside the point in this particular case.)
If I were a man, obviously I'd be buying Skins for the improved recovery and purported performance benefits. Since I'm a woman, I obviously don't want or need strength and performance, I simply want to look better.
Actually, I am a woman and I am a runner, and I did buy Skins to improve my recovery times from long runs and tough workouts. Since I DO want strength and performance, I guess I'll be looking for a different brand of compression sportswear to help me meet my goals.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
This is NOT my week!
Last week was my week. I smashed my workouts every day, and ate well. Of course I did, I usually have three children and suddenly had none for a week!
I missed them, but this week they are back home, and back to school, and it's coincided with a busy week at my main job, and deadline rapidly approaching for my second job. Ho-hum. Not going so well.
On the bright side, we're heading down to Margaret River for a family weekend tomorrow afternoon - a 10km fun run on Sunday with some fellow Perth Crew members, and staying in lovely chalets until Monday morning, where the kids can feed animals and run about. Should be lovely!
I missed them, but this week they are back home, and back to school, and it's coincided with a busy week at my main job, and deadline rapidly approaching for my second job. Ho-hum. Not going so well.
On the bright side, we're heading down to Margaret River for a family weekend tomorrow afternoon - a 10km fun run on Sunday with some fellow Perth Crew members, and staying in lovely chalets until Monday morning, where the kids can feed animals and run about. Should be lovely!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Shopping!
My partner and I went and bought this tonight - it has 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12.5 & 15kg dumbbells on. I am not lifting the heavier ones yet, they are for him! We also got a compact incline bench that can easily be put away, so I should at least be able to improvise some decent workouts at home now (we have a barbell and plates, plus adjustable dumbbells but the dumbbells are such a pain to adjust when you're trying to do various exercises that require different weights), for days when I can't get to the gym.
After five weeks I'm finally starting to get the hang of doing weights, of feeling like I belong in the gym and in the lean and strong program. Yay!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Life is good.
I'm feeling happy today.
Another person told me that it was my pictures and my journey that had convinced them to join 12WBT. I am doing this for me, not for others, but it is gratifying to be thought of as a success story. I know this program works and I love it, but I'd be just as happy if someone said they had started exercising or started eating healthier food - I want all my friends to be healthy and happy*.
I'm sitting here in new size eight work pants, which fit without being uncomfortable. In January this year, when I sat down in size 14 pants it was uncomfortable and tight. My body has changed THAT much, and it's not just about a size on a tag, it's about no longer being bloated and constantly uncomfortable, it's about no longer having a waist measurement that puts me at increased risk of heart disease and other health problems. It's about being able to move around and lift things, like my children, without pain because I have a stronger core. (Although "without pain" is not always the case, I worked my triceps yesterday and they are a little sore today! That's good pain though, not pain that indicates a malfunction within my body.)
It's nearly time to finish up for the day and head to the gym where I am going to smash my legs and even brave the Smith Machine for the first time (that big rack thingy so I can put more weight on my barbell squats without taking my head off).
Life is good.
* Just a note - this does not always mean thin. You can be thin, unhappy and unhealthy.
(So I wrote that and didn't have time to post it before going to the gym. At the gym, I actually asked one of the trainers how to use the Smith machine, because I couldn't work it out on my own. This is HUGE for me. Smashed the set workout and then walked home for my extra cardio, had to walk fast to make it in time for the live feed!)
Another person told me that it was my pictures and my journey that had convinced them to join 12WBT. I am doing this for me, not for others, but it is gratifying to be thought of as a success story. I know this program works and I love it, but I'd be just as happy if someone said they had started exercising or started eating healthier food - I want all my friends to be healthy and happy*.
I'm sitting here in new size eight work pants, which fit without being uncomfortable. In January this year, when I sat down in size 14 pants it was uncomfortable and tight. My body has changed THAT much, and it's not just about a size on a tag, it's about no longer being bloated and constantly uncomfortable, it's about no longer having a waist measurement that puts me at increased risk of heart disease and other health problems. It's about being able to move around and lift things, like my children, without pain because I have a stronger core. (Although "without pain" is not always the case, I worked my triceps yesterday and they are a little sore today! That's good pain though, not pain that indicates a malfunction within my body.)
It's nearly time to finish up for the day and head to the gym where I am going to smash my legs and even brave the Smith Machine for the first time (that big rack thingy so I can put more weight on my barbell squats without taking my head off).
Life is good.
* Just a note - this does not always mean thin. You can be thin, unhappy and unhealthy.
(So I wrote that and didn't have time to post it before going to the gym. At the gym, I actually asked one of the trainers how to use the Smith machine, because I couldn't work it out on my own. This is HUGE for me. Smashed the set workout and then walked home for my extra cardio, had to walk fast to make it in time for the live feed!)
Monday, October 10, 2011
This is my week
... generally, if I am not blogging it is not a good sign! It usually means I feel guilty about something. ;)
The past few weeks haven't been that bad though; just really busy. I have been struggling badly with sugar cravings recently, so I'm going to try taking chromium, which is supposed to balance out your blood sugar and help combat sugar cravings.
Last week and this week are school holidays here in Perth. Last week was pretty chaotic childcare-wise, and this week was going to be worse, because my mother, who usually helps me out a lot with childcare, is interstate for the week. In the end we have shipped them off to the in-laws for the week, down past Mandurah, which is a couple of hours south of here. MIL and I don't see entirely eye-to-eye parenting-wise, but I know she loves the kids and will take good care of them and they will have a great time. I miss my babies, but that does mean this is MY week - I can get to the gym before or after work instead of having to rush through a workout in my lunch break. I can go for a run in the morning without having to factor in getting the kids ready before getting to work. I can cook just for hubby and me instead of working around fussy children. And okay, tonight we are going out to eat because we can. Vietnamese :) I am thinking fresh rice paper roll entree & something with heaps of vegies for a main. Nom nom.
The past few weeks haven't been that bad though; just really busy. I have been struggling badly with sugar cravings recently, so I'm going to try taking chromium, which is supposed to balance out your blood sugar and help combat sugar cravings.
Last week and this week are school holidays here in Perth. Last week was pretty chaotic childcare-wise, and this week was going to be worse, because my mother, who usually helps me out a lot with childcare, is interstate for the week. In the end we have shipped them off to the in-laws for the week, down past Mandurah, which is a couple of hours south of here. MIL and I don't see entirely eye-to-eye parenting-wise, but I know she loves the kids and will take good care of them and they will have a great time. I miss my babies, but that does mean this is MY week - I can get to the gym before or after work instead of having to rush through a workout in my lunch break. I can go for a run in the morning without having to factor in getting the kids ready before getting to work. I can cook just for hubby and me instead of working around fussy children. And okay, tonight we are going out to eat because we can. Vietnamese :) I am thinking fresh rice paper roll entree & something with heaps of vegies for a main. Nom nom.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Mini-challenge
So one of the awesome Perth Crew members threw down the challenge - 4km in 20 minutes using intervals. I like a challenge, and I can argue that this kind of running is not incompatible with Lean & Strong - it builds strength!! I hopped on the treadmill at the gym today, I'd done my maths, figured 1 min at 10 / 1 min at 14 would do it. Of course, it doesn't work that way because of all the time spent changing speed. I worked this out after 2 and a half minutes when I hadn't gotten to 0.5km yet! I bumped up the intervals to 14.2/11.2. 11.2 is about the pace at which I can run a half-marathon so I figured it was manageable.
DONE!
Today was core day on the program and I didn't neglect that either, did an Abs Butts & Thighs class before the treadmill, with lots of planks and crunches.
I am sore, but I can do this. I AM doing this!
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