Delicious DOMS

Yes, my muscles are sore though not as sore as I was expecting.  I'm pretty glad about that as I have to go stand for 3+ hours at the Babyshambles gig this evening and I didn't particularly relish the idea with severe muscle aches.

It's going to be Mr JAG's first experience at a Peter Doherty/Babyshambles gig so I am really hoping he enjoys it.  It will be my 5th time so I know what to expect and I have warned Mr JAG about the almost certain crushing, jostling and beer throwing.  It's not really a Shambles gig if you don't come away soaked in beer.

Here comes a gratuitous Peter Doherty pic spam - just because!

Yes, I love him and I would have his babies!


I normally take my camera though am often too scared to take any pictures for fear of it getting soaked but I will try my best to get some decent pictures and maybe a video or two tonight. 

It's going to be a bittersweet gig for me because Lisa, who I am also going with, and I always phone my lovely friend Jenn from any Peter/Shambles gig and let her listen in on a couple of songs.  As you may remember, Jenn died in July but she was a  massive Peter/Babyshambles fan.  Sadly, she couldn't get to many gigs when she was alive but we all did get together to see Peter play at the Royal Albert Hall.

It was an experience I will never forget and it all the better because I got to share it with Jenn.

I miss her everyday and can't begin to imagine how hard it is going to be for her family having their first Christmas without this amazingly vibrant young woman - I love you Jenn!

I'm sat at work at the moment but thankfully, it's only for an hour or so.  Then I'm off to brave the crowds in town whilst I finish my Christmas shopping - eek!  I still have so much to get, I am extremely unprepared this year! 

Tomorrow, I am off for a run in the morning so will be hoping for frost.  I love running in Winter when the air is crisp and the ground is hard - it's so invigorating.  After that, mini JAG & I are making truffles, cakes and coconut ice to give to our neighbours as Christmas gifts.  Then for the rest of the day it will be darts and footie - a perfect Sunday!

What are everyone's weekend plans?  Come and share them with me!  Are you all ready for Christmas or have you left it til the last minute as I have?

Hit the weights...

...tonight and boy, did it feel good!  I'm really glad I waited until I was back to full health before training again, my weights were mostly the same as last time but my reps improved on most of the exercises.  It was quite funny training in vest and knickers, seeing Mr JAG standing behind me trying not to letch while I was doing my squats lol! 

My weights, with the reps I did last time in red:

Squats: 25kg - 12, 12, 12 (12, 12, 12)
Good Mornings: 35kg - 8, 8, 8 (25kg - 12, 12, 12)
Barbell Row: 30kg - 8, 6, 6 (8, 6, 6)
Barbell Bench: 25kg - 12, 8, 6 (8, 6, 6)
Upright Row: 20kg - 8, 6, 6 (8, 6, 6)
Tricep Extension: 15kg - 6, 6, 6 (6, 6, 6)
Bicep Curl: 15kg - 10, 6 - only did 2 sets as arm hurt (8, 8, 6)

I need to increase my squat weights next time as 25kg is just too easy.  Going to go up to 35kg and see how I get on.  I was really pleased to increase my good morning weights - they are one of my favourite exercises.  I only managed two sets of bicep curls as barbell curls really hurt my left arm - I'm going to switch back to dumbbells next time.

I suspect I will be suffering with some DOMS over the next couple of days but Mr JAG & I are hoping to get out for a trail run over the weekend.  We've both really missed running - me because of my illness and Mr JAG because he is not getting home in time to run before it gets dark and he can't run the roads because he suffers with his knees.  So, we are both really looking forward to a nice leisurely run through the nearby woods at the weekend.

Food has been amazingly delicious today though my fat intake has been higher than I would prefer.  I'm not overly fussed though as I have managed a day of good food with no junk - hurrah!

B: Porridge made with skimmed milk, scoop whey, grated apple, cinnamon & flaked almonds
S: 125g Carrots with 50g houmous
L: 3 scrambled eggs with 2 mini slices linseed rye bread
S: 150g Greek yoghurt with 80g raspberries & 80g blackberries
D: Home-made Chilli con carne (no rice)
S: Protein shake (post workout)

Drinks: 1.5L water, 7 cups green tea

Calories: 1942
Protein: 150g (31.1%)
Carbs: 131g (25.5%)
Fat: 93g (43.4%)
Fibre: 30.6
F&V: 9.2 - woohoo!

Exercise: Full body weights

It's good to be back - oh yes, it is!

Christmas meal report

What a fabulous afternoon we had!  As usual, we were the noisiest group in the pub and we had attracted the manager's attention pretty much as soon as we had sat down.  What can I say?  We're all pretty loud anyway but involve alcohol and look out!

I ate 3 courses and drank 2 LARGE glasses of wine but it was so worth it!  I had garlic mushrooms with salad to start, followed by 8oz steak with chips, peas, tomato and onion rings, followed by cherry bakewell cheesecake.  AMAZING!

Afterwards, I had to go home and lie down.  Mini JAG came home from school and we lay on the sofa and watched Home Alone 2.  At 6pm, we all went to watch mini JAG's school Christmas concert and it was such a lovely evening.  It was so nice to see all the parents there supporting their kids and supporting the school.  Half the hall was filled with school kids and I remember last year thinking "oh god, they're going to spoil it" but as usual, they were behaved impeccably.  They were all there clapping and cheering and supporting their fellow pupils and I thought it was really lovely.  There is some serious talent at my lad's school - singers, musicians, dancers - one girl has auditioned for Britain's Got Talent so it will be good to see how far she goes.  Her voice was very good, with some training to learn how to control it, she could be excellent.

Mini JAG wasn't taking part in the concert this year, though he did last year.  He said afterwards though that his music teacher had been trying to convince him to take part again so he has agreed to next year.  He is a drummer and he has got so good over the last 12 months, so he is going to work hard and keep practising so he can play drums next year.  It's good for him to have a goal to work towards.

I haven't weighed in today as I normally would as after all that food that I put away, I don't want to see a false gain on the scales.  I did weigh myself after not logging food for over a week whilst ill and I hadn't gained anymore weight so it's still that pesky 5lbs.  However, I'm not going to stress about it now, I'm just going to focus on maintaining over Christmas and then get back into arse kicking mode in the New Year.  It will be nice to start the New Year without having over 3 stones to shift!

Christmas meal

We always have a night out from work for Christmas.  Last year, we only went to Bar Sport but it was such a fab night - a 3 course meal, music tribute band and a disco.  We all got pretty sloshed and I recall shoving my face into my colleagues breasts, asked why they were wet, only for her to tell me she had just been sick down herself - lovely!  The beauty of being drunk though is that I didn't care! 

Well, this year, we have been really slack and haven't booked anything.  So, we are off up to the local pub after work at 1pm for a meal and a few drinks - what better than getting pishty in the afternoon?

Then at 6pm Mr JAG & I are going with mini JAG to his school's Christmas concert, so I have to watch what I am drinking, especially as I am taking strong pain killers for chronic lady pains - grrrrr!

I didn't work out lastnight as I still felt a bit bleurgh but each day I'm feeling better and better - I just wish the cold would dry up now, I'm sick of sniffing!  If I'm not too drunk tonight, I will have a go at training - my body has missed that battered feeling from a good session.

Food yesterday was good, though I ate porridge for breakfast and dinner.  I had to go out after work so didn't get home until almost 7pm - porridge was all I could be arsed to make.

B: Porridge made with skimmed milk, grated apple, cinnamon and scoop whey
S: Carrots with houmous
L: Ham & salad sandwich
S: Greek yoghurt with raspberries
D: Porridge made with skimmed milk, coconut, scoop whey & flaked almonds

Drinks: 1.2L water, 8 cups green tea

Calories: 2040
Protein: 142g (28.4%)
Carbs: 184g (34.7%)
Fat: 81g (36.9%)
Fibre: 31.9g
F&V: 7.1

Exercise: None

I decided, after reading about it on the forums at My Protein to try out the Greek yoghurt from Lidl.  I always buy the Total 0% Greek yoghurt but it's so damn pricey and I eat so much of it, it was costing me a fortune.  I do regularly use quark instead which is a bargain at 61p a pot, but I do love my yoghurt. 

The Greek yoghurt from Lidl is only £1.95 for a 1kg pot - bargain!  I tried it yesterday and was so very pleasantly surprised - it's delicious!

The nutritional values are different - it's lower in protein than the Total yoghurt but I figured as 9 times out of 10 I add a bit of whey, it wasn't a problem.  It's also full fat rather than fat free but I don't mind that and it is lower in carbs.

If you are looking for a cheap tasty yoghurt without loads of crap added to it, I definitely recommend it!

Almost back to full health

thank goodness!  The worst cold I have had in a long time is finally on the way out.  I guess the silver lining is that it could have been flu and it could have hit me over Christmas.  As it is, it's out of the way and I will be all better by the time Christmas day is here.

I'm feeling so much better, I've almost finished my antibiotics, my chest isn't as sore and my ears aren't agony any more.  If I continue to feel this well all day, I am going to hit the weights tonight.

Exercise is the one thing I have missed the most whilst I've been bad, not only because I love it so much but also because it helps to keep me on the straight and narrow with food - no exercise means I get slack with my food choices, which has happened on occasion over the last week or so.  The good thing is, I haven't gained any weight and a colleague actually asked had I lost more weight yesterday - phew!

I have a busy weekend planned.  This year is the most un-prepared I have ever been at Christmas so I have to get into town and finish my Christmas shopping.  Then, Saturday night, I am taking Mr JAG with me to go and see my beloved Babyshambles play at the O2 Academy in Birmingham with my buddy Lisa.

Sunday will have to be spent wrapping presents and writing Christmas cards.

I'm also super excited as the Darts World Championship starts on Friday - woohoo!  The start of the darts is the start of Christmas for me and mini JAG and we watch it every year without fail.

Christmas week is going to be lots of fun as mini JAG and I are doing some festive baking.  Every year, I buy a christmas boquet for a couple of my elderly neighbours but this year, we have decided to make something for them instead.  We are making chocolate truffles and decorated fairy cakes so that should be interesting!

Anyway, I have to go and get ready for work. Sorry for the rushed blog entry but I wanted to write before I went to work so that you all didn't think I had given up!  Thanks for all the good wishes, you're all lovely!

Still alive

though I have felt like I was dying for the last week.  I've had the most horrendous cold and sore throat and I haven't had the energy to do anything, never mind sit and blog.

I thought I was getting better yesterday but as the day wore on, I started to feel bad again.  I was having pains in my ears that by lunch time were constant so I nipped in to see the doc (one of the perks of working for my GP!) who checked my ears for me and promptly wrote me a presciption for some antibiotics as I have an infection in both ears.

My chest is also extremely sore and it hurts when I breathe in.

All in all, I'm crap at the moment.  Suffice to say, no exercise has been done - I've not even felt like it, but if I had, I wouldn't even have the strength to lift a 5kg dumbbell at the moment.

Thanks to everyone that has sent me emails checking to see if I am ok, it's so lovely of you.  I am not ignoring you, I'm just hardly spending any time at my computer at the moment but I will get back to you all once I am back to full health.

Hope you are all ok and getting into the Christmas spirit - 2 weeks today!  Woohoo!

Bleurgh

I feel really crappy today.  I thought it was just down to DOMS as my entire body feels like it has been hit with a sledgehammer but I think maybe I have a cold on the way.  I've not stopped sneezing for the last two days and my body isn't just aching, but it feels heavy and lethargic.  My throat is starting to hurt and I'm exhuasted.

Thank goodness it's the weekend!  Only 40 minutes left at work, then I'm going home, eating something warm and comforting, getting into my pj's and not moving from the sofa for the entire weekend!

Have a good one people!

A new addiction

Hello, I am JAG and I am addicted to bagels.

Every time I do my food shopping, I just can't resist them.  I love them even though the majority of the time they make me bloated.

I normally buy the New York range but I am extremely disappointed with their cinnamon & raisin bagels lately as there is a severe lack of raisins in them!  So, lastnight when I popped into Asda, I saw their freshly baked bagels which were £1 for four.  I chose the cinnamon & raisin and the onion & garlic - AMAZING! 

Now they are sitting in the cupboard and I am having to fight to not go in there and eat them all!

I weighed in this morning half a pound lighter so I am very happy, particularly as I ate so much indulgent food on Saturday and also drank wine.  I didn't log calories at all that day and the rest of the week, I have been over my allowance.  Added to that, I trained yesterday and it's normal for me to retain a pound or two the day after training so any loss was a bonus!

My colleague asked had I lost more weight and said my mid section is looking noticeably leaner - that's something a girl always wants to hear - hurrah!  I'm not sure if it actually is, I've not measured in a while so I think I will measure when I weigh in next week.

Food today has been pretty good apart from the bagel invasion!

B: Porridge made with skimmed milk, coconut, scoop whey, blackberries & pecans
S: 130g chicken
L: 200g spicy chicken breast, 100g mixed beans, mixed salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, red onion & peppers
S: Onion & Garlic bagel
D: Homemade chilli
S: Cinnamon & Raisin bagel

Drinks: 2.4L water, 7 cups green tea

Calories: 2004
Protein: 160g (32.8%)
Carbs: 203g (39%)
Fat: 61g (28.2%)
Fibre: 31g
F&V: 7.2

Exercise: Rest

I've been aching like buggery all day and have got worse as the day has gone on.  My hamstrings & glutes are pretty sore from lunges & good mornings yesterday and my core is agony which is great considering I didn't work it directly - it's good to know my workout is hitting it.

My upper back and shoulders are also painful and my arms are quite tender - in fact, my entire body feels like it's been battered.  I do love the feeling of DOMS though, it's such a satisfying feeling.

Depending on how sore I feel tomorrow, I may do my 3rd weights session after work.  If not, it will be done on Saturday and I will run on Sunday.  I've not ran for a few weeks and I really do miss it so it will be good to get back out there, especially now the crisp air is here - I love running when it's freezing cold. 

Random keyword search for today is:

nakd wimn

I imagine he/she was severely disappointed to find my blog raving about nakd products!

Realisation

Reading various message boards over the past few days, I have noticed people talking about New Year Resolutions.

Every year for possibly the last 10 years, my resolution has been to lose weight.  I would spend the first half of the year losing weight and getting in shape, only for the second half of the year to be spent re-gaining it all and more.  Come Christmas, I would be so miserable, feeling fat and frumpy at Christmas parties, jealous of slim women looking amazing in their gorgeous dresses that I would vow to lose weight from January 1st.  And on the cycle went.

My realisation today is that this is the first year that I am actually slim for Christmas.  This is the first year that I actually give a damn about what I am putting into my body. 

I recall this time last year, at work, I was scoffing down mince pies, 2 at a time, with extra thick double cream, my mid morning cuppa would be accompanied by half a dozen biscuits, come the afternoon, a tin of roses/quality street/celebrations would be open on the end of the desk and before I knew it, my bin would be full of sweet wrappers. 

The rest of the Christmas period was the same:  More sausage rolls than I care to remember, pork pie, quiche, crisps and dips, ice cream, christmas cake, christmas pudding, cheesecake, baileys and mulled wine...the list goes on.  And the reason?  "It's Christmas".

It's no wonder I was so overweight!

This Christmas will be a lot different and I will be so much more restrained.  I'm not going to completely deprive myself of all the festive foods on offer but will limit them to Christmas day rather than from 1st December to 31st December like I normally do, and even then, they will be kept to small portions rather than scoffing down half a cheesecake after Christmas dinner, followed by mince pies and cream and a bottle of wine!

This year, I won't be making any resolutions on December 31st.  I will be happy just carrying on as I am doing now and staying healthy.

Will your Christmas be different this year?  If so, how?  Are you making any new year resolutions?

Things I like about working out at home #1

I get to train like this:

Yes, in a tatty old vest top, grey Betty Boop knickers, bed socks and trainers.  I'd never get away with that in the gym!  I took  that pic post workout which is why my legs look HUGE! They were still quite pumped!

Poor Mr JAG is still aching too badly to train tonight so I took advantage of my early finish from work and did my workout when I got home.  I'm still aching a little myself, though not enough to justify postponing my workout, but I definitely fatigued a lot quicker than I normally would.  My back and shoulders were especially aching a lot and they are even worse now.

My routine had to be tweaked a little but I really enjoyed it.

Warm up: 5 minutes of body weight squats, plyometric lunges, high knees, incline push ups and jumping jacks. 

Dumbbell lunges: 12kg - 16, 12, 12
Good mornings: 25kg - 12, 12, 12 (Will go up 5kg next time)
Chin Ups (Negatives) - 6, 6, 4
Flyes: 6kg - 10, 6, 6
Military press: 15kg - 8, 6, 6
Close grip bench press: 15kg - 8, 8, 8
Concentration curls - 6kg - 8/8, 8/6. 6/4

Unusually, my right bicep felt stronger today and I couldn't manage as many reps on my left arm as I could with my right. 

My negative chin ups were pathetic (though I can still do 2 full ones - yay) but my back was really tiring very quickly, probably due to the fact that it was still aching from Monday.  My entire body is feeling pretty battered right now so I will be suffering with some major DOMS tomorrow.

Tomorrow is weigh in day and I am hoping to have shifted some of the 4lb I have gained.  I'm only set for half a pound loss and have eaten a little over my allowance most days (because I'm a greedy mare!) so even if it is just half a pound, I will be happy. 

Food has been good today and I have the rest planned out for later so I may aswell do my food post now:

B: Porridge made with skimmed milk, grated apple, cinnamon, scoop whey & pistachios
S: 135g tikka marinated chicken breast
S: 2 chocolate fudge babies
L: Wholemeal flatbread with 100g tuna
S: Nakd bar - cocoa loco (pre workout)
S: 1 scoop protein shake (post workout)
D: Chilli con carne

Drinks: 1.4L water, 6 cups of green tea

Calories: 1792
Protein: 154g (35%)
Carbs: 163g (34.8%)
Fat: 59g (30.2%)
Fibre: 26g
F&V: 5.5

Exercise: Full body weights


Random keyword search for today:

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