Tag Archives: fitness

Boot Camp: Fitness Testing & Progress!

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After a week’s break, the April boot camp sessions kicked off this morning. With more fitness testing!

My very first session as testing too – I wrote about it here. And I’m glad I noted my results, because it gives me a standard platform to compare my progress.

Progress indeed!

  • Beep test results: still ‘good’ (above average) per the normative data based on age and gender, but my specific score was a touch better than last time.
  • Push ups results: from ‘very poor’ (lowest score) to ‘average’ – an increase of ~10 push ups!
  • Lower body wall squats results: from ‘above average’, almost excellent, to ‘excellent’
  • Sit up test results: from ‘above average’ to ‘excellent’… by a fair bit.
  • Plank test results: ‘average’ – right in the middle of the ‘average’ band – no change.

After the last test, I mentioned that I was going to focus on my upper body and core. And I certainly feel like I’ve improved – though my planking results don’t show it.

Next focus will be on my mental stamina: got to improve those planking and wall-sits times! Maybe crack 60 sit-ups, too?

The Things We Do For Love

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20130408-211406.jpgOh, the things we do for love (and to rock a bikini)!

Tomorrow has an early start – not only does boot camp start at 6am, but I’m planning to run/walk/zombie-shuffle my way there, across the other side of town. It’s not far… only about 6km, and I’ve walked home in under an hour before, but I don’t want to be too tired before I even start the boot camp session (Boxing – yay!).

Thankfully, work has a coffee machine that even I can use. And it doesn’t even taste foul! *

*just not particularly nice sometimes.

It’s Not You…

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Dear Gym

I like you.  A lot.

Sometimes I feel we should take it to the next level, but I don’t think you’re cut out for that.

Our little break over the last month or two actually went surprisingly quickly.  You were always at the back of my mind – some might say that I missed you, but the space gave me a little more perspective.

This relationship of ours… it’s a little too… comfortable.  Where is the passion?  The sweat?  The burning desire to see you from the time I wake to the moment my head hits the pillow at the end of the day?

I’m sorry, there’s no easy way to say this:  I think I’ve found something else.

It’s my reason for getting out of bed in the morning, more than an hour before you used to sneak into my conscious.  It gets my heart pumping straight away.  If I’m being honest, it’s very physical.  I’ve been moving in ways I didn’t know I could.

I’m sorry, really I am.  I thought what we had was good – but my eyes have been opened to this whole new world.  I wish you could join me in this part of my life, but I think we’ve just grown too far apart.

Don’t cry.  Please, understand that it’s not you, it’s me.

I’ve moved on, and we’re just not as compatible any more.  You’re a fantastic gym.  Really, you are.  I have every confidence that you’ll make another girl very happy.

Can we still be friends?  I’d like to hang every now and then – we can have some quality time when it’s raining.  Winter’s coming up – we’ll probably see each other every now and then.

Thank you for understanding.

Love,
Amy

Teeny Weeny…

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… yellow polka dot bikini.
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I bought my first bikini.

It’s not yellow. But it’s definitely a lot smaller than any swimwear I’ve ever owned. Teeny weeny even.

For $8 I picked up a mottled blue/red string bikini as a goal for next summer.

Out of curiosity, I tried it on when I got home. Holy heck guys – it fits! It’s an Easter miracle! Okay, it doesn’t look good I have a lot of work left to do. But I will do it.

I’ll be wearing it on the beach next summer.

Apple Crisps

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What do you do when the supermarket has apples on sale at 99c/kg? A heck of a lot of baking, that’s what.

What can you make that’s a lil’ healthier than the usual muffins and pies, and will keep a ill’ longer if you need it to? Apple crisps!

These babies are tasty, and oh-so easy to make. Best of all – they only take two ingredients: apples and cinnamon. Conveniently, they are two of the tastiest ingredients in my cupboard.

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First steps first, pre-heat your oven to 110 degrees Celsius (or 225 degrees Fahrenheit, if you are so inclined). Line a baking sheet with baking paper (I ran out and had to use tin foil… Not ideal, but it worked) and get ready to manhandle chop your apples!

You want to core your apples and slice them into really thin slices. I didn’t have a coring thingee-ma-bob, so I sliced them first them cut the icky core bits out afterwards. My slices were a little too thick too – try and get them as thin as possible. And even slicing is your friend… You don’t want the pieces to be wildly different sizes.
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Once you’ve got enough slices, lay them out on your baking sheet. You want to leave a little bit of room around each piece so they’re not over lapping (this will help them dry-out quicker).

Sprinkle your slices with a bit of cinnamon, or in my case, a lot. And toss the tray into the oven.

You will need to leave them in for an hour, flip them over, and then pop them in for another hour or so – until they’re dry and crispy.

Remember, you’re really just dehydrating the apple, rather than baking it per se. If they’re browning (like some of mine… Sort of hidden in the below shot), they’re more than done and they won’t have the perfect texture or taste. So, ummm… Yeah, don’t do that.
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Expect them to morph and buckle slowly – that’s a good thing – you are removing all the moisture after all.

If done properly, these babies will last a while – but you’ll probably eat them well before then.

They’re yummy on their own, or dip them in the teensiest bit of yogurt for a mouthwatering combination. The hard part will be telling yourself to stop.

So – think you’ll try it?
Can you think of any other healthy recipes for making the most of my apples?

Meal Replacement Shakes – Yes or No?

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Yesterday, the last flakes of cereal fell out of the box and into my breakfast bowl. Topped with the slightest smidge of milk, the breakfast was the perfect balance of crunchy and being moist enough to not spur a coughing fit.

Cereal is my go-to in the mornings. It’s quick, easy and I can eat it in the office when I’m checking my emails before my day really starts. But according to Jeff, keeping that up will be yet another step closer to being diabetic by the time I’m 35.

That’s less than ideal.

His solution? Steak for breakfast.

Hey, I love steak as much as the next carnivore, but it doesn’t quite fit with the ‘quick and easy’ gig – does it?

“No, no, you go on – I’ve just got to hang back and cook this steak – yeah, really, you go, you don’t want to be late for work”. Nothing like the smell of red meat to make you gag at 7 in the morning.

So – in a round-about way – that led me to protein shakes and meal replacements…

Obviously not an ideal source of all your daily nutrients, but what is everyone’s thoughts on these shakes for a quick breakfast? I’m thinking of opting for a meal replacement for weekday mornings - especially on days when we have boot camp before work. On a trial basis at least.

But I’m curious – What are your experiences? Do you have any brands/products you’d recommend? Or, warn against?

Does it really keep you feeling full?

I see a lot of posts where people mention the protein powder as an addition to smoothies and such – is that a better way to go?

Proper nutrition… It still short-circuits the mind at times…