Getting fit feeling healthy

I have started the long journey of getting myself in shape. I have had to approach this in a methodical way because of my borderline bipolar I need to make sure that my positivity is always in tact first. So I joined a gym a few months ago and I try to go 3 times a week but I would ideally like to go 6 days a week as I love doing the cardio workout on the cross trainer. I don't think I have lost any weight which is somewhat annoying but I'm not going to let it get me down as I feel better for going and that is all that matters to me. So I am looking at what I eat as I don't eat well, by that I mean I never eat breakfast and tend to snack late at night when on productions. I have started taking raspberry ketone which should help you feel full and that seems to be doing what it is supposed to but now I feel bloated all the time and sluggish so not sure if it is working as it should be. I have only been on them for a few days so will see what happens. I am excited about this new journey I am on but I am also apprehensive as I don't want it to effect my mental health which I have taken so long to get back on track. So my motto on this journey is going to be keep trying and keep happy. As long as I do both of those I am sure I will eventually succeed.

First girly holiday................ Ever

As I write this I am sat in my Spanish apartment waiting for the weather to clear so us girls can hit the beach. It is a grey cloudy day, much like it was yesterday. Except today there is little rain. It's nearly 11am Spanish time and I'm waiting. We are 4 days into our holiday and although I did get myself all upset on the first day here I am really enjoying my first girly holiday away. It is hot, there is no doubting that but to be able to relax on the beach and not have to worry about what the kids are doing is amazing. To be able to read quietly and not be pressured by time or have to do anything is just want I need. So if you haven't been on a girly holiday then I would recommend it. Go have fun.

A weekend of Shakespeare

Today I am recovering from an amazing weekend of Shakespeare. It started Saturday afternoon when I say my grade 4 LAMDA exam and performed my Duchess of Gloucester speech from Richard II. Which after all the fretting went well. It wasn't amazing but it went well. Then Saturday night a few of us from Abingdon Drama Club went to see Didcot Phoenix Drama Group production of Loves Labour Lost as a fellow ADC member was playing the part of The Princess. She was fantastic but having seen the play in Stratford when I was in college it just didn't make it in my eyes. It was a good production, don't get me wrong there were some actors that were really good but it was too mechanical and didn't have the emphasis in the right places in some parts and the fake laughing because that is where the audience should be laughing was getting on my nerves ever so slightly. It was still a good night out and I did enjoy it. Then on Sunday afternoon me and my family went to see A Midsummers Nights Dreams and it was lovely. Some parts again I was left thinking "Why?" But overall it was lovely. The thing that I liked particularly about this production was that it was outside and I love open air theatre. We saw Macbeth last year and that was very good as well. So from Richard II to A Midsummers Nights Dream I have had a weekend of Shakespeare. A fantastic weekend. 

Saville

So I decided that while I was away I needed to do some sort of travelling. It's what I would normally do if I was on holiday with the family. So after some debate I settled on saville. The place where oranges come from. This is a coach journey, a guided coach journey and it meant I had to be awake and outside a certain hotel by 7:40am. So I set my alarm for 6am and managed to get myself sorted without too much trouble. Usually I'm not good with coaches or any vehicle that I am not in control off myself. Thankfully I was not travelling alone and had Sally with me. At €39 you could not argue. So I am looking forward to my forgein adventure.

A weekend of Shakespeare

Today I am recovering from an amazing weekend of Shakespeare. It started Saturday afternoon when I say my grade 4 LAMDA exam and performed my Duchess of Gloucester speech from Richard II. Which after all the fretting went well. It wasn't amazing but it went well. Then Saturday night a few of us from Abingdon Drama Club went to see Didcot Phoenix Drama Group production of Loves Labour Lost as a fellow ADC member was playing the part of The Princess. She was fantastic but having seen the play in Stratford when I was in college it just didn't make it in my eyes. It was a good production, don't get me wrong there were some actors that were really good but it was too mechanical and didn't have the emphasis in the right places in some parts and the fake laughing because that is where the audience should be laughing was getting on my nerves ever so slightly. It was still a good night out and I did enjoy it. Then on Sunday afternoon me and my family went to see A Midsummers Nights Dreams and it was lovely. Some parts again I was left thinking "Why?" But overall it was lovely. The thing that I liked particularly about this production was that it was outside and I love open air theatre. We saw Macbeth last year and that was very good as well. So from Richard II to A Midsummers Nights Dream I have had a weekend of Shakespeare. A fantastic weekend. 

Big challenge - day 1

So I have finished my first c25k "run". I use run in inverted comers because I just varied my walking pace really rather than actually running. Managed a gentle jog a couple of times which was a bonus. The programme states that I should be running 5k in 9 weeks, personally I think I might have to double that but let's see how it goes. This week the workout is a 5 minute brisk walk followed by 20 minutes of jogging for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds and then 5 minutes cooling down walking. Which means that at the end of the 30 minutes I am about 3/4 of the way round the village so my first target is to get back home before the workout finishes. But I have started and I have the red face and aching legs to prove it.

The big challenge

I am only 23 months and 11 days away from being 40 years old. Also in 2016 my husband turns 40 and we would have been married for 15 years. So 2016 is going to he a big year in celebrations and therefore, I feel that it should be my big challenge year. So here is the plan.

I have 23 months to get myself fit enough to go a sky dive. Yes that is how I am going to celebrate my 40th birthday by jumping out of an airplane. This is going to be a big challenge because in order to do this challenge I need to first lose 8 stone of my ever increasing body mass. Now as a person I am very happy with my size and the way I look, people can say what they want but I just don't care. Although I am very much overweight I keep myself very active and don't have the health concerns that are associated with being obese. So I am not doing this because I want to look good or for any other vain reason but it is essential if I am going to complete this challenge I have set myself. 

My plan is simple I need to exercise more. So I am embarking on what I think will be hell for me, I am going to start running with the couch to 5k app. I walk all the time and I like walking, I hate running. So this is my first hurdle, and I am taking you with me, together we are going on this journey and you will feel my pain and excitement. So let's begin.....