I Think I Made A Gym Buddy...

My lack of blogging this week has been because my life has been pretty eventless. I have continued to go to the gym regularly and continued to not hate it. When I was home today after my workout, I thought of a quote I read somewhere - something along the lines of that even if you don't feel like going to the gym, you never regret the time after you've finished the workout, even though you feel hot/sweaty/jelly legged. It's very true.

Tuesday and Thursday I went to some free personal training sessions. The personal trainer is OK but is not super inspiring as she is overweight herself, and doesn't look really fit. Personal training is something that is not in my budget so I won't be continuing with this afterwards. I'm also really enjoying the group fitness classes and feeling like I'm working pretty hard in those without having the need for a persona trainer.

Thursday after my personal training session I took my new Lululemon mat to a yoga class. I've only been to yoga once before, a couple of years ago with a friend at his gym. It was the most camp class ever - he had the hots for his yoga instructor who was Canadian, and even though there was only one other woman in the room, the instructor kept referring to the whole group as 'ladies'. It wasn't a bad class (I think it was a yogalates class now I think about it) but I was hopeless. Anyway, the class I went to on Thursday must have been an advanced class because, not long after I laid out my mat in a back corner of the room, some middle aged woman came in and started calmly standing on her head, with perfect stillness and for several minutes. The instructor moved through super quick and didn't explain any poses, just rattled off the names, and I found myself struggling to keep up with copying the agile older women around me. He knew everyone by name and didn't even come to help me at all, but helped the regulars lots, which I thought was kind of rude. At some stage some woman was helped to do some back flip handstand from a table pose. Yep. Definitely in the advanced class. At the end the instructor did say I did well to keep up and I had some good posture in the sitting cross-legged pose (yay me, I can sit up straight! Gee thanks for that compliment). I wish that my gym would put the name of the instructor on the class timetable, so I know to avoid his classes in future!

Friday I went back to Zumba with the older ladies, which was quite fun again and a good workout.

Yesterday afternoon I did BodyPump again. The instructor is not bad but she fumbled around a bit, I think she was worried because there was another instructor in the room, which may have made her nervous. She has a bit of annoying habit of going 'oooooooh', or 'phwoarh' into the microphone when she's feeling the burn herself, but the class is a convenient time. Also, there was a newbie in front of me - it was nice to help her out getting the weight clips off and see her look around and tell anyone who was listening "OMG!". Nice not to feel like a hopeless case!

And then today I went to my regular spin class and this is where I think I made a gym buddy. I originally started hopping onto a bike to the left of a girl, and then noticed it had cardboard wedged under the front, so decided I wouldn't have that bike as it would probably rock, so moved to the right of the girl, commenting that the bike looked wobbly. We then proceeded to chat through the whole class, and wound up agreeing to meet for Pump on Wednesday night. She said it was nice to have someone to go "wow that was hard" to or just to workout with, which I agree with, so will see what eventuates there! All in all, the people at this gym are much friendlier than my old gym. People smile at you or say hello, and don't look totally up themselves like they did at Fitness First. The instructors are friendlier and willing to help. I especially like my Sunday morning cycle instructor as she gets off her bike periodically and checks on each person's stats and then tells you individually to push further if she thinks you can. Her class is also super hard but in a good way and she is motivating. I hope that she changes the music in the next couple of weeks, though.

Other random photos from my week:

Made my own slow cook BBQ pork ribs. DELICIOUS.

Paid $4.10 for a sausage roll as Fergussons was out of plain pies and it was getting on to 2 P.M. Insanely expensive for a sausage roll and nothing special for the price.

Made my own poppy and chia seed knot rolls. Tasted soooooo good.

Do any of you do yoga? Convince me to go again even though my experience this week was so horrendous!

Lululemon Haul...

Oh, dear. I just became one of *those* people. Those people that drop $200 in a Lululemon store on a couple of items.

I have been interested in trying out Yoga/Pilates at my new gym as a way to increase my flexibility/zone out from work. I decided I wanted a Lululemon yoga mat. Of course, the mat needs a cool mat strap.

Pretty purple 'The Pure Mat' by Lululemon Athletica , $49.95 AUD, with yoga mat strap, $25.00 AUD

I rolled the mat on my floor and it didn't seem to be too thin (something I was worried about) and definitely wasn't slippery. It has two different grip sides so I guess I'll work out which one is better for me. I did want the aqua mat (similar colour to the strap) but they didn't have any nice mat straps in store to match the aqua mat so I got the purple mat instead. Am keen to give Yoga/Pilates a try!

I knew going in how ridiculously expensive Lululemon is, but I thought it wouldn't be a huge deal because I would be too big to fit into any of their clothes. WRONG. While their tops weren't super flattering (my stomach is my worst point) their pants were good. Currently I am working out in cheapo $10 3/4 tights/pants from K-Mart or $35 Yoga pants from Victoria's Secret, along with some cheap t-shirts from Gap, VS, or Bonds. I pulled on a new pair of VS yoga pants to go to Zumba last Friday and noticed when I was pegging them on the clothesline that they had got a random little hole in them on the front right near the top of the leg. I have noticed several items of clothes from VS are doing this, from pants to undies to tank tops, and while their yoga pants are super comfy and flattering, and have a nice long foldover waistband, what is the point wearing them when they just might rip on you in class? VS quality has definitely gone downhill the last few years.

Anyway, I tried on some of the Lululemon 3/4 capri tights and WOW. They felt like I had nothing on. They were almost a little too comfy, as I was worried if I wore them spinning or to Pump, while I lean forward for a standing ride on the bike or do a squat in Pump the pants might split on me. The girl of course assured me that wouldn't happen and if it did they would replace them, and also said since they weren't shiny they weren't too tight on me, but I thought I might be better to wait until I'm a little more body confident before shelling out over $100 on 3/4 tights. I also tried on their full length yoga pants which were again super comfy but I was a but unsure about the price for something I can get elsewhere for 1/4 of the price. But then I tried on something called the Studio Pant. OMG I was in pants heaven.

The Studio Pant is basically like a baggy dance pant. I love these type of pants because they are just my style and I don't have to worry about VPL as much. The Lululemon Studio pants aren't cheap but they were so comfy and I could imagine doing all sorts of things in them, like Yoga/Pilates, Pilates Reformer, and Zumba or even Pump in them. Only place they would be inappropriate and potentially dangerous would be in spinning. These are baggy in the right places and a little more fitted in the right places and they just move with you so nicely. Only issue is they are super long:

They have an elastic drawstring at the hem you can tighten to roll up to your own length or to 3/4 length, but I might end up hemming these myself/trying to put the elastic in again myself so I still have the baggy look and can pull up if I need to on a hot day.

These pants will also be good for Fridays at work where I get to wear sports gear to work. I am only mildly guilty about spending so much on these pants. I hope they don't split at the booty!

Lululemon Athletica Studio Pant, black, $129.95 AUD

The whole shopping in Lululemon experience was quite pleasant. I expected to be judged for being overweight, or passed over by in love with themselves sales assistants. Instead, everyone was really lovely. One woman was curvier herself and made me feel better about trying to shop in there. The woman working in the change area was friendly and helpful without being annoying. The girl putting my sale through was also really friendly. They all encouraged me to come to their free yoga sessions (but they aren't on at convenient times to me and Chadstone isn't as close to my house as my gym is).

I look forward to being able to fit into some of their tops and maybe their tights with a bit more ease. This could be a bit of a goal of mine! I am also interested to check out Lorna Jane for their tights. I think I might go to DFO soon and check out some of the sports gear shops and see what is best.

What is your favourite workout gear brand? Do you like to get cheaper pieces you can replace often as your tastes change or do you prefer more expensive stuff that will last longer?

Pilates Reformer...

On Wednesday, I went to my first Pilates Reformer class. I was suggested to go to this class by the guy who joined me up to the gym as it would be less pressure on my ankles as it's done on a Pilates Reformer bed and not as weight loading on my ankles.

A Pilates Reformer machine.

A Pilates Reformer Machine looks a bit like some kind of torture chamber/contraption when you first see it. However, when you see people laying down on it to do their exercise, you immediately feel much better about bing able to use it yourself. Work out while laying down? Yes, please!

The machine uses springs to increase resistance, along with a sliding bed, straps for hands/feet, a bar for pressure, and a box to do some back workouts on. My gym has 13 machines set up in a small room:

Pilates Reformer class at the gym.

The class went for 55 minutes, and worked on stretching different parts of the body in a repetitious manner. Arms, legs, abs, back, shoulders - you name it, it was stretched! The was a big focus on breathing throughout, as well as positioning of the body, including keeping feet together a fair bit. Some of the stretches felt good, and others were real tough work to do, especially doing them several times over. I think I will be feeling the after-effects for a few days yet! The class was a beginner's class and there were a few others who had never been to one before, but the instructor showed us how to set up and use the machine, and also came around the class to give instructions to individuals for body positioning and whatnot, which was very helpful. 

I would like to go again, but I'm not sure when it is on at a time that suits me once I go back to work. I think it would be better than regular Pilates as there is the use of resistance rather than your own weight so you can't phone it in as much. I will still try a regular Pilates class as I've never done one (have done Yoga which was a killer). I felt like I worked harder in this class than BodyPump, and I didn't get any pains in the body (apart from the regular for being inflexible/a newbie), as it is harder to not position yourself correctly on the machine.

Have you ever done a Pilates Reformer class? Do you do regular Pilates? Do you prefer Yoga or a mix of the two? Do you hate these mind/body classes and prefer to do regular stretch or weights work? 

Currently I'm...

Feeling sore in my abdominal muscles from coughing too much from my cold and working too hard in Pilates Reformer class yesterday.

Reading At Home by Bill Bryson. It is a real slog and goes off on so many tangents. I've had it on the go for the last two years and am determined to finish it. I've also got the last issue of Cosmopolitan on flick-through.

Listening to the wind howling. I hope it doesn't blow a fly wire screen off my window - it sounds like a possibility as they are rattling something shocking right now, and my gate keeps blowing open.

Thankful for my sister coming to a workout with me today. Even though she is much slimmer than me, it make me feel good I'm not the only no-hoper in the class (and I could do better than her).

Thinking about turning the dinner off before I go and pick up Derek from work in 10 minutes or so. 

Eating nothing. But after I get Derek from work, we will be eating the BBQ pork ribs I've had on slow cook all day, along with some roast veggies. It smells great!

Watching Channel Nine News.

Loving the slow cooker. Although I love to cook, this is so easy and it always makes the house smell great. Also loving my sister's dog who came to visit today, because she loves everyone right back!

Looking forward to the ribs for dinner. I got a big addiction to ribs the last time I was in the US. It was ruined by a terrible set of them at Applebees in Times Square (that was my own fault for eating in Times Square). I'm also looking forward to trying out Zumba again tomorrow morning, and hopefully feeling not so exhausted I can stay for Yoga too. I'm also looking forward to my cold/cough going away. It has not been fun to spend a week of my holidays with a cold. 

What are you currently doing? If you do your own of these posts, comment with a link to it on your own blog!

Tarsal Coalition...

Ever since I started working part time at the local bakery when I was almost 15 years old, I have had major issues with my ankles. I would do 3 or 4 hour shifts and then not be able to walk the next day as my ankles swelled to a state they couldn't move and were agony even to stand on. When I started working at Safeway during uni, the problem got worse as I worked longer shifts. When I was around 20 I went to a doctor to try and determine what the issue was. They did some x-rays to look for arthritis (negative) and eventually a specialist determined I had flat feet and orthodics would fix the pain. It didn't. I lived through the rest of my Safeway days in agony, and then things settled down once I begun full time work, however would dread days where I was on my feet non-stop for the day. Even a few hours at the shops could have bad effects. Things came to a head this past Summer when we went to Washington DC and I walked 8km seeing the sights, and then spent the night, the next day, and the day after that in such agony and inability to move that I decided enough was enough and my problem wasn't just something I would have to put up with. I went to the GP and he put me onto a specialist, thinking I might have this thing called tarsal coalition (where the bones in the ankles are grown together, limiting movement and causing pain and swelling the longer one stays on their feet), as my ankles have quite limited movement compared to a regular person. My problem didn't seem to be worsened by weight either, as I've had the issue whether I've weighed what I weigh now or weighed 20kg less.

Another x-ray determined I didn't have arthritis or tarsal coalition. The specialist sent me off for an MRI. The MRI determined I did actually have tarsal coalition (a type called talocalcaneal coalition which is harder to detect on an x-ray, which is why the specialist initially thought I didn't have tarsal coalition). This picture explains it pretty well:

Basically, it's a genetic condition which people are born with but symptoms don't come out until puberty as the bones are still growing and are softer before them. Because the talus and calcaneus bones are fused together, movement is limited and this causes the pain and swelling as other parts of the ankle/heel take over the workload.

I'm off to another specialist in a month's time (the first one's receptionist was the nastiest woman I had ever met, and they changed an appointment on me without bothering to tell me, so I took a day off work and showed up when they weren't expecting me because they didn't tell me they changed it) to see what is going to happen. From all accounts, they try non-surgical measures first, like orthodics or even keeping the ankle in a boot for several weeks (but this seems like something for younger people) before trying surgery which is where they chip away the excess bone, or alternatively completely fuse the two bones together so there is no pain anymore. I honestly don't think surgery is an option for me as I still need to work and I need to be on my feet and I also need to drive to work. If there are ways to manage this or minimise the pain/swelling that is good enough for me. However, I am a bit worried about how it will go when I ever get pregnant one day.

It is a relief to have a diagnosis after 13 years, as now people don't have to think I have been making it up! I would recommend though, that if you aren't happy with a diagnosis or the solution they give you doesn't help (like when I was given orthodics to supposedly eliminate the issue back in my early 20s) go to another doctor - waiting another 7 or so years before trying again to get a diagnosis is a bit silly when I look back on it.

Have you ever had to have significant time off work for an injury or other ailment? How did you ease yourself back into work? If you've stumbled upon this blog and you do have tarsal coalition, how do you cope with the pain and swelling associated with this condition, and have you had surgery?

Cooking New Dishes...

The other night, I made Thai Fish Cakes for dinner. I purchased a new cookbook, The Really Useful Cookbook by David Herbert (he has the best, no-fail, recipes!), and decided to make the fish cakes for dinner.

The Really Useful Cookbook by David Herbert, $41.39 AUD, bookworld.com.au

I've used Bookworld.com.au a couple of times now to get titles I want quickly and that aren't available on BookDepository. Bookworld is what shows up when you type in Borders.com.au (last I knew Borders online was still in business) and they have free shipping and 10% off if you become a free member. Shipping is incredibly quick and the two purchases I've made have both arrived two days after purchasing (and considering both my purchases were made on a Sunday, that is pretty good).

This book is well organised into different categories, such as breads, soups, roasts, puddings, fish, biscuits, and so on. The first recipe is a pretty generic one, and then the subsequent recipes get more adventurous. Being on holidays from work, I decided to try out some new recipes for dinner from both this cookbook and a Woman's Weekly slow cooker book. These were the Thai Fish Cakes:

Thai Fish Cakes with roast potatoes, carrot, and pumpkin.

The fish cakes were good, although next time I would add more red curry paste and chili as they were a little on the mild side. The recipe was quick and easy.

Later this week I have Moroccan meat balls and BBQ pork ribs (both done in the slow cooker) on the menu.

What are your favourite cookbooks? Do you have a standard go-to or do you have favourites from different books? Do you prefer to get your recipes out of the newspaper or magazines, or even off the television?

It's Me Again...

I have been really busy at work the last month or so and I haven't had much to blog about. It has been in my mind i need to write something, but I've had a total lack of material.

Let me fill you in on my Sunday:

Wrapped the world's most awkwardly shaped present into a really ridiculous shape for my Grandma's birthday (if you're wondering what's inside, it was a jar of marmalade and a box of teabags from T2).

Baked some cinnamon scrolls. The whole house smelled delicious.

Joined a new gym. Their membership card fits in the bottom of my drink bottle!

We also went out for dinner to Saltimbocca in Cheltenham for dinner for my Grandma's birthday, which I'm not a huge fan of because the whole menu is pasta, risotto, and lasagne. There are three meals that aren't pasta based (I don't like pasta) but they were steak, duck, and barramundi, and were all nearly $40 which I was not going to pay for a meal. There's not any pizzas so I can't even order a cheese-less pizza. I wound up ordering a calamari entree as a main with a side of roast potatoes, so phew I could eat! And it was very nice.

The gym has been going good so far. I'm really enthusiastic about going, and even if I don't get the weightloss (which has never happened when I go to the gym) I feel like I'm doing all I can for my health when I combine it with good eating (which I'm pretty good at and getting better still) so I don't feel as bad about myself. All the weight I put on when I moved to the US has never come off and I've been home for over 3 years now so it's a bit ridiculous. I've recently been diagnosed with tarsal coalition which I think has been a bit of a mental block subconsciously with exercise in the past, but I will explain more about tarsal coalition in another post (for those who are interested). I initially went back to my old gym to enquire about prices (a Fitness First within a 2 minute walk from my house) and the guy wanted me to pay a joining fee (which was waived the last time I rejoined) and had the fees at $56/fortnight, a $13/fortnight jump from last year! Insane. Even though it was the second last day of the month, he was not willing to budge at all. I walked out and found that there is a Goodlife a 2 minute drive from home, and they had a great special of $200 for the first 4 months, then $19.95/week after the first four months and no lock in contract after paying the first 4 months upfront (which is cheap when worked out month-to-month). I've been the last two days and done spin (when I nearly fainted in the first 5 minutes of the class! Note to self - don't eat breakfast 30 minutes before your first spin class in a year) and BodyPump today. I think next time I do BodyPump I will be able to push further with the weights - today was more about refamiliarising myself with the class. The Goodlife has a pool which is important with my ankle condition, and their classes are on at better times than the dodgy Fitness First anyway, so all good! Wish me luck!

How was your weekend?