Set back

This week was a set back. I undo all the good things I’ve achieved in the first 2 weeks of my weight loss attempt.

The reason for set back was simple: I was heartbroken. I didn’t get a job that I really wanted. I honestly thought that I will get the job, since it was more of them courting me than the other way around, that my skills match their needs, they know how I was on the field and we’ve had good, long relationship with each other, but it didn’t work out at the end. Their offer was too low compared to my last salary (as I have verbally told them before the official offer came) so I give them counter offer. It took them more than 3 weeks and few reminders to finally give me their final answer. No ‘let’s meet in the middle’, nothing. I really like the job and I know I can thrive there, but if they expect me to lower my price, I can’t do that. Plus, I don’t appreciate that they made me wait that long for a simple answer. Shows how much respect they have to potential employees. But still, I was heartbroken because I lost my dream job.

My disappointment translated to many things. I didn’t have the will to exercise. I didn’t follow my meal plan. I snacked like crazy. I had noodles as dinner when I’m not supposed to have carbs for dinner. I even didn’t have the energy to work on my consultancy job. This week, I was a clueless robot. On the outside, looks like as if the lost job opportunity didn’t bother me, but on the inside it affects many things.

My meeting with my ex colleagues last Wednesday brings me to a more cheerful mode. A one-on-one session with a friend that I’m mentoring turned out to be more beneficial for me than for her. I told her my story and she told me that she understand that I need to grieve, but I need to start picking up myself from the floor.

I start working on my stuff again, I’m a week behind my schedule. I still cheated on food and exercise, but God willing next time I’ll be back to the schedule. Because I cannot be heartbroken forever and there are other jobs out there waiting for me.

Exercise diary, week 2

Another pat on my back for I’ve stick with my exercise program! The perk of staying at home is that I have no excuse whatsoever not to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour a day for exercise.

So last week I’ve done 4 days of Walk Away the Pounds 3 miles and 1 day of Crunch Salsa. I can say that now the 3 miles walk was not as hard as I felt 2 weeks ago. The Crunch Salsa, on the other hand, is not a breeze, maybe because I’ve done it only twice so far. My pattern was 5 days of exercise, 2 days free (Sunday and Thursday when I went for dental check up). This week, since I have no morning appointment, I hope I can do 6 days exercise.

The Walk Away the Pounds exercise requires 2 set of 1 lb. each weight ball, which I don’t have yet. Last Sunday I found a 1.5 kg toning ball at Gramedia for Rp. 55,000. At first I was cautious because the weight is almost 3 times the recommended one, but I read that half a kilo weight feels like nothing after few days. So I bought only 1 ball for a start, my plan was to hold it in both hands in case it gets too heavy. But after 1 exercise using the ball, I think I can handle to use 2 balls of 1.5 kg each. I’ll go back to Gramedia today to get another one, finger crossed it’s still available! I was surprised to find Kettler’s toning ball for only Rp. 55,000, as most I can find online cost at least Rp. 100,000!

Today I decided to  take a break from walking, and try The Firm Body Sculpting System. It’s an older series that I bought years ago and never completed. Out of 3 DVDs, I started with Ab Sculpt as it is the shortest one (29′). I don’t own any of The Firm’s accompanying equipment, especially the fanny lifter that’s so essential to The Firm exercises, so I just use my book case as foot rest for this exercise. I know that other DVDs will use the fanny lifter more extensively, but I’ll think about it later as I start using those DVDs.

The Ab Sculpt exercise didn’t make me sweat as much, but I can feel that my temperature rising and my muscles contracting. The range of movement was measured and limited, but I can feel them immediately on my waist and stomach muscle. It is amazing how those seemingly little range of movement are actually not that easy to do, as my body are not used to be bend and stretched that way. Even to lift both legs for 8 counts take quite an effort to do! This is a totally different work out from the energetic Salsa aerobic or walking exercise, and I welcome the variety. The program promised visible results for as little as 10 exercises, let’s see how it goes with me.

So my plan for this week is to get another toning ball, do the 3 miles walk, then focus on Ab Sculpt for 2 days in a row, and do Salsa on Saturday.

I wish I can manage my calorie intake as much as I exercise…. that’s another thing that I need to will myself to do 🙂

3 miles!

Patting myself on the back, for I’ve done 3 miles Walk Away the Pound! Yeay! I survived!

My exercise record so far:

Wednesday: WATP 1 mile

Thursday: no exercise. Went to the dentist for implant.

Friday: WATP 2 miles

Saturday: Crunch Cardio Salsa. I sweat like a pig in the oven, but it enough to remind me of how fun salsa is.

Sunday: no exercise.

Monday: WATP 3 miles.

I think I’ll stick with 3 miles for this week before progressing to 4 miles, and I’ll do the Salsa cardio whenever I feel like it.

As I’ve kept my resolution, now I can enjoy reading my new Lockwood & Co. book *happy dance*

Locking myself out of Lockwood

 It’s here! The latest Lockwood & Co. series, The Whispering Skull, is here! It was released in the US on Sept 16, and magically, within less than 10 days its already here! My former colleague, Edu, just informed me minutes ago just as I finished with my 1 mile Walk Away the Pound exercise.

As much as I would love to run and get it this very minute, I’ll make a pact with myself. I will read this only after I successfully do the 1, 2, and 3 miles walk. I’ve done this regime before and I remember that I didn’t enjoy it that much. Don’t get me wrong, I love walking, but walking in my room listening to happy pumped up instructor is something different. The 1 mile exercise is a breeze, since it takes less than 30 minutes, but doing 2 and 3 miles were challenging because they were longer and I was impatient. Putting myself through self-imposed ban to something I love will force me to do these exercises.

I just proclaimed Edu as my fairy bookfather, the enabler of my book wishes. Long may he lives, with plenty of books coming our way! (Edu’s response to this noble title was: sialan 😀 ) Hahahhaa….