Busy social life

It's funny. I thought that being on this challenge would mean that I'd be spending all my time at the gym, and I seem to have found myself a social life that's keeping me busy. It's been one of the benefits of being fitter and healthier - having the energy to do things after work. The walking challenge last year lifted my fitness up another notch. When it was over, and I didn't have to go for a walk to keep my steps up, I found myself arriving home from the gym, having dinner, and then thinking "now what?" I had all this energy and nothing to do. A social life fills that gap perfectly. It also ensures that I don't fall back into old habits of sitting in front of the television or the computer for hours on end.

Thursday

Yesterday, I was at the gym early. I did the Aerobics Training option on the treadmill at 5.6 km/h, level 6. It had me sweating, as it's all uphill. In the evening, I had my slimplicity session and I did another session of interval training. Since Monday, I've managed to lose 2.6 kg, which is amazing. I am sure it's fluid. I hadn't been watching what I was eating closely, even though I was writing it down. I'd say that I had eaten more salty foods than usual. On top of that, I drank about a bottle and a half of water during my p/t session and my treadmill run. Even though I know the weight loss is mainly fluid, I am really pleased. I felt more comfortable in my clothes at work and it's good to know that it's coming off.

After the gym, I went to dinner with a friend. We went for the takeaway option, sitting outside and watching all the people walk by. I had a chicken kebab and really enjoyed it after my workout. I was even prouder of the fact that I didn't eat any chips or bread, even though they were offered to me. It's getting easier and easier to make healthy food choices.

It ended up being a late night, and I didn't manage to get online to post an entry.

Friday

This morning I did a weights session and this evening I repeated the Aerobics Training session at 6 km/hr, level 8. I felt a real sense of achievement, as I was sweating hard during the workout. I feel like I'm really making progress with my fitness.

I realised at work today that I wasn't feeling sore at all. I had been concerned that I'd be overdoing it, which is why I've been keeping the treadmill sessions to 30 mins and not overdoing the running. I think, maybe, that I'm a lot fitter than I thought I was.

On the social front, I went to Kingston for lunch today with a friend. I ordered a calamari salad, convinced that it a healthy option. When it arrived, the calamari had more batter on it than I expected. There were fried noodles, which I hadn't expected. With the salad dressing, it ended up being quite a high calorie meal. It's just as well that I'm doing all this exercise!

This evening, I went out for drinks with Melissa and John after I'd been to the gym. We organised it on Tuesday at trivia, and had planned to go to the Uni Bar. Mel got there early, discovered it was packed, and so we ended up at PJ O'Reilley's. We had a lovely time, sitting outside and chatting for a few hours. They were laughing at me, because I've been telling people that I'm happy to spend time with them socially, provided that I get to the gym. I'm sure that they saw the funny side when I pointed out that I'd done the exact same thing to them tonight.

I have visitors arriving shortly. My brother, his wife, and their three boys are driving up from Melbourne for the weekend. Fortunately for me, Jim and Deb are also keen on health and fitness, and they will encourage me to keep up my exercise effort over the weekend. I also won't feel guilty about heading off to the gym for the group fitness session tomorrow.