Trip #2 Summer 2013

I've been meaning to write a blog post for ages, but I just haven't managed to sit myself down at my desk and get it done. I think being on holiday from work and not having any articles to research or write has made me want to avoid my computer as much as possible! I've really missed blogging though and hope to get back into a more regular reading/commenting plus writing schedule.

I got back from my second London trip last Tuesday. The trip was really good. I got to meet up with a lot of my friends and enjoyed endless hours of walking around different parts of England. The highlight of my trip was reuniting with one of my very, very close friends from college. We hadn't seen each other for 15 years. It was fantastic to just sit down and start talking as if the past decade and half had never existed!

Another highlight was meeting up with 2 bloggers - Rebecca from Weight Wars and Mary from Stationery NOT Stationary. It was so wonderful putting faces (and proper personalities, voices, and laughs) with the blog posts that I've been following. We had a great afternoon together in Covent Garden. I was so moved that Rebecca took a 3-hour train trip (one-way) to come up to see me ... it was awesome :) Once again, it felt great to just sit down and start chatting as if we've known each other for years!

I'll post a few pictures of my trip, but first I want to recap my food and fitness aspect.

Before leaving for my trip I weighed and measured myself. I'll be traveling a lot this summer, so my basic goal (as always) is to just make sure I don't gain. I don't want my holiday to end with the regret of a weight gain.

I'm happy to say that I lost 1.3 kg (2.8 lbs) while I was away.
I would say that I stayed 85% on track in terms of eating clean. There were definitely a few meals that I would not include in my normal eating rotation. However, I ate only what I wanted to and only how much I needed to. There was only one instance of some chocolate that I ate because I was bored and it was there. That was the only 'mindless' eating that I did. Other than that, I think I did a pretty good job.

In terms of exercise. I was hoping to get a bit more focused exercise in, but not every part of my trip went according to plan. I didn't get as much alone time as I would have liked; plus, it was a LOT colder than I had expected. It made for being outdoors a bit uncomfortable mainly because I didn't have the clothes for it (no sweatshirt, just light t-shirts and capris). Anyway. As I said, I did what I could.

- I went on 2 outdoor power walks/jogs/runs.
- I used my exercise cards to do mini-crossfit WODs 2 times
- I hit the gym 1 time for a great weights workout
- I managed 1 day of Jiujitsu practice while D was still in town, though it was a very short session

My friend got me a guest pass to her gym - I was so happy to see weights I almost cried lol. My workout left me sore for 3 days and it felt GOOD (though not the most comfortable when the next day I walked around London for 6 hours!) Still - had a big smile on my face :) 

Other than that, I'd say I walked an average of 3 hours a day, which is a huge increase from the sedentary lifestyle that I normally lead in Kuwait.

I'll write separate posts on what I did and what my upcoming strategies are to keep up with my food and fitness over the next few weeks because I've got a HUGE trip coming up and I definitely don't want to go off track during that time at all!

So here are a few photo highlights of my visit to England this summer (ahem, winter- damn it was cold!):

had a FAB night at Asia de Cuba in St. Martins Lane Hotel 

took a road trip to the Cotswolds - it was so beautiful; just wish the weather had been better. 

a few glimpses of London

messin' around on the tube

went to Oxford for the first time - great scenery and architecture

lots of smiles in London 

aaahhh United Nude - my favorite shoe shop ... and yes, I did go home with a couple of pairs ;)

I never thought I'd feel comfortable and confident in a horizontal striped dress -- but I did! 

(Just wish I wasn't squinting in this pic)

The Morning After

My Christmas was unusually quiet this year, but to be honest, as much as I love the season and all the festivities, it was just how I needed it to be this year. Still, all in all I had a lovely day. Although I love to cook, I had all 3 meals out today, but they were all kept light and relatively simple. The best part about that is waking up the morning after (today) and feeling really good and not worried that I'll have to throw in a few extra intense hours at the gym to try to burn off what I ate.

I was thoroughly spoilt this year - I'm not sure what I did to deserve it, but I was totally thrilled and very moved/touched/thankful (and tearful)!

So, the first thing I did this morning was put on these:

and head to the gym. I've always wanted a pair of Asics and now I finally got them! I absolutely love the colors, and they were really comfortable to run in :)

I had a good workout (only treadmill today for 3 km and then Body Balance - love that class!), did a bunch of other errands and things, and then headed home to play with my new gadget:

I was totally shocked when I saw this. I've been talking about wanting to buy one of these in the upcoming year - something to kinda keep me motivated with my writing and research (because I'm feeling really de-motivated right now) - and now I've got it! I tell you, I immediately wanted to head out to a cafe and get some writing done! I'm super-psyched and I hope that I do the present justice by getting a lot of writing done (or at the very least, some more blog posting while I'm away from my desktop) :)

My eating is back on track in terms of following the Whole Life Challenge guidelines. There are a few Christmas chocolates around the house and they're quite tempting. However, I've kept a jar of raisins next to the bowl of chocolates, so whenever I feel tempted to eat one (if I'm in that area of the house), I just grab a raisin or two.

I know I could hide the chocolates or throw them out, but I don't want to. I want to be able to exist in the same house with a few Hershey's kisses without feeling the need to eat them. I think the raisin jar is a good solution until I figure out how to build up more discipline.

I have some exciting fitness plans/news coming up -  it's all in the works at the moment and I can't wait to share. Fingers crossed it all falls into place. So excited! :)

Feeling Good

Today was one of those days where everything just seemed to turn out well.

I wore an outfit today to work that got several, several compliments - simple black bootleg trousers from the GAP and a sweater top from Top Shop (which is in the smallest size I own at the moment!). Some of my colleagues, who see me on a daily basis, didn't just make a passing comment about how I looked or my weight loss, but were surprised at the transformation. I hadn't realized the outfit was that flattering, though I admit that I felt good in it (it's the trousers and 5 inch heels that I think really did it!). Of course the compliments made me feel good.

I was a bit annoyed that I missed Body Balance class since I didn't finish work on time, but that gave me the chance to quickly meet with one of my friends who happens to be one of the top Muay Thai guys in Kuwait. I'd love to train with him, but I know I'm not ready ... yet. In the meantime he gave me some tips on how to strengthen my wrists because I feel like that's where I need the most work (along with staying firm in my stance) in terms of boxing/kickboxing.

I then had a few hours at home to catch up on some work as well as relax before heading out to kickboxing class.

For the past 3 weeks only me and one other guy have been showing up for kickboxing. It's been quite a challenge because we hold the boxing pads up for one another. Boy do my shoulders get a workout when he hits those pads. There were some punches last night that I thought were really going to take my right arm off. Still, it made me stand firmer in my stance and really focus on steeling myself to receiving the punches - definitely a good arm and shoulder workout! We also did a lot of moving pad work - the coach had me all over the gym floor. It is quite a challenge to stay strong in your stance, continue focusing on the power behind punches, as well as keep your guard up - not to mention make proper contact - as you're moving around so fast. It was a great drill. Some of my punches have really improved, though I seemed to be struggling with my left hook today.

In the middle of it all (I'm backtracking a little), an much anticipated package arrived for me.

I'll be traveling for part 2 of my best friend's wedding (the same friend who got married in Germany back in October). Since this ceremony will be taking place in India, I asked one of my friend's who is a fashion designer in Bangladesh if she could pick up an outfit for me. Instead of buying one off the rack, she asked for my measurements and designed and tailor-made an outfit for me. I asked her for the outfit 9 days ago so I was really tense about her being able to finish the outfit (she was embroidering stuff by hand) receiving it on time. It was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but - thank you DHL - it arrived today!! I was so nervous about it fitting right, especially since I just texted her my measurements, but it fit like a glove and I have to say, I felt like a princess. I'm so excited to be wearing the outfit next week!! [Pictures will have to wait until then.]

My day finished off with a lovely dinner with friends I hadn't gotten together with in a while. We went to a steakhouse, and had steak as well as baked parsnips. I think I can officially say that I am no longer a vegetarian (or pescatarian) as I've had meat 3 times already this week! We'll see how that pans out. Anyway. It was a really satisfying, good day :)

My outfit for the night - loving my new Desigual coat and Dune polka-dot heels (though they are hidden by the trousers).

A closer look at the shoes :)

Back to Life

I must say, I had quite a weekend! It was probably the most self-indulgent weekend I've ever had, but I enjoyed it thoroughly and I do believe I worked for it!!

I flew to Dubai with some girlfriends and had only 2 goals for this trip: See Jennifer Lopez in concert and SHOP! Dropping 10 kg over the past 8 weeks has left me in great need for new clothing. Pulling your pants up, tucking your skirts into your tights to keep them in place, and having your shirt hang off your shoulders is so not cool --

I'm happy to say I achieved both those goals!

A few pix of the J Lo concert (Dance Again Tour 2012, Dubai - Dubai Media City Amphitheater)

I could not believe how close we were! It was a fantastic concert! She was terrific, and her dancers were amazing (drool! lol)

I went on 2 major shopping sprees.

My first priority - new gym gear!!

I feel like I bought out both Reebok and Nike! I can't wait to hit the gym and try them all out. It was thrilling going from an XL to a Medium ... wow. I got quite emotional at times.

Day 2 of shopping was more causal/fun wear -- I was so happy I brought a 2nd empty suitcase! I needed it!

If you read this blog regularly you know that I'm a total shoe addict. So, Dubai Mall's Shoe Level (the biggest shoe store in the WORLD) was a mandatory stop.

I was in absolute heaven ... and those red fabulous heels on my feet are now comfortably settling in in their new home - my shoe closet in Kuwait :)

A stunning work of art - designed by Julian Hakes of London. I am so in love with them!

As soon as I landed, I weighed in -- nothing gained, which is a relief because although I was careful, I wasn't completely on plan. Still, I know my safe options - lots of grilled fish/meats and veggies. I didn't go to the gym and just hoped the hours of walking around the malls and dancing at the concert helped burn a few calories.

Now, it's back to reality and my regularly scheduled life. So after unpacking - it's straight to boxing class!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving/weekend. Will be catching up on blogs soon :)

The Dress and The Shoes

A few posts ago I mentioned that one of my best friends is getting married in October. What I didn't mention is that I already have a dress for it. I actually bought the dress a few months ago in London. I loved it as soon as I saw it - I looked at the dress, found my size, and tried it on. Hmmmm it didn't quite fit, but I did a big fashion no-no and bought it anyway with the hope that one day I'll fit into it right.

The dress is made of silk, and if you know silk, you know that there is absolutely no give to the material and it shows everything. So even though technically the dress is in my size (I actually have a few dresses a size smaller than this one), it doesn't fit me the way I'd like it to - y'know, the way that doesn't require you to stay standing with your gut completely sucked in for the entire night. 

This dress is my goal dress for the October wedding. I tried it on this morning to serve as a reminder of how much further I have to go. It's a good thing I did. It's the motivation that I needed to really get my focus back. 

Due to some paperwork error, my parents did not leave Kuwait today. However, all their stuff has already been shipped off and they have to give up their apartment {such drama, I can't even explain the stress we're all under right now} - anyway, this means that my parents will be staying with us for the next 5-7 days. It all depends on when they get their final paperwork and nobody really knows when that's going to happen! So, this throws another spanner in the works. I was hoping to be back into my regular routine by Saturday, but now I'll have to make some more adjustments. I now need to plan a menu and cook for 4 people instead of just me and D. I'm really stressing out about it. My parents will also be car-less, so that means that either I'll be running them around or they'll be stuck at home. I want them to feel comfortable and I want to give them attention too, but I also need to get to the gym. I have several, several workout hours to catch up on. I'm trying to stay positive and not let the derailment stress me out too much ... as a person who craves/needs routine, this is not exactly easy, but I'm going to make it work. 

I've spent the past hour planning our menu for the week. I've decided to stick to foods that I would normally cook. I am, however, worried about portion sizes. D & I have been very good and we've gotten used to smaller portions. I don't want my parents to think I'm starving them. At the same time, I don't want to cook too much and have extra food around the house.

I also don't want them to cook. My dad (a diabetic who doesn't take care of his diet at all - aarrrgghh!) loves to cook - but he also likes to use lots of oil, salt, cheese, etc. I'm terrified that he'll want to cook to take the pressure off of me.

I'm trying to handle this in 2 ways - 1st, I've written the menu for the week on the whiteboard in my kitchen. This way they can see that I've planned out the week's food. I've also printed out my own personal menu so that they realize that I don't want a sandwich with some chips for lunch but that I'd rather take the time to make a salad. My 2nd strategy is to limit the types of food in the house. We'll be well stocked with veggies and protein but I'll avoid most things unhealthy and fatty so the temptation won't be there. At the same time, I do want to have a few treats for my parents so that they can relax and enjoy themselves. I'm thinking of maybe having a fruit platter in the fridge for them to graze on during the day. We'll see.

Having to deal with the move has been great motivation to de-clutter the apartment and this week I started with my shoes. I'm a shoe addict (as I've mentioned before) and I really, really love my shoes. It breaks my heart to think of getting rid of any of them ... and that's why I've started with them first. If I can get rid of some of my shoes, then getting rid of other stuff should be much easier. 

Yesterday I selected 30 pairs of shoes to give away ... 

Today I added another 10!
I will probably take another look at my shoe closets and see if there are anymore that I'm willing to part with. Until then, I'm quite pleased with this start.

Small Steps (and High Heels)

It's taking me longer than I thought to adjust to being back - both in terms of jet lag and in terms of coping with my new schedule, or more accurately, lack of a schedule. It feels weird not having to do anything. I mean, I've got tons to do, but I don't have to do anything. I can spend the whole day sleeping if I want. I'm definitely not used to that kind of 'freedom.'

I think this week is going to be a continuation of easing into my routine. I don't think I'll be in any set routine until after my parents leave for Bangladesh at the end of this month because there are so many errands I need to help them with plus all the packing to do. I'll have to get my exercise in when I can.

Today was a cardio focus day - I did Week 2 Day 2 of C25K. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get through it, mainly because I am so sore after yesterday's workouts. Still, I pushed through and I didn't do too horribly. I'm just working on getting through each set program before worrying about speed. I'm also trying not to think too far ahead. I know that  longer run will be coming up next week. What I don't know is why I'm trying to psych myself out of it when I haven't even hit that task yet ... talk about worrying too much! [Details about my entire C25K journey are here.]

I'm just taking it one step at a time ... and when I'm not at the gym (by the way, today I tried out the new pair of running shoes that I bought in Mexico - they're awesome!) I'm out and about in the lovely shoes that I've been lucky to have received/bought over the past two months. These pictures are especially for Nanette! They're how I rewarded myself (and was rewarded) for my PhD and Mexico conference success :)

United Nude has become one of my Top 5 Favorite shoe brands, mainly because of their funky designs. The heel designs are awesome and they're super comfortable!

I wore these blue ones for the first time tonight - so comfortable!! Great for summer :)

Another weakness of mine is Steve Madden - loved these polka dots!

I love the color combination in this pair of Jessica Simpson heels!

Some of my friends bought me this pair as a PhD present - they know how to make me smile!! :)

 I found out the city I was in for the conference was the shoe capital of Mexico! :)

I tell you - just when I think I may have enough shoes, I see another pair and I can't help but smile.
My name is PlumPetals, and I'm a Shoe-A-Holic!!

My Kind of Exercise

For today the organizers of the conference arranged for me to go into Leon which is known as the Shoe Capital of Mexico. Did you know that?! I didn't, but boy was I thrilled!! I am a total shoe addict. We must have gone to around 100 stores. I showed a lot of restraint though. I only bought 3 pairs ... and one was a pair of sneakers so they don't really count! :) Anyway, the day was filled with lots of walking and shopping - definitely a fun way to burn off calories! :)

Cravings, Dust, and Hot Pink Shoes

Last night I went out with a few girlfriends. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous, and last night was the perfect evening to sit outdoors, chat, laugh, and enjoy some iced tea (unsweetened, of course).

I got home at around half past eleven and I had crazy cravings. I wanted to eat something - I wasn't sure what, all I knew was I wanted it to be yummy. Mmmm what I would have given to have some chips and salsa! Fortunately (unfortunately) there was absolutely NOTHING in the house to snack on. The closest thing to junk food in the house is a box of After Eight mints (40 calories a piece by the way). As delicious as After Eight's are, they're really don't work when it comes to satisfying a craving. *sigh* I'm glad that I don't keep junk food in the house - it's for days like this, which I'm happy to say don't happen often.

I know my will power hasn't changed as much as I would have liked it to ... I know that had there been some tostitos in the cupboard, I would have polished them off. I've definitely taken the right step by not having any munchies in the house. So, I drank some water, brushed my teeth, and eventually made it to bed.

I had mentioned in yesterday's blog post that I was thinking about going for my first swim of the season today ... You should have seen me walking out the door this morning. I had a long day ahead of me ... workout in the morning, work, errands, Zumba at night. I had my beach bag for my swim, my morning workout bag, my clothes for work, and another workout bag with my Zumba shoes and another set of workout clothes. I looked like I was going away for a long weekend! Anyway.

When I had looked out the window, it looked foggy outside ... but as soon as I stepped out I was greeted by dust. Yuck. Definitely one of the pitfalls of living in a desert country. This is a snapshot on the drive to the gym -- visibility was less than 100 m, really nasty (though do you like my boxing glove ornament on my rearview mirror?) :)

So, the swim was out of the question.

I went on to complete my NROL4W Workout A3. While my negative chin ups are still crazy difficult (I cannot lower myself down slowly) -- I can, however, hold on longer and even raise my knees higher, and today I even managed to bend my elbows a bit to lift myself up (just a tiny, tiny bit). I was so thrilled!

I was also so happy to have completed 4 sets (of only 2 reps each) of underhand lateral pulls at 55 kgs (that's 12 lbs)! I did my split squats with 40 kgs (88 lbs), and I know I'm ready to go for a higher weight. I am really pleased with my progress!

I left the house a bit earlier than usual this morning because I wanted the extra time in case I could have fit in that swim ... but since I didn't, I finished my weights workout a bit early ... and since DB (my favorite trainer) was doing an RPM class that morning I decided to join in for the first 35 minutes (would have done the whole class if I didn't have to shower, change, and get to work!). He had warned me that it would be tough after the squats I did ... and OMG - it was tough! My legs felt hmmmm what's the word? Something between 'solid' and 'heavy' - in any case, it was good to get in a bit of tough cardio in the morning.

Work went well. Errands were successfully completed -- including the purchase of my new running shoes!! Finally! I ended up buying the new Reebok zigtech shoes. We'll see how they turn out ...

Today seemed to be the day for hot pink shoes because this is what I wore to work today:

... and these are the new trainers that I bought :)

Talk about a pop of color! I do love pink, but I had not intended to buy these shoes in hot pink ... they just didn't have any others in my size. Oh well. I'm not complaining!

Ok, to wrap things up.

I did go back to the gym in the afternoon.

I did 5 km on the cross-trainer ... and then, I saw that the Abs Blast class that's held just before Zumba was still in session. Since I didn't do any abs in the morning (coz' of the RPM class) I decided to join them for the last 15 minutes.

I really wish I hadn't. I mean, I'm 'glad' I did, but from the 1st minute it was pure torture! Bicycle crunches -- my absolute nightmare!! Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, he was doing variations on bicycle crunches!!! WTF? We were laughing in class just because we were too sore to cry lol -- hmmmm should I give the class another try? The 15 minutes I did was SO painful!

I ended the evening with Zumba -- I love Zumba!! :) Although I was quite tired, I did put my all into the class and left drenched in sweat but really happy ... that is until I showered and changed and realized that I had to put my hot pink heels on again ... I do love my heels, but after such a long day and 2 hours of exercise, I just wanted my Havaianas!!

I think I'll sleep well tonight!

Rest?

For a day of rest, today sure was busy! I'm so glad today was my day off from the gym as I really don't know how I would have managed to fit in a workout.

I finally had my follow-up appointment with Dr. T about my leg. Since the pain is gone, there really wasn't any reason for a check up. The main purpose of this trip was for him to check my shoes.

I didn't really need a doctor to tell me that my New Balance shoes that I absolutely LOVE needed to be replaced. They should have been replaced ages ago ... and the fact that I did that 10K in them really screwed me up! I've been looking for a replacement for ages ... just haven't found the right pair. He told me that the average shoe life for my workout routine is about 100 hours, which basically means that I'd need to change my shoes about every 3 months! That's quite often ... and it's not like gym shoes are cheap either! In any case, gym shoes are something that I'll definitely invest in - I don't even look at the price. If it feels right (and looks right!) then I'll buy them.

He went over some interesting points on how to choose the best shoe for me. Each person is different, and because of the overall weakness in my left leg (extra pressure on the pad of the foot, slightly dislocated kneecap, broken thigh bone that didn't quite heal (very long story there), and hip pain from too much dancing in high heels (sigh, those were the good 'ol days when dancing salsa was the main thing going on in my life) ... anyway. All those combined made my left leg a big more unstable than my right, so I basically have to choose shoes that won't aggravate any of the old injuries ... not an easy task.

He did not approve of my newly bought Nike trainers:

Well, at least not for high impact cardio. He said I could wear them on days that I'm lifting weights or doing a class like Body Pump that doesn't require much stepping. So, the search for the right shoes is still on ... luckily I never shy away from a bit of shoe shopping :)

After the doctor's office I headed to the supermarket. I had my list in hand and was absolutely ready ... until I got there and I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people and kids. It was absolutely jam packed!! I never shop for groceries on the weekends ... and now I remembered why. It was insane. I had a lunch appointment so I knew I would have to rush ... I just headed straight for the produce section - grabbed what I could - and was out of there as quickly as possible (and even then it took too long). I can't stand having to shop for groceries when it's that crowded. A second trip will definitely be required as I'm sure I forgot many things that were on my list ... still, dinner for tomorrow is definitely ready.

The rest of the day was spent tackling a few errands and tasks around the house. Although I had a productive day, I definitely feel like I need one more day of no obligations/work so that I can make more progress through my never-ending list of things to do!

Stage 6 of NROL4W starting tomorrow! Yay!!