Day 60 - Be tough on yourself before temptation

Congratulations everyone at Day 60! Woohoo! I hope that you all celebrated! 

I made a new drink for post workout. I'm supposed to have low fat milk/yogurt and an egg white. I made it more fun by adding powdered cloves, cinammon, and nutmeg on top. The egg white is raw and then it's zapped together. I call it Ripped Little Girl because I got my workout done in 54 minutes. 

Anyone else got some cool ways with our milk allowance?

One satisfying thing today was planning much earlier than I thought I needed to. Had to buy some proper dance shoes for tomorrow's shoot and knew that if I left finding a place to eat in Shibuya until after I'd done it - it wouldn't happen. Ideally, I'd have packed a lunch, but sometimes there's only so much cooking/prepping you can do before you need to get out, so I went into a place where you can assemble your own lunch from big trays of veggies/fish/rice balls. They do ready made bento there too, but with the self service you get to make better choices. I got two pieces of shio (salt) saba fish and then 4 kinds of veg, and then weighed the rice ball. It was way over my allowance, as was the fish - so carved it up in Yoyogi park, put the remainder in small tupperware to take home and enjoyed an imperfect but fairly compliant meal watching everyone exercise. I even saw some teenage boys jump roping and felt a little smidge of pride. 

The cool thing about being picky with the grams came later. When I got home around 5 pm a couple of friends asked me to their apartment "Want to join two queens for strawberries, cheese, and champagne to celebrate the wedding of the next queen?" I've housesat for this couple and know their tv is truly huge, so of course I accepted. There was very little time to prepare. Prepare my stomach that is. I knew that I couldn't go into that situation without some lining. I threw a tin of tuna with the remaining fish from the morning, and pre-prepped potatoes and avocado. And some beansprouts plus other leftover veg on the side. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't even warm, but it was satisfying and delicious. 

Cycled to their place, announced that I'd be toasting with diet coke, then ate 5 strawberries while they ate french bread and squidgy Brie  and strawberries and champagne. One of them who hadn't heard about the PCP and was suprised I was declining posh champagne asked 'Why? Are you ill?' I said 'You don't want to see what's under my shirt'. He didn't either. 

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I take two things from Day 60

1. Be tough on yourself before you are tempted by others. It's easier to have it out with the devil and angel on your own. 

2. One good meal usually leads to the next one being good - virtuous circle. 

Day 42 - Another one down

That was the week that was...Week 6. I don't feel that I really pushed myself with the exercises as they were pushing me. I've had some real highs with feeling strong and powerful. And tired too, especially at the weekend. I'm determined to jump early tomorrow.

I think the main places I can get stronger with all this is being more on top of the diet in terms of prepping even more at home so I don't eat the salty fish that is delicious, but not strictly PCP. I also want to have a stronger week with my form, posture, and really making every exercise count. Compared to a couple of weeks back when I felt searing tiredness and soreness in my shoulders and legs, this week has been easier.

Today when I got home and got changed I saw a real change around my middle. Like I am starting to have a middle!

Gambatte minnasan!

Day 28 - Early start, salt

Anyone else finding getting up earlier easier? It starts with getting
an earlier evening meal if you can. I had my main meal about 30 min
before my evening class. I used to think that eating later was an incentive, but it doesn't work like that anymore.

Failed again on the salt because I didn't take in pre-prepped protein and got mackeral grilled with salt for both lunch and dinner. I think it's hard to say no to something so delicious and good for you in many ways.
The other option is a sashimi plate at the shop near me, but that's going to mean taking scales into the restaurant, and I'm not brave enough to do that yet.

Realized today that I'm not really trying hard enough on all sets of the exercises especially the ones in the middle. Something to work on.

If you haven't had breakfast eggs yet, may I recommend grinding in some nutmeg? It'll make your home smell lovely all day.

Day 22 - Your Body 101.

Today got to the studio in Yokohama on a cold dark night  having crashed out on the train from Tokyo.
Did a workout with Patrick and Kazue and then he proceeded to zap me with a magic scale that told me a few things.

The good news is as follows

1. I have low visceral fat (Mmmm...visceral faaaat) which  means that I am at lower risk of various diseases.
2. My muscular percentage is not great but not bad either. He's seen worse.

The bad news is

1. I have high 'subcutaenous fat' (This fat sounds snobby) which Patrick pleasingly dubbed 'the wetsuit'.
2. My body likes to store fat...in the muscles. This explains why despite swimming/jogging/recently capoeira my muscles still look rather sad.
3. My body will raid energy, guess where? From muscles.

We cycle round to the good news.

I need to keep eating protein. To be blunt 'We're going to keep you tanked up'. Team Io, I promise to bear this burden bravely. Patrick looked worried when he told me this, but really, I've embarrassed bigger men than him with how much I can put away.

I then celebrated all this by eating 1.5 times the protein I should have for dinner. I know this because Matsuya kindly labelled how much was in that steak. Not to mention the salt. I think I was feeling a bit emotional and COLD, and telling shop staff that 'No, I don't want the rice nor the miso' depleted my will to eat just 2/3 of the 140 g. of steak. It was nice though. Patrick, any suggestions on what I should do to recover? Less carbs tomorrow? Or just push on regardless? I know that shutting my mouth is a good starting point.

In other news, things are looking better re Fukushima, but it's a long road ahead for the people in the North of Japan who have little to eat and are fighting for survival. For once, I feel some empathy with the things I see on the news and it makes me sad and grateful at the same time.

Day 20 - Making a berimbau in Doutours

Today my teacher Cacapa made my first berimbau (instrument for capoeira) from a piece of bamboo, wire, string, and flower pot. I helped by holding my finger at critical points and places. We made it in the corner of Doutours and NO ONE stopped us. I think next time I will set up a model train set and dare them to stop me.

PCP-ing again saw me fail on the salt. Was carrying around a bag of seaweed with shrimp salt. Felt v. tired and low in the afternoon, and gave in. I don't crave salt 'on food' when I'm cooking my own, but I do sometimes crave salty processed foods. Giving this up is harder than I thought. Other meals were okay, but had an unweighed apple walking home, then weighed a similar one and was amazed at how heavy it was. Ate slightly less of evening fruits to try to balance it out. Should have just weighed and packed it along with my lunch.

Anyone else feel virtuous about having a weighed, packed lunch? Just me?

Exercise was okay with the rope and mediocre with the leg ups. And I am very ready for sleep now!

Thanks everyone for the comments and encouragement!

Day 18 - TGIF

Short post as pretty tired. Biked home and had a better workout with
the jumprope. Lunch was eaten out and far too salty. Need to ask about
canned fish...
Very glad to make it to Friday!

Day 14 - Great exercise, less than great eating

Today I decided to bike as I had a party to go to (one that I'd organized some time ago) and the train service is decidedly inconsistent in Tokyo. I was really looking forward to the party as it was a chance to chill out a bit after the earthquake and it was to celebrate a really great person's birthday. Anyway, the upshot was that I didn't eat enough veggies, and my protein was entirely processed meat in the form of mini sausages and 1/2 bowl of shepherd's pie. Carbs were a taco shells, bread, veggies were salad. And I had a banana on the bike ride. Not proud of this! My weakness is I think that if I exercise a lot then this 'allows' me to eat more. Which might be true, but you have to do the numbers and even then, it probably doesn't work out as you think. I cycled about 35 k. today, and the rest of the days meals were okay, a couple of salty items appeared. Breakfast was genmai mochi and wholewheat crackers (no doubt salty), and the lunch time fish from Origin Zen Bento takeout had salt on the skin (picked off skin, but salt still there). Sigh! Hope I haven't screwed up. Still, tomorrow is a new week and I can say that until today I have kept to the grams pretty well. I'll need to be on it harder, more planning in advance. I think that if I had asked for some advice about the meal, I'd have done better. Live and learn eh?

On the positive side - I said 'no' when asked if I wanted free pizza at lunch time. And I sucked it up and told the restaurant staff that I really didn't want cheesecake. And drink was a mineral water. So I have the willpower muscles. I just need to flex them harder and plan smarter.