Things that make me mad

ok so i know i have been on and off the radar for a while now but im still fighting the good fight.

To Summarise, Ive had a few issues with health which has now finally seemed to have come down to a very deficient me in Vitamin D (levels which are barely detectable). This has meant Ive been battling to maintain my fitness due to some of the side affects of low vit D which include muscle and bone pain and tiredness, not to mention the affect on the immune system which has meant it seems like Ive just had one bug after another over the last year. However all that aside im battling on and despite a weight gain over the year of 1 stone im am not to concerned as theres light at the end of the tunnel....... at least i now know im not going mad and there has been a cause to the various symptoms which i just couldnt conect the dots on.

anyway... now that i have filled you in on whats been happening with me on to my main topic which is Things that make me Mad!!!

Now obviously i blog about fitness and health but always try to remain objective and encourage a healthy balance but sometimes you hear people doing or saying things that just make you want to scream:

1. Fad Diets
2. LOW CARB!!!!!
3. Being a slim healthy size yet still saying you need to loose weight!!
4. as long as I count my calories its fine
5. I want to build tone but loose weight

ok so these are just a few of the things which make me mad but they are all very common themes i hear day in day out being discussed by people in the gym

Fad Diets - as I've said and will always say moderate what you consume but do not cut out/replace or overly restrict. if a diet is telling you to cut out one of the main food groups steer clear. we are omnivores for a reason and need every (Natural) food group to help sustain healthy bodies and minds. the worst in my mind is the NO CARB diet..... Carbs are our most important and basic form of energy resource they are not bad as long as you stick to natural unprocessed forms (remember if its white its more than likely processed... nothing but coconut in nature is naturally white)

OK now im all for being aware of what calorie intake you have had in a day..... its obviously a simple equation energy in - energy used = energy stored. But i am not keen on diets which allow you to eat anything as long as you count it..... for example its ok if i have a mcdonalds today as long as i eat nothing else!!! NOOOOO a mcdonalds as a treat if you really want it (and ask yourself if you really do) is fine but please learn not only to be aware of calories but also which foods are healthy choices, and which should be avoided such as highly processed meals/snacks or treats.

Now on to those you here in the gym discussing the fact they cant understand why they arent loosing weight (you look and see a slim toned normal person and wonder what the heck have they got to loose? a butt cheek?)....... ok now when you are carrying excess weight you can slim and tone up at the same time.... however if you have reached the normal to lower levels of your weight range and you are doing a significant amount of muscle building/toning excercises.... well im sorry you are unlikely to loose much weight its known muscle is heavier than fat and you may even put a few pounds on (good pounds) but you will find your shape changes........ GUYS PLEASE STOP OBSESSING ON WEIGHT AND CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK TO LOOKING AT HOW YOU LOOK OR FEEL....... DO YOUR CLOTHES FEEL LOOSER? YES? THEN GREAT!!!!!! WHO CARES IF THE SCALES SAY YOUVE LOST NOTHING.

At the end of the day people we all make mistakes we all have bits of us we dont like, but please start to be happy with who you are, dont follow trends or new celeb diets or take those models in the magazines to be ideal examples.... just learn to make healthy choices, live energised lives and treat yourself every now and again....... after all we are all meant to be different... imagine how boring life would be if we all looked the same.

Rant over

loving autumn running

ok so maybe its not most peoples idea of fun, and ive gotta admit often I have a full on argument in my head with myself to get that motivation to go out in the cold and run, but once I'm there its really quite peacefull and it feels great to be reclaiming my own time and along with it my own body.

You will all be pleased to know i kept to my word and despite only taking the tiniest 4.5 kilo rucksack with me on holiday to portugal i managed to get in there my trainers and running gear........ oh yeah now your impressed lol... well thats the dedication im putting into myself im determined to shift this bit of weight ive put on this year and get back on track.

Im beginning to slowly but surely get my feel for running back, ive recently downloaded a personal running trainer ap which has a 16 week marathon program on it. so i started it this week (i know winter .... hummm maybe not the best timing.... looks like ill be running in the snow) and although i think 16 weeks may be a bit optamistic im going to follow the program and if one week feels a little tough i will just repeat it then move on ....... but you never know i may surprise myself and do it in the 16 weeks.

So roll on a winter of running, of wooly hats and foggy mornings, of crispen air and frosty footprints.... whatever the season may bring im ready.

ooops.................

Ok so as you all know i have battled for many years with my weight but finally triumphed in loosing over 8 stone and becoming a Personal trainer and fitness instructor.

Well now to the oops................

 early this year i was working in my full time job as a venue manager fo nottingham Trent as well as working between 10-20 hrs as a PT and fitness instructor this meant a total average working week of 60-70 hours. This was fine but training myself was getting tough to fit in but i was just about managing..... but then.............

I fell in love i met my current partner in early january and suddenly i needed to fit someone else in to my life.
As with all relationships early on came the dating.... the eating out, the drinking.... the lets have a takeaway night in etc etc................

initially work stayed the same, so what lost out you may ask? well my training schedule did and as a result so did i.

Everyone says with love comes a belly........ :-) initially mine didnt the high work load and running about kept the weight off, but soon i became run down i did not have enough time for everything. not only this but my already hard hit training schedule was dealt more blows and i was just too run down to train as i always have.

what happened you may ask? well i was happy and initially my muscle mass kept my metabolism high so i didnt see too many adverse effects, however with the low training i soon lost muscle mass and with that came the belly....

i am ashamed to say i have put on just over a stone ooooops

so what do i do? well i soon decided my health and happiness were more important than my work or bank balance and even my clients (what kind of role model am i if i put on weight) so This has meant i have now come to the decision to stop Personal training (for the moment) and just teach my tri club and spin classes with effect from the end of this month.

this means i have now regained some me time, yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

i am happy as larry, very much in love but also very ready to banish this belly back to where it came from!!!!

so i appologise everyone for falling of the blogging wagon, but i hope you can see why, and i also hope this shows all of us fall a little now and again but as long as it is recognised and a plan put in motion to stop it in its tracks then we will win

Fat mairi will not get her claws back into me!!!!

watch this space for updates on my progress...

P.S im even taking my running shoes on holiday with me next week :-)

Am i Fat?

Somebody asked me the other day if i thought i was fat.... my answer without even thinking came out as yes... I KNOW ridiculous isnt it!

Now dont get me wrong i am happy with my size, i feel fit and healthy and i know i look good (well i hope i do) but i guess this is the one last hurdle i have to face... starting to realize that dispite what i think, or feel, or what the media want me to think I AM NOT FAT.

I think as a prevously seriously obese woman ive never quite lost the feeling that people look at me, or the fear something wont fit, or ill be too heavy for that, or will i fit into that seat? its ridiculous i know... im sure i would be some psycologists wet dream but its hard to shake a lifetime of learned responses and fear.

It doesnt help that as a size 14/16 woman the media percieves me as PLUS SIZE, that there are charts out there such as BMI which still classify me as over weight without taking into account excess skin weight, and lean muscle mass... (please dont think these scales are the be all and end all they are merely a guide).

If size zero was the way we should all be.. why are so little of us there?

I guess its a little unfair that not only do i have to learn to battle with my own warped sense of body image but the societies as well... but i guess writing my blog is one way to help defeat these

 But the real reason im writting this particular page is to let others know we are all the same, we all have that little inner demon and that this.. the last hurdle can be conquered.
It will take time i know that, but as each day goes by i catch myself smiling at my image more than i do cursing it, i feel sexy more often than i do ugly, and i smile more with every day that passes.
 I am gradually training out the immediate learned response that is "I'm FAT" from years of being that way. now I need to realise im a normal healthy sexy woman with a long life to lead..... "I AM beautiful"  both inside and out :-)

The hobbie i love turn job i love!

Some times i think im the luckiest person alive, despite the long hours i work there are those few hours a week i spend teaching or traning others that are just moments of true joy.

wether its spin, box fit, circuit, inductions or personal training... i am in my element. I now have my first few clients and god i love training them.

I am finally on the way to making a difference in other peoples lifes! and when you see that smile on someones face (generally a very sweaty one) you know you are doing the right thing.

here are a few of things which make me smile:

- Putting on my Personal Trainer T
- setting up a circuit
- Putting on my Boxing mits
- that first punch a client throws into my boxing mit, with no hesitation.
- the first time a client conquers a difficult excercise
- seeing smiley sweaty faces
- seeing someone achieve something they thought they couldnt do
- seeing a full spin class put every last ounce they have into the last 30 seconds of the class...

- making a client laugh in their work out

- when the little boy im training scores his first goal

- the appreciative thank you you get at the end of every class, especially when i feel like i should be thanking them because i enjoyed it just as much!

I've gotta admit although its not full time yet... i have one of the best..... actually no THE BEST job in the world.

Legs and abs of steel

well im now 1.5 weeks through my PT course and its going great. i have passed my first assesments with flying colours and have been told by my trainer that i have a flair for the job and great personality she thinks i will make a great PT.
Its so good to feel like im making the right choice im loving every day from theory in the classroom to bench pressing with the guys.
we also did some fitness testing today... a bit like a body MOT... and i have got the all clear. not only is my BP is normal, my lung capacity well over average, and my resting heart rate is low (but not scary theres an issue low just my body is chilaxing low).
We also did a fitness step test in which i scored higher than the girls and up there with the boys, as well as a sit up test where i also beat the girls and to the boys shock beat most of them too tehehehe.
We also tried out our max strength today. this is basically how much can you pull, push, lift etc in one repitition... i.e its as heavy as you can go you will be able to do one but no more. I (again to the boys suprise) leg pressed 185 kilos more than double my weight, and chest pressed 55 kilos.
All of the above just goes to show that you dont have to look ultra skinny or fit to actually be fit. im a good size 14-16 and i am right up there with the best in my class. i think i earned a little respect today from those in my class and gave myself a pretty good boost of confidence too.
Roll on tomorrow. i cant wait to get out there and start helping others.

London Baby!

well im finally here... down in london after a small train trip... on which sheamus helped me with some anatomy revision....and getting nervous about starting my course tomorrow!

However im also so excited about the things i will learn and the people im going to meet... maybe they are all just as insane as me! I cant believe its actually here and that i am actually just about to start my personal trainer course.... again who would have thought that someone like fat mairi could turn away from the cakes and head into the fast lane :-P

ive also just been out on a 3 mile run with my little brother (who is kindly putting me up fo the duration of the course) heading out along the canal and through victoria park... it was pretty nice and my knee seems to have held up, but is nagging a little so i will stick with this distance for a while till it stops complaining.

hopefully if i can get up to around 4 miles in the next week or so, i will actually be able to run along the canal to the course each morning as its only about 3.5 miles and means i will miss the rush hour madness which i am not looking forwards to at all!

but hey ho.. here we go. im off to spend the day in the park for a parks festival to relax before the madness begins... look out world here i come.

Where has my sunshine gone?

we all have bad days and good ones...... i must admit im having a bit of a rough time at the moment! i know crazy huh and we all thought i was invinsible lol....
i think i will always have to battle my evil little inner monkey, and the last few months being unable to run have not helped. i still train 4-5 times a week, but ive missed my running. Ive noticed the naughty snacks creeping back in... i can see it hapening but sometimes its just to hard to resist and you think theres always tomorrow!... well there is always tomorrow but if i want to see lots of them i need to rein my evil little monkey in.
the good news is im now running again... well jogging and only a few minutes at a time while i build up my leg strength, but its given me the light at the end of the tunnel. ive gotta admit work has been tough recently and im now hitting one of the hardest weeks of the year where my training routine will thoroughly be upset and the food on the run more of a frequent occurance. however ive stocked up m fridge at work with fruit and i intend to have a good long session in the gym tomorrow (possibly the only chance i will get this week).
i guess what im tryng to say today is we all have hard weeks, but when you have been overweight like me, its so important not to let them get the better of you.. as its a slippery slope which is easily fallen on. so take stock, dont feel guilty, and prepare the best you can for whats to come. i may not train much this week, but i will be running round like a looney at work and as long as i try to make the best food choices i can this week, i can make up some gym time next week. and i know my sunshine will return...... i may have had a hard few weeks and made a few bad choices but im aware of them enough now to stop it becoming a snowball effect. I even bought myself a new animal top this week a SIZE 14 woohoo.... i love it and its perfect for summer, fat mairi will not win because the new more balanced mairi is now in da house :-)

working hard... snacking well

we all know that when your having a hard day at work a quick sugar fix from a sweet hot drink or biscuit or even a muffin can be hard to resist. and i for one have many a time relented and given in to the temptation. I often work long unsociable hours unexpectedly which means i fnd myself still at my desk past tea time with a mars bar calling my name.

 Now dont get me wrong, i have learnt my lessons from the past and i certainly dont chow down on chocolate or cakes every day (albeit fat mairi happily would). infact i more often reach for the fruit bowel that sits on my desk, and ofcourse its fine to have a treat now and again.... its all about the balance!

But i have found the soulution... or at least something to help me make a better choice. Its called graze.com... an amazing company who produce healthy snack boxes for a very low price which you can have delivered through your door or even to our office. its full of great things like nuts, seeds, dried and fresh fruit and even a bit of chocolate... yes you heard me right chocolate but in small healthy amounts........ i love it. they are pre portioned and in perfect snacking portions with the rght balance of yum versus healthy.

 i get one a week and put the four treats by my desk for those munchy moments... my latest favourite being cherry infused raisins they are gorgeous!

not only that but these graze boxes help you graze healthily avoiding those sugar highs and lows which lead to unhealthy choices.

check out the web link at the side of my page to get yourself a free box with no commitment but a great step forward to making healthy yet convienient and yummy choices!

so go on treat yourself to something a bit healthy but nice :-)

Training isnt all about the gym, classes or PT's

Dont you just love a little bit of sunshine... nothing better to get you up, out and happy. Indeed is is true that sunshine actually does make you happy by improving levels of chemicals in your brain.
Any how the sun is definatly a good vibe for me.... walking home from the gym this morning i decided to get out in the garden and tackle all those overgrown slabs, the dead tree and generaly have a good tidy of the garden.

 The great outdoors wether its your garden or a park.. is a great way to burn a few extra calories. You dont have to be in a gym or have your own trainer to loose weight... i have just finished 3.5 hours pulling, pushing, squating, lifting and generally getting a bit manual in he garden.  Believe me no machine in the gym has me working as hard as the dead tree in the corner of our yard did... i must have spent 1 hour just breaking and pulling that down... it is definatly the most stubbourn dead tree i have ever known, i also discovered the tree bites! i am now covered in bruises scratches and splinters lol. Its so good for the soul though... its like a good spring clean of the garden, and after all my huffing, puffing and lugging round the yard im very chuffed with my achievement.
so if there are any of you out there who are wondering how to get a little more active but are too afraid of the gym, just get out in your garden and have a bit of spring clean... it will do you and your garden the world of good. and if you havent got your own.. help a friend :-)

It's a Deep Burn!

When you first start training for whatever reason it may be... either to tone up, increase your fitness, or loose a little  of the excess (or in my case A LOT) you expect there to be a bit of pain and aching muscles involved. Some people will get put off in just their few sessions because of this (please dont be). And i for one remember the many times i was unable to walk down stairs without resorting to sliding down on my bum or roll out of bed without considerable time being taken to try to assume the least painful method! I even remember one time when my gluts (bum) was so sore on one side that i couldnt get into my car properly and had to try to sit only on the other side (extremly difficult whilst driving and not recommended!).... much to the ammusement of my so called friends!

However if you manage to push through this - which i highly recommend you do - the BURN becomes a little less each time and you soon find it takes a lot for you to get the same degree of Burn. i now get the occassional minor ache but nothing in comparison to the early days unless i have a big routine change and work hard on something i havent done before or for a while.

However this is where i made my mistake... i jokingly said to my trainer whilst training yesterday morning that it had been a while since he had managed to make me feel the burn to which he joyously replied we will fix that! Many one legged squats, squats, straight legged dead lifts, and one legged planks later i was feeling pretty beasted, and my bed was certainly a joyous place to be last nite...... But then the morning came... and oh my god i could FEEL THE BURN! my thighs feel like they have been run over by an elephant.... each step comes with its own cry for redemption and stairs are yet again my biggest nemesis! everytime i squat down to pick something up (and im trying to limit the times i need to do this!) i feel like my legs have bought a one way ticket and arent going to be able to make the return journey back up to standing!

But do you know what... i love it.... i wont be going to the gym today as my aching muscles need a day to recover. But its strange to think that the fact im hurting means i have done some good, and given my body a change in tempo to keep it on its toes. Yes one day you too will yearn for the feeling of the burn and be happy with the aching steps down the stairs and the comical effort you put into getting up or down.

The burn is my friend but one that i am happy to have just occassional visits with as it reminds me im alive and kicking :-)

p.s Thank You Toby for my ass whooping

My Training Buddy Returns!

 Training sessions without my buddy are just arent the same... but when my buddy is there the session has a whole new dimension,  and new energy, especially when eye of the tiger begins!

yup you have guessed it my buddy is my pink ipod shuffle. The other day i was distraught to discover it he was no longer working... possibly due to the recent training session in the pouring rain which im fairly sure didnt agree too much with his little electric circuits! Try as i might no matter how many times i charged it, turned it off and on, held buttons down, or shook him he did not ressurect!...

Gutted i didnt really have the pennies to go out and buy a new one so i just resorted to sulking for a bit ......what would i do without pendulum, lulu and my Bass rutten mixed martial arts tracks just to mention a few.

 But then  realised i couldnt bare to be without it, so began to see if i could get it fixed by dear old apple... and to my surprise discovered my little shuffle was still under warrenty YIPEEE so just a short phone call later i had a new buddy on the way.

And today Finally i have my faithful training buddy back, woohoo, it was straight to the pc to download my gym tracks and then packed and ready for my trip to the gym after work!

ooooh i do love it when you have a good sweat on and your fav tunes are blasting in your ears. I cant wait to get out running again with my buddy, hopefully at tomorrows physio session i will get a better idea of when i can begin to put running back into my routine.. i miss it so much (wow cant quite believe im saying that). Fat mairi is truely gone.

the joy of small success's

The weekend always seems to by so quickly. I missed body bar this weekend as i had a night out with friends on friday which meant the likely hood of being in the gym less than 5 hours after i came home was doubtful. But hey i made up for it today and dragged myself off to circuit - its all about the balance.

It was in cicuit today that i realised i can now do full press ups! ......yes i can only just about manage 10 before buckling to my knees and opting for the girly ones but its a success none the less.

I have found that since loosing the weight Ihave now hit a plateu, i think im about 1.5 stone off my ideal weight but dispite my best efforts my body seems to like where it is. but hey im happy with that im a size 14 fit and healthy.... but it can get harder to realise why you do it, its much easier in the days where the scales moved down every week. but ive gotta be happy in the small success's, if my weight doesnt go up, thats a small success, and when i discover i can now do a full press up when this time last year i would have laughed out loud at the suggestion of even trying!.... yet another small success!

horrah for that feeling you get when something that seemed impossible now becomes possible... one day I'm determined to conquer a chin up, maybe even the one armed press up :-).

Ive also made more moves in the direction of completing a personal training course.... i have choosen the course, venue and dates.... now all i need to to is raise the money. I cant wait to help others to do this, and do this is a balanced way.... lets not obsess about the calories but take pride in the small success's

Winter Hibernation

why is it that as soon as the weather gets cold, all i want to do is grab the carbs. Its almost as though my body is trying to get me to fatten up for a long winter sleep.....

but hey i am not a grizzly bear!

Unfortunaltly this is something we all experiance its natural and normal to find yourself pushing away the salads and grabing the comfort foods. its part of our DNA, its our inner monkey making sure that we survive the harsh winter. Yes i know we now have central heated houses and a well stocked kitchen, but our monkey doesnt know that. :-)

Now there is nothing wrong with eating a few extra carbs in the colder months... our bodies do need more energy to keep warm in the colder months but this is not a green light for our inner monkey to take over and destroy all the work We've done over the year.

The best way to keep my inner monkey from eating me out of house and home is to make sure i have a good hearty breakfast before heading into the cold. something like my favourite porridge and dried fruit is perfect. I also ensure that i always have healthy snacks like fruit, or mixed nuts to hand to ensure my monkey doesnt find an excuse to grab a muffin, or a chocolate bar.

when i come in in the evening, ive normally been to the gym and my monkey is ravenous, particularily in the winter months. all i want is a huge bowl of pasta or tortellini... to ensure i can have the carbs im craving but in a healthy way i get a bag of fresh steamed veg, and add this to a small amount of fresh pasta, add some pesto or chopped tomatoes and you have your comforting easy meal, but its packed with goodness.

Me and My monkey have found our balance :-)

Beating The Monday Blues

why is it that Mondays are so hard?... getting back into a frame of mind for work... realising the weekend is so far away... all this makes monday a hard day for exercise... you say "theres always tomorrow" or "as long as i still go my 4 times this week its ok if i skip today" but if monday slides by its all too easy for the rest of the week to go the same way and before you know it you havent been to the gym the whole week... this is why routine is so useful... i have a schedule a weekly plan of what i do and when i do it, so when i rise on monday morning the gym bag is packed and ready for a trip to the gym after work... Mondays is Abs class and Jez's crazy aerobics. now im not normally one for aerobics my coordination makes me feel like a baby elephant on ice, but Jez's aerobics its like nothing ive ever done before, i used to watch the class through the window and think god i could not do that... the pace is so fast and energetic... not to mention the many Burpees and press ups... but you know what i tried it and i love it, its now my 4th week doing Jez's class and i love the way he pushes us, and the fact i come out soaked. Its truly an awesome class and the best way to set up my week. i may feel like ive been beasted by a sergent major, but the sense of achievement i feel when ive survived the 65 minutes is all i need to keep me going. roll on the rest of the week, im ready for anything it may throw at me!

sunday... a battle between my duvet and the outside world

It's sunday again.... the weekend always seems to take forever to come and just when it does its gone again.i wake up and think i need to do something productive today... but inside me fat mairi wants to laze about in bed, or on the sofa. Now yes ive been to the gym 5 times this week already, but i did eat a pizza (low fat vege pizza) last nite and some ben and jerrys (frozen yogurt) so with that thought its up, out of bed joggers on and preparations for a run begin.here i will tell you of the joy that i have discovered which is porridge and dried dates... ummm nothing so lovely on a cold winters day as a bowl full of porridge to warm you from the inside out.... add the dates to this and it becomes a little bowl of heaven.Having filled up my camel pack with water and made sure my ipod is charged, i don my gloves, hoodie, hat and trainers and walk out the door... almost immediatly i want to go back in as the sheer cold of the day hits me. But i lock the door and walk down the street and at the bottom of the rd i begin my run.initially i think ill never warm up but soon im enjoying the sunshine and the music in my ears. what better way to spend your sunday morning? 6 miles later im on the home stretch, who would have thought just 1 year ago i was over 5 stone heavier and the thought of running to the bottom of the road would be my worst nightmare!... now i run for fun!what a change? and its one i mean to keep...... but hey just because i pick up my trainers, doesnt mean i dont pick up chocolate everynow and again... after all chocolate and running are good for the soul and i intend to keep the right balance with both.

changing life for the better 2009-2010

My story

i spent most of my teen and young adult years obese topping the scales at 21 stone and a size 26 at just 19 years old.... i was miserable. When i went to university i had a horrid first year... can you believe that i was teased at university for my size... this only made matters worse as i would comfort eat, even sneeking down in the night to the communal kitchen late at night to make sandwiches packed with peanut butter. luckily my second year at university i made some great friends and life began to get better, this meant that during my last year at university i manage to loose some weight by changing my diet i managed to loose about 3 stone. after universiy i went on a ski season which saw me drop to 13.5 stone and a size 14... i was ecstatic... i couldnt believe after so many years of being unhappy with my body i had finally done it i was 24 i managed to hold this weight for a couple of years but then due to changes in jobs and a bad break up the weight crept up little by little until christmas 2008 when i was weighing in at just over 18stone...... i decided enough was enough and i needed to get back on track and into the gym as i did not want to end up back at 21 stone i couldnt bear the thought of going back to that.... its amazing how weight can affect your confidence and general enjoyment of life... i was miserable and i knew it had to be changed. i began by joining Hoofers gym and joined their PGS (personal Group System) this was were a few times a week you could book in and train with a personal trainer with a small group of people, most of the time it was just me or 1 or 2 others. i did this 3 times a week and also came in on my own when i could. During this start up period i trained with various staff at hoofers who have all been amazing in supporting me through this, but i struck a particular bond with Toby Liddiard who gave me the confidence and strength to really work at it.... even when i was down and out Toby could pick me up and get me working. when i first joined the gym the one thing i said i wouldnt do was go on the treadmill the thought of people watching me bounce around like a sweaty blob was not something i could bear plus ive never run in my life id even get out of it in school pe classes. but slowly and surely my confidene grew with the help of toby and eventually i got onto the treadmill... initially i was just walking, then walking uphill, gradually i began to pick up my speed until eventually i was adding in little runs, id walk for 2 mins run for 2 mins and gradually i built up the time i was running for and the speed. i have built up my running by interval training, i have also done ab work outs, spin sessions, circuit training, resistance training and much more, i have recently also joined a triathlon club who i train with each thursday. whilst out on a gym night out with my trainers and friends they suggested the TRent family 5K... i thought why not ill give it a go and then there i was waiting at the start line of my first ever run! when i completed this in 33 mins without stopping i couldnt believe it the feeling was amazing i wanted more so i then set my sights on the anthony noland bone marrow 10k which i completed in april in 1 hr 7 mins no record but again i ran the whole way. soon i had my sights set even higher the Nottingham triathlon a 750m open water swim, 20k bike and 5k run... i was a good swimmer but i didnt have a bike and well we know im not the best runner but i thought what the hell. by this time in april i had managed to shed 2 stone and i was still loosing. i have always wanted to have a go at a triathlon but never thought i would be able to... mainly because of my fitness levels and the fact i couldnt run.... however it was time to change and the triathlon gave me something to aim for. so i began to train specifically for the triathlon, i got myself a rd bike and joined a triathlon club. over the next few months i shed another 2 stone and before i knew it the triathlon was here.... all i remember is being stood in my wet suit by the edge of the lake full of nerves and wondering if this was such a good idea.... next thing i was in the water treading water whilst waiting for the horn to blow... then we were off.... it was manic white water arms and legs all around me.... it was all i could do not to panic and just concentrate on doing one stroke after another.... before i knew it i was up and running out the lake to the first transition... i tore of my wet suit, slapped on my bike helmet and shoes and grabbed my bike ... as i ran out of transition with my bike my heart was pounding with all the adrenaline i jumped on and began to ride and began to settle onto a groove and slow down my heart a bit... it was 20 very hard kilometers but again before i knew what had happened i was dropping my bike and helmet and heading out for the 5k run.... my legs were screaming they felt like they didnt belong to me but i pushed on through.... as i ran i just kept thinking one foot infront of the other.... the finish line was a welcome sight and i even managed a last minute sprint over the line! it was amazing. i finished in 1hr 55, certainly not an olympic time but for a girl who only 8 months ago had never run a step in her life it was a huge achievement! Since the triathlon in august i have also completed my first half marathon 13.1 miles(the robin hood half) on sept 13th 2009 in 2hrs 33 mins. the trathlon season is now ending but i have my sights on a couple of duathlons (running and biking) and i hope to aim for the 70.3 iron man next year. the key to my success has been keeping a varied programme, and finding a trainer who could inspire me. i train a lot 5 days a week between 7-12 hours a week however this is because i enjoy it so much and i have built this up gradually over the past 8 months. i now weigh just under 14stone and a small size 16 im happy, im fit and ive found a new passion for triathlons... i hope to loose some more but its more about toning up for me now as im 5'9". i believe loosing weight has more than just an affect on you looks, its great for your health and mental well being too. it truely changes your life, i am a far more positive and happy person now, i enjoy life and im not constantly worrying about what people think of me. loosing the weight for me has given me a new goal in life, i have been so inspired by my trainer that i am now looking to train as a personal trainer myself, i cant think of anything better to do with my life than make people feel the way i do now. i want to work with those that are too afraid to come to the gym, or dont believe it will work and show them where i have come from and that with a little hard work it is possible. the great thing is its only hard to start with... after that it becomes a way of life thats enjoyable and beneficial. i hope to raise the money to do my course for personal training by next year, and im also thinking about looking for sponsership to help me do it. my life has now changed for the better.... i cant thank Toby and everyone who has supported me enough. Now its my turn to do the sam for others.