Time to up the ante!

I’m just back from the gym, having had a much-needed half day today (to compensate me for the fact that I will be working this Saturday). I almost thought I would miss out on it, as one of my colleagues called in sick, but as I’d booked a dentist appointment for 3 (which I told them was at 2.30), they had no choice but to let me go.

I had lunch with Phillip (quite unhealthy – carvery!), then went to the dentist and paid £75 to be told the good news that I have no cavaties (I’ve been avoiding the dentist for about five years now… apparently I was scared for nothing!), then got changed at home and whizzed off to the gym. Phillip was there, and we did an hour-long back workout together.

I am currently on day three of my eat-healthier diet. It’s been about a year since I first started gaining an interest in my body (I joined Gold’s Gym when I was living in the USA back in February of 2009), and I haven’t seen much of a visible difference in all that time. I think I can feel that my biceps are firmer, and I think I see that my calves are less fatty, but certainly no dramatic changes that I can see. This fact, combined with a holiday to Egypt only two months away, makes this a pretty good time to really give it 100% now that I’m starting to understand what I am doing.

I’m not making any huge changes. I’m not cutting out meat (I only eat lean meat anyway), and I’m not eating a bunch of extra vegetables, but I am cutting down on the chocolates and buscuits (my colleagues fill the office with so many packets of chocolate hobnobs, I was starting to get addicted to them). I’m currently on day three of no chocolate, and to be quite frank, it’s absolutely killing me. I really think I am a chocolate addict. I believe I get actual cravings. Right now, if I think about how much I want that twirl at the back of my desk, I feel I could cry.

I’m not going to cut chocolate out altogether. That would be torture. But I definitely do need to cut it down. Weekends are always quite unhealthy, as I spend them with Phillip, so we always eat out, and get dessert too. I can’t change that aspect of my life, but if I can control myself during weekdays, I think that could make a big difference.

I am also making a big effort to drink more water. 8 small bottles per day is my goal for now. It’s hard, and it makes me need to go to the toilet a lot (which sucks at work), but again, I hope it will prove with it in the long run.

I was also very surprised to check in with bodyrock.tv and find that Zuzana has started a one-month challenge only a week before me, so that’s nice to have that to accompany me. I also checked out the blog of a nice lady who commented on my blog a few months ago. Sounds like she is doing amazingly well, which is an added motivator! I really hope she uploads some before/after pictures so I can see what she has achieved.