Category: Nicole’s Diary

December 3, 2012 Suzie

Welcome back Nicole! What a busy year it has been for you, a huge congratulations to you and we can’t wait to follow your journey to ‘wedding body’ -S

I haven’t posted here for quite awhile (sorry Suzie!) because it’s been a busy 2012 – here’s what’s been happening.

I was so incredibly proud to complete my first ever triathlon with Suzie and the Reve team (you can read all about it here). If you’d have told me at the beginning of the year I would be completing a triathlon, I would probably have snorted chocolate milk out of my nose as I laughed hysterically. Yet I guess that’s the power of a great trainer – they’ll believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself!

In one of our pre-race training sessions, Suzie copped the full force of my fear – we’re talking swearing, tears and self-doubt … not my finest hour. As we tackled my first eight kilometres on a bike, and several steep hills (ok, maybe they were just slight inclines), Suzie was beside me every painful pedal, and never let me give up, even though every part of my body was screaming at me to get off that damn bike and just lie down.
To say I was nervous on the day is an understatement, but from the moment I jumped in the pool for the swim leg, my determination to at least finish what I started took over, and that (plus a healthy dose of nervous energy) pushed me all the way to the finish line! Suzie met me as I crossed, and as extremely dorky as it is to admit, I had tears in my eyes. If you’ve had a look at Suzie’s post, and are even just the slightest bit keen to give it a go yourself, I say go for it! There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a goal with an awesome group around you, and I reckon you have at least a week (or three) afterwards to brag to everyone you know that you’re now a triathlete! (Thanks family for indulging me!)

In very exciting news, I’m now an engaged woman! My super sneaky BF surprised me with a very romantic proposal on a very special Sunday and I’m over the moon! As talk has turned to all the important questions like where, when and what (will you wear), my inner glowing bride has been at odds with my outer busy, tired and slightly freaked out body. I’m going to be honest – as vain as I feel it is to type, I want to look as good as I can on my wedding day. I’m not talking Miranda-Kerr catwalk best – I’m thinking losing some of my excess weight, working on toning, and generally being fit and healthy – the best me I can be. And I like to think my thinking isn’t that dissimilar to many other brides-to-be. And while I’m being honest, I’m not looking forward to wedding dress shopping just yet. While I feel I’m the fittest I’ve been in a long time, I’m probably also at my heaviest weight wise. I’ve never been the kind of gal to crash diet (have I mentioned my chocolate obsession?) so I turned to Suzie – first to ask her to be in my bridal party (woo hoo!) and then to ask her for help in her official capacity as my trainer.
And so, operation white dress begins!
Because the wedding is over 10 months out, I figure I have plenty of time to make steady losses without giving up the things I love like white wine sangria, Thai food and Cadbury Marvellous Creations chocolate bars. So far I’ve (gasp) limited my chocolate intake to one bar per week, have upped my water intake, cut back on the sugary drinks (one diet coke per day, no fruit juices or ice teas) and I start each day with a bowl of low-gi cereal to fill me up. I eat as “clean” as I can during the week, but if have a dinner out or drinks on the weekend I have whatever meal or beverage I would like.
Pretty easy, right? You bet! And I surprised myself with a weight loss!
Suzie has also sorted me with a fantastic gym program to complete during the week and it’s become one of my faves. Between our training and the extra gym work, I’ve upped my exercise too.
I’ll check in soon and let you know how I’m going with my goal!

February 3, 2012 Suzie

Ok, Suzie wasn’t kidding when she said she is yet to unleash her full PT power on me!

After my first session that I mentioned in my last post, I hobbled around for a good few days. I’ve had sore muscles before, but nothing like what I experienced. Needless to say squats are not my friend! I almost shudder to think of what’s to come! Pain is gain, right?

I’ve now had three sessions with Suzie and have made some major changes, particularly to my diet. I used to hate water, but I am now drinking over a litre a day on Suzie’s recommendation. I have a 600ml bottle on my desk at work and make sure it’s empty before I head to lunch and again before I head home. At first I was freaking out my co-workers out with my many, many trips to the bathroom during the day, but my body seems to have adjusted now. I’ve also been getting lots of compliments on how great my skin looks and feels, so it’s been definitely worth the change! Water drinking on the weekend is still a challenge (did someone say cocktails?) but I’m getting there!

I’m also happy to report that over the past week and a half I’ve cut down my chocolate consumption. I had serious withdrawals the first couple of days while trying to wean myself off my one-freddo-a-day habit (the shame!), but the longer I go without it, the easier it’s getting. I did have three lindt balls in a slight moment of weakness but I sort of felt afterwards that I didn’t really need them. For any chocoholics out there I would seriously recommend steering clear of sugar-free dark chocolate.  Regardless of how big the craving is, it will leave you bitterly disappointed!

I’m also loving that not one session has been the same as the other. Last week was boxing, this week was weights… I’m definitely not bored!

So, that was all the easy stuff. What’s been hard? Fitting in extra exercise. I have one hour a week with Suzie, plus a specially designed program to complete myself at least three times a week. How much time have I completed a session on my own? Zero. I’ve had work functions and commitments every night after work and am struggling to fit in exercise. A very wise man I know has suggested that I get off the train a stop earlier and walk, but so far it seems I have left my motivation each morning at home, tucked up and snoring in bed. I know that my diet is looking great, but I think extra exercise is what’s really going to give my body the kick it needs. I’ve promised that I’ll do my program after a dinner out tonight – now I’ve just got to hold myself to it!

January 20, 2012 Suzie

Nicole’s back, she’s also just come on board for some Personal Training sessions and will be sharing her experiences with you. These are completely Nicole’s words I discovered some compliments throughout the post which are awesome but I haven’t yet truly unleashed my PT self on Nicole yet…. 😉

 

The New Year is the most popular time to make resolutions about health and fitness, and I’m definitely no different.

Late last year I was seriously considering joining a gym, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it would be a waste of money. Unless I’m working out with someone else I knew my gym visits would include aimless walking on a treadmill and a couple of half-assed sit ups. I decided that a personal trainer was the way to go, and Suzie was the person to call! I’ll be training with Suzie once a week, and she’ll be monitoring my diet also (goodbye chocolate binges!). I have an amazing dress that I bought months ago (when I was several kilos lighter and several dress sizes smaller) that I’ve never worn. I have a very special event coming up in a couple of months, and I am determined to do that dress justice!

I had my first session with Suzie today and I really enjoyed it (even with nausea – note to self: eating breakfast half an hour before a workout is a no-no). Suzie could sense my fear as soon as she saw me, as I went in thinking that it would be cardio heavy and I wouldn’t be able to keep up, but the session was structured really well. I’ve always thought about my health in terms of ‘fat’ and ‘thin’. I’m guessing I’m not that dissimilar to other women – I feel great when my clothes feel loose, and begin to feel unhealthy when I find myself shopping and buying a dress size up and that’s when alarm bells begin to ring. What amazed me about the session was how little I think about health in terms of how my body works for me. We began with some squats – easy, right? I was amazed to find that Suzie identified that I favour one side of my body over the other. Lunges, which I used to do with minimal trouble, presented the same problem.

Turns out my glutes are extremelyhip flexors are extremely tight (most likely thanks to my office job) and my glutes are weak; one side more than the other. All these factors are affecting the manner in which my body works. Extra muscles in my body have to overcompensate to assist in making me move! As a writer I spend up to eight hours sitting at a desk all day – without regular stretching my body my muscles are tightening as I sit at my desk.

So through my sessions not only will we be working on toning and burning those excess kilos, but Suzie is going to help me correct my muscle imbalances.

I have lots of stretching for homework that will begin to help loosen these up and it’s something I’m going to have to be conscious of when I return to work for the year. It got me thinking how many of us are walking around with easily fixable body problems that are affected by the work we do and just never know because we’re fixated on how our body looks rather than how it works. I guess that’s why we’re lucky to have Suzie to share her wisdom to help us live healthier and happier! Maybe as we get older it’s not about how we look, but how effectively our body works? It might be New Year optimism talking but I’m really excited to make some health and fitness changes!

 

 

October 20, 2011 Suzie

I have been very quite on this blog of late! I returned from my epic European adventure and hit the ground running at uni and work. I now only have three weeks of uni left until I complete my degree and begin full time work.

Spending seven weeks sitting on a bus for up to eight hours a day have done little for my health and with everything so busy since I got back I haven’t done much exercise at. When I begin my full time job I want to get back into some sort of exercise routine, and I’ll keep you updated on my progress in the coming weeks.

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately looking into ovarian cancer for an article. Before I started my research and interviews I knew nothing about this silent killer. Ovarian cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in one or both ovaries.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer include abdominal bloating, lower back pain and changes in bowel or bladder habits – health complaints experienced by many women on a monthly basis. This makes successful diagnosis by even the most experienced doctors difficult. These symptoms often also indicate that the cancer is at an advanced stage, with ovarian cancer being the most common cause of death from a gynaecological cancer. The five year survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 40%, compared to breast cancer which has an 88% survival rate. As an early detection test is not currently available, researchers are working to identify markers that will help to detect ovarian cancer in earlier stages to improve the survival rate. Pap smears do not detect ovarian cancer.

I had the opportunity to speak to some ovarian cancer patients and their families, and it was difficult to keep a dry eye. Most of the women had experienced symptoms but were misdiagnosed, their concerns attributed to busy lifestyles, menstruation and age. I was really inspired by their courage and optimism despite their chemotherapy treatments and surgeries, and it made me think about how important having a positive attitude is for enjoying life and recognising what’s important. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that cancer has not touched my life, or the lives of my loved ones or friends, so to hear the first hand experiences of these women made me realise just how fortunate I am!

As difficult as it was for them to tell their stories, all of the women were really excited to get more information into the community, especially as gynaecological issues are often such hard conversations to have with mothers, sisters, girlfriends and doctors. I’m now taking their lead and speaking with as many women as I can about ovarian cancer – make sure you do too!

To make a donation to assist researchers with developing an early detection it, or for more information, visit www.ocrf.com.au

June 30, 2011 Suzie

3:16pm. A random minute in the whole of a day, but seemingly important to my body, apparently!

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve found myself looking at my desk computer at the same time and wanting a skim hot chocolate. It looks like I’ve trained my body clock into expecting a sugar hit! What’s scary is that the barista at the coffee shop I go to has even noticed my afternoon habit… it might be time to admit I have a problem!

Lately I’ve been looking into addictions for an article I’ve been writing, and I had the opportunity to speak to a dietician about sugar addiction. I was really looking forward to our chat – sugar is my biggest vice and I was really curious to discover what actually constitutes a sugar addict. She explained to me that sugar addiction is gaining a whole lot more interest as a legitimate condition and outlined two predominant categories that sugar addicts fall into.

The first is the “emotional eater”, using sugar as a way of elevating their mood. The other is the “pleasure seeker” who identifies feelings of pleasure through tucking into their favourite sugary treat, and develops a habit as their brain gets used to releasing hormones associated with making the body feel good.

I’m not quite sure if you’d call my new habit a straight out sugar addiction, but I think it falls in to both of these categories – its right in the middle of the afternoon slump and I love chocolate so the hit perks me up for the remainder of the afternoon!

I know what Suzie would ask me – what else can I do when I look up and notice the time and reach for my wallet? I could have a piece of fruit, go for a quick walk or talk to a friend. Even though I know what I should be doing, I always seem to fall into old habits and feel guilty!

On the plus side, I head off on my 46 day European adventure at the end of June! No more hot chocolates for me – they do say it only takes 21 days to break a bad habit…..

June 13, 2011 Suzie

Lately I’ve been thinking about how little I listen to what my body is trying to tell me, and to a degree how little I take care of my health.

I’ve had a couple of really busy weeks. I’m wrapping up uni for the semester and have had exams and assignments to complete. I’m also gearing up for a seven week Euro trip and am trying to tie up loose ends at work. I also have quite a to-do list of bills to pay and things to organise before I get on the plane. Amongst all of this I’ve been trying to make time to relax and get some exercise in.

A couple of weeks ago I was surprised to begin waking up several times throughout the night – usually my days are so busy that my head hits the pillow and I don’t wake up until my alarm goes off. I also noticed that I was getting irritable and anxious at the smallest of life’s hiccups or events and was eating much more than usual but not gaining any weight. Even though I noticed all of these small changes, it wasn’t until I took a blood test that I began to connect the dots…

 

I’ve had problems with my thyroid gland since I was eleven. The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that sits below the larynx (Adam’s apple) in the neck and is responsible for many metabolic processes in the body, including growth and energy use. Along with the nervous and immune system, the endocrine system helps the body cope with different events and stresses by secreting hormones directly into the bloodstream.  

I was diagnosed at 11 with hyperthyroidism, a condition where the body starts releasing much higher levels of hormones. This left me with a rapid pulse, hand tremors, weight loss (despite an increased appetite), nervousness, anxiety and fatigue (despite not being able to sleep). Before being diagnosed I felt like I had been rolled over by a steam roller – my body was trying to fire on all cylinders but I felt awful.

After years of medication, I had radioactive iodine at 15 to completely destroy my thyroid gland and I now have to take a couple of tablets every day for the rest of my life to release the right amount of thyroid hormone into my body. Usually a healthy thyroid gland will automatically regulate the amount of hormone needed in the body for normal function, but the only way for my doctor to determine if I am getting too little or too much is through a blood test. The first sign I experience that my levels are out is that I usually start to have trouble sleeping, and at that point I head straight to the doctors for a blood test.

 

I went up to my doctors recently to prepare for my trip and realised I hadn’t had a blood test in over a year! Not exactly the best way to look after your health! I’ve just gotten back my results and my thyroid hormone levels are no where near where they should be. The funny thing is, when I walked out of the surgery after my appointment I slowly started to realise that I had all the symptoms that my thyroid levels were out – I was just too busy to notice!

It makes me really annoyed at myself because it means that my body hasn’t been working at its most optimal peak, and a simple blood test months ago could have alerted myself and my doctor to make a simple medication dosage change! 

I’ve decided that I’m going to make the time to see my doctor every 3 months for a blood test until my medication is regulated and then every 6 months after that to stay on track. I’m also going to try and pay more attention to my body. I’m sure I’m not the only one that brushes off a trip to the doctors as an annoying inconvenience and time waster, but I’m realising more and more that I can’t take my health for granted.

 

When was the last time you had a check-up?

 

May 27, 2011 Suzie

Mother’s Day Classic completed!

I managed the course this year in 1:06:56 – pretty much the same time as last year. Although I jogged most of the course last year, this year all I could manage was a jog for the first kilometre then lots of power walking with short bursts of running in between. I really noticed the difference this year having not trained – it was a hard slog but I’m glad I finished! I think my next challenge should be the Sydney Running Festival 9km Bridge Run. A couple of years ago I completed the 4km run, and it was fantastic to run over the Harbour Bridge on a clear, sunny Sunday morning! Here’s where you can find more info:

http://www.sydneyrunningfestival.com.au/enter/bridge-run

I’ve been doing a lot of walking with my boyfriend over the last couple of weeks. He’s more of a fitness nut than me and loves to take advantage of the warm weather and brilliant sunny days, and it’s nice to just wander and talk. Last weekend he took me to a beautiful bay in his area that he had recently discovered and it felt good to get out in the fresh air!  I really enjoy walking – it hardly feels like exercise, it’s free and it’s fun when you have a walking companion. It’s becoming clear though that while I can power along on the flat, give me an incline and I really start to struggle. It got me thinking as to how I can try and improve my fitness levels to try and avoid walking to the top of an incline and gasping for breath!

Suzie gave me a challenge a couple of months ago that I think may help. I work on the seventh floor of our inner city office block and she suggested that I take the stairs every time I’m heading up to the office. To be completely honest last time I tried I lasted two days! I’m great with the first four floors, but after that I really start to feel it! I’m going to challenge myself from next week to take the stairs to our office whenever I’m on the ground level to see if it will help! I figure that this goal is pretty achievable, doesn’t involve any major life changes, and doesn’t take up any extra time out of my day!  I’ll review my progress after a week and will let you know how I go!

May 17, 2011 Suzie

My name’s Nicole, I’m 25 and I’m a chocoholic. Not a day goes by where I don’t have at least a few squares of the good stuff. I love food, enjoy a glass (or two) of moscato and believe exercise is a curse word. So why has Suzie asked me to contribute to this site? Here’s why…

Suzie and I first met as trainees at work at 19. We would catch-up over lunch and became fast friends. It was also around this time that we joined the same gym. Our favourite class? Jam – a high energy dance class. We didn’t care that we couldn’t keep up, or that most of the moves probably should have been attempted in a dark nightclub after a few drinks. I’d danced as a kid and loved that the class didn’t feel like I was exercising. If I knew that I was meeting Suzie it would give me the motivation to put on my runners and head out the door.
I still remember the day Suzie told me that she had enrolled to being training to become a personal trainer. It was hard not to notice her look at the ads in the gym, and she was so excited about her new career. It was definitely a natural fit for Suzie – she’d been motivating me to exercise for ages by that point. She’s still doing it to this day. Suzie and I catch-up at least once a week for a walk or jog and I really value this time. Not only do we get to increase our heartbreak but we get to have a good gossip and laugh while we do! I’m a full time uni student and work part time, and between these responsibilities, as well as trying to maintain a social life, my health and fitness falls by the wayside. And as much as I make plans for gym sessions or healthy meals, most of the time something else gets in the way or takes up my time and it becomes my last priority. I’m guessing I’m not all that different from most 20-somethings, who are either time poor or who think that they don’t need to make their health a priority while they’re still young.
I was really excited when Suzie asked me if I would be keen to contribute to her site. Not only do I love talking about myself (!), this blog will help to make me more accountable for my own health and will get me thinking about ways I can try to incorporate more fitness around my schedule.

So where am I at? This Sunday I’ll be participating in the Mother’s Day Classic Run. I love the idea of this event! By registering to participate with a small fee not only are you helping to raise funds for the treatment and prevention of breast cancer, but you’re getting in some exercise on a Sunday morning. Great for the body and soul! Last year Suzie and I participated and trained in the lead-up like demons, running about 2km three times a week. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about this year. I definitely haven’t trained like last year, where I managed to complete the 8km course in just over an hour (a huge achievement for someone with no previous long distance running experience). I don’t think I’ll smash last year’s time at all, but I’m going to give it my all!

I’m also going to start thinking about ways I can start to coordinate some more incidental exercise into my day. Suzie has given me some hints and tips in the past and I’m going to consult her e-book for inspiration also. Will let you know what I come up with!

Wish me luck for Sunday!