Day 71: "Nice & Easy"

I felt very guilty after a whole week-end of indulgence and no-workout so yesterday I increased my jumprope to 30min which was "nice & easy" and on top of that I finally tried the legen-wait for it-dary 8mins abs video and it definitely went "nicely & easely"! the guy is a legend, so 90s!

Today I did the same, another 30mins in a row of jumps, followed by the rest of the workout. The arms exercises (shoulders, forearms..) remain my enemies, I loathe them, probably because I suck! and after few sets I am exhausted! So today getting to failure point wasn't difficult but had to force myself beyond that point otherwise I would've gave up at rep #5!
Abs are still my favorite and again after the daily amount I continued with the 8mins.

To be honest the amazing results I had started to see around day 45 are now stagnating and it's very frustrating! I have to admit it is also my fault as I haven't strictly following the diet these past few days but almost never missed a workout and often did more than asked. So I really don't get it!
Also haven't now to eat prot & veggies at dinner time instead of my standard apple and yogurt is kind of annoying- while only few weeks back I was hoping for that to happen, now I wish I could stick to previous regime!
What's wrong with me??!
I really don't want this to end, so I believe I will continue with diet & jumprope even after day 90 as I'm not where I want to be yet (still lot of fat hanging in here!).

I will try to put up some pics if my flatmate will be kind enough to take them!

Have a nice week everyone and happy Buddha day!

Day 65: Jetlagged & Exhausted

I just realized I haven't been writing in almost 2 weeks. The main reason was lack of time, lack of inspiration and big time laziness due to my holiday-mental status! And also lack of a normal routine because I wanted to take the most out of my time in Tel Aviv. Hence, I had been going out until early morning for the past 2 weeks! Keeping up with the strict diet was therefore not very feasible; I would sometimes have breakfast after having been out all night or often had to skip meals! 

On the other hand I managed to keep up with the exercises and in addition to the jumprope I went running everyday for 30-40 min by the beach at sunset while enjoying the landscape!

Also temptation caught me a few times and I let myself go a bit too much. But I was on holidays and I kept thinking that "We only live once" and I wanted to enjoy those happy times with family and friends before coming back to my miserable life in Hong Kong!
So this bring me back to today, first day of my unmissed routine: grocery shopping, cooking, workout and hopefully bed soon as I'm exhausted!!
After a 3 weeks break getting back the rhythm won't be easy. But I really am happy to still have the PCP to keep me going as it keeps my mind/soul&body occupied!

Day 52: Struggling

Despite the fact that I'm on holidays I struggle to find time to blog. Family is more demanding than work, especially when you live abroad and you only see them few times a year, it's a 24hr job!
The good thing is that everyone is very supportive, my mum above all. She always worries about my meals and makes sure we have the right food in the fridge and that I follow the diet and do my daily workout! It's extremely sweet!
It is again that day of the month but it's not as it should be nor as it usually is. I had to take some medication despite all but pain is not even close to what it has always been. And I will never stop thanking Patrick for that!! I had been fighting with that pain for the past 10 years and never found something that could really heal me besides a hot bath (where I usually spend the 1^st day) which is not even always available. So a big THANK YOU PATRICK from the bottom of my heart!!!
Also, I finally found time to have some pics taken even though the quality remains low as we all forgot to bring our cameras and had to settle for my iphone!
I got to the conclusion that this country is really not the place to be on a diet. So if you ever come down to Israel make sure to be well fit before hand as you would find yourself fighting a temptation after another....and it would make your vacation (almost) miserable !
What keeps me go on is the compliments I get from family and friends and the fact that I got inside a pair of jeans size 34!!! My weight, however, hasn't shifted at all! Is that normal? I know I built muscles but still... I thought I would lose at least a few kilos......just for the pleasure of stepping on a scale and watch the numbers drop!

I hope everyone is doing great! Almost Friday....
x

Day 48: Fighting Temptations

Tel Aviv is well known for its thousands delicious and cosy cafés, fashionable exotic bars, tasteful and welcoming restaurants, all of which accompanied by handsomeness and kindness!
Well, what can I say...it's the place where you don't want to be while on a diet!!!
Food is everywhere and it's sooo inviting! Plus being with my sister these past few days didn't help since she's hungry at all times but then she quickly gets full after she ate and tends to leave her plate half full which is embarassingly annoing! (Today I first had to bare watching her eating an amazing continental breakfast - eggs, croissants, bread, pastries, orange juice, cappuccino, jam, butter.........and then, since she obviously couldn't finish everything by herself, I had to watch all these delicious things being left there uneaten! same thing happened later with a bif fat burger!!! Arghhhhh)

Then, since this wasn't enough, we went to the fruit & veggie market which I love because everything is so fresh and "real"( not like in HK where 100% of the things there are imported from the States and previously frozen!). Avocados are the size of Melons, cucumber are so savoury and sweet, tomatos are just amazingly tasty...and the choice of veggie is huge!!But obviously temptation gets in again! Every two stands there's one which sells freshly squeezed fruit juices (orange, carrot, pomegranade, mango, dates....), every other stands sells ready-to-eat food like the druze pita (pic below)

or other delicious and colorfull stuff!
So these are being very tough days and I haven't let myself go so far, but I'm afraid my good behaviour won't last long......
Starting from tomorrow, and during a week, I won't be able to eat bread or pasta (not that I have been eating it anyways) but only unleavened tasteless bread allowed! Arghh
Happiness found in those few slices of brown bread will be taken away for a whole week!
Meanwhile I enjoyed the last few slices allowed with an avocado-cherry tomatoes-turkey sandwich!

Ok, enough with food!
Jumprope is starting to get to my nerves, especially because it's 40° outside and it makes it much more difficult to keep the endurance for 8x2mins! Plus, ankles are hurting way too much now, which wans't the case before, and it makes it tougher to get to the end without tripping or hurting myself even more!

The 4x1min planks are also killers and being the last sets of the workout doesn't help either!!

I'm soo looking forward to new week hoping for a more flexible diet, easier workout and fat to be once for all eradicated! (i know this won't happen...but I keep my hopes high!)
Good luck to the new comers. It's gonna be LEGEN...wait for it...DARY!

Cheers
xx

Day 45: Never felt better

Ok so yesterday I was on the plane where I finally found a mirror to see myself and - WOW! Big shock!
I had abs!!!! I just couldn't believe that that reflection was actually me!! Fat is still there though but I know it will melt away eventually...
Keeping the diet was hard though on the plane but I'm back on track now. I'm in my apt in Tel Aviv and I just done my jumps watching this amazing view!!

Now off to the market for some PCP groceries shopping and then...beach!!!

Oh! and this is me week 7...(sorry for the delay). will try to post better pics asap!
Cheers xxx

Day 44: Holidays!!

I'll brief as I have a plane to catch in a couple of hours...
Yesterday the sets almost killed me!! The lunges after the floor jumps and then the planks after all of the above...ha!!
Today ain't no better...so better get to it before it's too late!
Will packed my jumprope, my extensive band and my scale... Happy (or not) to know I have a gym in my building waiting for me!!
I know it will be a tough few weeks as I will be with my family and it'll be restaurants and good food everyday..but I'll have to resist to all of that!
I don't know how I'm goign to do on the plane..maybe just eat less.
I'll keep you posted!
Bye bye guys!!!
xxx

Day 42: 1h sleep...never felt better!

Last night I couldn't fall asleep until 6am...too bad my alarm was set at 7 and only had an hour sleep...
I could already see myself falling asleep in front of the computer...

Strange enough, I had never been in better shape!!
I did 1200 jumps in a row for the first time since I started PCP...without even tripping on the rope, I was very impressed with myself!!
Anyways tomorrow is another day and another week, and I'm sure we're all going to need hell of a lot of energy!
So better go to bed now..
Cheers xx

DAY 40: almost half way through

Woke up not long ago...
I was very motivated to do my jumps rope in the morning and I went on the roof. The sun was shining(not too good for my fragile skin) and it was way too hot, so after only 200 miserable jumps I had to renounce and came back downstairs to have my craved breakfast. But Man! I'm starving!!

Last night some guys organised a bbq on the beach. I had my apple on the way and I thought "I could do this"! Useless to say it was one of the most challenging nights since PCP started! Everybody was holding their glass, eating chips, marshmallows, bread with cheese, chicken and all sort of other stuff....and I was there boring and bored as hell! Pffff 
And I was like "why are you doing this to yourself? why can't you just have fun like everyone else?..."
After the bbq where I succeeded to resist till the end we went clubbing but left very quickly as not in the mood. When I came back home I was truly starving and despite my will power, I gave in and hate a whole pita bread! But still wasn't satisfied so I had a second one! OUCH!!! 
I went to bed before I could empty my cupboard!
Anyways, today it's a brand new day and things should go more smoothly, I hope!
Cheers guys!
x