Attack of the ………

I thought it would be a great idea to try out swimming in the sea. You see there is a small triathlon on after my wedding and i have been working towards trying to complete each task, i.e swim 300 meters (tick) bike ten kilometers (tick) run…… still working on it.

I have been working on the swimming in the pool and i have gradually got up to a kilometer, but i am not happy yet, i want to be able to do the 300 meters without stopping, which i havent achieved as of yet!

So i decided to try it out in the sea……… i got all ready and tide was out so walked the mile to the water at orewa beach, goggles on and off i went. When your swimming you think about all sorts of stuff this is what happened for me……………

Yuk the salt water taste like crap…….ok keep going…. thats it… one… two… three…. breath….. one …..two…. three….. four breathe…….. well done…..well this isnt so bad…… i wonder if i can see fish…….. three…. four…. breathe…… keep kicking….just keep swimming, just keep swimming….. it would be cool to be a fish….just swimming along…….oh this reminds me of the story from Billy Connoley……Fish……..Rock…… though i have seen no fish……..maybe im to deep…… ( i stop to check to see if i can touch floor, i can) ok Pauline…… one… two… three…. breath….. one …..two…. three….. four breathe……..a fish…….oh i see a fish….is that a fish?……..a small fish ( i start to look left to right) keep kicking, keep looking…….when you see fish you see big fish and big fish get followed by bigger fish………. Swim faster……oh the burn…..keep going….Dom dom…….Dom dom….oh no don’t think about the shark music……Dom dom……Dom dom…….. think of something else….. The hills are alive with the sound of Musicccccccc….DOM DOM………DOM DOM…….DOM DOMDOM DOMDOM DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM……ARGGHHHHHHH………OMG something has me, a shark! a shark!
I came running out of the water, seaweed all over me! screaming “Get Away” ” F**k off” ARGGGHHHH…….

Embarrassed, people were looking at me on the beach! I walked back to my Towel and back home…….

So first time swimming in the sea, wasnt as successful as i had wanted!

Another Loss

Im feeling very pleased with myself, i have lost another 500grams, at this point any loss is great.

I am very determined to lose at least another 3 kilos before my wedding which is in 4 weeks.

Today i got to see Steph at Waiwera who gave me another Facial and used the Accent machine on my under chin area and behind my arms. I can really see the difference when i practise my smiling (yes im still practising) i noticed before i would tilt my head up to the sky so i wouldn’t have a double chin, now i can look straight on, and i do still have a double chin but it isnt as noticable.

I have planned out all my treatments for the following weeks as time is getting close and things are getting stressfull.
I had no idea how much planning goes into a wedding (yes @nessliddell was right) there are just so many little details that need to be sorted.

So if you plan to get married read up on it first! Thankfully i have had great friends especially knowledgable ones on twitter like @nessliddell and @blissfulweds . Thank you ladies for all your help.

Im getting excited now

Excited

I have started to notice the weight loss! I feel happy with my progress and i am proud that i have been sticking to it. Thank you to everyone who has followed me and send me messages of support to me through twitter or facebook.

I couldnt of done it without you all, especially people who i have met on twitter who have come on walks with me or taken me swimming, everyone has helped.

Im so excited the day is getting closer!

Walking

Exercise to date has been many many many walks along Orewa beach, working out at the gym and at home on the treadmill. To spice it up a little it was suggested to walk up the Wendleholm hill.

Finding someone to do it with me was so difficult, i mentioned it to friends and all of them said “no way, that’s a killer” or they just screwed up their faces. I was at Waiwera and mentioned it to Wendy Snookes who organised the Extreme Makeover and she said she would come with me.

So yesterday after Wendy finished work we met and tackled the big hill. It was beautiful as well, as all hill all the way, a steep angle of 50 degrees. We walked steady and had 2 small stops one being to wash our shoes to protect the Kauri trees. I was astonished to see two walkers just trudge past the sign and not bother to stop read the sign or stop to wash their shoes. It was hard to tell if they just were ignoring the sign or the fact that they just didn’t see the sign. (they must of been blind as the sign had a plastic tupperware container beside it, thats a bit unusual for the middle of the bush don’t you think?)

We reached the top to a large clearing and the view was impressive, we could see right down where Wendleholm regional park and the surrounding bays and up the estuary.

Its definitely a walk you should do!

It amazes me how many Aucklanders don’t know about Wendleholm or Mahurangi Regional parks. They are so close to Auckland and yet no one knows about them. They are great for BBQ’s nice safe family beaches with beautiful old pohutakawa tree’s.

If you haven’t been, why not take a drive and take the family, i guarantee you will have a ball!

Update

I’m sorry guys i was going to post on friday with my exciting news of losing 1.7kg but the wedding plans are slowing catching up with me and every spare minute is thinking about details i have missed…there have been a few!

I’m excited to see what i have lost this week, i am back to swimming and walking.

Thursday i am having another facial which i get so excited about, it really is such a delightful experience.

Trial Wedding Dress

Well i will have to take in the dress at least 5cm on each side. It blew me away how much room there was around my tummy area and now the laces touch each other on the dress which i don’t want.

There are only two people within my wedding who arnt on Twitter, my celebrant who is my favorite uncle Tom and my hairdresser Maree who has been a family friend since i was young. I met with Maree yesterday and she cut my hair for the preparation for the day. One of the things i love doing is getting my hair done and i hated getting my hair done when i didnt live in Auckland as no one cut my hair as good as maree.

Maree is awesome, very laid back and nothing is a problem. i have given her full creative rein with my hair and i cant wait to see what she does.
After the visit to Maree my mum and i decided to pop into the mall to have a look for shoes for the wedding.

I wanted something comfy and red, and blow me away they were having a huge SALE and i got my shoes for $25, which has saved me $160 (which was the budget) I liked them so much i got Two pairs.

Wedding invites have all been made and put together and they look fabulous. No one believes me how much they cost $5.00 all up! Yes folks get a designer to make your wedding invite and they can save you money! Its all in the way you set up the File and it is also if you use colour or black n white. I of course used B/W as i love using b/w.

There are so any variations you can use and it can look very stylish.

Right got to go, i am meeting one of the Waiwera Staff members to go for a walk, they keep me moving, i would of been lost without them!

All Down hill

Wow this week has been full on. Due to being on the down hill to my wedding, Waiwera have turned up the heat. Firstly the Personal Trainer was back from holiday so he booked me in two sessions. I had the silly notion that he would be relaxed and we would take it easy, but no, he pushed me hard and I was blown away with the huge increasement within my fitness.

When I started I would be 5 minutes into it, huffing and puffing and I think there was a lot of begging to stop and rest. This week I pushed harder for longer and went higher on the machines. It was well worth it and I feel really proud of myself.

Then I got called by Steph who booked me in for a facial and a new treatment called the accent machine. The facial was divine, there is nothing like getting a facial and your face feels so smooth. Steph introduced me to the Accent machine which helps your blood flow within your skin especially where there are pockets of fat. I laughed at this cause I have lots of pockets. She worked on under my chin.

I was dubious at first but once she used it I saw a huge difference, at least 1- 2cm was gone, it felt tighter under my chin. I begged her to do it all over my body, I think I embarrassed her.

The whole experience was very relaxing, I must admit I love my visits to Waiwera now. They have gone that extra mile for me but they do for all their clients. The girls at the Day Spa have great customer service and they are all so nice.

I have been enjoying my spa treatments so much I have been giving them as gifts to friends and they have amazing specials every month, which is fabulous and the best thing I like about Waiwera is they are family friendly.

You can stay all day at the pools and while the children are playing with dad you can go off and have a treatment. Check out their specials at www.waiwera.co.nz

I thought that was it for the week until Debbie called me and booked me in to see the dentist! I have been waiting for this the most! I have hated my teeth since I was 16, I always thought they were too yellow and I would try anything from baking power to whitening toothpaste to fix, obviously to no avail.
I was excited and nervous because I had to see the dentist for a check up and im slightly embarrassed to say I haven’t been to the dentist in 9 years.

I was adamant he would find holes in my teeth, but he didn’t! Thats right all those morning and night brushes protected me from cavities. One thing I will say is that I do have incredibly sensitive teeth so I need a sensitive tooth paste. So this means……wait for it…… it means I can start getting my teeth whitened next week! Woo hooo people woo hoooo!

So that was my week. Weigh in was Friday and I was horrified to find I put on a kilo, so in total I have lost 12 kilos. I have been eating good and I have exercised for 5 days to date in a row. I am hoping that it is muscle and that I will have a bigger loss next week.

Funny story

I went to meet the Boss of Waiwera as he wanted to see me (so nervous) and I wore my favourite jeans, as I do. Hopped out of the car and found my jeans had slid right off and were down at my knees! Highly embarrassed. I had to keep pulling them up and I was told by a few people not to wear them anymore due to the fact they hung way below by bum!

Our wedding photographer

The last two weeks I have started to talk about my wedding more and more and I have had a huge amount of people ask me who my wedding photographer would be.

Due to Jason and I being photographers we both have been debating who to get. Both of us know what we want and we have incredibly high standards. It is hard as we are both different photographers, I am very artistic and Jason is very documentary in style.

Jayson Kingsbeer

In November I got to meet Jayson Kingsbeer a photographer from Gisborne who I had been following on Twitter for quite awhile. He is only 14 years old. I was standing in Queen Street watching Kingsbeer talk with passion in his eyes for his photography, I just knew instantly he was the one. (Plus my daughter adores him)

I rushed home that night and showed Jason all Kingsbeer’s work, his website, facebook and twitter account and Jason was blown away and nearly fell of his chair when I told him Kingsbeer’s age.

Jason said “Do you think he would like to take our wedding photos?” off I went to phone him, and thankfully he said yes.

For me, choosing Kingsbeer is all what I am about. The foundation of Treehut is to harness youth’s passions so having a youth photograph the second most important day of my life is just fitting. (First important day was the birth of my daughter).

Mr Kingsbeer is coming to Auckland and Jason and I are extremely excited. We will be able to take him around Auckland so he can capture some landscapes and maybe we can all learn something off each other.

Im so excited!!!

Keep it UP

Well it has been a great start to 2010, I had a few weeks in Dec where I felt overwhelmed with Christmas and being out of sorts. 2010 comprises of some major changes for me. One losing weight and second getting married. It could be an interesting year.

I have set a goal in mind and after my wedding I am going to do a small triathlon. Having this goal has been a good target. When I am training I find I am pushing myself harder as I am keeping track of the kilometers and the calories I am burning.

It is with a sense of achievement when I go further than I did last time I trained. When I started keeping track I could only just do a kilometer and now I am clocking 6 kilometers in 10 minutes. (this is on one machine). I feel a lot fitter too especially when I am working out, my breathing is easier and I don’t fall down on the ground exhausted.

I feel proud of myself, happy with my achievements. You might be thinking that I should of felt prouder ages ago but I didn’t, I felt sort of like a fraud. Yes I have lost weight and I had worked hard but apart of me was dubious. Its silly really.

Anyway I have been doing a lot of swimming and working out at Waiwera’s Gym. Everyday is a challenge, I still find that I have to have someone with me. If I am left to my own devices I will sleep in. Thankfully I have some great friends who are coming on this journey with me. Thanks guys!

Quick Post

I’m feeling great i went for a swim yesterday and it has put me back on track, im off for another swim today.