Thanks but no thanks.

Another common issue that those losing weight and getting fitter seem to encounter, is those who comment "I think you've lost enough weight" which to those who are working hard through exercising and/or eating healthily is akin to someone spitting in your food. This is one of those things that tends to take you back slightly, I had it recently with my Mother in law, she thought I probably shouldn't lose anymore weight, as I look fine, which was over a stone ago, I merely commented that I wasn't at my ideal weight and that I would continue till I was happy with my weight.

I realise that people can be concerned when they see you losing more and more weight and they think you start to look unhealthy, especially in the face where you look as they put it gaunt but I think they are voicing unnecessary concerns, unless you are bingeing and purging in an attempt to be incredibly thin even believing that you are overweight even when you are seriously underweight, then, yes that would be a good time to suggest that your weight loss may be obsessive.

Unless you tend to wear skin tight clothing, which is something, I've never worn due to the additional lumps and bumps I had, how can someone look at you and think you've lost enough weight, your clothes hang more loosely on you but that doesn't mean, you don't still have a podgy midriff, or some loose wobbly bits on your arms and legs, that you want to deal with.

So although the comments come from a place of concern, or in some cases jealousy at your hard work being rewarded with a thinner you, only you can be truly happy with the way you look and feel and for me, I still have a small way to get to my ideal me.

Sometimes, you just need a little more.

I've had a few ups and downs in my journey towards a fitter healthier me, the weeks when no weight seemed to come off, the weeks when half a stone fell off, I can now get through a fitness class, without almost dying, boxercise and kettlebell are still hard but I'm recovering a lot quicker than I did four months ago. 

I helped with a beach survey for the Marine Conservation Society last Friday, spending an hour picking up and noting down the types of litter that was on a 100 metre patch of Marsden beach, a lovely little place I've not been to in a few years. They asked us to trawl the beach for an hour and afterwards we were provided with some snacks, drinks and a money off voucher from Marks & Spencer as a little thank you, for our hard work. I helped myself to a few extra snacks when everyone had helped themselves as they would only go to waste if they weren't eaten.

As I had some time before I was expected home, I decided to go for a bit of a longer ride than usual, heading through the Tyne tunnel and then along towards Newcastle before heading up to and across Scotswood bridge and back down past the Metrocentre before riding alongside the Tyne and up to home. After I plotted my route, it seems I'd done 34.68 miles, which I was quite surprised at and because I was in a restless mood, I thought, I think I'll go for a swim, so I did, managing a mile in the time that was left before the pool closed. Though it seems that I hurt my shoulder a little, as I'd had an accident and came off my bike on a small wooden stathes beside the Metrocentre, as it was soaking wet and very slick.

I managed to get through 6 packets of Chocolate, Pecan  Popcorn and a few other things, clocking up 950 calories in snacks, which was a bit annoying, since these were 'healthier snacks' but since my exercise weighed in at 2672 calories I think it'll be alright.

On Saturday I did my usual boxercise class then straight afterwards I did a spinning class, which was unbelievably hard, mainly I think because I'd done all the cycling on Friday but also because its so hard, especially where you float just over the seat and your quads start to scream at you, I wanted to go swimming but it seems I'd forgotten my trucks, oh well.

I had hoped to to some exercise on the Sunday but after downloading Trials Evolution, Lee and I just spent the day playing on that and creating a new track. I managed to eat a lot of food though, for some reason I was not that hungry but felt like I needed it, so my calorie intake was 1,500 calories over my daily allowance, which I was a little sad about but I guess my body was in need of the energy, with all the exercise I'd been doing.

Still I weighed in at 14st 0lbs (196lbs) on Monday so it seems I'm still managing to lose the weight. and I shouldn't worry, since my body obviously knows what it needs, although not so many packets of chocolate popcorn next time.

I found a new gym.

I'd heard about the gym at the local stadium that was meant to be be pretty good, the one I've been using is alright but tends to become a little unusable at the busier times, though they have around 10 treadmills, and quite a number of other pieces of cardio equipment, they only have dumbbell free weights, no barbells and a number of resistance machines for strength training. So when the gym is full, you sometimes have to wait for equipment to become free, which can be a bit of a pain.

So when I heard that the gym at the stadium was large, I thought well it can't be that big. I really wasn't expecting the amount of equipment I found when I walked in the door, they have the usual cardio equipment but they also have a large range of barbells and dumbbells, so it brilliantly allowed me to complete some of the fitocracy achievements I couldn't complete previously, it also means, I can do some proper strength training, which should help with my ongoing weight loss. The whole muscle uses more calories and all that.

I normally train on my own, due to mostly having internet friends and that my offline friends tend to be too busy for training, which is normally fine but I felt a little uneasy in the weights section, with other people having a training parter or knowing other people who were there but this should pass, when I've been a couple of times, especially if I know how to do the lifts properly and don't look like a proverbial fish out of water. I'll probably stick to my usual gym for most of the time, due to it being so close but I'll definitely be paying the stadium gym a lot more visits over the next few weeks.

Still, a longer distance means, more exercise on the bike ride there, so its all good.