Bread Challenge? Done & 101 in 1001 update

So my one month of eating only homemade bread ended yesterday. It was surprisingly easy to complete with freezing loaves I had made etc. However all I could think yesterday was I never want to eat homemade bread again. The last 2 loaves I made I put a quarter of the amount of salt the recipe stated which is great for the health aspect but they turned out a bit bland. I bought a loaf of wholemeal bread yesterday and I am looking forward to having my sandwich at work this evening on that bread. I think in future I will make bread more often as it really isn't that hard it just requires time if you are hand making it or only 5 mins of weighing if you are using a bread maker. Overall it was a good experience.

I am going to write an update on my 101 in 1001 list below.

Items in bold are completed
1. Complete a half marathon
2. Graduate from University
3. Walk/Cycle everywhere for one week
4. Go on holiday abroad
5. Continue to give blood regularly (I am currently not allowed to give blood, however I was doing so prior to illness so if I am allowed to give again I will do so regularly and if I get to the end of the 1001 days and haven't been allowed to I will still count this as done.
6. Make baked Alaska
7. Make a gingerbread and sweetie house
8. Type all the recipes out from Gran's recipe book
9. Make the wartime fudge from Gran's recipe
10. Go to the beach
11. Make Christmas Dinner
12. Eat only homebaked bread for 1 month
13. Make jam
14. Learn some basic Italian
15. Go sledging
16. Learn to play Squash
17. Eat 5 a day fruit and veg every day for 1 month
18. Eat 3 a day dairy every day for 1 month
19. Complete a full marathon
20. Go camping
21. Go on the London Eye
22. Teach Milo to rollover properly
23. Journal properly for 1 month
24. Cook a new recipe once a month
25. Join the bone marrow register ( I enquired about this but am not eligible as I have a latex allergy however the good intention was there and I put the effort in to contact them therefore I am calling this one done)
26. Go crabbing
27. Watch the sunrise
28. Go horseriding
29. Don't eat meat or fish for one week
30. Go Ice skating
31. Bake something from the dog treats recipe book for Milo
32. Cycle to Kimmi's house
33. Climb a tree
34. Make my own mulled wine
35. Go to Scotland
36. Go carol singing with Laura
37. Go rollerskating
38. Buy someone some flowers
39. Read all of the Lord of the Rings (I am starting this one today)
40. Go for one month without eating any chocolate
41. Buy something with the £50 from Nan for my 18th
42. Play the lottery 10 times
43. Keep a record of everything I spend for 2 weeks and what on
44. Paint a picture
45. Spend an entire day in my PJs
46. Take part in a conservation project
47. Eat oily fish 2 x per week for 6 weeks
48. Take an evening class
49. Get a manicure
50. Go to York again
51. Climb Ben Nevis
52. Bake a cake for someone
53. Make my own sweets
54. Watch all 3 the Lord of the Rings films in a row
55. Make a massive sandcastle
56. Go on a Ghost tour
57. Watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame
58. Watch all of the Labyrinth
59. Walk around Grasmere and Rydal Water in the Lake District
60. Buy something designer(my glasses are)
61. Go to a Karaoke night
62. Have a weekend in a new city
63. Make my own tiramisu
64. Try yoga
65. Make pretzels
66. Get into my old jeans
67. Customise something
68. Get something from Tiffany's
69. Make my own nutella type thing
70. Spend one day a week off of facebook for 6 weeks
71. Enter more competitions
72. Make flat chips
73. Feed the birds
74. Have a tapas night
75. Read 101 books over the 1001 days
76. Epilate my legs at least 20 times over the 1001 days
77. Do some regular volunteer work
78. Go on a lot more walks to different places locally
79. Go to Warwick Castle
80. Go to Birmingham shopping
81. Have a barbecue
82. Cook over a camp fire
83. Make a themed cake
84. Make chocolate truffles
85. Buy some more matching underwear
86. Visit Stonehenge
87. Visit Liverpool
88. Visit Blackpool
89. Go one day a week without eating chocolate for 3 months
90. Make my own cereal bars
91. Throw a dinner party with 3 courses
92. Learn to change a tyre
93. Have a poker night
94. Learn to play chess
95. Throw a proper slumber party
96. Visit Ireland
97. Learn to play 10 songs on the piano
98. See a Shakespeare play at The Globe
99. Make a bracelet
100. Go to a pub quiz
101. On day 1001 write a new list

22 items completed so far, Day 1001 for me is 13th September 2011.

The one in which I get fitter

I went for a run this evening. The only time I stopped to walk was crossing a couple of roads where there was traffic to avoid. I then walked another 5 paces after the last road I crossed while I had a few sips of water. Prior to today and despite having done 2 half marathons before the most I had ever run without walking a bit was 2 miles. This evening I made myself keep running and keep running and kept giving myself a you can do it you are strong each step you take is one less left kind of pep talk and I ran 3.05 miles. Which is more than a MILE more than the most I have ever ran without stopping to walk. Previously I have been more of a run/walk person. Today I finally feel like maybe I actually might be able to be a runner (not professionally but you know actually get half decent at this running thing). The training plan I was going to use for the London Marathon this year (before I realised I wasn't going to be well enough and deferred to 2011) required you to have been running for 30mins 3 times per week for 3 months I think it was. The training plan I believe needs to be started either the last week of December of 1st week of January. Being as I managed to run for just over 30 today (yes I am slow paced!) I think I am going to be on target if not just ahead for that training programme. This makes me happy as I am actually improving and hopefully I will manage to keep up training regularly.

I do have a half marathon in October and I do think I am unlikely to do as well as I had hoped when I signed up but at least it is having it's purpose of getting me doing some training. The half marathon is very hilly which is what concerns me. I will be happy to finish and am hoping for a similar time to my last half marathon which was on flat ground. I still have time to get fitter before this half marathon and I think now I know I can actually run a reasonable distance without stopping I will be more motivated and self believing.

I also enjoyed my run this evening as I had time to myself just to think about whatever happened to pop into my head. By the end of it I was singing a song in my head although I can't remember now what song but it had the word step in the bit that was going round my head. (Probably to do with the aforementioned pep talk!)

A fun weekend

This weekend I have been to a friends housewarming party. She moved 5 months ago, but has only been in her new flat for 2 months. I had a great time but I am pretty tired right now!

I have managed to stick to my homebaked bread challenge so far. It is interesting as it does involve a bit more planning and thinking ahead to make sure I have some bread.

I have a couple of social events coming up this week that involve some not so healthy eating but I am not going to worry about it and am going to just make sure I eat as healthily as possible the other days. I am on all earlies this week so am going to cycle to work every day unless it is raining very hard. I have got some cycle gloves to protect my hands from the rubber on the handlebars. My eczema on my hands has been pretty bad the last week or so despite not having touched anything that I know is rubber for well over a month. I'm hoping they are starting to heal right now. It did get me a bit down on Thursday as they were just so sore and itchy and kept bleeding.

So anyway my plan for this week is exercise and eat healthily as much as possible. I have decided today that my aim to get back into my target size of clothes is the end of the year. Which gives me four months which means I only have to lose a tiny bit each week. I could probably do it sooner and I would like to be skinnier sooner but this aim is realistic and leaves room for those days when you just can't motivate yourself.

Simple things that make me smile

I wrote this list a while ago with the intention of posting it but have only just got around to posting it now. It is of simple things in life that make me feel content/happy.

• Shade on a hot day
• Freshly brushed teeth (so smooth!)
• Finishing a good exercise session
• Cuddles with my dog and my rabbit
• Feeling good in an outfit
• Singing along to the radio at the top of my voice even though I'm rubbish at singing
• Singing in the shower
• Sunshine
• Sitting doing nothing whatsoever for a few minutes (time to think but about nothing in particular)
• Finishing everything on my to do list
• Dancing like nobody's watching
• Improving at something
• Making somebody smile
• Doing a good deed
• Knowing exactly what your friend is thinking just by exchanging a look

There are many other things that make me smile but these are just the simple, small, momentary things that enrich life.

New stuff

I went to a big sports shop today and got some cool new running gear. I got a top, a sports bra, a water bottle and some trainers just to wear to work. They are all pink to some extent!

At the moment I am starting my only eat homebaked bread for a month challenge tomorrow. I did start on Tuesday and then forgot today when I was out and ate some bought bread oopsie. I put less salt in than the recipe says in order to make it healthier. The challenge is on my 101 in 1001 list and the idea is it is a way to cut down on salt and surely has to be healthier as it only contains the natural ingredients.

I went for a hill run on Tuesday and it was wicked hard but also immensely satisfying. I also downloaded the runkeeper app for my phone earlier this week which is pretty cool.

When I weighed earlier in the week I had put on weight but had a lower body fat percentage which surely means I have put on muscle so :).

This post is really jumpy all over the place type but I am tired so you will just have to accept it.

A quick post

Hello Again,

Quick post here to say I went for a run again this morning, a short run as I had achy legs. Tomorrow is a rest day so they can have a recover tomorrow.
Hopefully I can have several healthy days and see a weight loss next week.

Welcome back weight loss mojo

I have my weight loss mojo back! This morning just before I got in the shower I had this sudden surge of determination. A feeling of I want to do this I can do this I am determined to get back in control of my eating.

I feel really positive right now.

I went to spinning this morning and I don't think I have ever sweated that much, it was hard going. But when I push myself I always feel so gloriously pleased with myself afterwards.
I also went for a run last night which really seemed to upset my joints. During the run at some point each of the following hurt, both ankles, both hips and one knee. My left hip seemed worse and sure enough today it is sore still. It survived spinning with only the odd twinge. I am hoping it will hold out for a run tomorrow and then Thursday is a rest day so recover then.

I have decided to have some chilled out, lazing about, me time before work today. I am relishing in the fact that I am going to make my lunch and then sit on the sofa watching trashy tv until it's time to get ready for work. Bliss!