Ach, lovely Pinky, we all need to learn to love oneself it seems, luckily we have each other's company to help us through these disgusting moments. You're beautiful, Pinky. Thanks for your loving words. I did plant that corn hee-yah super-power-girl exclamation thingy)!
 

Looking forward to Sunday too, Jungle.

OK, I'll TRY to be patient RGG thank you dear. 

I think I better check myself every few weeks instead of every day. And, let me forget about the ambitions, I will just enjoy the works.

Yesterday, I did 1 and a HALF km of swimming, yupie!!! That's 6 times what I was able to do a month ago!!! I decided to go for that extra half instead of the usual 1km, cause I wanted to feel really like I worked out. And I did. I felt like I really did. From reading various fitness succes stories, having some break between the exercise is crucial so that the muscles have a change to grow. So my swimming every second day makes sense. And, cardio is a tool for fat loss, so I am on the right track. Also, from those readings, taking care to not overeat is important, that's the bit I need to work on a little.

I still have not managed to do any workouts on my off-swim days, there is always something else to do, today it is gardening, I want to plant some corn, the seedlings are ready, and I sprouted them myself yay!

Bumpity bump, I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday!

Yep. RGG, low fat seems to be the only comfortable way of raw for me, high fat gives me pimples and thrushes, ouch, I am suffering now, back to my normal ways however. Silly me, silly me. Well, at least I am certain now, my doubtful mind got a slap.  Luckily I did not go too far. Back on the track yay yay, I'm back on the tra-ack.

meta, I have the scales but find them rather useless.  Cause the scales do not tell me how much excess fat is on me, but weights it all, muscles and fat, and the muscles weigh more than fat.

I weigh about 50kgs, but still have plenty of excess fat on me. So, by weight I am slim, but by athletic standards I am still a tad flabby. I grow some muscles, I can feel this, I just wish that the flab went away more quickly, the progress is there, but so sloooow.

Wookie! Waving back! I am fine. I hope you are too.

Lucky you afro girls! My hair is not that thick, but I still love it, finally after all those years of regrets. And, it is long, down to beyond my arms now! Satin cushion, what an idea, hmm, got me wondering...

So, I haven't did my other exercises last week at all, no time for those, only swimming, 1km every second day, quite intense, and I am getting ready to swim a longer distance I think. My body feels stronger after every swim, I feel like I actually have body, not just skin and bones, it feels so good to exist. My skin continues to get tighter, great! I had a few higher in fat days than usual, invented some new recipes for my hubby and they were so good that tried them myself (put them on my youtube if you're interested). I felt like having something meaty, and stuffed myself with greens, beetroot and chickpeas, gosh, did I love it! Yesterday I invented this amazing dessert, mmm, so amazing (not yet on youtube). For a while now I was dreaming of something like this, and for this purpose bought yesterday glasses, those big glasses on stems. The dessert goes like this, a layer of banana icecream (blended frozen bananas), a layer of fruit (raspberries and youngberries from our garden are simply irresistable), some agave, then a layer of banana custard (bananas mashed with a potato masher), then repeat the layers. I served this to my kids and myself. Oh, I stuffed myself, I just could not resist, this was heavenly. And, later on I had a piece of custard pie (it's on my youtube). Yesterday was a day of total indulgence I tell you.
 
Supriya

Do you brush your hair? I confess I've been really bad in the past, brushing recklessly, breaking my hair as I was doing it. I have lots of very short hair together with my long hair, cause I did all that damage. Now I try to be really careful, try to do it with my fingers and not to brush to often, and never do it forcefully anymore.

I noticed that without the shampoo the hair dye does not wash so quickly, great!

I am hooked on no poo  ,
woo hoo!

Hi lovely RGG, just dropping a line to say Happy New Year to you!!!
 
oooxxx,
Supriya

I tried the bicarb and love it! Might get hooked on it yet. It dries out my hair more than conditioner-only method but not as much as the shampoo (which makes my hair dry and sticking out like a straw). I still need to use conditioner though (my hair is dyed). I am so glad I stopped using shampoo. My hair looks so much better. In time, I predict it will get thicker too, cause I stopped damaging it, breaking it all the time. Thanks girls for your great hair tips. My hair is getting longer and it feels so good. I feel  like me. No restraint.

Hee hee! And hi!

And I recommend this article:
Should Raw Fooders Worry About Nutrient Deficiency?

John, I like this a lot:
<<so even resting you burn calories at a higher rate>>

and this as well
<<you're doing bloody fantastic>>
 

Thanks for the tips, John.

OK, so since 1km is not that much, I am happy to let it go further, when I am ready for it. For now, I will stick with it and work on my strength, and move on to a longer distance when I feel I am capable of working hard enough on the 1km. I feel no point in swimming longer if the intensity is not there.

I won't be buying any books or equipment though. I have plenty to work with right now. I do have books on yoga, callanetics, lots of magazines with heaps of exercises and advice, some light weights, thigh master, 4-poster bed for chin-ups etc. With the trampoline I am being rather careful and do only as much as feels comfortable (not long). So, for my time and body constraints, I got plenty I think. For now.

I admit I do enjoy the swimming a lot. Two years ago, when we went to the pool, I would sit on the chair, no swimming at all, lazy bagger I was.

Oh, I did not know what I was getting myself into!  Thanks John. So, I get it, low-rep high-weight is good for quick muscle growth. And, intensity good for fat burning, right??? I am pretty much after fat burning pleeeease. I am quite happy with the muscle growth so far. Each time I have a swim, I observe an improvement in my whole body, strength and definition. I try to swim as vigorously as I can, to have a really good intense workout.

I don't trust trainers much (had injuries due to them). I intend to be my own. I don't have much knowledge but I have plenty of awareness of my body.

My plan for the next 4 weeks is swim one day, and exercise at home the other day, and so on. To develop strength and confidence, before I move to another stage. For example, I work on my core muscles by swimming on my back.

I can't lift heavy weights, at least while sitting/standing. My neurosurgeon told me that I will never be able to do that. Riding on a bike up the hill is also a problem. I can swim on my back only. Basically anything that puts pressure on my spine is no good for me. Bending, lifting my legs high up, twisting etc. This is what I was told, but I feel that way too. I think I instinctively feel what I can and can't do.

But I am improving. I was able to jump on our trampoline recently without feeling bad in my spine, unlike before. I think this is because my core muscles got stronger.

It seems that my two main fat-burning tools are swimming and the diet.

Those women from "Oxygen" and similar magazines seem to be thriving on salads and lean meat, low fat and low carbohydrates. The leanest raw foodists on the other hand seem to be those 811-ers. My diet has been fruit-rich for a while now, but perhaps not so low-fat?

I wonder, is 1km of swimming enough? I feel I can swim more, but perhaps not as fast, and I prefer a shorter distance but faster. So I am focusing on swimming as fast as I can, keeping the 1km pattern. This could change yet, as I get stronger. I started with 250m a month ago, and improved steadily since then, so perhaps this trend will continue yet.

So, what's your opinion, John, please and thank you?

Thanks Kitten for your sweet words. 

I actually have oodles of excess fat on my tummy, but somehow when I stand it does not look too bad, perhaps because of my small frame. But when I start moving... I got a long way to go.

John, can you briefly explain the type of training you do? My goal is not as much as developing muscles at a higher rate, cause I am happy with this side of my progress, but rather, getting rid of excess fat faster. Do you have any tips for this perhaps?

Goddess, I would listen to your advice any time. I hope so much there will be a change. I am such a skeptic. I do see an improvement, especially in other parts of my body, but my tummy and thighs seem the slowest. My legs, for example, seem to be changing starting from the bottom part and moving up. I have had a cesarean, they cut my muscles, and I am hoping this is not going to prevent me from the progress on my tummy... So I am not sure whether there will be much change in 12 weeks, things are moving so slow. Like a frog in a sock? 

Yesterday I did 1 km swimming and had two salads, and some fruit. I have those days when I feel like greens most of the time and this is one of those moments. I have been enjoying cos lettuce immensely. We have platters of fruit in our kitchen. My recent fav was organic peaches, so sweet and juicy. Our apricot tree is not ready yet for the harvest, but I've had some delicious youngberries mmm...

I decided to become my own personal trainer, as I trust myself most. I have had very bad experiences with some trainers, physios and chiros causing me pain or worse, injuries. Only I know what my body can do, and so I am taking the responsibility for my fitness in my own hands. My fitness plan for the next 4 weeks is swimming every second day. On my non-swimming days, I intend to do a range of exercises to gradually build up my confidence and strength, stretching, yoga, light weights, push ups, chin ups, some ballet exercises etc.

This is my today's, day 1 photo. I don't look disgusting, I look slim, but I do have a fair bit of excess fat on me, which jiggles and wrinkles when I move. My muscles are slowly emerging from underneath, I look better than a month ago, but I am not where I would like to be.

The next photo in 4 weeks I think.

Oh, and had this lovely salad today: whole cos lettuce, half paw paw, half cucumber, tomato, half avo.

Love to everyone
 
Supriya