Day Nine – The Devil Is In The Detail

YIPPEEEE!!! I’m feeling back to normal again (well, as ‘normal’ as I ever feel) so, training for me tomorrow and I can’t WAIT!
I told everyone today how miserable I was yesterday knowing they were all training and I wasn’t; I felt like  a right training Billy-no-mates *cry*
It reminded me of all the times when I was little and wanted to go out and play with my friends but wasn’t allowed, because we were maybe going somewhere else or it was dinner time.
Watching and listening to everyone else playing outside, having a lovely time, was just horrible and not training yesterday was the same!  I’ve not felt like THAT for years!!
I banned myself from ‘the gym’ again and didn’t do cardio today either so I had to keep myself occupied in other positive ways – today’s positive measure was CLOTHES!
Changes are now measured in tenths of centimeters and grades of a percent, and then there are still the ‘dreaded’ photos!
I get the ‘dreaded’ photos, I really do, but comparison shots that are just seven days apart very clearly demonstrate why they are so important.
If you judge progress on the scale number alone, you’ll end up freaking yourself out if they’re not going down as much you’d like, and lose the will to live if they actually went up!
Equally, judge progress by the tape measure alone and it could start to look worse, but put the three pieces of the puzzle together and what you’ll see (as long as you’re following your programme properly) is very definite positive progress. BRAVO!
All of these things MUST be used together to check you’re moving in the right direction for the results you’re looking to achieve.
When it starts coming down to the minutiae of centimeters and inches, accuracy becomes very important.
Measure slightly up or down from the place you measured the time before, your results will look skewed and if the numbers are bigger, when they shouldn’t be, you’re going to be very upset indeed!
I have eight marks at various places on my body; I drew them on with a permanent marker pen to show where I must measure each time – it’s no good racing back to any photos wondering how you’ve managed to miss them all this time, you won’t have seen them.
I’ve always ‘rubbed them out’ on the computer as it looks a bit weird, I’ll leave them in for you this week so you can see.
But, by far, my favourite measuring method is with clothes, for two reasons.

1. It’s very reliable and all ‘tape measure driver error’ is removed
2. It’s SOOOOO incredibly satisfying, and encouraging, to see and feel something fitting you better each week; it really spurs you on.

We’re rapidly heading into winter here in the UK and whilst everyone else is packing all their summer shorts away, I’m keeping mine out.
I’ve had a couple of pairs tucked away in a draw for a good couple of years now; they are very small, they do NOT stretch and I love them.  They are my summer equivalent of the beloved and evil-non-stretch Nike trousers (I’ll tell that story another day for those who don’t know it).
I try them on every now and again (a bit masochist I know) and today, TODAY the navy blue pair were up, done up and more than wearable.  That said, they’re tighter around my butt than I’d like, but give me a couple of weeks and they’ll be much better and will keep getting better, right the way through the weeks, until they are perfect, ready and waiting for the summer!
I was very excited by this little development this afternoon and all my banned-from-training woes were replaced with positive and excited thoughts about just how far I can take this in the 60 days we have left…60 days!
The devil is in the detail they say, so be as accurate as you can and when you can’t…USE CLOTHES; the non-stretchy ones will never lie to you!
The other exciting thing that happened today (at least I thought it was exciting) was sending out the first newsletter to everyone who’s subscribed.
If you didn’t get a copy and would like to, then all you need to do is download the ’10 Things’ eBook and you’ll automatically be added to the list for next week.
See you tomorrow, after training – WAHOOOO!!! 🙂