Here we are - a new year, a new decade (hello to my 40's!) and a new mindset! :) 

I'm still plugging away as a FitAzFk ambassador - and it's been such a game changer for me over the years. I'm not into quick fixes, and I'm here for the long haul. 

If you're a new (or old!) Mama, or just someone looking to get their fitness and their energy back, definitely check out FitAzFk - it's been such a game changer for me! 

It's been an okay week, around here. Some highs, some lows.

Taking a break from my #weverb-ing for a Georgia update! My little lady is 42 weeks old.. soon I'll stop counting in weeks & start focusing on months. Just 10 weeks until we celebrate her first birthday. How crazy is that?

Today is a happy day - as I've lost my first kilogram!*

It's Friday, lovelies! And what better way to celebrate that, than a Love/Hate post? (Props to Janet!)

Love: I am going strong my my June challenge of gym visits each weekday. This week, I managed to squeeze in swimming, a class of Zumba, my own treadmill/weights routine and a Spin class.
Hate: Despite three weeks of exercise & eating well, my weight is still. the. same. Not getting disheartened but..

Love: The awesome lasagne I cooked the other night. My word, it was good.
Hate: I just ate the last of the leftovers for lunch, so NOW what am I supposed to do? ;)

Love: Every six months or so I have a music downloading extravaganza and my iPod is now chock full o'lovely songs. Two Girl Talk albums (thanks to Lala for introducing me) the newest Glee songs, some gym beats, and a few random oldies and wedding inspiration music. My playlist is SO random, you have no idea.
Hate: I may or may not have downloaded some Ke$ha tracks. I hate Ke$ha. I kind of hate anyone who uses a symbol in their first name. Especially you, Prince. Please keep my questionable music tastes a secret, yes?

Love: My awesome new gym trainers. They are cushioned, supportive and feel great on.
Hate: Unfortunately my weird arches are still rubbing on them. After today's class, I could feel the beginning of a blister forming under the pad of my left foot. Honestly, I can't win!

Love: Eating well, drinking water, and being healthy = smug, smug Aly.
Hate: The break-outs that have attacked my face recently. Aly with a bag over her head = not so smug.

Love: Having lots of free time to research all sorts of fun things to do with the wedding next year and obsessing over string duos/trios/quartets for our ceremony. Rinse and repeat with hair, makeup, and flowers.
Hate: Weddings cost money: who would've thought? Ahem, friends - I need contacts. And fast.

Love: A recent discovery of old 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' episodes on You Tube. Did anyone else watch this show on Nickelodeon growing up? It used to terrify me, but I watched them all the time.
Hate: It's reminding me how old I'm getting.

Love: This from Tiffany & Co.
Hate: It's from Tiffany & Co. Meaning I can't afford it, but I can drool dream over it.

And now it's your turn!

Leave your own Love & Hates (or just Loves. Or just Hates. Whatever floats your boat!) in the comments.

Since becoming a lady of leisure, I've made good on my promise to get healthy. I rejoined the gym straight away and have made it my mission to visit at least once every Monday through Friday, so I can have the weekend off to rejuvenate and be completely guilt-free. And you know, it's been working so far. I've said it a million times before, but I really am my own worst enemy; so even though it's early days this time around, I'm feeling pumped and I'm determined to beat this thing and lose the weight. I can do it!

All flowers and rainbows and feelings of general enthusiasm aside though, I really do wish it was as easy to lose it as it is to put it on. It helps to know that my constant struggle with putting on weight and battling to get it off again has a medical background (why thank you, crazy hormones and multiplying ovarian cysts) but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with. The fact of the matter is that while I may be doing all of the right things in order to slim down, my body will be fighting me all the way. Brilliant!

But I digress: I'm not letting this thing kick me in the shins and mess with my motivation. I'm not expecting instant results, and I refuse to let it throw me off the bandwagon. As long as I keep plugging away, I'll be content and I'll know that I've done everything I possibly can on this journey - and that's all I can ask of myself.

And let's face it, this is a big thing for me. I'm just not a gym bunny. I don't look forward to my visits and I generally don't really enjoy being there at all. Add my general feelings of insecurity and self consciousness as well as my usually being the tallest, heaviest, sweatiest AND reddest-faced in the room, and sometimes the mere thought of going is enough to make me dive under the covers and pray for the weekends. (Seriously, why does no-one else sweat? I don't get crazy body odour/sweat patches, but the second I work out? My face changes colour and my hairline is sopping wet. It's hideous. Makes me feel like a really hot lumberjack.)

Any who, all paranoia and worries aside, I'm doing okay. This time last year when I joined the gym originally, I weighed less than I do now; which is terrible and makes me feel incredibly frustrated - so the first thing I want to do is get back down to that goal. I decided to spice up my gym routine, and a part of that involved being a big girl and venturing upstairs into the studio to try out a class or two.

I found a new take on my old favourite of Aqua aerobics called Aqua Run - which is quite literally running in water. It sounds pretty simple and easy, but you try spending 45 minutes doing laps around a pool. It's all fun and games until you have to switch directions against the water resistance, let me tell you. Losing your balance and face planting in front of twenty other bouncing ladies & random good looking male swimmers doing laps in the lane next to you is optional. I've added this class to my weekly routine, much to the dismay of my calf muscles.

And guess what else have I discovered? The joy of Zumba! I went for the first time last week and I've never been more nervous about a class before; there were so many people (read: women) queuing up to join it. There is something incredibly liberating about being able to pretend you are an extra in a Dirty Dancing spin-off with nobody judging you. Of course, I'm saying this after being the girl at the back of the studio, who spent her hour watching everyone else while they're shaking and shimmying and letting out high pitched South American wails. (But not in a judgy kind of way; more of a 'Why the heck can't I move like that?' kind of way.) It's pretty obvious that the natural rhythm gene completely skipped me. I've been uncoordinated since birth.

It was fantastic. I was huffing and puffing and trying to keep up with everyone else, while twirling off in the wrong directions and sweating like a trucker. I don't think the smile came off my face the entire time; partly because it was fun and the instructor is this hilariously tiny little Brazilian lady who cracked me up, partly because the music was awesome, and partly because I kept catching glimpses of myself in the mirror and that sight was so bad, it was good. And if I didn't smile, I would have probably cried, and that would have been awkward for everyone. So, I kept on shimmying and cha-cha-cha-ing and hoping that a Patrick Swayze look-a-like would walk through the door at any moment and lift me up over his head, all the while pretending not to notice that I was sweaty and red faced and weighed more than him.

So that part didn't happen - but I did make it through all the way through the class without dying.

At the end of the class, the crazy instructor asked me what I thought of it, and I then proceeded to do something slightly mortifying. Let me just say that there was a fist pump involved - proceeded by me giving my   sweaty gym trainer a big and dramatic kiss on the cheek. I'd never even met this woman before, and um, it's not routine for me to get smoochy with a fitness trainer. I blame the adrenalin. I think she thought I was insane. But there you have it: two new additions to my gym routine - and hopefully they'll spice things up enough to keep me going back for more.

I can't believe that it's Friday - my first week as a lady of leisure and it's over already. I've already made some progress with my goals, and since my gym membership got renewed on Wednesday, I'm at 3 from 3 visits. Go me! I'm thinking I need to make my own little star chart, just like the motivated and super-awesome Britt.

Being back at the gym is eerily strange. The same people are there, and once again, I'm the biggest person there working out. The whole self conscious thing will fade after a few weeks, it always does - but ugh, I really hate feeling this way. I know, I know, nobody cares, it's a gym. And losing weight is why I'm there, right? 

And so, I walk. I walk it out and I get into a zone, and that's what works for me. Every time I visit, my goal is to walk for at least 20-30 minutes at the beginning of my routine, before I switch to what suits me that day. I'm trying to switch up my days with arm weights & leg weights, and I plan to hunt down some classes that suit me too - but that takes a little bit of time for me to get comfortable with too. Once I get my fitness levels back up, I intend on braving spin classes again and I'm really keen to try out this Zumba phase that seems to be all the rage right now. I really wish that I had a buddy I could drag along with me.. ah well, bygones.

I don't just walk, though. I boogie. I boogie-walk. You know when you're walking and you hear a song with a decent beat, and you change your walk to match that beat? That's what I do. And if that means I sashay while I walk, so be it. It gets me pumped. I like to imagine that I'm strutting down a runway, America's Next Top Model style. Except that I'm wearing joggers. And I'm sweating. And huffing. A lot. I can only imagine seeing me from behind (although I think that I'm being discreet.. of course) - and I certainly don't want to know. All I know is that I like to boogie-walk.

Do you have any quirks that get you through your workouts?

So with the New Year already blasted into being in most parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and with only a few hours until we celebrate* here in London, it's time to look ahead to the future. Mainly for myself, but also to share with anyone who is still here reading the ramblings - you can be my conscience!

Without further ado, here are my resolutions epic plans for 2010.

Blog

I've definitely let my blogging slide this year, which is a bit disappointing. To go from being a daily blogger for a number of years with quite a few followers and blog friends - to the occasional post when I remember, is incredibly slack. I'm not saying that I'll be returning to blogging daily next year, because, let's face it, I won't be but I will be more regular. That's a promise.

2010 will also likely see me return to my old wordpress account, as I just can't justify the money involved in self hosting at the moment. And seeing as I'll be saving for other things (... see below!) I think it's a sacrifice that makes sense. It won't be any time soon, but when my hosting is up for renewal, I'll let you know so you can adjust your feeds once more.

And lastly, I will definitely be making more an effort to get back into commenting this year. I've turned into a super lurker - I have a habit of letting my blogreader get the better of me, and then end up reading without chatting, which I hate doing. If you haven't heard from me in a while, I hope that will change soon.

Travel

Work has been the big priority for both Jase and I last year, and having Oscar has made it trickier to drop everything and go! This year, there are a few things in the works - and while it involves quite a lot of cash and forward planning, it potentially covers quite a few countries I've been meaning to visit in the last few years.

High hopes at the moment are to head back to Europe, maybe a little more of Scandinavia, revisiting Scotland, checking out Ireland/Wales and maybe even popping across to Canada, if we're lucky. I already have a two week visit back to Sydney, Australia, booked and paid off for April, so that's a start. I'm so excited!

Health

It's pretty cliche, but I'm determined to get on with it this year. I've ended up at around the same weight, if not a little squishier, than this time last year. I wish I had something to blame it on that would justify that, but unfortunately I don't. It's just laziness. I joined a great gym, have been involved in some great classes that I do pretty regularly on a weekly basis (Aqua & Spin!) but I just haven't had the drive.

Seeing as the goal for setting a wedding date is going to likely be in 2011, that leaves me with a whole year to get myself into shape. No, it's not just for the future wedding, but that's as good as an incentive as any to get my arse into gear and shed what I need to shed. Before I moved to the UK I lost a good deal of weight by recording what I was eating and starting a running program, though I developed pretty severe shin splints in the process that still haunt me now.

This time around, I'll do the food journals mixed with other regular exercise at my gym, and stick with it. That's the goal. I'm not going to count calories, per say, although I may end up doing that if it becomes a habit. And I'm not going to set up any extreme exercise goals, because I'll just set myself up to fail and give up (again). Instead, I want to aim for 2-3 times a week at the gym, supplemented with whatever else I feel like doing after that. The most important thing that I've learned about myself is the ability to self sabotage my efforts. This year, if I have an off day, I intend to just write it all down (yes, all of it!) and keep chugging along.

Of course, it's always positive to have something to work towards - so I have my own little personal achievement I want to hit. The first is to have some progress by April, which is when I'm heading home to Sydney. Thanks to our new Wii Fit, I have a rough idea of my weight & (dreadful) BMI, so I'll be using this to keep a track. I don't have a set number or figure. I just want to see a difference from the beginning. Pretty broad goal, I know, but that's what I'm starting with.

Read

I'm a big reader at the best of times, but in the latter part of 2009, I found myself flying through books at a crazy pace! To combat this, my new favourite resource are Oxfam, Hospice & Charity Stores, where I can rehome secondhand books at a fraction of the price - and can then give them a new home once I'm done.

This year, I really want to keep on reading at that frantic pace. I have at least a dozen unread books sitting on my bookshelf ready and raring to go, as well as a few old faithful's (why hello, Harry Potter) that I'm itching to start over with. Can't wait!

This will be my last blog post for 2009. I hope there will be many more to come!

*celebrate = try to stay awake until midnight, but will most likely fail.

Yep, you read that right.

Following on from yesterday's random moping, what I neglected to mention was that I'd already made my mind up to visit the gym first thing in the morning on Monday. I'd also secretly decided to try the 7am V-Cycle Spin class. I usually avoid the spinning studio at the gym like the plague because holy crap, the people in there are all so fit and healthy and beautiful, and I get tired bike riding for five minutes, let alone forty-five minutes, so how on earth could that combination possibly work!?

<deep breath>

Anyways, I pried myself upright at 6:30am and tottered along to the gym, and bit the bullet and signed my name to the timetable. I sat in the change rooms for five minutes freaking! out! and then went and found myself a nice, dark corner in the studio, where I sat free cycling for another five minutes, still freaking! out!

Fit people wandered in and found their positions, and I was already sweating away in my little corner. The instructor asked if there were any newbies in the room, so I waved my arms around and she came and adjusted my seat and bike for me, but then basically left me to my own devices for the class.

So, here's my verdict - which will quite possibly change in the future, but stands true for the time being. It's also coming from an overweight and uncoordinated non-cyclist, if that makes a difference.

Spinning HURTS.

(I know, who would've thought, right?)

I'm hurting in the most random of places. Places I didn't even know existed are hurting, and in very, very awkward spots. It hurts me to bend, sit, walk, turn my head, and brush my teeth. My thighs, oh my god, I can't even explain. But I suppose that means I was doing something right in the class, because hoo boy, am I feeling the aftermath.

The V-Cycle was tough, even though I hardly touched my resistance the whole class and focused mainly on breathing and getting the positions right. The first half of the class I felt completely out of rhythm; my speed was lower than everyone else's, my feet felt a bit numb in the pedals, and it was all out of whack. I really did doubt that I could do the whole class at the beginning. (Note to self: just because you choose the darkest corner of the room, does NOT necessarily help - in fact, I found myself trapped in by more experienced cyclists and my path to the exit was blocked! Ack!)

During the first session of climbing and cycling intervals, I could hardly lift myself off the seat, and struggled quite a bit. I found I tended to get up and climb as much as I could, and then sink back down and just cycle my way through the rest of the class until the next set of repetitions. It was hard work, despite everyone around me making it look effortless.

The speed sessions were much more enjoyable - I quite like being able to put my head down and burst into action for a few intervals. I found that much more bearable than the climbs.

Unfortunately it was during these sessions half way through the class that my nether regions started to feel the burn, and not in a good way. What starts as an irritation, turns into a dull ache, turns into a sweet Jesus, I can't sit down ever again. It got to the point where I was actually looking forward to the climbing, because at least it means I wasn't sitting down. That's when you know things are steadily going downhill.

I finished the class completely drenched in sweat, but quite pleased I had gotten through it. We cooled down at a slow cycling pace, followed by stretches, and I headed up to shower afterwards - which is when I got hit with the nausea. That wasn't pretty. I'll leave it at that. But interestingly enough, I felt fine straight after? I'm not sure if it was the intensity of the workout, the fact that it was an early morning workout on an empty stomach, or a mixture of things, but it wasn't the greatest.

The spinning certainly left me wide awake for the rest of the morning, and it wasn't until about 4pm that I started noticing the after effects. It's now 10pm, and I can hardly walk. My work colleagues assure me that it gets better, that my body (and butt!) will become accustomed to it, but the thought of doing another spin session in the next week is slightly horrifying. I think I'll wait and see how I feel, before I try it again.

I'm not sure if it's for me, but I certainly have a lot of time for people who do it constantly. It's one hell of a workout, that's for sure.

I'm in a bit of a mood today.

I have been visiting the gym three times a week for the past two months, in a pretty good routine - Aqua classes or doing my own circuits. Today I didn't feel motivated, so I skipped my class. This is the first Sunday I've stayed home in weeks, and I feel more than a little slack because of it. At the same time though, I needed a day like today to quite literally, lounge around and feel a bit sorry for myself.

I need a new gym routine.

On Tuesday last week, I woke up at 6:45 and went to the gym before work - and while I felt great afterwards, it was a real struggle to get up at that time. (Random fact of the day: I am NOT a morning person.) I wanted to go more than once in the morning that week, but unfortunately the call of a warm bed and half an hour of extra shut-eye won out, so I didn't.

Most of my gym visits are after work. I work until 6:30pm though, and by the time I've commuted home it is usually around 7:30pm. Some nights after working, I have to battle myself to go to the gym. Do I go? Do I put it off and go tomorrow? Will it be busy? How tired am I? Ugh. It's quite frustrating, this internal battle. If only I had a little more time during the week, so that visiting the gym on my way home stopped becoming a chore.

It sucks.

(I know, this post is full of whinging. Whinge, whinge. Blah.)

I'm going to try mornings again this week, and see how I fare. I also really want to try my hand at one of those spin cycle classes, even if I am completely petrified of being too unfit to handle it.

And dudes, speaking of whinging - today marks seven weeks since my engagement ring was sent away, doing whatever it is Tiffany & Co do to their diamonds when they're being resized. Seven weeks! I think I've been more than a little patient, but I'm getting antsy. And cranky. Think some speedy ring-thoughts, please.

It appears that I've gotten myself into a bit of a rut.

Don't get me wrong, life is grand - I'm still walking around in a post-engagement bubble, wishing we had more people here to share it with. Home is great, Oscar is a delight as always, and I am grateful for all the things I have. Lately though, and partially because of all the aforementioned things, I have become quite lazy.

The summer always drains me. I don't like the heat, and after a day at work and a stifling tube & bus ride home, the last thing I feel like doing is dragging myself to the gym. I have been doing my Aqua classes fairly regularly (and loving them, I might add!) but I still can't shake the idea of the gym being a chore. I really, really do want it to be something that I don't dread going to.

With tomorrow bringing about the start of Autumn here in London, I've decided that will be the day to get out of my rut. I'm starting off the month with our annual company staff-day, so that should focus me career-wise, and beginning the following day? I'm all about the healthy. I'm determined to start loving the gym, whether my body likes it or not.

And speaking of the body, well, that certainly needs some loving too. (Not that way, you perves.) The figure which I literally worked my ass off to get before I moved here, has long since disappeared. Sure, I could blame the dreaded Heathrow Injection, but in all fairness? It's the laziness. Back then, I was running every day, and I managed to shrink in size - my clothing size didn't change, but my shape sure did.

I want to get back to that mindset. I have a gym that is a mere five minute's walk away from my house. I have a pair of trainers, I have some daggy tracksuit pants ready to go. I even have the membership, a fully paid membership that I intend on making the most out of. All that's left is making my gym visits more of a routine, and one that lets me start seeing results.

Besides, what better way to make use of a decidedly long and still-unknown engagement period, then to lose a stack of weight? The healthy. We're getting back on track.

I've joined a gym.

I'm always really, really cynical about joining gyms - you get sucked into paying for a yearly contract, the novelty wears off quickly, I never seem to get the results I want.. but I think that joining this time around was the right thing for me.

The gym we've chosen is a Virgin Active gym, and is a 5 minute walk from our place. There's really no excuse of it being too far away now, because I can visit on my way home. Secondly, well, the Summer is coming. I don't get school holidays now that I'm working in Recruitment, but our hours will be reduced from 9-6:30 to 9-4. It's the perfect time to get moving, since I'll have a little extra time to myself.

As for goals? Well, obviously I'm there to lose weight. I never got around to mentioning, but I got myself through all 30 days of Jillian's Shred, and while I definitely felt stronger (hello, biceps!) I didn't notice any particular drops in my weight. That being said, I had an initial weigh-in at the gym, and I am less than what I thought I was (though still drastically NOT healthy), so maybe it did jolt me into action.

I'm also there to avoid laziness. Some people are extroverts, always out socialising, out exploring, out hanging around with friends. Over here, as much as I love the city, I'm just as likely to head straight to the comfort of home, chill out with Jason, or head for the internet. Now that I have this gym membership, I can still do all those things - but just not as much. I think that's a good thing.

My biggest worry is burning myself out or losing interest, so I'm not under any false pretenses with expecting myself to work out every day. I'm aiming for every other day, but if I miss a day here and there, so be it. The gym itself is pretty nice - it's in an old, converted school building and has a really nice feel to it. When you sign up, you have an induction with a personal trainer who sets up a program for you - my trainer was lovely and made me feel much better about being there, surrounded by fit people.

(Honestly... fit people in gyms freak me out.)

So for the next five weeks, I'm going to stick with my programme a few days a week and see how I get on. We'll re-assess it then, and see if it needs changing. If only it weren't so hot... 30o in London over the last few days has meant that I'm hot and sweaty even before I start working out. I'm also planning on being brave, and going to one of the Aqua Aerobics classes on offer at the pool this weekend, if I don't chicken out about being in swimmers in front of people. We'll see how that goes...

I think the post title about sums it up.

Apparently I have the upper arm strength of a toddler, because hoo boy, I cannot lift myself up easily. Even in the girly version. I suck.

(Though it doesn't help when there is a cat nipping at your arms the whole time.)

Even so, I'm still persevering, and I suppose that's what counts.

I still hate push ups, though.

My work hours are quite long here in London - 9 to 6:30pm during the week. During school holidays here though, we work on reduced hours until 4pm, meaning I can be home within an hour, stress free. It's awesome in summer time too, as we can head out to the pub across the street and indulge in some beverages in the sunshine, lovely!

I have been good the last few days though, and came home to do the Shred instead! Instead of spacing it out over two days like I have been, I completed it consecutively, and OY. My arms are really sore this evening, and my not really abs yet but I'll call them that anyway abs feel quite tight; even if they are still deeply buried.

The workout is still killing me though and I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing? I thought I'd be getting stronger, and while I can push through most parts of Level 1, it is quite literally kicking my arse. I hate Anita. How she stays so happy and smily and gorgeous is beyond me. I kind of want to push her over.

In other news, tomorrow and Friday night should be exciting - cocktails & pub outings all round. I love where I work; my team are awesome, and great fun to be around. It's always a good sign when after spending the entire working week with them, you still enjoy seeing them on your nights off too!

I hope your Easter has been enjoyable, wherever you are and however you are celebrating. We don't go all-out crazy with just the two of us here, but we do have a few little splurges we can indulge in later today.. hence my reasoning for getting my butt into gear and continuing with the Shred.

Well, I'm alive.

I'm feeling quite stiff in my arms today - mostly because of the strength section, I think. I'm used to doing weights, but I generally do them quite slowly AND on their own, none of this combining arms & legs malarky! It feels good though; I guess if you feel your muscles afterwards, you know you've done something right.

I still struggle with the first set of cardio; the jumping jacks and the jump rope straight after each other. I know it's not that big of a deal, but the constant bouncing leaves me breathless. I love the punches & squats in the second set, as well as the butt kicks. As for the third set? Let's just say, by the time I finish that, I quite literally collapse on the ground and have to really push myself to move again and complete that last ab set.

I'm enjoying the 20-minute aspect though. Makes me think this is something I can most definitely handle. I don't know that I'll do the thirty days in straight succession, but if I do it 3-4 times per week, I think it'll make quite a big difference in my regular routine.

And that way, should I miss a day for whatever reason, I won't automatically go into the 'YOU MISSED A DAY! YOU FAILED! MIGHT AS WELL JUST QUIT NOW. HERE, HAVE A LOAF OF BREAD!' mode. I hope.

Last week before I left Australia, I mentioned I had ordered the 30 Day Shred DVD by Jillian Michaels of the Biggest Loser fame. I'd been following The Casual Perfectionist on her shredding journey for a few weeks, and was intrigued and inspired. The DVD arrived quite literally the day before my flight out, how's that for perfect timing?

The day after I arrived back in London, I popped it in the player to check it out. I wasn't planning on religiously starting the program yet; I had quite literally just flown for 24 hours, gone through daylight savings AND gone back in time in the space of two days. I had a shot at Level 1 as an introduction.

Let's just say, I wasn't quite prepared for it.

I managed the warm up, got through the jumping jacks (or star-jumps as I'm used to calling them) and quite literally felt my legs contract. I don't think they'd forgiven me for the hours they'd been cramped up on the flight. I did bits and pieces of the workout, but stopped often to stretch and catch my breath. Because I didn't follow the instructions and keep pushing through, I decided NOT to count that day as part of the 30. Despite that, the last two days at work I was in a world of pain. Hello, muscles.

Today was the Real Day 1.

Level 1 was just as tough as I remembered, but this time I felt better prepared and ready to take on the challenge, mainly because I knew what was coming. That seemed to work for me; it gave me that little bit of extra indurance. Even so, I was huffing before I got through the warm up, and am thankful I was alone in the flat while doing the workout, bar Oscar, who sat watching me with complete boredom the entire time. I'm sure he thought I was insane, but at least it kept him amused.

Here are my thoughts on Level 1 so far:

• I suck at push ups. Despite having quite broad shoulders, I have lousy wrist strength and I really struggle to keep pushing through them.


• Jumping jacks, I like. Jumping rope on the spot, not so much. I've no idea why.


• I love how strong I feel using hand weights... for the first set. The second and third leave me feeling like I'm about to die.


• The burn. I am feeling it. Hoo boy.


• Apparently I've been cursed with uncoordination. I can't even do the hip swivel thing without getting myself confused and rotating directions mid-way through. But hey, it's still stretching, right?


• I'm not entirely sure if I'm doing the ab exercises right. I'm trying to follow her instructions the best I can, but seriously, I don't actually know HOW to pull myself up with my abs. I figure as long as I feel myself NOT pulling up on my neck, I'm doing ok. I did start to feel some burning at the end during the bicycle crunches.