December 14, 2011 12:49 AM HKT

I'm in PEAK CONDITION (day 90)

The day is here and despite the busted rib - I DID IT! Or actually WE did it. My husband has been by my side, doing the morning exercises, eating egg whites, listening to me raving about Pats latest message, supporting me when I fractured the foot, cooking veg, and now making me a celebratory hot chocolate. Thank you baby, I couldn't have done this without you.

It was tough. Especially when I after mere two weeks stress fractured the foot ... but I kept going without cardio. And the foot feels fine today. Finally.

I've lost almost 8 kg, more than I ever could have imagined. My BMI is down to 19.4 from 21. My hip width is 12 cm less.
Attached some stats, one showing my total exercised minutes and weight since March 2008. It speaks for it self. I have never been this fit before. I love it!

Being vegetarian we've been quite healthy eating lots of veg but the biggest change has been cooking at home. And skipping that pre-dinner mid week champagne. Or red wine or beer. And dessert. Or weekend breakfast chocolate croissant. An eye opener. I don't want to hurt my body in that way again, especially whilst training hard. And I love training hard!!

This PCP concept is great. Its simple and motivating. And effective. Sure, some messages from the guru are a bit much (remembering the equal opportunity message) but you have to take them with a grain of salt (except that salt is prohibited).
The support from fellow PCPers is tremendously important. Wish that we all could complete PCP, thinking of you Kylie G.

I'm determined to continue and there are no changes to my previous statement. Stay Strong team! And happy festive season! We did it!!

Photos

December 12, 2011 5:21 PM HKT

Numbers (day 89)

So, broken rib means no exercise but I can still blog! And today I'll blog about numbers. Attached is a graph over my drinking habits, I started to keep track in 2009 when I was thinking a lot about my habits and amounts. I was worried and I can now see that the trend is promising. I hope I'll be able to continue what I've started. Hot chocolate is cool and tasty ;) And so is herbal tea.

Off to the doctor this afternoon to get some pain killers. Last nights sleep wasn't great. I initially thought I could go to the gym today ... but I'll instead do some washing and trip preparation.

Photos

December 12, 2011 4:50 AM HKT

Broken Rib (day 88)

Sometimes things don't turn out the way you plan. Fell (my own fault) whilst cross country skiing yesterday and landed with my chest/ribs on the tips of my skis. Felt like the tip got in between two ribs. How unlucky is that. Needless to say it now hurts like hell, will seek doctor assistance tomorrow but know from previous experience that there is nothing to do but ride the pain and hope for quick heal. We're off to Australia on Friday so pain killers for the long flight would be nice. I hope our holiday will be awesome despite this debacle.

So I'm finishing PCP training here. Feels a bit unlucky to come this far but not be able to finish. I'm way too tired to do a summary or anything poetic at the moment, need my buff sleep.

Davos was stunning though!

Photos

December 9, 2011 5:52 PM HKT

Supersets (day 86)

I loved the back/chest, biceps/triceps supersets but the v-sits/planks killed my lower back. Only managed to complete 27+60', 12+90', 11+65', 14+50' and 18+60'. But it was fun(ish). Could depend on the ridiculous hour we got up this morning (05:30), had a handy man arriving to fix stuff in our flat and didn't want to entertain him with my grunting.

Tomorrow Davos, 2 days of x-country, so I'm not sure if I'll cope with day 88s exercises. I'm also wondering if I'll be able to use my skis to their full extent considering that I've lost so much weight. Fingers crossed, I suppose I have to push harder with my new thighs.

December 8, 2011 9:49 PM HKT

I'm soooo excited (day 85)

Only FIVE more days to go and i'm getting sooo excited that a) I've stuck to the diet and exercise plan with very very few exceptions, b) I've had very few negative days even with the stress fratured foot, c) I'm no longer known as Miss Greedy Guts or the Beer Monster (and I will stick with it!), d) the rest of my life will start soon!! I will probably suffer from PCP withdrawal though ... 

Getting ready to visit the tailor, hope they can turn my waredrobe into something wearable. Have one pair of suit pants that "fits" without falling off. The rest is a mess. Luckily the weather here is mild so I've been a skirt wearer all Autumn. Measaured my hip width the other day and I've lost 10 cm so this explains why. Life is awesome!

December 7, 2011 6:01 PM HKT

Tough one (day 84)

Since the snow is falling over the Alps (finally!) we're off to Davos on Saturday for our cross country premiere. Hence I swopped "rest day" to day 87 ... man that was HARD! I love the last weeks exercises, it's burning and really hurting. Sorry to already blog about it but I can only tell you how great it is.

I will actually watch Marit Björgen, my inspiration, over the weekend. The whole gang is there for the worldcup and it will be interesting to see how fast they are in real life. And to compare my muscles with Marits ...

December 7, 2011 12:07 AM HKT

Käse fondue (day 83)

This morning message was (again) perfect timing. Here I was yesterday,
thinking just one week to go, a bit of cheese fondue won't hurt. And yeah, why
not a glass of white wine. This was already planned for my indulgence but I've had
three days of it (the Swedish food this weekend contained cheese) ...

I haven't lost any weight during the past three weeks (no
movement on body fat or muscle mass either) so it's harder to motivate the diet, shouldn't it be vise versa? Nevertheless, I'm very very
happy where I am today and forever grateful to Noel. Lets push the last week! And let there be a shit load of snow in Davos!

Photos

December 5, 2011 8:25 PM HKT

Change management (day 82)

This is how my life will look post-PCP, at least the plan:

Start
Eating cheese, pulses, nuts, seeds and tofu once in a while
Variation in exercise, mixing as I did pre-PCP
Having one or two breakdays per week
Introducing an indulgence day a week

Stop
Eating egg whites during the day
Weighing myself every day

Continue
Eating fruit several times a day
Eating eggs and veg for breakfast
Getting up early to do fitness before breakfast
Moderation on alcohol (I like it!)
Eating fruit before workout
Drinking a protein shake after workout
Cooking at home

Couldn't hold on to the planks this morning, first time ever I failed ... Could do 3 x 1.45' but on the last rep I collapsed at 35'. I'll try again. Only seconds away. My shoulders and biceps were burning, that is why I collapsed.

December 5, 2011 4:27 AM HKT

Little Christmas (day 81)

Enjoyed Lillejul in Sweden this weekend. Main meal on Saturday: Kale quiche (with cheese), Pomegranate and rocket salad, Pear and spinach salad with goat cheese, Oven baked omelet with chanterell creme mix, Hot smoked salmon; not too bad considering being in the land of creme. Tasted fantastic. Did however go crazy with sugar after dinner but off the booze. Tried some Christmas beer = didn't like it. Tried some red wine = didn't like that either. So I had a cup of tea. This is just unbelievable. 

Again did the exercises in a hotel room. Summarizing the last 82 days 15 of them have been carried out in a hotel room or hotel gym. Great to think about continuing, no excuse not to train whilst travelleing. Even in a tiny hotel room (remembering the Balinese-Danish room in Aarhus).

Finish Strong everyone!!!

Photos

December 2, 2011 5:20 PM HKT

My gym - a little gem (day 79)

Still a bit shaky after this mornings exercise, did day 80 instead of day 79 due to bar availability. The bicycle sit ups are a killer. Went to true failure twice on triceps dips. Kung fu sit ups gave me underarm pump so had to take two micro breaks (probably due to the overload on biceps at Body Pump last night).

Must say some good things about my gym. The owner and instructor has turned this gym into a very personal sphere. Main focus is around the reception area where there is also a bar for your pre-work out protein shake, internet, sented candles for sale (!) and some warm up machines. Mr D is into creating a personal fitness routine and our first appointment focussed on getting to know me and my fitness goals. The program he designed is focussing on many reps but few sets, so he is clearly not working off the bottle klinger strategy (or whatever it was called), he is simply preparing me for cross country season. There are no TVs, very low music in the background and a friendly atmosphere. Not hyped at all. Also he recommend that we re-design the program to remove the familiarity of the muscles and their memory.  So cheers to Mr D and the gym! I can't see why one couldn't scream at the gym. I do, and its fun.

December 1, 2011 11:19 PM HKT

Salt corrosion (day 78)

Couldn't sleep last night and I blame it on the salty Swedish Christmas food I ate. My tounge felt like a wooden spatula. Discusting.
And I'm afraid of this coming weekend in Sweden, salt salt salt, stay away from me! This is a huge transition, my mother in law will be proud. Gosh, I've made two mothers proud during the course of PCP.

Going to bodypump class this afternoon. Last time I went a lady asked me if I was sure about how much weight I had on the bar. Hahaha! Funny. Still no skipping so eager to burn some. Was very good last night, drank half a glas of glögg and only some rich dairy. I'm saving the indulgence til Monday next week, Chäs (Cheese) fondue at Barracca Zermatt.

12 days to go, hard to believe.

November 30, 2011 5:01 PM HKT

Back at work (day 77)

Take that Erkältung - I conquered the 5 x 90 sec plank this morning. This means that I'm back from the cold, right?
Did day 75's exercise, low rep, but still did them all. Higher pulse than normal but no dizziness.

Having the work team over for Swedish Christmas dinner tonight, a smörgåsbord of herring, salmon, egg, omelette, potatoes, meatballs, rotkraut, and a PCP compliant salad. The biggest worry of the smörgåsbord is the amount of salt. But I guess a little wont hurt, my body could do with some protein outside the protein shake. Pre-snack pepparkakor with glögg is a big No No but gives the perfect sent of Christmas. That and lit candles is what I need this dark and overcast November day. Only 13 days to go!

And here is a pic of the cold meals.

Photos

November 29, 2011 7:28 PM HKT

Still sick ... (day 76)

Woke up and thought for a split second that I was well. But stood up and realised it was still spinning. But there is nothing wrong with my appetite, eating like a horse.

Cooked up a storm last night with entree carrot and saffron soup accompanied by hot egg white sandwich, this beloved creation from the 80ies. How could I've forgotten? Main course was oven baked zucchini halfs with ratatouille and dinkel pasta. Left overs for today lunch and supper.

Photos

November 28, 2011 4:10 PM HKT

I'm sick, oh no! (day 75)

Runny nose, sore throat, headache. Any tips? Skipped morning routine of course and will eat some paracetamol and go back to bed. But I want to train hard, aarrgh! Only 15 days to go so this is bad timing.

On the other hand, this is perfect timing for indulgence. I've been thinking of ice creme for a while,  B&J Fairly Nuts. Perfect for a sore throat right?

November 27, 2011 9:54 PM HKT

Excited (day 74)

Second endorphin kick of the day is speaking. The sun is shining, sipping a coffee on the balcony wearing ugg boots and a quilt (great look). And the highlight of the week, this afternoon I finally meet my husband who has been away since Monday. Very excited!! All is wonderful!

Been roller skiing in the park, 1 hr of lovely triceps action. Good contrast to this mornings PCP shoulder and legs. Felt quite weak in the shoulder today, not sure why. Had to swop resistance bands half through the forward shoulder raise. I suppose the reps are getting more intense. Still no skipping, foot is still not OK. Completed the sessions with 8 min abs, getting to like the "gang" now. So 80ies.

Swam yesterday, its a different feeling nowadays. Less floating and more hard work due to the lost body fat but lovely. (Oh, maybe this is why I felt weak in the shoulders ... ). Looking forward swimming in the ocean in Sydney. I hope I will be brave enough.

Photos

November 26, 2011 7:13 PM HKT

Christmas markets, thanksgiving and cold weather (day 73)

Been alone at home this week, husband is in Morocco for work. Quite lonely to do all PCP workouts in the morning and my computer has been my company. Been really great to read other PCPers stories.

Failure wise I'm struggling a bit. Davincis was definitely form failure whilst yesterdays last rep on Standing Ovation was a true failure. But today's Triceps Extensions ... did 30-30-30-30-28. Even with my new band. My triceps are quite strong but I take no pride (hear that Patrick) and will go for slower dips next time.

Went to IKEA yesterday to stock up some Swedish Christmas food and a breakthrough happened, I didn't even feel like buying Swedish liquorice or chocolate. So I didn't! If you know how much I love this you'd understand. I'm very proud of myself. Good thing about IKEA is buying Swedish bread that practically melt in your mouth, very good for the 80 g pre-workout carbs.

Tonight I'm going to friends for Thanksgiving, I'm bring a beautiful pumpkin dish with tahini yoghurt, lime and chili. Compliantish. Since I wont have any turkey or stuffing or gravy I'll enjoy the tahini.

Cold here today. I'm soon going down town for the Christmas markets, last year this time Basel had snow but today ts 6 degrees but feels like 0. Next weekend we're in Sweden for pre-Christmas celebration with my family since we're heading down to Oz in less than three weeks!!

Photos

November 24, 2011 3:28 PM HKT

Chewing forever (day 71)

Too shaky to write, the (form) failure on Davincis killed me. Did 31.14.11.10.10 reps and the remains of the shoulder stuff were hard.

Also finding it hard to eat this much.  Sitting here with my breakfast, already ate 80 g carbs pre-workout and then downed 2 dl protein shake and now full on dinner plate breakfast. Showered in between the shake and breakfast but it was still easier to eat that banana and yoghurt than this new diet.

I understand that the stomach needs to get used to more food and I have suffered those times I ate something out of the plan (creme brulee and cheese for example, was painful). But should I really eat this much?
Determined that I wont cheat, I'll guess I get used to it. (And in the meantime the breakfast plate became empty... tada! Stop winging)

Day 71, its kind of magic. Remember seeing those PCPers that were on 70 days and wondering how they felt. Now we are here. I'm very trilled that I joined the sect, a decision made in an afternoon after a indulgence summer. I've always (well, in the past 10 years) liked to train hard so the training is nothing new. But the diet is an eye opener. Haven't eaten much manufactured food (except for chocolate and ice cream) but never really liked fruit. Now I LOVE fruit. Nothing can beat a good pear. Or a ripe pineapple. This is a major change.

So here is to a better fruitier future! Off to work (I still have a job btw!!).

November 22, 2011 4:19 AM HKT

Procrastination (day 68)

Have a German test tomorrow, and in true procrastination spirit I went to the gym instead for studying.
I did speak some German at the gym, does that count?

It was a success this morning, completed the 4x90 sec! It was shaky towards the end but managed to stick with it. Felt bloody good.

Perhaps some roibos tea can help me opening those books ...

November 21, 2011 3:22 AM HKT

Sunday night shoulder pain (day 67)

Pretty full on weekend in terms of fitness. not only the PCP (which it getting painful) but also roller skiing and a session at the new gym. The muscles targetted were legs, triceps, back, shoulders and abs.  See the similarity to the day 66 & 67? Very tired now. Gym program is targeted to the upcoming ski season, we're doing a pretty long cross country race in 7 weeks (50 km). Wish we had snow but November has so far been remarkably dry and warm. Nice for us on the plains though, today 9 degrees and blue sky.

I'm eating so much food at the moment and weirdly I'm thinking that this will make me gain weight. Weird. I've never had these thoughts before, am I becoming obsessed? Please gurus, comfort me. And don't read below ...

Went bananas for lunch today, we went to historic Laufen and enjoyed some game meat. To my deer I had rotkraut (red cabbage), rosenkohl (brussel sprouts), weinbirne mit feig (wine marinated pear with figs) and spätzle. Not really my normal lunch. It was divine. Also ate a plate of mixed salad before so still pretty compliant. I guess the pear was the worst.

Bring on a new week! Now the end is visible and I guess there will be pain on the way there (like the 90 sec plank tomorrow morning).

ps. Saw the Alps today, in the distance. Thought I'll post a pic. I didn't know that even us plain people could see them. Lovely.

Photos

November 17, 2011 2:51 PM HKT

Evening carbs are back (day 64)

50 g carbs for dinner (and veg and egg of course).  I more scared than excited.  What have I become? The message probably needs to sink in first.

This mornings davincis was a killer, that is a lot of reps! Swimming and gymming yesterday might have affected my ability. Glad I went to the little gym on my street. PCP in all honour but I need interaction. Gyms are pretty expensive here but this little one is almost affordable and very friendly. One or two classes a day and some machines and free weights.
(Is there a verb as gymming? Not sure).

OH, just realised, breakfast also has a carb increase!

Vegetarian Breakfast: 90g Carbs,
AMAYW Veg, 250ml Milk, 1 Egg, 1 Egg white
Vegetarian Morning Snack: 1 Egg
white, 160g Fruit
Vegetarian Lunch: 160g Carbs,
AMAYW Veg, 1 Egg white, 1scoops Protein Powder
Vegetarian Afternoon Tea: 160g Fruit,
120ml Yogurt
Vegetarian Dinner: 50g Carbs,
AMAYW Veg, 2 Egg white,
Vegetarian Evening Snack: 250ml Milk,
180g Fruit, 1scoops Protein Powder,
Vegetarian Before Workout: 1 Banana
Vegetarian After Workout: 200ml Milk,
2scoops Protein Powder

November 15, 2011 2:50 PM HKT

The first pull up! (day 62)

The day has come! I finally did ONE pull up. Normally my husband helps me but he is in Paris this week so I gave it a try. Woohoo, great way to start the day.
No eggs for breakfast this morning. Got home from Germany late last night and prioritised sleeping over going to the late night supermarket. So instead I'm eating spinach and sprinkled cottage cheese. Miss my eggs.

November 13, 2011 1:12 AM HKT

Stats part II (day 59)

Stats part II. Interesting to follow the curve. Went roller skiing today, perhaps this should have been done on a triceps free day. Lovely weather!!

Photos

November 11, 2011 3:46 AM HKT

Comfort food (day 57)

Met my global counterparts today. They confirmed the re-organisation romours, half of the staff will be made redundant. As soon as I embarked on the train I felt the need for a glass of red wine. Comfort wine. Had a carrot instead. And two egg whites.
The confirmation mean that the romours about my regional office is most likely true. Crap. Met my husband at the station and went for a pretty compliant dinner. But because they were out of green tea I had a glass of comforting wine.
Remembering Patricks message from early PCP days: "you might be out of a job but at least you'll look good". Let's see.

November 9, 2011 12:02 AM HKT

Impatient (day 55)

I don't know if its the darkness that affects me or the results so far. I want more and really is impatient at the moment. I look forward to each mornings exercise but I want more. So with the advice of the gurus, I will do each repetition slower and deeper. And have ordered a Black Theraband. Bring it on.

(I also have cravings for Swedish Geisha chocolate. I have some in the fridge. Stay strong)

November 7, 2011 2:58 PM HKT

Over-indulgence (day 54)

Milan. Very cool place. Went for over-indulgence instead of just one.
2 cocktails, 2 glasses of very dry proseccoo, a glass of dessert wine that accompanied the tiramisu and chocolate cake (good for the heart according to my new friend the waiter), a kir royale. And pretty compliant food, just a bit of cheese.
Gained weight. But that that much. Great weekend!!!!

Photos

November 4, 2011 2:45 PM HKT

Hmm ... (day 51)

Feeling off today. No strength, mostly noticeable during push ups (10-6-7-10) and leg ups. Could it be the street food from last night? Before hitting the Autumn markets I ate 2 egg whites, an apple and drank milk. I successfully avoided raclette, cheese fondue, bratwurst and instead had smoke salmon with potato dumpling (very very fried in oil). I suppose the oil is not in my normal diet (anymore). So, better shape up and hit the shower.

November 3, 2011 3:46 PM HKT

Weekend in Milan = Second Induldgence? (day 50)

Woke up skinner than ever (in my adult life, Autumn 2008) = 62.0 kg. Down 6.2 kgs, more than I ever could dream of. Still keeping muscle mass and loosing fat.

Very happy to see the timing of the second induldgence. Off to Milan tomorrow to catch up with a friend frrom Sweden. Glad to be able to drink some wine and perhaps eat some tiramisu. And maybe carbs at night!

November 2, 2011 4:10 PM HKT

My new Bike (day 49)

Check it out! Very happy.

Not much to report, still no news on the redundancies at work. Going out to Herbstmesse Thursday night with my colleagues and they've already said that I should bring my own food since the food stalls there only serves raclette and other fatty things. I'll have a hot chocolate.  Looking forward to that. And perhaps we'll go to the movies tonight and see a Norwegian film with German and French sub titles. Love the confusion.

Photos

November 1, 2011 2:45 PM HKT

I did it! (day 48)

4 x 60 sec plank! I think I woke up all our neighbours though ...
(And the scale this morning is down to my previous low record - then achieved after hard cross country skiing training but gained straight after the race). Good start to November! And its still "warm" in Basel!

November 1, 2011 5:17 AM HKT

Endorphins (still day 47)

Did a body pump class tonight, first one for over a year. Man what a rush. Love those endorphins. And the protein powder shake is tastier after a hard training session.
I felt remarkably strong and very flexible for me, awesome! Now time for some buff sleep.

October 31, 2011 4:06 PM HKT

Back from Tour de Nordics (day 47)

A summary of 10 days on the road:

9 of 10 daily exercises
2 swims
10 PCP compliant breakfasts
10 PCP compliant lunches
Heaps of fruit
Lack of yoghurt
Lots of protein (fish, prawns) = no protein powder
Minimum 3 eggs/egg whites a day (stole eggs from the hotel breakfast)
7 PCP compliant dinners/evening snacks (some contained fat and some contained carbs)
Salt (hard to avoid when in the Nordics)
6 pieces of chocolate
50 g of salt liqorice
2 small beers, 4 glasses of champagne, six glasses of wine

Comparing this with a normal 10 day on the road would look very very different! (Don't even dare to put it in numbers). I'm very happy! And the best thing is: My weight has stayed the same for the last 10 day and I haven't increased in body fat. So now its time to reload, ready to focus harder. I'm home for another four days then we are off to Milan. Yet another challenge but I really look forward seeing my friend.

Such a great trip of the Nordics seeing friends and family and of course work. But good to be back with my baby again. And can't believe we are half way! This also means that we are soon in Sydney. Very different to the weather in the south of Sweden (picture taken from a moving train, visibility 200 meters).

Photos

October 27, 2011 1:14 PM HKT

Hotel room confessions (day 43)

When in Denmark drink beer? Well, yesterday I feel for temptation. Drack two small beers at a micro brewery here in Aalborg, northen Jyttland. Tasty! Later though I had a bit of guilt. But after completing the 4 x 50 sec plank this morning I'm happy again.
Time for hotel breakfast! Good that the Danes like a bit of veg.

October 25, 2011 11:28 PM HKT

Mouldy carrots (day 41)

Note to myself: Carrots can get moldy if they are cut into sticks and spends 4 days in the back pack.

Very happy after fitting in a swim & the PCP duirng this work trip(still without skipping due to the foot).
Alone in the pool  in Billund, Denmark, next to Legoland. Great! The v-sits went really well today, controlled and slow. Awesome.

Photos

October 25, 2011 4:45 AM HKT

Trying my best (day 40)

Easy to slip of the wagon! Yesterday was my first miss in terms of exercise.
Strange experience during this challenging period: I'm not sure if I'm a fan of alcohol anymore. Did like the glass of Tattinger but the rest, unnessecary.

Early morning start meant small breakfast but managed to eat some carrots and fruit as morning tea. Really like the office in Copenhagen, even the management walk around the office eating carrots. For free of course, this is the Nordics.
Dinner tonight wasn't too bad considering the location (Mexican prawn salad with guaca). Could have been worse.

Feel heavier but blame it on the salt ;)

October 20, 2011 4:34 PM HKT

Big challenge ahead (day 36)

All good in Basel. Still stress fracture which means that
my leg routine is limited, I can’t even do the Pistol Squats. Really like the
new focus on longer work outs, and it’s getting noticeable. I only have one
suit that fits, all others too big. I’m now down 5 kgs. My colleague suggested
lunch time shopping at Louis Vuitton, anyone would like to join?

Anyway, I have the biggest challenge ahead. Tomorrow we
leave on a Nordic Tour and will be back in 10 days. How will I survive?

October 18, 2011 2:09 AM HKT

Equal opportunity (day 33)

"Think about it, if you had two applicants who had the same
qualifications, except one was in  great shape and the other was an
overweight slob, who would YOU give the job too?"

I think this is totally wrong, its against equal opportunity and its discrimination. Made me upset. There is always a way of separating two applicants. Be it getting down to their nitty gritty of their CVs, doing tests/preparation/presentations, deep interviews with referees, extra studies, you name it. Two people are never the same. Never judge by appearance. Or gender. Or sexual preference. Or religion. The list is long.

October 17, 2011 12:03 AM HKT

Pain (day 32)

Great weekend! Socialising with new friends met at German class, sun shine on the top of Pilatus 2132 meters, long bike ride in France (40 km), and exercise pain! I love the new regime with two things per muscle group.

On the down side, I can not cheat on this PCP diet. On Friday night I had some fruit with mascarpone. Tummy pain. And today for lunch, Doug had a three course French lunch whilst I had a beautiful salmon salad. When his apple pie and ice creme dessert came in I had some. And again, tummy pain. Is it the fat? Interesting though. PCP is non-cheatable.

Photos

October 16, 2011 1:52 AM HKT

Stats (day 31)

Here is some bathroom scale statistics. Despite no fat burning skipping the training and diet still gives a great result. Off to the gym tomorrow to start with my substitute exercise (thanks Patrick). Foot feels safe in new carbon sole so hope to come well out of this silly fracture. Can not let this destroy my coming Telemark skiing season. Fingers crossed that I will keep my job.

Photos

October 14, 2011 1:14 AM HKT

Five eggs a day (day 29)

OMG, I'm glad I'm supporting the organic egg makers in Switzerland. Heard about the Swiss Frank vs Euro export crisis? Don't worry, Lindas new diet will soon kick in and we'll be laughing all the way to the Swiss banks.

Got my new carbon sole insert. Awesome. Now off to Italian restaurant for my evening snack. Nice.

October 13, 2011 12:39 AM HKT

Still day 28 - FRACTURED FOOT

Bloody hell. My foot is fractured! Stress fracture from too much skipping!!!! The doctor said that it's not the first time he's seen it. Wonder if there are any more PCPers here in Basel.

Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to get a carbon sole insert to help the healing. Doc recons it will take two to three more weeks of rest. I guess I'll swim a lot. And quite glad that Autumn is here so I can wear sturdy shoes. Perhaps I should treat my self with some new shoes?

My first reaction is obviously to have a drink. Would love a Guinness - its good for you.

October 12, 2011 3:06 PM HKT

Don't know what to do with my foot (day 28)

13 days of no skipping, limping around, obviosluy no running or bike riding. Still sore and now slightly blue (not a pretty sight). I will call the doctor and this is the first time for me in Switzerland. This equals calling the insurance company first ... in German. Crap!

Any other substitutes to skipping than swimming? Rowing machine? I swim a lot and can of course swim more.

Photos

October 11, 2011 2:03 AM HKT

Monday night blues (day 26)

Miss my sis. Rainy and dark outside. Not sure if I like Autumn. No carbs for dinner. Re-organisation at work and still no news on redundancies. Looking forward to my evening fruit and tomorrows exercise.

October 10, 2011 1:10 AM HKT

Indulgences(es)

How good timing was that!!! Guess what, I've already had my indulgence however two days earlier. Here is the evidence, creme brulee at a little village restaurant in France on Friday night. Shared it with Doug. Man, what a sugar rush!!!

Very happy that I managed to stick with my exercises and almost the diet when my sister was here. Next challenge comes 22nd of October, a 40th in Oslo followed by a week in Denmark with work and then a weekend back home in Sweden. But lets focus ahead.

Foot is still sore, couldn't fully jump this morning but icing it as we speak. Might have to swim some more next week.

Photos

October 7, 2011 10:11 PM HKT

Hanging with baby Svante

Just check him out! Hanged out in the pool, lots of fun. Off to France for dinner tonight, hope to find a PCP compliant salad but we'll see. Reviewed their menu and there is an awful lot of sauerkraut. Weird.  Lost almost 4 kgs now and most importantly muscle have increased by 1% (fat decreased by 2.6%). Hurray!

Photos

October 7, 2011 3:24 AM HKT

Day 22

Did my morning routine with an audience this morning, baby S had a laugh! Stuck to the diet for breakfast, snack, lunch, arvo snack, dinner without carbs ... but then ... sins again. Glass of red. And some more of those Swedish lollies. And some fruit.

Forgot to mention, went to the physio today with my sore and swollen foot. Got some electrical therapy treatment and now, several hours later, it hurts a lot. Wont be doing any skipping tomorrow either.

October 6, 2011 4:08 AM HKT

Sisterly sin (Day 21)

Been waiting for this day for a long time. My sister arrived today with her baby boy and we are hangin out til Sunday!!! Confessed that I'm doing this crazy PCP thing and she said: "But I brought Swedish lollies!".
So here I am seven lollies later (and two of these). Man, it was good. But before eating them I ate a nectarine.

October 3, 2011 4:22 AM HKT

Weekend away (Day 18)

Decided to go to Engelberg this weekend for some Alp-views. This meant that I spend Friday night cooking so we could bring PCP compliant food up the mountains (roasted pumpkin soup and dinkel salad with broccoli and beetroots).

Saturday we did a via ferrata, climbing 800 high meters to the Rigisdals peak at 2 593 meters. Very beautiful, very sunny and very exhausting. Did sin on the peak with 15 g of Swiss chocolate. And the fish I ate for dinner was cooked in thyme butter.

Still sore foot and 4 hrs climbing didn't help, so Sunday we took the cable car up the glacier Titlis (3 238 m). Looking forward to some serious snow and can't wait for Winter!

Photos

September 29, 2011 3:11 PM HKT

Injured foot, day 15

Damn it, skipping bare feet resulted in an injured foot. Must skip in shoes however this hurts too. So this morning I could only half of my dose. Scheisse. I hope ice will help.

Two week summary:

Exercise: on track, getting up early morning and with the help of pulses (when doing squats and sit ups), a balance board (lunges) and stronger bands I'm getting tired. Not tired enough to have energy for other stuff which is great.
Diet: first week was hell but second was great. It's not very different from my normal food except the amount. And yes, lack of cheese. Being vegetarian in Switzerland is hard when cheese is excluded. Getting into my fruit snacks too.
Weight: so far lost 2.3 kgs and feeling firmer. Great feeling.
Sleep: not enough .... find myself very tired around 21:00 but quite awake around bed time (22:30)
Blog: first blog in my life so slightly weird but fun.
Friends: I'm happy that Jo is doing this too even though being so far away! I haven't told that many friends yet about this challenge. My sister is visiting next week and she will probably think I'm a freak.
Social life: Life goes on, off to the Alps this weekend and I'm sure I'll be the only one not drinking but I can cope with that, hopefully another 2.5 months. It's not the end of the world.

So in summary, PCP is working and I'm having fun!

September 27, 2011 3:24 PM HKT

Muscle failure (day 13)

Excellent, I like the push to failure mode! However I only encounter failure mode on triceps and legs down (abs) ... the other exercises I have to repeat and repeat and repeat. Thinking that I will start doing my lunges on a board or ball (like a balance board).
The routine takes 35 minutes. I'm ready for MORE!

September 26, 2011 2:42 AM HKT

Mixing veg with fruit

Lunch today, eaten outside the Beyeler, contained both fruit and veg! Is that a crime?
Very tasty though, quinoa salad with aubergine, mangold, red onion, basil and mango.

Photos

September 25, 2011 1:06 AM HKT

Stand Up Paddle

Finally Saturday and time for fun! We went for a Stand Up Paddle this afternoon after grocery shopping in Euroland (Germany). The water in the Rhein is around 18, not bad for Autumn.
I'm so happy that I can do more than just the morning exercise, the food is giving me a lot of energy.

Sitting at our balcony waiting for friends to pop over for an Apero before going out eating. My apero will be sparkling water with frozen raspberries as ice.  Hope to find some PCP compliant food at the restaurant as well ...

Photos

September 23, 2011 12:41 AM HKT

My new diet

This is the new diet in numbers, I've never eaten this much fruit in my life! My mother and mother in law will be happy! But what happened to all the CHEESE?

Veg breakfast, 90g Carbs, 140g Veg, 1 Egg, 1 Egg white, 250ml Milk
Vegetarian Morning Snack:160g Fruit
Vegetarian Lunch:130g Carbs,180g Veg, 1 Egg white
Vegetarian Afternoon Tea: 160g Fruit
Vegetarian Dinner: 90g Carbs, 180g Veg, 1scoops Protein Powder
Vegetarian Evening Snack: 170g Fruit

September 21, 2011 6:07 PM HKT

Workshop crash

Decided to eat some more food today, facilitating a workshop and getting dizzy = not a good thing. I'm still weaker than normal so hope my Polish colleagues are not noticing this.
 
Probably woke up everyone at the hotel this morning with my 500 skips ...

Photos

September 20, 2011 1:25 AM HKT

Home cooking

Who would have thought that I'm cooking at home, tonight, again! Can't  eat out and leave half. That is so against my enviro me so its better to stay at home. This however is making me bored.  Life is hard ;)

September 18, 2011 10:27 PM HKT

Drain

I have barely energy to walk around town! I don't know how you cope people but this is torture. Took the train to Bern to meet an Australian friend and couldn't stop thinking about food.

The morning exercise is no problem. Done lots of skipping before so in total the routine takes between 12 - 18 minutes. But the diet is killing me. And gives me headaches. Don't know what will happen next week, off to Poland to conduct a workshop so I might need to increase my carrot intake.

Last night was a challenge, drank three small beers (33cl) and one glass of prosecco. I think I did quite well but felt some guilt this morning. But I'm sure I'll learn.

September 17, 2011 6:38 PM HKT

Day 3 - my outdoor gym

Nice autumn day in Basel, Switzerland. Decided to try skipping and the rest of the routine on our balcony to see if the skipping would annoy our neighbours less. Not sure if it worked. Still nice place though. Unfortunately our little red and hairy friend Mr Squirrel didn't hang around long enough to get his photo taken.

Why PCP?
I want to get into shape again. Age is making it less easy and meeting my friend Noel in Rome last weekend and seeing the new him got me interested. I don't consider myself overweight, I simply want to get a new habit and get a toned feeling. Lets see how it goes.

Tonight is party time and this will be a challenge. If I'm honest I would drink at least 12 standard drinks on a Saturday night so tonight this will be 6. This is still high for a woman I know. Perhaps I'm taking this lightly, but if it is half week it is half week.

Photos

September 16, 2011 5:17 PM HKT

Marit - my hero

Thanks for updating the banner, now I can see the similarity between me and Marit Bjørgen, my hero. Will these 90 days take me to her level? Probably not but we do have a different lifestyle, me being an office slave and her being  a cross country star national hero. (It's probably a crime to have a Norwegian hero being Swedish but screw that).

Check Marit out here (only Norwegian, sorry http://www.maritbjoergen.no/)

September 15, 2011 1:48 PM HKT

So it begins

Morning of day 1, time to get dressed and go to work. Felt very good to do a bit of morning exercise, excellent start to the day! Thankfully my husband organised half breakfast in the meantime. Must go ...

Back again and feeling very light headed.  Just look at the half dinner (potato and carrot patties with fried veggies)! Very little food for me!

Photos