Lack of Motivation & my mental battle......

Hi Peeps!

It has been a long time since I posted on the blog. This one is going to be

as real and as honest as I can get.

Why have I not post in so long?

Well I have an injury the last while now. I hurt my shoulder and

sometimes it flares up. When it does I am in so much pain I can't physically do anything

but rest to relieve it.

SO not last week the week before the shoulder flared up.

I stopped working out to rest it but then I just could not get back into

the swing of things when it got better. I'll be honest I let go and ate like a horse.

Pizza, Indian, Chipper you name it I had it!

Last year I was diagnosed with depression & anxiety.

Depression affects around 450,000 people in Ireland. That is one in ten people

in the country. Anyone can be affected by depression in some way or another.

Yesterday I was feeling for want of another word "CRAP!"

I didn't want to be in work, I didn't want to go to football training.

I wanted to go home, curl up into a ball in my bed and close my eyes for the evening.

I had no want nor no desire to move or even talk to anyone. 

So how did I overcome this?

Step 1: Take time to relax

I got in from work and the first thing I did was have a cup of tea.

Took ten/fifteen minutes to sit down and have a chat with my friend. 

This all ready made me feel a little better. We had a cup of tea after a long day in 

work and a good chin wag.

Step 2: Get changed,put your gym gear on!

Don't put too much thought into it just think of it as 

getting out of your work or school clothes....

 I'll admit even five minutes

before I was due to leave for training,  still had excuses in my head...

"I've felt sick all day maybe I shouldn't go"

"I'm really tired"

and so on. I stopped for a moment 

and just did not think. I picked up my keys and walked out the door.

That was 

Step 3. Walk out the door, that's the hardest part!

I know if I sat or stood there thinking about it I would not have went.

I got into my car and went straight down to my club without thinking about it.

It was cold, I cursed myself for forgetting my warm hat!

Ten minutes into training I felt so much better. Fresh air and exercise is all it took

to get me out of my slump. Not to mention the drills we did at training were

fun and effective.

Suffering from both depression and anxiety can be a mental battle

at times and can sometimes get the better of you. 

Your constantly tired,

You don't feel the need or want to do things,

You can even get ready to go for run or workout but when you reach the 

front door an overwhelming feeling of fear and panic hits you.

You turn around and run back upstairs and hide under your duvet. 

This was me a year ago. 

Now I try find a way to push through these feelings. As mentioned 

above I took everything one thing/step at a time without 

over thinking it. 

So how do I keep going....

I've set myself some goals in order to get me back

into the swing of training. You will see below I have signed up for some races.

This will make me work harder as I need to be fit enough to complete all of these.

My Goals/motivation from now until August 

I am also going to concentrate on the blog more. 

The blog I can use as an outlet as to how I'm feeling or what I did or

plan to do.

I hope other find my blog a little bit helpful. 

Chow for now

Annie Mac

xox

The horrible reality of back pain....

Hi All,

I hope you all had a great Easter and lots of chocolate has

been and gone!!

I know I ate more chocolate than usual! 

My ultimate favourite above - The Lindt bunny!

So... where have I been? I hear you ask.

No-where... is the answer. I have been recently dealing with

back trouble. About nine months ago I somehow unknown to myself managed 

to hurt my back. 

In the last nine months. I have seen the doctor three times, went to two different 

Physiotherapists, had two MRI scans and seen a consultant in the sports injury clinic.

I still do not know why I 1. have this pain! or 2.How I got the pain.

I have been told so many different things I don't know what to believe anymore.

One of the many MRI scans I had. Yes that is my insides! lol

The pain is essentially on/in the right shoulder blade area. This pain affects my neck, arm 

and shoulder. It is constant and I get no relief. 

This week it is at its worst and I could not comfortably 

sit at my desk in work. it's affecting my day to day life and routine. 

All I want to do is get it sorted as I'm sure anyone else with

back pain or any constant pain in day to day life will know you don't feel normal.

This injury is affecting my weight loss journey essentially as I

cannot train. I cannot go to GAA training, I also cannot go to the gym when the pain

is this extensive.

I joined Flyefit in swords last week 

check it out www.flyefit.ie

I really love it. Not being able to go is very annoying.

I may have to pause my membership until I am able to go back again.

I really want to do well this year as I have promised myself

I will be more motivated and determined to lose weight and feel better about

myself.

I have also signed up to Hell and Back

which I should be training for!

Anyway hopefully I get sorted soon and I

can continue properly with my blog and weightloss journey.

Chow for now

Annie Mac

xoxoxox

Happy St Patricks Day!

Well hello there peeps!

Long time no blog! Sorry about that! 

Happy St Patricks Day

Over the past five weeks 

I have been training four times a week.

Mondays - Thursdays

This consisted of strength and conditioning class 

for one hour a week.

One GAA pitch training session for one hour a week

and two gym 30 minute gym classes twice a week.

needless to say all the training I lost sight of my blog.

I have a fitness test the weekend with my GAA team. We previously

had one eight weeks ago so it will be good to see if

there is a difference. I feel I have come on a lot but only 

the test results will tell me this.

I hope to become more active on this over the 

coming days as the holliers are fast approaching!

My eight weeks in the gym is finished with the team 

so I am going to join the gym for two months and take up

some of the classes they have to offer.

This should help with loosing some of the excess baggage I'm 

carrying (heres hopping!!)

I attended the Irish beauty show the weekend.

It was a great girly day out. Needless to say I am now broke!

I'll post what I bought in my next blog post as they really are great

products.

I hope you all have a fab weekend.

Slán go fóill!

Annie

xoxox

Enjoyable training....

Hey peeps!!

I never thought I would say this but I am loving training!!

GAA training this year is so enjoyable. Every Monday we do

a strength and conditioning class in Platinum Gym Balbriggan with

one of their trainers Sinead! She is fab a she comes from a GAA background she knows exactly

the type of training we need.

on Monday she changed it up again, it was another level if I'm honest.

We did the below:

1. Gobblet squats with 10kg kettlebell

2.Single arm swings 5kg weights

3.Lunges

4.Side lunges

5. Alternating arm plank

6.Mountain climbers

7.T push-ups

8.Russian twist lunge

9.Bent over row with two 5kg weights

10.Squat with over head kettlebell lift

We went through the circuit starting from the top

each exercise was 1 min long adding the next exercise on each time.

So it went like so:

Exercise 1 for one minute ,then 20 second break

Exercise 1 and straight into 2, 20 second break

1,2,3 then break

and so on adding one exercise after each break and starting at number one each time.

It was tough but I loved it.

Our finisher was the up-right plank.

The whole team paired up and faced each other in two lines.

We had to move into the middle tip our partners hand and move back while staying

in the upright plank position. 10 tips in the middle was the aim. 

I am going to join Iornworx Gym tomorrow I love it down

there!

Anyway time for me to sleep I promise i'll post more

about my training and food over the coming days.

Chow for now

Annie

X

One bad week...

Hi Peeps!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

The Dubs sure did! Three wins this weekend with Dublin v Kerry senior footballers, Dublin v Wexford in the hurling and the Dublin ladies beating the kingdom also.

I was in Croke park the weekend to support the boys in blue.

So as you know I have not updated the blog in about a week. So sorry!

I'm not going to lie sticking to plan when I was sick did not exactly happen. All I wanted was energy and I found myself not being as strict with my food choices.

It's also exactly a week since I did any training, I'm better now as it was just a head cold but I didn't want to risk it getting worse and going down into my chest. Hense why I didn't workout.

So today I am back on track. I also have my strength and conditioning class 

with O'Dwyers ladies. I am dreading it as tonight I will see and feel the effects of no training 

last week. I will more than likely be even sorer than usual tomorrow.

Chow for now

Annie

x

The weekend and the week ahead....

Happy Sunday peeps!!

I don't have much to report about the weekend. I can't say I was overly good but I was not to

bold.

Saturday morning I had a one to one session with my

personal trainer Keith. He

really made me work.

My warm-up consisted of a ten minute 

HIIT session on the treadmill ranging between speeds of 5.6 

and 9. I had never been over 8 before on a treadmill.,

This got my heart rate up and down which is great for 

burning fat. 

We then went into my circuits.

 Starting with arms then shoulders and then onto legs.

We then went into 16 reps of each 4 rounds.

Pec deck
Chest fly
Chest press angled

Lateral pull down
Overhead dumbbell punches
Chest fly punch outs

Chest fly extensions
Shoulder press
Dumbell elbow lifts

Leg extensions
Leg Press
Walking Lunges

 It was a really good one hour session and the sweat 

was running off me which was great.

The finisher was ten minutes on the cross trainer.

Doing bursts of speed and bringing it back down to a moderate speed to keep the metabolism up through out the day. I was wreaked!

Myself  before my PT session in my pennys gear.

The week ahead will be hard.

I shall be training five days. four of them being in a row.

Monday - Thursday and then Saturday morning.

Monday - Strength and Conditioning session with my GAA team.

Tuesday - PT session

Wednesday - Pitch training with my GAA team

Thursday - PT session

Saturday - PT session

I will try my best to get out for a 3-5 km run one other day but if I don't 

I won't be too worries as its my first week training this full on in one week.

I am really hoping I start to see a difference soon in my body. I know

it can take some time as you look at yourself everyday...

This is a short post today as I have not really done much else! I did
however master the art of poached eggs!
The secret is add a small bit of white vinegar to your water.
Bring it to a gentle simmer.
stir the water to get a gentle whirlpool.
Crack your egg into a small cup so you
can pour your egg whites first into your pot.
Leave for 3 minutes, they will be perfect!

My poached eggs this morning.

 PS A Big Happy Birthday to Dara!!


Chow for now
Annie
x

Blue Monday and hump day.....

Hey Peeps!

Happy hump day! Boy oh boy am I glad today I took a rest day.  I called for a catch up and a walk with my best friend Andy after work on Monday. He made me dinner which was gorgeous and also healthy. We did a 4/5km brisk walk. After our walk we went into Penny's as I wanted to check out the gym gear.  OMG in love!!!  The stuff they have is Fab roll on payday so I can get more. I bought two tops and two pair of cropped workout leggings in black and pink.

Pennys gym gear

I had my first strength and conditioning class with the girls from my gaa team in Platinum  Gym Balbriggan. It was an intense hour with our trainer who will be with us for the next eight weeks, Sinead.  We did two circuits of ten exercises four times and then an abs blast for the finisher.  I can honestly say I have never sweat like I did on Monday ever in my life.  You'd swear I got caught in a heavy rain shower, only for the fogged up glasses and tomato red face that gave it away U clearly had done some physical workout.  Not only was this class physical but it was mental, a few times I felt like giving up but I had to overcome this and power through which takes a hell of a lot when you can feel how tired your body is.

The class included the following:

Dead-lift 15kg

Squats

Wall sit

High knees

Power step knees

Plank 

Push ups

Mountain climbers

High plank alternating arms up/down on step

Lunge 

Squat jumps

Jumping jacks

Bridge 

Russian floating crunch 

Sit-ups with bar bell

I think there was more....  Just not coming to mind.

Food wise on Monday I had:

Breakfast - 3 Eggs 

Lunch - Chicken breast,salad and cous cous 

Dinner - Turkey stir-fry and veg with noodles.

 I also had 4ltrs of water.

So that was my blue Monday and as you can see it was not very blue apart from maybe my face during that Class gasping for a breath.

Tuesday 

Well the legs were a tad sore after the previous night's class but nothing major. I had another personal session with Keith today.  It was harder than usual because my muscles were exhausted. I found near the end of the class I was not able to lift a 10kg bar bell.  Where the week before I was lifting 25kg! 

We had a circuit training class this evening involving lots of legs and arm work. 

No class is ever the same with Keith which is what I love about training with him.

Warm up x2

Jumping jacks

High knees

Heel kicks

Squats

We then went into our first circuit and did this 3 times. 

1 leg box jump with 10kg Weight

10kg kettle bell swing

25kg deadlift

Trx squats

Bicep curl 10kg barbell

5kg Dumbbell boxing

Then we went into 30/40 seconds of

1 leg squat jumps three rounds.

Second circuit 3 rounds

10kg Kettle-bell lift with squat

Trx pull ups 

5kg dumbbell boxing over head 

10kg weight chest push

Finisher all arms with 5kg dumbbells x3

Arm extensions arms by sides

Over head alternating arm punch

I was done! 

Which brings us to today my rest day. A happy Annie!!

My food today was:

Breakfast - 3 eggs scrambled

Lunch -  2 chicken breast with salad and a bridal and chickpea soup. 

Dinner - steak, carrots, cabbage, sprouts

3ltrs of water today

1 coffee 

1 tea

That's all for now folks.

My bed is calling chow for now. 

Annie Mac

XxX