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WEEK THREE HAS passed and another 1.5lbs has dropped off my body, that’s over half a stone since week one. In the last seven days my body has toned up, I am feeling a lot more energetic and my quality of sleep has improved too.
I put this down to healthy eating and exercise. I shared a post on my Facebook page this week that I strongly agree with:
Exercise is the most potent and underutilised antidepressant and it’s free.
My week
It’s been a busy week for me as I have been visiting more community walking groups in Meath, including Johnstown, Ballivor, Claremont Stadium and Bohermeen. That’s over 20 kilometres walked this week and the mileage is surely building up in my legs, week by week.
I really enjoyed walking with each group and it’s always good to hear other people’s success stories and to see how far they have come. That helps keep me motivated too.
People often say to me to look at what I’ve achieved since this time last year. I usually say “ahhhhh thanks” but don’t actually acknowledge it. But this week I suddenly just stopped and thought to myself: “Yes, I have achieved so much and yes, I am super proud.”
Sticking to my food plan
I joined three of my friends for dinner this week and it was the first time that I didn’t actually worry about it for days beforehand. I usually panic when I am following a food plan and try to avoid occasions. I used to think it would ruin all of my hard work.
I took one good look at the menu, skipped the starter and ordered a chicken stir fry. Instead of getting rice or chips, I ordered extra steamed vegetables. I was 100% satisfied. I didn’t feel deprived and it was delicious.
I signed up for the Operation Transformation Phoenix Park 5K on February 18. Words can’t even describe how excited I am for that date to come. When I took part in this event last year, it was my first time to jog a full 5K.
Believing in yourself
I physically broke down and cried when I crossed the finish line. I was so emotional and overwhelmed that I had actually done it. I worked my ass off on the show last year and followed the food and exercise plan to a T.
To cross that line knowing that I had put my all into the training really made me believe in myself for the first time in a few years. One piece of advice I will share with you all is that if you don’t believe, you won’t achieve. It’s so true.
No matter what journey you start, you have to take one step at a time, trust the process and keep the consistency going. You won’t believe how quickly the results will come.
My new challenge
This week I put myself up for yet another challenge, I signed up for a boxing fundraising event - Help Nevaeh fix Crumlin – which will take place on February 25. All proceeds go to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.
I will start training this week. I can’t wait to get stuck in even though I am nervous. I wouldn’t call myself a boxer. All I know is that this time last year I would not have been capable of signing up to take part in an event like this. I would have been at the bar drinking wine and watching it. Without sponsors this event wouldn’t be able to go ahead, so I am extremely thankful to Darrel in 121 Fitness in Navan for his support and sponsorship.
I am due to take a trip up to RTÉ this Friday to record a podcast interview based on my Operation Transformation journey so far. I will fill you all in next week.
Follow Lucy’s plan on Facebook and Snapchat at lucydillon1. Operation Transformation airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One. Follow the OT plan.
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Nice quiz
And we’ve the worst tree coverage in the EU and hardly any coherent plan atall to remedy that situation, despite hectares and hectares worth of people eager to be lead in the right direction. Ireland should be a paradise.
@Louis Jacob: How can you use land to plant trees, when you have thousands of people coming into the country every year, they will need that land for houses, roads, shopping centres etc lots of concrete. In fact, they will need to cut a few trees down I reckon. Maybe that’s why the Government want farmers to cull their farting cows under the guise of emissions, so that in the future they can take the land.
Got my Oaks wrong.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: yeah well I know my trees well and it was a tricky one. I normally identify pedunculate oak leaves by the twin peduncles at the base of the leaf but the close up did not show that. Yes the pedunculate leaf is a bit broader and less pointed but from that close up very difficult to tell.
@Harry Whelks: Thank you, your comments helped me get the two oaks right.
With 9/10, all the trees around where I live might also have helped. Even though they are not native Irish trees.
Best quiz on here in a long time.
There weren’t many thorns in that blackthorn bush!
7 out of 10, where’s my gloves!
I think number 7 is wrong, I’m almost positive
Hmmmmm
I am so convinced that 99% of people who frequent this bellowing chamber are old men with too much time
@Mary Toilet: And is this comment aimed at any particular old man mein frau toiletten?
@Mary Toilet: pot kettle
Great heat out of them all
Seriously!!!
9 out of 10
Missed the Aspen one.
The two Oak ones were guesses. I knew they were both Oaks but not which was which
Louis Jacob,
Things are not QUITE as bad.
Phys org have an excellent article on trees not counted/calculated.
Search for hidden trees Europe to get to the article.
3 correct, 3 guessed, Fluck winner of 6 I failed
I’m better if shown the bark instead of the leaves. Wof Wof.
We needed some Sitka spruce on there.
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