One foot in front of the other...

Time to set a goal... Now, I know some people have weddings... communions... jeans to get back into ...  and all sorts of goals but try one of these... 5k... with your pals for a good cause! Over 40K women do the Dublin Mini Marathon every year, for all kinds of charities and it's great craic! 

Pick one that's closest to your heart... sign up... if you're worried about doing it on your own don't be... I'll be lurking at a few of them and honestly I need a good training buddy! You'll be surrounded by fellow walkers who are up for fun and getting fitter more than beating Sonia O'Sullivans time! Remember, it's not the Olympics, so don't fret about it and most of us can walk 5k but challenge yourself... Maybe set a small goal for yourself... 'I'm going to walk this under 60 mins... 2 hours..' whatever and go for it... you'll feel so good after I promise!

I'm never going to be a runner... unless I'm on fire and running towards a half naked fireman holding a calorie free G&T, it ain't happening... my pals from bootcamp will vouch for this... I whinge the entire time about running but I know plenty of people who are addicted to it! But I'll be walking in a good few of these this year because I need something to focus on so I keep getting out for my walks so I don't need paramedics at the end of any of them! 

It's just one foot in front of the other... and get competitive with your pals... you'll encourage each other... who ever clocks up the most miles on their pedometer doesn't pay for the cocktails at the end of it... there is cocktails right?!?! re-hydration and all...  

Put on your trainers... open the front door and walk out... keep going for 10 mins... turn around... you have to come home! There's a 20min walk! DONE! If its raining bring a brolly... look at the country we live in... it rains all the time, it really shouldn't be a surprise! C'mon you get a medal!!! 

Anyone wants to stomp the tarmac I'll be at some of them! I'm not fast, I'll chat the entire way around but if someone feels they can't do it for what ever reason... just shout out, I bet someone reading this will want a walking buddy too! I'm overweight, slow and probably gonna be the last to cross the line but at least I'll do it! AND with a smile on my face!  

A charity close to my heart, Pieta House Darkness into Light Walk is on Saturday the 9th of May a fantastic cause to raise awareness of suicide and depression in Ireland... it's all about hope... http://dil.pieta.ie 

A charity close to my boobs... The Great Pink Run is provisionally set for Saturday 29th of August and its brilliant! I stomped it out at my own pace plus you get to wear pink! There are some particularly fetching men in tutus running this! 

http://www.greatpinkrun.ie 

ALSO check out http://www.pinkribbonwalk.ie for local walks around the country... 

Run or Dye I mean seriously... channel your inner hippy... wear white and have a blast, in full blow colour! Registration is open for Galway on 12th of September! Dublin date to be announced! Mr Q are you reading this?!?! http://www.runordye.co.uk

Others to check out... 

The Great Limerick Run which has a 6 mile course... http://www.greatlimerickrun.com

The Pink Ribbon Walks http://www.pinkribbonwalk.ie  around the country... 

And of course the Dublin Mini Marathon! http://www.vhiwomensminimarathon.ie

If you know of any more, please comment below and we'll all get moving! 

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Tomorrow... tomorrow... I love ya...

You totally sang that.... 

Tomorrow is a wonderful place isn't it... housework will be done... filing will be done... diets start.... junk food ends.. it's only a fabulous day... but if you put off starting to exercise until the time is right, you'll never reach your fitness goals... There is NEVER a right time... EVER!

Q. When is the best time to start exercising?

Monday morning?
New Year's Day?
The beginning of the month?
After your holidays?
When you can afford a gym membership?

All tried and tested excuses... you heard me...

A. The best time to start exercising is NOW.
If you keep waiting for the perfect time to start working out, or for the ideal time to change our eating habits, we risk procrastinating and waiting for a time that may never come.

We're all busy... and there's never be a perfect time to start...

If you want to achieve your goals... start now... 

because NOW is always the best time to make YOU a priority.

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Darkness into light...

At 3am this morning I was making pancake batter … Not my usual 3am snack choice when I’m raiding the fridge … but tonight no one was falling home… tonight we were revving up to walk for someone special… runners were donned… hoodies on.. a lick of lip balm to finish off the look … 

This morning I walked with my loved ones for Pieta House… The Darkness into Light 5k… when we got to Bray strand … there was already a buzz… the rain had stopped… the sound of waves crashing just made you breathe deep and soak up the salty air… and the mood was very special… positive… talking to strangers with their stories at the start and finish… that acknowledging nod... everyone was there for a reason... everyone understood... smiling at the jack russells being carried up the hill cause their legs were too short… the runners, the walkers, the joggers… the dogs… the kids… all crossing the line with one thought on their mind … never forget there’s always light at the end of tunnel… regardless of whether you have lost someone to suicide … the 80,000 Irish both here and in London and Sydney were doing something good... reminding the world that suicide isn't a dirty word... 

I did this walk for three reasons… 

Sunrise on Bray Strand 4:15 

Firstly my family has been effected by suicide… to be fair there isn’t a family in Ireland who hasn’t been touched by it… and being your typical big Irish family with the majority in construction and engineering we were bound to be touched by it … My mum is the eldest of 12… my dad in the middle of 10… I have 64 cousins last count… and we learned the hard way to hound people to talk to each other… or talk to someone… when I see someone I love down in the dumps I make them talk to me… if you’re a regular here you’ll know I’m a chatterbox…  I’ve told them some of my deepest secrets, so they know they can spill and know I won’t tell a soul… I’ve coughed up the cash for counsellors so ‘mam will never know’ but at least they can talk to someone about it, if they can’t tell me… but we are always on constant alert with a family full of young people in times like these… 

Secondly, in my close group of friends… I know people who have lost a dad, sister, brother, cousin, best friend, soul mate and son… I’m not related to them but I know how they feel… and there really are no words… but this little walk lets them know I get it… and I love them…  

My third reason for walking… Neil Gordon James… Neil was my best friend in Uni… people always said we’d make a great couple, many often asked if we were but we were just too busy being best friends to ever start a romance… we did make a pinky promise that if we both hit 40 and hadn’t met ‘the one’ we’d hook up and have beautiful tall blonde haired children with a cheeky Irish sense of humour who would be great at life drawing… I sorted out his veruccas and when he asked for the ‘truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’ about periods… I let him have it.. he walked out of the room green in the face but with a huge amount of respect for women! I loved him… perhaps the fact we were both only children gave us such a close bond, we were the long lost siblings that we never had… he cheered me up with just his smile… he was 6’5 and so skinny it wasn’t fair… we pulled all nighters when dissertations needed to be handed in… got drunk and hungover together so many times I couldn’t even count… he always left a toasted tea cake on my desk when I was PMT’d… I usually growled at him … he was one of the good eggs in life… 

In third year, he failed his exams… had to repeat them in the summer… and whilst I scamped off to Greece to do bar work* for 3 months .. *sunbathe and chase boys … he was studying… I couldn’t wait to get back to show him my tan and revel in the stories of dodgy greeks and making up cocktails for the locals because we really hadn’t a clue what we were doing! That first day back I met him at registration… I ran to him threw my arms around him and squealed! I missed my best friend and his curly hair…  I wafted about in a white cotton top to show off the tan and was wearing green levis… I fit into levis back then… sigh… he was so full of beans… we spent the afternoon catching up on the grass outside… That night our gang had decided since the grants were in, we’d have a sit down meal in a ‘proper’ Chinese restaurant! It is crystal clear in my head… we laughed so much… everyone had holiday stories … and we were so looking forward to being in 4th year… we were finally there… and it was all ahead of us… we were young, free, in college and had another year before we had to face the real world but we were finding our place … 

That night he walked me home, arms linked .. tipsy but happy… I told him to crash in mine… strangely he still hadn’t sorted out his accommodation … he had often stayed over and often stayed with the lads… so I thought nothing of it… I kissed him good night and skipped inside … I was the last person to see him alive… It was the first time I was touched by suicide…

I have run that sequence over and over in my head… What did I miss? Why didn’t he talk to me? My moods went from anger to sadness… was I such a bad friend that he couldn’t tell me what was wrong? Surely after everything we’d been through as friends he could talk to me about anything? I was so angry with him… how could he be so selfish! Had I been blabbing so much about me and my holidays that he couldn’t get a work in edge ways? I felt guilty… Why that night? Why not during the summer? Why? Why? Why? 

Turns out my friend loved me so much he waited till I got back so he could say good bye to me before he decided to take his life… He just couldn’t cope and no one had a clue… That happy giggling boy in the Chinese was falling apart inside... The days that followed are a haze of police interviews, the college chaplin getting an earful, identifying his body and my parents flying over to be with me… It wasn’t till I saw my dad in Heathrow airport I properly fell apart… My dad is my hero… surely he could explain why? Right? How could my best friend do this? Dad would have the answer… and for the first time in my life… he didn’t…  

We had our first assembly as 4th years the following week, I ran out at the first mention his name… college and life would never be the same again… I think of him often… when I hear another life has been lost to suicide, he is one of the ones who pops into my head… What kind of man would he be now? Would he be married? How many of those tall blonde haired children would he have had? Would he have followed his dreams? Found a girl worthy enough in my eyes? Would we have drifted apart? We’ll never know… and if you google his name… nothing comes up… it’s like he never was… 

Neil had put himself in a place where he thought there was no alternative… and no one can blame themselves for someone taking their own life… it took me a while to understand that … and even if I HAD known, he was going to go through with it… it was meticulously planned… he knew exactly who would find him and where… but sometimes people just cannot cope… sometimes the alternative of living is just too much and they can’t see a way out, no matter what you say… and sometimes they genuinely believe that if they weren’t around, life would be easier for their loved ones… it has been nothing but a lifetime of sadness for Neils family… 

The only advice I can offer… is be there and talk.. talk and listen… no subject is taboo… nothing in this world is so ridiculous that you can’t whisper it over a cup of tea and find the solution… a friend of mine has a system where his kids to write down their problems and leave it in his coat pocket, they don’t have to say it out loud and feel stupid or ashamed… he reads them… points them in the right direction …. destroys the evidence and never speaks of it again… it works for them… 

Our family probably give too much information now… I’ll get a txt is someone bangs their toe… but if it means we’re in each others pockets… so be it… I’m ‘annoying’, ‘interfering’ and ‘nosey’ but I never want to experience it again and I want them to know there’s always an alternative … and secretly, they’re grateful … they can jump on the bus and hang out in my house and rant and rave until they calm down or at least until 'mam calms down'… a better alternative in my opinion even if they eat me out of house and home… 

As we crossed the line this morning on Bray strand … there was a calm and moving atmosphere… my family walked in Kilkenny and Sydney… my friends in Malahide and the Phoenix Park… I knew people guiding the light in Limerick, Waterford and Cork... at 4:15am… we all had someone we love on our mind and showed the world that there is light at the end of the tunnel… and its ok to be scared… that people are there for you… and that suicide isn't a dirty word... 

Today give someone a big hug… let them know you’re there… for the good and the bad… and tell them that they mean the world to you… because sometimes they need to hear it...  

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Try walking in my shoes... Weigh In 4

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You're the one who will
decide where you go.

Dr. Seuss

This week one of my favourite subjects... SHOES!!! Ahhh many nights have been spent drooling and perving online ... shopping baskets have been full only to cancel and delete because the Credit Union manager lives a few doors down and I can't risk him spotting the postman! 

Shoes make us feel good... cause our feet don't gain weight... or bloat... or get PMT'd... they remain consistent... like our earlobes! We can buy them KNOWING they will fit... and we'll feel good about ourselves... as the saying goes... Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she will conquer the world... 

The other saying.. never judge someone before you've walked a mile in their shoes... SO true... you don't know what's going on in peoples lives... the struggles they have... losing weight can be a real struggle for someone and a doddle for someone else... 

Instead of being all judgey... OH it's easy for him... She's down EVERY week... maybe ask what they did differently... 

A lady in my class got to goal this week... she's been losing the SAME 1lb since CHRISTMAS! This week she couldn't stay for the meeting but she was at the gate BEAMING when I arrived and I just knew she'd done it! I gave her the biggest hug! "we're celebrating next week 'cause I can't stay' he said .. and every single person who came in was thrilled for her... she was the hot topic in the queue for the scales...  we've been giving advice and wondering 'what if's' and 'maybe try that' for weeks and all she did this week was change her exercise routine... she's a walker... but instead of going the same route as usual... she got in the car and drove to a new spot and walked there... the hills were a little bit different... the pace was different ... it was a little bit longer but her body noticed the change and she lost that one feckin' pound! It can be as simple as trying something a little bit different... and out bodies get used to eating the same thing... and exercising the same way... try something a little different this week... if you live on porridge.. have weetabix for the week... drink green tea instead of normal tea at your tea break... have a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner... sometimes something very small can make the difference...  

It was like an ICA meeting outside in the car park... and everyone was delighted for her... because we all know the struggle... and it meant so much to her... 

So time to change your shoes ... be they fancy or practical... get em on ya! 

I'll start with the most common one.. your runners, trainers, sneakers... run, jog, walk, stroll... put em on... leave the house for 10mins, out the front door and you'll have to come back... 20 min walk DONE! Simples...

In case you dissolve in the rain or are a vampire... get your DANCING shoes on... now if you want to go all riverdance.. I'd recommend it... I went to a ceili last year and the sweat was dripping off me by the end of it and such great craic! 

But what about Salsa, Zumba, Bokwa, Hip Hop ... there's loads of classes out there to suit your tastes and have a boogie with like minded boppers!

By the way there's nothing stopping you from putting on these bad boys and turning up the volume and bopping around your kitchen for a few tunes! 

 No money till pay day... get yourself done to the bowling alley and burn off some calories... from laughing if nothing else! 

You might not have a boat but everyone lives near a park or by the seaside to stick on a pair of walking shoes and just enjoy the breeze... 

catch up with the gossip or just give the dog a treat!

Go for a HIKE! Be at one with nature... you can flake out on the couch when you get back but I guarantee you'll feel SO much better than if you never left the house ...

No laughing... I've seen these down in my local pool and it helps build muscles in your legs I'm told! But still they're 'shoes' and maybe snorkeling or diving is something you've wanted to get into... why not join a club over the summer? Or hire some gear when you go on your holidays... its all exercise... plus you get to see fishes AND maybe treasure!  

I only WISH I was cool enough to wear these... and have balance... and you don't need a Roller-rink... out on the footpath.. down the park... your abs will be killing you after one go just from trying not to fall!   

AND Roller Derby is becoming a big thing at the moment... its fun... fantastic exercise and plus you get all that aggression out!

OK so you will need a rink for ice skating but over the winter months you can get your skate on... if you're a bit wobbly go at the quiet times till you get some confidence and trust me you will not be the only person falling down! 

 Maybe a ski lesson or two... think Cadburys Milk tray man! 

For those who like to spin about... inside or out!

Soccer, tag rugby, rugby, GAA, football, basketball ... whatever you love doing... 

stick on your special shoes and do it! 

No one knows what struggles people are going through every day... Sometimes we just assume that everyone is doing much better than us, life is a breeze for them and we're the only ones struggling, that's not true... as Depeche Mode sang... "try walking in my shoes" ...  

Shoe logic... This also applies to gin! *coughs*

Nearly half way through the challenge and the loss to date is 5st 8.5lbs!!!! 

78.5lbs in total!!! Dear god you lot are only FAB!!!

Chart below... if I've missed you.. just shout you know where to find me! 

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The old ones are the best…

"The good old days are now"

Tom Clancy

The good old faithfuls… Try just one off the list… 

Start moving…

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive workout program to get started, you just need to move! Put your kids in their buggy and go for a walk… grab the dog and hit the park…  Put on some music and dance around your house while you clean…  Leave the house… walk for 5 mins and you HAVE to walk home! Up it to 10 mins, 15 mins and before you know it you're flying around for an hour! Its a great way to stalk the neighbourhood too! 

Step it up…

Whenever you can find a way to get in extra steps during the day, do it! Park at the far end of the car park when you go to the shops, take the stairs instead of the lift, etc.  It all adds up, trust me! A girl in one of the classes I go to… can't get out to exercise at the moment so she carries each piece of clean laundry up the stairs ONE AT A TIME! Not even a pair of socks, one at a time! But she's getting her work out in… there really is NO excuse! You got a step in your house? then off you go...

Follow the 'One Mile Rule'...

If your errands are less than one mile away, walk instead of driving… or park where you can do all your little jobs within a mile radius instead of moving your car each time.

Dance at the ads…

Get moving during the commercials of your favorite TV shows… each break is approx 3 mins…  Dance, jump rope, run in place…anything that gets your heart rate up… a friend of mine, is as I would put it a Soap Queen! Monday night starts with Hollyoaks, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Eastenders then another Corrie, and for each ad break, she does step ups on her yellow pages! He husband thinks she's a bit mad but she's getting exercise into her day and burning calories… smart lady!!! 

Strength Training…

Add in some strength training to help build muscle and boost your metabolism.  No weights?  No problem!  grab two tins of beans or fill up two water bottles and your good to go… any more excuses? Push-ups, crunches, and basic squats are a great way to tone your muscles using your own body weight. No equipment required! Do a few when you first wake up in the morning to get your blood pumping.. you all remember my LUNGE around the house day… if no ones watching… know what I'm saying… 

Don't eat anyone elses food! 

This is for the mums… You’re not a garbage disposal, so stop finishing your kids’ food! You know exactly what I’m talking about. That half a fish finger on their plate… that piece of toast they couldn't finish… All those extra calories add up over time… stop it! Tip: squirt some fairy liquid over it and its now inedible! Once I'm done in a restaurant I cover my plate with salt… even if I WANTED to eat it I wouldn't be able… 

Get rid of the junk...

It’s simple – if it’s not there, you can’t eat it!  Go through your cupboards and fridge and get rid of the junk food… This means all the goodies you know are there from Christmas… the fancy cheese.. the little box of choccies you got 'just in case' someone came over and you didn't have anything for them! all the things you know are bad for you and they will be screaming your name when temptation comes running and you just can’t seem to resist… if they're not in the house.. you're not going to go off track!

Eat more colors

Replace the junk with fresh fruits and vegetables.  Need something crunchy? Try raw carrots or cut up some bell peppers. Craving something sweet? Keep fresh fruit on hand for a sweet treat.

Don’t drink your fruit

I know juicing is all the rage right now, but skip juice and eat the whole fruit instead... You’ll get more heart-healthy fiber in your diet, and you’ll stay satisfied longer… a glass of orange juice is 1PP an orange is 0PP because of the way the body uses energy to break it down…

Keep a tracker…  

Keeping a food log helps control what you REALLY eat..  Write down how much you eat, and you’re more likely to practice portion control. It also gives you a better idea of what your eating habits really look like.  Do you skip meals?  Do you go straight for the ice cream when you’re feeling stressed?  Seeing these things in black and white can be a real wake-up call, and can help you see what changes you need to make.

Drink more water…

Make water your best friend. Besides quenching your thirst, water helps flush toxins from the body, aids in digestion, and helps maintain the health of your hair and skin… Water can also help alleviate hunger by making you feel full… a lot of the time you aren't hungry you're thirsty!

Drink water with lemon… 

Adding the lemon helps to detoxify the liver and metabolizes fat, so this can speed up your metabolism.. its a difficult habit to get into but its so worth it… 

Make a date...

You are more likely to stay motivated if you have someone doing this with you.  Find a friend to exercise with you, buddy up with someone in class, and make it a weekly (or daily) date to get together… even if you exercise alone… find a pal online you can be accountable too.. they'll check up on you and you can check up on them! its win-win

Get technical…

Use technology to help keep you motivated...  Sign up for e-newsletters from your favorite health & fitness sites, follow your favorite.. ahem.. fitness celebrities on Facebook and Twitter, (see what I did there? ahem.. ) or join an online fitness group for accountability and support… for anyone wanting some running motivation and inspiration check out @quinlivan's blog >>> HERE <<< 

Set goals…

Start small, such as making it your goal to exercise three times a week or lose five pounds this month... When you reach one goal, set a new one... Work up to your big goals, and reward yourself when you reach each small goal – but not with food! Treat yourself to some new workout gear, or a massage… something just for you!

Try one of these this week… make it a New Years Habit… resolutions get broken... goals are achieved! 

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