Hey Guys!

Sorry we have not updated in a while. Things have been getting hectic, as you can imagine with our new baby around. But we promise we will get back on track.

To that end I want to let you know that I have merged all the Pill sites into one. So now you can see all the Pill blogs at the same time, or just stick with you favourite subject.

Also, a login system has been set up, so you can join the site and gain access to pictures and the likes. But we want to have a degree of control as to who has access, mainly to protect our child's privacy. Hence we ask that before you register, make a few comments and make yourself known to us, so that we know that first, you're not some spam account trying to gain access, but also show that there is a genuine interest.

The new site will replace http://nomagicpill.org on Monday, so please be prepared to resubscribe to our new RSS feeds.

I promise this will be the last time you will need to do this.

This week, I have the first pregnancy-related weight gain to report: 0.8 kg/1.76 lbs over the last two weeks. I knew it would happen at some point, but it's still kinda sad for me to see the number go up again. I just need to remind myself that I should be happy if I manage to get through the remaining weeks without going over my start weight of about 135 kg/297 lbs. I am at 126.5/279 lbs right now, so I am not quite there yet. Next weigh in will be in two weeks. 

In food news, I have rediscovered oatmeal for my breakfasts. I don't know why I ever stopped eating it, as it really makes me feel good when I have it. I do use a little bit of sugar and usually put in an apple, too - so yummy!

Other than that, I am seriously craving fruits and greens right now. Unfortunately, most stuff I want is not yet in season, so I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of strawberries and asparagus. There's another yummy dish I would LOVE to eat right now, but can't really get in Berlin (it's a very popular dish in Hessen, where I grew up. Goethe's favorite meal): Grüne Sosse (green sauce). It's basically a sauce consisting of either yogurt, schmand, quark or cream (or rather a combination of them), a load of very finely chopped herbs, hard-boiled eggs and a bit of seasoning. You eat the sauce cold, along with boiled potoatoes. There's no taste quite like this and it is so, so, so lovely in spring and summer. Must. Have. It. I'll maybe try to get the individual herbs here, so I can make it and be merry.

My second day at the gym was half a disaster. First, I did all my sets in the weight machines and everything was fine. But when I got to the bike machine, it all went wrong. I am supposed to do 35 to 45 minutes on the bike, but I only go to 20 before my feet started hurting really bad. I guess because of the position I am in, my blood leaves my feet and they go all strange and numb. So I got to my 20 minute mark and I just felt sore and faint, so I had to stop. I promised myself that I would change to another machine on day three.

Yesterday was day three. All my sets on the weight machines were harder. I increased the weights by 5kg and I did them all without any fuss! Then when I went to the final machines, I had a few choices...Treadmill I knew I could not do because I would get bad knees. So I went on the elliptical...It was so big and strange, I could not find my bounce at all and I felt awkward and strange, so I went for the normal exercise bike. I could not find out how to adjust the seat! I just ended up going on my usual bike thing...45 minutes later I was done! Yup, I managed a full workout!

While sitting there, I watched the TVs and it dawned on me what they were showing. Extreme sports, the kind that people die from. I wondered what the message was..."Keep it up, big guy and you could be doing this!" Yeah, like I want to be crushed by a huge wave or dive head first down a flight of stairs cause I don't know how to skateboard. No, I am safer in the gym, thanks...for now.

My weigh in was today. I think 2 weeks ago - before I started the gym - I weighed myself and it was 131.5kg, so I gained some since we started No Magic Pill. Today I jumped on the scales and half of me hoped to see a loss...

131.6kg

Ok, that was to be expected. As the make believe tear rolled down my face, the scales started to work on the other function. It told me my fat was down and my muscle was up! YAY! I know it's way to early to see, but it's awesome to know that my scales think I have a little more muscle and a little less fat, which is keeping me at the same weight...but that’s fine.

Woohoo! Tomorrow I am back at the gym!

As you may already know (if you have been reading), I joined a gym. So last weekend the Lassie and myself scurried to the stores, looking for new gear for me. I needed new shirts (another...I do have some, but they are old), appropriate shorts and training shoes. Because I have flat feet, we had a major issue finding the right pair for me. We had to look for running shoes that are good as an allrounder in the gym and that had a small section at the back which would provide me with some extra support, like those air bubbles you get in Nike shoes and stuff. This means while running, I'd get extra support for my back, hips and knees. But the only shoes available were really expensive...not just by a small amount. Granted, I know I need to spend the money, but this was a lot. So we went with a cheaper version (Asics, still at a price of 80 Euros/122 Dollars), in the hope that later we would have the money for the real deal.

So I made an appointment to meet a trainer at 8 pm on the 4th of March. During this appointment I would be shown what to do and how to do it. 7:50 pm rolls by and I am walking up the stairs towards the gym. I am getting nervous, cause the stairs are getting me exhausted and I am not feeling well in the first place. But I can't turn back now...no no...

I go get changed and meet with the trainer. He is a fit young man...He looked strong....VERY strong...But he was friendly and helped me out very well. 

Everything - like my height and weight - was entered into a computer, along with the info about having asthma and recently also back pains. A printer nearby spat out my training routine, which I have to follow for the next 10 sessions.

First I have to do 10 mins on the bike (the one where you sit down and you are sorta reclined)

25-30mins weight training...

Then 10 mins stretching, 35-45 mins on the bike thing again, but at a harder push.

I am finally done with the gym for the day and I am on my way out. Noone really looked at me. I did feel I was the heaviest there, but no one bothered. I felt good about it. Really, really good about it...I know that will change when I feel everything lock up, but I will get used to that for sure!

Finally I feel like I am on the right track!

When I left the building, I got a strong smell from the McDonald's accross the road...I have to be careful there! Buggers for putting it there at all!!!! 

Hey hey party goers!

I finally went to McFit and I have to say I was rather scared...Not just because of the language issue (Mc Fit being a German enterprise and me being Scottish), but more because of the looks I was expecting.

Here is how I envisioned it: I would walk in and the person at the information desk would be built like a tank and be pumping some iron while little fatty me would be asking if I could join. Then there would be a huge pile of beef eaters coming into the gym, putting all the machines to the hardest or heaviest levels and then they would just operate them without any issue. I would go and try a machine out and would not even manage to move it and they would all laugh at me... 

Yeah, quite vivid, I know, but that's what is running through my head as I am walking up the stairs to the gym.

In reality it was quite nice...Not too full and not too many beef eaters. In fact, there was only one guy I could see that looked like a body builder...The girl at the information desk was friendly and looked like someone who would need help lifting anything. So, happy with the look of the place, I handed over the money and got my membership card. I also made an appointment with a trainer... 

There was one guy I saw there who had a trainer shirt on and I am sorry, but he could not have been more stereotypical. Well tanned, overly groomed and walking with a swagger...Yeah, he loves himself and I pray I don't get him has my trainer!

That's it. I will go to my first appointment on the fourth of March and then I will go anytime I want after that. They are open 24/7, which makes it convenient for me and takes away any excuses!

Also I wanted to share with you guys a funny video I saw on YouTube...I am sorry, I just had to laugh (the Lassie says she finds herself in that video, btw)!

Howdie!

Things have improved some on the food front over the last week - our meals have been balanced, we've cut down on our portion sizes and we generally managed to stop buying too much junk. I think all this really was possible only because I've had enough time to prepare things and wasn't too stressed out to even contemplate proper cooking.

While I appreciate the fact that we're starting to do better, it worries me that we don't manage to make the right choices when things get hectic. I have yet to come up with a strategy for the busy days of our lives. Other people manage to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle in any kind of situation - why in the world does that seem such a hard thing to achieve for myself? Whenever things get stressful, it seems I just can't stick with my good intentions. I am perfectly aware that I would feel much better altogether if didn't so often screw around with weird take out food or awful frozen meals - I do not just mean that in terms of physical health, but I also always feel much better emotionally when I've had a meal that was freshly prepared.

I suppose in the end it really does boil down to making a conscious effort every day to get and stay healthy - yes, it might take thinking ahead, preparation and time, but ultimately I am not doing myself any favors when I eat unhealthily just because I can't be bothered to cook properly. Apart from that, it's nice not to feel awful and disgusted after eating yet another fatty, unhealthy, ready made meal. As you see, I've got some work to do. I know that I can't possibly change these things instantly and expect to maintain changes that I've jarred myself into in the long run. So step by step it is - in the meantime, I will try to keep focused on where I want to and need to be going and also remind myself that where I end up is completely up to me.

I am currently weighing myself before every check up at my doc's, which means I weigh in every three weeks. I thought I must have gained quite some over the last three weeks, but interestingly enough, my scale only showed a gain of 0.3 kg (0.007 lbs). Not bad, methinks, especially seeing as I find myself in the seventh month of my pregnancy now. I still wonder if I'll gain back all the weight I lost until our little girl will be born...Must keep reminding myself that this is not the best time to stress out over a potential weight gain. I suppose I'll still start worrying a bit once I hit the weight I started into the pregnancy with. Oh well, I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Tonight's dinner will consist of a french potato bake and a salad. So far, I am not paying much attention to calories, but rather I am focusing on getting into the habit of cooking a fresh meal every day. I do substitute fatty dairy products for a low fat alternative, but other than that, I am cooking normally. As I said, we've cut down on our portion sizes - which is a little bit easier for me than it is for the Laddie, as at this point in the pregnancy, I can't seem to physically eat big portions anymore. It's kinda nice, really, to have something stop me from overeating sort of naturally. While before the pregnancy I would very often eat without even being hungry any more, my stomach now fills up so quickly that I simply can't overeat, unless I fancy throwing up.

On this very cheerful note, I will leave you. I hope you're all having a good week!