Nutritious fastfood

My new life with no sugar and why wait until tomorrow to start a healthier life, started our in an interesting way..... ehhh..... Okey, I did eat sugars even if it wasn't much during Christmas holidays, but I also worked out every single day. However I have had loads of cheese, whole milk, cream products and buttery foods. Its been mouth heaven. I am telling you I have had the best meals ever..... Nothing beats home cooking with good ingredients. But Christmas is over, and I have no regrets. I actually feel good because I have honestly made up my mind to loose those extra pounds. Thinking about it.... I have made up my mind to get my whole life more organized, my training, my job and my private life. (I need to spend more time with people I love)

After consulting with my coach, we agreed on loosing between 0,5 and no more than 1 kilo a week. A faster weightloss than that isn't healthy considering all the training I am doing. I haven't weighed in yet. I have my first scheduled weigh-in on Friday the 10th of January. I guess your wondering why I just dont get on the damn scale and weigh-in? Well I have an idea about how much it is, and I am going to get depressed if I see the actual numbers. But If I feel healthy and feel that my journey is on the right way, it will not bother me as much. To help me on the way, I have reactivated "My fitness Pal" (The best free online weight loss system with the best Apps ever) I started documenting everything a couple of days ago. If there are more of you out their that want to loose weight together with me, get registered, and its like Facebook, we can follow and support each other on our journey. My user name is Queenblomberg... of course. To make things easier I have bought a kitchen scale. I have realized that I have a tendency to eat larger meals than I am supposed to, so to start with I am weighing everything until I have a better eye about how much everything is.

I love eating out for lunch, so one challenge I have, is to find restaurants that have healthy alternatives without eating cucumbers and slices of tomatoes. One new favorite is Ichaicha. Its been around for a couple of years but I ate there for the first time the other day. You have 3 choices, what type of meat you want, side order and sauce. My combo added up to 200 Kcal. It was healthy, tasty and it kept me filled up until dinner. It didn't only taste better, it was faster than Mcdonalds.

Enough about food, I have had the best training week ever. I have had so much fun, and It has been so much easier while being off from work. I feel stronger than ever, and I am starting to get excited about the New Year. Because 2014 is the year of my Ironman challenge. No more goofing around, this Triathlete, cocktail or not, is all about business, don´t think anything else.

Happy New Year!

Chistmas day munchies, eating "löjrom" and drinking a glas of Petite Chablis

My new found favorite in Mood Galleria Ichaicha

Small but good menu, each with amount of calories

200 Kcal lunch? Sooooo goood!

Even Happy loved it. And this one is NOT a health food fan.

So where do I go, on my rest day this week? To the gym to goof of with Madde. She had near 2 hours of biking on her schedule.

Its she and herself.... And lovley me for a quick visit.

This challenge wouldn't be as fun without my homies (My husband Björn and Madde) "family"

Why wait until after Christmas?

I have been thinking, why wait until after Christmas with eating healthier when I can start eating healthier today? When It comes to different goals we often say, "I´ll will start tomorrow, I will start on Monday, I will start after my vacation or It will be my New Year promise. It could be a healthier life style, quit smoking, quit lying or becoming a better person in general. Why wait until tomorrow? I don´t even know if I am alive tomorrow. Just do what ever you feel you want TODAY. Just make sure this is really what you want, and not something to please others.

I really need to loose weight before my Ironman in August. I do not want to carry excess weight during the competition. At the same time, I have a eating disorder that I have lived with for a long time. Bulemia. I have been okej for about 5 years, but I still have an unnatural relationship to food. I still start a new diet every week, I change the rules as the week proceeds. On Monday I eat really heathy, No bread or pasta and I bring lunch to work. On Tuesday I eat lunch out, and the bread they serve is so good, so I eat a slice. On Wednesday, I might just need a sandwich before bedtime cause I am hungry... and this is how the week is. Finally on Sunday I am so full of shit that I make up my mind to start my healthier life on Monday again.... Crazy if you ask me. It was so much easier when I was a member at Itrim, I worked with a consultant, and It was under control. I worked out 3 times a week, just to keep my body moving without specific goals. Today I train 5-7 sessions a week, some lasting up to 2 hours. I need food and I am constantly hungry. Training for Ironman is easy, learning how to eat right is really tough.

I quit eating added sugars for about two week ago, Which is a good start. And every day I am trying to eat as heathy as possible. Why wait until after the holidays? I might not lose that much weight, but at least I wont gain as much. 2014 I will be serious in my efforts. I put a lot of money and training in my Ironman mission. I don'
t want to mess up because I cant stay on a good diet. 

So today, Is going to be a good day, high goals, good food and first day of focusing on my Ironman weight journey. Please help me on the way! 

Wish you all a Merry Christmas!

XOXO

Our miniature Christmas tree, American Style

I didn't touch a single piece ......mostly because I am not a huge fan of Toblerone

My favorite winter dish in the making, boeuf bourguignon

A hungover cocktail triathlete

Last thursday we had a Christmas party at work and our theme was gold, red or blue. I luv parties. And I luv themes. I went shopping for a golden dress, and with the hair (wig) my sister Theresa gave me, I was ready to Party! I just forgot one important detail. I am a triathlete, training for Ironman 2014. Well, I am a cocktail triathlete, but a drunken one? Oh no! Not good at all. With the wig and golden dress all of my common sense kinda flowed straight out of my body. As the night proceeded, so did I.... and the wine bottle. I turned into a smoking idiot drinking straight out of the bottle. So without explaining more details about that evening, I paid a huge price, and trust me, it wasn't worth it and its not happening again, not before Ironman.

I was hungover for about 2,5 days. Friday was rest day, and Saturday I had swimming on my schedule. Its something about swimming and the day after.. I simply can't handle it.. Felt mostly sick to my tummy and my motivation was ZERO. Sunday I ended up doing a 20k run. My time was worse then ever, but I did do the full distance. My body ached for 3 whole days, since I used my Icebugs for the first time this season as a mentioned in the last blog. My coach kinda of laughed at me, but I never told him that I had smoked. It's crazy, I have to stay away from shit like that.... So what have I learned? As a cocktail triathlete, I have to stick to champagne, and no more then 2 glasses twice a month and NEVER EVER touch the smokies.......

My beautiful friend and Co-worker Cecilia, together with our fantastic co-worker Lotta (Funny)

Another Co-worker, I am kinda physical ... Always nice to get a hug

Ginger bread cookies, Glögg (swedish warm wine with spices..Not my thang)

Finally beddy time, 3:am in the morning. Was I tired Friday? Yepp, I want to forget last weekend as soon as possible

2 glasses of Champagne 2 times a month = High standard cocktail triathlete

Dark Sunday run

My husband came home with a fun toy the other day. A flashlight. Living in Sweden winter months is the same as total darkness sometime after 3 pm. It's one of those flashlights that is built in a headband. I know my husband means well and the flashlight is great, but I feel kinda nerdy running around looking like a miner. I wore it for the first time today when I did a 20K jog in my Icebugs that mom bought me 2 years ago. Actually I was happy that it was dark out, cause it wasn't a pretty sight. To the extent that my ponytail turned into a chunk of ice. It was tough today. I really had to switch on my Ironman brain, and just make up my mind. It was cold, slippery and dark, I felt kind of tired and my thighs, inner thighs and calves started to retract after about 14K. This has never happened to me before. I think it was because it was the first time I used my Icebugs this season, and they are heavier and the sole is harder than my normal running shoes. It like Andreas said. He think my legs are going to feel like frozen fish sticks tomorrow... No s..t... They feel like frozen fish sticks this very moment and it only been 4 hours.

However the flashlight worked well in the dark park, so I am really not complaining ... on the contrary, I am lucky to have a man that cares about my safety.... or is it that he wants a reason to buy athlete toys....??? Only he know the answer to that question. Have the best Sunday evening!

I luv these shoes that mom and dad bought me, cause they are good, but honestly... really ugly.. :-) (Not moms fault, I choose them all by my self)

Winter in Sweden, finally

Our newest toy, a present from Björns fantastic and generous brother, Jocke! Thanx man!

The home of 2 triathletes, Christmas decorations and sweaty cloths hanging on all the radiators. Happy complaining about a smelly home....

Triathlon fun - Triathlon economics not so fun

No matter how I twist and turn dollars and cents, triathlon is an incredibly expensive sport to do. There are three different sports that require different skills and different equipment.

I am torn by theories that staying healthy and active doesn't have to be expensive. All you need to go out jogging is a pair of good running shoes and some comfortable clothes, an old bike to bike on or a swimsuit, googles and some water to swim. You can take walks and do sit-ups at home. It takes a lot of discipline but its doable.

When It comes to healthy eating, its the same thing. Yes veggies are expensive and so is good fish and meats. But I honestly believe that in the long run, if you skip sugars, snacks, candy, sodas, processed foods and eat smaller portions of healthy choices the cost of eating would be the same.

So what tears me up if the equation is so easy?...... Boring..... My gosh, How fun would life be if you couldn't enjoy a bag of potato chips now and then, red wine or some home-made bullar? Its fun to buy a good bike, comfy wet-suit or to attend training-camps/races and learn techniques from experts.

I think it also depends on what level yo want to do things. I often think about this cool girl that I met at Vätternrundan, a Swedish bike race that is 300K long (186 miles). She had this old bike that she borrowed from her mom, it had 3 gears. It took her 24 hours to complete the race. I had a 20 geared racer and it took me 12 hours and 20 minutes. But her performance was so much better than mine. That mental strength to bike 24 hours, on a bike she had to push up all the hills? Simply amazing. And she is proof that things can be done affordable if you choose to do it your way. I keep her in mind so I stick with reality, because I am never going to be a professional athlete but I do want to make a serious effort in doing the best I can. (Desiree does not need a TT-bike, triathlon bike)

However I do spend ALOT of money on my journey to becoming an Ironman. So how does this work for me? I see it as an investment in me and my health, and I skip other things like shopping and I don´t eat out often. And like all elite athletes I have a sponsor, probably the best sponsor in the whole wide world. My mom. She supports me, she follows all of my achievements, races, everything. I love knowing that she is interested. And now and then, she supports me financially with a little something that makes my journey easier or more fun. Thanks mom, your the best!

My beautiful mom (I think she like my coach too... :-)

Yesterday at the gym, started out with weight lifting

My husband getting in the groove

Saturday special 3 hour spinning with a bike movie, however we left after 1:40. We had a tight schedule yesterday. (Champagne date at 15:00 with one of my new beautiful friends, Christina) 

My coach, my progress, my new epithet

Life feels so good right now, my progress is amazing, my coach is grand and I just became a grandmother. Being a granny is so cool. I look so much forward to spoiling my grandchildren to death and telling them all of these granny stories, just like they do in the movies. I am going to pester them with Ironman, marathon and vätternrundan stories, and they are going to say, granny you already told us that story, at least 10 times. Well you better listen again, cause its granny's favorite story. I have all the answers already.... :-) Granny or not, I just can´t use granny as my epithet. My dearest sister and one of my best friends, Theresa has been a granny for a while, and I have teased her sooo much. She is persistent. I am no granny to you, I am nana. Nana it is, Iron nana. Like the sound of it already. (Sorry Theresa for the 10 years of pain I caused, please don´t beat me up, like you used to do when we where kids). I am going to be an iron nana no matter what, just like my mom is. I will always be there for my grand kids.

My progress is going fast forward at the moment. Crazy fast. Well progressing in swimming isn't that hard since I still have a ways to go, but its not as boring anymore and I have new things to work on. When it comes to biking, I am not really sure... No biking season, and everything has to be done indoors, more or less. But my running. My running. Unexplainable. I did my first 5 K under 25 minutes.  It was one of those days my legs wouldn't stop going and my breathing was perfect.....But still, I weigh about 10 kilos to much and my weight will be my next focus area after my weekend in Milan. 4:50 speed per K, is my goal after losing my access weight.... :-) (I feel fine with myself but the strain to my body an Ironman will have, I don't want more kilos to carry around then I have to. Trust me, it will be tough enough anyway.)

My coach is grand. We still talk once a week and he ALWAYS keeps my spirits high and my head focused. This would never work without him. No matter what I do, he reflects, evaluates seriously, and gets back to me with his views. When training with different people you get a lot of know it alls. Like the swimming camp I attended last weekend, even if it was fun and I learned a lot its important to follow up. I wrote and told Andreas about how they saw things and what I should do. Andreas knows me, and he know triathlon. So he returned to me with his recommendations on what I should focus on. I trust my coach. Ruben McGray said 3 important pointers when training for an ironman, at his seminar last weekend. 1. Everyone needs a coach. 2. You have to trust your coach. 3.  It takes about a year to optimize your relationship with your coach. So I know I am doing things right. I have a coach, I trust my coach and my coach knows what works for me. He is truly amazing. (Even though he pesters me with a bunch of drills that I hate)

My sister and bestfriend, teebag, nana, theresa, etc. Kärt barn har många namn. A swedish saying

Grand coach Andreas, with my grand friend and partner in crime Madde

Nanas daughter and grandkids, I luv em, they are sooo beautiful! (I am auntie)

Me and my granddaughter soon...:-)

My oldest daughter Yvonne, she has had an amazing journey. I am proud of her.

The rest of my amazing kids, Patric, Caroline and Happy. I am blessed

I found this in my smart phone, why did I take this picture? Its stupid, old and blurry... I share everything with you... :-)

Amazing swim camp

My God did I have fun this weekend! I participated in a 3 day Swim Camp, and honestly ... I have been so unbelievable nervous. I have only been swimming for like a year so this is a completely new experience for me. I thought I was going to drown, embarrass myself and end up leaving with out anyone seeing me go. The only thing I did was embarrass myself, which really isn't anything new... This big mouth usually ends up saying something inappropriate.

The camp started on Friday at 5pm and ended Sunday at 2:30pm. We had 4x1,5 hours of swimming sessions and 2 one hour seminars and a half day seminar. we were 27 swimmers divided into 4 groups, one elite group, 2 advanced swim groups and one semi advanced group. No beginners. I guess that's why I was so nervous, I still see myself as a beginner but ended up with the semi advanced swimmers. I honestly believed that I was going to be the slowest swimmer in my group, I am so used to being last all the time that anything else surprises me, and there is nothing worse than holding back a group. I was far from the slowest swimmer. I was middle - top, (in my group)and It was the best feeling ever. 2 reasons, nice not being last, and I never felt that the slowest swimmer held us back, on the contrary, it reminded me about how my hard work has paid off.

The seminars were interesting with a lot of tips and information concerning swimming techniques, training philosophy and exercises. I have learned so much about swimming this weekend, it's like I want to go swimming tomorrow again, just to test all the different things that they taught me. Our coach said focus on three things that you want to work on more. My 3 things will be my leg strokes, my arm catch and keeping my wrist straight. The ugly Snorkel that I bought was probably the best swimming investment I ever made. It really helps me focus on my techniques.

I have had a lot of laughs as well. During our personal presentation, with all the serious triathletes, I presented myself as a cocktail triathlete, that I combine training with wine... Really stupid, because I think they though I was serious..... I kinda am, but the whole world doesn't have to know...... Luckily.... My friend Madde heard our coach Sebastian tell head Coach Ludde that even the cocktail triathletes are doing good...:-)

I did my fastest 50meters ever, 49 seconds, and I can start to feel love and peace while swimming.... Unbelievably crazy, I truly believe I might end up enjoying this crazy sport.

Its easy to find me because I am the brown spot on all the pitcures..:-D second person

Getting instructions from our fantastic coach Sebastian

Head coach Ludde going through theory and techniques

One of Swedens most inspiring triathletes and silver world medal champion Lisa Norden tells her story

We took a group photo and I was standing right behind her... Ouch...:-D

For me personally Annie is the most inspiring, thanks to this fantastic womens patience I can swim. (She is Swedish silver medalist in half Ironman) This girl rocks... 

And this is honestly how happy we are after this fantastic Swim Camp!

Winter darkness and staying inspired

November through January are the darkest months in Sweden. I mean crazy dark. In Stockholm, around December 20th the sun is up for 6 hours and 3 minutes. This means 17 hours and 57 minutes of darkness. The sun goes up at 8:44am and down 2:47pm. I am just happy I don't live in Kiruna, in the northern part of Sweden where the sun doesn't go up at ALL between the 11th and 31st of December, we are talking total darkness.

These are the toughest training months for me, and I really have to find different ways to keep myself inspired. It's dark in the mornings, cause I am at work before the sun goes up, and its dark when I get home from work. It's a bit easier when we have snow, because the white snow lights up everything, and my surroundings aren't so damn sad anymore.

Just the other day, was the first time this year, that I really felt the impact of this total darkness. I had put my alarm clock on 6:am so I could be at the gym by 6:30am. I had 45 minutes of biking, followed by a 30 minute jog, so it was important to be there on time (I need to be at work no later than 9:00am) I got up, everyone else was sleeping and It felt like the middle of the night. It was awful at first, but it really is about my mindset. I made up my mind. If I am going to be an Ironman, I have to have a Ironman mindset. No pain, no gain. I know it sounds a bit superficial. But it works. I looked in the mirror, and I told Desiree "It isn't always going to be easy, and it isn't always going to be fun, but the reward will be worth it - It's the journey that counts, and the reward is a strong healthy body no matter what happens on the 17th of August next year (Ironman Kalmar)"  I smiled.... and I was gone. (It helps that I have a Ironman token around my neck and I never take it off, keeps me focused)

Tips:
Pack your bags the evening before.
Be mentally aware that you are going to be tired, but you'll be okey.
Remember your goal.

A little to quite and a little to dark for my taste

My orange bike, I love my bike, especially after one week in Rio (spent to much money), and I can´t afford my monthly bus ticket..:-D

Going fast

Taking pictures and biking at the same time. (Yes I am a women and can do 2 things at a time)

The empty spinning hall, just me, my music and program

A smile always helps everything

Stretching

Next week I will tell you about by swimming camp together with one of the worlds best female triathletes

Bye for now... :-D