Week 1 - Sydney, Size 8 Jeans & Sunscreen Regrets

caseysrejic

12 minutes ago

8 min read

Welcome to Week 1!

Well, Week 1 of STRIP round two😂

I'm also going to start by telling you that I've just recorded half this bloody blog with my microphone on mute.

So here we go again.

Anyway, Monday morning started with me stocking up the kids' lunchboxes with some healthier snacks.

I've decided to trial healthier versions of some of the things they usually eat, just to see how they go.

And honestly, a lot of it went really well!

Well, initially.

As the week went on, things slowly started coming home with comments like, "I don't like this."

Excellent.

Apparently my children have decided to become food critics.

But that's okay. It's all trial and error, and I'd rather give things a go than assume they won't like them.

Usually Monday would be my rostered day off with Arlo, but I had another post-op appointment in Sydney, so he went to daycare instead.

Here's a photo of Arlo finding out he's going to daycare for the day.

I'm joking, obviously.

He absolutely loves daycare 😂

On the way to Sydney, I stopped to fill up with petrol.

Firstly, why is petrol so bloody expensive?

Secondly, does anyone else's petrol station have an entire spider population living around the pumps?

Every single time I fill up, I find myself staring at all the spiders while the petrol goes in.

I don't know why.

It's like a little wildlife documentary every time I visit.

Anyway, the drive to Sydney was beautiful.

And the appointment went REALLY well!

My surgeon is so happy with how everything is healing, and from Friday I have officially been cleared to return to full activity!

Obviously, I'm not about to walk into the gym and start throwing around my old weights.

I'll be starting light and building back up.

But how exciting!

After weeks of recovery, swelling, compression garments and not being able to train, it's such a good feeling to know I'm finally getting closer to my normal routine.

I also don't have to wear my compression garment anymore!

HALLELUJAH.

I purchased some scar therapy tape while I was there too, which is meant to help with how the scars heal.

So that's the next little phase of recovery.

While I was in Sydney, I parked at the big shopping centre like I usually do and popped into a few shops.

I bought Jason some Haigh's chocolates.

Which definitely helped me on the drive home too.

Sorry, Jason 😂

I also picked up some Creatine because I'd run out.

Then, on the drive home, I started getting really tired.

So I did something I don't think I've ever mentioned doing before.

I pulled over at Lake George and had a 15-minute nap.

Hahaha.

Just me, having a little roadside snooze.

Honestly, you've got to do what you've got to do.

Better to have a little nap than try to push through when you're struggling to stay awake.

I picked Arlo up on my way home, made dinner, and then the kids had Oztag that afternoon.

So everything actually worked out really well.

Tuesday was back to the grind.

Work, coaching, check-ins, all the usual things.

Another busy day that seemed to disappear before I knew it.

I managed to get out for a beautiful walk, and here's a little life hack for you.

I organised my grocery delivery to arrive around the same time I got home.

So I got my walk done AND my groceries arrived.

Honestly, such a good hack.

Why have I not been doing this forever?

Tuesday evening we also started getting the lounge room ready because I had the carpets booked to be cleaned on Wednesday.

So we moved all the toys over to one area and tried to make the lounge room look like it belonged to adults who have their lives together.

Which is always a challenge with three kids.

Wednesday morning I was up early working before getting everyone organised for the day.

Here's a funny photo of Arlo watching TV in the morning.

He was awake early too.

Because apparently sleeping in is just not something we do in this house.

The carpets got cleaned, and we had another great support call.

I also went through a tub of clothes I'd bought and found a pair of size 8 jeans.

Now, these are going to be my next little goal.

I took a photo of myself trying them on, and at the end of this STRIP phase I'm going to take another one in the exact same jeans.

I LOVE doing this.

You all know how much I bang on about progress photos, but honestly, clothing comparisons are such a good way to see changes that the scales don't always show.

Sometimes it's not even about whether something fits.

It's how it fits.

How it sits around your waist, your hips, your legs.

So these jeans are officially going into the progress photo collection.

Let's see what happens!

Thursday morning I was stalking my Facebook memories, as you do, and came across a photo from 2020.

And you'll never guess what it was.

My very first workout with Wesley!

HOW COOL IS THAT?

It's wild looking back at where this whole journey started.

At the time, I had absolutely no idea where fitness would take me, how much I'd learn, how my body would change, or that years later I'd be coaching alongside him.

Life is funny like that.

Thursday was also Grandparents' Day for the kids.

Both nans who were available went along, which was lovely.

And Jason even turned up on his motorbike before heading to Oztag!

Thursday afternoon was another round of Oztag for the kids.

Honestly, between Oztag, football, school and everything else, I think our family calendar needs its own personal assistant.

I also cooked a barbecue for dinner, but first I had to go and buy some gloves.

Because I will not touch raw chicken with my bare hands.

I don't know what it is.

Chicken and mince just feel so disgusting.

If I'm chucking mince straight into a pan, that's fine.

But if I'm making rissoles or actually have to get my hands into it?

Absolutely not.

Gloves.

Every time.

Surely I'm not the only person who does this?

Friday morning was a VERY early start.

If anyone noticed I wasn't on the support call, it's because I was heading to Boorowa for the kids' football carnival.

We had to leave at 5:30am!

It's about a two-hour drive from our house, so we carpooled with one of Rocky's friends and his mum drove.

Bless her.

There were more than 5,000 people there, so it was a massive day.

The kids had such a great time, and it was really lovely watching them all play.

Although I did make one very stupid mistake.

I forgot sunscreen.

ME.

Someone who is usually so good with sunscreen.

And I ended up with a very sunburnt neck.

Honestly, what a dumb-dumb.

A little reminder that even when it's a busy day and you're rushing around, sunscreen is not the thing to skip.

By Friday night, we were all absolutely exhausted.

So we didn't do much.

Just a quiet night at home, which was exactly what we needed.

Saturday morning Rocky had a birthday party, and then I dropped Nola and Rocky out to Mum's for the evening.

Meanwhile, Jason took Arlo to his mum's.

Because we had a NIGHT OUT!

I also put some fake tan on, because apparently after spending Friday accidentally cooking my neck in the sun, I thought the rest of me could use a little colour.

This is me trying not to get tan on my seat:

Very logical.

We were heading out to watch one of our friends in his final boxing match.

And honestly, what a great night!

It was such a good atmosphere, and we had the best time.

I drove, Jason had a couple of beers, and we were home by about 11pm.

Which honestly isn't too bad.

A night out AND home before midnight?

Who are we?

Sunday morning was another early start because Nola had her First Eucharist at 8am.

It was such a beautiful morning.

Honestly, one of those lovely little milestones that makes you realise how quickly the kids are growing up.

Afterwards, we went down to the cafe for coffee and cake.

Which was a really nice way to celebrate.

When we got home, I noticed something in the garden.

Our lemon tree has started blossoming!

Little flowers everywhere.

How beautiful is that?

I genuinely didn't even know lemon trees had such pretty little flowers.

I know, I know.

Apparently I need to spend more time learning about my garden 😂

Unfortunately, I started feeling pretty sick throughout the rest of Sunday.

So I didn't do a whole lot.

We did start going through Arlo's toys because we're planning to have a garage sale.

Which naturally meant he decided to pull everything out and completely trash the house.

Nothing like trying to declutter while a toddler follows behind you undoing all your hard work.

Very helpful.

Ten out of ten.

Here's a cute photo of us cuddling on the couch afterwards.

And honestly, that's pretty much where the day ended.

Sometimes you just have to call it and rest.

Now, let's talk about the biggest win of the week.

I AM CLEARED TO TRAIN AGAIN! (from Friday)

After surgery, weeks of swelling, compression garments, walking instead of lifting and trying very hard to be patient, I'm finally at the point where I can start rebuilding my routine.

And I'm so excited.

But I'm also going to be smart about it.

I know I can't expect to walk back into the gym and pick up exactly where I left off.

My strength might have changed. My body is still settling. And I need to give myself time to build back up.

So this next stage is going to be all about easing into training, slowly increasing my weights and enjoying being able to move my body properly again.

And then there's my little size 8 jeans goal.

I have no idea how those jeans are going to fit at the end of this phase, but that's exactly why I took the photo now.

It's another way of documenting the journey.

Because the scale is one measurement.

It isn't the whole story.

And if there's one thing I've learnt throughout my own journey, it's that sometimes you don't appreciate how far you've come until you look back.

That photo from 2020 with Wesley was a pretty good reminder of that too.

Back then, I was just showing up to a workout.

I had no idea what would come from it.

And here we are.

Anyway, enough of my sentimental rambling.

Time for check-in!

Weekly Check-In

Week: 1 (STRIP round two) Phase: STRIP Nutrition adherence: 7/7 Weekly average steps: 10,659 Training: Recovery walking, cleared to resume full activity from Friday Average body weight change: -300g

Things I'm proud of this week

Getting through another Sydney post-op appointment and receiving clearance to return to activity
Finally being finished with my compression garment very soon
Continuing to organise meal prep and food for the family
Trying some healthier lunchbox options for the kids
Getting out for walks while still recovering
Setting myself a new progress photo goal with the size 8 jeans
Finding that old 2020 workout photo and reflecting on how far I've come
Watching the kids enjoy their football carnival and Oztag
Celebrating Nola's First Eucharist
Listening to my body and taking it easy when I felt unwell on Sunday

Things I want to improve next week

Ease back into training with lighter weights rather than rushing straight back to my old routine
Keep meals nutritious and consistent as I settle back into STRIP
Continue documenting progress beyond the scales
Be more organised with sunscreen when we're out at sporting events
Keep finding healthier lunchbox options the kids actually enjoy
Make time for recovery and rest when my body needs it
Enjoy being back in the gym without putting pressure on myself to be exactly where I was before surgery