Way laid by germs, and why it's good to read food labels

So all the best laid plans go awry, don't they? Motivating Amy Part 4 is still in draft form as I've been feeling too lousy to complete it - as I mentioned in my last post, I have to pose for a couple of photos, much better than explaining!

I thought I'd search the net for some great links to keep you all buzzing with enthusiasm, but I haven't found very much. All the 'get fit for 2013' style articles I've found are aimed at women, and as apparently women can't lift any more than 2lb weights without pumping up to Arnie-in-the-70s proportions*, there's very little to share with you that I believe in. Which makes me even more determined to get my own thoughts into photo form!

(*this will never happen, honest, I promise you there's a lot more to 'bulking up' than lifting something that weighs less than your handbag or baby!)

Personally, I've worked out a great gym plan for myself, and it's sitting in my gym bag waiting for me to use it. I've been eating far too much left-over Christmas chocolates and biscuits, we have half a Christmas cake to eat (and another on the way - my mum makes such good Christmas cakes Hubby always makes sure we get two!), and Hubby bought me a Belgian Chocolate Christmas Pudding because I don't like the real thing.

It was only after I'd eaten it - with custard - that I looked at the nutritional information and realised that not only was it a two person pudding, but the whole thing (that I'd eaten!) was a total of 800 calories... Yep, just under half my daily intake if I was working out and not slobbing around feeling sorry for myself!

And that's why it's important to read the nutritional information, not only does it give you the calorie count, it also tells you how much they expect you to eat - and in some cases it's a lot smaller than you think!

Bits and pieces, and hello

Thank you to everyone who's visited since I revived this blog. Please feel free to leave a comment and introduce yourselves - I'd love to get to know you better!

I've had my other blog - about my writing life - for a very long time, and it has lots of visitors every day, so I'd forgotten the amount of work that goes in to setting up a new one!

I'm taking a couple of days rest from the Motivating Amy series because I'm ill, and I plan to demonstrate some exercises for Part 4. How have you found the first three parts? Am I making sense?

As well as having a horrible cold, I'm back to work this afternoon. An air-conditioned gym with music blaring isn't the best place to be when you're feeling bad, but it'll be great to see all the regulars again. My own workouts have been sporadic over the Christmas period - every year I plan to get to the gym at least twice a week over the Christmas fortnight, and I've never managed it!

I have my new regime in my head, all my niggling injuries seem to have be rested and mended, and I'm ready to make 2013 a great year.

Have you made any fitness goals for 2013? I'd love to hear them.