Back from the Dead at 62kg

Ok. I haven't posted in 3 weeks. Sorry. I'm doing OK on my diet. Not losing as much as I had hoped but I'm certainly a lot more active, despite the lingering cold weather.
I went to Hokkaido for the Snow Festival where I quite possibly had the best ramen ever. I also indulged in heaps of seafood and chocolate. Hokkaido consumes the most chocolate per capita than any other prefecture in Japan. That's like Quebec and doughnuts (and you wonder why I'm trying to lose weight--I don't even like doughnuts). I also watched Geoffrey and Zander consume 7-8 pounds of grilled mutton. Yes. OK. I had some too but not nearly as much as the boys. After about a pound I started feeling guilty and ate the vegetables that the boys had decided to shove aside.
When I got back from Okinawa, I picked up where I left off. I go to the gym at least 3 times a week. I cycle or walk everywhere possible, I eat breakfast every morning and I haven't bought conbini food for lunch in weeks.
I'm doing alright but I'm already finding it hard to stay motivated. I have to keep reading motivational articles on the BBC Big Challenge page and other places. I found this one which I read over sporadically.
Speaking of motivation, a few of the teachers at the school where I work have said that I've lost weight and it shows. So at least there is a difference. I guess I know there is too... I went to the doctor's office to pick up a prescription and before they give it to me, I always have to check my blood pressure and my weight. And I've lost 5.5kg since the last time I picked up the prescription in 2 months ago. HOORAY!!!
I would have liked to be at 60kg by this point but if I can reach that by then end of March, I'll be happy. I will try and post more often. Promise.

No Pain, No Gain

Never has this expression been more true... OMG. Yesterday I said that I had fallen off the wagon over the weekend, right? Well I got back on and now I hurt. I did weightlifting for the first time at the gym. I've used the weight machines before but I don't really know what I'm doing so I don't think I've ever done it effectively. Yesterday, however was my first foray into effectiveness (since I went with someone who knows what he was doing) and let me tell you... OW.
We did upper body only (chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps... in that order)... good thing too because otherwise my whole body would hurt and not just my upper body.
I would post the exercises that I did to help out those who are as clueless as me but I forget the names of them. I just know that, for each group, you start with a low weight with 12 reps. Rest. Then next you increase the weight by 1 increment (whatever that might be) and decrease the reps by 2.
So for example, if you are doing bicep curls, you start with 12X 5kg. Rest. Then you do 10X 6kg, rest; then 8X 7kg, rest; then 6X 8kg, rest... after that you do 12X 6kg and immediately after (i.e. no rest) you do a new exercise for the same group 12X with whatever weight you think is suitable for you.
And pain is good in this case because it means you did well. So I guess I did very well ^^