Prepared....

- ready for tomorrow's Pt session. Lord don't let it hurt as bad as last week ;)

Success

Success is the sum of small efforts,

repeated day in & day out. -

Robert Collier

Happy birthday to me!

Do you know what I love about my new lifestyle? That birthdays honestly do not worry me. Right now I am growing younger, in my mind, my body and my spirit. The number does not bother me.

Who would have thought that at 37 I could call myself a runner? Who would have thought I would have spent my morning at step class (and 500 cal gone thank you!) and loved it! Who would have thought that EXERCISE gear as a gift would make my day??!

Right now I am living life with a joy, vitality and energy that I can't ever remember having.

I have people in my life who love and support me, in all I do.

Life is good. What better birthday gift do I need?

Here's to your health! Treasure it! It's a beautiful gift!

Week two is here!

And I'm EXCITED!

My groceries are done. My workouts are planned. This is going to be a good good week.

Honestly, I'm unsure if the scales will reflect the work I have done this week. I had such a big loss last week I expect a bit of a maintain this week ... seems to work that way. But that is not putting a dampener on week two for me. My nutrition has been spot on. My workouts have been hard.

This week will be fun! This week's menu plan excites me! It has some of my favourite recipes from round 3 last year .. and a couple of new ones I can't wait to try! I am still working hard on saying YES more than I say NO... and this includes to foods that I might have avoided in the past. So far I haven't been disappointed.

This weeks plan is to make sure my nutrition is spot on. I am really keeping an eye on those snacks.

I also want to look at my workouts. I want to make sure that every workout is being done with intensity and integrity. If I'm going to bother working ... I want the workout to be hard. To get results.

So I'm ready! Ready for an incredible week! Bring it on!

Calories burned - week 1

This week I burned a total of 4561 calories!

So happy with that!

My biggest burn was today! 1123 calories!!


Bring on week 2!

Weekly suprise #1 ... The fitness test

This round one of my commitments is that i will do every weekly suprise. Every single one. I am embracing the entire experience.

Suprise #1 is the fitness test.

This sets the level that we are to work at in the fitness programs, and gives a standard which we can aim to improve ... Its our baseline.

Test #1 is the 1km time trial. To run 1km as hard and fast as you can. If you cant run it you are to jog, walk or crawl it, but get it done.
I remember the beginning of rd 3 2010. I jogged as far as i could ... Then walked ... Then jogged ... Then walked. I stopped 3 times and took over 8 min to do it.

This round i went out hard, probably a little too fast. And i pushed the entire way. The last 200 m was HARD. I so wanted to get undeer 7 min.

I ran the 1km in 5 min 51 sec!!! Unreal!!! That puts me in the intermediate range ... My new goal is to hit advanced (sub 5 min 30sec) by the end of the round.

Ab strength ... Is still my weakness. Level zero. I cant even reach level one. I will though. I am working on it. Watch me.

Pushups. 31 in 1 minute. Advanced.

Wall sit. 2:01. Advanced. I hate the wall sit with every fibre in my being.

Sit and reach ... -1cm ... Quite an improvement.

So that is two intermediate, one beginner, and two advanced. I am going to sit in the intermediate program for a little while longer i think.

Weekly suprise #1 complete!

SSS Sunday style complete!

As promised ... SSS Sunday Edition is complete!

It felt like it happened in dribs and drabs and it kind of did ... but it is DONE!

Cardio kicker dvd + 25 min trampoline jumping + 7 k bikeride + outdoor workout in park (think mountain climbers and over the fence jumps = 1123 calories burned!

Mission accomplished as promised!

Week two starts tomorrow ...

And I'm excited!
Do you know I really love this program?? It makes me feel alive!

I am still so NOT ready for tomorrow tho.

Most of what I need to do is around diarising and organising

I have to ...

• Finish my SSS (Sunday Style) (DVD down - bike and run/crawl to come!)
• Write out my shopping list for the week
• Work out my exercise timetable
• Shop (at least I have breakfast ... and I will do the rest after my interview tomorrow)

Oh - and I have an interview tomorrow! I still have to work on an interview friendly outfit that fits! Arrghhh! See - I'm going to be busy!

Week One. The wrap up. Good bad and ugly.

Week one 12wbt Wrap up!

The good ...

• The food! This round I promised myself to try everything once unless I could absolutely not adapt it for my gluten free husband. I tried recipes I have avoided last round. Oh my the are good! This is not boring diet food people - this is a way I could eat for life!
• On that note - I love Pizza night! Who would put sweet potato and ricotta on a Pizza? Apparently Mish does and it is GOOD!
• Wearing a size 12 dress to my grad and feeling beautiful! It was good to see all my hard work paying off!
• My first personal training session. I worked so much harder than I thought was capable. It was hard .. but made me feel so so strong.
• Reassessment day at my gym! Loved seeing results in the measurements!
• Getting my dogtags in the mail as a reminder of what we are doing and why! Thanks Lisa - I love them!
• A huge weight loss this week! 1.8kg at this stage of the game is GREAT for me! I certainly don't expect that next week. In fact I will be happy to lose again next week ...
• Discovering I am now a MEDIUM at Lorna Jane! I love Lorna Jane!
• My family support - everyone including my daughter, husband and my parents have shown me incredible support with starting this round! Don't worry mum - I am aiming for HEALTHY not skinny. I love that you all make this easier
• Sticking with my trying new things goal - I did group step and personal training! And I was better at both than I thought I would be!

The bad ...

• Burpees. I still have nothing good to say about burpees.
• Pump on Friday. I was still so sore I found it hard to finish tracks. I got through it - but it wasn't pretty.
• I skipped my flexibility day. Going to do extra stretches today to make up for it. I really do need to commit to the pilates class each week.
• I still haven't had my super (sunday for this week) session. I promise I will. It is scheduled for late afternoon. check back and keep me accountable.
• I still don't seem to have the shopping organised. Instead of taking the time to sit down and make one big list I ended up going back and forth to the shops every couple of days. Which cost me a lot of time, and extra money. I am tempted to try getting the groceries delivered home. With the extra time training takes in my day I need to find every time saver I can!
• Finding it hard to fit my runs in. Again - must look at my scheduling
• Some really cruddy runs due to lack of time
• My 5 year old turned to my tap teacher and said "You know - my mummy just doesn't GET tap". Yep - she's right. But I'm still trying

The ugly ...

• Feeling like I would throw up for 30 min after personal training!
• Discovering my total lack of ab strength. I am still a ZERO on the ab test. Really need to work on that.
• My home. The extra time I spent cooking, training, (and checking the forums) meant less time at home. I need to find better balance here! A full cleaning morning with my family today has helped so much!
• DOMS. Delayed onset muscle soreness. I suffered it badly this week. I know it meant I worked HARD ... but it hurt so much!

Bring on week TWO!!!

My graduation day yesterday

And I wore the frock.

The SIZE 12 Frock mind you!

I actually felt pretty all. day. long.

It was a big deal to me. The last time I saw these people I was 20kg heavier.

Still so many areas I want to work on ... but today ... I am happy :)

and for the record ... this is me the last time they saw me ...
(yes I graduated in nursing - I was pretending to be the patient!)

Day 5. Hanging in there.

This week I have given 12wbt all I've got. I've done my first ever PT session. I've done group power twice with heavy weights.

I even did Mish's outdoor workout while Miss E played!
(see - towel - water bottle - ipad to look up exercises - weights - swingset close buy for towel pulls.) Oh - and I do not and never will like burpees.


Today I wanted to throw in that towel. I hurt. I am sore. My muscles ache. It hurts to sit on the toilet! (Oh I remember that feeling well! Damn squats!)

It took every bit of my being to go to the gym today. I did not want to. I knew it would help but I did not want to!

But of course I went. And I got through it. And every track of group power HURT. I could feeel every muscle working.

I am stronger than I realise.

I'm going to rejig my weekend a little. Tomorrow due to my graduation, and not wanting to be in agony in my cute new shoes ... I am having a rest day. Sunday will be my super session for the week. No copout. Just making sure I can give it my all.

Go hard ! 78 days till the party!

Feeling it.

I am sore.

I worked hard today.

I did Michelle Bridges Super Shredder Circuit DVD (this is intense BTW!) and then in the afternoon did her outdoor program and a 2 k run. Intense.

It's been a big day

Some favourite snack ideas!

I keep hearing this over and over... what do you snack on ??

Well - I snack on fruit. A lot. And vege sticks. And the odd skinny cappucino. (OK more than odd!)

However when people ask me this question I think they mean more pre packed convenience type food ... so here are some of my faves! Hope there is something here you will enjoy! I think most of them are under the 100cal mark (or pretty close) cause I like to have 3x100cal snacks a day instead of 2x150. Just works better for me.

#1 Craving something cold? Something sweet? Frozen berries are incredible! They are sweet enough to take the craving away - and full of antioxidants! Also try freezing bananas and eating them frozen (I have half at a time) ... they taste like icecream!



#2 Protein. Especially after a hard workout day. This is quick, easy and full of protein and fibre. (and we need fibre!) Baked beans in the small snack can. I just eat them cold. They are so filling. Get the lowest salt ones you can.





#3 - OK not low in salt. These are my stand by for PMS time when I crave something salty. Roasted chickpeas aka chicknuts. Find them in your health food aisle! Fibre, protein and yum!







#4 My nightly treat. Every night I have a Jarrah Hot chocolate. Under 50 calories and YUM! My little bit of luxury for the day :)











#6 - We have chooks so we have an abundance of eggs. Boil some eggs and have them with salad, or for a snack. So good for you. And protein to help your muscles repair.







#7 - I wanted a muesli bar to keep in my handbag. These are the best I could find at around 100cal per serve, LOTS of fibre, and yummy!





#8 These are my favourite yogurts. Maybe it is a marketing ploy but with the extra fibre I do find them more filling. Since I struggle with my dairy I try to have these from time to time.






There you go ... the snack ideas I actually have in my house right now. I'll post more as I think of them! Hope they help!

Seriously ...

- Just how good was lunch today

A dream of a day! RESULTS prove it works!

I had my gym reassessment today. I am still walking about with a big huge fat smile on my face!

Have you ever sat through an assessment and dreaded every minute of it? Embarrassed even? This was me in the past.

But today I was the cat that got the canary.

The instructor is new. He has no clue about my story. And he talked with me about my goals and plans and how we would get there and it was good. Positive even.

And then he started to measure me.

Chest - -13cm.

Hips - down 13.

Thighs - another 8 each.

Arms - a good 5

And this is since October when I joined.

When I hopped on the scales for the first time ever I have seen an instructor as me to get off so he could test they are working.

And my fitness has improved out of sight!

12wbt works. My instructor is now a convert. He says I am on his radar. He is watching me.

Bring it on! I know the results will come! Just need to follow the process.

Today has been a good GOOOD day!

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch (repeat!)

Yesterday was my first ever personal training session. It's taken me this long to write about it. I still hurt!

Maz (even sounds like a PT's name!) was brilliant. She was just what I wanted! The session was hard. It pushed my boundaries. It showed me I can work harder than I ever thought I could.

I think it was the kettlebell swings that did me in. That or the donkey kicks. Geez I hated the donkey kicks.

If you've never trained with a PT set yourself a goal of doing it -even if it's just once. You learn so much. Not just how hard you can push - but about why you exercise that way - the technique - the way your body works.

And somehow having someone lying on the ground, in your face telling you "DO NOT DROP. DO NOT DROP. YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN THIS" really helps when you are shaking in plank position.

For the first time ever in a workout I thought I would throw up. Not sure if that is a good thing. But I know it means I worked out HARD.As in 370cal in a 30 min workout hard!

I will definately go back as often as finances and travel allow (it's an hour away!)
Sucker for punishment I am.

An unexpected, emotional side effect of weight loss ..

As I've spoken about on this blog before I am the mama to many babies in heaven. Some through miscarriage, some through failed ivfs, some through loss of our embryos in the thawing process. As a mama it hurt that there was nothing tangible I could hold onto to remind me of my babes. I have no ultrasound photo - no birth certificate - no grave to weep at.

So one day - when feeling blue I ordered a set of stackable rings to wear when I want to remember my babes. The words can be hidden so I am the only one who knows they have a special meaning. And they are something I can leave my girl so she knows mama tried to get her a sibling when she is older.




Each ring is different.
The first states "Miss you so much, love you more"
The second "longing to hold you in heaven"
and the third has a bible verse reference to a verse that I have held onto -Lamentations 3 :19-24

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

All lovely. But the problem is - when they arrived I could not get them onto my fingers. So I wore them on a chain ... and then eventually left them safe inside my jewellry box. Hardly the reminder I was after.

Well now they fit! And I can hold my memories ... and my hopes for the future close to me again.
It was a sweet sweet moment for me.

I really thought the losses would slow ...

Now that I have have lost so much weight and am now over half way in my journey I really thought the scales would slow ... that the losses would be small.

But I was a little bit hopeful. My nutrition has been spot on and so clean. I have busted a gut at the gym doing over 700 cal the last two days -and even walking on my rest day.

And this week my work paid off!

1.8kg gone. 8.6kg to my goal for this round. And a total weight loss of 19.7kg.

Next week I want to see 20kg total loss BAD. And I am going to do what it takes!

Train hard guys. Eat clean. The program works if we do it!

I am going about today with a smile!

Inspiratiton

"Run when you can,

walk if you have to,

crawl if you must;

just never give up. "

Dean Karnazes

You will never have today back again. Live so you can look back and say no regrets.

Day 2. Group Step!

Continuing on my goal of saying YES more often and trying new things ... I present ... Group Step.


This is a choreographed step workout ... and it was fun! Hard but fun! I am more co-ordinated than I thought I was ... and worked at the high level most of the time. However there were a few steps I had no WAY of figuring out!

It was hot. Fun. And 468calories worth of burn! A good way to start the day!



Beetroot face time in the car on the way home from the gym.

Today's plan is to dive in and do housework cause tomorrow will be a right off house wise.

Tap class tonight! Go hard guys! Tomorrow is weigh in Wednesday!

The search for the personal trainer continues ... pt 2

After last weeks DISMAL attempt at hiring a trainer tomorrow is take 2.

I am excited! To start with she is giving me a complimentary session to see if we "click". In my mind it means she will be working to see if she gets my business and I *like* that!

I'm also excited about the training they do. Fun creative training ... not just sitting on a treadmill. Oh and they use KETTLEBELLS! I love to use these at home and so want someone to show me how to use them properly!

Downside is - 1) I'm still not sure I can afford a pt, but I'm lookig at just a 12 week investment. And 2) the trainer is an hour away. Good thing is I get to see my mum and buy shoes for my grad while I am there!

Anyway - will update tomorrow. Excited tho!

Day 1 complete!

Day 1 of the challenge yesterday - and as promised - I started as I mean to go on!

Food was good. Cereal for breakfast. Yogurt, fruit, skinny chino and jarrah hot choc for snacks. Lunch was YUM! I swapped days a bit and had the turkey, swiss cheese and cranberry sauce wrap from later in the week cause the were the ingredients I had at home and it was DELICIOUS! And dinner (again swapped) was fish with oven roasted tomatoes. Beautiful!

Training was where I promised to go hard this round and I started well yesterday. The heat was stifling so doing anything at all was good in my mind. A one hour group power class and a one hour zumba class and 730 cal gone! I worked extra hard in power putting most of my weights up ... and I am feeling it today.

Day 2 awaits me ... and some exciting plans! Catch ya soon!

Start as you mean to go ON!

One more sleep till the start of Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation ROUND 1 for 2011!~

Since September 2010 the challenge has take me from morbidly obese to obese to just overweight (even though there is no "just" about that)

This round my one goal is I WILL BE HEALTHY!

So tomorrow it is !

Start day one of the round in the same way you intend to finish it ... HARD AND STRONG and with INTEGRITY! Show your body the respect it has been waiting for.

On May 14 when I face Michelle Bridges in that group workout I intend to be able to look her in the eye and tell her I gave it my everything. Will you be able to do that??

BRING IT ON!!!

Super Saturday session!

It was hot hot hot yesterday so I am so proud I did anything!!!





5k gone and a beetroot face to prove it!!!



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Some new reading material

Happy anniversary to me! Love my man!

Dear gym ...

Thank you for producing this whopping humungous year planner and giving them away ! (in February - but whatever!)

I've marked out the 12wbt period. I'm going to put the calories I burn in training every day on the calendar as an instant visual reminder of how I am tracking (and maybe a reminder to kick it up a notch!)

It appeals to the planner in me

My new secret weapon

Mish recommends that you train first thing in the morning. That you get the monkey off your back. And I 100% totally agree with her. My mind for the entire day is different when I train hard and train early.

But in my house I have a problem. Those early morning hours have typically been the time that my husband trains. He is a cyclist. And training for a marathon (God bless him - glad it's him not me!) I don't want to take those early morning training sessions from him.

So, as a general rule, I train late in the afternoon once it gets cool. It works ok, but lately I've been finding that I am flat during the day, and I'm sure it would be fixed if I could get that early morning buzz from having gotten out and done something.

So enter Misch. (not Mish - but Misch my dog!) He is my new secret weapon.

My plan is, once my girl is at school and my man is at work he and I are going to get a walk in. Not a run. Nothing intense. Just something to get the monkey off my back and get my blood flowing. I get more done when I've moved. Somedays it may be 20min, somedays 40, but I will do SOMETHING. Then I will do my REAL training in the evening as per normal.

The bonus is ... it gets me a few more calories burned. Today was almost 190cal! Hopefully this will help me get my calorie burn up, as I'm finding the fitter I am the harder it is to get the big numbers.

I'm going to try it for a week and see how it fits into my life. This could work well for all involved. (Especially Misch!)

Confession

I had decided not to train tonight. I was tired hot and lazy.
And I wanted to watch the biggest loser. Ironic hey.

But mish would have my head if I lay on the couch and watched her show. Guts for garters.

So I pulled the robot mode card. I got up, got dressed and went to the gym. And ran.

It's a good thing my gym has these fancy pancy treadmills and xtrainers with tvs on them!

So an hour of biggest loser. An hour of hard cardio. Reckon Mish would be ok with that.

And 570 cal gone. It's getting harder to burn those calories. I must be getting fitter. Damn.

OK - so want to know a secret???

I am a little bit scared.

What happens if I don't get the momentum going this round?
What happens if I can't find it in me to push as hard as I need to?
How much harder is weight loss going to get as I get lighter??


Am I going to be able to walk the talk ??

I'm scared. And excited. I just need Monday to get here so we can START!

A little fear is normal. I just need to channel that nervous energy into ACTION!

THREE days till kickoff!

And only 85 days till the final workout and PARTY!

Are you ready?

Preason tasks - DONE
First weeks menus, recipes and workouts printed - DONE
Fridge stocked - TOMORROW
House cleaned - IN PROGRESS
Home workout area setup - TOMORROW
Workouts diarised - IN PROGRESS

I feel so organised BUT I still have a lot I want to do!
Time to get MOVING! I am so looking forward to MONDAY!




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Today is a good day!

Today I finally get some time at home! So besides doing some much neglected cleaning I have been getting ready ...

Making pumpkin soup and freezing it for those "emergency" meals (like getting called into work at NO notice)




Getting clever! (labelling it with Calorie count so I am ready at a glance)



And baking Mish's Banana bread to freeze for Miss E's lunches and guests. And no - I did not eat any even though it smelled soooooo goooooood.

SMASHED my expectations!!

Because I have a massive week planned with training next week ... I thought I would do my 1km time trial yesterday just in case I run out of time next week. It's always been something I put off till the last minute and struggled with so it felt so GOOD to get the monkey off my back.

A time trial is a 1km distance. Get there as fast as you can. Run, walk or crawl.

Well yesterday I went out there FAST! (fast for me that is!) I pushed harder than I thought I should have at the start but it felt good. The last 200m were HARD. I wanted to stop but NO WAY. I can run 5k - why am I going to stop on 1?

Well talk about SMASHING my expectations! Last round the best time I did was 7min40sec. I remember the amazing feeling when I smashed the intermediate group!

This round I hit 5min51sec!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? SUB 6min!!

I went harder and stronger than I ever thought possible - my dream was to hit sub 6 min for the ROUND!!!!

I AM STRONGER AND FASTER THAN I THOUGHT POSSIBLE!!!!

(oh my! How am I going to improve on THAT this round!)

Still dancing 12 hours later!! Off to smash some more goals! (housework related!)

Sooooo

I didn't win the excuse comp. Bummer. But I really am ok with that. It inspired me to go even harder with the training ... and I am NOT stopping now!

I have some big goals ahead! First fun run ... Maybe some personal training if I can find someone decent ... some trips to Brisbane for bootcamp ... and the big finale and workout!

And some pretty great rewards ahead! (Which are now looking even more fun!! Thanks mum!)

T-4 days! The menu plans are out! The workouts are out! I cannot WAIT! It is going to be FUN FUN FUN! (and hard!)

If you haven't joined up JOIN!

If you have ... GET READY! Go HARD! It's going to be quite the ride!

MaSSIVE FAIL!

I just interviewed a personal trainer.

I had visions of someone I could meet with once a week and have him/her push me to the limit. Someone who would mix up the exercise and would push me harder than I would go. Someone who might mix in some burpees, some boxing ... a little creativity and a whole lot of sweat.

What I got was someone who shoved a pricelist in my hand. Told me "you kinda do each machine a little bit and then cool down at the end". And who told me we would meet so she could work out my goals. When I said I already HAD my goals ... she said "no we will meet and I will work out the right ones"

Oh me oh my.

This is the time I don't like living in the country. I so want that experience of someone pushing me harder than I can imagine ... and someone who will work with me to develop the ab strength that I just do not have. Problem is my choices are limited.

Anyone want to come train me?

Hunting for other options ... just not sure where to find them yet

Stop and dream ...

We are currently at -4 days till kick off!

In 4 days things are about to get busy! A lot of time will be spent on cooking, shopping, training ... eating ... and also on organising things.

Once you are caught up in the 12wbt lifestyle it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Of why you are doing this. Today I urge you stop and dream.

On May 14, finale day, whether you are at home or at the workout and party ... what will your life be like? How will you have changed in 12 weeks? What are you aiming for? If I was to look at you living your life what would it be like?

Paint me a word picture ... and dream ...

By the end of Rd 1 I will be HEALTHY! Yep that is the big prize! My health!
My weight will no longer define me. When people look at me they will not see
someone overweight, but will just see a fit healthy person in the HEALTHY weight
range for the first time in I don't know when!

My blood pressure will be under control. I will be sleeping well, eating
well and have energy!

Training will be a huge part of my life. Getting out the door and going
for a 5k run will be my regular go anywhere do anytime exercise. And I will be
challenging myself with longer runs too.

I will be having fun with my training. Weights will show me how STRONG I
am! Classes will contunue to be fun. And I might have even figured out those tap
steps!

Food will be fun and creative and a great time of sharing and creating with
my family.

I will have trained at the group workout with Mish and given it everything
I have. I will have tested my body and know exactly where my limits lie. And I
will have broken through those self imposed mental limits and gone further than
I ever thought possible!

I will be in a size 12. I will be comfortable and confident in my body. I
will feel strong and fit and healthy and ready to embrace life! I will have run
a fun run or two ... and run some races with my daughter as well. I will truly
be living life! All because I had the courage 2 start

How cool!!!

Lorna Jane read my blog! I'm famous! (ha!)

Run complete!

Drowned rat beetroot face courtesy of 10 min rule, Jfdi, robot mode, twitter encouragement and major fear of a Michelle bridges butt kicking




I did not want to run. It was raining. The rain was cold. And u was tired.

But 3.5k down and feeling GREAT!!!

Before and after -

Start of Rd 1 2011 Pics! Wk 1!

For all my before and afters click on the progress pic tab at the top and you can see how far I have come!



(and yes I did do the bra and undie pics ... but I am not blog posting them)

Dear Lorna Jane Activewear

Dear Lorna Jane Activewear

I wonder if you know how many women on the 12wbt have you set as both a reward and a goal? Do you know how much you inspire us to action?

I don't know what it is about your products ... but I really really really LOVE them!

Last challenge I was more excited about buying a Never Never Never Give Up singlet than I was about losing 12kg!

And now I have lost almost 20kg I am still excited!

Last round my goal was to get small enough to shop in Lorna Jane. And right at the end I achieved it! And I know of so many other women who have the same goal!

Now you are my reward ... I reckon every 5kg milestone deserves a little something? Don't you?

In the meantime ... Mum (if you are reading) I really love this shirt! (and I'd need a large ... hint hint ... after all you always want ideas for my birthday!)

Countdown to Round 1 ... some tips about food!

Food seems to stress people. It isn't hard. You just need to be organised. These are a few tips that have worked for me!

• You ARE going to want to catch up with friends! Go now and work out the calories of a skinny chinno so you are ready! Having just coffee is always acceptable! Be prepared! And if you don't want to spend the calories on the catch up ... peppermint tea is delicious and just as social!


• That said ... why not meet up for a "talk and walk" rather than a coffee ... lots of fun and bonus calories burned


• You are going to have nights when you do NOT have time to cook. What are you going to do? What is the solution? Does everyone in the family agree? We have some meals frozen ... but an omlette is our go to no time to cook meal. Work it out NOW. Don't be caught short!


• Water. You need water. Take it everywhere. If you are hungry drink first. You are going to be training so you NEED to drink more! Buy a fun water bottle and never be without it!


• You ARE going to have days when you don't think you have time for breakfast. That is ROT. You need breakfast more than ever. Pack a tupperware container with a serve of cereal in your work desk and flog some milk from the tea room at work. Eat breakfast every day. It doesn't have to be elaborate but you NEED the energy to train!


• Oh and work out an easy breakfast that fits in your calorie count and have the ingredients at home ALL the time. Special k , banana and skim milk has gotten me through many a morning!


• You ARE going to have to eat lunch out occasionally. Go now and work out your go to meal. Some days you don't have time to think or calculate. (I have a 6 inch subway sub on wheat - turkey - all the salads no cheese, sauce or salt - that's under 300cal and fills me! With WATER not coke remember!)


• Some days you will be caught out and hungry ... pack a calorie counted snack in your handbag now. Or get in the habit of never leaving home without a piece of fruit!


• Decide now what you will do about alcohol. Alcohol will destroy your weight loss efforts in a heart beat. For me ... I won't drink the whole 12 weeks. I get much better results, train much better the next day ... and I like to show myself that I don't need it from time to time


• When you are strong and know you won't be tempted go have a look at the food labels of some of your fave foods. Check out the calorie count. Check out what you get for those calories. See how much they are ripping you off! It can be a real eye opener to see what you used to put in your body!


• Whenever you can add a huge handful of salad greens to a meal. I even snack on them. They are practically no calories, fill you up, and also help keep you regular ;) *disclaimer - nurses are obsessed with regularity** Plus they are so full of folate and goodness ... remember the darker green the better!


• Above all have fun and be creative! This is how you are going to eat FOREVER! No way should it be boring!

Todays post is dedicated to ... new knickers!

We are right in the middle of the last preseason task. To weigh and measure. Which means before pics. Which means my too big baggy saggy undies were not going to cut the mustard.

So I went shopping! And of course - since my body has changed I had to pick a few pairs so I could see what is comfy!

And I am so excited! Not only am I in size 14 undies ... but I am back to wearing fun, trendy sporty knickers if I want cause they FIT!

No more granny knickers for me!

Too much info? Yep! But I did promise you honesty in my blog!

Weigh in Wednesday!

Happy Scales Day to all!

Today was not a huge loss - I lost 400g which I am thrilled about! It hasn't been the easiest week in many ways and I am happy with a loss - especially a loss that brings me to a grand total weight loss of 17.9kg. 100g more and I will have lost 18kg which is MASSIVE in my book!

That also makes 76.4kg my official start weight for the next round of the 12wbt ... wonder what number I will be posting in 12 weeks as my final weight??

Makes me smile ...

Miss E (who is 5) wanted to make mummy smile tonight. So she ran up to me - jumped up and down and screamed "mummy loves to exercise!!!! YAY!!!!" Then said "does that make you happy mummy??"

Corny? Yes. Makes me happy? Definately! Thanks for changing my family tree Mish!

Tap ...

is still hard! My feet don't seem to move the right way!

But I'm still trying and not giving up!

And another 340 calories burned and a lot of FUN!

Just updating ... that's all!

I'm learning to love Mondays!

Mondays is MY night at the gym. Miss e knows she has to play quietly till daddy is there to pick her up, paul knows he is on daddy duty ... And it's all about me.

Monday is my night to go hard. Monday is my night to dust off the cobwebs from the weekend and dive into a new week!

Monday is cardio ....group power (like pump) and zumba! And over 1000 calories burned!

A little positive affirmation from mish doesn't hurt too!






I love mondays!!!! ( who would have thought it ... Me the couch potato doing a double class plus some!h

What a way to spend a Sunday!

What an amazing way to spend a Saturday! 50 12wbt ers, an awesome personal trainer and gorgeous weather for pain in paradise Bootcamp!


I burned almost 800 calories and am sore already! Loved meeting ange and Ruth and Mel who I only knew online before. And love the support of random strangers too!


I said YES to something new! And I'll be back

I bought a frock!

For my graduation from nursing.
Pity change room photos don't do anyone or anything justice!

But I love it! It was on sale! And it made my husband's eyes light up!!


These people haven't seen me since before the challenge began in September.

I think I better do some extra running!

What am I most looking forward to??

10 days to go!
It's finally almost here!

I am so excited ... I am going to rock this round!

What am I most looking forward to? Definitely the food! And not having to think about dinner. And the workouts. I really think I could have gone harder last time ... I can't wait to see just how hard.

Of course I'm looking forward to the weight loss...

But most of all I'm excited to have a friend join me this round. Welcome aboard "a" ... It's going to be an incredible round!


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Yes ...

The only reason I bought it was it was a SIZE 12!!! And it FIT!!!

But isn't it CUTE as well!!!

MYTH - I am not in the right headspace to join 12wbt

I've heard this three times this week.

I would join but "I have too much going on. I'm not ready. I'm not strong enough"

Have to say it's time to build a bridge and put that excuse behind you.

You know how Mish says to be arms wide open, gut wrenchingly honest?

Well here is the rest of my story...

It is personal. It still makes me teary some days. But I am telling it cause I'm not the only one in this position. And if I can get someone else to fix their health like I am fixing mine ... it is so worth it.

You should join 12wbt now - not when you are fixed. Not when you are strong. Not when you are ready. Every one of us has something "bad" in our lives. We have an emotional reason we can't lose weight. We are tired. We aren't ready.

And that is WHY we should join. Because you don't know how to do this. And Mish does. Do what you are told. Follow the process. And come back to healing.

I know this to be true. How do I know this? I know because this is not just a physical journey for me... But it has been a journey back to belief in me.

As some of you know ... The day before round 3 started I miscarried. Again, what a lot of people don’t know is I had tried for 5 years to conceive our second child. That means 10 embryo transfers (ivf). 2 miracle conceptions. A number of miscarriages at 4 weeks. And then the final miracle conception. Without the help of ivf and I didnt even find out I’ll 7 wks! I was so sure this was the one!

Unfortunately I miscarried and was beaten down. For 5 years my body had failed me and it failed me again.

I was lucky. Instead of sinking into depression I sunk into the program. It allowed me to go into robot mode when grief allowed no thought. And then as I lost weight, and got stronger I began to trust me body again. The day I ran 5 k was a rockstar day for me. My body did what it was told. I asked . It obeyed. It did NOT let me down.

I did not lose weight because I was "ready" or "my mind was in the right place". I lost weight because Mish knows what she is doing. She has a program that works. And I did what the program says. It won't work if we don't stick to it.

The mindset lessons were key to me. Bit by bit they helped me overcome my anxiety. They helped me with my stress. The showed me how to overcome the things that have destroyed my efforts in the past. Mish has worked with so many clients. And deep down we have the same problems. What she taught me spoke to my heart.

So now I am back to finish the journey. This time round it is all about letting my body show me how strong it is. And that it does NOT let me down.

If I would have waited till I was ready I would still be sad. I might even be depressed. I would definately still be overweight. With high blood pressure.

But because I jumped in, and just followed each step as I came ... I am happy!

That is why I blog. Because I have gained so much more than I ever would have expected. And I want to help others to do so. (and that is why I SO want to win the excuse comp and meet Mish. I want to say thank you. She has given me hope again)

If you are thinking about joining "when it is the right time" ... stop delaying.
Join today. You have a week to get your preseason tasks done. Join. Get your head down into the process. Trust. And just see where the process leads you.

If I could lose weight at one of the worst times of my life ... you can too! But you have to have the courage to start ...

It's all about the math.

I like math. (went to math camp 5 years in a row. I really like math.)

Numbers make sense to me. Numbers make things simple.

Today I'm breaking the numbers down so I have a plan.

The beautiful thing about weight loss is it is all about the math. No - you cannot predict the exact amount of weight you will lose in a week. Incidental exercise, temperature, hormones ... these things all play a part. But you can get a pretty good idea.

Weight loss in theory is simple. Calories in - calories out. That's it. It's all the other stuff we tie to weight loss such as our emotions, our supporters and our sabateurs that make it tricky.

But as for the math
The basal metabolic rate is basically - in laymans terms the amount of calories your body uses up in a day "just being". To calculate this go to http://www.michellebridges.com/ and click on the tools

Right now my BMR is 1517 calories. This will drop with weight loss.

Our food intake for the day is 1200 calories

To lose 1kg a week I need to have a deficit of 7000 calories a week.

That is the food I take in, minus the energy I burn x7 days must be 7000 calories.

1200- 1517 is a deficit of 317 calories a day or 2219 calories a week.

To lose 1kg a week I need to burn an additional 4781 calories.

That means I have to work.

If I have one rest day a week, I need to burn on average 797 calories a day. That is a LOT for me!

This is why weight loss tends to slow as you get slimmer. Your BMR drops as your weight drops. Which means to sustain weight loss you either need to eat less (not recommended as 1200 calories is on the low end of the scale) or move more.

I am going to have to move!

My plan
Monday - Double class. Group Power + Zumba + cardio before the first class = 1000 calories
Tuesday - tap class - 300 calories (I am going to suggest my friend and I go for a 30 min walk while we are waiting for the girls to finish ballet to burn a few extra!)
Wednesday - a run day. Aim is for 700 calories
Thursday - Double class. Group Power + Zumba + cardio before the first class = 1000 calories
Friday - run day - aim is 500 calories
Saturday - Super Saturday session - this is the big ask. If I haven't made up extra calories in the week I need to burn 1281. But it CAN be done!

This is ideal. No week is ideal. But it gives me a plan. My goal is so close I can taste it. I haven't been in the healthy weight range since I was in my very early 20s. And I am so going to be there again! I love my double class days. Which is a good thing ... since they are calorie burners.

And my job as a nurse helps too. We walk an incredible amount.

But I like to break the numbers down. It's all about the math


**** ETA ... a fall apart Thursday afternoon due to a tired girl and her needed some "chillaxing" after school has drummed home to me the importance of flexibility. Especially as I am an on call shift worker. So the new plan is - if i am not working I need to get a morning walk in EVERY day *even the "rest" day*. This should give me 200 cal a day ... 1400 a week and a LOT more flexibility in my routine!****

Kind of freaky discovery about losing weight ..

I discovered it this morning when my cute beige wedges started acting like a pair of flip flops.

I sort of suspected it for a few days ... but now I am sure.

MY FEET ARE SHRINKING!

I have a cupboard full of beautiful shoes ... and now they are getting too big!

This could be EXPENSIVE!

If you've read my blog before ... and commented...

Can I just publically say THANK YOU!

You all bless me so much! I wish I could reply to you all individually - but I haven't figured out how to do that.

But thank you for letting me share my heart, my journey ... and thank you for letting me part of your lives.

Much love!

A good run!

There is something about the cooler weather. It just makes exercise so much more fun! I started this run yesterday, and 1km in was feeling more tired than usual. Then I realised I was running faster than usual! So not only did I do my 5k ... but I picked up the pace and dropped my min/km speed a bucket too! I think this is one of my best average speeds yet! The last km was tough ... but I wanted this 5km bad. It's been a while since I did a longer run. I love it when I get a good run day ... especially when I remind myself that in September I couldnt run at all!

Am I a woman of my word??? OH YEAH!

Back before Christmas I spoke to Michelle Bridges on facebook. I promised her a 5kg loss in the "off season" of www.12wbt.com. I promised I would lose that 5kg by the time round 1 2011 starts on FEBRUARY 21!


Well today I DID it! Weigh in Wednesday brough a loss of 1.1kg~ This brings my total off season weight loss to 5.5kg!

I love that 12wbt TEACHES you so you can easily do this by yourself. It is more than a "diet" ... it is for life!

Happy scales day!

A realisation ...

Last night I was talking to some 12wbt buddies on twitter and I came to a realisation.

I am currently 10kg lighter than I was on my wedding day.

My wedding day that was 11 years ago.

And by the end of the round I WILL be 20kg lighter than my wedding day!

(and dont' feel sorry for me - I felt like a beautiful bride on my day!)

Numbers like that blow me away! 12wbt and the right attitude do work!!!

(Now - do I get to frock up and have another party when I reach my goal weight??)

Have you ever been abseiling? Ordinary to extraordinary!

Have you ever experienced that sick in your guts feeling just before you go over the edge?

You know the one ... when you are tingly with excitement, but sick in the guts scared too. When you really really want to go over the edge ... but are kinda freaking out too?

That's how I feel about going into the unknown. Whether it is starting something new (like tap) or going into a an unknown social situation (like the finale party), or pushing my limits beyond my comfort zone (like actually running)... and going beyond what I thought possible.

I really really want to. But I am scared.

And in the past the fear would win.

But on Saturday I had a great run. It wasn't a fast run or a long run ... but it felt great to be running. And this got me to thinking.

That fear ... those nerves ... that "should I go - it's not too late to drop out" feeling is the barrier that holds me back into a life of the ordinary.

But if I get the courage to take that first step over the cliff ... if I just go. If I don't let fear hold me back, or my preconceptions of what people think of me ... well there is every chance that that one little step might be the step I need to leading an extraordinary life.

Starting 12wbt was one of those moments. Of course I was scared. I have failed so many times before ... but look where it led me!!

Asking for votes on facebook was scary for me too. Because by publically asking for votes I was admitting before all my friends and family that I have a problem. And that the problem is weight. Now they already KNEW that of course - but it was scarey.

I think this is a big part of my journey this round. I am not letting fear hold me back. Right now it does. But I am taking control.

No longer am I letting fear hold me back. One way or another I am going to that finale. I am trying new things. I am putting my goals out there in front of family and friends. I am being brave. I am taking that first step over and over again.

I am going to live an extraordinary life.
And who knows ... one of these days when I take that step over the cliff ... I might even find out I can fly...




(And don't forget to VOTE! One vote every 24hrs! HERE!

How to find real food at the supermarket

With thanks to summertomato.com and their permission to share on blogs!
This rocks!

Could be renamed a 12wbt er's guide to the supermarket!

(click to enlarge!)

Love this lunch!

One of my fave 12 wbt meals!



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