Blogger Challenge week 7 - Motivation

Here we go Week 7, thanks to Whirlsie

Why did you join the 12WBT?
 I joined 12wbt to lose weight. I joined 12wbt to learn how to look after myself properly (that's really a sad thing to admit). I would never let my kids eat half the crap I used to, so if I looked after my kids so well, why couldn't I look after myself too? Well clearly I couldn't but I feel like I am learning to now.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?
I guess the most obvious one is the weight loss.
Flexing that dreaded willpower muscle, it's a daily struggle but I'm getting better at it.
Running - before I hurt my foot I was running for 5 minutes at a time
A huge thing for me is portion control and I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of it.Mind you I still look at each recipe and think to myself, "that's not going to fill me up"....pffft famous last words! Every time without fail, I am full after each meal.
 
What have you struggled with? 
I really (REALLY) struggle with going out. It seems to be where all my hard work comes undone. I plan...well at least I think I do. I never go out hungry but as soon as I get out it's like I'm possessed, seeing all that "lovely" food or wine that I don't have at home any more and I'm a gonner (This usually ends up being classes as my cheat meal, even though I know it's over calories)

How can you overcome these issues? 
I just have to keep swimming, keep flexing that willpower muscle. One day I'm going to be able to say no!

There's no stopping me now.

LJx

Blogger Challenge week 6

  Wow the half way mark

! What an adventures it's been. My gorgeous hubby and I were discussing only last night about how I haven't given up, cause usually by the 6 week mark of any previous diet I was well and truly back to my evil ways. Not this time though....So here we go, questions from Whirlsie

 

1. What adjustments have you had to make to your exercise regime over the last 6 weeks? 

Well up until I injured my foot a few weeks ago, I'd been exercising 6 times a week from exercising 0 times a week. Between week 1 and week 4 I took a minute off my 1km time trial. I am itching to get back to the regular cardio exercise, I can't wait to start running again. Currently pretty much all I can do is weights, toning and swimming. I haven't been exercising all 6 days since my injury, I do about 3 a week...I know weights are good but I still have a stigma in my head that I'll still be this size with lots of muscle tone and I don't want that.

2. What have you changed in regards to your food intake? 

This is what has changed the most for me, I eat clean now! I was really naughty the other day..I had a sausage roll....OMG I felt so sick afterwards, it was revolting. I am so impressed with the way food that used to be my staple is now just utterly revolting to me.

I follow Mish's meal plan about 95% I will try everything once and if I don't really like it then I'll substitute it for another one of Mish's recipes.

3. What is the difference in your mindset?  

I'm definitely more confident. I don't feel so embarrassed about being out in public. I'm starting to like the way I look again (which can also be a danger for me - more about that in another blog). The food isn't a issue, this is the way I'm eating end of conversation. I still have blow outs, but instead of giving up after each blow out and going into a food coma, now I just get over it and head back to my clean food. I was doing so well with my exercise too, but alas...I may have to concentrate on my exercise in round 2 or 3 (haven't decided which I'll be doing yet)

A huge thing that happened in my mindset only in the past few days is I realised that I probably won't reach my goal this round, initially I was upset with myself for not trying harder, but ..hey...now I don't really mind, cause I know I'll reach it soon after the round finishes and I am now focusing on how far I've come, instead of how far I have to go.

LJx

 

The photo that broke my heart

I was searching through some photo's the other night and I came across the pictures from my 3rd son's christening which was in August last year. I haven't looked at this photo's for a long time and I remembered why...These photo's broke my heart. I hadn't realised how bad my weight had got until I saw these photo's..In my mind I looked fantastic, but the lens doesn't lie.
I'm sharing with you guys because you are so amazingly supportive, and well, lets face it, we're all here for the same reason

This was taken on the 21st August 2011. I weighed 116kg...OMG how did I let myself get so bad???

I'd often hear people talk about THAT moment, the one thing that happened that made them commit to losing weight properly. This photo was my moment, well I thought it was. I joined Weight Watchers after this photo and I half heartedly lost 5kg's by Christmas. I really wanted to join round 3 of 12wbt but talked myself out of it.

I'm so glad I talked myself into 12wbt because...............

This was taken today, I now weigh 98kg. I still have a long way to go but it's really made me realise how far I've come. I love going to the forum post that has the before and after pic's, it's so inspirational and motivating. It's the first place I go when I'm having a bad day.

And my last photo for today.....Meet my new training buddy

I've decided to call him Bertie, we're going to be together for the next 6 weeks. I'm so annoyed and P&%#ed off. But there's nothing I can do about it. I've created my own little circuit of exercises that I can do. I really don't want to lose the level of fitness I've achieved. I'm going to brave a swimming costume and head to the pool for some laps as well.
I remember the day when an injury would have seen me grab a bowl of chips and a bottle of wine and park myself on the couch. But I don't ever, EVER want to be that top picture again.

and lastly before I sign off and do my uni assignments (which is what I really should be doing, not blogging). A huge, massive THANK YOU to everyone to reads this, who comments, who is on the forum, who is on facebook or twitter. The support is amazing and I believe a reason why so many succeed.

Happy rest of week 6 xx

Blogger challenge - week 5

So, what does being healthy mean to YOU?  What is it that has made you start this journey into being a healthier you?

Hmmm what does being healthy mean to me???To be honest, I'm really not sure. I guess it means setting a good example for my kiddies. It's recently occurred to me that my boys are taking after my lazy example. I don't want that for my kids, I want them to be healthy, to exercise, to enjoy the outdoors.

I don't want to die young. That's probably the most alarming thing I think of when I over eat or over drink. I want to be one of those gorgeous oldies you see going for a jog at the crack of dawn, I don't want to be a unhealthy old duck. I want to be fit and fabulous well into my twilight years.

x  

Squeeeeeeeeeee

Those double digits have finally arrived!

I was really nervous about weigh in this week, due to a very bad weekend. A weekend where all the good work I'd done strengthening my will power muscle, was put to shame. But also a weekend, that made me re-commit to 12wbt (not that I'd stopped committing, I just was getting a bit silly on the weekends).

I also had a bit of a suck it up princess moment over the weekend. I was really disappointed with my 3.6kg weight loss since the official start of round 1. How ridiculous! 3.6kg is awesome plus add the 7kg in pre-season. Plus add the 1.6kg loss today, that's a grand total of 12.2kg is 9 weeks....NOW that's perspective! I often need to give myself a good kick up the back side.

I still haven't been to the doc, but my foot is feeling good today. I've completely modified my exercise, lots of walking and I'm looking forward to when I can run again.

Goals have been revisited and modified and I'm excited and determined and ready for the rest of week 5 and beyond!!!

Happy Wednesday weigh in everyone x

PS - Guess I better book in my pedi (my reward for 10kg loss/double digits)

Mini Milestone

Sadly this weekend I didn't do any mini milestone due to a injury. But today I inadvertently achieved what I consider to be a mini milestone.

I pick my boys up from school every day and because I have a big 7 seater people mover, I tend to park where it's easy for me to manoeuvre my car. This usually means parking quite a distance from the school gate and once I get to the school gate I have to walk up the hill to get to my son's class room. This is a trek I do daily, on my own it's easy peasy, but 9 out of 10 times I also have my baby boy with me and I struggle to make this trek every day...it hurts! I get back to my car and sometimes I just want to cry I'm in that much pain from carrying my 10kg+ little man all that way....BUT today..... 
IT DIDN'T HURT!!!

I'm still a little stunned and uber proud that in four weeks (well eight weeks actually). That trek up to the school and back which I had come to dread, actually didn't hurt, it felt great. I got back to my car and it dawned on me that maybe in spite of everything that I had managed to achieve a mini milestone.

Update on my foot - I've had an X-ray, but I still haven't been back to my doc. I did my fitness test on Friday and I couldn't walk for 2 days after so that was a bit silly of me. I'm so bummed about hurting my foot, I was really enjoying running, but I'll just have to re-assess my goals. I went for a walk this morning (it hurt) but it was really nice and I actually burnt more calories than I've ever done in one session....WooHoo, I hit that 500 calorie mark.

I'm dreading weigh in this week. This was the week I was hoping to hit double digits, but after a weekend of indulgence (I need to learn to say NO) at this stage I will be over the moon if I don't put any weight on.

x

Happy...Sad...Cranky....I don't know

I should be happy, but I'm not. I don't know why I'm not happy. Well I kinda do.
As of today I've lost 10.6kg's in total since the beginning of pre-season. Why the heck aren't I jumping for joy?

A frustratingly small loss of 800g today see's me still in the triple digit's. I was really hoping this would be the week for double digits.
But I'm going to have my little sooky la la moment and move on, (hoping this moment won't take all day). I've been assessing why I'm feeling this way and a number of things have led up to it.
I've hurt my foot (I've self-diagnosed a stress fracture). I'm off to the doc today, but I'm so scared that she'll tell me "No more running". I can't help feel really cranky and sad about this. Cranky at myself and sad that if I have done some damage, then it's Good-bye Fun Runs.

I had words with my sister on the weekend, not really words but she really left me feeling down. My sister is one of those genetically bless human beings. Getting a compliment out of her is like drawing blood from a stone. I was sharing with her how well I was doing and how I was worried that my foot was going to hinder my progress and all of a sudden she started snapping at me that there were other things I could do besides running. I could swim or bike ride....UM YES  I know, I was just sharing. There was no focus on the positive for her and it was all quite nasty, like she's waiting for me to give up. I chose not to tell my mother about 12wbt as she has her own weight struggles and is extremely negative, my sister is really hard on her. So I told my sister instead thinking she'd be a more positive influence, but now I find her treating me like she treats our Mum. My mindset is in the right place. Yes I have my down days (like today) but essentially I'm here, I'm losing weight, I'm shrinking, I'm learning new stuff and I'm loving it all.
I think I am realising my sister is also a negative influence just in a different way to my mother. I think I'll start excluding her from my milestones, cause she doesn't make me feel good about myself. Complete strangers are more supportive than her.

I got an email yesterday from another Mum at school, telling me she saw me dropping off my boys and she was blown away by how good I was looking.....THIS is what I should be focusing on. Not the neigh sayers!

So I'm going to drag myself off to the doc today and I'm going to prepare myself for whatever the news is and I'm just going to have to deal with it, whatever it is

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Wednesday Weigh in xx

PS - Almost forgot, I've lost 12cm off my waist in 4 weeks...YAY

Blogger Challenge Week 3

Rewarding Myself....

Wow hadn’t really thought about this one. Being a Mum, it’s not often I think about what to give myself. Sure there’s heaps of things I want but I always manage to put them off.

I guess if I really had to think about what I will reward myself with for losing weight, I really need a pedicure and I feel that will be my first reward. A pedicure will be my reward for hitting double digit’s (which also co-incides with losing 10kg – well 11.6kg to be exact). 

I really also need a haircut...I’m currently in that post euphoric phase of losing my hair after child birth, but this one’s a tricky one I’d also really like to wait to just before finale to get my hair done so it looks all pretty for finale. So that may be my end of 12wbt reward.

I’m sure I will throw in a few shows as rewards too. Currently I really want to see Love Never Dies and I know A Chorus Line will hit Sydney in July...

Physical rewards – I currently have a love/hate relationship with Tricep push-ups, in that I love to hate them. I would love to be able to do 10 of them by the end of the round.

I am looking forward to my two fun runs that I have planned, I kind of look on them as a reward. A reward for my hard work, a reward for learning to run, a reward for changing my lifestyle.

I guess also my biggest reward (and this is one of my goals also) is to have my wedding and engagement ring fit me again. THAT is my biggest reward and I can’t wait till that happens.