Red Flag Days

I have been drinking numerous cups of herbal tea in this cold weather, but I really want to make a concentrated effort on drinking more water.  I probably drink about a litre of cold water a day, and add to that all my herbal teas, I would drink in excess of 2+ litres a day.  In Summer it is just so much easier to drink cold water!  I haven't had a soft drink in over 6 weeks now, and I don't miss it one little bit!

We have a couple of "red flag" (as Michelle Bridges calls them) occasions this weekend.  Tonight we have a Trivia Night & tomorrow one of my best friend's 40th Birthday parties.  Tonight will be fine as it is BYO food, so I will be bringing a plate of low fat dips and salsa with celery, carrot & capsicum sticks.  Also might throw in a few rice crackers.  If we stick that plate of nibbles in front of us, we should be set for the night.
Tomorrow night, there will be finger food, and I'll be steering clear of it.  Was thinking I might have a couple of vodka & sodas or a glass of red wine to celebrate my friend's birthday, but that's all.  Not feeling worried about either night, and I really feel in control of where I am right now in this journey.  From reading the 12wbt forums, I know a lot of people have "fallen off the wagon" or binged & struggled, but I must say I am obviously "in the zone" at the moment, because I am just not interested in crap food and I am liking this feeling!

Hubby has been receiving comments left, right & centre about how great he is looking & how much weight he has lost.  Although  I am immensely proud of him & the 15+ kgs he has lost so far,  I must admit I felt a little down trodden that no one had noticed my weight loss.  Then on Monday my 5 year old's kinder teacher commented that I was "disappearing"!  The next night a work colleague mentioned I was "shrinking" and then another work mate the following night asked if I had lost "a lot of weight".    It's nice to know I am not just imagining the changes in myself, and that it is actually FINALLY noticeable!!!  Just those three little comments have lifted my spirits immensely this week!

Onwards & downwards......

Happy Dance Wednesday!!!

2kgs loss for me this week.  Whoop whoop!  Just bloody well over the moon about it!!!!  11.6kgs gone in 44 days, can you believe it!??!
Still full up of this cold, but slowly improving.  The coughing has started now... Joy!!!

Loving this Michelle Bridge's program!!!

Onwards & downwards!

100 Things That Are Great About My Life & Me

I have just read a blog of a fellow 12wbt, and she was given the challenge of writing 100 things down that were great about herself & her life, so I thought I would give it a go.  You can find her blog here - Sandra's Time - My 12wbt.  I think this is going to be difficult, but here we go...

100 Things I Love About My Life (and just LIFE in general really!):

1. supportive husband Greg
2. 4 beautiful & supportive kids, Callum, Paige, Owen & Aidan
3. wonderful parents
4. extended family
5. home
6. wonderful best friends
7. health
8. improving fitness
9. history & all the bumps in the road along the way
10. great work mates
11. bike riding
12. The Ride to Conquer Cancer in October
13. the country we live in 
14. the countries I have travelled to
15. our caravan
16. the holidays we have planned in the future
17. Peter MacCallum Institute & all it is doing for my Dad
18. TV & all the crap shows I love to unwind to!
19. Ugg boots
20. Chocolate
21. Rocky Road
22. Cups of tea
23. Skinny Latte
24. Hommus
25. 12wbt & Michelle Bridges
26. sunshine
27. warm weather
28. exercising
29. the xtrainer
30. my comfy King Size bed & lots of sleep!
31. swimming
32. the beach with the kids
33. the Christmas "silly" season
34. singing Christmas carols
35. Christmas morning & the kids with their pressies!
36. music
37. Apple Inc (and the wonderful invention of iPhones, iPads, iMac, etc)
38. Thai Green Curry
39. Ice Cold Pinot Grigio
40. Ice cold beer on a hot day
41. the smell of freshly mowed grass
42. Daylight Savings!
43. Birthdays
44. parties, weddings, get togethers
45. BBQ dinners
46. books
47. Kisses from Greg
48. cuddles from my kids
49. Scrabble/Upwords
50. Movies
51. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (books & movies)
52. The Hobbit
53. Harry Potter (books & movies)
54. Gold Class movie cinemas
55. The Sun Theatre in Yarraville
56. 10 pin bowling
57. The Drive Ins in Coburg (snuggled up with the kids on bean bags)
58. hot bubble baths
59. A clean & tidy house!
60. Silence....
61. 
    

Okay, so I've only reached 60 so far, but I will have a big think about it, and add to the list!!

Sick AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm bloody well sick again!  I just can't believe it.  The only thing I can put it down to is the air-conditioning at work.  It is always cranked up too high, and we are always freezing at work.  After an 8 1/2 hour shift on Saturday, I could feel a sore throat coming on, and then after a 4 hour shift yesterday, I had a runny nose.  Today I've woken with the headache to go with it.  Joy!
Unfortunately the school holidays have finished, so gone are the lazy mornings of laying in bed til 9am, lazing in our PJs to lunch, and not having to rush around.  The house is so eerily quiet, although there is still one child here, who follows me around like a shadow when the others aren't home!
I don't have any motivation to do anything with the way I am feeling, but I will suck it up & JDI (Just friggin do it!).  Not sure what yet, but I will do it!
Onwards & downwards, sore throat & all......

Sunday Motivation.....

Nachos..... Yum!

One of my favourite dinners yet on the 12wbt....... Healthy nachos!!!  Delicious!

Day 39... 10.5kgs of Ugly Fat Gone!!

Last weekday of the school holidays, and was out & about with the 3 boys today whilst my daughter was at ballet, when alarm bells rang.  I had forgotten to pack my lunch!!!  My daughter has had ballet smack bang in the middle of the day Monday to Friday this week, and the last 4 days I have been super organised & had my Thermos of soup or Shepherd's Pie packed, with fruit & water.  But today in all the chaos of getting us organised & out the door on time, I forgot to pack lunch!!! ARGGHHH!!!
Luckily, my favourite cafe always has soup on the menu & today they had a chicken broth with veggies & dill - absolutely PERFECT!!!!  The accompanying dinner roll with butter I gave to the boys. And I enjoyed a nice skinny latte as well.

Chicken broth with veg & dill - YUM!

Still no sign of TTOM, although I have all the tummy pains & symptoms, just wish it would hurry up!!!  Weigh in this morning has me at 115.3kgs - that's a TOTAL loss of 10.5kgs in 39 days.  I am just over the moon about it!!

10.5kgs gone - yeah baby!!!

We also have just purchased our tickets to the 12wbt Finale party in Perth!  Can't believe we are actually doing this!!!  Now all we need is a babysitter... eeek!!!

Onwards & downwards......

It's Hump Week!!!

37 days in and I have lost a total of 9.6kgs!!!  How bloody amazing is that?!?!  A 900gms loss this week, which I must admit I am disappointed in - I didn't lose that kilo that I gained overnight.  I weighed in at 116.2kgs, with a bloated tummy, just waiting for TTOM to arrive!  BUT, I have to look on the bright side, I will have a rocking weight loss next week!!!

It's still school holidays, and I must admit, I do still have the motivation & the WANT to exercise, but it is so difficult with 4 kids home 24/7.  I love having my babies home (even with all the fighting and yelling that goes on), but I am looking forward to getting back into a routine next week & I'm going to pump up the exercise an extra notch.  We're nearly halfway through this program, and I can still lose 10.4kgs to get to the goal I had set in this round, which was 20kgs!  I CAN do it!  I WILL do it!!!

Have also added my 12wbt ticker to the top of my page. The top one is my overall weightloss, the bottom one is my 12wbt weightloss since 4th June.

Onwards & downwards......

Live Like Someone Left the Gate Open!

Saw this on FB and had to share!!!!  Beautiful!

Well, today I weighing in a kilo heavier than Saturday's weight.  Panic immediately set in!  What have I done wrong?  Could the wine really have caused that huge a gain when I have been super good with everything else I have done for 5 weeks?  However, that old uncomfortable bloated niggling  in my tummy reminded me... TTOM is due any minute.  Phew.....

Wise Words......

A Mini Mindset Breakthrough

We decided to enjoy a few wines last night.  So much for my Dry July!!!  It's not something that we will regularly do, but it was treat night, and we still had spare calories, so we thought we'd share a few wines.   After working 8 1/2 hours yesterday, I relaxed in the bath once the kids were in bed & just really felt like a wine!

I must say, the first mouthful tasted like absolute shite!  How did I become unaccustomed to drinking wine so quickly?!?!?!  Anyway, by the middle of the second glass of wine, a feeling of utter starvation came over me.  I was like a wild beast!!!  I scoured the cupboards and retreated back to the couch with a few VitaWheat crackers.  Yep, that gave me the crunch that potato chips usually would, with minimal calories.  BUT I wasn't satisfied.  I settled for a Skinny Cow toffee ice-cream.  Only just over 100 calories & my usual treat on a Saturday night.  BUT I still wasn't satisfied!!

Now earlier in the day, my parents had called in armed with a box of chocolates & a box of rocky road.  I nearly died when I got home from work & saw them sitting on the kitchen bench!  I immediately opened the chocolates & let the kids loose on them.  The rocky road I put in the cupboard for another day.

Well, I sat on the couch with my wine, having eaten the crackers & ice cream, and I think I must have wrestled in my mind for about an hour the fact that I wanted to eat that rocky road.  I even picked up the box to look at the calories - 7 serves in the box at 500 calories per serve!!!!!  WTF!!!!  But in my head, I was justifying that I could still eat a serve.  Or perhaps I should eat the whole box & make myself so sick that I would never be tempted again!!!!  I think if hubby hadn't been there with me, and been my voice of reason I would have eaten it.  Instead I had a Freddo Frog.

A while later, I drank a bottle of water, and went to bed.  It wasn't until then that I realised I wasn't hungry at all.  There is something that wine does to me, that makes me think I am famished & need to eat.  It is always like this!  It always has been like this!  And it is the reason I gained 20kgs over the last year.

I remember reading an article that Jillian Michaels (from the American Biggest Loser) wrote in one of her newsletters last year.  It was about something in alcohol that triggers this need in females to have to eat.  Have googled to try & find the article to post on here, but can't locate it.  I did find this interesting video though......

Alcohol is the devil for belly fat from jillian michaels

Anyway, just felt like I had a breakthrough last night & wanted to share.  Just another reason I am glad to be off the wine & it reinforces what a great job I am doing with the 12wbt.   As for the rocky road, we are visiting family today & I will be taking it with us, and leaving it there!!!!

Some of the meals I've had this week.....

Buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit salad & yoghurt.

Home made fruit salad & yoghurt.  YUM!

Still loving all the recipes we are supplied with on the 12wbt.  Delicious choices we are given. This week's menu is definitely Asian themed - YUM!!!  Can't wait to try out some of the new recipes!

The sad & sorry salad I had at Maccas the other day.  Only 40 or so calories, but a poor excuse for a salad!

Whilst having lunch with the kids at McDonalds on Friday, and munching on the above sorrowful salad, my daughter asked me (whilst scoffing down a cheese burger!!!) if I missed eating McDonalds.  "Nope, not at all" I replied.  And it was true!  I don't miss eating that crap.  I like thinking of what I am putting into my body as fuel.

Beef fajita with capsicum & onion - delicious!!!!

And, my weight this morning... whoo hoooo... those scales just keep moving in the right direction!!!

1.5kgs gone this week already!  Yippee!

Onwards & downwards... BRING IT ON BIATCHES!!!!!!

Bring It On!!!!

Back in May, a local newspaper did a story on hubby and I about our fundraising for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  Of course they wanted photos of us with our bikes, but there was NO WAY I was going to get into bike shorts in a photo in the paper.  I was embarrassed enough that my big fat mug was going on display for all to see!

The Page 2 Article

To my absolute shock & horror, our picture & story appeared on bloody PAGE TWO!!!  Oh, the embarrassment when I received text messages from friends, when the Kinder teachers mentioned the article, when I walked into my work & the article was plastered up on the wall!!!!

One of the pictures I bought from the newspaper

I just received this picture above from the newspaper today.  We both look so puffy & tired, and I just can't believe that was us 6 weeks ago!  Thinking back to the embarrassment of the article in the paper, all I was thinking was that I didn't want anyone seeing how huge I am.  What way is that to live my life?  I should have been thankful that the paper was promoting Peter Mac, and the Ride to Conquer Cancer.   And all I could worry about was what people would say.  How very sad.

But, I am on to a new chapter in my life, and am just so grateful to Michelle Bridges and her program.  I am loving life!  I am living life!  This is how it should always have been!!!  I just cannot wait for what the future holds for me, my husband & our family.  BRING IT ON!!!

How Many Sleeps?

There is a HUGE couple of months coming up in my life, and I am getting so excited & anxious about them.  Have just worked out how many sleeps...

• 65 sleeps til we go to Perth for the 12wbt Finale

• 70 sleeps until my 40th Birthday!!

• 97 sleeps until we go on our Bali holiday (child free!)

• 115 sleeps until the 200km The Ride to Conquer Cancer Bike Ride

So excited that I will be taking these all on with less weight, a new look on life & hubby who is sharing this fantastic journey with me!!!

BRING IT ON!!!

Day 30...

WOW!!!  It is now exactly 30 days since we started this journey.  And weigh this morning was a loss of 2.1kgs!  Can I hear a whoop whoop?!?!?  Just absolutely amazed that I have lost a total of 8.7kgs in 30 days.  6.9% of my body weight!  And I am feeling bloody fantastic!!!  Why hadn't I stumbled onto "clean" eating before?

Quite amazingly, this clean eating has reduced our rubbish!  We usually have 2 full bins to put out on rubbish collection day, but now we only have one!  Isn't that interesting?  Less packaged food being eaten in this house, and it is having a positive effect on the environment as well!

Onwards & downwards.......

Sick :(

Came down with a cold really quickly.  Hit me like a ton of bricks on Saturday at work, then Sunday I lost my voice.  Didn't deter me from exercising & eating well though.  Saturday we had our PT session at 6.30am (loving our PT!!), and then I went for a short bike ride.  It was supposed to be a big bike ride, but I had my bike in for a service, and due to the bike shop owner being sick, he closed the shop & I couldn't pick the bloody thing up!!!  Yeah, thanks mate!  Borrowed a friend's bike, but it just wasn't happening!  Uncomfortable indeed.  Sunday was pouring with rain, so I walked laps of our underground carpark at work.  Although I didn't feel up to doing the stairs that I usually do, I was proud that I did at least walk for half an hour.
Hubby stayed home from work today to give me rest & look after the kids (it's school holidays).  I had a big sleep in and I've woken feeling so much better. I wonder if I got over this really quickly because of the excellent fuel I am currently running my body on?  Food for thought!
Speaking of food for thought, here are some of the delicious meals we've been having on the 12wbt.... nom nom nom.....

Tuna Niscoise Salad

Scrambled eggs & salad

Chicken & broccolini Laksa

Chicken Rice Paper Rolls

I think I forgot to mention that hubby's blog was one of the Top 10 inspirational blogs in a 12wbt competition.  He won a skincare gift pack, and a teapot & tea gift set.  How nice of him to win a couple of prizes for ME! haha!  So proud of him & his achievements in the last 4 weeks.  I am loving where this 12wbt is taking us as a couple!

My weight this morning - PLEASE LORD let it be this or LESS than this come Wednesday morning!!!  Whoop Whoop!!!

Stumbled across this hilarious post on a blog I read.... all parents (or parents to be) need to check this out for a chuckle..... Ten Things I Want to Tell New Parents

The Biggest Reason for Doing This.....

Monday night we have weekly swimming lessons for the kids.  My eldest has stopped his lessons as he is a terrific and competent swimmer.  We were sitting side by side on the wooden benches, watching the little two have their lessons (daughter was in the other pool behind us), and he reached down & patted my leg and said "Mum, I am very proud of you and all you're doing to lose weight & to get fit & healthy".   Just a flippant comment, out of the blue.  I nearly burst out sobbing there & then.  THIS is the reason I need to do this.  These kids are my everything, and they should have a mum they are proud of, and who can set them the best example of how to live a healthy life.

Just received a message from a friend, who had stumbled across this blog (via my husband's blog).  My first thought was of panic.  Shit, she knows how much I weigh!  And OMG she knows all my failures & has seen my fat photos!  Argggghhhh.  I raced to hubby's blog to find out where the link was, but then I thought.... SO WHAT?!!?  I'm not going to be this fat ever again.  I have made the decision to FINALLY put an end to all the excuses.  I like where hubby and I are heading together, and I should not be embarrassed by my journey to my ultimate goal.  So, this is me.  I weigh 117.7kgs (as of this morning), and I am not going to stop until I get to 65kgs!  Bring it on!!!!

The Demon Called Self Doubt!

Well, had a very deflated day yesterday, and went for a long bike ride, and during it, I had lots of time to think.  Self doubt starting creeping back in!  I can't do this 12wbt - I'm not losing enough weight.  I can't do the exercise every day - I don't have time.  I can't do the 200km bike ride in October - I am not fast enough & I have sore knees.  Self doubt?  Or excuses????  The self doubt thankfully didn't lead to any self sabotage, which is what it would have led to in the past!  I am committed 100% to my clean food intake in this 12wbt, and am not tempted by foods (although the potato chips the kids snacked on yesterday afternoon smelt SOOO good!).
And yes, potato chips.  I am not going to deprive my kids of treats.  Just because we aren't eating crap, doesn't mean the kids can't have an occasional treat.  They are great healthy eaters, and I am happy with their diets!

I caught up for a chit chat with girlfriends last night, and on the table were bowls of lollies, chocolate, chips, dip & bikkies, but I stayed strong! And today I have woken with a new attitude, no more self doubt.  My day was made even brighter with my weight on the scales - 118.1kgs, a drop of 1.1kgs overnight.  Oh, why does it always happen a day later!??!?!

Anyway, in regards my self doubt, I am going to battle with these thoughts & win....

• I can do this 12wbt - as of today I've lost 7.7kgs in 24 days!  That's amazing!!!
• I can do the exercise EVERY day!  I have time, I just have to MAKE it!!!
• I can do the 200km bike ride in October.  I just have to train harder & more often.  And even if it takes me 10 hours a day to ride it,  I will DO it.  It is nothing in comparison what people battling cancer are going through!

I am sure self doubt will rear its ugly head often through this journey, but as long as it doesn't lead to sabotage, I will be fine.  I can battle it & win out, and kick major goals.  I also have the unwavering support of my husband & best friend, who are both doing AMAZING on this as well, and who are both doing the bike ride with me in October!  

Onwards & downwards......

WTF!?!?!?

Yep, just checked my blog, as I am sure I posted a pic the other day showing the scales at 119kgs!  And then a couple of days later they were 118.4kgs.  But TODAY, which is weigh in day, they are 119.2kgs.  WTF!?!?!  A 300gm loss for the week!  I have kept to the plan, I have been exercising!  Where did I go wrong!?!?!?  The only thing I could think of that wasn't 100% was that I didn't drink much water yesterday, but surely that wouldn't lead to a gain.
Okay, rant over.  As a friend has said, it's a loss, and it all goes toward the end result in the grand scheme of things.  Just have to keep positive & keep slogging away at it, and I will get there.
Did my measurements last night & have lost 24cm overall, so that is something positive this week I guess.
I will NOT be disheartened, I will NOT be disheartened!

Monday Funny!

Saw this on Facebook and had to share!  Love it!!!

Ouch!!!

Our PT sessions we have organised are at 6.30am on Saturday mornings.  Nice and handy for us, as it is convenient that the 4 kids are still in bed, and the older ones look after the younger ones when they wake, until we can come inside from the garage.  And I really like the Personal Trainer Dee.  She's no nonsense & says it how it is!
Our first week was just a fitness test that will be revisited every 6 weeks.  This week, we did boxing.  All I can say this morning, a day later, is OUCH!!  It even hurts typing this post!!!
BUT I love it!  I absolutely loved boxing classes when I did them all those years ago, and we're talking about 20 year ago, and yesterday I absolutely loved it too.  There is something about smashing my fist into something that I get absolute pleasure out of!!  I wish I could do it every day.  Hubby and I are going to look into buying some gloves & pads, and doing some boxing ourselves.  Bring it on!!!

My Inspiration Board....

Last week we were set the task on the 12wbt to create an inspiration board.  And here is mine.....

It contains the following:

• Hubby - who is in this with me, and who I love dearly.  I want to look good & feel sexy for him.  We are also doing the Cancer bike ride in October, and I don't want to let him down by being slow & unfit on the ride!
• My 4 kids - I want to be the best version of myself for them, and be a great role model for them as they grow up.  Especially my daughter, as I don't want her to follow in my footsteps of weight battles.
• Clothes - I want to be able to wear gorgeous dresses when we go out & feel comfortable in jeans, and wear a nice tankini on holidays, and not feel like everyone is looking at me, the fat one!
• Fat photos - I will NEVER look like this again!
• Inspirational messages - these keep me in line & remind me why I am doing this!
• Boxing gloves & runners - The "tools" we are using.  We've bought new runners, and we've hired our own PT for Saturday morning sessions in our garage.  We've also bought a new weight station & of course, my trusty xtrainer is a getting a work out too
• Wine - Oh how I miss my white wine in the evenings.  But we are going cold turkey on the wine for 12 weeks to keep ourselves 100% focussed and on task.
• Bali - We're going on a child free holiday in October, and I want to feel fantastic and comfortable with myself.  Also going back in March 2013, and I've promised to take the kids to WaterBom park, and I want to get on those waterslides with my kids!!!!!

The Hunger Games

Well, not exactly fun & games, but I have been feeling hungry the last 2 1/2 weeks eating only 1200 calories.  Looking back, I must have been consuming about 3000-4000 calories a day when not being careful with what I ate!!!  I could easily do 1200 calories on coffees in a day!!!!
For lunch, I now eat a wrap or a sandwich, yes, just one single wrap or sandwich. I would always eat 2 sandwiches at least!  When I dish up dinner, I look forlornly at the huge pile of food on my 11 year old's plate, and then at my own bare plate.  BUT, the strange thing is, I am beginning to like the feeling I have of hunger.  Now, don't get me wrong, it's not ravenous hunger.  When I feel like that, I have an early lunch, or a snack to tide me over to my next meal.  It's hard to explain.  For instance, I have just had a cup of green tea, a bowl of muesli & yoghurt with Skinny Milk, and I still have a feeling of hunger - like I could eat another 2 bowls of it!  So, really I have had enough to satisfy myself, but I still have a little niggling feeling of hunger.  Does that make sense?  Anyway, it is this feeling that I am learning to love.  It's like I know I am doing something right.  Strange, but I'll run with it.

Last Monday, under 120kgs!  Whoot Whoot!

Today, weighing in at 119kgs!  

Yes, I know I shouldn't weigh in every day (or at night, or after a shower, or after a wee, or after exercising), but I just can't help it....  "My name is Julie & I am a serial weigher"!  I find it helps to keep me on track.  If I see the scales not moving, I know I have to up the anti a bit.  And if the scales ARE moving, then I know I'm on the right track.
Monday I did a happy dance when I finally weighed in at under 120kgs!  Whoot Whoot!  Yes, I know that feeling, and have been there before (*sigh*), but I swear I will never be back there again!
By the end of this 12wbt, I plan on being under 110kgs.  9kgs to go in 9 weeks & I am going to SMASH it!!!  And of course, there is my ultimate goal of being in double digits!  I just cannot imagine how great that would feel.  I was right there last year before we went to Bali in March, before everything became unravelled - I think I weighed in that week at about 100.3kgs!  Oh, how I am desperate for this!
Hubby is still on a hot roll with his weightloss too, and he's even started his own blog.  He hasn't ceased to amaze me in the last couple of weeks!!!
Check out his blog here....    20 Years of Living in the Dark

Onwards & downwards.....

Grumpy Pants!!

Geez, I am SOOOO bloody grumpy!!  And the poor kids have copped the brunt of it today!  I don't know what is wrong with me, but I am just sooooooo tired, and I could've just lay down anytime today for a big sleep.
Michelle Bridges had a live feed on her website last night & she was answering questions from the 12wbt members.  She mentioned that Week 3 is generally the time when you feel a slump coming on, and boy, was she right!  I just feel so lazy.  And all I want to do is eat!  Of course, I am still exercising, even when I would prefer to be laying about on the couch in my pjs & Ugg boots!!!  Speaking of which, just got my first pair of Ugg boots this week, and can I just say "WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME HOW COMFY THEY ARE"????  I do have to confess, I did wear them once to Kinder pick up, and I think I will be wearing them a few times over the next few very cold winter weeks to work!!!!  I am going to ignore the thought that only bogans wear Ugg boots!  I just love them, and wish I had of bought another pair in a different colour (mine are chocolate).
Anyway, I digress!  Even though I want to be lazing about, I am living by the saying hubby and I use frequently - "NO EXCUSES"  and Michelle's saying "JFDI" (Just F^&^%^ Do It).   It's tough, but I think of how I want to look and feel, and it helps to spur me on.  My eating has been brilliant too - clean & simple, and I am feeling wonderful for it.
Onwards & downwards......

Man Vs Woman

Well, we're into week 3 now of the 12wbt, and hubby and I are still going great guns.  But I thought I'd take a minute to write about the frustrations of men losing weight and women losing weight.
TTOM (That Time of Month) arrived for me last night, and then with my sneaky daily weigh in, it showed a gain of 200gms overnight as well.  How frustrating is it for us women, that once a month we must be heavier because of TTOM!!  ARRGGHHH I could scream.  Of course, before TTOM we have to go through the emotional hormonal roller coaster  - last night I bit off hubby's head & spat it out just because I was tired & grumpy & didn't get to sit down on the couch until 9.30pm!!!   And then the hormonal "need" to eat as much crap as possible.  Thankfully, I am well on track with my eating, so when I noticed my increased hunger in the last few days, I made good choices.   For instance, I had 2 wraps yesterday instead of one, but I had the extra calories cause I was only having pumpkin soup for dinner.
But of course, the husband is going great guns.  He even did a boxing class last night at a local gym.  So very proud of him, but also a bit in awe, as I have never known him to want to exercise or be fit since we have known each other.  So glad he had his lightbulb moment.  For his sake & for mine - it makes it so much easier for me when he is focussed & on track!
And of course, my best friend is also on this journey & going great guns.  So proud of her too.  I know how hard it is to be a working Mum & stay on track, but she is a machine when she puts her mind to something!
Something that I thought about last night whilst doing the laundry (at 10.30pm!!!!) in my foul premenstrual mood.  Michelle Bridges, in the week 1 of the 12wbt, said that there is no excuse to not exercise.  If the previous Prime Minister of Australia could make time to exercise each morning, then surely we could.
Well, I am sure the PM didn't have to do his own washing, and that of 5 other family members!  I am sure he didn't have to prepare any meals, let alone that of a family of 6.  I am sure he didn't have to run around after 4 kids, with school, kinder, ballet, footy, swimming, art class, parties, sleepovers, etc.  And throw in 20+ hours of evening & weekend shifts at work!
Yes, he had a country to run, but he had numerous people to help him!!!!!  Grrrrrrrrr!!! Ahhh, how much better I feel having got that off my chest!!!
Onwards & downwards.....

12wbt Second Weigh In

Second weigh in today for the 12wbt & over the moon to report a loss of 3.4kgs. I have now lost 5.1kgs since starting this program 9 days ago!  It's just amazing!  And all I can say is "Why didn't anyone tell me about this program sooner"????  The hubby has dropped a total of 6kgs as well, so together, we are firing!
That's not to say the last 9 days have been smooth sailing.  As per my last post, there were a couple of nights when tears were shed, and a couple of times I've been so exhausted I've bitten hubby's head off.  I hate cooking at the best of times, and I just seem to always be in the kitchen!!  Of course, you don't have to follow the nutrition plan to the T, but it was something we both decided together we would do, and we've made the menu plan accommodate our family of six.
However, all in all, it's been a great experience so far.  It takes a lot more planning than I am used to, but the menu is such a variety, that it hasn't caused me to want for anything yet.  And although I am very tired and it seems that every inch of my body aches,  I am loving the feeling of it.
And it's helped me change my mindset.  There are no excuses anymore.  I am exercising every day whether I like it or not!
Today is the only day of the week I get 3 hours to myself whilst the youngest is at Kinder, but I still got on the bike for an hour & went for a ride.  The thought of lying on the couch with a cup of green tea watching some crap TV was definitely something I preferred to do, but I made sure I got out & just friggin did it!  And I feel so much better for it now!
Onwards & downwards.... Loving this!!!

Week 2 of 12wbt

Wow!  What a week!  Round 2 of Michelle Bridges' 12wbt (12 Week Body Transformation) started last Monday 4th June, coincidentally, Owen's 5th Birthday!  Hubby and I were as anxious as ever, and keen to get started.  The Thursday before, our menu plans & exercise plans for the week were released, as well as a shopping list for everything we would need.  We were set!  Had to make a few adjustments to accommodate cooking for the family, as the menu & shopping list only serves two, but otherwise, we were ready to go!!
When Monday arrived, we both were keen as mustard & had engines roaring.  We took photos of ourselves in our underwear.  And we weighed in - I weighed in at a hefty 125.8kgs.  I'm not yet game enough to post my underwear shots on here, but I am sure I will at a later date when I have updated photos to compare them to.

Turkey Mountain bread wrap

Beef Fajita

Apple tart with low fat ice-cream

 The food on this plan is sensational, and our kids have really loved it too.  This last week for dinner, we have had such meals as Vietnamese Beef noodle soup, Penang Chicken, beef fajita, cajun chicken, lamb cutlets, Mexican Shepherds Pie & crumbed fish.  All absolutely delish!!!  The brekkies & lunches have been just as superb, and it has been relatively easy to stick to the 1200cals a day with the menu like this.  There were a couple of days were I felt really hungry, but they've passed, and I've also come to realise that those times I felt starving were time where I was at home & bored & looking for something (other than housework) to fill my time, so obviously boredom has played a bit of a part in that.
Now, the exercise.  Let me just say, there were a couple of days of tears earlier on in the week.  On this plan, for someone like me who weighs over 100kgs, we are supposed to burn 500+ calories a day & 1000+ calories on our Super Saturday Session (known as SSS).  On the very first day, it took me well over 2 hours to burn 500 calories.  It was 10pm at night & I broke down.  There was no way I could sustain a program like this!!  Where was I going to find the time in my busy schedule with work & looking after 4 children to exercise for 2 hours a day, and then 4 hours on a Saturday?!?!!  Just impossible!  On Tuesday I exercised for over an hour & only burnt 320 calories, Wednesday I didn't manage it again, and yet again more late night tears were shed.
Until I came to the realisation, I am exercising every day for at least an hour.  I am moving my arse & sticking to the food plan perfectly.  The scales are moving in the right direction, so obviously I am doing something right!?!!?  Stuff the 500cals for the moment.  I will give my all for an hour of my day, regardless of the calories (although I am still wearing my Heart Rate Monitor just to keep track!).  It was like the cloudy skies parted & the sun shone through!  Alleluia!
Anyway, exercise this week has consisted of Michelle Bridges' workout DVDs, walking, xtrainer, and stairs. Having worked 3 long 8+ hour shifts the last 3 days, I was concerned at how I was going to get my exercise in.  I get 2 x 15min breaks at work plus a half hour lunch break.  A friend at work & walked the half an hour every lunch break (130 calories), and I spent 10 minutes of each of my breaks going up & down a flight of stairs (90 calories each session).  Let's just say, my legs have been so sore I have been hardly able to walk, and I have muscles aching I never knew existed in my legs!  I'm loving it!  As the stairs are right next to the toilet at work, I have made myself go & up down the stairs once every time I go to the toilet - which is a hell of a lot due to the amount of water i am drinking at the moment.   Feeling so very proud of the little things I have achieved this week.
And did I mention - NO WINE??!!  Not one drop!  YAY!!
So, our weigh in day on the plan is Wednesdays.  Our first Wednesday weigh in, only 2 days into the plan, and I weighed in at 124.1kgs - a loss of 1.7kgs.  Amazing!!!  Looking forward to our next weigh in tomorrow.