1 week down...

So, week one is done and dusted - 11 to go (this round). So, how did this week pan out???

Well, the high point was losing 2kg at Wednesday weigh in!!! I honestly think my body had gone into complete shock with the complete change to healthy eating over Monday & Tuesday. But whatever it was I was pretty stoked with that!

The low point (kind of) was that most of week 1 was a 'red flag' event, and true to form I went out with a bang! I spent a few days in the hunter valley, of course with the best of intentions not to eat/drink/not exercise... But I failed. I tasted wine, I drank wine, I ate great food, I didn't get out and exercise. But, I did have a great time away. 

And, I'm home again now ready and rearing to get stuck back into it. So while I went off the rails, I've come home ready to get right back on again. The fridge is full of fresh veggies, and there's nothing unhealthy anywhere to eat, so it's all good. I'm still psyched up on the basis of my weight loss last week, and if I can just manage to have not put any weight on I'll be pretty darn happy with that. 

I'll leave you with a funny story from my travels (well, it's funny now!)... For a long time I've had a bad habit of dropping into the shops on my way home from work to pick up chocolate or chips or biscuits or anything unhealthy that I felt like at the time. I also often didn't eat the lunch I'd prepared and went out and bought take away at lunch time. So, I decided this round to conquer this once and for all. The plan was to leave my wallet at home, just pop my licence in the car, and leave all money and credit cards at home. That way I literally can't buy anything. So, I did just that, last Sunday before round 4 started. The plan was marvellous, until I left home Wednesday morning on holidays, needing to drive 5 hours to Sydney in order to pick a friend up at Sydney airport on the way to the hunter valley. I got 1 hour from home, was thinking about getting some petrol, and all of a sudden realised I didn't have my wallet, and it was 100km away, and I had no choice but to turn around and get it. Yes, I was more than a little cranky with myself. Yes, it added almost 2 hours to my trip. Yes, it was officially the longest trip of my life! But I got there in the end. But, moral to the story... I need to just flex my will power muscle and keep my wallet in my handbag!!

Day 1 Victories

Well round 4 has officially started - and what a successful start it has been. I am really so proud of myself! Given what the past few weeks, well months really, have been like in terms of nutrition and exercise I wasn't expecting too much to change. But woah - veges for dinner - big change!! Gym after work - big change!! Sticking 100% to nutrition plan and portions etc - huge change!!!

Dinner was superb - grilled lamb salad (photo later in the week)!! Not without a little herb mix up incident... Went and raided a friend's herb garden for fresh mint, got a little distracted and didn't notice I was picking much more oregano than mint. Oops. Luckily enough I noticed before putting the so called mint into the yoghurt for the dressing. A few odd leaves of oregano in the salad wasn't too bad, but nothing but mint could've made that dressing taste great - glad I was able to resurrect the dish! I was wondering why my salad wasn't smelling minty as I shredded the leaves into it... There's why!!

Did my first advanced strength/toning workout today. Well almost all of it... I'm just not a fan of mountain climbers and burpees (who would be??) and 2 sets sounded a bit much, so I pulled up stumps after 1... Perhaps by the end of the round I'll be able to do 2, now there's a goal!

So, number 1 goal for tomorrow - get to the gym before work (ie 5:30am) and do it all again!! Wish me luck!!

Measure Up Madness

Well, it was the last possible time for me to measure up before round 4 starts tomorrow, so up I get this morning ready (not really) to see the reality of what my measurements are. Oh My Goodness... I was more than a little shocked when I realised I have put on almost everything I lost in my first round this year. And my measurements put me back there too.

 

But, that's where it ends! Round 4 starts tomorrow and I am ready to give this 100% and finally, once and for all, lose this weight and NOT find it again. Ever.

 

So here's the honest truth:
 

 

 And here's my star chart update of the last 2 weeks. Yes, the second week was better than the first, but you'll also notice that very few of those stars are in the nutrition box... That should be telling me something! (well, that and the scales).
 

So! Onwards & Upwards!! I'm now part of the Advanced Avengers Team, and we are going to take this round by storm!!! And just quietly I'm especially looking forward to tomorros - 2 of my favourite meals - Apple & Ricotta Toast for brekkie, and Roast Beef, Horseradish & Beetroot sandwich for lunch - YUM!!

Pre Season Update

Well, it's almost at the end of pre-season task time, which means it's almost time to put my money where my mouth is and shift some weight! Technically that's not as hard as it sounds - input less calories into body than what is burnt... But, as we all know, the mind is a minefield that likes to mess around with that very simple equation.

 

So, I've put my mind into gear and ticked off my pre season tasks like a pro. I'm all prepared, and ready to start... Next Week!! Nah, I'm actually going to try and get into some good habits this week so my body doesn't go into toxic shock next week :-)

 

1. I've put some concrete goals down on paper and stuck them up on my wardrobe door so I see them everyday. I've even got tick boxes, and room to write a date in for when I achieve each goal (that's WHEN not if!!)

2. I've created the most beautiful, colour coordinated calendar for the next 12 weeks!! I'm hoping that all my hard work will help me to stick to my plans. This too is on the wardrobe so it's literally in my face each day.

3. I have made up a star chart for myself. I think I mentioned this in a previous post, but here's evidence of it! OK, so not too many 'stars' on there for this week, but you just wait - next week I'm going to blitz it :-) It's on the fridge to remind me whenever I'm opening the fridge looking for food that I'm aiming at something much more important that satisfying a craving. I'm aiming at getting my life back! 

4. Finally I have re-done my inspiration board from last round. I've invested in a new cork board and pinned the pages up (since the old blu-tac was failing and things kept falling off...). This is in my study so I can remember what inspires me and what I'm aiming for, and gives my a daily dose of motivation. 

So, preseason is almost over. All that's left is fitness test and measure up. I'm hoping to do the fitness test either Monday or Wednesday afternoon this week, already got my 1km track sorted out, and I'll post results up after that. Measure up time is next weekend.

 

A couple of random thoughts to finish this post with...

• A friend of mine has posted some amazing updates and photos from her experiences at 'Sharing Bali' over the past week. It looks amazing, really the trip of a lifetime helping those involved to really push their boundaries and let themselves free from all that's holding them back. I have never wanted to go to Bali, but looking at this 'retreat' makes me want to go. I feel like it's the ultimate thing for me to do in order to push my own comfort levels and help me move forward to the next stage of my life. So, I've decided that sometime next year I'm going to go! Anyone else keen? There's a special 12wbt package even...
• And, for anyone out there reading this post who has ever doubted they could achieve something - this story is for you. A friend of mine recently completed a record breaking ride accross Australia with his son. They spent almost 2 months on push bikes, cycling across this vast land of ours, in rain, heat, wind, whatever the weather threw at them. And yesterday they made it home. What's so amazing about the ride is that my friend's son is only 10 years old! He's just become the youngest person to ride across Australia. What an achievement. And so, when I'm at the gym, struggling to get through a workout, I'm thinking of Geoff and Dan who committed to doing something so big not many people would embark on - and they got through it! (If you're interested here's a link to the SBS news story on them tonight: ttp://www.sbs.com.au/news/video/59970627978/Boy-cylcles-across-Australia-for-HIV
• 

It's preseason time again!!

So, some people look at this week as week 12... Not me... I figure I'm going to be doing more for my health and fitness by giving up on round 3 and starting afresh with round 4! Does that mean I'm going to be completely slacking off for a few weeks before the round officially starts?? NO!! 

Today marked day 1 of round 4 preseason (for me anyway). I sat down last night and powered through the first 4 preseason tasks, giving them some thought and consideration again, much like I did before round 2 this year, when I was actually successful at losing weight and gaining health!! So I've committed to doing them again. 

Also, I've made up a start chart (thanks Emily!!) to help keep me motivated each week. It's got different categories, and bonus stars, and weekly challenges as well!! Heck, if I can keep up with that for a week I'm winning!! 

And so, how did things go today... 

Well I haven't been to the gym... Unfortunately a couple of weeks ago u hurt my neck/shoulders (of all things I think it was from carrying shopping bags when I went to Sydney recently!!). And the dull pain has now become significantly worse and is painful with almost any movement! So, I've given up being stubborn and booked into the physio on wed arvo. But till then I'm unlikely to be able to do much. 

As far as nutrition... Well not too bad!!! That's one of the first times I've been able to say that in months :-) apart from deciding to drink the last rekorderlig cider in the fridge (210cals oops) I've been spot on. But even with the cider I still came in under 1400cals. That's an achievement for me!!

So, round 4 looks set to start on a high note! I'm looking forward to kicking some goals, and feeling a lot healthier and happier in myself over the next few weeks/months. Thanks for all the online support - looking forward to cheering each of you on in your journeys also. And finally a big thanks to carol and her support and best wishes for going it alone this next 'round' - perhaps one day I'll be able to join you for a half marathon :-) 

Sheridan takes on the Round 4 challenge...

So, for those of you following my blog and wondering where I've disappeared to...

Surprise!!

I'm back!!

And as of tonight I'm officially enrolled in 12wbt Round 4 2013!!! Enough was enough with round 3, I was going no where fast (except perhaps up where the scales were concerned!). And so, I took some drastic, yet necessary action, and here I am officially a round 4 participant. Hopefully that means I'll also be back in the blogosphere too.

What's coming up in future blog posts I hear you ask?? 

• Commitment - this round I need to be a woman of my word, so my commitment will be put out for everyone to read. 
• Goal Setting - I need to establish some goals so I have something to aim at.
• Star Chart Progress - a fellow 12wbt-er and encouragement to me has recently started a star chart to keep her motivated and committed, so I'm putting one together and will have regular updates on the blog. 
• Food Photos - can't wait to try the new recipes for summer - keep your eyes peeled for some mouthwatering photos :-)
• Miscellaneous - obviously sometimes I get a little carried away in my posts, so expect a bit of anything and everything here!!

7 days down!

It's been an amazing last 7 days. I feel like I'm in a completely different place than I was a week ago. I've completely turned around and now heading down the 12wbt path whole heartedly!

• I'm setting and achieveing daily goals.
• I'm getting to the gym and doing my workouts and giving them my all! - hey I even burnt over 400 calories during Monday's weight session!!
• I'm drinking minimum 2L water each day.
• I haven't eaten anything outside my 12wbt nutrition plan over the past week.
• I've ventured outside my standard snacks and wholeheartedly embraced sakata's with cheese and fresh date! WOW! This is my new favourite! And here's a photo...

And so it is with great anticipation that I am for once looking forward to weighing in tomorrow morning!! I am really excited to see how much my committment and hard work has paid off on the scales.

 

I did do my week 4 measurements over the weekend, and not surprisingly they were almost exactly that of week 1. That's to be expected. But look out week 8 - I'm on fire and I'm giving it my all now, so expect some cm's to be disappearing!

 

I really hope everyone else is keen for weigh in tomorrow. As I can testify from last week, it's worth it even if you haven't been completely on track, it's a great motivator / scare tactic to get us on the straight and narrow! Good Luck everyone!!!

Claiming A Victory

Well the election has come and gone, and we have a new PM. So while Tony Abbott and the Liberal party celebrate their victory I'm celebrating one of my own. Yep that's right I have reclaimed my spot on the 12wbt party wagon!!! I have totally owned week 4 since my Wednesday reset and I'm firing on all cylinders ready to start week 5. 

 

I think the setting of small daily goals to focus on has really helped this week. There were just 2 on Wednesday, then I kept adding one small one each day to get myself rolling again. So now I just focus each day on:

     1. Eating only from the 12wbt nutrition plan

     2. Getting to the gym for my workout

     3. Drinking 2L of water

Because this was working so well on Friday I added in the getting organised for week 5 goal, and kicked it too! I think I like goals, and especially these really short sharp focused ones. They've really got me back on track. And the goals seem simple enough, but actually do require some effort - both in preparation/organisation and also will power/commitment. 

 

As proof of my eating clean success I've posted a quick photo of my food diary since Wednesday! And I've also early myself a new book on iBooks and I've just bought Rob Lowe's biography which I've been wanting to read for ages. 

 

So, I'm going to leave those 3 goals as simple, yet at times challenging, daily goals and just give myself a little weekly goal to focus on. I figure it's a bit like the 12wbt weekly challenges (although I won't be asking myself to do 1000 burpees!). Week 5 is going to be a focus on snacks! I don't really feel like I snack poorly or too much necessarily, but I don't ever take into account the snack ideas from the nutrition plan are and perhaps I'm not eating as balanced a diet as I could. 

 

This week my nutrition plan lists dairy or fruit based snacks each day. And so, I've investigated the 12wbt site for snacks and found 'figgy cheese crackers' which fits into both categories!! I've semi reinvented this recipe and recounted the calories. I'm using 4 whole grain sakatas, 20g low fat cheese, and 1 fresh date - the snack comes to 126cals. I'm looking forward to this snack this week, and excited that I can just have the same snack each day (because it makes my lunch prep easier).

How is everyone else going 1/4 way into this round?
And what are you snacking on at the moment??

It's the Weekend!!!!

I love weekends!! For so many reasons, one of which is that we get time off work to relax and unwind doing whatever we want! Personally I love nothing more than a quiet weekend without too much on - perfect for recharging the batteries. This morning is the usual gym & coffee which is what I do every Saturday if I'm at home. At the gym I do an RPM class followed 10min later by Pump. It's a combo of classes that I love, and have been doing the double for a couple of years now! Perhaps one day I'll venture into the world of the prescribed 12wbt SSS... But not yet! In my defence I do usually burn pretty close to 1000 calories doing those 2 classes. 

Also this weekend I'm working towards a new goal to finish off week 4. My goal is to get organised about my snacks for week 5. I'm planning on making it my week 5 goal to focus on snacking within the suggestions from 12wbt (ie dairy snack / vegetable snack etc). And so this weekend, before doing the groceries I want to plan out my snacks so that I can buy what I need!

So, happy weekend to you all, here's hoping the rain stays away long enough for all my washing (4 loads!) to dry... 

Day 3 - still on track!!

So, just a quick update...

 

• Wednesday was reset day - and all goals achieved!
• Thursday - I set myself a third goal of drinking at least 2L of water (as well as eating according to the program, and getting to the gym) - all 3 goals achieved!!
• Friday - since doing so well for the past 2 days I thought I'd give myself a 4th goal of making sure everything got printed out and ready to attack week 5 next week - and as of this moment all goals are progressing nicely - I've eaten well thus far, and no reason not to for the reast of the day; I'm going to the gym after work and meeting some friends there for Pump so will definitely go; I've so far drunk 1.5L water so I'll easily get to 2; AND I used some quality time in my lunch hour to print out week 5 stuff (nutrition overview, recipes I didn't have, shopping list and exercise plan).

So, there you have it - well and truly back on track! And, I've set myself some new rewards - if I finish off week 4 staying on track and keep meeting the daily goals of eating clean, getting to the gym, and drinking 2L of water - I'm going to treat myself to a new book on iBooks.

 

How has week 4 been for everyone else?? Anyone big successes or failures you want to share?? It's been a turn around for me, and I'm looking forward to staying on this path - much nicer than floundering around in no-where-ville!

The big reset button!

Every computer I've ever used has one, and finally I found mine today!! Why did I need a reset?? Well, lets just say the first 3-4 weeks of this round of 12wbt have been all over the shop. If I was a computer you'd throw me out claiming a virus had come and nestled in forever! But, like any good computer, find the reset button and give it a go (yes, sometimes just unplug it and plug it in again!). So, that's what happened to me today!

Why? Well, it was more than enough time. And with some encouragement from a fellow 12wbt-er I decided to be accountable with my food and exercise. I flopped yesterday thanks to some home baked goodness. BUT today was "big reset day".

1 - Weigh In Wednesday: this was enough to scare anyone into action! I have actually gained weight through my self neglect that as of this morning I weighed 0.5kg more than I did 4 weeks ago. Hmm, time to really do something. But weigh in was all part of the reset. You see weigh ins are a crucial part of this program, and rightly so! But, I am always tempted to not weigh in when I've been off the rails. And so it goes for weeks, where I don't weigh in and think I'm going ok. But this morning showed me exactly where that gets me... +0.5kg! So recommitment number 1 is to commit to weekly weigh ins - not just for this round, but to keep me accountable for when I've gone off the rails again. 

2 - Goal 1 Achieved - eat from the 12wbt plan!! Woo Hoo!! I haven't achieved this for some time actually. And I won't say it was necessarily easy, but it wasn't the hardest either. How? I had everything planned out and ready. I also had to stop at the shops for basil on the way home, but I only had $5 in my bag and no cards, so there was no buying extra treats! And finished the night off with a herbal tea, refreshing and cleansing!

3 - Goal 2 Achieved - get to the gym!! So, I haven't been neglecting all of my workouts, but probably half-ish... So today I went after work. I completely didn't feel like it, but knowing I wanted to write this post, and not lie to anyone who's reading, I went. Because I want to be a woman of my word! I did a cardio workout consisting of 2 rounds of 5 min exercises. So, 5 min jog/run, 5 min cross trainer (maintain 70rpm), 5 min rower (min 1000 metres), 5 min bike (aim 2.5km) AND then do it all again! Now that might sound easy, but give it a go, cos I was sweating up a storm! But 55min later I'd burnt 503 calories, so I had well and truly smashed my goal!!!

And so at this end of the day, having gotten up at 5:30 for work, I'm tired, but it's a satisfied kind of tired knowing I've kicked some goals, and set myself up for some successes this week! And as a reward for those achieved goals I'm getting myself a new work out track from iTunes. The 2 suggestions I got are already there, so I'm thinking of some old school tunes perhaps a little bit of 'love shack' (I always love that track in pump!). 

So, new goals for tomorrow?? Well, the first 2 are the same. Eat off the 12wbt plan (all packed and ready to go - Bircher muesli, strawberries, left over pesto spaghetti, 1/2 apple, brownie slice - plus Indian fish for dinner). Goal 2 is back to the gym for a weights session. And finally, new goal 3 - is to drink 2L water. I realised today that I've gotten a bit slack with my water intake, particularly at work. So there's a new goal!!

Sorry I think this post has gotten fairly lengthy, but it's all out now. I promise I won't be rambling on like this everyday, but it was just a big achievement day I wanted to get it all out there!!

SMART Goals

Just a quick post to give you an update on some goals. I've always been an over achiever, and set high goals, or else I realise they're 'too easy' and don't reward myself for achieving them. And so, after floundering around trying to find my mojo (I think I need an IV drip of the stuff!) I decided to set myself 2 goals just for tomorrow!

 

Goal 1 - Eat off the 12WBT menu plan.

What this means for me is:

Breakfast - Berry Smoothie

Lunch - Antipasto Pita Pocket

Dinner - Basil Pesto Spaghetti

Snacks - Strawberries, 1/2 Apple, Date/Walnut brownie slice

 

Here's a photo of my prepared breakfast & lunch & snacks ready to take to work!

 

Goal 2 - Get to the gym!!

And that means a cardio/weights work out with at least 500 cal burnt!

 

So, there's the goals for tomorrow! I think they're Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Realistic-Time based. As for rewards, well perhaps the reward is to be able to challenge myself to do it all over again on Thursday! However, I think I'll also treat myself to a new workout song from iTunes... Any suggestions??

Red Flag Success... of sorts

So, a while ago I wrote a post about upcoming red flag events. And despite the events being a few weeks ago now I've been a little snowed under (for many reasons) and haven't updated my blog about how I went.

 

The first red flag was a work conference in Melbourne...

 

Well, we had a fairly bad flight into Melbourne, and as someone who doesn't like turbulence (read panic attack / tears / at time hysteria - doesn't like turbulence) that wasn't so great for me. After that I checked into the fancy pants Soffitel Melbourne and got all dressed up and ready to go out. We had a casual function at a bar nearby, and while I ate OK (apart from some salt & pepper squid) I did have a few too many champagnes... hence a visit to pie face on the way home! I was so disappointed with myself when I woke up and remembered that - all that pastry and fat...

 

Anyway, Saturday was good. A healthy muesli / natural yoghurt / berries breakfast to kick it off.

And lunch was a tasty chicken dish - even without the skin! And I passed on the petit fours for dessert and opted for a black coffee! After a few afternoon talks I decided to head to the hotel gym, and yes I admit more to be able to claim I'd been there rather than the workout, but half an hour later I was sweating up a storm looking at a great view!

 

 

Saturday night was a fancy dinner at the Melbourne Museum. Walking there in heels was not my idea of fun, but I guess it helped with the calorie burn :-) However, this time I was controlled in both my food and drinks. I had a few pieces from the bread basket, half my entree (a rolled poached chicken dish), my main (grilled barramundi), and a few bites just to taste my dessert (who could go past chocolate fondant pudding and salted caramel ice cream??).

 

 Then Sunday I woke up feeling great!! I think no pie face, not too many wines, and not too much over indulgent food might've helped that! The conference finished with lunch, and then I went for a wander through the city. This finished with the start of a panic attack about the up coming flight home... which didn't finish for a few hours. It seems like a funny story now, but seriously at the time I was in tears for a few hours about the thought of getting on the plane, and then all throughout the flight - I kinda feel sorry for the flight attendant, not sure she'd seen anything like that before. But made it home, safe and sound, and all in all not a bad result for a weekend away.

 

The second event was my birthday!!! And that also wasn't too bad... I did have 2 birthday cupcakes that a friend made - but that was the only birthday cake I had. I made 12wbt Penang Chicken for dinner on my birthday - if you haven't tried it give it a go - seriously! It's kinda like a cross between satay and red curry (and if that doesn't sound nice to you I assure you it is).

 

My parents and I and some friends went to a nice restaurant for lunch the next day - and I ordered a thai green chicken salad, with the dressing on the side! So nice, and completely healthy. I think the chicken was rubbed with a thai green spice mix and then just grilled, and all fresh healthy salad ingredients to go with it. So it was great, although my mouth, tongue, lips etc were all a little on fire for a while there!

 

And so there you have it! Some success of sorts... At any rate it's more of a success than recent days/weeks, but more about that later!



 

 

 

Oh the posts that I could post...

If this blog was a Dr Seuss book that might be a good title!! For a couple of weeks now I've had a little list going in a notebook about blog post topics. As you can all tell, really none of those ideas have yet made it online. Needless to say I've been a little snowed under - physically and emotionally! The last week in particular I was really hoping to post some stuff, but life just got on top of me, and I was hard pressed to do much. But here's a really quick rundown of some stuff, and probably more details to come!

I've had a birthday! It was successful as far as weigh in went!! Woo Hoo! I also made good choices when out for lunch. I did however indulge in not 1 but 2 birthday cupcakes...

I've been back to the gym and gotten back into workouts as per usual. Looking forward to hopefully a  bit more energy this week to get through some more. 

I got a new oven installed and boy have I tested it out!! Scones, macaroons, cakes, biscuits, roast dinner... And no I didn't eat all of that, I certainly did enjoy making it all though. I was actually quite controlled with what I did eat. 

I've decided what vice I'm giving up in this week's weekly challenge... I giving up technology before bed!! It's gotten to be a really bad habit of mine, every day, and one that (unlike coffee) I can give up without being a horrible person to be around :-) and so as of tomorrow there's a 9:00pm curfew imposed on technology! No more checking emails/Facebook/forums after I go to bed! Oh, and I totally failed the wall sit challenge (read: did not start) so I'll be doing that one at the same time this week.

And finally I got some inspiration to work my butt off (literally)... A friend rang tonight and asked me to be a bridesmaid for her wedding next year!!!! :-) big smiles, but some serious hard work to do in the next 8 months!! Will be totally worth it though!!

Well, until there's time to post again, that's all folks!!

How did THAT happen??!?!!

So, weigh in Wednesday comes around...

It's my birthday - I shouldn't have to weigh in on my birthday...

Not after a weekend of not-so-strict eating (mindful, but not strict)...

Perhaps I'll just skip this weigh in...

 

NO!

JFDI! (yep it applies to weigh in's too)

 

Oh Heck - get on the scales - open my eyes...

 

I've lost 1.1kg!!!!!

 

I did one weights work out, half a cardio workout, and ate a pie on the way home on Friday night (yes, I perhaps wasn't in the best state to resist)... All I can say is, maybe anxiety/panic attacks do burn the calories up :-)

My First 12wbt Round Review

So I thought a great way to prepare for my second round of 12wbt (R3 2013) was to look over some of my very first blog posts. The ones where I set my goals, boasted of my marvellous committment, sorted out my excuses with some tough love etc etc. It was a good thought, but I've only just got to it this week. So to start off my second round, lets look at the round that was R2 2013.

Excuses: like most people most of my excuses were about eating junk food, and not getting to the gym due to business etc. my solutions were basically a good dose of JFDI. And for the most part I think that worked, at least until about week 9 where most of the wheels came off my wagon all at once! I can't say that I've really changed my excuses or solutions for this round. At the end of the day it's about recognising an excuse for what it is (eg a lazy inner teenager speaking her mind) and just getting on with what you know rationally needs to happen. 

Goals: I achieved a lot in the last round, I lost heaps of weight and cm's, I know my strength improved, and certainly my fitness. My mindset shifted and moved towards a better direction. I found a whole new recipe repertoire. But I'm not sure that I really achieved many of the 1 & 3 month goals I had set for myself. Funnily enough I'm not too disappointed with myself. I found it hard to set the goals since I was feeling so pessimistic about the chances of success in the beginning anyway. What it has meant is that my goals are clear and simple this round, and certainly achievable. I've also set 1 & 3 month reminders in my phone to review my goals to make sure I look back at the again!

Commitment: I was totally committed to the 12wbt program... For the first 8 weeks at least it was whole hearted! And honestly, I think that's why it worked. Sounds simple - follow the program, get results. But life isn't always like that and knowing I'd committed myself to following it all - food, exercise, mindset, pre season tasks, weekly challenges etc is what kept me on track. This round I am adding my commitment that I'm determined to complete a 12 week program, not quit at 8 weeks and settle in with complacency! And I've actually put it out there to the world (aka Facebook) that I've embarked on this journey again. 

Highs & Lows: there were both good and bad times through the last round. The lows were certainly when I came off the rails early on binging on white choc and the rest. However I pulled it together (high) and got through a few more weeks until it all came to a standstill. That's probably for me the biggest low, because I got complacent and let my nutrition slip, exercise was half hearted and not as regular, and bam, 4 kilos in 5 weeks!! I know I can do better than that, so it was quite disappointing personally. Hence my commitment to a 12wbt not 8wbt this time. 

As for the highs, well if you've been following my blog you'll probably guess the highest high was the food!! It is truly amazing how good this healthy food tastes! And it's easy and quick to prepare, and you get all the meals planned ahead for you so there's no time to think "hmm what should I have for dinner??" And best of all I found a love for shopping lists!! And especially those you don't have to write yourself because they come off the printer all prepared!

Ok, I have another high, and that is the amazing online support available through fellow bloggers and the forums. I've never been one for online stuff, it's all a bit 'non-reality' for me. Generally I like to see and hear people. However I have felt so supported by people, others doing the program as well as the 12wbt crew. It's amazing how much that support pulled me through and meant during the 12 weeks. And to meet a few of you in person in Adelaide was fantastic!!

Well i guess that about covers my first round wrap for 12wbt! Has anyone else looked back over their blog/journal from previous rounds to see what they actually did achieve vs what they set out to achieve? Any words of wisdom to come from that?

Red Flags Ahoy!!

If you're a fellow 12wbt-er you'll understand what red flags are. In case you're not, a red flag day is what we identify an event or day as, when it's something that will be likely to hinder our commitment and progress on the journey (eg parties, holidays, weddings etc). And so as I look ahead to the next 7-10 days all I see is a sea of red flags... Pretty, but pretty daunting too. 

First up is a trip to Melbourne this weekend. I'm flying down Friday night, and back Sunday night for a work conference. That means missing my regular gym classes Friday and Saturday, but more importantly not being in control of what I'm eating for 2 days. Yikes! And then there's the drinks with colleagues to overcome... 

So I've come up with a plan of attack (and no it's not all my own work). 

• Firstly, I've been up front with the guys from my work who I'm travelling with that I am absolutely NOT drinking with them at either the Friday or Saturday night functions. It always ends badly (for me) when that happens. So I've already told them I didn't want to drink my calories away. They were ok with that, and so now I just have to see it through. 
• Secondly, I've checked out the gym facilities at the hotel - looks awesome! It's on the 36th floor of the hotel! None of this 2 machine gym in the basement. I guess that's what happens at a classy hotel. So I think just so I can say I've worked out overlooking the city, I'm going to give it a go, and just take my SSS workout with me. Although, 70 burpees to start does not sound like fun! Anyway, check out the pictures of the hotel gym here: http://www.sofitel-melbourne.com/en/so-fit.html
• Thirdly, it was suggested to me (by the lovely Emily) to combat overeating or making poor food choices to take photos of what I was eating! What a great idea, and then I can come back here for a good dose of accountability and actually show you what I ate! So, if there's no photos forthcoming you can safely assume I went overboard and am too ashamed to show it!

So there's the plan to attack the conference. I'm also going to be photographing my inspiration board and putting it as the homescreen on my phone to keep me inspired!!

Coming up soon after that is birthday week! Yep happy birthday to me next Wednesday. Now this should be a whole lot easier than the conference since I'm still at home, but my parents are visiting, and that will entail mum insisting on making birthday cake, and we'll probably go out for lunch or dinner, which means making a good healthy choice of what to eat. I should also add that when I was doing the last round I went and visited my parents and they were completely supportive of my food choices, so I know that as far as regular meals go they'll be happy to eat 12wbt style, so that's super healthy! Just have to conquer the birthday cake!!

And looking into the distance... October holds a trip to Sydney for Good Food Month! Red Flags all over the place, but I'll come up with a plan of atack before I go there.

What are others looking forward to as their red flags?? Any other plans for attack??

Weigh in Wednesday...

OK, so it's been just 2 days since I last weighed myself, and this morning I gingerly stepped onto the scales and.... drumroll please... I've lost 900g!!

Amazing what can happen when you put your mind to it. Actually there's a chance my body has completely gone into shock from all the sugar & fat that's suddenly disappeared over the past 2 days. And let me tell you I feel fantastic for getting back on the wagon again! It's such a great feling knowing you're doing something really healthy and beneficial for you body. I just want to fight the complacency that keeps slipping in just when I'm doing well. However, I must say that I was only in that complacency zone for about 4 weeks this time, which for me isn't long, and realistically didn't do too much damage.

And, in the spirit of my 12wbt blog from last round here's some food photos from days 1&2 - I can't believe there are still so many meals I didn't try last round. So here's lunch and dinner from yesterday in before and after shots (check out the size of my red cabbage!). Ham & Salad wrap was lunch, Sticky BBQ Beef with Shredded Slaw was dinner - both tasty, and I'll definitely use that beef marinade again, would be perfect for a summer BBQ - Yum!

And last but definitely not least, a meal I saw many people raving about on the blogs, but didn't try out for myself until last night - Not So Naughty Nachos!!! Oh. My. Gosh. Sooo Tasty - and I totally felt like I was eating treat food. It was much like the moment of eating 12wbt pizza last round, soo tasty, and yet still so good for you. This is a definite keeper.

 So there you have it - this little blogger is back in action and ready to work my butt off (literally!). And I'll be showing off those inspiration dresses in no time at all. And FYI - feeling the soreness after Monday's workout, I have a love/hate relationship with DOMS... Anyone else??

A little bit of Inspiration

So I spent some time shopping in Melbourne over the weekend (on the longest trip home from Adelaide ever...). I got some new things - including a pair of new Brooks Runners for $60!! Yep, I was pretty impressed with that!

 

But more importantly a new outfit (boots as well!!) to wear next weekend at a conference dinner for work...

And a couple of dresses to keep me on the straight & narrow this round leading into summer. I tried them on in a size that fitted and then bought them the next size down!! Looking forward to wearing cute dresses when it warms up.

 

 

During my time in Adelaide I was introduced to Lulu Lemon workout gear... it's expensive, but I'm told it's totally worth it! Lets hope so, cos I bought this top that I want to be able to comfortably wear to the gym by the time winter's gone! Oh and the best bit - size 12 (yeah, OK, so it's Canadian sizing, but who cares, it's a 12!!)

 



Alright, so let me just put it out there... The next time you see these clothes on my blog you'll see me in them too! There's a massive goal, but we're all works in progress, and so I'm looking forward to sharing mine with anyone who's reading along.

Let's start at the very beginning...

Well, here it is - Day1 - Round 3 - 12wbt 2013!! And I've signed up again and ready to handle the thrills and spills of another round. I feel like I've got so many things to put into this blog post, but for the sake of those reading my blog I'll try and contain myself, but you might find many blog posts this week...

 

The past weekend I spent partying it up in Adelaide for the round 2 finale. A good friend and I headed over early Friday morning, shopped up a storm Friday, caught up with fellow 12wbt-ers Friday night, and drank the night away at the best tapas/wine bar in Adelaide (OK, so that's my opinion, it's the best of 1 that was tried, but it really was right up there). So, Saturday was a little slow to get it together. We trekked accross Adelaide CBD to get to the showgrounds for the workout, where we cheered on those in the workout, before wandering back to the CBD. After wandering the afternoon we got all prettied up for the finale - a georgeous set up at the convention centre! All black & white, so it looked very classy. But we did call it a night pretty early, got our goody bags, and headed off for some zzz's ready to leave 7am Sunday.

 

 

 

We had a good flight back accross to Melbourne, but unfortunately neither my friend or I managed to realise we had left her car keys in the hotel room, in Adelaide... and we were now in Melbourne! For some reason, there was no panic, we just took it in our stride, and visited the nearby factory outlets for some shopping while family and friends rallied together to get some spare car keys to us! So, after an 8 hour stopover in Melbourne we were on the road. Back to my friends place by 9:15, and then I was on the road for the last 2 hours, and I finally got home at 11:30pm! What a day!! Funnily enough had we have driven home from Adelaide I would've got home sooner! But, I wouldn't have got some fun purchases and inspiration outfit purchases!! (photos to come) 

 

So, this week's to do list (amongst general life activities):

• Complete Fitness Test & Measure Up
• Revise Goals & Committment
• Work on adding to my Vision/Inspiration Board
• Review previous round's goals/excuses/highs/lows etc

 But right now, I'm off to the gym for my first Lean & Fit workout!! EEK! Nah, really I'm looking forward to it. And I'll be back to post some food photos from day 1!! I love that I'm back eating healthy foods again, my body is so happy with that decision right now!!

 

 

Just 1 week to go!!!

I cannot believe that week 12 of 12wbt is about to start tomorrow!! It has actually gone by so quickly, and apart from weeks 10 and 11 which more resembled the Granville train disaster, I have stuck to the program, learnt a ton of stuff about myself, and am still on track. Wow, what an achievement. And to think that 3 months ago I was quite convinced this program just wouldn't work for me. But now, I've signed up for round 3 and am totally looking forward to what it will bring. 

I've also had a few moments of realisation in the last few days. I've spent a little bit of time thinking about why/how I got so far off track in the past 2 weeks (and let me just out it out there that I'm not fully back on track in the diet just yet...). 

• Firstly, last week was a pretty stressful week for me emotionally. I didn't feel it at the time, but looking back I know that from Friday a week ago until yesterday I was running at a constant level of high emotional anxiety. In recent years there has been a fairly large fracture in my immediate family. So much so that my parents and I had had no contact with my brother and his family. But last week, my mum was able to spend the week with them (they live interstate). She felt nervous and apprehensive about this, but pleased to have the opportunity. However I think that I was really apprehensive that it would all go horribly, and the situation would be worse than before. I was also worried about my dad being at home on his own for the week and how he would cope etc etc. and it wasn't until I spoke with mum yesterday as she was on the way home, that I felt relieved of that anxiety. The visit was over, and whatever that means for us long term is beside the point, but mum was ok, dad had coped fine, and I could relax again. Phew! And so I think a lot of the issues were emotional, and as I have always done I turned to food, and it took me over a week to even realise the connection between my anxiety and my actions. 
• Secondly, I realised that I had not been blogging or journaling or anything during this period of emotional anxiety! And so all my thoughts have just churned in my mind over and over and over, and I gave them no outlet. Instead I gave them food hoping that might just shut them up for a moment. Doesn't work that way! Never has. No, the food just creates some new voices, and then I'm beating myself up for not flexing my willpower muscle... A vicious circle. 

So, with those 2 realisations, I decided to make week 12 a little easy on myself. No, I'm not completely loosening the reins, I'm still completely in with the 12wbt, but I've dedicated this last week to all my favourites! I customised the menu (apart from sweet and sour pork) and I've chosen all my favourite 12wbt meals to eat. And, each lunch is leftovers from the previous dinner, so I don't have to cook both dinner and lunch every night! I'm pretty excited!! There's beef stroganoff, Cajun fish stew, Spanish chickpeas with fish, vegetable and chickpea pies, vegetarian paella... Yum yum yum! Oh, and can you believe there's 2 fish dishes in my favourites! A little confession, I started with 4 fish dishes and culled it down to 2. Another amazing feat from 12 weeks, I now am a fish eater - and I like it! Who'd have thought!

Well, with that I'll leave you all to begin week 12. Go well team! And I've also just watched mish's video on gratitude from last week, so let me express my heartfelt gratitude to all you who read and leave comments on my blog. I am so thankful, I feel as though each of you have been part of my personal support team, and have contributed to getting me to where I am 11 weeks into this 12wbt. Thank you so much! I only hope that I have been a support to you also. 

Week 11 confessional...

Welcome to the transfer/transform confessional... Yes that's right, despite the successes of past weeks, and everyone's encouragement, and my own determination etc etc I have completely slipped up in the past week. I've skipped workouts, I've eaten tonnes of crap - biscuits, chocolate, lollies, chocolate, wine, chocolate, and some more wine.... Argh! Ive made cupcakes, eaten dessert that friends dropped in with, had at least 1 glass of wine most nights, raided both the lollie jar and biscuit barrel at work, I've been buying takeaway for lunch the past 3 days at work, I've eaten in my car (note to self: your car is not your kitchen), and then after all that I visit the supermarket on the way home and find some chocolate, biscuits etc that's on sale and buy some for snacks. And let's not kid around, that's not a list of things I've done throughout a week, sometimes that can happen in 1 day. It's actually disgusting. It happens in secret. I don't tell anyone I do that.  Where did all my good habits go??

It's like I was great on holidays, and then having to settle back into real life, I've completely fallen apart in my 12wbt journey. It's quite disappointing, and especially so because I'm not even feeling as though I'm doing the 'wrong' thing. I'm just a bit whatever about the whole situation, which is actually kinda scary because I know that this is how I've always put the weight back on in the past. Complacency. I've done pretty well so far, I can have a little break... No you can't Sheridan! No. No. No. This is your new lifestyle and you have to get back on the horse and embrace it! (That was my mini effort to rev myself up again) 

So thanks for the positive feedback, comments, encouragement in the past few weeks, but you all need to know that the past week has not been such a triumph. I haven't even taken any food photos this week. And in fact I've decided not to even weigh this week. I know I probably should find out the damage, but I can't bring myself to. Instead it's a change of mindset again tomorrow, back into gear for the last 10 days of this round. And then, you all have my deepest commitment that I am going to smash round 3!

So there you have it. I'm not Wonder Woman. I mess it up too sometimes. But I'm learning (slowly). I just need to get out of this rut, and I'm determined to do it before the end of this round, so that I can jump head first into the next. I'm hoping those of you who blog alongside me are joining up again (although I understand if it's not possible etc). But as a final note... Who wants Emily to update her blog?? Anyone else been missing the regular updates??

Week 10 Update

I've returned from holidays, and over the last few days I've been wondering where I found time to do blog posts! Anyway, here I am again. How hard it is to get back into real life after holidays! I was thankful to not have to work on Monday, and was so thankful to get back to the gym. Such a funny felling, but it was like walking back into my 'home'. I had a great workout Monday - rowed 2500m in exactly 11 minutes.

 

But Tuesday was tough. Having a headache most of the day I still went to the gym, did my weights session but left before my usual RPM class. I felt better for it, but still, it was a little disappointing. It was also Tighten-up-Tuesday (TuT), and while I was all set to go without my coffee, I honestly was almost finished my coffee with breakfast until I realised that I'd just habitually made my coffee while my porridge was cooking! So, I went with it and focused on remembering to go herbal tea at morning tea!

 

So, weigh in Wednesday... +300g... But that's OK, I had a fantastic holiday, and I can smash those extra grams away this week. Ultimately my goal is to weigh under 90kg by the end of the round. It's almost 3kg away, but I'm going to give it my all.

 

I was very happy to get back to cooking the fantastic 12wbt meals this week too! And I've just this week got a a new housemate who is also loving the food! So nice to have someone to share the meals with, and she's been quite amazed at the ease of preparation, and the taste too! So, onto the photos.

 

Berry Smoothie - What a great option for breakfast first day home after holidays. There was a definite lack of food in the house, but there's always some long life milk, frozen berries and muesli, so what to do but make a liquid breakfast? And it was great and tasty! Will try it out again for sure.

 

The Vietnamese Beef & Noodle Soup - I almost swapped this, but decided for the sake of TuT to keep it. It was really flavoursome, and a huge serving (or was that just me?) so it overflowed out of my small soup bowl, hence the need to have 2 bowls!

I have never really got into chickpeas before 12wbt. But, I made hummus during the last couple of months, and have been willing to give them a go. And the vegetable and chickpea pies were great! Packed full of flavour, and really big! The filo went beautifully crispy, and it was all round a winning dish.

 

And finally this week, Lamb Biriyani! Yummo! I was disappointed not to be able to cook this last week due to holidays, so I swapped it for the lamb dish that was in this week. And it certainly didn't disappoint. Super easy and quick to make, and packed with flavour. It got a 10/10 from my housemate - rated even better than the previous favourite vegetable and chickpea pies.

 And so, week 10 is half-way through, leaving only 2 weeks to go in this round. Yikes! I am still planning on signing up again for round 3. But before that there's finale fun in Adelaide! Anyone keen to join the road trip from Wagga??