Doctor Visit Update

I saw the Doctor today about my high blood pressure medication and about possibly coming off it as my blood pressure is now on the low side.

When I started this journey, just 4 months ago.  I was on 300mg a day of medication.  I was then reduced to 150mg a day and today I was put on 75mg a day.  The Doctor said that if I continue the way I am then I will be off the medication soon.  Unfortunately with blood pressure medication it is not something you can just stop, not when you have been on it for a long time as I have been.  I've been on it for about 2 years now.  So the only way to come off it is to wean off it.  So I have been reducing the dosage and have gone from 300mg a day to 75mg a day.  I am to stay on that for a few weeks, maybe a month and see how my blood pressure is, to make sure it's stable,  then reduce to 75mg every second day.    I am not sure what  happens after every second day.  Maybe be off it all together then.

Anyway it's an exciting day!  It's a real step in a positive direction and it shows that the changes I have made in my life so far thanks to Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation are improving my health.

The only downside to the Doctor visit was the unpleasant man sitting opposite me in the waiting room. He was coughing and not covering his mouth, spreading his germs everywhere.  But the final straw was when he sneezed... a huge sneeze.... and he again did not cover his mouth so the two ladies who I was sitting beside along with myself were sprayed with his vulgar germs.  It was absolutely disgusting and I almost threw up.  Bad enough being exposed to germs but to have someone actually sneeze on you, not cover their mouth, was just an all time low.

Time To See The Doctor

I have been on high blood pressure medication for a couple of years now.  I didn't ever have what was considered high blood pressure very often.  I had borderline hypertension.  Sometimes it was up, if I was stressed it was high.  It was always on the very high side of normal, just tipping into high.  But after tearing my artery, I was put on medication to lower my blood pressure as the Dr's were worried about the long term borderline hypertension may have been the cause.

Well I have lost close to 12kgs so far (about 26lbs) and I will be honest.  I haven't really been monitoring my blood pressure for a long time.  My machine was out of batteries, I'd been meaning to buy more and just kept forgetting.  I have been taking my medication daily though, never miss it as I don't want to tear the artery or another artery again due to my blood pressure.

The last week I have been getting quite light headed.  Particularly when I get up, but sometimes just standing there, or sitting on the couch.  I have also had this annoying tingling feet!  I thought it may be magnesium or my iron levels as I'm regularly with very low iron.

So yesterday I started taking my blood pressure.  Not sure why I suddenly started monitoring it again.  I guess I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't high.  To my surprise, it is LOW!   107/60.  104/62.  96/60.  That is why I have been feeling light headed I think and low blood pressure I have just googled (never had it before so never knew the symptoms) can cause tingling feet!  Maybe losing this 12 (26 lbs) odd kilograms is bringing my blood pressure down.

I know this has been a goal of mine on this 12WBT journey.  To get my blood pressure down and get off this medication.   Until I tore my artery I had never been on regular medication (except asthma puffer when needed).  So I am heading off to the DR on Monday to speak to him about it.  I am now on the lowest dose of the drug I'm on, so I guess the next step will be to take it every second day for a little while or maybe if it's consistently low stop ween me off  it all together.

Anyway I'm doing a happy dance!  I have not seen my blood pressure be anything other than on the high side of normal to high for the last few years (even on medication it was still always on the high side of normal).  I have joked with a friend who has low blood pressure that she can have some of mine, but now it's looking like I don't have any to give away (if only we could, LOL)

12WBT!  You are my saviour!

12WBT Round 4, Day 1

Today started well on this first day of round 4 12WBT.

As I have mentioned before, my focus on this round is exercise.  I need to get my exercise mindset in check.  For me round 3...  Food mindset, check... Exercise mindset, cross.

So round 4 is going to be food mindset, check.... exercise mindset, CHECK!

I know this is going to be hard.  I was doing my workout this morning and I was just saying to myself.  I really don't like this.  I know that's not a good thing to be thinking whilst you are bouncing away to Oz Style Aerobics and Michelle's super shredder DVD.  I wasn't fully into her DVD I will admit.  I'm hoping that will change.   I do get a lot of amusement out of Aerobics Oz Style.  I feel like I'm stepping into a time warp.  I feel like I did when I was a kid and my mother was doing aerobics.  The outfits are a sight to be seen!

But I did it.  I did a workout and I will do it again.  I have also seen that there is another Aerobics workout on Foxtel.  It's on at 7am though, which is just way too late for me, so I recorded it this morning, then tomorrow I will be able to do today's, tomorrow and tomorrows the next day etc.

I am seriously considering about rejoining the gym.  I just wonder about finding the time to go.  I'm a single mum, so going outside of school hours isn't really an option as I can't leave my son on his own at night.   So the only time I have is during school hours.  But I work then!  He is a little old to do childcare at the gym.  I would consider leaving him during the day hours but never at night (not sure what the difference is between night and day but in my mind there is).

Anyway I haven't ruled out the gym.  I have three that I am looking at.  Will fill you in about those later.

I hope you are all having a good first day (for those doing this round of 12WBT) and for those not doing it, I hope that your goals and dreams are being fulfilled too!

Bye Round 3, Hello Round 4

Today marks the end of my first round of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation.  I have to say that I'm a little sad to see it go.  I do get rather attached to things and do not like change.  But it's ok as I am starting Round 4 today.

I am really excited about round 4.  I really want to get on top of this exercise mindset that has been letting me down.  It was my downfall in Round 3, even though I did lose 9.7kg and 44.5cm, that was done with diet alone, not through exercise.

Round 4 is my exercise round!  I am going to take control.  I have such strong will power when it comes to diet.  I have not had one problem sticking to the 1200 calories.  I have not one time gone over that and not one time have I given in to temptation.  Despite all of the cupcake baking, oreo pop making, birthday dinners, brownie making, fathers day lunches, pancake breakfasts every Sunday (not for me), school fetes working the cake stall and many more temptations and I have had this willpower to say no.  I have been so determined.   I will continue this in Round 4.  I am confident in that.  I know I can do it so am really not worried.

I am however not so sure about the exercise.  I'm not sure why I can't get that same sort of willpower that I have with the diet into the exercise mindset, but that is going to be my goal for this round.  To develop the same mindset and willpower with exercise that I have with the food.

I'm looking forward to following many new 12WBTers journeys.  Seeing your transformations and your successes.  Sharing your ups and downs as lets face it, there will be times of ups and downs.  I think that is natural.  I am sure I will have my exercise up's and down's on my way to a fit and healthy life.

Good luck to everyone who is on their journey, good luck to all of those who are starting Round 4 12WBT today/tomorrow.   It's going to be an awesome round, I can just feel it!

Round 3 Before and After Shots

Here are my before and after shots from Round 3 of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation.

Total of 44.5cm lost and 9.7kg.  I will do my final weigh in on Sunday night, as that will be 12 weeks exactly.  I still have 14kgs to get to my goal, so I'm still a fair way off my goal.  As much as sharing my before and after shots is terrifying to me.  Here they are and all I can do is hope that by the end of round 4, there is an amazing difference!  I'm so embarrassed doing the big reveal, but here goes.

Top Photos Before - Bottom Photos After

I hope you can see a difference.  I have gone from a size 14 to 16 (These are Australia Sizes, that would be a 12 to 14 US sizing) I was on the verge of both, 14 was too tight and 16 a little big.  Now I am easily in a size 12 (US size 10).

I'm happy with my results.

Wednesday Weigh In

Today is our final weigh in for Round 3, 12WBT. I lost 1kg (2.2lbs) in this last week, I'm thrilled with that.    Well I will be doing a final weigh in on Sunday (still 4 days away), to get my final results for the 12 week challenge.

But as of today I have lost 9.7 kg (21.38 lbs) and 44.5 cm in the last 11.5 weeks.  I am happy with that, although I did not get to my goal of 12 kg.  I know the only person I have to blame for not reaching that goal is myself.  I know I could have worked a lot harder in the exercise department.  But I am proud of myself for getting my head in the right space with my diet and my mindset has definitely improved.

So I have signed up for Round 4, which starts next Monday, the 19th.  This round will be great, over Christmas, lots of yummy Christmas food but the right foods.  Round 4 is going to be focused on my exercise (whilst maintaining my current diet headspace).  I really need to get my exercise head in the game and get some great results in this upcoming round.  I have 14.4 kg to get to my goal.  I don't expect to do that in this next round, but I do expect to get really close!    So that does mean I will sign up for the first round next year.  I am going to keep with this program until I have reached my goal and until I have my mindset completely under control.

I have been having a lot of people noticing a difference in my body shape in the last couple of weeks.  It has taken long enough for people to notice, LOL.  But I guess with 300 grams off losing 10kg, they really should have noticed.   What was really nice was a birthday card I got from a friend yesterday.  She addressed it to Skinny Minnie!  A much better name than my son currently calls me.  His name for me is "Miniature Mother".  Now he does not mean miniature because of my shrinking body, he means it because he has passed me in height and it seems almost by the day, that he is towering further and further over me, LOL.

I am happy to report that my major red flag day was successful yesterday.  I insisted that there be no cakes and everybody respected that.  Thanks to my pre-planning and looking at the restaurant menu before going last night.  I ended up having the grilled tuna with vegetables.  So on my major red flag day, I did not exceed my 1200 calories!  Probably helped with my 1kg weight loss this week.

After photos for this round will be done this afternoon.  I will post my before and after shots here.  Yes I will.  I wasn't going to, but I will, surely you will be able to see a difference after losing 10kgs.

So whilst this round is almost over, my weight loss journey is not!  It has only just begun!

Top 15%

I received an email last night from Michelle Bridges (yes I know, it's not really from her, LOL).

Anyway it said that I was in the top 15% of this round 3 of 12WBT!  I've lost 10.34% of my body weight so far.

I'm thrilled!  To be honest I didn't think I would be any where close to that.  I know I have been sticking to the food/diet portion of the program but I have been very slack in the exercise department of the program.  Why?  I don't know, I had some setbacks at the beginning with the skin cancer and I just haven't got back into it.  Imagine how well I would have done if I had stuck to the exercise 100% too!

I have already decided that for round 4 (which starts in 10 days) I will really focus on the exercise.  I feel that I have the diet under control.  I have not been tempted at all.  I am really in a good headspace with the diet/food side and have been loving the whole thing and found it relatively easy.  Not being a junk food eater or soft drink drinker before.  My main change has been my portion sizes, which used to be at least twice but I think sometimes up to four times what it should have been.

Next Thursday Michelle will announce her top 20 finalists for this round 3.  We have a little over a week left of this round.  At last measure (week 8) I had lost 37cm, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what it will be next week.

So I'm top 15%.  YAHOO!!!!!

Meeting Michelle

Today I went to the Health and Fitness Expo and met Michelle Bridges.

I am so embarrassed!  I was so nervous and so intimidated.  I ended up being a nervous babbling nitwit, LOL!  Seriously, Michelle will be thinking that that girl (me) is a lost cause!

Now there was no reason for me to be nervous and certainly not any reason what so ever to feel intimidated as Michelle was so warm and friendly.  Michelle is so tall.  I didn't realise she was so tall and she is SO fit!  I don't know what came over me and why I was so nervous and babbling.  

I went up with my cookbook for her to sign.  Here is how our conversation went....  I told Michelle I was in my first round this round.  She asked how I was going.  Well, instead of saying "Great, I've lost 7.2kgs, I've lost 37 cm's in 8 weeks".... I say "oh good, I'm not there in the mindset yet"!  WHAT!  WHY WOULD I SAY THAT?  She asked me why that is and I said "oh I don't know, I haven't been exercising as much as I should, I had a skin cancer removed so couldn't do a lot during that time, but I was walking".  EXCUSES EXCUSES!  WHAT DOES MICHELLE DISLIKE?.... EXCUSES.  I did say I had her DVD's.  But why didn't I say that I have her stepper too and I love it?  That I have been using the stepper and the DVD it comes with?

Then I ramble on that I tore an artery and can't lift over 4kgs.   Now really, what has that got to do with the price of tea in China? There are plenty of other exercises I can do to get around lifting 4kgs.   I am meeting Michelle Bridges, for the first time, first impressions count I know this!  And I start babbling in a negative tone with ridiculous excuses.  Then, she asked me about my nutrition.  Which I really have been sticking to 100%, I'm loving the meal plans, loving the food, have been changing some meals out for others on the program (like the satay meals, being anaphylactic to peanuts rules those out).  But I am sticking to the 1200 calories, I have not been tempted once, even whilst baking cupcakes several times, even last week when I made 50 Oreo pops, filling them with white chocolate as I add the stick, the covering them with dark chocolate!  I didn't have one, I didn't lick my fingers, I was not tempted at all.

I know I have been slack with my exercise but I have not with my food.  Why wouldn't I just say that?  But NOOOOOO.... What do I say "oh good, but that really wasn't a problem before", now I can see the look on her face, it was a, yeah sure lady, who are you kidding kind of look, LOL. You didn't get this size from eating well kind of look, so knowing that what I just said sounded ridiculous, I then said "oh portions were my problem, we have eaten a pretty much organic, no processed food diet for a long time".  Now this is true.  We don't drink soft drinks, we don't eat chips, I don't keep any junk in the house.  We have eaten whole grain for years, it's all my son knows.  Lots of fresh fruit and vegies.  Portions were my biggest problem!  I was eating two to four times per meal what I should have been.  So that's means instead of having three meals a day, I was having the equivalent of 6 to 12 meals a day!!!!!

I then had my photo taken and said bye and off I toddled.  I couldn't believe it!  I just felt like such a nitwit and I know I really came off as an excuse ridden person.

Michelle if you ever get to read my blog,  I am so sorry that I was not showing my positive self today.  I am not entirely a negative excuse ridden person.  I LOVE your program, I've lost 7.2kgs so far this round, no I have not been exercising enough.  But I LOVE the meal plan, I love the snip tips and the weekly videos, I LOVE the forums, I have signed up for round 4 already as I know this program will get me too my goal weight and will change my mindset back to what it used to be.  It's not there yet, I don't know why, it's there in the food side, but not for the exercise.   I am full of excuses in the exercise department!  I want to exercise but I think I'm scared (here comes excuse number 100).  That sounds crazy I know, but I don't want to have another stroke or tear my artery again, which getting my heart rate and blood pressure too high could do, that could tear my artery again!  But not getting my weight down puts me at great risk of it happening again, so I need to JFDI.  I have Dr's restriction with what I am allowed to get my heart rate too and the weight limit I can lift.  So why don't I do that?  I NEED to exercise, I NEED to lose this last 17kgs!  I don't want my son to become an orphan, his dad died when he was young. Mind games, I wish I could shut my mind off sometimes.

So, tomorrow I am going to JFDI!   I am going to lift my exercise game.  When I meet you next Michelle I am going to be many many kg's lighter and I will be fitter!  I promise.  I will get my mind under control.  Please don't think that I am a lost cause, I know I did come across that way today at the Expo.  I feel mortified, I had a brief time with you and I wasted it with excuses!  When I should have been telling you how much I love the program, how much I appreciate all that you give to people, thank you for being there for everyone, complete strangers, giving your time to change peoples lives!   I appreciate that and I am so grateful! Thank You!

Week 6 Results

I have been feeling much better this week.

The last couple of weeks I was feeling a bit down, not very motivated.  I have been sticking to the 1200 calories without a problem, but I have not been exercising well.  I think I have only gone over 1200 calories once, and I think it was by about 5 calories.  I just haven't been feeling right, I'm not sure how to explain it.  But just not my usual positive self.  I have been needing a major change in mindset as I have been letting things upset me that I normally wouldn't.   I think I know what it is, it is a group I have been involved with and they are not a positive group, so I have removed myself from that influence and decided to just concentrate on the positive influences, positive people, inspirational people, positive groups! And I am getting my exercise back on track!  I am not used to negative people.  I am generally a very positive person, try to find the glass half full, try to find the good in people, treat others as I like to be treated, respect others and like to surround myself with like minded people.  I do find it fascinating how other peoples negativity can have such an impact on your own thoughts and feelings.   Sometimes you really do have to remove yourself from those people and again surround yourself with positiveness (is that a word, LOL) .

So... my weight loss this week.  I lost 900 grams (almost 2lbs).  That brings my total so far to 6.2kgs (13.66 lbs).   So I am right on track to to hit my 12kg loss goal for this challenge.

Now I know it's not the done thing, but I have already signed up for Round 4 of the 12WBT .  I know that I will not have lost all the weight I will want to so decided to just sign up now.  I do love this program, the meals are just delicious, they are great serving sizes, the support on the forums is fantastic, the little videos and snip tips from Michelle are awesome.  The exercise has so much variety and flexibility for home, outdoor if you are not a member of a gym (I have not learnt to love the exercise yet, LOL).  So I know this is a program for life change, it's something that is able to be carried on after you have lost the weight.   I haven't been to the round 4 forums or anything as I am wanting to concentrate on this round (round 3).  But round 4 will be getting close to Christmas and we all know how expensive that time of year is with all of the gift buying, end of year school functions, cooking, so I just wanted to get the payment of that out of the way now, so that I don't have to worry about it when the time comes.

Another exciting milestone that has been accomplished in this week.  I am back in the overweight BMI after being in the obese BMI!  Woo Hoo, I'm really quite excited about this!
I'm overweight, YAY!

Anyway I hope that you have all had good weeks, had losses that you are happy with and if not, today is another day, this week is another week and we can refocus, pick ourselves up and JFDI (I do love that saying, LOL).

Yummy Dinners

This week has had some of the yummiest dinners on the program yet.

Now don't get me wrong... There have been SO many good meals!  Printing up the recipes on 12wbt each week means that I am really creating quite a recipe book.

Two of the dinners this week have been added to the family favourites.  There was "I cant' believe it's not butter chicken" and Beef Stroganoff.

The chicken dish was a complete hit!  Our family are not big curry or spice eaters.  We rarely have indian food or hot chilli meals.  But the chicken dish used tandoori paste and it was just so delicious I had my son asking for more.  We even got to have papadums with the chicken meal.  I have only had those once before and really couldn't remember what they tasted like, but we loved those too.  My son also had rice with his and gobbled it down.

I can't believe it's not butter chicken with papadums

Then the beef stroganoff.  The serving I felt was huge!  My son again had it with rice.

Beef Stroganoff with pasta and green beans.

What I am loving is how quick and easy the meals on 12wbt are.  I am often too tired to make dinner so we have take away or something quick and easy.  But most of these meals have a very short prep time and a short cooking time so it makes cooking dinner after a long day really easy!

Tip:  Always serve your food in smaller bowls, or small plates.  Using large plates or bowls makes the meal look small.  In small, cereal type bowls it makes a meal look huge!

Yes! Results

Yesterday was weigh in and also being the 4 week mark we had to do our measurements too.

I have been kind of sneaking in extra weigh ins.  I have weighed myself during the week rather than just doing it every Wednesday morning.  I am just too curious and impatient to wait a whole week to see if I have lost weight.   My measurements on the other hand.  I have not done.  To be honest I really didn't think I had lost anything in the measurement department.  Maybe a cm or two but really not much.

Well can you imagine my shock when I did my measurements yesterday morning to find that I had lost 21.5 cm.  Yes that's right, 21.5 cm.  I was just thrilled.  I lost 6 cm off my chest, 4 cm off my waist, 3.5 cm off my hips, 1.5 cm off one arm and 2 cm off another, 1 cm off one thigh and 3.5 cm off the other thigh!  I don't quite get why I lost so much off one thigh and not the other.

Now for the weight results.  I only lost 700 grams this week.  So that's a total of 4.7kg in 4 weeks.  It also put's me into the 70's!  Love moving out of the 80's.

I have been really down the this last week.  Feeling in a bit of a rut, a slump, just not my normal positive self.  Far too much negativity and a lack of motivation.  Well I can say that after seeing that I had lost 21.5cm so far and 4.7kg so far I was given a much needed boost.  Add to that the win in the weekly surprise last week I am really feeling much better and back to my positive, driven self.

Bring on week 5 (and 6, 7, 8... 12, LOL).

I hope everybody else has had great results, results you are happy about and proud of.    After all, we should all be very proud of ourselves, regardless of our results, just knowing that we have done our best!

Weekly Surprise - WINNER

YES!  That's right.  I can't believe it!  Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation challenge has a weekly surprise each week.  Everybody doing the 12wbt can enter.  I have entered each week so far, but I have yet to win one.   Week 2 was an Inspiration Board.  Wow were there some amazing entries.  There was one who stuck her pictures to a pair of jeans, it was absolutely AMAZING and as soon as I saw it (and I'm sure everybody else), it was a winner, just so clever and incredibly inspirational.

This last week's challenge was a blog challenge.  We had to nominate our blog (or somebody else's) for one of the weekly prizes.  This week the prize was a set of Chiballs.  I had never heard of these balls but I have googled them and they look fantastic.

Well this morning the email came through and I am one of this weeks winners!  I can't believe it!  I can not tell you how excited I was!  I can't even win an argument let alone a competition, so I was just SO excited this morning when I saw my name there on the winner list!  I was jumping around the room, singing "I won, I won".  My son looked at me like I was a lunatic, LOL. I had such a down week this last week, was feeling very low and I don't know, not positive.  But I can not tell you what this win has done!  It has given me a big boost, new added vigour that I need to carry on and give this challenge my all.

So I would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to every one of my readers who nominated my blog.  I know when I saw the first nomination made by a 12wbt member on the forums I was blown away.  I write my blog, not knowing if anybody is actually reading, so to see somebody nominate my little blog was just beyond exciting and I was just so grateful for every one of you who did.  So THANK YOU!

I also want to say thank you to all of my readers out there.  I don't know how many of you there are, but I know there are some.  I really appreciate that you are sharing this journey with me and offering support and inspiration with your comments.

Thank you so much Michelle Bridges and the 12wbt crew for choosing my blog and for that fantastic Chiball set! Such an awesome prize!

I would like to give a shout out and a big congratulations to all of my fellow winners of this week's surprise.  Pop over and see their blogs!  They are all amazing and so inspirational.  Thanks to Casey from http://kcmason12wbtjourney.blogspot.com.au for doing up the list too (I did get the list from your post on the forums).

http://sailorvee.com

http://bodyimagediaries.blogspot.com.au

http://mishsmash.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/Traceys12wbtJourney

http://daynamorphic.blogspot.com.au

http://kcmason12wbtjourney.blogspot.com.au

http://eatingmovingwriting.blogspot.com.au

http://theblogofjules.blogspot.com.au

http://leitchy.blogspot.com.au

http://www.shehascuterunners.com

http://cocogirlbutter.blogspot.com.au

http://caitlinramrakha.com

http://theskinnyonamydeville.wordpress.com

http://idontwantfrieswiththat.wordpress.com

http://wonderwomankipwil.blogspot.com.au

http://www.rach-v2.blogspot.com.au

http://www.finding-carol.blogspot.com.au

http://newstartsugarfree.blogspot.com.au

http://fitandhappynotfatandhippy.com

Favourite 12WBT Tip

I can't believe that we are at week three already!

One of the tips I have learnt from 12wbt (and I have picked up many, thanks to the awesome snip tips) that I am using all the time, will not be a tip you will be expecting.  I absolutely LOVE this tip.  I have been using it every single night whilst making dinner.  It is to have a rubbish bowl on the kitchen bench.  Simple I know, but it's something I have never done before.  Whenever I cook I just put rubbish on the bench, or carry some over to the sink or to the bin.  Sometimes I will have a plastic bag on the bench and put rubbish in as I chop, but I have never had a bowl, specifically for rubbish sitting there with me and now I do and I love it.  No wandering to the sink with onion skin, garlic peel, then carrot ends, then shallot ends etc.  Now I just pile them all into the bowl and empty all at once.

Gosh I am loving the food on this program.  What's also great is so is my son!  Well my son is only having the dinners.  I won't make him different food.  Well I have never made him different food, from when he first started eating he has eaten the same meals as us/me but sometimes in modified form.  I am having to modify them now but to increase calories, adding rice to his meal with the stir fry, larger portion of lasagna etc.   I thought my favourite meal was the Lasagna we had the other night.  But last night was steak with a creamy mushroom sauce!  My son actually asked me if he could lick the plate, LOL.  I did change the steak a little.   We had eye fillet steak, rather than the rump and I also added some fresh garlic to the sauce.  But it was the most delicious meal.  That will be another regular in our household!

So I have the food under control, I just have to get the exercise under control!

Baggy Pants

Ok, that is a lie!  I don't have baggy pants.... YET!

Week three weigh in today.  Now for those not doing 12WBT, we started on Monday 27th and our first weigh in was Wednesday 29th.  So week one weigh in was only two days after starting.  But that was to get us to an every Wednesday weigh in.  So in two weeks and two days I have lost..... 

Drum roll please....

 4kg exactly (8.81 lbs).  I lost 1.2kgs this week which I am very happy about considering the only exercise I have been able to do is walking (see a post last week about skin cancer) and I couldn't do that for a couple of days thanks to pain.  But sticking to the 1200 calories a day is what has helped I think.

So back to the baggy pants.  Well that was a fabrication I will say, but I can definitely notice a difference in my jeans.  They were really starting to get a little tight, with an attractive muffin top.  That was one of the things that made me seek out this program.  It was either that or get a new pair of jeans.  Option 1... Spend $200 on a pair of new, larger jeans.   Option 2... Spend $200 on changing my life and doing Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation  (and ultimately having to buy an new pair of jeans, but I am happy to purchase a smaller pair, LOL).  I chose Option 2!

Anyway, there is no sign of the muffin top now which I am thrilled about and the jeans are getting a little looser.  It means I can wear tighter tops again.  As my jeans developed the muffin top.  Ok my jeans did not develop it, my stomach did.  I could no longer wear tighter tops, I had to wear baggy tops to cover the embarrassing over hang.  Now I'm back into my normal tops.  

I have a fundraiser cocktail party to go to in two and a half weeks.  If I've lost 4kgs now, another 4 or even 3 in that time will mean I'm 7kgs lighter (15.4 lbs) and surely some people will notice.  I'm quite excited about it actually, it's nice when people start to notice a change in your body shape.

Next goal, go down a jeans size!  That won't be far away!

How is everybody else going on their journey?

Weekly Shop

I have not been one to do a weekly shop in the past.  I would find that when I would do weekly a shop, I would end up wasting a lot of food a I would buy things, that I know we would like, but with no real meal or menu planned.  So I stopped doing it, I started going to the supermarket in the afternoons, on the way to or home from school pick up.  The only problem is, that if I couldn't be bothered,  we would just grab take away.  Sushi, Japanese, Pizza (always from a local Italian restaurant so it's good pizza with really fresh ingredients, but yes, it's still pizza).

I shop at a local organic supermarket so I would tend to go shopping every two or three days as they get their fresh produce in on Monday's and Thursdays. 

My local organic grocery store.  Love the fresh produce.

But I have not been doing the three + weekly shop that I was doing! I now go to the "big supermarket" as we call it in our house (Coles, Woolies) on a Sunday to stock up on everything I need from the 12wbt weekly menu shopping list that I can't get at my local organic supermarket. Then on a Monday, I go to the "little supermarket" organic grocer. To stock up on everything else.

My trolley of shopping for the week.

I can not tell you how much better it is doing a menu plan for the week! This has really saved me a lot of money, due to not buying random things that I think may be nice to cook, should I find a recipe and never end up doing. It has also made me a lot more organised so that I do actually cook at home, rather than racing out for some sushi.

So tip for everyone who is not following 12wbt, do up a weekly meal plan! Then shop for it! Makes things so much easier.

Temptations

I seem to have been bombarded with temptations since starting 12wbt and I am thrilled to say that I have not given in once.

A few days after this challenge started on 27th August, it was my son's birthday.  Every year he takes cupcakes to school as they are not allowed to take a cake.  Too hard for the teachers to cut up arrarently.  So he put in an order for Mars Bar cupcakes, his favourite (and they are my favourite too).  He also wanted them for his party.  So a few days after starting this challenge I made a batch of 27 cupcakes and I didn't have one!   I didn't even lick my finger, or have a little chunk of mars bar as I normally do (you know the drill, one piece of mars bar for the mouth, one for the top of the cupcake and that routine continues as you chop mars bars, LOL).   Two days later I had to make another batch for the party and again, didn't have one.  Even as the other parents at the party were indulging away, I again resisted.


My Mars Bar Cupcake

What did some people give my son for a present? A Jumbo box of Cadbury Favourites! OMG!!! Oh I love Favourites!  He also got a massive block of Toblerone.  Luckily I am allergic to nuts, so the thought of Toblerone makes me ill, literally, lol.  But the Favourites are a different story!  I love those.  They are sitting at the top of the pantry, have been there for 9 days, slowly going down, but not one has been eaten by me!

The night of my son's birthday we went to my mothers for the birthday dinner.  There was home made chocolate pudding, with home made vanilla and chocolate ice cream.  I have to tell you that this is my all time favourite dessert.  It's a dessert we had as kids and is now being made for the next generation.  I again resisted the temptation!

Along came Fathers Day.  Lunch was at my house.  The lunch was easy, all very healthy but there was one request.... My famous double chocolate brownies with organic coconut ice cream.  I couldn't deny my dad his dessert request on Fathers Day, so I made it.  Again, I did not become tempted.

I can't believe it! I have not given in once!  I have to say, excuse me for tooting my own horn, but really I am very impressed with my willpower!

I have another coming up next week.  An afternoon tea for the kids at school and every class has been given something to make.  I was looking down the list.. Sushi, sandwiches, fruit platter... And I get to my sons class, and I see "cupcakes".  MORE CUPCAKES!  I said "oh for goodness sake universe, what is up with all of this torture temptation?".  I will again make cupcakes and I WILL again resist temptation!

Skin Cancer

Well what a couple of weeks of ups and downs this has been.

I will firstly say that I absolutely LOVE Michelle Bridges 12 week transformation challenge.  I love the food/nutrition plan, love the forums, love the whole way the program is structured.  The one thing that I have struggled with over the last week specifically is exercise.

I had a large skin cancer cut out of my back last week and have a back full of stitches, well not full, I have a long line of them.  It was a basel cell carcinoma.  It's at the top half, near my bra line, so every time I move it pulls and hurts.  Who knows how long it's been there.  It was quite large and being on my back, under my hairline, it was probably growing there for years.

So I am restricted with exercise as it can be easily pulled open.  The Dr has put a special tape over a large portion of my back, he didn't say why, but I assume it's so that I don't pull on the stitches too much.  So I am restricted with exercise for the two weeks that the stitches are in and then the Dr said I have to be even more careful for 7 to 10 days after they come out so as not to split the wound open.

Skin Cancer removed from the centre of my back.

I have had three cut out of my back before.  All three split open and I have huge scars where this has happened so I am going to be careful so that I do not add more to the already ugly road map that has become my back.

So this week I didn't do anything for the first couple of days, then I have been walking.  It does even hurt to walk, as just moving my arms does pull and push on my upper back but I just plod along.  Well with this walking my shin splints have flared up!  I am sitting here now with ice on my right shin in particular.  The left doesn't seem to be as bad.  Shin splints are agony and they just don't seem to go away!  The more you walk or run on them, the worse they seem to get!  I've been upping my magnesium tablets, trying to stretch them, ice them and my next step.... New Shoes!  I am going to head to Athletes Foot this week and be fitted with some new shoes, this may be the problem.    As being limited to what I can do for the next two and a half weeks I need my legs to work, so I am helping that new shoes will help with the sore shins.

So how have I gone with weight loss?  Well even though I have been restricted in the exercise department I have been sticking to the eating plan, well pretty much.  There have been a few meals that I wasn't a fan of, so swapped those for other meals from the 12wbt recipe index that were similar in calories.  So we started Monday 27th August and we had our first weigh in on Wednesday 29th August.  I know, not long after the start but every Wednesday is weigh in so the first weigh in was not long after starting.  In the first weigh in I lost 1.6kgs (3.52 lbs), then last Wednesday I lost another 1.2kgs (2.64 lbs), so that is a total of 2.8kgs in the first 10 days.  I am absolutely thrilled with that.  My goal was 1kg a week for this challenge, with a total of 12 kgs.  So to have lost 2.8kgs, that is more than I was hoping for, so I am one happy little diva!

Week 3 starts tomorrow and I can't wait!

Menu Plan On 12WBT

I love Thursdays!

Thursdays are when the menus for the next week are released.  I sit down, print up the weeks menu planner.  Add it to my binder and cross out the meals I don't like the sound of and find something else to replace it with.  I then print up all of the recipes and add them to my binder.  I love this recipe book that we are creating on this challenge, they are recipes that are already becoming family favourites.

Once I have printed the menus, it's time to print off the week's shopping list.  I go through that and cross out the things we don't need (for the meals we don't like).  I add other things (for the meals we are replacing) and off I go to the supermarket on Sunday afternoon and do the weekly shop.

I love how easy most of these recipes are.  I am time poor.  I am often tired after working all day, so to then come home and cook dinner can be a bit of a chore in my household and take away is a regular occurrence due to this.  We do still get take away I will be honest.  Well I don't, I will use one of my already prepared meals from the 12wbt menu as my take away, but my family does love Japanese and this is our most regular take away.   But the recipes for 12wbt are SO easy!  Easy and quick to prepare and really delicious.

There was a beef and broccolini stir fry the other night.  I had it as is and my son had it with rice!  We both LOVED it!  Gobbled it down and it is now going to be a regular on our dining plan.  I have loved the lunches too.  I think my favourite has been the Beef, Horseradish and Beetroot sandwich.  I have had this many many times as it is easy for me to make in the morning and take to work with me.  Another favourite is the rice cakes with avocado, turkey and sprouts!  YUM YUM YUM.

For breakfast this morning I had an egg and bacon wrap.  It was an egg, some cooked bacon and sprouts in a mountain bread wrap.  It is SO tasty and I have had it a couple of times now (have swapped another breakfast for this one).

Now I have had some I wasn't a fan of, the Fish Stew was one of them.  I just didn't like the spice flavours,  but from the 12wbt forum comments, I seem to be the only one who didn't like it, LOL  But we all have different tastes, which is why being able to swap for another meal item is great.

Anyone thinking about doing Michelle Bridges 12 week transformation challenge and are worried about the food.  Don't be!  The food is fantastic.  Easy to prepare, easy to cook, great for time poor and the portions sizes are great!  Much larger than I expected.

Task 7... The Fitness Test

Well today I completed the Fitness Test part of the 12wbt.

I had shin splints years and years ago and I find that if I walk without warming up they come back.  Well today I took off in a very slow job (I am rather unfit now after months of not exercising) and I was in absolute agony!  So bad that I was having trouble walking.  I was very disappointed in my 9 minute 1km walk.  It was rather embarrassing to be honest.  I am really going to have to investigate this shin splint thing!  I just can't understand how after my first jog in about 20 years, why within about 5 minutes I was in such incredible pain!  For anyone who has never had them, they are excruciating.  I wonder if it's my shoes?  or the way I walk?

Anyway my 9 minute result put me in the Beginner category for the 12wbt.  Then it was on to the push ups.  Oh dear, I used to be good at those, LOL.  In the one minute I did 26 of them which put me in the intermediate category.

Next was abdominal strength test.  Well I don't have any abdominal strength, LOL.  So I was in the beginner category for that test.

Next was the wall sit.  I felt like I was sitting there for minutes.  I was somewhat shocked when I stood up and my son stopped the stopwatch.  It was only 35 seconds!  Beginner again!   My 12 year old son decided that the wall sit looked cool, so he wanted to try it.  I reset the stop watch and he got into position.  He was in a perfect right angle, perfect position.  How long did he sit there?  I was mortified! Mortified at how long I had sat there compared to him.  He sat there for 3 minutes and 25 seconds!  Yes, that's right!  3 minutes 25 seconds.  He is starting rowing next term at school.  He may be quite good at that with that leg strength!

The final test was Sit and Reach.  With this test, we had to put our feet up to a step and have a ruler to measure how far forward we could reach.  I made it to +4 cms (which was 4cms past my toes).  This was the intermediate category.

Now to work out wether we are Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced for the 12wbt, we take the average of our fitness test.  My average was Beginner.

Thank goodness that is over!  I really don't like tests, of any kind.  Have to do it all again at the 4 week mark, but I should be fitter by then and I'm looking forward to seeing my improvements.

Task 6... Organise and Diarise

Another task complete.

I really loved this task!  I love being organised!  One of my favourite stores is Kikki K.  I could wander around there all day and buy almost everything in that shop.

I have purchased a few things to help myself get organised for this 12 week challenge (life time transformation).  I have purchased a book called Fit Book  This can be purchased in Australia too, I bought mine from a discount nutrition supplement store just up the road from me.   This is a fabulous diary to keep track of your food and exercise.

The next thing I have done is to print up all of the recipes for the coming week, as well as a few more.  There were a few recipes that I didn't like so I have just decided to have different recipe for that particular meal.  I have found other recipes where a serve is very similar calories.  I have bought a folder, dividers and plastic pockets and have added all of the printed menus into Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and desserts.  At the front I have a printout of my meal plan for every meal for the whole week. In another section of the folder I have also added some pages of preferred snacks.  So that is the meal planning all organised.  All I have to do now for this is to create a cover for the folder.  It has a plastic slot at the front of the folder for me to slid a piece of paper into it, so I want to create something really inspirational to put in the front.

I have printed off my exercise planner for this week and will be adding that to another folder all of it's own.    I purchased a weekly planner from Kikki K and have written out the week's plan for exercise, supermarket shopping, work and activities.

I still think I will tweak this planning as the weeks go on.  I really do love planning and having things all set out and organised.  This was such a fun task!