Seeing Changes

Today I want to share the changes I have noticed since I started this almost 7 weeks ago.


This week I bought a new pair of jeans! My current jeans I need to wear a belt with.. but they are that baggy around the top that the belt doesn't sit properly on it anymore! That feels awesome :)

I have a stack of Tommy Hilfiger Polos which use to sit tight around my stomach. They are loose now! Fit comfortably. Actually all my current shirts are now loose to wear around the waist.

I have a zip up jacket i used to have to suck in my gut to do up at the bottom and would sit very snug. Today I didn't have to suck it in just to get it done up.

Left - 11.7kg later

Still not ready to show full body pics.. but this pic of my face definitely shows a difference from 11.7kg ago.







There has definitely been changes in my fitness too
I could barely hold a plank for 45seconds at my first fitness test - just recently I could hold 1min 30secs.

In the beginning I would get constant shin aches and calf cramps when trying to walk 6km+ - now I can walk comfortably at an incline at this pace.

First few weeks, I couldn't even last a minute on the X trainer - now I have a love hate relationship with it, pushing myself for 15 mins at level 6 on random.

Went shopping the other day with hubby and the kids, and I said something smart ass to him which he always reacts by pinching my side waist fat. To his pleasant surprise he couldn't grab anything! I couldn't be anymore grateful to have such a proud and supporting husband.

As of today I am below 85kg! That is such an awesome milestone. 10kg lost was great but cracking 85kg is very exciting!

Rest day tomorrow... If I can force myself to rest!

10 Kg Gone! 20 to go!

This week I conquered a mini goal.
10kg gone! 86.2kg is something I hadn't seen for about 6 years, before the lifestyle of working shift work and living in Sydney with super handy fast food/ food courts/home delivery of foods was right there.

What has made these 10kg successful?
1)
Well. I think having a life changing moment really propels you in the right direction.
As I mentioned, after spending the previous week consuming 2 packets of nasi goreng noodles for breakfast and standing on the scales wish wish wishing that it hadn't really affected me; and seeing the 96.2kg flash up on the scales before me... that was my life changing moment.

Before this moment, I remember Dad making snide comments about I should exercise/eat less/stop eating crap, every time I saw him. It made me want to rebel against him even more and eat more of what I liked (that was my relationship with him my whole life though - pushing back against his "criticism").

So I didn't tell him I was going to the gym and I told mom not to tell him - or tell him but tell him to keep his mouth shut. After the 3 weeks I finally started mentioning it to him and now 6 weeks from making the change, I love boasting I have lost 10kg and "look how big my pants are!"

2)
Having a plan - a direction to follow. I work well by rules/direction/processes.
Eat 1200 cal - check
Exercise 6 days a week - check
Quite simple saying it like that really!

What else has helped me plan
Using Michelle Bridge's crunchtime cook book helped me keep my dinners in line for the first 5 weeks before the 12wbt started and now having an exercise plan on top of it now points me in the right direction. I know exactly what I am doing each day.

 3)
Seeing results.
I have been always a control freak. I want to be in control of what affects me and my family. If I don't see results of my actions I lose focus - I worry and get anxious.
What has helped is seeing what I am losing after each workout. Yeah it's generally not a good thing to weigh yourself everyday. But I thrive off seeing results of what I do.
I have prepared myself mentally for plateaus and I can always explain a weight gain. There is no hiding when you record everything you eat!
The results in my clothes are awesome! Loose pants loose shirts.. loose tummy (Not a nice sight but it DOES mean I'm losing weight)

4)
JFDI - A simple mantra. If you question yourself answer yourself with JFDI (Just fkn do it!)
Why question doing something you should do every day..

5)
Fantastic Support Network . Hubby has been fantastic - I've been able to shoot away to the gym at 5am and if Chubbachups wakes up while I'm gone he will tend to him. He boxes with me on the weekend. If I need to go to bed early he will tend to the kids.
Friends. They constantly encourage me and say words of praise which mean so much!
Forums/Facebook groups - Awesome way to discuss questions and find out information

I can't wait to see what I will look like after the next 10kg. I am so excited about getting into the 70s. It is something I have only dreamt about for the last 7 years... It's time to make it reality! and nothing is stopping me!

Killin' Day One

12wbt Round 1 started today!
Below are my starting stats. Let's hope in 4 weeks there is some improvement!

Yesterday was Jelly Bean's birthday. Kinda let loose. Ate things I wouldn't normally eat now. But I guess I have been going so well for 5 weeks, so a little celebration is not so bad?

Today I smashed out Mish's intermediate program. Me who has only lasted 7 mins on a X trainer on level one, did my 10 min sesh at level 3 Yay!
So proud of myself and was able to burn 475cals in the process (Little more than what I was doing just doing walking and cycling for 55 mins)

Had to get a medical for work today, so I was home early and convinced hubby to come to the gym again! Smashed out the same session again and to top it off I did the cross trainer again for 10 mins on level 6!! Wahoo!

Tomorrow is a strength day. Learning how to use different weights. I know not to expect a high calorie burn tomorrow and its necessary. So I hope I go ok (I am so weak in my triceps but have awesome biceps from carrying a 14kg 9mth old Chubbachup lol).

It's so true once you really get into exercising, it is soo addictive. 6 weeks ago I would never imagine exercising the way I do now. 6 days a week. Guilting myself into a sneaky lil sesh on the 7th. Hah. It's great.

Anyway till later

Few more days till it all starts!

So today I got meal plans and exercise plans.

Definitely need to modify my meal plan (can't make different breakfasts and lunches everyday). But I guess its basically what I'm doing now - I have been watching my calories for the last 4 weeks and am used to it now.

The exercise plans.. well the X trainer still scares me.. I feel like my knees are gonna give out every time I use it. No longer will I be doing my cycling and power walking.. there is a mixture of things...
Little bit anxious though. No idea how to use the weight equipment at the gym and at the moment I just don't have the time to come in during staff hours to get shown. However, lucky enough those toning days I can probably do in the back yard/garage instead of going to the gym... I don't know how that's going to work as the mornings get darker again... we'll see.

Oh and my fitness test put me in intermediate... better than I thought.. but a little daunting... Oh well got to try everything once.

Also did my measurements today, though I'll share them later as I'm in desperate need of sleep after Jelly Bean's 3rd birthday today!

Fitness Test #1

Fitness Test Time!
This is how I went:

• 1km time trial - 8:52min
• Pushups - 22 in a min (knees)
• Plank - 42 secs (knees)
• Wall Sit - 14 secs
• Sit and Reach - 12cm

 At the gym I can power walk a km in 10 minutes, so I'm happy I went faster than that! :) Stamina wise, I was fine, just my shins and arches were killing me and that was why I would have to go back to walking. I've always had issues with my arches. All through highschool I avoided any sort of out door running because they would kill. Now I am fairly good on a treadmill. Maybe because of the dead flat surface? Who knows.

Pushups I'm fairly impress with too didn't expect to do that many, but my arms (what's that muscle along the back of your upper arm?) were soo cramping afterwards!

Planking I impressed myself again as I haven't really planked before

Wall sit I found shocking.. especially since I cycle everyday, I thought I would do alot better, but OMG!

And sit and reach.. well i used to be a dancer and I know I have lost lots of flexibility so I don't think I did too bad :)

It will be interesting to see how I improve over the 12 weeks!

Anyway today I weighed in at 87.75kg!
First time I have seen myself under 88kg for about 6 years :) So motivation is high for the start of 12wbt next week. I'm so pumped!

Winning!

Just a quick on this morning. Wanted to share my excitement of another 800g this morning! so 7.8kg in TOTAL!
The last time i was 88kg was 6 weeks after chubbachups was born and I said I wasnt going to go back in the 90s... well i wasn't prepared and fell off the horse...
But  this time it feels the real deal! I get so excited each kilo I go down. I think I will be in tears when i get to 85kg!

Anyway gotta get the kids to swimming :)


 02/02/2013 11:53 Eastern Summer Time (New South Wales)

I just wanted to add, after swimming we go to mom's where the kids stay for the afternoon so hubby and I can do the groceries (and some alone time). I stay at mom's while hubby dashes home to have a shower (from swimming) and I wash both kids in the tub. This task has always been a struggle for me - squatting down to wash them, get them out of the tub... dressing them.. (Note: Jellybean has a shower at home  with daddy's help every morning and daddy gives Chubbachups his baths as I'm usually at work by then)...

... but today I have felt such a big difference! Down and up without problems, I didn't feel like my body was groaning at me everytime I went through the motions. I'm having such a high day today.... though I know I will be pooped by the end of it as Chubbachups had mommy and daddy awake all night with teething :S

The start is near...

Can't believe it is 10 more sleeps to the beginning of 12wbt rd1. The Warm Up period and Pre Season has gone so fast. But I don't think I have ever been so prepared.

Movement
Since taking the first step of signing up for 12wbt, I had never thought going to the gym would become part of my everyday life.
Looking back at the last 4 weeks, I remember:-
Week 1

• I had migraines for most of the week
• I was recovering from a head cold and hocking up the crap in my throat.. but going to the gym actually stopped me from coughing constantly
• I found it difficult to walk more than 5.5km/hr and my shins and calves ached ALL week
• I struggled cycling for 15mins on level 1 at 75rpms
• Sunday weighed in around 93kg

Week 2

• Started cycling on level 2 at around 80rpms however would start to get sharp cramps in my calves
• Started walking at varying inclines however still kept getting sharp sudden cramps in my calves 
• Felt guilty not going to the gym so did my Kick Boxing dvd and an hour of boxing drills with hubby
• Sunday weighed in around 91kg

Week 3

• Doms in my back and side muscles from boxing.. took till Thursday to feel normal again
• Cycling on level 3 around 80-85rpms. No more leg cramps!
• Walking on varying inclines at level 2 5.7km avg
• 1 min bursts of jogging
• Plateaued Friday-Sat- Sun
• Sunday again couldn't shake the guilty feeling of not working out, so did my kick boxing dvd again while Chubbachups watched me (everyone else was still asleep) and boxing with hubby again
• Sunday weighed in 89.9kg (lowest 89.7 this week)

Week 4

• Inner thighs and buns aching from the buns and thigh section of dvd (which I didn't try the week before)
• Cycling on level 4 around 82-95rpms
• Walking up onto 3% incline avging 6.2km/hr
• Stopped the jogging as I seemed to record more calories walking fast and maintaining my heart rate  around 140rpm+ than  spiking up to 160bpm then back down to 130 again.
• As of Friday currently 89.2kg. 7kg LOST! :D

Eating
As for my eating, I haven't felt more fuller, satisfied and all over good about my food choices in a long while.

I've tried to adopt the saying eat like a King for breakfast, Prince for lunch and Pauper for dinner, usually eating my last meal before 6pm. Someone mentioned on one of my forums the other day to drink some water before going to bed helps your metabolism while you sleep. Figured I have a fairly strong bladder for it to not wake me in the middle of the night so have been doing it the last couple of days - don't know whether the weightloss numbers is coincidental though.

Normal day currently consists of

• piece of fruit before the gym
• breakfast bran with blueberries and banana (or variations of what is in Michelle Bridges crunchtime - enjoyed the baked beans and fried egg on occassion!)
• piece of fruit for a snack
• Generally at work it's either mountain bread, whole meal wrap or cruskits with avo/tomato/cucumber, cold cuts and either mayo/cottage cheese/tzatziki
• piece of fruit or yoghurt for a snack
• Dinner is generally something from Michelle Bridges crunchtime cookbook

Eating out I generally go with sumo salad or subway and I actively use my fitness pal to diarise and check everything I eat.

Changes I've noticed

• Clothes are looser
• stretch marks (from my pregnancies) are now very wrinkly, like a crumpled plastic shopping bag. As much as its yuck. It does remind me that the flab beneath it is going!
• I have more energy during the day, however feeling dead tired once the sun goes down!

What's next.
My next hurdle is familiarising myself with other gym equipment. I know the exercises provided to me would be more than just treadmills and bikes so I'm feeling a lil apprehensive - also since I'm at the gym at 5:30am - so no one really to ask. Though worse case scenario is I can choose to do Outdoor/at home options for the exercises I find awkward to do at the gym, so I have flexibility!

Jelly Bean's 3rd birthday is this week. Small family celebration on Thursday (so I have to rely on mom's cooking and being conservative with what I eat) and a bigger bash with friends on Sunday .

A task this week was to organise and diarise - except, I am HOPELESS with hand written diaries - no I am hopeless with all calendars electronic or hard copy. But I am forward planner in general, so I'm thinking maybe sticking to what I am doing now will help as I have covered some important elements such as making the gym part of my life/routine now and I prepare the weeks menu so I know what to shop for. I'm aware when birthdays/events are coming up and I have been handling them well I feel.
I'll see how I go, I guess if I start to struggle I can go get a diary/notebook and start jotting it all down.

This week is measurement time! be interesting to see what my numbers will be! I have measured my waist once... I need to find what it is so hopefully there will be a change from then and this week.

So anyway time to recharge my batteries for a full on Saturday of gym, bringing the kids to swimming lessons and grocery shopping! Night :)