Friday 31 August 2012

84 Reasons WHY I want to lose weight

After taking this idea from the 12WBT- thankyou Sarahmcgee- these are my 84 reasons why I want to lose weight
1.       To be the best version of myself
2.       Because I am so over feeling the way I do now
3.       To be healthy
4.       To FEEL healthy
5.       Because I am affecting my future negatively at this weight
6.       To live life to the fullest
7.       To not hinder my own potential
8.       To not feel like I’m letting myself and others down
9.       To be able to smile honestly
10.   To be able to enjoy my 4 beautiful horses, not just feed and groom only to then show in hand
11.   To not hinder my horses potential. I always had thoughts of people thinking “gorgeous horse, pity bout the fat owner who couldn’t run him out quick enough”
12.   To look in the mirror and look exactly how I want to
13.   Because I want to be confident, happy and healthy
14.   To actually want to look in the mirror without cringing and hiding with embarrassment
15.   To go into a shop and buy clothes I want to wear, not clothes that fit me
16.   To be able to talk to new people without feeling self-conscious
17.   Because I want to do outside activities and I’m sick of avoiding them due to my fitness level or lack of
18.   To go into a shop and not feel like the sales staff are judging me because they already know I won’t fit into their clothes
19.   To live without regrets
20.   To make better food/eating choices
21.   To have my BMI in the healthy range
22.   To catch up with friends I haven’t seen in forever and not think I’ve let myself go
23.   To be open to the idea of relationships and intimacy
24.   Because I need to learn to love myself again
25.   To not think what might have been if it hadn’t been for my weight
26.   To move out of the past and into the future
27.   Because I am so much more than I am currently
28.   To be able to completely rock lycra and look awesome on a bike
29.   Because I want to go to family events and have people comment positively on my weight not feel like I’m surrounded by negativity
30.   To go to the beach and have confidence to wear that bikini
31.   To be proud of who I am and what I’ve achieved
32.   To be able to get on the scales and not close my eyes
33.   To look after myself better and have pride in my appearance
34.   Because this weight isn’t who I am
35.   To enjoy exercise again.
36.   Because I am lonely only because I don’t socialise anymore due to my weight and own confidence- this WILL change
37.   To do a proper push-up on toes and as low as you can go
38.   To stop judging myself purely on my weight
39.   To make a lifestyle choice for the better
40.   To broaden my food horizons and not be so food fussy
41.   Because I actually WANT to do a fun run and RUN in it
42.   To go camping and not have to worry about getting up the mountains
43.   To wear heels again without my feet dying in the process
44.   Because I don’t want to have any of the health risks associated with being obese
45.   To never again be the token ‘fat friend’
46.   To buy a smaller work uniform
47.   To move on from past mistakes in life, food choices, environment etc.
48.   Because I’m over being so negative ALL the time
49.   Because I’m going to fill my life full of positives
50.   To gain a new lease on life
51.   To no longer own ‘Plus Size’ clothing
52.   To succeed
53.   To no longer feel like I’m behind everyone in the gym- I want to LEAD!!
54.   To have a bigger “Comfort Zone”
55.   To say “Yes” to invitations out, social events etc.
56.   Because this is something I need to do for myself
57.   To have an awesome butt lol and arms and legs heheh
58.   To be able to let go of all my fears. Fear of the gym, fear of food, clothes, people- just let it all go
59.   To get rid of all my excuses
60.   To do a triathlon
61.   Because I really want to wear those awesome coloured skinny jeans
62.   To get into a better sleeping plan.
63.   To kick my ass of out of my lazy routine
64.   To no longer jiggle during Burpees or running
65.   Because I don’t want to be the girl that hates walking- I want to be the girl that RUNS
66.   To be able to wear boots because they fit around my calf
67.   To get matching sexy underwear and feel hot wearing them
68.   To feel beautiful
69.   To get rid of the term dieting and just be healthy
70.   Because I want to get rid of my black ‘slimming clothing and be able to rock the bright colours
71.   To no longer compare myself to others and live my own journey
72.   To be able to brush criticism off and not take it all to heart
73.   To stop wasting money on junk food and save it for the future
74.   To see double digits on the scales
75.   To give myself the opportunity to find someone because I’m happy with who I am
76.   Because I would LOVE to be a role model and inspire people around me
77.   To lose my double chin and have my cheekbones back
78.   Because I don’t want to be sqwishable I want to be toned
79.   To no longer turn bright red, sweat and struggle for breathe when I exercise
80.   To feel a greater sense of self-worth by knowing I am no longer taking the easy way out, but am doing what is best
81.   To not have a heart attack moment when I’ve seen myself tagged in a photo on Facebook
82.   Because I deserve this and I will get there
83.   To no longer restrict myself to having no goals or aspirations
84.   To find my way back to the person I was, am and should be

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Week One weigh in = Happy Dance


 
WOOHOO I have donated 3.4kg to the fat god to be never seen again. And I leave the 120’s and above 40BMI’s behind too. To say I’m Ecstatic would be an understatement, am currently doing a happy dance (soon it will be the day I don’t jiggle as much heheh). I know there could be lean weigh in’s in the future but I just need to remember how I feel exactly this moment. I know this is achievable- it isn’t beyond me, I WILL succeed!!! I have been reading some absolutely fantastic results and losses on the forums and Facebook. We 12WBTers are a motivated and committed bunch it would seem J
I had the opportunity to meet some of the girls in Warrnambool and surrounding areas that are also doing 12WBT. And I know they are going to be a great support- we all have different stories as to how we got to our weights and the reasons why we decided to join 12WBT but all have the same fears, excuses and excitement. I can’t wait to get to smash some workouts and milestone events with them all.

If you look at the top of my Blog you will see some different pages that I’ve set up.

Before Photos: pretty self-explanatory – the evil, scary, want to deny they exist photos. I will be accountable for the weight I got to by MY choices. Bring on the day when I can post my after photo here

Weigh In:  I will have updates here every week on Wednesday with a photo of my scale number and update the graph too.

Workout Weekly Summaries: On here I have posted photos of my HRM calories burnt for every session. I’m hoping that this will make me accountable for the effect I put into my workout- I won’t lie to myself and this keeps me honest or at least not in denial about my workouts

Fitness Test and Measurements: This I will update every milestone week (Week 4, Week 8 and Week 12) with the results of my fitness test and my measurements.

Monday 27 August 2012

Day One- Done, Dusted and Ecstatic


The day has finally arrived- The start of Michelle Bridges 12WBT Round 3 2012 is here!!!
I did all of my veggie shopping on Sunday with a friend, Mel- spent AGES in fruit and veg plus deli- making sure I had everything on the shopping list. Mel went on ahead and finished up her shopping and she found me back in the fruit area still looking for that bloody avocado (in my defence it was a newly open Safeway that I hadn’t been too). It was the healthiest my grocery trolley has ever looked and I no longer felt embarrassed to go thru the checkout. Instead of the sweets, chocolate and highly processed food that usually fills the bags; I had leeks, pumpkins, apples, fish and the like. No longer did I think the checkout lady was looking at what I was buying and then looking at my weight and going “I see why”.  I was proud to be pushing my super healthy trolley up to the counter. Sure the price was more than what a usual food shop is for me; but then I’ve never added up how much money I spent a week on takeout/junk food. Plus I can’t afford to NOT do this.

I did a big cook up as well – everything that could be frozen I doubled and cooked in batches. I felt a bit like a masterchef as I prepared the Pumpkin Soup and Fish Stew- although I doubt Masterchefs make as much mess as me or have as many dishes either. My food compost bin is going to improve no end as well. As I enter these 12 weeks I have made a promise to myself: I will try every single one of Mish’s meals- not matter what I feel towards the ingredients. I will have an open mind to what will be different tastes for me and I will broaden my food horizon.
The bonus for today was I actually remembered to take my snacks and dinner to work, so plus one for me.

I had my group PT session at the gym this morning- I think my trainer had a ‘demon’ in him (sorry watched Hangover 2 last night) today as he made the decision for the session to become a double. This means we hit the run down the hill to the river and back. The run is 1.4kms round-trip and has a somewhat evil hill for a substantial part of that. I wouldn’t be lying when I say this isn’t my most favourite task and it does become even less of a favourite when we have to do it 5 times. At the last attempt I got thru 2 times at a struggling pace filled with long periods of walking. I had a bit of a breakthrough last week with my shuffle/jog/run, I had become so accustom with actually needing walking periods (for my legs, heart rate and breathing) within the runs that I wasn’t pushing myself even as my fitness increased. Trainer gave me a kick up the ass and said that I COULD do it- guess what he was right. Sometimes you just need that kick start and the boost that someone believes you can to get into gear. This time I ran whole way down, power walked the steep hill and then ran back once onto the flat. And I got the whole 5 circuits done- I was/am ecstatic.  Got back into the gym to the task of burning 500 calories on the crosstrainer; got my legs pumping and hit the task with everything I had left. End result 2hrs and 1324calories burnt.
So day 1 of 12WBT is done and dusted, I’m tired but feel like I’ve really achieved something, not hungry at all, tried all the food and enjoyed it and most importantly BRING IT ON all over again for tomorrow and 82days after that.

Friday 24 August 2012

Count down is almost over- the Week before 12WBT and my fat free, Negative free Area

I’m bouncing around a bit as I write this blog- only 2more days till the most positive decision I’ve made, starts. I know there are many of us feeling the same way. It’s exciting and nerve wracking all mixed in a neat bundle of feelings.
When I first joined up I just wanted the program to hurry up and start (was a bit impatient lol) - I had made my choice and wanted to start right NOW!! My motivation was up and I didn’t want it to ebb by the time the program started. I hadn’t really considered the benefits of the warm up and preseason tasks. I didn’t think they were a waste of time although I did question their merit slightly at the time. These thoughts clearly stemmed from avoidance- back to my ‘head in sand’ syndrome and rose coloured classes; if I can’t or don’t have to see it, read it, write it or admit it then it doesn’t exist.  But now with the start only days away I not only appreciate the tasks but am coming to an understanding of their meaning. I am no longer in denial about how or what I’m feeling, I am being honest with myself about how and what I want to achieve and I no longer feel completely overwhelmed by the journey in front of me. I am ready- WE all are ready. Bring it On!!
This week has been all about organising and preparing myself for the 12 weeks ahead. I have a diary full of work, workouts, shopping days, horse shows and post-it notes- it is bright and colourful and actually makes me smile when I open it- lol as to whether that smile is forced we will see further into 12WBT.I wanted to limit my chances of using excuses and to make my home as positive place that it could be. I have the clean eating kitchen, the work out gear, some kettle bells and weights but after reading some of the posts from the beautiful girls on “12wbt 30 Plus crew”: I now introduce my weight jars and vision board in what I call my “Fat Free, Negative Free Area”.

Each stone in my weight jar represents 100grms, so on the left I have my current weight filled with the 48.9kgs or 489 stones (gees that sounds like a lot of bloody stones) that I want to lose and on the right all the weight I have lost or will come to lose. So bring on weigh-in Wednesday- I am getting excited to be able to move the stones across.

My vision board is basically a collection of my goals, aspirations and inspirational quotes/photos to keep me on track. I have got a graph that will show my weight loss, the effect on my BMI and my weekly workout calories and how they might affect the results. It has my before photos EKK and photos of me when I was close to goal weight.

As I’ve written before; I am committed to following this thru to the end, whatever the time frame. I will throw all I have into succeeding. I will lose the weight, I will get on the scales and see my goal weight and I will battle whatever negatives come my way with a smile and determination. I commit to taking responsibility for the choices I make and they will be the right ones this time lol. And I am committed to all the sweat, tears and pain it will take to get there.

Monday 20 August 2012

What it means to be overweight




I had originally been writing another blog about the final week before 12wbt starts but this got me thinking about what being overweight or obese really means. (I did tell you I can go off on tangents sometimes J )
I often forget about the health issues associated with obesity- I get caught up with the ‘superficial’ aspects of my weight. You know- what size clothes I fit into, how I see myself, how society views me, my lack of confidence, how could anyone want to be with someone my weight, and the list goes on and on and on. And sure these are without doubt catalysts for needing to lose weight but certainly not the most important ones- well not when it comes to my physical health. The state of my mental health is debatable- depending on whom you askJ.
In our looks-obsessed society, lots of people think that being overweight is an appearance issue but it is so much more. At the grand age of 26, I don’t think of myself as invincible but I have never taken into serious consideration the impact my weight could have on life expectancy or quality of life. I didn’t see health issues such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer and osteoarthritis as a high risk of being presence within my life. I might not currently be in the situation of wanting to bring children into my life but I can’t imagine having this choice taken away from me ; plus if I don’t give my mother grandchildren she might end my life anyhow J But this is what being obese carries into my future.
When you combine the health issue with the appearance issues of being overweight it’s not hard to see why finding negativity in so many parts or all of our lives come naturally.
Now before this blog turns into a pity party for the choices we/I have made to get to this point, I think we need to congratulate ourselves. Not because of the past but because of the future. Because of the difficult decision to be brutally honest with ourselves and make a positive impact on the future via 12WBT. Of choosing to not only look great but feel great both mentally and physically. To the bright light at the end of the tunnel that is being the best self that you can be.
As the 6 day countdown begins; wave goodbye to that old future and embrace the journey to the new one.

Friday 17 August 2012

84 quotes to live by for 84 days of 12WBT


This is a list of 84 quotes that i will live by for the 84 days or 12 weeks of Michelle Bridges 12WBT.  I have put them into a bowl to pick out daily or more if i am feeling flat, negative, overwhelmed or struggling.

1. Just because you are struggling does NOT mean you are failing.  Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there.

2. It doesn’t matter if you’ve failed or if you’ve been beaten.  All that matters is that you learn something, get back up, and try again.  Because winning is a good feeling, but winning when nobody else thought you could is an awesome feeling.

3. Stop beating yourself up.  You are a work in progress; which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once.  

4. ‘Finished last’ will always be better than ‘Did not finish’, which always trumps ‘Did not start.’

5. Don’t think too much, or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.

6. Thinking too long about doing something is often the reason it never gets done.

7. If you truly want to change your life, you must first change your mind.

8. Most great things in your life won’t happen by chance, they will happen by choice.

9. Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin.  Beginning makes the conditions perfect.

10. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

11. There are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them.

12. You don’t have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great.

13. Sitting on the right track is equivalent to racing down the wrong track.

14. Procrastinators who say, “There’s always tomorrow!” deny the reality that one day, they will be wrong.

15. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

16. It’s easier to take a small action now instead of a big action ’some day.’

17. What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.

18. The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists.  It rewards people who get things done.

19. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way.  If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

20. The best way to prepare for the future is to take care of the present.

21. Don’t forget what happened, but understand that you cannot move forward while looking backwards.

22. Don’t carry your mistakes around with you.  Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones.

23. Mistakes teach you important lessons.  Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal.  The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

24. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.

25. No matter how many mistakes you make, or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.

26. Your mistakes should be your motivation, not your excuses.

27. Past mistakes should teach you to create a wonderful future; not cause you to be afraid of it.

28. Don’t get caught up in wasted potential from years past.  Potential is all we ever have. 

29. No matter how long you have travelled in the wrong direction, you always have the choice to turn around.

30. You don’t drown by falling in the water.  You drown by staying there.

31. Stop looking back at the door shutting behind you before you walk past the door opening in front of you.

32. Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.

33. Being uncomfortable and uncertain is part of learning and growing.  Get used to it.  It’s worth it.

34. In order to be creative, we must lose our fear of being wrong.

35. Take a chance on the opportunities your gut says are good, because some things only happen once.

36. Don’t let your fear of what could happen make nothing happen.

37. If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.

38. When you stop worrying about what you can’t control, you have time to change the things you can control.

39. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

40. You might think you’re not good enough, but you’ll surprise yourself when you try.

41. People seldom do things to the best of their ability.  They do things to the best of their willingness.

42. Don’t worry about others doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.

43. You’ll never reach your destination if you keep stopping to tell everyone where you’ve been and what you’ve accomplished.

44. If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today.

45. “Time changes everything.”  That’s what people say, but it’s not really true.  Doing things changes things.  Not doing things leaves things exactly as they were.

46. Every day we are faced with great opportunities disguised as difficult circumstances.

47. There is a hidden treasure inside every problem.  It’s your job to find it.

48. Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m Possible.”

49. If you want to get over a problem, stop mulling it over and talking about it.  Your mind affects your mouth, and your mouth affects your mind.  It’s nearly impossible to move beyond something when you’re obsessing over it.

50. Worrying is like a rocking in a chair: it keeps you busy, but doesn’t get you anywhere.

51. Being defeated is often a temporary condition.  Giving up is what makes it permanent.

52. The one who wins the race in the long run is usually not the strongest or the fastest, but the one who has tried the hardest.

53. Often it’s the deepest pain which empowers you to grow into your highest self.

54. The one who falls and gets up it so much stronger than the one who never fell.

55. The only difference between an obstacle and an opportunity is your attitude. 

56. When something bad happens, you can either let it define you, let it destroy you or let it strengthen you.  The choice is yours.

57. You have three choices in life: Give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got.

58. Don’t look back and ask, “Why?” Look ahead and ask, “Why not?”  When it comes to your dreams and goals, be too positive to be doubtful, too optimistic to be fearful, and too determined to be defeated.

59. No matter how many times you break down, there should always be a little voice inside you that says, “NO, you’re not done yet!  Get back up!”  That’s the voice of passion and courage.

60. Approach the start of each day with one goal and end the day with one word: DONE!

61. A bad attitude is like a flat tire, you can’t get very far until you change it.

62. Just because today is a terrible day doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be the best day of your life.  You just got to get there

63. Surround yourself with positive people who are going to push you toward greatness.  Eliminate those who are trying to keep you from it.

64. The path to our destination is not always a straight one.  We go down the wrong one, we get lost, and we turn back.  But maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on.  Maybe what matters is that we embark.

65. It doesn’t matter if you’ve failed or if you’ve been beaten.  All that matters is that you learn something, get back up, and try again.  Because winning is a good feeling, but winning when nobody else thought you could is an awesome feeling.

66. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

67. It’s your road and yours alone.  Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

68. Don’t be afraid of going slowly; be afraid of standing still forever

69. You will never fully believe in yourself if you keep comparing yourself to everyone else.  Instead, compare yourself to who you were yesterday

70. Never try to be better than someone else but never stop trying to be the best you can be.

71. There are an unlimited number of ‘Dr. No’ folks that you will encounter in this life.  If you have a personal inspiration, idea or goal, don’t let a ‘Dr. No’ deter you!  Trust your gut, do the planning and then DO IT!

72. Fall down seven times, stand up eight

73. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least.

74. What you don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.

75. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.

76. Being successful is a journey, not a destination

77. Problems, when they arise, are rarely as painful and hurtful as the process of fearing them.

78. In the beginning, you need to say “yes” to a lot of things to discover and establish your goals.  Later on, you need to say “no” to a lot of things and concentrate on your goals.

79. Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.

80. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself.  You are competing to be the best you can be.

81. The only place where life exists is NOW.  Go live it.  Don’t wait for tomorrow or until everything is perfect.  It never will be.

82. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone.  Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.

83. When the ‘want’ gets stronger, the ‘how’ gets easier

84. You are powerful beyond measure.  You never know what you are capable of until you push your barriers of comfort, even if it’s just a little bit each day.


Friday 10 August 2012

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great



You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
I love this statement. For me the starting point was taking my head out of the sand, removing the rose coloured glasses and admitting I was unhappy in so many parts of my life. From there every step I take is going forward. The first step is always the hardest, the most painful because you have to be honest with yourself. I understand that this journey will be a mix of positive and some not so positive steps, but the goal is never out of reach. Words such as Never, Cant, Won’t I have wiped from my vocabulary (said my last can’t today to Personal trainer- ouch ouch my legs lol); I see these as part of a roadblock toward my “Great”.  My “Great” is someone that can smile, relax and be confident around people, She is healthy and happy and fit. She is all the things I use to be and will get back to. Who is you “Great”??
To whose that know me and whose who will get to know me; I am somewhat ‘slightly’ Stubborn lol I would like to think that I use this to my advantage but sometimes I think it fuels my excuses and ‘head in the sand’ Syndrome. My mother says that once I’ve made a decision I stick with it, even if it’s the wrong one (in her opinion). So I’ve made my choice and I’ve made my commitment as part of 12WBT pre Season.
I am committed to following this thru to the end, whatever the time frame. I will throw all I have into succeeding. I will lose the weight, I will get on the scales and see my goal weight and I will battle whatever negatives come my way with a smile and determination. I commit to taking responsibility for the choices I make and they will be the right ones this time lol. And I am committed to all the sweat, tears and pain it will take to get there.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Goals VS numbers game and what this journey means to me

When I first made to decision to acknowledge that I needed to lose weight- I had no other goals bar kg loss and no direction to head into. I had joined the 12WBT but always baulked at the payment page, never quite sure I was ready for the commitment. As much as my mother was always at me for needing to lose weight, I always said that “I will when I’m ready” or “it’s my choice”. And I am right in a way; the decision to act needs to come from YOU. You know when your mind set is right to change, you know when you are sick and tired of being fat and all the associated issues and you know when enough is enough. Hence I am here from my own choice not of others.

So I have embarked on this Journey with the light at the end of the tunnel being my goal weight of 75kgs. That was it- I hadn’t considered mid goals (except maybe being at weight no longer three digits) hadn’t considered exercise goals, clothes goals or even personal goals. All I was concerned about was the number on the scale going down. But that isn’t all what this journey is about.

For me it is about a “lifestyle change”. I’ve done the diets only focusing on the numbers, lost the weight and then put it all back on and then some. I never changed my thinking and was always able to justify my bad decisions- a lot of the time with my excuses listed below in my last blog. I think having a goal only limited to a weight kg number gives you tunnel vision, you have your blinkers on to only see the number and you go to sleep worrying about that number, wake up worrying about it. Not the healthiest or happiest way to start out. I understand that this program is number based re weight, measurements, calories in/calories out, kms etc. but it isn’t YOU vs Numbers; it’s YOU(your better self) vs YOU(with excuses, old self)

So the goal Pre Season task in 12WBT made me really consider what I really want out of this program. I want/need what we all want out of life, to be healthy, happy, confident within myself and be heading in a positive direction. I hadn’t given much consideration on what direction or how to get there just that I wanted to get there one way or another. Being introduced to the S.M.A.R.T goal concept has given me the direction I need plus pushed me to achieve more. The 48kg I’m aiming to lose is no longer the scariest number when broken down into time frames nor is it now the only goal I have. I want to actually learn to run, I want to do triathlon, I want to buy smaller work uniforms, I want a healthy BMI, and I want to fit into that gorgeous jacket currently hidden in the back of my cupboard.  There is now so much I want for myself that I didn’t know about until I realised they were possible. And they ARE possible. Now I just need to remember this when I’m having dark days and the going gets tough.

The countdown is on 20 days till 12WBT Round 3 2012 starts!!! And I’m ready to embrace the controlled chaos it will cause my old self and the kick start to finding my way back to the person I am within.