Wednesday 31 October 2012

Paying it forward.....results 10 weeks on.

Back in Round 2 of the 12WBT, I undertook a 50 kilometre walk along the federation trail. To recap on that, check out the link and read the Mini Milestone challenge.

http://wonderwomankipwil.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/week-8-reflection.html


Now I had two reasons to do this challenge.  The first well, to see if I could do it!  But right from the beginning, 8 weeks earlier, I wanted it to mean something.  I wanted my challenge to be able to let someone else feel as GREAT as I felt, to feel the success and gain confidence, to change their lives and believe in themselves, like I learned to do.  Those things are gifts that I will hold close to me, to experience such a huge turnaround in my life is more than I can express in words.  And I found it through Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation.  More than a weight loss program, this changed EVERY aspect of my life for the better. And ....it WORKS.

So after I completed the 50 K walk, I had raised the funds needed to sponsor another and pay for a heart rate monitor.  Thank you so much to the generosity of my friends.  And now, let me reveal to you, with permission, a picture of the results.  I give you Theresa Lee, 10 weeks in to the program.






AMAZING!  She was nominated by her friend.

"I would like to nominate one of my dearest friends whom I have known since High School. Her name is Tess, she recently started to do some training of her own and completed the 5km Run Melbourne. I would likeTess to receive this as she a mild case of Cerebral Palsy but as long as I have known her it has never stopped her doing anything. She is a mum to 3 beautiful kids including a son with Aspergers Syndrome so the training could be a bit of 'Me' time for her. I have seen the Michelle Bridges do amazing things for some special ladies and I know Tess would love to continue training."

Now Theresa has not only lost the weight, she is RUNNING!  Just recently she massacred a massive 7 minutes off her personal best time to run 5 km and has signed up for her first 10 kilometre funrun!  She also regularly works out at 5.30, 6 am in the morning! 

I challenge you, each of you to look at what excuses you make to not do the work.  I still have excuses..." It's too hot, I'm too tired, i just don't feel like it!"  But then I look at this AMAZING woman who has achieved so much in such a short period of time and she inspires me.  Monumentally.

And just to finish, this incredible woman is signed up for another round......and I know she will SMASH it just like this time!

GO TESS!!!!!
 
 

Sunday 28 October 2012

Week 9 and I don't want it to end

I can see the ending is near.  Finale tickets are booked, the weeks are dwindling away.  This is my last round for a bit at my husband's request (who wants me to face the new challenge of doing this 'myself' by putting what I have been learning into action.  He has such great belief in me and I would be lost without his encouragement.) I am a little heartsick at thinking I am losing this little, or not-so little community, this feeling of belonging. As one door coses though, another opens.  And I don't think the 12WBT door will ever be shut tight, all it needs is another knock at the door.

Meal Plans


Another delicious week and easy making and preparing. I think, for me, this why the program worked.  My grocery lists are planned, ALL my meals are planned and everything takes little time to cook. The steps are simple to follow and I've grown in my skills as a home cook, using these recipes and new ingredients.


 The megahit this week for the family was the 12WBT Bimbap meal.  QUICK!  EASY!  DELICIOUS! and gone in 30 seconds :)  Easy enough for the junior masterchefs to prepare next time!




 The other perennial family favourite are the cacao fudge bites.  Next time I make these, which will be.... oooo, about 20 minutes from now, I'm going to roll them into balls, much like rumballs.  I like to add a little water to help press the mixture into shapes, and thought I may try to experiment with using a tablespoon of juice, perhaps orange and factoring that into the calorie count.  I'll let you know how it goes.
Lunches this week were great and easily made.  Lots of asian salads which I love, and the roast vegetable salad was good too.  Note to me: next time, cut the veges smaller before roasting. The menu plan for next week is looking YUM and I already have a request from Mr 11 for the 12wbt lasagne as a treat meal.


Exercise Plans.


I overdid the legs this week and paid the price. On Monday I did a CX class and Attack class and there's lots of lunges and squats/jumps in those.  Then Tuesday I had PT which was all legs and Wednesday which was a leg weight day.  Come Wednesday night and I had DOMS to rival that of when I ran the halfmarathon.  If I could have cut my legs off to get some sleep I would have, it was painful, with no way of getting comfortable. So lesson learned there, big time.

My motivation to get to gym is lacking but once I'm there I'm all ready. Tiredness is creeping in and I think it is just a case of doing too much in my life, as opposed to diet or exercise.  Need to find that balance again.

Personal Bests for this week are few.

Bent over row with barbell  32.5 kgs
Dumbbell pullover on fitball  12.5 kg
Walking lunges with Kettlebells  12 kg
Standing upright row with barbell 25 kg
High cable overhead extensions with the rope  28 kgs
Pec Dec machine  32.3 kgs
Bicep curls with dumbbells  8 kgs

Have a little whinge to make....my gym has recently held a recruitment drive, highly successful by the looks of it.  Way more people in the gym which is good.  What is not so good is there are also way more people loading up machines with weights, then standing around having a chat, or wandering off, or worse, finishing their sets and just leaving them there.  I get frustrated because you don't know if the machine is still in use, and if it's not, then unloading 60-80kgs of weights before I can do my sets is an extra workout I can do without. So, I am just mentioning it to the front desk when I'm in tomorrow, maybe the trainers on the floor might be able to just remind people of some of the gym etiquette....or help me get the weights off! There, whinge over....let's move on.

SSS and Weekly Challenge.


Well....lets start with the challenge...it was a Vlog again BUT this time had a time limit of 1 minute. 1 MINUTE! to try and explain how much my life has changed doing 12WBT.  I had so many ideas on how to do it but couldn't put any into fruition because I am just not a technological genius....so I wrote a poem and filmed it badly.



Now...my SSS......was a BLAST!  I convinced some friends to do it with me....we all entered the Valley Stampede.
It was so much fun!  An obstacle course over the paddocks in Wandin on a freezing cold 11 degree day.  We waded, rolled, fell and crawled through mud, under barbed wire, waded through chest high ice water, up and over a bus on a cargo net, over 8ft and 9ft sheer walls, logs, tyres, tunnels, down a giant 50 m slip and slide, ran up hills and through trip wires, leaped over fire pits, hurdled over barrels in a dam while being hosed by the CFA fire hoses, climbed up ropes and over car bodies.  We even braved the electric shocks....10 000 volts of electric shock is like a sledgehammer to the body!  But we did it.

BEFORE:
and 1 hour after:




see?  WAAAAAY FUN!

I want to share another pic....this one is of my daughter Miss 8.  I missed her sports day through work, and it was a beaming little girl who greeted me with her chest fluttering in the breeze...



A first for hurdles, a second for sprints and the teachers star award ...for behaviour and achievements on the day. Well DONE MISS 8!!!

Finally for all of us...........I hereby bestow upon you the.....


Wednesday 24 October 2012

Dance like there's noone watching.....

Some of you may know I work in a kindergarten.  Yesterday turned out to be more educational for me than it was for them I think!  So I thought I'd share the love and learning.

LESSON No 1:    Dance like there's noone watching.....




All 28 of my little treasures yesterday did a massive danceoff.....to gangnum style.  Now you would have to agree, it is not the most attractive of dance styles but then hey, neither was hammertime.....
Was any one of those kids worried about what their mates would think?  What I would think?  What about the kidlets in the above clip?  NO!  They all think they have the BUSTINGEST moves in the world.....they weren't worried when their breakdancing just turned into funny falls or if they were even with the beat or not.  They were just having FUN.


LESSON No 2:  Whatever you do, do at 100% full throttle.


There was no half hearted dancing with the kinder children either...these guys, it was all or nothing, no holding back. There were arms and legs everywhere, bodies on the ground and up in the air. It was 100% effort, and 100% FUN.  There was not one child, who every day, doesn't dance their hardest, run their fastest, or throw themselves around.  Small children don't have degrees of effort, it's all or nothing. You are either awake or asleep, no in between.  You are either starving or full.  You are either painting a massive masterpiece, using every single colour available or just staring at the blank piece of paper.

Hmmmmmm.

So how many times do I stop myself doing something because I'm worried what people would think?  That I'm not good enough to have a go?  I'll make a fool of myself? And then I sit on the sidelines wishing I had the guts to do it.  Or I'll try but it's halfhearted so I won't make TOO much of an idiot of myself....

A 4 year old is braver than me.....sobering thought. A 4 year old is living life harder and fuller than me....even more sobering.  Perhaps I should tap into my 4 yr old subconscious and just KNOW I have the best bustingest dance moves (without having to have a drink or 3 beforehand), or basketball moves, or gym moves and go at it 100%.  Give it everything I have no matter if I can or can't.  Power up that self belief into hyperdrive and throw myself in boots and all. What have I got to lose?  Better yet, what do I have to gain?







Sunday 21 October 2012

Week 8 reflective duties.

An exhausting week, but you can't be tired unless you are having fun!

Menu plans


Good meals again, although not a big fan of the fishcakes.  Next time I'll just do chicken I think.  A personal taste preference really, I have never liked a lot of seafood.  The kids were ok with it.

May I say a big THANK YOU to Michelle Bridges for providing the banana bread recipe for breakfast.  I'm in the running for Mother of the Year in the Junior Masterchefs eyes and Wife of the Year too.  Who knew banana bread could bring about so much love and happiness?  GREAT way to start a Monday morning!

Big thumbs up to the nasi goreng and the basil and balsamic strawberries with ricotta.  Hands down my favourite dessert EVER. 

I am really loving how quick it is to prepare these meals, especially the dinner meals.  This week I have had extra shifts and meetings, which makes for a rushed Wonder Woman, but I was still able to pop dinner on the oven and have it on the table in most cases in 20-30 minutes.

I'm having  hommus dip with carrot sticks, snowpeas, capsicum strips or celery sticks for snacks.  The act of chewing so much helps trick my head into thinking I've eaten heaps, it tastes GOOD and has started the kinder kids at work bringing in carrot sticks etc in their lunchbox.  THANKS AGAIN MISH!

Exercise Plans


erk, a hard week for me.  I go to bed by 9-9.30 most nights, up again at 5 if there is a morning workout or 6 if it's a normal day.  I average between 7-8 hours sleep a night.  But By Thursday I was done.  How did I know?  Because bith Troy and I slept right through the alarm we had set for 5 and didn't wake until 6.30!!!!  An impromptu rest day it turned out to be, as we coud only get to gym early that day.  We obviously needed the sleep so instead of feeling guilty I missed a workout, I just re scheduled and relaxed about it. Then Friday and yesterday I found myself waking from an 'accidental couch coma'.  A little like a nana nap but way deeper and involves dribble.  Not sure why it's hitting me so hard lately, I was tired last week too.  I've looked at my calories and adjusted the amount I'm eating, but I know I have a hard time slowing down as a rule so perhaps it is just a life thing.

Running group is going well :)  We did tempo runs yesterday. My length was 3 km and worked out to be 4.50 minute kilometre splits. Happy with that, although I was pushed and struggling to maintain that pace. Considering my previous best was 4 km at 5.15 minute splits, I'm thinking it was worth it!

Personal Bests for this week.....not many.  I had to ease off the Hamstring curl machine and leave my set unfinished because my right knee starting hurting like mad.  I could lunge with it, but not do hamstring work with it.  I'll give it a few days rest then see.

Barbell Squat     60 kg
Dumbbell rows   16 kg
Seated donkey calf raises   118 kgs
Bicep cable curls with rope   36 kgs







Other news!




We're off to SYDNEY!

Tickets are purchased, waiting to hear back on accomodation....cannot WAIT for finale again!  This will be my last one so I'm aiming to really ENJOY it!  I am sad knowing that in 4 weeks I'll be flying solo after 3 rounds but I know I can do it.  What I think I will miss most is the support and the friendship on the forums, hope I can meet some of you on Finale night!

Lastly, and a little off topic for a laugh of the day, Junior Masterchefs wanted to make gingerbread men.  So off they went while I vacuumed.  Amazied at what I heard when I switched off the vacuum cleaner, I did the good mum thing and took a ninja cam shot of them rubbing the butter through the mix.....




And your final thought for this week......repeat after me.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Good Morning Sunshine!!!!



Yes!!!  After a long dim and cold winter, the sun is out! Time to expose those blindingly white bits of skin to the warmth of the day and try a few outdoor workouts.  Go for a walk, swim or a run!  Soak up those rays!

The sun, apart from warming us up and giving light so we don't keep walking into things, gives us health benefits too.

The sun gives us Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for bone health, helping the bones to form correctly and strongly. It helps our intestines to function properly and absorb nutrients, is good for our skin and has an effect on weightloss too apparently.

The sun boosts our mood.  Go on, test it out.  Go outside and sit in the sun for 5 minutes.  Feel happier already?  Sunlight helps brighten our moods and to relieve depression.  Think about it, how many of us suffer from the Winter Blues?  But once that sun is out, everything is alright again, our mood lifts and there is a feeling of hope.

The sun improves our sleep patterns.  Sunlight helps your body get into it's circadian rhythm, a natural wake and sleep pattern, so basically you feel more sleepy when it gets dark. Getting enough sleep has an effect on weight, energy levels and your psychological outlook as well  This is all down to melatonin production, caused by the sun.

The sun could lessen alzheimer symptoms. This is according to an American study that showed alzheimer patients scored better on a mental exam after being exposed to sunlight thorugh the day. I don't think there's enough sunlight in a day for me in this case, but I live in hope.

The sun keeps away vampires. Very important health benefit there, completely reduces the risk of your body being drained of blood during daylight hours by 100%.  Unless it is Edward then the sparkle is enough to give you ample warning to get away.  If you want to.

Seriously though, go on, go outside and enjoy it.  If you normally run or walk on the treadmill, have a go outdoors.  Smell what is blooming, hear the sounds, feel the warm breeze float over your skin.  If you do weights, try a bodyweight workout outside, or change it up and go swimming or for a bike ride.  Go out and LIVE!

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!

 





Sunday 14 October 2012

Week 7 reflection and FUN

What a laugh this week was...anger too as stated in my last post ( You said WHAT about my children?) but let's not let that dull the weird  and fun from this week!

Menu plans

YUM!  This was the week of the meatballs...so it seemed!  We had veal 'koftas' which I made into meatballs and asian chicken patties, which turned out to be like big meatballs :) The junior masterchefs were most impressed....meatballs a big hit here.

We also had a big winner with the basil and walnut pesto (homemade) spaghetti with roasted pumpkin and tomatoes.  I used the new 'Slim' pasta, and it was good.  I had to rinse the pasta under running water as it was stored in liquid but it literally takes on the flavour of the sauce.  And hey, if the kids like it it's a winner :)

Breakfast had an old favourite, apple couscous with yoghurt and cinnamon....mmmmm, very filling and oh so good.  Love the banana smoothies as well, quick, easy and I can drink it while I'm organising children ( ahem yelling) for the day.

Exercise plans


An interesting week for me, found myself feeling more weary than usual which could be a result of the extra cardio I've added to my program.  Still working out a balance there.  By the end of the week I was stuffed and felt a little emotional during workouts.  I was more than relieved to see others on the Lean and Strong facebook page were feeling the same this week.  I wonder if it's just a week 7 thing perhaps?


The cardio I added this week was an hour body attack class after a 30 min CX core workout class on Monday....both incredible for calorie burn and I can really feel my core working.  Tuesday was running club, a 9-10 k run consisting of a 3 k warm up jog and cool down jog, 2X 1 km time trials and a relay race as well as drills ( high knees, butt kicks, skips)  Man, it was hard work but I loved it.  I was concerned I wouldn't keep up but while I was behind the group all the time, I finished with them (thank god for traffic lights!) LOL.  But remember.....

On to the personal bests for this week......

Leg extension machine                      36 kg
Upright row standing with barbell      20kg
Rear deltoid raise with kettlebells      16 kg
Incline dumbbell bicep curls               7 kg
French press                                    12.5 kg
Bentover row with barbell                 30 kg
Side lunges with kettlebells                 12 kg
Adductor machine                             61.5 kg
Abductor machine                             47.5 kg

( I think I have those last 2 the right way round....I can never remember!)

A little bit of silliness but fun......here I am demonstrating how to workout with the family ( yes I know upside down, my 19yr old filmed it.  You'd think she'd know the difference.)


SSS and Weekly surprise.

This week's weekly surprise was to design a workout....since I want to spend more time with my kids I designed one around that.....

Kipwil's Day at the Park.



This is a workout designed to work your strength and cardio fitness while you are with your kids at the park. You only need a towel if you'd like and a park with a bench and monkey bars. Children are optional.

Type: Metabolic

Level: Intermediate/advanced lean and strong

Warm up (5 mins)
Light jog or brisk walk around the perimeter of the park for 5 mins or until you go right around.

Workout. ( 55 mins to complete all 3 rounds)

Round 1
8x Pushups….on a bench or on the ground
8x step ups onto a platform on the equipment, each leg
8 x jumping chin-ups on the monkey bars
8 x squats…make your bottom hit the bench!
30 sec plank.

Round 2
Run around the perimeter of the park for 5 mins or walk briskly. You should feel slightly out of breath, able to talk in 3-4 word sentences. Take note of how many laps you completed in the time.
10 x pushups on the ground, knees or toes
Walking lunges for 10 steps out then turn and 10 steps back, knee to ground
10 x reverse pullups off equipment or bar
10x Box jumps onto a bench or step
45 sec plank

Round 3
Run around the park a little faster than before, try and beat the number of laps.
15 x pushups on knees or toes. Try toes first then go to knees if needed.
15 jump squats
15 jumping chin-ups or chin-ups if you can!
15 static lunges each leg.
60 sec plank

Final Blast (5 mins)
Finish with your fastest run around the park for 5 minutes. How many laps can you do?

Stretch (5 mins)
Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

Childs pose
Back twist stretch
Hip Flexor stretch
Hamstring stretch
Quadricep stretch
Calf stretch
Chest stretch
Shoulder stretch
neck stretch
tricep stretch.

Now as for my SSS.......well today was the Melbourne Marathon Festival and I was signed up for the 5.7 km.  I've been trying to increase my speed in doing shorter runs but this was not the right run for that.  So frustrating with people who walked 3 or 4 across, leaving no room for runners to pass, and block access for runners trying to get through a couple of the bottlenecks on the course.  I am going to email organisers and see if they can design a course that is wider and avoids the 2 main bottlenecks that occured under 2 bridges.

But!!!!  I ran, in a stop/start/dodge/weave fashion and completed 5.7 km in 32min 30 secs by my watch....which beats my previous training run of 6 km in 35 minutes. When official times and photos are released, I'll be sharing on here! In the meantime....this is before the start......

I wonder which one is me? LOL

Finally, let me leave you with a message from my friends.



Thursday 11 October 2012

You said WHAT about my children?

I know I posted yesterday but I am FURIOUS. I've heard that because my children, MY children are eating our clean food and wanting to run in funruns that what I am doing is 'almost child abuse.'

So I am being ACCUSED of abusing my children because we don't have junk food or sweet biscuits in the house.

I am furious and hurt and, no well mostly furious.  I think the defiinition of child abuse needs to be made clear to this person, because of course, no names mentioned at all. Believe me if I knew your name this would be to your face.  So not only do I think you are an idiot, I'm wondering which one of my 'friends' it is. I know which circle it is, just not who.  A statement like that cheapens the real trauma children go through when they are abused.

Let's look at some figures shall we?
According to the Australian Bureau of statistics, 65% of children in Australia will be overweight or obese in 2020.  Currently we are sitting at around 25-26%.  And rising every year.

According to an article by Sydney Morning Herald, 20% of children last year were overweight or obese by the time they reached kindergarten.  4 years old and they are facing the same issues as overweight adults....HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, RAISED CHOLESTEROL AND BLOOD PRESSURE, etc etc.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/parents-blind-to-early-obesity-in-children--report-20121001-26vge.html

and they are just 4 years old, haven't even really begun to live. All health risks aside, what about their social life? 

And why? 
Poor food choices, lack of physical activity and a longer times sitting in front of the television or the computer, learning from overweight parents and a small, VERY SMALL number of rare genetic disorders.  Funny, parents can do something about ALL of those except for the last.

So let's see how I abuse my children shall we?
They play in the afternoons after school, go on bike rides, play team sports at their choosing.  They LIKE to run around with me or Troy.

They learn from Troy and I.  We like to look after ourselves, we enjoy being active and no surprise so do our kids.

They don't have a TV in their room and have a set computer time rather than as long as you like.  They get an hour each which they don't usually use all up.

I don't keep biscuits or a lolly jar or other crap foods.  But I do have a massive supply of fruit, low sugar and low fat muesli bars, vegetables and dip, etc etc.  Are they missing out?  No.  We keep the 'sometimes foods' for SOMETIMES!  Birthdays, Xmas, Easter....we celebrate.  You don't need to celebrate the fact it's monday morning with a chocolate donut, or make kids feel loved because you pump sugar in their bodies.  They want your TIME not stuff that makes their bodies sick over time.

I don't reward with food.  You do something great then we 'reward' with an experience together....go to the movies or we go somewhere special they want to see.  They are bushwalk nuts so we go to the You yangs, or Hanging Rock or the Grampians.

I cook clean food meals which we all eat, I don't cook separate meals.  And no surprise to me, Miss 8's favourite food is lentil soup.  ( Such a hippie LOL) Do they get pizza and burgers?  Yep, we make them here.  They ALSO get a chance every now and then to go out and have Maccas with friends, or icecream, or pizza.  We just don't do it every week, maybe once or twice a month. They still go to birthday parties and eat the fun food.  But I'll tell you this....they also CHOOSE to eat healthy options when we eat out...Mr 11 has told us he doesn't like how he feels after eating the greasy crap food.

I can say NO. It's an easy word.  Children won't hate you if you don't give them their own way all the time.  so NO you can't stay up late, NO you can't have another soft drink, have a water instead.

They have a healthy lunchbox.  My kids don't need a side order of chocolate bar in their lunchbox every day, or a handful of lollies.  They pack their own lunches....a sandwich or two, 2 serves of fruit, yoghurt, and a muesli bar or dip with crackers or vege sticks.

So there you have it.  Such abuse, I should be locked up. I don't comment on others parenting habits because we all do the best we can, right or wrong. But maybe you should have a long hard look at what you are modelling to your children, what you are feeding your children and educate yourself a little more before you start screaming 'child abuse'.

So thanks, thanks for sending me off to work today in such a happy (NOT) state. I can assure you my kids are fine.  They are happy and above all, they are HEALTHY. Are yours?

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Habitual User

I don't know about you, but those two words, habitual user, conjures up images of a drug addict, huddled in a room somewhere stoned out of their minds.  A dirty image, that breaks your heart. Someone who doesn't deny themselves what they are chasing, even though what they are chasing is death. You could say they lack self disciline to make better choices.

But think of the words self discipline and what image does it conjure up?  To me I see army fatigues, boot camps, misery, pain and self denial.  Not very motivating images really...unless it's the Commando doing the yelling then hmmm, yes, well, enough said.


Ok, time to stop being silly.

A friend sent me a link on self discipline....here is the article, very thought provoking
http://www.cheladavison.com/2012/10/are-willpower-and-discipline-just-self-hatred-in-disguise-why-getting-leverage-on-ourselves-usually-fails/

After reading this, I wondered....how do I feel about that?  It's about self talk and how we push ourselves instead of facing up to things we may need to.  Guilty here. Does this mean we shouldn't push? That we shouldn't try to exercise self discipline? Does it mean that I can blame everything on some unresolved issues?

Personally, I think a lot of people reading that article will use it as an excuse. People who would point at me and say I have unresolved issues (ahem and who hasn't?) thats why I go to gym all the time, how sad for me. But I see working out as a HABIT, I go regularly, I physically and emotionally miss it when I don't go.  A lightbulb went off.

 I am a habitual gym user.

There it is.  Habitual user.

I have been working out 6 days a week for a year now.  Some weeks I may only have 4 or 5 days but I am always active.  A complete turn around from what I was....sit on the couch and love the midday movie tearjerker/real life story.  But now, if I miss a workout, I get twitchy.  I get a little irritated way more easily. I pace around the house, fiddle with things, can't get my mind to settle. 

Withdrawal symptoms much??? I don't crave a hit or a cigarette, I crave a run, I crave a chance to stretch muscles and move.

But this isn't a negative to me.  Creating the habit of reaching for an apple than a handful of maltesers is a good habit. Eating clean and choosing clean food when eating out is a good habit.  Working out is a good habit. Wanting to move my muscles the way they are designed to is a good habit.


All these habits are promoting and fuelling my body and my mind.  I feel better than I have ever done before.  I have more energy, I am stronger, I am more confident, I smile more, I am more relaxed.

We all operate with varying amounts of self control.  We all have habits.  It's self control and habit  that get us out of bed and choose to do a myriad of things....shower, prepare food, brush your teeth, care for children or others, earn money....self control and habits are a GOOD thing. 

So why not choose to create positive habits?  Why not create a habit of walking or running in the morning for 30 mins?  Why not create the habit of drinking a glass of water instead of diet soft drink?  Why not create the habit of doing something GOOD for yourself and talking GOOD WORDS to yourself.  Feed your body and feed your heart.






There is only one YOU.  Only one life. Only this day. Once you are gone there will never be another you. Don't wait until you see the end to try and hang on.  That's like running down the Up escalator.
Yesterday is over, we only take the lessons we learned from that day to further our actions and learning today.  Tomorrow is just a measure of time, it doesn't actually exist as yet, so why wait for something non existent? Make a good habit today. Repeat it tomorrow.  And the next day and the next.  Soon, it will be automatic and it will be hard to imagine life otherwise.
But don't take my word for it, see for yourself.

Sunday 7 October 2012

Week 6 The Halfway week....


Welcome to the Halfway point! We are halfway through the learning process of this round of 12 Week Body Transformation. We're learning about nutrition, we're learning about movement and muscles and we're learning about ourselves. We're learning it IS possible to be so sore it hurts to move but still move anyway.


Menu

This week for me was a bit wavery nutritionally....school holidays, out and about *insert excuse here*.  But realistically speaking and looking over my food diary, my 'bad' week is overall a good week really.  I made good food choices on the whole and while there may have been 2 beers too many, the old me would have made it 5 beers, a pizza, 2 rounds of chips from the pie van and chocolate icecream/cake/block/donut too many.  So a win after all.  And I ask you, how many pubs have you been in to have the NRL premiership trophy just turn up unexpectedly?  GO STORMERS!!!!
But not only am I off topic, an NRL premiership trophy walking into the local pub is no reason to start hanging around the bar on a daily basis just in case it happens again.

SO!  Back to meals....so junior masterchefs had a day of gorging themselves on Showbags and had a Mcdonalds meal this week.  Mr 11 has experienced the body switch with clean eating and has suffered a little for going back to the Dark Side of sugar by feeling ill.  Miss 8 is borderline. And neither want to go back to Maccas again in a hurry ( YAY!!!!!!)
The Reuben wrap was the big winner for lunches here, even with the junior members.  It will definitely be a staple lunch for us. Quick and easy and TASTY!  Apple tarts are a winner as ever and for myself, the Breakfast crumble with cinnamon yoghurt was a FANTASTIC way to start the day.  Just delicious. 

The misses this week....not so fussed on the eggplant and capsicum ricotta wrap for lunch.  I think next time I'll take the time to chargrill it fresh instead of using the jar ones.  No matetr how much you drain on paper towel, I still feel a little oily after eating it.

On a final note...the vegan healthy muffins...not only GREAT for brekky but GREAT for chucking in a bag when you are rushing out the door to a cricket clinic with ravenous children.  Add a flask of lemongrass and ginger tea and you could be sitting on the posh lawns commenting on the cricket at Lords, rather than watching a bunch of 9-11 year olds run around an oval in Geelong.  For 3 1/2 hours.  Cricket is a test of a mothers patience.

Exercise

An up and down week....missed 2 workouts at the gym and I have been climbing the walls.  Unfortunately, all the planning in the world ( and believe me if anyone can cut a millisecond in half and find time to pull out of the air, it's me) could not avoid these things.  But I wasn't just sitting on my backside.  I still managed to do pushups (especially for the 100 day pushup challenge I'm taking part of ....thanks Ute for organising!), running and walking around various ovals, a few pullups on the monkey bars...you get the idea. 

I've also joined a running group!  I went to visit the Point Cook Running group on Saturday with my husband Troy.  We indulged in a 3k warm up jog, some drills and speed intervals before setting off on a tempo run for 3 km, 4km or 5km.  After a chat and rest it was the 3 k jog back which seemed WAY shorter than the jog there!  They meet through the week too so I'm put that on the calendar too.  Felt so good to run and be with others who take it way more seriously than me but are so supportive!

Started deadlifts this week too, under supervision.  Now this isn't on the program but something I wanted to try and do for myself. The heaviest I can lift for 1 rep is 60 kgs, a feat I'm supremely proud of!  My goal was to lift more than my bodyweight and I did on the second try!  To do more reps though I'm lifting 45kg with 12 reps. I feel like a mega tough chickybabe! 

You have been warned.

Even for a slack week, I have a couple personal bests.....I'm pushing hard when I go to gym to workout and I'm proud I am still seeing improvements in strength. I know there will come a time that nothing improves but I will know it's not for want of trying hard enough!

Seated shoulder press with dumbells    9kg
Leg extension machine                       34.5 kg

Weekly Surprise

This week we had to share our mindset lesson, something we have learned.  I did this via video, filming off the computer which accounts for the dodginess! It was also difficult to keep it within the 30 sec to 1 minute timeframe!
 This is something I repeat to myself constantly, and something I need to remember because it's just too easy to give up.  NEVER GIVE UP.  If you give up, you might as well be dead. Nothing will change, there's no forward movement, no dreams, no hope, no goals. Nothing.



So back into it all tomorrow!  Workouts for the week are planned, meals are organised, mind is ready. Let's do it.
Feel free to leave a comment below too!  I love reading what you guys think :) And you have no idea how your words help me stay on track and keep motivated myself!

I leave you with the BEST sign ever in the world.  And I plan on producing bucketloads this week.



Friday 5 October 2012

More than words....

Words words words.  Blah blah blahitty blah. Thousands and thousands of words are used every day, mostly by me LOL! But do those words have meaning?  Or is it just the noise of two gums flapping?

" I would just DIE if he kissed me?"  Really?  Not a good start to the relationship then.  I'd avoid it.

" If you do that again, I'm going to KILL you!"  Hmmm.....I suspect we would need about 50 gajillion new prisons or make murder legal if that were the case.

" I'm getting fit" Not by sitting on your butt on the couch you're not.

Words have meaning when backed up by actions. They become REAL and no longer just words floating about the atmosphere. The words fulfill their potential.

Let's take the word LOVE for instance. More specifically, "I love you"


Easy words to say and most people, especially young and innocent (just like me HA) take at face value.  But then experience would prove that unless there's action behind the words that matches the intention, it's just sounds.
Love cares, supports, protects,cherishes,  nurtures. Love grows and doesn't control. The actions that match those uplift and lets the other, or yourself  more than know they are loved.  It creates security and intimacy, a sense of belonging. Flowers are given, hugs are given, hands are held.  For no other reason than " I love you and want to be with you and hang out with you. You are special"  The love becomes REAL...it grows into it's potential to be all the things I've just mentioned.

On the flip side of the coin, I'm sure the beaten girlfriend or wife, or boyfriend or husband have been told they are loved, as they nurse their bruised selves back to health. Children who are neglected are assured they are loved by their abusive parent, wholeheartedly believe it.
But the actions don't match...the statement of love is not real and the potential of the word is never realised.

Now, let's take the words " lose weight" and "get fit"

Part of our preseason exercises was to say it LOUD AND PROUD..."I am doing 12 week body transformation and I commit to doing this (insert specific commitment here)"

Remember doing this?  I commit to following the program to the letter, I commit to fitting into a bikini by Summer, I commit to going to every gym session.....

And now a little over halfway through.....where are those words? Where's that commitment?

Are you conveniently 'forgetting' what those words were?  Did it all become too hard right about week 3/4 and you actually didn't really MEAN to say those things, you just got carried away or you just 'didn't know'.

Or are you walking your talk?  Are you putting the ACTION into the words to make them REAL? Are you realising your POTENTIAL? Are you becoming a person of substance,  a person of your word, a person of trust, integrity and honour, a person who is REAL?  Or are people looking at you and thinking, "He/she always says it but never does it. Here we go again, can't believe a word they say."

It is HARD WORK to stick to your word, or a commitment. Quite often it's inconvenient, annoying or painful. But nothing, NOTHING  valued highly or cherish deeply ever came easily or cheaply. There is no easy way for them. The things that matter took a DECISION, a COMMITMENT and EFFORT to make it real.

Don't just be made of words. Be real. Make it happen...you have the power.




Wednesday 3 October 2012

The Battle of the Dagwood Dog






Look at it, in all its battered goodness.  How can something as innocuous as a sausage on a stick create a warzone?

Yesterday I was at the Royal Melbourne Show all day, showing two of our cats, Fuzznut, a Selkirk rex and Buck, our Bengal stud.




I'm sure you can match the name to the cat.  As it happens, the cats did quite well, very pleased.  But it also meant I was at the show from 7am until 6 pm with 2 children. And the Royal Show is not a place known for it's health food policies.

The cats are set in their cages and judging will commence soon.  The two Showbag pirates are chomping at the bit to get going and see who can buy the most enormous showbag with the most ridiculous toy inside.  (Skateboards won).  Already, as we wandered across the showgrounds, the air was filled with the smell of show food....sugar and fried fat molecules dancing the tango in aromatic streams in the air. But my mind was STEEL, I would not cave, I was not hungry, I had a good breakfast. Begone fairy floss fancies!  Retreat hot chip harlots! I will have none of you today!

( Touch of self righteousness there, no?)

So that was test one passed.  Test two, the showbag pavilion was looming, beckoning with chocolate covered fingers.

Due to indecision, we did the showbag pavilion not once, not twice, but three times. I passed those Bertie Beetle bags at least a hundred times. I found myself thinking, " Just one, won't matter surely, how many calories in one?" Well as it turns out, there are only 50 calories in Bertie Beetle.  Not much.  BUT! There are 10 Bertie Beetles in the bag and Bertie hates to leave his brothers behind, so realistically, that Bertie Beetle was going to be 500 calories.  Off the list.

So the only thing haemorraging was my wallet and lying limply in my hands exhausted, it was time to look around the rest of the show.

I had tummy grumbles by then, it had been 4 hours since breakfast and I had that niggling " I'm hungry" growl from the lion that lives in my belly.  And you don't want THAT to wake up with Bertie Beetles hanging around. Fortunately, in the Paddock to Plate Pavilion, there were apples for $1.  I bought one for each of us and that was enough.  So test 2 and 3 ticked.  Survived the Showbag pavilion and found some clean food to snack on.

I returned to the Cat show while the Showbag pirates headed off into Sideshow Alley.  So proud of my dear sweet little children.  They come back within 10 minutes, penniless and carrying a big blue...thing.  Some sort of animal, I'm assuming a bear/dog hybrid.



Look at those sweet innocent faces.  So tell me, why, when I caught sight of them, did they yell out across the WHOLE cat show with all these respectable cat breeders and lovely judges....

" LOOK WHAT WE WON PLAYING BLACKJACK!!!!!"


Now all embarrassment and possible poor parenting aside, cat show judging is a long process.  A long slow process and it wasn't long before the internal growls began again. And I  ignored it.Over and over again.

Two hours later, the internal growl had become a gnawing pain, as if whatever was growling had given up and just decided to eat their way out.  I had bypassed hunger and was now RAVENOUS. I set off to find something good to eat, more substantial than the apple I had already found and wouldn't break the calorie clean eating bank. Literally since breakfast I had only one apple in 8 hours.  And all the while, those tangoing sugar and fried fat molecules danced around my head.

I fought off the popcorn and fairy floss stand.  I roundhouse kicked the donut stand to the ground, I poleaxed the Peters icecream van.  I said NO to all those things and the starving feeling just got bigger and bigger.

And there it was.......the Dagwood Dog Van.

Lined up in delectable rows were those battered sausages on a stick, resting temptingly next to the pot of tomato sauce. They didn't have to wait there long, as I watched they skipped out of the bain marie and into the lucky hands of those who just bought them, and were now licking the tomato sauce off their fingers and biting into that batter-y goodness. I could smell them so delicious, hell I could even taste them. My mouth was salivating and my will power muscle failed.  It had been overused throughout the whole day and now like any other muscle fatigue...it quivered and died.

But then, like a miracle, as I joined the queue for the Dagwood Dog, a rallying charge of willpower reinforcements hit.  To my left was a sign pointing the way to other food...woodfired pizza, jambalaya, pasta.  Now I know jamabalaya is mostly vegetable and with that thought and a long, longing look back at the bain marie, I wrenched myself away and made the better choice.

Now lets not over celebrate too much. Yes, I resisted a choice that was certainly not the clean eating I've been striving for. But I made 3 basic mistakes that by now I should not have made, knowing what I do know and after a year on 12 WBT.  What were they?

1.  I didn't plan ahead. I know after several years of showing cats that it takes forever.  I know I was going to a place where there would be masses of temptation.  I know I should have packed food to take with me, and plenty of water as well.  But I didn't do any of those things.  I failed the most basic lesson I learned during 12 WBT... PLAN AHEAD.

2.  I overused my willpower muscle unnecessarilyI put myself in the way of temptation. I didn't HAVE to walk past all those things, I could have taken a different route, or not gone out as many times as I did. But I constantly circled the places and smells that I knew would drive me mad eventually and it did.

3. I ignored my body signals I waited until I was too hungry and less able to make a healthy food choice.  I ignored my body saying LOUD AND CLEAR, " Feed me, I'm empty" My levels then dropped and all I could think about was a fast energy hit...fat and sugar. I didn't want to wait to find good food, I wanted to eat RIGHT NOW.  If I'd listened to what my tummy was saying earlier, I would have had more time and less desperation to find something to eat.


The war has been won.  But I almost lost the Battle through carelessness and complacency.