Week 12 Reflection

That's right!  I have finished the last 12 week challenge but next week I start all over again :)  Another 12 weeks of plans, good food and achieving!

Menu plans

Another good week, don't think I have had one bad week where I disliked the food!  The favourite for me this week was the pumpkin, chickpea and chicken korma.  The junior masterchefs not so impressed with the chickpeas and Mr 11 who detests pumpkin with a passion did say " This carrot tastes good mum" HAHAHAAAA! It's all how you slice it my friend...... Regardless....thumbs up from me and no judgement from the junior masterchefs.

Had one of my favourite breakfasts too...coucous, yoghurt and cinnamon apple...YUM  and Troy was most taken with the rare roast beef sandwich with beetroot and horseradish cream for lunch.

I'm looking forward to seeing what come up in the meal plans in the next 12 weeks.  I'm sure there will be similarities but there'll be a few new ones too!

Exercise Plans

 This weeks plans again similar to the last few weeks but I can really see the difference! The weights were getting easier so I upped a few of them on the lat machine, barbell chest press and the leg press. Felt tired this week so looking forward to scaling back a bit next week.  I'll be adjusting my style a little too and concentrating on fast up and slow down movements with all the weights.....make those muscles work harder!

Looking back through my workout diary I noticed the following increases in some of my weights:
Triceps with cable and rope: 23 kg to 27 kg
Tricep pushups 12 to 30
Bicep curls with barbell: 15kg to 25kg
Barbell squats: 35-45 kg
Chest press with dumbbells: 6kg to 9kg
Chest press with barbell: 15 kg to 30 kg
donkey calf raises: 90kg-109 kg

This is by no means an exhaustive list but I love seeing how I've become stronger as just this short amount of time goes by.  I can see where I need to work harder or where I can up my weights.

Weekly Surprise and SSS

The SSS is yet to be done but I can't wait!  It's an Olympic series of events....looks MAD and a hard cardio workout but way fun!  There's Pole vault, 100m hurdles, 100 m sprint, 3000 m steeplechase, shot put, 400 m sprint, long jump, 1500 m run and a gymnastics routine...all using regular gym exercises!

The weekly surprise was a pop quiz which da dah DAAAAH!  I got 100%  Go me!

Another little surprise which becomes a starting point for next round was.....I went for a DEXA scan.

http://www.bodyscan.com.au/

It was approximately half an hour for the scan and the consultation. The scan itself took 3 mins of me lying perfectly still on a table while a machine moved all around me taking my 'picture'.  It wasn't enclosed so no claustrophobia!

After the 3 minutes , the results were printed up and are as follows:
I am 49 kgs
I have above average bone density (YAY!)
I have 39kgs of fat free mass which puts me in the acceptable range ( YAY)
I have 10 kgs of fat mass which puts me in lean, just above the athlete range ( TRIPLE YAY!)
I have an accurate indication of my Basal metabolic rate and how many calories I should consume to reach my goals. 

And the best bit...you get a pretty picture!  Yellow= Fat mass, Red/pink= lean muscle mass and blue = bones.

Finally my friends...for you, about you. Thanks for hanging along with me :) You've made it through this change and supported each other.  You are SUPER AWESOME!