Well today I am purchasing a diary so I can dedicate tonight identifying upcoming red flags. A big one is my birthday which is the 28th of May, so soon after kick off! But I am determined to not let myself down! I will be eating a healthy dinner that evening, Michelle's roast beef and vegetables - then I have leftovers for the following day :o)
I have worked out my gym program, and I also have options/alternatives to shuffle around on red flag days so I am completely covered no matter what, whoohoo! All I have to do now is actually write them in my diary
Major shopping days will be on Saturday mornings straight after gym. I always shower at the gym and so my food shopping then anyway, as there is Coles Supermarket literally 100 metres from my gym, so it's perfect :o) I haven't yet done my big shop for week one, but once I have finished my list in a moment I'm out the door
Now, my mini milestones! This is tough. I don't like marathons (boooooooooooooring!). They don't interest me one little bit so I am not going to lie and tell you that I am going to attempt one. So, instead - I have some mini milestones to achieve instead!
4 week milestone: I aim to have lost my first 5 kilos by this point!
8 week milestone: I will fit back into my size 12 jeans
12 week milestone: I will be 10 kilos lighter at the absolute MINIMUM!
They may not seem exciting, but they are exciting to me - and I want to achieve these so badly!
Friday 20 May 2011
Saturday 14 May 2011
Pre Season Task 6: Kitchen Makeover
So this task is all about getting rid of all the crap food! Fatty foods, sugary foods, salty foods - drinks even! Anything with high calorie values it's all got to go!
Well, suprisingly...since I bought Michelle's Crunchtime Cookbook, I cleaned out my pantry then to make room for all the healthy ingredients I was buying! So, this was something I did 3 weeks ago just before I signed up to the 12WBT!
Unfortunately, my problem isn't buying junk and storing it in the pantry. I am one who goes for a drive and picks up a chocolate bar when I feel like it (bad news having an IGA literally just aroud the corner from my house - too convenient!) and of course I can't have chocolate without having a can of coke to wash it down with! Chocolate and coke are seriously the best combo ever - those 2 things combined are absolutely my Cryptonyte! It's my ultimate indulgence!
Anyway, my biggest challenge ahead is getting past the cravings. And avoiding the junk food when doing grocery shopping. I am no longer going to pick up a chocolate bar or chips for my partner, because I find when I do this, I end up grabbing a small chocolate bar myself, because a small one cant be that bad for me. WROOOOOOOOOOOONG! It's how I got this fat in the first place! One of my lame excuses to justify eating something I know deep down, I shouldn't be eating!
Well, here's to a clean pantry and a battle ahead - no IGA visits for me for a while unless it involves picking up toilet paper ;o) hehe!
Well, suprisingly...since I bought Michelle's Crunchtime Cookbook, I cleaned out my pantry then to make room for all the healthy ingredients I was buying! So, this was something I did 3 weeks ago just before I signed up to the 12WBT!
Unfortunately, my problem isn't buying junk and storing it in the pantry. I am one who goes for a drive and picks up a chocolate bar when I feel like it (bad news having an IGA literally just aroud the corner from my house - too convenient!) and of course I can't have chocolate without having a can of coke to wash it down with! Chocolate and coke are seriously the best combo ever - those 2 things combined are absolutely my Cryptonyte! It's my ultimate indulgence!
Anyway, my biggest challenge ahead is getting past the cravings. And avoiding the junk food when doing grocery shopping. I am no longer going to pick up a chocolate bar or chips for my partner, because I find when I do this, I end up grabbing a small chocolate bar myself, because a small one cant be that bad for me. WROOOOOOOOOOOONG! It's how I got this fat in the first place! One of my lame excuses to justify eating something I know deep down, I shouldn't be eating!
Well, here's to a clean pantry and a battle ahead - no IGA visits for me for a while unless it involves picking up toilet paper ;o) hehe!
Pre Season Task 5: Say it out loud!
This was a tough task, as for whatever reason I do not want to advertise on my Facebook Page that I am completing this challenge. I unfortunately have work collegues on there and people who I fear will mock me. I would rather take a different approach, one which I think will be much more fun at the end of this! :o)
I have explained to my family and friends what I am about to jump into. I have told them I need their complete understanding and support, this is something I need to do - and failing is just not an option.
My wonderful partner is supporting me in every way he can. Reminding me of this challenge if I mention chocolate, or say I can't be bothered cooking. It quickly keeps me in line with what I am trying to achieve! However, I am failing myself miserably this week because I have been unwell with a terrible cold. I am not keeping up my water levels, I am not cooking the way I should be, and I am not eating nearly enough! Not all bad, but I should be making more of an effort regardless of how sick I feel.
Anyway, back to my original point! I am choosing not to advertise this on Facebook because I feel like doing something more fun. At the end of this challenge when the weight has been burned off, I am going to post some photos of myself looking damn good - make people go WOW what have you been doing? Then I can tell them about this fabulous program and how well it works. It wont give people the chance to tell me I am being sucked in for money, or it's a scam or whatever other negative garbage they usually blurt out of their mouths.
For this task, I needed to make a commitment. My commitment is that by the end of the 12wbt, I WILL be in the healthy BMI range! In order to do this, I need to drop at least 9 kilos. I am 120% committed to do whatever it takes to achieve this.
Beyond the 12wbt, I WILL drop my weight down to my ultimate goal weight of 65k again and continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I was my happiest at this weight, and looked very healthy while still maintaining a nice figure and not looking gaunt. I don’t want to go from one extreme to another!
I have explained to my family and friends what I am about to jump into. I have told them I need their complete understanding and support, this is something I need to do - and failing is just not an option.
My wonderful partner is supporting me in every way he can. Reminding me of this challenge if I mention chocolate, or say I can't be bothered cooking. It quickly keeps me in line with what I am trying to achieve! However, I am failing myself miserably this week because I have been unwell with a terrible cold. I am not keeping up my water levels, I am not cooking the way I should be, and I am not eating nearly enough! Not all bad, but I should be making more of an effort regardless of how sick I feel.
Anyway, back to my original point! I am choosing not to advertise this on Facebook because I feel like doing something more fun. At the end of this challenge when the weight has been burned off, I am going to post some photos of myself looking damn good - make people go WOW what have you been doing? Then I can tell them about this fabulous program and how well it works. It wont give people the chance to tell me I am being sucked in for money, or it's a scam or whatever other negative garbage they usually blurt out of their mouths.
For this task, I needed to make a commitment. My commitment is that by the end of the 12wbt, I WILL be in the healthy BMI range! In order to do this, I need to drop at least 9 kilos. I am 120% committed to do whatever it takes to achieve this.
Beyond the 12wbt, I WILL drop my weight down to my ultimate goal weight of 65k again and continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I was my happiest at this weight, and looked very healthy while still maintaining a nice figure and not looking gaunt. I don’t want to go from one extreme to another!
Pre Season Task 4: Gear Up!
So for lean and fast, my training program needs to consist of the following:
3 days of fitness
2 days of toning
1 day of light fitness, core and stretch (Not real sure about this requirement, I'm starting with Pilates!)
My training scedule will be as follows:
Mondays - Pilates DVD at home before heading to work
Tuesdays - Body Pump Class after work
Wednesdays - Zumba and Zumba Toning at the gym after work (Back to Back Classes)
Thursdays - Strength Training at the gym after work
Fridays - Zumba at the gym before work
Saturdays - Zumba and Zumba Toning at the gym in the morning
In case you couldn't tell, I am an absolute Zumba addict! It's actually all I do at the moment, although I haven't been going to the Friday morning sessions for almost one month now. There always seems to be some bloody drama on Thursday nights which keep me up really late and making it near impossible to function at work, let alone get up at 5am to head to the gym on 3-4 hours sleep! Hopefully this does not occur regularly anymore!
As I am doing toning on both Wednesday's and Saturdays, ideally I would like to be able to drop Tuesdays Body Pump class as my partner has already complained that he doesn't see much, and he is right. We have a weird situation. He works night shift, and often leaves for work at 8.00pm when he is rostered. I don't get home from work until 6.00pm and if I have gym, I need to be out the door for either a 6.30pm or 7.00pm class! I'm not getting home until either 10 minutes before he leaves, or after he has left for work. The only nights we really get to see each other are Sundays through to Tuesdays. We dont see each other in the mornings because he has just gone to sleep by the time I wake up, so our time is very limited together.
I guess this is the biggest challenge I am facing, I want this body transformation badly - but I do not want my relationship to suffer because of it either. So I need to somehow juggle this and find my happy medium! Wish me luck!
3 days of fitness
2 days of toning
1 day of light fitness, core and stretch (Not real sure about this requirement, I'm starting with Pilates!)
My training scedule will be as follows:
Mondays - Pilates DVD at home before heading to work
Tuesdays - Body Pump Class after work
Wednesdays - Zumba and Zumba Toning at the gym after work (Back to Back Classes)
Thursdays - Strength Training at the gym after work
Fridays - Zumba at the gym before work
Saturdays - Zumba and Zumba Toning at the gym in the morning
In case you couldn't tell, I am an absolute Zumba addict! It's actually all I do at the moment, although I haven't been going to the Friday morning sessions for almost one month now. There always seems to be some bloody drama on Thursday nights which keep me up really late and making it near impossible to function at work, let alone get up at 5am to head to the gym on 3-4 hours sleep! Hopefully this does not occur regularly anymore!
As I am doing toning on both Wednesday's and Saturdays, ideally I would like to be able to drop Tuesdays Body Pump class as my partner has already complained that he doesn't see much, and he is right. We have a weird situation. He works night shift, and often leaves for work at 8.00pm when he is rostered. I don't get home from work until 6.00pm and if I have gym, I need to be out the door for either a 6.30pm or 7.00pm class! I'm not getting home until either 10 minutes before he leaves, or after he has left for work. The only nights we really get to see each other are Sundays through to Tuesdays. We dont see each other in the mornings because he has just gone to sleep by the time I wake up, so our time is very limited together.
I guess this is the biggest challenge I am facing, I want this body transformation badly - but I do not want my relationship to suffer because of it either. So I need to somehow juggle this and find my happy medium! Wish me luck!
Pre Season Task 3: Take Control - Set Your Goal
Wow, ok so I've had some computer hiccups lately which has prevented me from updating my blog. I'm not a little behind on posting the rest of my pre season tasks so I am going to have to post them all tonight so I am up to date again :o)
So, my goals are quite simple really. Ultimately I want to get rid of 18kg of FAT in the next 12 months. So I have broken this down as follows, which is probably super boring compared to other peoples goals:
1 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 4 kilos (1 kilo per week)
- Settle into a new training routine
- Avoid eating chips and chocolate for treats
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12 WBT eating program
- I'm currently hitting the gym Wednesdays through to Saturdays. Start hitting the gym on Mondays and Tuesdays with Sunday as a rest day so I can spend time with my partner
- Use the 12WBT Forums for help, support and inspiration. Make a Jarrah hot chocolate to kill the chocolate cravings, or 1 Salada biscuit to kick the chip cravinga. These do work for me, I just need to stay strong in my mind!
3 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 10 Kilos
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12WBT program and maintain/stick to the 6 day week training program
6 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 13kg
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12WBT Facebook Page and recipes in the Crunchtime Cookbook as well as maintain my training program. I will well and truly be in routine at this point
12 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 18 kg
- Go on a holiday interstate to celebrate the new healthy me!
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12WBT Facebook Page and recipes in the Crunchtime Cookbook as well as maintain my training program. I will well and truly be in routine at this point
- Seek help from Michelle's book 'Losing the last 5 kilos'
- Save money in the lead up to the holiday and book well in advance! Continue eating well and training in order to reward myself
So, my goals are quite simple really. Ultimately I want to get rid of 18kg of FAT in the next 12 months. So I have broken this down as follows, which is probably super boring compared to other peoples goals:
1 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 4 kilos (1 kilo per week)
- Settle into a new training routine
- Avoid eating chips and chocolate for treats
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12 WBT eating program
- I'm currently hitting the gym Wednesdays through to Saturdays. Start hitting the gym on Mondays and Tuesdays with Sunday as a rest day so I can spend time with my partner
- Use the 12WBT Forums for help, support and inspiration. Make a Jarrah hot chocolate to kill the chocolate cravings, or 1 Salada biscuit to kick the chip cravinga. These do work for me, I just need to stay strong in my mind!
3 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 10 Kilos
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12WBT program and maintain/stick to the 6 day week training program
6 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 13kg
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12WBT Facebook Page and recipes in the Crunchtime Cookbook as well as maintain my training program. I will well and truly be in routine at this point
12 MONTH GOALS
- Lose 18 kg
- Go on a holiday interstate to celebrate the new healthy me!
HOW I WILL GET THERE
- Follow the 12WBT Facebook Page and recipes in the Crunchtime Cookbook as well as maintain my training program. I will well and truly be in routine at this point
- Seek help from Michelle's book 'Losing the last 5 kilos'
- Save money in the lead up to the holiday and book well in advance! Continue eating well and training in order to reward myself
Saturday 30 April 2011
Pre Season Task 2: Get Real
This task is about getting real and honest, putting down all the excuses you use and coming to terms with realistic solutions to them. Because to achieve what I want to achieve - there are NO excuses. I am very good at keeping my gym routine, I love excercising now in fact! I've only been doing it since the end of January but I enjoy it thoroughly, so I don't really use excuses to excercise.
I have listed what I have put together so far. The challenge I have with this task is, I really need to jot down the excuses as soon as I think/say them. So this list will become longer I'm sure!
EXCUSE: I’m too tired and stressed to cook, maybe one night of take away will be ok.
SOLUTION: No it will not. You’re spending $88.00 a month on a great gym membership, you’ve spent $200.00upfront to do this challenge, you’ve just spent $105.00 on a heart rate monitor and not to mention how much you are spending on feed each week/fortnight. That’s over $1,300.00 plus food. If you want to fail, then go ahead – just so you know – this could have been a new laptop, a TV for the bedroom, or even more importantly – this could have helped those extremely affected in the QLD floods, NZ/Japan earthquake. Don’t let this go to waste. And think of the effort you’ve been putting in to planning all those healthy meals each week before you go shopping. What a waste of effort. Just start bloody cooking! THEN you can relax, and feel even more relaxed knowing you just did your body and yourself a favor
EXCUSE: I had an excellent loss on the scales this week, one good meal or chocolate will be a nice treat.
SOLUTION: Forget it, staying away from those foods is exactly why you had that excellent loss. You are accountable for everything you eat. The more unhealthy stuff you eat, the worse your number will look on the scales. Hold out, in a few days you will jump on those scales and be thankful for saying no and sticking with the plan! Think of those size 10 jeans and tops you want to fit back into. You don’t need new clothes, you just need to fit back into your old ones – they are in perfect condition. And by fitting back into them, you will save money by not having to buy too many new ones!
External Excuses (Within My Control)
EXCUSE: Need to give gym a miss tonight so I can spend time with my partner tonight. He works night shift and we have very limited time together.
SOLUTION: That’s fine, instead of eating into our time together in the evenings, I can wake up ½ an hour earlier as he will be starting to go to sleep. Waking up at 6am instead of 6.30am and fit a workout in. Zumba in the shed, or even interval running around the block or even school oval we have around the corner from home. I can be in the shower by 6.50am and still have time to eat breakfast and get ready for work to be out the door by 7.45am. Then I have all evening to spend quality time with my partner on his night off from work
External Solutions (Outside My Control)
EXCUSE: Family health issues sometimes require my time and attention where I need to break my gym routine and unable to cook/eat at home
SOLUTION: You can't help/control these situations. It is rare that this occurs. You can still get up at 6am and do a workout, as these crisis' never require you in that time. Even strength training in the lounge room is better than nothing. Crisis' dont mean you have to eat junk. Wherever you are, just make the healthiest choice as possible. And if you're not hungry, simply say that and don't eat the bad food. If you NEED to get take away, stick with Subway and make a healthy choice there, or call into a servo/IGA and pick up some salad supplies and a can of Tuna in spring water - it takes 2 minutes to put together
I have listed what I have put together so far. The challenge I have with this task is, I really need to jot down the excuses as soon as I think/say them. So this list will become longer I'm sure!
My Excuses and Their Solutions
EXCUSE: I’m too tired and stressed to cook, maybe one night of take away will be ok.
SOLUTION: No it will not. You’re spending $88.00 a month on a great gym membership, you’ve spent $200.00upfront to do this challenge, you’ve just spent $105.00 on a heart rate monitor and not to mention how much you are spending on feed each week/fortnight. That’s over $1,300.00 plus food. If you want to fail, then go ahead – just so you know – this could have been a new laptop, a TV for the bedroom, or even more importantly – this could have helped those extremely affected in the QLD floods, NZ/Japan earthquake. Don’t let this go to waste. And think of the effort you’ve been putting in to planning all those healthy meals each week before you go shopping. What a waste of effort. Just start bloody cooking! THEN you can relax, and feel even more relaxed knowing you just did your body and yourself a favor
EXCUSE: I had an excellent loss on the scales this week, one good meal or chocolate will be a nice treat.
SOLUTION: Forget it, staying away from those foods is exactly why you had that excellent loss. You are accountable for everything you eat. The more unhealthy stuff you eat, the worse your number will look on the scales. Hold out, in a few days you will jump on those scales and be thankful for saying no and sticking with the plan! Think of those size 10 jeans and tops you want to fit back into. You don’t need new clothes, you just need to fit back into your old ones – they are in perfect condition. And by fitting back into them, you will save money by not having to buy too many new ones!
External Excuses (Within My Control)
EXCUSE: Need to give gym a miss tonight so I can spend time with my partner tonight. He works night shift and we have very limited time together.
SOLUTION: That’s fine, instead of eating into our time together in the evenings, I can wake up ½ an hour earlier as he will be starting to go to sleep. Waking up at 6am instead of 6.30am and fit a workout in. Zumba in the shed, or even interval running around the block or even school oval we have around the corner from home. I can be in the shower by 6.50am and still have time to eat breakfast and get ready for work to be out the door by 7.45am. Then I have all evening to spend quality time with my partner on his night off from work
External Solutions (Outside My Control)
EXCUSE: Family health issues sometimes require my time and attention where I need to break my gym routine and unable to cook/eat at home
SOLUTION: You can't help/control these situations. It is rare that this occurs. You can still get up at 6am and do a workout, as these crisis' never require you in that time. Even strength training in the lounge room is better than nothing. Crisis' dont mean you have to eat junk. Wherever you are, just make the healthiest choice as possible. And if you're not hungry, simply say that and don't eat the bad food. If you NEED to get take away, stick with Subway and make a healthy choice there, or call into a servo/IGA and pick up some salad supplies and a can of Tuna in spring water - it takes 2 minutes to put together
Pre Season Task 1: Introduce Yourself
So I think my introduction to myself was quite lengthy, but it was a bit of a journey I went through to get to where I am today, completing the 12 week body transformation. It was honest and heartfelt:
Hi Everyone! My name is Amanda, and as mentioned in the topic I am from Adelaide.
I am 28 years old (turning 29 late May). I used to be a healthy Size 10 weighing 68kg. I was happy with the way I looked, and this was back in 2006/2007. Unfortunately, I was in a terrible marriage where I was abused and controlled for many years, I had stopped going to the gym after reaching my goal weight. Life in general was not very pleasant at all and I believe the constant stress and anxiety is what prevented me from gaining weight. At the time, I just thought I had a lucky metabolism!
I finally left my husband and abandonded that terrible part of my life. Since then, I fell in love with my current partner who is absolutely wonderful to me. I truly do get royal treatment :o) I am so relaxed with him and we are the absolute best of friends. I am completely confortable with him, and unfortunetely because I was so controlled and never had fun in my previous relationship, I was eating like a kid had full access to a candy store! I went crazy on chips, chocolate, soft drink etc! I had so much fun doing it, because I was never allowed to do anything! The weight started to stack on.
In 2009, my cousin was tragically murdered, This turned my life upside down. This was the first family death I have experienced at an age where I actually understand what it means. I fell into an emotional heap. Not only was the death hard to comprehend, but the way it had happened. He was only 25. I was eating chocolate to feel the smallest bit of happiness, and again, the weight piled on.
Not long after that, my partner was diagnosed with Vestibular Disorder which put him out of action for 3 months. He still deals with this every day but has now been able to manage it in every day life. His father was also diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma. He went through months of treatment and it was obviously very emotionally draining on the family. And you guessed it, I was eating and eating and the weight piled on even more! Just when we were coming to terms with the fact that his father may not get through it, final tests confirmed he was in remission. It was the best news!
Life started to turn around and look more positive. My partner and I went on our first holiday interstate together, a nice 2 weeks on the Gold Coast. We got engaged in August 2010, it was by far the happiest day of my life! We spent the next 2 months announcing the news, planning a date for our engagement party, everything became so exciting!
In November 2010, we learned that his dad had Lymphoma in the brain. This shook us a bit, given he was in remission after beating Stage 4 the year before. He became very unwell, and was in hospital for a solid 2 months. It was Christmas Eve he came home, we were told that the treatment wasnt helping, and there was nothing more they could do. He had a hospital bed setup at home, and nurses coming to the house twice daily. My partners mum is the most amazing and caring woman I have ever met in my entire life. She had been his carer for so long, so she did a fantastic job of caring for him when he finally came home just in time for Christmas.
Even though things were not good, my partner and I still hosted our engagement party in January 2011. A great time was had by all, and it was nice to put the sad stuff on hold for a night. Unfortunately, just days later, we lost his father to the Lymphoma. This has been an incredibly sad time for us and the family.
Having gone through such tragic events, I have come to understand that I am very much an emotional eater. Eating and drinking has eased the pain, well so I thought. After the death of my partners father, I realised what I had become. Being almost 20kg heavier than when we started dating, I knew I was heading down a path of no return. I joined Fernwood Gym at the end of January so I could start improvivng my lifestyle, and instead of dealing with grief by eating, I was hitting the gym to workout.
I discovered Zumba which I love doing so much. It gives my mind an escape, I have so much fun with it and it makes me feel great at the end of it. I am now doing it 3 times a week and feel great for it, but my eating habits need a revamp! I have only lost 2-3 kilos since January, which is not good enough!
Just over a week ago, I bought the Crunchtime Cookbook and have been using the recipes in that since Monday last week. I kept my normal gym routine and cut out coffee, chocolate etc. Didn't touch the bad stuff! I was pleasantly suprised when I weighed in yesterday morning. 1.3kg's GONE! If I was able to do this following the cookbook, I can only imagine what I can do by participating in this challenge!
I have been looking into it for some time now, and I just couldnt wait to sign up! Hence the cookbook purchase :o) I am doing this challenge because I have finally realised, I need to turn my life around before I get myself into such a state where it all feels too hard. I am overweight, but I can do this! It is also a positive change to make, and I am all about the positivity! This is something to give me to focus on, I love setting goals, and I love achieving them!
Time to put the emotional eating aside, and time to revamp my life! I am climbing out of my hiding place, and facing the music. No more feeling sad and sorry, no more excuses. I not only need to do this for myself, but I need to do this for the loved ones around me. It's not just about looks and confidence either, it's about reducing my health risks too such as diabetes and heart desease. I want to be healthy again, and most importantly...STAY HEALTHY! :o) I have already quit smoking, now it's time for the next step!
Thank you for reading my story if you've made it this far, I have a bit of a habit for writing lengthy stuff hehe! I look forward to learning about you all and seeing/hearing about your progress. Let's do this! :o)
Hi Everyone! My name is Amanda, and as mentioned in the topic I am from Adelaide.
I am 28 years old (turning 29 late May). I used to be a healthy Size 10 weighing 68kg. I was happy with the way I looked, and this was back in 2006/2007. Unfortunately, I was in a terrible marriage where I was abused and controlled for many years, I had stopped going to the gym after reaching my goal weight. Life in general was not very pleasant at all and I believe the constant stress and anxiety is what prevented me from gaining weight. At the time, I just thought I had a lucky metabolism!
I finally left my husband and abandonded that terrible part of my life. Since then, I fell in love with my current partner who is absolutely wonderful to me. I truly do get royal treatment :o) I am so relaxed with him and we are the absolute best of friends. I am completely confortable with him, and unfortunetely because I was so controlled and never had fun in my previous relationship, I was eating like a kid had full access to a candy store! I went crazy on chips, chocolate, soft drink etc! I had so much fun doing it, because I was never allowed to do anything! The weight started to stack on.
In 2009, my cousin was tragically murdered, This turned my life upside down. This was the first family death I have experienced at an age where I actually understand what it means. I fell into an emotional heap. Not only was the death hard to comprehend, but the way it had happened. He was only 25. I was eating chocolate to feel the smallest bit of happiness, and again, the weight piled on.
Not long after that, my partner was diagnosed with Vestibular Disorder which put him out of action for 3 months. He still deals with this every day but has now been able to manage it in every day life. His father was also diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma. He went through months of treatment and it was obviously very emotionally draining on the family. And you guessed it, I was eating and eating and the weight piled on even more! Just when we were coming to terms with the fact that his father may not get through it, final tests confirmed he was in remission. It was the best news!
Life started to turn around and look more positive. My partner and I went on our first holiday interstate together, a nice 2 weeks on the Gold Coast. We got engaged in August 2010, it was by far the happiest day of my life! We spent the next 2 months announcing the news, planning a date for our engagement party, everything became so exciting!
In November 2010, we learned that his dad had Lymphoma in the brain. This shook us a bit, given he was in remission after beating Stage 4 the year before. He became very unwell, and was in hospital for a solid 2 months. It was Christmas Eve he came home, we were told that the treatment wasnt helping, and there was nothing more they could do. He had a hospital bed setup at home, and nurses coming to the house twice daily. My partners mum is the most amazing and caring woman I have ever met in my entire life. She had been his carer for so long, so she did a fantastic job of caring for him when he finally came home just in time for Christmas.
Even though things were not good, my partner and I still hosted our engagement party in January 2011. A great time was had by all, and it was nice to put the sad stuff on hold for a night. Unfortunately, just days later, we lost his father to the Lymphoma. This has been an incredibly sad time for us and the family.
Having gone through such tragic events, I have come to understand that I am very much an emotional eater. Eating and drinking has eased the pain, well so I thought. After the death of my partners father, I realised what I had become. Being almost 20kg heavier than when we started dating, I knew I was heading down a path of no return. I joined Fernwood Gym at the end of January so I could start improvivng my lifestyle, and instead of dealing with grief by eating, I was hitting the gym to workout.
I discovered Zumba which I love doing so much. It gives my mind an escape, I have so much fun with it and it makes me feel great at the end of it. I am now doing it 3 times a week and feel great for it, but my eating habits need a revamp! I have only lost 2-3 kilos since January, which is not good enough!
Just over a week ago, I bought the Crunchtime Cookbook and have been using the recipes in that since Monday last week. I kept my normal gym routine and cut out coffee, chocolate etc. Didn't touch the bad stuff! I was pleasantly suprised when I weighed in yesterday morning. 1.3kg's GONE! If I was able to do this following the cookbook, I can only imagine what I can do by participating in this challenge!
I have been looking into it for some time now, and I just couldnt wait to sign up! Hence the cookbook purchase :o) I am doing this challenge because I have finally realised, I need to turn my life around before I get myself into such a state where it all feels too hard. I am overweight, but I can do this! It is also a positive change to make, and I am all about the positivity! This is something to give me to focus on, I love setting goals, and I love achieving them!
Time to put the emotional eating aside, and time to revamp my life! I am climbing out of my hiding place, and facing the music. No more feeling sad and sorry, no more excuses. I not only need to do this for myself, but I need to do this for the loved ones around me. It's not just about looks and confidence either, it's about reducing my health risks too such as diabetes and heart desease. I want to be healthy again, and most importantly...STAY HEALTHY! :o) I have already quit smoking, now it's time for the next step!
Thank you for reading my story if you've made it this far, I have a bit of a habit for writing lengthy stuff hehe! I look forward to learning about you all and seeing/hearing about your progress. Let's do this! :o)
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