7 minutes...

Ok, so I have been SWAMPED with uni work...  I am up at 6am and in bed at 11pm studying or doing family life stuff (shopping, groceries, washing etc etc...)  I feel as though I have no time left for exercise but I do!

I find myself with pockets of time here and there but I have no exercise gear... but hey if I use these little pockets to fit in some exercise it adds up over the day.  No it's not ideal but hey its better than nothing!

So what can you achieve in 7 minutes?

Lots and lots of push-ups... but if you aren't dressed for it you could try tricep dips, squat holds etc etc... HA!  Who can hold a squat for 7 minutes???

 ME!!

Today I held a squat for 7 minutes and I pulsed the last minute!!!  Here is a pic of me holding the squat!  Addmittedly it is a PB for me and it was during a bootcamp session I managed to fit in this morning...

But at least I have found a way to exercise... I will try and get my study friends to get pics of me doing sneaky exercise to post for you all to see how nuts I am!

An as a note to end on I wanted to let you all know that we finally got the results for my oldest sons treatment... and we got a tentative ALL CLEAR!!  We will know for certain in 4 months time but the specialist said, 'We couldn't want for better results at this stage.' 

SO YAY US!!!

My letter to Michelle Bridges and her team

Hi guys,

I just wanted to share with you all the letter I sent to Michelle and her team... 

***

Hi Michelle and Team,

I wanted to write a letter to let you know about something major that has occurred in my life since starting the 12WBT.

First, however, I need to provide you with a little bit of background information so you can truly appreciate how marvellous and miraculous your program has been for me.

About 10 years ago my husband and I started 'trying to conceive'. All our friends fell pregnant quickly and we smiled for them but felt terrible that it wasn't happening for us. I gained weight.

I have had an irregular cycle most of my life making it hard to time the right time to try... Eventually I fell pregnant (about 3 years later) only to lose the baby at 12 weeks. My irregular cycle turned into no cycle at all and the only way we could conceive again would be to try IVF. I gained more weight.

We did 5 rounds of IVF, saw several specialist and spent over $20,000 only to fall pregnant once and then lose the child at 12 weeks again. I gained more weight.

I was emotionally, physically, and mentally drained and we decided that we would not try again but instead spend the IVF money on children that needed it - we fostered 2 wonderful children (that are still living with us now) and have fostered 11 other children over the years.

Last year we decided to give the IVF one more chance. And it worked first time, every time - all three times except that I lost the baby all three times at the 12 week mark. I had nothing left to give, we both made the incredibly painful decision to stop trying IVF. I went into a kind of mourning period, eating and depression set in and I gained even more weight. I maxed out at about 92kgs.

When I signed up for this program, if I want to be honest, I had no intention of following through with it. I just knew something had to change or my health issues were going to kill me. I was in bed every second day with debilitating migraines and I looked ill all the time.

I took the program one day at a time and one and a third rounds later I am 23kgs down and haven't had a migraine for that entire time. My mental health as well as my physical health astounds me, I get comments every day on how well I look and how healthy I am. Plus the most amazing thing has happened - for two months in a row I have got a period. Ten years, untold thousands of dollars and at least 10 doctors couldn't do for me what Michelle and her team have done for me in 16 weeks.

Who knows maybe a naturally conceived child is in my future, maybe not - either way I am happy, healthy, and fit, and there isn't enough money in the world to replace that!

So with my sincerest and most heart felt appreciate I want to thank you all for changing my life in more ways than you can ever know.

My Life: A Juggling Act. Scene 1

Have you ever seen those juggling street performers? Or sometimes on TV they may have a juggler who has 5 things in the up in the air, one of them is a sword, perhaps another is an egg, and you think to yourself there is no way that they can possibly fit anything else into the mix, then BOOM, the 'helpful' assistant throws a stick of dynamite in there...

Well that is my life at the moment... Except the sword is my children, the egg is my diet, then there are all the other parts I need to keep going...  Well, the BOOM would be my Masters degree...  I started back at uni last week and I dont think my feet have touched the ground since...

Intensive uni means instead of a 3-4 course per week full time load we do 5 courses per week and as we are Masters students we are expected to do at least 3 hours homework per contact hour at uni...


I have 11 contact hours, plus the 33 hours homework means I will be spending 44 hours on uni, which leaves precious little time for anything else...  I am tired just thinking about it! But it's only for 18 months!!! ONLY... ARGH!


Needless to say the first ball I dropped was the exercise ball...  I hadn't done any structured exercise until yesterday (I had 3 days off)   I was itching to get back into it but somehow I kept making and finding reasons not to...  Until yesterday!

I got up at 7am on a Sunday (that's my only sleep-in day) and I ran 7kms without stopping, sprinting the last 500 metres!  I felt great - it was great (a bit slow 57 mins) but I have decided I am going to get the distance first then work on my speed.. 

I had quite a bit of fuel left in the tank after my run too - so at some stage this week I am going to try for 10kms - I can't even imagine it!  Mind you I didn't think I would get to 7kms either!!  I am hoping for a bit of a reprieve from the SA heat though... for the past month or so it has been in, or around, the mid 30's  every day (with the exception of 2 days) and the forecast is for more of the same for the entire next week...  Which means I need to get my training in early - not easy with 2 kids who need to get up and ready for school but aren't old enough to do it without supervision...

I think I will have to be getting up earlier to get something done before Matt leaves for work, but I guess that depends on how much homework I can get done during the evening... and what time I get to bed... but although I think the exercise ball may drop more than the others I will make sure that the diet ball stays in the air...

It was suggested that I should up my calorie limit from 1200 to 1300 to see if that helps increase my weight loss... I tried it for 2 days and unfortunately it hasn't made any difference, but perhaps I need to go longer?  I am just worried that it will be counter productive and actually have a worsening effect (as in I gain or maintain my current weight)  I only have 2kgs to lose to get to a healthy BMI... That's scary! (Scary good)

I have attached a picture of me at the park on the weekend with my amazing 91 year old Nana, who still does Yoga!!  She occasionally teaches the class when the instructor goes away!

I wish I had more pictures of us together but I assume, like the rest of you, I never wanted to be in photos...

Conquering a mountain!

Well this morning Carolyn (who is looking awesome!) and I climbed Mt Lofty...  Wow it was hard!  I didn't realise how unfit I was... and to think before lofty I thought I was really fit)...

I huffed and puffed all the way, but still managed to keep up a lovely conversation with Carolyn who encouraged me to get all the way to the top!  YAY!! Boy is it steep!

Although I burnt 300 more calories than Carolyn during the trip (proving my unfitness yet again) I still burnt 971 Calories and according to my Fitbit I climbed 163 stairs... although I am sure that the 4km vertically upright walk was more than that...

I guess the Adelaide Plains aren't renowned for their hills... So I haven't got many training facilities in my immediate vicinity... but I will have to find something to train on...

I think we reached the top in about 58mins - stopped for a photo session, helping 2 other girls take their conquering pictures too then headed down... then helped a lady at the bottom who had cut her knee, and by helped I mean I jogged to my car and got the first aid kit then a big stretch...  All up from car door to car door we took about 2 hours...  I know we could have jogged the way down but Carolyn has a sore knee and I had new shoes that hurt like buggery (but aren't they pretty...)  


So here is our picture from Mt Lofty Summit...  I hope Matt doesn't see it - I pinched his drink belt!!

Rocking the skinny jeans!

Shopping is addictive... well it is when you haven't bought yourself any clothes other than track pants and over sized sweaters for so long you can't remember how to walk in heels!

For the past few days I have shopped up a storm... the credit card is on melt down!   Today I bought my first ever pair of skinny jeans!! And they are size 10's!!!  I can't wait till it is actually cold enough to wear them!  Plus I am totally going to be buying boots this year - ones that zip up at the sides... I have never been able to get boots that fit!

Also I bought a dress that is possibly my finale dress...  It was from Cue so it isn't cheap but it's sooo cute - it's sort of like a 1950's style pin up girl dress... so I am going with that...  I am trying to find killer red heels to go with it - and I want to get my hair done in 50's glam style...  but I'll just have to do a bit more research...

Here are a couple of change room pics I took of the dress, it is navy with black patterns through it,  you'll have to imagine the red shoes and the hair do...  Also it isn't zipped up at the back all the way - but you'll get the idea...  Plus the pleats at the front need ironing...  It is a size 12 because My boobs wouldn't get into a 10 but my waist would... not the worst problem to have...

So, I also bought a new pair of runners - I got professionally fitted and spent a butt load and I will upload pics of them with all my new exercise gear next post... I will hopefully have conquered the Mt Lofty summit climb tomorrow with my bestest frenemy Carolyn!!  It's going to be pretty hot (33) but I know I can do it... Carolyn has busted her knee so is only going to go as far as she can... I hope there is someone else at the top that can take my picture!!

I have been really struggling with my weight loss the past few weeks... the weight isn't coming off as quickly as it has in the past and it wasn't until today that it actually dropped below last Wednesdays weigh in...  But I will not let it beat me - I am sticking to my 1200 even yesterday when I was out at breakfast and lunch time and we went out for tea, I must say I was very proud of that effort... But I know my shape is changing again...

But a few weeks ago when I bought size 12 shorts (that are now too big) I also bought a few size 14 tops... Still dont want to wear anything too tight around the middle plus the girls are completely gone...  I dug one out to wear yestrerday thinking that i would have to do a lot of gut sucking in as it was a bit... firm... around the middle, only to find that it was actually loose around the middle now... and that was only 3 or 4 weeks ago... so although the numbers aren't dropping I am sure the cms are... either way I guess I will find out week 4...

I am actually a bit nervous about next week... I start back at uni this Friday and it was my habit to eat and study, and I haven't really done much studying on the 12 week program so I am hoping that it wont be an issue... my main issue is going to be finding time to exercise, study full time, look after the kids, and the farm...  I guess I will be fighting Matt in the morning for treadmill time...


On a completely different subject Rowanne suggested (thanks so much for the advice) that my stubborn mid section weight issue might be due to my PCOS... and that perhaps a naturopath  might help...  I have no experience with naturopaths and know very little about what it is that they do... can anyone help out with info as I am keen to try anything that isn't surgery... But like I was explaining to a friend today, it's not like I've been losing weight for years and its just stuck there, it's only been 4 months and I am not even in my healthy weight range yet!

BUT my Wii Mii isn't quite as fat any more.  I hadn't been on the Wii for a long time and when I jumped on it last week it shrunk... It was pretty funny... It did however tell me I had lost a lot of weight quickly and perhaps I should slow down a bit or be at risk of being unhealthy... Ummmm isn't being fat unhealthy?!?!

Oh and a few amusing things have happened lately...  I will tell them chronologically as it is easier that way...

Last week I went into the office at school as I had received a call telling me to go in and pick up some stuff for the P&F.  So I went in after a sweaty workout and initially Sarah, the lady who called me, didn't recognise me... I just thought she was busy and couldn't talk, I often pop it to talk to the ladies in the front office...

Then when she did she was in complete shock... then the other ladies in the office came to look at me... it was hugely embarrassing in a very cool kind of way...  Especially when one of them bowled me over with an over-enthusiastic hug.  Meantime Leanne, (who is currently on her first round of 12wbt), now works in the office and was smiling, I just knew she was happy for me, but at the same time picturing it being her getting checked out too!  (You will Leanne, you are killing it!)

On Saturday we WON our softball game, and making it into the finals too (my first ever win) The umpire and I got talking about the 12WBT program and she asked me all about it so I had to write it all down for her... She said she was going to look in to joining up for the next round!

Yesterday, whilst trying on myriad of dresses, a beautiful Asian gentleman was helping me and looked me over and said, 'You be a size 10, I know, I been doing this a long time.'  Even though I told him my bust was too large he grabbed size 10's for me to try on... only to end up having to get me 14's that didn't fit my waist... in frustration he sighed, 'You Aussie girl have too big bust for my Asian dress, you better find Aussie designer to fit up top.'

Then, today when I was explaining to a shop assistant, (who was amused when I said I didn't know what size I was) that I had lost a lot of weight, I ended up showing her the 12wbt online page, my before and after pics, how to use myfitnesspal app and explaining all about it... She said she was going to sign up to the 12WBT program as soon as she got home!

So all up it has been a very busy week and so gratifying too - but when everyone asks me what my secret is... I tell them the 12wbt, the facebook support page and a whole lot of hard work and effort.  The only miracle cure for being fat is to start doing it now!

Goals and Excuses

It's been a while since I've updated my blog...  I had a bout of the gastro (as my Nan would say) so I haven't had too much to report on...

Before the gastro bug hit I managed to get to my 5km running goal - non stop, it was my second last zombie 5k training session...  I think the fact that it has been so bloody hot here, and that I really didn't want to finish my Zombie training is why it's taken my until today to SMASH MY PB!!

I did my final zombie run (to run 5kms without stopping) in 41 mins...  I did 5.4km in 39mins!!  That's about 7 1/2mins per km...  However there is a price to pay... I am sweating up a storm at the moment and I smell BAD!!  Thankfully there is no-one but the dog here to smell me, and she seems to like it! EWWW

Thankfully we had a bye on Saturday so there was no softball, I wasn't sure how well I would cope with fielding and gastro...  But at least I didn't need to let anyone down by not being able to attend, instead I cooked up a bunch of bacon and egg sandwiches, and sausage sizzles for the boys cricket team and managed to make a profit... always good for a fundraiser...

Sunday was a huge disappointment for me...  I had made a whole heap of chocolate treats and protein muffins for a picnic/work out finale gathering at the Botanic Gardens in Adelaide... it had been a lot of drama and hassle to organise it all but I was glad it was finally here...

Unfortunately it was a 38 degree day and at the last minute we had to cancel it for fear of people getting too hot or sick in the heat...  my sad picnic basket is still on my bench waiting for an outing...  But the kids didn't seem to mind too much - they get to take the chocolate balls to school...

I had a wonderful Valentines day, I got some beautiful earrings from Matt, who 'Doesn't believe in Valentines day presents', yet always manages to get me something and I made some chocolate treats and purchased 2 doz roses to give to the ladies at the P&F meeting that was held that night!!

They all seemed to appreciate the gifts and it was nice to be able to do that for them...  It was the first time since last year that most of the ladies had seen me... So they were all shocked to see how much weight I had lost...  Which was nice, except some people can't seem to be happy for other people... It gets a bit much...  Admittedly I am now the fittest person on the committee and I get that jealousy comes into it too, I know I would have been jealous the situations were reversed and they had come in wearing size 10 pants from the size 18's...

But I got comments like, 'Oh don't lose any more weight - you'll look too thin, You're looking a bit too thin now...'  Of course I'm not - I am still 4 kgs overweight for my height for crying out loud!!!  And that is the top end of the healthy range...  I need to lose another 9 kgs in total to get to my goal of being in the middle of the healthy weight range for my height...

Unfortunately I am getting this a lot at the moment, Rosa, the lady who own/runs our local IGA told me yesterday, 'Your fading into nothing, you need to stop losing weight or you'll make yourself sick.'

Seriously, I am pretty sure that the doctor's that made the healthy weight ranges know a bit more than these people... PLUS I STILL have a spare tyre of flab around my midriff... Why can't I move that stubborn sucker???

I lose weight from everywhere but the tummy... its very frustrating, especially as the girls (my boobs) have started to get smaller again... I am assuming I lose weight like a piano accordion, that is to say that I lose weight starting at my toes and my head and then eventually I get to the middle... which it has to be soon...  my poor shrinking boobs...

Actually,the other night whilst Matt and I were basking in the Valentine's night after glow, he made the comment that it was like being in bed with a different woman, so I asked him what exactly he meant by that, and he said now that I have lost weight our sex life was 'pleasantly different'...  of course I did the chick thing... Does that mean it wasn't before??  to which there was some serious back pedalling until I busted out laughing... I'm so not good at the chick thing...

Oh, and in other news...   I have booked and paid for my Melbourne Finale flights and accommodation!  YAY, Plus one of the girls from the softball team has joined the 12WBT too and is going to be my roomie!!

So that's 3 people I have 'inspired' to join the 12WBT program!  2 ladies from school and 1 from softball...  I also have another ladies joining the next round from Matt's work and I am working on getting a few of the bootcamp ladies on to it too!  Starting a weight loss revolution in Two Wells!!  HOORAY!  The bootcamp is booming too - It went from me and 1 other to 11 regulars and growing! It's heaps more fun with more people, we got to play stuck in the mud the other day...

Do you remember stuck in the mud?  It's like red rover but if you are tagged you have to stand frozen with your legs apart and you are stuck until someone dashes under them?  It was that except when we were 'frozen' we had to hold the squat position...  SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!

Oh and I got a Valentive's Day gift from Michelle Bridge's!!! 

Well... on the 14th my prizes from being in the top 20 arrived... I was very excited... but for some reason I haven't been able to open any of them...  I guess I didn't feel worthy... I don't know, Matt said I was being silly but still...  So this morning I used the new Philips earphones on my final Zombie run...  They are really good too - feel like your not wearing anything at all, which is better than the Apple ones I was using before and shoving them back in a few times every time I ran...

I might get the Fitbit out and play with that later today... It was on my Xmas list and I didn't get one so I guess that makes Michelle, Cupid AND Santa!!  Oh I wonder what I'll get for Easter?? (Hopefully fitter)

Any way I really must go and shower before I funk up the entire house! Plus I need some breakfast too!

Disappointing loss...

I really thought I was in for a big loss this week...  Last week on Thursday I was 69.9kgs... and today... I am still 69.9kgs...

It doesn't quite seem fair... But I guess if I hadn't weighed my self on Thursday I would be ok with a 400gm loss...  Although I have been running a lot - I think I have done about 15kms since last Wednesday, plus 2 boot camp sessions, softball training and a killer softball match... 

Maybe it is just one of those body shape changes things... I have had that in the past, you know, where you are losing cms but not kgs...  One thing is for sure though - Carloyn is going to get to her goal before I get to mine unless something starts to move...

I think I will (once again) go back to basics, drink my 2 litres a day and exercise everyday except for 1... 

I have a couple of new recipes I would like to share with you for your accelerator days (or as we like to call it, Bacon day)

They are fairly similar, as the both are 'muffins'...

The 1st one is called Prosciutto and egg muffins (serves 4)

Line your muffin tin with prosciutto to make the 'muffin case' (use very finely sliced prosciutto) If using a non stick muffin tray you wont need any spray as the oil from the prosciutto will keep it from sticking.

In a jug, mix whole 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, salt and pepper, and 25gms of diced spring onions then pour into the prepared cases

Bake at 175 degrees for 15-18 mins or until cooked through

Can eat hot or cold...

The second recipe is much the same but serves 12

Mushroom and Fetta Muffins

Line your muffin tin with prosciutto to make the 'muffin case' (use very finely sliced prosciutto) If using a non stick muffin tray you wont need any spray as the oil from the prosciutto will keep it from sticking.

In a jug, mix 4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites, salt and pepper, 40gms of chopped feta, 80gms chopped mushrooms, 50gms chopped spring onion and 150ml low fat milk.  Whisk and pour into the prepared cases.

Bake at 175 degrees for 18-20 mins or until cooked through

Can eat hot or cold...