The simple things

I want to understand why I am finding this round of 12WBT so much harder to be motivated by. I know I personally need a really structured routine to stick to this type of lifestyle. Sadly it is not something I just naturally want to do, and maybe in time and routine that will change, but until then each decision is a flex of the will power muscle and a chance to give in to the voice and choose NOT to do it.

Currently I am 40 days away from a house move, my first place I will share with my boyfriend just the two of us. We are both so excited to have this home together and are both looking forward to the freedom of choice and space. Currently we live with my boyfriend’s mother and sisters in their family home. We share the smallest bedroom in the house and as the only boy he is often requested to do more chores and house work than the girls are. This is the nature of their family which is fine. They are lovely people, very welcoming, friendly, fun and clever. The only downside is I have lived out of home for 12 years. This makes joining somone else’s family (no matter how nice) very difficult. It’s the simple things I miss…

SIMPLE THINGS I MISS

• Walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night in a state of unself-conscious undress
• Running from being in the shower to the linen cupboard to grab a towel (in the buff)
• Having my kitchen tidied and organised the way I like it for my cooking
• Knowing that any mess present was my own fault, and taking pride in cleaning up
• Sleeping in without interruption
• Being able to go to bed really late and not worry I will wake someone
• Getting home and enjoying the power to choose a peaceful silence, my fav CD played really loud, the TV or my own singing
• Being able to be naked or in knickers at any place in the home without anyone inappropriate being there to see
• Being able to choose when I did washing. cleaning etc

All this aside, I have been so lucky to be able to join their family, and live with them these last months as it has really helped to save money, and to appreciate the important things and people in my boyfriend’s life. I am glad to have gotten to know these people, who are so important to him, and to be able to appreciate a family life I have never known myself. Here is a list of the things I value most about their family are also things I used to wish I had.

THINGS I VALUE ABOUT TRADITIONAL FAMILY

• Always someone to talk to
• Family can be like friends, who you share your experiences and secrets with
• A loud bustling kitchen is the heart of the home
• Not having to grow up too fast (e.g. mum still doing their washing at 29 where I have been doing mine since I was 14 – I remember when I was 10 starting to make my own lunch for school)
• Family Traditions – e.g. each person in the family has a particular meal they make to contribute to the overall Xmas meal
• Extended family – visiting grandma is a refreshing change, especially as she is what you would expect a grandma to be like – but with more pizazz! My Australian grandama died when I was 8 and my Balinese grandma only speaks balinese (and lives there) which makes the idea of the nurturing grandparents pretty foreign to me!
•  Impromptu Family Games and Movie Nights that often include beers & snacks

 

Photos: Copyright Akea Scott 2010 Africa

All in all being part of a family is really refreshing and lovely. I think the hardest part is adjusting when this is not a familiar experience. Once we are in our own place we will be able to have the best of both worlds. I’ll be able to have the privacy and control over my home, the lovely adopted family of my partner, the ability to set up structure for my cooking and exercise routine to work towards my health and fitness goals, and a shared sanctuary with my boyfriend for us to start our lives together.

I have to say I also enjoy the fact that having a non-traditional family has allowed me to nurture and develop my friendships into family I have chosen.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FRIENDS BEING MY FAMILY

• Love, understanding and acceptance
• Fun birthdays and family gatherings
• Awesome photos, jokes and memories
• No need to say “Sorry I can’t I have a ‘family’ thing…”
• Generally always know what to give them as gifts
• These are the people who will be making their own families when you are which gives you that broader extended family
• These people may have traditional families giving you the best of both worlds!

Another thing I am looking forward to is for the first time in several years actually just taking time off over Christmas and NOT GOING ANYWHERE! My mum has been quite sick / unwell the last few years and as she does not live nearby all my annual leave (with the exception of 2010, the year I went to Africa) has gone to just seeing my mum – which is nice but hey she can come see me too right?!
I realised this year that 2 years of not having a holiday or adventure has made me so stressed and just craving a new exciting experience. I mean I work to live right, but lately it’s just been working to pay bills and that is no way to live.

This is my favourite time of year as we have Christmas, then New Years (complete with New Years resolutions that I inevitably end up ignoring!) and in January it’s my birthday. Now we also have our new home to look forward to which is BEYOND exciting! We will be able to establish our home the way we want it to be, and can have the kind of relationship you dream about (without worrying if someone will hear you or if you closed the bedroom door!).

Each day I am working on ideas for our home, how to ft in my exercise and diet routine, how to work towards my own business one day and how to be happy and not let ‘life’ get me down. There is so much love and joy to be had in this world and I fully intend to have my share!!

x

 

Photo: Copyright Akea Scott 2010 Africa

 

Size 12? Yes please!

Yesterday I had a huge huge win. I had seen an outfit I liked online and went to go try it on. The peacock blue pants I really liked in size 14 were a little baggy. I have been between sizes before. In fact when I started I was between 14 and 16 which was depressing as I have maintained the 14 size for so long (10 years). When I grew out of 14 standard I started to get worried, and to get motivated.
So we are just ending week 10 and these size 14 pants were fitting but just that little bit loose. So for an experiment I grabbed the size 12 and tried them on. And they fit! No muffin tops, no camel toe, no cellulite shining through the fitted material. They just fitted firmly.
I have not been able to wear size 12 pants in longer than I can remember! I fluctuate generally but my upper body allows sometimes size 10 – size 14/16 at the worst – generally L or XL due to my F sized boobs. But I had to buy the outfit with the top in small, and the pants were size 12 which was good enough for me!
So much so that for date night/ treat meal we went and got ribs. This made the pants a bit tighter but I will work that off in no time! 

 

Now I’m not unreaslistic. I realise it could be a ‘giving’ fit and that certain styles will be more likely to fit a larger size than a smaller one. I also know not all size 12 pants will now magically fit. But this is the first solid dress size change that improves on the weight I was last year or the years before really. This has not been possible for so long I don’t remember the last time I tried on a size 12 pair of pants. With muscular, solid thighs and the current trend of skinny jeans I have given up on finding pants that suit me. And now, I have realised that door is now open to me again and I find that unbelievably exciting!

This program really works and has been a life changing experience for me! Thanks Mish!

 

 

Injury, Doctors and Physio… Oh my!

So before this Round began I had a niggling knee issue. The back of my left knee would swell and be tender and sore for no reason. I felt sometimes that bending my knee (for walking, stairs, sitting, standing up) could result in my knee giving way.
When I was a kid I had a set GP, he was seeing me since I was born and I saw him until I was about 20 when I moved out of the area, and also didn’t like his repeated suggestions of exercising more. Over the next 10 years I began to see a GP regularly then would move, get a new GP and start all over again. In hindsight I wish I had continued with my childhood GP so all my medical history could be in one place. Over time I found 2 GPs that I saw on a regular basis, one in Leichhardt which was always busy and up to 1.5 hours wait time some days, and the other in North Strathfield which was rarely longer than 30 min wait but was much further away.
When my knee began to hurt I saw me Gp who I will call Dr Know (because he had natural and knowledgable solutions for everything – even pressure points in the feet for migraines). I saw Dr Know and got referred for an xray & ultrasound. Neither showed anything! Curious and curiouser. My knee stopped being as tender and settled into just being randomly sore. I decided to continue with my 12WBT dreams and get into the program.

Round 3 began and I was doing my fitness tests for week 1 & then week 4 and trying to run laps at my local oval. The knee had settled down a little and was rarely throbbing – just uncomfortable so determined as I was I continued to train, and just had my boyfriend massage the knee at times and rub in Voltarin gel to alleviate the discomfort. When it began to play up again realised it would be better to avoid wait times and went back to North Strathfield Medical and saw my regular doctor there, who I will call Dr Funny. I like Dr Funny as he jokes and flirts with me and reassures me on the simplest and most cost effective ways to treat anything that ails me. He told me not to worry about my knee and that any diagnosis would be expensive, just to continue with my weight-loss & health journey and see a physiotherapist.

Around this time I was at work and my knee began to swell and become uncomfortable again. I saw a GP in the Hornsby area who I will call Dr Asshole (after moving recently I didn’t see my regular GP) who told me to lose weight and that I had arthritis in the knee… Now let me just be clear in saying that this doctor DID NOT EVEN LOOK AT/ TOUCH MY KNEE! He recommended a week of rest (no work) and weight loss (he didn’t weigh me either). After telling him he had given me the worst experience with a GP ever , I took the week of rest (using half my annual sick days) and began to feel a bit better.

I continued my search to track down the cause of my discomfort and did physio or massage when it was really inflamed. My boyfriend continued with the massage and Voltarin and I located a physiotherapist and began getting treatment. They were also at a loss for what it was. They gave me stretches and suggested seeing a Sports Physician, however when I contacted the one they referred he no longer took new patients.

So I put that on hold, using the physio to treat my pain and continued to train. When the throbbing next returned I traveled back to my old GP centre for advice – but instead of my regular GP -I saw a different GP in the centre – Dr Serious – and he reviewed by x-ray & ultrasound and referred me to get an MRI. He was knowledgable and inspired confidence – he may not be funny but he seemed effective. At $250 a pop I had a lot of hope to getting a diagnosis from this, although I saved up before getting it done.

I joined up at my local gym and got a PT that I am now seeing fortnightly but initially saw weekly. He set me up training on large muscle groups that would not aggravate my knee. Eventually I got the MRI scan and the results and went to the old GP office to get the results. Dr Serious who referred me for the MRi was not on that day so as I wanted to get the results on the weekend I opted to see my regular GP. Dr Funny read the diagnosis, and summarised that the report said I had Illiotibial Band Friction Syndrome, and that the results indicate a cortisone shot with dye would confirm the diagnosis as well as treat the issue. He then told me that it would be better to refer me to see a sports physician rather than going straight to cortisone/steroid shots.

Despite knowing Dr Funny can be a bit lax with the details, I trusted this and left with my referral. I had not thought to ask about how one would get cortisone shots or what would be involved, but instead felt reassured I had been given the best solution. Until I called to make an appointment and they advised it was $170-$200 as the sports physician is a specialist doctor. Dammit!! I called the doctors office to ask about the cortisone shot option but was advised to leave a message and they would get back to me. That was a week ago now.

It just goes to show that GPs can either be really good or really bad. My old favourite doctor, Dr Funny was cool – but ultimately not that helpful or good at outlining all possible options. He downplayed areas which were important for me to understand – and while seeing him was not unpleasant it resulted in needed several followups to get info not provided.
Dr Asshole is apparently renound in our area for being mean, rude and blunt with patients. I considered making a formal complaint to the advisory board, but in the end I just will never see him again. In fact this is why I still would rather drive 30 mins to my old GP office.
Dr Serious I have only seen that one time and I would be happy to continue seeing him if not for the 30 min drive and the fact that I would need to see Dr Funny while in the waiting room and risk offending him for no longer visiting.
Sigh the trials of being a patient.

Now I think I will get a local doctor, identify my options with treating/ further diagnosing the injury, going back to Physio now i have knowledge of the issue, and working with my PT to avoid aggravating it during training.

A 60 minute workout is only 4% of your day! No excuses!

 

 

Have you lost weight?

This transformation has been in place formally for 4 weeks. This is mini milestone week: redo the fitness test, redo the measurements, and complete a mini milestone.

My mini milestone had originally been planned as participating in the 3.5km Sydney Harbour Bridge fun run as part of Sydney Running Festival last Sunday. After some high impact classes (especially Body Attack!) I had strained my left knee and could hardly walk, let alone run. I didn’t have a back up plan.

This is ok though. For me my mini milestone was more of a mental change then a physical output result. For the first time in my entire life I answered this question honestly and factually without pride, envy, self consciousness, self inflated ego, or arrogance. When I was asked ‘Hey have you lost weight?’ I said ‘Yes, I have’. I didn’t add anything else; no reasons or justifications or self depreciating comments like ‘I’m sure I’ll put it on again next month..ha ha’. Just simple agreement that I had in fact lost some weight.

This may seem like no big deal but to me this is a mental transformation of EPIC proportions! I wasn’t trying to be nonchalant, I just was. I have been working hard to stick to this and with my injury, being active  has been really hard so I have been sticking even closer to the diet, and it’s working.

Sometimes when asked something like that I feel like a faker: either I haven’t lost weight and feel I don’t deserve the compliment or have lost weight & assume that I must’ve been really awfully fat before!
At the end of today after this I feel like this is such a big deal for me to have not battled any demon thoughts at all that I consider that to be a major milestone!

After losing what I consider to be ‘only’ 4.5kg it’s nice that a difference is visible. It’s nice that my work pants are looser. It’s nice that my tops are fitting better again. It’s nice how my skin has began to glow from all the fresh food and activity. And it’s nice that I love the food and am really finding this change to be easy with a bit of planning for cooking and training.

I’m proud of the achievement but also just happy that it’s not this big mystery anymore. It’s not rocket science, it’s not a conspiracy or a trick, it’s not bad genes. It’s just eating good fresh food, learning the right quantities of each meal (portions) and getting active.

Yes I have lost weight. And I’ve also lost that voice in my heard telling me I can’t, I’m not and I shouldn’t!

x

Hang in there baby

Total weight loss 3.5kg so far, or 4% body fat. This is positive and exciting. I have spent much time worrying, planning, prepping, working out, buying tools and accessories (digital scales, HRM, gym membership, stick blender, etc etc) and it’s great to see some results. I can notice the difference in my waist and in my face. Even after such a small loss I’m surprised that I can notice it so soon.

General update since last week is I had a great day of tennis on Saturday and overall burned 1044 cal. Hopefully this contributes towards the fact I have not yet mastered exercising 6 days per week. I can get to 4-5 but I feel like I want to just relax sometimes and do nothing! I also joined a local gym, and was able to negotiate for the joining fee to be waived and scored 3 free PT sessions too. I’m really excited about that as I have planned to join for months, but I guess sometimes you need to jsut go in face-to-face and talk to someone to get a good deal.

Sunday was basically food day… This weekly meal plan is a great idea but WAY expensive to maintain the exact plan. I had to rejig the menu to use more of the ingredients not used from last week, but the extra shop still cost $77 for 2 people! I left the supermarket with a sense of dread instead of accomplishment because it is tricky in a shared household to do this. My boyfriend feels it is a bit of a waste at times too as all the ingredients the house already has aren’t able to be included all the time. He doesn’t eat every meal with me either so I need to start thinking more about the breakfast & lunch ingredients to halve them. Sigh. It’s tough to be doing this alone sometimes as its all up to me. The cooking, the shopping, the planning, the time spent on prep…. It seems endless. 

Monday I made use of my membership and went to a Zumba class. I have to say I really enjoy this class (even though the studio mirrors are not kind!). Out the front I met a few other women, one in particular if doing her first half marathon on Sunday at the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival. I said how I was nervous as I was doing the fun run, but am not really a runner. It was nice to have discussions with people doing the same types of things. It reminds me that this program is great, but would be even better if there was a way to connect with others in real time – rather than just on the forums.

The food prep pays off during the week when I get home late and dinner is easy to prepare and my boyfriend can even choose to cook it up for us – last night he made the lasagne for us and it was yum! We have talked more since Sunday and I was able to explain the pressure I was feeling. I think he understood as he has been much more supportive since. It really means so much to me for him to take an interest. He is naturally sporty and trim so it could be very easy for him not to understand why this is important to me. He has taken on board my request for him not to eat bad food in front of me. This was demonstrated when last night he had 2 slices of lasagne but only ate one in front of me, lol! I think my main concern was bringing Tim Tams into the bedroom as a snack, but the thoughtfulness definitely counts!

I feel so much like this is a psychological journey as much as a physical. I find myself reevaluating my entire being sometimes which is really confronting. I am second guessing myself all the time, and it is quite upsetting at times but rewarding at others. Hopefully as this becomes part of my life the psychological stuff will settle down. Until then I’ll just hang in there!

 

Alcohol is not my friend

 

Alcohol is not my friend… I know this because on Thursday night I had a rather large night at the pub, and Friday at work was awful- and not just because of the hangover! The first hard part was that the depression kicked in & took control of my thoughts. Everything was hurtful. Everything was saddening. Everyone seemed happier than me, simply by that nasty enemy Comparison. When it gets bad, the depression is like an abusive partner, or a nasty stranger. It seeps into my subconscious and makes the most innocent comment to or from me seem laced with contempt. Its not just focused on others either. It mostly scrutinizes me. My behavior. My choices. It brings endless doubt into every decision I have made in the day prior, and then the doubt spirals into choices I need to make that day. Luckily with rest and logic it passes.

The second hard part was related to food. Michelle talks about the worst part of drinking a lot is it makes you make bad choices in food and activity for the whole next day. The first thing I thought of in the morning was a bacon, egg and cheese roll with a hashbrown inside. This is an amazing hangover breakfast and I love it! I chose instead to have wholemeal toast with cheese. I had my regular coffee: weak skin latte with one sugar. Then I found out that work was providing everyone with lunch…pizza lunch. At 12:30 steaming pizza hut boxes arrived and the intoxicating aroma of melted cheese and tomato pizza sauce filled the office. My team had been allocated 4 pizzas but on a Friday we only have 4 staff plus me. It was going to be tough! I resisted the pizza, barely, and ate my leftover meatball and pasta dish (Michelle’s recipe). A guy I work with is a personal trainer and very fit. He ate 10 slices! After I checked the calories it was equivalent to 200+ per slice. When I calculated it took me around 20 mins of running/walking to burn that, the decision made itself. Voices told me to ‘just have one slice’. Those were the voices of my team and other colleagues. I said ‘Hell no!!’. Then at 3:30 there was an employee of the month presentation. This came complete with deli platter including another red flag foo of mine… Salami. God I love salami! I left as soon as awards were given out to avoid the temptation.

Yes Friday with a hangover was very tough. It certainly put the hard work I have been doing into perspective.

Today was pretty good in relation to my health & well being though. I finally took my car to the mechanic to get my brake pads replaced. Then I bought myself some scales at Myer, and my Boyf came & met me there & we bought a hand blender/ stick mixer. Then he took our purchases home & I went to fitness first & talked them into signing me up with membership and free PT sessions, while waiving the joining fee. I saved myself $125 plus I can start tomorrow! With next week being 8-4 shifts I’ll have to get up super early to get to work by 7:45… Gotta get the 6:59 train, leave the house at 6:45 and prob get up at 6. I refuse to get up earlier than 6. It makes me mad to think of getting up earlier! On the plus side the 4pm finish means ill be able to get to the gym after work around 5ish then workout for 45 mins before hitting a class (zumba, pump, yoga, body attack, body jam and body combat). Somedays I hope to do 2 classes back to back.

My sister is doing the 12WBT for the 2nd time now and she will be getting up at 5am to do her exercise as she’s got a 2 hour commute, so it could be worse. I hope to keep up the 6am wake ups the following week when my roster is 10-6pm to get my workout over with in the morning before work.

After this D and I voted in the local election then headed off to play tennis for a few hours. I’m actually getting better which is encouraging.

Anyway the best part was I made huge steps towards getting myself set up to stick to this, to fit it into my life, and to sustainably improve my health. I totally earned my treat meal of Indian curry!

Telling the brain to get f*cked!

Lost another kg this week. 2 down, 18 to go! I have to say I was initially disappointed. But I am not unrealistic, I know this week has been an adjustment to fitting this into my life, especially when life throws  tough sh*t at you. On Tuesday morning I completed my first morning jog/walk. 20 mins: 180 cal: around 1km. This felt like 2 hours: 1000 cal : 5km! I’m told it gets easier. I felt very weak minded in the morning in comparison to weekend or evening workouts. I was dying feeling like my lungs would explode and take my thighs out too, only to check my hrm and it had been only 5 mins! 

Last night was better. My amazing boyfriend had done the incredible while I was working till 6pm; he cleaned, cooked and greeted me with news that I had plenty of time to workout while he finished dinner. So I went to the local oval, alone. The flood lights were all on, illuminating the oval and the running track. A nice warm breeze was stronger across the oval which made me feel like I was making a major change by being there. By myself. To run. The local personal trainer group were finishing up. It was 7:30pm. I was going to try Michelle’s learn to run program. 20 mins run 30-60sec then walk it off for 1:30 and repeat. I set my music up on my Dre Beats, detanged the long cable, stretched and warmed up. I chose Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. As the song began I started to jog….

And all the floodlights went off! Darkness. I stopped running and let my eyes start to adjust. My thoughts were; ‘well you tried’. Then I began to see the track. And took a deep breath, restarted the track and began to run!

 I’m not romanticizing this. Each interval was hard. I had a selection of fast paced tracks of varying genres: drum & bass, rock, punk, dance, even 80s pop! Anything with the right beat. After my 20th minute and my last run interval I went hard out and finished strong. Then I slowly worked through the rest of the program for outdoor intermediate. Each new thing I started I wanted to stop, the burpees. Omg I wanted to quit after each one! I hate them!!!

Hey I said to myself. That’s enough for today. 4 out of 15 will do. Aim to beat it next time. Then I did another one and the cycle continued. I finished it all in around 50 mins. The mental barriers I crossed though were like 20ft barbed wire fences separating me from success. 

In the end I did 6 laps in intervals, 2.4km. Plus 15 burpees, 15 squat jumps, 16 tricep dips, 15 push ups (all on knees sadly), 25  ice skaters an stretched it all out. 475 cal with max hr of 170, avg 130. 

Michelle recommends an average of 500-800 cal if you are under 100kgs. I’ll admit, my negative brain was disappointed. All that success & my brain said “You know, you really could’ve run harder than that”. You’ll be happy to know I told it to get f*cked!! I did it!!! Now I’ve done the full daily program in full once, I can do it again, and do it better.

Life goes on around me but I know I just need to make this happen. For me. For my health. For my confidence. For my future.

When things go wrong… and your plans go awry

 

Last week was going well until Wednesday. On Wednesday I got news of trouble (I won’t go into details) and my mood and motivation spiraled into despair. Thursday brought even worse trouble. On these days I went to the pub and enjoyed 2-3 beers. Friday after work I was at the pub again and drank at least 7. All the beers are low carb but it’s a huge impact to my calories.

 

The biggest problem was not the drinking.. it was the motivation to stick to the plan. Instead of being committed and giving myself something to be proud of, I was demotivated, depressed and worried, using all my energy to focus on my troubles instead of using this energy to work out. Pounding the pavement may have actually brought perspective earlier too.

 

I suffer from depression anyway, and have found that exercise helps. I was in shock during those days (blow after blow) and I just couldn’t seem to do anything but feel sorry for myself.

 

Then today I burned 936 calories playing tennis and running. I also gave myself a talking to. I said; YOU DO NOT NEED TO FEEL SAD! You have the power choose your circumstances, and you don’t need to keep yourself in this situation. YOU DO NOT NEED TO FEEL ANGRY!! You know you have put your all into this job, and are committed daily to your staff and their development. Anyone who says otherwise is a BIG FAT LIAR. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE SCARED!! What will happen, will happen whether or not you fear it.

 

I may have fallen off the wagon early, but I am back on it now, and have learned a valuable lesson. When life throws shit at you you can sit and let it hit you, or you can start running, and stay positive.

 

It’s funny how work can actually be one of the longest relationships you have ever had. This never ceases to amaze me, especially after being in the same workplace for over 9 years. Sometimes in life you may have issues in your social life, your work life, your inner self, your relationship, or your health. Sometimes a few of these may go wrong at the same time. Sometimes these things may all go wrong at once. But the best thing you can do is remember that you have choice and strength, then go for a run.

Night Owl vs Early Bird

Today I am really really really tired. I am not motivated to work out, and all that is appealing right now is SLEEP! On Saturday night I got 8 hrs sleep, Sunday night I got 4-5 hours sleep, Monday Night I got 6 hours sleep.

This routine is not helpful to getting up earlier or to wanting to workout after work. Work itself is a struggle. AND because I am tired I’m having all these weird food cravings that I am only aware of because normally I am happy with the new healthy diet and portions. Earlier toady I was really craving something salty (cup a soup, Stew, meat pie, macadamia nuts, anything!!), even though I had enjoyed my lunch, and had 2 serves of fruit and a peppermint tea as snacks.

After I finally got home from work (at 6:20pm) the last thing I wanted to do was a workout. My boyfriend and I agreed he would cook dinner and while he did this I would do a workout with the Xbox Kinect. So I did! I played the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout Challenge game, and did a toning program for an hour.

383 calories burned, and (thankfully) mindset block overridden!! Now I can rest and go to bed early knowing its all done. What a relief!

My Night Owl personality is really not working with my new life goals. Somehow I need to become an Early Bird… I just really like sleeping in, and for some reason also really like being the last to go to sleep. I tried setting my alarm earlier but had no success as I just ended up snoozing the alarm.

I really need to make this change for my program to be successful. If you have any tips & tricks for how to improve this please share!

x Keya 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Day 1 of Week 1 successfully completed!

Day 1 Week 1, 12WBT = Completed!

Pre-Season Task 7: Fitness Test = Completed!

Wow! Tonight I did my fitness test for the 12WBT. I was expecting this to be really tough. I have been fit before but not in a loooong time. When I turned 30 this year, I realised that when I had put on 11 kg in 5 months without any major change in my life that my metabolism was slowing down and that my age was catching up with me. There was no longer time to say “I’ll get fit soon”… The time is now!

The 5 part test & my results tonight are below:

• 1km run (or jog or walk) timed

Beginner: 8mins or slower
Intermediate: 5:30 – 8 minutes
Advanced: Faster than 5:30 minutes

Overall my time was 7 minutes flat = Intermediate level!

I ran the first lap in 3 mins – OMG!!! That was one of my goals for the 2nd month! I expected to only be able to run ½ a lap without stopping! – then I power-walked ½ a lap, ran ¼, power-walked ¼, then ran the last ½ lap hard out.

I expected to be around 9 mins, and to only be able to run/jog half a lap so I was stoked with this result!

• Push ups, how many you can do in 1 min

Beginner: 20 or less
Intermediate: 21-30
Advanced: 31 or more

I got 20 done on my knees so am a beginner here

2 years ago I could do 5 on toes & 25 on knees. I was doing a lot more exercise though and was boxing 1-2 times a week also, which really helped me build my upper body strength

• Abdominal strength: 5 stages of sit ups where your score is the highest stage you reach while your heels stay on the floor:

Stage 1: Wrists to kneecaps
Stage 2: Arms folded across your chest. Full sit up, Elbows to thighs
Stage 3: Hands linked behind head. Full sit up. Note your elbows must stay wide, don’t let then swing close to your head.
Stage 4: Arms crossed behind your head. Hands on opposite shoulders. Full sit up.
Stage 5: Arms fully extended crossed behind head. Full Sit up.

Beginner: Level 1 or below
Intermediate: Level 2 – 3
Advanced: Level 4 – 5

I was able to do up to level 3, making this Intermediate level

I definitely expected to be a beginner here! Also, I was very surprised how much harder Stage 4 felt in comparison to Stage 3!

• Wall Sit: best time for how long you can rest back against wall and lower till knees are bent at 90 degree angle, so you are sitting against the wall

Beginner: 59 sec or less
Intermediate: 1 min – 1:59 min
Advanced: 2 min or longer

I got only 54 secs, so am a Beginner here

I was really sore still from my first tennis game (90 mins on Sat which was a GREAT workout!). I had expected at least 1:20. Still this leaves plenty of room for improvement!

• Sit and Reach test: where you sit with legs straight out in front & measure how far past your toes you reach in cm, using your best result of 3 attempts

Beginner: -5cm or lower

Intermediate: -4cm – +5cm

Advanced: +6cm or higher

I got two +8cm and one +9cm = Advanced level!

In high school I was able to do +15cm so that’s my next benchmark.

So in the end I had the below category results:

1. Intermediate jog

2. Beginner push ups

3. Intermediate abs

4. Beginner wall sit

5. Advanced sit & reach

That’s an Intermediate level average!!

I was pumped afterwards! So pleased! It can only get better from here! Not only was I surprised with my fitness, I was really loving the feeling of having completed the task, AND having never wavered in my commitment to complete it.

Want to know the best part? I burned 421 calories (1762kj) in that time!

My boyfriend is helping me get started, by running with me at least once a week, and doing more active things on weekends. He has watched some of the videos with me and is really supporting me in the challenge – which helps a lot!

He & I have decided to do the 1km time trial weekly on Monday evenings & measure the results. The fitness test task is repeated in week 4, week 8 and week 12, but this way we can regularly set goals and see successes, e.g by 1 km times improving; calories burned getting higher, being able to run more of the 1km, and eventually run more than 1km, etc.

This is especially important now as in Week 3 I have signed up to participate in the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival, 3.5km fun run. This is on Sunday, 16th September which is only 3 weeks away now! This will be my first mini-milestone in the program – although I will be doing it in week 3 not week 4. I am quite worried about how the 3.5km will go, but my plan is to jog and power-walk in intervals. I’m mostly excited about the fact that the course takes you over the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Maybe next year I’ll sign on for the Half Marathon. For more info on the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival see http://www.sydneyrunningfestival.com.au

Last words:

So all in all, day 1 of week 1 has been a real success for me! I managed to stick to my planned exercise, burn lots of calories, get great results in my fitness test AND I also was able to resist going to the pub after work when my work training finished 50 mins early! That last one is a mean feat!!

I will finish up with a quote that I love and feel is relevant to help me in this journey:

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”

xx Keya