fresh start

I would call the first two weeks a half-arsed effort. I started off really well and was energised, super keen, etc. etc. Then the decline began and I began making excuses (and believing them). I have become a little disengaged. I haven't been blogging much, and it's been a while since I was on the 12wbt forums. I have not been recording what I eat nor have I been paying attention to portion control. I haven't exercised for a few days now.

Time to get back into the groove and settle into a routine. Did the routine ever really begin in the first place? I've just sat down to watch the videos beginning at week one. The motivation video really hit home... the idea of consistency could apply to many areas of my life. Time to settle into this routine and not over-think or over-analyse. I need to trust the program!

This week I will:
Drink 2L of water per day
Exercise one hour per day
Prepare meals from the meal plan in advance
Pack a lunch box complete with healthy snacks to get me through the day

Back to basics. This is not hard. It is not easy either, but is achievable.

this week

I've begun a summer internship this week. I work eight hours each day, but by the time 5pm rolls around I feel so mentally drained. There is so much to take in and learn. It's just for three weeks and I really want to make the most of it. My evening routine right now is to exercise, cook and eat dinner then do an hour of study, followed by trashy tv shows.

Tonight I've come home and it is stinking hot and my air con is broken. I don't feel like doing anything right now. I am typing out all the excuses in the world and deleting them again because they sound lame. Maybe I will wait a couple of hours for this cool change and do some exercise then.

So far, so good on this program. I have lost a couple of kilos and will be at my goal weight soon. This program is a really great kick up the arse. I have never eaten this many vegetables (or ricotta) or exercised this hard in my life. Is this what healthy people do every single day?

One thing letting me down is not being prepared to cook my meals. I sometimes forget to buy an ingredient, so I swap one day's dinner for another... then I few days later I don't know where I am at. This week I didn't print off the recipes and have been reading them from my phone. A hassle because I can't just ask my partner to do the cooking instead. Must get organised!

feeling flat

I began this week really well. I was exercising and eating well and enjoying the program. Then on Wednesday I started feeling sore. As usually happen when moving muscles I haven't moved for a looong time.

Wednesday I did the workout regardless. Thursday I took a rest, convincing myself that I would substitute my rest day and workout on Sunday. Then Friday I got to the end of the day, realising that I hadn't done my workout. So I told myself, that's ok, I'll workout Saturday morning and Saturday evening and Sunday. Then today, Saturday, I went to visit family in country Victoria. We left early in the morning and got back for a late dinner. I ate sugary junk on the trip there and back, and I overindulged in sugary junk at lunch.

I haven't eaten sugar all week and now I feel myself drifting back to old habits. Usually we get snacks for the road trip so I find it hard to say no to things that have become second nature. Approaching Christmas this is going to get so much harder too.

On the exercise... I don't know why I didn't get it done. I wasn't too busy (though that is a crappy excuse anyway). It just didn't happen. I will try to get back on track tomorrow.

first day

It has been a great day! I feel so energised and ready to do some work. Meals today were delish and I felt satisfied while sticking to 1200 calories. At the supermarket this morning, 12wbt shopping list in hand, I met someone who is also participating in the program. She was also holding her shopping list so we had a bit of a laugh about that.

My partner joined me for the cardio workout this afternoon. The first part of the workout was to jog 25 minutes. Normally that would be my complete workout for the day. But I kept on going and followed the rest of the program to the letter. I have chosen to do my workouts at the nearby footy oval. The footy boys were there, starting their pre-season training. As we were doing crunches just off to the side of the oval, they ran past doing laps. One called out "good abs" each time the group went past. C and I had a bit of a laugh about that - it's nice to hear some encouraging words!

I am looking forward to tomorrow.

before photo & measurements

Here are the bra 'n undies shots. I took proper photos with the newspaper and my full body that I uploaded to the 12wbt website. I don't feel entirely comfortable posting those pics to the internets, so these headless ones will have to do.

My current weight of 63.2kg is down from my pre-season starting weight of 65kg. Hopefully in twelve weeks I will be posting some kick arse 'after' photos.

Measurements:
Weight 63.2kg
Chest 87cm
Waist 83cm
Widest 99cm
Distance from knee 32cm
Right thigh 54cm
Left thigh 54cm
Right arm 27cm
Left arm 27cm

bits and pieces

The eve of 12wbt round four. I can't wait to begin tomorrow morning. Here are a few bits and pieces I have been up to recently in order to get ready for the program:

The pre-season tasks are mostly complete. The only thing left to do is take my "before" photo.

I bought the Michelle Bridges No Excuses cookbook last week and have been cooking a few meals from it. This was my plan to get my partner on board with the 12wbt meal plan. We have tried thai fish cakes wrapped in lettuce leaves and a potato, egg and bean salad with a delish dressing. All the dishes were hits so we are both enthusiastic about the week ahead.

Perhaps I am in the minority when I say this, but I am so pleased that the week one meal plan has a number of vegetarian dishes. While I am not a vegetarian, I do enjoy vegetarian meals for dinner a few times each week.

Today I went for lunch at the Provincial Hotel, Brunswick. I had a beef burger with chips and alioli and washed it down with a glass of riesling. It turned out to be a 'last hurrah' lunch. Then later in the afternoon I went to Monsieur Truffe on Smith St for a iced chocolate. Very indulgent. I apologise to those who are in healthy eating / calorie counting / diet mode and reading this. But I enjoyed it very much.

Here I come Tough Mudder Melbourne, January 2013! I can't wait to get started on the program tomorrow. Especially as I have this event to work toward.

On other fitness news, I now know what a burpee is. Ouch!

I am so ready for this. I am ready for this program to change my perspective on healthy lifestyle. I want to be challenged and to redefine what I believe I am capable of. The next twelve weeks are all about establishing good habits. This will require 100% dedication. I don't want to make excuses and say 'there will be bad days' or 'slip ups are inevitable'. The only way to begin is with the mindset that everything is possible.

catch up

I can't believe I last wrote a blog post five days ago. This week has flown by and I feel a little disorganised. The things on my to-do list from five days ago are still outstanding. Now I have an additional (and final) pre-season task of taking my measurements and uploading a "before" photo. So I have dedicated Saturday to getting pre-season stuff done.

The program details for week one have been released and I am really looking forward to getting started on Monday. I anticipate that week one will be a huge success - I will have finished uni exams and have a free week before I start full-time work on the 26th. Plenty of free time to prioritise my workouts and to cook healthy meals! And blog! And clean the house! No excuses.

I've checked out the meals for next week (yum) but haven't downloaded the exercise plans yet. I am too scared to look. I feel a little nervous because I can't remember the last time I worked out for longer than thirty minutes. That is not going to cut it anymore. And Super Saturday?!