Hello triceps!

Wow... Upped my weights at gym yesterday and my triceps are killing me today. Either that, or it was the "speed ball" moves in Body Combat that have made me wake up sore.

The bloody scales didn't move today. :-( Don't know if it was the wine last week, or maybe just a bit of a plateau. Either way, I'm glad they didn't move up! Just have to keep putting one foot in front of another and be super clean with my eating.

Totally pumped!

So, after coming home from the high of the Finale party and workout, I have to admit that I let my guard down a bit. I don't think it shows on the scales, but I had 3 nights in a row where I drank wine after dinner. Not large amounts, but all of a sudden I stopped and realised that I was becoming complacent and starting to let old habits drift back in.

I stopped right then, and won't let that nasty little habit back in, thank you very much.

I was feeling positive about Round 3, which starts in September, but was lacking the absolute excitement and focus that I had prior to Round 2. I guess I was too caught up in celebrating my losses in Round 2, to look forward to the task ahead. Then, last Friday, something just clicked. Unlike last Round, when I was uncertain that I would stick to it, get results etc, this time I'm going into it KNOWING exactly what I have to do to reach my goal. AND I'm going into it a totally different person than I was last time. This time, I'm happy, positive, empowered and like what I see in the mirror.

My husband has been my biggest supporter - always allowing me time to train, day and night. Today, he saw me wearing my new 3/4 jeans and fist pumped the air, announcing "She's back, baby!" He's so sweet...

I'm eating clean, training like a mongrel, and I'm so excited to jump into the next 14 weeks!

I hurt...

Holy crap I'm sore... I haven't had this level of DOMS since the first workout I did a few days before Round 2 commenced! Mostly, it's due to the Group workout in Brisbane, with the rest of the 12wbt family. OMG, it was great. The atmosphere was insane, and the weather was glorious. I burnt 680 calories, but left feeling as though it wasn't too hard.

Fast forward to Sunday morning and I was in pain. Arms, chest (loads of push ups), thighs and hips all groaning. By this morning (Monday) my upper body had gone back to normal, but my thighs were still sore. I had Sunday as my rest day, so was straight back into it today. I can't do my SSS on a Saturday, so I tend to do it on a Monday. Today, I did a mega session, and now I wonder if I'm going to be able to even get out of bed tomorrow! Here's what I did today: C25K Week 3 Day 2 around the reservoir in the glorious sunshine = 401cals, then tonight I went to the gym and did C25K Week 3 Day 3, 15 mins on the cross trainer, then a 50 min Step class, followed by a 45 min Pilates class = 1222 cals. So, all up I burnt 1623 cals today! I'm feeling very stiff tonight.

I'm so excited that 7 of my friends have now joined Round 3. I hope they all have amazing success. I often feel that I would love to be able to bottle how I feel right now. I hope they get to feel it too.

A few milestones to celebrate!

I am the first to admit that my self esteem has been at an all time low for quite a while now. I was too scared to join a gym. Then, once I overcame that, I was too scared to do a group fitness class. Then, once I overcame that, I was too scared to run on the treadmill in front of everyone. Then, once I overcame that, I was too scared to take off my T-shirt.

Well, I have smashed all those fears. I'm at the gym 6 days per week. I take classes whenever I can. I am doing the C25K program on the treadmill, and rocking it. And today, I wore a singlet and was NOT self conscious of my arms, as they are now no longer hideous! I have a, relatively, little tummy and waist, so I deserve to wear a singlet. Sure, my arms and hips still need work, but I am travelling a whole lot better than 50% of the girls at the gym, and this gives me confidence. None of us are there to show off, we're all there to try to be a better version of ourselves, so why should I keep being so hard on myself?

I wore the singlet in front of the kids, and Lara said, "I love that singlet" which was a massive thumbs up for me. If my teenage daughter approves of me wearing a singlet, I've gotta be happy, right??

Lord, it feels good to feel good. I can't believe that I felt like shit for so long, and did nothing about it. I feel like grabbing every sweet friend who is overweight and shoving this program down her throat, but I know that everyone has to find their own way here. God knows I had enough attempts before I was finally ready to do what it takes. In fact, I read Mish's CrunchTime books back in March, when my weight was probably at an all time high, and I thought, "OMG, she's too black and white, so harsh". It wasn't until a sidebar popped up on Facebook, I think it was, and I went to investigate the 12wbt, co inciding with turning 40, that something clicked. And clicked it has. I can't imagine not burning off 500+ calories per day, or eating clean.

People keep asking me about my "secret". I tell them, that it's what we know we all should do. Eat less, move more. Simple as that. I think though, that each person has to reach their own personal "low" in order for this mindset to kick in.

Week 12 Round 2.

Well, today was the final weigh-in for Week 12. My official stats are: 16.7kg lost, 54cm total gone from body, and a truckload of emotional baggage gone! We still have the rest of the week (until Sunday) on the program, so I'll weigh in again on Sunday and see what the tally for the full 12 weeks is.

I took my "after" pic today, and on first glance I thought "well that's not much different" but when I put them side by side I was blown away. And a little emotional!

There's about 4 weeks until Round 3 begins, and I don't plan to relax my diet or exercise one little bit. I've been constantly ramping up the training side of things, so that's gotta speed things up.

Inner Mongrel Monday

In the 12wbt we have names for certain days of the week. Tuesday is "Accelerator" day, where no simple carbs are consumed. Saturday is "SSS" which translates to Super Saturday Session, and Mondays are called "Inner Mongrel Monday", where you unleash your inner Mongrel and work out like a demon! I did just that tonight. 1175cals burnt in the gym, and I got to connect with a couple of friends, as well as meet up with a new 12wbt friend.

In other breaking news, I appear to be developing collar bones! Yes, they've always been there, but now I can JUST see them starting to emerge from underneath the fat that once was there. Woo fricken Hoo!