World Record Workout

I am officially part of a world record breaking cohort of worker outerers (which I believe is the technical term...).  We broke the record for the largest group circuit workout.  I wonder if my individual name will be published in the next edition of the Guiness Book of Records.

Last Saturday as a celebration of the end of Round 1 of the 12wbt, 1165 people took to the Catani Gardens in St Kilda for a massive mass workout with Michelle and her crew.  It was such a happy morning of meeting people, spotting people, stalking people....  I decided since I didn't get a ticket for finale party I had to make the most of this opportunity to meet people I have followed on blogs, vlogs, facebook pages and forums.

It was fantastic to meet my friend Linni who I had 'met' during the round as we read each others blogs and followed each others' journey.  (Check out her blog:  Confessions of a Serial Snacker.  Linni finished top 8% this round - what an awesome effort). 

Linni and me (and her littlest man) after the workout.  

It was also fantastic to meet up with other Warrnambool and Surrounds 12wbt crew members...  We had sporadic get togethers during round 1, but what with one thing and another I didn't get to meet all of them.  So it was great to meet some more of them here.

Warrnambool & Surrounds Crew with Mish after the workout.  Aren't we gorgeous??

With Lynn and Kate after the workout...

Michelle was fantastic.  She was friendly, enthusiastic and made time to high five people and sign stuff and pose for photos all over the place.  After the workout finished, she sat on this stage as group after group came and had a photo with her.  She was gracious and patient and she even teared up a bit as she made a speech after we broke the record for the biggest circuit workout.  I spoke to her and took the opportunity to thank her for creating not only a program with sound nutrition and training - but one which has engendered this incredible support and friendship between participants.  And she said, thank you very much, but really you guys do all the hard work or words to that effect.  She was lovely - check out these photos as evidence....

  Thick as thieves, the pair of us!  (All I can think now is, gosh - I need to keep pushing on with this program and lose me some chin!!  Also, why do I have my mother's 'photograph face' on??)

And this photo cracks me up.... Kellie and Penny on either side of Mish chatting away with her like they were old mates while the rest of us made our way up for the group photo.  This is a classic.

I also got to meet one of my 12wbt heroes - Splash.  This woman is a pocket dynamo and I'm inspired by how she has changed her life.  Here's a peek of what she's achieved in the past year. 

{So all in all, a wonderful morning, and very motivating as I head into Round 2.}

A day in the life of the 12wbt - Part 2

I realise it's ages since I posted 'A day in the life of the 12wbt part 1', so I thought I'd finish it off with Part 2!  Just what does healthy food look like?  Is it awful? 

No, the portions are just smaller than what I was used to!

No where were we?  We had done brekky and exercised, so now to show you what lunch might look like on a typical day.  This is one I had prepared earlier and had cold for lunch this particular day. 

Lunch consisted of some mushys, lentils, cumin, yoghurt, mint, spring onions and salad..... all making up a delicious Lentil Loaf.  If lentils aren't your bag, and I know that we all have our likes and dislikes, that's perfectly okay.  Just pick something else that's around 300 calories and packed with nutrition and you'll be absolutely fine.  I happen to love lentils, so I cook this regularly.

 

  Tea was a chicken curry - rich, creamy, hot  - with crunchy vegies in it.  I always add lots of vegies to things I'm cooking to make sure we're all getting enough of the good stuff.  It also bulks out a dish that can look a bit tiny when you first dish it up. 

 

So that's what a day looks like on the 12wbt.  Focus on good, nutritious food that will help your body, do some exercise that will build your strength and fitness and sleep well knowing that you are doing what is best for your body and, with that, becoming a better version of your current self!

Oh, and PS...  while we're in the kitchen taking photos, aren't these lovely little measuring cups?  I love them!  My sisters both have a set too so I love using them knowing that they might be using theirs at the very same time.  I also have a set of measuring spoons in the matroshka style.  Very cute for cooking with...

Round 1 Wrap Up...

I have officially completed Round 1 2012 for the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation. 

Twelve weeks ago I was a bit tentative, but definitely committed and up for the challenge.  I wanted to see what would happen to me over the 12 weeks. 

I got smaller, stronger and fitter.  I ate better, I slept better, I thought better of and about myself.  I made friends with people I've never met, lovely encouraging and supportive people.  I wrote a blog post at least twice a week and had over 3000 page views.  I did spin class for the first time.  I pushed myself and my kids up Tower Hill three times in a row just for the heck of it.  I did a Les Mills mini marathon of 5 fitness classes in a row. 

Just noticed how many I's are in that last paragraph.  Sound quite up myself don't I? 

But wait!  There's more...  I worked around a knee injury.  I learned that I am not to be trusted with a loaf of fresh sourdough and a slab of salted butter.  I learned to question what I was really afraid of missing out on if I said no to certain food.  I learned that weight can indeed be lost during and/or leading up to 'ttom'. 

I learned that - for me - losing weight is about so much more than weight.  I made a commitment to myself, my Matie and to Michelle and I am so glad I did and that I strove to be a woman of my word.

Here are some of the indicators of what happened to me in the past 12 weeks:

Indicator	February 13 (Week 1)	May 7 (Finish)
Body fat %	56.8%	49.7%
BMI	38	34
Weight	107.2 kg	97.4 kg
Waist	109cm	94cm
Wall sit	18 seconds	1min 45 seconds
Push ups in one minute	28 on knees	20 on toes + 18 on knees
Abdominal strength	Level 2	Level  4

And here is a before and an after photo of sorts.... 

Please bear in mind that I have spent the past decade behind the camera or behind other people in photos in an effort to avoid photographic evidence of how enormous I was.  (That would have meant facing the fact and doing something about it). 

Last year, we took Thing 1 and Thing 2 out of school for Term 3, hooked up our camper trailer and went on a big drive around Australia.  I have just looked back through the photos of that trip thinking I'd find something there that could serve as my 'before' photo.  But no, plenty of photos of lovely scenery, interesting animals, and of my family.  A couple of me trying to hide behind my Matie or the kids - but this one of me with a snake is the only one of me only and even then I'm sharing it with a snake. 

I do have before and after photos of me in my undies - something we do for the 12wbt.  But luckily for you, I'm not game enough to pop them up here. 

Anyway, I can see some differences in my face and around my waist.  Hmmmmm.. Hopefully after Round 2 of the 12wbt the before and after photos will be much more markedly different....

The 12wbt has been a fantastic experience for me.  I am so glad I did it.  I am so glad I'm lining up for a second round too.  I will take all the things I have learned about myself and continue on in Round 2 striving to become an all round better version of myself.

So just to put it out there - my next big goal is to get out of the obese BMI range and into {merely} overweight!  That will take a loss of around 14 kgs.  That's the aim. 

{Watch this space.}

We apologise for this break in transmission...

Greetings!  This round of the 12wbt is quickly coming to a close.  In fact, it's all but over as we have had our official week 12 weigh in, done our final measurements and completed the last fitness test.

Throughout this whole round, I have been a bit disquieted by the Wednesday weigh in. 

Tell us why, I hear you chorus.... 

Well, with all due respect to the 12wbt program, Wednesday is in the middle of the week.  It's neither here nor there.  When you start something on a Monday and then on the Wednesday you call it a week I believe there's something amiss. 

Our week one weigh in came only two days after starting the 12wbt.  Weigh ins continued each Wednesday until yesterday when - at 11 weeks and 2 days - we had to do our final (week 12) weigh in.  That's a full five days short of 12 weeks!  Five days unaccounted for.

Naturally, I feel ripped off... 

I complied with the program and weighed in yesterday and recorded that on my bit of the 12wbt website.  However, I am going to wait until Monday to update this blog and to let you know of the other changes besides weight loss that have happened to my body in the past 12 full weeks as a result of this program. 

I hope that's okay with you and that you'll pop back and read that post too.

I am also faffing around with the layout of this blog, as you may tell if you've visited before.  I have signed up to do another round of the 12wbt and I thought I might have a new look for the new round.    It's the blog equivalent of a new haircut and a general spruce up - a sort of bloggy makeover if you will.

As this post is really, in essence and at it's very heart, pointless, I feel I should at least contribute something that will have made it worth your while to read..... something to enlighten, enrich and educate.  Thus I submit the following.  It's all I've got.

{I thank you}