Measure Up: PS-Task 8

It’s the final countdown!

The last task is upon us.  The reality check. 

It’s time to get out the camera, the scales and the tape measure and see just where we are at right now!

This is NOT where we will be in twelve weeks.  Trust in yourself and today won’t be as scary as we think.  If you have fully committed yourself to the program you NEED to trust that you will see results.. that you will not see these numbers again.

I won’t bore you with the actual measurements, nor even a photo just yet - I want to keep my transformation a secret!  Make it all the more exciting to reveal the finished product!

The programs became available today as well so I have done some shopping and some prep work today.  As per the wonderful picture above, I have my pirate  pencil case to hold my food and exercise diaries.  I also bought a magnetic white board for my fridge to keep track of our meal plan and some pretty coloured markers too!

I feel ready to go!

Let’s do this!

The Fitness Test: PS-Task 7

How can this test not be fun?  I have to admit that the 1km time trial has been my downfall many a round.  I hate it. Maybe because I have this need to run 1km first to warm-up, then the 1km time trial, and my walk/jog 1km home again.

This round I took the option to use the rower machine at 50% for my 1km time trial.  This means I can do my test at the gym – no running to organise, no setting crap up at home and the self-consciousness of my family being aware of what I am doing (or worse, feeling like I am doing it in secret).  I already feel 100% better about my ability to do all the fitness tests throughout the round!

Results:

1km time trail (rower 50%) 4mins 49secs (High end of intermediate)

Wall sit: 28secs (low end of beginner)

Push-ups 1min:  Toes: 8  Knees: 16 (24 total = Intermediate)

Abs: Stage one (wrist to knee achieved = beginner)

Flex: 0cm average (intermediate)

The cardio I am fine with.. I am on the border of intermediate and advanced. The push-ups, I would be advanced if I did them all on my knees so I am happy with that.  Abs is an improvement on my previous big fat 0’s!  And my flex has gone down a bit.  But what the hell happened on my wall sit!  I can only say that I did it straight after the rower and I was because very cautious to make sure my legs were at right angles (maybe too cautious?) and felt like I was slipping down the wall.  I’ve never had a problem making it 1min before, and have done a 1:38 so goodness knows!  I will repeat this one tomorrow on a different wall.

For the important stuff, I am on on the high end of intermediate so I am confident going in for advanced again.  So glad it is done and dusted and very happy with the change in program that resulted in the fitness being shifted to the pre-season tasks!

Jeni

Organisation: PS-Task 6

This task seems so easy.. schedule in your exercise, schedule in your meal times, schedule in your shopping time.  How hard can that be! 

For most people there are a lot of variables in life and we have to prioritise.  And that is where the issues lie.  This task is about taking our health and fitness and shifting its priority level right up there into the ‘not-negotiable’ zone.. the same zone as showering, brushing your teeth and kissing your kids goodnight. 

Really, it doesn’t matter if you have to change the times, or move your schedule around during the round.  Life happens and we are new to this.. we don’t know enough to make a perfect decision so let go of the perfect.  Get those essential elements.. 1hr a day, 6 days a week to exercise,  5-6 meals a day with 3/4 hrs between them, and a set time to meal plan, do your shopping list and get that shopping!  Plan time for unpacking your groceries, storing things so they last and are easily accessible – chop that celery into edible portions, make sure your spinach is in a sealed container with a paper towel to absorb moisture, divvy up nuts into portions, etc.

And the most essential.. plan for a cook-up of some of the meals.  You will notice that some meals serve 6 – these are great for cooking up in advance and popping into microwave safe or oven proof containers to heat up on lazy nights!

As an example, I cooked up Alison’s Penang Chicken and separated it out into plastic containers.  All I need to do is steam up the vegies (and rice if I want it) and heat up the meal in the microwave or in a pot.  Easy Peasy!

The big thing here is to remember that this is an ongoing task.  It doesn’t end here!  You  need to check your diary every week and plan around red flags or any changes in your schedule.  At night before you go to bed, check your diary to make sure everything will run smoothly, lay out your gym clothes, pack your gym bag – no excuses is a lot easier if you plan ahead!

Jeni

P-S in Review 1

So last Sunday I jumped in and signed up for sixth round of 12wbt.  The week has been great..

I started by getting out of the house and going for a run – 7km – that same afternoon!  My legs were killer sore the next day so I headed into the gym for an upper body workout even though I had a major case of the CBFs.  Tuesday I am quite proud of!  I was feeling a bit off colour, had a bad case of protein gas and abDOM’s and almost talked myself out of going.  I was damn close to walking out as I put my bag in my locker but I pulled out the 10min rule.  Of course, two minutes into my cardio workout and I am rocking it!  It was a shortish session, about half an hour or so, but I did my cardio, abs, and stretching. The only problem was that I did my workouts out of order so had to do my legs workout on Wednesday and left Thursday as a rest day.  Friday was cruise intervals in the great outdoors but it was pouring rain. I’m afraid to the CBF’s attack me that day!  And Saturday was the same… I decided to focus on the Kitchen Makeover task and meal planning.  Because I have missed 3 days in a row.. I need to pull out a 10km run this afternoon!!

During the week I attacked the pre-season tasks: writing up my excuses, thinking about my goals, and making plans!   My fridge is stocked, meal plan done, and clothes ready for the week ahead!

The biggest thing I have done this week is to find small rewards to give myself. 

A soak in the bath with the muscle soak RADOX and painting my nails started off my week with my best foot forward!  I even downloaded some television shows and enjoyed watching them with a hot chocolate!  It has been great to take the emphasis off food as my reward and the first port of call when it comes to relaxing.  Even taking some time to just lie quietly and listen to the Jillian Michaels podcasts has been great! 

Giving myself these small rewards has helped to take away the temptation to reward myself with food!

Jeni

Kitchen Makeover: P-S Task 5

I love doing the kitchen makeover.. NOT! 

At this stage the process itself isn’t drastic, the food I have in the house is mostly good aside from some convenience food for hubby and kids. 

Most of the really bad food rarely stays very long!

I do have to make some compromises here.  My eldest child has Asperger’s syndrome and doesn’t take change very well (as well as hitting puberty!).  It is a struggle to get him to eat full-stop so I tend to keep a few basic convenience foods in the cupboard that probably would not pass the Mish test, but they are things he can prepare himself!  I see some cooking lessons for him in the future!

The fact is, I don’t have a lot of time to cook, nor do I enjoy cooking, so I have to rely on my partner.  And he is not one for healthy cooking!  Yes, it is an excuse!  So to overcome this excuse I am going to meal plan, cook ahead for both family meals and some individual meals as well, and get a system going for making sure we have things prepared!!

So today I am cleaning out my fridge and freezer – my nice huge brand new Fridge!  I am doing up a meal plan and shopping list for tomorrow, and then starting out with Alison’s Penang Chicken (cooked in double) for tonight with a family serving put in the freezer for during the week. 

 

Jeni

Say it out Loud: P-S Task 4

This one is always hard for me.

This is the task where you need to think forward and consider what you are actually willing to ‘do’, not just say you are going to to.

It is easy enough to say what you want to do and how you would go about doing it, but are you actually going to do it?  Does your mind immediately say… ‘well, unless I get sick'.’, or ‘except when I am tired.’.   All those excuses suddenly start jumping up on that pathway you’ve just laid out to get to your goal.

Making a commitment is about setting those excuses aside and doing it anyway.  Acknowledging that there will be times when it is hard, there will be times when it is impossible.. it won’t be perfect.. but it will get done.

I’ve warned my family the kitchen makeover is coming, I’ve warned my workmates I will not be participating in morning teas, and I’ve let the gym know I will be a regular for the next few months so they had better make sure the ladies gym is well stocked with weights!

To Mish, to the support crew, and to fellow 12wbt’ers…

I hereby commit to training 5-6 days a week, following the lean and strong program.  I commit to using 12wbt recipes to create my own meal plan and incorporating healthy meal and snack ideas of my own within the guidelines.

I commit to participating in the forums, Facebook, and blogging regularly to help inspire others and to help keep me focused on my goal.

Jeni

Gear Up: P-S Task 3

Now this task is easy as pie!  I already have my gym membership and I even have a back-up ‘at home’ Super Saturday Session thanks to one of my fellow Rockhampton 12wbt’ers!

But I do have a few loose ends to tie up to really complete this task!  I need to re-charge my Polar HRM so I will be sending that off to done.  I also need to think about whether or not I will be spending the money to get 15 cross fit sessions.  On top of that, there is the shoe issue.. I need new ones!  And long pants from Mish’s new clothing range… Well, let’s just say I could send myself broke!

But the reality is, I don’t need anything!  Money is just not a good enough excuse.  I don’t need a polar, I don’t need cross fit, I don’t need $300 shoes!  I just need to do it.

I’m ready to go!

Jeni

Goal Setting: P-S Task 2

I’ve done goals before.  I forget them.

The things with goals is that have to mean something.  REALLY mean something.  They have to mean enough for you get out of bed at 5:30am, to head to the gym after a 16hr slog of housework, studying, and running around after kids, to miss out on late night television so you have enough energy to do your super Saturday session!

No stuffing around now.. let’s get honest. I want a shit hot body!  I want to be strong because it is FKN sexy!

I want to impress the blokes with a few pull-ups, do a handstand push-up, the splits, rock the chest press and squat my body weight. I want to be better.  Better then average, better then above average even. I want to impress people. No, I want to impress myself!

And I have a date for it.. October 28th I will be marrying my sweetheart of 20yrs.. exactly 20yrs since we first started ‘going out with each other’.  I want to be the sexiest 37 year old bride that ever walked down an aisle!

To make this stay in my mind I’ve created an iPhone wallpaper of my goals!  That way I will see it every day, several times a day, and I will not get off track!

Excuses: P-S Task 1

So here I am again!  Yes!  Once again! 

My last two rounds have been complete flops.  Why?  What are my excuses for not doing the program even though I signed up and paid?

It was pretty simple really.  I didn’t think I had to… I am special after all.  I can still get results even if I don’t do it 100%, and if 80% is okay, then 60% is okay, and if that is okay, well.. let’s just say it is a slippery slope!

The fact is, I am back at my pre-round 2, 2011 weight.  Yup, back up to 58kg as I have tried to ‘maintain’ and just failed miserably.  I hit rock bottom this week when I started smoking again.  Today is Quit Day and I am already finding it difficult even though I’ve only had about 6 smokes in the last couple of days.  The habit is so strong and ingrained, I spent a good 15years of my life smoking so it feels so normal.

I also knew that I wasn’t going to the finale party.  It made such a huge difference going the the party in Brisbane.  Knowing I was going.. and knowing that I would be held accountable I guess.  I was no longer invisible. This time I have extra motivation.. my wedding!  That is right, I am getting married in early November and I want to have some glamour photos done for D as a wedding gift (some nude pictures as well!).  I am booking these in.  They need to be confirmed so I have the motivation to go.  If the party is in Brisbane this round.. I am going to that as well!

So here I am, yet again, nutting out my excuses.. internal or external, controllable or uncontrollable.  But it all comes down to one simple thing.. choice.  I need to choose for me, each and every day, to take the action that will lead me to my goal!

 

Jeni

PB&Co Muffins

Trying out a new recipe today.. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oat Muffins!  a.k.a. PB&Co Muffins.  Before  you go and cook these though.. they need sugar!  Next time I will be adding some honey and banana to the mix!  For now, I am taking a teaspoon of honey to go with these!

• 1 cup of Oats whizzed through the blender (or Oatmeal)
• 1 scoop Choc Protein Powder
• 1 tablespoon baking cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs (or 6 egg whites)
• 2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter (crunchy)

Mix dry ingredients followed by wet, makes 6 muffins and bake at 180C for 10-15mins (check regularly).

As they are, these are about 200cals once you add a teaspoon of honey (which is seriously needed!).

Full body Workout 1

What I did tonight!

To warm up.. 3 rounds of

400m on rower

2mins at 10k on the tready

followed by (3 x 8-10) supersets of

Squat (15kg of squat rack) + Bent over Row (12.5kg)

Dumbbell incline Chest press (6kg) + Crunches

Then a low weight, high rep (12) superset of

Shoulder Press (7.5kg) + Static Lunges (each side)

Back to (3x 8-10) supersets of

Seated Hamstring Curl (30kg) + single arm French Press (4kg)

then a low weight, high rep (12) set of

bicep curls (4kg)

Then a 3 x 8-10 superset on the pulley machine (/4)

Overhead Tricep Extensions + trunk rotation (each side) at 30kg

Finishing off with a quick cardio

2mins at 10k on the tready

And my food Totals..

Would have been fine aside from finishing off the chocolate!

Goals.

Yes, we are back to these again.  I need to reassess.

Immediate Goals

• Drink more water
• Track my calories and get to net of 1200cals each day
• Exercise for a minimum of 30mins each day (Saturday is rest Day)
• Enter the 5k race on Sunday

1 Month Goals

• Enter in June 3 Rock River Run 10km
• Lose 2-3kg
• Re-do my VLA test in the week ending 8th of June
• Be doing meal plans and shopping

3 Month Goals

• Lose 10kg total reaching 49kg
• Photo shoot for Dave’s wedding present (1st week of Sept)
• Wedding Dress Shopping!

Motivation takes on Excuses!

1.   A lack of workout clothes. The cold weather means my shorter workout pants are out, but I only have one longer pair that fit.  Why?  Because the XS pants I bought when I had lost some of this fat no longer fit me.

Answer: My goal this week is to plan out my workout clothes for the week so that excuse doesn’t wash (pardon the pun!).  I’ve pulled out my old $10 Big W pants and they will be spares for when the others are in the wash.  Washing Day will be Sunday, Wednesday and Friday night where my workout pants will be tossed in with the kids school clothes for the afternoon wash and with my work blacks on Sunday.

2.   It’s getting dark!  My normal run time is 6-7pm in the summer time. It means I can have a light dinner before I head out but now, it is dark by 5.30pm. 

Answer: Time to change that run time back to 4-4:30pm and be back in time for dinner.  It will mean making sure I have afternoon tea when I get home from picking up the kids at 3pm.  On Friday night however, I will have to eat a bit later given it starts at 5.45pm so I want to have a good feed at around 4:30pm to sustain me.  A late dinner won’t matter as much as I will probably stay up a bit later on the Friday night given Saturday is my rest day.

3.   But I’m tired. Yes, I am still having sleep issues. Well, it isn’t really a sleep issue.. more of a “but I wanna stay up late because I’m controlled by my inner child” type issue.

Answer:  Time to suck it up Princess!  Bedtime is 9:30pm, wake up at 6:30am.  I might even try using my sleep app for the week and see how that goes!

4. Water!  We need it and I don’t get enough!

Answer:  I will be washing out my water bottles and pick up a new box of water this week.  I know it is bad for the environment but I do get quite a few uses of the bottles.  I just haven’t found a re-usable water bottle I like.  I don’t want an aluminium one, or a plastic one, I need a small one I can take running with me, and a big thermos style one for everyday (so it doesn’t get condensation on it and wet everything).  So that is my other mission.. to get a thermos for my cold water!