Todays post is all about Commitment and Accountability.
As part of my journey to find Gidget I need to hold myself accountable. Accountable to my goal, accountable for my training (or some days my lack of motivation to train), accountable for a healthy change in diet, accountable to my family and most importantly accountable to finding Gidget.
I think a vital part of my life transformation will be to share my journey, warts and all. Nobody may actually read this blog and quite frankly I don't really care. I'm not writing for you, I am writing to remind myself of where I started and to keep myself on track. This is part of the commitment to my journey, I need to commit to making changes and blogging about it means I have to stick to the journey.
So what has been going on since my last post? I have been exercising, though not the 6 days a week I originally set out to do. I have been counting calories and really looking at what I am putting into my body, its funny how having to track those calories has changed the amounts and types of food I am eating. My kitchen scales have been getting a more regular workout than me at the moment which is kinda funny.
I have a training buddy who is on a similar journey and I must admit that while I can give myself a bunch of excuses about why I can't exercise on any given day, I don't like letting someone else down. When I say excuses I have used them all - I can't find the time, I'm too busy, I will just get this done first, I'm too tired, it's too hot, the kids keep interrupting me - you name it and I've probably used it. Thankfully my training buddy won't let me get away with any of those excuses, and I haven't even tried most of them because she doesn't listen. The funniest session we had was one last week where I had a coaching call to do with one of my consultants but my training buddy wouldn't let me postpone our session. Here I was walking at a very brisk pace, on the phone to a consultant, discussing her team and her business. Thankfully I was less out of breath than I would have been 4-5 weeks ago when I made the commitment to change.
My weeks now consist of a brisk 45-60 minute walk on a Tuesday and Thursday night with my training buddy, aswell as our Sunday morning walk. These Sunday morning walks are a higher calorie burning one with a rotation that we have worked out where we alternate between - Coast & Beach Walk, Jacobs Ladder or Kokoda Trail with a walk along the river, or the 10km Bridges Walk. I am getting better at exercising at least another 2 times throughout the week but need to commit to exercising another 3 times to take it to 6 times a week.
I am committed to losing 10kg throughout the 12WBT, I lost almost 2kg in the couple of weeks of pre season and have lost about half a kilo this week although the numbers change daily. One of these days I may even be brave enough to post my before shot but not today.
Today I am inspired and committed to my journey, today I hold myself accountable to make a bigger effort to commit to the exercise portion of my transformation.
Have an awesome week!
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Sunday, 20 January 2013
When Life Gets Busy
Well its been a few days since my last post, life has been busy. It's funny how a different mindset can take hold of you even through the busy times when you are determined.
For me in the last few years, when life got busy, I got lazy with food choices and there were always a million things to do rather than exercise. This week didn't go that way, I went to the gym 4 mornings in a row (EARLY) and was surprised how much energy I felt throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, I ached for sure but had more energy and felt better about myself.
I'm not sure if it was the mind shift I had this week, or the exercise, or the healthier eating, or maybe a combination of all 3 but I had a very successful week with my business. I have signed 6 new people into my organisation which is a record for me, I would like to think it is my excitement about life at the moment.
When life gets busy I normally go to my comfort zone, my comfort food, my comfortable excuses. I am so proud that this week I didn't do that, this week I stayed strong.
I had a 5 day free trial pass for a gym this week and managed to go 4 out of the 5 days, wasn't able to make it today as hubby went fishing. I gave myself the day off to recover as I had exercised every day for the last 6 days. I have decided not to join the gym at this stage as I have some equipment at home that has been gathering dust and also have some passes left on my swim card. I will be walking with a friend at least 2-3 times a week aswell as swimming 2-3 times a week and using the equipment I have at home in between.
This week has shown me that when life gets busy I can either make excuses or I can schedule my weeks better. I can schedule coaching sessions with my team and meetings, I can schedule kids activities & play dates, so I can certainly schedule exercise into my week. I have 2 weeks till school goes back to get the routine working for me with early rises to get that exercise in before school, get my meal planning working and setting routines for the kids for mornings to help things stay on track.
When life gets busy how do you fit it all in?
For me in the last few years, when life got busy, I got lazy with food choices and there were always a million things to do rather than exercise. This week didn't go that way, I went to the gym 4 mornings in a row (EARLY) and was surprised how much energy I felt throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, I ached for sure but had more energy and felt better about myself.
I'm not sure if it was the mind shift I had this week, or the exercise, or the healthier eating, or maybe a combination of all 3 but I had a very successful week with my business. I have signed 6 new people into my organisation which is a record for me, I would like to think it is my excitement about life at the moment.
When life gets busy I normally go to my comfort zone, my comfort food, my comfortable excuses. I am so proud that this week I didn't do that, this week I stayed strong.
I had a 5 day free trial pass for a gym this week and managed to go 4 out of the 5 days, wasn't able to make it today as hubby went fishing. I gave myself the day off to recover as I had exercised every day for the last 6 days. I have decided not to join the gym at this stage as I have some equipment at home that has been gathering dust and also have some passes left on my swim card. I will be walking with a friend at least 2-3 times a week aswell as swimming 2-3 times a week and using the equipment I have at home in between.
This week has shown me that when life gets busy I can either make excuses or I can schedule my weeks better. I can schedule coaching sessions with my team and meetings, I can schedule kids activities & play dates, so I can certainly schedule exercise into my week. I have 2 weeks till school goes back to get the routine working for me with early rises to get that exercise in before school, get my meal planning working and setting routines for the kids for mornings to help things stay on track.
When life gets busy how do you fit it all in?
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Comfort Zones
Talk about living outside my comfort zone, this whole healthy approach to nutrition and fitness is totally NOT my comfort zone. My comfort zone has, for a number of years now, involved as little exercise as possible, unhealthy snacks, late nights and late mornings with days fuelled on coffee.
There is a great quote by Albert Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". My whole outlook on weight loss before now could be summed up in that little pearl of wisdom. No matter how much I wished, and believe me I did a lot of that, or how many fad diet ideas I tried - none of them worked. That is why this time I have changed what I am doing, I am going to move this weight the good old fashioned way - through healthy eating and exercise.
A long term healthy lifestyle change is outside my old comfort zone. It's not yet my new comfort zone but am determined to persist and make the changes my body, my health, my family and my feeling of self worth NEED me to make.
I am making changes already with another early start for me today. The alarm went off at 5.25am, and I actually got straight up without wishing I could smash my phone and go back to sleep.
My training buddy has managed to secure me a free 5 day trial pass for the gym she uses and has convinced me that I need to go all 5 days to make the most of it. Unfortunately for my sleepy head, her work days are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so that means to go with her it has to be before her work.
Was a funny feeling to have done a workout and be home getting into the shower at 7am, totally unlike my normal morning routine. To top it off I will be doing it again tomorrow and the next day at the same time. A month ago if someone suggested I get up at that ungodly hour to exercise my response would have been something along the lines of "Are you mental? Why would I want to get up that early, especially to exercise? It's just not going to happen"
I guess it just proves that when you are determined to make something work, no matter what, you do things a little differently.
I will no longer live in my old comfort zone. I am on a quest to find a new, healthier, comfort zone.
There is a great quote by Albert Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". My whole outlook on weight loss before now could be summed up in that little pearl of wisdom. No matter how much I wished, and believe me I did a lot of that, or how many fad diet ideas I tried - none of them worked. That is why this time I have changed what I am doing, I am going to move this weight the good old fashioned way - through healthy eating and exercise.
A long term healthy lifestyle change is outside my old comfort zone. It's not yet my new comfort zone but am determined to persist and make the changes my body, my health, my family and my feeling of self worth NEED me to make.
I am making changes already with another early start for me today. The alarm went off at 5.25am, and I actually got straight up without wishing I could smash my phone and go back to sleep.
My training buddy has managed to secure me a free 5 day trial pass for the gym she uses and has convinced me that I need to go all 5 days to make the most of it. Unfortunately for my sleepy head, her work days are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so that means to go with her it has to be before her work.
Was a funny feeling to have done a workout and be home getting into the shower at 7am, totally unlike my normal morning routine. To top it off I will be doing it again tomorrow and the next day at the same time. A month ago if someone suggested I get up at that ungodly hour to exercise my response would have been something along the lines of "Are you mental? Why would I want to get up that early, especially to exercise? It's just not going to happen"
I guess it just proves that when you are determined to make something work, no matter what, you do things a little differently.
I will no longer live in my old comfort zone. I am on a quest to find a new, healthier, comfort zone.
Monday, 14 January 2013
No More Excuses
Today I have been thinking of excuses, not just any old excuse but those that I have been using for way too long to justify those additional 19 kilos that refuse to be wished away. Believe me I have tried to wish them away but it appears that wishing doesn't achieve results.
I think I have used most of the excuses around for not losing the weight.
I'm too tired
I don't have enough time
I can't afford it
It's too hard to count calories
It's too hard to make one dinner for me and something different for the family
I'm just not organised enough
I will just clean the house first
The kids are always interupting me when I try to exercise
I will start tomorrow - this one has to be my favourite because guess what? Tomorrow never comes - big AHA moment in that one
There are a million more that I have used at different times over the years but today they end. I refuse to give myself permission to stay this weight, or get any heavier.
I WILL lose this weight!
I WILL make healthier choices!
I WILL schedule exercise into my week!
So today I went out and got myself a new sports bra, the old one had been sitting idle in a drawer for soooo long that the elastic had gotten brittle. If I am going to work up to running I don't want to have that as an excuse.
Tonight I attended a cake course that my husband had gotten me as a Christmas gift. I counted every calorie throughout the day and made healthy choices as I had a feeling there would be mud cake on offer as that is what we were covering. I must admit I had a little, but only a little, then wrapped the rest up to bring home for the family. I entered it all into my FitnessPal application that I use and still managed to stay in my 1200 calorie goal for the day.
There was no good reason to eat ALL of the cake, or ganache. A taste was good enough to feel that I wasn't depriving myself, while still feeling great because I didn't cave to the temptation.
This was my creation and I have decided to take it to a dear friend of mine tomorrow who has had a rough time lately. Hopefully it will put a smile on her face which will be a bigger buzz for me than devouring it myself.
Friday, 11 January 2013
Chocolate is my downfall
Well today I managed to crawl out of bed at 5.40am to go for my walk, we walked for 30 minutes.
It was very difficult to do considering my Miss 6 decided to have several nightmares last night so I had to get up to her 3 times, and sit in with her for about 10 minutes until she had settled down. I am extremely grateful to have a walking buddy on days like this otherwise it would have been so easy to just roll over and go back to sleep for another hour or 3.
Unfortunately due to my extreme tiredness I did succumb to several choccies in the afternoon which defeated the whole idea of exercise. I was never huge on chocolates until I fell pregnant with my second child, then that was my major craving. My little man turns 4 in a couple of months but the cravings for chocolate haven't left, well chocolates and lollies.
Time to admit the truth, Chocolate is my downfall. Will power where are you mid afternoon or at 9pm when I want chocolate?? Do you have a downfall, a guilty little pleasure that you can't stop at just one little piece?
I am really looking forward to the 12WBT Warm Up program starting on Monday, I really have no idea what to expect out of the program but excited none the less and looking forward to going in with an open mind. I have read lots of inspiring stories and also read about people who have given up along the way and I would like to have an inspiring story to share at the end.
Here is to another day, and hopefully some healthier choices.
It was very difficult to do considering my Miss 6 decided to have several nightmares last night so I had to get up to her 3 times, and sit in with her for about 10 minutes until she had settled down. I am extremely grateful to have a walking buddy on days like this otherwise it would have been so easy to just roll over and go back to sleep for another hour or 3.
Unfortunately due to my extreme tiredness I did succumb to several choccies in the afternoon which defeated the whole idea of exercise. I was never huge on chocolates until I fell pregnant with my second child, then that was my major craving. My little man turns 4 in a couple of months but the cravings for chocolate haven't left, well chocolates and lollies.
Time to admit the truth, Chocolate is my downfall. Will power where are you mid afternoon or at 9pm when I want chocolate?? Do you have a downfall, a guilty little pleasure that you can't stop at just one little piece?
I am really looking forward to the 12WBT Warm Up program starting on Monday, I really have no idea what to expect out of the program but excited none the less and looking forward to going in with an open mind. I have read lots of inspiring stories and also read about people who have given up along the way and I would like to have an inspiring story to share at the end.
Here is to another day, and hopefully some healthier choices.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Committing to Change
First let me start by saying I am a night owl, not an early morning person. Nights are when everything is quiet and I get a chance to just be me, it's the alone time I get each day. My youngest child takes after his Dad and likes to be up early every day, generally 5-6am so as you can imagine I am quite often tired.
Exercise always seems so much harder when I am tired which is most days so I find excuses not to exercise. For some reason my illogical brain had decided that rather than go to bed earlier to get extra sleep, it was just easier to not exercise. Crazy, I know! Especially when I type it here and admit it to myself.
I have agreed to do something that just 2 weeks ago would have been unthinkable, getting up early to exercise. I will be meeting my training buddy at 6am for a morning walk before she goes to work, it is so unlike me that when I told my hubby he laughed. I am very grateful to have a friend going through the 12WBT program with me so I have someone to help hold me accountable. A 6am start is still freaking me out a little but I will do it and I will survive. Maybe I will end up having a Nanna nap tomorrow afternoon but I will get through it lol.
I have already started swimming 2-3 times a week to start getting active. It is something I used to do, well something that Gidget used to do. It was something that made her happy, it was her quiet time, the time when her mind cleared, it was also something that helped keep her in shape.
As part of my quest to find Gidget, I have rediscovered swimming and found a new quiet time that isn't after 10pm. Funnily enough I am also sleeping better than I have in months, maybe years and ever so slowly I am discovering a little more energy every day.
So tomorrow I will get up early, get myself dressed and go for a walk at 6am because I am committed to change, committed to finding Gidget.
Wish me luck xx
Exercise always seems so much harder when I am tired which is most days so I find excuses not to exercise. For some reason my illogical brain had decided that rather than go to bed earlier to get extra sleep, it was just easier to not exercise. Crazy, I know! Especially when I type it here and admit it to myself.
I have agreed to do something that just 2 weeks ago would have been unthinkable, getting up early to exercise. I will be meeting my training buddy at 6am for a morning walk before she goes to work, it is so unlike me that when I told my hubby he laughed. I am very grateful to have a friend going through the 12WBT program with me so I have someone to help hold me accountable. A 6am start is still freaking me out a little but I will do it and I will survive. Maybe I will end up having a Nanna nap tomorrow afternoon but I will get through it lol.
I have already started swimming 2-3 times a week to start getting active. It is something I used to do, well something that Gidget used to do. It was something that made her happy, it was her quiet time, the time when her mind cleared, it was also something that helped keep her in shape.
As part of my quest to find Gidget, I have rediscovered swimming and found a new quiet time that isn't after 10pm. Funnily enough I am also sleeping better than I have in months, maybe years and ever so slowly I am discovering a little more energy every day.
So tomorrow I will get up early, get myself dressed and go for a walk at 6am because I am committed to change, committed to finding Gidget.
Wish me luck xx
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
2013 Is MY Year
2013 is MY year!
It WILL be the year that I get myself into shape and find a healthier and slimmer version of me.
So why "Finding Gidget"? Well I met my best mate about 19 years ago at a coffee shop that was about a 10 min walk from work, I went there so I was doing at least some exercise every day. She was the one who gave me the nickname of Gidget for a variety of reasons that we won't go into right now.
I remember thinking at the time that I needed to lose weight, in fact I can't remember a time since teenage years that I haven't thought that I could do with losing some weight. I look back at pictures from that time and think if only I could go and tell myself that I was being silly, I looked great!
19 years on and probably as many kilos heavier I need to find that version of myself again, I need to find Gidget. She was full of life, looked great, felt strong and did not suffer the aches and pains that this version of me does. Admittedly she didn't have a husband and a couple of great kids but I think they too need to meet Gidget. My kids deserve someone who can chase them around, kick the ball, and generally have fun with them for longer.
Every time I have tried to lose weight, I have managed to lose a few kilos then I stop and put the weight back on. I have struggled with will power and suffer a big case of the "going to's", I am always going to lose weight, this fad diet or that one is always going to work. But it doesn't.
This time it will be different, this time I have joined a supportive community and I am not going to do it alone. I have joined the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program with a good friend who will be my training partner, together we will achieve our goals and keep each other accountable. This time it isn't a fad diet, this time it is a lifestyle change.
The excuses will stop now!
I will never be this heavy again!
I hope that you will share this journey with me and maybe we can inspire each other to "find" that version of ourselves that we deserve to be.
I remember thinking at the time that I needed to lose weight, in fact I can't remember a time since teenage years that I haven't thought that I could do with losing some weight. I look back at pictures from that time and think if only I could go and tell myself that I was being silly, I looked great!
19 years on and probably as many kilos heavier I need to find that version of myself again, I need to find Gidget. She was full of life, looked great, felt strong and did not suffer the aches and pains that this version of me does. Admittedly she didn't have a husband and a couple of great kids but I think they too need to meet Gidget. My kids deserve someone who can chase them around, kick the ball, and generally have fun with them for longer.
Every time I have tried to lose weight, I have managed to lose a few kilos then I stop and put the weight back on. I have struggled with will power and suffer a big case of the "going to's", I am always going to lose weight, this fad diet or that one is always going to work. But it doesn't.
This time it will be different, this time I have joined a supportive community and I am not going to do it alone. I have joined the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program with a good friend who will be my training partner, together we will achieve our goals and keep each other accountable. This time it isn't a fad diet, this time it is a lifestyle change.
The excuses will stop now!
I will never be this heavy again!
I hope that you will share this journey with me and maybe we can inspire each other to "find" that version of ourselves that we deserve to be.
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