Round 2 2013 - The first part of my 12wbt journey

As I pressed the join now button I had a mix of feelings...worried, happy, envious, motivated, anxious
I really wasn't sure I could do it, my biggest concerns were being hungry and having time to exercise with a toddler and 7 week old baby.

After doing the preseason tasks and watching Mish's video I felt more confident but the thought I stepping right out of my comfort zone was incredibly scary.

I chose to do the learn to run program as my exercise component as I always I thought it would be good being outside in the fresh air or at home on strength days was a major plus having 2 young children and a husband who is a shift worker.

My starting weight was 104.9kg, when I saw that number come up on the scales I started doubting myself and thinking if I could get into double digits I would be happy , little did I know I would get to that within the first 3 weeks.

Day 1 was kind of empowering as I sat there eating my Bircher museli I felt motivated to do things right, shortly after I headed out to do my first running intervals sessions. Boy did I seriously suck gasping for air after 1min 30 sec of running but I kept going until I finished the workout. I was totally spent in all ways and forms. I struggled with the exercising part for things for 3-4 weeks but the thing that kept me motivated was the fact I had lost over 5kgs in month so I figured I must be doing something right.

 I hit a real stumbling block with my weekly running challenge during weeks 3-5 I just couldn't get over the 8 min or 1 km mark and I remember saying to myself as I walked home from my run 'why am I bothering I'm never going to be able to run 5kms' . My husband was the one who did not let me give up at this point he could see the both physical and mental changes in me and I'm so glad now I listened to him. I just kept plugging and soon enough I was doing it.

1.2kms and 12 mins in week 6, 1.5 kms and 15 mins week 7 and by week 12 I was running for 37 mins and 5 kms.

The weight was literally falling off me

Getting back to the nutrition side of things, the first week was the hardest as I had a massive case of portion distortion as Mish would say but I was snacking in between meals and using herbal teas when I felt hungry which did tied me through and by the end of week 2 I was no longer snacking between meals and the portion sizes were absolutly satisfying me.

Of course I had up and downs like everyone does and occasionally I ate something I shouldn't or overindulged on my treat meal but I soon worked out it wasn't worth it because everytime I would beat myself up mentally for giving in to my demons and to be honest it just wasn't worth it . To have that bit of chocolate didn't make me feel good after I ate it so what was the point.

My goals for the round were to lose 15kgs and participate in a fun run and I nailed them both and much more

I lost 15.9 kgs in 12 weeks

I shrunk by 50cms

Dropped 2 dress sizes

I can now keep up with my 2.5year old son who is full of energy

I am happier

I am starting to enjoy clothes shopping again

I want to look nice when I go out

I am no longer embarrassed to wear bathers in public to take my son in the pool for his swimming lessons

My blood pressure has dropped significantly with my medication level to be reviewed shortly

I ran every step of a 4.2km fun run in week 10 of which half was up hill ( thank you to my very special friend Caley and my gorgeous sister in law Jolene for doing it with me )

I am slowly learning to be awesome ......

From the beginning

Hi everyone,

I thought I would give blogging a try to share my journey of getting the 'real me' back, I want to share it with you to show if I can do it so can you !

I have always been overweight since I can remember, as a teenager  in year 10 I decided I'd had enough and I wanted to change myself so I joined the local gym and lost about 15 kgs and for the first time ever fit in a size 12 and I felt happy with my weight and my self esteem grew as the years went on my weight went up and down and so did my happiness and self esteem.

I did sucessfully lose lose about 20kgs on one of the 'diet shake' brands in my early 20's which is roughly around the time when I met my first and only serious boyfriend who grew to be my best friend and my fiancé then husband in 2009.

Slowly by slowly my weight crept back and I was around 100kgs when I fell pregnancy with our son 12 mths later, by the end of my pregnancy I was suffering from severe preeclampsia with a dangerously high blood pressure to the point where I had to be induced 3 weeks early as my doctors were worried I would have a stroke at age 25 if my blood pressure was to go any higher.

I really struggled with recovering from a ceasarian and strong blood pressure medication side effects after Ryan's birth which also meant my weight just kept going up .

By Ryan's 1st birthday I was at my heaviest and deep down I knew that but I just didn't do anything about it.


A few weeks later a relative posted some pictures on Facebook of Ryan's birthday and I just burst into tears to look at myself this was a very depressing sad moment in my life but also a significant one as I turned to my husband and told him how I was feeling and that I wanted to make a change.

So a week later I joined my local womens gym, I was so nervous about my first assessment as I knew they were going to make me do that thing I avoided at all costs ......... Getting on the scales

So as I nervously stepped on the figure 108.4kg came up and all of a sudden I felt tiny with embarrassment and sadness. 

I went full stream ahead with working out from there in up to 5 sessions a week for the next 4 mths and occasionally I would get on the scales at the gym and the most I ever saw was a 300g loss and every time it was devastating I was working so hard and although I felt better in myself  I knew something was really missing in this picture.

Still at 108kgs I started to lose my motivation to workout and I began going less and less to the gym.

We went on a family holiday to Fiji in May 2012 for my best friends wedding and again when we got home I was devasted to look at the photos from our holiday to look at how over weight I was.


Shortly after we got home I fell pregnant with our daughter and things really spiralled down hill from there for my health, I was still on blood pressure medication from my preeclampsia with my last pregnancy and at 14 weeks I got the first warning from my doctor that I needed to take it easy or I would be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy by 16 weeks my medication was increased and another warning.

By 20 weeks my medications was increased again and I was told if things didn't stabilise I would be admitted to hospital for the next 4mths

By the time Avery was born I had been in and out of hospital numerous time and was on the maximum dosage of blood pressure meds.

7 weeks after giving birth by ceasarian for the second time my mother in law bought me some clothes for my birthday and upon trying them on I again I had another moment where I was just devasted at
way I looked and felt.

I had been watching the way an old school friend on Facebook had lost a lot of weight and she really inspired me to do the same ( Thank you Hayley Mether ) so I decided I would sign up for  Michelle Bridges 12wbt.

To be continued - Round 2, 2013 12wbt