LIFE HAPPENS v's SHIT HAPPENS

Hello to all that remember me and Hi to those that don't....

1st I want to say a big Sorry for being away for so long I have had huge struggle to face this year both financial, physical as well as mental as most of you were aware I joined 12wbt for Round 3 last year and it was a very successful round for me 15kgs down however the main reason for me to joining was to loose the weight to possible fall pregnant to my dismay during Round 3 I had a miscarriage (during week 12)  and put me back a little....Who and I kidding A LOT!

However armed with determination I joined again Round 1 this year and had a very nasty fall and was off my ankle for 12wks and I'm still having a few small issues with it now. 

But wait that's not all also during all of this I have been going through a large amount of testing to see the issues I'm having with falling pregnant again the tests have panned over the last 5mths and after having now seen over 3 very highly regarded pregnancy specialists and numerous evasive tests I have been given the worst news possible of no longer being able to fall pregnant. 

And before you say but never give up hope that is really all I've been living on for the last 4 years since having Harrison I've had my miracle and are now at the stage of moving on...(as best I can)

So again I'm Sorry I shut you all out over the last 6mths and more but I withdrew and with that came back my old habits eating to make me feel better when in fact I'm no better other then in the fact that I'm starting to except my new life journey as a family of three. But I am pretty much back to where I began!!

But the good news is I've signed up for Round 3 this year and I know (If you all forgive me???) armed with the most amazing bunch of women I have no where to go but on the UP and Up....

Thanks to this amazing lady Bec whom I'm so lucky to call my friend I've been able to get through this year still smiling and the best part was that I meet her though this  

12wbt western sydney facebook page!

BLOGGER CHALLENGE 2- POSITIVITY

When I started to think long and hard about the positive changes I've made in my life the list got longer and longer. I feel like a completely different person. I now look in the mirror and I'm starting to like the reflection for me it's not totally about the amount of weight I'm losing or the time it's taking me to get there but the fact that the person I'm staring at in that reflection is starting to resemble the person I feel inside alive and full of determination. The determination that I wouldn't have been able to unleash unless I had the support of some amazing women in my life and you all know who you are or in fact maybe you don't many of you I haven't even meet some of you I have only spoken with in facebook or on forums however you have all helped to shape the overall me. The start of my journey has been easy. Being focused and ready to start this journey only to have suffered a miscarriage during Round3 2011 would have put me back another 100 steps however it was the love and support from at that time strangers that made me stronger and more determined to succeed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Any way back to Challenge 2 - Positivity....Well what more can I say I am more then positive about my future as I'm out of my house (last round I only exercised in the confines of my home with Michelle's DVDs) now I'm doing as many out of the house events as I can. I'm positive that I will succeed with the determination and will power to prove to myself that I'm worth it.

Another positive thing that I have been doing is mixing up my training and doing more social workouts including walking Bridge to Bridge in Nepean with some lovely girls that touch my heart. These ladies come from all over and are at all stages of there journey of weight lose however I have found nothing but love and support and this is making me a much stronger person and I really am believing that I'm worth the effort.

Over the past few weeks I've been trying to mix it up a little. This is definitely not like me as I like structure and repetition however the girls from the western Sydney 12wbt group planned on doing a bike ride around the Regatta center Penrith. This was a little scary for me as I haven't road on a bike since I was about 10 and needless to day that was well and truly over a few years ago. But I must say I loved the ride besides my butt aching in places I wont get into I had the best time Thanks Ladies for pushing me out of my comfort zone!

Another positive change in my life is getting the kids to spend more time in the kitchen helping Mummy / Auntie with healthy food choices and they just love it.

Blogger Challenge Answer: Week 1 - Introduction

This year I'm joining the Blogger Challenge you can find it over at Nutritionally Yours, I for one find it really inspiring and encouraging to read everybody's journey and see however you are all getting on with the program. It's also great to get some tips and tricks along the way.

1.Tell us a little bit about yourself. What makes you, you?
Well OK let's see I'm a 34year old Mummy to a cute 3 year old little boy called Harrison and a Wife to a darling Hubby Mario whom I've been married to for 12 years. I'm a stay at home designer I own a small business that I run from home called Gifts Created ( www.giftscreated.com) and I love anything handmade and often find myself lost within the confirnes of my computer mostly browsing Pinterest. I'm very independent, and love to be organised, I often find my self wanting to do things for my self cause I like them done a certain way. I have a major sweet tooth hence the reason why I'm here!
2.Why did you decide to do the 12WBT?
I saw a fellow craftier friend have major success with her weight loss through this program last year and during that time I was doing Jenny Craig and not have much success so was convinced to begin and I started in Round 3 2011....NOW I'M HOOKED! I've lost 15.5kgs from last round....Yippee!
3.What are you hoping to achieve through the program?
I need to lose as much weight as I can I'm a very heavy girl so have a long way to go but through having completed the last round I have learnt that this is a complete journey of body as well as mind and that the small goals are a stepping stone to success.
4.Why have you decided to blog about the 12WBT? What will be the main focus (eg, food, exercise, a bit of everything?)
I not only want to share my successes with people in a similar position but also share the hardship that I come across as I know there will be many as I'm far from perfect. Blogging for me also hold me accountable for actions and keeps me in check. My focus for this blog is that it is a true life representation of ME what you see is what you get.
5.How will you be exercising this round? Gym, home, outdoors or a mixture?
Last Round I only ever did DVDs so this round I'm already doing outdoor 7km walks, I've joined a weekend circuit work out group and I'm also doing indoor DVDs so I'm totally mixing it up I'm also thinking about some gym sessions.
6.What is your greatest strength that will help you?
This is a really tough question to answer as I think I'm still trying to find my strength however my focus for my weight lose is to fall pregnant by end of year so I guess the ability to not give in to temptation would be a strength I would like to hold once this Round ends STAY TUNED!
7.What are you afraid of?
I was afraid of working out in a group, of not being at the level that everyone else is, of standing out for all the wrong reasons for not working to my best and digging deep however things are changing for the better...I'm no longer scared of working with others cause I now understand that every ones at there own levels and that no one is judging me but me.....So i guess now my biggest fear is not succeeding.
8.What are you looking forward to the most over the next 12 weeks?
Besides watching my butt shrink watching other butts shrink...And working together on the friendships I've made along the way.
9.What is your downfall? Food? Exercise? How will you overcome this?
I guess I need to build up my will power cause they are all in a way my down falls however overall self sabotage seems to be the biggest down fall I have...Still working on that one.
10.If you had to pick one word to motivate you over the next 12 weeks, what would you choose?
BABY

Week 1 in review

This week started of great I was on a roll food check working out check....however on Wed my little one fell ill and working out with a 3 yr old attached to my hip Is a little hard but I didn't let it effect my efforts I even managed to get in an amazing SSS work out today at Castle Hill thanks to Skye for arranging it (& thanks to my hubby's job falling through lol!).

Even though I had Harrison all week with no day care and family helping me this week :( I'm happy to report that all work outs were completed. Harrison even sat in the stroller (that is way to small for him now) and was very happy to help mummy work out!

I had a personal best 1km time trial yippee at 8 mins that's putting me into the intermediate group for this round however I don't see much difference from beginner to intermediate.

Food this week has been great lots of new recipes to try yummy!

Looking forward to next weeks work out and food I'm planning on mixing up my work out this week and even going to give bike riding a go....

MY KITCHEN MY FRIEND

OK So the 1st thing I changed was my kitchen I've made it now my friend no longer does the bad mean foods lurk around the corner teasing me to go towards the dark side....Now it's all about healthy and just plan good for you foods...My hubby and son are loving the change and are also enjoying the new women in the house that's me in case you were wondering

the happier and healthy me.

Yay to the future!

" SAY IT OUT LOUD" - Task 5

OK So when it comes to changing old ways it's really hard for me much like everyone else I'm sure however I battle with myself everyday....There are days where I'm pushing my body in ways it has never been pushed before but I sabotage that work out with food at night and on days that I don't focus on exercise I fall off the wagon or take that bite of that amazing yummy cookie before I even think of the consequences...Bugger Me!
Making this commitment doesn't come easy and I'm not often finding myself commitmiting to anything but when I look back over the last few years there was something that I commitmented to and for life my Son Harrison he is the reason for me to succeed and to stop me from taking the wrong path....I'm doing this to better myself and make my family Hubby and Son proud of there wife and mother.
I chose to be the mother who wants to run outside in the rain just for fun, who decides to take on my son at soccor, who tells the kids to get off there butts and play outside however gets out there with them. I want to be the family that rides bikes around the park and whom is living life to the fullest...The family that thinks rock climbing is a fun family activity and that sitting in front of the TV is out of the question.

So I'm committing to everyone out there that this isn't a fad that I'm changing my life from this point on. I'm not naive to think that there wont be demons to battle and that I may not win every fight but it all begins here.....And in the end it's up to little old me to MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

THE NEW ME!

Well this is all me and I wounder what I can change this time around!

It took a lot of self motivating to lose the 15.5kgs I lost during my 1st Round of 12wbt however I still have so many other things to work on this round including my lazy excuses that just wont cut it anymore I wanna be the best me I can be and it wont help when I'm feeling sorry for myself...So I'm looking forward on sharing more of me with you through the next round of 12wbt...

Let's Rock this Fat away!

FRIENDS I VALUE

OK so during my time at Michelle's New Cook Book signing at Penrith Plaza on Saturday I had some time to stand back and take photos of some amazing people that I have meet this year.

I'm still getting to know them all as there are so many of you (you know who you are!) however isn't it funny that I'm feeling so close to you all already and we haven't even begun week 1 what the!....hhhmmm....maybe it also has something to do with the fact that I in the past haven't made friends easy I'm a little awkward and tend to have foot in mouth a lot of the time. But I'm so lucky to be on this amazing journey with you all and treasure the honesty, love, devotion

and support that we give to each other.

My peeps waiting in line....

Darling Amanda you are so sweet!

I also love watching Michelle's reaction to peoples stories of weight lose.....

TASK 2 : GET REAL

OK So this year is all about me and to be honest it's a little scary that I'm putting it all out there but to be really honest It took me last Round to really find myself and realise all my excuses and see the ones that I used along the way through my journey last year.

SO this year it's time to change and make a shift to the BETTER me the Real me the ME that I see in the mirror the one that is fun, loving and FOCUSED
Task 2 is all about Getting real and to me that means dealing with some pretty heavy demons...
I completed My Excuses and Their Solutions section of the task and here is what I wrote.

INTERNAL EXCUSES are The self talk that goes on between the Jekyll and Hyde in your head.
WHAT EXCUSES DO I USE:
I’m too tired to work out,
I’m not motivated to keep going,
I’m so far gone it’s not worth even trying I have so much weigh to lose why bother,
I’m too unfit there is no way I could ever run,
I will fail like I've done before,
I’ll look silly exercising what must people think?

HOW WILL I CHANGE:
Put those joggers on every morning 1st thing just like brushing your teeth.
Remember why you joined your overall goal is to be healthy and get pregnant.
Baby steps it's all about what you can do today.
The only way I can get fit is to work at it...EXERCISES!
Failing isn't an option!
Who cares what others think THIS YEAR IS ABOUT YOU!

EXTERNAL EXCUSES within your control: These are excuses prompted by external factors but which you still have some control over.
WHAT EXCUSES DO I USE:
I'm too Busy ....
I have to catch up with friends/family
Its so hot
I forgot not organised

HOW WILL I CHANGE:
Be honest your not that BUSY to not put yourself 1st.
Plan ahead of time don't miss out on LIFE!
Put AC on and do a DVD
Every Sunday night plan the week ahead!

EXTERNAL EXCUSES outside of your control: These are external factors that you have absolutely no control over, real emergencies.
WHAT EXCUSES DO I USE:
To be honest I don't know what they would be until they happen...

HOW WILL I CHANGE:
Try to arrange different times to exercise and get family to help keep you focused on your overall GOAL....

So there you go it's all out there now!

WHEN WALKING COUNTS

Ok so they say mix up your training and I usually do however this week has been crazy busy for me so I have been walking a lot lately as well as using Mish's DVD's & It worked this week I have lost 1.6kgs that's great considering that I haven't been eating that clean last week so Yay to me. I love being able to go for a long walk and walking just before sun set around my place is amazing. I also had to show that walking can burn big Cals.

MAKING IT BIGGER

OK so 2011 was a year of home truths and honesty, of no longer hiding behind my excuses and making a change and I have to give my self some credit I lost weight 15kgs to be honest however during the last week of the program my body wasn't feeling right and I found out I was pregnant??? What the I wasn't planning on it however it just happened however a few days after finding out and planning to tell family I had a miscarriage...BUGGER! not again I said to myself, why me....What have I done so wrong that has taken me through so many heart breaks 8 to be honest over the last 12years. I started to fall into an emotional pit that seemed so deep there was no way of getting out. Just when I was felling sorry for myself  I started to remember the times, money and effort that was put in over the 12 weeks and 

 that reminded me that I had said "I was worth the effort".

SO I PICK MY SELF UP (after a naughty Christmas & New Years & Birthday weekend) AND MOVE ON...

I attended my 1st Pain in the Park (the day afte my birthday where I ate to much cake) and all I can say is OMG well that's what I said through most of the training session "yes I was the winger in the group". TO be honest I couldn't finish the circuit training. I had never done that type of training before and I felt that I was going to puke as well as fall flat on my face cause I was so dizzy... Then the tears started and while I was crying I was trying to just say JFDI in my head but all that emotional shit I dealt with over Christmas came pouring out of my eyes...I now understand that I emotinaly wasn't ready and I was worried about sharing to much about me to people I didn't know very well YET!!! IT was a little awkard talking to people about my personal dissopointments How much is to much?

However I will be back that wont stop me! In the past I would have just walked away from the program the training gotten in my car and said NO THANKS don't want to deal with me or my issues however last year made me a stronger person some one who will no longer just give up. I stayed talked about it a little to my fellow 12wbt champs and promised to be back again. I wanna train harder this round and push my self like never before. SO I did something I wouldn't have done last round and that was join a walking group in the Nepean. Well to be honest we came from all over but it was so lovely to walk with some amazing ladies with so many different life experiences and

some that are just starting there 12wbt journey....

I'm looking forward to moving onward and up ward with you all this year!!!

Choices, Chances, Changes

Hello Fellow Bloggers,

I have to be honest in here however I have been too ashamed to blog about it until now.... I fell off the wagon.....Very Hard!  After coming home from the Round 3 2011 group work out and the party I received some slack from my family about working out and partying so soon after just having a miscarriage...I was devastated I was trying to convince them that I wasn't pushing myself and that I needed that time to reflect over the last 12weeks of working my butt off literally. However after thoes comments and the whole Christmas time I fell into a Black hole and had trouble picking myself back up. I promised myself that I wouldn't ever fall again however I did and hard I put on about about 5kgs since party night and I know why I have pin pointed the issues and will now work through my pain to recreate that motivation I had when I 1st started the journey.
After a long, Heartfelt talk with my husband who has been my rock through this time I'm BACK and ready for action. So much so that I'm sitting here all sweaty after a fast paced walk and the completion of Mish's Cardio Shredder and 764 Cal's later feeling much better about this path I'm taking.
My goal is to be well and truly back to my last weigh in weight before kick off in Feb. I really want to loose another 25kgs before falling pregnant again.So the beginning of 2012 will be the hardest time for me but I'm sure I will make you all proud.
I will promise to keep you updated on my journey, as I am motivated more then ever to make this change. Your comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated as they keep me going!

Sar
xxx

2011 THINGS I KNOW NOW!

Talking openly helps. 

I found myself and realised that I'm worth the effort.

Don't take it Personally.

I'm not perfect and I do make mistakes.

If there's somebody or something toxic in your life let them or it go.

Diets DO work.

And Friends can get you though anything.

Family is my everything.

Life is what you make it.

Don't let your misfortunes hinder on your efforts.

Forgive yourself.

Don't dwell in the past concentrate on the present.