Monday 31 December 2012

Festive Season was fun now back to it

New Years Day a time for some serious reflection and wondering about what you are going to do differently to see some positive changes in your life. Taking stock has left me feeling that although the road of 2012 was bumpy it was a good year. I am wondering how to tackle my wishes and desires for this brand new year and as Commitment is my key I need to commit to a few things.  I have many roles to play and I need to be the best version of myself.  This will only come when I make a few commitments.  So here are some I have come up with just as I have been sitting here.  I would imagine more will come but this is it for now.

My commitments
1. Drink Green Tea everyday
2. Stop before I react
3. Commit to not drinking booze
4. Be 6 kilos lighter really soon
5. Sort out all the family finance stuff
6. Organise the bathroom renovations
7. Go to some new and interesting places
8. Run another half marathon
9. Be the best prep teacher I know I can be
10. Focus on helping Oskar improve his literacy skills
11. Help Lani with her health
12. Read to the kids
13. Be grateful
14. Be organised and tidy
15. Play with my family
16. Practise Yoga frequently
17. Meditate
18. Draw
19. Love more
20. Be nice to myself

So I am going to go and drink some green tea now, before I go and play some Singstar with the kids and go for a run.  Go me.

Happy New Year Everybody xo

Wednesday 19 December 2012

I am excellent

So I am excellent, that is all there is to it.  I have been striving for excellence and I really get it right most of the time.  Why have I spent so much wasted energy focused on those rare moments when I get it less than excellent?  Lets say 90% of the time I am doing my best to eat right, exercise, be the best mum I can be, complete tasks, work hard in my job, be friendly, be kind, be focused, be organised and be helpful.  I see these things as excellence and a lot of the time I am getting it right.  So 10% of the time I don't act so excellent, I am far from appalling so what then is the alternative, a less than excellent woman.  I am not striving for perfection here, that is in the hands of the gods but I will choose excellence most of the time. In all my excellence as I sit here listening to Strauss Alpine Symphony and imagining myself hiking in the Alps, here is a poem...
I am doing it,
Doing it I am!
Yes it is glorious!
Yes it is glam.
I am doing it, doing it I am.

Sometimes I lose my way and forget about this fact.  Today I am reminding myself and in doing so perhaps I am also reminding you dear readers.  How excellent are you choosing to be today?  You might need reminding, you always have a choice.

Friday 14 December 2012

Do a "UEY" back when you veer off the road to weightloss

Its 11am on Saturday and I am only just out of bed.  I do not remember the last time I had this luxury.  I had an enjoyable evening last night celebrating my graduation and let my hair down and over indulged in too much wine and food.  I am feeling okay this morning but I know how many extra calories I consumed and I am a little disappointed in myself.  Now this is crunch time for me.  Do I continue driving on the bumping road I veered onto or do a UEY and get back on the good road.    Well of course the latter is the preferred option.  Don't you just love metaphors.  So I am getting out there on my running track and I am making the good choices for me today.

 I have had two pieces of toast with PB and I am ready to get out a run for 20 minutes before getting home and performing the 12 days of Christmas workout.  I have been slack with my weights this week so today has to be done. I know I will be stoked when it is done but oh man it will be an effort, it is 28 degrees out there.  If I am going to lose weight, things have to change, slacker Kate needs to toughen up.  I have become complacent and that just will not do for me.   I am really going to FOCUS on the goal. I will be 68kg by the end of this program.  My mini focus is I will get under 70kg and see 69 point something in the next month.  Come on Kate, you can do this.

I am doing a "UEY for YOUEY, Kate :)

Monday 10 December 2012

Tiredness + Slackness = unfocused actions

I think it is really good to take stock of a day, I rarely do it but tonight I am cos my gut pain is so bad I don't want to move and I can just sit around cos Brett is away.

Okay, I will start with the ticks in the good things boxes today.
þWent for a 1 hour.45min fast hike burnt 650 calories.
þAte a great breakfast of cruchola, natural yoghurt and two pineapple things
þWent shopping and learnt  a lot about Xboxes (bit excited about the Kinnect possibilities, dancing here I come).
þSaw my doctor who was so impressed with my progress this year she almost cried.
þBoth my children did very well on their report cards.
þLast week of school and B is away so less pressure for evening rituals

So now when I get to the part where I do the x boxes (ha ha, that is funnier than you think) I am not going to feel so bad about the fact that my lunch and dinner was mindless and less than ideal.
ýdidn't eat well from 2:45 - 6:30 - PB and honey sandwich in a rush, Ham cut off the bone 55g, two rows of rice bikkies and 5 free cheese slices, two snakes, a big glass of wine and I am full and will have to force the vegies down, but if I eat that coleslaw mix that would be a tick.
ýwas rung by the school cos Oskar damaged another kids property
ýLani has serious allergies that are messing with her sleep and may be causing her to overeat due to overtiredness...

Just a day in the life Less than ordinary.

I will spend more time thinking about the good stuff cos even though some of today was a but sucky on the whole I am still winning.



Friday 7 December 2012

Blogging instead of cleaning!

I am going to start off saying I am doing well with the No Wining.  I felt like I was aligned with something yesterday cos look what Michelle wrote on her facebook page...
"Melissa asked how many burpees a glass of wine is worth, sooo I put my team to the test... A glass of wine is about 120 calories, so I got three of my Support Crew members to use a heart rate monitor to count the number of burpees it took to burn 120 calories. They ranged from 150 to 261 burpees... What do you think? Is a glass of wine worth at least 150 burpees?"

Anyone else feeling a little slow and sluggish today?  I am buggered!  I have so much house cleaning to do and I have spent the past hour playing the on computer, forums and reading/writing blogs.  Who would have thought that 12wbt could be such a time waster?  Well lets not call it time wasting as I am sure I am getting something from it, but probably not as much as the pleasure of a clean and orderly house.  I really love connecting with people and find the whole writing thing so therapeutic.  However I have yet to do my workout and have semi decided I am too buggered to do it and need to save myself up for my long run tomorrow.  I ran yesterday like I had bricks in my shoes.  I was so sniff.  Sometimes I wonder what I am getting wrong to have that sort of feeling but I know it could be so many things.
1.  Not enough of the right kind of foods (bit limited in carbs yesterday)
2. Medication getting the better of me
3. A long demanding day taking the puff out of me (except some long days I get home feeling great, then go out running and come home feeling amazing)
4. A huge one is DEHYDRATION - I wish I had a way to check my level cos I am sure if I had been a bit more vigilant with water drinking yesterday that may have helped.
5. Overly sore from previous days workouts.
6.  Tiredness

Who knows but I know dragging my butt out yesterday afternoon was sooooooo hard and the run was hilariously difficult.  My poor energetic buddy was shocked as it is rare to see me in that state and she was held back by my clunking shuffling movements.  Ah well.  I want to feel better tomorrow.  Maybe what Ill do is work hard, get the house clean and then do Body Balance this afternoon as a compromise.  Yes no Super Saturday but I have done some Super workouts this week so that is okay. Decision made.  Now I better get to it.  Better get to it. Chop Chop!

Wednesday 5 December 2012

To wine or not to wine!

At the end of the day the only person I have to live with is myself.  I was enjoying wandering around saying, "Yay  I am so cool I have gone two weeks without wine", but who am I kidding?  Am I really needing to flaunt my achievements like that,does it really help.  What happens when the next day your asked how are you going with the not drinking thing and you say. Ah I had a relapse and fell victim to the yummy wine Brett bought home.   Then, two days later, I fell vicitm to the 39 degree day and fighty children and poured myself a huge glass and gulped it down.  Ah, the noise is dulled once again.  I am so vulnerable around PMT time.  Wine makes it feel so much better and is it really that bad?  I heard someone say, it isn't really about the wine drinking for you it is all about the crap you give yourself because you drink the wine.  Ah well tonight is a new night, I am so tempted cos I have had a hard day, I have heaps to do and it energizes me, my head hurts, my throat feels better after it, the kids are fighting and it doesn't bother me so much with wine in the body.  I have so many reasons why going down to the cellar to chill a bottle would be great but one good reason not to tonight.  That is I am going to nurture the fruit of my spirit and when I wake tomorrow I know I will be a better person for it.  All is okay, relapses happen and teach you lessons.  It is okay.  You are doing great.  Whether its completely free or still having a few, it is so much better than the bottle plus you were needing and all is well.  Just remember one more thing.  It is such a waste of calories and your body is showing you that it is loving the wine free time.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

My vision collage - Where I am going,


This is my motivation poster that supports me on my journey.  I see vegies and healthy food because I need to eat more them.  The eyes symbolise clarity, beauty and inner health.  Staying Calm and Buddha well yes I need to do more of that.  The family picture is because I love my family and "smart is the new skinny," is certainly what I would like to focus on.  Smart eating and then I can run up my hills with strength and vitality.  Go me.

I had a great week where reality bit me and I am still okay.  I had a few wines but nothing like I used to so that is okay.  I had a 1.2 kilogram loss and can really see the differences in my body after 3 weeks of SMART training.  Okay so yes I do feel pain but as I was reminded by Sue and Tracey today you can't look hot and not feel the pain, but it is a good pain.  Okay, going to work on embracing the good pain.  Yay me and Yay to my transformation.


Food for thought...

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.....Kahil Gibran



Monday 3 December 2012

Why am I doing this to myself?

I keep asking myself why I am doing this program and thought I really need to record and take note of these three reasons;
1.  Because I thrive on routine and with a 12 week transformation plan all elements of my life improve not just health.
2. I want to see if eating/drinking clean and training hard would help me feel better.
3. I want to have a personal focus to assist me through the hard times when it comes to managing myself, my family, my job and my life.

So far the results have been questionable?  I feel more tired than I have in ages, my muscles hurt pretty well ALL the time so everything is an effort and following the eating plan and curbing my urges to snack on peanut butter, sultanas, cheese and rice crackers has proved very trying.  You should have seen me try and make the evening meal of Lamb Balls and Tabouli. tonight,  it took me almost 2 hours.  It was well worth it but I must admit I am sitting here feeling really empty and starving for something else.  So off I go to see if that "herbal tea" will help.  Oh Geez let me tell you this 12 week thing is bugging me.  I am hungry, tired, and miserable.  At least before I could feel the temporary satisfaction of wine o'clock.  Now I find my self counting 10 far too many times and wishing I was somewhere else. Wine used to be such a good friend.  I don't miss the guilt, extra tummy flab and foggy head that came with it but at the moment I am struggling to amp on the benefits.  I know that this may have something to do with the fact that I am a bit of a "moody" person and these issues are par for my course these days but I am annoyed with the icky feeling I have at the moment.

I have a few questions that need addressing.

1. Why do we have to endure pain to feel success?
2. Why are there so many temptations in life that most people enjoy and never feel guilty about?
3.  Why am I any better for flexing that Willpower muscle?

I think what I need to do is remember I am changing a few things here and at times things are going to be difficult.  Ideally lets think what would I be doing everyday to be the person I so optimally need to be.

I would awake at 5am and start the day with 15 minutes of meditation, followed by a ice cold water with the juice of half a lemon.  I would then spend another 15 - 30 minutes practising whatever yoga my body called for that day.  The next step would be to step out and do my morning workout - 1 hour hardcore something, weights, run or combination.  I am back home, its 7:15, I prepare my deliciously wholesome breakfast of ricotta cheese and something on toast and wash down with the first of many green teas I'll consume that day. Its not even 7:30, the washing is on and the children are just rousing.  Their breakfast is prepared and awaiting their enthusiastic taste buds.  Lunch is then prepared for them as I calmly tidy and potter whilst the kids get ready for school.  I am ready for the next phase of the day which is changeable, depending on the day.  Lets imagine it is tomorrow and I am home for the day.  The next thing I will do is consult the "To do" list I diligently wrote the day  before and set about getting as many tasks complete as I can. I will probably enjoy a coffee in the midst of this and then enjoy a green tea or two and yoghurt before lunch which will be something delightful and only 300 calories in value.

I could go on but at this stage all I can say is okay, okay so I am not yet here.  I guess it is something to strive for but I can't even imagine being this cool.

Tomorrow I will wake at 4:30 and inhale a coffee while I stumble around the house searching for all my running gear, I may consume a piece of my beloved peanut butter and honey on toast before setting off to a speed training running session at St Lucia that starts at 5:30am.  I will zoom home and be back by about 6:50 and will proceed to fumble through the lunch boxes, clothes baskets and the pantry to sort the kids out before escorting them to school and walking the dog.  It will be 9am and I will  then sit down and attempt to write a to do list before getting side tracked on some frivolous task and then I will find myself reading forums and navel gazing until my tummy rumble and I fill it with something like far too much oats muesli.  Need I go on?  This is good but it is not good enough for me and does not align with being in harmony with me.

I have to get my act together.  Yes there are few things that need sorting out and the most important is being organised and this is also one of my most challenging   The 12 week challenge is going to help me with this but in the end it is up to me.

Why am I doing this you ask?
Because things need to change and I need to change them.  Why?  I would like to do things more harmoniously and feel well and proud.


Thursday 22 November 2012

How are the excuses going?

Oh Man,  I thought I was not much for excuses when it came to exercise but boy was I wrong.  This week I have really taken myself out of my comfort zone.  I have been so sore from my Tuesday/Wednesday workouts that I have been really challenged to get out there and workout today.  I came home from teaching 8 classes this afternoon so buggered I could not manage my workout.  Look at the workout I was supposed to do (see below).  I could not manage one push up.  As soon as I started running up my step I thought.  I am insane, there is no way I can force myself to do this.  My body is screaming.  It is true.  I, the one you would all know as no excuses Kate really lamed out today.  I am okay with it though.  I will try to do it tomorrow, on top of my boxing session and running with my buddy.  Maybe there is a way I could incorporate it all .  Well it is crunch time Kate.  You obviously haven't really been working to your full potential out there and now it is time to suck it up and really show yourself what you are made of.  I have really been challenged this week but from previous experience, I know it WILL get easier.  I just need to get over this little hurdle.


A peak at the workout for today... (that I didn't do)
Warm Up
Run for 5 minutes
40 minute Workout - D0 the following 3 times about 12 reps each

Squat - Towel Pulls - Walking Pushups with 1 Hand Elevated - Sumo Squats - Lower Half Scapular Wall Slide - Step Ups - Hamstring Curls on Bench - Tricep Dips with 1 Leg Elevated - Clams-  Tricep Pushups - Walking Lunges with or without Dumbbells - More Pushups - Jumps - Over a bench  and  Burpees 

Thursday 15 November 2012

So what are your goals, huh?

The key thing to any success is setting yourself up for success and that will only come if you take the time to create some direction for yourself.  Up until now I have had a few goals that have kept be dedicated to the programs I have followed and because I set myself with goals, I succeeded.  How easy is  that?  Well there were a few things that helped.
1.  Following a program
2.  Really wanting the goals ( run a half marathon faster than I ever had (1:56), Run 10k in under 50 mins, get my weight into the healthy BMI)
3.  Rewarding myself and taking stock along the way to ensure that I still wanted to reach my goals and was doing the things I needed to to get there.
4.  NOT beating myself up if fell over.
5. Recording the journey (through my blog and my Garmin watch that maps every run I do)

So with that in mind I am a little lost at the moment because I still have yet to define my goals.  I know now it is important so will spend the next few days pondering.

What are your goals????

Sunday 11 November 2012

Back for a third round of 12WBT

I am back!  One week until the 12 week challenge kicks off and I am ready to take on the challenge of trying to get my weight into the 60's.  I hope that with some focused eating and a more targeted exercise program this will be achievable.  I really am happy with where I am at but I would love to look good in shorts and be a little less self conscious of the back flab.  So here I go.  My biggest challenge will be excessive eating.  I eat far too many cheese and bikkies and yes I have also allowed the wine to creep back in so that will now be leaving.  I am okay with that.  I really need it out of my life.  I am ready and it is all good.   As my gorgeous friend reminded me today, I have fought that battle before and won so it is just another battle but this time I know I can win.  Yay, for a smaller body.  Yay for a healthier and stronger physique and yay for showing off my sexy back at the Finale party that I will be able to attend because it is in Brisbane.  I am excited.  I love the focus this program gives me and I am going to love every minute of it.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

How are things going

May 2012 up Ben Neven in Scottish Highlands

What's been happening?

It has been a while since I wrote which is because I have been busy trying to repair my brain which got a little broken.  Yes I lost my mind but I found it again and all is better than ever!  Thanks to serious therapy, adherence to medication and following a wellness program.

I am fine now thanks!  

I knew things were going down hill in April when I was tackling way too many life stresses. Then we had a great time in the UK in May which although full on it was very adventurous.  We saw family in the South of England, explored Bath and Wales, flew from Birmingham to Dublin, drove through Ireland up to Derry and flew from Derry to Glasgow and drove up through the Scottish Highlands (my favourite) and then drove across to Edinburgh where we froze and then caught a train through England to London explored the city briefly and then took a Eurostar train to Paris.  We saw so much I am still trying to piece it together.  It was great though.  You will be pleased to know that my little project whilst away was running where-ever I could.  I saw so much of the country-sides and sight seeing is great whilst you run.  Hyde Park was my favourite but the Irish country-side and flat of the Highlands were also pretty magnificent.  

June was the worst and I knew something wasn't quite right, but it took getting a letter from my boss stating that my performance at work had diminished to unsatisfactory to seek help.  I was re-diagnosed with Bipolar and have been going through the process of managing my mind and behaviour ever since. I finally returned to work on October 25 which took every inch of my courage.  I am now on lighter duties and seriously learning how to slow down which is my biggest challenge.

Monday 9 April 2012

Confessions from the Alco within.

There’s so much you can do to control your own health destiny and steer it in the right direction.  Why would you want anything less than the best for yourself?  It starts with believing that your body is, indeed, a sacred temple, worthy of worship and the utmost respect. So, how do you begin? By being an active participant in your wellbeing, rather than just a bystander!  

It makes sense and I often sit back after I have treated my body with less than the respect it deserves scratching my head.  Why do I do things that are not the greatest for me?  Yes, I know we are only human but it is really befuddling me as to why I would do mean things to myself.  Kids are making me angry, stuff my face or even worse, down a bottle of wine.  I am not going to beat myself up further about the minor slip ups that came my way this Easter weekend but I am going to do my damnedest to ensure they do not happen again or at least be more armed to avoid it.  I so wanted to indulge in some wine (Boozy Brain has been yelling loud and clear convincingly) but it really was not all I should been. I drank it like a woman possessed and although loved it for a few moments, the after math was pitiful.  My tormented mind will be the death of me ----- NO ! I refuse to let this beat me.  Okay two and a half bottles of wine drunk this weekend ( last Easter it would have been at least 8).  Come on, I did not drink at my buddies 50th party and I got up and exercised and kicked on and only managed to fall down in private.  In fact the only one that really knows what I have done is me as I kept it to myself and only indulged behind closed doors.  Such pitiful behaviour but tomorrow is a new day.  I drank beautiful green tea this evening and it gave me WAAAY more pleasure than the wine I gulped down obsessively last night.  What was I thinking.

Well I am writing this to help myself and show my dedication for beating my demon within.   I have done sooooo much better than I could have ever imagined and I did it alone.  I have kicked the habitual boozy habit for good and I know my slip ups could mean I slip up even further but only when I listen to the Boozy Brain.  He is going to try and get me this week but I refuse to let him win.

Friday 16 March 2012

WEEK 5 - Running and goals


Well its the end of week 5 and I am hanging in there.  I have been a bit laxy daisy with my food etc and today (GET THIS)....I didn't exercise for the second day in a row for the first time in 6 months.  Slacker ???  I am not so sure.  I just could not fit it in and chose to walk into the weekend with a shorter to do list.  So there!  I am fine, really I am.  Sort of, okay, a little bugged but seriously am I really going to waste my beautiful mind on such frivolity?  Nah. All good! (SHH brain I am trying to type.)

MY RUNNING PLAN FOR MY  FIRST OFFICIAL 10K RUN Since Nov 2010.

I have been a running person for about 15 years.  I have a love hate relationship with running that I am not going to go into in much detail about here.  I love what it does for my body, I love where it takes my mind and I am grateful that I can do it.  6 months ago after recovering from 12 months of foot injuries that left me walking the hills, riding and elliptical training,  I decided it was time to run again as I had  turned into a Hefflalump.  I had run more than one hundred 10k's in my life and 3 half marathons.  I felt like I had lost my running ways and had almost convinced myself that running was not for me.

One day I woke up and decided I wanted to do something about my heavy body, fast forward 6 months and I am 15kg lighter and running with boundless strength and vitality.  I feel like I could fly. So running is back on my list and I am gearing up for an exciting season filled with 10k runs where I am aiming to just keep getting faster. Is it possible that maybe to celebrate my 40th birthday next year I could run 10k in 40 minutes??? Now there is something I never thought I could do and the mere fact that I am considering it has my head spinning.

When I first got back into running last September,  my goal was to run without stopping for an hour ( I was already fit), two weeks later (tick).  I continued to raise the bar and here I am now thinking (only thinking) maybe I could run 10k in 52 minutes!  Seriously thinking I could do it.  A year ago I would have been lucky to even make the distance (running).  So here I am putting together a game plan for my big run on Sunday at 4:30 PM at the Twilight Fun Run .  Am I aiming too high? Am I crazy??? Hey what is the worse thing that can happen? Shh brain I am planning.  I guess as I have been saying all along I am continuously surprising myself and making myself proud with what I can achieve so why not have faith and know that I will do this.  I will!!!  I am capable, trained and ready to conquer this.  Wish me luck!!! 51 something, here I come!



WEEK FOUR - One Big Yawn


Friday 2 March 2012

Being Alcohol Free

It is the end of Week 3 and I am feeling rather trippy namely because I have contracted a virus that has my head spinning and everything feeling rather out of wack. This is usually when I down copious amount of red wine to feel better, but not this time :)! I have never felt so sleepy and feeling a bit bumbed that I am not relishing in my health and vitality at the moment. Ah well! Just have to ride the wave.

 It is time for me to take stock of things AGAIN as I come to the end FEB FAST, I managed to enjoy a WHOLE month without drinking a drop of alcohol. My last drink was Jan 28!!! I seriously do not know myself right now as I plod through my clear life without my old pal alcohol by my side. I love being free and I know I want to continue but man for some reason I have reached a block. My sister in law said something to me one boozy night and I have chosen to hold on to it. It went something like... It will be easy for you to go through February because you will have the incentive that people are supporting you to do it but what are you going to do after that? For some reason Boozy Brain is yelling this in my head. What is your incentive now? Clear Kate is not having a bar of Boozy Brain and knows life is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better without using alcohol to numb my feelings, give me courage or make me happy. The incentive is a happier, healthier, proud and self satisfied woman Boozy Brain, now go away and leave me alone.

 March is a month I am dedicating to loving and appreciating all that is my wonderous life.

Right now although I am feeling rather blah I am most grateful for being alive in my strong body surrounded by people who love me.

Sunday 19 February 2012

There is no TRY, only DO or DO NOT!

Happy Monday Everyone!
I have often been one of those people who says, "I am going to try and do more of this or less of that".  "I am going to try and write in my journal everyday" or "I am going to try to eat less sugar".  Who am I kidding?  Try is such a loose and weak word.  I am reminded of what Yoda said to Luke when he was learning about using the force.  There is no TRY, only do or do not!  I have had great success when I said I DO NOT DRINK!  Prior to this statement I often said, I am going to TRY to drink less or TRY to have alcohol free days.  No wonder I failed.  Once the statement is strong and certain it is so much easier to be your word.  Try is a cop out because you can always say, "at least I tried".  But where does trying leave you?  Still a little wiser but what about if you JUST DO IT!  Ha!  There it is again.  What have you got to say for yourself?


I will DO my journal writing every day.  I DO NOT eat sultanas in the afternoon for a pick me up.  I DO set goals and visit them often.  I DO yoga often (I always used to say I will try and do more yoga).  F**k the TRY.  I will lose that word from my vocabulary.


AHA moment!!! As I am often learning the things I need to do are so simple.  I should write a book about it.  Here are three lessons I have learnt off the top of my head.


Lesson 1
Be Kate and Be my Word
Lesson 2
Know where I want to go
Lesson  3
Do or Do not, there is no TRY!

Hi to all my Blog Hopping friends.  Sorry this was a little late.  I needed focused time to get it done without "someone" always looking over my shoulder.
This is my second attempt at blog hopping.   Thanks to Kate from Kate says and Natalie from Mummy smiles for keeping up the fun!  Loving your work!

Friday 10 February 2012

12WBT Fitness Friday – Blog Hop Kick Off

Hi Everyone welcome to my blog.  I have been using this blog to record my journey through the 12 week body transformation challenge.  I began my journey in September 2011 and successfully lost around 10kg in the Round 3 and I am 6kg away from a healthy BMI.  I aim to write about once a week and you will see I have been through an interesting journey.  I am going into a new phase now and looking forward to what is ahead of me.
I got an email from Super Ang whose blog I follow From From F**cked to Fab as the ultimate 12wber transformer speaking about blog hopping I had no idea what it was.  I have since in a Friday night haze of tiredness, tried to learn about it and see if I can join in.  Thanks to Kate from Kate says and Natalie from Mummy smiles , I am learning more about it.  I do not know you guys but  it has been nice to get to know you through your blogs.

I am a little nervous as I have not really put my blog out there that much but I thought I would put it out there a little further as a means of taking my blogging skills to another level. 


So hello everyone who has come here as part of blog hopping!  I am Kate, I’m 38 and life is great (except that I have eaten three splits this evening).  I am a working mum with two children and a busy travelling hubby.  I also study because I love it and will soon have an MEd to add to the end of my name. 

I know I need to be very diligent with my food if I am going to have a nice lean body and Michelle’s  program is slowly helping me to transform my mindsets so that I no longer feel bitter for needing to care about what goes in my body.    This is my second go at the 12wbt and up until a few days ago I wasn't going to join for another session because I felt I could achieve what I needed to do alone.  She then added running programs and that was all I needed to bring me in (that and a big medicare rebate).  I am excited about meeting more people and actually connecting better with likeminded people and sharing our journey.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Back for another round of 12WBT - this round introduction

Having now given up wine I am a new being and feeling so much clearer for it. This is my year to shine and I look forward to sharing that journey with anyone who would like to connect.

I am the perpetual dieter many of you can relate to, I do really well on challenges but usually slip back into my old patterns of mindless eating. At my heaviest after my second birth I was 115kg. I got down to 95 pretty quickly and then slowly went down to 85kg where I fluctuated from 80 – 90kg for many moons. I joined 12WBT ready to break my cycle and be a better, prouder version of me. I had got to the point where I wasn't liking much about me and after many battles I am on the other side ready to be this greater me. After 10 years on the dieting roller coaster I am pleased to be maintaining a 77kg body and will never go back to the 80’s but I am now also ready to try for the 60’s. This will be huge for me and I am excited!
All is great for me but getting better as I shed this excess weight and all that goes with it. This is my second round and I ummed and arghed about joining again because I thought it may be too distracting. I often spend time on the here (forums and website) when I should be cleaning and managing my busy household and thought it would be better not to join. I am looking hot and now feel that losing the next 8 kilos is a bit self-indulgent but decided I loved it all so much last time I would miss it. I love getting the recipes and the exercise programs are amazing. The mindset lessons always shook me around and the support crew were very helpful. I am not short on motivation and reallly feel like I am nipping a lot of demons in the bag so this round is simply to consolidate my learning, enjoy some more yummy food and get better at running. Oh and the added benefit of getting to under 70 kilos will be great too. So glad Michelle has added the running programs as this was the final decider for me and I look forward to getting into my running full of boundless strength and energy. One of my goals is to do 5 of those pistol squats, picture above.

Go us!!!

Monday 23 January 2012

What do you want?

I have yet to really establish with passion and emotion where it is I would like to be now.  Everything I read about goals and change says you need to have some emotion and feeling behind what you are striving for and I need to work on that.  I want to be a lighter, stronger, faster woman and I get excited when I catch glimpses of my stronger lighter body but it isn't enough.  I need to want this.  I think about things like my desire to be lighter and my reflections after a boundless and strong run.  I know life is easier and more fun in a lighter body and it feels soooooo much better in a lighter body.  I just need to want this.  Come on, want it.  Love the idea of it and really believe you can do it. 

Sunday 15 January 2012

My story


At this moment I know that my current story of becoming the best version of me has hit a plateau. This is the point where I usually turn to a new story, but the climax has yet to be written. I can't stop now!  I have written many stories in my weight loss adventures and they usually end with something like... I lost my way, became complacent and watched the scales and waist circumference increase once again.  So the story so far…there was this 38 year old mum who knew it was time to do something about her ever expanding body (yet again).  The scales said 89.5kg and she knew she was NOT going to get to 90 kilos ever again.  Having tried and succeeded in many  weight loss challenges she knew she just needed to enrol in something and get focused.  She had always admired Michelle Bridges’ no bullshit attitude and decided to sign up to her 12 week body transformation challenge.  12 weeks later she had lost 11.5% of her body weight and saw 78.4kg (for a day). 

Yippee I was getting loads of comments and was feeling mighty chuffed at my efforts.  So that could be the end of the great story but if I end it there what happens next?   Usually it goes something like...  she continued to exercise and enjoy her body but slowly lets bad habits creep in and with it gram after gram sneaks into her butt and gut leaving her disheartened and body conscious yet again.

Well this is where, to tell you the truth, until this moment I had not really thought how the next bit of my story would go. Two months and a silly season have passed and I am still sitting pretty in my sub 80kg body.  Story is going well and I am excited. I look better than I have for a while but know it is time to get into gear and get to a healthy weight range.  The other day I ran 1km in 4 minutes 20, life is great.  I am loving my machine of a body and am inspired by it.  I am however a little bored with how the story is going because I am still guilt ridden over my love and lack of self control when it comes to my wine consumption.  I am in a perpetual cycle.  I get through another rather mundane day with the kids home for the holidays, don't achieve much, daydream and procrastinate and 5 times out of 7 finish the day guzzling down a bottle of wine.  I don't want this to be my story but it is but I would like to add a new and more interesting bits to it.  How can I make things interesting?????

 An interesting thing did happen the other day and I have been thinking it was a sign but I am ignoring it.  One afternoon when all was busy, I snuck down to the wine cupboard after vowing to be alcohol free on weekdays and got a bottle of sav blanc to chill.  As I came up the stairs there was this bizarre strike of lightning which gave out an almighty shriek, I
nearly wet my pants and my hubby came out saying he had witnessed a strike of lightening hit the road just outside our house.  The universe is talking to me but I am not listening.  So now how can I really make this story end???

One day, while sitting on her magic carpet a bird whispered in her ear...the mutterings were translated,  "I see your future and things look grim for you, all you need to do today to change it is leave the wine to the winos and things will start to become amazing."  I am choosing a less than amazing existence while partaking in problematic drinking and it is time to do something about it.  As you as my witness I am going to vow to no longer drink obsessively.  I am amazing and am urgently requiring more amazing things to happen, and if it is meant to be.....well it is up to me!  Go forth and conquer that wino inside you, put her to bed once and for all.  It is time!

Tuesday 10 January 2012

2012 - Year of Clarity

I have now declared 2012 as the year of clarity.
 
1.  Clarity of thoughts as I consume less booze.
2.  Clarity in wee as i make healthier choices
3. Clarity in my workspace as I ensure better order
4. Clarity in my direction, more planning and structure in everyday life.

Good Luck to me :)