The end of the round

Well I really don't know why I stopped blogging - got to week 5 and was so mad at myself for not reaching my weight loss goals and just stopped writing about it!
Well by Week 8 I finally 'got it' and had a nice big loss after that. My new gym had finally opened and i was really stepping up the exercise. I finally finished the 'Couch to 5 K' program and that was a huge boost mentally regarding my ability.
I started the 'Bridge to 10 K' program on the treadmill and then FINALLY I did my first road running. MrsHethro kindly asked me to join her for a 5 K run one morning and I loved it. Everyone had been telling me that running on the road was SO much harder than the treadmill - well let me tell you they were wrong! I had always run with the tready on a 2% incline, as Mish says to do in her book. That may have really helped. Well no one had told me about the joys of running downhill! - you sure can't do THAT on a treadmill. Also, you have a breeze in your face and something new to look at at every turn! Dah...
I had my brand new Mizuno shoes on from the Athlete's Foot and they were the most comfortable shoes I'd ever worn. Great coming from someone with really hard to fit feet. And the fancy running socks.
Well I did the 5ks with Lisa which was fun and then I ran the 2.5 Ks home after that!!! Blew myself completely away with what I DIDN'T realise I was capable of.
I always thought I was a really slow runner too, but the GPS proved otherwise and I seem to be continually improving in that departement too (even though I only feel like I am an unco plodder).
I did some sprint sessions with Lisa to which are really hard, but I'm sure help the running - I was SORE after them...
Then suddenly I started to look better too. I finally got some positive comments from Lefty that he could really see a difference and people at work started to notice too. Phew - thought it would never happen.
I did only 2 bootcamp sessions (due to work) with some of the Qld. girls and they were great! Lefty joined me for the 2nd one and he was quite sore after (gym junky).
So I only ended up losing 5.5 kgs all up for the whole 12 weeks. I got sick in the last week and just could train to get under 70, but that is just around the corner I know.
The 12wbt training session in the Domain was so much fun and to meet my new Twitter buddies in the flesh was just the best - we all got along so well and I know will remain friends throughout. Having Lefty there to experience the buzz of it all was great too - he now 'gets' it and is happy for me to do the next round (that was a sticking point). Typical of him - he joined in the training session and got in SO many photos. Me? only in the background of a few.
Mish is just like you expect her to be and to hear her yell 'suck it up' was just the best!
Next time I come on here will be to record my 'vision' for what I want to achieve next. @kiwilostinoz has suggested a 'visionboard' which I can't wait to see to pinch some ideas!

Back into it after Fiji

Well I am still not very consistant.
After 2 whole weeks I was so happy with how I was going - cooking most of the meals from the plan and feeling really satisfied/not hungry and really into Michelle's DVDs and my running program. I didn't even have any chocolate or chips!
I was losing weight consistantly AND THEN we went to Fiji, from Monday to the Saturday of Week 3.
It was beautiful, fun and relaxing. I managed to fit into my size 14 dress and I even managed to run 2 mornings out of the 5 we were there. Nutrition was great until Thursday, the wedding day, when I got it into my head that food and drink were OK because it was all catered for. Then of course I started to nibble on the chips and drank too much alcohol and my portion sizes were too big - luckily we were home before too much damage was done....
I put on 1.5 kilos - why is it so easy to pile it on so quickly? Admittedly I had 'cankles' and got rid of a fair bit of fluid over the next few days.
But alas my enthusiasm seemed to disappear too. I am cranky that I did not meet my pre season goals for Week 4, just because we had a beautiful holiday! I did not meet my weight loss goal by nearly 2 ks.
It has taken me all of this Week 4 just to find myself again and I have even had a headache and extreme tiredness for a couple of days. Suddenly the weeks seem to be slipping away and it's already nearly Week 5. I HAVE to be on track for the end of round party in Sydney!
By this Wednesday's weigh-in I'd lost 600gm since Sunday and I have certainly lost a few centimetres, so I have to be happy with that and just get on with it. It's just a glitch and now I have to get the CONSISTENCY back again. One foot after the other so to speak.
I was excited again today to print off the plan for Week 5, and yesterday I ran for 25 minutes for the first time ever! I have been talking openly about the program with my workmates today to get my transparency back also. NO EXCUSES!
It WILL happen. I will finish the C25K program at the end of this month and I have downloaded the 'Couch to 10 ks'  app. in preparation for my next goal. I will have to be super-tight with my nutrition and step up the exercise intensity and frequency to get back on track with my weight loss....

Second and Third Tasks

Once the 12WBT begins, revisit this goal page and update your one and three month goals with the more specific details about the program. We will be revisiting these goals throughout the 12WBT.

I feel like I am procrastinating already - it's been too long since my first blog and I have no excuses!
I should have been writing about my internal and external excuses - well obviously I am a professional procrastinator for a start! I must say it was so nice to read some comments left on my original post though and very encouraging. I can see that this program is going to be FULL of support for each other from all over Australia. I have now joined Twitter (confusing still) and the 12wbt Facebook group.

I am very good at talking myself OUT of getting things done, so that has got to change. A common expression I have noted among the 12wbt-ers is JFDI, so I am going to get that entrenched into my brain.
A 'good' excuse for not joining a gym for a while has been that I start work at 7 each morning so it's too hard to get there and then to work, and the gyms are always too busy in the evenings. Well, I was walking through the local shopping centre today and there was a lady displaying/promoting the 'Anytime Gym' which will just happen to open right across from my hospital in November and at special rates for hospital employees. I took that as a 'sign' and signed up on the spot. No joining fees. Open Anytime....no excuses...

I have finally written down my goals too - kind of been procrastinating on that one too as I was trying to get them 'just right', but I now realise that they can be updated along the way.
Here are my SMART goals

1 Month Goals (18th of October)
- Weight 71kgs (down 4kgs)
- Run 5ks without stopping

How - follow the nutrition plans and stick to the C25k plan

2 Month Goals (15th of November)
- Weight 68kgs (down 3kgs)
Run in a 5K fun run in a respectable time

How - increased fitness and strength through following Michelle's training plans at home and starting at the gym

3 Month Goals (13th of December)
- Weight 65kgs (down 3kgs)
- Run 10 ks (maybe a bit unrealistic?)

How - sticking with nutrition and training plans
- follow the C210 plan

6 month goals (March 2011)
- To have maintained my goal weight
- Increased fitness and strength

How - stick to everything I have learnt
Enter fun runs to continue momentum

12 month goals - as above

The Challenge Begins

This week I started the Preseason Tasks for the Michelle Bridges 12WBT which kicks off on the 20th of September.
I've just loved watching the Biggest Loser on TV and Michelle seems like such a tough cookie - it's actually very daunting to be starting this....
But if her program can't change me, then nothing can hey?
My friend has had some amazing results from the last round (which isn't finished yet BTW) and is a real inspiration. Just reading her own blog of her journey since the beginning of round 2 has been quite heart wrenching - obviously the mental side of this will be just as tough as the physical stuff.
From what I've read on the Forum so far, so many of us KNOW deep down what we should be doing, but just keep procrasinating and making excuses for ourselves.
I've put my hand up as being a chocoholic and seriously if you are only going to have 1 or 2 small squares then you may as well just smell the stuff. So does that mean I'll have to go cold turkey? Maybe, or I may learn new ways to handle this.
We are all itching to get started NOW, but we are learning that we need to be prepared first (poor prior learning leads to p*** poor performance?)
I am particularly anxious because we are going to FIJI in October only 2 weeks after official kick off and I will be surrounded by my skinny friends. So as one of the 5-15kg people trying to lose 10 kgs, I am desperately trying to be 1/4 of the way already by kick-off! Of course I was going to have lost all that weight well and truly by now, wasn't I?? (*kick myself again*)
I have started the Couch to 5k program and am coping so far with the first week done and dusted. Nuritionally I have picked up on the protein, salads and veg and reducing the carb load. Some of us are going to weigh in on Mondays leading up to kick off so that should provide some oomph I hope.
So here goes!