Over the past year, I've lost more than 20kgs - 13 of them as a result of 12WBT Round 1. I'm so proud of myself. I'm feeling fit and healthy and have cleaned out all my old 'fat clothes' for good. Sadly, I've been so overweight for so long, that I don't have any thin clothes, so I really don't have anything to wear! I'm loving the new me, but I still have another 20kgs to go and have been hesitant to get carried away buying a new wardrobe when the job is only half done. I've proven to myself that I CAN lose weight and I CAN keep it off. Now it's time to finish the job and achieve my goal. So I'm back for Round 3 and ready to kick some major goals and say goodbye to those last 20kgs before Christmas 2010. I'm not waiting for kickoff - I'm already into it!
So what did I learn in Round 1? Hmmm. Well, I learned it's not easy to lose weight and transform your body and your life. If you do what you've always done, you get what you've always got - no change. For me, weight doesn't just fall off when I stop eating junk and walk around the block once a week. I am gluten and lactose intolerant and allergic to a myriad of other stuff so am always careful with what I eat. What I have found out is that I need to record (www.calorieking.com.au) everything that I put in my mouth, or I suffer from some wierd form of 'Calorie Amnesia' where I think that if I don't acknowledge that extra handful or two of nuts that I scoffed while making a cup of healthy green tea, I don't have to count them in my daily calorie total and am then genuinely surprised when I don't lose any weight! I mean it's not like I'm eating lollies and chips - they're just nuts, right? And nuts are good for you... Same goes for gluten and dairy free dip with plain rice crackers. Surely that pious combination can do no harm. Wrong. The deal is, if I follow Mish's strict 1200 calorie rule and record every mouthful - weight lost. If not, no weight lost. That bit is easy.
Exercise. I need to do something every day. That's every day, not every day that I can be bothered. I have a trusty training partner who makes sure I get out every single day. I think I'd struggle with the exercise even more without her. She has four legs and a tail and boy does she love to run! I call that interval training. We run for as long and as fast as I can, then I beg for a few seconds respite and we keep doing it until she finally relents and lets me go home. I must admit I actually enjoy it now. I love the achievement of being able to run or jog for a sustained period of time, and I love how energised I feel for the rest of the day after a vigorous workout!
It's actually sounding quite easy. Stick to a defined number of calories and exercise every day. Surely it's not that hard after all. And it's not. I now know exactly what works and can measure it. If I follow these rules I lose weight. If not, I don't. The choice is mine. And I choose me. I choose to say goodbye to another 20kgs before Christmas 2010. One day at a time...
Imagine wearing a bikini for the customary family dip in the pool on Christmas day this year! I'm going to hold on to that thought and go online looking for a bikini to lust after...
I can highly recommend a mid-goal shopping session! Have a look at the sites that help dress you for your shape (not size) and start experimenting with clothes - they will soon be your friend! and then by the time you have lost it all, you will know which clothes will make you look hot hot hot and really enjoy that big shop at the end!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! You can do it!
Thanks Jenifer! I bought a pair of slim-fit jeans because I have quite good legs and the jeans look amazing tucked into boots, something I have not been able to do before. I've also been enjoying wearing more fitted tops and dresses rather than always wearing 'blousy', loose fitting stuff. Not sure what I am going to wear when it gets to summer as it will be both a new season and a new me, but I have a friend who is a stylist, so will be relying heavily on her!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support Jenifer!