Week 1 of Shannan's 8 week challenge.

I was so happy to stand on the scales this morning and see a decent loss. My clean eating and getting back to the gym had paid off. Yahhh! It has given me the kick start I needed again :)

Tomorrow I start my new training course so I won't be heading to the gym all week, therefore, I will have to make sure my eating is 100% clean. My plan is to be as prepared as I can be by making my lunch and snacks the night before, as the mornings are pretty chaotic around here.

A little bit of visual motivation

The re-launch

So it's no secret that I bummed out big time with 12wbt rd 2 2012, I am sure it happened to lots of members at one time or another over the previous rounds and on different weight loss programs.  However, the difference with me is I am still hanging around. I may have gained 7kg but I am certainly not throwing a tantrum about it and giving up altogether. I am still here fighting with my head and it is definitely a hard battle to win. But I am determined to do it.

So that brings me to Shannan Ponton's 8 week challenge which started on Monday. My friend Raelee signed up before so we can now support each other on this journey even more. My goal for the 8 weeks is to lose as close to 10kg as possible and I figure I should do that quite easily as my body will be detoxing from all the crap I have been eating and drinking recently. Weigh in day has now moved from Wednesdays to Sundays and I am really enjoying the basic quick meals on the menu plans, although I think C-Dog is missing the fancy 12wbt meals, so I might have to throw a couple in every now and then!

In other news I am really excited about starting a training course on Monday, it will get me out of the house and stop the 'boredom eating'.  I am a bit concerned about it being in a male dominated field and I really really hope there is another female in the group. If not though I am sure I will cope. Being at the course will also put another halt on me going to the gym that I have just got back into. But my plan is to utilise my lunch break with a walk/jog every day :)

Ohh Ohhh Ohhh I nearly forgot. Yesterday I found out the date for Hollie's grade 6 graduation December 12th. Now for some primary schools the grade 6 graduation is quite small and a quick quiet affair. Well not for my kid's school. It is a pretty big deal with a reception venue hired, a 3 course meal served, boys in suits, girls in formal dresses with their hair and make up done, parents and teachers also dressed up. The children mostly all arrive in limos or fancy cars of some description. Hollie has already been looking for a dress to wear and I am finding it a bit diffcult to help her chose one. I am finding being 12 is such a hard age for dresses. Some are just too young and others are just too old. There doesn't seem to be that in between age styled dresses. Or maybe I am just being a prude with the 'too old' ones she has shown me?! Anyway this got me to thinking of what dress will I wear and how hard it was to chose one for the 12wbt finale a little bit ago. So this is just another incentive to lose some more weight so my options are almost endless :)

Hollie just loves Taylor Swift and showed me these 3 dresses. While I think they are all gorgeous I am just not sure the styles are appropriate for a 12 year old??

I can do that, right?!

I have been watching a bit of the Olympics on Foxtel and I find myself getting caught up in the excitement of each event. I am not fazed if an Aussie is winning or not, just to watch any nail biting events is enough to get me cheering. Yesterday afternoon I was watching the water polo Australia VS USA. I had to leave for work before it finished but it was so exciting and they made it look so easy. It got me thinking of what events I could try out for next Olympic games ;)

I could become a hockeyroo, I played a bit of hockey in high school, and Jeremy is representing his school today is a hockey tournament. Tennis was my all time favourite sport as a kid, I won heaps of trophies for it and I had everyone guessing with being a leftie, I would definitely make that team!!! Handball is another sport that interests me. I was a champ at handball at primary school, (although the Olympians play it differently to how I use to play it). Or there is Rhythmic gymnastics, that looks very similar to calisthenics and I did that for a few years and I am awesome at watching and supporting Hollie and her team at her cali comps. There are just so many sports that I could chose from that I could compete in. Judo is another one, I have heaps of skill and experience at playing 'tackles' and 'stacks on' on the lounge room floor with the kids. I have always wondered what the big deal with boxing was and why the heck it would be an Olympic sport, that was until I have participated in a few boxing classes at the gym. OHMEEGEE the adrenalin you get from punching at someone is freaking awesome, I could totally do that sport to win a gold medal! And the final sport I could totally win multiple medals at is table tennis. I am so epic at the sport, I kick everyone's butt in this house. Me being a leftie makes me even more awesome at this sport. And I own a table tennis that's folded up in the garage with dust all over it. Too easy.

So in saying all this I have all the experience and skill level needed to be the next Olympian. Right?!
Now, where do I forward my Australian Olympic Team uniform order request to?

Around this time last year...

I was sifting through all my family cruise photos and I had a light bulb moment about my weight. I knew it was time to do something about my health. I was adding the holiday snaps to facebook and an advert for 12wbt.com came up on the side. I took a look at the site and read about the program. I found some stories on members who had lost an incredible amount of weight. I knew this program could work for me. After I joined 12wbt I found out that I wasn't actually overweight, I was severely obese! What a kick in the pants that was. I knew I was fat but I didn't realise I was THAT fat!

Today while at Hollie's calisthenics competition it really hit home at how many kilos and centimetres I have actually lost. I didn't struggle to climb the stairs at the theatre, I fitted comfortably in the small theatre size seats with room to spare on either side of my seat (last year I had to squeeze my butt into the seat and I could feel myself oozing out the side of my seat and touching the person next to me). This morning when I put on the clubs uniform (tshirt and jacket), I could zip up the jacket with room to spare. Last year I couldn't even get the zip to meet together.

Another thing that just about brought me to tears happened last night. Yesterday it was my first borns birthday, he turned 14 and while I was wishing him a happy birthday with a kiss and a cuddle, he cuddled me back and was able to wrap both of his arms completely around me. He even managed to squeeze me hard and lift me slightly off the ground. I actually don't recall a moment when any of my kids have been able to fully hug me. It felt so good <3

Also with it being Jeremy's birthday yesterday and Callum's tomorrow (Monday) it made me think of how old I am (I can never remember) LOL. I will be turning 37 in October and definitely want to be entering my 40s as the best version of myself.

Last night at work I received a FB inbox from a charming person that calls themself KarBare, she (I'm guessing) wrote

'NicoleF, I am so glad you have failed at losing your weight, I knew you wouldn't be able to do it for long. I am actually surprised you lasted this long in the first place. I can't wait to see you stop posting altogether as I know you will be up to your original weight in no time, or even heavier. Have a good night :) KarBare.' 

WTF?? I have no idea who KarBare is but obviously she has some major issues. I tried finding her from the profile through the inbox but I'm assuming she has blocked me as FB just takes me to an error page.

What KarBare doesn't realise though is that she hasn't upset me or stopped me from my journey, infact her message has done the opposite. I am now more determined than ever to prove her wrong along with all the other haters. I have lost 20kgs before and most certainly can lose another 20kg.

I won't lose it in my original time frame but I will definitely do it :D and if I work my butt off it will be still in 2012. As I have said in previous posts I am not going to solely focus on the big number but the little loses instead, I am still going to reward myself for every 2.5kg lost. I have had to change my rewards however, as money is extremely tight at the moment (hopefully not for long though).

• M new rewards are  
• 84.5kg - Entry fee for Sussans Fun Run
• 82.0kg - Dusk candle
• 79.5kg - Movie ticket
• 77.0kg - Nice top
• 74.5kg - itunes album'
• 72.0kg - Jodi Picoult Book
• 69.5kg -  concert ticket money
• 67.0kg - make up
• 65.0kg - ink