The day I couldn’t stop thinking about food

 Friday 23^rd September, 2011.

Challenge Day 11

The day I couldn’t stop thinking about food

Some of you may think it’s out of sheer laziness that my blogs are beginning to be fewer and far between, but really, it’s because the challenge is getting easier, more routine, and there are less things for me to whinge about!  When I started, I did a complete 360 when it came to both my food and exercise habits, and while the exercise side of it isn’t necessarily getting any easier (believe me, I can bearely clench my fists this today after an EPIC boxing session last night with over 1100 punches thrown), the food side of things kind of is.  I still ask Trace and Corrine a BILLION questions (no exaggerations what so ever) everytime I see them about diet, but I’m slowly starting to get the hang of what I can and can’t eat, when to eat it, how much to eat and how to eat it.  Sooo, I decided I’d devote this entire blog today to one of my favourite things in the whole entire world … FOOD!

I love food.  Especially anything that has carbs in it (shock horror!  I bet you didn’t already know that).  I knew when I started this challenge that cutting out carbs would be number 1 on top of the rules list, and I also knew that would be the hardest thing in the world for me to do.  I love carbs.  And I don’t discriminate either – rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry.  Pile my plate up with carbs and I’m one happy woman.  Recently, it even got the point were I was eating carbs WITH carbs.  Pasta salad on toast, hot chips sandwich.  And while I do miss eating my ritualistic toast in the mornings or having a nice thick slice of café style fruit Ioaf lathered with apricot jam (oh my gosh, I am drooling just writing about it) I have learnt to eat other foods which (most of the time anyway) taste just as good but are 100 times better for me. 

1 – My breakfast.

Berry bircher muesli with fresh strawberries, seeds and almond milk. 

Not as bad as it sounds.  When I first bought the almond milk, I 100% hesitated when I went to open the UHT carton.  It took me days to find it in the shops. In the end, I found it in a health food shop in the city.  They charged me $12/L for it!  I tried very hard to hide the shock on my face though I'm sure the sales girl saw me flinch when I saw the price tag.  That day, I told myself I HAD to drink it all but at the same time had convinced myself that it would taste like 5 day old baby poo.  I opened it, smelled it, and poured it into my bowl.  Verdict – it has no smell, no taste, and looks like calomine lotion.  Mix some strawberries in, and all I can taste is muesli and berries.  Not that bad at all.  Now I eat it almost every morning.

2 – My dinner.

 Pizza

Well, one of my dinners.  I made this for the first time 1 week ago, after my sister and I had just come back from a long walk around the lakes and I forgot to take meat out of the freezer for dinner before we left (I hate microwave defrosted meat.  Yuck!).  This was the best I could could up with in a short amount of time and it tastes amazing!  This is homemade pizza on wholegrain tortilla bread with a tomato base, tomato, bacon (though it can be left completely vego), sweet potato (zapped in the microwave for 1 minute first), bocconcini cheese (very high in protein) and spinach leaves.  I think I’m going to have this for dinner tonight as well with either prawns or chicken (these are the tough decisions in my life at the moment).

3 – My other dinner.

 Garden salad with spicy prawns and squid rings

Another one of my made-up-on-the-spot concoctions.  Fresh garden salad with prawns and squid rings coated in fresh garlic, chilli flakes, paprika and a pinch of garlic.  These spices help to stimulate and speed up your metabolism.  Though, I’ve never been a fan of really spicy foods and I may have used a few too many chilli flakes – I was definitely feeling it afterwards.  Burning my mouth hardcore!

4 – A drink.

 Berry protein smoothie

One of my biggest problems so far has been my lack of pretein intake.  I’m finding it somewhat difficult to be eating the recommended daily amount of protein.  I just don’t know how to eat as much as I need to.  During one of my last health kicks (one of the many) I invested in some protein powder which I had completely forgotten about.  For the last 9 months I had actually been using it as a door stop (how embarrassing!) and have now revitalised it again.  It’s a berry flavoured one formuated especially for women, but it still tastes like crap.  I hate protein shakes, so I had to come up with a viable way of drinking them.  VWA-LA!  A protein berry smoothie.  I can’t even taste the protein powder!

5 – A snack.

 Protein jelly

Another great way of masking the protein powder and boosting my protein intake is PROTEIN JELLY!!  How genius is this?!  I am fascinated.  I made this batch last night and enjoyed it as my morning snack today.  It tastes awesome, and it makes me feel like I’m eating something naughty when really I’m not.  I am definitely a fan.

6 – Another snack.

 Protein mousse

This one I didn’t enjoy as much, protein mousse.  I used the berry protein again to make this one but all I could really taste is the egg whites.  Perhaps this is best with chocolate flavoured powder, and I may have overcooked it a little as it was as tough as old boots, but I’m not in a massive rush to try this one again any time soon.

If anyone has any other great recipe ideas or awesome ways to mask the stupid protein powder flavour I would love to hear them!  Give me a bit of inspiration to mix up my diet a little.

Mel x. 

The day I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face

Tuesday September 20^th, 2011.

Challenge day 9

The day I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face

1 week down and I couldn’t be any happier with the progress of the challenge. It was a tough first week, but I know I did all that my body would physically allow me to do.  Last night I had my second weigh in, to see how I have progressed and how much I had achieved in my first week.  I had been so nervous to see my results, even though I knew that I had done everything that I was supposed to do.  You should have seen me!!  Waiting in the studio for Trace to finish her session before mine with one of the girls, I was shaking; so much to point that I spilled her Jaffa coffee.  Damn it.  I knew she’d kill me for that. After she was done, I took off my shoes and walked over to the scales, got on, and didn’t look down.  She read out my number and I screamed in excitement. 

1 WHOLE GIANT MAGNIFICANT KG DOWN!!

Now, I know 1kg doesn’t seem like a very large amount, but 1kg in 1 week for me is incredible.  I went in hoping for a loss, any loss would have been wonderful, but I had been told that the first weeks can sometimes result in low weight loss and not to get too upset if I didn’t lose anything in the kg’s.  So 1kg was great news!  I had a great weekend with my mum and sister, and had just started the week on a high.  If I continue at this rate it won’t take me too long overall to lose the whole 20kg’s.

Today’s Blog won’t be very long, but I feel I do need to mention one another thing.  I am amazed and shocked at the amount of people who take the time out of their busy lives (because let’s face it, there simply are not enough hours in a day these days to do everything we need to) to read my Blog.  I am humbled by the amount of support and encouragement I am receiving from family and friends.  Thank you to my Mum especially, who is pushing me hard and listening to me day in and day out talk about everything that I eat, drink, my bowel movements, my workouts.  I’m sure it’s getting tiring for her, as right now my challenge is my life and it consumes all facets of it.  Thank you for not yelling at me yet and telling me you’re sick of hearing about it.  To my wonderful friend Tara, who has just embarked on a journey of her own and I KNOW in my heart of hearts she can do it.  She just needs to believe in herself and believe she can do it.  She has so many friends and family around her who supports her all the way, and will see her through it till the end. 

I have been lucky enough to have tonnes of support around me.  Friends egging me on, checking up on me every couple of days just to see how I’m going (or teasing me with chocolate cake lol), offering encouraging words of advice.  Without the support, I’d have no motivation.  Unfortunately, a dear old friend of mine (I mean old!!  Pretty sure we were like 7 when we first met) is attempting to do a challenge of her own is receiving NO support from her friends and family.  To the point where they’re actually telling her they don’t think she can do it.  I told her to just get rid of them.  That she doesn’t need them.  I just think it’s so sad.  Please, if someone you know is attempting to change their life in some way for the better tell them you support them.  Tell them you love them and will listen to them when they whinge about their changed poo habits.  It might only be small and simple to you, but makes a world of difference for the person on the receiving end.

Mel x.  

The day I almost passed out in the studio

Friday 16^th September, 2011.

Challenge Day 5

The day I almost passed out in the studio

It is now day 5 of my challenge and if you don’t count the fact that my whole body feels like a big giant purple bruise and I am aching from head to toe, I am feeling AMAZING!!  I was at the studio Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night and Thursday night and have muscle soreness of epic proportions but I KNOW it will all be worth it in the end.

Believe it or not, I can get quite shy around new people (especially boys *giggle*), so rocking up to the gym for my first group boxing session on Tuesday had me shaking in my booties a little.  I arrived slightly early and saw the group of girls waiting in the car park outside the door to let the privy PT session before our class finish.  I was only about 7 minutes early, but I decided to sit in the car a little and wait it out.  I eventually got out and walked in and was greeted with the friendliest welcomes.  The girls were lovely and in the end I felt like a dick for not getting out of the car earlier.  Unusually enough, the class was all girls.  I was told that this was not deliberate and is not normally the case, but I didn’t mind in the slightest.  As I said, I get shy around boys and I probably wouldn’t have pushed myself as much in that first class had I have known there were boys watching me.  The class was tough, with Corrie pushing us hard.  At one point my blood pressure started to drop and I thought I was going to die, NO JOKE, so I sat it out for 3 mins or so but Corrie gave me enough encouragement to WANT to come back and rejoin.  We did some intense cardio and leg work, but she also made the class fun!  All in all, it was fun and made me want to go back the next day.

On Wednesday, I then had my PT session with Trace.  This one I enjoyed!!  To start off she basically wanted to know where I was at – fitness level, self motivation, strength and endurance.  And apparently, not that I mean to gloat (Gloat Gloat Gloat!!), I am a very strong girl ... Physically that is!  When Trace told me this I was so happy.  I felt that I at least had strength going for me.  My fitness levels though, are nothing to cheer about.  As expected, my endurance is quite low, and I struggle when it comes to intense cardio.  An old friend of mine made me laugh the other day though.  When I told him about the challenge he chanted “SAY NO TO CARDIO”!  If someone had of told me a month ago that I’d be pushing myself this week as much as I did, I would have laughed in their faces and chanted the same thing.  But with Trace’s words of motivation and insistence that I’d be able to do this till the end, it has made me want to do it more.  She will get my fitness levels to a good point.

Last night I also had another boxing class. I think because I knew sort of what to expect, I had no hesitations in jumping out of the car and walking right in.  Again, it was all girls but there were only 5 of us.  The lovely girl I was partnered up with for the night was fantastic!  She was great at pushing me and finishing all the reps we had to do; egging me on as we did our stuff.  With the music up loud and pumping, all I needed to focus on was one point and I’d be ok.  Admittedly, I whinged a little before last night’s class.  During the day I was lacking a little in motivation and complained to mum that I was really sore, which I honestly was and still am, but as soon as I change into my gym gear after work I somehow transform into somebody else.  I want to show my trainers that I am worth it and want it, and want to show my fellow group members that I am just as tough and strong as they are.  Last night was fun, and I am ready to do it again!

Mel x.

The day I measured the circumference of my thighs

Tuesday 13^th September, 2011.

Challenge Day 2

The day I measured the circumference of my thighs

So ladies and gentleman, I have a question, does anybody know what is more embarrassing than standing on a set of scales knowing you’re 20kg overweight in front of someone you’ve only met once before??  Well, it’s getting the circumference of your thighs measured AND testing the amount of fat you have on your back!  I told you it was pretty embarrassing!  Day 1 of the 12 week challenge kicked off in fine form yesterday.  I woke up with great expectations, hoping to lose 1 dress size overnight to help give me a new boost of confidence, but apparently it doesn’t work that way. 

Yesterday brought the dreaded pre-challenge weigh ups, measurements, ‘Before’ photos, and the diet and nutrition talk.  The nutrition talk had been what I’d been looking to forward to the most.  It’s what I know I would need the most help and guidance with to start off the challenge.  And boy, I couldn’t have been any more right.  If anyone knows me well (or even not that well, it’s not that hard to tell), they know I have a massive soft spot for good food – literally!  I love cooking food, I love eating food.  I love meeting up with friends at restaurants I’ve never been to and critiquing what we eat.  I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur, Masterchef’s most critical reviewer, but I never really worry about what kind of food is going into my mouth. If it looks good, I eat it.  If it smells good, I eat it.  Even if it doesn’t smell OR look good but someone made it especially for me, I eat it out of appreciation.  Yes, it may make me sound like a fatty, but that is why I know that it’s one of my biggest weaknesses.  Trace spent a lot of time talking to me about what foods I should and shouldn’t be eating, and you should have seen the look on my face.  The realisation of how badly I had been eating over the last few months hit me like a train.  Carbs.  Sugar.  Fat.  Processed crap.  Bugger!  This is going to be MASSIVE lifestyle change for me.  On my way home from the gym, I stopped in at the shops and got a few days supplies of food.  So far, I’m enjoying it, and haven’t been tempted as yet by all the different foods to choose from in the city (though, admittedly, I have been avoiding my ex-local food courts this week to help eleviate the temptation).

Tonight, I’m off to my first boxing session.  It should be fun.  While I know they won’t go easy on me just because I’m new, and I don’t expect them too, I am dreading the pain of the next few days.  3 days in the gym, one day of mid level cardio on Friday at home, then gym again early Saturday morning.  By next week, I may seriously be wondering what I’ve signed myself up for, but as Trace took my photo last night, and I cringed at the sight of my body, she said to “Relax”, because this was the last time my body would ever look like that.  And she was right!  Bring. It. On!

Mel x. 

The day everything gets put into perspective, and the transformation begins on my inner self

Saturday 10^th September, 2011.

The day everything gets put into perspective, and the transformation begins on my inner self.

It is truly hard for me to convey the the emotions I get reading all the feedback I have received for my first blog in which I announced to the world that I was attempting a 12 week challenge to lose 20kg before christmas.  The comments I have received from so many of my friends, even those I have not seen or heard from in years, has been awesome.  Lots of the feedback (much to my delight) has come back positive.  A few of my friends and family have even gone as far as to give me ‘positive critical feedback’ which I will be sure to refer back to over the next few weeks to help boost my sorrowful emotions and give me that extra boost I’ll need to keep going.  I have however, also noticed a trend in the feedback and comments.  2 to be exact:

1) Melinda, you cannot lose 20kgs in that period of time.  It is simply too much and you do not have that much excess weight to lose;

2) Melinda, are you sure you’re doing this for the right reasons with the right motivations? 

So, today I will clarify and answer.

20kgs is too much in too little time

Ok, 20kgs admittedly is a lot of weight.  I know this and understand this.  I personally don’t know anyone (or know anyone who knows anyone) who has lost 20kgs in 12 weeks.  Though, on the same hand, I don’t know anyone who has attempted AND completed a 12 week challenge quite like mine.  Since grade 8, when I completed my very first BMI test in PE class I was horrified.  After making me stand on the scales in front of the assistant teacher (which was a personal challenge in itself) and measuring my height, my BMI stated and my PE teacher told me that I was unhealthyly sitting in the ‘Obese’ category.  Motivation number 1!  Need I say more?  As a hormonal 13 year old girl vying for the attention of any boy she could get, I did not handle being told that I am medically obsese all that well.  I left school that afternoon shattered, crying to my mum and dad telling them that my PE teacher called me obese (Dramatic?  Maybe.  But it was true.).  Since then, 10 years later at the ripe old age of 23, not much has changed.  I still feel the sting of tears in my eyes everytime I calculate my horrid BMI.  The outcome is still always ‘Obese’.  So, my main goal in losing this amount of weight is to clean skip out of the ‘Obese’ category, completely bypass the ‘Overweight’ category (do not pass go, do not collect $200), and land straight into ‘Healthy’ land.  How much weight do I need to lose to enter the land of ‘Healthy’?  20kgs sir; give or take a couple of hundred grams.  Hence the reason for the goal of 20kg.  Pretty justifiable I say.

Right motivations

Yep, I know what you’re all thinking, she broke up with her ex, she’s going through a mid life crisis and wants to find a new boyfie so she’s losing weight.  Wrong wrong wrong my friends!  Ok, maybe a little right but still very much wrong.  For those who have known me for a while, know that I have never EVER had a body like a rake.  Never have I graced the size 8 racks, and very long ago did I ever buy a size 10 top.  I have big boobs, a big be-hind, large thighs, muscular calves, and a bit of a floatie around my waist line (I swear it’s getting bigger in my old age too).  Before January, I didn’t really even care all that much what other people thought of me as I was in a steady (ish) long term relationship.  Yes, now that I am single I am noticing the rolls around my belly and the extra 2 chins I might be carrying (I will neither confirm nor deny that that is true) when I spot a cute guy walking down the street.  I suck my gut in, put my head up, stick my bum out, hold my breath and hope to God that he does not notice me turning purple due to the lack of oxygen entering my head cavity.  I have always hoped, and still do, that if I ever fall in love again and heaven forbid he loves me back, that he will love me for all right reasons, and there are no influences to do with my body.  Put simply, I am not losing weight to meet a bloke as it still doesn’t convey to him what type of a person I really am.

Today, my beautiful mother and I had a complete pamper and makeover day.  We went and treated ourselves to a fantastic makeover at Napoleon Perdis and spent the early afternoon at the Primped.com.au Look Book event at David Jones Queens Plaza surrounded by beautiful people (Now please hum to Marylin Manson).  While there, it got me thinking about a few of the comments people had made to me about “hoping I was wanting to do this for me” and “hoping that I will be able to continue with it even if another signifcant event may happen to occur in my life in the meantime” (because we all know life is full of surprises).  Right now in life, I have absolutely nothing to complain about.  I have a fantastic family, a great job and awesome friends.  In that instance, there really isn’t a lot that I truly have to work towards right now – except improving my own self.  By starting this challenge, I set myself a goal to work towards, and really the only person I’d genuinely disappoint if I didn’t complete it would be myself.  Think about it?  Would my bestie really disown me if I didn’t lose 20 kgs?  No.  She loved me before the challenge, and will love me afterwards despite it.  I am doing this for ME.  To help ME try and display the person I am on the inside on the outside too.  And ultimately complete something I have started!  And hey, if I happen to meet a tall dark and handsome cutie on the way … Bonus!

On a final note, I must say one last thing.  I PROMISE, if I’m going to do something I will do it properly, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes, I will just finish it (Thank you MP)!  Thank you to all my family and friends for the mounds of support I am already receiving.  I will prove to you all that I am worth it!

Mel x. 

The day I make a decision to change my life forever (or so I hope) to create a better ME

Thursday 8^th September, 2011. 

The day I make a decision to change my life forever (or so I hope) to create a better ME.

Last night I met an incredible personal trainer called Trace.  Pushing 50, she has the body of a 25 year old; a body that my 23 year old self cannot even begin to compete against.  I went to see her to see if she thought I had any hope in improving both my outer and inner self; whether I was worth it.  Why the self doubt?  Well, since you asked, I recently (ok, if you count 9 months ago recently) went through a nasty yucky engagement break up.  With wedding dress and diamond ring in hand, I packed up and moved back home, leaving behind my lavish Valley lifestyle, and a gym membership that I secretly became obsessed with.

Ok, this may make more sense if I go back a little further.  When the ex and I met and started dating, he had just recently acquired his first job at a gym as a personal trainer. Here I was then, no stick thin Barbie by all means dating a lean mean ex football playing personal trainer.  He made me feel beautiful and convinced me he loved me as I was EVEN if I didn’t want to take up the gym lifestyle he lead.  Of course though, naturally, while I was 100% happy with my body (or so I thought) I increasingly became the jealous type.  I hated him hanging around all those size 6, eight pack, fake tan clad girls that required his “PT services”. I soon realised that this bitterness wasn’t overly healthy and maybe I wasn’t as comfortable with my body as I had managed to so cleverly convince both myself and everyone around me.  After multiple break ups and make ups, we got back together, got engaged, moved out into the pumping Valley and got matching gym memberships.  Ahem, yes, I said matching.

When we joined the gym, not only did I have the wedding to work towards as my goal, he also PROMISED he’d be my motivation and come to the gym as often as he could with me (LIAR!!).  He went to the gym with me once, maybe, but somehow I still managed to enjoy the gym (much to my own horror) and craved it when I wasn’t there.   I loved my Les Mills classes, and loved the energy I got from a session.  I soon started to look a little better (even if my sister did claim I had Schwarzenegger legs), and even though I hadn’t lost more than 3kgs or so, people noticed a change in me and I loved it.  Then the break up happened, and I moved far far away from my chain of clubs.  Yes, I may have a sulked for a good few weeks, but eventually I  got over it/him, and moved on with my life.  

It is now at this point in my life that I have never appreciated my beautiful friends more.  I LOVE them and would do anything for any of them.  I very much enjoy my Friday night drinks, and occasional dinners with them all.  BUT, all those cocktails come at a price; a heavy one.  Desk jobs and high carb gourmet dinners do not mix and it has been pointed out to me quite clearly that that all that weight I worked so hard to work off has now all come back on ... plus some!!  I've heard it all.  The pregnancy and bread roll jokes hurt most.  They drill down to the core and hit a nerve which never forgets.  Yes, I do the miss the gym now a little, even if all I was achieving from my previous visits were energy boosts, but generally, I thought even now that I was moderately happy with my physical appearance.  

Bowm bowm WRONG!  Reality check.

Since my good for nothing no-club-near-me membership is now due for expiration mid this month, I went on a quest to find a half decent gym in the Springfield Lakes area.  I have Googled gyms in the area before, but I suppose not having a major need/want for it, I wasn’t really ‘looking’.  And then, I found it.  FS4L ... Fresh Start 4 Life, my soon be to saviours (or already are my saviours depending on how you look at it)! Which leads me back to the point of my story, Trace.  I met with Trace last night and I instantly connected with her.  She is down to earth, she’s REAL, has goals, and looks AMAZING.  Living breathing proof that it can be done.  She has 100% faith in me that I can do this, for me and to the haters. I went in with an open mind, not wanting to say yes straight away to the deal she may have been wanting to sell me and to go home and sleep on it.  Which I did, but without the sleeping part; didn’t do very much of that at all.  My brain was whirling and I could not switch it off.  She got me thinking about me and my life and what I wanted from it.  And what did I want?  Exactly what she has to offer.  

Motivation, patience, perseverance.  

All of it!!

Starting today, I pen down everything that enters my mouth, because come Monday, the weigh in begins.  We will measure, weigh and calculate exactly what my goal should be.  At this very moment, according to my BMI (which is a load of crap anyway!) I am sitting pretty in the OBESE catergory.  OBESE!!  Now that sucks.  I have a 20kg goal in mind to lose just to get me in the HEALTHY category, but am willing to take all advice in the meantime.  I am hoping Trace is my health angel, by guide, but also my mentor.  I am putting all my hope to Trace to kill the haters (including my inner demons) and transform me into the person I know I could/should be.  Haters – be gone!!  Lovers – willing to take all forms of sympathy and motivation as I begin my journey into weight loss, personal discovery and a new me.

Come Monday, my 12 week challenge begins.  Goal: be 20kg lighter by christmas.  

Can it physically be done?  I don't know.  

Is that a lot of weight to lose? Yes.  

Can I do it?  HELL YES! (With the help of Trace my guardian angel of course)

To all the non believers out there; COMMENT :-)  

I am very much looking forward to proving you all wrong.

To my hopeful supporters, I may need a shoulder (or two) to cry on over the next few months (or a face to scream at).  I need to teach all these non believers a lesson.  Bare with me while I go through the biggest change in my life.

Mel x.