12WBT

I've been inspired by all the other 12WBT bloggers - so I've decided to blog my journey through the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program (or "12WBT").  


I had been trying to lose weight for a long time - I'd been semi-focused on dieting and exercising, half-heartedly counting calories and wondering why I wasn't getting anywhere for years.  Then came a beautiful proposal from my wonderful fiance, and suddenly I was faced with the prospect of Wedding Photos.  If anything was going to kick me into gear, the idea of standing in front of all our guests (armed with digital cameras) and seeing those photos was the motivation I needed!

A beautiful surprise proposal at Mt Fuji in Japan

A friend of mine convinced me that to give the Michelle Bridges program a chance.  I'd watched a few Biggest Loser Australia episodes, so I had a fair idea of what Mish was like, and I figured she could kick my butt into gear.  My goal was (and still is) to get to the same weight that I was when my fiance and I had first gotten together, 7 years ago.  At the start of round 1, I was aiming to lose a total of 16kg.


ROUND 1, 2012


In my typical fashion, I threw myself wholeheartedly into some aspects of the program, but was a little bit reluctant on others.  Buying cookbooks, a heart rate monitor and new gym clothes?  Hello Lorna Jane, have you met my friend Mastercard?  But when it came to the prospect of waking up at 5am to drag my sorry self to the gym before work every morning - well, it's still something that I'm working on!


Now, to be perfectly honest - I have never been a good cook.  I grew up in a household where "cooking a meal" consisted of basically boiled some pasta, frying some mince and adding a jar of pasta sauce.  Most nights that was more effort than anyone could muster up, so take-out was on the menu.  I hadn't cooked a proper meal for a very long time, and suddenly I was looking at a menu plan (that I had obsessively written out on a new menu planner that I just had to get from Kikki K) that involved *gasp* fresh vegetables.


Thankfully, Mish's recipes are fairly straightforward, and I quickly mastered the concept of basic cuisine.  I am definitely not the next Masterchef, but I mustered up some passably edible meals.

Char-grilled eggplant, capsicum and feta pizza with rocket

Moroccan spiced vegetables with cous cous 

Exercise was my major issue.  I didn't manage to get myself out of bed with reliable consistency to go before work, which wasn't a problem on my first term of the year because I finished at around 4:30pm fairly reliably.  I would go home, defrost some meat and go to the gym before cooking dinner, and everything worked well.  Unfortunately, being a junior doctor means frequent job changes (we work in jobs on rotation, for 5 or 10 weeks each, before moving on to another job).  My second term for the year was somewhat more demanding, and I have to confess that my exercise slipped off from around week 7 onwards.

I did accomplish a few of my exercise goals - I finished the International Women's Day Fun Run, and as a personal best I managed to run half of the course.  I had originally wanted to run the full 5km, but my exercise dedication let me down, and I had to walk for part of it.  I have a new goal to do that same fun run again next year, and to finish the 5km easily.

International Women's Day Fun Run

I finished round 1 having reached my mini-goal, and lost a total of 8kg.  I was proud of what I'd achieved, but also frustrating by what I might have achieved if I'd been able to maintain my focus.  So, I signed up for round 2 with the intentions of not repeating the same mistakes again!

The finale party for round 1 was held in Melbourne - coincidentally, the same place that the friend of mine who convinced me to sign up in the first place lives.  So, with much convincing from my fiance to spend the money, I flew down to Melbourne to attend the 12WBT Finale Party.

At the 12WBT Finale Party - "A Night to Sparkle"

So that brings me to now - we're two weeks into preseason for round 2, 2012.  I'm completing the preseason tasks with a focus on the obstacles that I stumbed over during round 1.