Things I NEVER heard my Mum say or do and why I am so glad.

I have thought about writing this post for a while but a conversation with my kids last night made me think it was time to write it.

My Mum was a beautiful size 10 with a lovely figure until she finished having her children. There are 5 of us and she was still slim whilst she had us but after she had my brother she slowly started gaining weight. I never took a lot of notice except that sometimes I heard other kids laugh and occasionally make comments. Sometimes as happens with every kid I would be embarrassed by her but I think that is just part in parcel of being a kid.

She was a size 16 to 18 for most of my life. While that is not HUGE to a kid it can seem that way. But you know the one thing I NEVER heard from her was that she was fat. I NEVER heard her say that she didn't like her body. I NEVER remember her trying on 10 outfits before we went somewhere because nothing fit or she didn't like the way she looked. I NEVER saw her stand on a set of scales. It NEVER stopped her from doing anything! (She was and still is the first one to get into her bathers and head to the beach.)

I LOVE that I NEVER experienced her doing any of those things. I LOVE that if she was struggling with it she NEVER let it show to us kids. I LOVE that she would defend me when my Gran called me fat even though I was 12yrs old and a size 10.

As an adult of course we have had various discussion about weightloss. She has lost just over 10kg this year and is now between a size 20 -18. She struggles with exercise as she has scoliosis. So she has back pain when she walks. But she is getting there and I am so proud of her.

Also as she points out none of us were overweight when we lived with her. It wasn't until we either left home or went away to school that any of us started putting on weight. She always provided healthy meals and there was never any 'crap' food in the house. Mostly because with lots of kids it would never last long so they couldn't really afford it.

I just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my amazing mum for not letting any body issues she was having pass on to us girls. I can honestly say that none of my insecurities or body issues came from her. I have become a lot more aware of the words I use and how I act around my kids especially my lovely little 5yr old girl. I want her to grow up loving her body not matter what shape or size it is. But I also want all of them to know about how important healthy choices and exercise are.

Also I don't want them to be teased for something that is completely out of their control. I don't want my choices and decisions to be something that they are teased or embarrassed by. I am sure I will do lots of embarrassing things in their life but I don't want my weight to be one of those things. Especially when I have to power to do something about it.

This was us back at Easter celebrating losing 21kg between us. 

When I grow up...................

When I was in Primary School I always thought I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. But then as I became a teenager I realised that I didn't really like kids that much. To the point where I told my mum I was never having kids because they were a waste of money! This was as my parents were forking out thousands to send me to Canada as an exchange student. Then I thought that I wanted to be something like a youth psychologist or youth worker. Someone to help teenagers.

Only problem was I hate study! I went to school to socialise not to learn. I guess I never had a strong enough passion for anything to make me want to study. When I got back from Canada I went to Tafe for 12months to study Travel & Tourism. However I discovered I wanted to travel not work in travel!!

I had various jobs before I became a mum. They were all just jobs. Nothing I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Last year I started doing my Certificate III in Fitness. It was the very beginning of my change. However I was doing it via correspondence through YMCA and a third of the way through the course they pulled the plug. I really enjoyed it but I also realised it was far more indepth then I thought it would be and far more time consuming then I had time for.

The good thing to come out of it is..............................I have finally realised what I have a passion for. With everything I have gone through this year my passion has grown. So as far fetch as it may seem at this point in time when Amelia starts school I would love to study to be either a Dietician or Nutritionist. At the moment it is just a dream and idea I have no idea how to put it into place. But I am excited to find out.

I can finally say I know what I want to be when I grow up!! Although I hope I don't have to actually grow up too much.

Non Scale Victories

As much as the numbers on the scales need to come down it is nice to have some non scales victories too. I am noticing a few things lately as the weather is getting warmer and I am starting to wear different clothes.

I have never been a big fan of summer. I would much rather winter where I can cover myself in layers upon layers. I was never a huge dress or skirt fan as I would chafe! Every now and then I would think it would be ok and go to Perth for the day in a dress or skirt. I would always end up having to buy a pair of shorts or pants (normally before lunch time) because my thighs would be red raw. A few weeks ago I wore a dress to Perth for the day and NO chafing!! Woohoo!! Not saying it won't ever happen but it is nice to know that it's something that will now rarely happen instead of always happen.

Where the belt used to sit....Where it sits now!!!

I have to wear my wedding rings on my middle finger as they are too loose for my ring finger. I will get them sized once I have reached and maintained my goal weight. 

Being able to actually run & enjoy it. 

And of course almost feeling comfortable in bathers. I will spare you anymore bikini photo's But it is nice to actually want to go swimming with the kids!!! 

No Weigh In Until Christmas Eve............Can I do it???????

Seems that setting monthly goals doesn't really work all that well. Considering this month my goal was to be under 80kg and I am at 84.9! And I have tried the monthly squat & ab challenges. But not really EVER been successfully at any of it. 

So after last weeks dummy spit and various conversations including one tonight with one of my sisters. I am thinking of doing something pretty major and drastic!!! 

NO WEIGH IN UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE. 

This may possibly kill me and it would mean having to remove the scales from my house. As I have confessed before I am a compulsive weigher. 

I guess I have nothing to lose. But I am worried as I have always used the scales to pull me back into line. 

I will make the decision in a few days. Just need to fully prepare myself. 

I mean what will I do every morning after I pee?!?! Or every night after my shower?!?! Or other random times through out the day?!?!

I am thinking of maybe doing a photo Monday. Since it is the silly season and we seem to have a function of some description every weekend. I will post a pic of me every Monday wearing my weekend outfit. So still staying accountable just in a different way. 

Something like this from Friday when I went to a Christmas Craft Fair. 

Oh and I have picked Christmas Eve as Christmas morning I will be FAR too busy opening presents and sipping champagne to worry about standing on the scales!!!!!!

I've fallen and I can't get up.

HELP!! 

I've fallen and I can't get up!!! 

Not sure what movie this is from but it is exactly how I am feeling at the moment. I feel like I am treading water but slowly running out of energy. 

I am really struggling with everything Nutrition, Exercise, Housework, Mothering, Wifey Duties etc etc etc. I feel very lost and all I want to do is lock myself away with a mountain of chocolate, a good book and say "Screw IT"!!!!! 

I spend Mondays and Tuesdays eating everything in sight and eating because I am bored. Then I spend the rest of the week being cross with myself and trying (rather unsuccessfully) to undo all the damage I have done in those few days. It is a vicious cycle. 

I'm really not sure what, when. why or how it has happened. But what I am trying to work out is how do I get out of it and how do I move on???? My days are blurring into one. I have been very lazy, tired, grumpy, lethargic etc etc. All the things that come with poor diet choices and no exercise. 

I am thinking that maybe fore the rest of this year rather then focusing on weight loss as it is completely doing my head in and making me feel like crap!! I will focus on maintenance and start again with the weight loss in the new year.  

I really don't know what to do or how to pull myself up. 

Maybe I should print this off and put it ALL over the house!!!! 

A whole new level of shame.

Those who know me, know that there are absolutely no traces of O.C.D in my personality. I have confessed before to not being a 'Domestic Goddess' (just for the record I HATE that phrase.) I always have a clean pile of washing on my 2 seater couch that needs folding, you would never want to eat off my floor, (3 second rule should be 1 second in my house) and my laundry basket is never empty. But then I don't know that many families ever have empty laundry baskets.

One of the things I love about living 20km out of town is that people don't just pop in unannounced. 9 times out of 10 people at least call first or give you a day or 2 notice. We do get the occasional friends who call in on their way somewhere which we love but most of the time we are in our own little world. So honestly my whole house is NEVER tidy let alone clean all at the same time. Usually the kitchen and dining room are OK but the bedrooms are a mess. And don't even get me started on the kids toy room.

Well yesterday the state of my house brought a whole new level of shame. When I got home from playgroup I discovered that the power points in my kitchen weren't working properly. I went through and eliminated all the usual triggers it was nothing to do with my appliances. So what would not NORMAL people do?? Call hubby and try and get it sorted. Our house comes with his job so if there is an issue it usually involves his boss coming to the house to try and sort it out. Which usually is great however I looked at the state of my house.....................it was a disaster!!!! The WHOLE house. Especially the kitchen and dining room. For the record the bathroom was sparkling clean!

So I put off making the call until I had at least cleaned those areas. Even scrubbed the stove top which was WAY overdue. Which meant it was about 4pm when I finally made the call and they came to check it out. Turns out there was something wrong over at the transformer and no one needed to come into the house. Western power had to come out and it was all fixed by about 8pm. Now had I been more organised and had a reasonably clean house this would have all been sorted by probably about 4pm and the poor Western Power guys wouldn't have been working in the dark.

Lesson learnt.......Get off my butt and clean the house. So that is today's plan. Mop the kitchen floor, Vacuum the rest of the house, Fold the mountain of washing and clean my bedroom which I need to do before I vacuum as you can't actually even see the carpet.

I won't say that it won't get to that state again but hopefully not for a while!! Sometimes you get stuck in a rut and need something to give you a good kick up the behind.

So I am off to put my workout clothes on, crank up the tunes and get this house sparkling!!!! Wish me luck!!!!!!!

Make changes not excuses.

There are lots of reasons excuses for why I can't exercise at the moment. The main one is that hubby is working long hours so I would have to get up super early I'm talking 5am. And as much as I am a morning person that is just crazy.

So yesterday I got up planning to do a workout DVD. But I really wanted to go outside. So I jumped on the treadmill on the verandah. After 15 minutes I realised that it really isn't for me. I don't know what it was but I was not enjoying it AT ALL. So I went and ran around the sheds. It's just over 200m. It was around 7am so I couldn't exactly leave the kids at home and go for a 5km run. As much as I wanted to. This way they could see me from the house and come and get me if need be. I ran and walked laps for about 25 minutes

Up around the shed then back around the tree. 

It got me thinking and planning. I came up with a bit of a circuit which I could do without going to far from the house. I did the exercises on the back lawn and ran the laps around the shed.
walk a lap
run a lap
15 squats
lap
15 sit ups
lap
15 running lunges & 15 jumping lunges (so each leg got 15)
lap
10 burpees (almost KILLED me)
lap
Plank 35sec
lap

Repeat
In the last round I changed the burpees for step ups. (15 each leg)

Here's how the morning went....... Got up at 6:30am and got the kids their breakfast. I made their lunches whilst they were eating and then I headed out to exercise. I told them what I was doing and where I would be. I asked them to get dressed while I was gone. Usually them getting dressed involves lots of 'MUM I can't find my skirt" "MUM I only have 1 sock" "Hurry up" "Turn off the TV and get dressed". OK so the last couple are usually me yelling but you get the idea.

I think this morning was the quickest and easiest morning we have had EVER!! OK maybe not ever but for a very long time. I had to take a couple of breaks to do up shoe laces and tie hair up. But they 'found' all their clothes, socks & shoes themselves. Lochie joined me for a running lap, then Molly joined me and they both joined me for the last lap.

The best part is that it was all done and dusted by 7:30 including the kids being ready for school. And I still got a great sweaty workout outside without leaving  the kids or getting up crazy early.

WORKOUT DONE!!

I had the best morning and proved to myself that I can fit in a great work out when the kids are around. I know that it won't always run that smoothly but we are off to a great start!!!!!

Crunching the numbers

A new month, 7 weeks until Christmas & 8 weeks until 2014. 

What does all this mean????? Well for a start is means that I really need to get onto my Christmas shopping as all I have done so far is the kids big present from Father Christmas!!! I still have well over 20 gifts to buy not counting my kids and hubby. Every year I try and be more organised but every year at this time I am scrambling to get presents sorted. 

It also means 4 weeks until we can put the tree up and decorate the house. I LOVE Christmas and every that goes with it. We always put our tree up on the 1st December. This year we are buying a new tree and the kids are very excited. It also means that as Christmas is at my house this year I really need to get my S*#t together and get my house sorted. You know all those fun jobs like cleaning out the pantry, sorting the kitchen cupboards so that everything doesn't fall out when you open the door, all that extra cleaning (under the couches, dusting etc etc) and getting the yard sorted. 

I means time to set some goals and finish the year with a BANG! Go hard for 7 weeks and see how far I can get. If you remember back in January my goal was to be in a size 12 bottom and size 10 top by Christmas. Well..........this is still my aim however the time frame may have shifted. I will still try on my goal outfit on Christmas day. And if I can get the shorts done up and top on then I do believe that I will have won the bet with my brother. And he will be paying for my tattoo. (or a round of golf & night out in Perth if I chicken out of the tattoo)

So what are my goals for Christmas..........

I am currently at 83.9kg

My goals

Under 80kg by December 

75kg by Christmas. 

Which would mean I would have lost 31.6kg in 2013!!!!!!

8.9kg in 7 weeks. It's a big goal but this whole year has been about BIG goals. I know quite a few people have said that I couldn't do this so what better motivation can you get then proving them wrong!!!!

I have started NEW November which means each week I will try something new either a recipe, exercise or activity. I am looking forward to it as I have been in a bit of a rut lately. 

Onwards & Downwards!!!!!!!

What almost brought me to tears last night.

STRUGGLE CITY

I am struggling today and I mean really struggling to get my head out of a bad place. I knew that this would happen at some stage of this process but I was really hoping it wouldn't. 

As you know I have an obsession with my scales. So far it has worked for me and been a great motivator. But last night I wanted to smash them against the wall. I went to bed telling hubby I was going to quit & start eating crap again. No more sweating everywhere and pushing myself to run. I was OVER IT!!!

To be honest it is the first time I have wanted to cry after getting on the scales. I know that spending 10hrs at the pub on Saturday was not exactly a great help!! Neither was that bit of sausage I pinched of the kids dinner plate last night. Actually it was more then one bit and it was more then just last night. 

I wanted to stay away from here and my facebook page for a while and just retreat into my own little cake, chocolate, white bread & butter land. But that is not what I promised myself and all of you when I started this whole thing. 

I had some running around to do this morning so I threw on a dress it's nothing special however.....I got lots of compliments. One mum at school even said she didn't recognise me. granted she hasn't seen me since before school holidays and she may or may not need to get her eyes tested. 

It was a great confidence booster and you would think it would be enough to pull me out of my self pity land but alas it isn't. I still feel like saying F*$# it and eating everything in sight. Although as hubby pointed out last night I can't do that because I got rid of all my 'fat' clothes. 

I'm not going to finish this post with my usual pep talk of how from now on blah blah blah you have all heard it before. I will say that I haven't eaten anything more then I should today and as much as I almost grabbed a chocolate bar at the shops this morning I didn't. So maybe things are sinking in more then I realise. 

I know last time I felt like this I said I was going to do measurements as well as weigh in so on Thursday I will. I can't do Weigh In Wednesday as we are off to Perth tonight for Amelia to have her broken arm looked at tomorrow morning.  

Now I am off to pack bags and get things together as the big kids will be staying at Granny & Pop's whilst we head to Perth. I am going to pack my running clothes and hit the pavement in the morning!!!!!

Kick up the bum we all need.

Yesterday was an eventful day. What started as a planned trip to town for hubby to get test results from the Dr turned into a full half a day of Dr, Hospital, Dr, Hospital and a 2yr old with a broken arm. In all the drama of the broken arm we had hubby's appointment.

He went in a week ago to have just a general check up you know cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, skin cancer check etc. He was told then that he needed to lose 10kg and his blood pressure was high.We had to wait until yesterday for the other results. He had also been taking his blood pressure 3x a day for a week.

The news wasn't great. Which we were expecting and why I went with him to the appointment. Basically we have 6 weeks to change his diet and bring down some of his stats. He also needs regular exercise in the the form of walking and running. And of course he needs to limit his alcohol. He isn't a huge drinker but enjoys a couple of beers a night. I mean really who doesn't??  All of this will help with losing the 10kg and becoming healthier in general. Hoping we can regulate it all with diet and exercise to save going on medication.

So I am chief cook, motivator, personal trainer, dietitian and butt kicker. I am more motivated to cook and eat healthier. As you know I had got a bit slack in this area in the past few months. I am looking into low cholesterol and low GI options. Still being able to cook some of our favourites but just in a different way. So glad that we are heading into summer with yummy salads and lighter meals.

This is sooo true. Hubby told me when I first started all this that once I reached his weight he would join me. That was 15kg ago. 

While I am not stoked about the situation with his health I am so happy that he decided to get it all checked out and that the Dr was very stern. I am really happy that we are on the same page. Last night for example he came home from work and went for his first run/walk. Then when he got home I headed out for mine. It is a shame that we can't go out together but I think that leaving 3 kids under 7 home alone while we go for a run is probably not such a good idea. Especially with the luck we are having.

If anyone has any tips, recipes or website they can recommend I would love to hear it.

Learning to listen....

Since starting this whole process I am noticing a lot of changes and not just to my waistline. I am starting to notice the different ways that certain food affect my body. This is something that was probably always there but because I was eating/ drinking it all the time I didn't notice. Also my body is not used to these food anymore so when I have them it goes a bit crazy.

Whilst on holidays I had a bit of a blow out one day when I ate 4 rather large slices of a Jubilee Twist. This one of my favourite things to eat. And of course each slice had a big slab of margarine on it. I love it while I was eating it. I can't lie it was very yummy. However...... about an hour later my tummy was not loving it so much. I felt bloated and sick. I had frequent trips to the loo. Which when you are in a caravan park is not fun. Made even worse by a 5yr old girl who wants to come with you every time and has no issues asking you what you are doing, in detail!!!

Then on Saturday I took my 2 older kids to Perth to watch a movie and then we did some shopping. Of course a 7yr old boy would rather be anywhere but at a shopping centre on a Saturday doing food shopping with his mum & sister!! Which of course made it such an enjoyable stress free time for me. My vision of having kids who were just so excited and thankful to be taken to Perth to the movies was crushed and trampled on. Not too sure why I was thinking one trip to the movies was somehow going to change them.

 I was tired and very over it. So I whilst I was getting them their promised take away for lunch I got a wrap, chips & Diet Coke. I was over it, in a hurry and it was raining. These are my excuses. Not reasons EXCUSES!!!! About an hour later and half way home my tummy again starting telling me there are no excuses and it decided to punish me for my bad choices. Lets just say I am very thankful that there are nice new public toilets in a tiny little town we drive through. And I am thankful they were empty as I again had my lovely inquisitive 5yr old asking me why I was taking so long and what was I doing.

So for the rest of the trip home in between sorting out the fights in the back seat & answering five million questions. I was giving myself a right royal telling off!!!! I have had a crappy week. Since Wednesday morning I have not been able to stop eating. I have not exercised. I have been a VERY grumpy mum. I have been a cranky wife. Basically I have had PMS. It's not something that affects every month but this month it did. Big time!!!

Where to now?????? Well starting with the basics no more soft drinks, more meal planning, no more picking off the kids plates and no more excuses. I started a new routine this morning, early run/walk followed by listening the the hypnotist recording then ready to start the day in the right frame of mind. I feel a bit like a broken record these last few posts. I slip up then I talk about getting back on track. I slip up then I talk about getting back on track etc etc etc. I won't say this will be the last time you hear me say it but hopefully it's the last time for a while.

Monday morning run + Kale chips 

= New routine and new recipes

Reality Check!!

So over the last week I have share pics of how far I have come and I am extremely proud of that. But I have also realised how far I have to go. For the past almost 3 months I have stayed around the 85kg mark. I have gone up and down within a kilo from week to week.

I know I have said this a few times over the last few months but it really is time to 'pull my finger out'. And what better reminder then when clothes are a little or a lot too tight. Whilst on holidays I bought 2 pairs of 3/4 denim pants. Both size 14. One from Jay Jays and the other from Target. I bought them both with out trying them on.

I got the Jay Jays ones first. I have never really shopped in the store before. It was one of those shops that a bigger person avoids. So I got back to the camper and tried them on.......there was lots of jumping, jiggling, squeezing, sucking in etc. Which lead to a cake top. Not just a muffin top but you know when you over fill a cake tin and it goes everywhere when it's baking. Actually it was probably more like a soft serve ice cream on a hot day. You know when it melts all over the sides. OK enough food references. You get the idea. In my head apart from being disappointed I told myself that they must have small sizes in that shop.

Then on the way home I got a second pair from Target. And again didn't try them on but quite confidently bought a size 14. Got home to try them on and same thing....jiggling, jumping, squeezing etc. And another overflowing ice cream.

I now have 2 pairs of pants I need to try and fit into. Also of the 4 pairs of shorts I bought from Jeanswest a few months ago only 2 pairs fit comfortably.

I had a LOT of road blocks and excuses over the last few months but the road from here to Christmas is looking pretty good. And with the warmer weather comes more salads and fresh yummy summer fruit. It also means hotter weather for runs and snakes but I am not going to look for reasons/ excuses I am going to just do it.

Hubby has also been told by the Dr he needs to lose at least 10kg. So he is now motivated and even got up at 5:30am to go for a bike ride. It will definitely make meals times much easier and motivate me to make healthier more exciting meals. There were a few old habits creeping back in like my love of pasta. Which was OK when I had hockey training twice a week plus a game plus netball plus running. But not so flash when you sit on you bum and find every excuse in the book not to go running.

POP that was the sound of finger being pulled out!! No more excuses and when I feel like snacking or not going for a run I am going to try on those shorts that don't quite fit to remind me I don't want to have ice cream overflowing down the cone and down my arms making them sticky.

Before & in-between pics.

After my holiday post the other day I had a few request for before & after pics. These before pics I wasn't going to share. But after hubby's comments the other day about seeing how far I had come I thought I would bite the bullet and share.

But these aren't before and after pics. These are before and nearly there pics. Still a bit of a way to go but a nice reminder of how far I have come in 10 months.

Just a bit of fun after the depressing task of taking before pics. 

I promise enough of the bragging through pics. Back to normal posts after this. 

Holidays!

Whilst on holidays I did something I haven't done since I was 14yrs old. I wore a bikini. On a beach. In public. Granted the first time there was no one else on the beach. but by the last day of holidays there were teenage girls laying there sunbaking in their tiny bikini's and beautiful bodies.

So here are some pics from our holidays. Including bikini pics.......I am sure I will regret posting these on the internet. I am nervous about posting them on one hand I am proud of how far I have come but I still have such a long way to go.

here goes nothing................................

Happy Snaps

Most supportive husband!!!

O.M.G.

Well I did it!!! I did a half marathon!!! And we raised more then enough money to buy the Defibrillator for the local sporting clubs.

It was an amazing day which started early for those of us whole ran the 21.1km. 11 of us were crazy enough to attempt the 21.1km. I didn't get off to the greatest of starts I was too busy talking and didn't work my music out properly. So I had to stop and get that sorted. We had some very serious runners who took off straight away. I was at the back of the pack (quite happily) for the first 4km. Until my good friend Mrs Pete ran with me for the next 6km. We couldn't  didn't talk to each other but it was comforting having someone there.

We reached the 10km mark in just under an hour. The walkers who were doing 11km left about 5 minutes before we got there. So from now on there were people around for most of the run. My brother ran with me for a little bit which was great and his support the whole day was awesome.   From 12 - 14km there is a BIG mountain  hill to climb. At the top of that hill I stopped for a drink. Silly silly idea.

My knee which has never bothered me before started to hurt. To the point where I could barely walk let alone run. There were tears...swearing....more tears....more swearing....I honestly thought that was it and I wouldn't be able to finish. I was devastated. Then hubby came past in the support vehicle offering water & powerade. He also had my brother with him and they didn't really say much but it was enough to get me going again.

I ran until about the 17km mark. Then I ran and walked on and off. I was catching up to walkers and in the end I was quite happy to walk amongst my friends for a bit. With about a kilometre to go I joined one of my good friends who had walked 5km. We had a good chat and then when we could see the finish line we started running.

It was the GREATEST feeling. After 2hrs 33min I had done something I never thought possible. As we were running into the oval we said that we were both tearing up. Then I said to her none of my family are here.(Mark, my brother & sister were all in support vehicles, the kids were running 2.5km, my brother in law who had already finished was back with the kids.) She said "But we're your family". That made me cry even more. It was the most amazing feeling to cross that finish line with people cheering and I know I wasn't the only one with tears in my eyes.

I have to say there a 2 ladies who ran their first (and probably last) half marathons on Saturday. One of them started running this year and a month or so ago told me she would do the 11km but didn't think she could do the half. I told her if I could do it anyone could do it. She SMASHED it and finish in 2hrs!!! And the other lady is a very fit hockey player who had been sick with the flu all week. She was planning to run with her sister as part of a team. That was until I spoke to her on Friday and said why not give it a crack and see how far you can get. Well not sure what her time was but she was way ahead of me. I am so proud of both these ladies! I am sure that with the sore muscles I am not their favourite person at the moment.

Our local community really got behind the event. We were blown away by the turn out. I had 2 wonderful ladies both named Vikki who really did all the hard work. They collected names and money, made sure everyone was where they were supposed to be and just made the whole thing run smoothly so I could concentrate on running. It could not have happened without them. Like I keep saying I just came up with the idea they helped make it happen.

The vibe of the day was just electric! I kept hearing next time we'll do this, Next year lets try this, I'll do a longer run next year. All this and I still hadn't had a shower to wipe off the sweat from this year. Hopefully this will become an annual event if for nothing else then it brought the community together and saw people achieve something they didn't think they could.

Bring on a well earnt holiday with lots of quality family time.

Weight gain I am more then happy about.

The last 3 weeks or so have been very up and down. More up then down in lots of ways. In the last 3 weeks I have won a hockey Grand Final (never get tired of saying that), had our hockey wind up, and been to an AWESOME hens night. In that time I have put on just over a kilo. I am actually pretty excited about that. 

Why? Because in the past I would have put on a LOT more!!! It goes to show that I am learning (slowly) to deal with life and all it's ups, without throwing everything I have learnt over the last 9 months out the window. 

I am going to go back and listen to the Hypnotist recording whilst I am on holidays. I think as a few old habits are creeping back in it can't hurt to have a little refresh. 

Every week I write my weight on the whiteboard on the fridge. It's a great reminder of how far I have come. 

Oops how did that pic of the Premiers end up in there??? ;) 

I have not been so great at recording my measurements. I have been writing them in a book but not recording the dates that I took them. 

The very first row 114cm is the first measurements I took in January/February. As you can see I have measured since then but lord only knows when all these numbers were written down. So I have put today's measurements in my diary. I will do this every week from now on. 

I am off on holidays on Monday and looking forward to some much needed family time. We are going to the beach and other then catching up with some friends we have no plans. It will just be about spending time together. I really feel that given the last few weeks I can go on holidays and stay on track. I will be packing my running shoes and positive attitude. 

Here's to being more organised, re-invigorated, motivated & come Monday HOLIDAYS!!!! 

So here are this weeks stats

Weight 85.3

Weekly gain .5kg

Total removed 21.3kg

Total cm removed 80cm. 

Next week I will be on holidays. I will put my measurement results on facebook but there won't be a weigh in. 

A bit of a change in direction.

What a fantastic weekend I have just had. I had yet another weekend away from my kids (which is about my 5th for the year) HUGE thanks to hubby for staying home. Especially when Amelia decided it would be a great time to get sick and stay up all night. He even took them all to the local show by himself.

I went to a hens night on a boat in Perth. I'm not going to talk about the hens night because what happens on the boat stays on the boat. But what I will say it is was a great night with lots of laughs, dancing, food, drinks & a few firsts for me which I don't think I can talk about on here. The 4 girls who organised it did a fantastic job. It was great even though the boat was full of ladies who we beat in our grand final win 2 weeks ago and a few of them did try to throw me overboard at one point.

There was a bit of drama leading up the it though as we thought the weather was going to be cold and windy. So a shopping we went.......After looking around for a while I called on my style expert brother. (he's not so much an expert as he is honest) I found 2 dresses that I thought would be ok but I wasn't too sure if they were too tight or too short. After making a decision I sent a pic to my friend who was shopping for her outfit on the other side of Perth. She had just sent me a txt saying she had found something but one size was too small and the next one up was too big. Then she got my txt and it was the same dress!!! What did we do before mobile phones???

Nothing like a changeroom selfie. (Completely forgot to take one when we were all dressed up)

In my search for something a little warmer to wear I ventured into shops I have never entered before. It was a great feeling. I am now pretty comfortable in a size 14. It's the first size I grab when I am trying on clothes. Occasionally I have to go up a size as we all know clothes sizes are not the same in every shop.

It got me thinking about scales v's measurements. I have been struggling a bit with the number on the scales at the moment. 1 step forward 2 steps back. I am reluctant to throw the scales out as I find they really help keep me on track. But I am going to start to focus on my measurements and clothes. A bit of a change in direction. I will still do my Wednesday Weigh In but I will also measure up each week.

This is a way to help keep me positive and motivated. I am loving the feeling of clothes getting looser and find that each time I am folding washing there is always something to add to the 4 garbage bags of clothes I have sitting waiting to pass onto my sister.

Will do measurements this Wednesday and compare them to my ones I took in January. Then will do them every week.

Where oh where has my motivation gone????

Time for some re evaluation. I have had a busy couple of weeks. Nothing out of the ordinary just the usual for this time of the year. But I have been struggling with my meals. I have let old habits creep in again.

As I write this I am drinking a Diet Coke. I was doing so well at the start of the year only having the occasional one here and there. But it has crept back in to be a big part of my daily routine AGAIN. I could sit here and say 'starting tomorrow I am getting rid of it' but to be honest I am not sure if I really want to. I know that I should and I will. Just not right now.

That is the problem I have lost my motivation. I have gone up and down on the scales a bit over the last couple of months and am SLOWLY making headway. But I am really finding it hard to pull my socks up and get back on track. All I want to eat is everything that is bad for me or not even so much that but I want more then I should.

Bad habits are sneaking back in. Sneaky bastards they are. A little bit of cheese here, chocolate there, lollies in the car etc etc.

I am hoping as the weather starts to warm up so will my motivation and will power. I know that I have come a long way and that it takes time but sometimes it seems like time is standing still.

I am not where I wanted to be by mid September. I wanted to be under 80kg, Comfortably in size 14 pants and almost in size 12 tops. I am 83.5kg, squeezing into size 14 pants & size 14 top. My little shopping trip on Thursday was a big reality check and a realisation that I have a long way to go.

I saw this a while ago and maybe I should make one as a reminder to keep going. 

I just had to vent and I do feel better for it. Remember at the beginning I promised to share the good the bad and the ugly. Well here it is. Fingers crossed putting this in writing is the therapy I need to get back on track.

Thanks for listening and feel free to share if you have gone through a similar experience and how you got through it.

Goodbye 'BIG' girl

It has been a BIG week this week. I will not bore you with all the details of how AWESOME our hockey team is. And how AMAZING it felt to win a grand final. And how the party afterwards was such a great night. I think you get the idea. And it's not that I can't remember it. I remember most of the night. It's safe to say the drinking ban has been lifted!!

I called in the shops on Sunday to grab a couple of clothes. I needed some new running pants and a couple of tops. I grabbed size 14's thinking they may be a little tight but I would 'shrink' into them. I didn't have time to try them on so when I got back to my sisters I was very surprised to find they fit quite well. I probably could have even gone with a size 12 top. 

I am starting to get used to my body being different but I still see myself as the 'big' girl in the room. I feel like if I go into shops and tell the shop assistant I am size 14 they will look at me as if to say 'yeah right'. But then I catch a glimpse of my reflection and realise I am not the 'big' girl I used to be. And I have worked damn hard to not be that girl anymore.

It does take a while to get used to it though. I still surprise myself when I try on new clothes or see the size tag when I am hanging the washing out. I have seen some photo's from the weekend and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw myself. Don't get me wrong I still have a long way to go but sometimes it's nice to reflect on how far I have come. 

I am off to an Intimo party today to buy some new underwear. I am in much need of new well fitted bras. As most women will agree when you lose weight the first place you lose it from is the last place you want to lose it from. Your boobies!!!! Much to my hubbies horror. 

Weekly Weigh In Results
Weekly Loss 700grams
Total Loss 23.1kg
6.9kg until my body scan.

I will be cracking my bottle of Moet this weekend at our hockey wind up. I wanted to wait until I could relax and enjoy it.

I have to say the scales haven't been moving a lot lately but I am definitely noticing a change in my shape and clothes. 

It was a good idea at the time.

Do you ever have a great idea and then realise that perhaps you have bitten off more then you can chew????

I do this on a regular basis. As I have mentioned before I am organising a half marathon and 'fun' run for my local community to raise money to buy a defibrillator. The run is going from my house into town which is 21.1km. We are then having 2 other distances 11km & 2.5km. This way people of all fitness levels can be involved. We even have people riding bikes.

It was a great idea at the time but now it has come time to organise it all and make sure everything is covered. Everyone has a opinion of how things should go so it's a matter of taking a little bit of everything and putting it all together.

I am having a meeting tonight to get the details sorted. Sometimes you have to accept that you can't do everything yourself. I am not very good at this but I am slowly learning and getting better. I am just a bit of a control freak. But the first step is admitting you have a problem. Right???

Also this weekend we are playing in our hockey GRAND FINAL!!!! It is a very exciting for our club and our town. We haven't won an A grade premiership since 1982. So to say that this week is a big week is an understatement.

I did break my drinking ban last weekend. Which was not good.......not good at all!!! I only had one week to go but I got carried away. Which is soooo unlike me.

But the Moet is in the fridge for this weekend and I have a plan in place so I can survive the night and the next day without too much damage.

Weekly Weigh In Results
Weekly removal: 300grams
Total removed: 22.4kg
7.6kg till body scan.

A long overdue THANK YOU!!!

This is a very LONG overdue thank you to my wonderful husband. He is my best friend and I wouldn't be the person I am today without him. I know that sounds soppy but there is going to be a bit of that in this post.

Here's a bit of background...We went to pre primary and yr 1 together. Then my family moved away and I came back to do yrs 10 -12 in my old town. I almost asked him to be my partner for my Debutant Ball but on my way to ask him my friend told me she had just asked him. And I am glad that she did as he was the perfect partner for her and they continued on with the dance lessons after the ball. She passed away 12 months later and I am really glad they had that time together. We stayed in touch over the years and then the year we turned 21 we saw eachother a LOT! I may have got rather drunk one night and made a move. (My brother has a whole story about this night but I am telling this story so this is my version) It took another 2yrs before I agreed to go out with him.

We moved in together 12 months later, got engaged after 18 months together, married after almost 3yrs together & had our first baby just after 3yrs together. We have been together 10yrs, married for 7yrs, lived in 3 different towns, lived in 7 different houses and have 3 beautiful kids.

Happiest day of my life!!!

As the old saying goes "A girl will marry someone like her dad". Well I took that to the extreme some would say. As Mark and Dad look very alike. My brother jokes that Mark looks more like dad's son then he does. But he also has dad's patience and calmness. Which balances us out perfectly. I come up with brilliant brain wave ideas and he lets me go off on my tangent before he pulls me back to reality. 

He is always supportive and never more so then in the last few months. Our house is always hectic during hockey season and he puts up with a lot of crap. (there's no other word for it) He has to listen to me vent about people and circumstances. And like most women I am not looking for him to fix it but just listen. But like most men he puts in his 2 cents worth and he is usually right. (not that I will admit it to him) He puts up with me forgetting meetings until the last minute. And as these meetings are 45min away that means I am often out of the house before dinner, bath & bed time. 

I know a lot of people have husbands who are very unsupportive of their fitness and weight loss goals. He is always supportive and over the years and I have tried EVERYTHING to lose weight and paid A LOT of money to do so. He has a lot of times rolled his eyes at the latest craze I have brought into but he has gone along with it. Also he has NEVER once told me I need to lose weight. I have been big the whole time we have been together and he has always told me I am beautiful the way I am. 

Recently with my training to run a half marathon at the end of September his support has gone up to a whole new level. He comes home from work and sends me out the door for a run. When I come home he has either cooked dinner or finished it off, done homework with the kids, bathed the kids & on hockey training nights (2 nights a week) he does all of this as well as dinner with kids and bedtime. The whole time I am on my runs I am thinking of all the things I should be doing at home. And feeling guilty that I am not there to do all those things with my family. 

I owe him so much and I could not have lost 22kg, run 12km, been secretary of hockey & EVERYTHING else with out him by my side. I know that I am VERY lucky to have such a supportive partner and I sometimes take it for granted. So this is my way of say THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU and I couldn't have done it without you. I am looking forward to our holiday in October when all the craziness of hockey and the half marathon are over and we can spend some quality family time together. 

THANK YOU!! 

Here are this weeks weigh in details. 

Weight 84.5kg

Weekly loss 1kg

Total Weight Removed 22.1kg

Weight to remove until body scan 7.9kg. 

14.5kg till goal!! 

My 'other' family & life.

Today I want to share a little bit of the other side of my life. It's my second family during winter really. Hockey!! I have played hockey since I was 13. Which by some standards is a late start. Growing up I was a netball girl. I would spend my Saturday mornings at the netball courts playing then as I got older umpiring and coaching. But our family moved when I was 14 and hockey took over from netball.

I have played for 3 different clubs over the years as we have moved around. I have loved each and every one of them. I am my fathers daughter and can't help but get involved. He can't say no when it comes to taking on committee roles and I am not much better. It's a bit of a control freak thing. For the last 3 years I have been secretary of our club and I have loved almost every second of it. Sometimes I do wish I could just turn up and play but that feeling doesn't last too long.

This weekend we won our semi final which means we now play the preliminary final to make it into the grand final. I have never played in a grand final and I am really hoping we can change that this year. We are pumped and have all worked very hard to get to where we are now. Only 2 games to go and the season is over for another year.

I thought I would share some photo's that a lovely local lady takes of all the games each week. Sue O'Brien does a fantastic job and we all love looking at her pics on facebook each week.

The reason long Sunday runs aren't working at the moment. 

And the reason you should ALWAYS wear a mouth guard. Could have been soooo much worse.

Although I tend to let it take over my life for 5 months of the year. I have made some fantastic friendships through sport & hockey.I love playing in a team and partying with a whole club who support eachother. I have also had some of my funnest times with hockey girls both on and off the field. It's like having lots of sisters, sometimes you love eachother, sometimes you hate eachother but in the end we are all there for the same reasons to have fun and win a premiership!!! 

So only a few weeks and life will be back to normal for our little family. I think Mark will be happy that our weekend will be free again and the kids will be happy to have Mum home every night. We have been training twice a week plus netball Monday nights has made for a hectic last month or so. 

Hoping to get a long run in this afternoon. I really need to get into my 1/2 marathon training. Only a month to go!!! 

What do you do when you have lost your running MOJO????

Well if you are me you stop and take photo's!!

Here are some pics from Sunday's run in the city along the river.

Bit different to the roads I normally run along.

Beautiful City of Perth

Beautiful Swan River. 

Now here are some pics from my run/walk at home yesterday. 

Beautiful blue sky.

Footprints amongst the tractor tracks. 

Some kangaroo prints (not something I saw on my Perth run)

This windmill marks 500m to home. But it also marks the bottom of the hill we live on. It's a love/hate kind of thing. 

My last 2 runs have been a real struggle so today I am hoping to get out there and just run. Not worry about distance or times or anything. Hopefully I won't be posting anymore photo's from my runs anytime soon. 

What do you do to get back your running MOJO????

I am officially over weight and I am stoked!!

Today's weigh in has seen me hit a new milestone. I am officially not obese anymore according to my BMI. (Body Mass Index) I am now in the over weight range!! And when I hit my goal weight of 70kg I will be healthy. Only 14.5kg to go!!

To celebrate I went shopping today to buy my 20kg reward. New running shoes!!! I have only ever bought shoes either because they look pretty or for a specific sport like hockey & netball. Other then when I have had my brother has been there to help me fit them I have always only had a pimply faced teenager who really doesn't know much more then I do about what I need and want.

So after hearing so many rave reviews I went the The Running Centre in West Perth today. I normally would have been intimidated going into a place like this. But as soon as I walked all my apprehension left. I had great help from a lady who was great but I unfortunately didn't get her name. She was young, fit and great! She was very understanding and reassuring. After a quick chat about what sort of running and how much running I am doing they measured my feet. Turns out my left foot is a full size bigger then my right foot. Who would have thought.

Now here come the funny bit I had to run on a treadmill, barefoot, in my jeans. Which would have been ok but my jeans are now a little loose and I didn't have the best bra on!!! Luckily I only had to run for 30 seconds and that they only record your feet otherwise it would have made a great youtube video!!

They sit down and show you the vision of your ankles. Apparently mine are very strong and straight when I run. I tried on 2 pairs of shoes and as much as I wanted to buy the darker pair as they would be more practical purely for keeping them clean on my muddy tracks! I went with the prettier ones which were a wider fit. Even my feet are fat!

And here they are!! 

They are so comfy I didn't want to take them off!! I wanted to go for a run there and then. I was so distracted I nearly walked out of the shop with my jeans still rolled up! 

I did some other shopping today. I had to stop myself from reaching for the larger sizes. It has always been my first instinct and it is a hard one to change. Everything I bought today was a size 14. Well except my shoe's they were a 10&1/2 WOOHOO!!! Most things fit some are a little more snug then others. I even brought bathers & boardies. But I won't be sharing that pic any time soon. 

Here are this weeks stats

Weekly loss 900grams

Round 3 12WBT -900grams

Total Loss 22.2kg 

7.8kg until I can book in my body scan. 

This is post is in no way a sponsored post. It is purely written based on my experience at The Running Centre today. 

The reason my legs are so sore!

 From weeds to roses.

 Another view and the reason for my sore legs. 

 No more weeds amongst the veggies. 

Now we lemon, lime, mandarin & apple trees

Everyone lending a hand. 

(well except for the fire picture but they definitely earnt the beer) 

Before pics of a different kind.

When you play a sport that usually takes up one day every weekend for a few months you make the most of the weekends when you are lucky enough to have a bye. We have a bye this weekend and I had made plans to go and watch a my bestie play hockey. This was going to be a long overdue visit which would cover a multitude of things
A, Watch great hockey (my old team)
B, The kids would all get to see eachother
C, It's her babies 2nd birthday on Sunday
D, We would get to catch up. Of course we all know this was the real reason for the visit.

However.........a two weeks ago Mum said that they would come over for the weekend and help us get our garden sorted. How could I say no to that??? We have lived here for just over 3yrs and it is long overdue. I have tried roses in the past but neglected them & the rabbits had a lovely feed. About the only thing I have managed to plant and keep alive are some Geraldton Waxes & 4 Frangipani's in pots.And of course the lawn & weeds.

So this is what we are up against!!! This will be turned into garden beds with 11 rose bushes. We also have some fruit trees to plant. The plan is to then slowly add to the garden and have it looking great for Christmas time when all my family will be here.

Here is an update on our little veggie garden. We have flowers on the peas and broccoli starting to grow! The kids are very excited. We also have herbs sprouting and carrots growing.

That is what I will be upto this weekend. Along with a run both mornings to make up for the lack of hockey. Saturday morning will be a 10k with hills. Sunday morning not too sure yet.

Hope everyone else has a productive or relaxing weekend. I will post up the after pics next week. Fingers crossed for some big changes and not too many sore muscles.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses.....

Days that look like this are always full of excuses for me. I can't possibly go running because it's too cold, wet, slippery etc. Also another good excuse I have is that I am too busy. Not so much that I am too busy but more so that I am too busy at the times I am able to go running. Let me explain....

During the day whilst my two older kids are at school all day I still have a 2yr old at home. She is very cute and I love being home with her but not exactly young enough to sit in a pram for an hour or so and go for a run. And definitely not old enough to leave at home. I have tried going into the local oval so that she can play in the playground while I run laps but she is not into that at all.

Hubby comes home for lunch most days. And generally he is home for an hour. Perfect time for me to go running. Except lately he has only been coming home for short spurts as he is spraying or spreading or something. (clearly I'm a good farmers wife who tunes out when he starts talking farming)

He gets home from work at around 5pm. Which gives me about an hour of daylight to go for a run. However Monday nights I have netball. Tuesday nights are Lochie's football training which we don't get home from until 6pm, Wednesday nights are Molly's dancing not home until 6pm & Thursday nights are hockey training. So I get a work out then. And mornings are too dark and cold at the moment. I have to be home by 7am for him to go to work and I am scared of the dark so running in the dark isn't for me.

All of these are EXCUSES for not working out or running. We are now training 2 nights a week for hockey so Monday, Tuesday & Thursday nights I am exercising. That leaves Wednesdays as my major excuse day. Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays are all good I can make them work. So what to do on Wednesdays.......

Well today I had a realisation that running isn't the only form of exercise and there are plenty of things around the house I can do either while bugalugs is sleeping or with her joining in.

Here are my old friends who are my new Wednesday work out buddies. I was using these at the start of the year before I discovered running. Actually they may even become my everyday work out buddies. I will get a bit more sorted over the next few days putting together a bit of a circuit. But for today here is what I did....

60 squats
45sec plank
40 what I call pass overs. (laying on my back passing the ball from behind my head to my ankles & back again.) Hope that makes sense. I am not a big fan of sit ups or crunches as I can't really do them very well.
50 leg squeezes
40 bicep curls.

I may not have gone for a run but at least I did something. Like I said I will put together a proper circuit including some cardio with skipping and running around my verandah. But for today I just wanted to GET IT DONE. I was all motivated after finishing the vacuuming. I was already working up a sweat so I figured I may as well keep going. If anyone has any tips or exercise suggestions I would love to hear them.

So here are this weeks weigh in results.
85.4kg
Weekly Loss .5kg
Total Loss 21.2kg
I have worked out my reward for my next 10kg. I am going to have a body scan done. These show you all your body fat and muscle. You also have a consultation to see how to remove the fat and build muscles in the areas that need work.

I am hoping to go shopping for my new shoes next weekend!!!

5min plank, 200 squats, 18km & 5.9kg. Can I do all this in August???

The start of a new month and another milestone reach. Did you hear I hit the 20kg mark. 20.7kg to be exact! I think the whole world must know it by now. What's next??? Well I have decided to set myself some goals for the month of August as since going public has been working for me so far I am putting them out there for the world to see.

Some of these might be hard to reach but I feel like I am at the stage where I need to push myself. And hopefully my alcohol ban will help me reach these.

I am doing a plank & squats challenge. So by the end of the month I will be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes and do 200 squats. I am a little skeptical about these but I am going to give it a go. Time to start doing something other then running. And after flashing my tummy to all the hockey girls last night I really need to start working on my tummy. Not to mention I blinded them with how white my tummy is. It hasn't seen daylight since I was about 14!

I got some great running advice last night and I am going to increase my running by 2km each week. I am starting this Sunday by running 12km. So by the end of August I will be running 18km. WOW!! That doesn't seem possible at the moment either. This goal may be adjusted to 1km a week. Will see how I go and let you know.

As for my weight loss goal for August. Well I am going to really try to lose 5.9kg. Which would put me at 80kg. Now given that it has just taken me 12 weeks to lose this same amount it is also a pretty big goal. But I am re committed to pulling my finger out and losing this last 15kg. Hopefully with the above exercises, the alcohol ban & watching everything that goes into my mouth I can achieve all this.

These all didn't seem that scary until I wrote them down. Now I am thinking I may have bitten off more then I can chew. I am not going to beat myself up if I don't achieve all these but I am going to give it a red hot go. And if I need any inspiration I will get it from the size 14 shorts I ordered yesterday that I am sure I don't fit into now but hope to very soon. I will let you know when they come.

This is what will get me there! Think I may need to print this out and put it on the fridge. 

Has anyone else set themselves some challenges for August? Do you set big goals or smaller more achievable goals??

Words I never thought I would say!

Well it's a very exciting day for me. I have 'removed' 20.7kg. For those new to Becoming Nikki I never say that I have lost weight because if something is lost then you try and find it and I never want to find this weight again.

Since starting the journey I have found a whole new vocabulary. There are words coming out of my mouth for the first time in 33yrs.

"I love running"
"I can't wait for hockey training"
"I think I need a smaller size"
"No thanks I have had enough" (this is more for food then alcohol but I'm working on it)
"I ran a lazy 5, 7 or 8km on a Sunday morning"
"I have lost 10kg"
"I have lost 15kg"
"Yes I will happily tell you my weight" This happened on the weekend at the hospital.
and now I can say
"I HAVE LOST 20KG!" Something I could never imagine happening.

Here are a couple of little things I am also noticing with my 20kg weight removal. (sorry I can't stop saying that number)
My wedding & engagement rings are loose
My watch has become loose
My boobies have definitely shrunk. Which has been fine but they can stop now.
I am MUCH fitter
I am a better mum & wife. (although I was pretty good at those things already ;) )
My hair is healthier. Even my hairdresser commented.
My skin is clearer

Here is something I am struggling with though. Compliments. I love getting them but I am finding I don't really know how to respond. I always find myself saying shyly "Thanks but I still have a long way to go" Or "Thanks it's been hard work". Why can't I just say "Thanks yeah I have worked hard and I feel great."

I did my measurements this morning. I have lost 59cm! The biggest difference has been on my hips. I have lost 20cm from my hips!

Where to from here. Well my next mini goal is to get out of the obese range and into the overweight range on the BMI Chart. I only a couple of kilos away from that.

I am trying to concentrate on my running. As it is under a month until my half marathon run. So I want to get a few long runs in. I also want to look into when to start doing some toning exercises. Should I wait until I lose a bit more weight or should I start now??

Should I sign up for Round 3 of 12WBT??? I haven't really used it a lot this time around. Mostly just for a few recipes.

So here are this week's stats
Weekly removal: 1.3kg
Rnd 2 12 WBT: 6kg (this is the last week of this)
Total cm removed: 59cm
Total Weight Removed: 20.7kg!!!!

Need to some up with a reward for my next 10kg which is only 9.3kg away. I am open to any suggestions.

Farm v's Town Running & This Weeks Plans.

Happy Monday

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had a mixed weekend. Miserable rainy windy horrible day at hockey on Saturday. We also lost the game which had us all feeling as bad as the weather. But Sunday the sun was shining and I went for my first run in about a week and a half. Then spent the day at Mum & Dad's new block where the kids had a blast running around. Was a great family day. 

A few weeks ago I put a post of facebook showing photo's of where I run. Gravel roads and tracks on the farm where we live. I love it but I had thought that maybe running on smooth footpaths & having something different to look at wouldn't be that bad either.  

This Sunday I was at my Mum & Dad's place. They live in a small country town about an hour away. So I went running on smooth footpaths with lovely gardens to look at. I went out at 7am so there weren't many people around. As I was about half way through my run I was longing to be back on the farm! I'm not sure what it was exactly. I was struggling a bit and kept thinking in my head that I wouldn't be struggling if I was running at home. Which of course I totally would have been because I hadn't been for a run for a week and a half!! 

I was really happy with my time. I did 5km in 30min. So great to be back home by 7:30am with my run down and out of the way. We have a joke in our family, whoever is the last person up my Mum always says she has been up and run 5km already. Which is soooo not true. So it was great when my Dad staggered out of bed to say "I have run 5km" and it was true!! 

So this week I am getting some much needed sorting of my clothes done. I need to empty all the clothes that are now to big out of my cupboards so I can fit all my smaller clothes in.  My weekly exercise plan is I have Netball tonight. Hopefully go for a run tomorrow morning before heading to Perth for a quick day trip. Rest Wednesday (or maybe a morning run no time in the evening). Thursday is hockey training which will involve lots of fitness work we have been told. Friday a light run. Saturday a game of hockey. Sunday a long run 10k+ hopefully.

Have a great week everyone!