Sorry guys, I just have no time to do updates for now....

Maybe the new year I can come back with more hints, tips and updates.

Stay healthy !!!

Love to everyone
Kerri C

Thursday 27th September 2012 - Comparing.... It Sucks !!!!

OK I know I haven’t been on here for a couple of weeks, but work and life have certainly got in the way of quality computer time J

So please forgive me.

In the last couple of weeks we’ve had some ups and down and some “nothings”, after a massive, sorry MASSIVE weekend, the weight went up a bit, then dropped again the following week and this week narda, zip, zero change which does actually surprise me. I’ve been hitting the training hard and although I did have some planned drinks on Saturday night I certainly compensated for it in training and nutrition so I could relax and enjoy the drinks. Although it’s pretty disheartening having to put up with plateus I have a big weekend planned this weekend for the AFL Grand Final– Go Swannies J So again I’ll be dedicated and over compensate with nutrition and training, and basically just see what happens next week. I’m certainly not going to put my entire life on hold. Body for life, not life for body J

Now fitness test – OK I was suppose to do it last week and haven’t…. have I mentioned how much I hate fitness tests ??? but I will I promise and will up date those statistics asap….. well as soon as I pull my finger out and go out in the heat and run like a demented demon for 4min….Anyway, must be done…. Grumble grumble grumble…

NOW – what did I say we would focus on ???

OH !! – comparing yourself to others doing a program (12wbt specifically).

Now this is going to be full of clichés and information that you already know, but hey sometimes we need a reminder.

Every BODY is different. There are 3 main body types X Y and Z – now X’s

On top of this we all have different metabolisms, different environmental factors, different ways our bodies deal with food/training etc etc…. I know for me, when I’m stressed out I do not lose weight at all no matter what I do. My old trainer told me it was due to the chemical effects that my stressing brought on, essentially the release of cortisol (I won’t go into the how’s and why’s of cortisol and it’s effect on weight loss but it’s quite interesting, google is your friend or have a look here http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53304)

Other items that effect weight loss and the such.

¨ How much weight in total you have to lose. Someone who is near their goal weight will find it much much harder to lose a kilo than someone with a longer way to go.

¨ Age –as we age, our metabolism slows

¨ Certain medications can effect your weight loss.

¨ Sex –as in male vs female…. Come on now…… but men usually have more muscle and less fat than women, hence they burn more energy

¨ Your genetic make up, some people just have a slower Basal Metabolic Rate than others. Simple as that.

¨ Your body signals eg how hungry or full you feel (essentially effecting how much you eat)

So as you can see by just these few examples just because Jane Doe lost 2kg this week doesn’t mean that although you are doing the same nutrition and training plan that you will as well….. AND THAT’S OK J

Essentially focus on HOW YOU FEEL, do you feel better? Healthier? Are your clothes fitting better? Are the stairs as hard to get up? Are you carrying more shopping from the car into the house? Keeping up with the kids better? Do you simply have more energy? Etc etc and so on. There’s more to a healthy lifestyle than a number on a set of scales (which changes depending on what scales you are on anyway !!!!) The scales are simply a guide. Not gospel.

Take it easy on yourself, and although sometimes it is really hard to stay motivated when Jane Doe is losing bucket loads of weight and your journey is a little slower, stop breathe and remember that your are special, some people haven’t done a nutrition or training plan before, and your healthy surely must out weight a number…. Surely.

Hang in there and be nice to yourself, think of all the positives J

Till next time

KC

Wednesday 5th September 2012, Week 2, - MYTH BUSTER !!!!

Weigh in day – loss of 500gm…. Sounds so much better when I say half a kilo though :) I’m happy with that, I had a few too many father’s day drinks which in turn became a “I’m starving and only sweet potatoe chips and a peanut butter sandwich can fix it” moment. So with that in mind I’m happy. And this week I’ve been extra tired as I’m going through a phase where my body/mind refuses to sleep, so I have not been getting up early to do my uphill treadmill walks. So half a kg with a red flag and less exercise than normal makes me very happy…. So what’s that ?? 5.3kg till goal weight :) - SOOOO looking forward to week 4 measurements by the way, I think things are shrinking :)

 

OK last week I said I would do some diet and exercise MYTH BUSTING, so here’s MY top ten !!! :)

 

1)  I’m a girl, I don’t want to do weights because I'll look like Arnie – You won’t, end of story, you do not have the same amount of testosterone rolling around in your body like men (who have between 10-30% more). If you start looking like Arnie, call me, I want to know how you did it !!!

2)  Carbs are bad – Your body needs carbs to function, they are your primary source of energy…. But this does not include an entire loaf of garlic bread with a giant side of pasta an hour before you’re going to bed :(, simple carbs aren’t a very good choice here. Good complex carbs (oats, grains, nuts) of low GI take longer for the body to break down and give you a more even release of energy over a longer period of time (and keep you fuller longer). Unlike simple carbs like sugar, pasta, refined white bread and rice, they do not make your insulin levels take a giant spike and then a giant fall making you want more more more !!!

3)  Spot reducing (like doing lower body weights only to reduce the booty) – Think about it. No matter what you do your body will do it’s own thing and take fat from where ever it feels to convert it to energy to support your exercise, no matter what exercise...running, weights, step, pump, walking, squats etc etc doesn’t matter, body needs energy, it will burn what it needs.

4)  I weighed a kilo more this week, it must be muscle !!! – Well this does certainly change per person as a lot of factors like genetics, type of training, diet, gender and age have a play in this. Some people can notice gains quite quickly, others a lot longer, but generally it takes a relatively long time to build significant muscle like a kilo and it takes proper muscle building training as well to facilitate major gains in a short period.With targetted exercise you could generally expect to see some changes in a 6-8 week period again depending on your body type. One website I visited (aworkoutroutine.com) has written an average up (the person writing this has 10+ years first hand experience (and observations) and has spoken with trainers/coaches) and they published the following guide for an average expectation of how quick you could gain muscle (and in my personal experience I think it’s about right, well for my personal story any way).

Average Natural MAN: between 113grams – 226grams of muscle per week (or about 450gms –     900gms of muscle gained per month).

Average Natural WOMAN: between 54grams – 113grams of muscle per week (or about 226grams –  450grams of muscle gained per month).

5)  Fresh Fruit/Veg is better than frozen - With shipping and storage, fresh fruit can often sit around for as long as two weeks before it hits your supermarket. In contrast, frozen fruit is often picked and frozen at the peak of freshness.

6)  I want abs so I’ll do heaps of crunches – Good ole crunches (or any other forms of ab exercises) will in fact help you build mean muscly abs….. but you will not actually see them if you aren’t lean enough. I know when I first started weights I could literally feel how hard my abs were, but they were well hidden and it was only after I started to lean up that I could actually see them and the leaning up had nothing to do with doing ab exercises in particular, it was my overall nutrition and training.

7)  I need to take supplements to get into shape – As the name implies, they are to supplement your nutrition. To pick you up in areas that may be lacking, like protein for bodybuilders as an example when they need to up their intake, or you may not be able to eat fish and can’t get enough Omega-3’s from other avenues…. But you do not need to just have shakes, pills and powders because you are now getting into shape…. They have their place to help you and you should seek advice on what would be best for you or beneficial to you.

8)  I ate crap food, but it’s ok I’ll train longer – My favourite saying, ‘you can’t out-train bad nutrition”. It’s not just the energy in and energy out, all the ingredients can have their part to play, for example the fact that sugar is crazy for stopping weight/fat loss. Your body will burn that sugar BEFORE anything else. So dig into your chocolate, and then the first hour or so of training (the more you’ve had obviously the longer you have to train) is WASTED burning off that sugar instead of fat….

9)  I need to basically live on lettuce leaves and starve to lose weight – The idea is a balanced, healthy and proportionate nutrition plan. You do not have to starve or be a rabbit. The reason most people reach for the salad bag when they are serious about losing weight and starting a healthy lifestyle is that you can have an entire bag of mixed veggies or salad leaves which will have more nutritional bang for your energy (calorie/kilojoules) buck than say a quarter of a mars bar. Your tummy will be fuller longer from the fibre…. Geez there are so many reasons for reaching for some greens when you want to lead a more healthy lifestyle and starving is not one of them. Yes you do need to lower your energy input to lose weight, but this shouldn’t mean that you have air for snacks instead of good wholesome food. Basically you can fit a bucket load of healthy choice food on your plate for the same calories as a small amount crap food.

10)  I have to do cardio to lose weight – ALL EXERCISE WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT, energy in, energy out. Remember I lost 8.7kg doing my first round of lean and strong !!! and it could have been more if I didn’t up my food intake. Nutrition has a large part to play in your weight loss journey.
 
WOW – thinking of 10 was actually harder than I thought, but there are quite a few myths about and all you need to do is research. W ebelieve so many untruths because a) they are told and say them ourselves time and time again without even checking if it's true and b) they suit us and make us feel better about ourselves, eg gaining a kilo in a week and telling yourself it’s just muscle is far more acceptable mentally than truthfully looking at your nutrition and exercise or even other reasons like “that time of the month” or water retention etc.
 
Well I’m all typed out after all that, so stay healthy
 
KC
XX

 
References
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/tips/strategy/top-10-fitness-myths/
http://www.gymjunkies.com/fitness-myths/
http://well.wvu.edu/articles/10_dieting_myths
http://howtobuildmuscleask.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-muscle/
www.livestrong.com/.../213868-how-long-does-it-take-to-gain-lean-muscle-mass/
www.musclebuildingdaily.com/muscle/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-muscle.php
http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain/

Thursday 30th August 2012 - Week 1 - Kick Off !!!

Well weigh in day went well, 65.8kg, so a nice loss of 800gm in 2 days. Whoever says you won’t lose weight doing strength training is crazy !!!!! Actually (side track coming) when I did a bio-test at the gym the owner (who is a regular competitor in figure championships and has a body people would beat themselves with a stick for) said that for my body type, that I would lose weight with cardio, but it would all be from the waist up. That I would lose weight more evenly doing weights. Looking back over time, she’s absolutely right !!! I remember before starting 12wbt (way back when) I was ALWAYS a pear shape…. No matter how much running, cycling, classes blah blah blah I did. Yet after Lean & Strong I was pretty much straight up and down and happily lean……. Food for thought….. And also I feel pretty lucky to have such awesome people at my gym :) lol…..and they are rather inspiring to look at too !!!!
 
SO ANYWAY – only another 5.8kg to go to goal weight :)
 
Now I guess I should put something in for “food for thought”….. hmmmm  how about being “kick off” week I rant about my personal favourite of “change”……
 
It’s hard…….. really hard, and over time I’ve had a few people that I know start some form of exercise/nutrition program with that bubble of excitement and then within that horrific test period of the first 4 weeks quit…. and sometimes the excuses are simple (well when you are looking in from the outside they can be :))…. Things like “I can’t fit it in my schedule, I don’t like to eat XXX, I don’t like missing my favourite TV program”. There’s many and I know I’ve used some. My favourite for me is that “I’m tired”…..staple excuse that one :) anyway….
 
I THINK….. that’s right, remember all theser antings are my thoughts only…..
 
You need to consciously sit down and make a decision to change
 
To change your lifestyle, to change your habits, to accept that whatever you are doing now just can’t be right or you wouldn’t be out there looking for a program in the first place. I know a few rare people that have just done a program to just do something and not have any real goals in mind, but a near 100% of people I know want to change their body (predominately lose weight) and that is the reason they are doing some form of program.
 
Change does not come easy. It takes true, whole hearted,self acceptance, that to reach the goals you’ve set yourself that you may have to stop something you’re use to doing, start something you may not want to do and try new things.... scary huh ! !!!
 
Accept, change and achieve….. :)
 
Personally - I hate getting up in what most people class as the middle of the night to squeeze in some training before work, but I accept that to make this butt a booty, it just has to happen….. After 10+ hours at work, hauling heavy ass weights around does not always excite me….. I’d rather go home, have wine and cookies and watch Judge Judy roast people…..not going to get too lean or strong there….. And MOST times when I’m mentally bitching to myself that I don’t want to be doing blah blah, I remind myself that I accepted that I need to change my lifestyle to reach mygoals. No one forced me, it was all my choice so get moving…..
 
Accept, change and achieve…. :)
 
You are not alone :)
 
Hope that nourishes a few minds out there…….and that is all for today’s “mindful moment”.

Next week I'll try and remember to focus on breaking some fitness myths :)
 
Stay healthy
 
XXXX

Monday 27th August 2012, Week 1 - Let's get it started !!!!

Ok so fitness test is now complete, and I am super happy with the results (check out the statistic page for all my results including measurements) !!!
 
Now to watch them get even better :)
 
Measurements… well measurements shmeasurements…. They have room for improvement, but hey !!!! we’ve all gotta start somewhere…
 
So today is Day 1 and after a boozy and dare I say it a tad munchy weekend I’m feeling sick and hoping to god to make it through my training without throwing up. I wish I could bottle up just how ill I feel after such a junky weekend so when I even think about having something laden with salts, fats and sugars I just have a taste of this and whoah I’ll be cured !!!!! Struggling even drinking water, but my goal today is to drink 2 litres…. So bottoms up…..
 
Short and sweet today
 
Stay healthy !!!
 
XXX

Thursday 23rd August 2012 - I'm back !!!!

Well I’m back !!!! :)
 
And committed to a complete Round of 12wbt this year.
 
Since my last post (can you even remember that?…….) I’ve been up and down and up and down. I was still signing up for rounds of the program to only get the plans so I could continue with the training and nutrition, but slowly and surely my social life and old habits snuck in again. It’s mainly been since a June trip to Bali that I really threw in the towel and was only halfhearted about my health and fitness.
 
So here I am, signing up properly, doing all my tasks and actually COMMITTING to this round, and you lovely readers have the joy of coming with me on my journey. To be honest, I’m excited. Unlike previous rounds (since Christmas) where I just thought “I’ll just continue on blah blah blah” but actually going through my pre-season tasks properly this time and reading other posts on FB and facebook with new starters and others re-committing like I am has really put me in the right frame of mind and ignited my “gonna do it” fire.
 
Hmmmm frame of mind….. Lets explore :)
 
Why did I let what I had go ??? Really ???
 
I think there are many reasons, being lazy, non committal, not planning meals/exercise, not prioritizing, making excuses etc etc are all partners in crime, but I think there are 2 main areas (or problems) where I could have dealt with better.
 
1)       I stopped doing this for me. I won a round, then felt obligated to maintain what I had and be the forever perfect role model and lets face it, perfection is a dream, and just being happy with yourself is a far better reality. So that’s the first hurdle getting over the pressure I put on myself (why do we always seem to be our worst enemies ???). Continuing to be the healthy and fit “angel” whom would NEVER eat blah blah or miss training…. So so very unhealthy and not maintainable. Makes life a little less fun. I mean this was supposed to be my lifestyle, not my life. Body for Life not Life for Body !!!!!
 
And on that note, my other main frame of mind (or bent out of frame mind set) that cushioned me into my old ways
 
2)       I felt that I could always fix anything I did to myself….. so I gained 5kg…..pffffffttt whatever !!! I can lose that easy !!!! Just follow the healthy life rules….. Seriously say that to yourself a few times and see how easy it is to allow old habits back in until they become your new addictions again…. Roller coaster here we come…. Mouse on a wheel….Getting no where…. I actually think that mentality started sneaking in on Round 3 last year as when I look at the patterns of weight loss on my graph it’s a wiggly line instead of a nice even line with a few bumps here and there…..
 
But no more :) and I’m feeling pretty confident about it too.. I’m finally mentally there to take things serious again, to overcome these ridiculous habits. It’s going to be hard and I may actually not succeed to the extreme level that I’ve set myself, but it’s ok, I’m moving in the right direction again with my hands firmly on the steering wheel. One moment at a time….breathe in, breathe out :)
 
Well let’s get to the most basic detail now huh…. As of today…. Drum roll…..
 
Weight = 65.6kg (goal weight 60kg)
 
Which actually means I’ve lost a total of 1.6kg since I actually decided to take my life back and get back behind the steering wheel (last weigh in was Saturday 18th August 2012)….. Quite amazing when you clean up your nutrition and although I’m not flogging it at the gym at the moment I’m hitting the good ole treadmill in the morning before work (Oh how 5am starts will start to lose their sparkle……. What am I saying they never had sparkle, but they are better than the 4.30am starts)…..
 
I will update other measurements and fitness test results when they are done later this week. Oh how I hate the 1km time trial (just don’t have a good clean 1km running spot….have to work on that)…. Wonder if I can do a beep test instead….. hmmmm….
 
Oh one more thing I need to add here…… MY COMMITMENT!!!!!! here’s looking at you kids….
 
“I commit to this program and to a permanent healthy and fit lifestyle. I commit to learn and explore areas that I try to overlook more thoroughly so that this is not a round to round phase but a new lifestyle in general. I commit to eat from Michelle’s nutrition plans and train as Mish has asked. I commit to recognising my red flag days and events and being an adult about them instead of making them week long affairs. I commit to watch the weekly videos and tips and be more informed on my journey. I commit to update my blog, weights, measurements and fitness test results and commit to not surrender to my excuses. I commit to not sabotage myself and to do this for me and no one else. I commit to being a great person on not so great days and commit to never giving up.

This is my word and I am a woman of my word”
 
How can I say this…… shit just got real :)
 
Bring it
 
Happy health everyone, till next time XX

December 22nd 2011 - MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS !!



Well it's upon us and today I'm going to be short and sweet and give you MY 12 tips of Christmas....

1.   If you "fall off the wagon" just jump straight back on. It's never too late to clean up your act. Don't just throw in the towel and eat your way through the whole day, then not bother with training because it's now a waste of time..... Next meal, clean it up !!! DO your training...

2.   You CHOOSE what you eat over Christmas !! You do not HAVE to eat pies, puddings and pounds of god knows what. You can simply choose (or make and take with you) a healthier option. Ham is great. We know lean ham is the bomb, ham and salad on the plate is not going to have people nagging you about being healthy.... dessert ??? "Oh I'll just have a tiny piece, I'm really full from dinner/lunch".... It's really not that hard.

3.   Try and keep up your habits. If you get up at 5am to train. Still try to do this. Or if you are choosing to have that special sleep in, still do your training when you do get up. Keep up with your normal habits.

4.   Still plan your meals ! If you know Aunty Jo is doing a massive lunch with every trimming under the sun have lighter meals the rest of the day. Easy.

5.   Drink PLENTY of water !!! Do I really need to discuss this further ?? Especially when you are boozing !!

6.   Set yourself goals. Eg "I am going to weigh in on the day after boxing day (and going by that measurement) I'm going to lose XX amount of kg's by XX time. My personal goals are to weigh 58kg before Christmas Day (on track :)), and then re-weigh myself on my return to Bali and get back to 58kg by Jan 16th.

7.   Treat yourself. Yes it is allowed :) I personally have a 4 pack of white choc topped fruit mince pies sitting in the fridge. They are waiting for Christmas Day...... so am I !! Love fruit mince pies and very happy they are not available all year round :)

8.   Set mini challenges and involve other people !!!. These tend to get you off the couch and out of bed. Currently I'm doing a 1000 squat & crunch challenge with the Darwin Crew. It started Monday and by Christmas we have to have 1000 squats and 1000 crunches done...... Sharing challenges with other people keeps you honest !!! I know I wouldn't be making as much of an effort if it wasn't for this little challenge. Maybe while I'm in Bali I'll set a distance challenge and make sure I walk a certain distance while I'm there.... or a certain amount of steps each day.... Will have to think about that one :)

9.   Know what you are drinking.... Some drinks have over 300cal in them.... Hello berry cider !!!!

10.  Remind yourself continually "Do I want to start next year behind where I'm finishing this year?". I know personally next year is creating a better version of this body... not trying to get this body back again :)

11.   DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE USE THE EXCUSE "IT'S CHRISTMAS" !!!! I know I'm doubling up on this one from my last post, but it is a killer !!! It covers everything from booze, not exercising, excessive eating, and it spreads like a disease !!! If I'm being lazy because "it's Christmas" I'll tend to say "oh put that down, you don't need to worry about it right now, here relax with me "it's Christmas"...... remember those words.... "It's Christmas" = EXCUSE !!!

12.   and number twelve on my twelve tips of Christmas is "Fridge Pickers Wear Big Knickers".... The fridge is a dangerous battleground.... I'm guilty of it, swiping a slice of ham, a chocolate, mince pie, nuts, you name it as I go pass. Or grab a bottle of water and a piece of chake miraculously appears in the hand as well... remember.... big knickers.... :)

Well gorgeous people.... that's it for this year. I'm going on holidays to Bali and have the best of intentions to stay as I am now, but the realist in me knows that cocktails will not help the situation. And I am going to employ as many tips as I can over there, but at the end of the day I am having as many darn watermelon/vodka cocktails as I want :)

So you won't hear from me until after the New Year :)

Stay safe, stay happy, stay fit, lean, strong and healthy - You deserve it !!!!

 Mwah to you and your families

XXX

May you all be as Merry and Happy as my little Jacob this season :) - Merry Christmas Everyone !! XX