That's (not) a Wrap - Week 3

So the week that was - it was a week for sandwiches, no more wraps for this little black duck! Now, let it be known I've never much been a fan of sandwiches. It goes back to school lunches: soggy bread, leaking drink bottle, sandwich disaster! So, I went back to sandwiches this week and yet again a pleasant surprise - fresh tastes, different combinations, and even though there was beetroot there was no soggy bread. OK, I'll let you in on my secrets:

1. I made them fresh at work (I just took all the ingredients to work and did it there) and

2. I quickly toasted them in the sandwich press (made me feel like I was eating a hot lunch on wet wintry days).

I loved the combination of ricotta and basil for taste, and got my sinuses cleared out with the horseradish cream (yet another ingredient never before tasted by moi).

 

Week 3 over means that we're 1/4 of the way through this 12wbt. I am still loving it. However this week did see my first slump on Wednesday, but I was so pleased with my ability to overcome and keep going. I also missed my core/stretch session on Friday and replaced it with pump. Yet again didn't hit 1000cal on SSS, but got to about 900ish.

 

I made a late start to the step up challenge. Managed 100 on Thursday, and haven't done anymore yet... Oops, that leaves me 500 step ups in 3 days! Heck, I better get a decent start on them tomorrow!

 

The highlight for the week was my meal Saturday night - baked crumbed fish with wedges. It certainly felt like a treat meal. Fabulous. Perhaps my favourite so far (and it's fish??!). Do yourself a favour and give it a go.

 

 

So, what am I looking forward to in week 4? Definitely the weekly challenge. It's all about trying a new food/ingredient everyday!! So, I've already got tomorrows meals prepared, and my ingredient... Red Onion. No nothing revolutionary there, but it is something that I would normally avoid if it was raw. But no, tomorrow I'm having red onion in my mexican tomato salsa corn thins!! We'll see how it goes.

 

But in a similar line, what am I not looking forward to?? Well, that would be eating tinned salmon in the salad for lunch next Sunday. That's a never ever eaten ingredient before. I've eaten fresh salmon twice in my life (once was in the last 3 weeks). In fact had this challenge not been on I would've swapped this meal for sure! Additionally I'm not looking forward to weigh in... I really don't feel like I've lost anything this week! But I'll keep going, and see what happens. And no matter what, life, and not even 12wbt, does not revolve around the result of a weekly weigh in.

 

e, sandwich disas

Anyone up for a Challenge??

So this week I had a mid-week slump... Wednesday... I attacked the hot chocolate left in the pantry with a vengence, followed quickly by the fruit crumble in the freezer (yes I did wait long enough to defrost it - barely)! BUT I turned it around by Thursday!!!

 

Wednesday night I went through the fridge, freezer and pantry looking for any culprits that might take me down again in an attack of the binge and threw them out! Wasn't that meant to happen in pre-season?? Well, yes, but I was still a little attached to them. NOT ANYMORE! Gone!!!

 

Thursday I was blessed with an RDO from work, and I had a lovely relaxing morning reading, listening to the rain (which is rare out here in the country!), flicking through the 12wbt forums etc. So I decided to go to the gym, and owing to the fact that I'd missed Wednesday's cardio workout I decided to combine Wed & Thurs together in one big session! Headed off to the gym at the best possible time of the day - it was practically deserted! And smashed out 2 sessions, with some step-ups in between. 953 calories gone, and I am no longer worried about the slump, because I am back on track!!

 

Now, step-ups... Why would I be doing that? Well, The weekly challenge for week 3 was to do 600 step ups. And, well, I'm not that into weekly challenges. Why? Because they sound like pain! Week 1 was to create a vision board, I almost did that. Well in my mind I created it, but it never actually took form in reality. Week 2 was 300 push-ups. Now I can't do 8 without dying, so I was not about to take part in that challenge. So week 3 = step ups. By now I've pretty much set my mind against the challenges, so I figured I wasn't going to. But, somehow my turn around on Thursday made me want to start. And so I'm 100 down of the 600 target. And since I only started on Thursday, I'm letting myself have until next Wednesday to finish them off. Only 500 to go!

 

This week's challenge is going to be a blast! It's something I feel like I've been doing since day 1 of this 12wbt. It's all about each day, for a week, trying a new food or ingredient! Now I've said it before, I've been amazed at what I've actually liked. And so here's some pictures of meals from week 3 each with a new food in them that I've tried. Sometimes I feel like there can't be that many left! But bring on the challenge!!!

 

Roasted Vegetable and Cous Cous Salad - delicious! I added a little chicken breast too (since this was my treat meal. But please note the presence of eggplant!!

Spicy Chicken & Cous Cous Salad - This was tasty, but probably not the best of my cooking - I'd like to try it again, this time cooking the couscous properly (it was a little too wet). But if you look closely you'll see a few little green olives poking their head up. I won't lie, they weren't my favourite part of the dish, but definitely edible.

Hoisin Beef Stir Fry with Spring Vegetables - my action photo!! This was dinner last night and it was very tasty. You'll see in here some asparagus spears. Never had it before, not really sure why not, couldn't really figure out if they have much flavour or not! Definitely nothing too offensive.

 

So now all that's left is to see how I go with completing my steps ups! I'm pretty confident I can smash the new food challenge! But, is anyone else up for that challenge???

  

Why 12wbt???

So I thought it was time to post about why I chose to do the 12wbt. I figure everyone has their own reasons, and so these are mine. I've just read someone else's blog tonight which reflected on the fact that everyone seems to be losing their enthusiasm and confidence that we all had in week 1, and I completely agree, the forums are full of this sentiment today. And, I think that I'm also feeling a little like that, so time to remind myself - why am I doing this??

 

I've always been overweight. Actually I honestly don't remember a time when I wasn't. I was never good at sport in school. I don't remember fitting into girls size clothing, but felt like I went straight into women's size 14-16 as a young teenager. And so I've always battled with my weight. There are many reasons, and I don't lay blame with anyone, but it is what it is. I didn't really learn healthy eating habits in my youth. It wasn't that my family always ate takeaway, in fact that was really rare, my mum was (is) a fantactic cook - but I don't think I ever learnt about portion control, and I never learnt to put a couple of lollies/choc/chips etc in a small bowl to eat, rather than taking the packet to the table.

 

When I was at uni I joined a gym for the first time ever, it was terrifying at first, but I soon grew to love it, and also managed to lose about 20kg. But, it crept back on. A few years later I joined a gym after moving away from home for work, I got a PT, and I lost about 25kg. But... it all went back on and then some! So a few more years went by, I was still a member of my gym, they were having a 'biggest winner' comp (ie losing weight) so I entered - I lost almost 30kg! I was one of the top prize winners! And still I let the weight go back on. I am a classic yo-yo dieter.

 

But through all that I have learnt what works - exercise and healthy eating - but it's about doing both! So I've tried to do that. Counting calories, writing down everything I eat, getting to the gym. But I struggle with consistency! And so it hasn't worked. Finally I got to the point where I was back weighing over 100kg, and thought 'I've had enough!'.

 

A number of friends did round 1 of 12wbt this year. So I asked them about it, and specifically about the food. You see, I don't have a lot of spare time in my days (who does!?) and I didn't want to be spending every moment at home cooking so that I could keep it up. But all reports were so positive about the taste and easy preparation of the food. So I thought I'd give 12wbt another go. I had tried it before in 2011, but back then I was trying to do a little bit of Michelle's way + a little bit of my way. The result? I gave up by about week 4.

 

So, it's come to this. Round 2 2013 12wbt and I'm in and committed! I decided to give the program a go and do it as a holistic program without trying to alter little bits on the side. So I've been following the workouts, and following the food almost exactly - I've just customised a few meals that were egg based (intolerance). Other than that I've tried new foods and things I 'don't' like (but in reality I do). I'm in this to lose weight and change my mindset for life!!! I do not want to be that yo-yo dieter anymore.

 

It's been a bit of a funny day for me, I was initially disappointed with myself for my 600g loss this morning - but I turned that around and decided that 600g is fantastic!! I'm in no competition with anyone (even myself), and I gave it my all last week. If my body can only reflect that with 600g then that's OK. I feel like I've lost weight, my clothes feel better, and I'm definitely getting fitter!! This afternoon I came home from work exhausted - didn't get to the gym for cardio, and then tried to hunt through the cupboard for treat food...

Did I find any?

Well, the closest thing was hot chocolate drink, and a homemade fruit crumble dessert in the freezer.

Did I eat them?

Yes I did!

Am I regretting that choice?

Yes, to the extent that the rest of the hot choc mix is now in the bin and I've gone through cupboard/fridge/freezer to search out any other temptations in there and I've binned them!

Is there a high point in this story?

Yes! For one thing I didn't get in the car and drive to the shops for a block (or 2) of chocolate. And, I realised that there was still temptations in my house and got rid of them! That's a positive to come out of a negative for me.

 

And so after a bit of a lull in the 12wbt thus far, I am still committed. I still want to get up tomorrow and smash out a workout (well, the cardio I missed today and then weights!). I want to change my life still, and it's still going to take effort. I just need to be consistent.

 

Well, that's why I chose 12wbt. What about you?