back on my bike

As a 12wbter, I had a fairly catastrophic week last week. But as a social, fun-loving, twenty-something, I had a fantastic (albeit exhausting) week.

Having abandoned my entire exercise routine for the week, I decided that it was better to get active than dwell on my failures. So I got active!

Dan and I went for a 2 hour bike ride on Sunday afternoon, and discovered a few places in Melbourne I never knew existed.

Princes Pier, Port Melbourne

Under the West Gate Bridge

Near Westgate park

I'm not thrilled that I was so undisciplined last week - it is something that I really need to work on. But I feel less guilty than I have in the past, so I think my mindset is improving. I am learning more about myself, the health/exercise/life balance that suits me and what keeps me motivated (and on-track).

Frivolity is great, but it is just one piece of the complex puzzle that is my crazy, slowly-transforming life. So I plan on being a very obedient 12wbter this week.

- Dani

red flag week

I've been feeling a little less social over the past few weeks. I am completely unable to rein myself in when eating and drinking out with friends, so it has been best to avoid those situation. But I can't go on like that forever.

This week I am out almost every night with birthday dinners, comedy nights, cocktail functions, the races, etc. It is a busy time of year and I know that I am failing to stick to the 12wbt plan. I didn't workout on Monday or Tuesday (but I did go for a lunchtime walk) and my diet has been far from ideal.

I know I'm supposed to suck it up, get up early and JFDI. But after a late night, it just doesn't happen. And to be honest, I'm not keen on depriving myself of sleep in order to exercise in the morning. Yes, I can try to get home earlier - but it's not happening this week.

While I am exercising when I can and watching what I eat as much as possible, in these situations I am completely weak - I know this. I ate birthday cake on Monday and I can't imagine not doing that. People have birthdays and people eat cake - I don't want to miss out on these things.

At home I seem able (most of the time) to be the mature adult that understands that I can't have everything I want. When I'm out though, it's all 'I want, I want, I want', and the mature adult doesn't even seem to be in the room.

If willpower really is a muscle, then I'd like to know how I can train it before I am in those situations. Because at the moment, I am feeling horrible, eating out, drinking and not exercising (even though it hasn't really affected my weight loss - which is even more annoying). Eating out is inevitable but I should be able to choose the healthiest option on the menu, say no say to that glass of wine with dinner and get up early the next morning to exercise. Shouldn't I? But I can't imagine ever not wanting the wine, not wanting the creamy risotto, not wanting to sleep in. And when I do say no to those things I tend to get a bit sulky and I don't enjoy the moment as much. (If you haven't guessed by now, I really hate being told I can't have something.)

There must be a balance between living a healthy, active life and engaging in 'normal' activities like eating out and having birthday cake. And I guess the answer is moderation. But as an overweight person, does moderation not apply to some things?

Basically I am feeling pretty weak and pathetic right now. My lack of willpower has been a huge barrier for me over the past few years, but I really thought that this time I was going to break through...

- Dani

big in Japan

Throughout the last 8 weeks I have changed a lot... but not as much as I'd like. I clearly have a long way to go before I can claim that I think fit and healthy.

This has gotten me thinking about whether I'll sign up for the next round of the 12 week body transformation. At the moment, I'm thinking that I will skip the next round, but sign up for the first round in 2013. Why? Because 1. I need to start doing these things for myself, not because a program tells me to and 2. I'm going to Japan in January.

As you may or may not know, people in Japan are very small and I'm not just talking about height. Morning exercise is part of almost everyone's routine and the government has even imposed waistline standards. So... I'm going to be big in Japan - physically.

I figure that between the 12wbt (and the finale), summer looming around the corner, seeing my family at Christmas and heading to Japan for new years, I have more motivational factors than anyone could ever need. If I don't seriously lose some weight now, then I don't know when I ever will.

So now I feel positive and confident knowing that I have 4 weeks of 12wbt and 'Project Japan' to keep me going through to the end of the year.

I also tried on some dresses today (maybe with the finale in mind) and though I was very hesitant about trying on a size 12 dress, it fit! It didn't look great, it did nothing for my shape, but it fit. Just another reason to smile and keep losing weight!

- Dani

the plateau phase

...is over! I lost 700 grams this week, and after a 5 week plateau, I almost can't believe it. I wish I'd taken a photo of my scales to prove to myself that it is real.

I have to admit that I weighed myself on Tuesday, not Wednesday - as I was much too focused on showering and jumping on my bike. But it still counts, yeah?

It makes me wonder why I did plateau for so long, because I did the maths (I have my spreadsheet remember) and it wasn't reconciling with the results. There is certainly a degree of human error involved in calculating calories etc, but I honestly should have lost more weight over the past 8 weeks.

Hopefully my body (and mind) has done whatever re-adjusting it needed to do and now the weight will continue to drop. (Fingers crossed!)

Regardless of my weight loss, I'm enjoying being more active everyday and the longer days are definitely spurring me on.

Here's hoping my measurements and fitness test results are on track this week too!

- Dani

weekend snippets

What a weekend! It wasn't jam packed, but it had some great moments.

Friday night 

A nice drop of red, lovely food and time spent with Dan. Ah bliss! But I didn't want to ruin my first group training session, so after my second glass of wine (yes, I had two and I don't regret it) I hit the hay.

Saturday

I joined some lovely Inner Melb 12wbters for an early group Super Saturday Session, which was supposed to be a skipping pyramid, but due to a couple of injuries was mostly a step-up pyramid. These ladies are definitely fitter than me, but it was good to be pushed (and not fall flat on my face).

We were out there for two hours and by the time I got home and organised breakfast I couldn't believe that the morning was nearly over. 

Post-SSS brekky

Having achieved so much in the morning I was in a pro-active mood. A few domestic chores later, I got started on a let's-jazz-up-the-apartment mini project.

I've been experimenting with herbs in the house lately, but we use herbs so often that the plants don't live long. So I decided I need herbs AND other plants, etc, to bring a little greenery inside, and what better plant to use than the also practical Aloe Vera.

This little creation now lives in the bathroom and I'm looking forward to adding a few extra touches to the rest of the apartment. This spring vibe is making me wanting to add a splash of colour to everything!

By this stage I was famished so I snacked on soy crisps and peanut butter sandwiches... which I wholeheartedly regret. Not because they were unhealthy or that I ate too much (neither of which is true), but because after such an action packed morning I should have organised a proper meal. Being hungry and eating whatever is around in the house is a habit I really want to break.

Exhaustion was well and truly taking over, so after a cheeky nap, we ventured out for a movie night. 

Lawless - it was pretty good

Sunday

I dosed up on water, had a small breakfast and headed to the Red Cross Blood Bank donor centre. But my blood wasn't in the mood to play nice (my flow rate was ridiculously low), so I had a few lovely nurses constantly checking up on me. One practically had to hold my hand to get my flow rate up.

Post-donation milkshake

The sun was shining so we headed to Mornington for a late lunch. We basked in the sunshine eating divine food at DOC. Sigh. It almost felt like I was on holiday.

Alas, I'm not on holiday, but at least we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset as we drove back to the city.

- Dani

friday funny

It's Friday, week 7 is nearly over and we all need a good laugh. (Well, I always want a good laugh.) Thank goodness for youtube!

I don't make a habit out of watching others suffer or embarrass themselves, but I must admit I couldn't help but laugh while I watched this clip. (Mostly because of the 'pants guy'.)



Have a great weekend!

- Dani

PS. I've joined a facebook support group and am planning to attend a group SSS session for the first time this weekend. I'm a little nervous, so I'll let you all know how it goes.

miso salmon

I have always loved food but I haven't always appreciated it. I do now! So I'm going to share one of my favourite recipes with you - miso salmon.

Firstly, in case you don't know, miso is a Japanese paste made from soybeans. You can find varieties of it in Asian supermarkets, but even your local Coles/Woolworths will have miso sachets (for miso soup).

Secondly, I'm not sure of the exact origin of this recipe. I'm pretty sure my mum took it from a cookbook, but I'm not sure which one. (FYI my mum is an amazing cook.)

And finally, my friends who do not like fish, or dislike salmon in particular, love this dish. Even kids eat it - it helps if you mix the salmon with small bowl of rice. So hopefully you'll like it too!

Though this recipe is very quick to make, you do need to prepare and marinate the fish at least 2 hours before you want to eat. I find it easiest to make the marinade the night before and marinate the fish for 24 hours.

Marinade ingredients

Marinade whisked and cooling

Salmon bathing in miso marinade

Salmon (after marinating for 24 hours) on a wire rack lined with foil

The end product - delicious!

Miso salmon and Asian greens

Serves 10 (approx 285 calories per serve)

Ingredients

1kg salmon fillet(s)

1/3 cup mirin

1 tbs reduced salt soy sauce

2 tsp caster sugar

1/3 cup miso paste/instant miso soup

3-4 bunches of your favourite Asian greens (or any greens really)

Optional calorie boost - brown rice or udon noodles

Method
1. Place soy, mirin and sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add miso and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat, transfer to a shallow bowl to cool completely.
2. When cool, add fish and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at 2 hours (or overnight).
3. Heat a grill to high and line a wire rack with foil. Place fish on the rack discarding the marinade and grill for 5 minutes or until golden and caramelised. Cooking fish like this on the rack brings it closer to the grill and allow heat to circulate.
Note - If you like your salmon cooked well throughout (which most non-fish eaters seem to prefer), you might need to leave it in for an additional minute or two depending on your grill.
4. Steam your greens while the fish is in the grill. (I happened to have an abundance of asparagus in the house but I would normally serve up gai lan and/or broccolini.) Plate up and serve!

This serves a lot of people (10!) and so is great for entertaining or large families, but if you are solo (or duo) you might want to reduce quantities. In my photos I had 200g salmon fillet (for two people) but I didn't reduce the marinade quantities (as I find it harder to get the right consistency - maybe I just need a smaller pan). Since the excess marinade is discarded, this shouldn't have much impact on the calorie count.

- Dani

SSS confusion

I have enjoyed the 12wbt 'run rabbit run' Super Saturday Sessions. I guess now that running is easier and I'm more adept at all of the exercises, it isn't such a struggle. I mean, my muscles hurt, especially after doing box jumps, lunges and squats, but I'm finishing the plan with ample time to spare, I only burnt approx 500 calories (well off the 1000 mark) and I don't feel that buggered.

Am I doing something wrong?

I'm adding extra running and circuits to fill the allotted time, but mostly I feel like I need to do another workout session in order to really push myself. In all honesty, it feels like a regular Monday to Friday session... there is nothing 'Super' about it.

While I'm happy to go rogue here and add extra exercises or a class/workout dvd, I'm just wondering if I'm missing something or if anyone has any advice. I'm absolutely thrilled that I'm getting fitter, but I need to burn those calories as weekends always have red flags.

What should I do?

- Dani

avoid, avoid, avoid

I'm not normally a 'chocolate person', it is something I enjoy but it isn't a weakness of mine... until recently!

Being told a piece of dark chocolate here and there is ok led to me consuming dark chocolate (albeit small amounts) almost every day. Not cool.

Haigh's dark chocolate - so addictive!

So guess what happens now? ...no more chocolate! Once a week max, but preferably not at all. At least for the foreseeable future.

And my undoing every weekend is largely due to alcohol. While I rarely drink beyond the National guidelines, a glass or two certainly starts upping the calorie intake, which (at this stage of my journey) I just can't afford.

October is looking like a very dry, chocolate-less month. I'm sure it will be fantastic!

What have you had to cut out/avoid to reach your goals?

- Dani

catching flies with honey

I gained 500 grams this week and I couldn't be happier.

The first 5 weeks of this 12wbt have not been easy for me. I found myself constantly stressing about diet and exercise. It felt like my home life revolved around the kitchen and the gym. And, dare I say it, I missed my couch. I would love to be a shiny, happy person that wants to squeeze activity into every moment of their life, but... I enjoy settling on the couch to watch a good movie. (Who doesn't?)

I was also constantly disappointed in myself for not following the 12wbt plans to the letter and on Sunday, I realised that I was tense and unhappy - and that something needed to change.

Sad Panda

So, thinking about my original goal - to find balance - I tried to gain some perspective.

I realised that I have my own choices to blame. Choosing to exercise after work limits my time in the evening to cook, clean, relax, etc. Also, the 12wbt is a tool that I'm using to improve my life, not a rule book, so it shouldn't stress me out. And most importantly, I want to change my life forever! So I need to find what works for me.

Since I had this realisation, I've changed my mindset and I'm actually choosing to spend more time in the kitchen and more time exercising. Even when I've had the option to enjoy some couch time, I've gone for a bike ride instead.

Gettin' some air

I'm feeling more motivated to change my life than ever before. If my joints are sore, the sun is shining and I choose to walk home from work instead of hitting the gym, I know I'll make up for it later in the week. I can eat non-12wbt approved meals, but I need to be mindful of my calorie intake and the nutrients my body needs. (I'm working on some healthy recipes right now!)

Nuts-for-lemon balls (I adapted my nuts-for-lemon bars recipe)

I would be lying if I didn't admit that I do need more discipline (I guess that's why I'm in this position in the first place), but stressing out and feeling despondent is never going to help me reach my goals. So now variation and substitution are friends not foes, and my focus is on the big picture (e.g., being active everyday, eating well) rather than religiously following specific plans/guidelines. And... I feel so much happier.

- Dani