My 12wbt Journey - An Explanation for Family & Friends

The fair majority of my friends and family members know that I’m doing the 12wbt and a few know that I’m now in my third round. Some are more than supportive while others are neutral (both completely fine) --- a couple have also shown a serious lack of understanding towards the program I’m completing. That is my main reason for posting this particular message--- to explain what this program is as well as what it is doing for me.

I suppose first and foremost the 12wbt is a weight loss program, although it contains a variety of programs aimed at strength gain & running event training as well. I must admit that I didn’t really start 12wbt to lose much weight--- I have in fact been part of the strength gain (lean & strong) program from the very start & my overall aim was to improve my tone & strength. However while training & changing my diet I did manage to lose 8.5kg and have found myself to be a lot healthier & happier at my lower weight. I am still well within the healthy weight range & I eat over 2000 calories of nutritious food per day for my strength training in order to gain muscle--- so there’s no need for any concern that I’m ‘wasting away’.

The program provides all its members with a meal plan complete with recipes and an exercise regime tailored to suit their particular goals. The meals are healthy, nutritious and require only basic cooking skills to prepare while the exercise regimes come in various ranges of difficulty and may be performed in various locations (home, outdoors, gym etc). There are instructive videos included for all exercises to ensure that members perform them using proper technique. Of course you’d probably expect these aspects from any decent health program.

The reason that the 12wbt means so much to me (& others) and that I’ve been so successful on it is that it also focuses on the psychological level of health. Each week we receive mindset videos from Michelle in which she discusses various topics including self-esteem, self sabotage, planning & the myth of motivation. In reading me write this you’re probably thinking ‘what possible difference could watching a video make?’ Well for me it’s made all the difference. Through a combination of these videos & the support of the wonderful, awesome friends I’ve made on the 12wbt forums (another aspect of the program) I’ve realised how much I’ve been focusing on the negatives in my life & how I’ve been holding myself back. Through this realisation I’ve managed to step back and recalibrate my life by building new & much healthier habits for myself. I’ve developed self-esteem and the confidence to stand up for the things I believe in. I’ve also tried things that I never thought were possible before (six-pack anyone?).

All in all the 12wbt isn’t just some ‘thing’. It isn’t a fad, nor is it a diet. It’s a permanent lifestyle change. 

Cool Cookin'

 Roast Vegetable Salad with Feta

 Sweet Potato & Eggplant Bake

 Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry

 Bunless Burgers

Creamy Pasta Bake

Bikini Competition?

So I've been considering what I'd like to do after completing the city-to-surf. At first I was considering a triathlon but a couple of days ago I came across some INBA champion interviews---- They've quite changed my perspective. I had known about figure competitions for some time now but these have never appealed to me as I don't wish to develop quite that level of muscle tone. However I had not realised that they also run 'bikini' competitions---- a type of competition that requires the "toned yet not full-on six pack" look that I've been aiming for... I've been perusing their website and I honestly think I could do it! If I still feel the same way later in the year I think I'll go for it!

Pre-season tasks

So the time has come once again for me to complete my pre-season tasks. I've signed up to round 1 2013 & in four weeks (remember I'm finishing this round late due to my holiday) I will be starting the lean & fit program. As follows are the three pre-season tasks that mean the most to me. I have written them out & stuck them up on the wardrobe overlooking my bed. I have also signed the paper on which I have written my commitments to signify that my word is indeed my bond.

Task 1 - Get Real, No More Excuses!

Internal Excuses

• I'm not fit enough
• I don't feel like it/I'm not motivated enough
• I deserve the treat
• I'll do it later
• I'm too worn out
• I've done enough this week
• I have my period
• I won't enjoy it

External Excuses

• I don't have the time
• I'll ache at uni/work tomorrow
• I should spend my time studying instead
• It's way too hot today
• I'm on holiday, there's no equipment

My Solutions

• JFDI!! 
• Motivation is a myth & is definitely not required for working out!---- working out should be done in robot mode, just like brushing your teeth!
• Working out makes me feel better
• I DESERVE to be healthy
• I can do it if I try, history has shown this
• I'll get it out of the way so I can relax later
• I have plenty of free time, who am I kidding with that excuse?
• I study much better when I've been eating healthy & exercising
• I can work out indoors (in fact I do even when its not hot!)
• I can do bodyweight exercises without equipment

Task 2 - Take Control, Set Your Goals

1 Month Goals (10th March 2013)

• Run 5km non-stop

I will continue my current lean & strong program then swap to lean & fit when finished.

3 Month Goals (5th May 2013)

• Run 8.5km non-stop

I will follow the 12wbt program--- running twice a week at the gym & once a week at my partner's house (plus weights twice a week).

6 Month Goals (28th July 2013)

• Run 12km non-stop
• Bench-press 30kg x 12

I will follow the 12wbt program, reassessing my program at the 3 month milestone. I will potentially swap to learn to run or if I feel I'm losing too much form I will go back to lean & strong while incorporating weekend runs.

12 Month Goals (12th January 2014)

• Squat 30kg x 12
• Complete Beginners 1 Pole Dancing
• Learn to ride a bike

I will follow the 12wbt program, swapping back to lean & strong (if I have not already) once the city-to-surf is complete. I'll sign up to pole dancing lessons & my partner will teach me to bike ride.

Task 4 - Say it Out Loud

I am 100% committed to running the 12km city-to-surf.

I am 100% committed to my new healthy lifestyle.

I am 100% committed to maintaining a weight of 61-63kg.

I am 100% committed to moving forward in my fitness journey & to constantly challenging myself.

I am 100% committed to developing a healthy & positive mindset.

I am going to do this, my word is my bond.

This Program

I love how this program has made me feel. I love how its sparked a passion & creativity in my life that wasn't there before and I love the fact that I'm starting to build my own ambitions. I've proved to myself that I can achieve a goal if I put the effort in & work towards it consistently so there's no reason for me to not apply this methodology to the rest of my life. Healthy eating & exercising has made such a difference for me mentally as well; I find my thinking is clearer & I no longer get as depressed. I find myself actually doing things now like reading books & crafting things--- I haven't had the enthusiasm to do this since middle school! In short I guess I really needed this change, its made my life so more worthwhile.

A Small Change

Unfortunately I need to remake my original small change from round 3 2012 as old habits have started to sneak in a little bit----- My commitment is to completely eliminate caffeine! I've managed to avoid coffee for 6 months but diet coke has made its way back into my life on a casual basis. It makes me feel sick so quite frankly it has to go for good!

A Good Day

I went out with one of my friends today (after completing my 3rd workout of the week) & was exceptionally proud & happy when she told me that the change in my body was incredibly noticeable & that I looked great. I guess I spend most of my time around the same people, whom get to see me nearly every day & so haven't really noticed the huge change. I was starting to feel a little disappointed whenever my mum insisted that she didn't see any difference in my photos so it's very nice to get such positive feedback. She even told me that one of her male friends was jealous of my physique so that really made my day!

Self Portraits

Two pictures that really hit home for me the change in my looks that has taken place during the program--- I look so much healthier now! My skin is glowing, there's no acne---- I actually quite like the way my face looks! Hooray!!

Time for a Guns Show!

A look at my guns in both week 9 & week 18. Seeing some great changes here!

Self Belief

Going through a journey such as mine there's always going to be times when you doubt yourself, doubt whether you can do it and doubt whether its worth it. It's at those times that you need to get a bit of perspective in life, take a step back & breathe.

First of all, look at how far you've come so far. Some people might sit there & think: "Well I really haven't done that much at all," but I doubt that's really true. What would you be doing right now if you hadn't started? What habits have you changed since you started? How much healthier & happier have you been since you started? What new things have you had the confidence to try? Thinking about these things myself, I know that I've gained a great deal from my journey so far.

Secondly, think about where you would like to be & what it will take to get there. What do you want to look like? What would you like to achieve? I often find this idea quite overwhelming personally because its so hard to define my end goal. I find it much easier to visualise my smaller milestones along the way rather than visualise the big picture. Think about how proud you'll be when you run that race, lift that weight or wear that bikini.

Thirdly, realise that you don't have to complete this change overnight. So many people think they have to lose "this much weight in this many weeks"--- no. Improving your health & reaching your goals is a life-long struggle. Don't give up because your results aren't instantaneous---- the good things in life aren't.

Fourthly, if you've been comparing your results to that of others then that's not the way to go. Why? Everyone is at a different stage of their journey, everyone's bodies are different & everyone has a different perspective. I found myself ogling one of the other lean & strong ladies a while ago thinking 'why don't I look like that?' only to find out that she'd been training for 3 years and was a competitive body sculptor. I've only been going for 5 months (& her body type is quite different to mine)---- no wonder I don't look anywhere near that!

Fifthly, find your self-belief---- it's in there somewhere! Tell yourself that you are a strong & capable person (you are), you deserve to be strong, healthy & fit (you do), you are worth the effort and you can do it! (Believe me you can!!) It may be difficult to make yourself believe this at times but trust me when I say its the absolute truth.

New Year's Resolution

Facing the reality that I’m still bitter over something that happened several years ago, despite my best efforts to persuade myself otherwise. I got a terrible shock today when I came across something that reminded me of it and felt the most horrible bitterness & discontentment I’ve ever experienced. Looks like I’ve got a different area of my mind set to focus on this year—— My (late) New Year’s Resolution is to let go of my negative feelings and to move on completely. I’ve come so far in my mind set already that I’m sure I’ll be able to overcome this obstacle as well.

Last Week's Cooking

 Warm Lamb, Pumpkin & Pomegranate Salad

 Amazing Marinara

 Beef with Creamy Mushroom Sauce & Beans

 Hoisin Beef Stir Fry with Spring Vegetables

 Beef Fillet with Roast Pumpkin, Beetroot & Gingered Spinach

Light Eggplant Parmigiana

Update

Well I seem to be going pretty well with my training at the moment - I'm into my third week of specificity & I think I'm back to my pre-holiday level of fitness. The most prominent change I've noticed in the last few weeks is that the backs of my thighs are now nice & firm... I can feel some serious muscle there! As this was one of the areas I wanted to specifically target from the start I'm extremely happy! I think it's due to the amazing leg days I've been having; I've really been trying to push it with the weights, squats & lunges lately. I've permanently moved up some of my weights as well ---- squats are now up to 20kg (from 17.5kg), chest presses are now a minimum of 17.5kg (from 15kg) & I'm in the process of lowering my chin up assist from 12 to 11.

My eating has been clean but I have been adding a few more calories than usual to my meals. I was still however amazed to see I'd actually put on 900g this week--- it's the first particularly large weight gain I've had in over 20 weeks. I'm not worried by this though, some of the more experience lean & strong ladies have suggested that weight gain is necessary in the specificity stage of the program as substantial muscle growth requires a caloric surplus. I should easily take the excess off again when I reach the getting ripped stage of the program in a week & a half.

The Number on the Scales

I just wanted to share this picture with you all because it really does tell the truth. The number on the scales does not define you, your worth or even your health. If you're getting healthier & happier every day then hang the number on the scales!

Holiday Cooking

Prawn & Fetta Bruschetta (altered from the pizza)

Lamb with mushy peas

Chicken & Pumpkin Korma

Tomato & Fetta Pizza with Olives

Pan fried Beef with Corn & Avocado Salsa

Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni (Christmas day)

Tasty Tandoori Chicken (back from holiday)

Beef Pad See Ew

Banana & Coconut Whip Cocktails

Some More Progress Photos

Week 9 vs Week 20---- I seem to have gained a bit more ab & arm definition so I'm happy!

Love Yourself

The more I continue with this program the more I'm starting to really love myself. When I look in the mirror I no longer see the negatives; Some particular aspects I always used to focus on were how much my stomach was sticking out, how un-toned my butt was & how small my breasts looked. Now when I look in the mirror those things aren't issues any more---- I have a six-pack & a flat stomach and my butt is starting to get super-firm.

 My breast issues have been a bit more of a mental hurdle for me (lets face it, you can't exercise your breasts bigger!) but I'm finally starting to accept them the way they are. Lets face it, they're not a small size, they're quite plainly visible & they're a pretty nice shape. I have noticed them getting perkier (possibly due to pec dec exercises) and I have some better cleavage going on due to my chest pressing. I think I've spent too much time mentally comparing my own breasts to those of some of my bustier friends. Of course the ironic thing is that all my bustier friends complain about their size & have problems with back pain--- so they don't find their size desirable at all! It's funny how we all want what someone else has isn't it?

Other than the physical aspects I'm starting to appreciate other things about myself; such as my cooking abilities & my dedication to the program. I don't think I would have believed it if I'd been told a couple of years ago that I'd have a six pack & would train 4-5 times a week with free weights at the age of 20! I also know now that's its alright to be confident about myself & my own abilities. There's no need to play yourself down to others, hold yourself back or pretend to be less than you are. I think this poem one of my friends sent me sums this up well:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

My round so far

Well overall I've had a pretty good week. I've completed all four muscle workouts & boy did they burn! While the two week rest seems to have done my muscles some good (they're looking more defined), I've also lost a little bit of strength. I find myself having to drop back some of my reps to 8 rather than keeping them at 12 as usual. I think I'll consider this as my week 5 & do the specificity program for 4 weeks before moving on to the final part of the program--- 'getting ripped'. My holiday has changed my perceptions somewhat as to what I'd like to do next round & I find myself considering trying the lean & fit program. I could probably manage the sustained cardio now & let's face it- that's what I really need to work on given my goal is the 12km city-to-surf. So I'm thinking I'll complete round 4 in its entirety then complete 10 weeks of lean & fit. After that I'll either continue, go back to lean & strong or swap to learn-to-run.

First Workout Back

So today I finally made it back to the gym & completed my chest/biceps/abs workout for the week! It was incredibly difficult after doing very little arm work during the holiday & I got some serious muscle shakes but I loved it! I haven't felt so alive in ages, I had a rush of endorphins and I managed to burn 500 calories during the session. I can't believe I even managed to give this up for 2 weeks---- really looking forward to tomorrow's session!!