The beginning of a new blog. I have blogged before with mixed success but this is one with a difference, This blog is to document and make me more accountable through my journey to become the new improved me. Check out the page at the top of this blog ‘The Beginning of a Journey’ and it will explain in more depth.

So why now? Why like this? I guess the short answer is – it is time.

A brief history – my husband passed away just over 5 years ago after an short but intense fight with leukaemia. Before that I was happy and secure in who I was – although still not thrilled with the outside version. Suddenly all that changed and as well as coping with grief, holding my family together and everything else associated with the loss of a spouse, I also lost who I was. I still functioned as before but I seconded guessed myself with everything, doubted my ability to make a decision and lost all confidence in who I was as a person. John had always been there, supporting me, encouraging me and most of all loving me and to have that taken away so suddenly left me feeling alone and lost.

It’s been a long hard journey, but with the help of some very good friends, one in particular, I have grown and changed and become a person I actually like – most of the time. We all have ‘those days’. But despite this, there is one area that I really don’t like and that is my size. I have tried to lose it but I know from last time I was successful with a large weight loss, you have to be in the right frame of mind. I knew I was getting there but needed something to push me that last little bit and that when I discovered Michelle Bridge’s 12 Week Body Transformation. It just clicked – I knew I had to do this, so after thinking about it a while, and discussing it with my friend (it is me after all and procrastination is my middle name), I joined.

Even then, the ‘old me’ was there. It starts with a 4 week ‘warm-up’ and then a 4 week ‘pre-season’ and then the ‘rea’l work starts. So the I decided I would do the challenges set in the warm-up and not worry too much about the rest until June.

Week 1 – our challenge was to ‘Make one small change’ – I decided to cut my Diet Pepsi down to one can a day and increase the amount of water I drink – achieved – every day!

Week 2 – ‘Halve your non- water intake’ Damn! I more than did that last week and my Diet Pepsi is my treat (besides I don’t actually have it every day now) so I am focusing on increasing the water I drink to 6 – 8 glasses a day – mostly achieved – its a bit harder when I am night duty but I was close most days

Week 3 – ‘Set your self an exercise goal’ – ok I figured I could do that until I read further …. ‘This week I am setting you an exercise challenge. I want you to walk, swim, cycle, row, run 30km this week. Break it down into small chunks.’ 30 kms – is she kidding! I can bearly walk around the park I am so unfit!!

I thought about this quite a bit – I know 30kms is just not possible for me with my fitness level but I didn’t want to make it easy – if I don’t push myself, what is the point? So I decided that I would start on the treadmill and see what I could do easily, making sure it was a decent pace and I didn’t let myself slacken off. At 8 minutes ay 3.6km/hr I felt like I was dying (I know but TOTALLY unfit as in NO exercise – where is that embarrassed icon when you need it!) but I pushed myself to do 10 minutes, and then repeated it twice more that day walking a total of 2.1kms. Its a decent start and I feel like I have achieved something.  It was going to be interesting to see how I felt the next day!

I also decided to start documenting my meals using My Fitness Pal to count calories, unless I use Michelle’s recipes which have a calorie count – its much harder to cheat if it is written down for all to see so ….

Breakfast – Poached egg, mushrooms and avocado on toast – 275 calories

Morning Tea – Biggest Loser Snack Bar – 110 calories

Lunch – Chickpea, Tuna and Coriander Salad (minus the Coriander) – 334 calories

Dinner – Tandoori chicken, sweet potato, carrot salad, tomato – 310 calories

Water – 7 glasses

Diet Pepsi – one

Day One was over and I had survived! Only 91 more to go! 🙂