A New Apporach...

As the first round for 2012 of Michelle Bridges' 12WBT draws to an end, I must admit I thought for a very short five minutes whether I should join for Round 2 or not...

The answer was already in my head, and had been for several weeks...No


The program works, there are so many testimonials out there, I can't possibly begin to link all the success stories here, but there is concrete evidence that it is a good, sound plan.

It didn't work for me...let me rephrase that - I didn't let it work. Simple as that. I just haven't been in the right mindset this year, and my weight has fluctuated within the same boring three kilos week in, week out.


Boring, really, but there you have it. I haven't gained weight, but I haven't lost enough weight to make a difference.



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So I've decided the whole 12 week challenge, on-line-community-plan thing is NOT for me. I have done all sorts of on-line programs in the last few years...IBO 12 week programs, Weight Watchers Online, and two rounds of 12WBT.

I am not bagging any of those programs or plans. They can all work to educate and motivate and inspire towards weight loss and body transformations. But I've had enough of the "group" thing and need to fly solo.


My own "plan", in my own time, borrowing some basic, sound principles from everything I've learnt from the weight loss industry.

It is not rocket science, and I admire the business women (and the men behind them ;-) ), who feel passionate enough to bring it to the masses...from Jean Nidetch (Weight Watchers) in the early sixties, to Tosca Reno (The Eat Clean Diet) and our own Michelle Bridges (12WBT) , these women have and continue to make a difference to the health of overweight people around the world.



So one of the questions to myself over the past few days has been whether to count *Points or *calories, or indeed whether to count *anything* at all?...



My *plan* has taken shape, and it goes something like this -


Count calories - 1200-1500 a day
Aim for those calories to be made up of mainly "clean", unprocessed foods, with an emphasis on cutting back the added sugar in my diet.

(I don't "do" the intuitive eating thing well at all - in fact, it's what I blame for my recent wight gain of about 7kg over six months, so I need structure)

Exercise 4-6 times a week - the focus here will be to increase my fitness and strength levels.


*** I have decided to do something I have been considering for a long time, and that is to enlist the help of a Personal Trainer. Instead of giving my money to a program that I've seen many times before (how many times can we re-invent the wheel?), I will happily be paying a PT to address my fitness and strength - areas which I have neglected, it's been all about the food for me for too long, I've never given the physical aspect of these *plans* 100% effort.


....and my *Challenge* is an eight week challenge...you see it's eight weeks til my birthday, and I want to be feeling and looking a damn sight better than I do right now...




It was quite a liberating feeling to realise that I have everything I need right here at home - all the recipes from my last two 12WBT rounds, a couple of Michelle Bridges' cookbooks, several folders with WW recipes (I can easily convert their Points values to calories), and silly as it may sound - a brand new beautifully bound notebook, into which I plan to handwrite my daily calories in/ calories out, as well as weight loss progress. I also have an unlimited gym membership, which means I can train at one of two local aquatic centres which are fully equipped with gym facilities and offer Les Mills group fitness classes around the clock.


I meet with my PT Kim for my first session next Monday, so am very excited to see what she comes up with! I first met Kim a couple of years ago, she is a pocket rocket, figure competitor and boxing instructor, and what's better, she is a Blue Mountains local!...only lives ten minutes down the road from me :-)




For the first time is ages, I am feeling quite pumped about my plan of attack for losing this extra weight once and for all...and gaining some much needed fitness and strength...




**********Different strokes for different folks**************



I think that was my "aha" moment.



xo