Round 3 Blogger Challenge - Week 1

Lets pop back to the current day for a sec! I've decided to sign up for Shrinking Kath's Blogger Challenge, that way there will be at least one post a week for my avid fans lol. Here's this weeks task:

1. Describe yourself in 25 words or less, you can get straight to the point or bring your creativity into play: funny, smart, kind, caring, competitive, loving and loyal, love my family, optimistic, strong woman. and a bitch on a bad day!

2. What brings you to 12wbt? Getting fitter? Losing weight?(gaining weight?) Are you first timer? Repeat offender?: Im here to change my life, to get fitter, healthier, skinnier and happier. Im a repeat offender but first time blogger (just started today). This is my 3rd round and im working my butt off to get to goal.

3. Why do you blog?: So I can look back on my journey and also to get stuff off my chest. i've struggled with emotional eating and have decided to write it not bite it!

4. Who is your biggest inspiration in life and why? (doesnt have to be weight loss): My niece Abby who passed away in July 2011 at 19 months old. her death taught me how life should be cherished and lived to the fullest. She is my inspiration for changing my life :)

5. What things in life bring you the most joy?: Cuddling my husband, playing with my nieces, exercising with friends in the outdoors or running by myself around the river.

6. What do you think your greatest challenge is going to be this round?: Consistency!! I have hge weight loss goals and have to remember to follow the program and not overdo it and end up having extra rest days because of it.

7. What are you most excited about 12wbt?: That 3 friends have joined up because they have seen my journey and are inspired!! I cant wait to help them reach their goals too!!

8. And what scares the pants off you?: getting injured! I have dodgy knees which have held up so far and im scared an injury will throw me off track, I can smell my goals and I want them so badly!

9. Tell me - right now - today - how do you feel about exercise in no more than 10 words: Love it, want it, NEED IT!!!! and more on weekend's.

10. Complete this sentence - in 12 weeks time - on the last day of 12wbt Iam going to be feeling__________ So insanely proud of myself for achieveing my goals. An overwhelming sense of pride that I have truly changed my lifestyle and a knowing that it is for life.

Welcome to my blog!

Well this has certainly been a long time coming!! Back in February I set a goal that I would blog my journey and every time I started a blog the perfectionist in me would come out fighting and after hours of "playing" I got absolutely nowhere and put it in the too hard basket!! WELL NOT TODAY!

So with a forewarning that Im not going to edit (please dont roll your eyes at spelling and grammar mistakes) this blog will basically be a diary of my ramblings and groundbreaking thoughts and ideas as they occur to me on a daily basis :)

Shall we begin with some background? In February 2011 I was at rock bottom, terribly depressed, extremely overweight and unfit, a recluse shying away from friends and family, life was not good. My lightbulb moment? I was thinking about my niece Abby who suddenly passed away in July 2010, poor Abby didnt have a chance to live her life and here I was wasting mine. I realised it was all a choice, stay in my comfort zone and be miserable or change and be happy, simple. I chose change and embarked on a journey that 6 months later sees me happy, healthy and optimistic about my future...oops I'm getting ahead of myself!

Knowing exercise would help the depression I remembered this program a lady had mentioned on the Weight Watchers forum which was based on exercise and calories, Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation! Perfect, I was over WW points and wanted an exercise focus so knowing nothing about it I signed up on the 20th Feb 2011. How excited was I to see it started the very next day!!!

I was behind the 8 ball as pre season had been open for 4 weeks already and there were all these tasks to do. I started following the meal and exercise plans straight away and worked through the tasks in that first week.

I set goals really not expecting to reach them, they were pie in the sky things like "lose 20kg" and "run 5km non stop" yeah whatever lets just do what i can and be happy with what I get right??

In round 1 I lost 20.7kg, I ran 5km non stop in the Asics Fun Run in week 7 and in week 11 I ran 8km non stop in the Mothers Day Classic. I came in the top 10 transformations and went to finale in Melbourne with a bunch of girls I met 12 weeks previously!! I changed!!!

One of our tasks in round 1 was to make a video showing how 12wbt had changed us to lead extraordinary lives, here's the link to my video: http://youtu.be/Xf0zuR4TUpY

I think my video better explains where I started at and the whirlwind of my first round, enjoy :)