In honour of...

I did it last year and I'm doing it again...the City2Surf in honour of my grandfather.

My beloved Nonno Michele passed away in November 2010 after battling stomach cancer. My Nonno went through a lot in his life and I was always inspired by his strength. He loved his hometown in Reggio Calabria, Italy and said that the happiest moment of his life was when he met my grandmother, Nonna Maria. Not long after they were married, Nonno was drafted and sent to battle in World War II. He became a prisoner of war and he never told us much about this time, only that he survived because of his short stature (as the bullets would fly right over the top of his head)!

Nonno travelled to Australia in the 1950s, in search of a better life for him and his family. He worked hard for many years at Diary Farmers and he did a fantastic job of providing for his family. For the last few years of his life, my Nonno was very sick. No matter how much pain he was in, he still managed to keep his sense of humour and keep us smiling with his jokes. He was a strong man, and no matter what life threw at him, he fought back. He was a true soldier and he fought a hard battle. I miss him very, very much.

Cancer is a terrible disease and my hope is that they will one day find a cure.

My husband Alfie and I took up he challenge last year and ran the 14km City2Surf race. It was a deeply emotional experience and I know that Nonno ran with us every step of the race. We raised over $1100 for the Cancer Council NSW and I was so proud of our achievements. (Read more about my first ever City2Surf in this post.)

This year TEAM Nonno Michele Soldiers On is born! My brother Mario and sister Kristina join Alfie and I and we look forward to racing together as a family, in honour of our beautiful Nonno.

Nonno Michele soldiers on...that is, he lives on within our hearts. We are his soldiers and we're on a mission to raise funds for the Cancer Council NSW. You can find our fundraising page here. If you can spare a few dollars, please get behind us and donate...and let's help find a cure!

Are you planning to compete in the City2Surf?

It's makeover time...

The most important aspect of any weight-loss journey is the DIET and it is so much easier to stick to your eating plan when you surround yourself with the right tools for the job! I spent all morning in the kitchen...clearing, cleaning and organising...and I'm now ready for kick-off!

The pantry was my first victim! I have a bit of a container fetish...so it was quite easy to see what needed to stay and what needed to go. With two young girls in the house, I wanted a space to keep their snacks (and my husbands - as he is not ready, just yet, to sacrifice them!) - out of my sight. The containers on the bottom shelf contain things that I want need to steer clear of - I cut pieces of cardstock and placed them inside the containers - out of sight, out of mind!

My next victim was the fridge. Bin night was last night, so most things had already been cleaned out. I love the tupperware containers for storing vegetables - they keep everything crisp and fresh.

I HATE shopping and hubby does most of the grocery shopping, which means I don't have control of what he brings home. He eats pretty well, but does like to indulge in chocolates or biscuits now and then. The difference is that he can stop at one...where as I will devour the whole thing...not in one sitting...but within days it's all gone. To combat this, I plan to do more 'online' grocery shopping this round...to gain back control of what comes home from the supermarket and so that I buy items straight off 12WBT shopping lists! 

Is your kitchen in need of a makeover?

The dreaded scales...

Image via HERE.

Today is Wednesday, and to the 12WBTers it means weigh-in day...but what is it about standing on a scale, and staring down at a number that freaks us all out so much?

Put simply, scales are an instrument for weighing...but scales are so much more than that! They assess whether we have stuck to our commitment and achieved our goals. They often rule our lives, and in particular our emotions.  They can either motivate us, or send us on a downward spiral.

I don't have a good relationship with scales...even when I like the number displayed, my scales and I are still not friends. Let me explain...I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I started Weight Watchers at the age of 19, and during my first weigh-in I was mortified. I had to stand on the 'old fashion' scales and watch as the woman measuring moved this little lever further and further to the right.

Image via HERE.

Each week I would weigh in and the little lever would move closer to the left...what a relief! I reached my goal weight of 58kg a few months later...but no one had told me how hard it would be to maintain and I became fearful of the scales...wanting the number to stay the same and not move up!

My weight hovered between 58kg and 64kg for a few years, but when I became pregnant with my first daughter, everything changed. After following the Weight Watchers program for 5 years, I thought all my Christmases had come at once when I heard the words "You're pregnant!" Awesome...I now could eat anything I wanted because I was eating for two! On visiting my obstetrician I was again faced with the 'old fashioned' scales and watched as the little levers moved further and further to the right...every...single...month. By my due date, I had put on 30kg...ahhhhhh. I thought the weight would just disappear after giving birth...how wrong I was! I worked very hard during the first year of my daughter's life and at her 1st birthday I again weighed 58kg.

During the next two years my weight again hovered between 58kg - 65kg...you see, once I reached 'goal weight' and saw that 'magic number' I thought I had reached my destination...and still hadn't comprehended that it was a constant journey that I would travel.

When I fell pregnant with my second daughter, I was determined not to put on 30kg...this time only putting on 15kg...which I was proud of...but guess what? I haven't been able to shed the weight this time and MAINTAIN. I've gotten so close to getting under 70kg (my new 'magic number' and milestone), but whenever I get close...my body...my mind decides that I'm not worthy of achieving my goals...and I binge...and binge....and binge, until I'm back to exactly where I started.

So you see, the scales and I are not good friends. Even when I like the number that I see, the scales turn into my enemy, and the mind games begin.

Image via HERE.

I'm tired of being ruled by the scales...and I'm not going to let the scales beat me this time round...who's with me?!!

We're in charge...and if we all support each other on Weigh-in Wednesdays, than hopefully weighing-in won't be such a daunting task...because we're all in this together...

Remember: Life is a journey, not a destination!

What's your relationship like with your scales?

one active

Yesterday, I went on shopping spree...and I may have splurged just a little on a new clothing range -  One Active by Michelle Bridges. 

The clothing has been created with 'moisture wicking technology'...
- WICKING: pulls moisture away from your skin to keep you dry
- ELASTANE COMFORT: provides mobility and retains shape
- FLATLOCK SEAMS: smooth lines with no chafing
- BREATHABLE: keeps you cool during your workout
(Information gathered from One Active by Michelle Bridges clothing tag.)

I visited my local BigW and bought the singlet, pants (both 3/4 and full length) and the jacket. They are a great price and are extremely comfortable. Here I am modelling my new purchases...

What do you think of Michelle's new active wear range? 

Commitment

Image via HERE.

Making a commitment, to not only myself, but my family, Michelle, the 12WBT Community and the SWSYD Crew is quite daunting! Making a commitment ups the ante and the challenge suddenly becomes real! My aim is to stay very active in the 12WBT forums and the SWSYD Facebook Page and Blog...to ensure that I stay on task and remain accountable.

So without further ado...

My commitment is to TRUST in the 12WBT Program and follow the nutrition and exercise plans wholeheartedly. I commit to JFDI!

What commitment have you made?

SMART Goals

Image via HERE. 

Setting goals is crucial, as we set before us a clear roadmap on where we want to go and what we want to achieve.

I found this exercise quite difficult, as my goals are a little different to the ones I set during 12WBT R2, 2011. You see...my husband and I would like to have another child, and we unfortunately had a miscarriage in January this year. We are trying again, but I feel that my weight is not helping. I'm 15k-20g heavier than what I was when I fell pregnant with both my daughters (now aged 6 and 3), and things just haven't gone smoothly this time round. The main reason why I signed up for this round is so that I could shed weight before falling pregnant and follow the 12WBT Pregnancy Program if I do become pregnant. I've set my goals, but know that if I do fall pregnant soon, I will have to reassess.

1 Month Goals:
I want to shed 4kg and be accountable for my eating and training habits.
How I will get there...
- I will stick to 1200 calories daily and track using MyFitnessPal.
- I will exercise 6 days a week and track using MyFitnessPal/MapMyWalk.
- I will participate in the 12WBT forums and SWSyd Crew Facebook/Blog page.

3 Month Goals:
I want to have shed 12kg and attend the 12WBT finale.
How I will get there...
- I will stick to 1200 calories daily and track using MyFitnessPal.
- I will exercise 6 days a week and track using MyFitnessPal/MapMyWalk.
- I will participate in the 12WBT forums and SWSyd Crew Facebook/Blog page.
- Sign up for the 12WBT group training and finale party.

6 Month Goals:
I want to be pregnant with baby #3 and maintaining a healthy weight during the pregnancy.
How I will get there:
- I will sign up for 12WBT Round 3 and follow the Pregnancy Program.
- I will track my calories using MyFitnessPal.
- I will exercise 6 days a week and track using MyFitnessPal/MapMyWalk.

12 Month Goals:
I want to have had baby #3 and be 65kgs.
How I will get there:
- I will sign up for 12WBT Round 1, 2013 and follow the Pregnancy Program (whilst breastfeeding).
- I will track my calories using MyFitnessPal.
- I will exercise 6 days a week and track using MyFitnessPal/MapMyWalk.

What do you hope to achieve this round?

Excuses, excuses!

Image via HERE.

Michelle Bridges 12WBT Pre-Season is well underway and it is a time to prepare our bodies and most importantly our minds for the upcoming 12 weeks.

We all make excuses to avoid the task at hand, and I certainly use a lot of them!  I need to take responsibility for myself, and most importantly the way I think.

The excuses I use most often are:

Internal excuses...
- I'm too stressed and emotional.
- I'm too tired.
- I'm just over it...maybe this is the way I'm meant to be.
- I couldn't be bothered trying anymore because I always fail.

My solutions:
- Write about how I'm feeling. Don't let my emotions sabotage my efforts.
- Go to bed earlier so that I wake up feeling refreshed.
- I will succeed because I believe in myself and this program.
- Learn from my mistakes. Plan ahead to be successful.

External excuses...
- It's too cold to get out of bed.
- I'm too busy.
- Alfie is away and I've got no support.

My solutions:
- Wear layers of workout clothes, so I am warm when I wake up.
- Get up earlier and workout first thing in the morning.
- Plan ahead and schedule workouts/nutrition.

Outside my control...
- My allergies and asthma are playing up, and there is no way I can exercise feeling like this.

My solutions:
- Ensure nutrition plan is being followed and rest up.

What is your biggest excuse? 
What will you do to nip it in the butt?