It’s bizarre. While so many other people seem to have discovered blogging through their 12WBT experience, I went the opposite direction – from prodigious blogger (http://crazytrace.blogspot.com/ and http://traceelements.wordpress.com/ ) to short-attention-spanned facebooker and tweeter.
I think I am a bit of an all-or-nothing girl. When I started Round 3 of 12WBT in September 2010, I focused almost solely on that. (In fact, when someone asked me in January what I’d been up to, all I could think of replying was “Losing weight.” (Blame the SAHM guilt for not wanting to use up time exercising AND blogging.)
At least I did manage to document/blog a bit through that time, but in the end Twitter became my focus - my support network and my lifeline. Facebook become my ‘other’ social outlet. And I had no room in my head to write – and I felt guilty about using up more time blogging. Because in my life, I had other issues to deal with apart from losing some weight.
There was that attempt in February to start up again, but that patently failed miserably.
Nearly a year later, here I am again. At the very least it’ll be an update. Hopefully I might get the writing bug again. I write a lot in my head.. it might be good for me to put it out there again.
The good news is that not only have I maintained a weight loss all year- I actually lost a bit more. I’m hanging at around 62kg – slap bang in the middle of a healthy BMI range - and a couple of kilos less than the last time I posted in Feb. At one point I did hit 59.5-60, but 61-62 seems to be where my body wants me to be.
I bought my first bikini ever the other day. (Well, nearly ‘ever’… since I was a teenager…) I’ve still got a leetle bit of muffin-top action that I would like to dispense with, but I can say honestly that I look a hell of a lot better than quite a few teenagers I’ve seen prancing around in a bikini. I bought a practical one from Funkita, because I want to be able to go down for a swim and bodysurf at our beach, and come home not feeling blechhy in a wet one-piece. It’s yet to be christened.. and I’ll think about whether or not I want to be photographed in it. But the good thing about our beach is that there’s hardly anyone on it, so I don’t have to get too self conscious. It’s a pretty big thing to suddenly unveil one’s midrift at 49 years old! It’ll take a bit of getting used to!
Speaking of photographs, I do have one bit of unfinished business, and that’s an up to date ‘After’ photo – as I’m 7-8kg lighter than my ‘official’ end of R3 2010 photo that I posted. Putting that on the to-do list for this week. It will be appropriate timing, as it coincides with the end of R3 2011, with many of my 12WBTweeps who have continued 12WBT this year posting their amazing ‘after’ shots. And because I’m doing what I didn’t do at the end of my 12WBT round - (yet more unfinished business) – and heading down to Sydney to the R3 finale workout and party. (More about that later – well, next post perhaps…)
Stats aside.. the other outcome from having lost around 16-17kg is that I feel AMAZING. I still can’t believe it when I look in a mirror, or catch sight of my reflection in a shop window. (And I feel pretty damn good with no clothes on as well… in fact it’s only the undies or bikini bottoms that highlight any remaining pudge. )
I credit not only increased self-confidence from liking the way I look, but also those new tools in my armoury (mainly the JFDI card!), with getting my first paid job in donkey’s years – producing a Cycling Route/map booklet for the local council. (Councils plural, in fact.)
More details about that in another post perhaps as well… suffice to say… I’m chuffed. And I thank 12WBT, because I don’t think it would have happened otherwise.
Other achievements in 2011 thanks to 12WBT:
- We ride a shitload faster on the tandem! Just ask Marc how good that is! We go up the hills a few gears up from what we used to … we can crank it up faster… No wonder! You know how serious road cyclists go on about carbon bikes, and carbon accessories for their bikes to make them lighter? We just made our bike 16kg lighter!! In August we rode in the Coffs Coast Cycle Challenge – did the 100km in around 3.5hours – only stopping ONCE for a quick loo stop.
- I’ve been slowly building up my running, and I did my first ever official fun run – the 10km in the inaugural Coffs Harbour Half Marathon Fun Runs & Walks in 1:01:18… and dammit, if my knee didn’t play up on me in the last couple of kms causing me to all but hobble the last bit, I might well have broken the 60.. But hell… I CAN RUN! I’m 49, and for the first time in my life I can say ‘I’m going for a run.’ I AM A RUNNER, DAMMIT!
- I’m trying more new things all the time – I now can add Bodypump, and BodyAttack to my repertoire. This term I have had a couple of hours to kill on Monday afternoons in town while Ms 13 has had netball squad training, so I decided to make the most of it. I bought a casual card for a gym and even made Ms 13 leave home earlier so I could fit in the Attack before the Pump.
I still have work to do with abs. And triceps. They still jiggle a bit, and I know I haven’t been pushing it as much as I could have… There’s still a lot of training stuff I am too fearful of doing. I’ve just had too many issues with my back, and weird joint stuff, so I’m still taking the cruisy approach, and building it up really slowly and carefully. The stronger I get, the more I feel I can push it.. so this will be my new goal for 2012. Lean and strong, slowly and surely.
There is more to talk about, but that might do for now. Much anticipation – excitement and nerves – about going to Sydney and getting to meet a bunch of wonderful people that I have come to know through 12WBT and twitter!