Bondi!

Well what a ride I've had the last few months! I didn't write on here as for a while we didn't know what was going on. 3 weeks before the challenge finalists were to be announced there was a big change with Ray Kelly leaving the business. By this stage those of us who were contenders had formed our own facebook page, worried that the forum might disappear and we wouldn't be able to contact each other. I was certainly concerned that the prizes wouldn't go ahead and, initially, when we didn't hear by the original date, we were all worried. We had all become such good internet friends and, more than anything, we wanted to meet up in real life. I had met one of the forum participants - Pete - with his lovely wife for coffee. He even offered me a job which I love! So the two of us have been working together now for a few months, with food of all things. Anyway, we were the only 2 who had physically met each other.

One day at work I got down to the kitchen and there was Pete with an email saying he was a finalist! I called my son Bill who was home and asked him to check my emails. Sure enough I had one too! Not Fiji but Bondi. 5 nights with all the people we had hoped to be there and 3 extras thrown in for good measure!

There was the initial worry. We were sharing a house, hell we were even sharing rooms. I was even concerned that we were sharing beds! We stayed in a 4 bedroom yoga retreat. Carol, who I had spoken to lots, and I shared our room. We were the farters of the group so I don't think anybody minded! Here we are getting ready for a big day on the ocean . We liked to do our bathroom shots! :

As you can see we were quite happy as roomies! We didn't really know what we were in for. Would we like each other? Did the newbys know what they were in for with us? Would they like us? Sadly one of our originals decided that she wouldn't come due to work commitments. And one of the new members (they weren't really new, just to our facebook page) decided not to come either, bringing the totals down to 2 males and 6 females. We were a tad disappointed that Fiji wasn't happening (a good thing in the end) but so happy that Rapid Loss were still honouring the competition and acknowledging all our hard work. And that we'd get to meet each other!

Rebecca and Debra were the contestants that we hadn't met. We eventually got to know them via the Rapid Loss facebook page and they joined our group. I felt bad for them, it must have been intimidating to come along and share a house and room with total strangers.

So... here's Pete and I at the airport, on our way!

We popped this on facebook as we were meeting Frances and Chris for the first time in Melbourne so they'd know what we'd look like. (This was one of many of Pete's hats, or props as the shy bugger liked to call them! From that moment on the whole thing was surreal and we absorbed ourselves into every experience.

The first afternoon was settling in. We found out that the food at Bondi Yoga House was all vegetarian. We popped down to a café for a late lunch as we didn't get there until 2. I had bacon of course! The food was actually lovely, it was nice to see different ways healthy foods can be presented. Breakfast was my favourite meal with chia seed pudding, or one day a Mexican bowl with lovely fresh salsa and avocado. We had a nutrition workshop and met the lovely Robert, one of the managers of Rapid Loss. He's a true gentleman, really caring about us as people. Rebecca had been our contact via email but she wasn't well so we didn't meet her until Tuesday. Poor love was still poorly but she was such a trouper and spent the rest of the week with us. After dinner we all went for a walk to the beach to see the super moon. Unfortunately it was behind a cloud so cheeky Pete posted a photo he'd found on the internet for the others to see who had gone on ahead!

Tuesday was a coastal walk. This was when we met our lovely host Rebecca. What a gorgeous girl she is, inside and out. We also met Pedj, the personal trainer. Of course a few of us wanted photos of ourselves with him. Poor love, he was very tolerant of our pawing! Here's a photo with all of us with him. How amazing does the beach look?!

We then did a yoga session with our lovely house host Amanda. This was really nice too, really relaxing. I drank kombucha? I think it was called, a yummy tea that I actually didn't think I'd enjoy. It's interesting isn't it what you will try when you get out of your comfort zone. Pete kept trying to push me over. Here we are :

Tuesday afternoon we all went into town. Pete was getting his hair cut to look good for our makeover day and the rest of us wanted to just check out Bondi. I bought a nice dress and skirt and a hat for my Bill. Lauren (our lovely winner) bought 3 rather skimpy but sexy dresses! We found a shop that was reasonably priced and sold 'normal' sized clothes. One we had been in earlier was ridiculously priced and, after the owner looking down her nose at me (think Pretty Woman), only went up to a size 12! Tuesday night I got a spray tan which I love! I think I may become a bit addicted. Though I learnt my lesson by not wearing a bra. After I was finished I lifted up my boobs and had 2 long white patches! I wasn't planning on wearing my bikini anyway so it didn't matter, and it was very funny!

Wednesday was a workout on the beach which was fun. Then the big day began. We all got changed into our casual / dressy / I always look like this on a 90 foot boat clothes and I would say had one of the best experiences of our lives! From the moment we stepped on to the boat we felt like royalty. The staff were just beautiful and amazing and went above and beyond to make us feel special. There was Moet champagne flowing (wished I still drank at that point) and a lovely meal, lots of different levels to sit on and gaze at the scenery we sailed past. Simply amazing in every way. We kept looking at each other and saying 'this beats Fiji hands down!' After 5 hours of decadence we went back to the house then some of us popped out for dinner and others went shopping. Here's a few snippets of our day on Sydney Harbour.

Thursday was the makeup and photo shoot. Again, a lovely staff member did our hair and makeup. I LOVED IT! Here is am getting my makeup applied.

We did testimonials first, talking about the incredible product/company that had brought us all together. Here's the dress I wore for the testimonial.

 Then we did the photo shoot. I felt a bit silly as I had worn a swing dress for my photo shoot, which I love, so I was asked to do a bit of a dance.

Everybody was cheering everybody else on, it was such a fun day. One of the things that we all commented on, and so did the staff, was how well we had all gelled. We were truly happy for each other and happy to know that one of us was going to win the 'big one' the $25000. Of course we all would have liked to have won it, it's a huge amount of money, but we were so happy for Lauren to win.

That night we all went out for dinner for the big announcement. The food was sensational and the company as usual was great. Most of the staff that we had met were there. Peter - the head of Rapid Loss, and the owner of the fabulous boat - was the one who made the announcements. His gorgeous wife was there too. First he announced Lauren, then he made another announcement about Pete, saying if he loses another 10 kilos within the year he will send him anywhere in the world business class for a week in 5 star accommodation. We were all in tears, it was just wonderful! Then he said he'd like us all to come back for a paid reunion in a year if we can all lose another 2 kilos! Of course we said yes. Not only would the money come at a perfect time just before Christmas, it will be so wonderful to see everybody again. Hopefully we'll do other things over the year, Peter said he'd like us to all be ambassadors for Rapid Loss.

Here we are in our courtyard on the last morning. Exhausted, we'd stayed up late the night before because nobody really wanted it to end!

It honestly doesn't feel like the end to me. It truly feels like a new beginning. I'm excited to see what the next year brings me.

 It almost feels like when you see people in reality shows and how they are in their own little bubble. We shared photos and stories but only those 8 of us who were there can really know what it felt like. For 5 days we weren't anybody but ourselves. Not a workmate, not a parent, not a partner or a child, but us, celebrated for our individual selves. Not that it takes away from all of our other roles of course, not at all, but how wonderful to be celebrated for doing something wonderful for ourselves. We all agree that Rapid Loss truly did change our lives, our friendships for life are the icing on the cake.  And the amazing staff were such a bonus too, so supportive and happy for each and every one of us.

So to Pete - you're a bloody shitstirrer but I love you, Chris - you're an absolute gentleman, it was so nice getting to know you, Frances - our Gwenny the country bumpkin, let's not mention the knickers, so glad you didn't end up being a straighty one eighty, Lauren - the headstand looks amazing, can't wait to learn it at our reunion, congrats gorgeous girl, Rebecca, my fellow hearing aide mate, I loved spending time with you, you are stunningly beautiful inside and out, and Debra, my partner in crime when it came to pizzas, you're hilarious and I loved getting to know you. And Carol of course, I've left her til last. My roomie and fellow farter and swearer. You are everything I hoped for and basically I f@$%ing love you!

To the wonderful staff, Bec, the gorgeous one who I adore, Robert; a true gentleman, such a lovely man, Pedj, thanks for letting us use you as our photo prop! Peter and Belinda, it was so lovely to meet you and thankyou so much for making our dreams come true. What a sensational week we had, what an amazing ride we've all been on.

Can't wait to see you all in a year. I love youse all! xxx

May the 26th 2016

I just got back from gym. I feel like I'm going to die. But in a good way if you know what I mean?! We did our 4 weeks of 3 lots of exercises, now we're on to the second week of the middle lot of exercises.  I hadn't done day 3 of our program last week but I did do a class and a normal session so wasn't slacking off. I wasn't sure of some of the exercises so I had to wait until Eloise could come with me and we could do it together. There wasn't anything particularly hard, it was just exhausting!

I was lucky, Jade was getting ready to do a personal training session in the room that we were in so she showed me a different way of doing the resistance band assisted chin up. The one I've had lots of problems with. So I was exhausted before I even began our day 3 session as they weren't even in today's workout. It was good though, it made me feel as though I won't be wasting my time fluffing around and not being able to do them. Today's workout was a circuit 4 times around. Most things I had done before such as the ropes and lunges. I found other things challenging such as something called elbow to knee. I thought it would be lying on my back doing them but it is in fact like a plank and coordinating your body to touch the 2. I ended up doing just a plank, and a knee one at that! I was so bloody exhausted. So for me it was the hardest session ever. And for Eloise, well she loved it! She's such a sadist when it comes to me and exercise!

I was happy too as I had done a mid challenge body scan. I have lost nearly 3 kilos since doing the last one which was nearly 6 weeks ago. My muscle mass has improved as have other things that I don't really understand! All in all though, where the numbers are meant to go up they have and where they a meant to go down they have so I'm happy! I'll post a copy of the last scan and the one I did today on here.

As far as my rapid loss challenge is going I'm still enjoying being on the forum. I've made such lovely friends on there. I even had coffee with one of them - Peter - and his lovely wife Mel. Gee it was so nice to catch up with them, to put a face to the forum name. We're all doing a mini challenge and I'm feeling really focussed. It's funny, I can slip up and spiral for weeks but once I'm back on track for a few days I feel so much better again. I think that's the thing, remembering how good it feels to be there is the very reason that we should get back up when we slip up. And it's great to have the forum to go onto and talk to others in the same situation. Here's a copy of my scans, and a stunning picture of Eloise and I after this morning's session as we lay on the floor! The scan with 64 at the top of the right column is last time, the one with 67 is this time.

May the 15th 2016

I've just come home from the gym. I must admit I've become rather dedicated to going which I think is a nice way of saying obsessed!

Today marked my last day of the first 4 weeks of exercises. Eloise and I are doing the DIY plan of the 12 week body challenge at our local gym. There are 3 tiers to the program and we are doing the one where we get the exercises sent to us, plus guides for food plans and exercises. We're also part of the challenge page on facebook and a 'tribe' which is run by some lovely girls who look after those of us who aren't doing the personal training or any extras. We do things such as send our photos in to them, of us at the gym, of what we're eating, of who or what is our inspiration. I'm probably a bit of a pain in the bum as I check in most times I'm at the gym and send lots of photos!

So far what I've gotten out of my challenge is that I can actually do nearly everything! Not to the level that many others can do things, certainly not as graceful as others, but I can (almost) keep up and I'm determined to give it all a go. All three days are circuit types of activities. I go an average of 5 times a week now. I used to be stuffed if I did both Saturday and Sunday. Now, if there's a class on that I fancy I will go to that and still make sure that I get my 3 days of the program in too. I must say I am a bit ocd about it all. I hadn't done day 3 yet of the week 4. I did go to a body blitz class on Wednesday and I went yesterday without Eloise and did my old routine. So I squeezed it in today. The old me would have said that I had done plenty to make up for it, but I feel as though I have to do the required exercises set for me and each week I have.

The staff are so lovely. Both of the ladies who take the classes that I've done have been very patient and not yelly at all which I really appreciate. I'm definitely going to do the body blitz one again, also the hiit cardio one that I did the week before. I realise that both are similar to the days we are doing on the challenge. They are circuits, usually 5 or 6 exercises all up of short but intense bursts. I must admit I put my name down because they are only half an hour and for me that is manageable. I can see that eventually I will allow myself to believe that I can do more and maybe do an hour long class. But not just yet! The boys on the front desk, and the personal trainers are just lovely too, they are all so helpful.

Food wise I haven't been very good I must admit. I have been having my shakes and for the most part my snacking has been under control. Once I have something though it's as though I'm back to the old me and having a big binge, on cake and chocolate and whatever I can put my hands on. So this week I'm going shopping and being prepared. I can see that I need to have things ready so that I am able to grab something healthy rather than the treat that is in the cupboard. Also to be prepared for my dinners. What's the point of having shakes and fruit in the daytime if I undo it all at night with a meal that either doesn't have veggies or is high in carbs. The cold weather has meant that I want lots of pasta and warming things so it's time to make some healthy soups and get back to nice cuts of fish and chicken and not go for the easy options from the freezer. I feel silly but I know what I'm like, if I don't own it (publically) then I'll slip further and further up the weight ladder.

Some of you already know but I have had issues with my daughter Beth going to school lately. We've compromised at 3 days a week of school and getting geared up for her to start some sort of training program next year when she turns 18 in March. So, I've decided that she can come to gym with me once a week! She can have a session with the exercise physiologist. She has very low muscle tone and poor gross motor skills so I think it will do her the world of good. And, my inlaws are looking at starting in the seniors classes. One person at a time, I shall get my family moving!

Tomorrow is the start of the new exercises for the next 4 weeks. Wish me luck!

May the 3rd 2016

Well I'm in my third week of my 12 week body challenge at my local gym. It's a Pinnacle gym so I'm part of a facebook page for the challenge. I think I'm being a bit of a pain in the arse (not like me I know) posting whenever I'm there including photos. I think it stems back to the old me, the one who never exercised so had to announce it whenever I did.

I've gotten used to the exercises. I can do all of them. Except the assisted pull up. Here's a photo of me doing one. I don't get much further than this is! Which is nothing!

I did actually pull myself up somewhat but it absolutely killed my wrists. It's only one day in the week that we do these exercises. This morning was that day. I think next week I'll try and do them first. I also do a plank, pull ups on a barbell and a kettlebell swing in this workout which all use the arms. So maybe if I do it first it won't stress my wrists out too much. I wrote on the page asking about any alternatives and, of course, the lovely staff were more than happy to help, suggesting maybe my arms in different positions, or if I need to an alternative exercise. I really want to get over my fear and we only have one week of these ones left. I knew that would happen. I just start getting used to our workout and it goes and changes on me for the middle lot of exercises!

It's so weird that I'm really loving it. I've never liked exercise. I've been really good with my food the last couple of weeks too. Often I am one or the other. I'll be good at eating or good at exercising. I think it's because I get more hungry when I workout. I also find that if I have my shake in the morning I'm happy to have another at lunchtime. If I eat something else for breakfast then I'm scrambling around wondering what there is to eat. I've still had a couple of slip ups but they've really been planned ones. I did a course in the city on the weekend so I ate an egg and bacon wrap for lunch. But I didn't have snacks in between where I could have so I consider that a win. I think if I can be good snack wise, which is my downfall, then I'll be happy. I've gone down about half a kilo so I'm pretty happy to do it slowly and get fitter. When away for the weekend I missed going to the gym terribly! I went 4 days out of 5 last week as I knew I couldn't go on the weekend. I used to think 'great, I've been today, day off tomorrow,' now I think 'yes I can go again tomorrow,' and I do! I don't think I'll ever be fully obsessive about it all. I love my food too much. I figure though that if I can keep fit I can make the most of both worlds. I'm already done with day 2 of my 3 day workouts and it's only Tuesday! I'm feeling sensational!

Day 3 of the challenge

I feel exhausted! I just did day 3 of the 12 week challenge. It's bloody hard! I think each day concentrates on a different type of exercises. So day 1 was the legs which killed. I couldn't walk properly for days. Day 2 was arms and some of those I just couldn't do at all. For example the assisted chin up. You're standing on a bench with a big rubber band attached to a bar above you and you have to put your feet in the bottom of the rubber band and do chin ups. Once I got over my fear of falling off I kept jumping and having the rubber band fling back at me. Finally I got it and managed to move about a cm, both from lack of strength and fear! I'm going to get Eloise to film me so that I can see any progress I may make by the end! Lucky I've got her with me. She knows her exercises and she is acting as a sort of personal trainer while she does her workout too.

So... my legs were killing me after day 1. Then I did day 2 which made even more parts of me hurt. It is like when I first started at the gym, I couldn't get up (or sit down) from the toilet without it hurting and I am walking on jelly legs. And doing 3 different sets of exercises means that I'm not redoing the first lot and getting my body used to it. No, it's just hurting on top of hurting! But good hurting. I do have some stretches to do so I shall do them soon. Today being day 3 seems to be about making your chest hurt and your breath be pushed out so far that you can't barely breathe. I know that's not what they call them, I would say they are cardio type exercises, but that's how they feel. Step ups, sit ups, dead bug thingys, squats (4 x 40 seconds of most of these exercises) skipping (that's a pretty sight), inverted row thing where you pull yourself up on a bar (see photo) and something called a single leg bridge. But you know what, I bloody did them all! I'm stuffed and sweaty and sore but I feel really accomplished because I did it!

12 week body challenge

I've decided to start up my blog again. I was feeling at a bit of a loose end with the challenge being extended until July. I have come to the realisation that I will always need to be consciously aware of what I am doing. I will need to monitor what I do if I literally want to have my cake and eat it too. And that is what I want to do. I want to have the best of both worlds, in moderation. I want to be healthy for the majority of the time and incorporate exercise into every day. But I also want my occasional pizza and bacon on Sunday mornings. And for the most part I've managed to do that quite well.

The date to start the challenges has now finished. So the winners are either doing the challenge now or have done the challenge in the past year and a half. One of my fellow participants (and now good friend) Carol has joined for another challenge, even though she's already looking fabulous! She wants to lose another few kilos though. I too think that I would like to lose another few. I still want my goal to be at 75 kilos. I have given myself a 1 kilo buffer, so if I go over 76 then I have to cut out anything naughty and reign it in until I am back to 75. I'd like that to be lower though. I'd like my highest to be 75. I also want to weigh 75 no matter what time of day. I weigh in in the mornings, after a wee and whatever else I can expel, naked and not fed. If I get to the finals though, we may do weigh in in the evening after consuming 2 or 3 meals and drinks. So I need to be at the weight I want to be to get me up to 75 if you know what I mean?

The local gym that I am at advertised a 12 week challenge. It was lovely filling in the forms, saying it was more for physique than weight loss, saying that I was a little bit experienced instead of a gym virgin. They didn't use those words but I know you get what I mean! It's perfect timing as it takes me through nearly to the end of the rapid loss challenge. Instead of twiddling my thumbs and hoping the weight stays off I shall now have a plan of action to be fit and fabulous (and 50) by the end! It's extra exciting because the last day of the challenge is the 9th of July which is the day of my party to end all parties 50th. So instead of sabotaging myself (as I did at my 40th by not only putting weight on that I had lost, but getting totally shitfaced and not remembering it at all) I am improving myself and will feel great instead of embarrassed that I had let myself go yet again.

I am doing this challenge with my friend Eloise. We went on Friday to have a body scan and a photo taken. This is where I realised that I needed to weigh in at 75 later in the day. It recorded me as being 79.4 kilos! When I weighed in the next morning my scales said 77.4 so I knew I was still over what my buffer was meant to be. Probably because I had done the ridiculous thing of saying to myself I was starting a new challenge so I may as well be Miss Piggy for the week. I know it's ridiculous and no doubt a few of you are laughing too because you've done it too! Butter chicken the night before first weigh in so you can have a great loss in the first week? Yep, me too! Anyway, it also showed that the clothes and coffees and breakfast can put a couple of kilos on too. But that's ok, it's just the beginning of my 12 weeks so I'm pretty happy to have some room to move. As I plan on getting the excess weight off, and maybe a tad more, it's just a guide to what's what. It's amazing how much detail it gives, from the muscle and fat distribution to the circumference of all the body parts. The trunk includes the boobs so I'm telling myself that's why mine is so high! Here is  my first scan. We do another at the end for comparison.

I am a creature of habit and one of the things I like about the gym is that now I know all the things I do. I can increase them as I see fit, and I do often, I know the staff and a few other members and I am confident that I can do all the exercises. This morning I was shitting myself with all the new exercises! I had a list of them to do with names like dead bug and kb goblet squat. I had no idea what any of them meant, just that they sounded scary. When we did them though it really wasn't that bad. I am stuffed, don't get me wrong. But broken down there were basically 6 different exercises, 10 of each x 3. So we did a circuit. Mine was a bit more modified than Eloise's. She's 27 this year and loves to exercise. I'm 50 this year and don't! So with things such as the back lunge she had weights in both hands and I leaned a hand on the bench to stop myself from falling over. In pushups (something I've never really done) she went down quite far, I went down a couple of cms I think!  Still, I did what I could and I'm happy that I did. Lots of room  for improvement. Another friend of ours, Anne, was there too so she joined us for a few of them. And I still added in my rowing, a few minutes on the treadmill and the crosstrainer. Not bad for somebody who just joined the gym in November! Instead of walking home Eloise gave me a lift because my legs were so wobbly!

I think we're going back tomorrow. It's pretty achievable. There are exercises for 3 days a week so if I want to do my other workout I can go on other days and do that too. So I'm back on track and feeling better about it all. I am even considering doing some sort of work in the weight loss industry so deciding what to do next in my study. Some sort of motivational coaching for older women would be right up my alley! Here's a photo of my gorgeous friend Eloise and I.

Update

ok so the update is that the Rapid Challenge has been extended until July now. While this was disappointing that we won't find out about Fiji until then, the exciting thing is that there was 6 of us who received $1000 for our effort so far in losing the weight and keeping it off! So I know that I've done well and been noticed!

I went shopping with my gorgeous friend Jess today. She has good taste in clothes and has gotten me addicted to Dangerfield. It's rather expensive so she took me to their clearance warehouse today. Here's what I bought! I don't normally buy designer clothes but I love their styles so much. I got all of these for $180 including some pyjamas for my oldest daughter, a bag, some knickers for her and a makeup bag with a Herman Munster print!