Saturday, June 30, 2012

Mentoring Week 4 Summary

The girls have had a fabulous first 4 weeks of 12WBT.  Ups and downs along the way but overall a really positive experince for them both.

Here's a short video where they summarise their experiences of the first 4 weeks, tell us some of their results and let us know how they have found having Splash as a mentor.

Mentoring First 4 Weeks Summary Video

Friday, June 22, 2012

12WBT Round 1 2012 Wrap Up Video


Check out 1min 2sec and also 2min 21ssec... It's MEEEEE!!!

Mentoring Week 3 - Red Flags

We had an up and down week this week but overall it was pretty amazing and I'm really happy with what has been achieved.

The Up Side
Both girls participated in 4 amazing hours of training together on Saturday and burnt a combined total of over 4300 calories! Sarah burnt 2153 calories and Erin burnt 2221 calories.  That is more than double the calories I EVER burnt in an intense training session!  I joined them for 90 minutes and they were so determined and focused to make it through all the classes.  They smashed it and sent me pics to show how proud they were of their hard work. Words can't describe how impressed I am!

After a shaky start to the Round due to illness, Sarah lost 1.4kg this week.  It was the great news she needed to keep her mind strong. Sarah had 2 red flags on the weekend that she attacked perfectly.  She attended her friend's house warming and also a wedding. Both events had all sorts of delicious (but not nutritious) foods which were very tempting!  She stuck to her guns and exercised her portion control and will power muscles!

Erin had a red flag dinner that she planned really well for.  I sent her some tools on how to make the healthiest choice.  She downloaded the restaurant menu and found the healthiest meal to suit her new lifestyle and taste buds. She was all set to make a great meal choice at dinner.

The Down Side
Erin discovered the restaurant menu was different to the one she researched!  Oh no!!!  Erin explains here how she addressed this:
"The menu was very short of options. It was very much a pub menu. I chose the fish of the day on the proviso it came grilled. The waiter was adamant pan fried (as menu said) is same thing. It was great to see my fiance so supportive of my food choices. The dish came out & it was a good portion. Wasn't what I consider grilled but wasn't overly oily. Had a nice fennel & orange segment salad. No entrees. No dessert. & just water."

Even though the intense training session on Saturday was out of this world, Erin experienced a tiny weight gain this week.  We've talked it through and she has decided not to slip into old habits of throwing in the towel.  She later texted me and advised she is focusing on one day of clean eating at a time.  What a great mindset!

Summary
I love how they are planning ahead, keeping a strong mind, staying focused and not giving in when things don't go to plan.   This lifestyle change is forever and it's highly unlikely to always run perfectly.  The important thing is to get back on track.  Instead of doubting yourself ask yourself:

"Is going back to my old ways actually going to make me feel any better?"

Sunday, June 17, 2012

SplashFits hit the 1000 Steps on 17-6-12!

We had a great mix of new and experienced 12WBTers that are part of the SplashFits Facebook Group walk the 1000 Steps in Ferntree Gully in Victoria this morning.  http://www.dandenongrangesattractions.com.au/attractions/1000-steps/

The weather leading up to the event was miserable and raining.  I really thought I would need to cancel the event for safety reasons.  Early this morning the radar was telling me the rain had passed so the event was on!  Off to the Steps we Go!
 
Here we are at the bottom of the steps with smiles on our faces but some had doubts about whether they can make it to the top...
 
 Are we there yet??  This is taking forever but we are pretending to enjoy it!
 Woohoo!  The first 4 SplashFits are at the top!
 And two more SplashFits join us a couple of minutes later!
 We did it!  But where is Annie and Abbie...?
Annie and her personal cheer leader walked up and down the steps twice!

  Up and down the 1000 Steps and our heart rate monitors prove we worked hard.

Today was a great experience for all of us.  Half of us had never walked the steps before and doubted our ability to complete it.  But when you get your mind in the right place, decide to give it a go and have the support of your team mates, the achievable becomes smashable!  And the scenery was absolutely gorgeous.  

Afterwards we all enjoyed a social chat in the local cafe.  We debriefed on the ups and downs of our week, and shared experiences to help each other as we move forward.  Well done SplashFits!  We'll be doing it again in a fortnight.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

SSS 16 June 2012

It's Round 2 Week 2 SSS and boy did Sarah and Erin participate in a SUPER Saturday Session!   
They participated in a total of 4 hours of group exercise classes to launch the new Les Mills releases... 
yes 4 HOURS!!!  They were on a mission to burn calories and WOW they pushed their bodies to the limits.

I joined them for 90 minutes of Pump, Step and RPM.
A quick video update at the 2 hour mark...

How many calories did these two machines burn in 4 hours??  
An outstanding combined total of 4374 calories!

How do you recover from such an exhausting morning of exercise?
They have definitely earnt their Sunday rest day.  
Congratulations ladies. 
I know Mish would be so proud of the two of you.  
I certainly am!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Mentoring - Introducing Rednalexa

In this video I introduce you to Rednalexa.  I call her Mini Mish 1 and you can call her Sarah :)
She tells us about her rocky start to her first round of 12WBT but she has a strong mind that is getting her through.

And here is a pic she refers to in the video!  She's going to rock that dress in no time!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Mentoring - Introducing PrincessErin02

Hi everyone,

I'm giving mentoring a go this round to pay it forward to a couple of newbies.  I met them through my SplashFits Facebook group and we all train at the same leisure facility.

In this video I introduce you to PrincessErin02 and explain how I will mentor her.  I call her Mini Mish 2.  I will post update videos of her journey throughout Round 2 so you can follow her and see how we get her to smash her goals.


I will soon introduce you to Rednalexa and you can follow her journey too!  She's Mini Mish 1 :)

I hope you are going to love these girls as much as I do. They both have a streak of Splash in them... Squee!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Eating Out Tips

Splash's Top 10 Tips for Eating Out 

When I have planned to eat out, I exercise 1000 cals that morning, I eat up to 600 cals only during the day (usually 3 small meals of 200 cals) so that I have 600 cals free for dinner incase the food is oily or if I eat a bit more than I should or if I taste someone else's dessert, etc...  And I always have a glass of water to sip - it was just handy. 

I found eating out became more about the social aspect than the food and that was really really cool for me.  I engage in conversations more now rather than think of and eat 3 courses of fatty sweet food all night. 

The important thing is PLAN if you CAN :). So, the steps I follow when eating out are: 

1 - Get a copy of the menu beforehand.

2 - Order one meal rather than three courses.

3 - Avoid the rices and pastas as the serves will be way too big and it's hard to only eat 1/3 of the meal without people questioning you.

4 - Look for grilled options as they may be a good choice.

5 - Ask for dressing or sauce on the side so you can just taste it rather than eat it all.

6 - I usually choose (in this order preference)    
      A - a salad with dressing on the side    
      B - an entre as my main meal   
      C - grilled fish, chicken or meat 

7 - A salad can be be boring though so make sure you don't feel left out if you order salad.  Order a fancy one with salmon or chicken or octopus (if you like those things and they are not fried).

8 - If you choose a meat dish, make sure it's not crumbed or fried or drenched in sauce. A grilled one is a better choice.  Ask for sauce on the side if you can and just dip the meat in it a couple of times to taste it then don't eat the rest. Look for steamed veggies too in these meals.

9 - Portion size is important.  You'll be realizing the 12WBT portion size is small when you cook the meals at home so eat similar quantities of protein, veggies/salad when you eat out.

10 - Dessert time!  Ummm enjoy a cup of tea (and just taste a teaspoon of someone else's if you really really need to).  I never ate sweets during my weight loss phase, not even on my birthday - I was on a mission and NOTHING was going to tempt me.

Let me know if this helps you by leaving a comment below, or share your tips below too!

Monday, June 11, 2012

1000 Steps & I felt Normal

A new friend of mine and former 12WBT member, Hayley, invited me along to walk the 1000 Steps in Ferntree Gully with her and some of her training friends.  I had only known this person through the 12WBT program for a short period of time and met her about 9 days ago.  She was lovely and I was honoured to be invited so I happily accepted the invite.  I was excited to do something new.

I had never walked the 1000 steps before so the day before I was actually a little worried.  There is no way I would chicken out and not attend as i really appreciated the invite.  But what if I am not fit enough to make it to the top?  What if they are all so much fitter than me? What if I overheat? What if I slip over? What if my legs hurt too much from doing Step and Pump classes yesterday? What if what if what if??  I decided to take a chill pill, turn up and just go with the flow.

I arrived and found Hayley and her friends. Everyone was lovely and the air was fresh... ummm VERY FRESH!  I definitely could have done with an extra jacket in the beginning.  We set off at our own pace and it was a great chance to get to know people and have a chat.  I wasn't the only one doing the walk for the first time so that made me feel better too.

Walking walking walking and still no sign of any actaully "steps".  I began to think there aren't any real steps, it's just a long curvy path up a mountain.  Then boom I saw steps... after walking 800m to get to them!  Oh boy, this was not going to be easy.

The ground was a bit wet but it wasn't raining.  The huge green trees all around me made me feel tiny, the sound of water running was so nice and soothing.  I absolutely loved it!  It's something my Mum would love so i will definitely take her during the summer months when there is no chance of slipping.

We walked up, felt like we had achieved something then walked down.. Some people did the walk more than once but once was enough for me today.  we were greeted at the bottom by a delicious BBQ breakfast that Hayley & Adam hosted for us.  We socialised and i got to know Hayley's friends a bit better.

This morning I felt really normal.  Usually I either train solo or with the SplashFits.  When I train with the SpalshFits we all talk about the 12WBT program and we support eachother and share experiences.  When I train solo, the people in the gym that are strangers to me have seen that I have lost lots of weight.  

But this morning I met a new bunch of people.  And even though we exercised together, the morning didn't revolve around 12WBT and our transformations.  I was just a normal person training with other normal people, talking about work and study and having breakfast.  I felt really normal.  All I want is to feel normal and this morning was probably my first real experience of that.  We touched on the 12WBT program but the conversation did not revolve around me.  That was really really nice... and I felt normal :)

Here's a short video and a couple of pics.



I will definitely organise a 1000 Steps event for the SpalshFits as it feels REALLY good once you make it to the top!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Ski Chic Special

This is a variation of a recipe my sister (Ski Chic on 12WBT) came up with.  I'm not really sure what you call it so I've named it Ski Chic Special.  Eat it by itself, with a piece of grilled chicken or mix through 1/2 cup of pasta. Yum!
3 x 400g cans of Diced Tomatoes
500g Eggplant diced
3 medium carrots sliced
A selecetion of your favourite herbs and spices (I used Garlic and Herb Salt)

Pour tinned tomatoes, diced eggplant and sliced carrots into a saucepan.  
Place on a medium to low heat with the lid on for about 25 minutes, stiring every 5 minutes to ensure the vegetables dont stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add herbs or seasoning and stir through.
Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the carrots are cooked to your liking.

Makes 5 serves
100 calories per serve
Suitable to freeze

Apple Oat Muffins

Apple Oat Muffins

I just made up the recipe tonight after reading some protein bar recipes!

200g Quick Oats
1 1/2 stewed apples (really sweet ones)
1 teaspoon cinamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
175g Yoplait ForMe Vanilla yoghurt

Mix all together well in a food processor. 
Place patty pans into a muffin tin, or spray a muffin tin with oil spray.
Spoon mixture evenly to make 9 muffins.
Cook in 200 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Makes 9 muffins at 138 cals each. 

Alternative:
Also add 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder to the mixture and adjust the calories.
Keep an eye on them in the oven if you add protein powder as they can burn easily.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

How to Connect With Splash

Here's a little video of what I have planned for 12WBT Round 2 2012... and it's all about YOU!


SplashFit


I have created a Facebook Group for Victorian Northern Suburbs 12WBTers where I will organise discounted casual training sessions at the Thomastown Recreation & Aquatic Centre (TRAC) and other fun events/services throughout Round 20 2012.


Request to join the group if you genuinely want to attend some of the training sessions and form a support crew within the group.

We had 11 people attend a Sweat & Socialise session on 27 May and WOW did we sweat in that BodyStep class!
Then 7 of us attended Pump on 3 June and discovered muscles we never knew existed!

Looking forward to sweating and socialising with you to a better lifestyle.