Not Super Size me just Super Sized Sessions!

Hey all!

I have been getting a bit slack with blogging - sheesh! My only excuse is that I have been training hard & cooking & eating well! The planning, cooking, eating story takes a lot of time hey? I have also had to have a few hours here & there sleeping and letting my body recover. I am taking all my medications and when I eat healthy I reckon that is medication itself! 

Friday I did my usual Body Pump class (500cals) and upped the weights on some of the tracks - I could feel it on Saturday morning when I got up to go to my Thump Class! It was a killer class and I just pushed and punched and gave it everything. We were partnered up and the poor lady who got me was a first timer. Unfortunately for her I showed no mercy and really pushed myself past the limits. I got a bit dizzy at one point when my heart rate got up to 185 so I just slowed down a little and then I felt fine. I burned up 700 cals with the Boxing class (they call it THUMP) and then we did a family bike ride - 12km's I think and it gobbled up 744 calories. I was absolutely knackered! The champion of the day though is my 5 year old - who pumped her legs on her own bike up & down the hills the whole way. She is an absolute trooper! She was also very hungry all day afterwards & the next day! This little run down brings me back to my point, since I joined Michelle's 12wbt challenge, my husband has started eating what I eat & lost 3kgs and we are doing healthy family things like bike rides! It just feels good to know we are out & about exercising our bodies, taking our lunches & snacks with us and avoiding the golden M and its counterparts!

I feel as if a whole new world is opening up and its outdoors and exciting not on the couch watching reruns!

I wish all my fellow 12wbt peeps a superb week of brilliant Michelle Bridges inspired cuisine & lots of sweaty work outs. LETS ROCK THIS THING!

TazzaP

A way of life

Hey team!

This exercise thing is slowly slowly becoming "normal" - when I wake up I am straight into my exercise gear ready! After school drop off it is straight to the gym. I love it! I love it that the receptionist knows me now - I am starting to feel like I belong. 

3 weeks ago I felt like a freak show when I entered the gym - I attributed this to so many things! I am chubby (read overweight), I am puffing just walking around the gym and then there are the "clicky" gym-goers or "stuck-up" gym-goers as well as me feeling that I just don't understand the whole "wanting to be at gym" sickness ;-) This has changed! Since I committed in my head & my heart and have followed through with my actions I actually totally feel as if I belong! Did the "clicky" or "stuck-up" gym goers change? Nope. I have changed. My mind has changed, my perspective has changed, my actions have changed. Some of the "clicky" gym goers have turned out to be the loveliest ladies and the "stuck-up" gym goers have welcomed me, chatted to me & been genuinely happy to see me again the next time.They are not clicky or stuck up at all, some of them were me once upon a time! My self -confidence was so so so very low, but each day I am getting more self-confident, I am believing in myself more & more each day. I am seeing how the positive changes I am making with gym & healthy eating are changing the inner me. I am changing from the inside out. I feel like I belong! And it feels good! 

Yesterday I did another double session. A boxing class followed by a cycling class - Same instructor - Frank. I enjoyed the cycling so so much. He has an amazing way of encouraging & pushing everyone - me included! I burned up a 1000calories in no time. I was absolutely exhausted afterwards and had to have a 1 hour sleep when I got home as I could not even function - my body was in shut down mode! Today I did a 30 minute cycle and then a Body Balance class. I am happy to report I didn't fall over once this time - my first attempt had me literally falling over, rolling over and sliding everywhere - what a distraction for the other participants who were gracefully lunging, balancing, feeling peaceful... This time I was still not graceful but I didn't fall over and actually felt I stretched my muscles out and feel peaceful. Big Thumbs up.

Tomorrow I am back to PUMP and can't wait for the instructor to push me through my paces - my triceps are soooo week I am going to really push it tomorrow!!

I am praying that I will start to get more energy soon soon soon as I am feeling very fatigued at the moment - but I am going to keep pushing on at the gym!

Go well friends lets rock this transformation challenge!

Tarryn

xxxxx

Thoughts & Prayers with NZ and our NZ 12WBT family

It has been a crazy day marred with pain & destruction for our NZ friends. So so shocking. Glad I was able to hear from some of them and they are safe. Our prayers are with you, your families and NZ as you work to save those trapped and begin clean up. This is a short post today in respect of our special NZ friends - our hearts and prayers are with you and we are praying for the people still stuck awaiting rescue.

It has been a busy 2 days in my house, did my Body Pump Yesterday and the instructor is seriously quite definitely insane. I have never seen someone move like that - and seriously she is ripped! Today I did 20 minutes of cycling then a Pump class and then a Fat Burner class. Now quite frankly I am finished!! I do feel good, but fatigued and hope to sleep well tonight.

Special prayers for all in NZ. God be with you. xxxx

This is a watershed moment!

Its been a busy few days! I have gone from Body Pump on Friday directly to my friend Jenny who is my "coach" for her to do my measurements. Hubby, darling daughter & I spent 4 hours getting all the shopping (and oh my goodness I broke the budget!!) and today we spent doing the fitness tests. Now that was funny - my hubby shouting at me to go harder, push harder etc. A good laugh. I did the run for the fitness test and boy am I unfit! It can only get better I reckon ;-)

Have just watched Michelle's new video and am so very excited about this moment - this is a watershed moment. I will never be the same because I am choosing to be different.

I wish all my fellow 12wbt team the best on their journeys - this is a journey and not a competition - May we rise up to support each other, high 5 each other when we do well, and pick each other up when we fall down. May we each see ourselves change & become more of who we are meant to be. We have the power to do this!

I wish you all blessings & health as we do this!

GO TEAM

xx

Tarryn

Another first and another mindset change

Yesterday I did my first Spinning class or RPM or Cycle (still getting into all the lingo). I have to say this felt like the toughest class I have done out of all the others. Everything from the waist down is burning today - 694 cals smashed and I took it down a notch as my knee has still been hassling me. The trainer/ instructor was really amazing, he had perfect timing - just as I started getting fatigued and wanted to slow down or take it down a notch he was yelling to keep going for so many seconds etc. I surprised myself by keeping going, even though everything in me wanted to get out of there - Somehow it's like I have opened up a door to a new part / section in my mind that I never knew was there. I am going to have to learn about this new place in my head that allows me to override my body when it is screaming for mercy and to stop. I didn't think I had it in me - but I saw a bigger glimpse of it yesterday in that class. I feel like I have busted myself - how weird is that?

My prayer is that in these next 12 weeks this new inner voice will become stronger and that the inner warrior I felt in my combat class on Monday night (surprised myself there too) will become louder and that the body screaming to stop will become softer. I am hoping that one day, I will be able to tell myself to keep going, to push through and to believe in myself so that I don't need a trainer to do it for me. I get nervous butterflies in my tummy at the possibility that I could actually one day be able to do it. It feels like I am on the cliff edge & the brink of something absolutely life changing - but really it's all changing on the inside, like my inner woman is starting to rise up. The inside needs to change first and then the outside will follow. Its scary and exciting at once. 

I am starting to realise that this journey is more about my head than my body. Bit slow - I know - but at least I am getting there.

Today I am doing body balance which is perfect because I am very unbalanced and unco-ordinated - maybe this will help.

Wishing you well my fellow soujourners - we ain't gonna be in this place for long we are moving on!

Tarryn

I have crossed over to the "other" side

Well, I have been enrolled since 1st Feb and in these few days I have literally crossed over to the "other" side. Now, to be clear, The "other side" was made up of people who I would see running On Saturday mornings (mental I would say), of people who exercised because they enjoyed it (surely they lied??), of people who had exercise as part of their day just like sleeping and facebook (lol).

And today friends, today, I crossed over. It started out innocently enough, off I toddled to my pump class (seriously that instructor shows no mercy & pushes you beyond what you think you can do - possibly related to Michelle ;-) - a compliment Michelle if you are reading ;-) Pump class was full on, increased my weights & was stoked with my effort. And then she said it. The instructor I mean, " if you are interested stick around for a fat burning class". I reckon if one took a picture of me at that exact moment it would be a case of the deer eyes in the camera flash moment - do I run or do I pray the earth swallows me up. But no, no, I didn't, I said, "Ok" - trembly voice, nervous giggle, slight shaking of the hands!. I thought to myself " I will do some of the class and then leave" - I mean I already did a class so this is just like icing - no need to overdo things. But once we got started and I saw calories flying off the charts on my HRM I was like "hell no, I am here to stay", besides, even if I wanted to leave I wouldn't have had a chance, that instructor was all over me, correcting technique, encouraging me along - how could I let that dear dear lady down;-) lol. SO for me, I think I have crossed over - mentally - I took a risk (made sure I had a backout plan - lol) and then actually followed through. I am surprised. I am impressed. I am absolutely postively spectaculary exausted. Seriously. Finished. I shall sleep well tonight!

I am loving this journey, Michelle Bridges and her encouragement gift have helped me believe in me. I am taking way out of my comfort zone risks and I am doing more than I ever thought possible. I am actually starting to believe that this quite possibly might happen - loose all the weight I mean, and that dear friends is a breakthrough in itself.

I am pretty speechless. What can I say but to encourage you to take a risk and pretty please keep reminding me to take em.

May the Michelle force be with y'all ;-)

My oh my hasn't there been a BIG change here

Howdee Doodee everyone.

I am super ecstatic, happy and joyfull all at once. This is not normal. I mean I am normally a happy person and all but it's the reason for my happiness which isn't normal. Today I went to see the physio because of my knee, turns out that because of the removal of most of the meniscus (and not enough exercise afterwards to strengthen the muscles) the muscle on the inside of my knee is almost non existent and the muscles on the outer side of my knee moving up the thigh have been overcompensating for years and the knee cap is out of postition blah blah. The great news is I can do exercise to fix it so that the knee cap etc go back where they belong and so I don't have the same problem again. The great exciting news is that I CAN TRAIN. Oh my goodness, I can't believe I am excited about being able to train and happy even. Its all new to me. Before I would have taken any excuse not to train! This people, is in a category very very verrrrry nearly in the category of miracles. Not quite, but very close. Very very close. I kid you not.

I am actually quite speechless that in such a short time your mind can change and your desires can change. Its quite astounding. I don't think this will be the last time I am astounded on this journey - but geez louise I am amazed. 

I am off to body combat tonight when hubby gets home. 

Wishing my fellow sweaty exercise friends a super calorie burning, healthy eating day.

Signing out

Little Miss Happy

Super steps on the slimming super highway!

Hello my calorie burning friends :-)

This weekend my knee was playing up - it has been twitchy since my first Body Combat class on Monday but Friday afternoon it all "locked up" and I was walking all funny. On Saturday I couldn't do any cardio but did my Arm Weight DVD & my Ab DVD and today I took as a rest day. It is actually better than yesterday but I am going to see a physio tomorrow to work out what the story is. I have had 75% of the meniscus removed from this knee so I am praying its nothing to do with that and maybe just some strain from the full on exercising! I was pretty hard core this week - even if I say so myself ;-)

Dodgy knee and all, Hubby & I went to buy Mish's Crunch time / cookbook combo at Big W - seriously what a winner price seeing as the individual books are so much more expensive. We got the last one on the shelf - me thinks you guys n gals have all been out there buying the books up in BIG W;-) Sheesh, great job there was 1 to spare - good on ya!

Well, I am not sure if this is happening in your family - but something BIG and GREAT and AMAZING is happening in mine! My gorgeous darling hubby is 100% on board with me and he is reading Mish's book, sorting through recipes with me, working out how to add in extra for him & Chaeli-Jade (girly girl) AND he cooked dinner last night AND tonight. OH MY GOODNESS. It was yummy food and he doesn't make half the mess I make in the kitchen. As an added bonus - he re-organised some of my shelves so they are more user friendly - FABULOUS! Then he re-organised the fridge and I LOVE it. Seriously its all happening at my house! Not only am I winning with weight loss but I am winning in lots of other areas too. Who knew? God Bless ya Michelle Bridges!

Well friends and fellow compatriots I wish you Godspeed this week and healthy healthy eating with super speed calorie burning.

One more week till its all happening "for real".

Nighty Night!

Tarryn :-)

Feeling Positive - That diary is looking pretty busy!

Hey friends!

Well, I have been to gym - got there early so pulled a "Sarah and Amber" and did some training on the elliptical trainer before my pump class and then did the pump, added more weights on from last time and pushed it to the MAX.What a feeling! Plus I made myself stand up front so I couldnt stop - see I know myself...

I also sat down and did my task #7. Sheesh! My diary is pretty darn full now and I love it! Not much time to be lurking around looking for something to eat. I am even planing ahead - travelling to South Africa for 3 weeks April / early May for my beautiful sisters wedding - I have already gotten her to get details about casual gym membership for when I am there. I am going to have to have my game on when I go as there will be PLENTY temptation but I know I can do this - I am feeling in control, so if I plan ahead, book in at gym for my time there, get groceries organised instead of leaving it to the family (disastrous idea - we have an italian chef in the family!!) I should be good PLUS I have massive support from hubby and from y'all.

Right now its off to clean up after that epic workout - wishing you lots of fun & fitness over the weekend.

May Michelle's force be with you
TazzaP!

Look what you girls made me do!!!

Hey team! Look what you guys made me do!!! 

I woke up feeling really unwell which is normal when you have autoimmune diseases but I had a bad nights sleep too so felt very sorry for myself this morning (in Australian terminology - a sook). 

Some excuses seemed to start coming up, some in my head and one from a friend who called and said "oh shame , poor you, dont push yourself" and then I kept getting messages from some of my weight loss group friends popping up on my iphone about how much exercise they had done, cals burnt (some of you are absolute machines!) etc and so forth -  and I was like - "Hell girl, get your trainers on girl and GET MOVING". SO I did, elliptical trainer plus a dvd - arm / weight exercise and burnt 350 cals. HA in your face excuses ;-) 

This is absolutely Michelle Bridges & YOUR fault. You made me do it! I didnt want to, but you made me. Plus I am accountable to a hard core PT Jenny and she will want a report back and then I would have to post on the 12wbt forum that i had done nothing, so I did something. Something is better than nothing BUT next time I will ensure I do at least 500cals. Grow up girl! 350cals is so January...

One thing I have learned this fine day, is that actually afterwards I was so glad I did it and actually next time I feel ill I will do it again as actually a don't feel any better or worse than when I woke up.

You champions you. Thank you! I especially like all you hardcore 600 - 1000 cal exercise peeps ;-) Sheesh!

Go strong & go hard guys!

TazzaP

My PT & Coach & Amazing friend Jenny.. what she makes me do!!

So, I have this friend, very very very very good friend who also happens to be a PT and also happens to have taken me (the exercising fledgling) under her wing. She is one tough cookie.

I just want to say, it is really helping me having someone who is passionate about nutrition and exercise and health in my corner. I also made the dumb (clever) mistake of asking her if I could be accountable to her. She asks some hard questions - her & Michelle would get on like a house on fire! They would have me running laps around the fire they started (and I probably deserve that!)

After I had done my list of excuses in the pre-season tasks, I emailed them to her before I had a chance to think not too - scary times! Now she has every excuse of mine and won't take one of them. I have been busted big time!

I feel as if putting building blocks into my life ie - getting to gym, taking instruction & direction about exercise, signing up to Michelle's 12WBT (i keep calling it the wrong thing - jolly!) are helping save me from myself. I wonder if anyone else also feels they need saving from themselves? If you do - quick, email someone or some people your excuses list, don't think about it just do it! Its scary but exciting all at once..

Now to conquer this day & finish cleaning so I can get to my exercise... I have to find a strategy for procrastinating tooo... hmmmm tips welcome.

Fight the good Fit Fight today friends!

Jenny Viljoen - coach and friend - I salute you!

Tarryn

A day to Conquer

Today I woke up and felt "pretty" - isn't that wierd? Most days I wake up feeling very ordinary and bleh. But today was different. Does anyone else ever wake up after doing a few days of training and suddenly feel a bit better about themselves? Fast Forward about 30 minutes when I have made lunches, got girlie ready for school, blah blah.. and I find myself on the scale for Wednesday Weigh in. To my horror I am the same weight i was 3 days ago despite heroic effort @ gym, and then I feel panicky that maybe I wont ever loose the weight despite hard work at the gym & in the kitchen.

My word! Talk about Emotional rollercoaster - I reckon that has to be my and maybe some other woman out there's worst enemy - the emotional ups & downs that can make or break our day or diet ;-)

So, today as I brave the school mum crowd (3/4 of which are skinny & sexy lexy) I have decided in my head that I am indeed prettier today, that my organs are looking a spot better for that healthy nutrition I have been eating and that my muscles are trembling with fear (in a good way) about the fury I shall unleash on em later. I will remind myself constantly of our Darling Michelle Bridges and how she is setting the bar high for us but good exercise & nutrition are achievable - I can picture her now screaming at me "are you giving up" and then my reply no way (in fear of more push ups lol). Michelle you motivate me in a healthy way!

So, I have decided that I shall put hand cream on twice today too - just so my hands also feel pretty tomorrow. I shall gym hard today - so I feel a bit less wobbly tomorrow and I shall say a prayer for my fellow 12wbt friends.

To all my fellow weight loss peeps, watch out the calorie enemy is lurking - keep our code & commitments and lets see each other on the other side of today with the day conquered!

I salute you!
Tarryn

Intro to me & this blog ;-)

Who am I? I am The original Wild Crazy Blonde Chick (WCBC), Tarryn,  - aptly named over 9 years ago in a little coffee shop on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai by close & missed friends! I can be a bit wild (feisty at times - lol), definately crazy and yes blonde (my husband will tell you how my hair budget is testament to this).

I am by nature a happy person, I love people, I treasure relationships - especially those filled with unconditional love. I just adore my husband and best friend - I got a winner for sure! I have been blessed with, seriously, the most amazing, gorgeous, delightful little girl who is 5 years old. She has a feisty side too which I often blame on her dad but seeing as I am blogging on about truth and so forth I will admit probably comes from me. It’s the cheekiness that comes from her dad ;-)

This blog, for me, is really a part of something much bigger than noting down my progress on Michelle Bridges' 12 Week Body Transformation challenge. Rather it is a piece of a lovely life journey and probably a long chapter in a book I have been writing  - I am very excited about my writing. I hope that this year will be a year full of chapters for my book and the beginnings of getting published – wooohooo that just makes me super excited!

I should mention I am a hopeless romantic, I am also the worlds biggest cry baby and will burst into tears watching anything on TV, ads, movies, reality shows, anything. If Chaeli-Jade is crying I often cry with and my husband sometimes arrives home to 2 puffy eyed, crying wrecks.  Yes I know I am meant to be the parent / adult in control - we shall have to explore this problem in detail on another blog. Time is short people! Back to the point.

So, the challenge, my hubby signed me up to Michelle Bridges 12wbt as I have been working hard to get my health back. He has to be the most supportive man alive. Thumbs up babe!  I have been diagnosed with Raynauds Disease which is a result (so the specialist says) of the Scleroderma which I was also diagnosed with – both Autoimmune. I am on medication for it and seeing some positive improvements. I just recently gave up work (I know, seriously it is absolutely utterly delightful – more on this to follow as its one of my favourite topics – I promise not to bore you!).

I have thrown caution to the wind and booked myself up with a class every day this week and shall make a little bloggy piece everyday to keep myself on the straight and narrow. I am drinking litres of water (no water conservation going on here), counting my calories (thank the Lord for iphone apps that help) and feeling very chuffed with myself so far (which of course could change at any moment causing madness to ensue – I suggest you check back often J)

Right now I have some calories to destroy & a little person to love and feed.

To you, my fellow body transformation peeps - Be strong, keep your wits about you for goodness sakes and when all else fails try on your skinny jeans to motivate you to step away from the cookie jar!

Signing off

Wild Crazy Blonde Chick (WCBC)  - Tarryn