2 years ago I had my 3rd baby. Pregnancy is not my friend and I STACKED on the weight! Unlike my previous 2 pregnancies I was very active in shedding the kg and I lost 35kg in just under 6 months and I was probably at my smallest in my adult life. I managed to keep it off but then an injury (badly torn calf muscle) meant that I couldn't exercise for over 8 months, I love to dance and I got depressed at not being able to do the things I love, and self medicated with chocolate. So no movement and A LOT of chocolate (and lets be honest here, pizza, scotch, biscuits and pretty much every 'avoid' food) was not a good mix. Sad to say in that time I have stacked on more than 12kgs but now it is time to get it shifted!
I will do this! I am planning a trip to Japan with my family in August and I want to be able to look back on those photos and not notice anything in the pictures but the memories of an amazing trip. I don't want to look at them and only feel disappointment in how I look. We also have family coming over from the UK in October and I want to be able to take them to the beach and not worry about how I look in a bikini. Those are my motivations but I know myself well! I am motivated by those things but money motivates me more. I have invested in myself now! $40 (I'm in Australia so with the exchange the US$30 became AU$40) could be a meal out, it could be new clothes, new shoes or a new handbag but instead of buying something tangible for the $ I am choosing me! I am choosing to believe that my body will be here long after the handbag has been relegated to the dress up box or the new clothes have been lost in a pile of laundry so it is worth investing in, I'm in this for the long haul!.
I got a tentative ok to start some gentle exercise and I have been back at the gym 3 days out of the last 4 and yesterday I went back to ballet. Tomorrow I start back a belly dancing. Today will be spent in the kitchen preparing all my healthy snacks for the next week.
I am prepared! I will lose 4kg in the next 4 weeks (this challenge). I will do this through dancing 3 times a week (Saturday Ballet, Monday and Tuesday Belly dance) and going to the gym on Wednesday or Thursday and Friday. I will eat 6 small meals a day. I will park further from the door at work and at the shopping centre, I will take the stairs instead of the lift, I will make an effort to be more active every day and I will find the charger for my fitbit and start actively monitoring my activity instead of just thinking I feel more active. I will track my food every day on My Fitness Pal so I can see how much I am taking in and how much is going out! I WILL do this! 12kg starts with the first gram so I will be positive about any weight loss and fitness increase instead of being disappointed that I didn't lose more!
Here we go!