Raven's 12 Week Body Transformation Journey

[ravenstar]

So the other day, as I was puffing away on a cigarette and sipping from a glass of cola I signed up for a 12 week body transformation program. It's run by one of the coaches of the Australian version of The Biggest Loser and my Facebook timeline has been awash with photos and messages for months from people I know who have done the programme.

It contains a low calorie diet and exercise program and can be done from home. So many people I know have done or are doing it with some amazing results.

I know you only get out of the program what you put into it, so I'm excited to see what results I can manage if I stop making excuses and start making my body move again.

I'm turning 40 in August and I don't want to hit 40 as unfit as I currently am. I'm the first to admit that a portion of the reason for doing this is vanity, another portion is longevity. I don't want to be keeling over at 45 so I figure it's now time to stop pretending I'm still 18 and can eat and drink whatever I like.

One thing I want to do is post before and after pics. Those things are always such an inspiration to me. So last night I took my "official" before pics No sucking in of gut, or helpful angles.

I started this thread as a place to talk about the journey, whether or not anyone joins in with me. So I open today's thread with my *drum roll please* before pics.

[RaKroma]

Good luck and hope you have an easy journey to success!

[gangineer]

Good luck As long as you're doing it for you and not somebody else, the motivation is likely to stay.

[jft245]

Good luck, I know how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off. Looking forward to seeing the during and after pics.

[mbamike]

I wish you the best!

[earlgrey]

All the best!

Sometimes just curbing your intake of that fizzy cola makes a huge difference

[ravenstar]

Thanks all. Been doing the weekly warm ups, writing a food diary, replacing fizzy drinks with water, taking vitamins and Krill Oil capsules. Only been a week - and the 12 week part hasn't started yet - and I'm feeling like I've got a lot more energy, and noticing I'm not as bloated as I was previously.

Waiting for the 12 week portion to start is killing me. I want it now!

[ravenstar]

So I still haven't reached the beginning of Round 2 which is a wonderful exercise in patience for me. But as a would-be writer I've decided to blog my way through the experiences.

If you're interested in following along here's the link The Plank That Plonked

On an upside today, while I've spent the last couple of weeks undertaking the warm up round challenges I've somehow managed to lose 6.5 kilos (14.3 pounds) in the last 2 weeks which is a bonus.

Unexpected bonus though is I've now lost enough weight to fit back into my suit which made me very happy this morning.

[KaraBulut]

So I still haven't reached the beginning of Round 2 which is a wonderful exercise in patience for me. But as a would-be writer I've decided to blog my way through the experiences.

There are three really big hurdles that make these kinds of efforts a challenge-

1. The "I'm gonna puke" phase - usually the first couple of weeks of shortness of breath, pains in your sides and tiring pretty quickly.
2. The "God this is difficult" phase - usually the first couple of months. This is where you have to remind yourself that you didn't put on the pounds overnight, so it's not going to come off overnight. This is where you're at.
3. The plateau - where you've lost weight, gotten to a reasonable diet and you're happy with your progress but you can't seem to make more progress. This happens much later on and can be where a lot of guys get frustrated and start to backslide.

Unexpected bonus though is I've now lost enough weight to fit back into my suit which made me very happy this morning.

Good!

Now, take a picture and put it on your mirror to remind you that you are making progress.

[ravenstar]

I did take a picture yesterday Kara. Thanks for the tips too btw, I'm already worried I'll get to point 1 and curl up in a ball lol.

[KaraBulut]

I did take a picture yesterday Kara. Thanks for the tips too btw, I'm already worried I'll get to point 1 and curl up in a ball lol.

There's this weird thing that happens where, when the pounds come off slowly, you can't see the results when you look in the mirror. It's as if your brain still retains the images of you with the fat and it's hard to see the change.

This is where tape measures, pictures and putting your "fat clothes" will help you see the difference.