Blogger Challenge Week 1

I have decided to do the blogger challenge. Basically Nutritionally Yours has been good enough to organise this for us this round.

First blogger challenge: introductions. There are 10 questions for us to answer. And at first glance, they look fairly easy to answer. But, I've spent the last few days thinking, really thinking, about these answers.

So, here they are:

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What makes you, you?

This is such a deceptively simple question. But, how do you squash yourself down into a few words? How do you describe almost 25 years of life in such a short space? I'm not sure, but I'll try.

I'm 24 (25 in May). I'm a personl trainer, with a B Arts in Psychology. I have a love of travel, having been to Japan when I was 16, worked in a ski resort in California when I was 21, and went back to the US on a Contiki tour last year. I am currently in the process of filling out a work visa application for Canada and I can't wait. I am currently, and happily, single and have no desire to change that at the moment. I believe that things happen for a reason and you meet people for a reason. I have played almost every sport you can name for as long as I can remember. I went to uni and put on 30kg (I think, I never knew my weight before I stood on the scales and it said 90kg). I lost 10kg while I was still there.

I'm a dancer, singer, actor, major procrastinator, stubborn Taurus, oldest child, 2nd youngest in the entire extended family. I'm fiercely independent, loyal and strong. I love the arts, and miss gymnastics.

2. Why did you decide to do the 12WBT?

I joined the 12wbt primarily to lose weight. I know about exercise. I know about healthy eating. I'm a PT. But, I needed someone to be accountable to. I needed some new recipes. Some new meals that are healthy, cheap, easy and quick to prepare. Also, I'm moving to Canada, one of the fittest nations in the world. And, call it shallow, but I want to look good when I get there.

3. What are you hoping to achieve through the program?

I would love to lose the 16kg that will get me back to 65kg. But, if I can lose 11kg, and get back to 70kg, that will make me happy. I want to have a lifestyle change where healthy eating is the normal, and exercise is a habit.

4. Why have you decided to blog about the 12WBT? What will be the main focus (e.g, food, exercise, a bit of everything?)

I have been blogging for a while. I have a livejournal account where I have been blogging for a few years. Then I started this one about my own weight loss journey, so it was a natural progression to blog about this journey as well.

This blog will be a bit of everything. Food, exercise, mental things, personal things etc.

5. How will you be exercising this round? Gym, home, outdoors or a mixture?

Exercise will be a bit of everything. I have been a member of my gym for a few years. I have many workout DVDs to use at home. I like to run outdoors. So, exercise will be a mixture of things. The only thing that I wont be doing is gym classes. My town doesn't have any to offer so I can't do that.

6. What is your greatest strength that will help you?

I struggle to answer this question. I have determination. I have persistence. I am stubborn. But at the same time I'm a perfectionist. I have an all or nothing mentality. I tend to get bored easily. So, I'm not really sure.

7. What are you afraid of?

Failing? Succeeding? What lies at the end of the journey? Probably everything.

8. What are you looking forward to the most over the next 12 weeks?

My fitness levels increasing. My strength increasing. Getting new, healthy, yummy recipes under my belt. Being able to do a sit up without someone achoring my feet.

9. What is your downfall? Food? Exercise? How will you overcome this?

My biggest downfall is me. My tendency to procrastinate. To put things off. I can eat healthy. I've done this before and I've lost weight. I can exercise. I enjoy it, it's just the getting out the door. I need to stop procrastinating.

10. If you had to pick one word to motivate you over the next 12 weeks, what would you choose?

CANADA!!!!

12wbt pre-season task 5

Say it out loud.

This task asks us to basically tell the whole world that we're doing this 12wbt thing. Basically, shout it from the rooftops.

Now, that's just not me. And it's not that I don't like talking to people. Or telling them things. I do. But, it has been my experience that, once you tell someone that you are changing your lifestyle when it comes to food and fitness, they sabotage you. Maybe not consciously, or maliciously. But sabotage they do. And I honestly believe that, most people, most of the time, don't realise that they're doing it, or the impact it has.

Take the workmate who has been watching you eat salads and snack on friut for the last 2 weeks, who suddenly offers you a piece of chocolate saying 'just one bite won't hurt'. Or the family member who scoffs at your efforts. Or the partner who asks continually about your 'slimming/diet foods'. Or the friends who take you out, order chips, pizza and/or burgers with fries, say something they feel is completely harmless about your healthy fish, or chicken, or salad, convince you to have 'just one drink', which, of course leads to more which leads to the late night greasy preventative hangover cure?

I'm sure that most people don't mean it in a horrible way. I'm sure that, for the most part, most of them have no idea the impact their words have on us.

But, they're the reason I don't want to shout my commitment from the rooftops. I don't want to be sabotaged. I am quite capable of doing that myself. I don't need any help.

My mum is doing this with me. The other 12wbt-ers are doing this with me and you're here, reading this, so I guess you know as well. That's enough people, for me, who know I'm doing this.

So, here is my commitment:

I, Danni, commit myself to the 12 week body transformation. I commit to changing my body size, my food and exercise habits and my life.

I commit to eating clean and following Michelle's 1200 calorie a day limit. I commit to following, with few alterations, Michelle's diet plan.

I commit to exercising 6 days a week, no excuses. I commit to burning 500 calories at every session, and 1000 in my super session.

I commit that, at the end of these 12 weeks, I will be a healthier, fitter, slimmer version of me.

I commit to losing at least 10-15kg, and wearing a sexy size 10 (that fits properly, no muffin top) at the end of the 12 weeks.

I commit to having a severely smaller wardrobe, and having to buy new clothes in Canada because my wardrobe is to big. I commit to needing less space in my luggage, and taking up less space in my seat on the plane.

This is my commitment to myself, Michelle, and the rest of the 12wbt gang.

Wish me luck. I might need it.