Challenge Update - 15 March

OH MY GOSH.... to say I'm OVERWHELMED would be a huge understatement right about now! Since our Challenge launch on Sunday, I've had SO MANY messages of support, you guys have just blown me away with your generosity of spirit on this one! 

The BLC forum is just buzzing with excitement about this - and I'm SO pleased to see so many jumping onboard my crazy conga line to come and do this with me!!!   (be still my heart, you guys make me feel SO loved!!!).   All the messages on the Biggest Loser Club Facebook page and on the forums are just unbelievable...  so much love!!!

Well it all officially started YESTERDAY - DAY ONE 

I know... such a poser!!!  hahaha!

As per the Challenge exercise schedule -
I had a body pump class and a walk on for the day. My pump class at CityFit was in the afternoon, so I decided in my infinite wisdom to get that walk done before work, bright and early on a Monday morning!

EEK!  I instantly remembered why I've never been much for early morning exercise (least of all on a Monday, haha)... when I forgot how to move my legs when I walked out the back door!!!  

Decided I'd change that walk into a session on the cross trainer instead (literally two steps in front of me) as I wasn't sure I'd have made it much further without injury!!  (hehehehe)  Hopeless...!!!!  

Now, considering how much I LOVE my devilish CROSS TRAINER 'normally' - those first five minutes were PURE HELL.  I am seriously NOT a morning person - and my body was clearly still asleep too!   Started to warm up thereafter, and then I cranked it up and went into interval mode (as I do) and hit the balance of the session.  

45mins, 15kms and 620cals burnt later...  Session one down!


BODY PUMP was next on the agenda. I've only done four weekly classes in my very modest "gym history" - but Pump has become one of my favourite activities to date!!  Have always loved working with free weights, but never knew what to do with them properly - so adding a class like this to my repertoire has been AWESOME!   I LOVE muscle!!!  (it's everyone's best friend)... and I'll avoid any remarks here about rippling abs, guns and to-die-for thighs.... oh my...!

My current bar weights are about 4.5kgs (either end) for bulk of the session - while I'm getting used to it. KILLER on the triceps that one, and I do chuckle when I see my poor arms wobbling like jelly trying to hike that thing over my head (for a reverse curl thingy..!!!).  Am aiming to add heavier for the legs sessions, but don't want to over-do it on the poor old knees (which are already feeling that added load, particularly with all the lunges and squats thrown in too) - so that's definitely a "listen to your body and adjust accordingly" issue there. 

Either way, I'm LOVING that I can now kneel with the rest of the class (which I couldn't do before - it's a new "body discovery" recently) and be able to do girly knee-based push-ups with all these other fit people by the end of the class!  Can't wait to see even more progress on those and increased numbers on that bar as the weeks fly by!!!

55mins and 300cals burnt....  here endeth Manic Monday!

DAY TWO!

Spin baby, spin!

My very first RPM CLASS!  ... and I was SO nervous!!!!   I was having visions last night of me falling off the bike OR my knees just buckling under the pressure...

How wrong was my head?!  ... and must I over-analyse and preempt failure with EVERYTHING?!  haha!

RPM WAS AWESOME!!!!   That 45-minute session KICKED MY BUTT - and I loved every minute of it!  (yep, even when the gorgeous instructor was yelling out "just ONE MORE HILL... right after THIS ONE!"... right when I was about to die... hahaha!)

It shocked me just how well I did with this class - I mean, I've used a stationary bike here at home for years - particularly at the very beginning where it was my best friend for my poor knees... That bike was the reason I COULD get some exercise in, initially, when everything else hurt so much.   And, as I progressed and shrunk and "lightened the load", and ventured into new exercise methods, that humble bike got left by the wayside for a while....  

If you already follow my blog, you'll know that it was only very recently that my bike made a comeback to the exercise scene - as a bit of a change up of routine - but I've never really done anything remotely like this RPM class with it before!

.... and I think I'm in love...  AGAIN!  hahaha...  (am I too easy to please?!!)   RPM will definitely be going on that agenda in the future - that class made me sweat something shocking (and I'm to the point now where I really have to work hard to get that going!!)  - my heart rate hit a max of 174bpm (probably when I was about to die on that wretched "hill" stint) - which for me is FABULOUS!!!  I'm lucky to push mid 160s with high intensity stuff now, and it's really hard to keep it up there, so I KNOW I got my money's worth out of this session today! 

45 minutes and 720cals burnt!  WHOOP!!!

CURRENT STATS

I realised when we launched the Challenge that I haven't actually put my starting figures anywhere!!!  OOPS!!   So here they are!  Official starting figures for Sunday (after another 400gms loss) - am currently 104.2kgs.    Double figures here I come!!!!   :D

OHHHH and check out my Shout-Out on Commando Steve's Facebook page today!  Made me blush....(*swoon*drool*convulse*)  hahaha!

Looking forward to tomorrow's sessions - it's my all-time favourite coming up!!!  ZUMBA!!!!   ... oh yeah, conga line time FOR SURE!!!

Til then, keep sweating guys - and have FUN!!!

-- Amy  xx   :)



SOME EXTRA NOTES:

I have HEAPS of messages and questions coming at me from all manner of sources at the moment - which is just AMAZING and SO very appreciated!!   ..but also a little overwhelming!! Trying to juggle the Challenge, life, my business AND look after you guys too, so bear with me as I try and keep up!!  It's all new...!   LOVE your enthusiasm and support though - THANK YOU!!!!

FOOD - I'll be posting up random photos of some of what's on my menus too on my Facebook Page!  I know I'm being asked what it is I'm eating - and me being VERY MUCH A FOODIE (and would have it no other way) - am happy to share ideas around!  I eat VERY well - if I don't, my body simply doesn't perform (as I've learnt the hard way) - so for those outside of the BLC and its program menus - have a squizzy at some of my yummy suggestions and see if it doesn't inspire your own inner-Chef to come out?!!  

UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS - are floating around EVERYWHERE!!  Best place to find them is the Biggest Loser Club Facebook page OR Aim to Change Facebook page  ... and ofcourse, right here!!    :)