Weighing in at a whopper 93.1 on Start Day.
20 years since joining the 1991 Royal New Zealand Navy May Intake. One of the people I trained with "facebooked" me this year and asked if I was going to the reunion, I said had it been 10 years already, and she said NO its the TWENTIETH reunion!! Wholly Crap!
Today is the 23rd of August 2011 - I have been at this challenge now for 12 weeks and have already lost 11kgs.
It is an interesting journey, so I have now decided to document it, and anyone that is interested in following "Krissie's New Life Development" is welcome to come along for the ride.
A couple of good friends from my Navy and Skydiving Days (John Squire & Phil Baldey) both told me once that if your life is worth living it is worth recording. I have also read that in one of my many "self help" books that live on my bookshelf and rarely get opened or any of the knowledge consumed and acted upon.
A lot has gone on in the last 12 weeks - so posts on this blog are going to be really adhoc, as I think I will choose to blog things as I remember them, as opposed to writing sequentially. I will try to contextualize the posts though and place them in a time and place of my life that most people that know me will be able to figure out.
So - WHY NOW, what is the motivation for finally getting my ass off the couch!
Well it has been an accumulation of some pretty big life changing events over the last couple of years, as well as some chance conversations with people, and general reflection of my life.
In no particular order - here are some of my motivating factors to getting my large 93.1kg BOD off the couch.
The loss of one body organ (Gallbladder) in 2008, this is usually attributed to being fair fat and 40 (of which I was Fair Fat and 36) So once again - ahead of my time!
A candid conversation (someone bold enough and honest enough to ask the question) with Chris Norman while panting up the street in Wellington - he asked me "Why am I overweight" what is it in my life that I gave up on. I have only just started actually to think about that conversation this year.
The candid honesty of my sweet little Nephew Adrian when he was about two - on one occasion he would not get into his car seat, so I was trying to cajole him into sitting in his seat, so I said that if he didn't hurry up then Aunty Krissie was going to sit in it. He got quite shocked at this and even looked a little panicked, and then he said "you can't, your too fat!" Got to love the honesty of an innocent child.
Staying in my Sisters house one xmas and awaking to the sound of the relatives discussing my weight issue. I had stopped being "Kris" and I had become a "health concern" to family and friends.
The loss of way too many friends, family and colleagues to Cancer since 2005. While I ultimately do this Life Style Change for myself, I am also honoring these special people that have not had the opportunity to do all they really wanted to do and all that they should have been blessed to do. I will not waste my life and waste what I have been given any further. My heart goes out to the following special people.
Simon Castles (high school friend) - you always believed in me and made me feel special and pretty like no fella has ever managed to do since. Thanks Bud.
Kristin Osborne (only 6 years old - but what an amazing maturity for one so young)
Cathy Gilmour (Your honesty and special chat on Waiheke about "Life" drives me every day)
Aunty Bet - your free spirit and great love of family and your amazing support and regular chats have been so influential. Thank You
To my friends that are currently battling this horrible disease, my get fit efforts will be also used to raise funds for the Cancer Society. I hope to make a difference. My love and support goes out to you all through this difficult time.
So what else has pushed my motivation over the edge to actually get me moving!
A sneak preview at what was going to lie ahead - increased risk of developing Diabetes, and then potentially needing Knee and Hip replacements if I kept heading in the same unhealthy direction, the potential to loose the upstairs faculty early in life as well through being too inactive. I realised it was not too late to avoid these major problems by taking action NOW!
The chance to loose weight and actually have some shot of my skin bouncing back! and not ending up all saggy. Skin starts drastically loosing elasticity after 40.
I also had started reflecting on how was it that I had turned into a lazyboy sitting (knitting), TV watching, grumpy, junk food inhaler, inactive, ancient looking 38 year old from an adrenalin junkie, skydiving, military trained, squash playing, fun loving, skiing 25 year old....what the hell had happened. When did I wake up and decide its time to start dying and I had given up on making the most of my life. How the hell did that happen! that bloody negativity monster had snuck up on me and totally consumed my vitality.
Christchurch Earthquake - I was privileged to be called upon to help one of the CTV Building survivors as part of my role with Victim Support. While I can't go into any details, meeting this person really changed my perspective on life. And with the combination of loosing Cathy during this time and being so wrapped up in CHCH that I had not realised she had passed away. I thought it really was time to be more aware, and stop coasting through life. It was Cathy that said I should pretty much grab life by the balls and make the most of every day, as you never know what cards you may be dealt. And she mentioned that knowing she had limited time had been really empowering for her, as she knew how much she could achieve and set about to do things she really wanted to do and loved, where as for the rest of us...you never know what the next day may bring....and it might be a "Bloody Bus"...if you get my drift...so spending that day doing something without passion is really a bit of a waste.
When you miss a friends passing because you are so wrapped up in your daily existence and "being too busy" to know what is happening around you...that is inexcusable and time to take note and make some changes.
So anyway.....HOW IS THAT FOR MOTIVATION!
The final straw (fuel to the motivation fire) was the April Ieremia Challenge that I saw in the NZ Woman's Weekly. April Loses It - a 30 week 30kg Weight Loss Challenge to the whole country. And the lure of an overseas exotic holiday for two winners. I like a good challenge. Also it was a chance to get additional support (face book group) for free as well as online fitness and eating plans shared by a professional personal trainer. And after my terrible failure at the Ocean Swim across Auckland Harbour in 2008 I really needed a new challenge to get me kick started.
So add to that - my joining the gym right next to work (no excuses not to go)
Signing up for the Green Prescription so I could get what I call my "Fat Card, get out of jail free card" which gives me discount to fitness activities in Wellington. And also my 2 free swims a week as part of a weight loss initiative run by the PHO. I have set myself up for success, and already into week 12 - the lifestyle change is working, and I am feeling great, full of energy, and passionate about my life again. Anyway....more about that in the next blog I think as it is almost 1:00am and I also had a 3:00am morning yesterday (so much to do these days!) so for now.....I'm signing off. See you all soon with some more interesting stories.
By the way - did I mention what the secret to all of lifes problems is....
Well ... IT IS PORRIDGE - the super food of weight loss champions!
I also think it could make quite a good glue! (sometimes I don't make it very well)
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