Ashley's 12 week challenge

Well! That's it then!!

I have decided to start a new blog for the next phase of my journey- I feel different since starting the challenge, like I want to be more balanced. So my new blog is called "dance like nobody's watching" and will be focused on being the best me I can be in every area..

I will post my before and after challenge photos on the new blog as well as on Flicker..


See you at

http://ashwee.blog-city.com/

Please save that address on your pages so people don't get lost!! I promise I wont move again (for a while!!)



xxx

OMGosh!!

I can't believe it!! Stepped onto the scales at Mum's place this afternoon, wearing normal clothes! And I am now 75.5!! IN THE AFTERNOON!!! So I guess I am 75ish in the mornings!!

But!! I am going with that till I get a chance to weigh in the morning!!



Yay!!

Thanks to all the hot ladies who rocked up at stylish, exclusive and totally over-priced Syracuse last night for the first of many (I hope!) bloggers dinners!!

I had an absolutely fantastic time! I had met Phil (duh!), Linda (my early morning walking and Healthy body club bud!), Brooke (My scrapping idol and HBC bud!) and Kathryn (lean, mean fat burning machine with hot pins!) before and it was so lovely to catch up with them again! (I hadn't seen Phil for too long!!) And I met beautiful Lucinda and Jade for the first time!!

Everyone looked so vibrant and alive!

Here are some Pics of the restaurant!











And here we are!! What a bunch of hotties!

L to R: Linda, Jade, Brooke, Kathryn, Moi!, Lucinda and Philippa


So! When we have the next one we EXPECT everyone to be there!! I would love to meet all you gorgeous people!!
For a more in depth description see Phil's blog!!

Will post some more photos when I bother getting them off my camera!

xx

I have gained 100g!

No- don't think I've been slacking off!! Far from it!!

I have been working my butt off! I know I have eaten too many points on a couple of days this week but I didn't think I'd had enough to stop me losing anything considering I have been burning so many calories anyway (I know I need to keep a closer eye on my fat intake)

anyway...I was weighed and measured and dropped 2% body fat and quite a few centimetres..

My trainer said she expected me to gain weight as I have been doing intense weight training 3 times a week! So I suppose that's good.. although it would be very nice to see some results on the scales too.. I know this is the wrong way to feel but I have been going on my "weight loss" this whole time and it gets a bit hard when the numbers don't move...

Thank God for Sarah who kept everything in perspective and congratulated me on a great effort...

My t-shirt and electronic number thingy for run for the kids arrived yesterday.. I put it all on and imagined what it is going to feel like to actually be there, run the race and cross the finish line.. I wonder how long it will take me...

I can't remember if I have posted this yet but I have decided to enter Slimming and Health magazine's "slimmer of the year". I have till June 30 to send my application in with my story plus before and after shots, so I am going to train really hard till then to see how much more I can transform my body!! Part of wanting to enter this comp is my desire to help others to change their lives too and the slimmer of the year gets a lot of publicity and gets to help out with "advice" pages in the mag.. I'd LOVE to do that!! I have always wanted to be a "Dear Ashley"!!

On another note, I sometimes I feel like I can't do it any more- like, I know I can maintain this weight and praise God! I am finally in a healthy weight range, but when I look at where I want to be, it just seems like it's still so far away.. For all the ladies who have a long way to go- I apologise if it seems like I am whinging but it's how I feel.. I hate having saggy skin and I don't know if there is much NON surgical stuff I can do to change it..

Hmm.. I love myself (that sounds a bit vain... but it's true) and I know I have worked so bloody hard to get where I am that every strechmark and saggy bit of skin should be worn like a badge of honour for all the hard work I have done- but unfortunately ladies, it's as if the more I lose the more I want... not in a "i'm a crazy person with an eating disorder and a distorted sense of self" kind of way- it's just that (thanks for the saying AJ- and NIKE) I feel that "If I can do this- I can do better"!!

I wonder if I will ever look in the mirror and seriously be happy with what I see? I suppose it depends on what I am looking for doesn't it? I definately wont be happy if I stand there and pull at my baggy skin and poke at my wobbly bits (which is what I've been doing a lot recently!).. But if I look at myself and see the muscle definition in my shoulders, my clear skin, healthy hair, defined waist and my smiley and determined eyes I think I WILL be happy!! In fat- I am bloody happy!! I am starting to cry!! Haha!!


I think I just had a breakthrough! :)

Here's all the exercise I have done in the last 3 days!

Sat~ 50 min run/walk (40 mins jogging and 10 walking)
Sun~ 45 minute brisk swim
Today~ 5kms walk/jog with Luds and Linda from HBC at 5am, a Body Pump class at 5:30pm AND a 6:30pm Spin Class because my sneaky trainer was taking the class and caught me just as I finished Pump! I burnt more calories than I consumed today! I find that so amazing!!

So here's what I ate today

pre walk~ a banana (1)
breakfast~ 1 slice grainy bread (1) and 130g baked beans (1.5)
snack~ homemade low fat fruit and yoghurt smoothie (2) skinny latte (1)
lunch~ lentil tortilla wrap (4)
snack~ 1 peach (.5) and a low fat fruche (1.5)
dinner~ Lazy weight watchers mushroom agnolotti (5) with steamed green veggies (0)

Total= 17.5 (I know it's not enough but I'm full!!) I'll just have to eat a couple of extra points tomorrow!!

I am tired but have to do an assignment that I haven't started yet!! Whoops! Better go!