Lets see how far I've come!

Today is the day that I have taken my Official Before shots for the" Before and After" photo part of the 12 week body transformation challenge.
I'm not going to post them here..yet, I will post them when I have the afters to compare with.  (they are also Bra & undies shots, so I need to build up some courage to get to revealing those).
I have to say that taking the pics (with the help of my hubby) was not as traumatic as I expected.  The pics weren't has horrific as I anticipated, and I am starting to see how far I have come.
Here are a couple of the non-official before shots (with clothing) that I am using to try and see how far I've come already.

Christmas 2010 ... its a photo of a photo.

May 2011 on a trip back to NZ, .. don't I look miserable.

November 2011...
at this point I was happy to be back in those  cargo shorts,
but  its really  not a good look.

It's funny, I can see when other people have lost weight, but can't really see it on myself. I am getting daily comments from people stating the fact, and it's hard for me to smile and say thanks, when I don't really believe it.. but you know today, I am starting to believe it. 
The process of getting in my underwear and documenting my current body shape, weight and measurements spurred on a few more tests, the results of which I will show you here and now.

These shorts were super tight on this holiday in 2010, 

And in Dec 2011, I was pleased that they were looser..but  it's still not a good look.

Here are the same shorts today.

Here are the grey pants my Mum bought me on one of her visits, these were my staple work pants, fit nicely for ages, and then started getting tight...

May 2011

The same pants today... didn't need to undo the zip to put them on.

Joe then had the bright idea to try on my jeans... I mean THE JEANS, the Levis that have been in my cupboard for 10 years, that I have always wanted to get back into.  I tried them a few weeks back and couldn't get them up over my butt, let alone done up... so I said "no, they are a long way off yet"

... his response.. "humour me!", so I did and ...

THEY FIT!! 

and check out that smile on my face.

So over the course of writing todays blog, I am pleased to say I CAN SEE IT!

Todays weight and measurements  (to compare with pre-preseason)

Weight: 88.1kg

Chest: 107cm

Waist: 96cm

Hips: 116cm

Upper Thigh:66cm

Arm: 34cm

BMI: 30.1 Obese

Since Preseason started, I have lost 4.9kg, and at least 10 cm, and reduced my BMI by 1.7

Since I started this journey in August 2011, I have lost 11.8kg 

Secret Women's Business

**WARNING** If you are male, and do not want to read about specific women's health issues, I suggest you stop now..just saying!


Well it's weigh in wednesday... and I am up 300g.  I am not happy about it, as you would expect.


I am however realistic, you see I have my period, and I was half expecting it.  I have always believed that you weigh more at that time of the month, but I didn't know if it was a myth or reality.  Some extensive Googling this morning has shown that on average women can weigh 3-5lb heavier (thats 1.3kg - 2.2kg for those of us in the lands down under) so I am starting to feel a lot better about  only 300g.  

I have not, however, been able to find any Google evidence that this month everything is more severe, the pain, the flow, the inconvenience, because last night was the full moon.  I have had 3 days of hardly anything, then it really hit yesterday, and last night was the stuff nightmares are made of. So bad that I was up 3-4 times, and had a complete outfit change at 4am.  I have called in sick to work today... mainly due to lack of sleep and cramping pains.  I haven't had to do that in years!  
This period is also interfering with my workouts... I missed zumba last night, and my walk this morning. I'm trying to rationalise it... Is it because I feel unsafe.. I mean what if I overflow in the middle of it! Or is it because the pain just drains you of your energy? or was I simply using it as an excuse?  I am feeling guilty for not going to work today, I am also feeling guilty for not exercising last night or this morning... but you know, sometimes you have to give yourself a break, and today is one of those times.  
And today is one of those days when I am getting out my Piece of String and I am very happy to say that my piece of string is now 4 cm longer than it was before.... LOL, it's obvious I can't quite believe my waist circumference is 4cm less, so I say the string is longer!  I did not quite expect to have the string feel that much looser in 24 days.

The Pin is where my waist now ends! 95cm.

I am going to use today, (after I catch up on the lost sleep, and get this pain under control) to catch up on my Michelle Bridges homework.  
Since the say it out loud (emotional breakdown) task, we have been given the 'Kitchen Makeover' task, and the 'Organise and Diarise' task... and I haven't done either yet. Gulp! ....I feel another blog post coming on.
Final Pre-season task of 'Measure up' opens tomorrow, and we get our grocery lists too.   (this shit is getting real, and I am a bit terrified)