Did it, doing it and there is no going back!

So I ran in my first ever fun run. 10 km in the Borneo Marathon which was my goal at the beginning of  my second round of Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation (12wbt). For an almost 38 year old who always hated running and was teased about her running style at school - this was a big achievement. Last August I couldn't run for more than about 3-4 minutes, my first 1 km fitness test took over 7.5 minutes and included some walking. But after two rounds of 12wbt, including this last round doing the 10 km training program I ran my last 1 km fitness test in 4:52 and had done two 10km practice runs before Borneo. 

The week before the race, I ran 10km on Saturday morning and then we headed off to Malaysia, four days in KL with old friends and then six nights in Kota Kinabalu to meet up with Team Brunei and run the race the following Sunday. I decided that Saturday would be my last weigh-in for the round and then really relaxed what I was eating. But the difference now is that if I am going to have a calorie blow-out and need to do some extra exercise, it better be worth it. KL is of course food heaven and we ate amazing Indian, Malay and Chinese (finally I have been to Din Tai Fung). I took the whole concept of tapering off fairly seriously, with lots of walking at the shops and only a 20 minute run on the treadmill mid week.

In KK, meeting up with Pippa (one of the original "Brunei 4" who started 12wbt last year when I did) and her family, I found a kindred spirit. Someone who knew how to relax, eat and drink - but train hard when the time came. It was thanks to the encouragement of Pippa, Helen and others from Brunei that I had even signed up to run. But before the race there were days by the pool, a boat trip and a birthday dinner for her Mum Sandy to enjoy.

Race day started with a 4.15 wake-up, although at this stage the marathon runners had already been going close to 2 hours! An invitation to join Clare, Caroline and Helen to catch a 5am taxi was a far better option than the 4.25 bus! Meeting up with the others doing 10km, we had a long wait before our start at 6.15. I'd mucked around with my HRM so it wasn't working so I just had to run and hope that I was keeping a good pace. Not having run a race before, it was hard to know whether those in front were genuinely fast or were going to collapse in the next kilometre. My one criticism of the race was there were few markers - it was only that I'd read the drinks stop was at 3km and of course when we turned around at 5km I could gauge how I was going. Halfway and I knew I probably wouldn't go under one hour but 31.5 minutes was still faster than usual. The last part of the race seemed to go for ages and then I was running into the stadium for half a lap round the track to the finish line. It was a strange feeling and something I never thought I would do, let alone enjoy. Helen was there at the finish line to capture the moment and I was handed a medal. My watch said 1:03 which was about 4 minutes faster than any run I'd done before. It was great standing around with a group of people who were all feeling really proud of their achievements. Pippa had come second in the half marathon and later discovered that based on her official time, she was actually faster than the winner. Guess who'll be up at the front next time?A fabulous Japanese brunch and lots of champagne - our own "South-East Asia 12wbt Finale" - was a great end to the day.

 In the end I came in 26th out of the 775 in my 10km open women's race. Not bad for a first attempt but reflecting on the race in the days since, I can't help but feel that I could have pushed a bit harder. I thought I'd finish feeling exhausted but I barely hurt the next day. I also thought I might think I'd never do it again, but almost a week later, I'm starting to plan another run - probably Angkor Wat in December - and trying to decide between aiming for a faster 10km time or a half-marathon. Despite not wanting to run in the heat of Hanoi's summer, I'm thinking of joining the running club to really improve both my running technique and race tactics.

And now I've signed up for another round of 12wbt. I'm doing the pre-season tasks with honesty and integrity and am really excited about doing to the lean & strong program which will focus on toning the wobbles and building my strength. The more I talk to people, the more I realise than good runners need a really strong core and butt! Setting up a small gym upstairs in the aircon is also a better option in the Hanoi heat & humidity. I finally got back into exercise on Thursday  morning and couldn't believe how steamy it was at 6am. But more surprising is the fact I can now run 5km and enjoy it!

So while this round my training focus will change a bit, the reality is I still want to train 5 and preferably 6 times a week. I want to continue to eat well, although I'm not perfect and occasionally there will be too much wine, a sneaky G&T or a treat from one of the wonderful bakeries here. The difference as I said before, is that I know that one night or even a whole weekend or week's holiday of indulgence is not the end of the world. I get on the scales, I own the small gain and I refocus on my training. 

But this bit is hard to convey to people. And brings me to the final bit of my post. While I loved the compliments at the beginning, people seem to think I'm still losing lots of weight, where in reality I fluctuate by about 1-1.5 kilos each week and still have about 2 kilos to lose. i am tired of being told I'm fading away and being asked when I'm going to stop. I have to firmly but kindly tell people that sure, I don't really have any more wight to lose and I'm happy with my size, but I'm not stopping. This isn't a fad diet but rather a lifestyle change. I'm not saying I'll always get it right but my aim and my intention is to keep up my training, setting new goals a couple of times a year, competing in different races, trying new sports and eating well. I am sure that some people have my best interests at heart and i can assure them I don't want to be too skinny. However, I can't help but think that for most people, while I continue to train and eat well, I make them feel guilty about their own excuses for not exercising or not being as healthy as they could be. My article for the Embassy newsletter came out this week, which was the basis of my first (and until now - only) blog post. I hope it encourages others to eat well and to exercise but my tolerance for people's excuses these days is limited. What I have learnt from this experience is there is a big difference between supporting people and them actually taking responsibility for their own actions. So I'll just keep doing what I do, knowing that it's not only good for me but it's also good fun and very rewarding.

(Thanks to Helen McGuire for the photo).

Finally - a post! Getting fit & healthy overseas IS possible

We all know that postings and weight gain go hand in hand? It’s a three year excuse to over-indulge in food and booze and not do any exercise? Right? Wrong!

If you had told me 12 months ago I would be a size 10 and that I would be travelling to another country to run a 10km race, I would have thought you were crazy. But 6 months into my posting and juggling full time work and family, I knew I needed more than a weekly yoga session. Some photos from our family holiday to Thailand confirmed it.

Reading an article about Michelle Bridges (the trainer from the Australian Biggest Loser TV show) and the popularity of her online 12 week body transformation (www.12wbt.com) program was all it took. Cliqued as it is, all I had to lose was about 23 kilos. $200 for 12 weeks of exercise,menu plans and recipes, videos, supportive forums and loads of other resources seemed like a bargain.

Of course cynics might suggest this is just another weight loss program, but having lost 14 kilos before on Weightwatchers and following various other fad diets (South Beach, Liver Cleansing etc) I feel I have enough experience to say why this is different. Having had others join up after seeing my results – and then seeing them achieve their own success further confirms for me that this is a great program.

12wbt is different because it’s more than just 12 weeks of exercise and menu plans. In the weeks leading up to the 12 weeks proper – “the pre-season” – there are 8 tasks that set you up to make some positive changes in how you eat, exercise and live. Some of these are simple – go out and buy workout gear, set-out your gym program or clean out the cupboard and get rid of junk food etc. But the tasks that stick out for me are those focused changing how you look at health and fitness – examining the excuses we make (to not exercise, to eat too much of the wrong food, for our slip-ups), setting goals, committing to those goals out loud and then planning ahead.

In my case, the excuses were – and still are – the key for me. The task involved writing all the excuses I had for eating badly or not exercising (I had 2 pages) and then coming up with solutions. I am sure many of these will be familiar so I’ve included some of them below. I have some new excuses that have emerged now that I’ve lost weight and that I focus on to ensure I don’t slip back into old habits.

The next most important thing was telling the world this was what I was doing – when I met people, on Facebook, on Twitter, on the 12wbt forums. Suddenly I had this massive support crew who I felt accountable to. It was especially great to know there were other expats doing this, struggling with matching the menu plans to local groceries, eating out and travelling. There were young mums and dads and some really inspiring older people. There were also a few people who had achieved amazing results, sharing their stories and support. A message from any of these people or a tweet from Mish herself was proof that I was on my way to accomplishing my goals. Posting on Facebook or sending a tweet after a great weigh-in or completing an exercise milestone is still a huge buzz.

A big change for me was realising that I would have to get up and exercise in the morning, just like the rest of Hanoi. Getting up at 5.30 most mornings to exercise now seems normal. In the beginning I just did Mish’s DVDs inside during the summer heat and learnt to run using the Couch to 5km running program (you can download to iPhone/iPod) around the Temple of Literature. There are also options to do gym classes, gym machines or outdoor programs (which can be modified for inside too). A fitness test at the start guides you to the beginner, intermediate or advanced program and the fitness test is repeated at regular intervals (together with weigh-ins and measurements) to track progress.

This round there are running programs (10km and half marathon) and I’m now running 10k in just over an hour. Next month I am joining some of the girls in Brunei that I have met online through the program to run my first ever race – 10km in the Borneo Marathon in Kota Kinabalu. I’m now seriously considering a half marathon – perhaps Angkor Wat in December? For the kid that was always teased about her running and couldn’t run for 5 minutes last year, this is a huge achievement.  

8 months on, 2 rounds (almost) done and I’ve lost 22 kilos. I’ve gone from size 16 to 10 and can buy clothes off the rack in Hanoi.  I still enjoy the expat life of travel, eating out and a drink or three. I only have a couple of kilos left to lose, and know how much I should be eating, but I still have days where I track my calories and really watch what I eat. The reality is, I can’t stuff myself like before and I don’t want to. On the other hand, I’m not missing out on the great food on offer, and I’ll rarely say no to a drink. Fortunately in Hanoi, we’re not constantly tempted by fast food and the chocolate bar aisles at the service station or supermarket – although as many find, it is easy to be tempted but the novelty of “different” snacks and sweets from around the globe, especially in those early months and it can be dangerous.


When the menus and exercise plans are released each Thursday, I spend about 45 minutes working through my diary to plan the menu and the meals I’m eating out. Not only have I lost weight, but I’ve saved Simon and our housekeeper having to decide what to eat each night!

Finally, here are a few other lessons I have learnt. Motivation is a crock – like a bad boyfriend, it’s never there when you need it. The key is consistency – making exercise and healthy eating a part of your life. There is a difference between a treat meal and a treat weekend or week – and one binge or gain doesn’t mean giving in.  When all else fails JFDI – Just Freaking Do It! There is so much support out there but only you can decide to make the change and only you can do the work.  It is hard work and there is no magic bullet or secret. But as I have found, once you commit to getting healthy and start doing the work, there’s a huge group of people out there cheering you on!

Sound familiar? My old excuses – and some solutions

Internal Excuses: The self talk that goes on between the Jekyll & Hyde in your head.


I’m too tired – maybe because I’m carrying all that extra weight?


I’m not motivated – I hate how I look, I have no decent clothes that fit, feel rubbish, and can’t keep up with boys. What more motivation do I need? A heart attack?


It’s too hard – probably, but nothing good was every achieved without hard work


I’ll miss out on time with the boys – will miss more if I can’t play or get sick


I’ll miss out on yummy food and wine – there is very little out there I am only going to get the chance to try once. Go without, have a smaller portion or train harder.


I deserve to eat because I’ve had a crap day –find other rewards, things to cheer me up


External Excuses within your control: These are excuses prompted by external factors but which you still have some control over


It’s too hot/cold/polluted – there is always inside, air conditioning or heating


I’m too busy – plan my day better, set boundaries, get up earlier (go to bed earlier) and compared to lots of other people we can organise a lot of help while on posting


Someone else does the cooking – show cook what I want to eat, use the menu plans and perhaps adapt some of her recipes to fit and teach her others.


I eat out a lot for work – not every day or every meal – just need to work around it


We have visitors –not every day and I know in advance, so just need to plan a bit better. And maybe just 1 scoop instead of 3 when we introduce Fanny’s ice cream!


External excuses outside of your control: These are external factors that you have absolutely no control over, real emergencies.


Work crisis –we can’t be in crisis indefinitely. Just need to plan my training and during the busy periods really watch what I eat, break training into small periods and accept that the losses might be smaller – but not an excuse to give up.