Wednesday, May 26, 2010

IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT - NO PLAN :-)

Hi all,

well the blog heading says it all. "Says what?" I hear you asking.

There is some recent excitement in blogworld and beyond due to Tom Venuto's ultimate body reshaping challenge (sorry too lazy to link to it or even to use its correct name). When I first read about it (via Sue Heintze's blog) I thought "Wow. I'd like to give that a go." Imagine winning a trip to Hawaii (and of course I was a dead cert to win) LOL.

Then commonsense kicked in when I realised it was for 14 weeks. Aaaargh!! Previous track record on 12 week challenges hasnt been good. Why would I do better over 14 weeks (which BTW would include my birthday)? Hmmm maybe its not such a great idea.

So light bulb moment "I'll do my own mini challenge over 8 weeks and finish it on my birthday". Oooh how exciting. I'll do this. I'll do that. I'll do ......

So in preparatiion for My Challenge I got on the MM this morning to confirm that I needed this "Challenge" to lose a bit of weight so I can fit back into some now tight clothes. Well did I get a surprise??!!

My weight has dropped by about 1.5kgs since the start of the month. "Thats not much" I hear you thinking to yourselves and have often thought exactly the same myself. But hang on ...... I'M NOT DIETING. Yes thats right. I regularly drink wine and enjoy nibbles with it, have a biscuit with my skim cappuccino, eat carbs when I feel like it, have cheesecake for dessert on a special night out and never weigh, measure, record and analyse my food any more. I run / jog (a lot) but I love it. I dont weight train now because I'm still not set up for it. This is temporary.

So in light of all that, I made the decision to just keep doing what I'm doing because it works for me. For all the bloggers who have embraced the challenge I wish you success and will follow your journeys with interest. But I now know that the "challenge" is not for me. Long live mindful eating and running for my life.

Cheers

Magda

7 comments:

LizN said...

Good for you Magda - sounds like you've hit on what works for you and that you are loving it - so important and well done. I've never done a "challenge' before but what I am enjoying most is the camraderie between us teamies :)

Kristy said...

Magda, that sounds like a great plan and it is good that you have worked it out for yourself.

Pip said...

Nice MM surprise Magda!!! Well done!!!

I was very tempted to sign up for that exact same challenge as well, a trip to Hawaii for the winner sounds awesome!!!

I also did something stupid recently which I won't talk about on my blog but will say here. After a couple of glasses of wine one evening about 2 weeks ago I subscribed to 'The Biggest Loser' online club for a year, at the reduced rate of $19.95 per month but a years contract! Then straight away lots of dietary plans/guides/ideas came through. Then I was asked if I wanted EITHER a gym based or walking program. I decided I wanted NEITHER a gym or walking based plan, (I'd rather something of a combined triathlon/running/strength conditioning plan). I also decided I had no intention of following an exact plan of buying lots of groceries in specified quantities each week, or the ability to have regular meals at set times in my job. Also I've been a member of all kinds of weightloss forums for years and have decided I'm over that same repetitive road.

So I straight away wrote back mentioning the training plans weren't what I expected ladeda and luckily as I did that in the '5 day cooling off period' I was lucky enough to get out of it!

I do know what to do to get what I'm happy with regarding fitness and weight, know I can do it, it's just for me committing to behaviours that are important to me and not letting emotions/moods of the time sway me and the biggie of not letting one slip up causing anymore than one day off track!
Easier said than done but surely possible me thinks :-)

Magda said...

Hey Liz, reading about your A-team really inspired me but when I dug deeper, I knew that the TV challenge wasnt for me. I like my "food freedom" and I dont want to go back to previous destructive thought patterns and habits.

You will too Kristy :-)

You're lucky you got out of your contract Pip. We've all made rash and not very good decisions at times like those described by you. At least you did what you had to do to set it right again. At the end of the day I truly believe its up to us to work it out and get it right. We may need a bit of help to do that but that help isnt another diet book etc etc (sorry I'll get off my soap box now)

M

Sandra said...

Hi Magda,
Quick calculations point to our birthdays being about a week apart...I also felt a twinge of excitement and thought "I might give this a go..."but had recently set up my own little goal of dropping a few kilos by my next birthday (early July) and you know what...? I am on track, in fact about half a kilo ahead of what I set out to do, and for once I am doing it my way, using all the knowledge I've acquired over the last few years of "challenges" etc
My lower back is giving me issues, so my escercise options are limited, however I am working through it and around it and achieving something on my own.
In my opinion - sounds like you made the right decision.
xoxox

Shar said...

Good for you Magda, you sound like your back to the place you wanna be with food and exercise.

I'll 2nd Liz, having never done a 'challenge' (comp prep yes but not a challenge) before I wanted to give it a go and am loving the team aspect to it, also the fact I love to have a focus/goal.

Magda said...

Hey Sandra. Another Cancerian!! Our way is the only way in my opinion and it'll be different for everybody else. The only rules worth keeping are the ones you make yourself.

Hey Shar, are you part of the A-team doing the TV challenge as well? Good decision as I know it works for you.

M