This is what I just posted on the 12wbt website, it sums up my journey so far!
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I am not sure if you going to read this, I hope you will
I am a newbie to round 4. Before I start saying what I came here to say, I will tell you a little bit about myself.
I am a 31 year old mum of three kids (aged 10, 8 and 6) and I work full time. I have been unhappy with my body since I can remember and I did try doing something about it a couple of times, I tried Weight Watchers, I went to the gym, lost about 6 kilos and got pregnant with my third child. When he was one, I got diagnosed with thyroid cancer (at age 26). I had both my thyroid glands removed and started taking medication (and will do for the rest of my life). Because of it (and other things too), my weight reached 107kgs. I am short-ish (163cms) so I was really big for my frame. I suffered a lot with heartburn, chest pains etc, ended up in hospital a couple of times with scares of heart problems. I wasn’t even 30.
I always knew I had to do something about it but that first step is so hard to take. I started walking with my neighbour and I got down to 95kgs. Then my weight stabilised around 92kgs (after a whole year post-surgery and medication adjustments)
Obviously not happy with it, I carried on trying to lose weight. I did really well for a couple of weeks just to give into temptation and have to start again, again!
One day I was browsing Facebook, and one of my friends ‘liked’ your page. I got curious about it and that’s how I found out about 12wbt. I really decided that it is now or never, so I signed up. That was 8 weeks ago.
Back then I was not doing any form of exercises, I wasn’t even walking. But that first night, after signing up, I did go for a walk with my 10 year old. And she dared me to run to the end of the road, which I tried, but couldn’t do it. So basically I was running less than 30 seconds and feeling like I was going to die afterwards. But a sparkle ignited that day.
I guess you can say I talk the talk a lot, but never carried on with anything. When I was talking to my friend the next night, I convinced her that running would be a great idea. I also told her all about 12wbt. After laughing at me, the way good friends can, and thinking I was crazy, she slept on it. I guess that sparkle ignited on her too and she signed up for 12wbt and said she would come running with me (or more like ‘pretending to run’). Even my husband was in a ‘I will believe when I see it’ mode, after all, he had heard me talk about this many many many times!
So the next day we started the C25K program. Day 1 was horrendous. I could not run for the one minute required. But I never gave up. Slowly but surely progress is being made, and I am happy to announce that my friend and I finished week 5, day 2 (we repeated week 3), which consisted of two 8 minutes run! 8 MINUTES!!!!!! A huge milestone for me, the girl who could not run for 30 seconds 8 weeks ago. I did my time trial this week and I was super delighted to fall in to the ‘intermediate’ category. I still cannot believe my progress in the past 8 weeks, I catch myself smiling and saying ‘8 minutes running, twice!’ – oh, I already lost 5 kgs! But it is not just that, it is the way I am feeling, my energy levels, the happiness that comes from being able to say ‘I did it’
I am not sure what the difference this time. Maybe it is all the testimonials and happy people who have done your program, it is contagious! We have an awesome Facebook group too, with supportive and enthusiastic people (Go 12WBT Round 4 Perth Crew!!), it is hard not to feel motivated! Even my friend’s husband got on the wagon and started exercising, he has now lost 9 kilos in the last 4 weeks!
I am not going to stop. I am so excited about what I am going to achieve in the next 12 weeks, the next 6 months, the next year! Thanks to you and your wonderful program, I feel like I can accomplish anything (including the 20 minute run we have schedule for our next schedule run - week 5 day 3 of C25K program, oh boy!)
THANK YOU AND MUCH LOVE
A very happy intermediate runner (yay) who hasn’t even started your program but is counting the minutes to!
