My first SSS

I've taken up a new challenge.

In four weeks time I'm starting the TWELVE-WEEK-BODY-TRANSFORMATION challenge, run by the Australian "Biggest Loser" coach Michelle Bridges. (Well, actually, it kind of starts already tomorrow, with the four week long pre-season which apparently is just as important!)

Four of my friends did the last season of this 12WBT last year, and even though they got amazing results from it (they lost respectively around 10kg, 13kg, 14kg and 9kg (actually this girl have lost 24kg (!) in a year, that was just the last 9!!)) - I'm the first to admit I was not convinced about the program and how it is designed:
1. You are supposed to exercise six times a week, burn around 500 calories each time.
2. You are also supposed to make one of those sessions a super session where you burn double the normal amount of calories!
3. Also you are supposed to reduce your food intake to only 1200 calories (she sends you a shopping list and menu for each week) - and I just couldn't get that equation to add up. Eat 1200 and burn 1000..? Then there is no fuel in your body??

Anyway. The more I spoke with these girls I realized the program wasn't just about what you eat and how you exercise; they had found something in this program that I've been looking for for a long time - the will to be consistent.
I've lost big amounts of weight before and I've got into different exercise routines before. But, I've never been consistent and never managed to stay at one weight, it's gone up and down - it's me and Oprah, ha ha! :)
I realized I wanted to try this program to obtain those tools to get into the right mindset, for the rest of my life. It's not about motivation, it's about consistency, about doing.
I too want to get to that stage where I don't think about it but just do it. I too want to become consistent in my life, with the right habits.

So that's when I signed up.

Yesterday we did our first Super Saturday Session.
The Team Brunei have met all through the last season, every Saturday morning, and taken turns in designing workouts that would burn those 1000 cal.
Since last season Team Brunei has now grown, and we are about 16 ladies who have signed up for this season! Not everyone will come to every SSS, some work and some just prefer to do the program more on their own - but I know for me, I'll enjoy the diversity of the workouts. It'll be great getting to know new friends and having company and support, catching up with each other once a week and... I'll probably thrive on the slight competitive edge of it! ;)

This time it was a different kind of SSS though, since it was time for a Fitness Test. That's something she gets you to do every four weeks, to measure your fitness level. Whereas the scales will show us how much weight we are loosing, this test is to set a benchmark that will be used to see how much fitter and stronger we will become.
There was eight of us meeting up yesterday at 7am, to do this test. The first part was a cardio test, a 1km time trial around the track. Run, run as fast as you can!
Here is my fellow team mates after we were done:



The other parts were an upper-body strength test, how many push-ups in a minute; a lower-body strength test, how long you could do a wall sit; an abdominal/core test, the five level sit-up and finally a flexibility test where you stretch to reach your toes.
I didn't do too shabby, I already knew my flexibility is near to zero and that I suck at doing push-ups - I was a bit disappointed with my wall-sit but very happy with my 1km time trial and my abs. Although, of course, there is room for improvement!

So, there might be a few posts every now and then about this 12WBT journey of mine. Hopefully a journey that will turn into a steady, relentless, never ending journey!