Welcome back Nicole! What a busy year it has been for you, a huge congratulations to you and we can’t wait to follow your journey to ‘wedding body’ -S

I haven’t posted here for quite awhile (sorry Suzie!) because it’s been a busy 2012 – here’s what’s been happening.

I was so incredibly proud to complete my first ever triathlon with Suzie and the Reve team (you can read all about it here). If you’d have told me at the beginning of the year I would be completing a triathlon, I would probably have snorted chocolate milk out of my nose as I laughed hysterically. Yet I guess that’s the power of a great trainer – they’ll believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself!

In one of our pre-race training sessions, Suzie copped the full force of my fear – we’re talking swearing, tears and self-doubt … not my finest hour. As we tackled my first eight kilometres on a bike, and several steep hills (ok, maybe they were just slight inclines), Suzie was beside me every painful pedal, and never let me give up, even though every part of my body was screaming at me to get off that damn bike and just lie down.
To say I was nervous on the day is an understatement, but from the moment I jumped in the pool for the swim leg, my determination to at least finish what I started took over, and that (plus a healthy dose of nervous energy) pushed me all the way to the finish line! Suzie met me as I crossed, and as extremely dorky as it is to admit, I had tears in my eyes. If you’ve had a look at Suzie’s post, and are even just the slightest bit keen to give it a go yourself, I say go for it! There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a goal with an awesome group around you, and I reckon you have at least a week (or three) afterwards to brag to everyone you know that you’re now a triathlete! (Thanks family for indulging me!)

In very exciting news, I’m now an engaged woman! My super sneaky BF surprised me with a very romantic proposal on a very special Sunday and I’m over the moon! As talk has turned to all the important questions like where, when and what (will you wear), my inner glowing bride has been at odds with my outer busy, tired and slightly freaked out body. I’m going to be honest – as vain as I feel it is to type, I want to look as good as I can on my wedding day. I’m not talking Miranda-Kerr catwalk best – I’m thinking losing some of my excess weight, working on toning, and generally being fit and healthy – the best me I can be. And I like to think my thinking isn’t that dissimilar to many other brides-to-be. And while I’m being honest, I’m not looking forward to wedding dress shopping just yet. While I feel I’m the fittest I’ve been in a long time, I’m probably also at my heaviest weight wise. I’ve never been the kind of gal to crash diet (have I mentioned my chocolate obsession?) so I turned to Suzie – first to ask her to be in my bridal party (woo hoo!) and then to ask her for help in her official capacity as my trainer.
And so, operation white dress begins!
Because the wedding is over 10 months out, I figure I have plenty of time to make steady losses without giving up the things I love like white wine sangria, Thai food and Cadbury Marvellous Creations chocolate bars. So far I’ve (gasp) limited my chocolate intake to one bar per week, have upped my water intake, cut back on the sugary drinks (one diet coke per day, no fruit juices or ice teas) and I start each day with a bowl of low-gi cereal to fill me up. I eat as “clean” as I can during the week, but if have a dinner out or drinks on the weekend I have whatever meal or beverage I would like.
Pretty easy, right? You bet! And I surprised myself with a weight loss!
Suzie has also sorted me with a fantastic gym program to complete during the week and it’s become one of my faves. Between our training and the extra gym work, I’ve upped my exercise too.
I’ll check in soon and let you know how I’m going with my goal!