12WBT - Week Eight

Okay.. I will be the first to admit it - I'm not really following this program anymore. It's not that it wasn't working, I think it's more the fact that I hate and despise the idea of "dieting". However, we are still following some of the suggested meal plans, and still excercising (Stuart alot more than me, whoops!)

I'm still moving in the right direction weight and size wise, I weigh 82.3kgs at the moment which pleases me to no end. Also, I may not have lost too much in my measurements, but holy cow check out my waist difference!!!

Area             Pre-WBT        Week 4           Week 8

Chest               102cm            93cm              93cm

Waist                 81cm            80cm              76cm

Hips                  107cm          103cm            102cm

Right Thigh       70cm             69cm              69.5cm

Left Thigh           71cm           68cm              69cm

Right Arm          33cm            32cm               31.5cm

Left Arm             33cm           32cm              31.5cm

 

I'm definitely feeling healthier and happier about myself. Now, there's just four more weeks left of the program to use it to its full ability I guess.

 

Here are some snap shots that Stu took of me before we headed out to see Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo - which, by the way, was fan-bloody-tastic!!

 

What I Wore:
Vintage Lew Magram 70's orange dress - etsy My Attic Treasures
Bracelet from Hoedspruit, South Africa
Orange Swatch watch
Silver Mollini shoes (2005 line)


Lots of Love,
Chantal

 

The Stampede!

Hello All!!

Stuart and I have decided to sign up for The Stampede,  a gruelling 5km obstacle course of mud, cargo nets, giant slip and slides, and live wires charged with 10,000 volts on September 8th. A mere 8 weeks away!!

I have always wanted to participate in some kind of charity run or marathon, but an obstacle course seems WAAAAY more up my alley!! This year they are helping out CanTeen, and as such we have also set up our own money raising page under the name (of course, what else would it be..) Wild Strawberries!

Do you want to know what else would be awesomely fantastic!? Why don't you, yes YOU!, come join us?? We are "competing" (I use that very loosely, as it is more about having fun!) at 12.40pm.. OR you can come watch us and cheer or jeer us on, but of course.. this means you have to take lots of photos of our messy selves!! If you would like to come along and join in on the days fun, please leave a comment below on how I can contact you.

Now, all we have to do is get down to that horrible training so that we can complete the course. OMFG, I am so excited!!!! Wooooo



Lots of love,
Chantal
(images from CanTeen and The Stampede)

Tasty Tuesday: Addams Family (belated)

Hello all!

This is a very belated tasty tuesday.. sorry, thinks have been quite hectic at work, so all I've wanted to do is come home and sleep, sleep sleep!! I'm looking into getting an Addams Family tattoo, specifically of Morticia and Gomez Addams. To me, they opitimise everything to do with love and devotion - I can't think of any other famous couple (TV or otherwise) that are so loyal and so in love with another as these two. So here are some of my fav pictures:

This is awesome!! Wish I could copy, but think that's wrong. All tattoos should be differential!

Such love!

Tish! That's French!

Stu wants Gomez to be smoking a cigar in the tat haha

We have a limited edition copy of this print on the wall above our bed head

pretty snazzy art work. Plus I grew up on the coast.. could this work??

When puglsy is playing with "that horrible thing" (we own two even more gorgeous poodles!!)

I challenge my love to a duel!

One of the cutest scenes from the original TV show.. Wednesday teaching Lurch how to dance

When we eventually renew our vows.. so doing it addams style

Ophelia.. Stu believes that Carolyn Jones is my doppleganger

This is a possible winner for my tattoo yes??

Even the young ones show how to love truely..

Lots of Love,
Chantal

Two Year Anniversary

On Tuesday, 26th June, it was Stuart and I's second wedding anniversary. The day prior, Stuart had this beautiful bunch of flowers sent to me at work, which he'd organised in our wedding colours. He is sooooo sweet!!

Left: taken just after delivery Monday Lunch.   Right: taken Lunch time Saturday, all the flowers blooming!

On Tuesday morning we headed to the Brisbane Museum to see the Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb exhibition. My mind always goes a little crazy when looking at Egyptian artefacts, they are just so incredibly old! I am a young person, living in a 'young' country... and this is always SO prevalent to me when I'm looking at not only objects, but corpses too, that are between three to five thousand years old. I also get a little sad when I see a mummy. This is because, although I am not highly religious myself, I always feel sorry for the mummy having been removed from its burial site. These people had such strong beliefs that they had to be buried a certain way in order for them to travel between their bodies and the afterlife.. and then some bastard comes along and removes that body from not just its location, but also opens up their 'coffin' and frequently their bandages are removed as well. Why does this upset me? Well, who is to say their beliefs were wrong? For all we know, we have just caused this spirit, which has been happily traversing between body and spirit for thousands of year, only to be yanked into limbo. I certainly wouldn't wish that upon my loved ones...

Anyway, back to our anniversary!! Although the exhibit was a little on the small side, it still had lots of interesting things to look at and discuss. When we left the museum, it had started to pour down so we drove to Fortitude Valley. We had lunch at Harvey's, where we had the funniest, most down to earth waiter I think I've had in my entire life!!

Then we went a little window shopping, and pretended we had money that we definitely do not have - which is always fun!! We then went our pre-arranged couples spa package at Endota spa. We had a pressure point massage, and a foot scrub. I feel asleep during my massage (it's just sooo darn relaxing!), and apparently was snoring my head off. All well, at least I gave them something to laugh about later.

Then to finish off our already intimate day, we had dinner at an old favourite restaurant we hadn't been to since we first started dating. The Thai Orchid, at Springwood, is by far THE best Thai restaurant I've had the pleasure of eating at. I especially love their Gang Penang Pumpkin (Tofu pumpkin curry).. YUMMO!!! I bought their recipe book, just so I could make this myself without having to drive so far. I know it won't be quite as awesome, but I certainly want to practise on making this one of my signature dishes!!

Then it was homeward bound for a movie in bed and well deserved sleep!!



Circa 2008

Lots of Love,
Chantal

12WBT - Week Four

This week was our monthly check in to see how not only our weight is progressing, but also our measurements and fitness levels. As it was our second wedding anniversary on Tuesday, I was by no means expecting any positive results in any department on Wednesday. As such, it still hurt to see that I had put on 800grams.

However... I was astonished and impressed by my new measurements!!

Area                   Pre-WBT             Now (Wk4)

Chest                    102cm                   93cm

Waist                      81cm                   80cm

Hips                      107cm                  103cm

Right Thigh            70cm                    69cm

Left Thigh               71cm                    68cm

Right Arm               33cm                    32cm

Left Arm                 33cm                    32cm

After hearing my measurements, I felt like I looked like this!

 I also managed to double the amount of push ups I did in 1 minute to 28 from the knees (I know this isn't great, but I am super impressed with myself!). My wall sit doubled too, from 33secs to just over a minute. However, I did notice that I lost a little bit of my flexibility, so I think it's back to what I like to call "London Bridge Push Ups"

"London Bridge" I do push ups from this position to increase my flexibility

 I am fitting back into some of my old "skinny" clothes already, which I am absolutely thrilled to pieces about. Obviously, there is still room for improvement BUT now that I have seen my weight not change too much, but my measurements have.. I'm going to stop getting so stressed about those numbers and concentrate on trying to look more like these two fantastically fit women!!

Lots of Love,
Chantal
(photos from www.TopFitnessGirls.com)