“I agree to give my full and unrestricted permission for Club Physical to utilise my photos and details of my entry for advertising and PR purposes and newsletters should it wish.  There will be no time limit on this.  I understand that by completing this entry and I am in agreement.  This is a condition of entry…”

What????  They can use my image, and details of my entry (including name, etc) for as long as they want, with no restrictions?  LIKE HELL!!!  Imagine, walking down the street and there on a giant billboard is my former flabby self, with my current hot look as well.  And my name plastered all over it.  NO WAY!

Besides, what do I gain by entering?  Check out the prizes (my comments in brackets).  Please note, you only win one of these prizes, not all of them!

• One week with a new car (eh?  I already have a new car, and would have to pay extra parking for a 2nd…)
• Two nights in a lodge in Whitianga.
• Hubbard Food packs (oh, I can barely contain myself, free cereal?  Oh please!)
• Pro-active nutrition packs (sounds awful)
• 12 month subscription to Fitness Life Magazine (I don’t read or like fitness magazines)
• $50 voucher for lunch at Cornwall Park Restaurant
• Nutrition Packs from MAXX Essentials (Who, what? ew!!!)
• Nutrition Packs from PVL (again, sounds like something the army would issue…)
• Four x Irene’s Beauty Treatments (oh great, I can get a wax, every guys dream…)
• River Rat rafting adventure (that one is kinda cool)
• 6 x Private Training sessions  (nice prize, but I prefer cardio, not into weights so much, injured myself pretty badly doing private training)
• Those who reduce waist by 10kg or more get free makeover photo shoot (yes, so they have nicer images of you to plaster all over their advertising etc)
• 3 x 12 week transformation challenges for friends (I won’t recommend the challenge per se, see my further rant below)
• 2 nights in Absolute Lakeview (motel?) Taupo (not really my thing, travelling there will cost as much as the prize value)
• And of course MEDALS (Bronze, silver or gold…woop woop)

I have to say, none of those prizes would justify me giving total and unrestricted use of my image to a company to promote themselves.  10 years from now I could see my former bulging self in a newspaper advert.  Jerry might sell his soul to Subway, but there is no way I am selling mine to a gym company.  As such, I am not submitting my entry.

Oh and get this – the prize ceremony (at one of the gyms on North Shore) requires you to pay a $5 entry fee as well!!  Marketing gone mad…

So, what do I think about the 12 week transformation challenge?

Positives

• I have lost over 16kg (35 pounds) in 12 weeks
• I now have a healthy lifestyle

BUT, I must point out, that had I joined the gym, and purchased private training sessions, this result would have been identical.

Negatives

• To enter, you must sell your soul to the gym
• COST = $895.  Had I joined the gym and paid for the 12 x 30 minute sessions, would have cost $360 (training) and $250 or so (membership) = Total $610.  What was the other almost $300 for?  A book!  Apparently there were group sessions with other contestants available, just not at the particular gym I went to…riiight.  So yes, a great marketing ploy to get more $$ for gym.
• My assigned Trainer did not even understand the program or how it worked:
• - Entry form requires before and after “Lifecycle Fitness Scores”  I have never had this so my entry wouldn’t work anyway
• - Did not know to take my photo holding newspaper, which had I entered would have voided my entry (while still giving the gym unrestricted access to my soul)

My trainer was a top guy (Steve) and I am grateful for his investment in me, without his input, I would not have got off to the start I did.  As he pointed out, he gets nothing from the gym for my 21 week challenge, but I got 12 x 30 minute sessions of his…however, I did pay through the nose for that, so I fully understand why some of the trainers may not be so up to speed with the challenge guidelines, given how little there is in it for them.  He is young, and I did end up getting pretty badly injured from working out, but hey, I was in terrible shape before hand, so I guess that was inevitable.  I would still happily recommend Steve to anyone, he has a great sense of humour and does get results.  It is not his fault the expectation from the slick marketing of the 12 week transformation challenge far outweighed the actual implementation of it.  Slick marketing, poor execution.  And they can’t blame the gym, they have been awesome.  It is just the challenge is a marketing ploy, nothing more, and having to sell your image to enter it is plain over the top.

Conclusion

The 12 week transformation challenge is nothing but a huge marketing ploy to get people to one of the many Club Physical Gyms that dot the landscape.  The execution of the program is nowhere near as strong as the marketing of the program, and I fail to see how they justify the extra cost than had I simply joined the gym and paid for training.   And the conditions on the entry form are totally unreasonable, with prizes that cannot justify selling my soul to them.  So all in all, the 12 week transformation challenge gets a huge thumbs down from me.

On the flip side, the gym branch I went to (Lower Albert St Club Physical) is a good gym.  The club manager (Linda) is one of the nicest, welcoming people you could ever meet, and is one of the unsung heroes of the gym.  In fact, all the staff are great.

So, my final verdict.  Join a gym – my one is great, and I recommend it.  But forget the 12 week transformation challenge, as it is purely an expensive marketing gimmick – you can get the results you want without the challenge itself.   Getting involved at the gym, using the classes available, and getting to know the trainers (all very encouraging) and gym staff (such nice people) will give you all the motivation you need to get into shape, and will cost you far less than the 12 week challenge.

I feel great, and can wear clothes I have not worn for a long time.  Lucky I am not too worried about fashion, I am a few years out of date!  I tried some of my old fat clothes on.  That really hit home how far I have come.  I could not keep my pants up and the shirts, you could have fit two of me in them.  It looked plain ridiculous.  Yet 11 weeks ago, those clothes were starting to become a little too tight!

So yes, the weight loss has been tremendous.  Better yet is the change in lifestyle, which has resulted in me having more energy, a better general state of mind (I feel much happier in and about myself), and no longer feel self conscious walking down the street.  The self confidence eroded so slowly, I did not notice it going, but now that I feel confident again, it is easy to see how far I had slipped.  I am thankful I have had this opportunity.

Turning back the clock 11 weeks, if someone had said to me, in 11 weeks time you can be 15kg – 33 pounds – lighter, and feel much better with healthier skin, and it would only cost me $500, I would have paid it ten times over.  And never believed it possible.  But here I am.  Not quite at the finish line of the actual challenge, but already feeling like I have conquered.

To anyone struggling out there with weight, and the host of negative emotions and feelings that come bundled with it, never give up on yourself.  I know what it feels like to be in a state where it seems there is no hope, no way back.  But there is.  It happens one step at a time.  And the journey, although having ups and downs, gets progressively easier.

My 12 weeks is almost up.  The new lifestyle I have is not only something I can maintain indefinitely, I enjoy it a heck of a lot more than I did back in the day.

Rant ends.

Gotta change the mindset

Back to my weigh in… today I was 236 pounds or 107 kgs.   Not bad, that is a loss for 10 weeks of 29 pounds or 13 kgs.  I have to say I am happy with that.

Oh yeah, and SPIN class was awesome.  The instructor has been pushing us hard, especially the regulars, and often jumps off his bike to tweak our resistance higher.   I really work up a sweat, and today I gave everything I had and boy, did I feel great afterward.  Must be getting fitter by now!

I blame my computer, but apparently, it was my own fault.  I have no idea what went wrong, but my last 2 weeks of posts are g o n e.  So I will just give an update…

Happy Easter to you all, may you have a great (and indulgent free) break!

Better now at last

Gym today was good, although I had no time with my trainer, and even though he knew I normally trained on the Monday, did not attempt to make a time with me. Guess he is busy enough! Not sure if I will carry on training with him, as I am moving to more cardio based workouts, and I hardly need a trainer for that. I will get the trainer to write me out a new program and fill out new measurement forms for me (since he lost the old ones – so organised..not) as my 12 week transformation challenge gives me 30 minutes per week with a trainer. Two weeks ago, I got 15 minutes because he double booked. Last week, I was sick, but did let him know. So I will just use my half hour times to get a decent program prepared (hopefully he is over trying to kill me and it will be a suitable program).

I did weights today, mainly the upper body, though hit the abs and legs a little. My injuries are pretty much better, although my knee is still a little sore. I also did quite a bit of walking – at least two hours – wandering around the inner city looking at buildings (exciting past times I have eh!!).

I have not weighed myself since my last weigh in – when you feel sick, the last thing you want to do is see scales – and I might not stand on them for a while now. I know I am still getting smaller as clothes that I could not fit into before are almost becoming too big now. It really feels good to be in better shape, and although I had a terrible week or so, things are back on track now.

Gotta keep working out!

I have lost my pin for the weight loss ticker, so will just post the numbers!  Weight – 244.7 pounds or 111kgs, giving me a total loss for the 10 day break between weigh ins of 6.6 pounds or 3kgs.  So my idea to do more cardio seems to be paying off, although this week I have eaten Pizza (gasp) and although the food I have eaten apart from that is good, probably too much…my routines have been disrupted lately, so will have to refocus when feeling better and get back into it fully.  The great thing is, everyone is commenting on how much weight I have lost, which is awesome.  20 pounds already, or 9kgs in just under 6 weeks.

My body has been in protest.  First, it was my knee, was getting really sore.  Explained to the trainer that the exercises were hurting it, so eventually he realised I wasn’t trying to get out of exercise (I am paying for it, if I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t!)…so hurting me to put any weight on the knee when im bending the leg.  So we focused on upper body.  And would you believe it, my elbow went out – some muscle I have never heard of.  And just as that gets right, my neck goes out.  My body is breaking down!  Now my neck is starting to come right, I wake up sick today – and I very rarely get sick.  So wondering if I need to eat more vege and started taking vitamins again today.

I will go to the gym again tomorrow, do some cardio and light weights.  Have been taking it a bit easier this week, might not be a great weigh in.  Oh, I should post my last weigh in results…

bad days happen

I had a one hour session with my Trainer, but after a few exercises, my knee started to really hurt – resulting in a slight limp and no more leg exercises.  Great – so we can focus on the upper body.  Getting through an exercise and bang – some muscle near my elbow goes pop.  Found a few more exercises that did not require elbow or knees, but eventually, after 55 minutes, had to call it quits.  My body seemed to be in break down mode today.

As in any journey, there are good days and bad days.  Today was definately not one of the good days in terms of my weight loss challenge!  So rested up for the rest of the day and hopefully will be OK to do some cardio work tomorrow.