Wk 2 - 12WBT - The First Real Hurdle

Week 2 was a tough one and I'm glad it's over! It's been a full on, emotional week which tested my ability to Just Do It! Due to an IVF procedure I wasn't able to do any exercise other than a 15-20 minute walk daily. This was doctors orders and when it comes to IVF, i definitely do whatever the doc says!

This was a bit of a blow to my overall motivation and to the momentum I had going in week 1. 

[On a quick aside, I totally forget to mention that during week 1, my mum and I went did Aqua Fitness - highly recommended by my physio for my back - anyways we turned up and I saw a sea of grey hair. It was me an about 50 Over 60's... all whom were fitter than me!] 

The walking is something I do daily anyway with our fabulous fur kid Louis Pierre so that was ok, but I felt wrong not doing anything after having such a great 1st week. There was no point dwelling though I just had to make sure I ate really well. [See shameless proud mother pic of Louis Pirrer attached to this post!]

What is amazing is that husband and I are doing the shopping together...and not killing each other! We use some shopping list App he found (Any List) which we can link together so that we can go in separate ways, cross items off the list as we get them and meet up at the end. GENIUS! The food has been great - especially breakfast. As I longtime breakfast skipper, I didn't realise how much variety you could have and how vital that we be to actually eating. The baked eggs was fabulous, the banana on toast - all great! 

We had our treat night on Thursday night as I was working at our cafe Louis Baxters - we have a BYO and Tapas night. It's just a trial but hopefully we'll start doing it every Thursday & Friday night. My job is to be the host - find people tables, get them set up, help them to order and generally to create a good vibe. It was a great night and I felt at ease eating a small amount - it wasn't the healthiest fair, but it was delicious! It was a good test as whenever I'm at the cafe i tend to pick at things in the kitchen which can mean eating a whole lot of bad stuff!

This week has been emotionally tough also as my wonderful, talented business partner, Olympic Swimmer Eamon Sullivan faced the media with 5 of his teammates about an evening of team bonding in Manchester prior to the Olympics. Seeing him on TV, knowing what a fabulous guy he is, knowing that he is deeply sorry and saddened by the events and the ripple affect it has had - It just broke my heart. It showed me that for the past 15 years he has willingly sacrificed a 'normal' life for a sport he loves to represent a country he loves, all with the backing of the Australian public, as long as he Never Ever puts a foot wrong . Eamon is more than just a swimmer who made a mistake though - he's a talented cook, a loyal and loving friend, a great business partner and my biggest supporter during this 12WBT adventure.

Anyway, Eamon has always shown me that it is through adversity that grow stronger and can live to fight another day. So here's to week 3 - I'm back in business!

Week 1 12WBT - Just Do It!

Just Do it - Best tagline for a sporting company ever! 3 words can have a huge impact. 

JUST - no ifs, no buts, no excuses
DO - take action
IT - something, anything!

Seems simple enough and it is - just ask any person currently doing the Michelle Bridges 12WBT. Everyone I speak to who has done it or is currently doing it says how great it is - Michelle has done all the hard work for you - she tells you what to do, how to do it, when to do it and why do it - she's with you every step of the way!

When we did our first grocery shop we couldn't believe how much there was in our trolley - we'd never done such a big shop. But by the end of the week our fridge was almost empty and we couldn't get over the fact we'd eaten it all! We followed Mish's recipes and were never hungry - in fact I ate more than I had in a long time. By the end of the week my body was already adjusting to 3 regular meals and 2 snacks a day! I made sure I always had some snacks ready to go and I even took my lunch to my cafe so I wasn't tempted to eat something I shouldn't!

The exercise component came much easier than I expected - However if you look up uncoordinated you'll see a picture of me attempting aerobics!  We'd bought a 3 pack of Michelle's DVD's, so I worked through those - thankful that she had a low impact option on every video. Each workout is broken into 5 minute segments meaning you can do as much or as little as you want and as Mish says, as least you're doing something! The more I did the easier it got and by the end of the week I was absolutely thrilled with my effort - despite my complete inability to make my arms work at the same time as the rest of my body!

It could have been so easy to give up on the exercise - recently I had a hand operation (carpel tunnel), was diagnosed with 2 bulging discs in my lower back and I have just started a 3rd round of IVF. I thought that exercising would be really difficult but it wasn't - If Mish was doing push ups, I did squats. If she was jumping, I did the low impact option. The reasons to not do something are all in my head - I just have to learn to override them!

I lost about 1.5 kilos in Week 1 and I am pretty chuffed with that!

Week 1 12WBT - It Begins with a Fitness Test

So the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program begins with a fitness test. I put this off for as long as I could because I new this would be ugly!

Like many others, I used to be fit - not just fit, super fit - I was at  WAIS for 4 years as the WA State Cox for the Rowing team - I had to weigh 45kilos... 45KILOS!!!!!! I had no fat on my body, I ate whatever I wanted, I exercised 2,3 times a day and I loved it. 

When I finished my stint at WAIS, I was still extremely active - but then I moved to Sydney, my career started taking off and so did my partying lifestyle - it was all sex, drugs and rock & roll. Smoking, drinking, drugs and general partying kept me skinny for a while but when I left that life behind, I was faced with a new one - one where my metabalism and I were no longer friends.

Suddenly I was one of those people who simply had to look at food to gain weight. It didn't help that I predominantly worked on food and travel shows and pretty much ate my way through my career. 

Somewhere along the way I forgot to importance of exercise. Exercise isn't just about losing weight - it does so much more than that. It can help you mentally, it makes you feel better even if you don't think you look better. 

So that brings me to one Sunday, 2 weeks ago. I geared up. I mentally prepared for the fight ahead. First up the 1km run. I started with a gentle jog - I got about 400metres and thought that perhaps I might just die. I walked for a bit and then ran for a bit. I seriously thought my lungs would explode. I was so glad Andrew was the only person in that park because I looked like a mess - sweating, heavy breathing, uncoordination. But I did it! 

After completeing that run I felt such a huge sense of relief and a determination to do better next time. I did the other tasks - my core strength is better than I thought due to years of pilates and I couldn't do pushups as I had carpel tunnel surgery on my left hand a few weeks before. But I did it and I know that to Michelle Bridges, that's all she wants from us - to do it....the rest will come. So everyday I can hear Mish in my ear saying just do it - every effort counts. 

Week 1 12WBT - The Decision

My husband Andrew and I realised that something needed to be done about our weight gain. We'd both steadily put on weight over the years. We are currently going through IVF to try and have a baby - so far we've had 2 miscarriages - this is not the bad new that it sounds like! For the first time in year, we have an answer to the question 'Can we even get pregnant' and the wonderful answer is yes! I put on some extra weight during those 2 short pregnancies and now it's time to start again with a clean slate, a better attitude and a better, healthier body.

I first met Michelle Bridges during Celebrity MasterChef - she was one of the contestants I was given [Others being my business partner Eamon Sullivan, Swans player Ryan O'Keefe Australian Cricketer Simon Katich (yep - all the sporty ones!) as well as INXS's Kirk Pengilly & Singer Alex Lloyd] Michelle is as energetic, positive and outgoing as she is on screen and she is infectious in a positive way. When I filmed with Mish, I wished I could be like her - active, healthy - she always looked great, was always happy and handled the stress  of the show with ease. But I had a million and one excuses why I couldn't do it. I laughed it off. But now, some years later I have no more excuses, just a doctor saying it would be best to lose some weight and a mirror that constantly reminds me that I don't feel comfortable in my skin. 

Please don't get me wrong - I have a very healthy love and acceptance of who I am. I do think I am beautiful - in and out, but i want a healthier body that I feel comfortable in.

And so, it was an easy decision to make - Andrew and I signed up together to partake in Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation.

Me minus MasterChef equals ???

For those who don't know, my husband and I have decided to move to Perth - that's 'back home' for me...after 16 years of living in Sydney. And what an absolutely amazing 16 years it has been. I came here knowing no-one, a 20 year old with nothing more than a bag full of courage and whole lot of hope. When I look back at that time I can't believe I was so brave! Now, well into my 30's I am about to make another big move and yet again I am counting on that bag full of courage and whole lot of hope.

Lets be honest - there is no way I will be able to re-create the fabulous career I have had in Sydney when I move to Perth and yes that does scare me! I have been blessed to have had a career that I have absolutely loved - for the 18 years I have worked in TV I have loved it. And I have to remember that it all started in the tape room at Channel 10 in Perth! My career is where I found my identity - but is that all I am? Laki Baker - TV Producer?

It's interesting where we find our identities isn't it? Surely I am more than my career? I am a wife and daughter, a sister and friend - doesn't that count for the better part of my identity? Why is letting go of MasterChef so hard then? Is it the show itself? Is it the fabulous crew? or is it that I had it so good on the show?? I had one of the best jobs and I was successful at it. Is it that I just wont know what to say when people say 'What do you do?' how does 'I used to work on MasterChef' really sound? Will I lose my 'coolness'?

So, what does Me minus MasterChef really equal? I don't know...but I'm looking forward to finding out!

Because I am a Girl

There is no doubt that I have an extremely blessed life. I have a beautiful family - parents who did anything for their children, brothers and a sister who are close, a husband who adores me. I have a fabulous group of friends and am surround by so much love and support. I have a dream job - I work on MasterChef - I produce the MasterClass episodes and I look after all guest chefs on the show - booking them, working with them...It's probably one of the best jobs in TV at the moment! I am an educated woman with an established career that I love. I am grateful for everything I have.

Not everyone is as blessed as I am. Girls around the world and in our own backyard go through their whole lives wishing they weren't born a girl, wishing that they were allowed the same opportunities as boys, hoping they will have freedom to chose their husband, dreaming of what it would be like to go to school, praying they'll survive to the age of 5.

We can make a difference in this world if we want to. My mum, Lalani, is making a difference. She is a true women's advocate and has been for as long as I can remember. After the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, my mum and dad (who were in Sri Lanka at the time) did everything they could to get food, water, clothing and medicine to those affected in the South. But when they returned to Australia, my mum decided that she couldn't just forget what she had seen and so she began a project to help rehabilitate the people affected - in particular the women. The project would

seek to educate and empower the many women who had lost their husbands by helping them to use skills they already had and could develop such as sewing, cooking and rope making, to gain an income.

This project is now in it's 5th year and we, as a family, have all pledged to keep this going. We recently witnessed first hand how powerful our help had been as we met with the women and heard their stories. It has been all because of my mothers relentless efforts from fundraising to speaking about the cause.

My mother has been the most influential woman in my life and this is just one reason why. I am so glad to be a girl, to be a daughter, a wife, a sister, a girlfriend. My hope is that girls around the world will all feel this way - proud and happy to be a girl.

Because I am a girl...I can change the world.

http://becauseiamagirl.com.au/2010/

MasterChef Top 50 Pavlova Trial

This is a story about a girl trying to pretend she can cook and offering to recipe test a trial Pavlova recipe – trial because the producers (the ones higher up than me) wanted to see if a bigger pav could be made by changing an existing recipe… Names have been changed to protect…well to protect me in all honesty!!! I will warn however that there is much swearing…much much swearing, for which I do apologise!

So, to start with I pre heat the oven, once at right temp I start the clock....

It takes me 30 minutes before I get the pav in the oven. I don't think I beat the egg whites enough before adding the sugar, but the mixture has that lovely glossy sheen to it anyway. I beat it longer once the sugar is added in hopes that the mixture firms up a little. It does, but maybe not enough… [I realize later on that I am using the wrong part of the mixer to beat the eggs because I didn’t see the proper piece until I was putting the mixer back in the box!]

Be fore I go further I must say that my mum is a gun pav maker and makes perfect pavs every attempt…I now how a pav is made!!

There is nothing to do whilst the eggs are beating - so it's a fairly uninteresting first 30 - except of course when I put the mixture on the tray....

When I place it on the tray I can see it's not firm enough. In a true demonstration of a lack of loyalty the pav mixture spreads it way across the tray - looking like a 'cow pat' as Spencer notes in reference to a picture of it I send her. But I don't have time to re-mix it. I get it in the oven.

After 10 minutes you're meant to turn the heat down which I do - but it takes a further 10 minutes for the heat in my oven to get down to 120. F*$#*^g Gas Ovens.

The pav is looking like a slightly risen meringue disc. Not the pav my mum makes! F*$#*^g Pav. F*$#*^g Mrs Producer for making me do this.

Whilst in the oven it takes me 10 minutes to beat the cream and chop the strawberries - then it's a further 40 minutes of sitting and waiting and looking at the oven and licking the spatula, then feeling sick, then washing the utensils then looking at the oven then getting mad at husband for laughing at my pav, then looking at the oven again, then contemplating trying again in hopes of cheating my way into looking like I am the pavlova queen...which clearly, I am not.

The recipe says to take pav out of the oven to cool down...this goes against my instinct which is to let the pav cool in the oven, but I dutifully take pav out of oven and watch it deflate, then crack - stupid task anyway. I let it cool and it cracks some more (great...) then when cool, I slap on the cream and strawberries and hope that Mrs Producer says don't worry about bringing it in tomorrow, pics will be fine, but of course, she doesn't and now I must walk into to the office with deflated pav and a deflated ego to go with out....plus the pictorial evidence of my failure. F*#k F#*k F#*k!!!!!!!

I will never make it as a contestant on MasterChef, but at least I make it as good producer on MasterChef!!