We live in a world where health and fitness brands seem to come and go like fast fashion, each shiny, new idea promising rapid results with little or no effort. And that’s exactly why the 12 Week Body Transformation (12WBT) is different. We’re not trend based – we’re in it for the long run. Because we know making a real, lasting healthy lifestyle change isn’t easy and requires sustainability.
12WBT packages up Michelle’s authentic no-nonsense approach to fitness, health, mindset and nutrition. We provide an easy-to-follow program of nutritious eating, regular workouts and positive thinking.
Being Real – Empowerment – Energy – Support
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe in helping our members help one another, connecting them with an active community of like-minded people at varying stages of 12WBT.
Together with Mish, it’s a team that starts together, finishes together and we experience the ups and downs with each other for community and support.
It’s a personal transformation, but that doesn’t mean we have to face it alone. Hanging tough and making changes toward a healthy lifestyle is easier when you know others are going through the same thing.
We have 4 Pillars to support you:
NUTRITION – EXERCISE – MINDSET – COMMUNITY
1) NUTRITION
It’s no secret that 12WBT uses carefully controlled calories to keep your energy intake in check… BUT, it goes beyond calories. It’s about nourishment. We are not going to tell you to eat a 400cal fast food cheese burger instead of a nourishing meal.
We encourage people to eat 3 meals a day and use nourishing snacks to support their training or to control hunger. But, we also encourage people to not ban foods and remind members that it’s totally OK to have a treat night once a week. We don’t ban carbs, sugar or fat and it’s not about eating ‘rabbit food’. The menu is about real food, for real people wanting to make real and LASTING changes. No deprivation or guilt!
We also want to help people get in the kitchen and make their own food, because learning how to cook and actually enjoying the process of cooking food is a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
A good place to start reviewing your nutrition is to (honestly and accurately) jot down everything you eat in a day. Look at your satisfaction levels, your hunger, your habits. What simple changes can you make? Can you swap a high calorie protein (salted nuts) for a low calorie protein (a boiled egg)? Do you rely on pre-packaged foods? Are you organised? Do you snack mindlessly?
You may also like: How Do I Stop Overeating to Lose Weight?
2) EXERCISE
Moving each day is important for our health and our mental wellbeing. It doesn’t mean you need to be a slave to a gym – it might simply mean going for a walk each day. We have a range of programs with 12WBT, catering for those who’ve never exercised all the way to full Marathon Running Programs. We believe that it doesn’t matter what time of the day you move, but that you try to do the whole session at once.
Our exercise sessions split between strength/toning, cardio/fitness, core/flexibility plus a Super Saturday Session (SSS = the biggest, toughest session of the week) followed by Sunday, a rest day. Members can switch their sessions from day to day if they have to, but try to keep the same sequencing (so the hardest session is followed by a rest day).
We also have a 10 min rule – even if members don’t want to/feel like exercising, just do 10 mins, and if after 10 mins you still don’t want to, then stop. Mish finds that once you’ve done 10 mins, generally you will slog through the whole session. You might not be setting the world on fire, but you will get it done!
JFDI – Just frigging do it. We acknowledge that exercising is not always fun, because training hard/to the best of your ability pushes you to your limit and that really hurts. We balance the tough sessions with less tough sessions (eg core/flexibility) and always have 1 rest day.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
Take a look at what exercise you currently do. How often do you prioritise movement? Can you add 30 minutes of incidental exercise to your day? Become an active participant in life and start taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or maybe walk to the shops. Set your smartphone up with a pedometer and see if you can increase your steps each day. Diarise some dedicated exercise.
Here’s 3 free 12WBT workouts to get you started:
3) MINDSET
Mindset is a critically important part of the healthy lifestyle puzzle. If your head is not in the right frame of mind, it’s difficult to make lasting change.
You need to be able to rely on yourself, enlist some friends/colleagues/family members to be your supporters and identify your (unintentional) saboteurs.
Mindset themes:
- Positive self talk, fake it till you make it – retrain your brain from negativity to positivity.
- Acknowledge that there will be back sliding – no judgment/self berating/using as an excuse to give up, just regroup and get back into the game.
- Positive relationship to food and exercise – not a crutch, nor punishment, nor reward.
- Positive relationship with your body – it’s perfect, it responds to what you give it/do to it. Oh, and read this: Having A ‘Fat Day’? How To Turn Your Day Around
- Celebrate your little wins and successes. Have non food rewards, acknowledge your trip ups when they happen and don’t let them derail you.
Here’s some “Mish’isms” to get you started
> Where the mind goes the body will follow
> Motivation is like a bad boyfriend… never there when you need him
> It’s about becoming the best version of you
> Consistency is the key to making lasting changes to your health and fitness
> Break old habits with new habits
> Make friends with the stairs
> The weightloss war is won in the kitchen
> Work out your willpower muscle
> You’ve gotta have a plan
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
Where do you see yourself 12 months from today? What does a healthy lifestyle look like to you? Sit down and write an honest letter to yourself. Identify habits you may need to change and identify negative behaviours and thoughts. Plan out your 12 months, not your 2 weeks, because consistency and long term commitment are what will get you the best results.
Here’s some popular mindset topics we’ve tackled:
- How To Say No To One More Slice (And Mean It)
- What Not To Do After A Massive Blowout
- 10 Ways To Have A Healthier Weekend
4) COMMUNITY
12WBT is a team event, members all start together and finish together. Therefore a team camaraderie is fostered. Support and empowerment is one of the key pillars that makes the 12WBT experience so powerful and successful. Our members connect in our online Member Zone, in our Facebook Groups and via their personal Instagrams, and become one amazing community.
Whether they are asking or answering questions in the Member Zone, sharing a photograph of a 12WBT meal on Instagram or sharing a picture of themselves nailing the weekly challenge on Facebook, everyone is welcome, supported and celebrated as part of the 12WBT family. Some members have been around 10 years, some only a few weeks, but everyone has a story to share that can motivate, inspire or connect with others.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
As a start, join in on our socials! Try a live Facebook workout or live cooking session with us – it’s free and online from the comfort of your home! Join the 12WBT 2020 Facebook community. Follow our hashtags on Instagram #12wbt #12wbtfood #12wbt2020 and comment on other member’s posts. You will be warmly welcomed and there’s plenty of love to go around! And there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being part of a family all working toward a healthy lifestyle and a healthier tomorrow.
For further support, join our 12WBT Lifestyle membership for access to 12WBT all year round.
