Michelle Bridges 12WBT and Chicken Bun Cha

I am currently 3/4 of the way through Michelle Bridges 12-Week Body Transformation (12WBT). What Jane Fonda was to the US in the 1980s, sans headband and "don't forget to breathe!", Michelle Bridges is to Australia today. Her 12-week exercise, nutrition and mindset training program is designed to transform your body and your way of thinking about food and exercise. While Jane Fonda came into my living room in exercise videos, Michelle Bridges comes to me on my computer. For $200, I received a password and access to her 12WBT website with a customised plan for me. Each week, I electronically received a nutrition plan with recipes & shopping lists, a customised exercise plan based on the program I selected, weekly mindset videos, a message board, a store to buy her products and much more. Sounds great and easy? Well, it started off great, then went downhill and then my 12WBT hit ground zero. In fact, I've just returned from a weekend away where I was on a seafood diet - I see food and I eat it. Despite this, I have found her program to be helpful.

source: facebook.com

source: jillconyers.com

I wanted to give you a little background on Ms. Bridges. What would my blog be without a little investigative reporting? Michelle Bridges is a personal trainer, author, and TV personality as the trainer on Australia's lose weight reality program The Biggest Loser. She recently launched a clothing and sports accessories line with Big W. She started her career at as a teenager.  In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Bridges stated "I was 14 when I pitched the idea to my school mistress that I would take the kids at school who didn't play sport, who hung around smoking cigarettes, and do fitness classes with them." She then went on to take over space at a local squash court and taught classes there. She is prolific,  building a fitness empire and churning out strong marketing and PR, both in person and through social media. She is on morning news shows, Celebrity MasterChef, and on just about every bus when a new season of The Biggest Loser is about to lick off and also when a new 12WBT program is about to start. According to BRW, Bridges predicts revenue from Michelle Bridges-branded products will have earned $67 million in 2013. The 12WBT has grown 350% and is set to launch in the US this year. 

Source: news.com.au

source:mummysmiles.com

In my January blog I noted that one of my ongoing New Years Resolutions is to eat healthier and exercise more. I had heard good things about 12WBT so when two of my friends asked me to do it, I decided to join them. I had recently quit my gym membership and thought the running program, one of several exercise programs to chose from, would be good for me. I also heard her food was excellent. I liked the idea of new dinners and getting the shopping list emailed to me without having to go through a recipe book and find new recipes on my own. I also found Michelle to be a very real and credible seeming person. She is pretty but not a glamazon and it was obvious that she worked hard to have a toned body. This was in encouraging as I live in a beach area where there are so many gorgeous girls with legs up to my armpits. Michelle Bridges at least seemed normal and someone I could relate to.

Week 1 started off great - I had my exercise plan, recipes, shopping list and a great can do attitude. I headed up to the park to begin my running program. I use to run 5-10 miles a day and I'm active so I figured it'd be easy to start running again. Big mistake! My running felt like sheer drudgery with only negative thoughts in my head - "Wow, this is hard!...where's the bathroom?...10 more laps, are you serious?!...no wonder most runners look so miserable while running - they are!"  It reminded me of those times when I said, "Sure I can have another glass of wine. I don't get hangovers"....."Babies? Sleepless nights? I wouldn't be that tired. I have a lot of energy" Ha ha. I decided to drop the running program and increase the weekly sports I already do and enjoy - tennis, pilates, and walking.

oursuburbanfarm.com

I suspect most people who join any sort of exercise and diet program are motivated to lose weight. It is quite wise that 12WBT does not use the word 'diet' for the food part of the program. It is instead called 'nutrition.' Smooth move, Ms. Bridges. After all, the word 'diet' does have the word "DIE-" in it. I am lucky that I have good genes, a fast metabolism, and trouble sitting still. This all contributes to me generally staying at a healthy weight. However, I did think it might be good to lose 5 pounds. It was more of a personal challenge as I've generally been the same weight for about 20 years except during my pregnancies. Again I started Week 1 armed with my shopping list and recipes for the week. The food tasted very good, was generally easy to prepare and it was filling. However, I had a problem - the fact that I couldn't eat whatever I wanted when I wanted made me hungrier than ever. I started obsessing about food a lot. I dreamed of 'bad' food more than ever and didn't give up my regular glass of wine and dark chocolate I enjoy each night. I also had a huge occupational hazard that would set anyone up for failure - I have a small cupcake business and I wear many hats, including quality control. Sampling cupcakes and butter cream frosting regularly is definitely not part of the 12WBT program.  I don't know why I thought I might have the willpower to follow through with the diet, I mean 'nutrition' part. I didn't have much weight to lose and I love food. I enjoy baking and cooking and even going to the supermarket. I am usually thinking or planning my next meal and avoid people who say they forget to eat. Really, how could you? I once had a boyfriend who didn't care much about food and forgot to eat. I sometimes had to remind him. This should have given me a clue early on.....




So, did I lose weight on the Michelle Bridges 12WBT? No. Was that really my goal? No. Am I more mindful of what I put in my mouth? Yes. Am I exercising more? Yes. Have a learned some new dinner recipes? Yes. Could I have perhaps bought a few of her cookbooks and saved some money? Yes. Would I recommend this total program to someone who wanted to lose weight and live a healthier life? For sure.

I have gotten many new recipes from my 12WBT.  The dinner recipes have been great! There are many recipes I could share but I chose a Vietnamese dish, Chicken Bun Cha. Before this program,  I'd never heard of this dish. With Australia being closer to Asia, there are a lot of different types of Asian restaurants in Sydney - Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese. I find Vietnamese food light and refreshing. This recipe is not spicy and works as a substantial, filling salad. 

Chicken Bun Cha 
Michelle Bridges 12WBT

Dear Readers,

Sorry that this recipe has been taken down from my tiny blog. It was taken down by request from the 12WBT team. Here are excerpts from several emails I received:

"We have however noticed that you have copied one of our recipes onto your blog. This is a breach of the Terms and Conditions of your membership so we are going to have to ask you to remove it. We are fine with you putting up your own pictures we just ask that you don’t share any content of the program such as recipes."

"The Terms and Conditions of your membership do state that we grant you personal use of the content and we do ask that you don’t share it on other websites. Our terms also specifically prohibit publishing or posting any of the content such as recipes on any other website....outside of these specific formal relationships, we do not allow any other site to publish our proprietary content."

I was surprised by these emails as I always attribute my blog information, photos and recipes to their original source. I would also think that posting a recipe and recommending it is positive PR. I guess not. I invite you to Google 'Michelle Bridges recipes' and take a look at the 100s of her recipes on blogs, Pinterest, newspapers, magazines etc. You will be able to find Chicken Bun Cha recipes and many others....

Kind regards, 
Susan Minihane
May 8, 2014

Playing for a Sheep Station & Matt Preston's delicious Lamb dish

Today, while playing tennis, there was some confusion over who was serving during our long doubles match in the hot February sun. Our opponents said, 'does it really matter who is serving? It's not like we are playing for a sheep station or anything!'

After living in Australia for 3+ years of, one of the biggest differences that I constantly encounter is language. While both the US and Australia speak English, there are different spellings, sayings and lots of slang words and expressions used. I am still adjusting to spelling differently. I am learning to add 'u' to some words (colour, honour, favour, etc.) and change the 'z' (called 'zed' here,) to 's' - realise, visualise, materialise, etc. I don't know if people are lazy or it's just easier (does that still mean lazy?) to shorten every word possible. Arvo is afternoon; sunnies are sunglasses, Chrissy is Christmas, avos are avocados, rellies are relatives, pressies are presents, chokkie is chocolate, mozzie is mosquito, etc. The list is endless and I seem to learn a new abbreviation each week. There is even a nice way to swear, instead of using 'f*#k' someone people say, 'far out' while s#*t is sometimes expressed as 'shivers' which only makes me think of pirates but nicer family language for sure. I could write many pages about slang words but there is a good website if you are interested - http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

I did want to share some of the my favorite slang words that paint interesting imagery when you hear them:
Yes, he lives in Sydney but grew up in Woop Woop.
I feel dusty this morning from all that wine last night and will be shattered if I don't get a nap later.
 I am not trying to piss in your pocket but that is the best cake I've ever tasted.
He was spitting chips when he lost all his money betting on a footy game.
You are mad as a cut snake if you think you'll get away with that.
Did you see that man in his budgie smugglers on the beach?
I was gobsmacked when she won that prize.

This week's recipe is a lamb recipe. Australia is one of the largest exporters of sheep in the world. I have eaten more lamb in the past 3 years than I have eaten in my whole life. I didn't like lamb as a child and I remember my Mom cooking it and hated the house smelling so gamey. She would then serve it with green mint jelly, another yuck. I often wondered who thought of jelly on lamb? Shouldn't jelly only be a nice colour and served with toast?!

Since moving down under, I have tried all sorts and cuts of lamb. I still don't like the smell when it's cooking but I do love the taste, especially with a glass of Australian Shiraz (sha-razzzz) wine. My recipe today is from Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes: Simple and Delicious Recipes Everyone Should Know. I recently went to buy a Michelle Bridges diet and exercise book but instead came home with his cookbook instead, which is pretty funny. Bye bye Michelle, hellooo Matt! Matt is a chef and judge on the very popular MasterChef TV show. He is larger than life, both in size and personality, and has an interesting style of dress. I like to think of it as British banker gone wrong! He mixes stripes and polka dots and bright colours, all the while usually wearing a signature cravat around his neck. 'Cravat' was another new word for me until Matt Preston and MasterChef came along. From seeing him on TV and hearing him on radio interviews, he seems like a top bloke, one you'd like to share a meal (hopefully he'd cook) or a schooner with. I am enjoying his new cookbook immensely, although he is dressed quite tame and cravat-less on the cover. With some cookbooks, I only end up liking a recipe or two. With his book, I have been cooking the book, so to speak, and I've liked most of the recipes so far. This lamb dish is my favourite, hands down. The ingredients look a bit suspicious but cooked all together, there is a great synergy of flavours and the lamb is very tender. It takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare and then cooks in the oven for 2 hours - very easy.

courtesy of  www.news.com.au

Matt Preston's Lamb Braise

adapted from Lamb, Walnut and Pineapple Braise recipe

1 kg or 2lbs lamb stew meat

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced thin

4 cloves garlic

1 small eggplant, cubed

500 ml or 2 cups pineapple juice

2 teaspoons of curry powder

140g or 5oz can of tomato paste

80 ml or 1/3 cup of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 chubby, pinkie finger of fresh ginger grated (the ginger is a must; powder wouldn't do!)

75g  or 3/4 cup of walnuts (optional)

couscous or brown rice or mashed potatoes

1) Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the lamb and just brown it. Remove lamb from pan and transfer to a casserole dish.

3) In the same saucepan, cook onion. Once onion is transluscent, add garlic and eggplant. Stir for a minute. Then add pineapple juice, curry powder, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and ginger. Bring to a boil.

4) Pour mixture over lamb, cover and cook in oven for 2 hours.

5) Serve over cous cous, brown rice or mashed potatoes with walnuts (optional) on top.

Notes:

- I think serving it with couscous tastes best.

- I tried to cook this once in the crockpot and the lamb did not come out as tender.

- Use fresh grated ginger really affects the flavour. It's easy - just grate it with a chesse grater.

- I have never tried it with the walnuts as the recipes suggests. It tastes great without them although I'm sure they add some extra texture.

- This is a kid friendly dish. My girls who aren't big fans of lamb love the tangy flavour.