A Great Big Swift Kick Up the Bum!

Gain of a kilo this week. So disappointed in myself, but I saw it coming! I was lazy - no tracking, no exercise & not much water! The tracking is the killer though - I eat far too much if I don't keep track of how many points everything that goes into my mouth is!
So, although devestated, I am glad I gained. It is definitely the kick up the arse I need!!! Going to work my arse off this week to lose this kilo and extra as a bonus. No excuses!!
So, goals (again!!!) - water, exercise & bloody tracking, which is the most important of the three!!!
Onwards & downwards!

An Undeserved Loss!

A terrible weekend! Yes, you guessed it, I gave into bloody wine again! Why, oh why, oh why do I keep doing this to myself! Anyway, I thankfully had a loss of 800gms this week, which keeps me on target for my Xmas challenge. I secretly wish I had of gained, so that it would have given me a kick up the bum for being so cocky & complacent in thinking that I could have a bad weekend & a loss to follow!!!
Anyway, one good thing has come of this week. Hubby has gotten his act together! I was waiting for the penny to drop with him, and Thank God, it finally has! We are looking at a holiday to Malaysia again towards the end of next year, and I have told him in no uncertain terms that I WILL NOT be going if I am a big fatty boombah!! He has been on the xtrainer this week & I am so happy I will not be tempted by him anymore! YAY!!
I am now 120.1kgs. Only 200gms to go & I will be back under 120kgs - CANNOT WAIT! The downside is I lose a point on the WW plan! However, I really can see my Xmas goal in reach! I will do it! I can do it!! Exciting times ahead!!!
Onwards & downwards......

On a Roll to Lose These Rolls.....

1kg loss this week, which takes my overall loss to 11.8kgs. I feel like such a fake, as I have lost this weight before! Why on earth do I keep gaining it back & then having to relose it!?!?! NEVER AGAIN! I am never going back!
Anyway, I am well on target for my 2010 challenge. I have lost 5.9kgs in the last 4 weeks, so well on my way to losing 30kgs by Christmas - only 24.1kgs to go in 24 weeks! A big ask, but I can bloody well do it!! I will try my absolute hardest!!!
As for the last week, must admit I haven't been perfect. Had a few wines on a couple of nights, when I had resolved myself to only have wine once a week. The husband has been a terrible influence, and I think he can see it in his own weight loss results (he had a loss of a 100gms this week!). The problem is definitely not the wine - the problem is I just cannot stop eating whilst drinking wine!!! So once a week is definitely a good choice for me!
TTOM also arrived on Monday, so I did sneak a few of party sized chocolates. Don't know why I have said "sneak" - I was honest with myself & tracked it! So, overall it was an okay week. I went over points a couple of times & didn't exercise due to the pain with my heel spur in my good foot, so I am happy with the kilo loss. I've also just worked out that I have lost 17.4% of the overall amount I need to lose! Not too shabby!!
Have just been shopping & bought myself some new Asics runners, so will attempt the xtrainer today to see how my foot goes.
Onwards & downwards......

I Can Do It!!!

I can do this! I will do this!!
I was derailed by my "well meaning" husband who brought home some wine on the weekend. Also I ate a WHOLE medium pizza on Tuesday night whilst catching up with my girlfriends as well! I am still not at the stage were I can stop eating when I am full - something I am really working on! However, I got straight back in the saddle and back on track!! And the proof is in the pudding - a loss of 1.3kgs this week. Have now lost 10.8kgs (yet again!) but this time I will be keeping it off - I am NEVER going back!!! I can see my Xmas goal in reach (of being under 100kgs) and I am bloody well going to get there! Just watch me!

Week 45!!!

Eeeeekkkk... 45 weeks this time on Weight Watchers! BUT, at least I keep going back & will stick with it until the end!
A loss of 400gms this week. Only a little loss, but I am extremely happy with it, especially since I weighed the same as last week on my home scales! I spent a few days away with the kids, and although I wasn't naughty, I wasn't tracking my points, and wasn't 100% strict with myself. So, I am definitely pleased a loss showed! Back into it 100% today!
Nothing much else to report this week. It's FREEZING cold, and school holidays too, which I absolutely love! I love lazy mornings with the kids, and days spent at home in our PJs! And the good thing about winter time & the cold weather, is it is so easy to enjoy nice warm soups a few times a week!!!
Onwards & downwards....

Goodbye Gastro!

Hubby woke through the night with gastro! Oh joy! Only my daughter has escaped it with just mild tummy pains! Lucky thing!
Weigh in today & I had a loss of 3.2kgs. Initially I was disappointed, as yesterday my home scales showed over 5kgs lost with the gastro! However, I have not been to the toilet (if you know what I mean) since Monday, so I guess that could have been the difference today. It wasn't until I got home that I realised what an awesome start that is to the goal I have set to September. That leaves only 11.8kg to go!!! Absolutely achievable!
Have had a shit day at home, especially with Aidan being very demanding. I am still breastfeeding, but REALLY over it! Have been trying to feed him up on diary as I start to wean him. He just hardly eats anything & prefers breast milk, but I really want my life back!!! It's going to be a long hard struggle with him, but I am so ready!
Onwards & downwards.....

Goals for the Remainder of 2010

Forgot to mention in my previous post the 2 extremely hard goals I have set myself. Might as well aim for the stars! I have my 20 year High School reunion at the beginning of September, and I will lose15kgs before then! A week later I go on holidays for 2 weeks, but then when I return from holidays, I will lose another 15kgs before Christmas! That means I have 26 weeks (not counting the 2 weeks I am away on holidays) to lose 30 kilos. Easy!!! (yeah right!) As long as I keep my head where it is now, I will be cruising (and as long as I keep off the bloody wine!).

A Looooooong Week!

Oh God, what an extremely long week it has been!
I have been super fantastic with my WW this week, and only had a drink on one occasion - dinner at my Mum & Dad's on Sunday night with the whole family. I was even a really girl good & bought a new wine advertised in the WW magazine - Lindemans Early Harvest. I saw it in the mag months ago, but my local bottleshops have only just got it in stock. It's low cal & low alcohol, but it's nice, and a good change from the Yellowglen Jewel range (also low cal & low alcohol), which I was really tiring of. Lindemans also do a sparkling which is nice & light.
Anyway, things have been going great, and bang, after dinner Sunday night Owen starts vomiting. Then Monday morning at 3am I wake with the runs, and the vomiting follows not long after. Later Monday afternoon Aidan starts with the vomiting. Oh joy! Tuesday, just when I thought he was better, Owen gets the runs! It is now Wednesday, I am still a bit queasy, Owen has recovered, Aidan still has the runs & now Callum has the runs. Paige had just come home early from school with tummy pains. Fortunately it seems to have passed Greg by. Would be terrible for him to be sick in his first week at a new job!!
The one upside of the whole saga is I am going to have a brilliant loss at WI tomorrow. I was doing so well anyway that I knew the loss would be a good one, but this has just given it a huge boost. Not something I would wish on anyone for weight loss though!!!
It's nice to know that things have finally clicked & I am back into WW with gusto. I committed to get there! Even if there are hiccups on the way, I will win!
Onwards & downwards......

The Little Engine That Could!

Well, I am OVER it! Finally the penny has dropped, and I am over being fat! I am over looking at myself in the mirror & being horrified at what I have become. Enough is bloody enough! It's time!
Driving on the way to my WW meeting this morning, I was thinking of myself as "The Little Engine That Could". As long as I keep trying & persisting, I will get there one day! A spectacular gain of 3.9kg this morning, meaning a total of 9.8kg gained in 3 months! It's amazing how completely off the rails both hubby and I went as soon as we learned of his redundancy at work. Looking back at my last post on this blog, it seems I had an inkling that I would turn to wine & chocolate to cope, and sure enough, I did with a vengeance!

The good news is that hubby has a new job, and he starts this Monday!!!

Another Goal Reached! 15kgs Lost (AGAIN)!!!

Made my next goal for 2010 - 15kgs gone. Of course, I had hit this goal last year before we went to Malaysia!!
700gms lost this week. Expected a bit more, but with my weekend blowouts, I am thankful I am having regular losses.
I really have to try & stay focussed and not lose track this week. We have just found out this morning that hubby's job is being made redundant & he finishes up at the end of April. Just a major upheaval when the bread winner of the family is jobless! My maternity leave is up next month, so if worse comes to worst, I can always go back to work (I was initially going to resign & not go back!). Hopefully I won't get stressed and turn to wine & chocolate to cope!!!!
Anyway, onwards & downwards....

Disappointed!!

A loss of 800gms this week. I should be happy, but I cannot help but feel soooo disappointed! I have been working so very very hard. Exercising every day, saying no to wine, counting my points, drinking water. I know TTOM (That Time of Month) is looming, so I feel bloated, but I was expecting a bigger loss!!
Anyway, will attempt to shake this feeling off! Have had a great week, so will continue it & stay "in the zone" so that next week's will be a ripper of a loss!
Unfortunately feel like I am coming down with a cold, so hope it doesn't derail me in any way.
Onwards & downwards......

3.1kgs Whooooo Hooooo!!

Fantastic loss of 3.1kgs this week! I am absolutely stoked! Looks like all my hard work paid off!!! Just gotta keep it up!
So, my next 2 goals were achieved - under 120kgs (again!), and 10% body weight lost (yet, again!!). My next few goals are 15kgs lost, 20kgs lost & under 110kgs. I'm on a mission!!!!
Had a beautiful dinner out last night with 4 of my girlfriends. The yummy green curry looked superb (and yes, I had to have a taste!), but I was a good girl & had a grilled calamari salad for entree, and stir fried beef & vegies for my main meal. Both were yummy, but the calamari was definitely the best calamari I have ever tasted - it just melted in my mouth!! So nice to be able to eat out & make good food choices!!!
Anyway, this week I want to continue what I am doing, but closely monitor my wine intake on the weekend - I really want to stay within my points!!
Onwards & downwards......

On Track for a Loss...

Have had a great week! Went well & truly over points on the weekend, but have been working my butt off to make up for it this week. My 4 goals for this week have been nearly achieved....

1. Track - I have tracked every morsel that has been consumed! Even if I tasted something, or nibbled on something, I have tracked it! Even when I ate well over my daily points, I tracked it!
2. Water, water, water - I have been trying to get into the habit of taking my water bottle with me everywhere, and now I miss it if it is not with me!
3. Exercise daily - Have been building up my stamina on the xtrainer each day. I began last week with only being able to do a 3min stint at a time, and I pleased that I have just jumped off the xtrainer a couple of minutes ago, and have done 12mins in one stint! I can't wait until I can build it up to 30mins in one hit, instead of having to do little bits throughout the day!! Didn't exercise on Sunday as we had a huge walk around the Zoo, and I don't think my ankle would have been able to withstand it!
4. Get off the bloody wine!!! - My biggest struggle this week without a doubt. Succumbed over the weekend (which is where I blew my points), but have not had a drop of it during the week, which is amazing. Nothing is better than sitting down with a nice cold white wine once all the kids are in bed!

I must say I am noticing that I moving a lot more now that I have to be dressed & ready to take the kids to school by 8.30am. When hubby did the morning school drop off the last few years, I would sometimes still be in my PJs at midday!!! Now I am up & at 'em, and just feel so much more energised. And I get so much more done during the day! It's brilliant!!!!Have dinner out tonight with some girlfriends at a local Thai restaurant. Will be steering away from any rice or heavy dishes!Will report in with tomorrow's weigh in - fingers crossed for a great result!

Onwards & downwards......

This Is It!

Feeling really motivated & on the ball today! Have planned my food for the day, and will not stray at all. Have been repeating to myself all day that I only need food to fuel this body of mine, and it is time I started taking care of this "vessel" - especially for the sake of my ankle. The pain is not going to improve unless I lose weight to ease the burden on it.
Had a discussion with the hubby last night, about how one day soon the kids are going to be embarrassed when I come to school activities. I don't want to be the fattest mum there, and I dread the day that one of the kids asks me not to attend something!
It's definitely time!
Anyway, off to jump onto the eliptical trainer whilst Aidan is napping!
Looking forward to an amazing loss this week!
Onwards & downwards!

New Year, New Start, New Goals

Thanks to Shelley who posted a comment on my last blog entry. She simply posted "Where are you?". Those 3 simple words gave me a lightbulb moment & the kick in the bum I needed to get my head back into it!
9 or so weeks away from WW, and 5kgs gained...... eeeekkkk!! That's what happens when you are on holiday and not watching what you are eating & drinking!!! We had a lovely Christmas, although we did have major issues with my Mother In Law, which put a dampener on things!
Anyhow, eating & drinking (which then leads to more eating) have been out of control of late - my silly season has just continued well & truly for too long!!
Things have been crazy & emotional with the older two kids starting at a new school. The last couple of years we kept them at the school in our old suburb, which meant an hour long round trip in the afternoons to pick them up & bring them home (hubby did the morning run on his way to work). But by the end of last year, I was fed up with it, so got them in a local Catholic school 3 minutes drive away. Callum has settled really well into Grade 3, but Paige is not so comfortable in Grade 2, and it's breaking my heart. I know things will get better with time, but it is a struggle at the moment emotionally.
Aidan has finally started walking, and is just so damn cute, although his high pitched squealing is absolutely doing our heads in. Owen is just adorable and growing bigger & cheekier each day!
Okay, back to weight loss. I weighed in at my meeting this morning to a hefty 121.9kgs. And I am OVER IT! I have got to get this bloody weight off once & for all! We've decided to go back to Club Med in Malaysia in October (we just can't help ourselves - it was the BEST holiday ever!!!), so I will set myself a nice goal for that trip!
Just re-reading my blog & I can see that hubby and I set ourselves a challenge back in December of 20kgs in 30 weeks. Well, I think that lasted for a week! Will have to do up a new spreadsheet & stick it on the fridge. I am so determined to do this!!!
Sooo, my goals for this week are:

1. Track
2. Water, water, water
3. Exercise daily
4. Get off the bloody wine!!!!

Tune in next week for a great loss! I am GOING TO DO IT! It's my time now!!!

Onwards & downwards.....

Clawing My Way Back...

My goodness! Can't believe I haven't posted since September!! So much has happened!!
Firstly, I went in a downwards spiral a couple of weeks before we left for Malaysia. I just slipped into "holiday mode", so WW went out the window. We then spent a glorious 10 nights away at Club Med, Cherating Beach in Malaysia! We had the best holiday of our lives! The kids had an absolute ball! I can recommend Club Med to anyone - we were very spoilt! The food & drink was all inclusive, so needless to say we got our money's worth!!!
After the trip, we headed to our van in Cobram for a long Melbourne Cup Weekend. It was sensational weather, so more drinking & eating to be done! And a nice gain of 3.7kgs for me when I returned to WW!!!
I have been struggling terribly to try & get back on track, but it has been extremely hard. Especially now the "silly season" and all the festivities have arrived! But slowly & surely I am getting there, and am now only a kilo from where I was before Malaysia.
So, hubby and I have set ourselves a new goal - 20kgs in 30 weeks. It will take us into June 2010, and I'll be under 100kgs by then, which has always been my ultimate goal. I really wanted to be at that goal by the Christmas, but obviously I have been enjoying my life (and food & wine!!) too much. I'll get there eventually, no matter how long it takes!
Also, Aidan turned one! Where has my baby gone??!?!? I'm still breastfeeding, but I did controlled crying with him when we returned from Cobram, and he now sleeps right through the night without a feed, or coming into our bed. BLISS!!!
Anyways, onwards & downwards...

A Loss - THANK GOD!!

Oh, I am so thankful that I had a loss this week!!! 300gms... not much, but better than a gain! I had a terrible weekend & ONCE AGAIN went over my points on both days in a massive way. It is a cycle I really have to break, and I WILL break it!
In the 21 weeks I have been following WW, I have lost 15.5kgs... an average of about 800gms a week - not too bad at all!!!
What did I eat that was so terrible on the weekend? Nothing that stands out to me, except for 3 cookies bought from Costco on Sunday - I had to try ALL three flavours. Wasn't satisfied with just a taste, had to eat the WHOLE big jumbo cookie! I just wasn't really concentrating on my tracking, so went over in points massively. When I weighed myself Monday morning, I was 1.6kgs heavier!! I worked my butt off on the treadmill & elliptical, until my ankle gave way.
Anyway, on a mission this week for a big loss. I have 7.2kgs to lose in 5 weeks before Malaysia, so need a couple of big losses to help me achieve this goal. And you know, that 100kgs by Christmas is certainly looking promising!!
Onwards & downwards...........

15kgs of Ugly Fat Gone Forever - Whoo Hooooo.....

A brilliant loss of 2kgs this week! Whoop Whoop! Total loss = 15.2kgs. I am feeling fantastic & just can't wait for the weeks to come to lose more & more & more! That 100kgs goal by Christmas is in reach!!

In "The Zone"

I don't know what has come over me, but I am REALLY in "the zone" at the moment! And I don't want it to end!!!!! Hopefully it won't for a while yet. I just wanted to write in my blog today (as I usually just post on Thursdays which are my weigh in days), because IF I become derailed, I want to be able to look back & inspire myself to keep going!
I had a wardrobe cleanout, and tried everything on. And have a bag of clothes to take to the op shop that are too big for me! OH JOY!! I have kept one pair of size 26 pants to remind me of what I do not want to wear ever again!! My size 18 jeans I used to wear even fit me again (albiet a little bit tightly!).
And I just feel so much lighter. Although I have had a tough week with sick kids & not enough sleep (so my eyes are hanging out my head!), I just feel terrific! I am sure I have a spring in my step!
And, I am not sure if I have admitted it before in my blog or not, but..... "My name's Julie and I am a serial weigher!". Yes, I have to weigh myself daily! And nightly!! Every morning when I get up & every night before I go to bed, I jump on the scales to see how I am going. Now, according to many Weight Watchers, it is a cardinal sin to have "sneaky" weigh ins, but I think it helps me along the way. If I have had too many carbs, or too much food in general, it shows on the scales! And when the numbers are showing a loss, it spurs me on to keep going. When the numbers are showing a gain, it spurs me on to get my arse into gear & step it up a notch. Surely, that has to be a good thing?!?!?
And speaking of sneaky weighing, this morning I weighed 116.2kgs on my home scales! WHOOO HOOO!! I have not been that light for an eternity (well about 18mths anyway!). I can usually expect a 1.5kg gain on the WW scales from that (with brekkie, clothing & shoes), so that would mean about 117.7kgs - still a loss of over a kilo. Let's hope I still weigh that in the morning! Fingers crossed!

Battling the Inner Demons & Goal 6 Achieved!

I had a HUGE weekend! We had a Trivia Night on Saturday night - our first childless night out together as a couple since Aidan was born!! I was prepared with carrot sticks, almonds & Pepsi Max. Had enough points also for a couple of glasses of wine, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, once we arrived home, MORE wine, and of course, then I had to eat! NINE Ferrero Rochers later, and I had doubled my points for the day. They are 2 points EACH!! And I don't even really like them!!
On Sunday we had friends over for a BBQ, and I had my low joule champers (God Bless Yellowglen Jewel!! - 4.5pts for the whole bottle!), and had a bit too much of the dips & bread, but my downfall was not tracking!!!
Come Monday, I battled with those inner demons! In the past, I would have given in to temptation, and thought "stuff it". I would have usually written off the whole week because of a bad couple of days, and started afresh after weigh in on Thursday. Monday afternoon I remember standing infront of the kitchen pantry, cup of coffee in one hand, and the box of Ferreros in the other. My thinking was that I had to eat the other 11 of them so that I wouldn't be tempted by them anymore!!! What the f***?? It was the HARDEST thing for me to put them back in the cupboard!! I made up my mind to stay on track, work that little bit harder, and minimise any gain I would have at weigh in.
And the proof is in the pudding. At my meeting this morning, I had a loss of 200gms! Unbelieveable! And I have now reached my 10% goal!! 200gms was all I needed!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO! Just goes to show how being overweight is such a mental problem. I overcame those demons this week, and I know they will rear their ugly heads ALL THE TIME, but I am strong enough to battle through, and get to goal! I feel like I am on cloud nine!!!
Until next week.....Onwards & downwards...

My 13 Week Malaysia Challenge

As previously mentioned, 5 weeks ago I told hubby that our trip for Malaysia was going to be cancelled unless I lost some weight. I set myself the goal of losing 17.2kgs in 13 weeks - a big challenge, but you may as well reach for the stars!!! Have just been updating my spreadsheet, and I am happy to report that I am still 700gms in front of the target I set for myself. I have 9.7kgs to lose in 8 weeks - EASY if I set my mind to it!!! Malaysia, here I come at 110kgs!!!

Goal #5 Achieved! 13kgs Gone

I was quite shocked to weigh in this morning at my meeting & have a loss of 1.2kgs. The last weekend was a blow out in points for me. I had cheesecake, chocolate cake & some wine, and went well over my points both Saturday & Sunday. I did however track everything, so I knew I had to be super good the rest of the days.

I have now lost a grand total of 13kgs. I have hit my 5th goal of getting under 120kgs. My next goal is my 10% loss (13.2kgs) so only have 200gms to reach that, which I WILL do next week! I am feeling so positive & fantastic, and my clothes are starting to get looser!

We've spent a small fortune on some new fitness equipment after the treadmill died last week - we have a new treadmill, and an elliptical trainer being delivered & installed tomorrow! Hubby and I cannot wait! It's been a long week without exercise (but a good rest for my ankle!). Pictures of our new babies above!!

Onwards & downwards!!!

11.8kgs Gone, 55.9kgs to Go.....

Had a great loss this week of 1.1kgs. Things are going really well, and I am feeling really in control of everything. As long as I keep tracking my points, I will be fine!
I had some thoughts during the week about revising my goal weight to 75kgs. Hubby had suggested that once I was at this weight, I could look at getting the boob reduction/lift I wanted, which would probably shed an extra 10kgs from me to get to the WW goal weight. Think I will just stick with the 65kgs, and we'll see how it goes when I get closer to it.
Had one major blow out last Thursday night. I had a couple of glasses of wine, and as usual, I can't stop eating once the wine hits my lips!! Made up for it in the following days, but this has happened 2 weeks running now, and it has to stop!!
I bought a WW pedometer at last week's meeting. My leader has a pedometer challenge running in the group, and I was shocked to total up my last week's efforts to see I had walked over 35kms without even trying! I now wear my pedometer all day every day. I clip it to my pajamas when I get out of bed first thing in the morning.
Unfortunately our treadmill died last night! ARGH, I am devastated, as I don't know what I will do without it. I paid a visit to Workout World this afternoon, but there were so many treadmills to choose from, and I didn't have appropriate footwear on, so we'll return on Sunday with our runners on & make a purchase. It will be nice to have a brand new "fandangle" treadmill, instead of our old Asian eBay cheapy.
Have my MIL's 60th Birthday party this weekend. It starts at 2pm, with roast dinner at 5pm (talk about dragging it out!), so for 3 hours there will be nibbles & dips - will have to make sure that I steer clear. Might even pack myself a container of carrot sticks to munch on.
Until next week.... onwards & downwards....

My New Baby!!!

10kgs now gone, so I thought I had better reward myself. What better way, than with a new bike! And it's beautiful!!! On Saturday I hooked up the kiddie trailer with Owen in the back & off we went. Callum joined us for the ride as well. It's been over 8 years since I was on a bike, and God, I enjoyed it!!!

10kgs Gone Forever!

Loss of 800gms this week, and I have hit my 10kg goal. YAY! I had a blowout on Friday night with a family dinner here, consisting of pizza & wine, so I am extremely happy that my hard work in the days afterwards has paid off!
I managed to get on the treadmill the last 2 days. A slow start to exercising that I hope I can maintain.
Goals for this week - keep exercising, watch my water intake (I have been slipping a bit), and add some fruit to my diet. I am great at eating lots of vegies, but don't really eat fruit during the winter - something I will try hard to amend this week.
Onwards & downwards......

French Maid Outfits

My girlfriend and I have joked for many years about how we will lose all our weight, then have an enormous party to celebrate & dress as French Maids. Well, we are both on very different weight loss journeys, but we have agreed to have a joint 40th party, and yep, you guessed it, we will dress as French Maids. We have both set ourselves the goal of hitting 100kgs by Christmas, and then we will reset a goal for Easter, and so on, until 2012 when we will have the mother of all parties! A great incentive to have someone (other than hubby) to share my weightloss with.

Bugger, 100gms Short of Goal!

I was sooooo sure I was going to hit my 10kgs lost goal today. I headed off to my meeting, armed with my bookmark (for my 10kg Star!!), only to miss it by 100gms! Bugger! Shouldn't have had the 3 cups of coffee this morning & a big bowl of cereal!!! Never mind, will reach it next week & blow it out the water!
Have had a fantastic week with tracking & water, although I did go over a couple of points on a couple of days, but I don't think it mattered much considering how much Aidan is feeding lately (mainly during the night I might add - NOT happy Jan!). I attempted the treadmill once, but my ankle was terrible - reminder to self to get to the Physio!! Will attempt more exercise this week for sure.
Anyhow, not much else has happened for the week. Have applied for passports for the 4 kids & myself (nearly died at how expensive it was for 5 passports!!) for Malaysia in October - CANNOT wait! Only 11 weeks & 12.8kgs to go before we head off!!
Hubby is doing FANTASTIC with his weight loss, and I can already notice a huge difference after 2 weeks. He is on the treadmill every night, and even RUNNING on it! I'm so proud of him!
Onwards & downwards..........

On a Roll!!!

WOW, Cannot believe I haven't posted since April!!! So much has happened in the last few months! Firstly, I stupidly decided (after missing a couple of meetings due to Aidan having a couple of ear infections, and also Owen having a cold & tonsillitis) that I would be able to do WW Online & weigh in at home by myself. I KNOW that I cannot stick to it when I try to go it alone, so I don't know what came over me. Of course, my heart wasn't it, so I stacked on 3.8kgs in the 8+ weeks I was away from my meetings.
I have no one to blame but myself, however I was great at blaming the hubby. I used the excuse that he was just such a bad influence on me for those 8 or so weeks, but I should have had more will power! I suffered terribly with "Wine Flu" - every single night I was having a glass of wine once the kids were in bed, and with wine comes the late night snacks!
Anyway, we have a trip to Malaysia booked for October, and I refuse to go at this size. I told hubby I am cancelling the trip if I don't lose some weight. And finally he saw the light, so is following the Weight Watchers principles as well, although not tracking his points. Since he has started, I have found it sooooooooo easy! And even this last weekend, he had a few wines, and I didn't! I've found my will power & my mojo! WHOO HOOOOO!!
So, after starting back, last week was my first weigh in & I have lost 2.5kgs, and hubby has lost 2.8kgs. We're on a roll!! I am aiming to be 110kgs by Malaysia. I was 110kgs when we went on holiday to the Gold Coast and I found out I was pregnant with Owen. Of course I was still obese, but I felt fine about myself, and was comfortable getting into board shorts & a singlet top in the pool. So that's my aim for Malaysia - 110kgs & feeling good about myself!
In other news, our pergola is FINALLY finished & the outdoor cafe blinds are being installed as I type this. We've bought fantastic wicker outdoor furniture & a lovely outdoor kitchen. The playground/swing set is on lay by for the kids for Christmas.
Owen has given up his dummies (2 days ago) and it was easier than I expected. He's only asked for them once. Aidan is crawling!!! Commando style! Where's my baby gone!??!!? He has 4 large chompers now - not such a joy to breastfeed anymore! I am debating whether or not to wean him, but I would really like to hang out until after the Malaysia trip, as I think it would be easier & healthier for him to be breastfed rather than bottle fed there (although with the alcohol intake at the pool bar, I might have to rethink that!).
Also, my mum (who is 61) had a stroke a couple of weeks ago. She was in Queensland on a caravaning trip with my Dad, so it was quite a worrying & stressful time with not being able to see her. They should be home in a couple of days thankfully. Quite a scare for all of us, but just goes to show what 40+ years of smoking can do to you!
Anyway, feeling great & looking forward to dropping lots of kilos in the next few weeks. I am tracking every morsel that enters my mouth, and going well with the water intake. My goal for this week is to get some exercise done.
Onwards & downwards.......

An Undeserving Loss

Have had to weigh in at home AGAIN today! I miss my meetings!!! Owen was up with a temperature at 4.30am this morning, and is unwell, I am tired & trying to get in a nap, so the meeting just had to be missed. I lost 400gms this week. I really didn't deserve to lose anything, as I have been eating like a horse. Aidan has been ravenous, obviously going through a growth spurt, which has had repurcussions on my appetite! Unfortunately I have been too lazy to track, which is usually a big downfall of mine - when I don't track, I usually have a gain! But, I know that I am WW for the rest of my life, and if I have to eat a lot to accomodate the growth spurts of Aidan, then so be it. I'll still get to goal - the tortoise always win the race!!

I made a big pot of point-free vegie soup last night & now the colder weather is approaching, I will be able to make all the yummy low fat soups I used to make. Mmmmm..... looking forward to it!

I have just realised I only have 900gms to get to my next goal - my 10kg loss. Whooo hooo! Will have to make sure I am super good this week & achieve it. Next goal after that is 10% loss of my body weight.

On the home front, the kids have gone back to school after the holidays. Although it is nice to get back into a routine again, I miss having them home, and the lazy mornings in our pajamas! Owen is just absolutely lost without them! Aidan has started rolling around the floor!! Where has my newborn baby gone? They grow far too quick for my liking! Photo following of him rolling around (whilst watching the Biggest Loser in the background..haha).

Things are going full steam ahead with our new pergola. The council permits have been approved, so just waiting now on approval from the surveyor. I have been getting quotes on concreting, as we are replacing the paving & artificial grass with charcoal coloured concrete. I started ripping up the pavers yesterday (there are 1200 of them!!) and God my legs are sore today!! Nice incidental exercise! We've sold our old pergola on eBay for over $700, which we are estactic with, as we were either going to pay someone to rip it down for us, or give it away for free to my sister-in-law. Nice to have some money to go towards the expense of the new pergola or the new things we want to buy for under the pergola - outdoor ceiling fans, a new outdoor table & chairs, a big fandangle BBQ, a stone pizza oven, and playground equipment/sandpit for the kids. I just cannot wait!!!

Was also Callum's birthday party last Sunday. We had to delay it til the end of the school holidays so his friends could make it. Here he is blowing out the candles to his Wendy's ice cream cake, which I must say was YUMMY!

Week 11 - 8.7kgs Gone, 59kgs to Go!

Thank God that Easter is over. We spent the long weekend at our caravan, and I consumed a bit too much food & alcohol. And besides the chocolate, I must say I am proud of myself for my food choices. I stayed away from any chips or anything with a high fat content, and stuck to my rice crackers, low fat dips, etc.

Have decided to log my weight from home this week. It is just far too difficult to get out to the meeting with the 4 kids during school holidays. My home scales read the same as the WW ones last week, so I trust they are acurate. Happy to report a 400gm loss this week. Although not huge, much better than the gain I expected. I am still on track with my 25kgs by Christmas goal.

Water & tracking are going great, so it's time to start the exercising. I will get stuck into that as of Monday when the kids are back at school & I can get into some sort of routine.

Onwards & downwards..........

Happy 8th Birthday Callum!

My little boy turns 8 today! God, I feel so bloody old! Where did the years go??? They've just flown by. He was so very excited last night & then this morning jumped into our bed at the crack of dawn! He is having an iceskating party with his school friends at the end of the school holidays.

I am pleased to report a loss of 1.1kgs today. I didn't stay for the meeting as it would have been way too hard with all 4 kids. Extremely happy as it keeps me on track for my new challenge, which is to be under 100kgs by Christmas. I have worked out that I need to average a loss of at least 700g for the next 38 weeks to be on target - extremely achieveable! I have posted a copy of my chart to the left, and have this stuck on my fridge to keep my accountable (along with some fat photos!).

Now, there's a hard week ahead... EASTER! And of course, the thing I love most in the world is chocolate! And Easter eggs are just my absolute favourite. I'm going to treat myself to a bunny though, and will savour every mouthful!!! We are heading to our van on the coast for the Easter break, and of course, that means drinking! Going to have to be on my very best behaviour!!!

Having a Whine About Wine!!!

Have had a brilliant week, and I am totally back in the WW "zone". I have been waiting these last 10 weeks for it to "click" with me, and it FINALLY has! Lost 2.2kgs at weigh in yesterday, which I am extremely happy with. Hit my 5% goal (5% of my bodyweight lost).

My water intake this week has been superb, but I have not bothered with the treadmill. I just think I need to get my head around the eating & drinking part first, then I will move onto the exercise when I am in full swing. I have been drinking about 4 litres of water a day, and it's funny how quickly you become used to it! I take my water bottle with me everywhere now!

However, after a fantastic week, Greg wants to have a wine last night! ARGHH! So, of course I give in & we have a couple of wines, and I TOTALLY blow my points for the day, so now I have to work extra hard all this week to make up for it. I am so disappointed in myself for being so weak & not standing up to him. I really do need to stock up on the Yellowglen Jewel Champagne, as it is low in alcohol & low in points (4.5pts for the whole bottle). One good thing that did come from it, was that I tracked the points. Usually I would just wipe off the whole day and start from scratch. BUT the new me has to be accountable, and I am going to make sure when it comes to weigh in next Thursday I will have made up those extra points, and it shouldn't affect my weight loss.

School holidays start today... YAY! So happy to have the older two kids home. Also, no snacks & lunches to make, no rushed mornings, no running around to after school activites - WHOO HOOO!

Enough is Enough!

Well, I have had a week off WW just to sort my shit out. And I am back into it today. Was expecting a huge gain at today's weigh in, but surprisingly had a 200gm loss. This has given me even more incentive to get cracking with this weight loss.

We've been away for a lonnngggg weekend to Mount Gambier in S.A. which was lovely. We were going to go to Robe, but I couldn't find any available accomodation with a swimming pool. I tried my hardest to be good foodwise, and was most of the time, except where wine or champagne was involved. I have really noticed that as soon as wine passes my lips, I need something to eat, and I make the worst food choices. I have therefore decided there will be NO MORE WINE for me. This is going to be soooo very tough, because I have really become to love my glass of white in the evenings when all the kids are in bed. Will just have to have a cuppa instead.

Another area I have really fallen down in is my water consumption. I have really struggled with this, and when I think about it, it is amazing my breastmilk hasn't been affected by my lack of water intake.

Goals this week are:-

1. to drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day, and not have any Diet Coke until this is done!
2. get on the treadmill for a MINIMUM of 30 mins a day - NO EXCUSES!
3. track religiously every morsel of food that enters my mouth
   

It's easy really! And I think now I have made the mental decision to stay away from wine, I will find it a lot easier as I have really struggled with my evenings.

This is a photo taken in Mount Gambier. I will usually not let any photos be taken of me, but I have kept it to remind me of what I do NOT want to look like. I'm also going to stick a copy of it on the fridge!

The Challenge of Holidays

We spent the long weekend away in Cobram, and once again I found it so hard to keep on track. Things started well with me writing down everything that went into my mouth, but that came to an abrupt halt when the kids won some "Boost" chocolate bars from one of those stupid game machines on Saturday night. I lurrrrvvvveee Boost bars! And I did consume a few beers as well, although it was low carb (and therefore low in points!). I also bought the low joule champers.
Have been extra good today to make up any naughtiness whilst away. I can only wait & see what the scales say on Thursday.
We are going away to Robe in S.A. in another couple of weeks for a long weekend, and I am determined to stick to WW whilst I am there!!!

5kg Bookmark Received

YAY! A lovely loss of 2.9kgs today & I received my 5kg Bookmark. And I am more enthusiastic than ever! Only 1.2kgs til I hit my 5%.
I was a bit embarrassed when I first walked in to my meeting this morning to see two Mums from the kids' school there. But after having a think about it, I am glad they are there as it will help me keep on track - I don't want them gossiping to other Mums in the schoolyard about how badly I have done on WW!
Also pleased I achieved my first 2 goals today - to get under 130kg & lose 5kgs in total weight.
5.4kgs down, and only 62.3kgs to go.....

Crossing My Fingers for Weigh In....

Weigh in tomorrow morning, and I am PRAYING that I have a good result. I have worked my arse off this week & stayed within my points every day, and tracked every morsel of food that went into my mouth! It is driving me insane at the moment that our bathroom scales are not working. I like to weigh myself each morning to see how I am going, so it is frustrating not knowing what to expect tomorrow.
My biggest achievement this week is that I reached 30min on the treadmill tonight! My legs were tired, and my ankle is killing me, but a big YAY for me! Can't wait til I can get back to doing over an hour, which is what I was doing before Owen was conceived.
One thing I have to really concentrate on working on is my water intake. Our new fridge has a cold filtered water dispenser on the front, and we just had it hooked up last week, so I have no excuses! Going to really work on it this week.

Starting Afresh

Well, I have been on WW for 5 weeks now, and have lost a total of 2.5kgs. Not bad I hear you say..... it averages around 500gms a week, but not good when I tell you I lost 3.8kgs in my very first week! That means I have gained 1.3kgs in the last 4 weeks!!!!!!

I have REALLY struggled. I find I am bored at home & want to pick, pick, pick, so have to get back to my old ways of having a green tea whenever I feel this way. Will have to also make sure I have lots of 'point free" vegie soup on hand to take the edge off any hunger. I have forgotten how ravishingly hungry I feel when breastfeeding! Also not helping is hubby. He leads me astray daily, although he doesn't so it intentionally. I just have to find that mojo I had a couple of years back that helped me lose over 20kgs. I CAN DO THIS & I WILL DO THIS!!!

I think the turning point for me this week was seeing my reflection in a shop window yesterday. I am enormous, and so extremely unhappy with the way I look. It's time to do something about it SERIOUSLY! Will take & post on here some fat photos so I can be reminded why I am doing this!

So, today I am back to counting points. I will get on the treadmill tonight & ensure I am on it EVERY single day (even if it is for only 10 min because my ankle is hurting). I need to improve my water intake as well!

We have decided to buy a caravan this year. We have one on-site in Ocean Grove, but we want one that we can tow & take on trips to Queensland, etc. We think it is a smarter option with 4 kids!! So, we will be doing lots of trips once that purchase is made, and I want to be able to go to the pools & beaches with the kids, so I have to get this weight off!!!

Aidan is doing great. He is such a delightful little baby. He smiles & laughs all the time now, and today I had him in the Jolly Jumper for the first time - he looked so big!! Where's my newborn gone? Owen is currently at that wonderful age where he makes me laugh all day. He's 20 months & starting to talk about everything. He's just hilarious!!! Paige & Callum are loving school, although they are exhausted. Paige's ballet takes up a lot of her time (she goes to lessons 3 days a week!!), and Callum is still loving his basketball.

We have really settled into our new home, and it is looking great. We have spent sooooo much money on new furniture & getting the place to look the way we want it to. Still have a heap of furniture to buy though, which is frustrating because we just don't seem to get time to get out & shop! The next major thing on our list is a new pergola right down the side of our house so we will have a huge outdoor area for the kids to play in, and we are getting lots of consultations & quotes in the next few weeks.

Anyway, my list of goals for 2009 are as follows....

Goal 1: Under 130kg (already had this done in my first week but went backwards!!)
Goal 2: 5kgs Lost (127.7kgs)
Goal 3: 10kgs Lost (122.7kgs)
Goal 4: Under 120kg
Goal 5: 15kgs Lost (117.7kgs)
Goal 6: 20kgs Lost (112.7kgs
Goal 7: Under 110kg
Goal 8: 25kgs Lost (107.7kgs)
Goal 9: 30kgs Lost (102.7kgs)
Goal 10: Under 100kg (Double Digits!!!!!)

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It's Back to Weight Watchers I Go.....

Took the plunge on Monday & started back at Weight Watchers. To my utter disappointment I weighed in 500g heavier than when I originally started! All that hard work down the drain! Oh well, I know this is it now, no more excuses, and I will be a Weight Watcher for the rest of my life.

I attended a local meeting I have never been to before, and I must admit I did not like the "ferals" who seemed to take over the meeting. I will continue for the next couple of weeks, and if it doesn't improve I will switch back to my original meeting venue on a Thursday morning. Just makes life a bit more difficult as the meeting is when Owen usually has his morning nap, and on Monday nights I can attend the meeting when Greg is home so don't need to take any kids with me.

Must admit I struggled the first few days. I didn't realise how I previously just ate anything without thinking about. And I could drink a whole 2 litre bottle of orange juice in one day, but no more of that for me. It is getting easier day by day, and I will start the exercise also in the next week or so once I have gotten used to the food side of things.

Welcome Baby Aidan!!

Our newest addition to the family was born on Monday 24th November by cesarean. Everything went okay, although I had a bit of a complication with my placenta being adhered to my bladder. Afterwards my wound got infected, but that is another painful story in itself!

Aidan was 7lb when born - the smallest out of all 4 the kids. He also didn't look much like the others, although over the weeks he has grown more to look like them. He has also gained a heap of weight, so no longer looks like a little skinned rabbit, but a chubba bubba!

Since my last post, we also bought a house, which we moved into the week after Aidan was born. We had it painted throughout as well, and unfortunately the painters weren't finished when we moved in, so we were confined to living in 3 rooms for over a week, with mattresses for the kids on the floor in the lounge - what joy!! Thankfully that is all over now & we are settled in, although we still have a lot of furniture to purchase.

49 Sleeps to Go!!

I can't believe I have been so lazy and haven't posted since August!!! Very slack indeed! So much has happened since then!

I have been booked in for my caesarian on Monday 24th November in the afternoon. Therefore, there is only 49 sleeps until Bubs #4 arrives! I can't believe it, and can't imagine how our lives are going to change with a newborn once again in the family. Oh, how I am going to miss my lovely sleep!!! My darling friend Chris is doing me the honour of coming in with me for the birth (since Greg can't due to his fainting problems!!!).

It will be interesting to see how Owen is going to react to the baby. He has become very clingy of late, and I don't think he will be happy to share his Mum with someone else! He turned 16 months old yesterday, and he is still not walking!!! He is quite happy to crawl along, and will stand when he wants to, but is showing no interest in walking at all. I guess he is so spoilt by his older brother & sister doing everything for him, that he doesn't really need to!

Callum has had the most amazing growth spurt the last few weeks. He is only 7yo but I have had to buy him size 10 t-shirts & size 8 shorts to fit him. He wore his summer school uniform to school today (the first day back after school holidays), but it looks like it has shrunk on him because he has grown so much!! He is now reading chapter books every night in bed, and is really enjoying it. It's funny to think he couldn't read when he started school last year, and now he is reading big long books. The kids definitely are growing far too quickly!

Paige has also FINALLY had a growth spurt. She is such a little dainty thing, and finally seems to be growing! She is such a great helper to me, especially with Owen, but her messiness drives me absolutely insane! She takes after my sister in that regard!

We have been busy house hunting, and made an offer on a gorgeous 4 bedroom house in Yarraville last month, however, we didn't trust the lying Real Estate agent (who was the biggest bitch I have ever met), so when she told us another offer was made against ours, we didn't believe her, so the house was sold to someone else. It was a terrible shame, as the house was just perfect for us in a convenient location. In a way I was glad the bitch didn't get any of our commission though!!!

So, we are back to the drawing board, and have been to about a hundred "open for inspections" in the last few months. There is nothing that suits us since we have very specific requirements - must be a single storey due to my ankle, must have 4 bedrooms, or if a 3 bedroom house then it must enough land to add a bedroom on, must have 2 living areas & at least 2 toilets. We would have to pay close to a million dollars for something that fits the description in the areas we prefer to live in, or we have the option of buying something huge in the area we live now, and pay cash outright without having a mortgage. We are currently weighing up our options & trying to decide what to do. Of course we are in no rush - the longer we take the more interest we earn on the money sitting in the bank!

And as for my weight, well I am not talking about it!!! I have 7 weeks til the baby arrives, and then I will give myself a couple of weeks before I go back to my meetings. I know I will be on Weight Watchers for the rest of my life, but am ready & raring to go!!! In 2010 I will be at my goal weight & loving it!!!

Only 14 Weeks To Go....

I can't believe I am already 24 weeks along. Where has the time gone? This must be the fastest pregnancy ever!! Only 14 weeks to go, since I will be having a caesarian when I am at 38 weeks (yay!).

In regards to weight gain, I have already put on 9.9kgs (ARRRGGHH!!). Considering I put on less than that throughout my whole last pregnancy, it is quite a shock, but I am trying not to be too worried about it. I know this is my last pregnancy, and once this bubs comes out, it is back to my Weight Watchers meeting & onwards to goal weight. And my reward at the end will be a boob job (once I am finished breastfeeding) and a tummy tuck.

Life has been crazzzzzzy in the weeks since I last posted. A longtime friendship ended over a disgusting email that was sent. My Mum (aka chief babysitter) & Dad went away on a long trip to Queensland in their caravan. I settled my Compensation claim last week for my car accident 3 years ago, so now we are in an extremely financial position to be buying a house, and can pay cash outright for one if we wish to live in the area we are now in. Callum has been busy with birthday parties (he has too many friends at school!!!), Auskick & basketball. Owen has been sick with colds, and is just growing up too quickly before our eyes. He is now standing on his own!! Paige has been busy with school (she was made Class Representative this term) & ballet, and even had a ballet exam last week.

Life is REALLY REALLY good!!! It's so nice to be in such a happy place at the moment!

And my ankle... well, it is shit! Still causing me grief & even locked up on me a couple of weeks ago, so much that I had to resort to using crutches to get around! I am back seeing the physio weekly, which really helps.

Just counting down the days until this baby comes out, and then it is going to be so busy with the end of the school year, all the end of year work functions & celebrations, Paige's Birthday, Christmas time & then holidays at our van in Ocean Grove with 4 kids including a new born & a toddler. Busy, busy, busy!!! And I just can't wait!!! WHOO HOOO Roll on summer!!!!

Onwards and outwards......

15 Weeks Pregnant, 2.7kg Weight Gain

Wow, I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying. I will be 15 weeks gone this Friday already and before we know it, we will have another baby in the house! I am sooooo not looking forward to the sleepless nights again, especially since I have only been enjoying a full night's sleep for about 7 weeks. Thankfully I am passed the dreaded first trimester, and the morning sickness has gone. I am still feeling a little tired, but otherwise feel terrific. And, I would just like to mention that I am HUGE already! They say with subsequent pregnancies you get bigger & show earlier, which is definitely the case with me!
In total since conception of the baby, I have gained 2.7kgs. I am going to battle to keep the gain at a minimum, and am going to start exercising daily very soon. I have gone back to the physio after a short absence, and am experiencing terrible ankle pain, so once that is alleviated, I will be back on the treadmill with a vengeance.
In other news since I last posted (over a month ago!!!).........
Our little baby Owen turned one last week. How quickly does time fly? He is just a little happy darling all the time, and brings such joy to the family. Paige & Callum still adore him, and are so brilliant with him. I can't wait for him to start walking!!!! I have also weaned him (how very sad). He was biting me a bit too often, so he had his last breastfeed on Sunday, and from now on, he's a bottle boy, not a boobie boy!! (photo of him eating donut cake on his birthday following)
I have a new car!! A Kia Grand Carnival - definitely a 'Mum's Taxi". It is lovely, although HUGE, but I have not had any trouble parking it as yet, although I did back into the garage door the other day (oops!). The kids love it, as it is an 8 seater, and they get to sit in the seats way down the back. It also has a roof mounted DVD player, which was something I put on my list as a must for our new car (a blessing with long trips!).
Well, I usually sign off with "onwards and downwards" (as in the scales going down), but will sign off today with "onwards & outwards" (because that's where my belly is going!)!!! Couple of photos of Callum & Paige with Owen....

A "Bump" in the Road on My Journey to Fabulousness!

Wow, I had forgotten all about my blog!!! So much has happened in the last 2 months since I have posted. We moved house 3 weeks ago to a different suburb and a much, much bigger house. Owen has turned 11 months old today, and he FINALLY has his own bedroom, and is now sleeping right through the night (absolute bliss!).
And as for my weightloss journey, it was not going too well on my own. As I had suspected, I did not have the willpower to do it without the support of my Weight Watchers Meetings. So, I had decided to go back to the meetings, when I found out I was pregnant!!! Yep, Baby #4 is on the way.
I am currently 10 weeks pregnant, and feeling absolutely exhausted & terrible. Bubs is due 5th December, which means since it is a caesarian, I will be having it mid November. So far my eating has been okay, but I would definitely like to up the anti on my exercise, which I will do once the nausea passes. I would definitely like to limit my weight gain, as I did with the last pregnancy.
Will try & post more regularly!!!

Going It Alone....

A loss of 400g for me this week. Disappointing, but I suppose any loss is a good loss. I haven't exercised this last week due to TTOM & feeling exhausted, but will get back on the treadmill this week for sure. And I have also eaten like a horse, although I haven't eaten anything naughty at all. I didn't even give into my chocolate cravings!!! I want to get under 110kgs within 2 weeks (so that's 1.5kgs to lose) and under 100kgs as soon as possible. My reward for getting into double digits is going to be a nice pair of expensive sunglasses, so I can throw my cheap $12 pair from the Fremantle Markets in the bin!

I have made a big decision & decided not to go back to my meetings. I really dislike the new leader & the whole time I am at the meeting I find I am criticising her in my head, and not even listening to what she has to say. She doesn't let the group input their stories, tips, etc like the old leader did, and overall, she is just not very personable. I am so disappointed, as I love the people there, but I just can't bring myself to go anymore, as I really hate it. Soooooo, I am going to give it a go with WW online - all the same tools I have now (online tracker, etc), but just not the meetings & weigh ins. I will weigh myself every Thursday morning still. However, if I find after a few weeks that I am slacking off & not as serious doing it this way, then I will head back to the dreaded meetings, because nothing is going to stop me getting this weight off!

This weekend is a long weekend thanks to a public holiday on Monday & we are heading to our Van in Ocean Grove. The weather is going to be lovely & hot - cannot wait!!!!

Onwards & downwards.....

Grumpy with a Capitol G

Yep, TTOM has arrived with a vengeance & I am soooo grumpy!!! It doesn't help that I have been doing controlled crying with Owen this week, and so I am very exhausted. I know it will all be worth it in the end though, although I must say that I do miss waking up & finding Owen snuggled in between us in bed. Maybe I could put Greg in the cot & sleep with Owen? hmmmmm.......

My ankle is causing me grief, clicking painfully in the ankle joint more often than not. Very annoying!

Anyways, eating & drinking going well, exercise non existent at the moment - something I will get back into when this dreaded TTOM disappears!!!!

Onwards & downwards.......

60 Weeks on Weight Watchers!!!!!!

This week is my 60th week on Weight Watchers! WOW!!! I am so very proud of myself for having stuck with it.... for the duration of my third pregnancy, throughout ankle surgery, rehabilitation & the related pain & suffering that went with it. Okay, so I thought I would be further along than only 20kgs gone, but this is a life time & lifestyle change, and it is not something that can be done overnight.

Unfortunately last week I gained a kilo. We now have to weigh with our shoes on at our meetings (for Health & Safety reasons), and my Birkenstocks weighed 400gms, so I gained 600gms, which was pretty good considering the atrocious weekend I had away.

This week I lost 700gms. I had been expecting a bigger loss (the scales throughout the week were showing a better result), but I am about to get my period any second now, and it has bloated me (and I feel crampy, cranky & just plain shithouse!), so I can hopefully expect a very nice loss next week, if I keep to my excellent eating, terrific water intake & regular exercise.

In regards to my shite ankle, I have made an appointment to see my surgeon at the end of March to find out what action we will take due to the painful clicking in my ankle joint. Ah, the joys!

A Bad Weekend...

We went away for the weekend to lovely, sunny Cobram. The weather was HOT and it was great to spend time in a fantastic pool with the kids.

Unfortunately, my eating was atrocious! I had all the best intentions, and even made sure to pack lovely ham & salad sandwiches for lunch for the journey there (was also good to save money as well). However, after arrival at our apartment, hubby arrived back from the shop armed with icecreams for us all. Why couldn't I have said no to my Almond Magnum!?!? It all went downhill from there & here is a list of the BAD food I ate on the weekend...

• Almond Magnum (8 points!!!)
• 4 slices Margerita pizza
• 4 glasses white wine
• 3 small packs of chips
• Speciality meat pie
• Beesting pastry (filled with custard, cream & honey & topped with almonds!!)
• Bag of chocolate sultanas
• 2 pieces of Coconut Ice

I was so utterly disappointed in myself! I was tired and emotional from a terrible week of looking after a sick baby, but it was still no excuse!

I have realised today just how much I use food to make me feel better. I received some terrible news this morning that I may need to have more surgery to correct a clicking problem in my ankle joint, and all I wanted to do was sit down and eat (and cry too!). I was soooo very close to grabbing a pack of Chocolate Chip cookies I had bought for my son, but knew I would devour the whole pack, and yes, it would have made me feel better, for 5 minutes, but I still would be faced with the daunting proposition of surgery (and the scales at weigh in!!). Instead, I grabbed a bag of grapes & made myself a nice skim coffee.... very proud of myself (although those cookies were calling out my name from the cupboard!!).

So, I am expecting the worse at weigh in this week. Hoping I stayed the same, although I know I don't deserve that result. At least I didn't add to the gain by devouring some cookies today!!

Onwards & downwards.....

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Had a great loss of 1.3kgs this week. I am feeling really motivated & in the right "head space" at the moment, just like how I felt when I first began WW almost 2 years ago. I have my "mojo" back! Yahoooo!!!

I have tracked religiously this week, exercised like a woman possessed, and made the best food choices. And I feel fantastic because of it!

Unfortunately Owen has been sick the last couple of days, and not sleeping at all during the night, so I am exhausted, but hopefully will catch up on some sleep in the next few days.

Onwards & downwards.....

First Week Back & A Great Motivating Loss

I had my first weigh in this morning & had a terrific loss of 2kgs! Total gone now is 19kgs. If only every week was like the last. This week I have signed back up to WW Unlimited, and now I have access to my invaluable WW online tracker to keep tally of my daily/weekly points. I am lost without it!

One disappointment is our new leader at my meetings. The last leader left at the end of the year, and she was so bright & bubbly & just basically terrific. This new one is so dull & lifeless and just such a big change, so I am going to find it a challenge to stay at the meetings with her being the leader.

I am feeling soooo very motivated & it's great to be back into it. BRING IT ON I say!!!

Back Into It.. FINALLY!

I am FINALLY back into WW seriously & getting a move on to be rid of all this weight. Over the Christmas holidays I did everything I shouldn't have done - no exercise, eating everything in sight (including the dreaded donuts for brekkie freshly delivered to our front door every morning!), and drank too much! Of course, nothing is as refreshing as a nice cold beer on a hot summer's day!

We had a glorious time! A whole month of relaxing. The kids had an absolute ball, although their behaviour left a lot to be desired, but what do we expect when they are going to bed at 10pm every night!!

It took us all a week once home to get back into our proper routine, including 7pm bedtimes. Callum started back at school last week - my big Grade 1 boy!! And Paige started Prep last Monday!!! She was so excited, and is loving it. It is only half days this week, so she might not be loving it so much once she has full days next week!

Owen is growing so very big, and is eating three meals a day plus snacks now. He has started sleeping through the night with the help from controlled crying, but we are still having problems getting him to settle by himself when he initially goes to bed for the night.

I started back at WW last Thursday & was pleasantly surprised I had only gained 4.7kgs in the 7 weeks I hadn't been to my meetings. I was expecting far worse, but still, I have a lot of work ahead of me to reach the goals I have set myself this year, which are:-

• Goal 1: Get back under 110kgs


• Goal 2: Reach 25kgs Lost (106.9kgs)


• Goal 3: Reach 30kgs Lost (101.9kgs)


• Goal 4: Get under 100kgs & in Double Digits (This is my BIGGEST goal!!)


• Goal 5: Reach 35kgs Lost (96.9kgs)


• Goal 6: Reach 40kgs Lost (91.9kgs)


• Goal 7: Reach 45kgs Lost (86.9kgs)


• Goal 8: Reach 50kgs Lost (81.9kgs)

I would REALLY love to be 80kgs by the end of 2008, and even less if I really work hard at it. And you know what - I AM GOING TO DO IT!!! I cannot imagine what it would be like to tell people that I have lost 50kgs!!!! Just amazing! And I cannot even imagine how good I would look & feel.

Anyway, this week I have been struggling, not with eating but just with tracking, as I haven't had access to my online tracker, and I am absolutely LOST without it! I will be rejoining WW Unlimited tomorrow, so I will be able to track 100% again, which is what I need to keep me in line. Good news also is that hubby is back into it again as well, which makes it so much easier for me without any temptation.

I'll update tomorrow with my first week's weigh in results. I had a sneak weigh in this morning & it is looking good, so will have to keep my fingers crossed.

Onwards & Downwards.....

Our little Christmas darling, Owen (who also played Baby Jesus at Christmas Eve Mass!)

Our three gorgeous kids!

A very excited Paige on her first day of school

Big Prep Girl Paige & Big Grade 1 Boy Callum.

Week 22 - Next Goal Reached!!! YAY Under 110kgs FINALLY!!

I had a terribly disheartening week, the week before last. After putting in a lot of effort, I gained 200g, and was very upset & confused by it all. I was aware TTOM was on its way & affecting my emotions, but I was ready to chuck in the towel.
However, I kept plodding along & this week had a loss of 600g to FINALLY get me to the one goal I had been waiting a year on reaching - getting under 100kgs. I now weigh 109.9kgs.. whoo hoooo!
We are heading off the Gold Coast this weekend for a 5 night holiday. Although I will not be tracking, I plan on making wise food choices, and doing lots of swimming & walking to work off any extra treats I may be consuming. And when I return I am going to look into swapping from Points to Core, just for the extra flexibility over the Christmas period, especially when we will be down the caravan in Ocean Grove over January.
Onwards & downwards.....

Week 19 & 20

Whoops, didn't even realise I forgot to post last week, silly me!! Last week I had a gain of 200g, which I was so happy with. I totally pigged out all Cup Day, and basically just ate for the sake of eating, which was something I was disappointed in myself about. But Wednesday I was good as gold, which is why I think I had only a small gain.
This last week I have been fantastic. I have even started exercising every day again on the treadmill. I am taking it easy, and slowly getting back into it, by doing 3 x 10 min stints at 4.8kph. I have been checking my weight every morning before my shower, and it has been showing a brilliant loss....... until THIS morning. Last night we had Burritos for dinner. I always try & have a light dinner the day before weigh in, and I know that Mexican always makes me weigh heavier the next morning, so I am disappointed I gave in to the kids who wanted Burritos last night. At weigh in today I lost 800g, and was so bitterly disappointed. I really wanted to get under 110kgs today. My lowest weight last year on WW was 110.2kgs, and I just wanted to break through that barrier and get to my next goal (of being under 110kgs).
It just goes to prove how a battle with weight is psychological - I was driving home from my meeting and planned that I would stop at the Supermarket to buy a family size block of Cadbury Fruit'n'Nut, and I would sit in the car & scoff the lot before picking up my daughter from Kinder. Fortunately, I instead stopped at a cafe with bubs, had a lovely skinny latte & a vegetarian roll instead. I didn't pick a low fat option as I think I needed to give myself a little treat, but it did make me feel better, and was a much better option than a full size block of chocolate.
So, although I am still feeling down, I know this will pass. 7 weeks until Christmas, and that's at least 5kgs I could lose before then! I can do it!!!
Onwards & downwards......

Family Pictures Update

Callum played his first game of basketball last week. The night he received his uniform he wanted to sleep in it!!!

Paige made herself a kangaroo outfit out of paper! And then wore it out when we went out for dinner that night! Very cute!

I love this picture of Paige & Owen!!

Week 18 - Total of 21kgs Gone Forever

Had a great loss this week of 1.3kgs. Was a bit shocked as we went out last night for Greg's birthday (which is today) and I had a gourmet pizza, wine & mud cake with ice cream as well. I also went out for lunch, although I did have a salad. Anyway, not complaining & totally happy with the result. Really going to try & get exercising, as my ankle is improving daily.
I now have only 900g to go to get under that damn 110kg mark!! I was only 200g away from it last year, and it just seems to be where I get stuck! It's a bummer that I won't make my 100kg mark by Christmas, but I am going to bust my bum to get as close as possible! It's not a race anyway, as I am in this for the long haul, for the rest of my life, so I happy plodding along.
We had a lovely weekend down Ocean Grove, and are heading back there again for this long weekend (Cup Day). Greg has to work Monday so will be driving back for that, but the kids have days off school & Kinder, so we will relax & hopefully there will be plenty of sunshine! The big challenge for me this week will be Tuesday - Melbourne Cup Day. We are coming home early from the caravan & having friends over for the day, so there will be lots of champers & food! I am determined to be good! God bless Yellowglen Jewel champagne - low calories & low alcohol! Have just bought 6 bottles of it from Coles!!!
Onwards & downwards (and hopefully downwards under 110kg next week!!!).

Enough is Enough!! Time to Get Serious!

A gain this week of 300g! I am thankful, because I expected the damage to be a lot worse. Let me confess to my sins.
On Sunday at Owen's Christening, I let myself be a little naughty with some Mars Bar Slice, chocolate cake & trifle, but I had planned for that, and so was okay about it. But on Monday my Mum dropped in left over trifle (what the hell was she thinking????) and of course, I ate it ALL! Then Tuesday I had some girlfriends over from work for a morning tea/lunch catch up. My intentions were good, as I prepared by making up a platter of breads, ham, cheese, low fat dips, tomato, cucumber, avocado, which I consumed along with the following:- mini sausage rolls, mini quiches, hot dogs, caesar salad, scones with butter, and banana cake. Not only did I eat all of that non stop all day, I ate it all night as well, and washed it down with wine!!!
Yesterday started badly by me having a coffee with another scone, but I felt so terrible I got up & put all the left overs in the bin, and was well behaved the rest of the day.
So, today is a new day, a new week & time to get serious. There is absolutely no way I can make my Christmas goal of getting under 100kg, as that would mean I need to lose 12kgs in 8 weeks. However, I can at least lose another 5-7kgs. AND I WILL DO IT!!!
I am going to get back on the treadmill this week, and ease myself into it, and track every morsel of food that enters my mouth! And this horrible photo below (taken last Sunday at the Christening), I am sticking to the wall infront of the treadmill, to remind me why I need to do this!
Onwards and downwards........

Week 16 - A Disappointing 500g Loss, But Total Overall 20kgs!

At my meeting this morning I had a loss of 500g. I was so extremely disappointed, which I don't understand, because I was so naughty on the weekend (chips, lollies, champers!), so I should be thankful it wasn't a gain! Our WW leader also reminded us all of what 500g is - a tub of margarine, and when you think of it like that, it makes it seem like a lot! I have to also remember it took me the last 3 weeks to gain 1.1kgs, so it might take just as long to lose it again!
AND I am know back to my 20kg goal. I was 131.9kgs when I started on WW, and I am now EXACTLY 20kgs less. Gotta be happy about that!
The leg is still rapidly improving. Saw the physio for the first time this morning (I have cancelled my last 2 appointments with him!) and it was extremely painful. I'll be seeing him twice a week now for the next month. I cannot wait until I get back on my treadmill!!
We have Owen's Christening this Sunday and we're having a BBQ with family & friends. I am going to start saving up my points now so I can have some little indulgences! Some dessert and of course, some champers!!!

Week 15 - Gain of 1.1kgs

Unfortunately I had a gain this week, which was disappointing, but I must admit I did let out a sigh of relief, as I thought it might have been more! I haven't tracked for over 2 weeks, and had MANY evening snacks and glasses of wine, so it was to be expected. In the past I probably would have given up now, disheartened by gaining, but now it just makes me all the more determined to keep on track. Going to work really hard at sticking to my points 100% this week, so I can have a really good loss & get things moving again. Only 10 or so weeks until Christmas, and I don't think I will make my goal of getting to 100kgs by then, but I am going to give it a bloody good try!!!! Onwards & downwards.......
My leg is still rapidly improving every day, so much so that I am shocked that it is just over 2 weeks since I had surgery! I have a feeling that things are really going to be great now that plate has been removed (fingers crossed). The following photos show one of the x-rays that were taken on the day of my surgery (before the front plate was removed), and also one of my puffy yukky ankle taken this morning... lovely (not!).