I was hoping to have left the 290s by the end of September .. close but no cigar .. still .. it will be a focus for the next 2 months to get into the 270s this month .. then hit close to target in November ... and hit target by wedding ... will be kewl if we are on the same team .. if not .. then we will just have to goad each other lol ..

http://www.kattsgifts.co.nz/gallery/..._Challenge.jpg


Okee .. Im gonna try and post this weeks chart .. configuring differently and trying different ways .. grrrr ... hopefully this will work this time .. had a lot of no appearances this week ... might have to shrink the list down a little next weeks one.

Let me know if this works for you .. you might need to zoom in .. I am trying it as a picture instead of a file .. crossing fingers!

Happy dancing! It works!


:carrot::carrot::carrot:

:carrot::carrot::carrot:

:carrot::carrot::carrot:

I normally report in on Mondays (my official weigh-in day). But this week I must report on a Sunday, because I leave for a brief business trip today and I won't be able to weigh myself or post while away. This past week I lost a net of a 1/2 lb...not the greatest, but better than nothing and better than a gain...plus I'm still looking good to make goal. :)

SW Aug 19: 151.25
Aug 26: 150.00 (-1.25)
Sep 02: 148.00 (-2.00)
Sep 09/16: DNW (on vacation in Europe)
Sep 23: 146.00 (-2.00)
Sep 30: 143.50 (-2.50)
Oct 6: 143.00 (-0.5)

GW Dec 23: 130.00

Total Lost to Date: 8.25 lbs
Left to Meet Goal: 13.25 lbs

TUSCANY - you are doing great :) So consistent ... keep up the great work.


Got a little shock when I did my weigh in this morning .. had to do it twice just in case I got it wrong ... so much for maintenance!


TARGET - 53 pounds

WEEK 1 - 12/8 - 317.3 lb Difference - 0 START
WEEK 2 - 19/8 - 312.4 lb Difference = -4.9 Total loss = 4.9 (49.1)
WEEK 3 - 26/8 - 304.0 lb Difference = -8.4 Total loss = 13.3 (39.7)
WEEK 4 - 02/9 - 301.2 lb Difference = -2.8 Total loss = 16.1 (36.9)
WEEK 5 - 09/9 - 299.8 lb Difference = -1.4 Total loss = 17.5 (38.5)(TOM)
WEEK 6 - 16/9 - 296.5 lb Difference = -3.3 Total loss = 20.8 (32.2)
WEEK 7 - 23/9 - 292.3 lb Difference = -4.2 Total loss = 25!! (28)
WEEK 8 - 30/9 - 290.8 lb Difference = -1.5 Total loss = 26.5 (26.5) (HALFWAY!)
WEEK 9 - 07/10 - 286.4 lb Difference = -4.4 Total loss = 30.9 (22.1)
WEEK 10 - 14/10 -
WEEK 11 - 21/10 -
WEEK 12 - 28/10 -
WEEK 13 - 04/11 -
WEEK 14 - 11/11 -
WEEK 15 - 18/11 -
WEEK 16 - 25/11 -
WEEK 17 - 02/12 -
WEEK 18 - 09/12 -


Weirdly I feel a little guilty for losing anything this week let alone that much! I had Fish & Chips on Friday night .. and the last two nights I have had a treat of a couple of squares of chocolate! Funnily enough ... when I was given it I didnt dive on it like a starving person (which in the past I definitely would have) .. instead I left it there on my desk for about an hour! .. Hunny wasnt happy cos he finished his pieces when he heard me breaking up my couple to suck on lol .. So Im learning .. I CAN have treats ... just it really does matter the quantity lol .. learning so much more about myself on this journey this time ... I seem to have "lightbulb" moments every week .. even when I read some of the issues that others are having I stop to think more about how I am affected by that sort of thing ... so want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that has been posting and venting .. and just chatting ... you are all giving me new insights and reminders ... hopefully I help with some of my babble occasionally too :)

HUGS all :)

Hi all....I have been busy trying t get myself organized and more goal orientated. It has been a good learning experience, not just for weight loss but I do believe it will help me in my work also.

Glad to see you making progress...I am still sluggish but have a better plan for this week than I have any week in the past...so onward and upward....:carrot:

I am scare to weigh in the morning - my plumbing hasn't been working -don't know if it's all the cough medicine I have been taking for a week now or what...:?:

I am concentrating on exercise this week. Mainly because it is the "thing" I will give up easily for any reason that comes along. :( I also am going to start yoga again..I know it helps my fibro -so....WHY I don't do it every day - haven't figured that out yet...I don't want to think it's cause I am lazy!:(

Katt you are making me jealous!!! you are doing great....:hug:

All you "losers" are inspiring me....:D

My scale has been so out of whack. I went searching for one at the store, but didn't find any that I liked. I ordered one online, and it said it may be here Wednesday, but possibly later. Depending on when it comes, I may have to sit this week out. I don't have anywhere else I can go to get weighed. :(

That is no problem hun ... would rather you have a scale that works right! :)

Thanks ISLES .. much appreciated ... I have come to some conclusions today .. another NSV .. and some new calculations lol ..

NSV - The pair of jeans that I tightened a few weeks ago with the adjustable button/elastic stitched into the band of the waist ... I had to do it again today .. last time I moved it over 2 buttonholes .. I did the same today .. and I still dont have to undo them to get them off/on ... a little frustrated though ... I have only had these jeans for a few months .. and I LOVE them lol .. now they are getting a little bunchy at the waist ... if only the bit above/below the waist would shrink a little too ... they are still comfy everywhere else as its sort of a stretch denim .. but the waist is driving me nuts ... underneath all these layers I must naturally have a small waist cos I think that is the only place its disappearing from lol .. will see on my next photos which I think are due next weekend along with the new measurements

The new calculations .. I have been curious what percentage of my body have I lost ... not just in this Challenge .. but since I started back in 2006 ..

Weight loss since journey began - 22.17%
Weight loss since Wedding challenge - 9.74%

Weight lost since journey began - 81.6 lb (37.01kg)
Weight lost since Wedding challenge - 30.9 lb (14.02 kg)

CONCLUSIONS - I have been on this journey for a long time .. and I know I have a ways to go .. in fact it will probably be a lifetime journey .. cos like an addict I have issues with my weight for life so it will always have to be something I am aware of ... BUT .. how to make it my own journey?
I have tried so many different plans, meals, foods ... jenny craig, weight watchers, kate morgan .. not to mention a bunch of those fad diets .. and what have I learned??? To put ON weight as soon as I stop it ... grrrrrr ... I know some of those programs have maintenance programs for AFTER the weight loss .. but darn .. cardboard and plastic food and shakes get boring after a while and while I think they are fine for a short term 5-10kg .. for a LONG journey .. they really are unrealistic .. and unfortunately by the time you get to the bored bit .. you are nowhere near eligible for the maintenance stage so ... you go off their plan and into old habits .. and whatever you have lost comes back to party with a few dozen friends .. knowing that you must have missed every one of them cos you are doing your best to get them back lol.
Sooooo .. what conclusion have I come to? Screw em! lol .. terrible I know .. but really ... when a lot of these diets are designed .. I think they are designed for only so many people to be able to do with any sort of success. Its like Astrology and Starsigns .... there are only 12 signs in the Zodiac ... soooo .. does that mean that there are only 12 different types of people in the world? Of course not! They use a lot of other parts of the chart to scope out the individual personality .. their traits .. positives .. negatives .... etc etc etc ...

BUT .. how many of these plans really cater to the different types of people out there? Are all fat/obese people the same? Did they all get to that point due to eating the same things? Have they all got the same food issues?? Of course not ... so logically that would mean that a course would be designed specifically for the individual. WW - you get points .. true .. you can use those points any way that you want ... but what are you really learning from it? At least they have gone away from the set daily menus with a few "swaps" ... Jenny Craig ... admittedly I did like some of their meals .. but once you had to buy all the extra things (like fresh fruit & veg, milk & bread lol .. you know .. the basics!!) not only is it darn expensive .. but then you are eating plastic food with who knows what chemicals in!? Shakes .. really dont need to comment .. great as a filler occasionally I think .. but as a plan .. um .. how are you learning to eat healthy if all you are doing is drinking powder with something in .. and water! (or milk).

How often have I been told/read on the different plans I need to eat 3 meals a day .. 6 small meals a day ... every 2 hours .. every 3 hours ... OMG .. I would get annoyed and lose interest in food altogether cos it felt like all I was doing every day was thinking about food! About my next meal .. if I wasnt preparing it .. I was eating it .. if I wasnt eating it .. I was cleaning up after it organising for the next one .. and that was only when I got into a routine .. if anyone put me off I was in trouble lol ..

Then I read .. no potatoes .. then its ok to have them .. no bread .. then its ok ... no eggs ... then its ok .. then its 2 a week ... red meat .. white meat .. sat fat .. trans fat ... cholesterol .. OMG!! ARGGGGGGH

Is it really any wonder why this becomes a battle??? Why listen to our own body when so many people are willing to tell us what is right for it? Soooo .. this time I have taken CONTROL of my choices ... I know its not right for everyone .. and why the heck should it .. I have taken bits and pieces of other things and created something that seems to be working for me (even without the exercise!) ... for the first time I am not craving food at midnight ... not wanting to binge on chocolate (at least not followed through when I have thought about it lol) .. I eat what I want .. sort of .. its just my tastes have been changing over the last couple of months .. I am in love with ONE INGREDIENT food! ...

So what am I doing this time?
Fasting - a min of 12 hours a day no eating .. but usually Im more like 14-16 hours ... and really the 12 hours is easy for anyone .. just think 8pm-8am .. hello .. 12 hour fasting .. or if you get up earlier .. make it earlier at night :) It works for me because I HATE eating when I get up in the morning so eating at midday is something I am really happy with and I no longer feel guilty that I missed breakfast lol.
BREAD - I dont eat it .. at least very rarely lol .. I have Pita and potatoes or sweet potatoes as my main carb source .. although I do like a nice serving of brown rice too ... this I do a few days a week .. Pita I would have every day if I lived closer to the store that does the ones I like :) Potatoes are the baby ones .. so I feel like its quite a serving when I put 4-5 baby potatoes on my plate once or twice a week .. not that I eat all of them each time .. but I can have them lol...
CALORIES - I try to hit at least 1000 calories a day ... considering I used to easily consume about 2500 calories in a day it is quite a change .. and yet .. Im never hungry .. well .. rarely .. and when I get hungry .. I drink a glass of water if its not quite the right time or Im not near healthy food .. and then I get distracted lol. On my maintenance week I am supposed to hit about 1800-2000 calories .. but I cant even get to 1300 calories now without feeling really uncomfortable and bloated!
VITAMINS - I actually take them every day .. I have bought vitamins so many times lol .. and ended up throwing out the bottle as I forgot to take them after about a week lol .. but I have been sticking to it religiously ... in fact that reminds me I need to go get some more.
DRINKING - I have 3 coffees a week .. and those are only when I am out having a cuppa with friends .. so I get it trim latte half strength .. other than that I have a 250ml glass of orange juice most days with dinner .. green tea with strawberry or plain .. and WATER! I now easily drink between 2.5-3 liters a day! My skin is clearer and I just feel really good :) Im definitely more hydrated! I dont drink anything fizzy .. and even for my wedding Im going to have my own drink the side of a non-fizzy punch with fresh squeezed fruit & veg ... although I will have a glass of non-alcoholic wine for toasts :)
MEAT - yeah ... well .. Im not a huge meat fan .. unless its chicken lol .. I could eat that every night and never get tired of it lol .. I only eat breast pieces and about 200g at a meal. Red meat Im not really keen on .. but I do try to have some once a week ... and the other day I had a nice piece of very lean pork steak :) Also I have started having a treat of Fish and Chips (crumbed fish which I remove most the crumb .. and about 10 chips)
VEG - YUM!!!! Oh yes .. hunny finds me funny with my veg .. cant have a meal without carrots lol .. dont care what other veg I am having .. as long as I have carrots! But I do try to have 3-5 different veg every main meal.
MEALS - One main meal a day .. if I am going to be home I make it my first meal of the day at lunch time .. the calories range from 500-750 depending on what I am having. The other meal is usually a healthy bar and some fruit .. and then I treat myself with some popcorn most nights as a supper snack before my eating curfew :)
ALLERGIES - I am allergic to tomatoes and mushrooms .. so I find a lot of diet plans had a really restricted food range for me due to so many pre-packaged meals having one or the other .. this way .. ALL FRESH .. and all my own picking .. I know exactly what I am putting in my food and my body :) Only things with ONE ingredient where I can :)
SALT - Nope .. dont add it to anything lol .. the only salt and fat I get is when I have butter on my popcorn! So I have low fat and low sodium and low cholesterol all the time now for my meal values :)

Soooo .. now that I have bored you with all that .. I suppose the conclusion is this .... I have developed something that works specifically for me .. and if I reach a point where I start to feel aggrieved in any way .. then I will adjust it instead of sticking to it and getting frustrated and give up. So maybe for those that are questioning .. if you have made it to the end of this babble lol .. you might consider tweaking (not the Miley Cyrus way lol although I think it was called something else that sounded like that lol) your plan .. make it your own .. find what works for you ... hey ... for me this is a work in progress and its taken me 6 YEARS to get to this point lol .. So have fun with it .. dont take the journey so seriously .. you really dont want to be one of those people who lose their sense of humour on a hard journey do you? I know I am on a streak at the moment .. and I am appreciative of it .. but I dont take it for granted and just take every plus and minus (fortunately so far just the latter) with the same attitude .. its another stone on my new life path .. I will add another one up or down next time :)

So hugs everyone .. like you for you .. create something that works for you ... and maybe if you care to .. you could share your plan with us .. maybe we can frankenstein something of yours onto our plans .. and vice versa :)

HUmm ... just re-read that lol .. I realise it sounds like too little food .. but I had something pointed out to me the other day ...

Bodies store fat as a defence in preparation for famine ... when famine hits the fat gets converted into usable energy to keep us going without having to take in as many calories a day to get through ... so ... I had to think about this for a bit ..

If that is the case .. then WHY when we want to get the fat to move .. do we supply our bodies with enough food to keep going instead of using what we already stored for that purpose?? I try to make sure I am keeping all my important nutrients up .. and just in case Im a little low that is why I take the extra vitamins .. but its not usually really needed .. better safe than sorry lol ..

Something else that helped me develop the plan I am doing for myself :)

AMEN:hug:

...Start... Aug 19- 259.2 lbs
Week 01 Aug 26- 255.8 (-3.4)
Week 02 Sep 02-251.8 (-4.0) total so far is 7.4 lbs lost with 31.8 to go.
Week 03 Sep 09- 246.8 (-5.0)total so far 12.4 26.8 to go my 30th wedding anniversary :)
Week 04 Sep 16- 242.6 (-4.2) total so far 16.6 with 22.6 to go
Week 05 Sep 23- 243.6 (a gain!) I just had a bad week! LOL
Week 06 Sep 30- 244.0 another gain. sigh. Oh well New Start.
Week 07 Oct 07- 238.4 (-5.6) for a total of 20.8 18.4 to go
Week 08 Oct 14-
Week 09 Oct 21-
Week 10 Oct 28-
Week 11 Nov 04-
Week 12 Nov 11-
Week 13 Nov 18-
Week 14 Nov 25-
Week 15 Dec 02-
Week 16 Dec 09-
Week 17 Dec 16-
Week 18 Dec 23-
My Christmas goal (Lose 39.2 lbs and reach 220!!)= My :present: to me :)

nightkatt - LOVE your stories!! I completely agree with a LOT of your sentements in regards to all the "diet" plans out there. I've tried the packaged plan, and weight watchers. I literally had to choke down some of the nutrisystems meals. WW was alright, and it works but my simple mind has trouble converting points to real eating afterwards. I also think it is flawed in regards to activity which I've been adding in more and more lately. Lifestyle is the key. Thanks for getting the graph up it's really motivational.

I didn't drop much this week, but last week I had a big loss, so I really glad it stayed off and even went down a little more.

SW 8/12 - 169
GW 12/23 - 151 (-18 lbs)

WEEK 1 - 8/12 - 169.0
WEEK 2 - 8/19 - 167.4 (-1.6)
WEEK 3 - 8/26 - 169.4 (+2.0)
WEEK 4 - 9/02 - 165.0 (-3.6)
WEEK 5 - 9/09 - 166.2 (+1.2)
WEEK 6 - 9/16 - 166.2 (0)
WEEK 7 - 9/23 - 165.4 (-0.8)
WEEK 8 - 9/30 - 162.0 (-3.4)
WEEK 9 - 10/07 - 161.4 (-0.6)
WEEK 10 -10/14 -
WEEK 11 -10/21 -
WEEK 12 -10/28 -
WEEK 13 -11/04 -
WEEK 14 -11/11 -
WEEK 15 -11/18 -
WEEK 16 -11/25 -
WEEK 17 -12/02 -
WEEK 18 -12/09 -
WEEK 19 -12/16 -
WEEK 20 -12/23 - Christmas Eve Eve Goal 151

ISLES - Thankies hun lol :hug:

ONLY BELIEVE - See .. there you go .. knew that weight add on was just a trick your body was playing on ya .. a great loss this week to make up for it :) Seems to be going the other way for you .. instead of it coming back with friends .. its going with friends :)

TURTLE - Thanks for those comments :) I do see positives in a lot of the different programs out there .. and I know they work for some people ... but just cos they work for one person .. doesnt mean they work for another .. even in the same family! My mum does WW and it works for her .. not for me lol .. my sisters new life plan since she was diagnosed with melanoma/cancerous is way too extreme for me .. but I have incorporated bits of that into my plan too ... she doesnt have any dairy .. very little sugar .. no real meat .. lots of fruits, nuts & seeds really lol .. and she is happy with that ... she is very aware of the additives and preservatives in packaged foods and drinks and whatever she is doing is working great for her .. the cancer is in a holding pattern and she is back working on the farm :)

If I can make any difference to anyone on this journey I hope its that I make you think of what is best for you .. not what others say is ... of course we all want to be healthier .. we may not all want to be size 0 .. 6 ... 10 .. or even 12 ... but we all want to make a change. I have been about 10-15kg away from my "ideal" weight once before (about 3 years after I had my daughter who is now 22 lol) ... and I HATED my body ... I had bones sticking out everywhere and really .. when I did look in the mirror .. I didnt look healthy! And I kept getting every bug going with a not great immune system. So Im not going for ideal .. according to the world .. Im going for ideal according to ME :) I have various goals .. some weight .. some clothes .. some feel :)

When I met my hunny (almost 12 years ago now) I was on a weight loss journey in a mild way .. but I also smoked (and had smoked off and on for about 15 years! started way too young) ... hunny didnt like smokers lol .. sooo .. 2 hours before our first official date on December 21 2001 .. I had my last cigarette! Had a test puff each Xmas for 3 years to see if that urge was still there .. but never took it back up again ... unfortunately .. while I was getting myself healthier by giving that up .. I was making myself fatter by finding the wrong thing to replace it .. LOLLIPOPS!! I would buy them in bucketfuls lol .. and that was each week! So I was around 240-242 pounds when we met .. and would like to get down to that .. and then decide what I want to do from there ... the lowest I have been (from memory) is about 210/220 pounds .. and I had bones out .. but that was quite a few years ago .. so I dont know.

Im glad you find the charts beneficial .. I think its a great tool to keep track of where you are now .. the journey you have taken and focus for the coming week .. let alone month lol .. it is also a good tool to for those weeks that havent been that great .. true .. ick week .. but hey .. look at those positive weeks .. you are still in a better position than you were before :)

That is definitely the case with you this week .. its interesting looking at yours .... you alternate each weigh in .. a high .. then a lower ... then a high .. then a lower .. but lots of minus anyway :) Well done :)

Well, I am lost...can't find my old post soooo good thing Katt knows what's going on.

START 265.4
Week 1 8/26/2013 264 -1.4
Week 2 9/2/2013 263.8 -0.2
Week 3 9/9/2013 261.8 -2
Week 4 9/16/2013 262.2
Week 5 9/23/2013
Week 6 9/30/2013
Week 7 10/7/2013 260.8
Week 8 10/14/2013
Week 9 10/21/2013
Week 10 10/28/2013
Week 11 11/4/2013
Week 12 11/11/2013
Week 13 11/18/2013
Week 14 11/25/2013
Week 15 12/2/2013
Week 16 12/9/2013
Week 17 12/16/2013
Week 18 12/23/2013
GOAL 232 34