Thanks for the welcome Ani and Vonni.

Well Ani, at least I wasn't quite as slow as you in finding the other Aussies. That makes me feel a little less silly. Mind you I couldn't find it again this morning, thank heavens I actually put it in my favourites last night.

I would kill to only weigh 105 kgs, at this moment even 120 would be nice. I have always had a lot of trouble losing the weight. I plan on going down with LOTS of mini goals, I think I have overdone my mini goal for April but will still keep plodding along.

I have a few problems that limit the exercise I can do. Arthritis in my knees and a spinal disease which is similar to arthritis. Also lately my ankle has been killing me, turns out there is an old fracture and also I have torn the ligament at least 4-5 times and the body has tried to heal all these but not well, so I am suffering big time now. With my ankle the other day I literally screamed out in pain and felt like vomiting there and then it was so bad.

Anyway I am so determined to lose weight as it won't get easier as I get older.

Take care,
Jennylee

Jennylee have faith - you'll get there. I have two friends who have started their weight loss journey. Just six weeks ago they weighed 151kg and 131kg respectively. They have each lost 5kg sofar. One of them has significant health problems which restrict her exercise, so she has been trying to manage her food choices better. At the moment the only exercise she can really do is in the pool.

Will you think I'm rude if I tell you I think you've set really tough goals for April? I would be aiming for something between 1-2 pounds each week - because this is a long journey, and you don't want to feel like you're failing this early on.

I reckon that if you can manage 8lb/month (or around 3.6kg) that would still be an awesome achievement.

What is your food plan? Are you counting calories, changing anything about your food?

Are you drinking lots of water?

For the last three weeks I have been trying to stay on track without writing down my calories - and in that time have lost the grand total of 0.4kg. Not very happy about that, because it is affecting my motivation etc. So I conceded defeat today and started to record my food again.

I haven't been for a walk yet either - which is a little naughty. For some inexplicable reason I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps at the moment, and need to slap myself out of it.

If I can make it to 87kg by the end of this month I will be thrilled. Not sure if I'm going to get there or not - but even to get under 88kg will be excellent.


Ani

I've had a bit of trobule this week (three week hump) Easter KILLED me and I had a packet of chips yesterday. I felt like **** afterwords so its a lesson to me!

OK it's TTOM so at least I know why I had my mad chocolate and icecream binge! I might just have to leave a warning on my calendar when it's approaching so I know to start exercising madly!

Feeling back on track after going to training this morning and having a good food day!! No need for a trip and a slap after all, Ani.

Finally got the skipping rope I bought on ebay too - having trouble using it without hitting the ceiling though!

Ani, I don't think you are rude for thinking my goal is too large, I set that one in the middle of March and was at 301 pounds at the time, I had hoped that about 3 pounds a week would be nice. I realised the other day that I don't think I have any chance of making it. Especially since I really haven't been able to exercise because of my ankle.

At the beginning of the year I decided this was the year to be strict with myself and lose the weight. I know SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. So I started off making sure I only ate the good stuff, and I cut out my only really bad things, bread and butter (they are my big downfalls). So I went to about 1000 calories per day and was doing well, felt full and had managed to lose about 3 kilos in about 6-7 weeks. I then spoke to a dietician who told me off BIG time and said that I wasn't eating enough proteins, I was having cheese, meat and yoghurt but she said that wasn't enough. Also she told me I needed more calories, I told her that I stay stable on about 1500-1600 calories per day but gain if I eat much more. She stuck me on about 1800, generally I tried not to eat more than 1200-1500 cos I knew I would gain weight. I ended up gaining 8 kilos in 5 weeks, I ended up being in tears. All the dietician kept saying was "Give it a go, you need to stick to it for 8-12 weeks and your body will get used to it." I know my body, I would have kept gaining.

Finally I told her that I couldn't continue any longer as I would get too down and end up just eating anything, because if I was gaining anyway why not eat some of the things I have as a treat, like smoothies or a coke.

I went back to eating one meal a day and not having more than 400-500 calories, I am now just back to where I had got to before the dietician, so am now starting all over again. I now am back on about 1000 calories per day and LOTS of water, I love my water.

Thanks for the support.

Jennylee

Jennylee, your body needs at least 1200 calories per day just to run at a basic level. You may be sabotaging your metabolism in the long run if you eat so very low now - where will go you when you hit a plateau (and we all do)...?

The best thing I've found with the CK food diary is that I can track which calorie level and fat/protein/carb percentage works best for me in terms of weight loss.

Jennylee, have you done much research into weight loss? If you were eating anywhere around 500-600 calories a day, how long did you do that for?

Gen's right when she says that the 'minimum' we should be having is 1200 calories/day. That's what you need just to sleep and function at a very basic level. Any less than that and our bodies start to 'burn' our lean body mass. Where that gets dangerous is that it can really affect our vital organs.

If you've been eating less than that, there's a really good chance you've slowed down your metabolism. It's well worth researching metabolism, because it's one of the keys to being able to successfully lose weight over a long period of time.

At the moment I am able to lose weight when I have around 1750-1800 calories a day - as long as I exercise.

I really feel for you, and I am loathe to try and give you any advice. I think it would be valuable for you to a) get a full check up from a doctor and b) map out a long-term weight loss plan for yourself. 1000 calories/day isn't enough for a long-term plan. Are you able to work out a 1400 calorie/day plan and stick to that for 3 months to see how it goes? Or something similar?


Ani

I have been going insane for the last 36hrs with no internet!!!

Of course nobody is taking responsibility..."it's a fault with a third party"

I was really stressing that I was going to have to go the whole weekend with no scrabble or Aussie Chicks!!!

Welcome to Sue and Jennylee! I see the ladies have already kicked in with the support!! Aren't they great?

I agree with what Ani and Gen have said, Jennylee. Don't cut your calories too low too soon. I lost near 30kgs in the first six months of my dieting by reducing my food intake. I wasn't counting calories back then, but now I wonder if I may have been under doing it. I suspect it has come to bite me on the bum now as I am having huge issues trying to lose these last 15 - 20kgs. My problem is I am now counting calories and to lose weight I have to eat less than 1400 and I am finding that tough as I am always hungry now!

As it has been said, this is a long journey and you should plan small changes over the duration.

I can't really advise much more than that because in the last six months I have been struggling to drop below 82 - 84kgs! So whatever I am doing is soooo not working!


As for me...no change really! Still HUNGRY!!! Not drinking enough water and too sore for exercises! Although, I attempted some step ups last night, it wasn't too bad and I did 100! Might work at a few more today, even if it means going to the steps several times through the day and doing 100 at a time.

I NEED to get back into this! Or I am going to have huge issues getting into my clothes!!!

So what are the plans for the weekend?

I need to try and clean this place up! Had great plans of doing that last weekend, but my back put an end to that!! Managed to clip a dog last night (I was bored ok! ) so that is one less thing I need to do!

Whatever you do...I hope it's a good weekend for all!

What about exercise Lindor? Have you tried mixing it up a bit. The other option is to maybe eat more. If you're always hungry than your body isn't getting enough fuel and will hold on to the fat.

I lost .8kg! Woohoo! Of course, this now puts me at 120.15kg which I'm pissed at, cause I really wanted to go under 120kg this week, but oh well I can do that next week!

I of course, did get some packets of 2min noodles and had them for lunch, but oh well all I can do is just go back to the healthy eating. I REALLY need to learn new recipes cause at the momenet all I'm having is Subway and stir-fry! My aim is to learn a new reciepe a week and start adding some variety in.

Renny Sue, I could live on stirfries! So easy, and I have a cool electric wok which goes in the dishwasher, so I always have chopped up veggies in the fridge or freezer so I can just throw them into the wok. I find I do better when I eat the same thing all the time, though - I try to have the same thing for brekkie and lunch, then just switch the dinners around.

One thing that is easy and good is get a steamer for the microwave (few bucks at the supermarket), then get some fish and veggies, 5 mins in the microwave and you have steamed dinner, lots of protein and good fish oils.

I've got SO MUCH paperwork to do this weekend, HAS to be done for work. No motivation, as I'm sitting here with a painful and nauseating uterus. Heh. It's really not fair if I'm not having kids that I have to suffer every month. LOL. Mersyndol the wonder drug, here I come.

On a random non-related subject, I've been getting terrible blind pimples lately - huge ones! It seems really unfair - I've always had good skin despite eating crap, and now that I eat great and exercise every day, I start getting enormous eruptions. Sheesh.

PS> It's also very upsetting that I love the new Gwen Stefani song Sweet Escape - I hate her with a passion, and would rather stab myself in the ears than listen to her rubbish normally.

Ani, I did the REALLY low calories for just over 4 weeks since I had more than gained ALL the weight I had lost since the beginning of the year. I am now back to what I was before going to the dietician so am trying to go down again from here on in.

According to the dietician because of my size I should need 2000 calories per day for my body to simply rest. That is more than I normally eat anyway. I will stay on around the 1000 until the end of April and then try and work out a 1200-1400 calorie plan. Although that is only a little under what I have been eating for the past 2 years since gaining all the weight when mum died and realising I had to go back to my "normal" eating.

My doctor had said last time I should have my blood work done again as it is a while since that was done. I do know that in the past my thyroid is "borderline" underactive, the doctor said it isn't at the stage of being able to require medication, don't know if I would take anything even if she gave them to me. I don't take panadol unless I am on deaths door, I have just been put on blood pressure medication and more often than not forget to have it. I mark it off daily so I do try to remember to have it.

As for the weekend I have been working on emptying out the junk in my bedroom, hubby wants to paint it this week and then we will also get built in robe and also polish the floorboards in the bedroom and hallway. So I am a busy girl. Just got home from a two hour grocery shop with Nana.

Jennylee

To Jennylee, Sue and any others I may have missed.And Hello again to all you wonderful people.
Sorry to have been away the last few days. Finally getting over a flu that made its way down to my chest. Have only been to the gym once this week, the first time my nose ran faster than my feet LOL.Have no idea what my weight is as I went to a different gym, with diferent scales.

2 minutes noddles!!!!, on a weight watcher program they are 7 points very high in sat fat. A good noddle I have found are the nokkien noddles, and the recipe on the back is great, very quick to make, with a bit of pork or chicken and frozen veggies.

Augigi, the steamers you are talking about are great, I use mine for just about everything I put in the nuker, and my non stick pan is the best thing I ever brought.

JennyLee I agree,500 - 600 cals a day is not enough, your body has probably gone into stavation mode and is hanging on to what it's got. Your body is like a car it needs a constant supply of gas throught the day or it just putts out.

For all those with the creaking joints etc, I too have these problems, 3 fractured bones in my back, sore knees,stuffed up rotor cuff in my shoulder etc . The good thing about taking some of this weight off is, that it has allowed me to be more active without so much pain.They will never go away, but they will get better.

Renny Sue, Well done on your lost It's going the right way lol. dam, sight better than I am doing at the moment..
Well, start of another day, have to go feed the man, and off to the gym later.
Have a great day folks, Be Good

Hello everyone. Sorry I have been slack. I've worked extra shifts this week and the eldest needed to be moved into a flat and it's all kids weekend. They're all out waiting for me to get them breakfast but I don't think they'll starve..... Well, maybe they will. It's taken me AGES to catch up on all the goss in here this morning lol.

Ani here's that slap you reckon you need for not walking yet. You have done so well with them lately so please don't be too hard on yourself.

JennyLee just so you REALLY feel part of our group here's one for you too Everyone is so right. You really do need to eat more. Try having a bigger brekky in the morning and bigger lunch to add calories. Maybe even a smoothy. I love smoothies, and quite often make one to have as a snack if I am feeling hungry. Fresh fruit and milk is good for you. Fibre, vitamins and calcium for that arthritis.

I know it's hard. I got to a point when i wasnt eating enough and I've hit a brick wall at the moment due to lack of variety, no water and no exercise. I've skipped breakfast a lot the past few weeks and THAT I know I can't afford to do. Becasue then I will graze without eating proper meals and I graze on the wrong things. Just tiny bits at a time, but they all add up.

I kicked myself this morning when I woke and decided to start the day with a big glass of water and DH has gone to get some bread for egg in the hole (protein).

I'd love to reply to all, but he's back and the animals are chomping at the bit for food then outside time.

Catch u all after.

VONNI xx

Lindor - where the bloody **** are you?

I've had a lightbulb moment this morning. Someone asked me why I wanted to lose weight - and I realised I had stopped knowing the answer. I also realised I am a little bit scared (well OK - a big bit) to lose the protective layer of lard I am currently carrying.

I have lost JUST enough weight to be able to buy clothes from a normal shop. I've lost just enough to ease the pressure on my back, and to have the stamina to go for long walks.

But I'm still fat. In fact I'm still obese.

So why can't I get my head right about losing the next few kilos? It's because I'm scared that if I get to a normal weight, people might actually see me for who I am instead of the 'fat-chick' stereotype.

And I'm scared I won't have anything to hide behind anymore.

So this is why I haven't unpacked my weights and my weight bench since moving, and why my resistance band is curled up like a sleeping snake on the floor. And why my dumbells are double-tasking as door stoppers!

Challenge to self: just take off one layer and see how it feels!

That means I need to get to work on making it to 85kg. I suspect that tomorrow's weigh-in will reflect the Easter chocolate binge… but it's more important to look at the future and make a plan.

It doesn't matter how long it takes, but I am going to try and get there in the next few months, What matters is that I don't give up - that I don't sabotage the journey and put weight back on.

Sorry for being so self-indulgent, but I had to share my lightbulb moment.

Today's goals for me are:

• Unpack the spare room and set up my weights;
• Walk for an hour;
• Do a light weights/resistance band routine;
• Eat no more than 1750 calories;
• Stop pretending I'm a camel and drink some bloody water; and
• STOP being afraid of shadows!

Now where is everyone? Lindor, Kylie, Barb, leeny…


Ani