PerthChick I have the same worry. Every time I get close to going under 100kg I fall of the wagon. I'm a bit scared that I'm going to do the same thing here (of course that's at least two months away!) but I have to just keep on, keeping on. If I fall down, I fall down.

I am actully glad I cheated last week. Because my cravings have been for chip and noodles (I used to eat four a day in high school!) because they made me feel like ****. I was bloated, I was gassy and they just *sat* there. I won't be having them again for a long time. Shame chocolate dosen't do the same thing! (mmmm chocolate!)

A question for the exercisers. I go five nights a week, generally for between 30 min and 60 min. I don't do weekends, as a rest period. But everything I'm reading says to do half an hour every day. Am I doing it wrong?

Rennie Sue, exercise is a personal think IMO. They run ads on TV to get the message out to "Find 30" every day… but those are generic messages.

It's important to have a rest day to enable your muscles to recover - in fact for weight stuff I'm pretty sure they recommend no more than 4x a week.


Ani

I only walked 20 - 40 minutes 3 times a week when I started losing weight. It fell off pretty quick at the start due to sudden strict change in diet and exercise (that was non existent). Even though 20 minutes is less than the reccommended 30, part of that was up a big hill and most of the rest a slight incline. I felt my muscles working and when finished felt a "buzz" that was hard to come down from for a while, so I usually ended walks with getting clothes off line to wind down. My longer walks were level along the river.

The other days well, I work Thursday nights and Saturdays and am on feet the whole time moving so figure that into exercise plan (sounds good anyway lol). If I went walking any other time on weekends I counted it as a bonus.

Now the weather has cooled I AIM to walk kids to school more often. Will be good for them too.

Has anyone ever walked with a child in a backpack sling? My bubba is 1 now and the pram is hard to push up hill. Too hard on my knee. I thought maybe a sling would be easier.

Vonni

Hey Ani???? I just noticed - 3 more kilos and yr halfway to goal. Great going.

OK here's what calorie king says.

That I should have around 1480 calories a day. And aim to drink 6 glasses fluid. I am guessing that they prefer that fluid to be water.
Yesterday I had 1319.... included a half a hot dog and half a milkshake from wendys.
Today is 1199 and I had a tiny bit of KFC for sinner.
I know I am below calories which is better than above, but my choice of food of late has been pretty crap. Must eat more fruit and veg.

Hi girls

No, I'm not dead. (in case you were wondering). I've been dropping by everyday, keeping up with everyone. I can sympathise with Barb at the moment, re 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything'. I just seem to be a big ol' misery guts right now. I've been on a mega binge for the last four days, only eating chocolate, chocolate pudding, icecream, maccas, and coffee. Sabotage anyone?

I am beginning to think I may be temporarily depressed. I don't want to say I have depression, because I understand that is an illness, I think I'm just reacting to the last few weeks of crapola. I'm going to try and get an appt with my doctor tomorrow, I'm sick of feeling like shi....crap all the time. and bf doesn't deserve this either. I am no fun to be around at the moment.

That said, I will be going away for 3 days, Tues-Thurs for AIESEC. I will be facilitating a few of the sessions, and guiding my new team. Not that I really have any interest in preparing, or going, but I will. I do want to go, but it all seems to hard right now.

Today (after a 10am meeting) (on a SUNDAY!?!) I came home, curled up in bed and read one of my favourite books ever, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. As usual, it made me cry :'(

Off I go, I don't think I'll bother to weigh in tomorrow, I already know what it's going to say. FAT.

Kylie

The weights don't say anything but a number. Nothing else. *hugs* for the feelings you're having though. I suffer from depression (six months off meds!) and even being slightly depressed sucks. Are you exercising? I find my mood drops if I don't exercise.

I'm here Ani!! I did post yesterday

Oh boy are we all in the dumps right now? Myself included!

So this evening I am laying down the law!

1) We are all going to stop beating up on ourselves!
2) We are all going to believe we are wonderful ladies regardless of our size and shape! Because we are!
3) We are going to believe in ourselves!

And by doing that we are going to do what we know is good for us! Lets jump back on this wagon once and for all...and lets ride off into the sunset! Lets do this for US!

Ani is right, as we lose this weight we are taking layers off of ourselves. And emotionally we feel we are exposing ourselves more than we feel comfortable with. I don't know how to over come this other than telling ourselves over and over that we are so worth this and we so deserve to love who we are.


For me, tomorrow is the new beginning. I have planned my meals for the next few days, keeping my calories at around 1400cals. I have come to the conclusion that I can do my step ups with minimal discomfort to my back (with the help of drugs ). And I am with Ani in that I have to stop thinking I am a camel!


Come on ladies...lets just do it ok?

Well my lunches for the next week are ready. I've divided my food up into pre-alloted groups, cut all the celery and carrots up and have the onions all ready! Dinner for tomorrow was preapred tonight (I'm such a novice at this, I had no idea there was actully a tupperwear piece that MARINATED things for you!

I suck - despite being semi-unemployed, I've caved and gone and upgraded to a Polar F11 HRM. I love my F4, but I really want the fitness tracking features on the F11. Plus it tells you what % of cals burnt were fat~! Anyhow, excuse it as I might, I'm just a spendthrift for shiny gadgets.

Funnily enough, procrastinating about my papers due any day now has seen me get a lot done! Anything to avoid the homework! Have cleaned the kitchen, done the rubbish, laundry, fake tanned, exercised... hehe.

Kylie, sorry to hear you're a bit miserable. I have a history of depression and had a massive slump last year before getting onto some medication. I should be going off it soon, they recommended 9-12 months' worth.

Great idea to go to the doc - might be worth getting a "psych plan" so you can get bulk-billed psychologist appointments? Going to counselling was the hardest AND most valuable thing I've ever done. Took me years to do it, but it was SO worth it. Losing weight alone is a massive emotional "reveal", let alone all the other stuff we have going on in life. It helps to talk to someone. Hope you feel better soon

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.

Perth Chick.
I already see you for who you are. You are the one that invited me in here, and made me welcome. You are the one that has been here for a lot of people that need the support you give. What people will see is the person with a big heart and mind.That cares!
In saying that. Don’t you dare go running off on me!!!! Or I may have to come over there and kick butt, you are after all, only a few hours away. We can do this, even if it takes a little longer than we thought. But we will do it!!!
And we will all do it together. So chin's up people, and butt's off seats, let's get on with it.

Something to boost moral and inspire us...

I was laying in bed last night thinking about what might get us motivated again. And I wondered if maybe we could make this a team effort? That way, if one of us failed to lose anything one week, what others lost could make up for it? Ok, so that will have no effect on our individual weight loss efforts, but at least we'd still see progress on the group effort and possibily boost our mental view on this.

Confused? Hang in there...

This morning I combined all our starting/current/goal weights (those of us that have posted in the last two pages anyway) and came up with this picture...

Starting Weight - 848.2kg
Current Weight - 756kg
Goal Weight - 555kg

(these figures came from Ani, Gen, Lindor, Kylie, Vonni, Renny Sue, JennyLee, MaryL)

Now how does it make you feel to know that we have lost a combined weight of 92.2kg already? Ok so the fact we still have 201kg to go is not so inspiring, but as I said, we get to do this as a team! If one of us loses nothing one week a loss will still show from the others!

Shall we give this a shot? What do you think? I might even start up a ticker for it!!

I am happy to keep up with the calculations as we lose, or (dare I say it) gain or as new members join us.


And if this whole thing sounds like a stupid idea...I will not be offended if you say so!


Oh yeah...I weighed in at 84.9kg (yup up again!)!!

Jumped on scales this morn. Hmmm..... I wondered if you stood on only one leg it would weigh only half of you...

NOPE

In saying that though, I have lost a kilo, give or take a couple hundred grams (needle scales). And that was with BOTH feet firmly on the platform :

Kylie I really hope you start to feel better soon. Don't think you have anything "abnormal" about you. What you have been through is enough to send anyone into a spiral of depression. I'm just glad we can be here to help ease yr burden and hopefully take some of that weight of yr shoulders. Let us know how you fare at the Dr.

Gen are you a gemini? Compulsive purchasing of shiny gadgets? what on earth is a Polar F11 HRM? A heart rate monitor? Scales? Exercise machine? lol.

I agree whole heartedly with Mary about Ani being a wonderful person. An oasis in a desert. You give us strength. In saying that, Ani don't think that we won't be there for you. I'd like to think that when you need us, we are there to pick you up if you fall or just need a kick up the bum.

Lindor fantastic idea about having a combined weight ticker. Something we can get excited about when we're not excited about our own progress.

Ok gotta fly, schools back tomorrow thank goodness and I need to start organising kids. They are driving me nuts with the bickering at each other. Sry if I haven't acknowledged all of you, but know that I think of you all as wonderful people and I get a chuckle when reading your posts (or have a cry for you)

VONNI xxx

A group challenge? Fantastic idea Lindor - I'm IN!

I'm thinking about moving my goal weight down to 67kg, because at my height (5' 4") I'll still be "overweight" when I reach 70kg.

I gained 0.4kg this week - and why would anyone be surprised after my undisciplined couple of weeks? But it's coming straight back off this week - I promise!

Mary and Vonni thank you for your kind and supportive words. The support I get in here is awesome, and definitely keeps me accountable. I'm not going to walk away or quit this journey… I know I've hit an emotional speed bump, but I just need to dig my heels in and become more determined to beat it. And if there's one thing I am good at, it's being stubborn

So Lindor, tell me more about this group challenge. What's the plan for this week? ie are we aiming to get to 750 group kilos next?

Gen, you crack me up with your gizmos and gadgets

OK - this week I am going to try and get ONE thing right, and that's to walk every day. I've been a bit inconsistent with it in the last month, and it's the ONE single thing that makes the most difference to my weight loss and motivation.

Good luck with having a productive week everyone!


Ani

Good Morning Everyone

thankyou everyone for being so supportive. It makes me feel so much better knowing you girls are here.

Lindor, good on you! That sounds like a great plan. I also think it's great that you don't leave us in the computer, so to speak. You went away and thought about it, which is lovely. I'm in too. I'm always ready to celebrate others' successes, especially with cake :P

Well, I'll be blowed, but after all my efforts to make myself explode, I gained 0.1???? I feel a bit miffed. I should be back to 90 the way I'm feeling.

This is it for me, off to Conference tomorrow. Its a back to school theme which will be fun. Thats only going back to the 90's for me, not too long ago at all. I might go op-shopping later, to find some dodgy uniforms!

Have a great week girls.

Kylie