This is hilarious! I went to buy new runners today, and being the predictable soul that I am I always replace the old Asics with the same shoe - just a newer model. Anyway, I got measured up… and I've dropped 1/2 a shoe size!

Well I thought it was funny!

Hah - I was just telling mum today that my feet have dropped half a size since I lost weight, and she laughed at me!

Thanks Augigi, I'm actually doing Weight Watchers now and find that pretty easy to stick to.

Last night I went to a pub quiz night and our team got second! Let me tell you ladies, I was a frickin will power machine!!! I stuck within my points - had just one glass of wine and 2 small diet cokes and when the nasty waitress came and put a whole tray of delicious smelling deep fried samosas literally in front of me, I said no while the rest of my table indulged.

Yay for me! It was hard though ... the smell of garlic bread and fries had been wafting my way all night and boy did it smell good!

I'm on track again for points today and will be going to the gym after work for my daily workout.

Bought 2 pottles of Weight Watchers yoghurt last night and am going to add chopped mint and cucumber and turn it into a low fat dip for carrot/celery sticks and rice crackers. Got to have something to nibble on when I'm out watching the rugby at my friend's place this weekend.

Ani, isn't that funny that your feet are smaller! Goes to show that we store fat in literally all parts of our bodies. I can't wait to lose some fat from my fingers so they don't look so much like sausages.

Keep on keeping on

LittleKiwi I have to go to a Quiz Night tonight, and I'm inspired now to copy from your willpower. I'm not eligible to play tonight, because I wrote quite a few of the questions - but it will be fun. I'm mainly going to take photos and have a night out.

At the moment I'm not drinking alcohol, so that won't be a problem - but there's always food at those things, so I'm planning on eating dinner before I go.

I'm trying to be extra careful with food at the moment, especially while I can't exercise.


Ani

I've lost weight from my fingers too - my rings are MUCH looser.

The best thing that's happened so far is my sis-in-law took a picture of my with my new niece sitting on my lap, and I didn't have a double chin - we looked great!! Haha.

My treadmill hire ends any day now, after having stretched out because I referred a couple of people. I'll miss having it there - it really does eliminate the excuses when it's sitting in your loungeroom looking at you! My mum does have an exercise bike in the garage I can have though, the dial is busted but I have the HR monitor, so I can just use that. I'll bust out my bike today and go for a ride, I've missed it.

Little Kiwi!!! You are awesome!!!!

*regains composure* Vonni, I know exactly what you mean about junk food being in the house is enough. I just cant seem to help myself. Tonight, I purposefully bought a block of Green and Black's chocolate (expensive!!). so the theory goes that I was meant to have a little bit every now and again, to enjoy it. ha! Half is gone, along with most of the cheap chockie block I grabbed on the way out of the shop. the only reason I didn't finish the cheap one is that bf made me promise to leave him some!

Went for a run/walk thing for 20min yesterday. Dragged bf along to the gym. Trying to run for as long as possible in those 20, walking to catch my breath. Mr. Flashpants made 3km total, I got to 1.8km, but that's a start.

Ani, are you secretly famous? You write for magazines and such...have I read your stuff? And nice work with the shoe thing!

Gen, once I've finished writing this, I'm going to go back and find the specs for the calorie calculations, and then i'm going to smile at you and ask you nicely to do mine? Ok, so I'm 175cm, 91kg (ouch), 19, and I'm working toward 3xweekly moderate exercise.

Off I go into the big blue yonder...

Kylie

Wow, you're tall Kylie! Here are my calculations, although they are done at midnight so may be skewed haha...

BMR is 1760.87

If you do exercise, you can eat the following to maintain your current weight:
Light (1-3 x wk): 2421 cals
Moderate (3-5 x wk): 2729 cals

So to lose:
* 500g/wk: Eat 1871 (light exercise) to 2179 (moderate exercise) cals/day
* 1kg/wk: Eat 1321 (light) to 1629 (moderate) cals/day

Or estimate 2000 cal/day to lose 500g/wk, or 1500 cal/day to lose 1kg/wk. May need to try it for a week yourself and fine-tune for your activity level and metabolism though.

I did well yesterday, stuck to my points and did 60 minutes of exercise.

I ate a Pinky bar and had a W/W sponge pudding with W/W ice cream and even though I was within my points I feel bad for eating them. Got to get out of the mindset of feeling so guilty when I give myself a treat.

I tried to wake up early today to get the gym over and done with but no dice. Couldn't bring myself to get out of bed so will have to go after work tonight. Tonight I will do at least 40 minutes of cardio as well as my weights programme.

Well done littlekiwi, you sound really inspried at the moment. Jeep it up you're doing well.

Ani in answer to your question....... I really don't know whats happened. I know I have stuff going on and getting ready for study. Doing the running around looking at child care, back and forwards enrolling and getting centrelink organised, working, B/F troubles and baby health issues. Maybe I've just forgotten about me? Now we have his boys for 2 weeks and I'll be doubley busy. PLUS I am working an extra few shifts. But I am going to take the shifts as being able to withstand sitting on my arse eating crap. I take a banana for morning tea and blow it yesterday I forgot my lunch. I had lovely home cooked silverside and pumpkin to put on a sandwich. You knwo what shopping centres are like, nothing but greasy garbage to eat. I could have grabbed a wrap from BB's but they taste like cardboard. So I got a serve of chicken chips. I did only eat 6 of them though. lol. And had a kitkat for arvo tea.

Maybe I need to make myself accountable here and write everything I eat.

BUT I want to look and feel great by the 16th July when I go for orientation. Also the 14th July my Uncles 70th birthday on the Gold Coast. So walking for me (in rain prob) and eating brekky.

Gen here's mine - 150cm tall (haha) 69.8kg (grrr) and 34yrs. (pweeese do mine? Every calorie count I figure out is silly)

Have to fly, got to drop forms down to daycare.

Vonni
PS LINDOR?????

PS, Kylie way to go! Running 1.8km is nothing to sneeze at! I generally do the same sort of thing at the gym - a few minutes running followed by a bit of walking to catch my breath. Interval training's supposed to be very good for you too so I don't worry if I can't run for half an hour straight like so many others do at the gym!

Blimey Vonni, you sound flat out. I hope you get a chance to put your feet up every once in a while!

Kylie I'm not secretly famous but I know quite a lot of people who are (and not so secretly). I thought of you yesterday - I met a couple of Doctors from Medecines San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), and I think you'd have loved to meet them. They are so passionate about wanting to make a difference to the lives of people in third world and war-torn countries. I am a financial member of them and of Reporters Sans Frontieres… two organisations that do really inspiring work!

Vonni you have so much going on, and it's even more difficult when things at home are having *moments*. I'm here if you need a friend, OK!

I'm having a good week - behaving myself with food, and trying to do a little bit of exercise.


Ani

Vonni, your BMR is 1442 cals/day.

If you do exercise, you can eat the following to maintain your current weight:
Light (1-3 x wk): 1983 cals
Moderate (3-5 x wk): 2236 cals

So to lose:
- 500g/wk: Eat 1433 (light exercise) to 1686 (moderate exercise) cals/day
- 750g/wk: Eat 1200** (light) to 1200** (moderate) cals/day

**Since your 1kg losses would take your calories below the minimum recommended of 1200/day, you would aim for 1200 as the lowest cals, and should lose about 750g/wk on that much. The good news is that you are not overweight enough to aim for 1kg/wk!!

-Gen

PS: Don't ever buy Sun Rice Rice Thins, in Salt& Vinegar or Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream flavours - there is SO MUCH SODIUM that it's all I can taste! I tried about 3 or 4 and had to throw the packets out!

I didn't make it to the gym last night as I was feeling a little queasy. Got up early this morning though and did my weights session and 40 minutes cardio.

It's another cold, wet, miserable day and I'd really rather be at home snuggled up in bed but at least now I can go straight home after work and enjoy some relaxation time.

I was so mad last night, my kitchen is tiny and when I did my dishes they were piled up high and I knocked one of my favourite cereal/dessert bowls off the bench and it smashed. It's one of two that I bought at Disneyland so not able to be replaced

Now is the hardest part of the week - the weekend is where things always seem to get a bit difficult. My goals for the weekend are to stick to my points and to do some exercise at least one day.

LittleKiwi you sound so motivated - you go girl! It's funny what you said about your Disneyland cereal bowl. Someone broke my favourite coffee mug - the one I got in Paris Disneyland, and it took me ages to forgive them .

It's pouring with rain here at the moment - fantastic. I wish it would rain for days!

Had a pretty good week, I have stuck to my goals with food which is good - and am starting to do a little bit of exercise. I'm still in some pain with my back, but getting better.

I'm in the middle of reading a book about Bradley Murdoch. It's a fascinating look at life in north-west WA and outback Australia… Murdoch is a seriously sick man.

I have very few plans for the weekend. A friend is coming to visit on Sunday and we're going out to Fremantle for lunch - but don't have any plans apart from that.

Hope everyone else is having a good week.


Ani

Gen thanks heaps for the info. I am going to sit and work this out properly one day very soon, Thank you. I will work on the little or no exercise cals first.

OK Here's what I ate yesterday.
(breakfast) 2 pieces of toast with marg, light spread of jam & a coffee
(lunch) Brumbys sausage roll and a cuppacino
(afternoon tea) Kit kat and cup of tea 2SM
(10pm snack with Ben (kid I give a lift home)) 2 rows of milky bar choc
Drank about 2 cups of coffee no water
No Dinner, worked through dinner and the afternoon tea was at 5.30
BAD DAY

Today
(breakfast) Nothing - oh a coffee
(morning tea) Kit kat, cup of tea
(lunch) small potato bake and quarter can of lift
(afternoon tea) half a choc donut, cup of tea
(dinner) Spag bog
a coffee and a cup of tea and a row of choc for night snack

So far not so good but lets see what tomorrow brings

Ani is that Murdoch guy the one who murdered the tourists? I really need to keep up with news properly, but trying to hear the TV around here sometimes is pretty hard to do. I get so frustrated with everyone for being inconsiderate. Good on you for sticking to your goals. Once your back improves you'll be powering ahead I'm sure.

Kylie you will be pleased to know I have not bought cheezles or had them bought for me and yes the white choc is in the house but one row left and it's gone forever (gone to my hips)

Has anyone seen or heard from Lindor? Matter of fact Mary? Kel? Rennysue? ANYONE????? So many of you have dropped of the earth.. I'm lonely


ok gotta run. Get to bed as I have another early start tomorrow. I'm really feeling this working full on business. And my kids and poor bubby girl are missing me terribly. She is starting to pull the cutest face when saying mumumum and coming to me. It's one of sad, but playing sad. she has a little gorilla face with the bottom lip pouted out. But you see a smirk behind it. They're cunning little critters are kids. 14mths and knows how to have me twisted around her little finger.

Have a great weekend all. I'll try to check in on Sunday.

Vonni xxx
PS Ani... Thanks for the