Hey girls, I am checking in again. I've been cleaning my house, mostly my kitchen for now. It sure is hard work on a fat girl. It's taking me awhile because I am being extremely thorough and disinfecting everything. It's sort of like spring cleaning only it's not spring. I have really not been taking as good a care at my housework as I should have been the last several months, mostly just doing the bare minimum and now I want to get my house back into tiptop shape which I how I used to always keep it. From the looks of things, it's going to take me more than just today to finish it all. I have 15 points left for dinner tonight so I am trying to think of something yummy to fix that won't mess up my sparkly clean kitchen too much.

Ziggy - I too find I save money buying some of my fruit frozen, rather than fresh, especially berries which seem to go fuzzy very quickly. In the past I'd go spend the money on some berries and then by the time I'd think to eat them, they'd have sprouted fur. So now I like buying frozen and from what I have read they say they are just as good for you nutritionally as fresh...so long as you don't buy the ones with sugar.
Katt - I've never heard of a pineapple lump so I guess we don't have them here. As fat as so many of us are, you'd think we had every treat known to man here in the gold old USA. But those Perky Nanas sound good. I wonder if I could order some online too like Ammi. On second thought, I had better not. I have enough American things to tempt me. No sense getting hooked on things I have to order from overseas!!!
Mel - Glad to see you back. I have been pretty sporadic in my posting and have been trying to get back into the swing of things as well. Hope to see you back here soon!
Ammi - I am glad you enjoyed my story about the 2 pence piece. I had kind of forgotten about it til I was telling you about my trip. I did have to laugh at myself thinking back on it. Oh well, what can I say? It's hard to get used to new money. Plus you have to try to act cool like, "Yeah, I'm in London all the time. I know what I am doing." God forbid I should look or act like a tourist. But, I think my cover was blown in that shop, don't you? As for the double decker tour, it was OK. I don't really remember how much it cost but we mostly just used it for transportation to get from here to there. London is definitely on my list of places I want to go to again and when I do, it would be great if we could meet up. Just think how thin and fabulous we would be by then!!!

Patti - American Idol starts in week? I always thought it didn't come on til January. Am I mistaken?


OK, I am back to the kitchen now to get everything back in its place. Then I think I am done for the night. Hmmmmm....maybe it's a good night to watch some Sex and the City reruns. I love that show!

Xena i saw a promo for it where it come on Sept. 12th. i hope i am not mistaken. i know that they have already been holding auditions for it all over the country.

ps. Xena what calories you have been burning today!

Hi everybody!

Ziggy, I thought after I posted I should have said frozen cherries are also good. Glad you added that.

And no, I don't get measured for bras -- in the past I was so big I would have had to have them special ordered and I can't afford that and it is embarrassing enough to have to show them to a doctor!

As for the deep water aerobics... well I have never taken a class in shallow ones either so don't know what that involves... I just get into the pool and do my own. So I guess I will find out tee hee

Evening everyone...just got back from doing some shopping w/ the hubby...I'm somewhat proud of myself...I bought a Tai Chi DVD set from barnes and noble and really excited about giving it a try...hubby says it was silly that i should just take a class, but who has time!! We went to the grocery store and we are amazed at alot of the health foods that are out there...and trying to compare which is better between some of the "health" foods and regular brands....any suggestions?? Also, does anyone have any ideas on how to boost my metabolism?? I've heard that green tea extract helps? sorry for all the questions

P.S. I'm so jealous of you Xena and everyone that has gotten to go to the UK...or even live there... thats one of my dreams to go to Europe and see the UK, Scotland & Ireland...Lived in Germany when i was tot, so i have no memories of it. just pictures my parents took of myself and my sister. My brothers gotten to go to England a couple of times for work (Caterpillar) and he brings me mementos back, but its not the same

As far as Bras go, I have been measured by a sales associate at Lane Bryant, but she did it with my shirt on lol....even that was embarassing, but needed to be done.

Well enough rambling from me...Its been so great to meet you gals!!! you have no idea how much relief it is to have someone much less a bunch of important someones to talk to

oh now i'll hush

night all

Ziggy FWIW I agree that you are WISE to set up your exercises so you can do them at home and as easily as possible. I am going to have to make a BIG adjustment now going to a public pool but am making the best of it -- but the more "available" our workout is the better!!! You GO!!

Ammi - Dont order the Perky .. I will send your ONE .. that way you wont get tempted to have more rofl (same for you Xena if you want one too?) ... just pm me your addy and I will get one this week in the shopping and pop it into the post for you.

My trip was a big one ... I had never been out of NZ and thanks to my dad I had the chance to go overseas ... So I left NZ and after 36 hours of travelling (OMG NEVER AGAIN!! ) arrived in London into 30 degree heat when I was told the weather was getting cool!! rofl .... so my first day in the UK I went to Evans and bought some clothes on sale that were cooler. Then the next morning I had to get up early to catch the bus for my 10 day tour of Europe (Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland & France), lots of walking so thank goodness I was allowed to take my crutches on the plane to start with rofl. I got back to the UK and to London for one more night (SLEEP!!) before I went to a friends in Swindon for just over a week (she didnt really show me much other than the shops rofl) ... then I went to my other friend in Frome and got to see Cheddar Gorge, Wells and lots of other little towns, LOVED it! After that I went back to Swindon for a few more days then we went to London for the weekend for the Tatty Teddy event mainly (but we did those other bits and pieces), back to Swindon to pack up all my things (ended up leaving 2 BIG BOXES of goodies to ship back to NZ rofl) then it was off to the airport for an early morning flight to Canada where I was gonna meet my family on my dads side for the first time. Arrived in Toronto went to St George and Brantford where some of my family was ... had a lovely Thanksgiving (my first ever - OMG PUMPKIN PIE!!! YUMMMYY - Thank goodness we dont have that over here rofl), got to see a couple of Indian Reservations, Niagara Falls, Recording of the Red Green Show in Toronto and lots of other lovely places. After Canada (12 days - not enough!) I flew to LA to rest and relax before I come home cos I knew I would be back to work the day after I arrived, BUT .. just after I checked in and got to my room at the hotel I had a surprise... my buddy from NZ was staying at the same hotel (she had been there about 5 days already) and had timed her holiday to meet up with me!! And she wouldnt let me relax rofl ... so it was 4 days of sightseeing ... DISNEYLAND included!!

It was a fantastic adventure and one I would love to do again .. maybe not on my own next time and not such a rush of places either lol .. was a total of almost 7 weeks tho. So my hunny and I have decided when I have reached my goal that we are gonna go somewhere together for a holiday at a beach! (We have never had a holiday together lol).

AMMI - I have a mix of the plush and the figs .. mainly the figurines tho lol .. only we dont sell figurines in NZ so the prices are terrible for me ... but its a treat of trying to get myself one piece a month .. maybe 2 if they arent too expensive but we have plush and other things in our gift store (www.kattsgifts.co.nz) and its soooo hard not to want to buy them all rofl ... but then I also collect other bears too ... and figs ... will see if I can take a pic of them when my hunny comes home to show you my babies. Rather spend my extra cash on my babies than smokes or bad foods lol ...

If anyone is considering coming to NZ let me know ... I am sure we can find space for you here if you want to save a few dollars on accommodation in our area We love having visitors

Ziggy - In a way I agree with you lol .. Im envious of those in the US and UK ... you have so many lovely countries I would love to visit near you!!! We have Aussie rofl (no offence Aussie .. but its too much like home .... except we dont have any poisonous critters here rofl) ... and Im sure Aussie feels the same about us Apparently our countries are thought of as exotic ... and yet that is what I think of those countries around you guys!! rofl .. grass is always greener perhaps??

Xena - WTG on your cleaning frenzy ... I should be doing that today .. in fact I had planned to be!! But I got distracted and I really need to be in the mood to clean rofl ... maybe if I keep reading about your cleaning I will get guilty enough to get into it instead of skimming over it rofl.

Oh Ammi - my dad has been married .. umm .. hang on ... 3 .. no 5 times (I lose count!) .... he is so easy going he just takes people at their word and so doesnt make sure to get things down on paper ... ergo he usually loses everything and has to start again .. only now he is a lot older and its not that easy to start from scratch ... just wanna deck the woman .. she has her own home and he has the holiday bach (cabin) which he has to finish building until his death ... at least thats how long it was supposed to be .. but now she has decided that she wants the money for it instead ... so after putting all his pay (before he retired) into her home, he has nothing left for this one ... and as usual .. he didnt get anything on paper ... so it will be good to have him here where I can keep an eye on him (at a distance tho lol ..). Although there is a part of me that is hoping that the lawyers will be able to have him keep his place out there cos he loves to be next to the beach and I know it would hurt him having to leave there. Still .. like I said .. never boring in our family rofl.

Okee ... me rambled enough for everyone Im sure .. sorry about that

Huggies

Hello all!
Just a quickie to let ya know I'm lurking! I've put off my weigh-in until this week, which will be closer to a month since the last time I saw scales. It seems like it's been much longer.

I got in extra walks this weekend and I'm looking into taking a belly dancing class if I can find one that is either on a weekend or a Friday night, since I work Sun-Thurs nights. Anybody else ever take one?

Hello everyone! How are you all doing? Lets see I am in my twenties and I need help losing this weight! I am in my highest weight range ever. Last year when I first joined I did really good figuring out an exercise program for me and was eating healthy (mind you i HATED exercising, and good food choices to me was eating only 2 candybars instead of 3 LOL), however the healthy eating was only like salads and fruit, etc. Then came stress and depression and all of my hardwork went out the window and in came the weight that I had previously lost. My mini goal is to get to under 300 lbs. so that would be 20 lbs. I'd like to do that by thanksgiving. Is that realistic? How have you achieved successes? Thanks.
Key

Time4achange....You've come to the right place
Absolutely 15-20 lbs can be done....as long as you have your mind to it, it'll be hard, but I can tell you that its an attainable goal. WE are all here for you if you need to sound off or have questions.

ziggy

Hello time... welcome back, and glad you are getting back on the wagon.

And all you folks on the other side of the water...what in the heck is a "Perky?"

Key -- Welcome back!

I hate exercising too! I often have little fights in my head about going to the gym or getting on the treadmill. Sometimes I grumble the whoel time I'm lacing up my shoes! Ironically, or maybe not, that's why I started putting pressure on myself to actually do it.

I encourage you to check out our 300+ exercise thread (stickied at the top of the page). We keep track of minutes exercised/month and it's great for accountability. We also track the minutes we do as a group, which is fun!

If you do want to join and are not a regular exerciser, I recommend setting a low goal the first month -- maybe a few hundred minutes -- and then move up from there.

You can count any intentional exercise you want!

Me happy dancin before bed!! I was gonna just do the warm up and cool down and one song of the Richard Simmons dvd .. .. and instead I ended up doing another 5 songs with the warm/cool ones ... so did 40 minutes .. I was shocked at how long I had been at it ... Im really hot and my abs are killing me, but I am not puffing and panting like I would have a month ago .... so happy dancing me lol ... now I just have to get through my bed time pilates .... not sure .. cos they kill my abs more too lol

Happy day all!

hey everyone. so i guess since its after midnight, its officially my birthday.

for my birthday, i bought a bike, renewed my gym membership, and got on the prepayed WW plan.

for those of you that dont know, you can pay 39.95 a month and you get the whole month, PLUS the eTools site. so i figured, what the ****. I have given myself a goal of reaching my 10% by February. i know that is a long time, but when i accomplish it early, i can feel good about it. the reason i chose february is because im going to Disneyworld with my crush (not my boyfriend, but hopefully soon - i mean hey, he wants to go on vacation with me right) and i want to look good in our pictures.

i have started riding my bike to school. 4 miles each day (total). its a start. i LOVE it. its a blast. i also really love going to school. im having a really good time and learning a lot. im in the film program, and we will be making 4 films this semester. i also had to take a studying/goalsetting class because it had been so long since i had been in college.

im just ready to get rid of all this fat.

Misti - Congrats on your 60 lbs!!! in 6 months!! you are a total inspiration. im starting where you did. what is your secret? what plan did you do? any tips?

Ammi - it sounds like your london trip was awesome! im so jealous. next time tho... VEGAS!!!

i know i have asked this before, but i know a lot of you do at home videos/DVD's. what are your favorites/most effective?

PPP - I have a few dvds ... my fave is Turbo Jam ... but that is closely followed by the Richard Simmons Disco one that the lovely Sharon in the UK sent me (where ARE you Sharon???) ... I also have Pilates Zone which is about 15 minutes and I do that at night before bed, and for something different I also have Denise Austin:Ultimate Fat Burner .. but I havent tried that one yet I am still only on the Learn and Burn for TJ .. but it still gets up a good sweat and I am sure has helped with my weight loss so far Good luck!