Nichola! You're going to leave us behind to become an athelte!!!

Raff, you're going to have such a great trip!

Jo, where are you with those 7500 words?

M and I are back on the diet thing. Brace yourselves - I'm even going to cook.

Wish us luck,
B

Brandy, don't worry, I'm not quite THAT enthusiastic!!

Good to hear that you and Mark are back doing the diet thing together ... Good luck to both of you!

I had a letter yesterday from WW wanting to know why I haven't been to any meetings in the last X amount of months ... They're offering free membership (worth HK$350) and the first meeting free (HK$120) which is quite a lot of money and one of the reasons why I haven't been back to them ... just couldn't justify throwing so much money away if I couldn't stick to it for more than a couple of weeks. Anyway, the offer is open until 25 March, so I'll think about it over the next few weeks and decide if I want to give it another go. I'll try to continue on my own and if the weight loss tracker doesn't start to move soon I think I'll pay them another visit

Nichola

Wow, I love a good deal. That alone might drag me to an actual meeting.

As for me, I don't know exactly WHAT kind of diet we're doing here but we're being careful and hoping for the best. Poor M has had several crap days (and nights - lots of calls at home at 1, 2, and 3 am) with work and I think he'd love nothing more than some comfort food and sweets - I'm trying the Cooking Light fake outs and so far, so good.

Take care,
B

Hello Ladies! Still chugging along with WW. I've been staying within my points range and have only gone over a few times. Also been walking for 1/2 hour a day and it's been helping. I've decided to stop weighing myself because I was down 2lbs again. The smart thing to do is weigh myself once a month, which is easier said than done. The minute my clothes feel a little looser I'm running to the scales. There should be a support group for that. It could be called "Scale Watchers Anonymous".

I'm still going to OA, but only one meeting a week because all of Staten Island has become OA-HOW which is a splinter group. To make up for my lack of meetings I've joined at yahoo OA email loop and I like it.

The tickets and package from AirFrance came today. I'm so excited. March 9th is when we are leaving and it feels so far away. I've got everything in order. I just ordered a french menu book from amazon to help with deciphering the names of foods. I'm not a fan of French food because I'm not a butter and cream person so I don't know what I can eat there. I could eat pastries all day but that would probably make me sick.

Well I'll be talking to you all soon. Take care and stay well.

Love,
Raff

Raff, I think I'm going to have to hide my scale or at least come to terms with it. I lose two pounds, get over-confident, and crash. This is not good. I also need to follow your lead and start walking!

I looked up something on OA-HOW - sounds extreme. I would like to think that one day I'll be able to sort of "natrually" control what I eat. The whole OA-HOW thing sounds so tight and restrictive and just confining. I couldn't find a lot on it, so maybe I've gotten the wrong impression.

You are going to have such a great time on your trip! I'm so excited for you and we'll all be expecting lots of pictures!!!

Everyone else, have a great week,
B

Helloooooooo

Well I've still written approx. 0 words of the 7500 Slowly going insane.

Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment this morning. I'm fat. I'm getting fatter. I'm eating too much. I'm sure as **** eating too much sugar. I don't want to be like this. I don't want to die before my time.

Soooooo, I'm back on WW. Doing it at home, using their online tracker. I also weighed myself, and I've gained all I lost at WW and then some.

I'm taking control of my life and my weight. I'm sick of making empty promises.

On the family side of things, Dom played brilliantly at the weekend (they did lose 7-0 though!)...and he was awarded The Spirit of the Game (or Man of the Match).

Just heard today that Natty got in at the High School we want her to attend in September, so mega chuffed about that!!!

Right I'm off to make myself a coffee and start planning food.

Love to you all
Jo

Jo, we seem to have had the same lightbulb. I have been trying to FORCE it to come on, but this morning the switch finally flipped itself and I get it.

Glad things are well on the family front, congratulations!

B

Glad you got the lightbulb thing too, Brandy.

I'm still religiously tracking everything I put in my mouth, and although I shouldn't really weigh myself until Tuesday, I've lost 4lbs so far this week. I know it's the inflated first week weightloss, but still can't help but feel happy about it.

The thing that is different this time around is that I've finally wiped the dust off the treadmill and begun walking. Admittedly the first week has been 10 minutes of brisk walking (which nearly killed me the first day). I'm upping the minutes each week. It's the first time I've actually combined exercise with diet.

Hope everyone else is doing well. Three days and Raff flies....how exciting...just wish I could go over to France to meet her.

Love
Jo

Hi JO! I finally feel up to the challenge. This week, I'm back to walking (sort of "walking" - using the WATP tapes anyway) in addition to tracking. I'm going to try to make myself wait till NEXT Sunday to weigh in so I get a full week and weekend.

You know one weird thing that has really motivated me? Ok, backstory: I hate shopping in the fat girl shops and sections. Even tho they have some really great things now, it just sucks the life right out of me (tho I should just count my blessings). Well I just found out that Gap, plain ol' every day Gap, goes up to a size 20. I am fairly near a size 20! I am fairly near shopping in a REGULAR STORE!!! This is so exciting to me!

Anyway, thought I'd share.

Raff, have a GREAT trip!!! We'll want to hear all about it when you get back!

B

Hi Girls,

Sorry I've not been around for a while. Not had anything good to report!

My weight is right back up to where it started ... again!! Don't know why I do this ... I went through a phase of walking every day and felt really good about it, but during the past month I've done zilch! And I haven't really been watching what I eat either!

Anyway, my lightbulb was also switched on yesterday ... went for a 4 hour hike with Nick and today I'm feeling totally incapacitated!! Just goes to show that the daily walking I did a while back does actually make a difference because the last time I went hiking with Nick I didn't feel this bad!! So, it's back to the daily walking for me to build myself up again ... and this time I'm not going to start making excuses not to do it!!

Also, I went shopping yesterday for a new pair of jeans ... ... Don't know why I bothered!! If I found the right size they didn't have my length, or if they had my length they didn't have my size!! Eventually found a pair which was the right size and length, but they were "stretch" jeans which I hate ... they don't hold the belly and bum in like the normal ones .... and they looked absolutely, shockingly, awful!! Needless to say I came home without any ... near to tears ... again!! I can't keep putting myself through this misery!

We're going away for Easter week to Singapore ... now I've got the problem that I've got no summer clothes that fit me ... it's still a bit chilly here in Hong Kong so I'm able to squeeze into my winter clothes, but in Singapore it's hot, hot, hot ... and last summer's clothes don't fit!! What to do?!!

Well, we are now well and truly into March ... and I was supposed to have started my new lifestyle in January ... well, I did actually but it didn't last! Anyway, today I am starting over (can't change my weight tracker because I don't know how to! ... Sophie did it for me last time, so I'll have to ask her to do it again!)

Jo, well done on your fantastic weight loss ... I hope I can do as well as you.

Brandy, glad you've seen the light too ... let's hope this is a good start for all of us!

Raff, have a fabulous time in France!

Have a great week everyone!

Nichola

Well, as you can see, I have now managed to change my weight loss tracker! I thought it was going to be complicated (I'm very much a novice when it comes to computers you know! ) Anyway, I thought I was going to have to cut and paste and do all sorts of complicated stuff just to update my tracker ... didn't realise you just change it the same way as before! Well, you live and learn

So, it's back to the beginning for me as you can see. I really am trying to get focused to stay with it this time. I want to get away from the "diet" thing and really concentrate on it being a "lifestyle" change. I don't want to be constantly thinking about food all the time. I need to watch my portion control ... which I am really struggling with! And need to choose health options and get more active ... I'm going to work out a timetable for myself and pin it to the fridge.

It's been a beautiful day here in HK today ... really mild and sunny ... makes me realise that summer is just around the corner ... and I don't want to look like this!!!

I'm going out for dinner this evening (someone's leaving do) but I'm already determined that I'm not going to let it ruin my plan. There is always some occasion that we need to go out for meals, so I really do need to get it into my head that I don't have to pig out just because it's an "occasion" ... there will always be occasions, so I've got to work them into my lifestyle and not let them constantly wreck my plans.

Nichola

Great to see us all making new commitments to losing.

Well, weigh-in today, just as TOM hit with avengeance....so my first week loss is only officially 3lbs, although I do know it is more.


Easter in Singapore sounds very glamorous, Nichola....mind you so does summer in Hong Kong

We're going up to Scotland at Easter, for an ice hockey camp for Dom, so will be staying in a caravan on a nearby campsite (mmmmmm nice and cold!!!)....mind you the caravans do have heating so maybe it won't be too bad. I've got a couple of essays to work on that week, so I'll be busy (probably by the indoor pool while Nat swims).

Bet Raff is getting excited now!!!!! One day till she flies to gay Paree

Talk soon
Jo

Well we are doing NOTHING for Easter as usual because M gets no time off. There are NO FRIGGIN HOLIDAYS in the US. Easter is just another Sunday. Oh well. Rumor has it MIL has sent us a box of chocolate. Please send me lots of strength to stay out of it. Or at least sample it sparingly!!!

Nichola, summer clothes are a BIG motivation for me right now. Esp as I found some summer clothes from last year with tags still on - at least a size too small (they fit at the time, I have no idea why they didn't get worn? I'm guessing I just forgot about them) - two if we're being honest. I'm determined to be able to wear them when the warm weather comes. If it ever does.

ANYWAY, I'm off to do my WATP for the day!

You guys have a great one!
B

I've got a couple of bags of clothes still with tags on Usually because I think 'oh I'll lose weight and it'll be perfect'....and then never get there.

I'm currently shattered, and craving chocolate. Met my client yesterday for the court case I'm doing on Wednesday. Don't think we stand a chance, but you never know.

I was supposed to be going on a forum meet. 36 women, all meeting at a hotel in Blackpool. With my essays not written, and this case to prepare for, the only thing I could do was cancel. I upset my best friend though, who threatened to cancel her booking too if I wasn't going...but someone talked her round. I think she isn't talking to me now because I backed out at the last minute, but this is the final year of my degree and I can't afford to fail. I feel down enough about having to cancel, without her making me feel even more guilty. She made me feel like I've let her down big time.

Jo

Oh Jo, you and I both ... chocolate cravings that is! ... And it's not even TOM!! However, I have promised myself a nice chololate treat every Friday when I go shopping ... problem is, I seem unable to stop once I start! Consequently, I've just eaten a Cadbury's Cream Egg ... my first and probably my last, as they've only just arrived in the shops here and once all the other Brits know they're in the shops, they won't last for long!!

I wish you all the best for your court case on Wednesday ... it must be really nerve racking for you!

As for your friend, well you really do have to do what's more important to you. Maybe she's just feeling a bit miffed or even jealous because you've put your work before her. Perhaps you could just let her know how important this is to you and how upset you are at not being able to go with her. When it's all over and you've got your degree you'll be able to spend more time doing things that friends do together. If she's a good friend I'm sure she'll see your side of things

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Nichola