Hey Gen, yep that was me as well but i have also had the change in the last 8 months of being at home and being able to pick and choose too much, having too much option when i'm out for lunch most days or having too bigger serving sizes... but as you guys have all watched i am learning and have been doing heaps better since calorieking BUT the impatient part of me and the stressed no kitchen part of me and the new baby tired part of me is just over it so rather than losing motivation totally for a while i am going the drastic/dramatic option and see how it goes.... i hope it doesnt end in tears but if it is going to end in tears hopefully that is AFTER jem's christening and even better after her birthday in Feb so if I can shift some serious weight by xmas (jem's christening is dec 23) then i will be happy .... and my hubby and 2 of my friends are already committed to helping me maintain afterwards as it seems everyone knows that is the hardest part of the shakes diets or any fad diet.... the art of maintence...
i am a little disappointed in myself as i didnt want to 'cheat' this time but excited at the same time

Kel, I agree it is hard to stay in control of what you eat when you are home all the time. It is too easy to reach, grab, eat and then try to justify. How are the shakes going to change this habit?

I never have been a fan of the shake diets for the same reasons as Gen, it doesn't teach you lifestyle changes for life. But you have obviously put a lot of thought into this, and because we are here to support and not criticise, I hope it works! Good luck

Kathy, well done for making a new start. Don't stress over the lack of exercise at this early stage, one thing at a time, sort out the eating habits first. Besides, regular walking is still exercise! And keep posting...I does help!!

Julia, I have to admit, when I thought about things last night, I was quiet chuffed with myself for fighting this battle for nearly two years! Although I wish I could say I had reached goal in those two years, I am very happy that despite a few emotional upsets that threw me off course, my determination has kept me going. And I think that being conscious of my weight control and eating habits everyday for those two years (even though for the most part, having to think of it frustrated the **** out of me!), is also part of the journey and will be valuable for when I reach goal and have to maintain.

Am I rambling?

Today was another good day. I ate 1500cals, 15mins of step-ups, and 2L water! And no cappuccino!

Ani? How's the pain? I hope you are feeling a little better.

I'll be back to post again tomorrow!!

thanks heaps for all the advice everyone, dont worry i'd be giving myself the same advice!!! ie warning bells warning bells shakes diets dont work! i guess it is coz when i did fail at maintaining last time was coz i fell pregnant before i had even tried maintaining so in my mind i had an excuse for failing - you know what i mean?
good point lindor on how i think a shakes diet is going to change the habit at being at home and reaching for stuff.... i can eat now to stay the same weight but i dont seem to be able to continually eat to lose weight.... so since maintaining has not been a problem for 8 months (i have lost only 5kg in 8 months) i can see my problem is losing weight (well derrrr)
i am very interested to see if i even stick to this 'diet'
i have already had icingsugar popcorn and some m&ms as kinda a last supper! i suck! and tomorrow i had planned to have a shake for brekky and dinner and go out for lunch now my brother in law is coming over for dinner so i either tell him or blow official day one with only having 1 shake..... that will be a good test but one i didnt want so soon!
(ps - did i tell you they have choc mint flavoured shakes!!)

lindor 2 years sounds like forever but has it gone quickly?

I'm finding it very interesting wearing a pedometer. Somehow I did 2000 steps more yesterday just by walking for 1 hour 20 minutes than I did on Monday by running for 20 minutes, biking for 10 minutes and jumping around doing aerobics for 30 minutes. Go figure!

Ate too much yesterday and went over my points so must get back on track today. I have bought a rice ball for my lunch and that should fill me up nicely.

I'm very excited as I've just booked tickets to take my mum to New York next year. Woohoo!! Just have to do the hard part now which is to save enough spending money. Yikes!

Kel, good luck with the shake thing, as Lindor said, you've obviously thought a lot about this decision so I wish you all the best and hope that it works for you. I'm glad that it's not total meal replacement - make sure that the meal you eat has lots of fresh stuff in it so you get all the nutrients you need.

Have a great day everyone

Hi all. kel in answer to your questions re my man ... I am trying to encourage him for all its worth. I tell him that no matter who or what you have in your life its ultimately yourself that you need to keep you happy. Do the things you want to and not let anything stand in yr way. He has gotten info from a place about an apprenticeship, but I can't do it for him. I can only be there to support.

Everyone seems to have lots to say about the shake diet thing. Me... I can't handle the texture of them. I have a thing about textures. Can't even eat jelly but i love the taste. And the shake thing wouldnt work for me. I am always hungry and it seems to be 'mouth' hunger. Shakes wouldnt satisfy that. I'd stick to my main meal being lunch though. especially if you go to lunch heaps with friends.

Cool Julia about new york. Lucky you. We want to go NZ sometime in the next year but its a bugger saving for it. Though our local travel agent says they can 'layby' a holiday. We only need to pay the airfare upfront and the accomodation can be paid off. Then we need to save spending money. Its hard cause we will have to take the bub, yet I want to go on the jet boats and white water rafting. Bit hard with bub lol. and don't want to leave her with stanger babysitter in a strange country. So will probably be a bit of a laid back sedate holiday. The other half will want to shop but I will want to just be and sightsee.

Weight is not to bad this week. Lost about 300gm (yay lol). Ate ok cept yesterday I ate a mars bar drank 2 glasses sunkist and had a pkt chips. The most crap in ages. but i felt sick when I woke up this morning so it serves me right.

Lindor 2 years seems like forever, but they say slow weight loss is the best and easiest to keep off so cheers for keeping on going.

Ani? Where are you??? Is yr rib ok?

Vonni

Ps. Guess what guess what... For my birthday I got a fit ball from my daughter and today I used it for the first time. I did half hour of the all star workout on austar. woohoo

When was your birthday, did we know about it!?

hehee last saturday week. 20th october. Not sure if I did say in a post.

Hey does anyone know what swiss ball is as an exercise? Is it close to the stability / fit ball? Calorie King doesnt have it and they support team said use whatever is closest till they get it on there.

cheers
Von

PS.... For my birthday I also got a gift voucher for an Egyptian Goddess Milk Bath (half hour) and an hour long massage to have at the local day beauty spa. woohoo. Going to use it when I have finished my clinical. So I can unwind. Also got a pedicure voucher and using that as a 5kg incentive.

Yes, I'd call it the same as the fit ball. Happy Birthday for the other week, you sneak!!

I'm here! Just had a major deadline - and when you have to write/edit/proof/correct 38,000 words in a week, and it's all for public consumption, your life goes out the window for a few days.

My rib hurts like a b!tch, but I will not complain because it is my own stupid fault. One of these days I will snap myself out of denial and admit that I can no longer do the things that I used to take for granted when I was 20!

Vonni - Happy Birthday… albeit belated. Next time TELL US! And good on YOU for losing weight on your birthday week. You go girl!

Kel I'm deliberately avoiding saying anything about shakes. They worry me… but Gen has already talked about the reasons why.

Lindor you sound like you're going well! YAY!!!

Gen when are you weighing in? When do you go away?

Julia I'd be more excited about going to Queensland than New York - don't know why, except that I'm more of a Europe kind of girl. But it's exciting for you.

Don't know if I'll lose weight this week or not. I've been flat out with work, and very distracted from my weight loss. I'll get back into it tomorrow though and hope I haven't done too much damage these past few days.

Must go and clean up my office. It looks like a family of trolls have moved in after the last few days of madness.


Ani

Thanks 4 b'day wishes Ani and Gen. I just let it go quietly by. My other half kept asking if I was excited and it's sad but no I wasn't excited and he was disappointed. Think he was more excited than me. It's not the getting older bit. That I dont mind, just something in me can't get it appening. We did go out for dinner though to a new restaurant in town and was wonderful and even KID FREE...

Have to log off, a storm is brewing and I've had one blown modem already with storms and never want another, also gotta go eat tea. Yummo home made spag bog. AND it's not to bad on ther calories either.

Vonni xxx

PS, Ani, them trolls have taken up residence in my place too. I've gone from washing floors twice daily to once a fortnight yerrrk. And I have 2 weeks worth of folding to catch up on.

Ani I don't know how you do it - I have 2 essays due for uni and I can't make myself write 3.8 words let alone any more!

I will miss weigh in this week as I'll be away and conference starts early in the mornings so won't be able to sneak to a WW meeting. May weigh in Mon morning, otherwise I'll just wait till the following Sat.

Evening All!

I am here to report another good day! Around 1400cals, 2L water, and a little exercise. But these last couple of days I have 'felt' really fat??? My clothes feel tighter? I know this was discussed a little while back, and I am really hoping it is all in my head and that I am really on track and losing a little bit of weight this week! I refuse to sneak a look at the scales just in case it isn't in my head - in which case the result would really mess with my head!! Did that make any sense at all???

Vonni! You sneaky thing you! Happy (belated) Birthday to you!! Sounds like your family like to pamper you!! Enjoy!

Gen, maybe not weighing in this week will help to keep you on track while away? I know if my weigh in result is good immediately before I go away I kinda see that as an excuse to 'spoil' myself while I am away.

Ani, I was beginning to wonder where you had drifted off too! I hope you get to relax a little soon and before the next run of deadlines!

And Julia, Queensland will make for a more relaxing holiday (even if it is a work trip) than the busy, smog filled, noisey, rushed streets of New York! But, if you have never been to New York...you have to go for the experience!

That's me tonight...I will report in again tomorrow!

happy birthday vonni!!! (that is same day as my dad and my dog)
milk goddess bath sounds devine!!
I'm about to try and swap my bellydancing classes i've already paid for for a massage or something pampering... there are heaps too many people in the class and i find it frustrating, so I think i will but a bellydance dvd instead.

julia.... i told jemima that you bought your mum a trip to new york in hope that she will do that for me one day... how exciting.... do you like seinfeld? you should do the seinfield reality tour run apparently by the 'real' kramer

so far so good on the shakes diet, tomorrows weigh in will be after 3 shakes (choc-mint, choc & strawberry) they taste 'fine' and are filling me up, really interested in seeing if it works... i am going to give it a month and either stop and continue to lose weight the 'proper' way or stop as it is not working and try and lose weight the 'proper' way or keep going coz i am addicted to the rapid weightloss and will have 3 weeks to go before christening and xmas,....

oh and i agree lindor and gen it is not a great idea but i have come to a mental spot where i have convinced myself it is the ONLY way i can consistantly lose weight and when i thought i couldnt do any shakes diet breastfeeding i think i was resenting bfeeding and jemima a little which is not cool, so now i have ok from doctor to do shakes diet while breastfeeding and jemima is not stuffing around so much (she did bite me lastnight though..) i am in a better frame of mind about everything so i am guessing when it comes time to 'maintain' i will be ready

but hopefully weigh in will show that i didnt have THAT much take out since saturday, cant believe it is already thursday tomorrow!!!

ps - see new picture of me still looking like a sausage (this photo and other taken of me in the last 2 weeks i think influenced introduction of shakes)