PS I spelt BUSYness like that cause business looked wrong. Can anyone help with the correct way? hmmmm????

Vonni 'busyness' looks alright to me. Considering that words like dizzy and spoken like they are written, I don't understand why we can't have bizzy

Lindor I think that all positive changes begin with an attitude or belief - and I'm getting a feeling that you're moving into a good place.

While most of my goals for 2008 are reasonably formed in my mind, something is still floating around the edges of my consciousness. So I'll just keep working on them for a few days, and then post them here closer to the end of the year.

At 9.20am it is 35.4ºC (considering we have daylight savings, the heat has made a rather early appearance). We're heading for 41ºC - and I think it will be more - and then it's going to turn humid this afternoon. It's absolutely foul outside - I just went out to wish my neighbour Happy Christmas, and we were both getting overheated.

Aside from working off an excessive Christmas Day, this week's goals are pretty simple. I don't mind if I maintain for another week, and then start my new journey on 1st January.

I've learned a lot in the last 17 months - a LOT! I also know, from the reactions of people in the last two months, that "leaving obesity" will bring its own challenges.

Six minutes since I last checked the weather - we've gone up to 36.2ºC … this is going to be a horror! And I'm off to put the air conditioner on!

Just thought I'd share…

It's noon - and it's FORTY-BLOODY-THREE-POINT-TWO degrees!

Tis 18 degrees here and cold as heck. Damn weather was wonderful yesterday and we planned on spending today outside doing nothing but having a few drinks and enjoying the day. grrr, have spent it inside out of the wond. Its miserable.

Vonni I'll swap you! It's gone down to 40.2ºC now, but it's Perth's hottest December day on record - 44.2ºC!

I just went into my bedroom - this is a fibro house - and my BR is at the back (and the windows are nailed shut - so if there is a breeze, or some cooler air later, I won't be able to benefit from it). There's no a/c in the back and my b/r is like a sauna. I'll be dragging my mattress into the lounge room tonight and sleeping on the floor.

This heat is hideous. My ankles and fingers are swollen and I have already drunk 3L of water, just to try and stay hydrated.

I wonder if there are any fools at the beach - probably thousands of them. There'll be some really sick people in Perth after today's heat! Blurk!

i hate the hot weather, qld has had its weirdest xmas wheather for years! right now it just stormed, yesterday my baby got sunburnt... you just cant win
the rain has come just as i got a new garden swing with intentions of putting it up and putting jemima in wading pool and watching her, oh well tomorrow will probably be back hot and stuff again!

weigh in tomorrow and i just asked benji to get me some chocolate.... hmmm

I feel for you Ani! It is easier to warm up from the cold than to cool down from the heat I reckon! We reached a pleasant 37C today!

I am giving myself huge pats on the back this evening! I have drunk 2L of water today and kept my calories to under 1500! First time in way to long!!!

I reset my tickers yesterday in hope that that might motivate me. I am not starting Everest again until New Year, for now I just want to try and regain some control of my eating habits.

Sounds like we enjoyed our Christmas Days, and we are ready to get back to the weight loss grind!

Lindor I read this and figured... Yep I'm gonna do that. So I did. I reset my tickers. I have dilly dallied and procrastinated for so long. I KNOW I need to lose weight and I KNOW how to do that. And today is a new beginning for me. I weighed in today at 74kg I am so peeved off at myself for gaining back 8 kilos of the 12 I lost since February this year. This is getting ridiculous. Thats only 400 grams a month - averaging 100 grams a week.

BLAST!!!

From now on I plan to kick a r s e.

Wow, it sounds like most of you are doing so well. Congrats to those who have lost or maintained. I dread to think what my scales will say. I'm with you Gen, I've used Christmas as an excuse to gorge myself. I've been eating potato chips, dips, chocolate..... you name it.

On the positive side, I only had 2 glasses of bubbly with Christmas lunch and one glass of wine with a friend on Christmas evening and haven't touched a drop apart from that which is a real achievement for me, especially considering that I'm feeling depressed at the moment.

I've tried to talk to my friends about how I'm feeling but they don't understand and can't relate and most of them seem to react with silence. I guess I wish that my friends would contact me more regularly just to see how I'm doing. I would like it if people would go out of their way to make sure I'm alright but nobody does. I think it's probably because I portray the image of being tough and they figure that I can look after myself but even when people have seen me at my most vulnerable, when it's obvious that I need help, they still seem to take a step back.

I've gotten back in touch with my counsellor and will have a few sessions with her which I hope will help.

In the meantime, I hope that I can at least maintain my weight over the remainder of the silly season. I'm actually looking forward to the new year when things can get back to normal.

Ugh the heat sounds miserable - I'm not a fan of it at all, I can't wait to have lovely snowy winters in the US!! Ugg boots, hot coffee, and beanies!

I worked Xmas day, had a great day - really sick cardiac patient, didn't have time to scratch myself so the day flew. Then home and had a lovely late lunch with the family. My 9mo niece turned up in a red dress and santa hat - so cute! Didn't eat too much, but I did eat some chocs my sis-in-law gave me.

Had another PT today - lots of weights and ab work.. bleugh.

Goals for next week:
1. Track food - have stopped doing it!
2. Gym x3 next week (PT + 2 more)
3. Walk 30 mins every day

Julia, I'm a lot like that. Always there for friends, am always the first to drop what I'm doing to help people out… yet when I need anything, or need someone to talk to, they're not there. Mind you, I do have a 'tough' exterior, and probably come across as being very self-contained and strong. And I'm not good at letting people in - so even though I get resentful, I'm also aware that I'm my own worst enemy!

A friend gave me a Myer gift voucher for Christmas and I just put it toward an iPod. Even though I own an expensive Macintosh computer, I've never had an iPod - but I decided I needed to drag myself into the 21st Century at some point in my life.

My mum gave me some money, and I used it to buy a pedometer, a new resistance band, and some Size 16 clothes. During yesterday's heatwave I realised that last year's summer clothes no longer fit me - they were just big enough to look ridiculous.

I cannot believe yesterday. I lost quite a few plants from the heat, and lots of little creatures died (spiders and lizards etc). I kept the cats inside all day, and only let them out for an hour at 10pm last night. We're not acclimatised for this, and it was really obvious. By the end of yesterday I had drunk 4 litres of water.

Hideous!

It's really humid today, which isn't a whole lot better.

I'm going to spend some time setting my 2008 goals today. I have a feeling I am going to gain weight this week, but that's OK - it's a glitch and nothing more. 2008 is going to be a BIG year for me… I've already decided that.


Ani

I am the same too Julia, but I tend to put on this mask that shows me as being the always happy, joking type. And when I do comment or show that I am having a rough time of it often it is laughed at!

Funny really, it is so different with you all here. I can't seem hide things with humour here, I tend to disappear if I don't want to show my emotions. But I take comfort in the idea that you are all here if I need to talk. And Julia, know that we are here for you too

Ani, I have never owned an iPod either. I would like to own such a gadget, but when I stop to think about it I get so overwhelmed by what is available and then I get lost as to what I really want! So the idea gets put on the back burner (for futher thought) until I think of it again! And your mentioning it has me thinking of it again!

I got a $50 ABC Shop gift voucher! Exciting!!!

I am hoping for news that will mean big changes for me to come through in the next few weeks, so I am finding it difficult to look ahead with goals and plans. For now, with regard to weight-loss, I am just aiming for a 5lb drop by the end of January. As for the next twelve months, big changes or not, I'd like to be a lot closer to my ideal weight and be at peace with new, healthier lifestyle changes. I have just done twelve months with very little change (ok a little(?) increase) to my weight, this year is going to show a loss!

I am still spinning out about how clearer my head feels now that Christmas is out of the way!

benji and i bought ourselves an ipod for xmas, we got my parents to get it dutyfree on their way back from china months ago so we have been very good keeping it in packet til tuesday! it now has more than a months worth of music on it and heaps of photos and videos of jemima, very exciting!
benji the cutie gave me cupholders for my car as my were broken and VW genuine parts are stupidly expensive! and he just put together garden swing which is so nice but it has been raining on and off here.

i cracked it at my life the other day for the same reason as you girls.... SICK TO DEATH of doing things for everyone else... always being the one to arrange things and always feeling like i HAVE to do things for everyone so ho hum over it i dont feel like doing anything at all.... which is not possible when 10month old has just learnt how to sook and moan for things, she has a new noise just for " I WANT IT NOW" so i guess i am kinda glad she cant talk yet....

NO CARROT PARTY FOR ME i put on about 700 grams ho hum, i was 87.1kg but we ALL know that could have been HEAPS worse merry xmas to me

you are all going to shake your head in disbelief BUT i am thinking about doing optifast for a couple of weeks inthe new year, it is the one where you have 3 shakes a day NO meals and you are allowed salad and veges and that is IT which is heaps easier than working out ONE meal i find once i start eating i bend the rules and dont reap the benefits of stupid shakes diet like celebrity slim was (2 shakes one MEAL) i am still in the thinking phase as it could screw with the breastfeeding thing but jem on heaps less feeds at the moment so it COULD work.... i have a week or so to think about it or a week or so to see if i get back down to last weeks weight.....

had heaps of things to say about new years resolutions and the heat in perth and am hoping lindor comes back more often to vent as it helps so much to just let it all out... especially to us randoms who care enough to tell the truth
but.... i have to go and try and be wifey and cook hubby some dinner as he has done heaps of stuff today (mowing in the rain, making garden swing in rain, bathing daughter, making wifey lunch and brekky etc etc)
but i'll be back before newyears to hear about everyone elses weighins...

Hi All. Wasnt to bad today. Had 2 pieces of toast for brekky (first time for brekky in a couple of months). small deli lite pasta salad for lunch, a handful of cherries and 4 jatz with cheese for snacks. Had pork chop, potato and mixed veg for tea. 3 coffees and a small bottle of water to drink. Am going to be naughty and have some christmas pudding and custard for dessert as I didnt have any on xmas day and it smells divine.

Vonni.

PS love this monkey

PS Ani we are getting awfully close to our limit of 100 pages. Are you going to make a new one soon before they close this one? that way you can post URL instead of having to PM everyone heheheeee. Theres way more of us now.