Aussie Chicks in 2008
 

Hi everyone

It's time to start our new thread along with the New Year! What are everyone's goals for 2008?

As always I am planning a 'slow and steady' approach to the year, and by the end of it I am really hoping to get close to 70kg.

My initial goal is to get below 80kg by the end of January.

To achieve that I will:

• eat around 1500 calories a day;

• drink 2 litres of water each day;

• reach 10,000 steps on my pedometre as often as possible, but aim for a January average of 7,000/day;

• continue with my resistance training; and

• start packing! ;)

And of course I will continue to report in here every day.

Good luck to everyone with our hopes, dreams and plans. I wish everyone a safe, happy and successful 2008!

:)
Ani

Woohoo! Nice and new! It feels fresh and clean! Perfect for a new start! :D

Ok, my goals for 2008...

1) I am finding this hard because I am still weighing in pounds and (by choice) I am not sure what my ideal weight should be nor how much I need to lose. So, I can't say 'I want to be Xkgs by the end of the year'. I feel better not knowing what my ultimate goal is at the moment because I know as I get closer I become more complacent and think it is too easy!! I think that is why I achieved 30kg and then totally lost focus in 2006/07. For now I know I have a big job ahead of me and I am going to do it pound by pound. So number one goal is to aim for a 1lb drop a fortnight. Too easy? Maybe, but I know that is doable!

2) I want to conqueur Mt Everest (or something similar). But, this goal may change if my 'situation' changes. For now step-ups are about all I am willing to do exercise wise - but it feels like a chore. If something should occur that makes it more possible for me to incorperate exercise into my lifestyle, like walking to work, gardening for example, then Everest will be put away and I will be investing in a pedometre and walking somewhere too. I so much prefer walking, but the heat here makes that impossible!

3) I am going to make a point of counting calories everyday. And if that means cooking (ugh!) then so be it! :lol:

4) I will drink ample water each day!

5) I am going to start a journal. This is your influence Ani! :p

Reading some of your posts where you reflect on 'last year' or 'six months ago' makes me feel disappointed that I can't do that. I wish I had kept a journal, because I am sure it would have shown me exactly where I came undone and I'd have been able to have put it back together by now. You have shown that weight loss is more than just dropping kgs. It is exploring your thoughts, feelings and emotions. I want to - need to - do that too. I know something in my head caused me to gain this weight...I need to explore that and get past it to lose the weight and to keep it off!

6) Chocolate will be my friend!!! ;)



If I can just stick to at least couple of those, I think I might achieve a positive result with my weight loss in 2008.

Good luck to everyone for the new year! :)

Thks for new thread Ani, now I just gotta figure out how to subscribe to it. My brain seems to have taken a holiday as well as the rest of the country.

I'm looking into getting an elliptical trainer in the very near future. I can use my mornings and/ or evening time to 'me' to do this. I will put it in front of the tv and do while watching the news. I've read a bit about them and it sounds really good. And I can do that 'burst' thing that everyone raves about while doing their usual walk. You know - walk for a bit then run for 10 seconds (or was it 30) anywho----- u all i am sure know what I mean. Kinda gives yr body a fright and it doesnt know what to expect so it is always buring more calories every time u exercise rather than getting used to one type and using less energy to do it.

Vonni

PS, I've been horrible the past few days. Eating crap, biscuits, chocolates ( 2 or 3) and chips (bowlsfull). No water just softdrink and coffee. I'm in a 'mood'. Other half has said some things to me that sound like he wants out but trying to twist it to make me into the wanting out person. And when he does that... yeah I do.

Thanks for the new thread Ani.

My goals for 2008 are:

* Most importantly for me, I want to learn to love and accept myself for who and what I am.

* I want to learn how to control my alcohol intake rather than allow it to control me. If I cannot do this I accept that I will have to quit completely.

* As part of being good to myself, I will commit to nourishing my body with what it needs to function well - good food and regular exercise.

* I want to continue with the great progress I have made in terms of my weight loss. My goal weight will change from 80 to 70kg. This is achievable!

Here's to a happy and successful 2008 for all of us :hat:

Morning!

A somewhat interesting start to the 2008 weight-loss period for me as it seems I have already blown my January goal of reaching 196.0lb off the board!

On Christmas Eve, I weighed in at 200.8lb - and I checked that several times as I was not happy about being over 200lb! This morning I have again done the hot shoe shuffle on the scales and my most consistant result from the 86 times I got on and off them is 195.6lb!!

That's a 5.2lb loss over Christmas Week!!!

Admittedly, I have been fairly well behaved since Boxing Day, but I did not expect this result! And yes, I am aware a lot of that loss will be fluid and I should not expect such huge results in future!

So with that, and with my ultimate goal for the year up there of maintaining a loss of 1lb a fortnight, my new end of January goal is to reach 193.0lb!

Tomorrow (or maybe tonight as I have no New Years Eve plans), I start my climb up Mt Everest again. I have set myself a January goal for that also, I want to get to the top of Mt Bogong by months end!

Ok, that's me! It's back to work today...for one day before the New Years public holiday! :lol:

Good luck to all else who weigh in today! :)

My Goals for 2008 I havent really thought about much but here are some things I DEFINATELY want to change.

* Try and fix my relationship
* Spend quality time with my kids
* Drink water regularly and make it a habit I dont even think about
* Lose at least 5 kilos in the next six months
* Start an exercise regime (could include that in wuality time by taking kids for a walk around river)
* Start saving. Not big savings, even if its just my discount off groceries etc that I save.

PS I have weighed in earlier than wednesday which was going to be my new weigh in day. And I have lost 600gm woohoo :carrot:

:carrot::carrot::carrot:Lindor that rocks!!!! what an awesome end to the year:carrot::carrot:
:carrot::carrot::carrot: Vonni after reading about your choc and softdrink week 600gram loss is so cool, i am so jealous BUT i am knowing why i put on heheheeh oh well:carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot:

i am thinking about my resolutions, loving lindors "make chocolate my friend" that is the attitude i will need to remember after optifast

will be back tomorrow with resolutions, will think about it tonight and then print them out and put them on wall, with at least four weeks of weird diet ahead of me i will be able to do a lot more around the house (pottering around the house will distract from not eating anything but a little bit of green stuff) (and three delicous and nutrionally balanced shakes per day)

have a great new year's eve everyone i gotta go make kitchen look decent... my mum on her way over.... still at however old i am i care what she thinks about my kitchen ho hum

Lindor - that is awesome! Fluid or not - who cares? I'm really proud of you :carrot:

Vonni and Julia I really like the sound of your goals, and I get the sense that there's a whole new determination there.

Me - yet another spectacular result. I lost the grand total of 0.1kg! At this rate I should be at 80kg by about MAY!

Ani, I think the fact that any of us actually lost weight at all over the Christmas Week is awesome regardless of the amount! Really can any of us really brag about having significant losses at all at Christmas time in previous years? Tell me I was wrong when I read a slightly defeated tone in you post?

Vonni, well done on your drop! And Kel, yours is coming, I can feel it! ;)

Julia, I don't know why, but I never saw your post this morning! I love your goals for 2008! I hope they all work out for you :)

Now, where is Gen, Barb an Kylie?

I am enjoying a nice salad with egg right for lunch. Told you I was going to start cooking...I boiled these eggs all by myself!! :lol:

Way to go Lindor@ boiling eggs. I had egg salad for lunch too. But I had it already done as a pasta salad from the deli. I have already cooked dinner for tonight. We are having basil chicken with a twist. Having it with pasta tonight and the chicken I have cut small instead of usual chicken steaks. I even used low fat cream. Still don't think it's that healthy but its really yum, and the pasta fills me up. Tomorrow we are having a bbq so I will eat lots of salad then. Ani 100g is 100g so well done. Lindor yay for you thats a great effort this week. Kel don't be sad. Just think when Jemima is walking you'll be running. Maybe while you are cleaning your kitchen you can do a jive.

Lindor I am a bit frustrated, but only because I keep letting myself down. This month I seem to have fallen into a pattern where I go OK for four days, and then I eat 'a bit extra', or stubbornly refuse to drink enough water. Just dumb things like that - and even though it isn't doing any harm (because I've managed to avoid gaining weight), it is still a form of self-sabotage.

And I'm probably a bit grumpy because I seem to have come down with an ear/nose/throat thing today and I feel pretty plain. In fact I feel quite awful really.

But things will be OK. December is almost over, and I am really determined to make January a winner. I've set specific goals (daily, weekly and for the month), and I fully intend to reach them. My aim is to get to 80kg by the end of the month… and I WILL!

:)
Ani

I've eaten a whole block of chocolate every day for the past week.

I hope next year I get my bloody head in order because I won't succeed with the weight until I do.

I'm here. I haven't done to well over the last two weeks. And it wasn't christmas that did it either. I have no idea where my head's at at the moment. No matter, tomorrow is a new day and I plan on making it a good one.

All of your goals for the new year sound terrific. I don't ususlly set myself goals but I'm thinking that I might need to so I have something to work towards. At the moment I'm thinking:

Take better care of myself (that covers pretty much everything don't you think!)

Get a job that I enjoy.

Keep a daily account of what I'm feeling ( not exactly a journal but a record none the less)

So far that's it.

I've got heaps I want to say but DH is calling me!

Have a great New Year's Eve

See you next year!
XX
Barb:hat:

Gen I've just spent half an hour pondering your dilemma. It's a chicken and egg thing sometimes - there are times when you get the food right and the head wrong… And vice versa!

I think, in part, this is why it's such a long journey - because we have to stop sometimes and ponder our own universes. Is chocolate a trigger food for you normally? Is it possible to break off just a row and eat it and put the rest in the fridge?

I've had a pretty good day today. I've eaten under 1500 calories, drank 2.5L of water, and walked 9,686 steps so far. Most of my food has been whole, except for the two squares of Turkish Delight I just had for dessert.

First day I've been happy with for a week!

:)
Ani

I wanted to make the first Aussie Chicks post for 2008!!!

Happy New Year everyone...and may it be a good one for us all! :)

:celebrate: :celebrate: :celebrate:



I would have had this done 20 minutes ago if I didn't have connection issues! :mad:

Lindor you're on the ball! I have to confess I was fast asleep when the new year rolled in. Decided to have a fresh and early start to 2008, and besides that it's going to be really hot and humid here today, and I couldn't face the thought of a hangover in this weather ;)

Barb it's good to hear from you - glad you found your way over to our new thread.

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! Let's hope it's a positive one for all of us on our weight loss journeys.

I'm intending to take it just one day at a time, but at the same time I really want to keep my eye on the big picture.

Lindor I was thinking about your goal of a pound per fortnight, and you know what? I think I'm going to join you. It's actually a very forward-thinking and reachable goal, and allows for plateaus, bad weeks and all the other elements of life that get in the way. And it builds in a 'safeguard' for those months where we don't lose anything. And it still enables you to lose a decent amount of weight throughout the year.

With that in mind, today's goals are:

• Eat no more than 1500 calories;

• Reach at least 7,000 steps on my pedometer;

• Drink at least 2 litres of water;

• Vacuum and mop before it gets too hot; and

• Pack at least two boxes of books.

:)
Ani

Ani I was like you and snoring when the New Year rolled in. Went to bed at 10pm after watching Vacancy on DVD. Slept till 6 then got cracking some more on my office. That was SUPPOSED to be done before 2008. I had a wonderful day today. I had a friend from work over and she's great. Her, the hubby and 4 kids. We had a BBQ lunch and I was good. I ate heaps of salad (fat free dressing) and 1 piece of lean meat and only one drink. I must confess I have only had 2 glasses of water thought. They have only just left. It's pretty cool here today. The wind is howling and I had to bring out the wooly jumper thing grrrrr. Just a bit of toast for dinner tonight and a cup of tea and early night.

Glad to see so far a great new year start for all hehee.

Vonni

Since seeing in the New Year last night, nothing particularly exciting has happened in 2008 for me yet...rather disappointing :p

It wasn't a particularly late night for me Ani, I posted the above post and went to bed. I just sat around reading until the delayed telecast of Melbournes fireworks display was shown on TV to mark midnight and the turn of the year! I am a tad disappointed that our regional television stations didn't display something from WA! None-the-less...Melbourne had a fantastic show!

I was up at 7am, and also did some domestics, washed the dogs and raked up the doggy-doo from the back yard!!

I have been good diet-wise so far this year too! Stuck to within 1500cals, drunk lots of water, and I managed 250 step-ups this evening, before my ankle started to hurt! I might have to take this climb slowly to start with? I'll see how I go tomorrow.

Well done on your control with lunch today Vonni!

And Gen, hang in there! I don't picture you as a quitter! ;)

Back to reality and the regular daily grind tomorrow...I am quite happy with that! :)

Truly hope everyone (including me!) has a great 2008!!

I don't think chocolate is a trigger food per se, I think it's just my way of sabotaging myself. I was less than you Ani and I've not been able to stay below 90kg since then. I just keep ruining it for myself.

So my first goal is to get below 90kg. I'm not setting a time limit, I just want to break the mental barrier. Goal for the year is to reach 75kg. I think that's another 15-18kg, which is quite achievable in 52 weeks!

I had a good day today - worked this evening, which made it easier to stick to my calories! Working again at 7am, so should be good tomorrow too. Got home from work tonight and took the dogs for a (very brisk) 35-40 min walk. Plan to get to the gym after work tomorrow. Might take my stuff to work and go straight there.... but probably not hahaa!

Gen I sometimes think that momentum is the secret to beating your head battles. One of the fundamental things I did (when I got so fed up with 13 weeks of being stuck around 85kg) was to get up in the morning, write a list of food/water/moving goals - and then just do them.

It's what I do now. I have this complex little Excel spreadsheet where I write down all my calories, minus the nett calories, and add in water. Throughout the day I can track how I'm going, and tweak the plan as I go along. It might sound obsessive, but for me it's an important tool.

Today has been good in terms of meeting all my goals. I'm pretty stressed about work, money, housemates - and have some family issues happening, so this will be a good challenge for me.

Lindor you take it easy with that ankle. Don't want you having to limp up Mt Everest :p. Seriously though - be careful!

OK - off for another early night. We're expecting 40ºC and thunderstorms tomorrow… won't that be special!

:)
Ani

I've started the year off in a wonderful way (not). I pretty much sat on my butt all day and ate. It was fruit in most of its forms, fresh dried and tinned, but I shouldn't have done it. Over the past two weeks I've managed to gain 2.3kg and I can feel every single gram!

Good on you Ani, Lindor, Vonni and Gen for sticking to your guns and making a great start to the new year. Keep up the good work. I'm starting today.

XX
Barb

I did thirty skips :woohoo: and holy crap my boobs hurt. The kids just stood laughing at me. Must look funny mum doing 'kids' stuff. Netx up - trampoline. BTW. Does anyone know how to figure out calories burnt on trampoline? Calorie King doesnt have that.

Ate a piece of fruit.... woohoo 1st time cept for grapes and nanas in forever

Vonni you crack me up :D. Can I suggest you invest in a sports bra? It's worth it! Great to see you being so motivated.

Barb how are you surviving the heatwave over there? I heard that you had three days in a row over 40ºC - hideous!

I've got another housemate moving in tonight. I can already tell that this one is a loser - but I figure that, for the sake of six weeks until I move, I desperately need the money. But what I'm NOT going to do this time around is sneak around my own house, being quiet, so that losers can sleep half their life away.

I'm a morning person, and that's just how it is. I've got a heap of boxes already packed, so the message to this one will be clear - this is very temporary (well he knows that anyway).

And I'm going to use the next six weeks to get a job, and make sure that when I move into my new house I can have my solitude back!

But - on a positive note, I am on plan with reaching my goals today.

:)

Ani have you found a house to move into yet? I have got a sports bra but it doesnt seem to hold them tight enough to stop the bounce. Maybe I might start to strap the titties up first :D

I have found a house - it's just 3km from here, so I get the benefit of Freo and the river, and it's a bigger house with a much bigger yard. The owner is my current landlord's sister - apparently I am such a 'super-tenant' that the sister is kicking her current tenant out because she really wants me there looking after her house. The other good thing about it is that she is keeping the rent at $300/week for me. She was going to put $350 on it!

I saw a show recently where they demonstrated how sports bras HALVED the bounce - not kidding. Apparently there's a difference of 4 inches. I don't know about bound breasts Vonni - you might suffocate! Don't forget your lungs need MORE room to expand when you're breathing heavy (from exercise :p) not less!

Hey Ani???

:p

Ooh, a good sports bra is so important Vonni. I bought a really good one that held me in properly but I've lost enough weight in just a couple of months that it's now getting too big. Very annoying when it cost $60!!

I had such a nice surprise last night .... I looked into a different compartment of my wallet and found $60 that I didn't know I had! Wheee! :D That means that I now have plenty of money to stock up with lovely fruit and veggies for next week.

New Years eve I was really proud of myself. I went to a bbq at which everyone was drinking and I took a small bottle of flavoured fizzy water and I drank that and then had 1 glass of wine and stopped at that. :cp:

My friend had a big bust up with her aunt so I took her home early and I was back at my place watching a movie by 10:30pm. Very nice!

While I've enjoyed having a break from working so much, it's got me quite unsettled and really out of routine so I haven't been eating properly and I haven't done any exercise at all. I'm quite looking forward to Monday when things get back to normal!

Ani, that's great news that you've found another house already. Sounds like it'll be a good setup. How manageable will $300 a week be? It sounds like a lot to me, I hope you don't have to work too much to be able to afford it but it'll be wonderful for you to be able to get back to living by yourself and I'm sure will be worth it for you.

Righto, I'm off to write next weeks menu now. Hope everyone is having a great day!

:twirly:

Julia the house I'm in now is $300/week - thus the need for housemates or work. Sadly you can't get anything cheaper in Perth. My last housemate just moved into a place in one of the real trailer trash parts of the city, and she's paying more than me!

I stuck to almost all of my goals yesterday - didn't quite get the pedometer one right! I worked most of the day and then it was too hot and oppressive to walk. It's going to be 40ºC today (and it's already 28ºC at 7am, so it's definitely coming), and Western Power are warning there'll be power outages to 20% of the state! If my a/c isn't able to function I'll turn into a crazy woman!

So today I'm intending to meet all my goals - and to do it with a smile on my face! Well… no harm in trying!

:)
Ani

87.9kg that is up about 800grams i think
am in totally wrong mindframe til i get my shakes which is crap i know
i should be thinking the less i put on now is less to lose later but i am not i am more thinking 'last supper' which is stupid
and i know it

new years resolutions are all about me and how am around other people
and how i treat myself and prioities
and baby is making me have to stop posting now so i will post later before i throw her out the window for being a baby and getting into everything!

I'm on day 3 of behaving - got up and had my PT this morning, plus I did another half hour on the crosstrainer before my session to warm up. Like a beetroot... :)

US stuff is finally moving along - have my job offer and they are getting me the paperwork and asking how soon I can get the visa. Funny now they are in a hurry and I'm like "Erm...I've been waiting since last March!".

Also booked another 10 PT session, so will have to double up some weeks if I'm gone before 10 weeks is out. Have to start getting organised to ship stuff and get my clothes packed!!

In spite of Episode Five of The Housemate From ****, I've reached all my goals today.

Gen that's great news about the US. You've been waiting for so long, and it's time! What an adventure…

Now Kel how many last suppers are you planning on having? When do you start Optifast?

And Vonni - I searched high and low for an icon with an extended middle finger, just for YOU - but failed to find one :D

Gen, awesome news about the US! I bet that has taken a load off your mind? And maybe thrown another load on? But it is good to hear some excitement in your words! Now, promise us that when you get there, 'Aussie Chicks' will still be you place of choice here?

I echo Ani Kel, when are you starting optifast? And are you really ready for it? What plans and strategies have you got in place to ensure you will stay on track with it?

Me...I am still on track! Staying within my 1500cals, drinking around 2L of water a day (peeing a hundred times more!), and slowly getting up that mountain - ankle is still troubling me though!

I received a massive box stacked with various chocolates just after Christmas - most of that still remains in the fridge, but I have eaten a little bit each day. It is a battle with my thoughts to convince myself that that small amount has not blown my calorie budget for the day. My initial reaction is to think - 'that's stuffed it, may as well make the most of it now!'

Chocolate will become my friend!! :lol:

Have a good one folks!! :)

Please remind me Gen, where are you moving to in the US? What are you doing when you get there?

Still no exercise for me but my eating has improved greatly! I find it so much easier to stay on track when I have the structure of a working day to plan around.

I was back at the night job as of last night and what an event that turned out to be. We all got called to the front of the store at around 10pm by the woman who manages the entertainment section. She said something had happened which I didn't quite understand and she wanted everyone to empty their pockets.

It turned out that one of the younger guys in the night fill team had stolen a mobile phone so he was marched upstairs where they questioned him for a while before he was fired and then carted off by the police. Very dramatic for a Thursday night at work!!

I drew up a new budget yesterday and on paper, I should be able to save at least $3,600 by the end of March while I'm working 2 jobs. The challenge will be to stick to it! If I can then that'll be all of my flights, accommodation, insurance etc paid for for my holiday in June and also the start of my spending money.

Well, it's the weekend tomorrow and I'm working till 1pm as usual. I think I'll perhaps rent a movie or two and have a quiet night in tomorrow then on Sunday I will do a big grocery shop and do my cooking for the following week. Sunday evening I have a date with the television to watch Antiques Roadshow. Yes, I know, I'm a nana :lol:


:twirly:

Sounds like a good goal Lindor - I couldn't have a box of choccy in my fridge without eating it!

Julia, I'm going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (northeast US). I'll be working at the hospital there in a role they created for me which is basically a cross between an artificial heart engineer and a nurse coordinator. They call me an "enginurse". LOL.

Very excited and can't wait to get there! I know nothing will change apart from new scenery, but it feels like a new start when you move.

mlm Is that a middle finger ya think? heheehee. Great news Gen about yr US job. Lindor fantastic that you can have a box of chocs in fridge. My mentality is like what u said, blown it now so go the whole hog. I CAN'T stop at just one or just a bit. Today I have been pretty good, though I did eat a doner kebab for lunch - small, plenty of salad, easy on the chicken and sauces. surely that can't be too bad? C'mon..... it's SALAD!?!?! I drank 600 ml water so far and a litre of coffee :D had grapes for morning tea and alas no brekky. (sorry going backwards, but it's easier for me to do it in my head that way. I even read magazines and the newspaper backward)

yesterday was pretty ok to. cept I had a kit kat, so i guess i didn't really have an ok day?

Vonni

PS - Julia no shows are nana shows. They're all good (but no I don't watch antique roadshow but then I'm not into antiques so hey!)

Hey Julia do you still work in travel agency? I have a couple of questions about over there in NZ. Its better coming from one who lives there than a travel agent here just telling you what they have 'read'

Vonni

A friend and I went to Rebel Sport today. I go there reasonably often, not to spend money, but just for a look. We were like a pair of kids in a toy shop - we tried out all the exercise equipment (she's a gym bunny from way back who weighs about 60kg and complains if she gets up to 62!), and it was heaps of fun.

I was also a bit naughty. I gave her a boogie board, then a BB bag, then fins and a snorkel and told her she had to walk down the back of the shop carrying them - and then I put a 4.5kg barbell in her hand and said: if you were walking through the airport at Bali would you REALLY not notice this extra weight in your luggage?

Bad. Naughty. Me!

By the way, that isn't a comment about my opinion on Schapelle Corby - merely a small experiment :D

I'm making chicken schnitzel and salad for dinner - yummy! So that will see me reach goal for the 5th day in a row on food/water/steps.

But I need to find more exercises for my arms because I hate how flabby they are. Any suggestions?

And Vonni - mlm is a very poor effort :p

Where did THAT come from?? Have I missed something extra about it on the news?