Gen I'm not sure I've ever heard you sounding so sad . How long do you need to be in the US? It sounds to me like you could do with some friends and family for their support, love and familiarity at the moment.

If food were just fuel for me I would never have needed to join here. It's company, reward, punishment, rebellion… It's convenience, laziness when I don't want to cook.

Yesterday was better. I ate 1600 calories - 80% of that was unprocessed fresh food. When I wanted a snack in the afternoon I ate a mandarin. When I wanted something after dinner I ate an apple. I drank 1.5L of water - not perfect, but progress.

Today I work from 6.30am - 2.30pm. Instead of the ubiquitous Bunnings sausage sizzle for Sunday lunch I'm making a wrap with avocado, spinach, tomato, cheese and ham. Dinner is planned - and healthy.

One day at a time…

I agree with Ani...I don't think I have heard you sounding so low either Gen. Not a lot I can say, but I hope you can find a way through it. We are here if you need to vent/talk etc. Hang in there mate

I also don't agree with the food is fuel statement! I was actually I little annoyed to read it. If it was that simple would any of us really be here...struggling?

I hopped on the scales this morning. The damage was not as bad as I had expected - 93.8kg - back to the start of my Xmas challenge.

I was trying to think of a way to motivate me with this 5kg challenge and decided this morning that I'd work on the reward method. Funnily enough I instantly went to thinking what tasty thing I could consume and enjoy once I reached my goal...then I stopped myself! Why am I thinking of rewarding myself with something that got me to this point in the first place? So I put a little more thought into it. I am not a fan of Jewelery. I don't enjoy clothes shopping so can even consider that as a reward. With Mista as he is, I don't want to reward myself with a drive and overnight stay somewhere pretty. I don't socialise or go out so can't arrange a night on the town.

But it eventually hit me! With every 5kg milestone, I am going to buy me a plant! I've been wanting to put some potted plants on my back verandah, so every 5kg down is going to be just that! And I am going to tend to those plants reguarly and as I watch them grow and thrive, I am going to be thinking of each 5kg I lost, the time it took, the dedication and the effort!

My first milestone comes at 90kg!

So gardening gurus amongst us, any suggestions for potted plants that will withstand the Darwin climate and my inept gardening skills?

food is fuel for your body
i have only just relized it
it is what all the NONoverweight people know and dont even realise they know
they eat when their bodies say they are hungry, they eat the yummy yummy special foods in moderation, they have a taste they dont need to eat the whole block of cheese
when they are depressed who knows what they do but they dont eat for a week
"they" have it worked out with their mind and their body
"they" are where I personally want to be - the rest of my household does it... jemima and benji eat when they are hungry, they leave stuff on their plate for later when their bodies say that they are "full"
being "full" is not a reason for me to stop eating
i have realised that good food is what my body needs, and unprocessed GOOD food is what will help it run better
and when i can do this i can have some chips at a party or popcorn when watching a movie, i dont have to sit and eat chips when just watching tv, i dont have to eat a block of chocolate becuase it is there

i also have the problem of convenience, when i am hungry i will go for something quick and easy - so knowing this i should cut up a salad in advance, have food cut up and ready to go on a sunday night to save me during the week from just making some maggi noodles or worse getting takeaway - god knows i have enough tupperware to store it in

i am going to take a break from this forum, i was thinking about it before i logged on today anyway but now after feeling that whatever i say will never be taken seriously i dont really need that kind of support
or if what i is say is NOT what you all want to hear then i also feel like an outsider
so rather than change who i am - "honest say how it is person who realises she can offend and tries not to type person" - then i am going to take a break

food IS fuel for your body - if you think of it any other way you will ALWAYS have a problem

being fat is a choice

i am choosing to make better food decisions and thinking about food as fuel for my most important asset - my body- is helping me make these more wise decisions
but thats just me.

Kel that would be disappointing, because you bring something valuable to Aussie Chicks, and I think we're all mature enough here to disagree on things and be able to stay friends - but at the end of the day it's your choice.

Lindor I think that's a great idea for a reward. As for what plants to suggest - if you can tell me whether they'll be in full sun or shade, in pots or a garden bed, and how often you are likely to water them, I can make some suggestions. You have a great tropical climate, so you could go mad with frangipani trees, bouganvillas - all kinds of fabulous plants that would struggle here in Perth.

So far it has been another good day for me. I ate a really healthy breakfast, packed a yummy, healthy lunch, and I've drunk over a litre of water too. Dinner is planned and it is healthy - and I feel pretty motivated to make good decisions. According to my pedometer I have walked over 12,000 steps - all good.

I'm going to think up a reward too for when I drop this 5kg. Not sure what it will be yet, but I'll put some thought into it.

So one is allowed to make a statement, but nobody is allowed an opinion on that statement? Nobody is attacking you or shooting you down Kel! I'm saying nothing more because, in this case, actions speak louder!

Ani, my verandah is big enough to have areas that get a good dose of sunshine through the day, to areas that get a generous share of both sunshine and shade, to areas of only shade. I am looking for plants that can be kept in pots and preferably medium to large(ish) in size (whether I buy them small and let them grow or buy them large will depend on the price). I like the unusual and I like plants that are either colourful or flower spectacularly (or both!)!

I have frangipanis in the garden already and bouganvillas bring back traumatic memories of a childhood chore of pruning them and the thorn wounds I got from that chore!

I also want to steer away from palm like plants...my garden is full of them already!

Hibiscus I know and like because of the range of flowers you can get...but are they ok to keep in a pot on a porch?

ouch!

Blimey!

Hope you don't leave us Kel, as Ani says I think we should be able to agree to disagree on some points.

Lindor and Ani it's so great to see you both back here posting and setting some great goals. I'm on board too. My goal is going to have a loss every week. Whether that be 100g or 1kg I want to get back to seeing the scales move downwards.

I had an interesting weekend, worked a total of about 18 hours over 2 days and I'm totally stuffed. I won't be going to the gym tonight because I've got so much housework that needs to be done due to not having any time in the weekend!

Today I've dusted off the old food diary. When will I learn that I lose the plot without it!

Major goal for today is to make good choices with regards to food.

Lindor you can definitely put hibiscus in pots - great choice.

Julia I am the same as you - when I don't keep a food diary, and keep a goal in mind, I lose the plot. I'm really glad you're on board with Lindor and me - YAY!

Today I am working 9-5pm, most unusual for me. The plan is to eat a healthy breakfast, pack my lunch (which will be a wrap with ham and salad), and I have dinner ready in the fridge for tonight. I'm going to take a banana to work; we have started to get really busy, which means a lot more physical work - which means I'm likely to get hungry in the middle of the afternoon.

I want to improve on how much water I drink. I find it hard when the weather is cold, but if I focus I should be able to do it.

All I can ask of myself is that I make the effort to reach my goals, and don't let myself down. I'm not thinking about next week's weigh-in, or even tomorrow… it's what I do today that counts!

Fuel IS food for our body but society has added and created foods that arent a good fuel. sort of like having a dirty batch or wrong type of fuel in yr car. It wont run well if you dont put the right fuel in it. Or E10 fuel. ok for the environment but not so ok for yr car.

We just have to change our way of thinking that ALL food is fuel and eat only when we are hungry AND LISTEN TO OUR BODIES. If we just keep adding and adding before we are empty we will overflow. But thats why we are here. Because we dont quite "get it" yet.

anyhow...... I am down another 200gm yay lol. 74.7 today but i wont even acknowledge that one till i see it ont fluctuate for a couple of days.

Julia you prob get heaps exercise at the stadium wuldnt you? do they have stairs u go up and down? Makjes me chuckle though, I have an olden day picture in my head of you going up and down and along aisles with an old fashioned cigarette box (like in the movies) in front of you.

That's the point Vonni...we aren't looking at ALL food as fuel! We are looking at it as (as Gen and Ani said) comfort, convenience, pleasure, sadness, joy etc.

If we could look at it as just fuel we would not have our weight problems to fight!

Our arguement is food is not just fuel for us. Yes, we all know if we bought and ate the good healthy choices our bodies would be a lot healthier. But our minds are telling us that a block of chocolate will make us feel happy for a while. A binge will make our problems go away for a while. Crackers, cheese and wine will make a lonely night at home more bareable.

Kel had a very valid statement...but for us fighting weight issues, some food is fuel, other foods are comfort, others bring a little pleasure, some eases pain, and others numb the hurt etc. It is not that we are looking at all food - junk or otherwise - as fuel.

Anyway, I am over this discussion (which apparently wasn't open for 'discussion')!

Well done on your loss Vonni! When do you go on holiday?

I've had a reasonable day and actually feel good for it!

I managed to collect a small amount of pee from my cat. It wasn't enough to run all the tests the vet wanted, but it was enough to put him on a course of antibiotics. Hopefully he'll improve now!

Hopefully too, my vet bills will start to level out with just the cost of Mistas regular medications. They don't need to see him again (all going well) for three months now!

Anyway, must move!

Another good day for me - I've consumed 1520 calories, drunk 2L of water, and almost everything I ate was healthy.

It feels really good to be eating healthy food, and not over-eating. My body is already feeling better for it.

And tomorrow I want to do it again.

I feel like I should add a little protein to my diet. During the day I get a bit hungry, and I think some protein might fill me up for longer. Any suggestions?

Did anyone watch channel 7 last night and the 10 things u need to know abut losing weight? Like it wasnt stuff we already dont know somehow, but it was good to see the scientific reasoning behind it all. NOW I understant all them soup diets people go on. lol. But honestly you would not catch me eating nothing but soup... blerk. I found it interesting that the stomach was fuller longer after that because the liquid sludged on through not like when u eat then drink and the drink passes straight through therefore yr stomach shrinks down quicker so hungrier quicker. If you didnt watch it u wouldnt get it but anyhow lol.

Lindor I go on my holiday in 6 sleeps and 3 hours. woohooo.

Ani protein is definitely good for keeping you feeling satisfied. You could have hard boiled eggs, cold chicken drumsticks, beef jerkey......

I had a good day yesterday - ate really well and I aim to do the same today.

You're right Vonni, I do get a lot of exercise when I work at the stadium. No cigarette box unfortunately though! That's why I'm so stuffed at the moment - I worked 13 hours on Saturday and 9 1/2 of those were on my feet walking around the stadium and then rushing around clearing tables after a dinner. My day job is sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day so I'm REALLY not used to being on my feet.

I can't see myself going to the gym over the next couple of days so my goal will be to keep up the food diary and make good decisions with regards to food.

.Hi guys sorry i got so far behind with the chat... Leah has been sick since wednesday and saturday night took a turn for the worse ... 40.6 temp that just wouldn't go down despite her having both panadol and nuerofen. and me bathing her with a cool cloth and stripping her clothes off .. rapid and very shallow breathing ... a very chesty nasty *** cough .. it took over an hour at 1 in the morning i might add.. to just get her below 40.. .. She did eventually cool to 38.9 and stayed that way till i took her to the after hours clinic sunday morning...

Suprise surprise... she has pnuemonia ............. ummmm isnt the immunisation she had a couple of months back... the one that made her blow up like a baloon suppose to prevent that.... grrr... i dont know... ... the only thing i do know is im tired... and i cant sleep ... i have been listening to her breath since thursday night .... all night long... every night she was a little bit worse until saturday... when she was ridiculous..

Anyway the doctor gave her an antibiotic i have never heard of.. erythyramican (sp?) and she seems alot better now.. last night her breathing was great...
She is still not eating mind you.. It was her Birthday yesterday..... ( my baby girl is 5 can you beleive it,.... ) and she didnt even eat her own birthday cake... and it was her favourite.... chocolate mud cake....

anyway... just thought i'd pop my head in and explain where i have been .... and to let you know im farless stressed now... my eating has been bad.. but i did go on a 13 km walk on saturday morning... with my little boy Jetty..
ok gotta run. ill be back to catch up on posts later this arvo.... we are taking Nan shopping today... which im really pleased about.. she hasn't asked me in ages.. and i was begining to miss taking her out.... she is the sweetest.. and an adopted nan ....( hubbys Nan .... but i love her to bits... 14 years is long enough to take possesion.... lol)

Poor Leah - pneumonia is terrible (I've had it twice) and it takes a fair while to fully recover.

Vonni I watched that show last night and I thought it was interesting. It was good to see the science behind the 'after-burning' effect of exercise. I also found it interesting to see the difference when that sedentary woman 'moved' a bit more - no exercise, but just moved more through the course of the day.

Julia when I started at Bunnings I went from being sedentary at work to doing a really physical job. Even with doing it five days a week it took me at least two months before I started to feel fit. It's a shock to your body, hey!

I don't think I ate quite enough calories yesterday. I went to bed feeling hungry and woke up starving. It will be interesting to see how my body feels today, and whether I get cravings for anything.

Especially because the next three days at work are my "really heavy" days in terms of lifting and moving stock - I may need to add something to my planned meals. I'll monitor how I'm feeling throughout the day.

This is Day Four and I have all my meals planned. The challenge will be to drink enough water, especially because it's rainy, cold and stormy today - but that's going to be something I really focus on.

Eew! Just heard on the radio that there have been about 20 crashes this morning on various roads around the city, including a 12-car pileup on the freeway. Glad I don't have to drive far to work!