Woo Hoo! I have finished day 15 of push-ups! 10 in a row this morning.

Yesterday was day 2 for calorie counting - 1313 total.

Mez - so sorry to hear you are ill. I hope you feel better soon

Silly Fluff - day 20 over and done with? You are almost there - hooray!!

CurlyLocks - way to go! again, i am so NOT a morning person. Hmm, exercise helps you sleep well? Another benefit

I can't wait until I have a pause day available! I hope to not have to use one, but it will be nice to have, *just in case*!

Fish, you do get one pause day during your first challenge, maybe you've already taken it and I haven't read far enough back.

This monkey also fell out of the tree yesterday. So now I'm on Day 14 again with one rest day left. I sure did love all that crisp, wonderful sauvignon blanc. Not so keen on this morning's little headache, or the entire box of Kraft Dinner I inhaled to make it (the head) go away. I don't know what I was thinking - I wasted a pause day with no chocolate consumption. The whole mental process of trying to lose weight really fascinates me. It's like there's a little switch in my brain that snaps off my ability to reason whenever I get below 200 or hit any other target.

Time to head out - I need to do a few things to prepare for the post-op siege. (Yes, I know I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but I've never had surgery before. Besides, if you saw my nose you sure wouldn't be thinking molehill... not that it will be any smaller after, just more efficient.)

Hey Carla, you make me laugh! I hope everything goes/went well with your nose!
Everyone has been so busy here, Red, I am amazed at how well you cheer us along. Thanks for all your time!!
I have a tiny bit of good news, I've done sit ups 2 nights in a row. But I'm still not on my challenge. Slowly but surely I guess. I hope to get a lot accomplished today, and judging by the mood I'm in (good) I will finally complete day one, eat well and feel good! Have a great day everyone!!

Oh Geeze, I flubbed my first challenge completely only made it 6 days than *things* happened...I had a terrible allergic reaction to steroids and blew up like a "red balloon", I think my neck grew 3 inches in 3 hours....I had conjunctivitis in both eyes and they glowed in the dark too. Since I was puffing out like a blowfish I hid in the house one day and wore nothing but sweats and went to the store in giant sunglasses. But it was a nice excuse to vegetate...I hit BedBath& Beyond and the nice bookstore with a cafe...where I observed regular people conversing and interacting (I will be back there when I look normal to see if I can locate Mr. Acceptable with 1/2 a brain).

Many thanks for all the support and I didn't take the slight from the idiot. I called his number that evening (got voicemail of course) and left the following ...."How DARE you think you can WASTE MY TIME? Do me a favor and lose my number" ...(apologies if I already said this, but this thread is way too long to check back).

and my nails still look very nice so it's not a waste. Now I need to lose the allergy.

...So I have to start again...Tomorrow's as good a day as any...Coach-Carla cracked her whip and said not understanding completely was no excuse.....I'm going to tweak her nose. So what's this about a *pause* day? Do I get a break if I can't exercise?

OK,my first 21 day challenge is going to start tomorrow....10 mins. of wts./cardio every day for the first week, the 2nd week adding on time daily. extra water every day to help flush my poor body. And de-stress every night with stretching and/or some Pilates.

Carla be sure to post a picture of your post-op nose...or the cat's nose! Good luck tomorrow, don't worry you won't know what they are doing, you'll be asleep!

I've stopped beating myself up



and am back on the rails again. Theres only 8 days to go for heavens sake.

I did salvage some of yesterday by not eating dinner last night and only having 1 (first of the season) mango which was I might add indescribably good. Slobber, slurp.

Oh yes and because I hadn't heard from the doctor about the results of my test, I presumed I was indeed a modern day miracle and decided to phone for the results. Not only am I not in the running for type 2 at this point but my blood sugar levels have dropped from the last time when they were hovering on borderline. Blood pressure is perfect, iron and trace mineral levels spot on. Cholesterol within limits (that's good too because it was a bit high last time). Therefore at 56 years of age I am completely amazing!!!!! Gotta blow my own trumpet, the cat doesn't and won't and there aint no one else to do it!.

Red - at this time we have no plans to visit Tokyo. I haven't exactly seen the timetable yet, but I understand there could be a couple of days where my friend is either teaching or at the hospital for most of the day. It's possible I could get lost on the stations of Mizunami and Nagoya and end up in Tokyo (or Hiroshima, or Takayama) on one of those days. However, Chris tells me she is setting up a timetable so we both know what days are good to go and what days we get to stay in them thar hills. So when I've figured that out, I will let you know what gives.

Marbleflys - so sorry to hear of the bad reaction - well both of the bad reactions really. Good for you giving the idiot the big E. How bad mannered can you get! Life is hard enough without having to put up with the idiots as well.

Carla - ooooooh crisp Sauvignon Blanc - aaaaaah that tasted good. Montana in NZ make a marvellous one. I could go on and on and on and on and on. Let's face it I just did. Lucky there is not a bottle shop around here. I might be tempted.

Silly - don't let those idiots put you off - geez am I getting stuck into the idiots this morning - you are out there to help yourself and get fitter and better with each passing day. My stock reply is a corrupted quote from the late and great Winston Churchill. "I can lose my weight, but at the end of the day you will still be dumb and thick". Actually Winstons quote went something like " Madam you are ugly" She replied " Sir you are drunk" to which the rejoinder was - " Yes but I'll be sober in the morning." Do not let these thickos get in the way of your goal. Do not let them beat you into submission - you are worth the effort you are putting into getting yourself into shape.

Chaps - you are doing well. If it helps to fool the brain, trick the body etc by posting in the morning then do it. Whatever it takes I say.

Okay, time for some serious work. Time to get the brain into gear for the convolutions of government edicts on Payroll Tax. Can't wait to get back to private enterprise.

Have the most wonderful day. It's Friday 8. hours to go to the weekend.

Day 12 done

Hey guys, just came across this thread, kinda new around here.
Contemplating my hardest 21 day challenge!!! I am the diet soda queen.
Can I last 21 days without diet soda,! I will need one of those pause days (have a brothers wedding reception to go to)
!!!! CAN I DO IT????
Just gonna grab a soda and think this out! because tomorrow.... well its gonna be day 1!!!!!!!!!

icedragon -- You CAN do it!! Just make iced tea or something without sweetener, iced herbal teas. You don't need the soda. Or drink fancy Perrier or something if you want the carbonation! You will cheer for you!! Hope to see you starting up!!

Day 14 in the bag. I have exactly 2 hours left before I have to quit all food and fluids until tomorrow afternoon. Yikes! What will I do without my morning caffeine! I don't think there'll be a post-op photo for you: I still have no idea how to downsize pics to fit. I suppose I could impose on curly again, since the whole point is to entertain you all. I won't be posting much at first as I won't be able to wear my glasses. I'll borrow a magnifying glass to help me read what y'all have to say, and if I squint really hard I can manage with my bare eyes.

Marble, coach carla will be watching even if you can't see/hear her. I'm sure you'll bounce back (or should I say rebound?) from the joy of poison ivy soon. You're really setting yourself a pretty tough challenge. Maybe too tough? Of course my challenges are too easy, so I'm not the one to emulate.

Red , I just did the math and 75 kilos isn't all that bad. Especially since, from what you've said, your feet may account for a good 10 of those kilos. (A definite case of Bigfoot calling the kettle....what? a Yeti? Patapouf? Clown shoes?... can't quite figure out how to end that analogy.) So I'm wondering if you succumbed to the siren song of after-work party time or not. I know what I would have done. Sigh.

Welcome Ice! You'll have fun here.

Mez, get well soon. We miss your lovely fluffy posts!

Speaking of fluffiness, I don't know what I'd do about those boys who pick on you, Sillyfluff. Maybe borrow a large dog from someone and have it growl at them? Just don't let them make you stop!

Shad, what type of mangoes do you get? My favourites are those smallish yellow ones with a lot of flesh and not such a big stone. Ambrosia. My favourite fruit, especially with a drizzle of fresh lime. As for sauvignon blanc, we actually have some not bad ones from right here in Ontario, and of course with my help ,they've been doing really well. I used to like chardonnays until it became popular to steep them in red oak - instead of a nice clean finish they were all buttery/vanilla-y and gross. So I looked around and ended up with the SB. We get a fair amount of imports from NZ which I also enjoy.

Thanks to you all for your encouragement and good wishes for tomorrow. It will probably be a lot less awful than I'm imagining at this point.

carla! It's only noon here and I will probably give in to the siren song. It's the money that's stopping me. ...I have the pause day...well, not anymore because I kind of decided it was today or no...the poor kid is here...he's turning the BIG THREE OHHHHH!!! and I just gotta take him out....what are big sisters (borderline mothers) for?!?!? Heh, it's 73 kgs! not 75 and it's bad all right, minus the big feet AND big head and considering there's only a little over 5 feet of me, well, a lot less without the head and feet!! I've GOT to get this fat off. I am sick of the hulk look.

Well, best of luck with your surgery, really. The caffeine thing (lack of it) would be absolute **** for me. Hope you can get through the headaches. They'll probably have you on painkillers soon enough anyhow. Well, hurry back and post. You can just type blind. We can figure it out...maybe...well, take care!!

Hey Carla, will you be back and fit for your birthday?? We can enjoy some cyber cake - no calories there or carbs or fat or....... Do you drink the Icewein - Isewein - isevien can you tell I don't know how to spell it? I had one glass when I was in Toronto 2 years back - now they are talking about something similar here in Aus WTF? It doesn't get cold enough in any of the wine growing areas here. They'd have to plant grapes at the top of Kosciusko and then the skiers would complain. Don't the grapes have to be frozen for a period of time??

Mangos - well in my opinion Bowen mango are the best - stringless, large, juicy, flavourful etc. I don't think I have tried the Ambrosia. At the moment we are getting Northern Territory mangos. Next will be the ones from Mareeba and then they start to arrive from further south - Bowen etc. The season now stretches from October to about Easter. Yum Yum.

Gotta go. Hope everything goes well for you and the nose.

No, Shad, I don't drink much Icewine. It's very sweet, and very expensive. But it is good. I'm not sure exactly how cold the grapes have to get, but they do produceit in Europe too, and it's not that cold there. And by the way, it's October 5th here and still warm and gorgeous out. Around 25C today! Very unusual, and much less muggy that all summer, so we're all enjoying every minute. Meanwhile, in Winnipeg Manitoba, there was a blizzard today. So winter is literally around the corner. And the mangoes I like aren't called Ambrosia - sorry for the confusion. I don't remember what they're called, although it does begin with an A. I jsut meant that they're like ambrosia to me.

Red, I'd forgotten you had a head to match the feet. Enjoy the evening of drunken debauchery. Just remember you have a whole week to get thru. Are you sure you want to blow pause day number 3 already? (I know I was tempted to use pause day 2 today, but didn't want to deal with consequences tomorrow.)

I will be around, probably tomorrow aft if all goes well. And I can manage quite well without glasses as long as everything is in large bold print...

Nighty-night, don't let the bedbugs bite!

Yeah well, it is October 6 here and 36C and blustery and very dangerous fire conditions. It's not humid - praise the gods - yet. I think we just skipped spring and went straight to high summer.

I guess it's good I made this challenge so simple, I have a feeling today is another majorly busy day. Alot of things going on at work, so that sucks big time right now, if you're a spiritual person say a few prayers for me. Yesterday wasn't a good day as far as work goes.

Welcome Icedragon, do tell about the nic name??? I'm very curious.

Sorry it's another fast one, I'll catch up this weekend, hopefully.


Take it easy,
Lisa