Another good day!!

No cheats on the food. Three litres of water. 500 Step-ups!

I think I can say I am back on track...for now.

Work has arranged a lunch next Monday that I can't get out of. Not sure what is on the menu yet but I will try and be good. I also have the risk of having to go out for dinner one night next week too. Then, there is Melbourne cup lunch at work a little over a week away! All these things that are set to throw me. But I have to stay in control!!!

Leeny, sorry you have been sick again. Maybe get back into the diet slowly for the next week or so, that way you can build yourself up for the next challenge?

Ani, well done for yesterday...hope today was good for you too. I figure seeings we seem to be having the same 'bad' days maybe we can have the same 'good' days? So I promise to try hard at being good every day in hope that it means you'll have a good day too ;)

Alright, well today was hump day with our 21 day challenge, it's all down hill from here!?!? (Hey! I don't make the phrases!!! :lol:)

Ten days to go...we can do it!!!

Now I feel responsible to behave myself, in case my naughty moments send you off track Lindor ;-). I'm feeling sore tonight - very sore, from all that climbing up ladders, and then having to balance on one leg and twist my body so I could reach the corners behind the cupboard with a paintbrush.

But I've been good again today. Slightly less than 1700 calories, and I painted and gardened - didn't walk because my achilles tendon is suspiciously hot to touch and a wee bit achy. But if it's OK tomorrow I will make sure I walk again.

Don't know what to suggest about your Melbourne Cup lunch, and eating out. These are the moments that test us, hey - and where we have to learn that we can eat yummy food made by other people … as long as we don't pig out on it.

Leeny I agree with Lindor. Ease yourself into it, and when we get to doing the next challenge, come along with us. Hope you're feeling better too.

:-)
Ani

Hi girls

Gee you are all doing great:hug: Yes Lindor those luncheon thingos do test us. Remember to drink lots of water beforehand and then you'll be less likely to overeat. Even eat an apple before so that you really feel full. Just have a little bit of everything and don't deny yourself too much or later on you will rebel and blow the whole lot. The next meal you can get back on track remember.

Ani....you must have burnt soo many calories with your painting.Don't overdo the exercise thing if your archilles is sore...no more damage please.

Wheres Britt? She must be busy with baby No.2:devil:

Me...great today. Been fo my walk. Only 30 mins but i did manage a sweat up so that must be good. My friend is so kind and suggested we drive to a more gentler walking spot until i am totally 100% again. I live around all the hills and our usual walking spots nearly kill me at the best of times. So as suggested thanks girls i am easing myself into it but still trying to motivate myself. I feel like I "have it" at the moment. Food excellent, water great. bowels????2 out of 3 ain't bad!!! I will weigh myself on Monday...still not game to and that will throw me backwards. My thoughts are that i will have lost some weight by then and willl have never known the "big" number so thats OK...crazy i know:dizzy:

Keep going girls...you can do it...xxxxxxleeny

Im here - lurking. :)

Will do personals when I get a chance, but tonight will be a late one, so have a lot to do beforehand.

Not back on plan yet - probably tomorrow or Sunday. Freshly baked choc chip cookies invaded our house!!! MIL is home tho, so that will help.

Hope you all are doing well...and better than I am!!!

Britt
xxxx

Forgot to add some good inspirational quotes:

"Courage comes from wanting to do it well.
Security comes from knowing you can do it well.
Confidence comes from having done it well."
Author Unknown

"Life is a mixture of successes and failures. May you be encouraged by your successes and strengthened by your failures."
Peace Pilgrim


Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.
Oscar Wilde

:) :)

Nice quotes Britt ;)

And don't pressure yourself too much this weekend...recover from MIL and get back into it on Monday!

Leeny, thanks for the tips on dinning out! And you are right! I have an apple before I eat lunch most days anyway because lunchtime and the afternoon are my toughest times. I have found the apple helps to satisfy me for the duration!

So...

...Ani? Was your day good???

I had another good day! Water...good! 500 Step-ups...done! Food...prefect!!

What's on for the weekend??

I gotta mow the lawn!!!

I must be nuts! That actually excites me :lol:

Hope we all have a good weekend ;)

Good morning,

Yesterday was pretty good. I walked, ate my calorie limit … but I didn't drink enough water. So today I am going to make sure I drink plenty.

I don't have any exciting plans for the weekend. Lindor your grass must grow faster than mine. I had a look at the lawn yesterday and decided it could go another week before I get the whipper snipper out. I'll go for a walk today somewhere, and might make a start on painting my bedroom. I will see how I feel after I've had some coffee.

Good luck with the weekend everyone.

:-)
Ani

Three litres of water...gone!

No cheats with the food!

500 step-ups done!

Lawn mowed!

And I feel good!!! :carrot:



But...


...what am I going to do to keep myself busy tomorrow??? :lol:


Ani, my weeds grow faster than yours because we don't have the same water restrictions as you do! :p

I still can't believe I actually look forward to mowing though!!! Going to miss that when I move from here into a unit with little to no garden at all :( Maybe I'll have to offer to mow someone elses lawn on the weekends?? :lol:



So? How did everyone else go??? ;)

I feel like a camel - over 3 litres of water today and more trips to the toilet than I can count :-). I had a day off from exercise today - had a strong feeling my leg muscles needed a rest - but I'll walk tomorrow.

Don't you have water restrictions Lindor? I'm jealous!

Had a little incident today. I could hear my neighbour's smoke alarm going off. I had never met her (she's an elderly woman living on her own), but went across the road to see if I could raise her. No luck; so I called the police and fire brigade. Anyway - the short story is that I saved her house and dog (she was out shopping), and the fire brigade had to break in through her roof.

The police came to thank me after all was under control - and a little while ago my neighbour knocked on my door with a beautiful bunch of flowers. How lovely of her :-).

Anyway, good luck tomorrow girls. I plan to have a good day, go for a long walk, and behave myself! Sort of … ;-)

Ani

Wow Ani!! Well done on your rescue efforts!

Of couse if it was me and my neighbours...I'd let them burn!!! :lol:

We have water restrictions...just not as harsh as yours. We can water our gardens every day between 6pm and 9am only, with sprinklers. During the day we can water by hand if we need to. And not many abide by that law either :lol:

I think with all your painting and climbing up and down ladders, you can afford to take a break from your walk. We have done well to come this far, a day off here and there should hurt should it???

I felt my step-ups today seemed easier than normal. I usually do 100 at a time with a five to ten minute break between each 100! Today though I managed 300 before needing a break of about five minutes before doing the last 200! And I did them straight after mowing the lawn!!! Maybe the mowing worked as a warm up??

Despite the start of this week...I am really hoping Mondays weigh-in will show a change! And I hope it is in the right direction!! :lol:

Alright...I have a cat demanding food and I hear my bed calling.

Enjoy your Sunday! ;)

Hi girls,

Well done Lindor and Ani!! Sounds like you both had great days!

And Ani, you little hero, you! :) Im sure that poor elderly woman is so grateful - you can come move next door to us anyday! :)

Well, Im back into it today and feeling so unmotivated. Ugh. Its going to be a busy one too, so that will make it a bit harder to take the time to make proper food for myself, etc. (I like to grab things on the go - mainly carby stuff!) Wish me luck! Have a sore throat today...I swear if Im getting sick again, I will be ticked! Im taking bloody 15 vitamins a day, theres no way I should be getting sick!!!

Anyway, have a great day! What day are we on now?? Id be happy to lose a kilo by the end of our challenge (course, I havent weighed myself after last week...haha).

Check in soon! :)

Britt

I think today is Day 14 … which means we have a week to go. I'm frustrated with my weight - I have stayed between 100.5kg and 99.8kg for the last month. With all the hard work I've been doing it would be so nice to see some results in the right direction.

Hopefully by the end of our challenge I may see a shift - that'd be good.

Lindor - good on you for getting those lawns done, and for the obvious improvement in your stamina. I didn't realise you were going from a house to an apartment. How will that go?

Hey Britt, you can do it. Don't set your expectations too high with the scales - not after all those family visits and yummy foods.

Since I'm up early I think I will go to the markets this morning, and then while I am in the area I might go for a walk along the beach.

Hope you all have a great day.

:-)
Ani

Two weeks down, one week left...for the current 21 day challenge!

I feel great again tonight! 600 step-ups NON-STOP tonight! Again I'll only deduct 500 because I got a tad slow toward the end of them :lol:

I have drunk my 3L water. And I have eaten properly!

I was asked to go into work this evening. The overtime would have been nice, but it would have meant knocking off at 10pm and not having the time to do my step-ups. So I said 'no'. Now how is that for dedication??? :lol:

Britt, I hope you managed ok today. I am a little concerned about you trying to force yourself into this. If you are feeling 'unmotivated' I think it could stir detrimental emotions if you happen to have a bad day down the track. The biggest thing I have learned in this journey is that dieting is not only cutting back food and increasing exercise, being in a good state of mind and being very motivated is extremely important too. If your mind is not in it 100% Britt, don't push yourself :hug:

How was your day Ani?? Did you get to the markets?

Well, I am feeling optimistic about a loss showing on the scales tomorrow (I shouldn't set myself up for a fall should I?).

Good luck with week three people ;)

Weighed in at 80kgs this morning! I am happy with that! ;)

After two bad days earlier in the week and to still manage a drop tells me that I can afford to go out for lunch as planned, and still stay on track for a good week.

So...how did everyone else go?? :)

Hi girls,

Yay Lindor for the loss! Glad you have done so well this week. Im still not game to step on the scales. I would normally agree with you about not pushing yourself if youre not feeling motivated, and would normally give the same advice to someone else. But with me, Im never really motivated until I see results, so I always start unmotivated and then as I start losing, or start feeling really good, etc, I get motivated. Does that make sense?? Ill be fine. Once I get back into it full force, I will be back with you girls! :)

I did really well until late last night. I said we were having a busy one and we didnt get home until 9.30pm and with no food in the house, we ordered pizza. :( I didnt want to skip dinner in case I may be preggers (cant test until next week! Ahh!) and I cant do this until I have good food in the house and I cant shop until tonight, so looks like tomorrow will be day 1 for me again. I cant believe we're 2/3 of the way thru our challenge! Where did the time go?!?

Well, have a great day girls! Am going to try and go walking today, even if food will not be that great (will do as best as I can with what I have!). Will try and check in again tonight.

Britt

Last Monday I was 99.8 - today I am 99.7kg. That's a little bit disappointing - but I need to learn from this. Two weeks have gone in our 21-day challenge, and it seems I am doing something wrong, or at least I am only doing enough to 'maintain' my weight.

OK – the good news is that I didn't gain weight. So with a week to go I think it's time for me to take stock and to really think about what I'm doing. It isn't that I'm not trying - because I am. But the balance isn't right. This week I am going to try and reach the following goals:

• Walk for 10.5 hours (1.5 hours every day).

• Cut back calories to 1700/day.

• Increase the amount of whole food in my daily calorie allowance, and reduce the amount of processed stuff.

• Do situps every day.

• Find 1/2 an hour every day to do more in the garden/house.

• Drink 3 litres water every day.

This is a plan for this week only. I just need to 'tweak' what I am doing until I have found the right balance which will help me lose weight while giving me enough energy to be healthy.

Lindor that's great news about you losing a kilo. What kind of food do you eat every day?

Britt maybe if you set some goals that are non-scale related, it might help. I plan to measure myself again on Monday. It will be 3 weeks since the last time I got the tape measure out - and hopefully there will be a difference.

Good luck with this week everyone.

:-)
Ani

Ani, I wish I could offer some advice hon. Im not sure why our bodies like to hold on to our fat stores when we're trying dang hard to get rid of them! Ive NEVER had so much trouble losing weight until a few months ago when I started wanting to lose it. Its strange - I dont know if it has something to do with having Carter or what, but it sure is annoying. Keep us posted on your progress for the week. Maybe your body just needs a rude awakening.

As for me, I actually do have some goals non-scale related, but really, at this weight, I should be dropping the kilos rather quickly. I know its not neccessarily about what the scale says and I have measured myself, but with 60kg to lose, it really should be about the scale at this point for me. Im not weight lifting, so not neccessarily building muscle and drinking water like mad, so shouldnt be retaining water. It should just be fat loss at this stage in the game. I will not focus so much on the scale after the first 10kg or so or when I start weight training. Anyway, maybe Im totally off base, but I just think that when youre "mobidly obese", the scales will reflect a loss of any kind. I might just have to get pregnant just to lose weight! Hahah :)

Ok, off to do some housework (it needs it!!).

Talk soon...Britt

Thanks Britt - I really value the support of you girls. It keeps me going, even at those times when I want to give up. And there have been a few of those moments…

I know this is going to sound obessive or something, but I was thinking about buying new scales. Normally I would smirk at anyone who came up with that as an excuse – but I wonder if the cheap ones I bought from K Mart are any good. The reason I am thinking this is that my best friend (who is tall and thin) weighed herself on my scales on Saturday, and was 66.5kg. Now she has never been over 61kg in her life. Never!

Another friend says that my scales weigh her about 4kg heavier than she thinks she is … so I'm not sure what to do.

Logically I know that it wouldn't mean I had lost any more weight, but it might give me a boost of morale if I have scales that are more accurate. What do you think?

Britt, do you know how many calories you eat every day? I agree with you that, at your weight, it should be reasonably easy (in theory) to see a few pounds slide off those scales. But if you have hormones that are running all over the place, that might be accounting for things. The other thought I had was to ask you if you've had your thyroid levels checked. I have a friend who has hypo(or hyper)thyroidism, and she finds it really hard to lose weight.

Right - I must get off this computer and go for a walk.

:-)

Hi girls
Back again. It seems the days get away on me...too busy and i have to fight the whole family for a time on the computer. It is a pupil free day here today and the kids have hogged it all day with their games etc. I have just screamed at them to get outside and kick the ball or ride a bike or something...just get outside and let me have a play with "my friends".

Lindor...you skinny thing...you are doing great.:carrot: You seem to have your motivation back again...i am proud of you:hug:

Ani...you go buy those scales. I don't know what it is but if you know your true weight you will feel so much better. I know we shouldn't obsess about the number on the scales but if we are trying to lose it is so important. I weigh myself every day(yes i know i shouldn't) but it keeps me motivated if i see it go down or either work harder if it goes up. I know it could be water weight or anything really but it just helps me stay on track...does that make sense????It keeps me true to myself somehow...

Britt...maybe you are eating too much processed carbs. I cut out all the starchy carbs like potato, pumpkin, bread, rice, cereal, peas, corn, carrots and no sugary drinks for the first seroius month and i lost 10kg. I wasn't hungry as i had carbs in the forms of fruit(except watermelon, grapes..too much sugar in them). I ate Mountain Bread instead on bread every day(for my starch content) or 3 cruskits daily. 2 litres of water, a bit of exercise and 60kg fell off in about 8 months. I didn't count calories(can't be bothered) and every 21 days i had a pig out meal. I could give you a better run down of my diet if you would like...it was the easiest diet i ever did but hard the first 2 weeks as i was used to cereal and toast for breakie instead of some yoghurt/fruit or eggs. Let me know as i have tried so many diets this one made sense.

Anyhow....I'm still on track apart from a biscuit i just grabbed and got guilty so jumped on the computer to keep me motivated. Will weigh myself on Thursday to see if Week 1 was kind to me....behave now girls..xxxleeny

On the subject of scales I went to a fitness equipment supply place and weighed myself - I think my scales are fine. But just because I could, I bought a new set of scales that measure body fat as well as weight. Don't know how accurate they are going to be (re body fat), but it will give me another goal to pursue as I convert some of this flab to muscle :-).

hey Leeny, it's good to hear from you. I was just wondering where you were, and how things are going. Hang in there - I think this journey is harder than any of us thought it would be!

Ani, yeah, I agree that hormones are probably having a lot to do with it. Ugh. Just the thing I need to get pregnant, and just the things thats keeping me from losing weight! Argh! Haha..I dont think you are obsessive at all about the scales. I would do the same if I thought mine were perhaps off. I know they are acurate tho unfortunately as we weigh our luggage on it before going on a plane and their scales always are identical. I only wish it was weighing me heavier than I am! :) It will be good to see your body fat as well...going down anyway! :)

Leeny, when Im on track I dont eat any carbs except for my Weetbix in the morning (when metabolism is highest) to keep my fiber up and maybe a sandwich with wholegrain bread for lunch. And I agree, Im not hungry and dont crave carby things. But, I certainly wouldnt mind seeing your diet in more detail, if only to compare it to what I was already doing. If you want to email it to me (if its easier), [email protected] is my email addy. When I did this same thing a couple of years ago, I dropped 20 kilos (about 1-2 kgs a week) in the first 3 months. BUT, for some reason, my body is holding onto my fat for dear life. The only thing I can attribute it to is my metabolism being stuffed up and needing to get back into gear or like Ani said, hormones.

Anyway, Ive used the last of the sugar in the house (in the form of American brownies for hubby) and will be going to the store tonight to get all my goodies - salad ingredients, veggies, wholegrain bread, etc. <sigh> I know what normally works for me, I just wish I could figure out why its not working this time around. Anyway, I refuse to give up or think negatively about it. I will keep on keeping on and will eventually get there!

Quote for the day:

"If I had my life to live over...I'd dare to make more mistakes next time."
Nadine Stair


Britt

Well, I struggled a tad today, but I knew I would with the lunch thing today. I had kinda concluded this morning that today was going to be a rest day with regard to food control so I am not attacking myself too much for it.

Water was a little struggle, but I did manage to drink my three litres in the last 90mins!! Going to pay for that in the form of 500 trips to the loo over night I am sure!!! :lol:

And I did do my step-ups. I lost count midway, so did 20 minutes non-stop. I think I calculated 500 to be 15 minutes a little while ago anyway. My next challenge will be by time not number :lol:

Ani, I think you have the most stubborn set of scales!!! You seem to be doing everything right - it doesn't seem fair that that is not reflected through the scales! It is good though that you are making positive adjustments and not giving up! :hug:

My food intake...

Breakfast:
A bowl of cereal
A piece of fruit
And a cup of coffee (milk, no sugar)

Lunch:
Tuna and salad sandwich (I use the small tins of flavoured tuna and wholegrain bread)
A piece of fruit

Dinner:

(here's the bit that I am ashamed of :lol:)

A frozen, heat in the microwave, meal of some sort.
And a piece of fruit.

Sometimes I'll throw in a 30g portion of dried fruit and nuts for moring/afternoon tea. And and extra cup of coffe ot three! :devil:

Over the last few days I have calculated that to be around 1500 cals a day.


Leeny, well done for making it back on the wagon. Stick with us, we can all keep each other motivated!

Britt, good to have you climbing aboard again too.

Lets do our best to stick with it and stay as motivated as possible up to Xmas now!!

Hang in there ladies...we can do this!! :carrot:

I gave myself a little bit of a talking-to last night, and then sat down and worked out a few things with my calculator. As a result I have "toughened up" with my weight loss, and faced a few hard truths. I've also been writing in my journal over the past few weeks, asking myself the question: What is it about my life that I need to wrap up in protective layers of fat?

And I don't know the answers yet - but I've been having some really strange dreams … so it would seem the truth is trying to come out somewhere :-). On the outside I am a strong, bolshie woman - never short of an opinion, and rarely afraid to share it. But I know I'm scared of something - maybe intimacy, maybe letting another person in to share my life. My friends are always giving me a hard time about not "getting out there and meeting someone". At the moment I couldn't think of anything worse.

What's this got to do with weight loss? Maybe nothing - maybe everything. In my head I know what I have to do to lose weight - and I understand the maths. So why is it that I often sabotage myself, by having days where I eat like a pig?

Sorry - that was a bit of a self-indulgent waffle for so early in the morning. Are any of you emotional eaters - and have you found ways of dealing with it? I sure don't have any answers.

Anyway I plan to stay on track today. Lindor thanks for sharing your eating plan with me. Don't worry - I often have a frozen meal for dinner too :-).

I hope you all have great days. Walk a little, eat a little and laugh a lot :-).

Hi girls

Ani firstly i love your little ditto at the end of your last chat about the eat and laugh lots...it is too true...i will endevour to do that today. And no you are not self indulgent...it is a good place to say whatever is on your mind. This weight loss game is sure hard and you are right in trying to ascertain "why" things goo off track and why we need our protective layer of fat.

I'll tell you my story(well one of them), I have always been fat...fat kid, hated exercise etc etc. My mum dragged me to WEight Watchers when i was only 9. Looking back that was a bad move on mums behalf but i know she thought she was doing the right thing by me. Soooo 50 zillion diets down the track, some worked for a while but i always find the weight again. When my eldest son got sick when he was only 18 months old and me 6 months pregnant with my second one...i ate and ate and ate. I didn't care about me, my precious baby was going to die. It was my comfort that food(and still is).Until i reached 142kg and still used the excuse that i have so many worries in my life...people can love me for who i am, not what i look like...blah blah...
But i soon realised that i am a better person, better mum, better wife when i feel better about myself...so thats when something clicked and i lost the bulk of my weight.

I still feel overwhelmed by all my problems daily and have to think about being healthy to cope instead of indulging myself with food to "feel better for only a moment" as the long term goals of staying around with my family are far more appealing than the cake. This is my talk to myself today...i hope that helped you girls...xxxleeny

*How to wreck your day*.

• Step 1: Put your gardening gloves on and start weeding.

• Step 2: Feel something brush your wrist inside your glove.

• Step 3: Do not panic - you know you have a wild imagination. You are a writer - sometimes you think things that exist only in your vivid imagination!

• Step 4: Feel the fangs sink into your wrist.

• Step 5: Whip your glove off, shake it - and watch as a jet black arachnid, with a BIG red stripe on it's back, scurries into the grass with a nasty grin on its face, Mongrel!

• Step 6: try not to vomit as the pain shoots up your arm. Grab an icepack from the freezer, an anti-histamine from the cupboard … and try to sound really calm as you call the doctor.

Yep - that was my afternoon!

Grrrr!!!

At least it's a great appetite suppressant :-)

I shouldn't laugh Ani :lol:

But you sure know how word things in a humorous way!

Seriously though...I hope you are OK? I'd probably have reacted much the same way!

One day, when I have the time, I will tell you of an incident which involved me running down the street screaming for help when, in my mind, I had it all worked out calmly!


Going back to your previous post...

What you wrote up there is soooo like me too. I can laugh and joke and be out there with friends...but when it comes to intimacy, I can't do it. That 'guy' I mentioned some time back, nothing came of it. I backed out at a hundred miles an hour as soon as he asked for my phone number!!! Why? I really don't know. I think it comes down to having to love myself before being able to let someone love me.

My hope is that with a slimmer me, I might be able to accept it and believe it when someone says something nice about me?

Am I an emotional eater? YES!!! Usually when I pig out it is with an 'I don't care about anything anymore!' attitude. This is why I say dieting is also a mental challenge. I think it is good that you are also trying to get an understanding of the relationship between your mind and you eating habits.

What you are feeling now Ani, is very much how I felt back at the start...and I still feel that way now from time to time.

Hang in there :hug:

Leeny, your background explains a lot too. Why is it that we think food will make everything better when we know it won't?

Your positiveness is catching too. And you are so right, sticking around for the future is much better then the cake on the plate today. We have to stay positive.



Not such a good day for me today.

I threw in a packet of almonds this afternoon...BLOODY NUTS!!! :lol:

Tomorrow is going to be tough too. Going out to the local chinese restaurant for dinner.

I have done my step-ups (20 minutes...not counting anymore!) and I have all my water.

Someone I haven't seen in a month mentioned that I have 'lost inches' from my legs and thighs! I can only put that down to my step-ups??


Well, I am going to work on a good day tomorrow, then enjoy dinner, and then get back into it full force after that.

:carrot:

Ani!! OMG! I would have died (not from the venom neccessarily, but more from the sheer shock of having been bitten by a redback!!)! I would have used that as an excuse to have a pigout, lay on the couch all day and whinge...haha. :)

Lindor, you and your nuts...haha. Again, I think you'll be fine with your little almonds! :) Sounds like you are doing so well though! Keep it up!!

Well, I did ALRIGHT yesterday, but not full-force again yet. Didnt walk, didnt drink my water and my food, altho not terrible wasnt the best. I blame DH - he was supposed to take the brownies to work with him yesterday and didnt...and if its in the house, Ill eat it, so of course, thats what I did. Not all of them of course, but I did indulge. Ugh. I promise I will get there again - I love the way I feel when I know Im doing things right and healthy. As for the other side of my life, I think Im pregnant again. I took a test yesterday and there was the FAINTEST second line (looked the same as what I had with my first test with Carter), but Im not confident in it yet. Going to wait until tomorrow morning and test again. Ill keep you guys posted. It would be cool if I am tho as I never did get my af (haha) back - that means by the time I have this second bubs, I will have had no period for over 2 years! :)

Anyway girls, have a great day! Will check in later!
Britt
xxxx

Good morning girls – I'm feeling much better this morning. My arm is sore, but aside from that, and feeling a little bit weary I seem to have survived the surprise!

Lindor I don't blame you for laughing … it really is a silly thing to happen. And Britt, there's no way you'd have curled up on the lounge and pigged out - a red back bite shocks your body and makes you feel really sick. I weighed myself this morning and I was 98.6kg (which is 1.2kg lighter than yesterday). I'm not gonna move my ticker yet, because I suspect it was just the shock and suppressed appetite. And I would think some of that weight will be back on me tomorrow.

Yes Lindor - we do sound really alike with our issues sometimes, don't we. I was wondering what happened to the man you'd mentioned. But I understand why you backed off too. Do you think it's about weight and self-image?

It's something for me to work on and learn from. I guess that once I find some answers for myself it will help me with the weight loss, hey!

WOW Britt, if you're pregnant all I can say was "that was quick". You know, if you haven't had a period for two years that would affect your weight loss heaps. I've gone into early perimenopause - and have only had three periods this year. I seriously think it makes weight loss slower, because your hormones are having a full-body dance party. Naughty little hobbits!

Leeny I felt really inspired by the story you shared. It's so tough, and look at how much weight you've lost.

OK – I've got a full can of outdoor surface spray sitting here. I'm off now to go on a spider-spraying expedition… and kill everything that even resembles a redback spider - even the males :-).

Hope you all have a good day. Lindor, watch out for those nuts :-)

Ani

Well, I didn't do too well at avoiding the nuts today :(

Nor did I manage my three litres of water...made 750ml at best :(

Nor did I do too well with the food intake...not only because of the nuts, but also the Chinese meal that I have just got home from. It has been over 10 months since I last had a Chinese feed! I pigged out big time and enjoyed it too!!

I did however, manage my 20mins of step-ups before I went out!

It is a tough week for me this week. My first month in my new job is being assessed this week. I really didn't think I was doing too well, but I have been given many pats on the back for my work...I just wish I could feel more confident about it! Anyone know where they are dishing out confidence by the bucket full???

Anyway, I have an extremely full belly and I am ready to crash in bed.

Tomorrow, back on the wagon!

Lindor, I reckon you're better at your job than you give yourself credit for. It would be wise to think about the positive comments and 'back pats' you've received, and try and take them on board, instead of waiting for that knife in the back. How on earth can you expect to be confident at your job after only four weeks? Or are you secretly Superwoman? Hmmm???

As for your big pig-out on Chinese tonight, it's all part of learning to live a normal life when you've lost weight. It's OK.

I've had an interesting day. Some lawyer sent me a stern letter today, telling me their client is going to sue me for defamation - and that I'm required to print a retraction/apology for something I wrote. Now before you leap to any conclusions about my integrity, and start thinking I'm a dodgy tabloid chick, bear in mind that MY legal advice is that this law firm are bullies and there are absolutely NO grounds to sue. I'm being set up by a couple of people who want to pay me back for exposing some very dodgy financial dealings that they were trying hard to hide!

Life is fun - from playing street-hero one day, falling victim to a spider's fangs yesterday … and now evil journalist who gets threatened because I DARED to speak the truth. Almost makes me want to eat lollies :-).

But I won't … I will behave myself, and do my best for the last four days of our 21-day challenge.

:-)
Ani

Last 4 days of the challenge? Where it did it go???

Sorry to hear you both are going thru it at the moment. BUT, am proud that you are still managing so well under your current circumstances.

Well, either I had a VERY early miscarriage or a dodgy test, because it was negative when I tested this morning and I spotted a bit (which I dont normally do before starting af), but I fear she is on her way. So, not pg this month Im afraid. Ah well, another month to lose some weight and get healthier. :)

Have a good day today girls - Lindor, like Ani said, you need to give yourself more credit. I reckon you are doing wonderfully at your new job! Ani, how are you feeling following your near-death encounter (haha)?!?

Britt

Morning girls

Ani...you brave thing. I was once bitten by a red back and ended up in hospital...rushed by the ambulance, lost control of my bowels, vomitted..not pretty. Given anti-venom and had an allergic reation to that. I ended up in the newspaper...the bloody thing was a female(with lots of babies) inside one of my childrens toy trucks in the sandpit. Bit me on the knee whilst i was playing with the truck(with the kids of course). Thank goodness it was me it got and not one of the kids as they were only little at the time. So take it easy as i know your arm must be sore.:hug: Don't worry about lawyers and stuff...my DH is a journo too so i can relate to "daring to tell all"...some people are just afraid that they will be caught thats all so protect themselves. Don't eat the lollies though...

Sorry to hear you are not pregnant yet Britt but keep trying:devil: you know you want and also that will give you more time to get healthier as well.

Lindor..chinese sounds lovely...i can smell it now. I am imagining the fried rice and sweet and sour something...oohhh....one day...
You also know that you are doing well at your job and if i have said a million times now you are much too hard on yourself. You sound like a great lady who is confident and definitly strong so you must be doing great at your job. Now i am imaging you sitting at your computer reading that and saying "yeah right"...accept the compliment and say "thanks leeny you are right":hug:

Me...off track yesterday..well sort off. Had a major pain the in the tummy so missed breakie..too icky. Lunch was a donut...too icky too. Dinner was a piece of toast. As i said not the right food but definitely not enough food. Still not game to let the scales yell at me...Monday is the day. Today so far great...breaki...natural yoghurt, peach and sunflower seeds...yum. Sitting here with my water and just finished some gardening...i must check my gardening gloves eh ani...

Keep on going girls....you are doing fine...xxxleeny

Hey Leeny, the spider that bit me was female - it's a really nasty bite, isn't it. I feel worse today than I did yesterday - but I guess it's just the poison working through my system.

Thanks for what you said too about the defamation stuff. Honestly (and I'm sure you would know this), people often get lawyer to write "we're gonna sue you" letters, when they really don't have any intention to do so. It's very often a bluff.

My weight loss is going along well I think. I certainly feel more on track this week than I have for the past month. Monday is weigh-in day, and it's also the end of our 21-day challenge, so it will be instructive :-).

Good luck with today everyone. I'm looking forward to hearing how you're all travelling.

:-)
Ani

I will report in later with everything, but I just had to come on now to say two words...







































:carrot: HOUSE SOLD!!!!:carrot:

WOO HOO! That's wonderful news, and I bet you're relieved.

And those really revolting neighbours of yours will soon become nothing but a distant memory.

I'm excited for you.

:-)

Yup, H A P P Y ! ! !

There is one small thing that could cause it to fall through...but I think that is unlikely. Shouldn't get my hopes up though!


Just a quicky...

I have eaten ok today and done my 20mins of step-ups!

Not doing so well on the water though, but I put that down to drinking more coffee at work!!!

Not going to stress over the water too much!


Alright, I need to go to bed. Sorry about the brief post. Will post more tomorrow!

Night! :)


And what is Kathy up too? Hope she is well?

Hi girls

That is fantastic news Lindor...what a relief:hug: You can now move forward and start a new life in your unit...how exciting. Have you got your eye on one yet? Do you have much furniture to move? I'd help you but its a bit of a way to come over...he he.. Great going on your diet too...you must be on top of the world now

Ani...rest your arm you hear. I seemed to get worse as the week went on too and had a terrible sore left on me knee for ages afterwards. Drink lots of water to flush those nasty toxins out won't you:hug:

Wheres Britt and Kathy? Long time no hear from Kathy. She may be caught up in exams again this time of year. Britt...well we all know what she is doing don't we????hehe

Me...good yesterday, today so far so good. Got a bit of sore throat this morning...hoping that does not mean i have another bloody infection, just a sore throat from talking to you guys too much eh? Weekends are my test..anyone else the same? We do so much as a family and seem to be out most of the weekend so food is hit and miss. Even if we are slothing around the house or in the pool, we nibble on bickies and wine etc,,,yum but not good for the diet.

Keep well and happy everyone...xxxleeny

Hahah...Im not doing any "baby dancing" at the moment! :)

Im here - just been busy the last couple of days and havent been feeling too hot. Headaches, cramps, etc. BUT, af still hasnt shown, so I dont know whats going on. Im hoping the spotting I had was implantation spotting (which can happen when the little embryo is nestling in your uterus - funny the things I know, huh?? :) ), but time will tell. Still negative tests, but I fear its still way too early considering Im not due for af until the 30th or so. So, I will continue to wait and see. Anyway, so yeah...thats been my life for the last couple of days. I havent done TOO bad with my eating, but still not 100%. Lets not even TALK about the water - Ive been shocking with that! Its my goal to get back on track with it today tho.

Ani and Leeny, I had no idea red-back bites were so toxic! And the fact that its still making you feel unwell after a few days - I hope I dont ever have to encounter that (well, except for maybe the loss of appetite thing - I reckon that would be a perk for me!). We found one dangling from our laundry ceiling a couple of years back, but none since - not even in our garage. I hope youre feeling better today anyway Ani.

Lindor, I got chills when I read your house sold! Congrats! Thats awesome news!! Now comes the fun part of packing up and moving (ha, ya right!). :)

Leeny, sorry youre not feeling well. I find that weekends are actually easier on my diet as DH is home and he motivates me. During the week when its just Carter and I, its much more tempting.

Ok, well, off to do some more housework - laundry is never done...Wont be on tonight as will be another late one and wont be home until late, but will check in tomorrow!

Britt

Can I have an evening off the step-ups tonight???

I'm feeling really exhausted tonight.

I might try and make up for it over the weekend, I just don't have the energy tonight.

Hi everyone,

We're all sounding very tired, so close to the end of our 21-day challenge. Maybe it's something to think about for our next challenge - that we factor in a "day off" every week. I feel OK this morning, still a little bit sore from the redback … but determined to keep going with my weight loss.

I'm working all weekend, so will have to structure my exercise and food around that. Today I'll walk for an hour, but aside from that will mostly be chained to the computer.

Good luck for the weekend!

:-)
Ani