Newbie
 

:welcome3:

I'm an Aussie, but live in the UK. I had gallstones, but they're gone now :carrot: A kind surgeon made a nice big cut across my tummy and took out my gall bladder :dizzy: :smug: So no more gallstones, yippee.

I have suspected PCOS, I've got all the symptoms, but they're all improving as the weight goes down, except the moustache LOL.

I'm off work today too, but am up already, it's 7.15. I am going to try out my new gym again today, and play with the pretty new things, and book a trainer for Monday so I can get a shiny new program done.

Have a happy evening all, I keep forgetting it's morning when you're all finished for the day, it's kinda depressing!

Hey to the newbies...it will be good to get some "man"support(diet wise) i mean. Let us in on some of your secrets(diet that is):D . Well me..doing not too bad...I think I could get used to the "no working"thing but I don't think the bank balance will allow me to do that. I am very impressed with myself today...I cleaned the entire loungeroom...moved furniture, photos etc etc , scubbed the walls and even the ceiling..washed windows and doors. It took me all morning...lots of sweating...has to be a good thing. The fam came home from school and of course didn't even notice:devil: I think i have lost some weight this week...it could be the combination of being more physical at home plus I'm sure some of it is stress related.
My sister is always on a diet as well and has joined a gym and wants me to go with her now that I äm a lady of leisure". The idea is great but I know me and will fizzle out quick sticks I know...been there done that too many times to count.
I don't think any of us have told what sort of diet we are on or what we have tried...maybe yours is better than mine.
Sorry I don't know anything about cars, nor does the hubbie. My man is a brains man..definitely can't change the lightbulb(well almost). Ask him a computer question...no worries. Actually he has just walked in...on my computer again he exclaimed...how many viruses...sh%* woman!!
Keep on going ladies. I am trying to lose as much weight as I can before 28th Feb when I will be doing the Tummy tuck thing as afterwards I am not supposed to lose or gain weight until I have healed.
Be kind to yourselves and I look forward to chatting maybe tommorrow...I spose I have to go and organise some dinner for the üseless boys"...leeny:tantrum:

Leeny, I promise if you come and clean my living room including the walls and the ceiling, I'll notice.

And to the new people, welcome to the group. Its nice to see the number of aussies growing and we can get to know each other better.

I haven't started the biggest loser diet yet, but after seeing the losers results tonite, I'm really motivated.

To answer your question leeny, I'm not on a "diet". I have made a series of lifestyle changes. I don't eat deep fried or junk food anymore, and no longer eat out any more than once a fortnight. I eat lots of lean protein and low GI carbs, and lots of fruit and vegetables. I still have the occasional treat, and have a maintenance break once every eight weeks.

I concentrate most of my energies on exercise. I try to gym it 5 - 6 days a week. I do weight training and cardio, and swimming, and hope to take up yoga soon.

Because I had so much weight to lose (and still do) I wanted to invest the money in exercise rather than doing something like weight watchers (which is so dear here)

Welcome to the Newbies...the more the better right!

So I managed to mow my lawn today...planned to just do the backyard and then the front tomorrow. I ended up not only doing the back, but the front and also the verges in front of my yard!! Took me an hour and fifteen minutes. I should do this more often!!!

Leeny, I am not on any diet plan either. Like kykaree, I have just made lifestyle changes too. I have just cut down junk food and I have cut down my portion sizes. I have increased my fruit and vegie intake and my water intake. I may not have lost much weight just yet (early days though) but, physically and mentally, I have noticed many changes. If I don't lose weight through this I'll still be happy with my other changes.

I do need to increase my physical activity. But I don't have a heck of a lot of time for it and right now we are reaching temperatures of over 40C. I live alone, I work a full time job and an extra job one night a week. I also study part time too. I have nobody to send out to do my shopping, do my cooking or cleaning...I have to squeeze all that in too. Doesn't leave much time. But I am sleeping better (and less) and find I am creating a few more hours in my days...so maybe when it cools down a bit I might get my push bike out.

I really do want to become more physically active.

'night all :)

I found it hard at first. I used to work 12 til 8 shifts (noon til 8pm) and it was quite easy then, I got up at 6, had breakfast, got to the gym at opening time, 7.15 - did a swim afterwards, came home and got changed, and started the trek to work at about 10.15 (it takes an hour and a half to get there)

Now I have a promotion, but I can only 9 to 5 and 10 to 6, it's a bit trickier to do the exercise, and I hate doing it at night. I am a morning bunny!!! So I have changed gyms to one that opens at 6.30, it's 20 minutes towards my journey to work, so I will be able to make it on a 10 to 6 day, and at a push on 9 to 5 day.

I managed to get my personal training program done, it was with a trainer who thought I was a complete beginner, and I had to keep saying "I have done this for a year this is too easy!!" In the end I just took control of the weights and did it myself! So I am doing weight training twice a week on a nicely organised split program, lower body one day and arms the next. On non weight training days I will use the fancy new power plate and do some abs training on the fit balls.

Hi all just bumpping us so we dont get lost,I'm off to work soon NIGHT shift (12 awake shift yukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk)
good luck to all
Karen

You amazing chicks
 

You go girls:) :) :) I wish I had your enthusiasm towards the exercise thing. I did however organise the neighbours(we live in a cul-de-sac) so we all know each other quite well, to have a walk together each night at 6.00pm as it is cooler then and before dinner. I don't feel like I will eat anything and everything after a walk. I won't undo all the good I have just done. I am not much of a gym person. I think it has come from the bad ol days when I was so overweight I felt too self conscious to step into a gym with all the "skinny fit ones". I do know gyms have changed a lot but still not game to go just yet. I'm more comfortable with the girls walking. I live in a very hilly part of town so the walk gets the ol heart pumping and the backs of the legs burning.:carrot: I will only be able to do it for another week though as my "tummy tuck"is on the 28th. I am now getting nervous but it is like the final thing I have to achieve to be successful in my weight loss journey. I'm sure I will be sore.
I was about to say I don't get much time for the exercise either as I work full time(well used to), 2 children,husband,2 dogs, 2 cats, big house to clean. etc etc. My eldest child is disabled so my free time...well none. One good thing about me not working is that I can spend more quality time with him and also for me. Thats enough for the night...need to do the dishes and fold washing..fun fun fun:mad: ...leeny

Well I managed to drag myself to the gym today, and managed to do both a body pump class and a body Jam class. I still hate body jam but it got my heart rate up. Spent the rest of the day in a really cr@ppy mood.

Leeny, great idea involving the neighbours!!! If I hadn't just reported my neighbours to the police for violent tendencies and verbal threats against me and had a restraining order put on him, I might consider doing that too :lol:

I have thought about asking some of my work colleagues if they want to do regular walks, but I couldn't remain consistant on my times as I work shifts - nobody would want to walk with me at 10pm and I wouldn't want to get up at 6am if I knock off at 10pm. I also have not mentioned to anyone here that I am trying to lose weight - I am waiting for them to notice it.

I am thinking that once it cools down and the weather becomes a little more predictable (we are getting some pretty huge storms here in the evenings) I might go for a bike ride at night - after work - or even ride to and from work.

Yeah, yeah I know...I gotta stop thinking and start acting!! :lol:

Just checking agian
 

Just a test as my computer is stupid(or maybe thats me) if my tracker is on yet..sorry girls..leeny

Hi all. I had a busy day, I went into Manchester and went to the.........gasp.......running shop!!! I felt really strange walking in there, but I did it, and I bought some running shoes!!! I had to walk on a treadmill so they could assess my feet, and then go on it with the new trainers. I tried on four pairs, and of course, the best were the most expensive!!!

I went to the gym and tried them out, and I ran for the first time ever!!! I did interval running, so three minutes brisk walking, 1 minute running and repeated for 20 minutes. I'm aiming for 30 on my next training session. My goal is to get ready for my 10k run in June, in London. I am running with YP1 and 2frustrated, who are on the UK Fat Chicks thread.

I love the gym, which is quite scary seeing as I hated the very idea in January last year. I picked a good gym to start, very local, plenty of fat people, and fairly quiet. Now the gym I go to is in a much bigger catchment area, lots of fit people, and a few fat ones, and a lot more professional.

The nights are getting lighter, it's only dark at 5.30 pm now, instead of 4pm LOL:D I can't wait til it's nice outside and I can run of an evening!!!

I want a gym!!!!

You guys motivate me sooo much, but I don't have a gym to go to :(

I want a brand new sparkly gym like Kykaree!!!!

For now...I'll have to make do with going out in the 34C day outside to wash my car. Going to take it to a dealer tomorrow and see what I can get for trade-in.

Have a good day people!

I've just been looking around and explored the chat room here. It was empty :( (Unless I did something wrong and wasn't in fact in there???)

I'm not a huge chatter nor have I had much experience in chat rooms, but I was kinda thinking maybe our little group here could arrange a day and time for a regular get together in the chat room.

Just a thought...what do the rest of us think?




Oh yeah...

*bump* :lol:

I've never seen another soul in the chat room, I've only tried a few times, but i think Suzanne3FC was saying its never used. So yeah, a time to meet would be great! I'll try and fit in around you guys since I have the dodgy time difference!!!

Morning all!!

Kykaree - will wait 'til we get a reponse from others before we set any day/time on the chat thing. I work shifts so can't really pinpoint a perfect time for me, but should be able to appear regularly at any day/time. My shifts might just mean one week here and there where I can not appear.

I got my car sparking yesterday, took me most of the day to wash, wax, vacuum and polish the thing. Almost looks too good to get rid of now :lol:

And I managed to get a dog washed and clipped last night. I am amazed at my energy levels at the moment! I have never felt this full of life (in my adult years anyway)!!!

So it's Monday morning, weight-in day. And I have lost another two kilos!!! Am I starting to see a trend here? I keep expecting that stage where you level out and not lose weight of a few weeks to kick in?

112kgs - 103kgs in four weeks!!! And I am getting close to the 100kgs - it's getting all kinda exciting!!:dizzy:

Alright I am off. Have a good day people :)

I remember when I hit the 100kgs, it was very exciting!!! I jumped and ran around the gym (where I weigh in) I provide fantastic entertainment!!!

Day off tomorrow, back to work Tuesday, then I get measured and my fat percentage done on Wednesday. I do this every eight weeks with the trainer at my works gym. It's always a bit scary!!! He's really nice though. A bit mad - he's convinced me to start running, and he is preparing me for triathlon training at some point. :dizzy:

Have a good Monday and a good week all!!!!

:wave: Hi girls Monday weigh in YES I have started to drop yes yes yes :dancer: :cb: :dance: it was only a 1 kg:goodscale but it is going the right way at last .
The Holden Cruze My hubby said the he has only heard good thing. His work purchase one last week so that sounds goods to me, hope that helps.
Also yes I would love to work out a time to chat with all the Aussies:gossip: :grouphug:

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and are starting your week better than I did. I haven't been posting as much as I would have liked, as I have just been extremely tired lately. I do a lot of reading, but only have the energy for a couple of replies. Well... today my body finally told me that it has had enough and I need to give it a rest. I could hardly think straight all day, which isn't really a good thing when you are teaching 7 year olds. Thankfully a lot of the day was planning time, so someone else had the kids. They were great when I did have them, which helped. I truly just couldn't function. I felt as though I had been awake for 48hrs+.

After a LOT of thought (well, as much as my muddled brain could come up with) and talking with a number of people, including my dietician friend, we decided that I have been overdoing the exercise bit lately. Basically I have not upped my food intake at all over the past couple of months, but I have managed to pretty much double my exercise. I have also increased the intensity a LOT. I have been exercising twice a day, for up to 50 mins a session. No days off. Also, I felt guilty if I was sitting around, so I would always be up and around or going out to walk somewhere. It truly didn't dawn on me that this was a bad thing. I thought I was doing a great job. My weight had been plateauing, so I figured that the extra exercise would help with this. I actually think I was sabotaging my efforts and may have been causing the plateau somehow.

I had blood work done at the end of the school holidays as I was feeling tired all the time, but other than a couple of vitamins being low, all was fine. I've been taking supplements for the low things and still wasn't getting more energy. So, after being tired for WAY too long, I have decided to perhaps listen to my body more. I am off work for a couple of days and I intend on doing NO exercise for that time. I am not sure how I will go with this, but I'm determined to give it a go to see if it makes a difference. Fingers crossed.

Oh, also wanted to mention that I teach with the mother of Kristie on The Biggest Loser Australian version. She is such a wonderful person and seems SO much like Kristie, in looks and personality. I am looking forward to when Kristie comes home, so we can meet and share experiences. I am only watching the show because she is in it. It scares me otherwise. I really worry about the rapid weight loss and the strenuous exercise regimes they are put through. I know that they are monitored, but I still wonder how someone doesn't have a heart attack.

Well, I am heading off to bed soon. I am excited that I will be able to sleep in tomorrow. I have been getting up at 5:15am (5:30 on weekends) to give myself time to exercise and won't need to do that tomorrow. Bliss!

Congratulations to all those losing weight. Hopefully I'll be joining you again soon, once I get my system sorted out.

Take care,:hug:

Zelma

I went to have a look at a Holden Cruze today with my budget in mind and seriously thinking that if all looked good then I'd buy it. I walked in to the Holden Dealership and ask for some information on it, only to be told they are no longer being made!!!:mad:

They gave me information on a couple of other cars and gave me a ball park figure for a trade in price for my car. The other cars they had to offer were like twice the price of the Cruze, so I left really unhappy.

Going to look at a Nissan next...something like the Pulsar.



Anyway, congrats on your loss Karen, so long as it is down it always feels good!

And as for the chat...what is good for you? I am thinking evenings - which day does not bother me?


Zelma, hope you start to feel better soon. In the meantime, enjoy your time off of work and exercise - happy reading!!! :lol:

morning girls
 

Good morning Girls:wave: hope every one has had a good:beach: week-end and a good start to the week.
A time for meeting in the chat room, well as I work a rotating roster 12 days and then 12 nights. It would be better for me on my day shift after 8pm AEST or I will just catch up with you girls:gossip: when I can on my days off, so what ever time everyone else can join is good with me:dunno: .

Great idea the chat
 

Hi guys...I have just finished reading all the entries. it has been a while since I got on the computer. On a bit of a downer with the work thing. I got a letter from the boss and it is not very pleasant(as I suspected)and that has got me thinking "what the **** have I done"...threw away a good job and now I am panicking. Food well...what can I say...i am pathetic. I am walking with the neighbours so I hope that will get me in the right frame of mood. I dare not weigh mysel:devil: f I know it will be up and that will throw me. I will be good this week and then Monday is the day I will weigh.
My operation has been put off for another 3 weeks as well...big long story but I feel a bit dissappointed. I saw the Plastic Surgeon on Monday and well the day got worse and worse.
Anyway I am pleased some of us are on the right track. I have been watching the Biggest Loser...I think they are all great...very brave to bear all on the TV.
I thought getting on here instead of watching the "soapies on TV"and wanting the munchies with that... would be much more beneficial
Anyday or night suits me with the chat thing....I'm the lady of leisure remember:) .I have looked a couple of times and have only chatted once and I think I found one of you ladies there from memory.
Keep on posting guys...it is great our little group is so supportive of each other.:) :) leeny

Leeny, if I was under the pressure that you are at the moment with your boss (or should I say ex-boss), not knowing if, what or when the next job opportunity will come and also the anxiety of surgery in the not too distant future, I am sure I would have crumbled too. As you say you are still walking so I think you are still mentally going in the right direction - everything else will follow soon enough.

So if anyone wants to suggest the day and time for chat then we can get that ball rolling - seems we are all pretty flexable. I think we just need to work out our time differences now. I think evening would be better so that Kykaree can join in from the UK in her mornings as that appears to be the time she does most of her posting (feel free to correct me there, Kykaree, if I am wrong). WA is two hours behind QLD I think, and I think that is the same for ACT? Does that cover everyone?

I am hopeless at making these final decisions so, someone suggest a time and day :lol:

Alright, I may pop on again later :)

I would certainly be happy to chat, but it would have to be evening or Sunday afternoon for me.

I'm enjoying my first day of not exercising more than I thought I would. It is amazing how good it feels to have that pressure off for a little while. I didn't even realise that I was putting myself under that pressure until it was lifted. I will have to ease back into exercise slowly and sensibly.

Leeny - Sorry about the operation being put off, but I am glad that you are feeling good about your exercise routine now. Just think what a huge bonus THAT is and pat yourself on the back for that. Don't kick yourself for the other stuff, cos that will sort itself out gradually too. Oh, also you made the step in the right direction by coming on here instead of TV and munchies. That is deserving of another pat on the back. Little steps... little steps. When I think back to when I started, I think I was making TINY steps, but I managed to come a LONG way. Keep going my friend.

Lindor - Sorry about your choice of car not being available. I hope you find an alternative you like soon. Thank you for the encouragement. I need all I can get at the moment.

Catch you all again soon.

Take care,:hug:

Zelma

ACT is the same time zone as NSW. Im happy with an evening for chatting, any evening except Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, as I'm at school those nights. See Im easy to please...lol.

Good job on everyones weight loss. I wont know how I've gone till March unfortunately, cause I'm weighed every 6 weeks.

Out of Tuesday or Friday evenings...Tuesday is probably better for me. I get more Tuesday nights off in my monthly roster rotation than Fridays.

Anyone else?

Thanks for the encouragement guys...you all are truly inspirational...we should be on the Biggest Loser eh...we are all so great:D Tuesday night for the chat for me is great. Is 8.00pm Qld time (i have no idea what that is other times) good for everyone. Most of us would have had our evening meal by then is that right...someone comment...I am not a good decision maker.
I don't know what happened to our "man"chatter or the other new girl...maybe we frightened them off...hope not. It does seem to be the same ones chatting all the time so it would be great to chat quicker on the chat
Must go to bed even though it is only early...big day today...too much cleaning..I must say I might not be at work currently but my house is getting the much needed clean it needs. Tommorrow is the oven:mad: I'm sure you are all envyous:?:
I am a true believer that "things happen for reasons"and the right car will turn up for you Lindor(is your name Linda). My name is Leeann. Look forward to chatting soon...leeny

If I am correct 8pm for you is 6pm for me and that is fine for me...I don't have to worry about having a family fed or any of that stuff :lol:

So Tuesday evenings it is then? Are we all for that?

And Leeann, my name is not Linda - Lindor came from a chocolate wrapper that was sitting in front of me when I registered here :lol:

I'm fine with 8pm Tuesday , what chat room :gossip: ?????
Just the main one ???I was BAD:tape: yesterday while picking up youngest Daughter from school stop at the BIGM:mcd: (I only got a coffe:coffee2: )to get DD a after school snack(she had just finnished Cheerleading:cheer: )of chips and a:cbg: burger:burger: ,but being a DD she kept giving mum chips and I kept EATING them:yikes:
Hope we all have a good day:dust:

That's seven in the morning for me, some Wednesdays I start late so might be able to join you for a little while!!!

I'm off to bed, what a day. I celebrated returning to work by going swimming before work, bearing in mind that our weather didn't get over 5 degrees today. I got the bus at 6.30 this morning and it certainly was nowhere near 5 degrees then!!!

Then tonight I got to the bus station and my bus hadn't turned up, so I walked to the gym and did my weight training!!! It's the first time I have been and night, and it won't be the last. There are many pretty boys who use that gym!!!

My partner works for a really rude newspaper called Daily Sport, which is not about sport at all really, and one of his jobs is to pick naked women for the paper. If he can look, so can I!!!!! Only he gets paid for it :D:D:D:D:D:D

Oh what a day I've had. I did 2.5 hours at the gym, including a Pump class, 25 minutes on the eliptical, and then a Piloga class. Tonite I popped into target and saw jeans on a sale rack. Seeing as the pants I had on kept slipping, I was actually walking around holding them up, I grabbed 2 pairs to try on in sizes 18 and 20.

I thought, I'll try the 18 on first, be optomistic you know. And OMG they fit, not only do they fit, they are a little loose. And I'm talking real jeans, not elastic in the back fake type jeans. Its working its working. Can you tell I'm on top of the world. And to top it off they cost less than $9.

Oh what a day.

Oh well done Kathy. I don't care what scales say, only when your clothing size changes can you really feel proud of what you have done!!!

And a bargain to boot, you gotta love that!!!

Well done Kathy!!!!!

I'm hanging out for the day I start dropping clothes sizes too. I've lost 9kgs so far and I think I have made it to size 21 now :lol:

Size 22 are feeling loose, but I still can't make it into a 20!!!

And Kykaree, I agree with your statement about the scales. I reckon I lost a kilo on Monday just by getting my hair cut...and that does nowt for clothes sizes or weight loss :lol:

Goodnight all :)

I was a size 24 (which is a 26 in UK depressing that you gain a dress size justby hopping on a plane, I want to go to US where you drop two sizes when you land :D )

Now I'm a size 16 (size 18 here) which is just amazing to me!!! I don't think I have been a size 16 since I was....well...16!!!!

I can now shop in some ordinary shops, one more size and I'll be able to shop almost anywhere. Some of the really expensive shops here only go up to a UK 12 (Aus 14).

Shopping here is fabulous. I thought clothes were really expensive here when I first arrived, but when I went back to Australia two years ago, I found everything really dear. I went to BIB in Myer, and could barely find anything under $100!!!! I used to shop there all the time. And everything was really plain. Here the fat clothes are really lovely, if you shop around.

I went for a run after work yesterday, at the gym. I managed 3 miles in 45 minutes, which I am absolutely over the moon about. My aim is to finish my 10k in June in 90 minutes, which at current pace I am already there. So perhaps I'll need to revise that goal as my training progresses.

I'm going to the gym at work today to be tortured, I mean measured. And my body fat done too. Which means no breakfast til after. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I am such a breakfast girl. I can't function until I have had my porridge!!!

I went to the gym again tonite, I'm getting so addicted, did 30 mins on the treadmill covering 3km in front of Bold and Beautiful, and then hit the eliptical for 30 mins overing 4.2 km. I was soaked afterwards, but I'm still on the high from it. Wheeeeeeee

You are all amazing. It is such a thrill to get into a size you never thought possible eh:) I was a size 24(and just squeezing into that). I remember my mum bought me a pair of shorts for my birthday in size 24...where she even found then who knows...you look beuatiful she said. How can a size 24 look beautiful i screamed back at her. I will help you lose weight she pleaded with me. What size will a buy you next year she said. That statement cut to the bone...I exclaimed a size 12 mum. I hope I will. Well I did get to that size 12 and she bought me a pair of shorts. I have always kept that big size 24 to remind me that I will never be that size ever again..yuk. Unfortunately I gained some of my weight back and am now wearing size 14 and will return to my 12 again. I have so many lovely clothes - all size 12 - I am now a clothes horse. I suppose I always was but who can buy nice ones in big sizes here unless you want to pay zillions.
My walking is still going great...shock. I went over to the neighbours yesterday...she wasn't home...I could have not walked but went back home, grabbed one of the kids to motivate me and the dog and away I went. Good for me. Food wise...not too bad but definitely not perfect. One out of two ain't bad though.
Keep on posting guys, you inspire me to continue...leeny

I just bought me a brand new exercise bike!!! Should arrive in about 10 days.

I tell you...I am an impulsive shopper!!!! God only knows what I will be like when I get down to a decent clothes size! Maybe I should start filing for bankruptcy now?? :lol:

I'm the same, I cant walk past crossroads now without at least taking a look at what they have. I would have bought a dress there today, except it really emphasised my huge shoulders.

On the good news front, I am now cm's wise smaller than my sister. The only place I'm bigger is on my waist and thats by a whole 2cms. Woohoo. We are having a comp between us now to see who can lose the most weight.

Oh, I am most DEFINITELY the same. I know I should be saving money, but I just can't resist buying new clothes. I am simply THRILLED to have so much choice. Luckily hubby doesn't mind at all. I think he is happy to see me so happy... oh, and he also likes it when I tell him to buy something for the computer or camera because I am feeling guilty about all my spending.

Lindor - You will LOVE the exercise bike, I'm sure. I love mine. I was having withdrawal symptoms as I couldn't use it for a few days. For two days I was now allowed to exercise (strict instructions from my dietitian friend) because I made myself sick by over-exercising. Took me a while to realise it, but I was thoroughly exhausted on Monday and could hardly think straight or function properly at work. I thought about it (as well as I could) and talked with a couple of people and we decided that I had not upped my food intake at all, but had doubled the time spent exercising and had seriously increased the intensity of the workouts. Not a good combination for keeping healthy... or losing weight. My weight had plateaued and I was compensating by exercising more, which was only sabotaging things. Oh well... you live and learn.

Anyway, after a couple of days of no exercise, no work, no nothing, I felt more awake than I had in months! It was wonderful. Then my body decided to rest a little too much and a virus that it had obviously been fighting off for a while took over. So I had two more days off work to get over this thing. Not pleasant at all. My throat felt like I had been sucking on sandpaper, and after talking it felt like I had been swallowing razor blades. I had NO energy and just wanted to nap. I am a little better today and was actually able to exercise again, but far more moderately. I was SO looking forward to it, whereas for a while there it was becoming a chore because I was pushing myself WAY too hard.

Anyway... getting back to my original point... and taking the LONG way to get there... I do believe you will enjoy using the exercise bike. I watch the news every evening while I workout. It makes the time just race by.

Kathy - Well done on the size decrease. I don't have a comp of any kind with hubby, but I was so thrilled when I finally weighed less than he did. Now I am about 10kg less, which is just great. At target I may end up around 20kg lighter, as long as he doesn't go and lose weight on me. I even tried on some of his trousers a while ago and they fit! That was pretty good, because I would have hardly pulled them over my knees even 6 months ago.

I look forward to hearing when the chat is. 6pm should be OK, although that is dinner time, so will have my mouth full while we are 'talking'.

Take care all,

Zelma