Hello ladies,

Oh, my countdown to my vaction has started. I need to stay focus on my food otherwise I tell myself your on vacation , eat whatever. I'm going to work out the rest of this week and then saturday it begins.

Hal - good to hear from you. I'm so glad you are feeling better. I agree with you, about the meds, you truly have to watch out for those side effects. I'm so glad the boys are able to visit you this summer. I'm sure just chasing behind them will burn calories. Enjoy your visit. Oh, I did not see that Oprah segment, i'll check the web site and see what it says.

Well today is the day of the move to Perth. I'm on a plane at 19.30. The flight will take around 5 hours and I will get there just before midnight Perth time (and due to start work at 08.30am - won't be a pretty sight and I still need to confirm my accomodation for tonight. Hope that happens shortly.
Then I need to go flat hunting after work. That should be interesting!
It's a very cool morning again here. The natives are complaining bitterly. It only stays cool until about 9.00am though and then it warms up to 20 or so degrees.
Miss Puss is going to be upset tonight as she will only have DS2 for company. She won't be happy about that.

So todays agenda is full, Post Office and Dentist Office as soon as the shops open, then packing for the first couple of months and trying to find some winter gear that will get me through the worst of the Perth winter. Around 14.30 it's off to DB1 for a catchup with him and some NZ friends and a bite to eat. Then to the airport. So I better go do something about it all. I've still got a bit of cleaning to do. I'll get into that now and my coffee is finished so time to go.
May or may not be in tomorrow. I'll be back as soon as possible. Meantime take care.

Oneday - have a great vacation.

Hello Ladies,

I'm back from vacation. Had a great time. Montana and Wymoning are such beautiful states. The air was so clean and crisp. Flew into Jackson Hole, Wy. It was a beautiful ski resort area. From there drove through Yellowstone National Park. The scenery and mountains were just awesome. Driving up the mountains was a bit scary for me, especially being afraid of heights. Luckily, I did not have to do any driving. While driving we drove near a stream that had maybe 10 to 12 buffalo. Hope my picture comes out. Also got to see some elk, deer and a eagle. The eagle was perch up on a tree. Due to the location of that tree, the park rangers would like let you stop or park. My friend drove real slow as I snapped a picture.

Did lots of other sightseeing things. Went to a mountain called Crystal Park and went digging for crystals. Halfway up the mountain, I had to stop for air. Realized I'm not in as good as shape as I thought. Found some but not of any great quality. It was sad to see the mountain side all dug up though... Also went panning for saphires. Found several of those that are of good quality, will have to get them cut down and heat treated. Also found many that were just too small. It was lots of fun though.

Blackie was well taken care of while I was gone. Someone came over twice a day to check on him. He was glad to see me though when I walked through the door.

Took today off to do some laundry and just recoup from my trip.

Good news I think I only gained 1 pound. That is really great considering all the food we ate. I think the digging and all the walking helped out.

Hope everyone is doing ok..

Hi Patty,

I am happy to see you are back from vacation. I tried finding our thread the other day but I was unsuccessful. I guess I need to put in the #19 in order to locate it. I used to live in Casper, WY for five years and I got to visit all the places you mentioned. I totally agree with you, what a breath of fresh air!

HalGal - Great to hear from you again. I am very proud of your success at WW. 15 lbs. way to go! I haven't really been in control these days and one of my friends brought up the 3-day diet. Well I found it on the internet and today is my 2nd day. The Cleveland Clinic put this diet together. It is based on calories and so you are able to switch foods around in case you don't like what they have suggested. The main thing I found out is that I have been eating way too much food and eating just around 950 cal. it was the first time in a long time that I did not have to take anything for my stomach. It said you would lose 5 lbs. in the three days and then you are to go off of it for 4 days and then you could go back on it. I thought after the three days I would continue to count calories like in the old days and see how it goes.

I am also going to Chair Yoga two times a week and still bowling 3 to 4 times a week.

Shad, it sounds like you are a very busy lady. You are always so enthusiastic. We are lucky to have you as one of our posters.

Take care,
Anita

Morning all,
I'm here in Perth on the West Coast of Australia. It's very cold compared to the places I have been lately. I have found a flat to live in, now I need to do a big shop to put some food in the place. I've been having to buy breakfast and dinner lately and it isn't doing me much good.
The job is going okay. I guess I will get used to it. It will be time to go home before I know it.

Patty, glad you had such a good holiday. I love fossicking for gemstones. What do you intend to do with the sapphire when you have had them cut.

I'm back to strict diet next week. I have been slacking now for what seems like ages. I haven't put on much probably because I have walked so much.

See you all soon.

Hello Ladies,

Shad - glad you were able to find a place fast. Hope you brought lots of warm clothing to keep you warm. I need to get the sapphires cut and heat treated. Once I do that and see them then I'll decide. Probably make a small ring. I don't think i'll get anything big out of what I have. I too need to get back on a strict diet. While on vacation, I pretty much ate what I wanted. But after this morning workout, I could definitely tell that I had taken some time off. I'm with you in starting next week.

Nita - tell me more about the 3 day diet. Chair yoga, sounds like fun. I need to get back into a yoga or a pilates class to help with my hamstrings (from just sitting all day). I didn't know you had lived up in WY. yes, it is a beautiful place.

We'll as I said earlier, I started back with exercise this morning and boy was it hard. I still haven't gotten back on my food program. I'm going to join Shad and start next week. I would like to see a 5 to 10lb loss in the month of August. Anyone up for a challenge?

Pick me, pick me. I'll accept a 5lb loss for August. It will be hard, but I'm game.

Ok - got a taker.

Shad - we can do this. You were such a inspiration when you were talking about going to the gym. I finally did. I am continuing to workout, but it's my food I have got to get a handle on. In my mind I know if I workout, I can eat what I want. I haven't gained, but haven't lost anymore either. In July I started working out 4 days a week and still no loss (of course vacation was also in there).

So i'm up for a challenge. I'm getting my journal out (yes, I said journal) and I'm gonna see a loss for the month of August.

Good oh,
I'll work on what I need to do for August and post the plan soon. Meantime have fun out there.

Hello Ladies,

Why is it when you tell yourself your going to start a healthy eating program on monday, you start pigging out today. I have eaten more JUNK then I have eaten in a long time. I tell myself as I"m eating it, we'll your going to start your program on monday. "Go ahead, eat now, eat whatever"... Why do we do that to ourselves?

Age old question that one. I do it frequently when I tell myself I don't need any more food today, or that you have eaten, you don't need more.

Try a form of distraction. Insist to yourself that you go to the bathroom, or need to do some work on the computer or that you MUST go for a walk down the road - anything to distract from the fridge syndrome.

Hi Ladies,

Can I join you for your August challenge to lose 5 lbs. in August. I really need to do this because I have so much more energy when I lose weight.

Patty, you asked me about the 3-day diet. Here is the website: www.3-day-diet-plan.com/ It is sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic. What I like best about the plan is that you can substitute any food as long as the calories are nearly the same. I kept track of what I ate and the total count was less than 1,000 cal. per day. You even get vanilla ice cream--1 cup the first day and 1/2 cup the other two days. They want you to drink black coffee or tea and after the first day I did add my coffeemate but was very good and kept it at 1 tbs. They didn't offer any snacks so I didn't eat them. I did, however, drink a lot of water and ice tea. Actually I felt better these three days and didn't feel deprived. I didn't lose 5 lbs. but I did lose 3 lbs. The good new is that I have kept this off even though Wed and Thurs. I probably ate more calories. It said you could go back on the diet after 4 or 5 days. I just may do that. I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that I was eating way too much food and it is back to the old routine of weighing and measuring.

Chair yoga is a lot of stretching. At one point the instructor has us use two chairs and it is almost like doing yoga on the floor. The class lasts for one hour and afterwards it is amazing how good you feel. Supposedly if you breath correctly you can rid your body of the toxins it has accumulated. One thing I found very interesting is the fact that when I go to bed at night I practice my breathing exercise and before I know it, I am sound asleep.

I am going to start using the machines at the gym and when I am watching TV at night I pick up my weights and exercise my arms.

Okay, ladies, let me know what I need to do!

Have a "super" day!
Anita

For our challenge, I weighed and measured this morning. Weight is at 75.7, so I need to be at 73.7 at the end of the August to meet the challeng. Started exercise as from today and am eating right again. Well, since I haven't yet managed to find a gym and it is too cold and wet to go for a run, I bought some DVD's yesterday on my wander in the city. So I have the dvds, set the alarm clock, got up after a lot of self talk, shifted the furniture and then couldn't get the DVD to work. Can't seem to find out how to get it from the player to the screen. So for 3/4hr I sat on the carpet reading the manual and trying to sort it out. Should have gone and found a five year old - they would get it better than me. Blah! I still have today's exercise to look forward to. Why can't these manufacturers make things easy. I would have thought since everything was set up, all I had to do was to switch the tv to AV1 and then press play on the dvd player. Nothing so simple apparently.

That's my moan for the day. I don't have much in the way of problems to moan about do I?

Gotta go. Time to work.

PS Nita - join us for the challenge - sounds like a good idea to me.

Hi Shad,

I am looking forward to the challenge to lose 5 lbs. during the month of August. My 3-day diet plan was successful and the good news is that after going back to regular eating--however, I am watching my portions--I have not gained back the 3 lbs. I have lost. Since I am going to work tomorrow, I am going to go back on the 3-day diet plan starting Tuesday. It said you could go back on the plan after 4 or 5 days off of it. I think my indigestion has really simmered down and all of a sudden I am not having the pain in my legs I was having. All in all, life is good at the moment!

Looking forward to hearing from our members who have been absent for some time!

Take care,
Anita

Good Evening Ladies,

Think I ate everything in site this weekend... Why? cause the diet starts monday!! Anyway went grocery shopping and got groceries for the week. All good stuff. No junk food, no chips etc. I will weight in tomorrow morning. Hoping to get measured either tomorrow or tuesday.

Shad - I get so frustrated when I have to work with video equiptment. Hope you get it to work. I too do alot of self talk when I don't want to work out. How big of a town are you in?

Nita - WTG on your 3-day diet program. Glad to hear your stomach is doing better. I know when I eat good I don't have any reflux at all.

Cat, Mooz, Hal, Thin - Hope you all are doing ok.