The scales say what?!

Summary of last week

2012-01-10T00:15:00.000+11:00

Made big changes. Felt amazing and am so proud of my efforts as they paid off....

On the scales! YAY!

I am down to 92kg so that is a loss of 3kg!!!!!!!!

Very proud!

I pushed out 20Km total on the treadmill last week spread over 4 x 40minutes sessions (5km each session)!

I ate well. Healthy. Clean. I said no to bad things and replaced them with healthy and yummy alternatives.

And tonight when I didnt want to exercise as I was hot ans tired, I did it anyway and beat my PB time and completed 5km interval training in 38min and 12sec!

Cant wait to see more success!

Measuring up!

2012-01-02T23:58:00.000+11:00

So today was a great day.

I did lots of great things.

1. Ate a healthy breakfast
2. Drank lots of water
3. Did 5Km on the treadmill and then 10minutes on the spin bike (my legs were dead)!
4. Wrote out a good list of things to do to kep me busy when I feel hungry
5. Didn't eat fastfood
6. Said no to chocolate cake and icecream!

I also took all my measurements today:

Chest- 110cm
Waist (smallest part)- 99.5cm
BellyButton Measurement -115cm
Hips- 116cm
Thigh (widest point) - 73.5cm
Calf (widest part) - 45.5cm
Upper Arm (widest part) - 38.5

Will measure at the begginning of each month and weigh in every Sunday (weekly).

Wanting my SPARKLE back!

2012-01-02T01:09:00.003+11:00

It's been a while.

I lost my sparkle....

But I want to find it again!

Life has gotten in the way of me blogging.
Not always in a bad way, but a way that has made me time poor.

So it's been almost a year...I have worked full time the last year, planned a wedding, GOT MARRIED! YAY and put on weight (no point hiding anymore).

New Year's Resolution for me last night was to spend more time on myself. That means look after myself and spend time doing what I love doing and that is writing.... it keeps my hands busy and away from putting food in my mouth! So expect to see more ~~of me~~ from me (I want you to actually see less of me as I shed some weight)!

So before I show you some wedding photos, I must tell you that I am the Queen of weight gain and have managed to put on record amount of weight in the last year. I yo-yo'd my way through the year and ended up getting back up to 95kg (just weighed myself). That comes from getting a coffee and 2 hashbrowns from Maccas every morning before work, eating a cheeseburger in the car on the way home from work, constantly eating all the lollies from my lolly jar at work and drinking wine almost every night! Awful habits really but I am here, being honest and wanting to change them.

Here is a picture of me taken a week a go at Sea World on the Gold Coast, Australia

I feel pretty disgusted with myself.
My life with my husband is suffering as I have no self-confidence and hate him being near me as I hate my body (sad face) so that all needs to change. We both deserve more and so does my daughter.

So tomorrow I will:
1. Get up, eat a nutritional breakfast and drink water
2. Put on my joggers (look like exercise, feel like exercise)
3. Take my daughter to the parkand run around withher and burn some calories
4. Eat small portions of low calmeals - no bread, no butter.
5. Not stop at any fast food restaurant
6. Drink no alcohol
7. Make a shopping list of the good stuff!
8.Finish the day with a 30 minute walk on the treamill.

Sounds like a plan!

But on another note....to finish off this blog post.....here are some pictures of me on my wedding day (below).

I was 84kg that day. I have put on 11kg since the 1st September (exactly 4 months). That is terrible!!!

But I loved my wedding day and I want to add that Sparkle back into our lives that I had on the day.

Looking forward to the year I get it back and sharing my journey with you all!

Juggling

2011-02-12T17:21:00.000+11:00

Can anyone do it?

I am having troubles.

Monday & Tuesday....

I start my week well.

I have energy.

I go for evening walks.

I eat well.

Then the other days come.....\

I have no energy.

I can barely juggle and keep all the balls in the air.

Healthy eating is the first ball to drop.

Exercise is the next.

Then sleep.

How do people do it?

How do I put me first?

I need to work something out quicksmart!

Sunday Weigh In

2011-01-23T07:47:00.001+11:00

YES! I lost weight! Granted it was only 1kg, I am still very appy about it.

I have only made a few small changes this week bt they worked. I cut out TimTams (do they have them in America? If not then consider yourselves lucky that TimTams is one less temptation for you to not worry about), Increased my water intake and always made sure I had a bottle with me. This really helped keep hunger away.I started eating breakfast again to get my metabolism going in the morning and stop the high sugar cravings mid-morning.

So today I weigh 83kg. YAY!

It gives me super powers!

2011-01-19T18:39:00.001+11:00

I get an extra burst of power when it comes on and I all of a sudden want to run faster or start jumping around the house dancing.

I am talking about this song...

If you haven't seen the video clip make sure you watch it. The girl who feels self-conscious about jumping in the pool at the party, well I can relate to her, maybe we all can at some stage of our lives.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement already girls I have a great few dayseating well and trying to do as much incidental exercise as possible to build up my activity levels.

Please yell at me.. I have been bad!

2011-01-18T00:18:00.000+11:00

I disappeared for a while because...I felt like a failure :(

I stopped blogging because I stopped being healthy.
I stopped exercising.
I stopped weighing myself.

I gave myself a free pass until New Years Day thinking I had 2 months then to hit it hard for my wedding dress fitting and be in fabulour shape so I could order the size I wanted.

Well it hasn't turned out that way and here is why...

My dress wasnt supposed to be ordered until end of February but the week before Xmas I got a phonecall saying I had to come in straight away for a fitting as my dress was being discontinued.

I had not begun working on my weightloss as my wedding isnt until September and I thought I would go for broke in Jan and Feb to order a dress that is closer to the size I want to be by September. Anyway this threw a massive spanner in the works as being Xmas and party season I had put on weight.
So I went in and got measured and the lady was adament that I should order the size I am now or bigger as with my dress there are no side seams to take it out. It is a slimline dress.

She said I should order a size 14 and it can always be taken in up to 2 sizes without the bust line and stuff starting to look strange. I said that I was definitely going to lose weight and that I have actually lost 20kg over the last year and that was just for a friends wedding. I still have another 15kg-20kg I want to lose.

She said so many brides come in and say they will lose weight but most dont so we would STRONGLY advise you to order the size 14.

WAY TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A FAILURE STRAIGHT AWAY....

My dress wont come in until July so I have until then to kick my fat goodbye. Between going back to work full time, raising an almost 2 year old and planning an overseas wedding, I am sure I can get a routine going and lose it. and I will show that bridal shop lady that she was WRONG!

I need your help guys...I need you to help keepme on track. I will be reading your blogs and making sure I update mine. I am getting back to regular weigh ins.

Today I weigh 84kg. (Sad)......but next week I will weigh less because of the hard work I will put in from now.

Feeling Deprived???

2010-11-04T16:11:00.001+11:00

Well don't do it to yourself!!!

I am serious....

I got fat because I ate a lot of crap! Then I woul go on some crazy diet and after 2 weeks I couldnt handle the deprivation anymore. Yes, maybe I was weak but I think it is more because I wasnt living! I would then binge on the crap that I desired and then put on more weight. Was not a good pattern....

Deprivation is the downfall of all diets.

You can have a small portion of dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth and still stick to your diet. You just don’t want to eat a large portion, or more!

Many people find foo pleasurable and unavoidable. I don't know anyone in my family who doesn't like food but Weight Watchers was one of the places that helped me to understand that I could treat myself but not to overindulge.

After all you can't stay on a deprivation diet forever. Life changes, sometimes you cant be in control of what is served up or on offer but you can control how much you put in your mouth and how often.

You can create a diet that lets you eat a lolly once a day or once a week. Maybe you can have a small dessert after dinner or lunch. For me I love jelly (low cal variety) but occasionally I will make myself an icecream in a cone for dessert.

This will help reduce your cravings for it and therefore reduce the risk of a binge.
I have managed to reduce my weight by not cutting a single food out. I have been able to stick with this lifestyle change for over 12months and am still continuing to lose weight. You can do this. You just have to be sensible and stay in control.

So make a good choice of what you include in your diet because if you want it to be a lifestyle change that you can stick to, then you should not cut anything out.

Progress Pictures from 104kg to 79kg and counting down

2010-10-30T22:02:00.001+11:00

Here I am at my heaviest - 104.2kg

This is just scary.....

This is me at my half way point of 85kg

This is me in Fiji at 77kg.

Here is where I want to be my wedding in September 2011 - 65Kg

But this is me NOW and I am pretty happy with what I have achieved so far.

10 months to reach my final goal I know I can do this because I have done all of the above in the last year. Positive thinking, hard work and dedication is what it is going to take!

To see your weightloss through a virtual model, visit this link.

Lifestyle changes with friends

2010-10-24T08:41:00.000+11:00

One of my best friends and I have just started taking advantage of daylight savings time here and going for a walk together for an hour twice a week in the evening.

I can not tell you how good it is to walk out the door at 7pm and have time to myself, to breath the fresh air and have some mummy free time with my best mate!

We walk a good pace (my dogs make sure of that) and chat as well. The exercise is the added bonus and that's what a healthy lifestyle is...making changes that are healthy and that dont seem like a chore to do.

All of my small changes have given me fabulous results on the scales theis week.

I am now down to 81kg.

16 weeks left to lose 16 kg!!

Look at my changes!!!!

2010-10-17T08:55:00.000+11:00

Okay, so although they might not be massive, they are there.

And I am not only talking about the changes to my blog, but also changes to my life.

After a BIG MOMENTARY LAPSE OF CONCENTRATION, I have managed to make some changes to get back on track to becoming healthy, looking hot and feeling great!

You know it all comes down to mind frame. I am still disappointed in myself for how I let all my exercise and healthy eating habits go for the last 7 weeks but that is the past. The most important thing is not letting those bad habits go on forever. That is when I run into problems.

SO what have I done this week?

Walking - 4 times this week
Stopped eating icecream, chips, chocolate and stoped drinking juice.

Obviously these small changes have made a difference as the scales are now saying 83kg So that's a 1 kilogram loss which I will take especially after the gains I ahve had the last 7 weeks!

Plan for this week

I have organised with my best friend (who is also one of my bridesmaids) to go walking 2 nights a week. It's daylight savings here now and the weather is warming up (well not today, but it has been).

5km of Interval training on treadmill 2 nights

Drink 2 litres of water a day

Eat breakfast daily

Hope that everyone has fantastic losses this week.

Nervous about weigh in

2010-10-15T19:01:00.000+11:00

I havent weighed in and seen a loss since before I went away, but I am hoping that this Sunday will be the day the scales go down!

I need to head in the right direction so I can meet my goal. I have not been so good with my eating lately but have gotten back into exercise with walking 4 times this week. Hey, its not much but its a start. So let's see how we go.

Going to do some renovations on the blog this weekend with some new goals, timelines and also put in my gains that I have made over the last month and a half. Notcool to be putting in gains, but I pride myself on having an honest blog and telling you about my 'goodness' and my 'badness'.

Hope everyone else has had good weeks. Will be checking up on you all this weekend!

I found it!!

2010-10-08T21:05:00.001+11:00

Okay, I havent blogged.

We all know that there is one reason for not blogging (an no its not the excuse of no time, been busy, wedding planning, etc). Plain and simple I have been lazy.

My treadmill hasnt been touched in weeks and some ~~highlights~~ lowlights of my diet this week include banana paddlepops, cheese twisties and a frozen coke (among other foods)!

HOWEVER

I have HUGE, ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC motivation now!

I found my wedding dress today and I am going to share it with all of you.

But shhhhhhh!! It's a secret!

Front & Back.

I am getting it in Ivory.

I think I am going to write a post all about body image and the experience of it all.

I have until February to lose most of the weight I want to lose then I will be fitted and what ever sie I am will be ordered. I will then have a dress size either side to move. Hopefully move downwards!!!!

So I have 4 months to lose at least 15kg!

That is the goal!

The Challenge!

It is on!!!

IN A MAJOR WAY!!!

Oh and did I mention that this is where I am getting married?????

We have all done it right??....Time to get back to reality!

2010-09-26T21:02:00.000+10:00

You reach a goal, you relax, you have a few extra wines, some extra nibbles, you stop exercising and before you know it you are way off track!

It was time for me to weigh in tonight and face reality after not getting on the scales for 3 weeks.

I am now 81kg! I think I have put most of that on since I got home to be honest but I need to make some changes, own that weight gain of 4.5kg (how someone gains 4.5kg in 3 weeks I will never know!!!)

Got big plans a head and new goals to set. Will keep you updated!

The Proposal

2010-09-22T14:09:00.000+10:00

When my other half and I first got together, things were going quite well.Future plans came up in talk (as they do) and he said to me, "We'll get married in 10 years."

Ha ha ha ha!What a funny joke (I thought).

Little did I know that he was serious.

There have been many opportunities for him to propose to me over the 9 and a half years we ahve been together. Many times, I have kind of felt let down that it didnt happen. I didnt want to pressure him (he hates pressure) but I also wanted to be married. "One day we will get married" and "soon" were his favourite responses when being questioned by me or any others who dared to ask.

So when the time came to go to Fiji, I did think in the back of my head....maybe he might propose (but I didn't want to get my hopes up so I decided not to think about it and enjoy my holiday).

On our last night in Fiji, we got my mum & dad to mind our daughter for the night and we went out to a gorgeous restaurant with the best food I have ever tasted in my entire life called the Flying Fish. We had the most romantic table.

This is a picture of the restaurant

And this is the table we were sitting at when my other half proposed.

except it was night time and all the table now have umbrella's in them.

We had just finished our main courses and a bottle of Moet when I was left to look at the dessert menu while someone went to the bathroom.

Me being my nosey self saw other half going the wrong way and was pointing towards the opposite direction to where the bathrooms were at (didn't realise at the time, he had no intention of going to the bathroom but instead was hatching a plan with our Fijian waiter).

So here I am busily studying the dessert and coctail menu when he walks back over, gets down on one knee and asks me if I would do him the honour of being his wife. Of course he said a lot of other things but it is all a bit of a blur. I said yes and grabbed him up for a kiss and cuddle.

Then the Fijians all came over singing this celebration song to us and bought with them the cake.

I was so overwhelmed and everyone in the restarant clapped afterwards.

It was one of the best nights in my life only to be matched by the night our daughter was born..

So here's to wedding planning, more weight loss and plenty more good times ahead!

I wore this dress!

2010-09-17T15:33:00.000+10:00

Thank you for all your congratulations on my engagement. I am still buzzing!

Once upon a time, there lived a girl without any dresses in her wardrobe. She wouldn't be caught dead showing off her legs and just could never find any dresses that would fit.

Then as confidence grew as weight stated to come off, dresses started to appear and now this girl had a choice of dresses to wear!

Never, ever did I think I would be that girl.

I took both dresses pictured here away on holidays with me as I could not decide and when I asked all of you, it seemed pretty even so I thought, I will see what I feel like wearing on the day.

Well I decided and you can see for yourself what it looked like on the day. I felt so good and got lots of compliments on the colour and how good it looked on me. Can't wait for it to get warmer in Sydney so that I can wear it again!

In the garden before the wedding we went to

Having a dance at the wedding reception with Miss Twinkle Toes!

My little family just after sunset.

If you thought Fiji was big...wait until you hear this!!!!!!

2010-09-16T14:16:00.001+10:00

I am back!

Okay I have been back for a week an totally neglected to tell you my news. It's not that I havent wanted to. I have been busting to get on here and blog but between getting back into the swing of things at work, looking after an active 18mth old and catching up on the piles of washing I have failed to blog.

I promise to make up for it now with news from my trip to Fiji.

Are you ready for it?

I certainly wasn't. Well I was. But it still caught me off guard.

I'm engaged!!!!

How spectacular is that!!!

And I know what you are thinking about that cake....

I only had a few mouthfuls I swear!

I have so much more to tell you and promise to tell you all about our trip, the temptations, the endulgences

(can anyone say champagne buffet breakfast each day),

which dress I wore to the wedding, the proposal, the weigh in, the future plans, goals and lots, lots more but for now I will leave you with a couple of photos from the trip.

I promise to blog again soon and will work on catching up on everyone's blog happenings over the weekend.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Leaving on a jet plane, dont know when I'll be back again!

2010-09-04T19:51:00.000+10:00

Does anyone remember that song? I remember hearing it on the movie Armageddon when Ben Affleck and his buddies were leaving to go to outerspace to save the world. Its never left my head!

I will be back though and promise to share some holiday snaps and memories with you.

When we first booked this trip (at least 4 mths ago) I didnt think I would get to where I am now.
Dont get me wrong, I aimed high but in the back of my head, I thought it was impossible. I had always failed in the past, so what would make this time any different??

That thought stayed in my mind maybe for a total of 10seconds, before I wiped it away and started using my mind as a weightloss tool. One of the keys to my success.

Your support and inspiration along the way has been incredible. I never thought I would have this many followers but to think that I can be an inspiration to others just means to world to me.

So, I saved my weigh in for today.

I didnt weigh in last Sunday and I wanted a big push towards my last chance/last week training before the holiday. Geez, anyone would think that it was me getting married the way I have been preparing for this but no, I assure you its not! 9 years together and an 18mth old makes me feel like an old married couple anyway!

I trained mighty hard this week. Gillian Micahels would be proud!

There is this fab new show on in Australia called The X Factor. Its like Idol but heaps better. Think it has been in the UK but not the US yet. I have been going hard on the treadmill with the tv cranked listening to some awsome tunes (and some dodgy ones as well) and before I know it, I have done 7.5km of interval training in one hour! I can easily do 2 sets of 20 pushups with perfect form and still struggle through the 3rd set and crunch out 100 situps on the fitball.

So where does that leave me with my weight??

76.5kg!

It has taken over a year but I have now lost 27.6kg!!

I have lost 13cm from my chest, 22cm from my hips and 36.5cm from my waist in the last year!

Here is the before and now photo comparison

And close up

I feel fabulous, have confidence, I enjoy shopping for me and finally have clothes that are super cute, I look youger, I am healthy, I am in a much better mood all the time, I am succeeding at my job, my relationship is a million times better and I am a hell of a lot more fun!

So I am off now, to pack some more, before leaving very early tomorrow morning.

I will be thinking of you all as I search for some low calorie cocktails (is there such a thing) and read my book whilst relaxing under a gorgeous palm tree on a tiny island in the South Pacific!

Love to you all,

Be proud of your Butt!

2010-09-01T18:57:00.000+10:00

Felt like/feels like

2010-08-31T21:35:00.000+10:00

Running used to hurt.

I could feel the fat on my legs wobbling. I literally thought that the fat bouncing up and down on my things and stomach was going to rip the skin off my body! It hurt.

I used to wake up in the morning after exercise and the soles of my feet were so sore from the pounding of over 100kg that I would not be able to walk. I would compensate by walking on the sides of my feet which put pressure on my calves and knees. It hurt.

Now it doesnt hurt. Now its empowering.

Now I love to run and the treadmill and I have become good friends.

I leave you with this. I have it printed out on my fridge.

Which one? Help! PLEASE! Wedding Outfit!

2010-08-27T22:08:00.000+10:00

Do I have a post for you tonight!!
I have been so busy getting prepared for our Fiji holiday (that is now 9 days away)!

There are so many things to do but here are a few important ones that I have marked off my list this week:

1. Get passports DONE (they came today WOOHOO!)!
2. Get some smokin' hot hair to compliment my new shape DONE!!!!
3. Buy some new $20 sunglasses seeming my other $20 ones are in pieces (handbag, sat on, oops). DONE!

And here are some photos of the smokin' hot hair and the new shades!

So that is all fabulous

but....

I need your help in deciding which outfit I should wear to the wedding that we are going to while we are over there.

I originally had this dress which I had taken in from a size 16 to a size 12 (Australian).

Here is a picture of me in it tonight with my hair and makeup done

And here is another dress that is new that I bought in a shop that I never used to be able to find anything that would be my size. Now I am in a size 12 (Australian)!!!!

Arrrhhh!

Decisions!

I hate making them so I am throwing this one to all of my gorgeous blogging friends who have been so incredibly supportive to get me to where I am am today and into these gorgeous dresses!

So which one do you think I should wear?

Missing but MIA

2010-08-23T20:36:00.000+10:00

Yep, you may have noticed I haven't been blogging as much as I used to, or need to or would like to for that matter!
But I am still here and have been reading what I can of everyone's blogs.

Life is going by at a million miles.
It has been going so quickly that I actually forgot to put my passport application in!!!!!!!!!!
Who forgets that???
Oh well, hopefully get them back this week otherwise on Friday I am going to be paying an extra $300 to get them expressed.

On the weekend I went on a hen's night for my friend who is getting married in Fiji. It was at this fantastic restaurant in Sydney's King Cross called Tharens. Saw some interesting things whle we were out and about but had the best night out in ages! This is me outside the restaurant we started at. It was fantastic

And let my hair down and had a few too many champagnes but I didnt care!

I needed a night out and all the walking, dancing and partying would have helped me burn off the extra calories.

The scales on Sunday morning pulled up a littel bit better than me considering I rocked up at home at 4:30am and moved 500grams down so I am not sitting at 79kg.

Lots of hard work these next two weeks!!!!

Countdown! - 3 weeks to go!

2010-08-16T05:38:00.001+10:00

So holiday is around the corner which means all systems need to be go for me to make the most out of the time left to exercise and eat well before I jump on a plane.

A few things that need to happen this week:

Exercise
4 x 5km interval training on treadmill (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri)
100 x situps each day
40 x pushups each day
50 x walking lunges with weights in the backyard each day
Chase after and dance with my little cheeky monkey
2 x family walks at the park (6km each time)

Food
Biggest loser Shakes for breakfast
Green tea throughout the day
No carbs after 5pm
Eat dinner by 7pm and not later
Drink plenty of water.

Let's see how I go with that!

Going to be a busy bee this week!

Back to the future!

2010-08-15T08:47:00.000+10:00

Without my little blogging world community I am not sure where I would be. Actually I am pretty sure my hand would still be in that bag of chips! Thank you to every one of my supporters. I have noticed a few new followers as well and I am goign to try and catch up and visit your blogs as I know all of you will be able to inspire me as I follow your journeys.

I have taken some massive risks lately. risks I wouldnt ordinarily take. It's funny that in days gone by I would not have shown anyone photos of me and now I feel so good showing people how far I have come. The support, encouragement and inspiration that you have given me in my Swimsuit post and easing my fears about it and then picking me up when I had lost my way, encouraging and inspiring me to get back on track have been invaluable.

Well I am back on track. I weighed in this morning and am back to 79.5kg so that means last weeks half kilogram gain is now a 1kg loss and I am back on the path to achieving my goals and it is great to now be heading in the right direction. I cant believe that your help has helped me to tur myself around and get a loss with 4 days of hard work. Not only that Ihave broken through the 80's (just) so now I am a 70's girl! It has been a long time!

I have been so busy lately but need to keep reminding myself that I need and deserve my time as well. I feel like I am time poor (hence catching up on all of yout blogs at 1am on a Saturday night and then being so tired this morning but things just seem to be so busy!

Today marks only 3 weeks to go until our holiday to Fiji. Putting the dress in to be altered this week. Cant wait to show you what it looks like.

Right now though I have added a couple of photos from this weekend of my gorgeous girl and I!

Not angry...just disappointed!

2010-08-12T19:55:00.001+10:00

Have your parents ever said that to you?

I always remember being more fearful of the word 'disappointed' than the word 'angry'.

I hate people being disappointed in me.

Worst of all, I hate being disappointed in myself.

So I have been bad, so bad that I am finding it hard to type.
Something happened this week and I am still trying to understand and sort through it.
No, not anything dramatic or sad but something.

I reached a goal 2 weeks ago. I got to the 80Kg mark.
Thats where it all went wrong.
I started to get slack.
I havent exercised.
I have eaten so badly that I can not even tell you what I have eaten.
If its bad, it has been eaten.

Last weeks weigh in saw me put on 500grams. I didnt post about it because I was embarrassed. So I kept eating. Then a whole lot of things called life got happened. Stress, work, tiredness and with that more eating.

You know this is a big problem for me and I know I need help because life will always happen. I can;t control it, but I should be able to control what I put in my mouth.

I dont want to get on the scales this Sunday but I will.

Maybe I can get out of this hole if I try really hard tomorrow and Saturday so that the remaining 3 weeks until my holiday can be a success with diet and exercise.

One year since the beginning

2010-08-07T09:55:00.003+10:00

Tomorrow will be mark one year since I started in this journey (properly).

One year ago I decided that I had enough of hiding beneath all the layers of fat.

A beautiful friend who I met through mother's group had been going to Weight Watchers after having her gorgeous son and I had noticed all of her baby weight coming off. I asked her about what she had been doing and decided I would go along to WW with her. It was time to face the scales and see what they said.

104.2kg

WTF! This was bad. I never really saw what was really in the mirror but it was made crystal clear at that moment.

Yes I had a baby 5 months earlier but I had lost the baby weight within 2 weeks of giving birth (I was quite healthy during pregnancy and only gained 8 kilos). What I had to lose now was the chocolate, junk food and couch weight that I had put on whilst on maternity leave. 10kilograms had been gained in 5months! That's shocking! But I suppose that is what eating at all hours, eating high sugar/fat foods just to get that quick energy fix, no exercise due to being so tired and just eating a lot of processed convenience foods will do to your body.

So I began the journey with WeightWatchers and had my good and bad weeks (mainly good) and kept this up until December when I had lost a total of 11kg. The program worked for me. It taught me a lot and I loved that I never ever felt like I was on a diet. It was little changes that bought results on the scale. I think it was also the first year in ages that I didnt gain weight over Christmas. I kept my eating during the festive season under control. It was after Christmas that I quit WW as i jsut felt liek I was wasting money just to go there and only lose a few hundred grams so I stopped going (when I stopped going to WW that things started to go pear shaped again and I gained some weight).

After a massive momentary lapse of concentration,

I had renewed motivation when talk of going to Fiji came up as some friends are getting married there!

~~YAY!!!! A holiday!!!~~

Oh F*%K!!!!! Swimmers!!!!

The thought of wearing swimmers terrified me!!! Most Summer's I would just hide away inside in the air con but this was not an option on this holiday.

Time to get to it again!

I started to really make use of the treadmill sitting in my lounge room, spend less time on the couch and now have a toddler to chase after. At times it has been hard work...really hard work, but I am making progress.

From then until now has been pretty well documented over this blog.

I thought seeming it has been one year on my journey I should include my progress. You have probably seen some of these pictures of my progress on my blog but here are some photos of me in the last year anyway.

October 2009 - 97kg

February 2010 - 97kg (after regaining some of the weight I had lost)

May 2010 - 96kg

June 2010 - 88kg

July 2010 - 85kg

July 2010 - 84kg

August 2010 - 80kg

I am feeling so much lighter. I have lost almost 24.2kilograms which is 53.2pounds and I can live life.

I hope that in the next year I can reach my goal of 70kg.

Then bypass it by at least 5kg taking me to 65kg and hold that weight for the duration of the year.

Courage

2010-08-06T23:57:00.000+10:00

The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

This post takes GREAT courage (although jsut between you and me...I have no idea what vicissitudes means).

And I feel like the cat that is walking in front of all those dogs right now. This little cat sure does have some courage.

Did I mention I love dogs?

Yesterday I told you that I bought some new swimmers for my holiday and promised that I would put some pictures up of me in them so I could see what you thought.

So after a long day I took some photos. I have to say the vibrant blue colour doesnt seem to come out as well in the photos as it is in reality but it is definitely like the colour shown in the flower here.

While I was looking at the photos, I realised how white my legs were. They don't get out ~~very much~~ ever and it is Winter so they are like two white ghosts. Some tanning (spray, bottle, sun) will hopefully fix that.

Anyway here they are.

(Ali secretly crawls off and hides)

Still have a bit of work to do to turn the gluteus maximus into a gluteus minimus!

And it can also be made strapless.

My other half likes this option LOL!

I also tried on a bikini that I bought 3.5 years ago and only wore half a dozen times.

The picture on the left was when I tried it on 1month ago. The picture on the right is from today.

I can really see a difference here.

Not enough to make me wear it as my mummy tummy with stretchmarks on it is still there.

Okay so that's me. Not sure how long I will leave these pics up. I think I have embarrassed myself enough and I have not even pressed publish post yet!

4 weeks to go!

I went shopping and bought...

2010-08-05T20:50:00.001+10:00

Some swimmers for my holiday to Fiji !!

(which is in 4weeks and 3 days!)

I didn't go out to intentionally buy a swimming costume today. I was just up at the shops and thought I would see if there was much about. It is harder then what you think to buy a swimming costume (especially when it is the middle of Winter here) and there was not much to choose from but there was a colour that really stood out to me..

I went with

this colour and I think it will compliment my skin really nicely and look great in amongst the vibrant blues of the sky and the waters surrounding me.

I was going to go for black but decided that black may be a little dull for a island holiday.

I chose a one piece over a two piece as I wanted the option of being able to hide my tummy if I wasn't feeling confident. I have a two piece that I may consider taking with me as well.

Might pop some photos of me in it for a sneak preview in the next couple of days. I know that you all will tell me honestly what you think of it.

Not feeling like making the effort to get into them right now to show you a photo but promise to do one soon

I won't rip the tags off until I get the approval.

:-)

A lifestyle of healthy habits!

2010-08-04T22:24:00.001+10:00

Something I always dreamed about was changing my lifestyle. The last few years has seen me live quite a sedentry life where I got to know my couch far too well. I would often choose not to go out, mainly because I was embarrassed but also because I was lazy and would prefer just to eat.

Well that has changed now and we are including the great outdoors, movement and healthy eating into everyday life.

Sunday saw our family take a trip to one of the world's most famous zoos.

Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.

It is situated on the gorgeous Sydney Harbour with views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. These animals live at some of the most expensive pieces of real estate in Australia!

It was a stunningly warm Winter's day with the sun beaming down giving us a great day to let Miss Twinkle Toes explore the world of animals that she has seen in her books come to life at the zoo.

Let me tell you, exercise was not forgotten on this day. We covered a lot of kilometers walking around the zoo, lots of hills, often carrying a backpack or a child weighing 10kg. I even walked around with her on my shoulders just to get a bit more of a workout!

If I wasn't carrying something, I was chasing someone around who keeps me on my toes! We were at the zoo for about 6hours which I thought was a massive effort with an 18mth old!

We had a fantastic day.

I managed to stay healthy with my eating by being prepared and packed a picnic lunch for our family as well as some snacks I had made for us. Some fresh sandwiches of breast chicken and tomato on wholemeal bread and lots of fruit and plenty of water. Normally at places like this I would have bought hot chips and the like but not this time! :-)

I am looking forward to blogging more over the next few days. I have so much that I want to tell you all about but have not had the time with work being so busy.

Here is a photo of my gorgeous girl and I after a very long day!

Please excuse her messy shirt. this was after dinner (which always ends in a mess especially when dessert is juicy strawberries)!

I can now see how much weight I have lost off my arms, face and although its a bad photo of my legs as I am all scruched up, I have lost heaps of weight of them as well.

YAY!

And the nominees are....

2010-08-01T06:00:00.001+10:00

Gain ............................Boo!

Loss ...........................WOOHOO!

Stay the same?.............>meh!

LOSS!!!!

And representing loss this week is

80kg!

Let me just say I am a little lost for words but here is my best effort.

That is a loss of 3kg!

First of all I would like to thank the food that has nourished me over thie last week. Not only have you tasted great, but you have kept me healthy and did not sit in my body and turn to fat. You can come again anytime as you haven't overstayed your welcome (special mention of some of the most popular foods this week are mentioned below).

Special thanks also go to my other half for not bringing home any alcoholic beverages this week (if it's not here, it can not be consumed).

More thanks going out to family especially my gorgeous daughter who has kept me extremely active this week by running away from me laughing every time that I say stop (because it is so funny to see mummy get up and down chasing me and picking me up) and for bringing the joy of dancing back to me. So many dance sessions have been held at our house this week. Most involve me holding and spinning 10 additional kilograms around which must have contributed to me reaching 80kg!

Also minor thanks go to a little thing called stress and of course being the week after my most bloated time off the month.. I am sure you have both helped in some way.

And to each and every one of you who have supported me through my blog or by writing your own, you each give me inspiration and strengthen my inner powers to achieve and succeed!

Popular food choices this week:

BREAKFAST
Biggest Loser Shakes for breakfast

CRUNCH & SIP MORNING SNACK

Carrots with hommus for morning snack

LUNCH

Multigrain sandwich with tuna, salad no butter.

CRUNCH AND SIP AFTERNOON SNACK

Strawberries or watermelon for arvo tea

DINNER

Soup or grilled chicken breast with winter veges (favourites at the moment are broccoli & cauliflower)

DRINKS

Green tea x 2

Normal tea with skim milk (no sugar) x 1

Diet coke

Water x 3

Exercise this week:

Treadmill 5km a day (5 days)

Abs x100 (5days)

Lots of incidental walking, running, rushing, chasing, cleaning, stressing, dancing, lifting, etc!

MEASUREMENTS

Chest-100 (minus 2cm)

Waist- 84 (minus 4cm)

Hips- 100 (minus 2cm)

It's coming off!

2010-07-31T00:02:00.001+10:00

I was going to wait until Sunday when I weigh in to post about this but decided it needed a post all of it's own.

Have you ever had one of those weeks where suddenly everyone that sees you notices the weight loss that you have actually been working on for a year? It clicks to everyone that this picture they had of you in their minds was of that fat girl (even though they would never say it) and all of a sudden you aren't that person anymore.

That is the week that I have had. I can not begin to tell you how many compliments I have had this week and it's only Friday! And instead of going all shy when receiving them, I have said to small words with a smile..."Thank you".

My other half even said to me today,

"Have you checked yourself out in the mirror lately...

cause you are looking damm fine!"

Yep, I'll take that one!

And you know what, I have been looking in the mirror. I have been checking out my reflection in the doors of the freezer section at the supermarket, as I walk right past the icecream that I used to pick up and eat all in one serving.

Finally I am not ashamed of what I see looking back at me.

Don't get me wrong...I still have a lot more work to do but I can see that changing my lifestyle in small ways over the space of a year, has made big changes.

I am happy.

I can breathe.

It's coming off!

Evening "snack attack" habit!

2010-07-29T22:32:00.001+10:00

Habits are remarkable because they don't require thinking. You just "do it" for years until you find yourself changing the habit again.

One of the biggest reasons I put on weight was because I was in the habit of eating at night.

Okay, so eating at night is not that bad, but when you hardly eat anything during the day and then load up after dark on calories by consuming family sized bags of chips, a whole packet of chocolate biscuits and any high sugar, high fat foods you can get your litle hands on, well you are bound to end up with ~~a bit~~ a big weight problem.

I knew this was one of the biggest things that had to change if I was to start to lose weight. It wasn't as simple as saying no to these foods at night time or just not buying them on my way home from work. I had to put some strategies in place to help me break this habit.

I knew no matter what, I would still want to eat at night. Its just something that I was used to and going cold turkey would only result in some binge eating!

So I set myself up with some things I could eat in the evening.

One of my favourites still to this day is jelly!

Don't buy the high sugar one.

Weight Watchers do an awesome jelly and it is a point free snack with no sugar!

I would always make sure I had some made up in the fridge.

The next thing I did was buy a massive selection of teas.

Drinking tea would make me feel good. For a while it did wake me during the night as I was drinking quite a bit but now I am used to it.

I have found some yummy herbal teas but I am currently loving green tea. Great for your health and it would keep my hands something healthy to reach for. Awesome site on green tea if you are interested!

The next thing that helped can easily be found in any house (I hope)!

Toothpaste!

Food tastes strange after brushing teeth, so brushing my teeth when I felt the urge to eat helped get rid of any food craving I had.

I have heard that Pam Anderson uses this trick as well!

Mouthwash can have the same affect.

Chewing Gum...not so much. I find that I can still eat other foods after that.

So those 3 little things are what helped me break my evening snacking binges.

They say it takes 3 weeks to break a habit, To be honest I can't remeber how long it took but I can tell you that I have broken ths habit and it is part of the reason I have lost over 20 kilos. Yay!

Sunday Song!

2010-07-25T21:06:00.000+10:00

Today was weigh in day (even though I have had a feew sneaky peaks through the week)!

The song that became Sunday and had me dancing after getting up at 10:30am

(Love it when kids sleep in)

was.....

Rock DJ

by Robbie Williams

Warning: this music video is quite controversial and you shouldn't watch if you have a weak stomach so think carefully before clicking on Robbie's body!

So the reason for a bit of Rock DJ was because I am down another Kilogram which brings me to 83kg. This song always makes me dance and is a "happy' song for me!

I can't even begin to tell you how many compliments I have received over the last week. Returning to work after 2 weeks holidays made a lot of people notice some changes. I think when you dont see someone everyday you really can tell. My other half has been giving me lots of encouragement and praise for my efforts and is really proud of me and most importantly I am proud of myself.

I have 6 weeks until my island holiday. Did I tell you we are attending a wedding whilst we are there for some very good family friends? I will get the dress that I intend to wear altered 2weeks before we go as it is an Australian size 16 and now I think I would need a size 12! I am still a size 14 but because the dress is quite flowy I could comfortably get away with a 12.

My weight goal for my holiday is to lose another 6kilograms. 6 in 6! I think it is doable and not an unrealistic goal.

It will still require hard work so my plan is:
Biggest Loser shakes for breakfast
Carrots/capsicum/celery and other raw veges wih either hommus or salsa as a snack
Lunch will be my main meal
Small dinner
If hungry at night I will have green tea.

Exercise this week will include:
5 sessions of at least 5km of interval training each session on the treadmill
100 situps and 50pushups each day.

You may notice I am not around toomuch at the beginning of the week for the next few weeks. Work is hectic (I work the first half of the week as I am part time) and recently got a promotion which is code for a shitload more work so I am rather busy up until Thurs/Friday.

Hope that everyone else is going well. Looking forward to checking out everyone's progress towards teh end of the week.

My Jimminy Cricket!

2010-07-24T10:49:00.000+10:00

You know that image in your head when you have to make a choice between something good and something bad??

One part of your sub conscience is whispering, "Go on eat that chocolate cake, no one is around, you deserve it!" and the other is saying "Do you really want that piece of chocolate cake to be added to your thighs?" (see image to the right)

Well I like to think of all of you as the one's that are telling me the latter, because let's face it, you are.

When I log onto my blog and I see 49 followers, I kind of get a little taken a back and am quite humbled. I know that 49 is not a massive amount when there are many blogs that have hundreds or thosands of followers, but it is a massive amount to me. Each one of you have at some point or another inspired me to make good, healthy choices, to not give up, to remember where I came from and where I am going.

You have shown me the way through letting me follow your blogs, through the inspiring words of truth that you write and the supportive comments that you leave for me.

You are all my Jimminy Cricket's!

That's a lot of Jimminy Crickets sitting on my shoulder!

You remind me that wishes do come true. That if I keep making the right choices then my dream to become a hot mumma is achievable and within my reach. I have seen it with the transformations that you have made and the journeys that you are on. Your support is so valued more than many would know.

"But I still have room in my leg!!"

2010-07-23T16:16:00.002+10:00

Can anyone remember saying that or something like that to their parents growing up?

You would be so full from dinner and all those veges that you couldnt possibly eat all that is on your plate, but when the mention of dessert pops up, you suddenly have a bit of room that can certainly be filled somewhere in your body!

Yep.

That was me.

Still kind of is or was. Not quite sure. But I am working on making it being a well and truly "was".

I have been reading up and trying to educate myself on why in the past (and sometimes present) I have this undeniable hunger urge, even after I have eaten and you know it is about a lot more than just an empty tummy!

There are 2 types of hunger.

Physical Hunger.
This type of hunger doesnt make you fat.
Your stomach growls. It builds up slowly and occurs several hours after a meal. This is how you feel after exercise or a long periodat work when you have depleted your energy stores. Your body NEEDS food and the feelings of tiredness and the noticable departure of your brain having exited the building are all signs your body is telling you that you need nutrients and energy.

and then there is this big bad Hunger Monster...

Don't be deceived by his cute appearance. He wants you to eat, eat, eat and therefore put on lots of weight!

Hormonal Hunger (yep! Damm hormones playing tricks on us again)!
This comes on suddenly. Nothing to do with meal times and can happen straight after a meal (remember that time when you still had a spare leg to fill up)! It will cause a strong emotional craving for specific foods (especially carbs). It can cause mood swings and low energy and it creates a near continual desire to eat!

Q. So how do you avoid both?

A. To avoid physical hunger, eat before you become hungry. To avoid hormonal hunger, you have to know WHAT to eat.

Q. So WHAT do you eat?

A. Low glycemic index foods (preferrably below 50). This will stops spikes in insulin followed by the crashes that come along afterwards.

Here is a link to a glycemic index and glycemic load chart that I have found helpful. It is an international list so has international brands as well.

So over the last week, I have kept the hunger monster at bay by choosing the right foods to eat and I am hoping that it is going to make a big difference on te scales this Sunday!

Hope you dont get bitten by the hunger monster anytime soon!

If the scales could talk...

2010-07-19T19:05:00.000+10:00

What do you think they would say to you?

I am in the market for some new scales as my one does not give me accurate readings. It just does to the nearest kilogram/pound.

These talking scales look good as I would love to know what it has to says each time I jump on the scale.

Specification

•Automatically turns on when you step on the scale (step & weigh)
•Various funny voice commands (can say 'hello', 'good-bye', 'I think you just broke me!', 'Is someone else on here with you?', 'Eh, eh...I can't breathe', 'It's a good thing I can talk, 'cause you probably can't see me', among other sayings)
•Extra large digital display

Will ley you know if I end up getting some.

Yep, they are definitely trying to tell me something!

Sunday reality check!

2010-07-18T12:24:00.000+10:00

What will the scales tell me today?

Well I was hoping they wouldn't be too harsh. My calories have been a bit out of control this week.I know I could have done alot more this week.

I ended up having no change. So I am still 84kg.

Actually, if I stand on one leg, I actually weigh 83kg but I feel like that would be cheating.

One would have thought that a person standing on one leg would weigh the same as standing on two legs but I think I may need some new scales.

Check this baby out!

That's enought to make you want to stand on them all day (well almost).

7 weeks to overcome my biggest fear.

2010-07-17T14:42:00.000+10:00

Terrified.

Stressed.

Basically shiting myself that in 7 weeks (omg) 7 weeks, I am going to be on a plane to Fiji.

No, I am not afraid of the plane ride over there, rather the thought of parading along the beach or pool side that scares the living daylights out of me.

Time for a confession.

I have not been swimming in a public area for over 3 years. Sydney has some of the best beaches in the world yet I avoid the beach as I just never thought that I fitted in with the typical beach beauties.

So why in the world did we choose to go to a tropical island resort for a holiday?!

I think deep down I had to accept the challenge of getting into a swimsuit again. Really I have no choice now. I have a daughter who loves the water and its not really much fun sitting on the waters edge all covered up avoiding questions from passer byers like, "Aren't you hot in that?" and tying really hard to not show the perspiration on your forehead as you reply "No, it's not that hot" (whilst secretly melting underneath your layers).

So over the next few weeks I am going to start looking for a swimsuit that hides my worst bits and flatters my best bits. Just have to work out what my best bits are to flatter!

In the mean time, exercise, eat well and think well and checking out this site to see what might suit my shape the best.

Trying not to be scared!!

Unbelievably angry!

2010-07-16T20:20:00.000+10:00

First of all if I could do this

I would!

I was shocked and horrified when trying on some clothes in Target today.

There I was trying on my clothes (that are another size smaller) when I couldn't help but overhear the conversation a few changerooms along between a mother and her daughter.

The mother was trying to get the young girl to try on clothes that were obviously too small. My heart started to ache when I heard the young girl say to her mother that she needed a bigger size. Now there is nothing wrong with needing a bigger size but when you are told by the person who should love you the most that you will not be getting a bigger size and you will have to go without having dinner for a week so that you can lose that belly of yours, well that is just so heartbreaking. I cringe at the pshycological damage that she is doing to this young little thing.

I had already finished trying on my clothes and was all dressed by the time their conversation ended. I exited the change room and sat on the new comfy seats just outside the area (where the dads, husbands, boyfriends and kids sit patiently waiting for the women in their lives to finish whiilst watching whatever was playing on the new TV there) and I waited for the mother and daughter to come out.

I dont know why, but I had to get a glimpse of this woman. Maybe it was because I was trying to see if there was an actual reason for her speaking to her daughter the way she did, not that there ever could be.

Well finally they came out. I knew it was them as the woman was now speaking on her mobile to someone (so I recognised the voice). The little girl was probably aged between 8 and 10 and I shot her a little smile trying to tell her without words that you are beautiful no matter what.

I haven't stopped thinkng about that little girl all day.

Why is there so much pressure on people to look a certain way? I mean this little girl was not even overweight!! I feel like her mother must have had such a complex about weight that she was doing damage to her daughter without even realising it. It makes me mad, sad and confused!

Then there are shows like this horrendous example.

Toddlers & Tiara's

Does this look like the face of someone who is enjoying being made to look "beautiful" in the eyes of their mother and some unknown judges on a "I am the decider of who is the most beautiful child" power trip? Especially when this child is probably so beautiful just the way she is.

I make a promise here and now, for the young girl I saw today, for my daughter and for anyone else who has felt the pressure ofsociety to lose weight, that I will not let this become my daughter and I.

Here are some tips to help your children feel good about themselves whatever their size or shape that have been taken from here.

Try to avoid discussing your own concerns about weight in front of children.
Avoid making comments about anybody’s weight – your own, your child’s or other peoples.
If a child hears frequent discussions about diets or parental preoccupation with food or weight, those attitudes will be picked up by the child.
Avoid focusing on weight change as a measure of success – look at behaviours instead.

Unlocking the most important tool to weightloss.

2010-07-15T13:03:00.000+10:00

No, this post is not going to tell you to eat less and exercise more. Yes that is important but there is something that is far more important to get to wherer you want to go. Keep reading if you want to find out what that is.

I have been on the path to becoming a hot mumma since August 2009. Since that time I have lost 20kg (44pounds).

There have been times where I have become distracted on the path to my destination, times when I have been off smelling the roses just a little too much (and managed to add a little bit more junk in the trunk while I was at it), but it was never long until I found my way back to being on that path again and continued to make the load I was carrying even lighter.

So how do I stay on the path???

First of all, it took a lot of searching to find someone to guide me onto the right path. I had a lot of encouragement from lots of different sources but the one person who helped me get on the path to where I am now was me. I was staring myself in the mirror. There were so many clues along the way that it had to be me ie. photos of me I would just delete so I couldnt see myself, occasions I would avoid going to, clothes that I just wouldnt wear.

I was the key to making the decision to lose weight, get healthy and feel fantastic and since I became my biggest supporter, I am finding myself staying on the path more and more. Until you find you, the longer you will stray off the path.

I still ocasionally stop and smell the roses, treat myself, celebrate different things....and that is so important to do....but the most important thing is to remember that there are the most amazing smelling roses at the end of the very end of the path and you wil only get to smell them if you keep on travelling.

So many times I would say to people...

"I eat healthy foods, I exercise and I cant lose weight".

But reading between the lines, what was really happening was I would eat right for a little while, maybe exercise a few times and then not lose much and give up. It was teh giving up and the lack of "I am going to do this" mindset that was preventing me from losing weight. Now I see that very clearly.

So make sure you are your biggest support by unlocking your mind as that is what will make up a success. But I am always here to try and support you as well, just in case you do wonder off the path to smell those roses!

How it's time to go and blog hop. Click on the button bellow that says "Fat to Fit" and check out Diminishing Lucy's blog for the details. It's lots of fun and some great reads in the links attached.

Hoping your week is going well!

Not really Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T21:14:00.000+10:00

I am emotionally drained. Today was a very sad day as we said goodbye to my grandfather who has now joined my Nanna in Heaven.

I would normally emotionally eat my way through this pain, but instead I would like to honour him by reflecting on the time spent together and my memories of him.

Will miss you lots and love you forever Grandpa

I am Ali and I am a Breakfast Queen!

2010-07-13T08:12:00.000+10:00

When I was living at home, my mum would always make sure we had breakfast. She would always say "Bla, bla, bla , bla....Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, bla, bla, bla..." (love you mum). I am sure many of you have heard that but who actually understood why? I never really did. I was never hungry in the morning so didnt see why it was so important.

Once I moved out of home, breakfast was not something high on the list of priorities (the extra 15 minutes in bed was much more appealing) and mum wasn't there to nag me about it. That is when I started skipping breakfast. Then to subsitute that, I would replace breakfast by having dinner, dessert and lots of snacks late at night and the cycle of bad eating habits formed.

I started WeightWatchers in August 2009 (5mths after giving birth to my daughter). The first meeting I went to had a focus topic on breakfast and how important it is to set your day up for success by having a good breakfast.

Breakfast like a King (Queen).

Lunch like a Prince (Princess).

Dinner like a Pauper (umm dont think there is a girl version of a pauper).

I went home thinking right that's an easy step to start off with. Eating breakfast isn't going to hurt me. So I started off by having Weetbix with light milk (not a skim milk fan), covered with some strawberries and about 1/3 banana sliced up. It was delish AND I had so much more energy for my day. From that day onwards, I have not purposely skipped breakfast. On the odd occasion that I have missed it (mainly due to someone or something demanding my attention) I have felt sick, light headed, reaching for high sugar snacks mid morning and then ended up so hungry later in the day, so I just can not go without it.

The best breakfast menus should include some protein.
Q.Why?
A. Your body consumes a lot of energy while you sleep, in order to build up muscle and repair any damage that the body may have suffered earlier. As a result of this, your body requires a healthy intake of proteins to ensure that this process is carried out smoothly. GREAT ARTICLE HERE. Seriously read it as it will help you give you some tips to how eating will actually help you lose weight.

Now it doesn't mean have bacon every day. Think salmon, chicken, boiled, scrambled or poached eggs, any dairy products, nuts, soy. Then you have protein shakes, etc. There is a good variety of choices.

So be a a King or Queen at breakfast just like me!

Might even get myself a bit of bling to wear at breakfast!

Feel free to share with me your favourite breakfast!

Changes

2010-07-12T09:19:00.000+10:00

Okay so I am not the type of girl that you see walking around rapping and what not, (well maybe just a bit in my car with my water bottle microphone....does anyone not do this?? LOL) but I really do love this 2pac song.

We gotta make a change...

It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.

Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live

and let's change the way we treat each other.

You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do

what we gotta do, to survive.

There are lots of Changes happening in my world at the moment. Not only with my weight and self esteem but most importantly in my home, where I spend most of my time.

I look around my house and I see so many changes which goes to show that losing weight loss means lifestyle changes.

There is now a fruit bowl with real fruit in it!

(Yes I used to have fake fruit in it to make it look like I was a healthy person).

My cupboards used to have a lot of this sort of stuff in it.

Now the junk is gone and the fridge is filled with this.

The fancy and expensive clothes hanger in my lounge room has gone.

Who knew that a treadmill could have a renewed purpose! This is happening a lot!

These are seen on my feet a lot more.

There is less of this.

And more of this.

I literally smile on the inside when I look around my house at these changes.

If Sunday was a song

2010-07-11T20:18:00.000+10:00

Then today would be playing something like this little gem!

Why because today I am happy and I just want to jump around! (and that is good exercise too)

Not every Sunday is as great as this song but this Sunday has been a great one.

A great one for results!

So this morning I weighed in at 84 Kg.

I think the last few weeks with getting sick, putting on weight and now a good loss has kind of even things out to maybe how they should have been all along.

I have worked so hard this week. Pushing through barriers in my exercise. Watching every single thing that I have been eating.

What is even better than achieving this weight loss is that I have now lost 20.2Kilograms since starting out (in one month short of a year)!

For people talking pounds 1 pound equals 2.2Kilograms.

So today was great!

So tell me what was your "Sunday song" today?

Hope it was a good one!

YES!!!!!!

2010-07-09T21:53:00.000+10:00

I.

I can.

I can run.

I can run fast.

I can run fast for 5 minutes!

Okay so it's no marathon but geez I have come a long way.

I have been doing interval training on the treadmill.
Normally I do 2minutes of running at 10Km/hr then fast walking at 7Km/hr.
Well tonight I upped my intervals of running time to 5minutes!!!

HIGH FIVES ALL ROUND PLEASE! LOL!

Check this out!

2010-07-09T15:44:00.000+10:00

There is a giveaway that is just what I would love right now!

No, not here....

But because you are all my followers, I am willing to share where!
(and it gets me an extra entry for posting about it hehehehe)

On a serious note, you do really need to go and check out Jess's weightloss blog at Healthy Happenings and while you are there become one of her ~~stalkers~~ followers. The details for the giveaway are there.

She has come so far already and is really inspiring.

You can only participate in the giveaway if you are living down under. And no, unfortunately down under a rock does not count! Sorry!

But you should go and follow her even if you aren't eligable to participate in her giveaway.

Here is a link to Jess' first ever post. Whenever I check out a new blog, I always check out the first post in the blog. Even if it was last week or 4 years ago. I think its inspiring to see where people have come from.

Getting out of that hole!

2010-07-08T12:19:00.000+10:00

It's Fat to Fit Blog Hop Time! I love this time of week. I get to check out some blogs that I might not have seen before and of course have a legit excuse to stalk the ones I already follow!

So this week found me stuck in a hole.

It was a hole that I was struggling to get out of. I am sure many of you have found yourselves in this proverbial hole at one point or another and know how difficult it can be to ge yourself out of it.

You know what the tools you need are but you cant seem to reach them as you are distracted by your hole filling up with the rubbish from all of the food you are eating.

So if you read my post WTF!, then you know I was in a big hole.

I really had to look at why I was in this hole and how I got there.

I had been sick the previous week which put a stop to my exercise routine.
I then found myself quite hungry after not eating for 3 days. Actually ravenous!
Then came lots of time in bed.
My evening tea was soon being accompanied by a couple of biscuits.
Then the scales went up!
And before I knew it I was emotionally eating my weight gain.
I started to lie in bed longer and bought the chocolate with me.
I started adding a glass of wine at night into the mix.

All of these things made it harder for me to get out of the hole I was in.

But I had a choice.

I could stay in the hole or I could have a glass of concrete and harden the fuck up!

I chose the latter.

*I checked out some awesome blogs (See my blog roll to the right of your screen) and got some fresh inspiration.
*I looked at where I had come from to try and understand how I got here.
*I wrote a list of all the jobs I ~~wanted~~ needed to do and I threw out the junk food (well the small amount I had left).
*I put on my running shoes and wore them all day. If I look like exercise, I will think like exercise.
*I got on the treadmill and I pushed myself.

AND DID IT FEEL GOOD OR WHAT!!!!!

So I am out of my hole and back on track to becoming a hot mumma!

Thanks to all who gave me a helping shove in the right direction!

AWARDS!! I feel like I am a kindy kid!

2010-07-07T11:31:00.000+10:00

There are so many blogs that inspire me.

They are real.

They are beautiful.

They are deserving of winning an award like this one.

So to have the gorgeous Karen at Muffin Fixation give me this award, I feel so special. Just like a child in kindy going up on the stage for the first time in front of all the big kids that have been doing this for years.

So here is my award!

(proudly holds award under chin, smiling proudly at everyone! Where's mum with the camera?)

So now for a little housekeeping...

In order to fulfill my requirements for this award I have to do the following:

1. Thank the recipient: Thank you so much Karen!!
2. Link back to the giver: Check this out now! A very cool blog!
3. Reveal 10 things about me: So let's get started!

1. Divorce seems to be genetic in my family.

My mum and dad divorced. My dad divorced again. My step dad is divorced from his first wife. My 2nd step mum is divorced from her first husband. My grandparents on my mums side and my dads side are both divorced. My mum's brothers (my uncles) are divorced. My dad's sister (my aunty) is divorced. So yeah, none of us kids are married. Wonder why?! In saying all that though, we are a pretty normal family and have a good time.

2. Family trees scare the living daylights out of me!

I can remember freaking out having to do one at primary school. There weren't enough branches for my family and what about the branches that fell off and were replaced by other branches but were still kind of hanging around on the ground? I kind of needed 2 and a half trees but wasn't allowed. I can't remember how I ended up handing in that project. I think I just left off half of my family. Since becoming a teacher, I have never and will never make a child do a family tree!

3. I am addicted to the TV series LOST.

I have the first 5 seasons and have watched them countless times. I feel that if I were to be on a plane that crashed I would be geared up with all the survival tactics I need to create a nice 'island life' To bad if I crashed in the water or the desert.

4. I have two fur babies that are named Winston and Max.

They mean the world to us and are so gorgeous with my little girl. I have a blog about them here where you can see more of them. I am not very good at updatign it though.

5. I sometimes drive along listening to childrens music whilst not having any children in the car.

I think it comes with being a mum that suddenly your driving music switches from what's hot on the radio box to Wiggles & Hi-5. The current favourite is Wiggles Hot Potatoe. So you drop your child off at childcare and are ack on your journey to work or wherever you are going and before you know it you are half way to your next destination and you realise that you have been singing along to these kids songs (with no kids in the car). What a dag! It must come with being a mum that another of the things you give up is your ability to choose or be conscious of what music is playing in the car.

6. My second toe is longer than my Big toe

Is that normal? I mean it does look a bit strange and my sisters all have second toes that are shorter than their Big toe. I really hate my feet and have only had a pedicure once. It was nice but I kind of find them embarrassing as I really think my feet look ugly!

7. When I was 8 years old, I cut my own hair.

I was at my dad's house and decided that it was time for a change. I cut a heap of it off! Like a good inch and a bit. I put all the hair in my top drawer and went to bed. Woke up in the mornign and tied my hair up. Went back to mum's house that arvo and the next day wore my hair down. Mum noticed straight away and asked when I got my hair cut? I told her Dad took me on the weekend. She thought it looked nice! Phew! Speaking of children having hair cuts, this is my little girl having her hair cut for the first time last week. No mummy didn't do it. My hairdresser days are over!

8. When I was 15 years old, I won $427.25 on a pokie machine!

I looked older than 15 but went to the local club with my parents for dinner. After dinner, we went and had a little go on the pokies (we never do this and I was so bored so mum gave me $5.00 to put in the machine. I had no idea what to press so I just pressed anything. Still dont know what I pressed but all of a sudden the money was going up and I started to freak. I quickly got mum and dad and got out of there. LOL! So funny. They were as shocked as I was. And mum and dad put the money in my bank account.

9. I watch scary movies in fast forward or on mute just so I know what people are talking about.

I hate scary movies but am always dying to know what happens in them but I hate all that suspense suff and creepy music they put in so fast forwarding or muting works for me!

10. I am fast becoming addicted to blogging and feel like I have missed out the last few years.

Okay so now I get to play teacher (even though I am on holiday) and give out some awards to 3 other deservign bloggers. This is a hard task as there are so many that I love.

But I am going to award this to:

Lucy at DiminishingLucy. She inspiried me to get started on this journey and is the awesome creater of the Fat to Fit Blog hop.
Jen at 40weeks/280days to a healthier me. She is a gorgous girl who is on an incredible journey and doing so well.

FatGirlVSWorld at I go through life in inches and pounds. Her posts are brilliant and so honest.

So go and check out these blogs and add them to your ~~stalking~~ following list as I am sure they wil inspire you as much as they inspire me.

Extremes of me (Part One) - Pictures & Past!

2010-07-06T19:25:00.000+10:00

I used to work at a gym (back in my uni days).

So many good times and happy memories.

But so much pressure (not from others, but from myself). I only worked on reception but I was constantly seeing hot bodies come in and working out. It's funny because I never, ever noticed the people that were overweight, because to me, I was the only one there who was overweight. Everyone else looked better than me. Again with my warped sense of body image.

I never really let it show as I relied on my personality to get me through.

So I started working out.

Spin classes were my favourite. I soon became addicted doing 2 a day some days plus other workouts in the gym. It was kind of easy to work out at the gym when as soon as you finish work you were there.

I liked the idea of being in a dark room, with loud music pumping, imagining going on a journey on my bike. I liked racing other people and knowing the fact that in my eyes, I won the race as I tried my hardest, even though nobody else was racing.

But it wasn't enough.

I was doing promotions for the gym and honestly thought how could I be fat and promote a gym so I had to step it up (should read step it down) in regards to food intake.

I looked like this and thought I was fat.

Sorry it's not very clear. It is a scanned photo from the years before digital cameras. I am on the left

(see I still have boobs no matter how much weight I lose and yes they are real).

And I had a flat stomach and no muffin top like this,

but still was not happy.

Food was my biggest battle.

I soon began to hate food. I would aim to burn more calories that what I ate. So if I consumed 500calories, I would make sure I burned 600 calories. I never understood the whole calorie thing. I just knew that to lose weight you had to follow the equation of calories in = calories out. However I never knew what that equation meant until I recently read exhotgirl's blog about Basal Metabolic Rate. Click here to find out your BMR.

So anyway food became too hard and I decided I would just make it really easy for myself and just eat
1 (yes one) piece of fish a day!

Sometimes if I was really hungry, I would have 2 pieces. It was a real splurge to have 2 pieces. How pathetic is that! I used to take so many vitamins to make up for the lack of v&m I was getting from not eating food.

I cringe at the amount of damage I would have done to my body but at the time, it did not even come into my mind. When you are 20 years old, none of that seems to matter.

Something had to give. I remember the day that it did. I had worked out in the morning before work, came home and decided to go for a run around my local area. It was about 8:45pm. I had been running about 20 minutes when my heart started to feel funny. My head started to go blurry and I knew something was very wrong. I was scared. I had to get down before I fell down. I needed water desperately. I basically crawled my way to someones tap at the side of their house and sat there leaning against the wall drinking water. Breathing. Just breathing.

Thoughts of being found like this, what my parents would think, finding out the damage that I had done to my body. That was enough for me. Enough to say no more.

I soon left the gym and began to eat more (a lot more). The weight crept on and the exercise disappeared. And then the other side of the extreme became my life but that's a whole nudda post!

It is so important to understand where you have come from. What worked and what didn't work as it all leads to where you are now.

Part 2 will be coming soon with more on me at my biggest (shudder)!
The other extreme!

WTF!!

2010-07-06T10:01:00.001+10:00

Seriously what am I doing to myself!!

My eating is out of control!

The last 24hours have consisted of a massvie binge.

I feel like while I am eating I am not even thinking and then it suddenly dawns on me that I have consumed chips, chocolate and icecream and the proverbial 'oh fuck!' (excuse language) sets in.

Emotions of happiness from eating sugary treats, then regret, the loathing at myself, then anger and frustration. Not at the food but at myself.

I think I really need to get this part of my brain sorted because otherwise I will never be able to maintain a healthy weight.

Arrhhhh sorry for the downer post. I just needed to get it out and be honest with myself and all of you.

I know I now need to be acountable for what I have put into my body and that is the tough part.

Was the taste of that food really worth it?

No.

But will I remember that next time when I unconsciously concume all the wrong things?

Had days like this?

2010-07-05T15:08:00.002+10:00

Thanks to everyone of my followers and supporters that have helped me get out of some of the binds I have gotten myself into.

I hope that I have or can repay the favour!

Big Oops!

2010-07-04T21:17:00.000+10:00

Okay, maybe not as big an oops as the idiots below made,

and I can't lie and say "I didn't see it coming".

I do know why I have put on weight.

I do know that I was eating rubbish.

I do know that I did not exercise.

I do know that some of my weight loss last week was probably not "true" weight loss as I had been sick.

So all of those factors added up to give me a 1.5kg gain.

This is a setback for me, I wont lie. I am kind of on a holiday deadline (9 weeks today).

Going to have to work extra hard this week to get back on track.

This week:

*Exercise every day. Yep that's right! I am on holidays so I need to use this time.

*Will take my little one to the park and walk more whilst there. She will love it and I will love it! Might drag some friends along for a walking/talking catch up (at a good pace of course).

*Going to add some situps into my program this week. Nothing major.....just aim for 4 sets of 20. Need to try and work on my mummy tummy to get swimming costume ready.

*Going to go back to having some meal replacement shakes for breaky.

I did do my measurements for the month and I am happy.

Chest - 105cm = No change (Wonder if they will ever get smaller?)
Waist - 96cm = minus 5cm
Hips - 102cm = minus 5.5cm

Nice to end on a positive!

I can only blame myself

2010-07-03T23:31:00.000+10:00

So, I have been slack this week and hhave been doing way too much of this.

<---------------

Maybe because I had a good week last week??

Maybe because I stopped exercising last week due to getting sick??

Maybe it's the cold?? I am not really sure, but I can only blame myself.

This week's total exercise has been....nil!

This week's food...well not good to say the least. Have had a few momentary lapses of concentration. Ummm who the hell put chocolate m&m's in my trolley!!!! (oops that was me)

Alcohol intake....increased (have no idea what is going ont ehre as I am not a drinker at all, I need to get it out of my house).

So yeah, tomorrow morning's weigh in will be interesting. I don't feel fatter but I feel sluggish.

Maybe I can rely on some of the "incidental exercise" I have done this week?

Thinking about it...

I have walked my little girl to the park a few times. We walk slow, but I have carried her (11kg) most of the way... I have done a lot of cleaning as the cleaning fairies didn't come last week when I was sick (they were sick as well)!....Been a bit stressed??? Does that burn calories??? (can you tell I am clutching at straws)

Tomorow the scales will tell all...and then...I will tell you all!

Hmmm....thinking of other ways to burn calories before morning??? ;-)

Past, Present and Future

2010-07-02T22:32:00.000+10:00

I have seen this amazing tool on some blogs and thought I would give it a go.

So this is me.

Past - 104.2KG Present - 85.5KG Future - 70KG

Click here to see your past, present and future.

Some people are just mean...

2010-07-01T20:12:00.001+10:00

Can you remember the first time that you became aware of your body image?

I can.

In fact for an event that took only seconds out of my life, it has been etched in my memory forever.

In my first post on this blog, The Honest Truth, I told you all about where I have come from and how I have had quite a warped idea of my body image over the years.

Well here is the event where my safe little world - a world where scales, weight and size did not matter, got blown up.

It was mid afternoon during the school holidays. I was 12 years old. My little sister (5yrs younger) and I had walked up to the shops to get some videos and some hot chips for lunch. Somethng that was quite safe to do back then in the area we grew up in. We were on our way home and it was getting quite hot. I took off my jacket and tied it round my waist so I didnt have to carry it. We were chatting away when all of a sudden a blue car (yes I still remember the colour) with 4 boys in it drove past and yelled out at me

"YOU'RE FAT!"

Two of the most hurtful, devestating words that a 12 year old girl who had just started high school could here.

I started to get upset, but didn't want my sister to see. She even said not to listen to them as it wasn't true but that was all I could listen to. Those two words repeated in my head all of the way home. We got home, I went straight to my room and bawled my eyes out into my pillow.

I wonder if those 4 boys know how much damage they caused from trying to show off in front of each other by taking the piss out of a 12 year old girl walking along the street?

I bet they never gave it a second thought and laughed about it for a few minutes before moving on to something else.

But that moment has been with me forever.

In the 8 or 9 years that I have been driving, I have noticed a lot of people walking along the streets - Some obviously quite fit and others just starting out on their journey's. I have always thought when I see the latter, "Good on you for giving it a go! You should be so proud that you are out there doing something for yourself", while I have heard others say nasty things. I am proud of myself for sticking up for these people and telling others that judge to remember that they are actually out there doing something about their weight and if anything should be encouraged rather than being made to feel scared to go outside the house to exercise in fear of public humiliation. I wish someone had said in that blue car had spoken up and said that before those boys yelled humiliated me.

So yeah....that's when I started weighing myself and lost so much of myself and scales became a huge obstacle in my life.

If you would like to share, feel free to commentor or write a blog post about this and tag the The scales say what?! into your post so I am sure to visit.

Now for some more reading!

It's time to Blog Hop! I have found so many amazing blogs through Diminishing Lucy's Fat to Fit blog hop so make sure you link up and check out some of these amazing people on inspirational paths.

Why .....day?

2010-06-29T23:55:00.000+10:00

So which day is your weigh in day and why?

I finally found a weigh in day that works for me and up until now, I never really thought how important the selection of a Weigh in day is.

I used to just weigh in on whatever day of the week I started "the latest way to lose weight". To be honest, with all of the diets I have started over my life, I have probably had a weigh in day on every day of the week!

But it is important! I used to weigh in on Thursdays. Thursdays were bad news! Thursday would allow me to splurge on Friday (which would also lead into weekend splurges) whilst I promised myself as soon as Monday arrives, I will be back into it and work so hard for Thursday. Well, I failed because 4 days of being good is not enough to make a difference on the scales when I was having 3 days of bad!

Monday was also another fail for weigh ins for me. At first, Monday felt appealing....its the start of the week and you can have a fresh start after bad weekends, but Mondays gave me a false security of thinking that I would jsut work hard for the work day week (Mon-Fri) and then I can relax on the weekend. Well for me, its not good to relax for the 2 days before weigh in and undo all of the hard work done during the week

But then I found....

Sunday keeps me honest on my most tempting days/nights (also known as Friday and Saturday), when I know my weigh in day is looming so I am more likely to pass on the temptations that those days and night offer.

Sunday gives me a chance to relax a little on that day (post morning weigh inof course) so that I can still be human and have a little treat, whilst still leaving 6 days to get back into it and move those numbers on the scales backwards.

So yes Sunday is best for me!

So when do you weigh in and why?

Planning my Attack!

2010-06-28T09:00:00.001+10:00

The key to winning a battle is to yourself and know your oponent.

Myself - 27yrs, wife 9may as well be), mum, teacher, a love/hate relationship with both food and exercise

Oponent - Food and occasionally myself.

I could write a battle plan write now on my strategies to attack my oponent and it might look something like the following:

But what I have learnt over my years of dieting and trying to win this battle I have with food is

. . . . . . . . . . . .

That the real strategy to winning is not planning in the sense of working through an established list, but rather that winning requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions.

Changes can happen at any time - a night out with the girls, a weekend away, dinner at a friend's house, a morning tea that has been put on at work, birthdays, celebrations, etc.

This is often where my oponent uses sneaky tactics that cause me to put on weight and my plan of attack goes out the window.

How I will deal with these changing conditions will vary according to the situation, but most of it is about self control and not giving into my oponent.

However I am now armed with the upper hand in the battle, as part of my plan of attack is knowing that these changes can happen at anytime and yes, while they may have the power to throw me off the bandwagon, I will not let them.

Cheers to a good week and gaining ground in winning the weightloss battle!

Sunday and the scales say...

2010-06-27T15:26:00.001+10:00

So jumping on the scales this morning saw me weighing in at 85.5kg. A fantabulous loss of 2.5 Kilograms!!!

Big thanks go out this week to the gastro bug that visited me causing me to dropabout 3.5kg over night but also to myself for ensuring that I kept most of it off.

We were entertaining guests last night, I made sure there were healthy alternatives for me to eat. Here are some changes I made & I felt great about them.

Nibbles:
~~Chips and french onion dip~~ Fantastic ricecrackers, carrot and capsicum sticks and Hommus
Main:
~~BBQ, potatoe bake, garlic bread~~ Steaks cut in half and then BBQ (smaller portion), garden salad with balsamic vinegar
Dessert:
~~Icecream, chocolate mud cake~~ Delicious Strawberries
Drinks:
~~Champers, coke, wine~~ 1 glass of Yellow Jewel (low cal) Champagne, Diet coke, water on the table

I still offered all of the usual things as not everyone is on a diet and I think it is important to have these foods around and not be tempted by them but I was responsible for ensuring that I wasn't my own worst enemy and ruin todays weigh in.

HAPPY FACE!

So that is me! Now standing at 85.5kg.

Measurements to come at next weeks weigh in!

Body shape after babies

2010-06-25T15:58:00.000+10:00

So right now, I am 8 kilograms lighter than I was before I fell pregnant, yet I still have this tummy that I never used to have. Yes it is smaller than it was than when I was at my heaviest but I cant shake it. Actually, I lie, I can shake it and it aint pretty but I cant SHIFT it! I wonder if I will ever have a flat stomach again?

I have more to pinch than the above photo!

On a postive note, I tried on a dress that was tight back in March and now it is so loose that I am going to have it taken in at the dressmakers.

I have only worn it once and it is a size 16 but I think I would be a 14 now if I were to buy the same dress.

It is all big across my back and under my arms when it never used to be and now kind of looks like a sack on me.

So I am losing weight across my back but not my belly.

How things change after pregnancy!

Everyone loves a compliment!

2010-06-24T20:27:00.000+10:00

So let's talk about them in this week's

Seriously... how good does it feel when someone gives you a compliment?

"Your hair looks great"!

"I love your shoes, where can I get some"?

"Your children are gorgeous, you must be so proud".

You know what feels even better than that?

When someone notices your weight loss!

A compliment about your weight loss can be all the motivation that you need to push a little harder and say NO to the maccas drive through on the way home.

A compliment can give you the determination to keep going.

A compliment can give you that important boost to your self esteem and can be the starting off point to you giving yourself a compliment.

This week I have had 2 people notice my weight loss AND it's only Thursday :-)

The first person was a work collegue who had not seen me in 2 weeks and said "Look how much weight you are losing! You are just looking fabulous!"

The second person was my gorgeous man. I often think it is harder for people who see us every day to notice weight loss as the change happens so gradually but he told me that I am looking fabulous and that my legs were getting smaller and he was really noticing when he cuddles me.

I have written these compliments down as they mean a lot to me.

But more importantly I am going to give myself a compliment this week for the first time in a long time.

"I am so proud that am starting to fit into clothes that I never thought would fit me again. I am feeling so much healthier and the hard work I have been putting in is making me feel comfortable to step outside the house without being restricted by plus size clothing that is way to tight."

I hope that everyone else can give themselves a compliment this week.

Go on, you deserve it!

Recovering from Obstacles

2010-06-21T23:48:00.000+10:00

In the past obstacles would roadblock me on the path to weight loss success. I would use them as an excuse to stop exercising and eat what I like. A sore foot, a tired baby, work, illness, time, other commitments, etc. You get the point. I am sure everyone has stumbled upon these obstacles at some point or another.

Not anymore.

I wonder how many people work out a way to recover from their obstacle and continue down the road to success and what strategies they used?

Today has seen me come up against a big obstacle.

Yesterday I went to bed feeling (for lack of a better word) YUK! Something just didn't feel right.

At 2am, gastro hit. I have never felt so sick in my life.

On a side note; my gorgeous man was so wonderful. You can tell when someone loves you when they are tying up your hair and putting a cool face washer around your neck and having to clean up after you. What a man...love you babe!

On the bright side I have lost 3kg over night but I know it will all be replaced when I get my appetite back.

What I am more concerned about it getting back into the exercise.

The thing about gastro is it makes your body incredibly weak. You have to gradually build yourself up to doing more.

So my plan to start the C25K is now being postponed for a week while I recover from this obstacle.

I know in the past, other obstacles have stopped me from following through with my goals but not this time.

I WILL complete the C25K program, but in the mean time, its get better and then just some light walking towards the end of the week

Why do mirrors tell lies? (weekly weigh in & progress photo)

2010-06-20T23:31:00.000+10:00

Why is it that just when you think that you are looking good when you are looking back at your reflection in the mirror, that you see a photo of yourself from that day and realise that...

the mirror was telling lies!

That, or it is broken.

Reality brings you crashing right back down and you are left wondering why is it that reality didnt take a bigger chunk off when it decided to bite you in the arse?

That was me today.

I cant even believe I am posting this picture as I hate it so much but I need to face reality.

I put on my jeans this morning and a simple black v necklong sleeve top. I felt good and asked my lovely man to take a photo of me. I was thinking I would see something that I liked (seeming I have lost over 15kg).

Hideous I tell you. I actually feel disappointed in myself.

Thank goodness there are hardly any photos of me at my heaviest as I dont know how I would have coped.

I know that I have worked hard and come a long way from my heaviest but I still have more hard work ahead of me.

I need to work hard to reach my goals.

I really cant wait to not be scared to have photos taken of me and to feel assured in myself that I look good.

To top it off, I only lost 500grams this week. I should be happy but I am not, maybe I would if I hadn't seen the photo but I can't hide from reality.

Here's to a better week everyone.

How am I going to score some weight loss goals?

2010-06-19T14:08:00.001+10:00

The World Cup is on and I need to make sure that I am setting some goals so that I can win this weight loss game that I have battled with myself for years.
First of all I need to set mini goals. Small goals to get me on my way to my big one that are the following....

NEXT GOAL

My next goal to achieve is to get to 84.2kg.

This would get me to the minus 20kg mark.

This needs to be achieved by July 31st.

In time for my 10year school reunion.
Now whilst I am still undecided about my RSVP to this event, I am still using it as a goal. I am going to achieve this goal by starting the C25K challenge, continuing to eat clean, drink water, enjoy green tea when I am feeling a snack attack coming on and staying focused.
I will reward myself for achieving this goal with a gorgeous outfit for the reunion. I obviously wont buy anything yet but will keep a look out. Hey, extra walking around the shops has got to count for some incidental exercise! :)
Tell me what's your current mini goal? How are you going to get there? Share some of your best tips....please pretty please.....with a low fat/low sugar cherry on top!

Ali xo

Fat to Fit

2010-06-19T00:10:00.001+10:00

So the gorgeous Lucy at DiminishingLucy inspired me to create this blog. It would be wonderful to have some followers to help keep me on track.

I have done my first ever link up (secretly hoping that I have done it properly so that i don't get kicked out of the program) and am looking forward to visiting other bloggers on their Fat to Fit missions.

Although I am a little late in my entry and my official weigh in is on a Sunday, I thought I should share how my week has been.

It was my birthday on Wednesday. 28 yrs young/old....not sure which this year.

Normally I would take this as an opportunity to indulge...not this year though. Seriously why do we give ourselves the excuse of having to indulge in food just because of an occasion? Is it a cop out? Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that cake should never be eaten, but just trying to understand my previous state of mind at previous birthday celebrations (I sometimes like to think out loud in other words 'word dribble').

I have managed 10Km on the treadmill this week. I am thinking about starting the C25K program next week. More info on that here. Hopefully that will get my exercise up.

So I am in the 80's now..high 80's...88.5kg to be exact...
but am glad to say goodbye to the 90's.
It has been 2 and a half years since I have seen the 80's so am quite pleased with this mini goal.

Right off to check out some more inspiration..

Ali xo

The Honest Truth

2010-06-18T23:12:00.001+10:00

For half of my life, I had always felt like I was bigger than everyone else.

When I was in primary school, I played netball, reps (in centre, WA positions) and was so physically fit but I always felt like I had bigger legs than the other girls. I look back at the photos now and realise I wasn't. I have no idea what size I was a kid but no bigger than the other kids.

In high school, same thing, except I stopped playing netball, but still kept up tennis. I guess looking back I was a healthy size 12.

After high school I went to uni and was working a casual job in a cafe. I didn't drive back then and used to walk to train stations, bus stops, to the shops, etc alot. I got down to a size 10 jeans which was incredible for me. I use to be able to wear midrif tops and low cut jeans and really had the stomach to carry it off. However I never really thought I was skinny. But really I was.

Then I got my license and moved out of home at the age of 18.5yrs. I put on a lot of weight, went back up to a size 14. Looking back a lot of it was the freedom to go and get maccas and take out whenever, drinking lots with friends and just not living a healthy lifestyle. It clicked to me when I was working at a gym and my 3/4 length size 14 cotton sleeve was so tight around my arms that it didnt make sense that I was selling people memberships to a gym when I was clearly not the picture of health.

I was 20, I started hitting the spin classes (sometimes twice a day) and basically starved myself on eating 1 piece of frozen fish a day... hmm and that was healthy I got down to a size 10 again. Guys started staring at me again in approval. I looked hot for my 21st (well i thought I did LOL) and I wont lie, I was really happy. I had the confidence to strut around in sexy lingere or shorts (havent seen those days in a while)!!!!

Then I moved in with DP, aged 22.5yrs. I progressively put on weight. Over 4 yrs I put on 25kg. Over those years, I went on many diets, they would work and then I would stop and put on the weight I lost plus more. My grandparents, parents DP and DP's family all commented on what was going on with my weight. I would always get defensive and say I am happy, leave me alone.

This is where my body image was totally warped to the other extreme.

I no longer thought that I was bigger than other people, in fact i would always see people who were bigger than me and think "well I am not as big as them". I know now that I was. If not bigger. But it was like I was seeing a warped image of me in the mirror and that I was not fat. After all these years, my body image had taken a massive turn (but not for the better).

I then split from DP for a short time. I lost about 10Kgs without trying. Guys thought I was hot again (I was still probably a size 14, but a small one with very healthy curves in the right places).

I got back together with DP, put on about 5kg and after 6 months I fell pregnant. Ate anything I wanted (but didnt go overboard). During pregnancy I put on a total of 8kg. I liked my pregnant body, apart from the stretchmarks! After I had Miss Twinkle Toes, I lost 5.5kg instantly and was in my pre-pregnancy jeans within a week of having Miss TT.

That didnt last.

I then was at home all the time with a newborn and I would just eat and eat. I put on more weight over the following 6 months than I did over the 9 months of pregnancy. I was the biggest I have ever been. A size 18. Double chin, back fat, tummy fat, leg fat, cankles, you name it, I had fat there! It was at this point I knew I was fat!!

I then started going to WW with a gorgeous girl from mothers group in October last year. I had lost 10.5Kg with adding walking in 3 times a week and watching what I eat, but not really cutting anything out, just the amount.

Then Christmas came, I put on 900g, then I just lost the plot in January and put on another 900g. I stopped going to WW after Christmas as I could no longer afford it.

Anyway I am back on the wagon now after a lot of inspiration from other ladies that are doing the weight loss thing for them and seeing how well the Biggest Loser people did this year.

So please follow me on my journey.

I really hope that I can finally do this for me and no one else. And maybe.... just maybe I can be an inspiration for someone else.
Ali xo