On Track

Why do the old habbits creep back in without me even realising it?

I find myself reaching for that bag of chips without thinking, or biscuits. without giving it a second thought it is in my mouth. I want this so badly but yet again I am doing things to sabotage myself getting further in this journey. I have been stuck around the same weight for 3 months now and I have no-one to blame but myself.

I had an interesting weigh in this week. I wore my sandshoes instead of my usual thongs. It is getting a bit cold to be wearing thongs at night in the middle of winter. I truly thought I could weigh in socks. I knew I couldn't weigh barefoot but thought socks were ok. Wrong!! I had to weigh in my sandshoes and I gained 600g which was recorded in my book. After the weigh in, I asked if I could weigh my sandshoes and guess what?? They weighed 600g. So technically I stayed the same this week.

I have made a pact with myself that I will track every day. I have been struggling with wanting to eat chocolate or sweet things at night. Janice from the ww forums suggested meringue nests with ww chocolate mousse and it really did the trick.

So I am very determined to have a loss this week. I have still lost just over 20 kgs but I look at what could have been in the last few months and to be honest it really depresses me. I know everyone goes through a slump in their journeys and when this happens I tend to give up. Not this time. I have made so many new and wonderful friends this time around and the support is amazing so there is no giving up.

Not much happening this weekend, thank goodness. The usual soccer and netball on Saturday but nothing planned for Sunday at this stage. It will be nice to have a quiet day and hopefully catch up on some cooking. With the help of Nikki and Ashleigh, we have been baking cakes and biscuits for their lunch boxes. I have also been making vegetable soup which I am loving and it is good to take to work on these cold days.

I'll be back after weigh in on Tuesday night to update hopefully with a nice loss. I am certainly due for one.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Slackest Blogger Award Goes to ME!!!

A few photos of our last few weeks...............

We made a cake tonight. A honeycomb vanilla cake. Might have the smallest sliver.


Ashleigh got her ears pierced today with some birthday money. She was braver than me!!

Our backyard is still a building site. Progress is being made though.

Not the best photo because of the flash, but I got my wedding and engagement rings remodeled with the Krudd money. I had lost diamonds in two rings and my engagement ring needed a lot of work because all the claws were breaking. It is 17 years old now!! Also I've had them joined together because I was so sick of them all spinning around my finger in different directions. I've also gone down 2 ring sizes.

Ashleigh's 11th birthday party.

This was our present to Ashleigh. A portable dvd player. A huge hit!!

Nikki's new bunkbed I got on ebay for $230. A brand new double futon. She has wanted a double bed for ages and now she also has her own room. Jarryd has to share with Ashleigh for a while until we can one day afford to build on another bedroom.

My weight loss is still going well. Although this month I have managed to gain 900g, then lose 2.7 kgs, then gain 1.2 kgs in 3 weeks. Nothing I am really doing different except a few comfort foods are creeping in with the colder weather. I made a pact with myself to challenge myself on the treadmill 5 nights a week which I have done for 2 weeks now. I have decided to get the EA Active wii game. I have been tossing up between that and the wii fit for a few weeks now so if anyone has an opinion either way, I would love to hear it.

Our backyard is finally starting to take some shape again 3 months after the fire. The shed is up and we have extended it a bit so Steve and his brother are concreting the extra bit tomorrow. Because they didn't rip up the old slab and it is not perfect, they have to come back and paint the concrete and then Steve can start moving things in. Wonder how long it will take to become cluttered again. NEVER I HOPE!!!!!

I must admit that I am again struggling with blogging. I just can't be bothered updating because I guess most people who read keep up with my life on facebook. Maybe I need to make it into more of a blog about my weight loss at the moment to keep me accountable and to motivate me to keep going. My main goal at the moment is to get my weight under 100 kgs. I have 10.6 kgs to go. I haven't been under 100 kgs for god knows how long!! I saw a friend today who I hadn't seen for a while and she told me she can really see the difference now. I know that is what is more important than what the scales say.

So I will be back sooner rather than later.

Quick Update

Ashleigh's healthy salad. Made all by herself for tea last night.

My bestest friend Lee and I .

My poor neglected blog!!

I guess because I am always on facebook, I forget to update here. I have never been the best blogger. But I won't ever give up because this is more like an online journal of my life. Something the kids can look back on and read when they have kids. To remember their childhood.

This month has been crazy. The kids are all doing winter sport so there are 3 games and week and 3 practice times a week. Saturday is soccer and netball. Must take the camera and take some photos. Nikki is finally allowed to start playing again. She has had 6 weeks off with her ankle and she got through practice on Monday night so I can't wait to see her play on Saturday. 5 weeks of watching her team play without her.

We went to the best party a couple of weeks ago. My best friend Lee, who lives in Melbourne came over for her brother Wayne's 50th. OMG I am now going to 50th birthdays. Aarrrggg!!
But it was my sort of party. Wayne is a surfer and the party was 1 hour from Adelaide so it was camping. And everyone camped and partied. There were many who didn't sleep and were still drinking the next day. They had the best band I have ever heard at a party. And Wayne and his kids all jammed together. It was awesome. I drank far too much but managed to stay around until 3am. The music went all night. No kids either. Made for a fantastic night.

And the best part, everyone I hadn't seen in ages commented on my weight loss.

I've had a shocker of a week. I don't know why but I've been craving salty food. Salt is not good. I notice it bloats me. My downfall at the moment is the kids snack packs of chips. I need to hide them. But I'm not stressing at all. If I put a kg or two back on, it will come off again.

I lost 700g last week taking the total to 22.5 kgs.

I'm going out for dinner tonight with some friends. We are going to a stonegrill restaurant so plenty of healthy options there.

Have a good week everyone.

Getting Serious

I have to admit I have been very complacent over the last 6 weeks. Definitely old habbits creeping back in. Having said that I have now lost 21.8 kgs. But it has slowed right down.

I know the exercise I am doing (thank goodness) has helped with the bad choices. All good though. I am still losing and not stressing about the scales. It's such a good feeling.

I am down to my lowest weight in years but I still have 40 kgs to lose so the job isn't done by a long way.

I am back to tracking online as of today. It keeps me accountable. This way I can eat and drink anything and still lose weight because I stop when I reach the end of my points each day. End of story. When I honestly track, I lose bigger numbers.

Ashleigh's bully situation is getting better. The school has finally addressed the problem. I am very annoyed still because they won't tell me if this child has been dealt with. Do I have rights here or does the privacy act prevent me from knowing how they have dealt with her?
Ashleigh finally understands that she needs to stand up to these type of kids so we shall see what happens next.

Busy day tomorrow. Soccer, lunch with Tania and Martine which I am really looking forward to, netball and then we are off to my best friend Lee's brother's 50th. He is having a party near Victor Harbour which is about 1.5 hours away from us so we are camping along with a few others I imagine. It is going to be freezing and probably raining so I will have a few drinks to keep me warm. Quite a few - LOL!!!

Then we have to be back by 12pm Sunday for the Port V Richmond game.

I'm going to make some soup tomorrow. I'll be getting up early because there are no hours left. I am hanging out for soup. Isn't it funny how you crave thick, hearty soup in this weather. Yummo.

Nikki's ankle is improving. She is walking without pain now but she hasn't been allowed to run yet so that will be the test. It's been about 4 weeks now so it shouldn't be too much longer.

I have really been enjoying the exercise I am doing. I have cut down the walks outside because of the weather and it being dark so early. So instead I am walking once a week and twice a week on the treadmill. I have been doing 45 minutes starting at speed 5 and going up to 6 at the end. I am surprised how much harder I am working. I was really sweating by the end this afternoon which I don't do when I walk. So I am definitelty upping the intensity and enjoying it. I am also doing 1 weights session a week with a friend who has a home gym. I know once a week is not enough but honestly, I can't fit in any more. With 3 kids doing sport and sports practice, there are not too many free nights.

I'll be back next week to update with some good weight loss news.

Happy Mothers Day Mummies

What a wonderful day!! I got up to have a shower and Nikki had made me the most gorgeous breakfast. She really put some thought into it.

She cut up some fresh fruit and I had the choice of vegemite or jam for my toast. And a cup of coffee. What a nice healthy breakfast.

I bought myself something I have been wanting for a while now. A slow cooker. I'm really looking forward to experimenting with it. The kids all made cards which was so much nicer than a bought card.

Jarryd's read, I love you mummy because you take me to school - LOL!!

We had a lovely family lunch at mums and then headed to West Lakes to spend some of my birthday money. A long overdue pair of sandshoes.

I got to try them out straight away because I had planned a walk with a friend to meet Jo for coffee. Well my friend had too much mothers day red wine so I decided to walk by myself. I have put up with a crappy old pair of sandshoes for so long, it was amazing how much more comfortable my walk was and how much faster I went. It was great to see Jo. I've missed walking with you mate. She is looking unreal and well on the way to recovery and back walking with Tania and I again.

My weight loss has really slowed down. I definitely have got complacent and after losing 21 kgs in 5 months, I only lost 400g for the whole of April. I have already blogged about how easter was a struggle but it took most of April before I could get out of the mindset of eating lots of crap again. Last week I gained 700g but I did get TTOM very suddenly so that was definitely part of it but this week I lost that 700g again.

I feel good and in control again. Upping the exercise has helped. I had slackened off a bit in that department. I have a friend who is into body sculpting and she is helping me with some weight training. Once a week at this stage. And boy did my muscles feel it. No pain, no gain hey.

Nikki's ankle is improving slowly. She is off the crutches but still can't run for a few weeks. We have been going out to watch her netball team and she is itching to get out there. But I'm not going to rush it, she has a partial tear of the ligament in her ankle and if she goes back to soon, she will risk tearing it completely and that means surgery.

The winter sports have kicked in this term. Ashleigh is playing school netball which I put my name down to help coaching and Jarryd is playing soccer. So apart from matches, there is another afternoon each week for training. I've become a taxi!!

So I am determined to reach a goal for May. Try very hard to get as close as I can to 25 kgs lost. I have now lost 21.5 so 3.5 to go.

Unfortunately I think I am in for a fight with the kids school. As some of you know Ashleigh was being bullyed last year. The school split up the 2 girls but the worst of the 2 has ended up in Ashleigh's class this year. She is a nasty piece of work and is very sly. She is trying to split Ashleigh and her best friend up. And these girls, Ashleigh included are too scared to stand up for themselves. I addressed it with the deputy principal again last monday and as at friday had not heard a word from the school. Neither had Ashleigh. I rang again on Friday and the deputy principal was away on a conference for 2 days. Ok so why wasn't it addressed before she went away. I had also asked the school counsellor to talk to Ashleigh and try and put some measures into place to learn how to speak up for herself and not be pushed around. So the school counsellor dealt with it by bringing Ashleigh and her best friend into her office along with the bullyer and they played out a scenario of getting along with bloody finger puppets.

Does anyone else have a problem with that? Ashleigh does not want to get along with this bullyer and I would love to ring her neck. Not play finger puppets. Why does she have to try and like someone who puts her down all the time and is vendictive and nasty to so many other kids. Her problems need addressing. She is very 2 faced and sweet with the teachers but I've witnessed her bullying and so have Nikki and Jarryd. I am angry!!!!!!

So I am going to make it my mission to speak to some other parents who's kids are having problems with this child and make them do something about it. Yes I am angry that my daughter is on the end of this and comes home crying some nights but i am also very angry that she is getting away with it. I would speak to her mother who I know but I also know that she doesn't think that her kids do any wrong.

Sorry to rant but this school is supposed to have an anti bullying policy????

Anyway I will keep you posted.

Have a great week everyone.

Back on Track

Just a very quick entry to say a huge thankyou to everyone who has commented here, on the weight watchers forum and facebook about my struggles.

I am very happy to say I feel so much more motivated and managed to lose 300g at weigh in last night taking the total to 21.5 kgs.

I know I am not alone in this struggle and I feel truly blessed with the wonderful friends I have made who know what it's like on this journey.

Thankyou!!!

Struggling

Yes I am struggling!!

I have been on this weight loss journey a million times now. My best results have been between 10-25 kgs. But............................................

I get to this point and go back to a lot of my old bad habbits and I can feel myself slipping into those bad habbits again. I have lost 21.2 kgs so far but have lost the plot since easter. Well maybe I am being a little hard on myself because I have not put any weight back on, just not losing any either. Since I posted the picture of myself in my new jeans, I have had so many wonderful compliments and I thank everyone for that. But it's had a negative impact on me. It's like my head is saying you look great so you can eat what you want again. What's with that???

I have been sneaking the kids easter eggs and have now asked them to hide them or there will be none left - LOL!! Chocolate is my new best friend. I am craving it every day. And I feel I have no control over it.

Anyway this is not a cry for help. I know what I have to do and I will do it. I am proud that with all the crap I have eaten in the last 2 weeks, I haven't put any weight back on. Time will tell when I weigh in tomorrow night. I stayed exactly the same at weigh in last week which I was very happy with because of all the chocolate I ate over easter.

I won't give up. That is not an option. I just need to work through where my head is at right now and get past it. Any advice would be very welcome.

Onto other things............

Nikki is starting netball again this Saturday. But, she had training on Monday night and her ankle was a bit sore which it has been on and off for a few months now. She didn't make it through the training. By the middle of the session she couldn't even walk properly. I took her to the doctor last night and he thinks it could be tendon related and we have to go for an ultrasound next week. So she is very disappointed. First game Saturday and she will be watching on the sidelines. We won't know anything until after the ultrasound next Wednesday.

The insurance claim is progressing. The shed has been demolished. A much bigger job than anyone imagined. It took them nearly 3 days just to clear all the crap out and then a day to pull it down. We have had the go ahead for the new shed to be built so now just waiting for paperwork to come so we can sign and get it back to the contractor. In the mean time, the pool filter is not running because the pump is stuffed. Luckily it's not hot or the pool would be well and truly green by now.

We have been paid for all the contents by the insurance company and Steve has been shopping. I have had to stop him because obviously we've got no where to put anything so there are boxes everywhere in the house. We also managed to upgrade the home fridge and tv and the ones we have in the house will go into the shed. So I'm happy, a new 2 door fridge and an LCD TV for me!!!

It's my birthday on Saturday. How did that roll around so quick?? I've asked a few friends out for a Thai banquet at my favourite thai restaurant so it should be a great night. It will be a big day. Mum wants to do brunch and then Nikki wants to watch her netball team who are playing on the other side of town, then dinner.

I'll be back after tomorrow night to update my weight loss/gain.

I Love/Hate Easter

I love easter because my precious children are so excited getting reading for the easter bunny. Nikki went to so much trouble making name tags for everyone and Ashleigh got things ready for the easter bunny to eat.

Not the greatest photo of me but this is the first pair of jeans I have worn in 30 years!! So exciting.

This week I lost 600g taking the total to 21.2 kgs. I am feeling so good about the way things are going. I can see lots of differences in my body and my fitness.

But this week is Easter!!

And I am struggling. I have been able to limit chocolate for just over 5 months now without too much trouble. But yesterday was like a green light to eat as much chocolate as I can. I think I had it in my head for the last few weeks that easter was going to be a hard time and has definitely sabotaged myself. The kids have chocolate already and I have been picking and sneaking just like I used to. Though having said that, I was chatting to some friends online tonight and the last few years I have had to replace bags of eggs before easter because I have opened them and eaten them. This year that hasn't happened so that's a win!!

So tomorrow when the kids get their eggs from the easter bunny, I will get them to hide them in their bedrooms so I can't see them in my face. What is it about easter chocolate. It tastes so much better than normal chocolate - LOL!!

I am not stressing about eating chocolate. It's not something I do every day anymore. Easter is once a year and I will get back on track. I am not going to put 21.2 kgs back on this weekend!!!

The insurance company has settled the claim for the shed and the ball is rolling. We have builders coming in on Tuesday to bulldoze the shed. I can't wait. Everytime I go out the back door I can smell the smoke still and looking at it is just a sad reminder of what happened. Steve is excited to be moving on and he is looking forward to a spending spree at Bunnings as soon as the new shed is built.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful easter break.

What a Week!!!

Pictures from the kite festival last weekend. I was very disappointed with it compared to last year. The picture of the close up kite is the kite Nikki is flying.

What a mess!!!!

First up, I had another small loss at weigh in last night - 200g taking the grand total to 20.6 kgs. Very happy with that. TTOM is due tomorrow and it is consistant with the pattern every 4 weeks or so.

For those who haven't read my news on facebook, we have had an interesting week. We were awoken with a start out of a deep sleep at 2am Sunday morning by people banging on the door and windows. At first I thought it was yahoos in the street letting off firecrackers but when our hazy minds came too, we realized that Steve's shed at the back of our property was on fire and the firecrackers were acually exploding paint cans and all the flammables a hoarding mechanic has in his shed. Our saving grace was our wonderful back neighbour who's bedroom window is next to the shed. She smelt smoke and came out to investigate and rang the fire brigade. By the time we had herded 4 kids out the front (we had one extra sleeping over) we could hear the fire brigade coming.

Thanks to our neighbours very quick actions they were able to contain the fire to just the shed. I shudder to think what could have happened if it was a windy night. Luck was on our side because it was a very still night.

Our wonderful neighbours on the other side took the kids back to their place and got blankets and hot milo for everyone. Steve and I were just in shock.

It turns out it was an electrical fire possibly from a faulty pool light transformer. I cannot heaps enough praise on the firemen. Steve has 3 tonne of firewood between the back fence and the shed and it wasn't touched. They did an amazing job. The cops showed up and all they wanted to know was if it was hydroponics!! As soon as they establised it wasn't they took off.

Anyone who knows Steve will know what his shed looked like. He is a shocking hoarder and had 30 years of his life in that shed. He has lost so many memories, all his trade school workshop manuels, boxes and boxes of magazines, tools, 3 glass cases of die cast bikes and cars and all the usual shed stuff. We've estimated about $30,000 all up. The insurance company SGIC have been fantastic and have already sent money for the cleanup. The pool area is a mess too. Because the filter and pump were next to where the fire broke out, the filter is stuffed and making dreadful noises so that will all have to be replaced.

The only good thing is that Steve will be able to start again. Sure he won't be able to replace all his old stuff and collections, but he will be able to have a brand new shed and contents to try and keep in order this time. I hope he's learnt his lesson about hoarding!!

So now we have the long task ahead of demolishing the shed and starting again. I just wish I could click my fingers and it all be done!!!

Woohoo I Did it!!!

Yes, I got to 20 kgs lost this week. Well 20.4 to be precise. Since the 31/10/08. So I am very happy with how far I have come in 5 months.

It's a great feeling and I am really starting to feel the difference now.

I'm off for a walk in about 5 minutes so just a quick update now. I'll be back later with some photos. It is the annual kite festival at Semaphore this weekend and we will be walking right past so I'm taking the camera. It's a gorgeous day so all the colourful kites will look fantastic.

Later......................

Thank God It's Friday!!

I lost 100g this week. Woohoo!!!!!!

You would think I lost 2 kgs wouldn't you? I had a blowout this weekend for the first time on this journey. It was Jarryd's party and out came the chicken nuggets, potato gems, chips, lollies and icecream cake. I had some of all of those and when I got on the scales Monday morning my weight was up about 1.5 kgs. I didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about eating what I did because it's a very rare thing not an everyday thing.

So I made the decision to get back on track on Monday and by last night I had lost the 1.5 kgs + 100g extra. It was a great feeling.

I have another doctors appointment this afternoon to get my blood pressure checked again after it was slightly high 2 weeks ago. Not sure if it will have gone down. I feel my stress levels are definitely higher than usual and dealing with a 12 year old daughter who thinks she can say and do what she wants is not helping. I need to try and step back and not get involved in a yelling match with her because I am not going to win. I was the same at her age. Thanks Chris for your comment on my blog yesterday about this. I take on board what you said. I know you are talking from experience.

I have a fairly quiet weekend planned. Steve has had Hoyts picture tickets to use since October last year and they expire at the end of March so we are going to see something tomorrow. Then catching up with a lovely friend I met on the ww forums a couple of years ago for coffee on Sunday.

I'd better go. I want to go for a walk before I pick the kids up from school.

Have a great weekend everyone and please if you drop by, leave a comment to say hi. I know so many people read my blog by the location counter but so few leave messages. Even if you just say hi, I can then read your blog too. I love getting comments. I need to feel the love - LOL!!!

So Close!!

I took Ashleigh and Jarryd on a walk with a fellow ww friend and her kids on Saturday morning and stopped at one of the many beach playgrounds we go to.

I am very happy to report a 1.6 kg loss this week taking the total now to 19.4 kgs. So close to 20 kgs gone forever. I guess I went against all the rules this week and didn't eat enough so I am very happy to have lost that much.

I have felt quite depressed about losing our dog. She was so much a part of our family and it's just so hard to get used to not having her around. When I am depressed or anxious about things I just don't feel like eating. I have been having 3 meals a day but just haven't felt hungry for much else. Oh well, like I said, I have stopped counting points anyway so I'll just keep going with what I am feeling and see where it takes me.

I've been tagged by Carlton and Jo, so I'll have a think about it and post it at a later date.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Bittersweet Weekend

Our night out on Saturday night with the ww girls

Saturday was truly one of the worst days of our lives. We had to have our german shepherd Bonnie put to sleep. She was nearly 15 years old and we had been expecting something like this to happen but it's still very hard to deal with. I came home Friday night after picking Ashleigh up from girls guides and she was dragging her back legs along the concrete. We knew straight away it was bad. Steve was out on a boys night so Nikki sat with her for hours. She didn't seem to be in pain or wasn't showing it. When Steve got home, he too sat with her for a few hours. I guess we all knew this would be goodbye. Saturday morning her breathing wasn't too good so we said our goodbyes and Steve took her to the vet. We knew she wouldn't come home.

Nikki was so upset. We all were but Nikki took it the hardest and cried most of the day. Nothing I could do but comfort her. Steve came back from the vet and broke down. I've never seen him like that. She was our first baby. We got her just after we got married 14 years ago. It's the little things that are so hard like her not greeting us when we drive in the roller door. Or she always sat out by the back door waiting for someone to come outside. And last night we had leftovers which I always put in Bonnie's bowl.

It is so very hard. She was one of our family!! RIP Bonnie. You will be very missed.

Onto a brighter note. We had a get together of some of the Adelaide weight watchers. We formed a facebook group with ladies who have or had over 30 kgs to lose. Derry, Sharon and Sonya are all very close or at goal and looked unreal. The others, Joanne, Jo, Tania, Kazz and myself are at various different stages of our journeys and we all looked hot too - LOL!!!

We had dinner at a thai restaurant and I think everyone really enjoyed their meals. Then onto Cibos for a coffee and a few of us headed to the casino. I had to catch a train home but a few of the others partied on and had a great night by all accounts. Thanks girls. It was just what I needed to take my mind off of things and I really enjoyed meeting the girls I hadn't met before. We'll definitely do it again soon.

Yesterday we had a family lunch for Jarryd's 8th birthday. It was a lovely day and Steve's parents and sister and kids drove over from the Yorke Peninsular for the day. My mum, grandma, sister, brother and SIL and their kids were there too so there were quite a few of us. Some of the kids went in the pool but I think it was pretty cold. It was a great day.

Then last night, Tania came over for our usual Sunday 5km walk. She brought her 6 month old daughter Mikayla with her and she was just delightful. Lots of smiles and chatting along the way. Thanks Tania. It was lovely to walk and chat about life.

This morning I caught up with a friend and her kids and we went for a walk in the sunshine and then came back to the Largs kiosk for coffee and got the kids some hot chips for lunch. It is a holiday here in Adelaide today for Adelaide Cup.

So like I said, it sure has been bittersweet this weekend!!

Gotta Love Long Weekends

It's Adelaide cup weekend here. And Jarryd's birthday weekend. We have lots of family and a few friends here on Sunday so I have some cooking to do tomorrow. I will post some photos next post.

I had a 1.2 kg loss this week taking the total to 17.8 kgs. It was more than I hoped for considering I am on antibiotics for a stye in my eye. I am loving the freedom of not tracking. Well I am tracking but it's already done each day because I am following a broad menu plan that is up on my fridge. Basically 3 meals a day and fruit for snacks during the day and some sweeter things at night to combat the night munchies.

I had to go back to the doctor this afternoon to get my eye checked which is improving. I have to use this thick cream for 2 more weeks and then go back again. He checked my blood pressure and I was a bit shocked to see it had gone up a bit. 140/90. I don't know much about blood pressure because I've never been on the high side so not sure if it's anything to worry about. He asked if I was stressed. After coming home and thinking about it the answer is YES!!

I am dealing with a very head strong 12 year old who thinks she is 18 and can do what she wants and tells me often that she doesn't have any rights. I need to learn how to deal with this because at the moment I just blow up. I need to learn to ignore her because it's normal. I was the same. Always had to have the last say. And it is effecting my stress levels. I am getting crankier if someone drives slow in front of me and can feel myself getting stressed so much more these days. Any ideas for stress management????

I am off for a girls night tomorrow night with a group of Adelaide wwer's that are on various stages of our journeys. We are going to a thai restaurant for dinner and then we're going to hit the casino. I must remember the camera or Jo will kill me. So there will be photos.

Talking of photos. Lots have asked for progress photos. Do you know I still don't see a lot of difference. When you have 60 kgs to lose - 17.8 kgs is not alot. Yes that's right. I don't think I've admitted here that I have 60 kgs to lose.

I took progress photos at 10 kgs lost and I will do the same for 20 kgs and post them. But you might be lucky enough to see some from the girls night or Jarryd's party. If I can't avoid the camera that is - LOL!!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Happy, Happy, Happy!!!

After my gain last week, I went back to basics and drew up a weekly menu planner taking into account lots of filling foods. I stuck to it to the letter and was rewarded with a 1.7 kg loss this week. Woohoo!!!! The total now is 16.6 kgs in 17 weeks.

Looking back on my gain last week, I truly believe it to be fluid. Last Thursday, weigh in day, I ate very little, drank about 3 or 4 cups of coffee and hardly drank any water. I hardly went to the loo and looking back I know that was the problem. Martine left a message on my last post that was along the lines of............. It's sometimes good to have a gain so you can go back over things and reaccess. That's exactly what I did and was duly rewarded.

So I am one very happy girl here tonight.

Very busy weekend coming up. Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment to check out a stye like growth on the inside of one of my eyelids. It's on the bottom of my left eye. Of course I have been thinking horrible thoughts. That's me so I'm going to get it looked at to put my mind at ease. Then I'm off to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner with a couple of girlfriends.

Saturday I have a dentist appointment to get a long overdue filling. And then I'm going to the Port V Geelong NAB cup game. Is it still called the NAB cup - LOL!!!

Sunday will be flat out. I'm catching up with another friend for lunch and then Nikki has netball trials in the afternoon. Then my Sunday walk with Tania and Jo. Hopefully Tania will make it this week. We missed you last week.

I can't believe it is only 2 weeks until Jarryd's birthday. My baby boy is going to be 8 :(
Where did those 8 years go? We were going to have a party on the Saturday but he came home last night with an invitation for another party that day so it might have to be next weekend instead. OMG that only gives me a week to organize something!! It can't be nearly March.

Have a fantastic week bloggers and thanks so much for all your support about my weight loss. I have made so many wonderful friends on this journey. True friends!!!

First Unexplained Gain

Andrew McLeod was great signing all the kids things and so patient. He even got handed a newborn baby to hold and have his photo taken - LOL
This was taken at the 20/20 cricket game for the bushfire appeal.

This is our gorgeous sunset the other night and skinny Jo at the kiosk after our walk.

I think I spoke too soon last week about 15.6 kgs gone forever!!

I put on 700g this week for absolutely no reason. I haven't done anything different and it isn't TTOM so I will move on. Nothing I can do about it now. Thanks Jo for making me realise that it's not all about the scales. I can see so many differences now in my body and my fitness so it's all good really. Just disappointing.

I have revisited my tracker because my leader advised me to change things around a bit. I might be having too much salt and in the last 2 days not enough water so I'm probably retaining fluid. Water isn't an issue most of the time but I do have days where I know I haven't had enough. Also I need to eat more fruit. Although I am staying within points, I can see I am eating too many water iceblocks and also too many cruskits.

Anyway I am not dwelling on the gain. Next week will be a loss for sure.

Steve surprised me on Valentines day with a gorgeous gold bracelet. Things are going very well with us. We have both worked on the things that bothers us and we are both much happier.

I have put a couple of photos on of the fundraiser we went to on Tuesday night. The Adelaide Crows and Port Power AFL teams had a 20/20 cricket game to raise money for the bushfire appeal. It was a great night and the kids got lots of players autographs. They raised a lot of money and it feels good to be able to donate some money.

Have a great weekend everyone.

A Little Loss

Well after losing 4 kgs in the last 3 weeks, I was fully expecting a small loss this week because of TTOM. I lost 300g which I am very happy with. Taking the grand total to 15.6 kgs gone forever.

Nothing much interesting to report this week. Just the usual work and school routine. The kids have all settled very well into school and they are all happy with their teachers. Ashleigh, who was the subject of bullying last year is happier than ever. One of the girls who bullyed her is in her class again and Ashleigh has come home on many occasions saying how nice she is to her now. Not sure what has turned her around but I'm not complaining. I am very happy with the way the school handled this because splitting up the 2 girls this year has worked out very well for us.

I, like everyone else has been devistated by the fires in Victoria. My best friend in Melbourne knows a few families that have lost loved ones and some of the stories are very distressing. The only good thing to come out of all this is the way Australians are pulling together and helping these people who have been left with nothing. It is going to be ongoing for months and years to come but I know they will be looked after and not forgotten.

Just a short post because I am about to walk and get the kids from school so I'd better get going.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and a lovely Valentines Day for those who celebrate the one they love. Steve might even get lucky - hahahaha!!!!

I've got my 10%

Sunset on Australia Day at Semaphore. The beginning of the heatwave

My new hair. I had it coloured last night and am very happy with the result. And yes I know my computer desk needs tidying - LOL!!!!

I am a very happy girl tonight. I lost 2 kgs taking the total in 14 weeks to 15.3 kgs and I got my 10%. I am loving this journey and the wonderful friends I am making so I really want to thank each and every one of you for your support.

I truly believe it has finally sunk in that I don't need all the crap I used to eat and I'm not craving or looking for the chips, chocolate and lollies anymore. I'm enjoying trying new, healthy food and I'm loving the way I am feeling.

We had an interesting week. For those that don't know, Ashleigh had an accident in the pool on Sunday night. She accidently got hit with a plastic water pistol and the bleeding from her nose wouldn't stop. To make matters worse, the blood was coming out of her tear duct which I have never seen before and it really freaked me out. I called an ambulance but because of the heatwave in Adelaide, they took over 40 minutes and it had finally stopped so I cancelled it. The next night, she woke up at 1.30am and the bleeding was worse so I called the ambulance again. Luckily they were only about 10 mins away and advised us to go to the hospital to get it checked on case it was broken. Luckily that was ruled out and it hasn't bled since but it was very scary.

The weather has cooled down a little. After 7 or 8 days of over 35 degs with most of those days over 40, the last couple of days have been around 33. Bliss!!! Although tomorrow is going to be 43 again. I'm over it!!!!

The kids have settled back into school and life is a blur of school, work, sport, homework and normal household duties but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love this busy time in my life.

Steve and I are getting on so much better. He is communicating better and life is good. He even surprised me by winning one of those travel auctions to Mildura which will be fun. Not sure when we will take it though, maybe later in the year in Spring.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Weigh In

Just a quickie to let you know I lost another 1 kg last night taking the total to 13.3 kgs lost in 13 weeks. Very happy with that because I know I am retaining fluid with this disgusting hot weather.

I guess you would have to live on Mars if you didn't know Adelaide is having a record breaking heatwave. It's day 4 of 40+ temperatures. Wednesday got to 45.6 deg and it was just disgusting. It was like a sauna outside. We are expecting a cool change next week of 39 deg!! Up until last night's 7 day forecast there is just no relief.

So our pool is getting a big workout. Thank god for a pool in this weather. Steve is always complaining about the maintenance he has to do on it but when you look at the fun we've all had in it this week, it sure makes it all worth it.

I haven't walked since Monday which I am missing. This weather really takes it out of me and I just have no energy by the time I get home from work. Plus most nights have still been 40 deg at 9pm so there is no way I'm walking in that. I have been trying to do some laps of the pool but it's hard when there are so many people in the pool all the time. Oh well, I'm not too worried. It will cool down eventually.

So needless to say, all we will be doing this weekend is staying at home in the air conditioning and pool. I just hope we can see a change come through by next weekend.

Happy Australia Day

Ashleigh's pavlova dessert. Looks so good but I didn't even crave it.

We saw so many pelicans.

Ashleigh looking for crabs.

I hope everyone is having a lovely day off for Australia Day. We've had an awesome weekend.

Went to pick up the kids from Stansbury and had a great couple of days away. It was so good to see Ashleigh and Jarryd after a week with nana and pa. Steve's mum suggested we go to the pub for tea without the kids but 2 volunteered to come with us. We walked along the beach to the pub and it was so nice. Pelicans, albatros and lots of seagulls made the trip very enjoyable. I love living and holidaying so close to the beach. I am truly blessed.

I got stuck into the sparkling rose and Steve and I ended up a little drunk. God knows how - LOL!! Made for a very funny walk home. I should mention here that Steve's Aunty took the kids back to Steve's mums for us in the meantime.

And even better we came home with so much garfish that Steve's brother caught.

Tania came to get me last night and as we had organized a walk along the beach. We both had a surprise when Jo turned up as well. Good old facebook network. We were just going to do jetty to jetty which is 3 kms but Jo pushed us further to do the 5 km walk I'm training for. Now 5 kms might not seem much to some of you but hey I wasn't walking at all 3 months ago. It was so nice to have such great company on a gorgeous night. After we had a coffee at our local beach cafe and we were talking so much, we had no idea it was nearly 10pm. Thanks so much girls. I really look forward to making this a regular event.

So today I'm having a lazy one. Got rid of 2 kids but gained 1 and they are in the pool. Adelaide is in for a big heat wave me thinks. 41 for the next 3 days and then high 30's for the forseeable future. Thank god for the pool and the new air conditioning in the car.

Have a wonderful Australia Day everyone. I'm so glad I live in this wonderful country.