Enough? (HJ)

I've been thinking yesterday and the day before that that I really need to add some challenges to my exercise routine. If I'm going to enjoy my time overseas, I need to be fit. And getting fit requires that the degree of difficulty is slowly increasing (time, or weight, etc).

So today...

Today I got up and did the steps 10 times, rather than the 8 that I have been doing. That's 160 steps up and 160 steps down. I WILL be able to get to obscure places overseas that require my body to cope with elevation.

Backed that up with 20mins rowing. Rowing is my core/arms exercise that also gets a little cardio-vascular on the side. It is my standard exercise that I really need to do to discharge my responsibility to myself to try to get/keep fit. I haven't rowed this week, so it was amazing that I managed it well, and I decided that with the extra steps and riding down to morning prayer I'd leave it at that. (Besides, Emily Sue said that 20 mins is her minimum and anything else is bonus. If it's good enough for Emily Sue...)

Then I decided that I'd cycle the long way down to morning prayer. I've been doing that a few times this week instead of rowing. It's about 20 mins instead of under 10. I should work out the distance.* About three blocks into the alternative route the chain fell off my bike, so I had to abort and head for the local Anglican church to be on time.

Then after prayer I thought, "Why the heck can't I do my extra circuit on the way HOME? After all, technically it's a holiday day for me today and I don't need to BE anywhere."

So I did.

On the way home I also did the few extra blocks to get to the little butcher that I patronise to pick up our Christmas ham. Thankfully it's pretty much flattish and downhill from there.

This afternoon I had to make the trip to Mum & Dad's, so being a lovely overcast, cool day I decided to take the bike. After coasting down the lovely hill from our place I had to start going back up the hill to their place and my legs decided that they weren't exactly fresh. I made it, though.

On the way back (which is mostly downhill until you have to go up our killer hill again) I think I nearly died. I think the pump that is my heart was really running out of juice.

I don't think I need to walk the dog this afternoon. Do you?

*The actual distance of my long, loopy way is 6.2km, the short way is 2km home again from there. Of course, the long, loopy way was selected primarily on the basis of the fact that because it follows the river most of the way it is pretty flat. I LIKE flat. But I would have done at least an extra 1 - 1.5 km in my aborted initial attempt and the detour to the butcher. It is not unreasonable to assume I did 10 km on the bike this morning, then another 4km this arvo.

Same same (ES)

I've just had three weeks off work, which meant I had three weeks of no exercise and not caring what I ate. Add some stress to that, for various reasons, and there may have been some binge eating. Ahem. Moving right along...

I started back at work this week, and also started back on my early morning routine of exercise and a decent breakfast (and taking the time to pack a decent lunch). I've decided that when I exercise I'd like to do 20 minutes minimum, because having my heart rate up for that amount of time is about what I need to burn off adrenaline and keep my anxiety at a pretty good level. But anything after that is a bonus - so if I do 45 minutes one day and only 20 minutes the next day, that's totally fine. It's not that I did "only" 20 minutes on day 2; it's that I did an extra 25 minutes on day 1. This way of thinking has helped to stop those conversations with myself. You know the ones... "You did 45 minutes yesterday and today you want to stop at 20. That's pathetic! What's wrong with you? It's less than half what you did yesterday - that's a huge step backwards!" Unhelpful, yes? Yes.

I have to say I'm still loving the early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine. I get so much done in the mornings and it kick-starts my day beautifully. Of course, this hasn't resulted in any weight loss, but I guess that will come eventually. Blobbing around for three weeks didn't help, obviously, although I am back to the weight I was a month ago. Still a way to go to get my fitness and energy levels back up there, but that will come. Right now I have a groin injury - just like a footballer - which I can really feel when I walk so I'm taking a few days off to rest it. It's just a muscle thing and will heal fine. And the lesson here, kids, is (a) warm up first and (b) don't keep up a brisk walk and/or jog when you're obviously tired out and therefore your form is rubbish. Don't be a hero - it leads to injury.

Nothing to see here, people (HJ)

So a few weeks later and I'm doing 20 mins on the rowing machine, and still riding my bike about three times in the week (although the rainy days have pulled that count down this week), and I'm now at the end of my week of doing the steps 8 times.

I did actually have a second bike ride one day last week, and I did not die.

But still no change in the weight stakes. (still wobbling around the horrible round number I don't want to think about)

What do you mean I've got to make some better food choices?

Going Down (HJ)

I made it to just under the horrible number I don't want to think about, much less talk about. (Like 0.1kg under, but hey...)

I've increased my rowing to 15 minutes about 4 times a week because I think it's time for a challenge.

I'm not having to put my bike down to first gear for the long slog up the hill from town anymore, and I've been doing about three trips into town each week. I'm not up to much more distance than that (2km) or for that matter riding to two things in the one day. But it's a start.

But last week my challenge was to go up and down the stairs 5 times 3-4 times a week. Different muscle set and for me going up has always been really hard work. It occurs to me that if I want to get to the monastery at Meteora or to the top of Mt Nebo to see where Moses got to watch the Israelites cross the Jordan in June/July this year I will need to improve my ability to go up. Or at least, I will enjoy the trip more if I do.

So, the plan is to be able to go up & down the internal stairs 20 times in a row. This week I've increased it to 6 times and I'm surprised I'm not dead. Or having weird heart-y things.

So I must be getting fitter, right?

Give or Take (HJ)

I haven't been really keen to post.

This might be because as of the end of semester I'd almost beaten my best weight ever (if I was a cow heading for the sale yards, that is). I didn't want to talk about it.

But it does give one a certain amount of motivation when they look in the mirror in some of their clothes and realise that the pregnancy rumours are going to be up and running again (if they aren't already) if one doesn't DO SOMETHING.

So I'm trying to get more active. I like food. I like lots of it, and some of the lots I like is not necessarily healthy.

So I will begrudgingly exercise in order to be able to eat moderate amounts of whatever the heck I want. Yes, I will continue to have healthy breakfast. No, I don't need a huge amount of lunch. Yes, I will try to have fruit and/or yoghurt for dessert.

But there will be occasional cakey-things. Or hot chips. or ice-cream. Or cheesecake.

I've been doing 10 mins rowing most mornings (oh, how the mighty have fallen), and I rode my bike three times this week to things I would normally take the car for.

I have been Zumba DVDing a couple of times when I have time, too.

I was walking the LBD a few times a week, but the bike riding is leaving me pretty worn out, so I've been slack this week.

Anyway, apart from the fact that I didn't write down the number representing the zenith of my weight-gain, it appears that in the last two weeks I've lost a kilo. Give or Take. Possibly as much as 1.3.

But then, one of the nannas at mainly music asked me if I'd lost some weight. I didn't really think one kg would make that much difference.

Maybe I'm building muscle!

My body can do stuff (ES)

So I've been pretty consistent with exercising every morning. I miss a few days here and there but I'd say I average at least 5 days per week (at the unholy time of about 5.45am). I don't appear to have lost any weight although I'm not 100% sure my scales are accurate. Yesterday I did the get-off-get-on-again thing and somehow gained a whole kilo. Did it again and gained another 500g. Kept doing it out of curiosity and managed to lose all that "weight" again in small increments over 5 minutes or so. Very strange, and it's the only time the scales have ever done that. I tested it again this morning and it was completely consistent, but of course now I don't know if the consistent weight it showed me is my ACTUAL weight. I think I might go with measurements instead.

A few months ago I finally got my act together and saw a podiatrist, who expressed great horror at a number of problems with my feet and ankles. She prescribed orthotics, which I have been wearing and noticing the difference. The pain in the side of my knee, which had been waking me up at night, has pretty much gone. I thought this all boded well, so a few weeks ago when on the treadmill I increased the speed to a jog. Not a good idea, as it turns out - I was limping within five steps because I had shooting pain in my knee, in a different spot from the previous pain. This is not unexpected because my knees and ankles are still getting used to behaving like normal knees and ankles instead of wobbling all over the place. Still, disappointing.

Earlier this week I decided to give jogging a go again, to see if the knee has improved. To my delight, I managed half a minute of jogging without pain. I've been testing it out each day, doing bursts of 1-2 minutes of jogging. And it's been fine, but the really great thing is that I am able to jog at a much higher speed than I've ever been able to do previously. When I was doing C25K before I usually jogged at a very shuffly and slow 6.5kmh, reducing to 6kmh when I got tired. I walked at 5-5.5kmh. Now I am walking at 6-6.5kmh and jogging at 7.5-8kmh. This is HUGE for me. I think I have jogged at 7.5kmh just once before, and I managed maybe 30 seconds. Now I'm doing 2 minutes at 8kmh and I'm still feeling okay when I finish. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about this. I said in a previous blog entry that I'm concentrating on health and strength... and I think it's working. I am actually feeling fitter and stronger. How great is that??

Prepare to be amazed ...

Today I did it! I swam 50 laps, that is 2.5km!!! The first 10 laps were killers as usual, laps 22-24 were depressing because it was still hard going and I knew I wasn't halfway yet, but sometime in the late 20s I settled into my strokes and breathing and it became easier.

I have added two more laps into the set that I repeat. They are non-flippers laps, the trickiest for me due to my tiny inadequate feet. My set of eight now looks like
1. Kickboard & flippers, tread water for a minute at the deep end
2. Kickboard & flippers
3. Freestyle, girlpower only
4. Breaststroke, girlpower only
5. Freestyle, flippers
6. Breaststroke, flippers
7. Freestyle, hand paddles & flippers
8. Breaststroke, hand paddles & flippers.

So you see, my swimming is greatly flipper-assisted. But I like it that way.

Today after four sets (32 laps) I just kept powering up and down with my flippers. I took them off for a few laps but by then the exhaustion was showing and it was a bit too much. I needed two kickboard laps to rest a bit.

I powered past 40 laps and began to marvel at how I was now swimming personal bests - every lap was the furthest I'd ever swum! I was so relieved when laps 46-49 were done. And can you imagine how I felt on Lap 50? Woo hoo! It was exhilarating!

I guess now I need to find time to go and buy my reward!

By the way... (ES)

Lest you think I've become a spinach-smoothie swilling exercise freak, I thought you'd like to know I just had a packet of Zig Zag Twisties. The big packet. 376 calories.

They were good.
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Health and Strength (Emily Sue)

I have no idea what I weighed last time, but today I weigh 72.8kg, which is down a bit. And that's good, but I've had a bit of a brain-shift about how I'm handling this.

I have spent most of my life with body image issues and related disordered eating. I feel like I've been following diets and food rules my whole life, and I'm always feeling guilty about eating 'bad' foods or not exercising enough. (How much is "enough" anyway?) So I must ask myself... is that any way to live? I'm thinking NO.

It occurred to me recently that having a weight loss goal is not helping me. By that I mean, having weight loss as my ENTIRE goal. It means that every time I exercise, I see it as a means to lose weight. When I eat something 'healthy', it's to lose weight. When I deny myself something 'bad', it's to lose weight. This is probably not news to anyone, but that is not actually enjoyable. Further, once I lose weight I know I will stop exercising, stop eating healthy food and go back to the 'bad' foods. Even calling them BAD foods is so unhelpful. Food is not good or bad; it's just food.

So my goal has changed. I'm still counting calories and staying within a specified amount that will help me lose weight sensibly, but weight loss is not my ultimate goal. I am aiming to be healthy and strong. God gave me a body that works well (knees and eyesight not withstanding) and it is a JOY to be strong enough to do things like walk to the shops instead of drive, or walk up a big hill because there's a fantastic view at the top. It's a joy to be able to pick up my podgy cats (they're pretty heavy). It's a joy to know my body is capable of doing 50 minutes on the treadmill - I certainly wasn't capable of that a year ago, and now I feel strong when I finish.

Having this little mind-shift has been incredibly helpful. I've just discovered green smoothies (basically it's a mix of 60% fruit - whatever you like - and 40% green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale or chard, plus a cup or two of water, blend until smooth and drink) and I'm loving them - not because they are a 'weight loss' food, but because they taste great and I honestly feel fantastic when I start the day with one. I know they sound horrible, but they are soooo good. And you can't taste the spinach. This morning's smoothie had apple, orange, pineapple, banana, almond meal (for protein) and spinach. It was delicious.

I've had the same mind shift with exercise. So this morning when I was doing a workout from a DVD I wasn't thinking, "Keep going, you need to lose weight"; I was thinking, "Hey, I can do this one a bit more easily now. I must be getting stronger. Awesome!"

This doesn't mean I leap out of bed every morning all excited about exercise and healthy eating. I still have to employ the 'don't negotiate with terrorists' method to get me out of bed. I still eat chocolate and chips and other things, and sometimes I still have a total calorie blowout. But I am no longer punishing myself, and I'm no longer obsessed with the NEED to lose weight. I'm concentrating on health and strength and if it leads to weight loss, that's great. If it doesn't, I'm still going to rejoice in the things my body can do, and in how healthy I feel.
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I'm back LLL

Hi All,

I have been doing other things and forgetting to post. My weight dropped below the magic 60kg and that was my next target. So to celebrate I had cheesecake, would you believe 3 times in one week. That didn't have the desired effect.

I have also had 2 trips away the first in a caring role was ok, but the Sunshine Coast for 2 days wasn't and they have a gelati shop which needed visiting, twice. Then we added a church fete and the baking and eating involved there. Add to that lot a lack of motivation and guess what you have?

Fortunately, well there has to be an upside for the last 6 days I have had a tummy upset that was persistent to say the least, and that lost me 900g. Even though I haven't walked for a week.

So I have had ups and downs and today on a bounce I weigh 59.8kg. I have really settled on the target weight now and that is between 56 - 57kg so that means another 3 kg to go. I really feel like forgetting the whole thing, but if I don't keep going now I fear the starting again won't happen, so onwards.

How much can I lose before Christmas? That's me for now.

Swimming with and without terrorists

I'm back into swimming, praise be given the long cold winter is over!  Yeah yeah, I could have used the little indoor pool with its lanes of unspecified length, but seriously?  Winter, swimming, me?  Don't want to not going to do it.

Now that the 50 metre pool is open again, I've been going every Monday with a "Don't negotiate with terrorists" attitude.  After my first aborted attempt at going, that is.  On that first day, it was cold and drizzly, and there were no parks in front of the pool, beside the pool, over the road in the carpark designated as overflow parking for the pool, the council carpark adjacent to that, or up the street.  I could have parked in the shopping centre or library carpark and walked to the pool, but the fact that all the carparks were full indicated that perhaps the pool was packed too.  So I let the terrorist beat me that day.

I've been surprised to see that I've picked up where I left off before winter.  30 laps, which is 1.5km, and completing it in nearly 30 minutes.  This is 30 minutes on The P'ool Clock, which I spell with an apostrophe in my mind because it is about as accurate and keeps time as well as The Playschool Clock, necessitating the apostrophe.

My Personal Trainer, okay, my good friend who is really knowledgeable about nutrition and fitness who is studying to be a Personal Trainer, said that to build up fitness and go further, going 10% further each week is a good rule of thumb.  I don't see this as an infinite possibility, but today I decided to try 33 laps, just to see if I survived.

A funny thing happens as I swim.  The first lap nearly kills me.  It's my freestyle lap and I tend to go a bit hard first up, because I'm cold in the water and want to get warm.  (I also wear flippers to give extra resistance - excessive cardio kills me and I like to mix a good amount of strength training into anything I do.  The flippers work lots of muscle groups in my legs, and help me actually move forward in the pool, unlike my tiny size 6 feet - about as effective as paddling a canoe using butter knives.)  The second lap is breaststroke, and it's my favourite in the set of 6 laps I repeat, but the third is where I put on my hand paddles for extra resistance and go hard at freestyle again. The third lap is usually when I start questioning whether I'll make it to 10 laps, let alone 30.

By laps 12, 13 and 14, I'm a bit depressed I'm not half-way yet, and wonder if I should stop at 20.  But by 18, I know that I'll make the distance.

Today though, but the time I got to 26, I knew I had more than 4 more laps in me, and I also knew I'd make it to 33 easily.

Better make it 34, I thought.  Don't want to get out at the deep end, and walk in the wind down to where my towel is.

But then after 34, I knew I would make it to 40.  By that stage I'd abandoned my usual set of 6 laps and ditched the hand paddles and kickboard laps.  I was just doing freestyle and breaststroke, and I noticed that as I did my freestyle laps (35, 37, 39) I started wondering if I'd do 40 laps.  I was getting pretty exhausted by this time.  But the breaststroke laps encouraged me - during 34, 36 and 38 I knew I could make it.

And I did!  I swam 40 laps, 2km!

How about after I do 50 laps (2.5km) I treat myself to a pair of swim fins?

Exercise Terrorism (Emily Sue)

I can't even remember when I last posted... I know it was after a brief burst of enthusiasm. :) I think I'm about 300g lighter than then. But that's not what I want to share today.

I read a lot of blogs, and today there was a great post on Mia Freedman's blog about exercise. The link is here but I'll quote my favourite part for you. It's longish, but worth reading. (She's quoting a conversation with Michelle Bridges, one of the Biggest Loser trainers.) 

Like the rest of us, Michelle doesn’t adore exercise when she’s doing it and she doesn’t particularly look forward to it. And it’s this myth – that we should LOVE exercise and be inspired to do it – that so many of us use as an excuse not to.

Michelle says she’s asked about motivation all the time because people assume she is a motivation machine. But she’s not. “I don’t wake up, pump my fist in the air and go ‘YES! I’M GOING RUNNING! RUNNING! YESSSSSSS!’” she insists. Just like she doesn’t wake up and go “YES! I’M HAVING A SHOWER AND BRUSHING MY TEETH.”  Or “YES! I HAVE A DENTIST APPOINTMENT!” It’s just what she does.

If you wait for motivation to magically appear? You’ll still be sprawled on your couch watching The Real Housewives in a decade. The clouds do not part. Inspiration does not strike. You will probably never be overcome by the urge to exercise. You. Just. Do. It.

Accidentally, I’ve taken this approach to exercise for a long time. It’s also known as the Don’t-Negotiate-With-Terrorists method if by ‘terrorists’ you mean the self-sabotaging parts of yourself that would prefer to sleep-in or go for drinks after work instead of moving vigorously until parts of your body hurt and get sweaty.

I don’t negotiate with myself about exercise. Ever. I’ve done the same thing for years. And years and years. Exercise is one of the most boring and predictable things in my life but also one of the most important. Without it, I’m Moody McBitchface. The way I sidestep the need for motivation is to remove as many variables as possible – I exercise indoors so weather doesn’t matter. I exercise alone so I’m not relying on anyone. I don’t have a trainer or do classes so it’s not budget dependent. I always exercise in the morning and always on cardio machines. The morning part is crucial. It means I don’t spend the day having those exhausting debates in my head about whether I will or won’t do it after work. Exercising in the morning is as much a part of my routine as getting dressed.

I just love the "Don't Negotiate With Terrorists" method. It's my new mantra... because those 'terrorist' thoughts get me all the time. "Oh, I can't be bothered. I have insomnia so I should sleep when I can. I will do it tonight. I'll be late for work. I'll go for a walk at lunchtime. I don't have any sports bras clean." You name the excuse, I've probably made it.

This afternoon I desperately wanted a nap. Daylight saving started this morning so I lost an hour of sleep and my body was protesting. I was on my computer and I was almost nodding off as I typed. I was soooo tempted to sleep... but I thought, "No. Don't negotiate with terrorists." I pulled on some exercise gear, put in a workout DVD and did that for 40 minutes. Then, feeling still inspired, I put on a Star Trek DVD and walked on the treadmill for an hour while it played. ONE HOUR. I walked 5.5km and I felt great at the end. Of course, I don't expect to do that amount of exercise every day but I hope to do SOME.

Don't Negotiate With Terrorists.

I love it.
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Progressing (HJ)

Mum indicated that she hasn't been progressing at all, so this is the perfect opportunity to say that I HAVE progressed!

I have put on more weight. Aren't you proud of me?

Medicinal chocolate is to blame, but I'm hoping that now I'm on holidays I have a little more time to make some better choices. So I started with 5mins rowing again and did 20 mins Zumba and avoided the last slice of cheesecake.... and finished my assignment entirely (unless I get keen enough to kill the remaining 400 words over limit. If I don't get keen, it's going in un-culled, because I have no idea what more I can take out).

PS. For the record, when I made a crack about LLL always being at the top, it was more to stimulate others to post, not to stop you-know-who.

Not Progressing LLL

Hi All,

After a comment made by a certain person who blogged rubbish, I have been scared to blog. But here goes, I will take my courage and give it a go.

Yes, I have been absent for some weeks and my progress is nil. When my weight settled after holidays I was about what I am now. Today I weigh 60.5kg, I have been doing all the right things and nothing is happening, so tomorrow I go away for a week and that will give me further time to think things through.

In the last week I have heard a few times about diets that have only protein for 2 weeks, and they lose between a kg a day and 5 kg in 2 weeks, so I will continue to think about doing that drastic bit to remove the last 4kg.

At least I haven't gone up in weight. So I will see you all in a couple of weeks, and may you all be more successful than I am at present.

I am officially a LOSER. (GdeE)

I bet you thought I'd died.  I haven't.  I just left to focus on doing what I'd been trying to do for so long - losing some damn weight.


On the Scales:

• Starting Weight: 67.0kg.
• Current Weight: 60.3kg
• Loss: 6.7kg, or 10% of my starting weight.

 
NSVs (Non-Scale Victories)

• BMI (not perfect, but a decent enough indicator for me): Previously: 24.9.  Wear a cardigan, and I'd be "overweight."  Now: 22.4 - just shy of the halfway point in the normal range.
• Currently wearing my GOAL JEANS!  My what?  MY GOAL JEANS!!
• Everyone is noticing that I'm looking trimmer, even my old Dad.
• Can now sustain weight loss without logging food every day: have a bit of an instinct for what I will and won't eat in order to keep losing.
• Am much fitter and can wear workout clothes without laughing at self.
• Took a ridiculous picture of self in goal jeans.  Laughed at self then.

What's worked for me?

(1) I always ate "fairly healthy," but it wasn't until I started counting calories on My Fitness Pal that I had any success at all.  After all, what's a diet without a treat?  And how big is a treat?  And how many treats?  I never knew the answers to these questions until I had a set number of calories to eat each day, and wrote down every single thing I actually ate.  The answers to the above questions weren't what I'd previously thought.

Along with counting calories, I have spent time focussing on carbs/proteins/fats, saturated fat content, sugar content, and sodium content.  All these things are quite important, and you'd go mad trying to track it all without My Fitness Pal.

Those six weeks of hard-line rules late last year were great, and I've mostly kept them up and included some more, like no rice crackers, ever!  Ever, ever, ever!  I'll tell you why one day.  Evil things.

(2) I always stayed "fairly active," but it wasn't until I started "working out" that I had any success either.  I had previously read research indicating that pure cardio was the way to go if you want to burn fat, but the reality is that strength training is pretty effective especially when it's coupled with cardio.  It was all more effective when my exercise routine was mixed up so my body didn't get used to my workout routine and go into a plateau.

So I completed Jillian Michaels' 23-day Shred program ... I beg your pardon ... I nearly completed Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred program in the comfort of my living room with the aid of a set of dumbbells and my three small children.  I saw results, oh boy did I see them!  And although I should have been measuring results with a tape measure as well, I mainly saw them in my ability to go from being able to do zero pushups to 15 in a row, and to crunch my abs until Jillian said to stop, and to star-jump and jump-rope and butt-kick until I lost continence.  This last is not a joke.  I didn't let it stop me - I bought a pack of maternity pads and kept going.

Going to the pool lost its appeal when the big pool was shut down for winter, so I did as much walking while pushing the pram/stroller as I could.  To and from school is ideal (Hills! Resistance training!) when the weather is nice, so I've been trying to do that whenever I can.  It's funny when you are sad when the kids hop out and walk, or when you're pushing a nice easy pram ... simply because you know you're burning fewer calories!


What now?

The picture above doesn't show it, but I haven't lost much weight from my tummy.  I have a little bit left to lose if I'm going to get rid of this fat over my internal organs (doctors don't mind all that much if your fat is on your thighs, but they don't like seeing it closer to your heart and other organs.)  The weather will get warmer and I'll be back out there walking to and from school whenever I can, and the pool will re-open and I'll start carving up the water again.  I will buy new clothes and lo, there will be less fabric in them.  I will look nicer in my clothes too, so perhaps I should decide to care just a little bit about how I look.

I'm going to learn how to get my scales to tell me [their opinion of] my body fat percentage (again, imperfect, but decent enough as an indicator) and I'll let that be a rough guide to how much more to lose, as well as how my body feels.  I can feel many inches of fat over the top of my recently-toned muscle right now, and I plan to keep some of it but lose some of it too.  Not all of it is necessary.

Hey - wanna check out My Fitness Pal?  I am eternally grateful to Emily Sue for sending me in that direction!  I recently asked a friend's husband who has lost 25kg on MFP how awesome is My Fitness Pal?

His answer: "Really awesome.  Actually ... A Hundred-Awesome."

He's right! 

Blobbity blobs of blobbiness (Emily Sue)

I have been absent. I have been stressed. I have been depressed. I have been eating.

And to my surprise (NOT) I have put on weight. I hoped it was just a kilo or two... well, technically it was. Plus another four. I think since my best Weight Watchers day I have put on about 6kg. CRIKEY. So now I'm up to 74kg and not loving that at all.

So... I'm back to logging my calories on My Fitness Pal. I also did 30 minutes of step the other night on my Wii Fit, and now my calves are sore. Man, could I really be that unfit?? Guess so.

Sigh. Here we go again.

And this is just so that LLL doesn't get in my reader all the time. (HJ)

Nothing to report. Just sick of LLL always being in the title of the post of OSC in my reader. Thought someone else should have a turn, so I'm posting nonsense. I ought to weigh in tomorrow. I wish studying Greek would burn calories. I know for a fact that it doesn't.

Jen.

Back Again LLL

Hi All,

I am still around, round being the thing. I was happy to be home and wanted to get going again, but when the point came to start, I didn't.

I have now put back a little weight and decided to start again this week, well that hasn't happened again yet. I did have family a few weeks back and that started me cooking naughty things that tasted yummy and added weight and then this last week end I was away in a hotel for a few days, great time, but ate the wrong things.

I will get going again, I have decided that another 5 kg needs to go, I am presently 61.7kg. Maybe next week will be the right time.

Is this going the wrong way called unprogress?

I eat chocolate every day so I'm going to die anyway.

So I might need to get back into Skinny Cow.

I've put on a little weight again. Too much on, and not pleasant walking weather. I was up early enough today to do 5 mins rowing (I'd not start with any more than that - asking to be stiff and sore), so I was in a pretty good mood, although on dressing in my Hospital Pastoral Care shirt I realised that the bottom button was... snug.

So I was visiting through the wards when one little old lady (who may have some dementia, given later conversation), asked me an an oddly childlike tone, "Is there a little baby in your tummy?".

I narrowly avoided Givinya's best back answer ever, "No, I'm just fat", tossing it off with the phrase, "No, I might have had a bit much chocolate".

Then I got the following warning, "Too much chocolate is not good for you. My friend had diabetes... and she's no longer with us."

So there you are. I'm fat AND going to die.

Good times!

Back Again LLL

Hi All,

I am back from my wonderful holiday. We saw some amazing places, some man made and some God made, guess which were the best?

We ate and ate, I had decided to forget about diet and enjoy everything including food. I ate far too much breakfast but surely yoghurt and fruit can't hurt too much. For lunch we had crackers and fruit and for dinner whatever the restaurant we chose had on offer. Often the offer was pork and potatoes, this is usual in some countries. Added to that each day we had an ice cream or usually gelati and if we missed a day we had 2 the next day to make up for it. You see what I mean when I say I forgot about the diet.

We also walked and walked and when it wasn't on the flat or hill, it was up or down steps and steps and steps. Each day we walked miles and miles. I made it up the tower I was practising for 241 steps. That afternoon we found a tower and it had 103 steps, I made that too. Another day a tower had 306 steps, I made that too. Then the Ice Cave, what I didn't know was that it had 700 steps after 40 mins uphill walking. All of those are only the up so the same down.

Coming home I put on a long sleeved blouse and the bottom button didn't do up. What I had forgotten was the pouch around my neck hanging to my waist with passport and credit cards etc in it. That had me a tad worried.

My weight when I got home was about 62 1/2 kg. Not bad about what it had been the week we left, now after everything has settled down I am 61.2kg, I think that is 100g more than the week before we went.

So I am happy that input equalled output, but that required a LOT of walking and I won't be doing that now.

All that is a good outcome from a wonderful holiday. Now I have to get the right mind set to continue here. My next goal is 60kg, after that I will consider how much more.

Strange lessons learned from being sick (Manda)

So, an update: I've lost a few kilos!

Unfortunately, I lost them after being really quite sick. I had a fun intestinal bug that went on and on. So before I go into the lessons I've learned, let me say: intestinal bugs are not at all a good strategy for losing weight. In addition to the fact that no weight loss or "ideal body" is worth getting sick for, I actually gained weight over the first few weeks of being sick (not just because I was unable to exercise: pre-diagnosis, I somehow managed to think I was just hungry, so ate more than usual! What a silly brain I have.)

But I did eventually lose weight. Here is what I learned:

1) It is easy to eat small portions when your food choices are mind-numbingly monotonous.
My doctor said I'd get better faster if I avoided wheat, dairy, fruit, most meat, most vegetables, caffeine and alcahol. So for the last three weeks, I've been eating rice and friends. Rice and rice cereal, rice milk, rice crackers, unflavored chicken and fish, plain pumpkin, some soy milk, spinach, rice, lactose-free yoghurt, eggs, gluten-free bread, and rice. Oh, yeah, and rice.

Before I got sick, my dinner portions were about double what they needed to be. I just kept feeling hungry! But now I'm not eating as much, I don't feel like I need to eat as much. (And when I prepare another bowl of rice cereal, I don't feel like I need to eat at all. But I do). Hooray!

2) When the consequence of deviating from what you plan to eat is a terribly ill feeling for the entire next day, you are quite likely to stick to your plan.
I guess this is obvious. So, why can't I remember this when the consequence is only slightly delayed: the emotional pain of not being able to fit into any of my pants?

So, in summary: was sick, getting better, eating more healthily, thankful. Hopefully I will remember these things when I can eat freely again!

Steady as she goes (HJ)

Knowing that no-one's around to check on my progress (or lack thereof) I thought I'd post just to let nobody at all know that I've bounced up to 76kg again, but I've held it steady for a couple of weeks now.

I think I need to do some exercise.

Or maybe eat better choices...

or less of it.

The problem being, I like food.

And I bought marinated pork spare ribs for dinner tonight.

HOW did that get past the "I'm going to start eating healthy choices" censor?

But I'm not getting heavier.

AND My Beloved, the LBD and I all went for a walk last night after work.

THEN I walked to the post box to post some letters today.

Rays of hope, maybe?

Another weigh in LLL

Hi All,

Another week and I haven't been particularly careful of what I have eaten, what with helping clean a house and pack up for removal and getting around to thinking about a holiday, who cares. Well actually I do but at times I don't get sweets made in time to set for dinner, so we have ice cream. I can't make anything today as we will be away for the next 2 days, and that is how things are going just now.

My weight is up as if you didn't guess, today 62.1kg a bounce that doesn't worry me. I will see what happens in the next week.

Thanks for checking up on me.

Being wise (Emily Sue)

Sigh. Here's the thing... although I haven't mentioned it on this blog before, I have struggled for years with disordered-eating thinking. That doesn't quite work grammatically but it's what it's called, so I'm going with it. It's not technically an eating disorder although there have certainly been times when I've matched the criteria for an EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). This is something I'm working on and have been for a while. (Working on getting better, I mean. Not working on developing an eating disorder. Just wanted to be clear, there...)

Anyway, I've realised lately that reporting my weight and exercise on here is not helping me at the moment. Ironic, given it was partially my idea in the first place, but there you go. Sadly, logging my food intake on My Fitness Pal is also not a great idea so I'm taking a break from that too - rather ungraciously, because I really liked it, but the things we like aren't always healthy.

So I'll still be reading, and encouraging you all (I'm saying "you ALL" optimistically, assuming that someone will join LLL eventually...) but I won't be posting for a while.
.

That time of the week again. LLL

Hi All,

The weeks are still flying by way too fast. After Sat post my weight bounced, which I expected after that drop. It stayed there til today when I weighed at 61.6kg so that is another 200g. Well very unexpected, but I will accept that.

What I really want to say is something quite different. As I have been walking lately, I have been thinking about where I am now as a comparison to where I was last Oct when I started here.

Now I can walk for my usual 22 mins at a brisk pace - when I started I strolled around one block and then had to stop frequently to let the pain in my leg subside. I had to push through the pain barrier to walk even 1 block and then I had to come home and rest my leg.

I can now do 16 sets of steps - then if I absolutely had to go upstairs I did, but it was often one leg doing the work.

I can now row for 5 mins - then I didn't even think about rowing. When I did start I would only use my legs for 1 min and then it was a push.

I can now see where I will probably be, after 15 months I don't expect much more improvement and I still have to rest at times. I am also using my leg warmer as the cold weather isn't helping the pain level.

On top of all this which I consider a long road there is also the weight loss and that stands at about 10kg.

So for me the last 9 months have been a good progress, and I will continue along this road and see where I end up.

Thanks for your encouragement and support.

Braggarts can really steal your thunder (HJ)

I weighed this morning.

30 April was the last time I actually reported anything, and that was that I'd bumped up to 76kg again.

Today, after a whole month of avoiding the scales, I am at 74.3 kg, which is a drop of 1.7 kg from there, and a 1.3 kg drop from my last recorded weight prior to the post-Lent splurge.

I'm happy.

I haven't yet got the elimination diet off the ground, despite reducing the usual suspects in a general fashion. Really need to get to the place I can commit to it for a few weeks, but there's so much going on and I've had a couple of "stuff it, I don't feel like cooking, let's get takeaway" moments.

I also got up early Wednesday morning to Zumba before the day hit me. Haven't managed any exercise since. Really need to borrow some motivation, if anyone has any spare.

But things are happening. This is very good.

Strange things are happening LLL

Hi all,

I can't resist, maybe someone out there can tell me what is happening. It started 5 days ago, remember my last post, I hadn't been walking constantly and had started again. Well today is day 5 of strange happenings.

My weight had settled around 62.6ish, then on day 1 it dropped to 62.4, day 2 = 62.2, day 3 = 62.0, and that is where I reported. Since then day 4 =61.9 (yea I broke the kg barrier.), and today being day 5 = 61.8. How?

My weight has been stable for a couple of weeks, my eating has been the same, and my exercise has been the same maybe a little less. Don't get me wrong I am stoked but would like a reason for all this happening. The slacks that I found in my drawer (I thought I had thrown out long since) that I squeezed into are now loose.

Don't expect anything great next Thursday it has all happened for this couple of weeks.

Weigh in LLL

Hi all,

Don't the weeks fly by fast! It seems every time I turn around it is time to report again.

I have had success this week. The scales tell me today that my weight is 62.0kg. That is a drop of 900 g in the week. I do know that last week it was up so the drop isn't that dramatic. However I wanted to be below 62 when we left for holidays and I should do that in time. I still have 3 weeks to go.

This is surprising as I have overeaten on 4 consecutive days, and on 3 of them didn't do any exercise, so I don't deserve the drop.

I have at last made my 2 tshirts that were the 5kg loss reward. These thing take time, but I have them now and that will be good for holidays in Austria in summer. I have made 4 long sleeve shirts for now and I still have a pair of slacks to go. I am making progress.

Well that is all for now, another week full of possibilities now starts and it will be interesting to see what I can do with that.

So, does simply reporting that I haven't been near the scales count? (HJ)

I want to support you all.

Really, I do.

But I had a bad week and there is NO WAY I'm going near the scales.

So I'm here.

But not reporting anything interesting.

If only God hadn't invented cakey-things...

That Time Again LLL

Hi Again all,

I have nothing to report. Weight 62.9 so up again. I will only claim to be in that hard spot a few weeks before an overdue holiday. We now leave in 3 1/2 weeks. I still have sewing to do for that and winter. At the moment winter is winning with the cold. I now have 3 new shirts as of today. I would like to make 2 short sleeved shirts and 1 pair of slacks in the next couple of weeks.

Life has been busy with various activities and filling in spots for some others, which just makes it harder.

I am in a place where weight doesn't matter. Having said that I am still walking daily, my leg isn't happy if I don't, so I do. I have started rowing again to help out, so maybe some of the gain is muscle rebuilding. I also have a toothache, I went to the dentist and he exrayed and drilled and couldn't find anything wrong, so the tooth has 1 week to settle down from no problem, and then the dentist wants to see me again and maybe take it out. Giving a little healing time before we go overseas.

When you add all this together, you can see why weight doesn't matter, but having said that I am still eating correctly, when I get really frustrated I eat 6 almonds.

That is all for this week. Generally I am happy and managing well.

I didn't weigh in. (HJ)

Early start today, so I didn't have time.

But last week I was .5kg lighter than the last time I reported. This was good.

But SOMEONE has piked and not reported this week.

I think she needs more comments for motivation. (or maybe it's been a bad week?)

Remember me? (Emily Sue)

Yeah, it's been a while. I can't even be bothered looking for the last time I weighed in... I think I was a bit under 69kg. And then stuff happened, which caused eating to happen. This was combined with a knee injury (which I still have) that made exercising pretty nigh impossible. Soooo.... there was weight gain. I got back up to 71kg, despite having assured myself that I would never be over 70kg again. Apparently I lied. I'm getting back on track now and have started to lose some of that weight.

Weight at about three weeks ago: 71kg
Today: 69.8
Difference: 1.2kg loss
Running total (from a 77kg start weight): 7.2kg

I'm okay with that. 1.2kg in three weeks is great given that I can't exercise much. And given that I'm still kind of slackish with what I eat.

Goal this week is to fill my freezer with pre-cooked meals so I just have to heat them up at dinner time. When I get home from work is when everything falls apart because I don't feel like cooking but I'm usually very hungry, so I'll eat whatever rubbish I can find. Sometimes it's not actually rubbishy food, but I'll eat past the point where I'm full. That's not helpful. So, off I go to make some soup and casseroles. :)
.

Weigh in LLL

Hi All,

Exhaustion has set in but that is ok as the house is clean. The heavy stuff for this week.

I am not worried about the extra 100g that has found me this week. It was mothers day and my husband bought chinese for sunday lunch and my daughter made a delicious dessert, so that all added on and then I was given a chocolate by my daughter. It is delicious as well and is lasting not too long. So with choc each day I don't expect a drop as yet. However one more sitting and the choc will be gone. It is a long time since I was able to sit and eat choc when I wanted.

So this week is 62.8 and now I start another week with another chance to loose some more.

That day again LLL

Hi All,

Well that time of the week has arrived again, doesn't time fly. I wasn't expecting much to happen this week as the diet went out the window. I have had cheesecake twice this week for different reason. Both times I could have said no, but didn't. Then yesterday the electricity man cut the power from 5.35 - 7.40 p.m. Now everyone knows that is tea time and they were saying it would come on again at 9 p.m. So that meant take away or starve. None of the above is good for a strict diet. Does that all sound like excuses?

I have weighed today and the total is 62.7kg and that is a drop of .2. Better than I expected or deserved. So I will continue slowly, my present aim is to be at or below 62 by the end of June when we go on holidays. It is possible.

For other activities my daughter pinned in some blouses for me to sew, which I have done and now have 5 blouses that fit, and feel much better. Tomorrow we are going away for the day and I will buy some t shirting material to make me 3 new long sleeve tops. I am in the process of new slacks.

So that is me for the week. I wish you all a good and healthy week to come.

So now I'm REALLY back... (HJ)

... to 76kg.

400g post-Lent splurge.

But the good news for my weight loss is that I really need to check out the allergies again because life is getting ridiculous.

And I happen to know that elimination diets are really quite good for weight loss, even if I don't make the time to exercise!

Thinking about starting Monday, because I really need to see if the hayfevery nose and eyes, itchy inner ears and sore throatiness have anything to do with what I'm eating. I'm suspicious due to a couple of 30mins after eating chocolate mucous attack incidents.

That's entirely forgetting the itchy spots which are currently within the parameters of what I'm prepared to put up with, but are definitely present.

The other option, of course, would be to vacuum and dust the house and wash the dog.

That's also down for some action on Monday. I LOVE public holidays!

On the Way Again LLL

Hi All,

Last week I did get all my eating out of the way I even had some toasted Sultana Bread just to get the taste again. The Easter Bunny did bring me a Mars Bar which I ate, so by Monday a.m. I had no excuse not to start the diet again.

Tuesday we had a business trip away and we took lunch so I could control my eating. I felt on tuesday that the taste in my mouth had changed so maybe something was happening. Well was it.!!

I have redeemed April for loss. I had been around 64.2 for most of the month and last week was down a little. Well, drum roll please, today I am 62.9kg, having lost 1 kg in the last 2 days. This is what should happen with this diet but in Oct it didn't so I wasn't expecting it this time. I am doing more exercise now than I was then. So in April I lost 1.3 and that helps make up some that didn't happen in March.

I will stay on this phase of the diet for 2 weeks so I still have some time to go yet.

Yesterday I started looking at winter clothes, well my jumpers, of the 3 I regularly wore, 1 I have pulled apart and am reknitting SMALLER and the other 2 are out. But, I found in the bottom of my camphor chest a couple of jumpers that haven't been worn for years. So I can now sport a couple of new one, no one will remember them.

My blouses and slacks are still a sad story, til I get sewing.

So until next week all you Skinny Cow Girls, I am a very happy girl.

Lent. (HJ)

I've never been from a tradition where you give things up for lent.

But I do believe in trying different things that might put me in a space where I'm more open to what God might be doing, so I decided to give it a go. Now, I don't believe it has to be food. It's anything that we don't think we can live without: maybe reading or TV or buying things. Anything that could get in the road of a good relationship with God.

When I thought about it, though. I realised that for me at this time it is food. So I gave up added sugar for Lent. Not cheating with all the fake sugar products, but still allowing fruit and other naturally occurring sugar.

I survived my birthday, two conference/seminary things, two family get-togethers, and my niece's dedication without succumbing to temptation. I was doing quite well, really.

Yesterday I said 'no' to hot cross buns on the same principle, not going to break my Lenten fast with only two more sleeps to go, only to be informed by our former Minister (who has Catholic family members) that Lenten fasts finish on Palm Sunday.

Like, last Sunday.

So protestants can't be trusted with Lenten fasts. We really don't know what we do.

Oh, and I forgot to weigh-in. Next week. But I haven't put on any extra weight with all the activities above, so it shouldn't be too bad.

The weather has been splendid! (GdeE)

Hello all!  I am back.  Happy Easter to all!

Six weeks ago I had a conversation with Emily Sue about food issues, and a few days later I had a conversation with another friend, B, about fashion issues.  During both conversations, I found that I was unable to conjure up any issues.

I had to admit that although I have lumpy dumpy bits and would love them gone so I could start looking good in clothes, I'm not all hung up about it.  I don't care about my appearance all that much, because I have an inherent belief in my worth, Fatty-Fatty-Boombah or not.  I don't have emotional issues with weight, food, clothes, makeup, hair or anything.  I just KNOW that I'm just fine with God, with my loved ones and with ME, whether I lose these kilos or not.  Losing the wobbly bits would be icing on the cake.

The only reason why I'm so keen on doing it is because when I want to do something, I want to do it - no mucking around and failing.

SO.  Six weeks holiday from OSC.  Who have I been talking to during that time?  I have a friend who has 4 children, and (by her accounts) puts on weight when pregnant.  Each time her babies are weaned, she says, "Right, now I will lose the weight," and she does.  She just does.  ("Wha-?")  She has got a lot of sensible, common-sense ideas, but the difference seems to be that it's more structured than my previous "It's healthy so I will eat it" approach. AND she is low-pressure.  I need that.

What have I been reading?  My friend gave me some books.  She picks ideas from each of them and does what feels right.  So I have done the same.  I've focussed on how my body feels energetic with a bit of protein in it, and how my carbs really need to be sensible.  This has meant switching to wholemeal bread and pasta, and not eating anything white.  Yum!  (No, seriously, yum!) 

Other things I have read:
This post made me think I was doing better than I'd previously thought.
This post intrigued me. "Nothing more to see here."  I thought I'd give it a go, and that brings me to:

What have I been eating?  I have steadfastly maintained that one shouldn't need to count kilojoules and all that palaver but that second link above?  It made me decide to give it a go.  I will let you know how things work out.  If the scales don't show any difference after a few weeks, I'll go and read that first link again and buy another pair of super-control Magic Knickers.  Whatever.

What have I been doing?  Well, as per the title of this post, the weather has been splendid!  This, coupled with the fact that my husband sort of -oops- slightly smashed various parts of our car up (an unblogged experience because what do you say?) leaving me with some carless school pickups has had us out and about, huffing and puffing up and down hills with a heavy double stroller.  Great exercise!  We also have a park at the bottom of our hill, and have gone there and back with the stroller too in the lovely Autumn weather.  I've been doing some weight resistance training with dumbbells and some modified situps as well.

I've also been spending some fantastic time in the water (which I love!) working up from 20 laps of our town's 50m pool (1km) going about 1.8km/h up to today's effort of 40 laps (2km) going about 2.4km/h, and finding that I've been needing fewer and shorter rests and breaks.  Which one day is CERTAIN to be horribly and unintentionally spoonerised, causing me to announce to an acquaintance or an in-law that I require fewer breasts and rakes.  I just know it is going to happen.

I can't go more than a few days with some exercise right now, and am loving it.  Bathroom scales be damned, I won't mind all that much if I never lose any weight and am doomed to carry this 4-month-ish belly around on my non-pregnant frame forever.  I am enjoying good nutrition and regular exercise, and that's good enough for me.

Weigh in LLL

Hi All,

I know I wasn't going to report today, but I changed my mind. I did weigh today and the result is 63.9kg, that is down a bit, 500g on last week.

I have been trying to get myself into the right head space to start the diet all over again. In March I lost a little and for April practically nothing. It therefore seems to me that I have put myself out of the zone for weight loss although maintaining has been good. So I need to start again, which isn't bad after 7 months. So my plan is to start again on Monday. I just know the Easter Bunny will bring me a mars bar, so I can have that eaten, and today we went for home made cheesecake, the shop was flooded in Jan and has only reopened last week. So that fix is out of the way. So for 2 weeks I will need to be strict on eating and exercising.

Last weekend I knew I would over eat although not by much and to compensate for that I did no exercise the combination wasn't good.

So a new plan for May, but I will get a head start and we will see what happens from now on.

I'm Baa-aack! (HJ)

Well, you probably don't need to know all the ups and downs that have happened since the 14 January. I've just noticed that I don't have too many posts in between then and now. So, drumroll, please.....

Weight: 14 Jan 76kg - that was a goal. Then I totally lost the plot and have bounced lots. I was back to 76.2kg last week, but didn't report here
Today 75.6kg
Δ 400g LOSS (600g in a week)
Total Δ 5.4kg

Waist:
14 Jan 93cm
Today 94.5cm
Δ 1.5cm gain
Total Δ 4.5cm

And I have walked a couple of times this week, and this morning did 5 minutes rowing. I've been too tired to contemplate exercise of any kind for a couple of months. I'm starting again slowly and will see what happens. Here's to finding some time to exercise!

I'm Stuck LLL

Hi,

I have been working hard and increased exercise as the loss slowed almost to a stop and nothing has improved. My weight is 64.4kg and that is .2 up on last week. I did have a drop and a bounce. So I know that something can happen.

Nothing will happen this week, we have a family party on Saturday and this will entail a lot of yummy food and that will have to be eaten. So don't expect a report next week.

On the good side yesterday I walked home from town about 4km. I used to do it in 35 mins and yesterday I did it in 38 mins so not bad and my leg is feeling ok today. So all the exercise is paying off well.

See you all sometime, if anyone is out there anymore.

Another week LLL

Hi,

Another week has passed and I have had ups and downs. One really impressive down but it didn't last. Today my total is 64.2kg which is down .2 on last week. I really preferred the 1kg drop I had on Monday. Anyway I have added to my exercise this week with 5 mins rowing. This should be building muscle so I didn't expect a weight drop. My size has gone down, I have lost some fat lumps and for the first time in years I can feel my hip bones. They weren't lost after all.

My total for March was only .7kg which was disappointing, but never mind it is better than nothing.

Today is cooler and I decided that a long sleeve shirt would be good, and now I go through all the clothes drama again. No shirts fit and some are so old that they are not worth altering. So that leaves a dilemma. On the other hand I have found a pair of slacks that again fit. I will have to do something soon.

Today I went to Aldi and bought a folding walking stick, so I think this officially makes me an old lady. I want it for security while on holidays and doing a lot of walking and climbing.

Ouch (Emily Sue)

It occurred to me today, as I stood up after a lengthy period of sitting and slowly limped my way across the room, that I have been limping for some time. Like... maybe six months. How is it possible that I can have been limping for so long? I've just become used to it, I think.

No, it's not the ankle I injured over a year ago (although it's the same leg); it's my knee. When I squat, or sit for too long, or stretch my leg, the back of my leg hurts behind the knee. As though I've torn a muscle, although I don't think that's it. And when I walk I get that pain as well as pain in the front of my knee. These may well be two unrelated pains. I don't know. Now that I'm thinking about it, this possibly explains why I have been reluctant to exercise. Walking makes it worse. Running makes it much worse.

Anyway, I now have an appointment to see my doctor, although of course I couldn't get an appointment for nearly two weeks. She's very popular and only works two days per week... therefore she's not the kind of doctor you can see when you're actually sick.

So what I'm saying is, don't expect an exercise update for a while. Weight updates may happen, but only if I'm feeling good about my weight. Yes, I'm really that fickle.

What a Lovely Day

Hi All,

I hope you are all having a lovely day. We have had a little rain and today there are some clouds and some sunshine. Apart from that God gave us today to enjoy, so enjoy.

I have weighed today and I am 64.4kg which is up 400g. Now, in my house self inflicted wounds get no sympathy, so all this is self inflicted. We had a weekend away to the Coast and up there they have the most wonderful gelati shop. So wonderful that being there for part of 3 days we managed to fit in 3 trips to this wonderful shop. I am thankful that the shop isn't closer. To compensate for this I didn't walk any day. My weight was much higher when I got home so a natural drop is happening slowly.

This week will be back to normal so may the downwards resume.

Have a lovely week one and all, and I will check in again next week.

Celebration? LLL

Hi All,

I am today celebrating 12 months since the dog bite. I have survived all the complications, and best of all, God has been with me and had granted healing. Now what is better than that. The way my leg is now is probably how it will be and in the last 6 months I have come along way. Today I have spent a lot of the day on my feet and just now my leg is quite sore. It does tell me when to rest and I do try to.

Now for the point of this blog, today I weigh 64.0kg I do like round numbers. That is down 300g on last week. Not bad even if I say so. I have been walking daily and I have been doing 8 sets of steps except the day I forgot. I got into bed and remembered, and didn't get up to do it. I don't think it will happen today.

So I am happy with progress, but with parties this weekend next week will be a challenge and probably higher. My asthma is still gone. Yay.

Still Trying LLL

Hi All,

Another week has passed and I am still trying. I seemed to be stuck around the same numbers for about a month now. So today I have succeeded in changing. I today weigh 64.3kg which isn't much down but a little bit.

I have still be walking, but trying to go faster and for the last couple of days I have wondered if my faster walking is taking me over my weight loss area, so I slowed down to a swift walk and I am still doing 7 sets of stairs. So that seems to have helped, I do know that starting the stairs I probably built muscle so that if fine. Today is the first day of 8 sets, I am gradually going to build that up and see what I can get to. My leg has been sore still so I am pushing the boundaries.

The best of all news is that with my weight down from the starting point, I noticed that my lungs felt really clear. I do have asthma and had been taking a fair wack of meds. So for the last 10 days I haven't taken any preventive meds and I am fine. So that is the best thing for me to celebrate, I have been waiting to see if I could manage to stay off at this stage. So rejoice with me, I feel good and feel I can do more and of course the meds cost a wack so it will also help the hip pocket. I do pray that the improvement will continue.

At last I am on top of things again and may the improvement continue.

Exercise! Finally.... (ES)

6km / 67 minutes on the treadmill. Walking at a variable speed between 4.5kmh and 6kmh (mostly at 5.5kmh).

Feeling good because this is the first bit of deliberate exercise, other than a gentle walk outside every now and then, in about two months. I sweated and everything. Speaking of which... I think I'll go have a shower now.

Weigh in (Emily Sue)

Last week: 69kg
Today: 68.9kg
Difference: 100g loss
Running total: 8.1kg

I'm happy with 100g. I was... a tad hormonal... this week, and so had a couple of not-so-great eating days. Mostly I was on track though so 100g is a good loss in light of the caramel Mars Bars. :)

Exercise is still not really happening, although I'm having a housework day today and that counts as exercise, surely???

I'm back. (HJ)

So I'm back. Bad case of comfort eating and other things were in the way.

I'm now in the headspace to get back into the exercise and control the eating and I've discovered that the damage is only 500gms, but that doesn't take into accout the fact that I could have lost MORE had I kept going as I was.

Nevermind.

Let's see what happens

More of the same

Hi All,

As you see my weight is the same 64.6kg. I have been around this for about 3 weeks now, so l started looking at my diet and maybe too much ice cream has appeared. So I have cut that out again. I have also been doing steps so that should be building muscle and we all know those results.

We have seen a travel agent today and started getting things moving, so now I have to be fit in 3 months. So the weight isn't the immediate concern the fitness level is. So that is my new target. I could stay at this weight and be ok, but I do want to lose more. I feel better and this week I am trying to go off asthma meds and see what happens, so far so good.

So all you Skinny Cow Girls, lets hear from you and see what wonderful results you are getting. All that is except Giv. who has given us up for Lent.

Onwards and downwards.

Lent (GdeE)

Hi all,

I have a huge post written detailing many frustrations with food, exercise, weight loss, being in the average weight range but with wobbly bits that just aren't right, and my underlying complete satisfaction with who I am regardless of my weight or wobbly bits anyway.  It's all getting too much for me, so I have decided to take drastic action.

I am giving up Operation Skinny Cow for Lent.

See you after Easter.

Not even with a whimper (GdeE)

Table of Contents
1. A Huge Disappointment
2. A realisation
3. In which I realise I don't even need my mirror
4. Adios

Chapter One: A Huge Disappointment
Previous Weight: 66.5kg
Current Weight: 68.1kg
I have achieved this result by continuing my good eating and active lifestyle, coupled with now regular swims at the pool.  Congratulations me.

Chapter Two: A Realisation
I realised something the other day.  Three bits of information came into complete clarity for me, and now it all doesn't make sense.

Piece of Information #1
I am eating consistently quite well - keeping meals to pretty healthy standards and trying to snack on fruit and water.  Doesn't always work, but I'm doing quite well.  I am keeping up with some of my  hard-line rules I used late last year to rein in some areas of eating where I felt I was going a bit overboard.  I eat dip on a hardly-ever basis, and I am not drinking calories - no fizzy drinks, no cordial, no sugar in my tea (well okay some in my coffee but I ceased promising I'd go that far.)  I am active a lot of the day.  Sure, I don't get out and huff/puff/sweat, but my life doesn't support that sort of rubbish.  Again, we can't do everything perfectly.  In short, I am doing okay.  And my weight doesn't change and my regular pants don't get looser.  My loose pants were bought when I was pregnant.  My body quite likes being slightly pudgy.  Damn, but not major damn.

Piece of Information #2
Two friends of mine are getting married next month.  He eats a gluten-free diet, she has adopted a gluten-free diet for convenience.  And she's lost kilograms she didn't set out to lose.  Damn.

Piece of Information #3
My dear husband is on a milk-free diet.  He substitutes soy, but otherwise his diet is much the same as it used to be, which isn't perfect.  Since he has gone milk-free, he has been able to fit into pants he wasn't able to fit into before.  Damn.

Conclusion:
Despite believing that you have to cut out fat and sugar to lose weight, it seems that cutting out normal parts of the food pyramid is more effective.  Well, not really.  Cutting out food types that are notoriously difficult to digest, like gluten and lactose.  Emily Sue and I discussed this at length.  I hesitate to use the phrase "chewed the fat" for obvious reasons.

Anyway, just as I judge having a 100% hard-line diet is unsustainable and doing regular huffing/puffing/sweating exercise is unsustainable, I believe that managing a restricted diet while still feeding my children a normal diet is unsustainable in my current stage of life.

Damn.

Chapter Three: In which I realise I don't even need my mirror

Talking to Emily Sue tonight clarified a few things for me.  One is I really don't care much about food, weight, body shape and appearance outside of Skinny Cow.  I never have.  Yeah sure I would totally love to get a skinny tummy again and lose the tuckshop lady arms, but seriously, outside of Skinny Cow, I give it very little thought.  I just have to visit the issue with you girls because ... well, it's all about accountability and I haven't made gains so I feel the need to justify myself at every turn.  Exhausting.

I don't spend much time at all looking in a mirror, I don't really care how I look to other people and sometimes it shows, and I am simply so comfortable in my own frumpy skin that frankly my dear, I just don't give a damn.

I don't use makeup because I've always thought I look better without.  I don't use many hair products - just enough not to look like a total Bush Woman.  I don't buy many clothes, I don't have many updated or nice clothes, and I never look in a mirror after I put them on.  I just don't care.  I have always gained my worth through what God thinks of me and what I can do for God and his people, and I'm really happy with how I'm going in those areas.  I was raised by hard-working people from working and farming backgrounds who would have scoffed at anyone caring the slightest about their appearance beyond having no dirt behind their ears and having combed hair.  I took on that perspective and I haven't changed much as I've grown up.  I feel like saying to the world, "Take me as I am, because I don't really want to spend time talking about the cutest new little cardigan/ballet flats/shade of lipgloss with you."

A friend of mine recently said to me in a coffee shop, "But you do care, don't you?"  And the truth, which I didn't want to hurt her with was, "No.  I really don't.  I only talk about fashion, makeup, weight loss and style with you because you're really interested in it."

Tonight Emily Sue directed me to her site to watch this video.  We talked about it for a bit.

And that's when it really gelled for me. Emma Thompson, bless her heart, says "Imagine a world..." And I just shook my head in dumb wonder. That. Is. My. Life. I don't have to imagine. I have always lived in a world where I just go about my day.  Don't you all?

No primping in front of the mirror, no bothing about 'self-image' apart from my achievements and who I am in God.  Except, Emma, if I saw a zit on my face, I'd just say, "Huh" and walk away with no makeup involved.  But to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't see the zit in the first place.  Remember?  No mirror-time except for contact-lens-poking-in.

The only time that I really think about appearance is when I come here and get involved in OSC-type chat.  And that is when I am grudgingly honest and I admit that in an ideal world, I'd love to lose some kilos, which is technically true.  But that clearly isn't working within the framework of my life, so again: Damn, but I don't really mind all that much.

Chapter Four: Adios

So au revoir my cowgirls.  It's been fun riding with you.  I have been inspired by your weight losses and your exercise!  (As a side-note, I am swimming regularly now, which is exciting.  But I can't do more than that right now.)  I am off to keep on with the things I've been doing, some of those hard-line rules I started before Christmas which have been SO great, and holding myself pretty accountable in what I eat and don't eat, because a high level of accountability to self is what works for me.  But the big difference from now on will be I will be free to not care when I really don't.

Because frankly my dears, when it comes to weight loss that probably isn't going to happen, I just don't give a damn.

Weigh in (Emily Sue)

This is my first weigh in since starting on the My Fitness Pal website, so my 'last weight' is what I registered on there a week ago, not what I was last time I weighed here.

Last time: 70kg
Today: 69kg
Difference: 1kg loss
Running total (since starting Weight Watchers... I'm not starting again!): 8kg

Yay! I still haven't really started exercising but hopefully that will come in the next week.

Some People are never satisfied LLL

My frustration level reached blowing point in the last week. I seem to be giving excuses rather than losses. So in desperation I decided to check and see what my weight was before Xmas. To my sheer surprise I found that I have lost 2 kg in 2 months. Well the time I have been with you I was wishing that my steady 200g weekly could rise to 250, and that would be 1kg per month. Now I find that with all my excuses I have been achieving that goal and complaining.

Now for all of you who have had to sit and read my excuses, I offer my sincere apologies. I am really sorry for complaining and trying to excuse my eating blowouts.

Back to the point, if my weight wasn't the frustration point then what was? After some thought it occurred to me that I have spent some time pulling at the side seams of shirts that are too big. So I got to my clothes and threw out what was not alterable, there is no point keeping things that I am NOT going to wear again. Then I had a sewing bee and took in the side seams of 6 shirts, one of which I am wearing today and I feel so much better in it. In my cupboard I also found a couple of shirts that had been too small and now aren't. I also have 2 slacks suits for summer and one I could wear now, but it will be better in 2kgs time and the other will need at least 4 kg. I later saw a dress that I must try sometime.

Now I am feeling so much better, I am a new person. Also the cold I had has left and that helps.

I have weighed today and the numbers came up at 64.6kg, I think that is about the same. I did have a drop but I have now gone to my usual drop and bounce, and I have the bounce just now.

Add to all that we have decided on a holiday for the end of June and one place that I really want to visit is called the Werfen Ice Cave. Now that sounds nice, but the warnings that come with the info say that you must be fit, no heart problems no walking difficulties. They say you need to be able to walk up a multi story building. So now I have 3 months to get fit. So added to my walking and balance board I have started doing steps. The last few days I have done 5 sets per day. My leg is back to a level of soreness but it will get better. I AM visiting this cave.

So after this story, that is where I am.

Yearly check-in? OR, a fresh start (again)? (Manda)

I'm doing it again. You know, checking in once a year to apologise for being absent and assert my plans to stick around this time.

New plan / incentive: I'm in a competition with my best friend K and her mom, A. We each have a goal (mine is to lose 5 kilos, K is losing 5 and A is going for 7, but weighs more and thus should find it equally challenging).

The fun twist: The winner (the closest to goal on June 25th, or the first one to reach the goal before that) is paid $80 and $60 dollars by the people who come second and third, respectively.

This is cool, because going to Weight Watchers would cost more than that, but I think the incentive of having $140 dollars to spend in whatever I want is going to spur me on a little more than WW would. And we're going to support each other by exercising together occasionally, so it's friendly and spurry.

So, goal: lose 5 kilos, going from 74.5 to 69.5, the lowest weight I'll ever have been since I started weighing myself

Plan:
- keep running (you heard me, running! I can actually do it now, albeit not as well as an actual runner friend would), playing sport, rockclimbing;
- portion control, occasional treats, love food, concentrate on enjoying what I eat

Yea!

Oh, and to make up for not being present for a year, I'll be extra-present and include a picture of what I look like now.

Here but no weigh in (Emily Sue)

I've had a good few days and I'm feeling a LOT better. I think the downward spiral has been halted... phew. I haven't got back to exercising yet, apart from a walk on the weekend, but the compulsive eating is under control, as is the desire to stay in bed all day, every day.

One thing that has helped is discovering this website called My Fitness Pal. It's basically a calorie tracking site where you can input your details and the amount of weight you want to lose and it will tell you how many calories to eat per day. Then throughout the day you can input food eaten and exercise done and it calculates how many calories you have left. It's an American site so many American food brands but any member can add new foods, so there are already loads of Australian food brands on there. There's also a phone app, which I'm using.

And the best part? It's 100% free.

As you know I've been doing Weight Watchers. I haven't been to meetings for a month but haven't cancelled my membership because I didn't want to lose access to the online tracking system, which I've found extremely helpful. Now that I've found this new site, however, I think I'll ditch WW and use the free site instead.

I know this won't be for everyone, but tracking really works for me. It gives me boundaries that help me not to binge but also help me not to starve myself - if it says I can eat 1300 calories per day I will eat at least 1250 calories. Left to my own devices I tend to swing between eating too much then eating not enough. Neither is helpful.

My starting weight on the site was 71kg. I think now that probably wasn't accurate, as in I was having a bloated day when I signed up, so I'll probably have a good, but incorrect, weight loss in the first week. I'm weighing in on Saturdays so stay tuned.

It is all the same

Hi All,

The title says it all, I am still coughing, I thought things were getting better, but on Tuesday my cold freshened up again. So I thought here we go again, back to headaches and coughs and runny nose etc. Well it didn't get too bad this time.

Then you add to that, my 2 sisters came last Friday, so I made a High Tea (with some help from friends) and of course ate it. That was really fun in the end it is worth trying some time. It was good to get out the good china etc. Then take away for Sunday lunch and again for Tuesday night. Of course I must add the frozen marshmallows that are just yummy.

So although my weight dropped some, I usually have a corresponding bounce and when I eat with the bounce the news is bad.

So let me just say the rise is a secret and I claim that weight was as at last week.

I feel as if I have been making excuses since Christmas when the rot set in, so this week I will try to be good and walk regularly and eat less of the naughties.

I hope you noticed the use of the word try.

Stuff this weight loss myth (GdeE)

Previous Weight:  Approximating 66.5 kg

Current Weight:  Approximating 66.5 kg

Any loss at all? Of course not.  What were you expecting?

Wardrobe:  Everything I own is in the wash, except for my pair of size 14 skinny jeans.  I am therefore wearing them, enjoying the way they swim on my body and fall down a bit.  Surely I am losing weight?  No, apparently not.  I am still 66.5ish kg whether I look like my clothes are swimming on me or I look like I'm trussed up like a Christmas ham.

How I look today:  Weird, as I had a drastic haircut and my hair won't go right.  It was Polygamous Sect Length with mandatory frizzing, and now it's layered at shoulder-length with similar frizzing.  You'd think that I'd have lost a bit of weight with the haircut, but you'd be wrong.

How I feel today:  Much more worried about my hair than about my weight.

What I think about weight loss today:  It doesn't exist.  I've been eating less, eating healthy and continue to be really active (pushing single and double strollers around, walking to and from work, generally pushing my body to do that little bit extra.)  Nothing happens.  So why are we here again?

I rowed (HJ)

So you'd all forgotten that I existed?

Mammoth wave of sleeplessness; cold in the head; being away at a residential school. These are my excuses.

But really it all comes down to the fact that I've been comfort eating and not exercising and there is NO WAY I'm going anywhere near the scales.

But this morning I got up and did 10 mins rowing.

That's got to be good, surely?

Still coughing LLL

Hi,

I am still full of cold, I think it is getting less, but still coughing. I have been walking sort of, I know that seems strange, but a couple of days I was slow and didn't do the full 20min walk. Some days I still do nothing. Yesterday I set out and got up the street when it started raining. I turned behind me and there was quite a storm coming fast. Storms don't come from that direction, so on leaving home I had ignored it. I set out walking back and ended up running. Now does running burn any more fat cells? I don't know, but that was the end of exercise.

For some unknown reason, today my weight is down to 64.7 that is down .4 since last week. I am not complaining at all.

I have been told but haven't found anything to verify it, that when the fat is taken from cells the body fills the cells with water, to make it easier to refill them later. After a period when the fat is not returned the body removes the water. That makes sense to me as that would be when the weight drop happens. Does anyone know more of this? I did try google and spent a lot of time and no real info.

That is me for today keep plodding along all you skinny cows.

Meh. (Emily Sue)

Bad couple of weeks.

I mean BAD.

Result:

• Comfort eating. Lots of it.
• Then guilt.
• Then more comfort eating to assuage guilt.
• Then more guilt. Are you seeing a pattern here?
• And of course, no exercise.
• In fact not a lot of getting out of bed at all unless it's absolutely vital.
• I have no idea what I weigh now. Not checking.

------------------------

I'm getting back on track slowly, but I'm not being particularly fanatical about it. My mental health is a higher priority. Having said that, putting on loads of weight probably wouldn't do my mental health much good either so I'm trying to be a BIT sensible. But just a bit. :)
.

Holding Pattern (G de E)

Previous Weight:  Hovering around 66.5 kg

Current Weight:  Hovering around 66.5 kg

Any loss at all? Probably not.  But no gain.

Wardrobe:  After a blog post confessing to old jeans ripping open displaying my old undies, my Mother told me to go shopping for clothes.  She offered to mind my children (which I accepted) and attempted to press $100 onto me, (which I didn't.)  All I bought was underwear.  Because I am, as I thought, an oddly-shaped 12E, spending a frightful amount of money at a posh shop is my only option.  I was delighted to find that 14DD also does the job, and in fact, does it a little more comfortably.  I found a splendid bra and bought three, and I also found that I still look ghastly in those darn mirrors with the fluoro lighting glaring down from directly above.  I also found that if you spend a fair bit of money on briefs that promise to be very comfy due to the absence of leg elastic, they will spend their lives annoyingly wedged, due to the lack of leg elastic.  Fail, Berlei Barely There.


How I look today:  Pretty alright, have dressed for my shape and am rockin the look.

How I feel today:  Fine, wondering if I really need to bother about this muffin top after all, mainly because I look okay today and have forgotten how horrible I looked in that change booth.

What I think about weight loss today: Look, I confess I don't believe in it again.  I'm eating fairly healthy, I am unwilling to give up treats like a little chocolate, I'm active all day every day despite not being able to get out and do heartrate-raising exercise, I am getting good sleep and loving life, and nothing much ever happens on the scales.

And why am I even bothering about getting rid of this tummy anyway?

Oh that's right.  Because of how I looked in that change booth.  That's why.

Still alive LLL

Hi all,

This week has not been good. I had a tummy bug that was most unpleasant, and while still recovering from that started with a sore throat that developed into a really good cold. Mostly in the head but today down to my chest.

The first thing that didn't happen was walking, I went to bed instead. So the last few days have been sitting blowing my nose all day, and feeling hungry.

I did weigh yesterday, and didn't get around to posting, and my weight was the same as last week, fortunately for me.

Still feeling miserable, not at all energetic, and couldn't care less. That seems to sum things up for me.

Next week should be better.

I knew It LLL

My weight was playing around up and down. Well today is the real down. Just for a check I weighed today and found 65.1kg. That means that I have reached the 5kg mark and I am due for the first reward. I have decided that as my clothes don't fit, I will now make 2 t shirts that do fit and I will then have a little more that feels good.

So any time now (probably when this row of lace is finished) I give myself permission to sew 2 shirts, 1 green and 1 mauve. I have even decided on the styles. So all systems go.

I really feel this is an achievement. Onward and downward.

Heading Down (GdeE)

Previous Weight:  Hovering around 67.0kg

Current Weight: Hovering around 66.5kg

Weight Loss: A reliable, consistent 500g

Wardrobe:  Wouldn't mind going shopping for more pants that look okay around the muffin top and shirts that aren't too clingy but aren't too blousey at the same time.  Both styles accentuate muffin top dreadfully.  Have been breaking one of my cardinal wardrobe rules - Sleeveless Doesn't Flatter Me At All - and I've been looking okay (especially if I hold my arms out from my body a little.)  Still a little leg-of-lamb-ish around the upper arms, but not too bad overall.

How I look today:  Started off looking lumpy & dumpy in oversized 3/4 jeans with thick fabric and a blousy shirt that probably should have been in the maternity section in the shop.  Changed to a more fitted 3/4 jeans in thinner fabric and a more fitted top.  Transfigured my look. 

How I feel today:  Dumpy around the middle, okay elsewhere.  Slightly shocked to catch sight of reflection in windows, because body image is slightly better than reality right now.

What I think about weight loss today:  Plan to state weight in "hovering around XX.Xkg" since I am uncomfortable pinning my hopes on a 300g loss when I can wee that much, or becoming depressed at a 500g gain, because that's how much water I drink before breakfast in the morning.  This way I can feel confident in a loss like the one I've seen over the last few weeks.  I guess this all means that I tentatively believe in weight loss for the moment.

That Time Again LLL

I forgot that today was weigh in. I did weigh, just forgot to record same. There has been something strange going on and for some unknown reason my weight went up by 1kg, but at the same time my waist measurement dropped. Go figure. The cullottes that I made for Christmas I have had to take in 4cm. Yesterday I just couldn't keep them comfortable. Yes, that was made in 2010, 5ish weeks ago.

However today I weigh 65.6 so that is a drop of .3 from 2 weeks ago. I can't explain what is going on, I just accept and see that only .5 to go to my first reward point. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the near future.

So I am happy with the drop and will keep walking. It seems to be working.

Weigh in (Emily Sue)

Last week: 69.9kg
Today: 69.1kg
Difference: 800g loss
Running total: 7.9kg

That means I've lost 10% of my starting weight! Woo hoo!!! I got a key ring (and applause) at my Weight Watchers meeting this morning. I'm stoked. And having bacon and eggs to celebrate. :D

No progress, LLL

Now the facts. I was doing well, collecting a lovely loss the figures were mounting and I was getting ready to post. Then .. I.. had... a.... birthday!!!! Well, my lovely family decided to celebrate with me. Yesterday wasn't the day but was the celebration. My sister from nearby came and HJ invited a friend of mine. The do was held at my place, as I have a supply of cold air available. I was told that all I could do was boil the kettle.

Family turned up with food, HJ had cooked a lovely chocolate cake for MT and of course I had to have a slice. That wasn't too bad.

Lunch was meat and some lovely salads all good food and yummy. No dessert but 9 cup cakes on a plate with a candle on the middle one. All that was good and I enjoyed all that was provided.

Then at AT time there was a packet of marshmallows. Oh dear. I wouldn't say they were an all time favourite but I do love them.

The first bite is all squishy and soft, then they melt in the mouth and you have this wonderful full flavour and then the swallow. You can make one piece into 3 bites. Then of course there are more in the packet. Taking them from the packet means that you loose count of how many have passed the lips.

There is another way to look at this, a marshmallow is pure sugar, therefore pure carbs. That is what I am trying to avoid. After the event I did try the water trick, and drank a couple of glasses so maybe it could have been worse.

So don't feel sorry, I knew what I was doing, and today with no loss I know the reason.

Maybe next week when this blowout has passed I will again succeed.

Weigh in (Emily Sue)

Last time: 69.9kg
Today: 69.9kg
Difference: zero
Running total: 7.1kg
Frustration level: Pretty bloody high.

I don't know what else I can do that I'm not already doing, except perhaps live on salads (and nothing else) and exercise for two hours every day. If I don't lose weight next week it may well come to that.

.