Manda is forgetful and sorry

So, given all your activity of late, I doubt you'll remember one of the things I said in my last post: "I'll keep you updated on my progress." I certainly forgot it completely!

I've been chugging along, splurging more than I should but still less than I used to. I've got a nice winter-belly-baby going, but the rest of me is the same. So, let's pretend I haven't neglected my posting promise for the last few months, and start over.

Last time, I weighed: 71.1
Current Weight: 71.6
Weight change since last time: a gain of 500 grams
What I'll do now: Stop being such a food pushover.

You know when you finally learn that
when your housemate/husband/girlfriends offer you that piece of cake/chocolate ice cream/Cadbury creme egg, you are within your legal rights to turn it down
and you feel liberated, like suddenly it's actually your decision?
I learned that two years ago, and instituted a No Sugar in Public Rule (NSPR), which basically meant all my sweet things were sweet things I actually wanted to eat, and fit into my food points. It worked wonders (the decision being already made for me) and I lost more weight than usual. But I seem to have forgotten again.

But now I remember. This week, when my housemates offer me junk, I have often turned it down. Watch this:
Georgeous housemate: I'm going to have a crunchie.
Other georgeous housemate: Oooh, me too! Manda, do you want one?
Me: No thanks.
O.G.Housemate (cheerfully): Yeah, I thought you wouldn't.

WHAT?!
What just happened? Are things turning around? Am I finally getting to a point where I'm actually going to do something about my Winterbaby?

(Note: this is the first step of many that must occur for me to get to my goal. It doesn't matter how much I turn down from others if I pig out alone.)

Oh, and one more thing:
Modified, realistic goal for winter: 68 kilos. That means I have to lose just under three kilos over the next two months.

Whoops, and one more note: I am holding off on the NSPR for the moment - just turning down more of the 10 desserts offered to me in an average week.

I'm baaaaaack

Hello everyone!

So impressed to see so many of you here and powering on!

I, on the other hand, have not been powering on.

But it's time for (another) fresh start, I even bought scales this week!!

I am reasonably pleased with the fact that I weigh about the same as I did when I stopped all this, haven't lost anything but haven't really gained either...that's good.

Let's see where I am at on Wednesday, hey?! Wish me luck :)

I don't want to talk about it!

I did weigh-in this morning. Now at 72.2kg.

I'm claiming that I built muscle mass this week. I rowed 4 times.

I'm claiming that sawdust has a high calorific content, because I've been madly sanding.

However, it is possibly due to a couple of days eating my head off. I need to stop eating (well, okay, slow down with what I'm eating - not stop altogether).

New week, new start. Going to a child's birthday party tomorrow. Chances that any good intentions that are floating around my brain will be transformed into actual self-control at a party?

... Mmmmm?

Weigh In Wednesday (Femina)

Yes, I know, it's not Wednesday but I did weigh myself on Wednesday; I just didn't get around to posting.

Last week: 72.3kg
This week: 72.3kg

Difference.... zero, which means NO GAIN. Nope, it's not weight loss but maintaining my weight for one week is a bit of a win for me right now.  It's all good.

Bustin' Outta the Fat Pants

On Sunday I decided that maybe, with the baby so jolly big now, I might try my old Fat Pants on. Lovely tailored black slacks in a gorgeous fabric: large size. I haven't worn them for ever so long, because they sailed off me and hit the floor about two years ago. And I've believed that my girth hasn't changed all that much since then.

I wasn't prepared for the fact that they would be so tight on me. Okay, so of course I was going to find the zipper a bit tight with Thingamababy sitting large and unmoveable down there, but it was the butt and thighs that shocked me. Squeezy fit, with no chance for the zip to go up at all.

And yet, my overall weight sits around 71kg.

So I guess I'm still losing unwanted pieces of me from my upper arms and around my neck (yay!) while all things baby-related continue to blossom at a frightening rate. I currently look to be about full-term. I am 26 weeks tomorrow.

I'm not dieting at all, and am eating quite well for the baby, trying to stick to healthy foods and limit bad foods. In order to do this I cook up a vegetarian meal for dinner about 4 nights a week, and have lean meats the other 3 nights. This hasn't been working well. Adding a bit of bacon or chicken does not a vegetarian meal make. (But - "Yum!")

I have also had NOTHING sweet in the house except a packet each of Ginger Nuts, Scotch Fingers and Shredded Wheatmeals. You know you're trying to wean yourself off sweet stuff when you leave Shredded Wheatmeals as one of the final biscuits in the house. However this has only driven me to consume much more Milo than reasonable, and we've nearly run out of the Ginger Nuts and Scotch Fingers.

The children have been very challenging so tonight I decided to self-medicate with chocolate. We did a quick trip to Woollies for chocolate and the behaviour there was so appalling that I think I will never go back. Even when they're having a treat bought for them, they carry on like they are King and Queen of the World and they have passed an edict outlawing discipline in all forms. Disgraceful.

But good news here: after not-much sweet stuff for a while, a small chocolate binge was all I needed. It helped.

Weigh-In Woe (Femina)

I was all prepared to avoid the weigh-in indefinitely but decided to put on my Big Girl Pants and be brave. Hmmm... "big girl pants" has a different connotation on a weight loss blog, doesn't it? I meant my "grown up girl pants" but that doesn't have the same ring to it. Anyway, I digress...

Last time: 71.0kg
Today: 72.3kg
Difference: 1.3kg gain

Ouch.  What can I say? I have eaten lavishly of things that should be eaten sparingly and eaten sparingly of things that are good and healthy and should sustain me.  This feels like real weight gain too, not one of those "gosh, I'm heavier this week - I wonder why?" gains.  I haven't exercised - heck, I've barely moved at all unless it's vital. Even when I don't go to the gym I usually walk a fair bit but it's been cold and rainy and I've been lazy... and I'm feeling the difference in my body, which might be an incentive to start moving again.

After today I have 6 days off work. At least one of those days will be spent catching up on sleep but for the others I am planning a couple of day trips here and there and lots of walking.  And maybe I'll cut down on the hot chocolates too.  Maybe....

Weigh-In Wednesday (Eizelby)

Last time: 69.5
Today: 70
So: a gain of .5kg

Blurg.

Okay, this might look bad, as my last two have been gains, but on the bright side I've been eating like a teenage boy and I've only gained half a kilo in three weeks.

Somehow this number gives me hope! I'm not going to list a bunch of promises I probably won't keep, not for now at least, but instead will just say this: last night I had a light dinner after a heavy breakfast and lunch, and went to bed with the strongest desire to eat the bag of cookies stashed in my cupboard. I was awake for two hours thinking about those cookies. At one stage I even had my hands on the bag ... but I woke up this morning having not let even one pass my lips. Hooray for slight progress!

Weigh-In - Why Not? (HJ)

Last week may have been a little bit of a scales blip. Or that I did eat less and certainly less bad stuff (or at least less frequently). Or the fact that I only rowed once lead to atrophy of the huge muscle mass I acquired last week. Take your pick.

Last week: 72.2
This week: 71.0
Loss for the week: 1.2 kg (which is pretty impressive for very little work and a tad of self-control)
Total Loss: 5.0 kg

I must get back into rowing. It makes a difference.

And the LBD would appreciate the odd walk, too.

Interesting phenomenon (Givinya)

So I haven't been posting here at Skinny Cow for a bit because I'm embarrassed that you are all trying so hard and I'm not, because I'm pregnant. I guess though, that I owe the baby not to pig out too much and turn into a blimp.

Anyway, I'm about 23 weeks along now, and my weight is only about 1-2 kilos more than before Thingamababy. See how this works? My tummy is getting bigger and bigger, Thingamababy is growing nicely, I'm putting on all the right baby weight in all the right places, and at the same time I seem to be losing fat from over the tummy, on my arms, and hopefully the more Major Defects below like butt and thighs.

Pregnancy agrees with me.

What happens afterwards? I get hungry and things go wrong.

Please promise me you'll be around for me after Thingamababy makes an appearance, and promise me you won't excuse my indiscretions by saying that I'm breastfeeding. It hasn't cancelled out my pigging-out the last two times!

Love you girls, I live in weekly awe of your hard work and general downwards-moving numbers.

I don't want to play this game anymore...

Okay, so I do want the results of this game, I just don't want to report a week that really wasn't the best.

Last week - 70kg
This week - 72.2kg
Gain of - 2.2 kg

How did I put on more than the weight of the naughty food that I ate?

HOW?

Creeeaaaak, groan... (HJ)

So I'm not a Wednesday weigh-in-er, but I thought I'd share my current state of being with you all.

I rowed yesterday for the first time in... a little while.

I only did 20 minutes because I thought I'd be out of condition.

I was right.

I am creaking and groaning my way through life today. I'd forgotten that rowing uses so many muscles.

I'm sure I once thought it was worth it.

Wednesday again already?? (Eizelby)

Last time: 68.6
Today: 69.5
So: a gain of .9kgs

Okay, so this is not great. BUT it's been two weeks and I thought I would have weighed in at at least a kilogram more than this, given my recent chocolate bonanza - and that was BEFORE Easter.

But no concessions! I'm setting some rules now because I don't seem to respond to my own leniency very well.

So this week I will:
- Go to the pool AT LEAST ONCE!
- Go for half hour walks plus the regular walking I do every day.
- Write down everything I eat, an idea "borrowed" from Femina, which hopefully makes me deal with my horrible eating habits once and for all! No more continuous stream of chocolate while playing computer games for me!

Wussy Wednesday (Femina)

Yeah, not weighing in today. I had a great Easter though... if "great" can be defined as "was largely inert and ate a LOT of chocolate and hot cross buns"!

So... see you in another week... :)

The Lamington and Hot Cross Bun Diet (HJ)

I was a tad fearful about weighing in this morning, but I had promised Femina that I would, and I was hoping that the shame of reporting yet another bad week would help spur me on to greater effort (or indeed any effort whatsoever).

My church should be banned from having Lamington Drives. Particularly in the same week as Easter (can you guess we don't generally give up stuff for lent in my church?). So possibly not the best eating pattern this week.

But it does seemed to have worked...
Last weigh-in (two weeks ago)... 70.6 kg
Today... 70.0 kg
Total Loss... 6 kg
Loss since last time... 0.6 kg in which time I ate my head off and did absolutely no exercise.

Do you think I should continue this novel weight loss plan to see if it has any scientific merit?

Plan for this week-
Row three times
Walk the poor LBD at least three times (hoping that I can hold him because he hasn't had a w.a.l.k. for a few weeks which means that he'll be very... enthusiastic, let's just say)

I really need to start eliminating again to find out for certain what causes itchy-spots (and possibly hay fever type symptoms - I'm noticing some links between bad food and hay fever now that I'm mostly avoiding the worst of the culprits), but maybe after I've conducted a scientific binge (I mean significant dose) of chocolate on Sunday? I will need to set myself a date, because I keep putting it off due to weddings and Easter and other non-elimination diet food times. Can you tell that I'm not yet committed to it?

Thanks, Kevin! (Love from Manda)

I'm starting again. I'm ready to get back on the weightloss plan, and should admit I don't really like being "off" it yet. (I had a little bit of trouble staying at the right amount of food - I either ate a little too much, or just felt like I was... either way, next time I stop losing and start maintaining my weight, I'll change my eating amount g r a d u a l l y ).

But, you ask, why am I so thankful to Kevin?
While I haven't received my stimulus money yet, my housemate has - and she bought a Wii and WiiFit! I can't believe how much fun it is, I'm looking forward to working on the goal it suggested for me: losing 4.2 kilos in 3 months.

I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Meanwhile, let's get the stats going:
Current Weight: 71.1
Weight change since last time: a gain of 600 grams
What I'll do now: Keep excercising and WiiFitting, hold back a little on the Easter Eggs!

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

I seem to be almost the last woman standing (at least who's not pregnant) so I suspect I'm updating this for my own benefit, but never mind... ;)

Last week: 71.7kg
Today: 71.0kg
Difference: 700g loss

And I DID go to the gym! Okay, only once, but at least I got back there.  I remembered the address and everything... I was a bit worried I might have forgotten how to get there! Hehe.

Weigh In Wednesday (Femina)

Last week: 72.1kg
This week: 71.7kg
Difference: 400g loss

I'm starting to think I just weigh lighter on Wednesdays for some obscure reason. I have been consistently 72.1kg every day since last week... until today. Huh.

Anyhoo, my goal this coming week is to get back to the gym. There have been some stresses in my personal life and I know exercise helps me to deal with them a lot better. Yeah, this is my goal every week - but I really mean it this time! Honest! :D

Weigh-In Wednesday and Wii Fit waffle (Eizelby)

Last week: 69.15

Today: 68.6

So: a loss of .5kgs

I must admit I'm more than a little surprised, but I'm not going to question it!  This means that I have now officially reached my second goal point and have a little reward to give myself, as well as a pat on the back because I am now halfway!  Woohooo!

My goal for the next week is to not eat an entire thing of chocolate, which I have shamefully achieved two weeks in a row.  I'm also going to head to the pool again this week.  I have been walking a lot lately but that is all the exercise I have been getting.  I do love swimming, and I'm now a three minute walk from my pool, so I have absolutely no reason to be lazy and skip the swim.

In other news, I have decided to purchase a Wii.  Not simply for all the classic puns it brings with it, but for the Wii Fit part of it.  My brother has a Wii and, while I have on occasion enjoyed partaking in some boxing and baseball practice and whatnot, I didn't think it was for me.  I'm a Playstation girl myself.

However, having now babysat twice at a house where the Wii Fit is the main source of entertainment and exercise, I find myself thoroughly impressed!  You can weigh yourself, log your daily activities (such as cooking, dancing, or walking), and best of all see it all displayed before you in graph form, to monitor your progress.  Genius!  And very helpful for me.  To transform this whole health kick thing into some kind of video game is the perfect tactic for someone like me.

Where has Manda been?

Sorry everyone! Here is a good update for what has been going on in the last few weeks:

1) I have weighed in at weights between 70.1 and 70.6. I'm not really too worried by this, as,

2) I am trying hard to care less about what I weigh! I feel a little too good about myself with my weight, so now I am concentrating on being happy about what has happened, but not prideful.

3) I'm having a lot of fun excercising! I am doing basketball still, but now have started doing Taekwondo as well (which is fun, but also rather intense physically). I love doing things I used to be too weak for.

4) I am running out of clothes that fit. I have three pairs of pants (size 14), a skirt (size 14) and three shirts (size 14) that are too big for me to seriously wear to work. While this is great news, it means I have to do a wash every three days (given that I am washing for one, that's a bad sign). So it's off to the shops for me again.

Will check in again soon,
Manda

Weigh In Wednesday (Femina)

Last week: 71.6kg
Today: 72.1kg
Difference: 500g gain

This isn't really a surprise. Last week was a fluke - it was actually the only day in the last fortnight where I weighed under 72kg and I know it was because I'd lost my appetite slightly with stress. Good news... my appetite is back now! :) And I'm still 400g lighter than I was before the little episode of stress so I'm counting this gain as a loss, which makes it a gain, right?? (If you can follow that logic it means you have a brain like mine. You should be deeply afraid.)