A Post-Christmas Post (HJ)

I wasn't going to weigh-in today. I was going to leave it a week. But then my curiosity got the better of me - so here it is.

I missed a couple of rows this week, and was pretty slow for most of the ones I did do.

I put on 100 grams. I'm happy with that - actually I'm not, but it's better than it could have been.

We're away for three days starting tomorrow, so I'll have to work out an alternate exercise plan. Hoping you all have happy numbers for Wednesday and that Manda doesn't get hit with a gain after her lag-time.

Weigh-In Wednesday Recalled by (Manda) on Friday

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

I got swallowed up by a giant Christmas bubble, and only burst free today. With all my church duties I didn't have time to blog, but I did get on the scales on Wednesday, and here is the verdict:

Last week: 72.7

This week: 72.6

Change: a loss of 100 grams

Total loss so far: 3.4 kilos

A loss! How on earth did that happen? I exercised twice but ate a lot. I wasn't looking for good news.

But it's still the same today. I expect I might add a little once my Christmas food catches up to me (sometime this weekend, as my weight changes always seem to happen with a three-day delay), but despite that, I'm feeling good.

Took advantage of boxing day sales and bought some clothes... sized medium, 12 and 12! Hooray!

While I celebrate, let me just say that your picture is amazing, HJ! Well done, and I hope you are feeling good :)

Hip Jen and the Crazy Scales (Givinya)

Last week, I was 67.4 kg.

This morning I was sad to see I was up to 69.7 (gain = 2.3 kg) and then in disbelief, I got on the scales for a second time, and they said 67.2 (loss = 200g)

So I think all my weigh-ins have been for naught! Hippomanic Jen gave me a set of bipolar scales!

Maybe I should take measurements instead of weighing? You can SEE the results in Hip-Jen's recent pics, can't you?

I'll be attacking the problem of the measurements over the next few weeks. Stay Tuned.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

Last week: 74.6
This week: 74.3
Loss: 300g

It's tiny, but exciting! I feel like I've started the weight-loss train rolling again. I've been eating less crap and more salads, I went to the gym once and did three walks to the local shops (20-25 minutes each way).

Apart from Christmas Day and a birthday party in the evening on Boxing Day I don't have lots of celebratory eating planned... and neither of those things will be in my house so I won't be faced with tons of yummy leftovers. This all bodes well for a non-blowout Christmas.

I'm on leave from work for three weeks after today so I hope to get back into the gym a bit more. It usually takes about 5 visits before I start actually enjoying it.... but motivating myself through the 5 no-I-don't-want-to-be-here-I-really-hate-this visits will be the tricky part!
.

1.3kg / 7 days - RESULTS

OK, now Femina's back from the gym I can share (sorry it took a while, but I had some things to do in the kitchen).

This week I have slaved. I have taken my poor body to its limits of exercise endurance. I have not spent as much time blogging or reading because I was rowing.

So now it's time for some results.

Remember the photo I posted at the beginning of Operation Skinny Cow? Well I told myself I shouldn't try taking another one until I'd lost eight kilos, then I should be able to see the difference. Same clothes, same Jen - Look at the difference!

I like this photo. It explains why people can tell that I've lost a little weight. More importantly, I look like I always thought I looked like in my head, then would get shocks when I looked into mirrors. Boy, isn't it great when body image and mirror image are close to each other! I particularly like the way my 3/4 pants now have vertical 'empty' creases, rather than horizontal 'can only just hold the quantity of flesh within me' creases. Yes, you too could see a marked difference if you lost about the same amount as me. Take the photo - even if no-one but you ever sees it.

So the hard results.

Remember, I had 1.3 kilos to lose to get down to my second reward level of eight kilos loss.


Are you ready?



Are you sure you can handle it?




Okay, okay, I'll get down to it... drumroll please...


Around my bust I lost one centimetre, resulting in a total loss of of five centimetres since the 18th October (i.e. 2 months).

I lost half a centimetre around my ribs under my bust. Total loss three centimetres.

I lost nothing around my waist (but it did have a big drop a couple of weeks ago), but that's still a total loss of 5.5 centimetres, which is pretty good.

My tummy was a big winner this week with a reduction of 2.5 centimetres - hooray, at last I'm winning on the belly front! Total loss 6.5 centimetres.

My hips lost 1.5 centimetres, which brings them to a total of 6.5 centimetres. Cooking on gas!

I didn't really think it was possible to lose 2.5 centimetres around the top of my arm, but I've done it! Okay, so that's the total loss. 0.5 was from this week's effort.

I also lost a whole centimetre from around the widest part of my thigh, which means that there are 3.5 extra centimetres of fabric in my trousers than I currently need.

So I've lost heaps and heaps of size this week. All that remains is to let you know whether I've made the 1.3 kilos.

Here goes...

The number of kilograms lost during this week of determination and pushing through my boundaries of physical stamina... point four. Yep, that is not a typo. I've lost the same amount as I did previously with hardly any effort. Isn't it good that I'm losing weight at such a steady, sustainable rate? I couldn't help but laugh. The good news is that I should be within my healthy weight range. I'm going with the theory that I've built muscle this week.

The heading for this post that I would have used if I hadn't wanted to create suspense.

"My mother stole my one point three kilos"

Bad Mother!

The good thing is that I'm not distraught. It's too hilariously funny to be distressing. And I like the photo comparison. I am winning.

Femina, have you been to the gym yet?

Well all my little bovine friends, I've done my weigh-in.

I'm not posting results until Femina comments that she's been to the gym (she told me to nag her), so until then I'm trying to type with a poker face. Is it working?

I didn't get my second row done on Thursday. There was a carol service and I didn't make the time before hand (I would have needed a shower and didn't have time for both) and it was too late to start after.

But I made up for it with two rows yesterday. This means that I did the 11 sessions that I had aimed for - totalling 12,800 repitions in the week. I thought that was quite impressive.

I'm going to go back to normal now. I was really pushing my maximum exercise limit. I came off a horse some years ago and did something nasty to my tailbone. Let's just say that the time limit on my rowing sessions towards the end of the week has been less about how my arms, legs, back or cardio-vascular system has been going and more about whether my backside can take the weight anymore as I roll back. Actually, it forced me to find a new feet position and that in turn exercised some different thigh muscles, so it may not be a bad thing.

Waiting for Femina to comment.

I'm chicken (Louisa)

Didn't weigh in last night...granted I didn't get home in time for the meeting but I could have gone to a later one. I didn't. I'm chicken. I have the most pathetic reason in the world, I only went to the gym twice this week and one swim and I wanted to go to the gym three times.

Pathetic.

Ate a burger for dinner instead. Classy.

Bring on Christmas!

1.3kg / 7 days (Day 6)

I've done my 45 minutes for this morning, planning another session for tonight.

I'm back to feeling good having rowed. I think the lighter day yesterday may have helped. I also think that not dreaming about being an international spy on a plane hijacked by Nazis might have helped. Sleep is much more restful when you're not plotting to pull down the new Nazi government without crashing a planeful of young children or getting yourself shot.

So it might be an 'up' day today. Looking forward to Saturday - eyes on the prize.

LUNCHTIME UPDATE
I visited my Mum today. She bought a little baby rowing machine last week on our shopping trip, and has been slowly building up the number of minutes she can do (at twelve minutes twice a day now she's doing really quite well).

She's been reading about my struggles to get my 1.3 kilos in a week. This morning it is a week since she's been rowing. She very gleefully told me that SHE's lost my 1.3 kilos. So if I don't make it, I know where it's gone.

"Congratulations Mum," Hippomanic Jen said grudgingly, I mean, with great support and encouragement.

Weigh-in Wthursday (Manda)

Thanks, Wfemina.

Last week: 72.4
This week: 72.7
Change: a gain of .3
Total loss so far: 3.3

Gaiiiiin. (And it might have been a little more than .3, as I weighed myself before brekky this week and can't remember if I started that the week before or not)...

Dad's birthday, staff Christmas lunch, honey-joy freakout, women's film night, girls' pamper night, seniors' Christmas lunch... all of which were within one week and all of which I happily ate through.

Bad Manda.

So this week, I'm going to start trying again and stop using Christmas things as an excuse.

The good side is that the damage isn't too bad, and I'll go to the gym again (missed it this week for Dad's birthday). Stay positive, Manda!

Weigh-in Wthursday - scary but not terrifying (Femina)

Thanks Manda for "Wthursday"... it's useful to have another day in the week!

Last time I weighed I was 73.5. Actually that's the last time I officially weighed - I've weighed myself at various times over the last fortnight, with sometimes alarming results (don't weigh yourself at the end of the day right after eating a bowl of risotto, that's all I'm saying).

Anyway, today's weight was 74.6. Ouch. To be honest, though, it's not as bad as I expected given what I ate while my parents were here, and given that it's... uh... Lady Time right now. Oh, and given that we had the most amazing staff Christmas lunch yesterday!

I do expect next week to be better as my anxiety and stress levels have decreased quite a lot (hey... and my parents have just gone home again... coincidence???) and so I'm less likely to comfort eat. Now I just have to get back to the gym again. I was loving it for a while there but since I took a break from it I'm finding it very hard to whip up the enthusiasm to go. I'm sure the enthusiasm will come back after I've been a few times so I guess I'll just have to ignore my own whinging and force myself to go. :)

1.3kg / 7 days (Day 5)

I've had a lighter day today. I did 40 minutes tonight. And even that was pushing it.

We'll have to see what happens tomorrow. Technically I only have to do two rows on either Thursday or Friday (and that was only based on 30 minute rows, so I'm ahead of the game in terms of minutes already).

End in sight. Can I make it?

I feel like one of those marathon runners who is about to collapse within sight of the finish line.

Down Up Down (Givinya)

Last week, I was 68.6kg. This morning, I was 67.4kg (loss = 1.2kg). I have no idea what's going on. But each day I drink buckets of water because it's been so hot. I guess some of the fluctuation could be due to drinking, peeing and retaining all that.

Am enjoying the support from Skinny Cow even though things are a bit up and down. Thanks for putting up with me.

Hey, it's Wednesday! (Femina)

What do you know? It's Wednesday! I've been on leave for the last few days and only came back to work today, therefore my brain thinks it's Monday... and to confuse things even further, someone who usually only works here on Fridays came in today for our staff Christmas lunch, so when I'm not thinking it's Monday today I think it's Friday.

In short, I'm very confused and therefore didn't even think about weighing in this morning. I only weigh in the mornings so it will have to wait until tomorrow. (See how I resisted the temptation to write "it will have to weight"?? Ar ar.)

Hope everyone else is having a good Skinny Cow week. See you on Wthursday.

1.3kg / 7 days (Day 4)

I rowed for 45 minutes this morning. I was a little stiff in the shoulders after yesterday's effort, but it wore off as I went.

When I went to grab some fresh vegies at the supermarket I fantasised about bakeries and Chicken McNuggets and fries dipped in Sweet 'n' Sour sauce. I did not have them.

I decided that next week I'm going back on the antihistamines so that I can eat whatever I want over Christmas and New Year. I won't be eating everything that's offered - I'll try to be selective, but it's CHRISTMAS, people!!! This is dangerous because I know I'm very capable of eating everything in sight and putting back on all the kilos that have gone. It is not going to happen.

I sat down at lunch time and my treat of a handful of chips turned into a 1/3 of a packet. They were goooood. And crunchy. And salty.

Then I fell asleep in my lounge chair.

I've just spent a few minutes staring at my happy fabrics that will soon become new clothes trying to get some enthusiasm for exercise.

I just don't know when to push it, and when my body actually does need a break.

At least I'm sleeping well.

EVENING UPDATE:
I did another 40 mins on the rower. I took it easy to see how much I could do. I'm feeling a little better about life now and I'm not so stiff. I'm going to bed.

HJ's 1.3kgs in 7 days (Mon)

I've been working on my 1.3kg.

Saturday I started out with a 45 minute row immediately after my weigh-in and reporting. I followed it up that night with another 20 mins. At the end of that time I was starting to get sore muscles across my lower back and didn't want to push it, or I might not have been able to keep rowing for the rest of the week. Sunday morning I didn't have any stiffness, which was good.

I've been doing 10-15 mins at the beginning on the next-heaviest level up (i.e. setting 2 of 12). Last night I sat down to do my Sunday row and discovered that I had left the machine on level 2. That might have been why I was struggling by the 20 min mark on Saturday night. I did my 45 minutes before bed. Hubby and I had also done a 20 minute walk to see a waterfall in the morning after church (wrong shoes have given me a couple of blisters, but I walked).

This morning I was up early and got my 45 minute rowing done. I walked 25 minutes down to the church and back again. Tonight I've done another 46 minutes on the rower.

I'm feeling good and strong in the mornings. It is easier to pull my tum in during normal walking, sitting, etc. I'm hardly thinking about it, but every now and again I become aware that I am doing it. This evening I'm a little tired for some reason.

The odd thing is that the flesh over my tummy and hips has gone soft. I can feel the muscles or bones underneath it, but the top fat layer seems to be spongy. I'm hoping that this means that the fat deposits are emptying, and that on Saturday I'll be able to report a good belly circumference (as well as meeting my ridiculous target).

Onward and upwards.

My Personal Race into Next Week (HJ)

OK - So I'm not going to presume the scales were broken...

This week I've lost: 1 kilo
Total loss: 6.7kg

Amount to lose before I get my next reward: 1.3 kg.
Can I do that in a week? I'm not certain, but lets give it a go!

It might be an unrealistic weekly goal, although I have done it before. Generally, my weightloss plan was to have loose goals that included losing 2 kilos a month, with a balance month in between to make certain that it was sustainable loss (and a little extra time over Christmas to make up for overindulgence). It was achievable, and therefore likely to keep me motivated (I do much better emotionally when I'm ahead of the game).

My plan was achievable and sustainable as opposed to when I've tried to lose at a fast rate over a small amount of time. That has never worked in the long term. But for one dedicated week to get down to my next goal I'm very, very tempted. Yes, reaching my April goal by Christmas could be really motivating (yep, setting low goals does wonders for my self esteem when I meet them early!?!).

So my plan is that I'm going to aim for rowing once a day for this week, and twice on 4 out of the 7 days. This may just give me the extra fat burnin' power.

The celebration for me this week is that I've got under a large, unspecified round number that I'll be glad never to see again. This weightloss is for good.

I'm also at my lightest since March 2006 (and bearing down on it at a great rate of knots). I'm also within reach of the top of my BMI / healthy weight range (they are the same for my height). I'll certainly be able to get to that this week - even if I only lose what I had been thinking of as my usual 0.4 kg.

So I have a goal range for this week. I want to lose between 0.3kg (to get within my healthy weight range) and 1.3kg (to get to my next goal). Both are considered a win. One is a slightly unreasonable goal as an incentive for additional exercise and treat avoidance.

Tune in same time, same place next week.

Oh, and I won't be posting until Femina has been to the gym. (he, he, he)

Something wrong with the scales? (Louisa)

I think there must be something wrong with the scales. Apparently I lost 1.3kg this week!

Total loss, 6.1kg.

Trying not to imagine what the loss would have been were it not for the cupcakes(!!) though I am thrilled to have done a 1kg+ loss this week!

Maybe, just maybe, I'll meet my (revised) Christmas target of an 8kg loss...

Weigh-in Wthursday (Manda)

I haven't had the best week. It's been a mammoth week at work, due to my responsibilities as party-organiser (definitely not one of my strengths) on Saturday and service-organiser (a lot closer to home, but still a big job) on Sunday, and playing at a Carols night on Sunday night, right when I was ready to drop dead.

It really affected me. I couldn't sleep properly, was terrible at basketball on Tuesday (the ball literally slipped through my fingers four times) and I ate more than I should have on Tuesday... and Wednesday.... and a little too much today at a special lunch.

That will probably catch up to me next week. For now,

Last week: 72.9
This week: 72.4
Change: a loss of .5
Total loss so far: 3.6 (ohhhh, I hope it lasts the week! Better get back to the gym)

What I'll do this week: stop eating when I know it's time to stop. I didn't gym on Tuesday, which I decided not to do because of the exhaustion, and it was a good decision. But that doesn't mean I can pig out on whatever I feel like while I rest!

About to face the music

Just about to go weigh-in. Letting you know for the sake of accountability. After this week's cupcake debacle I am not expecting good things my friends...but need to stay motivated...and honest!

On a positive note today I looked in the mirror and for the first time didn't think I looked 9months pregnant! Yay...let's not talk about how long ago it was when LP was born... *sigh*

All Gone (Givinya)

It's all gone. Along with my homey security, all the good times past and my dreams for the future here, my entire weight loss is gone. This morning I weighed 68.6 kg.

I've been drinking lots of purified water and just not peeing it out. I'm off my food and have a sore throat and swollen glands. My nose and eyes are watery too. And I'm the shape of a heffalump.

It's sorta funny, really.

MAJOR Whoops! (Louisa)

I made some cupcakes for the weekend. Figured they were worth about 3 points each. That's ok.

Nope.

5 points WITHOUT the icing.

Crap!

I had one for breakfast.

There go my hopes for a decent loss this week. The 3 x gym visits and 1 trip to the pool to do laps have just been covering my cupcake covered a**

DOH!!!


** UPDATE: my vanilla cupcakes are worth 4 points without icing. I am never going to be able to enjoy cupcakes again. Oh I am so sad... **

I checked the scales three times... (HJ)

Femina, you are not allowed to read this until you've been to the gym.

Seriously.

Go.

(And it had better be a good session, or I'll send you back!)


O.K. down to it - I am flummoxed.

Weight Loss this week: 1.2 kg
Total weight loss: 5.7 kg

I was expecting my usual 0.4kg. I would have been happy with my usual 0.4kg. I checked the scales three times to make certain that it was not my usual 0.4kg.

In fact, during the week I sat down to work out that with the number of weeks to my cousin's wedding (excluding a couple of weeks over Christmas), losing at a rate of 0.4kg a week, I could get to my next goal and buy a pretty dress to wear with weeks to spare. Now I'm almost half-way there. That's three week's worth of loss. In a week.

I'm so flummoxed that I'm not yet excited about the 1.2kg. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll get there, but just at the moment I'm wondering how on earth did that happen? I mean, for the first few weeks of eating well and doing some exercise it is not uncommon to lose larger amounts, but I'm in the groove now and was happy with my weekly 0.4kg.

Last week I was feeling great and slim and the numbers were 'normal'. This week I'm feeling good (but haven't noticed that I'm significantly more slim) and I've done really, really well. I just don't get it, and understanding things is very important to me.

When I was a teenager and in my early 20s I used to bounce back to my normal weight without trying. If I stopped eating bad foods (not trying to eat well or lose weight, just reduce the frequency of chocolates and deep fried stuff) and maybe did a little exercise, any weight I had put on would slide off without any particular effort. Big Christmas - no hassles, I'll be back to normal by January. College food caused me to put on a bit - don't worry, there are 12 weeks over Christmas that I'm on Mum-food and it'll be gone.

I hit my late 20s and this ability stopped. Without warning. And I've slowly been accumulating kilos ever since.

Probably two factors.
1. I used to ride my bike 5 km each way to school and back. Then at uni I had no car, it was walk/bus/bike. Then I started working and had a private motor vehicle to go wherever I needed to go.
2. We ate pretty well at home - as much as we wanted, but lots of vegies. Take away was very rare. Then I started college with chips twice a week. Then I was working and had my own wages to buy food for lunch or dinner and chocolate.

So what has changed?
1. I'm rowing for 30 mins most mornings, and I'm slowly upping the speed and intensity.
2. I'm on a limited diet eating lots of vegies and not having take away or desserts too often.

Should this be enough for me to be losing spectacular amounts? Particularly when I have friends who are struggling with Skinny Cow? I say 'No'. It is not fair.

What help can I offer to them?

...Approximately None. (Sorry, it just had to happen today - put it down to flummoxedness)

Although, I'm taking Mum to buy a little rowing machine next week. :)

Another week, another weigh (Louisa)

I was feeling nervous this week girls...in fact let me share my patheticness (??) with you!

I was due for a weigh in and was feeling OK about it. Realistically aware the loss wouldn't be huge because I weighed in the morning and on a different day last week and would be weighing in the evening this week. That was Wed. At the gym. After my workout.

Wed night come home and say to the hubs "I really feel like eating those Tasty Jacks I bought today for Sunday".

Hubs "We have Tasty Jack's?!?!?"

It's important to note two things here...
1. Hubs is VERY supportive of my quest...he's not a saboteur...just a pain in the bum because he's so super skinny, but that's hardly his fault!
2. Hubs has been longing for Tasty Jacks for about a month now...so it wasn't really fair of me to mention it...though perhaps that was my subconscious being not-so-subtle

Of course, out come the Tasty Jacks (again, I should note that I was the one who got them after HH saying "You just want me to say we should eat them!") and I ate a third of the packet.

Gah!

Then went to Mother's Group on Thurs and was met with a feast of epic proportions.

Double Gah!!

Driving home from Mother's Group on my way to WW and really wasn't sure if I could face seeing that I had gained weight so...enter my patheticness.

I drive near my gym.

I detour to drive past my gym.

I go into my gym, hand over LP to the manager (who is pregnant and clucky) and get on the scales there!!!

Satisfied that it won't be an entire disaster, and just before getting a parking ticket for being parked in a clearway (how desperado is that!) I went off to WW.

Loss 0.4kg.

I'm cool with that.

No weigh in for me (SJ)

I dont want to know.

Sorry I have fallen off the wagon big time. Last time I weighed I was 88.8kg.. which is a significant gain. Infact the fattest I have ever been.

I pop in from time to time to see the progress of y'all. Sorry I cant contribute... I am too meh about it.

You ar eall doing GREAT though!! Keep up the good work :)

Wow Wednesday (Givinya)

As you know, I haven't been trying very hard at all. I've been down in the dumps and eating some very unwise stuff. But a few days ago, my scales said 66kg and this morning they say 67. So overall, I think that's progress!

Last week: 68.0
Today: 67.0
Total loss so far: 2.4
Despite: suffering from pathetestablishmentarianism

I'm going to have to get back on the wagon for good soon. I promise I will. Today's reading will help to encourage me, I think!

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

Oh my goodness.  I've been weighing myself all week and nearly every day my scales read 74.1, which would have been a loss of 400g (with which I would be entirely happy).

This morning I weighed myself and the scales read 73.5.  That's a whole kilo lost! I'm actually slightly skeptical since this is the first day I've been under 74.1... but who cares? My scales said 73.5 (and I weighed twice, just in case) so I'm taking it as fact.

Admittedly, I have been a little better. Still not entirely committed, but definitely better. I've been to the gym twice and I've been trying to eat less crap and more salads.  There has been some ice-cream but it was low fat... in any event, I do feel I'm more in Skinny Cow mode than I was previously, so it's all good.

So.... yay! I lost a kilo! :)

Weigh-In Wednesday (Manda)

Last week: 73.6
This week: 72.9
Change: a loss of .7
Total loss so far: 3.1

What did this week: Three lots of excercise (hooray!), better eating and more paying-attention to what I was eating.

What I'll do next week: Three lots of excercise, continuing the Evil Pump Class on Tuesday (not to be confused with the Fun Pump Class on Saturday) with the lady who makes you do it properly and stacks more weight on to your bar once you're already in position so it's too late to change it back. Also not overeating at the first of the parties (the Sunday Club Christmas Party for church, complete with yummy pizza).

Incidental Incentive: Bathing-suit shopping. I went yesterday, and it was a lot better than expected! But I truly have lost all my weight from my back (and a little from my bum) - I've gone down one-and-a-bit bra sizes in the back, and zero cup sizes. Here's hoping that will come eventually, too!