Long time no being accounted for! (Eizelby)

Hello fellow aspiring cows! It sure has been awhile! The archives tell me that my last update was in July, which shames me. I’m sorry!

To refresh your memories of where I left off, I was about 2kg within sight of my goal weight. Since then I managed to get through summer camp season with maintained weight loss, and in December hit my goal weight of 65kg – which was very exciting! I then somehow lost another kilogram, and sat at 64kg for about a week before starting a slow, steady gain again.

However, despite a recent birthday binge and general disregard for healthy eating habits, the scales have been kind to me. I do suspect that this reflects loss of muscle due to a decrease in my regular walking, but it’s still somewhat encouraging.

So, where to now?
I’m currently sitting at 66kg – one kilo above my original goal weight. Having tasted 64kg for the first time in ages, I think with a bit of self discipline I can maintain that weight in a long-term capacity. That is my new goal!

How do I plan to achieve this?
Starting fulltime work and gaining a boyfriend in the past few months have culminated in me pretty much farewelling regular exercise, and saying hello to poor eating habits, such as drinking daily iced coffees and making pizza at midnight. No more I say!

To reach and maintain my goal weight, I will …
- join the dance studio which has branches both near my house and workplace
- get off my tram 3 stops early and walk the rest of the way EVERY TIME
- redevelop the magical habit of saying “no” to yummy things
- not eat after dinner – this does wonders for the waist and leaves me feeling great in the morning!

Goals and rewards
My goal is to lose 2kg, and to generally get a bit fitter than I currently am. My reward is feeling great, and a new pair of jeans.

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.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

Last week: 74kg
This week: 72.4kg

Loss: 1.6kg.... woo hoo!

I started the weight loss ticker on my blog at my heaviest weight (during the ups and downs) of 75.3kg, which means my total weight loss to date is 2.9kg. And THAT means I've reached my first goal and can buy the reward. It was supposed to be flowers but I was out yesterday and knew I'd already reached my goal so I bought the marble rolling pin I've been eyeing off for a while. It was on sale, too, which was gratifying.

I think the weight loss is a combination of Write It Down Month, which is really helping me feel more in control, and the hideously hot weather we've had here. No one wants to eat when it's 43 degrees for most of the week.

Goals for this week:

• Stick to writing down what I eat.
• Plan my week's meals in advance. This helps not only with budgeting but also with avoiding snacks. I don't know why, but knowing what I'll be having for dinner somehow gives me self-control! I can't explain it... :)
• Get back to the gym - I went yesterday for the first time in three weeks and remembered why I liked it, but I noticed a difference in what I was able to do. It was a shorter workout because I was tiring more easily, having not exercised at all for a while. I need to build up again, particularly since I've been having back and neck pain which always gets worse when I haven't been exercising. I need to strengthen those muscles again or I end up being in pain.

I haven't seen my scales say anything under 74kg for quite some time so I'm feeling happy. Chocolate all round to celebrate! Oh... wait a minute...

Newcomer alert! (Eizelby)

Hello!  I've been following this blog for some time now and only recently worked up the courage to ask to be involved.  So here I am, my name is Eizelby here because that is what I signed myself up as, and I'm an obsessor.  Obsessive?  I'm obsessed with stuff.  I obsess about the things I love in life, and I also obsess about what I don't like about myself.  I recognise that this is unhealthy, but it's not easy to change the mentality I have had for my entire life.

By way of introduction, I'll conveniently list some things you should know about me before we get started:

 

I am not a gym person.

I don't like to sweat in public.

 

I stress eat.

But don't we all?  Problematically, the thought of not eating makes me stressed, which makes me eat more.  So "diets" never work, as I always end up eating MORE than I would if I were not on a diet.

 

I don't drive.

So the process of getting to the gym is a major factor in my long list of reasons to not go.  But it does mean I have to walk a lot more than I would if I had auto transport, so that's at least a plus.

 

My favourite foods are spaghetti and whipped cream.

Clearly not the easiest tastes to accommodate when trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  And yes, I consider whipped cream a food in its own right.

My family is no help whatsoever.

Except for Manda, a member of this very bovine blog!  We were raised on McDonalds and Coca Cola.  I'm moving back home come the end of January, back into the land of the candy-coated kitchen and food-filled fridge, so I'm going to have to find some inner strength to resist.  I have no doubt weighing myself weekly and publicly will help in this matter!  I'll also be depending on prayer.

I have lost weight before.

My BMI was 25 when the doctor told me to lose weight for medical reasons.  So I was technically in the healthy weight range, but we needed to see if a certain issue I have would change if I lost a few kilos.  I did, it didn't.  The weight came back, and brought some friends along with it.

 

The Stats:

Current measurements: 168cm tall, weigh 73kg and am a size 12 top and 12/14 bottom.

Goal weight: I'm going with 65, because that is the weight I was in March last year and I felt comfortable (and was certainly in the 'healthy range') at that weight.

The Plan:

Gym workout: Once a week, if I can force myself.  I think I'll need to find a gym buddy.

Pool swimout: Also once a week. This will be much easier to convince myself to go, as I love swimming.

Not eat crap all the time: I'll have to reteach myself that sugary snacks before lunch, after lunch, before dinner and after dinner aren't necessary.  My special medical issue means I should be on some kind of low-GI eating thing.  I should look into that.

Go for walks: Last year, I taught myself to love walking.  Let's aim for one half-hour walk a day.

The Rewards:

I was going to reward myself every time I went down a BMI rating, but now that I'm intent on losing an even number of kilos, I might as well just have my rewards as such:

2kg down: I'll go see a movie all by myself ... I've never done that and I kind of really want to!

4kg down: I'm going to get a pedicure.

6kg down: I'll treat myself and a friend to a nice (healthy!) dinner.

8kg down: I'm not sure yet - it seems so far away!

The Unofficial Reward (Manda)

I should own up to what I've been thinking of as my "unofficial reward" - a pair of jeans I bought six months ago under the influence of a good salesgirl, my boyfriend and my own pair being rather baggy at the bum. 

You know you they say to buy them tight as they'll loosen up when you wear them in? It only works if you can get into them in the first place.

I can officially put them on and do them up (hooray!) though admittedly with a pretty healthy muffin-top at the waistband. Thus they'll be my unofficial reward - here's hoping that they'll fit properly when I'm at goal...

May I start again? (Femina)

I think I need to call this Week One for me. It may have been obvious that my heart hasn't been in this up to now, despite the fact that it was partly my idea to start this blog. I have been under some stress (go the comfort eating) and have been particularly unmotivated to exercise. I'm back at the gym now and I actually want to start eating better, so this feels like the start of a proper effort.

Additionally, I have just bought new scales because my last scales, despite being digital, only measured in half-kilo increments. This meant that unless I lost a full half-kilo it didn't show any loss at all (on the up-side, though, it also didn't show any gains unless they were a full half-kilo... hmmm... maybe I should use those when I've had a bad week...) My new scales measure in 100g increments so I'm getting a much better picture. Unfortunately, the new scales show me as about 2kg heavier than the old scales... which makes me think the old ones were crap, since the scales at the gym also weighed heavier.

So, given that I've been giving this only half my attention up to now AND I have shiny new scales, I'm declaring a "do-over" and starting in earnest from now. No, really. :)

Starting weight: 74.5kg
Goal weight: ummm... probably around the 64 mark. That's the lowest weight I've been and I was happy with my size at that weight. Really my goal is to fit back into my size 12 clothes (whilst still being able to breathe) and to lose the wobbly, wobbly tummy.

The Plan:
Gym workout three times per week
Bring my lunch from home instead of buying it (ooh, and a money saver too - win win!)
Eat breakfast - I'm very bad at this. I usually sleep late, spend time stuffing around and then realise I'm about to be late so I rush to the car without breakfast and end up buying a muffin at 10am because I'm starving.

The Rewards:
Since I want to lose roughly 10kg I think I'll reward myself at each 2.5kg, because that's nice and neat and also more achievable than waiting until the end.

First 2.5kg: Flowers. This doesn't seem like much of a reward but I live alone and I never bother to buy flowers for my house... however, I get such a lift from seeing them that's it's a good reward for me.

Second 2.5kg: Candle holder (and candle). I love candles and I've been eyeing off a couple of gorgeous glass candle holders, but have resisted buying them because I really don't need any more. I don't need them... but they would be a great reward.

I haven't decided yet on rewards for the other two milestones.

Of course, if I'd thought of this last night I could have been organised enough to make my lunch today... oh well! The supermarket does a good green salad and it's a decent walk down there too so off I go...

Celebrate with Meee!!! (HJ)

I've reached my first goal of 4 kg! Actually, 4.1kg (9 pounds!), but the main thing is to reach one of my interim goals. One quarter of the way along my total goal route.

So I now graduate my Grade 1 weightloss, with the aim of maintaining it over the Christmas Season.

Best yet, I'm now eligible for a massage!


And I don't know how I did it, because I had a few pig-outs on chippies, and only did 3 small rowing sessions. (I tell ya, it's those non-green veges and fruit that stack on the weight!)

I don't know how I've gone from sold on rowing to putting it off. I used to feel good and was sleeping better, and any excuse I was on it in the evening, even if I'd rowed in the morning. I did 20 minutes the other night and could have continued, but couldn't be bothered. I need a mind-set transplant. Mind you, the last couple of row sessions have got me back to sleeping OK, so it doesn't take much. (and I never should have said that, because now I won't sleep tonight)

It might be easier to walk a couple of days a week now. I might have found myself a walking partner - which means I have to set aside the time.

This coming week:
- back to 4 rows and 4 walks (30 mins each)
I will try to control chippie pogging - no hassles for today - Hubby finished off my packet last night. Still on the elimination diet, so there's no chance of other naughties. This might be the secret to the no effort weightloss I'm currently experiencing.

I hope this week is going well for everyone else. I'll exercise if you will! :)

Bovinity, here we come!

Weigh-in Wednesday (Manda)

Last week: 76
This week: 75
Change: a loss of 1 kilo! Hooray!
Total loss: 1 kilo

This is officially the lightest I've been since about... year 10?

Meanwhile, I've come to the realisation that a non-digital scale - analog? - is perhaps not the most precise of tools (picture me trying to balance while squatting low enough to read the dial).

What I did this week:
- Exercised three times. 1 pump class, 1 basketball match (we were smashed), 1 "funfit" class
- Ate well. I stuck to my points values on most days, and ate a lot less from the cupboard. I didn't do much comfort eating.

What I'll do next:
- Keep excersing, aiming for three times this week
- Get better at sticking to the points for dinner (a few times I went over what I should have, simply by not choosing to check along the way).

Rewards:
- For 2.5 kilos, I'll reward myself with a 30-minute massage

- For 5 kilos, I'll reward myself with a facial
- For 6 kilos, the big goal, I'll reward myself with a lovely new dress in whatever size I happen to be.
- And then, for staying at (or under) 70 kilos one month after I reach the Big Goal, I'll reward myself with... ooooh, a day trip to somewhere splurgy.

(Note: Today is Femina's Birthday, and I'm about to eat cake. I am allowing for this, and won't let it put me off my Skinny Cow Goals.)

Edit: One set of scales had me at 75.5 to 74.5, but I decided to stick with the heavier scales until I buy a digital set.

Weigh-In Wednesday (femina)

This hasn't started well - I went to weigh myself this morning and discovered that my electronic scales require new batteries. Hmmm... obviously haven't done this for a while. Not to worry; I'll fill that bit in later. In the meantime, here's my plan:

Big Goal: Lose 8 kilos (I think... I'll update after I work out what I weigh) and fit into size 12 clothes

This week's goals: Get back into the habit of going to the gym / Bring vegetables back into my life (!)

Exercise plan: Gym twice a week / three times if I'm particularly inspired

Reward for reaching Big Goal: Haven't decided this yet...

My weaknesses: BBQ chips, bacon, chocolate (3 or 4 times a week...)

You don't have to follow this pattern when making your Weigh-In Wednesday entry; this is just what works for me. My goal this week isn't weight-oriented - ie, I haven't said "I want to lose a kilo this week" - because my goal is to kick off the process by developing better habits and a different midset.

That's it from me. Happy Weigh-In Wednesday, everyone!

ps... When making your entry, it would be helpful to put your name (Blogger name, that is) in the title of the post AND in the labels - that way it's easy to track your own progress simply by clicking the label.