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.)

Weigh-In Wednesday (Eizelby)

Last time: 71.2kg
Today: 69.15
So: About 2 kgs lost

But please don't read this incorrectly - last weigh-in was on Feb 4th and I went down to 68 about two weeks ago, but then birthday happened and my sugar intake skyrocketed and I haven't been able to get it back down. For instance: in the last 24 hours I consumed an entire KitKat chocolate bar. Not the regular size. It was a decent chocolate block size. Bad, bad Eizelby. And it was just after I ordered a bowl of vegies when everyone else ordered pizza!

Help, oh help, I am fast losing motivation!

Weigh-In (HJ)

Everything is exactly the same.

Is there anything left to say?.

Weigh In Wednesday (Femina)

Last week: 72.5kg
Today: 71.6kg
Loss: 900g

I'm definitely celebrating this... but with the disclaimer that it's almost certainly because I've been a bit stressed and haven't been eating much. (The disclaimer is to soften the blow for myself when I put this weight back on in a week!) Still, a loss is a loss is a loss...

I still haven't been to the gym. I'm not even sure I remember where it is now... oh dear. I shall make an effort to get there this week. Unfortunately my gym buddies have also been quite stressed and going through some hard times so with all three of us down there's been no one to spur the others on. Maybe we should have had an agreement that only two of us were allowed to be stressed at the one time.

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So the Buck Stops Here and Now

I've been a very bad little bovine.

I've been eating my head off.

I've been slack about exercising.

I haven't been game to weigh in, and if I did I didn't want to talk/blog about it.

... And it's all been going on for a few weeks now.

It's been busy. Good excuse? The thing is there are very few times that I'm not going to be busy. I'm also moving from a job where things are always urgent (everyone wants their job done yesterday) to one where things will be both urgent and important (in a few weeks I'm being commissioned as a pastor at my church).

So busy simply can't afford to be an excuse any longer.

Good food being easily available can't afford to be an excuse any longer, either. Do you know how well people eat in churches?

So today I draw a line in the sand and say, "No more excuses."

I will update my weightloss ticker on my blog to show the negative.

I rule off my trendy spreadsheet and start my second grade of weightloss over again. And this time I'm mentioning numbers (but just remember that I'm not tall, therefore they are small numbers compared to some)

So here are the numbers:

Weight today - 70.6kg (yes, over the magic round number I'm never going to see again)
Gain since last time I blogged - 1.4kg
Total loss to date - 5.4kg
Loss left to go - 10.6kg

I should easily lose some weight this week because yesterday I did the pointless tomorrow-I'm-going-to-start-being-good-again splurge.

So now I'm going off to row.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

Last time: 72.6kg
Today: 72.5kg
Loss: 100g

If I were a contestant on The Biggest Loser I'd probably be in floods of tears that I hadn't lost 6kg in a week, but as I'm not a contestant on The Biggest Loser and I'd like to keep the weight off long term so I don't have to go on TV advertising diet 'shakes', I'm actually quite content with 100g. Yeah, it's tiny, but it's tiny in the right direction and that's all that matters to me.

No Weigh! (Donners)

I don't know if I established my goals very clearly but I am not going to weigh-in, because my problem isn't weight, it's greed and that's why I joined OSC - to be accountable for my attitude towards food.

I did okay this week, I am trying to see food as something that is a good gift to enjoy, not as entertainment when I am bored, tired or lacking the motivation to do other things - I think I was better this week.I am trying to see food as something that I need regularly for energy and nourishment - rather than to meet my felt need. I was definately better at that!

My health ( ongoing problems) was bad today which leads to exhaustion, nausea, back and abdominal pain and I had to go home early - which was frustrating. I had missed my medication for the day which gave me an even worse reaction than usual. It was amazing how much I watched myself think "I want chocolate, I want melted cheese - I want" - when I was having cramps and other pain!

Food's not going to cut it darling, just have to ride it out - I still had a bit of chocolate and had melted cheese for dinner.

Where's Weigh-In? (Eizelby)

I've had an update on the cards for awhile, titled 'The Day Eizelby Traveled to Target Three Times in Order to Buy a Set of Scales' but it was such an ordeal that it has been difficult to put fingers to keyboard about it. The only thing you need to know is that I now do, in fact, own scales all to myself! I don't like them as much as I did Manda's, despite the fact they are shiny digital Weight Watchers ones, but I digress.

At the moment I am bouncing around the 69/70kg mark. Mid-week I was down to 69.2 (so close to my next goal of 69!), but after a weekend of indulging it's back to 70.6 today. Sigh! It really feels like it can take one bad day to erase a week of healthy living. It's not quite fair, in my opinion.

One thing I have learned from the weekend is that attending a youth group Iron Chef competition where the object is for every team to bake a delicious, appetising cake is NOT a good idea for someone who is trying to resist temptation.

The first Skinny Cow award

In case you missed it, Manda reached her goal last week!  In honour of the occasion, here's a big Skinny Cow star to say well done - we're proud of you!

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The New kid (Donners)

Hi all you skinny cows!

I'm the new kid, so I hope I don't end up walking around the playground by myself - probably eating something I shouldn't. For those of you who don't know me I am friends with Manda, Eizelby and know Femina some too...

Manda and I challenged each other ( last year) to not eat (refined) sugar for two weeks and only eat fruit instead, since then I have bounced around being "good" and bad"since then. I am a big fan of food and so is my husband, I tend to exercise very regularly but have a few tiredness issues that sometimes hold me back.

Last night I went to the St Kilda night market and had (extremely delicious Argentinian) barbecued ribs and not only finished mine but started on my husbands leftovers....Sad isn't it! I then moved on to share some churros with him too, which I didn't need.

All in all, I feel good that I tried two types of food I had never had before and I don't need to wonder anymore. I am also being virtuous in buying various nice dried fruit ( cranberries, sultanas, apricots, prunes and dates) instead of lollies, which just get me every time.

I was good with exercise this week, too. But need to exercise more self-control when I'm tired, Wednesday night looked awfully close to a binge...

Thanks for having me!

Weigh-In Wwhat?! (Manda)

Interesting.

Last Weigh-In Wednesday (Feb 11): 70.7
Last Wednesday (Feb 18): 70.6
This Wednesday (Feb 25): 70.7
Change: no change
Total loss so far: 5.3 kilos

It looks remarkably like a plateau to me. But then-

Today (Feb 26): 70.0
Change: a loss of .7
Total loss so far: 6 kilos
Kilos to goal: ZERO!

I'll take it.

The following should be preceded by a word of thanks to God. I have been struggling with gluttony for a while, and while God helped me away from that, I tended to the other side and started making my body an idol for myself. I have to admit this is still a hard thing for me - but I am very thankful that God has been by my side, pointing sinful things out and helping me to break free from them, slowly. I am definitely stronger here than I was before. So, now I can say:

Hooray! I reached my goal! Hooray! I'm at 70 kilos for the first time since I was about 15. Hoooray! I'm eating better and feeling better and still eating orange poppyseed cake (like I did this morning, for example) but not bingeing! I feel so good.

HOORAY!

Sorry, I just felt like I should celebrate for a bit. Thanks for all the support you guys have been over the last few months, and thanks for being so inspirational :) I'm sticking around - in a few days you'll see me post about my plan for maintaining the 70.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

Yes, I'm really weighing in this week.

Last time: 72.4kg
Today: 72.6kg

Difference: 200g gain

Meh - 200g is fine with me.  It's a small glass of water.  It's two weeks since I last weighed in on here and in that time my weight went up about a kilo (possibly related to pizza and Cadbury Creme Eggs...) and has come back down again.  I didn't do any particular dieting; I just got the emotional eating back under control and my weight came back down to what it is today, so this seems to be my 'true' weight at the moment.

I am still trying to get back to the gym.  I do like it; I'm just way out of the habit now and I'm not sure how to motivate myself.  Chocolate rewards seem counter-productive, somehow.

And in other news... I note that no one else has weighed in recently.  That, of course, is completely fine - this is a no-pressure community - but don't be afraid to drop by and let us all know you're going okay even if you don't feel like weighing in.  I'm a lonely Cowgirl over here... :)

No-Weigh Wednesday (Femina)

What - again? Yes, I'm afraid so. I had a bit of an emotional blip last Friday which led to a little emotional eating blowout over the weekend... and a little beyond the weekend. As a result I don't want to weigh myself for a few days, so I'm taking a pass this week.

The good news is, as far as emotional food blowouts go it was pretty tame - a super-cheesy pizza eaten over two days, some chocolate, hash browns, a piece of cake, sausages... there are times in the past when I would have eaten that in one day, not spread out over four days. I see that as a good thing because it means my instinct to binge is decreasing. Also, I actually recognise emotional eating for what it is now and that tends to make me stop and take stock of why I'm eating.

So it's all good. But I'm still not weighing myself today. :)
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Steady as she goes (HJ)

I have not gained any weight this week.

On the other hand I've not lost any, either.

Now I'd better get my act into gear for the future, I have such a crop of itchy spots at the moment that I'm likely to give up anything to get rid of them - although I bought more anti-histamines this morning, so...

No-Weigh Friday (Eizelby)

Manda moved out!  As a consequence of this, she of course took her scales with her, thus leaving me scale-less.  I'll probably buy a thing to weigh myself on in the next week, and update you next Wednesday.  It's bizarre not having the scales in the bathroom anymore, and therefore not weighing myself anytime I go in there.  I have an irrational fear I've put all of the weight back on, but I doubt it.  I think.

I was babysitting last night and found myself with little to do.  With not much on TV,  and bored with my own book, I turned to the homeowners' bookshelf for something to peruse.  Lo and behold, 'The Low GI Diet' sat blaring its title at me.

I have polycystic ovaries, and some hormonal imbalances that come with this.  It means, among other unpleasant things, I don't get my period very regularly.  It also unfortunately means that I am "insulin resistant".  This basically seems to assert that I have too much sugar in my blood, and by eating a high GI diet I have made my period problems worse and the sugar in my system continually build up.  Basically, the smart thing to do for my general health is to follow a low GI diet, but being a lazy bum I hadn't looked into it much.  But here was my chance!  Hours with nothing to do and a book about how to combat my exact problem!

I already knew some stuff about low GI foods by researching on the internet.  The most surprising find was that raw vegies can be a lot better for your insulin levels than their cooked counterparts.  For example, raw carrots have a very low GI score of 16, while boiled carrots are more than double that, with a score of 41!!  Learning that made me realise that you can't assume you know the basics about food; it's important to look into things.  41 is still a relatively low GI score compared to, say, potatoes, but it's still amazing that such an increase can happen by simply heating up the carrots!

I plan to find and purchase this exceedingly helpful book tomorrow.  It contains a 12-week eating plan (which truthfully I probably won't follow - I'm certainly not a great cook and I'd have to be pretty adventurous to try these foods without step-by-step instructions) and exercise tips, but the main reason it would help me is because it stresses what is important; knowing what foods are good for you in terms of glucose intake, and how to be smart about food.  I'm not a dumb person, but like most people I seem to make some stupid decisions in relation to food.  I have a new-found motivation to be careful with my body, because apparently if I'm not I'm very likely to develop type 2 diabetes, not a very pleasant side effect of indulging oneself!  Until I find the book, this website is really helpful for quickly checking foods for their scores.

What I ultimately have learned for delving into the interesting and sometimes frightening world of GI is that I need to care more about the quality of food that I eat.  $1 wholemeal loaves of bread are great for the wallet (not to mention free the white bread at my family's house!), but I'm going to need to shell out for the pricey Buergen Soylin stuff if I want to be serious about this.  Also, no more buying Homebrand Sour Worms for the sole reason that they are on special!  Writing a list of things I need to buy before I go shopping is my new battle plan.

Manda the Yoyo + Weigh-In Wednesday

Last week: 70.6
This week: 70.7
Change: a gain of 100 grams
Total loss so far: a loss of 5.3

I like to think of it like a yoyo. Yoyo dieting is apparently bad and results in actresses who end up larger than when they started. (I do agree with that - the concept of "being on a diet for a while" followed by a nice long binge is clearly not going to work). However, whoever came up with the term "yoyo" has never seen me play with one.

It starts up high, I drop it and it goes down a lot, then it comes up a little, then it goes down a lot, then it comes up a little, then it ends up on the floor. The you have to tediously roll it all up again, but let's leave that part out.

That seems to accurately describe how I'm going. down 1 kilo, up .3, down .7, up .5, down 1.3, up .1 (or something like that). It comes from being dedicated to my goals but not freakish about it. I still eat cake; I just don't-eat it more than I used to. I'm more-or-less following my Weight Watchers points and have been for two and a half years now - I started at 93.4, by the way.

I feel good about that. And thankful to lovely people who have noticed my skcowness recently. And to you guys, for being the best support I could ask for!

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...

What's 300 grams? (Givinya)

So I forgot to weigh in on Wednesday, and I forgot again on Thursday. I finally managed it on Friday, but being pregnant, I'm not going to judge my success by the numbers on the scales but rather by seeing a loss of fat on currently-fat places.

But I did notice something interesting when I got on the scales. The number was something like 67.3 kg.

Then I got off and Smoochy Girl got on. The scales said 9.4 kg while she said "Eight," which is The Current Default Number for her 1¾ year old brain.

Me again: 67.7 kg. Hm. Certain I didn't gain 400g in the last 20 seconds.

Smoochy: 9.4 kg, "Eight," she said again.

Me again: 67.4 kg. A loss of 300g. Way to go, me! Hang on, I don't think I can actually believe in this 20-second loss, given that I didn't believe the 20-second gain.

Smoochy: 9.4 kg, "Eight!"

So what have we learned?

(a) Scales suck, and they lie too.

(b) Hippomanic Jen, what's 300g in the grand scheme of things, especially given point (a) above?

(c) Loudly proclaiming a lower number when standing on the scales won't actually make you any lighter.

A Gain Again (HJ)

*Huge Sigh*

300 grams heavier than last week. Great. But then, my self-control wasn't so great, so...

Still 300 grams isn't much. Maybe I just needed to wring out my bladder better beforehand. Or that making caramel fudge yesterday afternoon when I couldn't be bothered working anymore wasn't such a good idea. Then again, the making fudge possibly wasn't the problem. ;)

I think what this proves is that my weight loss before Christmas can be attributed to both exercise and restraint/better food choices. I really need to get back to that. Another contributing factor for me could be prayer/meditation. It often helps my self-control because I feel more balanced on days when I've made time to pray. I really need to get back to that, too.

I've found a new form of exercise, though. We currently have two huge piles of dirt in our yard that needs to be shovelled. And some weeds that need to be dug out before we shovel dirt on top of them. This should do something for me over the coming weeks, surely.

The good thing that I've discovered is that my stamina is improving. I've always said that I can only do about half an hour of heavy work. I was very depressed one afternoon to discover that shovelling still wore me out to the "I. just. can't. move anymore" stage. I've been doing more and more exercise and I'm still not able to keep on working! Then I went inside and realised that I'd been working for over an hour (closer to 1 hour 15 minutes). I am getting stronger, regardless of what the scales are telling me. That's got to be good. Right?

Weigh-In Wednesday (Eizelby)

Last week: 71.9kg

Yesterday: 71.2kg

So: A loss of 0.7kg

I keep repeating "slow and steady wins the race" in my head.  I guess it's my mantra in this.

Something I didn't realise last weigh-in that is worth mentioning: I now have a BMI of 25, which means I'm back in the healthy weight range for my height!  Better still, though I haven't lost so much weight in terms of measurement, I feel lighter.  During the extreme pervasive heat of last week, I was feeling pretty gross and heavy, and not motivated to lose weight at all.  I was not, in fact, exercising, because to even stand was a chore.  But since the weather has cooled somewhat, I'm left feeling more energetic and comfortable in my own skin.

I still haven't set foot in a gym this year.  According to my plan I should have already gone three times, but unfortunately as yet I have not worked up the courage.  This is my challenge for the week: to go to the gym and actually do some kind of workout.

Except for the no-gym thing, I am going fairly well with the plan; I've been walking a lot since the 40+ degree heat ended, I went to the pool this week, I have been trying to eat lower GI foods.  I guess I can take pride in the little number at the top of this post because it is a result of a lifestyle overhaul!  However, I know the hardest thing will be keeping up with it after the kilos have gone.  I'll just wait until it's a reality to think about that issue.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Manda)

Last week: 71.9
This week: 70.6
Change: a loss of 1.3
Total loss so far: a loss of 5.4

(Note: Impending goal! Remember Manda, 600 grams left until you get a facial/pretty dress!)

So, turns out my watery week did me some good (now that I've stopped feeling nauseated all the time). What I'm going to take away from this is:

- Drinking my kilojoules may have helped me lose weight, but I bloated and felt awful - I would never manage do that to myself, save for another once-in-a-century heatwave.
- However, those that want me to drink those "eight glasses per day" might actually be on to something, so let's keep that part up.

Weigh In Wednesday (Femina)

My last official weigh in was two weeks ago and I've already unofficially weighed in this week in my sauna post, but I'll post it officially anyway.

Two weeks ago: 75kg

Today: 74kg

Difference: 1kg loss

I know it was partly the heat which made me eat less and drink loads of water so it will be interesting to see if it stays off now that the weather is much cooler.  I think Write It Down Month will help me to keep it off and to keep losing weight because I'm becoming much more conscious of what's going in, and when and why... although it's now Biggest Loser season and that normally makes me want to eat as I'm watching and mocking.  No, not mocking them for being fat, mocking them for saying things like, "I couldn't believe it when Ajay said we'd have to weigh in" and "I thought the trainers would go easy on us for the first week or so but they made us work really hard."  What - have you NEVER seen the show before???  And of course mocking Shannon the trainer for saying 'pacifically' instead of 'specifically', and using 'literally' in a completely non-literal way ("He literally dropped dead on the spot").  Ah, good times.

What happens when you drink all your kilojoules? (Manda)

Well, I don't actually know yet. 

Unfortunately far from Femina's sauntastic results, I'm not feeling so good. Right about when the mercury hit 43 last week, I lost my appetite for your average food group. Instead, I have been eating the following:

Boost juice, orange juice, ice cream, apple and guava juice, boost juice, banana bread, small amounts of toast, orange juice, strawberries, cordial, coffee, boost juice, cereal, milkshakes, a shot of Baileys with ice, a Nando's wrap or two.

Like I said, I don't feel so good. Will eating solid food again (now that we're down ten degrees to 33) help me on Wednesday? Stay tuned.

Tentative Success (HJ)

I nearly didn't weigh and measure today.

I was fairly certain that the numbers were going to be the reverse of happy, due to the fact that this week my body has been giving me 'stop' signs and so I've not rowed. Which means that I haven't been able to control my food intake as well as I ought (though not as bad as last week), and don't feel like walking (which I should have been doing and have no excuse save "couldn't be bothered"). No exercise means not sleeping well (broken sleep and stupid dreams), which in turn means not feeling very strong and so the downward spiral continues. Girly hormones don't help either.

However, I did weigh in - a last minute, about to put my clothes on after my shower, and changed my mind. And I feel better having done it.

I've lost 600 grams since last week. This is good.
That's a total of 7.1 kg (or 15.6 pounds) since October.
(Or a total total loss of 9.1 kg if you count all the bits I've taken off, put on, and taken off again - but somehow I don't think that counts)

This maybe just enough to get me back in the right headspace to get me to my next goal, which happens to be my stalling weight (you know, the weight you get to, feel good, and lose motivation to continue?).

I also bought stationery. For someone who has a stationery fetish (pretty paper; a good, well balanced pen; new writing pads; index cards of different colours, etc - never go with me to Office Works!) this is a great non-food treat. A beautiful new, fresh exercise book in which to record what I'm eating. Hopefully the thought of writing down everything I eat will make me start thinking about what I'm eating again. Elimination diet died before Christmas and hasn't been resurrected entirely yet. So the main purpose is to record food and medications compared with any allergy reactions. But I'm still hoping that it will make me think about what I'm eating.

"Once more into the breach, my friends..."

The Sauna Effect (Femina)

It's been 42+ degrees here for the last few days and I've been complaining about it constantly - on my blog, on Facebook, on the phone, over email, in real life... I don't want anyone to miss out on the fun!

I have, however, just found one (ONE!) good thing about the heat. I weighed myself this morning and I'm a kilo lighter than the last time I weighed. I'm pretty sure that's a kilo of sweat - and I didn't even have to exercise! Whether it will stay off when things cool down is another matter entirely, of course...

So anyone who wants to lose some weight, head on down to Melbourne! And stay with me in my non-air-conditioned house... weight loss is guaranteed! :D

.

Weigh-In Thursday (Givinya)

I didn't dream about weighing in, I just did it in real life! 66.8 kg! This means I'm pretty much holding my weight, despite Thingamababy and all the associated fatnesses in various spots! Yay!

This is usual for me in pregnancy:

Step 1: Gain baby and lose fat.
Step 2: Give birth and look awesome.
Step 3: Eat a whole lot of unwise stuff and start resembling Mrs Flushpool: "a collection of plastic bags half-filled with water."

Please may Operation Skinny Cow still be around for me in the second half of 2009. That's when the rubber will hit the road.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Manda)

Last week: 71.3

This week: 71.9

Change: a gain of .6

Total loss so far: a loss of 4.1

Nnngggg. Gotta bother more! No giving up.

On the upside, I am feeling really good about my weight at the moment. Since that is half the battle for me (or so I have just decided), I'm going to be happy about that. 

1 forty-degree day down

3 to go

If I live, I'll see you next Wednesday.

No-Weigh Wednesday (Givinya)

Last Time: I told you I was pregnant and so the Weighing-In was coming off the rails.
This Time: Swimming shorts much tighter, torso resembles mountain of lard, but legs, neck and face seem leaner. Dysmorphic, but not unexpected.
Last Night's Dream: I dreamed that I weighed in once I woke up (my subconscious knew it was Wednesday) and I was 73 kg. A gain of some horrible number of kilos.
When I actually woke up: I forgot to weigh in.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Eizelby)

Two weeks ago: 73kg

Today: 71.9kg

So: A loss of 1.1kg

I'm pretty happy with this, and quite surprised, since the last time I weighed myself (last Wednesday night, after a week of being extremely naughty at the so-called "large camp" Manda and I were at), I was at 74.3.  I don't quite understand how my weight can fluctuate so much as this, depending on what I eat and how many times I go to the toilet it can be almost a kilo in difference!  So I don't really know what to believe.  But I don't mind the stat above, so who am I to question it?  I'll save that for when it says I've put on two kgs in one day. :)

How am I going with the plan so far?

For the first week I was on here, I immediately set off for a summer camp where I looked after some little kids for a week.  Not the most lazy holiday one can imagine!  However, I was eating a LOT, and not getting my regular walk in, so by the end of the second day I was already feeling very heavy.  Luckily, that was just when the weather got nicer, and we started swimming in the ocean and the pool for the last few days, and I limited myself to only two deserts per day.  I know, I'm wonderful at the whole self-restriction thing ...

I haven't gone to the gym yet.  Saturday morning pump class shall be an eye-opener to say the least.  I plan on going to the pool today or tomorrow (or both), and the weather will certainly be a motivator in that!

Okay, now that I've weighed myself, time for breaky!

Mea Culpa (HJ)

I accuse myself of eating everything that I saw for a few days recently...


As a result my weigh in was not really a supportive, affirming, friendly event that will sustain my good intentions into next week.


A 900g gain.


The only good thing about it is that I didn't bounce back to that large round number that I never, ever want to reach again.


Well, I told myself that I wasn't planning to lose much in January (as a result of the Christmas pig-out) so maybe that was a self-fulfilling prophecy.


Must get back on the band wagon. I think that when I go back on the Elimination Diet next week that I will start losing again just because it cuts out the junk food and bakery options.

Weight that goes on quickly, comes off quickly...

Weight that goes on quickly, comes off quickly...

Weight that goes on quickly, comes off quickly...

Weight that ...

Weigh-In After Camp and the part of my brain sitting in the corner (Manda)

Last week: 72
This week: 71.3
Change: a loss of .7
Total loss so far: a loss of 4.7 kilos

Note: I'm almost at 5 kilos, which is my next reward point.

Did I achieve my goal (eating good portions and lots of vegies, being sensible with my sugar)? Not exactly. My portions were pretty good but I also ate every time we were served dessert (once at dinner, once at supper) and lots of cordial.

About halfway through I realised my subconscious had its own mission all along - to eat as much as everyone else was eating. It was amazing how quickly I gave up on the sugar-limiting, but on the other hand, I wasn't bothered by it as I needed to drink something, and cordial was what we had.

So on one hand, Naughty Subconscious! And Naughty Conscious for not bothering to regulate it! Go and sit in the corner for one minute until you are ready to apologise.

On the other - hooray! I got through camp without superbingeing, and I didn't make my diet an obsession that made me hard to live with for a week.

Now back on the conscious-horse.

Why-Not-Weighing-In Wednesday? (Givinya)

Because I am pregnant of course.

You'll remember when I started saying I was drinking lots and lots and lots of water? That was when I finally worked out that there was a little Thingamababy there who was going to stuff up all my Operation Skinny Cow efforts, one way or the other.

In my last two pregnancies, I have lost fat and gained baby. I have never looked so damn fine as when I was pregnant, but this time, my nausea hasn't made me vomit or stop eating. In fact this time around I have been craving and eating and yeah worrying about everything else that is going on right now.

So I might not end up looking so fine as I did last two times. I don't really care. There was a time when my main goal was to lose weight. Now my aim in life is to get through the next 6 months in one piece.

So here are the vital stats:

Last weigh-in: can't remember
Today's weight: couldn't care less
This week's goal: get my husband to decide on how and when to move, so I know what to actually DO.

I'm not much fun at Skinny Cow am I? I wonder if I can find you a funny picture to make up for that ...

Weigh In Wednesday (Femina)

Last week: 74.5
This week: 75.0

Gain: 500g

Truly, I am at a loss. I'm more than willing to accept the consequences of food blowouts but this is a mystery to me because I've been pretty good this week. I've been to the gym twice - and worked hard while I was there - plus I spent most of Sunday walking. I wasn't power walking but even so I was on my feet and moving for most of the day. And many salads have been consumed.

I can only assume this is a previous bad food/no exercise week coming back to haunt me. Or my body has gone into shock because my holidays are finally over.

I'm baffled, but I'll keep doing what I've been doing and hopefully next week will be better.

.

I'm off picking mangoes... (HJ)

... so I can't weigh in.

I'll also miss a couple of rowing sessions and won't be walking much (except around the plantation to pick gorgeous, round, yellow and red, sweet-smelling mangoes). Yep. Sitting in a car all day. Great for Skinny Cow purposes.

Sorry that you got all excited and came over to this blog for no reason. Except to see that I've finally learnt how to schedule posts, which is almost as impressive as losing a couple of kilos, really.

See you same time, same place next week (when I hopefully should have reached my next goal - fingers crossed).

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!

Weigh-in... whatever (Femina)

Last week: 75.3
This week: 74.5
Loss: 800g

When I weighed myself earlier in the week I'd lost a full kilo but it's been 38 degrees here and I think I've drunk about 15 litres of water in the last two days so that may be affecting things! :)

The hot weather also affected my ability to go to the gym. The gym itself is airconditioned but what I didn't factor in was that on Tuesday it was 30 degrees at 10am, the gym is part of the aquatic centre and it's school holidays. There was NO parking, not even in surrounding streets. So I haven't been since Saturday but the weather has cooled down now so I'll try to go again tonight. I'm feeling enthusiastic about the gym again and that's a very good thing. I'm also back at work this week so I'm trying to bring my lunch from home and not buy muffins and other goodies in my lunch break.

I'm inching along slowly but I'll get there...

Weigh-In Wednesday (Manda)

Last week: 71.6
This week: 72.0
Change: a gain of .4
Total loss so far: 4 kilos

Ahh, well.

What I did last week: Ate a lot.
What I'll do this week: Eat a lot of vegetables and use portion-control as I'm at a large camp all week, working really hard and eating prepared food. I'll also be sensible about my sugar.

Please pray for me!

Or don't - perhaps I'm just being a sook. In that case, feel free to pray that I am not so sooky at camp. And that I don't give up in the middle and eat three desserts per meal...

Back in the Saddle Again (HJ)

Okay my little Bovine Bloggy Buddies, I have good news that will bring great joy to all mankind... or, well... I found it quite good and encouraging.

Christmas weight is officially gone, and took some friends with it.

Loss this week: 1.4 kg
Loss since the 20 December (i.e. last weigh-in before Christmas): 0.3kg
Total loss: 7.4 kg

Amount to lose before hitting my next goal: 0.6 kg.
I'm the lightest I've been since March 2006, and only 0.6 of a kg stands between me and that weight.
Chances that I'm going to try very hard to get there this week?

... Approximately None!

Virtual weight loss model

I was put onto this cute Virtual Weight loss model by "Mummy" over at her weight loss blog The Amazing Shrinking Mummy.

You input your current weight, start weight and goal weight, and there is a virtual mini (or not so mini) you picture. Once the weights are in , you can see a before, current and goal virtual you picture.

http://cosmetic-makeovers.com/

http://cosmetic-makeovers.com/2006/09/21/a-virtual-model-for-weight-loss

It's in pounds, so you have to convert it, but I thought it was something fun to play around with. You can add it to your side bar to show the world if you are comfortable with that, or leave it in your gooogle page just for you. Or you could be mean and use it backwards and put someone else's name on it..... "What "Miss know it all" would look like after 3 kids..."

The Zone... I found it! (Femina)

I went to the gym this morning. Usually I start with ten minutes on the bike and do fifteen minutes on the cross-trainer (which is an instrument of torture that looks like this).  Actually I quite like it - it's kind of like being on a treadmill but there's no impact, and if you hold the big tall handles, which move back and forth with your stride, you can exercise your arms as well.  I find it gives a better cardio workout than the bike.  So... I like the cross-trainer but fifteen minutes is my limit.

Today I arrived at the gym and discovered a friend was there working out on the cross-trainer. I decided to start with that instead of the bike so I could say hello to her and have a quick chat while I still had the breath to do so.  We chatted, she finished on her cross-trainer, I kept going.  And kept going.  And kept going for THIRTY MINUTES.  I hadn't intended to... I got to fifteen and thought, "I'll see if I can get to seventeen" and then thought, "Well, I might as well go to twenty".  Then my plan was to go to 25 and not use the bike, so I'd be getting the same amount of cardio... and once I was there it was easy to make it to 30 minutes.  I was in The Zone.

All in all, I'm feeling super-smug right now - partly because I can feel it was a good, solid workout, and partly because I pushed myself past what I thought was my limit... and I came through.

Having said that, I won't be doing 30 minutes every time... it hurts! :)

Weigh-In Wthursday (Manda)

Two weeks ago: 72.6

This week: 71.6

Change: a loss of 1 kilo

Total loss so far: 4.4 kilos

It's impossible. There is no way I lost a kilo! And I'm not being modest, as you will see:

After Christmas, I went to Lorne for a beach mission. (Which was fantastic, by the way). Beach mission = full cream milk, snacking on chockies, yummy-but-fatty-and-cheesy lunches and dinners (fatty by my standards), and late-night sausages. Yes, it also means a lot more activity in the form of walking, carrying things, setting things up, etc... but I ate so much! (Perhaps I left out the two massive ice-cream-plus-lollies-mixed-togethers?)

I'm thinking it could be muscle mass, as I haven't been to pump for 2.5 weeks. I suppose we'll get a better idea once I'm back at the gym for a bit... so stay tuned.

Weigh-In Wednesday (Femina)

I haven't been game to weigh myself since Christmas... because I know what I've eaten. Cake for breakfast? Sure! Crisps for lunch? Why not! However, it's been two weeks so I can't hide any longer.

I've put on a kilo. *wince*

This week (actually from last Saturday) is when I started to make a proper effort to get back on track after Christmas, which either means the result would have been a lot worse last week OR the result will be better next week. Maybe both. I'm feeling better physically this week for the exercise I've done so hopefully next week's results will reflect that.

Given my Christmas/New Year/I'm-on-holidays-from-work blowout I'm actually kind of glad it wasn't worse... but I'm still not updating my ticker!

Weight loss ticker

Hi all. I just wanted to let you know about a site called Ticker Factory. It was originally a fertility/pregnancy site for people to count down to the birth of their child but the tickers are multi-purpose so you can count down to any event. They also have a weight-loss ticker, where you can create the ticker, put it on your blog or webpage and click back on it to update your stats every time you weigh yourself. And the good news is, you DON'T have to display your weight on your blog. You can just show the amount you want to lose and how far along you are towards your goal. Oh, and you can add in retrospective weigh-ins so if you set it up now it will show your weight loss to date.

I've added it to my blog (towards the bottom of the page) if you want to see what it looks like.

Eat-aholics Anonymous (HJ)

My name is Jenny, and I'm an eat-aholic.

Yes, after doing pretty well over Christmas I truly fell off the wagon during our little New Year break. I went from eating the occasional nice thing because I knew I would enjoy it, to eating pretty much anything in sight (or that I knew was hiding in the fridge or cupboard) because it was there.

I did not call my sponsor, I willingly chose to eat. Everything.

The wake-up call (AKA this week's results):

This week: 1 kg gain
The last two weeks total: 1.1 kg gain
Total loss that I'm holding onto: 6 kg

The worst thing - remember the large round number I was never going to see again? Currently sitting right on it.

The depressing thing - I now have 2 kg to get to my next goal.

The best thing - Weight that comes on quickly will go off quickly. Hopefully I'll be back on the right track next week.

This will require energy, enthusiasm, and motivation. I'm not certain I currently possess any of those things. I did it to myself. Now I need to undo the results of it. *Big Sigh*

Unless someone else has snuck in another post while I've been writing, this is the 100th Skinny Cow Post. Are we prolific or what?

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!