It's not just a journey...

The cutest thing!

2009-12-02T13:24:00.003+10:30

So many things to tell you

2009-10-15T13:15:00.002+10:30

Firstly thankyou to all of you who have contacted me, yes, I'm still alive just really busy lately, but I hope that I settle down a bit soon. I am now doing 4 meetings a week, was doing 5, so that gives me a whole other day I have no meetings to do "stuff". I still love doing meetings and LOVE my members! You guys rock!

I put myself on maintenence over winter so I am still not quite at goal, but my goal is to be there by Christmas, there I've said it and it's in print and published even!

We went "home" a few weeks ago for my cousin's wedding so I will attach some pics for you!

Ready to hit the town! Well ok, I did have 2 small champagnes! :)

At the reception.

Daniel turned 5 September, which really deserves a post all on it's own AND has started big boy school.. I think I should do a separate post later. TFL

Soo Busy!

2009-05-07T15:58:00.002+09:30

I've been really busy doing subs and taking on extra meetings of late, so I've had little time to do much at all other than work! LUCKILY I love it! I have the best job in the world and I'm blessed to have really lovely members!
Goal wise, everything is moving in the right direction for me again, 1.7kg to go!

Daniel and I

2009-04-20T21:32:00.003+09:30

It's been a while since I posted a pic, so here's one of Daniel and I taken on his Kindy Camp..

Madness

2009-04-18T19:43:00.002+09:30

This is crazy! I lost 1kg over Easter.. I made Hot Cross Buns (recipe on my blog) and I had chocolate, but I also did a bit of exercise and saved some points too! (and in fairness I had gained the 2 weeks prior so I'm probably just playing a bit of "catch up" atm.

I've been getting lots of wonderful people emailling me and it's fantastic! I do need to applogise though, there was a couple of emails this week that were deleted from my junk box before I had a chance to reply to them, so if it was you I'm sorry!

I'm doing a couple of subs this week and there will a few more over the next coming weeks.. so watch this space, I could be coming to a suburb near you!

Also some excitement for me personally.. size 8 Target black pants.. do I need to say more??

Until next time... keep smiling!

Time Flies!

2009-04-11T13:09:00.002+09:30

I'm so sorry everyone, I have neglected my blog a tad of late! Let me try to fill you in on the last few weeks.

Sadly as you know I lost my Nonna and then subsequently had to go home for the funeral a few weeks ago.
Mum has had her op and recovering every day she still has a couple of weeks of no driving then the Dr will assess her to see if she can drive again.
I have gained a little over 2 kilos but it's it should all be good this week, if I can resist the chocolate and hot crossed buns!
I have taken over the Thursday morning (10 am) Lockleys meeting permanently.
I have trained to do 1 on 1 consultations at the Myer / Weight Watchers Lifestyle Centres.
I've done my first shift and I'm working there again this week on Friday afternoon, pop by and say hi :). It's great fun and quite different to meetings.
The stress of the past few weeks seem to have caught up with me, firstly getting my first coldsore in about 10 years and now thanks to Daniel (he just loves to share), conjunctivitis, but I'm starting to look normal again now, so it's all good!
I've finally finished painting Daniel's new room and we'll move him in over this weekend.

So that's me in a nutshell. Happy Easter everyone, please drive safely, and I promise I will update more regularly now that I'm back to "normal", whatever that is!

Nonna

2009-03-16T21:56:00.002+10:30

My beautiful nonna passed away this afternoon, she was 87 and has been very ill, the past few weeks in particular. I'll be travelling home once we find out when the funeral is.

Riposa in pace Nonna, ti amo per sempre.

Ups and downs

2009-03-04T13:19:00.005+10:30

I haven't been sleeping well, there are heaps of things going on at the moment that are playing on my mind the 3 that concern me the most are, my nonna isn't well, I feel that she won't be with us for very long, my uncle's cancer isn't responding to the chemo, so they are going to try him on another, and mum is going to Sydney for an operation next week for a triple prolapse.

I really had no idea what the scales would say today but I was thrilled to see that I lost another 0.3kg. I have 1.3kgs until goal. But even more exciting is that I have lost 4 weeks in a row.. I'm on a roll!

Last week I had so many comment from people I see all the time about my WL. One older gent I see most weeks at the restaurant that we go to each week, said "You know Sharon, you are almost not here!" LOL

Something fantastic happened at the meeting this morning.. we were celebrating losses, as we do, and we had 2 fabulous people lose 0.1kg. Now "usually" when there is a loss of 0.1kg people don't usually celebrate and don't even really mention it but instead of using the ONLY word (ie. only 0.1kg).. they both used "another" so they lost "another" 0.1kg! How fabulous is that! I love the positivity! All the little losses add up, you can't expect to lose a kilo every week. EVERY minus no matter how big or small counts!

Have a great week everyone!

Who's the biggest loser baby??

2009-02-25T15:47:00.002+10:30

MEEEEEE!! I had a fantastic WI this morning, (at a different meeting, different scales and all that!) But I lost, are you sitting down?? 1.3kgs!!! Total lost is now 57kgs and I have 1.6kg to get to goal! YAY me!!

Meetings are going really well, and I love doing them!

The results are in!

2009-02-19T21:49:00.005+10:30

I made it.. I'm a leader! I'm sooooooooo excited!

I'm doing 2 meetings back to back in the city tomorrow (11.30am and 1pm) but these won't be my regular meetings.

My regular meetings are at Para Hills Tuesday 12.30 & St Agnes 9am Saturday mornings. Also next week I'll be doing a meeting for another leader at Gawler on Wednesday morning and Lockleys on Thursday morning.. so it's all happening! If you happen to pop into one of my meetings make sure you come and say hello.. I won't bite.. promise!

I'm not sure if I mentioned or not a couple of weeks ago that I've started Belly Dancing!! I go with a friend and we have a ball! It's great fun!

Weight wize is looking good with another 0.3kg loss this week.

Heat Wave!

2009-02-04T15:45:00.002+10:30

It has been soooo hot here in Adelaide, we've not seen these temps in over 70 years apparently. 6 days over 40°c and the top was last Wednesday at 45.6°c Urgh! Needless to say there has not been much activity in the last week! I'm also still not 100% but finished taking antibiotics last night and feel HEAPS better than what I did. The result of little activity and antibiotics showed a gain of 0.6kg this week, which is so much better than the over 1kg gain that happened last time I took anti biotics, so all in all a positive out come today :).
My first leader assessment has been deferred til Friday lunchtime at the city meeting, so'm very excited and nervous about that and now that I can talk without coughing and spluttering it should be great!
I should be able to post Friday night to let you know how I go!

Thank you!

2009-01-28T13:19:00.003+10:30

Thank you everyone who has commented and e-mailed me after the WW published my success story! It really is motivating for me to know that I help keep you inspired and motivated. Anyone can do it, you just have to want to! It's all about YOUR attitude.

You know, you only really need to follow the plan for one day? TODAY! And when tomorrow becomes today you follow it then too! And then repeat. Before you know it you have been following for a week, month, year.. Can you follow the plan for just one day?

I'm not well at the moment. I went to the Dr yesterday and I have a chest infection and now I'm on antibiotics, so who knows what will await me on the scales next week, but for this week I can celebrate a 1 kilo loss. I'm getting there slowly, whoever said the last few kilos were the hardest was right!

I was due to have my leader assessment tonight but seeing as I can't string together 5 words without coughing, I've asked for it to be postponed til next week. I would have actually preferred to have gotten it over and done with, but it can't be helped.

Tomorrow is my birthday and the plan is coffee with the girls (just coffee, no cake!)and dinner out somewhere WW friendly if I'm feeling ok (and as I'm on antibiotics there won't be any bubbles!), so it should be a great day!

And the story is up!

2009-01-27T10:20:00.003+10:30

Enjoy!

http://www.weightwatchers.com.au/success/art/index.aspx?sc=17

What an exciting week, lots of news!

2009-01-21T12:51:00.004+10:30

Last Saturday I went to the WW Leader course, which was great! It was good to meet other new leaders too. So next Wednesday night I will have an assessment (I'm required to do a motivational start and finish to another leader's meeting among other things) and providing I pass that I will be given my own meeting. How exciting!

I've also started ( well I went to a trial run) of belly dancing lessons! It was sooo much fun and great exercise the class went soo quickly before we knew it an hour was done. I can't wait for the "real" classes to start.

Now the news some of you have been waiting for! Remember back in October when I went to Sydney for the photoshoot? Well the photos and story should be online from next Monday 26th January! I can't wait to see it!

It's also my birthday Thursday week so don't forget to send the flowers and gifts!! lol jk

WI this week wasn't as exciting, I gained 0.3kg, but it's not the end of the world, I feel bloated and a bit "chesty" (Daniel is sick again and he just loves to share his germs!) foodwise I have been "on track", I haven't been out for as many walks as I should though and my water has slipped a little, so I know it is only a temporary, and not a true, gain.

What goes up.. must come down!

2009-01-14T13:01:00.003+10:30

Well it seems like it has been forever since my last post, and it has been! Sorry everyone! As some of you may be aware we went to mum and dad's for Christmas and got back just this week. (and couldn't recover my password while I was there so no updates for you unfortunately)

We had a fabulous time and a little too much great food and alcohol, but it's all part of the season. There are heaps of little stories I have to share but it will have to wait as I seem to be a touch time poor at present. Suffice to say weighins (yes I went to weighin while was away) went like this -0.9kg first week, then +1.8kg Christmas week and +1.0kg New Years week. This week at weigh in I lost 1.8kgs so I'm still 0.1kg heavier than when we left and 1.0kg heavier than my lowest ever weight so all in all I'm pretty happy about that!

Ciao chickens!

Sorry it's been a while

2008-12-16T22:19:00.003+10:30

I've been awol because I had a wonderful occasion I had to prepare for. The occasion was one of my bridesmaid's engagement party interstate, which I told her I wasn't able to attend, being so close to Christmas and all! I didn't want to risk her or anyone who knows her finding out that I was indeed attending. The surprise came off wonderfully complete with a phonecall to her on the Friday (just before I was to leave from the airport) to wish her all the best and that we'd be thinking of her, and we'd see her when we were "home" for Christmas. She was so excited to see me and it was great to see people that I hadn't seen in 5 or 6 years! They were very surprised to see me with some not actually even recognising me!

Another reason that I have been awol is that being WW staff I was privvy to the new Satisfaction Plan a couple of weeks ago. It pleases me that in essence die hard point followers are being encouraged to eat filling foods, essentially from the old core food list. Also while core has been discontinued, I'm happy that there is a version of the satisfaction plan that you can do which essentially is CORE. Simply filling is Core in everything but name. While I haven't had great success on the new Satisfaction plan, it is not all that different to what I have been doing for the last 2 months, pointing core with 18 points! I have been following the Fast Start but I have not had very "normal" weeks.. with weddings engagements and illnesses. So I will reserve my judgement until I can to it "properly". I'll attempt to update with WI results tomorrow!

I thought i was soo smart..

2008-12-03T14:15:00.002+10:30

Getting through winter without so much as a sniffle.. well that has truly come to bite me cos now I have a doozy! I was so sick over the weekend that I went to the Dr at the medical centre on Sunday! Sunday! I didn't wait to see my usual Dr. The Dr at the medical centre "thinks" I "may" have whooping cough but since it takes a while for the bloodtests to come back to confirm, he has given me antibiotics and panadiene forte (which apparently suppresses cough)to take "incase" it is whooping cough as I'm going away for the weekend and I'd really prefer not to be feeling as crappy as I was last weekend. As a result of taking the antibiotics and panadeine forte I had a surprise on the scales today with a GAIN of 0.7kg.. GREAT huh? Although I did not do any planned exercise last week, I was spot on with my food, so I can only assume it was the Anti b's and the pandeine which did it.

I had Dazey Dee's wedding on the weekend! It was lovely. Pics are here. (and yes I am wearing the same outfit as we wore to the wedding a couple of weeks ago.. a girl's gotta get milage out of her clothes. ;) )

Secret news revealed!

2008-11-26T13:32:00.005+10:30

I have noticed there has been a lot of negativity lately, not just on the WW boards, but at meetings and in general, maybe it has something to do with the moon phases? Silly season? Who knows what it is? Anyway, whatever it is it's best to remember that at the end of the day we are in control of what goes in our mouths and whether or not we choose to exercise. (News? What news??)

I stayed the same this week and I'm ok about it as I haven't been well (just a coldy/fluey thing) so I'm sure my efforts will show sooner or later. On Sunday I went to Dee's High Tea (at the Stamford Grand at Glenelg) for her kitchen tea, it was such a lovely day and great time, nice to have something to dress up for!! I allowed myself 1 scone (which were quite small and very light!) with a teaspoon of jam but no cream. and a couple of the sandwich fingers and of course some of the lovely fuit platter that was eventually placed in prime position right in front of Dee and me! YAY! (ok, ok I'll tell you)

A couple of weeks ago I told you I had some news for you all.. the news was that my Dr gave me a letter to say I'm at goal, I just had to get WW to approve it and I WAS going to use it, but after thinking about it I have decided not to. I have decided that even if I limp all the way.. I will get to goal. If I were to use the letter I would have been dissappointed in myself. So that was it, I know, not all that earth shattering now, but it would have meant I was at goal if I used it, sorry to dissappoint, you'll just have to hold on to the streamers, balloons and flowers for a few more weeks!

I am almost 1/2 way through my busy schedule.. what do they say about not raining, but pouring? That has been the last couple of weeks for me and will be the next couple too, but I will get though them in time to hopefully have a little relax before the man in the big red suit comes in just over 4 weeks.. can you believe that? Seriously how fast has this year gone???

While going through some pics..

2008-11-20T13:18:00.006+10:30

I found this particularly UNFLATTERING pic of Brad and I, Daniel was 6 moths old so it was 3.5 years ago. Just so you can compare the pics from the wedding I posted last week! I seem to be Postie McPost lately!

Brad has lost almost 25kgs so between us we have lost over 80kgs. Amazing when you think about it!

and here is another shocker of me, I thought I looked good in this top! DENIAL (De Nile) is not just a river near Egypt! lol

Quite a difference eh?

Guess what??

2008-11-19T13:05:00.002+10:30

I lost 0.8 this week which brings my total up to...................

(drum roll please.....)

.......................... 55.5kgs!! I can hardly believe it myself! These last 5 kilos have been so difficult to shift! I really didn't think I'd have as much problem as I have had! I have 3.1 kgs to get to goal. Lets hope they don't take as long to come off!

All dressed up!

2008-11-17T08:44:00.009+10:30

We had P & W's wedding on the weekend and I have to say it was one of the best weddings I have been to in a very long time! (Congrats guys) We had such a lovely time even though we both had/have colds!

Before the wedding

And at the reception, looking a bit windswept, but would you check out the view we had!

And just as a teaser.. I do have some news for you all, but you're going to have to wait to find out! (and no I'm not pregnant!) :)

Good news, bad news..

2008-11-06T12:36:00.006+10:30

And it's not really even bad news, just an almost there moment!

A positive week this week! With a 0.7kg loss YAY.. but my total loss so far is 54.9kg.. Argh! 100 grams off 55 kilos! So mildly disappointed, but still happy :)

I am lighter than I have ever been which is fantastic, I feel fabulous, I'm still discovering bones and muscles I didn't know I had. I am now 3.7kgs away from goal. The magical number is 62kg, and just as a warning to my leader, weigher and recorder, I will be stripping off if I'm 100g from goal! LOL

Ask the next question..

2008-10-30T13:39:00.003+10:30

Senario..

You are stuck in a food court or at a restaurant with little or no point friendly options or core foods for lunch. What do you do? Just get something, anything? Or get nothing and be ravenous by the time you can find something?

Something I've learnt is to ask the next question. On my recent Sydney trip, we had Chinese take away for dinner on the Thursday night after scouring the menu I thought my safest bet would be terryaki chicken.. so this is how I ordered it.. Can I have the Terryaki Chicken with a steamed rice please, now I could have left it at that and I was so tired I almost forgot to ask for what I really wanted. Before I left I remembered to ask.. "oh and is it possible to have the terryaki chicken cooked with little or no oil and if you can put double the vegies and less chicken that you usually put in it please." The answer.. "No problem maam". So I got what I wanted, there were heaps of vege, and not much oil. I asked the next question.

A similar thing happended for lunch on the Sunday.. what will I have hmmm Sushi.. all the sushi had either avocado, mayo or both so I asked if I could have some made "no problems", "lovely, I'll have the salmon with cucumber, no mayo thanks!"

The moral of the story.. "Ask the next question" Don't be scared to ask for what you really want. What's the worst that can happen? They say no and you get left with having what you would have had anyway.

♥

I'm gutted!

2008-10-29T12:55:00.004+10:30

For so many reasons..

I found out during the week that I am no longer eligable to enter Slimmer of the Year. Why? Because I am a staff member. I asked when I first accepted the position if it would hinder my chances of SOTY and was told I could still enter, I can't. There is a staff and leader category though that I will enter, but it's not the same :(.
Our leader left. She has been my leader since the begining (Over 2 years) and I'm very sad that she has left but I understand why and I wish her all the best in her new endevours. I will miss her. ALLOT!
I was bitten (on Saturday) between my toes by "something" in the garden- I told you gardening should come with a health warning! I'm not sure what it was exactly. I'm "guessing" it was a spider, but it could have been anything as I didn't see it! It came up in a pussy blister and my feet and legs swelled. I'm ok, but I am still retaining fluid from the bite and I gained 0.5kg today at WI.

On a happier note.. Mum got to goal today! I'm so proud of her, she has done soo well! She is off both her blood pressure and cholesterol medication, and she feels great! Good on you mum!

Amazing Sydney Trip

2008-10-20T09:36:00.010+10:30

There aren't actually enough adjectives to describes what an awsome, fantastic, fabulous, amazing time I had while I was away. Even the weather was perfect, I couldn't have ordered it better.

Thursday afternoon Daniel and MIL drive me to the airport, Brad was working close by, so he met us there. Just as the first boarding call was announced Daniel says, "Mummy I don't want you to go." :( So I say "It's ok mate, you'll have a great time with Daddy and you'lll stay at grandmas on Saturday night, and mummy will be home Sunday night, I'll be back before you know it". Then he says with a sad puppy dog face... and just remember the kid has just turned 4.. "But you're leaving the people who love you the most!" :( :( So I walk to the plane with tears rolling down my cheek.. roll forward to Friday when I had a chance to talk to him and he says " I can't talk to you now mummy, I'm playing my game, I'll talk to you later, ok?" Right! So he's obviously REALLY destraught that I'm not there! lol I stayed with my oldest friend K and her fiance on Thursday night and K was so wonderful, she took me both to and from the shoot. Love ya K!
Friday I was at Sun Studios at Alexandria by 9am and met "The Crew" Emma and Janelle from WW, DD the hair and makeup chick, Bee the stylist, Fab the photographer and his assistant who's name I can't remember but I think it was Kristy. First I got to look through some clothes to see what I might like to wear, and of course I have no idea so the girls helped me and found something fantastic for me to wear for my casual shot. Then into hair and makeup where DD fought with the cow-lick in my fringe (but she wasn't going to let it beat her, lol) There were 3 other slimmers due to arrive at different intervals. Carl, Jan and Denise.
Fab started taking the photos and every few DD would jump in fluffing my hair and touching up my makeup! Not too long after Carl arrived and then just like that.. it was done, they had "the shot". Back into hair and makeup for my "glam" look. DD forced my fringe into submission, by parting it against the natural part. Dress on, jewellery on, shoes on, and more pics! Which then meant I not only had to walk in these heals but I also had to dance around in them too. They felt like they were about 3 inches tall, they may not have been, I've no idea really how tall they were, but they were taller than any heal I had ever worn before! Before I knew it they had the shot and the next slimmer arrives.. It's Jan, (wombat) from the WW boards! How cool.. I "knew" someone. Everyone looked amazing all dolled up! We had lunch and I had a little chuckle that the only 100% core thing on offer was fruit kebabs! But a girls gotta eat, and it was lovely! After lunch it was back into hair and makeup for the final time for our group shot. My, fringe, remembering what DD had done to it last time, gave up and sat exactly where it should! Again I had rather tall heals to wear (gee anyone would think I was short.. or something!) and then before we knew it .. it was over :( Thank you Emma and everyone else involved, it's right up there as being one of the most amazing days in my life! The pics will probably be online within the next month and then in the magazine, sometime next year!

K picked me up from the shoot and we headed off to meet a friend for coffee. Due to a technical hitch (ie flat battery in my phone) we had to go back to K's place first to charge it, just to make sure there weren't any messages from my friend I was about to meet at Roselands shopping centre. There was, but we sorted it out the little hitch and we had a lovely time. I also got to pop into the WW shop in Myers to "check it out" I have to say I was impressed! That night I stayed with my aunt and uncle and it was lovely to spend some 1 on 1 time with them as I am unsure if we will get to see them at Christmas time when we go home to mum and dad's.

Saturday I headed off by train to The Rocks where I would meet some girls who I have known online, some of them for almost 6 years, but never had met irl. I had aranged to meet another friend there as well , I was running about 10 minutes late, because being the weekend I had to wait a little longer for the train than I thought I'd have to. So thinking everyone else would be there I tried calling and messaging people that I thought would have their numbers, no luck! Anyway I finally get there and M and her gorgeous girl L were there but there was no sign of the others, so we wait a little while then order. Just as we had finished the others arrived. Apparently they had changed the time and forgotten to let me know! lol. It was fine though we fed the children (L, L, and N) who were all divine then headed out to check out the rocks markets, which were just as I remembered them. I think if I lived in Sydney I would make it part of a regular "thing"walking around the Circular Quay and The Rocks area. As luck would have it my brother and his family were in Sydney, staying at Manly, for a wedding. So I took the opportunity and headed over by ferry to see them. What gorgeous children my nephews are! (J is 4, L is almost 2) We went for a little walk around The Corso before heading back to the motel, where some other wedding guests had congregated. So we stopped and chatted (I even saw someone I used to work with and her daughter and SIL) Then it was time for me to make my way back as we had a BBQ to go to that evening. The BBQ ended up being a sausage sizzle and there was absolutely nothing core on the menu, not even fruit! There were lovely nibbles complete with cheeses, chips nachos and cob dip (all my old friends, it was like a reunion). For dinner there were sausages, thick and thin, white bread, asain noodle salad and caesar salad, and for dessert apple and apricot pie! I am glad I had an apple and a peach before I left. Ended up being a really good night, even though every time I opened a mineral water, it sprayed over me and anyone standing in the vacinity! I was designated driver, by choice.

Sunday was the day of the WW meet, I was picked up by "Carlton" and ShonaW, and taken to Bankstown where we met (JMEHALEY) Janice and (GESIUOL) Lou. We did coffee (Lou had an ice coffee I believe the pics are on Shona's Facebook, see what you can do at goal, lol!) and then some shopping (I bought the most amazing dress to go to the weddings I have in November and some pretty funky shoes, not for the wedding , just because I liked them!!) we had lunch, and a great chat. It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to talk to people you have previously met online, you know things about them , you know some of the issues they have or the problems they have gone through. It's just like meeting up with old friends. Often though, you have no idea what they look like, and that is the tricky bit, replacing the vision of what you think they look like to what they actually do. We were having a lovely time when it was time for me to leave to get back to K's for her to take me to the airport. ANd then before I knew it my sydney trip was over and I was greated at the airport by my boys (Brad and Daniel) Daniel was wearing his MUM ROCKS t-shirt, bless him.. It's great to be home.

Sorry it took so long to write, as you can see it's a long one!!!

WI was yesterday -0.8kg YAY!!