Secret news revealed!

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..

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??

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!

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..

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..

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!

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

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!!

Sydney is getting closer... only 2 more sleeps!

I leave on Thursday night and I return Sunday night. 3 whole days in Sydney! I can't wait to catch up with family and old and new friends while I'm there! (There are many people I have "known" online, some of them, 6 years and I will finally be getting to meet them irl and I will also be getting to meet gals from the WW website that I have been chatting to for about 2 years!) To say I'm excited is a tad of an understatement!

I'm all set for the photoshoot, complete with my strapless bra and new hair, so it's all systems go!

So

I went to the Dr on Monday to get my results from the tests and my iron stores are lower than I expected with the normal range being between 10-100... I'm sitting at 12. The Dr seems to think they would definitly be having an impact on my very slow losses too (from about February) as your body has to work alot harder to burn Calories if you have low iron strores, so I'd have to do LOTS more exercise to get the same result. So here's hoping that's why and I'll start losing again and get down to goal soon :).

I took my wedding/engagement ring (I only wanted 1 ring, I like things symmetrical) in to be resized on Monday - so I have have it when I go to Sydney, and I'm picking it up tomorrow (from where I used to work in town). The ring is going from R down to an L 1/2 (that's 5 1/2 sizes) I'm also having my chain shortened and there is enough left to make a bracelet. A standard size 18cm bracelet, not an exta long 21cm one that I used to have to wear. Daniel and I are having a "day". We're going in on the bus (o-bahn) and then we'll walk around the city, have a ride on the tram and then we'll see what else we have time for. Should be fun!

A loss of 0.4kg for me this week.

A Possible answer..

After a few weeks of my weight not really doing much at all I decided (after someone gave me some gentle persuasion) to go to the Dr for a checkover to see if there is a medical reason why my weightloss seems to have stalled. He sent me off for a blood test and he rang me with the results on Friday (which I will get in more detail when I go to see him on Monday) I have "very low iron stores". I am a little annoyed as I only gave blood a few weeks ago and I thought that was one thing they do check. Anyway I have started on iron tablets to try to increase my ferratin levels, lets hope it works!

I am now the proud owner of my first ever denim skirt, and it's a MINI!

How do I feel in it? Cool (as in temperature), almost naked and just a tad bit SEXY!!!

The count down is on, just over 2 weeks til Sydney!

Just over 2 years ago..

I joined WW and what a trip it has been!

I can't imagine not being like this now, not feeling the way I do, not looking the way I do, not having as much energy as I do. I love the new me, I love my life! I won't go back to what I was, simply, I can't. I won't allow myself to! I fully expect there will be hurdles, but what are hurdles for, if not to overcome them?

Thinking back I am so glad that I decoded to join Weight Watchers. It has been one of the best decisions of my life!

Sorry! I'm a naughty blogger.. but I have some exciting news!

I'm really sorry I know alot of you look at my blog waiting for updates! I've been really, really busy!

I've had an up and down few weeks. To see me back to where I was at last blog. I can't put my finger on why really as I have even tracked points in the last week in an endevour to check my portions and shake things up and a bit! I have started walking again and last week clocked up an amazing 68.68kms on my pedometer (the show was over 14kms just on that day) and I gained this week :(. I am taking anti-inflamatories though for inflamed tendon in my elbow and H (our lovely recorder) told me not to be surprised if this causes fluid retention, so I'm hoping that is the case, and so should be back to normal next week!

The show was so much fun! It was Daniel's first show, he was so excited!! He had a go on "titanic" first the kids had to climb a rope ladder and then slide down a huge inflatable slide. We weren't sure how he would go as some obviously older kids were balking at the top but he had a ball. He also went on the "teacups" ride with Brad. Yes! We had to pay $5 so Brad could go on the ride with him. Highway robbery really but what can you do? He had a go on the "clowns" and he won some fluffy dice lol. He thinks they are pretty cool! He also got a few showbags! He had a great time, we stayed til after the fireworks and he was so tired and more than ready to come home! I couldn't believe it though at the show I was able to have grilled trout and salad for dinner and it wasn't even all that expensive $8! Later I got a corn on the cob unbuttered! The lady got one straight out of the pot for me! Can't get any fresher than that! I also did have some of Daniel's fairy floss. :).

Now to the exciting news... no I'm not pregnant, I'm not sure why everyone assumes that when I say I have exciting news, but it isn't that! So a couple of weeks ago I was contacted by WW online to go to Sydney to have a PHOTOSHOOT! I am soo excited!!! The shoot is not til 17th of October so I'm sure you will be reading more about it as the time gets closer. But how amazing hey! I will be all glammed up and I'm sure they will get some fabulous shots!

Who would have thought almost 2 years ago that this would be happening to me! It's just like a dream, but one I don't want to wake up from. I love my new energy, I love being able to buy clothes and I love my life!♥

The good the bad and the ugly of the last couple of weeks!

So much has gone on in the last 2 weeks.. my head is still spinning!

THE GOOD

It's Daniel's birthday today. He's 4! We had a lovely party for him yesterday and I even had some birthday cake! He had a great time.

The Cake!

Pressies!!!

Blowing out the candles!
The chocolate smile says it all, he had a great day!!

THE BAD

• The reverse cycle ducted aircondtioner / heater that we paid $7,600 on 2 months ago, stopped working on the 24th August (one of the pannels blew up) and we are without decent heating til 23rd September.
• The electrician was here last week and took 5 tiles off the roof, and didn't put them back on, it has been raining and I've had drips in the kitchen through the ceiling, who knows how much damage that will cause!, and of course he didn't answer his phone. (I contacted the builder and he's come to put the tiles back on).
• We have a carport we can't use because the driveway hasn't been done yet! (should be cemented tomorrow.
• The tiler has scratched my benchtop. (it's not bad but I know it's scratched)
• I'm sick of living in mess and dust and I just want it over NOW!
  

THE UGLY
My dermatisis is playing up big time (due to stress, the only time it has been worse was prior to our wedding!)

I lost 0.9kg last week, but gained 0.8kg the week before so I'm still basically the same :) BUT my Levis fit well now AND got some great Op Shop bargains today.. 2 tops $3 ea :) Gotta love a bagain!

Slow and steady right?

A loss of -0.2kgs this week. TBH I was disappointed because I did gain last week so I did expect a little more, but at least it wasn't a gain, and it is moving again in the right direction. So I am pleased about that! I tell you I will be glad when all these renovations are done and my life can get back to being normal again!

Just over 2 weeks till my little "baby" turns 4! He goes to kindy 1 x 1/2 day per week at the moment and he absolutely loves it! We're planning a Spiderman (who happens to be the flavour at the moment) birthday party so I'm sure he will have a great time with all his little friends!

Daniel turning 4 marks my light bulb moment about NEEDING to do something about my weight, so my 2 year anniversary with WW is coming up (20th September) I have been trying to remember what life was like pre weightwatchers and how I felt, and I tell you I thought I felt "ok" but really?? I was tired ALL the time! I had pain in my hips and ankles. My feet were always puffy! I had to have regular massage because my back was always aching. I could never find anything that looked good at the clothes shops, I just had to find something that fit! As long as it fit, it was ok (even if it looked like a 2 man tent!) I had no energy and always "watched" and hardly ever participated, unless it was to do with food or sitting on my tush! Where would I be if I had never started WW? How would I feel? What would I look like? Certainly nothing like I do today! I would guess as I was putting on an average of 5-10 kgs a year I'd be at least 130kg at the moment and probably pushing 140kgs . Now please remember I am 157cms (I'm a shorta$$) I will be forever thankful to Weight Watchers for giving me a life!

The yo yo continues..

Plus 0.6kg this week so over the 3 weeks I have been doing maintenance I have basically stayed the same which was the aim, so I'm ok with the gain.. I would have preferred it to not have been quite so much but ah well! Back to core this week and we shall see what happens next Wednesday. On another note here are some during shots of the renos!

Before..
After the trees were ripped up
all that was left of them :o

After the concrete was done under the new carport (all the rendering is done now, and most of the fence is done)

And the new room (office) with the feature wall :) Yes they are powerpoints and data points The new desks should go in tomorrow - I hope!!

Oops!

I forgot to update! (Thanks H for reminding me! :p)
Still painting (and will be for a while we're painting the whole house) I've done the feature wall in the office it's Dulux Wooed I thought it may look too dark, but it's fine :)

I bought a rice cooker today! A Russel Hobbs stainless steel one with a vegetable steamer attachment. I've been wanting one for ages and I'm sooo impressed! I made sushi tonight (tuma & corn and Teriyaki chicken, carrot and cucumber) and it was soo easy, it cooked the rice perfectly! I think I may have a new favorite appliance!

Another loss this week 0.4kgs :) Still slow, but at least we're moving in the right direction again. I more week of maintenance for me and then back to core :).

Stick to it!

Don't give up!
Don't lose faith in yourself!
You can do this YOU just have to want to!

Scales are moving albiet slowly for me again. This weeks loss 0.3kgs
Renos are still happinging! From Friday to Tuesday I did 40 points worth of painting according to etools. Anyone want to earn some bonus points? lol

Sometimes

Our bodies don't do what we expect them to. This week I feel thinner, my Levi's that I bought a few weeks ago are able to be worn in public (without a muffin top), I've lost cms and yet I gained 0.1kg on the scales. I pointed core to make sure I was eating enough/not too much. I am at a loss to what to do! I'm thinking of "formally" going onto maintenence for a couple of weeks (I'm maintaining anyway so it can't hurt really? Right?) So we'll see what happens!

Things are progressing with the renos and I should be able to start painting on the weekend! Just think of all that ladder climbing and incidental exercise!!

And Again

I stayed the same again at WI. I seem to have maintenance down pat! (PITY I'M NOT AT GOAL YET!!) My leader even re-heighted me (to make sure I'm not taller! - I'm not) as this would increase my goal weight. It's times like thise I remind myself this is not a journey.. it is a lifestyle and my body doesn't always do as it's supposed to each week.
I'm pointing core again this week to make sure I'm eating enough.

I've bought some spiderman material and cushion panels to make Daniel a spiderman quilt. Spiderman still seems to be the favourite, and we're panning a spiderman 4th birthday party for Daniel.

The renos are going well with the office and 4th bedroom almost finished! I should be able to start painting next week! I've chosen a Dulux Hogs Bristle half as the main "colour" throughout. and we will have a feature wall in the lounge, office and our bedroom.