My ticker- 6kgs down, 2.5 to go & then some more......
Chelle- Me....cheeky? I am too fussy with avatars, tickers etc. I want them to be just right & they never are. That's why I'm back to the lady beetle. She's quirky! I also think my ticker would only confuse someone who is new to the forum. It confuses me sometimes. I know where I want to be & I just have to get there.
Yesterday-
I had stopped for lunch, came in here, counted to ten & then got stuck into the trench again & finished the job at 4.15pm. Finished it! It's about a 50 metre trench, big enough & deep enough to put some agi pipe in so that water drains away. It's the whole length of the new concrete around one side of the house. I had to be very careful that I didn't put any holes in water pipes & was often down on my knees scraping with my hands (with rigger's gloves on). I used a mattock. I got better at it as the day went on & decided to keep going until my LH got home or I finished the job, whichever came first. I finished at 4.15 & my LH got home at 4.20!
Boy, was he impressed. Gob-smacked!
I then went & soaked in a deep bath with 'lectric soda & bubbles, showered, dressed & went with him to golf & did the bar for his Corporate Challenge. I stocked the fridges & served behind the bar before they played, read the days paper during the game & then did the bar after & got home at 9.30pm. We watched tv for about an hour, went to bed & I slept the sleep of the dead!
I feel great today. Slightly stiff but only slightly.
Wee Hoo.....I'm getting so fit & strong. I think I'm almost the fittest I have been since High School & that was back in 1970!
BIL-We are going to see our BIL this afternoon in hospital. I have an ominous feeling that if we don't go to see him asap we may regret it forever.
Cholesterol- I have decided to go back to my doc & discuss medication with her. My younger sister's cholesterol is also 8 & she doesn't take anything. OMG! My mums was 9 & she does & my brother I still haven't rung. ok.....I'll do that now. I can do this!
Cheers, Cate.
P.S. Rang brother- not home, no msg bank.
PPS Just measured ditch & it's 45 metres!

Hi Cate!!! Wow sorry bout your bil.. Yeah you should go visit him...I agreee because you don't want to regret anything and it will probably make him feel good to have your support.. Thanks so much for all your motivating commets.. They really help me get thru the day. I know I will accomplish this this time around.. I look at other foods and get discusted cuz I want it so bad.. I'm so happy your almost at your goal. I think to actually see that people have accomplished there goal like you have helps me so much more. I believe in the lifestyle even more because of you!!! so thanks you really have inspired me with your losses.

Ivette-You're very welcome. That makes me feel really good just thinking that I can inspire someone to do Cohen's. It has changed my life. If I can do it anyone can! After a while you feel almost like a religious convert & want to tell every over-weight person you see about it but, of course have to stop yourself! I'll keep visiting your diary. You have some good friends in there who seem like fun. Cheers, Cate
BIL- I'm so glad we went to see him as I feel a lot better about him now. I think he'll survive & is starting to heal. Phew! He has some major lifestyle decisions to make when he is well enough to go home.I hope he can be mentally strong enough. He is my age, is alcoholic, diabetic & has heart problems and is also depressed. He is on medication for the last 3 of those. Not good.
My day-
Didn't do a great deal today, except the usual housework-ironing, washing, dish-washing etc & then in to Launceston to see my BIL.
Oh, we did bump into one of our sons favourite high school teachers when we were getting petrol. He is Italian & gorgeous & remembered us both & asked how the boys are going. We had a lovely chat & as we were leaving he quietly said "You're looking great". Nice! I really hate anyone saying anything out loud & making a big fuss, but when someone just nicely says something like "You're looking good" or "Well done" I feel a million dollars. He was a lovely teacher & both boys really liked him. He was also their soccer coach.
I haven't much to say tonight. The bushfires are horrific & depressing. I'm going to go to the Red Cross site & see if I can donate on-line. I'll come back later & see who's about.
I remind myself every day what a lucky person I am. Cheers, Cate.

Wow!! it is amazing when people say your looking great.. At first its hard to take the complements but I guess it takes time getting used too.. That must of felt awesome, cuz now you believe it.. .. I know what you mean about wanting to tell everyone about this diet... Awww that sucks about the fires over there.. is everything getting better

Ivette- It did feel awesome & it was said so nicely that I felt special. I'm getting more used to it now so am learning to accept compliments better. I also needed to lose the Christmas/New Year excess to feel that I deserved compliments. I have just typed in yr diary () Cheers, Cate.
My ticker- 6.5kgs down since 26/01/2009, 2 to go to my LW (lowest weight after Cohen's).
I was about to head & realised that I hadn't typed in here yet. I will come back this afternoon. Off to Tai Chi soon & then a haircut at 1.30. I have a lunch packed- crackers, Mozza cheese, tomato & cucumber & an apple. Cheers, Cate.
PS. Not at all stiff today. Yay!!

Fantastic job lady!!!

You are such a good role model!

Sure you might go up and down, but you knew your weight gain "limit" hoped back on and look at you! DOWN!!!

Caz- You're a sweetie! I used your formula to figure out my TDEE(?) & it's 1989 cals per day if I only do light exercise & 2243 if moderate. I figure it's moderate at the moment as I've been fairly active. I'll go on 2,000 a day as a safe figure. I'll get my head around the maths later & figure out what that means deficit-wise at the moment on Cohen's. I tried repping you for that post & they won't let me yet. That was great! Thank you. Fingers crossed for your date!
Yesterday- I had a fairly busy day. Tai Chi at 11.15, asked if anyone wanted to go for coffee & went with the same 2 women for about an hour. Nice. Haircut at 1.30, lunch in park afterwards (cheese etc on crackers). Home at 3. It rained so I rang my OS & asked him if he wanted me to pick up our OGS off the bus as they were in Launc. Picked A up, after quickly plating up our chicken salads for dinner. Talked to him about his 2 days back at school. Our son picked him up about 6 & then we went out to 8-ball & didn't get home until 11.40.
I slept in to 9.30 this morning. I just didn't want to wake up properly so figured "what the heck!" I forgot to take crackers with me for when supper gets put out but had an apple on the drive home. I have woken up with the trots so that's not a good idea.
I think I will have a bit of a lazy day today. Potter about. Still not stiff at all but a little tired so my body is saying "Take it easy Cate. Give me a break!"
Cheers for now, Cate.
PS.Weight-Same(6.5 down since 26/1/09, 2 to go to LW)
PPS. I forgot to say. I wore a bright, dark pink shirt with black trackies with a pink & white stripe down the side & runners yesterday & about 5 or 6 people said something about how good I looked. 2(?) people said how much pink suited me- the Tai Chi instructor, newsagent, hairdresser & someone else...that's 4. When I think back more than 6 comments, including one from one of the 8-ballers, who said "You couldn't possibly lose any more weight, could you. Where would it come from?" after I ordered a diet ginger beer instead of my usual light cider. He is very fit & active, plays golf, goes bush-walking etc. I had better keep an eye on myself that I don't go too far. That was a little warning to self....xo Cate

Weight-same, but I feel like I have shrunk a bit!
Belt- I had to buy a belt in town today as my jeans kept sliding down & I was hitching them up. Love it, love it! Love Cohen's!!!
Got another 3 nice comments today, incl. one from my DIL. I have a navy& white horizontal striped shirt that is fairly snug fitting & has a grey collar & whenever I wear it I get a compliment. I love it but don't wear it if I ever feel bloated in the stomach. I haven't felt bloated once since going back on Cohen's 100%. I feel really sporty in it.
Chemist- I asked the right person in the chemist about vitamins today as he is also a sports nutritionist. Fascinating conversation. He does not believe in slow-release vitamins as he says yr intestine is designed to process different vitamins at diff. spots along it & by taking slow-release it may not absorb the correct ones. He has taken the same one for umpteen years but now takes evidin Men's formula. He also takes Glucosamine but without Condroitin as he says it doesn't work. He takes nothing else. He spent a lot of time with me & I discussed my diet etc and I am going to follow the advice he gave me when my current cocktail of vitamins run out. I take way too many. I bought the women's multi though & will start taking it tomorrow. He said he always checks out new vitamin formulas & this is the first time he has changed his.
I'll go into more about it tomorrow maybe as I'm ravenous right now. I came in here to stretch lunch-time out to 1 but my stomach is crying out loudly for nourishment. Chicken stir-fry coming up!
Cheers, Cate

I had planned on going off Cohen's last night & eating a little lamb as it was a lamb spit roast & I had also planned on having 2 glasses of bubbly. I would never have done this on my original plan & didn't & I don't think that it is ever a good idea. I'm not sure I would ever have got to GW if I had done this initially. The people I was seeing last night I hadn't seen most of them since a barbie 2 years ago, almost to the day & I had started on Cohen's the day after that party. I had waited deliberately until the next day to start.
The only meat there was lamb.I thought I would be able to have some beef or chicken & just a little lamb. I ate lamb, the salad I took, a little coleslaw, 1 small potato, some crackers & a little dip & drank 3 sml glasses of dry bubbly, 2 diet sprites & a water bottle. This was spaced out over about 5.5 hours.
Today I feel so tired & washed out & I am 1kg up.
I knew this was going to happen so am prepared to be back on track 100% with Cohen's this morning & will continue on for at least 2 more weeks. I'm actually quite happy about that. I didn't touch chips or other assorted crap- no bread with my meal, no garlic bread, no sweets etc. It was a half hour drive with possums(8-10) along the way until I got back onto the highway & then 23 wallabies between the highway & our house & an owl that frightened the c... out of me on our drive. That is a record number! The owl was sitting in a tree obviously & flew in front of my windscreen. It was Friday, the 13th, wasn't it. I hope that means good luck. It was good reflexes that avoided it!
I had the bubbly earlyish & was sober driving home.
Today- 5.5kg down since 26/01/09, 3 to go to my LW.
Going off track is so not worth it.
Today- I have driven my husband to golf as it is a Legacy day tournament & is usually a big drinking day.I call it legless day! He is going to drink Mercury Light cider for most of the day. He hates feeling drunk & gets bloated & feels really uncomfortable so is going to try stay sober(ish). I'll go pick him up regardless.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions" as the saying goes. Best to be careful. When we were young we used to drink & drive. It's shocking look back on it now. It was never seen as the careless, dangerous thing that it is. It was the norm.
I'm really tired today & I guess that's because of the food & wine. My body is really complaining. "What did I do to deserve this?"
Today I will nurture my body, rest it, feed it good healthy Cohens-friendly, gentle foods. I hope it forgives me fast! I think I'll read "The Time Travellers Wife" that I picked up from the library yesterday.
Compliments- The women last night were so sweet to me. I was introduced to one & I said I had met her before & she said she didn't think so. About 2 hours later she came up to me & said that I was right & that we had met 2 years ago at that house at the birthday barbie & that she hadn't recognised me. She was so complimentary & very sweet & friendly. Another of the women said about 5-6 lovely things to me during the evening. She was quiet about it & made me feel really good. She said she had seen me walking down the street the other day & thought this woman looked like me but wasn't sure if it was me or not. When someone was talking about different exercises & what classes there were in the district she asked me if I wanted to go to one of them with her.
Something must have happened to me since I lost weight. I must have changed my aura or something. People seem friendlier to me. Surely, it can't be because I am slimmer. I must be conveying something different to them. I know I feel more confident and not ashamed. I hold myself taller & straighter & am more inclined to go up to groups of women & join in the conversations, where once I used to stay back or stay next to my LH & mostly chat to the men, who I used to feel more comfortable with. Things have shifted. It's interesting. I think I feel more feminine. I also no longer feel ashamed of how I look. When I was big I tried not to acknowledge that I was ashamed of my body, but looking back I know that I was.
The mind is a wonderful thing & a very complex thing. My late BIL was a neuro-physiologist and that's what he studied, the workings of the brain. It would have been a forever job.....What a pity he couldn't have lived forever! He was in charge of the Mind/Brain centre at Johns Hopkins University. A genius & a delightful man to boot.
My morning coffee has just kicked in and at least I am now awake. I had better go do the dishes & then I'm going to bake my GD some muesli biscuits, as requested by video phone msg, & then settle down with my book.
Cheers, Cate

Talking to myself-
I know that no-one is about today but I just wanted to say I had no trouble re-focussing on Cohen's & being 100% again. I think it's because I didn't go silly last night on anything sweet. No cravings today. It would have been very different if I had eaten chocolate or something sugary. I think I have set myself back at least 5 days though, so it wasn't worth it. I can't say I enjoyed the feeling of the bubbly, although I enjoyed the taste & the company.
Golf- I went & picked my LH up & he was quite sober. He drank mostly light so was in good shape. I suggested it to him & he followed it. Now that we don't run a pub he can choose to do things that he wouldn't have done then. It's good.
Cholesterol- Have I said that I have made an ap't next Wed. to go back to my doctor? I am going to try medication, now that I know it's familial. I also miss my eggs & do not want to give them up forever. I doubt it would have made much difference & I was going to have to wait 3 months to find out.
We are looking after the 3 GK's tomorrow from about 11am to who knows when. It seems to have extended to, not just the wedding reception,but also maybe visiting a nightclub afterwards. Mmmm. Will be a long day & I doubt I will get in here until maybe late evening, if at all. I suppose it depends on the baby, who still is breast-fed.
Goodnight folks, Cate.

Yay for hoping right back on!

I was off because of the date and then was ack on yesterday but then ended up having pizza... OPPS!!!

Tis will be ok. I am going to "modify cohen today and then hop on full tomorrow. I think I am still full from what we all ate last night!!!

I'm going to take advantage of the "Carb Load" and go for a really long walk today!

If I ate all that crap, might as well make energy out of it!

I always forget how many hours you are ahead of me. Right now its 8:54 AM on 2/14. I always see you post at like 2/3am and 3pm...

Now, Caz, Did I see that you are going out again with the new guy? You didn't sound very keen at all or were you just self-protecting, just in case? You are worth someone really special & will know he's the one when you do meet him. The walk sounds good & burning up those carbs! It's 9.34am on Sunday the 15th Feb here.I used to always get the times mixed up when I wanted to ring my sis. I used to figure first thing in the morning was best as it was always the late afternoon of the day before there(Baltimore). When daylight savings comes in it throws me right out.
Weight- dropped that kg straight away. Whoopee!! It may be that I might have been lighter if I hadn't deviated Fri night but, so what?
I had better go shower & get dressed ready for the AB's (ankle biters). We are going to their house & will hang on to their car so that we have the car seats & they can take ours to the wedding. We will probably come back home depending on naps etc. & then will probably have to go back again to put them to bed for the night. This way we at least have some freedom to go for a drive or whatever.
Hope everyone is enjoying their week-end. Happy losing & cheers, Cate.

Caz- Forgot to say earlier- sorry about the 'stray' cat dying sweets! xo Cate
Today- Had an excellent day but we are both home now & quite tired. I have had to smell pizza, Italian meatballs, watch them all eating ice-cream in cones.........Sigh......
We arrived at their house about 11am, brought the kids up to our place at about 12.30, YGS put down for a nap at 1.30, after his lunch. He didn't wake until 5. Fed him Italian meatballs etc & he has garlic breath. Whoops! Bathed them, took them home at 6.45, GD in bed at 7.30. OGS at 8pm. Changed the baby's nap at 8.45 when we knew his mum & dad would be home any second so that she could put him on the boob & then straight down for the night. They had a lovely day & went out for a Thai feed as well.
Not once did the kids look for their parents or get upset with them not being there. We get lots of cuddles & kisses. They are such sweet kids.
I'm tired tonight & have to go to Launceston tomorrow (120km return trip) as I volunteered to take my MIL to see my BIL in hospital. I don't mind at all but she wants to take me out to lunch. I'll just take mine with me I think & hope she doesn't get too crabby about it. Only 2kg to go to get back to my LW! I don't want to ruin it.
I must be accumulating heaps of Brownie points at the moment, lol, 'night, xoxo Cate.

Good on you Cate. I'm sure your efforts are greatly appreciated by your family. Lucky grandkids!

Hope it goes well tomorrow and that your brother-in-law is comfortable. It's nice that MIL wants to take you out for lunch -maybe she could buy you a decaf long black.

We all ran around cleaning the house for a home open today but no-one came to look. A bit disheartening as I have seen a couple of houses I really like -one in particlar, which is so pretty and old-fashioned and would be ideal for all of my old things.

Never mind there's always next week.

Keep on dropping those kg's, Cate!! xx

It was just a first date... but not very keen.

Sweet guy, just not the guy for me.

I guess I have high standards/expectations perhaps even too high, but I know what I want and I'd rather have it then feel like I settled.

I'm one of those people that enjoys being single. I have a blast with me/myself and I

When I 'click' I click and well... there was no 'click'