Lauren- That was a nice, gentle nudge. Once again you are absolutely right. My instinct tells me go for it.
Kannadew- You're right too! I know I know, I have been such a worry-wart! Exercise makes such a difference to my motivation plus the support of my forum friends!
Sam- I wasn't losing before because of those dreaded carb's. Now that I have cut them right back & am drinking lots of water I will get there. The weight went on in Melbourne & I have had trouble getting my motivation back to get rid of it. I'm right now. The 2-3 kilos was sitting on my stomach making me feel fat & revolting which made things worse.
I am back on track & feeling positive again thank goodness!!
I didn't go with my LH to 8-ball because I'm tired of being the only woman there. None of the other wives go. I thought I would have a night off.
I won the single hiking stick but got it for the minimum bid of $9.99 plus postage so am quite happy with that. I've paid for it already & hopefully will get it before next week. I'm tempted to buy the other 2 & sell whichever I like the least at the Wackies. I don't think I would have any trouble as not many of them have them but most would probably buy them if they were very reasonably priced. I'll think about it.
The thrill of buying on eBay is wonderful. I must get selling soon. I might try to set up a spot for photographing an item & see how I go with trying to sell it. I will pick something cheap first. I might do it tomorrow as tonight's tv is good. I love Spicks & Specks & the Chaser's war on everything so may plonk in my chair with a pot of herbal tea & an orange.
Thank you every-one for your sweet words & encouragement, cheers for now, Cate.

Hi Folks!
I haven't weighed myself this morning as I want to try not to obsess about it because I have decided to be stricter for a week or so & know that I will get back to 69kgs. I read a few labels today & just re-read my maintenence guidelines for the first time for about 4-5 weeks & have realised why I haven't dropped a couple of kilos since Mum went home. Duh!
I have been eating the wrong things unintentionally really, including nuts & the bar I took on the bush walk the other day-OMG! It's been my snacking that has been bad. I can feel the consequences.
So I am re-committed, re-focussed, back to being more vigilant. The extra 2-3 kilos is uncomfortable on my stomach. I think I may have lost 1 of them already. I have upped my water & really cut down on carbs but hadn't factored in nuts for some reason. I have been snacking on the wrong things. I shopped today & bought Cohen's fruit & vegies, no chocolate, no sweet biscuits.......
I am keen on eBay selling & will head off for a look about in a minute. I had a hair cut this morning & feel fired up & positive still & have received lots of encouragement from my young hairdresser & "Gigi" to see about the job I had dreamt about(this is not the job of my dreams, just a job I dreamt about! They both said what do you have to lose. Gigi picked fearing rejection as my reason for not doing anything. Spot on. Fearing embarrassment from rejection more like. I know all of the owners at this work-place & lots of workers! Still considering doing it though.
It's my LH's 58th birthday tomorrow & we are taking our son, DIL & grand-kids out for dinner tomorrow night. I may contact a few friends to see if they want to meet us afterwards for drinks at the pub. It's a bit tricky with us as once you start asking where do you stop? Our YS is working on Sat morning so can't come up for dinner as he lives in Hobart (opposite end of the state).
I feel pretty good today still. It feels good to be gaining mental strength. I am so stiff though. It was a long steep walk on Tuesday & I battled with it a bit after having 4 whole weeks off. My hiking stick will really help as I mostly need it going down-hill. Bush sticks are too rough on my hands. My walking around our block did not prepare me for it, obviously. I must try to go for some walks in between Wacky Walks with my pack.
I think I had a leech on me as I had blood on my leg, under my knee & it has itched like crazy since. I'm glad I didn't know at the time or see the leech as I loathe them. I would rather see a tiger snake than a leech. Snakes want to get away from you usually, leeches seek your blood!
Gigi asked me if I went to 8-ball last night & when I said no & I am sick of being the only wife who goes she said "Great! Come with me to fit-ball then as it's on the same night at 6.30pm. We are going to start it up again soon." Has any-one done fit-ball? What's it like? She says it's fun & you can do it at your own pace. It sounds like a good idea, especially because it's 24 hours after my walk. I used to love aerobics, especially aqua-aerobics & I need to exercise with good company!! Exercise + good company= Positive Cate!
I am hungry for some reason right now. I had steak & vegies for lunch but have had no crackers today so had better go & have a couple of them & a big glass of water. I used to feel so good eating strictly Cohen's that I must get that feeling back & be stricter with my diet again. I feel much healthier & more energetic when I am eating healthier. I am learning as I go & am once again being more aware of my reactions to food. It has to be good & I know I will keep making mistakes & testing the limits but I am constantly learning.
I'll probably come back tonight for a quick peek. Cheers for now, Cate.

I am just reporting that I have had an excellent Cohen's day today & am feeling great!
Hope every-one is doing well, cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate

Yes I fell into that trap of eating cashews and nibbles with champagne......come Friday night this was what I consumed and the weight crept back slowly. It's funny how this happens...I would actually prefer to having something savoury and nibbly (cheese platter) compared to sitting down to eat to a large meal.

We need to stay so focused when losing or maintaining weight and those carbs/sugars are truely the enemy. So it sounds like you are back on track Cate well done again.

Also that offer of Fitball sounds great.....I am not sure how it all works though. By the way some of the Mum's from our coffee morning are talking of getting a group together and hiring a personal trainer. This may be of interest to you or anyone else out there post Cohens of course.......I have heard great feedback from others who do it already.

Happy Birthday to your Hubby.....hope you all have a great night out.

Take care
Sam

Sam- Hi and yes, I am back on track. Phew! A personal trainer would be wonderful but I might give the fitball a go I think for the moment. I passed on your message to my LH & he said "thanks Sam!" He's had lots of calls today & we are having a nice, lazy day. I am going to cut out the cashew munching all together I think. I was also having a cheese dip on crackers before a glass of wine, for my protein, & it was loaded with fat etc, & a huge amount of calories. I will just not have them in the house at all.I must be more careful!
Weight this morning- down to 70.5. Yay!
I am still feeling great. Losing that 1.5kg makes a difference to how I feel physically as my stomach has shrunk. Now I will lose the other 1.5kg & may consider dropping a couple more.
I won't say much today but wanted to share something with you. We watched a movie last night that didn't finish until 12.10am. I was drifting off to sleep when I remembered that it was my husband's birthday & said Happy Birthday, reasonably loudly & gave him a hell of a fright. We then chatted for a while about how we are doing & how he will be 60 in only 2 years. This gave me the giggles. I was 18 when we first started going out & he was 21. WOW! Where has that time gone? He drifted back too sleep & I lay awake just remembering the times we have had, how we both looked back then & thought how lucky & how happy I am! It was really nice to go to sleep thinking lovely thoughts. Whatever time we have left has to be a bonus!
To those that are in a loving, happy relationship, cherish it. To those who are not I hope that you will find that right person for you. I am so happy & wish it for every-one. It's not something I take for granted, that's for sure!
Cheers for today, Cate.

Hi Cate

You have such a lovely way with words. That was very touching.....like something out of a Sam Patterson novel. I sure hope my hubby and I have another 17 years together.
Have a wonderful weekend Cate.

Sam

Sam-Aw shucks! I just re-read it & it sounds pretty corny. I do mean it though!
We had a lovely night last night. Our son, DIL & the grand-kids really enjoyed eating out with us. I loved it. It would be nice to be able to afford to do that on a regular basis.
My LH had a nice day. He got lots of birthday wishes, including a call from one of his brother's who lives in Hong Kong, which was nice.
Today he's off playing golf again & I am pottering about(my favourite "pastime").
I ate barramundi last night & ate a sweet (pavlova) which was quite nice. I didn't weigh myself today but will tomorrow. Every-one enjoyed their meals. We went to one of the local pubs that has quite a nice atmosphere. After dinner we went into the bar & the boys played 8-ball for a while. My DIL took the kids home as our GD was very tired. She fell into a sound sleep on the way home apparently & didn't even wake when she was having her nappy changed. I drove our son home not long after when the company in the bar went downhill. A few dodgy looking characters who seemed very spaced out came in & wanted to play my husband & son at 8-ball. They played a few games with them & I suggested it was time to head home as my instincts were telling me to leave. On the drive home my son said he had noticed track marks up the arms of one of the creepiest of them. I think we left at a good time.
I am having a good Cohen's day today- yoghurt & fruit for breakfast, lots of water, crackers & mozzarella cheese & salad for lunch, followed by an orange & a big pot of herbal tea. Dinner tonight will be eye-fillet steak & vegetables, followed by fruit salad & yoghurt. As my GD says "Mmmm, yum yum". I think yum yum were almost her first words.
It is very quiet in this forum at the moment but the other forum I find too busy. I'll be back tomorrow, cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate!

I agree with you .... it is really busy over there... and really quiet over here... it would be nice to have a nice balance between the 2, wouldn't it!

I am so glad that you had such a nice time out with your family! Making time for Family really is important, I don't think many people do that enough.

Its good to hear that you feel like you are back on track with your snacks and things like that. I've said it before.... but this is exactly why I love this program... we now have the tools we need to correct the balance!

Blessya mate!
Kannadew

Hi Kannadew, I laughed at your reply to my shout in the support thread! It is a pity we can't have a nice balance between the 2 forums or that this one would be a bit more active. Plenty of lookers, not much 'talk'. Oh well. I have buddies like you, Sam, Lauren, Suzie & Annie to keep me company thank goodness.
Another lovely day today. I didn't do much. My Mum rang again & fainted this morning & has been back to the doctor. Her blood pressure is very low- 100 over 60 & she is going for blood tests on Monday & seeing her doctor again on Thursday. I am glad I pressured her to go to the doctor. I'm worried about her. I'll ring Monday & see how she is.
Our son & DIL brought the grand kids up for a bath tonight. I love seeing them. Kannadew is so right. Family & enjoying your family is so very important. They have a small house & we all depend on tank water. They are always short on water & we always have such a lot so I suggested they come up at least once a week so that the kids have a bath in a big bath. They are such sweet kids. My DIL is getting very sick of being pregnant. She only has about 5-6 weeks to go & it's getting fairly warm.
I managed to take up my new hiking pants in a quite unusual way today. They have zip off legs & zips at the bottom & really were too long. I decided I would take them up between the zip that turns them into shorts & the zips at the bottom. I thought what's another horizontal seam? Why not? They look ok as I did it on the sewing machine & did it double. I love it when I think my way around a problem, however small & find a solution. Simple achievements do give satisfaction. I'm looking forward to Tuesday's walk.
It was funny the other day but at least 3 women admired my hiking shirt & asked where I got it. I told them Ryan's outdoor store in Preston, Melbourne & one woman asked me if I go there again could I get her one. I can't imagine going to Preston ever again!
I thought I look a total dag in my hiking gear but I mustn't! It's very comfortable & cool but I might wear gaiters this week so the leeches can't get me. They had easy access with my new loose pants. My clothing is a bit like Terri Irwin's! CRIKEY!
We're off to the horse races tomorrow. My LH is in a horse syndicate with heaps of others & his horse is racing tomorrow. It doesn't cost him much & it's a bit of fun. It's going to be quite hot though. I have one cool top only so will wear that of course. I bought it at Northland shopping centre, where I caught up with Annie_Lusion for a coffee. What a lovely girl she is. I hope we meet again one day.
RocKwiz is about to be on so will say goodnight, cheers, Cate

Hi Cate

Well as I've written in my post my internet connection has been playing up and being able to get back on without frustration today I just want to post on a few things in your diary...

Firstly, your words about your husband and family were so lovely, not corny, and so true. Although I have mixed feeling about those who I call 'relatives' because I truely feel they dont deserve the family reference, those who are family (my parents, sister, BIL, nieces, partner and his family) mean the world to me and I do feel the joy and cherish the moments every day. I went to my sisters the other day and was only just saying to her that the last 6 months (but especially the last 3) I have had to be quite selfish and put a lot of focus on myself and I know that I had begun to neglect her and my nieces a bit compared to before Cohens but I had to do it for me and I dont fell guilty for it but now because of it I am a better person and of more use and enjoyment to them and I really hope I can step myself back up to how active I was in their life before Cohens and even more because I really do miss it. I asked her if just the two of us could go out to dinner and to a movie after I have finished my refeed but before Cohens so we can have some sister bonding time with NO COHEN'S / PROGRAM / FOOD RELATED conversation. I just want us to chill out and enjoy eachothers company and it's my thank you to her for being such an amazing support network to me through my journey. She got very excited at the idea and is organising a night where her husband can be home early. His a Sales Rep for an alcohol company so coming into Christmas it's quite hard as he seems to have launches or functions every bloody night but we will get there. I also asked that she drop my eldest niece off for one of my Christmas baking days to help me cook. I thought I would leave all my just mix and put in the fridge slices for 1 afternoon so Miss K can come and help. She said she would love the break so will definately do that! Sorry I have just taken over your diary!!! reading your post just made me want to share my thoughts!

Secondly - isn't the woman's instinct just an amazing thing...

Thirdly - I get so excited when I read about your hiking adventures and anticipation. I am so so so PROUD of you and because it's one of my most favourite things to do it really does bring me joy to see someone else feels as passionately about it. LB and I were talking just last night about what trips we plan on doing next year and we booked 1 week in Tassie in for October as his Birthday holiday so I will be sure to keep you posted... We thought we would take 10 days and do the great ocean road on the way back... How exciting!

Anyway, I wrote a book in my diary and now one in yours.

Stay inspired Cate.

Lauren x

Lauren- How exciting that you're booked to Tassie! You had better catch up with me or you will be in serious trouble! We are only 25 minutes from Devonport if you come on the ship. I will def. talk to you well before then-lots I would imagine. I just love my bush-walking. I'm really looking forward to Tuesday's walk. I don't think it's a seriously taxing one this week. They try to mix them up. I took my hiking pants up & they look pretty good. I'm no sewer but I did quite a good job (unorthodox but who cares?) You are more than welcome in my diary to say as much as you so please! xo Cate
I'm in a bit of a hurry as we have only just got home from a big day in Launceston. We have been to the races & then a couple of detours on the way home (I did some chauffering). I had a lovely day. Didn't back a winner, but then I'm not much of a gambler. I'd rather shop than gamble, but I figure "when in Rome, do as the Romans do".
Every time I go anywhere these days I catch up with someone that hasn't seen me slimmish & mostly it is nice. Now that I am used to my body & how it feels I can carry myself with more confidence (if you know what I mean). I can also take compliments better. Plus a lot of my friends are now not constantly mentioning my weight-loss. Now it's more a "that top looks nice," or "you look nice" rather than "OH MY GOD!" which is much better.
My sweet husband is sound asleep in his chair, snoring his head off. He's working tomorrow (thank goodness- money-wise) & we'll get an early night. I drank light cider again today so feel fine. It doesn't make me feel bad at all & doesn't bloat me plus I can drive home safely. I will weigh-in tomorrow & do some measurements for interest.
I'm off to prop in my chair & try to stay awake until a reasonable bed time. Goodnight all, Cate.

OMG-I'm excited & freaking out at the same time!
My SIL rang to ask if I had done the job application yet & I admitted that I was having trouble doing it. She told me just to do it & gave me a few tips. Apparently they are interviewing next week. I got off the phone & spent the next few hours researching on the net & typing up my answers & then transposing them onto the form. I needed a 3rd referee & was scratching my head, sent her a text message & she rang me back to say to give 2 from my last employer & then, to save her ringing me back with my ap't time for my interview, she made my ap't-2pm Wednesday of next week!! OMG!! It won't be her interviewing me as that wouldn't be right.
I just rang my old team leader & she said she would be delighted to give me a reference so.......
I"VE DONE IT!! It's completed & in the envelope, ready to post in the morning when I go into Deloraine to head off on my Wacky Walk. YAY but OMG!!
I almost forgot to eat lunch today but stopped for a half hour break to eat some soup.
I said that I was willing to do most things involved with the job but would need training. I thought that was the best approach at the start. Some things I didn't even know what they were until asking my SIL. I think my ability or willingness to do them might depend on the person I am dealing with. I have only said I am willing to work mornings & afternoons, not evenings or nights or overnight stays. I will let them know that I may consider some other times if it's local. I also left Tuesdays(Wacky Walk) & Sundays(day with LH) as non-available days & my preferred # of hours as 25.
I'm actually very excited. It feels good to have achieved something positive. If I happen to get this job it will be a very worthwhile one. It is as a support worker for people with either physical or mental disabilities or with brain-injuries. I would imagine it could be a very rewarding job but probably not an easy job. My SIL reckons I fit the bill with my personal attributes. Loving people is probably one of the main ones & being friendly & helpful. She is very encouraging & positive. I do love her!
I will go & have some fruit I think & rescue my washing from the intermittent showers. Looking forward to my Wacky Walk. I'll have lots to talk about tomorrow. Ha ha, just for something different! Cheers, Cate

Well done Cate and goodluck with the application and interview. My background was also in disabilities/mental health proir to having my boys.

Once again goodluck off to another swimming lesson with my boy.

Sam

Thanks Sam, I'm still quite excited but have come back down to earth a little. I am so pleased with having completed something! I rang my mum to tell her & to see how she is & she's a little better. She had blood tests today & is going to the doctor on Thursday so I will ring again then. I got an email from my sister who said mum had said to her yesterday that she was feeling a bit better but my sister said she didn't know mum was sick. I'm not sure which of them is confused. Mum, I think, but this, in itself is most unusual. Mum & my sister are very similar, more so than me.
I am really sleepy tonight. I woke many times last night as it was quite hot & my LH is snoring a lot lately. He broke his nose playing indoor cricket about 15 years ago & it seems to have got worse. A lot of people we know are having nose operations & he is talking about it. He probably won't do anything though as he's a bit of a sook.
I might go make a pot of herbal as I'm thirsty.
When it's 27 here it's like 37 anywhere else. Don't ask me why but it is. We are not used to extreme heat I guess. Cheers, Cate

Well done Cate. You took a sledge hammer to your wall of fear and how good do you feel! For that achievement in itself what happens now is in your control because it means they have been given the opportunity to actually meet one amazing person whos voice derserves to be heard and whose abilities deserve to be applied and valued in a workplace.

I really do hope everything goes well!

Take care.

Lauren