good luck on the weighin~!

i know what you mean. its always nice to walk in the mornings... the air is crisp and peaceful. But around here... its WAY too cold. lol. thats why i like playing DDR

My new weight is 93.6 kg (206 lb). For this week that is down 0.6 kg or 1.3 lb. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s ok. There is a part of me that would love this fat to just be falling off instantly, and I do know how to make it happen faster, but I doubt that’s the best way for me. I really want to make this change a regular sustainable thing. I might up my exercise though, especially as it’s holiday time.

I checked out the other scales at the shopping centre too, in case the ones I have been using break down or something and the good news is those scales cost half the price -and say I weigh 1.3kg (2.9 lb) lighter than the others!!

We have a little street party to go to tonight so I need to fit in an earlier walk. I wish I had remembered about that earlier. I remembered the party – but the consequence has just occurred to me and it’s already hot out now. I went off without my water this morning too.

I like what bm said about recommitting daily. I have been thinking about it. I was not sure about whether it was something I wanted to take on board at first because I look forward to a time when living my plan has become second nature to me. However, I do recognize that if it ever comes that time will be a looooong way off, and also, that if it never comes, recommitting every day is a much better deal for me than being fat.

I’m back from the street party. I ummed and aahed about whether to make my own salad with light sour cream or yoghurt, then decided yoghurt so there’d be something there that I knew what was in it, then brought bread rolls and realized I couldn’t have a roll and also my salad anyway, and when I got there, there were three other potato salads (conventional) and I thought great, I just wasted all that time and money to make a giant salad that no one else will want but me, only I don’t want it. Only then lots of people ate it anyway and were quite complimentary. And one old lady looked like she might have liked it even better if she could have been sure the oil had been sprayed on the potatoes, instead of brushed on! So there you go. Now will I worry about it all over again for Christmas Eve or just go with my healthy plan? (This is my salad: roast potato wedges, lemon and dill dressing made with low fat yoghurt and whole grain mustard, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes)

When I first got there and saw all the food on the table I had that same thing as at Mum’s. I just instantly wanted to eat lots of unhealthy things because wow everyone does make an effort and presents the food beautifully, and though it’s salad everyone has added all the extra things that make them different and interesting (and fatty and sugary)!! I started wondering how I could have some and it would somehow be ok. Or if this was an occasion to go off my plan. Only I didn’t really want to. So I started thinking if there was something that looked good that would still be on the plan and wondering what was there that would truly fit. And then the good thing was, that just waiting a little and thinking in the groove for a bit somehow fixed it, and I realized that it wasn’t that important to have croutons, or bacon or fried noodles, or nuts, or semi dried tomatoes in oil, or sugary mayonnaise etc., and that I could do what I’d planned. Oh good. So that is a thing to remember. Table loads of food make me want to go crazy, but waiting a while and searching for the healthy food helps put me back in control. Cool. I ate what I planned and I don't feel in anyway deprived. It was good to catch up an just enjoy the company - and the food I had was good!!

Breakfast ~8:30 1 slice wholemeal toast, 1 tspn margarine, 1 tspn strawberry jam, 1 boiled egg, 1 C SoGood, 1/2 C tomato juice, 1 C coffee with 50ml Hi-Lo milk Lunch ~ 12.00 4 Premium crackers, low fat cottage cheese, tomato, celery, an orange. Dinner: 7:20 BBQ Steak, yummy fresh wholemeal bread roll, a little lettuce, tomato, carrot. 2 cans Pepsi Max. Exercise: 5.35 pm 20 min moderate paced walk. Water: 2250ml Bedtime: ~ 1:30
On plan:23 days Achieved food target: 21 days Exercised: 17 days All goals: 5 days

I like that you keep track of how on plan you are. Its a good idea. I think i'll start doing it for my new years resolution. There are times when its ok to cheat on the diet. Its better to cheat only if you really want to... but only a little bit. For example if you go to a party and there are tables filled with cookies and brownies. Instead of having 3 of each type on the table, try 1 cookie and 1 brownie. And in case you do have a bad day... dont worry, we all have those days.

Congrats on staying on track. i would have cracked under the pressure.

This won't take as long as you think. Consistency plays in a major stealth-like way of letting this happen almost without your awareness. It becomes reflex to the strong minded.

and congrats on the 1.3 lbs. Weight loss is a series of time events and again, consistency brings great results over a series of sessions. What an incredible loss you will have if you duplicate the 1 week + 1.3 lbs loss over the next 26 weeks !!

Thanks bm and T2. Your support means a lot to me, and your encouragement really helps.

This was absolutely inspirational for me, and I really take what you've learned to heart ! Keep going with the progress. You're doing great.
And thanks for the encouragement you've left me in my diary as well. You've boosted me so much! =o !

Thanks Pinch. I don't even know if that will work all the time for me, but waiting has helped a couple of times now. Funny how these small things can make a big difference.

I have been going crazy for two days trying to make an animated Christmas message. Finally I finished it this evening. It is now quick to do because I know how, but when I started I just had the idea of what I wanted but not much knowledge. I realized at the end that I was acting like I have when I've been trying to make other things. I am not controlled about it at all. I almost missed my walk again. I have had no fruit. Last night I didn’t get to bed until 1:30 – 2:00 and then I didn’t sleep in today, and was back on the computer. It is so in me to act like that. I don’t know how much I want to change it because it is rare for me to act on it, but it is definitely a dangerous behaviour for someone who is trying to make health a priority rather than random obsessions.

Well. Now if I post this and it goes straight in and I don’t read any one else’s posts, I will be only 15 minutes late tonight, and won’t have to edit the bedtime later for once. Yeah. Cos I felt sluggish today. Time to have a nice long sleep. Aaagh. Already had to add on 10 minutes. Run awaaaaaay.

Breakfast ~8:30 1 slice wholemeal toast, 1 tspn margarine, 1 tspn strawberry jam, 1 boiled egg, 1 C SoGood, 1/2 C tomato juice, 2 C coffee with 50ml Hi-Lo milk eachLunch ~ 2.00 4 Premium crackers, low fat cottage cheese, tomato.. Snack 5:30 1 slice wholemeal bread, 1 stalk celery, 1 carrot Dinner: 9:00 170gm fish, 1 tbspn olive oil, 2 slices wholemeal bread, ~ 1 ½ C salad (lettuce tomato, sugar snap pea pod, carrot, mushroom, 1 tbspn olives Exercise: 8:26 pm 35 min moderate paced walk. Water: 2250ml Bedtime: 11:46
On plan:23 days Achieved food target: 21 days Exercised: 17 days All goals: 5 days

This diary doesn't put me to bed on time!! I think because I keep thinking I can catch up. Oh well I will try again tomorrow.

However the diary sure helps keep me on track with other things, maybe because I try to put everything in it. I have thought about doing something I think is wrong for me and then thought about writing it here and how I do NOT want to write it! I've also thought about not making a real effort then just pretending - but that would just be too revolting - so yeah - it does help keep me on track.

thats what it is here for.

I am still not balancing my priorities very well. Every night I am walking late. I want to put a bit more effort in to looking after things that need maintenance in my life instead of going crazy on projects. I don’t want to give them up – just be more balanced. I don’t want to get distracted enough to knock myself out of my weight loss groove.

I started making dinner tonight and it was one of our staple easy yum Friday night meals. Thai green chicken. Yet after I had tipped the tin of lite coconut milk into the frying pan I suddenly went “Oh oh. Coconut milk is not on my list.” So I checked the fat content and compared it to fats that are on my list. It has sooo much fat. My husband and I used to share a tin, and eat every bit. With the bit of oil I used first that equals 15 teaspoons of margarine just for my serve. 15 serves of fat – more than my maximum allowance for a whole day (which I don’t even use – usually I have about 5 at the most). Anyway I was thinking I was about to go off plan – but then I decided to just put my serve in a deep frying basket and let all the liquid drain off. It still tasted yummy. I don’t know how much fat was in it – too much for every day I expect – but I feel comfortable about it now.

Breakfast ~8:30 1 slice wholemeal toast, 1 tspn margarine, 1 tspn strawberry jam, 1 boiled egg, 1 C SoGood, 1/2 C tomato juice, 2 C coffee with 50ml Hi-Lo milk eachLunch ~ 2.00 Egg flip, tomato juice. 4 Premium crackers Dinner: 9:00 2 skinless chicken thighs, 1 zucchini, ½ can bamboo shoots, olive oil, lite coconut milk. 1 C basmati rice. Peach and mango, diet yoghurt. Exercise: 8:30 pm 30 min moderate/brisk paced walk. Water: 2250ml Bedtime: 11:20 (I promise I am NOT going to change that again to even later!!)
On plan:24 days Achieved food target: 22 days Exercised: 18 days All goals: 5 days.

good job, but dont panic if you have a bad day. it will still be ok. Youre body shouldnt gain all that wait back quickly after you take the first bite over your allowance. But i guess its not good to use that as an excuse. good job stopping that from happening.

about walking... if youre not busy right when you wake up in the morning...tape up a sign near your bed telling you to eat breakfast then take a walk. even if its just for 10 minutes. And if you dont feel satisfied... then take another one at night when you do feel like you have time.

I have been talking about having a walk early in the day, but not getting to it. I actually enjoy my evening walks and even when I think I am starting too late I still go the whole way just because I like them and don't want to miss any. I keep retyping this sentence I'm on now because I keep wanting to turn it into a sentence that explains why I haven't started morning walks yet. There really is no reason I couldn't go for one today at least, now I have finished breakfast, and checked all the diaries, and am not required any where urgently. I will try that - one day at a time eh. Walk, washing, dishes, shower then shops.

I will put my walking sign on the computer. I won't miss it there!

Its ok if you want to take an evening walk. If you want to do mornings and nights, just alternate week by week or something. Post a sign (on the computer if you want) to make sure you take a walk. As long as you take one, youre doing great. good luck.

My aunt did all of her walking in the evening, and she still lost a sick amount of weight in a short time. The fact that you're doing it at all,is just great! Keep up the good work