Days 75 to 79 - Pro Points Rocks

Well I haven't posted since Saturday. I am so slack. Saturday I had my friend's 50th birthday and it was a pretty good night, had too much to drink which is not like me. Thankfully Pro Points came in handy. TTOM arrived on Sunday night which is another added bonus.

Sunday saw me recover after getting home at 2am, the recovery rate is not what it used to be. I woke up late and headed for a coffee or two.

Tuesday saw me go to the WW meeting at Mawson Lakes where the big WW chiefs were present, I put in a good word for my beloved leader. Got on the scales and although on weigh in day I had heavier shoes on and a heavy lunch I still secured a 700 gram loss with the big night on Saturday night. So I am pleased with that.

At present I can see the weight coming off my face, that is a nice feeling. Mum and Dad are down, so I have been good to track my food and with pro points those unexpected meals out (like last night at my brothers) work great with pro points. Friday night I have my bestie friend's 50th but that is a civilised affair and I already know what I am eating and have allocated 2 glasses of wine to have and will use some of the weekly points.

All going exceptionally well at present, I am so focused and encouraged by all the pro points stuff and my meeting, members and leader all help. My focus is the consistent weight losses and I am just so pleased that everything is switched on at present.

Tracking is what keeps me honest, it is what makes me stick to the program, I track religiously and no when I gain the reason why (well on most occasions). I am sad in that I double track, on line and in the WW tracker. God help me when the app come in. With the WW tracker, I wanted to track for 12 weeks and see how much I could lose in that period of time and reward myself.

So overall I am in a lovely spot, I am focused on 4.1 kilograms to lose by the end of the year. In my WW weight tracker it says from start to present my average loss is 500 grams per week. I am happy with that, I think that figure will increase with Pro Points, I feel it is just made for me.

Meeting up with Gaechan from the WW boards on the weekend. I am so excited as I love meeting people from the online community. Penny a blog reader from NZ is coming over and I am getting to meet her as well. The online community is now an important part of my life, so funny that other friends of mine don't do anything like this.

I suppose I feel the WW girls do understand where I am coming from, they themselves have the demons on their shoulders as well. Must go now, Vince is overdue for a cuddle, that dog does not have a clue that he is a dog. Martine xx

Day 73 and Day 74 - Pro Points update

Well it is 5.22am in the morning, I can't sleep again, which just frustrates the crap out of me. The last few nights this week, the sleeping has been not too bad - well not to bad for me, for anyone else it would be a nightmare. The joys of it all !

Friday (day 73) I had the day off, monthly I get a RDO (rostered day off) with this job, it is just gold ! The initial idea was to do some running around in the morning and then come home and do house stuff and then relax at night. My plans came unstuck and for some reason I spent the day running around like a headless chook. The morning started off with a coffee/breakfast session with my friend Gill at a Cafe called Whisk on Goodwood Road. It is a place Gill frequents a lot and I have always wanted to try. Unfortunately when I got to Whisk, I was in SHOCK as there was nothing on the menu to eat. Beautiful desserts, foccacias, quiches. So made the best choice I could and had a foccaccia, luckily it was the beginning of the day and a latte. You know I still get chuffed when I have a coffee with no sugar. The general rule is that one coffee - usually the first of the day has sugar in it, yesterday I didnt. I did put a little tub of yoghurt in a little chiller bag and 10 almonds for during the day, so that if I stopped for a coffee I would have a pro point allocated snack.

I had to get two 50th birthday presents - Gill's and my darling and adored best friend Jo - both got spa vouchers from different venues, then had to do some groceries - yoghurt, fruit etc and stopped at Glenelg for a coffee. During a period of 30 minutes I lost my Visa Debit Card, due to my being careless and stressed. Went to the ANZ to cancel it, within 10 minutes they had rung to say someone handed it in and it was found in a car park, too late as the card had been cancelled but I was happy there are honest people around. Dinner last night was a homemade pizza on a small pocket pita, which was bloody delicious and a tub of Skinny Cow Ice-Cream which has less points than WW and much more creamier. I still have a few points to go and want to ensure I eat my entire 37 points and so before bed had some yoghurt.

I know I promised to put those scales away, got on them yesterday and although my period still has not arrived - thanks menopause, the scales are reflecting a loss with this taken into account. The new program is going well and somehow works for me.

My dear friend Gill when we meet brought the nibbles menu (she having drinks and nibbles at the Maid and Magpie Hotel for her 50th), it was actually very thoughtful and I was a bit surprised - she is a thoughtful girl but a size 10-12, and so it was good to know what she was having. I planned to have a light snack prior to going. Luckily Rose Wine is less pro points than red, white or champagne (god knows why) so I planned my points, I tracked 750 mls of Rose Wine as that is the maximum I would have but then I am realistic to know she has my favorite wine (Rockford Alicante) which is expensive and delicious, so tracked today's meals and tonight's function and have gone over my pro points and used some of my weekly pro points, this is ideal for this actual reason. It is not every day I have this type of function to go to, there are times when you do want more than 1 glass of wine and this plan works in well. I may have some fruit during the day if I am hungry. I am just so pleased that with a function like this those weekly pro points are going to be handy.

So overall things are going well. Today I will go and have a coffee out somewhere and come home and do some stuff and then at 1pm nails and hair appointment and then tizzy myself up for tonight.

I am starting to memorise the new pro points values of things and some things aren't so bad. I am excited to get on those scales on Tuesday. My mindset at present is strong, I just know that I can get to goal on this plan, although I did think it with the other program, with this one if I feel a bit naughty etc I can dip into that weekly allowance of pro points and not feel I have blown the pro points for the day.

I note with a smile on the face that the WW forums are all now positive, I do wish those that knocked the new plan would admit defeat, it will be interesting to see the losses. I think even if my period doesn't arrive this week, the loss is going to be 1 kg plus and nearly 2 kgs quite easily. I am eager to get a few weeks under my belt as those losses add up.

Anyway, I am going to try and get back to bed and sleep a bit. Vince the wonderdog is spread out on the bed, looking adorable and cute. Honestly if there is a God he broke the mould with that dog (other than Chris' Teddy and Coco of course). He is the child I don't have. He at times must be reminded that he is a dog and not a child. He thinks he is human. But enough of Vince, I can't get enough of him.

So tonight will do the makeup etc special and wear an outfit I feel good in, I am feeling that confidence that I am on the right track, although I am still big the fact that I am working at it and it is working and I am sticking to the program just helps my mindset and in particular keeps me happy.

Days 71 and 72 - Pro Points is great

Well everyone in bloggerland, all going well with me. Tuesday night got to my meeting very early as it was our official launch of Pro Points, there were a cast of thousands. As TTOM is due any day, I had worked hard last week not to gain like I normally do when TTOM is due. I was pleased to report that I stayed the same, for me that is progress in the right direction. I think I felt pleased that my hard work paid off. I brought the new WW kit (Tracker, Calculator, Eating Out and Shopping Guide) for the days when I am out and about and not near a computer. The meeting was so busy, my leader read from a sheet that was prepared but over the next few weeks I think we will find it a bit easier. My darling girlfriends that go - this week Tina, Tania, Helen and her lovely daugher Hayley all sat together, I am fortunate to love my leader, love my class and love my WW gang of girls. Got home from the meeting, ate some dinner and sat down to read the information in quiet, of course whilst trying to juggle Vince the wonderdog on my knee, give him a cuddle and remind him that he is the love of my life. I am not, and never have been a fruit lover- it gets down to canned fruit, pineapple, berries and the occasional GOOD apple, so the new plan is going to get me trying to eat more fruit. There is an apple on my desk that must be eaten today. I put on my WW online tracker as my weigh in day as a Wednesday, that way my food day makes Wednesday Day 1 and Tuesday the day I actually go to WW as Day 7. This works for me. So Wednesday 17/11/10 was my official Day 1 of the Pro Points plan. So Day 1 was interesting, to say the least. After dinner last night which was vegies, baked potatoe and sweet potato (with cooking spray) and a piece of steak. Once the meal was finished I was full and had 7 points to go, I didnt eat it all. Today is Day 2, I have tracked my 37 points - it seems like a lot of food to me but will see how I go, I know my leader says it does take a while to get used to the amount of food. So all going well, the new plan I think will work well for me with those spontaneous things that come up, in that, I can use those 49 extra weekly pro points, although not every week. I am looking forward to going to my meeting on Tuesday, hopefully with a little hard work those scales can show a good loss. Although I doubt it, it would be good to get those extra 4.8 kilograms off by 31/12/10 to make it 10 kilograms lost. All going well and I am sure that over the next few months I am going to see regular and good losses.

Days 66 to 70 - My First Pro Points Meeting

Well where to start. Friday saw me go to Indian with a friend of mine, my favorite place in Adelaide - Taj Tandoor in Rundle Street. I don't go there often because of the points value and so Michael and I meet there and had a quick meal. Had a lovely Rogan Josh and some naughty pakoras, Naan bread and 1 glass of wine, I did go over my points. Saturday was again running around like a headless chook. Had a coffee early with my bestie Joanne who I meet with her husband Ron and chatted about their cruise around New Zealand. So that was nice. Saturday night caught up with the WW online girls - Tina, Tania, Kazz and myself and just had a delightful meal together and it is always so wonderful and then a coffee after. Monday was the launch of Pro Points. I for one have always embraced the change, after all I don't want my life to be like it is at present, I do want it to change and if WW introduces a new program, then I will embrace it. I actually enjoy WW and all things associated with it, planning the meals, the meetings, the online community. To me the new program makes sense and I for one am on 37 points a day with 49 allowed for the week. So tonight I go to my meeting and find out about it. If you have been online on the WW site, it blows my mind that people are angry or negative about it without even trying it for a week. To be honest, it annoys me - sure people can be concerned about trying to memorise new points but not even trying for 24 hours it beyond me. My period is due again in the next few days, so this week I have been super good. I had got the scales out at home the week before last and they have been a hindrence this week, I am always on them, as this is the week I possibly can gain, I have tried to do every thing in my power to lose. I am hoping for a 200 to 300 gram loss this week. I am really starting to feel super motivated, more so than before. A good run of being good, weight losses in a row just encourage me to be extra good. I am hoping for 4.2 kilos by the end of the year, if possible. I suppose my positive attitude towards the WW Pro Points plan will work in my favour, I believe in positive thoughts and actions can only mean a positive result on those scales. I have never been a person that has been confident about her self, but this journey at WW at Mawson Lakes Meeting has me absolutely confident that I can get to goal. Saturday I have a friend's 50th, which is drinks and nibbles and she is stocking my favorite wine - Rockford Alicante, so will allocate for 2 glasses and as it is nibbles, will eat before I go out to avoid the nibbles. Anyway, all good with me but I must work on that damn exercise.

Days 65 and 65 and a 1.3 kg loss

Well so much to say. The weather in Adelaide is glorious at present, it makes me realise that summer is around the corner - god forbid, no doubt it will be a hot one as this winter was exceptionally cold. Tuesday night saw me go to WW. Pleased to report a 1.3 kg loss and the fact that I was 150% accurate with my tracking and I was confident with what I had ate that week. So a good loss like that always inspires me. The WW weekly weight tracker page says I am averaging 500 grams per week at present, I am happy with that. A good loss always ensures that the following week is good. My period is due in 8 days so I must ensure that this week is exceptionally good. I actually had a period tracker on my iphone, this app is a god send as I always forget when I am due. It is good that my period is due soon as it will ensure this week is really good. Food wise this week, I have been good. The weekend is a bit more difficult with a dinner on Friday night at Taj Tandoor in Rundle Street, Adelaide and it is my favorite place to eat in Adelaide but unfortunately Indian is not low in points. Normally I am quite good in picking the right healthy choice, but with this particular restaurant it is difficult for me. I have tracked what I am eating for my evening meal and will fill in the breakfast and lunch with the remaining points. Saturday night is a breeze, it is a quick dinner with some WW girls - a sure way to be good but we are going to Ned Kelly's and they have a great prawn salad, so will have that. I have just started ordering things on the internet, the other day I ordered this magificient red cross over dress from Ezi Buy, it came yesterday and I could have done with a size bigger (it really is a small size 20) but as it was an absolute bargain, I have done what I normally wouldn't have done and that is to keep it. I am taking it to WW on Tuesday to show the girls and to be able to wear it to a meeting at some point. So will keep trying it on until I fit into it. I know I go on about it, but I am still amazed at the strength of the mind. The fact that I feel so in control at present is due to the mind set I have. I suppose it is a bit like the no sugar in the coffee which is by the way now day 65 (except the first one in the morning) as times goes by the stronger the mindset is. I do a bit of visualisation and each day remind myself of what I have done that day which is good as far as losing this weight. My meeting has actually helped, in that the girls and boys (particularly the boys) are going great guns with the weight loss. I am very careful to run my own race and not compare what I am doing with everyone else, but the thing is that they inspire me to do well and I want to put up my hand and say - YES I HAVE LOST 20 KILOGRAMS. Anyway, I am so ready to embrace the new pro points and am pleased that my attitude is one that I believe it all makes sense and I am quite eager to see how I go on it. I know that the success rate overseas has been significant. Anyway, enough of my carry on - hope all is well with you. Martine xxx

Days 59 to 63 - going well

Hi everyone Well all going well this week. As last week I gained, I am damn sure that this week would see at least a 1.1 kg loss. I did the unexpected and got the home scales out, I find that these at times are more of a help than a hindrance. It keeps me focused on getting the numbers down. The week has been good and I have been focused. Another reminder that this weight loss journey is so much about the mindset and the power of the mind rather than the food. If your mind is in gear and strong and you have a self belief about what you want to achieve, then you can conquer any food issues. This week I went and saw a friend who is having a few issues, so went off to Virginia and took a subway and coffee and sat and just chatted for hours, it is always good to catch up with friends and have a long lunch and just chat. The new WW pro points is about to be launched, I am so ready to embrace the change and after all I have no doubt that research has gone into it, I have no doubt as well that WW will rake in the money for all the new products but I suppose I have to see this change as good, I don't want to have a bad attitude before I start. I actually think the new program will be good for me, I am not a fruit eater at all and never have been but the new program has fruit as zero points and I think this will encourage me to eat more. I am looking forward to stepping on those scales tonight. Hoping to hit the 5kg mark, but I know I should be around 7 kg lost but I am focusing on just losing, not the amount, otherwise it will just do my head in. My focus is now the 10 kg mark, which I want to achieve by the end of January 2011 if I can. Sigh...............I must get into the exercise..............I must. Vince the wonderdog and I had a mega cuddle last night, when I get home from work the look of excitement in his eyes is wonderful, if a man loved me like he does then I will be lucky. Otherwise, I am doing well. Trying to vary my foods, I do get bored with them, had tacos the other night, haven't had them in years and did I enjoy them. It reminds me that I need to vary my foods, and make sure I am eat ing the stuff I love like curries etc but adapt the recipe. The good thing about pr0 points is it encourages protein and that I find always keeps me full, I think we will need to monitor our carbs but then we can do this. Wine will increase from around 2 to 2.5 points a glass to 6 points, but luckily I limit what I drink and use wine as a treat on a special occasion. I for one will embrace the new program, it will be interesting to see how I go and how others go. Our meeting has good weight losses, so it will be interesting to see how some of our weight loss stars at our meeting go. No doubt there will be a lot of upset people, but at the end of the day, we just have to try and erase our previous points from our mind. Will report in tomorrow on how much I have lost.

Days 53 to 58

Sorry I have been missing in action. My home computer is about to die and I have been busy at work. Went to my weigh in on Tuesday, not happy to report a 900 gram gain, normally I get on one particular set of scales, this week they weren't around and not that would make a difference to that extent but I was a bit unhappy but didnt really expect the 1.6 loss the week before, I am sure it is all connected. The thing is, I got back on the horse, and have tracked 100% and been 100% good this week, I am determined to secure a big loss. The new program is going to be introduced at next week's meeting and the meeting after, quite different I believe and am looking forward to seeing if it makes a difference. I am just determined to get to 68 kilograms, perseverance is the key. On Sunday caught up with Kazz, Jo S, Sam and Brian and Phil - husbands of Sam and Jo at the Central Markets Chinatown area. Sam was over from melbourne and these are the WW online girls I know and meet regularly. We sat from 11.30am to 4pm just chatting, it was lovely. Kazz of course is the shining star and has lost 64.2 kilograms and just inspires me everytime I see her. It is always inspirational to see these girls and the support I receive. Well this week has been great, I am so determined to lose 1kg plus and to keep the focus. The exercise needs to happen, it just has to and I wish I was inspired. I love my gym I go to and once I am there, I am happy to do whatever I want to do, it is getting there. My best friend Jo G (I have 6 friends called Jo, so it gets confusing) is away on a cruise with her lovely husband, I miss her like crazy. Last night saw me go to Indochine at Glenelg for Thai, all perfectly pointed and 2 glasses of wine as well, I don't drink much wine now that I am on WW but just adore a good drop, and usually have it on special occasions as a treat. Luckily I have no desire to drink at home by myself. Roll on Tuesday for the new program and a BIG weight loss. Yes I can do this.

Day 52 and yes it is Friday

Well today is day 52, all going well in this neck of the woods. Yesterday in Adelaide it was 31 and quite warm, today it is raining and 17 - go figure. All going well this week, feel really motivated and think it was due to the large 1.6 kg loss last week. I had planned to have this chicken dish for dinner, got home and didn't feel like it and had the risotto from the freezer. So tonight I must eat that chicken dish. The weekend is fast approaching, Vince the wonderdog is going to the groomers, I have nails and hair appointment and on Sunday meeting some girls for lunch which will be nice. Then back to work on Monday. I must take my measurements so will do so after my weigh in next week. This is a pretty boring post but glad things are going well. I think once I get to 10kgs anything I lose from then on will be starting to be significant. Anyway that is all from me for now.

Day 51 - all going well

Well it is Day 51, cant quite believe it and 51 days without sugar in the coffee. Although my morning latte I do have 1 sugar in it as I simply need it. It is surprising what a good weight loss will do for the motivation. The thought that each week you get closer to that goal, I am pleased with myself that I am fairly relaxed about it all. My philosophy is that it is a long journey to get to goal and then another journey on maintenance, being fairly relaxed about it all and not trying to go too over the top is the key for me but ensuring that I track, drink my water and stay within my points. Yesterday's food was perfect and I have saved some point for the weekend. I normally don't drink wine at home by myself but on the weekend thought I might make a yummy dinner on Saturday evening and a glass of Rose to go with it. The exercise needs improvement, that will come. At present I am focused on the daily ritual of tracking, drinking my water and keeping the motivation strong. I am lucky that at present the journey so far is enjoyable. I don't restrict myself, if i want a ice-cream then I have it and track it, same goes for the wine. Not much exciting to report, I did sleep slightly better last night, I think that some nights my mind is not so active, an extra hour makes all the difference. Last night's dinner ended up being frozen fish fillets which I do enjoy and are a quick easy meal. Tonight is Mediterranean Chicken which I have had in the freezer and made up using one of the packet mixes during Winter. Anyway, all good with me and I am eager for Tuesday to come to see how much I have lost this week, fingers crossed all goes well.

Days 44 to 50

Hi everyone Sorry I haven't been around, had a few days off and my home computer is about to die - time to invest in a new one. Tuesday 19/10/10 saw me lose another 500 grams and last night a whopping 1.6 kilograms, so thrilled with that. I am just chipping away and focusing on one day at a time. As you all know, I have been extremely tired, all my blood tests and ECG have come back clear, although my cholesterol level spiked a bit for some unknown reason. So it may be the weight making me so tired in conjunction with the insomnia, another reason why this weight must come off. All good on an emotional level, although at present I am not to bad and trying to focus on the present. This week the aim is to be good again as once you have a big loss, the week after is sometimes a gain is happens. I am enjoying my new meeting, my lovely leader and the WW members as well as my little group. I just know in the next 2 years I will get to goal, it is about the power of positive thinking

Days 38 to 43 - another loss

Well it has been a while.

As you are aware I have been unwell for well over a month now, have been to my GP and had some tests undertaken, so the results should come back tomorrow. So whilst this has been happening the exercise has not been a priority, but saying that I am going to try and do some incidental exercise on my days off (Thursday to Tuesday) and perhaps get back to the gym. I went to WW last night, not sure how I was going as I don't weigh at home and am pleased to say that I don't feel the need or desire to weigh daily, there are simply too many fluctuations during a week and I am happy to be surprised by Maryanne my weigher ! I really believe that if you keep on track and have tracked honestly the scales will be your friend. It also allows me to have a relatively stress free week. Got on those scales last night and lo and behold another 500 grams off, I am happy with a constant 500 gram loss, any loss adds up in the long run. As much as we all would love those 1kg losses unless you are working out 24/7 they are just not realistic. My WW class is a beauty, Tania is always there and doing very well and so I sit with her and the other gang members. It varies from week to week how many we get - anything from 3 to 7. The good thing about the meeting is that it is a successful meeting with members which is great . There are changes in the air at WW with a new points program being introduced, members on the WW site are all upset but the change (which I gather the way the points are calculated are changing). My attitude is embrace the change, perhaps I might find the new system a lot better, don't knock it until you try it. There is a lot of talk that it is a money making scheme - what I fail to understand is why people say that, of course WW is a business, it is not a charity and after all the way we calculate points has been the same way for a long while, you can always calculate the points your old way. So, a bravo to me for being so positive when others have not been. This week I do feel the motivation is stronger than ever, mainly because on Saturday I had a 5th birthday party for a little boy I know - his mother is Greek so you can imagine it is a huge affair, I took my mineral water along with me whilst the others were drinking my favourite wine - Rockford Alicante Bouchet and did partake in a tracked piece of cake, I was pleased with my effort and saying no to various food and drink options empowered me. So, focusing on another good week with perhaps another 500 grams down.

Day 31 to 37 - sorry it has been a while

Well it has been a while, now what has happened. Firstly last week I went to WW and gained 300 grams, not happy but no tracking, and although I am STILL bloody sick which didnt help, if I had tracked I might have lost 300 grams instead of gaining. I haven't had an energy for such a while and constantly feel unwell, so on Saturday I have a GP for a smear test (always fun !) and a blood test to see if there is any reason why I have absolutely no energy. Well as far as exercise goes, that isn't my priority at present, it is simply too hard with me feeling so unwell. It will come as the weight comes off. This week I am concentrating on the tracking and water, that is going well and the coffee without sugar is still going well, although this morning I did have a latte with 2 sugars as I felt I needed it, so one coffee out of 37 days is okay. Have been watching intently the TV and the miners from Chile, it is so uplifting seeing a good news story. The men are so gorgeous, I do like the dark foreign types, for people that have been underground for 68 days, they certainly look good. My father was a miner and my hometown of Broken Hill is a mining town, so what happened in Chile was quite personal. Got a lovely email from an old boyfriend the other day, I am not interested but saying that it is nice to have a man at least be interested. But isn't it always the way, when you like them, they don't like you. This weekend I have a 5th birthday party for a friend of mine's child. They are Greek so you can imagine what it is like. I will bring my mineral water and skip the wine and try to say no to the dessert/birthday cake. Anyway, tonight I am going to go home, cook an omelette for dinner, do some washing and trying to be a bit more active instead of going to bed early. I know the weight doesn't help my energy levels and realise that the more weight I lose, the more energy I will have, it just takes time.

Day 30 and 31 - all going well

Well, days 30 and 31 aren't going to bad. Food all accounted for and tracked, water has been drunk. Still not well and have been going home from work and straight to bed after dinner but hopefully the virus will go soon. This morning whilst sitting on the side of the bed and looking down at my tummy, I can see that I have lost some weight this week, hopefully this week's loss is a good one. Haven't focused on the exercise until I am feeling better, so trying to have a few quiet nights and this weekend in particular, I will just stay around home. So, overall things are going well, this is a pretty boring post but not a lot happening. Trying to keep relaxed about the whole WW thing, it is a long journey and I don't want to get over zealous, just one day at a time.

Day 29 - My first LITTLE gain

Well I went to WW last night, not feeling confident as my period was 12 days overdue. Weighed in and gained 200 grams, I am fine with that really as it is not a large amount and can be made up next week easily. I think the stress I have been under the last few weeks have probably not helped them being over due and menopause starting. The meeting was great, last night's subject was snacks which is not a thing I do a lot of, I never feel hungry between meals, I know they say it is better to eat regularly but if I am not hungry I fail to see why I should. If I plateau out with the weight losses, I can always start. There are some days I do have snacks but it is not everyday. At the meeting I got chatting to a couple of guys who have had remarkable weight losses and it is good to get a male's perspective on things. After the meeting Tania, Tina and myself went to Thai for dinner as a treat. I get so much support from the wonderful girls I go to the meeting with, Tuesdays are now a social outing for me as well as a weight loss meeting. Going to Mawson Lakes has really helped me no end and with the girls as support I am on a winner. This week is about exercise, I am going to try and do as much as I can and go to the gym at night but on the weekends take Vince for a few walks to get the incidental exercise happening. Tania has really inspired me and shown me that exercise can be incorporated via a pedometer, gym and incidental exercise without going over the top. There has to be a balance. This week the challenge at WW is to keep tracking, which I do and drink our water so I intend to accurately record my water intake. I am very focused this week on getting the best possible results at my next weigh in. You know, today my mindset is back to where it should be, I think with my stress levels, illness and period the combo last week didnt help. Today I am pleased to say that I feel as focused as ever. The 5 kgs is in sight. Unfortunately my 4 losses in a row haven't happened so I am back to square one. Karen has suggested I try and say 4 losses out of 5 weeks to incorporate the gain I may well have from my period. I might do that as that is realistic. So the challenge is 4 losses out of 5. Back to square one, but I am determined not to get that bag until I have earned it. So, this week is about water, tracking and exercise. I look forward to reporting a big loss next week. There has been mention of a new WW program, I am willing to embrace any change and see how it goes.

Days 24 to 28

Well, sorry I have been missing in action. Had visitors over from Sydney on Thursday night and unfortunately ill again this week-end. A regular occurrence of late. Yesterday I got stuck into the crackers and peanut butter, not sure how I will go. My period has still not arrived, I am expecting a gain today which will mean no bloody gym bag. I do feel bloated, fingers crossed but then again this is the joys of starting menopause, the sooner menopause arrives, the sooner it is finished. The weekend was relatively quite, food so so, I certainly wasn't bad at all but then I can't say I was good, about 75% good and 25% bad. The goal this week is to get stuck into the exercise in earnest. Tomorrow night, even if it kills me, I am going to go to Zumba and try it out as it does break the routine up a bit. I feel a bit lost at present, I have so many lovely and great friends but they are all in relationships, I feel a bit lost and a bit down - so need to focus on the positives and get my mind into positive territory. As I have said before, this weight loss journey is 90% mental attitude, this week as my routine has been disrupted, my positivity is not where it should be. So tonight, at least I can go to WW - face the scales and once I leave the meeting I feel good. Luckily this week is pretty quiet and I can concentrate on the exercise, I plan to wake each morning at 6am and walk Vince for 30 minutes. That is the plan. I am reminding myself that good things come to those who wait. My turn will come, I am sure. Finally, on a positive note, the sugar in the coffee is going well. I am really starting to enjoy my coffee without sugar. I do think it is really 28 days to break a habit, not 21. Perhaps I can work on a 28 day habit for the gym..........

Day 23 and I am tired

Well today is day 23, I am sipping on my latte WITHOUT sugar and it is getting easier and easier with each day. I do think I might try and eat 1 piece of fruit a day for the next month. I am not a fruit eater, have never been. My basic fruit list is pineapple or berries. So might make that the next challenge. I am tired today but counting the hours down till my boss is back from her holiday, poor love she has had a great holiday in Paris but all good things come to an end. I have visitors arriving today for a few days, I do think that it is nothing I can't manage, foodwise that is and plan to keep doing what I am doing. I must admit once your mindset is in place, things are easier and at the moment I am highly stressed. I have gone off the anti-depressants but really t hink that I need to be one them. My problem is I think I am doing okay and go off them and then after about 3 months, fall back into old habits. Next week, exercise is on my agenda. Definitely going to face my fear and do that bloody Zumba class, I am the only person in the known world or Weight Watchers world that hasn't tried it. So will do that to break the routine. So I think my next two challenges might be exercise related and fruit related. Just have to decide on a reward for achiving the challenge. Not much else happening really. Woke up this morning to Vince the wonderdog staring at me like I am some type of god, so we have ten minutes of cuddles. Being single is hard, it isn't easy but I come home to this little guy who is so excited to see me and makes me feel a millon dollars. Anyway, nothing mindblowing happening.

Day 22

Well, Day 22 is here already. As you saw in last night's post, I am thrilled to say that I have lost 3.2 kilos in three weeks. Last night lost 600 grams and that is great considering I have been unwell all week, stressed with work and my period is now 5 days overdue. Next weigh in I am hoping, or should I say, I will have another loss and that new gym bag will be brought. My focus is to get through this next week, my lovely boss is back on Tuesday from Paris and so things will get back to normal. I have a Trust Account Audit on the 15/10/10, so after that I plan to take some leave and just chill out a bit. So, I have to work hard this week just to keep on track. We have a challenge at WW, we have been all given a tree, each week there is a challenge and depending on how much you lose you get a sticker (or fruit) for the tree. This week's challenge is tracking, so luckily that is something that I do regularly and it keeps me on track. Not much else happening.

Week 3 Weigh In Results

Well, just a quickie. I lost another 600 grams this week which is mighty good considering the stressful week I have had and TTOM is overdue. Fingers crossed that it arrives soon so next weeks is a good one. Next week will be my 4th loss in a row and then I can buy that new gym bag. Post tomorrow

Day 21 and still no sugar

Well, my period is three days overdue, so I am a bit fragile. Weight Watchers tonight, I am not sure how I am going to go, with my period it is a delicate balance but overall I am pleased with my progress. Not much to report really, got some jobs done around home last night in preparation for the visitors arriving. My aunt and uncle are arriving and my aunt, god bless her, is a fanatical cleaner, so just sorted some stuff out and it was a nice feeling to do that. Sorting through stuff which I don't use so am tossing it out. So the plan is this coming week to keep on doing what I am doing. Today is day 21 without sugar and the coffee is getting easier and easier, it depends on what barista makes the coffee but it is a real achievement so I think on day 28 I might reward myself with something like a lipstick etc because it is a habit that has been hard to break. The cold is driving me crazy, but hopefully it just goes away soon. As I have discussed before the losing weight is such a mental thing, this week with the stress of work and being under the weather it has made me think how much we eat our emotions. I am pleased that I got through this relatively unscathed and the fact that I had one blow out and not a weeks worth of blow out. I intend to get into the exercise next week in earnest once the boss is back and once my 4 losses in a row challenge is achieved I will work out an exercise challenge for the month. With something like a challenge for me to attend 4 classes during the month and a challenge regarding my cardio workouts. Anyway, weigh in tonight, I am a tad nervous mainly due to the bloating of my period but overall it has been quite good. My attitude and plan is to take 1 day at a time and that is what I am doing. I am so chuffed that today is day 21 without sugar in my coffee and I plan to focus in earnest next week with the sodium and sugar in my foods. Take care and thank you for reading, it means a lot

Days 18 to 20 -

Well the weekend has been and gone. Got some jobs done around the house, so that is thankfully a few things off the list. Still battling this cold, the boss is away so I am having to keep going to work, so it is getting worse by the day, unfortunately as I work for a sole practitioner I have to keep going. But my boss is great, so I do it for her. Not much else happening, the food is reasonable. Feeling flat, a friend got engaged on the weekend and I am thrilled, I advised her not to make the same mistake as me and waste your time on a guy who is committment phobic, she got rid of the guy and now 12 months later is engaged to a delightful guy, I cried like a baby. I am so glad she took my advice. This is a pretty boring blog today, but not feeling the brightest but mainly due to work pressures that I am finding a bit rugged at present, thankfully this is the last week whilst boss is away.