This is my year and my journey...finally!

I apologise in advance for this very self centred post!!:lol:

I have decided to dedicate this year to finding me again!:clap:

I recently gave birth to my beautiful son, and after 5 years of working hard (I have been working two jobs and being a mum at the same time) to get our family ahead financially (we built our first house and I set up a small business for myself) I finally have the time to dedicate to myself....and I am going to use this time wisely.(And do so without an ounce of guilt!)

While emotionally I am really happy, I feel like I have totally lost myself somewhere in a haze of juggling motherhood, marriage and my career. I have no interests outside work and motherhood. :wall:, because I simply have not had the time or opportunity. My DH is fantastic, and is a big help at home, and works really hard as well, but he also manages to fit in a lot of time to dedicate to his passion....Football, and probably at my expense....time to even things up!:p
Eating has been my only single indulgence during the past few years, and that is all about to change! I want to find my own passion in life.

Life is for living, and I have just been existing under layers and layers of excess weight.

I no longer just want to exist, I want to live!
Giving birth recently to a big bubba using just my own body and strength with no drugs has empowered me to challenge myself. I was so suprised at the strength that I had within in me during labour. I realised that I REALLY CAN do anything.

So, the first thing to do is shed all this excess weight that has been creeping on since I was 20. I am 28 this year, and I want the body and health of a girl in her twenties, before I hit my thirties!

We plan on starting to TTC our third (so exciting!!!) amazing miracle at Christmas this year, so this is my only window of opportunity to knock this weight off!

So, the plan is.........

As I am breastfeeding one very hungry bubba, I am not going to count calories etc.
I am going to follow "The Core" plan from WW (not going to join WW though, I have all the info that I need, and the support on here). Basically it is just eating sensible healthy foods like Vegies, Fruit & Wholegrains.
To start with I am am going to walk, walk, walk.....and then walk some more! I had a PPH when I birthed my little man, so I am just going to take it easy in the beginning with exercise, until I build up some strength, and then I plan on kicking butt!


I currently weigh 96.8kg.
My goal is to be 59kg by November 1st this year (DH and I will celebrate being together for 12 years on this day!).
Now, I know that sounds quite unrealistic, and it probably is, BUT I have something to prove to myself, and I am going to break this down into smaller goals, to make it more achievable along the way. I want to suprise myself!

First Goal: to be in the 80's!

I plan on weighing in each Sunday morning.


I am going to book a really special weekend away for DH and I (something we have been meaning to do for ages...I really miss getting one on one time as a couple) for November. This is my reward! I am also putting money away each week to buy myself a new wardrobe! (No more buying clothes just cos they fit!)

And for the first time in my life, I am going to be true and HONEST to myself, God and the world around me. No facades or hiding just to please others.

And finally......

I AM GOING TO FINISH WHAT I START!

Look out world, here I come!!

If anyone else wants to come along for the ride, feel free to join me! We can inspire and support each other!

HI Hosana and welcome!

I am on a similar journey also, time to get some me time back and ditto on the wardrobe. You sound much more organised then me :-)

Wshing you all the best!

Thanks Saram!
Organisation is something I am trying to discover!!!
Yeah, I can't wait to actually have fun buying some clothes!

Well done on your weight loss!:clap:

Thanks, look at the ticker and it seems an awlful long way to the end but at the moment I am winning the battle :-)

It is hard not to focus on the total the needs to be lost:wall:
But, each day is one step closer, and as they say on the biggest loser, a loss is a loss!:lol:
Are you following any plan in particular??

I think for me just concentrating on eating whole healthy food is the best I can do at the moment with such a newborn bub. The MCHN actually told me to eat more because he is literally taking everything he can from me.

Well I have just weaned my DD after BF for 2yrs so I am enjoying the freedom of just eating for me IYKWIM. I found it hrd to move weight when I was feeding but I don't think I really had the motivation. I have heard of lots of women who find it much easier to loose while feeding so hope that works for you!

I have been toying with the idea of the tony ferguson diet ust to get rid of it and I think I will be fine to maintain it but at the moment I am just doing smaller portion sizes and trying to pick good food. I have got a brand of shake that I am using which really does fill me up and I don't feel like snacking all the time which has been brilliant and LOTS of water.

I also read a few months ago about a study that suggested small amounts of exercise were just as helpful in weight loss as extended ones so I am doing short extra exercise where I can. sit ups while watching tv at night. putting more energy into the housework - just trying to move more in general

Well done on making this decision! Jump on over to the weight loss support thread (it's a sticky at the top). I'm also doing such a journey and surprising myself... I'm blogging daily to keep myself accountable...

MG

Hey girls...
I thought I'd come in and say hello. I'm getting closer to my goal weight of 68kg every day, starting at 90kg, and now comfortably sitting on 70. The first and last are very very hard to shift! I haven't had kids, I was just a very chubby one, with not a great education on how to look after myself.
Here's some things that I think might help:
* Learn about nutrition and make everything you put in your mouth count, nutritionally speaking. No empty calories. Load up on fruit, vegies, wholegrain products, etc.
* Keep a diary. Write down your goal in there (a blog in here is also a good idea - Mother Goose has a great one going)
* In the diary, keep one page for focusing on positives - things that you've done that have helped you along your way. In my diary, I had entries like "I fit into my beige pants today" or "said no to extra serving of ____" It's a good page to look at when you're feeling down.
* Work incidental exercise in as much as you can. Stairs aren't a pain; they're an opportunity!
* Change up your exercise plan when the weight loss seems to slow down. Don't try to do it all at once. So start with, say, walking, and after a couple of months you might add swimming, then maybe cycling, then maybe rowing, or aerobics or whatever. It will help.

If I think of more later, I'll duck back in!

Thanks Guys!

Sarem- Thats a good idea to add in little bits of exercise whenever you can!

MG- Thanks, I will check out the forum! I am going to post my food diary daily to keep myself accountable.

SB- Well done on your weighloss!! And thanks for the tips too!

I would love to join you!

I started as well at 96.4 I am now 79.9 I started my journey on Jan 15th 2009. My goal is to be 70 by June 29th.. I am doing WW and exercising which I love..

I have to answer to someone every week, so jumping on those scales at ww makes a huge difference to me.

To be honest i have found weight loss this time very very very easy. I have never tried to loose weight before.
I have 2 children and it was after my 1st that i kept all my baby weight.

I have just started my second 12 week challenge. Did one at the start of the year and lost 7kg. Took a month off and put on a couple, now back on to shift a bit more. 12 weeks is a good goal time for me and my goal is to lose 6kg in that time. I have changed my ticker so it reflects the start of this one not the last one as I know that it is non-negotiable to go above my current starting weight. I have a bit of a longer goal - down to 65kg by my birthday in March next year. I weighed in last week at 76kg and at the start of my first 12 week challenge just after xmas last year was 84kg.
My best motivators were to find diet goals that were easy to implement - I cut out buying junk food for work because I would eat whole packets of biscuits in one afternoon - and go a bit easier on the other stuff (eg. saying no takeaway is not realistic for me). My best exercise tip is to find a team sport that you like. I love indoor soccer and now play twice a week and practice on my own, I also ride my bike to work to cut down my environmental impact. I defintely can't see myself going back to the weight I was.

So good luck for your journey! You deserve to succeed in this because having a healthy body will allow you to do so much more. One of the most motivating things I have heard for weight loss (from Lucy I think) is that time will keep ticking by whether you lose weight or not. Xmas and birthdays will come around again and it is your choice to be the same as you are now or a lighter version. So even if it happens slower than you expect, the only thing you need to worry about is to keep up your end of the bargain and time will do its part too.

Good luck!

Back Again!

Hi Didi! Well done on such a great result, and so quickly as well! :clap:You are so right about having someone to answer to each week-that is why I have posted on here. I would go to the WW meetings each week too, but I am really trying hard not to add extra things into a already hectic schedule with kinder! I decided for me that that time would be better spent walking, plus the local meeting is full of lovely elderly ladies, who are all nice, but not easy to relate to! Does your ww meeting have other young mums in it?
Plus, I have that much WW paraphenalia sitting in my cupboards, it is not funny!!:lol:

Krys- Yeah, I used to play indoor mixed netball with my husband, and would LOVE to be fit enough to do that again. Plus, it was such a great thing to do together, and it was great fun spurring each other on!! Well done on such excellent results! And well done for getting back to it again. Your goals sound great. I cannot remember how many times I have told myself that by my next birthday I will weigh whatever, and then it just passes by, and I am heavier than ever...that is about to change.
I was above 108kg about a year ago before I got pregnant, and managed to get down to 93kg before we concieved ds, and I made a pact with myself that I would never, ever put that weight back on and be above 100 again. And at least at the moment I am only 3kg above my pre pregnancy weight. (DS is 5 weeks old).


Well, I splurged today and bought myself a Tefal Electric Steam cooker and a humungous stock pot! I made an enormous batch of the yummiest vege soup I have ever tasted (I just made up the recipe- and i have to say that it is delicious, and nothing in it but vegies and pasta! and a wee bit of sweet chilli sauce!:D). I have frozen the soup in lunch sized containers, and plan on having this for lunch each day with a slice of soy and linseed bread!

My food for today:

Brekky: Oats and skim milk (with a teaspoon of sugar).

Lunch: Salad Sandwich, muligrain, no spreads, and a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Dinner: Plateload of steamed vegies (courtesy of my new steamer!) and 150g of steamed chicken (my steamer again!), with a little sweet chilli sauce.

Snacks......:rolleyes:not so good...I got up from having a nap with DS, and had 4 custard cream biscuits! Well, at least there are no more left, and I cannot do that again tommorrow! I have bought mini packs of vive light biccys to have as a treat. Because I did that, I am going to skip the ww/nestle choc mousse I was going to have for dessert with strawberries!

Exercise: DH and I and the kids set off on a walk, but it was bitterly cold and raining, so we turned back. I am going to get walking this week though when DD is at kinder. I plan on trying to walk for around 2 hours each day, as there are beautiful walking tracks and parks near her kinder and creche.

OKay, so that was day one down, and apart from the walk that was ruined by the rain, and the custard creams, it wasn't too bad...........

Ya heaps of young mum's its brilliant!! I love it.. Thursday night is my night!!

I forgot to say that for this 12 week challenge I got a pedometer which is something I didn't do before. It is really good at reminding me to keep my legs moving even if I am just in front of the tv or on the phone. Would love to hear all of your updates as you are going through your journey. I find it so motivating to hear other peoples stories.

Thanks Krys, yeah I find it very, very inspiring to hear of other peoples stories, that why i am loving the biggest loser at the moment, the transformations are amazing, i think that Tiffany is such an inspiration, and i hope she wins!


Didi- I never thought of going to the night ww meeting lol. Prob cos I have had an evening job for the past few years, but that is a good idea, there might be some more people my age there, and as you say, it would be great to have "me" time. I will find out I think!

Was driving home from dropping dd off at creche, and stopped to get petrol and had the biggest craving for chocolate (i am a serious chocholic, i am talking a red tulip easter bunny or family block a day kind of addict......!), but I kept thinking that i need to make myself accountable for my eating and i also imagined getting to go away for the weekend with dh at the end of this, and I RESISTED and left the chocolate on the shelf!! Yay. I think I often eat chocolate just for the sake of eating it, not really even tasting it half the time. Unconscious eating! This is just a little thing I know, but I keep telling myself that by resisting each time, it takes me one step closer to where I want to be....and the only way I am going to get there is by NOT eating all that junk. As simple as that really.

:clap: Well Done Hosanna! WOOT! :clap:

Great job hosanna!! I told myself Jan 15th this year. I was not going to put ANYTHING naughty in my mouth at all.. and nearly 4 months later I can still cay that.

There is a brillian webtsite that tells me from now till June 29th.. how long I have left till I reach my goal. Then i break it down how much i need to loose a week then even down to a day.. so i can keep on track.

I feel better then ever now being down 16kg.. in such a short time.

BUMP... How are you doing on your journey Hosanna!