Budgets and Planning

Have given myself a good talking to this afternoon. No more wasting money. No more buying clothes or shoes. I am now on a tight budget and have set automatic transfers on pay day to go to a savings account. This is to save money for a) breast reduction b) annual bills such as insurance c) 5 x flights to Melbourne in 2008. This means I feel like I have less to spend and when the time comes for these things there will be money allocated in my account.

I have restructured my personal training, and have cut it by $70 a week. I will be doing one session with Rusty and one session with Dan a week. I have replaced one of Dan's session with a pump class. I have also scheduled in a weekly spin class on a Wednesday, and the occasional Friday Balance class and Saturday Pump class.

I am feeling much better now that I have got it right in my head and have done my sums.

aaaarrrggggghhhh!

Because I only have a basic level of hospital cover on my health insurance, I am not covered for a breast reduction in a private hospital - even though it is deemed necessary for medical reasons and not cosmetic. I could go to a public hospital and choose my surgeon, but the one I want doesn't operate in public hospitals.

So, I am now up for almost $4000 extra for the theatre fees and an overnight stay in hospital. These are going to be very expensive boobs!

So in order to have any chance of paying for this, I need to cut back on my personal training. I don't want to do it, but I have to. I'm not sure which session I am going to cut out but will work it out over the next few weeks. I have paid up til xmas so might as well stick with it for now.

Food is going well with my new found enthusiasm. Exercise is good, although not as much as I planned. I am still only training once a day. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I had planned for twice. I'm not sleeping too well so am too tired for extra training at the moment. Too much thinking about surgery and how the hell I am going to pay for it.

The Silly Season Plan

If I am going to lose 4.5kg in 3 months I need a plan, cause those 3 months happen to include xmas and all festivities, a trip to Melbourne, 3 days in Jervis Bay and another long weekend. So here's my alcohol and cheat meal plan...

December 1... the man's birthday celebrations. I will have a few drinks (vodka, lime & soda) but choose a healthy meal. Probably steak and salad.

December 7... PT xmas drinks. This is traditionally a MASSIVE night. I have a really good excuse, in that I have to be on a plane at 7.15am the next morning... but last time I went out with the same people I had the same excuse and ended up getting home at 3am blind drunk. This will be my challenge night. I am not going to get caught up in shouts and rounds... I will have a couple of quiet drinks and switch to mineral water. Hannah and I have already planned to go to the Nth Sydney noodle markets for a quick reasonably healthy bite to eat during the night. Last year there was an array of fried food provided so we are going to do our own thing.

December 13... work xmas party. I'm not going to drink. I have no idea what the food will be, but I will do my best. I have also booked a PT session for earlier that day.

December 23... catch up with Melbourne friends. Dinner will be easy cause it will be my choice - I might go Japanese or something. I am going to drive so that means I can't drink.

December 25... xmas day at Mum and Dad's place. I'm not going to drink at all. Mum has already bought some rice crackers and healthy snacks for me so that I can avoid all the chocolates etc. I will however have some xmas pudding cause my Mum makes the BEST xmas pudding!

December 30 to Jan 2... in Jervis Bay with a bunch of friends. I am going to drink NYE, but that's it. We are taking our own food for the BBQ and salads etc so food should be pretty good. I will have the occasional icecream or treat, but I am also taking my running gear. Given that I am going with Dan (my PT), Hannah (my gym buddy) and a few others I shouldn't have too much trouble finding the motivation to exercise.

So that's my plan. PT xmas drinks is really the only night that is going to be hard. It should probably be the easiest I know! But Dan, Rusty and the others all train hard so they can play hard. They are super fit and super buff, but they can drink way too well for me!

3 months to go...

I went to see the surgeon about my breast reduction yesterday.

Surgeon was great - he made a joke about my boobs looking like I had had 5 kids!!! Too funny. Lucky I have sense of humor!!! My nipple height at the moment is 36cm... he is going to move them up to 20-22cm - that is kind of alot! As he will be doing the anchor scars I can go as small as I want, so we agreed on a B-C but will discuss again before the surgery. He was happy to go small and totally understood where I am coming from - I guess he has seen it plenty of times before.

I will be in hospital for 24 hours, maybe 48 if my health insurance is paying (they should as it is for medical reasons, but I need to double check that today). I will need 2 weeks off work, and someone staying with me for maybe a week. My mum is going to come and stay with me.

I told him I wanted to lose another 10kg and his advice was to get to 75kg before the surgery so that losing the last bit won't have too much of an impact on the fullness of my new boobies. If I am paying $10,000 for them then I want good ones!!! I am going to be out of pocket about $9200 - but I might even be able to claim the anethetists (can't spell that) $1500 which will mean $7700. Should be able to find that out from my health ins today.

So we are talking end of Feb or start of March. I have decided that I will do it as soon as I can and take time off without pay if I need to (I have just started a new job so don't have much sick or annual leave). I figure I won't be training for 6 weeks so I can use that money to replace my pay for a few days. I shouldn't be spending much anyway!

I am hoping to book in the surgery for end of Feb. That gives me 3 months to lose 4.5kg which I know I can do, and will do at any cost! Totally motivated now, and I have a deadline. If I can get lower than 75 then it will be even better.

He has given me the name of the anti-inflammitory drug he prescribes for after so that I can research it. He doesn't think it contains salycilates, but I am going to check anyway.

He has also given me the number of a lady who had this type of BR 2 weeks ago so that I can talk to her. I am calling her tonight.

Food plan day 2

Food plan is going well. Didn't have time to get a salad at lunch so had a wrap from downstairs - still pretty healthy. Haven't been hungry, but added a bit extra fruit yesterday afternoon.

Feeling really good. Got my blood test results and from what I can tell all is normal, except iron is a bit low. Going to the naturopath the week after next so will decipher it all then.

The Food Plan

The concept is low fat (as always), eating every 2-3 hours, increase protein, no refined carbs at night and stay away from the chocolate box. My Diet Coke ban is not going so well, so rather than 'cold turkey' I am going for one every second day and then none at the weekend (I usually have 1 can a day). Next week I won't have any - will replace with mineral water. High fives to Dylan for kicking the Diet Coke!!!

I have worked this out as between 1200 and 1300 calories a day. This may not be enough, so will increase to 1400 on Wednesday if I am hungry or need more energy. I am documenting everything, so that if I lose weight then I can look back and see exactly what I am doing next time I hit a plateau.

Monday:
7am: porridge, berries, low fat yogurt
10am: skim milo
12.30pm: chicken salad
3.30pm: small berry muffin (from health shop, made with fruit sugar)
5.30pm: 1/2 Protein Revival Low Carb Shake
7.30pm: warm beef salad

Tuesday:
7.30am: weeties, skim milk, nectarine
10am: 1 cup pineapple
12.30pm: chicken salad
3.30pm: 4 vita wheat with vegemite
5.30pm: 1/2 Protein Revival Low Carb Shake
7.30pm: omlette

Exercise Plan for the Week

I have decided to increase my training this week to training twice a day a few days. I haven't done this since June, so I think it is time to shake up the body. I'm throwing in some swimming so my body doesn't fall apart like it does when I increase my running! I'm also going to ride my bike to and from the pool and walk to and from work every day so that will add some active recovery to the mix as well.

Monday - 1 hour PT - cardio *DONE*
Tuesday - 30 min swimming, 1 hour PT - weights
Wednesday - 8km run
Thursday - 30 min swimming, 1 hour PT - weights
Friday - 30 min running - intervals, 30 min swimming
Saturday - 1 hour pump class
Sunday - rest

Now... on to the food plan!

A new week

I said this last Thursday, but I have to say it again today - a new week, a new start! I didn't do so well with food on the weekend. Focus focus focus. I need to get back on track. I still haven't got my blood test results. Hopefully today. Wednesday I have my appt with the surgeon about getting my boobs chopped and realigned. Can't wait for that one - I want to get it done NOW!!!

Thursday Weigh In

I don't want to weigh in tonight - I haven't been very well behaved this week! Even when I have planned my food I haven't really stuck to it. I have decided to start fresh today with my food. I am having a pretty quiet weekend so it shouldn't be too difficult to stay on track. Having takeaway Saturday night with the boy, but should be able to talk him into Thai or something semi-healthy.

I get the results of my blood tests back tomorrow. I am a little apprehensive - just random thoughts running through my head that they might find something seriously wrong with me. I have never had any kind of blood test before! Then the logical side kicks in and tells me that perhaps my iron levels are low - that is easily fixed, but apart from that I am pretty fit and healthy so there is nothing to worry about.

I am going to get back onto Calorieking.com.au and plan my food for the next few days. That seems to be the best way to ensure I eat the right amount of the right things. Then all I need to do is stick to it!

Gym Antics

A PT session always lifts my mood... no matter how I am feeling. I could actually make this a regular bi-weekly column... WHAT DAN DID TO ME THIS WEEK!!

I was lying on the fitball doing chest press... just like in the picture. Of course this is exactly what I look like!! LOL!!

Dan obviously gets bored easy, so he decided to balance a weight on my stomach/hips... one of those black flat discs like you use in pump class. Then he got out the foam noodle and beat my legs. It is so hard to continue shoulder press whilst keeping your bum in the air so you don't drop the weight that is balanced on your tummy and laugh at the same time. It is what I would call an entire body workout!

Anyway, enough of that. I was wondering if any of you have found that the pill contributes to your weight loss, or lack of? I started taking it again about 2 months ago which is about when my plateau really kicked in. I am taking Yasmin, which is apparently supposed to have minimal side effects, and I haven't noticed any except for the fact that I have plateaud. That may have happened without the pill, and it may have no effect whatsoever, but it is just an idea. Anyone have any thoughts on the matter? Will my body adjust eventually?

It is a conspiracy

I have spoken about the 'pantry' at work before, but I thought I would go into a little more detail about what temptations I am faced with on a daily basis...

In the Freezer
Paddle pops, sunny boys and a variety of other ice creams

In the Fridge
Cheese slices, cordial, milk, coke, diet coke, solo

In the Cupboard
Bread, nutella, peanut butter, vegemite, vita wheats, saladas, saos, rice crackers, cornflakes, nutri grain, milo, quick, muesli bars, breakfast bars, chips, bbq shapes, cheddar shapes... I could go on forever. This is the best stocked pantry I have ever seen. It might even beat my Mum's.

That is all free for all staff.

Then there is the chocolate box which is sold for charity - that includes chocolates of various sizes, redskins, chips, shapes... the list goes on.

Taking Stacy's advice, I will look at the positives. I have been working here for over a month and I have not put on weight. I have not lost much - a little, but not much. So really, when you look at all of that, I am doing quite well!

Food

Thanks Osmund for your comment - and hi! I had been wondering if I wasn't eating enough. The thing is though that I am not hungry and that my naturopath/nutritionist thought my diet was great, although we didn't discuss portion control. I basically eat every 3 hours or so - small meals, but often.

Today's food plan:
B: Sultana bran with no fat milk
S: 4 x vita wheat with vegemite
L: chicken salad
S: pineapple
D: kanaga bangers & salad

This is tough

This last 8-9kg is proving to be oh so difficult. I am still hovering in the 79's and have been here for about 3 months. I lose 500g and I gain 500g etc. over and over again.

I have been exercising 4-5 times a week, at least for an hour. I walk to and from work every day (6km with hills). I eat healthily 90% of the time. I have the odd big night out drinking, but that is usually once or twice a month. Until Friday night, I hadn't had a drink in 4 weeks and that didn't make any difference at all.

I am getting so frustrated with the whole thing! I want to get down to 70kg and maintain that... I don't want to maintain 79kg!!!

So time for changes. I need to give the naturopath's advice a few more weeks to see if that makes a difference. In addition to that I am going to start getting back into running. I have been doing some treadmill sessions about once a week, but I used to run 3 x a week. I have already done a treadmill session this morning (1200m, 800m, 400m, 4 x 200m... getting faster each time). It was tough! I am going to do a long run every Sunday, and do speed and/or hill training on Wednesdays and Fridays.

I am also going to reduce the amount of bread and cheese in my diet. I don't have alot of cheese - but I do occasionally have it on my sanga or wrap at lunchtime. I usually have bread once a day at lunchtime, or breakfast on the weekends. Usually soy & linseed or multigrain. So that is going to go this week, and we'll see if that makes a difference. I need to get to 79.2kg by Thursday to meet this week's target. I might have a bit of work to do cause I had a fairly average weekend foodwise - a fabulous weekend otherwise though!

So today's food:
B: porridge, low fat yogurt, berries, skim hot chocolate
S: skim milo
L: mango mineral boost smoothie
S: vita wheat & vegemite
D: 2 x kanga bangers and salad

and exercise - 1 hour PT (done)

5 things you didn't know about me....

Donna has tagged me, so here it is.

1. I grew up on an orchard where my Dad has lived his whole life. His great grandparents lived there as well, and so on. The road is named after our family.

2. I was an 'A' student at school and a bit of a goody two shoes, but I used to wag Info Tech all the time to do photography. I got away with it because I worked on the school magazine, so I just used to say I was doing that.

3. I have a big pink birth mark under my left arm

4. When I was a kid I used to hide the vegies off my plate in my pocket and then take them outside and throw them in the garden so Mum wouldn't find them

5. The first band I ever saw live was Midnight Oil. My neighbour Tom, who had just turned 18 and got his licence took me and I felt very grown up!

Now I tag Leanne, Carol and Steph

Gym time

This is why I enjoy going to the gym. Last night Dan trained with Hannah and I. The three of us has a bosu each (pic below for those who haven't had the pleasure),

upside down (like in the picture), standing on the flat side and doing shoulder press - so there was a little bit of wobbling as we went! Rusty, being the helpful (other) trainer that he is, decided it would be fun to smack me with the noodle (the big foam thing) while I am trying to balance on the bosu with weights! For those of you considering a personal trainer - don't worry, not all clients get treated as I do! I give as good as I get!

Lost 0.3 this week. Was aiming for 0.5 but didn't quite make it. I get a little frustrated with the slowness of it all, but at least I am heading in the right direction. I haven't had any diet coke - even though I really felt like one yesterday! I have been taking all my supplements and except for a few minutes of nausea this morning, I have been feeling great with loads of energy.

Oh and an update on the boy... we are going out tonight. He called yesterday and we had a great chat - things were back to the way they were a couple of weeks ago. I am excited but trying not to put high expectations on the whole thing... that's the hard part!

Weigh in day

Tonight I weigh in with Dan. I need to have lost 500g for the week, and for once I haven't cheated and looked at the scales. I feel good... so hopefully I will get a big tick for my efforts!

I haven't had any diet coke, and I have taken my probiotics, vitamins and minerals for the day. I don't really feel any different - I thought the probiotics might affect my tummy, but they haven't.

I am very very sore after the PT sessions of the past 2 days. I don't know whether to blame Dan for Tuesday or Rusty for Wednesday, but I am walking like a bit of a Nana today :) I'll just blame both.

I've been tagged

Donna made me do it!!!

Four dishes I like to cook:
1. warm beef salad
2. fish & baked vegies
3. pita bread pizza
4. stirfry

Four qualities I love in people:
1. honesty
2. humour
3. strength
4. loyalty

Four places I have been:
1. Vietnam
2. Thailand
3. Italy
4. Austria

Four things in my bedroom:
1. bed
2. lots of shoes
3. clothes
4. a bear my mum gave me

Four dirty words I like:
1. bugger
2. biatch
3. F***
4. crap
(they're not really that dirty are they?)

Now I'm tagging Kate, Leanne, Carol...

Thankyou!

Thanks ladies for the kind comments! I posted the 2 pics I liked - in a couple of others my boobs just look massive! Cause they are!! LOL!!! The more weight I lose, the more out of proportion I feel. I am really over the neck/shoulder pain that I have pretty much on a daily basis... so I have decided to go and talk to a surgeon about having them reduced and re-aligned to where they are supposed to be. I have an appt on 28 November. I was going to wait until I get to goal, but I figured I could go for the consultation and see what he says. If his advice is to lose the last bit of weight first, then that is what I will do. Hopefully though, by the time I have the money for the surgery and the leave from work I will well and truly be at goal.

8kg to go. I wish I could just choose where the last 8kg goes from. My face is OK, as is my neck area. I would like most of it to come from my stomach/waist area, with some more from my legs, and just a little from my arms. There's my wish list! If only it were that easy LOL!

Food this week is going quite well. I did have some chocolate yesterday - but I trained last night and again this morning so that shouldn't make a difference. I was bad yesterday and had a diet coke. I didn't even get through day 1! So today is Day 1. The diet coke free Emma is here! I also didn't take the probiotics that the naturopath recommended cause I went straight to the gym this morning and I wasn't sure if they would upset my stomach. So that starts tomorrow.

Exercise plan for this week:
Monday - 2 hours walking
Tuesday - 1 hour PT weights, 1 hour walking
Wednesday - 1 hour PT cardio/weights, 1 hour walking
Thursday - 1 hour PT weights, 1 hour walking
Friday - rest
Saturday - 2 hours walking
Sunday - 30 min run plus some walking

Pics from the weekend

Here's some pics from the wedding I went to on Saturday...

Naturopath Appointment

Weekend was great - I will post photos later when I have a chance to download them from my camera.... stand by for that one!

I went to the Naturopath last night. She was fabulous! As I thought, my diet is pretty good considering the huge list of stuff that I am allergic to. So for now, the only change she wants to make is cutting out the Diet Coke. That doesn't surprise me at all!

She has prescribed some minerals, probiotics and a multi vitamin to try and boost my immune system, as that is what is causing most of my problems. She also suggested having blood tests for white blood cell count, thyroid and iron levels just to check that everything is normal there. Most of this was diagnosed from Iridology - it was pretty cool! She found out a whole heap of stuff from my eyes - different things pointed to potential problems with my organs, such as my liver. I know this is not alcohol induced because I hardly ever drink - but some of the minerals she prescribed should fix me up. This may boost my metabolism when everything starts running as it should.

All in all it was an interesting and worthwhile exercise. I am going back in a month - hopefully I will be feeling better, won't have been sick and will be losing weight.

Bodies are strange

I don't understand how this works. On Tuesday on the gym scales I was 79.5kg. Last night on the gym scales I was 80.0kg. Same scales, same time of day, same clothes. I had eaten really well and trained every day. Only a 500g difference - but that is not the point!!!!

So, now my goal for next Thursday is 79.5kg, with no cheating by looking at the scales. That won't happen!

I was naughty!

I was naughty last night! Inspired by Miss Teeny Tiny Donna and her new maxi dress collection, I tried on a maxi dress that I had seen in a shop window. If I hadn't seen Donna looking fantastic in hers I would never have tried it because I didn't think it would suit me. I love it! Problem was I loved it before I saw the price tag... $199!!! By then it was too late, and I had to have it, plus the 2 belts that I had tried it on with - the belts were a bargain though at $20 each. So now I am waiting for a warm day with no rain so that I can wear my new maxi dress.

Weigh in with Dan tonight. Aiming for a 1kg loss and I think I have got it in the bag. At least I did on Tuesday when I weighed myself! Except for 2 hot chocolates yesterday I have totally stuck to my plan so I deserve to lose 1kg!! Oh there was 1 tiny teddy yesterday as well, because the hot chocolate man had run out of marshmallows so I had a tiny teddy instead. Rusty offered to have mine for me - I told him that consuming my calories was taking the personal training a little too far. Hands off my tiny teddy :) hehe

Naturopath & massage

Yesterday I spent some time on the internet searching for a new massage therapist in North Sydney, cause I am in desparate need of a massage and didn't want to go to my old one (long story, but for those long-time readers, she's Nathan's girlfriend and that wouldn't exactly be relaxing).

I found a website for a therapist who is also a naturopath so I started reading her website. She has quite alot of information on there so I was quite interested. Firstly, there was alot of info on allergies, specifically salicylites (aspirin) - which I am allergic to. It is a chemical intollerance that can cause a variety of reactions (anything from swelling of the hands, eyes or lips, asthma, rash, hives) and the problem is that it is naturally occuring in alot of foods. It is also in most shampoos and alot of skincare products. It is 'dose dependent', so sometimes I can eat something and be fine, but I could eat the same thing the next day and have a reaction. I have found it is aggrevated by stress, but most of what I know has been learnt by trial and error, as doctors ask me more questions about it than I ask them! This naturopath even contributed symptoms such as sore throat, muscle soreness and flu-like symptoms as part of the allergy, which might just explain why I keep getting sick. Over the past month, I have had a day or two here and there where I just feel generally crap - like I am about to get the flu. I stop training, take vitamins and eat healthily and it seems to disappear after a day or two. I was beginning to wonder if it was glandular fever, but maybe it is part of my allergy.

I was so excited that someone knew alot about the condition, and might even be able to offer me some advice. I have made an appointment with her Monday night for a naturopath consultation and a 1/2 hour massage. Whilst I am really looking forward to a massage, I am excited that somebody might be able to help me with my diet. I have been to a nutritionist before and they basically said my diet was great for someone like me - the only advice they offered was to perhaps increase low fat dairy as I wasn't getting enough Vitamin D. I do read alot about nutrition, but I expected a little more advice than that!

One more day til weigh-in

I weigh in with Dan tomorrow night. All looking good - the scales are being my friend this week! I just need to keep up the good work... and there lies the challenge!

Am a bit sore from my PT session yesterday. We did weights, cardio - a bit of everything including lots of stairs! Going to go for a run either at lunchtime or after work. Then I need to go and get myself organised for the weekend cause I am going to Melbourne Saturday morning. I've got a wedding on Saturday and then spending Sunday with my Mum and Dad. I can't wait!

Today's food diary:
B: weeties, skim milk, nectarine, skim hot chocolate
S: skim milo
L: chicken salad
S: 4 x vita wheat & vegemite
D: warm beef salad, strawberries

An explanation

Well firstly, result at the gym -1.1kg... and it's not even Thursday yet!!! So happy with that. And as today is my weigh-in for our Christmas Challenge, I weighed in at 78.9kg this morning - so that is a loss of 1.4kg this week. Yay me!

The Boy called last night. He knew he was in the poo and was very apologetic for disappearing. The short version is that he has alot of personal stuff going on and he didn't deal with it very well so went away for a few days to think. He's got some things to work through, and it will take time. He just wants to be friends, as he isn't in the right place for a relationship at the moment. That is all fine with me - I have some closure and I know where I stand. Happy to continue as friends as I really enjoy his company. Hopefully he will sort himself out soon enough.

It's weird though, I feel so relieved after speaking to him, yet I didn't sleep very well last night. I slept soundly all weekend while I was stressing about it, and upset. Now that I know what is going on I didn't sleep!

Stuff

Lots of stuff going on at the moment. Firstly the boy has disappeared off the face of the earth and I am gutted. It just doesn't make sense. For the last 4 weeks everything has been fabulous - he calls all the time, almost every day, and things have been great. He called last Monday night and we chatted for a while. I called him on Thursday, and he hasn't called back. I sent a text Friday night, and nothing. We had plans for Saturday, so I just assumed it was all off. I spent Friday and Saturday sulking and feeling sorry for myself. Yesterday the girls took me out for walking, lunch and shopping. We also managed to fit in some chocolate - which is the only naughty thing I have eaten this weekend. I am quite proud of that - because normally I am the queen of emotional eating.

So now, part of me is upset, but part of me is worried that something has happened. Thanks to my girlfriends, I have 3 theories...
- He's been arrested
- He's dead (I really hope not)
- He's an arsehole

There are many theories, but basically it doesn't matter because I just have to move on. I just wish there was some kind of closure to it - I want to know what happened!

Anyway, enough rambling. My Monday morning PT session has been changed to Friday. So today I am going to go to the gym at lunchtime and run on the tready for half an hour. Intervals it is!

My scales at home are different to those at the gym, but according to my scales I have already lost my kg for this week. I will check the gym scales at lunch and report back - but things are looking good for Thursday's weigh in with Dan.

Food diary for today:
B: porridge, low fat yogurt and berries
S: skim milo
L: chicken salad
S: 4 x vita wheat with vegemite
D: warm beef salad, strawberries

Super organised for the weekend

My newly found motivation has resulted in a food plan for the entire weekend! I took Dan's advice and looked for some recipes to change what I am eating - I think I am getting a bit bored with eating the same stuff over and over again. So I went back through the recipes I had saved from Calorieking.com.au

Saturday
B: 2 x weetbix with no fat milk and a fresh nectarine
S: NZ Ice Cream chocolite in a cup
L: hokkien noodles with chicken and vegies
S: Nectarine
D: Grilled fish burger (fish, lettuce, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce) on a soy & lindseed roll

Sunday
B: 2 x poached eggs and 2 x sourdough toast
S: handful of nuts and some strawberries
L: Mushroom & corn fritters
S: Nectarine
D: Baked lemon ginger pink snapper with salad

How yum does all of that sound!!! I am looking forward to eating it all and feeling great afterwards!

Assessments

Well I did my assessments, and as expected I hadn't lost too much at all. I have lost mm instead of cm. Oh well - back to plan today. Dan is going to weigh me every Thursday to keep me on track. I have a goal of losing 1kg this week. So I am going to be good all weekend!

Exercise plan:
Friday - rest
Saturday - 1/2 hour running, intervals
Sunday - 2 hours walking
Monday - 1 hour PT
Tuesday - 1 hour PT
Wednesday - 1/2 hour running, intervals
Thursday - 1 hour PT

Food diary for today:
B: porridge with low fat yoghurt & berries
S: skim milk milo
L: warm chicken salad
S: 4 x Vita wheat & vegemite
D: steak and salad

Time to focus

I have my assessments tonight, and I am sure they are not going to be as good as I want them to be. I have lost weight and cms since the last ones, but I am sure it's not enough!

I think I need a new plan to keep me focussed. I am going to ask Dan to weigh me every week - and set me mini goals. I need to be more accountable to someone to keep me on track. Especially with all the xmas festivities coming up. I've also got a weekend in Melbourne for a wedding on 10/11 November, and that is when I usually relax. Not this time though - I am not going to have a weekend off like I normally do.

It is 7 weeks til Christmas. I want to lose 9kg in 7 weeks, which averages out at 1.3kg a week. That is probably a little bit ambitious - unless I can pull out a couple of MASSIVE weeks to get me kick started. Anyway, will talk to Dan tonight about some realistic goals and will post tomorrow so that you can all keep me on track as well.