[amoral lemur]

LDD you sound like you are off to a flying start.

[dogged]

Hi 20tolose, and welcome!
I would love to be at 81 - so it's all relative isn't it!

LDD I second AL - you are off to a great (re)start, well done. And how great that your sister loves your adopted country. It must make it easier that she can see why you are here.

JoIsMe - AL - any other Melbournites - yes to a meet up? Timing is tricky for me but I can usually do Sunday afternoons whilst DS is with his Dad.

Cardamom - try psyllium husks. Supermarkets sell jars in the health food section. You can sprinkle on cereal, or drink stirred in water. The texture is a bit sawdust-like but they don't have much taste if any and you only need a teaspoon or so. And drink lots more water in general. Good luck with that - not fun.

I am starting to feel human again but didn't have the energy to go to zumba this evening, but I did accidentally get on the wrong bus home and so had an extra long walk.

It will be interesting to see what the scale says on Saturday because my work clothes seem looser if anything, but I dare not get my hopes up because there were some poor choices made over Easter. I was ok until the last night really, then the more tired I got the more I just felt it was all too hard, so Monday night and Tuesday weren't great food-wise. I'm sort of hoping against hope that I haven't put on too much, but I'm too scared to get my hopes up.

[amoral lemur]

Can any Melbournites PM me if they want to catch up - we are communicating via e-mail.

[cardamom]

I wish I was a Melbournite and could join you guys Hoping to move there next year, such an awesome city.

AL - How have you been going with your food changes? Well done on all the exercise, very impressive. Sorry to hear you're suffering plumbing issues too, it's rubbish. You don't know what you've got until it's gone, eh?

dogged - hope you get a pleasing result tomorrow! Very encouraging that your clothes are looser. You did really well to maintain control, it was both Easter AND a weekend away visiting - even if it did get harder as the weekend wore on, it's great that you lasted as long as you did!

LDD - upping the vegies is always a good move! Simultaneously filling and calorie-less, a dieter's dream. How wonderful that your sister is loving it here!

PussyDids - good luck for weigh in tomorrow!

20tolose - how are you going? Hope you've had a good week

JoIsMe - sorry to hear you struggle with constipation too. I think you're definitely right about the water intake, I am absolutely hopeless with drinking water. Mother's Day walk sounds fun, great that you and your DH are doing it together! My DP tried to do my aerobics DVD with me the other day, he was a tad uncoordinated and kept bumping into me, he ended up just jumping up and down all over the room He did put my push up attempts to shame though, for a skinny little thing he's not too bad!

WW weigh in today, -1.2kg, very happy with that. I think I actually would have lost more, as I am certain I would have gained last week (deliberately didn't weigh myself because I didn't want to get despondent, but I ate so terribly that I have no doubt). Half a kilo to go til I break the 20kg! Can't wait. Am away visiting my family until Tuesday, and am really going to try to make sure I plan my meals/snacks; when I get out of routine, sensible eating tends to go out the window, and I just grab whatever's in the cupboard (which, at my parents' place, is often chips/lollies/chocolate). Despite my pleading for no Easter chocolate, Mum had a bunch of it for me today I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I took it and palmed some off on my brothers. Unfortunately not before I ate a good handful of little eggs.. Oops.

Also, chatted to my WW leader and Dr. today about the constipation problem, from the sounds of it it's definitely the result of not drinking enough water to compensate for the increased fibre. Metamucil/psyllium, many glasses of water, and all should be well. Here's hoping!

Have a great weekend everyone! Sorry for the mammoth post.

[~kitteh.hoardere...]

Will see what tomorrow brings... *crosses fingers*

One year today until my wedding and my wedding dress arrived today!

[dogged]

How exciting PD! So come on, give... what's it like? Colour? Style? we won't tell...

Cardamom - with the water thing, two ideas for you. Either keep a jug or water bottle next to you at your desk, and sip all day. Lots of people seem to find this works. The other idea is that every time you go to the kitchen to make a cuppa, or cook a meal, or put something away - every time you go to the handbasin to wash your hands - drink a medium sized glass of water. I find that works for me and I get my 6-8 glasses without trying. And if you are a tea or coffee drinker, every cup comes with an additional glass of water.

We could write a thesis on mothers showing love with food. Such an emotion laden topic. I know I do it myself despite trying to be aware. You really should lose weight darling...but here have this chocolate!

Anyhow, I am celebrating - weighed in this morning and 1.1kg down over the past 2 weeks. I am feeling super motivated again now! I had a goal due next Friday and have already beaten it by 0.3. So now I think I will aim for a further loss of 4.7kg by 25 May (6 weeks away).

[~kitteh.hoardere...]

How exciting PD! So come on, give... what's it like? Colour? Style? we won't tell...

It's like the one that Kate Hudson wore in Bride wars

This one, but in ivory, with a gold belt.

[dogged]

Oh, it's lovely! So so pretty, and you have the height to carry it off.

Enjoy this special time of anticipation and planning - can't imagine you as a bridezilla

[cardamom]

Ooh, gorgeous PD!

dogged, well done, great loss! Good idea with the goal setting too, sounds like you smashed the last one! Thanks for the water tips, I've been using a drink bottle yesterday and today and have managed to get a fair bit down. I think I'll try and have a bunch of bottles in the fridge so there's always one handy (and keep one on my desk) as well as drinking a glass before meals. My WW leader recommended 3 litres a day! Not quite there yet - I just don't feel thirsty that often, and forcing liquid down tends to make me gag - but hopefully it will get easier.

[*Spikey*]

Congratulations Dogged and Cardamom! Love that dress PD.

I am stuck in the study pit from hell. My computer ate my thesis work, so I'm frantically trying to recreate stuff (and not cry while doing it). I've decided that snacking helps - but I'm trying to snack on fruit instead of chocolate. Grapes, to be precise. Seems to work for the most part.

Three litres is a heck of a lot of water.

Most diet places suggest 2 litres, which is 8 glasses (250ml) per day. I'd have trouble going over that, unless I was doing a lot of exercise - in which case I'd be adding another 500ml or so, while running around.



Everyone else!