Time for review

I realised yesterday that the time is nearing. Yes, that the most important of days is just around the corner! I set my goals on December 9, 2008. The 3 month mark from this date will arrive in 3 weeks' time! (Yeah, OK .. so I can get a little carried away. My site. Can if I want. So there.)

Aaaaanyway .. the weight loss part of my goals was supposed to be complete within those 3 months. Am I there yet? No, not quite. Am I going well though? Definitely. Am I happy? Absolutely. But I also want to be one of those few people who actually FINISHES what they start. (And honestly, I'm looking forward to not having to record every morsel that enters my mouth.)

So, I have 3 weeks. And from my original goal I still have 4kgs to go. What can I do in 3 weeks? Well, I can sharpen up a bit on the food. Make sure I ALWAYS eat my 5 small meals and right level of calories. Get up earlier so that my last meal is well before bedtime (I've been a bit of a lazy sloth while I haven't been working). Don't miss any of my workouts, and even add some additional bits of cardio. Starting today - with personal training, weights and a 30min run. Yes. Let's do this. Let's be sharp and focussed and see what can be achieved in 3 weeks. Another 2-3kg down would be awesome.

To anyone watching from the sidelines, feel free to join me. 3 weeks of pure focus and no excuses. We can do that, right? Of course! Piece of cake .. just not literally. Let's go!

PS. Got my "Suck it up, Princess" shirt today - so have posted a pic. Sorry I didn't bother doing my hair or makeup for you!  ;)

Last ride on the rollercoaster...

... and it's already more than half over! What am I talking about? The rollercoaster of weight loss/weight gain, of course. Oh, yes, you know that one, don't you? Most of us do. Here's where I tell you my story. And if at any time I find myself gaining weight again, I'll come back and read it to inspire me NOT to be lining up for that damn rollercoaster again!

I was a skinny kid. And a tall, gangly, skinny teenager. A fussy eater, so my mother was happy with ANYTHING that went into my stomach. I learnt early on that, a) I had a rather large sweet tooth, b) I had a HUGE appetite, and c) I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. From a health perspective, I always ate breakfast (either toast or a sugar-laden cereal), always lunch (a range of semi-healthy to completely unhealthy choices), and always a healthy dinner (we were a meat-and-three-veg family). In between, I had a Wagon Wheel (rather large chocolate coated biscuits with marshmallow and jam in between) EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY SCHOOL LIFE, had crap when I got home and a HUGE pile of crap after dinner. Would not be unusual for me to take a picnic to bed with me - ice cream, biscuits, chocolate and chips .. and yes, all together! Oh, and I never learnt to cook. So as you can imagine, this really set me up with some brilliantly healthy eating habits to take into adulthood. Not.

I finished Uni and moved out of home at 22 years of age. I was still very slim, as I was very active. Then I started working. Which involved a HUGE amount of time sitting on my butt. And minimal (if any) exercise. So from my mid 20s, I began to gain weight. My idea of a healthy dinner was a big fat steak and some of that creamy packet pasta. Maybe some peas - but they were optional. Yes Mum, I WAS looking after myself!

At age 18 I weighed about 54kg - yes, too thin for a 5'10" frame. I didn't weigh myself for about the next 10 years. Not kidding. Got on the scales at work in 1998 (I remember, because it was just before I changed jobs). I was 69kg. OMIGOD!! I can't possibly go over 70kg .. how terrible! (I'm currently 68kg and feel quite trim, by comparison.) Again, I didn't weigh myself for the next 9 months or so. 78kg. Ouch. Too late to care. And it's not like I had a partner that I had to please. Besides, I didn't even know where to start. So I didn't. Start.

My defining moment? I moved to Brisbane in 2000 with a view to creating a social side to my life and went shopping for clothes for my new city job. Size 16 was too tight. Ugh. I was 83kg. For someone who had always had a great butt and a defined waist, I was suddenly shaped like a block. This is not me. At all. It was time. I tore a tag off a notice that was pinned to a telegraph pole - you know the ones. It was for Herbalife - replace 2 meals a day. So I did. And I walked for an hour most weekdays at lunch time. Got down to just over 70kg. Was SO happy.

Decided at this point that it was time to "tone up", so I joined a gym for the first time in my life. I was nearly 32. So I got a personal trainer and started doing gym stuff. And I began to put on weight. Oh, no! That's not supposed to happen! I still had no clue about appetite or just food in general. Back up to 78kg (which is when this pic was taken - don't I just look SO happy??). FINALLY, I stumbled across the Body-For-Life challenge. This was the one thing that finally got me on the right track and taught me what I needed to know. I did it for 6 months (with about a month off in the middle). Got down to about 67kg. With muscle. Stayed there for a while. Got married and was moving to Beijing in '03. In the time it took me to pack up our house, sell cars and furniture, etc, I "forgot" to eat properly and went back up to 76kg. Moved to China and luckily didn't have to work. So I went to the gym every weekday. Got down to 66kg. Moved back to Sydney in '05. Stress of work again. Couldn't be bothered eating properly (my ex-husband wasn't NOT a good influence either). Back to 76kg. Planned on going skiing in '06. Set myself a goal to lose 8kg in 11wks. Achieved it (back to 68kg) on the day before we left. Broke my toe doing karate last year. Back to 74kg by Xmas. Now back to 68kg .. and VERY committed to making this the Final Resting Place. Of my weight .. not of me.

Phew. I'm exhausted! Bet you are too. But does this sound familiar? Do you think it would be worth a bit of effort and care to MAINTAIN our weight, rather than ride this damn rollercoaster all the time? I do. Big time. And that's my challenge - I can lose the weight, I need to learn how to maintain it. For good.

Next time I will write about exactly HOW I manage to get the weight loss results I want. My "magic ingredient". Don't get too excited though - it's not something I put in my mouth!