Sonia's Journey

Nothing much to say

2007-03-22T14:15:00.000+12:00

I put on 400grams this week. I was sort of expecting it. I have been careful with what I am eating but we went out for dinner a couple of nights last week and I had a couple of lollies. If I was being honest with myself I should have worked harder last week. Well that week is over and now I am half way through a new week. This week I have been religiously watching what I eat. I have started to drink a protein drink for breakfast - just to check if it makes a big difference by cutting out some carbs. I don't mind the drink for breakfast, it tastes ok. A good thing is that I am filling fuller for longer.

Gary is going well - he has 3 paying clients (personal training) now. A cousin, a cousin-in-law and a guy from his tennis club. I am so proud of him. He is going to make a great trainer when he finishes his course. Speaking of his course, Gary has his 2nd exam next week. I know he is nervous about it. He gets really stressed and snaps at people really quickly. I am crossing my fingers for him to pass and move onto the next module. This one has been a bummer and I know he is excited about doing a placement at the studio.

That's enough from me now.

Sonia

10kgs down!

2007-03-14T22:59:00.000+13:00

I finally have lost 10kgs. There are some wonderful people on the ww boards who motivate and support me. I posted the following on the WW forum and this is the responses I have gotten so far. (hopefully this will work :)

I have lost my first 10kgs, well 10.6kgs actually! I am so thrilled I had to yell it out to whoever is listening. It been tough with being made redundant and starting a new job, trying to not compete with my sister who is doing the TF diet and losing heaps. I stuck it out and now I am 10.6kgs lighter. Yay!

Sonia

That's FANTASTIC Sonia! 10.6kg is amazing! If you can do that with all the stress of changing jobs, you can do anything! . . . . . . . . . .Kathleenm

Congratulations on losing your first 10kg Sonia. I am sure this is the first of many milestones that you will knock over in the coming months etc. As for competing with your sister... don't bother. You are doing this for you and it is you who will reap the benefits of not only losing weight but adopting a lifestyle that brings sustainable weight loss.
Keep it going. . . . . . . . . . . Neilguy

Congratulations! It sounds like its time for you to celebrate your success! Rewarding yourself with things like a massage/new clothes is a fantastic way to celebrate how far you have come! . . - NZ_Chelle

Congratulations Sonia, Hiphoppy happy dance one footed, in celebration. What a great achievement with such tumult in your life, as already said if you can do it under the strain and pressure you have been under excellent, you are a STAR! - DE-ARN

Hi Sonia
What an achievement. That is fantastic you should be very proud of yourself.
Keep up the good work Rachel - aka MR winston

Well done Sonia, What a fantastic acheivment you have had, look forward to your next goal, you are proving to yourself that you can, and most importantly WILL do this....and remember, like neil said, it is for you. Don't worry about what your sister is doing, this is your life. Enjoy....IMKERRY

Well done. Keep doing this for yourself and don't worry what anyone else does or says it your journey. Keep up the great work. - Bonnielass

Sonia - congratulations!! Great achievement and once you've got your 10kgs, you know you can keep going. Well done and keep up the wonderful work! ...Trisca.. xo

Yay Sonia, good on you!!! Our weight loss so far has been nearly exactly the same, gosh lets hope we can keep it going..doesnt it feel good to succeed!! Cheers Mel aka MELSYMOO

Hi Sonia, Well Done!! See I knew you would do it and don't worry about Tammy's losses you just need to know you are doing the right thing! You've overtaken me so watch out, I'll have to try to keep up!! :) That is so awesome for you and I'm so glad you stuck at it, now you are reaping the rewards! Can't wait to see you again. Luv Claudia xo aka MOOSHSILK

9.9kgs down!

2007-03-05T19:27:00.000+13:00

Yay for me! I lost 1.5kgs this week which has bought my total to 9.9kgs lost. I am really proud of myself. I tried to pee out the last 100grams but to no avail. Oh well, hopefully next week I will make it to 10kgs lost and then I will get my next charm for my bracelet.

Things are looking up now. I had my stitches taken out today and there is a small scar on my cheek just under my right eye. I got the all clear from the surgeon so that was a big relief. Now I can start exercising again, I can't wait!

Well this week I want to do the following:

- Tue * personal training 45 mins
- Wed * swimming (hopefully 14 laps or more)
- Thu * deep water running
- Fri * free day
- Sat * Gym
- Sun * Swimming

See ya soon

Sonia

Why I stopped weight watchers

2007-03-03T12:23:00.000+13:00

This is a hard one to write. There were a lot of reasons why I stopped my online membership with weight watchers. I still am a regular on the ww forum boards, I find alot of motivation and support from them, but the actual membership was costly and I am trying to cut down the budget at the moment. The ww tracker annoyed me as the food points were not keep up-to-date, it is 3 months since point came in for pumpkin, corn etc but the tracker still hasn't been updated. I basically felt ripped off.

In one of the ww forums one of the girls was talking about the Calorie King Database. I took the 7 day trial and found it a much better tracker than the ww one. It calculates not only kjs and sat fat but protein, carbs, sodium. It is a lot more comprehensive and gives me heaps of reports to track my progress. After the 7 day free trail we downloaded the database for $50, we don't have to pay a monthly fee like ww, it is ours to keep, and it gets updated at least once a month with new foods. There is also an online membership that I have just joined (for free) and that seems really good too.

So the good news is that I haven't given up on leading a healthy lifestyle and losing weight, just changed my provider. I also feel good as I am watching that I eat more protein and less carbs which makes me feel better about myself.

Onto other matters... I am getting my stitches out on Monday (can't come quick enough). I am sick of the big bandage on my face and t is in my line of vision which is very annoying.

During the last week and a half I haven't been able to exercise (surgeon said not to) so I don't expect to lose a lot of weight. I worked out how much weight I have lost each month this morning. Although the results aren't as good as Tam's (who has lost over 12 kgs in 5 weeks) I am happy with them. On average I am losing 0.6kgs a week (Nov 06 - 3.3kgs / Dec 06 - 1.8kgs / Jan 07 - 1.3 / Feb 07 - 2.5kgs).

Well that's it for me this week.

Still as focused as the week I started!

Sonia

My visit to the Box Hill Hospital

2007-02-23T10:18:00.000+13:00

Yesterday was a big day for me. I had an appointment with a plastic surgeon at Box Hill Hospital. I had to get a legion on my face removed (just under my right eye) as it has grown and changed lately so tey wany to check it for the big "c" word. I noramlly think ngatively about these things but this time I don't think it will be bad news. Who knows, right?

I was ver nervous all morning. Gary came homw at 11.00am to take me to the hosiptal. We arrived at about 11.45 and then waited for approx 20 minutes. I was taken in and out of rooms, asked a million questions and then it was time to jump on the trolley and get wheeled to surgery. The first painful part was when they couldn't find a vein in my hand to put the needle thing. Ohhh did that hurt. The nurse was jabbing it in this way and then that. She told me that my veins were running away from the needle. Not suprising really! A doctor saw that she was having trouble so he took it out and tried the other hand. As that doctor was working on my hand another doctor stuck the local into my cheek and another gave me a seddative. It hurt so much I started crying...

The actual surgery went for about 15 minutes but they kept me in recovery for nearly 2 hours!

Poor Gary had waited in the waiting room for 5 hours before I could come home. I was fuzzy and dopey all night.

So it is the next day, I am not allowed to drive or work today so I have the day off. I was that out of it this morning I woke up and forgot my husbands birthday. I am a terrible wife! I know it is because I am still affected by the medications, I would have never forgot such an important day if I wasn't.

I just rang Gary to say Happy Birthday and I was so upset for forgetting that I was crying and couldn't really get the words out. Luckily Gary is such a wonderful and forgiving man as he said it was ok and for me not to be upset.

Now onto weightloss - I was very happy last Monday when I lost 1.8kgs. I am back on track now for my goal at the end of the year of 110kgs.

Sonia

Slowly slowly - does it matter....

2007-02-10T21:31:00.000+13:00

This week has been a long one. I have been thinking alot about how slowly I am losing weight. I look at my sister, she started the Tony Fergusson Diet 3 weeks ago and has lost 10kgs and I look at a couple of the girls at ww who are about my weight and are losing more quickly, I realise every loses differently but it is disappointing. I know the old me would have been really disheartned by this and would give up., I am not that person anymore. I am happy that the scales are going downward even though I might only lose between 0.1 and 0.5kgs a week but I worry that I won't lose weight quick enough to give me the best chance to get pregnant. I am 33 now, every year counts.

Gary and I went through what I eat on a weekly basis, just to check if I was counting points right and to see if we could alter anything so I would get better results. I have set a goal for myslef this year, I want to get to 119kgs my NYE. To lose 25kgs in one year, at my size, it shouldn't be a hard ask, but I am getting worried about it.

What I don't get is that my efforts don't correspond with the scales. I stay within my points each week, I exercise at least 5 times a week (except for the last two, I have had a really bad back and I had an accident with a door) but I don't much off the scales. Today I have been wondering what the other girls at WW do diferently to me. Why do they lose so much? I will have to ask Claudia, she is going great guns.

I am really proud of my sister. I think her weightloss is fantastic and even though she says it is easy, I know it isn't. She is doing a great job and I am not jealous of her weightloss at all. She is alos exercising which I am very happy about. It not only gets her healthy but she keeps me company sometimes at the pool.

Mum is also on a diet, not doing TF with my sister but she is watching what she eats and exercising. She is doing really well too.

To finish off tonight I am going to reiterate my motto "Its not a race, its a marathon".

Sonia

My damn back!

2007-02-04T19:56:00.000+13:00

I was enjoying my swimming, my personal training, my deep water running and have just took out a curves membership, it was bound to happen - my back has seized up. Last Sunday I was in bed and couldn't move. After seeing my chiro twice last week he has told me that I am not allowed to exercise for at least a week, probably two.

If someone had told me 6 months ago that I would be really upset not to be exercising I would have laughed at them, but nevertheless I am upset. I have worked so hard to get my fitness levels up and I don't want them to slide.

This week I am going to try and eat within my points ( no exercise points) and make sure I eat 5 serves of vegies and fruit. I am also going to try and limit my sugar points (not sure how I will go with this one).

Weigh in day is tomorrow, I'm not looking forward to it. Last week I put on 700 grams and this week for what ever reason it looks like I won't take much off. I'm not sure why as I have been sticking to my points. The good thing is that my fat percentage was 55% and now it is 52.9 and my water percentage has gone up 2.5% to 34.9%

Crossing my fingers for tomorrow. I really want to get my 10kg star by easter!

Sonia

Acceptance....

2007-01-27T22:14:00.000+13:00

I need to vent. I just finished posting on the ww forum in the tennis thread. I can't believe some of the people were having a go at Serena because of her ample butt. I know it has been in the media but I expected more from the people doing weight watchers. Why would they talk like they were about someones body when obviously their's isn't perfect or they wouldn't be on ww.

I'm sorry, I need to calm down. I know I have taken this personally because I too have a big butt and get hurt when strangers make stupid comments about it. Who cares what size her butt is, or how big someones tummy etc... Am I asking too much to expect acceptance at ww? Don't get me wrong, most of the people are wonderful and are very accepting of others, it was just a select few that I am annoyed with.

On the bright side - I lost 2.1kgs last week. I worked hard, I mean really hard. I started my new job (which I will talk about later), I swam 1.5kms twice, I did a pt session, a deep water running session and had my first session of curves. I don't think I have exercised so much in one week - ever!

On the job front - My new job is good, everyone seems to be really friendly. The girls that I work with are lovely. I think it will take me a bit of time to learn about the construction / engineering industry, hopefully not too long though. The travelling isn't even bothering me, I have rather enjoyed the driving all week. I am looking forward to going back on Monday.

Well thats all I have to say. Thanks for listening...

Sonia

Starting my new job tomorrow

2007-01-21T14:06:00.000+13:00

I am starting my new job tomorrow, I am so nervous! My position is an Office Manager at a construction and engineering firm in South Melbourne. I am normally so confident in my career, I suppose getting made redundant twice in 2006 set that back a bit. I know I will be fine, I just have to swallow the nervous and get on with it.

My weightloss is going well. I have really put in this week and hope to see good results tomorrow on weigh in day. I have done laps at least 4 times this week and did one aqua class and one deep water running class.

I am really enjoying swimming now. Gary and I went to rebel sport yesterday and bought a swimmers cap, googles and one of those nose things. Today at the pool I swam 30 laps which is 1.5kms in 60 minutes. Gary was funny, he said hewas going to start calling me thorpedo.

This week I am hoping to have a great week at my new job, stay within my points and the following exercise

- Monday - aqua class
- Tuesday - 30 laps
- Wednesday - rest
- Thursday - deep water running class
- Friday - 30 laps
- Saturday - exercise dvd
- Sunday - 30 laps

Sonia

Our puppy Smudge

2007-01-18T13:24:00.000+13:00

This is our puppy Smudge. He is a pugalier (pug x king charles cavalier). In the layout about he was approx 2 months old. He is now 7 months old. I just love him to bits. He even has his own blog. See the link above!

30 laps today...

2007-01-18T13:09:00.000+13:00

I swam 30 laps of the pool today which is 1.5kms. Yay for me, I am so proud of myself. I never thought I would be able to do so many laps. I actually got out of the pool and thought did I imagine I counted the laps, did I make a mistake a count wrong. Thats just my old negative ways trying to destroy my confidence so I swept those thoughts aside and focused on my success.

This time it isn't a race to get the weight off and the fitness up, its a marathon.

Sonia

Swimming laps...

2007-01-16T18:56:00.000+13:00

I just wanted to say how proud of myself I am this week. Normally around this time (8 weeks) if I have a bad week and don't lose much or gain I get depressed and give up on the diet. Well I only lost 200 grams last week, I thought it was going to be over 1 kg but it wasn't meant to be. Anyway I didn't give up but have pushed myself to do more exercise.

At this point I want to thank one of the wonderful girls I have met at WW online. She has been such an inspiration to the exercise part of my journey. She has only just started WW as well and has a lot of weight to lose too. I have been eagerly reading her posts lately about what exercise she is doing and became really interested as I could see her progress in the pool. Yesterday I read that she had completed 14 laps of the pool. I remeber turning to my husband saying I wish I could do that many. Just at that moment I decided I would try. Within 10 mins I had put on my bathers, got my towel and water organised and said goodbye to hubby.

Off I went to the pool. The first few laps were easy and then I got to six laps, any previous attempts I have had at doing laps would have finished at this point. I thought of the lady at WW and said I can do two more and then I started saying to myself its not a race, its a marathon. After those two laps I thought maybe I could do two more and so on. Well I am proud to say that I completed the 14 laps. You couldn't get the smile off my dial!

I got back home and posted that I too had completed 14 laps. Since then that same lady and I have become swimming buddies and hopefully we will spur each other on. I can't wait!

Sonia

Wedding pics

2007-01-14T15:21:00.000+13:00

The wedding pics!

I recently started my own business called Digiscrap Creations. I have created LO's of some of my wedding pictures below. I printed out approx 40 pages of layouts and put them into an album, 1 layout per page, and gave them to the mums as a thank you present after the wedding. Ne

If anyone reads this and are interested in getting any layouts done please send me an email.

7 weeks on...

2007-01-11T10:42:00.000+13:00

Well I am 7 weeks into my new lifestyle. It has been hard to stay on track but I am keeping it real and if I make unwise choices I make sure I make up for it with exercise or eating a bit less for the next few days.

I was happy on Monday when I stepped on the scales and found that I had lost another 700 grams which takes me to 136.6. Over the Christmas / New Year period I put on 1.4 kgs so I am half way to getting that weight back off.

I have set a goal that I would like to get my 10 kg star by easter.

Gary is being really good with my weightloss regime. I think because this one has lasted longer than most of the others have. I still have a way to go before being able to convince him that I am not going to give this one up too.

I am trying to get my sister Tammy to exercise more, mainly because she really needs to move more and also because if I am pushing her to exercise then I have do it too. When I motivate Tammy it motivates me too.

I have added another not so flattering pic of me above. It reminds me of what I am running away from.

Sonia

Me at the start of my journey

2007-01-11T10:09:00.000+13:00

The above image is of me a little while before I started WW.

New Years Eve 2006

2006-12-31T12:12:00.000+13:00

It is the morning of New Years Eve 2006 and I am thinking about my goals for 2007.

My goals are:

I would like to be 110 or under by this time next year
I want to enjoy exercising
Pregnant (or trying)
Have a job I enjoy
Purchase a home with Gary
Be happy
Drink more water on a daily basis

Over the last couple of weeks I have put on under two kilos (not sure yet, will weigh in tomorrow). I am a bit disappointed but I realise it is alot less than what it would have been if I hadn't been on weight watchers.

So as of tomorrows weigh in - no more excuses!

My first entry!

2006-12-21T10:16:00.000+13:00

I guess I will start by telling everyone a little about me.

33 years old.
Female.
Married to a lovely man named Gary.
We have a gorgeous puppy named Smudge.
We part own a unit in Ferntree Gully.
My main priority at this point in my life is my health and weight.

Four weeks ago I started on this weightloss journey. In the past I have started so many 'diets' and given up between 1 and 3 months. I am determined that I will stay with this new and better lifestyle for the rest of my life.

Since joining WW I have lost 5.2kgs. I am very proud of gaining my 5kg star. On the day I received it I went out and bought my first charm. The deal Gary and I have made is that every 5kgs I lose I will be able to buy a charm, at the 25kg mark I can buy a bracelet. I thought that would be a good reward as each time I look at my wrist I will be able to see how far I have come.

On my 2nd week (December 06) I was made redundant from my dream job at Funtastic Publishing. I was scared and anxious that I would fall back into my old ways of consoling myself with food. I allowed myself to lash out once, Gary and I bought KFC for dinner afterwards I was calculating the points I used and was shocked that it was over 30 for the one meal. I only get 25 for the whole day. It shocked me back into the right head space. Since then I am pleased to say I have got another job. I start working for a engineering and construction company on the 22/01/06.

So now I can relax and have a great Christmas. The only day that I am not going to count points will be Christmas day, then straight back on the wagon.

To finish off this post I will add a great Christmas Poem that someone posted on the WW site. I am not sure who the author is but if you know, please get back to me so I can credit them with the work.

Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvellous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!