Catching up and looking back . . .

It's been a while and I have been following my favourite blogs but not spending much time commenting or blogging, I'm afraid. I popped over to the lovely Leanne's blog the other day only to find that she had actually given me an award--how amazing! So I thought I better go blog something. I'm not quite sure how one goes about "picking up" a blog award or passing it on, so I will have to look into that. Meanwhile, Thanks Leanne! If you haven't visited Leanne's blog yet, you should. Only 2kg to goal--how amazing! A Slimmer and Healthier Me

School has been really great this year! I have a beautiful grade and it has given me faith in my decision to enter this profession and that I actually am a good teacher. Last year people kept telling me that every now and again you get a group where the dynamics just don't work and you just have to do your best and survive the year. I tried to believe it but deep down I just kept thinking I'm really just not up for this job. Anyway, fate dealt me a different hand this year and my grade although getting quite big (26 and it's only term one--eek) are just delightful! I spent all summer going through my behaviour management plans in my head, thinking when this happens . . . I'll do this, etc. But it just hasn't come to that. I talk . . . they listen and learn . . . it's just so easy. Of course I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to set "the tone" of the room, explicitly stating expectations, etc. And it's worked! We're all learning beautifully together. What can I say "3/4O's the way to go!"

Well I signed up for various Goal End Of Month challenges that I didn't really do, I signed up for the Lose 8kg by Easter Challenge--haven't persisted with that one (sorry, guys). Started taking pictures for the 100 day challenge . . . but haven't blogged that either. I guess I just have to admit to myself that I have no staying power anymore. I'm not going to do challenges for now. It just makes me feel that I'm letting everyone down. I have all but stopped losing weight, although I did make the under 80 milestone, finally, just. I seem to be able to maintain my weight, but I just can't seem to do the extra bit I need to do to actually lose weight at the moment. The other awful truth is that I've grown complacent as I feel great and I'm forever being told how great I look and I think I've lost the hunger to actually get to goal at the moment. To my amazement we were doing a touchy feely thing at work where we all had to write something positive about each other on a piece of paper. I was amazed by the feedback on my paper. As lovely as it was, I was not surprised by comments such as "Literacy Queen" and "Master Chef". However, "Great taste in clothes", "Looking Great" and "Fitness Fan" took me back a little! Did someone write on the wrong paper??

When I began this journey way back in September 2008, I was really reluctant to set a goal weight, because I figured every kilo, I was a kg better off than when I began. To a degree I still feel like that. Even if I never lost another gram, I am still so much better off than the old 112.5kg me. But on the other hand, if I look and feel so much better now than I did--how great will I feel when I'm actually have a healthy BMI rather than celebrating having gone from morbidly obese to just overweight?? The problem is it's getting trickier. I turned 46 and then the same week went fractionally under 80kg--and in one fell swoop, I lost 2 points at once. So now I have to eat 20 points and I've been totally crap at sticking to 22!! So I think I really need to raise the bar exercise wise. I've been slowly getting back into going to Curves 3 or 4 times a week and I think I need to try and walk the dog or swim AS WELL. All summer I have really only been walking or swimming and in the winter only going to gym--so I really think to give me an edge I have to do both.

We're off to Bali in two weeks . . . yippee!! More about that later. I'm disappointed that I won't be 75kg as planned, however, nothing I can do about that now. Will try hard for the next two weeks to lose a kg or two to give me some leeway for while I'm away. Recently, I met this lovely lady who has a personal training business. She is not-threatening at all and really good fun. I met her socially through our swimming friends and told her that in term two I'm interested in becoming a client. I'm hoping that might help me push myself a little harder in the exercise stakes.

Well my birthday was way back in January . . . but I did have a hoot and I wanted to put up some pics. We all went out for breakfast as a family, then that evening I cooked up a big paella for some really good friends. My dear mother bought me an entire summer wardrobe as a birthday present--ladies in Melbourne the TS 14+ Factory Outlet in Abbotsford is well worth a visit during sale time. I made our traditional family birthday cake--the coffee chocolate mudcake found here. I recommended this recipe to the legendary Chris H of Diet Coke Rocks fame and was so proud when she blogged about it, but she is right when when she says it's not weight watcher friendly! I tried to make it a little less deadly by just topping it with a dusting of icing sugar and strawberries instead of the ganache topping. I chose to put "Lost Count" candles on, rather than 46 candles. We all got a bit silly changing the letters around to spell different words . . . I'm afraid you can spell some quite disgusting things with the letters in "Lost Count" . . . think about it. Anyway, I really did have a happy birthday.






With our good friends Ann Marie and Sue and Ray (who incidentally I have apparently inspired to join WW Online--Sue has currently lost 10kg and Ray 8!! How good is that--I wish I could inspire me to lose 10kg!)





And just a little look back over the years . . .


If you're interested in really seeing how truly fat I was, click on the pictures. I must make sure I never go back . . .