Geovicsha's Diary - New Years Resolution.

Ha! What little jokester you are! :rofl: I actually thought, "Well, looks like Shannon's gone for broke today." LOL

Actually, your calories were pretty low today. I wouldn't make a habit of it. And I'm not saying that so you won't lose weight for the challenge, either. :D
 
Yeah, lack of the nut bars really make them low. Don't worry, I had one today. :)
 
:rotflmao: That was really good Shannon.

I was like "Wow, I'm not gonna say anything to him, but DAMN that's alot of calories!"

How was the ab workout?
 
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

I missed uni today, the first time I've totally missed it this year. :(

I'm loving the Kiwi Fruit so much that I think once the challenge is over, I'll still continue eating it.

Diet


Breakfast
Oatmeal - 112 cals
1/2 glass of skim milk - 42 cals
One banana - 138 cals

Total: 292 cals

Lunch
Two wholegrain, tomato and lettuce sandwiches - 390 cals
One glass of skim milk - 84 cals
One apple - 75 cals

Total: 549 cals

Snacks
One Go Natural Nut Delight Bar - 202 cals
One Kiwi Fruit - 46 cals

Total: 248 cals

Dinner
Wholegrain spaghetti - 360 cals
Spaghtti sauce - 90 cals
Mince beef - 250 cals

Total: 700 cals

Water
2.7 litres

Grand Total: 1,789 cals

Exercise
The pedometer is being so crap lately, I fixed it again today though. Sigh. I missed uni so my normal walking wasn't the best, but I went on a 70 min jog and then did some dumbbell exercises (like the ones in the video). I then tried the abs workout with a 4.5kg weight on my legs, and it was a bit hard but it felt so rewarding afterwards. Going to do it again tonight. Overall that was about 95 mins of exercise.

Thank you Amy. :)
 
Hey guys, I've been in Melbourne the last few days. During that time I accumulated in one day, a whopping 21,279 steps (13.4km and 683 cals).

However, I'm now 79.5kg, as some of the food offered there wasn't the best and my option. Sigh.

Well, back to the old routine again. :)
 
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

New low of 77.9kg. And about friggin' time I got into the 77's!

Diet


Breakfast
Oatmeal - 112 cals
1/2 glass of skim milk - 42 cals
One banana - 138 cals
One Cup of Green Tea - 0 cals

Total: 292 cals

Lunch
Two wholegrain, tomato and lettuce sandwiches - 390 cals
One glass of skim milk - 84 cals
One apple - 75 cals

Total: 549 cals

Snacks
One Go Natural Nut Delight Bar - 202 cals
One Kiwi Fruit - 46 cals
One Apricot 100% Fruit Bar - 91 cals

Total: 339 cals

Dinner
Sweet and sour chicken stirfry (sauce, brown rice and frozen vegetables) - 500 cals

Total: 500 cals

Water
3 litres

Grand Total: 1,517 cals

Exercise

Power walk/Jogging

Once again I went on a jog/power walk, and the pedometer records 5,000 after like 70 mins, so I would argue it was about 8,400. When I walk the pedometer is accurate, but my shorts are getting so loose, even with a belt, are almost falling down. I need money to go shopping, and stat.

Dumbbell exercises

Did many variations today, trying to focus on all muscles. Did the ones mentioned in the video I posted a couple of weeks ago, as well as Amy's ab work out, which I find a bit difficult (unless I am doing something wrong). Found this:
and did some of the exercises there, trying to focus on all muscles. This lasted for about 30 mins, so that was overall about 1hr and 40 mins of exercise today.
 
Congrats on being in the 77's! You're doing a fantastic job.

Sorry the ab workouts are difficult, they kick my ass and I have been training heavily with weights and cardio for a year and a half. I'll try to find some easier ones that you can do to work up to these workouts.
 
Hi Shannon

As ever it is ages since I visited your diary. It is great to see how well you continue to be going with this project of yours.

Your weight just keeps on dropping. You are doing so well. Congratulations on the 77.9kg :party:

Margaret: Yeah 300 miles is an awfully long way away. 482km, is that about 4-5 hours travel? What do your parents think about your weight loss? I'm only about 200km from dad during uni and I often miss him!

It should only take about 5 hours – but the motorways get pretty crowded here and there are different things like roadworks that hold things up too. It has taken 7 to 8 hours every journey for the past year or two.

My parents are really pleased with my weight loss. It is funny because my face has totally changed shape so I look more like people would have imagined that I would age to become. I am older now of course – but there is a more recognisable resemblance between my face from my early twenties and now than between my face two years ago and now. My father keeps saying things like “you actually look like yourself” and “you look like my daughter again”. It is quite funny because in some ways I know what he means and agree with him – but another part of me wants to say “I was always me”, “I always looked like me – just me at this time and me at that time”.

I know that feeling too well, but it's a part of life and it's just hard to be rude. As long as you stay on track afterwards it shouldn't be that big of problem at all. Right? :)

I class the social eating as good practice for the future. We need to learn to take one level of control for day to day eating when we are in charge and a totally different level of control for social occasions. While we are monitoring things and weighing we can see how well or badly we did.

I'd love to go to England, it was the country my mother was wanting to visit most but she passed away before that could ever happen.
I am sure that you will get here sometime. You will probably be appalled at our weather and wonder what the fuss was about. We get lots of Australian soaps here and love the sunny weather you have there.

Do you guys tend to read your earlier posts (especially in your diary). It's amazing to see how far you've come.
I cannot say that I read the start of my diary – but I know that I have come a long way.

The further you come the more you believe that the final desired outcome is achievable.

I find few things more annoying than a broken pedometer. That is why I wear two. That way I have a backup it things fail.

Well done on your 21,279 steps day. I know that is quite a bit of walking.

You really need to sort out those shorts. I find that my trousers need to fit or the pedometers just don’t count the steps anything like accurately.

I liked your April 1st diary entry. Now that you have seen the benefits of a healthy lifestyle – you wouldn’t want to eat and act like that. There will be lots of people that do.

I am sure that you will get better at Amy’s exercises with more practice.

I am keeping on eating kiwi fruit too.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Hi Shannon! Sorry for not posting much lately, but I hardly been online at all...
Anywho, CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW LOW!!!

You're doing sooo great! I think it's great that in these last few months you changed so much, not only phisically but mentally. You're doing a fantastic job and I'm so happy for you.

***hugs!***

India
 
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

New low of 77.6kg. I haven't updated lately, I sort've feel bad about that. I've been so busy with other areas, it's hard to keep track. But I guess the important thing is I'm still on track, despite the fact the weight loss is slower than initially.

I guess the lack of updates has made it sort've turn this into a chore rather than a goal, and with my mind focussed on other areas I'm scared I am more vulnerable to fall off the wagon. I'm contemplating starting a new diary, as I feel a fresh start (or Chapter 2) would rejuvenate the motivation and remove the 'chore' feeling.

Diet


Breakfast
Oatmeal - 112 cals
1/2 glass of skim milk - 42 cals
One banana - 138 cals
Total: 292 cals

Lunch
Two wholegrain, tomato and lettuce sandwiches - 390 cals

Total: 390 cals

Snacks
One Beer - 150 cals

Total: 150 cals

Dinner
Roast chicken, skinless - 350 cals
Salad (cucumber, lettuce, tomato) - 80 cals
Carbonara sidedish - 200 cals
One glass of skim milk - 84 cals

Total: 714 cals

Water
2.25 litres

Grand Total: 1,546 cals

Exercise

Bought some new clothes today, ones that feel much better on me due to the weight loss. Not only did this rekindle some motivation that I am lacking lately, but it also helped when I bought new jogging shorts. Although I still have some fiddling around to do to get it accurate completely, but it still was.

Normal Walking

Steps: 8,451
Distance: 5.324km
Calories: 271 cals
Power walk/Jogging

Steps:
5,146 (So inaccurate, why do I bother)
Distance: 3.241km
Calories: 165 cals
Duration: 65 mins
Cheers,
Shannon
 
Hi Shannon

I have faith that you can stay on track. We all get times when weight loss goes a little slow at times. Keep with it. I know that you can do it.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Well, after an alarming weight loss of 73.5kg, I'm quite certain it's the scales, as I'm now about 76.3kg. I did the best jog I've ever done in my life last night, I'm starting to feel after my second wind I can continue on forever. It just sucks when I have to cross roads and that's when I get puffed.
Good to see you Margaret, and yes, it's budging and going down steadily once again. :)
 
Hi Shannon

It is better to have the scales play tricks on you than have your body do nasty things because things are happening in an unhealthy way.

Dont get phased by the scales. They can do erratic things if they are not in the normal place or they get wet. Dawn (Bellaryna) had to get new scales a few months ago because her young son had a bathroom "aiming" accident. Not suggesting that anyone had an "aiming" accident there - but bathrooms can be damp places!

My scales have been playing some tricks on me recently - and it is all true!!! I was rushed into hospital last Wednesday and needed surgery on Thursday. There was absolutely no opportunity to weigh myself - but I gave Rod (my husband) instructions as to how to fill in my Wednesday weight on the challenge scoresheet. My bowel has been adrift in the wrong place and it got tangled up in my tummy button. It was very painful because it was all tangled up. I needed a hernia operation to untangle it and put it back into the right place. The operation caused quite a lot of swelling and they had a saline drip going into my arm constantly for about 40 hours or more. This means that I got lots of water retention too. I ate hardly anything for about three days and all I got for my trouble was an 8 pound gain. Thankfully I am recovering really well and have even started walking again - but with shorter distances. I have been out for a 3 mile walk this morning which I am quite pleased about - all things considered. My exercise options are very limited at the minute. I am under strict instructions not to bend, stretch, lift anything of any weight or do anything energetic - so my aerobics are out.

It is great that you are jogging better than ever :hurray: - and it is brilliant that your weight is coming down in a healthy way. :hurray:

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Monday, April 28

I am so glad you are better Margaret, it is scary to think if this happened 14-15 months ago for you when you were double your weight. I hope you make a speedy recovery and begin those aerobics in no time. :)

Fortunately my scales are away from my toilet, well, in Bendigo anyway. Now that I think about it, they are right near the toilet in Swan Hill. Oh crap. And my dog goes in there lots too. Oh crap. Oh crap!!! Haha.

I find it a tedious task to make daily entries on calories when at uni, when I'm on holidays (approaching very soon) that area may be focussed on again. Sure, I look at the back of food products to see how much calories they have, but physically writing down the calories and recording them seems like the initial training wheels. If this is a lifestyle change, I don't see myself writing down calorie numbers until the day I die. I know what I eat is healthy, I know the amount is a moderate as such and I guess it's just extinct now to know what is good, what is bad, the rough calorie amount etc.

Trying to aim for the 75's this week, couldn't go on a jog tonight due to it was hailing, and I need to get back into the swing of things regarding dumbbells. And it's the last week of the challenge, so the MILF Battler's need to kick some major ass!

In the 76kg range, I'm scared my man boobs will never die down. (Double chin and back fat for that matter). In fact, I feel all my area is still plagued with fat. I know in my heart you can't spot reduce, but I'm still scared once I reach my goal weight (late 60's) I'll still have all the same areas plaguing me.

I believe toning would be the best option, I just need to make that into a habit.

My pedometer's battery is dying, the second figure from the left is fading that it doesn't exist anymore. It sucks. Eg: If I have 1,635 steps it looks like "1-35". It's a pain, but I guess as Margaret has said before, in the end only my body knows how much steps I've done. The weight loss won't alter if the pedometer is inaccurate, or in my case, a dying piece of crap.

Breakfast and lunch were the same old, banana porridge with skim milk and whole grain lettuce and tomato sandwiches. I'll never get sick of them. For dinner tonight I had Nandos, a healthy alternative with skinless chicken breasts and salad. I was a bit naughty that for the first time I got a Diet Coke, although 1 calorie, I feel bad just consuming anything coke related.

Uni wise, only a month before the semester ocmes to an end. Isn't it a scary thought? :) (Although two exams between May and June). I'm not overally happy at uni, in some ways I wish I was more focussed, I have three essays due by end of May/early June, so should start. I love my politics classes, but hate the history one (centered on the French and Industrial Revolution). I'm more interested in 20th century history, so I'm a tad scared I might fail. Hmmmm...

Weight loss is the same as uni, I need to be motivated to succeed. And since it's nearly 2am I should sleep as I have uni tomorrow!

Oh, bought a new phone. A Nokia N95. Yay. :)

Cheers everyone, and let's go MILF Battlers!

Shannon :D
 
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Hi Shannon

It is great that you have a new phone - I hope that it has lots of functionality that you enjoy using.

I must admit - I am a poor advert for mobile phones. I simply use them to make calls when I am on the move. Having said that - I was an early adopter of the technology. We were among the first people to use mobile phones in England. My husband Rod began working for Vodafone when it was a new start-up back in 1987 - and actually in the early days there were many times when he ran the UK Vodafone network single-handedly. Back in the early days he had to go to Scandinavia for training on new equipment - so he has worked on secondment at Nokia's head office just outside Helsinki!

Over the years I have worked for the telcos myself - having done 4 years at Cellnet (now called o2 - a major competitor of Vodafone's in the UK) and 3 years at Vodafone.

I am sure that you remember that I do not count my calories. I prefer not to do so - but the fact that my diet is so repetitive means that things get pitched at much the same level and that the level is pretty much right.

Like you - I do not see counting calories for life as being a practical arrangement. If I was reorganising my food plan or if my weight loss had stopped or if (heaven forbid) I had started to gain weight without a reasonable explanation as a day to day fluctuation - then I would count my calories while I worked out what to do and got a new plan into place. Much as I feel that counting calories puts me into a danger zone - I do so every now and then anyway when it is required for a challenge. I really like to pick up bonus points in challenges whenever possible.

I am sure that you will find that toning exercise will become a habit. This is in much the same way that your walking and food control has become a habit over the past few months. I am sure that the areas that concern you will improve as you continue your project. My arms are getting quite flabby because I have not done any of my little exercises with my hand and wrist weights over the past two weeks since my operation. I was told not to lift anything so I will err on the side of caution.

It is such a nuisance when the pedometer lets us down. That is why I now wear two of them. I know that it is a little over the top - but we had a spare one lying around the house and it seemed silly not to have two clipped on - so my chances of getting a result that I can believe in are increased. The silly thing is that if you stick to a basic route you have a good idea how far you have walked (depending on which bits you did) so you know pretty much whether it is right or wrong as soon as you read it.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Hi Shannon

Just thought that I would pop into your diary and congratulate you on your weight loss during the challenge. You lost more than anyone - you lucky thing! That is the title that we would all love!

:party:

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Thanks Margaret, trust me, I haven't lost much lately. Stupid scales. :(
 
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