Through The Years

The other day when I was posting some photos on my blog I accidentally clicked on the link to upload photos from this blog, rather than from my computer. Prior to this I didn't realise that all the photos I have ever posted on this blog were saved in a folder on this blog and it shocked my socks off to see how I have changed over the years I have been blogging.

I have been blogging for four and a half years and the stats on my side bar (copied below) really show how much my weight has fluctuated during that time. Anyone that has been following my blog for a while must be so sick of hearing about the weight gain and loss, fad diets and the whinging! I commend you for sticking by me for this long.

My blogging years weight statistics

• 2006 Start Weight:128.5 kilos
• 2007 Start Weight: 114.5 kilos
• 2008 Start Weight: 108.8 kilos
• 2009 Start Weight: 125.4 kilos
• 2010 Start Weight: 99 kilos
• 2011 Start Weight: 82.5 kilos

Strap yourself in, here is a selection of the photos I have posted on this blog over the years. Watch my weight go up and down like a roller coaster!

2007

Eating poutine in Queenstown, New Zealand

In Queenstown, New Zealand

Celebrating the 2007 AFL grand final

Eating a pizza cone in Tokyo

In Tokyo for work

At the zoo for my birthday

Drinking champagne over Christmas in the Yarra Valley

2008

Graduating from my Masters Degree 

The day after my 10 year high school reunion... hung over 

My friend's wedding in Apollo Bay 

Eating gelato in Rome (yes that is chocolate on my lip) 

Drinking champagne in France

Doing singstar at my brother's house after watching the footy

 At my friend's wedding in Hawaii

Touring the North Island of Oahu

Dressed for the Melbourne Cup races

New Years Eve in Bendigo with the blogger girls

2009

Holiday in Darwin 

Floating in the pool in Darwin

At my dad's house in the country to watch the footy

At my old house in Point Cook

Holding my friend's adorable new born

2010

Drinking wine in the Yarra Valley on Australia Day

The day I finally got my driver's licence

At Lake Louise in Canada

Dancing in Las Vegas

On the teacups ride at Disney World

Eating a hot dog in New York

At Alcatraz in San Francisco

Drinking wine in the Napa Valley

Hiking at Joshua Tree National Park

Back in Melbourne on my first day at my new job

Touring through Bali

At my friend's wedding in Bali

 Eating at Vue de monde for my 30th birthday

On a picnic for my 30th birthday

2011

New Years Day walk

Hiking the 1000 Steps in the Dandenongs

Walking through Toolangi State Forest

Touring around Milewa 

Eating in Kyneton

Eating cake on my 2 year lap band anniversary

What was I thinking with that fringe in 2008...

Bursting With Happiness

Exciting news… I got a new job. I couldn’t be happier right now!!!

I’ll still be working at the University, which I love, but I’ll be working in publishing again and also earning much better money. After I got back from travelling last year I took on a temporary admin/events management role at the University. I like working here, but the job just didn’t excite me and I was bored to death. So now I get to combine both the things I love (university research and publishing) and be paid well. Hallelujah!

I have made the best friends here at my current job and I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving, so now I’ll just be working downstairs from them. Also, the lovely B is now working just down the road from me so now I get to stay close by to her for lunch dates.

The best thing about getting this new job is realising I have the most fabulous and supportive friends, family and colleagues in the world. I have had so many lovely emails, texts and phone calls from everyone who is genuinely happy for me. It just blows my mind that people care so much and it makes me fell all warm and gooey inside. My apologies for being so soppy!

Lucky I have a couple of girlfriends staying with me this weekend so now we can celebrate with a bottle of champagne… or two… let's face it, it's going to get messy!

Bridesmaids!

I recently found out I was going to be a bridesmaids in my brother’s wedding next February. At first I felt pretty fine about the idea of wearing a bridesmaid dress and being in a wedding party and I didn’t feel like I would feel like the ‘fat bridesmaid’, but I am getting increasingly nervous now the event is drawing closer.

My brother and his partner announced they are moving back to Australia at the end of August and bridesmaid dress shopping is hot on the agenda. I am honoured and excited to be a bridesmaid, I am just scared that I am going to make dress shopping difficult for everyone else. The bride and other bridesmaids are all really skinny and I don’t think it would cross anyone’s mind that there are people that don’t fit into standard sizes. I don’t want to be the person who can’t fit into the standard size dress and ruins it for everyone, or even worse, has to get my dress special ordered. Of course the bride and the other bridesmaids are all lovely and wouldn't want to make me feel uncomfortable, I just don't want to spoil things for the bride.

I am on the cusp on a size 16 now (if the cut is generous around my mid-section) but to be confident going bridesmaid's dress shopping I would really like to be wearing a comfortable size 14-16. So that gives me about 2 months to drop some weight. I have no idea how much I need to lose, but I’m not focussing numbers, just eating well and exercising. There is no point aiming to get to a certain weight because I never meet my own expectations and end up feeling like a failure.

I am going to measure my weight loss against a dress that I bought earlier this year and I am hoping to fit into for my cousins wedding (which happens to be the day before my brother and his girlfriend fly back to Australia). The dress is currently too tight to zip up (I learnt this the painful way… with the zip getting stuck in my back fat) and it is a size 14 from Portmans. Weirdly enough I saw it recently the aptly titled movie Bridesmaids!

(pictures from here)

The dress from the movie Bridesmaids

The version I have of the dress with the black band around the middle

Weirdly enough, Kristin Wiig’s character wears another dress that I own in the film, except mine is a watermelon colour. 

 The dress from the movie Bridesmaids

 Me in the watermelon version of the dress and literally 3 times the size of Kristen Wiig!

So if and when I fit into my size 14 dress for my cousin’s wedding I will be feeling a whole lot more confident shopping for bridesmaid’s dresses with the other girls. I’ll be sure to post pictures of me (hopefully) wearing the dress in August and also report back on bridesmaid's dress shopping. Wish me luck.

Walking Contradiction

So as soon as I make big decisions and announce them on my blog, it is pretty much a guarantee that soon I will completely contradict myself. My latest about turn is in regards to my gym membership. So first I complained about how much I hated the gym. Then I cancelled my gym membership. Then I bought this piece of crap elliptical that doesn't work. Now I have decided to go back to the gym.

Let me explain... I purchased one of those cheap deals for a 3 month gym membership for $29. My last gym membership was $22 a week, so $29 for 3 months is an amazing bargain. The main problem I had with the gym (apart from laziness) was that I felt constant guilt if I didn't go to the gym because it was costing me so much. I am hoping I won't feel so much guilt and pressure about the gym if I don't have the financial commitment. I also figure that a 3 month membership is perfect timing because it will expire around the same time as my motivation.

AJ bought the cheap deal too, so it means we can go together and hopefully he'll drag my fat arse there when I try to make excuses not to go. We have also decided that we'll only go when it suits us, which is weekends, because that is when we have more time. I hate rushing home from work on a weekday to get changed, hurry through a work-out and then get back to organise dinner, shower and try to get to bed at a reasonable time. I enjoy working out so much more when I can take my time and relax.

So I plan to go to the gym 1 or 2 times on the weekends and keep doing my pilates class at work and I might even try the yoga class at work next week! That might not seem like a heavy exercise program, but for me that should be sustainable and enjoyable, which is more important to me than fast weight loss.

Unfortunately I had a couple of false starts with the gym... the past 2 Saturdays I was supposed to front up for my introductory session with a trainer and both days I ended up being too hung over to attend. I got my shit together this morning and had my first session and it actually felt good to get back into some sweaty exercise.  I wonder how long this will last...

Friday Fun Time

It's the Friday before a long weekend here, so I am feeling slightly distracted at work right now... I just went through my iPhone and downloaded some recent photos for my own entertainment.

AJ licking the chocolate dipping sauce out of the bowl at a restaurant. I had to take this photo to show him how much chocolate he had on his face.

Me wearing a poncho my brother sent me from Peru. I'm still not sure if this was a joke present or a serious present...

My attempt to eat sushi at work for lunch, I had to pick off all the rice and could only get the seafood inside down. I obviously don't try to eat sushi anymore...

Trying on a dress I found on sale at Myer. I almost wanted to get it just because it fit and it was cheap, but I don't think it was really me. Plus, where the hell would I wear a dress like that anyway?!

The bottle of wine my brother and his girlfriend sent me to work the other day for helping them with some Visa issue. Yum!

My legs after my laser hair removal session. Extremely painful, but worth it to never have to shave my legs again!

Me right now at work in my office. Couting down the minutes until 5.00 pm for a glass of wine and a 3 day weekend!