"Big Girls (You are Beautiful" <-- Mika's song: Nataliejo's Diary.

[nataliejo]

Hi Natalie Jo,
I have been out last week and boy did I miss alot! Congrats on getting your period! It's amazing to see what differences weight can make in our bodies.
Sorry you are having a bad day, I know how you feel I have been wallowing in the same pit myself. But we can do this one day at a time. So we had a few bad days, who hasnt? We are stronger than we used to be, we can and will do this. Ummm......I think you need a trip to starbucks LOL.

Keep up the good work you are doing great. Go use that shopping card and have a little retail therapy!

TTFN

gurl ..
I went to starbucks three times yesterday ..and never saw the guy I like!! lmao ... but it was worth the trips ..their tea is the TAZO tea ..
I love their black tea ..so I am going to get their black tea in the supermarket .. I was going to buy it this past weekend ...but I ended up putting it back ..but that is my goal this week ..to get TAZO tea for my house .. I am in love with that tea ...
than I can make shankin' ICe Teas lol
jk ...my men make the Shankin's better than me anyway ...

lol starbucks is like my second home lol

ttylaterz
love yas
natalie jo

 

[nataliejo]

Went down one Pound!

Hey gals ... and guys
I don't know if this matters, but .. I went down one pound ...but I don't think it does ... I will tell you when it does ... lol

I keep jumping between 291-293... oy vey

it says I am 292 ...so I dunno ... Someday I will be down to 289 ..and I will be a happy girl! lol very happy!
and that my goal ..to get below 290 .... lol because this plateau seriously sucks ...

so I am going to do a little something differently today ..

going to do my ball ...build my muscles or tone them .. Ive noticed some weight loss ...but my tummy is sagging ...and I think its the skin is not coming in because I am not using WEIGHTS at all ...
toning is important ..so guess what I will be doing today ...crunches ...squats ...and what not ... boxing ... I have a book ..that shows women how to box ... in air ...you turn a lot and you raise your hands above your heart and you twist a lot ..but I can do it ... all of the exercises are for your abdomen ...so thats is what I am going to be doing! homegirls! lol ...

but anyway ... I am going to pick up myself from the floor and exercise out of joy ..get joy out of my exercise ..my mom told me she finds exercise a way to escape ..and I think that is exactly way to think about it ...a wonderful way to spend an hour or two doing ...lol

ttylater ladies
love yas
natalie jo

 

[freaksgurl]

Glad you are having a good day! Kudos for trying the boxing, let us know how it goes. That may come in handy when you have to fight the men off....LOL

Anyway sounds like you are back to your old self again maybe this is the week to break that platau!! Joy from excersice....hmmmm.

TTFN

 

[lungsfortherace]

Hey, NJ! Just checking in with you. I like the new picture, by the way. You have really pretty hair. I've always admired red headed women. I don't like red hair on men for some reason. *shrugs*

Funny thing about Starbucks. I spend a lot of time there grading papers in the evenings and on weekends. I usually get decaf coffee or half regular and half decaf. Their tea is awesome too! I love the Passion flavor. I think now I like the smell of ground coffee beans more than I actually like coffee.

So, who is this Starbucks fellow? Hmmm?

-Tamara

 

[CatsMeow]

Natalie Jo...! Natalie Jo...! It should be a song!

Ah Starbucks. My once-ish a week treat. A venti nonfat iced chai tea latte. I know it's like 300 cals but that's why it's a once in a while treat! Starbucks is a nice place to 'window shop'.

The other day Rob and I stopped at a Starbucks and I was getting straws for the both of us. I had to shimmy myself up between two hot guys (who both smiled at me Thank You Very Much!) and Rob said from behind me (very loudly I might ad) 'Ahem, Sweetie, can you grab me a straw please.'

He should know I'm not prowling for something new. It's just nice to look and to be looked at now that I'm feeling super cute and have some confidence.

Great job on the pound down! My weight loss has been slow recently and it's been discouraging but we have to keep each other pumped!

My weight has taken a toll on my skin and I've noticed some saggy bits on my belly since I've lost weight. That sometimes take a long time to bounce back, but I'd rather deal with a few saggy bits then all those extra pounds!

Keep Smiling!

 

[Omega]

Hi Natalie Jo

I think that the pound loss can only be seen as a positive. I certainly celebrate every pound that I lose and think that you should too. My weight often has a spell of wiggling on a plateau and then when the plateau breaks I often have a week when I get a really thrilling drop. It is like the deserved big weight loss queues up waiting to happen.

All we can do is keep on being good and exercising for all we are worth and hope that it happens.

As far as you wanting to wear loose shoes to walk - I say walk in whatever is most comfortable. Dont give a damn what it looks like or what people say about fashion or appropriate footwear (as long as you are not walking up mountains when 4 inch heels are not advised for a reason!!!) As you know I do a fairly decent amount of walking. It is currently really cold here (frost on the windscreen first thing in the morning and a nasty coldness to the air). Well I have been putting off going out walking until 9 a.m. (usually go about 7.30 a.m.) and so long as it is not wet I have continued wearing my favourite flat sandals. I just wear really thick warm socks underneath them. I honestly dont think that the majority of people notice that I have black socks and black sandals on. They probably just think that it must be shoes. I just like my feet to be as comfortable as possible.

Your abdomen exercises sound like a good idea. I probably should do something like that myself. I certainly have a large and sagging tummy. Other bits of me are large and sagging too - but as long as they are not as large as they were it is something to celebrate in my book.

Take care
Love
Margaret

 

[nataliejo]

Glad you are having a good day! Kudos for trying the boxing, let us know how it goes. That may come in handy when you have to fight the men off....LOL

Anyway sounds like you are back to your old self again maybe this is the week to break that platau!! Joy from excersice....hmmmm.

TTFN

I don't know if I will break the plateau ..but I am going to try ..
I have gained girth again ..my stomach is puffing out past my breasts ...this sucks ..but you know what .. I am going to take it as a learning experience .. I need to work at this and work hard ..otherwise I am not going to get any where ..except maybe get bigger ..so work I will do ...but I also must focus on my schooling ...

its so nice to see you gurl in my diary ...
You are doing well with your diet .. I visited your diary .. if I could only be so good ..wish I could figure out how people eat less than 2500 calories a day ..my first goal to reach is 2500 ..and than to go further down in calories ...

well I will talk to you later hun
thanks for stopping in ..always appreciated

ttylater
love yas
always
natalie jo

 

[nataliejo]

Hey, NJ! Just checking in with you. I like the new picture, by the way. You have really pretty hair. I've always admired red headed women. I don't like red hair on men for some reason. *shrugs*

Funny thing about Starbucks. I spend a lot of time there grading papers in the evenings and on weekends. I usually get decaf coffee or half regular and half decaf. Their tea is awesome too! I love the Passion flavor. I think now I like the smell of ground coffee beans more than I actually like coffee.

So, who is this Starbucks fellow? Hmmm?

-Tamara

You know whats funny ..he has strawberry blonde hair ..so he is a read head ..but has blonde high lights ..its natural too .. I can tell
I love men with red hair .. I think that is making me attracted to him .. I just look at that soft hair and melt ... I have a bf ..just window shopping lmao
a girl can look ..just no touchy .. but I am going to try to get the gaul up to talk with him ..usually I just grab the straw ..fiddle with it ...ho hum ..and than I just stare and I am so damn obvious lol its sad ..what a crush .. I love seeing him ..he is my sunshine on freaky days where studying is at its highest ... he is my break from the books ..lmao ... a little charm ...a little festive ..the window is mine ...but I am sure there is someone else tending to it ..lol

single he must not be ..because he is quite the find lol

anyway ...
I am doing alright with the exercise ..need to increase!! lol
but I am going to try to hit out a half hour to an hour ...

anyway ... ttylaterz hun
will pop into your diary soon .. have just been studying up a storm ... I get a break from Saturday at 12:45 to next wed ..than its two more classes for a new term ...

anyway ..starbucks does kick arse!

best place to take in a little view ..sip a little of that tasty drink and grade papers ..

ttylater
love yas
always
natalie jo

 

[nataliejo]

Ah Starbucks. My once-ish a week treat. A venti nonfat iced chai tea latte. I know it's like 300 cals but that's why it's a once in a while treat! Starbucks is a nice place to 'window shop'.

The other day Rob and I stopped at a Starbucks and I was getting straws for the both of us. I had to shimmy myself up between two hot guys (who both smiled at me Thank You Very Much!) and Rob said from behind me (very loudly I might ad) 'Ahem, Sweetie, can you grab me a straw please.'

He should know I'm not prowling for something new. It's just nice to look and to be looked at now that I'm feeling super cute and have some confidence.

Great job on the pound down! My weight loss has been slow recently and it's been discouraging but we have to keep each other pumped!

My weight has taken a toll on my skin and I've noticed some saggy bits on my belly since I've lost weight. That sometimes take a long time to bounce back, but I'd rather deal with a few saggy bits then all those extra pounds!

Keep Smiling!

Im not sagging anymore Cat! ugh! I am filling out again! lol I bought some clothes, because I haven't gone out for a long time and I was in a good strong 22/24 ... and than my pant size is def staying in the size 24s for a while .. I will keep working at it ..but I don't think I will be down to a 22 until next spring ..which is fine ... I want to lose between one and a half to two pounds a week ... than make it two pounds a week once I get the ball rolling ..
wish me the best hun
and yes ..starbucks ..is where all the lovers of romance go lmao

shimmy huh ... you go girl!! Shimmy all you want ... sounds like a good experience ... good for you! and a jealous bf once in a while is not a bad thing ... it will keep him on his toes lmao
ttylater
love yas
natalie jo ..always

 

[nataliejo]

Hi Natalie Jo

I think that the pound loss can only be seen as a positive. I certainly celebrate every pound that I lose and think that you should too. My weight often has a spell of wiggling on a plateau and then when the plateau breaks I often have a week when I get a really thrilling drop. It is like the deserved big weight loss queues up waiting to happen.

All we can do is keep on being good and exercising for all we are worth and hope that it happens.

As far as you wanting to wear loose shoes to walk - I say walk in whatever is most comfortable. Dont give a damn what it looks like or what people say about fashion or appropriate footwear (as long as you are not walking up mountains when 4 inch heels are not advised for a reason!!!) As you know I do a fairly decent amount of walking. It is currently really cold here (frost on the windscreen first thing in the morning and a nasty coldness to the air). Well I have been putting off going out walking until 9 a.m. (usually go about 7.30 a.m.) and so long as it is not wet I have continued wearing my favourite flat sandals. I just wear really thick warm socks underneath them. I honestly dont think that the majority of people notice that I have black socks and black sandals on. They probably just think that it must be shoes. I just like my feet to be as comfortable as possible.

Your abdomen exercises sound like a good idea. I probably should do something like that myself. I certainly have a large and sagging tummy. Other bits of me are large and sagging too - but as long as they are not as large as they were it is something to celebrate in my book.

Take care
Love
Margaret

Yea the boxing routine I tried out tonight for a few minutes ..def uses quite a bit of the abdomen ... its all good .. I am going to use it in my walks tomorrow ..go for two thirty minute walks ..inbetween drueling over starbucks coffee man and my papers lol no I don't druel on my papers .. I just trivialize more and more over them lol
ugh ..stress ..gets me everytime ..
final is on Saturday
wish me the best!
love yas
natalie jo ..always

 

[Omega]

Hi Natalie Jo

Good luck with your exams on Saturday. Keeping up the walking in the meantime is a good idea too. Also, in my opinion a girl has every right to sit and enjoy the view.

Here is a reply that I put in my diary for you.

Thanks for your support. It is so sweet of you to say that I inspire you. I honestly do not feel like much of an inspiring type of person. An inspiring person would probably not have left it to my age before dealing with things. The problem is that I just did not know how - and everything that I tried failed. I got into the mindset where I believed that it was impossible. I wish that I had dealt with it as I turned 30 like you are.

You are doing great and I am convinced that if you keep on being good with your food and building up your stamina by walking - more pounds will come rolling off. Remember - I do not go out bicycle riding as yet like you do - and I am sure that you do more toning exercise than me. Apart from my two lessons a week - I rarely have been slotting any toning exercise in over the past month. As my walking has increased, my toning exercises have diminished.

It really does get me cross when I see people say that walking does not help you lose weight and that you have to run or jog. That may be true for people who only have to lose 10 pounds (I have no idea about that - and I will worry about the last 10 pounds when / if I get there - it is of very little interest to me now). All I know is that kind of talk made me think that there was nothing that I could do by exercise. I remember buying a book that said just that 11 years ago and stopping doing the little bit of walking that I had started doing. Surprise, surprise - the diet that I was on at the time failed. It is absolute nonsense to think that the larger person can go out running / jogging. We would all keel over and know it!!! I still wouldnt dare to jog now.

Life is not fair - and we have to be better with our food than everyone else and do more exercise than everyone else - but if we do that I firmly believe that it is possible. And I have to say that I would never have believed that I could drop the amount of weight that I have as quickly.

Take care
Love
Margaret

 

[rah]

Hiya NJ

Wow i dont come on for a while and i miss so much!!!!
taken me ages to read though all that i have missed!!!

Comfort eating though exams etc is what i do as well.
i buy sultanas and pick at them they are very sweet but also high in natural sugar so dont have too many but it does take the crave away for a while and if i started on chocolate or sweets i wouldnt stop till they were gone so this is a good alternative for me
I have also started to buy snack versions of chocolate so i can have my 'fix' but a smaller bar

Take care and i will pop in soon
Sarah x

 

[nataliejo]

Ok Caloric intake today = 2917.8

seven hundred calories less that what I have been eating.

Read diabetic book. Am going to implement their suggestions.

Going to take a Zone energy bar ... appetite suppresant before bed.

Eat two slices of Watermellon after eat bar.

I am doing fine ..walked for fifteen minutes ... I know .. but u know what ..studying all day ..

Studying six chapters tomorrow and writing five page paper.. very important ...

So will be running FAST up and down my stairs thirty times ..first ten ...medium pace .... next ten or fifteen ... fast ..super fast ..as fast as I can go ..last ten .. slow ...
Stop after @ forty ...

than I take a ten minute break meditating ..
and than use weights with ball ...

Good day
love ya guys
going to bed and having dinner ..

will leave bigger message tomorrow

love yas
always
natalie jo

 

[Omega]

Hi Natalie Jo,

Well done for cutting your calories. That is a really good reduction - and especially at a time of stress with your studies.

You have also slotted in some exercise too. That will have been quite a few steps you did then. I wish that you would get a pedometer - then you would see how bursts of exercise like that really add up. It really encourages you to do another two minute burst - I know that with your studies some times you do not feel like you have too much time - but it just encourages you to take a few extra steps in life and they all add up. My husband started wearing a pedometer about a month ago - and he has already seen his daily steps zoom up to between 5,000 and 6,000 - sometimes even more.

Take care
Love
Margaret

 

[freaksgurl]

Hey Nat,
Hope you are having a productive day cramming for the final tomorrow. You are doing awesome! I love how you can just "run the stairs a few times" I may be able to cut the calories but hunny you kick my arse on the excersising.

Anyway we all fill out a little in stressful times it think. Seems like you fall back into your comfort foods. But hey it's not a permanent thing you'll be back out there riding that bike in no time and looking gooood!

Have a great weekend good luck on the finals!

TTFN

 

[ABBAgirl]

Hi NJ
You know, your commitment to this healthier life is truly inspiring! I love your new approach to exercise, seeing it as a way to find joy and escape from every little thing!

It sounds as though you've had a visit again from Aunt Flo', the first one in a while I gather (thanks to PCOS). While it's hard to get excited over something that is such a pain, it speaks an incredible amount to how your body is swinging back into shape! THAT IS AWESOME, LADY!!! Way 2 go, girlfriend!

Keep up the great work, you are sure to bust through that plateau any minute!

Cheers
Janice

 

[nataliejo]

Hi Natalie Jo,

Well done for cutting your calories. That is a really good reduction - and especially at a time of stress with your studies.

You have also slotted in some exercise too. That will have been quite a few steps you did then. I wish that you would get a pedometer - then you would see how bursts of exercise like that really add up. It really encourages you to do another two minute burst - I know that with your studies some times you do not feel like you have too much time - but it just encourages you to take a few extra steps in life and they all add up. My husband started wearing a pedometer about a month ago - and he has already seen his daily steps zoom up to between 5,000 and 6,000 - sometimes even more.

Take care
Love
Margaret

Hey Margaret!
Its nice to see you!
I am lamenting over the fact I have so much studying. BUT right now I am going out for a walk. I figure I will feel more energized and happier after going outside ...plus I look good! lol

You are not going to believe this ..
I lost to 289.9

so I broke the plateau ..for today anyway lol
I shall keep working at it and it will stay down eventually lol

I have some major work today too with my studies .. only hoping for the best and ready to work my arse off ...

thanks hun
love yas
natalie jo

 

[nataliejo]

Hiya NJ

Wow i dont come on for a while and i miss so much!!!!
taken me ages to read though all that i have missed!!!

Comfort eating though exams etc is what i do as well.
i buy sultanas and pick at them they are very sweet but also high in natural sugar so dont have too many but it does take the crave away for a while and if i started on chocolate or sweets i wouldnt stop till they were gone so this is a good alternative for me
I have also started to buy snack versions of chocolate so i can have my 'fix' but a smaller bar

Take care and i will pop in soon
Sarah x

Hey Sarah!
Its so great to see you! Its always a treat!
How have you been doing?
I will go check your diary today ...thanks for dropping in

comfort food are my major trigger for weight gain ..
but I have done pretty good today ..my comfort food today was multigrain bagel chips ... I had six ... they were damn good ...had half of my zone bar
had a cup of cereal ..cheerios ..the bland ones with one cup of skim milk

a sandwhich with four slices of turkey meat and one slice of cheese ..and I had a slice of cheese on the side ...

but my next treat will be watermellon and Honey crisp apples ..new brand of apple! its neat!

ttylater
love yas
natalie jo

 

[nataliejo]

Hey Nat,
Hope you are having a productive day cramming for the final tomorrow. You are doing awesome! I love how you can just "run the stairs a few times" I may be able to cut the calories but hunny you kick my arse on the excersising.

Anyway we all fill out a little in stressful times it think. Seems like you fall back into your comfort foods. But hey it's not a permanent thing you'll be back out there riding that bike in no time and looking gooood!

Have a great weekend good luck on the finals!

TTFN

Thanks hun
the final will be tuff ...but I am going to try my hardest to pull something good out of this class lmao

anyway thanks for your words of encouragement ...

I am actually pulling in now ..its the strangest thing ... I think its because I didn't eat last night and didn't eat as much yesterday ..

love yas
natalie jo

 

[nataliejo]

Hi NJ
You know, your commitment to this healthier life is truly inspiring! I love your new approach to exercise, seeing it as a way to find joy and escape from every little thing!

It sounds as though you've had a visit again from Aunt Flo', the first one in a while I gather (thanks to PCOS). While it's hard to get excited over something that is such a pain, it speaks an incredible amount to how your body is swinging back into shape! THAT IS AWESOME, LADY!!! Way 2 go, girlfriend!

Keep up the great work, you are sure to bust through that plateau any minute!

Cheers
Janice

I think I shall jump up and down the stairs today .. I thought about walking ..but I really need to be close to the books ..

I must run and work on my chapters ..but I will pop into your diary hun and see how you are doing

Trust me .. I am no inspiration ...just trying very hard to do the studying and working out at the same time ...doing less exercise recently ..although I did take a twenty minute walk yesterday in between studying ..than went right back to studying

thanks hun for your words
love yas
always
natalie jo