Desperately seeking the real Auburn

Auburn
Please forgive me for not coming around so much and encouraging you on your journey! :angelsad2:
I have gotten so busy here at home that when I get on the forum I try to get to everyone but before I can I have to either be heading out the door or doing something for someone here in my house.
Please don't lose hope.
We really all want to see you achieve your goals.
And together I know that we can.
Because together we all truly understand how each other feels. And the battles that we fight everyday with food and exercise.
I promise to pop in more often!
Keep your chin up sweetie.
 
Thank you so much, I wannaBthin and Bella for your lovely words. It really is very encouraging to have people come and visit my diary.

I was doing fine until about 10 days ago, and then it all went pear-shaped (a bit like me! :smilielol5:). However, I know that for two or three weeks I was concentrated on my weight-loss programme, and it was working. I know that it was helping a lot coming here, onto the forum. I know that even a small amount of exercise was making a difference. In other words, I know what was working before, so I simply have to re-adopt my winning habits!

I've updated my previous post with this evening's meal. Still hoping (planning!) to get a bit more water down me.

You know, I wannaBthin, although I love France and my life over here, it's really my hubby and kids who make me happy. With them, I'd be pretty much happy anyway! My part of France - the north - is fairly boring, not at all like the Alps or the Cote d'Azur or the Dordogne or all those lovely, romantic places. Having said that, we do travel so at least I get to visit some of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Please, Bella, don't feel bad because you haven't got time to say hello to everyone! Goodness me, you have such a busy life! I haven't popped in to see you either in ages. It's just so nice to know that people are around, even if you don't "see" them on a daily basis.
 
HI Auburn,

I've been bad about getting in here, too, and when you could've used some support. Consider me your bra..hahaha. :smilielol5:

I would say to you regarding the exams, sit them, and see what happens. You never know--with all the studying you've been doing, you may very well pass. And if you don't, well, at least you gave it your best, and that's all you can ask of yourself. I'm a licensed realtor, and had to take a pretty difficult test in order to get licensed. 80% fail the first time, and many have to take it 3 or 4 times before they pass. Well, low and behold, I passed on the first try. So don't be discouraged--you never know how things will turn out. I say just do your best, and be satisfied in knowing that you did, regardless of the exam result.

I think it's great that you haven't given up with the weight loss. Stress tends to make one gain weight, so exercising is a great way to make sure that doesn't happen--those endorphins are wonderful stress-reducing things. :) And you know eating healthier will make you feel better physically and mentally--so you have many reasons to take good care of yourself.

Bon chance! :)
 
Thanks BB for coming to visit me :beating:
Wow, your realtor exams sound really tough. I had no idea. But it comes as no surprise to me that you passed first time - I can see you're a girl who, once she sets her mind to doing something, just goes ahead and does it. Cool! :hurray:
I will be having a go at my exams, and I'm feeling increasingly philosophical. I'm going to give it my all but, if worst comes to worst and I fail, at least I will have learnt more than anybody would ever want to know about 7 literary works, 2 historical subjects, the finer points of grammar, phonetics and phonology, and translation techniques :ack2: That's got to be useful somewhere, don't you think? :D

Back to what really matters in life... my weight (lol)!
The 2L of water plus the exercise seem to have paid off yesterday. A drop of 0.5kg (just over 1lb) this morning. I'm planning on doing the same today. I like how Margaret works: finding out what helps and what hinders her weight loss, and sticking with what works. My life is so hectic at the moment - 3 kids (and often 1, 2 or 3 stepkids), part-time work, exams... - that I really need to NOT think about what I'm eating. It needs to be automatic. I don't mind making an effort for the family meal in the evening, but if I start messing about with varying my breakfast and lunch as well, I'll end up falling back into my old habits of grabbing a sandwich/slice of pizza/fast food somewhere because I don't have time to cook. Sticking to the same menu which I can prepare in advance is, I think, the best solution for me.
 
Hey Auburn,

Just stopping by. :) Congrats on the loss this morning. A step in the right direction!

Hope you see some more pregress soon. Keep trying! x
 
Hi Sprite and thanks for visiting my diary. It's always good to meet new people :)

Hey Angel, you're right, I've been a bit quiet recently (won't bore you with the details - most of them are mentioned in the previous posts anyway!). I've got a really hectic couple of months coming up, so I might remain a little aloof for the next few weeks, but things should get back into order soon! I'll pop in and visit your diary later!

My timetable was terrible today, but I managed to be as good as was feasibly possible. I couldn't make time for exercise, but with a step count of over 12,000 you can see that I wasn't sitting on my backside all day. We were invited out this evening, so I felt obliged to have a slice of cake and a half glass of wine, but I didn't over-indulge.

18th January: today's eating and exercise
Weight: 82.6kg (-0.5kg)
Breakfast: bread, lowfat spread, banana
Lunch: no time! 2 protein bars in the afternoon, lowfat yoghurt
Dinner: veg soup, "galette des rois" (pastry thing with marzipan)
Snacks:
Drinks: 1L water, couple of cups of tea, 1 glass of fresh orange juice, 1 half glass of wine
Exercise:
Pedometre reading: 12,082 steps
 
Hello Auburn!
Seems to me that you have got most if not almost all of your plan figured out.
Figuring out that for you to have the same thing everyday is a major break-thru. And not denying yourself things when you go out but having it in moderation is a huge step in the right direction!
I think that given time you will succeed at this endeavor.
Today's weigh-in only proves it!
Congrats on the pound down!!!!
Have a good weekend!
 
Trust me--I'm no genius, just a good test taker...lol. Some people get really freaked out and nervous at the thought of an important exam. I go in with confidence and a whatever happens happens attitude..lol. I guess I figured if I failed the RE exam I'd just take it over again. Or else I figure it isn't meant to be. The subjects you're studying sound very interesting to me. What 2 historical subjects? I love history. Look at it this way, if you don't pass, you've learned a hell of a lot anyway. But I think you're a smart woman, and I have faith in you. :)

Congrats on the half kg lost! That's great news. :hurray: I think it's good that you seem to be falling into a good routine. Some people get bored eating the same foods all the time, but it works well for Margaret, and it sounds like it would work for you, too. Go for it!
 
Hi Auburn

I am sorry that I havent popped in for a few days. I just get so busy. Hubby keeps wanting the computer so a lot of the time when the light is on - it just means that there is a window open on broadband but I might be nowhere near the computer. I often just leave the window open when doing other things.

I dont listen to music or anything on an ipod when walking. I quite enjoy spending the time thinking. My hubby listens to an mp3 player all the time (even at work) and the concept suits a lot of people. When I was at school I used a tape recorder to revise for a while. It seemed to work quite well. I abandoned the idea long before I did my degree as I got too lazy to record everything. I would give the idea a go if I were you. You have much to gain. As I said earlier - your study time will be more productive if you do some exercise and eat healthily.

Looking at your last few days - you certainly seem to be getting more back into the swing of things. I am pleased to see that you are regularly getting your stepcount to over 10,000. That is brilliant! Also - you have done well with your food and drink. Two litres of water is always a little difficult - but you have done it.

You are right - your weight is what is really important. Your size - whatever size that may be at the time - healthy or not - will be with you long after you have kissed goodbye to your career. Your size is central to your state of health and that is important for your entire life. In comparison - a career is a temporary "nice to have".

A repetitive diet would certainly not suit everyone - but it certainly suits me well. I like to keep my food the same. In the challenge before Christmas - Kimberly knows how much I complained whenever I percieved that she was messing around with my food. I just wanted to stick with what I knew worked. You can easily tell whether it works or not - you just do it and see if weight seems to consistently come off. If it does come off and you are comfortable doing what is involved - I say stick with it - you have a perfect solution and you dont need to think about it.

In some ways it is positive that the long awaited reforms are taking place in the French educational system. You have after all children who are being educated under that system and have something to gain if there is an improvement to the level of education that they recieve. It is a shame that the qualification that you need to help you progress your career is impacted. I have every faith that with hard work you will be able to pass first time. The fact that many dont does not mean that you wont. You can only do the best that you can. No-one could expect more of you.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Thank you for your continuing support.

Bella and BB: I know that I'm a person that needs a bit of routine in her life, because there's an awful lot that is out of my control. An easy example is the weekend: I never know how many people we'll be having for the weekend - sometimes there's only 4 of us, sometimes there's 8 or 10 or even 12, and this often gets decided on Saturday afternoon. So you can imagine the fun I have trying to prepare meals, beds, etc. :cuss:
At the same time, I like that the older kids feel that we're there for them whenever necessary, and I don't want them to think they have to book things up 2 months in advance. So you can see why a bit of routine doesn't lead to a boring life, more a little bit of structure in the chaos!!!

BB: I'm an English teacher over here, which means I have to deal with language plus cultural studies. My two historical subjects for this year's exams are really focused on modern political history, although obviously we need to have solid background knowledge dating back several hundred years. The subjects are "The devolution of powers to Scotland and Wales 1966-1999" and "The imperial presidency in the US from FDR to GW Bush". It's a hell of a lot of work to do on top of the literary works, and all the scientific side of language studies. Ridiculous really, when most of the time you're dealing with kids that can barely string a sentence of half a dozen words together.

Margaret: It's always nice to read you. I know that people say it all the time, but you really are an inspiration! I'm trying to keep my step count over 10,000, even if I don't have time to do any specific exercise. And I'm keeping up the 2L a day - god that's difficult! I stumbled a bit yesterday as it was hubby's birthday: I drank far too much, even though I kept up the water intake and I tried not to eat too richly. Unfortunately the weight's up, but that might go in the next few days. I've been reasonably good today (Sunday) - must keep it up!

19th January: today's eating and exercise (Hubby's birthday, so a difficult day)
Weight: 82.2kg (-0.4kg)
Breakfast: bread, lowfat spread, banana
Lunch: rice, veg (green beans, carrots, spinach), potato, lentils, lowfat fromage blanc
Dinner: lots of stuff (birthday meal) including snacky things (very salty), veg in creamy sauces, and a slice of cake
Snacks: lowfat yoghurt, protein bar
Drinks: 2L water, couple of cups of tea, 1 glass of fresh orange juice, too much wine
Exercise:
Pedometre reading: 8,044 steps

Today's details, so far...
20th January: today's eating and exercise (aftermath!!!)
Weight: 83kg (+0.8kg - not too worried, coz I'm hoping the gain is temporary)
Breakfast: apple and pastry thingy
Lunch: mixed green salad (with 7 different raw veg)
Dinner:
Snacks: protein bar
Drinks:
Exercise:
Pedometre reading:
 
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Hi Auburn

Congratulate yourself with having successfully passed the test that is hubby's birthday. Healthy food all other than on one meal, 2L water and 8K steps means that the splurge was limited to a single meal. You accept that much of the food was salty so much of the gain will be water retention.

Drink plenty of water today and stick to healthy food and try and do a walk and I am sure that the gain will disappear almost immediately.

Your exam sounds tough! I couldnt comment on the US stuff but the devolution of powers of Wales and Scotland sounds deathly boring. I cannot imagine that many French children have any interest in ever being taught such things. I doubt that many kids in the UK would spare much time for it. I suppose you can tell that I was never tempted to become a historian.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Omega said:
the devolution of powers of Wales and Scotland sounds deathly boring.
Click to expand...

Believe me, it is! :banghead:

But you'll be relieved to know that all this knowledge that I'm accumulating will be of ABSOLUTELY NO USE in front of the kids :mad: These are purely academic exams to check how many dates, how many Acts of Parliament, how many High Court rulings, how many election percentages, how many names and how many obscure philosophers arguing about the ins and outs of nationhood... how many of all those things we can learn off by heart and scribble down on the big day. Great, don't you think? :toetap05:
(but at least you can see why they've finally decided to change the system!)

Anyway, back to important matters, food-wise the day's been ok and I've had just one glass of wine, but I've done no exercise. Not brilliant, I know, but we had all of the in-laws over, which is always a pleasure (ummmmm). In addition, my daughter had both orchestra practice AND a swimming competititon today, so I've spent about 2 hours in the car inbetween cooking, clearing up and been the hostess with the most-est! I'm feeling just slightly frazzled...
 
Auburn said:
Hey Angel, you're right, I've been a bit quiet recently (won't bore you with the details - most of them are mentioned in the previous posts anyway!). I've got a really hectic couple of months coming up, so I might remain a little aloof for the next few weeks, but things should get back into order soon! I'll pop in and visit your diary later!
Click to expand...

i meant me. i aynt been visiting lol. but now come to think ov it aynt heard from you in a wyl either. read a few earlier posts. you got exams and things going on?

good luck with everything and you will be back in no time.

have a good week

;-)

x
 
Angel, we must have been writing in each other's diaries at the same time! I've just posted a message in yours!
(it's either "great minds think alike" or "fools seldom differ" :cheers2: )
 
Auburn said:
Angel, we must have been writing in each other's diaries at the same time! I've just posted a message in yours!
(it's either "great minds think alike" or "fools seldom differ" :cheers2: )
Click to expand...


i prefer the first one but am thinking its gotta be the second lol!

;-)

x
 
hey how you doin? hows the week been? probably as busy as mine with all the teachin an that.

hope you are doing good!

;-)

x
 
Hi everyone, especially Bella and Angel who have left me messages. :waving:

I'm finding it difficult to find the time to come onto the forum as, when I do, I tend to hang around for far too long and use up valuable study time!!! Only 10 weeks to go for me and, given the huge amount of work left to do, it's not nearly enough :(

I can't see myself keeping a diary up-to-date until after my exams, as I'm finding it difficult to slice up my time between two such important projects. Of course, as all mums know, our daily lives are a constant juggling of little projects: kids, shopping, cooking, cleaning, husbands, work, and - if we're lucky - a bit of time for ourselves. But my exams are a temporary "important project" at the moment and the other "important project" - the weight loss - will have to go slowly for the time being.

Having said that, I'm trying to do as Margaret and Kimberly suggested. I'm keeping an eye on what I eat, and doing some exercise every day.
This morning I was down to 81.8kg!!! :willy_nilly:
So although I'm not finding the time to wander around the forum and to note down all I eat and drink, I guess I'm still more or less on track.

Thank you to everyone for your continuing support. As I said, I might be a bit quiet over the next few weeks, but I haven't gone away!!! :seeya:
 
"The devolution of powers to Scotland and Wales 1966-1999" and "The imperial presidency in the US from FDR to GW Bush".
Click to expand...

So you don't actually teach these subjects, you just have to study them for the exam--correct? So you teach ESL to the French students, is that right? Lol@them not being able to
string a sentence of half a dozen words together
Click to expand...
. Sounds like the Korean students I taught in Korea. :biggrinjester:

Being an American who loves history, I think the FDR to Bush subject would be interesting, although I'm not sure what they mean by "imperial presidency." Although I have been accused of being an American Cultural Imperialist before! hahaha If you knew me better, you'd know that I am hardly one who thinks the rest of the world should be Americanized. I'm wondering if the imperial means America's tendancy to invade countries in order to "democratize" them for their own benefit. *dripping sarcasm* We do this when it suits our own ends, and support very non-demorcratic leaders when that suits our interests. We pretend to be this benevolent country (and in many ways we are), but nearly every foreign policy we've ever implemented has been to further our own interests. However, in our defense, name me any country who doesn't do the same, and I'll give you a million Euros...lol. *hopes and prays you can't name any* :D We just tend to do more damage b/c of our size and strength. Sorry about all the political rant. :rant:

I'm sorry you're so busy these days, b/c I'd like to see more of you here. But I understand. :) Just keep up the great work you've been doing lately, and take care of yourself as well as you take care of your family. That must be a bit crazy trying to accomodate such a varying number of people at the last minute. :willy_nilly:
 
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