Things just don't seem to go the way I planned.

A few months ago, I started trying to work towards losing more weight for my 30th birthday. I tracked for almost 5 weeks straight, then I missed a day of tracking and struggled to keep up, so I gave up with the tracking after a few days of trying to pick it back up. My heart just wasn't in it. No, that's a lie. I wanted so desperately to do it, but found that my time was ridiculously limited. I knew that this year was going to be difficult but I didn't realise how little time I would have (she says to you writing a blog post instead of writing for an assignment).

The thing is, those 35 days that I did track, everything was great! I lost centimetres and got back to under 80kg. Proof is that tracking really helps to keep me on track. I need something to get me going and keep me motivated though. There are just 79 days until I celebrate my 30th birthday, though I turn 30 three days before the planned celebrations. I'm still hovering around the 79-80kg mark but I had wanted to lose more.
Do I have any Melbourne friends who want to walk with me once or twice a week? I would love the company, and it will give me the motivation to get out of my chair and onto the footpaths to try and lose at least some centimetres, and some weight thrown in would be great. A doesn't always like to go for a walk, so I can't rely on him too much.

07 May 2014

Body Part	Measurement
Neck	34.5cm / 13.58"
Upper Arm	32cm /12.59"
Bust	105cm / 41.338"
Underbust	88.5cm / 34.8"
Waist	87cm / 34.252"
Hips	117cm / 46"
Thigh	63cm / 24.803"
Total Body Weight	79.5kg / 174.9lb

I've had a seriously, ridiculously shitty month so I'm expecting tomorrow's measurements to absolutely suck. There has been so much sugar consumed it's not even funny. I caught sight of my reflection a few times in shop windows and was so completely embarrassed. Embarrassed to the point I wanted to cry. It's not even the fact that it's cold and I want comfort food, I am just so overwhelmed with everything going on at uni that I'm turning to chocolate. Not good at all.

Along with the birthday weight loss desire, over the next 18 months, I've got one graduation, and four weddings to attend, one of which I'm involved in orchestrating: we're engaged! A took me by surprise and had the moment captured by our good friend who's an amateur photographer.
There's a bit of a story to it, but I'll see if you can figure it out. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so how do you think this story went? Find out here.
We're taking our time with planning, just focusing on our studies right now.

That's all from me for now. Hope you're keeping warm this winter!

What happens when you're sick...

...is that you are so pissed at the world for a. making A sick on his holidays, b. then passing it on to me, and have it hang around for 2.5 weeks, and c. you have so much going on that you don't actually have time to rest and get better.

I woke up yesterday and felt so incredibly wonderful for the first time since Thursday 14 November 2013. Yup, it really was that long. Such a pain to be so ill, but not much can be done about it now.
In that two and a half weeks, once A was better, we rearranged the entire house. Thank goodness it's a large 1 bedroom apartment! While he did most of the furniture-moving, I supervised and helped out when he couldn't do it on his own. I also unpacked and strategically placed items and things from bookshelves etc. which was fairly draining. I'm still in the process of decluttering, but hopefully now that my energy stores are near on being replenished, I'll be able to attack it with ease and enthusiasm and get our little place back to tip top condition.

I haven't felt much like eating whilst sick, or stepping out of my pyjamas, but I had to do both, on occasion.
But, before I got sick, we went to Geelong for a haircut. We can both get our hair cut in Geelong for, on average, less than I can in Melbourne. 
This is what my hair was looking like pre-cut: a side fringe masquerading as a front fringe with ends going every which way. 

Here I am, day of cut (below), waiting in the car to head into A's doctor's appointment. Ironically, it was after this trip that he became ill (we were visiting for something unrelated).

For the first time in 5 years, I have a front fringe. And in this photo, I'm sporting my natural hair colour. The previous one still had a wee bit of colour from when I coloured my hair in March.
Three days later, on the Thursday, I coloured my hair. I was expecting my hair to become similar to the middle shade, based on the approximation of the colour sampler on the pack.

This is after applying the colour and washing out the excess.

It's not even close to ANY of the colour samples pictured. I wanted to be a light amber auburn, not deep auburn bordering mahogany! 
This was also the day that I got sick. Thursday 14 November was clearly not my day.

I had two interviews for uni placement during that time. I wasn't successful with one, and still waiting to hear from the other.
I'm becoming more confident in my skin (even if I have put on a few kilos) and wearing clothes I'm comfortable in. Behold outfit selfies.

Interview One outfit - cold and miserable; 21 November

Interview Two outfit - warm and sunshiny; 26 November

Five days between interviews and two completely different climates. Anyone would think I live in Melbourne.

By Saturday, 30 November, I was starting to feel much chipper, and gladly so as our beautiful friends married that day (see A and I with The Bride below). I wore the same dress I wore to Interview Two, only I froze all day, so also wore a beautiful shawl that I picked up at Forever New DFO what feels like a million years ago, but in reality was less than four.
'Twas an intimate and loving gathering, and one we feel very blessed to have been a part of. As The Bride and The Groom said in their vows, til death, or zombies, do us part.
The food, ambience, and mocktails at Centonove were beyond anything I could imagine. Just sensational. The portions were perfect, the dishes were perfect, and the service was amazing. All the fluids I consumed (no booze; mocktails and water only) made me feel super full, and super fat! Talk about fluid retention.

A, me, The Bride

'Twas late in the eve when this was taken, and my fringe was falling out of its curl, but it's still a beautiful picture!

Post weekend, despite hardly eating a thing given all the festivities (there was also a post-wedding barbeque on Sunday), all I could see was fat. Fat everywhere. My clothes agree. Garments are a touch on the snug side in some places, and not particularly flattering.
So, it's back on MFP for me. Day two of tracking and I haven't missed a thing yet. Today I was ravenous though, so when A walked through the door with cold chips and schnitzel after work, we demolished them. Not something I'm proud of but we don't have much in the way of food at the moment. I also think my body is trying to reclaim nutrients it missed out on whilst sick. Anyways, into MFP they go.

So, a bit of ramblings, not my usual style, but that's what's been going on in my life these last few weeks.
Wednesday Weigh In tomorrow, so will report back then.
For now, it's time to hit the hay!

The third quarter: how did you fair?

Don't worry, it's not about AFL or any other sport. Appropriately titled though given AFL finals begins this week.

What I'm actually talking about is how you're fairing with any resolutions or goals you may have set yourself way back on 1 January 2013.
I hate making a list of resolutions. I have never really been fabulous at sticking to them. On 1 January 2013, I did write a list of things I want to achieve (see this post). If you're like me and don't always like clicking through posts, see here:

2013 - come at me

In this post here, I wrote about what I'd achieved so far 26 days into 2013. Here we are, on day 245/365, some 219 days later, and this is how my list stands:

1. Be confident
   
   I'm not as confident as I was earlier in the year, that's for sure, but I'm not going down without a fight! Onward and upward!
   
   
2. Learn new make up techniques
   
   I've definitely learned a thing or two after attending a vintage make-over/photo shoot in June, as well as playing along with the Fox in Flats Style Dares. Check out my Instagram feed for my take on the Style Dares from March - June.
   
   

   

   9 June 2013: Before and after
   Photos courtesy of Brook Orchard Photography
   Hair and Make Up by The Lindy Charm School for Girls

   
   
   
3. Take risks
   
   I've taken some big risks this year, both personally and in my small biz.
   Let's just hope these big risks will pay off later down the track.
   There was also the fun risks, like mentioned above with the FIFSDs!
   
   
4. Love myself enough
   
   I reckon that seeing as I've gained 3kg, I've loved myself a little too much but also that I'm being too harsh on myself given the circumstances surrounding my weight gain. Working on this one.
   
   
5. Learn Spanish
   
   ¡Hola chicos y chicas! Hablo un poco español porque asisto clases lenguas español en mi universidad.
   
   I do not speak fluent Spanish. I barely speak enough Spanish to get through my classes. I have no idea if this is correct or not. As this post goes live, I'm actually taking deferred Spanish assessments because of my ill health from May - August.
   
   
6. Make new friends
   
   Friendships are circumstantial. I'm learning that slowly.
   I lost my job because of a clash with uni this semester, so the contact isn't really there with those friends.
   There are people in this world whom I am forever grateful to. You support me through the good times and bad, and for that, I thank you and look forward to our future!
   
   
7. Do well at uni
   
   Must say, rather pleased with my efforts last semester.
   If only they followed through to this semester.....
   
   
8. Be the best lover to my partner
   
   Only one person can be the judge of that, but I'd like to think I am doing a good job.
   
   
9. Start jogging again
   
   Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances with my back, jogging is on the back burner. It was there on the front burner in May before I hurt myself, so this is a good thing! At least I know that when the weather warms up and my strength returns, I'll be able to hopefully get back into it.


10. Build my business
    
    Little Goldfish Invitations & Stationery has a website now, and I'm slowly getting more content to it. I won't be doing any more markets in 2013 for a few reasons, but once the weather continues doing what it has been here in Melbourne (sunshiny, glorious, beautiful), I'll be able to get out and take some hopefully nice photos of my wares to sell on my site.
    
    
11. Wear a bikini
    
    Wish I hadn't have lost my mojo earlier in the year. We'll put this one on the list for summer 2014/2015.
    
    
12. Be a better friend, daughter, and granddaughter
    
    Again, I can't answer this, but I'd like to think I've improved. I mentioned earlier that friendship is relative to proximity, and I think this also plays a big part in my not-s0-great ways, but I do try.

Now it's time I take heed of my own words, and love myself enough to get through this next phase of my weight loss journey!