How do you US people do this & Sweet Potato Fries are the DEVIL!

First I must apologize for the second time for forgetting my post last week and I am afraid that the coming weeks posting my #twitloss blogposts are going to be challenging as I have a lot of books to read for review and reviews to write and I have a houseguest coming week and will also be going to London for 2 days. Busy much?

I hope you guys will forgive me, if I don't get around to posting my weekly post now and then...I promise to do my utter best to try and keep it up, but sometimes other stuff take precedence...

But this week I didn't forget and I found a free moment so I can catch you guys up on how I'm doing. As announced I went on vacation to L.A. and had a BLAST!

Met with Dara (dyromance) and I was sorry I couldn't chat more with her. We did talk a little bit about #twitloss and I expressed to her how much I admired you guys in the US for dieting and trying to lose weight. I was in L.A. for 2 weeks and gained 4 lbs!!!!! How do you guys resist the churros, the subway sandwiches, the bagels, the pancakes, the lemon squares....yes these are all things I stuffed in my mouth during my vacation and early on in the vacation I discovered the bane of my dieting existence. I call them THE DEVIL: Sweet Potatoe Fries!!!!! OMG I am so happy this is not common here in the Netherlands because I would never be able to stick to my diet if they were. You know what I told hubby? "As soon as I'm done dieting and I've reached my goal weight I am having home-made Sweet Potato Fries (notice how I capitalize the words...that's how I show my adoration of this DEVIL FOOD!)

So I gained during the vacation and this is the first time EVER I  have gained weight on a vacation. I always, always lose weight on vacation. But ah well, shit happens...so when I got back I knew I had to get my behind in gear again because I was already behind on the schedule before I left and now I had gained weight. I must say it wasn't too difficult to get back in the game of dieting and when I went to the acupuncturist the first time after I came back I'd already lost the 4 lbs and even lost another lbs...So compared to before L.A. I'd lost lbs in total. Me being me I started thinking that if I had stuck to the diet on vacation it could have been so much more but I soon kicked myself for that. One has to be happy with small achievements and not always crave more/better/bigger...yeah, working on that people.

Yesterday I went for my bi-weekly weigh-in again and lo and behold, another 4 pounds, which meant I have dived under the 160 lbs mark. It's been years and years since I weighed under 160 lbs so I must say I am happy. If I keep this up I might reach my goal weight somewhere in September/October...but for now let's focus on taking and enjoying this with babysteps.

And now for the stats:

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 163 lbs (6 weeks ago)

This Time’s Weight: 158 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 5 lbs (+4, -5, -4)

Total Loss: 34 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0

Total Hours of Zumba: 10.5

As you can see in the stats...I don't want to talk about exercise...Not.A.Word...

Hugs, 

Pearl

An apology, an update and an announcement

First and foremost I want to apologize for not doing my weekly duty last week! There was some stuff going on in my off-line life that had me shaken up from Thursday till Saturday and I just wasn't up to writing a cheery blogpost so I skipped it all together. But I've put it behind me and am ready to give you guys an update and have a little announcement concerning temporary replacement during my vacation.

Stats:
Starting Weight: 192 lbs
Goal Weight: 132 lbs
Last Time’s Weight: 166 lbs
This Time’s Weight: 163 lbs
This Time’s Loss: 3 lbs
Total Loss: 29 lbs
This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.0
Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 2.5
Total Hours of Zumba: 10.5

As I mentioned yesterday on Twitter, the effects of the meds are still lingering because I am still behind on schedule but I really don't care because like a friend of mine said: schedules are only a guideline, every person is different and focusing on only the numbers on a scale isn't realistic. I take my motivation in the fact that:

• my clothing is falling off my behind and I can wear clothes that were in the very back of my closet because they were too small and on the verge of being thrown away
• my cleaning lady stands in awe every two weeks telling me how much I lost weight
• friends tell me that the weight loss is really showing
• I stand in front of the mirror and see my collar bones, which I haven't seen in I think 7 or 8 years
• the bras I bought right after my reduction are fitting normally again instead of boob-flesh spilling over the cups
• I once again have a waistline
• in 14 weeks I've gone from size 18-20 to size 12-14
• in 14 weeks I've worked out for 10+ hours in total and remember I HATE to work-out so I consider this something REALLY big.
• in 14 weeks I've lost almost 30 lbs

My method of weight loss is controversial and not all people understand how I can live on just water, broth curds and vitamin supplements but for me it's working and I am persevering until I reach my goal and after that I will never eat again how I used to eat. I have become aware of what I used to put in my mouth day-in day-out and it is not necessary. I can live and thrive on less than half the amount of food I used to eat and I can control myself in times that are emotionally trying and in the past would give me an excuse to go on an eating-frenzy.
I am proud of myself and feel good about myself and that's something I hadn't felt in a long time. So for that alone I feel I've succeeded despite not having lost the amount I "should've lost by now.

And now on to something less self-reflecting stuff.

As some of you may know I am less about a week away from a vacation to the US. Going to Los Angeles to be precise. Hubby is going to a conference for work and as I am at home at the moment I decided to accompany him as going to the US has been a life-long dream of mine and couldn't pass up on this opportunity. The first week hubby will be working and I'll be getting to know LA a bit better on my own and going to do some sight-seeing stuff that I know hubby wouldn't like to do. After the first 5 days hubby will be done and we have a holiday-week together.

I know this vacation is going to test my ability to stick to my diet as much as possible but I've also  decided that I am not going to avoid food. I *will* try to stick to as little calories as possible and healthy food and am determined to not come back weighing more than before I left. Both hotels I'll be staying in have gyms so I am going to work-out like a mad-woman so I will at least compensate for any excessive food consumption. Will try to keep everyone posted via Twitter.

Because I have a very busy week coming up due to blogging stuff on my book-blog and preparations for this vacation and the vacation itself of course, I was thinking how I was going to manage the weekly posts here in the coming few weeks and it occurred to me I could have a guest poster who could temporarily fill in for me with blog posts on Fridays. And here's where the beloved Twitter comes in. I tweeted a request and within minutes I had a taker.

From June 11th until at least July 3rd the Friday post will be taken care of by none other than:

MamaKitty of Mama Kitty Reviews

I hope you guys give her a warm welcome next week and take good care of her while she's filling in for me!

Hugs,
Pearl

I'm better!

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 169 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 165 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 4 lbs

Total Loss: 26 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0.0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0.0

Total Hours of Zumba: 7

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

After a few weeks of illness I am finally almost recovered which coincided with the return of the acupuncturist so yesterday I had my weighing again after 3 weeks. I was absolutely fearing the worst because as I mentioned before I was on some meds that have weight gain as a side effect. So yesterday morning, contrary to what I normally do, I didn't weigh at home (I always do that to have an indication as my weight on the doctor's scale is never the same as my weight at home, it's always more at the doctor's) and went in blind expecting a stern lecture because if I had gained weight there definitely was going to be one since I'd gotten one a few weeks back when I didn't lose as much weight as I should have.

So I embarked upon a trip on public transport hell. I really want hubby to start working from home again on Thursdays as he always did because going to the doctor by public transport is excruciating, but hey he's the one bringing in the doe at the moment so I can't complain to hard ;)

Back to the topic at hand: Finally, I stepped on the scale with shaky knees and...low and behold...I hadn't gained...I'd lost...

Okay it wasn't the 8 lbs I was supposed to have lost in these three weeks, but I did lose 4 so although I'm still behind on schedule it's not disastrous. As I'm practically recovered I am going to pick up on the exercise again too because slacker that was of course the first thing I dropped like a hot potato the moment I started to feel sick. I have a deal with hubby that I'll be starting Zumba again as of coming Tuesday!

So starting next week I hope to be here again full force, tweeting on #twitloss, blogging about more than being sick and commenting on your posts!

Hugs,
Pearl

Nothing to Report - part 2

I'm still sick...getting better however as meds are kicking in but also knocking me out for most of the day. Only today was I able to spend the whole day on the couch instead of in bed.

I haven't weighed in a while but I know I've lost because I am still on the diet because the meds have a negative effect on my craving food. All I crave is water and the occasional broth...

Because I have nothing to report, I'll leave you with a few funnies:

Hope to have a real blog post next week!

Hugs,
Pearl

Nothing to Report

There is really nothing to report for me this week. I am in bed, under heavy meds that are definitely going to influence the weightloss (I've had it before and gained weight with it). Last Monday night I had the scare of my life when I woke up in the middle of the night and could hardly breathe...It was the start of a very bad asthma attack which I can't describe in another way but that my respiratory system tried to kill me. An emergency visit from the doctor on Tuesday led to heavy medication and since yesterday I am doing a bit better. I had quite a scare but am still on the diet and hope the meds won't screw things up all too much.

Furthermore the acupuncturist is on holiday and I don't get to weigh again until May 20th so no change in my stats till then either but I do hope I have more news to report next week.

Screw the Scale!

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 173 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 169 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 4 lbs

Total Loss: 22 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0.0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.0

Total Hours of Zumba: 7

I seriously mean that title. The scale is an object of torture and injustice. I am living proof of that. As can be read in last week’s post I lost barely 2 pounds last week. Nutritionist was convinced I ate something because in two weeks I should’ve lost more. Had a hard time convincing him that I really hadn’t ate anything other or more than approved on the diet and that it was my body sabotaging me.

This week I lost 4 lbs. That’s twice as much as I lost in a total of the two weeks before and I did nothing different this week, I’m even going through a visit by aunt Flo again and don’t even feel bloated. Seriously, if someone has the manual to this body of mine…please return it because I’m in desperate need of it!

Back to that scale…So compared to what I still have to lose I am not even half way if I look at the numbers of the scale. However when it comes to my clothes, it’s a whole other matter. I am speeding toward the point in dieting where my clothes are not fitting comfortably i.e. dropping of my ass while still buttoned, but not yet buying other clothes because I am not even at the halfway point of the goal weight.

I kid you not about the pants dropping of my butt…Yesterday I had to run down the stairs in a hurry to bring hubby a much needed item and when I was downstairs I should’ve pulled my pants up because when I accidently hurt my arm on the doorknob and started jumping up and down from the excruciating pain…I gave hubby the wonderful experience of seeing my pants drop right down to the floor and they were fully buttoned and zipped up…Do I need more prove that I am losing weight?

Furthermore I am wearing shirts this week I haven’t worn in years or always worn with either a jacket or another shirt (much wider shirt) over it. There are hardly any lumps on my sides or that hideous pouch in the front. We have a full-length mirror in our hallway, right next to the toilet where I spent a lot of time because of the gallons of water I drink all day, and I can’t stop looking in surprise at my image. I turn front and side and wonder: where are the bulges and lumps…They are too, like my butt, shrinking away and I don’t care that the scale says I’m behind on schedule for my goal weight…The image of my self in the mirror, the falling pants and the fact that I can wear tights shirts for the first time in years without feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable is more of a reward to me that those stupid numbers on a scale.

I know some of my #twitloss buddies have the everlasting battle with the scale too and my post this week hopefully will help let that go and focus on other stuff so it doesn’t become an obsession. I have since this week and it’s a big relief.

Hugs,
Pearl

Efforts…meet Sabotage

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 175 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 173 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 2 lbs

Total Loss: 19 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.5

Total Hours of Zumba: 7

As you can see in the stats above, again “only” a 2 lbs loss in 2 weeks. Last time it was 3 lbs so the numbers are going down and I didn’t even have the pleasure of binging on the birthday cakes and food I mentioned in last week’s blogpost. This really, really pissed me off first because I am sticking rigorously to my 0-calories diet and still not losing the amounts I am supposed to lose for a month now. And when I did give in and ate that half of a wrap (see my posts of a few weeks back) I lost 8 lbs…. 8!!! This is sabotage. My body is really trying to sabotage me into making me fail another diet. Normally when the numbers don’t show what I want them to, it demotivates me and I quit…thinking: “What’s the use anyway?” But I am NOT having it now. I am sticking to this! I am not going to let my body sabotage this because I want it too badly. I want to get to that healthy weight and get to the point where I can switch the o-calories for a healthy and appropriate eating pattern so I can stay on that healthy weight.

This blog, your posts (even if I don’t always have the time to comment, I read the ALL), knowing that you are all a tweet away if needed, it all plays a big part in my resolve not to let my body (and mind) sabotage this attempt once again!

Hugs,
Pearl

Too Late, Bad Blogger and temptations...

This week no weight update as I weigh bi-weekly so that's next week.
Also I am writing this blog post way (!!!) too late because Friday was such a busy day, in fact this whole weekend is crazy with 2 birthdays and guests today for a dinner party, I forgot to write my weekly #twitloss post. So sorry for that and I hope I can make it up with this quickie post just before the guests arrive.

As said, two birthdays this weekend, one on Friday (friend) and one yesterday (nephew and godson). The friends birthday wasn't all that bad in the dieting department. I had no troubles sticking to my non-eating. My godson's birthday however was a whole different story. My sister-in-law is a cake baker. She bakes the most delicious and wonderful looking cakes. A bit like the ones in the pictures of this post and I tell you it was HELL being around those cakes and not being able to eat them. Furthermore they (sis in law and her sisters, mother, aunts etc.) had made delicious Cape Verdian food and one thing is sure: I was happy when we left the birthday location and went home because the need to succumb to the cake and food was very, very big. I do hope the scale will reward me for this on Thursday because if not, I will not be a happy cookie this week. The sacrifices I make for the new and improved Pearl are endless and torturous! This morning I was helping hubby prepare the dinner for our guests tonight and the smell of food is killing me. But I am trying to stay strong and stick to the broth, water and curds...Only 3,5 months to go...

Happy Sunday to all and hope you are all doing fine!

Hugs,
Pearl

UP and DOWN

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 178 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 175 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 3 lbs

Total Loss: 17 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.5

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 2.0

Total Hours of Zumba: 6

So last week there was no post for me because I was sick. This week I had my weigh-in yesterday morning and I “only” lost 3 lbs. It may seem cruel to say ONLY 3 lbs but considering the fact that I am on a 0-calories diet you’d expect more than 3 lbs every two weeks. Unfortunately the fact that I was born as a woman once again coupled up with my water retaining powers and decided that once a month I don’t see the result of the sacrifices I am making to lose weight. However every lbs is one so I shouldn’t sound so ungrateful. I know some of you are having a much harder time...

As the title states: sometimes you go up…sometimes you go down. And I’ll have to get used to the fact that 1 weighing per month will have less wonderful results than the other. The past week was also hard in the not eating department: I really almost caved when I was feeling sick…if it wasn’t for my wonderful hubby who took good care of me and kept me motivated and held me back when I was ready to ransack the cupboards looking for something to eat, I would have. So I am dedicating this week’s weight loss to him.

On a different and more positive note...the loss of 17 lbs is apparently starting to show because today I was told that even my boobs look smaller....I don't know how much of that is true or more of a "in the eye of the beholder" thing, but I am noticing my clothes are getting looser...so loose that my tracksuit pants fell of my hiney this evening as I was running up the stairs to rush to the toilet (the water drinking is still making me run to the toilet every 30 minutes...).

And that's what I want you to keep in mind: Even if the scale doesn't show the lower figures, watch your clothes because sometimes even if the scale doesn't indicate it, you are loosing fat and that's much more important than some numbers on that electronic device that is the bane of our existence.

Hugs,
Pearl

The only way is up...or in our case DOWN

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 186 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 178 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 6 lbs

Total Loss: 12 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 2,0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0.0

Total Hours of Zumba: 4.5

This week’s post is a late and very brief one as I was occupied all day today with a road trip up north and due to failed planning I didn’t write my weekly post before I left on the trip.
As you can see in the numbers above this two-week period was a very good one, despite half the wrap I ate last week. I lost 6 lbs in these two weeks and that is a big motivation to keep up with the strict 0-calories diet. People in my environment still frown upon what I am doing.

“Why aren’t you eating?”
“Isn’t this a bit drastic?”
“What you are doing can’t be healthy, you should eat.”

Despite these questions and remarks regularly thrown at me, I know that this is something that is finally working for me. By the next weighing appointment with the acupuncturist I will be below 176 lbs and that is a weight I haven’t had in three years, despite diets, trying to eat less, trying to eat healthier, despite anything I have tried these past three years. And that alone motivates me.

Besides the motivation, I feel more energized than I’ve felt in many, many years and I know that once I reach my goal weight and I can go off the 0-calories I will NEVER again eat like I ate before. I do not need all the food, especially the junk, I used to eat to feel satisfied.

I am now going to crash into my bed for another busy day tomorrow and wish all my #twitloss buddies a week next week like the one I had this week!

Hugs,
Pearl

Queen of the Slackers? Yup, that would be me!

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 188 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 186 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 2 lbs

Total Loss: 6 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 0.0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.0

Total Hours of Zumba: 2.5

You see the hours of Zumba this week? No? Are you sure you don’t see them? That’s right…that’s because I didn’t Zumba this week.
As I said last week in my post: I forewarned you. I do not like to work out and in week three I have already fallen off the wagon where working out is concerned.
I can use the excuse of being awefully busy, busy, busy but I can also be honest and say to myself that there is ALWAYS time to squeeze in 20/30 minutes of Zumba. No I must face the fact that I am a SLACKER!
I cling to every excuse not to work out and even Zumba which is so much like dancing has fallen victim to my lazy-ass attitude towards working out.

Okay now that I have acknowledged the problem I know what to do: I need to get back on the exercise wagon and I have asked hubby to help me: He has orders to make sure I Zumba tomorrow so I can get into the groove again of my daily work-outs. I.CAN.DO.THIS!

On another matter I had a day with BFF today (which is the reason this post is so late). It was something we'd planned before I even had an inkling of starting this 0-calories diet and when she heard I was doing this she asked if it wasn't better to cancel as we had a lunch planned as a highlight in our day. I thought long and hard and then decided that I didn't want the dieting to mess up my social life or to control it. So I said to her we weren't cancelling. I would make it work and I did!
I took my broth with me and decided I'd take that and a lot of water, tea and diet coke if I didn't find a way to eat something that wouldn't interfere with my diet.
When we got to the place where we were supposed to have lunch, I looked long and hard at the menu and there was a lot of good stuff on it and I was really in doubt of what to do.
Finally I decided to break the three-week fast and order a tuna wrap. It was the most healthy I could find on the menu and I ordered it without any guilt about eating something.

Well let me tell you after three weeks of broth, curds, water, tea and diet soda, I thought I would devour the wrap and end up wanting, craving, more. You can't imagine my surprise that I was able to eat only half of the wrap, which was delicious by the way and it took me an hour...SERIOUSLY: AN HOUR! to finish that half of a wrap...When I ate half I just couldn't eat anymore and I have absolutely no craving for food, so as of tomorrow it's back to my regular diet without any problems.
And I survived a day of socializing without any problems!



Till next week!

Hugs,
Pearl

Being a woman sometimes really sucks

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 188 lbs

This Time’s Weight: 186 lbs

This Time’s Loss: 2 lbs

Total Loss: 6 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.0

Last Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.5

Total Hours of Zumba: 2.5

First off I want to offer some my #twitloss buddies some mental support and apologize for not being there for them as much as I wanted this week. Reading and reviewing obligations and off line life just sucked me up this week and I expect it to stay that way for a few weeks. But remember: I may not be here or on Twitter that much but in spirit I am rooting for you all and sending positive, healthy, weight-reducing vibes to all of you. Reading the other #twitloss posts this week made me realize mine was pretty uneventful besides being very busy.

The not eating part is still going very well and I did lose weight but just not as much as I was expecting and that’s partly because I slacked in the work-out department. I forewarned everyone: I detest working out. So every opportunity I have to not work out, I seize with both hands. This week it was one day of cramps (Tuesday but I’ll get back to that later) and one day of killer headache (Wednesday) that led me to just not work out yesterday…But I had a serious talk with myself and tonight before bed I will do my Zumba work-out and it will be the Sculpt and Tone torture one, just to show myself what will happen if I fall of the wagon again…

So Tuesday I had a day of cramps and this leads me to my second reason I did not lose as many lbs as I was expecting. As my title states: It sucks being a woman and being all women here (at least that’s what I think, if there are any men following this blog I think this is the moment to stop reading my post now) I think you all know what I mean. It started in the weekend. I started craving foods, bad foods, really, really bad foods. Monday same story: I was going crazy with wanting to eat and I just didn’t understand why. And then Tuesday I discovered why: Aunt Flo paid me a visit and she brought me cramps. Aunt Flo tried to sabotage me, just 2 weeks into my diet. First with the food craving, mind you, I did not give in and stuck to my water, diet coke, broth and curds but still, every time I smelled food (either cooking for hubby or he eating his food) I would get that craving. Then with the cramps so I couldn’t work out and to finish me off, when I went for my weighing on Thursday (yesterday) I was feeling so bloated I felt like that girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…Can’t remember her name, but you all know who I mean, the one who swelled up like a blueberry. And when I got on the scale I was so afraid, but I still lost 2 lbs.

Sometimes I really wish I were a man, because men don’t get visits from Aunt Flo. But only sometimes because other times being a woman really ain’t that bad!

Hugs,
Pearl

TGIF - I survived the first week

Starting Weight: 192 lbs

Goal Weight: 132 lbs

Last Time’s Weight: 192 lbs

This Time’s Weight*: 188 lbs

This Time’s Loss*: 4 lbs

Total Loss: 4 lbs

This Week’s Hours of Zumba: 1.5

Total Hours of Zumba: 1.5

*These numbers will be my bi-weekly numbers as I go to the doctor to weigh every 2 weeks and my scale at home always says something other than the doctor's.

So how did my first week of #twitloss go?
Well with ups and downs but I am happy to say it ended high! As I wrote on my page I am starting the battle against overweight with a 0-calorie diet, acupuncture and Zumba.

The 0-calorie diet means I can only have:
Minimum of 2 liters of fluids (this can be coffee, tea, water and diet sodas, NO juice)
Vitamin/mineral supplement pills (3 a day)
3 cups of broth (NO soup)
1 spoon of vegetable oil
300 grams of yogurt or 150 grams of curds

And that’s it folks!

The acupuncture is to keep the feelings of hunger/obsession with food away and I must say it helps. I had one tough day this week and almost grabbed food to comfort me but then took a step back and kept my eye on the end prize (losing this damn overweight) and took a glass of water and a cup of broth instead. I felt like I won a war after that moment. In the past I have never been able to overcome the need to comfort myself with food.

I must say the not eating part is going well for me. I already suspected not eating is easier for me than eating just healthy stuff of little amounts of food but it’s going better than I thought, save for that one tough day I had. I feel great, I have energy, I don’t feel hungry or faint. I can be around food, handle food (I cook for my hubby) and not have the inclination to eat it. If it stays like this, keeping this diet up for a few months will be less of a chore than I thought it would be.

Another shocker for me is finding out I am looking forward to doing my daily exercise, Zumba. Okay, I’ve just been doing it for 3 days…so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I abhor sports, I loathe exercise but I love to dance and in Zumba I have found a combination of dance and sports that is working for me. Still this is the hardest part for me, every morning I get up and have to motivate and force myself to put the dvd in and start excercising. Once I'm at it I really enjoy myself but it's taking that step to start that I hope will be easier the course of time.

In closing this week I want to thank all the ladies of the #twitloss group (whether on the blog or just on twitter). Knowing there are more people battling their weight is all the support I could ask for and it’s helping keep me motivated to see it through to the end this time! Couldn't do it without you guys!

Hugs,
Pearl

Oh and got a little something especially for Danielle, on her request: