Are there any Australian Sleevers out there, Would Love to hear from you.

I tried a pre-made woolies salad for dinner tonight and it was great. It wasn't probably the greatest option (it was the one you turn upside down and has Pasta salad in it) but it was my main meal of the day And I have been out at the local Dam with the family all day, running around in the sun. I will attach the sunburn photo with this - not great. See, before the sleeve I would NEVER have gone to the dam, there was no way I'd be running around after the kids or sitting having a picnic under the "shade" of a tree. No possible way. It was awesome to be able to do so and to have no trouble getting up and down off the blanket.

Anyway to get back to the salad, it has 1500kj in a serve (there is one per pack) but I would guess I could get 4 meals out of this thing...well, for me pasta is always a bit of a hard task - can't fit much in at all. But it was satisfying and I feel so healthy. Everyone else was having take away rubbish and I was eating my salad and really enjoying it. No rolling around groaning cause I was too full or feeling yuck because of too much salt and fat. I feel like it's a big thing for me, anyway to have made this choice.

Tomorrow night I am hosting a New Years Games night. Traditionally I would have cooked some pretty yummy but very unhealthy snackies to get us through to midnight. This year? I am going to do crackers etc but instead of tarts or pies, I am doing a tropical fruit salad and greek yoghurt. I am sure that my guests will enjoy it (mostly lol) but I will only have stuff out that I feel good about eating - what a great way to see in the New Year!

Anyway here is the evidence of my shame I am a kid of the "Slip, Slop, Slap!" generation so I should know better!!

Way to go Lila, looks like a great New Years Eve you have planned.

Swift kate, not long now, you will soon be rocking the sleeve!!

I am going to go back on the Optifast til my gall bladder surgery so I give the doctor the most amount of room to move about, so if you need support, yell this way. Well starting New Years day, also a way to detox myself from all the bad things I have been eating for the last few weeks.

So my new years resolutions have been made:

- Maintain my weight, maybe loose a few more Kgs to give me a bit more leeway from my max weight.

- Get my arms and apron fixed (surgically, am over looking at the both of them, and think it makes me still think I am fat, even tho I am NOT!) not getting a TT as I havent decided about kids

- Find love, with a decent man (fingers crossed, but I am open to it so that is a start)

- Travel more, this year plans so far include New Orleans (Mardi gras), New York, Morocco, Spain and Hungary, and possibly a few more....

- Obviously earn more money to pay for all of the above

- See my nephews more

- Clear out the junk in my life

- Focus on building my career up, maybe a new job.

What is your goals/resolutions?

Bring on 2013, where I take the new healthy me and show the world who I am

May you all have a prosperous and successful and most of all healthy year too!

Sounds like a great day Lila. I've been watching your ticker thinking "she's almost half way" then BOOOM!! You've smashed it outta the park. You really are working that sleeve.

It looks like 2013 is going to be your year Aussiegirl. If you're in the market for a new job we're always looking for bright, fit young girls as recruits

My 2013 is going to be me at goal weight, eating well and training hard. I start back at Crossfit on the 2nd. I'm curious to see what it's like lighter but also how much strength I may have lost.

Hope you all have a great night and a happy New Year. I'm working a 4pm to Midnight shift (how crap is that!), but I'm hoping to get off a little bit early so I can be home with Amanda at Midnight.

Happy New Year!

Deano

Have a great News Eve guys! You are all sounding so positive and motivated! I haven't set myself any goals for 2013 yet!

I haven't hoped on the scales for a couple of weeks and I must admit I am a bit scared too - I have not been eating so well over this Christmas period and just don't want to face any weight gain. Just a fear of going backwards and having that feeling of failure after so much progress!

Lila - I too had a dose of the sun - my skin hasn't seen the light of day for years so I think it got a bit of a shock when I wore a tank top and went for a walk on the beach - it was really nice to feel the sun on my skin but I could have put lotion on - go figure!

Dean - shame you have to work but thanks for doing your job to keep us all safe - hope you do get home to Celebrate the new year in with your better half and family :-)

Aussie Girl - you are an inspiration! With your great outlook, I am sure some gorgeous man will want to be part of it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sounds like a great day Lila. I've been watching your ticker thinking "she's almost half way" then BOOOM!! You've smashed it outta the park. You really are working that sleeve.

It looks like 2013 is going to be your year Aussiegirl. If you're in the market for a new job we're always looking for bright' date=' fit young girls as recruits

My 2013 is going to be me at goal weight, eating well and training hard. I start back at Crossfit on the 2nd. I'm curious to see what it's like lighter but also how much strength I may have lost.

Hope you all have a great night and a happy New Year. I'm working a 4pm to Midnight shift (how crap is that!), but I'm hoping to get off a little bit early so I can be home with Amanda at Midnight.

Happy New Year!

Deano[/quote']

I hear you. 5pm to 1:30am shift tonight. Try to have a good one anyway.

Way to go Lila' date=' looks like a great New Years Eve you have planned.

Swift kate, not long now, you will soon be rocking the sleeve!!

I am going to go back on the Optifast til my gall bladder surgery so I give the doctor the most amount of room to move about, so if you need support, yell this way. Well starting New Years day, also a way to detox myself from all the bad things I have been eating for the last few weeks.

So my new years resolutions have been made:

- Maintain my weight, maybe loose a few more Kgs to give me a bit more leeway from my max weight.

- Get my arms and apron fixed (surgically, am over looking at the both of them, and think it makes me still think I am fat, even tho I am NOT!) not getting a TT as I havent decided about kids

- Find love, with a decent man (fingers crossed, but I am open to it so that is a start)

- Travel more, this year plans so far include New Orleans (Mardi gras), New York, Morocco, Spain and Hungary, and possibly a few more....

- Obviously earn more money to pay for all of the above

- See my nephews more

- Clear out the junk in my life

- Focus on building my career up, maybe a new job.

What is your goals/resolutions?

Bring on 2013, where I take the new healthy me and show the world who I am

May you all have a prosperous and successful and most of all healthy year too![/quote']

Aussie, all your goals for this year are so similar to mine. Earn more money, let go of emotional and physical junk, meet a nice guy, maybe change jobs, I would love to get my arms and belly done, not sure if that will be this year or not, probably not.

Got down to 60.9 before Xmas, went up to 61.4 this morning. I'd like to say I'm not bothered, but I am a bit. Want to get it off ASAP so it doesn't have time to invite friends over.

Happy New Year to everyone and may all your dreams come true and goals come to fruition in 2013. I have never set New Years resolutions but I will set personal and business goals. Last December 31 I wrote a goal in my diary to be 80kg by today. I had no idea how I would realistically achieve this and in fact it was really wishful thinking. Little did I know I would get a sleeve in August and am now only 3kgs off this goal. The power of writing down your goals cannot be underestimated. I will be aiming to achieve my goal loss weight and improve my fitness in 2013.

Sue you may be surprised with a loss when you weight yourself! Let us know how you get on.

Dean thanks for working tonight and I am sure you will enjoy your New Years Day instead.

We are at Sofitel Broadbeach for a couple of nights and head back to Brisbane in the morning to go to the Brisbane International Tennis. Anyone else going tomorrow?

Thank you for sharing everyone. I start pre op diet this Tuesday and boy do I need it. Have put on six kilos since having decided on the sleeve a month ago and getting all fill out of my band. I'm having band out and sleeve done in same op' date=' however there is the chance that once the surgeon goes in he may decide that I need some wait time before I have the sleeve. If this happens I'm worried what damage, weight wise, I could do while waiting the three months for the band!! It's strange really because at the moment I'm eating more than ever. I've never put on six kgs in a month before. Roll on Tuesday is all I can say. Quite appropriate really that I start pre op diet on the first day of the year...hope it's a sign that I can be a loser next year!!![/quote']

Good luck Kate. You know what ypu need to do and have all of us to support you if yu falter. Have a plan, be prepared and enjoy the process along the way,as I am sure you will feel better from day 1of pre-op pre. We will cross fingers that you get your sleeve on the same day your band is removed, but if it doesn't happen then, stay positive and on track. What a great way for you to start the New Year!

Thanks Deano for pat on the back I was a bit surprised when I got on the scales that I'd lost almost 3kg over the Christmas period - but I've been so busy and active that it probably shouldn't have been I wasn't trying for a big loss but funnily enough, since there has been so much food around I've almost been put off eating. That and it has been so HOT out here that I've struggled to eat much due to needing to drink more. Doesn't help that my aircon died the week before Chrissy and I am still waitingon the part to fix it (its only 6 months old damn it!). It's been good for the weight loss though so I won't complain.

I've never been one for writing down resolutions but mine are pretty simple - to eat as healthy as possible, to increase my fitness and general health and to finish what I started - both personally and professionally. For 2013 this means loosing all my excess weight (another 40 kg or so) and to wrap up my private practice so that I will be ready to study again in 2014 (am thinking of either doing a PhD or if I can commit, studying medicine with a view to becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist). So it's a year of ending things in 2013...2014 will be the beginning of new challenges

Best wishes to you all and I look forward to sharing our stories in 2013!!

Cheers, Lila

I haven't hoped on the scales for a couple of weeks and I must admit I am a bit scared too - I have not been eating so well over this Christmas period and just don't want to face any weight gain. Just a fear of going backwards and having that feeling of failure after so much progress!

Dean - shame you have to work but thanks for doing your job to keep us all safe - hope you do get home to Celebrate the new year in with your better half and family :-)

Thanks for the appreciation. Sometimes feels thankless. Our 'clients' generally don't appreciate what we do

Like Kelli said, I'm sure you'll be surprised when you jump on. Do it asap. You deserved to cut yourself a bit of slack in any case. I always find that once I get back on the scale it's like a stake in the ground to get back with the program

The power of writing down your goals cannot be underestimated.

Dean thanks for working tonight and I am sure you will enjoy your New Years Day instead.

back to Brisbane in the morning to go to the Brisbane International Tennis. Anyone else going tomorrow?

Writing down goals, negative self talk - we all self fulfil our own prophecies without even knowing it!

Thanks for the appreciation. I had Christmas off, which is my preference, so I can't complain.

Amanda and I went to the tennis a lot before kids. It's a great day out. Have fun.

Lila, I think getting past the halfway mark is an awesome awesome milestone. The fact that you've lost more than is left to lose, must feel really empowering.

I hear you. 5pm to 1:30am shift tonight. Try to have a good one anyway.

That shift is worse than mine!!

............ although not to late to go out and do some catch up drinking with some friends. How many tequila shots can a sleeve handle??

Happy new year everybody. Just finished work, at least the rest of the year has to be better than this. Stay safe tonight and best wishes for 2013

Happy New Year everyone!! Thank u for being such an amazing and valuable part of my life and journey from pre to post sleeve. You have all been so supportive I feel very blessed to be a part of this thread! I hope that 2013 brings you all good health, self belief and a renewed lease on life.

It is now the morning after the night before...I'm still rather intoxicated...it so happens that my sleeve can tolerate A LOT more bourbon than I anticipated and I dare say today my diet will consist mainly of water! Hope everyone had a great night xx