Hello from Australia!! Or I probably should say, "G'Day"!!

For those of you who follow this blog and am wondering "What the heck?!!!", I am Shari, Krista's Aussie sister. We are supporting each other on our weight loss journeys and this is one way that we can do that given that I am all the way on the other side of the world!! I am also one of those people that don't like to tell the number. I wish that I had the courage to do it like Krista, but I find that even on here, I still can't do it!! It is a number so high that even I don't know how it got that high. Over the years of being busy with work and kids and life, it just got bigger and bigger and bigger despite the haphazard attempts I made to combat it. I will however, tell you that I have an awful lot of weight to lose, and even if I make my target that I have set for myself this year, I will only be about halfway there, depending on what I decide my final goal will be.

Now to tell you what my goal is this year. That is a number that I will put out there!! It is a big number and at first I was scared every time I said it. I decided to actually put my New Year's resolutions down on paper this year. I have 10 things on my list and one of the biggest to achieve and I really have to say THE most important one on my list is to lose weight and my goal is: To reach 100kg (220lbs - don't know if I wrote that right!!) by New Year's Eve. To achieve that goal, I need to lose around the 60kg (132lb) mark. (I know, I know - the number is out there now - I am pretty sure that people can do the math!!) Anyway, that seems a lot doesn't it? I started to tell people that that was my goal this year and each time I said it, I started to get a little bit more scared because that is a really big number. So then I said to myself, "Ok. Calm down. How many weeks do I have?" so I counted the number of weeks until New Year's Eve, from my second WW weigh in which will be tomorrow, as I went back to WW after Christmas last Thursday. I have 49 Thursdays, which equates to around 1.2kg (2.7lbs) per week. That is actually quite achievable. So now I am not so scared. I do have to lose consistently though, and if I don't lose on any given week or if I don't lose the target, then I am going to make it harder for myself. So I have to really really try to follow the plan and track and exercise and not cheat!!!! I was pleasantly surprised to find that after Christmas, I had still managed to lose 1.1kg (2.4lbs), which is great because I hadn't factored that in when I worked out how much I had to lose each week. It has given me a little bit of a kick start and a little tiny bit of breathing space if I need it.

I have read the rest of the blog and in keeping with what we are learning along the way, my SMART goal is as follows:
Specific - I want to reach 100kg (220lbs) by 31/12/2011
Measurable - I will go to WW and weigh in each week and the result is recorded in my pocketbook
Achievable - It is if I work hard to follow the plan, track and exercise
Recordable - WW pocketbook
Time Bound - 31/12/2011

I decided that this is the year for quite a few things in my life that need attention and also some things that I really wanted to do, which is why I have 10 things on my list to achieve. I also decided that they weren't going to happen unless I make them happen. I have already crossed one thing off my list which is a trip to NZ that I "made" happen. Against all odds, I decided to go on the Friday and we left on the Monday for a one week trip to NZ and I was then able to cross the first thing off my list. I am working this week on crossing the second thing off my list and hoping that by systematically working my way through these things and having successes with the shorter term goals that I have, I will be able to keep motivated and working hard toward my bigger goal of losing weight that will take the whole year to achieve.

I have told the 60kg number to a lot of people now. My workmates are all on board and they have started an incentive plan for me to help keep me motivated and one of my workmates is coming to WW with me each week. I am going to a personal training session for 30 minutes every Friday with another workmate and I go to curves and need to make sure I get there at least 3 times every week.

My gosh - enough about me already!! Now that you know almost everything about me, I hope that at least it gives you a little bit of inspiration and that we can all work together to get this thing done. It just has to happen. I know I have so much I want to do in life and none of it is going to happen unless I get this weight off, and I need all the help I can get. If we can all help each other by sharing our journeys and encouraging each other, then hopefully it will make the task not quite so hard!!

Talk again soon and good luck to everyone on their journeys!!

Shari

PS - It is Australia Day today and Curves isn't open, so I am going to hop on my exercise bike now. Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie - Oi, Oi, Oi!!!