My customised weight-loss plan from Jillian Michaels

I can't wait to get to Melbourne and start my new exercise regime. I want to get a treadmill and I can do that for say $10 a month. I want to get into the habit of bicycle riding and walking and running and doing aerobic dance classes as well as eating better. I can't wait to eat better. I will change my life!

1. Sweat

"You're a Pear - but you can pare down!

Like all pears, you tend to store fat in your lower body, so you're probably carrying extra weight around your hips, buttocks, and thighs. Anyone can be a pear, but this shape is more common among women, and it actually evolved because fat stored in these areas aids in fertility and breast-feeding. It's an interesting fact — but I know as well as anyone that this type of fat is harder to lose.

Not to worry! I have exercises that will target your fat storage areas. My personalized program will help you alter your pear shape. But you got to get a grip — you can only win against genetics up to a certain point. Once you understand this, you can let go of unreachable goals and replace them with real ones.

I'll create your personalized exercise program based on the days you prefer to work out, the goals you set for yourself, and the exercises you enjoy. After all, if you enjoy your workout, it's easier to stick to.

I'll encourage you to:

+ Have fun aerobic dancing! Depending on intensity, you could burn 500 calories an hour.
+ Cycle — indoors or out. At 13 mph, you could burn 600 calories an hour.
+ Power walk. You can do it anywhere, and at 4 mph, you’ll be burning at least 250 calories an hour.
+ Run indoors or out. All you need are good running shoes. And at 5 mph, you’ll burn over 400 calories an hour."

2. Science

"You're a balanced oxidizer.

Because you crave fruit and bread as well as salty foods, cheeses, and meats, you may be a balanced oxidizer. This is the fancy term for your metabolic rate. It simply means that you need equal proportions of protein, carbs, and fat to process the nutrients in your food optimally, and to produce and use the resulting energy. Lucky you — your diet is the easiest to follow! You feel your best on a diet that incorporates a wide range of foods, and your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

But the bottom line is, you have to burn more calories than you take in. That's it. And to really do this successfully, you have to eat the ideal diet for your body and metabolism. Believe me — I've struggled with this myself. And I've done a lot of research and work to figure out my ideal diet. And now I want to share my findings with you. I have recipes and snacks that will help you eat better for your body type. And I have secrets and tricks to make it easier. (I didn't say "easy.")

3. Self

"1. Avoid dangerous situations. STOP driving by the doughnut shop on your way to work. When you go out to dinner, ask the waiter not to bring bread to your table.

2. Get a hobby. Start taking your dog on longer walks. Fix up your attic. By focusing on positive activities, you'll find yourself becoming more relaxed, happier, and thinner!

3. Curb mindless eating. Don't eat while standing up, and don't skip meals. Brush your teeth after every meal and snack. Food never seems as appealing when you have that toothpaste taste in your mouth."

* I was just thinking about the toothpaste thing the other day! I hate eating after I've brushed my teeth and I thought that if I do that when I want to eat but am not hungry then I can stop eating unnecessarily. It'll work too.

More Sydney thoughts

I am constantly thinking about moving to Sydney, as I have mentioned several times I'm sure. I imagine packing a huge suitcase and stuffing it with a few pans/pots, plates, cutlery, baking trays just to keep me going as well as clothes and my bathroom essentials, maybe even my DVD player and set top box, some DVD's and books and several other items. I don't want to take too much stuff but I don't want to go with none of the kitchen items because I won't want to buy them in big lots as I won't need that many. I wonder how much I can fit in a suitcase. I'm really excited about going to Uni again and studying. It feels like such a good use of time and I love learning. I'm so excited about setting up my own little house. I hope it's as cute and affordable as I want it to be. I can't wait to fill it with flowers and my fish and art. It'll be all mine. Getting furniture will be great too. Got to make more money now so I can have the life I want. One thing I'm especially looking forward to is the weather and the newness of the city. I can't wait to explore more and do it in a t-shirt instead of having to be wary of what I wear. I think that will be fantastic. I loved the weather when I was there. This is my own journey. I'm doing it to see if I can make it on my own and I"ll have to do it alone. I want to say that I've done it and really experience it. I'm sick of letting everything depend on another. That's not healthy or how it should be. I think it will be a challenge but I'm going to make it great, I just know it. I hope I get it all sorted next week on my trip there. I'm going to try the trains to get to the city and back because I doubt the shuttle will get me to the airport in time for my 615am flight. I didn't realise it was so early but that's all there is. It'll be okay. I can sleep for the rest of the day, or even on the plane on the way back. It'll be a good experiment and I'll finally use a train there! I might go on a ferry to Taronga Zoo too. I'll check out the prices for that tomorrow probably. Monday maybe. I'd better go and get ready for my first Beginners Pilates class at the Uni gym. I really do hate that it's so far but it will be worth it and I've flaked so many times in the last few months. Bad me.

Actions not words

It's been snowing on and off today but it just won't settle. I wish it would. Although it's difficult going out in that kind of weather I like when it settles at home. It reminds me of my childhood when it would settle here and we would tobaggon down the side of the pond or down our road, which is a hill. I miss that innocence.

I've been adjusting this journal, going back over the entries I've made since January and reading snippets of what my year has been like and it's definitely been a journey. Things have changed so much. Most of all I miss my independence by living out of home and being busy. I can't wait till next year. I'll be studying so much and working that I won't have time to be bored, especially in a new city.

I've made myself a new gym timetable. It'll depend on work but these are the classes I want to go to. Some days there are doubled up classes like Monday for example, but it depends on what I'm doing in the day and whether or not I can make the classes. I probably wouldn't double up as there's a large gap between lunch and 4pm classes.

Monday

1230 Step

1/2 hour treadmill

420 Step

530 Pump

630 Combat

Tuesday

1215 Box It

1/2 hour treadmill

430 Step

1/2 hour treadmill

Wednesday

1215 Pump

1/2 hour treadmill

430 Combat

530 Intermediate Aerobics

630 Pump

Thursday

12 Combat

1/2 hour treadmill

430 Pump

1/2 hour treadmill

Friday

430 Combat

530 Step

Saturday

330 Beginners Pilates

1/2 hour treadmill

Sunday

1030 Circuit

1/2 hour treadmill

I went on Tuesday to the 430 Step class and really liked being back there. I'm going this evening too for Pump at 430 then I'll go on the treadmill because I haven't been able to go for a walk here at home. I'm not a fan of going for a walk in this weather. Mum did this morning as she had to take Katie before work but that's different. I've been depressed/deflated lately but now I want to get back into the gym as I've paid for it and I have 3 months left on my membership. I have always said I want to be fit. In Sydney I might go to dance classes, start afresh there. In truth it is time I stopped talking and start doing but I'm a slacker and probably won't do it but I must try or I'll always regret it. I need a routine, that's the problem. I put a lot of hopes on Sydney but it might just be the thing that gets me acting not talking. We'll see.

Money woes yet again

I just came back from lunching with Sophie at thebeach. We talked a lot about the Lordy boys and our relationships and the engagement party and also about work. She suggested I look into training organisations such as the one she used to get her job at Stennings and you don't need to be experienced. I only found the one she mentioned in the Yellow Pages but it's a start. I'll hopefully get full-time work and I might not earn a heap but with thebeach as well I'll be set. I'll ring them up tomorrow.

I called Suzanne at Wrest Point this morning at 8am and left a message on her answering machine about not wanting the job. I had been rehersing it in my mind since 6am this morning, not really being able to sleep after that, then after 830am I started drifting off more and not being able to get up. I should have just gotten up at 7am and played The Sims 2 like I have been each day since the weekend but no, I had to keep "sleeping". Grr.

I have to buy my tickets to Sydney and back tomorrow. I really hope I earned enough money to pay for them as well as buy petrol and survive until next pay day. Fingers crossed I earned $250ish but I'm not sure I will. I didn't do huge hours but I did have 3 shifts so I'll have to wait and see. I want to pay for the Maritime Museum membership, which is roughly $27, but I might not be able to afford it. I also want to buy the Union Jack bed sheets but again I might not be able to swing it, especially since they might be $50 and mum said I have to be super careful with my money. I feel like a kid again. Sigh. Next year will be brilliant, just remember that.

I've been finding some new blogs to follow recently and I like how they all seem to do a special day thing, like Music Monday or Tattoo Tuesday. Some have something scheduled for every day of the week! Maybe it's time I started something like that. I'll have to figure something out. I like the daily outfits but I usually wear the same thing and I'm not that interesting clothing-wise. I wish to be but you need money for that and I'm lacking in that department. One day...

I have been thinking recently about sewing creatures and I might get back into the rice balls. I might get better fabric than felt, as the crappy felt we have here in Spotlight bubbles and stretches. Holly gets good quality felt from the mainland I think but I want some stiff fabrics, like the great patterned stuff she used for one of her robots. I might try and snap a picture next time I'm over there. I'll try and make some cuties and have eyes and arms and legs dangling off their triangular bodies. One day when I'm not so poor I'll look into it.

I'm going to the gym for 430pm to do the Step class and a bit of Zumba afterwards. I'm looking forward to getting back into it! Classes a so much fun and I'll stay for the duration. I might not stay for all of Zumba as I'll probably be fairly tired but I'll see how I go. Just worried about my money situation for tomorrow. I hope it's enough.

Back in Hobart, back to being bored

I have to start going to the Gym again. All weekend while I was in Sydney [I'll type up my post for those days soon] I felt like I was bigger and it wasn't nice. It makes me feel depressed and I really need to get this under control. Ever since I moved back home I've been eating more and exercising less. I hate it. I've looked up the new timetable for my gym, which I haven't been to in ages, and I will hopefully go tomorrow night. The classes I like are:

Monday

1230 Step

430 Zumba

530 Pump

Tuesday

430 Step

530 Zumba

Wednesday

530 Intermediate Aerobics

Friday

530 Step

630 Pump

Saturday

930 Step

11 Yoga

330 Beginners Pilates

I think I'll go on Saturday this week, then head to the Salamanca Markets afterwards for a wander. I haven't done that in ages so it'll be nice to get out and about. I don't usually like to go to the gym on a day when I'm working because I'm a slacker, it's my excuse, and I like to be relaxed before working but I need to stop that, especially since that's the only day I can do Yoga or Pilates.

I've noticed today that I'm bored again. Sydney was jam packed with activities, as of course a holiday is, and now I'm back and depressed again as my life right now is really boring. Tomorrow I'm meeting Andi after my appointment to remove my Implanon as I'm the Pill and don't need two contraceptives. I will head to the gym afterwards so hopefully it won't be a complete waste of a day. I need to get a job in the next 2 weeks or I'm going to go crazy. I'm glad to be back from Sydney as I did get a little lonely but I think once I'm living there next year close to Uni in the cute suburb of Glebe I'll be happier. I'll have lots to do with study and hopefully I'll be working close by so I don't have to do much travelling. I think my life then will be better but until then I need more work to keep me entertained and earning money before I go. I hate sitting around at home all the time doing nothing worth while. I'm wasting my days and it continues to bug me. If I was out everyday seeing people, which I am at least once or twice a week, then it would be okay, especially if there was a man involved, but I don't expect to be with anyone for a year or so. I need to work. Arrr.

I actually need to volunteer at either TMAG [Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery] or the Maritime Museum as that's something that is an integral part in the museum studies course I want to do. That will take up part of my time, and hopefully I can get a job at Dymmock's or with the courier place. I might get a job with the Federal Group in Hobart, not hours out of the city, but I don't want to wait for that possibility. I need to be working now! I picked up a shift for tonight. Panda messaged me so I'm replacing her. I also have Saturday and Sunday nights so hopefully I get a heap of hours up. I'm getting a bit sick of it there though, especially since there are lots of new people coming in. I do love that I know what I'm doing though. I would actually love day work. If I get 5 or 6 days work then I'll be prepared to keep Saturday and Sunday nights at thebeach. I want to be busy.

I'll be going back to Sydney for a day or two next month. On the 22nd of September there is the Graduate Options day from 3-8pm so I'll head over for that and this time I'll stay in a hotel for the night. $50 should do it and dad said they might pay for my accommodation. I think I'll head over on the 22nd at lunch time and come back the following day at 5pm. I've done the sights and the shopping, not all of them but enough to last me for a while, and I don't need to be there for that long. It'll be a short little trip but worth it as hopefully I'll get all the information I need as I didn't get much this trip. It was mostly for undergraduates after all and I'm interested in postgraduate studies. It'll be nice doing a mid-week trip. Something to look forward to. Hopefully I have a new job before then!

Today I feel updateable

I have to organise my trip to Sydney soon. I might do it tonight by starting with all the activities I want to do on the Saturday at the Uni Open Day including all the times I can see the accommodation. There will be activities I won't know about until I'm there but I can plan for some things. I also want to write a list of all the places I want to see while I'm in the city, like the malls and museums and parks. I think Sunday might be museums and parks day. I have Friday from lunch time to get to my backpackers and maybe I can go shopping then and find some places to eat. I will probably get yogurt for breakfast on the Saturday while waiting for a bus to the Uni, which reminds me that on Friday I will have to go in search of the bus stop I'm to take. I can even grab some bus timetables and things like that. There is a lot to plan so that is my mission tonight.

I've been reading a book for the last few days since Sunday and I'm really proud of myself for sticking with it and not watching as much TV. It's one that blogger Danielle from Sometimes Sweet recommended and I bought off the Book Depository. It's called "The Opposite of Me" by Sarah Pekkanen and has been a great read so far. I've almost finished it and am excited to move onto the next book, one I bought for $5 a month ago. It's about philosophy. It's nice that I'm getting myself out of the TV series habit/crutch and doing something more worthwhile. Reading is good and I need to keep it up. I feel guilty when I watch too many episodes and I'm glad this week I have stopped. I watched a movie last night, "Porco Rosso" by Hayao Miayazaki, and it was nice. I really liked it and it's different to an episode. I want to stop wasting my time so much. It's my challenge. I also want to stop being lazy and organise my room and life more. I hope I get the Coles Bay job but if I don't I'll apply at the bookstores again. Working a lot will help with the laziness and help me prepare for Sydney next year.

I also have to get back into the swing of fitness. I went for a walk with the dog yesterday and am about to go with mum. I hate my lower half figure. My tummy is also included in this. My top third is fine, nice and slim, but it's the bottom thirds that suck. Arr. I want to lose 10 kilograms but I don't know how. I have to eat less. Being sick hasn't helped. I have to start going back to the gym. I'll talk to Emma about it tomorrow at Onba and maybe organise to meet her there for some sessions after she's done with work. More fun that way.

My graduation is coming up on the weekend. I have to collect my gown and hat and hood that day [Saturday], then get my sister to do something with my hair, then get back to the Uni and stay there for an hour or so before the ceremony starts. I don't know what I'll wear underneath. I assume the gown will be fairly long but will show shoes. I might have to get some nice flats or just wear my Volleys or Converse shoes. I'll wear stockings and a skirt underneath as usual but it's the shoes I'm wondering about. I'll get it sorted.

I'm going into town today to get an x-ray for my wisdom teeth for my dentist. I went there last Friday and have to have 6 cavities filled in 2 sittings. I'm going this Friday at 2pm and the Friday in a fortnight after as the one in between is when I'll be heading to Sydney. They will have to stick needles in me to numb me which I'm not looking forward to. I don't like going there and having things in my mouth only because my gag reflex is sensitive. I don't mind the pain as such but I'll be happy for it to be over and done with. It'll cost over $800 for all 6 cavities, which mum and dad will front the money for, and I also have to pay for my car's service. It's been making funny noises lately and has to have some work done on it. It's there today so hopefully the bill isn't too high. I worked for 4 days last week so I'll be getting a big pay as I did some long hours so hopefully that will be enough to cover the car service as well as having some left for Sydney. We will see.

Off for that walk now! Prepared to be worn out and puffing.

I want to be a Museum Curator

I'm feeling sick today. I worked a lot over the weekend, doing 19 hours all up [which is unusual for me these days but great as I don't have any other income], but am feeling the effects of it today. I couldn't get out of bed until I made myself at 1215 today. I was planning to go to the gym but I seem to have misplaced my shoes and pants that I workout in. They could be in the gym somewhere as I might have left them in my locker, but I can't quite remember what I did with them. I will go by there tomorrow and suss the situation out. I want to go for a walk again today. I went on Saturday and it was great. I walked to telegraph pole 94A and jogged half of the way down. I'm going to try and do that most days each week.

In other news, I have decided I want to be a Museum Curator. I will do the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies and follow that with the diploma and the masters if it all works out. It's nice having this to think about. I was looking over internet sites on Saturday and there was an interview with someone in this job and she said to do an internship or volunteer so you can see all the different areas. If I don't come back from the UK for a few years then I'll do the course over there. How great to go to a University in the UK! They will have better museums to work in anyway. It will be fabulous. If I come back earlier I will go to Melbourne probably. The Sydney Uni looks so wonderful that I'd rather go there but Melbourne is closer to home. I know three people in Melbourne, and only one in Sydney [Tim from thebeach who I'm not that close with], but it would be nice to have an adventure to somewhere new. It also might be best if I go somewhere where I know people. Making new friends can be hard. Doing in the UK might be preferable. I'd love to stay for ages and really get to know the country and spend time with my family. Hopefully I find my husband over there and have even more reason to stay. I should look up UK Museum Studies courses today.

The course in Sydney looks great. The website is so detailed and it sounds perfect. They have mandatory internships and everything is set out so well. I should look at the Melbourne courses though. After a bit of research, UK Universities need students to have done Honours [in the case of one University at least] so I suspect the bar will be higher. Australia has good programs so I will be fine studying here. I don't think Melbourne would get me a Masters degree if I wanted though, so it might have to be Sydney! I have lots of time to think it over though. I'll find other options as well to peruse.

Yorick and I will be having lunch sometime this week or next I think. I want to talk to him about how I don't like that things are weird between us, how things are so different, and stuff to do with not being able to talk to each other about what we're feeling. That is reserved for our friends. Why is that? I just want to be open with him and see where that gets us. I don't like the weirdness.

I'm going to try and go for a walk today as I didn't make it to the gym. Sarah is coming down and we'll watch a movie. James and George will be here for dinner too. I can't wait till the baby arrives!

Slim please

I have been putting on weight since I moved home. I saw it today around my hips and have always noticed it on my belly. I'm scared. I want to be small. I was always the one size, not as small as I would have liked, but now it's coming to get me and I have to do something about it. After hot chocolates with Jessi in town I'll go to the gym. I might go for a walk here at home once I'm done with that and selling some old Uni books back to the Uni bookstore. I don't want to get fatter!

Earring success

I hate that Yorick has found a new love for Facebook. He status updates all the time and I read his comments on other peoples' status and sometimes, mostly actually, they are crude and always have a sexual element. It's not very nice to read but I want to know what he's up to.

I did some gluing with my covered buttons today. I've put some of the small earring backs [6mm] onto two of the size 20 [12mm] buttons so I can wear them tonight at work and show off my creations. I made the mistake of ordering more of the small earring backs instead of the bigger ones [8mm] so I talked to the eBayer I bought them off and she said I can swap them for the bigger ones. I think they will fit much better and look much better also than the smaller ones. I'm still waiting for the rings and the fabric and I think both of them will arrive next week. The rings should have been here by now but I can wait a little longer.

I went to the gym today for a tour. It was good. I really like the upstairs cardio/weights area and will start using that soon. There is this great machine, a bike, with a game TV screen in front of it which you 'play' to unlock higher biking levels. You have to steer and pedal and it's like you're cross country biking. I think I'll like that one. Also the treadmills are great. They check your heart rate and there is a little table which shows all the heart rate areas and what to aim for. I'll try and go 5 days a week.

I am so poor right now. I hate not having any money. I want a bookstore job but the are fresh out of those so I'll have to keep waiting until next month. It sucks because I want to buy things and have to pay for petrol and stuff and that takes away the small amount I earn each week from thebeach. It's very quiet there too so I can't really get more shifts until next month or something. Arg.

I have been thinking about the Yorick situation and I think it's okay because we did grow apart because we weren't doing things together and one day I will find someone to be with who will want to stay with me. I'll find someone like me, a bit of a homebody but also social, and he will hang out with me lots and we'll be in love and I'll call him by his first name. In my past relationships I had never used their names, always a cutesy name like Tate or Chimmy for Yorick. Sometimes I think that when I meet my someday husband I'll use his first name when conversing with him and that will be a sign. I hope this guy will like and play music, that he'll be taller than me with dark hair and eyes, and someone I'll click with, have fun with, and have a great sex life with. I know he's out there somewhere. I'm not ready to find him just yet but it's something to look forward to, to help me deal with the growing apart from Yorick, and to get me excited.

I've been looking at BlackBerry phones to get instead of the HTC Desire because they have the full QWERTY keyboard and are still pretty and better at connecting to the internet and stuff. I have seen some review about how the QWERTY keyboards on touch screen phones are hard to use, which they are, and allow for more errors than solid QWERTY keyboards. That's why I think I'll change to the BlackBerry Curve 8900 or Bold 9000. They are pretty!

Uni Gym

I'm not going to join Zap Fitness, I'm going to join the Uni Gym! Sam White mentioned it to me via Facebook and it's great because it has classes I like, which is the biggest reason I go to the gym, and it's cheapish. It will be cheaper as I still have my Uni card. The new classes timetable comes out on Monday so I'll try and join then or on Wednesday when I get paid. I might have to go the 3 months for $139 or 6 months for $195. For a year it's $300 so I'll have to think about this. It might be best for me financially to do a smaller lot first and make sure I utilise it as best I can instead of slacking off as I did at Endorphin. I wanna get fit!

Emma and I did our usual drinks at Onba and dinner at Cool Thai last night and afterwards we went to see Sex and the City 2 in Glenorchy. I loved Carrie's clothes, as per usual, and the first half was so glamorous and I really want to make one of Carrie's skirts for myself and get some high [up the leg] lace up boots to wear with it. I want to be fabulous!

Gym, career and buttons

I went by Zap today to potentially join but they have all of these extra fees before you even start. It's $23 a fortnight, as I knew, but it costs $60 for the key card to get in and out, something about paying for the last 4 weeks or for the 4 weeks coming, and for paying for half the week or whatever. So I'm not sure I'll be joining any time soon. Mum is going to check out the prices for her gym, the one in the Hospital where she works, and see if it'll be as cheap for me to join as it was for her. I can go walking up the hill near home and do the spin class I found in a magazine and even sign up for yoga at the Lotus Centre. I'll do a walk tomorrow. I don't need to go to the gym unless there is a class there. I love classes.

I was thinking about my ideal job today and it struck me later in the day that it's perfect as I'm not great with writing and getting good marks at school as you can probably tell from this sentence. It will also coincide with my desire to travel the world. I want to be one of those volunteers who goes to places and builds things for communities but I want to be paid for it, so maybe I can be in a higher position with the company that organises those things. I would get to travel and see other cultures and do something productive and positive and not have to do too much writing, hopefully. I think it would be great. Just have to figure out how to get into that kind of job.

Today I did some more on my Buttons to Cover journal book and ordered the fabric. I can't wait to get more fabric to start making these earrings. I have two lots of the wrong earring backs [they are 6mm instead of 8mm] so I might have to re-sell them on eBay. I'm also waiting for some rings and have found some generic white buttons but will test some similar sized ones out before I buy. With the 12mm buttons, I'll get either an 11mm or 10mm button depending on how much room needs to be left. 11mm might fit the best but I don't know if such a button exists. Mum has some odd buttons around the place so I might test it out with that. I got some super glue from Office Works the other day so hopefully that will keep it all together. There are 11mm buttons out there so it all depends which of the two is the better fit. I want to make the bracelet soon too and hopefully start selling! Yay!

Sigh

I am a little sad this afternoon about Yorick and how he's not that man in my life anymore. I miss having one of those. I know I'll get it back again one day and he'll be the one to marry. That's what I'm aiming for. This had better be the last time I'm single. I'm fed up with it already.

I got this Cosmopolotan Fitness magazine today and it's getting me inspired to get fit and stick with it. There are some very spot on parts where people have the same personality traits as me, aka laziness, and they suggest what to do in terms of fitness about that. For people like me they reccomend 30 minutes of brisk walking 3 times a week. I think I can do that. Apparently it's better on the treadmill than on a road, 60% better actually. A less hard surface? I wish I had a beach near by as that would be my surface to run on. One day. They also suggest Yoga once a week. I'd love to do that. I will see if Zap has any Yoga classes and if not I'll go back to the Lotus Centre above Babylon. I liked it there. It's more money though. I'd love to work with a personal trainer for a session and see if that's something I want to continue on with. I want to see some real results.

I'm working tonight and tomorrow night and Sunday night. My weekly work fix. I think tomorrow morning I might go watch James' soccer match with mum and dad and if not then I'll spend the day doing not much, as per usual. I have gotten some material to cover buttons with so I am excited about that. I need to ask Lolly Chops about glueing parts and if that's something she missed out in her tutorial. I could get started tomorrow then! I went to Spotlight and got one fat quarter. They had lots there but were all patterened and I just want solid colours to start with. The one I got today is black and white stripped, not too harsh, but something simple. I've seen polka dots but not stripes so far. Niche. Looking through the fabrics was hard. They didn't have the range of colours I wanted so I might have to get them off Etsy like I found. They are tye-dyed so the colouring is a bit splotchy but that might just be something unique to the table with many other covered button suppliers. They also have a huge range of colours and that's just what I want. I'll do a little more research and if I can't find anything else I'll get them.

I am watching so many TV seasons at the moment:
One Tree Hill 7
The Vampire Diaries 1
Lost 6
Will & Grace 4
Gilmore Girls 1
They are all on the go as the top 3 are to be watched via the internet and I don't often do it [well I try to be good about it] because of the limit on the internet. It's also not in a comfy spot so it's best to do one at a time.

I went to the doctor today and my ears are fixed. I can hear now! I was so excited. It was a strange procedure. The nurse used this machine to put pressured water into my ear and all this yucky stuff came out into this metal dish. It worked though. She did both ears, which was great, and now I am all better. I also talked to the doctor about my pimples and he has prescribed me this cream to use nightly and once I wash it off in the morning I have to put on a suntan lotion as it makes me more suceptible to burning. I will ask mum if we have any of that. It will take a few months for me to see results but I'm excited about getting my skin fixed.

Sarah might not be able to save enough for this time next year to be able to come then to the UK. I might have to go by myself for the first part, which means I can do all the touristy things that she might not be interested in. I'm excited about it. I want to make at least $10,000 but I will see how that goes. For ages now I haven't had much money so in the last few weeks when I've put money away into my other accounts I've forgotten about it as I'm used to having nothing. Hopefully that feeling lasts for a while so I can save. I need another job though! Badly. I need more money. Arrr. Tax will help a lot to get me started, but then again I want a new phone and before I leave I want to get the Canon 400D camera to take with me. Got to get a new job.

Seeing Katie from Skunkboy Creatures' new tattoo makes me want one. I'm going to get my surname on my inner left wrist at some point before I leave for the UK but seeing pretty ones like hers in unusual [to me] places makes me want the same. Not the same design but something pretty and feminine and larger. I might regret that though. I'm sure about the surname thing, and once I test them out by sticking the cut-out fonts onto my arm I will know that it's definitely right. It can be hidden.

It's Winter and officially freezing. I have to start wearing more clothes. I don't like my legs in pants so that's why I wear skirts all the time. They look good on me, especially with black stockings and my black ugg boots. That's all I wear these days. I'm comfortable in that so why not? I might go watch one of my many TV series soon and relax before work.

A new gym that will Zap me into shape

I'm going to join Zap Fitness [wwww.zapfitness.com.au]. It's in Kingston, which is 15 minutes away, and it never closes! It's perfect! Sophie lives 10 minutes away so we'll probably meet there often. It's $11.95 a week, which is better than Endorphin, which was $18 a week, so I think that is very doable. And there's no contracts, so I assume that means you can join up and start paying weekly. I hope so! I'll try and go there starting on Monday once I've worked on the weekend. I like having things start neatly and that's why I always put things like this off for another time. I'm going to do this though. It's time I kicked my butt into shape. I'd love to have a personal trainer for a session or two a week. That would be great.

Tomorrow I'm going to the doctors in the morning. I need to go to Spotlight and Ruby's Room for sewing supplies. I should take some more resume's around if I can and do some Woolworths shopping on the way home before work. I think I'm meeting Jessi once I've finished in town for hot chippes! I need to get that straightner. I just know when I wash it tomorrow it'll go back to being yucky. Damn that.

My ideal guy

I want someone who will like coming to family dinners.
Someone with a family I will get on with greatly.
Someone who I have fantastic sex with each time.
Someone who is taller than me.
Someone who looks like Paul Wesley.
Someone who is ready to start a family with me.
Someone like me who is happy to have quiet nights at home with me.

As such, I am proposing, or challening, myself to only kiss a guy if I have known him for a while and can see a real future with and not to have sex until I am thinner and actually feel good about my body. I want both of these things. I'm going to look up the new Kingston gym and look at memberships and personal trainters. I want to be thin, damn it!

Spin class

The other day I was reading in a magazine about a great way to exercise and it was to do with exercise bikes. I have recently put my gym membership on hold as I don't have enough money to pay for it and I have been slack going but I might be able to do something at home. Spin classes area great apparently, and I really suffered through the only one I went to at my gym, so it would be nice if I can master that and get fitter.

Warm up	10km/h x 5 minutes
Interval 0	8km/h x 2 minutes	Recovery
Interval 1	14km/h x 3 minutes	Work
Interval 2	8km/h x 2 minutes	Recovery
Interval 3	14km/h x 2 minutes	Work
Interval 4	8km/h x 2 minutes	Recovery
Interval 5	14km/h x 2 minutes	Work
Interval 6	8km/h x 2 minutes	Recovery
Interval 7	14km/h x 2 minutes	Work
Interval 8	8km/h x 2 minutes	Recovery
Cool down	6.5km/h x 5 minutes

These are the times they wrote in the magazine for a 30 minute program. All I need is an exercise bike [I might borrow my mum/sister's one] and possibly a timer. The one my family has is fairly old looking, not a fancy one they use at the gym, so hopefully it would be okay to use. I think this could be good for me. I also need to get back into my Leg Magic workout for 13 minutes a day. That's nothing! Since I won't be at my gym, I should start routines here. I would love to do regular Yoga classes somewhere when I have a bit more money and I'd also love to live near a beach so I can run on it each day. They are some of my fitness goals. Fingers crossed!

Sewing machine please

This year I want to get a sewing machine and make wonderful things. I was thinking in the car on the way home about me as a person and what I don't like about myself. I find it hard letting my guard down for one, and I get angry too much. I get angry the most at work and also driving, but not so much driving any more as I've stopped speeding. I didn't really speed but just drove hard/fast and I've quit that. I got a few speeding tickets and $80 is not worth it. I like being less car angry. I feel better. Work is different. Sometimes I hate the customers and other times I love them. Yesterday I had a great shift. Everyone was lovely and I felt so happy there. Even today was good. It's nice not being angry. Anyway, what I was thinking in the car was about making an anti-anger package. I want to sew a lovely big envelope, twice to three times the size of a normal one, in lovely fabrics like Freckled Nest's pin cussion, and have pictures of Yorick and I, my friends, and pretty things, maybe even some bubbles as my friend Amy says she brings them out when she's feeling a little down. That's why I want to get a sewing machine. I'd also like to make some skirts and get patterns for those. I want to be more creative.

On an exercise note, I have really enjoyed going back to the gym this week. Tuesday night, Wednesday night and Thursday morning have gotten me back in the mood for a regular gym routine. I'm still recovering a little with soreness as my body isn't as used to it as it was in before Christmas but I'm so proud I went back and I love how I'm loving being back there. I'm going on Sunday morning for a class because today I'm missing it! I never thought I would have. After this month is up they're putting out a new timetable. I'm excited to see it.

Sometimes I think about how abruptly I finish my blog posts. I don't really finish them, I just stop writing...

Back to the Gym

Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time in a long time and it felt really good. I started off at 6pm with a 25 minute treadmill session. I did a fast walk on an incline and got so sweaty but I knew that was a good thing. Luckily no one else was in the gym as it's rather small so that made me feel better. I didn't have any earphones though but that didn't matter too much as there was music playing in the background. At 635 my Les Mills Body Pump class started and even after the warm up I was puffed. Half way through I realise how I had lost all that effort I had put into getting fitter before when I was going a lot more but that might also because I wore myself out on the treadmill. I loved the Body Pump class and at 530 tonight I'm going to a Body Step class then to Margate for dinner. Tomorrow morning at 930 I have another Body Step class I'm looking forward to and I want to make this a permanent change, getting back into a gym routine that is. No more slacking!