Thanks for stopping by, feel free to check out my journal.

Welcome to my website, and I hope you enjoy sharing in my journey.

I started my journey in September of 2003 -- I knew this journey would take me far away from the home I'd always known, and the friends and family I loved.  After all, I was moving from my home in Wisconsin, USA to New South Wales, Australia.  I knew my life would change, but I had no idea just how much.

Aside from a major move, I also got remarried when I was 40 to the most wonderful, supportive, loving man I'd ever known.  After years of withdrawing into my shell, overeating, gaining weight, and believing deep down to my core that I was unloveable and would never find someone who actually wanted to be with me, I met an amazing man who loved me for ME.

And as if that weren't enough, there were other changes ahead for me.  Having battled my weight for my entire adult life, trying every diet known to mankind, I thought I'd give it another go.  But something had to be different this time if I had any hope of succeeding.  The last time I'd tried it was the whole "low carb" thing, and while it worked in the beginning, it just wasn't something I could maintain for life.  And any changes that you can't maintain for life will never bring about permanent results.  That much I knew from losing and regaining weight repeatedly my whole life.

So after much reading I decided to try low GI.  It would reduce only those carbs that caused a spike in blood sugar, and the resulting insulin surge that caused weight gain.  And I found it relatively easy to determine which carbs are Low GI and which are not ... there are several really good books out there that spelled it out for me.  So I changed my eating and began walking every single day ... and in about 10 months I lost 71 pounds ... just incredible!  I couldn't believe I had found something that was finally working!

It felt good to finally be successful at managing my weight.  I was barely half way to my goal, but the weight was coming off steadily and I knew I could do this forever.  Well ... I thought so.  I'd been employed full time since I was 18 years old ... but since I'd arrived in Australia I had not yet found a job.  I was OK with that as I needed time to adjust to my new surroundings and learn to drive on the left side of the road.  So I had time to walk every day.  I enjoyed my new life with my new husband, and enjoyed the healthier new me.

The funds that I brought with me from home were dwindling, however, and I knew I'd soon have to go back to work.  So I got an office job and it actually felt good to be working again.  I had never been unemployed and while it was nice to have a break, it felt odd as well.

But now I had a desk job ... at an office where they regularly ordered out for lunch and brought in sweet treats to share.  For a while I was so good ... easily resisting them.  But I didn't have the time to walk every day like I had before.  The weight loss slowed.  The stress levels of the job began to get to me and eventually it became easier to give in to temptations.

So I was working out less and eating less healthy.  Within 6 months, about 20 pounds crept back on.  In about 4 months we were planning a trip home to Wisconsin to see my family and friends ... it would be two years since I saw them by this time.  While I knew I would still look much thinner to them than when they'd last seen me, I wanted desperately to get back to where I'd been before.  But it was not to be.

Not only that, I knew when I got home I'd be back in my old life ... with the same old temptations ... and so many favorite foods I couldn't get in Australia.

Seeing friends and family again was wonderful, to be sure.  And I naturally did give in to many temptations back home.  My husband and I both gained about 10-12 pounds during the trip.  So now I returned home in September 2005 with more than 30 of the 71 pounds I had lost now returned.

After returning to our normal eating again, the first few came off quickly.  But then it seemed to stop again.  I was at a loss ... I was so afraid to once again regain the weight I'd lost, like I had done so many times before ... because I was sure this time was forever.  THIS time was really going to work.

So in January, 2006, I started the Jenny Craig program, and so far I love it and it's working great. Not only have I lost all the weight I'd regained, but I'm losing even more now.

And I joined Curves for Women fitness center; I'd belonged to Curves back home and truly loved it.  Any workout program that I actually enjoy doing has got to be high on my priority list.  I go 3-4 times a week, and each time I do an extra circuit making my workout about 45 minutes rather than 30.  It's not super-fast, but the weight is coming back off and I'm losing inches too.  Well ... centimeters.  LOL  I have to get used to metric, and it ain't easy.

So that's where I am now.  Come check out my photos and read my journal if you like.  Join me on my journey, and I hope you'll share yours as well.  Let's inspire each other!