[colindp]

I am lucky to have a job to go to in NZ and as such applied for a Work to Residence Visa as my employer (Dunedi City Council) an acredited employer had suggested. However I have a high BMI and my application has been refered to the immigration service consultant, Has anyone out there suffered a similar fate and was the outcome sucessfull.....


:wah

[foolsgold99]

Hi Colin,

I'm sure it'll be ok. They just need to do a couple of extra tests, to make sure you're not going to cost their health service money for a while.

On the subject of high BMI, NZ must be home to some of the fatest children in the world, some of these kids are giant. All seems to be brown kids

[Moorf]

Many of the Pacific Islanders are very large :yes but they do have a different attitude towards size and "big is beautiful" (can I live there ??!)

[colindp]

Foolsgold
Thanks I am working hard to dosomething about it but NZIS have now asked for a report from my doctor so watch this space guys.......

[Debbie]

Colin,
Hope everything works its self out for you re your medical. Hope you don't mine me asking but what counts as high for a BMI?
I've done all the usuall internet calculators of BMI and OH comes out at 30 which is alway described as either high or overweight but he used to do a lot of weight training so will always come up with that result.
My BMI is not much better, I was just made that way!
I'm thinking it will be diets all round over the next few months for us :( :(

[colindp]

Debbie,
It would seem anything over 35 is cause for further investigation so you and your OH should be fine. Mine however is closer to 39 and potentially I could have a lot of work to do. I have since joined the Gym started the GI diet staarted playing golf again...I just hope its not too late...

:oops:

[Hayden1002]

I've just got home from having my medical and I too have a high BMI about 35 I think. I have to go and have a glucose test tomorrow to see if I am diabetic. £40 for the test alone!!! The same test which costs nothing in lloyds pharmacies-I had one last year I'm fine.
According to the charts I will have to lose 50lbs to even get into the overweight bracket!
Whilst I except I am overweight, I'm 18stone, I am not obese (cue people saying oh he must be if he's that heavy, trust me I ain't) According to the chart I should be 12stone for my height -that ain't never going to happen.
I ride my bike a lot, I run, I'm pretty fit and active but because I don't fit in the box I'm branded.
I too am worried that this will kill any chance I have of getting in, I will keep you updated.
Oh by the way so far the cost of the medicals and xray (only 1 the other half is pregnant) and the blood tests = £290 2 adults 1 child.

[Hayden1002]

I've just got home from having my medical and I too have a high BMI about 35 I think. I have to go and have a glucose test tomorrow to see if I am diabetic. £40 for the test alone!!! The same test which costs nothing in lloyds pharmacies-I had one last year I'm fine.
According to the charts I will have to lose 50lbs to even get into the overweight bracket!
Whilst I except I am overweight, I'm 18stone, I am not obese (cue people saying oh he must be if he's that heavy, trust me I ain't) According to the chart I should be 12stone for my height -that ain't never going to happen.
I ride my bike a lot, I run, I'm pretty fit and active but because I don't fit in the box I'm branded.
I too am worried that this will kill any chance I have of getting in, I will keep you updated.
Oh by the way so far the cost of the medicals and xray (only 1 the other half is pregnant) and the blood tests = £290 2 adults 1 child.

[colindp]

Hayden,
I think that you should be OK if your BMI is 35 I am ashamed to say that mine was higher. My doctor did a Glucose intolerance test before I went for my medical but I was Glucose Intolerant ( my father is Diabetic). I have since started the Gi diet joined the gym and when not in the gym I walk everywhere I have lost weight I admit I feel better for it and things are starting to fit better...However this does not seem to be enough for the NZIS I learned today that their consultant Physician wants yet more in formation from me and so the delay continues.
I wonder how reliable this BMI thing is anyway, my son has just completed a course in Outdoor Leisure his lecturer's are very anti BMI. I could be a 22 stone rugby player does that mean that because I have a high BMI that I am about to drop dead with heart disease or suffer strokes due to high blood pressure?????

I was appointed to my job in NZ in march they expected the visa process to take three weeks HA!

Sorry all I just feel a bit bitter and twisted at the moment.... I only hope that my employer will understand....

[K&CS]

Hayden
Sorry to change the subject and I do hope you're ok with your BMI - I just notice you said your other half is pregnant. I am too and am really wondering how this affects getting PR. Have you been told anything? (is the baby due before you go?) I'm really not sure if they'll insist on waiting until the baby's born before granting PR. If you do know anything, let me know. Sorry about that slight tangent!
Kate

[GeorgeM]

Whilst I except I am overweight, I'm 18stone, I am not obese (cue people saying oh he must be if he's that heavy, trust me I ain't) According to the chart I should be 12stone for my height -that ain't never going to happen.
I ride my bike a lot, I run, I'm pretty fit and active but because I don't fit in the box I'm branded.

I'm the same as you mate, and get pretty p1ssed off at being in one of the few groups it seems ok to discriminate against.

I've always been large, but always sporty and always fit. At school I was a member of the Front Row Union and played squash several times a week. But as my BMI (height to weight ratio they called it in those days) was higher than most I was turned down for two jobs that people wanted to offer me - one with Midland Bank, the other with Halifax Building Society (as they each were then). Head Office rules said no fatties, so no fatties it had to be.

Since then I have seen one of my skinny friends from school depart with a heart attack :( another develop diabeties, several get into all sorts of medical problems and so many that you couldn't count develop severe middle aged spread. Yet I'm sure I could still get into my school blazer if it were still around.

Yesterday I did 40 mins on a stepping machine at almost the top setting. At the weekend spent several hours biking round Bottle Lake and regularly walk over the Port Hills. But the b@st@rds at ING Life are still able to load my life assurance premium because of a high BMI.

It's about time that another measure was found to determine a person's fitness or not - this is the equivalent of using speed cameras as the sole measure of whether someone is a good driver or not.

Anyway, end of rant... :laugh

I too am worried that this will kill any chance I have of getting in, I will keep you updated.

Unless there is a medical problem I don't think that this should stop your app being approved. Just adds more cost/hassle/delay to the process. :(

[Hannah-NL]

...

[Dinnaefash]

Re the rugby player comment, the BMI thing does seem slightly unfair. I've just worked mine out at 38 :eek :eek :eek BUT I'm 5ft 5 and only a size 12.... must be all muscle :laugh :yes I can only hope that when you are seen in person they realise that you are actually quite healthy... :?

[baboonworld]

Just tell them you are expecting a growth spurt soon!

[Hannah-NL]

I wish that would go for me too, lol, or would I look good in rugby outfit :laugh Yeah of course I would! :mrgreen: :exit

[Dinnaefash]

oops :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
Just worked out my bmi on one of those calculators, and realised that I hadn't squared my height... so my bmi is actually only 28! :roll: :roll: :roll: Makes more sense :nice1 but, do they fail people's medicals for being really really stoooopid??!! :laugh :laugh

[Hayden1002]

Doc rang yesterday and told me the GTT was normal! I knew it would be, in fact I could've told her that. :nice1
Another hurdle over......now just got to get the girlfriends ex to sign a letter allowing his/her daughter to leave the country. :?

[colindp]

Well Guys I'm still waiting for a decision from NZIS, I have now supplied three reports from my GP regarding my state of health and still they query my BMI which incidentally is now down from 39 to 35.9.
I have managed to lose 1 1/2 stone in six weeks, thank God for the GI diet and the gym. Now all I need to do is get the results off to London next week and maybe I'll finally get my visa?????? :nice1 :clap

[kiwidebs]

Good luck Colin. And wow to the 1.5 stone in 6 weeks - you must have really worked to get that result. Surely you should be fine now. Let us know how you get on.

Debs

[colindp]

HI Folks
Here is the latest news regarding BMI issues.....I learned today that my application has now been referred to a consultant physician in NZ, it would appear that although I have managed (through bloody hard work) to get my BMI down from 39 to 35.7 it is still not enough for the immigration service here in the UK to make a decision...So be warned all you potential kiwi's if your BMI is greater than 35 and you have some other health issues associated with that level of BMI you could have problems getting your visa.....But it can be fixed with a little effort you can achieve it so don't give up.

[Smiler]

Colin

I think its well done to you for not giving up :clap :clap :clap

Let us know when you hear more and fingers crossed for you.

Deborah

[cornerofsilence]

Anything over 35 you have to have a glucose test according to the forms here in NZ.

[Avalon]

Colin,

It may cheer you to know that technically Arnold Shwarzenager is obese!

BMI only tells you weight vs height - and takes no account of how much of that weight is muscle vs fat, so many body builders - with body fat % of less than 10 - are considered obese becaue they carry so much muscle.

I got my BMI down from 35 to its current 26. But its taken 3 years to do so (I lose weight very very slowly) - so I take my hat of to you for making such a big difference so quickly.

Im still "technically" overweight - BMI has to get to 25 - and yet im wearing size 10 clothes already!

I personally loathe the BMI - so im behind you all the way!

Good luck

[GeorgeM]

Basically BMI is the medical equivalent of the 100km 'safe' open road speed limit...

[Avalon]

Good analogy!

Its a downfall with medicine as I see it - the horrible bell curve. "normal"!

I naturally have very low blood pressure (about 90/50), so when it went up to 125/90 i was concerned and went to the doctors. But as it was now "normal" - nothing to worry about. Totally ignores the fact that its completely abnormal for me - do I really care what someone elses BP is "normally" like?????

Arghhhh!

[Avalon]

Just wondered how everyone was doing in getting the BMI down to "acceptable" levels?

Anyone need any encouragment??? Help??? Somewhere to vent????

I shall be starting my next phase once I move into the new house and get my gym equipment set up (Im figureing 19th Sept!)

[Moorf]

It's coming off slooooowly :D but my major achievement since coming here is getting my cholesterol down from 7.5 to 4.9 :nice1 - shows that we do eat healthier here.

[Avalon]

Wow, thats good news!

On the slowly thing - Im really a fan of this actually. Ive been losing weight for over 4 years now, and in that time, ive lost 3 stone. For some people - thats appallingly slow. But you know- its always going down - not up (well, it bounces around 4lb for months at a time, then heads down a bit!)

It may have taken me 4 years so are (half a stone to go), but that 4 years has taught me all the lessons I need , and its no longer a "diet" but a WOE (way of eating).

Cheers!

[Moorf]

Avalon - that's fantastic - well done you :clap I'm a typical Taurus and a real foodie so any diet I do feels like deprivation :laugh - I'm done with dieting and am just exercising more avec dog.

You'll be a skinny minx soon :D

[Avalon]

Moorf,

Im on atkins, and as a complete and utter carnivore, and as someone that believes bread and butter should be a thin slice of bread with half an inch of butter on it - I have to say its perfection for me!

Ive never been so healthy, my skin condition has improved (and it was pretty darn good to start with apart from some eczema), im not hungry, I dont get daily headaches because of low blood sugar - oh, and theres the 3 stone gone!!!!

I truly beleive that the trick is to find a woe that you enjoy . I laways hated low fat, and it actuallt made me ill. I was starving all the time, hated the food (oh to be able to eat veggies with butter on again!), and had the most painful headaches imaginable. On the other hand, we have just tried a friend of ours on Atkins, and it was totally unsuitable for him. :no

I have struggled here because sugar is something that I just cannot tolerate, and NZ is the home of Hidden Sugars!. Even staples for me such as Creme Fraiche are just thicked cream as often as not.

I also truly beleive that once you get your head out of the "dieting" craze - you will lose weight. I never had a weight problem till I stupidly went on a diet!!!

Hugs,

[Simon & Emily]

Well done to everyone who's managing to lose weight - i know it can be really tough to do.

Avalon, I just wanted to ask about Atkins. How do the NZ doctors view it? Generally over here in the UK its seen as something just short of the work of Beelzebub himself. Something to be avoided at allcosts, and being directly blamed for allsorts of things from high blood pressure to DVT's with everything else in between (at least by all our local GP's).

I know some of his views are a bit extream, but is a low carb diet generally accepted over there? Is it easy to do, without being too expensive? (Price of meat/fish here is exorbitant)

Thanks,

Emily

[Moorf]

As I zoooom towards 40 I've decided that mum was right all along :roll - eat less, exercise more is what she said.... and I've "tried" everything along the way - Atkins, Cambridge, F-Plan, B-Plan, XYZ-Plan - so I'm going back to basics :nice1 Having said that I only started having weight probs at 31 so I'll blame the M-Diet (Marriage Diet)! :laugh

[Miffy]

Most of those Dr reports that denounce Atkins are funded by wheat / potatoe / sugar companies.
As these products are the big no no on Atkins, espcially sugar thats why there is such bad press. In fact atkins is more of NO SUGAR and low Carbs than the No carbs & fried breakfast that you hear about in the press.

I was on Atkins, (have slide off it a bit now) for about 2 years and lost over 1 and half stones and kept it off.
Its easy to do, just buy the book and follow it. teh first 2 weeks are hard work just cos you are eating different but the weight fulls off and you son adjust to no more bread.
I never felt hungry and had loads of energy (yes energy even though I wasn't eating carbs) and after the first 2 weeks you can still have a glass (or 5) of wine !

I didn't get bad breath but I did feel as I had more plague (or goopy stuff on my teeth) build up and quicker, so that just meant I cleanned my teeth.

Eating out is a breeze, order most things of the menue and when they say would you like fries or such and such potatoes just ask for a side salade instead. So you get to eat all the yummy meat (and most sauces) but just to the no taste potatoes (I've always hated potatoes tastless horried things ...)

I've heard good things about the low GI diet to, but thee seem a lot of preparation in that and I really dont like cooking.

[Simon & Emily]

Thanks Miffy. I too like the low carb approach, as above anything else its so easy to do. However, my hubby has had the fear of god put into him by doctors (they claim the high protein of any diet of this type makes the blood change it's properties - don't ask me any more as I don't understand it either :no ), so vowed never to do anything similar again. So, that makes it very difficult for me to follow low carb, cook something else for Simon and usually something else again for the children because we eat at different times. I know Atkins is just a stricter variation of a 'healthy' diet, but I personally need to go so low on carbs to lose weight that it makes a 'normal' diet difficult.

Emily

[Simon & Emily]

Moorf - I forgot to say that I think you hit the nail on the head with the M-diet. I also have the added complication of 2 bouts of C-diets. (but they are both now too old to blame the problem there really ..... :laugh )

Emily

[sweetpea]

if your BMI is greater than 35 and you have some other health issues associated with that level of BMI you could have problems

Yikes! I hope they're a little more lenient with long-term student visas. My BMI is definitely higher than 35, and it won't be dropping anytime soon (I have PCOS, which makes it nearly impossible to lose weight.). My doctor ordered the three-hour glucose tolerance test, which was none too fun, but I got my glucose tolerance test results back today, and all is good, on the low side actually. Thankfully, I stay active and don't have any weight-related health problems.

Today I also gained the comfort of knowing I'm not syphilitic. Thanks, Immigration New Zealand!

:-)

[Avalon]

Emily,

I wrote you a really long reply this morning and pressed send, then went out. I’ve just got back and found that my computer threw a strop and didn’t send it - so here we go again!

Miffy pretty much hit the nail on the head - BTW (thanks -its always great to find someone who doesn’t think I’m crazy for this!)

I really have no idea how doctors here in NZ view this diet, because I honestly have not asked. My opinion of doctors has really deteriorated over the past 3 years – partly because of what I have seen while doing this diet. The sheer amount of mis-information they are giving people scares me silly. Doctors (and Pharmacists btw) just don’t know much about nutrition! It worries me intensely that medicine is just going to throw more drugs at the obesity problem. The weightloss industry has a 95% failure rate – but its always blamed on the lack of will power of the dieter, not on the fact that the product is crap!

I am aware that a university study has been done here looking at Low Carb in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. It was only a short term study, but the results were favorable, with both higher weightloss, and improved diabetes seen in the low carb group. There is a very big study running in New York, partly funded by the Atkins Center (as was – not to be confused with Atkins Nutritional who make the LC special foods – most of which are evil imho!). I’m actually in the study :laugh , and it has another 2 years to run.

My GP in the UK was actually on board with me doing LC, and actually recommended books she thought would be useful (I have a small library of them!) However, my parents are another matter. They rarely go to the doctors, being pretty healthy anyway – if overweight, but no matter what they go in for – they have a barrage of tests to prove that doing Atkins is killing them! Not one has yet proved it! My dad was diagnosed Diabetic (Type2) 5 years ago, and after 2 years trying to follow the low fat high carb diet prescribed, his BP had gone up, his cholesterol had gone up, his weight had gone up, and his bloodsugar had gone up. Now – it has to be said that mainly this was because he couldn’t stick to it (or wouldn’t :uhoh ). He finally went on Atkins after a very funny moment when I convinced him that NZ wouldn’t let him emigrate because he was going to have a heart attack in the next 10 years!(you had to be there I guess) After 6 months, everything normalized back down (despite the Doctor, Diabetic Nurse and Practice nurce all shouting at him that he was going to kill himself). The doctor’s solution had my Dad at the point of needing Diabetes medication, BP tablets, and Cholesterol tablets – all at a cost to the NHS. My Way dealt with the problem at Zero cost to the NHS!

Miffy is 100% right in where the information and research comes from. There is no limit on sugar intake in the western world’s healthy eating guidelines. Every time concerned nutritionists try to get one backed by governments – the food companies step in. The main body responsible for the Healthy Eating guidelines in the US and UK are directly funded by, among others, Tate and Lyle, Mars Corporation, and Coca Cola.

If you are still with me, like Miffy, I would really suggest reading the book if you are even vaguely thinking of doing it. There is just too much misinformation now to do otherwise. I get really fed up of the number of time people tell me that I eat too much meat! I actually eat less meat now that I did before – because I can eat smaller portion sizes. I also get told way too often that I don’t eat carbs. It’s just not true. What I do, is eat better carbs. I don’t eat sugar, refined flour, refined rice, or pasta. My carbs come from Nutrient dense green veggies, fruits (generally berries) and salads. The difference is I can eat a knob of butter with my veggies, and add mayo to my salad. Its not for everyone – but if you want to do it – you need to understand WHY you don’t eat sugar, and WHY eating butter is fine. You also need to understand that you do eat carbs, and which ones you should be eating.

As for the doctor saying “changes in blood” – What??????? Apart from the fact that Atkins is NOT (never has been, never will be) a high protein diet (another thing I get tired of), eating a steak is NOT going to miraculously change the biology of blood! This is one of many things I find Doctors get confused about – and really they should have the intelligence and training not to. If you have Kidney Problems, then you cannot eat a lot of protein. The changes are seen in the chemicals present in the blood. (this is one of the tests my parents keep getting – Im sure if it was happening the Doctors would be only too quick to gloat – as yet – not a peep) How they managed to translate that into “Atkins will change your blood” I have no idea! Atkins is a High FAT diet anyway – not a high Protein Diet. The current Healthy guidelines say that 60% of calories should come from Carbs, 30% from protein, 10% from fat. On Atkins it should be (at least to start with) 60% from fat, 30% from Protein, 10% carbs. So in both cases, Protein should stay the same! Yet are we told we all going to turn our blood green by eating “Healthy”?

Well, if anyone is still reading – thank you all for listening. Ive got buckets of Info ive collected on this over the years, including some abstracts from scientific papers (If I can find them), and loads of books I could recommend. One website worth mentioning
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/
A forum of thousands who are also resolutely refusing to die, despite being on such a dangerous diet!

Hugs

[Simon & Emily]

Thanks Avalon - I'm with you 100% of the way. The doctors that put the fear of God into Simon were specialists who 'claim' that they have seen so many more patients recently, and many of these have tried a low carb diet. Therefore, logic tells them that Atkins must be causing it. Simple as that. These are supposed to be intelligent, trained medical people, but jump on the bandwagon as quick as all the others (and I men everyone, from friends, family, GP's and so on) to tell me that this is unsafe and putting our health at risk. They have not even seen any of Dr A's literature, let alone read it. They just go completely on hype and misinformation in the newspapers and so on. They seem to be missing the point entirely that the main drive of Atkins is to reduce sugar, and to cut out processed foods, replacing them with good old meat and veggies. As for the 'too much protein is bad for you' folks, don't even get me started on them.

However, all that said, I do think that children should have a conventional balanced meal, (that is protein, good fats and carbs for energy) and so feel torn between cooking for them and having a different meal myself. I cannot tell them to eat up their dinner if I've got something completely different. Having trained in nutrition I feel confident enough to carry on with what I feel best, rather than be pressurised into something just because a doctor tells me, but I find it so insulting when they insist they know better. Doctors do not even touch on nutrition in their training for more than a week or two, yet feel qualified to give information on everything from ‘vitamins are a waste of money’ to ‘you must eat a balanced diet’. How many are them are closet smokers, I wonder? How many of them are overweight or unfit?

Emily

[Avalon]

Emily,

I hear ya! 3 Years of a pharmacy degree - I remember 1 lecture on nutrition - regarding how macronutrients are digested, and a fair bit on Vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Certainly there was nothing in my training about helping lose weight expcept drug intervention (and since then - that has changed considerably). I always felt the only advise I had to offer was my own (painful) experience of trying to lose weight!

With regards to your children - a tough one - which I cant really offer any meaningful help with because I dont have any experience. However, I would ahve thought keeping them off processed carbs, and going for the lower GI carbs would be a good balance for them. Keep off the sugar, but maybe if you want to have them eating higher carb, make sure its wholegrains all the way? I am aware that there are people on lowcarbfriends who do LC for thier children (primarily to deal with a weight issue in the child itself), so you may advise on there for that. Just be aware that food in NZ really does have a huge amount of hidden fillers and sugar!

Have to say though - you are personally the first person trained in nutrition I have come accross who like the diet - so that made my day!

Hugs

[Simon & Emily]

Thanks Avalon, but I have to say that I'm not a bona-fida nutritionalist, but qualified to some degree as part of holistic training. I just can't believe that the government will not give so called alternative therapies financial backing on a scale large enough to make a difference. In some cities it may be changing, but certainly not everywhere. Does not the rising flood of obesity ring any alarm bells?

GP's tend to take the view - and I know this is a very sweeping generalization - that they can't stop you going ahead and doing other treatments, but they don't think it will work, and don't want you to do it.

Thanks it, rant over. Got to get ready to collect from school.

Emily

[Avalon]

Emily -

To make you giggle- Im also (in addition to being trained as a pharmacist) - an Aromatherapist! (Not that I got that much help on nutrition there either - but I hadnt gained too much weight by then). At the time I was following a food combining type diet - which is the only other woe that has suited me (Maybe because it actually cuts down on the amount of carbs automatically and also insists on going back to butter instead of marg, using cream, and avoiding sugar). It was also the first time I found out that I had Hypoglycaemia and was told to avoid wheat. However it wasnt explained very well, adn it wasnt until I read the Atkins book that I really got my head around what that meant, and why I had it - and that this was the precursor to diabetes. (They missed that bit out in the Pharmacy degree too!)

[Hannah-NL]

We just did the medicals this week, all was well except our oldest having protein in his urine that shouldnt be there, this is being tested further now, could be from excess exercize or an infection too, but there should not be any in there...so some more testing on that
I was able to lower my BMI just in time to below the max of 35. I have been dieting from January till this week (yes I had a few to lose) But I succeeded by "simply" eating less, eating more fruit, started to walk and bike lots (and I mean LOTS) and thats what took off the excess weight. I'm planning on losing the rest I need to lose too, by just going on with what I was doing. The panel doctor looked at me and said "You're only -just- below that 35 you know"... He should have known how hard I worked to get there! But I have already shrunk 3 clothes sizes...! :p

[colindp]

Hi All,
Great news I have now had my medical accepted so all that hard work in the gym and in the kitchen has at last paid off. We hare hoping to leave the UK around the 5th Oct to start our new life in Dunedin.
I would like to thank all those of you that left messages of encouragement and wish you all well in your own endevours. Remember never give up on your dreams, good luck and best wishes to you all.......And if ever you get down to Dunedin be sure to look us up....

[Hannah-NL]

Congrats on all you achieved Colin! I know how hard you have worked to get there :nice1

[Avalon]

Hannah,

Well done - hopefully that means you wont get any problems with NZIS. I tried walking (which I have to say I loathe!), and bikeing (havent been too keen on that since I was a kid!), so I take my hat of to you for being able to do it. I found I prefered the gym (with IPOD so I could listen to decent music!

Im really glad its working for you - keep going :cheers

Colin,

really glad to see you made it! Are you going to carry on with GI once you get here? If you do - just watch those hidden sugars.

Best of luck

[Hannah-NL]

Thanks Avalon! :cheers
When you're overweight you don't move that easily at all, so I started with the walking and each time walked a bit further away, first we walked 15 mins, then half an hour, now we walk HOURS, I'm so amazed at myself...
No jogging, no running, just walking, the doggies come with us most of the time. When I get stressed about this whole process, we either go walk near home or we jump in the car and find another forest to tramp through :nice1

[Debbie]

Congratulations Colin. All the best for your new life in NZ. Wishing you every success. Now the medical bits out the way, Where did you leave that celebration drink!!!
Debbie

[colindp]

Thanks guys for all the messages, we have booked our flights we will be going on the 5th as planned. Good luck to you all, Hannah you will make it just keep going it will be worth it....Avalon I do intend to carry on with the GI thing as I only have a work to residence visa and I will have to go through it all again in two years form now. Debbie that drink is waiting for me behind the bar at Speights in Dunedin if your ever down that way I'll put one behind the bar for you...

Best Wishes to you all

Colin...

[Hannah-NL]

Just for those of you struggling with their weight as I did the past years, maybe it's helpfull to hear (read) my BMI has now come down from 42 to 32. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm sure getting closer! So it can be done. I have been dieting/yoyo-ing for years, but this is the best diet I ever tried: eat less, move more - emigrate to NZ... I want that life style and I want it now and be able to enjoy it to the fullest when we get to NZ too! :nice1

[sweetpea]

Hey, just heard my student visa was approved, high BMI and all. They didn't ask for any clarification on my medical.