Camping Holiday

Today we are off camping for a week to a beachside town about 3 hours from here. We will be gone for 8 days,I think this is the longest stretch I have camped for!

I haven' t been very good over Christmas with my eating and drinking ,so a change of scenery will be good. I usually lose some weight camping, as you are constantly moving,also taking the bike so should get some good rides in.Speaking of which, I got back on the bike and did a 45 minute ride-the first since I did my back and it was great.

Christmas day was exhausting, even though there were no meals here, I didn't get much chance to relax at my sister in laws and we had to visit 2 other families ,I flopped into bed exhausted at 10 pm!

I got some nice presents- books ,iPhone accessories - my husband and I bought a little BBQ to take camping and a new bike is in my future, haven't had a chance to look around yet.

My word for 2012 is Challenge- this year ,I want to do things that are out of my comfort zone, I want to push myself more with exercise and of course I want to drop this last 21 kg! So lots to work on...

I hope everyone has a great new year and I will check in on my return:)

Christmas Day !!

Merry Christmas everyone-we are 23 minutes into Christmas day, and I have just finished wrapping after having people to dinner. So this will be short and sweet, as we all know Santa won't leave me a pressie until I'm fast asleep....

Weight is holding steady, but have been snacking a lot today, so won't be going near the scale for a few days. My back is slowly getting better- not too much exercise happening but I am feeling more upbeat about it all now.

Probably won't get to post for a couple of days, so hope everyone has a great Christmas :)

Back pain!!

So last Sunday, I was on the toilet,I know too much information!!-Any hoozle, when I stood up, I must have bent weirdly cos I had this explosion of pain in my low back and then couldn't move-my poor husband had to pull my pants up!!
Now as the day went on and with the help of drugs I could get around,but very stiffly.I should have taken the week off work but didn't as I was going on holidays today and needed to get things organised for the 2 weeks I am off.So needless to say,this week has been struggletown for me, can't exercise,can't ride-feel like a grumpy chronic pain person.It is getting better but not quick enough for me, and I feel flabby and fat( although the scales haven't changed) I am starting to eat badly now,its like a big cycle you get caught in.

I know this is the sadsack post, I will be better tomorrow,after I get the christmas grocery shopping done,hopefully with the help of one at least of my teenagers-who are striking me as the laziest people on the earth this week!(see I am grumpy)

so tomorrow I am going to attempt some light exercise, cos otherwise I will go bananas...

I had an appointment for a fill today, I went, but told them I didn't want one,feel like I have good restriction at present,made an appointment for 6 weeks time.I had lost 2 kilos over the last 4 weeks, so all good there.

Alright,I am going to take my miserable body off to bed, and look forward to a new day:(

Weigh in...

Just a quickie to post my weight- 96.9 kg today-so a loss of .8kg, Woohoo!!! 21.1 kg down,21.9 till my goal of 75kg. 6 months in and halfway -well nearly, go me..

I have just got home from Christmas shopping,and no I didn't finish,I'm a lot closer but still a few of my friends to get something for-I have tried to cut out this giftgiving but I have been vetoed by the rest of them, so oh well.....

I am feeling a little tighter than I am use to, have just had a yoghurt and am totally full, I'll see how it goes-I am out to dinner tonight with my bookclub girls who all know about the band,so no sweat if I can't get too much down. I have an appointment booked on the 22nd December-definitely won't need a fill,was going to cancel but then as I'm feeling so tight ,will give it a couple more days.I love not being interested in food,though.

Anyway just raving on now-I must tell you though,last night Stan(hubby) handed me a whole lot of papers and said take a look at these, they were all info re different ladies road bikes, I have been riding a hybrid and have felt it was time to upgrade. I won't do anything before Christmas,too rushed and can't concentrate ,with all the Christmas prep going on, But when I looked up into the hills today,I could just picture myself on a sleek lightweight road bike :)

Just in case you forgot what I looked like- my daughter thinks I'm obsessed with my webcam and she may be right!!!

? Sweet spot!

Hello all, Let me tell you about my week.
.Friday weigh last week-Same-no change,ok can live with this, too much festive season....
.Friday -out to Stan's christmas lunch and my christmas dinner-dropped my workout bag at the gym and in between did a treadmill and weight workout-Go me!! but I have never been so full as after that dessert I ate at Stan's lunch,needless to say ,I was very good at dinner!
.Saturday afternoon-out to a 40th BBQ-a few wines, and 1 chicken skewer
.Saturday evening-a friend's son's 18th-1 more wine and a few nibbles
.Sunday morning-early, bike ride for charity ended up being close to 70 km-4 hours of solid peddling.OMG,not as much of an athlete as everyone kept telling me!!! 20 km from the finish, wanted to curl up and have a good cry but then how was I going to get back to the car,Stan was so good,just left me alone for a while and then I passed over the hump and it felt ok for the last 15ish kms.There was a huge headwind during my tantrum period,I have discovered that seems to be the trigger for my dummyspits!
.Monday work 10 hours-the last hour felt incredibly nauseated and went home straight to bed at 6pm feeling fluey and totally yuk!
.Tuesday -sick day,slept most of it away,feeling better at end
.Wednesday-worked,still tired,can't eat much
.Thursday-worked till 1pm ,then Christmas shopping, ,feel like I haven't touched the surface of the shopping-these days I don't love the shopping, I just feel stressed at all the money going out-I am getting old!
So that's where I'm at, tomorrow I am off ,and I want to finish this bloody shopping,so I can concentrate on food next week-i mean,like things I have to cook for Christmas day. We are off camping for a week from the 28th December-and of course,the stores are all closed in Adelaide over Christmas until then, so I will have to be organized beforehand! Not a strong point of mine:)
So weigh in tomorrow- I feel thinner, but maybe only by .5-1 kg-you would think after the week of sickness that I would be svelte....

I have another Christmas dinner tomorrow night,now to explain the title-Sweet spot-just maybe I might be there, I can only eat a very small amount and I feel full-now I haven't really felt that since I was first banded, I'm sure it's probably irritation from the nauseated days but I'm taking it and have to say loving it!!!

I will report in after the shopping day from hell-woops,I wasn't going to be quite so negative...Have a good Friday :)

Festive Season!!

Here it is Thursday, and I haven't blogged for a whole week. I didn't even do my weigh in entry,which was ok, believe it or not another 300gm-taking me to 97.7 kg, as long as it keeps going down, it took me a long time to gain this weight, so don't mind the slow pace especially at this time of year.

I did 2 things for the first time on Monday-Firstly I rode my bike to work-its about 13 km into the city, it took me about 40 minutes, I went straight to the gym,thinking I would just shower and go to work, but had a few spare minutes and did my arm weight workout.Now I have been saying to those around me for years,one day I'm going to ride to work, so this was a big breakthrough. It is mostly a gentle downhill on the way in, so the way home was much harder,and there was a huge headwind, I have to say ,it was a great way to destress after work. Tuesday, I drove as I was quite stiff, and went to a body balance class before work.Wednesday,I hopped back on the bike and did it again, no headwind this time and heaps easier!-So I think you can call me a rider now(a slow rider, but I'm sure I will speed up)
Now I did mention a second thing, that was a first for me- on Monday ,my hubby Stan rode with me, and when we were about to cross a main road,I looked over at him,and he had a huge huntsman spider crawling up his back! Now normally I would have screamed and made a run for it, but to both our surprise,I just reached out and flicked it off his back!!Its the first time I've touched a huntsman spider(that I'm aware of-Ugh).We were highfiving each other,he was so proud of me:)

Today I haven't done any exercise,I did start my Christmas shopping though,which I have been having a bit of a panic about,there's still time left though,I have to do a soccer run in a few minutes, then maybe I'll get motivated,-if not I am off tomorrow and will do something in the morning.

We have the social weekend from hell coming up, Friday(tomorrow) Stan's Xmas lunch, then my work's Xmas drinks and nibbles in the evening.Saturday,we have a 40th BBQ and then a friend's son's 18th and then Sunday,Stan and I have registered for a charity bike ride of 60 kms, with a BBQ following!
So obviously, I will attempt to use some restraint-not so worried about the eating, for me it's the wine!!

I have a weigh in tomorrow,so we'll see how that goes-I would be happy with 300 gms, I will definitely have to move it up a notch- Later in January,I can see an Optifast week coming up,just to detox and remind myself I do have some willpower there somewhere. I have a fill scheduled December 22nd( I only have to do 1 day fluids,1 day mushies,so I'm still on for Christmas lunch)

Will check in tomorrow,have a good Friday everyone:)

Playing Catch up!!

I just thought I would do a quick post to let everyone know I'm alive ...
Life has got a little busy right now, between work and family and friends having crisis, I feel I'm in a total spin.
I did weigh on Friday and lost 300 gms-hey it's a loss, I feel I have lost control of my life somewhat at present so am grateful for the loss.
I did a 50 km ride on Sunday-was great,loving the biking right now,which is good because, it looks like I may have a stress fracture in one of my feet,so haven't been to the gym or walking and feeling yuk because of it.

I have just finished all the blog entries-not a lot of commenting as I was speed reading, it's like a burden has been lifted off my back- it will be easier to keep up now!
We have about 5 Christmas functions coming up over the next 2 weeks, so I need to keep my head in the right space- I'm trying to work out how to get out of some of them- I just wanna stay home!-that was said in a whiny voice...

Just finishing cooking tea, so must feed the masses, Have a good week everyone:)

I am alive!!

I cant believe how long it has been since I blogged! Or read blogs-I have 140 entries to catch up on-I think its doable don't you?
Last week,I was away for work and it was full on,and when I got to my hotel room -I swear I was going to catch up on my blogs-I fell asleep -so much for enjoying the peace and quiet of being by myself....

I then had my nephew's 2 year old birthday party to help with and then it was back to work again-and now finally I have 3 days off-Thank goodness!!

This afternoon I had my 4th fill -.5ml in for a total of 6mls. I have only lost 1.5 kg since he last saw me, but 3cm around my waist and bum. I have been struggling with my eating-larger portions,heaps of snacking, lots of wine-and I fessed this all up to my doc-like the good little people pleaser I am. He said I was probably being too hard on myself,as I had still lost weight- He told me I was a "Medical Success"- and even though I have a long way to go, I have decided to believe him..-I even got offered a job as his practice nurse-nothing like a bit of a morale booster:)

I have had a bit of stress,it always seems like everything happens at once,or is it just how you percieve it? A good friend who is my age 48 yrs-had a stroke last week, although she is at home,she is not back to normal-It turns out she had a small bleed in her brain around the sensory area and although she can move everything,half her body is still either numb or pins and needles feeling.She is a trim athletic woman who has never had high BP or high cholesterol so it has been a shock to all of us.
Work is a little stressful-too many projects,too little time, need to really work full time but I know if I go in 5 days I will be working 45+ hours,and won't have time for my life:)

So all things to think about,my son survived "schoolies" here, a bit rundown when he got home, but now hopefully he will get a job until he needs to decide about University.

I am doing another organised ride on the weekend- a 35 km beach ride,looking forward to that,last year I did the 15km introductory ride,next year will do the 50 km hill ride.It's a girls only ride-so good fun and not at all intimidating.

Ok so I have weigh in ,in the am-I am on fluids tonight so just maybe there may be movement(of the scale kind ,anyhow!) Will catch you tomorrow-Have a good Friday everyone:)
Here's a photo of me and the kiddies-Lucas is wearing some clothes,by the way!!!

I did It!!!!!!

What did I do?- Ever since I have started riding last year, there has been a ride ,that I have been too scared to attempt- It starts with an 8km big hill! Well today, with the persuasion of a girlfriend, I did it, not fast but didn't have any breaks -55 minutes of going uphill...
I am well impressed with myself, there's no way I could have done this carrying another almost 20kg.

I have today off as I am going on a work trip to Melbourne tomorrow for 2 days- My business manager and I have won a grant to work with adult immunisations with migrants(ps don't tell anyone,is being announced tomorrow at a big GP conference) We are very excited, we get to go and be awarded the grant and then do ourselves some shopping and wining and dining.WooHoo!! Only negative is we are going at 6am ,so that means on the road at 4.30 am.Ugh!!

I am glad I am going-it will take my mind off the fact,that my son is going to "Schoolies"It is a three day festival of drinking and debauchery to mark the end of his High school years, There will be 3 thousand kids there-that poor little town...I know he will be alright but a mother can't help but worry...:)

I weighed today since I am away tomorrow-98.3 kg-a loss of 300 gms-its a slow road but at least I'm going in the right direction. I must measure again-I have had a lot of people comment on weight loss over the last few weeks- I think I must be toning up.

Well I better go and get packed ,I'm a little behind on my reading of blogs,but I will catch up ,I am taking my ipad with me so its a possibility.Have a good weekend everyone, Catch up next week......

Camping Weekend:)

Quick blog to say there has been no movement in the scale for me this week,I thought there might be but no, so ok onwards...
We are going camping in 2 hours, so must go get packing,I love to camp, specially near the beach, so good times are about to happen, will get lots of walking in,so all good.

Will take some photos and catch up on sunday-have a good weekend:)

Amy's Ride..

Today my hubby I did Amy's ride-it is a bike to bring awareness to Amy Gillett who was training with a group of cyclists in Europe, when a car hit 5 or 6 riders and Amy was killed. They close one of our freeways and there are varying distances you can do. Stan and I thought we would do the shortest distance-25 km and then ride the 25km back to the car. The first 25km was fairly cruisy but I have to say the last 10 km of the return trip was a killer! I knew there were too many downhills on the way , but we finished and I am absolutely tired out-not one bit left in the tank!! It was the first time Stan and I had done an organised ride together-he's a mountain biker and scoffs at lycra wearing bikers, it was so much fun and we have decided we will do more together-he won't wear the lycra though, oh well i'm not sure I want him too!!

So for the first ride ever, I bought the bike top and wore it- a few rolls were showing but there were definitely worse off people than me there! So a true NSV for me today.Of course I took a photo and will post it here.Also one of Stan back at our house after the ride....

:)

I didn't weigh on Friday as I had to work and went to the gym at 0630 and was dressed for the gym before I even thought about it being Friday.So saturday I weighed- and shock , I was 400 gm down to 98.6 kg, its a slow road but I was very happy with that, as I haven't been great with my eating and any loss is good at this point:)

So, I can't believe how quickly the weekend goes when you work fulltime-Yuk! Next weekend ,we are going to the beach,camping for 2 nights for a friends 50th birthday, should be fun, and i loooovvve to walk on the beach, so should get my exercise as well,also 2 of the girls are runners, so may have to join in with that!

We have had alot of stress at work ,this last week and I am shit with stress, eat more,drink more (I also exercise more,thank goodness!) So I'm psyching myself up, to not get involved and to react differently, and just think-3.5 days and its my weekend....We'll see how that goes.

So Hope everyone had a good weekend-and will catch up on my blog reading later tonight

OMG!!

2 things just happened to me!! I came home from work feeling verrrrrry stressed(undervalued by my boss) and thought I would have a quick scan of google reader- and there he was ,thanks to Cat,Jude Law and I lusted loved seeing him,it made me actually relax-I also have a glass of wine,but I'm sure it was Jude!!

Then I went to Robins Nest page and she had nominated me for an award ,my hubby is laughing cos I'm soooo excited-I didn't mention Jude at all...

So now I need to work out what to do with an award!

Definitely a better day for me-not so much workwise, but had a great gym session this morning at 0630 and then the day always feels better.

Versatile: ver-sa-tile [vur-suh-tl] or, especially British, [vur-suh-tahyl]: capable of, or adapted for, turning easily from one to another various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc.: a versatile writer.


Word information source: www.dictionary.com


Here is how the award works:


1. You thank the person who presented you with the award.


2. You tell 7 things about yourself.


3. You award 15 other newly discovered bloggers.

So I would like to thank Robin from Robyn's Nest,I think I've already mentioned how excited and grateful I am!!!

7 things about myself
1.I was born and grew up in Australia- but spent 13 years in Canada where I intially met my husband and we have been back in Australia for 14 years now.

2.I am a nurse- I have worked in ICU, Theatre and I'm currently a Practice Nurse ,working in General Practice.

3.i have 2 teenage kids-Lucas has just finished high school and Emma is 13 years and a little temperamental to say the least.

4.Nearly 3 years ago,my dad was diagnosed with Leukemia,and my mum and I nursed him at home for 5 months until he passed away,and it changed my life...

5.I am post menopausal,and cranky at times-I love being in my high 40's and saying what I feel! Finally..

6.I have always had a weight problem-I lost all my weight 18 years ago with Nutrisystem-like Jenny Craig, and it slowly crept back on over 4 years until I was even heavier than before.

7.I love wine-I keep it in check but need to be ever vigilant about it,and make myself have at least 3 wine free days a week and limit myself to 2-3 glasses on other days.

The other bloggers I would like to nominate are

1.Ronnie-http://bandumentary.blogspot.com/
Cos I admire her ,with her 2 young children, getting the job done!!

2.Vanessa-http://athenabandedwarrior.blogspot.com/
Cos I love reading about her mountain biking,and she looks great.

3.Cece-http://bandedforboots.blogspot.com/
Cos we are of similar age ,and I can so relate to what she blogs

4.Jammy Dancer - http://newtlesandwingdings.blogspot.com/
Cos I want to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge!!

5.KiwiGirl-http://shrinkingviolet-kiwigirl.blogspot.com/
Always interesting,another place I would love to visit...

6.Robin Wine Girl-http://robinwinegirl.blogspot.com/
Not banded yet,but well on the way.

7.Rick-http://yesitsarace.blogspot.com/
Looking forward to hearing about "toughmudder"

8.A.J.-http://petmyport.blogspot.com/
I like to read about inappropriate things your band makes you say..

There are others ,but since this is the longest post ever, I will have to leave you...

Getting it together!!!

I have been plateauing bigtime over the last 3 weeks and I have no one to blame but myself.
I have been snacking and drinking while eating, not taking my vitamins an generally not taking care of myself . The only good thing I have done is exercise.

Before I had my band ,this is how I was, except cos my portions were bigger I was piling on the weight.with the band,I have managed to hold my own in weight- but feel no motivation right now- how come I can stick to a fluid diet for weeks but can't seem to walk into my house without hitting the cupboards to graze??

So now, I'm going to get focussed,firstly vitamins-they are there,just eat them.Secondly -water drink it but not after I have eaten! Lose the snacking and if it's too hard ,lose the foods that are causing me to snack.

My son had his final exam today for high school, so is all done- I am relieved, I am over worrying about his study ( or lack of)we are out to dinner to celebrate tonight so will be good to relax.I have had a bit of work stress lately, so with these things and friends traumas( like a true nurse, everyone comes to me) I think that it has played a part in this lack of motivation.

I have kept up with all your blogs-I love reading them ,more than writing but I think it is beneficial to write how you're feeling.

I am going on a 50 km bike ride on Sunday so looking forward to that-for the first time I even bought the ride top so will post a photo after Sunday.

Ok must go so will let you know how I am doing tomorrow!!(must be more accountable)

A.W.O.L.

Hi I'm back- after 2 weeks of absence, I'm not sure why, but i just couldn't bring myself to blog.
I have missed blogging the last 2 weigh ins ,so I will bear the shame and tell you, I lost 100 gms last week,ok its a loss, and nothing at all this week! So I remain at 99 kg-19 kg down-I'm glad its not a gain, I'm not sure why I didnt lose this week, but perhaps next week will tell.

Last week was just busy with work, I have kept my workouts up, my eating is still a bit snacky in the evenings,but under control. I have had had lots of hayfever the last 2 weeks, and have felt quite tight at times-I had that .5mls fill 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure I like the feeling much and a few sliders have been eaten, so we'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.
This week, 2 of my friends have had traumas-one marriage breakup and one a death in the family, so I've been out nearly all evenings offering support. Have had 3 alcohol free evenings, so don't think the wine was the cause of the no weight gain.

Exercise is going well, did a 90 minute bikeride Sunday, walked for an hour Monday night, Gym wednesday am and treadmill and bike workout yesterday. Walking this afternoon.Trying to change it up a bit with the exercise as the Exercise physiologist who took our bandfit class stressed,that doing the same thing over and over again causes the body to plateau,so working on that.

I think I've been complacent-I feel so good from the amount of weight I,ve lost ,that I tend to lose the focus. I have done this before, I still have 24 kg to go, so I need to keep telling myself that, and think how good I will feel then!!

I've been a bit slack at reading blogs as well, so think I will concentrate on that,this afternoon after my walk-it has just started to pour with rain, so go away rain!!!

Ok now I will not disappear again, even if its just a few sentences, I will let you know I'm still alive . Have a good Friday...

Back at it!

Monday night here, just a quickie to write that I'm back on the horse- well at the gym anyway!!

Yesterday , was a little stressful, more issues with no. 1 son,and instead of staying at home ranting and raving, I went for a 8 km hike! What a stress reliever and it defused the situation,so I was quite rational when I got home!! Today I hit the gym this morning at 0630 and have felt great since...

I have felt more restriction since my small fill last week, evenings are still an issue, I just need to go over my bandster rules and focus on them a little more.

Hope you all have a good week and will catch up later in the week:)

3rd Fill and Weigh in...

Yesterday I had my 3rd fill. I had lost 3.5 kg on their scale over the last 5 weeks, so I was happy with that. The doc put in .5 ml just to tweak it a little- I have been quite hungry in the evenings and feel like I can eat large amounts of food at times.So fluids till later today..

I have had a sinus infection this week and haven't exercised for 3 days-can't believe how edgy that makes me feel-who is this person??

So to the weigh in , Last week I had gained 1.8 kg,This week I lost 1.9 kg- I am at 99.1 kg now-so 18.9 kg down , I can't get over what a head battle this is...

It is pouring with rain this am and I am lying in bed with my iPad ,it has been a long week at work-have worked 9-10 hours everyday , and with not feeling the best , think I deserve to veg out for a bit, I just got up to make a coffee and saw the total mess of a house I am living in, Oh well housework will wait an hour or so...

Must catch up with my reading of blogs etc Have a good Friday everyone:)

New week...

I am sitting here in the sun on Sunday afternoon, My head is in a much better place now, I feel like it's not all spiraling out of control like I did last week. Then reading blogs today, I realize I am not the only one.
Yesterday I worked out and went for a long walk, today I am about to go and work out. Still working on the snacking, but trying to make better choices.I am quite hungry at the moment-Band where are you? I just need to get it together ,and I'm scheduled for a fill on Thursday.
Back to work tomorrow,which will help immensely ,I'm too busy at work to even think about food, and can get back into my gym routine.
Even though it's not close to weighing day,I just needed to check the scale today and have lost .8kg so far of the weight I had put on,so that's motivating.

Last week, I bought myself an IPad so I've been having loads of fun mucking about with it, and it's way easier to keep up with all your blogs. I have turned my worked verification off, cos I have read it has been causing some issues.

South Africa and Australia are about to play in the rugby quarter finals, Go Aussies, I have lots of South Afriacn friends here who are very bad gloaters so let's hope we win!

Hope everyone has had a relaxing weekend :)

Weigh In day-UGH!!

It has not been a good week-I don't really know why,I have been in a real funk and having trouble getting out of it. I have been on annual leave,so work is not an excuse. The kids are home on holidays and my oldest who is doing year 12 here(the last year of high school here) and has only got 3 more weeks till exams is driving me insane with the fact that I dont think he's studying enough. He is 18 years old and can legally drink etc and has been doing plenty of partying and late nights and although he is aware of the fact ,i'm not happy,I am trying not to turn it into a nagfest cos I think that that makes it all worse. So there it is, I wish I hadn't taken holidays this week, I have been stress eating and drinking and although I have done all my exercise, it was not pretty on the scale this am. I am back over the 100kg to 101 kg-a gain of 1.8 kg in a week!!!WTF! So I was going to skip my blog this week until I got myself under control but thought I need your support more than the thought of the embarrassment of the gain.. I am truly having a menopausal week,me thinks. I am also hungry(I think I am anyway)-I have a fill booked for next week-so should be a better week. I have done my bushwalk today-photo here of a strange encounter,

We never see koalas on the ground so I think its got to be good luck,don't you? I have been loving all the BOOBs reports and photos-I wonder if I could talk my husband into paying for me to go next year..... It will be a fairly quiet weekend for us ,so next time I blog I will be back on track, Have a good weekend everyone-I feel better all ready!!:)

Daylight Savings-Yeh!!!!

Well today is the first day of daylight savings here, I have been hanging out for this- it means I can exercise or walk at least in the evenings after work!It also means summer is on it's way. It also means we lost an hour last night, which is making today go very quickly. We are off to a BBQ this afternoon at a friends so more temptations mainly in the form of wine for me! Being aware of that can only help and I will stay focussed. I can't get over how quiet it is in blogland with all the BOOBS happening! It makes it easy to finally catch up on my blog reading, that's for sure.I hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday:)

First Goal!!!

Finally I did it!! Today I weighed 99.2 kg-under the 100kg mark, can't believe it.. For me this was huge-I think I have been sabotaging the last few weeks so this week I have focussed and I am estatic with the result. So I have now lost 18.8 kg or 42 pounds -my next goal is to lose 21.5kg to make my half way there mark-so nearly 3 kgs to go!! Last night I had my last band fit class,we did a kinda beep test at the first class and again last night at class number 6, I had really improved,so very happy with that too. And then after I weighed this am-i went with a friend to a normal jeans store and bought some size 16 -can you believe it size 16 Levis-ok so they are snug to say the least,but wow-Rock my world!!! Anyhow ,they are being hemmed-cutting off half the leg length I think, so won't be able to wear them till next week! I am really a jeans girl so thought it was worth the expense and they will last me a while, they were snug!!! So just a huge amount of victories for me this week, what a great decision it was for me to get this band!!! I know I keep using exclamation marks but that is how I am feeling... Now I know you are alll getting ready for BOOBS -hope you have a fantastic time and have a drink for me, cant wait to hear all about it...:) Have a great weekend:)

WTF!!

Scuse the french but truly I am such a nutcase- After having a great weighin Friday-I have self sabotaged for the rest of the weekend!! Too much bloody wine and therefore lots of nibbling-where is my head?? And of course,because I was a little hungover this morning missed the gym-its just a huge cycle! Alright its done and I'm moving on-have eaten well today-probably helped that I am still queasy from the vino. I will go to the gym tomorrow am-(I usually never go on a Tuesday) Wednesday-gym again-run for 30 mins Thursday- Walk up the hill Friday-Walk up the hill So its here on paper-this is my solemn vow-also drink water at least 3 bottles tomorrow-and stay away from the scales till Friday since I can't be trusted not to react to them!! OK now bring on the week....

Catching up!

Just a quick note to let you all know-I am still catching up on my reading of your blogs-so I am not ignoring you all-just saying....

Sooooo Close!!!!

Here's my weigh in report as promised-100kg even!!-Had i not had that 2nd glass of wine last night ,I might have cracked it. Oh well, isn't it funny how you go along thinking you aren't losing any and then suddenly it seems to drop off!!(well,not quite drop off-as if!) Bandfit class was last night-we did arms and I got a good workout-we also incorporate cardio, so I came away feeling like I had really done something. Next week is our last week and we are learning how to put it all together and make our own workout. oh and we have to do our 6 minute beep test again-to see if there is any improvement. I have done my walk today- it seems to be getting easier , I could chatter all the way up the hill today. The first time I did this walk-I thought I was going to have the big one going up that damn hill! Anyway I will take 100 kg-it is the lowest I have been at least since I had Emma ,my daughter-so nearly 14 years, and it is 18 kg down-13 since my operation. What a wonderful decision that was....

I'm back...

Well after a fantastic week away, I'm back and having worked 3 days feel like I never left!! No, that's not true-I still feel renewed enthusiasm for work ! I had the best time in Sydney-spent 2 days with my brother and then 4 days with an old friend, staying in a posh hotel on the harbour. Oh ,that's the life for me!! I'm sure I was really rich in another life. I did so much while I was there activity wise- wow you just gotta love the extra energy you have have when you've lost some weight! I was nuts! Did a 2 hour walk pretty much as soon as I got off the plane, the next day did a 2 hour coastal walk and then walked the city centre all afternoon shopping. Walking slowed down a bit when my friend Lorraine arrived-she has a totally bunged knee and although she can cycle ,can't walk for any distance. So we signed up and did a 4 hour cycle tour of the city and harbours , managed to get to the gym all the other days, in fact I was a little weary at the end of the trip. My friend is also trying to lose weight ,so we weren't really bad with our eating-My portions were a little large-no eating between meals though but we did have a few wines-didn't wreck ourselves though. So the question on your lips-did I gain- well yes and no-before I left and after my last weigh in ,I had gained about 500 gms-the weekend was my birthday celebration and I wasn't particularly good, when I got back , I was the same-so happy with that and will weigh tomorrow am as normal. i will put some photos on of my trip- I have 98 posts to read from you all!! so lucky my hubby has had to go away for work and after bandfit class tonight ,I will attempt to catch up... Can't wait to catch up with all your lives-now I'm back, I need to get serious and drop some kilos, I have 1kg till under 100 kg and three and a half till my halfway mark! Oh did I mention ,the seatbelt fit easily on the plane and although the seat wasn't roomy I could move around a little-I can't even imagine how great it will feel, in say 10 kilos time. I also bought a few pieces of clothing-a sporty jacket from the GAP and a couple of tops-still hesitant about my bottom half-didn't try on much in the way of pants. Well must go and add some photos-will post again after my weigh in tomorrow -no matter what !!

I am the one in the green tshirt-not great of me-but look at the scenery!!

View of one of Sydney's beautiful beaches...It was a great walk which went by about 5 different beaches!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!

So I told ya,here I am 48 years old and still feel like I'm in my 20's-ok maybe 30's but you get the picture. It's all about how you feel and how you act, I figure. I have had agreat day day so far,1.5 hour walk to my favorite waterfall this am, then lunch out with my mum and friends and then I'm off to dinner with the kids and Stan.

For my gifts I got lots of cash-Off to Sydney tomorrow to see a girlfriend and my brother. Work sent me some flowers-Very nice and I got a few lovely little knickknacks from my friends! So very spoiled, and looking forward to the next week away!

We had a birthday drinks for all my friends yesterday-we do this every year and I always lose the plot halfway through the morning-cleaning and cooking nibbles and generally getting stressed and I say every year "there's no way I'm doing this next year!!" So yesterday,after I had finally cracked-I put down my cooking utensils and said "that's it ,I'm on the treadmill" (I have a treadmill in our spareroom) And I jogged for 26 minutes straight -3km without stopping!! Previously I have been jogging for 3 minutes ,walking for 2 minutes etc. So go me!! 48 years old -who knew I could run?? And after I was on such a high-I forgot I was cranky,finished all the cleaning etc and had agreat day-if not a little too much wine??!!
So the power of exercise wins again. I am truly addicted now.

In fact I'm thinking I could just about fit in 30 minutes right now, so maybe I will go and do that. have a good week everyone-Cece,I hope you find your pool, there has to be an option somewhere. Robyn-you must be missing Cat-I know we are in blogland, sorry you missed catching up with your daughter, Ronnie-I just loved the leopard print dress, you young thing!
will try and blog while I'm away-but definitely wont be weighing!!
Here is a photo of some of the healthy food I prepared...and my birthday flowers.

Weigh In Day!

OMG today I stepped on the scale and it was 100.9 kg-1.2 kg down over the week-Yeh! Finally a whole kg- For me this is a slow process, but as long I'm edging towards the goal,I am content!

Last night was bandfit class-we did pilates-so a little sore in the abdomen today. It was good ,everyone was a little more relaxed and talkative . I was talking to one woman who had been banded in June and had lost 21 kg -wow-and she was disappointed it wasn't more!!Interesting,I never imagined this would be a quick fix-What did this lady think and how did she get this idea?
I will talk more with her in 2 weeks and find out more...

So I am officially on holidays now,Yee ha!! My birthday is on Monday-we are having an afternoon tea/drinks on Sunday and I am having lunch on Monday with my Mum and a friend,then Tuesday flying to Sydney!! Can hardly wait-6 nights on my own-no offence to my family but I really feel like a break- I am staying 2 nights with my brother who lives innercity and 4 nights at a hotel and a friend of mine from Queensland is coming down-Lots of shopping, talking and catching up,my own little BOOBS I guess!

I have been on my walk this am ,about 1.5 hours in Morialta Falls near us(3 minutes by car,20 minutes walk) so feel good, and ready to start the weekend..
i think I may have lost a follower-I'm sure it's cos I feel like my writing is boring and find it hard to blog more than once or twice a week-I do read blogs most nights in bed though which will hopefully be made easier soon as I am angling for an ipad-I will see how much I spend in Sydney firstly..

So hope you all have a great weekend-your blogs have helped me so much and really are my greatest support with this band. So please nobody else leave me-Was that pathetic or what??

Next time I blog I will be 48 years old and hopefully a little lighter,Bye for now:)

A New Day...

Thank you so much for the supportive comments, I can't believe how much it helps and how excited I get over comments!
So it's weigh in day , and as I had thought a weight gain today -but only 0.5 kg so i am now at 102.1 kg,I have to say thank goodness for that fill yesterday-just needed something to break the eating cycle...

Just to let you know I did thrash it on the treadmill yesterday,I'm actually a little stiff today-I had to skip my bandfit class last night (I am doing a makeup class-don't worry)to get my hair done-I know that sounds trivial but I have to book my hair appointments about 6 weeks ahead,so couldn't cancel-no way!
My hairdresser was most impressed with my weight loss,and of course asked me how I was doing it-I said portion control and working out which is all true-didn't feel the need to explain any further and felt good about it.

So I have a big task ahead-2.1 kgs in 1.5 weeks,before my trip-we'll see how it goes,it's funny, I don't feel as thin as I did 2 weeks ago(roughly the same weight)-I think I must be adjusting to my size maybe-and its probably a good thing cos I was pretty complacent there for the last couple of weeks.

It is the second day of spring here, a gorgeous day,so I am going to get my walking shoes on and get out there, Have a good weekend everyone:)
My haircut is pictured here-I seem to be going shorter,the more weight I lose!!

2nd Fill!!

It has been a disappointing week for me- I have eaten and eaten like I never had a band!! WTF?!

It started with the weekend-too much socializing-read too much wine! again-will I never learn,and then I have just been nibbling non stop-and as you know the band is quite forgiving on the nibbling front. I am absolutely dreading the weigh-in, and as I have just got home from my 2nd fill,I know there is reason too! I lost the grand total of 1kg over the last month according to their scales!! So I had 1cc added, for a total of 5cc in my band-I can feel it,and am going to stick strictly to fluids for 24 hours at least.

Well I am now going to make myself sweat on the treadmill,exercise is the one thing I have done right this week- So will let you know how the dreaded weigh in goes tomorrow-thought about skipping it but no, I have to pay the price of public shame.....

Bandfit Class..

So last night I went to my first class of Bandfit- It's a 6 week program the surgeon who did my band offers, to do with increasing your fitness level and toning the flabby bits.

I arrived at the class-there were 12 of us there(supposed to be 17 ,but a few no shows).after filling out disclaimer forms(that had me worried!!) we all learnt how to take our pulses and recorded our pre course heartrate.It was all fairly basic,but geared to a totally novice exerciser.Then we had to do a 6 minute test on how many laps of a 10 meter area we could do, most walked,I and another girl jogged,and I was stuffed at the end!(I always exercise in the mode-go hard or go home_)We will be doing this agin at the end to compare laps. Then we did a 20 minute aerobic workout to teach us how to get our heartrates up without needing equipment, took our heartrates, did 30 minutes of floor work and stretches. Our homework is to do at least 2 more sessions this week of cardio-heartrate above 60% for at least 20 minutes and stretches following. The exercise physiololgist was really into using our heartrates as guides to monitor our fitness.Anyway it should be interesting-we are doing different things for each of the sessions-I think the next one is using exercise bands,then pilates,upper body workout and then lower body workout. I was happy I got a decent workout,as I had skipped mine in the morning. So all good-I can go early before 2 of the classes to make up the 2 I will miss and she will give me a one on one session.

Didn't get much time to chat to the other ladies,only 1 man, They were all pretty much banded around the same time as me -end of May,beginning of June.Only 1 lady said she had lost 20 kg-impressive and everyone else went quiet, They said they had found the banding more painful than they had thought it would be-which I didnt, but other than that it was full on exercise.
Cece,I know our system is different to yours- My band was covered by private health insurance-there was a gap of about $3000 including anaesthetist's fees,this includes the bandfit course,3 dietician visits,all your fills/unfills and any other consults for other reasons,and also some lifestyle coaching-3 sessions,haven't had that yet,24 hour emergency service,clinic nurse support and some educational material( lapband book )It's called the Circle of Care program (in Australia).

Now to weigh in today-I am now at 101.6 kg so aloss of .6kg for a total of 16.4 kg or 36 pounds ,so all good-I had a big weekend last weekend so I'm sure I lost more than that-to get the excess off as well, I only have 2.5 weeks till I go away, need to get below 100kg by then, so will have to watch the weekend binges.I was thinking the other day, I don't feel like I have lost that much since preop diet, but when I worked it out, I have lost nearly 11 kg(24lbs) since then,so it is working..Why do I have these doubts???

I am about to go on my weekly walk-up to the waterfall that was in the photo last time-this time we are taking a different path and will end up above that waterfall-I feel the ache coming on already!!!

Ok so everyone have a great weekend

?Bandfit Class

Tonight I am off to my first bandfit class.This is a 6 week program included in my surgical fee,it is run by physios and exercise physiologists,so should be interesting. Of course,they only let me know 2 days ago,so 2 out of the next 5 Thursday nights are out for me! A bit of notice guys.....
Will report back:)

11 week Weigh in

Today is weigh in day- I am at 102.2 kg,so aloss of .5 kg last week,I will take it..
I love Fridays ,after my weigh in (and if I have lost!)It is my day off to catch up on life-I work out,and also do an hour walk later in the day, so feel good Friday night,ready for the weekend. Today I took my mum out second hand shopping-looking for clothing to tide me over as I shrink, It was a nice day-didn't buy much but had fun looking..

I love the feeling of having 2 more days off-don't have to go to bed early, can have a couple glasses of wine,catch up with friends and read all the blogs I follow.Now if the sun would just come out....
Have a good weekend everyone:)
Thought I would add a photo of my friend Karen who walks with me every Friday,and this is where we walk

Just because...

I don't really have anything to say today but I thought I would blog anyway. Very little has been happening this week.i have been pretty good with the eating, but although I haven't weighed at home,I did jump on the scales at work, and there wasn't any change, so my weigh in day is tomorrow-so just preparing myself...

It's funny,how you kinda get used to being at your new weight, and then you get anxious when you're not losing, that this is it.( I'm talking about me ,of course!)I feel like I've been plateuing lately,not sure if I really am,or I'm just not as focussed as I was.I know ,my gym work is going well and during the day I eat well, but the evenings are still a battle-I can't get over how snug my little band feels till about 5pm and then seems to loosen up -or is it just my resolve??!!

I am going to focus on all the positives so far,
1. Everything in my wardrobe fits-how easy is that,to get dressed in the am.
2. Going on a plane in 3 weeks-no worries about the seatbelt this time.
3. I feel good,energetic, skin is good if a little wrinkly in places-love that cos it means I'm losing!
4. Going down in measurements-will put them in at the end of this post.
5. Husband seems keener-or am I more receptive??!!
6. Grocery bill is down-Did I really eat an extra $60 fortnight of food?
;
Measurements
Date: 22/5/11 26/6/11 4/8/11 18/8/11
Neck 42.5cm 42cm 41cm 40cm
Chest 122cm 117cm 115cm 113cm
Waist 120cm 110cm 107cm 105cm
Hips 132cm 128cm 124cm 122cm
Thigh 71cm 69cm 69cm 67cm
Calf 47cm 45cm 45cm 45cm
Upper 45cm 42cm 41cm 40cm
arm


Ok well, Im slowly shrinking-yeh me!Hope you are all having a good week-Will post tomorrow after the weigh in:)

NSV!!!

Today is weigh in day- and it was good! 102.7 kg today despite 3 glasses of wine last night and a little larger serving of green chicken curry.(I am thinking maybe a little too salty for night before weigh in!) I have mostly been good this week-gym 3x so far,during the day ,I can surely feel the effect of my fill last week, the evenings I am still off track a bit,still feel nibbly and roaming for snacky stuff.So a work in progress ,I have another fill booked in 3 weeks ,we shall see how I am then. I am on track for my goal of sub 100kg by September 13th-when I am going on a week trip to meet my girlfriend in Sydney-so shopping and relaxing!!OOH I'm excited just typing it!

Now I know you're thinking "What's her NSV?" Well today, I went shopping-mainly to look and dream-and I tried on a size 18 jeans in the NORMAL people sizes area and ta da THEY FIT!!So of course I had to buy them,as the jeans I am wearing now are sagging badly. It has been about 14 years since I could fit into anything in a regular store-so this is a major goal for me.I am not going near the shops now until Sydney-unless it's a second hand shop, of course.

I have been reading all your blogs-just don't seem to have time to blog and read-might have to change it round and blog first. It is still winter here, looking forward to the warmer weather,and showing off a bit off wrinkly skin-yep it's starting to happen-I have operation arms going on at the gym at the moment-doing lots of tricep dips for the old batwings-think Oprah's arms-mine are looking similar. I also do about 40 minutes on the treadmill alternating jogging and walking ,so starting to feel a little fitter.

I have just tried to take a photo of me and my new jeans -but to no avail-will have to wait for someone to come home and help me out.

BOOBS must be coming up soon for you U.S.A girls ,wow, I'm sure it will be a great time. I haven't really met too many peolpe with bands here-The support group that is once every 2 months is about an hour away and always in the evenings-I actually don't feel a real need to go there yet, I think blogging has given me some great support-and I feel like I'm starting to know you.

Alright must go and do all that housework,blah,blah,blah that awaits me on my day off...

First Fill!!

It is weigh in day today! Last week I weighed in at 103.6 kg, today I am up 100gm to 103.7 kg. It hasn't been a great week eating wise(also drinking wise) but I have been to the gym 3 x and worked out at home twice, so I will take the gain and know that next week I will lose that and more...

I have been very hungry this week-I think its a combination of upping the physical activity and needing a fill-I felt like I was in bandster hell most evenings and have been nibbling quite a bit before and after meals!!
So luckily today was my appointment and I got my first fill.My surgeon weighed me and the scale there said I had lost about 2 kilos in the last month-I was wearing heavy jeans and boots etc. As soon as I said I was hungry and struggling the last couple of weeks,she said definitely fill time.So I have a 12cc band and got 4cc's today. She had to manouvre a bit to find the centre of the port, but I could feel restriction as soon as she injected the water, So all good,I drank some water and off I went.And have not been hungry since so Yeh!!!I was told I should probably do fluids for next 24 hours, but it was up to me really and how I feel.

I have done a treadmill workout and an hours bush walk today so am feeling good. I met up with a friend for coffee,who hasn't seen me since banding but knows about it and she was very excited for me.She also has weight issues and is doing Weight Watchers and has lost about 7 kgs so looked well and happy.I am meeting her in Sydney in 6 weeks for a girls' week of shopping etc so we both set goals to reach by then. I definitely want to be under 100 kgs by then-that is about 4 kilos to lose-very doable ,I think.


I'm sorry Ronnie,I know I chickened out of putting my weight on the last post-it was 105kg there its all out in the open!!!

Last night I had my book club,so nibbles and drinks ,(which didn't help the weigh in today!!)2 people out of the 6 people knew about the band,one of the woman who didn't said,so tell us about your diet plan-as they watched me inhaling wine and soft cheese,I took about 10 seconds,thought about Lapband Gal's post and told everyone else.Well that stopped those chatty girls for a bit. Anyway it was a relief and easier to do than I thought, so yeh me!

Well I'm going to go and read all your blogs, you are a very inspiring lot-I always feel more motivated after reading them. Hope your weekend is relaxing-I have my daughter's soccer at 0740 tomorrow am-WTF!!!!
So definitely quiet night in tonight..Bye for now:)
This is a picture of me after my treadmill workout today-note the saggy face!!Age and weight loss-not a good combo!

Back at the gym!!

I finally think Iam back at the gym in my head-sounds weird,but I used to really enjoy going to the gym,but since my banding have had a really hard time getting motivated- I have been going once a week, but have had twinges of soreness in my port region which has put me off doing things I like to do at the gym-like cardio stuff. But after going Friday, walking on the weekend and to the gym at 0630 this am, I feel like I'm really enjoying it again.

Saying that, my weekend for eating and drinking was not so good. Went to a great dinner on Saturday night-apart from too much wine, didn't eat too badly.
But then came Sunday with a little bit of a hangover-and of course you always feed a hangover-where's my band when I need it????!!!
I went to bed quite uncomfortable-but at no time did I feel any restriction whatsoever! In retrospect,it was probably nowhere near as bad as pre band binging. But silly me got on the scale this am, and it was not good-I'm not going to report the number, cos its not the right day-so there!!!

Anyway, I'm not too down about it all, Friday I have an appointment-?my first fill-I do feel like I need it-I am tired of restraining myself from overeating and remember the first month when I had good restriction(from swelling,no doubt)and didn't think about food non stop.

I went and bought a new top to wear Saturday night and it was a clingy fabric-its amazing how confident I felt wearing it, Imagine how it will feel when I have lost 50% of my weight if it feels so good now!!Just got to keep focussed and remember that....

Ok must go, but hope you all have a good week-Oh by the way,loved reading about all those different flavors of icecream that you all have in the States,you girls have got willpower!!!! :)

BYOC-Thanks To Drazil

1. Sun or rain? Roses or tulips? Romantic movie or comedy?

Sunshine-definitely,I am nuts in Winter!!!(like now for me!)
Tulips -I love the bright colours , they just seem a little funkier!!!
Romantic movie-who knows why an old married lady like me?...

2. I've been sick lately and haven't eaten in two days - except for ice cream...which leads me to ask - what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

I love vanilla and caramel icecream-hardly ever in the house,we always buy chocolate cos I am not a chocolate person.

3. Are you a door locker - in your house and car?

Most definitely a locker-No choice here ,Someone would be in in no time if you didn't.

4. In the spirit of my being sick and wanting to die - tell me your "go to remedies" for when you are sick?

I also take baths
I eat lolly snakes-if I can in any way!!
I sleep
I watch dvd's -when I was off with my band I watched 4 seasons of Brothers and Sisters-it took me the whole 2 weeks!

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blog land and in real life.

Blog land has been great for me-You know, whenever I feel lack of motivation ,I just have to read all your blogs and I'm Back!!!!

Real life has also been good-Family all together,my workmate is back ,so I've had my day off today, I've also booked some holidays myself for September-2 weeks,Can hardly wait....

Weigh In Day!

It has been a good day today- First the weigh in- After gaining 200 gms last week which put me at 104.5 kg, today i weighed in at 103.6-so nearly a kilo off Woohoo!!!So then before I could even talk myself out of it, I was off to the gym. It was great-it is so much easier to exercise nearly 15kg down-I must remember that when I'm procrastinating next time...Even the stretches are easier. Now my size 20's are all starting to get baggy,which shows I am due for a measure-I can't wait to shop in normal stores-not there yet though.
After that I cut the lawn,did washing ,housework etc and then went for an hour bushwalk with a friend-wow-2 exercises in 1 day!!

So all in all a great day off,and the weekend is still to come. We are going out to a friend's birthday dinner tomorrow night-it's at a restaurant and apparently we are having the degustation menu-I first thought I would say no and make an excuse ( she doesn't know I have a band) but then I thought I would go and enjoy myself-It will hopefully be not too hard to watch my intake,and a lot of these restaurants serve small portions-just have to watch the drinking!!!

Otherwise just going to enjoy having hubby and daughter at home and relax,the weather is going to be miserable as usual, so hard to get motivated.I have been reading all your blogs and love hearing what you are all up to- I can imagine its big fun when you all get together in Chicago- maybe one day...

Where have I been?

Hi all, its been a week since I blogged and not a great week! I have had the worst sinus infection, and am so totally over winter! Also have been working full time this week,so leaving the house at 0745 and not getting home most nights till 1830! Not seeing a lot of daylight! And most of all, my evening eating has been out of control-not to mention the wine intake!! So weigh in day was Friday and of course I put on 200 grams-I know ,not alot, but its the mindset which is the biggest worry. I have been good this weekend, but now I have been thinking what if one of those who this is not going to work for???!!!

I know-I have spent the weekend trying to boost myself up-How can I be so good and in control and then sabotage myself like I have been doing?
So I put on my runners and out I went for a good hill walk and now I feel more like myself.so onto a good week.

My husband and daughter came back from Canada on Saturday, its great to have them home,not as quiet although the washing has increased somewhat.
This week I am back to my normal work week, so should have time for afew gym visits and just more time for myself!

I have been catching up on all your blogs-I also had a virus for a few days(on my computer) I dont know where its gone- After I did a couple of scans it went away-thank goodness as I couldn't access anything on the internet.
I shall try and be a better blogger this week, I am sure my weight loss is directly proportional to my blogging regularity. I hope everyone has a good week ,Bye for now...

BYOC - Bring Your Own Crazy...

It’s Friday so that means it’s BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy!-This will be the first BYOC I have done, Thanks Drazil for the idea-and yes I know I'm late!!


1. Let’s do something crazy….I’m going to list the rainbow colors and you type the first FOOD item that pops into your head that symbolizes that color for you…..here’s mine:

Red - Spaghetti sauce and red lolly frogs..Oh and red wine!!!
Orange – Roasted sweet potato
Yellow – Cheese-Lately I have been having too much of this
Green – Spinach-I love baby spinach in a salad
Blue – Blue powerade-my son drinks it ,not me..
Purple – Blueberry yoghurt-looks purple here-go figure..
Brown – definitely coffee and lots of it.
Black – I can only think of licorice-haven't had any for years.


2. What is on your kitchen table right now?

There are 2 newspapers, various pamphlets, A Weight Watchers magazine of my mother's, an old radio that doesn't work well but my son won't let me throw out, a camera and my laptop-currently in use!


3. What movie do you watch again and again and again? Not like what movie have you seen 5 times…but like what movie have you seen 30 times or more?

I don't think I have one that I have watched 30 times but I have watched "Love Actually" a lot, also "PS I love you" a few times,"Lord of the Rings"-one of them- I particularly like-I like a big epic-I think it's cos I can be a drama queen myself.I don't like scary movies especially when stan (hubby )is away.

4. If Satan had a last name – what would it be?
I can think of a couple of patients of mine -but it would have to be the person who invented cheese and red wine!!

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.

In Blogland-I have been a real slacko and not been blogging as much as I would like, and to my horror today I have lost a follower..AHH!! What does this mean-Am I on the way out???Next week , I am going to try harder to make more comments, cos I know how thrilled I am that somebody has bothered to comment on my blog.

In my real life- its been fairly flat and a bit dull-just running my son around and waiting for hubby and Emma to come home... I did buy a new scarf today and wanted to buy much more ,but don't want to spend too much to grow out of things(hopefully) within a month or 2- I will take a photo of my new scarf.
Anyway ,Have a good Saturday night,I'm off to friends for tea again, so will be good-Bye for now..

Where did the time go??!!

I just had a look at my blog and two things struck me-1.-I haven't blogged since last Sunday,Every night I check all the blogs I'm following ,so why haven't I been writing??!! and 2.-I have 27 followers! Wow, how amazing. You guys are the best!

Well today was weigh in day and yes I am down yet again, the first time I got on the scale this morning I was 104.3 kg-down 1 whole kilo-yehe! Then of course I had a coffee and had to weigh myself again and was up to 104.6 kg-Why would I do that??
Anyway I'm taking the 104.3kg- nearly 14 kg down. How great is this? I have to say that my eating has not been great this week, I find that I'm starting to nibble at night, and although I am a good little bandster all day-I am falling apart in the evening and having to truly restrain myself. We are in the middle of the coldest, wettest winter and I have no motivation to go out or do anything. I have 1 more week till my hubby and daughter come home and I think that might keep me more occupied in the evenings-Now just got to get through this week.....

I have my next appointment in 3 weeks, and it will be interesting to see if I get a fill. I feel quite tight until the evening, but it would certainly help , Oh well will work out it out closer to the fact.

I only got to the gym once this week,was a little sore around my port with the slow jogging I like to do for cardio and actually slowed to a walk(similar pace)
I will go back on Monday and see how it goes.

Well I am going to bed to snuggle with my electric blanket on, and will update on the weekend, Hope you all have a good weekend.

Sunday night!

Oh how did Sunday come so quickly??? I'll tell you how-my 18 yr old son didn't get home till 0315 last night and because Hubby is away I couldn't sleep till he got home! Spare me the social life of teenagers! So yes I got 4 hours sleep and then took that teenage son to his job at 0830!!!(He works at a coffee shop for 5 hours on Sundays) What we do for our children??

I have had a very social weekend-everyone wants to feed and take care of me since Stan(hubby) has been gone. I'm a little over it to tell you the truth,one more weekend then I can say "We are Busy!!" I know that sounds ungrateful but it is really interfering with my meal plans-too much wine,not enough exercise etc.

A skinny friend warned me today that the sabotage would start to rear it's ugly head as I am now noticeably thinner. And she is right-I went and saw a friend who has just had a hysterectomy(we are of the age!!) Well I informed her that not only had I had a hernia ,but had also had the lapband operation.Not 10 minutes after I had told her,her husband brought out cake for us to eat with our coffee, and my friend kept insisting I had the cake-give me a break -What bit about I am so desperate about my weight that I had surgery do you not understand!!!! And I had a sliver! What the F?

Ok I have forgiven myself and put it down to OK this is all new,it's a lesson! Now move on- I wish Stan was here to vent to...

So it's back to work tomorrow-I haven't really enjoyed work since I've been back I think I've been a little tired- so this week it's definitely back to the gym in the morning to try and increase my energy levels..

Ok Thanks everyone for your comments,-I just love to read them-and I have 25 followers Woohoo!! How exciting-Blogland is something else!!

Weigh In Day!

Well its Friday and after much trepidation I stepped on the scale-then I went to the loo and came back and did it again-It worked 105.6kg the 1st time and 105.3kg the second !! Yeh! I just can't believe it- 1.1 kg loss.Woohoo! So that's 12.7 kg down-which is close to 28 pounds down since I started preop optifast,-it is about 7.2kg from surgery date 5 1/2 weeks ago.Is it really only that long?? There seems to be so much thats happened since then.

My hubby and Emma ,my daughter are still over in Canada-have been down to Niagara and are currently in Toronto doing some shopping-wanted to know what I wanted as a gift-for once I can't think of anything-I use to be so materialistic-what is happening to me? Could it be that I am more content and don't need stuff to keep me as fulfilled?(don't let my husband read that!) Or could it be that I want an excuse after I have lost more weight to blow the budget then?, I think it's a little of both...

I finally went back to the gym today-after procrastinating all week. It was great,I felt good,nothing pulled or felt different, Having had 6 weeks off I am a little weaker-had to go down on my arm weights quite a bit,my arms are flabbing in the wind,5 months till summer- got to use that as motivation.
I did about 40 minutes of cardio between the bike and the treadmill and although I was tired-It did feel easier being a bit lighter. I used to have a personal trainer there- I did see her today but she didnt even say "Oh My Gosh How much thinner are you???" In fact ever since I gave her up,she's been a little cold towards me-pretty professional eh?

It's truly winter here,blustery and cold ,raining lots-Ugh-I can certainly see why SAD(Seasonal Affective Disorder)is such a big thing . I'm waiting for a break in the rain to take Oscar (our dog) for a walk-he's looking very flat and unhappy.

I had bookclub at my house last night-only 5 out of 7 showed so of course I have lots of nibbles still hanging around- I am keeping them till my son and his girlfriend come home to graze and then they're out of the house-I keep opening the fridge door and looking at the cheeses etc Whoever thinks this band does all the work,is so wrong!

I have got my daughter's WiiFit out and have started weighing on it-You can never weigh on enough scales you know...I might even try the exercises at some point..

Well I think I'm just waffling now, I need to catch up on your blogs, So I hope you all have a great weekend, Bye for now!!
PS-here is my lazy depressed dog, and here is me in March 2011- probably about 3kg lighter than my heaviest weight-That is just the photo that motivates me most!

I

Belated Weigh In..

It's now Monday night-where did that weekend go???
I haven't even done my Friday weigh in- well I was 106.4kg-Very happy with that-only 400 gms down but haven't felt deprived at all and the exercise still has to commence.So-11.6 kg down in total,who would have thought on April 7th when I went to my first consult that barely 3 months later I would be nearly 12kg down!!

On Saturday,I had to do canteen at my son's soccer game-now at his club, you only have to do this once a season ,but you are there from 10am till 5pm! All day ,I was serving steak sandwiches,hotdogs, hamburgers and donuts and I nearly forgot-the deep fried chips! I had a late breakfast and wasn't really hungry till about 3 pm- The two Italian ladies who run the canteen ,tried to feed me all day,it was a most mentally and physically exhausting day- I only succumbed to a couple of chips-which actually didn't go down that easily or well and a quarter of a hamburger patty. So Wow Score for me! I can't even tell you what I would have eaten before my beautiful band!

A friend helped me go through my closet on Friday-(there were no spiders ,thank goodness!)I got rid of 2 bags of clothes-most size 22,I am now an easy 20 and not for long.My closet is so neat,I can see what I've got, It gives me a whole new mindset when I go into my bedroom.So go me!!

I catch the bus to work about 50% of the time and being larger,I know that people tend not to sit near me until they have no choice-Well that is changing!! that is not a NSV-I think more of a NSL(non-scale loss)-I actually liked sitting by myself-nobody coughing or with too loud earphones, Oh well you can't win them all...

OK ,must go now-Happy 4th July to all you US girls,Keep on blogging!!

1 Month down!!

Well its actually 1 month and 2 days so I am officially back onto solids or real food! Yeh!! I think, anyway.

Today I had my post op check with my surgeon,and an appointment with the dietician-have I told you how cute he is? All good -was very impressed with my weight loss-I don't know about their scale but it said 106.3 kg Woohoo! better than mine has said Oh well will weigh on tomorrow and compare.I am so happy-I am having a few fearful moments about whether this will continue or whether I will self sabotage like I usually do around this time! No that is so not going to happen- it doesn't feel the same-I don't feel deprived and now the exercise begins...
I could have had a fill today,they said but since I had lost well and am not really getting hungry in between meals, they will leave it for now.I have another appointment in 1 month, so we shall see then.

I did have a little hiccough in the week,I scratched one of my little wounds in my sleep and when I woke up it was oozing yuccy stuff-(sorry I am a nurse,though)Must have been just brewing there, anyhow one of the perks of being a practice nurse got an on the job consultation and some antibiotics, so now drying up nicely.

I bought some more pants-just casual chino type ones-they were mega cheap and my arse is drooping in most of my jeans ,still size 20 here,I am definitely not buying anymore until I am a size 18! I work right in the middle of the city centre ,so I often take a walk around the shops at lunchtime- and I have to admit I am truly a shopaholic.My poor husband...

So its Thursday night here, my son is at soccer practice,so I am sitting here doing my favorite thing-catching up with everyone's blogs and of course writing my own.I love everyone's writing style-I feel like my blogs are a little dull but I shall perservere and try and make something exciting happen!!

Not the best photo-but the ones I want I am difficulty loading! Blogging is a steep learning curve- Thanks for your comments xxx

Last day of rest...

Its Sunday here, and the last day to veg and get organised for the week.
Did I mention I am loving this band!! I went out for dinner last night and had some steamed dumplings, yum,yum. Thats all i had,I know -not so mushy -still on mushies till Tuesday officially-but believe me by the time I had finished chewing them they were definitely mushy. I was full, my friend who I was with had a main meal in the same time that I took to eat them.Now ,this friend is the skinniest person in the world and has a son who has suffered from anorexia, so as you can imagine I didn't really want to tell her about the band , and hadn't until during dinner last night. I thought bugger it,I feel like I am living a lie when I am with her, so I told her and you know what she cried cos she was so happy for me! Wow, She was so interested and supportive, it ended up being a great night and now I just have to find a recipe for those dumplings...


I made a big pot of chili con carne yesterday,and froze it in portions-I am really getting an idea now about how much I can eat, I've just got to maintain focus on healthy eating and getting lots of nutritional value in the food I do eat.I am making salmon patties later and will freeze them for during the week.Its amazing how much you can accomplish when your husband is away!!

I still haven't managed to get photos onto this blog-I did one and since then having issues, I will do a bit more reading up on it today.I will do my measurements and post the results tomorrow,I'll be interested to see the change.I just went and bought some new work pants- I couldn't handle the safety pin holding up my old ones anymore-I am down to a size 20 from a 22 so all good-could fit into the 18's but was a little squishy.Woo Hoo!

Ever since I made the decision to have the band , I have felt a sense of control and purpose and felt like it was the right time of my life to do something for myself.But now ,I realise, that with my moods stabilized and what feels like an inner peace about all this , I can see it impacts on all the family- I think they are enjoying my journey as well.( after that very deep monologue, I will leave it there for now..)

I caught up on everyone's blogs last night- I just love coming in and seeing the number of new posts in my google reader!! This week I have a post op appointment with the Surgeon and with the dietician so looking forward to that!

Ok like I said will try and post some piccy's-it always adds to the interest to see the face of who's blogging, I think. Have a good week everyone, Bye for now...

What a week?!

I have been a bad blogger this week-so this is what its like being back at work normal hours...Ugh I also had to get up and take Emma and Stan to the airport Thursday morning at 5am(yes the volcanic ash cloud lifted just in time) to fly to Canada for a month-Lucky them!! By Thursday night-after i had picked up my son from soccer at 9pm-i was exhausted,aching and definitely over life! Thank goodness I have today off, trying to take it a little easy today-my achey stomah-it felt muscular freaked me out a bit, but is 90% better today,so I'm sure it was due to the long work days-I also have a cough which I'm now on antibiotics for-which certainly didn't help matters.

I am off out to lunch today,one of the people knows of the band and the other doesn't-it really is my first meal out so I am a little nervous ,hopefully there will be some soup or risotto ,something fairly mushy anyway, I will report back as I don't think I will get this finished.

Hi I am back-I had scrambled eggs for lunch,ate half the serve-was probably too much and now I feel queasy-I think thats it today for food for this girl! It seemed a bit of a waste of money,I have to say,but at least the company was good.

I can't believe still how little I have to eat to fill me up!
I know they tightened my hiatus hernia-the surgeon told me it would feel very tight,so I wonder if that adds to the effect of the band.

I have made Friday ,weigh in day and today I was 106.8 kg(24 lbs) down from beginning of preop diet,I was about 112 kg at surgery time,.So all good still going in the right direction .

I don't have too much planned over the weekend, running my son around and catching up on some housework etc, weird without the others,I intend to relax and will be good to spend time doing things I want to do without consulting others.Yeh! will do another update when feeling a little more energy-have a good weekend everyone-Up to 17 followers despite being AWOL this week-So thanks for all the support.

A Quickie..

I thought I would let you know how excited I was to see 15 followers! This is such a great support network and I'm starting to feel the love.

That was an interesting comment Cat, about how little it takes to feel satisfied, and has certainly will make me look differently at my eating, so thanks for that.

I have read nearly all your blogs from the beginning now, fantastic stories and advice, I was thinking the other day how little I would actually know(although my Dr is pretty good) if I didn't have the internet,It has made this road so much smoother.

Now a confession-I had 3 glasses of wine last night-definitely off the wagon, So this is something I need to keep under control and my aim is to have one glass and stop! I have to say though it may me feel really normal and I didn't have any of the nibblies which were also one of my bigger vices. But from now on I do need to focus on this.
I am sorry my camping picture didn't post yesterday,I will try again today,

I also was hugely constipated these last 2 days( aren't you glad you asked-Oh you didn't?)So need to keep an eye on that as well-had a very uncomfortable morning but all good now-My daughter is very happy about that-sick of me moaning etc.Do you all take extra fibre?

Well so much for a quickie-I had better go and do some housework-Yippee!

Back at Work...

Well I went back to work for 2 days this week,I have to say I was pretty exhausted after the first day and fortuneately could leave early yesterday. I am off today -Fridays I'm off always so think I will make this my weigh in day. So I got on the scale this morning- 107.6 kg (237 Lbs) Yeh- Thats 10.4 kg(23 lbs) off so far-I am counting from when I started my preop diet-'cos dammit that was all willpower!

Anyway, I am loving mushies- wary and chewing heaps,I can't believe how small my portions are and how they fill me up.Yesterday at work someone was leaving and they had a sushi platter- I didn't have any-not sure that its really mushies and didnt want to have any problems in front of co-workers.One of the doctors I work with and who I had only said Hernia repair when asked why I was off(they are all so nosy!!)-Took a look at me as soon as I walked into the room and asked me outright if I had had a lapband- I said yes I have decided I'm not going to lie if people ask me directly-She said I looked like I had lost a lot of weight.So people are noticing already.

My work pants almost fell off me as I was crossing the road-now I have a safety pin holding them up-I just don't want to buy new ones yet-I can see this is going to become expensive- will have to hunt out some second hand stores to tide me over. I kinda want to see if I can get by till I can fit into regular sizes-as the plus size clothing here is so overpriced.

I have to say that I almost feel normal now-only small tweaks of soreness, moving around well and starting to feel really good about the decision to have this done- for a while after surgery,I was very sad over the fact I couldn't just stuff myself anymore-Weird ,how the mind works eh?

Anyway although I didn't take formal before photos, I found this photo of a camping trip we did in March this year-It still shocks me how big I look in it. I did take measurements and will remeasure every month.

My son has his formal tonight(prom) so its been all about him today so far-We are going to the pre drinks party tonight and then have 2 birthday celebrations to go this weekend so it will go quickly- then its only 4 days till Emma -my daughter and Stan-hubby go to Canada- we are hoping the Volcanic ash has cleared by then-we have been having lots of flights cancelled here because of this.

Ok so hope everyone has a great weekend, Bye for now..

2 Weeks Down!!

So ,today i went for my 2 week post op check with the nurse. Had my Bp done,which is now normal, wounds checked and given the OK to move onto mushies-or the transition diet. Yeh! Feeling good,a little tired still, but actually looking forward to work tomorrow. Think it will be a long day but just need to get back to some kind of routine.

The only depressing thing about my appointment today was that the nurse had my preop weight from the hospital written down-108 kg when I knew I wasn't that low-more like 112 kg-so when I weighed and it was 109 kg-the nurse assumed I had put on weight-are you kidding me???? I have been on these bloody fluids forever, I was annoyed to say the least-I informed her the hospital scales were crap and she said she would have to check them. So now I feel stressed over the bloody numbers, and I'm telling myself-STOP, you are doing everything right by the book, and what annoys me as well-next time I will weigh in 2 weeks at their other rooms so who knows what that will show,AHHHH

Ok I'm done with my rant for now ,I am planning on some mushy vegies and mince for tea(we called it ground beef in Canada)-almost like a normal person- I will take some thick soup for lunch tomorrow, I know that I have always thrown my lunch down quickly at work and want to work up to full mushies there.
Only 2 people at work know about my band-everyone else thinks I have just had a hernia repair which is true.

I haven't been doing much walking- that will change tomorrow as I have a little walk at both ends of the day to and from the bus,so that is good as well.My gym is on hold for another couple of weeks, so must make myself get going .

Thinking of Jammy Dancer @ newtlesandwingdings.blogspot.com as she is being banded today.

I have added a picture of me and my long-suffering hubby..

Why can't I comment??

Ok everyone I give in ,I need help- I can't seem to comment on people's blogs..

I write my comment in the box-press google account for user profile-it takes me back to my sign in, fill that out and then For some reason keep on having to log in again after the verification words..AHHH!-ok keep calm,

Also having trouble putting my ticker thingo on my blog-I told you I was green at this!

Is it something to do with my settings?

I will endeavour to put more photos on as well-although as some of you can relate-not too many around -hate,hate hate having my photo taken, but surely there are some about.

All else fine, going to visit some friends who do know about the band this afternoon-only 3 more days of fluids, scale not moving but neither am I much so understandable.

Very excited about my 12 followers-have been checking out all your blogs-I think hubby thinks I am constantly on the laptop-but just making the most of it before I go back to work.

Have a great Sunday....

Feeling good..

Well today is a new day and after the best night's sleep ,I feel renewed.

I have just been out and watched my son play soccer and now home for some soup-only 3-4 days till mushies-I can tell my appetite is returning now,but still doesn't take too much to fill me up for a short period. I keep look longingly at every thing that people around me are eating. The foods that I ordered over the internet arrived at 7am this am-lucky DH got up to get the door, so the containers don't look too small, so I am set.

I find that I am colder now -?'cos I have lost some weight or ?am I getting enough nutrients. I was a hot flush girl-(age 47 yrs)so was used to being like a furnace and the flushes seem to have disappeared for the moment.Is that a NSV?

I do have a NSV , My DH says I am not snoring anymore!!! Now I don't know if this is 'cos I'm not drinking or 'cos I've lost weight or a little of both but really who gives a toss,I'll take it!

My jeans are baggy-they are size 22 -not so much around the waist though-still a bit of swelling going on, I think, so now I need to go through the abomination that is my closet and sort out the various sizes. It's been so long since I've been through it, I'm sure there are spiders in there(remember Australia..)so need my DH nearby for the rescue mission ...I have a phobia about spiders in case you hadn't guessed and therefore probably living in the wrong country.

Alright going to get at it ,Hope you all are having a good weekend..

Missing in action...

Hi I'm back- title is misleading ,no action here.

Last night,just before I went to bed, I felt nauseated- I have avoided a few of my family since having this done ,as they all seem to have colds,flus etc. so why did I bother-slept badly,thinking what if I have to vomit??!!
Anyhow made it through the night ok,have tolerated some fluids this am-just feel wiped out-probably from lying awake worrying !

Suture lines are a bit itchy, but ok-the woes of being a nurse-i check them 5 x a day. The scale is still moving downward- about 9kgs off this am- woohoo!

We have a long weekend starting tomorrow- will have a few outings ,then its Tuesday-2 weeks banded and my post op check-also the start of mushies YEH!-its terrible when you look forward to your chewable multivite just to get that chewing sensation..

I have ordered some band friendly meals from the internet-supposed to be the correct portions etc-just to get a feel for the size I should be having. My DH(who is Canadian) and daughter are going back to Canada for a month starting June 23rd-so my son who is 18 and I will be baching it together-so thought if he wasn't in ,the meals would be easy.
I have to say even though I will miss them both-I'm glad to have a break from raising a gorgeous 13 yr old girl who looks 16+ and wants to do everything that a 16yr old would be allowed to do. Ah,parenting...

My mum has just been over and vaccumed for me-she's very good to me-doesn't quite understand why I have had the surgery-thinks I look too thin already-at 109kg do you mind ?!

Work has rung me a couple of times for various things,I am back there on Wednesday ,I'm quite looking forward to having some normalcy(is that a word?) back in my life.

Was absolutely thrilled and amazed to see all my followers-I have been checking out all your blogs and once again its great to have the support.
Signing off for now.