Days 129 and 130 - It is Saturday night and I am washing !!

Well it is Day 130, it is 9.30pm on a Saturday night and this little duck is washing - what a life ! All going well in my world. Friday was a good day, my period arrived and so the mystery of the 700 gram gain was solved, annoying but solved. The joys of menopause is that it is either late or early, this time 8 days early. This week have done my cardio and weights program at the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and off at 8am tomorrow. The funny thing about the gym is that once i get into the routine of it, I feel so much better for doing it and mentally I am a bit more relaxed. I prefer to listen to a Podcast instead of music and at present am listening to Hamish and Andy and Jillian Michaels. Jillian's podcast is so informative I find that I am on the machines longer as I want to finish the episode. I would have gone to the gym today but it was a busy day, nails and hair appointments and some grocery shopping and a quick coffee with Jo and Ron saw the day pass by in a whirl. At 5pm I really felt like going to the gym, unfortunately it closes at 5 pm. I did laugh as that is a first.

My wonderful hairdresser who has been doing my hair since I moved to Adelaide and is a superstar is no longer doing hair as she is now a sales rep, so tried out a friend of her's and had a significant amount of hair cut off - I have enough hair for 3 people. So feel somewhat better. All things food wise is going great guns, brought some pretzels today to snack on occasionally for something different and they are not loaded with sugar. So worked out the pro points (3pp for 33 grams) which is quite a lot and a good snack. I am really focused on that 1.2 kg loss this week, so want to get as much exercise in as possible. The pedometer has seen me park the car far away and walk to where ever I go so I can get more steps on it, that is a really good tool for me, because the days I can't get to the gym, I can focus on the additional steps. have been invited to my lovely friend Kath's place on Friday night - thank god for those weekly points as no doubt it will be something not quite healthy and a dessert and a wine or two,but then that is what the weekly points are all about. I find E-Tools on the WW site an absolute godsend, for example any new product I buy that isn't in the list of foods, it is so easy to add them and put what serving size you want. I brought from Woolies some Banana Bread (a packet is sliced into portions and wrapped) - all right we know Gloria Jeans and McDonald's Banana Bread is horrendously pointed, on the old system the Gloria Jeans one was almost a day's points. The Woolies brand is 8 points per slice but it is good for an occasional sweet and is in the freezer. I am suddenly finding the energy levels have increased, so I am pleased I am not so absolutely buggered 24/7. Certainly the going without sugar in a coffee - WHICH HAS BEEN A HUGE DEAL FOR ME, is working well and I am now enjoying the coffee without it. The last few days in particular I have noticed that I don't miss it - but it is day 130 so it is worth persevering if you want to give up something. Anyway the washing machine has beeped and I must hang out those clothes. Luckily tomorrow is a quiet day. Gym at 8am and that will be about an hour - hour and half, drop off the car park ticket to a friend of mine who let me borrow her car park whilst she was away and return some library books, then home to do some more stuff at home then have a Nana nap and then walk the Vince the wonderdog, who by the way is cuddled up amongst the pillows on my bed - what a life. Don't forget to leave a comment or the name of any podcasts you listen to. Until tomorrow...............

Martine

Day 128

Well today saw me actually have a latte without sugar and not even thinking about the whole sugar thing, I enjoyed it and so with every day the sugarless coffee is going well. After Tuesday's night gain and the anger and frustration I felt I woke up on Wednesday morning more determined than ever to keep doing what I am doing. Gathered my bits and pieces for work (lunch, fruit etc) and went to work and ensuring that I tried to get as much incidental exercise and steps on the pedometer as I could then off to the gym for my cardio and weights programme - so that was an hour's exercise and if I wasn't hungry could have stayed for a while long and then home to eat dinner. Usually the gym is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and the non gym days see me doing walks etc. Tonight home for dinner and then some house stuff. Quite frankly the gain on Tuesday didnt see me go down in a depressed pile and eat but focus on what I had to do to ensure this gain didnt happen again and focus on my personal goal of 1.2 kilograms, whether I lose that amount of not is not the point, it allows me to focus on what I want to achieve. Whilst at the gym was listening to a podcast by Jillian Michaels and it is so informative and keeps me focused instead of music. So if anyone knows of any good podcasts, please let me know. So all good, there is no social events this weekend and really am going to have to eat additonal food to use some of my weekly points - this does do my head in but I realised early on the daily points always need to be eaten and some of the weekly points. So may have Indian for Saturday night dinner as a treat. Have a good day and I will see you guys tomorrow. Please feel free to post a comment, it is always lovely to hear from the online community. Take care

Day 126 and 127 - That wasn't the plan

Well it is 2.50 am on Wednesday morning, I am still awake and stewing over my weigh in results, but before I post about that.

The week in review. The week was a good week, I had a dinner Friday night with a dear friend who is a skinny minny (size 8) and knew she likes to eat (god I hate people tiny as anything that need to gain weight) and so had saved my weekly points. Went to an Italian place we love called Vino on Unley Road. Tracked the food honestly as I normally do, my view is that if I track honestly then I can honestly review the enteries and then the scales should reflect my good work, or that is the theory. This week saw me increase the exercise, get back at the gym and doing lots and lots of incidental exercise on my pedometer which incidentally has been such a joy to have, I can't get over how it encourages additional exercise.

So Tuesday off I go to WW, the whole of the Tuesday I had a tension headache, now you see I am not the most relaxed person. I never need anyone else to put pressure on me, I do it well and truly very well by myself. I weigh and honestly track all my food or as my leader says "anal with the tracking" but that is how I like it. If I 100% track properly and stick with the programme then the results will show on the scales. Well not this bloody week. Got on the scales to see a 700 gram gain, I can tell you that being upset and totally pissed off was an understatement. Normally my beautiful lot of WW girls (4 normally but we have had a lovely friend come back after an illness so there are now 5) so 1 out of the 5 secured a loss. It is either a couple of things:-

A catch up from Christmas/New Year (remembering I had a loss)

Period is due in about 10 days

Peri Menopause

One of those things

So as much as I am upset and annoyed, I have just reviewed my weekly food and can't see anything too bad in the tracker. I ate my daily points of 36 pro points and all my 49 points. So this week I will do the same, exercise with all my heart and pray that next week's loss is a good one. My friend who goes to WW with me had a gain of the same amount, we are the same age and both going through peri menopause and we both equally annoyed.

The darling darling girls I go to WW become closer with each day, the support and encouragement they give me and even yesterday when I told them of the regular tension headache i have each weigh in day they supported me - I know I am my own worst enemy, I take a gain so personally.

The thing is - this gain is unexplainable. But you know what, it has made me determined to do everything in my power this week. My goal is to lose the 700 grams I gained this week and an additonal 500 grams (1.2 kilos total). I may not achieve it but it is a focus I can work towards. Luckily money is so tight this pay so it will be easy for me to get the runners on and take the wonderdog for a walk and go to the gym.

Success is not always on the scales - the fact i have dropped 1 size in dresses and tops at Autograph is something that I am going to focus on, the fact I weigh and track HONESTLY my food is what I need to look at.

There you go, it is going to be a long journey and not a race. Some days you just feel you aren't making progress but then again, I am.. I have changed my eating, cut out sugar in coffee, drink water, track my food and exercise more - that is success.

I am a bit sleepy now, so must go. Have entered my food for today in the tracker so have printed that out so I can make my lunch etc.

Finally, to my friends and blog readers from Queensland and living in the flood areas of Queensland my thoughts, prayers and love is sent your way. I can't get over how terrible it is, for those poor people to lose everything including life is shocking. I personally get distressed over the children that have lost life and the animals particularly. As a lover of children and animal - the thoughts that 2 toddlers have lost their lives is terrible and the fact there are whole families missing. I have to think that these floods are such an extreme from the recent droughts in QLD. So everyone in QLD my love to you all.

Martine

Day 125 - I am back at work

Well today I am back at work after a few weeks of annual leave, it was sure hard to get up this morning. So 2011 is well under way and the routine continues.

Tina and I went for a walk along the track near the beach at Largs Bay and had a coffee and a chat, it is always nice when you have someone to walk with.

Today got up had my breakfast (cereal and milk) and went for my small morning latte (Day 125 without sugar) and off to work. Pineapple for morning tea and then a large green salad with turkey and reduced fat feta and homemade roasted capsicum and a capuccino. Went to the gym and do about 40 minutes of cardio, I will ease into it as I can't believe how the fitness goes. Will go on Wednesday and do another 40 minutes of cardio and my weights programme.

Without weighing myself on the scales, I am not sure how I have gone this week - I feel that I have lost but what I have learned is the scales don't always reflect good eating habits. I always get nervous on weigh in day - I should learn to relax a bit.

Have been using the Pedometer, took it off whilst doing the cardio workout and can't get over how it encourages you to move more. I now always park the car as far away as I can to get extra steps (so thanks Tania !).

The next month will be tight moneywise as I did over spend during the Christmas period, so I am thankful that this will give me an opportunity to do a bit more exercise. I must face doing some classes, hopefully my BFF will hold my hand at a class. If I was brave I would do Zumba on Wednesday.

All good with me, my focus is just to do what I have been doing, I am pleased to say that I now think twice if I feel like something naughty, I can have those treats but now would rather plan for them and enjoy them and make an event out of it.

I will report in tomorrow about my results, I should be confident with the food I am eating - this week has been good but saying that I always get nervous. Luckily all the celebrations are over and done with for a while and Easter is a way off. Easter is another goal for me, I want the trifecta - Christmas, New Year and Easter losses.

Hope everyone is doing well, don't hestitate to put a comment on the bottom or email me, I am always up for some emailing. Take care everyone

Days 91 to 124 Oh Dear has it been that long !

Hi everyone, golly gee I didnt realise it had been a month since I last posted on my blog, that is far too long and promise to update daily from now on. Now where to start, there is so much.

Christmas was a busy period for me, work is always busy as we close over the Christmas period and the present buying for the family as well as Christmas presents for my brother in Broken Hill to give to my other brother's children. Our Christmas work show was great, fanastic french influenced food and my lovely boss brought her and I a $240.00 bottle of french red wine to drink - will post the name later on when I find it - it was like drinking silk, it was that smooth. Got thorough spoiled.

Drove to Broken Hill (6.5 hrs) on Christmas Eve and got there about 7.45pm, a long drive when you are tired and the wonder dog doesn't like the car. I had time to think driving up, I had decided to limit the wine and drink mineral water on Christmas day, as quite frankly I preferred to have a piece of dessert and felt I couldn't do both. I had tracked my food Christmas Day and although I didnt track the other days after that, I mentally added it up in my head. Christmas Day was a Saturday and I drove home on the Wednesday to Adelaide and got home and had a shower and drove to my lovely friend Tania's house and we both went to another meeting our Leader was a doing as our Tuesday meeting was closed. I had really thought about what I was eating over the Christmas period, together with the trip to and from Broken Hill which is notoriously a eating binge in years gone past, so I brought some yoghurt and a sandwich and thermos for my peppermint tea. I did stop for an icecream though.

Tania and I went to Wynn Vale Meeting and lo and behold I lost 300 grams, with Tania losing 200 grams, it may as well have been 100 kilograms as we both were so excited as this is the first year in the history of me being on this planet that I haven't gained 2-3 kilograms. It was for me an inspired moment, I have no hesitation at my meetings of showing my excitement with losses. The following week's weigh in was after New Years Eve, I had tracked for the whole week, cut back on the alcohol as I was going out a lot for meals, had pizza new years eve which was bliss and got on the scales on the Tuesday to see a 200 gram loss. So quite frankly I am bloody proud of myself to have lost over a notoriously difficult period.

Quite frankly I am simply focused and so proud.

I have been off work since 23/12/10 and go back to work tomorrow, I have rested and just recharged the batteries so I feel like I have had a break, although I have spent far too much money at the sales.

Before Christmas I meet the lovely Penny from New Zealand who is a reader of this blog, to be honest it was just a pure delight. The online community are such a support, we chatted for such a long period of time and when I drove her and her partner back to where they were staying a friend was formed. So last year was great I had meet 2 on line friends.

It is nice to be able to communicate with people on line. If you are reading this Effie I have sent you an email !

So everything is going well, I like the Pro Points programme, it simply fits in with my life and now that the program and the food values are some what easier it is time to ensure that the gym is commenced again. That is tomorrow. At the meeting I brought a pedometer after being inspired by Tania, I just can't believe how it encourages you to move.

I have made tomorrow night's dinner so that when I get home from the gym I only have to reheat the meal. Mornings are hard for me as I don't sleep but I want to try this week to go to the gym at 6am if possible - we will see.

How are you going? Off for a walk with some Tina and Sandy tonight, so that will be good.

Martinexx

New post coming

I have been a very bad girl in not posting on this blog. Will update either today or tomorrow. All going fabulously well with WW (with losses over Christmas and New Year). Totally focused. Martinexxx