Just my stuff

100 days challenge, days 8 - 14

2010-01-16T18:56:00.000+11:00

Day 8 - 8 January 2010

One of the things that I have learned on this journey, is that I need to redevelop the habits I had 20 years ago. This includes making better lunch choices. It is so easy to be tempted by fatty sugary choices, but in fact none of them taste quiet as good as a fresh salad roll.

I am not too fussed about the contents, because even if they include advocado or soft cheese, they are still a better choice.

Day 9 - 9 January 2010

Saturday is always my best day in terms of exercise. This Saturday was no exception, and I managed to clock up 10,000 steps on my pedometre. I need little games and toys to keep me on track. The pedometre serves this purpose, in that it reminds me to move, and gives me the incentive of beating the number acheived the day before. It also helps me to measure the activity level each day, and encourages me to make that little bit of effort.

Day 10 - 10 January 2010

Today was not so good activity wise. The 9th was my Mum's birthday, and I took her out for lunch on Sunday to celebrate that. The choices available were not that WW friendly, but I concentrated on portion size (and had one piece of savoury toast, not the two I would have had previously.

I spent the evening reading some blogs, which is not only inspiring, but also helpful in providing food ideas, and exercise inspiration.

Day 11 - 11 January 2010

Yes this is a picture of a television. But the important thing is that it is OFF. One of my challenges is to do something other than vegetate in front of this electronic mavel in the evenings. I have been choosing a few programs which I want to watch, and only turning the television on to watch those and then turning it off.

This is good not only for weight loss, because even if I am only pottering I am moving, but also for my energy levels, because I go to bed when I am sleepy instead of nodding off in front of the television, and going to bed very late.

Day 12 - 12 January 2010

Miscellaneous receipts to represent the thrill that I get when I go shopping these days. I have been hitching my jeans up constantly. I went shopping a couple of months ago and purchased a pair of skinny leg jeans, which were too tight for me. Today I decided to try them on, and they fit perfectly. So I have gone from wearing size 18 fat-lady shop trousers to size 18 chainstore jeans.

I am down to one work skirt, and it is starting to get a bit loose, so I should be able to go shopping again soon. Well I can't have my skirt falling off can I .

Day 13 - 13 January 2010

Wednesday is meeting day. Based on what I had weighed at home (I know I shouldn't but I do!) I was expecting a huge gain in the region of 2 kg.

But I actually recorded a 300g loss. Not a big loss, but so much better than I expected. The only explanation I can think of is the effects of the that time of the month.

So Today I have included a photo of my home scales, complete with very ratty toenails. I must redo the polish, so that I can wear my open toe shoes in public.

Day 14 - 14 January 2010

Confession time, I have not been tracking. This was the case for most of 2009, I am ashamed to admit.

Now that I am back into the routine of work and life in general I have decided that if I am to get serious about changing my lifestyle, I need to track. So today is the first day of my tracking life.

Even if I do not have acces to a computer I can note it in my diary, so there are no excuses.

The surprise for this week, was that in grabbing the sundry reciepts I found a cheque, which I have been carrying in my wallet since May. So, I now have some spending money for that trip to find a new work skirt.

100 Days challenge - the first 7 days

2010-01-07T20:59:00.014+11:00

Thank you Linda, this has been fun focusing each day, and finding an image to illustrate my journey.

Day 1 01/01/10

The first day of a new year, and like most people I was in no mood to greet the dawn, having had a very late night.

For me, it is important that I get enough sleep. I need my eight hours or I am cranky, and more likely to eat all those things that I am trying to eliminate from my diet.

Day 2 02/01/10

Saturday is my shopping day. So my very comfy Dunlop volleys, get a workout around the supermarket, and for a wander around the rest of the shopping precent.

This is the only day of the week that I manage to accumulate 10,000 steps. So these shoes do much more work than the hideously impractical dress shoes I spend the week days in.

Day 3 03/01/10

Sunday is the relaxing day of the week in this house. The day to recharge the batteries and to plan the coming week. This day I pulled out my recipe books, and selected some dishes to put on the to do list.

My latest acqisition in Jane Kennedy's " Fabulous food, minus the boombah". I love the no nonsense, no excuses accepted introduction, and I have a few of the recipes on my to do list.

Day 4 04/01/10

The first day back at work after Christmas, so the activity level was decreased. The curse of driving a desk I guess.

I play a game with myself here. I can only buy a morning cappuccino if I get to work early, and go for a walk around the block first. I still work into my points, but this way it seems like a little reward, to start the day right.

Day 5 05/01/10

With the warmer weather here, it is so much easier to drink my water. I usually switch to herbal teas in winter, so that I can warm my hands around the mug.

I have learned to like tap water, since coming to Weight Watchers, which is a much of a surprise to me as to anyone else. However I do prefer filtered water, and this jug is just the right size for me.

Day 6 06/01/10

Wednesday is my meeting day. I have an abysmal attendance record, but I am hanging in there. I finish work at 5:30, and the meeting is a t 5:30, so it is an interesting juggling act.

Yes I am still working on a 2008 record book - and on week 17 at that, but I am going to fill it before I start another one. (Did I mention that I can be pig-headed)

Day 7 07/01/10

Today has not been the best foodwise. A rushed lunch at 2:00 is not a good idea, especially when you are not prepared, and have to take your chances with the local cafe.

Today's picture is the jigsaw I started over Christmas, and have done a bit more to each night. It keeps me from sitting in front of the idiot box thinking about what I would like to nibble on.

I may need to retitle this blog......

2009-12-31T20:38:00.002+11:00

Where the hell did x month go?

I promised to post about 3 weeks ago, and as you can see from the huge gap in the dates, I didn't. Can't remember what obviously exceedingly exciting event got in the way - it can't have been that good. My best guess would be LIFE. Oh, and Christmas. I love Christmas when it gets here, but the weeks before hand are not fun.

Now, getting to my non-existent 100 days challenge posting - I will start this, but the past month got too out of control, so I have decided that day one will be day one of 2010. I have been thinking about what I am doing and using in my feeble attempts to find the thin me, so I should be able to get this going tomorrow.

The funny thing is that I have managed to get below 90kg for the first time over the Christmas week. I have been finding and loosing the same 1 - 2 kilos for most of 2009. My own fault; I have been kinda following WW, and kinda loosing weight. But, the year hasn't been wasted, I have developed a new love of salad sandwiches, fresh fruit and cool water. Now I just naturally make better choices - not the best and not all the time, but better. This has helped me to loose this week even though I have not tracked, pointed or exercised.

Back to the grindstone on Monday, so I will need to watch what I eat more closely, because sitting in an office is not good for the activity level.

So I am leaving 2009 at 89.4 kg. And I am deterimined to leave 2010 even lighter.

I will post this weekend

2009-12-04T09:36:00.002+11:00

Oh boy, this blogging lark is going as well as the weightloss.

I love the idea of the 100 days challenge from Linda, so I will start this over the weekend - once I find the camera. I have been thinking about what I will add and it has been helping me to focus on the bigger picture.

There I have made the commitment, so I have to follow through. Perhaps I should post my 'phone number so that you can prompt me when I next go AWOL.

What happened to August?

2009-09-27T11:47:00.003+10:00

And most of July and most of September too?

Like the weight loss journey, things happen. So despite not adding to this for what is effectively almost three months, I am not going to loose any sleep about it. I do not do winter very well at the best of times, and this one has been wet and cold. After very dry years I am coping with the rain (and have enjoyed it most of the time) but the cold just makes me want to hibernate.

My non coping with winter has derailed the weight loss. I have not gained, but I have not progressed either. I have not even made it to meetings. This is changing as the weather improves. I have been getting to work early the past week, and walking for about 20 minutes prior to actually entering the building. This has been followed by a similar walk at lunch. I hope to add another after I finish once daylight saving gives me some precious daytime which isn't spent in the office.

I have also made it back to meetings, and am determined to track, count, exercise and drink from now on. The thing which I like about Weight Watchers is that I am in control - it is not about handing out some goop to replace meals, but about assisting me in making better choices. For that reason I see this journey not as a journey to a destination, but the tools to change the way in which I relate to food.

At last week's meeting we were encouraged to make a goal for Christmas, which is about 12 weeks away. I am feeling positive about the journey, so I am prepared to do this. I want to be 85Kg. Which will be a loss of 10Kg over about 12 months, and about 7Kg in that 12 weeks. This sounds very slow, and it is, but I have learned so much about food, and my relationship with it, that it has been a time of discovery, and enlightenment.

I find planning difficult, and find myself derailed by the need to rush meals. Therefore I have decided to make some meals this weekend, which can be frozen and reheated on those days. Off to the recipe books.......

2009-07-05T18:05:00.002+10:00

Well I have really been MIA. I have been so busy that actually finding time to eat has been hard enough, without trying to actually plan a day's food intake. I have made some atrocious choices, but have been pleased with other days.

I have not weighed in for weeks, but do not feel that my clothes have got any tighter, so am optomistic that I have not regained too many kilos. Hopefully I will find out the whole truth this week.

I'm feeling good

2009-04-14T18:57:00.003+10:00

The title says it all really. I am feeling good about this journey. I have not over indulged over Easter, in fact I did not eat one solitary egg. I did buy a gold bunny, but he is still intact. I know that some time soon I will need a chocolate fix, so his days are numbered.

The feeling isn't just food related either. The weather has been so good, it has been warm but not hot, and fine all weekend, so I have spent time out and doing things. I spent most of yesterday tackling the jungle (also laughingly called the garden), so it now looks like somebody owns it, albeit an incompetent gardener, but owned none the less. Today was the domestic goddess workout, and things that haven't been cleaned for ages are now sparkling. If only they stayed that way, sigh.

The really big news for me is the fact that the world's worst cook, has finally found a cookbook which she likes, and is doable. Yay for the Symply Too Good books. I have managed to make some very nice (and totally edible meals using these). This is a big moment and makes me feel very good. LOL

And to top all this happiness off, I have managed to not only track, but stick to my points over this weekend. How good is that? I just hope that the good vibes continue for tomorrow night's weigh in.

I need to get serious

2009-03-28T15:01:00.003+11:00

I have been treading water of late. I have managed to maintain, just about, but I am not loosing. My big problem is the fact that I often find myself having to fit in with others, which means that I am either rushing meal times, or delaying meals. All of this means that I am making stupid choices either from lack of time or because I am too tired to give a damn.

So I have decided to do some planning. If I have the weeks menu planned, and the ingredients on hand, and even do some pre-preparation over the weekend I will have no excuse. I have assembled a pile of recipe books, and I am going to plan a week's menu. I am sure that this is common sense to many, but it has taken me some time to get to this point. I think that part of the problem is that I am not a cook. I do not enjoy cooking, and am happy to take all the short-cuts available to man and to keep using the same standbys. This will take some re-thinking for me.

I admire people who can do interesting and different dishes each day. I want my meals to be fuss free, and I do not want to spend hours in the kitchen each evening, because I will then snack while I am waiting for the meal to be ready.

I hope that sorting out how to stay on track, by being organised will be the final piece of the puzzle.

I know that my food choices have improved, and that I do not each as much junk as I did just a few months ago, so I know that I can do this. But it seems that I need to take baby steps and to do a little bit more each week or month.

A surprise loss

2009-03-19T17:35:00.003+11:00

For various reasons I have not been to a meeting for three weeks until last night. Having been away from home, and eaten out in that period, I was mentally prepared for a gain. This belief was reinforced by the fact that it was TTOM as well. Well there I was prepared to be "happy" as long as the scales were 92Kgs or thereabouts. And I was only 90.9. Fancy an only in front of that number LOL, but you know what I mean.

It took me so long to get back into the swing of things after Christmas, and then my routine was thrown again, when I was away from home, so this is a really good result all things considered. I now have renewed enthusiasm to re-commit to the journey.

The thing that I have learned since joining weight watchers is that I am never going to be perfect in my food choices, and I shouldn't aim to be so. That would just set me up for a failure. I need to learn when to stop. To learn to have a taste (not the whole bloomin' bowl). This is getting easier, and to be honest I don't feel that I am missng out just because I am imposing some sensible limits. And the proof has been that I can loose even when I do not track properly and when I am not in control of the choices.

Thank you for the kind comments on my first post. It is nice to know that there are others on the same journey, and that there is support out there. I will pluck up the courage to comment on other blogs one of these days.

The first day

2009-03-09T09:46:00.000+11:00

I have been on the weight loss wagon for about 3 months now. In all honesty I have been hanging off the back threatening to fall off for a fair bit of that time, but I am still here.

I signed up with Weight Watchers in December, and started off really well. Then Christmas happened, and it was the change of routine that did me in rather than the food as such. Now I need to recommit to putting my health and well being ahead of the demands placed on my by other people and circumstances.

I have been inspired by blogs kept by fellow Weight Wathers, and have decided to make my own blog. I can't imagine that anyone would actually want to read the mad ramblings of my mind, but I do want to keep a record of my journey.

I have added the blogs which I read, because these ladies inspire me to keep believing that I can do it. I suspect that much of the time I won't enjoy it, but I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.