..... the illusive green zone

.... the illusive green zone.... where have you gone?!?!  You will recall that due to a stressy few weeks my band tightened and I went back to the Dr for an unfill whereby she removed 0.2ml from my band (just for a second imagine what a small quantity that it is - would it be a drip from a tap....?) anyway although it was lovely to not be tight and stuck, I was then able to eat anything and everything and pretty much did lol! Having not been able to eat much other than liquid, I managed to eat all the mash, liquor and a quarter of the pie from this man-size serving:

Food Porn eh!  Anyway 5 days later I was back at the Dr for a smidgen more fill...... she added 0.1ml, anything more and I would have been back to when I was too tight and couldn't eat anything.... I have to be a little careful still but think its still too loose, but can't have anymore as it'll be too tight.... oh what to do!!

We have had to look through some past photos to identify jewellery etc for our insurance claim following the burglary, and I put together a few pics of pre and post band.... its funny I never felt as big as I look pre-band days, some not so great pics:

Pre-band

Pre- band

and here are some more recent one's post-banding - I feel so much nicer and healthier and look it too - don't you agree?:

Post band

Anyway, hope everyone is travelling well...x

...its tight in here....

... its tight in here.... they say that stress makes the band tighter, I can certainly vouch for that!!  Since my last fill around 8 weeks I've definitely had to be more careful with my food choices for fear of getting stuck, its not really how I'd like to go on indefinitely but figured I'd put up with it for a while.... due to a stressy few weeks (I'll elaborate later) the band tightened even more and I've really struggled, most of what I've been eating has come back up and I've been living on milk and soup for the last 5 days.... thankfully today I saw the Dr and had some fill removed - just finished lunch of bread and egg mayo - to eat again - delicious!

The upside is that I've lost a further 1.4kg this week and weighed in this morning at 75kg (11stone 8lb) - yeah!

So my stressy few weeks..... you'll recall hubbie got sick with a blood clot (he fine now), then Harvey had routine surgery and got slight infection (he fine now), then last Monday we were burgled.... :( they stole all my jewellery, money, cards, spare car keys, they managed to wrench the safe off of the wall and took the entire thing.... it housed our passports, copies of all credit cards and anything of value that wasn't in the jewellery box - gutted!  Last Wednesday, Rich slipped over and we spent the evening in A&E fortunately he didn't break his ankle just a bad sprain but he is still in pain and on crutches now.  Last Fri Harvey broke his finger.... phew!  The decorator came to hang the football mural paper in Harvey's bedroom, and managed to hang it in the wrong order...(bless), so that will now have to be reordered and rehung!

We are due to travel to Bali in July for 5 days hols, and now have no travel passports!  UK one's will take a minimum of 6 weeks, so we've managed to push forward our Australian Citizenship ceremony to Monday so we can then at least apply for our Aussie passports which only take a couple of weeks.  I'll post some photos of the ceremony next week - Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Was at the hosp with Harvey on Monday so didn't make zumba and was at the dentist this morning so missed that class too - hopefully I'll get there tomorrow.  I have played netball this week and went Xtend Barre last night so not too bad.

Hope everyone is travelling well... speak soon...x

Happy Band Anniversary....

HAPPY BAND ANNIVERSARY!!!!  Yep its my 1yr band anniversary tomorrow...... wow what a year... and how quick that time has gone...!  Am I glad I had the band - hell yes!!, any regrets - none!! 

Today's weighin:  76.4kg (11stone 13lb) that's a yearly loss of:  24kg (3 stone 8lb)

just another 1.5kg (3lb) to get me to my amended goal, which if you remember the Dr changed a few months ago as she felt my original goal may be too low; or another 7kg (15lb) to get to me original goal.  I am soooo pleased with that, there is no way I would have lost anymore than 8kg without the band and then it would have all returned within a couple of months of loosing.   I am proud to say that I weigh 76.4kg and am probably the lightest weight I've been since my teens.

What's changed:  I really enjoy exercising now, I am not a gym fan and never will be, but I do so love zumba and try and go at least 3 times a week, I enjoy netball once a week (never thought I'd ever play a team sport again....), and have recently started going XtendBarre classes for toning.  If I don't exercise I feel sluggish and meh, its part of my weekly routine now.
One of the best parts has been revamping my wardrobe, passing on my size 22 clothes and restocking my wardrobe with size 14 and 16 - whoop!!  Buying a mini skirt to wear with opaque tights....and seeing my daughter roll her eyes lol, tight fitting jeans, clothes that I like and can choose to buy other than buying those that I don't particularly like but fit!  Wearing boots that do up around my calves, to go out and feel sassy is a great feeling.
The band is definitely a tool and not a fix, but if you work it well it does what it is supposed to do!  Up until my last fill, I could still eat any foods (albeit smaller portions) including bread, pasta etc, infact there was nothing that I couldn't eat - more recently I have to be a little more careful.  My social life hasn't changed I still drink wine (infact the band has made no difference to how much I can drink and my levels of getting drunk), I still go out to eat and will eat any cuisine, although I only order an entrée which is plenty..... so the band hasn't stopped me doing anything socially.
I LOVE my band!

 

An average kind of week....

Today's Friday weighin -77kg (12 stone), that's a total of 23.4kg (3stone 9lb) lost.... slow but steady!  Its very nearly my band anniversary....... wow so much change in a year - will upload some comparison pics then.  Still having quite a few stuck moments, think I'm eating too fast, although seem to be eating so little.  Am due back at the Dr in a couple of weeks, I think I'll get a smidgen of fill removed before we go to Bali, don't want to be having lots of stuck moments whilst on holiday.

Has anyone heard of "XtendBarre"??  A new studio has opened near to where I live so thought I might give it a go.  Its a cross between pilates and ballet barre work, apparently works all muscle groups, and is a great way to sculpt the body.  It seems more expensive than a normal workout class, but thought I'd try it out, would love to know if anyone has tried it?

Have been off work (carers leave) minding Harvey this week, so took the opportunity to paint his bedroom.  Did quite a good job if  I say so myself lol!  Just waiting for a friend to hang some wallpaper on one of walls and then he can move back in.  He's chosen a soccer theme.

Its my birthday on Monday, Rich and I are heading to the City for some lunch, but first we have to sit our citizenship test!!  Have been reading up about Australian history, politics etc.... assuming we pass, we then can become Australian citizens!!  Wow, its been a long journey from thinking about emigrating, actually doing it, getting PR and now citizenship - prob about 8yr in all phew!  The end is in sight, and means the kids will be able to travel between Australia and the UK without needing visa's and can live in whatever country they decide as they grow up.

It was freezing this morning, the temp has really dropped in the mornings and evenings, was about 15degrees earlier.  Not cold to alot of people, but now we have acclimatised to Perth weather bloomin freezing!

Hope everyone has a good week.....x

Phew..... a strange two weeks....

Phew.... a strange two weeks.....somewhat hectic...... Rich ended up in hospital, Harvey ended up in hospital, bought a car, sold the UK house, and booked a holiday...... let me elaborate:

Firstly, no change with the weightloss, although have had many stuck moments (have been told that the band tightens with stress) so that would probably account for that....., TOM is here right now so am hoping to have lost a little this coming Friday weigh-in.  Although saying that, feel good.... here's a pic of me on Saturday night out with girls, quite a nice one of me, and had lots of flattering comments which was nice:

Anyway, on my last post I promised to add a pic of me horse riding, do you remember?  Well here it is:

This is me on Megs.......

we had a fun day out, I enjoyed the horse riding but felt a little uncomfortable/nervous at the same time.

So the saga of my last 2 weeks......, to cut a long story short, following chest pains, several tests and an andiogram Rich ended up in hospital with a blood clot in his artery!  Was somewhat unexpected, and meant he had a couple of days in hospital.  He is fine now, the intravenous drugs dispersed the clot, and he was allowed home with lots of drugs, 7 days of rest and a warning to change his lifestyle.  It was a little scarey at the time, but fortunately was sorted.  He was supposed to fly to Bali for a golf holiday with the guys last week, had he gone he would have likely had a heart attack......scarey!  Anyway, he is all good now:

The upside of Rich missing Bali, is that we have booked to go as a family in July for 5 days with the kids.... so the children and I get a break away now too - result!

Harvey had to go in for some routine surgery on Wed, he is fine, but has to have a week off school.  He has been very brave and a model patient - I'm hoping that I can stay out of hospital this week.... 

Finally completed on the sale of the UK house, mixed bag of emotions really - am pleased that we don't have the hassle of it anymore, but a little sad that an era of our life has closed.... have had some happy times in Windlesham, now fond memories!  Do you like the new Sleat machine:

Not the best pic, but you get the idea...... an orange car... whoop.... how in your face!

I went out with girls on Saturday, went to see Michal Buble, he was great and look how close he was:

A great show - highly recommend it!

.... and lastly.... look what two of my girlie friends have bought me for my birthday..... have been wanting one for ages but wasn't brave enough..... my arm piercing:

I love it..... !  Am now working on thoughts for a tattoo..... get me!!!

Anyway, hope everyone is doing well....x

Finally.........

THE SCALES MOVED....... FINALLY......  77.6kg (12stone 3lb) - whoop whoop!! 

That's a total of 22.8kg (3stone 6lb) lost now, with only 2.2kg to go to reach my amended goal and 7.2kg to reach the original goal (which is the one that I hope to get too).

Have to say, that's a relief was starting to wonder what was happening after such a long stagnant phase.  Can defo notice the fill in the band and have to take care to eat slowly and chew.  Met some friends for lunch on Monday they tucked into large meals of steak, chips and salad, and I had an entrée prawn gambas and couldn't eat it all... eating so much less than pre-band days and not feeling hungry which is good!  Have eaten quite a lot of fish this week, and the family have now told me that they are getting fed up of having fish....

Last day of term today for 2 weeks, so my exercise routine may go out the window a little, although saying that netball starts back on Monday - yeah!! and am playing netball as a fill-in on a friends team on Tuesday, and am going body combat on Thurs.... so not too bad I guess, just zumba that I may not make.

Am going horse-riding tomorrow..... yehaw......, am going with a friend, her son and Holly which should be fun.  Pre-band days I wouldn't have been allowed as I exceeded the weight limit, not anymore..... NSV (non-scale victory)!!!  Shall hopefully have some pics to post for next week..... hope my horse isn't too big...., it better be well behaved too...!!

Hope everyone is travelling well...x

... Catch up

(This was last week's post, which somehow didn't publish)

...morning all.... Friday's weigh-in 79.2kg (12stone 6lb)....bit disappointed with that as did see 78.8 earlier in the week but couldn't log as wasn't my official weighin day... and then TOM arrived!  I think I'll see what shows on the scales middle of next week and then make an appt with the Dr if no real loss.  Have had a few stuck moments this week, so defo now that the extra fill in my band is there, sticking to around 1000calories and exercising...... so why not loosing???

Some motivational thinking.....

Some NSV (non-scale victories) for the week:  several people have commented on my weightloss this week saying how slim I'm looking......, I bought some stretchy jeans in a size 14....., I tried on some long boots and they did up over my calves (which never used to happen)....whoop, whoop...

Not much going on the Sleat house right now.... same ole thing..... kids out and about, friends sleeping over, have the afternoon to myself so think I might take myself to see the new Noah movie which I quite fancy.  I had to get my cardi out one morning this week, so Autumn is defo showing itself.... love to you all..x