Well, hello again.....

Woo Hoo, well hello again.... I'm back.... gosh its been a while since I posted - life has been hectic!

Well, on the weightloss no change..... am going to do sooooo well when I have to do maintenance!!  The upside is that I haven't gained either, my body has obviously found a weight its happy at and is happy to maintain.... !  I've had lots going on, have been to Melbourne and have had different Christmas events to attend so am pleased that am not gaining.  I am booked back at the clinic on 4 Jan, so may have some more fill or otherwise will either have to up the exercise or really re-evaluate what I'm eating!   On the health front my BMI has gone down from (36 - severely obese) to (28 - overweight), which is great and I'm feeling good about myself which is nice too!

Now Melbourne - had a fantastic time catching up with my oldest pal and her family, it was lovely to have some time-out away from hubby and kids to enjoy being with Nicola.  It was lovely to spend time in Nicola's beautiful home which was delightful and finally meet Marley the dog!  I did over indulge a little - but heck I was on holiday.... one day we went to the City and had a sandwich lunch closely followed by afternoon tea (more sandwiches, cream scones, cakes - yum)... our timing was a bit off lol; had thai one night; and cocktails at the movies another, and a delicious brekkie of poached eggs, mushroom, spinach on toast which was delicious ...... no stuck moments, but a brilliant time!

This is a full length of me at the Mornington Peninsula...

We had Richard's work's Christmas party last week, and had a really good time.... we seemed to dance all night long!  Although must have drunk plenty too as had the hangover from hell on Sunday!  We had a set meal, and can you believe I got stuck on the main of FISH....., mind it was soooooo dry, and I probably wasn't paying attention drinking and chatting, and obviously eating too fast!   Well, what gets stuck, must come out......

My Christmas shopping is bought and wrapped - whoop!  Thank God that's done, just the food bits I need to get, but as we are out for Christmas Day lunch no panic.

My sister-in-law and nephew arrive from the UK tomorrow, so we are frantically cleaning, tidying and shopping!  An excited house, as we are all looking forward to seeing them.  The weather here has been 40degrees for the last few days, so no doubt she'll be in shock following the UK weather!!  Have a few things planned but looking forward to a chilled out time.

Working a few hours on Monday, Wed and Fri this week and that's me done until the New Year.  Have works Christmas lunch on Friday - so should be a good week.

Well, my goal until the New Year is to not gain more than a kilo........ festive greetings to you all.....x

Comparisons.....

Morning all,

Phew its hot..... 30 odd degrees and doing housework do not mix!!  Nothing major to report, TOM arrived this week so the obligatory 0.6kg weight gain..... but do seem so have lost some more inches:

Inches                Chest:  Waist:   Tummy:   Hips:
May 2013           48        47.5       49.5        47
July 2013            44.5     44.5       46           43.5
August 2013       44         43.5       44.5       42.5
Nov 2013            42         41          43          42

Total lost             6           6.5        6.5          5

Have a look at these comparison photos:

May 2013

Add caption

November

Can definitely see some differences now, so glad that I decided to take pics throughout this journey, at least when the scales don't change I can see the changes in photos!  Have had to buy some more work pants as the last lot are too big now - whoop!  Well am off to Melbourne on Wednesday to see my oldest pal, can't wait to see her, and partake in some shopping delights that Melbourne is renowned for!!

Hope everyone is well, haven't heard much from you guys lately??!!?..x...

6 month's in.....

Whoop whoop.... after so many weeks plateauing (at least I know I'll manage maintenance!!), the scales moved.... down 1.2kg this week, bringing me to 80.8kg (12st 7lb) ..... so near but so far from the 70's.... well my lowest weight to date, and its my 6 month band anniversary!!!  Wow, how fast that 6months have gone!  Am pleased to have lost 19.6kg/3 stone 1lb in that time..... wow 3 stone.... would never have been able to do that without the help of the band... I love my band!!!

Looking back... what have I had to change.....:  I still love my food, that hasn't changed, just what and how much I eat... I eat very few carb's, haven't had a pasta meal since being banded, hardly eat potato, occasionally have a small amount of rice, the only consistent carb would be bread, if I need a quick lunch I may have a slice of toast with peanut butter.  If I go out for breakfast, I'll order the kids brekkie, if I go out for dinner I'll order an entree as my main, if we are having curry takeout I'll take a spoonful from everyone's else' curry instead of ordering one for myself.  I no longer drink fizzy drinks, haven't had a diet coke since being banded..... As I'm lucky enough to be able to eat all things, I've not felt that I've had to give anything up - all things in moderation..... and yes I still enjoy my wine!  Obviously, my portion sizes are hugely smaller now anything from half to 1 cup of food and this is how I'm able to loose weight.  The band stops me from feeling hungry, I do know that I would not be able to survive on eating so little without the band I would be in a state of hunger!!

What else has changed..... I'm enjoying exercising - whoop!  I've always done some form of exercise, but this time I enjoy it!  I love zumba, and try to go 3 times a week if poss, and I love my netball on a Monday evening.  I love trying on size16 clothes and buying them......  I love that I can buy clothes from most stores now and not just the outsize shops..... I love feeling more confident in how I look..... I love the fact that people are noticing and making nice comments.....  I love my band!

Loving my band....

How cool to be a mermaid....

How cool to be a mermaid!!!

Hi guys

Well a good week for me, have really tried thinking more about my food choices.... looking back on the last few weeks although my calorie count has stayed low my protein count has stayed low too due to the food choices I have made.....  This week I've tried to up my protein and have had a couple of days when I've gone back to optifast for brekkie and lunch to keep the calories low and protein high...... not a major weight loss 0.6kg but good enough and feeling empowered that the numbers will come lower next week.

I'm a bit late blogging again.... where does the time go?!?  Maybe its something to do with the fantastic weather we are finally having.... finally Summer's arrived in Perth was 37degrees yesterday hot but beautiful!  Had a really nice weekend, busy but good.  Richard had Friday off, so we did some jobs around the house in the morning and went out to lunch at a restaurant that looks out to the ocean - I choose the entree size "panko crumbed shell crab with chickpea salad" but had it as my main - wow was absolutely delicious - yum!!  The golf resort near where we live is now holding Friday sunset sessions where a singer comes and they lay on tapas and wraps, really good atmosphere, and is walkable from home so even better! 

Had friends over for a BBQ on Saturday, the kids all played in the pool; and on Sunday dropped Holly off to Hilarys Marina where she met some girlfriends and spent the day in the water chutes.  We stopped down there for brekkie, I had the kids breakfast which comprised "poached egg on toast, slice of bacon and hash brown" - actually first time in ages that I've felt any type of restriction, think I was eating too fast, anyway gave Rich the bacon but ate the rest.  Came home to sit on my sun lounge and read my book before heading back to the marina for a few glasses of wine in the breakwater before bringing Holly home - life is good!!

Needing to feel empowered......

DISHEARTENED

What a cute picture eh?  But that's how I'm feeling at the mo..... disheartened - I need to feel empowered!!  82.6kg (13stone) at my weighin on Friday..... so fed up with seeing 82 on the scales.... hasn't come down since 27 September!!!  Someone said I should shock my system some way in order for it to start loosing again...... any ideas?  Anyway, have decided to really track everything I eat and drink this week, and go back to two optifast shakes and a small meal daily..... hopefully this will kick start my weightloss again!  I've been to zumba this morning, have netball tonight and hope to get at least another 2 zumba classes in this week - so watch this space!!

I think I may need some fill......., can't really feel any restriction since having 0.2ml taken out the other week when I felt too tight.... maybe need to have just 0.1ml added back in to make a difference!?!?  What do you think?  Although, think I'll wait until after my Melbourne trip later this month as I noticed the band got tighter when I travelled in the plane......

Not much else to report really.... the weather has really hotted up 36degrees.... so need to get our pool cleaned and ready for use this weekend.....  Had a work meeting last Wednesday morning, and for a change of scene we had it on a colleagues boat at Hilarys Marina.... hard life eh?  Rich was away on a golf jolly this weekend, so had a couple of girlfriends over for a mojito or two -it was nice to catch up!  The decorating has pretty much finished, just the doors to do - so that's looking good and will be all ready for our visitors in December.

Hoping everyone has a good week....x

Friday already.......

Hi guys,

Well an odd week.... as you may recall was feeling too tight after my last fill so went back on Monday and had 0.2ml removed from my band... so now sitting at 6.1ml!  My doc thought that maybe I'm at limit, and if I plateau for too long that I need to start looking more at my food choices and exercise and really start working hard...!   Lets see what happens!

Mid-week I hit the 81.6kg mark whoop whoop.... couldn't log it as it wasn't "weigh-in Friday"..... this morning it was back up at 82kg (think I need a poo.... TMI!)  Since having the fill removed, have had no stuck moments whatsoever.... so not sure whether I'm looser than the before the fill or not... mind games or what!!!  However, I'm having a milky coffee for breakfast, and then can go for sometime without needing to eat, so maybe just need to see how I go!

Exercise - well didn't make zumba on Monday as got a call from school saying Harvey had fallen over and hurt his wrist, consequently spent the day in A&E..... result being a broken wrist and cast!!!   However made up for it by going on Wed evening instead!  Seem to be at the Doctors, Chiro, or hospital with one family member or other at the moment..... hoping we can go back to normal life again soon!

Kids having sleepovers tonight, and at friends for BBQ tomorrow which will be nice.... nothing new to report at the moment!

Hope everyone is travelling well..... let me know how you are doing...x

Too tight.....

Hi guys

Hope everyone is well?  Finally the sun is shining, lets hope its here to stay for a while!

Had a good time at the golf dinner, the venue was really nice, as promised here's a photo of us all dressed up, (although don't know how to flip the pic the right way up doh)!:

You will recall how I mentioned that I may need some more fill.... well I went back to the doc's last Monday.  She was really pleased with my progress so far, and said my goal will be around 75kg..... originally they said my goal would be 70kg (I'm currently sitting at 82kg).... so she said we will gauge it by how I look and feel when nearer that weight!  Sounds like a good plan to me!  Anyhoose, she gave me an additional 0.3cc fill, bringing me up to 6.3ml in my 10ml band...... and now I'm too tight!!!!!   Nothing other than liquid or slider crap is going down easily, and most meals are getting stuck, and consequently coming back up again..... vitamin tablets, tuna mayo, chicken salad, scrambled egg...... so not a comfortable place to be, would feel very self conscious if were at a restaurant.  I therefore need to go back and have a little removed.... maybe I'll have 0.15ml removed and see how it feels - its amazing how such small amounts make such a big difference.  The downside is I have to pay for every fill or unfill so need to get it right!

I'm a bit peeved that my weight has plateaued, haven't really lost anything since the 27 Sept, I'm jumping around from 82kg up to 82.6kg down to 82.4kg, depending on holidays, TOM etc - bit sick of the 82kg want to see 81kg for a change!  Was hoping to get to 80kg for my Melbourne trip!

An "English chippy" has opened down the road, selling all the things one could buy from an English fish and chip shop.  Proper chips, not frozen ones that they sell in chippies out here.  Proper malt vinegar not white vinegar!  Has me salivating thinking about it......  Anyway, we decided to see what all the hype was about and bought a bag of chips to try at the weekend, (obviously I was only going to have a few ;) they looked "proper", smelt amazing, 2 chips in and I got stuck - how very disappointing!!!

Do any of you zumba?  If not you really must try it.  I try and go 3 times a week now, and soooooo enjoy it!  The more I go the more I get to learn the routines and the easier it becomes.  My instructor is fit, young and trendy and she makes the class alot of fun.  Its a form of exercise I look forward to.... wow didn't think I'd ever say that!  Monday is netball night, still enjoying that too!

Right, signing off now.  Haven't heard from a lot of you in a while..... hope everyone is travelling well...x