My Journey

Do you know the feeling that you get when you almost do something really silly like walk into a lamp post and you manage to stop just in time but you give yourself a real shock and hope like heck that nobody was watching because you feel really embarrassed. Well imagine that was me, and that situation was caused because I was bending over as I walked trying to see if it was true that my legs were not rubbing together making little 'swish swish' sounds as the denim rubbed together. *blush* I am so vain sometimes but I had to check it out. Just lucky I didn't bump my oversized head at the same time though :D

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It is Thursday and it has been 3 mornings in a row that I have not weighed. The scales taunt me as they are placed near the foot of the toilet so are unmissable in my daily routine, but so far so good. Eating has also been on-track. It hasn't been without it's moments but sheer will has kept me from raiding the newly stocked snack box in the lunchroom. And making a bit pot of pumpkin soup has helped with the munchies at night as I find it really satisfying and a mug is only worth 0.5pts so goes a long way.

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I am home today as I booked a day off work to go to Centrelink to claim the 2003/2004 Child Care Benefit and cross off a task on my to-do list. As it was my first ever visit I figured it would take me hours so brought snacks, a drink, and a huge new book that I thought would be good to get into but it took the total sum of 5 minutes to go in, be served, and out again. It was fantastic. And it has left me time to catch up on tasks around the house that have been neglected. I have updated my blog and replaced the blog links in my sidebar. Thank you for the emails that requested this to be done. I had not realised that it was being used to jump around the blogs but on reflection that is of course how I found most of my favourites.

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The City 2 Surf is not far away now and I am getting excited about the prospect of meeting up with old friends and beginning new friendships with others. Look out in the next couple of weeks for an email with dinner details.

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I am going to the races on Saturday with a friend. It is a 'pink' day. Should be hilarious and I promise to take photo's and post when I get back. As I should be satisfactorally inebriated at the time I am sure it will be a highly articulate post - not LOL.

Posted by Margaret at 12:14:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

I always knew that this journey would come with lessons. Things that I needed to learn. Things that I would get wrong along the way - and learn from them to make it easier the next day, the next week. And along the way I am learning that there are things that I don't like too much about myself. Little things like I procrastinate too much. I don't always do what I say. I break promises to myself too quickly - when I would never think to break a promise to someone else. That I still react to boredom, anger, & sadness by eating too much of the wrong types of food. And I don't necessarily like those lessons. However, I am also learning some pretty great things about myself. I don't give in and I won't give up. I can be counted on by other people. I can re-learn good habits. I am able to just get up and go when I know I need to. I don't hate my body any more.

I don't hate my body any more.

This is a really big one and one that I think shows that I am growing a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. I actually like my body. Sure there are bits that I don't love but all in all when I wear clothes that are right for my shape and age - I look GOOD. And now I know that I can rely on my body to break into a sprint when I want to make the bus - and it responds correctly. I know that if I wanted to go for a 2 hour walk - my body has the physical ability and stamina to do it. I know that it will do whatever I want now. And that is great. Unless my only motivation for sticking to the plan in the first place was that I hated my body. Which I did.

I think this is why it is harder for me to put 100% in all the time now. It doesn't mean it can't be done though I just have to find a new motivation that works as well for me.



Todays weigh in saw another small loss - another 100gms to take me to 77.2kgs (note not kms this time LOL) and I deserve a smack around the head for that. As a daily weigher I was enjoying watching the scales go down, down, down and by Wednesday morning it had registered a loss of over a kilo. So I rationalised that I could afford to have a Freddo frog. And then some snakes. And when cake was offered - well I was losing weight - why couldn't I have a slice. Because then you put it all back on you dolt!!

So what do I do about it? Exactly the same as last week. Plan, plan, plan. I have all the food I need at work and I have each nights meals organised. All I have to do is reheat and do very little preparation. The food is great tasting, healthy & all within points. I have included snacks and treats and so have no need to feel deprived. I will just keep going. I know that these lessons are important and need to be learned, but dammit I am ready to graduate. NOW. LOL. Just have to get out of detention first ;D


Global Corporate Challenge
Still hooning on well. Finally got out of Russia (felt like we were there forever) and now we are enjoying the delights that Greece has to offer. It has been fantastic reading about the places that before I only heard about from Argy. Seeing the photos made me feel warm too as they are enjoying beautiful Summer weather. Ohhh it would be lovely to just jump on a plane and spend the next few months in Greece. My favourite bit of info from Greece could have come from Sitia where the local dish of "Chohlious" sounds devine until you realise it translates to Fried and Boiled Snails, but instead comes from Olympos. It was there I learned that Nike was the ancient goddess of victory (that's it I am getting Nike's next time) However it is not as interesting as the fact I learned in Lindos. Did you know that a donkeys eyes are placed so that they can see all four feet at once!! Very handy when you are the official Lindos Taxi.


Things I did well last week
I had 2 / 7 days of great eating within points
I had 3 / 7 days of moderately OK eating - but over points
I forgave myself for my crappy eating and plan to have a great week this week

Things I will do better this week
I will keep my focus going
I will not weigh myself daily (this will be a first so lets see if I can do it)
I will blog more regularly as I got caught up in other stuff last week.

Posted by Margaret at 4:32:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

Todays weigh in saw the teeniest of losses being 100gms to take me to 77.3kms (??? /lbs). With all the walking I have been doing you would think the weight would be falling off me. Not so. Unfortunately I have been shovelling it in as fast as I am walking it off so am thankful at least that the activity is maintaining my weight.

Every week I say to myself "This week will be better." Every week I know that if I can control my food intake the weight loss will show. However all I ever did was talk about it and nothing changed.

This week will be different.

"Why?" I hear you all ask in hushed tones. ;)

Because this time not only have I talked about it, I have moved my tail and done something about it.

I have planned out an entire weeks eating.
I have shopped and brought into work the ONLY food I will be eating during work hours this week.
I made a tonne of spag. bol. on the weekend that will keep me in emergency dinners for weeks.
I bought some pre-packaged evening meals to get me back to portion size control.
I bought some extra vege's to bulk out the meals.
I am committing to one week.
I can do one week.
It is only one week.

Then after this week I will think about what I do for the next week.
One meal at a time.
One day at a time.
One week at a time.

I can do this. I WILL do this. :D


Global Corporate Challenge
We are currently in Russia. To be more precise we are in Verkhneimbatsk which is just 30 kms north along the river from Borodino (our last stop!) With a local dish speciality of "Saddle of Reindeer" I am sure I won't be visiting soon. Though the thought of using vodka to cleanse and tone my skin does sound rather appealing. Two famous men are known in Verkhneimbatsk. Rudolf Nureyev (famous ballet dancer) was born on the Trans-siberian train in March 1938 (must have been going through Verkhneimbatsk at the time), and the Russian President - Vladimir Putin - who has started a fashion trend in the region with the locals having his scowling face tattooed on their bodies as a sign of respect. Lets hope they all had a good meal of Reindeer and Vodka first LOL.

What did I do well last week
I kept up my walking and increased my daily average steps.
I broke through the 30,000 step mark (still really happy about this)
I faced some issues at home and have begun to work through them.

What will I do better this week
Track & stick to my food plan
Track & stick to my food plan
Track & stick to my food plan

Posted by Margaret at 12:17:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

I did it. I cracked the 30,000 step mark in one day. Whooo Hoooo.

Soon after the Global Corporate Challenge started our team realised that if you walked more than 30,000 steps in a day you were asked for a 'please explain'. As JC was getting these almost every day I committed to getting one each month of the challenge. So knowing I had the Nordic Walk this morning, I decided to walk home afterwards. 10kms home after 2 hours of walking. My feet are sore now. Which is why as soon as the pedometer clicked over 30,000 I came in here and logged my steps. Anything I get tonight now can just go towards tomorrows total.

Whooo hooo I am stoked.

And did I say that my feet hurt LOL.

The walk this morning was great. The max was supposed to be 17 degrees but that wasn't even reached by the time I got home. It was very very brisk when we started but after an hour I was warm enough to take of my jacket and my fingers no longer felt like they would snap off. Cath came along for the first time, and Bron and Sarah were on their second outing like me. Unfortunately Mary couldn't make it (and I really hope your head is feeling better now Mary *hugs*) but we will catch up with her again soon. As it was not raining we were able to stop and did a lot more strengthening and co-ordinating exercises that were both challenging and fun. I can really feel the difference in how my body felt after a 2 hour session versus a 1 hour one last time. My arms are sore and my hips and abs know that they have had some exercise today. I am hoping my hot shower and stretches I have already done will mean my body will be kind to me tomorrow.

So, now to finish tidying up. Try and wake my boys who have been asleep on the couch for the last 2 hours and see if they want dinner or just straight to bed. And then snuggle in for some world cup action.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Have I already said that my feet are sore ;D

Posted by Margaret at 7:17:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

With all the walking I have been doing you would be forgiven for thinking that I love it and that it is the easiest thing in the world for me to put on my shoes and walk out the door. Well it isn't. Most days I build up an excitement and it is pretty easy to get dressed and go out, but with the change of weather and the temperature pretty icy it is harder and harder to just 'want' to do it. Sometimes I think I hate it. Hate the fact that I need to walk. Hate the actual stepping into the lift to go outside. Hate the thought of being cold. BUT. After I finish I feel fantastic. I feel bouncy and clear headed, and I feel good about myself. It is this feeling that I hold onto as I put on my shoes and I remind myself of how that feels. And that good feeling far outweighs the 'oh do I have to' feeling and so out I go.

Today, for instance, there was no one in the office to walk with. So my decision was do I walk alone or do I not walk at all? I chose to get myself dressed and, after reading CKK's post about 101 things to do in 1001 days where one of her points was to "be a tourist in my own town", I took the camera for a walk with me. AND to make up for the times I stopped and took photos I actually ran. RAN. I ran a distance of 5 light poles. Then another 4 light poles. Then I did a little run in the Botanic Gardens. And on the way back to the office I ran from the fountain in Hyde Park to the first path cross over. I even did a little happy dance / run in the office when I was waiting for my lunch to heat up. I feel FANTASTIC. LOL. I should go walking on my own more often ;D

And the photo's. Well here they are. I am so lucky that I live somewhere as beautiful as Sydney and the walk today took on a whole new dimension as I viewed it through the lens. (and I would have had more if I had not had the camera on 'movie' instead of 'photo' for the beginning of my walk oops)


St Mary's Cathedral


Blogger won't let me post any more photo's. Will keep trying.

Trackback
Points: 25
Water: 2.25 litres at work +
Steps: Currently 16,435 , Final - TBA

Posted by Margaret at 8:46:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

Things I did well this week
I drank heaps of water thanks to Cottee's Light Apple Raspberry Crush. Yummmo
I walked my tail off.
I appreciated the people in my life.

Things I will do better
I will cut out the extra's and bites I have been putting into each day.
I will cut back the diet coke
I will not raise my voice as much when I am tired and frustrated


Wednesday 14th June
I finally set up bloglines today to try and make my blogging as efficient as possible. Once I set up a favourite that meant whenever I was visiting a blog I wanted to add to my list, I could just click on - this made it a lot more simple and will now ensure that I don't 'forget' to visit. However there were a couple of blogs that would not let me set up as a link. So Paulene and CM I will have to be more vigilant to visit you. LOL

Oh and you guys have to see this. Chris had this link on her blog and I just absolutely cacked myself. If you are a fan of Drew Carey or Richard Simmons - this is for you. Just give it a bit of time to warm up then watch the screen in the top right corner.

Global Corporate Challenge
Today is day 21 and according to the GCC website I have walked 341,167 steps, 218kms, and have kept an average of 15,508 steps per day. We are currently in Chilung, Taiwan and only 2kms till we hit Tokyo. I am pretty happy with this. Our team has been keeping in the top 50 overall and top 10 in our company but we have slipped back a little as so many teams are averaging over 22,000 steps a day. I know how hard it is for me to get that many in one day per week so I can't imagine how they are fitting it in. Good on them. I am just happy to be pushing myself.

Steps: 23,329

Tuesday 13th June
Purchased a new product today. A Vapour-Plug by Sudaclear. It works like a vapouriser without the water. As both boys have had a stuffed up or runny nose the last couple of days I thought I would try it to see if it helped with the night time stuffiness and coughing. It did. I really like this and now that Oscar is mobile at night it is a bit safer than putting a water filled vapouriser in the middle of the room.

Steps: 15,691

Monday 12th June
As today was a public holiday Mark took Darcy to see Cars at the movies. Darcy loves them and the movie was brilliant by all accounts. The movie was at 10.00am so they were out of the house by 9.30am. I had already done a million loads of washing and wanted to go for a walk. So I put Oscar in the pram and decided to surprise Mark and Darcy by walking to the Movie Theatre. In Chatswood. 10kms away. It was GREAT!! I made good time. There were no stairs. It was sunny. Cold - but sunny. And it was such a good surprise. I was considering walking back but thought better of it as I needed to get home to do another million loads of washing.

This is when we discovered that the hot water system had blown up and was flooding the backyard. So no hot water. No shower. No bath. Bugger. When it is freezing cold washing yourself with a flannel dipped into a sink full of boiled water just really isn't the same as luxuriating in a bubble bath. LOL.

Weighed in at 77.4 so maintained for the week.

Steps: 18,752

Sunday 11th June
I don't want any more children. The two I have are enough for me and I love them both. But there was something sad about giving the cot away and seeing it in another childs room. I am so happy that I am able to do it, and that someone else will get good use out of a piece of furniture that has many many years left in it. But my babies have slept in there. My babies have laughed, played, cried, been sick, been happy in it. Lots of memories. And now I will set about making new memories out of a new piece of furniture. Which I am sure will be as great as the others.

Steps: 14,796

Saturday 10th June
The morning walk with Mary and Cath was cancelled. My lovely DH decided to get absolutely rat-arsed last night and I made the decision that I would drive the boys to tennis this morning. With double demerits and a really strong 'no drink driving' rule in my house I could not let him drive. But next Saturday is the Nordic Walking so looking forward to catching up and walking then. AND Mark is on a strict dry policy for Friday night.

I made a lamb roast for dinner and had heaps and heaps of vegetables and it was sensational (if I do say so myself). It has been over a year since I did a roast but with the visitors compliments still ringing in my ears I think the next roast will be a little sooner in coming ;D

And we had great shenanigans with the big bed sleeping. I heard Oscar give a little cry about 10.00pm. And ignored it. As I usually do. Then I heard another one about 15 minutes later. A bit more insistent. So I thought I would investigate.

I opened the door slowly and crawled in the pitch black room.
I felt over the bed to see where he was - no body in that bed.
I patted down the carpet around the bed - no one there.
I widened my search wondering where the heck he could be and couldn't find him.
I heard another little cry.
From under Darcy's bed.
Way back wedged up against the wall and bookcase.
I pulled him out.
He was still asleep.
I put him back in his bed
I crawled out and pulled the door shut.
Then absolutely pissed myself laughing telling Mark about it.

Steps: 10,934

Friday 9th June
My baby boy slept in a big bed for the first time tonight. We are giving away the cot to friends of ours and we decided that this weekend would be it. Instead of buying a new bed (which we will later) we pulled the trundle out and made that up for him. He was so proud and we had lots of cuddles. He only rolled out once and I replaced him before I went to bed.

Oscar is growing up - (He is 22 months old)

Steps: 17,281

Thursday 8th June
I made Mary's Vegetable and Barley Soup tonight and it was sensational. What a great way to have a filling meal at such low points. I think that I will make it again and perhaps add a chicken and use the stock I make instead of the vege stock. It will bump up the points a bit but I think it will be even more tasty (because I am such a carnivore)

Steps: 17,241

Posted by Margaret at 7:06:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

I just picked this up from Sweet Rainbows blog..

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Don't tell me your age; you'd probably tell me a fib anyway-but the Cadburys Man will know!

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE


DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute .
Work this out as you read ...
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun. :D

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1756 ....If you haven't, add 1755.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number

The first digit of this was the number of times you really want to eat Chocolate(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are

YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)


(Apparently this is the only year (2006) it will ever work, so spread it around while it lasts)

Posted by Margaret at 1:31:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

I am so excited. The first of the babies have arrived. And there are photos :)

Kellee has had a son, Toby. And Katey has just given birth to a little girl, Natalia Raine.

Congratulations guys, I am so excited and happy for you. That's two down... Next !!

Whoooo Hooooo

Posted by Margaret at 2:49:00 pm | Permalink

The weather has turned decidedly frosty, and wet, and in my house the room that houses the pc has no heating. I live in an old house, with high high ceilings and whilst this is brilliant at keeping the house temperate during the summer months it is an absolute ice-box in the winter. Therefore I have been spending my evenings snuggled up under the quilt watching TV in front of the heater, usually after a mammoth effort to keep my steps above 15,000. After reading Sue's post about averages I realised that I too slacken off on days when I know other days have kept my average for the week up, so I made a deal with myself to hit a minimum of 15,000 a day regardless of high days . With the rain it has been tough but so far I have done it.

-- Happy Birthday Nat *mwah*

-- The Nordic Walking part II is booked. If you are available in Sydney on Saturday 17th June at 8.00am please feel free to come along. Mary has the details on her blog and if you could respond to her there so we could let Anja know how many people are going.

-- Sydney Bloggers dinner meet. Due to the wonderful Melbournites who are coming to Sydney to partake in the City 2 Surf we will be having a dinner on the Saturday night before. 12th August. It is some way off but if you are going to be in Sydney for that evening and would consider coming, keep an eye out on the blogs for the information that will be coming out, and if you want to be in the email loop when it comes out, drop me a line with your email address and we'll make sure the info is sent out.

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Rundown since last post (Geez has it been that long!!)

Wednesday, 7th June
I walked home the entire 10kms today. I was unsure if the weather would be kind but it remained fine enough to do the walk. It took me 1.5 hours exactly and helped me to reach my current step total of 21,093. The total count was also assisted by a bout of sales shopping at lunch where I scored a couple of new handbags (of course which I 'desperately' needed!!) The total will climb only a little before bed as I am committed to catching up on my blogs. I know I will have to move a little to keep the circulation going but with gloves, dressing gown, ugg boots (yes I do own a pair) and a beanie I am doing my best to keep warm. And looking mighty fine too LOL.


The view over the bridge tonight - approx 4.10pm. Stunning


The view as I was about to head into Balls Head Bay. The sun setting on the clouds. Approx 5.00pm

Points 18 + dinner. Should be 23
Water 2.75L
Steps 21,093 & counting!


Tuesday, 6th June
A great day for ducks as it was 16 degrees and wet all day. I went for a walk at lunch around Hyde park and even though I had my umbrella and a sort of water proof jacket on - I got soaked. Pretty happy that I did the walk though. But then utter madness took me over and I decided to walk to Broadway in the evening. 5 minutes into the trek and the sky opened up and a deluge dumped on top of me instantly soaking me through to my undies and socks!! I figured I was too wet to hop on the bus so walked the entire way. I was never happier to get home and strip and put on a warm pair of pj's. I think I need to buy a raincoat..

Steps 16,401


Monday, 5th June
Weighed in this morning at 77.5 which is 300gms up from last week. My exercise has been brilliant but along with the extra activity has come the extra appetite. I am not being as strict with myself, in fact I am practicing no strictness at all and whilst I know the cold weather can do this - there is an awful lot of cold weather still to come so I need to reign it in a bit (that reign bit was not intended to be a pun but I laughed anyway :D ) On the positive side my legs are looking a little leaner and I feel like I am recovering from an exercise day better than before.

Steps 18,663


Sunday, 4th June
I wasn't sure how I was going to walk enough to get my steps up today so suggested to Mark that we go shopping in the City. And walk there! I pushed the pram, Mark strapped on the backpack and with children in tow off we set. It was a brilliant walk topped off by lunch at the Lowenbrau and bumping into Mary and Daniel in Myer. After a weird 1 second of worlds-colliding feeling it was really good to have these two parts of my life meet. Other than Mark promising to have a beer with Daniel to tell him what I am REALLY like LOL. We were planning to walk home but a blow out in the region of Oscar's nappy had us scuttling for the nearest train and the quickest route home. It was a great day.

Steps 17,109


Saturday, 3rd June
The morning walk was pre-planned not to go ahead as inclement weather was forecast. Lucky for me it turned out beautifully and I just had to work out where to walk. So I strapped Oscar in the pram (poor boy is getting quite a lot of fresh air lately) and I walked the 5km to Darcy's tennis lesson. Mark drove and I met up with them there. It was a beautiful walk. I didn't realise there was a national park so close to home (in that direction) and I took a couple of photos. It never ceases to amaze me that I can live so close to one of the largest cities in this country and still feel like I am in the middle of no-where. Lovely.

Steps 17,989

Posted by Margaret at 8:06:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

"If you can't get through the mountain, go around it. If you can't go around it, go over it. If you can't go over it, sit down and ask yourself if getting to the other side is all that important. If it is, set about digging a tunnel"

Well stand back, because I am getting to that other side and I have shovels!!

This quote was in my daily flip calendar yesterday and it summed up this whole weight loss journey to me perfectly. There are so may ways to get to the final destination. Some will take longer. Some will take more effort. Some will take a few side trips. But if it worth it to you, you will find a way. **Edit. Briony must have the same flip calendar and posted the same quote yesterday - clever girl. Just so you know that I didn't copy. LOL**


I have had a great week. I know I am raving a bit about it but this Global Corp Challenge has been so good in pushing the barriers to what I thought I could do and making me want to keep up with our group. Yesterday I walked home from work but instead of just walking straight home (7km) I took a little detour and did the Balls Head Bay loop (3km) so walked a total of 10km. It took 1.5 hours so I am pretty happy with that. My step total for the day was *drum roll please* 20,016!! A New Record for me... Whooo Hoooo. And one I don't plan on doing more than once a week as I was so knackered and my knees and toes hurt afterwards. But I must be getting fitter because today nothing hurt at all.

So, if it is dry tomorrow morning I will be heading into the city for our Saturday morning walk which will take care of my steps for the weekend but if it is wet I need to come up with another option. And this has been the subject of some conversations at work this week. What can we do if it is wet? Most of us are building our steps by walking to and from work, or the station, walking at lunch, and going for a walk or run after work. This is only pleasant when it is dry. So I came up with one option. On Tuesday we headed into the QVB and went walking up the spiral stairs. There are 220 steps (including the straight bit in front of the lift) from the bottom to the top. So we went up and down 8 times. That's 1760 steps. My legs burned and my heart raced. It was brilliant :D But not really enought to get the 3 - 4,000 steps we need at lunchtime. I can go to the gym and hit the treadmill but what other options are there? Suggestions welcome.

So on that note I shall set about adding some more steps by doing a lap of the hall / dining table each time I change a load of wash, and doing knee lifts whilst I do the dishes LOL.

It's all fun ;D

Trackback - 2nd June
Points: 25
SP: ?
Exercise: 30 min mini tramp

Trackback - 1st June
Points: 20
SP: 0.5
Exercise: 45 min walk shopping (easy) 1.5 / 10km walk (hard)

Trackback - 31st May
Points: 22 (PLUS Gloria Jean Baked Raspberry Cheesecake appx 12 pts - bugger)
SP: 3 + those others
Exercise: 30 min walk to City, 1 hr walk shopping, 30 min walk to Broadway

Trackback - 30th May
Points: 17.5
SP: 1
Exercise: QVB Steps, 30 min walk to Broadway

Posted by Margaret at 8:13:00 pm | Permalink | Comments