Approaching 32 weeks....

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Well I can't believe I am totally on the downhill stretch now! My weight gain has been very steady. I'm still at a total of 6kg for the pregnancy. I will be so over the moon if I can manage to keep it at around 10kg.

The funniest thing that has happened over the past week or so is that I feel like I have fill in my band again. The baby is obviously pushing on my stomach. I am back to smaller portions otherwise I get terrible heartburn. It feels strange to have restrictions on the amount I can eat again. I have been careful as I don't want a slippage at this late stage.

On the band front I have decided to have a barium swallow after bubs is born to make sure everything is all okay before I have my first fill. I'm hoping my Dr will be okay with this, even though I haven't had any issues. I'd just like to be sure that all is fine before I start this weight loss journey again.

I have had huge changes in my work life. I have decided to close my small business and do some work from home. This will be a huge change to our lifestyle, but one that will be well worth it. I am looking forward to becoming a Mum and spending some time on health and fitness. I really want to get stuck in and get to goal.

I'll try and get a good pic of my bump.

30 weeks.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

So today marks 30 weeks into this pregnancy. So far I have gained around 6kg. I'm pretty happy with that considering I have not had any fill in my band for the whole pregnancy. That being said I am already starting to think about getting back on this weight loss wagon!

I have loved every minute of being pregnant and am so thankful to the band for getting me there. We were told it wouldn't happen naturally with PCOS, but I guess we proved them wrong. I have another dear friend who also has had fertility issues. She had lapband surgery done just over 12 months ago, lost 30 kilos and is now up the duff! I am so happy for her.

Well I just thought I would drop in and let anyone out there know that I'm alive! I'll be back in weight loss mode again next year.

Nearly to the half way mark.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Not that anybody probably checks here anymore but I thought a progress report was waaaayyyyy overdue!


We are now nearly to the half way point of this pregnancy. It has gone so quickly.


I haven't posted as really my 'band life' is no more at present. It will return after bubs is born. On a positive note I am still 2.5kg lighter than when I first fell pregnant and I'm nearly half way there. I haven't been dieting as such and I certainly do not have ANY restriction. My meal sizes are still half of what they use to be and I guess I have learnt some good habits with the band.

Here's a picture of our little bundle at the 12 week scan. Only another week and we go for our next one. We will find out the sex hopefully and that will help me with my shopping. It's so hard to find unisex stuff out there.

We are also moving house. We have purchased a bigger much more 'child friendly' place. I can't wait to move in and get set up for our new lives together.

So much to say.....

Monday, June 14, 2010

Well it's been 2 weeks since I've had all of my fill taken out of my band AND I'VE LOST 4 KILOS! Go figure!!!!

So for those of you who know me over at facebook. I ask that you keep this news quite and don't mention it over there.



Yes we are officially preggers, up the duff, bun in the oven, etc etc etc.

We are totally over the moon. It's still early days and I have a dating scan on Thursday to get a due date. I'm pretty sure I'm 7 weeks tomorrow, but the scan will give us a better clue.

This is the whole reason I got the band. With PCOS I struggled to lose weight and keep it off. It has been nearly 1.5 years since I had the band done and I've managed to lose around 22kg and get my cycles back to regular.

My Dr was blown away as we didn't even need Chlomid or fertility assistance.

So we have told my family and a couple of close friends. We are telling the in-laws next week when we fly home to see them. I'm thinking about getting a cake made for when we go out for lunch with "We're Pregnant" on it. I can't wait to see their faces!!! Our families thought we would never have kids!!!!

So my Dr has taken all of my fill out and is happy to add some back in if I'm putting on too much weight later in the pregnancy. After the baby is born, it's up to me when I have it put back in. I've had a touch of morning sickness and am 'off' certain foods. I've also been craving fruit which is great.

Well I just wanted to touch base with you all and share the good news. We won't be telling the rest of the world until I'm past that 12 week mark.

Been AWOL

Monday, May 31, 2010

Sorry it has been a while. Life has been hectic to the point that I haven't even had a chance to catch up on everyone's blogs.

So much has been happening and I will tell you all about it when I am able to. I have had all of my fill taken out (thankfully that band has taught me good habits and I'm sticking with my portion sizes). I will post on here as soon as I know the results of some tests I've had done and fill you all in.

I will try and catch up on some blogs now!

Take care all!

Bran Nue Dae

Friday, April 16, 2010

Well it's 6.30am on a Saturday morning and I'm up and at em! I went down to the local last night to have dinner with hubby. I decided to drive and am so glad I did. I wanted to be fresh and ready for the course today. I had a lovely meal of Roasted Quail and Fig Salad. For the first time in a very long time I had soft drink (pop). I had a Lemon Lime and Bitters with dinner and it was great!!! I made sure to give it a good stir to try and knock some of the bubbles out of it.

I have been looking online for a good Iced Tea recipe. There are so many different versions out there. Does anyone have a good recipe they use at home? If so I would love to have it!

Well I had better get back to my cleaning. I will be back tonight to let you know how the course went!

Two posts in one day.... wowzer!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

This morning was a bit rushed. I have about 20 minutes before I have to shoot off to work so though I would do a quick update.

THIS FILL HAS BEEN FANTASTIC! I ate lunch today at 1pm(piece of silverside, 8 rice crackers with low fat dip and a small salad), it is now 3.00pm and I still feel satisfied. Over the past months I would have been looking for something else by now! Also after dinner out last night I still would have had something 'snacky' a couple of hours after we got home..... no sir! Satisfied!!!!!

Now as well as working on the diet/exercise thing, I have also started the mind connection. This weekend I am doing a Conscious Connected Breathing course. Now for me it seems a bit 'out there', but I came from a whack job family and really don't want to pass that onto my children (if I ever manage to have them). I also think that my 'issues' are some of the reasons I can't seem to get past the 87kg mark. It's time to sort my shit out.

So I am not too sure about certain things I have read about the course, such as touching my inner self. I'm pretty sure I'll get arrested if I do that in public. If people start throwing keys into a bowl... I AM SO OUTA THERE! No in all seriousness, I know the lady who is running the course and she would have to be one of the most relaxed easy going ladies I've ever met. I want a piece of that. I don't want to reach for that glass of wine or that packet of chips when I'm stressed. I want to be able to work though that stress and help myself to reduce it.

My family at the moment is pretty much a hot mess. I had a huge wake up call over the Easter long weekend. I get a phone call from my Mum at two in the afternoon. She is slurring and cannot string a sentence together. Apparently she'd been drinking since the morning and this has become a common occurrence with my Mum and Dad. Living so far away and coming from a family where everything is kept secret I didn't realise her drinking had gotten so bad. My sister had a friend staying with her over Easter and Mum went a little berko. Abusing this friend and hitting walls as she didn't like what was said. AND THEY WONDER WHY I DON'T GO AND VISIT!

So as my sister and I are talking about this craziness the words spill out of my mouth....

THIS IS WHY I DON'T WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN!

We both sat silent for a while. I couldn't believe the words I had said. I didn't realise I had said them at first. My sister was shocked. We began talking again and my sister asked me why I felt that way. I told her that if it was me there that Easter with my kids and that happened, I would remove them from the situation. This would cause huge tension and knowing what my parents are like it would probably be the beginning of a total breakdown in our relationship.

I spent the rest of the weekend really thinking about what I want out of life. I have told my husband that we will not really start trying for a bub again until I am back in the 70 kilo range. Am I sabotaging myself so that I don't have to get to that point and make the decision to once again try for a family?

I booked the course a couple of weeks ago before all this stuff came to light. I'm hoping that it will help me to realise what I want from life and more importantly what I don't want my life to be.

Restriction..... finally!

I went and had a fill on Monday. I am so sick and tired of losing the same couple of kilos over and over again. I thought I had 3.4ml in my band but it turns out I only had 3.2ml. So with a small .2ml fill, I am now sitting at 3.4ml total.

I am back to eating off a smaller plate/bowl and am not hungry at all between meals. We went out last night for a buffet dinner. I filled my larger plate 3/4 full and probably left around half of it behind...... SUCCESS!

We finally have a full crew again at work (I've been on my own for the past 3 weeks) so walking is once again on the agenda. The weather is starting to cool off which is great. I love winter and can't wait to rug up again.

This is just a short one to let you know that I'm alive and well!

My scales are shite!!!!

Monday, March 29, 2010

I forgot to post my weight in for last week. I'll update that now. My weight was down to 89.4kg. So a small loss, but still a loss.

I weighed myself this morning and what did my scales read... 103kg.
I hop off,
I hop back on.... 89.0kg.
I hop off,
I hop back on.... 89.5kg.

AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!

I did hop on again a couple more times and again a different result. I am buying a new set on my way to work today. I might get the ones with the fat precentage in them also!

Skinny

Friday, March 26, 2010

Just bumped into a friend up town. She told me I was looking skinny. Her husband agreed. SWOON

Worst ever!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Well we had our big society 'do' last night. I'm still not sure why they let us in! I had so many lovely comments on my dress. The only problem with the dress is the buttons on the bust. They popped open a couple of time. I am going to take it into the dressmakers and just get them to stitch it up.

Anyway, we are at the function rubbing shoulders with the elite, nibbling on finger food when BAM! I'm stuck. I made a beeline for the ladies loos and began to slime my little heart out. Finally it was clear. I headed back to the group, had a couple of sips of wine when, BAM! Bloody stuck again. So back I go to the loos. The pain was horrible. I was in there for a while and some lady knocked on the door to see if I was okay. I told her yes and continued to try and bring up whatever it was that was stuck. Finally it cleared and I was right to go back to the group. I didn't have anything else to eat, however we did end up at the pub drinking coffee martinis. My head is killing me.

My stomach is feeling sore today from being stuck! Might have to stick with liquids for the day and let it settle down. I have never had this in the whole time I've been banded. I obviously didn't chew well enough.

Anyway I'm off to nurse this hangover!

Big shout to to EM! Hope your wedding day was all you dreamt of!

Living in the 80's!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I did it! I'm back down to 89.6kg. So another 0.5kg gone this week!

Considering my cycle began yesterday I am really happy with that number. Normally my weight jumps up by a kilo or two. So fingers crossed I should be in for a good loss next week. I do need to keep up the exercise though as I tend to not want to do it at 'that time'.

Remember the dress I was talking about before we went on holidays that I wanted to fit back into? Guess what I'll be wearing out on Saturday night!!!! It fits nicely and will be a great option for an outdoors function we have to go to. Pics to come!

I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day at the moment!

Empty that freezer..... baby!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I am doing really well with the whole budget thing. Normally Sunday is the day that hubby and I go to the Butchers and buy our meat. Today we didn't go. I told him that once we had eaten out what was in the freezer, then we will go. Normally our meat bill ranges from $50 right up to $150 for the week. We will eat out of the freezer for the next week.

Here are our eveing meals for the week.

Monday - Florida Pork and Veg
Tuesday - I have a large beef wing rib - not sure yet, still hunting for recipes.
Wedensay - Dinner out
Thursday - Shepherd's Pie
Friday - Left over Pie as Hubby won't be home
Sunday - Creamy Pumpkin Pinenut Pasta (only instead of the penne, I will be using up frozen Latina Raviolli)

Here is the recipe for Florida Pork. I LUUUURVE this recipe!

1 x 30g pack of Continental Spring Vegetable soup mix
2 tsp oil
4 pork loin chops
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
4-6 olives sliced

Heat oil and brown chops.
Drain off oil.
Add combined soup mix, orange juice, and water.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until pork is cooked.
Serve sprinkled with olives.

Inspiration!

Friday, March 12, 2010

This is one of my favourite singers.....Sarah McLaughlan. I had the privledge of seeing her in concert about 5 years ago and am waiting for her to come back to Australia to go and see her again. This video was shot of the Winter Olympics! Very inspiring!

A great loss!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

So this past week I have managed to lose......

2.3 kilos!!!!!

Sadly my weight had managed to get back up to 92.4kg (too much wine on our holiday). I am now sitting on 90.1kg. Next week I will be back in the 80's and am determined never to see the 90's again!

I was planning a trip to the gym this morning but I sletp through my alarm (2 late nights in a row). I am going to do an exercise DVD that I have at home to make sure I do something!

The comedy show that we went to was fantastic! Before we headed out I had a couple of rice crackers with sweet chilli philly dip to make sure I wasn't tempted with what food would be at the show. I am happy to say that at interval I was happy to sip my water while hubby had some potato chips. After the show we came home for dinner (thank goodness Maccas was chockers) and I made a ham, cheese and tomato toasted sandwich for dinner. I ate about 3/4 of it before I started feeling full and threw the rest away.

I have just joined a website called simple savings. Hubby and I both earn very good incomes but we buy what we want, when we want. As we earn good money we don't tend to worry about saving so much. This is going to change.

My challenge to myself today is to make dinner from what we have at home. Now I haven't done a proper grocery shop in a while and the fridge and pantry is looking pretty bare. I have however managed to scrape up dinner. Here's the recipe.

I had a frozen BBQ chicken in the freezer and as I don't have any zucchini I will replace that with some vegetables I need to use up in the fridge. I've probably already saved the money it cost to join the vault. Normally I would have left the frozen chicken and just purchased a fresh one.

I am in such a positive frame of mind at the moment. Changes are happening all around me!

Feeling great!!!!

Monday, March 8, 2010

I just came home from the gym and I managed 45 minutes of cardio. I think the poor guy on the treadmill next to me thought I was going to have a heart attack, or maybe it was just that I can hear myself breath when I have noise reduction earphones in...... hehehe.

I managed to reach a goal I had set myself for March....

I RAN 1KM WITHOUT STOPPING!!!!!!! Go me! At at a good pace of 9.5km/hr!!!

Tomorrows plan is a walk outside and then Thursday I will hit the gym again.

Hubby and I are going to see a show tonight. It's a comedy show, so hopefully it will be good. I was keen to have dinner before we head out, but I think we will grab something while we are in town. I'll try to convince hubby just to have the leftover Minestone and Lentil soup!

The rewards are showing!

I jumped on the scales today and the rewards are already showing. 1.7kg so far this week. It's amazing what you can achieve when you take an honest look at what you are eating! Keeping the online food diary is definatly helping me with the calorie side of things!


I am on the hunt for some preserving jars today to make this:


Wednesday, 28 March 2007: Episode 007 Grapes, pickled





Ingredients
400 grams white seedless grapes, cut into small bunches
300ml white vinegar
100ml water
200g sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
12 basil leaves
12 black peppercorns

Method
Cut grapes from the bunch into small bunches of about 8 grapesPut vinegar, water and sugar into small pot and bring to the boil.Place cinnamon sticks and peppercorns in the jar first and then pack grapes and basil leaves into medium preserving (no.31) jar.When vinegar mix has come to the boil pour into jar over the grapes. Seal immediately turning upside down to sterilise lid.

There is a fantastic recipe for a Chicken, Grape and Champagne Pie which I am going to try and it calls for these preserved grapes.

I am so hoping that my staff member doesn't call in sick again so I can actually go to the gym this morning! Fingers and toes kiddies!

Who! Me!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Thank you so much Sandy Lee for my award!



Today is the most amazing day! Blue skies, lovely cool breeze and me sitting in my silent house just enjoying the peace and quiet!

You made my day!

A productive Sunday!

Here is a picture of the yummy pizza I made on Saturday night. I am determined not to opt for takeaway when things are busy. This probably took as much time to make as what I would have spent in the drive thru!



I didn't eat the whole thing. Probably about 3/4 of it.

I had the best day yesterday. At the moment I'm working 6 days a week which only leaves me Sunday as my 'rest day' (aka washing clothes, cleaning the house, bookwork etc etc). Normally I procrastinate the morning away and then do everything in a mad rush in the afternoon. Hubby and I were up bright and early and headed out for brunch. I opted for the omlette and am proud to say that I only ate until I was full (which wasn't much). We got home and it was all hands on deck. Hubby mowed the back yard and I got to cleaning the kitchen and doing my other household duties. I then headed over to work to do some cleaning. When I got home at 3pm with everything done I jumped in the pool to cool off and relax for a minute. The rest of the afternoon was mine! I indulged in a couple of glasses of wine and made the most fantastic salad to go with our steak for dinner. I'm not sure what is going on with my band at the moment. Breakfast I hardly ate anything and was full, whereas last night I ate a whole piece of rib fillet. I should not be able to eat that much. I'm tempted to go and have a bit more fill put in. Does anyone else go through this?????

I am very inspired by cooking at the moment. Years ago I did a stint on Weight Watchers and had set a goal to cook our evening dinner each night for a month from their cookbooks. This was back in the day when I finished work at 4pm! Hubby still says it was the best we ever ate! With my sparkly clean kitchen I'm inspired again. One of my favourite shows on TV is The Coof and the Chef I love Maggie Beer and I especially love the recipes on the show. Stay tuned for some great recipes!

I rock!!!!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

We had a party to go to tonight. This is how 'in control' I have been of late. I knew the party would be full of deep fried foods, so I made myself a healthy dinner before we left.... and wait for it....I packed cut up celery and carrot sticks.... just in case! Needless to say I felt satisfied from dinner and didn't need to eat anything, including the veggie sticks. I came home feeling on cloud 9! I have NEVER ever done this before in my life! So many times on Weight Watchers (or whatever diet I was following at the time) this would have been a time for me to throw caution to the wind. Eat what I wanted and try to make up for it the rest of the week!

I have really been watching my calories of late. I think with the band because you can't eat much you tend to not worry so much about the calories in things. This I have been monitoring to make myself aware of what is going in. It's working a treat. Heck I even drove to the party and drank water!! This is not to say that I am now a teetotaler, still far from it. I am now enjoying my wine and as per Dr's orders just having 1-2 small glasses a day.

So on the calories front I have to say how shocked I am with the calories in the Coffee Club's breakfasts! The best option is the omlette at a whopping 503 calories. Nearly half of what I am wanting to consume daily. The pancakes topped the calorie count at a whopping 999 BLOOODY CALORIES! Even though I would probably only consume half of that..... OMG! So I guess I go with the omlette and only eat half. I couldn't find any museli or yoghurt options, so I will see tomorrow. I know the Manager and maybe can ask her what is the best option.

I am in a real happy place at the moment. Even though I swore I would never count calories again, I am. The best part is that with the band I can easily stick to my alloted amount. Because I am not hungry ALL THE TIME it's easy to work out what you are going to eat for the day and actually do it!

I think I am at peace with this whole thing because I want to be healthy!

PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT I FINALLY HAVE THIS BAND THING SORTED OUT!!!!!!!

Let the games begin...

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Well I am back home and getting ready to settle back into 'normal life'. My holiday was great, but I'm glad to be back home. The chaos that surrounds my holidays makes me not want to take them. The amount of overtime I need to do before and I go and the first week I'm back makes the holiday go to quickly, and also makes me feel like I never had a bloody holiday! Oh well, at least I'm refreshed for 24 hours before I go back to work.

So with this whole running thing I'm really going to go all out. Nobody is calling me back from my local running club. Is it rude to call on a weekend? I might try them again tomorrow morning. If I can't reach anyone, I'm even considering an online running coach. I have been looking at Pat Carroll. It's times like these I wish I lived in a major city where there is so much support on offer. Apart from all of this, tomorrow morning I will be up bright and early to tie my shoelaces and go for my first road run. Okay, I know that I'm kidding myself by thinking it will be anything but a shuffle, but it's a start!

A whole new experience....

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Just in case I hadn't mentioned it.... I'm on holidays. I went to see Dr Bowden and Trudy Williams (dietitian) on Friday and both were very pleased with my progress. Dr B did ask about my wine intake and I was truthful. He had a good belly laugh when I told him we were off to wine country after our visit with him. He asked me how did Trudy take it when I told her where we were going? Her response was that at wine tasting, YOU MUST SPIT IT OUT! We both had a good laugh and like I said to him.... AT LEAST I'M BEING HONEST!


We spoke of my goals and I have totally put out there that I am doing a half marathon mid this year. I told Dr B and he made the notes in my file. No backing out now! I am scared sh1tless about doing this half marathon, but I am so sick and tired of not following though with things. I told hubby about doing it and he just rolled his eyes and basically told me that I wouldn't be able to do it. Now in his defence, I have talked about doing half marathons for years and never followed through with a training program. For the next couple of days after we discussed it, I realised that I was telling myself that I could never do it. THIS IS JUST NOT ME! When somebody tells me that I can't do it, I dig my heels in and show them that I can.

I CAN DO THIS!!!!! I BLOODY WELL WILL DO THIS!!!!!!!

I went and had a pair of running shoes fitted today at Active Stride and can I just say that they were amazing! The gentlemen, Glen that served me was so helpful and couldn't do enough to make sure that I had the right running shoes. Even though they knew that I was a complete beginner they offered nothing but support and the best advice. For anyone in the Brisbane area who is thinking of taking up running... go and see the guys at Active Stride!

So in wine country I will continue with my couch to 5k running program. I need to prove to not only myself but to others THAT I CAN DO THIS! Watch this space!

Shopping has been amazing this trip! I am now fitting comfortably into a smaller size 16 on the bottom and size 14's on top! I have picked up some amazing outfits and am loving the fact that I can buy from most shops. I still struggle to think that things will fit me. In Myer I was still trying on 18's and found myself wondering around the plus size areas of the store. I had to keep reminding myself that I am no longer that size. HOW GREAT IS THAT!

Well I need to get off here and start getting ready for an early dinner before we head off tomorrow!

I'll be back from wine country!

New beginnings!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

There are so many people who I have known from the old Weight Watchers days that are now going down the path of gastric band surgery.

It's great to read their thought patterns. What they are going through is pretty much what we all went through. The only difference is that we are standing in the light looking back down the tunnel towards them.

Candid you vlog had me in tears. I am so excited for you I could burst! My immediate medical reasons for having the band was really only the PCOS. I no longer have cysts on my ovaries! I can't wait to read the entry where you are telling us that you no longer need your medication!


I have gone from a pair of size 40 inch jeans that were tight to now wearing size 33 inch. Still a long way to go, but at least now I'm on the right track!

A year on....

I know it's a bit late but things are still silly around here.

So it has now been just over 12 months since I was banded. I still believe it's the best thing I have ever done.

Some major changes for me over the past year....
1. I have gone from a size 22 to a size 16.

2. I no longer obsess about food. When doing Weight Watchers or any of the other numerous diets I have done, I would think about food ALL DAY. What have I eaten, what can I have next, when can I eat next, do I have enough points/calories for this? And on, and on, and on!

3. I no longer have cysts on my ovaries. I have suffered from PCOS for many years and would only have a cycle a couple of times a year. My cycles are now 33 days and I'm ovulating. I had an ultrasound done late last year and I no longer have cysts! Such an achievement!

4. I feel free. I thought that being banded and not being able to eat certain things (like my beloved hot chips) would be daunting, and I would feel resentful. It has been totally the opposite for me. I have come to realise that I don't need those foods.

5. I am much fitter. I have started running again and I feel great!

6. I am no longer housebound. So many times in the past I have not gone to special occassions because of my weight. I have missed weddings, family gatherings, nights out with friends etc. This could be for a number of reasons. Nothing fitted me in my waredrobe, I felt fat and frumpy, and to be honest I didn't really like myself. I am no longer missing out on these events. This use to always drive my husband crazy. We would be going out for dinner and if I could find nothing to wear, he would have to go on his own.

7. I am starting to love myself. My body is far from perfect and I still have a long way to go to reach goal, but I am feeling good about myself. I will probably always have some saddlebag and batwings, but hey, at least they are not size 22!

So there we have it. I am changing so much as a person. I am setting myself goals and best of all I know that I can achieve them.

Last year I wanted to run a half marathon. I am going to do it this year. I have picked a half marathon at the end of July and I'm going to give it a good go.

Slacker!

I am such a slacker. Work has been stupid crazy and I haven't managed to post about my 1 year bandiversary! I promise to tomorrow!

I just had to jump on quickly and post this yummy recipe! So easy and quick.

Bel's Cheat'n Creamy Chicken and Veggie Soup

1 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs of garlic (we love garlic so I actually have been known to throw a couple of tablespoons in)
1 400g bag of diced vegetable mix (I buy this from Coles. It contains carrot, celery, leek, turnip, parsnip, broccoli stem, cauliflower stem and parsley) If you don't buy this mix it's a great way to use up the stems of your broccoli and cauliflower.
2 tbs of Gourmet Garden Parsley
1 420g tin of Cambell's Cream of Chicken Concentrate
1ltr of Chicken Stock
Left over veggies. Tonight I put 2 medium washed potatoes and 1/4 small Queensland Blue pumpkin.
Cracked Black Pepper
Splash of cream to taste

Method:
Add olive oil and garlic to a large pot.
When it starts to sizzle, add veggie mix (include any left overs you have added) and parsley.
Stir until veggies start to soften.
Add the tin of Cream of Chicken concentrate and stock.
Season with pepper. (I don't add any salt, as usually the stock is salty enough)

When it comes to the boil, turn down to a simmer. I usually let this simmer for about an hour.

Add cream and allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve on it's own or with half a slice of dry toast.

This time last year....

here is my first journal entry after I was banded.


I am here, I am alive, I am bloody sore!

I got to the hospital at 9.30am as requested. Got a bit teary when I had to leave my Mum and go up to the surgical waiting area. When I got up to the surgical waiting area there was the lady who was suppose to be first in at 7.30am still waiting. She had been waiting over 2 hours. Great! I'm that nervous at this stage I was running to the loo and now I have to wait another 2 hours!

A lovely nurse came and took me into a little room to get changed and put my lovely light green gown, paper panties (full briefs!!!) and my stockings. I then got to sit in a lovley recliner and wait there. I was chatting to another lady who was before me. This made the time go quickly. I then sat and read for a while until the lovley Jennene arrived. We chatted some more after meeting in the Dr's office the day before. We were both nervous, but again this helped the time go quickly.

I was then called in and wheeled off to the presurgery area where I waited about another half and hour. Finally Dr Crozier arrived to go over how they were going to knock me out. He was a lovely man. Quite funny and helped to take my mind off everything. Dr Bowden arrived and asked me how I was feeling. By this stage my nerves had gone and I was feeling teary again. They wheeled me into the theatre where Dr Crozier and a lovely nurse were waiting for me. They got me to slide onto the bed and before I knew it the lights were spinning above me. My last words were...."Should those lights be moving???" That was it I was out. It was 1.15pm.

I woke up at 3.15pm in recovery. I was feeling really dry in the mouth and groggy. I remember asking for some water and they said I'd have to wait until I got up to my ward. I must have nodded off again. I woke as they wheeled me into my room which I was sharing with three other people, one of which was the first lady to go in. Mum and Dad were waiting for me there and I remember them waving to me. I nodded off again and the next thing I remember is hearing my Mum talking to the lady across from me. My Mum talks to anyone and everyone.....lol.

I woke up at around 5.30pm and had some ice chips. Dr Bowden popped in and told me that everything went well and to try and rest up. At around 8pm they got me up to get changed into my pj's. Man did that kill. My stomach felt so tight and sore!!!! What a restless night! I kept waking up in a bit of pain throughout the night. Between the pain and the blow up pillows on my legs, not much sleep was had.

I was up and awake at 5.30am and ready to get out of the hospital. The nurse came in with some more pain meds and bunged up my drip. I then went and washed my face and brushed my teeth. I told the nurse that I was ready to go home. She laughed and said that I would have to wait and see Dr Bowden. Dr Bowden arrived at around 8.30am. He was surprised to see my sitting up and out of bed. He had a look at my wounds and told me again to call if anything went wrong or if I felt that any of the incisions were feeling hot. He sqeezed my hand and told me that everything went really well and he looks forward to seeing me in a couple of weeks.

The nurse came back in and gave me another injection to thin my blood and told me I could head off home as soon as the pharmacy had my Ibuprofen ready to go. At 9.30am she came in with my meds and an oderly to walk me to front reception. FINALLY!

We got back to the unit and I slept most of the day. Last night I was restless. I really want to sleep on my side but my stomach feels to tight. My back has been aching but a heat pack has been helping slightly.Today I feel pretty good and somewhat back to normal. My stomach is still tender and pinches when I get up off the bed or out of the chair. I'm going to try and not sleep at all today, so I can have a good sleep tonight.I'm finding it hard to drink my 50ml every 10 minutes. I sip away but still feel quite full. Mum made me chicken soup last night for dinner and I couldn't even sip it. I think I had too much water that afternoon!

So anyway, after this long winded post. I'm alive, I'm banded and I can't wait to be out of pain!! When I get home I'll post my incision pics. My port is down next to my belly button which I didn't expect.

Anyway I'm off to relax and read.


Feels like only yesterday!

The benchmark has been set...

Today I did my C25K program but kept on going after the 30 minutes. I ran a total of 5km in 43 minutes!!!!! GO ME!!!!!

Well tomorrow marks me being banded for ONE WHOLE YEAR! I cannot believe how quickly it has gone! On this day last year I was getting myself prepared for surgery and totally shitting myself!

This probably sounds stupid, but I still get teary at how my life has changed since having the band.

Tomorrows post will be a retrospective look over the past year. Right now I have to go and slip on my size 16 shorts and go for coffee.

In the groove.....

I can't believe how much I am enjoying food at the moment. Every bite I take I really chew it and enjoy it. I had a lovely ham and salad plate for lunch yesterday with one of the girls at work. The best part is that if I follow the rules (no drinking while eating) it really does fill me up. The girl I had lunch with had the same salad as me and was still hungry afterwards. GOD BLESS THE BAND! The best part of all is that the scales are starting to reflect my hard work. Back down to 90.6kg this morning I still have three weeks to lose another 2.6kg to reach my goal. Very achievable!

We went out for dinner last night and of course hubby wanted an entree and a main. I tried to convince him just to have a main, but alas no. So I ordered the quail and salad entree, which hubby got to enjoy half of and the pork belly for mains. Over half of that got left on the plate. It felt great to stop when I was satisfied. I did indulge in a couple of wines and came home happy and content!

I had the best intentions today to get up and go to the gym bright and early, but decided to sleep in until 8am giving me enough time to get to my massage at 9am. I should finish work tonight at 8.00pm AND I WILL GO TO THE GYM AFTERWARDS.

I'm in such a happy place at the moment and I'm going to lap it up as much as I can!!!

Oh and a NSV I had today..... I was in our corner store this morning getting milk. As I was walking down the aisle towards the milk fridges I noticed a reflection and thought somebody was walking a little behind me. Low and behold it was me looking hot and working those jeans! Hehehe.

Unwritten....

4.6km's in 36 minutes BABY!!!!

Unwritten is one of my favourite songs to listen to. I love what it means. The rest of our lives are unwritten. We decide our fate.

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

(and the best part)

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

I could have easily gone further on the treadmill today but there was a lady waiting to use it. Bugger!!! I was aiming to get to 5km.

I am in such a fantastic mindset at the moment. I fight myself each day about going to the gym, but once I'm there I FEEL FANTASTIC!!! My speed is already increasing and I'm now running at 9.3km/hr. I even did a couple of sprints (hehe) at around 10.5km/hr. I AM GETTING STRONGER AND FASTER!!! How great does that feel.

There is really onle one area of this journey that I am still struggling with and that's the wine. I'm going to keep pushing myself and am cutting back a small amount each day. I will get there, after all my book is still unwritten!

So for those of you that remeber my last blog, you'll recall my efforts to get into my size 18 shorts. I am please to say that they are now knock-around-the-house shorts as they are getting too big. I can now fit into most size 16's. Here's a pic of the journey.....

So one of the things I spoke with my dietitian about was goal setting and what was pushing me to get to that next level. It was the shorts. Now that they are too big, I have purchased a new goal pair of shorts in a size...... 14!!!!!

I look at this picture and I feel disgusted. I feel that I look like I did in the 3rd picture above. What I need to keep in mind is that these shorts are 2 sizes smaller than the ones above.

Compliments are the best!!!!

This time last year I was on day 2 of my Optifast diet AND I WAS STARVING!!! It's fun to look back at my journal from last year. I can remember being so excited and also scared out of my wits. My life has changed so much. Lap band surgery was the best thing I ever did. It has helped me to take control back of my life!

I was at work yesterday and had a client booked in who I hadn't seen in about 18 months. The last time she was in I was at my all time heaviest weight of 109kg. I was still with somebody when she entered the shop so I popped my head out and told her I would just be 5 minutes. I finished up what I was doing and then went to greet her. We sat down and got chatting. She kept looking at me strangely. Then came the question..."You are the lady I had an appointment with last time arent you?" Me... "Yes, you were pregnant with you second child" Her... "OH MY GOD! Please don't take this the wrong way, but you have lost a heap of weight! I didn't even recognise you!"

I floated for the rest of the day!

Oh....

Monday, January 11, 2010

guess what I will be doing tonight after I finish work at 7.30pm????? THE GYM!!!

HERE I COME!

Too long....

I cannot believe the last time I posted was the 19th of December! That is just crazy stuff!

The Christmas break is always a very busy time for me. It's like I blink and it's all done and dusted. I can't believe we are nearly half way through January already!!!!!

So much has happened, so this entry might require a cuppa!

Things have been going okay with the band. My weight has crept back up to 92kg and seems to be stuck there. The funny thing is that people are commenting that I have lost more weight, but alas NO! I'm trying to think back to what I was eating and drinking to get down to 87kg. It's times like this I wish I was motivated to keep an accurate food diary.

On the exercise front things are progressing nicely. My couch to 5k running program is coming along great. I did this program years ago and I'm amazed at how losing weight has made a huge change to what speed I can run at. When I first did it my walking speed was at 5.7km/hr and my running speed a mere 7.7km/hr. This time has found me easily walking at 6.3km and running at 9km. Considering I first did this 6 years ago, I think that is pretty good going! I am motivated to finish it fully this time.

Here is a journal entry from my blog last year....

January 01, 2009

This year is going to be MY YEAR!

27 SLEEPS TO GO!

So last night I rang in the new year with 2 bottles of Moet (my head is paying for it today) and today I jump on the wagon. No alcohol!!! I have been a 3+ glass of wine per day drinker for many years, but there is not way I am going in to have surgery knowing that I haven't given it my best! My poor liver won't know what's going on!

I so cannot wait to have this surgery done. I feel like my life is on hold!!!

So 2009 is my year. A year where I am going to be selfish with my time so that I can exercise. A year when I am going to run/walk a half marathon. A year when I am going to get my weight under control!

My first day of 2009 has me overweight and hung over. The first day of 2010 is going to be completely different. Just you wait and see!

Sadly, I wasn't selfish with my time last year and therefore didn't manage the half marathon. I still struggle with putting everyone else's needs in front of my own. I have made myself this promise again, however this time I have gone through my diary and cleary marked exercise sessions and my working times. Since starting the job I am currenlty in my time has not been my own. I feel like I have no life and my whole existance revolves around work and home. It's time to bring this back into balance!

On a positive note, my first day of 2010 WAS completely different to 2009. I still indulged in some good champers, but I stopped early as I didn't want to begin this New Year hung over. I woke up early and felt fresh and new! I am still classed as "overweight", however last New Year I was wearing jeans that had a 40 inch waistband (size 22), this year I was wearing a size 33 inch waistband (size 16).

A couple of days into the New Year I was beginning to feel depressed. At 92kg there is now way I am going to reach my goal of 84kg before I go back and see my Dr. The last session I had with my dietitian was my compulsory ones after surgery. I gave her office a call and made an appointment for the 6th of January. It was great to chat to her and get some great tips. I felt renewed again. I also made another appointment with her when I go and see my Dr in February. My new goal is 88kg. With the gym and eating right I know that I will give it my best shot! It's funny but I always saw the dietitian as a waste of money with the band. I now understand that it is really important. She has ordered blood tests to check my vitamin/nutrient levels in my body and see what I need in order to be healthy. It's good to have that feeling of somebody being in your corner!

It's so easy to focus on how far you have to go, or how you haven't been the perfect bander, HOWEVER, I think it's also important to look at what you have achieved!

I think back to this time last year.....

I can remember scoffing down Red Rooster chips one day in the car and realising that my cheeks were so fat I could actually see them. On a positive note - my addiction to hot chips has now gone. I just cannot eat them with the band. The best part is that I don't even miss them!

I can remember this time last year and how depressed I was that my size 40 inch jeans were getting too tight. What was the next step here for me? I was already wearing mens jeans as I couldn't fit into ladies ones. What was next? The BIG AND TALL shops????

This time last year I was an empty shell. I had nothing left in me. I felt defeated.

I still have my days where I feel like this, but thankfully they are few and far between!