108.5kgs on 28th November 2013

I am going to the gym most days now and it is showing up on the scales. Today I was 108.5kgs (238.7 lb). I am inching closer to my next goal of 99.9kgs. I would love to be there by Christmas. Daily gym work and more walking combined with proper diet should do the trick.

I am doing treadmill, cycling and a variety of weight machines and free weight exercises. I am doing the weights to help shape my body and hopefully bring the loose skin from my weight loss in. I also love the feel of tight muscles. Not just a tight bodied man you lust over in magazines but your own body with definition from muscles, not fat. It means I am regaining my personal strength -physically and emotionally. My self confidence is improving and that is an unexpected bonus from the weight loss journey I am on.

My clothes continue to loosen and most weeks there are clothes I have to remove from use as they are no longer comfortable because they are too LOOSE not too TIGHT. Woohoo. That is such a fabulous feeling to have. For too many years to count it was difficult to find clothes or underclothes that fitted comfortably. Larger clothes were either very expensive for fashionable clothing or the cheaper clothing did not have much style nor was it fashionable really. I spent time yesterday looking in mid range clothing stores I have not bothered to go into for years. I have a wedding to go to at the end of January and I wanted to see the size and cost I would be looking at. I need to be a NZ size 16 - 18 and I will be able to wear something really nice. Cost would be between $60-130. When I buy it I will photograph it for this blog (2 months time).

I am about to start putting up the Xmas decorations. I have already put a small hanging on our front door and put our first 2 cards up on the wall with Blue-tack. The Christmas tree and lights are the next big Jobs. I do a bit each day and it is soon done. Our Xmas presents for family in Australia were sent yesterday. With 2 cards to USA it was $NZ68. Ouch. It is for my children and grandchildren though. Later today we are going tour local shopping centre (Mall) -Botany Town Centre - if it is not raining, to listen to and sing carols in the Market Square.

I wonder if it is mirror that makes me look bigger at times. Recently we were at my brother's city flat and I swear his door mirror made me look lighter than my dresser one. We had a lovely sit down in his courtyard area but also did some gardening and sweeping up of the area. He looked around and realised there was no BBQ for the summer and now there is one for the residents to use. He is a person who notices what needs to be done and does it. I can be the person who notices but I tend to pass it off to some-one else to do.

20th November 2013 109.7kgs today

I am slowing down on my weight loss but I have a plan to increase it again. I had lollies last week so this week I am keeping myself busy in a room further way from them. I am also working harder at the gym and going for walks as well. I am doing Nanowrimo and am behind on my word count so will spend more time on it till the end of the month (and keep my hand out of the lolly jar). I am going to set my time early on the alarm so I have longer at the gym. I have more strength and endurance now so when the alarm goes off for home time I don't want to. I have to though as I do it first thing in the morning and have to go to get my mother started on her day.

It may be weighing heavier as muscle is heavier than fat. That does not worry me too much as I can see the visible difference in fat folds disappearing off my body. I can see a waist forming again and my back/shoulders are straightening out. The arm wattle is improving. It is not worth losing weight just to replace it with large folds of loose skin so I am doing my bit to lessen that possibility. There is only so much that can be done as my skin has been stretched to the largest size for a long time. The shapewear available today will help under a dress though.

Craft wise I am keeping myself busy needlepointing a Xmas present for my brother of a sailing ship on the high seas so am putting in time each day. I have started knitting an Advent calendar as well. An other brother took me to Spotlight (a store that has a large craft section) and I got the new needlepoint, cottons for the new one and the tiger one, and some Xmas fabric (fat 1/4) to finish International Santa's I cross stitched many years ago and never finished into ornaments. All this hand-craft should keep my hands off food and help my weight loss journey.

Night meals have salads with them now. My bloods for the nutrition visit were good. I have managed to keep my proteins up cutting muscle loss and only 2 vitamins need a slightly larger help. The weather is warming up now. I have swapped my winter duvet for a summer weight one and taken the extra blanket off. I did the spring cleaning of the front and back areas of our place so about 1/2 through the spring cleaning I like to do before Xmas. I'll soon be into early baking. My Xmas cake is cooked. Within the next week it will be iced and out  on its new cake stand. Mum likes to offer it to visitors from the beginning of December onwards. I like the icing more than the cake as I have never been a fan of Fruit cake.

The last 2 photos are Mum and Myself at the KIP Xmas party and  the last one is a general view of the others there.

5 November 2013 Guy Fawkes Night in New Zealand 110.6 kgs today

Guy Fawkes Night in New Zealand is like the 4th of July fireworks displays. It commemorates a failed attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the House of Parliament in England in the 1600's. We are part of the British Commonwealth so it is a night that we let off fireworks (successfully usually). We used to make Guys (stuffed newspapers into old clothes) that we would throw on bonfires when I was a child. You could set one on a trolley and ask for a "Penny for the Guy". That doesn't really happen now. Fireworks are mostly done at big public displays but we can still buy our own fireworks to have our own parties. Some people are trying to get them banned for personal sale as there are always a few idiots who cause fires or hurt themselves by misusing their fireworks. I think we should remain entitled to our personal fireworks but have an age limit for the sales (enforceable) and make adults liable for keeping them safe from young idiots.

I MADE 110.9 kgs so another 10kg milestone in my weight-loss journey. Tomorrow I am buying me some silver earrings shaped like angel wings to commemorate it. My next goal is 100kgs, then 90, 80, and 70. I will then decide if I want to try for 65 kgs as an end weight. I will yell out loud when I hit 99.9kgs as I will be in the doubles then instead of the triples. It is getting closer and closer.

 



The gym is seeing me more frequently now. I am enjoying going as it is tightening up my abdominal and arm muscles. My legs are looking better and my ankles are becoming trimmer. My neck is thinner and that age wattle you can get is shrinking. I am happier looking into the mirror even now. When I get back from the gym I move more freely and get through my housework faster as I am energized already. I added another Kilo of weight on the machine today as it was feeling too easy. On the treadmill I can walk at 3.8kph more easily. I don't feel like I am going to slip off the back now.

 

As a woman I up the repetitions before I up the weights. I want strength without the bulk. Tightening muscles that have become lazy and floppy over the last couple of years is my aim. The day starts with the gym as I set my alarm, get up, dressed and off to the gym. When I get back an hour later it is time to get mum up and start the day. My back is moving more freely due to the exercise as well. I walk to the shops at least 3 times a week to take library books back or do the shopping. We do a big walk around the full shopping area at least once a week that means at least 7000 steps done then. Every bit helps.

 

I went to my niece's birthday party on the 26th October. It was her 30th birthday. She put on a fabulously decorated house, good food, good guests and good music. Food wise I had a spoonful of chicken, beef and potato salad. A few lollies snuck in but not many. 1 Southern Comfort and LP kept me sipping for the night. I did have a shot glass of Baileys Irish Cream. A few minutes later had a mild case of dumping, so no, I can't drink Baileys as it is probably too fatty. You learn something new every day. it is just a matter of trying something if you are not sure. A bad response means its off your list now. There was good air guitar action happening and you would be amazed who was dancing to death metal (the oldies as it had a good rhythm). Bohemian Rhapsody had everyone there singing lustily. Black light had parts of my costume glowing well. With black clothing and G-I-T-D skeletons and heads I was a Skeleton of my former self. A long black and white witches wig completed my outfit.

 

skeleton of my former self

niece and her PAPA-rat- azzi

111.6kgs last week