103kgs (226.6lbs) on 4th March 2014

I have started on the downward trend again. Yay. I decided that there may have been a number of factors in the fact that I plateaued for the last few weeks. They may be:

• Lower intensity in the gym because of my sore ribs
• Taking pain killers slowed down some bodily functions
• I ate a bit more and I try to say that was due to the pills but probably not
• A natural plateau that your body can reach during a weight loss journey

I am no longer sore so am back doing my full range of exercises; including ones (stationary cycle and gym ball squats) that I started when sore. My gym work now takes about an hour ten minutes. Yesterday I brought a book put out by Michelle Bridges called "crunch time - lose weight fast and keep it off.". She is one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser - Australia. She is the Aussie equivalent of Jillian: in your face and lets you get away with no bullshit, but really wants you to succeed for your own joyful slimmer life. The book itself goes through the mental, physical and nutrition parts of how to lose weight and keep it off. I mainly got it to try the new exercises but the rest looks very interesting. I shall read through it fully and put into practice what I learn from it. Every little bit of learning helps. It took a long time, and a lot of things happening in my life, to put the weight on.

I want this joyful journey to be one that is on-going for the rest of my life. I want to hit 100 years and still be at the gym doing weights and other exercises. That would p... of a few people that have known me throughout my life. Research has shown though that even a very elderly person who takes up weight training and other forms of exercise improves their life. I do a bit more exercise that helps with my core muscles. My large bust makes me a bit top heavy so if I get out of balance I will topple more easily. The core exercises give me enough abdominal strength so that it does not happen so easily now. Saying that, I was trimming our little box hedge the other day and stepped back to put the bits in a rubbish bag. I destabilized on the base of our outside umbrella and toppled over. My left buttock and left arm ended up a bit bruised. Nothing broke, thank goodness. Arnica ointment helped keep the bruising to a minimum and quickly got rid of the few that did appear.

I read a lot and I go through books quickly so most days I take a walk to the library to take back what I finished overnight and ones my mum has finished too. It is a bit of extra exercise that ramps up calorie use and gets me away from food that I might be tempted to nibble on otherwise. It gives my elderly mother space to have her afternoon nap without being disturbed too so wins all round.

I have brought some new winter nighties to replace my very large old ones. I now fit size 16 instead of size 26 so I have reached one of my goals. I will be even happier when I lose a bit more weight and they get closer to my knees. They fit comfortably though and it is a major milestone in my mind. I was happy to reach size 18 but 16 is even better. I may yet reach size 12. Today's size 12 is what used to be size 14 when I was younger but I will take it either way when I reach that. A friend gave me some of her clothes that she had grown too small for in her weight loss journey. When she first gave them to me I could not get into some of the pants, now my favourite pair is getting a bit too loose. I may have to sew up the side seams on those as I really like them.

 

 The top photo is an earlier one so I am showing some improvement. What I liked the other day, when I was sitting in the weight exercise machine, was that for the first time since I started using it my whole back was up against the back support- from top to bottom. That has not happened before as my spine has a bit of curvature due to my large bust and the combined weight therein. I am losing from the top down as a lot of people do (and from the feet up) and the benefits are finally showing in my body. I know I still have a long way to go but I celebrate every little victory on the way. It is a way of me learning to love myself and my body again. It helps. Good luck on your joyful journey too.