102kgs (224.4lbs) on the 12th March 2014

I inch closer and closer to that double number in the kilos. SOON. I was last there in the 1990's - early 1990's - so am looking forward to that. I have had one perk up though. One of our local shops was selling last year's nightwear for $10 and I was about to buy the size 18's without checking. I pulled myself up and put it against my body. It went over my midline by an inch (2.5cms) on either side . Size 16 accompanied me home (YAY). I did not expect that to happen for a little while longer. They are comfortable to wear too. It has got cool at night a little earlier this year so I was pleased to have them. It will mean a lot more clothes to take out of my drawers and wardrobes when I do the summer-winter changeover of my clothing.


I did make it to double numbers in my waist measurements - 99 cms (39.6 inches)- which still leaves 25 cms to go on that measurement. It was 135 cms (54 inches) at the start of this journey (May 1013)so that is 36 cms (14.4 inches) gone. Below is the changes that have occurred in my measurements and a chart for a more visual representation.

Measurement changes from 2007 - 2014
	11/06/2007	12/03/2014
Weight kgs	127	102
BMI	43.8	35.3
Chest (inches)	55	49
Waist (inches)44.5	44.5	39
Hips (inches)	56	49
Neck (inches)	15.5	13.75
Shoulder (inches)	45.5	43
Rt upper arm	16.5	13
Lt upper arm	16.5	13
Rt lower arm	11	10
Lt upper arm	11	10
Rt thigh	29	23
Lt thigh	28.5	23
Rt calf	18.5	16.75
Lt calf	18	16.75
Dress size	26	16

2007 -2014 measurement changes

I find that my intensity in doing my work at the gym is improving as I get fitter and smaller. I managed 9kms in 20 minutes on the exercycle yesterday and originally it took me 22 minutes to do 8kms. My thighs let me know that they are working harder than they are used to doing. I accomplished it with some interval work. I like how my body is starting to feel as well. Yes, my upper arms still have a wattle, it is getting smaller. I have regained having a waist. I am no longer apple shaped. They say being apple shaped makes your possibility of having a heart attack go up so if I have gone back to being hourglass shape I may have lessened that risk. I am lessening my risk for stroke and diabetes too if doctors are correct. Now I just have to re-learn where my body actually is in physical space. I have got a few extra bruises from not realising where my body is and knocking myself against doors and their handles.

I saw my surgeon yesterday. She was happy with my progress so far. She suggested getting a little more protein in my diet by using, protein powders, shakes or bars. It is better for your body if this is kept within the normal range to lessen any risk to your body. Water wise I am closer to getting at least 1500mls in each day. I do find that I suddenly realise it has been quite a while since my last drink if I am involved in activities or a good book so I am trying to remember to reach my hand out for the glass near me. She suggested I use MyFitnessPal to keep an eye on my food intake to make sure it is balanced. I think you can also put in the exercise you do as well. I will check it out this week and get back to you as to how I liked it.

 



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.

103.6kgs on 23rd February 2014 - waistline under 100cms.

I may not have lost much weight lately but the measurements are changing. For the first time in many years my waistline is under 100cms, 99.8cms to be exact. It is a new milestone. I must find up my old diet and exercise diary to measure and compare with what I have been previously. I think it will be quite interesting to see the changes happening. I printed out a picture taken in November 2013 and one taken today in the same dress. My neck area is much more defined and my arms look a bit smaller. the dress hangs straight over my hips and gapes more under the arms. The only need for a brooch at the front is decoration now instead of being essential to stop my bra showing. The hemline is longer too as it does not have to stretch over the hips as much.

 

I attended a wedding of two gay friends on Friday. It had a theme of the Roaring '20's and almost everyone came in something that took notice of that theme. Even the guys played along. In fact it was a guy that won the cup for Best Costume with his whites, striped jacket and punting straw hat. They had fake gambling tables and I played my first games of Blackjack. If you won the most chips in your group of people your name went into a carton for a draw at the end of the evening for a prize ( a cup and a scale model Ferrari). I also got picked for the playoff but lost all my chips in the 3 games of Roulette that was the decider. A guy who had been last after the second game won it in the end. It was fun as people took on personas and enjoyed themselves. The 2 ladies involved are lovely ladies that have had a horrible couple of years recently and I hope this is the start of many years of love and joy. I chuckled when entering the area for their wedding as the Lounge was named the Delightful Ladies Lounge at our local Trots Track.

 

Food wise at the wedding I had 2 small slider Turkey mince burgers, NO CHIPS, and a selection of the fruit and cheese as dessert so it did not make my weight go up.

 

 

 

I am getting over my sore rib area from the fall I had a few weeks ago while out walking. I am slowly increase weights, reps and types of exercise I can do in the gym. I have not done many long walks around the area since but still do walks over and around the shopping area across the road. I have started using the exercycle, instead of the treadmill,l as I can do longer distances on it in the 20 minutes they let you use one piece of equipment. As I said earlier the weight is dropping slowly but the measurements are shrinking.



103.9kgs (228.58lbs) 0n 16th February 2014

Weight loss is slowing so I think I need to look at what I am eating and how often. I think it is the how often that may be tripping me up. I have decided to do more walking. I now go to the gym on alternate days and for a long walk on the days in between. On Tuesday, my second day of walking, I tripped over a slight rise in concrete for the rise of a driveway and hit the ground hard.

A visit to the doctor ensued as it became sorer as the day went on and I was a bit short of breath. It took me twice as long to walk to the doctor than it usually did. She sent me off for an X-ray as could not discount a fractured rib because of my signs and symptoms. That thankfully came back negative. I do have a good bruise over the area that remains very sore. I have Panadol and codeine morning and night and Panadol in the mid afternoon. This means I can breathe more deeply (to prevent pneumonia) and move more freely than I would be able to otherwise.

I have had to change some of the exercises I do in the gym - less weight, more repetitions - and some I just have to leave until I have healed. My change of mindset over the last few months has been from giving up entirely on exercise as I would have done previously to adapting my form of exercise and continuing on as I am doing now. This is a major mindset change for me. The amount of weight I have lost so far is similar to a bag of cement. Pick one of those up and think about doing everything every day carrying that. No wonder I feel freer and more energetic than I used to.

Life wise I have attended my nephew's wedding at the end of January and next Friday I attend the wedding of two friends. They are a gay couple and now that marriage is legal in NZ they are tying the knot. Come to NZ and get a legal marriage done in the most beautiful country on Earth (as all New Zealanders say it is). They  have had their trials and tribulations but have triumphed over them and I am looking forward to a fabulous evening. It has a Roaring Twenties theme so I shall be taking my camera. Photos next week of that

31/1/14 size 18 dress woohoo

front view 8/2/14

side view

8/2/14 104.5kgs

16/2/14 side view at gym

side view b

16/2/14 103.9kgs

the wedding party

Rotorua from Te Manu Lodge

 

The wedding was at Te Manu Lodge which is up in the hills overlooking the Adventure city of NZ and gave lovely background to everyone's photos during the ceremony. The dinner was in a marquee and the wedding was themed silver, cream and yellow (or gold). Lights sprinkled on wall behind the happy couple and along the roof where the dancing was held under. Lovely nibbles and drinks while waiting for the photos being done. A lovely roast meal including salads. Small amounts for me but that was all I needed. I swam daily in a thermally heated pool at the motel where we were staying.

 

Heated pool at motel



.

No weight change this week 105kgs

I went to the gym an extra day and walked each day- no change in weight. I need to check my diet, or exercise more. It could be a plateau though and maybe next week I shall have a good weight loss. I even managed to eat much less lollies and resisted temptation to eat food while out. These things are sent to try us. On the flip side my clothes are looser.

 

 

I was using the M2 multi-muscle group weight machine today when the cord that connects weights, etc together broke. I noticed the other day that there was something wrong with it and meant to tell the office that it needed replacement. I forgot to do so and now it is out of action till fixed. I might have to get on the exercycle till it is fixed. There are free weights so I can still do some weight training to help shape my body.

Another top that will soon go to a larger person. Another 2 kgs and it will feel uncomfortable. I had to remove a lovely pansy patterned top from the useful side today as that was just TOOOO BIG. I actually brought some lightweight leggings from a $2 dollar shop the other day to keep me going till I am lighter. Even a month ago that would have been unthinkable as it would not have fit. I love the Merric store in Botany as I fit their clothes, they are a reasonable price and they look good on. I like their bling rings too. They go to size 20 and the size 18 is a better fit. The size 20 is feeling loose now. I feel spoilt for choice. It is what colour and style suits me now, not the fact it does not fit so is a waste of time looking, as it used to be.

I am working my way through my bedroom, and flat, and getting rid of what is no longer needed or useful. Feng shui says this needs to be done to allow new life in and I think it is working.

This week's goals:

• gym x5
• frequent walks
• no lollies at all
• look at what I am eating and make sure it is right
• attend my nephew's wedding and have fun
• swim in the hot pool at the motel 2 times a day at least
• write in my journal daily
• post on Pinterest regularly including Gastric Sleeve board
• be here next Sunday to write this blog

To all those following; IT can be done and when it looks like stalling keep going for just another day (every day). Look how far I have come so far. 141kgs down to 105 kgs. I am feeling better already. My family is happier for me and my friends love it. Well done for your weight loss.

105kgs 18th January 2014

I'm back again. Summer can make your days busier. Mum and I spent some time at my brother's place, cat-sitting, while he went to Tauranga for 5 days holiday. The first day there both of us kept dozing off for some reason. Maybe we have been busier than we thought. The second day it was a wet and horrible day so we read and watched TV. The third day we went for a long walk up hill and down dale from my brother's place to the local King's Plant Barn.

We wandered around and looked, had afternoon tea at the café there and came home with a cream dahlia and some apricot carnations. It was nice wandering amongst green, growing plants. We also went to the fruit shop next door. They had plums at a good price so we got them and I made 4 1/2 jars of homemade jam a couple of days ago. It is lovely and we had to have some that day on toast for lunch. Our way home had had its own dramas. I suggested Mum cross the road at a different place and where she went didn't have the proper lower curb. Her mobility scooter stalled and I ended having to give her a push to get going. Cars were having to go around her for a bit but luckily there was a place off the road not too far away. Made Mum look a bit like a ditzy old lady. We survived.

The fourth day we did a lot of gardening. We weeded, trimmed and disbudded galore. The garden looked so much better but I left 6 bags of rubbish for my brother to get rid of afterwards. He is used to that. We do that each time we go over. I had no gym there so did extra cleaning to get some exercise. The gym has seen me more often since getting back and I have done some good walks too. The excess Xmas weight has gone and I am 105kgs now. My waist measurement is just over 100 cms so have now lost 35 cms on my waist. I still have almost that again to get back to the waist measurement I had as a young adult. I used to be 36-27-37 (in inches) in my late teens, early twenties. It is a good decrease though.

We have been into the swimming pool on site a few times but it remains rather chilly. It is one way to get you started on doing your exercises though as that is the only way to warm up enough to stay in the pool. Now if young kids could refrain from jumping almost on top of us and their parents would not tell them to just ignore us when we politely pointed out the sign (saying NO jumping, running or rough housing) on the fence, it might have been more enjoyable. I must sound like a crabby person at times as I also insisted that the renter upstairs remove her car so Mum and I could actually get her mobility scooter out so we could go to the shops the other day. I was a bit niggled as I had asked her politely to leave the space free on two days during the week (Monday and Friday). They have another car-park for their use so it is not too much of an imposition. Anyway that is off topic.

The exercise in the pool is good to do as I feel more stretched and relaxed afterwards. Taller even as my back muscles are more relaxed. The gym is having an effect and I am feeling muscles under a much smaller layer of fat. I moved my leg the other day and even my mother saw the sharp calf definition. Straight on my arms look slim but they are still large viewed from the side (not as large though). Each week is a week closer to a much smaller body and each day the my exercise is done and the diet is followed ( damn those chocolates that go down so easily) is a good day. Xmas junk has a lot to answer for as it takes a little while to get back to the no-chocolate mindset. Sugar really is an addiction that can niggle in your mind for appeasement but we are getting it behind us again. Doing things helps.

THINGS I DO TO KEEP AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE;

• exercise
• drink water
• do housework
• do handcrafts (knitting, embroidery)
• read a really good book (one that you really hate to put down as it means coming back to the real world)
• walking to the library to get that good book (exercise done too)
• hide it out of view
• don't have it in the house
• don't buy it while at the shops

Some of the tops I got at Xmas are getting looser. Yay. I brought a dress on Friday. It has been a long time since I last brought a dress. For a number of years I have had to get separates as my breasts have been too large to fit the top of a dress and still have the dress look right. Even better it is a size 18 and it was on sale before Xmas for $69.95 down from $99.95 and I got it for $39.95. I love getting a good bargain. I got a lovely veiled fascinator hat for $1.00 and shoes for $19.00. I love that sort of shopping. They are for my nephew's wedding and I even got the present cheaper. We only have 2 weeks to go so I was glad to do everything in one trip.

 

 

I love the hyacinth blue colour of the top and the pattern seems to give more shape to my body. Well keep on with your personal journey and I will be more diligent in sharing mine again. I'll be back next week. Hopefully exercised enough to drop 1-2 kilos or more. 105kgs=231lb, 100cms=40in and my waistline had snuck up to 54 inches. I have 13 inches to go(another 30.5cms). We will get there.

106.5 kgs before Xmas but have gone up slightly

Christmas has caused some weight gain but not as much as I usually would have. The food and chocolates are a killer but I have been back to the gym twice this week. I think if I had taken the time to go to the gym each day I would not have gained anything. Exercise definitely helps with the diet. I will let you know how quickly I can get back on to the losing weight slope.

I feel better already just with the 2 gym sessions in the last 3 days. I gave myself excuses like I was up too late last night to go this early this morning, too much to do today to go now, I don't want to get up. That was what they were. Excuses. I will take that on board, own it and not let it happen again. I also did not keep up with this blog and used the same excuses. I did not want to admit to myself and you that I was being self-indulgent.

A NEW YEAR AND A NEW WAY TO LIVE, LEARN AND LOVE ME. They say you have to love yourself before you let others love you. I also find I can love others as I no longer obsess about how fat I am. I am becoming more visible to people as my size diminishes. That is quite funny in many ways as I used to take up more space but a lot of people would gloss over the fact you were there. They would get out of your way if you were walking towards them but in shops (especially dress shops) you could be invisible.

I feel better today after my exercise and my housework goes faster when I get back as my body is already in moving mode. My upstairs neighbour who has already lost all her excess weight with a lap band gave some of her favourite clothes that she will never need again. A red top with black frog closures my mother could fit went to her but I scored a purple Country Road jacket coat with a lovely pattern at the top, a red velvet top that barely came off my back for the first 3 days and other assorted tops. Only one top has to wait a little longer before I can wear it.

We had a good but quiet Xmas with family and friends. I phoned my kids and their family in Australia on Xmas Day and had a talk with them. On the 29th December I turned 60. It is funny how a number can make you feel slightly different. Then I thought you are only as old as you fell and I feel 30 so there. New Year's Eve was a quiet night at home with my brother and mother but it was a good night. We talked about all sorts of things. We saw the New Year in and saw some of the local fireworks. Maybe next year we will go into town again like we did in 2012. This year, 2014, will be a brilliant year.

MYGOALS FOR THIS YEAR ARE:

1. Reach 63 kgs before my daughters wedding
2. Be as fit and firm as I can make myself
3. Use the gym at least 4times per week or more
4. Walk on most days whether it is a short walk or a long one
5. Get to the swimming pool more often summer and winter
6. Dispose of my fat clothes
7. Find what clothes suit me and get them
8. Reward my 10 kgs weight loss goals with something permanent not food
9. Save the money for the Australia trip: plane, spending money and wedding help money
10. Clear my knitting wool stash before I get any more
11. Finish my Lighthouse Adventure YA book
12. Write another book - paranormal romance
13. Blog each week
14. Keep up my Pinterest pages
15. Do the cross stich on my brother's linen table clothe
16. Scrapbook my life and my girl's lives
17. Write what I know of my daughter Rebecca's life to remind her of what it was like
18. Be able to write in 2015 that all our family is still alive and well as they are today at the beginning of 2014
19. Become more social with people outside family group
20. Use the buses more often to go to other areas around us
21. Be able to tick all these at year's end

The 4th picture is me as the top looked last year, the 1st picture is the same top this year. Definitely a smaller body in this year's pic. I might keep that top for a while and take a photo each Xmas to show weight loss and that I keep it off.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY 2014 BE YOUR BEST YEAR EVER EVERYONE