Another 0.5kg down

Woohoo, it is starting to get exciting now!

I saw Bob Greene on Oprah the other day saying there are two rules to weight loss and they are:

1. What you consume must be less than what you expend

2. What you do to make the first rule work eg not get boring, easy to follow for life.

So on that note I have thought about what makes it easier to eat less and excercise more - for me it is remembering to eat early in the day, the protein banana/berry smoothie is easy to make and easy to drink and stops me obsessing about food all day. Followed by an apple and then for lunch a healthy protein and salad sandwich on multigrain bread. Afternoon tea is a yoghurt or an orange and dinner is usually some sort of meat and lots of vegies or salad.

I always drink 2litres or more of water every day (have to for kidney stones) and I take a berocca every day too.

To help me excercise more I just need to be doing more on the treadmill. I do 2 x 90 mins at karate each week and need to be on the treadmill 30mins four times a week. I usually do this while watching Biggest Loser.

Happy 40th Birthday to Linda!

I hope you enjoyed your surprise party last night, it was lovely to see all of your friends and family who love you so much get together to celebrate your party. You looked so beautiful, I always think you look like a princess when you are happy!

So in other news - Four and a half weeks until karate grading - woohoo I am really looking forward to that, a huge milestone for me in my quest for fitness and weight loss.

About six hundred of baskets of ironing to get through so that is where I will be for the next few days...oh and working on the 50th wedding album for my aunty.

Then hopefully some real scrapbooking to follow in the next couple of weeks.

We have booked a few days away at Straddie just before Easter and the house has it's own private jetty so I am looking forward to fishing galore and lots of holiday photos to scrap.

A busy week...

I thought last week was busy doing a First Aid Course and my first stint as a relief Family Day Carer for my sister but this week has been manic.

Goodness knows what happened to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - Thursday I worked on my aunty's 50th wedding album gift with my Mum and then went to karate and had a fabulous class. I am getting better at sparring and had a go at rib kicks (roundhouse). I have been faithfully doing 30mins on my treadmill all week (except the days I have karate) and I am feeling fantastic. So much more energetic, my pants keep slipping down because they are getting too loose, eating well - I definitely find it easier to make better food choices when I am regularly exercising.

Re the Biggest Loser - this week I think Laura will go if the Blue Team is up or Munnalita or Courtney for the Red Team. I do remember reading that Marty is there for a while longer yet.

On weight loss...

I have a hormonal disorder (pcos) that can be the cause of so many health problems including infertility, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure - just to name a few. After going through infertility treatment for two years each for both of the boys and then a few years later being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I have now been diagnosed with high blood pressure and am now on medication for this. I read an article in the paper yesterday about type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure causing Chronic Kidney Disease. Since I have both of those things and my latest urine test showed protein I am even more determined than ever to get well and healthy. PCOS is an insidious disease. The insulin resistance makes weight loss so much harder and the symptoms of lethargy and sugar cravings make it hard to even try.

So what changed for me this time? How did I make that connection? It was simply starting karate lessons with the boys in January that changed everything. I had been feeling so stiff and sore after ironing six hours per day and then running around cooking meals, cleaning house, washing clothes, grocery shopping - I felt out of control and out of shape to deal with any of this.

I saw the boys at their karate lessons late last year doing leg circles and arm circles and it just clicked - even if I just did the stretching with them I would be more flexible and getting around would be easier. Little did I expect that it would snowball so much further from there. I loved it, I loved every single second of it. I practice at home and never miss a lesson. From there I bought a treadmill and started eating more fruits, vegetables and salads and less chocolates and biscuits and chips.

I am trying really hard to not get into the diet mindset of "all or nothing". The thinking that I have to be perfect or not bother at all. Instead I recognize that I am not perfect, never will be. But that I am happy and excited to try and eat better quality foods and exercise. I am starting to see results. My body shape is changing. I cope better with my work (ironing) and cope much better with household chores.

So my next things to look forward are:

Going for my first grading (karate belt) in six weeks - woohoo

Having more and more energy - start going for walks on weekends with the boys, more fishing, more camping, more picnics, more outings in general. (I usually dread camping).

Fitting into two pairs of shorts that are in my cupboad - they have never fit, always been two tight but now the button nearly does up

Buying some more new clothes (I never every buy new clothes - it is something I really dread, nothing ever fits or looks nice)

Making a really nice home-made sauce for our Thai stir-fry (I am not liking the bottled or packet sauces we have tried so far)

Having lower blood sugars and lower blood pressure.