Finally Getting Fit

Yeah, I’m even using all caps, which I hate with a passion.

Anyway, things are still not going well. While I have the chance, you can find me at The New Australian until I get a fitness blog relocated and/or until things get sorted here.

This is probably more true than we’d like to admit.

————-

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1960 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.
2007 - Police are called, Armed Response Unit arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. Mobiles with video of fight confiscated as evidence. They are charged with assault, ASBOs are taken out and both are suspended even though Johnny started it. Diversionary conferences and parent meetings conducted. Video shown on 6 Internet sites.

Scenario: Jeffrey won’t sit still in class, disrupts other students.

1960 - Jeffrey is sent to the principal’s office and given 6 of the best. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Counselled to death. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADHD. School gets extra funding because Jeffrey has a disability. Drops out of school.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbour’s car and his Dad gives him the slipper.

1960 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college,and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mum has an affair with the psychologist. Psychologist gets a promotion.

Scenario: Mark, a college student, brings cigarettes to school.

1960 - Mark shares a smoke with the school principal out on the smoking area.
2007 - Police are called and Mark is expelled from School for drug possession. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Mohammed fails high school English.

1960 - Mohammed retakes his exam, passes and goes to college.
2007 - Mohammed’s cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for
Graduation is racist. Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against state school system and his English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Mohammed is given his qualification anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model plane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.

1960 - Ants die.
2007 - MI5 and police are called and Johnny is charged with perpetrating acts of terrorism. Teams investigate parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny’s dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls during break and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.

1960 - Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Becomes gay.

Thirteen Reasons I’m Looking Forward to the Doctor

1. I feel better than ever. There is nothing like going in for an assessment knowing that you are doing heaps better than you were the last time around.

2. Being told I don’t have to go on metformin. Yeah, I know I don’t have to, but I’m so looking forward to hearing it; to hearing that I’ve found something that beats the bloody PCOS weight loss stall.

3. Getting blood tests. Yeah, blood tests cost and they are a pain in the arse, but I am looking forward to getting them. I want to see how much everything has improved after taking off so many pounds.

4. A trip to inner Melbourne. That’s just plain hard to beat.

5. Seeing my dietitian. She is just an awesome, totally supportive lady. She never makes me feel bad about what I haven’t done; she just encourages me to improve.

6. Seeing my doctor and dietitian having lost weight. Yay! I didn’t think meal replacement would be as successful as it has been. I’m looking forward to what they have to say.

7. Clearer directions on where to go from here. I have heaps more weight to lose - I’m not even halfway to my goal weight yet - but I’m hoping we can start working on other things like improving my fertility and getting me off The Pill. (Yes, I’m back on. I had to unless I wanted to face another round of progesterone. No thanks.)

8. Talk about concerns. As it’s a check in, it’s a prime time to talk about any concerns I have. I don’t have heaps of questions, but I do have some things I’m eager to talk to them about.

9. The official weigh-in. I go by my own scales, of course, but it will be nice to see how I am going according to their scales.

10. Free samples? Hehe. I got a few free meal replacements before, and I’m not above accepting more.

11. Seeing all the preggy ladies. Yeah, I know, but they’re so cute wandering around with their huge bellies.

12. Having the dietitian right when I need her. I’m moving on to the next ‘phase’ of the diet and the timing comes together wonderfully. I can ask her about the foods I’m thinking about incorporating back into my diet.

13. Just because. I ran out of reasons.

***While the original site has been and gone, there is a new site for Thursday Thirteen! Woohoo!

If you’d like to join in with your own Thursday Thirteen - whether or not it’s health related - please leave a link to your list in the comments. I’d love to check it out.

Check out my other Thursday Thirteen at Write Anyway

About the Book

Are you like most people? You’ve got a busy and full life, a successful career, friends and family, and yet, for some reason, you feel like something’s missing.

Do you find yourself wondering, “Is this as good as it gets?”

Many of us feel this way. We long to be more alive and present in our lives, more in touch with ourselves, and closer to those we love. Yet no matter what we do, we can’t seem to get there.

But, no more!

Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want shares with you my proven four-step approach to overcoming fear and connecting more deeply with yourself and others.

The Long Version

In the beginning of Living Like You Mean It, Dr. Frederick talks about a ‘feelings spectrum’ with people who feel too much at one end and people who have a feelings phobia at the other end. Given that this book is meant for people who want to deal with their feelings phobia, I was convinced that I fell on the ‘feel too much’ side of the spectrum and thus didn’t have anything to learn from this book.

Boy was I wrong.

In this book, Dr. Frederick takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolution of our feelings – starting at birth. Before I knew it, I found myself examining my reactions to things as well as my lifetime habits. Let me tell you – I have discovered the roots of a lot of behaviors.

Behaviors is one of the big reasons I decided to post this review here. As a recovering binge eater, learning about my behavior and thoughts towards food - as well as where it all stems from - has helped me incredibly to get past my issues and fears.

The thing I appreciated most about this book is that Frederick doesn’t preach to you. The feeling is almost like he is just as fascinated as the readers are at all of this, so you feel like you’re talking to a comrade rather than being drilled like a teacher. His conversational and friendly tone always made me feel comfortable.

The Short Version

I highly recommend this book. Even if you think you don’t need this book, you may be surprised at what you can learn from it.

***
Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want
By Dr. Ronald J. Frederick
http://www.livinglikeyoumeanit.com/
ISBN: 978-0-470-37703-1
Length: 208 Pages

Between the technical difficulties (I shall say no more so I can keep my job) and everything else that has been going on in my life this past week, I have fallen a little bit behind in posting. I would usually shrug it off, but – and I hate to admit this – this is how I earn my income. So please, please forgive the tiny flood of posts about to come your way.

As you have probably noticed, we’re having a few technical difficulties around the network right now. Very few of us (only me and one other person that I know of) are able to log into our blogs right now. So if you’re wondering why things are quiet right now, that’s why.

This is the only one of my blogs I can get into (thanks to my husband), so I figured I would jump on and let you know that whenever something happens, you can always find me at The New Australian.

On to the check in!

It’s ticker time…

If you had told me at the beginning of this year that this was going to be the year I would see the weight loss I’d always been dreaming of, I would not have believed you. Lo and behold, here I am.

I haven’t been anywhere near perfect over this past week and things are bound to get interesting as my birthday gets closer, but I’m not thinking about that. I’m thinking about forty pounds. Forty pounds gone.

It sounds so incredibly lovely. Gone, gone, gone.

I’m excited about my doctor’s appointment late next week. I’m wondering what their reactions are going to be when I step on the scale. I wonder if I’m going to look that much different to them.

I’ve been thinking about getting a new pretty top just so I can make a bit of a grander entrance, but I might hold off, seeing as I bought a new top not too long ago.

Lovely, lovely times. Now if we could just figure out what’s going on with the blogs…

I hope you all are doing well!

You know how it works – MM is my tribute to my love of receiving mail (or is it just my loathing of an empty mailbox?).

Every Monday I will post my question for you to answer on your blog. You then come back here and leave a link to where you’ve posted your answer so we can all get to know each other.

Easy peasy. Wanna play?

This week’s question:

As you have probably figured out by now, I put mental health at as high (if not a bit higher) of an importance as physical health. Many of us who struggle with our weight have the seeds of such behaviors planted in our minds - often from quite an early age.

Mental health is something that is a big problem these days (just look at road rage or how many parents can’t stand up to their spoiled brat children) and yet it is too often overlooked - despite the fact that good mental health can solve so many problems.

I’m wondering…

What makes you happy?

Remember to leave a link to your answer in the comments!

(If you have any question suggestions for MM, I’d be happy to hear them! I don’t promise to use all suggestions, but I do promise to read them. Thanks!)

Previous Questions:

Read the rest of this entry »

Pinched from Hanlie

1) Are your parents married or divorced?
Married, the last time I heard. I wouldn’t be surprised if they now don’t ‘believe in’ divorce.

2) Are you a vegetarian?
Ha. At the moment, I’m as close as I ever will be, but I love meat too much to ever go all the way.

3) Do you believe in Heaven?
That would really depend which concept of heaven you’re talking about.

4) Have you ever come close to dying?
Yes.

5) What jewelry do you wear?
A silver necklace with two ankhs on it is almost always around my neck. I always have a stud in my nose. My wedding ring on my finger.

Other accessories come and go as the mood strikes.

6) Favorite time of day?
Sunset

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
Yeah… Why wouldn’t you?

Do you wear makeup?
Rarely. My skin is entirely too sensitive for me to wear it more than just every once in a while.

9) Ever have plastic surgery?
Nope.

10) Do you color your hair?
I used to, but I stopped when I was told you can’t donate coloured hair.

11) What do you wear to bed?
To bed? Pajamas. In bed? Nothing.

12) Have you ever done anything illegal?
Of course. Hasn’t everyone?

13) Can you roll your tongue?
Oh yeah.

14) Do You tweeze your eyebrows?
Occasionally. I wish I could go get them waxed.

15) What kind of sneakers?
The kind that fits my feet…

16) Do you still own vinyl?
Vinyl what?

17) What is your hair color?
Dark brown.

18) Future child’s name?
I think that’s something that will be discussed when we figure out if I can get pregnant or not…

19) Do you snore?
Nope.

20) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
To a house bought and paid for, owned by me and my husband.

21) Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
Nah, pillows are good.

22) If you won the lottery?
House. Clothes. Car. World Trip.

23) Gold or silver?
Silver

24) Hamburger or hot dog?
Australian hamburger, thank. Everything else is not worth the calories.

25) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
SUSHI!

26) City, beach or country?
Country. Preferably by mountains.

27) What was the last thing you touched?
My mouse.

28) Where did you eat last?
Right here at my desk. I had some grapes and strawberries.

29) When’s the last time you cried?
About a month ago.

30) Do you read blogs?
All the time. I love blogs.

31) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
I do quite a bit. Guys’ clothes are more comfy most of the time. HAHA.

32) Ever been involved with the police?
Nah, they’re a bit too straight and narrow for my tastes.

33) What’s your favorite shampoo, conditioner and soap?
I don’t really have favourites, though I do use Dove soap because they don’t put bloody laurel sulfate in there.

34) Do you talk in your sleep?
I’ve been told I do. In different languages, even.

35) Ocean or pool?
Ocean.

36) What’s your favorite song?
And so it Goes - Billy Joel

37) What is your favorite color(s)?
Green, blue, purple

39 Ever met anyone famous?
Met in person? Famous authors, yes. On the net, some other famous authors. I’ve met some bands and musicians, too, but not beyond the ‘hello, sign this, on your way’.

40) Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
I don’t think I have lived long enough to give an answer to that.

41) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
I’m a twirler.

42) Ricki Lake or Oprah?
Neither.

43)Basketball or Football?
Aussie footy.

44) How long do your showers last?
Longer than I do.

45) Automatic or do you drive a stick?
I don’t drive these days, but I drove an automatic in the States.

46) Cake or ice cream?
Ice cream.

47) Are you self-conscious?
Usually.

48) Have you ever drank so much you threw up?
No, but I’ve drank so much I *wanted* to throw up.

49) Have you ever given money to a tramp?
Not that I know of.

50) Have you been in love?
Still am.

51) Where do you wish you were?
In that house I mentioned before…

52) Are you wearing socks?
Nope.

53) Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
No, and I don’t intend to.

54) Can you tango?
I wish.

55) Last gift you received?
Pens! Lovely pens from my husband.

56) Last sport you played?
Frisbee in the park a couple weeks back.

57) Things you spend a lot of money on?
Travel.

58) Where do you live?
On Earth.

59) Where were you born?
See above.

60) Last wedding attended?
My wedding a couple years back.

61) Favorite alcoholic drink?
Hmmm. Hard to pick just one. I do like a Smirnoff, but a grasshopper with creme de cacao added in really hits the spot sometimes. On a hot summer day? Gin and tonic.

62) What did you do last weekend?
I can’t really remember. That’s kind of sad. Hmm. Bloody. I can’t think at the moment.

63) Most hated food(s)?
Most things with “in a can” or “on a stick” as their main selling points.

64) What’s your least favorite chore?
Probably dusting or doing the dishes.

65) Can you sing?
Of course I can sing. Singing well is something else entirely.

66) Last person you instant messaged?
Not a clue. I haven’t IMd for a long time.

67) Last place you went on holiday?
Western Victoria

68) Favorite regular drink?
Water

69) Current crush?
????

I hardly know where to start this check in…

For the first time in at least five years – probably more like six or seven – I am in the 220s. I’m only just stepping in, but I am there.

I’m a bit gobsmacked about the whole thing, to be honest, but I am so glad that my ‘rededication’ to the plan has paid off this week. My paranoid side was trying to convince me that since I had indulged and gained a couple pounds, suddenly the whole thing wasn’t going to work anymore.

Yeah, not very sane, but you know how it goes…

My husband ‘snuck’ into my blog and posted about our walk this past weekend. I feel so awesome about the walk. I think the husband is starting to get nervous because I’m just a few kilos away from equaling him in weight… Of course, he’s a good five inches taller than me so he will still look fitter than me. But hey, maybe it’ll be a motivator for his fitness. Hehe.

I’m not sure I’m going to make my goal, but I am going to give it all I have. I know that even if I walk in at my current weight, it will still qualify as a fantastic loss.

Who would have thought I would ever look forward to a doctor’s appointment? Truth be told, I’m looking forward to impressing my dietician more. Haha. She’s an awesome lady.

I do plan on getting a lot of questions answered at the doctor, but more of that in the future.

How are you going?

You know how it works – MM is my tribute to my love of receiving mail (or is it just my loathing of an empty mailbox?).

Every Monday I will post my question for you to answer on your blog. You then come back here and leave a link to where you’ve posted your answer so we can all get to know each other.

Easy peasy. Wanna play?

This week’s question:

This past weekend, my husband and I went on a long walk that we have done a few times since I’ve lived here. Every time we’ve done it, I have been exhausted by about halfway through, if that. Now, thirty-six pounds down, it was still a workout, but it was so awesome.

Not only did I power through the whole thing while bitching away to my husband about some things that are frustrating me, I kept up a fast enough pace that my husband was a bit winded! Woohoo!

Walking at a pace that gives my husband a workout has long been a goal of mine. I’m looking forward to getting even faster.

I’m wondering…

List five things you want for your future that will be helped by getting fit.

Remember to leave a link to your answer in the comments!

(If you have any question suggestions for MM, I’d be happy to hear them! I don’t promise to use all suggestions, but I do promise to read them. Thanks!)

Previous Questions:

Read the rest of this entry »

Today JM and I went for a walk. It dawned as one of those special days Melbourne can put on in the middle of winter, clear blue sky, slightly chilled breeze and a pleasant 14º - in short, a great day to be out and about.

A few years back, when JM first came to Australia, we had to renew her visa so we headed to New Zealand for a holiday. Among other places we visited during a lovely time touring around, was Tauranga a seaside town near Rotorua, a place of sulphur springs (think fart smells) and geysers.

At Tauranga there is a hill out on a point sticking out into the ocean – it’s maybe 350 metres high with a walking track that winds around one side to the top. JM struggled her way to the top, resting when things got too tough, but showing amazing determination – a number of times I assured her she had shown her willingness to strive and that we could head back down knowing she had done a very good thing in getting as far as she did. As usual she was concerned about what I would think of her but I assured her I was already impressed at what she had achieved.

We got to the top; I don’t think I’ve seen anyone ever so proud of themselves. (which brought up a childhood religious issue about being chastised for being proud of things she had done – I explained that pride in achievement is NOT what the bible was talking about)

So, today we set off on a casual walk, no plans for power walk or anything special, just out and about to enjoy the day.

I was quite astonished at how easily she was able to walk at a decent pace. Mind you, she has been improving steadily in pace and stamina over the years we’ve spent together – the gym work and exercises she has been doing have worked wonders. But the difference that’s come from carrying 36lbs less than her normal weight was pretty startling.

Soon I will have to start getting fitter to be able to maintain her pace – up till now, an exercise walk with her has been little more than a stroll for me.

JM is amazing!

Mr. JM here…

A little while back JM found her path to losing weight. After years of trying that included sabotaged ‘diet’ blitzes in the US, she tried further once she came to Australia. While several times she managed to lose a couple of kilos, mostly it would go straight back on.

And a number of those times were when she broke the successful actions and binged on things bad for her.

So it was depressing for her to consider keeping on but she kept coming back to her reasons for wanting to lose weight – we’d like to have children and the idea that she would be either too overweight to become pregnant or to be able to share her time with growing kids was the best incentive for getting back on the treadmill… so to speak.

Although she did get on the treadmill too. She entered into a contract with a local gym and attended at least 3 times a week for almost a year. I was most impressed! There was some weight loss but it plateaued early – she kept on, getting out of bed early enough to hitch a ride with me as I went to work. Anyone who knows JM would realise that is a sign of dedication.

So recently I was very happy when she found two things that seemed to help her get into a weight-reduction mode while staying healthy. One is EFT, although that seems to have been dropped by the side of the road now and the other was a food replacement program. It seems structured well, with an ‘intensive’ phase to get some weight off reasonably quickly, then a tapering back into a more normal eating pattern.

Across the period of the phases, she is learning to like things healthy for her, to enjoy vegetables for their taste and to reduce the amount she eats.

And the looming threat…? Well, I am a bit overweight myself. After years of being reasonably in shape, I started a job where I began eating lunch regularly and where they have pretty regular morning tea celebrations for birthdays, new starters and a variety of other reasons.

My wife has always weighed considerably more than I do, and now she is approaching my weight at a fairly swift pace – soon I am going to have to do something about my weight or suddenly I will be the one with the weight problem!

Thirteen Reasons I’m So Ready for the Weekend

1. Even if I can’t go on holiday just yet, that just means I appreciate the weekends all the more.

2. The last week of July has Monday through Friday. This means that my usual ‘busiest weekend of the month’ isn’t as busy because I have more time next week to get things settled for next month.

3. The husband is going on a business trip on Monday. It’s not supposed to be an overnight, but it could very easily turn into one. I’m going to cuddle and all that good stuff this weekend.

4. Building Rome! I love computer games, and I have a new one I’ve been playing where you’re building areas of Rome. Love it.

5. Shopping. I still have a reward to buy and the husband wants things to, so shopping time!

6. Who doesn’t like the weekend?

7. I’m not quite as stressed as I was, but I’m definitely not relaxed.

8. Sleep. Sleeeeeep.

9. Catching up on blogs. I have a reader, but even that doesn’t give me time to read when I’m busy.

10. Work of love. I have a non-fiction book I am working on that I intend to put out as an ebook. So, while it is work, it’s something I’m enjoying working on.

11. Sunshine. It’s still winter here in Australia, but we’re getting some sunshine this weekend. I’ll take whatever I can get.

12. Movies. There are some movies I haven’t gotten around to watching yet.

13. Working less (in general) for two days. Aaaah.

***While the original site has been and gone, there is a new site for Thursday Thirteen! Woohoo!

If you’d like to join in with your own Thursday Thirteen - whether or not it’s health related - please leave a link to your list in the comments. I’d love to check it out.

Check out my other Thursday Thirteen at Write Anyway

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings
101 Stories of Gratitude, Fortitude, and Silver Linings

This follow-on book to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People continues Chicken Soup for the Soul’s focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for — whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. Power outages and storms, health scares and illnesses, job woes and financial insecurities, housing challenges and family worries test us all. But there is always a silver lining. The simple pleasures of family, home, health, and inexpensive good times are described.

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. They should not have been previously published by Chicken Soup for the Soul or other major publications.

Here are a few suggested topics:

This book is in the process of being completed and will go to the printer in September for publication in October! It is a featured Chicken Soup for the Soul title for Christmas 2009. The deadline for submissions is soon, so if you can submit quickly you have a better chance than normal of being chosen.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoupforthesoul.com/form.asp?cid=submit_story.

DEADLINE IS MONDAY AUGUST 3rd. THANK YOU!

I am both happy and annoyed at my latest non-scale victory.

My wedding rings are now too big for me to wear.

Haha. When I started losing weight, I never thought about my rings or about how I’d need to get them resized eventually. The thought never crossed my mind. But now my rings have gone from ‘a little lose’ on my ring finger to the point I refuse to wear them because I’m so afraid I’ll lose them.

I wear one of the rings on my middle finger of my left hand and the other one on the ring finger of my opposite hand (one is smaller than the other), but it feels a bit weird doing it that way.

I’m thinking of getting a replacement cheap ring for the time being part of my latest reward. I haven’t picked up my new pajamas yet, so I could just stick it on, right?

I would just get them resized now, but I’m still about sixty pounds away from my goal weight, so I’m sure that what will fit now will be too big then. I’d rather do it just the once, even though it will be weird to be without my true wedding bands for so long…

I might give in and get them resized sooner, but not quite yet. The funny thing is I had to get them both resized when I bought them because they weren’t big enough!

It’s so nice to have a non-scale victory to talk about. I love supporting other people with their NSVs, but I don’t think I give enough attention to my own.