Amazing Sunrises and Sunsets

I have witnessed some beautiful sunrises and sunsets in the last couple of weeks.  Really just beautiful, so I thought I would share.  All photos are taken on my iphone, nothing high tech.

Sunrise one morning.  iPhone5, no filters

Sunset, no filters, this is the colour the sky was!  Gorgeous

A close up of the previous photo.  

Another magnificent Sunset, no filters, this is the colour the sky was.

Stunning skies!

I OvercameTemptation Torture

For the last two weeks I have had a number of occasions that have been temptation torture!  I am happy to say that not once have I given in to temptation.  I don't know how on earth I did it, but I did.  I did not even lick my fingers!

Now I will give a WARNING!!!! at this time.
READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK.  
Disclaimer:  The post below does contain photos of mouthwatering deliciousness! 

Once last week and once this week I have had to make large quantities of Oreo pops.  I have then had to go to the fetes that I have made them for and had to sell them and not only them, whole tables of home made cakes, cupcakes, cookies, fudge, lollies (candy), donuts and much more.  I have had to smell the BBQ and all of the sausages being cooked.  Whilst at these fetes I have had to watch other people wandering around eating their sausages, their ice creams, my Oreo pops and all of the cakes etc.  Again, not once did I have anything!

For the fete yesterday as a prize I also had to provide a very large jar of lollies.  I had to buy an enormous jar, I had to go to the store and stock up on massive bags of lollies, snakes, milk bottles, teeth etc and fill the jar.  Then look at it sitting there for a week, waiting for the fete!  I did not have one lolly, not one!   I then had to provide prizes for my son's stall.  I had to buy boxes of chocolates and bags of mixed lollies.  I went and bought those had have had to look at those for a week, just desperate to hop into the box and have just one block of Milky Bar - Cookies and Cream chocolate.  But no, I didn't.

Then came the two occasions that I had to make Oreo Pops.  The first batch I made 55 and the second batch (that I made on Thursday)  I made 120.  Now on Thursday, making my 120 Oreo Pops, this took me 8 hours!  I had 8 hours of breaking open Oreos (THAT I LOVE), dipping a stick in melted white chocolate (that smelt SO good) and placing the stick in the middle of the cookie.

Oreo Pops now on with sticks, ready for dunking.

Then I had the joy of melting 8 bags of choc melts over the day, yes 8 bags, that once melted just looked and smelt divine.   I could have just drunk the whole jug, straight up!  But I didn't.  I then had to dunk the biscuits in this warm melted chocolate.

Dunking the Oreo Pop in melted chocolate, YUM

I then decorated them in cute little characters, flowers and hundreds and thousands.

My decoration station

Oreo Pops with sport and jungle animal decorations

Oreo Pops with cute flower decorations

Oreo Pops with hundred and thousands sprinkles

I then wrapped each individual Oreo Pop in a little plastic bag and tied it with ribbon.

Oreo Pops, wrapped and ribboned ready for the fair

Oreo Pops wrapped and ribboned for the fair

And here they are... On sale at one of the fetes, all ready for little boys, girls, ladies and gentlemen to munch on.  They were at HUGE success at both events.

Oreo Pops on display in a large polystyrene block

Oreo Pops on display in a large polystyrene block

So after the last two weeks of temptation, the masses of Oreo Pops that I have made, I still have never tried one.  I don't actually know if they are any good.  Everyone was saying they were, people kept coming back for more.  Some people were buying lots to take home with them after trying one, so they must have been ok.

But for me,  I am 100% focused on getting rid of my weight and becoming healthy, so for now, it's no Oreo Pops for me.  But boy did they smell good!

Weekly Weigh In

I haven't had great results for the last couple of weigh ins.  I haven't gained any weight, but have only lost 300 grams and 400 grams in the last two weigh ins.

Well this Wednesday I was absolutely thrilled with my 1.1 kg loss this week!   Wonder if it's the Aerobics Oz Style, LOL.

So that is a total of 7.8kgs so far this round.  My goal is 12kgs, and with three more weigh ins, if I can average a kg a week until the end, then I am looking at hitting my target.

Can't believe how quickly this 12 weeks has gone.  I'm glad I have signed up for Round 4 already as I know my journey is still ongoing.

Aerobics Oz Style

In my promise to JFDI, this morning I awoke at 5am to take my son to his morning sport at 5.30am.   As I was up I decided to get on with some morning exercise.

With my DVD player broken and needing to get a new one I decided to turn on the TV as I had seen that there was an exercise show on at 5.30am each weekday morning.  And there it was... Aerobics Oz Style.  I have to say this was a flash back to my childhood.  I remember my mum exercising to that show when I was growing up.

So I am dressed and ready to go.  I have the TV on and the show starts.  I have to say it made me chuckle.  The series stopped being made in 2005 and had been running since 1983, so the episode that was on this morning was not from the modern 2005.  The episode today was hosted by Michelle Dean and I think it's from the 90's.  I almost felt like I was in an Olivia Newton John Physical video, LOL.  It was a real blast from the past.

The workout started.  I am not known for my co-ordination.  I am glad that I was home alone during this workout as I know if my son was home he would have been laughing at me.  But it wasn't too bad, I picked up the moves (that were being played to awesome 90's music, cool down/stretching was done to Randy Crawford, Give Me The Night).  The one thing that I didn't like is there are ads!  So you are doing a routine and then they cut to commercials and it's not the same rhythm and you have to try to keep the routine going during the ad break.   Being extremely un-coordinated, I really do like having the person to follow, but with the ad break, there was nobody to follow and I was tripping over my feet, LOL.

 

 Aside from the ad breaks it was not too bad.  I didn't mind it.  I wish it went for an hour rather than just half an hour, but I have set it to record so I can always do it twice, or once I get my new video player I can do a video as well.

I have set it to record again in the morning.  So will continue at the moment as it suits me to exercise at home.

For anyone interested.  Aerobics Oz Style is on Foxtel, Channel Aurora at 5.30am weekdays.

Meeting Michelle

Today I went to the Health and Fitness Expo and met Michelle Bridges.

I am so embarrassed!  I was so nervous and so intimidated.  I ended up being a nervous babbling nitwit, LOL!  Seriously, Michelle will be thinking that that girl (me) is a lost cause!

Now there was no reason for me to be nervous and certainly not any reason what so ever to feel intimidated as Michelle was so warm and friendly.  Michelle is so tall.  I didn't realise she was so tall and she is SO fit!  I don't know what came over me and why I was so nervous and babbling.  

I went up with my cookbook for her to sign.  Here is how our conversation went....  I told Michelle I was in my first round this round.  She asked how I was going.  Well, instead of saying "Great, I've lost 7.2kgs, I've lost 37 cm's in 8 weeks".... I say "oh good, I'm not there in the mindset yet"!  WHAT!  WHY WOULD I SAY THAT?  She asked me why that is and I said "oh I don't know, I haven't been exercising as much as I should, I had a skin cancer removed so couldn't do a lot during that time, but I was walking".  EXCUSES EXCUSES!  WHAT DOES MICHELLE DISLIKE?.... EXCUSES.  I did say I had her DVD's.  But why didn't I say that I have her stepper too and I love it?  That I have been using the stepper and the DVD it comes with?

Then I ramble on that I tore an artery and can't lift over 4kgs.   Now really, what has that got to do with the price of tea in China? There are plenty of other exercises I can do to get around lifting 4kgs.   I am meeting Michelle Bridges, for the first time, first impressions count I know this!  And I start babbling in a negative tone with ridiculous excuses.  Then, she asked me about my nutrition.  Which I really have been sticking to 100%, I'm loving the meal plans, loving the food, have been changing some meals out for others on the program (like the satay meals, being anaphylactic to peanuts rules those out).  But I am sticking to the 1200 calories, I have not been tempted once, even whilst baking cupcakes several times, even last week when I made 50 Oreo pops, filling them with white chocolate as I add the stick, the covering them with dark chocolate!  I didn't have one, I didn't lick my fingers, I was not tempted at all.

I know I have been slack with my exercise but I have not with my food.  Why wouldn't I just say that?  But NOOOOOO.... What do I say "oh good, but that really wasn't a problem before", now I can see the look on her face, it was a, yeah sure lady, who are you kidding kind of look, LOL. You didn't get this size from eating well kind of look, so knowing that what I just said sounded ridiculous, I then said "oh portions were my problem, we have eaten a pretty much organic, no processed food diet for a long time".  Now this is true.  We don't drink soft drinks, we don't eat chips, I don't keep any junk in the house.  We have eaten whole grain for years, it's all my son knows.  Lots of fresh fruit and vegies.  Portions were my biggest problem!  I was eating two to four times per meal what I should have been.  So that's means instead of having three meals a day, I was having the equivalent of 6 to 12 meals a day!!!!!

I then had my photo taken and said bye and off I toddled.  I couldn't believe it!  I just felt like such a nitwit and I know I really came off as an excuse ridden person.

Michelle if you ever get to read my blog,  I am so sorry that I was not showing my positive self today.  I am not entirely a negative excuse ridden person.  I LOVE your program, I've lost 7.2kgs so far this round, no I have not been exercising enough.  But I LOVE the meal plan, I love the snip tips and the weekly videos, I LOVE the forums, I have signed up for round 4 already as I know this program will get me too my goal weight and will change my mindset back to what it used to be.  It's not there yet, I don't know why, it's there in the food side, but not for the exercise.   I am full of excuses in the exercise department!  I want to exercise but I think I'm scared (here comes excuse number 100).  That sounds crazy I know, but I don't want to have another stroke or tear my artery again, which getting my heart rate and blood pressure too high could do, that could tear my artery again!  But not getting my weight down puts me at great risk of it happening again, so I need to JFDI.  I have Dr's restriction with what I am allowed to get my heart rate too and the weight limit I can lift.  So why don't I do that?  I NEED to exercise, I NEED to lose this last 17kgs!  I don't want my son to become an orphan, his dad died when he was young. Mind games, I wish I could shut my mind off sometimes.

So, tomorrow I am going to JFDI!   I am going to lift my exercise game.  When I meet you next Michelle I am going to be many many kg's lighter and I will be fitter!  I promise.  I will get my mind under control.  Please don't think that I am a lost cause, I know I did come across that way today at the Expo.  I feel mortified, I had a brief time with you and I wasted it with excuses!  When I should have been telling you how much I love the program, how much I appreciate all that you give to people, thank you for being there for everyone, complete strangers, giving your time to change peoples lives!   I appreciate that and I am so grateful! Thank You!

Words That Inspire Me

Just wanted to share some of the words that inspire me!  I love to go and read these to get my mind back to where it should be.

                                 

    

            

           

         

           

           

What words or sayings inspire you?

I have decided to add to this post.  As there are more words that inspire me.  Some I have been reading the last couple of days.  They are the words of others, in their blogs, that I read.  They inspire me, they often make me look at things and give me a slap in the face and make me pull myself together.  They make me feel like I can do this, this weight loss journey, this turn my unhealthy life into a healthy life journey.  They make me feel not alone as they share often what I'm feeling, they could be writing the post about me, which inspires me to know that I am normal.

So here are a few of my favourites.  I do have many more, but these are ones that I have read the last couple of days.

• There is Greg, from "20 Years of Living in the Dark"  His post about The Big Picture was very moving and uplifting at the same time.  Here is a link to it The Big Picture

• Another inspiring read is by Casey from Finding my way back to the Thinner Me .  Her latest post Don't restrict yourself to stereotypes is great!  I love reading that.  Here is a link to that post here.... Don't restrict yourself to Stereotypes

• Then there is COCO BUTTER - Coco Girl's transformation, out of the COCOon and into a BUTTERfly  
• This post Undressing myself  was just such a wonderful post, I really recommend a read.
• Coco Girl's latest post is Cinderella and here is a link to that Cinderella
• But I can also highly recommend a read of this post too HERE

• Then there was this post by Angela.  Feeling Lost and Taking Control: Can you relate?  Um yes, I sure can.  Another inspiring read!

I have many other blogs that I follow and love to read, but I hope you get some inspiration from those amazing man and women as they share their stories and feelings and get as much inspiration from them as I do.

Week 6 Results

I have been feeling much better this week.

The last couple of weeks I was feeling a bit down, not very motivated.  I have been sticking to the 1200 calories without a problem, but I have not been exercising well.  I think I have only gone over 1200 calories once, and I think it was by about 5 calories.  I just haven't been feeling right, I'm not sure how to explain it.  But just not my usual positive self.  I have been needing a major change in mindset as I have been letting things upset me that I normally wouldn't.   I think I know what it is, it is a group I have been involved with and they are not a positive group, so I have removed myself from that influence and decided to just concentrate on the positive influences, positive people, inspirational people, positive groups! And I am getting my exercise back on track!  I am not used to negative people.  I am generally a very positive person, try to find the glass half full, try to find the good in people, treat others as I like to be treated, respect others and like to surround myself with like minded people.  I do find it fascinating how other peoples negativity can have such an impact on your own thoughts and feelings.   Sometimes you really do have to remove yourself from those people and again surround yourself with positiveness (is that a word, LOL) .

So... my weight loss this week.  I lost 900 grams (almost 2lbs).  That brings my total so far to 6.2kgs (13.66 lbs).   So I am right on track to to hit my 12kg loss goal for this challenge.

Now I know it's not the done thing, but I have already signed up for Round 4 of the 12WBT .  I know that I will not have lost all the weight I will want to so decided to just sign up now.  I do love this program, the meals are just delicious, they are great serving sizes, the support on the forums is fantastic, the little videos and snip tips from Michelle are awesome.  The exercise has so much variety and flexibility for home, outdoor if you are not a member of a gym (I have not learnt to love the exercise yet, LOL).  So I know this is a program for life change, it's something that is able to be carried on after you have lost the weight.   I haven't been to the round 4 forums or anything as I am wanting to concentrate on this round (round 3).  But round 4 will be getting close to Christmas and we all know how expensive that time of year is with all of the gift buying, end of year school functions, cooking, so I just wanted to get the payment of that out of the way now, so that I don't have to worry about it when the time comes.

Another exciting milestone that has been accomplished in this week.  I am back in the overweight BMI after being in the obese BMI!  Woo Hoo, I'm really quite excited about this!
I'm overweight, YAY!

Anyway I hope that you have all had good weeks, had losses that you are happy with and if not, today is another day, this week is another week and we can refocus, pick ourselves up and JFDI (I do love that saying, LOL).

Social Media

I need to get off the computer!

There are so many social media outlets out there now to be involved in that I seem to be spending so much time online, when I really should be getting out and exercising.

With the 12WBT website, Michelle's videos, the 12WBT forums, the Facebook groups, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, MyFitnessPal.com, then there is reading others blogs and of course maintaining my blog.

Like now for instance, its Midday and I really have not accomplished much as I have been sitting here on the couch, on this public holiday reading blogs!  Then I will popped over and had a look at some of the Facebook groups and read some more blogs.  I've been on Pinterest to do some re-pinning, I have had a look on twitter and liked some photos on Instagram and now here I am updating my blog!  Thank goodness I don't really know anyone or participate much on Google Plus!

How does everyone else keep up and get anything done with all of this social media activity out there these days that brings us back to the couch and computer and away from activity????

During the week is better, there is work, school drop offs, pick ups, kids to their activities, shopping, cooking, laundry, housework, trying to squeeze in exercise, which doesn't leave too much time for the social media but I still spend time that could be used doing other things.

That is my whinge for the day, I just got a shock when I looked at the time and realised I have accomplished nothing today other than spending time on the computer! I will get off the computer now and go and vacuum, do laundry and come cleaning, fun stuff :(   Then I will take the dog for a big long walk (or he will walk me would be a more accurate statement).