Naughty Consumption

I have developed this bad love of something new.  It's certainly not a daily indulgence, it's a once a week treat that I have been working it into my daily calories on the day I have it, so it has not affected my weight loss.  It counts as two snacks for the day as it's 230 calories per serve.

Fortunately this is only a seasonal drink, it is around only for the Christmas season.  This beverage will cease to exist on the 6th January, so from then I will not be able to have it any more....  thank goodness!  Well, until next year that is.  We go away on the 31st December, so really I only have another three days to indulge in another one before they finish.

What is this naughty consumption that I'm talking about you may ask?

Well it is none other than the Gingerbread Frappuccino from Starbucks.  I get it made on skim milk to reduce some of the calories.  But yes I do still have the cream on top, but I don't drink much of the cream.

Here it is....

Starbucks Gingerbread Frappuccino

Receiving Compliments

I don't know what it is, but I don't know what to say when people notice that I've lost weight.  Particularly people who I haven't seen for a while.  I guess they can see a big difference.  I've lost about 13 kgs now.  I guess that is a lot, but I still have about 12 kg to go and I don't know I know there is a difference in my clothes, I've gone down two to three clothes sizes.  But I just get embarrassed and say "Oh thank you.  I still have a bit to go".

At the Christmas Eve party the other day, there was someone there who I hadn't seen since I first signed on for Round 3 of 12WBT this year (2012).  That was back in August.  The round hadn't started, but I had signed on.  We were having lunch at a coffee shop with a few friends and we were talking about it and I hadn't seen any menus or exercise plans at that stage, so I was feeling very motivated that I was going to lose this excess weight that I was carrying but I didn't know how the program would be, if I would like it, or even if it would be a success or something I could maintain long term.  I didn't know anyone else who had done the program, I only found it whilst searching google for something, I'm not sure what.  I actually wasn't looking at joining a 12 week program.

Anyway when I saw her on Monday night she yelled across the room.  "OMG, dieting diva" (although she used my real name, LOL).  "Look how much weight you've lost, there's nothing of you".  Well all night, she kept saying, "I can't believe how good you are looking, I just can't believe how much weight you've lost, I keep looking at you, your face is different".   This is lovely to hear, compliments.  But I don't know.  I find it hard to hear.  I sort of get embarrassed.  I just say "oh thanks, but I still have a lot more to go".  Many are saying "from where?".

I was at the office the other day and my dad has been away for a few months.  He had noticed I'd lost weight before he left.  But I was standing at the office the other day, the day after he arrived home and he kept saying "you have just lost so much weight", "you are looking so good", "skinny minnie".  I haven't told my dad that I'm doing any sort of weight loss program.  I don't know why, but he and my brother are very very fit, very healthy.  Yes they have their treats, chocolate, ice cream.  But neither of them have ever been over weight, ever!  They have never even been on the high scale of normal BMI, they have always been thin (not too thin), but more towards the bottom of the normal BMI for their height.  They would never say anything about being me overweight but I'm sure they don't understand (I could be wrong)

Anyway, my dad just kept going on and it was lovely, he was being nice but again I felt uncomfortable hearing those compliments.  I said I still have a bit to go and he said "doesn't look like it".  He said you must have been working really hard!  And I just said "oh no not really", when in reality I have!

Not sure how everyone else feels getting these compliments about how they are looking.  Am I the only one that gets sort of uncomfortable, embarrassed by the compliments?  Guess I should just enjoy it, LOL.

Christmas Weight Loss

I had a Christmas/Birthday Party on Christmas Eve, then the big family Christmas lunch on Christmas day.

Our Christmas Tree (before the presents and I have lost the tree skirt, so apologise for the naked tree)

Christmas Eve

I did allow myself to enjoy some of the yummy food on offer and didn't deprive myself too much.  On Christmas Eve, I made this heaven Salmon Pate or sort of a dip.  It's thick and you spread it on a slice of bread stick.  It is SOOOO yummy, but as it's filled with mayonnaise and lots of butter it is NOT low fat or low in calories.   Well as it's my favourite thing and it's not something I make very often and I have been so good over the last few months on 12WBT,  I limited my calories during the day, knowing that I would be indulging for dinner.  I had three bits of dip on bread.  It was SOOOOO good.  I could have eaten the whole pot and it's one of those things that once started is really hard to stop.  But I did stop and I just enjoyed and savoured every mouthful.

For dinner there was lamb, salads and potato bake.  Well potato bake is another weakness for me!  I LOVE it.  So I did have some, but not my usual half the plate full.  I had just a small tablespoon full. A small piece of lamb and then half the plate of salad.  I then did indulge in dessert!  Pavlova!!!  Who can resist pavlova.  I got up and cut my own slice and I literally had a sliver.  The kept handing me a "small piece" to which I would say, no I'll have a really small piece and would pass that piece to someone else, just like a shaving was all I wanted.  So in the end I just said, "can I cut my piece".  Which I did and it was only about half a cm thick but it was enough to have about 3 mouthfuls with some cream and fruit on top and I got the flavour and it was really all I wanted.

Christmas Day

So I survived Christmas Eve.  Now it was time to survive Christmas Day!  Now my family are not known to skimp on the Christmas lunch servings!  We have roast turkey, baked ham, roast potatoes and pumpkin, asparagus mornay (my favourite), broccoli, peas, stuffing and lashings of gravy!   I again asked if I could do my own plate as I could see the serving sizes were just massive.  I just had a small piece of turkey, a smaller piece of ham, one small baked potato, once small piece of pumpkin, spoonful of peas, a dessert spoon of asparagus, a large floweret of steamed broccoli and instead of the usual, plate drowning in gravy, I just did a small drizzle over the meat.  It was about half the size of everyone else's, but it was plenty for me!

Then came time for dessert.  There is a little history there.  Growing up, my aunt always made the Christmas puddings filled with treasures that we would exchange for money, topped with brandy custard.  I on the other hand have a nut allergy, so I was never able to have it.  So I always had my own pudding, it was a chocolate chip steamed pudding with chocolate custard.  Over the years, people... family members, were getting jealous of my special pudding.  They wanted that too.  So slowly but surely the traditional Christmas pudding vanished and all that was served was the chocolate chip steamed pudding with chocolate custard (also filled with treasures).  So this year was no different.  We had steamed chocolate chip pudding with home made chocolate custard and served with home made chocolate and vanilla ice creams.  OH MY Goodness!  I can tell you my blogging friends, this is a dessert that is out of this world.  I was not going to miss out on my favourite dessert of the year!  So I again served myself.  I had just a tiny piece, about a 1/4 of the size of everyone elses.  A small spoonful of the chocolate custard, instead of the pool of custard everyone else had and then a teaspoon full of each of the ice creams, as apposed to the large scoop of each that everyone else had.

It was a spectacular couple of days.  Filled with lots of laughs, great company, great food and just a really festive time.

After the last two days I was not expecting to lose any weight today for our usual Wednesday weigh in.  But I have to say that even though I did indulge in some naughty things.  I did watch the calories, I did have small portions and I guess I didn't go overboard.  I am pleased to say that I still lost 400 grams this week! 

I hope that you have all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends.  Next challenge... New Years Eve and a holiday to Hamilton Island!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.  Hope your holidays are filled with love, fun, family and joy on this festive season.

Doctor Visit Update

I saw the Doctor today about my high blood pressure medication and about possibly coming off it as my blood pressure is now on the low side.

When I started this journey, just 4 months ago.  I was on 300mg a day of medication.  I was then reduced to 150mg a day and today I was put on 75mg a day.  The Doctor said that if I continue the way I am then I will be off the medication soon.  Unfortunately with blood pressure medication it is not something you can just stop, not when you have been on it for a long time as I have been.  I've been on it for about 2 years now.  So the only way to come off it is to wean off it.  So I have been reducing the dosage and have gone from 300mg a day to 75mg a day.  I am to stay on that for a few weeks, maybe a month and see how my blood pressure is, to make sure it's stable,  then reduce to 75mg every second day.    I am not sure what  happens after every second day.  Maybe be off it all together then.

Anyway it's an exciting day!  It's a real step in a positive direction and it shows that the changes I have made in my life so far thanks to Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation are improving my health.

The only downside to the Doctor visit was the unpleasant man sitting opposite me in the waiting room. He was coughing and not covering his mouth, spreading his germs everywhere.  But the final straw was when he sneezed... a huge sneeze.... and he again did not cover his mouth so the two ladies who I was sitting beside along with myself were sprayed with his vulgar germs.  It was absolutely disgusting and I almost threw up.  Bad enough being exposed to germs but to have someone actually sneeze on you, not cover their mouth, was just an all time low.

Baggy Shorts... again

At the beginning of this journey, at the beginning of round 3 12WBT.  I purchased a pair of shorts.  Bright green shorts.  I absolutely loved them but was a bit nervous about colour.  I feel very self consious wearing bring colours on my bottom half.  I don't want to draw attention to my large area!.

So I purchased the shorts.  I bought a size 14.  They were a really firm, if I hadn't known that I was going to be losing weight, I would have bought the size 16 as I did have quite a muffin top and they were not comfortable, I knew I was losing weight so would get into them eventually.  Well about 7 -8 weeks later, I was wearing those shorts to a friends house and she said.  Oh, look, I just have to say, those shorts are too big, they don't look right!  Now someone may be offended by this comment, but I was thrilled.  I knew they were getting baggy and are the type of shorts that stretch as they are worn, so when I got home I did look in the mirror and they were looking too big.  So I went out the next morning and bought the size 12.  Yes, that's right, the size 12!!!!!

I am now at the beginning of week 4 of 12WBT.  I have lost about 12kgs, but I know I have lost a lot of cm's.  I'm looking forward to this Wednesday weigh in as it's a milestone week, so we do all of our measurements again.

Now for the exciting thing.  I have been wearing the size 12 bright green shorts for the last 7 or so weeks and on Thursday I was in the office and someone said to me.  Gosh you are looking good, those shorts are too big!  AGAIN, someone else talking about my shorts!  So on Friday I popped out and bought the same shorts in a size 10.  Can you believe it, a size 10!

Now I know I still have about 13kg to go.  I wouldn't say that I am a size 10.... yet.... Whilst the 12 are getting big, the 10 are quite firm, but I know that in a couple of weeks, they will fit nicely.  They were the only 10 left so I wanted to snap them up, after all it's only the beginning of summer and I don't want to be without my cute green shorts for the rest of the summer.  I have gone down three clothes sizes!  

The size 10 is firm, like the size 14 was when I started this journey, but I can not wait for those too to become baggy and too big and I will then have to slip into the 8!  Won't that be a day of celebration!

Time To See The Doctor

I have been on high blood pressure medication for a couple of years now.  I didn't ever have what was considered high blood pressure very often.  I had borderline hypertension.  Sometimes it was up, if I was stressed it was high.  It was always on the very high side of normal, just tipping into high.  But after tearing my artery, I was put on medication to lower my blood pressure as the Dr's were worried about the long term borderline hypertension may have been the cause.

Well I have lost close to 12kgs so far (about 26lbs) and I will be honest.  I haven't really been monitoring my blood pressure for a long time.  My machine was out of batteries, I'd been meaning to buy more and just kept forgetting.  I have been taking my medication daily though, never miss it as I don't want to tear the artery or another artery again due to my blood pressure.

The last week I have been getting quite light headed.  Particularly when I get up, but sometimes just standing there, or sitting on the couch.  I have also had this annoying tingling feet!  I thought it may be magnesium or my iron levels as I'm regularly with very low iron.

So yesterday I started taking my blood pressure.  Not sure why I suddenly started monitoring it again.  I guess I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't high.  To my surprise, it is LOW!   107/60.  104/62.  96/60.  That is why I have been feeling light headed I think and low blood pressure I have just googled (never had it before so never knew the symptoms) can cause tingling feet!  Maybe losing this 12 (26 lbs) odd kilograms is bringing my blood pressure down.

I know this has been a goal of mine on this 12WBT journey.  To get my blood pressure down and get off this medication.   Until I tore my artery I had never been on regular medication (except asthma puffer when needed).  So I am heading off to the DR on Monday to speak to him about it.  I am now on the lowest dose of the drug I'm on, so I guess the next step will be to take it every second day for a little while or maybe if it's consistently low stop ween me off  it all together.

Anyway I'm doing a happy dance!  I have not seen my blood pressure be anything other than on the high side of normal to high for the last few years (even on medication it was still always on the high side of normal).  I have joked with a friend who has low blood pressure that she can have some of mine, but now it's looking like I don't have any to give away (if only we could, LOL)

12WBT!  You are my saviour!