The Road to Success

Reporting for duty. Day 51.

Dietitian visit was a success! Loss of a further 2.5kg and 2 to 3 cm's off each measurement around my body. This is JUST the pick-me-up I needed. I was given a pat on the back and told not to be so harsh on myself. And if I managed a week's holiday without putting on weight, I did very well!

So that means I have lost of total of 5 kgs. Which is approx 0.7kg per week. Yay! I feel good, and have fresh determination to continue to my goal!

I tried a new, healthy recipe tonight. It was great! Even fussy hubby enjoyed it. And the toddler!  Thought I might share it:

SALMON RISSOLES

2 -3 medium potatoes

1 - 1.5 cups frozen mixed veg (e.g. Peas and Corn) - Tinned would also work for this.

2 cups bread crumbs

1 egg

Salt and Pepper

415g tin Salmon (good brand salmon)

Peel, cut up and boil potatoes. Once soft, mash well. Drain Salmon and remove bones. Add salmon to potato mix, along with salt and pepper, veggie mix (pre-cooked for 3 -4 mins), and egg. Mix well.

Add in 1 cup crumbs. Mix well. Roll mixture into golf size balls, then coat/roll in bread crumbs (remaining cup of crumbs). Coat well and then flatten a little to rissole size.

Cook with a drizzle of oil and voila!

I hope you are able to share this recipe and enjoy it as well. I served with Cheese and Chive Pasta mix and fresh Salad. (and a wine :)).

'Til next time, signing off.

Why can't I get a little ahead, instead of a bigger behind?!

Diet. Day 44. Thick clouds seems to be looming and wanting to rain on my parade. The clouds part and a small ray of sunshine beams through, indicating brighter days ahead.

Sigh. Holiday is over and life is back to normal. I started it out really well, in my eating choices and meal sizes. I was adamant that I would not let it ruin my hard work. "Let's talk about your holiday and how to tackle that", my dietitian wisely asked last visit. A cheery me replied, "It won't be a problem at all, I will be so good!". Day three of holiday, and things are not looking good. Diet Fail. Although I could have been a lot worse, I also could have been a lot better. Anyway, holiday is over, and there is nothing I can change now!

Back from holiday, and even though I am eating well and trying to exercise as much as I can, I am feel like this is the mid-life crisis period of my diet/life change. I am lacking motivation, and I am sick of eating food that is boring. There is not a lot of choice when it comes to low KJ/healthy food. And I don't have time to create different, tasty, and healthy masterpieces.

I have an appointment this coming weekend with my dietitian, and I need to discuss this with her, along with what I am doing wrong. I have budged about 3 kgs and several cm's off my measurements in most places, but I still feel like things aren't happening as fast as they should, considering I am eating really well when compared to what the 'before' me ate. I have had a busy few weeks with work before and after my holiday, a trip to Sydney and back which if I blinked I missed, and a toddler who has been ill with teething and fevers and generally unhappy most of the day. I feel a bit burnt out. That's life, I guess. I am trying my best not to take the temptation of hot chips on these cold rainy days when I feel like that will just hit the spot.

I have begun writing a food diary again, as I did in the first week of my dieting. I feel it will be good to not only record and view what is going into my mouth, but also to take to the dietitian to see if/where I might be going wrong. 

I am still determined to stick to this, and to get to that finish line, no matter how long it takes or what hurdles are in my way. I am thoroughly enjoying playing squash and also going to the gym, which is a great plus. And I have also not only found that I have more energy day to day, but that certain clothing items are 'looser' on me. :)

I shall leave it there, and hopefully come Monday week, I will have some better news from my dietitian visit and also some new found motivation and encouragement.

Thank you for reading my blog.... annndddddd....Goodnight. x

Kj's are my friend

Welllllll. Who knew that I would end up having little time to update my blog? Life happens, and time runs short. But here I am, true to my original pact, writing these words for you to read.

I have been on this 'lifestyle change' now for 4 weeks. A few kilos down, and several centimetres shed. This is the struggle part. Over the initial excitement, and now dreading that this is going to be a reallllyyyyy long road. I am pleased to say that the support from my family and friends has been amazing. And my previous blog really stands out for me "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels". Whilst I have no expectations of ever being 'thin' (or unhealthy), I do think this is a good motto to live by.  Another good quote I recently read was "Why can't I get a little ahead instead of a bigger behind?". This was on a magnet at the post office and I just HAD to buy it. :D

The biggest news is that I am on holidays as of NOW. I am really going to try and remain faithful to this life change whilst I am away. Sure, I will treat myself to a burger one night, maybe with a side of fries. But it's my holiday and that's my treat. But for the remainder of the time, I will be making healthy choices wherever possible, and walking at least once a day. Fresh air, sunshine, sand between toes, cool seawater breezes... I mean who wouldn't want to savour that with a nice walk??

My dietitian recently told me I should be looking at eating meals that contain between 1000 and 1500 kj's for dinner. This has astounded me. Not so much the fact that that figure is my aim, but what actually contains these amounts of kj. For example. One Woolworths Blueberry muffin (yes, 1), contains 1800 kj!... 1800!  Now that is ridiculous. I could eat one muffin for dinner, and completely blow my entire meal!! And softdrinks... some contain around 600kj just for one glass full! Since then my eyes always avert to the 'fact label' of foods, because it constantly astounds me how many kj's there are in certain foods! I am much more conscious of what is going into my mouth now. And this is a real lifestyle change. A long term change. Can I get a hooray-for-me??!!

Anyway folks. I am signing off for a little while for some peace, relaxation, sun, surf, family and fun. Stay tuned for a report card when I return. I am aiming for an A+!

Peas, Corn, Or Sprouts?

As you will notice, today my blog title has a hidden Acronym. Something that has affected my life in a huge way, and something that makes my dieting and life changes even more important, but even more harder.

Poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine disorders affecting approximately 5%-10% of women of reproductive age (12–45 years old) and is thought to be one of the leading causes of female subfertility.

Most of you will know that I conceived my beautiful daughter through an emotional and expensive process called In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Part of the reason for needing to receive fertility treatment is because of my condition (PCOS).

What has this to do with my diet, you say? Well, I wish it didn't, but it does. On a good note, dieting will help reduce the severity of my PCOS, and will certainly assist in helping gain a more regular cycle, along with increase the chances of fertility. BUT, the bad news is that women with PCOS find it more difficult to lose weight and keep it off.  Here is a quote from an article on PCOS and dieting:

"Where PCOS is associated with overweight or obesity, successful weight loss is probably the most effective method of restoring normal ovulation/menstruation, but many women find it very difficult to achieve and sustain significant weight loss. Low-carbohydrate diets and sustained regular exercise may help. Some experts recommend a low GI diet in which a significant part of total carbohydrates are obtained from fruit, vegetables and whole grain sources."

Whilst this is a small hurdle in my long journey, it means I need to be really patient and persevere! Patience and Perseverance, my new motto!

Now for the good news. A visit to my dietitian on the weekend proved great results. A total loss in a week of 1.2 KG. Also, centimetres lost from my hips and waist and bust (1cm = 1kg body fat). This is great news! I have been doing some exercise and am feeling motivated and healthy already!

Au Revoir, FAT!

Chug, Chug

Yes I am still chugging along! Day 6 of the new ME and I am feeling good!

The first 5 days were a challenge. You see, my house was still full of naughty foods! Chips, sweet biscuits, fatty cheese, butter, milk, OH MY, frozen chips, sausage rolls, pies, OH MY! Oh lordy.... and I am not one to waste! So it has been a tough week trying to fit some of these naughty items into my nice diet whilst still remaining healthy.  On Sunday evening, I had ordered a large grocery shop online that was being delivered Thurs (today), so the food in the house had to stretch until then. Last night was particularly tough so I caved.... in a good way! Craig and Soph had a meat pie and chips that was dug out of the freezer, whilst I bought a healthy noodle/chicken/veg stirfry from the local noodle bar. It was yummy, and I even prefer it over the pie/chips! (I would never make a good footy fanatic).

Finally, my delivery came and our kitchen is now stocked with healthy snacks, loads of fruit/veg and plenty of ingredients to make some delicious meals! HURRAH!  I think tomorrow night I will give a new recipe I found in my mother's healthy diet/diebetic cook book a crack - Vegie, Salmon, and Pasta bake! YUMMMMMMMMMM! My husband has already begun mentioning his excitement to try it! (insert Sarcasm).  Another fantastic note is that the dietitian said that Sophia is now old enough to eat/drink Light Cheese, Skim Milk and Diet Yoghurt! Which means I am not having to buy full fat for her and low fat for me (and hesitant hubby). Yay!

Do not ask me about the exercise bike. Major fail. BUT, tomorrow I am going to put on my sweats and singlet and whilst Sophia sleeps peacefully on her comfy mattress, I will be working up a workout sweat!!

As a parting gift, I thought I might share with you my motivation for today.....  =D 

Day 2

Well, it's day two. So far.... I have stuck to this life changing diet/plan. These past couple of days, I have been thinking of all the foods I will be missing out on for a while, whilst on this life change path, which has made me feel slightly depressed. I love deep fried food. I eat it regularly. Portion size, I feel, is not so much my issue. My issue is eating the wrong kinds of foods and serious lack of exercise.  So I decided I was in need of an injection of positivity!  So, I am creating a list of all the things I am very much looking 'forward to' when I start losing the weight....

1. Lying in bed at night and not feeling my double chin stuck between my normal chin and my neck
2. Walking up the stairs in my house and not feeling puffed
3. Being able to run around with my daughter and her tiring before me
4. Not having to purchase 'plus size' clothing (which are much more $$$ than the average sized clothes)
5. Not sweating easily or getting overheated in mildly warm conditions
6. Getting to the end of the day and not feeling generally like a blimp
7. Having more energy just to get through the day
8. Making my family and friends prouder of me
9. Feeling as good on the inside as I will on the outside
10. Being a better ME!

I read a great article the other day that has stuck with me. It suggested not referring to shedding the kilos as 'Losing weight'. When we lose something, it suggests we want it back, or hope to one day get it back. SO not the case with fat!! So, they had the clever idea of saying you are 'releasing' or 'abandoning' the kilos. I like this idea! My dietitian has warned me that in the first few weeks, I may not see a huge 'releasing' of kilos. Simply because when you change your diet dramatically, weight can fluctuate at a gain or loss. She suggested to focus on the measurements (which she took at initial meeting).

One thing I am finding difficult in these first few days is drinking loads more water. I have to train myself to have a glass before each meal, each day. (5 glasses a day) From someone who barely drank 1-2 glasses a day (yes mother, I hear you, naughty me), this is a struggle. My bladder is in for a rude shock! Any tips or ideas with how to make this change a little easier?  Another reason this plan is good, is because it makes you feel fuller before you eat your meals.

No exercise as yet. This weekend has been grossly hot and humid. This is not an excuse, just an observation :) My goal for this first week was 1-2 times a week. This still gives me the rest of the week to seriously get into it. I DO have an exercise bike coming my way, which is motivating! I can still sit in the air con and enjoy a trashy soap on telly, all whilst riding my butt off .....Literally, I hope!!!

Meltdown = change

My first post on my first (real) blog. Let me tell you about my day and why I started this blog.....

A good friend of mine started a blog recently and I though it was a great way to get thing of your chest or share ideas or even just rant and rave. I had nothing to possibly blog about though.... I do know a lot about jewellery, yes. And shoes.. don't get me started. But nothing I could get a decent blog out of. Atleast I thought so.... until today.....

My day started with Craig leaving at 6.15, and pulling the pillow off that was covering my face to say 'Bye, Soph is up and watching her DVD but hasn't eaten yet'. Yep, great, bye. Pillow goes back over head until a few minutes later when a curious toddler begins poking at my side. 'MUUUMMMMMYYYYY!!'. Thus began my day. Sophia was in a feral mood, throwing things, grabbing things she is not allowed and knows it, and generally being in a soon-to-be-two mood. I got up, and went into the lounge. Somewhere between then and around 8.15, I had a meltdown. I phoned my husband in tears and said 'I can't do this anymore!'. 'This' being the perfect parent/wife/career woman/sahm etc etc. There was tonnes of washing to be done, the house was very dirty and desperately needed a vacuum/mop (partly because the pest control man said no mopping for two weeks... ewww) and I wasn't sleeping well and Sophia was being a right feral... so add those up and you get one emotional/cranky/over it me. To sum it up big time ..... RUT.

Anyway, it was at that point I decided I needed to do something about this. It starts with lack of sleep. Why? No exercise means body isn't as tired. Hence, body won't sleep as deeply/easily or as much as it needs too. I decided this rut had little to do with housework and toddler tantrums and more to do with my diet and my attitude. So, the light bulb went off. Sick of emotional eating, lack of exercise/fresh air and my general thoughts on life. If I want things to change, I have to change ME first.

So, thats where we get to here. I made an appointment with a Dietitian. She was so lovely. Didn't even complain when the tears came. (Emotional day, remember?). So I now have a diet plan, eating schedule, meal ideas, etc etc and now I need to train my mind and body. Exercising once this week will still be more than last week, and I loved that that was the Dietitian's attitude too. So, diet starts tomorrow, and I have an appointment to see her again on 12th Feb.

I have tried many many diets and exercise programs. Try, fail. Lose, gain. Try, fail. Over it! Why is this one different I hear you asking? Let me explain. When you pay $50 a pop to see the Dietitian, that is pure motivation enough. Add to that the fact she weighs and measures you each visit, and you have that extra boost you need. Someone else to report to, someone else to motivate and support you. Someone else to lecture you when you slip, someone else to know what you are feeling.

So here is me signing off. Goodbye overweight, unhappy, unhealthy Erin.

Hello to tomorrow....and a new, happy, healthy moi! :)