Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!

My goodness... where did the year go? And what a year it has been..! So many ups and downs... good times and not so good...

The highlights of my year:
1. My Wedding Day
2. Job Promotion in July
3. My amazing honeymoon (learning to Ski and scuba dive in the space of 2 weeks... fantastic!)
4. Spending time with my wonderful family in Thailand (with more gorgeous experiences to go along with it).

The lowlights of my year:
1. The death of a close family member... sad times, tough times... and more still to come!

Through it all I managed to lose weight... not as much as I would have liked, but I still lost none the less!

Next year I'm focusing more on health and wellbeing, rather than weight loss. Putting such an emphasis on the scales has done my head in, numerous times, and I'm sick of my moods being dictated by a silly number on the scales!! It's going to be all about good wholesome foods, getting back to basics and really focusing on what is in the foods I am eating. I want to get rid of as much processed crap as I can.

Goals for 2009:
1. 70kg by Christmas 2009
2. 76kg by June 2009
3. Pay off my personal loan
4. Finish painting our apartment
5. Finish the lighting in our apartment
6. Buy a house and sell our apartment
7. If all goes well, at the end of the year, start trying for babies!

A very very very very exciting year ahead!

So, to all of my faithful followers out there, and to those who are lurkers, soon to be bandits or just randomly surfing the net... I want to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here's to our wonderful silicone friend!

LBG xx

Weird food day

I've had one of those days with foods... you know, the ones where you are surpised that some things go down, but your band backflips at other foods that are normally easy to get through...

Today I had some nuts and a coffee for Breakfast/Morning Tea, then at Lunch I had some cucumber and capsicum with Garlic Dip. I had a boost juice mid afternoon (skinny minny berry bliss... sooo good!) and then dinner was left over lamb stew which I have PB'd for the 2nd time already tonight, so I've given up. Crazy that I could eat fibrous raw veges at lunch yet I can't even manage two bites of soft potato and carrot and meat that falls off the bone in a rich broth... totally crazy..

Totally not hungry right now, but really really really Thirsty... but I physically can't drink at the moment cos I feel so so full (and a bit sore from the PB). I'll revisit the beverage issue in 30 mins or so...

All for now..

LBG xx

Christmas 2008 - over and out!

I came out of Christmas relatively unscathed... I lost 500g... but I think that's because I hit the gym pretty hard on Saturday and Sunday!! Thank goodness Christmas is over for another year!

I have an appointment with my wonderful surgeon in 1 month (27th Jan to be exact). I haven't lost any weight since the last appointment... very disappointing. But I've also realised that I can't rely on the band as much anymore for my weight loss. The band can only do so much and then it becomes alot more about me and what I do to help my weight loss. Somethings I've realised over the past few days is:

1. I don't exercise enough. I do my 30-45 mins 4-5 times a week. I can do HEAPS more exercise than that without killing myself. Just this weekend I did 1 hour on Saturday and 1 hour 20 mins on Sunday and I felt great! What is stopping me from doing this length of exercise more often? What about exercising more than once a day - gym in the morning, walk in the evening with Hubby? I also need to get out of my comfort zone... I'm thinking of trying boxing on Wednesday Mornings... and maybe get back into Pump (but I have to be sure that my back is OK..).

2. I need to focus more on whole foods. I've been reading alot of books lately on things like natural fats, processed foods, organic foods, non-meat soy and proteins and other bits and pieces. Really interesting stuff, but has made me think about what I'm eating. I also know that when I eat whole foods the band works! I get full on 3-4 mouthfuls - I feel satisfied, I don't get cravings, I feel healthful and clean.

3. I don't drink nearly enough water.. sure I drink coffee, tea, diet soft drink and diet cordial like they're all going out of fashion... but I want to start getting into the herbal teas, green teas and good old H2O!

4. I need to reset my goals. I was hoping to be at goal weight by my 2 year bandiversary... that's not going to happen! I think the goal just got so big, with such a short amount of time that I just gave up.. also, after getting married and reaching my "goal" for my wedding day, I wanted a break from it all and wasn't all that focused. Not anymore! I need to revisit my goals and make them realistic.

I'm looking forward to the New Year. I have some personal goals which I will have loads of fun with ... including buying our first house together and maybe starting on that family we've been talking about... and I've got my health and wellbeing goals (so that I can be as healthy as I possibly can when I do try to fall pregnant!).

2009 will be more about health and less focused on weight loss...

Enjoy the final days of 2008... 2009 is going to be a GREAT year! :)

LBG xx

Twas the night before Christmas...

I love Christmas... it's such a fun time of year. Everyone is in good spirits, people don't mind striking up conversations with other random people they see whilst waiting for coffee at the local coffee shop.

Definitely think that I need a fill come the new year. Last night for tea I had a bowl of lamb stew - but quite a large bowl with 4 dumplings. These dumplings aren't huge, but I remember when I was more restricted, I would only be able to have one because they were so bready... not this time! Then, after that, I had a mango. And this mango was freaking huge... so definitely time for a fill me thinks!!

Christmas tomorrow will be spent with my family. We're going out for lunch to a nice restaurant which will be very spesh! Unfortunately it's one of those 5 course meals. They scare me. Thank goodness it's spread out over the space of around 4 hours so it shouldn't be so bad. I won't be drinking either, which will save on the calories a little. Then boxing day will be a big BBQ at Mum and Dads place. Mum rang me yesterday to tell me what desserts she's planning to have... omg, heaven help me!!
I plan to enjoy myself with my food over the next 2 days and then get back into in on Saturday. I also plan on walking for 1 hour on Christmas Day and Boxing Day to try and offset some of the Damage I may do. If the gym is open on boxing day, I'll definitely be going! Oh yeah, and work is letting us finish early today at 2pm, so I'm going to head off to the gym and do a good 90 minute session before picking up my husband from work. So hopefully with my extra exercise I won't feel so bad when I'm having that extra piece of something naughty!!

Today I'm taking it easy with food. I've got a mango for breakky, Blueberries and yoghurt for a snack and baked beans for lunch. Nothing too exciting. Not sure what I'll be having for dinner - it will probably be take away, as I couldn't be bothered cooking tonight. But it will be a healthy take away - grilled fish and salad :). Speaking of take away - sometimes I get my fave indian take away on a Friday night (take out night!). Butter chicken. Now I get a small rice and a small butter chicken. I split the rice into two portions and the butter chicken into two portions and freeze one of the portions. Before I would eat a whole medium rice and medium butter chicken by myself! Cool eh!?

Who knows, I could be really tight both days and not get much in me at all!! Actually it was funny, yesterday, I had leftover lentil and vegetable pie. Two bites in and I was in stucksville and had to PB in the loo... yet yesterday evening I was able to put away a heap of food... still 2 years on and my band is unpredictable as ever! Also good as it tells me that my band is still working and my pouch hasn't stretched or done something funny!

I've just re-read this post and it seems so scattered... sorry peoples!!

Anyhoo, lastly, I want to wish all of you bandits or soon to be bandits a very very merry christmas!!! I hope you have a safe and happy festive season.

Much love

LBG xx

2 more sleeps!

2 more sleeps until Christmas! I'm just looking forward to the 4 days break I have for work!! Then it's back to work on Monday for another 3 day week... planning on doing shorter days as there won't be many people in the office next week.. 10 - 3 should be fine! hehe

Made a scrummy Vegetable and Lentil cottage pie last night, went down a treat! Even made it with Kumera mash instead of potatos to reduce the GI a little. My god it was GOOD! I didn't even end up cooking the sausages, and the boys just loved it! Go here for the recepie. Feeling healthy at the moment. Fueling my body with good stuff... (although I am sitting here sipping a hazelnut latte... my one weakness).

Lunch today is leftovers, yay! I've also got a mango, some blueberries, almonds and a light vanilla yoghurt... tonight I'm cooking a lamb stew.

Merry Christmas peoples!

LBG xx

P.S. BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO EM WHO GOT ENGAGED!!!! YAY!!

Bad food choices

So as I mentioned in a previous post, Christmas is all about food, and this weekend just past was no exception.

It started off well. I wasn't really in to breakfast, so I had lunch at around 11:30. 1 tin tuna with some onion, some nori (seaweed) and some cucumber sticks with the skin off. Noice and healthy. I went to a wedding in the evening. Had 1 canape and some champers.. then for some bizarre reason, I was able to eat the three course meal! Had a mushoom tart for starters (kinda quiche like so nice and soft), Main was a lovely piece of fish with some sauteed spinach, potatos and a merlot reduction. The white fish and sweet merlot reduction was weird tasting, but the fish was beautifully cooked and so soft and easy to eat. I only had one potato and a taste of the spinach, but managed to get most of the fish down. Dessert was a creme brulee with a pink champagne sorbet... enough said.. I think I was able to eat it because there was such a length of time between meals. Not to mention the fact that the wine was flowing and I was sipping in between bites which was helping the food go down no problems.

Yesterday (Sunday) I had a girlfriend down for lunch/nibbles. I had a cheese platter, crackers, dip and some chocolates. That was pretty much all I ate all day, but it was high in fat and probably not the best choices for me as it was just nibble stuff which goes down easy.

So I've decided that moving forward I'm really going to concentrate on whole food, that hasn't been processed to death and cooking from scratch. So tonight I'm making a lentil vegetable pie with a kumera mash on top (and Sausages for husband and father in law). I can't do sausages so I'll just stay away from them.

At the moment, I'm snacking on mango. I cut up this massive mango and have had it sitting by my computer for the past 40 mins. So delicious, but so freaking filling. Yum.

So the plan (at least for the days before christmas) for meals and snacks:
1. Fruit/Yoghurt for Breakky
2. Beans/Lentils instead of red meat
3. Fish/Chicken for dinner
4. Nuts/Fruit for Snacks
5. Raw cut up vegetables for lunch with home made hummus or tatziki

Christmas and boxing day will be a write off, but I do plan to bring so chick pea burgers to the BBQ on boxing day so that I'm not subjected to steak/sausages!

have a good day!

LBG xx

Christmas Feeding Frenzy

Now that I don't eat much any more, I can really step back and see how much food revolves around christmas celebrations - whether it's gold coins or candy canes on the tree, to mince pies with a cup of tea before bed, to Christmas lunches, dinners and parties all with their own array of delicious foods and drink, there is always food around!!

I love the fact that my band really helps me get through the Christmas "cheer" without too much damage on the other side. That coupled with regular exercise should see me through relatively unscathed. Must admit though, I am loving short bread at the moment, which melts through the band (unfortunately). It's my vice... with a hot cup of tea before bed time. Luckily I don't like things like mince pies, christmas pudding or fruit cake and would prefer a fresh mango, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines etc.

I also took a break from the gym last week. I was putting too much pressure on myself to try and go 5 times, and each time I was working really really hard and not enjoying it as much as I would of liked. So I decided to take some time out from the gym last week (also because I did an abs, butts thighs class and absolutely killed my legs). Now I'm feeling more refreshed and able to get into my workouts with a new found energy that I was lacking before. I did a spin class this morning and loved it, and yesterday I cranked up my HR to nearly 180 bpm with a massive treadmill incline. Was great!

That's all from me for today. Thank you to all who posted such lovely comments on my blog. And thanks to Anon for your kind words. You are right, blogging does help me and I won't stop (unless you piss me off again... hehe).

Keep safe.

LBG xx

Twas the night before banding...

I LOVED this poem!!

'Twas the night before Banding,
when all through my gut
not a morsel was stirring,
not even a nut.

The suitcase was packed by the back door with care,
in hopes that a new me would soon return there.
I lay nestled, snug in my bed
while visions of calories danced in my head;

And me in my plus size pyjamas and wrap,
had just settled in for a long restless nap.
When deep in my mind there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my dreams to see what was the matter.

Away to my fridge I flew like a flash,
ripped open the door and drooled at the stash.
The moonlight reflecting off the beautiful snacks
gave a lustre of radiance to all on the racks.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but an array of the comfort foods I hold so dear.
With a familiar feeling of all those I'd pick,
I thought in a moment I just might be sick.

More lovely than angels their voices they came,
and they whistled and shouted and called me by name;
"Now pizza, now french fries, now chocolate galore
on cheesecake, on ice cream, on donuts and more!"

From the tip of my tongue, to the bottom of my toe,
I will miss you all more than ever you'll know.
As an addict that shakes and stirs as he sits,
I'll mourn the loss of my delectable hits.

So back to my bed I went with great haste,
and settled back down with nary a taste.

And then in an instant, in pre-op I sat,
nervously waiting to no longer be fat.
As I sat deep in thought and adjusted my gown,
in came my surgeon in one single bound.

He was dressed all in scrubs, from his head to his feet
and he seemed very calm as he eyed me like meat.
He looked at my chart, with his scope gave a listen;
I don't think he noticed my eyes start to glisten.

He was chubby and plump he could lose some himself,
and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke barely a word as he prepped for his work,
he paused for a moment, then turned with a jerk.
And laying a finger aside of his face,
and giving a nod, out of the room he did race.

He checked in the next day, to his students gave a whistle,
and away they all flew like a down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as he walked out of sight,
"speedy thinness to you and a healthier life!"

Brilliant! Thanks to Zena for this Gem!!

LBG xx