Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tuesday Rambles..

Hi Loyal Readers!

I love getting comments, they are the highlight of my blogging experience. I really should learn to leave more on other people's blogs..

Loving the time off at the moment. Feeling refreshed and recharged.. :)

Just to answer a couple of your questions:

Charles - yes, having a fill means that you have more saline injected into your port to tighten your band. I'm in two minds at the moment as I can eat alot more than usual, but I'm still feeling the restriction and I'm loving the salads and veges I can eat... so I'm going to wait it out a couple more months and see how I go.

GF - I am loving the boxing classes. OMG I love them so much! I burn around 650cals over 1 hour and I feel fucking fantastic afterwards - it's my new favourite class!

KLM - Loved the step class, wishing I didn't have to work on mondays so I could go as that is the only one they have during the whole timetable at FF! Can you believe it? thinking of putting in a suggestion at the gym to put a basic step class on a Sunday - then you'll have no excuse but to come and do one with me!!! hehe

Didn't end up going to the gym for spin this morning.. couldn't be fucked getting out of bed. Calves are a little sore from step yesterday, so going to go do the 5:45spin class instead..

Today I'm lunching with Mum. Mum doesn't know about my band.. we're doing sushi.. should be interesting. I can actually manage sashimi which I just love, so hopefully that's on the menu. If we go to a sushi train I might try and stack my empty plates along with my mum's so that she has less of an idea of how much food I haven't eaten... I hate being sneaky sometimes, but I know I'll only be able to eat 1 or 2 plates and I know she'll comment on it.. and I just couldn't be bothered trying to explain again why I'm not hungry!!

Anyhoo, I'm off to have a shower and get myself ready.. then I'm going to have a coffee and relax for a bit before heading off to see mum.

Hope your day is as fabulous as mine!

LBG xx

Monday, March 30, 2009

Still sick, but soldiering on!

I was pretty sick this weekend, but it didn't stop me from going to V-Festival in Sydney on Saturday. We ended up walking about 8km in total because we ended up walking from centennial park all the way to central station. Yesterday I was wiped, I had such a big day on Saturday that I think it all caught up on me on Sunday. I didn't eat too well on Saturday - it started off with 2 bites of a sausage McMuffin for breakfast, then a couple of wedges which made friends with the toilet bowl, then I snacked on burger rings and cheese n bacon balls throughout the afternoon while at the festival... by 11pm I was really hungry, but couldn't be bothered with a pie or hungry jacks because I knew that I'd more than likely vomit it up again... needless to say, on Sunday I was craving healthy foods, so I had an apple which I managed to eat over 45 mins, and a gorgeous chicken and salad wrap for lunch which took me 45 mins to eat as well. Dinner was nacho mince packed full of vege with a couple of slices of polenta..

I've got the next 4 days off work, back for 1 day on Friday and then I start my new job on Monday. I've got loads of things planned for this week:

Monday: Step Class at 9:30am then Lunch at the fish markets with my best friend
Tuesday: Spin Class 6am, Car servicing in the morning, lunch with Mum and a facial in the afternoon
Wednesday: Boxing Class 6am, Morning tea with a girlfriend and then a body spa in the afternoon
Thursday: Spin Class 6am, Hair appointment at 2pm and then a spray tan after that...

How so utterly blissful!

I also plan to watch my eating this week. I'm still not 100% convinced I need a fill yet... but I'm loving eating the salad wraps and fruits.. so I'll stick with all that good stuff.

So Anyhoo, while I'm still a bit sniffly today I'm just about to head off for a Step Class, which I'm looking forward to as I never get to do step classes as they are always during the day..

have a good week! I know I will !! :)

LBG xx

Friday, March 27, 2009

Sickness!!

Just when I was going so well with my exercise I've come down with a cold/flu thing. I'm not keeling over from illness just yet, but it seems to be hovering around the stuffy head, one blocked nostril, achy muscles (although that might be exercise related!!) and pain in my throat and a bit of a cough.. nothing to see me hide out in bed for the next 2 days but enough to make me feel pretty crappy.

I am contemplating having another fill. Last fill was September of last year which is now 6 months ago. I can definitely eat more than I could before, but there are just some days where I really struggle with my foods. So I'm really not sure. Last night I ate 2 slices of Garlic and Cheese Pizza. Took me half an hour, small bites, chew chew chew... a bit of waiting in between to ensure it would go down again... Yet yesterday lunchtime I ate half a cape seed roll but it ended up making friends with the toilet bowl. So I'm just not sure... I think I'll leave it another couple of months and see how I go. I want to start introducing more stirfrys, salad sandwiches and all that good stuff and see how I go..

Do you think I need a fill? I can eat pizza!?

LBG xx

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Stepping up the Exercise

While I haven't been slack with my exercise, I know I can work out harder. I have a F11 polar heart rate monitor which I can set a program to. Before my program had me training 4 times a week, burning a total of 1750/week over approximately 3 hours. Each Monday morning you get a weekly summary message on your monitor and consistently I have been getting above 150% of the targets set by my program. So I decided to up the anti... now I have to work out at least 5 times a week burning a total of 2500 cals over approximately 4.5 hours. I must say, it's made me alot more self conscious about my training. Last week was the first week I did the new program and I managed to get 108% of my target, which was great but to get to that level I did a heap of exercise:
Monday - 1 hour cardio/weights at local gym in the morning
Tuesday - Spin Class - 45 mins in the morning
Wednesday - Boxing Class - 1 hour in the morning
Thursday - 45 mins cardio at local gym in the morning
Saturday - Spin Class - 45 mins in the morning

This week I've done:
Monday - 1 hour of cardio at local gym in the evening
Tuesday - Spin Class - 45 mins in the morning
Wednesday - Boxing Class - 1 hour in the morning
The rest of the week will be as follows:
Wednesday - 30 min treadmill in the evening (as husband has physio appointment at the gym and I have to take him cos he can't drive at the moment)
Thursday - Spin Class - 45 mins in the morning
Friday - Rest Day
Saturday - Spin Class - 45 mins in the morning
Sunday - Rest Day

Changing the program has made me rethink my training, and I'm putting alot more effort into each session because I know I've got to work that much harder to make my target each week... it's been great.

The down side is that I'm hungrier and therefore wanting to eat more. The only problem is that I get so hungry that I tend to pick foods that will give me an instant energy boost (ie chocolate) rather than eating some good quality food... so I've decided that this week I'm going to try eating little but often, combining protein with complex carbs. So today I've packed myself:
Yoghurt - 177 cals
Popcorn - 94 cals
Le Snack - 88 cals
Cut up vege (cucumber and carrot) - 30 cals
2 tbsp lite cottage cheese - 50 cals
Small bread roll with 1 slice cheese and vegemite - 200 cals
1 apple and a small container of grapes.

This should definitely be enough! Dinner tonight will be 1 fillet of fish, baked and a couple of table spoons of steamed vege.

Hope you all have a great day!

LBG xx

Monday, March 23, 2009

So excited!!

One of my very very good friends was banded today! I only found out on Saturday that this was going ahead, and like me she is very private about the whole thing. We chatted for hours about it and I know she has done the right thing by taking this step. I just got a text from her to say she is out of surgery and on the road to recovery!

I also know she found my blog too... I hope she starts one.. *hint hint* Wishing you a speedy recovery my friend!!

Have started logging my food again on Calorie King to see what my calorie intake is like. Last night I finished 2 small wraps with chicken salad and mayo, and today I can hardly get down my yoghurt. Crazy band that can't make up its mind!!
I've taken away all the unhealthy stuff at home and went and did a shop yesterday afternoon. Only got fruit and vege mainly, some cans of tuna, frozen baked fish for dinner - 1 fillet is 155 cal. or a chicken and salad wrap around 200cal, diet chocolate mousse and some yoghurts.. etc.

Anyhoo, enough from me. Must get some work done!!

LBG xx

Friday, March 20, 2009

Couldn't fit into my pants!

I tried on my size 14, 3/4 length crop work pants today and they were tight. Too tight for my liking! Really haven't been too strict with my food intake at the moment. My typical day would be:

BF: Coffee, yoghurt
MT: popcorn (100cal)
L: 1 roll with butter, 2 slices of cheese and vegemite
AT: 1 piece of fruit (like a peach or some grapes)
D: 1 fillet of fish or half a schnitzel or 1 small sausage/chevup, 2 tbsp steamed vege - with some sort of mayo or tartare sauce to go with it
S: Either a nestle diet mousse or ice cream and usually a freddo frog or 2 with a cup of tea

So I totally know where I'm going wrong. But I also think to myself (maybe it's my internal reasoning).. that because I'm burning 500 cals at the gym that day that having those foods won't be a problem because I've "earnt" them. I don't know how to get out of that mind set. One thing I do need to do is get rid of all the bad food that I'm currently buying. I'm OK when I'm at work because I bring my food from home. I usually just bring healthy foods.. it's in the evening when it's the problem.

Help me get out of this dieting rut!! Suggestions welcome! :)

LBG xx

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Good times...

Things are good with me at the moment. I'm happy and lessed stressed about my job situation. We've even booked in to see a couple of mortgage brokers next week to discuss our situation and see what our options are, so looks as though that my change in job may not necessarily change the timing of our plans. It's exciting because we're looking to upsize our mortgage and buy a house. And then hopefully in the next year or so, I'm hoping that my husband and I will think about starting a family... I was sad that my redundancy could of potentially pushed back all my life plans.. but now the future looks on track and bright again.

I'm not stressed out about eating and my weight at the moment. I'm working out for around 4-5 hours / week , getting my HR up, sweating, working out hard, eating well - not excessively, and the band is working with me. I'm enjoying a great range of foods, small portions and stopping when I'm full. I'm loving a whole heap of salads and veges at the moment which I just love. I don't care what the scales say to be honest. I feel good.. not necessarily thinner, just better. And that's the main thing right?

Exercise is great at the moment too. I'm pain free with my back so enjoying some jogging on the treadmill, doing my boxing class and getting in 2-3 spin classes/week as well. Feeling energetic and strong.

Things are good right now. I hope they stay that way for a while!!

hope all is well in your world!

LBG xx

Friday, March 13, 2009

Finally a little ray of sunshine!

Some good news from me peoples... I got the job I applied for. I found out today. I am so happy at the moment. It's such a scary time at the moment with the global financial crisis, it really didn't feel good to know that in a matter of a few weeks my life would change because I didn't have a job. Thank goodness I never have to go through that ... !! I get my redundancy package AND I get to start a new job straight away... so that redundancy money is going to pay off one of our loans... one that I didn't expect to pay off for at least another year or so... FABULOUS! It also means that we don't have to really put off buying a house now... AND we can still look forward to starting a family within the next couple of years...

I'm feeling fantastic right now peoples... :) Life is good..

LBG xx

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Update..

Things are slightly better than my last post... looks like Tropical Cyclone Hamish is heading out to sea, so FIL will be OK..

Husbands knee doesn't seem to be as bad as first thought. He hasn't torn anything, and there is no blood in his joint, so just a couple of weeks of R&R and he should be back to normal within the month! Thank goodness, because we didn't need any expensive medical bills at the moment especially when I won't have a job in April!!

Still no job... starting to get sick of waiting. I've been at 2nd interview stage with this 1 company for over a week now. I called them this morning to ask about my progress but the person I needed to speak to wasn't there. I have a feeling that I didn't get the job - especially if it's been over a week since 2nd interview. I just hate how they think that the interviewee's time isn't as important. Make a decision peoples and let me know!!! I will also hopefully be hearing back about another job that I made to 2nd interview.

Foodwise, things are going OK. I was a little tighter than normal yesterday, so my vegemite and cheese sandwich made friends with the toilet bowl, so I just stuck to yoghurt and cup a soup for lunch.

Finally, a big shout out to Lee who has read my blog from beginning to end (yes peoples, over 2 years worth of my life... !!). Currently in Pre-Op stage... hope it all goes well for you! Thank you so much for leaving your comment and look forward to following your journey!!

LBG xx

Monday, March 9, 2009

When it rains it pours!!

I had an interesting week last week...

I developed an eye infection on Monday night which turned into a stye which was really freaking painful. Friday my husband injurs his knee and he might need some surgery or at the very least some sports physio and loads of rest and to top it off, my Father in Law lives up in QLD where Cyclone Hamish is at the moment... and I'm still jobless!

So as you can see, fun times for me! Just got back from a 2nd job interview and boy was it a tough one. It was 4 people firing questions at me for an hour. I'm exhausted now!! But feel pretty good coming out of the interview so fingers firmly crossed.

Thanks for reading!

LBG xx

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Update..

Sorry, no witty title today. Got news last night that I didn't get the job I was hoping for. Apparently the person who got it had more experience than me.. a little disappointed but have moved on. I had a 2nd interview for another company yesterday over the phone and a 1st interview last month with the possibility of a second interview later on this week. So a little bummed, but getting on with it. I still have 4.5 weeks until I'm officially unemployed, so plenty of time to find that perfect job! I'm not out of the running yet! Plenty of opportunities to come.

As a result, my stress levels are pretty high at the moment. The gym is helping me keep calm, but I've noticed that my band is super tight over the past few days. Breakfast is half a piece of toast with p-butter or jam, the a couple of small pieces of watermelon in the morning, lunch is variable and it really depends what I'm doing (i.e if I'm at my desk working, or out with friends..). If I'm by myself or not really concentrating on eating I can usually eat more (i.e. a cheese and vegemite roll over an hour or so), where as if I'm with a friend I'm conscious of what I'm eating and how fast so I'll eat less.

In other news, on Sunday I went for my first road bike ride! Hooley Dooley! What a workout and so much fun! Road around 10km to bi-centennial park at homebush bay, Sydney, road around the park, had coffee and the road back. One part of it was a killer (Heart break hill we called it), but we managed to make it back and in the process I burnt over 1000 cals just going there and back (I didn't even track the riding we did around the park!). I was rooted by the end of the day and was asleep by 8:30pm that evening... but so much fun and something I definitely want to do more often. :)

Happy Hump Day Peoples!

LBG xx