Approximately 5

kilograms to go before I am in the healthy weight range for the first time since 1990. yayyyyyyyy

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Time to update the photo

People have been gasping lately when they see me.
I think it's the hair really. The regrowth from all the hair loss was quite fuzzy so I had it all cut off.
Dad got quite emotional when he saw me and said I looked like Mum. Everyone knows I am a dead spit for Dad. LOL
Reid and I had our photo taken together a couple of nights ago when we officially gave up being Mayor and Mrs. Mayor so I will try to get one of those to post soon.

Sunday Night on Channel 7

I am disgusted with this show's article tonight.

I tried to respond to it but I wasn't able so I am doing it here.

I have not had lap band surgery but I would have if my surgeon hadn't offered something else.

I fully support lap band surgery and gastric sleeve surgery.

How dare Mike Monroe throw so much shit at lap band and support one doctor.

I'm sure there are lots more positive stories about weight loss surgery than they portray.

If you are not convinced google weight loss surgery forums and you will find plenty of happy people.

I have lost so much weight, I am fit, I am healthy, I don't take blood pressue medication, I am not diabetic and I love my life. Twelve months ago I was the exact opposite of all of those except for diabetes. How good is that. I have life to look forward to. I have grandchildren to look forward to, once I had limited opportunities due to my weight.
I can still die tomorrow, like anyone else but at least i am not offering myself up to the gods as a candidate to be taken early.

Express Lane

I'm in the express lane to the end now with my gall stone problem that I reported in my moving forward blog. It's just dropping off everyday with no fat allowed in my diet. I am trying to balance the nutrition side of things so that even though I eat tiny meals they are at least good for me. Annette Sym's cook books are coming in handy because she makes everyday meals low fat and tasty. There are always lots of veggies and good protein sources so I think I am covered reasonably well. I haven't been this light since before I had children (Jack is 18 now) so I feel really good. I am going to try my Wedding Dress on one day soon but I think it may be a bit big.
For the first time ever I have slim legs. All my life I have had heavy legs and generally been fat all over. I have the legs I have always dreamed of, go figure how this happened but I am glad it has. Perhaps all those leg exercises I did when I was a serious bodybuilder :-) have paid off and left a legacy, who knows.
Any nutrition tips will be gratefully accepted as well as your version of what has happened to my legs.
Kerry

Is that Mum with Dad?

My son Sam left for King Island on July 13th and we didn't see him until last Saturday when we were allowed to visit him. He didn't recognise me until he spotted Reid but wasn't sure if I was me. He straight away said that he thought I had lost a lot of weight. He was quite shocked really.
Next week he will be home for the holidays and he will get to know us all again.

Compliments

My life is full of compliments at the moment and I am loving every minute. I am no longer obese and I look like magic.
The lady at the coounter in Target told me I looked gorgeous with no other conversation taking place and me not knowing her from a bar of soap. She has no idea how that made me feel. I thanked her of course be she will never know how much I meant it.
I have had some clothes taken in to make better use of them and I have also purchased new things.
Someone on a forum for the gastric sleeve asked once if you had a food addiction and you get the sleeve what takes the addictions place. The answer is shoes.
I l0ve shoes and skinny feet fit much better into pretty shoes than fat ones do.
Now I am not so heavy I can handle heels much better and the last two pairs I bought have quite big heels. I am weary the black ones to an engagement party tonight and I hope to have at least one good photo taken in my outfit. Can't wait.

Kerry

anit movement

Still steadily progressing on the downward path but not as quick as if I were exercising regularly. I don't kmow why I won't because I love the feeling of finishing a workout, especially cardio. I'm good at cardio, I never get bored, I always mix it up and always finished pleased with myself, so why don't I like to start it.
I suppose somewhere in my head there is a bit that has decided to take the easy out and just let the sleeve do everything for me. ?????????????????????
My eating habits have certainly changed.
I don't crave anything really.
I choose healthy options even if the portions are small.
I have an occasional treat.
I love the new body I am developing so you would think if I could get there quicker with exercise I would just get off my butt and do it.

Move, Kerry, move.

Reflection

Exercise: Bugger all
Breakfast: crumpet
Lunch: cup soup
Tea:casserole with dumplings, of course I will be full after about 1 dumpling and 2 tbsp casserole, but that is what I am going to have.

Many years ago when I was just a little girl and it rained I had little curls all over my head. Now that I am 51 and after/during hair loss I also have regrowth I have those little curls again. I feel so young it is not funny.
In fact I feel so young that I am dressing that way, I have a shortish skirt on today, yes I am wearing a skirt and it has been years since I have. It is size 12.
The other thing that I have on is knee high boots. I have boots on!!!!!It has been a very long time.
I have been getting compliments all over the place but what most people don't realise is that I am technically still obese and have about 3 stone (in their language) to lose, so they tell me that I should not go too far.
I am sure manufacturers have made the sizes larger. I really can't be a true 12 or as one shop assistant said to me, "you are going to end up an 8 or a 6". How good would that be, I think to myself, let's just keep motoring on.
Mirrors used to be a real threat and now I love them when I am dressed. I look fantastic.

Moving Forward

Exercise: Whole body workout
Breakfast: toast and peanut butter
Lunch: 1/2 round toasted chicken sandwich
Tea:Lean beef burger with salad

I stayed home today except for a trip into town to pick Jack up from the bus which turned into 3 trips but that's another story.
Last week I was supposed to start an exercise program designed by Kristen at IBO, well actually I did the cardio then went to work so technically I did start it.
Late in the afternoon I tripped and fell and even now a week later I have the biggest bruise I have ever had on my left knee, two small ones on my right leg and a bruised left wrist. It knocked me for six. My left knee is absolutely amazing to look at and to feel. It is yellow, purple and black and still very puffy. The puffy bits hurt the most but the skin is numb if that makes sense.
I did the workout today but you should have seen me try to get up off the floor after the bridges. Let's put it this way, I am glad I was alone in the room because anyone there would have been in hysterics.

As you are probably aware my weight problem has mostly been to do with emotional things, like death, money, depression etc. Recently I took an unusual step with the support of my psychologist.

I went to a clairvoyant for a group session. Things that came up really helped me. Things that came up for some others made me teary. The next step for me is a private session which I should book because she has a wait list about 8 months long.

Today I feel empowered and I think I am really moving forward

cheers
Kerry

Bad choices

Well after yesterday self back patting I have let myself down. I ate a mini spring roll and a bit of a really awful slice. My excuse is that it was very cold this morning. Ha! What a weak excuse, things will be better tomorrow.

This has been a mammoth week and I am just about burnt right out.

Tomorrow I will be at work in Culgoa and I will have some time at home as well. The weekend doesn't look like providing any rest and then I will start again.

I really want about two days sleep, please.

Boobs

I haven't been weighing everyday so I guess I am making steps in the right direction in regard to self confidence and self assurance.

I automatically make good food choices most of the time now and even the thought sometimes of things I would have overeaten once makes me feel ill.
I have been shopping for clothes out of necessity and one lady helping me in a shop told me I have to get used to seeing a different me in the mirror. I walked out of there with nothing over size 14 and some 12's.
Today I was fitted for new bras and wait for it..............I now have size 14 bloody double ef. WTF#*#*
The girls don't want to go anywhere soon by the looks of it. Anyway they are at least sitting where they should and not dangling around my waist. Oh well, I guess I will have to live with what I have.

Moving Forward # 2

My other blog is titled Moving Forward because that's what I knew I had to do after I gained all the weight back.

I am at the point in my weight battle that I was about 3 weeks after Mum's death in 2006. It was the lightest I had been in years, my next best memory being December 1995 when I was about 68kg and Sam started walking.

68kg is therefore my next moving forward goal. By then I will be overweight and no longer obese. I plan to be there by my birthday, May 15th.

How's that for a simple, measurable goal?

Hair

Well I am still losing some hair and I am not taking the zincaps because every time I did I had severe nausea and dry reaching which wasn't good.

30

That's how many kg I have lost to date.

If exercise is the key, why the hell don't I want to do it?

Exercise: Full body workout designed by me for me plus hill cardio for 30 minutes
Breakfast: toast with pn butter and 1/2 banana
Lunch: scrambled egg
Tea:going out to dinner, who knows?

The scales have shifted again and now as you can see by the ticker I am very close to the 30kg mark. It took 11 days for the move this time, way too slow, exercise will be the key.

Hopefully this will be the motivation for me to exercise more often, I haven't had that switch turned back on yet. I really enjoy exercise so I don't understand the grey matter in my head backing away from it.

Melanie replied and told me to take zincaps along with my multivitamin and to see her as soon as possible. It's alright for her, I'm in NW victoria and she's in Melbourne and she is only there on Monday and Wednesdays. I'll get there when I can.

Exercise: Full body work out with Steve, yay at last.
Breakfast: oats
Lunch: dry biscuits and pn butter, trying to add some carbs
Tea:Chicken and salad

This hair business is becoming a bit of a worry and Melanie hasn't answered my email yet, I hope she does soon.

Every day I get heaps out when I wash it, dry it and brush it. I find it on my pillow but not thick bits like when mum lost hers through chemo, always just a few strands but it is getting to be too often. It is starting to look a bit thin now.

Twittering

Look to your right and you will see I have added my Twitter account in. This will be updated much more often than the blog so you can check what I'm up to here in two ways.

I have been losing hair for the past few weeks so I did some research and found out it is due to low carbs according to my Google findings so I will have to try to add a few more in than I have been. Eating carbs is difficult because they fill me up instantly and make eating anything else difficult. Tonight I had some rice with my meat and veggies.

I will keep you informed.

Monkey off my back

That 200g monkey is finally off my back and I can now move on.

Tomorrow I am going to my secondary school mini reunion. It's mini because selected people have been invited and if it goes well there will be an all in one some other time in the future.

I have size 14 pants and a new top to wear and I really can't wait to get there.

I think I will get Reid to take a photo before we go. I had better charge the camera battery and take the camera with me as well.

Winning and Losing

I hate lsoing stuff I tried to post.

I have been losing and gaining 200g for about 10 days now and it is very frustrating.

I have two size 14 pairs of pants.

There you have the shortened version of my lost post

Exercise:
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Tea:

For Sale

My clothes are for sale on Ebay. Well not all of them but an awful lot of them. I put them on last night and already I have one item bid on and lots have watchers. There's still 4 days to go so I am very happy about that.
Here's a sample


The dress in the side bar picture below, and above the shift I wore to my 50th.


and this is an old size 8 I thought I would throw into the mix.


..............if this skirt doesn't sell I might just keep it and put it with my small old clothes to try on again.




Exercise:2 x 30 minute bike rides (to town and back)
Breakfast:protein pancake with sf maple
Lunch:tuna to go coffee
Tea:

Hump Day

I have passed the half way mark to my final goal.


To me this is huge and the last couple of weeks have been so slow but I finally got here.

Breaking the chain

Exercise:
Breakfast:Protein pancake with sf maple syrup
Lunch:more pancakes
Tea:1/2 stuffed zucchini with more veggies.

Today I cooked up a heap of chicken and put it into little bags in the freezer and made some stuffed zucchini and put them in the fridge.
Reid has started a program so it is easier for him to manage if it is all prepared earlier. Ultimately this will be good for both of us. I will do some more tomorrow.

All I have to do now is re start the exercising. I will start and I will not break the chain.


Reid went the the Northern Buloke Bushfire Bash this afternoon where a drought stricken community raised over $17,000 in a few hours. A lot of people who donated money will be paying interest on that donation because most of us have been borrowing funds to live for a couple (or more) years now. I think that's pretty commendable for poor people to do.

I also know this has nothing to do with the context of this blog, sorry.

Goals

Exercise:
Breakfast:Protein pancake and sf maple syrup
Lunch:stir fry and lamb
Tea:dinner at the sofitel.

I have had a goal since I had the surgery to fit into the Diana Ferrari dress I bought after Mum died. Today I have it on. I just love it and I feel really good with it on. I also have matching DF shoes on.

500g to go and I will be exactly half way to my final weight goal.

check in

Breakfast:scrambled egg white on toast
Lunch:lamb, broccoli and sweet potato
Tea:chicken, sweet potato and broccoli with a little bit of carrot

My eating is improving all the time but I still can't eat the ends of asparagus, the tips yes, but no matter how far I trim, I can't get that really fibrous bit to go down.
The hot weather is over and I am just being lazy.

Bravery

Well I haven't been very good at the exercise since the heat set in but things will change as of Monday because Reid has signed up with Sue so we will work out together but I have to get ahead of him so I can stay lighter than him.


If you missed the article in the Weekly Times, click here.

This is my second attempt at this blog so I am not going to write it all twice.

I hate it when you publish and half is missing.

cheers
Kerry

I weigh less than Reid

I have waited so long to be able to say it and now I can.

Yipee

Weekly Times

If you are from rural Victoria you probably know who Miranda is.

Genevieve Barlow is a friend of mine on Face Book and I invited nearly all of my face book friends to the Ideal Bodies Online Face book group including her.

As a result I am doing an interview over the phone this weekend about emotional eating and my struggles with weight and the support I have had from Sue and then the gastric sleeve.
Next Thursday Sue and I are going to be photographed together at the Herald and Weekly Times office and Miranda will include an article about me/us some time soon.
Miranda and Genevieve are one and the same if you are not familiar with The Weekly Times.

This is all very exciting.

Exercise:Intend to do 20 minute hills and 1 x 10 minute HIIT
Breakfast:coffee, eggwhite crepe with berries and sf maple syrup
Lunch:
Tea:

Successful Dinner

Exercise: 2 x 15 minutes hill intervals @ two different speeds
Breakfast: hi bran weetbix, water, milk and coffee as usual
Lunch:Left over salad from dinner
Tea:

Last night's dinner went really well and the warm chicken salad I made was a huge hit. So were the scotch finger biscuit ice-cream sandwiches.

I had a good serve of chicken and salad and a taste of the dessert.

Wednesday

Exercise:3 x 10 minutes on treadmill but .3km faster for each than yesterday. Tomorrow I will do two lots of 15 at the same speed as the last two today. I plan to build up my endurance slowly.
Breakfast:coffee, hi-bran weetbix,splenda,water and a dash of milk


Lunch:half a salad sandwich
Tea:Warm Chicken salad with dinner guests.

Today I stuck to the exercise plan.

Exercise: 30 minutes on treadmill which was the same workout 3 x 10 minutes but faster each time. Tomorrow I will start with a higher speed and do the same.
Breakfast:Coffee, hi bran weetbix, splenda, water and milk
Lunch: 1/2 salad sandwich
Tea:lamb Back strap with something (I haven't had it yet)

I am really pumped at the moment even though Phat Camp has been cancelled again. This time I have asked for my money back. I am disappointed to say the least.

Have I mentioned my much loved milk drinks?
It seems my body doesn't like them anymore.
About 15-20 minutes after consumption I feel bloated,then pain and then I'm on the loo with disastrous diarrhoea. This has happened more than once so I don't think it is a coincidence. I will miss my milk drinks terribly.



Kerry

Sunday and Monday

Exercise: Slacked off again yesterday, treadmill tonight. It was hot so instead of the treadmill I hopped in the pool and kept moving one way or another for 30 minutes timed by my mobile phone. I walked, I swam, I squatted, I lunged the whole time. Today I have very slight doms in my quads.
Breakfast:hi bran weetbix, splenda coffee today, toast with peanut butter yesterday
Lunch:today, premium biscuits with salmon and cream cheese, yesterday zucchini slice with veggies
Tea:yesterday, left overs but I threw them up. Trifle with stewed apricots. Tonight I will egg white crepe with berries and maple syrup. Looking for ward to that

Saturday

Exercise: slacked off
Breakfast:coffee, multigrain toast with peanut butter
Lunch:Zucchini slice and coleslaw
Tea:roast pork, root veggies, asparagus and peas, all tiny bits of course.

I reached 85kg neat today. This was a bit slower than I planned but I finally made it.
With exercise I will be able to achieve the next five much quicker.

Friday

Exercise:40 minutes walk up and down dam banks and around the farm
Breakfast:1 hi bran weetbix with yoghurt
Lunch:zucchini slice and coleslaw
Tea:rissole, stir fry veg and 1 tiny chat.

Exercise:15 minutes treadmill and 30 minutes around the farm
Breakfast:hi bran weetbix
Lunch:1/4 lean beef rissole thingy and salad
Tea:salad and slithers of chicken cordon bleu

I'm getting the hang of cutting the salad up more now so I have had it twice in one day.
Last night I made more zucchini slice and froze some. We have lots of zucchini so I will be living on it for a while. We'll probably have some soup this weekend if it's not too hot.

Dr's visit

I saw Mr. Frydenberg today and he was very pleased with my weight loss and progress, so much so that I don't have to see him for another 6 months.

I then went for lunch with Reid and Sam. I tried risotto and managed a few spoonsful and then I had to race back to see Melanie, the dietician.

Those things I can't are no longer on the can't eat list, I have to cut them more finely. For example carrot should be grated and then cut up. I should take about 20minutes to eat a meal and stop after 20 minutes if there is any left. Sandwiches should be made with one slice of bread or if I have to buy one, I should throw half away.
I am on three meals a day and no snacks.
I am to start recording my exercise time per day so I might as well record all food and exercise from now on.
Starting tomorrow I will record it here too.

Please comment if you notice me going astray.

Kerry

You really should click on the link and read this

One doctor's take on Weight Loss Surgery.

This is a must read for all who need to understand about fatness and the need for weight loss surgery.

Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

Another milestone.

Perhaps I should have had different goals or at least two sets.

I passed the 20kg mark today, 20.3 to be exact and I am extatic.

I have started moving forward again which I am really pleased about.

Kerry

Happy New Year

I do not make New Year's Resolutions. I never have and I never will.
I am not good at goal setting for my own health and fitness but I am very good at organising and planning and working towards other things in my life. Once I set my mind to some things there is no budging on my behalf, that is how I have achieved lots of things in my life. It's a real mystery as to why I don't seem to treat my health in the same way.
Bariatric surgery was easy to plan for and keep to schedule. I did not put one foot wrong in preparation for the surgery. I followed all the rules and it was a breeze.
My weight loss was very quick and relatively easy but now it has slowed considerably. I have one minor female age related problem at the moment that could be slowing things down temporarily but that is only an excuse I am looking for.
I stole some goals from Tracey's blog and have tuned them to suit me.

This year I am choosing to focus on the following:
I refuse to let emotions play a part in my health and fitness.


I will embrace the opportunity my gastric sleeve has given me to improve my health and support it by making healthy food choices. We are a team!


Exercise will be a regular component of my life. I will participate in planned exercise at least five times each week.


I will hydrate my body with at least at least two litres of water a day.


That is four areas of my life that I am choosing to keep “neat”, shouldn’t be too hard should it? Well, trust me, you will hear about it if I mess up.

I hope you don't mind too much Tracey.

I have started to do a minimum of 30 minutes cardio each day, even getting up early to do it when necessary. This is a huge change on my behalf. Unlike other times when I have started exercising after a break I have not tried to do it full on as if I haven't stopped. I am doing very easy cardio and intend to build on it each day.
I will also start incorporating weights again.
I have booked into Phat Camp, even if I am the only one I know there, I will go and I will be in the best shape I have ever been when I get there. I am already looking forward to it. Let's hope I don't fall off anything this time.
I still have eating issues. Most vegies don't go too well unless they are mashed. I refuse to put proper meals in a blender. I am not a baby and I will not eat baby food. I will perservere with all food until the hernia repair stretches itself or I learn to do without some things.
I can no longer eat rich food such as fruit mince pies, Christmas pudding and chocolate. I will not miss the chocolate but unless something changes Christmas just won't be the same again.
I cannot drink softdrink, the bubbles are too big but Champagne bubbles are fine in small sips, go figure. Every now and then I wouldn't mind a coke zero.
I am learning to enjoy tea, iced mainly, but also the occasional hot one. I still love coffee and if I haven't had food or drink for a while I can drink a whole small one. I used to always drink large flat whites. No more large ones now. Just think of the calories I am saving. I will not ruin the coffee with low fat milk so I still get a few extra calories but I don't have coffee as often so I guess it's win, win.
I am loving the way I feel at this point in time and it can only improve from now on.

Cheers,

Kerry