Exercising My Brain

The past two days I have been attending a course to update my training in preparation of my return to the workforce.

It has been a positive experience and I have enjoyed exercising my brain. It has proven to me that it still works :-)(from a work prospective at least)

I am ready to embark on the journey to reignite my career which has been deferred while I have been home looking after my little ones.

Exciting times ahead!

Goodbye Size 18 Clothing

This week I sold a bulk lot of twenty two size 18 items of clothing online on Trade Me.

It felt good to say good bye to that chapter of my life, although it was bitter sweet as I really did like some of them , particularly the cowl neck patterned dress :-( but it really was far too big and the cost to alter it would purchase a new dress, so I decided to let it go with the other items.

I now have more space in my wardrobe for new clothes, once I reach my goal weight.  I am determined that I will not go back to that size.  My change is for life and I will reach that goal.

It is nice to get dressed up and feel good about the way I look.  It is also nice to get compliments from friends and family about my appearance.

I'm now nearly 20 kgs from my start weight of 102.4 kgs. My BMI is 27 and I'm well on the way to a healthy weight!  

The Worst Plateau Yet

For the past 5 days I have been stuck at the same weight and it's the first time I've had a gain in the past 5 months!

It has been frustrating to sit on 84.3 kgs for so long. To begin with I couldn't understand why.

Then I sat down and had a wee think about what could be happening... What have I done differently.

Ok, I have been missing out on my yoga. It is important, I enjoy it and it does burn a few calories, but I don't think it would cause a gain on it's own. No, there is something else, something I am becoming careless with...

Carbs? Let's see... Okay, I haven't been too bad, there have been the odd indulgences. The odd slice of toast here, KFC for dinner one night there (but not a huge portion), a salami and salad wrap (hardly a crime).  

Then what about sugar? Well, I had one cookie - it's not exactly a binge, but then I thought - I have been having a few sachet coffees this week too (around 3 per day). They are 74 calories each without milk, but they are 9 grams of sugar.

Things are starting to add up now. I have not been as disciplined in a few areas and although I've been watching portions and my overall nutrition, I have slipped up a bit and things have got off balance.

The body processes sugar and carbs differently and my body is used to having very little. When it does get a bit more that usual, it has an impact!

Some tweaking is what is needed and darn it, more discipline. I've lost my way a little, but I am back on the straight and narrow now. Hopefully I am back on track to achieve my next goal in the next two weeks.

83.6 Kg Selfie

It has been nearly 17 weeks since I first started blogging my weight loss and I'm 18.8 kgs lighter.

I have managed to average just over 1 kg per week weight loss and with only 7.6 kgs left to reach my goal weight of 76kgs, I'm only 2 months away. It isn't a deadline, but it's a timeframe I would like to keep to. 

I have formed new eating habits over the past 4 months and I'm learning to look at nutrition in a new way. I've been tested on occasion, okay, I'll admit it - most days can be a test of will power, but I'm retraining my brain to look at food as energy and nutrients as well as an experience and enjoy consuming it on all levels without it consuming me. 

It is a fine balance, but everything in life strives for balance. I'm up on the tight rope trying not to fall. It might be a bit scary, but the view is starting to look pretty amazing! 

Making My Own Luck

I am at a career crossroads. I want to return to work now that the kids are older and more independent, but I don't want to return to exactly what I was doing before I had kids.  I have a certain amount of experience in my chosen field, but my experience is not recent and my training is, well, it's in need of updating.

It's hard to know where to start when you want to change your vocation. In the current economic climate, the competition for jobs is tough.  Employers are looking for up to the minute skills, experience and training.

You need to have an outstanding application just to set you apart from the bunch. A boring application might get glossed over, lost in the sea of other applications. A CV and application letter can tell you a lot about a person and in order to get shortlisted, both need to be well formatted, concise, easy to read, logically ordered and error free.  It also has to match the role you are applying for. For example a Designer would take a different approach to an Accountant.

Then comes the interview process. You must present well look professional as well as present as someone who will fit the potential employer's culture.  This does not mean suits and heels or ties and jackets. No, these days many companies have a more casual approach. Formal 'business attire' is now out dated and candidates are encouraged to show more of their personal style without being too casual or 'out there'.

You need to do your research on the company and it's key people, understand their mission and values, know their core business, products or services and customers. 

It is a real process. One I recently went through, unfortunately without success.  Now I am setting out to plan my next move and prepare for new opportunities.

A highly respected business person recently gave me this piece of advice:

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity"

If you are not prepared, you will not be ready to take an opportunity when it presents. Likewise, the opportunity may never present if you have not prepared.  In essence we make our own luck.  So that's what I'm doing.  Who knows? I might even get lucky :-)

84.2 Kg Selfie

I'm now 18 kgs under my official starting point of 102.4 kgs.

I have to say I am feeling so much better for it. My energy levels, physical fitness and overall wellbeing are feeling... like they should - I feel healthy and that,  I think is reflected in my appearance.

I feel alive and ready to take on the world!   

Corned Beef Toastie With Low Carb Bread

Today's lunch was a bit of a rushed toastie.

I used left over corned beef, cheese and a generous smear of Maille brand mustard on Freya's brand low carb bread. No salad to accompany it, but I will make up for it at dinner.

Simple, tasty and low cost. Sorted!

Are You in Denial About Your Weight?

I read an article on Stuff.co.nz a few weeks ago titled 'Are You in Denial About Your Weight?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/7783073/Are-you-in-denial-about-your-weight

The article (based on an expert's advice) suggests people who think they may be in denial about their weight ask themselves the following questions:

 

- Do I have a body weight that falls within a healthy body mass index range?    
- Does my body reflect who I really am?
- Do I honour and respect my body the way I should?
- Does my body support everything I want to do with my life? '

These are all questions that I have asked myself, because I believe that for a long time, I was in denial about my weight.  My answers to the questions above are the very reasoning behind wanting to lose weight.

   

Don't get me wrong.  I think curves are great.  My personal opinion is that curvy women are very attractive.   But, there are curves and then there are... beyond curves.  Curves that don't look healthy. In my view, an NZ size 14 or US size 10 is perfectly acceptable (for the average height woman). A US size 14 or an NZ size 18 and larger sizes advertised as 'the norm' is not sending the right message about what is a healthy weight. In the same context, super skinny catwalk models do not send a message of good health.  There needs to be a balance - a healthy weight supported by a healthy diet.

Here is an image of a US size 6 (NZ 10) mannequin on the left compared with a US size 10 (NZ 14) on the right.

I have to say that I think the curves on the right are just lovely and don't look in the least unhealthy.

Then we have the now extremes of plus size models (US size 22) size 26 in NZ, who are now sending the message that being morbidly obese is not only acceptable but desirable. 

I am all for people having a positive body image, but not if it is not positive for their health. Everyone needs to learn to love their bodies but to truly love yourself is to treat your body with respect and care. 

I think about people who are obese and suffering for it.  They have collapsed arches in their feet, compressed vertebrae and arthritis in their spines and knees and sleep apnoea.  Their mobility is at times restricted and they have pain on a daily basis. I am not prepared to put myself through that - not even if it is fashionable!

 

Being morbidly obese carries many other serious health risks such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It is a very real problem facing society and it should not be dismissed, ignored or worse glorified. 

I aspire to be a healthy weight, to be physically fit, to have strength and flexibility, high energy levels, to live free of pain and illness - now and into the future.  This is not an easy path to choose, but I believe it is the right path.  It may be an easier road to live in denial and create new standards about what is right and acceptable so that we don't feel bad about ourselves, but I believe we can be smarter than that and start to question ourselves about where our choices are taking us.


 

Blitz Cleaning - 10 Rooms in 1 Hour

Last Sunday we were expecting family for lunch, so I decided a tidy up was needed.  The house was not in a terrible state, but every room had it's issues and just looked generally untidy.

Blitz cleaning is something I have really embraced lately. It's a great way to get the house tidy in a hurry - but it will only work well if the house is already in a state of semi organisation.  It's not ideal for a major declutter or if cleaning has built up over time. You would need to set aside a lot more time and possibly helpers to make a dent in a major cleaning operation.

My idea is to take 1 minute before you start, to plan what needs doing in the room (what will make the most impact) and then use a further 5 minutes to do the blitz and get as much done as possible. So, 10 rooms, 1 hour.  

 

Make sure you have all the cleaning equipment at the ready before you start - it will waste precious time if you don't have the spray'n'wipe, vacuum and wipes or whatever else you need ready to go.

 

I also have some specialist equipment. I keep a leaf rake in the house for rangling building blocks and getting toys and clothes in hard to reach spots.

During this blitz, I used my trusty tool to rake out toy cars from under my son's bed. It is surprisingly handy and saves a lot of bending! 

I use a timer to keep me on track and you could make a list to refer back to while blitzing although in this instance I just settled for the top 5 tasks so I could remember them without notes.

It helps to work with a sense of urgency. You want to get through the tasks quickly and move on quickly. Sometimes that means settling with the progress you have made in one area in order to make progress in the next. You will definitely work up a sweat if you are keeping a good pace.

Here's how I tackled two of the major spaces. I started in the master bedroom,  luckily the damage was not too severe.  My top 5 tasks were:

1. Make the bed (and remove the cat :-)

2. Wipe down the bedside tables.

3. Vacuum the floor.

4. Put away / hang up a basket of clean clothing.

5. Take the dirty clothes pile down to the laundry.

Making the bed was the longest task, as I fussed around a bit with it, I had pulled it up earlier but it needed a re-straighten and I changed the pillow cases to freshen it up.  The rest of the tasks were dealt with super fast.

The next area was the master bathroom. This was more of a challenge because it was not in a super hygienic state. Ok here's the top  5:

1. Clean toilet

2. Clear and clean vanity

3. Rinse bathtub

4. Remove dirty washing

5. Wipe down floor

I actually ran over a couple of minutes just to improve the hygiene. I also changed the hand towel and replenished the supply of toilet paper - it seemed silly not to.

 

There were 8 more zones I worked on, 3 kid's rooms - which were not so much of an issue. I straightened the beds and picked up the toys in each room. After vacuuming there wasn't much else to do.  The kid's bathroom needed more attention and the toilet some serious scrubbing, but the hallway, kitchen, dining and lounge were all achievable in the time frame. 

10 rooms, 1 hour - house spotless :-)

85.1 Kg Selfie

Close to my next goal now!

17.3 kgs lost and counting.

PS:  Did you notice that I'm wearing my Salvation Army top from my Opp Shop shopping earlier this week?

Opp Shop Finds

Here are all the little bits and bobs I picked up on my travels today.  It all adds up I tell you!

Here's the breakdown:

Pictures $18.00

Lamp/light shades $17.00

Clothing $17.00

Kitchen utensils $2.00

Apple corer $1.50

Two large wine glasses $2.00

Other glassware $3.00

Pen / file holder $3.00

Vintage tea towel $3.00

Magazine rack $4.00

Total spend (excluding petrol and lunch out) is: $70.50! Not a cheap day out, but I was happy with my finds and it was worth a punt. I can't say that I will be racing out South again soon, in general I thought that the prices were higher than our local stores and I don't have the travel time or expenses to contend with.

I have to say I was a little disappointed that there wasn't much in the way of well priced small furniture items that I could have bought to spruce up. I guess it really is a case of being in the right place at the right time and today I didn't have luck on my side.

Opp Shop Shopping Venture

Today I'm setting out to grab some bargains in South Taranaki about an hours drive from home.  It's a bit of travel but, work I've heard there are bargains to be had, so I'm on a mission to see what I can find.

I have a list of items I'd like to find, but I'm staying open minded. You never know what opportunity (charity) shops will have for sale. I only hope there is room in my car for whatever treasures I find.

On my list are vintage coloured glass ceiling lamp fixtures. I made a cute little garden sculpture out of some others I have been collecting and I'd love to do some more if I can find some different colours at the right price.

I'm also hoping to find a cabinet / buffet or console table with some storage for our front doorway. The current option has no storage and was sourced from the dining nook, so I'd like to return it to the space and find a better alternative.

It's a rather ugly piece of furniture but it is incredibly functional. It is a drop leaf table and I only just used it over the weekend to seat four for a family lunch (we already had the main table at capacity). It needs re-painting at some stage but for now I keep it covered.

I'm always on the lookout for interesting pieces of furniture even if they need repair or painting. Who knows what I'll come back with?!

85.6 Kg Selfie

I have made steady progress this week, now weighing in at 85.6 kgs. The next goal is approaching, total weight loss now is 16.8 kgs!

I fully expect to plateau for the next week,  but I can live with that. 85 kgs here I come!

Fish and Chips - A Healthy Alternative

This is a piece of panfried Terakihi fish served with grilled parsnip chips seasoned with Morrocan seasoning and tumeric, fresh baby spinach leaves and lime (to squeeze over the fish).

The fish was discounted - $2.60 for the fillet, the parsnip was around $2.00 and the spinach no more than 50 cents. The lime was free from family so for close to $5.00, I had a good sized feed of healthy fish and chips for lunch.

Just the Right Amount of Spice

Today I made a beef and cashew stir fry with a little fresh chilli for lunch.

First I cubed a medium sized piece of steak then placed it in a plastic resealable bag along with with a glug of extra virgin olive oil, a dash of seasame oil, a big glug of soya sauce, a clove of fresh garlic finely diced, a bit of ground black pepper and half a large fresh chilli finely diced. I sealed up the bag and let the steak marinate in the bag while I preped the rest of the ingredients. You could marinate longer, but I was hungry so left it only about 20 minutes!

Next I chopped up a quarter of a large leek (the green end as that was what was left) and sliced up an old piece of red cabbage (about 2 cups). The mushrooms were already sliced (about 1 cup) and the final key ingredient is the cashew nuts. I used about 2 tablespoons.

When I was ready to start cooking, I heated the frypan with a glug of extra virgin olive oil and about a teaspoon of butter. I browned the steak lightly before adding the remaining ingredients (excluding the cashews) and stir fried the veges until almost tender.

Then I added a few little extra flavour bursts - another small glug of soya sauce, a splash of chilli sauce (mine is homemade but sweet Thai chilli sauce is also nice) a teaspoon of seasame seeds, a teaspoon of butter and lastly the cashew nuts - frying until the veges were tender.

I finished of with another teaspoon of seasame seeds to garnish and the result:

A warm, filling and spicy dish on a cold and winters day :-)

My Wish for Our 15th Wedding Anniversary

This morning my weight sits at 86.9 kgs. I'm just under 2 kgs from my next goal of 85 kgs and feeling pretty positive about reaching that in a couple of weeks.

I'm not too worried about the time scale as long as I'm making progress, although... part of me would like to get to 80 kgs by the end of September, so I can fit into my wedding dress on our 15th wedding anniversary.  This is what I looked like then: 

Seems like only yesterday.... Ahhhhhhh

Fingers crossed I make it into the dress, but if not - who cares!

Yoga hasn't happened for a couple of weeks now, but I have been trying some breathing and meditation when I find I have a few minutes of down time, like waiting in a queue or when I'm feeling a bit stressy.  I plan to get back to it tonight and really stretch out my muscles. It is such a great low impact exercise. It takes practice but it is worth the effort.

Good First Impression

This morning I am meeting with a recruitment agency in hope of finding paid employment.  It is always a challenge to choose appropriate clothing for a good first impression. Although technically it is not an interview, there is a requirement to dress to a good standard. After all this may be the first step in finding the perfect job.

I am opting not to wear a blouse and blazer for this meeting. Instead I chose some warm knit layers up top to keep me warm and comfy paired with some dark pants so that I don't look too casual. I will wear a winter jacket over top, but remove it when I get there.

I'm not nervous, just really looking forward to moving closer to my goal to find permanent work after quite a while being a stay at home mum. It is exciting to be ready to take on new challenges - wish me luck!