I know I've said it before...

...but, jeez, I just love you guys!

My particular inspiration today comes from the Divine Miss M and her Puff n Stuff post.

She talks about the unexpected challenge of walking with some colleagues at lunch time and finding they exercise much harder than she is used to.

Did she give up when she realised how fast they walked? HELL NO! She kept going, while silently hoping for the lights to change so she could catch up when they waited to cross the street.

Isn't that like so many of our blog-friends? Rising to meet new challenges and constantly pushing ourselves harder.

Life keeps chucking tomatoes at us, and we keep making fat-free gazpacho!

No, thanks!

No, thanks, I don't actually need your weirdo fad diet.

Last week I bumped into someone who knew I've been losing weight, but hasn't seen me in a couple of months.

She was blown away by how much I've lost and showered me with compliments (something I'll never get tired of!).

Then, she told me all about this diet I just had to try - one of those things where you de-tox by eating nothing but raw veggies etc.

Have to say I was pretty dumbfounded by this! Sort of looked at her with my mouth open.

And managed not to say "Look, I've lost 35 kilos. I've done that by eating good food in controlled portions and by getting lots of exercise. What make you think I need this diet?"

I know she was just trying to help. But, really, I think my way is working.

Okay so far

Well, I've had a few days off tracking and still had a good loss this week. Mostly because we were so busy in Auckland I didn't get around to eating much. And one of the good things about staying in apartments is that there's nothing in the cupboards for me to 'graze' on late at night.

I have no intention of staying off counting points for long - just this weekend away at the snow and I'll be straight back into it.

Thanks everyone for your support - it gives me renewed motivation to know I've got such lovely people watching over me.

Not really looking forward to the drive to the mountain tonight - the weather forecast is pretty awful. I'll try to get away by mid-afternoon so I can do most of the journey before dark, and will just take it easy on the drive.

Lots of the family have been up ski-ing all week, so we'll have a great weekend of catching up.

Diet burnout!

I know, I know, we're not dieting, we're changing our lifestyles.

I don't care what you bloody call it - I'm bored with it!

I'm going through this real stage of being completely OVER the food I eat. Just a bit sick of it all really. And that lowers my resistance, so I eat stuff I shouldn't - and far too much of it.

I obviously haven't really found what triggers my eating, because I don't seem to be able to stop myself.

So. What to do?

I'm going to Auckland tomorrow and coming home on Thursday. Then off to Raurimu for the weekend to see if there's any snow worth ski-ing on.

I'm not going to count points at all until Monday. I will try to be good with my eating.

Then, next week, I'm going to try and bring some variety back into my food. More planning should help with this.

This isn't going to beat me. The weight loss WILL continue!

Girly treat

The very observant among you may have worked out I live in a testosterone-loaded house. In the best spirit of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em", I too love sport and many other blokey things.

I preserve my female sanity by having nice clothes and hair, indulging in lovely make-up and my great nails, and inflicting my practice of aromatherapy on whoever happens to be in the house when I burn my oils.

But still, I am always hugely grateful to my sisters when I get to borrow their girl-children for a day out.

Today I am spending the day with my two lovely 11-year-old nieces (not twins; borrowed from different sisters). One of them lives here in Wellington and the other is visiting from Adelaide for the holidays.

I had a nail appointment booked, so this morning I had my nails done and the girls each got a manicure. We are all wearing different shades of pink on our nails.

Then we went out for lunch, followed by a leisurely stroll through the mall. How nice to giggle over impossibly high heels and admire the beaded handbags. Instead of working out whether headgear is better with a velcro fastening or stretchy neck strap.

Now they're watching DVDs (Aunty Sue, your lounge is just like being at the movies!), while I potter about.

Soaking it up, before the smelly boys get home.

Moving right along

Okay, the swimming thing was a bit of a bust! I'm feeling better now, but not supposed to go in the pool for a couple of weeks.

So, on Sunday I bought a bike. I wasn't intending to buy a bike for the triathlon, thinking I could just borrow one for a couple of months. But one of the stores was having a receivership sale, so I picked up a good mountain bike for 2 hundy.

I haven't ridden it yet, as I haven't got a helmet. But I'll get one this week and go for my first ride this weekend. I have a friend who is training for the tri too, so we're going to ride around the South Coast and reward ourselves with a coffee at a beachside cafe afterwards.

Jogging, swimming, gym, riding - this weight loss journey has brought so many new things to my life, apart from just a change in eating habits.

Cryptosporidium

You just have to appreciate the perverse irony of it.

Jake swims in the pool, what, 200 times a year? Healthy as a horse.

I swim in the pool, what, once in five years? And I catch this nasty, pool-lurking bug. It turns my bowels to water and stops me eating solid food for three days.

See, I told you it was perversely ironic.

On Friday I posted a 1.6kg loss. I actually weighed 1kg less than that, but I figure that I was completely 'flushed out' (sorry) and probably a bit dehydrated, so I haven't claimed the whole loss. Next week will sort it all out.

By the way, for you Sydney gals - Cheer, Cheer, the Red and the White!

Swim update

Well, at least I didn't drown!

I managed to do 16 (25m) lengths. I did them as 4 sets of 4 - 1 length freestyle, 2 lengths breaststroke, 1 length backstroke. I stopped for a minute between each set, mostly to let the other two people in the slow lane overtake me!

My freestyle clearly needs work. Actually, mostly my breathing technique. I am definitely going to have some lessons.

You're right, Emily, Jake does swim, and could probably give me some pointers. But he swims because he is a waterpolo player (yes, as well as underwater hockey). And their training is seriously hard. They do things like 200m of hypoxic 5s - that's where you breathe every fifth stroke. I'm not going anywhere near a pool that boy is swimming in!

I have to say, I'm feeling pretty stuffed after the swimming. My back, in particular, is quite sore. I guess I've found another bunch of unused muscles!

Another note about my son the jock
Jake does play a lot of sports, but you have to examine the motivation behind some of them. For instance:
Underwater hockey - lots of fun, and lots of girls in bathing suits
Water polo - not so much fun, lots of girls in bathing suits, legalised thuggery
Lawn bowls - lots of girls, damn-all physical effort
Are we seeing a theme here?
Touch rugby - lots of girls watching while you run around in short shorts and a singlet - always stripping off the singlet when on the sideline to show off the hairy chest
Cricket - strictly social. They take a couch and a barbecue to their games
Golf - I really have no idea why anyone (except Michael Campbell) would play this sport
Dragon boating - this one is a real doozy - lots of girls in bathing suits, lots of girls watching while you strut and pose and pump up your muscles when paddling, ample opportunity to do the school haka in a fiercely competitive environment
Rugby - no explanation required. He's a Kiwi bloke

Time to take the plunge

I'm sorry, I just had to use that pun.

It's time for me to start swimming.

I am going for the first time tomorrow morning.

I have reached this decision for a number of reasons:
At some stage I rashly said I would start swimming when I was under 100kg;
I had a programme review with my trainer chap this morning. He tortured me and I don't feel like the gym tomorrow;
Just over 4 months till the triathlon - I'd better find out if I can remember how to swim and book some lessons;
I've got to do it some time!

So, this morning, I bought a swim cap. It's not a gorgeous one like M found.

But it is red, so I'll swim faster.

Double Digit Doris

I'm there! I'm there! I'm there!

I'm under 100kg. I'm a Double Digit Doris.

For the first time in around eight years, there are only two digits in front of the decimal point.

I've got a kind of Edmund Hillary-esque feeling - you know, the famous quote, "We knocked the bastard off".

In reality, of course, I'm still somewhere on the North Face. But the view from here is fantastic!

I shall pause briefly to enjoy my achievement, then continue my climb. The top of Everest doesn't feel so far away now.

Attitude adjustment

I need one!

Or, more specifically, I need to adjust my attitude towards bonus points.

I've always had this smug little 'I don't eat my bonus points' thing going. You can almost see me puffing out my chest and waggling my head when I say it!

Well, it needs to change. I get so much exercise now, I'm starving if I stick to my normal points. And then I lose my willpower.

The thing is, I love going to the gym. And I still need to, and like to, walk the dog. So, on days when I do both (which is about 4 days a week), I'm earning 10-13 bonus points!

From now on, when I earn more than 8 bonus points a day, I'm going to eat the extras. Sensibly. Not treats.

BLOKES!

M mentioned compliments from blokes the other day. Hers wasn't necessarily a nice experience, but it got me thinking about how difficult it is for some men to give compliments, particularly about weight loss.
I talked to a (male) friend of mine about this last night. He reckons men basically have two fears (which turn out to be the same) about telling a woman they look good because they've lost weight.
Those fears are:
1. If she hasn't lost weight, she thinks I think she's fat.
2. If she has lost weight, she'll know I used to notice she was fat.
Think about it girls, we sure can make it tough for them!
So, here are a few of my experiences with comments and compliments from men about my weight loss.

Rugby blokes
I am (of course) on the committee for our school rugby club. These blokes most often see me on the sideline on Saturdays, looking truly inelegant in jeans, multiple sweaters and a great big coat. I could grow breasts on my back and they wouldn't notice!
A couple of weeks back, we had our prizegiving. I went straight from work, so I was still dressed in my girl clothes. Our 1st XV coach actually didn't recognise me until I turned around and started talking to him! He then lavished me with praise and pointed out to everyone within earshot how great I looked.

Work blokes
I bumped into a couple of the guys from my industry in a coffee shop the other day. I don't see them often, maybe a couple of times a year. There was a tall counter between us, so they could only see me from about the armpits up.
I was chatting away, when I realised one of them hadn't quite worked out who I was. So I told him. And he said 'I thought it was, but you look really different. Have you changed your hair?'
'No,' I replied, 'I've lost 30 kilos.'
'Wow, that's cool, how have you done that?'
To which, of course, the only possible reply was...
'I chopped off both my tits!'

Home blokes
Sorry to be a bit rude, but this from my man the other night, when he was umm, well, shall we say 'measuring my cup size'?
'This will cost us a fortune in bras!'

Rugby blokes 2
We had a glorious day in Wellington yesterday, which coincided with the U15 final for rugby. So instead of the aforementioned swaddling clothes, I got to watch in jeans and a tee shirt. Quite a fitting tee shirt, instead of one that looks like a small pup tent.
The same coach, after the game, came up and said 'You look so great, I just have to hug you'. Which he did - then passed me around the rest of the committee and insisted they hug me too! (I've known these guys for a long time - it's not creepy)

Home blokes 2
The teenager came home saying several of his friends had commented on my weight loss (isn't that just lovely?). Knowing just how to gross him out, I asked if I was in danger of becoming a MILF (if you don't know what that is from American Pie, you have to watch the movie).
'If anyone says that, I'll beat them to a pulp, then choke myself to death on my own spit'
That's my boy!

Rugby blokes 3
And this email from the sport co-ordinator at school, who came to the tournament with me last week. He's about 6 foot 3 and like many ex-forwards, inclined to run to fat.
'Today is a new start for me. I'm running home from work every day. You have inspired me'
Aww, shucks.

Time to stop faffing around!

Okay, so I had a 1kg loss this week. I know that's a good loss. But it could have been more, if I hadn't been sneaking treats here and there.
So, it's time for me to do what lots of the blog-girls have done recently and get back to basics. Track, weigh, measure and calculate assiduously.
This is my time.

One neat thing I haven't told you about my trip to Auckland - I got to see Mum and Dad! They live in the Bay of Islands, so we don't catch up in person very often. Last time I saw them was when they came down to Wellington for my 40th in March - before I started Weight Watchers.
Anyway, on Sunday, they were on their way to England when we were on our way back to Wellington, so we had about a 45 minute crossover at the airport.
They had no idea I've been losing weight. I actually told them before I saw them, because I didn't want them freaking out and thinking I was sick! They were very impressed. Dad did point out there was no risk they wouldn't recognise me though - I was the one bossing 16 kids around!
The reason for their trip to England is lovely. They are both Kiwis, but they got married in London - 50 years ago. This is their golden anniversary trip; the first time they've been back since their wedding.
In December our whole family (believe me, there's a few of us) will be descending on Kerikeri for a party on their actual anniversary.
And while we're there, Mum is going to take me to her gym. Yep, my 71 year old Mum is a gym bunny! She started doing it this winter. Mum and Dad spend most of the summer living on their yacht, but Mum finds she loses her sailing fitness during the winter, and each year it is harder to get it back. So this year she's using the gym to overcome that.
I've got great parents.

What the hell is underwater hockey?

It's a game that looks like this:

There are six players and up to four subs per team. The players wear mask and snorkel, flippers and a padded glove. They use a short wooden stick to hit a puck that weighs 1.5kg. The game is played in a pool about 2 metres deep. A good breath-hold is a must!

It's a game that Jake loves playing - the perfect combination of athleticism and thuggery.

So last Thursday we flew to Auckland with 16 players (senior and junior teams) and 5 adults, for the NZ Secondary School Underwater Hockey Championship.

What followed was four days of cooking huge meals (4 dozen filled rolls for lunch each day, roast chicken for dinner etc). The apple crumble we had for dessert one night was the size of a small apartment building. On top of that, add driving to and from the pools countless times, celebrating their victories and commiserating over their losses, taping blisters and strained ankles and rubbing down aching calves.

Of course I bellowed myself hoarse at their games - I know they can't hear me under water, but it makes me feel better.

So, how did I cope with all that food? Pretty well, I think. I ate the same food as everyone else, just smaller portions. No planned exercise, but the days started around 6.30am with waking players for early games and finished around 11pm, so I think I got my share of activity.

The scales will tell the tale at the end of the week...

*waves madly, blows kisses*

It's okay, folks, I'm still here!
Outrageously busy last week, and then four days in Auckland with the underwater hockey tournament and no coverage for the mobile data card on my laptop! Updates to come...

Ride the wave of enthusiasm

I've been to the gym almost every day for the last two weeks. I know that sounds like a lot, but there is method in my madness.
One of the things I've learned is:
Use my enthusiasm for something new to help build a habit.
So, at the moment I'm really loving the gym. I'm going 6 times a week. When the novelty wears off a bit in a few weeks, if I drop back to 4 or 5 times a week - it won't matter, because that will still be plenty. But, if I'd started at 4 times a week, I might struggle to maintain that.
If you're worried that I might be neglecting Moose, don't be. I go to the gym in the morning and he still gets his walk at night - although not always 5km these days!
Oh, by the way, take a look at my weight loss record. That's right, 30kg - gone forever!

Walking thoughts

As I walk around our suburb, in the morning and in the early evening, I love to speculate about the lives being led in other people's homes.
Often I am walking between 5am and 6am. There are few other lights on at that time, so I try to guess why those people are up at such an early hour (apart from the obvious reason of them being just as mad as me).
I know the guy three houses down from us leaves for work about 5.30am, so no guesswork needed there. And the cream house a couple of street away is home to a writer - he likes to write in the early hours before his family gets up and the noise intrudes on his thoughts.
But how about the brick house surrounded by pohutukawas? I can see the shadows of someone pacing about - a mother on the phone to her child overseas? And the green weatherboard just along from there - given the number of child seats in the car, it's a fairly good bet someone's up feeding a baby.
But it is all quite different when I walk in the evening. There is much more activity, as people get home from work, youngsters do their homework and family life is led.
In one house, drums are being practised every evening by someone whose skill is slowly improving. The woman down the road from there likes to cook dinner in peace - the kids are always outside playing; in the garage if it's wet.
The church down the road is always busy in the evening, and at the moment the boys' school is rehearsing The Pirates of Penzance.
And, of course, in our house, life continues on its peaceful path. Jake is getting home from sports practice, Mark is in the garage doing something important to a motorbike, and it's time for me to cook dinner.

Eating out

It was Mark's birthday yesterday. We went to Logan Brown for dinner. It's one of Wellington's top restaurants, the sort of place we normally consider an 'expense-account' venue.
The food is just lovely - and invariably packed with protein and mostly very rich.
I had been saving a couple of points each day for the evening, but had also decided I would eat whatever I wanted to and not worry too much about the points.
Well, what a revelation. I just couldn't bring myself to order any of the mains - they all sounded divine, but I knew they would just be too much for me.
So, I had two entrees instead - one of which was vegetarian. I really enjoyed my dinner and didn't feel full or bloated at the end of it. Ahhh, how things have changed.
I didn't even feel tempted by the bittersweet chocolate tort or the grapefruit delicious pudding with champagne and muscatel icecream. I had a glass of a lovely sticky dessert wine to finish instead.
So, I didn't count the points, which still would have been fairly high, but nothing in comparison to what I would have eaten at the same restaurant last year - their signature dish is a truly magnificent paua ravioli with lemon beurre blanc!
And this morning I weighed in with a 1.1kg loss.

As a sidenote to Mark's birthday...
He turned 48 yesterday. And I already give him a pretty hard time about being so old. But this week his new motorbike race licence turned up. And his classification - Senior! It will take a long time for the teasing about that one to die down.

Average - and loving it!

Well, I had my fitness assessment at the gym on Saturday. Out of a scale of poor, below average, average, above average and excellent - I was average! That's pretty damn cool.
I hate to think what I would have been 5 months ago before I changed my lifestyle, but I'm proud to be average now.
The lovely young man who did my assessment and has written my programme was pleased with my result and thinks my fitness will improve quickly as my weight drops. I think we were both surprised that I did so well - my walking has clearly helped.
He's very encouraging and supportive, so I haven't felt intimidated by the gym experience at all. I've now done the programme twice on my own, and will go twice more this week. Then I'll see my lovely young man again on Saturday so he can check I'm doing everything properly.

On a less cheerful note, I might have to surrender my title as the Snappy Comeback Queen.
Unlike some of you, I have chosen to share my blog with people I know, particularly people I work with. This number has been increasing as they show it to others they work with etc.
On Friday I had a call from someone in one of our printing plants. I've worked with and known this man for over 10 years. He had rung to ask a favour, but started the conversation by teasing me about my blog.
It was all done in that pseudo-joking way that people think is funny, but I found it very hurtful. I did point out that he wasn't going about the right way of asking a favour, and he soon changed his tune, but I was upset by the conversation. In fact it weighed on my mind quite a bit over the next couple of days.
I know that there will always be people who can't find it in their hearts to be happy for me, and that my weight loss has become a very public thing - partly because of my blog and partly because I look so different. I shouldn't expect too much of others, but I wish more would stick to the 'If you can't say something nice, say nothing' principle.
In the end, all that his thoughtlessness has done is caused me a few sad moments and helped strengthen my resolve. So, maybe we need the balance of positive and negative influences?

Work has me pretty swamped at the moment, so I haven't been visiting other people's blogs as much. Hope to catch up with you all soon - I haven't forgotten you!

Halfway

Gain, what gain? Got rid of that, and a bit more besides, to lose 2.5kg this week. Yeah, I know, it just shows what commitment can do! So, I'm now half way to my goal weight and feeling fine.
I have a couple more milestones coming up in quick succession, so I'm really looking forward to knocking those off.
1.7kg to lose to reach the 30kg mark. I want to do that before I go to Auckland on 1 September for Jake's underwater hockey national tournament.
Then 2.5kg from there and I'll be under 100kg.

But enough about me! The wonderful Emily made goal this week. Isn't that just fabulous?

Congratulations Emily!