The hardest part

Back in the early stages, I though I could deal with no coffee for a month… I mean I did it last year in China (because I had little choice), but at home in Sydney it’s a completely different story… Working in the city you can’t walk 100 meters without going past a coffee shop; not to mention everyone walking around with their takeaways.

Weekend mornings are quite the same drinking your black or green tea with the paper… I’ll tell you something, once the band is on; I’m back on the skim flat whites…

I can deal with no pasta, no pizza, no rice, NO CARBS, but I’ve only just realised what a vice my morning coffee really is… and to think that 20 years ago when I started in TV - I never drank coffee, until once I started working on the road and I was introduced to Bill & Tony’s in East Sydney… not to mention those cold winter mornings standing outside a court where a coffee was the only thing that would warm you up…

11 days or so and I’ll be able to have my coffee again… bring it on

Another notch on the...

I know what you were thinking, but it’s actually the belt... This one isn’t going to last me much longer and I'll need to drag out one of those old ones... The jeans are getting a bit loose and baggy too which is a good sign... Might have to go through the wardrobe this weekend and see if I can find some I grew out of over the last couple of years...

I'm also starting to become conscious of how much walking I’m NOT doing... so much so that this morning I decided to get off the train at Town hall and walk the 15 minutes to MP instead of walking down the stairs to jump on another train... I'm also using the stairs more now instead of taking the lazy way with the escalators and elevators...

I’ve even enquired about Band Camp which is a special weekend boot camp for people who have had Gastric Banding Surgery… if others can do it, so can I.

Words of encouragement

Why tell everyone about it like is did with yesterday's email? Doc Darcy asked me over our coffee 3 weeks back if I was telling people or not… Why not… Yes it’s a private thing, but I figured people at work are going to notice I’m loosing weight, and the last thing I want is rumours going round (not that the TV industry thrives on rumours – Does it?); that I was sick or something… People are seeing me eating my rabbit food and drinking my shakes, so I may as well be open about it… As most of you know I'm not the shy retiring type and tend to call a spade a shovel...


Working in such a public industry like Television (especially in the Martin Place fishbowl) means you can never keep things quiet for long… And the encouragement I’m getting from my colleagues is making the transition much easier…

To all of those who have sent me personal messges of encouragement, thank you...

Telling Everybody

Finally I thought I should let people know about this blog and the operation so today I sent out a mass email to all my family, friends and colleagues


Family, Friends and Colleagues

By now some of you may already know, but in just under 2 weeks time I am going into hospital to have a Lap Band placed to assist me with my battle with the bulge... I have tried many things over the years and while they work at the time, as soon as I try to level out and go back to "normal" the weight goes straight back on... And it's just become too much...

The lapband isn't a miracle cure, but rather an aid, in helping me develop a new regime of how I eat... I am also hoping that is will start to reverse a couple of things that have been arising over the last few years...

If you interested in following my progress I have setup a blog that I am trying to post to everyday. http://followpickers.blogspot.com/

It details my experiences, how I'm feeling and what goes into getting it done... I've been posting now for almost 3 weeks and how its going so far in the pre-op stage, with my 'Liver Shrink" diet...

All the best

Craig

2 weeks to go

In 2 weeks I head off to hospital to get the band placed… so far over the last 2 weeks I’ve lost 8.1kg and I’m feeling great… The last week hasn’t been as bigger lost as the first, although I hope I can get to at least 10-12 kg down from my starting weight (which is another 2kg a week)…

This week has been a bit hectic at work and I haven’t had the opportunity to get out and go for a walk, although yesterday I spent the afternoon at Epping playing with the SNG, so that’s always a good workout…

This weekend is relatively quiet and at this stage I’m home all weekend, so bring on the walks down to the shops to get the papers (instead of the car) which is a good 5km round trip each day…

More tomorrow…

“Would you like fries with that”

Nothing annoy’s me more than console operators and their suggestive selling… Today when I went to pay for my fuel, from the time the console operator opened his mouth it too him 10 seconds with his suggestive selling spiel until he got to ask which pump I was… I mean, Do I REALLY look like I need chocolates, coke and whatever else he was trying to sell? I don’t think so… But what was worse with this guy, was he asked me again as he handed my card and receipt back… I’m sure I was speaking English when I said no the first time…

Its people like these who prey on the weak, who don’t know how to say no… It’s not just now that I’m on my diet and getting ready for the operation that it’s annoying me, it has done so for years… “Would you like fries with that”; “do you want to upsize”; “You can get a 2^nd one for another $1”… NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Family Lunch

This morning I packed up and headed south to my brothers in Marulan to see my nephew for his birthday (it was yesterday). Packed up was right… I took my food with me, Fish (Special treat) and salad, as well as a spare milkshake sachet if I needed it…

As I was getting ready I looked at myself in the mirror and for the first time could see the benefits of what I was doing… I could see it in my face, its hard to describe, I just could though…

I got there just as lunch was getting prepared, so I put my fish in the oven (with dill chives, lemon and pepper) to cook, with the kids lasagne. I ate my fish and salad while the family had their vege slice… and the fish was good… Cathy offered me a small slice of the vege slice which I had (like 50g)…

After lunch we walked up to their new house which is almost finished. 5km round trip. 40 mins up; and 25 mins back (going down hill and keeping up with Cathy on the bike). I could have backed out of the return walk because pa came up with the car to bet Ma, but I didn’t… I was the only one who walked back as the other all rode their bikes… But this is the new me… Mum suggested we walk up there and I said why not, so mum, Cathy and myself walked up, with the kids on their bikes.

I got back and had some water and we had some of Matt’s birthday cake, again only a small slice to suffice me… I’d just walked 5km so I didn’t feel guilty.

It’s been a while since a walk like that and when I got home tonight after sitting in the car for 90 minutes, my calves were a bit tight, but that will reduce over time…

From now on I’m going to do a walk around our big block (half the suburb) here at home (about 4.6km on Google earth) every weekend, and a couple of 30 minute walks a week at work in the city… that will get those calves in shape…