It’s the weekend, and a lovely one at that after the last couple of days… The sun is shining and not a cloud in the sky so a walk to get the paper was a great way to start the weekend… Today I decided I’d do the full block 5km round trip. The air was fresh, and without the crispness of last weekend… and I manages to do the 5km in about 40 minutes so that’s not a bad pace… obviously next weekend I wont be able to walk as far (only supposed to walk for about 10-15 minutes for the first week or so after the op, gradually building up day by day) but hopefully will be back to this within a couple of weeks.
As wrote last week, walking is great for the mind and today was no exception… I was able to reflect of the week that’s just gone and look forward to the coming week… It also gave me some great ideas for some blog posts which I will write over the next week… It also gave a source of inspiration to finally get my garden going again… with all the extra energy I’ll have I need something to burn it up on.
While it’s all well and good to write about what I eat and what I weigh, this whole experience is bringing to light a lot of other things too...
Today’s weigh in after 3 1/2 weeks was 123.2kg, bringing me to a total loss of 11.5kg to date… My goal was 120kg by the operation so I don’t think I’m going to reach that, but I’m still proud of what I have managed to achieve to date…
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
It’s getting easier…
After nearly 3 ½ weeks things are starting to get easier, even if eating like a rabbit is getting boring… One thing I wish knew from before day 1, was the need to use Metamucil to keep you regular… The first couple of weeks without the fibre, Number 2’s were extremely painful, but now its back to normal – while this might not be to everyone’s taste, for anyone reading this blog who is contemplating a band, it’s something that will help you get through this period.
The other benefit of Metamucil is its ability to make you feel full with zero calories... I'm having my Metamucil in the morning, and combined with your breakfast milkshake, can take you through to a late lunch if needed...
It’s been interesting the last few days with people who have people who have been contemplating the band, asking me how I can be so positive about it. They've been avid followers of my blog and have been asking my philosophy about getting it... As I've said before, it’s as simple as wanting a better quality of life...
To be able to do things without getting tired... To be able to buy NORMAL sizes clothes and not have to go to the BIG Men’s rack with their limited selection… To be able to play ball with my nieces and nephews and be around when they grow up… take my dog for a walk... And for those of you who have travelled with me to parts of Asia with work, not be a walking talking white Buddha like the children have seen me in the past – Don’t laugh – It’s true.
Long conversations have ensued, and like me, they don’t eat crap, it’s just how and when they eat. They know the philosophy behind low GI, like a lot of us with obesity problems, we like our food and end up eating too much (even of the right stuff) or eating too fast...
How I have managed to change my habits overnight I don’t know - although it’s probably got something to do with the investment I am making in this. a month ago it would have been unheard of me to take half an hour to eat my lunch (except if it was a curry laksa from David's Kitchen) but now I can make 2 celery sticks, 2 grape tomatoes and an Optifast bar stretch for 30 minutes, which is good practice for post band once I am back on solids and I have to take 20 minutes to eat my cup portion of food.
For anyone who is contemplating it, and want to know more about it than what I'm posting, drop me an email and lets talk...
The other benefit of Metamucil is its ability to make you feel full with zero calories... I'm having my Metamucil in the morning, and combined with your breakfast milkshake, can take you through to a late lunch if needed...
It’s been interesting the last few days with people who have people who have been contemplating the band, asking me how I can be so positive about it. They've been avid followers of my blog and have been asking my philosophy about getting it... As I've said before, it’s as simple as wanting a better quality of life...
To be able to do things without getting tired... To be able to buy NORMAL sizes clothes and not have to go to the BIG Men’s rack with their limited selection… To be able to play ball with my nieces and nephews and be around when they grow up… take my dog for a walk... And for those of you who have travelled with me to parts of Asia with work, not be a walking talking white Buddha like the children have seen me in the past – Don’t laugh – It’s true.
Long conversations have ensued, and like me, they don’t eat crap, it’s just how and when they eat. They know the philosophy behind low GI, like a lot of us with obesity problems, we like our food and end up eating too much (even of the right stuff) or eating too fast...
How I have managed to change my habits overnight I don’t know - although it’s probably got something to do with the investment I am making in this. a month ago it would have been unheard of me to take half an hour to eat my lunch (except if it was a curry laksa from David's Kitchen) but now I can make 2 celery sticks, 2 grape tomatoes and an Optifast bar stretch for 30 minutes, which is good practice for post band once I am back on solids and I have to take 20 minutes to eat my cup portion of food.
For anyone who is contemplating it, and want to know more about it than what I'm posting, drop me an email and lets talk...
Thursday, September 3, 2009
What’s that I smell…
No, for those who were thinking that; my nose is not too close to my bum!
It’s interesting really, when you’re not eating something; like meat, pasta, cheese, etc; it definitely heightens your sense of smell… Tonight I came home and I could smell Scott’s bolognaise pasta bake before I even got in the door… It was no different than usual; but I swear you can actually smell the fat in it, amongst the other aromas... And I am noticing this more and more the longer I am on the “Liver Shrink” Diet.
With 6 sleeps to go the countdown is really on now… 2 days left at work in town and then on Tuesday its time to play in the vault at Epping… That has been a marvelous experience going through all the old overlay tapes of the 70’s, (the ones that didn’t get buried under the tennis court) 80’s and 90’s; and even finding stuff I shot or worked on… It’s an opportunity not many people get to do, but for those who are passionate about our rich news history - like I am – days in the Epping Vault are not like working at all.
It’s interesting really, when you’re not eating something; like meat, pasta, cheese, etc; it definitely heightens your sense of smell… Tonight I came home and I could smell Scott’s bolognaise pasta bake before I even got in the door… It was no different than usual; but I swear you can actually smell the fat in it, amongst the other aromas... And I am noticing this more and more the longer I am on the “Liver Shrink” Diet.
With 6 sleeps to go the countdown is really on now… 2 days left at work in town and then on Tuesday its time to play in the vault at Epping… That has been a marvelous experience going through all the old overlay tapes of the 70’s, (the ones that didn’t get buried under the tennis court) 80’s and 90’s; and even finding stuff I shot or worked on… It’s an opportunity not many people get to do, but for those who are passionate about our rich news history - like I am – days in the Epping Vault are not like working at all.
Balibo
Last night I had the experience of watching Balibo… I say experience because it was… It was a gritty, no holds barred account of the story of the Balibo Five. I new OF the story, but never knew THE story and how it came to be, along with the Roger East connection… Afterwards we were treated to a Q&A with cinematographer Tristan Milani ACS, who was the DOP on the film… Tristan explained how they managed to make it on a budget of $4 million and a crew of 19 in East Timor… This was the first feature ever to be shot in Timor…
It was very realistic… Even using some of the original lenses of the era to shoot some of the sequences… To get the realism of the reporters’ pieces to camera, they loaded what they had from archive footage onto an iPod and then viewed that on location prior to shooting it… The cameras in the film were the ones used by the crews, but the only disappointment was the microphones they were using as props were RE50’s with XLR connectors which weren’t available back then... the RE50’s predecessor the RE12 was the go with film camera’s in the 1970’s…
Apparently the Indonesian media are labelling it a story of fantasy and that it never happened and it will never be shown in Indonesia; while in Timor, thousands of locals flocked to see it in a travelling roadshow around the country…
It was very realistic… Even using some of the original lenses of the era to shoot some of the sequences… To get the realism of the reporters’ pieces to camera, they loaded what they had from archive footage onto an iPod and then viewed that on location prior to shooting it… The cameras in the film were the ones used by the crews, but the only disappointment was the microphones they were using as props were RE50’s with XLR connectors which weren’t available back then... the RE50’s predecessor the RE12 was the go with film camera’s in the 1970’s…
Apparently the Indonesian media are labelling it a story of fantasy and that it never happened and it will never be shown in Indonesia; while in Timor, thousands of locals flocked to see it in a travelling roadshow around the country…
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
7 Sleeps to go
Wow… where has the last month gone… I can’t believe it’s nearly a month since I committed to the operation and now it’s less than a week to go… I even had the Hospital ring today to remind me I was going into the new Norwest Hospital and who I need to ring next Tuesday for my pre-op information.
As usual prior to going on any sort of leave you have to cross your t’s and dot you i’s, as well as clear your desk (and in my case the junk pile behind it), so you don’t come back to a mess and a pile of emails… with 4 days to go at work, I don’t know If I’ll get it all done… It’s coming along slowly though
This morning started off well with my weigh in. 3 weeks and I’m down to 124kg, making that a loss to date of 10.7kg. Last night I added the blog link to my status which let a whole heap of new people know about what I'm up to... One Comment from former 7 colleague Noel Brady "onya Pickers... hope you come out of it half the man you are now"... Thanks Brades
I’m also getting better at work and using the stairs more to go up and down… occasionally I forget, but when you’re in a rush you get that…
Tonight I’m off to my first function since I started the diet – a special screening of “Balibo” at Screen Australia’s Roxy Cinema – there’s nibbles afterward, but I think I’ll just slide away into the night to avoid the temptation…
As usual prior to going on any sort of leave you have to cross your t’s and dot you i’s, as well as clear your desk (and in my case the junk pile behind it), so you don’t come back to a mess and a pile of emails… with 4 days to go at work, I don’t know If I’ll get it all done… It’s coming along slowly though
This morning started off well with my weigh in. 3 weeks and I’m down to 124kg, making that a loss to date of 10.7kg. Last night I added the blog link to my status which let a whole heap of new people know about what I'm up to... One Comment from former 7 colleague Noel Brady "onya Pickers... hope you come out of it half the man you are now"... Thanks Brades
I’m also getting better at work and using the stairs more to go up and down… occasionally I forget, but when you’re in a rush you get that…
Tonight I’m off to my first function since I started the diet – a special screening of “Balibo” at Screen Australia’s Roxy Cinema – there’s nibbles afterward, but I think I’ll just slide away into the night to avoid the temptation…
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Hello World
No it’s not John Laws; and it’s not quite the world but hello Australia and those who are following my Band Blog… Finally on Sunday I put the Google Analytics code on the blog to see if there was anyone out in the universe tuning into my progress and there are… Thanks…
It’s not a lot yet, but it’s slowly increasing… It would be nice if my weight was decreasing as much as the readers are increasing, but hey there’s time for that… I got reminded yesterday by my sister-in-law that I shouldn’t be weighing in every day (which I know from past diets) but it was more the curiosity factor of how I was going just drinking the shakes and eating rabbit food… So I did it… no weigh in this morning and for now my weigh in’s will be Wednesday and Saturday mornings… Once I’m back on to solids in October Ill go back to once a week (which will be helped by being away in Bathurst the Melbourne…)
Today was such a hectic day, just like the next week will be before I go off on my leave for 2 weeks… Running around (including up and down the stairs at MP) – 7 Colleagues take note – if you see me in a lift; tell me to get out and take the stairs
Tonight my puppy (we’ll he’s an 8yo staffie – but he’s still my puppy) is lying sore and sorry for himself after getting desexed today… I hope I don’t feel that bad come next Wednesday night…
And tonight’s dinner was probably one of the best I’ve had in the last 3 weeks (bar the fish last Sunday). Vege soup… Chicken stock, Broccoli, Onion, Shallot, Snow Pea, Capsicum, Zucchini, garlic, tomato paste and Italian herbs… boiled then whizzed up in my new stick mixer (which I bought ready for Puree weeks 3 & 4)… This is one thing I think I’ll be living on in those weeks – It was almost like normal food…
Tomorrow is another crazy day, but I’m looking forward to heading out to Homebush for the first Survey for the V8’s in December… So I’m sure there’ll be a bit of walking to be done there…
It’s not a lot yet, but it’s slowly increasing… It would be nice if my weight was decreasing as much as the readers are increasing, but hey there’s time for that… I got reminded yesterday by my sister-in-law that I shouldn’t be weighing in every day (which I know from past diets) but it was more the curiosity factor of how I was going just drinking the shakes and eating rabbit food… So I did it… no weigh in this morning and for now my weigh in’s will be Wednesday and Saturday mornings… Once I’m back on to solids in October Ill go back to once a week (which will be helped by being away in Bathurst the Melbourne…)
Today was such a hectic day, just like the next week will be before I go off on my leave for 2 weeks… Running around (including up and down the stairs at MP) – 7 Colleagues take note – if you see me in a lift; tell me to get out and take the stairs
Tonight my puppy (we’ll he’s an 8yo staffie – but he’s still my puppy) is lying sore and sorry for himself after getting desexed today… I hope I don’t feel that bad come next Wednesday night…
And tonight’s dinner was probably one of the best I’ve had in the last 3 weeks (bar the fish last Sunday). Vege soup… Chicken stock, Broccoli, Onion, Shallot, Snow Pea, Capsicum, Zucchini, garlic, tomato paste and Italian herbs… boiled then whizzed up in my new stick mixer (which I bought ready for Puree weeks 3 & 4)… This is one thing I think I’ll be living on in those weeks – It was almost like normal food…
Tomorrow is another crazy day, but I’m looking forward to heading out to Homebush for the first Survey for the V8’s in December… So I’m sure there’ll be a bit of walking to be done there…
Monday, August 31, 2009
Plateau
Its one of the most feared words by dieters… And after 2 ½ weeks I’ve hit one…
Saturday morning I weighed in at 124.5kg, bringing me up to a 9.9kg loss to date, but then yesterday morning and again this morning I went back to 125.2kg, despite increased exercise over the weekend and eating less… I knew it had to come, but not yet… I have set myself a goal of 120kg by the operation, and the way it’s going now, I don’t know if I’m going to make it… I’ve even double and triple checked my scales because sometimes they have been giving dodgy readouts but the last couple of mornings it’s always come back the same
Not to despair though… It’s my last full week at work this week before the op, so I’m not going to have too much time to worry about it… There’s a heap to do before my time off with all the spring and summer sport coming our way on Seven… Bathurst, Melbourne Cup and the Sydney V8’s, and not to mention the bushfire season has started already…
Let’s hope tomorrow there’s some good news before my next weigh in on Wednesday
Saturday morning I weighed in at 124.5kg, bringing me up to a 9.9kg loss to date, but then yesterday morning and again this morning I went back to 125.2kg, despite increased exercise over the weekend and eating less… I knew it had to come, but not yet… I have set myself a goal of 120kg by the operation, and the way it’s going now, I don’t know if I’m going to make it… I’ve even double and triple checked my scales because sometimes they have been giving dodgy readouts but the last couple of mornings it’s always come back the same
Not to despair though… It’s my last full week at work this week before the op, so I’m not going to have too much time to worry about it… There’s a heap to do before my time off with all the spring and summer sport coming our way on Seven… Bathurst, Melbourne Cup and the Sydney V8’s, and not to mention the bushfire season has started already…
Let’s hope tomorrow there’s some good news before my next weigh in on Wednesday
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thinking Time
I’ve just got back from a brisk walk in the even brisker air down to the local shops to get the paper - they keep on telling us that winter’s over and spring has arrived earlier, but the winds of the last few days have certainly put paid to any notion of that… The air had a certain chill to it (but at least it was a dry chill and not the usual winter damp one…
As I’ve got a bit to do today (including a visit to my sister and my adorable niece Charlotte) I took the shorter direct route of 3 ½ km’s as opposed to the full block of about 5km. It still took 40 minutes though and according to my Food & Exercise Diary that still burnt 162 calories… Now I know I said I was going to walk both days this weekend, but yesterday morning it was raining when I went to get the paper so that put paid to that. Instead I did a little more gardening in the afternoon…
Taking a walk is a great time for thinking… You see others out for a stroll (and I was over taking them), other people in their cars driving to get the paper (that WAS me)… I’m starting to notice larger people more and more these days’ and its not just since I committed to the band… I’ve been noticing it for the last couple of years… I look at them and then look at me and think “at least that’s not me… YET”. - And now that’s NEVER going to be me… I have been doing a lot of thinking of late in regards to what I am about to undertake and how it will change my life…
I’ve also been thinking how in just under 3 short weeks I have been able to change my eating habits of a lifetime and loose almost 10kg.
3 weeks ago my typical diet was cereal and fruit with skim milk for breakfast (raisin toast on weekends); 2-3 skim flat whites in the morning, a roll or takeaway Chinese for lunch (large of course) with diet coke & spring roll or dim sim, a couple of times a week there’d be a mid afternoon snack of another diet coke or banana cake, then dinner would be pasta, or stir-fry with rice, or steak and chips or something, and then by 9pm I’d be hungry again and have some yoghurt, ice cream or popcorn…
Now its 3 Optifast’s a day, some tomato/celery for lunch, and greens/mushrooms for dinner and that’s it (and there’s still maybe 2-3 diet cokes a week down from 1-2 a day). And I’m not feeling starving like I used to. (I sometimes feel peckish, but not like I used to). I’m also taking longer to get through it. The goal is 20 minutes to eat a cup of food once the band is in place; I’m slowly working towards that now, as it’s taking me 10 minutes to eat an Optifast bar – which is something you could really devour in under a couple of minutes if you really wanted to…
“WHY am I going so well so far?” I keep asking myself – It really is something that I have been thinking about a lot but can’t explain… The power of positive thinking – perhaps; the goal at the other end – a bit of that too; small pain for long term gain – definitely; I must say though that I’m looking forward to 5 ½ weeks time when I can start eating some real food again, but nothing like before…
As I’ve got a bit to do today (including a visit to my sister and my adorable niece Charlotte) I took the shorter direct route of 3 ½ km’s as opposed to the full block of about 5km. It still took 40 minutes though and according to my Food & Exercise Diary that still burnt 162 calories… Now I know I said I was going to walk both days this weekend, but yesterday morning it was raining when I went to get the paper so that put paid to that. Instead I did a little more gardening in the afternoon…
Taking a walk is a great time for thinking… You see others out for a stroll (and I was over taking them), other people in their cars driving to get the paper (that WAS me)… I’m starting to notice larger people more and more these days’ and its not just since I committed to the band… I’ve been noticing it for the last couple of years… I look at them and then look at me and think “at least that’s not me… YET”. - And now that’s NEVER going to be me… I have been doing a lot of thinking of late in regards to what I am about to undertake and how it will change my life…
I’ve also been thinking how in just under 3 short weeks I have been able to change my eating habits of a lifetime and loose almost 10kg.
3 weeks ago my typical diet was cereal and fruit with skim milk for breakfast (raisin toast on weekends); 2-3 skim flat whites in the morning, a roll or takeaway Chinese for lunch (large of course) with diet coke & spring roll or dim sim, a couple of times a week there’d be a mid afternoon snack of another diet coke or banana cake, then dinner would be pasta, or stir-fry with rice, or steak and chips or something, and then by 9pm I’d be hungry again and have some yoghurt, ice cream or popcorn…
Now its 3 Optifast’s a day, some tomato/celery for lunch, and greens/mushrooms for dinner and that’s it (and there’s still maybe 2-3 diet cokes a week down from 1-2 a day). And I’m not feeling starving like I used to. (I sometimes feel peckish, but not like I used to). I’m also taking longer to get through it. The goal is 20 minutes to eat a cup of food once the band is in place; I’m slowly working towards that now, as it’s taking me 10 minutes to eat an Optifast bar – which is something you could really devour in under a couple of minutes if you really wanted to…
“WHY am I going so well so far?” I keep asking myself – It really is something that I have been thinking about a lot but can’t explain… The power of positive thinking – perhaps; the goal at the other end – a bit of that too; small pain for long term gain – definitely; I must say though that I’m looking forward to 5 ½ weeks time when I can start eating some real food again, but nothing like before…
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