Weigh In

Silver Eye South-Eastern Form

taken at Glen Forest

Small Regent Parrot

taken at Glen Forest

Rainbow Lorikeet taken at Yallunda Flats,

the same area as the toadstools.

Starting weight: 105 kg

Last week: 98.7 kg = Loss 6.3 kg

This week: 95.9 kg = Loss 2.8 kg.

9 g to 1st goal.

I am quietly pleased with my progress so far. Obviously the walking is doing wonders though disappointingly I've missed out yesterday and this morning...My right knee is playing up a tad and I find I have a small limp so deemed it prudent not to push it. This a.m. it seems to have improved and by tomorrow I'll be back out there.

As I can't afford to purchase any plan, I've simply returned to my good eating habits and cut out all of the foods that obviously don't agree with my system. I've stopped the comfort eating and have returned to fruit. I find that I am feeling better within myself and don't head for my hidey hole quite so often or as deep when situations occur that sent me there prior to beginning my journey.

With regards to my height measurement, I've come to the conclusion that the Doc must have recorded it incorrectly as I've always noted it as being 172cms...not 182cms, the shrinkage to 167cms though 5cms, is more believable and we do tend to shrink up to 4cms as we age.

1.4kg to 10% loss...YAAAY.

YAAY!!! Scales

Sunset at Little Yangie, Coffin Bay National Park

At Last my scales have arrived and they are the ones that I particularly wanted and not my 2nd choice. Wouldn't you know it, a pilot's license is required to drive them. However, my details are as follows:

Starting Weight: 105 kgs

Current Weight: 98.7 kgs.

1st goal: 95 kgs

2nd Goal: 10%

Initial Aim: 80kgs. Then I'll decide accordingly.

I've obviously lost a bit of weight since first arriving at the Boards as I was definately 105kgs a week prior. Weighed at the Docs.

I dug out my record book from 2004 and it's interesting to note that on 29/06/04 I weighed 80kgs...no more records after that. I tend to look skeletal below 80 ks. Sunken eye sockets, prominent, boney cheek bones, ribs poking out, boobs dripping like dangly earings down around my knees, stomach and butt even lower etc.
I'd begun my weight loss journey at 98ks in Feb of that year. My height was 182cms. now I am only 167cms. That's a huge shrinkage. The Master, (hubby), measured me this time whereas the Doc. measured me last time. I expected some shrinkage but not that much but the master ensures me he measured me correctly...and he's been a cabinet maker all his working life...so surely he's got it correct. Hmmmm.


I was really chuffed the other day. My WB and I walked 9.692ks, (according to our pedometers) and even taking the .692ks off for general jolting of the peds, it's still 9ks. It almost killed us but the good thing is, when one of us began to sag the other kept us going and we seemed to take it in turns. She hurts going up hill and I hurt going down lol, so there is always one of us going ok when the other is struggling...a good mix.

Had to make a trip to Big Town last week so haven't been at the boards much lately, riding out another detox period. Hope to head there today.

I only walked for 45 mins this a.m. and have given the pedometer the flick because I'm sure it's not working correctly, there's too big a discrepency between WBs and mine.

Fairyland for Ems

I know it's a fairy, couldn't find an elf.

The Elf and the Dormouse

by Oliver Herford, 1863-1935 (published in the 1800's)

Under a toadstool crept a wee Elf,

Out of the rain to shelter himself.

Under the toadstool, sound asleep,

Sat a big Dormouse all in a heap.

Trembled the wee Elf, frightened,

and yet Fearing to fly away lest he get wet.

To the next shelter--maybe a mile!

Sudden the wee Elf smiled a wee smile,

Tugged till the toadstool toppled in two.

Holding it over him, gaily he flew.

Soon he was safe home, dry as could be.

Soon woke the Dormouse--"Good gracious me!

Where is my toadstool?" loud he lamented.

--And that's how umbrellas first were invented.

Scales

Came across a field of Fungi in a beautiful little area not far from here which I frequent. There's a small creek which meanders for miles, lots of eucalypts and the bird life is abundant.

Today on the dot of 9 am I dialed the Harris Scarfes mail order line and ordered my, you beaut Digital Scales, a much needed Woollen Underlay for the bed and a Mattress Protector. Excellent prices, heaps off the normal price. Even so, I'll not be eating for the next couple of weeks. will have to live off of stored up blubber.

I'm told they'll take up to 14 days to get here and are subject to availability. I shall be optimistic that there'll still be some left, even though the mail orders department didn't open for three hours after the personal shopping sale started. I only had to wait about 3 minutes before being 'served'. I did give them a second choice of scales if the one's I ordered aren't available but they aren't as good as the ones I want.

YAAAY Em

Honey Eaters are abundant on the Peninsula.

After many attempts at adding links how I wanted them, I have succeeded. Thanks Em for your guidance the other day. It wasn't turning out how I wanted it so I kept going back to your instructions...Obviously I'm a slow learner...and suddenly ALL of your instructions clicked and..Woohoo... my list of links looks as pretty as everyone elses. In your directions, you specifically directed me to: 'then name them underneath in the new site name...ie...vegie's blog', but dumbo me kept missing it and couldn't work out why I was getting all of your addresses instead of your names...I was putting your names in the Title box...thick as a brick and umpteen times heavier...
By the way...this am my, 'can't make their mind up' scales told me I now weigh 87kgs. Oh wouldn't I be ecstatic if I did. Pipe dreams for now...one day I will but have to get rid of the other 574kgs first. I actually reckon I'd be around 105kgs at the mo.

Hope you are enjoying your Easter. xoxo

Sunrise Over a Dark Sea

The Morning Sky:

I set out for my morning walk before the sun gets up in the morning. That way I am always treated to the many different moods of the sky as she enrobes each day. This morning was quite overcast with rain-laden clouds, but ooh, what a performance was the awakening of the sun. I am so blessed to be living in Australia. Every day wears a new gown where-ever you are.

My journey is going well…I think…still no weigh-ins. Harris Scarfes have scales on sale from 6 a.m. onwards I only hope there are some left at 9 a.m when Mail Orders begin.

Back to my journey. I am feeling better physically in my body, my step seems lighter, stride wider and my joints may be a tad looser. Whilst in detox during the past week there was only one morning when I couldn’t get myself out of bed for my walk and when I was able to surface, I kept wanting to go walking then, but couldn’t due to all of the holiday-makers arriving in town for Easter. I did fleetingly think about driving out to a more distant beach but that would have been terribly irresponsible of me, to get behind the wheel when I’m not on top of things. I found it really interesting that I ‘craved’ all day for my walk. A step in the right direction. Got on the elliptical walker for many short periods throughout the day to compensate.

On my morning walks, I zig zag through the town which provides uphill, level and downhill giving great workouts for my legs and joints.
If I have my camera with me I step it out for the first half hour then take any pics which may arise then after sunrise, I step it out for another half to three quarters of an hour which is mostly uphill as I'm heading home.
If I don't have the camera and when my WB is with me, we zig zag through the town til WB has had enough then I usually zig zag a bit longer before heading back uphill to home. All in all, I am satisfied that my walks are helping. Following are some photos of this a.m's walk.

Sunrise at the Jetty:

Dark Clouds at Sunrise:

Eyes in Sky:

Shannon

Shannon 28 yrs, my youngest son, has profound cerebral palsy. He loves his keyboard, music, thinks vehicles of any type have been put on this earth expressly for his enjoyment and prefers the outdoors. He lives in community housing within the town he was born, along with three friends and wonderful carers. He attends day options each day.

My heart breaks at not being able to see him very often. The town that best serves his needs makes me very ill.

A couple of hours there and I'm useless to anyone. This is when I hate my condition the most. It was a great shock to me when I had to admit that I won't be able to visit him as often as I intended after moving down from Cairns. When I was well, I used to fly down three times a year, pick him up and we'd head off somewhere together for a couple of weeks.

It was devastaing to have to place him in full time care in the first place. He'd become too strong for me. He used to almost choke me when he gave me hugs... Arms around my neck, he'd pull me into his shoulder and hug me really tight. It'd block my wind-pipe. When he was small I could just reach around and unlock his hands but as he grew, his arms became so long and I couldn't reach back to his hands.

One morning my friend from across the road happened to walk straight into my house and found me almost out of it and was able to unlock Shan's hands for me. It was uncanny. She never walked in without knocking but this morning she did, thank god...which was when I was told that it was too dangerous to keep him home as it was just the two of us by then, (Dion and Corey were off about their lives, after me 'pushing' them out the door and the boys father had taken off when they were little) and it had occured three times in all, thankfully I was able to get away the other two times. It took another 4 years before I could bring myself to let go of Shan.

To keep myself from going and getting him home again all of the time, which was doing neither of us any good, I was burnt out and he was confused, I moved to Cairns totally shattered. After 6 months of burn out and total despair, I pulled myself together enough to get a job during the days at the Cairns Special School and worked nights as a chef at the Taj, (Indian), resturant, so I didn't have any spare time to think. This seemed to do the trick and after two years of this I was able to stop working nights.

By the time I became ill, which actually began with three different mosquito bourne viruses, Ross River, Glandular and Barmer Forest, one after the other which shot my immune system to pieces and left me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I had left the Special Ed. system, ( due to injuries aqquired over years of working with the disabled including Shan), and had moved across to oncology where, over a period of 4 years I got the Multi Chemical Sensitivities which resulted in being bed ridden for years and putting a stop to any flights to see Shannon. After not seeing him for another 4 years, I was suicidal and obviously something had to be done to change the situation. With my condition worsening my specialist said I had to move near the ocean where I the sea air can help me heal. Hence moving back to S.A. so I could be nearer to Shannon. The other kids can all come to us, if they chose but Shanni doesn't have a choice, so I was going nowhere else. I was happier than I'd been in years so, as stated above, it was a BIG shock to realise I wouldn't be seeing him as often as I thought I would. Back into the dolldrums I shrank for months, then thought, at least I'm in the same state and not at the opposite end of Oz and I do get to see him more than when I was in Cairns, just not as much as I want to.

Shannon is very happy with his life...I am the one who despairs at the situation. He is over 6 feet tall and is such a gentle young man. I love my three young men to distraction.

This pic was taken in 2004.