Scaring the pants off myself to lose weight

I am in serious need for some inspiration, motivation or scare tactics to get me back into the healthy eating and regular exercise thang.

(Although, given Sydney’s humidity this month, how am I expected to do anything more than sit in front of the fan and complain about the humidity?)

I popped along to see Dr Joe last weekend and he’s happy with my overall weightloss (I weighed in at 85.5, meaning I’ve lost 9kg since August last year, when I was 94.5). Even though there’s a European scare over the fat pills I’m currently taking (and a fake Aussie ban, one I’ve been wanting to rant about for AGES), Joe has continued prescribing Reductil and given me another 5 nutritionist sessions for the year.

I’m too scared to go back to seeing Traci just yet!

One thing Joe mentioned – and finally explained in a way that I understood – is that the body finds it easier to burn sugars than fats. So by having sugary treats or sugar in your coffee, your body will prefer to go for the sugars, instead of the fat  you’re so desperate to get rid of. But by reducing your sugar intake, your body will be forced to burn the fat. HA! Take that, lard. The information makes sense, but it was the first time the theory was explained in a way that my poor brain understood. Lightbulb!

But I still hadn’t been motivated to exercise or do more than attempt to curb my fat-people food. Usually buying something will motivate me, like new sneakers (not needed), or a new fitness/food iPhone app (again, not needed), or a Wii game (definitely not needed, though I want a dancing one!)

Then I heard the news of the Singapore study by the University of Minnesota over the course of 14 years has found that soft drinks may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Fudge. Cancer is pretty common in my family, too. Suddenly Coke and V isn’t tasting as great when I drink it. Partial win?

Then last night I watched Jamie Oliver’s TED talk from earlier this month:

While it’s focused on obesity in America, it hit pretty close to home about sugary and processed foods. My family has never very good at knowing what was healthy, and it’s already carried on to the next generation of my family. But there’s something in Jamie’s delivery in this speech that really got me. I was actually feeling pretty crabby for about an hour after watching it, just to show how powerful it is. It’s also Jamie out of his element; he’s not being a git, he’s taking deep breaths and using palm cards.

Anyone got anything scary to help motivate me?

You’d think I have a rabbit

So on Saturday I went back to my nutritionist, who effectively whooped my ass for slacking off in the healthy eating/exercising more departments.

Also: I popped in to see my beloved Dr Joe and he confirmed a second set of high blood pressure results, so I’m on blood pressure tablets. Like an old lady. Fetch me me lap blanket, will you?

I needed some motivation, and I think it was just handed to me on a platter.

So on Sunday morning we popped along to Ikea and I bought some extra containers to take healthy foods to work. My new plan is to prepare as much as possible for the week ahead on the Sunday to minimise my excuses.

AND LOOK AT MY EFFORTS!! So much rabbit food!

So all I have to do is add yoghurt/salad dressing/proteins/cheeses and VOILA! I can has be healthy!

Please be to Ceiling Cat, let me get my healthy mojo back. Kthnxbai!

Housework! Alert!

I’m not very good at housework (yet another thing I blame on being an ACOA). I listen to friends and colleagues talk about their housework antics and I’m always left feeling incapable of even trying to keep up with them.

I often leave the washing up for “tomorrow”. I did that last night, for instance.

Hello, cockroaches!

Anyways, I’ve been feeling motivated lately and I’ve been doing a bit of spring cleaning as well as being a bit more “regular” housework. The dust storms of this week has heightened the need for… cleanliness.

So today I’ve been frantically working to clear out junk (and donating it to the CPS Op-Shop) and sweeping, vacuuming and mopping all the floors.

It’s a bit of a big deal.

Thankfully, our new security camera captures movement at the back of our place and snapped me MID-HOUSEWORK:

Now, if you excuse me, I need a lie-down…

Introducing: The Bride Diet

Have I mentioned how much I hate the word diet? DIET. Yuck. Normally I say something like “lifestyle change” or “healthy eating habits”. But—dare I say it—diet is easier for my mouth to spit out.

So “The Bride Diet” it is. The “be less fat for the wedding” diet.

Today marks the beginning of Week 3 of The Bride Diet and while I haven’t lost weight, I’ve improved my eating and exercise habits and I think any improvement is worth celebrating. YAY ME!

In terms of my eating habits, I’m trying to follow the low-gi and CSIRO’s Total Wellbeing Diet systems. Input versus output—y’know, the basics of eating well.

My exercise regime has been pretty much non-existent for the last year, so there’s definitely room for improvement there.

Baby steps. Credit where credit’s due. Patting myself on the back for progress, as small as it might be. Like the block of white chocolate that is staring at me as I type. I still haven’t touched it. YAY ME!

It’s funny how people have methods and theories on weightloss and how willingly they share this information when they hear of someone else attempting to shift the fat. I heard a doozy today that I’ve actually found is working quite well; I’ll have to see if it works again tomorrow!

I’m going to attempt to share my process with you; the food, the exercise, the whacky tips and tricks I pick up along the way.

Should be interesting!

Bloggest Loser

I attempted this last year with Leigh (and she whipped my arse, hehe) and I’m willing to give it a go again as part of Blog Chicks Australia.

I have a new level of motivation now and even though I considered last week to be a complete write-off, I somehow managed to still lose a kilo (yay me! Let’s have a cupcake to celebrate).

As a general rule I try to follow the methods of the CSIRO well-being eating guide and get the fat jiggling on the cross-trainer that collects dust in the loungeroom.

It doesn’t help with all the chocolates sitting on the dining table that were gifts from very excitable work friends as well as the chocolate I won from Jen (!). Oh, and the fundraiser Freddo Frogs in the kitchen at work.

Those Freddo Frogs are evil. But also a bargain for $1.20, and the proceeds go to a good cause. NOM.

So last week I was 93.5kg and this week I’m 92.1kg and my goal is to 90kg by September. Slow and steady, yeah?

Ideally, my first real goal will be to get to 85kg in… I don’t know when. Maybe before the wedding I’m going to in November. We’ll see, right?