gone for a while

In less than an hour I'm leaving for the airport.
Very excited, lovely to be able to go to the land of OZ one more time.
I managed to get my weight down to 62.5 kg. Waistline 72 cm.
Which means I'll be able to fit into some summer clothes that have been hanging in my closet for quite a while.
Although en route I'll probably have to store them again.
I won't be doing a lot of workouts for a while, some walking, the food.... very non-ED a lot of the time, as I'll be staying with people and I'll just eat what they put in front of me.
Oh well, anything less than a 4 pound gain is a bonus.

Will report back in April!
See ya...

the last few days!

After a bad food weekend and the weight going up, I decided to really go for it this week. It helps when there's all kinds of food circling around my body that makes me feel a bit yukkie.
So I upped my workouts, walked a lot, ate healthy nutritious food and with 3 days left before leaving I am down to 62.6 kg and another half centimeter off my waistline.
I tried on some trousers I wasn't able to wear anymore and they fit nice and loosely. So now I have some choices.
Wish I could find a nice pair of walking shoes, will do a bit of shopping today - after yesterday's failure to find a pair. At least it will keep me moving.
And all the housecleaning helps as well no doubt. Pffff, not my favourite passtime. Dividing that up into little chunks, as I get bored with that pretty quickly.
Today is a working day, not many hours to do what I want to do, but workouts and walking whenever I can.
And maybe another few grams less tomorrow????

feels like spring

It was a beautiful day today, it felt like spring. The weather was nice and soft, and the sun had that typical early spring feel to it. I could have stayed outside all day.
But appointments made, so I needed to be home by 2 pm. And good, because I started wandering into shops and was tempted to buy a very nice silver bracelet (too expensive), a ring (too large) and shoes (too tight).
I did manage to walk for an hour and a half, didn't eat breakfast, was almost tempted to make this a fast day, but with a photo shoot at 3pm it didn't seem wise.
So I had a small lunch, went to my studio, took a lot of photo shots, happy with the work and hurried home for a quick dinner before going to the movies. That got cancelled,  a change of plan - again.
It means I have more time to work this evening, don't mind that. Maybe even get a small workout in, to compensate for the cup of coffee I had after dinner (shrimp, green beans, and a tiny bit of rice, for dessert I ate 1 boiled egg). And time to watch a DVD episode!

happy about wednesday

My printer restarted this morning! I have no clue as to why or what, just happy everything is working again.
So today I've been able to finish all of the bookkeeping. A chore every year, but done for another year.
In between I did my exercisis, 3 x 10 minutes. Pleased with that as well.
Breakfast was yoghurt/fruit smooithie with chia seeds, lunch and apple and 1 boiled egg. Not enough food, so for dinner I made a black bean, rice dish. Hot and spicy, very satisfying, but I do feel the food swelling up inside me. I haven't eaten any grains for at least a week, so I guess my body is wondering what alien stuff it has to deal with tonight? I will have to drink lots of water and hope it isn't adding to my waistline.

Today I discovered I was charged for another month of Reboot, silly me, told Dax, but forgot to tell pay pal.
I could ask to be let in for another week, but it would only be to (digitally) chat with Greg and Deb, so that doesn't make sense. Would be a big surprise to them, me appearing on the comments site.
Let's just keep that a fantasy.

I'm doing a photo shoot tomorrow. I wasn't planning on any new work, but because of the missed session on Sunday, I think I can manage some more work. I've already had 5 requests for photo sessions, and it's a pain - financially as well - to tell people I won't be doing anything till April.
It does mean I'll have to be a bit less ambitious about the number of workouts and walks I can fit into this last week.
Do more visualisations in bed then: slender, slender me!

(And Sue, thanks for the advise, I do think the printer got overloaded - I cleared everything this morning, and presto, working again!)

me saying some prayers

Today was supposed to be a copy of yesterday. But while printing some stuff for my bookkeeping, my printer stopped. And that was the end of that. Usually it starts again, but this time.... no action at all. It told me I needed to check the connections, but that's bullocks, it was working perfectly.
So I restarted and restarted, gave the wires a shove or two, and finally just sat in front of the computer for a while praying to some imaginary technical gods to save me from this.
My options now are: disconnect the printer, connect it again and hope that....? Or do I have to buy a new one?
Please, a week before my trip this is very inconvenient. Please?
Anyway, forget workouts and preparing food to take to work.
It's nice to plan a day, but when things go haywire, forget the plan.

I'm going to try the printer again tomorrow, hoping for a miracle, and I will certainly get on my knees and thank those technical gods for saving me from a lot of hassle, if the printing starts up again. One can always hope.

dusty Monday

Yep, another day biting the dust at work. It will look nice when it's finished, but meanwhile .... just hoping my sinuses won't start to clog up.
I got a lot done yesterday, thanks to the no show on Sunday I can now do my bookkeeping at ease, made a real start with that. It's something I don't like doing, so for a whole year I just throw every receipt in a box, and then somewhere in February I have to spend 2 days sorting everything, take it to my bookkeeper - a nice 40 min. walk - and he does the rest.
Then of course when the bill arrives I wonder whether I shouldn't do more myself... but no, forget that.
In between I did 3x 10 min. exercising. I was tempted to try some squats and lunges. But it means going through all that pain again, and in less than 2 weeks time I'll give up on those workouts anyway.
So I'll restart with the real stuff in April, assuming my knee will agree to that. 2 20-minute walks to work, all healthy ED food.
A good day!
And the scales agreed to that this morning.

a new week

Stayed away from the computer this weekend. That makes a change.
Saturday I went for a visit to my sister in the south of Holland. 5 Hours riding on trains. Time to read news papers, and half a book, it always feels like a mini vacation. It was raining in Amsterdam when I left in the morning, but nice and sunny in Maastricht. We went for a walk around the shops, but I decided it would be nicer to buy something new in Australia, so we just sat chatting in a cafe for a long time (coffee!).
I got back late and wanted to go home taking a long route, so I would could walk for 40 or 50 minutes, as compensation for the non ED food I'd been eating, but it was cold, so I decided to skip that and thought a Sunday fast would be just as effective.
But Sunday was a very different day from the one I had planned. I was supposed to do a portrait session, but the family (6 year old daughter who wants to do modelling work!!) never showed up. They did call later in the day to apologise, so they're not on my black list - yet. So my mind started to wander towards food... and no distractions... so I had lunch.
What to do with the rest of the day? Need to do my bookkeeping before my trip, also need to reorganise and clean my cupboards, need to start working on my website... and lots of other need to's.
I ended up in front of the television and enjoyed a couple of episodes of NYPD Blue.
It's Sunday after all, do I really need to do anything?

Monday morning, the beginning of a whole new week, and instead of hours spent photoshopping I can do more workouts, go for walks and try to lose those darned 2 pounds I have been trying to lose for the last couple of weeks. What a shame I have to go to work 5 times this week.

a scary half hour

This morning I wanted to read my e-mails, booted up the computer, saw my regular screen, but then ... I couldn't access any programs. I restarted my computer about 5 times, same effect. I started to freak out, that's the last thing I want happening, with a photo shoot on Sunday, I need this machine to work. It's work, not just fun!!!
I just kept hoping for a magic moment, needed some distraction and made myself a cup of coffee. Back again, nothing happening. I could cry.... But just when I got the technical department on the line the computer started working again. I don't want this happening too often, it was like a freak wind or a freak wave, but don't do this again, please?
My cortisol levels will stay up for a long time today.
And going to work this afternoon won't make things jollier. If it's anything like yesterday. They are putting in the tiles, there's new dust from cutting tiles, horrible noise and the doors need to be open, so it was cold. I'm almost ready to demand compensation. A free day f.i. Or better yet, a free day for every horrible day we have to endure.
All the upsetting stuff makes me forget about eating, so maybe that's the silver lining????

I'm looking forward to tomorrow already.

leaving Reboot

I cancelled my Reboot membership today. A difficult decision, mainly because I won't be able to follow the trials and tribulations of Greg and Deb, the only 2 faithfull contributors to the comments page. Funny, with over 80 members so few are posting anything.
I'm still not able to use my right knee for squats and lunges, so my main exercises are walking and cardio, interval cardio or just moving around.

Yesterday was mainly walking, going places and seeing friends.
First I went to a beautiful W. Eugene Smith photo exhibition. It made me want to have a dark room again, the black and white prints were stunning, nothing like the digital stuff we have to live with now.
Then dinner at a restaurant where there was a choice between a cheese fondue - sticking pieces of white bread in a cheesy substance - and steak. So I went for the steak. Stuck to water, as I already had 2 glasses of wine earlier in the afternoon, and there's a limit to over indulging.

a bad food day

Oh boy, it was one of those days where I made lots of bad food choices, after being diligent and determined  for weeks. Doing fasts, seeing the weight go down and then bam, it all fell apart today.
I worked yesterday evening and did an early shift today, so I was back at work at 9 am. I should have stayed over, it felt like I never even left the building.
The renovations are still going on, so 5 minutes after I got there the work crew arrived to take out the last part of the floor, so the drilling started and lasted until I was ready to leave 6 hours later. The doors needed to be open, so it was cold as well as dusty. Another hellish day at the office.
I drank some hot cholocate to get warm, I needed comfort food, so I had a cheese sandwhich (after a healthy salad, but that doesn't make it better).
Then I rushed home, to wash the dust away and went to the opening of an exhibition (a little networking included). There I pretended I never heard of ED and happily drank 2 glasses of wine and lots of salted peanuts.
Guilty after the fact I managed a long walk home.
Made a beef and vegetable stir fry and feeling I needed something extra I made dessert: baked apple slices with honey and cinnamon. And ended the meal with a cup of coffee.
I'm feeling bloated and a lot heavier than when I got up this morning.
I'm not getting on the scales tomorrow, that's for sure!

fasting - again

The fasts seem to help with the weightloss, so I'll keep doing them the next few weeks.
The determination to reach my goal seems to make them a bit easier, although my stomach is grumbling right now. I'll just have to ignore this and visualise me wearing a body clinging t-shirt. I saw a nice one in a shop window yesterday. If I manage the fast today I might go and buy it. Fingers crossed it's still there.
It's time to have a look at my to-do list for today, so far I've just been reading and writing e-mails.
It's time to put on my walking shoes and head into town to collect some photo work. Burn lots of calories.

my latest work experience

This is especially for you Sue, somebody thought I looked weird enough to take a picture and sent it to me.

I will have to wear this again when I go back to work on Friday I think, because they haven't taken out enough of the top layer of the floor, grrrr. A few more days of drilling and dust biting to look forward to.

map 2011 / results

I only followed the  workout part of the program for less than 2 weeks on account of the right knee muscle problem. I just did my own kind of exercises after that and more walks. Followed the nutrition guidelines, but also with some changes as I don't like the 3 day low carb wave.
I usually have a higher carb breakfast and then lunch and dinner will be low-carb. I also managed the fasting days, and that was actually easier than the first time. The trick is to do it on a working at home day and then go walking when I start to crave food.
My goal was to get below my plateau line, which has been 63 kg since last years' MAP challenge.
And getting on the scales this morning - with fingers crossed: YES! 62.8 kg. Well done me!
Also I've lost an inch off my hips and 1/2 inch off my waistline.
I'm very happy with the results, my goals weren't very ambitious, but still hard work to make it happen.

A high carb day today and tomorrow my next fast.
Working toward my new goal: 62.5 kg. I have one week to make this happen.

map 2011 / biting the dust

it would be more accurate to say - inhaling the dust. I sat with a cap over my mouth and nose at work. I should have taken a picture! It got a lot of laughs and commiserating. But really, it was horrible. I felt terrible the first 2 hours, the work people left around 4 pm, so 2 hours later the dust had finally settled and I was able to breathe like a normal person again.
Today will be the same story. I just hope my sinuses survive this, just before my long dreamed of trip to Australia I don't need this. I'm grumpy!!!

Back to map 2011: I got on the scales this morning: 63.2 kg. Best result so far. Even with doing my own kind of exercises and walking the weight is slowly (very slowly) going down. And my waistline is down a bit. That's good news at least.
Now back to being grumpy.