I dont get it.

So, I've been doing all this exercise, and eating pretty good (with the moment of weakness admittedly, especially at the Cider Festival) but nothing changes.

I know that I look better, and I've had some really nice comments over the last week or so about how "toned" I'm looking, so I guess thats good :) Its just annoying not to see any real shift. Another positive is that its making the OH think a bit more too. The combination of me and one of his friends loosing a fair bit of weight over the last 6 months (but he had more to loose and apparently medical intervention) seems to have spurred him on a bit more. Less beer and chocolate in front of the TV and weights as well as his cycling. He's already told me he will come to pump with me again next time he's in Perth!

Ah well. Just keep plodding along and we'll see how things go.
Plenty of time still! Not my wedding, I should point out! I'm a bridesmaid at one of my friends weddings back home in June, so its been my goal for the last year to have lovely photos to look back on in the future.

 There will only be a week or so before the wedding for me to try on the dress and get it altered if needed; it might be cutting it fine! At least it will be too big and not too small. That would be bad! One of my mums friends daughters bridesmaids (still with me?) apparently couldnt do her zip up on the day so had to walk down the aisle backless :S And trying to hide it from the bride so she didnt freak...

This is the dress -/\

And apparently we'll have these to keep us warm, but in a chocolate brown colour.

I might need more layers underneath! The wedding is English sumemrtime, but after 3 years in Aus, especially up north, I find it pretty cold below 25oC...

Bridesmaid duties are beginning now, with the beginnings of a plan for the Hen weekend. Putting the Aussie (well, kinda) in charge of the BBQ is such a stereotype! I'm looking forward to it muchly though!

First call for hens night party games too! Any suggestions?

Positive Vibes work :)

Gran is out of the Hospital- they think it was just angina... she's never had it before, so hopefully treatable, or controllable anyway.

Cycled into work again this morning, 3rd day in a row and feeling the burn! My arms are shaking because I went to pump again and dragged the OH. He felt the burn too!

Poorly Grandma :(

Everyone send good vibes to my Gran:

I got a phone call from my parents yesterday evening to tell me that she was in hospital :( Apparently she was taken ill on friday, with unknown pain. She phoned my dads sister (who I don't remember ever meeting and didn't know existed for a very long time- long story that I'm not even sure of) who said ring the doctor who said ring an ambulance.
They thought it was a heart attack at first, but now they think its her kidneys. She is 94 ish, so she's had a good innings and you have to kind of expect these things, but you never do. I knew that when I left the UK 2.5 years ago that there was a good chance it would be the last time I saw her, but still...
My parents went to visit her yesterday afternoon their time, and said that she was looking OK, sitting up out of bed. They did a full MOT (does that translate into Aussie? full service) and were going to give her some scan thing today and hopefully they will figure out what it is and all will be good. 


The worst part is that my dads sister didn't even tell my Dad she was ill for 2 days (taken in on friday lunch time, told him sunday). If it had been something more critical and the worst were to have happened he wouldn't even have got to see her before... I know that anyone that I care about could be run over by a bus while I'm writing this, and its not something I should worry about tooooo much, but things like this just make you think. I love my life over here, but at times you remember the bad stuff.




On other notes, had a lazy weekend. Managed to go to pump on Sunday, but other than that... I walked home from work on friday night, which is about 12km at a fast pace. My hips were aching from that (from the different style to running I guess) so I excused myself out of proper exercise on saturday, but did do some Wii time. Then put my bike into the shop on sunday for a quick once over- break tightening, gear tweaking  etc etc so not much exercise today, but i have decided I am NEVER taking the Cat again (inner city run around free bus). It doesnt take much longer to walk given the route deviations and constant stopping and its a fairly good hike from the train station to where I work. Every little helps!


Picked my bike up this evening after skiving off work a little bit early and running across the city to get there before the shop closes at 6. All good so cycling everyday this week is the plan. I'm aiming for Pump again in the morning. 


Chick Pea Curry
I made yummy and fast curry for tea:
Cook up a small onion with a tablespoon of curry paste (I used rogan josh) then add a drained tin of chick peas. Cook them through a bit to soften, then add a grated carrot and some peas and a tun of crushed tomatoes and cook until the tomato looses its acidyness (if you know what I mean?!).


Makes 2 big bowls. I couldn't finish mine:


268 calories, 
12g protein
15g(!!) fibre from the chick peas and tomatoes mainly
8g fat (from the paste, if i was less lazy today it would be real paste so very little fat and 70 whole cals less ish!)


I think what I have left will do 2 lunches this week in my bento style box. 
Perfect :D

Snow Days

So, the snow at home has been continuing.
It was -17 in Manchester last night, and they have started running out of grit for the roads. And food. And the schools are all closed. My parents can't get to work and my lil brother can't escape back to Uni. The maximum daytime temperature for the rest of the week is zero. 


But, of course, if there was a decent set up in Britain, then no one would even notice it was snowing. But we don't so they'll just have to put up with it :)


I'm so glad I'm in Perth!
I had goosebumps just from the air conditioning in the office today!

How the weeks been going:
Monday: Cycle to work. Swim in the evening. 
Tuesday: Cycle to work, run in the evening.
Wedneday: Bellydance class in the evening.
Thursday: Pump in the morning, then cycle to work.
Friday: Swim in the morning.


So not too good, but just the cycling has been bad enough. 
Or good enough, I should say- 700-800 calories a day is fine with me!

Next Weeks Plan

11km run this morning. Wow it was HOT! I planned my route via the water fountains but still struggled even then! Going to attempt to do the same route every Sunday for the next few weeks and see if it gets any easier!

I start in the Perth office for a couple of months tomorrow, to avoid the heat at site and work in  conjunction with the other, more specialised people. No more 12 hour days, no more 47 degree days, no treadmills and an excuse to buy new clothes :) but no six days off either.

So... that means more consistent schedule and more time to do other stuff. So the plan for this week is:

Monday: Cycle to work. Swim in the evening.
Tuesday: Cycle to work, run in the evening.
Wedneday: Bellydance class in the evening.
Thursday: Pump in the morning, then cycle to work.
Friday: Swim in the morning.

And play with the Wii in the evening instead of lying on the sofa watching Lifestyle channel and Facebook!

Off to the Lake now for lunch. :)