Whole9 30 Day Challenge Day 26

Yay Saturday!

Early start off to the gym to help with relocating the gym to Petone to a bigger place!  Firstly on coffee duty with Faye to Shine Cafe in the Hutt.  Never knew this cafe existed!   Looked pretty good - will be going back to try their food! Coffee was also pretty good :)

Helped with moving then unloading and putting stuff where it belongs.

Breakfast was the last of the first breakfast slice - all good :)

Lunch was a couple of rashers of bacon and eggs - yum!

Dinner was out with friends - Indian - not paleo exactly but did my best - had only water, but some onion bhaji, lamb, and chicken for entrees.

For mains we shared curries - I had only the curries with limited sauce (unfortunately I could taste the sweet sugar in a couple of them) and no naan or rice.  What was good was that while the others were stuffed afterwards - I was just content.  Like I said not perfect, but Im not going to be one of those people who don't go to see their friends for dinner because they can't have the food.  Im just not like that sorry!

A lovely herbal tea and some taboo pictionary with friends afterwards.  Good catch up!

Whole9 30 Day Challenge Day 24

School is taking over my life - not sure if Im liking that!  Hope for a change in a few weeks.

Today was my full day today
4 classes, house meeting, duty and meeting with parent and filming after school!  Phew! Favourite parting the filming for our house assembly in a couple of weeks.  Was a lot of fun :)

Breakfast:  Breakfast Slice and coffee, plus a long black on the way to work :)

Lunch - Salad and Tuna

Dinner - Kebab - did not eat flat bread - had mixed meat and veges inside it, with some beetroot sauce to make sure it went down plus water of course.

No exercise today.

No work was taken home tonight.  I needed some time out so went to the movie - Chronicle - had a cup of cashews (heated with a little salt) not the best choice but it cured my hunger for a couple of hours until dinner and had lots of water in the movie.

It was good movie a little like Cloverfield in the filming but an interesting storyline.  Made me wonder what I would do if I had all that power...

Going to bed at an incredibly early time for me tonight - 930 - lets see if I sleep until morning.  Lets hope!

Day off Challenge - It's my Wedding Anniversary!

Four years ago today, I married my best friend.  One of the happiest days of my life!  Where has the time gone?  Heres to many more!

Only at work for the afternoon today for Deans training.  I was good most of the day but for dinner all bets were off.  It was time to celebrate my anniversary and have a few hours not worrying about what I ate.

So breakfast - Scrambed eggs with mushrooms

Lunch - was out at a cafe in Upper Hutt, catching up with a friend.  I ordered a zucchini slicewith salad and a long black.  Unknown to me when I ordered, when I started eating it, I realised it had cheese on top, bummer.  One thing you can't be 100% sure on at cafes is all the ingrediants.  Live and learn!

Dinner - We went to Uncle Mikes Kansas BBQ Restaurant in Petone after hearing some good recommendations about it.

Entree - Chicken nibbles with BBQ sauce

Dinner - Smokey Chicken with beans and coleslaw

Wine and Arnold Palmer - not as good as hoped - after not having sugar for a few weeks, it was just too sweet.  Disappointing.  The water was better! (Did I just say that?)

Dessert - Rocky Road Magnum - was alright but I think I had it as part of the celebration not because I actually wanted it.  (Who is this person, and where has Cassie gone??????)

Snack:  Nuts (Almonds and pumpkin seeds)

Lots of water!

Anthony got an impressive slab of pork ribs. 

After he got through the majority of that - no room for anything else!

Restaurant was great and very good value for money :)


No exercise today

Whole9 30 Day Challenge Day 13

owwww!  My arms ache!  Muscles are achy everywhere - must have definitely done a decent workout yesterday.

A bit of a lazy morning today - lovely day too. 

Breakfast was free range bacon and eggs - yum!  With a plunger black coffee - Cafe L'affaire - good coffee.

One of my favourite things is going to the hair salon - and today couldn't come soon enough.  I always find it relaxing. getting to read all the mags and doing very little for a couple of hours.  Plus on the bonus side - always come out looking better than I go in.  Also today - got compliments on my ankles - weird, but I took the compliment :)

Lunch was a Thai Beef Salad and water at The Empire - It is my favourite dish there, and once again did not fail to impress!

Dinner was Steak and salad - same as last night but oh so good.

Had some blueberries and almonds for snacks - no bananas :)

Lots of water, some coffee and some herbal tea for drinks.  All good.

A fairly quiet day on my front - but was nice - actually watched some tv and DVD's - don't get to do it that often!

Whole9 30 Day Challenge Day 11

Today I returned home to Windy, windy (did I mention windy) Wellington.  Hubby had told me about the previous weekend where he had to batten down everything as wind speeds were around 160km/hr.  Not a fan of that type of wind!

The plane ride was a little bumpy but reasonably uneventful.  Last night I finished my book Sugar - the Sweet Poison. - a very good read and says in lay mans terms how bad sugar - especially fructose is for you.  The guy that wrote it lost 40kg over 2 years by merely not eating foods/drinks that contained fructose.  He used the rule of thumb - if it tastes sweet - then it will probably contain fructose and don't eat it. I recommend it :)

Anyway - After a breakfast of eggs, bacon and mushrooms, I had a long black at the airport along with the inner meat part of a sausage roll - I was really hungry at this point - was the best I could do.  There was lots of veges in it though - was good.  Long black was alright - just average - not the best one I have had.  I tried a black coffee on the plane - still tastes pretty crap, but I had to try it!

Lunch I had when back in Wellington and caught up with Kate.  We went to Elements and I ordered a salad with greens, a sprinkle of feta, roasted grapes and figs oh and walnuts.  After not eating sugar in the last 11 days - I couldn't eat the figs - too sweet.  My tastebuds must be a little more sensitive or something?  The rest was alright along with the long black :)

Dinner and a movie was in order to catch up with hubby.  Went out to Two Black Sheep in Lower Hutt.  I had a calamari salad.  It was pretty good.  It was nice to have a salad with iceberg lettuce and ingrediants I would use at home.  Calamari was pretty good too, although the Customhouse still wins first place.  Just had water with it - made for a cheaper dinner in all :)

For the movie, saw Tin Tin - wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised!  A good movie :)  Had a long black which was gross, and bottled water to wash it down.

Off to the clinic to get a fill tomorrow and have a consult with the nurse.  Other thing is I have to get organised to make sure I can last the distance with food preparation.

Whole9 30 Day Challenge Day 10

My last full day in Dunedin with the family before I return to Wellington to my other family :)  The visit seems to have gone quickly but I also miss my husband and fur-babies, and my so called 'normal' life.  

Today involved a lot of socialising and eating out.  It's tough, but someone has to do it.

I always look forward to catching up with my friend Julie and her girls - Charlotte and Madeline with Frances.  Today another school friend Rachael also joined- so was good times.  I first met Julie when I was at Uni doing my Anthropology degree and her, Frances and I did a couple of papers together, then also graduated with out BA's together as well :)  I have seen her daughters grow up.  Madeline now 14 was only a baby when I first met her, and Charlotte now 16 was only 2!  While that is very cool - I'm starting to feel old! :)

Anyway - met for Brunch at Starfish in St Clair right beside the Esplanade - on a truly beautiful Summers morning - absolutely stunning!

I started today's food with a Thai Beef Salad - nothing on the breakfast menu appealed - either too much bread, too bigger meals or things I can't digest like pancakes.  It - along with the now common long black were delicious!

A lot of catch ups and comments on how much I have changed since I last saw Julie and the girls 9 months ago.  I suppose it is true - I just am with myself everyday so don't see it much.  It was lovely and slowly Im learning to take compliments.  Amusing compliments included:  

Your boobs look bigger and more pointy (he he he).  

You sit more flatter than you used to - you used to be rounder.  

Your eyes have opened up a lot more - those eyelashes need some mascara now :)

You have collar bones now (I think I always have just quietly - just more hidden)

Look at your feet - they have shrunk too!

Your face is way more narrow than it used to be.

I found some older photos of me and Frances with the girls - just for comparison (and I know Julie you read the blog so just to see how we have all changed through the last few years)

 2006

 2006

 2007

 2007

2007

 Mid 2010 

April 2011 - Post-op

 January 2012 - Post Op

And a few other photos.....

 Me and Rachael 

 Otis enjoying his fluffy!

Also caught up with little bro and his girlfriend again - and had lunch consisting of smoked salmon on a salad with a kumara cake - quite nice, but kumara cake a little dry so took that one slowly with a sauce they had on it (not creamy) - didn't get a pic - would have explained it better - plus water and a long black (of course) - pretty good.

From there a little shopping then home to spend time with the parents.  A lovely salmon dinner was had (salmon - twice in one day - score!)  The salmon was grilled with lemon and lime on it and serve with salad - soooo good!

Had a few walnuts for a snack but that was my food - lots of yummy things - can tell Im still on holiday!

Exercise - none - too much else to do today.

Whole9 30 Day Challenge Day 5

Today not a lot going on really initially.  Had a cruisy morning - savouring these while I can before I'm rushed off my feet at work in a couple of weeks, especially with my new job as Dean.

Caught up with my little bro this afternoon and later on his girlfriend as well.  Lovely time and good to see the changes to the place since Colleen moved in a couple of months ago.  Very trendy (well since they are both form of designers) but homely too.  Finally got a bit of exercise in with going for a walk with Castro and Scott and then playing a form of frisbee with doggy in the middle.  Unfortunately it ended with Scott going into the bushes to find the frisbee (I had thrown...) and came up covered in thorns in his arms from the bush.  All good though - he's tough.

Scott and Colleen - awwww cute!

Went out for dinner - always a little concerning for me hoping that there will be something that I can eat - but we went Turkish and I got a mixed (Chicken and Lamb) Iskender.  Had a little garlic yoghurt and hummus with it to prevent any band sticking but very little of it, and avoided the rice.  Even came with a little green salad, and had water.  I felt proud of this choice.

Also went out for coffee.  The two lovebirds got dessert while I tried another brand of long black - this time made by Allpress - not too bad but strong - needed a little water to soften it somewhat.  Also tried Jed's at my bro's place and that was great!  This long black business is getting better all the time.  May not go back to having milk in my coffee at all and don't miss the sugar either!

Something that is nice down here - all the compliments.  Everyone I have caught up with so far has said Im looking good.  I must have changed a bit since I was last down in September - I will have to compare pics.

One thing I need to remember though - don't drink coffee too late - I don't sleep!

Breakfast:  Banana

Lunch:  Subway Club Salad - with lime and coriander dressing - Ma and Pa got it for me and I assumed wrongly that the dressing would be a vinegarette - it wasnt.  So scraped what I could off.  I do find though doesn't matter what subway salad you get, they all taste the same.

Dinner:  Turkish (as outlined above)

A couple of coffees, some walnuts, and a couple of plums and cherries and a piece of fresh pineapple - need to cut down the fruit a bit I think - not going to help with the weight loss!

Exercise:  40 minute dog walk and frisbee.

Back on the pre op diet wagon! Week 12 pre op

First week of January 2011 - Week 12 of the pre-op diet.  Tomorrow it is 6 weeks since the first op attempt.  This also means my cells are fully recharged and ready to react and deal with allergy testing.  Another small milestone.

Been back on the pre-op diet wagon since the second.  In the last couple of days, I have noticed the energy waning.  It does help immensely not being at work.  Im still gyming it - hope to lose at least a total of 20kilos by op time.  Still waiting to hear when that will be, hoping I will find out next week sometime.

So no carbs or any of the crap I ate over the festive period.  Good time for detoxing!

Trying the lemon mousse opti fast as something different.  Its ok - kind of like a cheesecake flavouring.  Still prefer the coffee and strawberry shakes and the bars though.  Also to note - in future be more organised and buy them from the clinic.  There is serious inflation when buying it from the chemist!

Holidays are full of events and social time - it does make the eating thing a bit harder.  Coffee's are fine - a trim mocha is fine as long as I give away the marshmellows/chocolate fish.  Today I felt victorious at Maranui Cafe in Lyall Bay when after looking in the food cabinet and menu - there were no meals without carbs.  Even the cabinet salads were potato or pasta based.  However, I noticed a green salad, mushrooms and spinach on the side order menu.  So I combined them for my lunch - success!!!!

 Success!!  Green salad had sunflower seeds on it to - nice touch!

Trim mocha at Diamond Deli - Lyall Bay 

On the weight loss,  I have gained a little during Christmas.  I decided to delay weighing myself for at least a week so hopefully will see a good loss.  Hopefully, next week some energy will return :)