Ongoing back issues 😞

Well it seems my enthusiasm for getting back into walking daily and enjoying it have hit a tiny snag! My back has other ideas, unfortunately!
Since my operation in February this year, and subsequently returning to work full time, I've been plagued with lower back problems 😕 Nowhere near the same pain I experienced pre-op (thank goodness!!) but it is at a point where it's limiting what I can physically do!
I've been back to see my local GP and will be starting physiotherapy again, in an attempt to loosen up the constantly tight muscles in my lower back.
I'm hoping to have some set exercises that I can complete daily at home, as the 2.5hrs travel (each round trip) to the physio does tend to undo any good achieved during each sessionn!
I refuse to accept that the pain I'm currently having is going to stay with me for the rest of my life!  I'm still young, I still have lots I want to do, I want to travel (now the kids are all old enough to look after themselves....we'll almost lol!).
Whilst this journey has been long I no longer feel defeated, as I have in the past.  I'm amazed at what I have acheieved!  My weight has been like a yoyo, up and down!  But I'm not ready to throw in the towel!
My views about my body have changed a lot though during this journey, I no longer feel revolt or disgust when I see my reflection.  Maybe it's turning my back on the ever present ads on Facebook, promising a 'sizzling hot summer bod in just 14 days' ( all at the low price of $99.99!!) refusing to look at 'women's magazines' - that constantly promote wafer thin models in floaty frocks?  Maybe I'm older and wiser and more accepting of the amazing things my body CAN do instead of focussing on the things it CAN'T?
I'm happy with where I am right now, I have a few kgs to to drop if I'm wanting to get back into the 'healthy weight range' according to my BMI calculator but I'm far from obsessed about reaching this goal, wanting to achieve good health and a fitness level I can maintain without having to become focussed on calories and optimal heart rate!
When I started this blog, it was supposed to be a way to record my progress, the goal was to reach an acceptable weight and shape - one that would be deemed 'acceptable' but acceptable to who?  My friends and family - they don't care about these things lol, they care about my wellbeing and my happiness!  So was I caught up in the medias hype about what shapes are deemed beautiful?  Probably, but I played a part in that, I allowed myself to become lost in that web of lies!
So now the focus has changed, I want to work hard to allow my body to be as 'pain-free' as possible, so that I can enjoy my early morning/late night walks.  I look in the mirror and see something beautiful, a body that has achieved amazing things, that has endured more pain than I ever thought possible - but it's still there, carrying me from day to day!
I still have lumps, bumps and jiggles and stretch marks that map out the story of my life so far, but I now love each part of me!
I embrace my perfectly imperfect body, because it is beautiful, because life is too short and because it is who I am, because it is ME!!

Not gone entirely!

It's been so long since my last post that I thought I'd write a quick post and let anyone following that I'm still here 😊 Mostly I've been AWOL due to a back injury in April last year that eventually required surgery. I had the surgery in early February and certainly feel a lot better for it, however I still have numbness down the back of my left leg and in my hip, better than being in agony 24/7 and having to use a walking stick to get about let me tell you!!  I did however realise how amazing my body was during the time I was mostly laid up in bed.  Sadly the scales peaked to 99.9kgs (220lbs), once I realised that surgery was probably on the cards I started worrying that my weight was going to hinder the whole procedure.  I was actually having nightmares about not waking up!   So I decided that since I was totally incapacitated when it came to any kind of exercise, I could control what foods I was putting into my mouth!  So I did!   In November last year I stopped eating any meat, poultry or fish, total vegetarian diet (not the first time in my life that I've done this - and was more a lifestyle choice than a Weightloss decision).   My breakfast consists of organic muesli with a small amount of soy milk, lunch is some crackers usually with cottage cheese and cucumber and dinner is salad or vegetable soup. Occasionally I'll have something different for dinner like noodles and vegetables but most nights it's just salad.   So how's the weight now?  Well I'm happy to say that in the past 4 months I've lost 27.1kgs (almost 60lbs).  I've really done no exercise in the month post surgery, just some physio-set stretching and maintaining flexibility, so all in all I'm pretty happy. I still have a way to go to be where I want to be but now I know that my body can do this I plan on sticking to my meal plan, having the occasional splurge and enjoying the fact that some of clothes fit me again 😁 I'll be back again soon to fill you in on the progress, I'll be seeing a new physiotherapist soon as I really want to start incorporating more 'safe' exercise into my life, what can I say ......life is good!  See you again soon 👋

A year....really?

Well almost a whole year has passed since my last post, so I thought I'd better let you know that I'm still alive!

A lot seems to have changed since my last post, my eldest son moved to Ireland and I miss him so much it physically hurts!

My daughter moved back to town with her partner and she gave birth to my first grandchild in August, a beautiful little boy, he is just an absolute delight and I get to see him several times a day as they literally live in the next street, so I'm very fortunate!

My youngest son is finishing school this year, so his adult adventures will be starting very soon too!

What about me? 

Well a few years back now I was diagnosed with bipolar, SURPRISE!  So the mega cocktail of drugs I've been trying certainly haven't hepled with my weight loss journey ...although they've been more than generous in the weight gain department!!

At the moment I'm winging it medication free, mostly due to the sever depression I was suffering from each time I hopped on the scales but also I  felt that I was becoming an unemotional zombie, spending way too much time staring into space and struggling to keep up with conversations and avoiding all (outside of work) social interactions!

So where does that leave me?

I'm trying to slowly put things back together, so that this existance somewhat resembles, what was once my life....whatever that was!!

So I'll be back to eating healthy and trying to coax myself outside each day to at least walk a little.

I'll keep you posted, hopefully it won't be another 12 months until I wrote again!

To all those reaching out for goals, keep going......always remember ....YOU'RE WORTH THIS!!

Just a quicky....

Just back from a 4km walk and a lovely lazy evening meal ...lol....hey come on now!  Anyone who has read more than 1 of my posts just knows I can't keep totally on the wagon!

The "meal" was a bowl of oats with grated apple, sprinkled with cinnamon, I have to say it is one of my favourite "meals".

Anyway I forgot to mention that a while ago ....before the Walk In Her Shoes Challenge, my hubby bought me a present, a Samsung Gear Fit!

How lucky am I, right?

I obviously had a Samsung phone (Note 4) and hubby was originally going to get me a fitbit ....then he asked the sales assistant to chat to me, which he did, after lots of pros and cons explained I walked away from the phone call thinking I was getting a Garmin.....when I got home from work hubby surprised me with the Gear Fit.

I have to say that it is AWESOME!!  I love that I can have the time and the number of steps I've walked at the same time.  That was a great feature when I was walking 20,000 steps each day!!  When you hit 5,000 and 10,000 (the recommended number of daily steps) the watch buzzes and shows a little medal lol

Also I've signed up for another round of Michelle Bridges 12WBT.  I did this back in 2013, lost some weight then fell off the wagon ...totally off the wagon!!  Hence the need to rejoin! lol

Any Hoo thats your lot for today!!  Bed will soon be calling :)

Crikey ....twice in as many days!

So.... yes, I'm here again!

We had dinner quite late yesterday and I almost threw the towel in and didn't walk ....BUT .....you'll all be pleased to read that I actually DID go for a walk, only 4kms but hey better than sitting on my butt eating junk right??


It's been a busy day here so far, had to do a mega grocery shop as my dad has come to stay with us, so no more empty fridge, it is packed with good foods, easy to eat fruits for grabbing something in the run.

I'll be off for another walk tonight but I'll have to make sure I leave earlier, so I better start getting dinner cooked very soon!!

So come on people what can I do to stay motivated, what motivates you to stay on track each day?

Are you better at staying on track with food or exercise?

What are your easy 'go to meals' when you days are super busy?

What are your favourite or loathed exercises?

Look forward to reading your responses!!

Ciao for now MJ :)

It's been a while....

Well it's been a while since I've posted anything at all so I thought I better write and let you know how I went with my Walk In Her Shoes challenge.  I managed to walk just over 100kms in 1 week!!  I was actually amazed at how much I enjoyed it ....well apart from the blisters all over my feet!  I think there were times that I had bandaids on every single toe!!

To celebrate I purchased some new exercise clothing ...but in true MJ style, I've been out two or three times since then!  Each night I lay in bed thinking how I'm going to get up early and walk then walk again after work each day .....they say Ït's the thought that counts" ... bullcrap!!  I think about it all the time but it's not helping me loose any of these excess cms off my ever expanding belly!!

As I've decided to address my 'mammoth mammary condition'.....(giant boobs) so hubby and I are in the process of saving the $10,000 for a breast reduction, I'm hoping to get it done by the end of this year sometime....something to look forward to ...well maybe not the pain but certainly the smaller boobage!

So you see, I really do have something to work towards, so I've decided that if I get back to walking and blogging, I'm sure there will be some of you out there to spur me on......?  I hope!!

Two weeks from today I'll give you all some numbers and we can hopefully ...fingers crossed ...watch the numbers together as they decrease!!  I don't want to have little boobies and a giant belly!!
So let me know if anyones out there and reading and I'll keep posting and walking, talk soon, MJ x

Yeah....heavy as a house ...but still here

So here I am again.....it seems that I can't do anything as well I can pile on weight!!!

Now up to my heaviest ever!!

Very depressing....but as always ready to give it anoth (yes another!) go!!

So I've started logging meals again in my fitness pal and have downloaded map my walk too, purchased a new bike (one of the pedal power kind...not another motornike!) so I intend to use that to get about town and get back into walking, I really do get so much enjoyment out of it.....will even drag the elliptical x-trainer into the back room, which is now airconditioned so no excuses that "it's too hot!"

To keep me honest I've pledged to walk 100kms (just over 62 miles) in one week in March for CARE Australia, if any kind souls would like to donate, heres my page
The 2015 Walk In Her Shoes Challenge  please give generously :D