I did something crazy today...

I started doing the Couch to 5k running programme. It's something I've wanted to do for a very long time but my health has definitely held me back. I'm feeling stronger and the moment so decided to give it a whirl.  My intention is to complete the programme - I will however listen to my body and if it says that it's not coping and heading backwards then I'll kick back or stop.  My body and health come first before my willfull determination to achieve wonderful feats of fitness.  I've been so very busy with my art and then keeping up with everyday life that I've been restless to move. My walks just didn't seem enough anymore so I figured that was another reason to give it a go. 

I'm doing my version of the C5k on the treadmill.  There are a few reasons for this. I thought it would involve less impact on my joints than the hard surface of the path outdoors. (No sore knees after my first run so all good so far with joint impact.) It is much easier to track times and distances when they are right there on the screen in front of me.  The treadmill is 3 rooms away from Jeff's office and has an emergency pull thingy so if I get into trouble help is very close by. I think I'd feel a bit self-conscious running with all my wobbly bits out in public so this is a more emotionally safe place to start.  Let's hope my body can keep up with the grand visions of health and fitness in my mind....   :)

A change is as good as a holiday

My trusty little feet took me on an adventure today....  After weight watchers (where I lost 300grams), I headed to the pool that I mentioned in my previous post. 

Out came my trusty goggles and cap. I'm sure they were quite excited to be liberated from my linen closet and finally out having fun and getting WET.  Then I dove in and got moving. Only for 15 minutes mind, but it was a start and I so enjoyed it. I managed 6 laps = 300m. The pool was very quiet and I was the only one in the 50m. There were some cherubs having a lesson in the 25m pool at the other end of the building but I was left undisturbed.

Here it the pool building in all it's glory! Not very well lit and my camera really overemphasised the dimness but oh glorious to be in the pool and not be thinking about the sun.  Splendid, splendid day.  I will definitely be going back. Swimming gets my heart rate up in a way that walking just doesn't. I'd have to jog to get similar cardio results and I don't want to consider jogging until I've lost at least another 10kgs. I felt fantastic for the first hour or so after being in the pool. Now, 3 hours later I am starting to get quite sore across the shoulders and in my back. No doubt my muscles are in shock at the new use I put them to.

Sitting on my bum

Although I've been doing between 10000 and 14000 steps per day I seem to be spending a HUGE amount of time sitting on my bum doing this and this.  Drinking far too much tea too.....  Goal for the week is to make sure I get out for my walk every day. If it rains I'll use a brolly or get on the treadmill.

Today, while out at an appointment, I decided to pop in and check out an aquatic centre that was on my way home. It was AMAZING. I love swimming but have done very little since developing a number of skin cancers, including melanoma.  This centre has a fully covered and enclosed  50m pool and a 25m pool.  Warm in winter and SHADED all year round!  The only catch is it's about 40kms away which is really only half an hours drive but that's far enough to be unrealistic or a reason not to go some days.  I'm down near the pool once per week so am considering going on the day that I'm close by anyway.  Hmmm, will have to see if my togs still fit....I suspect not.

I hope you enjoy having a peek at what's been keeping  me sitting on my bum for hours on end...

What's on the menu

Since coming home from hospital I've lost 2.2kgs and I think I have menu planning to thank for it. In part anyway.  Out menu or meals for last week can be found here if you are interested.  I simply do up six or seven meals and have the ingredients on hand from the beginning of the week. I then make the meals each night from the menu plan that suit our needs and preferences . 

Below you'll see the baked dill salmon, smashed potato and mixed steamed veggies that we had for a main recently.  The meal looks large but the plate is quite small, entree size really.The potato is a chat (baby) so that may give you some idea as to size.  When I was making this I was feeling quite hungry and decided that it wouldn't be enough so I made a dessert that I'd seen in my Weight Watchers cookbook.

 I present to you these beautiful spiced apples.  This dessert was light, delicious and very easy to make. Brilliantly it was worth only 2 propoints too!!  Take one apple per person and cut into 3 width ways (I didn't core).  You end up with rings as you see.  I then juiced 2 oranges from my tree and into this juice I stirred a shake of nutmeg and 2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar.  I arrange the apple slices in a single layer in a lasagne dish and poured the juice mix over them.  Bake this in the oven on 180'C for around 20 minutes or until the apple is tender but not mushy.  I served these sprinkled with cinnamon, a few pistachios and some greek yoghurt. Try it, it's a winner.

Life doesn't always turn out like you plan.....

Today I set off for my first walk since leaving hospital.  Taking advantage of the warm sunshine, I set out just after lunch and strolled down to the creek.  I coped ok on the way there but struggled quite a bit on the return 500m. My lung (the one that I had the pneumonia in) burned quite badly on the way back and I started to cough quite a bit.  I arrived home tired and clammy but happy that I'd taken the first step back towards daily exercise and wellbeing. While my focus at present is on improving my health, I am keeping my weight and weight loss in mind.  My losing continues to be very slow but I'm pleased to say that I'm down another kilo.

When I started my focus on weight loss and wellbeing a year ago I never could have imagined that my journey would have been so S.L.O.W.  I understood that my health would be a long term journey but I really expected to have lost weight far more quickly and that I'd be happily at goal now.  I rather suspect that if I knew that my weight loss journey would be this glacially slow I would have given up before I started. As it is, I set my foot on this path 12 months ago and although the journey has not turned out as I had imagined, I find myself with no interest in giving up.  While experiencing moments of disappointment with my progress and the increasing complexity of my medical situation I find myself happy to have lost almost 10kgs and to have mainly kept this off. Prior to my pneumonia I was extremely pleased with the progress I had made with my daily walk, having found a new route I enjoyed and being able to successfully walk for 35 minutes or more each day without crashing back into fatigue.  This was a HUGE improvement on what I had been physically able to achieve for many years and I know I'll get back to this walk as my body heals.  Maybe I'm like a diamond and am simply taking a long time to form.... :)

Missing in Action

My journey to wellbeing has been nothing if not interesting.  It reminds me of a muddled ball of yarn where finding your way requires bobbing up and down, twisting, turning, retracing your steps and sitting in perplexed confusion over the whole thing before you. I am currently in hospital with pneumonia. I've now been here 4 days and was ill for a few days before. For some reason I am quite shocked to find myself in this position.  Pneumonia wasn't even on my radar I suppose.  How can I be sick again? Oh well, I'm in the right place to deal with it and am receiving excellent medical care and feel very relaxed and comfortable here which has to help.

Don't know when I'll next have much to post as I am not often on the computer here in hospital and really don't feel particularly inspired to say much.  Will get back to it once I get well and home.  On a positive note, I now know I'm allergic to penicillin......

Thank you to Stacia for posting this series of wonderful YouTube videos on weight loss on her blog. They were done by the BBC and well worth sharing so I've decided to include them over here in Belladonna's Garden.  It's also an easy way for me to rewatch them! :) I hope that you can take the time to watch them and that they are of interest and use to you.