The Perfect Sunset

Sorry, just had to post this I'm so bored with seeing my fat calf in a too small boot every time I open internet explorer.

Cue elevator music (instrumental "Girl from Impanema") and for your viewing pleasure......

this is sunset at our local beach...... (thats my 3 babies - their blog debut!)

I just never get tired of looking at this picture.......

It stirs something inside me in a way that (for once in my life) food just cannot do.......

Everyone rubbishes Melbourne for its weather etc but man, this is God's country! Best kept secret in Australia - no one would EVER know Melbourne has dazzling crystal clear beaches that compete only with the Whitsundays. And summer is GLORIOUS! All the heat of the tropical areas (like Sydney and Queensland) but with none of the humidity. This is the first summer in about 12 years I havent gained weight - I'm not bloated and swollen and dehydrated from constant sweating.

Life is truly beautiful! Remember - sometimes your dreams come true in the way you least expect them to!

These boots were made for walking

Just a lil Monday morning love for you all! I've been catching up on some of my blog sistas and it just inspired me to have a little go!

I was just commenting on Nene's post (Fatness to Fitness) and I realised how different this journey is for everyone and even for the same person on a different day or time of the month etc etc. The band is as random as life itself! What one can eat another cant what I can eat today I cant eat tomorrow - its very peculiar! I'm pretty loose at the moment but I havent been abusing that. I'm not anymore hungry but a wider variety of foods go down which is all working quite nicely. I do however have an appointment with my cowboy doctor on 9th Feb and I'm looking forward to getting jacked up tight again (its kind of addictive once you've been there). I swear all you girls out there - if you're eating too much and getting hungry etc etc go and get a fill - I know it seems like a patronising thing to say but really - I spent too long farting around without enough fill and now that I know what this is shit is about man, go get a fill and THEN you'll know you're alive!!! I love it!

I've heard some interesting stories from around the traps about some unusal outcomes. One woman who was going great guns and had lost about 26kgs in a year or so has put what looks like about half of it back on cause her pouch has stretched! Interesting! I would have thought it was less about what your pouch can hold and more about what can fit comfortably through the hole???? Yes? No? Anyone else heard of this? I never got to ask her what happens from here and I'm trying to track her down. I'll keep you all posted. She was good at following all the rules too - or was she good at saying she was following the rules???? Hmmmm.......

So we're coming up to the one year anniversary for Shaggs (why the third person? The randomness of life I guess?) and I would REALLY love to just hit 20kgs lost (which requires another 3kg in my books although my doctor has 106kg recorded so he already thinks I've reached 20 kgs - whatever!) Maybe just to hit the 85 mark and be on the downhill run to the 70's???? Who knows who cares. All I know is that occaisionally some old memories and thoughts of a year ago come back to haunt me and I just cant believe how much I hated myself and the situation I was in. The torment around food!!

We went to Luna Park yesterday and I know for a fact I wouldnt have fit in half the rides I went on yesterday. I used to go on things and then awkwardly clamber out at the end of the ride and I could just feel everyone's disgust and repressed laughter at the fat chick and what the hell did she think she was doing. Yesterday I ran around like a teenager from one ride to another and not once did I question my ability to fit in a seat or belt. I saw quite a few women and girls who would have been me this time last year and man can I feel their pain. I just wish everyone could afford to get some help with obesity. We all have access to anti depressants, allergy medications, pain relief and the list goes on but not all of us can get the help we REALLY need for obesity. Everyone takes something to help them along when things aren't physically great but what can a food addict do??? The band has pushed aside all of the self imposed restrictions and problems I had when it came to dieting and has given me the best helping hand ever. It may have taken me a year to understand that the band is a diet tool and an aid in the fight against food addiction just like an anti depressant is to depression - we still have to do some work ourselves but the band makes it possible for us to be motiviated and inspired. When all the pain and self sabotage and the ability to abuse ourselves is gone - we can move on and help ourselves.

So on that note, I have put a bra on and taken a photo of myself on my baby - my treadmill! And while I was there I thought I'd take a shot of me in my chaff resistant bike shorts! I have another goal which is to lose 8cm off my calves so I fit into my beautiful Sandra Miller boots my husband bought me about 2 years ago. Whe I first got them they didnt do up AT ALL not one centremetre so its looking good. If I was taller and the biggest part of my calf was up higher where the boot is at its widest all would be good but alas, short fat shaggy must somehow melt 8cm off her industrial strength, built-for-business-not-beauty, Helga the Hungarian Hammer Thrower calves. So a walkin we must go! Nola and all my other lil doggie friends out there - notice the cute little puppy with the while ankle boot in the background oooh he's so cute!

Can I just say how shit the layout crap shit is on bogspot???? Check out the layout of these pics and text??? and if I try to change anything pictures just disappear??? Its crap!

And the love continues.....

I'm trying to find the right words to express my latest love and novelty but theres just no entertaining way of saying - I am the proud owner of a treadmill!!! And I have shaken off the festive 2kgs Santa left in his sack for me just by having it in my house for the past week! I am beside myself with delight!!!

For all the spec junkies out there - it is a Bodyscience T940 as pictured (cant show you a pic of me on it as I am not usually very appropriately dressed for it). It is 2.5 horsepower with a little wider belt than most (43cm) goes to 16km per hour (never going to happen here!) and has a bottle holder as well as mobile phone and tv remote control holders (i'm pretty sure thats what that extra bottle holder is for). I'm just freaking in love! I jump on and off all day long, I watch Oprah, I catch up with friends on the phone I do five minutes here and there and I can feel and see the difference!!

I bought the treadmill second hand (same price as hiring for 6 months) and this particular model still has a good re-sale value as I am not at all delusional about the fact that I will probably be out of love in approx 3 weeks. I have it strategically placed next to the window for the beautiful view of the estate which happens to be right next to the telly (a quick nudge and its facing me and my treadmill) and is also conveniently located directly under my refridgerated air conditioning vent. I am not at all precious about where when how or what I am dressed in when I jump on and have been known to get on in my PJ's, barefoot and with no bra on (although I have learnt to wear bike shorts to avoid chaffin'). I am drinking water by the gallon and my skin is gorgeous and my cellulite and lumps and bumps are starting to smooth out. I'm drinking less alcohol and eating better (altho i need another fill - booked in for 9th feb) Far out am I in love! I'm on farking FIRE!!!

To give you an idea of the forces of destiny that lead me to my beautiful new pal I'll tell you the story of how we came to be together. Call me a nutter I know and accuse me of making something out of nothing but this is how my life with the Oooger Boogers (also known as the OGB's) works. It all started when my sister in law picked up a free treadmill and it got me thinking about having one in the home. I always loved the gym but get bogged down by when you can and cant go and the kind of scaffolding that goes into keeping my DD's contained while I jiggle away on the treadmill, the sweat, the fashions, the boredom and the need to jog everytime the personal trainer walks onto the gym floor etc etc.

So I researched many different treadmills and since I had to collect it myself it had to be within driving distance. During this time and for the weeks before I kept finding a St Christopher medal popping up around the house. I'm not religious at all but I know that St Christopher is the patron saint of travellers and I'm sure he was a good guy and all and I went to St Christophers primary school and I dig on all things freaky so I was wondering what it meant when he kept popping his little head up. Well, I found a treadmill I liked and it was listed by a "Christopher St Albans" which appeared to my addled brain as St Christopher not Christopher of St Albans and walking is travelling and St Albans is quite a way to travel from here but anyhoo I tried to ring the guy but didnt get a response even though I knew the OGB's were telling me this was my treadmill.

So I kept looking and I bid on some on ebay and I lost them all, negotiated with some etc etc and nothing came up when 3 days later St Christopher called and lo and behold the treadmill was not yet sold and he came down fifty bucks and we made a deal and went to pick it up. And of course when I turned up St Christopher was a priest. Of course. Thank you OGB's.

Does anyway else find this freaky and funny or is it just my need to find the OGB's in all that I do?

Oh and just in case you think I've forgotten - sorry I havent blogged for a while - I have been keeping up to date with all your stories even if I dont get to comment you're all in my heart all the time and I feel very priviledged to know you all!