My Health Journey

  

This is the meme which has started me on a diet and improvement (Hopefully) in my health. 

Been to the Doctors with Husband and Doctor told hubby he was obese...(borderline morbidly obese) thought thank goodness it is HIS visit and not mine...I experienced some pain in my left calf (I tore the calf muscle less than 2 years ago) between that and issues like high blood pressure and diabetes, I decided that it is time I took off some weight and get a bit healthier.

I have started up a word document and am recording what I eat each day, am doing exercises daily. I have set my fitbit at 8,000 steps, am doing 10 - 20 mins on exercise bike daily.  I have also recorded my body measurements. A fortnight in and I am on a 17 day streak with the fitbit reaching my daily goal, feel better in myself so will keep going, and keep posting.

4 weeks in and 2.8kg down, also lost 16cm overall on the measurements I am taking... chipping away slowly but heading in the right direction.    Still recording what I eat, have joined a couple of groups on facebook which post motivational weight loss memes.. 

1st November and still going well.  Steady weight loss of around 6kg since I started my healthy journey

Photo of me in 2019 just before we moved to Nambucca. 

and a photo of me last month. 

I am aiming to get down to 75 kg so that is 7 kg to go.  I am still doing daily exercises and usually make the 8000 steps. I am feeling fitter which is fantastic.

My love of Reading - Where it started.

 

Saw this post on Facebook... and below is my response in first paragraph.

Mum, when I was little read to me each evening, I especially remember her reading The Water Babies to me. I also remember a small booklet Sunny stories which had a variety of kiddy friendly stories in it, I progressed to books - My childhood favourites were any books by Enid Blyton from Noddy, Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Naughtiest Girl series, Mallory Towers school series. My Pop used to buy me my comics Judy, Bunty, etc and I followed series like The Four Marys. It was not long before I had a library card and was borrowing books for adults at around the age of 10.

I remember visiting a library with you which wasn’t far from home, I think it was just one room (like a corner shop) with floor to ceiling bookshelves.  I remember borrowing Jean Plaidy books (historical fiction) and you borrowing books by Lucy Walker.

I think this small library must have closed down, because I remember going to a larger library near Granthorald park (I think)

Below is one of my favourite quotes regards reading… and it is true…lol

“I've travelled the world twice over,
Met the famous; saints and sinners,
Poets and artists, kings and queens,
Old stars and hopeful beginners,
I've been where no-one's been before,
Learned secrets from writers and cooks
All with one library ticket
To the wonderful world of books.”

― Janice James

 

I have the full collection of Maeve Binchy books, also Josephine Moon books. I love books by Cathy Kelly, Catherine Alliott, Patricia Scanlan and Margaret Dickenson whose books are set in the countryside around my home town.

As kids we had great examples set us as I remember Dad disappearing to the loo with a book (usually a western by Zane Grey) and I remember Pop Bill loving his books too especially Navy and boat themed ones.

 

Lucky for me Michael is an avid reader too, so when I catch up on my reading there are a few of his books I will borrow.

 

Project change

When we were living in Richmond Tasmania I had made a patchwork stained glass rug for the back of the armchair.  I was in the process of making similar for the back of the couch and the other armchair when we made the move to Nambucca NSW.  I had been busy making baby blankets for friends who were expecting grandchildren and great grandchildren along with matinee jackets and teddy bears and it was finally time to tackle this outstanding project.   Slight problem in that I had gone off the idea of having these rugs on the back of furniture in the lounge room, the idea didn't really fit in with the decor in the new place.   Also I had so many squares done as it had been my on the go knitting project for quite a while before we left Tassie.  Gave it some thought and used the squares to make covers for the pillows on the rocking chair, and had enough to cover a square piece of foam which I then put on top of the small storage ottoman that is sometimes used as a footstool and also as a container for knitting projects I am working on.   Quite pleased with the results, this refurbished rocking chair and foot stool now take pride of place in the corner of the sun room, the rug is on the arm of the couch just in case it is chilly and I know have a lovely cosy knitting corner.

Diversional Therapy ideas

I was working in a day respite centre, so I am recording here in my blog some of the games and activities I organised.

DEAL OR NO DEAL
My clients all loved Deal or No Deal, so I came up with my version of the game. I used to have 10 - 12 persons attending each session so I used 12 document wallets (quite cheap to buy) I numbered them 1 - 12, I then used some different coloured papers and wrote $ amounts on them, laminated them and these were then popped into the wallets. I had 4 amounts in each colour and I also had 4 smaller laminated sheets (think A4 paper folded into 4 lengthwise) with similar amounts on them. These I had bluetacked to a board (wall whatever) these were turned over when their amount was revealed. Used to pick someone to be the contestant and pick a wallet (case) then they would pick a number like on the show, and they would sit facing the others, and pick a number and that person would try to guess the amount in their wallet (case). If they guessed correctly they won a lolly (or small prize - sometimes used linen hankies, posy of flowers, soap etc) after 5 turns would have a bank offer, then go again with a further 3 guesses and another bank offer, then 2 guesses and last 2 guesses. ( the offers could be something similar to the small prizes or I used to be able to buy packs of biscuits (5 packets with 6 biscuits in them quite cheaply at one of the discount stores. Could even use a pick of the trade table, fancy teas or coffee sachets etc as prizes. We were lucky in that we had an auxiliary that fund raised to supply prizes etc for games.

ADVERTISEMENTS
cut some advertisements from an old magazine, but remove the brand name or cover it. Number the advertisements and either put on the wall around a room, or along a corridor and give participants a paper and pen with the numbers on, they then try to guess what each advertisement/brand name is for.
great for reminiscing (especially if an old magazine)

Review for The Cake Maker's Wish by Josephine Moon.

The Cake Maker’s Wish by Josephine Moon
I have copies of all Josephine Moons novels and this one did not disappoint.
The research is impeccable, this story starts in Richmond Tasmania and having lived there for 7 years the sections of the book that were set in Richmond were so accurate I could see the stories playing out before my eyes. The characters were honest to goodness people you could imagine being best friends with in real life.
The themes within the story are so much a part of everyday life that it was amazing and kept me wanting to turn the page. Often we wish we could have a fresh start in life and Olivia found hers.
Themes including rejuvenating a village, a bit of romance, a celebrity wedding, parenting themes pertinent to this day and age, and of course the odd disgruntled person who could throw a spanner in the works (don’t we all know at least one of those).
I loved the flow of the narrative keeping the reader spellbound (true in my case) I especially loved the Epilogue, it was great to read what was happening next for the main character Olivia and her son Darcy.

My skinny right foot

Went to the Doctor today as I have been having problems with pain in my right foot.  Have this horrible feeling like your sock has fallen down and is in a clump just under your big toe and the one next to it… Also have this feeling like a marble is underneath the ball of your foot.   This doesn’t help with going for a walk, as it feels quite annoying and debilitating, then add in this horrible burning sensation as if you have worn knee high socks with elastic to keep them up… you may remember this from school days, you removed the elastic and the socks and you could feel where the elastic had been along with a slight burning or itchy feeling.

Verdict Neuropathy for the burning sensation and pain under the toes… and the marble feeling, I haven’t got a very thick pad of fat under the meta tarsal bones.

OMG! The only part of my body that has responded to dieting… far out! 

What can you do for this…. Not a lot…. Some of the problem could be attributed to footwear in the past I think, not that I ever wore high heels but I did wear shoes that had shaped soles, and I do remember one pair that rubbed the knuckle of one of the toes affected.

Luckily the feelings are not there all the time, just annoying when they happen.

I honestly cannot get over having skinny metatarsal pads…. Where is the justice in that….lol