My Goan Trip

Goa was amazing....from driving from the airport at 4am dodging cows walking along the road (or laying on it), the food, the friendly locals, the sites to the weather was just awesome. The first 2.5 days I was very busy, taking in all the sites, but the last 1.5 days I made sure I relaxed by the pool and soaked up the sun.

I stayed at the Taj Holiday Village, a 5 star hotel, which was lovely (and a nice tranquil place to head back to at the end of a hustle bustle day). The first day I headed to Anjuna markets and came home with an empty purse (no nothing tragic happened I just shopped!)

I ended up buying:

• 3 wrap around skirts that don't fit me, but I have worked out that if I actually sew up the two seams I can wear them as a normal skirt...I love them, even though the fabric and pattern reminds of my the old fashioned tablecloths (I think mum still has some in the linen cupboard!).


• a lovely wall hanging of an embroidered elephant.

• 2 fabric handmade lanterns, in rich pink and purple colours.


• numerous pieces of funky bracelets, some made out of a waxy string, the other a coconut shell, dyed green (to go with one of my skirts) and polished


• some great silver jewellery....a big bracelet and a silver snake necklace and bracelet set.....

• numerous bags

• chakra bowl (a bowl used in yoga and meditation)....cleanses the 7 chakras....I got the goddess of Happiness!

Now you can see why my purse was empty. The vibe of the markets is great. Lots of colour, locals selling their wares (and doing everything to get your business), location...right on the beach. There are cows wandering along the beach and I even sat in a little thatch hut on the beach and drank a cold beer, just what I needed on a hot humid day....actually it's the first beer I have drunk since the surgery and I had no problems (but I don't want to make a habit of it now that I am home).



The following days was spent sight seeing. I went on a day trip with my own driver up to the Dudhsagar Falls, a 603 metre falls surrounded by 100's of monkeys...who loved fruit and nuts and you could get so close, some sitting right next to you as if they were your partner!

Then went to wash with the elephants...scrubbing him down and then jumping onto him while he sprayed water all over me....definitely a highlight.

Next up was the spice plantation. I was really looking forward to this because the food they serve is local and based on the spices grown on the land....unfortunately I didn't get to taste much. I was so hungry and it was very hot...I hadn't eaten much or drank much water this day....mindlessly I had to mouthfuls of rice....well you can imagine what happened. It got major stuck....I had to high tail it to the shack of a toilet, making so much noise that I am sure people were looking at each other wandering what was going on....I was so embarrassed....but relief came once I PB'd it! I also did a mangrove/crocodile tour, which was pleasant and the crocs were huge (about 3.5 metres!)

Candolim, the area that I was staying at was a lovely little beach side town, full of bars/restaurants, surrounded by coconut trees swaying in the (hot) breeze, cows wandering around town (that is usual in India as they are sacred) and the locals all wanting your attention.

Goan food is amazing and I managed to eat seafood at every meal....fresh prawns, pomfret, lobster, kingfish fillets and the curries are to die for!

If you are interested in the whole trip I am in the middle of writing my travel blog or you can also check out my photos on facebook.

Fresh from Goa

I am back ladies....and I wish I was still in Goa...I was very reluctant to get on the plane back....I had an absolutely fabulous time and there is a lot to tell....but I need to sort through all my emails and then arrange my photos etc.

All I can say is that I handled the food quite well, with only 2 small PB's, which will be explained later, and I am glad I didn't get that fill the week before leaving....

Here is just a sneak preview of what I saw....

Karnataka Lady (State next to Goa)

Showering with the Elephants

Monkeys at the Falls

I have lots of catching up with all your blogs too.....stay tuned for the adventures of Roo in Goa!

Saggy Bum Pants Syndrome

this is the bane of my life.....I find it very hard to get pants to fit my waist and my arse at the same time...some how it never seems to work together.

I have lost a lot of my cm's (inches) around my waist, hips and thighs, but because I have no bum and a square waist (no curves here, just spare tyres), pants just don't sit right and I end up having big saggy bum pants and the crotch sits half way down my legs! Sometimes I am jealous of the girls who wear their pants so tight they have camel toes .....(only joking!), but seriously I really do dream of having pants that sit nicely in the lady region.

My pants are all starting to get to loose too, which isn't helping and a couple of times have been near to losing them down around my ankles.....in the office! Not appropriate at all....in fact it has happened to me once before, months ago, way before banding was even considered, when my denim skirt fell off, thank goodness no one was around to see it....call me crazy, but a girl has to pull a MacGyver in emergencies, I bulldog clipped the skirt to my undies to ensure they didn't fall down (I didn't have a safety pin, and staples didn't work the first time around!)! The lengths we go to for fashion!

My office manager even commented on getting me a belt to keep my pants up, but I don't think she realises my real dilemma!

Maybe I should get a pair of these, they are called a Double-O Push-up Bum Bra, a Maximum Butt-Lifter Thong Panty....it sucks everything else in, but accentuates the bum cheeks. There are a variety of designs.....http://www.lovemybubbles.com/shopBB.shtml

I just can't wait for the day where I can slip on a pair of hot black pants and actually look like I haven't crapped in them! LOL....

I am pulling my hair out....

...actually it's more like its falling out! I have noticed over the past few weeks that my hair seems to be falling out more than usual...at first I really just thought it was my normal shedding, because I am quite bad when it comes to keeping my hair healthy...I can go days without brushing it and only wash it 2-3 times a week. I curly hair and although it looks thick, it is in fact fine hair, but I just have a tonne of it!

When I do wash and brush my hair I usually shed loads of it, but I have noticed around my temples that it is starting to get quite thin....(not to mention the grey starting to come through!)

I have been eating all my protein, but my vegie/fruit intake could be better...I am starting back on getting more leafy greens and vitamin and mineral packed vegies and up my multi V tablets (because I have been super slack with them) to see if this makes a difference.

I am also due for a cut and I am going to use a cut/style as an incentive/reward...perhaps 30 kilo loss? I just hope it will grow back....I don't want to go bald!

Confession

I have a confession to make. One of my big weaknesses is Pork, particularly Pork Crackling....living in Dubai I don't get to eat much Pork...it's not readily available on restaurant menus and there is a secret Pork area in a few supermarkets, hidden away from public view, and I always feel like I am doing something naughty when I enter this Pork room.

So tonight, I had the opportunity to go to a German restaurant. 80% of their menu is pork products and we were in hog heaven.

My mouth was watering over the pork knuckle, with red cabbage and mash potatoes....a couple of us ordered one each...Yet when it arrived at the table, I knew there was NO WAY I would get through this....it was bigger than my head....I managed to eat 1/3 of the knuckle, 2 mouthfuls of the red cabbage and 2 mouthfuls of the mash potato....the rest is now in my fridge in a doggy bag and will probably last 2 meals...the crackling however, was finished off tonight! I don't even want to think what the calories were just in the crackling, but my it was good....not my mum's crackling, but good as I am going to get here in the desert.

I had to take a photo of it, it was so big....however, seeing the photo, I can actually see how much my face is slimming down. I am actually proud that I left most of it and, although I ate far to much, I didn't eat the whole thing (like some had!) and pre-band I would have done the same!

I know it's a bit of food porn, and I apologise in advance, but this photo really intrigued me.:)

Our view during dinner

Pork Knuckle as big as my head!

Cracking 50 pounds - weekly weigh in

It's been a long, tiring, challenging week. After Monday night out and suffering with a hangover/lack of sleep, I did manage to still have a session with The Enforcer on Tuesday night, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. Wednesday I woke up feeling even worse, and over the course of the day, I started getting a sore throat, headaches and sneezes. Turns out I have caught a cold and I feel blah! Yesterday was even worse, and I fear that it has now moved to my chest and turning into bronchitis (which it normally does).

Anyway, I cancelled my plans last night and had an early night. I have been craving Salmon this week, so I indulged myself last night along with some garlic and chilli linguini...first time I have had pasta since surgery and I was worried about how I would go...turns out it went down fine, no PB's, but then again, I don't have a lot of restriction at the moment. I don't want to get into the habit of eating pasta to much again..

I headed to bed early, to try and get better, however, I received a phone call at 3.30am from the Boy, and although I didn't answer, I was unable to get back to sleep because of my throat and chest! I was so NOT impressed...I don't like getting booty calls at 3.30am (or any time really), and to make even worse, he knew I was sick...going to deal with that issue today! 2 hours later I was still awake and then the mosque sang out for call to pray, that was it...I got up and watched this weeks Bones episode, which I had downloaded...and surprisingly it was centred around obesity and weight loss surgery (what they called the Slim Ring) :).

At 6am I jumped back into bed and fell asleep until 9am, when I got up and headed to the gym for another session with The Enforcer, call me glutton for punishment or what? It was OK, we just did a few light exercises and didn't over do it....she has a cold to, so I am blaming her for passing it on to me! One thing I did realise was that in the past when I was hungover or sick or just didn't feel like it, I would have cancelled the personal training sessions and stayed at home on the lounge. But this week I have forced myself both times to go and felt better for it afterwards, those are the types of NSV's that are differently fantastic!

I weighed in when I got back from the gym and was surprised to see a loss of .7 kilo...because after the week I had I honestly thought I would stay the same or even gain, but I will take whatever I can get.

This brings me to a total of 22.8 kilos (and cracking 50 pounds) Woot Woot.

Next week is my measuring day and I am interested to see what changes have happened..I am going to take a measuring tape with me to Goa, just for the occasion.

Feeling like I do, I really wanted something nourishing and comforting, so I have just made a big pot of congee (rice porridge), it's the chinese's version of chicken noodle soup when you are sick. It is hot, comforting and yummy. I have never made it before and it turned out OK. I cooked some pork mince and some ginger and added that to it, along with some coriander, mint, bean sprouts and sesame oil and soy sauce...feeling a little bit better today.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A bit flat this week

Since the weekend (and my vlog) I sort of went down hill.....

Not sure exactly what pinpointed it but the week has been busy at work and on Monday night, I went out for drinks. One of the hotel bars was having a Ladies Night (free champers) and a few of us from the office were heading over, but we had to make a stop on the way for our big bosses drinks at 6pm...we were going to have one and then head over to the free ones...I was only going to have a couple (over the whole night) but it didn't turn out that way.

We didn't even leave the birthday drinks! 3 Secretaries, 1 Senior Lawyer and the Managing Partner (his Birthday) later , we left at 2am and it was messy (and very expensive!) I don't know how it ended up being a huge night, it was fun, but boy did I suffer yesterday. Surprisingly, it was NOT from the massive amount of alcohol (white wine) consumed by me, it was just tiredness (I only had 4 hours sleep). Obviously I struggled all day yesterday.

I felt like I needed greasy foods, but trying to be good I ordered poached eggs and smoked salmon...on a great day smoked salmon is not high on my list, so being as hungover as I was I don't know what I was thinking, taste just as bad coming up as it does going down (tmi? sorry). Lunch I had some ratoutille which I had made on the weekend followed by a packet of cheese bugles and a handful of Reece's Peanut Butter Pieces.......and not much water!

Yesterday afternoon I hit the wall (that was when I started eating the junk food) and to make matters worse (or in fact I would find much better, later) I had a personal training session with the Enforcer! I dragged my butt into the gym and did 30 minutes of light cardio before our session. Although I didn't push myself to hard, I did actually have a good session and felt really good afterwards...and I crashed into bed last night before my head hit the pillow.

Today is a little better, I got myself organised food wise, although struggling on eating my ratoutille for lunch, I feel hungry, but I don't have an appetite and I don't feel well....perhaps it could be from the amount of cigarettes I smoked the other night (another disappointment as I have been smoking quite a bit lately) or the fact that I am getting a sore throat and a headache...I better not get sick before I leave for Goa on Tuesday.

I am also preparing myself for the scales on Friday, I don't think I will see a loss, may even see a gain, but I will not be surprised after the week I had. I am desperate for a fill, which I have on the 5 December....and I am really excited about my mini vacay next week.....

Only one more day at work and it's the weekend in Dubai....hurry up!

Gee Whiz, Another Quiz - The Bandster One!

1. How long have you been banded? 3 Months, 1 Day2. What was your highest pre-band weight? / Current weight now? Highest was 155 kilos (or 341 pounds) - Weight is now 132.9 kilos (290.6 pounds)3. What is your best "go-to" food to get in your protein? Eggs and poached salmon (or tuna sashimi). 4. What is your favorite protein brand/shake? Opti-slim -Chocolate (not that I have these very often)5. What food do you miss the most now being post-band? White bread (but I have actually been missing this since moving to Dubai as the bread here sucks!) 6. What is your favorite "mushy" food? Instant potato mash with fat free gravy or bolognese sauce blended7. What was your worst PB experience? Stuck in traffic in the morning and had to PB into a latex glove (which I had in the glove compartment LOL) 8. What has been the hardest part of this journey so far for you? Learning what I can and cannot eat. and just the thought of having to PB in a restuarant when no bathrooms are available. 9. What is your best NSV to date? Fitting back into my wardrobe, because honestly I was down to couple of threadbare frumpy pieces! 10. What is your top non-weight goal for your band? (top NSV maybe?) To be fit enough to hike Machu Picchu.11. What is your goal weight or size? To get to the top of my healthy weight range of 75kilos - size wise no idea as I have never been this size 12. What band "rule" do you live by (i.e. don't cheat on)? I haven't tried pasta and I am scared to!13. What band "rule" do you not follow as much or aren't so good at? Once I PB I can still go finish my meal, which is bad!!!!!14. What is your goal "reward"? To hike Machu Pichu (see 10 above) 15. In the spirit of Thanksgiving being right around the corner (US), what are you most thankful for, post-band? Don't celebrate Thanksgiving, so in the Christmas spirit, I would say that I am thankful for the support of my family and friends through this journey, it means alot because they all know how much my life has been affected by my weight and that my good health is returning.

3 Months Banded!

I just realised this morning that I have been banded for 3 months! In that time I have lost 22 kilos (well actually I need to add 2 weeks to that because I started 2 weeks before surgery) and some big changes happening with my body as well as my way of thinking.

I love Kiki. She has been able to help me get through some major hurdles emotionally and mentally. Without her I would not have been able to achieve any of this. She hasn't given me any trouble, more like me getting into trouble and her helping me out! My sleep apnoea has improved, although not gone, but I am bouncing out of bed most days. My strength is returning and starting to work out harder at the gym, my body, mind and weight loss will appreciate that. My confidence is returning as well as a positive body image...I am now liking myself again and liking what I see in my reflection! My skin is glowing again, not the dull lifeless tone it had before the band. I am fitting back into a lot of my wardrobe and I feel great wearing some funky clothes again.

Food wise, I am making better choices, knowing that I need to get good protein in and that eating crappy foods will make me fell exactly that CRAP...you are what you eat, right?

I am working out what foods I can eat without PB's (although I still do PB quite a bit, which is something I am working on). and that is not to say that I have not treated myself occasionally to some junk food, but I eat a little bit and enjoy the taste, not just aimlessly shoving junk food into my mouth.

This weekend I am finally realising that this journey is going to end on a happy note. That I am realistically going to be a healthier person (and happier too) and that I will lose this weight once and for all...I don't want to even think about what will happen when I came out the other side of this journey and what is waiting for me at the end....the journey is the one thing I am focusing on first.

Thanks to all the girls that have so far commented on my vlog (see earlier post). I actually had to redo it a few times because I kept stuffing up or laughing when I said something totally stupid, but I got there in the end...it's hard to video yourself talking, when you are the only one in the room....

I know a few of you are eager to hear about how the meet up went with the boy....well let's just say I am smiling today. I felt really comfortable around him and we talked well into the evening...about everything and anything.....remember it's been 9 months since we first met and only went on one date. There is definitely chemistry there and we both seem to be interested, but only time will tell. We come from very different cultures and have very different ideas about some things, but you got spice it up and put a few challenges in there to help mix it up :) oh yeah, and the kissing is just as I remembered it! LOL

I told him about the band, but I don't think he really understands the whole concept, but that is OK. This is about me and will not affect him in any way. I am certainly not jumping into anything, just taking it as it comes. I still need to focus on myself and what I need to do to continue my journey. It's nice to have someone say they are interested, as long as that doesn't cloud my own judgment, it will all be good.

Hope you all have a great week ladies (and gents). I have one week to go before I head on my mini vacay and I can't wait!

Weigh in and vlogging

Today is the day for yet another weigh in. Not sure where the weeks are going, but it's going by very fast.



Last night, I was helping out at a client event for work, at the cricket. We started off with a reception, before loading everyone on buses headed out to the match. I had to hand out the tickets and ensure all clients and their families were on the bus! What a job...I managed to eat a few finger foods, but was very careful..didn't want to have to PB in front of work colleagues or clients for that matter! It was a successful night and we enjoyed it...but it was a late one and by the time I got home at 1.30am I was beat.



Had a session with The Enforcer this morning, after dragging my tired bum out of bed. But I feel good now. This week she has upped the work out to include some more weights and intensity. I am starting to feel like I am having a good hard work out...and definitely notice that my strength is increasing.



I hopped on the scales this morning to find that I have lost 1.6 kilos this week, bringing me to a total of 22.1 kilos and I am feeling great and I have faced my mental hurdle, jumped it and moved on...the further away I get from it the better I will feel.



This week I have found that my hunger was starting to return every 3 hours and I can eat quiet a bit, so I had booked myself in for a fill on Saturday with Dr F, but yesterday decided to postpone it until I got back from my trip to Goa because Wednesday I had a few PB's and I didn't want to be to tight or have any problems when I am away, but I am finding it hard, because I feel like I am grazing all day.....and scared it will make me gain weight....so I am sort of "dieting" at the moment, ensuring that I don't eat over my calories for the day.....



Anyway, when I hit my first goal of 20 kilos I decided to do a vlog. It took me a little longer, because I can't find the application on my laptop, so I ended up using my camera. But as promised here is me:

Happy Friday everyone!