On Being Accountable and Whatnot

Here's some food. It is good, and healthy.

Sometimes numbers and statistics are my friend, sometimes they put themselves soundly in the "to be ignored" pile and sometimes that isn't the best idea.

As you would know if you have read other posts, I am calling down hard rain on my excess weight left over from pregnancy and reducing my calories. It turns out that I have an Elvis like capacity for food if I let myself go (well maybe not that bad- this is an Elvis-like capacity he liked his deep fried though) so I need to count my calories realistically. 

At least for now. When I was pregnant I could eat a whole large pizza without batting an eyelid but after 7 weeks of lower calories I find my capacity for masses of high calorie food has decreased. To the point that eating chips makes me feel queasy and two small pieces of brownie have me burping and groaning like after a Christmas dinner. If I wasn't tracking my calories I think I would have just continued to eats masses. Because I love my food. I really love food. Probably too much. That's why I have too much weight for my frame.

Anyway, this is where numbers can help, I am less likely to eat lots of calories if I have to write it down and I can see what makes a good choice and a bad choice calorically if I pop it into my My Blackmores diary. Sort of a curse (because calories alone don't determine the worth of a food- some healthy food have high energy such as nuts and avocados- the My Blackmores meal suggestions do include small amounts of these though) but a blessing because I can be accountable and keep track of my energy intake, which is of course the point. 


Another way of using number to keep track of things is by measuring one's self with scales. Ah. 
I have been very good and weighing only once a week but noticing that the scales behave differently depending on where I stand. The difference can be anything up to four kilograms. I had recorded that I had lost around nine kilograms (the crowd goes wild!) and then I bought some new digital scales which are presumably accurate and my weight is three kilograms higher on the new ones. Oh. Even though I know I am smaller (hello pre-pregnancy jeans, the smaller ones at that!) I can't help feeling a little defeated by the numbers on the scale.  So I might ignore them for now.

I haven't been using the handy meal plans really, nor sticking to the exercise plan provided with the My Blackmores program BUT I have been using them for ideas and ensuring I stick to the calorie allowance and exercising appropriately. My knees have gone a bit funny from Roller Derby training so I have seen a physio and have to alter my exercise accordingly.
Spring is wiggling it's way forward so in between some truly wild storms there are some sunny days and I have been walking as much as I can to get my sunshine and exercise. If you have mild depression in Winter I really recommend this, it can sometimes be the cure and at any rate it will do you good. 

I sound like a health book from the 1930's "Sunshine! Exercise! Vitamins and Pure thoughts will make you Strong!" 

P.S. I am not doing a sneaky sponsored post or anything, I won a 3 month membership to the My Blackmores via a comp on The Shake so I thought I might as well provide some feedback for those interested in using it or similar programs.

Isn't everything so very complicated?

This Is Oliver. He is our Cat. Life is not complicated for cats.

Sometimes (OK a lot of the time) seemingly simple tasks seem to be complicated. 

I was trying to analyse my blog statistics. But my Google analytics disappeared when I changed templates and it was so long ago I couldn't remember how to do it so I had to read lots of stuff and then I did it and came back to check it after a few weeks and...it hadn't worked. Repeat. (ooh boy the grammar checking thingy isn't going to like that sentence, but it is meant to be read in a slightly breathless and frantic fashion).

I decide I want to look at a recipe on my phone but the app needs updating, then the phone needs charging. Then I forget and check Twitter.Repeat.
Eventually I find the recipe and discover I need to wash the dishes to prepare it and also go to the shops because I just ran out of some essential ingredient.

I like my Fresh Meat course (this is Roller Derby, not butchery by the way) but now I am getting better the training is harder and there are so many things to think of, tactics, not falling over, hitting, being fit and training hours are going up and up. I just think it is fun, but suddenly it is complicated. I find myself having an existential crisis brought on by roller skates.

Do you have days where despite your best efforts every task turns into an epic melodrama?
 Sometimes I think life is too complicated and want to lie down under the table with a cool flannel over my eyes...but the floor under the table needs a vacuum and the robot is out of charge and the other one is in the shed. 

See what I mean?

Or is this just me?

Healthy, Strong,Happy.

So you may recall that last post  was having a whinge about being hungry when I was trying to eat less calories. I did discover that eating low calorie could be a Very Bad Idea if I wasn't keeping my blood sugar on an even keel because;hangry.

 Shortly after this I discovered that sitting on my chuff and eating cakes didn't actually lead to a sense of overall well-being either(quelle surprise!) So I started eating a bit healthier again.Then the Lovely Kate Young chose me as the winner of a three month program from My Blackmores where I can track my eating, exercise,measurements, get exercise ideas, recipes access a naturopath basically its holistic health program online. The approach is sensible and healthful and not fanatical so I am more than happy because its healthy (and free for me!). I think it is $19.95 a month which seems reasonable given what you have access to.They also offer free two week trial if you were interested in checking it out yourself. 

I am still carrying a lot of extra weight from my pregnancy at the moment and the baby in question is nearly ten months old..
I didn't have this problem with my other two pregnancies, the weight fell off but a postnatal depressive diet of tea and the occasional biscuit coupled with lots of walking and anxiety attacks is a very slimming regime!
But of course I was horribly depressed, (there is always something isn't there?) It goes almost without saying that chubby and stable is better than slimmer and depressed (almost without saying, but some poor unfortunate people really would rather be battling the black dog than have a bit of extra weight on due to an obsession with fat phobia).

So my wanting to lose this extra weight is nothing to do with wanting to 'snap' back into shape like so many heavily-promoted celebrities do after giving birth but more to do with the fact my frame is a bit too small for the super squishy curves I am carrying and my roller-skating knees would be happier with more strength and less mass. So far the eating well and exercising are making me feel good but I must stay on top of the sudden blood sugar drops! 

Have you ever used an online program to increase your health/lose weight?

The Dreaded Mini Break or Facing your Demons!

© Snowturtle http://www.dreamstime.com

About two years ago I thought it would be great to make the trip down to Hobart which is a good two hour drive away and booked a Bed and Breakfast so we could have a bit of an explore.
Sounds fine.
We had two children then boys aged four and two-ish.
It was not fine.
 Not fine at all. It was Hell on Earth. The whole experience left my dear husband traumatised. Sometimes I would talk about doing some more overnight stay explores, his face would become ashen and a terrified whisper would escape his lips "You mean.. a mini-break?". So there were no more mini-breaks.

Until mid last week I was looking at all the Roller Derby bouts going on in Hobart and whinging about missing out. Suddenly he said "Why don't we go down then?" he knew it meant staying over-night. I didn't over-think and booked a room (a queen, two single beds and an ensuite) for a reasonable rate online and bought some bout tickets.
We had a pretty good time.
We survived. We will do it again. I will share the comparison of the two experiences:
 The children are older so slightly easier to wrangle (even though we have a bubby she can always be breast fed into submission or sleep if the worst strikes).

This time we encouraged them to bring toys and books, they actually packed their own bags. last time we had one toy each. This was really foolish in hindsight.

It was our plan to look at Hobart on foot. Two and four year old boys don't have the same appreciation of a Victorian Gothic revival or Georgian facade as we do. Apparently. Who would have thought? they express their lack of interest via tantrums. So do things that children like too. With ours this involves eating and roller derby which luckily are two of my interests. An honourable mention goes to @taniafordwalker. She is a person from twitter and surprisingly exists in real life as well whom I managed to convince to go to roller derby only to receive an onslaught of my children which she took with good grace, it also kept my boys entertained. Apparently harassing people is a hobby of theirs now.

They also need to run around a bit.

Pack snacks. This time our nearly five year old started eating the decorative kale as a protest when we wouldn't go to EVERY cafe we saw. I figured this wasn't my problem and at least he was eating vegetables. The council would probably replant the kale soon. But I had plenty of snacks as well.

Remove the minibar from the room as soon as you check in. We didn't last time. So ermm sorry about that who ever tried to eat those sort of squished Snickers. Luckily they didn't have minibar snacks this time.

Make sure you consider their sleep foibles. Last time the boys were small. They slept top-to-tail in a single bed with a rail to stop them falling out. When we satyed at the b & B we put them in their own rail-less single beds. Cue small children falling out of bed loudly onto the floor and then crying. Repeatedly, ALL NIGHT.  
Did I mention Hell on Earth?

 I tried with our bub this time round, I put her in a travel bed on the floor but she kept waking up because she couldn't roll over in it and then I would put her in our bed and she would want to feed so my sleep was sort of rubbish (parenting is such a learning experience, also there is a lot more poo than I would like) but we survived. We will do it again and we will be even better at it!

It seems like a small thing but somethings need conquering before you can move on.
Another tip, if your sensitive six year old says they feel sick STOP IMMEDIATELY and get them out of the car. OK?

Linking up with Rachel at The VI Blog for The Lounge this week!

Three new Skills this week!

Who would have known that this week would bring so many new things!

Early in the week we have welcomed a new family member in the form of Peppa, a five year old ex stud doe rabbit. We are learning about rabbits rapidly but the thing I didn't know is they like to play chasies, at least Peppa does, she loves company and we have been having her hop around inside. there were claims made that she is litter trained but she just seems happy to go anywhere to me! We have given the boys the little cordless vacuum cleaner and they go around vacuuming her "leavings" up which seems to keep us all happy! She chases them and they in turn are surprisingly gentle with her.The cat is scared and Peppa chases him. Most amusing. Peppa is a welcome addition to our funny little household.
So now we have learned to be rabbit owners!

I have also dug out some old singer sewing machines from the shed as next week I have a dance performance and was given a lovely little frock to use as a costume bu the problem is it is too little for me so I have bitten the bullet and I am learning to up-cycle. I have already turned a too small Indian blouse into a wearable one and now I am determined to make a costumes with the aid of the trusty Singer. I have, of course, needed to learn all the basics of how to thread a machine, wind a  bobbin, oil it and so forth which leave me smelling all steam punkish with oil and dust and old metal. I have managed to sew two straps so far, I hope to post a picture when the costume is done. I also intend to do a more in-depth blog post when I have mastered it a wee bit more, one just for my fabulous Vintage Singer machines!(Actually really my darling husbands but I have snaffled them!)
we went to a fundraiser sale for the Van Diemen Roller's (local Roller Derby league- which of course you know all bout, right- if you don't know about Roller Derby please go and Google it, it is wonderful)

I picked up a pair of skates for $5 and have been in our giant shed out the back practising my skating which I haven't done for ummm TWENTY YEARS!(Really, it is hard for me to believe that there is stuff I haven't done for twenty years but there you go)I have picked it up again quite easily I think (It helps having the massive shed to practice in). I did fall over once and realised why they all wear knee pads when they compete *OUCH* but never mind. There's a lesson learned too! I don't know if I have what it takes to be a roller girl but I will go to the info session (I am slightly apprehensive- they are pretty tough ladies! Very nice but they are hardcore they wouldn't be woozling over a bumped knee like me!)
So there we go, rabbit owning, sewing (well ahem, maintaining a sewing machine and a small amount of sewing ) and roller skating all in one week. The garden is growing all by itself and we have purple peas coming one and lots of lettuce. Life is good!