Friday, 17 July 2009
http://backpain.blog.co.uk
I know I haven't been here for ages and ages but its because I am busy writing my back pain blog and twitter so if anyone didn't know my blog address its http://backpain.blog.co.uk so do go and take a look and catch up with all my news.
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
More of my photos
I don't know what I am doing wrong but it will only let me upload three photos so here's another three ....................................
These were taken while on a walk along the River Trent on one of our sunnier days this summer.
My lovely duck pictures
Hi, i've been really busy sorting my massive picture album which is on my computer and I have deleted loads but at the same time I realised how many duck photos I have - how sad am I !!
Anyway I have decided to download some of my favourite photos to my blog in the hope I might get a few comments back to help me to decide whether to delete them or keep them.
What I can't believe is the difference in the speed of the computer now that I have deleted some of them. Anyway enjoy ........................................
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Row's Recovery update
How naughty am I, in my last entry I said I would not leave it so long next time before I came back with news on Row's recovery. Well, its been a while, in which time she has seen three different specialist's, finally ending up in London for a third opinion with a Neuro-optomologist. He was wonderful with her and gave her some hope and reassured her that she would not go blind ( her biggest fear )He explained that he knew exactly what had happened with her sight and had seen it often after her sort of injury ( others had told her she may loose her sight). As far as how long it would take to come back is really as simple as how long is a piece of string. Unfortunately they cannot tell you, only that some will come back, how much and when is something they cannot predict. He told he that its possible that her perifial (or however you spell it) vision may not come back at all and that she should get in touch with the National Institute for the Blind for help with her readjusting to her sight problem as it is at the moment. She was very disappointed initially (understandable) as she had pinned her hopes on a cure with the specialist in London but at least his news was much better than the other specialists she had seen.
She came to stay with us for a week after the latest results to just have a break from her routine and we had many walks and talks which ( I hope) helped her. Since then she also stayed at our house for a week while we were away to have some quality time with Rich and managed to get on a bus on her own to Nottingham. She then seemed to go down hill for a bit after that so we decided we needed to look for somewhere in Nottingham for them to rent for a short time. It wasn't long before they found somewhere which is very close to me and a very exciting time for them both. Unfortunately at the same time Row was experiencing another problem with her stomach and digestion which they blamed on the accident as it takes months for everything to settle down and it has had quite a big knock on effect on her confidence which has shot down over the last couple of weeks. We all know it will come back in time and just hope her health problem soon recovers so that we can get that confidence back and get her popping back on the bus into Nottingham.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Its nearly MAY - where has the rest of this year gone?
Gosh ! I can't believe its been a month since I last wrote my blog, it was only because we were out with some friends last night that she said it was about time I updated it, so here goes.........
Well, I had a great Mothering Sunday at the beginning of April with Row and also my daughter over for the weekend (totally spoilt or what) and enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch with the table full of my family (just how I like it). Improvement with Row is very slow now with her eyesight problem being a real downer in her rehab as no-one seems to be able to tell us if it will improve or get worse, they just keep saying her eye sight is perfect so the problem is coming from her brain which as you can imagine is very frustrating. She is seeing another Neurologist next week and if he cannot help her she is going for a second opinion with a Neuro-optomologist in London.
So, as usual we are keeping our fingers tightly crossed.
I had a meeting at the Hospital Pain Clinic in April who fits the morphine pumps as my spine has just gone from bad to worse this year. But, after going through all the pros and cons of having it fitted we decided it was too risky to have it done as there is a possibility of contracting meningitis and a high risk for an infection and knowing our families luck with health I would probably end up with both. I then asked him about a spinal stimulator for pain but he just said that i was not a suitable candidate for that (whatever that! means).
Anyway it was back to more pills and off to Lisbon for a short break in the middle of April. We had a lovely few days and went on the train along the coast which was really pretty. The weather however wasn't and we got very wet on a few occasions and my pain quite bad but fortunately the room was so lush it was a pleasure to get back to and rest in the biggest bed I have ever slept in !!!
When we got home my other half had persuaded me that it was about time I had a full check on my back as it is 9 years since my last surgery and although I said never again you can never really say never again, so I researched it big time and decided to try and get an appointment with a surgeon in London who specialised in keyhole cervical surgery.
We went to see the surgeon just after Easter and he sent me for a full MOT with a full body MRI Scan, a CT Scan and a Nerve Conduction test then we went back a week later for the results.
Basically, I have a large beak-like bone spur in my neck resting on the fusion plate trying to fuse itself into my neck and this is what is causing all my pain in my arms and between my shoulder blades. I have four small disc prolapses in my thoracic spine but they are not compressed so not causing any problems at the moment and in my lumber spine there is another disc prolapse which is giving me my low back, leg and heel pain. However he has advised me to steer clear of any surgeons as some may want to fuse the lumber disc but he just feels the ones above it would just cause further troubles later on in life and as far as the bone spur he thinks this will eventually fuse itself into my bone and will then leave me with much less pain and as the previous two neck surgeries look sound he felt it inappropriate to interfere with the fusions to remove the spur.
He was really nice and said he could see I was in a bad way with my pain but recommended me to go back to my pain consultant and start again with a fresh pain management programme and to try lots of alternative therapies especially acupuncture for my neck. So now its definitely back to the Pain Clinic for me.
I soon got my head around it and decided to first try to increase my morphine a little and take it before I went to sleep with all my other medications in the hope I would have a better nights sleep and you will never guess what - it worked, and I had a really good nights sleep - brilliant or what !!!! I am also going to try a treatment called The Bowen Technique which should help with my chronic muscle pain (he found that out from my nerve conduction tests). I will be back having acupuncture soon and am planning on buying or hiring (cant decide) on the latest tens machine which I used to use years and years ago and have been told the latest ones are extremely good and far more portable. I am also going to embark on a home study course for hand reflexology and hand therapy so that I can treat myself (I hope).
Well that's me up to date with this months news - not much really just hoping for a better May for Row and everyone else I know who's not been too well lately. I will try to not leave it so long
this time before I come back with more news.
Well, I had a great Mothering Sunday at the beginning of April with Row and also my daughter over for the weekend (totally spoilt or what) and enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch with the table full of my family (just how I like it). Improvement with Row is very slow now with her eyesight problem being a real downer in her rehab as no-one seems to be able to tell us if it will improve or get worse, they just keep saying her eye sight is perfect so the problem is coming from her brain which as you can imagine is very frustrating. She is seeing another Neurologist next week and if he cannot help her she is going for a second opinion with a Neuro-optomologist in London.
So, as usual we are keeping our fingers tightly crossed.
I had a meeting at the Hospital Pain Clinic in April who fits the morphine pumps as my spine has just gone from bad to worse this year. But, after going through all the pros and cons of having it fitted we decided it was too risky to have it done as there is a possibility of contracting meningitis and a high risk for an infection and knowing our families luck with health I would probably end up with both. I then asked him about a spinal stimulator for pain but he just said that i was not a suitable candidate for that (whatever that! means).
Anyway it was back to more pills and off to Lisbon for a short break in the middle of April. We had a lovely few days and went on the train along the coast which was really pretty. The weather however wasn't and we got very wet on a few occasions and my pain quite bad but fortunately the room was so lush it was a pleasure to get back to and rest in the biggest bed I have ever slept in !!!
When we got home my other half had persuaded me that it was about time I had a full check on my back as it is 9 years since my last surgery and although I said never again you can never really say never again, so I researched it big time and decided to try and get an appointment with a surgeon in London who specialised in keyhole cervical surgery.
We went to see the surgeon just after Easter and he sent me for a full MOT with a full body MRI Scan, a CT Scan and a Nerve Conduction test then we went back a week later for the results.
Basically, I have a large beak-like bone spur in my neck resting on the fusion plate trying to fuse itself into my neck and this is what is causing all my pain in my arms and between my shoulder blades. I have four small disc prolapses in my thoracic spine but they are not compressed so not causing any problems at the moment and in my lumber spine there is another disc prolapse which is giving me my low back, leg and heel pain. However he has advised me to steer clear of any surgeons as some may want to fuse the lumber disc but he just feels the ones above it would just cause further troubles later on in life and as far as the bone spur he thinks this will eventually fuse itself into my bone and will then leave me with much less pain and as the previous two neck surgeries look sound he felt it inappropriate to interfere with the fusions to remove the spur.
He was really nice and said he could see I was in a bad way with my pain but recommended me to go back to my pain consultant and start again with a fresh pain management programme and to try lots of alternative therapies especially acupuncture for my neck. So now its definitely back to the Pain Clinic for me.
I soon got my head around it and decided to first try to increase my morphine a little and take it before I went to sleep with all my other medications in the hope I would have a better nights sleep and you will never guess what - it worked, and I had a really good nights sleep - brilliant or what !!!! I am also going to try a treatment called The Bowen Technique which should help with my chronic muscle pain (he found that out from my nerve conduction tests). I will be back having acupuncture soon and am planning on buying or hiring (cant decide) on the latest tens machine which I used to use years and years ago and have been told the latest ones are extremely good and far more portable. I am also going to embark on a home study course for hand reflexology and hand therapy so that I can treat myself (I hope).
Well that's me up to date with this months news - not much really just hoping for a better May for Row and everyone else I know who's not been too well lately. I will try to not leave it so long
this time before I come back with more news.
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Cheap train tickets to London
I can't believe it's been sooooooo long since I was last here. I just don't know where this month has gone although we have been away a couple of times so that makes the month seem shorter.
We had a lovely overnight stay in London (courtesy of the children) at the Thistle Hotel, Kensington Gardens and we went to see Wicked, which was great and even managed to get a table at the Ivy after the show but the real saver was the train. You won't believe what we paid for the tickets to London and back via the Megabus.com website ( click on train) it was exactly £7 !!!!!! I've tried to get the same price since then but they have now gone up in price (can't think why) but didn't I do well !!!!!!
Rowena has been over to stay again and is making slow but sure progress. She is still in a mess with her sight which really troubles her and even more so as no-one seems to be able to tell us if and when her sight might recover. Her pain is about the same but she is getting better at managing it and has started trying alternative therapies for pain relief.
I was sent an appointment to see another pain specialist to discuss having the morphine pump but it just sounded so drastic that the family have finally persuaded me to go and get an up to date diagnosis of my back. I know I said never again but as they say you can never say never. Anyway, I'm off to see someone in London tomorrow who specialises in cervical and lumber spinal problems and also does keyhole surgery so I am pinning my hopes on his help.
We also had a trip to Paris (courtesy of our son for Xmas) and stayed with our daughter the night before and had our first taste of the Euro which was soooooooo quick and good fun. Unfortunately I was bad (just by way of a change) so I spent most of my time sleeping in the room which was when I made a conscious decision to get something done about it. I would definitely go on the Euro again, I thought it was great but probably not the 6.55am train as it's a bit early for me.
No change on the diet front but at the end of the day I've not put any on even with all my breaks which is a first so maybe my body is happy at the weight it is at the moment. Oh! and yes I also did a review for Portland College Pudding Club, which was great fun .........................
NEVER MIND THE CALORIES and ENJOY THE PUDDING CLUB – review by Barbara McLullich
Portland College held their second sell out Pudding Club on Friday evening in the Eastwood Suite.
The History of the Pudding Club is that it was founded at the Three Ways House Hotel in Mickleton, the most northerly Cotswold Village in 1985 to prevent the collapse of the traditional great British Pudding. In the 1980’s it seemed as though such delights as Jam Roly Poly, Syrup Sponge, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Spotted Dick were unusual in the face of competition from the Black Forest Gateau and Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake. The Pudding Club and its members can now however proudly claim that because of their efforts the great British Pudding has reclaimed an enthusiastic following throughout the country and beyond. The club has three rules 1. The custard served must be Birds. 2. The pudding stations are set up. 3. You cannot have another serving of any pudding unless your bowl is empty.
The atmosphere upon entering was a real buzz with a reception drink followed by a welcome and introduction to the evening by Lynn Booth, Catering Manager for Portland College. As we sat down at our tables we were given a glass of complimentary wine and a starter of a Filo Pastry Parcel filled with Brie and served on a bed of rocket salad with a sweet chillie sauce. The first thing I noticed were the beautiful plates the starter was being served on which represented the Portland College emblem. The starter was delicious and soon had your taste buds going. Also on our tables was a Pudding Club Food Quiz which was put together by some of the Portland College catering staff, as well as your own list of puddings to taste and score sheet. The seven puddings were 1. Spotted Dick – need I say more about this traditional English dessert with custard - delicious 2. Brioche and Butter Pudding - a unique dish, but not the traditional recipe with lashings of Birds custard. 3. Baked Rice Pudding with caramelized plum compote - my favourite of the night that was simply superb with a hint of vanilla and the plum compote tasting very different to the strawberry jam of yesteryears. 4. Syrupy Apple Sponge Pudding – a bit heavy and spongy. 5. Sultana and Butterscotch Pudding – this had a wonderful texture and taste to it. 6. Bakewell Pudding - this pudding put all the ones in Bakewell to shame, it was just luscious. 7. Chocolate and Nut Cake with dark chocolate sauce – as a big chocoholic I left this until last and it was worth the wait, its making my mouth water just thinking about it.
By now the atmosphere was positively buzzing in anticipation of which pudding to try first and everyone was anxiously waiting for the Roll of Honour and commencement of the pudding tasting. The evening is without doubt designed for those who read the menu from the bottom upwards and for those who enjoy the sweeter things in life even in the calorie-counting times. Raffle tickets were sold during the meal and then just before coffee was served everyone’s score cards were collected together with the completed (or not, in our case) quiz sheets. The popularity of the club is spreading and it’s no wonder at only £15 for an evening of fun and delicious puds.
The raffle was then drawn and the winning pudding announced which was Brioche and Butter Pudding followed by Baked Rice Pudding with caramelized plum compote and Spotted Dick.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm my juices are going just reading this.
Well, that's all for now folks. I will be posting my results from the specialist on my back pain blog, http://backpain.blog.co.uk so if you want to know how I got on just click onto the link.
Saturday, 23 February 2008
It's been a while
Hi all, its been a while since I've been here and should have loads to write about but seem to be having trouble getting motivated to write so it will probably only be a short and sweet post this time.
We had a lovely weekend last weekend when Rowena came to stay after her visit to the Hospital in Sheffield where she recovered after the accident. She came over to see the max facial people as she was worried about her scar but they have assured he if it does not disappear in the next six months then they can do something which will soon make it less obvious. She felt so much better after chatting with them that I think the scar will soon be one thing less for her to worry about.
Row is still having trouble with her eyes and has quite a few appointments lined up with different people over the next week or so. She is quite anxious about how she has trouble seeing later in the day and is hoping there is something they will be able to do for her.
It was great having her staying with us and even greater for Richard and I'm sure it wont be long before she will be back again.
I've been in a right mess over the last couple of weeks with my back pain and numbness but I wont bore you all with the details as I can write down all about it on my other back pain blog.....................................
That's it for now folks,
We had a lovely weekend last weekend when Rowena came to stay after her visit to the Hospital in Sheffield where she recovered after the accident. She came over to see the max facial people as she was worried about her scar but they have assured he if it does not disappear in the next six months then they can do something which will soon make it less obvious. She felt so much better after chatting with them that I think the scar will soon be one thing less for her to worry about.
Row is still having trouble with her eyes and has quite a few appointments lined up with different people over the next week or so. She is quite anxious about how she has trouble seeing later in the day and is hoping there is something they will be able to do for her.
It was great having her staying with us and even greater for Richard and I'm sure it wont be long before she will be back again.
I've been in a right mess over the last couple of weeks with my back pain and numbness but I wont bore you all with the details as I can write down all about it on my other back pain blog.....................................
That's it for now folks,
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
My weight loss diary
Hi - back after a bit of a longer stretch this time. I'd had a busy weekend and was a bit naughty with my chocolate treats (to put it mildly) and so didn't dare go on the scales until today.
Phew!!! what a relief to find out that I have LOST another 1lb - that means only another 7lbs to my final 2 stone - yipeeeeee !!!!!!
It just goes to show that the hypnosis attitude to weight loss is so right in that I had a really bad couple of days on Friday and Saturday and felt so full on Sunday and Monday that it didn't really bother me not eating much and as I'd obviously had enough over the two days to keep me feeling full it meant I still lost rather than gained.
I am absolutely hooked on my breakfast's and lunches at the moment as I don't have to think about them. For breakfast I have home made porridge sometimes with honey and sometimes with sugar and enjoy that every day and it certainly makes me feel full, so much so that sometimes I don't get my lunch until around 2pm. My lunch if I'm at home is always a massive bowl of fresh fruit salad which I make every other day with whatever I have in and sometimes made with tinned fruit which I keep in for emergencies in case I run out of fresh. I've always got plenty of apples, bananas and blackberries in but every other type of fruit I pick up fresh twice a week. I then sprinkle it with a little special muesli and finish with a tablespoon of low fat fromage frais. It's delicious and sometimes I will have it with low fat cottage cheese or yoghurt but I think it helps that it is not something you cannot eat quickly and makes you feel much fuller.
After my afternoon nap I nearly always want some chocolate and have been promising myself for the last week that I was going to try the tapping and affirmation that I had mentioned before but I just haven't got round to it. I think it's been the beautiful weather as only last week after my nap I was waking up in the dark and I just wanted to have a nice hot drink with some chocolate whereas this week I've woken up to the sun still shining and haven't really needed the chocolate. Guess what though I have found another fantastic Vanilla Tea - Decaff this time - its Dragonfly Tea Naturally Caffeine Free Rooibus Vanilla and I bought it from Sainsbury's.
One of my chocolate treats is a must for all chocolate and rice cake lovers as its just so chocolatty and its Kallo Organic Chocolate Rice Cake Thins coated with Belgian Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate and is only 53 calories !!!! I also buy this from Sainsbury's and it is with all the wheat free products.
Well that's all my news on my weight loss this week. I am hoping for another 1lb next week as this glorious sunshine encourages me to walk a bit longer which should help burn up the calories. So, until next week happy weight losing.......................................
Phew!!! what a relief to find out that I have LOST another 1lb - that means only another 7lbs to my final 2 stone - yipeeeeee !!!!!!
It just goes to show that the hypnosis attitude to weight loss is so right in that I had a really bad couple of days on Friday and Saturday and felt so full on Sunday and Monday that it didn't really bother me not eating much and as I'd obviously had enough over the two days to keep me feeling full it meant I still lost rather than gained.
I am absolutely hooked on my breakfast's and lunches at the moment as I don't have to think about them. For breakfast I have home made porridge sometimes with honey and sometimes with sugar and enjoy that every day and it certainly makes me feel full, so much so that sometimes I don't get my lunch until around 2pm. My lunch if I'm at home is always a massive bowl of fresh fruit salad which I make every other day with whatever I have in and sometimes made with tinned fruit which I keep in for emergencies in case I run out of fresh. I've always got plenty of apples, bananas and blackberries in but every other type of fruit I pick up fresh twice a week. I then sprinkle it with a little special muesli and finish with a tablespoon of low fat fromage frais. It's delicious and sometimes I will have it with low fat cottage cheese or yoghurt but I think it helps that it is not something you cannot eat quickly and makes you feel much fuller.
After my afternoon nap I nearly always want some chocolate and have been promising myself for the last week that I was going to try the tapping and affirmation that I had mentioned before but I just haven't got round to it. I think it's been the beautiful weather as only last week after my nap I was waking up in the dark and I just wanted to have a nice hot drink with some chocolate whereas this week I've woken up to the sun still shining and haven't really needed the chocolate. Guess what though I have found another fantastic Vanilla Tea - Decaff this time - its Dragonfly Tea Naturally Caffeine Free Rooibus Vanilla and I bought it from Sainsbury's.
One of my chocolate treats is a must for all chocolate and rice cake lovers as its just so chocolatty and its Kallo Organic Chocolate Rice Cake Thins coated with Belgian Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate and is only 53 calories !!!! I also buy this from Sainsbury's and it is with all the wheat free products.
Well that's all my news on my weight loss this week. I am hoping for another 1lb next week as this glorious sunshine encourages me to walk a bit longer which should help burn up the calories. So, until next week happy weight losing.......................................
Sunday, 3 February 2008
My new blog http://backpain.blog.co.uk
Well, its taken me allllllllll weekend but I have finally done it and set up a "Back Pain" blog so you won't need to read any more about my boring back as I am hoping it will be read by people with a similar problem.
However, I would love to have your opinion on it so don't hesitate to nosy - there is a direct link to the left of this post.
My diet is still going well this weekend and I have quite a few tips to post next week, but I will wait until my week is up to weigh myself again.
Short and sweet but that's all for now, I'm jiggered after sorting out the over blog.
However, I would love to have your opinion on it so don't hesitate to nosy - there is a direct link to the left of this post.
My diet is still going well this weekend and I have quite a few tips to post next week, but I will wait until my week is up to weigh myself again.
Short and sweet but that's all for now, I'm jiggered after sorting out the over blog.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Diet & Weight Loss Diary
Where does time fly - another week gone but this time a couple of pounds lighter - Yipeeeeeee
I've not found it a problem this last week except for my chocolate cravings. I was taught as part of my hypnosis how to use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping for food cravings which I am sure would work but I just haven't had the time to sit down and try it. There are lots of websites on success with this method, particularly in America, one such site worth looking at is http://loseweight.emofree.com/ .
I have also been searching the internet for any free weight loss sites which have a diary that you can fill in as this was something I used to do when I tried to lose weight before and found it very good. It's surprising how you forget what you have eaten and how many calories some of your foods are. There are some American sites one free one which is good is http://www.nutridiary.com/ but the trouble is its American food lists and not ours, and unfortunately I cannot find a free UK one.
I don't know why I'm looking for a diet website really as I'm not supposed to be on a diet as such, just following a weight loss regime as I'm sure most of you know that dieting does not work in the long term . To be honest with you during the last 20 years I have been dieting on and off and joined every club, been to every health farm, tried the drinks, tried the tablets but at the end of the day, even though some really worked the weight slowly but surely crept back on again and I am convinced its because as all you do is think about food all the time.
Since my hypnosis I just don't think about food like I used to but I still have cravings for chocolate. I feel sure once I have conquered my chocolate cravings and replaced it with something else I will never really have to think about it again. Soooooo keep your eyes peeled because if I can do it so can anyone else.
I've had a terrible week with my back this week which always used to be bad news for my diet as I would always comfort eat. But this time I prepared a massive fruit salad and left it in the fridge then every time I felt low and needed a pick up I went straight for the fruit salad instead of the usual chocolate so that's one trick I can pass on.
I know being slim is really a lifestyle choice or just how you were made, but if you choose not to live like a slim person, you will put weight on. One big change in my habits since my hypnosis is that I spend a lot longer at the supermarket and make sure I have my glasses with me as, unless I know the calorie value of something before I buy it I will always check to see how many calories it is first. And I tell you what, even after all my years of dieting I am still amazed at how somethings have more calories than I had thought and others much less. In particular sweet products ( chocolate, sweets, cakes etc) so now if I am on a downer and feel like a bit of a binge to pull me through I now don't stock the high calorie treats in the house at all which I am convinced helps me.
Going out for a meal is something we do a lot and is a time when I never bother trying to work out the calorie value of a meal but I get round it by just having porridge for breakfast and a large fruit salad for lunch as then I have left myself plenty of room for a few treats at night. The other option is to have two starters or no starter and the chances are you wont feel like a sweet as the main courses are often to big anyway.
I keep reading that the best way to eat fruit if you want to lose weight is to eat it before your meal or not less than 2 hours after a meal. This is something I am going to try next as I do completely the opposite to that and always eat it after a meal !!! Another tip I read about is to have a cup of tea every time you feel hungry as they say this will take away the cravings. I really thought about this and decided that I needed a different choice of tea to tempt me. So, I went out and bought loads of different flavours, but I've found one that my friend was drinking which truly does the trick and its Tetley's Earl Grey and Vanilla. I'm not sure what it is, whether its the vanilla that takes the sweet craving away or the combination of the Earl Grey and Vanilla but this truly works.
Well, thats it for this week folks, I will be back again next week to let you know how the weight loss is going (down I hope). Good luck to anyone who is joining me on this very different weight loss programme.
I've not found it a problem this last week except for my chocolate cravings. I was taught as part of my hypnosis how to use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping for food cravings which I am sure would work but I just haven't had the time to sit down and try it. There are lots of websites on success with this method, particularly in America, one such site worth looking at is http://loseweight.emofree.com/ .
I have also been searching the internet for any free weight loss sites which have a diary that you can fill in as this was something I used to do when I tried to lose weight before and found it very good. It's surprising how you forget what you have eaten and how many calories some of your foods are. There are some American sites one free one which is good is http://www.nutridiary.com/ but the trouble is its American food lists and not ours, and unfortunately I cannot find a free UK one.
I don't know why I'm looking for a diet website really as I'm not supposed to be on a diet as such, just following a weight loss regime as I'm sure most of you know that dieting does not work in the long term . To be honest with you during the last 20 years I have been dieting on and off and joined every club, been to every health farm, tried the drinks, tried the tablets but at the end of the day, even though some really worked the weight slowly but surely crept back on again and I am convinced its because as all you do is think about food all the time.
Since my hypnosis I just don't think about food like I used to but I still have cravings for chocolate. I feel sure once I have conquered my chocolate cravings and replaced it with something else I will never really have to think about it again. Soooooo keep your eyes peeled because if I can do it so can anyone else.
I've had a terrible week with my back this week which always used to be bad news for my diet as I would always comfort eat. But this time I prepared a massive fruit salad and left it in the fridge then every time I felt low and needed a pick up I went straight for the fruit salad instead of the usual chocolate so that's one trick I can pass on.
I know being slim is really a lifestyle choice or just how you were made, but if you choose not to live like a slim person, you will put weight on. One big change in my habits since my hypnosis is that I spend a lot longer at the supermarket and make sure I have my glasses with me as, unless I know the calorie value of something before I buy it I will always check to see how many calories it is first. And I tell you what, even after all my years of dieting I am still amazed at how somethings have more calories than I had thought and others much less. In particular sweet products ( chocolate, sweets, cakes etc) so now if I am on a downer and feel like a bit of a binge to pull me through I now don't stock the high calorie treats in the house at all which I am convinced helps me.
Going out for a meal is something we do a lot and is a time when I never bother trying to work out the calorie value of a meal but I get round it by just having porridge for breakfast and a large fruit salad for lunch as then I have left myself plenty of room for a few treats at night. The other option is to have two starters or no starter and the chances are you wont feel like a sweet as the main courses are often to big anyway.
I keep reading that the best way to eat fruit if you want to lose weight is to eat it before your meal or not less than 2 hours after a meal. This is something I am going to try next as I do completely the opposite to that and always eat it after a meal !!! Another tip I read about is to have a cup of tea every time you feel hungry as they say this will take away the cravings. I really thought about this and decided that I needed a different choice of tea to tempt me. So, I went out and bought loads of different flavours, but I've found one that my friend was drinking which truly does the trick and its Tetley's Earl Grey and Vanilla. I'm not sure what it is, whether its the vanilla that takes the sweet craving away or the combination of the Earl Grey and Vanilla but this truly works.
Well, thats it for this week folks, I will be back again next week to let you know how the weight loss is going (down I hope). Good luck to anyone who is joining me on this very different weight loss programme.
Thursday, 24 January 2008
My weight loss diary
Well another week gone and another pound down the drain but unfortunately not off my weight !!
I wasn't at all surprised after not losing any over Christmas which just shows how long it takes for your weight gain and loss to take effect. We also went away last weekend to stay with some friends in South Wales and went out for a meal on the Saturday night.
I've been intending to go on the bike every day after my rest but since I put it in the bedroom something has come up which has meant I have only been on it twice. I did find the following day that I suffered some sciatica but it soon settled down so it's not put me off having another go.
I've been looking on line for a weight loss website that is free whereby you can keep a diary of your food intake in calories so that you can then look back and see when, and if you are going wrong and how to change it. I have always found before that keeping a food diary really helps you to see what you are actually consuming in a day but I spend so much time on the Internet that I know I would not find it a problem to fill it in.
I haven't had any luck with trying to find a free one yet as every weight loss site that says its "FREE" always has something you have to pay for even if its not for another month or so. If anyone knows of a free site then please let me know. I am seriously thinking of putting together a book or blog on all the different weight loss sites there are on the Internet and giving them a rating as there are literally hundreds of them. I would also be pleased to hear from anyone who thinks this would be worth doing as it would take me a loooooooong time I'm sure of that.
That's all for this week. I've a fairly quiet week next week so I hope to see the scales moving the other way and a pound or so going off in the right direction. Keep watching .........................
I wasn't at all surprised after not losing any over Christmas which just shows how long it takes for your weight gain and loss to take effect. We also went away last weekend to stay with some friends in South Wales and went out for a meal on the Saturday night.
I've been intending to go on the bike every day after my rest but since I put it in the bedroom something has come up which has meant I have only been on it twice. I did find the following day that I suffered some sciatica but it soon settled down so it's not put me off having another go.
I've been looking on line for a weight loss website that is free whereby you can keep a diary of your food intake in calories so that you can then look back and see when, and if you are going wrong and how to change it. I have always found before that keeping a food diary really helps you to see what you are actually consuming in a day but I spend so much time on the Internet that I know I would not find it a problem to fill it in.
I haven't had any luck with trying to find a free one yet as every weight loss site that says its "FREE" always has something you have to pay for even if its not for another month or so. If anyone knows of a free site then please let me know. I am seriously thinking of putting together a book or blog on all the different weight loss sites there are on the Internet and giving them a rating as there are literally hundreds of them. I would also be pleased to hear from anyone who thinks this would be worth doing as it would take me a loooooooong time I'm sure of that.
That's all for this week. I've a fairly quiet week next week so I hope to see the scales moving the other way and a pound or so going off in the right direction. Keep watching .........................
Sell your clothes for free on www.bigwardrobe.com
I got this link from the Daily Mail today and just had to let you all know about it. You can join for free, list your clothes for free, and can sell for cash, or swap or accept offers on your item and can also buy.
It is sooooooo easy to follow and fill in that I soon had half a dozen items up for sale. The more of us that use it the more will sell so look through your wardrobe and take some pictures NOW as they are letting you put three pictures of your item for FREE for a short time.
Good luck with that and please, please let me know how you get on. They even have a link to your eBay website so they can check out your feedback. I thought it was just great and the most important thing is how easy it was to join and soon get your clothes on line for sale.
It is sooooooo easy to follow and fill in that I soon had half a dozen items up for sale. The more of us that use it the more will sell so look through your wardrobe and take some pictures NOW as they are letting you put three pictures of your item for FREE for a short time.
Good luck with that and please, please let me know how you get on. They even have a link to your eBay website so they can check out your feedback. I thought it was just great and the most important thing is how easy it was to join and soon get your clothes on line for sale.
Rowena is going home
Hi All,
Just thought you would like to know the great news that Rowena is going home tomorrow. They have decided after all her challenges last week that she is ready to go home for the next part of her recovery at home. She has been told to rest as much as possible for the next 3 - 4 months and to go straight back to the Hospital if her headache got worse. The scan still shows some bruising and swelling which accounts for the pain she is in but they have not yet got it to a manageable level but they still think she will be better off at home.
She will be given different memory challenges to do at home and is not allowed to travel over to us just yet but maybe in another month but there is no rush we are just delighted that she is home so soon.
I was back in Hospital again last week, this time with Richard (my son) after a bad fall at football where we thought he may have broken his wrist but fortunately it was just a bad sprain and is recovering well, thank goodness. I've just about had enough of hospitals over the last 18 months and know I will be back for myself again soon as the epidurals have hardly worked at all this time.
Just thought you would like to know the great news that Rowena is going home tomorrow. They have decided after all her challenges last week that she is ready to go home for the next part of her recovery at home. She has been told to rest as much as possible for the next 3 - 4 months and to go straight back to the Hospital if her headache got worse. The scan still shows some bruising and swelling which accounts for the pain she is in but they have not yet got it to a manageable level but they still think she will be better off at home.
She will be given different memory challenges to do at home and is not allowed to travel over to us just yet but maybe in another month but there is no rush we are just delighted that she is home so soon.
I was back in Hospital again last week, this time with Richard (my son) after a bad fall at football where we thought he may have broken his wrist but fortunately it was just a bad sprain and is recovering well, thank goodness. I've just about had enough of hospitals over the last 18 months and know I will be back for myself again soon as the epidurals have hardly worked at all this time.
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Rowena has her first night out of Hospital
Richard has just got back from seeing Rowena who had her first night out of Hospital last night. She is doing sooooo well and walked 3 miles with Richard yesterday (more than I can manage).
Health wise she is getting stronger everyday and her memory is also getting better. She is still getting dizzy spells and has terrible headaches which come on at the end of the day but they have said that is par for the core so we don't think it will be long before they will let her home to carry on with the recovery.
Row has done so well over the last 10 days that we all feel sure she will make a good recovery. She has certainly seen the back of 2007 and entered 2008 with a bang !!! and is already talking about when she gets back to work (that won't be for quite a while yet) but its nice she is thinking so positively.
Thanks again to all who keep asking how things are going on, I will keep you up to date ...........
Health wise she is getting stronger everyday and her memory is also getting better. She is still getting dizzy spells and has terrible headaches which come on at the end of the day but they have said that is par for the core so we don't think it will be long before they will let her home to carry on with the recovery.
Row has done so well over the last 10 days that we all feel sure she will make a good recovery. She has certainly seen the back of 2007 and entered 2008 with a bang !!! and is already talking about when she gets back to work (that won't be for quite a while yet) but its nice she is thinking so positively.
Thanks again to all who keep asking how things are going on, I will keep you up to date ...........
Saturday, 12 January 2008
My 2008 fight to fitness and pain relief
I know its already the 12th January but I honestly think that anyone who seriously wants to get rid of some weight cannot start any form of diet or weight loss regime on January 1st as, apart from anything else, most people are suffering from a hang over on New Years Day and all you do is think about what food you can eat.
I also knew that I had my trip to the Hospital for a lumber epidural on the 7th January and at the back of my mind wanted that done before I could focus on anything else. At the beginning of last year I was on a mission to try every conceivable holistic and alternative therapy available to help with my pain relief and had convinced myself that a substantial weight loss would definitely help. Well, unfortunately it didn't help at all and I have now exhausted every type of alternative therapy without success but I am still convinced that another weight loss however small MUST do something to help with the pain relief.
I decided to just get rid of the old and bring in the new for 2008 and start afresh when all the Christmassy things were put away and all the sweets, chocolates and any other goodies were either eaten or given away. So, after putting all my Christmas decorations to bed for another year and reading through all my Christmas Cards again and promising to myself that I would definitely get in touch with some old friends who always put "we must get in touch next year" in there Christmas Card I put the last of the sweets and chocolates into one of my three ( yes, three) roses tins ready to give to my friend for her grandchildren. I then sellotaped it up so I had no way of getting into it. I was already feeling slimmer and ready for the new me..........
After having the hypnosis last year to help me lose weight I find that I definitely do not think about food all the time like I used to. Hypnosis is no miracle cure for excess weight - nor is it a fad diet, it's about changing your attitude to weight control which should ensure a steady and healthy rate of weight loss. Don't get me wrong, if someone put some chocolate in front of me I still struggle to not finish it, but I then feel so full after it that I could quite happily miss the evening meal. However, this is far from a good diet so my only option is to have very little chocolate in and just limited treats that are not high in calories.
Over the years I have collected tons and tons of diet books and magazines and been a member of every club that has ever formed but I made a conscious decision after my hypnotherapy that I would never need them again and got rid of most of them. I'd still kept quite a few of the magazines for inspiration but after looking through them I decided I would also put them on eBay and save the money for treating myself to something new as more weight drops off. It felt really really good after putting the magazines on eBay and I had quite a few emails from other dieters who obviously do not have access to diet clubs or are not confident enough to join one and thought it was great they could get the books from me. I felt I was really helping someone out and hope to keep in touch with them to see how they go on.
I hadn't been on the scales over Christmas as I really didn't see the point but knew I had to weigh myself to find out how much I had gained. What a brilliant surprise I had when I found I had gained absolutely NIL pounds over the Christmas period. It could only be the hypnosis that had helped me as when I told my husband he was not in the least bit surprised and said, "You now only eat half the amount you used to".
I still have another stone to lose and with my long standing back problems I know I can't start a keep fit regime at the gym or even a short run round the block but I had thought that after my epidural this week I might try some slow cycling on my bike at home. Its been moved into my bedroom so that I can see the TV while cycling and I decided the best time would be after my afternoon nap when I always wake up feeling good again rather than first thing as I am too stiff and uncomfortable to even think about it.
I did my first 10 mins this afternoon and felt fine but lets see how my legs feel tomorrow. I only cycled slowly for ten minutes as I'm still a bit nervous about irritating my back. I have read on numerous occasions how you are supposed to lose weight while you sleep so maybe with me cycling straight after a couple of hours sleep the weight will drop off ( dream on !!).
Conventional diets are quick to tell you to avoid this and keep off that but that's not the way forward, that just increases your obsession with food. It's not the way to permanent weight loss. Do you notice I use the words "weight loss" instead of "diet"on this blog? It was something my hypnotherapist told me to remember, she explained that, "I would never need to DIET again, as my subconscious mind would just teach me to eat when I was hungry, if you don't know if you're hungry, then you aren't,"she said.
Well that's the end of week one of my 2008 fight to fitness but watch this space for more on my "weight loss" antics.
I also knew that I had my trip to the Hospital for a lumber epidural on the 7th January and at the back of my mind wanted that done before I could focus on anything else. At the beginning of last year I was on a mission to try every conceivable holistic and alternative therapy available to help with my pain relief and had convinced myself that a substantial weight loss would definitely help. Well, unfortunately it didn't help at all and I have now exhausted every type of alternative therapy without success but I am still convinced that another weight loss however small MUST do something to help with the pain relief.
I decided to just get rid of the old and bring in the new for 2008 and start afresh when all the Christmassy things were put away and all the sweets, chocolates and any other goodies were either eaten or given away. So, after putting all my Christmas decorations to bed for another year and reading through all my Christmas Cards again and promising to myself that I would definitely get in touch with some old friends who always put "we must get in touch next year" in there Christmas Card I put the last of the sweets and chocolates into one of my three ( yes, three) roses tins ready to give to my friend for her grandchildren. I then sellotaped it up so I had no way of getting into it. I was already feeling slimmer and ready for the new me..........
After having the hypnosis last year to help me lose weight I find that I definitely do not think about food all the time like I used to. Hypnosis is no miracle cure for excess weight - nor is it a fad diet, it's about changing your attitude to weight control which should ensure a steady and healthy rate of weight loss. Don't get me wrong, if someone put some chocolate in front of me I still struggle to not finish it, but I then feel so full after it that I could quite happily miss the evening meal. However, this is far from a good diet so my only option is to have very little chocolate in and just limited treats that are not high in calories.
Over the years I have collected tons and tons of diet books and magazines and been a member of every club that has ever formed but I made a conscious decision after my hypnotherapy that I would never need them again and got rid of most of them. I'd still kept quite a few of the magazines for inspiration but after looking through them I decided I would also put them on eBay and save the money for treating myself to something new as more weight drops off. It felt really really good after putting the magazines on eBay and I had quite a few emails from other dieters who obviously do not have access to diet clubs or are not confident enough to join one and thought it was great they could get the books from me. I felt I was really helping someone out and hope to keep in touch with them to see how they go on.
I hadn't been on the scales over Christmas as I really didn't see the point but knew I had to weigh myself to find out how much I had gained. What a brilliant surprise I had when I found I had gained absolutely NIL pounds over the Christmas period. It could only be the hypnosis that had helped me as when I told my husband he was not in the least bit surprised and said, "You now only eat half the amount you used to".
I still have another stone to lose and with my long standing back problems I know I can't start a keep fit regime at the gym or even a short run round the block but I had thought that after my epidural this week I might try some slow cycling on my bike at home. Its been moved into my bedroom so that I can see the TV while cycling and I decided the best time would be after my afternoon nap when I always wake up feeling good again rather than first thing as I am too stiff and uncomfortable to even think about it.
I did my first 10 mins this afternoon and felt fine but lets see how my legs feel tomorrow. I only cycled slowly for ten minutes as I'm still a bit nervous about irritating my back. I have read on numerous occasions how you are supposed to lose weight while you sleep so maybe with me cycling straight after a couple of hours sleep the weight will drop off ( dream on !!).
Conventional diets are quick to tell you to avoid this and keep off that but that's not the way forward, that just increases your obsession with food. It's not the way to permanent weight loss. Do you notice I use the words "weight loss" instead of "diet"on this blog? It was something my hypnotherapist told me to remember, she explained that, "I would never need to DIET again, as my subconscious mind would just teach me to eat when I was hungry, if you don't know if you're hungry, then you aren't,"she said.
Well that's the end of week one of my 2008 fight to fitness but watch this space for more on my "weight loss" antics.
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