Friday, September 30, 2011

Living on Back Beach time

By Virginia Winder
After three days fighting a virus, my body has won the battle.That means I'm back to good health and feeling vibrant!
To be honest, being sick is downright boring and a waste of time. Begone illnesses - there is no place for you in my exciting life. Good health, you are welcome and I embrace you.
See that - a positive affirmation slipped in there.
It was pretty easy being positive today.
What glorious weather. No clouds, no wind, just golden sunshine as brilliant as daffodils, or a Canteen bandana. They were being sold on the streets today and there's a cool four square man one and a bright green one designed with help from Lisa Tamati. Good for keeping the sun off my neck while biking and walking.
Went for an amazing walk down Back Beach this afternoon. The waves were perfect for surfing and the bottom carpark was full, but there weren't many people wandering towards Tapuae.
Warren, Xena and I walked to Mum and Dad's rock and then over into the next bay. Warren climbed among the rock pools and I strode to the end of the next point.
It was one of those days when you just soak in the beauty of nature and just be - right here, right now - and feel full of serene joy. Cue angel choir singing and all that.
As I'm writing this, Warren is out cooking the first barbecue of the season, The Rapture is on the stereo, there's a glass of cold pinot gris beside me and I've already made the first Greek salad of the summer (well it feels like it!).
This has been a full day of meeting people, talking to friends, gathering stories and just loving life.
Hey, and good news - I've now lost more than 10kg!

Today, I:

Ate two tiny mouthfuls of Petit Paris tarts (blueberry and hazelnut) and inwardly thanked Fred Laude for making such tiny guilt-free treats!
Drank two Ozone coffees today (mmm)
Drank two glasses of pinot gris
Dranks lots of water
Ate two nutritious, low-fat meals (soon will have)
Walked for 40 minutes on black sand
Slept for 4 hours (couldn't get to sleep)
Worked for 6 hours

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Health more important than workouts

Yay, I'm getting better.
Plus I've been learning on the way back to wellness.
"Remind yourself that your body is fighting an illness," writes certified fitness trainer Paige Waehner on http://www.about.com/. "It needs all the energy it can muster for that, so don't take too much away just to get in a workout. In the long run, it's your health that's important...not missing a few workouts."
Thanks Paige, because I have been feeling frustrated and wondering if I should drag myself up and out for a trot around the block.
Also, a friend just said that instead of going back to bed, why don't I sit in the sun. It will boost my vitamin D, so am heading out there now.
Have been lying in bed listening to Henning Mankell audio books. The works by this Swedish writer are grim, but gripping. But I do wonder if illness and Mankell make such good bed fellows - after all his main character Kurt Wallander is a dour man.
Time to boost myself with some fresh orange juice too. Haven't felt much like eating.

Yesterday, I:
Worked for 3 hours (couldn't get out of this)
Slept for hours and hours
Ate hardly anything, but craved Vegemite
Drank lots of water
Did zero exercise

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Listening to body yelling

Those aches and pains were a virus.
Who knows what sort.
Spent yesterday sleeping, trying to keep warm and shivering.
Last night I got the sweats, big time.
If this is all about listening to my body, it's been yelling at me.
Feel slightly better this morning.

Yesterday, I:
Slept for hours
Barely ate
Drank lots of water
Worked zero hours
Exercised for zero hours

Monday, September 26, 2011

Inner Athlete versus Wheedle Voice

By Virginia Winder
Everything hurts.
My ankles, Achilles, back, shoulders, neck and yeah, my buttocks.
While I feel like heading off for a spa or perhaps a tropical island, I know that working out is good for me. Yes, it is!
You see this little wheedling voice in my head is starting to argue with the inner athlete.
"You can't do it," it whines.
"You're too old," it taunts.
"You're dreaming," it laughs.
But the Inner Athlete is stronger (she's in there and remembers those golden days of youth).
"Go away," she commands.
The wheedling quietens, for now.
So, as you can see, there's a mind fight going on.
But my powerful memories of being a fit athlete can out last, out distance and completely stamp out the Wheedle Voice.
Will keep you updated on how that battle's going on.
Anyway, today I got taught some gym aerobic exercise and did 10 minutes on the bike and 5 minutes on the rowing machine. So 15 minutes of hard slog, which made me realise how far I have to go!
Hours and hours of training ahead of me.
Luckily I love it.
OK, so I'm convincing myself that I love it. That exercise high is uplifting and I am getting fitter by the day.
Also went for a brisk walk and then another up to the rugby to see Wales wallop Namibia 81-7.
Now it's time out... True Blood beckons.

Today, I:
Exercised for only 15 minutes at the gym (it was an induction)
Walked for 30 minutes
Worked for 8 hours
Slept for 6 hours
Ate extremely well - 3 healthy meals
Drank lots of water

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Tapuae calling - a walk on the wild side

By Virginia Winder
The wonderful part of walking is that you get to explore beautiful places.
Today, Warren (husband), Xena (dog) and I went to Tapuae Beach.
Even the path to the beach is beautiful because it winds above a stream.
We strode all the way to a carved rock and back, which according to the GPS Warren took, was about 5km.
Saw a man living in a hut by the beach, smoke coiling up from his whare, and it felt like going back in time.
This is a special place with rock-pool reefs, black sand and wild, teal sea. It's also a marine reserve, which is why Warren has to visit it all the time as part of his science teacher fellowship.
He's also doing a blog about it, called Tapuae Calling.
Walking briskly on sand is a good work out, especially for one’s gluteus maximus, which is a flash way of saying "buttocks".
Had an excellent food day and have been doing lots of research into the best carbs, protein and fruits to eat. This comes via the Healthy Food Guide (HFG), an ultra sport magazine and a book called The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance by Dr Louise Burke and Greg Cox.
Also found an amusing and insightful story in the Sunday Star Times by HFG editor Nikki Bezzant. It's about how making small changes in the way we eat can make a big difference, especially in losing and maintaining weight.
Researching information is one of my favourite things to do in the world.
Even better is putting it into practice and then sharing it with others.
Will keep you posted.

Today, I:
Ate three incredibly healthy meals (eggs on grainy toast, two different types of chicken salad)
Added a snack (crispbread with Vegemite)
Walked 5km
Slept 9 hours
Worked for 2 hours
Drank more water
Drank 2 cups of coffee

Adding green tea to the mix tomorrow...

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Friends, supporters and All Blacks - a love story

By Virginia Winder
Yay the All Blacks!
Some people have been moaning about the Rugby World Cup, but not me.
I love it, especially when the Men in Black win games like tonight's clash with the French. The final score was 37-17. Allez le noir!
Captain Richie McCaw just played his 100th test for the All Blacks - the first to do so.
My feats today were miniscule in comparison.
Biked to town and back and it was so easy - on the way there.
It was a bonus not having to pay parking fees, but the wee hills on the way home were a tad tough. Haven't mastered my gears yet and don't feel particularly confident on the roads, but still it was a great feeling of freedom using self-powered transport.
Wore a bright orange hoodie and a colourful backpack, so at least I was highly visible.
Went to the supermarket later on and met two woman who were extremely encouraging about my quest for health, fitness and life balance. Both said they are reading my blog.
Even better, more women are considering joining me in the Tri-Women triathlon on January 29. Rebekah, Cheryl, Chrissy... I'm outing you.
Met another woman on a similar quest to me and she is doing fantastically! It's so inspiring hearing other people's stories.
One mate has come up with some great book recommendations - Younger Next Year: A Guide to living like 50 Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge. I've read a lot of this and these men pull no punches. The upshot is that you have to trick your body into believing it's still growing, rather than decaying and the only way you can do that is by exercising six times a week (four aerobic and two strength).
My friend also says Body For Life by Bill Phillips is a great read.
Went for a 40-minute walk tonight too and am now tackling hills. Strangely, it's going downhill that I find most difficult.
Have had an up and down food day.
For breakfast I had a raspberry brioche from Petit Paris and a coffee. I was still out at lunchtime so went to another cafe with my daughter, niece and mate. I ordered an open chicken sandwich and when it came the meat was fried, like KFC. Barely ate any of that.
But for dinner, Warren (my live-in nutritionist) created an incredible salad topped with scallops. His meals are so healthy and delicious, he's soon going to start the Just Got 2 Do It! recipe blog.
That's it for tonight - have I mentioned I love the All Blacks?!

Today, I:
Biked 2km
Walked for 40 mins
Ate one healthy meal
Drank lots of water
Didn't work at all
Hung out with my niece, daughter and best mate
Got heaps of support from people
Watched the All Blacks beat France!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Getting snappy over 'D' word

By Virginia Winder
My arms feel like lead.
But this is probably a good thing.
"I love that sore feeling in the morning, you know, after you've been exercising," chirps my daughter, Clementine.
Oh how they bounce back so quickly at that age.
But not me. I keep wondering if the soreness is an injury or just a build-up of good old lactic acid. Probably the latter and, as we said back in my sporting youth: "No pain, no gain."
Hit the pool again tonight and ploughed through another 40 lengths, which still isn't a lot. Just 1km, but at least I'm one-third of the way towards the half-ironman distance. Added some sprints and four lengths of kick, which I'm so slow at.
Daylight saving starts this weekend, so I'll be able to get in more walking and cycling.
So another week has passed with daily exercise (apart from Sunday and the stomach bug).
Yes, have still been making wise choices, but today was soooo hard.
Went to lunch again at Impressions at WITT and the starters were carrot soup or chicken liver pate and toasted ciabatta. Even though home-made pate is my all-time favourite, I chose the soup. That was tough.
I'm not perfect though - I still crave chocolate and still enjoy a couple of squares of the dark stuff every day.
Also, I'm still drinking coffee. After all, I do need to be nice to people in the day.
But I might get a bit snappy when the "D" word comes up.
People, kindly, keep giving me advice about different diets. But I'm not on a diet; I can't do that because then all I think about is food. It becomes an obsession.
Diets are not sustainable. They are short-term and lead to more weight gain afterwards. I know, because I've been there, done that, tipped the scales.
So this time, I'm trying a lifestyle change, one that is simply about being mindful. Yes, of course I am open-minded about good, healthy nutrition and love to hear tips about cider vinegar and adding different things to my muesli.
I've even been to the Puke Ariki library to get out a whole bunch of books on the subject and have hauled out our large collection of the Healthy Food Guide to peruse.
But please don't talk about lemon detox, protein-only or soup diets; that's not helpful.
However, if anyone can recommend great sports nutrition books, I'd love to hear about them.
After all, I am (really I am) turning myself slowing, determinedly, achingly, back into an athlete.

Today, I:
Ate three low-fat, nutritious meals (and turned down chicken-liver pate!)
Worked for 12 hours
Slept properly for only 4.5 hours (not great)
Drank only two cups of coffee (much better)
Swam 40 lengths of a 25-metre pool
Didn't drink enough water

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Great lengths to teach 'eyes' not 'I' lesson

By Virginia Winder
Spent this morning teaching about feature writing and realised what I find so weird about writing this blog.
It's written in the first person and is spattered with the "I" word.
"We are the 'eyes' not the 'I'," I always tell young journalists.
So, just for fun, I'm going to tell today's story in the third person.
This morning, Virginia literally creaked out of bed, feeling twinges in weird places - her right groin/hip, her left inner elbow, buttocks, and right shoulder blade.
It was an early morning for her because of a garden deadline and so she tapped away in her office watching the dawn slowly drench the day with colour.
Then it was a rush-here, meet-there, call-someone-then kinda day that left her feeling slightly frustrated at not being able to settle down and write, write, write.
But she still made connections, gave writing advice to a mate and landed a dream writing project.
"Gosh I love life and the amazing things that can happen in a day," she says.
On top of this, Virginia went swimming and clocked up 40 lengths of the indoor pool at the New Plymouth Aquatic Centre.
As she swam up and down, up and down, she brushed past a kindred spirit; a bloke she always sees bodysurfing at Fitzroy Beach during summer.
Catching waves is her greatest joy of all. "This coming season I'll be much fitter than ever before, so I'll be better at riding waves than I have been in years. Hopefully."
Virginia is now heading off to bed so she get can up at a ridiculously early hour to knock off a whole line-up of stories that have been niggling at her like unpaid bills.
She'll return to herself tomorrow because the 48-year-old now finds it even weirder to write about herself in the third person. "It sounds so pretentious," Virginia says, screwing up her face and shaking her head.
"So, in the words of Arnie... I'll be back!"

Today, she:
Swam 40 lengths of a 25-metre pool
Ate three healthy meals (but found it damn hard not to scoff down more enchillada!)
Drank 4 cups of coffee (2 too many)
Drank 2 cups of hot chocolate with low-fat milk (2 in a week would be more acceptable)
Drank more water!
Worked for 8.5 hours
Slept for 6 hours

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Dance of the awkward elephant

By Virginia Winder
Just in case you think I've turned into an athletic goddess overnight, I've got news for you.
Went to my first Dance FX class at the gym tonight and discovered I was seriously out-of-step. The 2011 version of aerobics is a lot more sophisticated and choreographed than the good old side-to-side, back-and-forward steps of old.
As I stumbled, missed moves, failed to twirl-jump or pump parts of my body I vaguely remember using, ever, I yearned for those simple days of sweat bands and lycra.
Instead, I felt like an awkward elephant among a troupe of ballet fairies. But I'll go back, because I'm certain my antics made everybody else in the class feel co-ordinated, fit and in control. Good to support others, eh?
Met a mate at the supermarket the other night and he did the "I should" speech about following my example into fitness, balance and health.
But I told him not to compare himself with me - or anyone.
The truth is everyone has to come to their own moment of change and that can only be self-driven. I have absolutely no interest in making people feel guilty about themselves.
Inspire people yes, but not make them feel bad.
Also, you can't compare yourself with others or you'd never do anything.
Taranaki ultra-distance runner Lisa Tamati is one of my greatest inspirations.
She makes me push myself, because I think: "If Lisa can do this for 24 hours, then I can push myself for one hour."
Another woman who I admire hugely is Irena Brooks, the editor of Live Magazine, because she is everything - a supportive, loving mother, a businesswoman, journalist, encouraging friend and a shining example of fitness. She's completed a half ironman and is my No 1 reason for having a go myself.
My sister, Felicity, who never has never stopped exercising, my nieces, Rebekah, who swims massive distances, and Sarah, who's always seeking new knowledge, are other major influences to help keep me going.
Another woman who has affected me greatly is journalist Michelle Sutton, who survived a serious brain injury and came back better, stronger, more powerful than before. Yeah, she's my Bionic Woman, and one who showed determination and guts on a par with Lisa Tamati. The difference though, was Michelle was fighting to regain her life, mind and body - and she did.
Interestingly, the essence of her, the core of her being, was so strong it was never lost and always shone through and still does.
As for me, my achievement today was a tiny one, but I won't compare.
Well, not really... but I do dream of the day when I'm a ballerina fairy, actually a kick-arse one with attitude, and possibly a sneer.

Today I:
Slept for 7.5 hours
Worked for 8 hours
Ate three delicious nutritious meals
Survived a Dance FX class at the gym

Still need to drink more water!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Daughter joins triathlon challenge

When I'm swimming lengths it's so easy to get submerged in my own thoughts of, well, nothing.
It's just me and the strokes and the background mantra of counting.
My mum used to count her lengths by naming the states of America or rivers of the world, alphabetically of course.
"What are you up to Mum?"
"Kansas," would come the reply.
Or on other days: "The Nile."
Her ABC of world geography was amazing and, in comparison, my swimming brain is blank.
That's probably a good thing, because it means my mind actually shuts up. Yeah, it's possible.
Tonight I swam 34 lengths of a 25-metre pool and it's definitely getting easier.
Also signed up for the gym today with my daughter, Clementine. She's going to register for the triathlon on January 29 too and is out to beat me. Game on, I say.
She's only 31 years younger than me!
My motivation just went up a notch, if that's possible.

Today, I:
Swam 34 lengths
Worked 7 hours
Slept 8.5 hours
Joined a gym

Monday, September 19, 2011

Meadsville, war and more - a journey

By Virginia Winder
Today has been about love and war, totara and Pinetree, nerves and shocks.
Drove to Cambridge for a nerve-conductor test to find out why some of the fingers on my left hand and my forearm are numb.
On the way Warren and I listened to Darkness, Be My Friend, the fourth book of the Tomorrow When The War Began series by John Marsden. It's gripping, scary and too possible. Made me look out at the landscape and imagine where we could hide from enemy invaders.
Had the tests and I can confirm that I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome. That's all I will say on this matter, except I found the shocks given to stimulate my nerves quite fascinating in an "I'm not scared of that electric fence" sort of way.
Afterwards, we met an old school friend for lunch and shared feelings, ideas and laughter. We also caught up on news of mutual friends and I left feeling reconnected and happy.
Driving home we noticed something pretty special at the crash site in Otorohanga - a second golden totara has been planted next the one we dug in for Dad. The pohutukawa we put in for Mum didn't survive, so it's wonderful to see a second totara placed there. Brought tears to my eyes.
Also heading home, we couldn't resist the tantalising signs heading into Te Kuiti or should I say Meadsville. I'm not certain what Colin and Stan Meads think, but some bright spark has come up with the idea of turning the whole town into a shrine for the Meads men.
Have to say though, that it's Sir Colin who's more in the spotlight.
Businesses around the town have changed their names to reflect the Meads mania and there's an outdoor gallery featuring extremely large pictures of the rugby legend/s. Beneath these are, fittingly, mass plantings of baby pinetrees.
It's wonderful to see an entire town get behind a living treasure for the Rugby World Cup. Well, I presume it's just for the Cup or has there been a minor coup in Te Kuiti?
As for exercise, spent most of the day in the car (or perusing Meadsville), so came home and went for a quick trot around the block.
Also returned to bad news about a friend's health, which made me realise that in the scheme of things my numbness is nothing. When someone is sick, you need to focus on their needs, send endless love and positivity, and not let your own grief be a burden on them. Damn hard sometimes, but not as tough as facing a life-threatening disease.
When you finish reading this, go and give someone you love a big hug.
Off you go...

Today, I:
Worked for 5.5 hours (OK, so I got up at 2am)
Walked around the block (in the dark and rain)
Connected with an old and dear friend
Shared positive thoughts with another friend
Ate a healthy breakfast, a bitsy lunch in two parts (mostly salad) and a delicious smoked salmon salad for dinner
Drank way too much coffee (5 cups!)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Listen to your body

Today I've been sick with a tummy bug. Blah.
Because of that there's not much to report.
Got hit by a severe attack last night and visited the loo again and again. Today, I've still had stomach pains and feel weak.
Yes, I've pledged to exercise everyday, but that comes with a sensible proviso - unless I'm ill.
So, if I'm too sick to stay up for more than 30 minutes, to read a book for more than five minutes, then I'm too sick to exercise.
Always, you should listen to your body.
Heading back to bed right now - see body, I do care!

Today, I:
Have hardly eaten, but upped my fluid intake
Slept for most of the day
Have worked zero hours

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Pedalling towards first goal

By Virginia Winder
Got on the Pink Petal today and biked from home to East End and back.
According to my daughter's "Map My Run" app on her phone, that's about 7km (4.3 miles).
Took to the Coastal Walkway, which was a bit nerve-wracking because of the number of people using it.
I'm not so confident on the bike yet, but know that will come with lots of rides. Feel bad though because I accidentally hit the back of a walker's heel on a narrow part of the walkway. I apologised and checked to see if she was OK and she nodded, yes, but was a little grumpy. I don't blame her.
During the ride, I felt my thighs working hard and had that heavy feeling in my legs when I got off the bike.
This evening, I registered for the Contact TriWoman Series race in New Plymouth on January 29. It entails a 300m swim, a 9km bike and a 3km run or walk. I'm hoping that by then I'll be running. It's great to have a first goal to aim for.
To help me, I'm thinking of joining a gym. Checked one out yesterday and will probably sign up. I used to love aerobics and there's a version of that available, along with spin classes, boxing and yoga. Before I commit though, I will look at other gym offers and memberships.
Day by day, I'm getting even more committed to being fit and healthy, having a good work-life balance and being peaceful.
The exercise is hard, but damn satisfying and that time out on the bike, in the pool or pounding the streets is thinking time, dreaming time or listening time. But most of all, it's time out.
When I'm fitter, it could also become a social time if I join a group to train with.
Also went to the Puke Ariki library to get out a book on sport nutrition and also borrowed a whole bunch of triathlon magazines. I'm such an information geek!
But as a fledgling in this area, I want to make wise choices and learn on the way.

Today, I:
Biked 7kg
Drank lots of water
Worked for 4 hours (inspiring interviews)
Ate three incredibly healthy meals
Turned down beautiful home-baking, because I was full!
Entered the Contact TriWoman Series race in New Plymouth
Hung out with my family

Friday, September 16, 2011

Cheesy, corny love songs

By Virginia Winder
I love the All Blacks.
The haka stirs me, sends shivers down my spine and makes my eyes well with pride. Yeah, I'm soppy.
Just watched the Men in Black annihilate Japan in a Rugby World Cup match.
Let's hope they can do the same to France next weekend.
Am loving the World Cup and there's such a buzz around the place and people are talking spontaneously about rugby and the excitement of this international sporting event.
New Zealand might be energised, but today I've felt slow. Might have been the mid-week band gig and then the USA versus Russia game and weeks and weeks of hard slog at work.
Went out for a three-course lunch at our local polytech, WITT, and only had two courses. My first course was a salad and my main was a vegetable curry, but I couldn't eat it all. Wow, my stomach must be shrinking!
This afternoon I had a sleep to conquer a headache (it worked). I adore mid-afternoon naps and they revive me incredibly. At 4pm I had a massage, which was divine. So relaxing!
When the women masseur asked me to get changed, I just stripped off. She offered to leave, but I wasn't bothered because I'm not ashamed of my body. I don't hate how I look or myself. Yes, I'm out of shape, but the truth is I love myself.
That may sound conceited, but let me explain. I have hated myself in the past, but that was when I was depressed and the world looked endlessly bleak. When you're in that state of mind the chances of making major positive changes are slim; you need to be well to do that.
So, it's only when I'm strong and have healthy thought patterns that I can go forth and rewire myself. You need a catalyst though; a tipping point that forces that change. My wonderful doctor was the one who pushed me and I thank her for that.
Yes, she was the one who questioned me, forced me to be realistic and think about other futures. She also laid down a challenge and I couldn't resist it. If I prove her wrong, I know she will be the most delighted of all. Well, after me of course.
Today's message then is about learning to love yourself.
If you need a soundtrack, listen to George Benson singing The Greatest Love of All.
Yeah, I'm having a corny moment, a sugar-coated Pollyanna pause. Perhaps my niece says it all: "Aunty Virginia, you're so cheesy..."
You bet!

Today, I:

Ate three healthy meals
Walked for 40 minutes (new shoes great)
Checked out a gym with plans to do the fitness classes and yoga
Had a massage
Worked for 5 hours
Had a 1 hour afternoon nap

Note to self:
Drink more water!!!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The joy of dancing wildly

By Virginia Winder
It's been two weeks since going public about my health, fitness and life-balance quest.
Not a long time in the scheme of things, but I've definitely come a long way.
I am now beginning to relax and have fun. Went out to a band last night - the John Butler Trio - and danced wildly. Wow, is that good for the soul!
Have also laughed, felt great joy and been ridiculous. I'm also reading again. For months now I've been unable to settle and so have been listening solely to audio books.
My sleep is still disturbed, but it's getting better. Before I would wake up every couple of hours, but now I have five-hour stretches of pure-bliss sleep.
The exercise is coming on well. I swam 30 lengths of the local indoor 25-metre pool tonight and even did some sprints. My muscles are feeling sore tonight, but it's that good sore when you know you've worked yourself hard.
So, have managed 14 days in a row of exercise and have not had even the slightest twinge of not wanting to go. Quite simply there is no out. Even bought new running shoes today because my old ones are getting, well, old.
Went to the USA versus Russia Rugby World Cup match at Stadium Taranaki tonight and it was great fun. The USA won 13-6 in a so-so match, but the crowd was fantastic. Heaps of people dressed up as Cossacks and sporting the red for Russia and even more decked out in Stars 'n' Stripes and some crazy outfits, like Wonder Woman and Uncle Sam.
Even spotted our former Prime Minister, Jim Bolger, sporting an Uncle Sam hat. He was sitting in the crowd a couple of rows up and getting into the spirit of things.
Now, some great news. I weighed myself today and I have lost 7kg, so am down to 113kg (249 pounds). Just another 53kg to go!
Seriously though, I do feel good about it, but refuse to become obssessed with my weight or food. But I am being mindful about what I eat and am only choosing healthy options. That's low-fat, low sugar (but no artificial sweetners) and food that sustains me.
I adore my muesli every morning and add different fruits to it, like an orange from our tree and/or blueberries. Have also been having a scattering of walnuts and am now including two brazil nuts to get the selenium not available in our soil. I soak the untoasted muesli over night in water and then pour a bit of manuka honey Biofarm yoghurt on top. It's so delicious!
Best of all is the support from people.
My sister, nieces, husband and kids are my loudest cheerleaders, albeit two of them from afar. It's great to have my whanau (family in Maori) 100% behind me.
People have stopped me in shops and in the street, written emails and texted me to offer encouragement. Once again, I have been humbled and amazed by the kindness of people.
Arohanui (big love) to you all.

Today, I:
Swam 30 lengths of a 25m pool
Lost 7kg (in two weeks)
Slept for 7 hours
Worked for 5 hours
Ate three healthy meals
Scoffed 5 pieces of dark chocolate (2 would have been wiser)

Need to:
Drink more water!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Time to say no

By Virginia Winder
For years I have always been the girl who says yes.
Yes, I'll do that; yes, leave that to me; yes, I'll write that for you; yes of course. Yes. Yes. Yes...
Saying yes to everything might work as a great movie plot and if you are trying to live by serendipity, but it also leaves you no time to think.
Just as people use alcohol, sex and drugs to forget or put off dealing with pain, the workaholic uses busyness to avoid issues.
Finally, I am learning to say no.
It's not easy, because everything I am involved in is exciting and interesting. It's not possible though to work horrendous hours and have balance.
That's when the simple things in life get missed out, like going to a movie with a friend, going for a walk by the sea, helping your kids with their homework or reading a good book.
It's also important to ask those deep questions about life.
In his book Success Intelligence, Dr Robert Holden says that in his seminars, one of the exercises he does is to ask people three questions:
1. What do I want? (He gives them 10 minutes to speak their mind)
2. What do I really want? (They have 10 minutes to share from the heart).
3. What do I really really want? (You have 10 minutes to bare your soul).
I do know that I want to live a long time, be healthy, fit and do sport again. I also want to write and write and write.
That's the answer to No 1. I have not answers for No 2 and 3 yet.
Like all of us, I'm a work in progress and am learning to enjoy every moment.
Not much about sport and fitness today, mostly because I've started dreaming again.

Today, I:
Walked for 45 minutes
Ate three excellent meals (chewed slowly and didn't have too much)
Worked for 8 hours
Slept for 8.5 hours
Am now off to see the John Butler Trio

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Taking the plunge

By Virginia Winder
Finally took the plunge tonight, but was oh so slow.
It's been months since I swam lengths' freestyle and oh, did those first 10 lengths hurt.
Kept going though and made it to 22 lengths of the 25-metre indoor pool at the New Plymouth Aquatic Centre. It was a start.
The swim for a half ironman is 2km, so need to nearly quadruple my number of lengths. Will start slowly and build up.
It's been nearly two weeks since I started my quest for a healthy lifestyle and it's like a switch has turned on. Can't imagine not exercising, but have had a few cravings for chocolate!
Haven't eaten any, mainly because there's none in the house.
But if there was, I'd definitely have a couple of squares and not feel guilty. I know that my new mindset simply won't allow me to binge.
The determination inside me is exactly the same as when Warren, Nelson and I swam in the sea every day in 2009. When we finally stopped (me because I had a double ear infection), I felt empty, like there was something missing from my life.
There was of course - daily dips in the energy-boosting sea. Wow, that was a wonderful year. We lived by the tides and were so tuned into nature.
This time I'm getting in tune with my body and mind. Incredibly, I'm even starting to relax big time.
A friend looked into my face today and said: "Virginia, you are looking so peaceful!"
Hey, but it's only been two days since I was furious at myself for missing the rugby because of work, so this is no instant fix.
But am finding this exercise lark totally brilliant!

Today, I:
Swam 22 lengths of a 25m pool
Ate three extremely healthy meals
Slept for 8.5 hours
Worked for 8.5 hours

Monday, September 12, 2011

No place for "if only" regrets

By Virginia Winder
Positivity is my motto in this quest for life balance and fitness.
I might come across as a Pollyanna, but yesterday I wasn't seeing rainbows; I was seeing red.
The anger I felt was purely at myself for over-committing myself to so much work I was forced to miss the Ireland-US Rugby World Cup match. Grrr.
My walk was an air-punching fury march round a few blocks - I ran out of time for a power walk through Pukekura Park. If you're reading this from afar, the park I'm talking about is one of New Plymouth's great treasures. Even writing about it lifts my spirits.
Anyway, back to life balance and inner ire. The walk did quell the fire, but questions have to be asked about saying yes to so many stories. What was I thinking?!
Yet, when I worked through from 3am to 3pm today and tapped out 10 stories, I felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that I had completed so much.
Looking back at my life though, I won't remember that I met deadlines (that happens every day), but I will remember that I missed the rugby.
You see, I more often regret what I don't do, rather than what I actually do. I hate lost opportunities with a vengeance.
Which is why I don't want to get to 50 and regret not getting fit and making the most of life.
So there you have it - I don't want my life to be an "if only". I wrote a poem with that title once and it won me a prize - my husband.
Anyway, I'd rather my life was one long, long bucket list with big ticks beside every dream.
Hmm, that's got me thinking...

Yesterday (Sunday), I:
Anger-walked for 20 minutes (too short)
Ate three balanced and healthy meals
Worked for 7 hours
Slept for 8 hours

Today, I:
Walked for 20 minutes (still too short)
Worked for 12 hours
Ate three balanced and healthy meals
Watched a movie (The Adjustment Bureau - it deserves 5 stars out of 5)
Had a soak in a jetted mineral pool
Drank lots of water
Did some stretching (think yoga might be an idea)
Started dreaming...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Circuit not set in concrete

It's time for a change.
After nine days of walking by the sea my left achilles tendon is getting a bit tender.
A few years back one of my heroes, writer and action man Garth Gilmour, told me that constantly walking or running on the concrete ribbon of our beautiful Coastal Walkway will be too jarring and it's important to vary the terrain.
So today, I'm going to do a circuit around Pukekura Park and make certain there are some big hills in there, which is pretty easy when you go off the main track.
Stretching is the other important thing, so will do be adding that in from today too.
Yesterday was a relaxing day.
Went to The Most for my morning radio slot with Warren (my bloke) to talk about Puke Ariki, which for those of you not in the know, is New Plymouth's joint museum, library and information centre. It's fantastic and where I go for heaps of information. Now that I'm not working at Puke Ariki, Warren and I are doing this as volunteers. He already does the Kiwiana Show from 8 to 10pm on Tuesdays.
But I digress...
Just chilled out yesterday and even had an afternoon nap, which is one of my favourite things to do.
Then went to a dear friend's birthday party beside the sea. There were so many wonderful people there and we talked, shared and I learnt a little about ayurvedic medicine from a woman, who also talked about eating for your blood type.
I'm open minded about things, but always skeptical. That's not the same as cynical, which I always imagine as sneering and closed-minded. But I always ask questions about whether things really work and like to do my own investigations, so am going to look into both.
As a kid there were foods I had a real aversion to - I hated bacon, cheese, roast beef, steak.
But I loved fish, chicken, milk, fruit yoghurt and eggs. I also adored fresh fruit and parsley. Do we as children have an inbuilt knowledge of what's good for us and what our body needs?
At the party there was a pile of food that I would normally scoff - cheeses, breads, chips and gorgeous stuff. I had not the slightest inclination to eat it and so I didn't.
Don't worry, I'm not developing a food problem, but it's like a switch has gone off in my head and I simply have no cravings or desires for extra food. My three healthy meals a day are filling me up.
Just before it got dark, I said goodbye to my friends, got changed into my walking gear and headed off home on the walkway, my audio book playing, the sea swaying like a hula dancer and people smiling "hi" in the dusk as they passed.
I have begun to find serenity in these moments.

Yesterday, I:
Walked for 40 minutes
Ate three wonderfully healthy meals
Rested
Didn't work!
Spent time with friends
Hung out my husband
Slept for 9 hours

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Biking the world - from home

By Virginia Winder
Sharing leads to sharing, especially in regards to get-up-and-go stories.
"Wow, you look amazing," I told a work colleague and friend this week, as I explained about my life-changing health goals.
My revelations led to her own inspiring story, which began as a joint New Year's resolution with her partner.
Together they decided to get on their bikes.
At first she found it tough and wanted to get picked up in the car, but her partner refused, forcing her to slog it out.
She got through her first painful outings, changed her bike seat to a woman's version, and slowly surely, got hooked. Now she thinks nothing of head out for a 50km ride - and more.
Her partner has also returned to his younger cycling days and now has a new zing in his step and greatly improved sleeping patterns.
Things changed when winter set in, bringing dark early evenings and cold, wet weather. Because she works during the day, our woman of wheels became frustrated she couldn't get out pedalling. Then her bloke came up with an idea - the great office journey.
They tracked down a computer programme that enabled them to link up a stationary bike to follow a virtual cycle route.
I'm not sure of all the technical details, but my friend can choose anywhere in the world she wants to bike. Then she programmes in the route, gets on her cycle and pedals.
The computer screen shows incredibly vivid pictures of where she's going and the bike is somehow mechanised to mimic the terrain. So, when there's an uphill climb, she has to pedal harder to get to the top.
So, during winter, she virtually biked all over the world.
I'm now eyeing up my own home office to see if I could emulate her fitness feats during the bleak months.
But for now, my own story is definitely based in reality, out in the open air and on my feet. However, this coming week I aim to add a bike ride and a swimming session or two into the mix.
Yesterday it was damn tough fitting a walk in because when I got home from work all I wanted to do was sit in front of the TV and watch the Rugby World Cup opening festivities.
I did get out though and power-walked around a couple of blocks. Am definitely feeling fitter and I said to my husband, Warren, today: "I feel like I have this natural fitness just below the surface and when I get going, it just appears so easily."
Is it possible that because I was such a Sporty Spice in my youth that my body has a muscle memory of how it should be? Could that be?
Now, crazily, I will reveal a dream.
My Big Hairy Audacious Goal, commonly referred to as a BHAG, is that I want to do a half-ironman triathlon. That's a 2km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run.
Yeah, that's huge, which is why I am starting slowly - one step at a time...

Yesterday, I:
Walked for 20 minutes
Ate two healthy meals (I stupidly, didn't take time out for lunch, so ended up stuffing down two small macadamia snack bars - not good)
Slept for 7 hours
Worked for 12.5 hours

Friday, September 9, 2011

Exercising inner demons

Exercise is now my saviour.
After a long day of work - too long - it was a massive relief to put on my walking shoes, plug my ears with an audio book, put the dog on the lead and head out into nature.
Instead of collapsing when I got home, I got energised, refreshed and chilled out.
I you could say that I'm exercising my inner demons.
Talked to a friend who owns a clothes shop and she told me that if she doesn't exercise, sleep well and eat well everything goes out of whack. She needs that powerful trio to be whole.
I'd add inner peace into that. Others might call it prayer or meditation, spirituality or being in touch with a greater power.
My peace comes from so many things - laughing with family, talking with friends, doing art, writing, body surfing in our wild Tasman Sea and just being still (this being my greatest challenge).
When I stand in the shower, my thoughts race as fast as the water rushing at me, but when I stop and just hear the water, feel it on my skin, and wash away those tumble weeds of the mind, then peace comes.
Same with lying in bed in the deep night when my chattering monkey brain becomes a cacophony of noisy thoughts; that's when I focus on silence and listen to it like it's a masterpiece of non-sound.
Anyway, I'm succeeding in my quest, but I have walked a tightrope of stress this week.
Best of all my husband Warren's back from five days in Dunedin - bet some of you wondered why I was cooking!
But I enjoyed it. Loved creating with healthy food and nourishing my whanau. So it will continue, even if I have couple of stock standards to make.
Talking of food, yesterday was my greatest challenge of all. Had an In Season session with one of the WITT chefs and he served up a couple of tasty dishes, but one of them wasn't that suitable for my low-fat diet. For those of you wondering about In Season, it's a fortnightly food page that runs in the Taranaki Daily News. For this the WITT chefs choose a fresh vegetable or fruit and cook something delectable and I get to try these dishes and write about them.
Yesterday, it took all my will power, or is that won't power, not to keep eating the delicious pasta dish because it was sooo good. Mmm.
But my walk make me feel virtuous, dispelling any feelings of guilt.
So, for both mind and body, exercise is definitely my saviour.

Yesterday, I didn't do so well in a couple of areas:
Slept for 5 hours
Worked for 13 hours

But succeeded in:
Walking for 30 minutes (Sepulchre is getting good!)
Eating three reasonably healthy meals (no snacks)

Was reminded about:
The importance of sleeping well, eating healthy and exercising reguarly (daily for me!).

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Savour every bite

Slow down and taste the muesli.
That's the message from Otago University researchers, who have found that middle-aged women who eat slowly are much less likely to be overweight or obese than those who eat at a faster pace.
In a university press release, study principal investigator Dr Caroline Horwath says the speed of eating directly corelates with a woman's BMI.
“For every one-step increase in a five-step scale ranging from ‘very slow' eating to 'very fast', the women’s BMI increased by 2.8 per cent, which is equivalent to a 1.95 kg weight increase in a woman of average BMI for this group.”
Other studies, have shown that meditation and mindfulness are more helpful than diets. So, once again, the slow-down message is coming loud and clear.
If we take time to enjoy every mouthful of food, to savour the taste, then we will allow ourselves to feel full. We also need to be mindful of what we eat, choosing healthy fuel, not fast food and eating on the run.
The whole slow food movements suddenly makes a lot of sense.
On the work front, I incorporated a garden interview and exercise by doing a story on the beautiful Ratapihipihi reserve. When I came that excrutiating last hill that went on and on, I held in mirth at imagining my mother there. She went for a walk through the native bush and, when facing that seemingly never-ending ascent she cussed at every step. Hah, my darling naughty mother! I so wanted to let out the same expletives but I was on the job.
But it reminded me of the beautiful spots we have around Taranaki and how much more interesting exercise is when exploring different places. I used to run through Ratapihipihi in my younger days and I imagine that it's possible again in the future.
Work's still tough - still have an absurd number of stories to toil through, but oh the stories people tell! Moving, funny, inspiring and some simply wonderful. Wow, I feel lucky.

Yesterday's achievements:
A long walk with a tough hill climb
Worked 9 hours
Slept 6 hours
Ate three good meals - one was a grilled fish salad from our new Mexican takeaway (had no sour cream!)

Points of interest to share:
Daily exercise is achievable, but you have to make time
People who sleep well and for about 8 hours a night are likely to be in control of their weight
Woman who eat slower have a lower BMI

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Struggling with time

Yesterday was my first day of struggling.
Not with food, but with finding time to fit in exercise.
It was a full day and bitsy.
But worse is yet to come because the work demons are circling, ready to settle on my shoulders and whisper in my ears. "Go, go, go," they'll say, sending me into a frenzy of writing to get through the ridiculous number of stories needed in the next four days.
And so, despite the "life-balance" plan, I have a couple of extremely early mornings in front of me. You see that's when I work best - when the household is silent and words flow from me like water.
I do love it. But I would like to knock off at midday, not keep going for hours and hours.
Next week is looking much brighter!
Any, yesterday, I came home, made a chicken salad dinner (so virtuous) and headed off to do a 7pm interview with a couple of firefighters. When I came home it was dark.
But determination won through, so me and Xena (our family dog) went for a late walk under street lights. Thank goodness for the mild spring weather.
It was a tough day, but a good day; one full of interesting people doing great things. It ended with watching Grey's Anatomy alongside my beautiful whanau (family in Maori) and afterwards, we all sunk gratefully into our beds.
Which is where I'm heading now (haven't quite managed the dusk to dawn switch, have I?).

Yesterday's actions:
Worked 9 hours.
Ate three healthy and low-fat meals
Walked for 20 minutes (fast!)
Slept for 7 hours
Blogged again!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Diet is a dirty word

The workaholic surfaced yesterday.
But (there's a great word), when there's a newspaper deadline there is no out. A bit like this exercise commitment and this blog - you've just gotta do it.
The good thing is, after a long working day, I still fitted in a 50-minute walk. Already I'm getting faster and more focused. Sepulchre is getting more interesting too.
For dinner, I cooked (yes, don't be shocked) spaghetti bolognaise and cut right down on my pasta. Did that old trick of using a smaller bowl and it worked. Had a side salad too and made a flax oil and mustard dressing to go on it. Mmm.
One thing I'm not into is dieting. Don't get me wrong, I'm changing how I eat, but I know diets don't work because they simply aren't sustainable. In fact, if I diet, the only thing I think about is food and what I can't have.
This is a lifestyle change and not some fad that's going to last for a few months, but I'll be honest. I will fail every now and then - there's no way I'll say no to chicken tika masala at India Today.
My aim is to eat as much in-season fruit and vegetables as possible, along with grains, legumes, lean meat, fish and eggs.
I'm choosing foods that are low GI, so they will sustain me for a long time. I'm still drinking coffee (of course!), but I am making little changes that will make a big difference. I've replaced toasted muesli with an organic, no sugar, raw version that I soak overnight.
I've also cut right back on cheese, which was a huge downfall, and am not drinking many, if any, sweet drinks. But I won't be going on to artificially sweetened ones because I can't stand them. Weirdly, they make my throat sore and that can't be good.
So I'm doing this slowly, surely, naturally and without buying into fads or food supplements. No 1 is to be happy and mindful of food, of life and each moment.
Making time for exercise is the priority - gotta keep old age at bay.
Sleep will help - and that's where I'm headed now.

Yesterday I:
Worked 13 hours
Walked for 50 minutes
Ate a reasonably healthy dinner, a good lunch and yes, a healthy breakfast that sustained me right through to lunchtime.
Had no snacks
Slept for 7 hours
Wrote my blog (30 minutes only)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The Great Escape

As I walked beneath pohutukawa trees in New Plymouth, I got lost in Paris.
It was a brisk outing on a loop from home to the walkway around the Aquatic Centre and through trees that used to be tended by our old neighbour Mickey Malloy, who died in the 1980s. When I wander through those trees at Kawaroa, I often imagine him pulling weeds and digging.
But yesterday my mind was in Paris during the late 1800s. Yes, I was lost in a talking book, one called Sepulchre by Kate Mosse and read by Lorelei King, one of my favourite narrators.
I got the idea of downloading straight on to my iPod Touch by reading the Facebook page of Neil Gaiman, an author whose fantastical work I love.
He said he was getting unfit, so he downloaded an application called Audible (you have to be a member online first) and has been walking and listening ever since. Consequently, he's back in shape. Sepulchre is about 20 hours long, so I've got a lot of walking or biking to do.
My dilemma though, was where to put the iPod. My daughter, Clementine, suggested slipping it into my bra and it worked a treat!

Yesterday, I:
Walked for 30 minutes.
Worked for about 1 hour (researching exercise books and magazines).
Wrote my blog.
Ate three healthy meals with good servings of low-fat protein.
Avoided roasted, crunchy potatoes.
Had a peaceful, relaxing day with my husband, Warren.
Decluttered my desk.
Went to bed way too late!



The Burnout - confessions of a workaholic

"Stay focused," my husband just said as he found me making a necklace in the art room.
I' was in there placing some bits and bobs on on my artroom table when the glint of green beckoned me to string more beads.
Flit. Flit. Flit.
Yes, I'm so easily distracted because everything interests me.
I teach and write for WITT, our local polytech, and I'm forever interviewing students about their courses and dreams. Then I find myself thinking: "Hmm, I could do that, I could do that."
But I just know in my heart of hearts that I'm not a nurse, a computer technician, a social worker, an electrician or an engineer. Then I seriously think about doing the art courses and the photography. You get the picture - I want to do it all.
The truth is I'm a writer; a storyteller.
So let's tell you a tale.
In 2006, a female journalist is doing a phone interview with an artist she knows from the past.
He tells her all about his latest project; what it's all about and why he's made these sculptures.
She gets off the phone and realises with a sick feeling: "I didn't understand anything he just said to me."
The journalist then feels her head explode, as if it is filled with tiny neon lights. She stands up from her desk, tells the chief reporter she feels sick and goes home. She never goes back.
A week later, this vivacious, never-lost-for-words woman can barely speak.
She has sunk into a depression so deep that the crisis team is called. She is admitted to the psychiatric ward of her local hospital and put on suicide watch. All night a man with a dragon tattoo on his arm checks on her.
She sleeps and sleeps.
In this place of unwell people, her faculties return. She can think again, talk again and she draws it all. Using bright coloured felt pens she let's it all out.
As she sits there finding relief in art, other ill people come to her. They sit, tell their stories and she listens to their anguish, pain, fear and sadness.
A young man just wants a girl to love; a beautiful woman has to contact her man every few minutes to see if he's OK; an elderly woman wants to climb tall buildings; a businessman has lost himself in mania; another young man won't eat food because he believes it's poisonous and then there is "radio man", who talks constantly to his ancestors.
The journalist understands then that her mental illness is temporary. It's from working 60- to 80-hour each week for months on end and she just needs to rest, to regain her sanity with serenity.
There are chunks of this time that she can't remember, but she does know that she feels stripped bare, right down to the place of asking: "Who am I? What do I stand for? What do I believe?"
The answer is: Love.
She finds peace inside by walking on Back Beach with the dog and talking to the spirits of her parents, by caring for her children, husband and a French exchange student. Her brother, sister and close friends are rocks. A dear friend offers her a part-time job, another helps her with an arduous task and a young occupational therapist teaches her about the power of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Slowly, the mother, sister, daughter in-law, friend and woman of joy returns to her bouncy, vivacious self and starts to write again.
That woman was me.
This year, I have been close to collapse again, but I have stopped just in time.
So this pledge of mine, isn't just about losing weight and getting fit; it's about finding peace again, living a life of great joy with balance and time for everything.
And what joy. Yay for today!!!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

From Dusk to Dawn - Day 3

I'm an early bird, so have decided to get up every morning and write my blog.
But I can't miss a day unless I am somewhere without internet... you know, in the wilds of Yucatan or in a jungle in Borneo.
It's possible you know - adventures beckon.
So this is a brief blog and there could be a few of these in the next few years (yay, say the attention deficit adults!).
Today I have:
Said no to a slice of buttered fruit loaf (OK, I wasn't hungry).
Eaten a healthy breakfast of untoasted muesli, Biofarm yoghurt and an orange from our tree.
Enjoyed every morsel of two poached eggs on a slice of toast (no spread!).
Been out for a romantic dinner with my husband - we shared healthy tasting platters and dreams.
Walked around Lake Rotomanu with a friend, her children and our dogs. We have pledged to do this every weekend (well, I've told her we'll be doing it).
Done no work at all!

Catch ya in the morning...


Friday, September 2, 2011

The Goodness of People - Day 2

This is a day of thanks.
Today I feel buoyed by the wonderful people who have shown their support for my quest to be healthy. Friends have offered to go swimming, biking and walking with me. What amazing people out there!
Arohanui (great love) to you all.
I've also had some wise words from a friend who lives on an island on the other side of the world to New Plymouth, New Zealand, where I live.
She took the time to write an email filled with sound advice about losing weight, getting fit and taking control of one's life.
Here are 20 of her helpful tips:


  1. Take baby steps on this journey.
  2. Changing very small things can make a big difference.
  3. The ONLY way to lose weight (non-surgical way, that is) is to use up more calories than you take in. BUT that doesn't mean ripping into a whole lot more exercise or eating a diet that's so restrictive you give up at the end of the first week.
  4. Eat more protein - protein triggers the production of a hormone which tells you you're full. Sports nutritionists advise eating a MINIMUM of 20g of protein at breakfast and to eat protein at every meal.
  5. Don't skip meals. Ever! In fact, instead of having just three meals a day, try five or six smaller ones - this will help you stave off hunger pangs.
  6. Use a slightly smaller dinner plate - even when you know it's smaller, you'll eat less.
  7. Choose low-calorie versions of your favourite foods BUT avoid anything with sweeteners in - you might think you've satisfied a craving for something sweet but your body will know you haven't had real sugar and the next chance it gets, it'll urge you to eat something high in sugar. [It's OK my friend, I can't bear artificial sweetners - they hurt my throat.]
  8. Switch to virtually fat-free milk and yoghurt.
  9. Buy canned fish packed in water rather than oil.
  10. Avoid highly processed food and ANYTHING with hydrogenated fats in. It was a bit of a shock to me to find that nutritionists now all agree that butter is better for you than margarine. You can recognise a hydrogenated fat because it's something that is normally liquid at room temperature but which has been altered to be solid (eg, the canola oil in margarine, olive oil in butter alternatives, palm oil in anything).
  11. See if you can stick to eating only foods which were around 500 years ago.
  12. DON'T avoid fats. Some of the essential vitamins that you need are fat-soluble. You need around 25g of fat per day in order to get enough of these and about 35% of your daily calories should come from fat. Mix up the types of fat - saturated, poly- and mono-unsaturated.
  13. You can increase your metabolic rate by increasing the amount of muscle you have - muscle uses up more calories. You're at an age where resistance training is important anyway. Even if you get a couple of half-kilo weights and do some arm exercises for ten minutes (while you watch the news or whatever) each day.
  14. Soup! A well-blended soup will keep you feeling fuller for longer than if you'd eaten the same ingredients as a meal with a glass of water.
  15. The wider the choice, the more you eat, so stay away from buffets.
  16. Small amounts of exercise count. If you're doing something around the house, put on some music that's loud and with a beat and dance your way through it. If you're having a conversation on the phone (rather than taking notes), stand up and walk on the spot. Every little tiny bit of exercise will make a difference.
  17. Make sure you don't get dehydrated. It's a myth that you should drink eight glasses of water a day - the water contained in your food and in cups of tea etc also counts. But if you're trying to lose weight then increasing your fluids will help.
  18. GET ENOUGH SLEEP. It is a proven fact that people who don't get enough sleep put on weight. Read about it here:
    http://thyroid.about.com/od/loseweightsuccessfully/a/sleepdiet.htm
  19. Consider following the rules set out in Paul McKenna's "I
    Can Make You Thin" self-hypnosis programme. Those rules are: When you are hungry, eat. Eat what you WANT, not what you think you should have. Eat consciously and enjoy every mouthful (ie, sitting at a table with no distractions). When you think you are full, stop eating.
    He makes the point that most of us have forgotten how to listen to our bodies and we really don't consciously recognise feelings of hunger or fullness.
  20. Don't expect miracles - set realistic targets. Aim to lose 500g. Then aim to lose another 500g.

Thanks my friend.

Today I have:
Worked 9.5 hours
Walked for 20 minutes with the dog
Eaten two good meals
Worked through lunch and ate a piece of apple cake instead (not a good move, but the cake was made for me!).
Given up a wonderful job at Puke Ariki to try and cut back on my hours (all my jobs are fantastic)
Slept for 8 hours!
Watched Clementine play basketball.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Knife or a New Life

When my doctor suggested that stomach surgery might be the best option for my ongoing weight problem I was tipped over the edge.
You know how we all teeter on the edge of making huge life decisions, well that was my moment. "It's pretty expensive," she said.
Then she checked my BMI.
For those of you not in the know, that stands for Body Mass Index, which is determined by your weight in kilograms divided by your height (in metres) squared. A healthy BMI score is between 18.5 and 26.
Mine was 41.
"You need to lose half your body weight," the doctor said.
I nodded, enthusiastically, telling her that with less work, more exercise and being better with my food that I would do it, could do it.
"I don't want to be cynical Virginia, but we've been here before."
She talked about my A-type personality (must look that one up) and how I've sat in her surgery many times before vowing to make changes, especially in regards to cutting back on work.
Then she turned back to the subject of stomach surgery.
A friend had it done a few months back and has lost masses of weight. She's looking great, but she also paid a large amount of money and is absolutely dedicated to being half the woman she was. But she doesn't like exercise.
I love it.
Honestly (you'll only read that here), I love striding out on the beautiful coastal walkway around New Plymouth's foreshore or walking through Pukekura Park or the bush tracks in our city. I love swimming, biking and my greatest joy is bodysurfing.
But I also love food - cheese, chocolate, creamy curries and yes, even burgers and chips.
Even more importantly, I love work.
It's here that I have to say these words: "Hi, my name is Virginia and I'm a workaholic."
People praise you for working hard, comment on your wonderful work ethic, thank you for jobs well done.
But it is work that is killing me.
Today was a quiet day - I only worked 10.5 hours, but there have been days lately that I have worked up to 17 hours and a regular day has been 14 hours straight. Once I worked through the night to meet a deadline.
Try adding exercise on to that kind of working day, or family time, friend time or simply quiet time. There is no time.
And so here I am facing stomach surgery or completely changing my life.
In 2009, my teenage son made a New Year's resolution to swim in the sea every day for a year. My husband and I joined his pledge and we did it. There was absolutely no out clause, only a get-up-and-go cause to succeed.
To ensure that we would do it, I mentioned it an article published in the Taranaki Daily News. That story, which was on resolutions, referred to research that says women are far more likely to stick to a resolution if they go public with it. So that's what I am doing by writing this blog. I also hope to share what I learn on the way, plus my successes and, yes, my failures.
All this, because I have decided to avoid the knife and regain a healthy life.
This is day one.

Today I have:
Worked only 10.5 hours.
Eaten three healthy meals and no snacks.
Gone for a 20-minute walk with my husband.
Hung out with the family for the evening.
Written this blog.