Hi Cate

Just joined Cohens (Sunday), feeling excited too.....

Before joining yours and everyone's view helped me to make choice.

Thanks

Hi Macentrap, Great decision. It is exciting!! Starting(& finishing!) Cohens was one of the best decisions of my life. It makes me feel really good to think that I might influence others in a positive way. I look forward to following your progress! Cheers, Cate.
My day-
Pretty much like the last few really. More pottering about the house (one of my favourite pastimes!), another Cohen's day, a bit of reading etc. Lovely. I feel like I'm on holidays. My chicken & stir-fried vegie dinner is almost cooked & I am hungry so will be brief today. Also the Internet connection has been painful lately. So many errors! "Internet Explorer cannot" blah, blah, blah......
Tomorrow's walk is classified as a "hard" one & it's a comparitively long drive to get there unfortunately. Mmm. Not sure if I'll go. I would love to get an exercise bike so I could do some exercise every day. I'm checking them out... difference between recumbent, elliptical, etc etc.
Dinners ready- I'm off, cheers, Cate

Hi Cate

Just popping in to say hello. I am glad to see you are enjoying your days off.
By the way I have an elliptical machine, I have tried the bikes and treadmills but the elliptical is the one that I clicked with. I hired with the option buy and that is what I did.

Take care.

Sam

Hi Cate,

I'm also glad you are enjoying your pottering days I've also got an elliptical machine and I love it. We've got a treadmill as well, but I much prefer using the elliptical. Its nice and gentle on your knees and it doesn't feel so tiring (spelling?) Enjoy your day!

Hi Sam & Esthee- and thanks for that. I'll check them out.
My day- It's funny how in one day things can change so much. For quite some time I have had a painful left arm. It varies in intensity but over the last few weeks has extended to my neck & left shoulder. Overnight it was unbearable. Before I went to bed I realised that I probably wouldn't be going bush-walking.
Instead I rang a Bowen therapist & managed to get in this afternoon at 3pm. It all stems form my back. My hips are out & I had so much tension in my muscles & knots everywhere. The gist of all of this is she thinks it has been caused by my carrying a back-pack. She sees people all the time with back injuries from walking with back-packs & is fairly sure that is the problem. She asked me how long I have been going walking as she thought it had been gradually getting worse over the last few months. She's right, I just know. I have had problems since I started. I bought a great new pack & have got it as light as I can but most weeks it ends up hurting me. I have kept quiet about this to everyone as I wanted to continue with it.
The therapist says I should concentrate on building up my strength & has shown me some exercises I could do with light weights. She also thinks Tai Chi would be very beneficial. I agree. Mmm. Unfortunately. I'll just mull all this over for a while I think. I have vein appointments the next 2 bush-walking days anyway so that delays any decisions.
Apparently our local Primary School has built a new pool & they will be hiring it out by the hour. I must investigate that! There is also going to be a new meditation class locally. I might just have to have a re-think.AGAIN!!
My mum is coming over to visit in about a month. She has never been particularly keen on babies but has the urge to come see the new great-grandson. I think it's because our OS & DIL named him after my late Dad. Mum has probably been flashing the photo around of me with the 3 great-grandkids & she is having to say that she hasn't seen him yet. Last time she was here when our gd was a baby my DIL asked her if she would like to hold the baby & she said "no thanks!" It will be nice having her but she's funny as the last time she visited(last Nov) she told me it would probably be her last trip to Tas as she was probably getting too old to fly over. She is 83. I knew she'd be back. I could talk her into going to the US if I went with her!
I'm aching like crazy! It takes about 5 days to come right. Hopefully I won't need any more treatment. I'll go again next week if it's still hurting. I didn't want to tell anyone about it as I was loving bush-walking. No more sooking, promise. Now, about this elliptical thingy.... Google search required, cheers, Cate.

My back feels quite a bit better today & I had a good night's sleep. I felt exhausted! I worked today & the day really dragged. One great thing though. I had tried finding an interest for my client last week & it worked! I took in my beading kit & showed her & she made something (with help) & has not taken it off since. I was chuffed about that! Next is a present for her mum.
Today I got her to "help" me with the crossword. I told her I am trying to stave off Alzheimers & that it's good for my brain. It was being a bit sneaky but it worked. I have found there are ways to suggest things that don't seem too bossy or like school & so far we have had quite a few successes. I do feel that we are slowly moving forward.
I am trying to work out what exercise I am going to do if I don't go bush-walking but so far have not come up with many ideas.
I'm feeling tired tonight but mainly sinusy. After 5 days off the cats have played havoc with my sinuses today. I'll be back tomorrow, cheers, cate

Hi Cate

sorry to hear about your aches and pains. I was wondering if you've heard about the vibrogym????
It is great for improving bone density. It's maybe something you could look into. I do a 20 minute session once a week. It is great not only for toning and weight loss but also just for a massage.
Glad to hear work is working out for you too. Shame about the cat allergies, I love cats but I also suffer from them. I had a cat for about 13 years but I was very strickt with where he sat and ate.....hubby also suffers badly and he doesn't want anymore cats but I am considering it.
Take care.
Sam

Hi Sam, No, I hadn't heard of vibrogym but just checked it out.
The aches & pains aren't as bad as realising it was probably the bush-walking that caused them!
I am really craving sweet things today for some reason. I just gave in & ate some dried cranberries & oil-free sultanas. I'll take some Blackmores sugar balance pills for a few days I think & see if the cravings go away. Once you start eating sweet stuff it's hard to stop. That's why I'm in here typing away. By saying it "out loud" I am acknowledging my cravings & attempting to deal with them! A lot of it is frustration about the bush-walking. I'll get over it. I just have to find something else that's fun, good exercise, easy & convenient to do & that won't hurt my back. I might have to go back to the Tai Chi idea I think. Actually I have a phone number that the Bowen therapist gave me. I'll ring up shortly.
I'll go drink a huge glass of water & won't have any more sweet stuff. All of a sudden my mouth feels gluggy. Yuck. Too sweet!
Nothing much to say today so cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate!

Its been ages since I popped in... Life has been incredibly hectic for me ...with no sign of slowing down! I feel like its all one big whirl with my holidays the culmination of it all... and thats like 2 months away!! OMG! How will I get through it all!??

I am so sorry to hear that you are having to give up something that you have really enjoyed! Is there no way to still go on the short walks and therefore not need a backpack? or at least a lighter pack? what a shame! I am sure you will find something else that really strikes a chord with you though!

I am sooo looking forward to catching up with you ... in 58 days! hehehe.... at least you KNOW that I am definitely coming... since it is all booked and paid for! woohooo!

Blessya mate
Kannadew

Hi Kath, I am going to sort this out one way or another. I don't have to give up walking, I'm sure. I just need to work out how to do it without hurting my back. I think I should see my doctor & maybe see a physiotherapist & work this out. I need to maybe find a group of like-minded over 50's & find out how to get fit without damaging myself. I've made a start.
I'm booked in to my first Tai Chi class on Wednesday week & Monday I will ring my doctor & make an ap't. I have vein ap'ts the next 2 Tuesdays so that's bush-walking day usually.
I had a really good day today at work, after a baddish one yesterday. My job's a bit like that. Today was great. Yesterday I was in tears after being spoken to very curtly by my client's physio. I found it a little embarrassing but spoke to my client about it today. I told her I was feeling very fragile yesterday as I was in pain with my back & neck. I had just asked her for some advice, thinking that she would not mind answering one simple question & she was very rude to me. Obviously she would prefer I come to her as a paying client rather than ask her a question when I am with a paying client.
Before we left I apologised to her for being un-professional & asking her a question about me & she seemed to soften & answered me civilly. This was as we were leaving & I battled with tears for a while.
I do sometimes think I am going through menopause as my emotions are always so close to the surface.
I am really happy with the work I do with my client as I feel we are really moving forward. I can get through to her & get her to try new challenges. Most of them would sound simple to others but to her they are huge. The things she did today were just great. I will keep going with this until either things change & I stop enjoying it or feel I can make a difference or they try to change me too much.
I am going to weigh myself tomorrow. I feel really fat. I ate bread last night at a barbie as there was only meat & bread. We were told not to take anything else & I assumed there would be salads. I drank water all evening as I was the designated driver (as usual.) I have been eating Cohen's during the day & then a healthy meal at night but with some rice often. I just feel like I have put on weight. I look in the mirror & think I look ok but I do feel fat. I'm not just saying it to be silly.
My LH is keen to go wash the dishes so I had better go grab a tea-towel as there are lots. Cheers for now, Cate.

That's great about Thai Chi - have fun! XXX

I am guessing from the things you talk about you work in the disability field? My mum works as a supervisor at a sheltered workshop and has worked in the field her whole life. She is passionate about it. I can image it must be very gratifying to see results when you work so hard. Thats great.

I hope the walking thing gets sorted out for you soon. XXX Take care.

Hi Jen, I work as a Disability Support Worker. It is very challenging but can also be very rewarding. I wanted to have a job that made a difference now that I at an age where I can afford to choose. I have only been doing this since mid December '07. I will sort out the back problems/exercise issue as I'm very stubborn & determined. I also need to develop a thick skin. I have trouble coping with rudeness. I am not rude to people & do not cope too well with it when I people are rude to me.
I had better get a good night's sleep tonight. We had a late night last night, I worked all day & am back for another 8hr session tomorrow. I have a cooking lesson happening tomorrow as "we" are entertaining another support worker & a client, my client was with in a high-care establishment after her accident. It's funny as I had to ask my husband for some cooking tips first as he's the cook in our household. I'll let you know how the day goes!
Cheers for now....cup of peppermint tea time, then bed, xo Cate

Well I was right. I weighed 74kg.
So I'm knuckling down & am going back to original Cohens, no grog, no dark chocolate, original fruit etc until I am back to 70kgs. I won't weigh my food though. I'll see what happens first.
I have felt bloated & my system has not been working too well for a while so will try to get things back in balance. I got such a shock seeing 74kg! I had put on 2kg in 2 days. It must be fluid () but it feels revolting.
I am so afraid of putting this weight back on. I have not been pigging out but I think I have been having too much fruit. Fruit does not seem bad but maybe with me it is downright fattening. I haven't been having bread, except for the barbie, or milk. It's not like I'm eating icecream, crisps, pizzas etc, probably just too much fruit.
Aaaaarrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've just been over to "visit" Kannadew. What an inspiration! She is well aware that it's a minefield. I'm sure the losing is far easier than after Cohen's!
I haven't even felt like I've been over-eating or eating the wrong things.
Enough moaning from me. I'm def. knuckling down!!
Cheers, with water, xo Cate

OH Cate... You are so sweet!! Thanks so much for always stopping by my diary... have not had many visitors lately and have really felt a little isolated at times.... I have been trying so hard to be supportive and encouraging to people...but there are so many people... I am finding it quite exhausting in some ways... Bit over it to be honest!

Am looking forward to MY HOLIDAY!!

I can understand your dilemma about your increase! I know that I too would have a bit of a panic too! What about actually weighing your portions and getting it right down to your goal weight... I reckon if you went to weighted portions you would probably drop 3 kgs in a week or so!

Anyway.... Hope you have a great week!
Blessya
Kannadew

Oh Cate

I feel your anguish because I've been there so many times. I think what Kannadew suggested might be the way to go. It's all so very individual the weight loss/gain procedure.
And yes you are so right losing the weight is the easy part, it's the keeping it off.
I'd like to give you some suggestions but I am struggling too, as you know.

Take care
Sam