Good Thing

Ever been onto a good thing?

A good thing which you just have to have in silver, gold and black or in this case, several flavours?

A good thing that leads you to spending 30min hunched over your laptop feverishly searching the net for a possible retailer who may sell this said good thing in bulk because where you would normally purchase this good thing in normal quantities has sold out?

My good thing has been my saviour.

What is this good thing you ask?

Ladies & gentleman, allow me to introduce you to the good thing that is the Atkins Endulge bars.

I simply adore chocolate. Everything seems better after consuming the creamy, sugary goodness of chocolate. Even if only temporarily. As I am overly parital to the stuff, I have been attempting to cut down the frequency of chocolate consumption in order to part with the lard. I just wasn't sure I could go cold turkey. Then by an act of fate, I discovered these Atkins Endulge bars.

They taste so good I can forgo chocolate (during the week!) or that piece of cake pro-offered around the office without a sense of deprivation. Yes, they are indeed an expensive snack (around $3 per bar in supermarkets) but with only 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of carbs and only 147 calories (approximate figures as each bar varies), I'm happy to part with my hard earned cash to keep me on the straight and narrow. Particularly when working in an office environment where it would be all too easy to fall of the wagon (I mean, who knew there were so many reasons for the purchasing of cake!).

To date, I have tried the peanut caramel cluster, the caramel nut chew and the chocolate covered coconut bar (just like a bounty bar!). And they are awesome. Only problem is, is that so many people are catching onto just how excellent they are that they are selling so fast in the regular supermarkets that there is rarely any choice or stock.

So, tonight I found a retailer online - I bought bulk. I'm a happy camper.

You can never have too much of a good thing I say.

::INSPIRE3::

10-freakin-kilograms

Tell me, am I the only bandster alive who has ever struggled to lose the last 10kgs? I read blog after blog that excitedly heralds reports of pound after pound, kilo after kilo of constant weight loss. Not that I'm not happy for my sisters in arms. But me?

I am still at war.

With the last 10-freakin-kilograms.

It's the ball & chain around my ankle.
The thorn in my side.
The noose around my neck.

Okay, now I am being slightly melodramatic but it's frustrating. And it's no one's fault but my own. I slipped into a comfortable rut with my weight & eating. I exercised less over the Christmas break. I met an amazing man & life ran away with me (chocolate bar in hand).

My life has changed so much over the past 5 months. Priorities have shifted. I have re-examined what is important to me & unearthed what it is that I really, truly wanted in life but was too scared to ever admit.

And I it has lead me to this point. The point of making a committment to myself to lose the last of my weight to prepare for my new life adventures.

My battle plan is already well under way. I am seeing a personal trainer 1-2 times per week. I am having one on one pilates training once a week. I am continuing to run (I did in fact end up running the 90 day challenge but didn't stick strictly to the regime nor did I blog about it!) but I have been predominantly running the Tabata routine which kicks arse. I have gone back to the basics of band eating (protein, veg & then carbohydrates).

I have knocked off 2.6kg.

The battle continues.

Life can make you absent!

Yes, I am still here. I am hoping to do a spate of regular blogging for a bit again although I'm not sure in all honesty how sustainable it's going to be ... as life is making me absent!

There are a lot of exciting & happy things happening in my life at the moment that I simply do not have the time to sit at the computer. And in a way that makes me happy. It means my life is happening; every available scrap of time I have is being devoted to living a full and happy life. I really am most thankful to the Universe for what has occurred; I hope I never take any of the happy occurrences for granted but all the same I am feeling ridiculously content.

In a nutshell:

• My studies are going well (now completed for 2009!),
• My personal relationships are thriving (family & friends) which is bringing unimaginable joy and happiness to my life,
• I have reached my savings goals for the year well before the end of the year as planned & I have absolutely NO debt in my life!,
• I am very happy with my job & received an excellent performance review,
• My health & fitness has improved markedly,
• I have had fluid taken out of my band so in part that I could eat more (3 small meals a day) without choking & stressing (especially with regard to managing in social situations) & also to honour my body (keep it healthy/suitably nourished) - as a result and as suprising as it sounds, I have actually lost weight by doing so, and
• I met a really great man a couple of months ago.

Life is good.

It's busy and it's happening!

I couldn't be happier.

Thank you Universe! xo

Crutch = chocolate

Yesterday was an intense day.

I needed a crutch - the ole emotional crutch. Chocolate.

Yes - I have managed to inhale a whole block of family chocolate over the past two days. It's without a doubt a disappointing relapse into past life behaviour. I know I shouldn't excuse it but right now I am going to honour how I feel and how I reacted.

Yesterday I witnessed my patient go into cardiac & respiratory distress during a home visit. One minute I was conducting a consultation and the next I find myself in an emergency situation - calling the ambulance and attempting to keep my patient calm. A solitary ambulance officer turns up to assist. For half an hour, I change occupations and become an ambo. I then spend 3 hours in the hospital assisting with the admission & silently praying .. no, in actual fact, begging God to grant my patient more time on this earth. All I wanted right at that moment was for him to make it.

He did but I swear it was just by the skin of his teeth.

I left the hospital exhausted - in every sense of the word.

I fell apart in the carpark after being the consummate professional during the drama; as the most important thing during those few hours was providing support to my patient and his wife both physically and emotionally. I will admit I cried for the hour's drive from one town to the next.

I still had patients to see. I complete my remaining consultations with no emotional go-go juice in the tank; forgetting my diary, my appointment cards & the mobile phone which are the basic tools I tote around with me.

I stopped off for a kick arse block of chocolate on the way to the motel and did an impressive job of devouring it before I even consciously registered what I was doing.

Life is just so very fragile ... let's just say this was the reality check I needed to love life all the more.