Busy day at work with a cracking headache all day and then on my way home from work I took a weird head spin turn and had to have road side vomit.

Finally got home and processed to inspect the porcelain express track for another 20 minutes with the little guy narrating in the background ” mummy doesn’t feel well, mummy’s very noisy”!

So having a quiet night resting up and trying to kick whatever is going on so today I am simply going to reflect on a non scale victory that I have realised after an old photo popped up on my Facebook news feed.

NSV – my skin!! I can’t remember a time that my skin was clearer. It’s no longer blotchy, oily and full of blemishes. I kind of really like how my skin is looking now

Well…..the skin on my face that is, not all the extra floppy bits of skin that I despise with a passion!!

Today was my nieces first ever dance recital, it was very exciting to see my little girl strutting her stuff in extreme cuteness! But I have to admit whenever I catch up with my sister my normal wardrobe anxiety goes through the roof!

I have no idea why this happens…..maybe it’s my own insecurities, maybe it’s because she hasn’t given me much verbal feedback on how I’m going and looking, maybe it’s a sister thing? I don’t know but what I do know is that I freak out like a mad women and change my outfit at least 10 times before I leave, which usually makes me late for whatever I am doing. This morning I settled on denim skirt and a floaty top from Target, and not just any Target Top but a top from the general sizes section and not the fat Tarts section.

When I got there my mum, nephew and brother in law where sitting out the front waiting for the doors to open. I was walking up to the table and was waving at my brother in law, he was looking my direction and it wasn’t until I had walked for at least 100 metres closer that he realised it was me and waved back again.

As I got closer I could see my nephew looking my direction and I could hear my Mum saying to him “she over that way in a white top” and it wasn’t until I was a metre directly in front of him and I said “hi Max” that he recognised that it was me.

Once we got into the theatre and found our seats I got to experience a new NSV. It was the standard issue fold down auditorium seating and I folded the seat down and comfortably sat and my arse did not, I repeat did not spill over the sides to cover half of the seat either side of me too. I comfortably sat and didn’t feel like a squished sardine who was encroaching on the person next to me’s space too.

Even during intermission when the lady next to me went out, the seat next to me folded up as it was designed to, previously my bum from spilling over would keep the seat next to me in the downward position. I just felt like a normal person in the crowd and not that person that everything things “shit I hope I am not sitting next to her”.

We had slow cooked lamb shanks for dinner tonight, this is one my all time favourite meals! And it’s a great meal for me to reflect on how drastically my portion sizes have changed! Pre-surgery I would have comfortably knocked off a lamb shank on a bed of mashed potato no questions asked. Tonight I pinch 40g of meat off of my Mum’s shank with a bit of green veg and even that was too much! It’s crazy how drastically my meal sizes have changed and how badly I used to overeat before for what my body actually needs to function.

Saturday morning routine is the little man and I head off to the gym! But this week the normal Saturday morning gym workout didn’t happen. Instead I had a work out of a different variety!

We have our routine house inspection coming up this week so this means one thing CLEAN UP FRENZY hahaha – the house is pretty well ready to go on a daily basis for a house inspection the garden however – well that is a completely different story! I am NOT a gardener by any means and I am not one who enjoys or finds it therapeutic. Well I never used to anyway!

Two and a half hours and over 1,100 calories later my yard is looked freaking awesome!

And for the first time in my life I can honestly say I didn’t hate gardening with a passion. I actually quiet enjoying spending the time outside in the sunshine with Jamie and Lachlan. Despite the few moment of me channeling my dear Dad’s temper tantrum when things didn’t go right using the new line trimmer we bought yesterday.

I am also enjoying pottering around in my veggie patch and I am a little bit too proud of my rapidly growing gold zucchini’s – these are the first fruit or vegetable I have EVER grown! I know at 36 I am probably leaving my run a bit late but hey it’s better late than never.

It’s so bizarre that an outcome of my surgery is that I can say that not only do I no longer hate gardening, I might even slightly enjoy it buying a few extra plants for the garden at Bunnings this afternoon which I have already planned a few of the seedlings.

I often wonder what my dearly departed Dad would think of everything I have been through over the last 12 months. I know he was always worried about my size and weight but didn’t really say anything about it just always encouraged me to get fitter and be more active. I really hope that he is proud of me not only for my progressive weight loss but also for the changes and improvements for me in a person and as a mother!

Chicken Rose Pasta Sauce

Serves: 4 standard or 12 Bariatric portions

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken breast fillet, diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 400g can chopped whole peeled tomatoes
• 400g can whole peeled cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup smooth ricotta

Method:

• Place the onion, celery and garlic in a heavy based frying pan with some cooking spray and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened
• Add in the diced chicken and toss over a high heat to seal the chicken
• Add both cans of tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the time will vary depending on how large the chicken pieces are
• Remove from the heat and stir through the ricotta, it may appear slightly grainy and curdled, this will depend on the thickness of the ricotta used but it is NOT curdled at all
• Serve with your choice of pasta, spiral vegetables or any other side of your choice.

Nutritional Value per Serve (12):

• Calories: 85
• Total fat: 2.4g
• Total carbohydrates: 3g
• Sugars: 2.2g
• Protein: 12.4g

Recipe Notes:

• Store covered in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days
• This recipe is freezer friendly to be consumed within 6 months, it may require slight dehydration by adding a small amount of chicken stock when reheating.

Disclaimer: C4K Kitchen does not hold any responsibility for the consumer using this recipe including the storage guidelines and time frames recommended in the recipe notes. The consumer holds all responsibilities to ensure that food hygiene and safety standards are adhered to.

Sweet baby Jesus!! My shoulder and arms are SCREAMING at me blue murder…they are definitely not very happy with being awoken yesterday during my PT session.

On top of my gym pain I also have an ouchie pain on my arm! Last night just before bed I managed the near impossible and because I have excess saggy skin that gets in the way I accidentally pinched the saggy skin in the pantry door….needless to say it’s just another pain in my arm today!

My legs were somewhat stiff and achey but I pushed through and still walked to and from my meeting at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in North Adelaide

Even if I did forget to stop the tracker on my trip back to the office.

One of the ladies on the floor who is in a different team, I don’t have a whole lot to do with her except making small chit-chat in the hallways. I ran into her in the kitchen at coffee time and she said she couldn’t believe how much I was fading away and how amazing I am looking. It’s such a bizarre conversation to have particularly with those who I haven’t openly discussed my surgery with.

So I finished my first week back at work full time and it was an intense stressful full on and super productive week and when I got home I wanted to unwind and feel human and “normal”.

My sleeve does not define me……I define me!! And tonight I make the decision to drink some calories, it’s a conscious decision to do something that I wouldn’t do on a daily basis but tonight I throw caution to the wind and I live my new balanced life for me 😀

Lauren’s Surprise Cupcake

Makes: 10

Ingredients:

• 4 scoops (120g) chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 1/3 cup low calorie sweetener
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
• 5 squares of dark Lindt chocolate, halved

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a muffin tray with cupcake liners gently spraying the inside with cooking spray
• Place all the dry ingredients, except for the chocolate squares, into a large mixing bowl and combine well
• Place all the wet ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk together
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined
• Allow the batter for 10 minutes and then stir the mixture again
• Divide the batter into 2 even portions, use one portion to evenly spread the batter across the 10 Cupcake liners
• Place a piece of chocolate while gently on top of the batter
• Use the remaining batter pouring gently on top of the chocolate pieces
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the cake skewer comes out clean.

Nutritional Value per Cupcake:

• Calories: 115
• Total fat: 4.5
• Total carbohydrates: 5.7g
• Sugars:  2.5g
• Protein: 13.8g

Recipe Notes:

• Store in an air tight container below 27 degrees for a maximum of 3 days
• This recipe is freezer friendly to be consumed within 6 months
• Protein powder used in the recipe is Protein Supplies Australia WPI Fast Release protein powders
• You can buy online from www.proteinsuppliesaustralia.com.au
• Use the Discount code psafriendsofhollys at checkout to get a 10% discount

Disclaimer: C4K Kitchen does not hold any responsibility for the consumer using this recipe including the storage guidelines and time frames recommended in the recipe notes. The consumer holds all responsibilities to ensure that food hygiene and safety standards are adhered to.

Well today I did something for the first time! I had my first PT session! Alarm set for 5.30am, gym clothes laid out ready to go!

Got there a bit early so I did a 10 minute warm up on the cross trainer.

And then in began!! This is Anita my lovely amazing inspiring hilarious hard arse PT!! She didn’t get a say about this she just my got my phone shoved in her face!

We did my half hour work out. I did 3 sets of

• Battle rope slams
• Battle rope lifts
• Kettle bell upright rower
• Mountain climbers (only in the first set)
• Walking lunges
• Wall sits
• Lateral raises
• Elevated dumbell squats; and
• The rower

I felt physically sick like I was either going to hurl or pass out but with Anita’s “encouragement” I whinged my way through everything she wanted me to do.

My Fitbit said that I burnt 375 calories however I know that it would have been more than that because my heart stopped beating for 10-15 minutes of the session!

Well not actually stopped beating but my heart rate was not registering because my arm was that sweaty! I was one sweaty hot mess by the end of the session.

Got home and quickly got ready for work and off I went for another day.

I had meetings all over the place and once again used my legs instead of taxi’s clocking up extra steps for my daily target. My 10am I had already hit my daily target steps.

On my way back to the office I called into Country Health’s head office where I worked for many years. I haven’t been into that office to visit since about March. One lovely friend knows about my surgery and is always so lovely and supportive. It’s always lovely to be a surprise guest for JC! I then went to visit my old team, the EA of the team didn’t know about my surgery and her words “holy crap you’ve lost a lot of weight”…which JC and I giggled saying just a little bit.

I then knocked on the wall of the girl who recruited me back in 2007 who looked up and said “hi can I help you?” And then then took about 30 seconds of her staring at me before she realised it was me. Hahaha someone who has known me for 10 years and who knew I was having the surgery didn’t recognise me.

It’s a weird compliment to look like a different person 🙂

Overall a good day…..but will I be able to walk tomorrow?? I hope so as I have a meeting at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital that I am planning on walking to!

Weigh in Wednesday

This week – 1.0kg

Since surgery – 60.4kg

Total 79.3kg

I am gobsmacking that I have lost 60kg since surgery and almost a grand total of 80kg! I really hope I can hit that target next week, what a huge milestone. Never in a million years did I think I would lose 80kg let alone in the time frame that I have.

Yesterday was the Melbourne cup and I came second in the sweep and won $7 woohoo big winner!! Except I spent it on the way home at Target on the size 18 clearance rack dress for a massive $5.06 and today I wore it. That’s right I wore a size 18 skirt 😜

I also got to celebrate a non scale victory (NSV) in that while I was in a meeting with my boss I looked down and realised I had my legs crossed! What the heck?!?!? When could I start crossing my legs…..

After that I honestly spent the rest of they very distracted by my legs and admiring them. The lovely ladies I work with got a great deal of amusement laughing at me taking a picture of me sitting with my legs crossed.

Yes I am saying this out loud…..I like my legs, I really like my legs! Well from the knees down at least hahaha

Transformation Tuesday……no matter how many side by side photos I do I am honestly in shock and disbelief.

I am in shock that I was so large and I don’t ever remember looking that large.

I am in shock that the reflection I now see has shape and definition. She has normal womanly curves and shape.

I had had some weird belly pains today, the type that resembled a mild version of what I was having earlier this year when I was admitted to hospital for a week. I am feel that uncomfortable tightness and discomfort that comes with the sleeve life of high protein and low fibre diet! Tonight I will be doubling my doses of supports and aids, the last time I want to do is end up having that massive pain attacks again!

Today was my first day back working full time for the first time since before I started maternity leave in 2011.

Driving into work this morning I had a moment of extreme vanity in which I nearly crashed my car! I quite blatantly was checking myself out in the rear view mirror, it really freaks me out that I don’t recognise that reflection as myself!! It’s so surreal and abnormal that I don’t know who that person is???

Note: this photo was not taken while driving 😀

Day one was a cost saving measure for the health department. Why was it cost saving you might ask? Because I used my legs to get to all my meeting between hospitals and my office instead of using cab charge vouchers!

Not only did I get in some great incidental exercise….

I also got to enjoy some gorgeous Adelaide views along the journey as I walked the foot bridge between the Royal Adelaide and the Women’s & Children’s Hospitals.

I knew that I was going to be out of the office most of the day so I didn’t bother packing my lunchbox instead I took some high protein snacks I could have in transit and picked up some dumplings for lunch on my way back to the office. I’m such a cheap feed these days when eating out lol

So I survived day one of full time back to the office again tomorrow for my first Melbourne cup and first Tuesday in 6 years! But my lunchbox is packed and ready to roll.