Sunday morning started with a session at the gym dragging along a good friend with me to hook in the gym torture….I mean fun!

760 calories and some more treadmill jogging later I got home and stuffed! Had a family day at Marion shopping centre and came home at 2pm realised that I hadn’t eaten all day….oopsy!

Eventually ended up zonking out on the couch for 30 minutes, even after a quick lunch that was no doubt due to low calorie energy lulls!

Tonight I was heading out for dinner with a group of lovely of current and ex work colleagues and friends! Talk about anxiety central!! I haven’t seen 3 of these lovely ladies in months and man oh man was I freaking out about their reactions to seeing me. Would they notice any difference? Had I disappointed them in not having more substantial changes in my appearance? What the heck do I wear? Does this look ok? Every possible question of self doubt pretty much went through my head! The mind games are real!

All of that anxiety was completely unwarranted and stressed myself out over nothing at all! Needless to say this bunch of beautiful incredible women had nothing but pride and support!

Had a lovely dinner out and I even had a glass of wine. The only downfall was that they bought me a main despite only ordering an entree. Guess I looked like I needed a bigger serve…..now I have food for days lol

Protein Almond Bread

Makes: 24

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 3 scoops (90g) pure protein powder
• 1/4 cup low calorie sweetener
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• 250g almonds

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

• Beat egg whites with an electric beater until soft peaks are formed then gradually add sweetener and beat until all dissolved and finally gently fold in the protein powder, coconut flour, syrup and almonds using a spatula.

• Spread mixture into a greased log tin and bake for 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

• Remove from the loaf tin and allow to fully cool on a wire rack.

• Cut the entire loaf into very thin slices, this is easiest when using an electric knife.

• Place slices in a single layer onto oven trays and bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes or until dry and crisp.

Nutritional Value per slice:

• Calories: 81
• Total fats: 5.4g
• Total carbohydrates: 3G
• Sugars: 0.9g
• Protein: 5.7g

Recipe Notes:

• Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks
• This recipe is not freezer friendly well fully prepared but the slices can be frozen prior to the second bake and to complete the final cooking process once defrosted.
• Almond milk can be interchanged with any milk of your preference.
• 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.

Saturday morning means one thing…..gym date with my main little guy! Off we went on our little weekly outing together!

I was preparing myself more than I normally do, wardrobe wise and I decided to double bag the wind socks!! Lately as I have been pushing myself more I have found the jiggle factor has been really bloody comfortable and at times (depending on what I was doing) painful!

Why is it necessary to double bag these socks….because of this blasted excess skin, the battle is daily and the battle is really bloody frustrating!

I started off on the bike with a cheeky 11km, I then did 3 sets of the weight machines I use…I was then procrastinating to the nth degree and ended up having a text convo with Anita (my personal trainer)

Me: Need tough love – tell me to stop being a chicken shit and run on the treadmill in public

Anita: Do it woman… you’ll be fine. Did you die last time?!!!

And because I respect her and she slightly terrifies me in an awesome and motivating way I did it!!

I did 20 minutes on the treadmill at anywhere between 9-10km/hour for 30 seconds running, 30 seconds rest. My gosh that got the heart rate going and the sweat happening. It’s safe to say by the end of my time at the gym I well and truly looked like I had been through the ringer!

The rest of the day I have pretty chilled out and struggled to eat anything really substantial or requiring a lot of effort of my behalf, so had a lot of snacky, pre-prepared foods – not a lot of fresh which I don’t like, but I have somehow managed to get my minimum protein target which is super important for me on a day like today where I have pushed hard and worked hard at the gym!

Christmas Cake (protein enriched)

Makes: 12 portions

Ingredients:

• 250g mixed dried fruit
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk (of your choice)
• 150g mixed chopped nuts
• 3 scoops (90g) chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

• Place the dried fruit in a mixing bowl and cover with 1 cup of milk and soak overnight
• Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and prepare either a 6 silicon muffin tray or 2 miniature spring form pans by spraying with cooking spray
• Add the chopped nuts, protein powder, coconut flour, baking flour and remaining 1/2 cup of milk to the mixing bowl
• Mix with a spatula until well combined
• Evenly spoon into the prepared cooking vessels
• Bake for 20 minutes for the muffin tray or 25-30 minutes for mini cakes
• Allow to cook in the Cake tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Value per portion:

• Calories: 176
• Total fat: 6.7g
• Total carbohydrates: 17g
• Sugars: 9.6g
• Protein: 11g

Recipe Notes:

• Store in an airtight container storing under 27 degrees for a maximum of 5 days
• This recipe is freezer friendly, to be consumed in 6 months
• Also delicious served warm with custard or ice cream
• 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.

Today is the first day of December. This month brings a lot of things and a lot of events!

• My 12 months post op appointments with my medical team, dietician and life style coach
• Lachlan’s birthday party
• Lachlan’s birthday
• My 12 month sleeve-anniversary
• Christmas
• News years celebrations!

I really wanted to be under 120 by Christmas Day but I really don’t think I am going to achieve that goal, it’s still 7.1kg away! So I revised that goal to wanted to finally drop from Obese class 3 to obese class 2 but even that is seeming somewhat unachievable being 4.5kg away.

But I really shouldn’t be disappointed about not quite being where my head wants me to be. Why shouldn’t I be disappointed?? Because I’m a hell of a lot closer to being there than I was this time 12 months ago…..

We had are work Christmas lunch today and today I also have said goodbye to my favourite denim skirt. It unfortunately can no longer be kept in wardrobe rotations!

My day started with my 6am PT session, of course doing my standard warm up in preparation for the torture of Anita.

My torture session of 3 rotations of gigantic step ups, leg lift things, squats with weigh raises. The second of the 3 rotations was bloody horrific that my heart stopped beating (aka Fitbit stopped registering my heartbeat because I was too sweaty again) I jumped!! That evil horrible delightful amazing supportive Anita made me do box squat jumps, lateral raises and chest press on the free weights machine. I didn’t know that I could jump at all let alone jump 60 times….that second rotation was not fun at all but I’m super proud that I did it – I whinged, grunted, swore, sweated and struggled the whole way through….but I did it!

When I got back and got ready for work I was really annoyed that I couldn’t find the top I wanted to wear so I was very annoyed. So decided that I would try that 1X zulily dress I bought ages ago that has been patiently waiting to fit. I didn’t think it would be any time soon since only 4 months ago I wore my first zulily dress which was a 4X.

The 1X dress fit and fitted well without looking like it was a piece of raw roast pork stuffed into elastic roast netting. I think I looked nice and gave me a really flattering shape and definition.

Feeling good today…..even if my body is hurting!

Weigh in Wednesday

It’s just a teeny tiny loss this week but I will take it!

This week – 0.1kg

Since surgery – 62.3kg

Total – 81.2kg

Thank goodness for my protein packed lunch today otherwise my calories and protein levels would have been not so great today!! It was one of those days where I struggled with food and drinks, it may have been from the heat, it may have been because I was flat out with work but it was one of those days.

And it ended with a rarity for me, I couldn’t be bothered with dinner, I couldn’t be bothered with preparing anything that was Holly-Ified and all I actually felt like was Vegemite in toast….so that’s what I had for dinner! One luscious carb filled piece of toast with lashings of butter and Vegemite. I enjoyed every tiny mouthful and there was not crumb of guilt about having it. It’s been 6 months since I have had “real” bread so it’s safe to say it’s definitely all in moderation.

Intended to go for my morning walk/jog again this morning but apparently my body had different ideas turning off my alarm when it went off and going straight back to sleep without even realising! Oh well I guess today is going to be my rest day instead of tomorrow!

So as I have been coming up to my appointments my insecurities and displeasures have been doing overtime!

Don’t get me wrong I am beyond grateful of the opportunity I have been given to reclaim me life and so very proud of how far I have already come. I know I’m a work in progress and that I will achieve my goals that I have set for myself but I still really struggle when I look at myself in the mirror.

It’s really quite bizarre…photos I can handle

But there is something about the mirror that is so damn exposing and terrifying!

One thing that I really am not at all happy with no matter how much weight I have lost and realistically no matter how much weight I will lose is my damn belly bulge!! Yes it has considerably shrunk but it’s still there which really limits the selection of silhouettes of clothes I can wear. I can only wear pencil skirts like I did today when it’s a long line tunic style top to cover that bulge.

The worst part is no matter how much I lose it will always be there as a lot of that is excess skin which I can’t do anything about until it gets chopped off even losing some more kgs.

So this is Bertha my bulge – I hate Bertha!!

And to the lady who I was talking to in the kitchen today who I never spoken to before…..

No, I haven’t had fillers in my lips

Yes, they do look larger than you used to

Yes, I’m sure I haven’t had fillers or Botox….I’ve just lost the fat that used to surround them to make my lips look bigger!!

Another early morning start heading off for my walk/jog at 6am! To start with I really wasn’t feeling motivated and thought I would just walk but as I got going I ended up doing 30 second interval jogging and walking…well that got the heart rate going, sweat flowing and the wind socks jiggling!!

I can’t believe that in 35 minutes I almost did 4km and burnt 450 calories!

When I got home I was having my breakfast on the couch and I have to admit I was admiring my own legs, I really can’t believe that those legs are attached to me and not the over-sized fluid filled stobey pole legs I had 12 months ago.

While I was admiring my legs my phone beeped at me and it was my Fitbit app congratulating me for increasing my cardio health. My cardio health according to my Fitbit has always been poor sitting at around 26, today my cardio health upgraded to average sitting at 35….it only needs to get to 37 to be considered good! Who would have thought in a million years my cardio health would have ever been considered anything but poor let alone on the cusp of being good!!

Another busy day at work and it wasn’t until I went to loo this afternoon that I had a hair-revelation. I have had solid bangs many time before in my adult life and I have always liked them for my suiting my face shape BUT they have always given me the shits because every day without fail I would end up looking like a hideous mess with pubic hair fringe from my head getting hot sweaty and turning my fringe to frizz!

Today I have realised that I am not longer that sweaty mess and it can get to above 24 degrees Celsius degrees and it doesn’t affect my hair at all….I still have cute bangs rocking at the end of my day too!!

It’s a hair victory!!

My day started early this morning with Lachlan’s having his party time at 5.20am, he fell back to sleep at 6.30 and rather than going back to sleep I decided to kick start my day with a walk. After my attempt to run a couple of days ago and the support and encouragement from some of my sleeve sisters I decided to give this running caper another shot. I did 6 small bursts of jogging…..I am pretty sure I have absolutely no style, I was causing mini earthquakes with each thud of my foot hitting the pavement and jiggled so much I looked like a jelly fish trying to escape a net! But I did it!!

Just under 4.5km and 615 calories later I arrived back home hot, sweaty and accomplished! I can’t believe I had reached my daily steps target and burnt that many calories all before 7.30am and before 1 single calorie had passed my lips! Wardrobe function and all after losing a boob during one of my running stints.

When I got home I had some cute down time with my little man having some “squishes” aka bear hugs! Love being about to physically parent the way I want and the way he deserves!

Today was an event, one that I thought I would never be brave enough to do, even if it was just around home….I wore shorts!! And they didn’t look hideous.

Another weekend done and dusted and back to work again tomorrow.