Monday, 25 May 2009
New Laptop and Wii Active
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Fatter, heavier, but alive and happy :-)
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Happy and THANK YOU my blogger friends x

I stayed away from the cappuccinos yesterday and today (yes, despite giving up for over a month I had been back on them last week - another reason for my deathly silence).
But I feel lighter and brighter and happier this evening.
Logging on just now and seeing the 4 lovely comments to my blog post below, just simply made my evening. For anyone reading this (silently) I have pleasure to inform you that not one of the below is a friend (from outside of cyberspace) i.e. they are not mates going on giving me support. They are REAL fellow bloggers, on the same path with similar weight loss goals. True fellow blogger friends, shining a light of support. That light that makes this cyber space a lovely homely place to touch base with.
The comment that we have to ignore unsuccessful weeks, or days or months is so so so true. Each moment passes as we take each breath, and another new moment is there to be savoured, and honoured. Each new minute and each new day is an opportunity to BE the person you want to be. For anyone out there needing a pep talk, just read those comments on the post below - they are SUPER.
Anyway, thanks so so so so much.
Liska xxxxxx
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Onwards and Upwards

Sunday, 15 February 2009
Determined
Well I already started last night, as I wrote a comment below the other kind comments (thanks Guys) where I confirmed that I was able to rescue the salad stuff in the fridge, even though the cherry tomatoes were very ripe, as were the avocados. So yesterday evening I wrote myself the following comment:
I went to the fridge with trepidation. The romaine lettuce was eddible, as were
the very very ripe cherry tomatoes, the organic cellery was still crunchy and
perfect, the avocado (inside) just had to have a couple of brown bits cut off,
carrots (because they were in fridge) were still perfect so I shredded two.....
so I just made myself an enormous salad, added two teaspoons of pesto sauce and
drizzled it all in avocado oil. Was a big plateful and incredibly filling, and I
feel super now. I am so glad that even though I bought the stuff a week ago
today, that it was all still, luckily, okay.......There was a whole iceberg
lettuce in there that did tonight go in the bin, but I don't know when I bought
that..... it's a sin what we throw away.Anyway, thank you so so so so much for
the comments above. I promise you I will stay on track this week. I plan on
making lots of healthy soups for lunch in my Vita Mix so I really hope I pull
that off. Also plan on going to aqua aerobics twice this coming week, and drinking lots of water.
Today I have weighed myself again on the Wii Fit.To recap:
on 7th Feb it said 13 stone 3 pounds,
8th Feb it said 13 st 6 pounds,
on 13th Feb it said 13 st 11 pounds,
on 14th Feb: 13 st 9 pounds and
now today 13 stone 8 pounds.
Considering that I started this journey on 2nd January, on a weight of 13 stone 7 pounds, it is like the calendar of time is moving while my weight stays still (well if you class couple of pounds Up down Up down Up down as standing still).
Not acceptable considering I know how to do this. I lost 3 stone in 2001 when I was getting ready for my wedding. I started then in 2001 in February and had lost it all by June. I know what to eat and I know what to give up. When I give up bread, sugar, etc........ the weight falls off. I just need to do it again.
I was sad yesterday when I read this blog, as this lady is doing exactly what I want to do, a steady weight loss of 2 or 3 pounds a week, meaning she is now 12 pounds lighter than how she started the year. I want to duplicate that.
Anyway, I am going to keep my head down and really get on with it this week. Drink lots of Super Greens, eat lots of fresh VITAL food, no sugar, no bread, no muffins, lots of exercise, lots of walking (I aim to walk in lunch breaks) and 2 sessions of Aqua Aerobics.
I aim to have good news by this time next week. I wish you all the same, my blog friends.
Oh and on my blog I have completely ignored Valentine's day which is naughty of me, given that hubby bought me a beautiful bouquet, gave me breakfast in bed, and a beautiful card.
Liska xx

Saturday, 14 February 2009
Bad news
I went on the Wii Fit last night and it told me I hadn't been on it for 5 days........ (first alarm bell as from 1st to 8th Feb I had only missed one day, and had thought I would carry on like that).
Then it told me my weight was back up to being classified as OBESE, and that I had put on 6 pounds since it last saw me / weighed me.
I started my "time of the month" on Tuesday, and ate like an absolute pig every day. Yesterday I bought a 6 pack of Mr Kipling lemon slices and ate 4 of them.
It is crazy because when I eat rubbish I feel rubbish and I feel super when I eat healthy. Some people feel like a rabbit when they eat salad, but not me. I love fresh food, I love cellery, so why oh why oh why don't I eat more of it.......?
The way I was going (losing 5 pounds last week) I thought I would soon be 12 stone something rather than 13 stone something, but that right now seems like life-years away.
Crazy, as I went food shopping last Saturday and only bought healthy food, so I had a healthy lunch Saturday, followed by a healthy dinner and same again Sunday. It seemed to all go out the window on the weekdays (work days).
I am dredding going to look in the fridge now, as I am scared that there is healthy food in there that I have allowed to go off, uneaten. I know there are 4 avocados in there and I just pray they are still okay, because they were the ones that are ripe when you buy them (dearer for it too). I know I had a bag of rocket in there tooooooooooooooooooo.
I used to be so good at detoxing, I don't know what's wrong with me. Beginning of January, I thought I'd lose all the weight by April, and here I am now, nearly mid-February.
Well this week will have to be a good one - that's all I can say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bye for now, cross your fingers and toes for me. My favourite bloggers all seem to be doing very well, so I guess I just need to catch up with all of them, and be inspired, and BE the change I want to see :-)
Liska xxxxxxxxx

Monday, 9 February 2009
Victoria - prayers needed.
Victoria is nearly as large as the UK.
Please if you are reading, spare a thought for those people. I will not say anymore as words can't express how I feel right now.
Liska Life xxxxxxxxx

You just have to read it - trust me - no quick fix
It is so good you just HAVE to read it.
Enough said!
Liska Life
x

Saturday, 7 February 2009
Don't get caught out as Ryanair try to get another 30 pounds / euros out of you at the departure gate

Passengers unable to place items into 1 bag and who refuse to make the additional payment at the departure gate will not be allowed to travel.
Yet another charge from the company that finds new and ingenious ways to make revenue out of us.
The Guardian here says:
It could be the most expensive bottle of asti spumante you'll ever buy. Ryanair has confirmed passengers will be charged £30 if they cannot fit their duty free purchases into their single piece of hand luggage............... Under the hand luggage rules, any passenger who attempts to board with more than one piece of hand lugage will be charged £30 at the departure gate. If they refuse to pay the extra fee, they have the option of dumping their purchases at the gate or missing their
flight.
Back to me again: When Ryanair agrees to fly out of an airport, it often gets the airport to subsidise this. The only way they can afford to is due to the profit they make in their stores. People won't buy if they have to pay further for the pleasure, so the airport suffers. When Knock airport on the West Coast of Ireland started to lose revenue when duty free started to only apply when travelling outside Europe, they had to introduce a departure fee of 10 euros per person payable to the airport itself. They really rely on revenue from their shops, and Ryanair made sure they really relied on THEM, which is why for years and years there was no other airline flying out of Knock. When an airport is brand new and small, Ryanair hold the bargaining chips.......
The Irish World dot com says:
"Ryanair operates a policy where passengers can only carry one item of cabin
baggage on board. Previously, passengers adhered to the rule while checking in
and going through security, but often accumulated other bags with
last-minute duty-free purchases. Now it appears that even a humble box of duty free chocolates could cost passengers €30 if it will not fit inside the one item of permitted carry-on luggage".It's funny my mum told me 60 euros, and she heard about it on the radio. I then go online and it turns out to be £30, now I am reading £28.50, below. I guess until I next travel I will never know for definite. The following sounds a bit more accurate, and is from the Telegraph:
"Under the new arrangements, which came into force at the start of the year,
passengers must fit whatever they buy at an airport duty free shop into their
one piece of hand baggage. They also have to be able to close the bag with
the duty free items inside the bag which can weigh no more than 22lbs (10kg) and
be no bigger than 21.6 x 15.8 x 7.9 inches. The policy is enforced by Ryanair's staff as they check boarding passes at the gate.
Anyone found to have an extra bag – perhaps containing a box of chocolates or bottle of wine – will be given a choice if they cannot cram it into their carry-on bag. They can either leave it at the airport or alternatively they can have their existing piece of cabin luggage put into the hold, and take the duty free on board.
For this they would have to pay the £28.50 Ryanair charges for checking in a piece of luggage at the airport. According to an airline spokesman only a few passengers have been forced to surrender duty-free so far".
The Telegraph also shows how the charges have steeply gone up over the years:
Ryanair's rising extras
Check in one bag £5 2006 yet £30 2008
Paying by card £3.50 2006 yet £10 2008
Sport/music equipment £31 2006 yet £60 2008
Excess baggage per kilo £5.50 2006 and now £15 2008
Flight changes £30 2006 and then £50 2008
Name changes £70 and then £100 2008
Don't get caught out. Make sure you only have one piece of hand luggage or be prepared to dig deep in your pockets.
I wish I'd found this before I wrote all of the above. Ryanair put a news release on THEIR website on 20th Jan 2009. I don't know why it's only become common knowledge early Feb, with alot of the links above being Feb and my mum only having just heard about it on the radio. Anyhow, to save all of the interpretations just read the official news release.
Liska Life xx
Wii Fit - how long will it last?
Says that people normally give up on it after a month.
Well, given that my thighs are weak, and it gives them SUCH a good workout I am going to try and stick at it. When I was on it Sunday 1st Feb for whole day, I could hardly walk on Tuesday and Wednesday. I guess it's that that makes people shirk it. It is a game but it is WORK.
Given that I had an old fashioned weighing scales with a needle (analogue I think they call them) it is very refreshing for me to have the digital weight I get from Wii Fit. Love the graph it produces too. It is superb for tracking, and even tracks BMI.
It's funny, but the games that are hardest on my thighs are also the ones I am determined to beat to get a better score, i.e. the bubble down the stream one, and the Ski Slalom... So my addictive personality is helping me get fit for once :-) They are actually my favourites, despite the aches. I also absolutely love the step game, although I can imagine it will eventually get boring.
What I am absolutely amazed by is that there is a delayed reaction between your brain wanting your balance to shift on the board, and it actually happening, but I read in Dr Robert O Young's book today that bouncing on a rebounder for 15 minutes a day helps with that. Only trouble is, although that gives you the gift, what tells people that they are lacking it in the first place, before it is too late???? Well the Wii Fit certainly does, along with the age it gives you. I have varied from 30 to 60 years of age on it .............
Given that I am guilty of playing with things for a couple of months till the novelty wears off (haven't used my Vita Mix nor my IPOD in ages) it will be interesting to see how long the wii fit lasts. Victor always tells me off for buying gadgets I don't use for long.
Anyway I am signing off now, as I have an urge to............ play with my Wii Fit :-)
Liska Life x

Happy with the scales and the Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
It gave me some high readings last week as there was two days in a row when I had late take-a-way dinners and weighed myself an hour or two after - silly me! That was 3rd and 4th February, and mainly because of birthday........ by 5th it had me back down to 190 pounds but now today 185, which I think is a true reading.
I have been to aqua aerobics twice this week and they were both punishing fab workouts. It is not your typical gentle aqua, as there are all these props that she uses, it is like doing a weights workout but in water - love it.
Anyway, being heavy wasn't spurring me on, but seeing this weight loss is! I think reverse psychology works on me :-)
The other thing that's making me mega happy is that up till now the Wii's been measuring me as OBESE, but for the first time today it said simply OVERWEIGHT, yyyyyyeeeeaaaaah!
So the amount of weight left to lose is now below 40 pounds (gone from 42 to 38) on my weight loss ticker. The BMI has gone below 30 which now means overweight instead of obese, and I am getting much closer to 13 stone. My next milestone is to be 12 stone something....... Very happy today.
Anyway, going food shopping now for some healthy bits and pieces so bye bye.
Liska Life
xx
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Weight loss Summary, Yo Yo, and time to get real

On 14th January, when I wrote this post, I was 186 pounds and over the moon (84.55 KG). That was because I had been on Super Greens (by Innerlight) on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
On 25th Jan, back up to 189 pounds when I wrote this post.
These last couple of weeks, I have been nowhere near what you would call a detox, and my new Wii Fit nicely tells me I am OBESE :-) I am going to turn it on right now to see what weight it thinks I am today :-)
Today, 5th February 2009, the Wii Fit reckons I am 190 pounds (which is 3 pounds less than what it said yesterday). I have to find a time, that is the same time, that I weigh myself every day. Although both of those, yesterday and today were both evening; yesterday 20:35 and today 18:22. I have weighed myself every day (1st to 5th Feb) on the Wii Fit and it is hilarious the way it goes up and down, so it is advisable to weigh weekly, otherwise you'd drive yourself mad.... I am going to weigh on it daily though, as I think I need it as a kick up the bum at the moment and I am addicted to my Wiiiiiii at present.
I am gonna get serious with this whole weight loss thing now. Gloves are off, Spring is coming and birthday is behind me. I wanna look trim when I receive those red roses on Valentine's Day :-)
Yo yo dieting really contributes to the above up and down, so I need to get real now and stick to the program (ideally being alkaline).
Liska Life xx
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
London - functions in Blitz, but snow too much to deal with! Obvioulsy ran out of salt too!

Even though most people couldn't get into work yesterday, my route was unaffected so I was at work by 830. Some transport resumed today (like the buses) BUT as the snow became compacted from people walking on it, and grit still wasn't being put down ... and temperatures were still low, the pavements which were lovely and crunchy and picturesque yesterday, were like ice rinks today.
I watch Dancing on Ice on a Sunday, I don't practice it to and from work thank you :-)
I slipped 4 times, but lucky did not fall.......... But gosh when I was younger London DID used to cope with snow and you would see salt everywhere. They didn't even bother to put any on my station platform....Salt was obviously in short supply yesterday and today. They obviously some years ago sold our snow ploughs to the highest bidder... are you telling me they sold our salt tooooooooooo??? And that was probably the action of some bright spark trying to make their excel budget look good...........
Across London more than 1,000 colleges, nurseries, primary and seconday schools closed for a 2nd day today. Ice on the roads (you know the ones WITHOUT salt) made the school run dangerous...........
It's like someone did an order at a dehli and said:
Heavy on the snow and hold the salt!
I love what I read in the london paper tonight:
"Boris is happy to take the credit when things go right; he should show some leadership and take some responsibility when they go wrong".
As I said in the subject heading the buses did not even stop in the BLITZ! The entire bus fleet was suspended yesterday - a measure not even taken during the blitz. 10 out of 11 tube lines were either completely or partially suspended.
And back to Boris (oh Mayor of London - bring back Ken Livinstone!) he was photographed on the london paper tonight jogging and cycling this morning....... oh how VERY dare he! He is jogging ON THE ROAD, on the black bits where the tires clear.......... a clear admission that the pavements were like ice rinks! What message does that send..........? London take to the streets..... stay healthy and keep up your daily run, but do it on the road where you can get knocked over....... or be hit by a car skidding on black ice (there was LOTS of that this morning).. But no....... his road was clear as it was probably covered in camera men! How very contrived and fake and not the least bit endearing.
Boris I would have preferred to see you with a shovel in your hand, talking to workers struggling to get to their offices....... Also the caption under his photo had the audacity to say "true grit" when the WHOLE problem with London is we have not seen one bit of grit...........
And how embarassing that it made International News, so that the whole world now knows we can't cope with 8 inches of snow........
There endeth my rant......... for now.......... Oh and in the photo, I am the one on the left.

Saturday, 31 January 2009
Wii Fit and Goodbye to January

I just googled Wii Fit in Google Images and the above image came up. That's got me ready to expect to see a screen like that! Oh dear, I bet it will say I am obese, as my weight loss ticker (on my sidebar) tells me my BMI is 30.5. Other resources have told me it is 32. Whatever... it is definitely more than in the image above....... Still can't understand that classes me as obese though, as I am only a size 16 (UK size). Although I suppose I am comfotable at 10.5 stone and I am currently 13.5, so that is obviously sufficient to make me obese.
A blogger a few weeks back (can't remember who) said that she saw herself in the mirror and she was bigger than she thought. I always have that problem. Because if I really really really knew inside, how I look outside, I WOULD do something about it. People reading this will say but YOU ARE doing something about it......... aha .......... well I ate naughties in Portugal like chocolate biscuits etc........ and it hasn't stopped since I got back.......... This week I have even had a few glasses of COKE, and a few years ago when I was mega healthy circa 2003-2006, I would not have even touched coke............ I have eaten a lot of bags of crisps this week, I have had pasta several times, which has not agreed with my stomach AT ALL...... Wednesday night I went food shopping, and the leaks, celery, and 2 cucumbers I bought are STILL in the fridge uneaten........ it's like I have gone into a gear this week, where bad tastes good and good tastes bad. Due to my supergreens knowledge I KNOW exactly what THAT means........ it means I have been acidic all week, which means I crave acid........ whereas when I eat salad, eat veg, drink greens, and drink lots of water I go alkaline, which means I crave veg, salad, and water..... With me, once I flip the switch from acid ON to acid OFF it is actually quite easy, it's just an acid day, so easily turns into an acidic week!!!!!!!!!!!
So I have to say goodbye to January, knowing that I leave it the same way I entered it. Such a shame, when people like Carol Vorderman have proved (with her famous 28 day detox) how much can be achieved in a month. That just reminded me that I have her DVD, so as I am in the sitting room I have just turned it on, so it is now in the background to give me some much needed inspiration. STUPID thing with me is that I enjoy healthy food, so I just have to get better with the self discipline. Monika and Keyur regularly have sticks of celery on their desks and I always grab a couple and munch on them, with the same enjoyment some people would save for chocolate.......... so as long as I make time to be healthy, to prep the food, to buy the food and don't grab naughties when stressed, I would be fine,........ oh and also obviously very important to flip that aforementioned switch so that I am in the right GEAR and craving the right things........ In a blog a few weeks ago you will remember I lost 3 pounds in a few days, due to being alkaline......... yeah I put it back on but at least I know how to do it. I need to just do it AGAIN and this time build up a momentum AND sustain it.
With having gym membership I should not need a Wii Fit, but I just know it will be motivating for me as I am a bit of a techie and ALSO very visual, so if the above screen is anything to go by, I think it may do just the trick. People at work say it gives you your FIT age! I hope mine is not too old, but at least you have the motivation of watching it come down.
I have wanted one for ages, but was also spurred on by Heather's review at Setting Her Free.
Once I am up and running on it, I will write again. Really excited.
Liska Life xx
Friday, 30 January 2009
Health, weight, link to blog post worth reading

"Maybe we should start wearing cucumbers and avocados around our necks
to ward off the pandemic of acidic FAT that is killing more people than The
Plague. Metabolic and Dietary acidic Fats build up in the body and are stored in
the body fat. Cucumbers and Avocados, together with an Alkalarian Lifestyle,
neutralizes excess acid in the body and prevents acid accumulations and deposits
in the fatty tissues. Excess Acidic Body Fat is the Plague of our generation,
and proper alkaline food intake is the answer to the dis-ease of Acidic Fat,
just like Garlic was the answer to avoiding the acids that caused The
Plague".

Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Chocolate is not ALWAYS worth it!!

So I popped into Tesco Express, bought the aforementioned sin, and ate it. Within a couple of hours I had a spot, which now, 4 days later is like a little boil on the side of my chin.
I had forgotten all about the egg, even though the spot hurts, but it all came flooding back when I just read Busted, at Pasta Queen.
So I just posted the following comment there:
"I bought a cadbury's creme egg on Friday (on the way to yoga) and ate
it! Realised my mistake when I got a spot a couple of hours later, which now
even today, feels like a boil on the side of my chin.I have heard of a second on
the lips, a lifetime on the hips, but now we have "days on the chin" hee
hee. Actually, that's so funny, I think I will post it. Although the spot is not at
all funny".
So yes, another reason not to give in when the chocolate beckons. A fellow blogger - Belinda - recently said "Remember it doesn't taste as good as skinny feels". Good motto I think.
Liska Life
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Time to get real
On getting back from Portugal I soon discovered that I was back to 13.5 stone.
Well I just weighed myself again and still 13.5 stone. So the scales don't lie, but for the last few days my ticker has been so I sadly just updated it to reflect the fact that I once again have 42 pounds to lose and am once again up at 189 pounds.
I didn't take Super Greens with me to Portugal and have not drunk them since I returned, so I am now off to the cupboard to dig them out and drink a gallon :-) as the days I lost that weight, I WAS drinking my greens. When something is working, you don't stop doing it, unless you are as stupid as me.
So target for 2009 was to lose weight, and here I am 25th Jan, at the same weight I was at Xmas.
I need a big fat kick up the bum.
Bye for now,
Liska Life :-(
x
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Stress and eating
Well I just found a very very informative and comprehensive blog post about the very subject:
http://www.kundaliniyogablog.com/-2007-09-15-stress-reducers-yoga-and-a-balanced-diet/
Read it all the way down, as it is quite long but well worth a read.
Liska Life x
Today

It was a surprisingly gentle day. And the vibe was very very mellow. None of the kriyas were particularly tough. There was a happy atmosphere which was spot on as Yogi B mentioned the happy word in his opening paragraph today.
Anyway I just had a hot bath to make sure I won't ache tomorrow and I am now off to bed to sleep incredibly well.
Liska Life x
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Back on UK soil

Well, I am back from Portugal.
Having spent so much time with 2 beautiful girls over there (Kristina and Tatiana), daughters of friends: Victor and Emma, I just read Barack Obama's letter to his two girls and it really is beautiful.
I hope the wishes for a better future that we all send to him, spur him on to achieve everything we hope he will. I know one man can't be Superman, but anything is an improvement on George Bush, and Barack Obama is so much more than just change for changes sake. I have faith he will do some great things while at the helm.
With that in mind, I hope I do some great things with my weight loss - back on the wagon tomorrow :-) Holiday over. That is the trick I guess... to focus as if a nation is depending on me.... :-) To be accountable and responsible. Set objectives and targets, and steer back on track if the ship is going off track.
So I am off this computer soon, to unpack, make a very healthy dinner of salmon and veg for hubby and I, and generally get ready for work tomorrow. Bit of input, and the output is always better :-)
Bye for now
Liska Life x