The reason for my silence :-)

We are pregnant :-)

So now you know what I have been up to the last few weeks.  Lots and lots of early nights and not much time on the computer.

Been busy growing our little bean.  This scan was done 19th November (Thursday) when s/he was 11 weeks 3 days and measuring 2 inches head to "rump".

Bye for now,

Liska (excited and pregnant)

xxx

Still here

My friend sent me the above via Facebook and I think it was a hint that I am no longer updating my blog.  Can't believe I am doing so right now, as I am on a Yoga Course this weekend and have THREE things to prepare for it (1) a presentation (2) revise for the exam we have Sunday and (3) practice a class I have to be assessed teaching.

So, with all of that said,  I am off to work on the aforementioned presentation.

Promise I will be back with a bang soooooooon.

Liska (still alive and well)

xxxx

Happy Birthday Emma

To my Dearest Emma, on your special day.

Happy Birthday!

Sorry I have been rubbish

Hi All

Was about time I came out of blog hibernation LOL.  Realised it today when my friend Emma texted me to ask why I had not been updating...

Haven't weighed myself in weeks, so can't update on that score.  Went to circuit training today.  It's fab.  But was well hard, as I do it with 2 of my colleagues and as neither of them could make it, it became a 1 to 1 personal training session.  HARD.  Will be aching next couple of days. And then circuits again on Wednesday. And again I will be on my own.

Very busy at work.  Business Planning for whole of 2010.

Spent Saturday with friends and it was fab. Siobhan and Fiona and Siobhan's gorgeous little boy Ferran.

Sunday was a bit odd.  After food shopping and cooking lunch I fell asleep on the sofa for hours.  Was lovely, but meant I did not get the housework done :-(

Bye for now, Liska 

xxxxxx

Krakow

Hi

In the absence of any decent photos (my digital is broken) I am uploading a not so good one, so you have an image of me in a Shopping Centre in Krakow :-)

I did go back to the old days, and resorted to buying a disposable camera, but have not had those developed yet, so this is from my BlackBerry :-)

Yes, photos developed, doesn't that sound quaint.

Well this photo shows how mumsy I look, still carrying my 13.5 stone around with me, but at least it is no longer 14 stone thanks to the Yoga Festival :-)

Can't write more at the moment........ so goodbye for now and hope you are all very well.

Liska x

Time Traveller's Wife

Hi

Went to see this movie with my husband last night because I read the book years ago, and LOVED it. Anyway, in the UK it came out on 14th August.

I loved the movie so so so much. It is the first time a film has done a book justice. Made me cry so many times.

I had not seen the trailer before I saw the movie. Just watched it on You Tube now and it RUINS a couple of the things that kept me on the edge of my seat so DO NOT WATCH IT.

I am going to Poland today. Then that'll be all my annual leave gone until January 2010.

Week in Portugal in January. Week in Ireland for the wedding. Week in France for Yoga Festival and now week in Poland.

The first 3 were not with hubby, so this is us on holiday, and he wanted to go to Krakow. Couldn't help that these 3 weeks are close to each other, but wedding and festival are pretty fixed dates :-) and this was the week hubby has off.

Anyway, not sure if I will blog from there so thought I would jump on even though I am meant to be packing.

Bye for now girls. Big hug,

Liska xxx

OLD..........Fit on the inside& fat on the outside

Hi

Some funny funny stories from late............. today my boss said she'd heard that from all the circuit training I was fitter, and she was perplexed as she said she couldn't tell....

So I went on to say, "well, I used to hold the railing on the flights of stairs up to the office, and now I can run up them", to which she said, "Oh, you must be fit on the inside and fat on the outside"............

I laughed and laughed and laughed as it was so funny the way she said it. I ran to tell a few people in the office, none of who could understand why I wasn't offended. But it was just SO funny I couldn't be.

While in France I asked a girl at the festival how old I look and was VERY disappointed when she said 37, so all the signs are there, that I need to change things.

Anyway, I finally have a photo from the wedding I can share, as the ones I previously shared (of the black dress) were from the DAY AFTER the wedding........... So now I share a photo from the wedding in Ireland 17th July 2009.

The shoulder bit is not part of the dress. It is a 2 tone scarf that just happened to match exactly, that I practically glued to my shoulders to cover my chubby upper arms.

It is not the most flattering of photos, but good enough to share :-)

Bye for now folks. Hope you are all well :-)

Liska Life

xx

Back with a tan, and half a stone slimmer

Hi All

I got back Wednesday evening but was so so sleep deprived going on the computer was the last thing on my mind. There was a train strike so I had to be up for work at 5 a.m. Thursday and Friday (and after getting up at 4 or 3.30 at the festival........).

I have finally worked out that I lost half a stone while there. My tummy is a quarter of the size it used to be. I have to be careful as in just these few days I can see it starting to resurface :-)

The theme of this year's festival was the 9th body = the subtle body, so the vibe of the festival was indeed very subtle and very gentle, so all the emotions also were very gentle.

I stayed in a small dorm, 6 girls total and they were all lovely. For the first time (this is my 4th festival) I stayed in a top bunk, so it was exercise getting in and out of that :-)

We had glorious weather. Must have been 30 degrees every day - see the photo. We only had 1 day of rain although I think there were a couple of nights when it rained.

Every morning I did the Shakti Dance workshop and every afternoon I did the all camp workshops followed by the evening Gong Workshop which is pure bliss. I think I only did the evening yoga once...

A lesson I can take from there is that while there I made a real effort with my clothes every day which made me feel really divine, radiant and feminine..... I need to do the same here, but would you believe I have not unpacked yet.................... Yesterday I slept till 2 o'clock and apart from having a manicure I vegged all day....

So I do need to get off this computer and do alot today.

But that is a point, how does your wardrobe effect your self-esteem. My wardrobe contains size 12, 14, 16 and 18, and it is cluttered, over-full and uninspiring...... yet my yoga clothes were all beautiful. I bought quite a lot of new stuff before I went (cheaply in Southall) as I knew alot of the clothes from last year would no longer fit)...

I don't often buy nice new clothes as I do not want lovely clothes in large sizes, so since January I have been telling myself "when I lose the weight, I will buy some new clothes"...... but since January I have been 13.5 stone and in recent weeks was 14 stone. THANK GOD I lost that extra half a stone in France. May it stay there. Sat nam.

So now I need to get cracking lowering the weight from what it was in Jan, when the new year's resolution was meant to have begun.

But I would like to take pride in my appearance here the way that I did at the festival.

I will head off for now. Oh and I got a lovely tan there too.

Best wishes,

Liska xxxxxxx

Bye for now xx

Getting ready (well... once I get off this computer) to go to the Yoga Festival tomorrow.

8 days of vegetarian food, yoga and meditation.

Will touch base with you all when I get back.

Must go and eat and pack.

Very early start for my Eurostar. Bye for now.

Liska xx

Ireland - target weight NOT made by target date - little black dress

So, I was supposed to lose weight for this MUCH anticipated large family wedding on Friday 17th July 2009. I did not achieve it.....

I don't yet have photos from the wedding as my camera was broken.

BUT I have the below 2 photos from the BBQ that was the following day (18th July). I took below at about 1 a.m. at night after getting home from the BBQ. So technically it was 19th July. Took below on BlackBerry so I would have a photo record of my dress :-)

I did take a couple of photos on day of wedding (with BlackBerry) but stupidly I did not take any with me in, but my Uncle has promised to email me some.

The below photos really prove that what you wear can make a HUGE difference. I think the dress below is much more slimming than the one I wore for the wedding.

If I was a stranger looking at below I would not believe I am 14 stone..... That's probably what makes me stay off the wagon, because occasionally I do scrub up well :-)

I am not being big headed, just love this dress and was very happy with what my little cousin did with my hair. You can't tell in photo but the front was back combed behind my head band

:-)

Anyway, on Tuesday I am off to the yoga festival, so will get super healthy there.

Bye for now, Liska

xxxx

In Ireland

Hi

Took a moment to go online, as I am checking in online to fly home.

I feel like I have lost a couple of pounds here as I have been eating salads all week.

Anyhow the wedding is tomorrow, and my toe nails and finger nails look FAB and my fake tan looks gorgeous, so all I have left to do is hairdressers at 9 a.m. and then wedding at 12:30.

There'll be 370 at it, so will be great. Wedding will go on till about 5 am and then there is a BBQ the next day.

Anyway I am off to get some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

See you blog world and I hope you are all very very very well.

Lots of love and light,

Liska Life
xxxxxxxxxx

Recap on the day

I had a relatively healthy day.

Had a cappuccino on the way to work but I figure I am off them from 1st July as my alchemy of turning coffee into circuits twice a week starts tomorrow...

At work I had my usual porridge...

and nothing apart from a handful of nuts until lunchtime which was later than normal.

On way to work I had bought all the ingredients for a Vita-mix soup so I made that for lunch (raw ingredients mixed with hot water and blended).... delicious.

And for once I did not have it with bread... I was crunching on celery with a pot of humus to dip it in and had about 3 spoons of coleslaw.

Then the only thing I have eaten tonight is what I ate at the gym cafe after a swim which was a pasta salad with feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. BUT with it I had a cafe mocha large, and a large cookie.

But the above is all that has passed my lips all day, so not bad. Oh but I have only had about 2 glasses of water all day today, and it has been 30 degrees which is HOT in LOndon - trust me..... so I shoulda been guzzling. Dr Robert O Young would recommend 6.5 litres of water a day, given how much I weigh!

And the twice a week circuit training starts this week and is booked for Wednesday and Thursday, urrrggggh and then I have a Race for Life 10k to walk and run on 5th July - double uuurrrgggh :-)

Liska Life (off to bed)

P.S. the soup contained:

2 stalks of celery

2 carrots

2 organic on the vine tomatoes

a piece of ginger

1/3 bag of greens

half a red bell pepper

an avocado

a table spoon of bouillon and 4 cups of hot water

Before you say my ingredients don't match the photo, I got the photo from Google Images...

xx

Opening UP

Hi

I normally "sleep in" on Saturday and Sunday, but today, I was in the Supermarket at 8 a.m. Victor and his lovely wife Emma, and two gorgeous daughters were due to arrive at 11 a.m. and I wanted to make them a beautiful dinner.

I was up at 6, as even though I had a half day off work Thursday, still more housework needed to be done. I always either work hard, or relax on sofa, or swim in gym, or sleep, hence I get behind with housework so lots needed doing.

When they arrived Victor was quite hungry so I did a thrown together lunch to keep us going till dinner. We went for a long walk along a canal, and I'd planned to cook dinner when we got back. Thinking that walk would rustle up an appetite.

BUT when we got back, they needed to go so they'd be home at a reasonable time, so there was no time to make dinner, so I said can I at least fast forward to dessert. I issued dessert but as it was so so so hot (we have thunder and rain now, so it was the sticky heat that precedes that) I also gave them lots of water melon to hydrate them after the walk and for the long drive home.

Anyway, my lesson learned is that BEFORE we went for the walk, even though one little lady was asleep on the sofa, the other little lady did not fall asleep despite Victor rocking her in his arms for 30 minutes, so he asked if he could lie her on my bed (away from distractions). With head held low I had to admit that my bedroom was too messy for her to go in there. OH MY GOD, you could have dug a hole a 100 feet deep and I would have climbed right in. It wasn't about pride, and shame about my housekeeping skills - it wasn't! It was me... denying a 2 year old her afternoon nap. It struck like a knife in my heart, and I cannot get the wound out of my head.

Hence, I will tackle the bedroom like a demon tomorrow.

But what is odd is that I don't like to tidy the bedroom. When my Mum is coming at Xmas, I will spruce up the WHOLE flat, and always do the bedroom last, like out of obligation.... whereas I enjoy to do the rest of the flat.

I think the problem is that it has the decor we inherited from the previous owners and I DON'T LIKE IT. The only thing that motivates me to do housework is knowing how good it will look when finished.

I LOVE how the sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet look when spring-cleaned, but my bedroom I HATE.

So, I need to tidy it tomorrow, to cleanse my emotion of today and then, I need to plan a refurb.... I have been postponing a proper refurb as I am trying to be sensible in the run up to us having a ............. baby (yes, we are trying),,,,,,,,, but I cannot cope with how much I hate the bedroom anymore....... yuk yuk yuk.

We love everything about the flat (which is why we bought it) but the only room where I really don't like the ....... wallpaper...... is the bedroom and I don't like the carpet...... and I don't know if I like the BLUE colour scheme (it might not suit my feng shui - I must find out) AND we kept their wardrobes x 3 and dressing table and to be 100% honest, they are not my taste. BUT we moved in in August 8 years ago and got married in the same October, so we were glad for whatever came with the flat (newly decorated throughout). I can't replace something "for the sake of it" but EIGHT years later I think I SHOULD!!!

A bedroom should be a place you can get away TO not FROM.

Growing up, my bedroom was always my SANCTUARY - I was an only child and my Mum always made sure my room was gorgeous, BUT she packed it up while I was at Uni, because she was moving to Ireland. So although it had always been my safe corner of the world it was GONE in the blink of an eye without chance for a good bye.....

Yes it is an open wound. Given that my Mum went to Ireland in 1994, it is a wound I need to GET OVER.

Anyway, sorry this blog post is like me spilling my guts out on computer, but it was about time I did..................

If you have read as far as here, you must be mad........ no! seriously! thank you for reading........

Byeeeeeeee.

If I am here updating tomorrow it should be AFTER I tidy my bedroom!

Liska Life

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Housework, working from home and self love or self-ish?

Hello, is there anybody there? Got no comments yesterday so thought everyone had run away or gone into hibernation? ;-)

I worked on Saturday morning (went in for a Customer Focus Group) and then dashed from there to a baby shower so it was a pretty intense day and I got home very late. Was meant to spend whole of Sunday doing housework but just vegged out all day - shattered like a zombie.

Anyway, my Mum was always a martyr when I was growing up, and always put others needs before her own, and this rubbed off on me, and into my psychological make-up and DNA. She is not like that now, BUT she has lived in Ireland since 1994/1995 (where she was brought up - she moved back there after bringing me up in UK). Anyway, I haven't been sufficiently exposed to the new her....... (due to her in Ireland) so I am still influenced by the her of my upbringing........... this means I am inherently reluctant to do anything that could be remotely deemed selfish, and when I do, am easily thrown off course, or get defensive............

As this sounds like rambling I best give examples. If my paperwork at work builds up, I never take time out to get on top of it, as I feel like I should be in "service" mode at all times.... The other day, I thought I can't carry on like this, I need to go through my piles... file some things, shred some things etc..... Anyway I must have had a guilty conscience about it....... because although I was "selfish" enough to delve into my files in work time (normal me would normally stay late to do it if at all), the minute my boss said: "what are you doing?" I said: "that is exactly why I never do this, because I know someone will challenge me on it".......... she was like "where on earth did that reaction come from, and no need to be sooooooo defensive!".........

then we bickered a little, and then I said "please let's not row, I don't need a row" and she changed the subject and we ended up having a normal, cheerful conversation........

Anyway, on another similar note, because I offered to go into the Customer Focus Group I wasn't going to ask to take the time back, but because the early start meant I was shattered Sunday and got no housework done...... I emailed my boss yesterday and said tomorrow, can I work from home in the morning and then have the afternoon off as "time back" - she was like "yep no problem" but she emailed me to ask for a list of what I'd do at home in the morning...... I knew she was half joking but I duly emailed her the list AND kept her updated this morning on my progress.

As I have lunch with Victor everyday, he challenged me the other day when he heard I'd be taking time back today. He said "but you went to that Focus Group of your own free will" - I got defensive, but inhaled it and simply replied "Victor, I come to work everyday out of my own free will" - he said "good on you, I come for the wages" :-)

Anyway, after I did my morning working from home, strictly till 12:10, I then jumped in the shower and got dressed (I'd worked in PJs) and then walked, in the gorgeous mid-day sun to the supermarket to get the healthy ingredients I would need for a healthy dinner for me and hubby.

On the way to the supermarket, I stopped into a nail bar (the weather is amazing at the mo and I can't wear sandals due to state of my toes) and booked a pedicure and manicure, but for 2 o'clock.......

I knew I could go do the food shopping and come back, but I knew that would not take till 2, so I thought no problem, I will sit in somewhere for lunch, and then buy ingredients for salad dinner, and then come back to the nail bar.......

Anyway, the other day when Victor and I had our long walk to Moorgate (for him to pay in a cheque) we passed a cafe, with the smell of all day (fried) breakfast coming out....... we resisted temptation but the memory of the temptation and smell stayed with me, so this afternoon even though I was on my way to buy healthy food which I did buy, I did first of all order and eat a cooked breakfast, with ALL the trimmings...

It made me feel sluggish and SO thirsty. I had to drink 2 litres of Evian (water) to recover and can't wait for my healthy salad which I must now go and make..... I did later make it (here is the photo.... which I am adding on to this post at 21:25 - it was yummy - husband and I both enjoyed!)

This post was meant to be about all the housework I have done this afternoon which was such good exercise. As the weather is stunning I have all the windows flung open.....

But, yes, this self love versus self-ish, is a huge issue for me......... I feel the need to reply to emails, rather than keep my inbox and sent items tidy, I feel the need to serve others rather than myself........ I feel like when I was manufactured, the "to serve" function was given too high a listing in my make-up.......

I really hope someone out there can relate to me on this one......... BUT asking to work from home today and taking the half day off was a major thing for me as silly as it sounds....... and walking down the street, in the mid-day sun, on a week-day, when I should be at work felt like bliss (but there was a slight knot in my stomach saying: "Liska, you rebel!").

Bye for now, Liska LIFE!

xxx

My relationship with coffee continues.........

....... but the alchemy, where my coffee a day becomes an increase in circuits from once a week to twice a week, starts on 1st July so I haven't broken any promises..... yet ;-) When I blogged about it previously, it was on the day we negotiated the deal (£60 for July and August and £80 from September onwards). So from end June it is bye bye Virgin Active. In the UK Virgin Active is a chain of health clubs by the way.......

Breakfast was a cappuccino at 7:30.......... at my train station....... then I had a horrific journey to work............ so stopped into a cafe and got a LARGE LATTE and a croissant containing ham and tomato....

BUT lunch was a healthy salad: lots of mixed leaves, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, olives, 2 half eggs, etc......

Now, I am in Virgin Active on their computers, having had a swim, jaccuzzi, steam room and then sauna. I am munching on a very large salad from their cafe, (but I also ordered a cafe mocha).... and a small 35g bar of organic Green & Black's chocolate (don't know if you have it in the States).

I am "working from home" tomorrow, so that should be very very interesting from a food point of view.

I am sorry, this is another boring food recap on my day............

Okay, for something non-food related.... I spent the afternoon interviewing and we "made someone's day" by offering them the job. I know she is the right one for the role, and that's a lovely feeling. I like it when good things happen to good people :-)

Today's progress - get back on the horse tomorrow

Hi

So I started the day with porridge (which I think I forgot to mention on yesterday's post). Yesterday I had the porridge at home, but then also had a bowl of fruit salad (as a 2nd breakfast when I got to work)... But today I had nothing at home, and had porridge with Victor at work, when I got in.

For lunch I had a long walk to Moorgate and back, followed by a healthy salad with a buttered jacket potato (even though it was a very very hot day - and then evening - I wanted something warming). Sounds funny but salad felt a bit like deprivation (don't get me wrong I normally LOVE salads). The mood I was in, it was like comfort food meant something warm.... I hope someone out there can relate to that.

I drank a few cups of peppermint tea again today (but I DID have a cappuccino on the way to work, and also had a cup of chai - which contains black tea - with my porridge when I got in).

Okay, so now for the confession:

On the way home I felt like getting off the train and buying a take-away of veggie burger and chips. I resisted temptation (in my head), but then phoned husband to let him know I'd be home early, only to be told he would be at his Mum's house all evening...... It was such a glorious evening this evening I was GUTTED when he told me that, but I resisted again (in my head). Got off the train and started to walk home, at which point one of the roads home was blocked by a scary dog! so I thought @£$K! this, it felt like the final straw, and I went and got the take-away, but it felt like I just needed an excuse.........

Anyway, after that sort of roller-coaster eating the food is normally an anti-climax and you normally wish you hadn't gone with temptation but I can honestly say, I enjoyed every mouthful........

So I will get back on the horse tomorrow and will not berate myself. Oh I did have a Pepsi with it even though I know the baddies that sodas contain!

Oh and husband is STILL not home yet which I am quite sad about. I have been home for 4 hours.

Liska x

Healthy Day

Recap on today.

I got a cappuccino from the coffee trailer on my train platform - yes I haven't 100% cut back yet, but have drastically reduced - once the £60, and then £80 a month for circuits starts I will be 100% off coffee (I am even going to try from tomorrow).

On way to work I bought a large fruit salad, so that was my first food consumption of the day.

At lunch time (12:30) Victor kept his promise (from his comment on my blog) and took me to Tesco (he had read my blog post "an interview with myself" and could see 11 and 3 were my difficult times).

At Tescos I bought celery, carrots, humus, a bag of spinach & rocket, a tub of coleslaw, a lovely ripe avocado, a red sweet pepper, and my colleague gave me a pita bread to have with it. I also bought a bag of mixed nuts.

So I mixed all of that on a plate and it totally satisfied me.

At the 3 p.m. that normally stumps me, I had 2 stalks of celery with humus. I also had a handful of nuts.

Oh, when I got in, there was salad in the fridge left over from the big huge bowl of salad I made for me and husband yesterday. So I made cous cous (which is a fab trick as it takes 5 minutes). I mixed the salad and cous cous and it was so delicious.

As I have had NO BLACK TEA all day (only caffeine was the coffee on way to work) I had a mug of yogi tea tonight. As a result I feel lovely and sleepy so I think I will have a lovely early night.

Sorry above is quite a boring post, but I wanted to proudly type up that I have stuck to things for a day.

Liska x

When things don't make sense, it is because... they don't!

Hi

I ended up working on Saturday morning (we had a consumer focus group with 10 of our customers). There was 1 lady throughout the session drinking from a water bottle, the contents of which were green. I went up to her at the end and said are you drinking Super Greens, to which she said yes (as there are a few brands I wasn't sure what the answer would be). Anyway, she said do you drink it. I felt shamed into saying no (I am never this size when I do). Of course she said if you know it helps you keep slimmer why don't you drink it. I said oh it is because I get up rush to work, work, and then rush home and I just don't stop and make it and drink it. She said well, if you had a tub at home and a tub at work that would soon solve that problem. Imagine her shock when I said I DO HAVE one at home and one at work. She was like, I don't want to be unkind.... but I don't understand..... She really looked perplexed....

It is so silly, when I am not drinking it, I crave rubbish food and when I am drinking it, I crave water, veg and salads. Anyway she was very slim and radiant looking and I currently am neither.

It just really struck me, that I felt totally comfortable with explaining how I don't have time to stop and think and prepare it and drink it, but when you say it OUT LOUD it sounds like complete an utter nonsense!!!!!!!! If I have time to blog..... I should have time to sort my life out toooooo (as my boss was quick to point out)........ So after I write this post, I am going to go and have a glass of Super Greens.

If you want to know more about that way of eating (which when I do it, does work) read this e-book.

Oh and then after the Customer Focus Group I had to go to a Baby Shower. We were in the garden it was such a lovely day (apart from one half hour where we temporarily went in when it rained)......

At one point, Zoe made us give a word for each of us (those of us that were colleagues).

I wrote down the words my colleagues gave me as I thought they were interesting (more self-exploration for me).

• Zoe said I am: generous
• Banasa said I am an open book (and that she always knows where she stands with me)
• Taniesha said I am childlike (not sure how to take that one, but I can be very naive)
• Anna said "loopy unique" (she elaborated by saying "down to earth and intelligent but yet somehow loopy") I'll take that one Anna (it was her baby shower) xxx

So, that's all for now, as I have to go and have my glass of greens, finally start being alkaline and make me and my wonderful husband a healthy lunch.

Those who have been reading my blog for quite some time will remember that I spent a few days being alkaline in January (before I went to Portugal) and I lost a few pounds immediately. Even though that was 6 months ago I have not done it since (yes I am my own worst enemy).

Liska xxxxx

Nutrition Knowledge and Weight

Hi

Just logged on to share this article with you.

It is about how the:

lack of basic nutrition knowledge contributes to overweight and obesity.

I particularly like this paragraph:

Perhaps the answer lies in allowing everyone the right to choose their path, be it the ride down the river of denial or the jogging track to health. We should respect their reasons, be they right or wrong. Maybe we all need to pay attention to our own journey, and wish our fellow travelers well no matter what their chosen road. We can never know all the reasons someone else stumbles or fails. We can only offer compassion, and our hand to help, if they ask.

Liska x

Emotion and weight loss

I am not going to write anything, as I have been stunned into silence by the eloquence of Holly ALP's post today, over at My Peace.

She talks about visiting memory lane, as if it is a place (hence the photo above). I can really relate to that as I often reflect on my biggest times and my slimmest times.

Holly take the floor...... over to you...... folks, read here.

Silent Liska xxx

An interview with myself......!!!!

I want to interview myself....

1) So Liska, what usually sabotages you?

Unhealthy snacks, such as muffins, biscuits, cakes, goodies on the filing cabinet at work, nibblies that hubby puts in our cake cupboard.

2) What is it that makes you reach for these things?

Lack of availability of healthy options.

3) So what is this lack of availability caused by?

Lack of organisation and planning on my part.

4) When does this problem usually occur?

10.30 a.m. / 11.00 a.m. at work when hungry and same again at circa 3 p.m. Also, when just in from work.

5) Why does it strike at these times?

Because I am hungry between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner, and when I get in until dinner is prepared or ready.

6) Okay Liska you are usually a rational & logical person. Apply this logic to your eating... What really is the problem here?

It's easy, lack of preparation...

7) Okay, so IF YOU WERE PREPARED, what would your ideal situation be?

Okay, I love healthy stuff, I could much on almonds, or stalks of celery all day, ALL I need to do is buy them and have them available (N.B. Liska regularly buys celery and leaves it in the fridge AT HOME, when it needs to be at work and then only discovers it when it needs to be binned - this pattern repeats itself again and again and again...... yet Liska has the audacity to nibble on her bosses celery whenever she has the opportunity, much to her bosses disdain!)

8) When you have felt at your slimmest, best, and most energetic what have you been doing, in the past?

Drinking SuperGreens, doing MORE yoga, and eating healthily. Also, bread, alcohol, and tea & coffee free!

9) What stops you doing now what you KNOW has worked for you in the past?

Well....... I keep putting it down to stress, but the odd hour, or odd day, when there is no stress, I find distractions (T.V. etc....) so that I can distract myself from.... myself....!

10) So you need to have a good hard look at yourself in a mirror then?

YES.

xxxxxxxx

I have performed ALCHEMY - find out how

Today I (and my friend Banasa) have performed Alchemy.

I have turned a cappuccino a day into circuit training twice a week - yyyyyyyyyeaaaaaaaahhhhh!

How?

Okay, so here goes.  3 or 4 of us at work have been going to circuits every Wednesday for nearly 3 months.  The chap who owns the gym (it only does private PT) now tried to sell us a package, of paying once a month by standing order (I don't think he likes the fact that the £10 we pay for circuits is only guaranteed on the weeks that we come: which for me is every week, but the other 3 tend to fluctuate)...... anyway, we would pay a monthly fee but we did not want to pay as much as what was being asked (we have gym memberships to pay for toooooo) so we made a new deal which would involve paying £80 a month for group circuit training twice a week.  It is as good as a PT session as there is only 4 of us....

Anyway, I have worked out I can afford it if I give up my morning cappuccino that I purchase every morning.  Because we are going from spending £40 a month to £80 a month and the cappuccino costs me £2 a day (only get it on work days).

Oh and what I didn't say, is because I have 3 separate weeks off spanning July and August, he will do it for £60 for those 2 months, and when it goes up to the £80, it includes us being allowed to go in and use their machinery, hence me feeling confident I can cancel my gym membership.  I will really really really miss the pool, jaccuzzi, steam room and sauna though!!

Anyway, I think it is quite poetic to turn a cappuccino into a workout, hence my use of the word ALCHEMY........!

Doing circuit training once a week doesn't seem to be making me fitter but I really believe doing it twice a week will, and my gym membership expires in July so I will cancel that and concentrate then on circuits, yoga, wii fit, wii active, and my pilates machine that I never use :-)

That's my update for now.....

I am going to try and turn the computer off and get some housework done.

Liska xx

Wordle

I got the idea of going to Wordle from blogger "Perfect in our Imperfections". If you go there and type in the domain of your blog it will turn the words you most commonly use in your blog, into a collage of them.

I LOVE IT and quite happily attribute the image to http://www.wordle.net/.

Images of Wordles are licensed

Lemons, limes, salt, and how they aid weight loss

I had a very very very late night last night - work night out - so I kind of fell off the diet wagon.  I am sorry guys, but I just had to be honest with you.

The thing about me is, that losing the 1 stone I want to lose by 17th July, would be REALLY easy if I did what I know works (i.e. follow Dr. Robert O Young's PH miracle guidelines) but as you have probably gathered what holds me back, is self-discipline.

Anyway, I just flicked in one of his books that I own, and thought I would share a snippet with you:

Lemons, limes, and grapefruit are very low in sugar (3%, 3% and 5% respectively).  Although they are chemically acid, they have an alkalizing effect when metabolized in the body.  Squeeze some into your water throughout the day to help maintain your body's delicate PH balance.

Liska again: guys these are wise words.  When we are acidic all sorts of things go wrong..... one being, the body stores fat!!!!

Sorry, I just found another diamond bit that I also just have to type up:

You probably blame water retention for some of your excess weight and, in turn, blame the water retention on too much salt.  BUT your body retains water because it is dehydrated, to dilute acids.  When you are retaining water, it is a signal that your sodium is being converted into potassium in the body to balance your PH, and you actually need more water, and alkaline salts, like sea salt (e.g. celtic salt, or RealSalt, from the Great Salt Lake).  The problem is, Americans in general get way too much salt in their diets - the wrong kind of salts.  We salt just about everything we prepare, then keep salt on the table to add even more.  Just about all prepared and processed foods are extremely salty.  Table salt, and the salt added to just about all processed foods, has itself been overly processed, destroying its electrical potential.  It has no electron energy.  So while you do actually need to cut out all regular added salt from your diet, you then need good salt, electron-rich alkaline crystalline salt, like RealSalt or Celtic Salt. I (Robert O. Young) recommend at least 3 to 4 grams a day.

So that is the truth regarding salt........  Interesting eh?!?!?!?

Sorry, found one last thing I want to quote:

Foods that are themselves acidic, or have acidic effects on the body once they are digested, are better avoided if you wish to reach your ideal weight - and stay there.  Be aware of the following acidic foods:

* Animal protein (includes meat and dairy products)

* Sweeteners

* Peanuts

* Corn (contains 25 different fungi, including recognized carcinogens)

* Yeast

* Fermented and malted foods

* Alcohol

* Caffeine

* Coffee (research has shown that cancer cells can live indefinitely in coffee!)

* Soft drinks

* Chocolate 

* Mushrooms

* Monosodium Glutamate (the thing that makes chinese take-aways taste so good)

Sorry if I bored you with all of that, but it helps to inspire me to read it again and even more so, it sinks in more as I type it up.  I know avoiding that stuff works...... I avoided most of it in 2001 for Candida reasons (and due to terrible IBS) and as a result I lost 3 stone and looked FABULOUS in my wedding dress if I do say so myself :-)     Back then I hadn't heard of Robert O Young (or Super Greens), so I just knew that stuff was bad due to 2 books I read about Candida, and it was my Chinese Herbalist who diagnosed the Candida at the time.  Oh, I am going down memory lane now.... I just remembered there was a girl I worked with at the time, who asked how I did it (back in 2001).... she had been dieting on and off for years and lost nothing, so I leant her the 2 Candida books and she went from a size 20 to 14 in a few months.  It changed her life and her self-confidence.......  I did not stay in touch with her when I changed jobs, so I don't know if she is like me (i.e. a few years later put all the weight back on....plus a stone)......

I just need to sort the self-discipline and stress out and I can do it again.

Liska xxxxx

Read this article and my update

Perfect in Our Imperfections mentioned this Oprah article in her blog post yesterday and I just HAVE to share it as I can relate to it so so so much - don't ask me which Lisa I am :-)

Please have a read.......  Keep clicking through so you read all 7 pages.

Recap on my day, which I was trying to avoid with the above:

* I did have a capuccino on the way to work.  But it is strictly one a day now, and I have given up the porridge and all the cups of chai (spicy black tea) that I used to have throughout the day

* When I arrived at work (because I was so early: 7:50 a.m.) my boss gave me a salmon and cream cheese bagal, BUT

* I still ate my fruit salad but it was tiny (just mellon and mango).

* for lunch I had a pasta salad and a bag of raw carrots with humus dip.

* Hubby made dinner and it was cous cous, sauce, pasta, and egg.

OH, I forgot the SIN.  At 11 a.m. I was in a really bad mood and went and bought a hot chocolate for Victor and I.  But while I was waiting for Pret a Manger to make them, I shovelled a pain au raisin guiltily down my throat.

But I drunk more lemon juice and hot water today, and kept my water intake up, and caffeine intake down (apart from the capuccino and hot chocolate).

Yesterday and today, I have had less wheat/yeast than normal and NO MEAT......

I definitely feel like I am heading in the right direction and I went for a good swim tonight, jacuzzi, steam and sauna afterwards :-)

Bye for now, Liska x

Success and a dose of honesty

Hi

Just wanted to post an update.  If you've been reading you'll know I wanted today to start:

* no wheat

* no dairy

* no meat

* no caffeine...

* no fizzy drinks

* no junk

So, I started the day by having my usual cappucino on my train platform.  The poor excuse as to why was that I have a loyalty card and I had earned a free one, so I thought I will have that and start tomorrow....... good progress is that I had NO tea or coffee during the day, not even my ever so favourite chai which I normally have with the finance team.  In the late afternoon I had 2 cups of green tea with my MD, and I know green tea contains caffeine, but I thought easy stages, why not.  Not good to go cold turkey.

On the way to work I went to M&S to have some healthy food with me (ended up spending £11 in there and it is all gone - spent another £4 in there tonight!).

So instead of my usual ready brek (quick porridge) I had a bowl of fruit-salad with half a large carton of organic, plain probiotic yoghurt mixed in.

All throughout the morning I had lots of glasses of water with lemon juice squeezed in.

For lunch I had (1) half a bag of rocket to create a bed with (2) a M&S superfood salad on top - was delicious with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate, cous cous et... etc.... and (3) a beetroot side salad.  With the 3 things, it was a taste explosion in the mouth but that was what I wanted so I wouldn't feel hard done by.  I just need to prepare better so I make it rather than buy it as these ready made salads are far too costly and even more so if from M&S.

Then during the afternoon and morning I had nibbled on a bag of cashews.  Mita came up to me and said eating nuts is not good if you are trying to lose weight to which I said: "in 2001 I lost 3 stone and I ate nuts every day".  But after she walked away I looked at the packet = 650 calories - oooooooops and I DID finish the packet as much as I tried not to.

Then in evening Victor asked if I wanted to go for a drink (he'd had a bad day).  We only had 1 glass of wine, but I had to go and order crisps with it.

So tonight I could beat myself up or think about my successes:

* water intake heavily UP

* caffeine intake heavily DOWN

* meat intake = zero

* wheat intake = zero

* cakes = zero

* biscuits = zero

* dairy = minimized but progress needed

* alcohol, although present was limited strictly to one glass.

I know I will be 100% tomorrow...... and I am not going to use 1  day's shortfalls to be an excuse to throw the towel in.

Nope, it is onwards and upwards and I feel great.  Ate alot of fruit and veg today and my system feels good for it - the increased water intake suits me too.

On the way home I went to M&S and got another Superfoods salad, so that is what I have had for dinner tonight and I feel 100% satisfied, and I am here still drinking water.  Remember you have to drink a litre of water for every 30 pounds you weigh, so for me I have to drink 6.5 litres of water a day if I hope to lose weight.

The reason I chose the photo I did, is with a mixed bag of success like I have described above, I feel like I have found the KEY to success, rather than the success itself, which eludes me, but WILL find me tomorrow 

:-)

How are all of you?

Liska xxxxx 

EA sports active - Wii

I just reset the 30 day challenge on  the Wii Active game.  I will now count today as day 1.  I had a pretty intensive workout on it and it said I burnt 140 calories.  Seems quite small, probably because I chose medium intensity.

I think tomorrow I will try doing it in the morning.

Anyway, it's really good fun, and a great addition to the Wii Fit.

Spoke to Mum this morning and she reminded me that the wedding in Ireland is in a few weeks, and am I detoxing???? .... I get the impression she would be mortified if I went there at my current weight/size, so I have to be good now, finally..... use all the self-discipline I have.....

If she was in the same country as me today, and I said "does my bum look big in this?".... she'd be the first to say YES!  I think if she'd stayed in the UK and not moved back to Ireland (in my final year of Uni)... I probably would never have got this big in the first place.

Bye for now, Liska x

Say no to fizzy drinks

My muffin in my previous post may have been "innocent", but fizzy drinks, in particular cola, are not!  Read this interesting blog post by Dr Robert O Young.

Drop those fizzy drinks from your life, and that of your children's. 

Say no to fizzy drinks!

Good morning,

Liska x

INNOCENT - chocolate muffin

Well Victor has now started the chocolate muffin debate, so I feel the need to defend myself. (See his comment on yesterday's post!).

So let's be like the press and call it "Muffin-gate!"

Carrie, from Finance, left an innocent muffin on my desk this morning.  Her way of saying, you may not sit with Finance anymore, but we still remember you (4 of us used to snack and drink tea together down there).  If you read about my desk move you will understand my nostalgia.....

So, I had already started the morning with healthy porridge with organic milk followed by (an hour or two later) a bowl of salad (mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomatoes) and a banana.

So it took me a while to notice the muffin's absence as I was not hungry.  Then, somehow I noticed and said "who stole my muffin" - I wasn't hungry but was perplexed as to its whereabouts.  I was convinced my MD ate it as she has a sweet tooth and is the "food police".  So I challenged her, and at first she denied all knowledge and then begrudgingly said: "if you are that desperate it is under the franking machine on the posting scales".  That belittled me sufficiently, that when I found it, I put it on HER desk - again relying on her sweet tooth (even though she is a fitness fanatic and a healthy eater).  Anyway, Victor saved the day and said OKAY I will eat it.

Unfortunately, during the minutes when I thought it was AWOL, I sent an email to the girl who gave it to me, and Cc:d my boss saying "My MD stole my muffin".  The girl who gave it to me responded by putting another on my desk.  She thought it would get one over on my boss for stealing it.

Then Victor thought what was the point in me taking it, if you are going to eat that one, so YES he did try to snatch it off me, and yes, I did wrestle him for it, but I thought it is not fair on Carrie, if she gives me TWO and I eat neither of them.

Anyway, the good thing is, I got the same foggy funny (sugar rush) feeling in my head that I got yesterday, when I ate the biscuits AND what Victor did not say, is that I once again had soup for lunch.

And TODAY IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!

Ingredients:

2 on the vine tomatoes.

1 stalk of celery

2 carrots

tablespoon of bouillon

1/4 bag of rocket

4 leaves of basil

1 spring onion

half a red pepper

a dash of tabasco

(I don't think I have forgotten anything).

So I am being much healthier than normal.

From Monday I will be no meat, no dairy and no wheat/yeast.

Victor and I exchanged some texts tonight about his mean blog comment and he has now said he will donate £10 to cancer research if I stick to my goal of a stone by the Ireland wedding.

He knows I am good at sticking to things if I am challenged or dared, so I said, he has laid down the gauntlet and I will accept the challenge.  

In my old job, people saw me drinking super greens EVERY day and regularly sticking to detoxes, yet in this job, people don't know I can stick to a detox.  I just need to prove them wrong and Victor knows that challenging me on that level is the one thing that might entice me to stick to it.

If it works... fair play to him......... Let the loss of a stone commence   :-)

Liska xxx

Day 01 - countdown to lose a stone by 17th July 2009

Well I am now on Prior Fat Girl's challenge, as recommended by Holly ALP at My Peace

Yesterday I moved desks at work, which takes me from being in the same room as the finance team, to being up a floor in the open plan office, just outside the MD's door.

So this morning on the way to work, it felt like a new day (new desk) so I went to Tesco on the way to work and bought all the ingredients for soup (I make raw soup in my Vita Mix which I permanently keep at work).  Anyway that was an achievement in itself as I have not used it in ages.  I also bought two lemons, so during the course of the morning I drunk mugs of hot water with lemon in it and it made me feel VERY good.  I also had my usual bowl of ready brek with Victor.

Anyway during the course of the morning Zoe said "cup of tea Lis?" and I said yeah.  So I had normal tea, with 2 biscuits and it gave me a cloggy groggy feeling an a fuzzy head, so I know what suits me......... (need to stay strict now).

Then at lunch I made the soup and ruined it (first time I have done that in 2 years).  Basically I put too many basil leaves in.  Too much avocado.  No ginger or garlic (forgot to buy it), no bouillon ... etc... etc... BUT I still ate 2 bowls of it (plus 2 slices of toast) and it did keep me full for hours.

After work, me and Magdalena went for 1 pint (and as I haven't drunk in weeks it went straight to my head).  The place we went to does really good food, so I had a thai vegetable curry and rice.  So I came home full full full and for once will have fully digested my food before bedtime.

So my achievements today were:

* drinking lots of water

* drinking mugs of lemon water

* having soup for lunch

* acknowledging that the biscuits made me feel like poo

* and just a general feeling that I have indeed started something.  The mental hurdles are as much a part of it with me!

I am going to try and have an early night tonight to follow My Peace's example..... so will sign  this off shortly.

Bye, Liska

xxx

Stress and Weight Gain

Hi

In the past I have given up coffee twice, each time for 8 months.  In the 3 years I have been in my current job I have been unable to.

In the past I used to do a minimum of 2 detoxes a year.  In the 3 years I have been in my current job, I have done 1, which was as recent as errrrrrr...... 2006! (Yep, shortly after joining).

When I started this job I was a size 14 in jeans - I am now a size 18 (although I like to think of myself as being a size 16, but 3 different fitting jeans confirm I am an 18).

Anyway, I know there is a link between stress and food, or at least in my case.  And I also confirm what the web says... i.e. that when stress is the cause of weight gain, the gain tends to be around the middle!  I used to be pear shaped and now I am a pear and an apple (as confirmed by this post).

BUT every year (for the last 3 years) I go to the Yoga Festival.  8 days of yogic food.  And yet I do not cheat... other people smuggle in nuts or biscuits and I never do.  I find it easy to do the yogic diet because I enjoy eating healthy food.  I could crunch on celery sticks or pieces of water melon all day every day, but in a work environment noooooooooooo!!!!!

So, given that I cannot be in a yoga festival environment all year round, I need to break this link between stress/work/food...

Tonight really brought it home.  Between 5 and 6.4o p.m. was quite stressful to say the least, and when I walked to the station, to get my train, the first thing I did was buy a baguette and a latte, even though I know caffeine makes sleeping difficult if I have it in the evening, and even though I am lactose intolerant (I think I like the warm internal fuzzy feeling a capuccino or latte gives me).

I find it incredibly easy to eat healthily on Saturday and Sunday..... but roll on Monday, and I have a problem......

I need to have a healthy JUNE as I am going to a wedding in Ireland on 17th July and I have to be trimmer then than I am now!

I am half a stone heavier now than I was on 1st Jan 2009.

Anyway, I just read this and I can relate to so so so much of it.......! 

Anyway, have a read (click on "this" above) and let me know what you think.  If you have beaten this battle and have words of wisdom for me, then please break the silence of yesterday and let me know...........

I am awaiting all of your advice and can't wait to hear your opinions on this.

Best wishes

Liska x

Silence

Diversity - winners of Britain's Got Talent 2009 - worthy winners!!!

I am so happy.  There is justice in the world.  The winner of Britain's Got Talent 2009 is Diversity and what worthy winners they are.

If you don't live in Britain you have to watch them on You Tube.  Watch (1) their audition (2) their semi-final performance and (3) their final performance of tonight which stole the show.

I have wanted them to win and I am so so so so happy right now.

Well done guys - you so so so so so deserve it - I wish you future success.

Liska xx

I feel cleansed and decluttered

I want to focus on the blog posts that I do regularly read and benefit from, so I have had a bit of a "blogs I am following" cleanse and feel detoxed :-)

I really felt like the list of blogs I had to read was endless, so I have done a bit of weeding, to suit my personal taste.

Anyway, I guess it just replicates my day.  I had friends coming around at 2 (they arrived at 3.30 due to train problems)... anyway, in readiness for them coming, I got up at 7.30 to do housework and have a declutter.  It made me feel cleansed.  Then I made the 3 of us a delicious lunch (HEALTHY don't worry) but I did then make a chocolate cake.

Anyway, it is the first day of full on Summer weather here in the UK; it was simply a gorgeous day - warm, with a clear blue sky.

So I guess I have now decluttered my blog as well as the flat, and I feel all the better for it.

So for the bloggers who remain with me, I will be able to dedicate my focus to you, without being side-tracked.  Thank you for keeping me company in blog world, and helping to justify my recent purchase of  a laptop :-)

Bye for now (watching the final of Britain's Got Talent)

Liska xxx

Modern versus history

This photo was taken by me on 17th February 2008 when I was in Newcastle.

It struck me that we have modern on the ground floor, and history above.

Look at how far we have come, or rather how backward we have become.

From the beautiful stained glass windows, you can see what the store used to be, and clearly in not removing that piece of history, someone else clearly likes it as much as I do.  Click on the image and make it full size and you will be able to see what the store used to sell.

But we seem to have turned into a plastic fantastic world.  We rave about recycling when all of our pop is in plastic bottles.  When I was little I didn't even know what recycling was, but all my pop was in glass bottles, which I could get money for returning.  My toaster was fixed rather than replaced, and my shoes were repaired rather than binned.

Anyway, look at my photo and see if it speaks to you, the way it spoke to me.  I wasn't even looking at the shops, and I definitely wasn't looking up at 1st floors, but it somehow grabbed me.  Maybe there was a story there, just waiting for the story-teller and the camera!

Sorry I know this is meant to be a weight loss blog but we all need a little light relief.  I could do with being "lighter".............

Since my New Year Resolution I have gained half a stone (yes my weight loss ticker is out of date).

I am now 13 stone and 13 pounds, which the scales tells me is 88.4 kg, so I am back to 88 (which in BINGO they say is "two fat ladies" - how very appropriate!)

I have been here before........ and if you click there, you will see it was 20th October 2008! yes, 2008................ I have put the weight ON and turned the clock BACK.

I really really really have to start sorting my life out......... (so I got back onto the subject of weight loss after all........... but alas, it is pontificating about it, rather than doing something about it!)

Liska Life off to bed.......... zzzzzzz. ...........xxxxxxx

Saladmaster - healthy cooking and eating - LOVE IT

This is my favourite piece of kitchen equipment.   (One of my Saladmaster pans).

They cook without fat, and without water.

Very healthy way of cooking and then eating.

This photo was taken by myself on 29th April 2008.  All those veg are cooked in that one pot, with lid on.  A vaccum is created and they cook in their own steam.

I have the full set, so can do salmon in another and potato in another etc...

What is even more amazing is the veg in this pot do not effect each other's flavour AND there is no smell.  So you can cook brocolli and cabbage etc... without fear of the sweaty feet smell.

You can even make a cake in one of them.

Oh and the set includes an electric skillet.

LOVE IT!!!

Liska x

Big Ben at Night

I keep looking at blogs with stunning photos so I just went through mine (taken by yours truly) and saw gorgeous Malta photos but decided to share this one with all of you, given that I live in London. 

Photo taken on 13th November 2008 - the night I went to the House of Commons.

Enjoy.  Liska xxx