Losing Weight this Summer.

It's that time of the year again.  Summer.  My vegetable garden is full to the brim of lettuce and spinach, yet I'm still waiting for the other things like spring onions, beans, courgette, peas and carrots to start producing.  With summer and the fresh vegetables, I'm making a concerted effort to shift my weight.... again!  This time there is a difference.

I'm asking you to help. I'll be putting up a blog every now and then of my progress, and all I want from you guys are little words of encouragement. The reason?

I'm not good at sticking to things. I have a sweet tooth.  I love my food. I love chocolate (chocolate is a food right?), and I love the odd glass of wine.

I have no problems losing the first 8 kilos. But the problem is that's when I give up. I think to myself - oh I'm okay now - I'll just be sensible. Then comes winter when it's cold and it all piles back again, only to start afresh in summer. What hasn't helped is my foot. I can no longer do long walks, or exercise properly. I can no longer run. I keep it up as much as possible in the hope it'll heal faster, better, for good. So far that isn't working.

I've come to the conclusion that weight loss will help the foot. If there's less weight on the foot when I walk, then it'll hurt less. So here is the stats so far....

Goal :   65kg
(Medical recommendation is between 49 and 64kg!!  49???  I haven't been 49kg since I was 17yo! I'm sure that would look anorexic on a 51yo!)

Total weight to lose:  18.4kg  (ugh!)

Week 1:  Loss - 2.1kg - 16.3kg to go! - Whoohoo!

Week 2:  Loss - 0.0kg - 16.3kg to go
Ok-ok - we had high teas and a trip to Auckland but at least I didn't put on any!!

Week 3:  Loss 0.6kg -  15.7 to go.  I'm only into day 4 of my week 3 so hopefully by the end of this week I'll have lost perhaps another half kilo.

For those people in America that haven't modernised to metrics like the rest of the world, 1 kg - 2.2 pounds

And to remind me why I need to lose weight:

1). Health - I've already had a couple of blood tests that aren't good for diabetes and I don't want this to develop. One person in the family with diabetes is enough!

2). My foot (As above)

3). I'm visiting my daughter in Europe again in 2013 and I want to land a nice European boyfriend while I'm over there, preferably one that is passionate... about photography!!  (Please send a photo of your camera gear!)

4). I'd like an excuse to buy a new wardrobe. In Europe! The 'nothing fits me' in reverse - how nice would that be!

5). I'd like to look and feel better than I do, as well as better about myself in general.

6). When I go swimming I no longer want to be photographed by those Whale Watch tour boats, or when lying on the sand, not to be mistaken for a whale stranding!!

7).  If I die suddenly, I don't want to be laid out on the autopsy table and they have to cut through six inches of blubber! How embarrassing!! Not that I'd know... but still!!

The reason I have this in my mind as I saw Body Worlds in Toronto and on display was a 300lb man that had died of obesity.  I have never been able to get the layer of fat compared to a normal sized human out of my mind.  It makes me wonder what the docs doing autopsies say during their jobs!!!  Something like 'Hey we should sell this one to the Japanese and save a whale!'''

There's nothing wrong with whales though, they are beautiful creatures and stunning to behold. However, the dolphin in me is trying to get out!

So over the next few weeks/months - however long it takes, I'll be doing the odd blog on my progress.  I'm also talk more in depth in how I'm going to achieve this and who will be helping me. But that can wait until the next chapter!