Out of the 130's!!!! + Pics from Weekend

OOooh as of today I am officially out of the 130's and into the 120's (just) - weighing in at 129.5kg! Total weight loss todate is: 34KGS!!! Am really happy and to be honest quite surpirsed, I have been at home unwell over the last 3 days with MANFLU !
I managed to walk down the road to the chemist yesterday to get some cold and flu tablets and almost passed out! Feeling like im on the mend today, am even going to go back into work this afternoon for a couple of hours.

I did manage to get a few great walks in last weekend which must have helped the loss, Sat morning I got up early and went back to the zoo (go the annual pass!) and walked for a couple of hours, I then met up with my mates Rachel and Ross and we went for a walk around western Springs together. Sat afternoon I met up with my mate Sarah and we went for a walk around the Auckland Winter and Botanical Gardens, quite beautiful there! Sat night I went for a 3km walk/run around mt Albert...in hindsight Saturday was all about the walking!

Sunday Morning I got up early because it was a beautiful day and drove to mission bay, parked up roadside just as you enter mission bay (by the weird steel survivor style foot bridge) chucked my ipod on (think throwing it in the air and it magically lands on my ears and in my pocket like a fancy tv ad) and walked all the way round the bays up to ladies and gentlemens bay lookouts (and my favourite house in Auckland) and then back again - clocked in at about 7km.

Walked Monday morning and was joined by Amy monday night, we had a great run. Tuesday morning got up early and went for my morning mission but later that morning got hit by the MANFLU so that was that..

Some pics below from my weekend walks and the zoo..

Hope all is well with everyone!

Peace.
M.

Monkeys playing in the morning sun.

Monkeys sunbathing.

Tiger having a drink...clearly.

A stunning bird that I can remember the name of.

Japanesse Gardens at the Zoo

Western Springs from the Shadows..

Courtyard between the winter and Botanical Gardens at Auckland Domain...

Random update from the Napier Airport Lounge!

Wow, I know that I have been going on about it – but the last 2 weeks have been soo busy! Am so looking forward to the weekend when I can just have some time to chill out!

So far the plan is – head to the Zoo on Saturday morning and walk about 5km.. .this will be my first trip to the zoo as a ‘friend of the zoo’ so I am going to take some time to figure out which animals are going to feature on my regular walking trip! Hopefully the weather will hold itself together over the weekend – if not then I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do exercise wise! I think I will also go to the movies and check out Angels and Demons! I loved the book so figure there has to be some merit in the movie.

Have caught up with a few of my stores team members this week – their response to my weight loss has beencool – its amazing to see how people get motivated from by mission to date – one of the mobile reps today proclaimed that he would not be eating lunch as he needs to go on a diet… good on him for going on a diet, not sure that skipping meals is the way to do it though? But each to his own..

I’m in a great mood today, im luck really that im one of those people that wake up happy everyday, and today was another one of those days – even though it was raining and I had to catch and early morning flight – I didn’t let it get the better of me… I was particularly happy this morning when I discovered that the extra hole that I made in my belt a fortnight ago was now redundant and a new one required.. that is on my to do list for tonight. Clothes sizes are coming down a treat – I have gone from a size 50 pants and 51 shirt to a size 40 pants and a size 46 shirt, maybe even a size 44 shirt now… loosing weight from the stomach region is the hardest and slowest process but is the main objective obviously.

Exercise this week has been zilch – I have been a lazy arse with the rain and need to harden up… I am going to go tonight though because I feel a bit sluggish with out it. Need to also monitor my muscle mass as I think my arm muscles have shrunken in the last week…is that possible?...back into the weights it is :-P

Lots of talent in the Koru Club tonight… thought you might appreciate that random observation.

Have a good night!

Peace
M

NEW GOAL REACHED!!! + Pics from Aus

Weighed this morning and my total weight loss is 30kg on the spot!! I think thats pretty bloody mint for 55 days effort!

Had a great weekend catching up with peoples in TGA, great to see a lot of you and was glad to make it to my nieces 3rd birthday party.. if only I had known it was a fairy costume party - opportunity lost!

Have got some pics ff Brisbane and Bribie Island to show you where I was walking while there - some cool places! Chinatown is pretty impressive and Bribie is stunning in the evening!

Brbie Island Sunset

Pumicestone Passage

China Town - Fortitude Valley Brisbane

The Cathedral in the City

Fortitude Valley Mall

Exercise over the weekend was a bit weak to be fair but did go on a nice walk around the estury with Fe on Sunday, and managed to bust out a 3km mission on mums treadmill Sunday night, so thats something I guess! Back into the regular routine as of tonight.. I think Jase has even committed to comming with me!

Might also need to do a weights session tonight - its been a week!

Hope you are all having a great Tuesday!

Peace.
Mike

Hi from across the ditch...

Morning! well maybe not by time I actually post this update!

Have been a bit slack regarding the regular updates over the last week with traveling so apologies!! I am writing this post from Brisbane.

Week is going well but I haven't weighed in since Monday so not quite sure where things are sitting at the moment - Last week moved pretty slow with only a 1.5kg loss, not sure if the antibiotics that I am on have impacted at all??.... might have to do some research on the topic. Have found a really helpful website; http://www.liquiddietdiscussion.com/ check it out if you are thinking about doing something like Optifast, Tony F etc.

Weather was absolute crap last week in Auckland so walking was really limited and probably only averaged out at 3km a day. Did do a lot of walking on Saturday at the ZOO! Alana and I did a Zoom tour and got to feed the giraffes, hippos, rhino and lions by hand! it was awesome!
Temperature is mint in Brisbane at the moment - I have been walking every night about 5kms - through Fortitude Valley (a very colourful suburb!) and china town. Last night I also walked about 6-7km into the city and checked out the cathedral and CBD.

Heading to Bribie Island tonight and am looking forward to walking round the water edge, might even walk the bridge through the pumice stone passage.

Am managing to stick to my optifast while I have been here and am going out for lunch with my workmates today- go the salad!
Think that i am loosing weight faster this week as my body feels like it is back in a state of ketosis, have noticed the keytones...think this has been due to the increase in walking again so I am pretty stoked.

Will update some pictures from my trip over the weekend and also throw in a couple of pictures from the zoo trip!

Am heading down to Tauranga for the weekend - it is my nieces 3rd birthday party - looking forward to catching up with quite a few of you!

Have a great week!!!

Peace.
M

Mid Week Post

Just called in home to have have some lunch and thought I would jump online and give a quick update!

My week is going well but very busy, Ive got a lot on with work (am away in Aus all next week).

Weight has pretty much stayed the same over the last 3 days which is a bit annoying but I know that it will move eventually... a couple of weeks ago I had a neutral week and then a big loss over the next week, guess its the body constantly adjusting... I have been walking/jogging heaps every day and have done a couple of mammoth weights sessions... chest was burning a bit yesterday!

Picked up a 2-layered bamboo steamer from the Chinese Grocery store for $11... if you enjoy steamed veges then I suggest that you pick one of these little beauties up, well worth it and so easy to use.

Thanks to everyone thats following this blog.. its cool to have supportive friends!

Right, got to bail.. have a business plan to put together this avo and it isnt writing itself... :-)

Have a great week, will drop another over the weekend!

Peace.
Mike.

NEW PHOTO

Last photo of me was taken on the 19th April so I thought I would update with one from tonight... its off my crappy webcam so quality isnt that superb! Be forgiving because I've just been for a 5km walk and jogged heaps so im a bit shattered!






Cher. Peace.

Mike

BLOOD PRESSURE - HYPER TENSION

Quick update - went to the doctor today to have my 5 week check up.

My Doc was well stoked with my weightloss to date and my blood pressure has reduced enough for him to cut my daily medication in half!!! GOT TO LOVE THAT! Thanks doc!

Just been out today to stock up on my optifast... picked up some optifast dessert (new, different, unusual)...it looks on the packet to be like instant dessert - heres hoping it tastes as nice as the choc shake and nothing like the choc bar - they are hiddy (the coffee bar is good tho!). I'm going to have steammed veges tonight followed up with a bit of optifast dessert and weight watchers calorie free jelly - whoa exciting aye ;-P

Hope Monday has been a good'n for you.

Peace.
M

A very LATE update

So it's been ages since my last post...Sorry about that, my bad! Have had a really busy week of traveling and family events so haven't had the chance to get online and deliver some updates..

Have just got back from a weekend in Tauranga, had a great time at my little brothers engagement party - of course I was sober and not eating a thing outside the boundaries of my diet but I still had a superb night, always great to catch up with old faces and meet some new ones. Had a few extended family members and friends come up and talk about 'the new me' ...its really nice to get feedback from other people about the physical changes your going through..its easy to get used to what you see in the mirror every day and sometimes you don't even notice the changes. It was also nice to have the utmost faith in telling people that this is just a snapshot in time and the new me is yet to come!!

Have got home today and jumped on the scales and have a smile on my dial - ear to ear even, am now under 140kg! I weigh in today at 138.8kg which is a loss of 4.7kg in the week - bringing me to a total weight loss of 24.7kg! ...woop woop (did I actually just use "woop woop" to describe my excitement? must have been a late night).

Have been sticking to the walking everyday and have even been building in a bit of interval training along the way! Amy (good mate and flatmate) came on a run through the week and it was mint, the both of us were shattered and sweating swimming pools...we must have looked like a right pair of eggs, we both had on our Ipod's and listened to our own music which meant that it was sometimes awkward to stay in sync with each others pace, but we had a laugh and a good mish!

Alana and I got up early for a really nice walk on Sat morning, 5km, which I think is a great distance for a weekend morning walk. It was 6am and an overcast morning at the mount the air was FREEZING so no one else was up during the first 30 Min's..nice and peaceful! The mount is such a beautiful spot even when the weather is crap and everything is a different shade of grey its easy to get caught up in the beauty.

Bought a cool Industrie shirt yesterday - constantly fighting back the urges of shopping up a storm, every now and I lose and pick something up... will refer to these as 'rewards' from now on! hah.

Im Auckland based this week so will try and get a couple of updates in, Wednesday and one in the weekend at least.

Will also post a couple of pics from last night when someone (Fe or Steff) email me some :)

Have a great week

Peace.
M