Walk In The Park

Had a lovely day today at Royal Victoria Country Park, Hamble near Southampton. Seven of the family got together and drove down. Jenny my eldest niece has just passed her driving test,
and has turned out to be a very good driver. Direction and guidance came from her husband Paul in the back seat!!!!

The park looks out on to the Solent. There were a lot of yachts, ships etc on the Solent today. Cowes week starts today. We had great entertainment watching two windsurfers trying to stay upright.

I took off for a while to do a walk. Leg is getting better but just a bit sensitive. I managed a 2 1/2 mile walk around the park grounds which are gorgeous.

Getting to grips with the Ball (literally). I position myself between the two sofas with several cushions surrounding for safety's sake!! Really want to crack this balance exercise. I read that after 40 balance naturally deteriorates so it's time to catch some quick!!! Tried to remember the exercises we do in the gym. The Ball is quite good just to sit on watching tv cos you are always trying to keep balance unless you lose concentration then you come into close contact with a sofa!!

Cinderella has got her ball

Foot is feeling so much better today. Just been to the gym. I started off with a warm up on the Treadmill whilst being entertained by Wil trying to blow up my Gym Ball. I love my Gym ball I am sure we are going to build a close relationship. It was fun trying to get the ball out of the gym into Ema's car and home and into the flat. I had to push quite hard to get it through some of the doorways, bit like giving birth!! It does take up most of the floor space in the flat so it will have to become a design feature. At the moment it keeps following me.
< Look at this poor woman she has been stalked by her ball for years



Gym session was challenging but Wil always makes it fun. We worked on muscles with names.Biceps, Triceps , External Obliques, Core, Soleus etc. Still not so good at balancing but when I concentrate and think of what all the muscles should be doing and why it becomes better. I wish I could do everything properly without having to downgrade some of them, my body shape gets in the way sometimes but hopefully that will change. I also have to work on keeping my head up straight. It moves about too much and when not in true alignment it multiplies the stress on the neck. So I could end up looking like one of those nodding dogs in the back of cars.

Went for a swim with Ema, who had been waiting in the pool till I was finished and was beginning to look like a prune. Met the lady who does the Yoga Class at the spa she was lovely and we had a chat. Hopefully I might get a chance to experience Yoga.

Feeling all motivated up again just need to be careful.Now I have my Gym Ball, New Trainers and Weights (could it be, this is serious) just need to find out where the batteries go!!

Just a quick blog to say a big thank you to all those who e-mailed or left comments with advice, commented on the blog and texted and sent best wishes for the FOOT, and encouragement to persevere. I have taken it all on board.

It is much better and I am trying to be sensible (which is a challenge). Should be back on the walking next week. It's the spa tonight (hurray). Hope to do some upper body work and swimming.

Spicy Chickpeas

I went to the Doctors today, I know two times in a month. It's not the Achilles tendon it's a muscle strain which can be sorted phew!!!!

Here is a recipe that looks well worth a try from Freedom Bound Blog He is famous for his chickpeas, so he tells me!!!!!

Freedom Bound said...
Not as colourful, but very scrummy, and may convert you to chickpeas!
Spicy chickpea casserole

This recipe tastes better if you make it up in advance to allow all the flavours to combine and then simply reheat it before serving
8oz (225g) [dry weight] chickpeas, soaked overnight or 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
1 medium onion,
chopped 1 x 1 4oz (400g) can chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 heaped teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
8oz (225g) mushrooms,
sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fast-boil the soaked chickpeas for 10 minutes, then simmer for a further one hour until fairly soft. When the chickpeas are almost cooked, drain them, then rinse with boiling water. Or open the tinned chickpeas and drain!Place the onion and tomatoes into a medium saucepan with the stock cube. Add the coriander, cumin, chilli and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.Stir the chickpeas into the tomato and spice mixture. Add the mushrooms and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Season well with salt and black pepper. Add the fresh coriander.Serves 3

Heel to Heal

Just had some amazing thunder storms in Winchester.

This week I have come to the first major physical hurdle in my exercise programme I have discovered the Archilles Tendon. Through no ones fault but my own I had heel that was tender for the last few days. Determined not to let it stop me I was stupid and did extra long walks, trying to walk off the pain, which I thought might just be my muscles getting used to exercise.

I forget that I am carrying the weight of another person on me and going from no exercise to pushing myself really hard has taken it's toll. Gym sessions are very well supervised by Wil but it's when I'm out on my own I want to go, literally, that extra mile.I wanted to ignore it and hoped it would go away, which so unwise in sports injuries.

Last night I was due to have a session with Wil in the gym and felt I should tell him. After some tests and consultation he wisely judged that this heel needs rest to get back into shape. We had a really good chat about nutrition and ways to exercise without straining the heel while it's on the mend. Swimming is the best as everything is supported.
I felt a bit down because I have a tendancy to want to run before I can walk, literally. It is so frustrating. Ilove doing the walks and the gym, but if I want to do more better look after the euipment. Hopefully we'll be ok for Fridays session.

Going to be brave and go into a Sports Shop tomorrow to look at trainers. Mine are very old and may have contributed to the problem.

BALL ALERT!!

I have bought my self a Gym Ball, got the right size this time. Just needs to be blown up. I have alerted all security services and the National Forces just incase I'm picked up on Radar.

I was watching the 'You are What You Eat' DVD. Dr Gillian MMcKieth takes her unhealthy victims to a room where spread out on a table is all the fat/sugar laden food that they eat in a week. It was interesting to see that the over all colour of these foods is brown. In contrast she then shows them what they will be eating and it's so colourful it takes their breath away. I've been inspired by this and have started to try and bring more colour in to meals. Tonights meal was quite unusual but very colourful and tasted lovely.

Su's Dinner
Cut a Galia Melon in half and scoop out the seed. Cut out some of the flesh roughly into cubes. Slice a small piece off the melon half's side so it will sit up like a dish.

Cut up into about 1" square cubes or thick slices, Courgettes, Onions, Chestnut Mushrooms
red, green and yellow peppers and melon flesh
Mix together a small amount of Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of honey add veg pieces so they are very lightly coated. (keep some of this sauce for later)
Put veg on a roasting tray and roast on a high heat for 10-15 mins
Mix into veg once roasted a handful of sprouting beans, pumpkin seeds, raisins (or grapes) and pile into the half melon.
Pour over the left over sauce.
Serve with watercress or mixed leaves.

It is lovely and has so many flavours and is very colourful. This kind of food you might expect to eat on holiday or in hotels but there is no reason why we can't do it ourselves

Dieting Daisies - Team Wil

Our Man At The BBC

Here are some pictures from yesterday at Radio Solent.
From L to R
Claire, Wil, Rosalie, and....me.
We all have a really good time when we are there. It's good fun. I am fascinated by the goings on during a broadcast. So much information coming in it's a real skill
to keep it all together.

This Jon Cuthill master of operations. He is lovely, so easy to talk to and had a way of getting information out of us which until now had been state secrets!!! Jon normally does the 9 - 12 slot and has an amazing feature of his show called Rubbish Rescue, it's a brilliant idea and well worth exploring.
see link

Team Wil and Mr Jon Cuthill

I've been waking up with a different man this week and today I got to meet him!!
Jon Cuthill has taken over from Julian Clegg while he is on holiday.
Today was our day in the studios of Radio Solent. Hope to have some pictures soon, but for now you'll have use your imagination. The picture above is the studio we were in.

Before I even get into the building I always have attack of the nerves, but the staff at Radio Solent are so welcoming we all soon feel at ease. It is the first time Team Wil have been together since the last broadcast. It was lovely to see Rosalie looking good after her holiday in Greece. Claire and I had a sneaky peek at the scales before we went into the studios.

Claire has done really well and lost 8lbs and people are beginning to notice. Well done

I lost 1st 2lbs, I have lot more to lose than everyone else so the weight will come off fast in the first few weigh- ins. Then on to the hard stuff.

Jon Cuthill started the interviews by teasing us with descriptions of big cooked breakfasts!! I think the interviews went really well, we were all relaxed and chatted quite freely. It's funny cos we are all shy about telling people what our weight is but Jon managed to get us all to say it on air. Wil set out the plan for the next three weeks and gave us loads of encouragement to go on with. We chatted to Jon for quite a while and all too soon it was over.

I made my way home on the train and developed quite a strong headache. I am hoping that these headches ( i have some form of headache most days) may be sorted out with the healthy eating and exercise and sorting out blood pressure etc.

When I got home I had intended to do a number of things but fell asleep for 2 hours, waking up wondering if it was all a dream!!!


Made a smoothie for lunch and I would have had eaten it too ,if only I had put the lid on the smoothie maker!!!! It took ages to clear up but my skin felt lovely afterwards!!

Really lazy day today. Didn't feel right, need to get out and do walking.

Night At The Smoothies

Today I did the 5k walk. It was the same route as the 5K race on Thursday. Walked it after tea so not to frighten too many people. It takes the path through the weirs which is beautiful in the evening. I did try to put in a few jogging strides but I have aquired what I call the Penguin Jog. It's kind of jogging, or making the movements with the top half whilst doing quick walking with the legs. It's a start!!!

I have set myself a task to jog across roads, which confuses a lot of people, because I suddenly start jogging as if there were cars coming, and no one else can see a car in sight. Quite often other people will pick up their pace too!! Legs felt really heavy on the way back. The walk took me just over 70 minutes so only about 1 hour behind the time the runners set!!! That maybe a good marker route to see how I am progressing.

Made a smoothie today. Another first!! It was lovely...

Quarter pint of Low Fat Soya Milk
A handful of All Bran (soak in soya milk)
1 Banana, Handful of Blueberries, Handful of Raspberries

Put it all in a smoothie maker/blender it looks and tastes gorgeous

Gates and Giraffes

Really have become more aware of posture. I feel like I'm pulling myself up out of my stomach, stretching up my neck. I think I beginning to take on the charateristics of a giraffe. It is so easy to slump on a stool or chair. And then I suddenly remember and sit up staright.

I've just come back from what I call the 5 Gates of Winchester Walk. It's more or less tracing the roads that mark the old city walls. It's about 2 and a half miles. It takes in the sites of North Gate, West Gate then Southgate, down to Kings Gate, around Winchester Cathedral, through Abbey Gardens to the site of the East Gate.

It's a lovely walk. Iwalked down to the Kings Gate, which is a gentle hill, I feel really self- conscious running in the street so I thought I would try and disguise what I was doing. As the hill got a bit steeper I had a little trot. Then I did a bit more, only a few steps. Then a car drew up beside me and it was some friends... 'Go for it Su!!' one of them shouted. A bit embarrassed but secretly smiling on the inside I walked briskly till I was out of sight. I will try some more later. I have never been able to run freely . It must be so good, maybe one day, at the moment i'm worried about the pressure on my knees. Need too build up slowly to that goal!!

In my quest to eat as healthily as I can I have been thinking of alternatives to flavoured and processed quorn. I find it quite hard, as a vegetarian (almost vegan), to find protein foods.
Wil recommended trying Quinoa (Keen Wah) . Quinoa is a bit like cous cous but it is a seed and contains essential amino acids and is high in protein. See www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa. So I had a go at making a dinner with it.

Su's Dinner
Rinse half a cup Quinoa in water (the seed has a natural coating of a chemical which deters insects and is a bit bitter if not rinsed off) .

Boil 1 cup of water and then put the Quinoa in simmer until the seed splits and looks slightly opaque. (about 10 mins)

Chop Onions, Red Peppers, Mushrooms, Courgettes and water fry (no fat but you could use olive oil) . Cook till just going soft

Add tomato puree , 2 pinches of ground ginger, soy sauce to taste .

Add a tin of chickpeas and the cooked Quinoa with it's own water.

leave for about 15 mins till the Quinoa has soaked up the liquid heat up again and add roughly torn basil leaves.

Tis Yummy and very healthy!!


Monday's weigh in is looming. I don't know for certain that I have lost weight as I left my scales at the studios, but I think I ought to have, I feel like I have. I feel so much better on the inside. Lots of people said they will be listening in, no pressure then!! LOL



Meanwhile here is a puzzle for you to try to see how your brain works...................

I had an amazing day at the Spa yesterday. I met Claire and litle Joe (son of) at the train station and they gave me a lift to New Manor Park. Claire had her session first. It is so cool that she can go straight on to the Cross Work Machine and warm up. To me that is one of the machines yet to be conquered. I warmed up with a short walk on the treadmill and then went for a swim .(my own version of the biathlon!!) . Went back into the gym and did a few more hundred miles on the treadmill, although I have never worked out kilometers but it seems a 100 miles is about 2K !!!!
Had a few problems with the knee again but Wil can always create a way round it. I've noticed my left arm and leg seem to be on a different workout from the rest of me and often try to go their own way. So another lesson learned , it's really important to concentrate on what your body is doing as well try to make it do it.

We then went up into one of the studios to do some coordination work. Walking through a ladder with different rhythms and movements on the floor. Well if I don't get the hang of that I could audition for a west end musical. It concentrates on rhythm and feels almost like tap dancing.

At the end of the session we had a chat about healthy eating. Going to really try and crack this one. There are so many chemicals to preserve, flavour and colour food it can't be good. I don't like tea and coffee so I drink loads of water and squash. Looked on the squash bottle the ingredients...not good... full of E numbers, preservatives, colours, even if it does help you win Wimbledon !!

The next part of the day was spent with Ali giving me a partial Deep Tissue Massage.
Being a bit embarrassed about my body and never having had a massage before I was slightly nervous, but she was lovley and put me at ease straight away. She found my back muscles and got the blood flowing through them and loosened some things. I was quite tense in some places and that is partially due to bad posture which I have alot of work to do on. When she had finished I felt like I was floating. Lovely expereince!!

Then back to the water . I'm pretty sure that my feet and hands are gradually becoming webbed, and the tail is coming on nicely. I will soon be ready to be realeased into the sea. I feel so at home in the water. Although I did spend the vast majority of this time in the hydro pool.

I got a lift back with a real live athlete who was coming to Winchester to do a 5k race. Wil!!

Three times around the tourist part of the city and then into the Abbey Grounds to finish. It was so exciting. There were hundreds of runners of all different types from the people who looked like they had run in the original Olympics, some who were just out for a bit of exercise, those who had no intention going any faster then a brisk walk and some serious runners. The atmosphere was lovely I sat next to a couple in their mid 50's who were having a go. The woman said that 3 years ago she cried and was sick when her husband made her run 100 metres now they do endurance runs together. Another inspiring story.

Wil was so fast..I wasn't sure of his finishing time but it was about 16-17 minutes. I do, what I think is a fast walk which 4k per hour. He did 5k in about16 mins

Well done Wil, very proud of you!!

I held the water!!!!

Blah!!!!!!

This is what will be left of me if this weather goes on too much!! >

Today has been quite difficult.The heat got to me. I work in a shop with no air con and all of us felt really tired and sticky. I had a really bad headache and I was fighting PMT. It was hard being polite to customers especially as nearly all of them came in saying how hot it was. I wanted to shout 'REALLY, I'M FREEZING', but I restrained myself and put on a Sybil Fawlty face and say 'Oooh I know....'

I managed to keep to a healthy diet, it was moving about that was a problem.

Breakfast
All Bran with soya milk, strawberries and banana
Lunch
Wholemeal Sandwich with mixed leaves, cucumber, basil and tomato and a few sunflower seeds
Dinner
Quorn Sausages and red pepper, tomatoes, cucumber,watercress, with light mayonaise
Yoghurt,Apple and Orange

I think we will be looking at the GI diet so I need to see how that kind of menu matches up.

Anyway, we all have off days and I don't want this to happen every 4 weeks so I'm just going for a short, fast walk just to do something.

10 to 2 Feet

Just been for a power walk was really difficult in this heat. I have realised, or rather it has just sunk in, that there is walking and there is walking. I could amble about for hours and eventually arrive at a destination. Working on the treadmill there is so much more to think about just walking. One of the most difficult things I've found is to keep my feet square in front of me.
Old habbits die hard. I remember when I was a little girl copying the way my dad walked, fascinated at the precise angle of his feet. He was in the RAF for the majority of his life and there was a strict code of marching with your feet in the 10 to 2 hands of a clock like angle. So without realising all my life I have kept to this way of walking.
Of course I would like to blame it on my time with the Royal Ballet........but that would be complete fantasy LOL.

So now it's walking with shoulders back , stomach in, bum in and feet straight. I may fall over..... but with style!!!!


I have discovered sunflower seeds. A small handfull sprinkled over salad is delicious and very good for you especially vegetarians.
Following is some of the interesting Blurb I found out about sunflower seeds.

Anti-Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Benefits from Sunflower Seeds' Vitamin E
Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals that would otherwise damage fat-containing structures and molecules, such as cell membranes, brain cells, and cholesterol. By protecting these cellular and molecular components, vitamin E has significant anti-inflammatory effects that result in the reduction of symptoms in asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where free radicals and inflammation play a big role. Vitamin E has also been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, help decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women going through menopause, and help reduce the development of diabetic complications. In addition, vitamin E plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E is one of the main antioxidants found in cholesterol particles and helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol. Only after it has been oxidized is cholesterol able to adhere to blood vessel walls and initiate the process of atherosclerosis, which can lead to blocked arteries, heart attack, or stroke. Getting plenty of vitamin E can significantly reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis. In fact, studies show that people who get a good amount of vitamin E are at a much lower risk of dying of a heart attack than people whose dietary intake of vitamin E is marginal or inadequate. Just a quarter-cup of sunflower seeds contains 90.5% of the daily value for vitamin E to be precise.
Sunflower Seeds' Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol
Phytosterols are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol, and when present in the diet in sufficient amounts, are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers.
Phytosterols beneficial effects are so dramatic that they have been extracted from soybean, corn, and pine tree oil and added to processed foods, such as "butter"-replacement spreads, which are then touted as cholesterol-lowering "foods." But why settle for an imitation "butter" when Mother Nature's nuts and seeds are a naturally rich source of phytosterols—and cardio-protective fiber, minerals and healthy fats as well?
Calm Your Nerves, Muscles and Blood Vessels with Sunflower Seeds' Magnesium
Sunflower seeds are a good source of magnesium. Numerous studies have demonstrated that magnesium helps reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, and prevent migraine headaches, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Treadmills and Cyberman

Yay had another fab gym session yesterday. And I met Claire again, who is in our group of Daisy Dieters. She is doing really well.

My balance is getting better, less damage to the gym, (LOL)!!! Warmed up on the treadmill, which is cool cos that in itself would have 'done me in' a while ago and now it is a warm up for further exercise. I get bit frustrated because my knee won't allow me to do some of the exercises but that could become a lot easier when I have lost more weight. Still not able to burst the bouncy ball. Not sure of the technical terms but stood opposite a machine and pulled a handlebar thing with a cord that was weighted in a squat position, pulling up to the stomach and slowly releasing. Could really feel neck and top of the arm muscles working. At the end of the session it was back on the treadmill with holding weights of 2k in each hand. It took a while to feel steady without holding onto the sides, a few wobbly moments, but got a rhythm going.
I remember Russell T Davies who directs Dr. Who saying that the actors who played the Cybermen (she said hiding behind the sofa), went through rigorous training on how to walk rhythmically and constantly to look more robotic. When I go on my walks I tend to walk like a Cyberman and mothers pull their children out of the way and old ladies pick up their skirts and run for shop doorways. I must look a frightening sight hot, red faced, a determined look, hair all over the place and walking like a Cyberman!!!

It's a good sign because yesterday I was talking about achievable goals and the future to Wil . He was, as ever, so encouraging. I thought at the beginning when they said I had a 12 week run at a gym/spa that I would be counting the days off before the ordeal was over. Now I am well and truly hooked. The old cliche I wish I had done this when I was younger haunts me, but I'm doing it now. I'm even looking up where races are to watch on the internet. Found this quote on a web site
"To dream anything that you want to dream,that is the beauty of the human mind,
To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will'
To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed." Bernard Edmonds

It was not that long ago when my best friend and I would go to Pizza Hut and have a full meal there just to fill in time or as a snack and then go and eat a 'proper meal' in the evening. Now he has done extremely well on his fitness programme he has lost over 4 stone and goes to a gym 3 times a week. Another amazing achievement story .

Even three weeks ago I would get home from work feeling horribly tired, headachy and negative. Stuff myself with cakes(even if they were Weight watchers!), crisps and bread and watch TV all night. Now I'm feeling so much more positive and I want to get up and go. I still have to lug around a lot of weight and I am feeling it in this heat. When I look in shop windows and see myself I really think I should be thin now (patience isn't a thing that comes easily to me). It's going to be a long haul but worth it and I am actually looking forward to it.

She'll be coming round the mountain!!

Today I walked up the mountain known as St Catherines Hill in Winchester. As you can see it is one of the most beautiful places in Hampshire. The walk to the bottom of the hill is about 2 miles from my house and then the climb is quite steep to start with then you go through a lovely shaded tunnel of trees as you walk along the side of the hill and then a quite steep climb up steps.

I decided there was no shame in having rests along the way. And it was interesting to see children and grannies walk past me!!!It was very hot. I eventually got to the top where there is a small wooded area. I sat in the shade for half an hour but the flies began to collect. They must have mistaken me for a carcas although it was an understanable mistake!!

Walking home was the hardest. I had no option as there was no transport aids. I had to walk through town looking like I had just come out the Arabian Desert, usual shade of scarlet.I stuck the headphones on and tried to forget about how I must have looked. Drank one and a half itres of water when I got home!!!

I quite like doing endurance walks, which isn't too far for me at the moment, I don't think I'm made for speed. I was greatly inspired by watching the progamme about David Walliams (Little Britain) swimming the channel for Sports Relief. His determination was set by what he had seen on a trip to an African orphanage. He trained for nine months and he swam the channel. Stories like that move me a lot. Going against the odds and making an effort to acheive something.