Positive Motivation, Achieving Goals!

I've had what can only be described as a rollercoaster of a week; it feels like my feet haven't touched the ground and I have had no time to relax. I am doing a lot of overtime, whilst having to support Darrell during his time in the UK. This interim period, before he gets his biometric card, is going to be tough. I will have to work a lot more than I usually do, and already I work long hours. Still I am managing to stay afloat and more importantly able to continue saving money each month.

Tomorrow, Darrell travels to Cumberland House in Southampton, to have his biometric information taken. This includes fingerprints, and photographs. This is the beginning of a process to allow him to gain employment, simply, without having to provide evidence obtained when he was granted 'Indefinite leave to Remain' in 2001. Both of us just want to get back to normal and rebuild our life together in the UK.

With all the work I am doing at the moment, I haven't had a lot of time to do anything else. However, I am continuing on my weight loss programme, which I started exactly two weeks ago. So far I have gone from a weight of 97.7 kg to a far more respectable 93 kg. That's a loss of 4.7 kg, or approximately 10 pounds. That's not bad for fourteen days.

Comparing this diet to others I have followed in the past, I am well aware of the significant weight loss I experience during the first month of eating healthier. The hardest part is afterwards, getting my weight down to its ideal level and maintaining it long term. I have gone from obese to overweight, which is great news. My BMI is now below thirty, I am on track to achieving my first goal of 89 kg in weight by the end of the month.

I am determined not to make the mistakes of the past, and I am not being as strict with food intake as I once was. I am following a calorie control diet and not a keto, or one of those 'fad' diets, as I believe that is the best way to lose weight in a measured sustained way. Every day, I take a vitamin D tablet and start by eating plenty of fresh fruit, with porridge. I continue to eat fruit throughout the day, with every meal I have and no longer eat cheese, chocolate or processed food and refined sugar. Having changed my whole outlook dramatically, I am pleased the results are showing already.

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Keeping my calorie intake to a minimum has been a challenge, but using my new 'nutracheck' app at a cost of £3.99 a month, I have been able to stick to my daily goals. This fantastic app, allows me to scan product barcodes into my phone and immediately tell me how much I am eating, allowing me to adjust my calorie intake accordingly. Modern technology has been a great tool during this diet this time around. Seeing statistics in a graph on my phone is spurring me forwards to get those desired results. At fifty years old, I need to be more health conscious and at the moment at least, I have the will power to achieve that ambition.

This week we also bought an exercise bike, which in itself, is proving to be a challenge. I am managing to do ten minutes on a regular basis, but that is hard work for a novice; I am someone who just doesn't do exercise. On top of this I do a minimum of ten thousand steps a day, running around in my job, so manage to do more than my quota of daily exercise. Of course, I hope to improve on this, but for a person who used to think moving a cigarette from the ashtray on my belly to my mouth was a workout, I don't think I'm doing too badly.

Another busy week beckons, with even more extra hours than usual. I have been told to take it easy and listen to my own body, not overdoing it too much. Nevertheless, I am having to go that extra mile and that is understandable. When I look back at this entry in six months time, I hope Darrell will be working, I will be far slimmer, and we are both enjoying life, just a little bit more… After all, life is for living right? Let's live it to the max!

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