Dreamy Times

So it may be some kind of record on the blog front – no posts since September last year! I am duly ashamed and vow to do better.

Obviously a lot has happened since then: we had our trip to the UK; Matt has passed his diploma at college and is now in Uni; we’ve applied for citizenship; I’ve been to see a dietician. Naturally, my appointment with the dietician is the most important thing, so that’s what I’ll talk about first

My weight loss has been pretty much non-existent, despite mostly sticking to 1600 cals a day, exercising mostly every other day, trying to be good (and keeping my blood glucose levels at a good level) I am aware that there are a lot of ‘mostly’s in this paragraph but I do try very hard. After our trip to the UK I put on about 2kg – couldn’t shift them. After Christmas, I put on another couple of kilos and I can’t shift them either. The result of this is that I’m pretty much back to where I started when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, almost two years ago. It’s very disheartening and depressing to say the least.

At my last diabetes check-up I finally succumbed and asked if I could go see a dietician (I get 5 visits to a diabetes related professional every year, as part of my diabetes care management plan). I went to see her on Tuesday. In brief, she thinks I’m concentrating too much on being a diabetes sufferer, that because my HbA1C blood results (the test I get quarterly, which gives an average overview of your glucose levels over a three month or so period) are so good (5.6-5.9) that I have my diabetes well under control. That’s without medication too, so I’m a little star. However, what it also means is that I don’t really need to eat so many carbs and I also don’t need to eat quite so often. At present I have breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner (I’m supposed to have supper too, but there’s a limit to how much I can chuck down my neck). I’d also have to have between 30-60g carbs for each meal and 15-30g carbs for each snack, so between 120g-240g.. so now she wants me only have a snack if I’m actually hungry, to have no more than 45g carbs per main meal and no more than 165g carbs per day. Also, I have to do at least 60minutes of exercise EVERY DAY, burning at least 200cals. I should also be doing strength training and reduce my calorie intake to 1400 cals per day.

Flipping heck.

So, with all this in mind and with my trusty myfitnesspal app in hand, I have an appointment at Curves (recommended by dietician) – one of those strength circuit places where you do 30 minutes of targeted exercise. Also, if I’m watching the telly, doing laptop stuff, reading etc (ie all those sedentary activities I love so much) I have to do as many of them standing up as I can. Der dah! Laptop on ironing board, kindle on treadmill etc etc. She wants me to lose 0.5-1kg a week (1-2lbs) and she wants me at 90kg in 3 months time. Considering the last three months I’ve lost 200g, I’m hoping that I can do it!

Enough of all that now

In other news, we have our citizenship test appointments for the beginning of next week, so fingers crossed we all pass those and that we get a date for the citizenship ceremony shortly afterwards. I’ve had a look on our local council’s website to see if they say how often they hold the ceremonies but I can’t find anything. Then it’ll be a case of getting Aussie passports.. then we’ll be all done. Hurrah.

The two eldest have just gone back to uni – both in their second years. Matt was able to fast track straight into the second year on his diploma, so that was a job well done. He had to pick his major/minor straight away. ‘well, Matt, what did you pick’ I asked. He told me. ‘And are those conducive to the type of career you want when you graduate?’
‘I dunno.’
‘Would it not be a good idea to think about what type of career you want and choose your major accordingly?’
‘I dunno.”
‘I’m sure that’s how most people would do it – you can’t just pick things you like the sound of!’
‘I think you’ll find that’s what I have done.’

Hey ho (again)

And so finally – our trip to the UK last year. I had planned on doing a weekly update while we were away. Obviously that didn’t happen. I haven’t even got my photos uploaded yet!  Suffice to say, we had a great time.. and I’ll do a proper entry around the piccies.

Honest guv.

Just under 4 hours now until the taxi (which I must remember to book) turns up to collect myself, Himself and smallestchild. Then its off to the station to catch a train to take us to the airport to catch a plane to take us on our first trip back to the UK in almost 4 years!

Because they’re both in Uni, Eldest and middle children aren’t allowed to come (and plus its handy being able to leave someone sort of responsible at home to look after the animals)

I have posted endlessly about this on Facebook but my intentions were to leave the house immaculate so that I could expect the same standard on our return. As I’ve had a bad cold, a sprained ankle and a horrific dose of general apathy this hasn’t happened.. but I’m past caring now

So, we land at Heathrow on Thursday morning, UK time, pick up the hired car and head to Himself’s mum’s house in Folkestone. We’re having a week there, so Himself will get to spend his birthday with his mum, and then we’re off upto York to see the people we left behind when we moved out to Australia. In the meantime we’ll hopefully catch up with Rory and some others, which will be great.

A long weekend in York is followed by another trip up the A1 to my mum’s in Newcastle. I’m hoping to see some old school friends before we head across the Pennines to Blackpool, for our obligatory trip to the Pleasure Beach and (if its open) several rides on Valhalla  Down the M6 for a week in Warrington to see Neil’s family and then down to Heathrow for a couple of days incorporating a day in Thorpe Park and a quick visit with Sknowsy.

Awww… I’m starting to get excited now, even though its a lot of travelling. It’ll be lovely to see my dad, who couldn’t come when my mam came out to visit us, although I’ve decided that Middlechild is too much like his Grandad Colin.. and also to see my sister in law Dawn who I miss a lot Not to mention (although I just did) all the other friends and family.

Naturally, I’m hoping the weather will be like it is here – 25-30C.. but I’m not holding my breath, lol! I shall report from the Other Side.