Adipose!

My delightful TorchwoodForum Secret Santa got me one! Yay! Should hopefully spur me on to loosing some more weight this year...?

Come on Secret Santa - Reveal yourself...!

Outside!

A few more shots of our outside world, which we're really taking to more and more... Even stopped watching Big Brother for the most part! It's just sooo good to sit outside, with a little nature (got three frogs at least now!) and perhaps a Gin & Tonic...

Anyway, this first one is one of our sources of light!


I was trying to be arty again next, though it doesn't work quite so well when you're tipsy!



And today, I noticed a spider had set it's trap right where all the other bugs'd be heading for the polen of a new flower... Clever! Any idea what this plant is? It kinda grows each year but we never knew what it was! Looks nice on the patio table...!


Looking forward to a warm outdoor evening again maybe tonight... Preparing us for those nights under canvas that are rapidly approaching perhaps?

In other news, did I tell ya that I'd lost more weight? I was just 2lb short of 2 stone loss when I last hit the WW scales! I'm taking a few weeks off being everso good though now... I'll jump back on the wagon soon, just to get those last few pounds of course... But I just feel like a few weeks of treating myself whilst I'm off work, celebrating the new job and relaxing in the summer sun...! Jxx

On again!

Damnit! Gained a pound this week!

OK, so it's only been six days since my last weigh in and we did over-indulge somewhat on Friday night (hic, burp bollocks!) but I figured I'd been good enough otherwise to see a little loss at the scales but alas, it was not to be!

Still, I remain on target - still 21 pound gone from my starting point and I'm fitting into all kinds of clothing that had been stored untouched in the wardrobe for far too long... I can but hope this is just a blip! Makes me wonder why I bothered walking 40 minutes to and from the weigh in, just to be told it'd made not the blindest bit of difference!

So, what will I do differently for the week ahead? Well, we're already hitting a little less of the bottle - Gin & Tonic on the patio has been incredibly tempting of late and we've generally consented to a glass or two but we've sidelined this for the week ahead, well till the weekend(?)anyway in favour of a more wholesome intake - speaking of which, as the weather warms up (!) more water or sugar-free squash wouldn't go a miss, though I tend to survive on Diet Coke & Pepsi Max - bad for the gut and bad for the ethical conscience when you consider the campaigns they support in the US...!

Maybe more milk would do the trick? Calcium aids weight loss and a pint of semi-skimmed (can't abide skimmed - white water rubbish!) ain't going to break the WW points bank! Yoghurts are back on the fridge shelves too so one a day might be beneficial - also, Innocent smoothies... Not only 2 portions of fruit for the day but yummy to boot! We could make our own for half the price but think of all that mess - not that the juicer doesn't need an airing?

Still walking to work but maybe I should substitute a little cycling? Change the exercise pattern to excite the body into more weight loss? I'm just a little put off after feeling so ill after the last time I put foot to pedal, though that was a fair while back (2007?) and I was very hungover - not a good combination for cycling uphill!

So, see, there's lots I could do to make that difference and I'm sure that if I just take a little of my own advice I'll see results next Wednesday evening...!

...If I take a little of my own advice! Jxx

Good Samaritan?

I was walking home from Weight Watchers this morning (I'd attended the Tuesday morning rather than Wednesday evening meeting this week, which involves a 30 minute walk there and back, no bad thing for the ol' weight loss!) when I came across an old(ish - maybe 55-60-65?) lady and a member of the public. Nothing unusual in that except that the member of the public was on her phone, talking to the emergency services and the older lady was lying on the ground, legs partially entwined in her tipped over mobility scooter!

Leaping into nurse mode, I immediately looked around for the emergency call button or another member of staff... Damnit!

Our code of conduct as nurses suggests that we should attend any accident we spot when out and about in general. We are expected to provide instant support and 'first aid' as appropriate. This is all well and good but as nurses, we are often used to working in environments with other colleagues and equipment we may need to hand! I don't carry a first aid kit in my bag and we are not trained first aiders!

However, the basics did come flooding back to me... I immediately ensured someone was calling for support (which she already was) and half listened in on her giving details whilst I checked the safety of the environment and proceeded to assess the 'patient'.

She was moaning and groaning, showing that she was still breathing and she had a pulse that felt reasonable (I didn't time it but just checked it was there and stable!) I engaged her in conversation as much as possible to find out how responsive she was. (Her speech was notably slurred and her mouth looked like it had a slight droop on the right hand side, indicating that there may be a weakness generally - this tallied with her ability to squeeze with her left hand but not her right.)

I checked her head for signs of trauma, finding a bump but no obvious wounds and checked the rest of her as well as possible for obvious injury, despite the awkward but stable position she was in (avoid moving the casualty unless it is unsafe to leave them where they are!). She was in pain but not obviously cut or bleeding.

Her colour was pale but not cyanosed (and I later ascertained there was no inhaler in her bag to indicate asthma / COPD!). She was incoherent to start, unable to answers questions in recognisable words but gradually began giving slightly more appropriate responses.

We checked her bag for indications of identity, finding a card with her surname on which she confirmed as correct and I took my place, securing her head, talking to her and comforting until the ambulance arrived.

The ambulance crew were of course marvellous, taking control of the situation though they still asked for my help with a few things (holding the oxygen & moving the casualty - I was a member of the public to them of course!) and as she began to come round a little more, they found her phone, contacted her daughter (I noted that they wrote down that she had a brain tumor, causing a generalised right sided weakness - didn't I say so!) and ascertained her medication. As they were, of course, well in control I offered to return the woman's mobility scooter to her home as we had by then got her address and the local postman, having stopped to help also, was able to give me directions! Off they headed in the direction of the hospital as I worked my way back over the ground the woman had travelled that morning (I gave up trying to walk next to teh scooter, which is supprisingly difficult to control like that and rode it most of the way - accompanied by odd looks from local folk!)

Thank fully her neighbours and granddaughter were on hand for me to hand over the scooter and keys when I got there and let them know the scant details I had, reassuring them she was concious!

This may not be a breakthrough in medicine or even a heroic step forward by day to day standards but as this is the first accident I've come across, I'm pleased that I did everything I could appropriately. I have always felt uncomfortable with the rule that means we have to provide support (a bloody good reason not to travel to and from work in uniform, as if you're spotted not helping you can get in trouble!) but was pleased that my training and knowledge didn't abandon me totally. This was a simple accident but still enough to task my memory.

Oh, and I'd lost 1.5lb at Weight Watchers, hitting my 10% weight loss goal! What a good day (for me, not for her obviously!) Jxx

Shoes!

My shoes weigh a lot!

At least 1.5lb...

So really, I lost weight this week... I just forgot to take my shoes off to prove it!

OK, so we had a minor chocolate disaster at the weekend but I hoped we'd Wii'd enough weight off to compensate? (My arm, shoulder, wrist, neck and hip all ache to remind me of the exhertion - and that's still just Wii Sports - haven't tried Wii Fit yet!) However, it seems that I've built too much muscle (which everyone knows weighs more than fat!) so didn't get the weight loss I was hoping for...

So, back to 13.5lb loss (over six weeks now) with a potentially fat filled weekend ahead of me (though hopefully enough walking around to hold the lb's at bay a little!?) We'll just have to see what the next week's scale shows!

---

In other news, I'm working another night shift this week and then two more in June! This is getting out of hand! I have discovered that Overtime payments are really rather worthwhile though... Maybe I should cash in a little mroe whilst they're still offering the chance? (But then, I'd have less time to Wii!) Should be able to try out my 'win £1,000 every 90 minutes' codes from my Pepsi bottles in the middle of the night though... More chance to win if everyone else is asleep? (And then I could afford more Wii stuff!) Jxx

Humph!

Weight stayed the same this week.

I took the news well... With a sausage cob, vegetable tartlet and chocolate truffle!

Down we go!

This week's weight loss news is in... And it's another good week!

2.5lb loss this week takes the total in three weeks to 11lb! Pretty impressive even if I do say so myself! I really need to work hard this week to maintain the loss and if I'm extra good, who knows, I could even break the first stone in just a month!

Am turning into some kind of size 0 supermodel obviously!

In other news, our first new seedlings of the year are poking their heads up - chillies and peppers were planted a week or so ago and we're getting signs of life from them thankfully. We should also be growing cucumbers and goodness knows what else but we need to hope for a slightly less dreary summer, one that encourages us out into the garden to actually cultivate!

Ebay sales continue to go reasonably well... Books, DVD's, photo frames, hand held massager and various other trinkets have all sold well - I'm now onto the big guns! A promotional display for Jacques Villeneuve, a Camera Bag and a glass chess set... Do tell your friends!

Out for a meal on Saturday night to celebrate a number of folk leaving their jobs, me included - this stems back several months to me moving jobs but now includes the pharmacist from my old ward who's also going going gone! We're having Thai food - need to check my weight watchers eating out guide and see what's on the allowed list! It's a shame that so many folk have left the ward. Neurology was a great place to work before it moved hospitals but the transition saw so many good, experienced staff leave that it's been hard to maintain the Charter Mark standards that once were... That and bed pressures of course meaning it's a tough environment to work in. Many staff just don't want to deal with the stress! Kudos to those who stay on and ride the storm... besides, I may yet end up back there so I have to hope that not too many people go...!

Just waiting for this month's Tesco delivery... I'm sure we drive them mad by ordering a months worth of shopping then asking for it to be delivered without carrier bags! It takes longer to unpack this end of course and I'll end up putting everything away but I kinda like stacking the shelves and seeing our diminished supplies re-grow... Besides, there're a lot of low fat treats hopefully on their way by now...! And it sure beats traipsing around the store! Jxx

Breakfast!

It's 05.15am!

Working nights screws up my menu plan!

For breakfast today, according to my diet tracker, I have had sushi & stir fry vegetables in garlic and ginger sauce!

OK, I could've just written it in the dinner column but where's the fun in that?

I wanna go sleep now! Jxx

NightsMare!

Wooley has not worked a night shift in about three years!

Wooley has only worked one night shift in about five years!

Wooley is working two night shifts this weekend...

Wooley is living a NightsMare!

Erk!

---

In other news - first weigh in tonight! If I've not lost half a stone I'll be really upset (!) I've not yet eaten my Easter Egg (D demolished his in about 48hours - but do you blame him?) and I have been sticking to (through sometimes struggling to meet) points! I've had most of my fruit & veg (5-a-day) and a fair amount of water. I've reduced alcohol (ignoring gin-night!) and increased home-cooking once again! Fingers crossed...! Jxx

CAKE!

Is Organic Carrot Cake a cake made with organic carrots or a totally organic cake?

...Guess who's starting weight watchers tonight and already thinking about cake! Jxx

Here we go again... DIET 4.0?

This time there's a real effort going to take place - I may have said it before but I'll have the might of Weight Watchers to back me up from Wednesday! Weekly meetings with the need to justify oneself on the scales every time! I really will have to stop the binging and whinging and start monitoring the calorific intake again!

Have I got a cat in hells chance? Better bloody hope so - I've gained a little more than I'd like to admit over the past few months!

Of course, until Wednesday, it's a free reign - chocolate and crisps, pop and pizza galore? Except I keep eating so much junk I feel sick! And I think I'm lactose intolerant... Got really bad cramps after drinking a pint of milk! Hmmm...

In other news, work is still great though I was there six days last week, hence the quiet-ness of WI. Also ebay'ing with some success! Sold about 18 items so far but had to re-list a few! Just hoping that those items that were gifts aren't spotted by the sender! Well, you can't keep everything can you! Jxx