Wk 18, Days 4,5,6 +7 Clowns, Bath, backache and lots of wine!

Sorry for the delay in posting but I have been busy and away for the bank holiday weekend. It was hubbies 50th birthday and he wanted to celebrate BIG style!
Last Thursday I walked to the station in the morning without pain so that was good.
Last Friday we drove to Bath in Somerset which took almost 4 hours! It should have been a little over 2 hours but the Reading festival was on, blocking half the M4, then there was an accident that slowed the traffic, then it absolutely bucketed with rain so I had to drive slowly down the motorway trying to de-mist the windows! Anyway we got there in the end and my back certainly felt the journey!
Saturday was spent walking around Bath all afternoon in clown outfits. Here is a picture to prove it. It was a tiring but brilliant day and my back didn't suffer at all. Not until we went to dinner in the evening. Then I had to keep standing up at the table for a few minutes as though I was going to make a speech!
Sunday was more walking, then sitting in the afternoon and evening which was very uncomfortable for my back even though I had a heat pad on it which didn't seem to make a great deal of difference.
Monday morning we left bath and hubby drove all the way home while I put the seat right back as far as it would go as lying down is much better for my back than sitting upright. Unfortunately that didn't make much difference either as my back felt pretty uncomfortable all the way home. Once at home after a little walk and a lay down flat on the sofa my back was fine again.
I don't have a food diary for the few days away but I didn't eat too much. The wine, however, went down a bit too well!

W18, D3. Walking

I walked to the station this morning without any twinges or discomfort again. My battery on my phone ran out during the walk so I don't have any stats for you.  My eating is still not great but here is what I ate. Please don't use this as a 'diet' as it is not a healthy way to eat.

Exercise - station walk
Food - 520 calories
Breakfast
banana
Tea
Lunch
Piece of salmon
Tea
Dinner
Cheese sandwich
Tea

Wk18, D 1+2 Building up to running again

I am very pleased to announce that I have started walking to the station again in the mornings. On Monday morning I did it without any twinges or tightness. I saw the physio in the afternoon and she said she doesn't see any reason why I cant be running again in a couple of weeks. Leading up to that I need to carry on walking and power walking, slowly building up to jogging and stop if I get a twinge. Sounds like a good plan to me.
My back is absolutely fine until I sit for a period of time. When I do it gets very tight and quite uncomfortable to painful depending on how long I sat for. When that happens I need to lie down for 10 minutes then my back is fine, so standing and lying down are good, sitting is bad.
On the eating front, I still feel a bit queasy with food (no, I am definitely not pregnant). On Monday and Tuesday I only managed around 500 calories per day which is not good. Monday at least, was fruit and almonds but Tuesday was toast, chocolate and half a baked potato! Once I am back to my normal self I am sure my eating will get back to sensible again.

Wk17, Results and Reflection

Last week was odd. I lost a lot of weight (too much I think) and my back is improving. I can see how this might really be a win win but it doesn't feel like it.
With my back I can feel the 'lump' of tightened muscle in my left buttock. This picture shows exactly where it is  I can now walk quite far before the muscle starts to pinch which is an improvement, but I can only sit for about 30 minutes before I have to get up.
I think the whole episode has affected my appetite as when I do get the pain it makes me feel a bit sick. I also think I am feeling anxious about the situation too which is also affecting my eating. As a result I lost 5lbs 9oz this week. I'm not shouting about it because I know this way of eating (like a bird) is not healthy. Neither is losing that much weight in a short space of time. When I have dieted before losing these amounts in a week the whole lot, plus some, went back on again as soon as I hit my target or got bored of the diet. It's not sustainable and I know as soon as my appetite comes back I wont be able to maintain that kind of eating so a few lbs will come back on again.
So we will just have to see what this week brings.

Wk17, D 5,6 +7. Peculiar appetite

Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been away for the weekend during which I managed quite a lot of walking and not too much eating.
I have been feeling a bit weird for the last two weeks in relation to appetite. This is very unusual for me because I could eat a horse even when I am not really hungry! I've been feeling a bit queasy ( before you ask, no, I'm not pregnant) particularly around meal times if something involves oils or greasiness of some sort. Each time I think I should eat something all I could stomach was something 'clean' like a piece of fruit or a glass of water. I have Googled back pain and nausea and there seems to be a link, although my back pain has been a lot better in the last two weeks. I wonder if it is anxiety related also. Anyway, while I am still overweight it's not worrying me too much although as soon as I start eating more sensibly I know I will put a few lbs on again. Well, we just have to keep an eye on it and see how it goes.

Friday - 1208 calories
Breakfast
banana
tea
Lunch
coffee
granola honey yoghurt
Dinner
pollock and a couple of chips (fries)
wine
spoon of hubbys chocolate mousse

Saturday - 856 calories
Breakfast
special k with milk
Tea
Lunch
mini cheddars
Lemonade
Dinner
2 pieces chicken tikka
spoon of pilau rice
Wine

Sunday - 874 calories
Breakfast
rice krispies with milk
Tea
Orange juice
Lunch
biscuit
Water
Dinner
Chicken
Couscous with peas and mushrooms

Wk17, D 3+4 walk to the station

I walked to the station for the first time since my back went into spasm during the same walk some weeks ago. My back was fine, I didn't walk too fast. It started to feel tight about 3/4 of the way so I slowed down. I am really glad I seem to be making progress, albeit extremely slowly! But it's progress all the same. My back recovery is almost taking as long as it took for me to run from nothing to my first 5k. I really hope I don't have to start from the beginning again. Mind you, I will be easier as I am alot lighter than I was back in March/April.

Wednesday
Food - 906 calories
Breakfast
Banana
Tea
Lunch
Apple
Cheese
Tea
Afternoon
Chocolate buttons
Dinner
Wine
Pretzels

Thursday
Food - 887 calories
Breakfast
Shreddies with milk
Tea
Lunch
Banana
Pretzels
Tea
Dinner
Weight watcher pepperoni pizza (1/2)
Glass of wine

Wk17, D2. Walking

I walked into town today just to see how my body reacted. I didn't go fast, just a regular pace. I covered about 1.5km, almost 1 mile. About 1/2 way I started with the stabbing pains in my back again so I had to slow right down and look in the shops instead. I'll try again tomorrow.

Food - 743 calories (again, not good, but I didn't feel like it)
Breakfast
Porridge
Tea
Lunch
Bread
Cheese
Apple
Tea
Dinner
Tea
Home made chicken stew

Wk17, D1 - Buttock massage!

After the walk on Sunday I didn't want to risk anything so I took hubby to the station in the morning. I cant wait till I am able to, at least walk, that route again.
I had the physio again in the evening during which she caused me to bite the pillow. If you have ever had a back neck and shoulder massage and the therapist works on a knot it hurts right? But you also lean into it because it's a 'good' hurt. What the physio was doing to my left buttock was not a 'good' hurt, it was flippin' painful! But oh, how I could bend this way and that afterwards! It seems the majority of my pain has now moved away from my back and travelled down to my left buttock and to the top of my thigh. The physio said it's tight all around the area so I must do some stretching exercises to ease it out. I can see light at the end of the tunnel although I don't think I will be running for a couple of weeks yet.
I hardly ate anything today. I just wasn't hungry.

Food - 499 calories (very bad, don't do this at home!)
Lunch
Tea
slice of toast with peanut butter
Dinner
home made chicken fajita
pint of water

Wk 16 - Results and Reflection

It was tough for me emotionally last week. Even though my back is feeling so much better than a couple of weeks ago (when I had to crawl to the bathroom on my hands and knees!) I still can't run or even go for a walk it seems. I can't hoover, I can't do any gardening. I can just about walk to the shops but have to be careful how much I buy in weight to carry home, I can't drive anywhere because my car is low and I can't sit for too long.
It being August, when everyone is on holiday, means work is quiet too and as I work from home there is nothing I can do to fill my time that won't set the twinges and spasms off again. I have been subjected to daytime telly and I can assure you, there is only so much of that I can take before I go completely mad! So midweek last week I felt really fed up. I can totally see how people who are incapacitated through injury get depressed. Now, I am not that sort of person. My glass is always half full so imagine my delight when I stepped on the scales this morning and they said I

lost 3lbs 11oz!!!!!

So I suppose the good thing to come out of last weeks lowness was that I didn't feel like eating much. 

I am now officially the lowest weight I have been for quite a number of years! I got an old pair of shorts out this morning and put them on, being able to do all the buttons up with ease!!! Yay!!! :-)

Wk 16, D6 +7 - The weekend

I volunteered at the parkrun again on Saturday. I was involved in registration where I had to zap the barcodes and the tokens. About 650 people ran on Saturday so I guess I did quite a few zaps! It was much better than marshalling.
My back was feeling better again. Not perfect, still stiff with the odd twinge just to remind me not to do too much just yet.
We had the trial run for the Olympic cycling race go past our house on Sunday morning. We stood at the end of our drive and watched them go by. It was quite exciting but over in a flash!
My back was still better and hubby asked if I felt up for going for a walk. I thought what harm could it do? We started off along the towpath in the lovely sunshine with full intentions to walk to The Minnow pub for lunch in Weybridge which almost 4 km just under 2 1/2 miles. After about 1km or 1/2 mile I started to get twinges, a little further on I got a stabbing pain so we walked back into town and went for lunch locally. I knew I should have taken note of the twinges. Sitting for lunch was uncomfortable so when we got home I got the hot water bottle put it on my back and laid on the sofa for a few hours to rest. A rather irritating waste of a beautiful day!

Food -
Saturday
Breakfast
Tea
Lunch
Bacon Sandwich
Cappucino
Dinner
Piri Piri Chicken
Noodles and veg
Summer pudding
Wine
Sunday
Lunch
Pollo Verdure from Pizza Express
Small Legerra wine
tartufo al cioccolato
Coffee
Dinner
Lamb leg staek
Noodles
Stir fry veg

Wk 16, D5 - Post birthday cake

Shhhh, come in a bit closer, that's it. I don't want to say this too loudly but my back feels a lot better today. Eeek :-)


No running today. so here is my Food diary.


Food - In the main I had 866 calories but that is not including my dinner from Pho which I have mentioned before. A great Vietnamese place in Soho, London and a sneaky post birthday treat of chocolate cake at carluccios,  Market Place W1. I have searched for the calorie content but, alas, I will have to put it down to a delicious experience instead. Needless to say I probably went over my calories for the day!

Breakfast
1 slice toast with flora light
tea
Lunch
2 boiled eggs
Banana
tea
Afternoon
shared bottle of wine
handful of strawberries
Dinner
Bun cha gio ga
Wine
Cake
Cappucino

Wk 16, D4 - Thursday

Ok, so I am now getting a bit fed up with not being able to run and with my back going from a bit tight verging on uncomfortable to positively painful. This has now been 4 weeks. So I am not going to talk about it any more. Instead, here is my food diary;

Food - 1011 calories
Breakfast
Shreddies with milk
Tea
Lunch
pasta salad
apple
Afternoon
slice of bread
Tea
Dinner 
glass of wine

Wk 16, D3 - all quiet on the riot front

Well last night was a lot quieter in London town apart from the odd car being set alight. I was very pleased to hear on the news this morning that the people where out on the streets united to blocked rioters entering their town centres. Thankfully the good outweigh the bad. Unfortunately riots where happening in other parts of the country. I am writing this a day late as I usually do. So by now it all seems to have quietened down on the riot front. Kids have a very short attention span these days!

My back is better again today - all my fingers and toes are crossed for me to get running again soon. In the meantime I have volunteered my services at the parkrun again this Saturday while hubby runs it.

Food - 1109 calories
Breakfast
Tea
Banana
Slice of bread and butter
Jelly (jello)
Lunch
2 hard boiled eggs
Jelly (jello)
Tea
Afternoon
slice of bread
biscuit
Tea
Dinner
couscous
Roast chicken
Wine

Wk 16, D2 - London Riots

I decided after last nights back pain that hubby should take the car to the station himself and leave it their all day. I wasn't going anywhere myself.
I was going to meet my sister for lunch in London but unfortunately we have a bunch of lawless, disrespectful, idiot youths with IQ's lower than a cockroach trashing the place. My sister lives in Croydon, South East London and on Monday night these idiots decided they would smash Croydon up including burning down what seemed like half a street of Victorian buildings holding shops with flats above. How anyone got out alive I don't know. One poor woman, pictured below, had to trust the people standing on the ground to catch here from her second floor window as her building was burning down. Thankfully, as far as I am aware, they did.

Many businesses, cars and homes across London have been destroyed and for what? If these kids where united in a cause at least we could get some kind of grasp on the situation but no. Last Thursday a known  drug dealer was shot and killed by a policeman, there followed a peaceful protest. This was not the reason the riots started, it may have been a spark that hit the flame of something brewing, or an excuse to ease the boredom of disenfranchised kids. They aren't giving any message, what they are doing is destroying lives, for kicks, hurting innocent people, destroying peoples homes and jobs - there's no job to be had in a burnt out shell. How is that going to help the economy, the people, the community? I feel like banging their heads together.

Thankfully my sister doesn't live so near the town centre to be directly affected, but she sat in her house all night with the doors locked, the lights out and listening to sirens until the early morning. Needless to say we decided to take a rain check for our lunch. For more pictures click here.

On a lighter note my back feels a lot better, still twingey but better. I hardly sat, I didn't get in or out of the car. I walked to the shops and back. I needed the hot water bottle by the evening but overall I do think it's on the mend! :-)

Exercise - walk to the shops and back but I didn't track it
Food - 1186 calories
Breakfast
Branflakes with milk
Tea
Lunch
egg sandwich
tea
Afternoon
Mint Aero (yum)
Tea
Dinner
couscous
Wine

Wk 16, D1 - Sorry, this is turning into "my back pain journey"!

Having spent the evening with a hot water bottle strapped to my back it felt remarkably better this morning. That was until I got in the car to take hubby to the station! The car is definitely a back killer. We may have to look at getting a "sensible " car for both our sakes if this continues to be a problem :-(
Sitting at the computer aggravates it too but I cant stand up all day long, I'll get varicose veins! I did see the physio again this afternoon and once she got me bending and twisting this way and that, got me on the bed and spent at least 15 minutes doing the most painful things to my lower back and left buttock, afterwards I could bend much lower than before. She also put some strapping up my back which I am not in anyway convinced it will do anything at all. But I have to get my monies worth so I will keep it on for a few days. Anyway, I positively skipped to the car but then, had to get in it. By the time I got home - and its only a 10 minute drive -  I was in pain again! So on went the hot water bottle and spread out on the sofa for the evening again!
On a lighter note, I was good with my food today!

Food - 1176 calories
Breakfast
mini wheats with milk
tea
Lunch
Baked beans on 1 slice toast no butter
Tea
Dinner
oven baked fish and chips
250ml wine (medicinal!)

Wk 15 - Results and Reflection

So after my disastrous week of not counting calories, not doing any exercise what so ever and having a birthday weekend, I was surprised when I stepped on the scales this morning that I hadn't put on as much as I had thought I would.  Instead of the expected couple of lbs it was a gain of only 11oz. Not even a lb! So that makes me very pleased. I will lose that and more this week.
 I am back to calorie counting in earnest and hopefully my back is on the mend with the help of my trusty hot water bottle, stretches and physio so I will soon be out running again. :-)

Wk 15, D6 +7 - Birthday weekend!

So I marshalled the park run in the morning standing at the 4 km mark. I think I will have to offer my services again next week. It was very interesting to watch the runners set off then see them whiz past me again after 10 - 15 minutes. The first person was very fast and completed it in 15 minutes! I couldn't believe how well the kids where doing either. Little 10/11 year olds up at the front running alongside adults! I've never seen them when I run because I am at the back!
We got home about 10.30 had showers then went out for brunch. Then my birthday weekend started. We went off in the car to the wonderful Brooklands hotel which is right next to Mercedes-Benz World and Brooklands Museum for car enthusiasts. I'm not one of those, but the hotel is very smart with great spa facilities. Hubby organised for me to have a fantastic facial. There where flowers in our room for me and a bottle of adult pop. We had saunas and sat in the hot tub which made quite a difference to my back although sitting at dinner was uncomfortable. Then next morning I was able to get out of bed relatively easily, much more so than previous mornings. Hubby was off to the gym so I thought I would give the cross trainer a go and stop if my back hurt. My back didn't hurt at all but after 15 or minutes my legs did.  20 minutes or so later my back started to ache. The shooting pains began and that was it. All the good of the sauna and hot tub undone. We had lunch in a pub on the way home and I was in agony sitting down so had to keep getting up for a few minutes throughout lunch!
When we got home we we went to the shops and bought a hot water bottle. I for one was very surprised I could even find one for sale in the middle of August! Anyway I had a hot water bottle strapped to my back for the rest of the day while I laid out on the sofa in front of the telly. Not the usual way I spend my birthday! But by the time I went to bed my back was so much better. I recommend a hot water bottle over ibuprofen  and deep heat - neither of which I think made any difference.

Sorry about the lack of food info for this weekend - I certainly didn't count any calories! Food diary info will be back to normal on Monday :-)

Wk15, D5 - bit of pampering

Nothing to say about today. Back still hurts and no exercise for me today. However, I did have a lovely afternoon with my good friend Renate starting with a fab lunch at cafe rouge  where I had a lovely glass of rose wine and a delicious Salade de courge rotie . mmmmmmmmm!
 


Then off to get a pedicure and manicure.
Still not being able to run I offered my services at the park run for Saturday as a marshal while hubby ran it.


Food  - sorry but I haven't been very good at tracking my food properly this week, partly because I am feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment, but it went something like this;
Breakfast
Mini shreddies with milk
Tea
Lunch 
salad as above
Glass of wine
2 coffees
Dinner
homemade sheperds pie
bottle of prosseco shared with hubby

Wk 15, D4 - On the ibuprofen

I took hubby to the station today and went back to bed until 8:30am - bliss.
My back was agony getting in the car. Hubby had to close the door for me as I couldn't lean over enough to reach it without crying!
By the time I got out of bed for the second time my back was easier. I took a high strength ibuprofen at 3:30 this morning then another at 9am - I think this is going to work! Fingers and toes crossed. I had clients till 3pm then took another one. I am fine when I am standing up. I just have to get my clients to pick stuff up if I drop things on the floor - it doesn't happen too much! As I am not doing any running at all this week I don't expect to have lost any weight next week. If anything, after my birthday weekend, I fully expect to put a lb or two on!

Exercise  - none :-(
Food
Breakfast
2 slices of toast with butter and honey
Tea
Mid-morning
Glass of chocolate Alpro soya milk
Lunch 
Feta and coucous salad
mini magnum
Tea
Dinner
Pork chops
Wine

Wk 15, D3 - Ginger walk

I walked very gingerly to the station this morning. My back hurt with every step. I think the manipulation by the physio yesterday made it feel worse,  but I knew that would be the case. I have started to take painkillers. My walk took me 30 odd minutes and as I went very slowly I only burnt 95 calories! I cant wait till my back is better. I will be running like Forest Gump!

Exercise  - 95 calories
Food  - 1136 calories without the penne I have no idea what that would be. It was very creamy so 100's I expect!
Breakfast
2 slices toast with butter and honey
Tea
Lunch
weight watchers quiche
mini magnum
Tea
Dinner at the pub
goats cheese and vegetable penne
2 glasses of wine

Wk15, D2 - Physio

I saw a physio this morning. She was nice, knowledgeable and thorough. She got me bending in all directions and manipulated by joints and muscles some of which was really quite uncomfortable! I go back next week. In the meantime I cannot run :-(  I can power walk, swim, use the cross trainer, possibly cycle, although that may not be great because of the positioning of the body on a bike. So I need to check out my local leisure centre and work out a programme for the week. In the meantime today I haven't been able to do much. I have done some washing but really cant lift anything, move anything, sitting in the car hurts (it's low) so I have been a bit bored. This afternoon was better though as 4 episodes of Come Dine With Me were on back to back. I don't know if you get that in the US but it's brilliant! I toasted some muesli for hubby and that was about it. I hope this week doesn't drag on too long....

Exercise - none
Food - 1742 calories
Breakfast
Shreddies with milk
Tea
Lunch
Carrot
Celery
Houmous
Tea
Afternoon
2 slices toast with flora light
handful of almonds
Dinner
Turkey stir fry
wine
mini magnum

Wk 15, D1 - SPASM!!! :-((

My back seemed ok this morning so up I got and started jogging my station run. I got a little over half way and suddenly had a thought that I didn't have the car keys with me. I looked and lo and behold I didn't have them! They may have dropped out of my bum bag (fannypack) on the way as the zip was undone. I walked all the way back home looking on the ground for my keys but no. Once I got home there they were on the kitchen table where I "thought" I put them in the bag. It was now dangerously near to 8am so I set off again trying to outrun the traffic wardens to the car. My lower back was starting to hurt with every footfall until suddenly a shooting pain manifested in the bottom of my spine and radiated in a wave like forked lightening spreading out to both hips. I had to stop and walk the rest of the way wincing and breathing deeply to try and alleviate the discomfort. I feel like an old lady!
I do hope I haven't scuppered my running for this week! The pain continues as I sit and write this, it seems the only relief I get is when I stand up. I have made an appointment with a physio for tomorrow morning.

On a lighter note, as a birthday present to myself, and my back, I arranged for people to come and clean my house and sort out my garden. They are Eastern European of some sort and none of them speak English so I am housebound until they finish, in case they need me, not that I will understand what it is they need. The house is done as I write this which is lovely and there are 3 people weeding, clearing, mowing, moving the pots, and generally tidying the garden in the beautiful sunshine we have today. The cats are comatosed in various rooms in the house - including one on the keyboard!

Exercise - up and down, then back up the road! Burning 324 calories
Food - 1322 calories
Breakfast
Banana
Tea
Lunch
2 slices granary bread and flora light
Rump steak
Tea
Dinner
2 glasses of wine (medicinal!)
cod and chips (oven baked at home)
Mini magnum ice cream

Wk 14, Results and Reflection

I haven't bothered with calorie counting so much this week. We ate out a few times, I had some chocolate left over from my tonsillitis week and I generally didn't feel up to it. I thought, with my back pain, that I didn't run very much either, but looking back I did manage 22km/ 13.67 miles!!!! I really thought I would have put on weight or at the very least stayed the same but NO!!!!

I  LOST  1lb 12oz!!!!!

That means I have reached my first stone! I am 1/3 of the way to my goal! Yippeeeee!!! I a few more lbs time I will have hit the lowest weight I have been in quite a number of years. Watch this space because it's going to happen soon. Its my Birthday at the end of the week so I am really pleased to have hit this goal before then. At the end of August is Hubby's 50th Birthday and I have a few surprises for him. I would really like to be at least 7lbs lighter by then. I have my eye on a particular dress that's been in my wardrobe for a number of years but I have never been able to do the zip up!

Wk 14, D 7. Attempted run

Weird that when I got up this morning my back was better. Not fully recovered, but at least I could stand up straight without wincing or having to breath deeply with each movement. In the early evening I intended to go for a 5k run. I say intended because it ended up being half walk, half jog. Two weeks of severely reduced exercise has taken it's toll. My lungs just weren't up for it. I felt sick, my chest hurt, my right hand and wrist throbbed (?!), so I had to keep stopping to walk. Each time I felt OK I started to run again. My back started to niggle after a while too. I will keep trying though. I am determined not to let this new found love slip away. I also think part of my problem was that I ran too late in the day. It was hot for a start and my body seems to perform at its best around mid morning. Anyway, I still burned some calories!

Exercise - run/walk 5.68 km or 3.52 miles = 433 calories (yay! :-))
Food
Breakfast
Banana
Tea
Lunch
Lamb tagine
Brocolli
Lemon cake
tea
Dinner
Peanut butter sandwich
Tea