My husband at work

I have such an appreciation for my husband's passion for his work. Here's a picture of him in action at a recent hobby gathering, and he was there all day talking to everyone about what they do and what he can mean to them. He loves what he does so much that sometimes I'm jealous! And he works with some really beautiful products and helps others be creative, and they all appreciate what he does for them. A good kind of job to have. See www.schoutenhandwerken.nl, www.willswools.com and www.brei.tv for his store and blogs.

From Las Vegas to Beijing

Wasn’t home for any more than two weeks before jumping on a plane and heading to Beijing. I now have (really good and really nice!) staff in China and Korea so needed to go out and set up some plans for the year. Was a great trip all in all - got a lot of work done, ate some fabulous (and pretty healthy) food, and enjoyed the company of my colleagues in China. I’ve known many of them for seven years ore more, so it’s like seeing old friends.

This time there was of course a very sad note to the whole trip: the devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province. People in Beijing seemed truly saddened and moved by the whole thing, and the folks in our office were all collecting funds for the relief effort - more than $4000 of their own money - which is a heck of a lot in China. The company, instead of simply donating money, is going to let people come in to work on Saturday and will donate the salaries of everyone who worked that day to charity, so everyone feels like they have skin in the game.and are doing something with their effort to contribute. It’s a pretty nice way to do it, I thought.

On Monday, the government declared three days of national mourning, and the entire office participated in three minutes of silence, with everyone standing silently at their desks while all the cars outside blared their horns in mourning. It was a very moving experience, and I was moved to be a part of it.

I’m now on the plane on the way home, and looking forward to being there for a while; it’ll be a month until I need to travel again, and even that’s up in the air. I could stand being at home for a while. I miss Wilbert, and it’s hard to stick to my health and weight-loss program when I’m on the road. The temptations are too big and it’s too hard to stick to my exercise program, though I did make it to the gym twice in Beijing.

Tomorrow I’m back to the clinic to see how well I’ve been doing over the past 7 weeks. Missed the last time because I was in Vegas. At last official count I was at 150.4kg (7 weeks ago) and am hoping this time to be under 145 kg. That will be quite a bit slower than my past progress, but still in the acceptable to OK range. Wish me luck!

What I'm Grateful For

An important part of any change process is to inventory what that change has brought you and to remember and appreciate that. It helps justify the effort you’ve put into something, as well as motivate you to continue. This has definitely been true for my weight loss process as well.

So here I’m going to start keeping a running list of things I’m grateful for after losing so much weight. Some of them might seem sort of simple, others somewhat surprising; some mundane and some highly significant, but it’s all true for me. And I am indeed truly grateful for it all!

The Things I’m Grateful For After Losing 44kg

1. People are constantly complimenting me and it feels good! I have to remind myself not to get used to it and just brush it off because it’s special!


2. I am now completely without joint pain in my hips or knees.


3. My lower back is strong and pain-free.


4. I can comfortably sit in almost any chair, including on airplanes!


5. I can sit down and (especially!) get up without pain or effort.


6. I can sit on the floor/ground whenever I want to without having to worry about how I’m going to get up again.


7. I sweat 90% less than I used to, even with exertion or when it’s warm!


8. I can walk long distances without pain or exhaustion.


9. I can buy shirts and coats in a normal (American) store!


10. Clothes fit better and don’t look like tents.


11. My feet have gone from a “Wide” to a “Medium”, meaning I can buy shoes in a normal store too!


12. I know about myself that I can maintain a disciplined exercise regimen that is doable, even a little bit fun, and benefits my body.


13. I can really enjoy smaller quantities of food without feeling like I want/need more. An apple is a joy when I’m paying attention to eating.


14. I can reach parts of my body that I never could before! Handy for putting on lotion after sunburn when Wilbert isn’t around! :-)


15. I can stretch, reach and bend into positions I never could before... without pain.


16. My exercise regime and weight loss have also helped me strengthen my upper back and improve my posture. Before, this was a chronic problem that had me in physical therapy and suffering from uncontrollable pain.


17. I don’t snore anymore, which has really made my husband’s life a lot better too.


18. I’m a better and more active partner.


19. My level or activity and motivation to do things has increased immensely. If something needs to be done and/or I need to move/climb/go somewhere to do it, then I don’t hesitate; I just do it. Hence less procrastination and worrying and more productivity and peace.


20. I can travel without pain, discomfort or exhaustion and ENJOY it 100 times more!


21. Rings and watches fit a lot better! I actually bought a ring in a store!


22. People tell me I look younger and can’t believe I’m going to turn 40 this year.


23. I fit better in my car.


24. Don’t need a seatbelt extender in airplanes.


25. I can sleep on my back comfortably and without snoring.


26. My balance is better.


27. “Marital relations” are better. Enough said.


28. My husband is focusing more on his health as well.


29. I’ve been EXTREMELY healthy ever since surgery. Two very minor colds (all during vacations - blah!) and that’s been it.


30. I seem to have less difficulty with jet lag and recover faster from long trips.


31. I have more energy and tire far less easily.


32. I have a generally more positive attitude and know I can accomplish big things!


33. I have learned that there are things I can’t do without help from others.
34. I can hug people better because there isn't my basketball of a belly between us!
35. And in related news, the whole spooning thing finally works in both directions now! :-)

I’m sure this list will continue to grow and grow over time, and I look forward to adding to it!

What happened with my weight on vacation...

It had the potential to be an utter disaster. I ate 4 pieces of prime rib in three weeks and even sucked down half a coconut cream pie. But I worked out 8 times, walked a lot, ate my fruit and vegetables every day and kept my Starbucks lattes "skinny". I figured I'd broken even and not gained or lost anything. Then I went to the gym tonight and ended up finding out I'd lost 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) in less than 4 weeks. That's slower than my normal pace (excuuuuuuuuuuse me!), but it's still above the expectations of my clinic for normal, healthy weight loss (0.5 kg per week)! I'm da bomb! Yeah, dawg! You worked it out!

And I celebrated by replacing my entire wardrobe, because I've dropped from a 5x to a 2x, from a size 60 waist to a 52, a 22 neck to a 19, and have punched more new holes in my belts than I can count. When I got home on Monday I literally cleared out 90% of my closet and stuffed it in 5 trash bags sitting behind me, and replaced it with the new "Summer Collection" purchased in Las Vegas. :-) Now I've got to figure out what to do with all this old crap. But that will be a pleasure. 

Iron Man is da bomb!

Went to Iron Man with my high school buddy, Jordan, today (at Jordan Creek Mall, of all the places!) and it was SERIOUSLY good! Loved it! Robert Downey Jr. was fantastic, funny and super-believable in his role as Tony Stark, and all of his bad-boy history in real life seemed to lend him some credibility to play the bad-boy role in the film. His timing in both the comedy and action scenes was right on. And he looked pretty hot too. :-) It's well worth the two hours and whatever a movie ticket costs in your neck of the woods, though the ending was slightly anti-climactic, I thought. Am hoping it does well enough to warrant a sequel!

Tulip Time... But Where?

High School Orchestra & Christopher
Originally uploaded by Krishiqua

You might look at this picture and assume I'm at home somewhere in Holland. Volendam? Zaanse Schans? Logical, but wrong. This picture was taken today in Pella, Iowa, during the annual Tulip Time festival held there. This majority-Dutch town was founded in the mid-1800's by a Dutch pastor and businessman named Scholte who came to the U.S. in search of religious, intellectual and economic freedoms.

Click on the picture to see the 100 photos I took in Pella today on Flickr! Even though it was only 45 minutes away from my parents' house, it was a REAL TRIP!