Day 32

We have now covered the North of Tunisia and are in the South making our way to the Sahara. So far the trip has been just amazing with many wonderful experiences. Will elaborate later.

My food and exercise continue to be excellent and I must say that food has now ceased to be a priority, which is a FIRST for me. Earlier in the week this was not the case. Each day we went into the supermarket, I was tortured by all the new sweets available that I'd never get to try. James refused to sample anymore stuff for me, so I found a unique way to channel my desire to sample everything.

I bought all the chocolates and sweets that I wanted to try and keep them in a big bag in the car and every time we stop in a village I treat the kids I meet to chocolates and sweets. The joy and suprise on their faces is quite priceless and their joy seems to satisfy and remove my desire for the sweets.

E.g. Today, we stopped at a crossroads to check our map and there were two of the cutest little children playing by the side of the road while their mother tended sheep in a field. I called them over and gave them some lollipops and they were so delighted they ran off to show their mother who waved at us. I will never forget that look in their eyes of such absolute surprise and delight. I have spend much of my life stuffing myself with sweets for one reason or another, but for so many children in this country, not to mention the world, sweets are a rare and precious treat.

Somehow being engaged with the life around me and enjoying the people and the country has displaced food as center stage in my life. I know it won't last but it is great while it does.

P.S. Sayre, my students came from Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, India (particularly Gujarar), Pakistan, Bangledesh, Serbia and Algeria. As you can see most are war torn countries and many of the women thought not all were refugees. I had a wonderful year with them and learnt a lot. They taught me about their countries, brought me dishes to sample (sometimes whole meals that fed James and I for days) and taught me many Arabic words. James and I went to Morroco last year (which was just FABULOUS) and are still deciding which country to tackle next year.

Day 37

Yesterday I climbed Jugurtha's Table. I know it looks quite small in this photo I borrowed from some site on the web, but trust me it was a massive undertaking that almost killed me. Okay, so I exaggerate ... it just left me winded and exhausted with jumpy muscles but completely exhilarated that I'd attempted such a thing.

Of course the whole thing was James's idea. He loves heights as much as I hate them and wanted to go up. The nice thing about our relationship is that we push each other past our comfort zones frequently. I thought we were just going to see the darn thing and when he suggested we climb to the top I thought he was joking. Nevertheless, I agreed, we did it and I have to pictures from the top to prove it. My pedometer doesn't record steps or climbing just strides, but in addition to the climb to the top and back, we walked 7 miles = aound 11 kilometers yesterday. Not bad eh?

To answer your question Sayre, last year I did some volunteer work teaching English as a second language, to a group of women from various countries in the Muslim world. The women all had children going to a primary school in East London and the school dedicated a room for a few mornings a week for parents who wanted to learn English to have free classes. As the women and I became close, I learnt a great deal about them and their countries of origin, and developed a desire to know more. As James and I are enthusiastic globe trotters anyway, we decided to start covering some of the countries those women are from. Unfortunately the country we wanted to got to Algeria is not quite safe for Western travellers so we chose it's neighbour instead. I'll write a little more generally about Tunisia when I get back.

Anyway, today was the most trying day regarding food. We arrived in a new town this afternoon and stumbled across an amazing bakery. Of course I went in, drolled all over the pastries and talked poor James (who had little interest) into buying some so that I could live vicariously through him. They're pretty tiny so he'll taste each one and tell me what it's like. For those of you who did not know that I'm a very sick puppy, here's the evidence. LOL!!! With all the exercise and keeping on track with my food, my clothes have been loosening up plenty. Hopefully that's incentive enough to keep me on track.

Day 39

We left Tunis on Wednesday morning after picking up our vehicle and have been touring the north western part of Tunisia. It is more beautiful than I can describe right now and there are surprisingly few tourists. This is the first time I've been anywhere that has had such few tourists from Europe and North America and so many from throughout the Muslim world ... and even they are few and far between.

Having been born in a place that makes its living from tourism and living in one that benefits heavily from tourism, I have to say that it is an incredibly refreshing experience to not have any and everything packaged for my 'entertainment' and 'comfort'.

This is not to say that Tunisia doesn't have that kind of tourism, because it does. It has fully exploited its coastal area in the North East of the country and created a 'Zone Touristique' complete with luxury hotels and spas etc.

The rest of Tunisia however, is what it is ... a take it or leave it experience. So far the north west has been an incredibly verdant and fertile landscape of soft rolling hills and plains where farmers till the land and tend their flocks of sheep and goats as they have for centuries. The area has an extensive network of roads that are as smooth as butter and connect even the most remote villages. Drivers dominate the roads and farmers and herders on donkeys dominate the shoulders of the roads… a great melding of modern and old. In fact, a wonderful melding of old and new best describes Tunisia. Everywhere the latest in western clothing is combined with traditional Berber clothing and the hijab; and contemporary Arabic and traditional Berber music mingle with the Muslim call to prayer.

I'm taking lots of photos but forgot my cable so can’t upload them until I get back home.

In other news, my food and exercise have been excellent. Haven't deviated by even an iota from my food plan. We go to the market every morning to buy cheese, yogurt, fruit and vegetables and alternate between those purchases and sampling the local cuisine. I have been walking an average of 5 miles every day (my pedometer is American and only gives distance in miles, but I think that’s about 7 or 8 kilometers.

Like people everywhere Tunisians encourage you to eat and eat, but every time I think of deviating from my food plan, I think of my very kind French sponsor who has been so supportive of me and I think of all of you guys and gals out there working to stay on track in your demanding lives and just keep saying, ‘La bar a kalow feek,’ which is ‘No thank you’ in Arabic.

I don’t have time to visit everyone tonight because my honey is waiting to go to dinner but the next time I find a café I will check everyone out. Thanks for your lovely comments and support. They keep me strong.

Day 42

We made it to Tunis safely and are having a great day wandering around enjoying the souqs (markets) and sipping delicious mint teas in one of the many sidewalk cafes as we watch the world go by. Tunis is a really sophisticated city, very like any city to be found in southern Europe but with a strong arabic flavour of course. The weather is just FANTASTIC ... blue skies, briliant sunshine and cool breezes (around 24°C). The people are extremely warm and charming.

Tomorrow we pick up our vehicle bright and early and begin our grand tour of the country.

I have been having a very good eating day and so far have walked over 6 miles (this pedometer is great) and my feet feel like they have walked - miles.

Okay that's enough for today. The keyboards here are quite trick. I can't touch type because the letters are all in different places and the Roman alphabet shares the keyboard with the arabic alphabet, so I have to look at the keyboard and go really slowly. Arabic is very beautiful isn't it? ش بغخ جظصبش يبشيه عغت خيت سغ Like art to the untrained eye.

B
1 apple
60 g cheese

L
120 g sole (yummy)
240 g salad Tunisian (yummy)

D
60 g cheese
30 g wheat germ
360 g salad
3 tbls olive oil

H2O - lots
Exercise - 15,668 steps so far

Day 43

Just though I'd check in before we head to the airport. I want to stay on my food plan during this vacation in Tunisia and I'm aiming for a 1/2 - 1 hr power walk each day. Would be nice to register a loss when I return. Haven't had one of those for awhile.

The following song has been on my mind for some reason. I first became aware of Barbra S. when for some reason my mum took me to see A Star is Born when I was a wee lass. I sat there in the dark wide-eyed and amazed and from that day on I have had an obsession with Barbra S. that has bordered on psychotic. LOL!!! Well, maybe I exaggerate a tad. Never though I'd get to see her because she kept retiring but then she did a European tour last summer and my honey took me to see her. I though I'd died and gone to heaven. I wanted that concert to go on forever. It was a dream come true. In any case, I leave you with one of her many stellar performances.

Day 44

School 's out!!! Yeah baby!!! Time to get up to mischief ... well, actually not quite yet. I still have a s_ _t load of paperwork to do. I'll try to get that finished this morning and then I have to clean up the house and pack and hopefully I can have an easy Monday morning before we fly out in the afternoon.

I've gotten some good exercise everyday this week, either on my elliptical trainer or brisk walking. I'm really seeing that if I add an extra 1/2 hr to my commuting time then I can incorporate a lot more walking. For example, instead of taking the bus to the tube, I can walk to the tube and that walk which would probably take me 1/2 hour would be a great way to increase my exercise on a daily basis.

In other news, it is so wonderful to see the buds appearing on some trees and opening on others. Someone has planted a magnolia tree in their garden at the front of the building. It's a saucer magnolia. The flowers bloom way before the tree even has any leaves and it always excites me to see the large pink petals appearing and opening up because it's one more signal that Spring is on it's way. Of course you wouldn't know that by the weather but I'm not complaining at least the days are longer.

Food for today:

B
16 oz/470ml H2O
60 g cheese
1 apple
16 oz/470ml H2O

L
120 g fish
120 g beets
240 g salad
1 tbs dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

D
210 g yogurt
15 g soy nuts
30 g wheat germ
360 g salad
3 tbs dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

Day 47

I'm exhausted tonight and just wanted to check in quickly before heading off to bed. Will write more tomorrow.

B
120 g cottage cheese
1 apple
16 oz/470ml H2O

L
60 g cheese
120 g beets
240 g salad
1 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

D
240 g yogurt
30 g wheat germ
360 g salad
3 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

Exercise - Morre than 1 hour of hour brisk walking
H2O - 48 ounces/2.36liters

Day 48

Last night, the students from my last class of the day took me to the pub for a drink. They were very pleased with the class and wanted to show their appreciation. Personally, I would have preferred if they'd showed their appreciation by buying me a yacht ... okay, okay, I'm just kidding ;P

It was a class I really enjoyed teaching and I was very happy that they'd enjoyed it as well. They felt they'd learned a lot and ended the class feeling enthusiastic and motivated.

They wanted me to drink the whole pub and I didn't want to drink anything. To begin with I'm not a drinker ... of anything except Plus (Barbadian drink) ... and I just don't get alcohol. I think it's highly over rated and right up there with among the worse tasting things on earth (though I have to admit that when I lived in France there were a couple of wines I tasted that I would classify as delicious).

Anyway, where was I? Right. On such occasions, I normally have a shandy which is a mixture of beer and lemonade (heavy on the lemonade, light on the beer) and not a bad drink at all, but my food plan doesn't do alcohol, so I was left to choose between seltzer and diet coke. :( I went for the diet coke and boy was it HORRID. Left a nasty aftertaste on my tongue. Uck!!! Anyway, I just focused on the conversation and had a really nice evening.

Have to get some travel stuff today for the trip. This probably falls under the category of tooooo much information, but check out this nifty little invention that I MUST have. Where was this for most of my life? LOL!!!

Pre-Breakfast
32 oz /940ml H2O

B
120 g cottage cheese
1 apple
16 oz/470ml H2O

L
180 g yogurt
15 g tvp
30 g w.g
240 g salad
1 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

D
120 g tempeh
240 g zucchini
360 g salad
1 tbls butter
2 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

Exercise - 1 hour brisk walking - 9,000 steps
H2O - 80 ounces/2.36liters

Day 49

This video blew me away. It is a testimony to what one can do when one is seriously committed. It made me realise how much I have been pissing around over the past 7 months minus 46 days since I started my mission to lose weight and that makes me mad at myself.

It's one thing to talk the talk but another thing to walk the walk and I feel likeI'm coming out of a fog of denial or something and have to face the truth that if I don't develop some consistency where the food, water and exercise are concerned, I'm not going to get to my goal. I'm going to keep spinning my wheels in the mud. Yo-yoing between losing and regaining the same few kilos. So no more messing about and making excuses for me. The time is NOW.

Had a great work out on the elliptical this morning and had my water. It's a wonderful way to start the day out in the fresh air listening to the birds and watching nature come alive in the garden. Amazingly the 1/2 hr does fly while I'm communing with nature. We have a bunch of free weights sitting next to the elliptical out on the balcony and when we get back from Tunisia, I'm going to add them to my routine.

The woman in this video started weight watchers in February 2, 2002 at 222lbs//100kgs. and 12 months later in January, 2003 she had lost 102bls/46kgs. to weigh in at 120lbs/55kgs. at 5ft.3in/ 162.50cm (my height).

She has maintained her weight loss for 5 years by:
1. Continuing to stay on a food plan
2. Writing down her food everyday without fail
3. Exercising he butt off.

Watch and be inspired.

Lesson of the day, month, year, decade, century: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!!


Pre-Breakfast
32 oz /940ml H2O

B
120 g cottage cheese
1 apple
16 oz/470ml H2O

L
120 g fish
120 g beets
240 g salad
1 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

D
240 g yogurt
30 g wheat germ
360 g salad
3 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

Exercise - 1/2 hour on the elliptical trainer
H2O - 80 ounces/2.36liters

Day 50 - Happy Monday

Monday is a great day to turn over a new leaf and this morning I decided to do something about the lack of exercise and water.

I started my day by downing a 16 oz/470ml glass of H2O. Then I did the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes = 1.26 miles/2km = 3065 aerobic steps. Then I downed another 16 oz/470ml H2O.

I am very pleased with myself ... as, I'm sure, are my kidneys and colon. Now I just have to make sure that I have 16 oz/470ml H2O with each meal and I would have met ... even exceeded my minimum water requirements goal for the day.

My food has been PERFECT for 45 days, which means each day I've been eating three weighted and measured meals of protein, fruit, vegetables and fat with nothing in between those meals except sugarless gum (as below).

This week I want to bring my exercise and water up to scratch , meaning I want to exercise 5 days this week for 30 minutes at a time. I want to wear my pedometer to monitor my steps and I want to drink at least 64 oz/1.9 liters per day. I'll be blogging everyday this week to record how I'm doing.

Here's what I'm eating today:

Pre-Breakfast
32 oz /940ml H2O


B
180 g yogurt
120 g milk
1 apple
16 oz/470ml H2O

L
120 g fish
120 g beets
240 g salad
1 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

D
60 g cheese
240 g courgette
360 g salad
1 tbls butter
2 tbls dressing
16 oz/470ml H2O

Exercise - 1/2 hour on the elliptical trainer
H2O - 80 ounces/2.36liters

Day 54

Boy, time is sure flying. It's almost the end of term here and not a moment too soon. I often get really tired of the exchange involved in teaching after doing so for 10 weeks straight.

I actually have nothing to complain about though because I only teach part time and spend the rest of my time in my studio trying to create art ... an equally exhausting endeavour but a different exhaustion from teaching. Mind you the teaching exhaustion is a small price to pay for the experience of meeting and interacting with an ever changing array of fascinating people of all ages, nationalities, ethnicities and walks of life.

Anyway, my food continues to be great but still no exercise or water in sight. I really need to start making the effort but ... I'm busy ... yeah that's it ... I'm too busy to drink water ... not to mention exercise. LOL!!!

In other news my honey and I are flying to Tunisia (north Africa) next weekend for a three week vacation. We plan to cover Tunisia from stem to stern. I have been fascinated with the Sahara desert from the time I was a little girl and first saw pictures of it. Last year we went to Morocco (also north Africa) but did not get the chance to visit the desert. This year we plan to spend almost a week there. I'm salivating just thinking of it.

Here's what I'm eating today.
B
180 g yogurt
120 g milk
240 g pineapple

L
120 g tofu
120 g beets
240 g salad
1 tbls oil

D
60 g cheese
240 g cabbage
360 g salad
1 tbls butter
2 tbls dressing