Hope everyone had a great Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukah, Winter Solstice, or whatever else people celebrate at this time of the year. We spent Christmas in England this year with James's family and had a wonderful time.

Have been trying to decide whether to continue blogging. The main purpose for starting this blog was to give me incentive to lose some weight. I thought a public forum would help to keep me motivated and on track. That certainly hasn't worked, though I have met lots of wonderful people in the process. I do think it is nice to be able to check in with others who are on the same path I'm on from time to time so maybe I'll limp along a little longer and see how things turn out.

Well, we're at the end of another year. Wow!!! How did that happen??? Can't believe how fast it went. Gosh!!! When I was a kid time dragged, now it flies.

Many thanks to all my faithful readers ... all 2 of you ... ;P and a very Happy 2009!!!

View from my Elliptical Trainer

I can't believe that the last time I blogged was in October. Where has the time flown? Life has been very good, but I think I've lost the plot weight loss wise. I haven't gained or loss any weight really ... I'm just where I always am - STUCK.

I really think there is something wrong with my body in spite of the fact that my blood work shows nothing, because since January 2005 I have been on a mission to lose weight with 0 to little success. No matter how much effort I've put in, the results I get fall so short that I eventually lose momentum. I'm not ready to accept that I'll be obese for the rest of my life but ... I'm short on hope right now.

I was happy to discover another wonderful weight loss buddy Tracy and found this interesting fill-in exercise on her blog, so I though what the heck.

1. I give myself permission to fail.
2. Buying and decorating our Christmas tree is one thing I really looking forward to right now.
3. If I could change one thing about someone I love I'd give my third sister the courage to be introspect.
   
4. I spent the day reading today.
5. Tomorrow I plan to exercise, write and start a new project that I've been planning for a while.
   
6. This week is going to be a lot of fun because I'm on vacation from college and can spend all my time working in my studio.
   
7. I feel fortunate.
   
8. Spending time alone with my honey doting on me is one of my favourite things.
   
9. I want to lose weight.
   
10. One of my best memories is driving from New York to Montreal with my honey when we were just good friends.

Weight Gained this Week +.6kgs/+1.3lbs

Prague was great. In exploring the city we walked an average of 16 kilometers/10 miles everyday. Love my pedometer. My food wasn't too bad. I tried to eat consciously and when I wanted to try a sweet I shared it with James. I did end up gaining .6kilos but I'm sure that'll disappear now that I'm back to regular programming.

Now for some titbits about my trip and some photos. Prague is an elegant city built around the Vltava River which I believe runs through the entire Czech Republic. Its architecture combines several periods tastefully and seamlessly.

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For the most part, Prague is a pedestrian friendly city with a comprehensive tram system that provides an eco-friendly method of mass transport dating back to the country's communist era.

Prague also has an excellent underground train system which gets high points for being clean, paying attention to design and providing functioning computer terminals where passengers can check location of restaurants, hotels, famous landmarks etc. in a number of languages. How cool is that?

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The role of Catholicism in the city's history and culture is manifest in the plethora of beautiful Baroque and Gothic churches to be found everywhere.

and in the many religious statues to be found lining the famous Charles Bridge.

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Random sightings: Didn't know there was such a thing as Cannabis Vodka. What a combination and for all you "shots" people out there, why don't you try a couple of Absinthe shots and see how long you'll live.

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Visited the Lennon Wall where in the 1980s, young Czechs painted a portrait of John Lennon and began to fill the wall with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and lyrics from the Beatles songs. This was a source of immense irritation for the government during the communist era as each time they re-painted the wall it would be filled once again by poems, lyrics, and flowers a few days later. The original portrait of Lennon has been long lost under layers of paint and though there are still a few obvious messages and symbols of peace, the wall seems mostly to be used by Anglophone tourists in a type of "Mike from Liverpool was here" and "Julie loves Ricky" fashion. Pity!!!

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How lovely is this money? Made me want to collect it, not spend it.

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The thing I liked the most about Prague was the art particularly the sculpture which was really rich and varied. When this piece was the first thing to greet me as I exited the arrival hall at the airport, I knew I was going to like Prague.

One of two Clash of the Titans sculptures that flank the entrance of Prague Castle

Sculpture on a building called "House of the Black Madonna"

Cool Art Deco relief on the wall of a building in Staro Mesto

Temporary installation at the Kempa Museum by a group of young Italian artists called The Cracking Art Group.

Jiří Sozanský, Brainwashing, 1981-2, Permanent collection Kampa Museum

This monument to the victims of communism is by Czech sculptor Olbram Zoubek and architects Jan Kerel and Zdenek Hoelzel. It's difficult to see the whole thing clearly here, but it consists of a receding line of statues, each representing different phases of disintegration. At first one part of the body is missing, than another and another until the figure seems to totally disappear into the void. Powerful stuff!!!

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This astronomical clock was created in 1410. It is very beautiful but don't ask me what's going on because it's much too complicated for me to read. All I know is that the four figures besides the clock represent the fears and anxieties of 15th century Prague. From left to right there's Vanity with a mirror, Greed with his money bag, then comes death with an hour glass and a grin, and finally, 'pagan' invasion represented by a Turk.

Anyway, on the hour death rings a bell and inverts his hour glass and the 12 apostles parade past the windows above the clock (not pictured here) and nod to the crowd below ... well ... not exactly nod. At the end of the parade, a cock crows and the hour is rung.

Okay so this is the equivalent of a video game or MTV for the folks in the 15th century. Well, call me cynical and jaded but it didn't exactly rock my boat especially as we had to battle through a huge crowd no matter what time of day or night we went, just to catch a glimpse of the most overrated show in town.

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On our last day we took a train out to the village of Kutná Hora. I love long distance train journeys. Once I settle in I feel like I could keep going until I reach the end of the earth.

I haven't seen such beautiful fall colours since our last trip to the New England area of the USA ... maybe 4 years ago.

The town of Kutná Hora owes its origin to the discovery of silver mines during the 13th century. From the 13th to 16th centuries the city competed with Prague economically, culturally and politically, but fell into decline when its mines closed and it was hit repeatedly by the plague. Today it is a charming little country town ...
with lots and lots of churches and

a great Czech restaurant which was like a mix between an English pub, an American diner and a high school cafeteria with a medieval like flavour.

The food was very very good. My consort got a big ole' 1/2 liter of beer brewed on the premises and a traditional Czech dish of three different kinds of meat, potato pancakes, two different kinds of dumplings and two different kinds of sauerkraut.

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Speaking of food, I discovered a wonderful Czech treat called the Trdelník.

It's essentially a bread roll, scented with slightly sweetened cinnamon, sprinkled with nuts, wound around these cylindrical rods and slowly toasted until brown on the outside.

Not earth shattering but yummy nonetheless!!!

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It was a wonderful trip and I was sad when it was over. Thought I'd end with a sign I saw when going into the post office in Kutná Hora to get some stamps.

Don't know which pissed me off more, having to give up my ice-cream or my gun.

Weight Loss this Week -.7kgs/-1.5lbs

This is just a quicky post because I don't have much time. Last week went very well indeed. I maintained my exercise and food sanity and recorded a satisfactory loss.

We are off to Prague, Czech Republic for a vacation this week to celebrate our 8th Anniversary of togetherness. Yeah!!! I intend to do a lot of walking (a minimum of 10,000 steps) and will wear my pedometer everyday so I can keep a record. Will also keep an eye on my food. Wouldn't want that to get out of hand, now would I?

Weight Loss this Week -3kgs/-6.61lbs

I was able to sort my food out this week. Spending a few weeks recording what I ate without changing anything was very helpful. Breakfast was often fine but from there things would go downhill. Instead of having meals I would have sweet snacks. Why? Because they were quick and easy and of course I like them.

This week I made sure everyday I had a good filling breakfast (usually oatmeal with banana/apple, raisins and soymilk which is a big favourite of mine) and I replaced my sweet snacks with fruit. That worked really well for me. I didn't miss the sweet taste in my mouth and I felt quite satisfied. This week I will work on my lunch.

I'm still exercising and weighting myself everyday. I've decided to write what the scale registers here every Monday.

We had a lovely weekend. We went to an area of southwest London called Richmond -upon-Thames and walked along the Thames for about 8 miles. It was one of those rare Autumn days, sunny crisp beautiful.

Life is Good!!!

Just to clarify something in my last post. When I said that I had read somewhere that you have to do something 17 time for it to become a habit, I didn't mean that I had been exercising just 17 times. I started my new regime of exercising 5 days a week on the 7th July right after I had my first appointment with my wonderful new doctor and have not missed a day since then. So this is week 11 and today is day 54 and going strong.

I've been weighing myself everyday for the past week (which is new) and writing down everything I eat (which is not new) without trying to control what I eat (which is new).
Result No 1: I've taken the sting out of the scale. I get on it every morning after I wee and I record the number and I move on with my day. Of course the number is too high and I need to bring it down, but for now I'm grateful that I can weight myself emotionlessly. That in itself is a major breakthrough.
Result No 2: My diet consists mostly of sugar. Left to my own devices I will have Smarties for breakfast, Florentines for lunch and M&M for dinner and the fruit and vegetables will rot in the fridge ... not because I don't like fruit and vegetables you understand,but because I prefer Florentines ;( and probably disease and death.

As I might have mentioned my doctor recommended two strategies to deal with this issue, one of which includes hypnosis. I didn't vibe with the Hypnotist she recommended and she was rather expensive as well. I might try to find and interview some others and/or try a Paul McKenna tape that Barb over at Not Finished Just Yet mentioned worked well for her. Or I could try the other method my Dr. suggested that sounds just too hokey to talk about (even if I can see the logic of it).

So anyway life marches on ... the 'global' banking crisis is a little disconcerting. What will happen next? Perhaps we should keep our money under out beds ... or do like my grandmother did, tie it up in her bra. LOL!!! Unlike my grandmother I never seem to have any money on my person. We tend to use credit cards for everything, but we pay them off at the end of every month. My honey would burst a gasket if we ever paid even the smallest finance charge.

My classes have begun and I just love my students. They are such a wonderful mix and I know it's going to be a fabulous term.

Now if I could just lose some weight ....

After weeks ... months of being too terrified to face the scale I finally weighed myself yesterday. The number was horrible as expected after all the months of unchecked eating.

I've decided to try weighing myself everyday for awhile. I need to get over my terror of the scale and start seeing it as a useful reality checking tool. The idea is not to become obsessed but just to become more aware of how my body's weight fluctuates from day to day in relation to what I eat and my physical activity.

My food is not great but it is definitely getting better.

I'm still doing my stretching, weights and cross trainer for an hour 5 days a week. I read somewhere that you need to do something 17 times before it becomes a habit. I don't know if this is true but exercising is becoming more automatic and less of the tooth pulling struggle it was.

I've noticed some physical benefits as well which I feel good about. e.g. my thighs, arms and torso are looking less lumpy and more smooth and I am becoming more limber and flexible. During the Olympics, I saw the divers bending over and place their palms flat on the ground in front of them in preparation for a handstand and I wanted to be able to do that ... the flat palms not the handstand ... though that would be nice one day too. Anyway, every morning I stretch I try to get my palms closer to the ground and this morning I succeeded in touching it. This made me feel really good.

I started work at the college this week, not teaching yet just meetings and student advisement sessions. I'm really looking forward to this school year. I'm teaching a few new classes that should be a lot of fun ... for me anyway ;P