Chasing the Stars

Monday:

Monday is currently my official weigh-in day, although I weigh myself every morning, and today I was 82.2kg, back to where I was a fortnight ago. So I guess last week's jump was more time-of-the-month than anything else.

Last night a cool change came through so it's only 26C (79F) today instead of the 40C (104F) it has been for a week. So much nicer. It was so hard getting out of bed this morning, my body wanted more of that beautiful beautiful sleep in the coolness! But I had to get up because I am minding a friend's children all day. They are the same ages as my two and have been friends since the boys were born seven years ago, so I don't need to actually do anything other than feed them. The four of them should play happily together all day. I don't quite feel it would be responsible of me to go and have a nap, though.

When my dad was here and laying out all the pills he needed to take before dinner, Aiden asked him about some of them. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes medication! Last I heard he was only pre-diabetic. I asked him if his diabetes educator had advised him against some of his dietary choices (like 4 or 5 glasses of wine a day) and he looked at me sideways and said "they say all sorts of things". Obviously has no intention of changing. Dad's health started really going downhill only a few years ago, and now I have both parents to worry about. Dad was really active until he started having heart troubles, but he has always had a meat and alcohol-heavy diet, despite his heart bypass twenty years ago. Now he gets tired even on a brief slow walk, but he still consumes all the fat and wine. He has never worn a hat (or shirt!) or sunscreen when working outside all day (too cissy) so I don't know what is going to get him first: his heart, skin cancer, blood pressure, or now diabetes.

Sometimes my own self-inflicted weight problems seem petty but I shouldn't think that way. Maybe part of it is just vanity (not that self image is trivial) but health is so important. My health is important to me and my family.

I've joined a virtual 5K program:

It was set up by Kyra at http://thefitadventure.blogspot.com . She has chosen 10 weekends throughout 2014 for followers to run or walk a 5K (a "real one" if one happens to be on and you want to, or otherwise just your own) and then post their results. It's not a competition, except against yourself, but it's a challenge to do all ten. My shins hurt when I run so I may never be able to do more than break into a jog occasionally, but I'm going to do the challenge anyway. Walking is way better than sitting on the couch, and it's nice to be part of a community doing it. And there are prizes! It starts in 10 weeks (or maybe a bit less, now) to give people time to build up to it. Lucky for me, because there is no way I would do it in summer.

I've been thinking about joining the gym at Uni but I'll wait to see what my timetable looks like. I'll probably have two mornings free of classes, but on the other hand I might need that time for study, doing assignments, grocery shopping etc. I don't want to spend the money if I hardly ever use it. But back on the first hand, I need to get some exercise in some time! Now that the temperature has dropped (briefly) I can at least imagine being able to exercise again.

Biggest Loser started here last night. They are going to have the usual 14 people starting the intensive training in The House, but they are also trying to help an entire town of 11,000 people; one of the most obese towns in Australia. It will be interesting to see how that works. I know a lot of people don't like the show, saying it humiliates the obese contestants, that the training is unrealistic and divorced from the real world, that it is a freak show and voyeurism etc. Well, any reality show is voyeurism. But I don't see it as fat shaming. I see a group of people who ask for help and get it. Sure they have to go back to their real life afterwards and learn to cope with temptations, but at least they are given a start. On the Australian show they have got rid of the controversial "temptations" episodes where contestants could eat a lot of junk for the chance of getting immunity, which I think was a good move. Anyway, I know not everyone approves but I love the show. I love seeing people transform.

Even on the very first episode, they got the contestants to walk up a very challenging track (I looked it up later, the website said the walk is 3.6 km and is a 20% gradient). One guy said after 200 metres he nearly gave up. It just seemed too hard. But the trainers badgered and encouraged and every one of them made it to the top of the mountain. A lot of them were amazed that they were able to do it. But once they realised that they could do something like that, they were filled with hope for the future.