checking in: hyc week 6

What a week. The bushfires are still burning, 181 are known to have died with more expected. Thankfully we're safe and sound and though we can see the smoke in the distance, we're still a good way away from the fires. It was a sobering realisation that the beauty in the crimson red sunsets we had admired was down to all the ash in the air.

Everyone seems to be pulling together to do all that they can. Many employers (including mine) are matching all staff donations to the Red Cross Appeal dollar for dollar as well as hosting mobile blood donation units. People are so eager to help out, in amidst all the horror stories are equally amazing stories of heroism and generosity.

Thank you for your comments to my post on Sunday. The unfolding tragedy certainly put many things into proportion but you're right, it doesn't remove from the importance of looking after my own health.

I continued to count calories for the next couple of days - 1511 on Monday, 1470 today - I'm still surprised how low the numbers have been but we didn't eat out once or have any big meals or treats in this time. I'm happy though that counting for a few days has given me the reassurance that my instincts are pretty good so I'm not going to bother, it'll be there for me the days when I need a bit of an accountability check. Exercise-wise has been a little down on last week, 3 personal training sessions and an hour's bike ride on Saturday but I didn't do a thing on Sunday and today all I managed was once around the hilly block on the bike. It's only about 4km but left me wheezing with lungs full of cold air - haven't conquered it yet but I'll get there.

Bit of a highlight at the gym yesterday. Any Aussies and Brits out there who remember Henry from Neighbours or the sing it once and it gets stuck in your brain f-o-r-e-v-e-r tune "Hey Mona" will know who I'm talking about when I tell you I got all hot and sweaty with a minor celebrity. Well not exactly *with* but I did stare at the poor guy like a loon as I worked out at the next bench along from him.

Anyways, to business, HYC check in day:

today's weight: 109.8kg / 242lb / 17st 4lbs
loss of: 0.5kg / 1lb
total loss this year: 6.2kg / 14lbs

I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed, but that's most likely just my impatience talking. A loss is a loss, I reassure as much to others, would appear I need to learn it for myself.

As a parting thought, I'm getting increasingly irked by FatBlaster's sponsorship of The Biggest Loser and watching previous contestant Marty hail the meal replacement products as "the easy way to lose weight". After all the effort learning to do it the healthy OK perhaps a little faster than healthy way, it seems so wrong to hear him say that.