It's a Celebration of Canada's Birthday, Eh!

Today is Canada's 143rd Birthday so I am celebrating. My hubby just got back from a 50 km bike ride to Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa where he enjoyed the crowds and festivities. Tonight is a big fireworks display. I hate biking and I also hate crowds, so I decided to celebrate by opening this lovely 750 ml bottle of Niagara Riesling (and yes I have just poured the last drops into my glass). I am enjoying it immensely. I threw in the ml just so I could confuse my American friends. Right now things are a bit fuzzy which makes it hard to convert to Imperial units. But lets just say, I am also joining in an early celebration of Independence Day on July 4th. Anything for a party I say!

Taking my cue from Big Daddy (who writes about Dubai) I thought I would give you ten facts about Canada that you might not have known...

1. Canada became a Confederation in 1867 which basically meant it became independent from England (not really, but it makes it easier to describe). The impetus for this was the American Civil War. We drive on the right side of the road, unlike other British colonies.

2. The Queen of England is also the Queen of Canada. She is our head of State but is really only a figurehead. Our government is a Parliament run by a Prime Minister and his elected government that make laws and such. Currently we have a Conservative government similar to the Republican's in the US, Conservative in the UK. The Governor General is the representative of the Queen when she is not in Canada. Lizzie II came to visit us this year and everyone is in awe of her. We respect and admire her stoicism but many want to completely cut off the monarchy and make Canada completely independent. We write British English which means we spell things like humour vs humor, colour vs color and favourite vs favorite. Spellcheck can be a horror. And we say Zed (Z) instead of Zee (Z).

3. The Beaver is our national animal (nuf said). The Maple Leaf is a symbol of Canada and is part of our flag which is two red stripes on a white background with a Maple Leaf in the middle. I know most of you saw our flag when we won gold in Olympic Hockey (and many other events).

4. The official languages of Canada are English and French which means the Federal Government must offer services in both languages. French is spoken mainly in Quebec but they want to separate from Canada because they do not like the English. The federal party representing Quebec in the Federal Government is the Bloc Quebecois whose mandate is to seek separation from the rest of Canada. I do not speak French which has hindered any advancement in my job (I work for the Federal Government). Montreal, Quebec was named after the mountain it was built on, Mont Royal.

5. We have oil which is why the USA want to stay friends with us. We were tremendously excited when Barack Obama became President and worry about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Our economies are joined at the hip and when things are bad economically, it affects all of North America. We can travel unrestricted to Cuba and know that travel restriction for US Citizens will ease in the future. The Cubans are warm and caring people and I hope you will visit if you can.

6. I don't say "eh" but the rest of the world thinks we do so I have to keep up the illusion. I still don't understand the "aboot" (referring to about) so will have to have a word-off when we get to Chicago. Sally and Roo will be first up!

7. Canada abolished slavery in 1834 and many Black Americans escaped to Southern Ontario in subsequent years. I was recently moved by reading "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill: (U.S. Title: Someone Knows My Name). It documented the life of a women captured in Africa and brought into slavery in the US and then resettled in Canada. A difficult read but a moving story.

8. Canadians are fighting the "War on Terror" in Afganistan and we have lost 150 souls. Canadians fight beside Americans, Brits, Australian and many other troops. God bless all the soldiers from all countries who are currently fighting and for those that have given the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.

9. Ottawa is the capital of Canada and I live here. The Rideau Canal (pronounced Re-Dough) was dug from Kingston to Ottawa to allow a supply route to fight off the Americans who might attack us in the 18th century. We won the War of 1812 against American invasion. I am sure they finally figured out they really didn't want to live in a cold country.

10. We don't live in igloos. Really. The average summer temperature in Ottawa is 20C-40C (70F-100F). Winter is from -30C to + 10C (-22F to 50F). I love fall when the leaves change to multiple colours.

OK just one more:
11. We have free healthcare but it doesn't cover everything. I had to pay for my band. And we pay for healthcare through our taxes. Everyone is covered even if you are homeless. We have employer funded health insurance for things like dental care, glasses and prescriptions. But if we need surgery, we do not pay. If we need to see a doctor, we do not pay. If we are in an accident and are put in ICU, we do not pay. We are not communists or socialists (not even sure what these mean). We sometimes need more doctors and nurses and technicians so if you know someone who wants to live in a great country tell them. We gladly accept all immigrants.

So another July 1st has passed. And my bottle is empty. So sad. But I did promise to celebrate July 4th. BTW, one on my most favourite movies was Independence Day! I think I will have a little plateau this week.

Tuesday Thoughts

Just touching base with a bunch of little things. First of all, my band is giving me good restriction although my weight isn't going down at all. I still have that 0.1 cc waiting at the doctor's office but I don't think a fill is needed. I've had a couple of painful pb's in the last week so I am being very selective about what I eat. Each day is different. Some days I can eat about a cup of food and other days I have to stop at a few bites. Crazy little band. But I am not discouraged, just curious. Please don't be the start of another plateau. God knows I have had enough of those!

Maybe like a bunch of you have mentioned, exercise is the culprit. I have one of those trainers we are all blogging about. You know those cutie pie tiny little girls who beat the crap out of you if you don't do just one more sit-up. Not really. But Ghazal is nice and cute and tiny. And she is getting me to do weights to strengthen my shoulders, arms and abs. I need a lot of work on my core and can do the plank for just a minute but am aiming for 2. One machine I was envying was the moving stairs. I saw it on the Biggest Loser, where they climbed these moving stairs for over two hours, I thought how neat that was. My gym had them, so I accomplished a big THREE minutes on these moving stairs, climbing 8 flights in total. Then I almost collapsed from exhaustion, panting and sweating and with my heart racing. A real eye opener as to just how out of shape I am. But I love the stairs and will work on increasing my time every week. I also found out I love the elliptical. So much easier on my knees and feet. No more pounding it out on the treadmill. I hope to try some of the group classes they offer but after Barbara's post about Zumba, I think I might choose something requiring less coordination.

Monday night, I was so sore, it hurt to turn over in bed! But all that pain feels good in a bizarre sort of way. I am banking on the fact that all those muscles are growing and holding water and sabotaging my weight going down. I go back on Wednesday at 5:00 for more torture.

The other news this week is that I started my new job on Monday. I have a lovely little cubicle and even a window. The girl I am replacing is having a baby so we have only been able to spend a few days together. I am sure all hell will break lose next Monday when she is gone. Then I will have to put on my analyst cap and figure out just how to manage things. My new boss is a good resource so I don't feel too stressed. There is a large IKEA store across the street so I popped in to browse and get some lunch. I was only able to eat about half of the small quiche I bought and had to bring the salad home. Maybe I should have tried the meatballs and mashed potatoes.

And for those that don't know, Thursday, July 1st is Canada Day. Lots of BBQ's, fireworks and drinking. Since I live in Canada's capital, Ottawa, we have a big celebration on Parliament Hill but I have only been once. I don't like crowds and it is swarming with people. Even Queen Elizabeth II is here to visit Canada and join in the festivities. But it is a holiday and I am also taking Friday off for an extra long weekend. So bring on the party!

Potluck & BYOC

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am switching to another group at work and will be working at a building just 10 minutes from home. My old group wanted to have a going away lunch for me, so I chose a Potluck. You know where people bring all sorts of band-unfriendly food. Well the Potluck was Friday and as I watched everyone put their food on the table I started getting a bit panicky. My band has been pretty tight and I knew I wouldn't be able to eat much.

I spread the food out on my plate so it looked like lots, ate slowly and every time I felt a bit of pressure, I would just start talking to one of my co-workers and waited a few minutes before my next bite. I know one of my office mates was watching intently as I polished off a tiny bit of everything—2 meatballs, 1/2 curried beef bun, spinach salad, BBQ pork, rice salad, samosa and a small slice of pie. I had to say my stomach had shrunk from not eating much food over the last few months and that I was stuffed. One even joked about how some people have the lapband put on their stomachs and wouldn't be able to eat such a lovely spread of food! (no one at work knows I have the band). The moral of this story is if you have any type of celebration in your honour, do not choose a potluck.

And now for BYOC
1. How many piercings do you have? Both ears have one hole in each and I too can still wear the same earrings from when I was 21 (35 years ago).

2. How many tattoos do you have? If you have none and wanted to get one – what would it be? None and never, ever, ever would I go through something so painful!

3. If you’ve ever suffered from a weight-loss plateau, what’s your best advice to get past it? I'm an expert at this one, having suffered through a 2 month plateau. I guess it is so important to know that it will break eventually, to never give up. The band helps with that since you can't go back to the bingeing. Getting enough fills to get you to the Green Zone/Sweet Spot got my weight going down again. Without hunger, without cravings, without always thinking about food. It is truly a wonderful feeling. I still do not write down what I eat, or keep track other than in my head. And yes I know chocolate covered almonds are not a "diet" food, but they are a food and sometimes you just have to have them, just like normal weight people.

4. This is a repeat. I liked last week’s challenge for BYOC and I saw a lot of people this week follow through on the promise they made last week. You pick one thing for just one day next week that you want to do….and mentally doing it for the one day can totally jump start more successes. And I feel like I can do anything for just one day. I don't make goals because my brain turns into anti-goal mode and I NEVER achieve it. But I did go to the gym and I did exercise and I did eat well.

5. Repeat *make someone a Superstar* question – what's your favorite blog or comment of the week? First was Drazil's post on anti-depressants. Wellbutrin saved me too. But I also loved Band-Babe's comment on Draz's earlier post. If you missed it, I am posting it after the poem Jabberwocky because it reminded me of how words which might mean nothing can still express emotions. Before you read Band-Babe's words, read the full Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll (from Alice in Wonderland). Here is the first paragraph.

  Jabberwocky

    'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

    Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

    All mimsy were the borogoves,

    And the mome raths outgrabe.

And here is the comment that Band-Babe posted after a dose of Ambien (and Band-Babe, I hope you don't mind, because this comment made my week because even though it looks like it was written in a foreign language, the emotion came through loud and clear). "And where do I belong? Friend I needed you two summers ago. We're all successful in too may areas, and so many judegements,,, I knew for certain I didnt belong. It turns out I bellong with my brother whos is coming out of the closet. Ny hight educvated brother in law goes against uignotanvre in an amazuing klogially and real wy, i am abvuioys beeb hit bt nts swkesleep musik anio no wine thi timeWe beking t9getger abausbst everttguybg we beeb dag-=yughtmk I'll come back to amaker ssense of thus lettrt if lynne wiuoo klet ner, i swear this s just abiernkk no winrr aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa9haaaaaaaaa9ayrtys9 I havek= lots t=o sat agbiyt tghuw ata kless inpairectm.l where do yuy fit in where diu 8iii-----==Oh, i;m lostk i want to purseue this off ambien. Love yuul. Lynk that's bfor bring this upl. swomtimes i feel all alowe 4vevn theought we all erelated, APlease lets tal about this more lkaterl I lvoer you!"

Lewis Carrol could not have said it better!

30 Pounds!

It took me far longer than I thought it would, but today the scale registered 179 pounds. Finally made my 30 pounds lost (13.6 kg) and also I am out of the 180's.

I can't remember the last time I had actually lost that much weight. The small earthquake yesterday must have shaken off the last few grams. It is now gone for good. And the Green Zone/Sweet Spot is holding. Sally mentioned remembering our word for the year. Mine was Believe. And boy do I believe. I believe that I will finally get off the next 25-35 pounds and I believe that I will be healthy and active again. I believe that this band will work for me in good times and bad. I have already changed some of my self-destructive habits—eating too much sugar and sweets, not exercising, dwelling on the negative and basically not caring about myself. Little by little I am whittling away at these habits.

So I hope that if you are just a little down about your progress that this post can bring you some hope. The band does work, with a little help from ourselves. I think that was the hardest hurdle I had to get over—my fear that I was the one for whom the band would not work. But it does.

I Believe.

Earthquake

Made with Superstickies.

BYOC and Teardrops on My Guitar

Since it is raining torrentially for the next couple of hours, here is my BYOC.

1. If your heart had a singing voice, whose would it be? I sing along with almost any song which is one reason I love to travel in the car all by myself. I turn up my favourite songs and sing right along with Andrea Bocelli, Avril Lavigne, Barbra Streisand, Il Divo, Faith Hill or Lady Gaga. And I love Taylor Swift, the reason I put her song, Teardrops on My Guitar in my title (and my son wants to marry her!). I even sing the background singers part too. I'm a regular one woman band.

2. What is your most disgusting habit? I'm perfect. Nuff said. I would never bite my fingernails or fart or burp. And I never swear. I want to set a good example, so remember if you ever get the urge to burst out with expletives (@#^$(*@%), just say to yourself, "What would Sandy do?"

3. Carmen and I were talking about Chicago and our fears...for those of you going (and those of you not you can answer as if you were going)...what is your biggest fear? Initially I thought all the same thoughts—no one would talk to me, no one would like me, what's the old lady doing with all these younguns... But then I got to know most of you even more by reading your blogs and have no worries at all. So I'll sit in the back corner away from everyone and if you feel left out, ignored, disliked, come see me and we will start our own party. The problem is I can't imagine that ever happening. I am looking forward to seeing everyone step out of their comfort zone. And I figure it has to be less revealing than some of those pictures you all posted of your post-op stomachs (I just couldn't bring myself to do that!). If you can do that, you can do anything. I am also bringing my laptop with me so maybe we should blog every hour of the weekend, to keep the others who aren't able to come, up to date on our activities. We'll be like Mary Tyler Moore in the big city of Chicago! 

4. This isn't so much a question but a challenge. Name one thing you will do for just one day next week in the name of health and commit to it on your blog and to us. There is something funny I have discovered watching everyone set goals. I don't do well when I say I will do something. For example the summer weightloss challenge. If I had joined in on that I would have gained weight. I have no idea why when I set a goal I fail but that is what happens. But to be fair, I will be going back to the gym again this week and trying not to eat too much junkfood. Will the Blog police come after me if I don't meet that goal?

5. Whose blog or comment stuck with you the most this week? I have to say my own post about loving all you guys. It was a lightbulb moment when I realized that I could actually lose weight and I was doing this because of the support from around the world. Thanks for all the comments. I would not be this far without being able to read the stories that you blog about.This isn't a diet, it's an adventure and it is so much fun! So thank you, all my booggers!

I am leaving with some pictures of me when I was little. It's nice to see where we came from. So pull out all those old photo albums and start scanning (for those of us who grew up in the non-digital world).

8 years old (1962)

13 years old (1967). I loved to bake and it was Canada's 100th birthday. This is two years after I was on the amphetamine diet which buzzed off a bunch of pounds. Sadly, they all came back.

15 years old (1969). The curls were Dippity-Doo'd straight.

That's all folks! And the sun just came out.
Sandy

Love You Guys

I've been reading many blogs over the last few days and realized just how dependent I am on your support and advice. We all love getting comments and it is sometimes a little spark in our day to know we are not alone in this huge world. I am sometimes amazed that I consider you all such good friends. My virtual support system. When I leave comments, I try to be positive and leave a word or two when I get the chance. And I mean well so I hope nobody has ever taken offence. I miss some bloggers who I still follow but who haven't posted for months. And I watch everyone shrink. To new bloggers: remember to visit other blogs that inspire you and leave a comment. We won't know you are out there if you don't reach out and let us know about your journey with the band. I follow many blogs who don't follow me, but I still leave comments because I care and something in their post hits a nerve. I know I started my reading way back around Christmas and am so glad I decided to use this forum for support. The advice and information has been phenomenol. I heart you guys (that's females and males).

The first blogs that I started to follow were Gilly, Gen and Cara. In fact I was one of Gilly's first followers. I found her first, so eat your heart out! I can't tell you how great it felt to actually have them follow me. I now follow more than 130 blogs and have many followers myself. Never thought that would happen. To those who follow me, I hope I can inspire just a little that this band will work for you. Because it will. I now believe it way down in my heart.

I was one of the most skeptical persons in the world and yet, slow as my weightloss is, I have hope. After 4 months since being banded, I know I will succeed. On any other diet, I would have given up and regained the weight. What stuns me is that I know I will continue to lose weight even if I have to suffer through more plateaus and some small gains. I know it will happen because I watch and check out all my friends. If you can do it, so can I. I know losing weight is no longer hopeless.

Perhaps it is the wine I am sipping or the varied posts I try to read each day, but I am trusting this little band wrapped tightly around my stomach. It is there to help me. I still have to work the band, but really when Buddy (my band) and I are in sync, we succeed.

This is me in October 2009 in a pub in London, England. Beer isn't really my friend anymore but wine is tasting pretty darn good. I will take some new pictures when I reach 30 pounds lost (soon). And yes that is Sunday roast with Yorkshire Pudding (my fav) and gravy!

I will now raise a toast to all of you who take the time and effort to blog about your life, the good, the bad and the ugly. If it weren't for all of the funny, sad, thoughtful, amazing, superfluous, heartbreaking, truthful, soul searching posts, we would not be the people we are today. So cheers to Bloggers. You have changed my life.

And as an aside, I make this strange error: I seem to always type bloogers about 90% or the time and have to correct it to bloggers. At least I get the "l" in the word or you would all be boogers.