Cherry Blossom Adventures

I didn`t get the job I went for as a Student Coordinator at the hospital. I had the interview the week before last and found out last Friday when the HR manager rang me. I was really dissapointed because I had felt like they had led me to beleive I had it in the bag and then they took it away (At the last minute they received an application from somebody that had a lot of experience doing a very similar job-where as I only have experience doing it for the last 7 weeks). I was depressed about it over the weekend but now I am more like “It obviously wasn`t meant to be” and I probably didn`t get it because something better and more suited to me is going to come up! Yay for positive thinking!

So I finish up this temp assignment next week and then I will be looking for another temp assignment to keep me going. I am happy to temp for the year it is just a little bit unpredictable and there is a chance some weeks I won`t have work which could screw up trying to save a little bit.  But I am trying not to think about the bad stuff that could happen if I can`t find work because in the past I have been really lucky and something has always come up!!!

Shumpei comes in just five sleeps! Saturday morning I will be going up to pick him up at the airport! He rang last night while he was at a goodbye party with Cat, James, Leader and our other friends (From when I was at uni in Japan) and I spoke to a couple of them. It was so good to hear Cat`s voice- I almost cried! I miss her and everyone so much…We have spoken a couple of times since I have been back in Australia but everytime I am just so happy to talk with her. Last night I also spoke with Leader and Junni- It was weird to be speaking Japanese again to someone other than Shun!

In other news if I lose .5kg on Thursday at weight watchers I will have lost 5 kilos since coming back to Australia!

Look out for P is for….. tomorrow!

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Despite my best efforts this past week, I found out I put on weight at my Weight Watchers meeting last night. Only .5 but it is still a bit of a blow. I know that that last week I wasn’t so good….I didn’t walk as much as the previous weeks and I had quite a few meals out which always makes it hard to control portion sizes and what you eat. But this week, since Sunday, I was really careful. I walked everyday for at least 45 minutes and I planned out my meals and tracked what I was eating.

I am determined this week to lose 1kg or more…my next meeting is next Thursday. So far in the four weeks since I joined I have lost 1.9…..Which does not seem like much to me. I did lose about 1 kilo in May also because I gave up alcohol and coffee So altogether in a six week period I have lost 2.9kg (I can cross it off on my 101 things to do in 1001 days). The problem is I had lost more, but I put on so it really doesn’t seem like much.

I really hope that my hoola hoops arrive today or on Monday so that I can do some extra exercise in the garden, hooping away! I also want to go to a Pilates or yoga class. Plus keep up the walking. I think aiming to walk 4 times a week, about 45 minutes each time is a good aim. Especially if I want to do a class as well. I will be walking tonight with Dad.

I was so pissed off at myself last night because I had put on, and before that I had been doing so well, losing about a kilo each week (Although I missed last weeks meeting because I took dad to an appointment). My biggest problem is I don’t really like exercise and unlike some people who go to the gym and say they always leave feeling great, I never get that feeling. I push myself to do exercise but because I don’t enjoy it, it is always a struggle. I wish I was one of those people that had that huge endorphin rush after exercising because then maybe I would be more likely to actually want to do it.

I remember when I was younger, I was so skinny and when I remember how much I weighed then I can’t imagine every getting back down to that. In fact my goal weight is above that anyway but I still wish I could return to my pre-university/Japan weight! I do know that now, because I have struggled with it that once I do lose the weight I will be more likely to continue with the healthier eating habits and the continued exercise. It is just a matter of getting the weight off first….

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I think I am ready to start blogging again…I can`t promise it will be regular but Dad is out of the hospital and I am getting settled into my life back here. I think I was a little overwhelmed at first with all that was going on…coming back to Australia has been a huge transition for me and not having Shumpei around has also made things a little lonely. Even though I have family and friends here I had been relying on a completely different set of people in Tokyo and when I got back here I had to try and adjust.

Work is going well, still temping for UQ as student coordinator for medical students and I am really enjoying it. I have applied for a permanent position but they know I will only be here until next June so I am not sure if I will get it although it would be nice if I did. If I don`t though I am not too worried because I will just go temp somewhere else once this role is finished.

Shumpei has finally set a date to arrive and he will be here on July 12th, a little less than 4 weeks to go. He is getting very excited I think because he will be finishing up work at the end of next week and then will be able to relax for and get ready for 2 weeks before he comes.

In other news I have booked a photographer for our wedding. I am going with Sylvie from http://www.papillonstudio.com.au/ who was recomended by somebody at work. She was the first photographer I met with and I had an instant connection with her (so did my mum) and while I had planned to meet with other photographers (I had a list of those to contact!) I decided on meeting her that I didn`t need to. She really is lovely and I can tell she will do a great job of taking beautiful photos on our wedding day. She is local to the south side of Brisbane and has actually done weddings at Shangri-la before (where we are having our wedding) and taken photos down near the manly bay which is exactley what Shun and I wanted to have our extra shots done. So she is perfect! Next step is to find a celebrant and to book cars…..Then I might start looking at dresses!!!!

I did join Weight Watchers almost four weeks ago now. In my first two weeks I lose 2.3 kilos and then lost track a little and didn`t go last week cos I was at a doctors appointment with Dad but I am trying to get back on track this week with the walking and watching what I eat. I will go back this Thursday and while I don`t think I will have lost due to the last not so great 10 days but hopefully I won`t have put on either. I think since returning to Australia almost five weeks ago I have lost about 3 kilos altogether though so it isn`t going so bad. Hopefully once i get back on track with excersise and eating better and tracking what I eat then the weight will start to come off again.

I also ordered two hoola hoops the other day online from here and they should arrive sometime soon I hope! I think they get sent out of Sydney? So I can`t wait to get them and start doing some hooping!!!

I caught up with my friend Clarie (she is also one of my bridesmaids) while she was in town this last week which has been great. I hadn`t seen her since I was home at Christmas and she is now living in Mt Isa so I do not get to see her as much as I would like even though I am now back in Brisbane…..trust her to move away as I am moving back! I did some much needed shopping with her over the weekend and we caught up and had a look at some possible bridesmaids dresses! Having bridesmaids in three different countries is going to be a challenge!

I also saw the Sex and the City movie with my brothers girlfriend Gem (Who turns 21 tomorrow the darling thing!) and it was awesome. Definitely worth seeing even if you weren`t a Sex and the City addict!!!

Well I think that is enough of an update for now but I just want to say thanks to those who commented on my last post and also those who sent me personal emails or facebook messages. I am sorry If I did not respond to you all but it did mean a lot. It is nice to know that I had a lot of people thinking of me and sending good vibes to my dad. While he has awhile to go yet he is improving a lot and will hopefully go well.

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Before (Jan 2006)

Now (Mar 2008)

I am overweight…I never used to be but it has crept up on me since I have been back in Japan the last 2.5 years. I am not going to state my weight but my BMI is 28.8 (Some of you smarties might be able to figure out my weight from that if you also know my height) and apparently anything over 26 is considered overweight….

I stated on my 101 things in 1001 days that I wanted to lose five kilos then another five but the reality is to go back to the weight I was when I left Australia in January 2006 I would have to lose about 18 kilos. Yep…you heard (read?) right 18 kilos in less than 2.5 years. You can`t really see much in the first photo (Europe Jan 2006…One of the few photos where I am not wearing a big bulky coat) but even in my face and arms you can see that I weighed a fair bit less.

I put on 10 kilos when I was 19 and in Japan on exchange and when I went back to Australia I lost 8 of them in the first 2 months from not really doing anything. I am hoping the same thing will happen when I go back to Australia this time but I don`t like my chances….but I am determined to lose weight.

So in preperation for returning to Australia and starting a weight loss program ( I will be joining weight watchers with my mum) I have decided to give up COFFEE and ALCOHOL for the month of May (There is one exception, I wasn`t going to have an exception but upon mentioning my decision to my closest friends here in Tokyo they all said I was crazy because my going away party in on May 10th and will be the last time for more than a year that I can go out with my Tokyo friends and let loose….so the 10th is the exception on the alcohol ban…but I am going to make an effort to drink water between each drink and stick to wine and stop before midnight even if we end up at karaoke!).

I would like to do a mini detox at some time during May also but might have to wait til I am back in Australia because for the next two weeks Shumpei`s mum will be cooking for us and I don`t want to say no meat to her because I would hate to be an inconvenience (and while I am in her house she won`t let me prepare my own food)

The other thing I am going to try (From May 1st if not before) will be crossing off EFT  every day for two weeks off my 101 list. I think it will be a good opportunity to get my mind ready and intune with my body for the weight loss I want to achieve!

While be in Chiba from Sunday and also hope to try and get a little exercise everyday….even just 20 minutes! I spend way to much time on the computer watching TV when even while doing that I could be doing some stretches or some kind of exercise! I think I will have to have a mini checklist of all my goals for each day. No coffee, no Alcohol, 20 mins exersise, EFT! hehe!

I feel that by putting this on my blog that maybe it will keep me more motivated and more honest. A lot of blogger friends are starting there own weight loss plans recently and I think reading their progress will also help to keep me motivated. Wish me luck (or give me hints!)

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