DoingTheCaveman

Look to the left

I've been brave.  Finally, I have up a photo of myself. Althoug it is my before, before photo. It's one taken at the beginning of my journey to obesity, and I was around 2 (28 lb) stone over my ideal weight and the extra chin was beginning to emerge. I felt pretty terrible about myself at the time it was taken, little was I to know how bad it was going to get:( 

When I talked about photos before it's one the last photos taken that I felt I could recognise myself.  Ever since I've found myself pretty much disconnected from the stranger in the pics, hence no current photos. 

When I do (hopfully) recognise myself in a current photo that will be the time I post my befores and afters.

Felicia's 'yougin' photo challenge

A few days ago Felicia at 'Life Happens' put up 'youngin' photo challenge up to the age of 10.  I was a couple of weeks late coming into the world and have probably been late for everything else eversince.  So a few days late here are mine.

I put up some once before in November so a couple are repeats.

With Grandfather

Always Hungry!!!!

Can't find many photo's (I like) at 10.  I'm wearing brown

Felicia's fun photo challenge

I'm pretty excited to have *finally* bought my first digital camera (a modest 8 mp) and Felicia's 'fun photo challenge' over at 'Life Happens' presented the perfect opportunity for some practice snaps. Hence, there are a few:)   

Being a digital camera newbie I had a teething problem the view and glare on the glass - I couldn't see a darn thing on the screen when aiming for a snap.  Any hints or tips gratefully received.

In fact I went a bit mad and made an album on the side bar.  All the pics you see are within 2 minutes walk from my home. The photos below are (i) looking into my street and (ii) the view to the sea looking away from my street.

Postcard from the Algarve II

Ha ha, still shy just a silhouette for now:)

At the same time as I had these holiday snaps developed I discovered an old undeveloped film and processed it at the same time. What a shock, they were taken of me a couple of years ago at *exactly* the same weight as I am presently.  The thing is in these photos are a complete contrast to my current photos, despite being the same weight.  I'll put them up sometime, but in the old snaps I look as if I was 3 stone heavier.

The holiday: Oh boy, I knew I'd arrived home when I took a walk on Friday and instead on a nice sedate stroll I was blasted right around the block. 

Anyway, It was fantastic escaping to the sun, particularly when we were heard that the UK was experiencing Easter snow!

Now I'm back and suffering the post holiday blues - if I could I'd jump on a plane and go back right now.  I'm completely in love with the Algarve.  At this time of the year Portugal is beautiful and lush - green meadows, orange groves, blossom. 

Anyway, we managed to explore most days including Lisbon, Gibralter and Seville, but unfortunately I didn't make it to The Alhambra.  We lost time on the holiday due to illness, I didn't want to go to navigate yet another big city and I didn't feel a rushed visit would do the trip justice.  Maybe next time I'll visit just Andalusia and dedicate more time to Granada and the Alhambra, and there *will* be a next time. 

As I mentioned above, unfortunately the trip was a marred by sickness. I've been poorly since Monday with fever and chesty cough, and am still feeling pretty rough.  I was embarrassed to cough on the flight all the way back, probably managing to spread it around to some other poor souls.  For relief I've had to succumb to taking the usual yucky syrupy medicine all week which, as you can imagine, I hate having to do so on my regime.

Oh yes, almost forgot, the diet and the fish challenge ....

Mañana ...

A Holiday postcard

Just a quick non-diet related post today with a few pics of my holiday (see photo album to the left).

Unfortunately Gibraltar turned out not to be the bargain shopping trip expected.  I had planned to purchase a camera, hence my pics are just disposable camera type:(

Photo of me tomorrow!

Liquid gold

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I have *stuff* going on, it's not great so there's not much writing going on this week.  A little light relief after the weekend entry, and thank you to MS for taking the pic and for keeping up my replenishments of Argon oil, sometimes known as liquid gold 

For Argon I'd be up that tree too - this is my ultimate caveman diet treat.

BTW, I couldn't resist and had a sneaky mid month weigh in:  86.5 kilos/188 lb/13stone 6 lb.  So since my end of December weigh in that is a 6 lb loss. 

Say Cheese

Over the Christmas break my sister and I spent some rare time together sorting through old photo albums; putting some order into them in an attempt to preserve memories and faces from happy times and of people that we've lost. 

Anyway it struck me then, there comes a time in my life after which the photos fizzle out and I'm left with nothing that provides a photographic memoir of my life. 

I'm of course the one who ducks at the sight of a camera so it's partly my fault, however the last photos I have are probably from around the age of 21 (and I'll post these when I get back to my dull, what happened story).  These photos with friends are probably the last time I have any pics to record my life. I ask myself, do these pictures represent the last time I ever truely felt happy and content?  After then all the pictures stop. Actually, I tell a lie, there are a few sporadic photos from times I didn't have the opportunity to make my predictable escape. The problem I have is that I simply do not know who that imposter is. 

The sad truth is, from aged 21 (ish) I haven't been able to recognise, or acknowledge, the person who has looked back from the mirror - SHE surely cannot be me. 

Where did the fat come from (13 - 19) photos

Many pics seem to have gone missing over the years but have scraped a few, but they're not the most flattering.

Roughly in order of my age.  The first is definitely when I was starting to worry about my weight and when my teeth were becoming a problem. The second, just for my own amusement, what on earth was a doing in shorts on what looks like a bleak wet and cold day in the Yorkshire Moors?  The final pics below are around the age of 17 (bad hair days).

Where did the fat come from (0 - 13 years)

Phew, far too many photos, couldn't make up my mind which to use.  How did I manage to gain so much weight.

I was lucky as I believe I had a charmed childhood!  I was happy and healthy with plenty of access the the countryside and independent play.  At the age of 7 we moved into the country and attended the local village school with small classes; notably where the cooks prepared all the meals from scratch (including the tomato ketchup). We were were taken on plenty of trips, and holidays and participated in extra-curricular activities.

'Always hungry'     At same time as we moved apparently the interest rates suddenly shot up to 16% - finances were stretched!  My parents started living 'The Good Life'  which they continue now to a certain extent.

Our home wasn't on a proper small holding scale since my parents had professional careers, but otherwise just about everything we ate was organic and mostly home grown.  My father also had a shotgun so we had the odd pigeon or rabbit too.  We raised sickly unwanted lambs that the local farmer didn't want, plus chickens, ducks and home grown vegetables.  We were expected to share the chore of maintaining the garden and animals - something I enjoyed. 

My parents made fresh bread every evening, but I do recall being extremely jelous of my friends fluffy white bread.  My mother didn't posess a frying pan and we certainly rarely had shop brought fruit squash, fizzy drinks or sweets - my parents being particularly pretty strict about this.  This was partly directed by financial need but also in the 70s my mother had a seed of uneasiness about 'what was in the food' in relation to hyperactivity and additives and frequently referred to her E - additives reference book.

Above & below with sister I'm the eldest 

Our parents attempted to bring us up in a television free environment and made several attempts to throw out the offending object, however fortunately (or maybe not) for us our grandmothers took pity on us undid all parental attempts to banish the box and control sugar.

So from reading this I'm sure you'd agree not yet someone who was going to develop a serious obesity problem in adulthood!  What happened?

Sweet 16

I’ve just had news that my old school year group are having a reunion shortly and have posted our year photo on Facebook.  I asked a friend today to find me but she simply couldn’t do it.  Even when I said I was in the third row up she said ‘you’re just not like any of the girls there’.  It’s really sad to see that, even though a few years have passed, I'm so unrecognisable, but I suppose if I don’t recognise myself I guess I can’t expect anyone else to.  We did have a giggle over the 80s hair dos though!

Heck, maybe I will post it.  I'm 3rd row up (first standing row) left hand side, 2nd girl in (blonde).