Fitness Friday

Its been a bit of a mixed bag for me this week. My weight has gone up a little bit... probably due to a party last night which meant I ate lots of yummy cheese and chips and nibbles. I was 96.9 this morning.

I've managed to ride most days this last week. On Saturday Fixit Guy and I rode for 30 kms - doing our regular route twice. We did think about doing a different route but ... nah. This one was good. 

We didn't ride at all on Sunday- we enjoyed a bit of a sleep in and then we had commitments at church and of course the dog has to have his evening walk - and the afternoons are still too hot to be too energetic. (the temperatures are not longer heat wave but our maximums are still 35-37C)

I rode every other day between 16-18kms apart from Wednesday. I'd had a bad night so wasn't feeling like getting up and riding. We won't ride tomorrow as we have a 60th birthday lunch to attend in a place that is 265kms away. We will leave early enough for me to be able to go to Spotlight whilst we are in town so no rides!

As well as my morning ride I have tried to ride my bike around town to other commitments where I can - the dentist, to teach Religion, to Handmade With Love. I couldn't ride to Patchwork on Wednesday as I had to take my machine and sewing supplies etc. We could ride at night to things too but haven't so far. We do have lights on the bike but the streets here aren't too well lit and so you can't pick out the potholes and rough spots too easily.

My Fitbit went flat again this week. So my stats are a bit up the creek so I won't worry about reporting them here.

At the park where we often walk there is a windmill which pumps water into a small dam. Recently we have seen this sulphur crested cockatoo drinking for the pipe - obviously likes the water fresh and untainted by anything.

Fitness Friday

This week our intention to get cycle fit for our trip to Europe came into play. On Monday Fixit Guy and I started our "training". He is much fitter than me and has been riding more and has a faster bike so after the first day I told him to go at his own pace and do his own thing and I would do my own thing. So long as he knows my route and can come rescue me if I get into trouble I am happier doing it that way.

Our preferred route is a road out of town that basically only goes to a couple of farms and isn't a through road so there isn't much traffic. Door to door it is 15kms. 

Monday I rode to a pokemon stop on the way home so made it 16kms and then I rode to school to teach religion in the afternoon - only a short trip.

Tuesday I rode 17kms by adding a few detours (including a pokemon stop)

Wednesday 20kms was achieved by adding lots of little detours (and a poke stop)

Thursday my legs were tired so I just went door to door 15kms

Friday we declared a rest day. We want to do a longer ride hopefully tomorrow so thought we would give our limbs time to recover a bit more. I did ride up to the Chiropractor (just 3 or 4kms all up... I forgot to check) and we will ride down to church later on to do the cleaning.

I forgot to weigh myself this morning but yesterday I was down to 95.9kgs and was very pleased with that.

I haven't really been tracking my fitbit numbers although

Friday 5 562
Saturday 11 611
Sunday 8 846
Monday 12 015
Tuesday 7 139
Wednesday and Thursday my fitbit didn't record my steps for some reason - showing zero. Not sure why. Its recording again this morning though so

Friday Fitness and February mid month Goal review

I've started riding my bike again. When Fixit Guy and I travel to Europe in August we are going to go on a Barge Bike cruise. Not 100% sure which one but at the moment are favouring one that starts and finishes in Prague.

Anyway in preparation for that I need to get bike fit. I want to be fully able to enjoy the ride and not be worried about not being able to complete the daily rides or being too sore in the legs or bottom to be able to enjoy the rest of the trip. So far I have only had a couple of very short rides but I plan to ride as far each week as we will be riding on the tour (A little under 200km if we go on all the proffered bike tours.) So... need to get a bit fit.

Its been very hot here all week and whilst I have been mostly over the fatigue I was suffering from we have been going to bed a bit late so getting up in time to do a morning walk hasn't worked out. We have walked every evening at least. *Except Wednesday. I was sooo tired from a full day on my feet at Patchwork I came home at 5 and slept till after 7

We walked at the Windmill Park, as it is commonly known on sunset one day. A storm was coming - or so we hoped but it went around us again

I haven't been monitoring how many steps I have been getting although on at least 2 occassions I made my 10 000 steps. These were days I was working on the long arm quilting machine. I was on my feet for the whole time so lots of walking up and down must have added up.

I didn't weigh myself this morning. I am not sure how I have gone weight wise this week.... don't think I made great strides in loosing any.

And as far as my Mid Month goal review... I had 7 goals for this month. With 11 days left in the month I am delighted to report that I have completed 5 of them, I have just one more item to make for Comic Con and I will have completed that goal leaving just one goal that I have yet to start on. That is Assemble the A to Z quilt. I bought the fabric for the sashing Wednesday so hope to start on assembling it today perhaps.

February Goals

• make 10 items for Comic Con Stall - 9 done
• Complete backing for Stringen' Em Along DONE
• attach borders to Handwork Heritage DONE (in fact the whole quilt is DONE)
• Complete February Clue on Charlotte's mystery DONE
• quilt one quilt on the longarm- hexagon quilt DONE
• Assemble A to Z challenge quilt 
• Work on En Provence- top together

Friday Fitness

I have managed to shift a bit of the weight I found whilst not feeling well. I do almost resent people who lose weight when they are sick. Unless I am physically throwing up my response to not feeling well is to eat... maybe this will make me feel better - no? okay then maybe this. So when hit with the lethargy that  had me sleeping in, snoozing during the day and not doing much in between - I tried to heal myself with nibbling lots.

Anyway this last week I have taken myself in hand somewhat and managed to walk every day and some days to walk twice. I've also had 2 dental appointments (after which my wallet felt a lot lighter) and a chiropractor appointment. Apart from an 18th birthday party last Saturday night I've eaten far less indulgently and continued to try to make good choices. The scales have shown a drop and this morning I was 96.6kgs.

I haven't been looking at my step counts for the day although I am wearing my fitbit. I made 10 000 steps last Friday but haven't since... been in the 9 000 most days and 8 000 other.  Its been really hot here and I am still not sleeping well so I wake up sluggish and with morning appointments I haven't had time to walk before them and then it gets so hot. We walk on dusk which is quite nice - still hot but bearable.

Anyway - hopefully I am back on track and things will improve from now on!

Fitness Friday

Or should I call this not so fit Friday. Since mid January I have been battling some sort of fatigue thing. I put up with it - did what I could on days I felt good, took it easy when that was more my inclination and kept on keeping on. 

It finally got too much for me and I was starting to get a bit worried so I went to see my doctor who ordered blood tests for all sorts of things and on Wednesday I went back to see her and got the results. Basically they were able to rule out lots of nasty stuff and there were only a few things that were worthy of note - my Vitamin D was down again - well down and so was my platelet count. Also my cholesterol was up. Ho hum.

I have been slack this month with my Vitamin D tablets - kept forgetting to take it. I consulted Doctor Google and found that unexplained fatigue can be a symptom of Vitamin D deficiency. (I looked here). 

I found more information about it on Vitamin D on Jean Hailes website here which explained the various levels of Vitamin D deficiency. At 32 I am in the mild category, so not too alarming but not ideal.

SO...... I have been taking my Vitamin D and have actually started taking 2 of them (at one stage the Dr had me on 4 so I am not overdosing). They are 1000 mg each. I will do it for a week or so and then go back to just one.

I have also pushed myself a bit more; Not lain down whenever I have felt like it, gone for a morning and/or afternoon walk with the dog whatever my inclination. I have been more active during the day.

 

Also with feeling so low and lacking in energy and enthusiasm I was treating myself to all sorts of snacks - eating chocolates and chips and the like. So - no wonder the cholesterol was creeping up. I have cut back on the treats too. 

I am also trying to be a bit better with my bedtime routine. I haven't managed to get to be early early but have tried to get there by 11 and working on doing it earlier. (Had to write a blog post one night... so stayed up later) I am also not looking at my phone once I get into bed or during the night. I listen to podcasts to go to sleep or to put me back to sleep if I wake up. So that is all I am doing with my phone in bed - setting up the podcast and putting the phone on the bedside table. (I have blue tooth headphones now - so cool)
Fixit Guy had to go to Brisbane on Wednesday for a funeral. He won't be home till tomorrow night so I have had to be taking care of myself so that has helped push me along.

So between not doing much walking for over 3 weeks and eating all sorts of rubbish to make me feel better I have put on a bit of weight but not as much as I would have in the past. This morning I weighed 97.1kgs.

Exercise wise I have only made my 10 000 steps once this week but hoping that things will improve from here on in and I will be back to getting them regularly.

And because I haven't been walking as much I haven't taken any nature photos to delight you with... sorry. Actually haven't been walking by the river so much either. We go to the park with Pokemon stops fairly regularly for one but also Jack dog has been indicating he would rather walk around the block. It bemuses me cause when we go by the river he is off the lead and can run where he likes but when we go around the block he has to stay on the lead. Maybe he likes the extra smells on the block walk. 

Anyway here is my Jack this afternoon He was sleeping but woke up when I took the photo. He then looked hopeful that I would take him for a walk now or at least give him some attention but eventually sighed and looked away

Fitness Friday

Its been a while since I did an FF post. Here it is at last. ... and my last one for 2016. My fitbit was playing up for a week or so and so I lost the ability to accurately report what my steps were. Its getting late now I to be honest I can't be bothered finding where I left my phone to do a report of my days steps since last I did. My Fitbit is now working perfectly and is syncing in fine so I do have the records there.

I haven't made my steps each day this past week. We only did one walk on Christmas Day and I was sick on Wednesday but still.. have managed to keep pretty active. I did get on the scales this morning and was 96.9 despite all the Christmas goodies that have been tempting me and to which I have been yielding. I am glad we have been keeping active. The dogs don't give us much choice. They like the two walks a day and give us lots of reminders that they are ready to go.

Hope you have had a good end to the year. I know many of you are in northern climes and getting out and about in the cold and snow isn't always possible. With us its more about avoiding the heat!

During this mornings walk by the river we were visited by some sulphur crested cockatoos. It was like they were posing for me. They followed us along the river, resting on various trees and logs. It was delightful.

Fitness Friday

Its summer in Australia and as well as high temperatures that means cicadas. Their high pitched whine can be almost deafening at times. They hatch under ground and when they emerge leave round holes that used to scare me when I first came up to Queensland. I used to think that they might be snake holes (note snakes don't usually live in holes in the ground so not sure where I got that from)

They usually climb up trees and shed their outer shell and emerge looking entirely different. Their shells remain on the tree trunks. 

When I was teaching my grade 1s and 2s found them fascinating and there was always a couple of boys who would collect icecream containers full of these shells each lunch time. They were intriguing to look at. ... but the fascination wains by the 3rd of 4th container full.

 We had mentioned only a week or 2 ago that they were late in hatching this year. It was almost the end of the school year and I hadn't really heard them. I spoke too soon... they are here and their buzz once again is almost deafening. (they make the sound by rubbing their back legs together ... or is it their wings....I forget)


I still haven't fixed my fitbit so can't give my weekly stats. Its working in of itself but is not communicating with my phone. I have walked each day and apart from once this week I have made my 10 000 steps - sometimes before I take Jack on his evening walk so I know my steps are good. Jack is loving the extra walks. The rain we had last weekend meant that the river was a bit muddy to walk beside so we walked on the streets instead. I've had some letters and cards to post a few times so we have walked down to the post office and accomplished 2 things - a walk and posting mail (3 if you count the fact that I visited Pokemon stops too... he he he)

I haven't weighed myself this morning so don't know what my standing is there. It is as well I have walked as much as I have though cause I know I have been eating lots of high calorie food. Sigh. I have enjoyed it though. I have some shortbread in the fridge now, waiting for me to roll it out, cut it up and bake it. Some of it is for gifts but some of it is for ME (and everyone else in the house!)

One way and another this post is a bit of a bust! I don't even have lovely photos of bird life to add to it as when we walk the streets we don't see as much.

Fitness Friday

Central Queensland, where I live, has been experiencing a heatwave. We have had a week where the maximums have been 40+ (that's Celsius. ) and minimums in the 20s. We have been walking in the mornings early but even so if we are out past 7.30AM we have come home dripping perspiration. Today is positively balmy in comparison... maximum of 36. Tomorrow the maximum will drop to the high 20s and I can't wait. Its been pretty stinking hot.

Our air conditioner has been running all day but today we haven't put it on. It really is hot enough to need it but the difference from yesterday makes it seem not so bad. There is a storm brewing though and rain is expected for the next 4 days. It will be welcome as it will drop the temperature and refresh the lawns and gardens which are becoming very dry and crunchy!

To add to our heat woes my fitbit has stopped syncing. My iphone thinks the battery is flat but it isn't. I will need to go on the website and see what they recommend but I keep forgetting ... so flat strap it slips my mind. I have remembered now but I am writing this blog. By the time I finish it will have slipped my mind again.

I work out my main walks and input that on the app so getting credit still although it doesn't seem to be connecting with the challenge I am currently involved with. Usually I come 2nd (who can ever hope to beat Terje) or occassionally 3rd (who is this Ruth who suddenly popped up and was vying with Terje for the lead last week) This week I am a long long last.

The heat has made food less attractive and drinking water much more attractive and I have chipped away a bit more weight. I didn't weigh myself but yesterday afternoon I was under 97kgs so that means I have lost a little more this week. (we had Thai takeaway last night and I ate a whole serve on my own so not sure what that will have done to my weight) I have also been cooking the last 2 days. Yesterday I made plain sugar coated peanuts and savoury sugar coated peanuts and since it took me a while to get them bottle up a lot more of them got nibbled by me (and my family) that should have.

Today I made smoko biscuits - jam drops and chocolate ones that I sandwiched together with white chocolate icing. A few of them didn't make the jars either. Usually I keep a few back out of the jars that I cut up and let people try before they buy but with a 24 year old son visiting at the moment... the extras got eaten! Never mind. They will have to believe me when I say they are good.

These biscuits are so easy to make. They have just 4 main ingredients.

500gms butter or marg creamed with 1 cup sugar
Add 1 440gm tin of condensed milk (I use the low fat) and beat in till smooth
Add 5 cups SR flour (you can sift if you like but I didn't bother)

For the chocolate ones I added 4 tablespoons cocoa - or 1/4 cup (use 4.75 cups flour)

Roll into balls. For the jam drops I  made a dint in the top of the balls with my thumb and added jam.
For the chocolate ones I pressed down with a fork.

Bake at 150-180 C for 10-15 mins

Cool.

For chocolate cream biscuits sandwich 2 biscuits together with icing. I used white chocolate icing.

White chocolate icing. Melt white choc buttons (1.5cups) ( I used the microwave and followed the instructions on the packet) When completely melted I added 1.5 Cup sifted icing sugar, and stirred to combine. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence. 

Actually I didn't measure. I added what white choc buttons were left in the packet but figure it was about that. Then I added icing sugar till it was the right spreading consistency. Then I added too much icing sugar and having no more chocolate I added some milk till it was back to the right consistency.

Spread one biscuit with the icing and put another biscuit on top. I put them in the fridge to harden up a bit since its hot today. (Not as hot has it has been but still hotter than chocolate likes)

All this cooking was for a stall Handmade With Love had at our churches Walk Through Bethlehem tonight. There was a bit of rain early on necessitating slight change to our stall. This is our original set up before we moved under shelter

On a sad personal note my uncle died yesterday. He was my dad's younger brother. There was 6 years between them but they were always great mates and loved to tell stories against each other. They obviously loved each other dearly. Goodbye Uncle Jack. A life well lived.

My mum and dad at their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1990 with Uncle Jack who was Dad's best man and Aunty Beryl (my Mum's sister) who was her bridesmaid. Mum is wearing her original wedding dress. Aunty Beryl made a replica of her dress. Dad was in the army when they married so he is wearing a army greens and his army hat. Uncle Jack is wearing a suit as he wasn't in the army when Dad married.... he joined up when he was old enough a few years later. Only mum is still alive but the other 3 all lived into their 90s so they did well. Mum is 94 now.

My Fitbit stats for the week  
Friday         13 695
Saturday     14 807
Sunday       10 420
Monday       11 632
Tuesday       11 501
Wednesday  11 366
Thursday     10 952

Fitness Friday

I am not feeling very fit today to be honest. I feel a bit icky on the tummy. I'm still on the very tail end of a cold that has been running for almost 3 weeks. I just have the post nasal drip left from that and that tends to make me feel off. Fixit Guy contracted the cold after me (caring is sharing after all) and then he has come down with a stomach bug so now I am not sure if my "not quite right" feeling is the post nasal drip or a different wog.

And Central and Southern Queensland are expecting a heatwave. The temps have been gradually climbing all week and its predicted to hit 41 today (that's Celsius - 110 F) and climb to 42 tomorrow and 41 Sunday and stay up at 40 till Wednesday at least. 

Fixit Guy and I have started walking in the morning. Our bedroom is on the Eastern side of the house so we get the morning sun and its light by 5 now and so we tend to wake up earlier. This isn't good when you are going to bed after 11 but does mean we can go for a walk before it gets very hot. The dog still thinks he should get his afternoon walk as well so we have been going at 6pm when it has cooled off somewhat. It does mean that getting my steps hasn't been too much of an issue this week!

On the negative side its Christmas time and there are lots of yummy foods about and so - yeah - healthy eating is way more challenging.

Despite the temptations (and the numerous yieldings to it) I have managed to nudge the scales down just a little bit. I was 97kgs this morning but that was after breakfast so I was happy with that.

I didn't post a FF blogpost last week so this is for 2 week.My steps this week have been good although the previous week I had 2 days when I didn't make target. One day I was furiously busy - it was the craft show. I was on my feet all day but lots of it standing in the one spot so not many steps.

For the last few weeks I have been going in a challenge amongst my Fitbit friends - Workweek Hustle. One of the women in the group always does amazing numbers - usually over 100 000 in her weekly steps and so she creams us. I have been 2nd to her most challenges but this week someone else has been out there in 2nd place.

Anyway My steps for the last 2 weeks

Friday 3 907
Saturday 10 607
Sunday10 132
Monday 10 026
Tuesday 10 096
Wednesday7 835
Thursday 12 249 
Friday 14 229
Saturday 10 383
Sunday 10 182
Monday 11 284
Tuesday  12 239
Wednesday 10 524
Thursday 13 986

How have you gone this week with your own fitness challenges and goals? Hope its been great for you.

Fatness I mean Fitness Friday

I've been battling a summer cold this week. Aren't they horrid things? FG was away over the weekend and in my usual way when he isn't here I stayed up even later than usual but with the longer days I woke up even earlier. At first I thought my lethargy on Saturday was the result of not enough sleep/bad sleep pattern (I woke up early for a couple of hours and then went back to sleep and slept till 10.30). Sunday morning though I had a scratchy throat and some mucous which made leading song worship in church problematical at times. However it has progressed through the week... cough, sneezing, watery eyes etc and generally feeling out of sorts.

However the only day I didn't walk was Sunday so have mainly kept up my steps.

Eating has been a bit all over the place. Sunday we had a special Tongan service at our church in the early afternoon followed by a special feast. 

And the service itself... that was special. We understood very little of it (of course) but they were worshipping God and at times they did speak English for the benefit of their visitors (there were 7 of us). The singing was amazing. Unfortunately the film is too big for me to upload here. 

At the feast afterwards we visitors were sat at the special high table as special guests and they kept pressing the food onto us. Oh man can those Tongan's serve up an amazing amount of food. I ate well. I do enjoy trying food from other cultures and enjoyed trying the different dishes. Some of the others were a little more reticent but there was plenty of fruit and fresh seafood they could enjoy.

Despite that, and the cooking I have done during the week as well (jam drops for the stall tonight and scones for afternoon tea with the residents at the aged care home following our service there) I have managed to not put on any weight which is pleasing. This morning after breakfast even I weight 97.1kgs

My Fitbit steps for the week have been reasonable with only one day on which I didn't make my goal. I think I won't make it today either as I am not going to get my walk in today as I'll be at the craft fair from 6.30 and its too hot to walk much before 6 at the moment. By walking at 6 though we are getting lots of lovely sunsets on our way home

Friday         13 712
Saturday     10 302
Sunday         5 186
Monday       11 541
Tuesday       10 815
Wednesday  11 017
Thursday     11 594

Hope you are making good steps this week and meeting your own fitness goals.

PS Visitors to our back deck this week. The young one was learning to fly but having arrived on the raile was reluctant to take off again.

Fitness Friday

We've been home for just over a week now. I forgot to do a report last week so its 2 weeks worth today.

Whilst we were on the cattle station I managed to get my 10 000 steps most days, despite my Fitbit not always syncing (found I had turned the blue tooth off. I thought it was to do with not having internet access. ) On those days I worked off another ap on my phone (Pacer)

Keeping my weight under control wasn't as easily managed. I ended up nibbling my way through the chocolate we bought - but it was over a few weeks. And there were the meals - pretty high calorie. Anyway... my weight climbed to 99.5kgs. Just glad I kept walking as much as I did as that limited the damage I was doing.

Home again we were able to pretty well get back to more sensible eating. The exercise tailed off for a few days... took us a little to get back into the walking routine at home. I cranked up the treadmill a few times this week to make sure I got over the 10 000 mark.

We have had a few treats but that is life (Pizza a couple of nights when I didn't feel like cooking, a chocolate bar another day) but treats are ok... you can't be restrained all the time.

Its really heating up here in Queensland. Summer is no longer around the corner but right here in our face. Today it was 39c (108f) So grateful for our air conditioners today. We have to wait till the evening cools off before we walk but we got our walk in none the less.

On one walk we saw a mob of kangaroos amongst the houses on the edge of town. We have seen them down by the river frequently but to see them in the house yards was unusual. This photo is as close as I could get.

Fixit Guy is going away this weekend for Presbytery meetings. I wasnt' going to go with him as I had a function on but that has been cancelled but I have decided to stay home anyway. Having been away for 5 weeks I am ready to just stay home. With the Craft Fair just a week away I am going to have to get busy making the sugar coated peanuts and bottles of biscuits plus finishing off sewing projects.


Friday          13 584
Saturday       8 812
Sunday        11 865
Monday        10 153
Tuesday        10 432
Wednesday    4 879 (the day we drove home so were in the car for over 7 hours)
Thursday       2 980 (very slack day after we got home - might have had a flat battery in the Fitbit too)
Friday            8 594
Saturday        9 692
Sunday          8 023
Monday        10 327
Tuesday        10 095
Wednesday   10 352
Thursday      12 018

and my weight this morning was 97kgs - so going in the right direction once more

Fitness Friday

I wasn't game to hop on the scales this morning... well I had breakfast before I remembered to but it would have been a scary thing to do anyway.

I have tried really hard to keep my step count up. I have made it to 10 000 every day except yesterday. We were out yesterday visiting my other brother in law. We left straight after breakfast and got home on dark. I tried to get some steps in but by 9.30 I was too tired to be bothered anymore so went to bed 4000 short of my target. I was going to try to get extra today and I thought I did... but it ended up only being 700 more. Ah well.

And as to eating - yeah. We are on a working cattle station. The meals servings are huge and lots of things were fried... and I can resist anything but temptations. Today friends arrived with fresh buns, great Italian salami, luscious olives... so what could I do. Yeah I over indulged..... AGAIN.

So the scales and I won't be friends this week.

Walks here on the cattle station have consisted of walking along the road for the most part. I did venture off down a side track a few times. There hasn't been much wildlife to photograph but the trees - yeah I have lots of tree photos. 

There is also a magpie hanging about protecting his chicks so I get swooped most walks going up and coming back. He warns of his swoops with his chortling call and the flap of his wings.

I love the bark patterns on the trees 

and on the old fence posts

The other day my husband (Fixit Guy) came with me for a walk down to the river. Its not easy walking along the bank and there is only a bit you can walk along but it was somewhere different for me to go. 

The other side of the river has sandy banks that would be great to walk along... but getting there would involved driving quite a distance so not worth it. We worked out we could get the kayak down there but doubt that we will do that... he is finding plenty of things to keep him busy in the shed and following on behind his brother. I think I am going to go back to the van and crank out a few more items for the sewing stall.

I don't have my phone with me so can't record my daily numbers. I will add them when I get the chance.

Friday            10 073
Saturday        12 301
Sunday          10 887
Monday          11 522
Tuesday         10 468  
Wednesday    12 309
Thursday         6 142

Friday Fitness

Its Friday again and I am writing this post before we head to my brother in laws property where we won't be able to access the internet via our phones. We might be able to go onto their internet but that might be a bit tricky - not sure what their set up is.

Have had a good week as far as meeting my Fitbit target goes. I managed it every day. Didn't go much over it at all but did manage to get there in the end.

Friday         13 894
Saturday     11 521
Sunday       10 284
Monday      10 880
Tuesday      10 026
Wednesday 10 717
Thursday    10 009

For the most part exercise has consisted of walking - sometimes it was walking through the rainforest or beside the lake

or to waterfalls 

One time we explored the remains of WW2 army camps in the area. This was most poignant for me as my dad had been in camp somewhere in the area in 1944.

Parade area

Fire place from the officers mess

Courderoy road

 and sometimes it was walking up and down a lighted footpath near where our van was parked overnight darkness having fallen before I had achieved my daily target. We also had a couple of trips in the kayak and the fitbit would count some of my strokes as steps (which I decided was fair enough)

Watching the diet has been a key to my "fitness regime" whilst we are on holidays as there are so many opportunities to indulge. Having a coffee and cake is an enjoyable outing for me. We like to give something back to the little towns we go through on our holiday and having morning or afternoon tea at a cafe is one way we can do this - but those snacks can add up! Another enjoyable ritual we indulge in is sitting under our awning and enjoying the view of where ever we are parked up and having a late afternoon wine with some snacks - a lovely end to the day. And then there are the enjoyable "gourmet delights" we purchase in the various places we visit - our favourite kind of souveneir. And desert. Desert is a lovely way to end a meal.

They can all add up. So we have resolved that in any one day we can't indulge in all of these and generally we try to stick to just one or 2 of them. If I have a wine I have to have something to eat with it. I am such a cheap drunk that one glass of wine before a meal goes straight to my head and leaves me a bit swimming headed, a feeling I really DON'T like.

This week we have enjoyed 2 lots of yummy treats whilst out. At the Mingali Creek Dairy cafe we enjoyed a devonshire tea. The cream was so lovely. We also bought some cheese, dip and yogurt whilst we were there but so far we haven't tasted them. We went to the dairy at the insistence of a couple of friends who said the food was divine. If we hadn't eaten our tuna sandwiches at the Milla Milla falls before visiting the dairy I might have gone the Ploughman's lunch. 

Then today, after we left Ravenshoe we stopped at the Mount Garnet Bakery and enjoyed a coffee and a vanilla slice. It was so creamy and sticky and yummy I didn't get a photo of it... my hands were too sticky to use the camera - but believe me it was good. We shared it so maybe tonight I can still have a wine with the family.

Weight wise things have remained steady. 97.7kgs. I haven't lost any BUT I haven't put any on this trip and that is important.

Getting my steps for the last part of our trip is going to be a bit harder. We will be at the properties and stuff will be going on and just going for an afternoon or morning walk is going to have to be more deliberate. There won't be random walks at scenic spots to indulge in. Still I am hopefully that I will be able to keep it up. I am going to give it a go anyway.

How have you gone with your fitness goals?

Fitness Friday

Friday again. I forgot to weigh myself this morning so the weight update might get edited in tomorrow morning. Meanwhile....

We have been keeping active most of the week and I have managed to meet my 10 000 steps each day. Apart from Friday that is. We have mostly walked along beaches but have had some rainforest walks as well as walking around some attractions - the Rainforest Discovery Centre in the Daintree for one and a museum for another. We also walked along the waterfront in Cairns - not strictly on the beach as it was a boardwalk for much of the way and a cement path the rest.

Art work n the beachfront at Cairns. My first thoughts when I saw it went to Pokemon - look a Staryu

Suspension bridge Mossman Gorge

Vines on the Rainforest boardwalk at Myall Beach

Ducks taking off from Lake Tinaroo

We haven't visited any food attractions this week - afternoon tea with friends being the exception. We had morning tea at the Rainforest Discovery Centre - scones with cream and a jam made from a rainforest fruit. Fixit Guy did buy a bag of chocolate coated honeycomb on Sunday and we have had a piece or two of that some evenings as a treat.

We have cut down on the treats though. We either have a wine and cheese before dinner or desert afterwards - not both. That has to help. If we have wine I have to have something to eat otherwise it goes straight to my head.

Friday 8 476. I thought about jogging on the spot to make my steps but it shakes the whole van so didn't
Saturday 10 093
Sunday16 968 (bonanza day. We walked throught hte rainforest at Mossman Gorge, had a swim and later walked along the beach)
Monday 10, 236
Tuesday13 889
Wednesday 10 765 (and it should have been a good bit more but my fitbit went flat and I didn't realise for a while. This is the day I had 10, 450 before 11 as we walked on the beach. It went flat on the way back and it wasn't till after another beach walk that I realised)
Thursday 10 413. This is good for a travel day. We packed up and drove from the beach to the tablelands. We walked around an art gallery and a museum before going for a long stroll along the lakeside after we got to our new camping spot)

Today we have put our kayak in the water for the first time this trip. We aren't very skilled kayakers (that is putting it mildly) and seem to go in circles an awful lot. My fitbit liked it though and counted my paddling as steps. I figure that is fair enough. We plan to take the bikes off the caravan this afternoon and ride into town. Well Fixit Guy is. I'm still a maybe. Nah I'll go. Might as well have a sore bottom as well as sore shoulders!

Hope you have had a good week too and meeting your activity goals

Fitness Friday

It Friday again! Some off you are shouuting with glee cause it is the end of your working week. For us ts a bit of a non event cause we are basically retired. As yet many of my weekly commitments haven't kicked back in after the start off school this week.

Friday for me is the day I write my fitness blog. Sometimes I get to skite a little sometimes I have to hang my head in shame. Today there is more of the latter for al srts of reasons.

Boyo's 21st birthday party and subsequent lefts over food meant that - yeah healthy eatiing has takeen a bit of a dive. There was way too much cheesecake left in the fridge to be good for me. Its ok though.... its all gone now. We are still finishing off the left over bbq steak but everything else is back to normal.

The party also meant that not a much walking was done as I'd have liked and added to that we have had some rain, a couple of evening commitments .... and yeah thiings are not too good on the step count. I'm well done my list of friends again. Sigh. AND my fitbit battery isn't lasting like it should andgoing  flat after just a couple of days which isn't helpful at all!! It only counted 789 steps yestetrday - not happy about that

Friday            11 677

Saturday         7 452 (party day. no walks but lots off running about the place)

Sunday           5 957(no walks but lots of cleaning up)

Monday        11 843 (only 1 walk but cleaning Fangirls townhouse ready for renting it out)

Tuesday        11 188 (2 walks)

Wednesday   12 616 (2 waks)

Thurday              793 - no walks and fittbit went flat with no warning grrrrrr

not surprisingly I've slipped way down my friends list. 22nd atm. My fitbit was charged up over night but this morning it is showing half battery and no steps. Im not impressed

Im battling with my ipad to put up these blog posts. sigh Hope you appreciate it. :)