Cate's Diary

I have a Lopi too! Mines a bit small, but works well. I enjoy cooking on it, but that's mostly relegated to weekends as by the time I've gotten home and gotten the stove up to temp dinner is long past.

Good golfing!
 
Cate....So sorry I have been MIA and to here about your LH's health issues! Sending tons and tons of good vibes! My Hubby was quite impressed with your golf calorie burn on the MFP ...said he may have to start walking!! and it is more than OK to let go of control once in awhile...you did and then you got right back at it...so well done!

Hugs and Hugs,
Tete
 
Vee- My golf was atrocious! But I got around 18 holes Ok. I was so incredibly inconsistent & my putting, too, was just awful. Even my chip & run from just off the green, which is usually my favourite shot, was TERRIBLE. Oh well! The group I played in were pleasant though, & not at all bitchy. The best part of playing golf is this-
"Your Exercise Diary for: Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
Golf, pulling clubs 250 1,505" :D

Q- Our Lopi is an Endeavor & it's our only heating. It is excellent! Re: "good golfing" :eek: see the above!

tete- You have nothing to apologise for sweetie.
Pushing your clubs around is so much better exercise than going in a cart. The way I played yesterday was a lot more exercise than if I had played well. I was exhausted last night! Most people here only use carts to prolong their golfing years as they get older or have mobility problems. It's unusual to see someone use a cart if they are fit & active. Most courses only allow players to use carts with a medical certificate. I would get a motorised buggy before I would get a ride-on cart. A lot of women have them, but I am playing golf to get fitter, rather than to actually play golf for the sake of the game(if you know what I mean.) Our course is very hilly. Thanks for the hugs! xoxo Cate

I was really over-tired last night after golf, but also because we had an 8-ball meeting to go to in Devonport.(100km return trip) We had to do some shopping for trophies for the golf club so went early & then we had dinner at a lovely Asian style restaurant. It was scrumptious. I had a spicy prawn stir-fry with rice noodles. I was ravenous after golf, but we didn't have an entree(1st course here in Aus) or even consider sweets. :Angel_anim: We enjoyed a nice bottle of red wine though. :D

Another very active day today. We have gone & got more wood & done heaps of tidying up & are currently resting & having a pot of herbal tea, before heading out again. Had a delicious tuna salad for lunch. Spring is almost here & the days are beautiful!

Much love to all, xo Cate


 
I am really happy to report that-

I have managed to get my BP down from hypertension stage 2( >160/90) to "normal" (<120/<80) in only one month of salt restriction (<1600mg per day) :D with the help of MFP! VERY HAPPY about that! :D Salt is hidden in so many things, but the biggest shock was the high amount in my wheat-free oat bread, which does not taste at all salty! :(

No wonder I feel so much better!
:D :D :D

Feeling slimmer, but no weight loss. It happens like that with me. Loss/gain/ bigger loss/slight gain/plateau/bigger loss etc etc. I am 3kg lighter than I was a month ago though! :D 4kg to go until I get to where I think I want to be & then I will re-assess.
xoxo :D Cate
 
Thanks Mystic. I can't believe the difference really! You can read whatever, but until you are faced with a health issue, you can't really absorb it unfortunately. I hope I have avoided an operation! The difference has been amazing! I feel so much better it's crazy! xo Cate
 
I played golf again today- am totally & absolutely knackered though! Played badly again. I am capable of playing some really good shots, but am unbelievably inconsistent. Oh well, I'm still out there burning calories & breathing fresh air! Just. :svengo:
xo Cate
 
Slept the sleep of the dead & am back to the land of the living :D The sun is shining, it feels like Spring & we are going to get outside & get more wood! Feeling good & glad I went out & played golf yesterday. Cheers, Cate.
 
Had trouble getting to sleep again last night. Have been suffering a bit from anxiety lately. Like depression, it seems to come from nowhere, but usually it goes again so I will have to keep moving & get through it. Mostly I'm worrying about our younger son.

I'm eating healthily & getting outside & getting wood most days. It's another lovely sunny day today so, guess what we'll do? I enjoy the physical work. It's exercising with a practical result. I'm feeling tired, but it will make me feel better. Some days you just have to push yourself.
Bye for now, xo Cate
 
I've been having the same issue too :( I ruminate a lot and that leads to lots of anxiety and makes me depressed. It is usually a lot worse at night.

I try to put some relaxing music or start reading something and that usually calms me down a bit. I also watch some videos on youtube or plan for the day ahead. Definitely anything that's either is relaxing or distracting works well for me.

If I don't do anything it can be pretty distressing. I'm still trying to find ways to deal with both rumination and anxiety but so far those help me.

I think meditation (mindfulness) can help too :) On youtube there are a few videos of guided meditation / mindfulness, and those can be pretty useful (Particularly, I don't seem to be able to meditate by myself) as well.

I hope you feel better tomorrow Cate. Anxiety and stress can be really annoying (putting it lightly!). Especially at nightime.
 
I'm not good at quiet meditation Athala & find distracting myself is the best way to take my mind off things. Getting outside & doing something physical takes my mind of my worries. Mostly my worries are concerning the ones I love. Our son rang again today & he is really anxious. He is trying to move forward with his life & has got out there & subsequently been offered positions with 2 different places & starts both this week. He is terrified. I am able to talk him through things usually, but I will be very relieved when he can believe in himself & won't need me so much. I hope he gets through this stage of his life & gains confidence & is happy. I really hope that he finds the love of his life!
I think he should see a doctor so that he has someone else to confide in, but I can't see medication helping him. I have had only bad experiences of medication for depression or anxiety.
I'm tired now so had better go to bed! Thanks for your input Athala. Anxiety sucks. The more we worry, the more we worry. I need to go read some of the quotes I have posted! Good night xo Cate
 
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Had a good night's sleep & am going to try to switch off from worrying about our YS. I am often able to compartmentalise so will pop him away into the back of my head. Hopefully! Off to town today. Will get some walking in. Have to go xoxo Cate
 
I tuned out pretty well, thanks Mystic & had a good day. My Mum was really good today & tried talking in sentences to me. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she really was making an effort. She has made quite a comeback lately & seems much more alert. I cut her nails, filed them & rubbed some hand cream into her hands & she seems to really like the contact. She was never a touchy-feely Mum & affection embarrassed her, but now I get away with it. :D I get such lovely smiles sometimes!
We're going out for some pool practise soon as we ended up top of the ladder so get the night off. I feel like staying at home, but my LH is napping now & I would prefer I drove him in.
Bye for now, xo Cate
 
Awesome news about the BP, also 3kgs in one month is excellent!!

Did I read you had venison? Aren't you in Aus? I've never seen it anywhere!

I'm the same as you, if I'm feeling anxious I need to get out and do something rather then sitting there and well... marinating in it I guess. Exercise distracts me completely so that's my form of meditation, it's one of the only things that completely forces me to be completely in the moment (that, singing, and well a couple of other things I shouldn't mention on here haha!). You probably get the same thing from golf.
 
The boys enjoyed their pool practise & I read a book in front of the fire in the dining room of the hotel after the diners had left, as I was FREEZING in the bar. By the time we got home I was aching all over & when I woke this morning it felt like my whole body ached. I didn't go to golf but instead I will get outside & get some wood. I need the sunshine & the exercise. I feel like something I ate caused an inflammatory response, but can't pin it down. It may just have been the cold night.
I feel so much better for having reduced my BP & I think I can safely say it's the salt reduction that has done it. I would hate to think how much salt I used to consume!
Our YS started one of the new jobs last night. Hope it went OK! He has a full-time job offered to him as well so he has other options. He will always be offered jobs as he's a great worker, especially behind the bar & especially when he's feeling good about himself. Hopefully, his life will improve soon. His biggest problem is finding a balance. Isn't it one of life's biggest challenges?
Time for some more coffee & maybe a little reading. I'm reading a Lee Childs book atm, one of the Jack Reacher series. They are good fall-back books- similar but always readable.
Cheers, Cate
 
Good news!!!great!happy for you.You really do take care of your health!and it's paying off.
I put to much salt in my food and i too want to reduce it.
YOu are going to be at the weight you want in no time!
xxx:grouphug:
 
You are such a sweetie Jess! My blood pressure has been consistently below 120/80 now for a couple of weeks now & I am feeling so much better. I have stopped worrying about my heart now! I will take the list of my readings to the Cardiologist next Wednesday when I go for the follow-up review of my CT scan & stress ECG. I'm aiming for <1800 units of sodium per day & have been achieving that most days.

We had a good day yesterday. Our 2 wood-cutting friends came out again & cut down some more trees for us. They take wood for themselves & it's a very good arrangement. Our view of the mountains is getting better every time. We won't touch our "bush block", except to clear the track on it as we want it to stay a safe habitat for native animals. Most of the tree falling has been along the top of the hill, half way up our land, between the house & the mountains. They are spectacular & change colour all the time. Sometimes they are purple! It's hard to convey the view in a photo & I haven't mastered the panorama shots on my iPhone yet :blush5:. I'll try again though.

I sorted out a lot of kitchen stuff for our son for when he moves into his house at the end of September. He has no idea where his stuff is. He probably gave most of it away. My LH & I are going to go down to Hobart & help him settle in & arrange his house. I'll do some shopping when we are there. I think we'll plan on staying maybe 4 nights. We would get a lot done in that time. :D

I have not heard from him about the job he has done the last 2 nights. It's in an upmarket(ie expensive) pizza & pasta restaurant that has got some rave reviews. I'm too nervous to ring him & ask. He starts back in what was his favourite bar job tonight. I feel almost sick to the stomach about that. What happened when he worked there made him leave Hobart & Australia. His boss accused him of stealing & fired him. Our son was quite sure he knew who it was that was stealing, but couldn't catch him at it. It cut him to the quick that his integrity was doubted. You would not get a more honest person than either of our sons, or my husband for that matter. I had worried myself sick, at the time, that he may have committed suicide because of it. I was very angry about it as well & wanted to go tell his boss what I thought of him.

Since our YS has been back living in Hobart he has bumped into his boss a couple of times & chatted & he was asked what he was doing, asked in for a chat, had a BIG talk(I told him to let this guy know what that had done to him & that he could never be doubted again) & has been offered a full-time job. This job involves lots of responsibility & he thinks he will just work on a casual basis for a while to see how he feels about it. He throws himself into work so head on that it consumes him. It's great to be a really good worker, but it's important to have a life outside work too. We have had such big talks in the last year in particular! He said he wishes I lived just down the road.

I am very proud of him for being able to forgive his boss & told him so. I'm not sure that I could & think it's huge that he can!

Time to get moving I think. More wood to get :D
xoxo Cate
 
We didn't get much wood yesterday as we both felt a little tired. It's the worry about our younger son I think. He messaged me on FB that he felt like a fish out of water at the Italian restaurant & was on his way to the bar job & feeling more anxious than he ever has been before. During that 'chat" he said "perhaps I should come home for a week". He hadn't actually started back at the job & he was suggesting "taking a week off". He really needs to see a psychologist I think for some cognitive therapy. It drains me so much trying to gee him up & I am left feeling very low. I have suggested it many times.

I felt so flat last night & so worried & thought I would have a terrible night's sleep, but slept OK. He's going to ring me today to let me know how he went last night. Fingers, toes & whatever else can be crossed will be crossed!!!!! It is always in the back of my mind that my brother committed suicide when he was 26. Robin Williams death was very sad & a young 13yr old girl, who lived not far from us, whom we didn't know, killed herself this week, because of bullying. Another suicide brings it back. It's something that has faded in it's hurt , but it never goes away. I don't know how my parents coped!

On a good note.....I invited our older son, his GF & the grand-kids up for dinner tonight & they are arriving at 5pm. There's nothing like a good dose of GK to make us feel better. I won't mention it our ys when he rings or he might hop on a bus & throw in both jobs. He knows he has to stop running away when things aren't perfect & getting through this rough patch will give him more confidence. Our OS says that he WILL get there! I SO hope so!

We're going in to see my Mum soon. Today is overcast unfortunately, but it will make us do some more housework when we get home, instead of getting outside & getting more wood. Until our ys settles I think I'll be cleaning out lots of cupboards- it's my stress therapy!

Love to all xoxo Cate
 
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