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Introduction Text Hi - welcome to my SparkPage. I have lived all my life in New Zealand - north of Auckland. I really enjoy SparkPeople and find the many facets of it to be very enjoyable and helpful. Having a SparkPage also increases the friendship and camaraderie we can get on this site :-) It is also an excellent tool for helping us to reach our goals! I am a firm believer in actually LISTENING to what others say when they feel they need to unload (have a problem.) Unfortunately a lot of people don't do this. It has happened to me in my life, and from people who should have known better. The heartbreak and emotional turmoil it can cause can be very devastating. Please, don't just assume that you KNOW what the other person is thinking - odds are you may be wrong! Take care :-)

1. Be as healthy as I can 2. Help where I am able 3. Get to a weight that my spine will happily accept AND MAINTAIN THAT WEIGHT!

1. Exercise when I can. (Pilates and walking) 2. Eat a very balanced diet (and not get annoyed with myself for the very occasional slip-up) 3. Give myself permission to one day per fortnight to eat whatever I want (helps us to stay on our journey:-) 4. Pace myself sensibly so I don't get overtired or suffer too much pain.

I live in a little seaside village north of Auckland. This is the furthest south I have lived and about 40 miles North/West of here the furthest north. I have Acid Reflux,Arthritis, Scoliosis, Benign Essential Tremors and Allergies. I USED to have High Cholesterol but with weight-loss came a HUGE improvement. I suffered from depression and Post Traumatic Brain Injury and Stress Disorders, both as a sequale to a bad car accident in 2001. I suffer from bad fatigue if I overdo it, and believe me, it doesn�t take much for that. I had Carpal Tunnel surgery to both wrists at the same time:-( Apart from that I am perfectly healthy (as opposed to perfect, which of course, I am (my tongue is in my cheek, now) I married in 1975 and have 2 grown "children". Our Daughter has Keratoconus in both eyes and needed corneal transplants because she was going blind. At the time of her first op her baby was a few weeks old. Our son has this condition too - hubby and I managed a 100% hit rate.

I have 2 grandsons - 19 yrs and 7 yrs. The younger one has a number of serious allergies. I used to work in Health Care but am unable to now. I was in St John as a volunteer for a number of years - about 7 of those I was a Divisional Manager. I haven't practiced since my accident. I can sometimes be a bit long-winded and tend to waffle a bit,....... SO BE WARNED! At my heaviest I was over 95kg (about 210lb) - and that was with what a Dietician had told me was a very healthy, balanced diet - (Usually about 1650-1850 Cal's per day.) Anyway, I have lost a lot of weight - 27kg (approx 59lb). It took 16 months to lose the first 23kg and I happily sat there for quite a while before deciding to shift on down again. My diet just needed tweaking a little to get me there. I like healthy cooking and often make up my own recipes. In a past work-life I was also a Cook - in a Tourist Cafe (no fast foods) and also as a Rest Home Cook.

Add a Link Co-Moderator Dealing with Depression <link>www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/groups_individual.asp?gid=953</link> Team Leader Essential Tremors :-) (Benign and Familial) <link>www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/groups_individual.asp?gid=30225</link> Co-Leader Crohn's Can't Stop Me <link>www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/groups_individual.asp?gid=17464</link> I am not a Dr - please check with your qualified Health Professional for a diagnosis and treatment plan
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