Travel

Mounjaro Journey, Week 39 (4.75mg every 5 days)

flidfit Eating Out, Eating Out, Emotional well being, Maintenance, Mounjaro, Recipes, Sweet Treats, Travel

Can you believe it’s March already? I know February is the shortest month, but this one seems to have raced past at extraordinary speed.

It has been one of those weeks where everything that needed to be done… was done. My recruitment advertisement has gone live. There has been a little interest – early days, but encouraging. Alongside that, I’ve been working on documenting the care framework we’ve gradually developed over the past six or seven years for Mum. Setting it all out on paper – how my sisters and I work together, who oversees what, how decisions are made – has been something of an eye-opener.

When you’re in the middle of “doing”, you don’t always stop to notice the structure holding it all together. Writing it down made me realise how fortunate I am. I have an exceptional relationship with my two sisters. We communicate openly, we each play to our strengths, and we all share the same priority: Mum’s wellbeing. She tells us often how happy she is with the support she receives – and that, more than anything, makes the effort worthwhile.

The week ended on a rather special high.

We drove up to London to see Cirque de Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall. The journey was blissfully smooth (rare words when speaking about London traffic). We found one of our usual parking spots on Carriage Driveway in Hyde Park and walked through the park towards Kensington. The skies were grey, Kensington Palace was shrouded in scaffolding and protected with plastic sheeting, and the Diana, Princess of Wales Sunken Garden was looking rather bleak without its usual Summer colours. We spotted a Mandarin duck, which added a welcome splash of colour to an otherwise monochrome day.

Lunch was at The Ivy, Kensington – only my second time dining at The Ivy (the first being in Manchester with my daughter). I have to say, the experience restored my faith in being able to enjoy a reasonably priced meal in beautiful surroundings with attentive, polished service.

We arrived slightly early for our midday booking, which turned out to be a good thing. Within half an hour the restaurant was full. We started with coffee while we waited and then chose from the “Special 2 Course” menu – two courses for £19.17.

We both made exactly the same choices.

The Ivy Classic Shepherd’s Pie – slow-braised lamb and beef with Cheddar mash, rosemary and red wine sauce.

Followed by Flambéed Crème Brûlée – flamed tableside, silky vanilla custard with a perfectly caramelised sugar crust.

It was all beautifully cooked. Comfort food, elevated.

I opted for a non-alcoholic mocktail – Wild Mojito – mint, pear and citrus topped with Wild Idol sparkling wine. Light, fresh and celebratory without the alcohol.

After lunch we wandered back towards the Royal Albert Hall, stopping en route at Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street. It is one of those places where you feel you could happily browse for hours. I was particularly impressed by the Steenburgs range of herbs and spices. I’ve previously ordered their tamarind paste and sumac online – not cheap, but exceptional quality. I once bought a much cheaper tamarind paste from a supermarket and ended up throwing it away. Sometimes you truly do get what you pay for.

And then… Cirque de Soleil OVO.

Wow. Just wow.

An enormous egg dominated the stage as the show began. The theme was insects and flowers – but what unfolded was an extraordinary blend of acrobatics, aerial artistry, dance, costume, lighting and music. Trampolines, strength, balance, precision… and artistry woven through it all. I’d seen Cirque years ago, but this was my partner’s first time and he absolutely loved it.

We had wonderful seats – not inexpensive, but worth every penny. And thankfully, I receive a complimentary accompanying carer ticket, which makes experiences like this far more accessible.

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A perfect London day.

Back at home, the week’s food highlights were just as satisfying in their own way: a mini upside-down pineapple cake, homemade pizza using a simple Greek yoghurt and flour base, a spelt and white flour loaf in the bread machine, creamy tomato and harissa chicken, and a chicken bhuna.

Yes, The Ivy was lovely. But truthfully? I’m just as happy with what’s on offer in my own kitchen.

And that, perhaps, is the quiet theme of this week. Gratitude. For sisters. For Mum’s contentment. For accessible days out. For good food – whether in Kensington or at my own dining table.

As I slowly lower my Mounjaro dosage, I’ve been paying close attention to how things feel. The appetite suppression is still there. It’s gentler perhaps, but definitely present. And interestingly, when I do notice hunger, it feels manageable. Not urgent. Not demanding. Just information.

That’s quite a shift.

Even with a lovely lunch out in London and an ice cream during the interval at Cirque, I tracked everything. No drama. No guilt. Just data. And the result? I’m maintaining successfully.

For me, that’s the real win.

It isn’t about never enjoying shepherd’s pie at The Ivy or crème brûlée flambéed at the table. It isn’t about avoiding ice cream in the theatre interval. It’s about being able to include those moments consciously, account for them, and carry on as normal afterwards.

Mounjaro has never been magic. It’s been a tool. And as I reduce the dose, I’m reassured to discover that the habits built over the past 14 years are still firmly in place. The tracking, the portion awareness, the calm decision-making — they’re mine. Not the medication’s.

That feels steady. Sustainable. Grown-up.

Maintenance, for someone with a TDEE as low as mine, will always require close attention. But this week has shown me that I can enjoy a special day out, a restaurant meal, even ice cream — and still remain in control.

Slowly lowering. Still steady. Still maintaining.

And that’s exactly where I want to be.

March has arrived at speed… but I feel ready for it.

Weight this week: 55.4kg (about 8st 10lb)
Last week: 55.7kg (about 8st 11lb)
Weekly loss:  0.3kg (about 1/4lb)
Goal weight: 55kg (about 8st 9lb)

Mounjaro Journey – Weeks 28 & 29 (7.5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Eating Out, Mounjaro, Travel, Travel & Holidays

I’m back from my Winter sunshine break feeling very refreshed, relaxed, bronzed… and a little heavier!

As I explained, I didn’t expect to be able to continue losing weight whilst away from my routine of logging all my food, counting all my calories, and unable to do my 45-minute exercise routine. Plus, I am much (much) less active on holiday, being away from the household routine, enjoying sitting in the sunshine and reading my book.

I was also sleeping really well, usually 7-8 hours a night. The beds were comfortable, and it was very peaceful. Plus, we were opposite a piano bar that played live piano music each evening – very relaxing and conducive to sleep.

During the first week, my partner (Mike) was quite poorly, quite possibly man flu.  He spent most of the day and night coughing and spluttering, feeling quite under the weather and exhausted much of the time.  Whilst he coughed and spluttered, I sat in the sun on our sun terrace and enjoyed the sunshine and my Kindle.

We also experienced Storm Emilia, which brought torrential rain, high winds and huge waves to Puerto Mogan and Gran Canaria. Being on the sheltered south side of the island, we definitely got off lightly.  We had a whole day of torrential rain.  I occupied myself brushing up on my video editing skills!

The north of the island experienced high tides and floods. Tenerife even got snowfall in the Teide National Park and had to get their snow plough out! I was very surprised to learn they had one on the island.

Once Mike was fully recovered, we were back to enjoying evening meals out, the odd glass of alcohol (you should see the size of their gin measures!) and more sunshine.

The Mounjaro definitely made a difference. I was often unable to finish my plate of food. For the first week, not a single drop of alcohol passed my lips, and there was no snacking.

I always skip breakfast, lunches were self-catered (meats, tinned tuna, local cheese, pickles, tomato, salad, avocado and freshly baked bread. Dinner was taken at one of the local restaurants.

The first week I collected us takeaway foods – a Chinese and an Indian meal. But to be honest, the meals I enjoyed the most were the lunches taken at our apartment in the sunshine.

I had taken my Mounjaro pen with me and was taking a 7.5mg shot every 5 days. I weighed myself the first morning after my return and….. no surprise, there was a gain of 2kg (around 4lbs). I can take that!

A holiday like this in the past would have looked very different. Evenings would usually involve half-litre jugs of sangria, daily ice creams or desserts, and plenty of evening snacking on turrón and crisps. Two weeks away typically meant returning home 7–9lbs heavier. This trip felt a million miles away from that. The difference wasn’t about restriction or willpower — it was about genuinely different habits, a calmer relationship with food, and feeling in control without feeling deprived.

As from today, I’m straight back to logging food and calorie counting and sticking to my calorie deficit. I am confident that by Friday’s official weigh in, most of that 2kg will be gone.

Weight this week: 59.7kg (about 9st 5½lbs)

Two weeks ago, 57.7kgkg (about 9st 1lbs)

Gain: 2kg (about 4½ pounds)

To goal weight: 2.7kg (about 6lbs)

Mounjaro Journey – 15 weeks 7.5mg

flidfit Disability, Eating Out, Eating Out, Exercise, Mounjaro, Pain, Travel

Ever since I started taking Tirzepatide, many of those whom I’ve told ask me the very same question.  “What happens when you stop taking it?”

The short answer is, I don’t know.  Taking Mounjaro long-term at a reduced dose may enable me to maintain my weight in the future.

What I do know is that the extra boost I get from the drug in terms of appetite suppression and switching off my “food noise” has really made a massive difference.

The use of Mounjaro to assist my weight loss journey is just one small step or strategy helping me to stay on track with my weight loss journey.  A journey that has been over 13 years long.

13 years is a long time to be diligently logging food, weighing every item that one eats and drinks, keeping within a daily calorie limit and never really taking one’s eye off the ball.  Social occasions, days out and holidays present a challenge.  I need to stay on track and continue as best I can with my journey.  One bad day or a week’s holiday cannot derail me.

Of course, I do relax a little when I’m on holiday, but I soon realised that I can’t really ever take my eye off the ball…. I used to, but then I came to recognise that it’s very easy to gain weight that has taken me a great deal of time and effort to lose.
Inevitably, I am eating and drinking more when I’m away from home.  I’m unable to weigh my food portions.  I am also moving less.  Without my gym ball, my daily exercise routine doesn’t happen.   I am much more reliant upon my wheelchair.  At home, although I’m not particularly mobile, I still move about when doing housework, walking from room to room, preparing meals, etc.  Each day starts with my exercise, about 45 minutes of stretching and bouncing.

The other thing I have recognised this week is the huge wealth of valuable knowledge and experience I have around losing weight when you have a physical disability that severely impacts on your activity levels.  It’s time to share that with – whoever wants to hear about it – and I am sure that there are many out there who (like me!) have used their impairment / illness / lack of mobility as an excuse as to why they are overweight and why they can’t lose their additional weight.

When I started on my weight loss journey, the road ahead was long, and of course I wanted to lose that weight quickly and without effort.  Once I accepted that it would take time and I could reap the benefit of my effort and see regular small weight losses, things became much easier.  I just accepted that I needed to do my best every day and to keep on keeping on, things became easier.

That was my starting point.  A severely obese (BMI of 44), very short, disabled woman who ate to excess and didn’t move at all.  I sat in front of my computer or in front of the TV.  Then went to bed to sleep.
If anyone had told me in 2012 that I’d lose 4½ stone in 18 months and would be exercising daily, I’d never have believed you.  Of course, written like that, it seems an incredible achievement.  I never set myself a specific goal.  I didn’t go from zero to one hundred in days or even weeks and months.  I began slowly – doing what I was able to do and gradually increasing the amount I moved.  My confidence grew in my ability to set and achieve weight loss and fitness targets.
A little corner of our garage provided me with my own gym
I have covered my introduction to exercise in the very early days of my blog.  I had a few sessions with a personal trainer from the Physio clinic I attended to explore cardiovascular exercise that I could manage.

From there, I progressed to strength training and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in my own home gym equipped with a treadmill and other small items of gym equipment.  A little corner of the garage provided me with the perfect gym – just a few steps from my front door.

During 2014, we cared for a terminally ill relative who lived with us for the final 14 months of their life.  The garage gym provided me with a welcome respite from the situation.  Whatever the weather, I could be “at the gym”.  I didn’t have to worry about traffic, suitable weather or finding a parking spot.  I could fully immerse myself in my exercise session.

This was to stand me in good stead for dealing with the period of the two Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020.

I started to run!  I gradually built up my stamina to walk for sustained periods initially (on the treadmill, whilst holding on to a support bar.  Later I began to walk faster and then run using the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill, which was available at a private hospital just a 10-minute drive from my home.  Running was something I had never done.  The last time I ran was at secondary school, not wishing to end up too far back in the very long lunch hall queue….

This week, I’ve started vlogging…. I am aiming to share aspects of my weight loss journey with those who may be looking for inspiration or ideas.  I’m using CapCut and YouTube, but – be warned – I’m learning new skills along the way.  Rather like this Blog, it will be a bit rough and ready as I get to grips with how to achieve what I want and the capabilities of the software, which is streets ahead of my own video-making capabilities!
Weight loss this week:
Last week’s weight:  62.7kg, this week 62.0kg
This week’s loss: 0.7kg (1½lb)
Total loss since starting Mounjaro, 2nd June 2025: 9.4kg (1½ stone)
Total loss in 13 years and 7 months:  – 27kg – down to 62kg from 89kg (4st 3½lb)

 

 

 

 

 

Mounjaro Journey – 11 weeks in, 7.5mg

flidfit Disability, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Travel

I’ve not got as many images to share this week as I ate out a lot…. I feel it a little anti-social to start photographing one’s food.  But it was all delicious.

This will be my last week on the 7.5ml dosage, and we’ve been hit with the news that there will be substantial price increases for Mounjaro sometime in September.  Some reports are suggesting as much as 170% with the cost for the highest dose rising from £122 to £330.

My next injection pen will wing it’s way to me this week, increasing from 7.5ml to 10ml.  I am fortunate not to have experienced any side effects so far and am hoping this will continue.  So… depending on the hike in cost, it may be time to switch to Wegovy?  I’ll cross that bridge once I need to.

One thing for sure is that weight loss medication is making a difference to me. Mounjaro mimics the GLP-1 hormone (glucagon-like peptide-1), which tells your brain to let you know you’re full and slows down how quickly you digest your food. It helps me feel fuller for longer and reducing cravings.

Wegovy only works on GLP-1, whereas Mounjaro works on GLP-1 and the GIP hormone (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide).

The price increase is not something to concern myself with just yet!

I reported last week that I had two big social weekends, one immediately after the other, and this weekend was my second such weekend!  I was responsible for organising a weekend for 14 friends visiting Reading from Canada, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden and… Oxford.

Myself and my partner stayed at the hotel with everyone else so that we could fully participate in the programme of events that I’d planned.

I was a little apprehensive about everything going according to plan and without any mishaps or emergencies.  I’d done everything in my power to ensure this!  Most of the group are damaged as a consequence of the drug Thalidomide, which is how my own impairments were caused.  Six of us are wheelchair users!  So getting everything right was imperative.

Terry Dixon, Terry’s Walkabouts explains how locks work and describes the route of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

It all went brilliantly – from start to finish.  We had a brilliant private walking tour of Reading, which took in Reading Abbey, the Harris Arcade, and we heard all about Huntley and Palmers Biscuit factory production, learned about the Kennet and Avon Canal which runs through the centre of Reading and how locks operate.

I ate breakfast in the hotel each morning, drank alcohol, ate lunch and enjoyed dinner in restaurants.  I most definitely was eating far less than pre-Mounjaro – I even left food on my plate.  Even though it was all very delicious, I just felt full long before my plate was empty.  I enjoyed a Beetroot and rose syrup iced latte (sounds interesting I thought… must give it a try!)

Beetroot and rose syrup latte. Matcha latte.

And my weight??? I’m 65.2kg so slightly down from last weeks 65.9kg. Earlier in the week the scales gave me a 64.9kg reading – given all the socialising, I am very happy with a small loss!

This week things are back to normal so I can crack on with eating well, eating less and shifting some more weight!

 

 

Mounjaro Journey – 10 weeks in

flidfit Disability, Eating Out, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Travel

Wow, this was a social week!  I’m not used to eating out very often, but the next couple of weeks are quite full-on in terms of being away from home and eating meals out.

On Friday evening, I was invited to join a friend and his wife, who were visiting from Germany and were passing through Reading on their way from London to Exeter.

As a wheelchair user, I prefer to use venues that I know work well for me, in terms of travelling into the centre of town (by wheelchair, a 20-minute “run”) and which have plenty of space around tables and a decent accessible loo.

I settled on Cote Brasserie, which also offers great value for money.  I’ve never had a bad dining experience, and the food is “good enough”.  I settled on the “Prix Fixe” menu (two courses for £21.50).  My choices were the “Poulet au Bacon”, a marinated chicken breast in garlic, thyme & smoked paprika, with a smoked bacon velouté and salad vierge served with frites.  Not bad for 625 calories.  Then I chose two scoops of ice cream for around 200 calories.  Other desserts sounded more appealing, but in my view, just not worth 400-600 calories!  I drank two Blood Orange & Grapefruit sodas (around 100 calories each).

Saturday to Monday, I travelled to Bedford, two nights away with a group of amazing women.  These are disabled women whom I got to know when all of our children were just a few years old – they are now all approaching or already in their 30s (the children that is….!). Bedford was lovely (a market town on the banks of the River Ouse).  The weather was fab.

Together with others, we established a national organisation (charity) to support disabled people who were or who were planning to be parents.  That’s not “parents of disabled children” but where the parents themselves face challenges and barriers because of their impairments. Being a new parent is challenging enough without the added complication of an impairment.

Now I could devote a whole blog post to just how invaluable this organisation was to disabled parents who might otherwise have been isolated and alone in working out how to overcome the many barriers they faced – not just the physical, but almost more importantly, the attitudinal attitudes towards anyone who may need support to be the parent(s) they want to be.  BUT…. that’s not what this Blog is all about…  these women I count amongst the strongest, most capable and supportive bunch of people you will ever meet, and I love catching up with them all.

So…. food was enjoyed, alcohol was consumed.  The sun shone brightly and we talked (a lot!)  I travelled home to my next Mounjaro injection.

Scores on the doors……. weight is 65.9kg today, so up from 65.4kg (500g) last Monday.  I’d have been surprised to see a loss, to be honest.  This will likely be mostly food in transit.  Usually, following a weekend of eating more calories and moving less, the damage is worse!

Holiday exercise – worth the effort!

flidfit Exercise, Travel
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Just one of the magnificent sunsets

I’ve just returned from a very relaxing fortnight in Tenerife – somewhere that enjoys a warm sunny and dry climate virtually the whole year round.  It has a very obvious appeal to us at this time of year when the temperatures drop, the evenings draw in and the heavens open!

It is inevitable that I’ll eat more when I am away and move less.  When I am at home, I an stringent with logging all the food I eat and keeping tabs on my calories.  At home there is housework and daily chores.  I may not move far, but I move little and often.  At this time of year I’ll also spend hours at a time raking leaves in the back garden.  Our mature oak tree keeps me busy with my rake.

On holiday, I use my wheelchair more – the place we stay is at the top of a long hill.  I can be in my wheelchair for 2/3 hours a day, depending on what we are doing.  But I can also spend many hours sitting on a sun lounger and soaking up the rays whilst enjoying a good read.

I can usually expect to return home from this holiday having gained 7 – 10lbs.  This  year, I was determined to  try and minimise any gain, as I am determined to get to 9 stone at some point during the year.  My lowest weight was in 2014 when I saw 9st 3lbs on the scale.  Since then, I have bounced about a but with my weight, but never allowed it to creep above  around 10st 10lbs.

One of the things my sister (who accompanied me on the holiday) encouraged me to do was to take my gym ball, which can easily be inflated and deflated.  Of course, it also meant taking the foot pump.  I packed this non-essential item really not expecting to use it more than once or twice.

However, on the first morning of the holiday, I sat on the ball and carried out my regular routine of warm up stretches and then a 40-45 minute “bouncing” session, when I swing my arms wildly to music.  I can get my heart rate into my “peak” zone (above 140 bpm).  It was so lovely to be outside, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds and enjoying the idyllic surroundings.  I quickly realised that this was something that wasn’t a chore – I was on holiday with plenty of time to fit in my exercise and it really set me up for the day.  My stretches do help to limit my pain and keep everything flexible.  I concentrate on my neck and back.

I’ve just totted up the various numbers which I logged on my Fitbit:

I “bounced” 60,729 steps.  Earned 6,062 calories.  Spent a total of 17.5 hours of my holiday exercising.

What’s even better was that my weight gain for the fortnight was just 3.8lbs!  Incredible!

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View out of the gym “window”
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My “gym” for the week, getting myself warmed up

Smashing it!

flidfit Emotional well being, Exercise, Travel

P1030780I’ve been on my weight loss journey for seven and a half years now.

So many little things which have now become “normal” for me – not just in terms of eating behaviour, but also in my abilities to move – were once things I couldn’t even dream of when I first started on my journey.

I’ve always been disabled.  And for most of my life (from the age of 9) I’ve been overweight.

From my own personal perspective, it was easy to use my disability as an excuse as to why I was overweight and why I was unable to move MORE.

With hindsight, it was my WEIGHT that significantly prevented me from moving more.  I could barely stand for a few minutes, let alone walk any distance.  I would need someone to help fill the car with fuel as the whole process of standing whilst operating the pump was just too exhausting.

Whatever our abilities, we can all move just a little more, even if it’s just going for a trundle in the open air in a motorised wheelchair. In fact, the benefits of doing just that can be immense.

I have just returned from an amazing trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. This is my third “adventure” holiday to far flung destinations and remote locations in as many years.  The trips have involved long haul flights, climbing into single engine 12-seater planes and being hoisted into and out of jeeps whilst on safari.  More are planned.

One of the day trips planned on this holiday was a boat trip in a traditional dhow (wooden boat). The thing I’ve always enjoyed about boat trips is that you jump on, travel about, see things and jump off.  Not too much walking involved.

Not this time!

On arrival at the beach, the tide was right out and I could see, much to my dismay, that the boats were waiting about half a mile out in the shallow water. I immediately started to worry that I’d not be able to get out there – walking across sand and then rocks and rock pools ankle deep in water.

BUT my choices were limited.

I either attempted that walk, or neither of us would be able to do the trip (already arranged and paid for). The drive to the beach had already taken 40 minutes. We really wanted a day away from the hustle and bustle of Stone Town.

As we waited and were all kitted out with our flippers and masks/snorkels, I was experiencing an inner fear that was rising deep within me.

Eventually, we were allocated a crew member, who’s task it was to walk small groups out to the waiting boats.

Our group was allocated “Big Show”, a huge gentleman built like a water buffalo!

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Mwinchum aka “Big Show”

“Big Show” took hold of my wrist firmly in one HUGE hand, his fingers holding me tightly. “I will help you Mama” he said and started to walk me towards the boat at a steady pace, taking account of my short legs and reduced stride length.

I couldn’t look forward as my eyes needed to concentrate on the uneven ground beneath my feet, avoiding rock pools and particularly slimy patches. All the time he kept reassuring me with the words “polepole, polepole” (Swahili for “slowly, slowly”). Before long, we had reached the group of boats and I was heaved aboard – not in the most ladylike fashion, but by now I was exhausted and keen to get aboard and have a seat!

Likewise, when we stopped for our lunch, the boat had little option but to anchor in the shallows with a half mile walk to the beach and restaurant we were lunching in.

But this time, I was less fearful. By now it was the middle of the day, the sun was blazing down on us (30 degree heat).  I slid into the water and up to my waist and Big Shot took my wrist.

This time, he walked me about 50 steps and then said “Stop. Rest.” I think he was aware of my laboured breathing (or should I say puffing!) The final part of this marathon was a climb up a steep sandy beach (see picture – this shows the tide right in). Once again, I arrived at my final destination, hot, exhausted, hungry and thirsty.

I took my seat int he shade and exclaimed “I think that deserves a Kili!” (local popular beer, Kilimanjaro). No sooner were the words uttered, then one arrived on the table in front of me, uncapped – delivered by a fellow passenger.

None of my fellow passengers knew anything about my walking abilities. We were all strangers meeting for the first time – French, American, Japanese, etc. But I have no doubt from comments during the trip that they admired what I achieved that day.

I have to say though, nobody was more impressed with my performance than I was myself!

Once again, I managed to truly achieve over and above what I thought I was physically able to.

And it was well worth it.

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Costa Rica Adventure Part 2 – Tortuguero

flidfit Travel

Day 5 – We were collected in the very early hours (5.30am!) by the lovely Alex and driven to Guapiles in time for an 8.30am breakfast.  From here, we took a 2 hour coach ride to the dock at La Pavona, driving through the banana plantations and having the opportunity to see a banana production line at work.  At the dock, we transferred into a fast covered boat which travelled along the narrow river channels to our next destination, Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero.  A highlight of the trip was having some of the passengers disembark to (1) lighten the load and (2) help push the boat through a stretch of water that was particularly shallow due to the lack of recent rain fall.

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All aboard the boat!
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Wheelchair and all!

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Might be tempted!

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Tortuguero lays on the northern Caribbean coast and is known for its network of waterways and canals – and the turtles after which it is named.  It’s one of the rainiest parts of Costa Rica, and we did see a shower or two!

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Grandpa Jo on the porch a rockin’
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No swimming in this river!
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View from our room
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Bare throated tiger heron

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Agami Heron
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Chestnut Mandibled Toucan

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Room with a view (and no glass in the windows)
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Yes, this will do nicely

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Most wildlife watching here is done from the water.  Our room here had a veranda with two rocking chairs.  Two HUGE beds and windows which were mesh rather than glass.  Great for keeping out the mosquitos, but not so great for keeping out the sound of the howler monkeys and people walking past the room on early morning trips.

Here, Andy had the opportunity to have a go at zip lining – traversing the tree canopies whilst hanging from a wire.  We took a boat to visit Tortuguero village – built on a tiny strip of land no more than 400m wide.  To get a real feel for this place, it is worth watching this video.  One side is the rough Caribbean sea and turtle nesting beaches and the other is flanked by the network of canals and rivers which make up the Tortuguero National Park.

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Turtle breeding beach, Tortuguero

Here we saw a poison dart frog (tiny but very poisonous – in fact one of the most poisonous animals alive) – thankfully easy to spot as it crossed the path in front of us on account of its bright red colour.

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Blue Crab
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The very poisonous Dart Frog

 

The Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) – A useful exercise incentive

flidfit Disability, Pain, Travel

For those who haven’t met me, I have a severe physical impairment. I was born with my arms shortened to elbow length, just three fingers on each hand, and my femurs (thigh bones) shortened to about 30cm on both sides. This is as a result of the drug Thalidomide (see Google for further info on what this was!)

My left leg is about 4cm longer than my right. My lower back has a slight curvature. I don’t have any proper ball-and-socket joints in my shoulders or hips. My walking gait is severely compromised. All of my life, I have been unable to walk very far (about half a mile maximum before I need to stop and rest). Of course, none of this helps with weight and my being able to exercise.

In 2002, whilst I was on holiday in France, I set off on the wrong side of the road (driving) and had a head-on collision with a car coming towards me. Although we both braked and took avoiding action, we met in the centre of the road. The force of the crash was so bad, it fractured my right ankle (through the accelerator pedal) and my car was written off. My daughter (aged 5) and my then husband were both also injured – my daughter my the force of the seatbelt on her collar bone and hip, and my ex-husband (because he put his left arm out and braced himself) injured his left wrist and ankle. Thankfully, neither of their injuries was severe

I had to have immediate surgery to plate and pin my right tibia and fibula. Our holiday was… urrrm, extended (shall we say) and I was flown back to the UK on a private plane (thanks to the holiday insurance company).

I couldn’t walk as I couldn’t use crutches (because of my shortened arms). I was forced to use a wheelchair outside of the house so that I wasn’t housebound. I had my (new) car adapted with a wheelchair hoist to accommodate my powered wheelchair.

My right ankle never healed. Although it wasn’t (prior to the accident) affected by my disability, it failed to regain its full movement/mobility and I was in constant pain. Despite physio, my ankle was swollen all the time. I’d be forced to go upstairs to bed at 6pm just to elevate my ankle and try and reduce the swelling.

About 8 months after the accident and with no improvement, and after getting a second opinion from an ankle/foot specialist, I had further surgery – an arthrodesis. They remove all the cartilage from all parts of the joint and pin all the bones of the ankle to permanently fuse the joint at (approx) 50-degree angle from the leg. The aim was to get rid of the pain and to prevent any more arthritis from setting into the joint (my ankle bones were all moving out of position)

Sadly the ankle isn’t that much changed – I still have pain, it’s still swollen…. I can’t walk even one step without severe pain. I use a powered wheelchair when outside of my house, but it’s kept in the car. I can manage to walk around the house, and I can manage stairs with extreme difficulty (I come down in the morning and go up at night). 

Doing ANYTHING for me requires far greater effort and exertion than it would for most people. Because of my short arms, getting washed, dressed, showered… takes me twice as long (at least) and possibly takes twice as much effort. I haven’t really been able to walk (other than around the house or out to the car) for over 10 years. My weight increased. My (slight) asthma worsened. I was possibly even a bit depresse,d I am guessing (most people would have been I think!). I gave up paid work, and suddenly for the first time in my life I had to arrange for some help around the house with housework, shopping, laundry, etc – and yes, even caring for my daughter (which was really hard…)

So…. back to exercise and my HRM… the treadmill…. walking…..

I’ve been swimming once a week for about 8 months now. I go and swim for an hour on my back (can’t swim on my front because of my short arms and arthritic neck). I wear swimming fins (shortened flippers), which help me move through the water but also provide greater resistance so my legs/ankles have to work harder to power me through the water. BUT I wanted something to help me with cardiovascular exercise.

A week ago, I borrowed my ex-husband’s treadmill with a view to being able to start exercising regularly. Bear in mind, I’ve not walked for 10 years (in the proper sense of the word). I know because of the weight loss that my fitness has already improved. I don’t feel as if I’m having a heart attack when I overexert myself now! My asthma seems to have vanished.

I planned to start by walking a quarter of a mile. However, on my first attempt, I walked half a mile. I did this at a slow pace (1.7 mph), and I had to stop every five minutes. But I did it.I have been visiting a personal trainer (one assessment, one session last Friday), because I recognise that I need to make sure I don’t overdo it. And I bought my HRM because I wanted to monitor any improvements in my fitness levels and ensure that I was giving my heart a really good workout.  

Today I’ve done 20 minutes (with two stops, not letting my HR return to less than 120 bpm). It took me 29 minutes (20 mins walking, 9 mins resting), my average speed was 1.7mph. My average heart rate during the session was 140bpm, the highest it got to was 159. My HRM tells me I burned 390 calories.

I’ve compared this to what I would earn were I “normal” (hate that word, but you know what I mean!)

Regular 20-minute walking on a treadmill would have earned me 53 calories. 

However, my HRM tells me I earned 390 calories during the 29 minutes, which minus background calories leaves me with 281 calories. That’s over 200 calories more than

So – the purpose of this post is to (1) encourage EVERYONE to try and do some form of exercise and (2) to encourage people to use HRMs to give themselves a more accurate idea of just how hard – or not – they are working themselves.

I kind of thought I was burning a lot more than an online exercise calorie calculator tool on the weight loss website was giving me, but I hadn’t realised that the difference would be quite so mammoth!!! 

The Target Heart Rate Zone (65-85% of Maximum Heart Rate) is an area of moderate intensity activity that leads to improvements in your aerobic capacity and burns fat.  This zone provides many benefits for all fitness levels, including those who want to lose weight, those who are training for an athletic event, or those who are looking to have more energy and get fit. 

Exercising below this zone (50-65% of Maximum Heart Rate) is the fat-burning zone, because at this intensity, fat is metabolised for energy use at a higher rate.  This intensity is often recommended to individuals who are extremely deconditioned or new to exercising.  While the name of this zone leads you to believe that you will burn more fat in this zone, there is less cardiovascular (heart) benefit in this zone and less overall caloric burn.  Again, if you are deconditioned, have a heart or respiratory disease, or are new to exercising, this would be an appropriate zone for you. 

The High Intensity/Anaerobic Zone (85-100% of Max Heart Rate) is recommended for highly fit individuals, such as athletes.  This zone places a high demand on the cardiovascular system and does not burn much fat.  Individuals may use this zone as part of “interval training”, where your heart rate reaches the High Intensity Zone for a short period (less than 60 seconds) and is allowed to recover to the Target Heart Rate Zone (65-85% of Max Heart Rate) for a period of time (60 seconds to 4 minutes).

Warm Up and Cool Down

Always remember to start each exercise session with an easy warm-up.  You can use a heart rate zone of less than 50% of Max Heart Rate to guide your warm-up.  As a general guideline, a warm-up can be something as simple as walking for 5 to 10 minutes or just a slower version of the exercise you are going to perform.  Additionally, take 5-10 minutes after your exercise to do a cool-down.  Slow down your movement, stretch and try to get your heart rate back down to less than 50% of maximum heart Rate.

 

Use this chart to estimate your heart rate in bpm for each intensity zone

  50% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95%
Age (220-Age) x .5 (220-Age) x .55 (220-Age) x .65 (220-Age) x .75 (220-Age) x .85 (220-Age) x .95
20 100 110 130 150 170 190
25 97.5 107.25 126.75 146.25 165.75 185.25
30 95 104.5 123.5 142.5 161.5 180.5
35 92.5 101.75 120.25 138.75 157.25 175.75
40 90 99 117 135 153 171
45 87.5 96.25 113.75 131.25 148.75 166.25
50 85 93.5 110.5 127.5 144.5 161.5
55 82.5 90.75 107.25 123.75 140.25 156.75
60 80 88 104 120 136 152
65 77.5 85.25 100.75 116.25 131.75 147.25


Target Heart Rate