Thanks to everyone who watched my video update (with Kepa) yesterday. If you missed it check it out. It’s short, only like a minute long. From now on I’m keeping them all short. Less to say, edit, watch. It’s all good that way.
FOOD. OH GLORIOUS FOOD!
Oh, and I’ve had a lot of firsts in regards to eating since I’ve been here. I ate LAMB for the first time, which I hated loving it so much. 
Poor baby lamb chop. I couldn’t help but feel bad about eating it (I’ve never eaten baby animals), but it was quite delicious. Apparently they love eating there lamb here. It’s an option for everything and a commercial for lamb shanks just played. Ugh, I feel so bad for liking the little baby lamb.
Also, I ate a meat pie! That is another thing that we don’t do at home. They are crazy about their meat pies. I had a steak and cheese meat pie and it was rather good. I’ll have to try some different options like chicken… or… or lamb (probably not).
TO THE TOP OF THE CITY!
Yesterday we walked around Auckland and went to the top of the Sky Tower and watched a movie (Whip It via recommendation from MizFit long ago). I liked the Sky Tower because even though I am slightly scared of heights I love a good view of a city. And look at that red target where people jump off are supposed to land. Crazy. Oh, and to the left? A sign for MEXICAN FOOD!! (Heaven has smiled upon me and brought Mexican food to this city. I am officially allowed to like it here.)
And since Kepa is bad at smiling (it’s true) I’ve decided we will just have to have silly/crazy pictures instead. Such as this one:
AND A BEACH TRIP? AH! REALLY?
Today we went to Orewa beach for a while and actually went in the water, instead of just walking along the beach.
The beach was fun! I’m trying this new thing out where I’m not self-conscious at the beach. It’s going… well… it’s an effort. I think that most of us have had the “O-M-G I Can’t Go To The Beach Looking Like This” thoughts. I have. I still do. But the sand is fun, water is fun, waves are fun, and the whole beach thing is fun. I can either go and enjoy it and have that fun or go and be miserable because all I can think about is how my body isn’t perfect and such. It’s so easy to convince yourself that other people are looking at you and judging you negatively. So I’m forcing myself to not do that because I doubt anyone is looking at me.
I might be great with self-acceptance and self-love in most circumstances, but I still struggle with self-esteem and confidence in places like the beach. It’s hard, eh?
Sometimes I wonder if it will ever change. I know that the more weight I lose, the better I feel and the more things I can do. That is a fact and it is a good one. But how/when does the mental aspect change? When you lose weight, do the thoughts of not being good enough, cute enough, etc. go away? Is that something that can be completely erased after spending the majority (or all) of your life as an obese person? I guess I will find out eventually.
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Hi Mary
This is short and sweet commenting
(1) NZ is awesome — I was born there
(2) Kepa is CUTE!
(3) Sadly I still don’t feel good enough or cute enough even after being slim for 5 years. I guess it doesn’t really have much to do with how I look but more about how I feel about myself inside your head … still working on it.
Enjoy yourself ?
KatieP@head.heart.health´s last blog ..Only the Lonely
Yeah, we love our Lamb and Meat pies here in Australia and New Zealand. Thankfully being a veggie I don’t have to worry about the whole lamb issue. :) I even saw two ads on TV this morning (whilst in my Jury Duty waiting room) to eat more lamb, as Australia Day is coming up. They always have ads wanting you to eat Lamb on the 26th.
Cathy´s last blog ..Those 5 minute runs are making me swear like a sailor
Unapologetically yourself (to quote mizfit)
That is “awesome” that you had fun while dealing with being uncomfortable in a bathing suit. You didn’t let it stop you! I’m slowly learning this, too. Today we took our 3 kids to a skating rink. I initially didn’t rent skates…thought I was too big for the rink. Then I saw my husband hold my 8 yr old daughter’s hand as they skated. I wanted to hold my daughter’s hand! What am I waiting for? Now. It’s NOW. Live now. Be now. I rented the skates. Wobbled and slipped around a bit (it’s been 20+ years). My daughter skated up to me and held my hand.
Gina Fit by 41 Maybe 42´s last blog ..Happy 101 Award
Hmm…meat pies! Damn this vegetarian lifestyle!
AndrewENZ´s last blog ..Weigh-in Monday #3 2010: Looking greenish
We just had lamb steaks for dinner. I know that it’s technically a baby animal but it’s so delicious.
In fact, I’m already looking forward to the leftovers.
Yeah, I’m not cut out to be a vegetarian!
Gemfit´s last blog ..Crunch time for new goals
Haha, that sounds like me when I was eating it: “This is a baby lamb! How sad! I can’t believe I’m eating… Ahh, this is so good!”
Hehe. I’m definitely not meant to be a vegetarian.
for me it was all an age thing.
I cared so much at 20…25 even.
now? I giveth not a damn.
xo xo,
Miz´s last blog ..Six simple ways to keep your brain as buff as your bod.
I also love lamb;-)
Looks like you are having loads of fun!
I think I’ve had lamb before…if I did it was part of an Indian dish. I’ve had goat too..that was fun :-)
Those are awesome pics, and I say that even though I am insanely jealous :-P
Steve´s last blog ..Status Report: Week 15
Mary, what awesome pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing views & landscapes! Loved the pic of you & Kepa!
I am not a lamb fan so no trying that stuff for me. Just don’t like it! :-)
As for the thoughts on feeling better about yourself, being good enough & all that. MizFit has it right but I still struggle after all these years. Your first commenter is right, we got to get how we feel abut ourselves inside right first! I still work on this.
Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Book Review – Female Brain Gone Insane; GIVEAWAY!
I think that kind of confidence is really a mental battle and not a physical one. I think you look great and hope you had a blast at the beach!
Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..I heart short weeks.
I have this friend. She’s tiny and gorgeous and every guy she meets falls madly in love with her. She went to the Domican Republic last year and broke down crying at the thought of wearing a bathing suit on the beach.
My point is, I don’t think there is a person in the world who is comfortable in a bathing suit. Except maybe Giselle.
Tara´s last blog ..Picture This
Sounds like you’re having a great time. I love lamb! We eat it every now and then at home. It’s sold just like other meat at the grocery store here (except frozen, not fresh as it is imported from NZ).
Bella´s last blog ..WW Weigh-in #6
I love NZ and am feeling so nostalgic looking at your pics!
weight loss
Baaaa! Poor lamb. Poor tasty, mouth watering lamb. Wooo Lordy, that’s one heck of a view looking down on the city. I felt woozy! LOL I thought I was the only one who can do the lip thing Kepa’s doing. It’s apparently a talent! :-)
I SOOO get you on the beach thing. It’s so bad that on our Hawaii trips we rent a home with a private pool so we can swim in all of our fatness. I pray that I can get to the place you are just in actually going to the beach. I don’t even care if I’m comfortable about it or not! :-) (BTW, you look beautiful there too, albeit a little pink!) Hee hee It’s always an adjustment for your brain to catch up with your body as it changes but keep at it. You’ll get there!!
Yum Lamb. I love lamb so much that if I could find it more often I would eat it all the time.
Wow you never ate lamb before? I love lamb, been eating it since I was a kid! I do kinda feel bad for the babies…but at least it’s not as bad as veal..(which I don’t eat..). Most restaurants around here in CA and back in new england too have lamb dishes, and I often get them. I LOVE meat pies! We have a little peasant pie place down the street and they’re cheap, yummy, and easy to eat. Actually that was dinner on Sunday. People jump off the sky tower? As in suicide people? Why would they mark for suicide people?? Thanks for more cool photos! I don’t like wearing bathing suits, im always afraid that they will ride up or down and show something inappropriate, it’s like wearing your undies in public lol. I doubt anyone is meant to be comfortable in them, whatever size we are…but they’re good when it’s hot outside and if you want a tan. (Make sure you use sunscreen..i see you turning colors in the photo!)
merri´s last blog ..SF Museum of Modern Art
Haha. No… the skytower jumping people are attached to harnesses and all that. They are are more like lowered down than jumping really.
I do use sunscreen… I still get sunburnt. I have super white sensitive skin. Oh well!
my father is like that… super white or red but nothing in between. well im glad they werent trying to help out people with their suicidal attempst lol
merri´s last blog ..SF Museum of Modern Art
It looks like you are having a wonderful time! That meat pie is a little bit scary to me though! :)
It’s gorgeous where you are, and you look beautiful!
Diane Fit to the Finish´s last blog ..I was (sorta) Miss Sea World
Oh lamb is so tasty! I try not to think about where it comes from. sounds like a great time you are having! So glad you are together!
Beth (Mackattack)´s last blog ..Shepherd’s pie recipe
I am so glad you are having a good time! At least you are where it’s warm!
Foodie Girl´s last blog ..New Recipe, New Year
Oh what I would give for a beach somewhere right now! It’s drizzling ice here…looks like you are having a grand time w/ your man!
Meat Pie? Omg…talk about two words I never thought would go together but it looks like I was WRONG!! I gotta find one of these!
Craig´s last blog ..4 Months Progress Pic
Oooh, those photos make me want to find a beach! (they are rather scarce in Colorado, though.) I lived in Greece for a while, so ate lots of lamb there and got to see more things at the market and in backyards than I’d care to remember! Shudder. And we had plenty of meat pie while living in Scotland! Now I eat very little meat and that kind of diet suits me fine!
MamaBearJune´s last blog ..HYC check in – 183.8
Any self consciousness I might have had disappeared when I lived in Spain one summer and went to the nude beaches there. At first I wore a bikini but people stared at me, so then I went nude- and no one noticed because everyone else was nude too.
…probably one of the fastest ways to get over feeling selfconscious about your body ;)
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