Be aware of your Nutritional Labels

Just read this interesting article. I did not know that sodium is not the amount of salt and to get the salt amount you multiply by 2.5!

This is good info and worth reading if your watching your weight / sugar and salt intake


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2273841/Named-shamed-The-big-brands-STILL-refuse-high-salt-sugar-saturated-fat-packaging.html

McDonalds.. Ever again?



Oh holy God! I just saw this on a facebook page. I'm not going to lie to you. My stomach is heaving at the thoughts of it... If this is true, I think I'll be giving fast food a wide berth for a while! Between this and the guy who found brains or liver or something cooked in KFC breadcrumbs I doubt I'll ever eat either again!

 

Taken and shared from the Facebook Page of Danny Garcia https://www.facebook.com/#!/danny.garcia.963

 

Can you guess what McDonald's food item this is????? Say hello to mechanically separated chicken. It's what all fast-food chicken items are made of. It's chicken nuggets, patties, and the meat in fajitas... In addition the processed frozen chicken in stores is made from this.. Basically the entire chicken is smashed and pressed through a sieve... bones, eyes, feet, guts and all. It comes out looking like this... There is more, because it's crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, and soaked in it.. Then because it taste gross it is reflavored artificially. Finally since it is weirdly colored like 'Pepto Bismol' pink, it is dyed with artificial color.. This is what people eat and feed to their children... Enjoy !!!

 

 

 

 

Thought of the Day

Definitely going to burst before the big day

I think I will definitely, without a doubt, burst into a billion pieces with excitement before the wedding day! Last night is proof!

Despite having been up since 630am yesterday morning, and also working all day, adding in the fact that I went to the cinema and didn't go to bed until 1215am, I still couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about my dress! And that I was going to be seeing it, wearing it and taking it home with me! And when I did sleep? My dreams were combination of the Django film and my wedding dress!

I have no idea what I'm going to be like the night before the wedding! I pity those staying with me and apologise in advance!

Can you really burst from excitement?

image courtesy of www.dreamstime.com

 

 

Well, is it? Because I really think I am on the verge! This last couple of days I have been getting giddier and giddier and more and more excited.  The excitement is even coming between me and my most beloved - my sleep.  I love my sleep.  There's very little in this world that can come between me and my sleep.  I have never understood being kept awake all night with worry.  I will worry alright, but I will still sleep quite well.  In fact, I have been known to nod off at will.  I consider it a great talent and a blessing. 

 

But, the last couple of nights, I go to bed in my usual tired and sleepy state. Once I get in to bed my thoughts start a gentle little trot on the treadmill that is my mile-a-minute mind and then BAM! My thoughts are flat out running like they are trying to complete a full marathon in 20 minutes and I'm wide awake feeling like 20 Christmas' have come at once! It's like I am seven again and convinced I hear Santa wandering around downstairs and the only way to expel the excitement is to scrunch up in a little ball and squeal!  There are 2 months and 4 days left until the wedding.  It'll be a long 2 months and 4 days for those around me...

 

Lots of wedding related stuff has happened!

 

Menu tasting was done on Wednesday. It was amazeballs, and probably a huge contributing factor to the building of excitement because now, I may not know what the day is going to be like, but I do know what it's going to taste like! Even as i type this there are butterflies the size of bats swooping around in my tummy! The hotel were so lovely to us and the food was delicious (phew, cause its a bit late now if it wasnt!)

 

Here's an excited bride to be holding our menu!

 

 

 

 

 

Then our wedding candle arrived. It has our names on it. It's lovely. Thankfully, the lovely girl who's singing at the wedding explained a bit about the lighting of the candles because, quite frankly, I didn't know about it! It's not a part of the ceremony that's ever stuck out in my mind.

 

My hen party has been organised.  I know very little details.  I just know I'm staying in Dublin City Centre and its going to be amazing! This has me super excited and also spurred me on to work my ass off to fit into a slinky hen party dress (yet to be acquired!) and made me very grateful for my lovely bridesmaids who have worked so hard to try and please the most controlling person they know!

 

How am I working my ass off? Well. Two words.  Jillian Michaels.  I believe she could be married to Lucifer, or may, in fact, actually be Lucifer in human form.  I have yet to confirm this but am relatively sure it will be proven when I move from week 1 of her Ripped in 30 up to week 2.  It's not a move I am looking forward to and neither is the rest of my body.  In fact, after day 1 of ripped in 30 I could no longer climb stairs. Anywho, she's helped those people on that Biggest Looser show and here's hoping she helps me.  The only issue I have with her is she's SO bloody annoying!  Have to try tune her out, or use it as a motivational tool to make me work faster so it's over quicker? I recommend it. But I hate her.

 

Tomorrow is a big day in my bridal life.  Tomorrow, I go and collect my wedding dress and bring it down to Dublin for some alterations and what not.  I'm very very excited. I can't wait to be reunited with it. I am dying to see it again!

 

In other news, I never fully appreciated the effort a bride goes to prior to the wedding.  The buffing and plucking, and moving and toning and the all round care that goes into it! I have never had so many facials, been so moisturised, had such shiny hair. Nor have I ever eaten as well, moved as much and taken as many vitamins in my life!  The lovely girl that is doing my make up on the day of the wedding informed me that my eyebrows are, well, terrible!  I was growing them in order to get them threaded and shaped and what not.  So she told me that she'd do HD Brows on me.  Basically, my eyebrows were long enough, and bushy enough to whip the GHD through them.  They had taken on a caterpillar look.  And, even though they were grand and bushy, when I went to get them sorted, she told me that I have bald patches on them.  Feckin bald patches! Who knew? Not me, that's for sure! So she plucked and waxed and coloured and welded (exaggeration, but only slightly!) and now, I am the proud owner of a lovely pair of eyebrows.  They are still baldy in some places, but she used some sort of magic stuff to disguise that and has reassured me that with patients and perserverance they will not be bald in places for much longer.  I also have to throw away my tweezers.

 

You will notice that I haven't mentioned any losses etc etc.. well that's because I didn't go last Monday! But with good reason.  I was sending out the invitations. There was much to do and I procrastinated in going back! But I will be back on Monday. No doubts about it! I will actually have my Wedding dress in my possession and nothing will motivate me quite like that!

 

Here is me and my excited face getting ready to send out the invites (note the theme... excited! Poor poor H2B... he's going to be head melted by the time we get there!)

 

 

 

Have a great weekend people.  Enjoy your first day of spring

Thought of the day

New Year, New Me?

Eh yeah.. so, I do realise that it is the 24 January and the year is not so shiny and new. I also realise that it is a long long time since I last posted here. So long, I'm pretty sure you all think I've either died, piled on all the weight, lost interest in all things social media or am no longer a bride.  None of these things are true.  I am alive and kicking, I have not piled on ALL the weight, I would NEVER loose interest in social media, ever, and the wedding is, of course, still going ahead. Full steam ahead as it were.. but more on that later.

So where have I been and what have I been doing? I've been to a medical centre in Switzerland and they starved me and sucked all the fat out of me and now I'm six inches taller and about six inches wide. It has all been a massive success.... sorry, you know I'm lying.  The six inches taller was the give away right? Too far?

I have really been sitting around and not doing much.  I kind of lay under the joint pain thing and gave up on everything really.  Apart from the fact that I was in a lot of pain most of the time, I just felt that because I wasn't moving, I wasn't loosing weight, so I didn't see the point in going to my classes.  I also let the winter nights get in to my head and was quite happy to reacquaint myself with my ass indent on the couch.

As the New Year rolled in I decided to change my attitude!

Firstly, I went to see a specialist about this joint malarkey.  Apparently, and I waited over four months for the appointment and three and half hours in a stinky waiting room to be told this, it's a virus.  I have to keep taking the pain killers and other medication as and when I need it. And it will eventually leave me of its own accord... Unacceptable was the word I used.  So I decided to turn to the airy fairy sort of medicine. You know, the natural route.  I went to see a lovely man who is an osteopath.  He examined me.  Was more patient with my descriptions of what was wrong and how it was affecting me and, most importantly, the wonderful man fixed me! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it you Rheumatologists!

He discovered a number of things for me.  Firstly, a couple of discs in my back were a bit twisted out and he manipulated them back into place for me.  Secondly, my hips were not aligned so he realigned me.  Thirdly he did some acupuncture on me.  The first two things I was grand about.  Bit of breathing, few cracks here and there and a little rub.  I will admit the pelvis bit got a bit awkward, not because of anything inappropriate, but because I am incredibly ticklish and the poor man couldn't touch me without me curling up into the foetal position and rolling around the place laughing.  It was embarrassing for everyone concerned because it got to the point that every time I calmed down and he made to move toward me again I'd crease up! We had to move on to other things because it was just plain ridiculous!

The acupuncture was not my most favourite thing to happen to me in my life.  In fact, I think it's pretty safe to say I would rather it never happen to me again.  Ever. Apparently my muscles were all inflamed and all in all, a little upset from the last couple of months and the only way to calm them was to stick a needle in and twist.  The final thing the lovely man told me was something I've known all my life but never in a million years thought it would, or could, inflict this kind of pain on me.

I have knocked knees.

Yes, my knees are not only knobbly and full of scars from my inability to remain upright on a moving bicycle, they are knocked.  I have fallen arches which result in knocked knees.  When I started running with my gammy knees it knocked discs out in my back. and misaligned my pelvis.  All this knocking and twisting and mis-aligning resulted in the pains in my joints.

I have had more relief, energy and movement in my life in the three weeks since I went to see this man than I have in the last 4 months.  It's amazeballs.

The downside to it all is that I cannot run.  My knees will always give me jip when running. So I've taken to walking again.  Not as fulfilling but sure aren't I moving, and that's the main thing.

As January is a month for mourning the loss of your salary to festivities, I have decided that I will return to my weight watchers class on the 28 January.  There I will, hopefully, see the rewards of a January filled with good eating, no drinking and lots of moving. So, as the pic above says... New body under construction (again!)

Down to the wedding stuff....

There are only 69 days left till the wedding - not that I am doing a countdown or anything. I am so excited! I have been DYING for January to come so I can finally say that the wedding is this year. And the time if flying by.  Everything is pretty much sorted and intercultural (apart from that little number of the weighing scales!).  Now is just a case of waiting. Impatiently, mind, but waiting nonetheless.  I have an appointment to go pick up "The One" on the 3 February. I have been dreaming about our reunion.  I have been imagining every little detail of it. I  can't believe I will only get to wear my wedding dress (aka The One) once... I'm going to have to start thinking of an event I can wear it to.. .someone else's wedding?!! Only kidding!

I will be back to class on Monday and update on what the result is... hopefully I will have great losses!

How to deal with stress????

How to deal with stress... I swear, this last week has been as mental as a box of frogs! Busy busy busy...

Apparently these are the steps to dealing with stress..

http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Stress

I personally used to like dealing with it by eating my weight (which was considerably more than it is now) in fizzy jellies, crisps and, just for good measure, chocolate.  All usually consumed after drinking copious amounts of Vino and smoking 20 Marlborough Lights (or more!)

Then I started running and what partaking in exercise and more movement in general, and found that really helped deal with anything that was stressing me and made me less inclined to hit the fridge / sweet shop / off licence / fags / all the above!

Now though, I can't run or over exert the aul joints. So I don't really know how to deal with stress. Suggestions are welcome of course.  Today, I decided that the only thing I could do was start laughing.  I literally just started laughing at all that was stressing me and came to the concussion (yes, concussion because I am not known for 'ratinonal thinking' and may have been banged on my head) that stressing about what I can't control is not a productive pass time.

Thankfully, this stressed out day did not see me reaching for the usual treats. And as much as I wanted to go into KFC in the Pavilion today and order myself a family bucket and eat it all to myself, I didn't.  Instead, I took this photo, heard my first Christmas song of the year and came home and had a bowl of soup, cup of tea and a WW cookie...

It's true what your Mam says - a cup to tea fixes everything!

 So to sum up... if your stressed, go take a Christmas-y picture and have a cup of tea....

More come backs than Britney...

Yes it's true, this deflating bride has had more come backs than Britney - without the money, trainer, clothes and blonde hair of course! Its been 1 calendar month and 2 days since I last updated my blog and I'm ashamed!! Well, I was, until I came and got weighed and now I'm not so ashamed!

Despite my inability to exercise and all the sitting around and taking tablets I've been doing, added to that the lack of attendance to my classes, I am down 1 pound! Now while I realise that 1 pound in 8 weeks is not exactly going to make a poster girl for weight watching success, I am very happy because I was so sure I was up weight!!!

Why haven't I been committed to my deflation? Well partly laziness. But mostly I haven't been well with my joints. They ache and pain me and sometimes, when I'm really lucky, my feet and ankles swell out so much that I don't have calves and ankles, I have cankles!! And I don't know if you've walked around in pain all day, but if you haven't I can tell you it's no fun. And exhausting! Specially when your a busy bee with no time or patients for such inconvenience!!! So the last number of weeks by the time I get home I am so tired and sore I just lie on the couch and fossilise! I'm still waiting to find out what's wrong but sure it'll all be grand in the end!

So there are 7 weeks until Christmas and I have 6lb to loose to get my next silver 7 so this week I'm back with a vengeance! I've all my soup made as dinners ready to go! Exercise may be an issue and is very much dependant on these old joints of mine - I knew turning 30 would just be a disaster!!

We only have 43 more sleeps until Santa arrives, I am so excited! But, and I never in a million years thought I'd say these words, more importantly there are only 143 more sleeps till I am a bride!!!! Yep, I'll be getting hitched in 143 more sleeps and I'm not going to lie. I am excited.

Despite my painful joints I've been busy doing wedding things like getting facials and booking make up trials and getting the colour of my hair right and basically tormenting everyone and anyone that'll put up with me and all my wedding talk. I'll literally have nothing to talk about when the wedding is over!!!

Finally, my wonderful and kind WW leader is a little bit ill and needed an operation and I would just like to let her know that she's really missed in our class and I personally cannot wait for her to return to us. Get well soon Nikkers xx

Thought of the day

Weight Watchers Members loose more than those that Diet Alone

Thought that this was an interesting article on Daily Mail on line

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2215062/Members-Weight-Watchers-groups-lose-times-diet-study-reveals.html

Apparently a study has revealed that members of WW loose 3 times more than those dieting alone and staying to a meeting helps you achieve more weight loss!!

It's great that an independent group has claimed this too!! So all you guys trying to battle your bulge alone, maybe head on to a meeting and see how well it goes...


 

6 Months and Counting....

 

My updates have been a bit scarce on the ground for a couple of reasons.

1. I haven't been to WW for two weeks because I have joint pain (more in a bit) - which is a REALLY lame excuse and the real reason is;
2. I turned 30 on the 23 September and I haven't been able to stop celebrating....

Joint Pain

I am currently doing a very good impression of an arthritic 90 year old woman.  Various different joints are hurting me on a daily basis - not even the same ones! It could be a combination of my ankles, knees and wrists on Monday, toes, thumbs and elbows on Tuesday, or, like today, hips, elbows, knees and ankles. I suppose it is nice to wake up each morning and play the 'where's the pain today' game, keeps it from getting boring ya know? Yesterday my ankle swelled up - which was new!  I have been to my Doctor and in all her wisdom she tells me I am fine.   To which I reply, constant aches and pains is fine for you is it?  So investigation into why I am sore is on going.  Dr Google tells me its either Chronic Arthritis or Heamochromatosis...

Turning 30

Apparently, turning 30 isn't so bad, especially when you get to celebrate. Constantly.  I am pretty sure I am into week 4 of the celebrations and some have suggested if I don't stop celebrating soon, it may be time to plan my 40th!

It all began with a surprise birthday party in work which had cake and sweets and balloons and banners and a very red faced Rachbomb!  Followed by dinner and drinks

Then I headed up to Donegal for some family time and to celebrate with my Twinnie! And by God did we celebrate.. there were sambuca shots at 4pm quickly followed by champagne, beer, wine, more sambuca and I think a jager-bomb which, as it turns out, may have been the one that is one to many...

Twinnies!!



THEN! Just when I thought it was all over, himself went and organised a surprise meal and drinks with all my friends...

 

Me.. waiting impatiently to find out what my surprise is

My birthday cake... (don't even think about how many ProPoints in this bad boy!)

 



 Making a wish... another one!

 

Me and the Surprise Giver....

 



It has to be said, he did a fantastic job of surprising me. He got almost all of my favorite people together with the exception of a couple of friends that couldn't make it! But it was a brilliant night. He even had a balloon for me!!

So the last couple of weeks have been a blurr of laughing, drinking, hanging over (and there was one particularly baaaad hangover which will forever more be known as "Sick-Gate, the Sequel" and I honestly thought the priest would need to be called and my coffin picked out!)

I will be back to weight watchers on Monday to face the lb riddled music and get focused again!

In other news...

This day 6 months... We'll be going to the chapel and we'll be going to get marrrrried! I am so excited! I cannot believe there is only 6 months to go!! Tomorrow we go wedding cake shopping (might get himself to do all the tasting given my imminent return to TSC(The Soul Crusher)) I was looking at all the lurverly creations on the cake lady's website and I honestly have no idea how we are going to pick.!

I am now on the hunt for wedding shoes.  If anyone has any suggestions on where I should go hunting, please let me know.  Not really into the bridal shoe look but want something that will be beautiful under my dress!

Have a great weekend

April Jones - five years old and taken from her Welsh home

Please help find her share this picture and with as many people as you can!

Poking Fun at it All

Thought of the Day

The Weekly Verdict

I think the picture above speaks for itself, yes?  The weekly verdict is a good one. I got away with not doing anything by the skin of my teeth!! I haven't lost any weight but I haven't gained anything either, so happy days! I was so sure that when I got weighed she'd be taking my stone back from me!

On a sad note, I didn't get my paper clip for loosing a pound... well, when I say I didn't get it, I mean it wasn't given to me. So I stole it! Yep. Stole a reward for myself. I am using it as a visual to encourage me to behave while I am in mourning.  (It's OK, my leader said I could use it as a visual to keep me on track, but I had to give it back on Monday).

Yes, you heard me. In mourning. On Sunday myself and my Twinnie will be saying RIP twenties... Damn it I don't feel old enough to be turning 30! Although, this week, perhaps I do feel old enough. My joints are creaking and aching like those of an arthritic old woman of 90. I think it's my bodies way of telling me to lie down and drink some more wine.

I will be wearing my paper clip around my wrist this weekend as a reminder to eat well, drink less and try to creak around, i mean move around, more. Although I am particularly excited about a little trip to Keshk for my dinner on Friday, followed by a beautiful birthday dinner made by my Mama and my Papa on Sunday... I have requested roast beef, garlic potatoes and maybe I might even get a birthday Yorkshire pudding... I am also extremely hopeful that at some point over the weekend my Papa will light me a fire and make me his dreamy creamy mash potatoes (not necessarily at the same time)!!! Fingers are crossed!

I am under Doctors orders not to do any exercise this week. Yep.  A Doctor has actually told me that it is OK to sit down and do nothing. And you gotta do what your Doc tells you to do.  Why I hear you ask? Eh, well apparently the creaking and aching of the joints is not normal, even for someone that's nearly 30 and I may have a virus. Doing too much by way of exercise could lead to injury and my body my just need to rest a bit. We'll know more after there's blood tests taken.

I thought I was being very clever and pre-empted the need for blood tests. So I fasted last night. Woke up this morning and my stomach thought my throat had been slit.  I could literally feel my body going into famine mode. I sat in the Surgery waiting to be seen, all the while a harmonious tune emanating from my empty stomach. I'm pretty sure they could hear it at the bus stop. Which is across two roads and a car park! It was all for nought any way. The blood nurse wasn't there so I literally starved myself needlessly and when I left the surgery I fell on my breakfast like it had been 12 months since I last ate. (it was only 12 hours. I would be the worst anorexic in the world.)

I am going to do what I can to survive this weekend and am allowing myself the grace of gaining 2lb in the celebrations. That's the plan. Not to gain them, clearly, but this way I won't feel too poohy if I do, and I won't be afraid to face TSC on Monday when I get back from my family.

It's Weigh Day

It's weigh day. Damn Mondays! I'm totes not looking forward to this weigh in. Despite reaching my stone last week, I don't think it's going to go as well this week. Mainly because I haven't been exercising because of my stupid foot and because I was out on Saturday night.  And Saturday nights outing was still in full swing at 04.40am. Really really need to invest in a watch for myself so I can keep better track of time. And time spent drinking.

Yesterday was spent in a horror hangover. I was curled up on the couch wishing for sleep / death and water. Oh my god I've never felt so de-hydrated in all my life. Even today I'm still guzzling water to beat the band. Must be the popcorn I ate (not the pints of beer I drank).

Copious amounts were consumed but in fairness, it was all in aid of a great cause and in the memory of a wonderful man. So I won't beat myself up too badly when I hop down of TSC tonight.

This week was a fail in the "12 weeks to Glow" Challenge. Need to up my game.

This weekend is busy a one. My twenties expire in 5 days and 10 hours. So long twenties and hello thirties. I shall be doing a mild bit of celebrating with my twinnie so I imagine dehydration, sore joints and possible nausea will feature on the list of ailments for next weeks weigh day.

Reaching this Mile "Stone"

After getting my stone on Monday I started thinking about how far I have come on my weight loss journey and what I have learned along the way... (see the path above, that's my weight loss journey, all sunny and bright and what not.. ehm).  I decided that I would share what I have learned;

1.  I have a mild touch of the body dysmorphias

(Disclaimer!:  I am being dramatic here and in no way taking the Mikey out of anyone that suffers from this. I am aware that for some people this is extremely serious and makes them quite ill)

Why do I think this? Well you see.  In my minds eye, the stone I have lost is actually about 8 stone and, as a result, my figure bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Cheryl Cole's.  I am all waif like and bony. I have grown at least 4 inches. My hair is glossy and worth it. So while shopping, my minds eye keeps leaping to all dresses that are made for the waif like and bony types of this world.  Namely, Body-Con! So I went to purchase myself a lovely French Connection Body-Con dress. And this is where my minds eye gets most confused, thus confusing my own actual real eyes. When I tried on the dress, my minds I could not match the tall waif like bony image with the curvy not so tall image from my real eyes. So the French Connection dress was not as flattering in my real eyes as it was in my minds eye. Confusion kicked in, my minds eye thinks the dress has shrunk on the way to the dressing room or I have been attacked by invisible somethings that caused me to swell out and I have to battle to remind myself that loosing one stone does not a skeleton make!  "Take off that dress at once and go find yourself something more suitable" is what my real eyes say to the rest of... which brings me to my next lesson.

2.  Just because I can get it my size, doesn't mean I should

Yes. I realise this is a bit sizest of me. And I'm ok with that. All my comments apply directly to me.  More power to you if you are buying these dresses, like Body-Con dresses, and your in a "plus size" and your happy and confident with your look.

For me. Well. Lets just say that over the last couple of years I have wished to purchase a number of items that I thought would be lovely on me and, well, their not - thus teaching me that just beacuse it's in my size doesn't mean I should wear it...

(a) Jumpsuits - good lord. Height and width were not my friend here.

(b) Harem pants - No. Just no.

(c) Wet Look Leggings - eh where do I even begin with these bad boys... All wrong!

So the lesson learned here? Bring a friend when shopping and always ignore my minds eye. It's crazy.

3. Exercise is something I will always try to get out of.  Always.

It's true. As much as I am enjoying running. And as great as I feel after it, I will always try and find a reason not to go.  In fact, if I put as much energy into doing exercise as I do into avoiding it, suffice to say I'd be long deflated by now!

4. When I have a deadline I will sabotage it

I will. If I know that I have only a couple of weeks left to achieve my weight loss goal I will go to every length possible to sabotage it so that at last minute I am considering cabbage soup diets and Epsom salts (Epsom salts in the bath, not in the soup!) So how do I stop doing this? I don't actually know the answer to this.  I do know that short term goals seem to work better for me than long term ones so I am going with that and struggling to pull my hand off that damned self destruct button....

5. It's easier with support

It is a lot easier when you have support.  I am very lucky that himself and my family and friends are very supportive of me.  Living with someone who has a sweet tooth to rival your own combined with the sickening inability to ever put on weight can be difficult.  But, to his merit, he's stopped with the chocolate bars and biscuits in the evening and he's great at motivating me and getting me going when I have talked myself out of exercise and into chocolate.

The class I go to is also a great support.  It is lovely when people realise that someone is having a hard time and they all get in behind you and spur you on.  When you hear whats worked for people, and what doesn't work and how you can vent and laugh and, occasionally, have a cry, it makes it seem easier knowing that your not the only one struggling.

6. Compliments can be dangerous

I know. Who'd have thunk it? Well for me, they can be - but I still love getting them (its my ego, loves a good massage and will take it wherever she can  get it, compliment whore that she is). When I'm feeling good and people are telling me I'm looking good. Clothes are fitting me better and I'm contemplating Body-Con dresses, well, I take the foot off the pedal and start to think, sure look at me. Aren't I gorgeous and skinny (minds eye playing tricks).

7.  It's so much easier to put it on than get it off

Good lord but it is.  When I think of all the weeks I've huffed and puffed and nearly killed myself running and squatting and lunging about the place.  Only to have a couple (ehm) of glasses of wine and put on a pound. It's totes devastating! And its frustrating. But I've learned the weeks that happens just to get off the scales (and give it a kick) and then start a fresh. (but really, give it a kick and, if its a particularly bad result, stick your finger up at it while kicking it - and make sure your leader knows that the finger is aimed at the scales, not at her lovely self!)

8. Reward yourself, Go on! Your worth it!

I love presents. And spoiling myself. It's the ego. She's also a present whore. And when there's something I really want, instead of just getting it for me, I try and give myself the motivation to achieve it.  Doesn't always work mind, and in fairness, I am also quite partial to a bit of instant gratification so I could just cave and get it for myself anyway to 'cheer myself up'...

9. Chocolate is my Fr-enemy

It is. It really is.  While on one hand it cheers me up, it also fattens me up. I don't understand people that can just have one piece and leave the bar in the fridge. Why? Why do that? How? Every time I opened the fridge it would taunt me and then I'd just scoff it anyway. I read all the time that a square of chocolate a day is good for you.  But where can you buy a square? How are you supposed to just leave the bar there with one square gone and go back to it the next day and leave it again? Answers on a postcard to PO BOX, Square A Day, You Must Be Crazy I'll Eat It All....

and finally.. .lesson number 10

10. If you don't laugh at it, it'll never be fun

I really believe that if I didn't have a sense of humor about my weight, exercise and just in general I'd go crazy. Loosing this stone has been so difficult and such a long journey.  In fairness, it's been so long coming because of my own actions and the fact that I take two steps forward and six steps back, but I laugh about it a lot. I take the Mickey out of myself because I can and try to be realistic about it. Yes I do want to be deflated and have people shouting up the aisle at me "someone, for the love of god, give her a stew"! but I also want to have fun and go out and drink and eat chocolate and crisps and all that other stuff that is counter productive to weight loss but would make life so BORING!

 

Poking Fun at it All

My new Aerobics Class...