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...

Just for laughs

Thought of the Day

Thought of the Day

Turn your Dreams into Plans

 

 

~ Kim Kardashian Tweet 10 September 2012

Poking fun at it All

The Weekly Verdict - Lost 14lb but got a Stone

Today is a very happy day. And it's been a loooooooooooooooooong time coming...


This little blue thing has made me the happiest lady in all of the land!

What, pray tell, is it? This is my stone to represent the 14lb that I have lost. And to think, I very nearly chickened out of going to WW tonight. And if I had, I wouldn't look like this...

When my lovely lovely leader Nicola told me that I was down 3lb, I was smiling. When she told me that meant I was getting my stone I did a jig, jumped up and down on the scales, let out a big scream and gave her a bear hug that could have cut off her air supply!

Last Monday I chickened out of going to my class because I hadn't had a very good week with my running and eating and tracking. I decided that if I went to my class and I was up it would discourage me so I would do my best this week and do well in my class tonight.  As it turned out, I didn't necessarily do as well as I could have. My lack of tracking really put me off. My over eating the wrong things put me off and I was just generally not feeling very confident in my efforts... Lets put it down to a lack of exercise hormones boosting my mood!

But last weeks exercise must have helped. And by last weeks exercise I am referring to the half marathon I did last Thursday evening.  I decided to run home from work.  And when I couldn't run any further I would walk the remainder. This is the walk I did:

That's right. Over 15k.  I ran for 9k and walked for 2k and then hobbled / wished I could crawl for the last 2k. I didn't quite make it all the way home.  I had to lie down on some grass about five minute walk from the house. I lay down. My legs seized. I couldn't go on. For two reasons:

1. Literally, my legs had seized and could not move any further. I thought I was going to go into a cramp
2. There's a really really big, fast and aggressive eh, Jack Russell, that lives on the road on the way to my house.  He chases you. He makes you run. He might bite you. I knew that if he chased me I couldn't run and he would eat me.

So I lay on the grass and waited for himself to come and get me. I was like a big red faced, fuzzy haired zombie rising from the earth and hobbling toward the car.  Himself was doubled over, roaring laughing at the state of me. I wanted to cry. He couldn't stop laughing at me.

While that walk clearly contributed to my wonderful weight loss, I shan't be doing it again in a hurry.  Think I may stick to building it up slowly rather than full on going for it and killing myself.

As a result of my half marathon I bruised my foot and have been hobbling around all weekend unable to really put much pressure on it so, in fact, it was counter-productive (that's my story and I am sticking to it!)... Back to the baby steps I have been taking and which have been serving me quite well!

In other news (equally as happy and exciting as my reaching a stone loss!); himself is a romantic little so and so I can tell you now! He instructed me to take a half day from work last Friday. I came home and I was instructed to get dolled up. He took me into town for a cheeky glass of wine of a Friday afternoon while the sun beamed down on us.  Then he took me for dinner on the MV Cill Airne on the quays and then, just when things couldn't get any more exciting he produced two tickets to see Nora Jones in the Grand Canal Theater (I know that's not the name but seriously, come on, how crap is the name The Bord Gais Energy Theater??). It was a lovely afternoon / evening!  

Here we are dining on the Liffey

All that was in aid of my birthday. There are only 13 days left of my twenties. It's actually happening. I am going to be 30. A real grown up. I'm handling it a lot better than I thought I would.  30 just seems so much older than I feel. But I'm OK with it because I'm going to be 30 and at the very least 1 stone lighter than I was on my 29th Birthday! Woop Woop..

Hmmm... what shall I reward myself with? I saw a beautiful french connection dress that I may just purchase for myself as a well done for loosing a stone / happy birthday to me / well done you did 15k in one go gift. (Completing 15k will be something I will not let go of. I will ALWAYS bring it up. Unless I do 16k, in which case it will replace what shall forever more be known as "The Great 15k Trot")

Whats the plan for the next stone?

There's 12 weeks until the 3 December. So I am signing myself up to loosing 1.5lb a week between now and then.  I have set up a running training programme on my iPhone and will get stuck into it and by the 3 December see what the outcome is!

Here's to this week being an equally big success!
 

Thought of the day

 

Good things come to those who wait Work hard for them

The Weekly Verdict

I think it's safe to say the above image summarises the result this week... TSC (The Soul Crusher)lived up to its name. It crushed my soul... despite running 21.77k in total this week I was up 1lb.  Now, in the grand scheme of things, this is not a big gain. I didn't get to my classes two weeks running, and I did do a lot of celebrating of finding my other "one" (the dress)...

I just knew that it wasn't going to go well this week despite my activity.

I jest when I say my soul was crushed today. Because it wasn't! I left the class in great form - must be all the additional exercise induced endorphins zipping around my body! Instead of spiraling, feeling like pants and going to the shop to buy a months supply  for the Bad Result Monday Nest (the months supply would be consumed tonight by the way!), I feel very positive.  I haven't necessarily achieved the weight loss that I say I wanted to. But I have achieved loss of inches and I feel really good about myself. My fitness is up, I can actually run for over 52 minutes straight, I never in a gazillion years imagined that that is something I could do or would even want to do. But I really enjoy it.

So this weeks verdict? A gain in weight, but it's not a bad thing.  As I sat listening to all the other girls stories and telling a few of my own, and hearing the others be supportive of one another I felt really positive about how far I've come and how far I have left to go in this deflation!

Two ladies in particular stood out to me.  One a lovely lady, her loveliness is fairly obvious just from her name (it's Rachel by the way), helped me out a couple of weeks back when I was feeling extremely bad about myself and dress shopping etc.  "Other Rachel" told me that the whole class were behind me and made me feel so much better and gave me a good kick in the bum to get back on track.  The other lady, I think her name might be Ger (only met her tonight), came to me after the class and congratulated me on getting my wedding dress, gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek and told me that I was going to be a beautiful bride.  Now if that doesn't lift your spirits your clearly dead inside and need to go and get that looked at! Complete strangers, brought together to try achieve a similar but very different goal.

I also left feeling great because, whether she knows it or not, our Leader Nicola is pretty darn good at giving her members a boost and encouraging them to achieve what they want. She knows exactly how to give you the lift to make next week your lighter week!

POA this week? Totes avoiding the vino. Have accepted that I cannot celebrate the wedding dress any longer for fear of not fitting into it!!! Aim to achieve 30k running in total by next Monday. Stick to my points. Bite it? Write it!!! Keep hydrated. Buy new tights...

Birthday month is fast approaching and with it, the end of my twenties!  I will go into my thirties and never weigh this amount ever again!

Finally, to all those reading this considering going to a meeting. Do it. Bite the bullet and take that first step. You really don't know how good it can make you feel to achieve your little goals and you never know what kind of people you are going to meet and how their words can help change your life or your words could help change theirs.

Now, enough of the sappiness! Tiredness has made me totes emotes so off to bed with me.

Measurement

Since April 2012

Waist - Stayed the same
Hips - Lost 1 inch
Bust - Lost 1.5 inches
Arm - Lost 0.5 inches
Leg - Lost 1 inch

It's Weigh Day, Facial Virgin and Exploding Gravy

Damn it. It's weigh day. Why does weigh day come around so quickly? Monday is always a good weigh day, unless I have been misbehaving at the weekend - in which case, its a dad day! I haven't been to my class in two weeks so I am defo feeling a little bit on the shaky side! Especially after my girlie night in Carlow.  Which was amazing!

It was my first ever time to have a facial.  I fell asleep. When the facial woman made a noise I jumped out of my skin and remembered that I was not alone in my room and I should really try avoid dosing off / snoring like a train. Then I fell asleep again and repeated the whole process.  My skin was so lovely and soft after it. It was wonderful. Now that my facial cherry has been popped, I think it might be my new favorite thing to do.  If only I had just had the facial, a couple of lettuce leaves and water. But no.  I didn't! Instead I drank 1 and half bottles of wine, soup, 2 bottles of beer and 2 Bacardi's and diet coke. I didn't drink the water until Sunday when my tongue was like sandpaper! But it was good fun to say the least!

Yesterday I was trying to claw back some losses by going for a walk on the beach. I couldn't run.  I just didn't have the capacity to make it happen. Instead, I walked. And I got tired. And I tried to jump over a little river of water (which was actually deep enough) only to land in the middle (the deep bit). It was an emotional walk that didn't do what it was meant to do - clear my head and energise me. Instead it made me wet, tired and increased my desire for crisps, chocolate and, for the strangest reason, Super Noodles. I didn't have any of them things.  I went home and channelled my inner Domesticated Goddess who brushed aside my Hangover Head and got down to the business of making Soda Bread for the Carrot and Coriander soup I made from scratch. Then also made a Chicken Tikka Masala from scratch and lovingly prepared a Christmas ham (yes I am aware that I am off by a number of weeks, but himself needed a bit of spoiling) and roast potatoes and gravy... that exploded all over the place.

It was rather silly of me if I am perfectly honest. And I lay full blame at the door of my delayed hangover and tired eyes. I decided that I'd make some gravy from the meat juices. I had no little pot as it was busy making carrots. So I chucked a perspex jug on the cooker ring and got down to gravy making.  There I was, minding my own business, dreaming about sitting down when suddenly, and much to my surprise, the bloody jug exploded everywhere. I nearly had a heart attack.  I thought someone had fired a gun (and shot my gravy).  Thankfully I wasn't hurt at all (until later when a rouge piece of glass made it's way into my sink and sliced my bloody middle finger). Thought the cooker ring was destroyed though, but with a bit o' elbow grease I got it cleaned. Frightened the bejaysus out of me. Had I been a cat I think I would have been upside down, claws buried in the ceiling and hissing at the offending noise!

So I'll be toddling off to get weighed now today.  Here's hoping that I have lost something and not gained. Wish me luck !

Thought of the day

A little thought from a big legend....

Looking forward to the weekend...

I do apologies most profusely for my lack of commitment to blogging / being weighed.  This week I was a little bit on the ill side on Monday and went home to bed and covered my head and didn't get up till Tuesday. So I never went to WW. Usually when I don't make it to a class two weeks in a row I've spiralled uncontrollably into an eating and drinking binge. Now I'm not going to lie to you. There was a day last week when I crashed off the weight loss wagon in spectacular style falling asleep filled with Kinder Buenos, Crisps, Pastries and a Kit Kat Chunky.  It was a chocolate filled frenzy that I loved every second of and vowed my penance would be running and a lettuce leaf for the rest of the week... Which I did (the running part anyway!). And then hopped back on to the tracking and pointing wagon for the remainder of the week (for the most part)...

I was attempting to do 30k over all of last week and only managed to run 16k.  It's still 16k more than I would have done six months ago, so happy days.  And just so I am clear, that's 16k over the course of a week, not all in one go - lets not run away with ourselves (an athlete and a sense of humor eh!).

Last night I went for another run. I have got to do something about the pains in my hips.. The words "me hips" are becoming my tag line! Anywho, completed my first ever 6.6k run. That's 0.4k more than the last longest run I ever did ever. And I'm delighted with myself. With this in mind, I think it's only fair to notify all my supporters that they need to start saving, flights to Rio do not come cheap - there is still four years to get the cash together, but I find the more notice people have the better.... (In my head, my running successes are already worthy of gold...Usain who?)

In wedding news, I have the greatest bridesmaids in all of the land!  They made one of the things, I was simply dreading, doing so easy: little gems that they are! Not only am I kitted out for the big day, now my four ladies are also kitted out.  AND I didn't have to drag all four of them from shop to shop trying to make decisions surrounded by satin and lace and taffeta (who invented this horrible looking and sounding material and why is it always in disgusting colours like burnt orange and snot green (real colour, ask any bridesmaid dress designer ). It makes me wonder either (a) a bride must really really hate her bridesmaids to put them in that type / colour material or (b) a bride must be incredibly insecure to dress her bridesmaids up so they look like noisy mucus). Nope, none of that malarkey for me. I brought one bridesmaid to two places. She tried on about 10 dresses and on the 10th we fell in love with it.  I sent a picture to the other three ladies and they all said yes totes gorge go for it. And BAM! Just like that, I got my bridesmaid dresses. Love them and my girls!

Why am I looking forward to the weekend? Well, apart from the fact that it's two days away from work, I am also going to a lovely hotel in Carlow with one of my besties for the night to drink wine, have a facial and chill out.  Cannot wait for it!

I shall be back to my WW class on Monday to view the hundreds of pounds my "Olympic" training have helped me shed...

clipartof.com

The sunscreen song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQlJ3vOp6nI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This is one of my favourite songs because a lot of it is true...


Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

20.2K, Wedding Dress Delight and Family Fun

It's been a busy week since I last wrote.  I missed weigh day because I was at home with my family celebrating my little sister / chief's birthday and also wedding dress shopping. 

To start off, I set myself a goal of running 30k this week. It was quite an ambitious goal and while I didn't achieve it, I wasn't too far off it as I managed to do a grand total of 20.2k in 7 days. It's just under 3k a day but it's waaaaaay more than I've ever managed in one week and I'm pretty darn happy with that. Next week I am going to aim to achieve 30k again by weigh day Monday and see how well I go.

I did go out trotting while in Donegal. It was lovely.  I was suffering from a bit too much of the vino / celebrations and decided that the best way to deal with it is to go out running. It's such a lovely place where my mam and dad live and the sun was shining. Every time my foot hit the ground my head busted and stars exploded in my eyes. That's how much I celebrated the night before. I got into my stride and carried on, quite happily, slowly being able to see things other than stars. Then I saw a dog. He had a stick or something in his mouth and I kind of slowed down (which was an amazing feat considering how "quick" i was going) in case I distracted him from chewing on his stick and he decided that it would be nicer to chew on me instead... My alarm was unwarranted as the dog really loved his stick and headed off on his sticky little way paying me no heed at all whatsoever.

My hangover accompanied me up another hill and decided that it was time to let me go on without it, much to my delight. Then I was taken by surprise. Sticky dog had a friend living near by. That friend had no stick to be distracted by. So it took off like a golden light down its garden barking and growling at me and chasing me up the road. It's one way to get me to speed up. It frightened the holy life out of me. The only thing I could think was I was going to be eaten before I even got to eat today!

Thankfully the dog was all mouth and no trousers and gave up on me.  I'd like to say it was my speed that out ran him, but I think it was more likely he sensed that I was absolutely no threat at all...

It wasn't my most pleasant start to the morning.

Lots of family fun was had but my Twinnie was busy working so we go no time together to pick on everyone in a twelve mile radius.  But that's OK cause he's going to get the weekend off the next time I'm up and we'll celebrate turning the big three oh in style.

Now, the bit I've been dying to talk most about! My wedding dress...

As you will know from previous posts / chats, I thought I had my wedding dress.  Then I realised that the "dressmaker" (and I use the term VERY loosely) was nothing but a cowboy /girl and had as much dressmaking ability as I did. So it was back to the drawing board and now I'm very happy about that.

I saw it on the Internet and thought it was lovely. When the lady started to put it on me I was shaking. I was so excited about it.  Before she even did it up for me I was squealing with delight. I had the biggest goofiest excited smile on my face when she pulled round the curtains for my mam and sister to see. I am super excited and really happy that it's sorted out and I have an amazing dress and I will once again be a ridey princess!

So happiness all weekend. Now i've to run the ass off myself this week to make up for all the celebrations over the weekend... here's some pics of the weekends happiness (not the dress of course!)

Happy Birthday to my baby sister

It's the 8 August 2012.  This day 19 years ago my baby sister made her way into this world. She was tiny and pink and gorgeous and more than I could have wished for. I loved her before she ever took a breath, and have loved her more and more every year.

She was cute and loveable and had me wrapped around her tiny little fingers.. the only thing that's changed here is her fingers are longer!

Here's some photos of her young and loveable...

But now she's all grown up. And instead of her being a baby, she's this lovely girl who is great fun, I can have a laugh with and can talk to.  She's still as cute as she ever was, but she's also gorgeous, and talented, friendly and loyal, honest and generous and one of my best friends in the whole world.

So today is the day that I think about how lucky I am to have such a wonderful baby sister...

Happy birthday Lorla.. I love you xxxx