Thought for the 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...

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!
 

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 !

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

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!)

Run Rachy, Run Rachy, Run Run Run....

I am back running. My legs are, once again, no longer talking to me.  As I sit here and type they are throbbing and aching and my lower back is joining in for a chorus. But it's OK. I'm delighted with myself! Since Monday afternoon I have completed the grand total of four runs (2 of which happened on Monday!! I know right? Two runs in the one day, what am I? An Olympian?) Now, I am completely aware of the fact that all you seasoned runners out there with the ability to complete 10k in three strides will think 4 runs in one week, coming to a grand total of 10.96k, is not that big a deal. But it is to me so allow me to bask in my amature glory....

I am going wedding dress shopping next week with my Mum and Sister and then again with two of my bridesmaids the week after. So I am basically attempting to run my way into a smaller dress size.  Here's hoping that plan works and I wake up on Monday week a size 8 (I know, my goals are totally realistic and achievable).

Only four more days until Weigh Day and I've a night out to get through so I should be able to run at least three more times between now and then! Aching pins willing...

In the meantime, if anyone has any tips on how to soothe my aching pins, ass and back please, please, let me know...

Have a good weekend x

My feelings the day after 'Soul Crusher' day

I woke up this morning with a bit more of a positive head on me. All I can say is thank God for Lent because if it wasn't for Lent I would have went on the most unholy of binges you have ever seen. I was so tempted to buy one of every type of crisp, chocolate and fizzy jelly and sit on my bed and just keep going till I exploded. But, as I said, I have my Lenten Sacrifice to be thinking of, so no major damage done. And in hind sight, Himself would have been quite annoyed at the mess my exploded guts would have made.

Another reason for the positive little head on me is because after the disaster that was my weigh in, I had to go shopping for food for the week and I met a friend that I haven't seen in a number of weeks and she was more than complimentary about the weight I've lost. So that sort of helped. A lot. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but I am an ego-maniac. Compliments and flattery will literally get you everywhere with me. I can absolutely be won over by comments like 'you look amaaaaaaaaazing today' or 'wow, those jeans are to die for on you' and 'you've such lovely hair'. Another one that works is 'your nails have gotten so long and strong'. I have a fickle heart really.

Today is a new day. I've decided to approach this week and my food the way I do everything. With unyielding control and obsessive organisation.

I've filled out my tracker for the week. I have literally put everything I am allowed to eat on that tracker and by jaysus nothing else will go in my mouth. It's all planned and there in black and white to see. No more than 26 ProPoints a day. If that soul crusher doesn't bend to my will next Monday, there will be hell to pay!

You know the saying, hell hath no fury like a weight watcher scorned!!!

It's St. Patricks Weekend

Hurray for Saint Patrick's Weekend! Only in Ireland could a national day be a three day event involving booze, booze, chocolate and more booze! Yes. Tomorrow is the day that I can have a little break from my Lenten Sacrifice and indulge in a wee bit of chocolate / crisps / fizzy jellies. And I'm not going to lie, I am excited! I don't know what to have! Need to keep it in check though cause I don't won't himself coming back from a stag weekend to find his beloved in a chocolate induced coma on the sitting room floor surrounded by crunchie wrappers and the odd empty packet of haribo! I'm getting a sugar rush just thinking about it!

So in preparation for a booze soaked, chocolate filled celebratory weekend I went for a run last night. I was tired and emotional after a long day at work and a crappy oul drive home in traffic. The last thing I wanted to do was go trotting along the coast road from Malahide to Portmarnock. But I'm a peculiar one. I knew that himself was expecting me to say that I was too tired and I didn't want to go. So to prove him wrong, I went. And I did it. I ran there AND back.

I was in a heap. Couldn't catch my breath and thought I might actually puke. But I wouldn't stop, because the stubborn witch that I am wanted to prove to himself that I was able to do it. And I wouldn't mind, he was the one telling me that if I want to stop we can walk the rest! I'll show you, was my thinking. This is a piece of cake! I can do it - all the while willing the contents of my stomach to remain where they were!

When I got back to the car I thought my legs were going to go from under me and that I was about to pass out from too much oxygen getting to the brain because I was breathing so fast. And then, when we got back to the house! Oh Jesus, Mary and the  Carpenter! I couldn't get out of the car. My legs wouldn't go. I think that they were paralysed from pure fright! When they eventually started to move, trying to get them up the steps at the front of the house was like trying to lift a tonne of lead. There was no feeling in them at all. It took me nearly twenty minutes to get them back working properly!

All in all it was good preperation for the indulgent weekend that lies ahead! Now, if people could start sending chocolate my way it'd be greatly appreciated! All donations, large or small, will be excepted!

It's been a good week

It's weigh day tomorrow and I am hoping that all the goodness this week will pay off.  I tracked well, I exercised loads and am expecting losses galore - thank you very much!

I managed to do 7.3 hours of exercise this week. A combination of running, walking and Davina McCall's dvd's AND I went out for 9 holes of golf this morning which was amazing! I haven't played golf in over a year and I really don't know why! Himself was very good. Not only did he buy me new runners that are more suited to my running, he came out and played the 9 holes with me. Poor divil, he's a brilliant golfer and I, on the other hand, not so much! Needless to say there wasn't all that much a challenge for him. But I loved every second of it!

So next weeks plan?

I want to exercise a minimum of 45 minutes a day.
Track, track and more track.

Massive achievement achieved

Ok, so it's probably not the biggest achievement in the world as far as most people are concerned. In fact I am pretty sure that I am the only one that will regard this as a massive achievement - I don't care I am going to boast!

This morning I ran 4.7km in 55 mins!

When I began my deflation I couldn't run for 1.3 mins without wanting to vomit and collapse in a sweating panting heap!

Today I made it to 55 mins without vomiting or collapsing in a sweaty heap.. Well perhaps the latter is a lie I am currently flaked out on my sitting room floor, my cold sitting room floor gasping for breath and water! My legs have that jelly like feeling and I'm pretty sure I've burst a lung and heart valve, or at the very least a vein in my forehead!

A pretty picture I do not paint, but regardless for the first time in about three weeks I feel really good about myself!

Yay for running and goals!

Now for a fry!! Only kidding!