T Minus 14 Days

Oh Holy Moly... There are only 14 days to go.  As I type this I am squeaking.  It's embarrassing.  Every time I think of the wedding, I get over excited and squeak. I want to jump up and down and squeak away to my hearts content.  Which is great! Once I am in the privacy of my own home.  But if, for example, I am sitting in the office working away quietly and then a wedding thought pops into my head, well, it can get a bit awkward!

Himself is back from his stag.  It was a three day affair (longer than the planned wedding celebrations I'd like to point out) and I think they sort of broke him.  Not physically. But possibly emotionally.  He hasn't been right since he came home.  He's a shell of a man! Three days of drinking has taken it out of him, although surprisingly, as we have gotten closer to the week anniversary of the "Best Weekend of his Life" he has started to wish he could do it all again.  There's rumblings of repeating the weekend next St Patrick's weekend. As long as there's no Mankini, I think it would be fine!  Yes, Mankini. A Mans Bikini. It's not a pretty sight. I don't recommend you even google it. But they put him in a Mankini.  I saw a picture, full frontal of course, and the image is forever ingrained on my memory. It's not a happy memory....

Lets not think of such dreadful things!!

While himself was off having the best weekend of his life, I was also having a pretty damn good time.  My wonderful friend Bianca and her beautiful Mum Allison came ALL the way from Australia to celebrate our national holiday with me.  Well, to be fair, it wasn't just for that, they are also seeing a little bit of Europe for a couple of weeks, but I like to think that everything is all about me. At least for the next 14 days!  We drank and ate and danced and I showed off my lovely dress.  It was great fun. 

So as I am running out of weekends, it is full steam ahead for the next two weeks.  Mostly with meeting people for lunch, getting nails and eyebrows done and all sorts of lovely lady things! Isn't it wonderful?

Woohoo! We're nearly there!

Still in Recovery

My Hen party is over! Super sad face! I can't believe it went so quickly, and I'm still in recovery! I am not as able as I once was!

I did not stop smiling from 1245 on Friday the 1 March until... Well, I am still smiling actually!

On Friday my wonderful mum and little sister arrived and we had lunch with my grandmother and then came home to my house to get organised for my big night. My very talented make up artist (yes, mine! All mine and willing to share) came to do some tans and eye lashes - two things I have none of! And to sort out the caterpillars (or hitler moustaches if you speak to one of my bridesmaids) I call eyebrows.

We opened wine while we waited our turn and I made dinner.

It was lovely having my mum and sister meet with my bridesmaid and another of my closest friends and have them all getting on.

Then it was my turn to get my tan done! Oh Jesus I don't know what came over me! She had the tanning tent up and ready to go and told me to get stripped and hop in and she would just fix the gun and get started.

While she fiddled about with the tanning gun, I got stripped! And I mean it, I got stripped! The poor divil turned around to spray me and was left with the image of me with my back to her, arms out, legs akimbo and my big bare white arse mooning up at her in all it's glory!

As I said, I don't know what came over me! It's not like I've never had a spray tan before! And you know the worst bit? I didn't even notice till she started and I thought "something doesn't feel right". And then when I realised what I'd done, sure I couldn't tell her to stop and wait till I put my ninnies back on! So I let her continue while I tried not to shake with laughter!

Awkward is not the word!

But naked tanning aside it was a lovely start to my brilliant weekend!

My bridesmaids arrived laden down with bubbles and badges and veils and sashes! I was dickies up to the nines and have once again concluded that every outfit should have a veil!

The girls did a wonderful job! The venue was beautiful the food was amazing and the lady that taught us all to dance to Proud Mary was hilarious!

I am very grateful to my wonderful ladies and can't wait till we all get together again for the wedding!

A big thank you to all that came and helped me feel incredibly special!

A very special thank you to my almost 85 year old grandmother who also helped celebrate! I was very proud to have her there in all the hen gear and laughing and joking with everyone! Definitely a special moment to have a grandmother in a hen party tie listening to you answering some pretty darn embarrassing Mr and Mrs questions!!!

Here's me dickied up to the nines! And one of my nana with some of my beautiful aunts and my mum!

Here's to the next 27 days flying in!!!

What's my plan for the weekend you ask?

With only 35 days until the big day, you might well be wondering what my plan is for this weekend... It's a good plan. Its my Hen Weekend! OMFG I'm having a hen party! I'm so excited about it I keep wanting to do a little excited dance and squeal!

I don't really know what's happening for it.  I know that my mum and sister are travelling down to stay with me on Friday night.  One of my bridesmaids is also staying with us.  We are getting tans and other such girlie things done and I will be getting these caterpillars I call eyebrows groomed and HD'd to within an inch of their lives! I'll be loverly.

Then on Saturday we go into Dublin City Centre and check into a hotel and I wait to what happens.  It's not as hard as I thought it would be to be kept in the dark.  It's difficult, but not impossible.  Me being the control freak that I am, I thought I'd be foaming at the mouth and having panic attacks that I don't know anything but I'm actually surprisingly calm! Well, I say calm, but what I mean is "Rachel Calm"... I'd still like to accidentally stumble across all the details and know everything. But I am doing my best to keep my nose out of it and go with the "flow".  Going with the flow is a new concept to me.  Not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I'm giving it a bash!

My bridesmaids are amazing ladies and I know that whatever they've done for me is going to be great craic.  Sadly, one of my amazing ladies cannot make it back from the sand pit she calls home (abu dabi). Stupid sand pit. So we will have to celebrate without her, but thankfully she will make it back for the wedding. 

Excitement is building. I can't wait for it. My only issue is finding something to wear.  Once upon a time, when I had issues finding something to wear it was because most shops didnt' stock clothing to cover my cuddly frame.  Now, while there is still enough of me left to get a decent comfortable cuddle off, the problem I am having is that I don't like anything! The hunt continues this evening and if I don't find anything I could always throw on a wedding guna!!

There are only 35 days until the big day.  Can you believe it? I can't. 35 days. Just over a month.  There's 29 days until I finish work.  Basically my life is now broken down into countdowns.  Normally, I have one big countdown a year - Christmas.  Now, I've got four including Christmas. 

1. Finishing Work
2. Wedding Day
3. Honeymoon
4. Christmas

There's lots of little things to be sorted out. Like getting a chunk taken out of my engagement and wedding rings.  Pain in the ass right? But as I speak my engagement ring is swinging about my finger like a bangle, and when I put on wedding ring (for a practice, I need to get the tone of "I do" correct.  Cannot be too giggly or too sombre. Or at least that's what I tell himself. In actual fact I'm like a magpie. Anything shiny I'm on it like a car bonnet, so I keep taking a peek at it and doing my squeaky jig!)  This is wonderful news I know. It's the one thing I've been waiting for on my deflation quest - skinny bloody fingers.

I'm walking the ass of myself. I did 25k in 5 days last week and I'm getting my Jillian Michael's DVD on.  I'm moving up to week two this week and I'm pretty sure it's going to be AGONY!

So this is where we're at.  35 days to go, a finish work countdown and a hen party! It's busy business!!! I will update with news on hen party shenanigans!

Weight Loss Visuals - WARNING: Not good if your having your breakie!

Now listen kids.. This may not be a breakfast read!!! I was fluttering around on the Internet and stumbled across these pics and I thought, as inspiration, I would share them with you.

How many times have you hopped up on that scales at your weight loss class, gym, bathroom, friends bathroom and realised that you ONLY lost one pound or ONLY lost half a pound? And how many times have you been flippin ragin that you ONLY lost that amount?

Well my friends, feast your eyes on what loosing one pound in weight actually looks like.  Now, look it, it's not pretty - but you will think it's amazing!

Isn't that unreal and gross at the same time!

And, if you loose 5 pounds, this is what it looks like:

Imagine having to carry that around with you all day ? Isn't it mental?

So next time your feeling a bit crappy about ONLY loosing 1 pound or a half a pound, whip out these pics and take a good hard look and say "Well done me"! (and also, "Jesus that's disgusting"!)
 

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 !!!

 

 

 

 

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!
 

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

Only 17 Days to go

I am so excited! In 17 days I will be trotting up the aisle for one of my bestest friends in all the land and I cannot bloody wait.  Got my bridesmaid dress yesterday and I love it. Would really like to just wear it forever and ever. Hair trial is booked. Tan trial is occurring on Friday evening. My eyebrows currently look like two caterpillars walking across my face in order to meet one another because I am 'growing them out' for a threading. That should be fun (assuming I don't loose the nerve and pluck the be-jaysus outta these bad boys before then).

I am walking and running and even trotting up and down the stairs on a regular basis in order to look tanned, lean and toned for her big day. I will definitely look tanned, spanx will sort out the lean look - I guess two out of three isn't bad?!!

So two days back into the WW way of things. I have my googlie eyes stuck to my WW card giving me evils every time I try to eat something I shouldn't. But the good thing about the card is I can whack it in my wallet and just ignore it and carry on enjoying whatever I am eating that I shouldn't be... Ah no. In fairness I have been very good. Tracking like goodie-o and I even turned down a bar of Galaxy Bubbles that Himself bought me last night for a cuppa. I was going to eat it, but decided to leave it be. Incredibly proud of that! But then it is only day 2 of being back on the wagon...

So here's to saying No to sweeties and such for the next 17 days.... go team go!

Forbidden from Facebook, Wedding Gown Bliss and wonderful company

That there title pretty much sums up the bones of my very very long weekend - four days that have left me excluded, exhausted and exhilarated!

Ok so first up is the Forbidden From Facebook... I am 5 days into the FFF with 25 days to go. Himself maintains that I have an addiction to the social media site so I am challenged not to go on to the website, updated a status or like a photo for 30 days. The only thing I can do is post my blog because I don't actually go on to facebook in doing that. How am I getting on? Well, it's a challenge to break the habit, but not as hard as I thought. I thought it would be harder because I have constant access with my iPhone. I have deleted the app and it means I don't have such instant access but I have noticed that when I'm bored I flick about on my phone doing nothing, which is clearly the habit I have of going on to FB when I have a quiet second. I have also noticed that in my time off and away from FB, I have gotten a lot more done. Washing machine has been used twice and emptied (I'm a great one for putting on a wash and forgetting about it, Himself would tell you!), Dinners were cooked, breakfasts were made, conversations, like real, face-to-face conversations, were had and a bit of a book was read. Also it's saving me money. I swear to go my iPhone battery lasts so much longer!

Second up is the wonderful company.. I am going to be leaving the best bit till last!

I had a wonderful Friday night where by myself and H2B were invited for dinner in my Aunt's house with herself and her hubby. It was lovely food, fantastic laughs and too much wine! Totally enjoyed it and slept like a log after my 3.30am finish up! Then on Saturday night we headed off to celebrate a 21st with the In-Laws To Be (here-on-in referred to as IL2B until the big day of course). Great night had by all. Many Koronas were consumed and I danced the night away in my skyhigh heels and for the first time in a long time I didn't have to take them off because for once, my shoes were not forged in the fire of hell by Satan himself.

On Sunday my wonderful and loving and amazing mother came down to the big smoke from the hills of Donegal. Where the only traffic jams she ever meets are the ones caused by the sheep on the middle of the road. She came down because this weekend was wedding dress shopping weekend - which leads me nicely to....

Wedding dresses. Oh! Jesus Mary and the Carpenter was I taken by surprise. I did not expect to get so excited about wedding dresses, but I did. The excitement crept up and up and up until I literally could not hold it in and I was squealing with delight! A wonderful and  talented girl came to my home on Monday evening. She provides a Wedding Dress Party service where she comes to the house with her lovely designs and you try them on and stand staring at yourself in the mirror thinking your amazing and all your loved ones that you have invited over can look at you, drink wine and tell you your amazing... It was overload for my ego!!! She is http://www.wedding-dressparty.ie/

I was trying on dress after dress, each more lovely than the last, when it happened! As I clambered into the gown I started to get really really excited. When she was lacing me up, I was getting goosebumps. As she put the veil on  and pinned some bits and pieces down I was shaking! I never understood what people meant by "the one"! But man oh man I do now....

It's beautiful. It's got..... Can't tell you cause it's a surprise but I can tell you one thing. I am going to be one hell of a ridey princess on my wedding day and every time you see me after the 5 April 2013, every event I attend, every time you ask me to go for lunch/dinner/coffee/shopping/get out of bed I will be wearing that dress and veil. In fact, I am fairly sure that before you see me on the 5 April there's a large possibility I'll have a net curtain hanging from my hair bobbin.....

Where oh where is Rachel.... There she is

I have been so very bold. I haven't been updating my blog and I haven't been to a weight watchers class is three weeks. I am terrified of what the scales is going to tell me when I climb up on there with a knot the size of a basketball in my stomach - which I can hopefully blame for any weight gain!

I have been relatively ok. I did a good bit if exercising last week. Actually that motivation of mine paid a wee visit from Monday to about Wednesday and it resulted in awaking at 545 three mornings on the trot to squat, lunge and jog my way into the day! Also went for a wee jog and a walk so was feeling great.

On the flip side to this story of goodness, dedication and motivation I ate quite a few packs of Trebel crunch, had a boost, slice of carrot cake, Thai takeaway and a bottle and half of wine over the weekend. I didn't track and quite frankly, I could be blanking the vast majority of what i ate out of memory!!!

You would think that because my deadlines are getting closer I would be working harder! Alas, that is not the case! My foot is well and truly off the pedal and my finger is firmly placed on that bloody self destruct button I have mentioned in the past!

I'll be a bridesmaid in 8 weeks. I will be standing on an altar with three of most lovely sticks you ever laid eyes on! So you would think I'd be trying to run, lunge and squat my way into stickiness!

Then my deadline for dress shopping is upon me. It's this weekend. I'm not going to lie, I am very excited about it! But I haven't made enough effort and haven't achieved the goals that I wanted to by now! So I am a hit disappointed in myself.

Today I was going to go back to my WW class. I decided against going. 10% of that was fear of how bad things may be. 80% because I knew if I stayed at home i would be able to cook meals for the week and have lunch and dinner prepared and ready to go, no excuses for crap eating and not being able to exercise. And the final 10% because I wanted to go running and i wouldn't have been able to do all of those things going to the class.

I will go to my class this week at lunchtime.

So here's to regaining some momentum, putting the foot to the floor and making my ass boney in 8 weeks time!!!

In 365 days I'll be.....

In exactly 365 days I will be completely deflated and dancing my first ever dance as Mrs McCarthy... I am so excited. I didn't think that I would be this excited with a year to go. I literally have butterflies in my stomach and every now and then I want to just squeak with delight.. imagine the state of me when there's no days to go!!! I'll be utterly unbearble!!! And, rather improtantnly, I'll need to change the name of my blog to 'Diary of a Deflated Mrs!!'

I woke up this morning and I was just smiling. Hopefully the next 365 days fly by in a whirl of exercise, healthy foods and MASSIVE losses (of the lb kind). I want people to look at me and say, "Jesus your fading away on us".. ideally the word "waif" will be thrown around willie nilly! I am not looking for much. I know that deep inside me there is a size 6 just waiting to get out and show off her boney bones in a healthy and toned manner that makes others envious.

At my waif like size six, I will not stand like a spaced out Moran having an internal argument with myself every time someone offers me a chocolate / biscuit / cake. I will automatically say, "No thank you, I enjoy crudites and hummus". Exercise will not be something I have to bribe myself into doing. I will leap from my bed at 5am and go for a run exclaiming "I just can't start my day without a run. If I don't go running my day is a mess"...

Clearly, in my mind, should I ever reach a size six, I will have no personality and be boring as hell... but the word waif will be used... a lot so maybe it's worth it.......

I'm not being very good this week

It's official people. When my time comes I will be going to hell. I broke lent. I had done so well but then it all went terribly wrong and I had chocolate AND crisps. I have officially woken the Chocy-crisp beast that lives within me and now it's all I crave! Damn it!

It's been a bit of a mental and all over the place week. I think I may still be in recovery from the wedding celebrations at the weekend and also the sad passing of a really wonderful gent.

I have not been tracking the last couple of days and when I sat down this morning to fill in the tracker using hind sight, well, lets just say it didn't tell a happy story! My goodness did I do some eating!  That damn Chocy-crisp beast is going to be the death of me!

I haven't been out exercising at all this week. I really feel it, I'm not as cheerful or focused. Yesterday was the first bit of exercise that I have done since last Thursday. And to me it felt like a marathon! I was looking after my wonderful little nephew-in-law. He's 2. He's gorgeous (but I am incredibly biased) and he is, without a doubt, the funniest little person on the planet. You couldn't possibly be in bad form with him.  He can say loads of things like 'Oh Jesus' and 'Up-a-dasiy'. He also puts his hand up to his face and says 'Listen' so he can hear something. He's a tonic. Really lifts your spirits. How his mother and father have the energy for him I will never know. He literally does not stop moving while he's awake. He's always running and dancing and talking. So as he ran and danced and talked I was trotting after him. I honestly feel like it was a workout and a half. I had to have a little nap when I was off duty!

So this weekend is approaching and I am looking forward to it. Nothing to do but sit and relax and watch all the programmes I have missed out on, do a bit of running, maybe a bit of golfing and not have a drop of alcohol or enter into a pub or night club. I cannot wait!

All I have to do is figure out a way to silence that Chocy-crisp beast and I'll be laughing!

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 weigh day

Weigh Day is upon me once again. Yes I am aware that it was only Thursday the last time I got weighed. But I miss my usual weight watchers class and my wonderful leader so its back to the oul routine.

Oh my god what a weekend! Himself was away at a stag for the weekend, so I had planned a lovely girlie weekend of catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while. Going for a few drinks and even maybe a bite to eat. I had planned on cleaning the house, going to see my Grandmother and spending bank holiday Monday with my beautiful buns and their mam. (The buns are also known as Connor and Aaron, my little twins that I am godmother to)

It didn't quite work out that way.  Friday was to spent with an old friend. And it was lovely. We drank some wine and had a take away, which I haven't had in so long! It was nothing short of delightful. 

Disaster struck on Saturday morning. I was sick. Not just ill. I was so sick that I was pretty sure I had reached the end of my days. I thought that himself would come home from Blackpool a hungover mess to find me dead on the bathroom floor. I hadn't decided whether the getting sick or the pain would be the death of me. I spent the morning in a mental tug of war trying to decide whether to call a Doctor for medical help or a Priest to give me my last rites. So, I rang my Dad. While I am aware that he is neither a Doctor nor a Priest, when I am sick I always want my Dad. Yes, I do realise that I am nearly 30 years old and shouldn't be calling my Daddy when I'm in crisis, but what can you do. The poor man! There I am, sick as a small hospital ringing a man that is nearly 4 hours drive away from me! He didn't know what to do. I was crying, he was racking his brains as to who to call to come to my aid. He rang me nearly every hour on the hour to make sure that I was still alive! Nearly gave him a heart attack, and considering his past medical history, it could have been very likely!

Regardless. By about 3pm I stopped getting sick and passing out every time I drank a sup of water. And at 4pm I managed to hold down a slice of toast without the same happening. The pains in my stomach had abated and I was starting to feel normal once again. So I just went to bed and slept my little head off until 12pm the next day.

The things I learned on Saturday are:

1. Apparently, your never too old to need your Dad, even if it is just some comforting words down the phone as you do your best impression of the exorcist before loosing consciousness on the bathroom floor.
2. I hate being alone when I am sick and need constant reassurance that I will survive.
3. I am slightly dramatic and hysterical when ill
4. I have no hope, whatsoever, of surviving child birth. The pain I was in on Saturday resulted in a lot of the passing out. Apparently child birth is so painful there are no words so mothers just tell you that you 'forget the pain when you hold your child'. I am screwed.

On the plus side, all the up-chucking and lack of appetite for a good portion of the weekend should yield some happy results on the scales! Every cloud has a silver lining...

I'm sick.. Help!

This is not good. I do not have the time to be struck with a dose. And it's actually rather upsetting because I have spent the long months of winter parading about my healthy immune system and dishing out benign and smug advice to all the sicky-sickertons around me. Advising them to 'drink Vit C' or 'Fill up on Chicken soup it will make you better' or 'Have a hot Brandy' or 'take tomorrow off, go home now and when you get there take 3 Kalms sleeping tablets, 1 sudafed, 1 Nurofen Express Max Strength and a lemsip with a shot of whiskey and sleep for 24 hours'... Disclaimer: No guarantee this one will work and I cannot be held responsible for any side effects by taking this cold cocktail, such as not waking up etc. Then BAM! 1 February, when spring has sprung I get ill!

Alas, I am not in a position to take the cold cocktail owing to being too busy. I have got a massively busy weekend ahead of me i.e. attending my cousins wedding which I am so looking forward to. So below is my line of defence to give this flu the old one two and restore myself to the proud owner of a boastfully strong immune system

Failing all this, the power of the mind is a strong thing so perhaps a little mind over matter and powering through will work. One of my best friends has managed to look after her twin boys while really ill, surely to goodness I can manage a weekend of drinking, laughing, eating and dancing!

Come to think of it, what I need to get through when ill is a piece of cake in comparison to taking care of twin boys that walk talk and need constant attention. How she manages it is really beyond me! Maybe I should just suck it up....

Hurray for Marian Keyes

I received a wonderful email today from Marian Keyes' website informing me that her new newsletter was ready for reading.  I am a HUGE Marian Keyes fan.  I love everyone of her books from Watermelon right through to the Brightest Star in the Sky.  She is an amazing author. Her books are clever and funny and have just right amount of sentimentality and heart.  Her characters are brilliant.  I've never read books where I can't wait to find out more about the characters.  Her creation of the Walsh family and their stories has kept me entertained for many a year now.  They are books that I will happily read, again and again and again and again! So to hear that she is releasing another book about the final Walsh has me extremely excited! I can't wait to read it.

It's a happy Monday (to distract me from the fear of the scales)....

Nollaig na mBan Shona Dhuit (Happy Womens Christmas to you)

Today is Nollaig na mBan in Ireland. Also known as Little Christmas. I learned today that this day is the day when the women of Ireland hang up their aprons, down their cooking utensils, cleaning utensils and get together for a chin wag and a laugh and leave the chores to the men folk in their lives. It's an old tradition, apparently, and one that is dying out. Not in my house, I can tell you. No sir-ee! I shall be heading home and telling himself, 'Oi, cook for yourself, it's my Christmas!' and I will also say, You can do the cleaning, the washing and ironing, I'm not doing... oh wait. Hang on a sec. Now that I think of it, the only thing I actually do in the house is the cooking and maybe a little bit of washing up after the dinner. So, eh, perhaps I'll keep me gob shut and say nothing.

It has been quite a distressing Nollaig na mBan and I am rather looking forward to it being over! Apart from having a stressful day in work with a lot of demands being placed upon my weary shoulders. The day started off dreadfully. It was quite vexing if I am to be honest. .

My car wouldn't start.

Now I'm not sure if you are aware, but the morning time wouldn't be my favorite time of the day and lets just say I am less than approachable. I have my routine down to a T. Don't speak to me. Acknowledge me with only a nod if you must. Leave me be until I've had some breakfast, some tea and a chance to come into the morning. So needless to say, discovering that my car is banjaxed didn't endear me to this first Friday of the year.

Then, to make things worse, I took out my phone and went to dial the first number I always dial when something of this nature goes wrong (or actually when anything goes wrong really). I went to dial my Dad's number. Just as I was about to press dial, I remembered there was little point in calling that number. My Dad no longer lives 20 minutes away from me. He now lives a good 3 and half to 4 hours away in Donegal. His particular living arrangement was less than helpful to my situation. So I got annoyed with him. I decided to ring the house to give out to him for up-ing and leaving me four years ago to live in the back of beyond. I was going to ask him 'who do you think you are abandoning your first born and leaving her to fend for herself'? (In the more rational afternoon light I realise that it is quite difficult for a parent to abandon a 29 year old, them being an adult and all). Thankfully, he didn't answer and my text appeared somewhat humorous to him.

I shall ring to apologise later this evening.

Once I got over my anger, I got upset. It was only 815 and I was on an emotional rollarcoaster to rival that of any Disney Land attraction. I wanted to cry because who else could I phone? My dad was the one that would have come over and picked me up, dropped me to work, fixed the car and picked me up from work (realising, again, in the cold light of the afternoon that this is rather spoiled!). So eventually I realised that I have got Himself in my life and he is now solely responsible for emergencies such as these (providing of course my Dad isn't in the vicinity), so I rang him instead. And he gave me instruction on what to do.

Call Himself's Uncle who is a mechanic and who, much to my eternal appreciation, came up to the house right away and sorted it all out for me.

Himself also organised for me to have a lift into work so that I wouldn't need to deal with public transport and the weirdos that seek me out on it first thing in the morning.

Essentially, I was saved and Himself and his uncle are my hero's (when my dad is not around, when my dad is around no one can be a hero but him).

So, what has this got to do with weight loss? i hear you ask. Well my little friends. This is the type of debacle that, I am ashamed to say, would normally set me over the edge into a pity party and eating frenzy (I swear, that's how important my morning routine is to me!). But today! Well today it didn't have that effect.

I had planned to sit waiting for my lift to work while polishing off the remainder of the Roses (even the orange and pink ones that no one likes). I nearly had the tin out. But i stopped. I thought about how I'd feel when i scoffed the lot. I asked would it change the shite start to the morning? The answer was NO! It wouldn't change a thing except that I'd feel even more shite for blowing my points!

That to me is progress... Remember the epic fall from the wagon I had two weeks before Christmas?!!!

Nollaig na mBan Shona Dhuit agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit

Retraction with regard to the sushi ProPoints

Apologies, I must amend a miscalculation!

The California Roll is 5 ProPoints
The Salmon and Avocado is 5 ProPoints

The total amended ProPoints for my lunch today was 28 ProPoints, not 31ProPoints.

~ But I still could have had a big mac and chips with 6 points to spare for Jelly Beans...

Sushi - Should have had the Big Mac!

I just finished a delicious lunch of sushi. It contained:

2 Salmon Nigri (1 PP)
1 Tuna Nigri (1PP)
2 Prawn Nigri (2PP)
2 California Roll (7)
2 Avocado Roll (5)

I made a HUGE mistake of not checking my ProPoints before eating. Your never going to guess how many ProPoints (according to http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=51031&sc=3030)

31 ProPoints!

I can't believe it. Again, I realise that this is my own fault and my own doing for not checking the PP before eating. But bloody hell! I thought Sushi was a healthy option! I don't think there's 31 points in a ham and cheese toastie!

I checked the Eating out guide. I could have eaten a Big Mac, Chips and a Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry for 31PP!!!

I feel so cheated!

Guess it'll be zero point soup for my dinner tonight kids!