Tag Archives: motivated

Ta Daaah!

Diet update, In the here & now, , ,

three

Today is a good day, in fact it has all the hallmarks of being one of my favourite days in the last seven and a half months. I’m occupying less space than I was this time last week, to the tune of three pounds 🙂 Three pounds of fat, according to geeks on the internet who know stuff, equates to roughly the size of a cantaloupe melon, and if you melted it all down it would fill three coffee cups. Who knew!

It feels all the sweeter, because I’ve sort of been treading water a bit for the last few weeks, as well you know because it’s all played out right under your watchful gaze. I had a great weight loss in the few weeks after Christmas but then it kind of went a bit wonky. I put a pound on, then it stuck for a couple more weeks, then I shook off that extra pound and geared up for a go-for-it week which ended up dragging its heels and crimping off half of one pound which didn’t exactly invoke my happy dance. My head needed a good loss this week more than my arse did, to be fair.

It makes the hard work worth it, especially days like yesterday, where the Asshole voice gave me hell pretty much all day. I just kept thinking about how determined I felt last week after my measly half a pound loss, and what I wrote down this time last week…I’m going for a 100% clean eating week with exercise every day and I’m going to resist any asshole suggestions that don’t support the cause. It worked, even in the face of moussaka-gate, and I feel epic.

So, the other thing that happened this week was a little bit of self-encouragement. Oh, is that what we’re calling it these days, huh? *Ahem* 

Yes, whatever, there’s a new addition to my handbag collection, come on I’ve been beyond restrained over the last few months. She’s an elephant grey cross body chain-around messenger bag, and I’m very giddy. Pre-loved of course, I can’t afford champagne prices on my prosecco income, but like most of my carefully chosen collection, you wouldn’t know…she’s been very well looked after. I have the same one in black, and she’ll fit in beautifully.

And, I went back to Marks and Sparks, and bought the shirt! Just my luck, they had sold out of my size so I had two choices…order one in, or buy it in the next size down…yep, I bought the size 20 because whilst I’m not quite there, I will be soon. I could wear it, over a tee-shirt you know, unfastened? I won’t though. It’s hanging on the outside of my wardrobe so I can admire it’s rich turquoisy green every time I look over, and I shall try it on weekly until it fits properly.

That was a milestone purchase you know? I bought it because I loved it, not because it would fit. And it’s from a non fat-girl collection, which officially makes me normal. I had a moment, in the shop which was almost emotional…it meant a lot. It’s another thing that I can now do, which seven months ago would have felt so far out of reach I wouldn’t have even allowed myself to hope.

So I’m hoping you’ve all had a great week too, and that you’re doing a happy dance of your own. Here, the sun’s shining, and Charlie dog is waiting by the front door…in his clumsy doggy hint-dropping fashion he’s making it clear that all this dancing and grinning and writing is all very well but it’s not getting him outside. It’s not getting me out either so it’s time to skedaddle.

Lots of love to all, and thanks as always for your awesome company…your thoughts and notes and support and encouragement make a difference every single day 🙂

 

 

Like it..? Tell your friends!
 

Stone Cold Easter Egg Sober

In the here & now, ,

easter

Happy Easter one and all…I hope you have a wonderful day whatever you’re up to. Me, I have nothing special planned, other than today being the day that I’ll get my fat wardrobe loaded on eBay, as well as walking with Charlie dog and playing host to my mum who will be with us later.

I think it’s only the second time in my life where I haven’t eaten chocolate for breakfast on Easter Sunday. I almost feel like I’m breaking the law. I must admit I had a quick two minute sulk before I emerged from under the duvet this morning at how unfair it all was that more than likely everyone in my neighbourhood except me would be in a sugar-induced coma at that very moment, but then I looked across my bedroom at the mountain of fat clothes which are too big for me to wear now, and I got over myself pretty quickly. See? If I’d moved that pile of stuff when I should have, it wouldn’t have been there to sweeten my mood today.

On our walk yesterday, my thoughts turned to the shopping I needed to do afterwards, and I couldn’t help wondering exactly how many Easter eggs I was going to get mugged by as I walked around the supermarket. Not to mention the fact that currently cheese balls are on offer two for one. It all made me feel a bit under attack, you know like a double-whammy of temptation.

I kicked that one around for ages, before deciding to simply go to a different shop. I’ve already ‘fessed up about my momentary weakness this week with the cheese and pickle sandwich, and fries so I’m not in the mood for flirting with the danger zone. Bargain and cheese balls have proven to be a killer combo in the past and I wasn’t going anywhere near it.

Seriously, earlier this week when I was in there I must have walked past and eyed them up at least half a dozen times, arguing with the Asshole voice the whole time. Thankfully yesterday’s diversionary tactics paid dividends and I came home without either, having treated myself to a pack of the biggest fattest cherries you’ve ever seen.

I did make myself a sweet treat for breakfast this morning though, have any of you tried the skinny banana muffins from the video on my foodie stuff page? I’m not gonna lie, you will have tasted better muffins. But if you steer clear of the butter and icing sugar – neither are needed -they hardly cost any smart points, and they are sweet. To be fair, once you’ve sampled a few batches and gotten over the texture (which is distinctly un-muffinlike) they’re not half bad.

Anyway…for those of you who accepted the three-pound-challenge challenge last Sunday, I hope you did better than me 🙁 Half a poxy pound gone this week…I’m slightly underwhelmed. Still, I started off the week with a bigger promise than I managed to deliver in the end, so I’ve written this week down to experience, and I am about to unfold a beautiful shiny new Weight Watchers week. How did y’all do?

Sod it, I’m having another crack at this. These are the reasons why this week I can do it. The clocks have gone forward overnight therefore I have an extra hour of daylight. That means when I get in from work, it’s not going to be dark and I can do my three mile walk with the dog. No excuses. I have no functions, catered days or days where my schedule is going to be anything other than in my complete control…it’s a golden week and I’m totally up for it.

Knowing you lot are cheerleading on the sidelines will spur me on…no cheese and pickle whoopsies this week m’lud, that’s a promise 🙂

Like it..? Tell your friends!
 

So Long…Farewell…Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!

Diet update, ,

bye

Please feel free to sing along, you know the tune! AT LAST I’ve kicked that unwelcome addition to the party going on in my pants out of town, along with one of his mates. Result! Two pounds gone forever and I’m back in the game 🙂

Not that I left the game really, not even a little bit. Which…well, let’s put it this way, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times in the past an unexpected gain or a plateau that lasted more than ten minutes resulted in me thinking fuck it this isn’t working so what’s the point.

So that in itself feels like a big step forward for me, you know? I came up against it and I didn’t throw the towel in, or let the asshole scatter those seeds of doubt to the four corners of my head which, in the past have usually taken root and turned into a big fat I’m useless train of thought. Sure, I ranted and raved, then when I’d got over myself I took a closer look at everything I was doing. When I realised I could do it better I started trying harder, and look what happened…the moment passed, and I’m back on track.

So, I’ve set myself a challenge, right? I want three pounds off this week. I’ve got some ground to make up, and instead of beating myself up for having stalled and set my schedule back, I’m not going anywhere near those negative thoughts. Instead, I’m putting on a burst of speed. That’s different.

It’s going to be an extra challenge because I’m away with work overnight on Monday, and I’ll be home really late on Tuesday having spent the day at a conference where I’ll have no control over the catering, but you know what? Bring it on. Looking for reasons I can’t do something instead of finding a way that I can is how I ended up in this mess in the first place, and those days are history.

Going at this in a supercharged way all the time isn’t sustainable given that I’m in it for the long game and probably a whole year away from my goal weight. But if interval training can work in exercise, as in jog-jog-jog-sprint-jog, then I reckon it might just work where my food plan is concerned too. What do you think? I’m going to use my daily food budget, but any additional points I earn from exercise this week, together with my extra weekly points allowance can stay right there on the shelf.

So, who’s up for it? Come on, let’s do it together and chuck some posse power behind it…maybe we can all check-in next weekend and see what we’ve pulled out of the bag.

You know, it’s pretty amazing how your spirits can be lifted by seeing the result you’re hoping for. Today I feel on top of the world, like nothing can get in the way of me, and my goals.

So you know what? Nothing will 🙂

 

Like it..? Tell your friends!
 

Buns Of Steel

In the here & now, , , ,

buns

So the coffin-sized cardboard box which got delivered at the weekend amid much excitement is no longer posing as a one-box-obstacle-course in my kitchen thanks to my friend and knight in shining armour, who popped in to work his magic last night after work. Under my close supervision – I was in charge of removing plastic wrapping and polystyrene – he effortlessly assembled the gleaming beast of a cross-trainer which is now firmly in-situ, plugged in and ready to make me hurt.

After he’d left last night I spent a bit of time reading the instructions, you know so I can get the most out of my workouts…okay lets be honest, to make sure I understand how to put it on the easiest setting 🙂 Hey, I need to ease myself in gently, right? I was more than a little bit alarmed to note their disclaimer that ‘too much exercise could injure your body or can cause dead’. Best go a bit steady then chaps.

I did a quick few steps on it last night, not in a serious workout kind of way…I was wearing my slippers at the time, and having moved it around the bedroom with the help of my boy into several different spots until I was happy with the feng shui (otherwise known as making sure it didn’t obscure the view of the TV from my bed) I felt like I’d spent two hours in the gym already, damn thing weighs a ton.

But I went to sleep with much anticipation of waking up this morning, leaping out of bed and pulling on my gear so I could crack on with an invigorating hour of exercise to set me up for the day. I’ve bought new trainers and everything, which even match the colour of the frame on this thing. I’m telling you, woman and machine in perfect symmetry, how on earth could it result in anything other than poetry in motion?

So, this morning then…well. My new trainers fitted. Sadly the same can’t be said for my exercise gear, which to be fair hasn’t seen the light of day since God was a lad. I mean I know lycra is stretchy but it’s apparently not quite that stretchy. Naked it is then. Well, naked with new trainers. It’s ok, the shutters were closed and there was only me and the dog, who was watching me quizzically from a safe distance…come on, you can’t blame him…he still remembers the power plate.

After two false starts, when I couldn’t seem to get it on the easiest setting only to discover that it was already on the easiest setting, the penny started to drop that this might not be quite the walk in the park that I’d imagined. I altered the timer to ten minutes from the hour that I’d brazenly keyed in to start with, and off I went.

One minute in and we’re doing okay…feeling it a bit in the legs but it’s all good. Two minutes in I’ve noticed that if I look up I can see my reflection in the TV which is directly in front of me…let’s not dwell on that other than to say I need some new exercise duds, to avoid any mental scarring which might result from being exposed to this image ever again.

Three minutes in and I’m starting to hurt. The asshole in my mind has sprung into action and he’s busy telling me that I’ve done enough…don’t overdo it on your first attempt, you must have burned off two thousand calories by now, so why don’t you go downstairs and make bacon, you’ve earned it! Four minutes in and I’m seriously starting to think that this might actually result in dead.

I made it to five minutes. And then I made it to the bed, and laid there for a bit wondering what just happened. Eventually I made it downstairs to the kitchen, on legs made of rubber, and as I sit here typing this I can’t help looking across at the fruit bowl, and wondering just how many grapes I could eat with the seven fucking calories I just burned. SEVEN!!! I could have earned more picking my nose.

Now, my promise to you is that I will complete that other five minutes at some point today. I’m going to take the dog out for a good walk in a minute, and isn’t that going to be an interesting experience on rubber legs. I haven’t quit…I’ve just paused. And I’m starting to think that perhaps I won’t have buns of steel by Friday. But no quitters here 🙂

Like it..? Tell your friends!
 

And We’re Off!

In the here & now, , ,

aaargh

So, on the day when voting opened for the UK Blog Awards, I’d love to be able to report back and say that everything’s gone swimmingly, but come on, this is my life! Of course things haven’t gone without a hitch, in fact if ever a day was designed to send me over the edge and rocketing head first into the hob-nobs, yesterday would be it. Just…AAARGH!!!

Have you ever asked yourself the question why is nothing ever easy? Let me tell you that at quarter past midnight last night I was deep in email exchange with Gemma, the very patient Managing Director of the UK Blog Awards, who I’m sure is already regretting the day she ever heard of my blog, and is almost certainly wondering why I’m not accompanied at all times by a responsible adult.

Not only had I managed to enter our blog into the wrong category, I’d managed to lock myself out of my UKBA account too whilst I was in the process of trying to put it right. And after consultation with the posse over the last couple of days, I was ready to call out the two most voted-for posts – Part Woman, Part Ostrich, and What Would You Keep – but the ‘place holder’ ones that I dropped in when I filled out the entry were refusing to budge! Not that they’re bad ones, just not the ones we all picked. So that took a bit of faffing around with too…I’m knackered!

However, that said…voting is now OPEN!! It’s all very exciting…everyone is allowed to vote once per day. I’ve already cast mine, and I know a few of you have too, so we’re officially off the starting blocks! I did think about setting up an email account for the dog so he could join in the fun and we could bag a few extra votes but my sense of fair play prevailed and rallied against it, dammit. However, you can cast your vote HERE 🙂  And if you think your friends and family might like to join in too, well even better! It’s the top option in the drop down voting box, which casts a vote in both of the sections we are nominated in.

The reality is, I’m going to be rubbish at this campaigning malarkey…it’s already grating against every good nerve in my body that I’m asking for votes. I can feel my palms getting sweaty, and I sense the asshole in my mind limbering up to place a few choice words…yeah go on, ask again…you’re guaranteed to piss everybody off if you keep banging on about it…people will stop reading, they’ll switch off in droves…get over yourself. 

Is that a fat thing, or a me thing do you think? I suspect a bit of both…if you cast your mind back, in the ‘Police, Fire, Ambulance, Me’ post I talked about how I rarely ask for help, and this is sort of the same thing, right? Asking for stuff from other people is just something I struggle with, big time, so I suspect our campaign might be a bit more low key than some.

I’ve got to tell you, it was a very strange feeling seeing our blog up there, pitted against dozens of amazing entries…that’s the moment I’ve been waiting for you know? And the feeling didn’t disappoint, it feels awesome. Look what we did! When I started writing the blog, it was for the sole purpose of keeping myself accountable. 90,000 words later, I could never have imagined it would develop into what it’s become. You lot are awesome, do I tell you that enough?

So anyway, let me put my excitement about the blog awards to one side for a moment, guess what else turned up this weekend…yes, my cross-trainer. What I wasn’t expecting when I opened the box was for it to come in four thousand different pieces. I thought the hardest part would be actually getting fit, I didn’t realise I’d need a PHD in knobs to put the damn thing together before I could rustle up a single bead of sweat, I mean come on.

One look at the instructions and I could practically taste those hob-nobs. Fortunately a knight in shining armour offered his services, so he’s coming over to assemble it for me tonight. By the skin of my teeth, no hob-nobs were consumed in the meltdown which followed the opening of the big box, and now help is on the horizon the urge to eat has melted away.

All told, it was quite a stressful day…the kind of day where six months ago I would have eaten my own bodyweight in chocolate. Instead of which, last night I went to bed with a couple of points left unspent.

How about them apples!

 

Like it..? Tell your friends!