Rainy Friday

My morning has not got off to a good start! It’s 7.55 here and so far I have managed to sleep in, lucky I don’t work on a Friday, but my poor daughter just had 25 mins to get ready for school instead of her usual 40! Last night my hubby reminded me that I had said I’d agreed to go to a meeting with him this morning – I’d forgotten all about it 😦 , this means that I will miss my Friday gym session so I’ll have to improvise!

I have my dumb bells, gym ball and DVD at the ready and I’m just waiting for my neighbour to leave for work then I will be running up and down the stairs – there are some advantages to living in a 3 storey house! I got to thinking, most of us get a bit tetchy if we can’t make it to the gym but there are plenty of workout activities in our own homes, and on a day like today you won’t even get wet going 🙂

Let’s hope my day gets a bit better, we have no cable tv so hopefully that will be repaired this afternoon – although it has meant for the last 2 nights we’ve all actually stayed in the same room and have been chatting to each other!

Right there’s no putting it off, I’ve heard my neighbour leave her house so it’s time to get physical 🙂

Have a good weekend all x

New Year – New Start?

Well today was my monthly weigh in with a loss of one pound :-(, but as the nurse said I’m actually a whole lot lighter than this time last year and best of all I even lost weight over the Christmas / new year period – that in itself is a big personal achievement :-).

Don’t get me wrong I’m in no way saying I was an angel, my name is Fairymoe and I am a chocoholic – there I’ve said it! I did indulge, no doubt about that, but set limits and decided that if chocolate was on the menu then there was definitely no room for crisps or cake.

Finally all the “goodies” have gone and I’ve got my lazy butt off of the sofa and got myself back to the gym again, it’s so easy to fall off of the gym wagon – especially in winter. I’ve seen my favourite instructor, got a new programme and a nice new smaller sized gym top too 🙂

Big thanks once again to my family and friends (well most of them) who remain a constant source of motivation (and butt kicking when required), I couldn’t have got this far without you!

6 months till my birthday so I would love to be down at least another stone by then, I’m not setting long term targets as mini ones appear much more achievable. I promise to blog on a more regular basis, and read your blogs as they are too great motivational tools – thank you all.

XXX

Goodbye 2012!

Well it’s been a few weeks since I last posted but that’s due to me being away at a conference for nearly week but mainly because of the pre-Christmas preparations and festivities 🙂

Anyway, I had a great Christmas with not too much over indulging, I even went for my December weigh in on the 27th, with wait for it………. a half pound loss!! Of course that doesn’t take into account any weight lost and put on again during the last 4 weeks but Ill take it!

The fridge is nearly empty and “normal” shopping will be resumed at the end of the week as I go back to work on the 3rd. I have a gym session booked for the 2nd, as i mean to start the new year as i intend to go on. ive ended the year 2 and a half stone lighter, with lower cholesterol and normal blood pressure and sugar levels.

Heres to an even lighter and healthier 2013 for all of you and your families.

Mo xxx

November Weigh In

Yes, obviously I’ve had my November weigh in on 29th which didn’t go quite as well as I’d expected as I’d only lost 1lb  but  ……….I’ve lost 4cm from my waist since 5th October so I’ll take that!!  🙂

My new nurse is lovely but she did offer me a Xenical prescription, having been down that road many years ago I declined and said that I’d rather do this unaided by medication – she was in agreement but wasn’t sure if I’d been offered it previously.   I know that the side effects, I won’t go into details but many of you will know what they are, act as a deterrent on their own but I said I was good.

I did tell her that I had some concern regarding my progress during the next 4 weeks, not only is Christmas looming next week I will be away at a conference for 3 days – all meals included 😦 .  She gave me a great bit of advice “every time you go to pick something from the buffet ask yourself – would I eat that at home?”   It’s not rocket science but she’s right, why should I throw caution to the wind just because I’m away from home?   My excellent boss is well aware of my efforts so I have given her permission to reign me in if she thinks I’m getting out of control (food wise) whilst we are away, she has promised me faithfully that she will!

The nurse also came out with an excellent (I didn’t think so at the time, but it’s grown on me) suggestion – to have my December weigh in on 27th December straight after Christmas.  The thinking behind this is that I won’t spend another week either dreading my visit or thinking that as I will have surely put weight on I might as well have another chocolate or 10!!!

Well that’s it for the moment, have a good week all x

Got my mojo back!

The downside to being weighed every 4 weeks is that it is very tempting to have a bit of a “blow out” on week 1 whilst knowing that there will be 3 weeks to repair any damage and lose some more.  I’m fessing up, I am guilty of this 😦    2 days after my last weigh in we had great friends over and a Chinese take away was ordered, although I was very good (chicken & mushrooms with boiled rice) I am afraid to say that I may have ( read definitely) over indulged in the alcohol department.   Pay back was how I felt the following day and what showed on the scales 2 days later!!!!!

The pre blogging committed me would have done the “oh well I’ve blown it now so I might as well have some chocolate”, but I didn’t – I own up for feeling mighty sorry for myself but got my act together for week 2.  Unfortunately during week 2 my neck and back were playing up, I have a bit of osteoarthritis, so no gym trips that week.  Before I knew it I was into week 3, luckily feeling much better but just avoiding weights I was back to the gym last Friday and Saturday.  I felt great and really enjoyed the workouts, I had actually missed them!

Anyway, I jumped on the scales this morning and I am back to where I was at my last weigh in :-), now my next weigh in is booked on 29th November so I know that I have time to lose something.   Now I don’t stress about how much comes off, as long as something comes off and nothing goes on, especially at this time of year when we’re already thinking about Christmas!

I must give thanks to my family, they have been so supportive and when I have “lapsed” no lectures have been given.  My lovely hubby and daughter do the weekly shop whilst I am at work so some temptation is removed for me as I rarely venture into supermarkets these days, if I do I go to the small ones where there’s less choice!

Well that’s my confession off of my, not as ample as it used to be, chest – here’s to a good week 3 🙂

 

Free bananas!!!

Ok, so I’ve lost some weight and must confess to glamming up a bit more for work but I’m still nowhere near being a supermodel! Anyway, last night I was telling my hubby how I got a free banana yesterday morning, I have my cereal very early (05:50) so I usually have some wholemeal toast and a coffee in little cafe near my office. Yesterday I went to pay as usual and decided at the last-minute to buy a banana, as the guy was giving me my change I told him to take for the banana but he said not to worry have it on him. Very nice I thought, and then I thought again – I’ve been using that cafe for 7 years and have never so much as been offered a free wafer before!

Today I returned to the cafe, I don’t order I just sit down and they bring me my toast and coffee – yes I am that boring having the same order for 7 years!! I pick up a banana (yesterday’s was very nice and made a good afternoon snack) before I get to the till and have the money ready in my hand, I get to the till and am told “don’t worry about that”, so I think he’s talking about the banana and say “I still need to pay for the coffee and toast” and again he says “don’t worry about it, have a good day”. Now I’m starting to think he’s got me mixed up with someone else and they are missing out on their free bananas 🙂 What else can I say but “thanks a lot, see you next week” (I don’t work Fridays)

As much as I am enjoying my free bananas, toast and coffee it has hit home how people (fat people) are stereotyped and seen by others. When I was bigger I spent the same amount in the cafe each week but maybe I was invisible (that’s a laugh). It may have happened to you, now when I go to the staff restaurant I am asked to join others at their table, someone asked me last week and I looked over my shoulder as I’m sure he hadn’t said more that “hello” or “morning” to me previously and women are saying that I look nice and where do I shop – I’m shopping in the same stores just buying smaller sizes! Does my changing appearance mean that people are treating me differently? I have definitely noticed more doors being held open instead of being let go in my face!!!!!!

Anyway, no matter what I will continue to accept any free bananas – every penny helps, but this has made me think about how I treat others as well. I’m going to try to make a real effort not to be so judgemental myself.

On that note I will leave you to ponder how others see you and vice versa.

Be strong one and all x

 

 

I survived a trip to TGIs

Yesterday we had a family day to mark the 2 year anniversary of my hubby’s major heart attack, which kept him off work for 19 months.  We felt that it was something that we should do, a sort of giving thanks for what might have been!   Anyway we decided to go to see the new James Bond film and follow that with a trip to TGIs, we love TGIs but always seem to have a bit of a gastronomic “blow out” when we go 😦   I made a decision, heeding my own advice of forward planning, not to have a starter but to have a main course of my choice and dessert – well I was just going to have to wing that one!   Luckily none of the family wanted a starter so no temptation there, I chose the Philly steak sandwich with sweet potato fries but…………… I couldn’t finish it!!!!   Amazing, you would never have heard those words 6 or even 3 months ago, I couldn’t physically eat as much as I had previously – hurrah 🙂 Well then came dessert, the family picked their choice of sundae or cheesecake but to be honest there wasn’t anything that I really wanted.  I ended up asking the waitress if I could have some vanilla ice cream (it wasn’t on the menu), no sauce or whipped cream and I was absolutely fine with that and enjoyed my dessert as much as the others enjoyed theirs.

The moral of the story is you can go to your favourite restaurants but you just need to make good choices, and ask if there’s something that you would like that isn’t on the menu but you’re sure that they can easily make for you.

Oh, and by the way the 500 ml bottle of water I drank in the cinema may have helped fill me up before I ate 🙂

Have a good week all x

November Weigh In

As my followers will be aware I only count my official monthly weigh ins by a nurse at my doctors, well this happened on 1st November and the numbers are in………3lbs lost so I’m now 15 stone 10lbs or 99.9 kilos!   Not loads but do you know what I don’t care, I’ve lost weight and haven’t put anything on since I started this journey in May 🙂  It was a bit of a sad weigh in as my nurse is leaving the practice and she won’t be there for my next appointment, after some hugs and words of encouragement (from both of us) we said our goodbyes.  She has warned me that she will nag me by proxy as I will now be weighed in by one of the other nurses who she will stay in touch with, so no slipping! 🙂

I’ve also been a lot more focussed at my gym sessions during the last month, still not feeling the love but upping the ante and sticking to my 3 times a week – it’s definitely paid off. I hate ab work with a vengeance, but at least I can do some now!

I’ve also learned to deal with “friends” who are not so supportive – for years I was the biggest out of the bunch but I’m not anymore.  Isn’t it funny how the “friends” who are bigger than me are the ones who say I should make sure that I’m eating enough or do I want another drink / cake etc.  Before I would have got very angry but I now see their ways as backhanded compliments and bore them to tears with my story of my weight loss 🙂 🙂

My tip for the week, if you’re going to be eating out and know where you’re going – choose what you are going to eat before you get there, don’t even look at the menu – no temptation then!

Well it’s Bonfire night here (it should be tomorrow but all the local displays are happening today) so I’m off to look at the lovely fireworks from the comfort of my kitchen – no  burgers or sausages for me 😦

Have a good weekend everyone x

Where has the week gone?

My official monthly weigh in day is 1st November, but probably like a lot of you out there I am too impatient to wait to see how I am doing and jump on and off the scales on a regular basis.  I don’t seem to have lost much, hardly anything if I’m honest, but I am changing shape and my top half has almost (it depends how baggy the top is) gone down another size.  The good thing is knowing this hasn’t stressed me out or sent me running to the nearest sweet shop to buy a choccie bar – the weight is still going down and I haven’t put anything on and more to the point I have been enjoying a good social life without going crazy with the calories.  I have never been much of a drinker, I’ll have a glass of wine with a meal or a drink with friends but I can take it or leave it – which is just as well because we all know that alcohol calories can be very high.  I’m not saying that everyone should cut the booze out completely but just factor it into your allowances, personally I would opt for a milky way bar every time 🙂

The new gym programme has been hard but I suppose it’s supposed to!  It’s funny, I don’t know that losing some weight has made a difference but I seem to be on smiling and nodding “hello” terms with more people in the gym – is it them or possibly me???  Anyway, it doesn’t matter, it makes my sessions much more pleasant and I enjoy trading “I hate using the ……….” stories in the changing room!

It’s the school half-term holiday here but I have only booked Thursday off, luckily my teen is old enough to occupy herself with homework and socializing for a couple of days.  I find going out shopping and stopping for lunch a toughie but luckily I have found a fab cafe near one of our favourite shopping centres that sells fantastic home-made soup – even my daughter has it when we go.  I try not to influence her eating habits too much as I don’t want her to count calories etc but she has always been a child who will eat when she’s hungry not just because it’s there.  Fortunately she’s at an age where she can see my struggles and can appreciate the effort involved trying to lose weight.  Oh to be a sporty teenager (I never was) and eat chocolate without looking at the calorie content label 🙂

Well time for some real work now, I’ll post my weigh in result on Thursday.

Have a good week everyone x

Sunday night catch up

It’s been a busy week at work and I was feeling a bit under the weather on Friday so I’ve missed blogging, and reading 😦  .   But….. even though I felt under the weather on Friday I was booked in for a gym review at 08:00 so I made a big effort and went, I must say that although I constantly blew my nose through my appointment apologising to the trainer all the way I was glad that I went.

Kev, the trainer, had explained to me some time ago that I should have my programme reviewed about every 6 weeks as my body would get used to the programme and I wouldn’t be performing at my best.  So having lost 2 stones he said that I was ready to take on more weights, do some ab work, push the treadmill speed and change the cycle programme.  Well at the end of the session I was grateful for the towel that I had taken and was a lovely shade of crimson 😦

Anyway, I went back to bed as soon as I got home and fell to sleep straight away – I had plans to go out in the evening so wanted to feel well enough to go.  Well 5 hours of sleep later I felt much later and enjoyed getting ready to go out for a meal – oh boy I was so glad that I did – just hearing “don’t you look well” and “how much weight have you lost” made me feel better than the 5 hours sleep.

I realise that you can go out with friends and have a great evening without going mad and ruining the diet, it’s a way of life not a life sentence!  I didn’t drink, well only sparkling water, and so what I still had a fab time it’s the company that makes the night out 🙂

I went back to the gym yesterday to work on the new programme and I can officially say – I HATE AB WORK!!!  I was ok with most of the programme, even with a crimson face, but ab work – grr!!!  I know that I need to do it but boy my abs are protesting like mad, Kev (the trainer) told me that things will settle down and to just take it easy to begin with.  Session 3 today, not as bad but still hate those abs, but I’ve decided that I’ll try to do an ab workout at home as well to see if that helps, fingers crossed.

Have a strong-willed week people, be careful out there x