Weigh in & possible problems

Goodbye another 1.5lbs of lard.

I was worried about my 'scale time' this morning. The weekend had a fair few naughties and booze in it but I did feel a difference in some of my clothes and so on I jumped to the sodding things hoping for a loss but not too sure what the hell was going to go down - but willing it to be the number.

13 stone 1lb. That's a solid 1.5 off. Pheeeeeewoooooo. It is my 'big loss' week though and I think if I had been more careful at the weekend then it would have been more. But I wasn't. And it isn't. Over the weeks my average loss is 1.3lbs a week and considering I was on holiday for a week of that I'm pretty happy with the whole darn shooting match. Sorry, just went a bit southern American there.

I'm edging ever closer to that hallowed 12 stone bracket (softly, softly catchy monkey) and all I need is 1.25lbs off  and I'll be there! Can I do it next week though? Now, there's a question. I'd bloody love to but I'm not sure it can be done. Apart from the fact I ate a choccie biscuit today (whoops) there are a few things coming up that are throwing me off course; and I need my course!

On Saturday I'm taking my best friend from school out for afternoon tea. I couldn't get booked up in time so I'm going to cobble it together myself and take it to hers. This will involve cakes (bought) and sandwiches (made). The plan is to have a very light brekkie and that's my lunch for the day. Quite a lunch, mind you.

Saturday night I'm going to a barbeque at which I am planning to get totally shit faced. I will be sticking to spirits and diet mixers (a lot of them) as for the food? It doesn't worry me too much. I've suggested to my friend (who's barbeque it is) that I bring a big salad with me. Easy - grilled meat and salad for dinner. No picking at crisps. I know what a crisp tastes like. I don't need to eat another one to make sure I know. What will be a challenge is the tablet. You know what tablet is, right? Oh dear god, it's like crack.

Sugar, condensed milk and butter all boiled up, set and then cut into chunks. As a sugar addict this stuff sends me round the bend and into a sugar induced frenzy akin to the best orgasm of my life (Bremen, October 2010). My barbeque friend makes the best tablet I have ever tasted and believe me, I have tasted A LOT. There is no way I cannot not have a piece. Hmmmm - A piece. Singular. Not too sure what my tactic is at this stage for keeping sane about it. I'll need to have a think about that one. Tips and tricks most welcome!

The next problem is Monday and Tuesday. TB (got some interesting posts from the weekend about the next step for us - it's not happening by the way, but I have some updates and  I also met his Grandparents which I thought went terribly - not the Love Cat way.) is away camping with the voluntary organisation we help at, for a week. I am going to help out from Monday lunchtime until Wednesday breakfast time. Yes, I know - Wednesday is weigh in! I know! This means I have to get through the best part of two days without a workout, not in control of my food, faced with cooked breakfasts (even though I rebuked them last time, Peridot) and weighing in a day later. There is a lot to think about and a lot of mental strategy to be considered if I am even going to be in with a shout of losing any weight next week, never mind 1.25lbs.

Starting Weight: 204.25 pounds
Current Weight: 183 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 1.5 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 21.25 pounds

A sweaty list

I can only stay away from blogging about all things diet and exercise for so long... Here I am, back with my exercise run down ahead of tomorrow's weigh in which, quite frankly, I am dreading and do not hold out much hope for.

I will say that the black dress on Friday night went down a storm. I got a small fright when I was dressed and saw myself in a full length mirror. My legs are the best they have ever looked and I was genuinely surprised. Coming from someone who has always hated her legs and has suffered from the worst cankles known to man you have no idea how good it feels to see some definition. My jeans, you know - the jeans, the go to pair (we all have em), are feeling pretty saggy and so you never know what the scales will say tomorrow. After all, it is my 'good week'.  Okay, enough blethering.

Wednesday: circuits
Thursday: Gym workout (35min cardio mixed with lunges, weights, squats etc.)
Friday: Gym workout (similar to Thursday but mixed it up with different cardio and resistance work)
Saturday/Sunday/Monday: Nada
Tuesday: 2.2mile bike ride, spinning, 10 mins cardio after


I'd just like to point out the spin class routine has changed. I thought I was going to DIE.

Oh hi... reality

I'm feeling totally out of sorts. Forget the diet and the crap that goes along with it, I'd kinda forgotten about life and everything else that goes on outside self absorption, and now it's jumped up and bitten me in the arse.

I've mentioned before that I'm self employed. It's a fantastic lifestyle if you can get it right. You call the shots. You have to work hard to deliver? No problem, you are the one making the money at the end of it all - and the one that has made the decisions that have got you here. Over the past year I've been getting it right. I had a really busy time over Christmas and into the early part of this year. I was fine about that though - I knew May and June were going to be a bit quieter and I'd get a chance to faff about a bit. May and June have been and are almost gone. And faff I did. Boy did I faff. I've fannied about and not done much at all. I've visited TB loads but I never really want to be too far away from my computer, as I am working throughout the day - just not at a very intensive rate.

The truth is that while it's been great to have some time I've not been as nearly as productive as I could have been. Yes, it's given me a chance to really focus my thoughts on keeping the diet going (although let's not talk about the weekend that just was) I'm annoyed with myself for not achieving more. It's the stupid things that I can't seem to motivate myself to do. I've been promising myself for weeks that I'd clean the floors yet they remain littered with the debris of weekends gone by. Untidy, never mind cleaned.

Sorry, I'm digressing here a bit. What I'm about to reveal is that two very large projects which were about to kick off in July and August and take me right through until 2012 are now no longer. They no longer exist. A massive chunk (around 50%) of my income has disappeared. In less than a week I have gone from possibly too much work to not nearly enough and my hand is hovering dangerously over the panic button.

I need to get work in and I need to get work in fast. So not only do I need to identify possible new clients I also need to make contact and convince them they want to part with their cash for me. I am not exactly brimming with enthusiasm about this.

The thought of working for someone else fills me with dread. I know so many people do it day in, day out and they cope. I've been there done that and I told them to shove their t-shirt up their arse. Now that I know what it's like to be the boss, my boss, I couldn't go back. And not to mention the impact that would have on TB and I. The flexibility in my job has allowed our relationship to become what it is. If I worked for someone else I'd be getting the train to see him at 6pm on a Friday and leaving at 8pm on a Sunday - and paying a sodding fortune for the pleasure. Okay, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. I need to calm down. I am panicking.

I think the lack of productivity over the past month or so is most definitely not helping. A couple of days of dedicated work, no messing about on the net, no writing blogs, no watching the biggest loser, no procrastinating is what's needed. I've been here before, I'll get myself out of it again.

Weigh in & trying on

Precursor - I wrote this yesterday but blogger was being a twat and wouldn't let me upload pics.

I think I could have knocked out 10 miles everyday last week and eaten nothing but lettuce leaves and I would still only have lost half a pound.

Yup, it's my low loss week and I lost half a pound. I'm a bit miffed as I really did try and buck the trend this week and thought I had done enough. I'm not sweating it though (will save that for circuits later) as my body seems to be in a pattern and if I get a 2lbs loss next week then I'll be more than happy. I can't get complacent though as I still need to work hard for it.

Forgetting about the scale for a moment I did some trying on of clothes. It's TB's birthday on Friday (he'll be 24 - yes, he's getting older! He's definitely getting older!) and we're going out for a nice meal and so it's time to ditch the jeans and opt something a bit fancier. Wait. What's that noise? Oh yes, someone's hit the panic button. Panic people! I have nothing 'fancy' to wear.

I haven't worked in an office for two years and my formal clothes, which can often be dressed up to become a bit more 'going out worthy', are pretty much non existent. I live in jeans and casual dresses with leggings. These are not fancy enough. And so I delved into the wardrobe.

First up- black trousers. I bought these size 18 suit trousers from Next about a year ago. They are good quality and are typical of my fat uniform - black, wide legged trousers teamed with a tighter top. Yes, they are deadly boring but if I had to inject a bit of life into an outfit with them, I could. I'm not going to have to though as they are falling off me. Far too big! I look like I'm on day release from the mental hospital in them. I can't bear to give them to the charity shop though. I've only worn them around 10 times! I did chuck out a pair of grey trousers I bought about 4 years ago and have work once as they are are just a bad fit.

Okay- what other options do I have. Ah yes, the black dress which is pretty short but it's quite flattering as it's flarey out from the waist number (the pic doesn't do it justice). It's got a nice square pattern to it and I love the sweetheart neckline. I remember I last wore this when I was going out with Moonraker (the night he told me he loved me in fact). I must have been around 5lbs heavier or so than I am now. I felt really self conscious about how short it was but he thought I looked good in it and I am feeling quite upbeat about my pins at the moment - so it's a definite possibility.

Right what else is in here. Oh yes, black shirt dress from Oasis, we meet again. I bought this bad boy (that's in dire need of an iron) in a fit of new year 'I am going to lose weight' enthusiasm about 4 or 5 years ago, even though it was far too tight. It's got a sexy police woman feel about it and boy, does it hug in all the right places - and also the wrong ones if you are trying to wedge your size 20 arse into a size 16. To that end, I have never worn it. I've tried it on lots, but I've never worn it. I pulled it on this morning and... oh my, it's feeling and looking pretty good. Pretty good indeed. I'm always going to struggle with a straight up and down dress since my top half is two sizes smaller than the bottom but hey, that's what belts are for, right?

And so TB better prepare to blown away when I rock up on Friday in heels and a cheeky black number. I hope he thinks all his birthday's will have come at once.

Starting Weight: 204.25 pounds
Current Weight: 184.5 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 0.5 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 19.75 pounds

PS) Peridot, ha - you are correct I didn't rebuke the cooked breakfast. I meant to write rebuff! Although next time I will most definintely rebuke it too.

Double Whammy

Check it out- a double post today!

Following my bike loving post this just a bit of a recap. As tomorrow is weigh day it's time for the usual exercise run down.

First up - I must confess I didn't do my usual workout. I was really struggling for time and my legs were aching from Wednesday's and Thursday's efforts. I could have squeezed something more than the 20 min power walk that I managed but I decided not to as I knew the weekend would be quite active. I was away doing my voluntary stuff and while there wasn't any intensive exercise there was a lot of general standing about and being on the go.

I also had some excellent victories as I rebuked the cooked breakfast for cereal and my own tupperware box of fruit - on Saturday and Sunday. I mostly avoided the biscuits and snacked on fruit that I brought with me. I also didn't drink very much. Where I did fail was I ate some white bread and quite a few handfuls of Doritos made their way into my mouth, as did some carrot cake and some cheese. However, I would say compared to the last couple of weekend it's an improvement and so with that in mind and the exercise below I am hoping for a pound off tomorrow.

Wednesday: 1 hour badminton, 1 hour circuits, 10 mile bike ride
Thursday: Gym workout (weights and speed upped on everything), 2 mile bike ride
Friday: 20 minute power walk
Saturday & Sunday: nothing
Monday: Gym workout, 2 mile bike ride, 2 mile walk
Tuesday: Gym workout, 3 mile walk

PS) I am now running at 9.9km per hour!

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride my bike.... but my poor bike is unwell.

Last night I was meeting friends in the pub and so I jumped on the wheels for the 2 mile journey and off I rode. Lovely. Time to go home and as I'm pedalling up a rather steep hill away from the pub, I'm thinking to myself that the ground feels awfully bumpy under wheel. I pull over and much to my dismay, and still the best part of two miles from home, my back wheel is flat as a pancake. Normally I love a pancake, too!

I have grown to love my bike so much. I use it all the time and I love cycling around the city and so the thought of it being out of action has send me into a (wheel) spin. Being able to get around the city faster than it would normally take me to drive is incredible and it's free; no petrol or parking money. On top of that, it's another way I can move and get some exercise in. Yeah, I've got gears but there are hills where I live. Lots of them. Despite the fact my things are rather chubby, under that chub I can just about make out some muscles.

I cannot advocate cycling enough. 

Not only was I planning to cycle to a meeting today but I've tonight I've got a meeting for my voluntary thing. Initially this was met with with massive disdain as Tuesday night is spinning night. However, a plan formed. I could gym it at tea time and then cycle to the meeting which would be a round trip of 8 miles or so. Perfect. Well it's not perfect with a flat tyre!

I will not be defeated that easily though. I'm about to leave for my meeting and am going via the repair shop and soon my lovely wheels will be back on the road! Ah wait..... it's pissing it down! Rage! I am going to arrive at my meeting wet and soggy and the chances of being able to cycle in this weather tonight are just what I want to be... slim.

Back Fat

Some people reading this blog will have followed me over from my old one which I had been writing since 2005 but I’ve realised that newer readers won’t realised that I’ve been blogging for about six years. When I started my blog the sole purpose was to help me lose weight.

In October 2004 I reached the point where I knew that something had to be done about not only the size of my arse but my whole body. It was getting out of control. I was a 24 year old girl wasting her youth under a layer of fat and being suffocated by insecurities and so after three months of thinking about what I was going to do; how I was going to tackle this lifelong issue I weighed in on January 10th 2005 at 15 stone 6lbs.

Before I explain the last six years of weight loss I should give a bit of background about the first 24 years of my life and how did I ended up tipping the scales and 15 and a half stone.

School Years
I was ‘normal’ child- no way was I skinny but I certainly wasn’t overweight but as I neared puberty my hips emerged and the next thing I knew I’m a 10 year old girl that boys are calling fat.  I look back and that angers me so much. There is no way I was fat but I was more developed that my friends and the only way other kids could process that was to label me as fat.

As I got into my teenage years a few pounds crept on here and there and I knew I was bigger than my friends.  I had quite a lot of puppy fat and I used to stress about PE and having to change into my hockey skirt and then having to walk past the boys. When I was about 15/16 the puppy fat melted away and I was looking and feeling good. All of a sudden boys were interested.

I knew I was still a bit heavy and this is when my first diet in earnest started. My mum and I joined a slimming club- one which was part of Slimming Magazine. I must have only been around 11 stone (my god, what I wouldn’t give for that now!) and I managed to lose 11lbs by following the calorie controlled diet. I remember wearing a red catsuit/jumpsuit to my Christmas Dance at school that year and I felt amazing.

After that Christmas, I don’t know what happened. I just let it slide – something which has become a recurring theme in my dieting life.
  
Uni Days
In the September I left home and went to uni. That’s when the real trouble started.  I lived on pasta, cheese, bread, booze and takeaways. My weight started to climb. At some point during my first year I realised something had to be done and for the second time Mum and I started a diet challenge. I remember being in the 12 stone range and in total I lost 17lbs and so I think I got into the 11s.

Now get ready – here’s the pattern... I felt great. I let it slide. I gained it all back – and more.  In fact I kept gaining until I was in 3rd year at uni (with a few 10lbs losses here and there which promptly went back on). I met The Highlander (my ex) in 2000 when I was 19 and I was around 13 stone 10lbs. A few months later I have a distinct memory of being 14 stone 4lbs.

A (fat) working woman
In October 2001 I joined weight watchers, still around 14 stone 4lbs. I lost 10lbs. I got bored. I let it slide. I so desperately wanted to be thinner but I wasn’t willing to make the lifestyle change that came with it. The notion of ‘working out’ and going to the gym is really a very new one. People didn't used to go to the gym. At that time none of my friend’s went and having just graduated there was no way we could afford it even if we wanted to. We were still living like students, drinking alcopops, eating fast food, hanging out as a group. I wasn’t going to sacrifice fun times with my friends to prepare a healthy meal and go to the gym. I wasn’t ready.

In 2002 The Highlander and I moved in together into our own place. I hated my weight and how I looked but I had buried my head in the sand. I didn’t look at myself in the mirror anymore; I just glanced at the reflection of my face to put my makeup on in the morning. I didn’t go shopping for clothes. I didn’t think about fashion or style. I wore a uniform of black trousers and frumpy shirts. I was a 22 year old girl dressing like someone three times my age – and with the energy of someone even older. I began to feel isolated as I removed myself from social situations. All my friends looked amazing and next to them  felt even worse. I really was that fat person. I had let this happen. 

I knew I had to do something. It was all I thought about. But could I? Could I actually do it? The effort it would take would be gargantuan. I knew how to eat healthily but I didn’t know how to live a healthy life. I tried countless times but I wasn’t ready. Finally at the end of 2004 I knew that it was time. I had to make the change and I had to commit. Life was passing me by. I spent weeks planning what I was going to do. This was it. 2005 was going to be my year.
 

10 mins in the Lovecat cranium

• Ooh, my legs feel heavy after yesterday's exercise blitz of 1 hour of badminton singles, 1 hour of circuits and a 10 mile bike ride
•  I've eaten quite a lot for dinner but it has all been 'clean' food - don't sweat it
•  Is the man (well, boy) in the bike shop flirting with me?!
• I think I'll book in for bodypump tomorrow as I've not been for ages
• I bloody love Jamie Oliver's fish pie (healthified by removing oil and drastically reducing the cheese)
• I wonder what other blogs are out there that I should be following
• I really should find out how to put a twitter button on this here blog
• I can't believe I'm 13 stone 3lbs!
• I'm excited about getting my bike back after its tune up and service
• What can I do to help me avoid food pitfalls at the weekend when I'm away camping with my voluntary thing...
• I must find an event, like a triathlon, to sign up for later in the year
• My god my mother looks so thin and gorgeous (She's lost the same as me and then some).
• I love coffee
• My god, my pussycat is the cutest
• I need a weekend and home and a boozy night out with my bezzie. LDR's can really take over. 
• Boobs - please don't get any smaller! You are getting droopy.

Weigh in

Boom! 2.25lbs off! I am so happy with that. As you will know from my other posts I ate too much at the weekend and was worried about getting on those bloody scales this morning. I was actually sweating... but I need not have worried as 13stone 3lbs flashed up! Get in!

Busting my backside five times a week is paying off  it would seem and the beasting I inflicted on myself on Monday night was worth every ounce.

I've also noticed a pattern of good week, not so good week. Over the past four weeks my losses have been 0, 2.75, 0.5, 2.25. If that continues next week is going to be a low week. However, I've got plans to buck that trend as I want to be in the 12's and sooner rather than later!


Starting Weight: 204.25 pounds
Current Weight: 185. pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 2.25 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 19.25 pounds

Keep on moving

Tomorrow is weigh day and so as per it's time for a quick exercise recap.

• Wednesday: 2 mile bike ride and 30 day shred
• Thursday: Gym workout (with upped weights)
• Friday: 5km run interspersed with squats/lunges/stair runs/press ups
• Saturday and Sunday: Nothing
• Monday: 3  mile bike ride. Gym beasting (1 hour 20)
• Tuesday: 7 mile bike ride. Spinning

Apart from Wednesday (when it was too wet for circuits) I am really happy with that.  I've upped my weights at the gym and am now running at 9.8kmph. Friday's run was tough going but I kept at it and mixed up the exercised with running. I'm sneaking in an extra cycle this afternoon which will hopefully make up for Wednesday when I also should have done 7 miles but only did 5.

How am I feeling about weigh in? Not sure. I don't feel any slimmer but that's normal as I normally only notice a change every few weeks and it was just 10 days ago I felt a difference. I definitely feel stronger which is great, but as the weekend had a fair few dubious food choices... who knows. On average I've been losing over a pound a week. To keep that average up I really need a good loss tomorrow but at the moment I'd be happy with half a pound.

Just give me a loss! Please? Right - best be off on my wheels.

Too little too late?

The weekend ended up being a dodgy one in terms of food.  I was visiting TB (again - his turn is well overdue to come to me) and we were having a lazy weekend; watching telly, playing games, reading, going out for lunch and generally lounging about.

This all sounds lovely (which it was) but with a lack of structure or real activity to the weekend I found myself eating far too much. Breakfast and lunch were okay. Dinner was a problem as on both Saturday and Sunday night we just had a load of things to graze on (bread, meat, hummus, cheese, carrot sticks and peppers, tzatziki, quiche etc, etc. I then munched on a pile of sweeties (jelly tots, fun sized milky bar, half a bar of dairy milk, jelly tots and boiled sweets). Oh, and I managed to wolf down a load of crisps too. Not good. Not good at all.

I've had an excellent day today, really excellent. I also spent almost an hour an a half actually on the gym floor tonight. It was hard going. I really pushed myself and when I tell you my t-shirt was dripping sweat at the end of my workout, I do mean it was actually sodden.

Another day like this tomorrow but with a 7 mile bike ride (to a meeting and back) and spinning in the evening I'm hoping to scrape a loss.

For now I must go and watch Embarrassing Bodies about fat people on 4od. Nanight. x

One handful or two, sir?

Last night we went to a real ale festival. Of course they also had spirits and diet mixers on offer too. Ha! Yeah, right. I wish. It was beer, ale, cider and perry. That was my lot. I reckon I drank about two pints of the stuff. Could have been worse. By the time we stopped off on the way home for something to eat it was well after 10pm. We ended up in a kebab type place which was actually pretty diet friendly. I had oven baked chicken with no sauce on a flatbread thingy.

TB (which I should also explain stands for The Bear as he is very hairy) came out with a corker on Thursday night. I had just arrived at his and we fell onto the bed together. Hands were everywhere. He said: "Oh! You bum is just one handful per cheek now. It used to be two."

I most definitely like being a one handful kinda girl.

Mother Hubbard

Last night was my second night at circuits. After my evening meal of homemade broccoli soup and a ryvita and cold meat (more on that in a moment) I was feeling rather sleepy and conked out for an hour before the class. I woke up just in time to get changed and jump on my bike. I was less than a minute away from home when the heavens opened. It was chucking it down. I thought to myself “it’ll pass in a moment, just keep pedalling on” and so I did – until I had to stop because I couldn’t see for the rain in my eyes. Not only was the rain in my eyes but it was running down my head into my eyes too. I actually could not see where I was going. By this time my hands were freezing and I was soaked to the skin. I turned back.

Don’t get me wrong, I was not happy about it. I need to get in my five days of workouts. I’m losing just over a pound a week on average and that is what it takes! 5 workouts that really push me and this was a workout and a seven mile bike ride I was missing. I got home and papped on Jillian M’s 30 day shred (by the way, what the hell is all this ‘are you going to phone it in business?) and did that followed by some vigorous house work.  Not nearly as much as the class and cycle but it’s better than nothing. I then sat on my arse and read my book. I then ate some stuff. 

Yeah, broccoli soup for dinner is all well and good but it’s not gonna fill you up, is it? I must have gone into the kitchen and opened the cupboard doors and the fridge and freezer 20 times. I am not exaggerating. I was hungry and I needed something. I ended up having another cracker and some cold meat, an ice pole, an apple, some grapes, 2 boiled sweets and an options hot chocolate. Thank god I didn’t have a box of cereal in the flat as I would have eaten it – fo shizzle. Ideally I wouldn't have had anything but I did and it could have been worse. A lot worse.

I was meeting a friend for lunch today then heading off to help put up a marquee (part of the voluntary stuff I do) and then rushing to catch the train to see TB so I had to get my workout in this morning. I’ve been doing a mixed up version of the same stuff for a while at the gym and today was the day that things moved up a level. The 4kg medicine ball is now a 5kg. The 8kg hand weights for chest presses and lunges are now 9kg. The cross trainer is now at level 7 but I’m going as fast as level 6 and the treadmill is up to 9.7kmph as my lowest speed. 

Oooh, I really felt the difference. The exercises felt really hard at the time and afterwards everything felt heavier and harder to do i.e. walking (not the best at that normally, mind you! Always bumping into things). It’s good though. I have to keep pushing on if I want to keep losing weight. I’m eating all the right things and very few of the wrong and so there’s not a lot of changes I can make there. I can however, keep pushing myself when working out. It’s easy to get into my comfort zone where it’s a tough, sweaty workout but am I really giving it everything? There is no point in spending all that time working out if I’m not going to make it count. 

Tomorrow is my last day of working out before two days off. Right now I cannot be arsed. I am knackered and will only arrive at TB’s at 1115 tonight. I will though. This is how it has to be. One hour of being uncomfortable (and probably in pain for some of it) and then I’m freeeeeeeeeeee (and smug).

Weigh in

These weigh ins just seem to come around far too quickly!

It's another hump day and I can reveal my humps are half a pound smaller. Yup, I scraped a 0.5lbs loss. And how do I feel about that? Ummm, okay. When I think back to the intensity of my work outs I am little disappointed. However, the weekend was booze filled and I had a Chinese as well as other eats that weren't the healthiest. So I'll take it. It's a loss and it's all going in the right direction- and takes me to a nice round loss of 17lbs.

I am struggling a bit these past few days with really craving some carby and creamy foods and also chocolate and keep having visions of stuffing my face with cakes and sweet things. I'm making broccoli soup for tea tonight which isn't going to cut the mustard so I think I might make some wholewheat pasta in a tomato sauce with broccoli so that I feel like I'm at least digging into a satisfying meal.

Starting Weight: 204.25 pounds
Current Weight: 187.25 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 0.5 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 17 pounds

Mixing it up and messing it up

Leaving five days between posts really isn't good enough. I need to get my (chubby) finger out and get blogging more often. Not that I think you are champing at the bit to hear what's been going on! It's more that I forget loads of stuff that I wanted to say. All of it probably utter guff so consider yourselves off the hook.

So what has been happening? Well, this week has been a real mix up diet and exercise wise. Let's have a quick exercise review (as per).

Wednesday: Circuits class and 6 mile cycle

Thursday: Shovelling and wheelbarrowing sand and gravel

Friday: 3km run (8.75mph) and back garden work out

Saturday and Sunday: Nothing

Monday: Gym workout & 7 mile bike ride

Tuesday: Spinning and 2 mile bike ride

That's 5 workouts in 7 days which I'm pretty happy with. The two new things that I did were my outdoors circuits class and the shovelling. The circuits class was really good. It was great being outside and by the time you warmed up, then did sprints/skipping/side steps between two points with either jumping jacks/lunges/squats at either end, and then circuits followed by more sprints - the hour had flown past. I need to do a separate blog about it as while I liked it and I'll be going back for more (as I they came in a block of 10) but I do have some reservations about how hard you are worked and technique.

As for the shovelling. - not my idea. I was staying at my folk's on Thursday night and because I was there I was going to go to zumba with my mother. However, this got bumped in favour of shovelling four cubic meters of sand and gravel. They are doing some garden work and they bags (which came up to my waist) needed transported to the other side of the garden which meant shovelling the sand and gravel into a wheelbarrow and tipping it out about 30 meters away. It was pretty hard work - as you can tell from my sweaty knees. Please tell me other people get sweaty knees! I also did some lunges and squats to finish off. That's my dad in the other pic. He's 6ft 4 (and bending over in the pic) but you get some sort of sense of scale.

 While I've been pleased with the exercise front I've not been so great on the food front. I made soup this week which I've not had for ages so that mixed things up a bit but the weekend was problematic. I was at a barbeque on Friday and Saturday. I got totally smashed at both of them. I actually only had one very small burger on Friday and a bit of chicken so that was probably less calories than I would have but the booze... ooft.

Saturday was pretty much exactly the same but I did nibble on a few crisps too. Sunday was where I made my poorest choices of the week. It was getting late on into the evening and TB and I were driving back to his from where the barbecue had been (quite a few hours away). We decided to stop off  for dinner but it was getting late and we were in the middle of nowhere with limited choice. I was hungover and very hungry so when TB suggested going to a Chinese restaurant that we knew was open, I just went with it. Hmmmm - I should have pushed for something healthier but, well - I didn't. There's more... I had a big custardy pastry thing too. That kind of cake doesn't even feature in my top ten of cakes, or even top twenty and so why did I eat it?  I have no idea. It was there for the shoving in my face. I decided I wanted it. I ate it.

I'm annoyed with myself but yesterday was a really good day as is today so there is no point in dwelling on it as I got right back on track. I've just got spinning tonight and then once again it's weigh in tomorrow morning. I had a great loss last week and so who knows if after my dodgy weekend the scales will be kind to me. Digits crossed.

Chirp Chirp

I mentioned yesterday that work is a wee bit quieter for the moment (set to get very busy on Monday mind you) and so yesterday I made good use of my time and set up a twitter account. I already have one I use for real life and work stuff which I use for more sensible tweets and not diet and other inane ramblings.

There are lots of things I hold back from saying so I thought I'd get a Love Cat one up and running. I'm @_love_cat

I did try and get a button up here on the blog that you can click to follow but I ballsed that up so I'm afraid you will just have to do it yourselves. Sorry!

Weigh in

Hello everyone- and hello June!

It's Wednesday today and of course that means weigh day. Before I got on the scales I felt confident that I'd lost at least a pound. Even before the weekend I felt a bit more svelte and over the past few days I've noticed one of my pairs of workout breeks are a bit looser around the thighs, as are my jeans.

And...  I right to be confident - goodbye 2.75lbs! The scales did show up 3lbs off at times but I've gone with 2.75 just to be on the safe side. I am over the moon. I was 13 stone 8.25lbs and I really wanted to totally bypass the 7 pound mark and get straight into the 6's but I smashed that- I'm 13 stone 5.75lbs! Whoopa!

Now, let's not forget I worked out six days out of seven, didn't have any food slip ups (just a several gin and slims, ahem) and I also stayed the same last week so I do feel this loss was earned. A quick exercise recap:

Wednesday: Gym workout
Thursday: Gym workout (more resistance than cardio)
Friday: 6 mile bike ride
Saturday: 3km run and back garden workout
Sunday: Nothing
Monday: 1.25 hour badminton (singles)
Tuesday: Spinning

Overall May has been a pretty good month for me - it usually is since it's my birthday month.

Things I've learned in May:

• I feel better when busy. Work has been a bit quieter this month and while it's been nice to have time to potter about I feel guilty and miss the feeling of being productive.
• I dodged a bullet when Moonraker and I split up. Nice guy - but dear god, the issues!
• The highlander and I won't ever really be friends ever again.
• I can go on holiday without the fat mist (kinda like the red mist but with food) taking over. It's the first time it ever happened and I'm going to make sure it's not the last.
• TB is more emotionally mature than I realised.
• I need an exercise routine and just to accept that I am sticking to it - that's how it is.
• I urgently need a new sports bra.
• I love coffee more than I thought.
• Spokey Dokeys rock
• There are some shapely legs hiding under the lard and the calves are making a bid for freedom.
• Uphill sprints in spinning kill me
• Waking up with TB is one of my favourite things (boake!)
• I feel really content- the most I have for a long time and I think that is playing a big part in my weight loss.

And now, the stats!

Starting Weight: 204.25 pounds
Current Weight: 187.72 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 2.75 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 16.5 pounds

ETA: Someone asked what the colour of nail varnish was that I was wearing in the pic the other day. It's Este Lauder's surreal violet.