Wednesday 19 December 2012

Twelve in 2012

I'm not one for meme's or set questions and answers but I saw this over on The Fat Girl Fighting and decided to steal it.

1. What was your greatest personal accomplishment in 2012?
Getting down to my lowest weight ever and into Fresh Fat (FF) was brilliant. I also worked on a fantastic campaign for work which I was really proud of.

2. What’s the best thing your did for your health?  Keeping on top of last year's weight loss and getting back into running (until my hip started hurting!)

3. Share one thing that caused a significant change in your life this year. Realising that freelancing is too unstable caused me to take a temporary position with another company - which I've loved.   Being full time back in an office has been much less painful than I expected.

4. List a few things that you experienced for the first time at some point over the last twelve months. An Orcadien wedding, Cyprus holidays, moving my pussycat to my new city, meeting friend's babies. 

5. What was the coolest place you visited? The Isle of Capri. It's rammed full of tourists but it's gorgeous.  

6. If you could change one thing about the last year what would it be? To have lost more weight - and kept it off. 

7. What is the best meal you ate this year? I haven't the foggiest. Actually - I think it might have been steak and chips from a local restaurant. It was pretty damn good.

8. Tell us about a new friend you made. 2013 has been a fantastic year for new friends. I have made loads of them! Living in a new city I was really keen to find my independent groove and I've done that thanks to lots of really lovely girls. I'm a very lucky girl.  I've got lots of male friends but I'd be lost without girls in my life.

9. What did you hope to accomplish this year that you did not? If I'm going to be completely honest (and that's exactly what this blog is all about) I hoped to have got engaged to TB this year. He is the love of my life and I cannot imagine a future without him. I want us to be married more than I can I put into words. Although, I would never admit that to anyone other than a couple of my closest friends.

10. Share something you learned in 2012.  What a venn diagram is.

11. Share an odd and unexpected thing that you experienced this year. Dancing in my neighbours living room (who I barely know), totally shitfaced at 10pm - after their garden Christmas lights switch on but a few hours earlier.

12. How do you think 2013 will differ from 2012? There are lots of changes on the horizon. My contract with my current job only has a few  months to run so who knows what will happen after that. TB and I want to buy a place, I'm expecting more friends to be expecting and of course, I am planning to nail the weight loss. 11 stones - I'm coming to getcha!  

What about you? How has 2012 been for you?

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Grey matter

There are some things you get from your parents that really do not make you happy. The size of my arse and my bunions are two such lovely delights. But... there are also some things that make you dance about with glee.

Aside from my obvious intelligence (stop laughing please) I was blessed with being almost 5ft 7 which I LOVE. I find it to be the perfect height for me! And on top of that-  I have amazing hair. I'm not going to pretend to be modest about it; my hair is the envy of many! Thick, dark brown, long, shiny, grows quickly and can be worn curly or straight - what is not to love!

However, we have a problem - which was first discovered in 2007. That was when my first grey (or silver, if you will) hair was discovered. I was 27 and let me tell you, that was a dark day. There and then I vowed I would make it to my next birthday before having to dye it. And so I did. I reached the ripe old age of 28 and still  - with the odd pluck here I there - I didn't have to reach for the bottle for another year. Before I knew it my 32nd birthday was on the horizon and still the silver foxette in me remain subdued. I was delighted!

My fall from grace was just around the corner though. I'm 33 in May (when the chuff did that happen?) and all of a sudden - the white hairs have decided to come out in force. You still can't see them but lurking underneath my mop, just behind my ears they are loads of them! Pinning my hair up - in a half pony tail is the stuff nightmares are made of. I even spotted a couple of the pesky buggers on the top of my head. They are beginning to take over!

Dying my hair to cover the grey isn't really that big a deal. It's more of a mental thing for me. It signifies the point in time when I have to accept that I'm no longer a 'young woman'. I've known that for some time but to see it in such a physical manifestation, well.. it makes me realise time is slipping on past. Life is going more quickly than ever before. I'd just like to hit the pause button for a few years.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Weigh in

Something weird has happened.

I weighed myself this morning and it would appear I have only put on 1.75lbs in the last three weeks. What? Come again?

I am shocked. I cannot believe it. I'm only 13 stone and 3.25lbs. What the chuff? This is amazing news! I can only assume that years of forcing myself to eat healthily has paid off and finally some good habits have actually become normal behaviour and the junk that I have been eating really hasn't been that much.

The minute, nay the second, that I saw the numbers flash up on the scales, I was hit with motivation similar to Wylie Coyote being hit with an anvil from a great height. |It was like one second I was indifferent, the next - ready to rock and roll.

There really isn't long until Christmas but I would be a total moron if I didn't take this good news and run with it.I'm going to weigh in on Tuesday 18th (6 days) and the day I head back to the family fold for Christmas, Sunday 23rd (5 days).  It's not long and I have all manner of festive lunches/dinners/drinks and events between now and then. However, if I don't try then where will I be.

I did have a sneaky peek at my spreadsheet from this time last year and I was quite a bit lighter. 12stone 9lbs to be precise. That's annoying - but it is only half a stone away from where I am at the moment. It's really not that a big deal but I would love to be few pounds closer to that so here I go...



Tuesday 11 December 2012

Facing the music

I'm going to do it. Tomorrow, I am going to weigh myself.

To say I'm not looking forward to it, is freaking huge understatement.

Things have not been going well. Yes, there have been some minor successes such as two workouts last week,  healthy breakfasts and lunches, but these have been overshadowed by the sheer volume and quality of rubbish I have inhaled in the evenings and at the weekend.

Today is going to be a 100% day. I am going to the gym tonight. I will take responsibility. The next two weeks will not own me.  Let's go!

Thursday 6 December 2012

New day every day

I'm just not quite getting it.

Day two was going SO well (as per my post). I did as promised and went to the gym. It was pretty tough. Running for 10 mins at 9.6kmph was in no way enjoyable. I think it's safe to say my fitness has gone right down the pan. However, I soldiered on and even got some kettle bell action on the go (and yes - two days later, I can hardly walk).

I got home, did all my jobs and then sat down to watch telly for half an hour. I then had a fleeting thought about a (sizable) chocolate bar that was lurking in the cupboard. The next thing I know said chocolate bar was stuffed in my face. Nice one. Smart move.

Not sure what I'm playing at. Yesterday, I had an excellent day until I got in from work and had several large handfuls of honey roast cashews. For dinner I just had two grilled pork chops and a slice of white bread and butter. Balanced, it was not.

I'm not feeling it but what choice do I have right now? I could give in to the festive feasting and not worry about it until the new year but that, dear readers, would be madness. 5 weeks of turning the other cheek will result in a very large pair of but cheeks. I just need to keep on trying. I'm going to do my best to keep on track as best I can and then I'll weigh on Monday. Ugh.

I'm having a healthy day today (day time doesn't really seem to be my problem time) and then after work I need to pop into M&S which is happens to be just opposite my gym. Spinning is on at 6pm tonight. I shall be going. It's an hour of my time (only actually 45 mins of spinning) and I'm there anyway. It would be utter madness not to go.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Day two diet

Yesterday was about 85% on plan.

A large spoonful of ice cream and three very small chocs was where the damage lay. Had I not had them - it would have been perfection. The main victory is that before and after my tea and before bed, I didn't start picking at crisps or crackers. Also, the chocs were Thorntons so it's not as if it was scotbloc (been there!).

Today, things are also looking pretty good.

B: Porridge (with spoonful of banana jam)
S: Clementine, skinny praline mocha (no cream)
L: Moroccan chicken with chickpeas and small portion of couscous (leftovers)
D: Scrambled Eggs (no toast)
S: Melon

I also had the best sleep last night. I popped off pretty quickly and slept solidly through until the alarm went off at 6.50 this morning. And so I have no excuses not to go the the gym tonight straight after work.

TB is always out on a Tuesday so once I get home it's shower time and dinner time. Then I'm gonna sort some washing, empty and re-load the dishwasher, wrap two presents, practise my new hobby (more on that soon) and watch some telly. Here's to day 2!

Monday 3 December 2012

Strangulation of the chubby

Today. Today is the day I am getting a grip. Even as I type this, my grasp around the chubby neck of my diet is tightening. That's right I'm metaphorically strangling the fat me.

The past, oh I don't know... week or so has been bad. The weekend?  Let's just not go there. Horrific. I feel awful just now. Those pounds that I ever so slowly chipped off over the past few months are more than likely right back on again. I'm bloated, wobbly and worried about what I'm going to wear over the next few weeks and throughout the festive season. I have far too many parties, nights out and social affairs to be recycling the same two items of clothing!

I've not weighed myself but it doesn't matter. As of today - I cannot let any state of affairs exist other than being on plan. I have no option. I don't really care too much what the scales say come Christmas Time but I know I have to feel better than I do now. Three weeks on plan could make me feel a lot better.

Porridge for breakfast, soups and lean meat for lunches, meat, fish and veg for dinners. Lots of water. Lots of fruit. Move more. That's is what is happening for 21 days.

I'm going to the gym tomorrow and am spinning on Thursday. This shit is happening.