Stuff & nonsense

Another bonkers day. So here's the top line chat...

• Off to a very posh hotel for afternoon tea with the LoveCat Family Ladies tomorrow
• Taking my laptop as have SO much work on
• Got a wedding this weekend - very excited
• We missed out on the house we wanted and there's nowt else on the go :(
• Gym last night killed. 60 burpees if you please!
• This is day 3 of being a dieting queen

Weigh in

It's all gone down the shitter.

The diet is kaput and when I weighed myself on Monday morning I was faced with the reality of 13stone 7.75lbs. That's a gain of 3.75lbs in 12 days and takes me back pretty much, to where I was in January.

This year has not gone my way in the healthy living stakes. I've worked so hard for weeks on end to lose just a few pounds, and there it is - straight back on again. This does not please me. But I'm not about the negativity, I am about positive change. I am LoveCat and I will not be brow beaten by a few bloody pounds. Okay, 14 pounds (and that's just for starters), whatever - same deal. To lose 14, you need to start by losing one.

I've not been to the gym for weeks. I've booked in and packed my bags half a dozen times but work has been mental and life is also totally rammed. Throw in some crazy ass snow and it's just not been happening.

Not any more. I am going back tonight. I'm feeling marginally more on top of things at work and so I shall be out of here at 5.15pm.

In terms of the diet, Monday was a great day, until the evening when I met up with some friends and in front of me sat a big bowl of crisps and popcorn. It wasn't there for long - I got stuck in. However, I managed an excellent day yesterday and actually went to bed feeling a bit hungry. Which is how I should be feeling. Who goes to bed sated?

I'm not too sure when I am weighing myself again. It might be Monday, it might be Wednesday. Who knows. Who actually cares - first of all I need to walk the walk (without the wobble).

Hunting for motivation & houses

Get this, I managed to have a pretty good day yesterday. I know, it's a midweek shocker.

B: Boiled egg and an apple
L: Salmon & roast aubergine salad (packed lunch, no less)
S: Cold meat & raspberries. 1 chocolate
D: Chicken and cauliflower curry. No rice. Small serving garlic flatbread
S: 3 toffees, handful of crisps

That's pretty god damn good- in comparison to any others over the past week. Today feels like it's shaping up to be more of the same although we are heading off to TB's after work until Sunday and so the rest of the day is out of my hands.

In other news.... things are romping on a-pace with the house hunt.  We've seen a place that we really like but ooooh hooo - it's pretty pricey. Offers over £230,000 for a two bedroom. I would really prefer three bedrooms and for that price I'd expect it but this place is lovely and also has two big walk in wardrobes. I'm going to sound like a Phil and Kirsty wanker when I say this... it also has some bloody nice period features. What a house-hunter loser. Ugh.

Best of all, it's in town and I can still walk/cycle my way around. I'm trying not to get too excited about it all as it might be snatched out from under us but we're going to see it again on Monday.

I am actually really excited about clearing out our stuff. We have way too much of it for our flat and man, do I love to throw stuff out. I cannot wait to get binning pre move.

Wonky Donky

It's all gone a bit wonky.

So wonky in fact, that I didn't weigh myself this morning. The upshot is that I held it together at weekend until Saturday night and then it went right down the pan. And there it has pretty much stayed. It's not been a full on bingearama (although it's been a long time since I really have done that for more than a brief moment in time) but it's pretty far off where I should be.

All I can do is start each day off on a positive note and try my best to make it last past 5pm. I actually feel more driven today for some reason (hence this post). So it's been a boiled egg and an apple for breakfast and for lunch, a salmon and roast aubergine salad. The salad was actually fricking delicious - which always helps.

When I am totally focused it doesn't matter what I do or where I go, or what social event is thrown at me. I can find a way through it and I can come out the other side, usually a bit thinner! I should be thinking that exact way about this weekend but wait for this...

TB and I have a funeral and are going to be spending a lot of time with family. One of them is Jamaican and she is going to cook up a big Jamaican meal for us on Saturday night including chicken, rice and beans, spicy banana fritters and a drink made from rum, sweetcorn and evaporated milk! What the chuff? That drink is three of my favourite things! How am I supposed to resist?

I've got to take it one day at a time. I don't have the motivation at the moment to think about long terms goals and grand plans. Today is going to be my first day, back on track in control.

Groove is in the heart

Where the chuff is my groove?

I'm walking the walk 80% of the time but that's just not good enough, people.

Today would have been excellent (so far) had it not been for the cookie and piece of salty and sweet crunchy bar (which I made!). It's Comic Relief people. We were asked to bake. Who am I to say no.

I need to try and get my head in the game otherwise this week will be a complete write off and I'll be back to where I was at the beginning of the year. All four pounds of it! Lame lame lame.

Today still CAN be good though. Two nibbles of cakes are not going to destroy an entire day. I need a slap in the face.

• The crunchie bars mid flow
• Snickerdoodles pre-bake
• The finished crunchie bars.

Weigh in

 

I'm just not quite getting it together at the moment, diet wise.

I was away at a hen weekend and of course, the booze was flowing. It's pretty hard to avoid it on these sorts of occasions but armed with a bottle of rum and some diet coke (and some eggs for my breakfast. Yes, I am that person that took some of my own food)  I managed to get through the weekend without too many problems.

It was the drive home when things started to go downhill. It was about hour 4 of being in the car. Tiredness and hunger levels were reaching breaking point - and I still had well  over an hour to go. I stopped at a garage, got a cereal bar, some chocolate and a cappuccino.

Monday at work I ate about 5 chocs that someone had brought back from holiday.

Tuesday, the night before weigh in, I got stuck into a pile of toffees, a corneto and some toasted cheese (as well as my dinner). This was after I worked late and so didn't go to CrossFit.

I then weighed in on Wednesday morning to find out I had actually only put on half a pound. I felt quite good about that and so I was geared up to crack on for a fresh new week.

Last night we got in late after viewing a couple of houses (one of which there is a pic of below - the cottage). TB decided he was going to get a chippy. I got a battered black pudding. And also ate a boiled egg in a roll that I made once we got home. Eh? What the hell was I thinking? I then launched the best part of a 100g bar of Galaxy and a Crunchie into my gob.  Oh lordy. This is NOT good.

I'm back on the straight and narrow today and am going to CrossFit tonight. I need to get my head down and get on with getting out of this sodding 13stone bracket. It's almost halfway through March and my progress is glacial.

Challenging my resolve over the next few days are a couple of things...

1. We're bringing in baked goodies to work for Comic relief tomorrow. I'm making snickerdoodles and a Nigella chocolate, peanut tray bake thing. Both will be disgusting, I'm sure. Pah!

2. I'm away at the weekend, volunteering. This is a problem as it's catered for and the activity I am doing is sweet making! Jesus wept.

 

•  I have been eating healthily as well as all the crap
• The cottage we like but are unsure about putting an offer in on
• Sunny skies on Sunday
• A RIB on a very cold Loch
• The fluffiest cat I have EVER seen
• Rum snuck away in my overnight bag 

Starting Weight: 190.75 pounds
Current Weight: 186 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: + 0.5 pounds
Total 2013 Weight Loss: 4.75 pounds

The next generation joy

I have lots to tell but it can all wait as I am BEYOND excited to be able to finally be able to share this.... I'm going to be an Auntie!

I am SO happy. My big brother and his wife are going to have a baby in September! I cannot tell  you how good this news is. It's been a long, hard road and finally, they are going to be parents. I cannot think of two better people and words cannot explain the joy I am feeling.

Earlier in the year I mentioned a friend got the results of some hospital tests. That was them and the test was them finding out if their IVF treatment had worked. It all kicked off before Christmas so it's been a tense and very emotional time for all, least of all me.  I still can't quite believe it's happening and I'm just so pleased for them.

Happy happy news.

Weigh in

1lb off today.

If this was a normal week I'd be quite happy with that. However, considering I magically gained 2lbs last week, it's not really that great. I'm still 1lb heavier than I was.

I'm trying to focus on the positive. I didn't let last week's bat shit crazy scale time send me hurtling into the biscuit tin and overall the trajectory is downwards. This is all good stuff.

But it's not exactly motivational stuff. We're well into March and I've lost a grand total of 5.25lbs. Big wow. If I could just get past the half stone mark I would feel like I was actually getting somewhere. I had a mini meltdown earlier this week when my boss, who is a size ten, mentioned she was on some bonkers diet plan involving no carbs and cup a soups - and then reveals she lost half a stone in a week.  I could have wept.

On top of that, there is a what's app group that about seven of us are in. It's like one big chat room for us all. Most of them are on slimming world and going to zumba (shoot me now) and they have mentioned in passing a few times that they are all losing loads of weight. What the chuff? Why is everyone around me dropping the pounds and I am barely scraping by?!

I've calmed down now but I'm still feeling pissed off. What's a girl to do though? I've just gotta get on with it. I will lose that half stone, and more. It might take me till Christmas but I am going to get there. In fact, make that 2014 as this weekend holds yet another challenge in store as I'm away on a hen weekend. I have no idea what is happening foodwise and so I'm just going to have to hope there are some healthy choices I can make -- and I'll take some fruit with me too.

In other news, CrossFit is going really well. Last night I managed to do a hand stand against a wall! I'm so glad I signed up and I do feel less wobbly, fitter and stronger but I know twice week isn't really enough - even including when I cycle there and back (over 4 miles in total). I need to get out there and sweat, hard to help me shift the lard. But where is the time?  Busy tonight and tomorrow and then I'm away till Sunday.

I've just gotta do what I can do and keep on keeping on.


Starting Weight: 190.75 pounds
Current Weight: 186.5 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 1 pounds
Total 2013 Weight Loss: 5.25 pounds

Drunk & disorderly at the inlaws

What did you get up to at the weekend? Me? Oh, you know... just the usual. Hung out with some friends at TB's house, had a few drinks and got so totally trashed that I had to be put to bed by TB's Mum - and then made her get in bed with me where I proceeded to bleat on about marrying her son.

Oh yes - that actually happened. I can't quite recall what I said to her but I do know that I was banging on about why he was taking so long to ask me and how I wasn't getting any younger. This is not the kind of thing you should be saying to your boyfriend's mum! Oh man, I am cringing at the memory, the very hazy memory. I think it went on for quite some time and I am pretty sure I also mentioned children. Gah! What an idiot. I just let it ALL out. All the crazy.

For what I can remember she was lovely about it all and told me that he just needs a boot up the bum. Haha. What a woman. The next morning when I was getting dressed she came to my room and said not to worry about anything and that she's not going to mention our chat to anyone, not even his dad. Thank god. Not cool.  Total mortification.

Busy balancing

This week has been MENTAL and I cannot see it slowing down for the foreseeable. Quite the opposite, in fact.

• Work is super busy. I do 32 hours a week for one agency. I then try and shoehorn my four other clients into 8 hours a week. On top of that, I want to keep up to date with reading blogs, and writing this one. This is usually done during work/lunch.
• It's the end of the month - always extra work for a small biz owner.
• CrossFit two times a week and a third thing at the weekend if possible.
• Voluntary admin role. This is for a project in May and at the moment I am spending at least 40 mins a day on it. Usually squeezed into my working day.
• Volunteer evening role. Every Monday from 7-10pm. And that's just the time I am actually there, not the prep or meetings.
• Book club, I'm in two of them.
• Keeping the flat/housework ticking over (failing at this one, pretty much).

And on top of all this, just like everyone else I quite like trying to keep up with friends and family and you know - having fun. And what about cooking? I like doing that but at the moment it's all a bit slap dash/nipping into the shops on the way home from work. To be honest, it's work that is the main problem just now. Well, it's not really a problem to have a lot of work - just trying to get it all done and keep everyone happy is testing me a little. I foresee early starts and some late nights.

But it's also been a great week. I love to be busy. I suit being busy; it's when I get the most done. TB is also just the best. He is one of the most generous people I know. I lost my iphone headphones (well, they are probably somewhere in the flat but can I put my hands on them?!) and The Bear has some fancy dan ones which be doesn't really use. Next thing I know he gave them to me. Yesterday he won a lovely nikon camera at work and just gave it to me too. The other week I shrank his lambswool jumper (oops!) and while I was annoyed with myself, he just shrugs and says, oh well. And then took the piss out of me. Deserved that.

I got in from CrossFit last night and he had made a healthy and delicious dinner of tuna steak and a cucumber and cabbage salad. No wheat, lots of protein. What a boy. And to top it all off, this morning in bed he tells me he's sure my boobs are smaller and my bum too. Music to my ears! Well, not so much the boobs but if it's coming there it's coming of elsewhere. I tell ya, this ones a keeper.

Right, I have to get back to work. Then tonight I've got book club which is always very boozy and I've been advised by my friend who is hosting that pudding is insane. Oh lordy. Tomorrow I'm off to a ceilidh, complete with plenty booze, tablet and stovies. Yowzers. This will be a test.

I'll leave you with a picture of what we were doing at CrossFit last night. Wall climbs. Once your legs are up  you are supposed to walk  back in the way. That was not happening for me. I got my legs up on the wall though. Today, my shoulders and arms are telling me ALL about it.