Weigh in

I was hoping and possibly expecting  a loss this morning but it wasn't to be. 0.25lbs on.

I'm pretty okay with it though. In fact, I'm very okay with it. I don't know what damage was done when I went a bit mental at the wedding and so on, and my period is late but 'weighting' in the wings. Ha! Get it! Oooh - too much hilarity. On top of all that, I feel good. I feel really good. I feel like I've lost weight and I just feel confident and relaxed.

I went out for a run this morning and I wanted to try and do around 6k - the longest run I'll have done in probably around a year.  I set off unsteadily as my hip flexors were a bit stiff from kettlebell lunges yesterday. I soon got lost in a daydream and managed to crack out 5.85km in 39.20 mins. Flippin well delighted. Saying I got lost in a daydream makes it sound like I just floated along. Not the case at all! Sweat in my eyes, tight chest, burning legs, practically racing a boy on a bike who was getting cycling proficiency lessons - and two monty hills!

I've also had a cracking result for one of my clients which I am chuffed to bits with. It's given me a real boost workwise and I feel like I could take on anything right now!

And now here's a montage (everyone loves a montage!) of what's been going down of late. 

Scottish countryside, cute cats, healthy shopping and cooking, heart shaped polka dots, running and bike love.

Starting Weight: 185 pounds
Current Weight: 181.75 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 0.25 gain 
Total 2012 Weight Loss: 3.25 pounds

Weigh in

It's been a good week. Lots of activity and my diet has been excellent too. I got on the scales this morning and was rewarded with a 0.75lbs loss, taking me to 12 stone 9.5lbs.

It's not a huge loss and I feel like I deserved to hit the pound mark, but it's not to be. I did drink rather a lot of wine on Friday and Saturday... The less said about that the better - I was pretty damn pissed.

Exercise for the week was...

Friday: 3 mile brisk walk
Saturday: Dance class (part of a hen do)
Sunday: Nothing
Monday: Nothing
Tuesday: Gym. 22 minutes of sprints, resistance work, 5 mins rower, kettlebells, 10 mins spinning
Wednesday: Gym. 20 mins treadmill (10 running, 10 sprints), lunges and biceps, 10 mins spinning
Thursday: 40 mins boxercise, 10 mins treadmill (10.3kmph)

That feels like a lot for just 3/4 of a pound. But it's a loss and it's all heading in the right direction. I feel really good - toned and not so wobbly and my fitness is good. I'm now running at 10.3kmph as my base speed. For me, that's amazing. So I'm concentrating on the positives and trying not to let that negative voice get too loud that is telling me, "but you're just the same weight you were 7 months ago. What have you been doing? You've tried to lose weight all this time but you've even struggled to maintain."

My counter argument to that is that I've lost almost half a stone this year. My body fat is lower (by a ball hair - but it's lower!) and I'm still in the 12stones. That is still amazing to me. The fact I've lost two stone and I've kept it off feels great. This is what I look like now. This is how I feel now. I'm never going back.

So how does this affect The Plan? Well, to get into FF I need to lose 2.25lbs IN ONE WEEK. Now, while this is possible, it is also highly unlikely. So what am I going to do? I'm going to go for it, of course! Chances are I'm not going to do it - but I'm sure as hell gonna try my best.

Realistically if I could see 12 stone 7.75lbs I would be happy. In fact, I would be happy with a loss at all. But, I've decided I am going to batten down the hatches like they have never been battened (?).

So what hurdles lie ahead. Tonight, we are staying at TB's folks and will be having dinner with them. Chances are there will be a pudding - and we'll probably get given an Easter Egg each. On Sunday my mum is having an Easter Party. It'll be a buffet style meal but I already know my mum is making individual creme brulees and some other profiterole type creations. Yes,  I am my mother's daughter - we love our puddings! My only saving grace is that under her watchful gaze I won't be tempted to snaffle something  into my chubby cheeks.

Starting Weight: 183 pounds
Current Weight: 177.5 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: 0.75
Total 2012 Weight Loss: 5.5lbs

The night before...

Tomorrow is weigh day. The new and improved weigh day (for the time being). So how has the past week been? Pretty damn good, to be honest.

My fitness levels feel as if they have suddenly jumped up a gear and I feel so good for it. I was talked into going along to touch rugby training last night and not only did I cycle 4 miles uphill to get there without any trouble, I kept up with the regulars for over an hour of ball passing drills. I won't lie though, my legs are sore today. All this work may be toning my legs (just in time for my hols to Italy!) but boy, do they feel tired. So here's the workout lowdown.

Friday: Gym workout. 30 min spin class, 20 mins sprints, 2 sets resistance
Saturday: 4.2 mile cycle
Sunday: 5.68km run (9.2kmph pace)
Monday: Gym workout. 20 mins sprints, 20 mins other cardio, 2 sets resistance
Tuesday: 7 miles cycle, 15 min run, lunges,squats, step ups, press ups (in park)
Wednesday: 10 mile cycle. 1.5 hours touch rugby training
Thursday: 8 mile cycle, 40 mins boxercise

As for the food side of things... it's been good. Really good. There have, however - been a few slip ups. I've eaten far too many boiled sweets.  I also may have had a banana in caramel/toffee sauce situation which I created a few nights ago. That was really silly of me and was again, when I was sort of bored - a bit like the ice cream banana sauce incident. So I'm hoping the fact all my meals have been on the money and the amount of exercise I have done is enough to give me a good result.

I feel good; more toned and less wobbly in general. My tummy and hips feel just as big as ever so who knows... All this surmising is getting me nowhere, the scales will reveal all in the morning.

Sping in my step

The weekend has been just lovely with some great highs, and a couple of self inflicted lows.

Friday night was the first meeting of my new book group. I know a couple of the girls but most of us were meeting for the first time. They seem like a really great bunch and I think I'd like to be proper friends with a couple of them! That makes me feel like a proper try hard. But when you're in a new city and trying to make new friends it's not that often you meet someone that you get on with but also someone that you feel like you kinda 'get' each others sense of humour etc. And so I've just fired off a couple of friend request on Facebook. Okay, now I sound like stalker.

It was a good night but the food my friend, who was hosting, made was not good at all. Her prawn risotto was totally tasteless and ugh, it was so stodgy - and not hot enough! Oh dear. We all ate it (I was starving) but I felt quite bad for her. She pulled it out the bag though with an amazing pudding. Some strawberry mille feuille creation. If I was being totally focused, I shouldn't have had any - but... I did. When you're at someone's home I find it really hard to say no. And on this occasion I wanted something tasty after the disaster that was the risotto. I also drank the best part of half a bottle of rum.

I had a long lie on Saturday and woke up to a very foggy, dull day. That's right Britain, while the rest of you were basking in the sunshine I didn't have it so good, which kinda pissed all over my plan to go for a long bike ride. After tidying round a bit and generally faffing, I eventually talked myself in going to the supermarket on my bike, a round trip of just over 4 miles. While at the shops I got a couple of very excellent holiday outfits which I shall post pics of later. I came home, made a fish pie, blogged -and then sat on my backside for the rest of the night. This is where it went a bit wrong. I was a bit bored and as I have come to realise this is quite the danger time for me. I had eaten all the right thing during the day but the next thing I knew I had helped myself to a bowl of vanilla ice cream smothered in my own banana jam/sauce. What a combination. It was insane. I bloody loved it. I then proceeded to demolish half a big bag of assorted mints. Suffice to say after all that sugar, I felt totally horrendous. I went to bed annoyed with myself. What happened to The Plan? I promised myself that if it was sunny I would go for a run in the morning.

I woke up to a gorgeous Sunday morning. The sun was shining; I got my trainers on. I headed off to a big park near me that I just discovered the other day - and this meant running up a rather large hill. Off I went. I got up the hill. I felt good! I kept on going. I felt even better. I realised the route I was taking meant there was only one way home - up a very long and very big hill. Oh well, nothing else for it. I kept going. I felt good. I got to the hill. I started running up it. I kept on going. I got to the top and I ran all the way home. I felt fricking amazing. 37 minutes and 5.7km of running without stopping! I was so excited. I can't stop thinking about it.

It was the perfect way to bring my thoughts together. Running in the springtime sun, through a park, along a riverside; it was beautiful. And it was the ideal way for me to realise how my fitness has improved. I think that's the longest run I've done in about a year and the fact that I managed to trot up two big hills without any problems has made me realise all the gym work is paying off. In the past few weeks I've done a lot of 1 min sprint/1 min walk on the treadmill for 20 mins at a time and my base running time is 10.2kmph. I remember when it used to be 8.4kmph. Now THAT feels good.

I got home, showered, had some brekkie, drove to Tesco, realised I had forgotten my purse, drove home, got my purse, went to Asda (closer), shopped, came home, wrestled with the washing line, shoved some mackerel down my face, went to meet my friend at a beer garden where I had a couple of rums but mostly stuck to diet coke.

TB joined us later but it was really nice to invited out by one of my new pals and to head off and meet her on my own, in my new city, doing ma thing... The evening wore on and we ended up heading out for food. There was talk of heading to the chippy but I'm glad to say I managed to steer it away from that and we went for Thai in the end. I had a pretty spicy jungle curry which was really nice - and not a bad choice at all.

This morning I had another excellent workout. 12 mins of running at 10.2 and then 8 minutes of sprint/walking and other cardio resulting in 40 mins in total - and some good resistance too. Fish pie tonight and  The Plan is in full flow.

Trash talk

So when I titled my last post "Can't Stop" little did I know that it was a prediction. Once I started, I couldn't stop eating my own cakes!

Here is how they looked all on display...

And then do you know what this is? That's the left over cakes thrown in the bin, taken out of the bin, put in the sink and covered in washing up liquid and water.

Yes, I took the bag of cakes out of the bin and started eating them. It happened. I ate pretty much a whole cupcake before I stopped myself. I knew the only way to make sure I didn't eat any more was to make them inedible. I know that might sound drastic to many people, but those are the kind of people who don't get it. They don't have this... thing, this fucked up relationship with food. 
 
So who knows what will happen on the scales tomorrow morning. Yet again I've exercised loads and my meals have been great, but I've let myself down over the weekend and last with picking inbetween. Not enough that I would expect a gain from it though. My period is due and my boobs are like two water balloons so that's going to help matters, I'm sure. Quite frankly if I put on weight again tomorrow I won't be surprised. I'll be furious, but not surprised.

Just to recap - here is the exercise for the week. It's not as if I'm slacking!

Wednesday: Gym workout. With sprints. 70 mins
Thursday: 8 mile cycle. 45 min Boxercise Class
Friday: Nothing
Saturday: Nothing
Sunday: Gym workout 70 minutes
Monday: 30 mins spinning. 10 mins running intervals
Tuesday: Some new bootcamp class

How does Bob Marley like his donuts?

With jammin! Just a wee Friday jape for you there. One of my personal faves too.

And why am I wittering on about jam? Cause I made some more- of course. My jams and preserves book has come up trumps once again and this time it's with banana jam. Not strictly a jam, this bad boy is addictive. All it is, is bananas, sugar and a little bit of lemon juice - all boiled up together then papped in some jars. It maybe doesn't sound that amazing but if, like me you love bananas and anything banana flavoured (think banoffee pie, banana bread, banana milkshake - can you see why I'm overweight?) then this is the jam for you.

I think I'm going to have to start calling it a sauce as it's just so sweet and delicious that I don't think calling it a jam is fair. When I was making it I was constantly liking at the jelly pan (my big pot that I boil it up in) and now that it's in jars - I cannot stay away. I had some yesterday on toast (a little post brekkie snack  - oops!) and it is just too good. What I'd really like to do with it is warm it slightly and have it over vanilla ice cream, with some toffee sauce.  It's pretty much just like a pudding in jar.

I couldn't get that middle picture to turn the right way round - but you get the sugary, sweet gist.

In other diet and exercise news... thing are going well. Not 100%, but well. Exercising is the bomb. I cycled to boxercise yesterday so that was a nice 8 mile round trip and it definitely was easier than when I last did it 2 weeks ago - even though the ride home was after some horrendous Russian twists and it was chucking it down big style.

My eating is a bit ropey though. Meals are fine. Great, in fact. It's the handful of crisps, the 6 boiled sweets a day, the wasabi peas, the cracker with banana jam.... just all those little sneaky extras that are throwing things off course. If I had lost weight on Wednesday I am sure my head would be more in the game but I know I don't quite have that laser focus that I need to have.

Today is only Friday though and I've got plenty of time to get a grip and really tighten things up. A few small changes could make a big difference and it's only me that can make them. C'mon woman. Don't let yourself down.

A quiet weekend likes ahead with hopefully a nice walk somewhere. Have a lovely one, where ever you are. x

Weigh in

The morning got off to a shaky start. I couldn't find any clean socks for the gym, I broke a nail, TB's trousers split (although that was highly amusing), we were late leaving the flat and the scales and I had an almighty fall out (the reason for being late).

Last week I was 12stone 8.25. I got on this morning and was faced with 12. 9.75.  Not happy. In fact, raging. I usually step on and off around 10 times, recording each weight as they can vary by a pound or so, so I always go with the most common number. The readings (just the pounds) then went like this; 10.25; 9; 10; 11; 13 STONE! What? So annoyed I can't actually put it into words. 

The entire thing was a total farce. I have no idea what I weigh and I do not get what the hell was going on. Suffice to say that what I do know is that I have put weight on. For the sake of having a number to give me an idea of where I am I've gone with 12stone 9.75lbs - a gain of 1.5lbs. It doesn't really matter though - as the whole thing was a total joke.

I'm confused as to how I've put weight on. I know what kind of week I've had and a weight gain is not justified. I may be heavier but there is no way I am bigger. The scales can have their little hissy fit; I know that the numbers are not a reality that I am going to worry about (once I have finished ranting). I've been here before and it's bigger picture time. I'll keep on keeping on. And maybe this is an opportunity to look at where I could make improvements. That handful of crisps each day- that needs to stop. The portion sizes, are they too big? A choc ice three times a week isn't really on.  So it's heads down and let's see what next week brings.

Even though weigh in has been and gone for this week here is my weekly workout chat. It's very gym heavy as I missed boxercise and I was late to my spin class thanks to heavy traffic so just did 30 mins on my own.

• Wednesday: Gym workout. 65 minutes
• Thursday: Gym workout 60 minutes
• Friday: Gym workout 70 minutes
• Saturday: nothing
• Sunday: nothing
• Monday: Gym workout 65 minutes (increased t-mill speed)
• Tuesday: 30 mins spinning

Thanks for the work comments on my last post. I'd love to do part time freelancing and part time secure employment but my industry isn't quite like that. It's kinda all or nothing. I think I'm going to put my CV into a  recruitment agency that deals only with my sector and see what that brings. No firm decisions but I'm just testing the water.

Starting Weight: 183 pounds
Current Weight: 177.75 pounds
Weight Loss This Week: plus 1.25lbs
Total 2012 Weight Loss: 5.5lbs

The quest for domestic perfection

Feeling very lethargic today work wise. I've been in front of the screen all morning yet have done jack all - and it's mounting up. I've decided to crack off a blog and then get to it. No excuses! (Little BL13 joke there for those who are watching. Ha!).

So first up, in my new domesticated life TB's parents and my parents are coming for dinner in March. Part of me is really looking forward to it and part of me thinks, 'Ugh, so civilised - and grown up'. Neither of those thoughts really matter though as it's happening.

What I am really looking forward to is cooking and baking and making a lovely meal for them - a lovely 3 course meal and possibly with some sort of biscuit too, to have with coffee later on. I'm thinking maybe Florentines. Any recipe or meal ideas would be much appreciated. Ideally something that doesn't require me to be constantly watching over it so I can entertain. Oh, and also something that I can plate up for each person. I don't want people to have to help themselves and reach over each other. It's the first time my dad will have met TB's folks and my mum only met them for 10 mins last summer and so anything I can do to remove awkward 'Would  you like the last piece' scenarios is what I'm trying to do. Oh yeah - seafood and curry are both out. Fussy mothers!

I'll just finish up with my workout chit chat as tomorrow is weigh in. I'm not too sure what to expect from the scales tomorrow. I know I worked really hard at the gym but I did eat an entire big bag of Penn State Pretzels between Wednesday and Sunday. And I had cranachan on Wednesday. And quite a few Celebrations. I'll just stop there... it's getting too depressing! Oh well... fingers crossed for a loss.

Wednesday: Nothing
Thursday: Boxercise
Friday: Gym workout
Saturday: Nothing
Sunday: Gym workout
Monday: Gym workout
Tuesday: Spinning

Thoughts to fingers to keys to blog

I'm just shit at blogging these days. I can't seem to summon the mental dexterity to fashion together even just a few words that aren't as boring as.... see! I can't even come up with a vaguely witty analogy.

Rather than totally fall off the radar I thought I'd at least crack out some words which might pass as a blog if you drank 17 rum and cokes and screwed your eyes up a bit. I might pap some pics up too. Better than nowt, eh. Well, I'm actually going to go list style. When in doubt paragraph it out, baby.

Last year my jam making was such a ruddy success that I got THREE jam making books at Christmas. Suffice to say I had to make marmalade this weekend just past. First attempt and it is the shit. Next up, three fruit marmalade.

My feline special boy continues to delight and frustrate in equal measures. We share a communal hallway/stairs with two other flats (top, middle and bottom). We are middle. Top is a lovely lady, her 9 year old daughter and their female cat. My boy is not getting on with their cat. Constant shouting at each other and a few swipes too. My cat keeps sneaking up to their front door and shouting dog's abuse (HA!) through their cat flap at their poor cat! I also know she's gone to the toilet inside her flat as she's unsettled! I wish my cat would stop being such an aggressive little shit. Although I have caught her chasing him inside from the garden too. It's like a full time job.

Sugar. Things are a lot better. A lot. For the past few days I've had about 3 celebrations a day and maybe a couple of boiled sweets. Feeling a lot better about that. I'm still totally aware of the fact I could go nuts and just inhale silly amounts but I am managing to be a lot more controlled.

The Biggest Loser (USA) I am obsessed. I fricking loved Season 11 (although nothing will ever beat Tara and Season 7) and have just gorged my way through season 12. I'm now one episode behind on Season 13 - which means I'll soon be caught up totally and I can actually read the blogs and tweets in line with the rest of the world without spoiling who gets chucked off each week.

Totally channelling the Biggest Loser workouts when I've been at the gym. I've been working really hard and yesterday, all of a sudden, I could feel a massive difference when doing dynamic lunges. I have an 8kg weight in each hand and using my right leg I step forward, lung and step back 12 times. Then the left leg. Then the same again but I step backwards and dip into a lung. And then the same with the other leg... 3 sets if you please. Ouch! I use to do these bad boys all the time.  I really do hate them but I know they work and so I just got on with it. Since the ankle incident (yes, I'm still bleating on about that) I've done them but never a full complement of 3 sets.... until yesterday baby! Very happy about that. I just felt much stronger than I have in months. While I feel the same size and generally a bit podgy about the body, my arms and legs feel much more solid and I can feel more muscle.

Had a pretty quiet weekend but was out on Friday night and both nights the weekend before. I even managed to go to an 80's club. They actually played Jason Donovan and Two Many Broken Hearts. Amazing! I'm staying off the booze this coming weekend as I'm at a night out in a village miles from anywhere and am just going to drive home to stay at my folk's afterwards. Quite hoping that'll help the scales move in the right direction.

I finally bought another pair of gym trousers/leggings. I have two sports bras (3 if you count the one that lots of the stitching has come out on), two pairs of trainer, countless t-shirts- but just one pair of trousers. They are constantly being washed and hung on the radiator to dry. It's never ending and it BORES ME TO DEATH. No more though! I'm not at your mercy any longer, sweaty breeks! And on that note... here are some pics.

Where's your head at

What a great weekend. My best friend was visiting and we had such a good time.

We shopped (hello two gorgeous dress from Warehouse that should have cost £130 and I got them for under £30), danced to 80's music, baked a cake, drank, ate, gossiped, played trivial pursuit and watched R Kelly's 'In the Closet'.

A few words from the above paragraph might have jumped out at you. You know... eat, drink, cake. I think it would be fair to say the diet went down the pan at the weekend. I drank quite a lot of Friday and Saturday night and also knocked back half a bottle of wine on Sunday night. Not good.

And since the weekend I've continued to faff about. My meals are great. Really good (apart from when Lover Boy cooks and makes a creamy sauce). Lots of lean protein and fruit and veg. My workout are really good. I'm kicking it big time at the gym and it feels good - even though I'm still only fitting in 4 workouts a week. I'm messing up all this good work with my lax weekend and my continual picking at sugary things. - every day.  My head is just not where it should be.

For example... today I've had a fruit for breakfast, chicken and prawn salad for lunch and a frittata for dinner. I've also been to spinning. Saintly, right? Wrong; because I've also had tablet (which if added all together would probably be the size of an iphone. In fact, probably more) and just there, after my tea, I had a slice of the cake I made at the weekend (Victoria sponge, if you're interested). I'm weighing in tomorrow for crying out loud - and I had a piece of cake. And then some more tablet! What am I playing at?

This kind of behaviour is typical of many, many of my dieting attempts in the past. I have a good couple of weeks and then I take my eye off the ball. I then stop losing weight or I put some back on - and then I lose interest... game over.  I can't let that happen again. I'm just a few pounds away from my lightest weight. It's within my grasp to get there - and lower.

Tomorrow is another weigh in - and another week for me to make the right choices. The scales will say what they say. I'll accept it and use whatever number is there to push me onto a week where things WILL change.

In the meantime, here's the workout lowdown.

Wednesday: Nothing
Thursday: Mental gym workout. 30 mins cardio and all manner of squats and weights
Friday: Mental gym workout
Saturday and Sunday: Nothing
Monday: Mental gym workout
Tuesday: 45 minute spinning class

Sweets for my sweet

I'm not eating enough. I never thought that is something that I'd say. But my relationship with sugar is arsing everything right up. Sorry, I can't think of a more eloquent way to put  it. 

Let me explain... I got up yesterday and had a large clementine for breakfast. I wasn't feeling that hungry as on Wednesday night I had a run in with a mini sized selection box. Ooops. Mid morning I make a cup of coffee and as I get the milk out the fridge, I spy the carnation milk that was used to make the tablet. The carnation milk that is in a squeezy bottle. Before I know it I'm having some in my coffee and even worse... squeezing it straight out of the bottle onto my finger to lick off. Jesus, woman.

This continues until lunchtime when I try and redress the balance with some homemade soup. Doesn't last long. Before I know it I'm back on the carnation milk like a hungry pup suckling at its mother. I then get stuck into the boiled sweets. I must have had about 12 sweets. Oh. Dear.

By this time I'm feeling pretty crap. I'm going to the gym and so managed to stop eating sugar and have another clementine. By the time I think I've left enough time to let my body process everything and actually attempt some exercise it's about 7pm.

I have a great workout - until my last 10 mins of cardio and ouch! Stitchy stitch. I shower and being to walk home. Aaaaaaargh. What is this stabbing pain in my tummy. It's pigging agony and I'm almost bent double as I shuffle home. I eventually get in and lie down. TB arrives home soon after and gives me a cuddle and I feel a lot better. I then have a boiled egg and toasted roll for dinner - at 9.30pm.

So there you have it. Probably had a sore tummy cause of all the crap that I was putting in it - and lack of good stuff. And eating far too late. Not clever.

I really need to address my sugar issues. It's just after lunch and I've had two boiled sweets. That's okay - as long as that's it. And it is it. I could be sabotaging a really great loss with this stupidity. The workouts are going great guns and I can notice a little more definition in my calves and I'm not spilling out the top of my gym bottoms, like I was a few weeks ago.

So the moral of the story is stop being a git.

The lean list

It's that time again. The time when I think about what I've done over the past week and I wonder if it's been enough.

It's week one and this time last week I was inhaling a chinese at a rate of knots. With that in mind I would expect have to have lost something - even just a quarter of a pound. Ideally I'd like to get back into the 12 stone bracket which means I need to lose 1.25lbs. Well, the scales will say what they say. And now.... the lean list.

Wednesday: Nothing
Thursday: 3.92km run. 3 sets lunges & squats, tricep dips and press ups
Friday: 4.03 miles on the bike
Saturday & Sunday: Nothing
Monday: Gym workout 30 mins cardio, squats, lunges, chest press & triceps
Tuesday: 8.2 miles on the bike lunges & triceps, 10 mins cardio at gym

Multi Gym

What's better that 1 gym membership... 2.

Yes, as of today I have two gym memberships. Madness. I know, but let me explain.

When I moved city I had to leave my beloved Virgin Active gym behind. I had been a member for... oooh, maybe 7 years or something like that. I really really liked it. Literally five minutes from door to door on foot and with more classes that you could shake a wobbly bum at, it was great. Lovely changing rooms, hot showers, loads of cardio machines, free weights, huge mat area for weights etc. It was great. And that's before the swimming pool and steam room/sauna come into it.

Admittedly I only really went to spinning and used the gym equipment so I wasn't making the most of it - but it was my gym and I loved it. Although I wasn't so mad about the £60 a month price tag. That's not quite the way I like to shed the pounds.

There is no Virgin in my new city and to be honest I was quite keen to put the £60 towards rent (my new city is quite an expensive place) but I couldn't be without a gym. However, a solution raised it's budget head in the form of Pure Gym. With banks of cardio machines, a full timetable of classes and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all for the lean and mean price of £17 a month, what's not to love? I signed up and the very next day trotted along for a workout.

It's still very close to my flat. Just over ten minutes walk and I was punching in my very long ID code to get in. They gym itself is great. Lots of equipment. Loads! There are so many machines it's insane. Cardio and weights machines. However, there is a distinct lack of space for any free weight action. I like to use the gym ball to lie back on with my knees bent while I do chest presses. And lunges. Well, I hate them but they are golden for slimmer thigh action and there were very few spaces for me to do this and even fewer that had mirrors. Not the end of the world and a day later I found out the fitness studio has loads of kit including viper bars and kettle bells and that space can be used if there are no classes.

That brings me onto the classes. 9 spaces in each class. 9. That is not enough. I will have to set reminders to try and book into a class if I stand a chance of getting in. And the one class I want, spinning, is not the way I like to spin. The bikes are in the middle of the gym studio. There is no seperate spin studio. Everyone can see you wobbling about as you do your best Lance Armstrong impression.

Now, I can get over that. What I can't get over is that the open studio means the tunes are not pumped up full blast, nor are the lights dimmed. I love it when the beats are right in your face and the instructor is screaming at you. Oh, and the classes are only 30 mins long.

There are other things that make it obvious the cost is only £17 per month for a reason. No paper towels, no shower gel, the changing room is very much a locker room; tiny benches and lockers three high. It's functional. And it has to be. That's how it has made it's mark and created a niche.

It does leave me missing the spin love though. Hmmm. Where else could I spin? Why, of course! TB has a gym at his work! His gym has some classes, cardio machines and even better - he's paid to sign up and adding me is next to nothing (well, it is nothing as he's not letting me give him any money for it. What a sweetie). It's 4 miles away from the flat and so tomorrow I am cycling out there at lunchtime for my induction. Lovely! They have a spin class on a Tuesday teatime - just like I used to go to! And they also have a boxercise class. I am very tempted by that.

So I'll use Pure for wet weather and general gym use. I'll use TB's for good weather antics (as I'll always try and cycle there) and spinning. A killer combo.

I have often walked down this Quality Street before

Time to fess up... the dregs of the Quality Street tin called my name last night and I responded with a saccharine.. 'Yes, my Sweet?'.

But panic ye not. The sum total was one fudge (picked by accident - don't even like those ones!) one strawberry cream and a caramel cup. I may also have nibbled at some tablet. Oh yeah, and I've just remembered I had a cracker with brie. Now that is bad. Okay... It's not quite the absolute pure start I envisaged but I'm not too upset about it. It was day one and overall the rest of the day was really good. My meals were all superb and considering we got 2 tins of Quality Street (not to mention the other selection boxes and chocs) it would probably have been medically unwise to go cold turkey. Ha!

And what about exercise? I woke up to a beautiful day this morning. Very windy and cold but nice and sunny. I popped on my gym kit and planned to head out after lunch. The elements then taunted me for the whole morning. Rain, hail, sun, more rain, lots of wind, sun. It was really pretty cold too and the thought of leaving my cosy flat was far from appealing. Finally it was almost 3pm and with the light fading I had to steel myself and just get the hell on with it.

It actually went okay but, ouch - my teeth! Ouch indeed. The cold wind hitting my pegs as I drew in lungfuls of icy air was so painful. I battled through and made it home where I did some lunges, squats, tricep dips and a chest presses. A quick check of my route (thank you map my ride) revealed I'd run 3.92km and my pace was 9.4km an hour. That is a much faster pace than normal. I usually sit around 8.7kmph. I've not actually been running outside for about six months and so I must have improved. Well done me!

The plan tomorrow is to get up with TB (at 6.55am!) and head to the gym for 8am. I really cannot be arsed but it means it'll be out the way and I'll also miss the crowds.

Right, I'm off to stir my homemade soup. Byeeeee.

Hopeful but unconvinced

Dinner last night was relatively healthy. Well - it was healthy; a nice veggie curry and brown rice. What wasn't so great was the half a cupcake and fair few matchmakers I scarfed. I did do my 2.5mile walk as planned though and so all was not lost.
Today has been a sterling day and all that remains (apart from a power of work) is spinning and grilled pork chop and veg for tea.

So how am I feeling about tomorrow? Well... unsure to be honest. I'm expecting a loss of some description as I mainly stuck to my eating plan and worked out quite a bit. What might derail me is the ice cream situation of Thursday night (oops) and Saturday's few slip ups. 

Here is the week of exercise. Let's hope it was enough.

Wednesday: Gym workout. 4.6 mile cycle
Thursday: Spinning. 4.32 mile cycle
Friday: 7.26 mile cycle
Sat & Sun: Nothing
Monday: 2.16 mile cycle. 2.5 mile walk
Tuesday: 2.16 mile cycle. Spinning.

Excessive

What a great weekend. TB and I tackled flat painting on Saturday with great success and the place is looking pretty damn good. I've still got a fair few bits to do myself but I feel like we've broken the back of it and the thought of getting going isn't quite the giant mental hurdle it was before.  I feel like I'll be ready to get it on the rental market mid December and then I will hopefully find someone to move in early January.
On Saturday night I went out with some of my friend's and got totally shit faced. I was completely steam boats. This was all before 12pm when we then went to a party where things proceeded to get even more messy. TB rocked up at about 4pm and we carried on with our boozy night until we left at 9.30am! It's been a while since I had such a massive bender - and boy it felt good!

I must confess bits of the night are a total blur but I do remember most of it and also have some vague memories of TB saying something to me about marriage! I'm pretty sure he said something along the lines of "I'm not actually asking you but what would you say if I asked you to marry me?" Ha! I love it! I can't actually remember what I said in reply but I know I didn't want it to be an all out YES! I mean, I don't want him to think it's that easy to snare me! So I think I mumbled something about the chances were pretty high. That is all I can recall, irritatingly.  I know he was completely smashed and so it was just drunken chat but even thinking that it's a tiny thought that has crossed his mind fleetingly, makes me feel all giddy and girly!  I'm not going to think any more about it though. Let's just try moving in together first.

And how did the weekend eating go? Up and down. So much for making a pudding that TB would like and I wouldn't.  I ate just as much as he did (minus the horrible sultanas) but I suppose it was relatively low fat.  Saturday was a poor result. Baguette with chips, pizza and cupcakes all featured. As well as a power of booze. I did stick to diet mixers though and Sunday did balance things out. The hangover and party fall out was rather sizeable and so the full days intake was a few mouthfuls of scrambled eggs, 3 small slices of cold pizza and a few onion rings. Oh, and some banana milk.

My appetite today has returned with a bang and my poor tummy is rumbling. However, keep it lean, keep it mean - is my mantra and I shall have two stupendous days before weigh in. There is no way I could face the gym tonight - the hangover still lingers. Instead I'm hotfooting it 2.5 miles over to my pal's for tea. 

I've got a lunchtime 30 minute power walk planned for lunchtime tomorrow and spinning in the evening. I WILL see a loss this week. Onwards and downwards!

Back to form

So the scales and  I might not be getting along so well just now but there is another piece of equipment that is my new best friend; the treadmill.
I was feeling pretty tired last night. 4.6 miles of cycling around town and a busy day at work had wiped me out and I could not be bothered with the gym. However, Never to be repeated November (thanks for that moniker. Mother. It's been named so as the plan is that we are going to be so amazing in November that to repeat our  actions could never happen again) is here and so there was no option.

At around 4pm I had necked a sugar free red bull and two nurofen. At 6pm I  got home and cranked up the Immaculate Collection full volume while getting changed into my gym kit. At 6.30pm I got on the treadmill. At 7pm I got off the treadmill having completed a 5k.

Let me spell this out... I ran 5km in 30 minutes and 30 seconds. I think that's a personal best!  I'm sure of it. I was only planning to do about 10 minutes of running but I got into a nice steady rhythm and as the minutes ticked by I just decided that I was going to keep going until I hit 5k. At about 3.5k I increased the speed and by the last km I was going for it. So so pleased.

Thanks to that performance I am right back in the zone and I'm even planning to go back to circuits next week. Delightful! I am determined to shift this pesky half stone that has snuck back on.

I'm actually feeling very organised and productive in all areas of my life at the moment. I've been getting the LoveCat Lair ready for renting out. This has involved sorting out all my drawers and chucking out a metric tonne of shite which has been cluttering up my cupboards for years doing sweet FA.  I'm just about there and this weekend TB and I will be getting busy with some paint brushes. I am quite excited!

When I was clearing out my cupboards I found a show box in which I had put lots of letters and other sentimental shenanigans. I had a quick rifle through and found a few items from The Highlander. There were a couple of Valentine cards which were quite nice to read. And then I found a Valentine card from me to him. I had written a message all about how I would always love him with all my heart. It felt really weird see my handwriting alongside his name and a gushing message.

I know I was mad about him when we were together. Of course I was or I wouldn't have hung in there for as many years as I did. But looking back it all seems such a dim and distant memory. I've forgotten so much of it and how into him I was. I think that's partly because I can now look back and see how his behaviour was totally unacceptable at the time. Something I just couldn't process back then.

The way I feel about TB feels so much.... I don't know. I suppose I feel the most in love with TB that I've been with anyone. I've loved a few people in my time, all in different ways, but with TB it's better than I could ever imagine. Not only do I love him because I fancy the pants off him and I feel like we're completely on the same level, but the things he does for me and and the way he puts me first is unlike anyone I've ever met.

I threw my Valentine card in the bin.

Day before drivel

Sooooo - how has the past week been? Pretty darn amaze-balls. 
There is something about working out really hard that focuses my mind and makes me stick to the eating side of things. Admittedly the last couple of days have been a bit dodgy food wise but in the main - I'm a pretty happy bunny.

I'm weighing in tomorrow and I have no idea what the scales are going to throw at me- especially as I am out for tea tonight. I know I feel better than this time last week. My jeans are definitely slightly looser. Although the ying to that yang is the fact I caught sight of my backside in a changing room mirror and the phrase 'badly set jelly' sprung to mind. Just as well I have a fan-bloody-tastic personality to distract!

It's been a while since I've done one of these, so enjoy!

Tues: Spinning. 10 mins cardio. 2.16 mile cycle.
Wed: Gym workout. 2.16 mile cycle.
Thurs: 11.11 mile cycle.
Fri: Spinning. 4.32 mile cycle.
Sat: Gym workout
Sun: 4km run
Mon & Tues: nothing

The good will out

I tried on my bridesmaid dress tonight.

It would seem the extra four pounds or so that I've been carrying around since my holiday (which was two months ago!) have settled around my tummy and hips. It's nothing to worry about and while I can see that my dress isn't sitting as perfectly as it was, isn't anything a pair of pull-you-in tights can't sort out.

However, I want to be able to breath out on the day of the wedding without worrying that I've got a pot belly going on (there ain't nowhere to hide in a size 14 Coast dress) and so until Saturday it's all systems go.

While I've been munching on too many of the wrong things I am doing a lot of the right things. I had a great gym workout on Saturday and tonight. I've a 6 mile cycle under my belt and I'm spinning tomorrow as well. That's four solid workouts this week.

I've had a really sterling day food wise and I intend for tomorrow to be the same. I am out for a sushi lunch and so I just need to avoid the soy sauce to there is no salty water retention issues during Wednesday's weigh in.

Regardless of what the scales say on Wednesday morning. I need to keep on going. Get back into the groove of planing my food and building my plans around my workouts. I'm off to TB's on Wednesday lunchtime and so I'd love to get up early and get a quick run under my belt. In fact - I just have to decide that's what I'm doing. That's the plan. End of discussion.

It was the night before weigh in

Back to the old routine.

Tomorrow is weigh in - the first in two weeks. I have no idea what number I'll see on the scale in the morning.  14 days ago I was 12 stone 11.25lbs. If I'm the same again I'll be quite happy. I got back on track last week and I'd say I'm operating at about 85% of the intensity I was - before my wobble.

The weekend was not the healthiest. I was on a hen weekend and there was a lot of wine and there were a lot of cupcakes. And a few other naughties. I hadn't eaten a whole lot during the day on Sunday and so when I got home I got stuck into some filthy supernoodles. Oh, they were so good and cheap and nasty.

On a complete aside let me say, I am so glad the hen weekend is over. I'm a bridesmaid (not the chief bridesmaid I might add) and pretty much organised the whole thing from beginning to end. What a fricking nightmare. Why can't people just do what they are told, send me what they are supposed to send me and generally stop questioning me! Never again. I am never organising a hen do.

So here is the exercise run down for the last week...

Wednesday: 10 mile cycle
Thursday: Spinning
Friday: 35 mins weights workout
Saturday/Sunday: Nothing
Monday: Gym workout - resistance, 2.2 mile cycle
Tuesday: Spinning, 2.2 mile cycle