Wedding hurdle 1

Life seems to be just a little bit bat shit crazy busy just now.

How is it possible to be this busy?! Work is just bonkers. It's great, I'm earning a crust but there just aren't enough hours in the day. We've also been away at weekends quite a bit, I've been visiting my nephew (oh dear god, he is ADORABLE), seeing friends in my old home city and oh you know - trying to book a wedding.

It's this last part I am finding the most frustrating. I know what I want but I don't think it exists. Or if it does it has been turned into a typical wedding venue that has been polished and preened within an inch of it's life - with a price tag to match.

What don't I want....

• A hotel
• A church
• A typical location that has a format they roll out time and time again
• A room that is the same for everyone bar a the flowers
• To get married inside

Really what we both want is a really fun and casual event. We'd love to be married outside but of course that means there has to be a back up in case the weather is wet. What seems most sensible is renting a big self catering house for all the wedding party to stay in and with a big enough garden that we can put a marquee up - which would double up as the wet weather back up.  There also has to be enough accommodation close by for everyone else.

I don't think that sounds too hard. I think that sounds quite reasonable. Well, I'll tell you - apparently it's not. And if there is somewhere that's like that - it's not available. Bookings are being taken for 2016. What the chuff? Three years from now. Insane.

Next generation

Life just keeps getting better.

Last night I became an Auntie for the first time! My brother and his wife had a baby boy and he is the cutest thing I have ever seen.

He's the first grandchild and so everyone is cock a hoop! I was on the phone to my mum earlier who informed me she was just icing a birthday cake for her grandson with '0' on it. Off her head.

I'm heading back to my hometown on Thursday to meet him. Can't wait!

Weigh in

By Jove, she's done it again. 0.75lbs off.

It was almost a pound but the scales settled on the lower of the numbers and I'm okay with that. I drank A LOT at the weekend - it was our housewarming party. I was really sensible with the food but I did have a little slice of cheesecake (my own, which is fricking amaaaazing  - banana and nutella or raspberry and vanilla) and on Sunday the hangover could only be managed with a few slices of pizza. I felt so sick that it was all I could manage just about all day so my total cals were probably not bad at all. 

I also was a bit snacky on Tuesday and Wednesday evening and got fired into a big big of prawn cocktail shells and some pretzels too. Naughty.  So that's the ying.

The yang is that I did two runs this week. One was 6.24km and the other 5.83km. I feel like I've suddenly hit my running groove. The longer run was all running - no walking at all. Not one step! I found the shorter one tougher but only walked for about 30 seconds. I was going to keep it to just over 5km but as I neared home but I had a stern word with myself and pow - I chose the slightly longer route. I've  not felt this good about running since I took part in the Up and Running course. I have 10k in my sights!

It's great that the numbers are still going down the way but I know that I'm not really happy with these tiny losses. I want more. Next week, I want to lose a pound - at least! It's been five weeks since I lost more than a quarter of a pound. My weekly average is barely over a pound. I want that number up.

TB and I are going on hols to Crete in a month. A month today in fact. That's four more weigh-ins.  I am going to be in the 12's. Fact.

Week 1:   13 stone 11.75
Week 2:   13 stone 9.75  (- 2lbs)
Week 3:   13 stone 7.5    (- 2.25lbs)
Week 4:   13 stone 8.5    (+ 1lb)
Week 5:   13 stone 6.25  (- 2.25lbs)
Week 6:   13 stone 2.5    (- 3.75lbs)

Week 7:   13 stone 2.25  (- 0.25lbs)
Week 8:   13 stone 4.5    (-0.25lbs)
Week 9:   13 stone 4       (-0.5lbs)
Week 10: 13 stone 3.25  (-0.75lbs)
Week 11:  13 stone 2.5    (-0.75lbs)

Total: 11.75lbs

The proposal

I was feeling tired and worn out.  A long weekend at a music festival and a five hour drive home had wiped me out. I trudged home after a 12 hour day, feeling a bit sick and generally ready to do nothing but sit on the couch, as agreed with TB earlier in the day.

I was on my my way home when I got a text from him.

I might not be done till after 6 tonight. When are you back? X
Nooooo! Getting into the station at 17.30.
I'll not be too late, I'll let you know
You let me know. There is someone on the train with honking BO. What do  you want for tea? X
Something delicious.

I got home, popped some chicken in the oven and started peeling a sweet potato (it was the best I could do - I was knackered!). I was about halfway through the potato when I heard TB come in the front door and he shouted hello.

"Hallooooo"
"Hiya", I replied
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay"
"Just okay? Can you come here a second"

At that moment, I did wonder why he was calling me into the hall. Normally he would come straight in to the room I was in. So I immediately thought he had something to show me but little did I know that when I turned the corner into the hall he would be standing there with a cat basket, with two tiny kittens inside!

"Oh my god - kittens! Two kittens! Why have you got kittens? Where did you get them from?! Kittens!"

I turned to look at him. He was looking right at me. Before he even said anything I knew. I just knew. "LoveCat" he began. Holy crap. This was actually happening.

He got down on one knee and I sort of just melted and sank to the ground with him, on both knees.

"I love you very much. I can't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me".
"Yes! You know I will. Of course I will" I half laughed, half cried intro his neck as I threw my arms around him."

And with that, we were engaged. 

Weigh in

I know, I KNOW. I need to tell all about the engagement and the kittens (one of which is sleeping on my lap right now - more cuteness than I can stand) but for now - it's time to talk numbers. Specifically, the number on the scale.

I've got a wedding dress to fit into - there is no time to faff about. If I ever needed an incentive, then here it is - in white and lace (for example!). So much more to say on this topic.

I made the transition to the new scales which are heavier than my old ones. It's been a bit messy as I got my head around it but the main thing is that although the number is up - the overall loss is down. You get me?

The last time I checked in here was  three weigh ins ago. And get this... I've lost weight all three of these weigh ins! Yes, they are pitiful losses but the trajectory is down and that my people, makes me an even happier bunny than I am already.

Week 1:   13 stone 11.75
Week 2:   13 stone 9.75  (- 2lbs)
Week 3:   13 stone 7.5    (- 2.25lbs)
Week 4:   13 stone 8.5    (+ 1lb)
Week 5:   13 stone 6.25  (- 2.25lbs)
Week 6:   13 stone 2.5    (- 3.75lbs)

Week 7:   13 stone 2.25  (- 0.25lbs)
Week 8:   13 stone 4.5 (-0.25lbs)
Week 9:   13 stone 4 (-0.5lbs)
Week 10: 13 stone 3.25 (-0.75lbs)

Total: 11lbs

I don't wanna keep harking back to the old scales but if I was weighing on them - I would be 0.75lbs away from being in the 12s!

In other news, yesterday I ran 5.85km without stopping once to walk. Pow pow!

Kitten brain

SO much to talk about! SO much to tell you!

I can't concentrate for more than five minutes on one thing though. This week is a really busy week as it is, never mind the telling of my engagement tale to every single person who looks at me - whether I know them or not. And on top of that - kittens!

I have two kittens that I cannot get enough of. They are beyond cute. They keep falling asleep nuzzled into our necks and on our shoulder. I can't take it!

I am also shopping for ring. How flippin hard is that? I am also thinking about wedding venues - brain. cannot. cope!

POPPED!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

HE PROPOSED!

WE'RE ENGAGED!

I can't believe it. And best of all - he did it with kittens! I got engaged AND two kittens! I am the luckiest girl alive.

Les Mills is a bastard

Tomorrow is weigh day. And it's gonna be a whole lotta faff.

I'm making the transition to the new scales and I'm doing this while at my folk's house as TB and I are heading there tonight so we can make a sharp exit southwards for a four days of music festival mayhem.

The plan is to weigh myself on my old scales and see if I've lost any weight (if they play ball that is). I'll then weigh myself on the new scales knowing what I think I was on them last week - based on the different between the two. Whoooa! Whoa. I think my brain just melted. What the crap am I blethering on about? That was quite a bit of crazy that just leaked out there. I'm gonna weigh in and hopefully I can work out if I've lost some weight. How about that? Better. Then after that I'll chuck the old scales.

I'm feeling confident for tomorrow as on the food front over the past week, things have gone very well. I am most pleased. I've been a bit slack with exercise but I did have a couple of good gardening stints over the weekend and Bodypump on Monday. Even if I hadn't been crazy busy trying to get fancy dress costumes organised for the festival there is no way I could have moved more than the bare minimum as thanks to bodypump, walking, standing up, sitting down, lying down, sitting up - well just moving at all - is agony!

Oh my god my poor thighs are aching. It's like hot rods are being drive into my femurs by Les Mill himself. The bastard. It's not so bad once I've been moving around but if I've been sitting still for a while and then I get up. Holy fuck.There he is again.

It's an early weigh in as I've got the dentist at 8.10am so the chances are I shall update you from the waiting room. Whatever the numbers are up to, I am feeling good. I feel positive. I'm ready to keep this train a rolling.

Kablooom - thoughts everywhere

S'all going AWN! A weekend at home has me energised and raring to GO! Brain dump... engage!

• Gardened like a demon on Saturday AND Sunday. Garden is a verb, right? I probably hacked out stuff that was meant to be there but it was taking over and enough - it was promptly hauled out. Our front garden was totally overgrown and it looked really tinky. Now that all our builder type people are finished on the roof and in the basement (don't even ask how many thousands that cost) it was time to reclaim the front of the house and assure the neighbours they people who moved in next to them are not a bunch of n'er do wells. 

• I finally finished painting my bedside cabinet. It's such a pinterest cliche to say you'll buy some old furniture, sand it down and then paint it. But that's exactly what I did and it looks fricking amazing. I just have several other massive pieces to do. Wonky face.

• TB's folks came over for a barbecue on Saturday night and I've not seen his mum for about 5 weeks. Holy crap. In about 9 weeks she's lost almost 2 stone. What the hell?! She looks amazing. Amazing! She's joined slimming world and is being perfect - no cheating at all. In her first week she lost half a stone and then 4lbs the weeks after. Green. I am green. She was quite big to start with and hasn't really dieted much in her life so she's getting results. But good on her. I can't let her get away from me though! Quick- 30 squats.NOW

•  Saw a lovely rainbow in the back garden last night. Made me smile.

• Quite liking my face at the moment. Sometimes I'm not digging what I see but right now, feeling good. Having quite good hair too.

• I bought new scales. I got them on Friday morning (post run, breakfast and juice) and when I got home I weighed myself on them and the old ones. From what I can see there is a 3/4lb difference - heavier on the new ones. This means I should be 13 stone 3lbs on the new ones if I had weighed myself first thing. I'm taking them with me on Wednesday night as I'm at my folk's house that night and I'm weighing on Thursday morning before I head off to a music festival with my best pals that I've not seen for ageeeees. Also meeting a very lovely and sexy blogger there too who I have met IRL (yeah - I just typed IRL - hahhhhaaaaa) once before. It was not enough.

• I went to bodypump today for the first time in about.... oh, I dunno. Maybe two years. Maybe longer. I'm not sure it's for me. I used to go all. the.time. but I've moved on. There was a time it gave me what I needed but, I just felt like... well, it was boring. Boring! But... I may well go back - my arms, legs and back are pretty achy and sore so it's doing something.

• Finally - I just wanted to share something which has had me smiling for a wee while. When I was away, just before I went to Ireland for the wedding, I stayed at a place where there were two sisters. They are about 18 and 21 and are lovely. They are just full of life and sparkle. They are also really pretty and slim. I was chatting away to the younger of the two one night and she said that her sister and she, see me around at the events we all go to - and they would love to be like me when they are older. How nice is that. I was so touched. What a lovely thing to say. It's given me such a big smile. We actually have very similar hair (big, dark brown and wavy) and so they are joking I'm the 3rd sister. Love it!

Weigh in

My bloody scales are useless.

They are weight watchers ones that tell you all manner of useless data and apparently are SO sensitive that if you move ever so slightly when you weigh yourself that you get a different reading. This means sometimes I can get weights that are over half a stone apart. What the chuff?

I've managed to work with them by placing them on exactly the same tile in the bathroom and standing in exactly the same way and I've muddled through. Okay, so some weeks they might not be quite spot on but they trend was downwards.

However, since moving house, I lost one of the wee rubber feet on the bottom of them and its even harder now to find any sort of consistency. I spent about 25 minutes this morning faffing about with them. Ummm, no thanks. Just look at how many different readings I got - and many of them more than once.

 

The upshot is that I think I've lost a quarter of a pound. Or maybe stayed the same. I don't feel any different from last week so I'm using that as a guide too. I've had enough of this malarkey though. Time for some new scales. I want ones that show up 1/4 or more increments. Any suggestions?

Week 1: 13 stone 11.75
Week 2: 13 stone 9.75  (- 2lbs)
Week 3: 13 stone 7.5    (- 2.25lbs)
Week 4: 13 stone 8.5    (+ 1lb)
Week 5: 13 stone 6.25  (- 2.25lbs)
Week 6: 13 stone 2.5    (- 3.75lbs)

Week 7: 13 stone 2.25  (- 0.25lbs)

Total: 9.5lbs

Bring it in, people

Tomorrow is weigh day. I'm nervous. I don't think I've done enough.

I've been away at at wedding and while I really tried to choose the healthy options, I ate two puddings. TWO PUDDINGS (on two different days I hasten to add). And apart quite a bit of walking about, I've really done no exercise.

Now that I'm back at home and in more contact with food as I am cooking rather than being served (when it's actually easy to ask for the healthy option and all you can eat is what's on your plate), I seem to be giving myself portions that are bigger than I probably should be having. I'm coming back for an extra forkful. I'm eating some wine gums that were bought for the office. I'm cutting off a wee bit of bread and eating it when I'm in the kitchen. I'm opening the fridge and cupboards and looking for something to eat. Oh dear.

It stops. Now.

Today is and will continue to be flipping amazing...

Breakfast: nectarine, tiny slice of brown bread and my own marmalade (which is one of my best perseveres ever - just in case you are interested).
Lunch: chicken salad
SPIN
Dinner: veg packed fritatta
Snack: Melon

I've just come back from spin (which involved a 2km cycle there and back). I think this says it all - and this is an hour later post windy cycle home.

I wasn't expecting much from the class. Yeah, it's a fancy new leisure centre - a pretty good one for the size of town - but it's council run and I've been to a lot of different spin classes all over the country. I know good spin. Holy crap. This was good spin. There were only six of us in the class but the instructor gave it her all -a and she made sure she gave yours too. Loved. It.

Back in the habit

I'm a creature of habit. I love a routine.

Back in the great weight loss of 2011 I did some form of exercise every day (and also cycled a whole load too). It was something different everyday but the same each week.

I know it works for me and now that I'm working from home three days a week (whoopee!), now is the time to get back into the groove. So here is my plan, partly possible thanks to my new gym membership. It's a council run gym but it's all new and lovely with a load of classes.

It's quite an ambitious plan as I'm out the house for over 12 hours on a Tuesday and Wednesday but it's down there in black and white and if I really want to do it, I will. Tonight I have to drag myself out for a run when I get home and then off for spinning tomorrow lunchtime for the first time in a long, long time - and I have to cycle 2km to get there as a kick off!