In the Immortal Words of Ms Bette Davis.....

Let's not ask for the moon,we have the stars.

(If you've not seen this film,hire it out...NOW!)


Well I'm shooting for the Moon Ms Davis!

When I've been bored at work,and hell,just bored in general,I've been obsessing over calculations in my head.E.g If I lose X amount a week,I could lose X stone by X time and be a size X.

I've calculated it's 25 weeks till Christmas. On Friday (my weigh in day) it will be exactly 25 weeks till the 25th of December.I took this as a sign and have set myself a mini challenge to lose 25 kilos/50 pounds/4 stone by the 25th.It's totally do-able as long as I keep eating the way I am but more importantly,focus and get some regular exercise in.If I don't do it,I'm not going to berate myself for it as long as my losses are consistent.As the many variations on this quote say 'Shoot for the moon,if you fail you'll land among the stars'.

My Cherry Dress!

Finally found pictures of the 30th birthday dress...........

it's still hanging up on my bed room door as a motivator.

Another day,another night shift.

It seems as if the universe is conspiring against me losing weight.I was all geared up to start a new swimming regime last week,but I have been sick as a dog since last Monday (and yes I freaked out and no,it's not Swine Flu).Walking any distance,let alone up stairs leaves my lungs feeling like the Coyote when the Road Runner drops big iron weight on his chest.I'm hacking coughs like my life depends on it and have used up an entire forest's worth of tissues.

I was determined to start next week,as this week my work schedule is just bonkers,but no.Got shifts coming out of my ears again.Being an agency worker on a mission to emigrate back to Sydney I need to take whatever I can while the work's going,coz you never know what's around the corner - I've had weeks living off just 15 hours wages.Hence me being in the state I'm in,body totally run down after constant 50 - 60 hour weeks.I don't even have kids! I don't know how working parents do it!

Here's how this week pans out........

Fri:10:00 - 20:00 shift,1 1/2 hours travel time each way.The joys of public transport.No exercise done.
Sat:Night shift 22:00 - 08:00.No exercise done before.Sick as a dog.
Sun:Sleep.Awoke feeling like a mucous monster with a boa constrictor wrapped around my chest.All intentions of attacking the treadmill went out the window.
Mon(today):Night shift as before.Managed to climb the stairs to the third floor for my 2 hourly checks without needing my Ventolin - a first since last Monday.May attempt to power walk around the open plan kitchen/living room.
Tues:Sleep,then a 5:30 - 22:00 shift
Weds:09:00-12:00 shift,then sleep then another night shift.May attempt 20 mins at least on the treadmill to tire me out so I sleep.
Thurs:Sleep,then meeting AngelBoy for tapas lunch.
Fri:08:00-16:00.MUST EXERCISE!!!!!!!
Sat:08:00-16:00,then 18:00-22:30 shifts,in opposite ends of Glasgow.Break between shifts will be spent travelling on buses.
Sun: 14:30 - 22:30.MUST EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!

Mon:Off with AngelBoy,will attempt to haul our asses out of bed before 1PM and attempt a big walk.
Tues: 09:00-12:00,13:00-21:00.Break spent travelling.
Weds:09:00 - 12:00,13:00 - 21:00.Break spent travelling.
Thurs:OFF!!!!! By myself!!!!! I love my Weegie Boy to bits but I do look forward to 'me' time.A big swim and a walk around the park me thinks.
Fri:08:00-21:00.No way is anything going to be done after this shift other than kicking back with a wee cigar and a glass of wine.(Yes I know smoking is unbelievably bad for mind,body and soul and especially Asthma,but this is a rare and special indulgence.)

PHEW!!!!!

I know that I need to make time for myself,but to be honest.I am sooooooo damn knackered after these shifts all I want to do is take a shower,wash the working day away and chillllllllll. Especially in my line of work.It's so mentally as well as physically exhausting.

I just hope my body feels better sometime soon,as my mind is totally revved up and raring to go,it's just this damn body and it run down immune system that's not.ARGH!

On a positive though,a few wee changes in the thought stream department which may seem trivial to most people but are HUGE in GlasgowGalah world.I have got the eating thing reined in.....so far.I've rediscovered my love for fruit and veg is now my friend.I am cooking every meal from scratch,have educated myself about reading food labels and can actually stop myself at just ONE teeny tiny fun sized chocolate bar instead of inhaling the whole bag.In fact,there is still a hoard of chocolate that I brought back from home,3 1/2 months ago,still untouched and unopened.

And as for alchomohol.......I've not touched a cocktail in about 2 weeks,I will have a glass of wine after work - not everyday,but when I feel like it and it's just limited to one instead of the whole bottle (*joke!* The whole 5 bottle experience with my sister has scarred me for life.) And on days off I just treat myself to a bottle of nice cava,or if my budget allows Champers,to share with AB.Whereas before I would have that AND copius amounts of home made cocktails with copius amounts of various spirits and liquers......and,shock,horror!!!!! There is no Vodka in my house!!!!!!! And I'm not freaking out!!!!! (***See note below)

Hope everyone else is feeling much better.I promise the recipes will come soon.Have been experimenting with savoury dishes so will post them soon,but right now I jut want it to be 8AM and me to be wrapped up in bed.xox

N.B *** I must clarify,I am not an alcoholic,I am just merely Australian ;P

Waheyyyyyyy!

Couldn't think of a more interesting title.But anyhoo - this week it's another 1 1/2 pounds off! So taht's 4 1/2 in 3 weeks.Aiming for 2 1/2 this week and my first silver 7.So utterly tragic of me to be getting excited over a wee silver sticker but what can I say,anything sparkly I covet.And 7 is my lucky number.

Speaking of covet.I've finally treated to myself to Dita Von Teese's book Burlesque and the Art of Teese.What beautiful photography.That girl has the 40's elegance down to a T.And I love her attitude to her fellow women and glamour.

Fab quote #1 'There is no such thing as a plain lady,everyone has their best features,accentuate and focus on them'

Fab quote #2 'I advocate glamour......ALWAYS'

I love that last one.I think Glasgow especially is lacking in glamour and class.......unless tango tan (the deeper shade of orange,the better),skirts so short you can see the bits that just should nae be seen out in public and clown face make up is your idea of glamour - oh and I forgot,the (fake) blonde hair bleached and straightened within an inch of it's life.Not that I have anything against bottle blonde's.....my bestest mate back home is a slave to the peroxide bottle,but it's natural looking and not so.......severe.And being a naturally curly haired woman that not even GHD's can tame you can of course understand why I wish for the day that curls come back - not in a Kylie Minogue perm circa neighbours 1984 though,please.

I promised many weeks back that I would post some recipes for plum tea cake and banana bread.I'm breaking that promise as I wouldn't wish those recipes on anyone.

I think that I am a slightly above average home baker/cook.I bake my own bread,make my own pasta.Anything that can be made from scratch from custard to pastry to naan bread to ice cream has been attempted with much enthusiasm.Packet mixes and frozen meals were banned from my house by my father.Everything was/is made from scratch,but I am lucky as he is a chef who passed on his enthusiasm and passion to me,unfortunately they by passed my sister.I can spend as much time in Lakeland drooling over their products as I can in Schuh salivating over Irregular Choice heels.When I was given a pasta maker it was as joy inducing as giving a designer hand bag is to my sister.

I have many requests for peoples birthday cakes and the one thing requested whenever I'm going to a friends is either my Indonesian Spring Rolls or my decadent Chocolate Velvet Raspberry Cream Fudge cake.You can now obviously see how I ended up the size I am.

I attacked the ww cake recipes with much enthusiasm and whilst they did come out of the oven quite aesthetically pleasing,the texture was rubbery and the taste was that much dreaded 'synthetic' diet taste.I didn't enjoy them at all and neither did my flatmates or my AngelBoy and have come to the conclusion that when I bake it will be proper cakes with butter and egg yolks dammit!!!!! Unfortunately that means a cake slice for 8 points.

I'll just make sure that they are distributed amongst flatmates,friends and neighbours (who luckily enough are also friends) and that there are enough points to accommodate - even if it does mean eating o -point savoury liquid for lunch and dinner.So the temptation is quashed but the joy of baking good,proper,delicious moist and crumbly cakes remains.Same goes for the Spring Rolls.A friend and I were both dieting many moons ago and tried baking them in the oven instead of frying them.It was spring roll carnage.

I do however have a wonderful home made bread recipe that I will post tomorrow.It works out to be 2.5 points per slice,but these are hearty slices and this bread is just too divine to eat any other.Dead easy too and pounding and kneading bread is very therapeutic,or is it just me.

Anyhoo,I shall sign off now as I am rabbiting and have to find ways to stay awake for the next 9 hours.Good luck to everyone else.xoxo

Uber quick update

Sorry I've not been around - working like a dog and been sick since Monday.who gets sick in the middle of a heatwave?!?!?!?!? Anyways,first weigh in 3 pounds off!!!!! Absolutely stoked :D off to my weigh in in 15 mins so will update the damage this arvo.xox