Plan Of Action for July

So yeah,I've totally fallen off the wagon for the umpteenth time.It's now 5 months until I see my parents again and I also have a new motivation.

My bestest friend in the entire world is coming all the way from Sydney in October! We've known each other for 13 years and she is just FABULOUS.Even though we hadn't seen in each other in 5 years when I went back home in March 2009,it was just like we'd seen each other the day before.Test of a true friendship.In fact it was the same with my other 2 best mates so I must have awesome taste in friends ;P

So that's 3 months till I see her and 5 months till I see my parents.Time for some serious focusing....

* I will finally join the gym (I'm only working 3 - 4 days a week,although they are sleepovers and 13 hour days,so that's plenty of time for the gym and swimming)
* I will ACTUALLY GO TO THE GYM AND SWIM AND EXERCISE!!!!!
* I will plan,plan,plan my meals and cook and bring all my food and snacks to work,so temptation is avoided.
* Cut down on meat and dairy.

I think those 4 steps are enough to focus on now.Oh and of course,I will update this blog regularly with how I'm going.

Well,that's all for now.I'm off to peruse the latest issues of Slimming World and WW magazines while watching 'There's No Business Like Showbusiness' as the rain pelts down outside. (Typical Glasgow 'Summer'!)

Hola,Guten Tag,Hiya

I'm still around!!!!!!!!!!! Just totally caught up in World Cup mayhem and service user holidays.normal service will resume next week! xx

A question about vitamins and supplements.........

Do you take them? If so,what and why?

I'm trying to take a multi-vitamin everyday and have just bought Holland and Barrett 'Skin,Hair and Nails formula'.I do eat a lot of fruit,substantial veg,but not much red meat or fish.

I've been reading a diet book (which shall remain un-named as it's pretty much just Atkins,though the 2 authors personal stories and beauty tips are fab) which recommends:

* A Chromium supplement,containing at least 200 mcg of chromium,which 'builds muscle,decreases body fat and can reduce cholesterol'
* A fish oils supplement
* Vitamin B complex tablet
* Coenzyme Q10

What do you think? Do they work or are they a waste of time?

I never thought I would ever say this...................

On Wednesday I shall be joining the gym.Watch this space as I go from this.............


to.........................................????????????????????????

BTW,i don't usually dress like that.It was an 80's disco at work to celebrate the company's 30th
anniversary. I am quite enamoured with the pink bob though.

And I make the best Sangria EVER.Not very WW friendly,6 points for half the jug if you're a Dietrich-Davis lush like me,but this stuff is the shizz.


1 bottle white/cava/red/rose - preferably from Spain or S.America.don't know why - it's just a psychological thing for me.
Copius amounts of chopped up fruit (3 of my 5 a day in this jug.That's my justification and I'm sticking to it)
1 small box of lychee or mango juice (I use Rubicon)
1 can of sparkling Rubicon lychee or mango or passionfruit or pineapple and coconut drink
Vodka - pref. fruity flavoured Absolut or Smirnoff.Peach is my flavour of choice
Ice Cubes

Pour into a big jug,mix and enjoy.xx

It was soooooooooo worth it...........

A pound on.I actually expected it to be a hell of a lot more as I've been horrendously ill and therefore no exercise as even walking is inducing asthmatic coughing fits and I've been craving comfort,comfort,comfort foods!!!!

Plus the Scotsman and I went out a few times last week - La Tasca,a day at the seaside at Troon,a night out in Ashton Lane,lot's of white Sangria due to the freakishly warm and sunny weather we are getting in Glasgow.Probably not helping my chesty cough.

I've still not joined the gym as I want to be fully recovered and get it worked into my routine.i have however joined WW online and been tracking with religious fervour - even the mega bad,highly pointed days.

Hopefully by this time next week I'll be back to fighting form and able to report a few swims and walks.Oh,and I may have found a 3 point snickers muffin that actually is made from butter and tastes like a 'normal' cake.I'm going to put it through the recipe builder again to be sure and then blog it next time.

And I couldn't resist - here's another E-bay purchase to inspire.Love it! So Marilyn Monroe,I've wanted a classic dress like this for ages.The Scotsman wasn't so enamoured - he has never seen me wearing just black and in fact I think this may be the only black outfit I own..............

Super quick but uber happy post.

First of all a huge THANK YOU to the lovely ladies who commented on my last post.A few more months and Louie Spence better watch his ass on the dance floor!

First weigh in since the umpteenth re-start and a loss of 3 lb's :D which brings me back to the 18 st bracket - just.

Pay away day morrow so there will be gym joining,WW online re - subscription and general health related purchases.More next time.

xx

Shy dancers and cupcake vs. Galah

Well I've had an amazing start if I do say so myself.

1 hours walk at 7am to work Tues,Weds,Thurs,Sat.

Sat - about a 45 minute walk pushing a service user in a wheelchair.

Sun - also about 45 minutes walking around the park and back to a cafe (2 eggs scrambled with toast,1 rasher of bacon with all the fat cut off,small glass of OJ) then for a friends picnic in the park.

Eats have been totally on track,next to NO chocolate imbibed all week.The exception being a 3 point crunchie and some low point muesli bars with a tiny bit of chocolate on them.

Today as I mentioned was a friend's birthday in the park.Glasgow is having some surprisingly beautiful hot,sunny weather,which will hopefully stay with us for a long while to come.This was a first major test in my first week as we are all big foodies and there was a fabulous and huge spread of cupcakes (my downfall),chocolates,chocolate desserts,delicatessen delights,crisps,huge door stopper sandwiches and more.

Thankfully due to the heat and sheer and utter willpower I managed to resist the temptation of the glorious cupcakes and chocolates.Instead I gorged myself on watermelon,strawberries,kiwis and grapes.With a few strawberry ciders in between.

I am way back on track babee!

Now for the one downside this week.Yesterday a whole bunch of us went out to watch the football.Yes,football.6 years of friendship and then couple hood with a Scotsman has turned me into quite a knowledgeable football convert.

Once the game was over the dancing started.We were quite a big group and everyone in our group got up and danced the night away.Everyone except for me.

I am usually quite a confident girl.I know how to dress and flatter my shape.Black doesn't feature in my wardrobe.I'm not afraid to wear bright colours and patterns.I usually don't care what people think,but for some reason I am just too self conscious to get up and dance.I just feel like a big fat awkward blob compared to everyone else.And I freaking LOVE dancing.

When I'm at home by myself doing housework or just chilling out I'm like Louie Spence on speed.When I was back home and slimmer,I was a total raver.Out dancing every Friday and Saturday night.What happened to that girl?

To make things worse,my friends,the Scotsman,my sister and total strangers kept hassling me to get up and dance.There was a particular guy who kept asking me telling my mates that his mission for the night was to get me up to dance.The Scotsman's reply was 'Mate,she's not even getting up to dance with me when I ask,you've got nae chance.'

The more and more people asked me the more and more I felt self conscious and guilty for letting my weight and confidence get in the way of a good time but I just couldn't do it.At one point in the evening I actually had tears welling up.Tears of anger,envy,tiredness and frustration.Just fecking leave me alone,you'll never understand tears.

On the way home in the taxi my very drunk sister and Scotsman proceeded to talk about how much fun they had dancing and what a great night it was.My sister then turned to me and said,quite accusingly 'You didn't dance again tonight,you never get up and dance.Never.Why don't you ever get up and dance? You never ever get up and dance.'

Well wee sister,you will never understand why I didn't get up and dance.Never.Because even at your biggest,you are still a lot slimmer than me.You will never know the shame and frustration of allowing yourself to get this big.The self consciousness when dancing next to a lot slimmer friends and feeling like a big galumphing elephant next to them.The embarrassment of being so grossly unfit you have to use your inhaler after dancing to just a few bars of a song.

But dear wee sister,I shall shed this weight and I shall become confident again,and not just because I have lost weight,because I am soooooo much more than just my weight,but because I am fit enough to out dance you.Watch this space,Raver chick will be back with a vengeance!!!!!!!!!!!