Another Time Lapse

Again, sorry, I had completely forgotten about this journal!!! I know I seem to start every post with....I cannot believe that it has been.....but again, I cannot believe it has been 16 months since I last posted!!! And my, have times changed! Lets go through the points of my last post and update you:

Weight loss

You will be pleased to know that I am still losing weight!!! Yay!!! I have in total lost 51lbs since my weight loss journey began just over 2 years ago. I did put on a bit on my last holiday but I am 1.5lbs off getting back to my 51lbs...and will still have another approximately 35lbs to lose....man when you put it like that its almost half my weight loss again!!! Still a long way to go but I am thinner, fitting in size clothes that I haven't fitted into in about 10 years, a lot more confident, 1 million % fitter and just generally feeling fantastic! As they say, nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels - and they are so right - though skinny I am not....yet! Still doing Weight Watchers and although it is hard sometimes, and life gets in the way, I just plod on and have my good and bad weeks. I would love to be at goal by Christmas but going to have to pull my finger out to achieve that 1!!!

Social Life

Still very good - better than ever! In fact I only normally have Tuesday nights free at the moment but I'll tell you why that is in a bit. One of my best friends emmigrated to the US about a month ago which I was devastated about - but she has to at least give her new life with her American boyfriend a chance of succeeding and she wasn't doing that by living 3 weeks over there 1 week over here! I'm sure we will see her soon but not this side of Christmas I doubt :-( but I am so incredibly happy for her.

Holidays

Went to Wales in April with 1 of my sisters and her family. Was a lovely relaxing week away in a cottage that overlooked Cardigan Bay and we did nothing but chill and walk every day. Was gorgeous weather too which made it a lot more enjoyable I'm sure!!! I also spent 3 weeks in the US at my sisters with M&D. We went over there for her eldest's graduation. Was nice but could be hard under each others feet but I miss my sister over there desperately!! We get on so well and have such a giggle that I am always sad when I have to come home. M&D stayed out there for 5 weeks in the end as they don't have their dogs anymore they didn't have anything that they had to get back for. Mutley died shortly after my last post and Scooby died almost exactly 1 year later. Very sad and they miss them so much especially my dad. I'm sure they will get another pet soon but trying to persuade them away from anything that needs to much looking after!!! Off to Berlin in September for the weekend with my friend Sarah and her folks. She is running the Berlin Marathon and we are going to support her. I went out to Venice with her last October and had a blast! Might also be going away with her later on in the year.

Exercise

Well never thought I would ever call myself this but I am officially a RUNNER....well maybe a jogger lol! Last time we spoke I was about to embark on a 6 week running course. Well I did this, loved it and have pretty much religiously stuck to it ever since, even on holiday and through the bad winter weather that we had over Christmas. I try to run 3 times a week with the club and once at the weekend. I have competed in a number of 5ks, a couple of 10ks and have even done a 1/2 marathon with my 2nd one in 12 weeks time!!! I don't do so much of the gym work anymore and in fact just ditched my membership (but will be joining to another gym as a pay as you go member). I would like to try improving my swimming and take this up a bit more and then who knows, I might enter in for a triathlon.....I say MIGHT!!!!

Dad

My dad continues to suffer with his heart problem and has been admitted into hospital a number of times over the last 16 months but never for anything serious - more of a precaution. We take care of him and are always fussing over him, I think he likes it secretly lol! Mum is doing well - she has lost even more weight than me and although we all think she should stop now (because at the weight she is we believe that she would be able to maintain it quite well but not if she lost more) she continues to shed the lbs!

Dating

Got back on the dating scene with a vengeance in April. Its amazing the different type of guys that you get "winking" at you and emailing you when you are slimmer and enjoy exercise! I have had my pick of some quite nice men!! I have been out on a few dates, some that I have enjoyed but they obviously haven't enjoyed my company, and some that I haven't enjoyed so much! Recently though, I have been on a couple of dates with the same guy and without tempting fate he is a really nice guy. His smile won me over on his profile and was looking forward to meeting him, when I eventually did I was impressed with what I got! If there was 1 thing that I would change it would be him initiating the texts/chats when trying to arrange another date. Not sure if this is because he's not really interested or he is just too busy and doesn't really think about it. I don't mind doing it its just that my girlfriends tell me that it comes across as me chasing him?! But who is to say that the guy has to do all the initiating ;-). Hopefully I will have been on some more dates by the time I post again!

So, for now I will sign off...I will endeavour to update this more often - need to get some photos up here too! Hopefully will have a new challenge underway next time we chat!

Too Quiet Too Long

Once again I am going to start by apologising at how long it has been since my last entry - I cant believe that is has been almost 7 months! The timings must be out on this site he he!

What puts me to shame even more is the fact that the last time I blogged I had lost 19lbs to date well 7 months later and I have only lost another 10lbs!! That is great, you have lost 2 stone I hear you cry, but all I see is how much better I could have done in that time! I have basically faffed around since then losing a bit here and there but mostly staying the same or putting on. No major "put ons", which is good, but slow creeping ones. At least I guess I am learning how to maintain - if I hadn't been doing Weight Watchers then I am sure I would have put on that amount and more no doubt. And, I am still doing Weight Watchers. Still attending class every week and apart from the dieting bit I am actually enjoying it lol. I didn't set myself any "goals" when I started, just to lose a pound a week but I'm not doing that anymore and I am approximately 13lbs behind that target!

The good news is that my social life has picked up. I am going out with a lot of different people to different places now. It helped that I went on a holiday in January, skiing in Colorado, and met loads of great people of which I am socialising with now. Particularly my good friend Sarah, who I lived with in my final year at University (but knew before through friends), we are off out this weekend in Clapham and also off to the theatre in a couple of weeks.

I've managed to get in a couple of holidays since my last entry. I went to see my sister in the US for about 3 weeks which was lovely and I didn't want to come home. The other trip was skiing in Colorado as I mentioned earlier. This was a bit frivolent but very enjoyable - and the 1st time that I have actually enjoyed skiing. My friend, Sarah, did have rather a bad accident though about half way through the week and ended up breaking both her arms...poor love. She is almost out of plaster now which is a good job as she is running the marathon in a few weeks time! I have a trip coming up - just a long weekend on a canal boat with the people that I went skiing with. Should be a giggle but the thought of 8 of us on a tiny boat is a bit worrying!

The exercise is going OK - not brilliant though, not as much as I would like to do. Don't always get a chance to get down the gym if working late or on call. I am joining a running club in a couple of weeks - they do a beginners course once a year and basically teach you how to run building you up to 3 miles and then you do a fun run at the end of it. You can give up after this time or carry on - which I am going to do. Really looking forward to it as have always wanted to run but my weight has held my back and think it will be quite social - its women only but that's good as I am gonna be wobbling all over the streets lol!

Mum and dad are in Portugal at the moment taking a well earned break. They are due back at the weekend and I am on airport duty! Their dogs are in kennels which is slightly worrying as 1 of them has just been diagnosed with Leukemia so is very poorly - I just hope she survives until they get back! My sister has a new addition to her family - a 1 year old black long haired cat called Freddie, then Angus and now Jax!!! He is cute though he was hiding under the table when I met him - sure he will settle in soon.

That's it for today. Not going to make any promises about blogging again soon as I know I probably wont stick to it!

The Long and Winding Road

I know I say this everytime but I cannot believe that it has been so long since I last blogged!!! I don't know why I don't keep up to date with this more often - its not like I am Miss Social Butterfly though I have been quite busy since the last time I spoke to you.

My niece has been and gone - she stayed about 9 weeks in the end. Her older sister came over to pick her up witch was a nice surprise that only I was in on. She only managed to stay a week but we managed to get quite a lot done in that week and they flew home after that. To be honest I think everyone (including them) is pleased that their summer trip is over! It was a bit stressful at times and dad had to use his Angina spray a couple of times!!! But they will be missed and I am hoping to go out and see them later in the year.

I am just entering my 16th week of Weight Watchers and have lost 19lbs in total. A few weeks I practically stayed the same (well i lost 0.5lb one week) and think that I have been pretty lucky to have done this. There has been a lot of eating and drinking so pleased that I have actually been maintaining. I have pretty much been sticking to it 5 days a week and then eating and drinking (with well made choices) what I like at the weekends. But I went to class last night and I had put on 2lbs which I was totally shocked about as I had actually thrown myself back into the exercise - maybe a bit too much though as is sometimes possible!

There is change going on at work. One of the guys in my team handed in his notice a couple of weeks ago without another job to go to. Pretty risky I think considering he is nearing 48 years of age but he has his head screwed on so don't think he will be out of work for too long. To be quite honest I am quite looking forward to his departure. I am hoping that it will mean that I will get a chance to get my hands a bit more dirty as he does tend to hog a lot of the work that comes in. How is one meant to improve their skills when not given the chance to do so!

Could really do with a holiday in the sun right now - I am definitely 1 of those people that suffer from SAD!!! The girl that I normally go on holiday with is off to Corfu for 2 weeks next week and I cant deny that I am a tad jealous!! Not sure why really probably just the fact that she is going to get to bake in the sun for 2 weeks! As I mentioned earlier I am planning on going to see my sister in the US but that is never much of a holiday!! And always end up spending way too much money!

Went to a BodyPump class yesterday morning before work as I was on a late shift. Was really good but as usual I felt like the fat girl in the class - all the others were skinny little minxes!! I am certainly feeling it today though - I can hardly walk and have had to cancel my spin class tonight as I don't think that I would be able to even get my legs over the saddle let alone peddle he he!

Well, I will endeavour to blog a bit more often - don't know if I will keep to that but I am certainly going to try!!!

The Biggest Loser

It has been about 4 weeks since I last blogged - apologies - I know this because I am just entering my 7th week on Weight Watchers. So far, so good. I have lost a total of 13 pounds to date - starting to slow down a bit now, was coming off quite fast at the beginning but knew only a matter of time before the slow down began!
On the topic of weight loss - does anyone watch The Biggest Loser on Sky Real Lives? I love this show and wish I could go on, they are all so inspirational and the amount of work they do to achieve the weight losses that they achieve in 16 weeks in amazing. In the current series I particularly admire Ali, as she is the same height as me and weighed roughly the same as me when she started. Well, in 16 weeks she has lost an amazing 100lbs and looks fantastic. Now I know that all us cynics out there would say that this is way to fast to lose weight and I totally agree - in some aspects. But, look on it this way. All us weight battles have problems with keeping motivation up - right? Well it is certainly 1 of my biggest struggles. If you only have 16 weeks to do this and you are having the nutritional aids and the personal trainers shouting at you all day every day then you are going to do it and the motivation is going to stay high because you are seeing massive amounts of weight coming off every week. If I could lose all my weight in 16 weeks I think I would keep up the motivation to keep it off. I have even gone so far as to look into applying for the next series but unfortunately you have to be a resident of the US to apply. We did have the series here once, not sure if it still airs, but it was nowhere near as good as the US counterpart. My sister could do it with me, but she wouldn't be able to leave her 2 kids for 16 weeks!
What else have I been up to?? Well not a lot really to be honest. I have been out on a few nights out and days too. My niece is over from the US and been trying to entertain her but she is bloody hard work! You give her a load of options of things to do and she is like - yeah whatever, I don't mind! She is just not enthusiastic about anything!! Would like to be able to take her back to the US (she is too young to fly on her own) but she has to be back by the end of August and I don't want to go on holiday that early on - money is tight at the moment too.....isn't it always!!
Exercise has been going well - though they have had a bit of a change around at the gym with regards to the timetable. My fave spinning instructor now does Mondays at 18:15 as opposed to Wednesday at 19:00 - don't know that I will be able to make every Monday now, especially if on a late at work but I am damn well going to try. Been a bit slack at going recently because I have had a few nights out but think that might be what is causing my slow down in weight - 2lbs a week on average is a good loss I hear you cry - but when you have 5 stone or more to lose it is hard to keep motivational with it being that slow. I also tried a Body Pump class which I really enjoyed and might start going to that after spinning - just a bit tight to finish spinning and then run to Body Pump to set up your weights etc but think I might sign up for tonight's class.
That is all for now I think - writing this from work so really need to get on lol. Laters x

Week 2 down, only another 102 to go no doubt!!!

Hi to you all! It was weigh in day on Tuesday again and pleased to announce that I lost another 2 lbs, that brings my total to 5lbs so really pleased about that. Don't mean to sound negative but I do this - do really well for a few weeks then have a mini blip and that is it....off the wagon! Just hoping that this time will be different.
I have been keeping up the spinning 3 times a week and cycling to and from the gym on the odd occasion too. Though this week there is no cycling to the gym and only managing 2 sessions of spinning! Well, I am off to see Sex and The City tonight and I cannot wait he he. And the rest of the week has been pretty hectic too!
I spent the weekend finally finishing my garden! I went to the nursery and bought the last bit of slate that I needed and some new plants and hanging baskets and voila!! Luckily the weather was nice so was able to spend the time on it - not so this weekend I suspect.
I have 1 of my American nieces arriving this morning to stay with Mum and Dad for approximately 6 weeks - that's if she lasts that long as I think she will be bored to tears! Our schools don't break up for at least another 4 weeks so she is only going to have kids her age around at the weekend. But Mum has stuff planned for her and I will probably try and take the odd day or 2 off work to spend time with her. Her dad is flying over with her as she is too young to travel on her own as standby (her dad works for an airline and she gets to fly free). This is fine except this is the man that is now divorced from my sister because she finally carried out her threats to divorce him after he was unfaithful to her for at least the 5th time and fathered a child with another woman!!! Now to meet him you would think that butter wouldn't melt but he just doesn't know when to put it away - he is on his 4th marriage and has 5 children by 4 different women! He is now supposedly a reformed character and a born again Christian but I still don't think this makes up for all the upset he put my sister through!! I am polite to him because he is the father to her children but that is as far as it goes I'm afraid. He is only here for a few days and then flies back and will be back in a few weeks to pick her up again. I did offer to take her back when she wants to go but I think that I want to go over in about Sept/Oct time instead. Or maybe even Christmas.
So that is about it for this entry. As I said before off to see SATC tonight and really excited - though it is going to be a late night so don't know how I will get up in the morning! Then tomorrow I am off to see an old Uni friend for the evening and working at the weekend. I will post again after my weigh in on Tuesday.
Ta Ta for now!

1st week down

It was weigh in at WeightWatchers last night and pleased to say that I lost 3lbs - as did my brothers girlfriend who is going to the class with me. Would liked it to have been more, especially as I hopped on the scales (naughty i know!) midweek and i had lost 6lbs! But we all know that our weight fluctuates and that we shouldn't weigh midweek. So onwards and downwards so to speak! Week 2 here we come. And so far no evenings out - which is good for the waist but not for the social life!
I have registered my interest for the Moonwalk in London next year - wanted to do it this year but was too late to sign up. Hoping I can find some company to do it with me so I don't look like a billy - but you know what even if I cant I will do it alone.
Spoke to my best matey Helen last night. She is really good at losing her post pregnancy weight and puts my weight loss to shame!! She will be back to her normal weight in no time. At my birthday celebrations she asked me to be Godmother to her newest arrival - which I am totally chuffed about. They are hoping that the Christening will be late Sept this year so that gives me just over 3 months to lose a little bit of weight and treat myself to a nice frock or something he he.
No plans for the forthcoming week. I am on call at the weekend but gonna see if someone else is willing to do either Fri or Sat as I might be going out for a leaving do. My friend Gemma (spinning instructor) is off to work for Mark Warner for the summer so she might be having a bit of a drink up. Gonna miss her - she is a great spinning instructor at the gym even if she does kill me with the amount of sprints that she makes us do. Good luck Gemma, you'll be missed!

Weight Watchers here I come!

I finally committed to Weight Watchers. I was a toss up between them and Slimming World - well at the end of the day all diets work as long as you stick to them! Only reason that I was going with Slimming World was because I wanted to go to a class on a Tues night as it is the only night that I am not committed to the gym or other stuff. But I managed to find a Weight Watchers class relatively close to my house - not the nearest but not too bad. Plus my brother's girlfriend wanted to join and she preferred Weight Watchers. So there you have it, I bought a Monthly pass and I am on my way! In fact as I write this I am eating a Weight Watchers Pizza Oval and it is surprisingly delicious!!!

So 1 of my nieces from the US is meant to be arriving next week to spend the summer over here. Not sure that it is a good idea as our kids don't break up for another 6 weeks so during the week when the kids are in school I think she is going to struggle to not get bored. But will see how it goes. Her dad (who is divorced from my sister) is bringing her over as she is too young to travel on her own. I would love to take some time off and go back with her for a week or 2 but that might have to wait until September/October when I have a bit more money and work is a bit better.

Was out with work last night which was good, a very drunken affair though - don't worry i had been saving my points!!!! Hence, didn't get much sleep last night and haven't really done a lot today - not even got showered or dressed lol. Might be out again tonight but I wont be drinking - more for the fact that I don't have enough points now!

My class is on a Tuesday night - so that will be my first weigh in - I feel confident at the moment but still another 3 days to go lol.