Weigh In 13 - unlucky for some?

 

Well it could've been unlucky - and to be fair, it wasn't a great loss, but I did lose - a whole 1/2 lb!

Weigh In 12

 

Finally, the stale mate has ended, and I have lost another pound, not quite the 4lb I was challenged to lose, but it's downwards, so can only be a good thing!

Gladiator ready?

 

I am typing this in a Scottish accent - I think it's because when I think of a challenge, it generally involved two lycra clad men - one very muscular and a bit 'steroid aggressive' looking, and the other, usually some weedy normo bloke, both armed with giant cotton buds. No, just me? You blummin fibbers, I'll bet most of you tuned into Gladiators and watched all the giant foam fists punching the air with glee!

Already, I am waffling, but I feel a little over excitable for some reason.

I completed one of the steps I mentioned in the last post  - by  staying to the SW class. SW lady was on excellent form, as she had been to their Woman of the Year ball, and heard some inspiring stories. She showed us the program from the evening, and the woman who had won it had dropped from over 29 stone - she lost 19 stone in total! Amazing. What an inspiration.

Now, thankfully, I haven't quite got 19 stone to lose - but I have got a lot - so for me seeing a story like this with the before and after photos, is really quite inspiring, as I have said before - losing 2, 3 or even 5 stone, is an amazing achievement - but I can not relate to this, as I have so much more to lose. Seeing someone with such a massive weight loss, really helps me.

SW lady went round the room asking us all what we thought we could lose realistically this week - I found myself saying 2, as I thought that was do-able, but she suggested 4lbs! I balked a bit at that to be honest, as that's the kind of weight you lose at the start of a 'diet' - but as she quite rightly pointed out, if I have managed to maintain my weight for 3 weeks with no planning, and all my good habits going out the window, what could I achieve if I treated this week, like week 1 of the plan again?

Fairenoughski - I thought, that is a blummin good point - so I have planned tomorrows grub.......if you're interested.....readybrek with a banana, grapes, chicken salad (maybe with a bit of bacon if the mood takes me)and then baked potato with tuna for my tea - so a good start, and intend to do the weekly plan of food and Internet shop tomorrow night.

Also managed to take out new acquisition, our very bouncy Springer Spaniel puppy out for a walk tonight - it's only his third time out - as he's a little baby - so not very far, but we did walk it at warp speed, so I am officially back into my walking, as he must be walked - no excuses for me now!

So I head into this week feeling a bit lighter already - just one challenge tomorrow - to avoid the tuck box at work which some idiot has started up (oh, yeah, that was me - oops) but it is to raise money for charity - so I will just have to make sure if I 'need' to have anything, that I think it through first, and go for a low cal hot choc sachet, or a cereal bar rather than crisps and chocolate.

Wish me luck xx

Weigh In 11

Well - by some absolutely amazing feat of amazingness - I have stayed the same yet again - three weeks in a row now! How frustrating. I could've lost half a stone while I've been faffing about sitting on the fence.

The good news is that I have not put on - so crisis averted - I will be 'on it' this week. Here's for an actual loss this week!

Plan A, or should that be........

 

Oh well, Plan A failed miserably. I have once again stuffed my face. Maltesers, cheese on toast, curry, cupcakes, yes, I have been a complete and utter pig this week. There is no possible way on this earth, that I will have maintained my weight again this week. I fully expect and deserve a big fat gain :-(

I know that I have only got myself to blame, and those pesky emotions, this week have been a combination of delightful hormones and the same old feelings of being fed up that I mentioned last time.

This week, I know that in order to, and I quote Madonna here 'get into the groove', I need to make a plan, and stick to it, come hell or high water!

My downfalls this week have been numerous, but they could have been reduced with a few simple techniques:

We had got lazy and hadn't bothered doing a weekly shop, so were picking a little something up on the way home each night - this is recipe for disaster for me, as I need to know and be able to look forward to each meal that I am having in a week - I suppose it is where my obsessive thinking (thanks CBT lady) comes in - and I go into a mini meltdown without it. So if I have planned to have a baked spud with chicken and salad for tea for example, I will be looking forward to that, and know that I can snack on some grapes while waiting for it to cook, so all stays calm in the warped mind that is mine. If however, the cupboard is bare, I almost panic, and will constantly be obsessing all day about what I am going to have for my tea, to the point where I can't actually think of anything much else, and I become distracted, and then start looking for food, and only a quick fix will do - having nothing much in, I have been snacking on bread (very bad for me) and easily fall back into my old habits of picking up a choccy bar at the garage, or grabbing a packet of crisps in the corner shop, for no other reason than I want it (or so I think).

Normally, I would have the 'naughty' thing, but then get straight back into it, knowing I can't have done that much damage - but this week, I haven't been able to for some reason.

 The second thing, has been the lack of me prepping my lunch - all because of the lazy lack of shopping - same thing applies as above, and has been compounded by the cafe directly under my office, and the 'bring a plate lunch' that the team arranged, with the main meals being curry. Had I have had my own lunch that day, crisis would have been averted, but because I foolishly thought I would buy a baked potato from the cafe, I was tempted in by the delicious smells of the curry. Next thing I know, I had a plate full, and a cupcake or three to wash it all down with.

My main problem though, has been not attending the group bit of the SW class. Again, due to various things, poor excuses of things really, I haven't stayed to class for the last 3 weeks or so, and have really noticed, as I have felt less inspired than usual because of it.

So my plan for the coming week is simply this:

1) Plan the weeks meals, and do an online shop (less temptation)
2) Stay to class this week
3) Make sure that I am walking the dog every day
4) Avoid temptation at work by making sure I am armed with grapes etc.

Here goes, I am determined that however slow the progress, I will do this!
Wish me luck (again!).

Stuffing my cake hole.

So, why do I do it? I am officially an emotional eater (so said the CBT lady) and I know this, but yet I still continue to give into my emotions where food is concerned.
I've had a couple of rough weeks, nothing major, and nothing dear nosey blog readers, that I am willing to share on here, but I have been proper fed up!

Take last week for example - after an episode of 'fed-up-ness' I came home and stuffed two toasted pittas lathered in butter and stuffed with cheese (why pittas I hear you ask - I no longer have white crusty bread in the house, because that, would have been disastrous). Was it delicious? Yes. Did it make me feel better? For all of about 2 minutes. Was it worth it at weigh in this week? Hell no.

So what the chuff is the link between emotions and food? They don't send endorphins whizzing around your body - well certainly for no more than a few minutes, there is certainly not a fair emotion:endorphin ratio anyhow! I just don't get why I feel the need, when a bit blue to stuff my cake hole full of carbs, as that is my drug of choice.

I suppose, what CBT has taught me is that yes, I do have an issue with emotional eating, but, I do not have to give in - and just having a couple of bad days, is not the end of the world, or indeed the end of my weight loss.

I have checked out my bra and pants photos, which are a terrifying version of a catalogue undies page, and I can definitely see a small decrease in my wobbly bits, so that's exciting, and best of all, my new made to measure boots are absolutely frickin' awesome! So even though, I still can't get into off the peg boots, but, they make me feel fab - so it's all good!

So it's with a light-er heart, I move on to next week. I'm hoping to want to cartwheel off the scales next week!

Bye bye fat fans xx

Weigh In 10.

 

Weigh in time - stayed the same this week. Pleased with that, again!

Weigh In 9

 

Stayed the same this week - which I am pleased with, as I have had a McDonalds and a take away. Oops. Must try harder next week!

Weigh In 8

Weigh in - all good  - lost another 2 lbs, and now totalling 17lbs!

Weigh In Number 7

 

Well - got weighed in last night, and maintained (stayed the same). To be honest, I actually came away with a big grin, as I really thought I would have put on, and woud've accepted it if I had, as I did indulge in some garlic bread, and quite a bit of cheese throughout the week. Ooops.

Anyway, have drawn a line under it, and today has started well, plenty of fruit and veg, home made chilli for lunch, stirfry for tea, and a yoghurt for pud. The only hiccup this week will be Friday night, I am off out with a bunch of old work mates, and we're going for an Indian. So - it'll be tikka or shashlick as they are both baked rather than cooked in oil, boiled rice and water.

Bring it on!

Naked sky diving

  

After an impromptu chat the other day where a friend and I ended up talking about weight loss, sky diving and hot pants (amongst other things), it got me thinking about my promise in an earlier post to write something about the things you miss out on as a fat person. Despite the picture, you will be relieved to know that naked sky-diving is not one of them!
Don't get me wrong, I know that a lot of things I don't do are purely limited by me, and usually my perceptions of what other people will think, but no-one needs to see me in a bikini for example. There are some things, that I would love to do, but are restricted because of other reasons, namely being fat!

So here follows my personal top ten, here's not to say that I would actually do them if miraculously slim, but just knowing I could if I wanted to makes all the difference.......

1) Wear shortish skirts/dresses with knee high boots - ok, so this one I have kind of done anyway with the long tunic/leggings combo, and even though I have to expose the world to my above the knee fat bulge, no one has passed out from shock in the street yet. Not sure if it's because, I actually feel quite nice when I wear this, so it actually makes me walk a bit taller, and sucks me in a smidge or what, but it works for me. Obviously, if I was slim, the skirts could get shorter, but then I would have to apply the skirt length:age ratio, as I am, hard as it is to believe, in my mid 30's.

2) Wear skirts (above floor length), in the summer, with bare legs - now I don't do this currently, as I get puffy ankles in the summer, and also my legs technically do not have ankle joints, but instead, have cankles, which is not a good look on anybody, so I don't want to expose them. They are also quite an unhealthy shade of blueish white from general lack of exposure.

3) Go-karting - have been asked if I fancied this a few times, and have always done the whole 'nah, not my cuppa tea' thing, when really I would love to go but.......fatness+boiler suit+hairdryer engine = shoe horning myself into outfit, getting stuck in the go-kart, and then losing because it's moving so slowly from the excess weight - that's assuming they allowed me to do it, and I didn't breach their weight limit!

4) Indoor sky-diving - now, I categorically am never going to chuck myself out of a plane for anyone, but I would love to have a go at the wind tunnel thing, there is after all a trampoline style contraption underneath you to catch you when you fall. Again the reason I can't/won't do it now is the good old jumpsuit and weigh limit.....are they suggesting that the fan wouldn't be strong enough to propel me up? How flippin' rude. Probably have a point though.

5) Wear vest tops in public. Bingo wings, need I say anymore?

6) Anything that involves a life jacket. Some years ago I was a part of a team building day which involved building a raft from old washing up bottles and bits of string ala Blue Peter, and then 6 of us lovely ladies getting on it and paddling it across the lake........So, using my usual aversion tactics, I did the whole...'Oh I'll help build it, but I am NOT going on it, I'm terrified of falling in'. That, my friends, is a mahoosive lie, as I actually couldn't give a monkeys about that kind of thing (although I have genuinely never wanted to canoe, it's the fear of rolling, and being still attached to the canoe, that freaks me out, or are they kayaks, the ones that are snug round the waist? Not sure). What I am actually terrified of is a) capsizing it for everyone else, as I weigh more than them, so it would be heavier on one side, and b) the exact thing that happened to me on this occasion, when the life jackets, were given out, they were all one size, and had no fastenings, so they had to go over your head. Now on everyone else, they were baggy, plenty of room for moving about underneath them, they could even breathe in and out. Mine, got wedged at boob height, the bloke had to give in almighty yank, and I suddenly became like one of those women in Jane Austen, corseted in to within an inch of my life, and with a shelf bosom to match! Not very dignified, and then much puffing and panting after the whole escapade to get it off. So I will not be taking part in any more water sports for the foreseeable.

7) Body boarding - always fancied having a go, not so much surfing, cos there is no way I could do the lying down to stand thing on dry land, let alone in water, and whilst moving, but I have always fancied body boarding, so much so that a friend and I, on spotting a larger couple in wetsuits on our last but one holiday, promised ourselves that this year we would be slim and wet suited up.......we weren't :-( and had to stand on the outside watching. Again.

8) Wearing killer heels - simples, you think, but no, not for me - there is the whole walking like a man in drag (my mom once likened me to Dick Emery - old school comedian with a penchant for dressing up as a laydee) and I am fairly unstable on heels above about 2 inches. There is also the thing that there isn't much choice in the extra wide puffy feet category, but it's not that that is really the issue, it's how much they hurt. If I know that I am going to be walking anywhere - and it could even be the short walk from the car park to the venue, my feet are going to hurt, and not because my shoes don't fit, because it feels like someone has crushed glass and put it on the inside of the shoe where the ball of your foot sits. Excruciating. I did once, in my yoof, walk down Broad Street in Birmingham with no shoes on for this very reason - and that, is not a good plan. Simply, the combination of me being fat,  all my weight being put on the smallest part of my foot, and the generally thin soles that high heels have results in burning feet, which only stops once the shoes come off and my poor ill treated feet can spread the load again.

9) Go out to crowded places, without sweating a ridiculous amount, and trying to squeeze your way to the bar. I hate the look people give you when you do the whole 'scuse me thing and try to slither between people delicately, but end up taking peoples drinks/body parts with your fat ass.

10) And dance all night. Currently I don't do dancing in public, I'm not a natural, but that isn't what stops me.....who wants to watch me bopping away. Er, no one? Plus again there is the sweat factor, and the high heeled factor, and it all just becomes too much. What I want to be, is whisked around the floor like Strictly, or failing that just be one of those happy dancers, getting right in to it, and waving my hands in the air, like I just don't care.

So - here's to being slimmer, so that I can crack on and enjoy the simple things. :-)

Weigh In Number 6

 

 Wahoooooooooooooooo, finally at the 6th weigh in, I've lost another 3 1/2 lbs and got my stone award.

Un-chuffin-believable, I can't believe it, seriously thought after digestive-gate, that I would be putting on again this week.

I think my body seems to work one week behind, so have had a bit of choccy tonight (Milka Daim Bar) which is about 20 syns, but in fairness, this only puts me over my daily limit by 10 or so, and I will factor this in over the next couple of days.

Come on next weigh in, bring it on!

Engage brain before putting mouth in gear.

Grrrrrrrrr, I am so mad with myself. My SW week was going according to plan! I got to work, having had egg on toast for my brekkie, and an apple for elevenses. I then went on to have rice, veg and chicken for my lunch. So far, so good.

Around 3.3o - the witching hour as far as getting the munchies is concerned (for me anyway) I foolishly decided to have a digestive with my afternoon cuppa. Then followed another 4, taking me well over my syn allowance. Oh stupid stupid me - I went into an almost trance like state, and didn't really notice that I'd eaten them. So not only did I exceed my syns, it wasn't even worth it, as I didn't get to enjoy them. Still that's not an excuse to carry on, but carry on I did. As I had gorged myself on digestives, I didn't eat my usual hunger filler of a banana, and consequently when I got home at 6.30pm, I was ravenous, and stuffed some crackerbread (at least they were wholemeal) down my neck.

I am really annoyed with myself, as I shall be gutted if I don't get to my stone loss this week.

Tomorrow is another day - have already planned my breakfast for tomorrow, and feel annoyed, but ready to crack on.

I have also just read a lady's post on the SW facebook page, and feel truly inspired, she has lost 7 stone! A-maze-ing!

See you next time xx

Weigh In Number 5

Weigh in number 5........... I've put on 1/2lb!

Highly annoying seeing as I have been almost angelic in how well I have followed the SW plan this week. SW lady assured me that I need to think that I lost 3 1/2lbs, not 4 after my hols, and be happy with that.

I think that my body seems to run a week behind - so hopefully, it will show at the next weigh in. I am aiming to get my stone next week.

SW lady asked us all to set a target for Christmas, as it's only 12 weeks away. I have set mine to lose a further 1 stone and 2 1/2 lbs - this will mean that I have lost 2 stone in total.

Fat day

Oh well, it was inevitable I suppose. After magically losing 4lbs at the last weigh in despite being on holiday, I feel an absolute heifer today, and like the picture, am suffering with severe muffin top.

I lost about a stone - at the tail end of last year, and bought some jeans in a size smaller, which fitted beautifully. As I had put the stone, and probably a bit more back on before I started SW, the jeans were extremely uncomfortable, and only ever worn when I was going somewhere that I would be stood up, as sitting down was difficult to say the least, and a risk to the seams!

Anyway, since I have lost the 12lbs at SW, I have been able to get back in the jeans, one pair of them is actually a little baggy around the waist band now, but I have worn the other pair today, and they feel quite tight.

So, I weighed myself - now I know my scales weigh about a 1lb lighter than the SW ones, I fluctuate throughout the week and I had vowed not to weigh myself mid week - but I have, and it seems that I have put the 4lb back on! I now feel really annoyed with myself, and as a response have eaten some chocolate (counted in my syns) - but I am still feeling annoyed with myself and am 6 1/2 syns down on my daily allowance. Was it worth it.........No.

So, in an effort to kick myself up the arse, I am off up the field, am gonna park at the end of the drive, so I will get at least a mile walk, and then I will return home to a lush tea of baked spud, salmon and veg. Yum, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Better shove a handful of grapes down my neck to stave off the hunger pangs. Full steam ahead for the rest of the week. Wish me luck. x

Weigh In Number 4

Wahooooooooo - have lost 4lbs this week.

The cream tea:walking ratio on hols must've been ok after all! Phew.

So - only 2lbs until I've lost a stone - best behaviour this week.

There's no shame in a gain

So, the OH and I are back from a rain drenched holiday. It rained pretty much from start to finish, with the exception of the first morning, and the last morning - blummin typical eh?

Our plan to explore the pretty coves and cliff top walks on foot kind of went a bit pear shaped, as we got wet, went back to dry off, to go out and get wet again!

Needless to say, we didn't get quite the amount of walking done that we intended - even though we did get caught out by the tide, and I had to wade through the sea to get back - soggy crotches all round! But.....we did a fair bit, even if my runkeeper app told me that we had walked 983 miles! I know we tried hard, but I think that was a slight exaggeration.

Luckily St Ives is a hilly little place, and quite tricky to park right in town - so we were having to park about 1/2 mile away every time we went for a meal, or to hit the shops - so we were walking at least a mile a day. We also did a fabulous stroll along the cliffs at Godrevy and then back along the beach.

Food wise, I had a plan before we went - I intended to have what I wanted on the Saturday night, as we had a table booked at my favourite restaurant in St Ives, and then I was going to stick as close to the SW plan as possible, so that I could have a cream tea (well, what would be the point of going to Cornwall otherwise?) and maybe an ice cream if the mood took me.

I stuck to that - although I confess, I did have two cream teas over the week, however, I also ate lots of fresh fish, salads, and veg. All I can say is it's a flippin' good job that I a) don't live in Cornwall, or b) am not a good baker - so never make scones - because, I would probably drop dead within a month from furred arteries. Clotted cream hmmmmmmmmm. *sighs blissfully at the memory of said cream teas.

Anyway - I am not looking forward to the weigh in tomorrow - even though SW lady has texted me and said 'There's no shame in a gain, especially after a holiday.' and even though I know that it isn't the end of the world if I do put on, I will feel a bit rubbish.

In a big effort to get myself back on track after the holiday, I have tried a couple of diet tips from others, which included freezing a banana (it's meant to taste like Mini Milks - it doesn't) and freezing a Mullerlight yoghurt - it's meant to taste like frozen yoghurt, and surprisingly, it does. But I think, on the whole, I would rather have what I like to call 'proper snacks' - chocolate and the like, just in smaller quantities.

So, this week will be all about the 'not feeling a bit rubbish' if I do put weight on, putting it behind me, and just getting back on plan properly.

Better plan the weeks meals, and get ordering the shopping.......

Weigh in number 3

Well, despite feeling very bloated (ladies, you will catch my drift) and fully expecting this week to be staying the same, if not getting heavier, but no........da da da dah....I've lost another 2 1/2 lbs, which takes me to -8lbs in total (the eagle eyed amongst you may have realised, that I can't count - the last entry was slightly incorrect - but this one is spot on. And for that, I win my shiny SW star for 1/2 stone lost. Nice one, if I do say so myself.

SW lady gave us a pep talk tonight, and made me think about the way I eat - so, I shall be putting it into practise this week, although I miss next weeks weigh in due to being on my hols - so the OH and I will be doing plenty of walking, and maybe indulging in a cream tea, but I shan't go mad, never fear - I aim to either stay the same, or continue on down! That is the good thing about SW, they do not make you feel bad if you do decide to 'enjoy' your hols - it's very much on your terms.

Oooh it could've all gone a bit pear shaped........

Well, it could have all gone horribly pear shaped today, as after realising I had forgotten to organise the on-line shopping yet again, and we had little in the way of grub in the house, I soldiered on starting with a healthy breakfast of porridge, and packed an apple, a banana and some watermelon for snacks. I was thinking that as a one off, I could go to the cafe below my office, and nab a baked potato with some beans all allowed on SW.

Anyhoo, at 1.30pm, after a morning of number crunching (when did I go back to working in an accounts department?), I decided to take a breather to go and grab my much looked forward to spud, when a reminder popped up on my calendar, telling me I needed to be half an hour away .........NOW!

I rushed over to the office, sat in a meeting, with nothing much but food on my mind (and obviously the very interesting and informative meeting if you're reading Lauren :-) ). Unfortunately when I'm on any type of 'the D word' or healthy eating plan, I am always looking forward to the next meal, because I have planned it, and it's how I get through the day. So when I didn't get it, I kind of panicked. Panic usually leads to vending machines stocked with crisps and chocolate in my experience.

I ate one sweet at the meeting (normally would tread the fine line between stuffing them down my neck, and eating what is acceptable in polite company), and then I drove past McDonalds and went to Tesco's to get a salad and some chicken. I ate it like I was starved ........I was, I'm not used to that gnawing feeling in my belly....what's that you say? Ohhhhhhh, that's what hunger feels like!

Anyway crisis averted, I came home, did a bit of work, then made a healthy pasta creation, so that I am prepared for tomorrow, and any senior type moments I may have!

Am really hoping for at least 1.5lbs loss this week, that will take me over the 1/2 stone mark then, fingers crossed folks. x

Weigh In Number 2

Hello peeps - I've lost another 2.5 lbs today. Makes 6lbs so far.

Yipee.

Weigh in 1 cont.....

I lost 3 whole pounds at first weigh in. Onwards and upwards. Or should that be downwards?

Weigh in 1

Yikers - have the first weigh in in T- 3hrs, 2 minutes and about 27 seconds.

I have to say I am in two minds - I know I have been good, I have followed the plan to the letter, and by the fact that I have reduced my Pepsi intake from 3 cans a day to 3 over the whole week can only be a good thing, as well as my tea intake dropping from 6-8 cups a day, down to two, or maybe three at the most ( I have to count the sugar, so depends what else I have eaten).

But, there is that lingering fear that I won't have lost anything, or crikey, what if i have put on! I will feel like crying, and it's only my first week.

In an effort to inspire / motivate myself, I took some horrible photos of me in my bra and pants this morning, which you will be thankful to know that I won't be posting, well, not yet anyway, perhaps when I'm several stone down, I might do it as a before and after.......we'll see.

I have also uploaded the runkeeper app to my phone, so I can track my feeble attempts at exercise ......baby steps first!

Anyway, am off to make some home made veg soup for lunch. So will be back later with the result, good or bad!

Try, try, try again!

So, I'm up to dieting 'no good' again.

I've joined Slimmingworld, Mom decided to go and asked me to join her. It's one of the few remaining commercial ones that I haven't tried previously.

I can't say that I am stoked by the idea, but I seriously need to do something. When I was weighed, not only had I put back on the stone I lost after the hypno-band, but almost another stone on top. Not good.

The Slimming World Consultant - or SW Lady as she will now be known, is lovely - very smiley, and extremely , but I suspect that she will be very encouraging, and promises a call in the week to see how we're all getting on.

Admittedly, I chose a rubbish week to start - I am off work this week, so could pick away to my hearts content all day - so the chickens will be getting a feast of crisps and biscuits tonight for tea! Anyway - today has gone well, so far. I had melon, plum and banana for brekkie, followed by the be-yoo-tiful open sandwich to the left. Chicken, some very peppery rocket, and plum tomatoes. Then I had a chunk of water melon as an afternoon snack!

So, I suspect I may be running to the loo a little bit while the old body gets used to it's new fuel, but I shall persevere.

The icing on the cake though, is that the other half chose to join completely of his own free will! So a bit of healthy competition!

Weigh in is next Monday, and I'll see you on the other side........

1 stone down, a gazillion to go.......

Well, finally I have lost a whole stone, lets count 'em. One er.... yep one! To add to that, I have also gone down a jeans size, so I am really chuffed about that!

Unfortunately, although my stomach does not look like the lady's in the picture - I do have nicer jeans!

Now don't get me wrong, while I am delighted that I have actually lost some weight - and a stone is quite impressive, I do get a little despondant, as every time that I try to lose weight (and as I have said - this has happened a fair few times in the past), I struggle, as a stone, or two, is not that noticeable on me.

I was beginning to feel that I might need a top up session, as I had noticed that I was eating a little more, and heading back towards my ways of old......cake, biscuits etc. We had lost our dog to heart problems (he was old) about a month ago, and coming home to a very empty home every night was no fun, and I began to eat a few things that maybe I shouldn't have.

I was really surprised then, to stand on the scales earlier this week, and find out that I had lost a whole stone - it really shocked me. So much so, that although I am chuffed to bits, it hasn't really registered yet.

I have to say also, that whilst I clearly am eating less than pre-hypno, I am still not exercising, so I think that now would be a really good time to start something to boost the slow but steady wight loss.

So, it is with some trepidation, more so on behalf of the other members of the class really , that in just over a week I am starting Zumba with a couple of other ladies. For those that have been living in a cave for the last few months, Zumba is a dance type class which is based around steps from salsa, merengue and lots of other 'World rhythms'.

In my time, I have tried belly dancing (great fun, and no, thankfully, there is no need to get your belly out), and 'Strictly' type ballroom dancing, which I went to with Neil, but sad to say, he is to dancing, what a fish is to a bicycle (don't tell him I said that - Fred Astaire, he is not!) but 10/10 for giving it a shot. Both of these got your heart rate up, but didn't leave you sweating like a pig. Zumba, I hear, will!

So, I shall be donning my trackie bottoms, and shaking my tail feather to my hearts content. Watch out Redditch, here I come!