Wow owowowow. Happy New Year!!

This is a funny old game.

When I think I have done really well I only squeeze off one pound. When I spend two days gorging on Christmas fayre and the rest of the week pining for it I manage to slip off 3lb. Go figure huh.

I am currently just HALF A POUND away from losing 4 STONES!!!. I didn't think of a 4st treat (I don't think I thought I would get this far!!) but seeing as I have a completely new wardrobe courtesy of some great Christmas presents and the January Sales I think I am doing OK!

Tonight we are having a feast of falafels, squid and prawns to welcome the New Year. Low fat all the way (think we might squeeze a bottle of fizz in as well). Hope you all have a lovely evening and cheers to 2008 being a happier year than 2007.

Uncharted territory

Christmas was fantastic. I decided to relax and just eat what I fancied. I had blue cheese, smoked salmon, pate, mince pies and plenty of port. Just for 2 days. It was brilliant. Now I am back on scraps - I don't have a wonderful feeling about Monday's weigh in!!

No matter how bad for me Christmas might have been I have had the most wonderful, motivating day ever.

Decided to hit the sales full on so I was off before 7 this morning. The whole of Crawley shopped and back home for 10. So why was it so amazing? Well I decided to stock up on clothes in smaller sizes so that I would have things to shrink into. I bought a mix of size 14 and 16 as well as a selection of lingerie. Got home and tried some of the larger bits on to give me an idea of how much further I had to go before I could wear them....

M&S jeans size16... FITTED!!! Next cargo trousers (no stretch) size 16... FITTED!!! Next jeans size 16... FITTED (but I don't like the style so will return them... hehehe - to have the choice!!). M&S T-shirts sz 16 FITTED FITTED FITTED.

I am still grinning insanely every time I walk past the mirror. I have never knowingly been a size 16 before.

Merry Christmas

Somehow (and I really don't know how) I managed to lose a pound last week. I am now having two days off from dieting and while I am not planning to go mad and eat everything I can see I am also going to have an enjoyable couple of days. Next week's weigh in could well be a gain...

C is still really quite poorly , it's been 11 days now so we are both just trying to get her better for Santa.

I hope everyone has a really brilliant Christmas, we're having a quiet time this year with my dad joining us tomorrow.

Not so fat or indeed a banker

to quote my friend Eileen who put me onto the story "seems you have started a trend"

Meet Our Fat Bankers (All Slimming For Charity)

For those of you who don't know, I was a city banker for 12 years before having C so this is especially relevant.

Am feeling very competitive now (me? competitive??)!!

House of lurgy continues

Well I needn't have worried about having two Xmas meals on the same day. Right now I should be ensconced in a pub in Newdigate enjoying pigeon breast, seat trout and creme caramel (they were my choices) but C is still quite ill so I am at home with her again and have had a tuna sandwich and a yogurt. Whup-di-du.

What a weekend

This weekend we have been the house of blah. Poor wee C has been fever ridden since Friday night, G has sprained his ankle and can barley move and I have been playing nurse. On the plus side yesterday I actually found it hard to find time to eat with all the running up and down stairs between C and G.

Fortunately C is perking up. She has eaten and is trying to talk with what is left of her voice.

Wonder when I'll get struck down... my money is on 22nd (when we are hoping to see CBeebies on stage) or 25th... hu hum.

another month - over halfway now

I AM COLD. That's been the theme this month.

I know that the weather is particularly cold (-5 here the last two nights) but I have been cold for weeks now. I've been digging out my (now far too big) jumpers from the back of the wardrobe and wearing them two at a time. I don't remember ever even wearing one last winter - now I am surgically attached to them. Fewer calories to keep me warm I understand.

As predicted, this month has been much slower than the last three (phew I can hear your cheque-books saying). Apart from a number of parties which have slowed things down a bit it's also getting a lot more difficult - as my weight goes down so does my daily calorie allowance and my metabolism.

At the moment I have shifted 47lb - (3st 5lb) and am worth £25.52 per lb.

Next week I have my works Xmas lunch and Graham's Xmas dinner on the same day so I'm not going to get too excited about weigh in (!!). The following week is Christmas week and although I plan to keep on the diet I also plan to have a proper Xmas dinner. Fortunately G has the week off so I should be able to get a few swims in to help counter the worst of it.

I had to make some mince pies for Caity to take to pre-school last week and found myself unexpectedly thinking about Jes again - remembering him on Christmas Eve trying (very carefully) to make mince pies in my kitchen not long after he mashed his hands in a bike accident - he was helping out as I had gone down with Glandular Fever. Grand memories.

So that's me until January - don't forget you can follow my weekly (Monday morning) weigh-ins on the blog.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone. xxx

Inspiration Boots

I didn't get myself a 3rd stone treat I now realise. Then I saw these lovely knee length leather boots... and they were half price...

and now they are mine...!

Unfortunately the reason I don't already own any knee length leather boots is that I can never get them done up over my great bulging calves. Still can't in fact... but it's close.

So I have christened them my 'Inspiration Boots' and hung them on the kitchen door - so every time I enter the 'room of food' I get a little encouragement.

Christmas catches up

Finally Christmas is making itself known on weigh-in day. No loss this week but considering the last three weeks it's well overdue. We have no functions this week so I'm sure next week will see a more positive weigh in.

Sadly pre-school has now broken up so no more time for swimming until the second week of January - I am going to have to be extra good.

Feeling very Christmasey now as we put our tree and lights up last night and it's like Santas grotto in our lounge.

Portland lovelies

This weekend we are in Portland visiting C's 'Guide Parents' who were also friends of Jes's. They have been absolutely brilliantly supportive of my shrinking making the food low fat and low calorie.

I'm keeping off the wine which is just as well as C has been laid out with a gastric upset which has me up with her most of the night. Fortunately she is a lot perkier this afternoon and starting enquire about food (only the chocolate in her advent calendar so far though!)

I swam

Decided to see how bad the bruising really is and swim. Discovered that my arm is more bruised than I thought however I still managed a decent splash about.

Bottomed out

Another good weigh in - 2lb. I'll be pleased if I can keep that up over the Xmas period.

Am very undecided about swimming this morning. I slipped on the stairs yesterday carrying the laundry and landed on my derriere - bump bump bump all the way to the bottom and it REALLY hurts. I was hoping for a big purple bruise to validate the pain but as yet I am unmarked :-(

Partied out

Last night was BRILLIANT. We went to the Addington Palace which is a lovely building. We were in the marquee which was beautiful (although we managed to unwittingly find a grotty bit for the pic!!)

There was a 4 course dinner followed by the band Reservoir Frogs (who were mediocre) and a DJ (excellent). I elected to drive and so avoided all the calories of wine and the lack of self-control that always follows! G is still in bed. He did not avoid the wine...

The food was every dieters worst nightmare:

• Duck and Orange paté (I left the toast but couldn't resist the pate & salad)
• Roast Beef and all the trimmings (the trimmings being those that you would have with turkey - bacon wrapped sausages & stuffing - very unusual). I didn't have stuffing, only had 2 roasties, a small bite of sausage and gave G one of my slices of beef. So not as bad as it could have been.
• Chocolate Mousse with gloop. I had 2 bites and decided that it really wasn't very nice and wasn't worth the clearly indecent calorie and fat content. So I left it.
  
• Cheese and biscuits. I completely abstained (!!!).
  
• Coffee and mints - I had just one mint and brought all the leftovers home for C.

Totalling everything up this morning I am still within my weekly points allowance - just. So I am mightily pleased. I also danced quite a bit so might have burned off that after dinner mint...