Tuesday evening

Fiona and Nicky (sister and brother in law)
The gorgeous bride. Yes, she's v v slim - in the past she's had to eat shakes to INCREASE her weight....bitch!!
The Irish inlaws plus the newest addition, Kevin

Kevin and Fiona
Fiona and her bridesmaids who were all really nice and a great laugh, especially the blondest one next to her, Sharon, she was a nutter!

Me and D. Don't know why I brought the wrap, it was baking!
I asked my mother inlaw to take this....not a great shot but what can you do?!

Me and D at the party on the Sunday (I was dying of a hangover, really dying! I'd had no more than 2 hours sleep the night before and had been drinking white wine until 9am!!) Still, apart from occasional dips in form, I think I held it together.

So, I finally get around to uploading the wedding pics. As I'm usually the one taking loads of photos (does this stem from mega fat days when I was avoiding being IN them I wonder??!), I realise later that there aren't many of me in them and, the ones that there are, are not great. Obviously because I wasn't taking them.....lol!

Anyway, as you can probably tell from the pics, it was a truly lovely wedding. The weather was amazing and the service and reception just gorgeous. They are a fantastic couple and that showed through in their choices for the ceremony and the reception. Nothing fake or phony just lots of genuine sentiments and beautiful music. Kevin, as well as being a farmer from Cork, is also a talented musician. He plays the bagpipes of all things as well as several other traditional Irish instruments and knows just about any Irish song you could think of. So the wedding was full of music, both traditonal, bagpipes (a LOT of bagpipes) and modern. At the reception loads of people got up to sing or play and at the party at my inlaws on the Sunday, there was live, impromptu music and poetry recitations all day. Brilliant some of them too, some less so but that's part of the charm. Yes, I did sing but not until the minibus on the way into town!!!

It was a very special weekend and I'm so pleased for the 2 of them as they really deserve every good fortune.

The downside is that it set me off on a spiral of eating and not doing much exercise. Although I managed a couple of runs while in Ireland and started off eating carefully, by the end, I was eating and drinking whatever I damn well wanted, pretty much constantly. and it didn't abate when I got home.

The upshot is that I've gained a fair bit. My previous high of 13 stone 4 has been surpassed and I weighed in on Monday morning at 13 stone 8!! Wooo hooo!..........................Not

I went to Slimming World last Monday but then was ill and grumpy and a bit out of control so managed to gain another couple of lbs just to top it off.

But but but....I have stopped the rot. I feel as though I have emerged from a fog and can finally see clearly and take charge again. Why I couldn't do this 3 weeks ago I don't know but there you are. I ran the hilly 31/2 mile route to Slimming World last night despite knowing the tale from the scale would not be a happy one. I have been sticking to the diet reasonably well for 2 days now and am eating in moderation. I am back exercising and, more importantly, wanting to exercise.

I don't know why I got lost in that big hole but I can see the edge now and am clambering out. It's going to take a while but I have time. And friends and good support. I will be back a lot more frequently now that I have emerged from the fog. Thank you for hanging on in there with me.