New beginnings

I have been plugging away at the diet and exercise and have succeeded in stopping the rot but not in reversing the trend. A year has passed since I started my last push and I am exactly where I was back then. So, by one interpretation, no harm has been done. But, by another.....how annoying is that??!

I choose to look at it as a positive. I'm no worse off. It is a year during which I have not gained weight and for large part of it was in control.

I must look back at what worked for me between September 2012 and February 2013 to work out how to get back moving in the right direction and then address what went wrong between February and August of this year to avoid falling into THAT beartrap again.

But, first things first, good habits. As ever I'm mindful of not trying to do everything at once and setting myself over-optimistic targets which I will not achive. Mini-targets are always the way for me:

• Carbs - I am STILL eating too much bread and too many carbs. I will set as my carb target - no more than 1 breadcake (roll, bap, bun, etc etc) or 2 slices of bread each day. I have had this for lunch so no more bread for me today. I'm less bothered by pasta etc as this is generally part of my meal and not extra in the way that toast or cereal often is for me but I will work on portion control for non-bread carbs.
• Booze. Too many pints. Last year I actually cut back; d'ya hear me Lesley - CUT BACK! No more casual bottles of beer, in fact no more booze until the weekend and even then A LOT LESS!!
• Exercise. I'm already better at this. I have reinstated running, long walks and training so just need to keep the pressure on and ensure that these don't fall away when the weather worsens.
• Cold showers, black coffees etc etc. Well, surprisingly, I never really stopped on those although the waiting for 3 hours to eat breakfast did fall away somewhat. I think it was just the whole package fell away leaving intermittent rather than actual observation of the regime. I am getting back to doing it properly and I'm sure I'll see the benefits soon. The main thing I need to work on is getting some early morning exercise in - a dog walk, home workout, anything first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Bleurgh....but it WILL happen.
• Blogging. Accountability. Call it what you will, experience from the past tells me that I need it. So you're going to see a lot more of me round these parts....poor you.

In other news the house purchase is crawling along with many a setback but seems finally to be reaching a happy conclusion. IWe've received our mortgage offer so it is just a case of agreeing a completion date with the seller.  She is a bit of a pain but I think she is being mucked around somewhat by her prospective landlord  (ironically I think he's our CURRENT) landlord) who won't confirm the date she may have the house.  But he will eventually and then we will be able to exchange contracts with completion set for the beginning of November sometime. Cross those fingers and toes for us. I can't wait to get in and start decorating and homemaking. I hadn't realised how much living in a rented place (and one which is on the market at that) has stifled that side of me. I want to be building our future, not treading water.

I suspect it might be a tricky thing to get Richard into the whole domestic chores business as he's not owned a house before and his last place was a small flat with tiny "garden"....but hopefully I can cajole, nag and enthuse until I have full cooperation. I'm looking forward to making the place look like we want it to; knowing that it's worth hanging pictures as we won't have to be moving soon; choosing the colours we want rather than putting up with magnolia; planting the garden I want; saving up for furniture we want to live with forever, rather than putting up with the stuff we have for now. I'm sick of making do and temporary ease, putting our life on hold as we are doing at the moment. I'm sure that being in our house will make it more permanent.

I don't remember feeling this way about my last house, much as I liked it. Maybe easy come, easy go was a factor - I didn't appreciate how lucky I was to have such a nice place in the same way I do now? I enjoyed working on it and making it nice but I don't remember the pride I'm already anticipating when I think about the new house.