Too much!

I knew Friday and yesterday were going to be tough days on my diet but I rather overdid it nonetheless.   I started out with the best of intentions and doing quite well, honest.  Friday night was a night out with  friends to see a punk band we've not seen before at our Sheffield local (The Shambollix).  Despite everyone else being on pints, I managed to stick to gin and slimline tonic or rum and diet coke for the evening thus minimising booze damage.  And we did an awful lot of energetic bouncing and dancing which must have burned some calories. So far so good.

Saturday started well too.  Rich was up heroically early to play golf despite our late night and boozing and I couldn't sleep much after he left.  So I was up not long after and went straight out for a run despite feeling a little ropey.  Trouble is, I think the pogo-ing from the night before had left me with tight calves and, being tired, I was too lazy to stretch properly so, at the point we were furthest away from home my left calf twinged painfully.  I limped/walked/shuffled home but it was not the greatest of workouts.

I was still in damage limitation mode so had a sensible, veggie packed pasta dish for lunch in order to avoid worse at the pub before the match.  But then came the big diet decision of the day.  To beer or not to beer?

Our local (well, the brewery) has abolished its loyalty scheme and yesterday was the day our little gang had designated to "spend" the 21 vouchers for free pints before it was too late.  In other words a free day!  Do I enjoy the pints or stick to diet coke??  I had intended to have 2 free pints then switch to coke or water.  So, on the basis I would only be having 2 pints, I picked my very favourite beer - Castle Rock's Screech Owl at 5.5% which I hardly ever drink.  And it was gorgeous. And I ended up having 4, count them, 4, pints of it.  Gulp.

So, off to the match (a dreary 1-1 draw, sigh), back home and then out for dinner at friends.  Sean, who was cooking, had made it very clear that I would not be dieting there so I was by then resigned to my fate. And what a gorgeous fate it was!

Mushrooms in cream and red wine to start.  Beef cheeks in a very rich red wine sauce with buttered carrots and layered potatoes and onions baked in cream and goats cheese (I know there's a name for the dish but can't remember it).  Followed by a mint chocolate cheesecake all washed down with delicious red wine.  It was a splendid meal but extremely rich.

My body has been on quite a low fat, low alcohol, high veggie diet for the last 10 weeks so is not used to such luxury.  Boy, did I pay for the excesses of the day in the middle of the night!!  I woke sweating with painful stomach cramps.  Went to the loo and managed not to be sick.  Still sweating and cramping, I started to feel faint so sat down on the edge of the bath and the next thing, I must have fainted as I came to lying on the floor having crashed my head into the bathroom door!More sweating and moaning before I finally started to feel better and could go back to bed.  It was short-lived but horrid. That'll teach me to drink so much strong bitter, rich food and red wine!  (Or will it??)

Today is going to be much more controlled.  We had planned to play golf but were just too knackered to get up in time to golf and still fit everything else in.  So, a much needed lie in instead.  We have still to walk the dogs, cook a late Mother's Day lunch for Rich's mum and then get off out to the quiz.
Weight-wise I'm on the very edge of losing a smidgen, staying the same or suffering a small gain.  It will be touch and go tomorrow.  Gah!!

What do I learn from all this??  That, when I know I have a big night/meal to cope with, I need to be even tighter during the week to still drop weight.  And, that I should not compound a big night/meal with extra booze on top.  Even had it not been for last night, I would not have been dropping much this week, maybe a lb or so. As I've bemoaned repeatedly, my margins are pretty slim which is, I suppose, the problem with trying to live your life while dieting.  As that is what I have chosen to do, I suppose I need to accept and cope with the odd dodgy week and just suck it up!

Fingers crossed for weigh in tomorrow!! May the scales of doom be kind and bountiful to this pitiful, undeserving  but nonetheless hopeful subject.