Getting it done

Today is my single day off from golf out of 8 days. So it is a perfect day to chill out and do nothing go to bootcamp.

I decided I would go at work once I knew I was able to leave the office early enough to get to french and home before 7pm when it starts. I grabbed a sandwich on my way to french so that I wouldn't have the "too hungry" excuse later.

French was great, sitting out in the garden watching the birds and chatting. It was so good that we went over the hour. Doh! This still left me time to get home in time but then, disaster, a road closed at Darley Dale!

The only diversion (which was not signposted in any way) took us up a narrow road with cars parked on one side. Our stream of traffic sat and sat, and sat some more. Nothing was coming the other way either. Eventually we moved and that was it, an endless one way stream of cars. I felt bad for the other side but hey, it's a dog eat dog world, even in scenic Darley Dale.

The upshot was that I arrived home at 6.58pm with a head full of reasons why I could sack bootcamp off. I needed to feed the dogs, get changed etc etc.

But then I spotted 3 fellow bootcampers on their way there. And then I remembered what Melinda had said about just turning up. And thought about having the sandwich so I could go etc etc. So I jammed some food into bowls for the dogs and got changed as quickly as possible and got down there by 7.07pm. Better late than never. Worked hard, felt great, enjoyed a lovely evening outdoors before home, shower, salad and collapse!!

Back to endless golf tomorrow. We're playing with a couple we met at the Belfry in March when I was 22lbs heavier, which is a good thought.

Up and down

Typical isn't it? One day after my disappointing official weigh in showing a gain I step on the scales and see a nice, healthy drop to 16.3.4! I have seen that number a few times over the last week but have for obvious reasons not yet quite believed in it. Hopefully this time it is here to stay (and get smaller).

Stephbospoon asked in a comment why I'm embarking on this pre-wedding campaign. It seems so obvious to me but the very fact that the question was asked made it thought provoking. Always good to do a spot of navel gazing about these things.

So, why am I trying to drop weight?

Well, partly because, if I don't, I know that I will gradually gain weight and go from my recent high of 17.11 stones all the way back to 20 stone and probably beyond. Despite being better at it over the 11 years since Lighter Life, I have not cracked maintenance and dieting, sticking to a regime, is part of my ongoing learning process.

Partly/mostly because I do not like being as large as I was or even am now. I puffed and panted up hills; my back ached; my feet hurt after golf; I looked and felt older than my years and mumsy wearing size 20 (and larger) clothes; and ultimately,  I was putting my health at risk.

I want to have a long, healthy old age with Richard doing lovely, travel-y, golf-y things. We don't have children which makes staying fit all the more important.

Why am I doing it as a pre-wedding campaign? Because no other motivation has worked over the past 2 years. I tried to use our trip to Australia but that didn't work. I have tried various diets and exercise regimes and not succeeded. There is something in-built about wanting to look and feel young (ish) and beautiful on your wedding day. Clearly in my case the desire is strong enough to supply that extra motivation to start and stick to a diet.

I don't feel the need or desire to be slimmer for anyone but me. Rich proposed to me at my fattest and has never said or done anything to indicate that my weight matters, indeed the opposite, so it is certainly not for him.

Steph asked if Rich was also undergoing a pre-wedding regime. Yes, he is to an extent. He doesn't need to drop a great deal (apart from a bit of a beer belly) but he is cutting back, walking to and from work and eating my diet dishes alongside me. Already his trousers are a bit more comfortable. Ultimately though, Rich will slim down if he wants to.

So that is the story of me wanting to be  thinner and fitter and stay thinner and fitter. I hope it has a happy ending.

Week 8 weigh in result and happy thoughts

Funny isn't it how, when I have a good result, I can't wait to tap out a quick post but, when it's not so good, I'm somewhat sluggish about the 'fessing up?

I saw 16.6.6 on the scales this morning. An increase of 1lb taking me further away from that illusive 1 and a half stone mark. Grrr

Having said that, I'm not miserable or annoyed about it; in fact I feel more positive and energised about life in general and the diet project than I have for a week or so. The small hiccup has come about because I have had 2 very social and fun-filled weekends on the trot. Neither caused me to go totally off the rails; I'm still doing plenty of exercise; and we had a great time!

Now, refreshed mentally and physically from the good company, hiatus from rules and restraint and the break from gym/bootcamp, I feel ready to get back to it whole-heartedly. Yesterday was a case in point; I had no difficulty going back to my normal eating routine and saying no to wine/beer/cider on the golf club terrace in the glorious sunshine or swapping fruit for dessert at the meal after golf.

I think I just got a bit stale, settled in a rut of endless work, exercise and home and garden tasks. As if dieting and exercising were the point of my life rather than something to be fitted into my life.

In short, I needed a sabbatical. Chatting with Beth the weekend just gone and Louise last weekend gave me that mental stimulation too. Different perspectives on wedding plans and ideas for holidays and just different vistas and that is important as well as the day to day list of chores to be ploughed through.

I had been feeling a bit snarky with Rich too (not all the time, just occasionally) but, now we've both had some space, feel all warm and mushy again. It helps that he looked mighty fine out on the golf course and at the meal afterwards and we both played well together and just had a laugh as a couple.

We seem to have been giggling about daft things a lot over the last few days. Snippets of old episodes of The Simpsons or Friends (which we never watch) have had us creased up and we found ourselves watching the Wedding Singer last night. Uber soppy rubbish but hey, if two 80's kids can't bond over Billy Idol, Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler I don't know what the world is coming to!!

Anyway, that's probably enough embarrassing personal revelations for now (please don't judge me!). I hope you are all infused with some sunny positivity and enjoying life!!

Outdoorsy weekend

This weekend the lovely Beth (not her real name) came to visit from that London. Looking mighty slim and healthy too. It was chucking it down when she arrived at Sheffield but the forecast was for a good weekend!

It is great to have friends visit - tidy house, catching up, learning new things. Beth brings a view of a whole different world into our cosy little valley which I love. I realise that I have become a bit lazy about getting myself down to London (other than for football) and that is going to change.

On the flipside, Beth loves being in the countryside and that I can definitely deliver. On Saturday, Rich wanted to sleep, watch golf, mow the lawn, strim everything in sight and build the new barbeque so Beth and I went for a walk up Win Hill. I love this walk but not over winter as one section is a quagmire so it has been about a year since I last climbed the hill.

The weather was cool and breezy, perfect for a hilly climb. It then got sunnier and warmer while we were on the downhill stretch. No pics of Beth.

I would have taken more pics once the sun came out but my phone was playing up and put a stop to that.

We rather ruined the health benefits of our 4 hours hill walk by settling into the beer garden of a pub in Hope which just happened to have a beer and cider festival and drinking 4 pints of strong cider on an empty stomach! Due to various mishaps as a result of my malfunctioning phone we then had to walk back to Bradwell and then to another pub before we could eventually get home and eat something.

We slept early that night!!

Luckily the early night negated any hangover so Sunday was another lovely day.

A softer day's walking this time in the White Peak around Bakewell. We started at the old Hassop Station then walked along the Monsal Trail (footpath and cycleway on the old railway route) to Bakewell.

Bakewell was rammed. We weren't in the mood for crowds so retreated to the garden of a nice restaurant overlooking the river for a delicious thin and crispy pizza. (Virtuously I took the half pizza, half salad option!!)

Then a walk over the hill along a stunning walled grassy path back to Hassop. The creamy hawthorn blossom was the star event but the fluffy mounds of cow parsley lining every verge were beautiful too.

Home for roast lamb and Prosecco. Not exactly a diet friendly weekend but lots of exercise!

Today has been dog walking and golf and perfect diet compliance. We played well, would have won with our score in the last mixed comp but managed third place at least.  The good day is unlikely to be enough for a good result at weigh in tomorrow but hey ho......I am back on it and one poor week is not the end of the world!!

Wayward footsteps....

I have not gone off plan and I'm still determined to drop weight but I can feel myself sliding. I'm not snacking but I'm wanting to. Breakfast this morning was a battle to avoid toast, crumpets, even a pain aux raisins when I stopped at the petrol station. I resisted and had yoghurt with fruit and muesli but it was tough.

My diary entries are shorter and more perfunctory. I'm less keen to blog. I'm looking for (and finding) excuses not to exercise. I'm going back to quick, old favourite recipes rather than "cooking the books" as Seren would say. And I'm choosing more carbs than I should, a small portion of noodles with a stir fry last night and a jacket potato for lunch being cases in point.

Only a week ago I was keen as mustard: yoghurts for breakfast, soup for lunch, something new and interesting for supper and excited about bootcamp. What the hell has happened??

I don't really know. Work has gone a bit horrible. I have so much to do that it is overwhelming. I feel as though I'm drowning and time off for multiple golf matches is not helping but it is too late to do anything about that.

I don't think it is just work though. Possibly partly a cyclical thing. Partly a combination of factors. Bootcamp is less appetising when it's hot. We're busy in the evenings so I have less time to plan and cook new dishes.

I suppose I should expect enthusiasm to wax and wane over time. You can't be a girl guide, squeaky clean perfect dieter all the time. The key thing must be to stick to the plan as well as you can while you're in an "off" phase and make sure that you stick to it!!

I can live with a ropey week but must keep it going and not slide. One and a half stone off is a great start but that is all it is - a start!!

So, now I've given myself a good talking to, hopefully I will summon up some renewed vigour for this dieting lark VERY soon.

Now say hello to Minty enjoying a belly rub....

Sunny evening walk (instead of bootcamp!)

I'm doing the honesty diet so I have to admit to myself that I manipulated our plans this evening so that we went for a glorious sunny evening dog walk rather than me going to bootcamp. Oh I have reasons/excuses, some good, some less good but ultimately this was an occasion when chimp won!

I had a pretty sore knee over the weekend which, considering I played 3 rounds of golf in 4 days, was not great. I'm not sure whether the pain came from bootcamp. It's possible as the last session involved a lot of running/sprinting and some high leg jogging on the spot.

However, it's also possible that it was just a random jarred knee.

Either way, I decided to give bootcamp a miss this evening as the pain has almost gone away and I have another round of golf tomorrow morning. We did a few hills but I was aware that I could have been sweating it out! If my knee does not collapse again tomorrow, I will go on Thursday evening!!

I'm not going to regret a single evening off, especially one which involved a beautiful evening walk.

A grey wagtail (with a yellow belly) hopping along the weeds in the stream.

Happy goats in the sunshine

I always have to say hello to this beautiful girl as I walk past. Usually she has her shy big sister with her but not today. Hope the other one is alright.

Shelagh on Rich's knee outside the pub where we had a sneaky drink sitting outside.

Week 7 weigh in result

Well, I was right; I didn't hold onto yesterday's 16.4.4 which was I suspect artificially low. I did, however, manage a very creditable 2.5lbs off taking me to 16.5.4 and a total drop of 20.5lbs so far.

I am very nearly 1 and a half stone lighter. I am on my way. My "sort of" target of 5 stone off is much closer and more manageable and I still have more than a year to go!

Wooo hooo!! It's much colder today so that is good for bootcamp this evening. (Get me looking for the silver lining!) In all honesty, much as I love the sunshine, we could do with some rain. The garden is thirsty and the farmers are worried about the grass not growing!

Right, back to work now I've had my little brag.

Weekend of fun and naughty treats

I do not want to ease up too much on this diet but I also want to ensure that the changes I'm making are long term lifestyle changes not just a temporary diet. This is a bit of a tricky conundrum.

Anyway this week comprised multiple challenges to the diet but nice things which need to be incorporated into my life, somehow.

Saturday night we met up with a couple from Hathersage. I went to school with Louise and have known her and James for decades yet we hardly ever get together. Busy lives. So it was great to finally get a date in the diary and the chosen venue was our favourite curry house - Maazis in Hathersage. We didn't go mad - no starters and I didn't have masses to drink but nor did I hold back. It was fantastic.

However, I had been pretty good all day and gone for a decent walk around sunny Bakewell where we were on a cheese buying mission.

Bakewell was gorgeous. Quintessentially English. Cricket on the park. Kids swimming in the river. People feeding the fat trout basking in the sunshine from the bridge. Ice cream vans and fish and chips.

I didn't know they did the "padlocks of love" thing here. Last time I was here (last summer at a guess) there were a few but now the whole bridge is festooned! Bit cheesy if you ask me.

So, did you spot the mention of cheese? That was for our next, naughty treat of the weekend.

Our local had put on a cheese and wine evening. We were to bring some cheese and they provided a selection of intetesting wines at a very reasonable price. Well, we couldn't say no. I prepared by being very abstemious all day and playing a hard fought knockout singles golf match. It was so hard fought we couldn't settle it in 18 holes and had to play 2 sudden death extra holes before I won!! Go me.

I didn't go mad on the cheese and biscuits. It was my supper after all. The trouble is we were with some boozy pals of ours and it was a delicious, warm evening to sit outside the pub so we ended up staying longer than planned and, inevitably, drank more than planned - 5 175ml glasses of red. That is 1 and a half bottles!! Whoops.

Look how content Billy and Rich look with their beers, comfy chairs and plates of cheese!

Strangely, the scales showed a very impressive drop this morning but I'm not terribly optimistic that I will hold onto it as I can't help but feel that it may have been assisted by post alcohol dehydration.

I've played yet another golf match today so have done plenty of exercise and been very virtuous food wise. Our team captain who is very supportive of my diet gave me the wink that our post match supper was to be lasagne and asked me if I would prefer a salad. Yes, while everyone else tucked into lasagne and chips, I had a very tasty ham salad with sides of quinoa and mango and tomato and chickpea. It was genuinely no hardship. I did have the scoop of ice cream which came with the strawberries though - I'm not a saint!!