Greater love

Greater love hath no woman than she maketh dumplings for her man even though she can't eat them herself.

Thin wrists

It seems the weight I've lost has come off ... my wrist.

My vivofit is looser than when I first wore it so either it's stretching or my wrist is taking it upon itself to shed pounds. 

Really if there is one place I definitely do not need to lose weight it's my wrists.

Lost 2 pounds!

Whoop! Whoop! I'm now into the 9 stone bracket (and thirteen and a half pounds so only just but still) and if I can lose a pound and a half next week I'll get my half stone sticker! So far I've lost five and a half pounds i.e. 

Except I do not believe that. There is no way that much fat has come off me.

Anyway there are seven weigh-ins until Christmas - scary thought that it's so close - so if I am good I could be on course for a stone loss by then. 

Having printer problems now i.e. about to throw it out of the window, so will write more later.

Later
Wouldn't you know it? I asked Husband to come and sort out my printer. He switched it and the computer off and on again and the printer worked fine.

Red windsor

Delicious dinners from Elder Son plus lunches out = not looking forward to weigh in tonight.

Although I was very sensible at lunchtimes having a baked potato and beans one day and salad, without dressing, the next. The salad did include quite a bit of a very tasty pink and white cheese though. we - because Husband and Elder Son both tasted it - couldn't define the flavour but apparently it's a semi-creamy cheddar cheese laced with brandy or port.

'Not very' is the answer

The Alpen Light chocolate and fudge bar was adequate. I suppose it would satisfy a craving of sorts. 

The trouble with all these diet clubs is that they all say the same thing, 'It's not a diet; it's a lifestyle change.' Yeah, right. That's why just about everyone who loses weight puts it back on. Because it's just too boring to live life like it.

Going away for the weekend so it is going to be hard to stick to my resolve. We're visiting Elder son who is an excellent cook. His dinners will be fine but the shortbread and cookies he and his boys make are tooooo bad for me. Maybe one? No! Tell me 'NO!' One is the beginning of the end.

Just how good can something with only 70 calories be?

So I lost one and a half pounds. Better than nothing - and better than Husband - but still.

One woman who joined the same time as me has lost ten and a half pounds in the same period. Just saying.

Regardless I am treating myself tonight with a 70 calorie/3 syn Alpen Light fudge and caramel bar, which I suspect sounds better than it will taste.

Bananas and why I won't

I made banana cakes for Zac's last night. Banana cakes have two things going for them:
a) they use up over-ripe bananas;
b) I hate them so won't be tempted to eat them.

I haven't made anything with bananas for thirty-two years. That's a very precise time I hear you saying. Well, yes, because I have good - or perhaps bad - reason to remember it clearly.

Younger Son was a tiny baby and I had made some banana flapjacks. I ate one even though I wasn't keen on anything flavoured with banana - even though I adore bananas in themselves, as long as they're only just ripe. It was ... alright but I didn't eat any more of them.

Then, that very same, day I was struck down by a bout of vertigo; for a week I was in bed with a spinning head. But before the spinning started I was sick and all I could taste as I vomited was banana cake. Oh yucky.

Hence my refusal to eat or even cook with bananas again.

It seems other people don't have my horror though as they went down very well and, indeed, people said they were yummy.

And remember to breathe

Great exercise session with Hannah this morning. I really felt it. Last week I was fine afterwards so either I didn't work hard enough or the exercises weren't hard enough for me but this week I think I'll have an ache or two. Once I get back into the swing of it the after-pain should stop.

Only nine months ago I used to be able to hold a plank for a minute or even ninety seconds; today I struggled to hold it for thirty - and I don't think I was holding such a good line as the model in the photograph. That's what comes of not exercising regularly. This class only has funding for seven more lessons so I must make sure I sign up for other classes, preferably with Hannah.

I'm still struggling with some arm exercises after the damage done by not falling out a tree several months ago but I think it's improving very slowly. Strangely enough I feel the most pain when I'm sitting at my computer stretching my arm out to my right side, holding my mouse and doing my online jigsaw. I suppose it's the angle at which I'm holding my arm.

In other news Husband lost one pound this week. And I really didn't enjoy my omelette at lunchtime. It's hard when you're on a diet and you regret eating something but can't eat anything extra and yummy to make up for it. Ah well, baked beans on toast for dinner tonight. (One of my favourites ever.)

Chocolate ... mmmmm

When I created this blog the title reflected how I felt about myself. It also seemed to encompass lots of negatives that I thought may attract readers with similar feelings. I don't know how far that second bit has succeeded but the blog seems to get steady enough - if not high enough - readership numbers.

Now, strictly speaking I am past middle-age. Unless I live to be 100 which I have every intention of doing. I tend to feel frumpiest when my hair needs dying. Indeed an onset of the frumps usually reminds me to phone and make an appointment: I have one for Friday so all will be well again. But normally I feel anything but frumpy.

The fat bit. Hmm. I could say I'm not fat. Or I could dress it up and say I'm cuddly or voluptuous. But the fact is I do carry fat around my tummy and hips. It bulges over the top of my jeans and I don't like it. But I am in the process of doing something about it so that's fine.

I could rename the blog, 'Old, fat and occasionally frumpy,' but it doesn't have quite the same ring. Besides I don't feel that. So don't think the title reflects my everyday attitude: it doesn't. Most of the time I'm a jolly little bunny. Except when I'm craving chocolate ...

Mid-afternoon rumbly tummy

Resorted to sticks of cucumber.

Was there ever a sadder snack?

Death cleaning

I've been death cleaning (or decluttering if you prefer) and I came across evidence of my slimming history.

Apparently I joined Weightwatchers in 1998. I say 'apparently' because it has my name on it but I have no memory of it. It didn't last long: I weighed 9st 12lbs on joining and 9st 11 and a half lbs on leaving five weeks later.



I tried again more successfully in 2011, this time with Rosemary Conley.

It's fascinating what you forget.

Feeling virtuous

Dinner last night.

Carrot and leek soup followed by salad with baked potato. The low-fat cheese triangle only syn-ful ingredient. Everything else is free and mostly speed food.

On a tray in front of the television for a treat as I'd had a busy day/week.

Only problem was I had to go to bed early to take my mind off the fact that  I was craving chocolate. Or anything sweet and substantial really.

Two pounds off

It's better than staying the same; it's definitely better than putting it on. But I have been so good this week a bit more would have been nice. Never mind, it's going down so that's the right way.

What I really need to do though is to take up drinking so I can give it up. That seems the easiest way to lower calorie intake and lose weight. Or maybe live off takeaways for a bit. 

Starting from the point of having a reasonably healthy diet and not being very over-weight makes it much harder.

What will it be today?

Weigh Day Number 2 time is approaching rapidly. I'm not weighing at home and yesterday, in the hospital, when they weighed me I deliberately didn't look. I want it to be a nice surprise. (I have all my fingers and toes crossed.)

I have been even stricter than last week, limiting the amounts I ate and the syns and increasing my intake of speed. I don't feel hungry yet crave chocolate. But I am being very good. GrandDaughter2 was here for lunch today and though she left some tiny pieces of cheese - and how many calories could be in something that small?! - I didn't eat them.

Life is sort of boring though. 

I don't feel any thinner but I hope that's due to bloating. On the other hand I haven't, ahem, been to the toilet for a day or so. Not significantly anyway.

On the plus side, Husband hasn't lost anything this week. Then again that might not be a good sign ...

Viva la Vivofit

Having worn my Vivofit for a few days now I thought I'd do a quick review of it and compare it with my old Fitbit.

Appearance and fit
My strap is light blue and it looks fine. I wouldn't wear it to a ball but I'm not Cinderella so it's okay. It's a little tricky to do up in the mornings but once it's on I forget it's there. Lots of reviews said the strap was rubbish so I am anticipating buying a new one at some point.

Settings
I'll record the settings as they are now on mine.
4:29     Clock

10-8     This was what I thought originally was my heart reading. It occurred to me today in the woods that it was in fact the date. (I should stand for president.)

Heart     Just says Heart because as I explained previously I need to be wearing the chest strap monitor for it to register. It was useful to have a heart monitor inbuilt in the Fitbit but really I only ever looked at it for fun.

12497     Steps taken, indicated by little feet in the left hand corner of the screen. Very little feet. I'll come back to this in a minute.

3406     Goal+ i.e. steps over target. (Note how I subtly let you know that I am well over target steps for today.)

5.07     Judging from the mi written underneath I assume that's miles walked.

1214     Has what appears to be a tiny sickle underneath. It's possibly calories used. I could check but where's the fun in that?

Other stuff
It doesn't light up so you can't see it in the dark, unlike the Fitbit.
It has a battery that is supposed to last for a year; the Fitbit needs recharging every few days. That said it seems that my battery is almost flat. I have written to the seller and asked for a replacement, which has been promised to me. But hasn't arrived yet.

Really the only thing of interest to me is the steps taken, and perhaps the time. That's useful too.

I'm not in training for anything so its accuracy isn't that important. I did an experiment in the woods comparing my count of steps taken with Vivofit's. On one occasion it gave me six more than I thought and on the other one less, but in that case I stopped to let a cyclist pass and that might have confused it - or me.

It seems a little more sensitive to arm movement than the Fitbit so vigorous tooth brushing can add on steps.

I suppose the only real benefit for me of having it is the incentive it provides. Numbers aren't important; it just acts as a reminder to keep moving, to dance while I'm preparing food for example. Which I do anyway.

So I am happy enough with it. At less than half the price of the Fitbit it'll do for me.

The morning after

I have calmed down a bit now. Not completely accepting but ready to try again. On the plus side I didn't eat chocolate and that normally would have been my first turn-to. In fact it was my initial thought last night: phooey, if I do it right and not lose weight them I may as well be happy. But I didn't.

It was a relief to find that one of the other newbies had the same result. Like me she had followed the book and done everything properly; unlike me she was constipated - which could account for her lack of weight loss!

The other newbies lost 6lbs, 6 and half pounds and 7 lbs. Not that I'm jealous you understand. Grrr.

You owe me four pence

So I have kept to the diet and followed the rules strictly and how much have I lost?

Zilch. Not a single solitary pound. 

Alison, the teacher, looked at my food diary and said, 'I don't see much scope to improve.'

I hate everybody. 

Husband has lost 3 lbs

Husband is not doing the Slimming World diet but we are eating the same evening meal. Then he has 2 slices of toast thickly spread with butter and loads of jam for breakfast, and cereal for lunch.

I am just going to my first weigh-in. I bet you four pence that he has lost more than me.

Viva le vivofit

I have sync-ed my new vivofit (replacement for my fitbit) and tried it out. So far so good once I realised that the heart monitor wasn't part of the wrist piece. Instead you need to wear a belt around your chest. Bit sticky and uncomfortable - especially as I still have shingles scars - so I probably won't bother with that much. (I think later or other models come with it inbuilt.)

So for lunch I had a big breakfast: egg, bacon, beans and mushrooms, followed by strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. It still seems illogical to me so I am having to fight a battle with my head as well. And I certainly don't feel any thinner. But a couple of days to go yet before my first Slimming World weigh-in. 

One thing I am finding, and found the last time I followed a slimming world diet, is that I am very windy. Seriously windy. I could quite possibly blast off and reach the moon. Last time it didn't cease even after a period of time when I thought my body would adjust. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions regarding this?

And then I go and spoil it all

A healthy syn-free meal.

And then I go and spoil it all by ... adding a pat of butter. But that's okay as it's within my syn allowance. And very yummy it was too.

Oh and I've been through the blurb I received in my joining pack: exercise is encouraged. But it wasn't in class. Not that it was discouraged but the emphasis was on food first, exercise after.