In the club

Yesterday I was awarded my Club 10 certificate!

Everyone said, 'Well done! Fantastic!' etc. I returned to my seat, hugging my certificate and thinking, 'I wonder what it means?'

It turns out it means I've lost 10% of my starting weight. Which sounds like a lot until you think about it and then it doesn't seem like much. 

Anyway I have it and I'm now just one pound off my target weight. Alas Christmas comes next week so I'm unlikely to reach target for a few weeks' at least. Still I'm in a good place and I am resolutely refusing to buy tubs of Heroes, Quality Street or Celebrations. Which is just as well as our present from Husband's sister arrived yesterday.

First stone gone!

The teacher had run out of certificates but I had my sticker! One stone lost, a pound and a half to go to my target weight. It would be so good if I could do that for next week. 

Nearly there

I have said this before but the weight loss way forward for me seems to be to eat out and to have puddings.

Last Wednesday, after Husband's birthday meal at Slice and being invited out to friends' for dinner, I lost two and a half pounds. That was after two weeks when I'd only managed half a pound each time.

Still mustn't grumble. My total weight loss is now thirteen and a half pounds. Half a pound more and I will get my stone certificate!

But ... since my last weigh-in I've been in hospital for an operation leaving me all pathetic and obliged to rest, meaning I'm not using many calories and eating too much.

But that aside I'm feeling slimmer and more confident. If I can eat sensibly-ish until Christmas then the damage from a small blow out will be easily repaired.

December is not a good month

A number of birthday celebrations meant I was pleased to record half pound losses for two consecutive weeks. This week I may not be so lucky.

Yesterday was Husband's birthday. He began the day with breakfast in bed: warm croissants, butter and jam; I had my usual weetabix.

For lunch, after a long walk, Husband had a cheese and beetroot sandwich; I had salad and a few prawns.

Tea time the family came around for birthday cheesecake; I made do with a cup of tea.

Then we went to Slice for a meal.

Slice is one of our favourite restaurants. Not that we go there very often as I always leave it too late to book and we can't get in. In fact, we only got in yesterday because of a last minute cancellation.

But I had it all planned: I would refuse any offer of bread, and only have two courses. Husband could have cheesecake for pudding when he got home.

(Have you guessed where this story is leading yet?)

The waitress brought us a basket of warm, mini loaves, one white and one seeded, and a bowl of pale butter. The smell alone was filled with calories so I decided I might as well eat it - but only with a scraping of butter as oppose to my usual lashings.

For starter I had venison carpaccio, cold parsnip puree, parsnip crisps and pickled red cabbage.

For main I had roasted monkfish, curried cauliflower, mussels and something else I can't remember.

Then when we said we didn't want dessert the waitress pointed out that it was included in the set price ...

So I had apple bavarois (a sort of apple custard), apple compote, honey madelines and a very rich and creamy ice cream.

Probably enough syns to keep me going until Christmas.

One benefit of being ill

I lost 2 lbs this week. Which in birthday week is a good result. It also takes me to my 'Christmas gift to me'. 

But maybe I should wait until the ravages of the pre-Christmas season take their toll before celebrating.

How can people make themselves sick?!

After a bad - but very good - day on Sunday I've been back on the diet wagon fairly strictly.

And then last night I spent a long time throwing up in the toilet. Meaning I've not eaten yet today. I may try some weetabix later.

So maybe it will balance out at weigh-in tomorrow. Although this is not the way I would choose.

My birthday ...

meringue cake, made by Daughter.

But apart from that and about six packs of fun-size Maltesers I was very quite good foodwise.

"Awesome achievement!"

It took a while but I got there!

Feeling like a proper housewife

I was going to have a baked potato for lunch but then decided that soup wouldn't take much longer to prepare. So I chopped up onion, celeriac and leeks, and let them sweat a bit before adding vegetable stock and then simmered until the celeriac was soft. A quick whizz and it was ready for eating. And very tasty it was too.

Syn free and lots of speed. I'm going to call it Liz's Leek and Celeriac soup because I invented it. Okay, other people might have cooked it before but I thought of it all by myself.

And while I was waiting for it to cook I made a quick batch of chocolate raisin slice for Zac's tonight. Definitely not syn-free!

A bargain bundle of food

In Slimming World last week the consultant gave us an early Christmas present: not one but two vouchers for free SW meals at Iceland. Worth £3 each.

I hadn't tried any of the range but thought, as we were in the area, I'd stop
at Iceland and pick up a couple to put in the freezer for emergencies. I ended up with a bagful. All for £7.50.

Ridiculously pleased with myself at the bargain. I hope I like them now.

Weigh in day update 2

Disappointing. Lost one pound. So still half a pound short of my half stone sticker. 

And before I went to the weigh-in I was with the rest of the family at Verdi's. I sat and watched as they ate cake and ice cream and I had a cup of tea. (I have made up for it since with a quiet gorge. Back on the wagon tomorrow.)

Must try harder.

Weigh in day update 1

Weigh in tonight and I'm not feeling that I've done well. I've been having the odd nibble here and there and not having the exercise of walking George - too much to do.

But we shall see. I shall report back later - because I know you'll be waiting with bated breath!

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.

Eat as much as you like

I am a bit puzzled by this Slimming World diet.

I really liked the Rosemary Conley diet class because the teacher was the first person I'd heard state the obvious: if you eat more calories than you use you will gain weight. Also the class stressed the importance of and incorporated an hour of exercise, but, as I said, there aren't any classes in this area any more.

From what I've seen so far of the Slimming World diet you can eat limitless quantities of some things, which while they may not be high in fat or sugar, have calories - so you can end up eating lots of calories.

And they make no mention I can see of exercising or at least moving. So it's learning a whole new way of thinking.

But several people have told me of their great success with it so perhaps they do know what they're doing - they call it food optimisation. However I mustn't fall into the trap of eating grapes by the bunch again. Last time I did this sort of diet I stuffed myself on grapes in spite of Husband telling me they're full of sugar and you shouldn't do that. I did lose weight though ...

Slimming World Virgin

Not quite a virgin as I did the SW diet many years ago, back when we had green days and red days.

But I got there! In spite of the rain and the disinclination I went and signed on for 12 weeks of Slimming World. That will take me up to Christmas just about. And in theory I should be able to lose the stone I want to lose by then. If I follow the diet properly. It all sounds quite complicated ...

The teacher began the welcome-to-newbies class by showing us a page in the recipe book. 'This is the most important page,' she said. 'Here it tells you how to make chips.' Sounds like my sort of teacher.

Apparently you have to eat a lot of some things, and I mean you can eat a lot. I'm going to have to study the book as she ran through it quite quickly. 

During the group session I had to chuckle to myself when she kept asking people if they were getting enough speed. (Speed foods - mostly fruit and veg I think - as opposed to the drug that I'm more familiar with.) (No, I'll rephrase that. I don't mean I'm familiar with the drug itself but rather the discussion of it in Zac's.)

Came home to Husband's sausage curry and the remains of the rhubarb crumble and ice cream. Diet starts tomorrow.

Skip to the ... a&e department, my darling

Okay, that's 100 skips done.

And it's nearly finished me. I can barely type for panting. And I only managed to do about 7 at a time before I'd either trip over the rope or have to rest. Dear me, I need to get back into exercise.

Speaking of which I have ordered a new fitbit - or rather a vivofit, an old model of a different make that is less than half the price of a fitbit. It turns out that the manufacturers of Fitbit don't offer repairs. The best they do is give you 20 or 25% off your next purchase. 

My heart is still thumping.

And I am investigating Slimming World classes. I really liked the Rosemary Conley class because it was followed by exercise but there don't seem to be any in my region.

There is a local SW class on Wednesday at 5.00 pm. 

Watch this space.

Feeling fat, fat, fat

65.6 kg.

That's the biggest I've been since I can remember. So big I'm not even going to convert it to stones and pounds.

I wonder if you can reach a maximum weight, after which you don't put on anything. I suppose if you continue to consume more calories than you use then no. In which case one day I'll wake up and find I have become one of those exceedingly obese people, the sort I see on the street sometimes and wonder, 'how did they get so big without noticing?'

I've been working on the principle that I'm poorly - I've had shingles - and so deserve to eat as I feel like it. And Husband has been poorly so I've been walking George every day - so that will use up all the extra calories. But apparently not.

Hey ho. Tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett was wont to say. In fact today is another day and one that is just starting so let's aim for a loss of the kg I put on last week.

Skip to the loch my Nessie

If ever I needed encouragement to diet this photo of me and the Clyne Ness Monster would surely do it.

I met up with a new potential instructor for the Zac's women's fitness class last week and she was great. I was about to say, 'I should exercise more' when I stopped and said, 'No, I hate the word should.' Hannah, for that is her name, said, 'In the philosophy book I'm reading it suggests changing should for a more positive phrase so you could say, more exercise would do me good.'

She also mentioned that skipping is the best form of aerobic exercise. 'Start small in anything,' Hannah suggested. 'Set yourself a low target and as that becomes easy increase it.'

So I have got out my skipping rope and in so doing have reached my first target. Maybe tomorrow I'll use it.

Of course the skipping Hannah was talking about is the sort you see boxers doing: two feet jumping up at the same time. My skipping is more infant playground based.

But I'm sure that will be almost as good.

My absence is explained

I haven't weighed for the last few weeks. I've been struggling with my emotions and really don't need anything else to depress me. Oh, yes, and I've been eating a lot.

I can't seem to take control at the moment - which doesn't help me physically or emotionally. I seem to write a lot about this cycle but I imagine it's one that many of us struggle with. 

I was looking at photos of me on honeymoon thirty-nine years ago. Gosh, I looked good! And back then I thought how fat I was. And I want to get back to that shape. Then I tell myself that was nearly forty years ago and I can't expect that. 

It's the same when I look at young mums and think how slim they are and I want to look like that and I forget the age difference again. Not that age is an excuse for flab but life is different now and it is harder to lose weight. Remember those balloons? Each time they're blown up and let down they become a little stretchier and have a little more give and it's easier to inflate the next time.

But I don't want to keep on increasing so I must - I will - take control. This week? Who knows?

You have been spared!

I lost 2 lbs this week! So no photo of my flab will be forthcoming I am pleased to say. And I'm sure you're just as pleased to hear.

Not sure how this weight loss was achieved. My Fitbit scores are a little better than the week before and I did spend an hour or so in a very hot soft play centre scrambling after grandsons. I say scrambling because apparently what I was doing didn't count as steps! 

I am having a little treat tonight: we have a bowl of home-grown gooseberries in the fridge that really must be used! So crumble it is. And then I'll have the rest of the week to work it off.

But I mustn't let this go to my head. It can either be an incentive - I've made a good start and will continue - or a noncentive (or whatever the opposite is) - I've lost weight so can over-indulge frequently.

Oh yes, and I've cancelled my Rosemary Conley online membership. Waste of money really. It wouldn't have been if I'd used it properly I'm sure but being accountable to an invisible morph doesn't work for me. So now it's just you and me, people.

I must start trying

I say that every Tuesday morning just after I've weighed. 

Sadly my resolve fades at the sight of fresh crunchy bread or cheese or fruit or cake or anything yummy really.

But I've gained again this week. When I lose weight it's never more than a pound and usually only half, so how come when I gain weight I do so in two pound amounts?

I know the answer to this question of course: it's because of the aforementioned lack of resolve and sheer greediness.

I am currently 10st 3lbs (almost). Can you hear me sighing? Especially as I didn't 'feel' fat this week.

Right, now, I'm serious. I want you to hold me to account. If I don't lose weight this coming week then next week I will post a photo of my fat belly. If that isn't an incentive for me to be strong I don't know what is. (And you're probably hoping so too.)

Unlike my weight my Fitbit scores were down. My excuse: I just don't have time! And I forgot to wear it one day.

But enough of these excuses! I WILL do better.

My Fitbit thinks I've lost weight

Weigh day today. And I found I'm down one pound this week. Actually a bit less than a pound but who's counting? (Actually Rosemary Conley is.) But my Fitbit scores were much better.

73,647 total steps ▲ 27,867 more than last week

228 total floors ▲ 118 floors over last week	30.81 total miles ▲ 11.67 miles over last week	1,801 avg. daily calorie burn ▲ 118 cals. over last week
567 total active minutes ▲ 321 min since last week	7 of  5 days exercising this week ▲ 4 days since last week	5 of  9 hrs avg. hrs with 250+ steps ▼ 1 hrs lower than last week
66 bpm avg. resting heart rate ▲ 1 bpm since last week 3.0 lb weight loss same as previous week

You'll notice it says 3.0 lb weight loss. That is what would be the case if I'd eaten fewer than 1,801 calories each day. Obviously I didn't. Especially on Saturday, which was our 39th anniversary and we went out for a meal. A rather yummy meal - though a strange smell in the restaurant - where the dessert on its own would have accounted for more calories than that.

Then there was the bag of hand-picked (not by me but a friend) cherries that was at least six times the size of a portion in the supermarket and the coconut and mango cake I made because the mangoes were going off and had to be used.

But apart from that ...

And I've just noticed that apparently I was exercising for 7 of 5 days last week, which is quite clever of me. (No, I don't really understand what some of the readings mean.)